Great news for fans of Saint Seiya in both North and South America. Namco Bandai has released Saint Seiya: Brave Soldiers in both regions, with the United States release being exclusive to the PlayStation Network while all Spanish speaking countries in Latin America and Mexico are able to pick up a physical copy.
Saint Seiya: Brave Soldiers allows players to fight as a number of the their favorite characters and partake in battles from the Sanctuary, Poseidon, and Hades story arcs. As players progress through the game they can enhance their fighter with a number of upgrades by improving their strength level, Cosmos Power Gauge and even their Hit-Point Gauge. The game also retains the original Japanese voice-work and features English, French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles.
Keybol Games and BulkyPix are extremely excited to announce that their latest game, Pretentious Game, is set for a release on the 5th of December this year. Pretentious Game is a charming platformer the likes of which you’ve never seen, it is simple in aesthetics yet extremely deep when it comes to the in-game story. As a player you deal with a powerful story that revolves around the themes of love, loss and discovery while simultaneously playing through a platforming game filled with tricky levels and puzzling riddles. It is looking to be a true indie game that is clearly more than meets the eye, it has already won the “Director’s Choice” and “Best Story” awards at San Francisco’s “Casual Connect” and has also been nominated at the Independent Game Festival.
Words and feelings play a huge part in this game and we’re encouraged to let them sway the decisions we make throughout the story. Poetry, Meaning, Symbolism, it’s all in here and it’s almost ready for you to get your hands on. Pretentious Game is set for a release on all mobile devices that have access to either the iTunes App Store or Google Play, this means devices like the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and ones running Android are eligible to download and play the game. The first chapter within the game will be for free so that you can test and see if you enjoy it but for full access of the game there is an in-app fee of $0.99.
Ubisoft’s best selling dance-game phenomenon, Just Dance 2014 has made its way to every single motion-control supported platform, both current and next gen (including Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4 and Xbox One) and into an incomprehensible number of homes. Today, players can download an additional 5 chart topping hits and dance the night away.
The 5 DLC tracks are incredibly fun and varied, spanning across a wide range of musical talent and style, from One Direction to Robin Thicke and even LFMAO. Here are the tracks that you can download:
“What About Love” by Austin Mahone
“One Way or Another” by One Direction
“Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO
“American Girl” by Bonnie McKee
“Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke Ft. Pharrell (alternate choreography version)
These 5 hits are joining an already impressive lineup of 45+ tunes meaning you will never be want for music to dance to at your next party. Are you big into Just Dance 2014, and will you be shaking it to American Girl? Let us know in the comments which of the new songs you are excited for, and remember to always stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Just Dance 2014 news as it becomes available.
Indie publisher, Digital Tribe Games and developer, ProjectorGames have come forth with FortressCraft Evolved, to produce a new, more powerful experience in creative world building via Steam Early Access next month. Following their very successful FortressCraft on Xbox 360 in 2011, the developers want their vast community to actively engage and share their constructions to help craft the final release of the game.
Adam Sawkins, the creator of FortressCraft, stated, “It’s not about challenges or making things difficult for the player, or requiring them to have enormous amounts of time, it’s about enabling your typical gamer to produce mind-blowing epic content, without having to sacrifice their social life!”
FortressCraft Evolved includes a host of new features and functionality, including;
Creative Mode: build the largest EVER voxel based worlds
Additional flexibility, variety and detail for magnificent creations
Full day and night cycle and seasonal weather system
Cascaded shadows and unlimited light resources
Polished Player User Interface (UI)
Animated high resolution detail blocks and Bump Mapped Terrain
“Build to Me” Feature and Super Build Tools for huge draw distance
“Megagrab” screenshot mode
Editable Signposts
Sharable Detail Library
Steam Workshop support
Don’t miss out on joining the Steam Early Access program in December, for a special discounted price that allows players to start with the best building tools for great value and receive all the milestones and content patches for free on PC. When new phases and platforms become available, including Mac and Linux versions, the cost of access will gradually increase up to its final retail price and official launch.
Check out the official site hereto explore FortressCraft and the Roadmap features available during the stages of release for the evolved game.
