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Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians Review

January 14, 2014

Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians
Studio: Arms
Publisher: FUNimation
Format: DVD
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Price: $35.99 – Available Here

Overview
A staple of any ecchi action series involves the female cast battling it out with most of the damage presented as clothing being ripped apart, resulting in exposed breasts and panty shots everywhere. One of the series that started this trend is Ikki Tousen and it has had quite a bit of trouble with licensing over the last few years.

After Geneon folded with the first anime season, FUNimation obtained the license, but Media Blasters acquired the second and third seasons. However with Media Blasters’ numerous issues, they were only able to release the second season and they eventually dropped the third season’s license. Now, almost six years after Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians aired in Japan FUNimation has brought this release to North America. The question is, was it worth the wait?

Story
In Ikki Tousen a number of teenagers in Japan possesses sacred jewels which contain the souls of warriors from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Despite being over 1800 years since that era ended, the souls of these warriors still burn brightly seeking battle and those who possess these jewels not only become fighters who will do battle with one another but they will even follow the same fate as their predecessor.

Now, that being said, Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians is the third season in the series and while those jumping into the show at this point may think that they would be losing out on a lot of plot development, as far as this season goes it really isn’t too much of an issue as very few developments from the first two seasons are brought out of nowhere in Great Guardians and most of the character relationships are easily figured out.

Anyways, Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians continues the story following the events of Dragon Destiny and the fall of Kyosho Academy’s (Wei) leader. Since his defeat the life of Hakufu and her cousin Koukin, both of which are fighters with souls from the Wu Kingdom, and the rest of the fighters have been living relatively calmly and enjoying the peaceful times between the Nanyo (Wu) and Seito (Shu) academies.

During this time a girl claiming to be the younger sister of Hakufu arrives and starts living with both Koukin and Hakufu as they attend school. However while the inclusion of a long lost sister is a bit of an addition to the series, the return of a once thought dead fighter returns in the form of Ryofu who not only has a jaded past with many of the fighters at both academies but she is also suffering from an extreme case of memory loss where she no longer remembers who she is.

Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians takes a bit of a different approach compared to past Ikki Tousen seasons as the fighting takes a back seat to watching the characters interact with one another or mess around somewhere with most of the time spent focused on Ryuubi and Kan’u and the main members of the Seito fighters and with most of Hakufu’s focus spent on her idiotic actions and time spent between Koukin and the little sister.

Any hints at an actual story are kept subtle for the most part, with the amnesiac Ryofu being taken care of Ryomou as we learn more about their past with one another all while Saji, a fighter both of these girls know all too well, has darker plans in the works. As a mysterious robed girl appears and members of both schools begin to act strange and fight against one another, Hakufu and the others must put a stop to the mastermind behind this plan.

For the most part, Great Guardians’ story works just well enough to be enjoyable since although the fights are fewer in number, this season focuses on controlling others and putting the bonds of friendship to the test. Where it fails however is almost everywhere else. While there are a few references to how these fighters are trying to change their fate and not let destiny control their lives, it plays a minimalistic role in this season.

Even though two new characters are introduced, both are one-dimensional with little actual character development. In fact, the only character to receive some development this series is Ryomou as we learn more about her past and the dragon inside of her. Outside of that the season focuses heavily on fan service, screen time and interactions for fan favorite characters, and a few battles here and there.

Visuals
It is worth noting that while Great Guardians might be receiving a release here in 2014, the anime originally debuted back in 2008 and as such, the artwork and animation in this season does feel dated not only due to the age but the lack of overall quality that Arms put forth at the time. The characters have the same designs that fans remember and these designs are fairly basic with similar looking outfits for each school that are often ripped apart in battle to show off a girl’s panties and breasts.

The fighting sequences are nicely handled though the background scenery in these fights usually drop in quality whenever a fight is occurring. It is also worth noting that the show loves its low camera angle to give viewers as many panty shots as they want and there are even a few lewder scenes scattered throughout the season.

Audio
One has to give FUNimation a lot of credit when it comes to Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians’ English dub. It would have been easy for them to simply recast the characters but instead they gathered up the entire cast from past seasons to reprise their roles in this season. As such fans will be delighted to hear that their characters have retained the same voice actors/actresses and the dub is handled nicely by the returning cast. Of course for those who choose to listen to it, the Japanese voice track is also available.

