LCDemakes, have announced that their newest title Snip and Chu is available now for the iPad. Based on Shaun Britton’s comic of the same name, the game is merely one part of the greater Snip and Chu universe.
Featuring beautifully authentic artwork, faithful controls and quirky sensibility, Snip & Chu puts players in control of Chu – a piece of gum – out to rescue his friend Snip, himself a discarded toenail, from the RecyKiller, a deranged robotic cleaning machine out to destroy all rubbish.
True to its old school style, gameplay centres around platforming. Said platforming will also take place across two LCD screens ala Game and Watch systems of the 80s and 90s. Beginning on the lower screen, player must guide Chu past numerous hazards on his way to the top, and to his dear friend Snip. With each successive rescue, the difficulty will increase and the hazards will become a lot more…hazardous. So stay safe and rack up those points.
Snip and Chu is out now on the App Store (for iPad only), so check it out and bear witness to a tale of true friendship from somewhere you’d never expect. The comic is also available on the App Store, so give that a look while your at it. To get you in the mood for some retro garbage (I mean that in a good, plot relevant kinda way) check out the screenshots below.
Duck Destroyer is a free, casual, shooting gallery-esque iOS title developed by Kojo Games, and published by Chillingo. Now, Red Fox is hungry, you see, but he is also a trigger-happy maniac who likes his duck blackened and crispy. Instead of hunting in the wild like a normal animal in the great food chain of nature, he prefers to grab a stick of dynamite, a pump-action shotgun and a make-shift, coin-collecting robot (will explain later) and he’s all set… to infuriate PETA, the RSPCA and any other wildlife protection organisation there is (maybe that’s on the developers, actually).
Gameplay
The player sits with a 2.5D perspective in Duck Destroyer, and a substantial degree of control over the camera, which can be moved left to right and up and down. Combined with the parallax scrolling effect, there is a great deal of perceived depth on-screen. The player can opt for virtual joystick or gyroscope control schemes, which can be switched between at the tap of a finger mid-stage. Ducks fly past in either direction at varying speeds as the clock winds down, dropping coins or just plain dropping dead as you take aim and fire. Each of the 150 levels included have a set of three conditions that, when met individually, provide you with a star. Doing particularly well and surpassing a specified score will net you extra coinage. Obtaining just one star will unlock the next level. The player also has a total of three hearts, representing their overall health. That’s right, these ducks aren’t all pushovers… some will pop up from behind the foreground or background and throw tomatoes, snowballs, you name it. Every hit takes away one heart, although shooting them first solves that problem. I’ve found that if you hear/spot the culprit, and they’ve yet to attack, looking away and keeping them off-camera seems to avoid any potential damage.
Bunches of balloons carrying crates full of useful items can also be shot down. Inside may be a Pill (health refill), Clock (additional time) or Snail (slowdown) amongst other things. These boosts can also be bought with coins in-menu, or earned via completing Granny Quests, which are basically achievements. I.e., “Gold Rush – Gather 1000 Coins” with a reward of 100 coins itself. There are three tiers to each quest, with increasingly demanding tasks and better rewards on offer. Boosts and objects, such as dynamite, can be equipped at the start of every level and subsequently utilised by tapping the desired item at the bottom of the screen. Four objects can be equipped at one time, not including your main weapon and trusty robot – from automatically collecting coins for you, to helping gun down those pesky ducks, robots can assist on multiple fronts, although the offense-centric ones are expensive to unlock. As you progress, different “enemy” types are introduced, able to withstand a higher number of bullets or fly at a faster rate, for example. They necessitate an upgrade of your own arsenal, which can be managed by replaying levels for more coins, or succumbing to the ease of micro-transactions. Yes, you can pay for pretty much anything in this game… even to reduce a cooldown-like effect on your gun.
