Late last year the king of Japanese animation, Hayao Miyazaki, announced that he would be retiring from the Anime movie game shortly after the completion and release of his/and studio Ghibli’s latest work of brilliance “The Wind Rises“, but it seems as though he may just go and do what he’s previously done in that past and withdraw his retirement.
He may still be in the game! A comment by Toshio Suzuki, a close colleague of Miyazaki, was made on a Japanese radio station on New Years Eve and, even though he went into no great detail, he basically mentioned that he didn’t think this is truly the end for Miyazaki and that he may soon make a return. Even his close friends and co-workers don’t believe this is the end for the legend.
Miyazaki constantly retires just to return to the industry shortly after, he’s done it throughout the years and every time he does so it brings fans all over the world to tears, hopefully this will be the last time the Anime world gets a retirement scare from Mr. Miyazaki and he comes back bigger and better than ever. Keep it going, Hayao Miyazaki, you’re not done making masterpieces yet!
Hajime No Ippo – Rising Episode 12 – The Anti-Dempsey Perfected
We’re thrown into what seems like the second last episode of the season with high electricity and even higher tension. The fight between Ippo and Ryuuhei continues and we’re really shown the brutality of both fighters within this match more than we’ve ever seen before, I know it’s hard to believe but once you see them pummel each other into submission you get a real idea of just how ferocious these two are. Ryuuhei got the drop on Ippo in the last episode and by the end it had begun wearing him out, he was getting lethargic and for the most part he was getting beaten…well that’s nothing compared to what Ryuuhei does to him within this episode.
Ryuuhei spends most of the episode destroying Ippo, he continues with his odd stance but you begin to notice him taking small chances here and there simply to quicken Ippo’s defeat and possible death which, by the end of the episode, that is exactly what Ryuuhei is going for. The thing you notice above all else is Ryuuhei’s facial expressions throughout the match,at the beginning of the episode he was a stone cold statue, his expression was blank and for all intents and purposes he really didn’t care for the match but by the end of it he’s smiling demonically, he’s ready to literally beat the life out of Ippo and there’s a good chance that he could!
Now keep in mind that Ippo is already being beaten, he is in no way on the winning side and he knows that Ryuuhei has the key to absolutely decimating his Dempsey Roll but, in true Anime fashion, he goes for it regardless and it gets shot down swiftly by Ryuuhei’s destructive counter, Ippo is almost down for the count but, once again in true Anime style, he’s back up on his feet and ready to make another stupid mistake. He goes for the Dempsey Roll again and gets shot down by Ryuuhei…again! This is one thing I never liked about sports Anime in general, let alone Hajime No Ippo; they do the things they really shouldn’t and while I know this makes for exciting Anime it is very predictable and, sometimes, unbelievable but I suppose the “ends justify the means”, so to speak.
The slaughter continues, by this point in time Ippo’s face is just a lumpy mess and it looks like this unlucky cat has hit the last of his nine lives. Ryuuhei’s fists are relentless to say the very least, he’s ready to kill Ippo, he says it himself! His smile grows wide, his pupils dilate like he’s under the effects of a heavy drug and he’s going in for the kill, he even fights just as dirty as he did before and elbowed Ippo in the spine, he takes a great deal of damage from that but it doesn’t look like it’s over. Ippo has a moment of clarity though, he looks back on recent events that have centred around Ryuuhei and himself, he realises that he must win! Ryuuhei continues to pummel Ippo and the coach seems to be contemplating throwing in the towel, Ryuuhei lunges forward for a devastating right but…no hit.
It hard cuts to Ippo using Ryuuhei’s extended arm as a guide to doing the Dempsey Roll which is a great throwback to the series because, had you watched the other seasons, you’d know that Ippo had many training sessions wherein which he practised his Dempsey Roll by shoving a pole horizontally into a wall and working around it, it’s a fantastic throwback and it’s also a little bit of fan service for Hajime No Ippo fans. Back to the scene, Ippo darts around Ryuuhei’s arm but the challenger jumps back just as he’s done to counter Ippo the last couple of times, Ippo continues with the roll as Ryuuhei, once again, lunges forward for what he thinks is a punch that will bring Ippo down but it’s not going to go down that way, not this time! Ippo stops mid-roll and Ryuuhei continues with his punch, he cannot stop the movement of his follow-through and this gives our champion the perfect chance to nail him one more time. BOOM!