As far as the background music goes, it is rather standard fair for a release such as this, with many basic tracks used for normal scenes and a fitting but generic theme used for the fights. The opening theme is “No x Limit” by Ami and is fitting for the series while “Kage” by Asaha Rio is an enjoyable ending theme that actually is placed to some rather enjoyable artwork which shows a few of the female characters with more detailed designs.

Extras
For the release of Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians we have a number of on-disc bonus features which range from the standard inclusions such as a commercial collection and promo video from Japan, to textless opening and closing songs, and trailers for other FUNimation products to two commentary tracks and two special additions to the release.

The first commentary track, for episode 2, features Jonathan Klein, the voice director for this season and the original producer for the first Ikki Tousen series, joined by Ted Sroka, the voice of Koukin, and Carrie Savage, who handles the voice of Hakufu. These three reminisce about their past as they worked on previous shows and how it was to come back to Ikki Tousen after so long. As for the second commentary track, for episode 5, features Jonathan again, Jonathan Klein returns, Michele Knotz, the voice of Shiryuu, Georgette Reilly, the voice of Kakouen, and Jessica Calvello, the voice of Ekitoku. In this commentary we learn about how FUNimation tried to gather the voice actors/actresses together and more about their work from the show.

As for the other extras, there is the Great Guardians Radio Event at Tokyo Anime Fair 2008 which is a half hour long event taped from Japan and the Battle Tour Club: Sexy Cosplays, Dangerous Jobs. This is a collection of six mini-episodes totaling fifteen minutes in length presented with a Japanese voice track which sees six different girls from the show in lewd costumes and situations to provide some final over the top fan service.

Overall
Outside of a reduction in the fights, Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians gives fans what they want with plenty of nudity and panty shots while also focusing on characters but there still needs to be some worthwhile structure to keep the season going and unfortunately while the subtle developments involving Ryofu and the forces moving in the background are mildly entertaining, it hurts the series as much as the dated animation does. With a nicely handled English dub, Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians is still a great show for fans but one that ends up feeling inconsequential compared to the first two seasons.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Nagi no Asukara Episode 14 Impressions

Sergei Lazarev

January 14, 2014

Nagi no Asukara
Episode 14 – The Promised Day

I’ll be honest, I really didn’t see this coming despite all the signs. A time skip! A wonderful new opening and ending theme! Characters have moved one while others have stayed behind. The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the time skip was an anime that aired over a year ago, Shinsekai Yori or From the New World. That was another (brilliant) show that featured kids who age as the series evolves.

Let’s get our bearings straight as we reach the halfway point of the anime. We’re now five years into the future and Chisaki is the only member of the friends from the sea who is left behind to live on the surface. Hikari, Manaka and Kaname are all left behind under the sea since the great calamity of episode 13, their fate still unknown. The snow is now thicker and the sea along the coast has all but frozen over, denying entry to the Sea Village of Shioshishio.

Akari has had a child with Itaru, a little boy that is now a brother to Miuna while she is in the same grade Hikari and his friends were five years ago. Chisaki meanwhile is living with Tsumugu after his grandfather offered her a place to stay. He also admits what we knew ever since his ena skin shone many episodes ago, that he is originally from the sea as well.

Tsumugu is aiming to be an oceanographer, to study and understand the sea more in order to somehow find out what exactly happened on the night of the Ofunehiki. It’s interesting to see where the relationship between Chisaki and Tsumugu will end up, as they regard each other as family now.

The whole episode has this calm but reflective atmosphere. Everyone has settled into their new lives but they still can’t forget nor get over what happened five years ago. There is a huge focus on Miuna, who seems to be deeper in thought than anyone else. Why? Well, it’s something that I had no idea of. None. The show gave almost no hints earlier that Miuna had an actual crush on Hikari, her now lost uncle, and it seems that she hasn’t let go of it either.