Razer has released their holiday gift guide for the 2013 holiday season. There is something for all your favourite gamers, whether they be Xbox 360 fans or PC gaming devotees.
Razer Blade
RRP: AUD $2699.00
Available at JB Hi-Fi and online at the official Razer Store, the Razer Blade is only 14-inches but packs a Haswell CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 765 video card to play all your favourite PC games on the go.
The Kraken is designed for long gaming sessions with its plush and lightweight design. Razer Surround provides virtual surround sound which allow gamers to pinpoint exactly where the gunfire is coming from. The Kraken boasts a digital microphone for clear voice communication and plugs into the computer through a USB port.
Whether your favourite MMO gamer is left or right handed, Razer has a Naga mouse for them. Armed with 12 thumb buttons for easy access to spells and abilities, the Naga has an in game configuration tool compatible with some of the most popular MMOs like World of Warcraft.
Whether running on the PC or the Xbox 360, the Razer Sabertooth is built to survive harsh gaming sessions while providing extensive customization options.
Newly updated for 2013, the Razer BlackWidow features MX Cherry Blue keyswitches for a low actuation force and a pleasent tactile feedback. Being a mechanical keyboard, the BlackWidow is rated to survive over 20 million key presses. It is one of the few mechanical keyboards on the market with macro keys.
Razer Orbweaver
RRP AUD $199.95 / NZ $229.95
For gamers looking for something a little more ergonomic than the traditional keyboard, the Razer Orbweaver features 20 mechanical keys that can be programmed with a large variety of macros, a 8 directional thumb pad that can control movement or modify the 20 keys to create a mind boggling number of macros.
Activision‘s Skylanders franchise is a little over three years old, and still going strong. With every new installment, the amount of figures that kids can collect and transport into their game steadily grows. Since the release of Skylanders: Swap Force, If you include all of the variants and re-released figures, there are over 220 different characters and toys for players to collect. That is a huge number to keep track of, but now thanks to the new Skylanders Collection Vault, doing so is easier than ever.
The free app, which is available on iPhone and iPad allows you to collect, collate and store the details of your collection in one easy to navigate and view app. Not only that, but the app will also give you details and back stories to each character with images and video trailers, helping to flesh them out a little more outside of the main console games.
Skylanders Collection Vault is available now free of charge. To download it head over the the App Store and start entering your collection into the App, unlocking all those pictures and video, and challenging your friends to see who has the most love for Skylanders. As always for all the Skylanders news as it becomes available, be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers.
Tearaway Developer:Media Molecule Publisher:Sony Platforms: PlayStation Vita (Reviewed) Release Date: November 22, 2013 Price: $39.99 – Available Here
Overview
There has been a lot of buzz for Media Molecule’s newest game, Tearaway. With what can only be described as a meager release schedule, the potential of a Vita-focused game presented by the creators of Little Big Planetis a tantalizing prospect indeed. How does Tearaway hold up now that it’s been released the wild, though? Has it torn ahead of the pack or should it be ripped to pieces?
Story
Iota (or Atoi, depending on your gender) has a mission. He must get a message to You. That’s right, his entire mission is to get the message (which his head is made of) to You, the player, and the person inside the Sun. As he works to deliver the message to You, he’ll cross vast landscapes, meet and help unique people, and fight off his nemeses, the Scraps, in a beautifully realized papercraft world.
Gameplay
It isn’t very long into Tearaway before you understand that a truly unique experience awaits you. As the game starts, you’ll control Iota (or Atoi) just as you would any other third-person game. You’re fairly limited out of the gate, able to move, run, and interact with items, but not much more. As you proceed through the game, however, more and more opens up to you and before you know it, your options are quite varied.
Tearaway exceeds tremendously as a Vita game. The front camera, rear camera, front and rear touch pads, accelerometer, and so on are all utilized to great effect. This makes for the single most engrossing experience on the Vita (and quite possibly several other platforms). You’ll press the rear touch pad to force your fingers into the world to manipulate objects, tap the rear touch pad like a drum to bounce Iota from platform to platform, open presents by pulling the bowstrings apart with the front touch pad, and much, much more. Media Molecule has clearly put serious effort into designing a game that takes full use of everything the hardware has to offer with nothing feeling like it was just shoveled in. Everything improves the game and it’s all incredible to witness and take part in.