Visuals & Audio
Duck Destroyer is an extremely colourful and vivid game that ventures into environments you wouldn’t expect. Each setting has its own unique visual style, with very few assets being reused. On the Farm, you’ll see Farmer ducks (aptly), Pilot ducks, Fatties (offensive, but okay…), Angry Woodcutter ducks and more, most of which are wearing some sort of flannel design to reflect their surroundings. On the Snowy Mountains, you’ll encounter Yetis, – of both the on-foot and hang-gliding variety – Skiing ducks, Snowboarding ducks, Flying Stripy Sweater-wearing ducks (creative with these names, aren’t they?) and, my personal favourite… Angry Hockey Player ducks! And of course, in Space, there is a futuristic aesthetic, but the highlight has to be the Alien duck – grey and lanky, with bill and all! The further into the game you get, the busier the screen can become, although sensory overload is never an issue. The music in the game is playful and upbeat, which ordinarily wouldn’t mesh with the motif of dead animals, but the cartoonish art aids in creating an appropriately lighter mood. The fully animated cutscenes aren’t entirely necessary, and can be somewhat flat. Then again, this isn’t a Pixar production, and it add a nice touch of flair nonetheless.
Overall
Duck Destroyer is a fun title, but it is guilty of the exact same, overt ploy that every free iOS title with in-app purchases utilises. It features intermittent ads – which is a fair source of revenue – but then shamelessly goes overboard with gameplay elements such as putting timers on resource and weapon cooldown, allowing players to pay to speed up said timer, and having both Stars and Coins used as currency to update/unlock/repair items. The developers do offset this by gifting a small amount of coins with every daily start-up of the game, but with the options to pay to remove ads and “buy all weapons”, the cooldown timer at the very least is a totally unnecessary and superfluous addition that just influences users to spend more. Of course, the game can be played without spending a dime, but it does get difficult to progress when certain level conditions can barely be met without needing to purchase a better weapon… otherwise, you’ll eventually be forced to wait for your gun to repair itself, and those sweet daily coin dumps to supplement your pocket.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Overview Earth Defense Force is a funny series. No, I am not talking about the humor (which is on point and often hilarious), but funny rather for the fact that it has a cult following for simply going outside of the norm. Instead of making a war shooter about reality, Sandlot have done the opposite and changed the formula to their liking, built around short but epic battles with giant, beastly bugs. Forget that the slightly mediocre and rather forgettable Insect Armageddon ever released for a second, and think back to the first release, which was Earth Defense Force 2017. That is kind of what the developers want us to do with the latest Earth Defense Force 2025, as this title all about moving on in a big way. The features are broader, the bugs are nastier, and the campy dialogue is still cranked to the max. Is that enough, or does this follow-up prove that some titles are just made to be a flash in the pan? Let’s find out.
Story
I almost feel like giving an opinion about the story to Earth Defense Force 2025 is doing it a disservice. You are not supposed to care, and this title doesn’t want you to care – as it simply stitches together 2017 with this romp and moves about its day, without a worry in the world. Its been seven years since the last attack, and your squad must save the world from giant insects, robots, reptiles, and plenty of other creatures before everyone’s doom is met.
Yep, that’s about it. Its kind of like a Godzilla movie with no script and a lot of extra costumes. It looks so bad its good, and the player simply gets to enjoy themselves by playing a minor part in a role among a full feature B movie. Before anyone thinks I am trying to take away the awesome stylings that EDF 2025 brings, I’m not. I’m simply putting down my own perception, as I found the whole plot to not really move – yet still provide blast of organized chaos that truly makes the charms from the team involved shine.
Gameplay
This is where it all comes together. As I mentioned, you are of of the Earth Defense Force. Not so much a starring character, but a member of a winning team – nevertheless. Players from the start can pick from one of four classes of soldier. The most basic is the Ranger class, which can utilize a heavy amount of weaponry such as various guns, rocket launchers, grenades, and also take advantage of the many vehicles within the game. Next up is my personal favorite, which is the Wing Diver. This class can take to the skies due to their jet pack for a limited time, scoping out the area and coming from above with quick attacks.
Air Raider is that class you don’t really want to be stuck with – as the action is less involved. Ordering massive air attacks, healing (while offering protection), and bringing in toys for the Rangers to play with in the form of vehicles may sound strategic, but not being at the center in this chaotic battlefield is just a bit stale – to put it nicely. The fencer rounds things off by offering the heavy artillery. Slow – but armored, waddling – but strong, this class acts as a fine balance to the squad, and while it isn’t fun to play as that Air Raider, multiplayer is better for each as everyone’s task at least feels important, even if the enemies seem to fall in the same format with little strategy needed.