Check out more Hajime No Ippo – Rising Impressions HERE.
Xbox Entertainment Studios has made plans to create an original documentary series about the video game industry to debut exclusively on Xbox in 2014. Xbox will be working with a young multi-platform media company called Lightbox, started up by two award winning cousins; the two-time Academy Award winning producer Simon Chinn and Emmy winning producer Jonathan Chinn.
Simon Chinn had this to say:
“Our collaboration with Xbox offers an unparalleled opportunity to make a unique series of films around the extraordinary events and characters that have given rise to the digital age.”
Nancy Tellem, President of Xbox Entertainment Studios said:
“These stories will expose how the digital revolution created a global democracy of information, entertainment and commerce, and how it impacts our lives every day.”
The first film in the ground-breaking series looks in to the events surrounding the mysteries of the great video game burial of 1983, where Atari buried millions of unsold E.T. game cartridges a landfill in New Mexico. With the direction of filmmaker Zak Penn (X-Men 2, Avengers), the episode will document the excavation of the Atari landfill which is planned to happen early this year.
The series will air exclusively on Xbox One and Xbox 360 in 2014 and will be available globally in all markets where Xbox Live is supported.
Plastic Pirahna’s debut game Rekoil is set to be released on January 28th for the PC, and January 29th for the XBLA.
The game is being published by 505 Games, and is said to be a first person arena shooter that boasts a playstyle reminiscent of this genre’s predecessors. The Counter Strike inspired game will allow the players a huge arsenal of weapons, all available to every player regardless of their time spent playing, an uncommon feature of FPS games in recent years. At launch, the game will have 10 maps available for play, seven different game types, five unique classes, and modding capabilities.
Winter is upon us, and as the snow begins to settle here in the UK, I am warmed by the fact that this season the anime gods have smiled upon me. Why venture into the great white beyond, when I can stay inside, basking in the warm glow of my monitor and the welcoming embrace of characters I have come to love and those who I have yet to meet. Step in from the cold (or the scorching heat if you’re from Australia like most of our staff *shakes fist at the heavens*). Let me give you a peek at what’s to come and provide you with adequate reason to blow off your beloved friends and family for the next 3 months. Here are my 5 prime picks of Winter 2014.
Oh, how long have I waited for this anime. Shinichiro Watanabe, why do you tease me so by hovering a new original series in front of my face and then telling me nothing about it for months?! Absolutely everything about Space Dandy screams potential and I have honestly not been this excited to dive into an anime since Watanabe’s last magnificent foray into direction, Sakamichi no Apollon. Looking to take elements from the classic sci-fi anime of the 90’s while adding a flavour that, from the trailers, I can only compare to the unique and inspired feel of Red Line or Gintama, if this series hasn’t caught your eye already, it should have. Expect a crazy, sexy, and side-splittingly hilarious romp through the universe that has no brakes and wouldn’t use them even if it had any. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on this anime week by week on our Anime Impressions page, so keep an eye out!
Being part of the strange faction of people that adore anime, but have minimal interest in manga, it takes a hell of an interesting manga for me to have actually heard of it. But for the last few months I’ve been swamped with people constantly telling me how amazing Noragami is and judging by the intriguing synopsis and what little of the anime has been teased so far I can see why.
The series follows a minor god called Yato who simply wants people to worship him. Though, without a single shrine to his name and no partner to help him, his cause seems lost. That is until his luck is reversed when he saves the life of a beautiful girl and in the process acquires a new partner. With his new aide, Yato sets off on his quest to become famous by any means necessary.
In all honesty, I think this series would struggle to not be amazing, considering the strength of its constituent parts. Bones, the studio behind the brilliant Full Metal Alchemist, are heading up the animation and behind them is a sublime lineup of voice actors that are all hugely experienced, from the main character right down to the lowliest of lowly support characters. With all of that driving force behind a shōnen that is quirky, funny, and packed with potential, I can’t possibly see this not being excellent.
