Overview While it seems like everything has a mascot nowadays, especially in Japan where even Microsoft has employed the use of anime mascots to sell operating systems, back in 1999 this was still a fresh idea. As such, when Di Gi Charat was produced to advertise a store in Akihabara, it might have seemed like a silly idea but it turned out to be popular enough to be given a number of spin-offs and adaptations. After the license vanished for a few years in North America, Sentai Filmworks has returned with the original sixteen episodes of Di Gi Charat in one package. Question is, was this license one that needed to be rescued or should it have been left in the past?
Story In Di Gi Charat an alien catgirl named Dejiko, her sidekick/friend Puchiko and a strange floating orb named Gema have landed in the Akihabara area of Japan. Dejiko has a simple goal for an alien, to become the best idol the nation has ever seen. However the road to becoming an idol is one that is paved with hardships, especially since the three of them have no money and nowhere to stay.
After accepting a job and a place to stay working at a game store in Akihabara, Dejiko encounters a rival named Rabi-en-Rose, whose real name happens to be Usada, that also wants to become the best idol in the nation. Despite their rivalry, the Rabi-en-Rose also starts to work at the game store as the group goes through their odd little lives.
Now it is interesting to note that Di Gi Charat is simply a series of shorts which means that there really isn’t any story to speak of and the aforementioned plot is simply a set-up to place the characters in their current positions with no development on any front. What it lacks in story and well, coherence, it makes up for with charm and plenty of humor that runs the gambit from simple gags to watching Dejiko abuse characters with her mean nature.
Since every episode is less than five minutes in length when you factor in the opening sequence, each episode works as a standalone gag that sees Dejiko and the rest go through a situation which can be anything from trying to sleep through a noisy night, deal with a guy who has issues about how they talk, singing a song, to fighting off a monster using garbage and a creepy looking bear.
Oddly enough, with Sentai Filmworks’ release of the series states on the back of the case that it includes the appearance of Piyoko and her plan to oppose Dejiko. However this does not occur during the original TV series and is part of a four episode OVA special that is not included in this release which only contains the original sixteen shorts.
All in all Di Gi Charat makes for a rather humorous series that lacks any real depth outside of a couple of very minor developments that show that Dejiko might not be such a terrible person and some minor backstory for Rabi-en-Rose, both of which are still used for the sake of humor. As such, Di Gi Charat is a simple turn off your brain and laugh series with little else to it.
Visuals Even for a series from 1999 Di Gi Charat was clearly produced with some very low budget animation techniques, with background characters literally looking like outlined fingers. That being said, the chibi deformed look that most of the series sports has its own certain charm and the expressions that a lot of the characters make at times helps make a lot of the humor work.
Audio
Now while English dubs usually are an alright way to watch a series, the dub for Di Gi Charat was produced by Synch Point many years ago and to put it simply the dub is really bad. While a few of the side characters have some decent voice work, Dejiko speaks in a monotone voice with barely any of the charm that the Japanese voice actress for the character exudes.
In almost every regard the Japanese cast is superior to the English cast, so although viewers may need to read the subtitles to understand what is going on, they will be able to enjoy the series a lot more. There is an entire episode devoted to a song “Party Night” that is highly enjoyable and as for the opening and ending theme, the opening theme “Only One No. 1” by Masami Okui is short but catchy while the ending theme “Happy Day” by the Japanese voice actresses appears only twice but is still mildly enjoyable.
Extras This release of Di Gi Charat comes with no real special features as the only extra on-disc content are some trailers for other Sentai Filmworks anime and the disc credits.