The world and level design in Tearaway are immaculate. Each area is specially designed for a specific experience. Many often iterate on past experiences you’ve had and require you to adapt in order to overcome. Instead of just running around with the joystick, you’ll have to use the touchscreen to manipulate platforms with pull tabs, take out enemies, and more. It can take a fair bit of dexterity on occasion, but the sense of accomplishment you’ll earn from such contortion is reason enough to continue exploring.
As you play through Tearaway, you’ll run across NPCs who are occasionally missing something. In keeping with the heart of creation Media Molecule so finely curates, the game will give you access to a table with around 10 sheets of colored construction paper. Using the touchscreen, you’ll draw and cut out your own designs to make those in-game items, giving you a marvelous sense of agency in the beautiful papercraft world you’re exploring.
Beyond creating the occasional item for NPCs, you can customize Iota at any time simply by holding your finger on him until the menu pops up. Using currency you collect in-game, you can purchase new shapes, mouths, eyes, and more, and customize your very own Iota. Want to see the latest Final Fantasy character running around? You have the freedom to make that happen. It’s quite rewarding in its own way, granting you a great deal of control over your own experience.
Speaking of the NPCs in the world, their existence goes beyond the occasional required storied bump in the road. Many NPCs will have optional quests you can pick up. These usually require taking out a group of Scraps, designing something, or taking a picture of something in the game world. They give you an opportunity to stop chasing the main story and earn some extra money on the side for more goodies.
The cameras used in the game are employed to wonderful effect as well. There are several objects throughout the game that have had their colors stolen by the Scraps. Using your in-game camera with the accelerometer in the Vita, you can take pictures of these items to restore their color. This has an awesome side effect of unlocking an actual papercraft schematic for you to use in the real world via a service called Tearaway.me. It extends the game’s sense of whimsy far beyond the hardware in your hand to the craft table in your home.
Visuals
In spite of the fact that Tearaway is not on the newest generation of console hardware, it may very well be one of the most visually stunning games released all year. The implementation of a construction paper-based papercraft world makes for a phenomenally jaw dropping aesthetic that will have you constantly smiling. On top of the preconstructed environments and characters, you can pick, choose, and customize the look of several characters to suit your fancy.
On top of the look, the animation so fluidly conveys the real world while maintaining it’s construction paper feel that you’ll hold onto a sense of awe. Sprinting through a puddles or watching the waves roll in are sure to put a smile on your face. It’s all brilliantly designed and put together, and that makes it that much more engrossing to experience.
Audio Tearaway has an addictively entertaining soundtrack. Upbeat melodies will drive your exploration as you tap your foot along to the action on screen. The sound effects also do a wonderful job bringing the paper to life with wind blowing through the trees, waves crashing on the beach, and much, much, more. You’ll never want to play the game without experiencing the aural experience it has to offer alongside its beautiful visuals.
Overall Tearaway is an incredible experience from start to finish. Heartwarming, whimsical visual design mix with a wonderful score to present an audio-visual experience you’ll look back on fondly for years. While the story isn’t breaking new ground, it’s well told and richly entertaining. When you combine all of that with accurate, responsive controls and world objects you manipulate using virtually every feature the Vita has to offer, Tearaway stands out as the strongest offering the PlayStation Vita has in its library. If you own a Vita or are considering the purchase, Tearaway is an absolute must-buy.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
OFFICIAL SKYLANDERS COLLECTION VAULT™ APP GIVES FANS NEW WAYS TO INTERACT WITH THEIR FAVOURITE SKYLANDERS
Free iOS App Helps Fans Manage Their Collections and Unlock Original Skylanders® Content
Sydney, Australia, November 27th 2013 – Skylanders fans vying to become the ultimate Portal Master can now download the Skylanders Collection Vault application in the iOS App Store today. The new app lets players easily manage their Skylanders toy collection and explore new Skylanders toys from the palm of their hands and on the go. Fans can also share and compare their Skylanders collection with family and friends – all for free.