The controls, much like in past EDF installments are still tight and functional, providing an easy scheme to wrap your head around for a fun and simple experience. The game is in third person (but the perspective can be changed), and revolves around a mission based scenario, where the player must trek through cities with their squad, freeing the poor townsfolk from the grasps of waves of enemies until each are obliterated, one by one. Sure, there are some objectives – but even breaching new areas and destroying bases doesn’t feel too involved, as the game never seems to try to get the player to focus anything but the destruction. You get a ton of weapons to toy with and with each class, this adds up to one of the broadest loadouts ever for a game of this span, so that really isn’t a bad thing. Remember the classics where you were provided with a decent amount of weaponry, but all that really mattered was to get in there and kill? Earth Defense Force has and continues to go with that gimmickry, not allowing itself to be fully realized in order to provide a more enjoyable and mindless time for every player who joins in.
That is both a curse and a blessing, as not attempting to break out of the mission-based formula hurts the experience. I understand what Earth Defense Force 2025 wants to do, and it achieves its mission of nonsensical combat without question. There are times where the glitches can come in and literally break the game, but this is a “get in there and go!” themed thrillride, and starting over due to a real bug isn’t that frustrating. What is frustrating are the thoughts I felt while getting to the latter stages. The variation of enemies kept me satisfied personally (as almost everything is over the top, especially later in), but not having enough of a change of pace made me feel like I was doing the same thing, over and over on foes that felt different to fight, but came with the same result upon defeat. Sure, its rewarding to take down a bizarre dragon or an annoying spider that leads to death quickly, but you can only have so much of boom before the explosions become expected and predictable. Sure, this game has a ton of content that will keep you interested, and customizing your character with unlocked weapons while playing with the insane vehicles dropped is delicious, but why not offer just a fraction of substance to make the meal filling?
Like most arcade shooters, this one is built for re-playability, and as I mentioned, that comes quite easy due to the amount of content included. Split-screen multiplayer is almost as fun as it was to play titles like 007 and Turok with friends, and the online function ran smoothly during all of my many experiences with it, with others joining in on some intense missions where thoraxes fly like graffiti, raining from the sky. This is the kind of game that requires little brain activity to play, and almost feels soothing due to how mindless this piece of entertainment actually is.
Visuals
Now we get to the part where things go south, north, and all over the place. The visuals in Earth Defense Force 2025 are not great. The environments lack detail, there is a heavy amount of clipping, and the enemy designs, while still eye-catching, are a bit basic overall. That isn’t too much of a problem as the game is still a blast to play. Until you get a ton of enemies on the screen at once, that is. You see, EDF has always had a framerate issue, and this follow-up is no different. At times, the game comes to a complete crawl, which takes away that soothing factor I spoke of and results in more of a headache with enemies slowly running through walls and each other to get to you. The spider that is new this time around also suffers, as even though it presents a fun challenge of dodging a dangerous, spitting web, it actually is broken with the web going through walls and buildings that should be protection otherwise.
Audio
The sound I actually liked. The soundtrack is generic and easy to tune out, but the voiceovers and dialogue give EDF 2025 a bit of a boost in the charm department. Citizens scream bloody murder while running on the streets, and your team are known for making quick and obscene one liners that really highlight the tongue-in-cheek nature that has made this series continue to appear in the west. The enemies themselves don’t really do much to capture your attention with sound effects even though the hisses and scowls are present, which is only a light offense as some more polish in that area would have definitely provided a bit more insanity for players to chew on.
Overall
Earth Defense Force 2025 is a video game that wants you to think it is nothing more than a video game, and I am ok with that as this industry needs to return to that mindset with development. There are no moments of emotion, there are no brilliant dialogue sequences, but instead just a prime focus on destroying enemies and watching them fall into a million pieces. Compared to the rest of the series, 2025 sits with, but not above its predecessors by delivering more options to fans, while stomping on its own foot with framerate problems and clipping that take a bit of the chaos into the wrong direction. Regardless, you will find more fun than frowns in this package, along with a lesson that not everything needs to be a masterpiece to be hung in a museum.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
It’s a cold day in Gotham City today folks. The guys over at Warner Bros. have announced the latest story-based DLC for the caped crusader’s latest outing – Batman: Arkham Origins. The DLC, titled Cold, Cold Heart will span across a multitude of locations (including Wayne Manor) and will retell the story of Batman’s first encounter with the chilly Mr. Freeze. The DLC will also introduce new weapons and a new suit for batman that will allow him to traverse the frigid landscape.