Everyone gathers on a chilly evening to witness the rare Tomoebi event, when illusory lights appear in the sky, now visible on the surface. After being confessed to by a classmate, she turns him down and explains that she’s in love with someone else. Suddenly, Tsumugu gets readings on his instruments the moment the Tomoebi occurs and he senses something. He has long believed that Hikari and the others are not dead, and it’s almost as if he knew this is the moment of reunification.

Miuna senses the same thing, and the two run out into the middle of the frozen ocean. It’s a beautiful moment, probably the most beautiful yet in the series. Then we see a naked Hikari lying on the shore, as if the ocean spat him back out after five years of cryogenic sleep. Miuna doesn’t hesitate to perform mouth-to-mouth, but it wasn’t needed. Hikari wakes up yelling Manaka’s name, as if all time had stopped that fateful night.

In a powerful scene, Hikari stands up. He hasn’t aged a day, tragically left behind while everyone else has grown up. All he can do is cry in disbelief.

Wow. While definitely a cool plot twist, I can’t help but feel they forced Hikari to stay the same age in order for Miuna to have a chance with him as awkward as that might be. Or I could be way off the mark. In either case, I really can’t wait to see where this leads.

Check out more Nagi no Asukara impressions HERE.

The Interactive Canvas Aims to Definitively Answer “Are Games Art?”

Zac Elawar

January 14, 2014

An Australian Kickstarter campaign has begun for the creation of a premium hardcover artbook called ‘The Interactive Canvas’. The author, Matthew Sainsbury, intends for the book to be the quintessential exploration of the medium as an artform, interviewing many of the creative minds behind some of the more “artistic” titles in the field.

The question of whether or not videos games can be art has been asked for decades. The team behind the deluxe collector’s book, collectively known as Gaming Artists, wants to answer that question as definitively as possible. Some amazingly talented and well-respected designers and artists have come on-board to contribute their time for in-depth interviews on the subject matter, such as American McGee (Alice: Madness Returns), Konrad Tomaszkiewicz of CD Projekt RED (The Witcher), and Jonathan Blow (Braid) amongst 10 others, with more to be announced in the coming weeks. Sainsbury said;

Games have advanced to the point where they can inspire emotion and challenge the mind, as well as being a great way to relax after day’s work with a beer or three. There’s a big community of people out there that take their games seriously, and I want to create something unique for these people.

As well as the aforementioned interviews, this comprehensive book will contain features written by some of the games industry’s most experienced academics and critics, including Brendan Keough, who wrote ‘Killing is Easy’ – a critical analysis of one of the most controversial war games the industry has produced, Spec Ops: The Line. Sainsbury himself has been a critic and writer for 15 years+, having worked at high profile magazines and publications from Gamepro to PC World and Official PlayStation 2 Magazine, before opening up his own called Digitally Downloaded. He continued;

We’ve gone all out to cover the entire breadth of creativity in the games industry. We’ve got developers involved from all over the world, as well as musicians, designers, and plenty more to be announced if the Kickstarter is successful.

The Kickstarter campaign needs $60,000 to reach its funding requirements, and can be found here. There are 23 days left to achieve that goal, so please contribute by February 8th and help make ‘The Interactive Canvas’ a reality.

“Numbercruncher” Collection Out Now

Frank Inglese

January 14, 2014

Titan Comics are extremely excited to announce that they have finally released the full collection of the Si Spurrier/P.J. Holden short comic series; “Numbercruncher“. The comic book series was released sometime late last year as four issues but now, thanks to Titan Comics once again, the entire comic book series has been compiled into one complete collection that tells the entire story from the strange beginning to the odd yet somewhat happy ending. You can take a look at our review for the series by clicking here but we’ve also got the official Titan Comics synopsis for you below:

Heaven: The ultimate bureaucracy. At its head, not a white-haired anthropomorphic deity with a harp and a throne but a wizened,weaselling old man with bad breath and bad attitude. At his right hand, Bastard Zane, a surly civil servant with a big gun whose job it is to stop those who think they can buck karma. And then there’s Richard Thyme: genius mathematician and a man who will do whatever it takes to defy Fate and return to his one true love – even if he is dead. Cue a critically-acclaimed and twisted tale of reincarnation, resurrection and Karmic Accountancy!