Overall Di Gi Charat: TV Series offers the original sixteen episodes and although the packaging does say that it includes the Piyoko arc, it does not. Outside of that strange advertising for something that doesn’t come with the release, Di Gi Charat offers a nice dose of humor in an hour long package. Even with extremely dated visuals and a bad English dub, the series still has a lot of charm fourteen years later and for the current asking price it helps make up for a few of Di Gi Charat’s issues.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
NBA 2K14 Developer:Visual Concepts Publisher:2K Sports Platforms: Xbox One (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 (Review Here), PlayStation 3, PC Release Date: Out Now Price: $99.95 – Available Here
Overview
“17 Years in the Making” is scrawled across the screen as the Bandini remix of Ennio Morricone’s “The Ecstasy of Gold” plays. NBA 2K14 is 2K Sports’ centerpiece title. Though everyone looks to both 2K and EA as the kings of sports games, the former has blitzed the competition for many years. NBA Live‘s 2014 return to the market didn’t stand a baller’s chance in hell. And while NBA 2K14 on last-gen spotlighted Lebron James’ ‘Path to Greatness’, the developers have excised the mode on the Xbox One and PS4 versions in favor of the brand new MyGM mode, allowing you the opportunity to manage everything from ticket prices to player contracts within a chosen team. There’s an obvious graphical leap between the generations, but NBA 2K14 is much more than a prettier face.
Gameplay
Since NBA 2K13, the franchise has undergone yet another control scheme overhaul, the frequency of which is getting absolutely ridiculous. Thankfully, this new scheme works fairly well, and may well form a solid basis for future iterations to tweak and further perfect without having to frustratingly start from scratch. Ball control has been (once again) re-assigned to the right thumbstick. Shots, lay-ups, dunks, dribbling and tricks are all achieved through this “Pro Stick” control scheme. This may simplify things for many, but that doesn’t mean NBA 2K14 is an easy game to get a grasp of… in fact, it’s probably tougher than ever. Even on Pro difficulty (the second lowest), the CPU’s defences seem unbreakable at times, and they rarely miss. The A.I. adapts as coaches implement new game-plans accordingly (can also be done manually) and players have specific personality traits that affect their performance and what they are capable of, governed by Emotion+. Mastering the more advanced controls – such as ‘positional playcalls’ – is a worthy, and sometimes necessary endeavour here. Patience is imperative. If you struggle to remember all the different techniques, you can enter Practice mode from NBA Today.
Speaking of, NBA Today is an entirely unique experience compared to last-gen’s. Now you receive daily reports, highlights and real clips from the previous night’s real-world fixtures. From this screen, you can also engage in Quick Matches (Exhibition) and Blacktop games – either 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 (all half-court) or 5v5 (full-court).Then you’ve got MyTeam, a mode reminiscent of FIFA‘s Ultimate Team. Your goal is to build up your standard deck of player cards, comprised of personnel across the whole league. Starting with a random offering, you must win ‘Tournaments’ and regional matches in ‘Domination’ to earn card packs or MT (MyTeam points), in order to purchase them, before heading to the ‘Road to the Playoffs’ with a strong enough side. They are all under contracts too (sound familiar?), so you can’t afford to be flippant in how many games you play with each… they have to be worthwhile rotations. As for the online multiplayer component, The Park is mystifyingly only accessible through MyCareer. It enables literally 100’s of players around the world to hang out in the virtual park and ease into a friendly game of pick-up… although I personally didn’t encounter too many other, and barely dabbled.
Now, finally, let’s get to the true meat and potatoes. MyCareer has been radically changed since you last knew it, now becoming a story-driven experience that you take your created character through. During games, a performance rating is affected by your decisions. For instance, if you start out with a C+ rating and make a string of bad passes, or cause a turnover, it’ll incrementally drop to a C and so on and so forth. Not to revisit the franchise comparisons again, but this system is extremely similar to that found in FIFA‘s ‘Be a Pro’ mode. The camera angle – by default – looks down court, all the while attached to your avatar. In the middle of play, your coach may request certain things from you, such as cutting down the opposition’s lead down to two. These are dynamic goals, and completing them will add a bonus to your earnings at final buzzer. The story itself takes you from rookie to the big leagues, taking part in the draft and learning to breed chemistry with your new team whilst attempting to stand out and prove the best prospect in the sport. There are people who will try to sabotage your career and even challenge you on Twitter (a fake feed, of course) in this huge, scripted tale. Your meteoric rise to stardom can take a long time – the first year alone holds approximately 40 hours of gameplay.