You will be able to download Cold, Cold Heart on April 22nd across all platforms (except Wii U). It is available either stand-alone or as part of the complete Season Pass for the game. If that wasn’t enough to get you shivering with excitement, then check out the short teaser trailer below! After shaking the snow off of your shoulders, let us know if you will be downloading this one. If you haven’t played Arkham Origins yet, then check out our in-depth review, and as always be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Batman news as it becomes available.
Dark Souls II is literally only two weeks away! The latest installment to the Bandai Namco action/RPG is almost here, and the developers have given us a special behind the scenes look at the game with their latest video – Dark Intentions.
This developer diary goes into the general premise for the game as well as a behind the scenes look at some of the inspirations and motivations that the team had when creating this highly anticipated sequel. You should definitely check out the video below (don’t worry, it is spoiler-free) and let us know in the comments below how excited you are for the next stage in the Souls saga. With Dark Souls II hitting store shelves in 2 weeks time on March 13th, make sure you check out our in-depth coverage of the game’s first few hours, and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Dark Souls news as it becomes available
Virtual reality (VR) gaming has been the just stuff of science-fiction til Oculus Rift came along. It is thanks to them that we may see a functioning virtual reality headset on the shelves in the near future. Though for a while, it seemed that they would monopolise the VR market, as indicated when Valve teamed up with Oculus Rift and the tests to use the headset with Microsoft.
However, Sony gone off and worked on their own VR headset for the PlayStation 4. Unlike Oculus Rift, who has been keeping the outside world up to date on their development, Sony has been a little more mysterious. They want to make sure that their new product is in good order before fully revealing it, and there is a rumour that it may be at the next Game Developer Conference in March. The anonymous tipster responsible for the prediction even states:
“The quality and resolution are really, really good. People will definitely be impressed with what Sony’s built”.
Only time will tell if see if the rumours are true and we finally get to see Sony’s headset, which from released images looks a lot sharper than the Oculus Rift head gear. Nonetheless, it looks to be that virtual reality is the next milestone in the gaming industry, we just have to wait for it.
Australia’s most enthusiastic and dedicated virtual racers will soon have the chance to participate in the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy program. Thanks to Nissan Motor Company Australia and Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.), the competition will reach our shores this later year.
The nation’s top 14 Gran Turismo 6 players will be determined via recording a series of online time trials, only using specified Nissan models. An extra 14 gamers will qualify by proving their skill at different live events, one of which will take place at the V8 Supercars Championship. Those 28 will then advance to the National Final, where they must excel in special racing pods during a series of Gran Turismo 6 rounds, driving skill challenges in a real Nissan sports-car, a fitness challenge and a media test (sounds exhausting!) Only 6 will make it through to the Final Selection Round – an intense Race Camp competition held at the famous Silverstone Circuit. The finalists continue on to compete against 24 international hopefuls in on-track evaluations. The eventual winner of the International Final gets the opportunity to realise a dream and become a professional race driver, completing an intensive Driver Development Programme that aims to prepare them to represent Nissan at the Dubai 24 Hours.
GT Academy’s inaugural winner, Lucas Ordonez, has experienced unprecedented success since his victory. The Spaniard became the Blancpain Endurance Series Pro-Am champion in 2013 and was a podium finisher at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LM P2 class in both 2011 and 2013. Another GT Academy graduate, Wolfgang Reip, recently competed in Australia as part of the Nismo Athlete Global Team in the Bathurst 12 Hour alongside Nissan Motorsport driver Rick Kelly in a Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 car. And just last week it was confirmed that yet another GT Academy graduate in 22-year-old Jann Mardenborough (who joined Ordonez on the LM P2 podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013), will contest the GP3 Series with Arden International in 2014, while also joining an intensive driver development program with Infiniti Red Bull Racing, who are the most successful Formula One team in recent history.