For the first time via the Skylanders Collection Vault app, Portal Masters can discover Skylanders characters and learn more about their backstories all in one place. Optimized for tablet and mobile devices, the app also allows fans to keep track of their Skylanders collection and their character wish list, browse images and videos, unlock special content and challenge their friends to see who has the most robust collection.
“Skylanders SWAP Forceisthe highest-rated game in the Skylanders franchise to date, andtheSkylanders Collection Vault app will be the perfect mobile companion for all Portal Masters looking to learn more about their favourite characters and get to know new Skylanders characters ,” said Josh Taub, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Activision Publishing, Inc. “Skylanders continues to be the #1 kids’ video game franchise of 20131 and we have an ongoing commitment to provide our fans the best experience possible. We’re excited to offer Skylanders fans the ability to immerse themselves in a completely digital version of their collections.”
Players can now download the free, official Skylanders Collection Vaulthere and bring their digital Skylanders collection wherever they go. Fans can also enjoy Skylanders mobile games — Skylanders Lost IslandsTM, Skylanders Cloud PatrolTM and Skylanders BattlegroundsTM – available in the App Store.
About the Skylanders® Franchise
The award-winning, billion dollar Skylanders franchise pioneered the toys-to-life category in 2011 with the debut of Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure®. The game originated a new play pattern that seamlessly bridged physical and virtual worlds across multiple platforms and became the top-selling kids’ videogame of the year. In October 2012, Skylanders Giants™ further evolved the genre and added the mega-sized Giant Skylanders and LightCore® characters to the collection of interaction figures. Skylanders Giants was awarded the “e-Connected Toy of the Year” at the 13th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. The next innovation in the franchise Skylanders SWAP Force was developed by Vicarious Visions, an Activision studio. The game is rated G by the Australian Classification Board. For more information, visit www.skylanders.com.
About Activision Publishing
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.
1Based on revenue, according to The NPD Group, Gfk Media Control® and Activision internal estimates, including toys and accessory packs, through October 2013
Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition Now Available For PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita, Xbox 360 and PC
and Available December 4 for PlayStation®4
Content Rich Version of 2013’s Best-Selling Fighting Game Includes Full Game and All DLC
SYDNEY, Australia. – Nov. 27, 2013 – Just in time for christmas, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today released Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition . Developed by award-winning NetherRealm Studios, Injustice: Gods Among Us UltimateEdition marks the debut of the best-selling fighting game franchise on the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system and Windows PC and coming to the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system on December 4. It also brings this content rich version to the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.
Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition is comprised of the full game, as well as all previously released downloadable content (DLC). The game has a suggested retail price of $99.95 for PS4™ system, $89.95 for the PS3™ system and Xbox 360, $79.95 for Windows PC and $49.95 for PS®Vita.
Originally released April 2013 for PS3 system and Xbox 360, Injustice: Gods Among Us is a bold new fighting game franchise that introduces a deep, original story featuring a large cast of favourite DC Comics icons such as Batman, The Joker, Green Arrow, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman and many others. Injustice: Gods Among Us UltimateEdition features additional DC Comics icons Lobo, Batgirl, General Zod, Martian Manhunter and Zatanna, as well as a special guest character Scorpion, from the Mortal Kombat Franchise as reimagined by Jim Lee, Co-Publisher at DC Entertainment.
Fans will enjoy access to more than 40 extra character skins and 60 S.T.A.R. Labs Missions originally offered as DLC, and now available to players from the start of the game. Remastered for next-gen technology by High Voltage, the PS4™ system version features Touchpad functionality, video sharing and streaming, and links to players’ PlayStation® Network Feed page during match wrap-ups and pause menus. High Voltage worked with NetherRealm Studios to develop the PC version of the game.
The PS®Vita version, which is adapted for the handheld experience by Armature Studio, takes the fighting action of Injustice: Gods Among Us on the go, with new touch controls for mini-games in the story mode and S.T.A.R. Labs Missions, Ad-hoc and Wi-Fi multiplayer, collectible hero cards, and all DLC released to date.