After spending a year half asleep, spawning awful series widely considered to be poor, plotless vessels, made purely to pander to a demographic, Kyoto Animation are finally releasing something that I am excited about. By no means should my pessimism regarding KyoAni be misconstrued as hate, but rather as disappointment. My relationship with them is like that of a man supporting one of the world’s best sports teams that can never win a trophy. Hyouka, Haruhi, and even Lucky Star showed me that KyoAni is one of the best animation companies in the world, but ever since they began using source material made effectively in-house, gems are few and far between.
While nowhere near as masterful as Hyouka, Chuu2Koi is still an exceedingly charming show that had me glued to my screen in season 1. It has a wonderful cast of characters that I can’t wait to reunite with and as you would expect from KyoAni it is beautifully animated in every respect. Lovers of moe will adore this show, and while I have absolutely no clue where the plot will go after Yuuta and Rikka effectively rode off into the sunset at the end of season 1, I suspect that even if it has minimal actual story it will still be wonderfully entertaining. A must watch for anyone that loves cuteness, romance, and cringey humour.
The time has come for my surprise pick of the season, Nourin, a classic romcom removed from the average highschool setting and thrown into the unknown reaches of rural Japan. It is here that we meet our main character, Hata Kousaku, in a slump of depression following the sudden retirement of his favourite idol, and national treasure, Kusakabe Yuka. After being coaxed out of bed by his friends, he turns up to class only to find that his dream girl, Yuka, has transferred to his agricultural school.
Sounds like a pretty standard shock setup for a romance anime right? Well, let me tell you why I still have faith in Nourin. Silver Link. This studio has been on a roll for a while now and judging by the art and the relatively conservative PV I am seriously hoping that this series will favour good writing over the smut which plagues far too many anime in this genre nowadays. You have my faith Silver Link, please don’t mess this up!
Last up on my list is an anime that has been the centre of attention among Jump readers ever since it was announced back in May 2013; Or, at least, ever since they found out that SHAFT would be producing it… Yes, that’s right, the masters of neck-bending, kanji smothering, but nevertheless, astoundingly beautiful animation are making their first … well … normal anime since Denpa Onna, a series that garnered a wildly mixed response in spring 2011.
Considered to be masters of their craft after producing Madoka and the Monogatari series, it came as a shock to a lot of people that SHAFT would be stepping over to the romcom genre which is already so saturated. But, what we need to consider is that firstly, money is not an issue for SHAFT. The Madoka movies thoroughly lined their coffers so Nisekoi isn’t a simple cash-in. Secondly, Nisekoi is just about short enough that it is still conceivable that SHAFT could cover all of it, given a couple of series, much like how To LOVE-Ru was handled by Xebec. This isn’t a show like One Piece or Naruto which is so long that it would be obscene to ask for crisp, perfect animation all the way through so Jump might have just wanted the best people for the job, rather than the cheapest. All signals point towards an adaptation that SHAFT really want to put their own label on and I can’t wait to see if their midas touch strikes gold once again, or if Nisekoi will fall flat. Hell, they’re only human after all.
The Finnish indie game developer Apex Games Ltd have launched a crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo for their first title, Demon Core. Though the shooter game has been under development for a while, the team still has a lot to do before they meet the vision they’ve set themselves for creating Demon Core.
The goal is to raise $180,000 in 2 month with some stretch goals for DLCs. The funds will go towards adding features still lacking in the game on top of just getting it on top the shelves. Company CEO Mikko Karsisto said:
“The goal of the campaign was put together by estimating the costs that are still to be covered. We concluded that we want to try and raise to full amount with a single campaign, instead of raising a smaller amount and then coming around again for a second round”.
The campaign can be found here with details on all the stretch goals and perks along with information about the game, the team and their vision of the game. We hope to see the game released later in 2014 for PC and Mac.
Welcome to another episode of CC Indie Spotlight with Editor in Chief Phil Federico aka MasterAbbott, where we demo the latest and greatest of indie gaming.