To add to the wonderful occasion there are also plans for Si Spurrier to appear at the “Forbidden Planet” in London, UK for a huge signing event so if you’re a native and want to head over to get yourself a great gift I suggest you head over to the Forbidden Planet website which you can get to by clicking here. Once again, the “Numbercruncher” collection is now available for those living in a timeline where it is the 14th of January 2014 which is great for us living over here in Australia but for those living in North America, well, you’ll just have to wait another day.

It will be sold in America for US$19.99, in Canada for $22.95 and in the UK for £14.99. The comic book collection will be available in all good comic book retailers but it can also be purchased online by heading to the Titan Comics website (click here) and it can also be read on your digital devices by heading to the Comixology website (click here) so you have no reason NOT to get it! For those of you still unsure as to whether or not you want to make such a purchase, we’ve got a trailer for the comic that you can watch and a few nice preview images for you to look at just below, head down there now and enjoy!

Marvel Knights Animation’s Wolverine vs Sabertooth Claws into Stores

Dustin Spencer

January 14, 2014

Marvel Knights Animation’s Wolverine vs Sabertooth Claws into Stores

Not too long ago, Shout! Factory brought us the tale of the epic encounter between Wolverine and Hulk (which you can see the review of here), and while it surpassed expectations, it simply left us hungry for more. Well, we are in luck as yet another film has dropped thanks to Marvel Knights Animation, and it is certainly one with taking a look at.

The team of writer and Executive Producer Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Artist Simone Bianchi (Astonishing X-Men) have come together to tell the tale of Wolverine vs Sabertooth, which has now hit shelves in DVD form is a snazzy comic book case. I honestly love this style of animation as it has a rawness to it that brings in an authentic charm, and considering that this kind of narrative is something Disney would shy away from, it is definitely a collectors item worth picking up at the already value price. Check out the trailer below for a better look.

Line Knight Fortix Review

Joe Morgan

January 14, 2014

Line Knight Fortix
Developer: Nemesys Games
Publisher: BulkyPix
Platforms: iOS (Reviewed)
Release Date: January 9, 2014
Price: $0.99 – Available Here

Overview
People may not be well aware of it, but the Fortix franchise has been saving kingdoms one line at a time for several years. Developer Nemesys Games graced the world with the original tale of the Line Knight in April of 2010, following it up with a well received sequel the following year. Now with the help of mobile publisher BulkyPix, Nemesys is bringing their baby to iOS devices. How does it stand up? Does Line Knight Fortix claim victory or should it be cordoned off from the world?

Story
You are the renowned knight Sir Fortix. The evil wizard, Xitrof, has cursed the islands of Artalom and now trolls, dragons, and more control the lands. Can you win back Artalom, vanquish your foes, and unravel Xitrof’s curse?

Gameplay
As the name implies, Fortix is Line Knight and thus conquers his foes with right angles. Much like the classic game Qix, you are tasked with taking over territory by enclosing as much of it as you can within the lines you form.

Fortix starts each level on the “base line.” Using your fingers to control directions, you can have him leave the base line to run around. When Fortix returns to the base line, everything he surrounded becomes conquered land, and the lines he formed become part of the base line.

The game very quickly becomes much more than simply conquering territory. Dark, dangerous foes roam the lands and will take you out any chance they have. Trolls, dragons, and more will go after Fortix any time he leaves the base line. Cave bats patrol the base line, ensuring you’re constantly on your toes.

Beyond foes, the structures and lay of the land both work to keep Fortix from achieving his mission. Stone walls will prevent your passage and turrets all over the world will fire cannons when Fortix tries to make his move.

Though Fortix himself is a small target, a single strike to the line he’s creating will send a surge toward our hero, killing him if he fails to reach a base line in time. This creates a fantastic push-and-pull mechanic, encouraging you to be thoughtful as you maneuver through cannon fire and enemies. Utilizing your anticipation can be a powerful weapon for our hero.

Fortix is not entirely alone in his fight to save the world. He’s able to capture cannons to destroy enemy turrets, take keys to unlock doors, and take power-ups that can turn the tide of desperate conflict.

There’s quite a lot to play here. The current release of the game gives you three worlds, each containing 15 levels that will take you a few hours to work through. It also appears that they plan to support the game post-launch with even more levels (much like Angry Birds or Cut The Rope did).