About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. In January 2012, DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes—a giving campaign featuring the iconic Justice League super heroes—to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.
About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.
AboutNetherRealm Studios
NetherRealm Studios is a leader in the development of interactive entertainment, and the creator of the billion dollar Mortal Kombat franchise. Mortal Kombat has spawned two theatrical films, multiple television series, and has sold over 35 million games to date. Located in Chicago, Illinois the award-winning NetherRealm team has been working and creating games together since 1992. Additional information about NetherRealm Studios can be found at www.netherrealm.com.
About High Voltage Software, Inc.
High Voltage Software, Inc. is an award-winning studio that has been developing games and simulations for many years. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2013, the studio has shipped over 80 titles. Located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, it employs more than 90 full-time staff. The independent company has successfully produced a wide variety of games including licensed titles, racing games, professional sports titles and a range of original intellectual properties. More information about High Voltage Software and its products can be found at www.high-voltage.com.
About Armature Studio
Founded in 2008 by three of the principal members of the Metroid Prime franchise, Armature Studio strives to bring their game design sensibilities to a new audience. Located in Austin, TX, Armature currently has over 30 employees and is working on multiple titles.
WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT, TT GAMES AND THE LEGO GROUP ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF LEGO® FRIENDS
Give the Gift of Friendship with the All New LEGO Friends Videogame Available for Nintendo 3DS
Sydney, Australia – November 27, 2013 –Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the LEGO Group, and TT Games in partnership with Hellbent Games today launch LEGO® Friends for the Nintendo 3DS™. The latest LEGO videogame adventure is based on the popular LEGO Friends collection of building sets, providing a fun adventure that allows players to express their imagination and creativity.
“We are pleased to bring to life the imaginative and vibrant world young girls have come to enjoy from their LEGO Friends toy sets,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games. “Now, they can interact with their favourite LEGO Friends characters, join them on fun adventures, while expressing their and creativity as they play.”
In LEGO Friends, players visit Heartlake City, playing the role as Olivia’s cousin who, with Olivia, joins other LEGO Friends like Mia, Stephanie, Emma and Andrea on fun adventures. Throughout the game, players will complete a variety of activities, such as rescuing a wounded fawn, practicing their soccer skills, choreographing dance routines and training pets. Each of these activities builds the level of friendship with each LEGO Friend the player encounters. The ultimate goal of the game is to become a “True Friend” with each of the LEGO Friends, while exploring and uncovering all of the secrets, badges and rewards in the amazing city of Heartlake.
Using an interactive map, players can explore Olivia’s House, Heartlake High, Main Street, Clover Meadows and Heartlake Marina, all of which are based on the LEGO play theme. Players can further explore and enjoy total freedom in each core area by visiting the Karate Dojo in Heartlake High, the Rehearsal Studio on Main Street, the Riding Camp in Clover Meadows or the Dolphin Cruiser in the Marina to collect items, play mini-games, complete tasks, solve puzzles, and build objects from piles of LEGO bricks found throughout the game. They will also collect and unlock new pets, each with a unique ability, that helps players solve puzzles and access new areas to explore. Heartlake City is filled with exciting activities, such as rescuing a dolphin and teaching them tricks and discovering hidden pirate treasures with a secret map.
LEGO Friends also gives players the opportunity to express their individual style and personality through various customisation options. Players will be able to pick their character’s outfits, hairstyles, and accessories, select a pet or design and personalize their character’s bedroom.
LEGO Friends is now available for Nintendo 3DS for the suggested retail price of $49.95 and is rated “G” for everyone. For more information, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/LegoFriendsVideoGame
TT Games (www.ttgames.com) is the combined publishing and development group behind the hit games LEGO® Star Wars™, LEGO® Batman™: The Videogame, LEGO® Indiana Jones™: The Original Adventures and BIONICLE® Heroes. Incorporating renowned UK developer Traveller’s Tales, TT Games has a distinctive focus on console, handheld, mobile and PC games of the highest quality, aimed at young gamers and their families.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles. In January 2012, DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes—a giving campaign featuring the iconic Justice League super heroes—to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.