The story in MyCareer is grounded, but if you’re not particularly interested in the theatrics of it, maybe you’d like to play manager? Well, there’s incentive to keep playing as the VC you earn in MyCareer also carries over to MyGM. You may choose how to spend your cash: on player upgrades, customisations options or managerial upgrades. MyGM is deep… slightly too deep. Merchandise and beverage prices can be altered, analytics checked, contracts negotiated, rotations edited and so much more. Although you start by selecting a speciality (e.g., business, coaching, etc.), it’s ultimately your choice to be as hands-on or otherwise in all respects.At the get-go, the owner of the team you adopt will set goals that he wants achieved. Games can be played or simulated through, and eventually you will reach the All-Star Weekend, and hopefully the Playoffs. I wish the mini-games – 3-Point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest – were available to play outside of the mode as they can be a nice little bit of fun amongst competitive mates. All-in-all, NBA 2K14 is certainly not lacking in content.
Aggravatingly enough, I encountered numerous bugs and more minor glitches that dampened my enjoyment to varying degrees; the most annoying of which would be a controller connection problem. Randomly, our offline multiplayer games would be interrupted by a message asking us to “reconnect wireless controller no. 2”. At first, I thought this could have been due to low battery or the like, but I immediately reminded myself that my second Xbox One controller hadn’t seen much use at all. The controller was still in an on-state, and could be used to return to dashboard and navigate it. I then discovered online that a large contingency of gamers had also experienced this, now confirmed, infuriating bug. I’ve also been crashed out of the game and dropped out of modes because “certain modes require an internet connection”, although my ADSL 2+ connection remained rock solid. I also shant (got me so mad I’m going all Shakespearean in this piece!) forgot to mention the constant, drawn-out loading screens. Related to this is the unnatural U.I. requiring you press “B” – usually ingrained in us as the ‘Back’ or ‘Cancel’ button – to enter an overlay that should have really been worked into the main screen. This is a true understatement, but Visual Concepts could do with a little more creativity and fluidity in their interface design (especially with a name like theirs…)
Visuals & Audio
NBA 2K14 is heads-and-shoulders above every other sports game in the graphics department, running at 1080p and 60fps. It is not even comparable to its last-gen iteration as the visual enhancements aren’t simply modifications, but the results of a completely revamped engine. The ‘Eco Engine’, as it’s called, adds a plethora of animations and movements that aid in creating the most realistic in-motion action seen yet. The general attention to detail in the presentation is superb: coaches and team members on the bench reacting to your successes and failures, the lights and immediate surroundings dynamically reflecting upon the surface of the court, the amazing cloth physics and quality facial captures, great textures and a fully 3D, animated crowd… it’s sincerely very impressive to behold. Having said that, in reference to the scans made of all the basketballers’ faces, their expression set is still limited to a standard number of emotions that are cycled between, the transition to and fro lacking a certain smoothness.
Okay, I understand the message behind “Started from the Bottom” by Drake – its not exactly hidden, and he smacks you in the face with it to boot after all – and yes, it was a popular hit. But if I have to hear him complain about “traffic on the way home” and wearing “every single chain, even when I’m in the house” one more time as I navigate the menus, I will flip. Beside’s that delusional poseur’s feature song, the soundtrack includes some stellar choices – supposedly all hand-picked by Lebron James himself – such as “All of the Lights” by Kanye West feat. Rihanna, “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams, the classic “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins and my favourite for the specific vibe and energy of a basketball game, “Cool 2 Be Southern” by Big K.R.I.T., among many others. In regards to actual audio design and implementation, however, NBA 2K14 suffers from some grating and confounding bugs. That being said, the audio settings are quite robust, giving you the option to even alter the sound levels of on-court chatter. The first issue though is very noticeable and relates to the crowd…
Get a hometown audience fired up and their raucous cheers play at fluctuating volumes. This is particularly odd because audio implementation is, dare I say it (having some first-hand experience), one of the easiest parts of game development. It’s not a sporadic bug either – it’s a consistent occurrence, which makes me believe they possibly had technical issues with the audio capture device used (can’t be sure). You’ll also hear random ghost screams from players as if they had just been knocked over for a personal foul, or flopped when they had not. And even though I understand the limitation involved, not having any voice-overs for star players in MyCareer breaks the immersion, with your created character basically speaking back to a brick wall, as the saying goes. They stare at you, lifelessly, with their verbal communications displayed in a text box at the bottom of the screen. Key players and coaches do voice their opinions in ‘Real Voice’ interviews at half-time and end-game, which are sound bytes culled from actual interviews and a nice touch, although just like the commentary, certain lines begin to repeat themselves relatively early on.