This episode features Delver, a first person action rogue-like dungeon crawl available on PC and Android with crunchy pixels developed by Chad Cuddigan. Take the role of an adventurer that tries their fate in the dark dungeons (and probably dies horribly). Fight monsters, grab loot, hoard potions, and level up! In this spotlight we’ll teach viewers the basics of game and run through the first few levels.
For more information on Delver, check the official Delver website. The game is still in early access stages but can be purchased on Steam for only $7.99, a message from Chad explains more:
“Delver is in an unfinished beta state at the moment and has it’s share of bugs and rough edges that need filed down, but it’s very playable. Help us guide the direction of the game with your early access help and feedback.”
Check out the indie spotlight video below and let us know what you think of game in the comments section!
Nagi no Asukara Episode 13 – Fingertips Beyond Reach
Wow, where do I even begin? Maybe they should stick to the wooden maiden at the next Ofunehiki ceremony? This episode finally brought preparations for the boatdrift ceremony to a head and with some pretty severe consequences. Gods of the sea typically don’t mess around, whether it’s Neptune or Poseidon, and Nagi no Asukara’s is hardly an exception.
The start of the episode has Tsumugu caring for Manaka after snagging her in his fishing net once again in episode 12. She was going through some fairly emotional thoughts at the time, and this surface-dweller is once again her “sun” in dark times. She also reveals her admiration for the sun ever since she was little, and always looked up beyond the sea toward the unreachable.
Manaka isn’t the only one who is retrospective at this stage. Hikari is thinking about Manaka and her place in his heart, as well as everyone else’s feelings for those around them. How the world seems to work against them, battering them around like bits of wood drifting in the ocean. He meets Manaka and tells her how he feels, following on from the awkwardly forced confession previously. What follows is one heck of a statement of love, not just for Manaka, but for everyone. Hikari sure has changed since we first saw him.
It turns out Manaka had something to say as well, but she defers it until after the ceremony. I think we all know that by now, in anime, whenever they say they’ll talk about it after…well they never get the chance. Are we wrong on this point? Let’s hope so.
So the kids all get ready for the ceremony, leaving behind their parents who are just about ready to hibernate. The feeling these farewells give off is almost like they’ll be the last. With a few more preparations, including Kaname reminding Chisaki that he confessed to her, the ceremony is about to begin!
Throughout the whole series we’ve been reminded about the Ofunehiki. But I don’t think any of us realised just how much of a spectacle it really is. As Hikari waves the huge flag the chanting music starts and hundreds of lights along the beach are lit. Under the sea, Lord Uroko makes his own preparations and extinguishes the Sacred Fires throughout Shioshishio. The boat entourage with Akari as the “sacrifice” departs from the shore, guided by the underwater spirit fire that lights a path.
While the friends all make their wishes to the Sea God, he awakens, creating five massive whirlpools around the escort of ships. It seems that the damn thing actually worked and the Sea God is dead set on taking Akari away. A massive wave bowls Tsumugu overboard while Akari is thrown into the whirlpool with Manaka and Hikari diving after her. The whole situation descends into absolute chaos.
The following events happen so quick I don’t even know how to describe them. As Tsumugu falls unconscious, Chisaki grabs him and starts swimming back to the surface, afraid that he will drown. Uroko at this point renders Hikari’s dad unconscious so that he doesn’t interfere. Kaname joins Chisaki in bringing Tsumugu back to the ship but they fail to notice the massive bridge pillars beginning to weaken.
Kaname is thrown off the ship as the stone pier collapses and Chisaki screams. His fate is unknown. Manaka meanwhile is struggling to rescue Akari and offers herself to the Sea God instead. As Akari is let go, Manaka is dragged down and slammed into the sea bed. Akari and Tsumugu are saved, but in exchange Kaname and Manaka are now gone.
What a calamitous episode. I can’t even wrap this anime impression up properly as I’m still in shock. See you in episode 14!
Single-rail Vehicles and Multiple-platform Availability Coming to Transit Strategy Game
STOCKHOLM — January 3, 2013 — Paradox Interactive, a publisher of games and a jumper of turnstiles, today announced the forthcoming release of Marvellous Monorails, a new expansion for Cities in Motion 2, the transit-planning strategy game from Colossal Order. Paradox also announced that the entire Cities in Motion franchise will be released for Linux computers, allowing strategy and simulation fans to experience the game on an entirely new platform. Linux support will be added the same day the new expansion is released.