Line Knight Fortix is a fun experience, but it’s not without its flaws. On older hardware, the game sometimes became slow and unresponsive, ignoring input and causing deaths that could have been otherwise avoided. With the camera zoomed in, this seemed like less of an issue, but it was a significant annoyance nonetheless. Loading times can also take a few seconds, which is miniscule in the grand theme of things, but jarring when so few games seem to be plagued by it in this day and age.

Visuals & Audio
Line Knight Fortix is a fun, colorful game. It’s bright, simple graphics do a wonderful job conveying the puzzling landscapes you’ll have to conquer. The animation is simple but effective as well. Each world has its own unique aesthetic to keep things interesting as well. The sound design in Line Knight Fortix can go largely unnoticed. The music is upbeat and adventurous, but little more is of note.

Overall
Overall, Line Knight Fortix is a fun, challenging strategy puzzle game. The visual style is simple, but serves the game well. The game also boasts a wealth of content with the promise of even more to come. The mobile port of the franchise has a few problems, especially on older hardware, but the gameplay is tight and entertaining. Fans of puzzle games, strategy games, or the Fortix franchise will find it well worth the time and money.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Call of Duty: Ghosts: Onslaught DLC official trailer released

Travis Bruno

January 14, 2014

Call of Duty: Ghosts: Onslaught DLC official trailer released

Thanks to a leak yesterday we knew that Call of Duty: Ghosts was going to be receiving some DLC in the next few weeks and today Activision decided to make it official by announcing the Call of Duty: Ghosts: Onslaught DLC map pack which will be hitting the Xbox One and Xbox 360 on January 28.

The DLC includes four small to medium maps, called Fog, Bayview, Containment, and Ignition, a new Extinction map called Nightfall with some new characters and new aliens to face off against, and a new dual-purpose weapon called the Maverick assault rifle or sniper rifle for use in multiplayer that totally won’t be abused thanks to Activision‘s unwillingness to fix sniper rifle exploits.

In a bit of a different twist, the Fog map will also allow players to transform themselves into Michael Myers with the series’ signature music playing in the background and wielding a bloody axe rather than his signature knife. Anyways, check out the preview video for the DLC below.

Mionix NAOS 7000 Gaming Mouse Review

Jamie Laike Tsui

January 14, 2014

Mionix Naos 7000 Gaming Mouse
Manufacturer: Mionix
Platform: Windows
Release Date: 10 January 2014
Price: $79.99 – Available Here

Visual learner? No problem! Check out the entire unboxing and review video at the end of the article!

The Mionix NAOS 7000 is the budget friendly little sibling of the Mionix NAOS 8200. The mouse sports a 7000 DPI IR-LED optical sensor, a 32bit ARM processor running at 32mhz, 128kb of onboard memory, an ergonomic right handed design, customizable LED lighting, and seven programmable buttons. The NAOS 7000 has slightly weaker specs compared to the 8200, but has an MSRP that is ten dollars lower than the 8200.

Like other Mionix products, the packaging for the Mionix NAOS 7000 is minimal and utilitarian. The box is just big enough to hold the mouse, a sticker bearing the Mionix logo, and a small quick start/warranty guide. Unpacking the box was a pleasant affair, as the packaging has been designed to require the least amount of effort possible. Given the option of having so many twist ties that a wire cutter is practically necessary to free the mouse from its glitzy retail packaging versus Mionix’s simplistic box, give me the hassle free packaging any day.

The Mionix NAOS 7000 is designed for right handed people only. The mouse is extremely wide with large finger grooves for the ring and little finger. The large mouse has plenty of physical space to wrap a hand around its rubber surface. Although Mionix advertises the design to be friendly to both palm and claw grip users, I suspect only the largest handed users will be able to comfortably use the NAOS 7000 in a claw grip. For palm users, the mouse’s ergonomics are second to none. Of all the right handed mice I have used, the NAOS design is the most comfortable. The mouse curves in all the right places which allows the fingers to rest on the mouse comfortably.