Overall
NBA 2K14 is stunning, and built upon the strongest of foundations in gameplay. Its mechanics allow players to pull off the flashiest and most expert of manoeuvres on the court, with an underlying depth to both offensive and defensive strategy. The exclusive MyGM mode is extremely involved, probably to the point of overwhelming even the biggest fans of the sport or simulation games. Micro-transactions are included, once again, in the form of buying Virtual Currency (VC), although the amount earned through the improved MyCareer experience and the companion app for mobile devices – where you can receive free VC daily – is just enough to get by in substantially upgrading your manager and MyPlayer (although you will need to invest significant time in MyCareer for the long haul). What’s holding back NBA 2K14 from being a fantastic overall package is the sophomoric, bland and unintuitive U.I., as well as the multiple technical hitches; some on the server side, others plain confounding. NBA 2K14 is not the perfect B-ball game, but 2K Sports’ own ‘Path to Greatness’ on next-gen is only just beginning.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
MangaGamer have just announced that they are now running Christmas Sale on their website for several of their greatest releases. That’s right MangaGamer fanatics, some of the best titles in the impressive library of games from MangaGamer are now discounted for Christmas as part of this Christmas Sale.
The following titles have been announced as part of the sale:
MangaGamer of course specialize in Visual Novel PC games, many of which are now on sale. You can check out this sale on their website now here. Be sure to let us know what you think of this sale in the comments section below.
Awesome mobile game developers Chillingo and the incredible developers over at Ninja Theory, who you may know for their newest game “DMC”, are extremely excited for the release of their brand-new game “Fightback” which is set for an official release tomorrow (Thursday the 19th of December).
It seems as though thugs have kidnapped your sister, unfortunately for them they’ve messed with the wrong guy. Ninja Theory revolutionises mobile brawling games with the release of Fightback; punch, kick and combo your way through hordes of gang members as you attempt to get your sister back from the evil grips of an evil mob boss.
Gesture-based touch controls make this game a brilliant title for all to play and a game that is so easy and simple to be able to jump into and kick some gangster arse! Not convinced that Fightback is the most bad-arse brawler to ever hit mobiles? Maybe the trailer we have below will change your mind! Check it out below and don’t forget to head down the comments section and let us know what you think.
Dementium II HD is now available on Steam and other major distribution channels! The cult classic that was based off of the horrific nightmare universe of William Redmoor on the Nintendo DS is up for purchase at $11.24 USD, 25% off the original price of $14.99 USD. Dementium II was originally developed by Renegade Kid for the Nintendo DS, fans of the game begged for a high-def version on the PC. Digital Tribe Games does not disappoint with this new version of Dementium II.
Digital Tribe Games revamped Dementium II onto enhanced ports, making the game look and feel a lot more defined. The game is a horror/action game set in the first-person. The game boasts all new high-res textures, enhanced audio, and a new lighting system. All of the models were updated to 3D and the controls system was refined to provide players an even better experience.
Some other features that the game implemented includes:
Steam Big Picture Mode with full controller support, Steam Achievements and Cloud Saves on Day 1 – plus a twisted series of Steam Trading Cards coming soon after launch.
Classic gameplay that balances action, exploration, story and puzzle elements into a single, unforgettable horror experience.
Hordes of unique, nightmarish enemies that require different strategies to defeat – plus ghostly new creatures that will chill you to the bone.
Twisted storyline that keeps you guessing throughout the entire game.
Multifunctional weapons to take out enemies and grant access to new areas.
Horror fans should pick up the game here on Steam. It’s a great game to try if you want to be scared out of your wits.