Darren Cox, Global Motorsport Director, Nissan Motor Company, and Peter Jones, Managing Director & CEO, Nissan Motor Company Australia, spoke to the significance of this program and the place of motorsports in Australian culture;
GT Academy is getting huge international interest and the expansion of the programme to the Australian market is a great endorsement of that, especially given their impressive motorsport heritage and current V8 Supercars programme. – Darren Cox.
This ground-breaking talent search program has been hugely successful overseas. Now that it’s in Australia I can’t wait for it to unearth and develop our country’s next great motor racing star. – Peter Jones
For further updates and information, including scheduling and location details, keep an eye on the NISMO Australia Facebook page and the Nissan Australia website. Also check out the official Nissan PlayStation GT Academy trailer below.
Today, Ubisoft (Rayman Legends) and RedLynx announced that Trials Fusion, sequel to the popular motorcycle racing game Trials Evolution, will be hitting the track on April 16th. Trials Fusion will take everything fans have loved from the physics-based racer and tack on even more, with features like the new FMX tricks system.
The game will be available for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and on Steam for £15.99. PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 will also have retail versions of the game and season pass available . The season pass will include 6 DLC packs with new tracks, bike parts, rider gear, and more.
Be sure to check out the trailer below. For more information, you can visit the official site here.
Compatibility: Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPad.
Description
Snip & Chu is a challenging, retro platformer based on an original comic book IP and the second game released under the LCDemakes brand.
Playing as Chu, a piece of gum, your task is to rescue his friend Snip, a discarded toenail, from the dreaded RecyKiller, a deranged robotic cleaning machine out to destroy all rubbish.
– Master the refreshing old-school difficulty and rescue Snip from the devious clutches of the RecyKiller!
– Relive the classic, elegant gameplay of Game & Watch handhelds, replicated via gorgeous, intricate artwork with incredible attention to detail
– Get to know the wonderful characters of Wasteworld, before continuing the adventure with the fully-realised and beautifully illustrated 100-page graphic novel
– Dive directly into the challenge with simple and authentic controls
– Tame your competitive streak – and one-up your friends – with online leaderboards and achievements
– Supports iCade and 8-Bitty Bluetooth controllers
What are you waiting for?
Join Chu, Snip and the rest of Wasteworld’s quirky cast and discover just how intriguing living trash can be…
Want more? Grab the graphic novel from the App Store!
http://itunes.apple.com/app/id724108936
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Snip & Chu is the latest LCD-powered, 2D adventure from the makers of the addictively retro Game of Watchcraft: Spawn of Squishy.
PRAISE FOR “GAME OF WATCHCRAFT: SPAWN OF SQUISHY”
“There’s no denying that Game of Watchcraft: Spawn of Squishy is a very clever idea.” – 148apps
“If you’re old enough to remember the Game & Watch line or just a fan of retro hipster stuff in general, you’re bound to find Game of Watchcraft delightful.” – Gamezebo
“One of the more interesting takes on a mobile game that we’ve seen in quite some time.” – Den of Geek
“The various bleeps and blips – of shooting energy bolts, hitting the boss, and even regenerating mana – all culminate in a catchy, unique melody of sound.” – Touch Arcade
“Whether you have a serious love for this subset of gaming’s past or just want a simple retro-style game to pass the time, there’s a lot to love” – Game Informer
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The LCDemakes series is about making beautifully-crafted LCD games “straight from the ’80s!” Each instalment distils modern sensibilities into the extreme design constraints of the original LCD hardware.
Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/lcdemakes
Find us on facebook at facebook.com/lcdemakes
Email us with questions, support queries or ideas for future demakes at [email protected]
A Heartful of Games released the alpha for their 3d brawler rogue-like game Heart & Slash. The game stars Heart, a robot who wishes to break out of the mold set out for him by the Quality Assurance System. Players will hack and slash their way to freedom using 75 different weapons and 60 body parts. The graphics feature modern 3d graphics with retro inspired visual design. The developers have released an early alpha for Windows and Mac on Kickstarter to give people a taste of the game.
A Heartful of Games is looking to raise $20,000 via Kickstarter to complete the game. The indie developers are only 25% short of their goal with 20 days to go. Extra funds will bring a variety of new features like endless dungeon mode, alternate bosses, NPCs, quests, co-op mode, free DLC, and more. Heart & Slash is slated to be released in December 2014. Check out the project page and alpha on Kickstarter.