“We believe in Linux as a platform for the future of gaming,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. “Gamers who currently use Linux are a smart and demanding bunch, and they expect versatility and an experience that fits their personal preferences, which makes our games a great fit. We’re bringing Cities in Motion to Linux because we believe it’s just the type of game that Linux users will enjoy.”
In Marvellous Monorails, Cities in Motion 2 players can add five all-new monorail vehicles to their transit fleets, and give their cities a new look with elevated rails to carry them. Monorails, which work best on circular layouts, are ideal for inner-city connections, and offer a more affordable alternative to metro lines, with a choice of cars from big-and-slow to speedy-but-expensive.
In Cities in Motion 2, players must design, construct, maintain, and expand a multifaceted transit network that serves the needs of a growing city. Fleets of vehicles, including buses, trains, ferries and subways, must be assembled and set in motion on player-created tracks and routes, providing affordable and efficient transit between growing residential and commercial centers. As players engineer their systems, the city will grow dynamically around them, keeping players on their toes with increased population, congestion, and budgetary concerns.
Fans of video game trivia rejoice! The wacky people who drink Guinness and write books about records have released the 2014 version of the Guinness Book of World Records: Gamer’s Edition. The Managing Editor, Stephen Fall, stated that for this edition: “we decided to deliver the solid facts and fundamentals of gaming that enthusiasts demand to know.” and that “these facts and more are at your fingertips with the new Guinness World Records 2014 Gamer’s Edition book”. This edition catalogues the notable (and some notorious) achievements within the gaming community and industry. Notable entries this year include:
Largest Video Game Collection – Currently held by a video game history and design lecturer (who else?) in America, Michael Thomasson, with a whopping 10, 607 games in said collection which is estimated to be worth $700 000. How many of these titles he has actually played is yet to be cleared up however.
Longest Marathon on a Dance Game- Also held by a Yankee who earned herself the acclaim after playing Ubisoft’sJust Dance 4 for 49 hour, 3 minutes, 22 seconds. The record recipient, Carrie Swidecki, gave herself the moniker of ‘Ambassador of Exergaming’ and aims to fight childhood obesity in schools (a fact which I would argue should earn her more praise than the record itself).
Fastest Completion of Warner Brother’sBatman: Arkham City – Sean “DarthKnight” Grayson completed the game in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 19 seconds. He would have finished earlier if some of the fights in the game had gone better. His surprisingly valid excuse for his sub-par performance was that “I’m not actually Batman”.
Fastest Game to Gross $1 Billion – To the surprise of no-one, Grand Theft Auto V won the recognition of this title after selling 11.21 million units in the first 24 hours of its September 17 release which generated approximately $816 million dollars. It then went on to breach the $1 billion dollar threshold three days after release on the 20th. What is surprising is that GTA V was not just content with claiming this title within the interactive medium, but also smashed records previously held by films such as TheAvengers and Avatar. If nothing else, it’s a good time to be Rockstar…
Other records (which caught my eye) include:
First in-game pizza delivery system (Everquest II)
First video game to become a licensed bank (Entropia Universe)
Most fish in a video game (Runescape)
I’m thankful to know that all these questions I have asked (and not asked) can finally be answered, but I don’t believe that this edition has an entry that answers the question that keeps me awake at night… namely; which game has the highest number of player character wearable hats?
My gut tells me it’s probably Team Fortress 2, but the possibility that I might be wrong terrifies me…
Ryuuhei spends most of the episode destroying Ippo, he continues with his odd stance but you begin to notice him taking small chances here and there simply to quicken Ippo’s defeat and possible death which, by the end of the episode, that is exactly what Ryuuhei is going for. The thing you notice above all else is Ryuuhei’s facial expressions throughout the match,at the beginning of the episode he was a stone cold statue, his expression was blank and for all intents and purposes he really didn’t care for the match but by the end of it he’s smiling demonically, he’s ready to literally beat the life out of Ippo and there’s a good chance that he could!