The next announcement as part of Madman’s#12AnnouncementsOfXmas promotion has just been revealed. The seventh announcement in the promotion is none other than the anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa’s farming manga Silver Spoon.
The Silver Spoon anime follows young rookie farmer Hachiken as he enters an agricultural school to escape the academic pressures of his old school in Sapporo. The anime has received critical acclaim since its release and has already spawned a second season set to begin airing in Japan in early 2014.
Madman plans to release Silver Spoon on DVD in late 2014. Stay tuned for more #12AnnouncementsOfXmas revelations in the coming days.
Tribal Wars 2: InnoGames Releases Announcement Video, Shows First Gameplay Material
Hamburg, December 18, 2013. Today InnoGames released the announcement video for Tribal Wars 2, showing alpha footage of the game on browser, Android and iOS for the first time. Also included in the footage are interviews with members of the team and InnoGames co-founder Hendrik Klindworth, all describing their visions for the game and upcoming features.
Players can already pre-register for the game’s beta on www.tribalwars2.com. Tribal Wars 2 sports state-of-the-art graphics and will later be released as cross-platform for Android, iOS and all browsers. Therefore, players can set up one account for all platforms and play from whichever combination of devices they choose.
In Tribal Wars 2, players find themselves as leader of a small village in the midst of a medieval world. Tasked with growing and expanding their empire within a war-torn landscape, they have to fight in order to survive. The MMO’s focus is real-time strategic battles with and against other players. Tribal Wars 2 will be released as cross-platform game for Android, iOS and all browsers. Therefore, players can set up one account for all platforms and play from whichever combination of devices they choose.
Tribal Wars was developed as a hobby project in 2003 by the three founders of InnoGames, Hendrik Klindworth, Eike Klindworth and Michael Zillmer. Today, Tribal Wars has more than 50 million registered players and recently celebrated its tenth birthday with a big in-game event and a video saying thank you.
With more than 110 million registered players, InnoGames is one of the world’s leading developers and providers of online games. Next to Tribal Wars, the Hamburg-based company has scored major successes with games such as Forge of Empires and Grepolis.
AUSTIN, TX – December, 18th 2013 –Stoic, an independent game development company and VersusEvil, an independent publisher, both based out of Austin, today jointly announced pre-order details for the upcoming RPG strategy game, The Banner Saga.
The pre-order exclusive offer, aptly named the ‘Insane Viking Pack’, arms fans with an exclusive character, ability item and three exclusive tracks from the game’s original score, created by Grammy nominated composer, Austin Wintory. Pre-order customers will also be able to take advantage of the special pre-order discounted price. Kickstarter backers will also get the ‘Insane Viking Pack’ automatically with their copy of the game.
The exclusive pre-order character is a Viking named Tryggvi. With a reputation as a trouble maker, Tryggvi holds his own in combat as a skilled spearman and is sure to prove useful in any hero line up. Tryggvi comes with his own exclusive necklace, made with a pearl and matching full and half-moon symbols, which grants a 10% chance to do 2x damage in combat.
If you happen to love PC gaming but still want to play a soccer title then we have some good news for you. Today EA has launched the Open Beta phase for EA Sports FIFA World which is a free to play downloadable game for the PC. The beta is now available for users in Australia and they can learn how to access the beta here.
This version of the game delivers all of the fun authentic gameplay that the FIFA franchise has been known for, with over thirty different licensed leagues featuring 600 different clubs. This includes the officially licensed A-League and Australian national team as well as the Bundesliga of Germany.
Madman Entertainment have just uploaded a brand new video to their official Youtube channel. This time featuring an in-depth interview with Dameon Clarke, otherwise known as the voice of Cell from Dragon Ball Z and Toguro from Yu Yu Hakusho.
Dameon Clarke is a veteran voice actor, having starred in dozens of anime productions as well as video-games like Borderlands 2 as Handsome Jack. You can check out the Madman’s chat with Dameon Clarke in the video below.
Be sure to let us know what you thought of this interview with Dameon Clarke in the comments section below. Don’t forget to catch Clarke as Cell in Madman’s release of Dragon Ball Z Kai.