Mionix’s rubbery finish is possibly one of the best coating on a mouse I have ever used. It feels incredibly soft while ensuring just enough of a rubbery feel to provide a sense of security when holding the mouse. The coating is flawless, without any imperfections. The mouse connects to the computer with a six foot cloth braided USB cable featuring a gold plated connector. I am particularly fond of cloth braided USB cables on mice as I find them to snag less compared to traditional rubber coatings.

The body sports seven programmable buttons, the traditional left and right mouse buttons, the mouse wheel, two buttons located below the mouse wheel, and two thumb buttons. Mionix uses Omron mechanical micro-switches for the buttons. These are considered to be some of the finest switches available on the market and last for twenty million clicks. The buttons have a great crisp click to them that is enjoyable to use. The mouse wheel has a nice texture to it, though the ridges are not particularly aggressive. The wheel is soft, though a little more rubbery than the rest of the body. The mouse wheel has a nice crisp press to it. Although not as crisp as the buttons, there is a very clean break when the button is engaged.

The two buttons located under the mouse wheel are positioned well. They are low enough to stay out of the way when spinning the mouse wheel. They are not so low that the lower button is difficult to press. I found the thumb buttons to be at the perfect position. My thumb as able to rest on both buttons, allowing me to press them without having to shift my thumb.

There are two lighting zones on the mouse, one on the edges of the mouse wheel and one Mionix logo on the palm rest. The default lighting brightness is at a happy middle. It is bright enough to be noticed easily in a well lit room while still being soft enough to not be distracting in a dark room. I was a little surprised that there is no control for brightness in the software suite. The LED lighting can only be adjusted for colour and a few lighting effects.

The NAOS 7000 uses the ADNS-3310 IR-LED optical sensor from Avago Technologies. I found the sensor to be accurate and responsive. However, my review unit had a strange habit of drifting around randomly once in a while. This was not a consistent issue so I originally thought the problem was vibrations from my computer. After further testing, I discovered the mouse was not moving at all and there was no debris in the optical sensor. Once the mouse is moved a bit, the drifting issue would stop immedietely. The AVIOR 7000 I tested earlier uses the same sensor and had no such issues, which leads me to suspect my NAOS 7000 may have a faulty sensor.

The software suite for the NAOS 7000 is a straight forward affair. The NAOS 7000 works great out of the box as a plug and play mouse. However, the software suite is a must to get features like macro editing, LED tweaking, and the myriad of sensor settings. I am a bit surprised that Mionix has not created a unified software suite, instead requiring users to download a software specific to the mouse. The software is well laid out and easy to understand. Macro recording is extremely simple to do. I found the software to run well, with no crashes or errors in testing.

There is a lot of performance options that can be tweaked from within the software suite. Things like pointer acceleration, scroll speeds, lift distances, and angle tuning can all be modified. Even independent X and Y sensitivity settings can be programmed. My only complaint is that the mouse can save five different profiles but only three different DPI settings per profile. I usually prefer to see at least four to five different options, especially for games like Battlefield 4.

Priced at $79.99, the NAOS 7000 is one of the cheaper options for high end gaming mice. Except for those who will actually use DPI settings above 7000 DPI, the NAOS 7000 is identical to the more expensive NAOS 8200 in everyday use. Although claw users will most likely find the NAOS 7000 to be too big to be comfortable, the NAOS design is easily a contender for the most comfortable right handed mouse on the market for palm grips. The software suite is a simple no nonsense affair that is easy to use. Although my review unit seems to be suffering from some occasional issues every few hours, the mouse performed wonderfully overall.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Insurgency Leave Steam Early Access On January 22

Joe Morgan

January 14, 2014

Insurgency, the newest multiplayer first-person shooter from indie developer New World Interactive, will be getting its official move from Steam’s Early Access on January 22.

A sequel to a standalone Half-Life 2 mod, Insurgency requires players to cooperate strategically. It was originally released to Steam’s Early Access program in March 2013. New World Interactive have said this marks the end of the Beta phase for the game, but their development plans are far from done. Everyone who’s purchased the game will received all future updates and DLC. It will support 32-player multiplayer and 6-player cooperative modes.

Insurgency is $19.99 and available on both PC and Mac. You can check out their Steam page or their official website for more information. Also be sure to check out the pre-launch trailer below this article.

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