Here’s some very shiny news for all of you Australian Browncoats out there. In a weekend that was pretty heavily overshadowed by the Day of the Doctor celebrations and tributes, another much beloved Sci Fi series managed to sneak in a new entry of its own. In a comparatively modest celebration of a great show cancelled too long before its time, Firefly The Board Game was released to the Australian public at numerous specialist board game stores around the country. This is the first retail release Australians have seen of the game, having been out in the US for just over a month now.
Drawing heavily on the mythos and universe of the show, players take on the role of Captain of one of four different Firefly ships. The game objective is noted in the tagline: ‘Find a Crew. Find a Job. Keep Flying.’ Players are tasked with exploring the Firefly universe, recruiting famous faces from the show, and dealing with various un-lovely ne’er-do-wells. Although the franchise is now just over 10 years old, the Board game is very up-to-date with not only details of ‘Firefly’ and ‘Serenity’, but also a little bit of expanded universe info from the books and comics. The game is filled with references-a-plenty, from mission items like Jayne’s hat, to disgruntled crew members reminding you of the “Special Hell” to taking on the challenges in the backwater town where you’re a hero.
If you’re a fellow Browncoat like myself, and enjoyed board games such as Talisman or Arkham Horror, then this is a must have!
If you want to check out some of the game details for yourself, visit the official game website: http://www.fireflythegame.com/
Square Enix has made available Final Fantasy IV: The After Years on iOS and Android devices. The sequel to Final Fantasy IV was originally released on Japanese mobiles in 2008 and has now been given a 3D makeover for modern smartphones. Check out the screenshots below.
Set over a dozen years after Final Fantasy IV, the game includes returning characters such as Cecil, Rosa and Kain as well as a new main character named Ceodore, the son of Cecil and Rosa. Players will be able to use new abilities such as Age of Moon and Band while making use of some of the same mechanics from the predecessor.
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years can be purchased for AU$16.99/£10.99 on the App Store and Google Play. Final Fantasy IV was released on Android systems earlier this year.
Brain Man Studio: NTV Films/Django Films Publisher: Toho Format: Cinema (Japanese Film Festival 2013) Release Date: 20th November, 2013
Overview
As far as surprises go, no film at the 17th Japanese Film Festival was more of one than Brain Man, a psychological thriller epic about a murderer with a robot mentality and a sharp sense of justice. The title of the film is peculiar to say the least and doesn’t exactly convey just how brilliant this film truly is. Brain Man may very well be the best film on show at this years festival and a genuine revelation for director Tomoyuki Takimoto.
When it comes to pulse-pounding action, thought-provoking complexity and a plot that thickens by the minute, Brain Man has few peers. It is deftly directed and superbly written. It will blow your mind and capture your imagination. It is one film you won’t forget. It is Brain Man.
Story
The state of a mind is often determined by ones experiences. What if the experiences you had made you something darker than normal? What if you’re mind was molded to be a killer? Would you kill because you were told to or would you kill because you wanted to? These are some of the many questions pondered in this thoughtful film. The mind is a fragile thing and Brain Man explores the limits of the human psyche in ways that haven’t been done in film before.
The titular Brain Man is a young man who shows no sign of emotion or feeling. He feels no pain, has no opinion and doesn’t think for himself. Over the course of the film we come see this robotic man become his own being. It is the experiences that surround him that forge an identity for him, the identity that is Brain Man.
Lets dial things back for a moment though. I’m getting ahead of myself here, the Brain Man is an enigma in every sense, but it is the world around him that is deeply intriguing. We follow psychologist Mariko in her efforts to explain the psychological disorder that afflicts the Brain Man. She is positively baffled by this man and seeks to break through to him and find the man underneath the robotic shell. By the end of the film she succeeds and brings about a truly cathartic conclusion in grand fashion.
The action is staged superbly with some intense theatrics behind some of the bigger set-pieces. The chase scene and subsequent shoot-out was particular tense, but it was the final showdown between the Brain Man and obsessive psycho bomber Noriko that really takes the cake as she repeatedly runs down Brain Man with a car. It is in the final moments of that scene that we see Brain Man become his own man, a heroic persona in many ways, perhaps the hero that Japan needs in this dire time.
Where Brain Man succeeds as a film is its refusal to choose a side. It leaves the question of justice up to viewers. Is Brain Man a hero or a villain? Is murder ever justified? Is an eye for an eye a kind of justice? These are all things that is explored at length in this remarkable film, but it is the way in which it leaves the answer up to viewers that makes it work so well. If it took a side in the question it would invalidate the entire film, but rather than doing that it leaves the audience with two questions to ask themselves – what is right and what is wrong?
It is hard to find a more intellectually stimulating action film as Brain Man and through the excellent story-telling and characterization we find genuine stars in Toma Ikuta and Fumi Nikaido who both thrive in their respective roles. This looks to be the first step towards a bright future for both young talents.
Brain Man is a brilliant film and without a doubt the highlight of the 17th Japanese Film Festival. Tomoyuki Takimoto has done wonders with the film and it is truly something that must be experience.
Visuals and Audio
Atmosphere is a big part of what makes Brain Man so very good and it all comes down to the masterful aesthetics that bring it all together. The high energy depictions of the brutal bombing scenes bring a sense of dread to the events that doesn’t even give you a second to breathe. On top of that the lighting for each setting provides different vibes to the intense atmosphere that surrounds the film. The big set pieces are brilliantly staged and make for damn near unforgettable scenes such as the showdown in the car park.
Brain Man doesn’t just feature some brilliant forays into visual aesthetics, but it also features an exquisite soundtrack that perfectly complements the top-notch action on screen. The stand-out of the film’s soundtrack is undoubtedly King Crimson’s ’21st Century Schizoid Man’ which wraps up the film’s final moments in a way that can only be described as epic.
Overall
Once in a blue moon a film comes along that genuinely shocks and surprises audiences in ways they simply couldn’t have ever expected. Brain Man is one of those films. This is arguably the best japanese action film of 2013. With incredible writing and deep characterization, Brain Man etches out a place in the highest echelon of japanese cinema history as one of its most thoughtful films.
It will make you think, it will get your heart racing, you won’t want to blink because it may just blow your mind. Brain Man is a must-see film that is a modern japanese film classic. Don’t overlook this one because of its title, Brain Man is an experience you don’t want to miss. It will scratch and claw its way into your head, playing with your mind like a fiddle. The Brain Man may do some horrible things, but no matter how wrong his actions may be, there is something about watching this film that just feels so very right.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
On Friday in many countries around the world the Xbox One became available for purchase and with it one of the first digital titles for the Xbox One also became available for purchase and it just so happens to be Twisted Pixel’s LocoCycle.
To commemorate the game’s launch the company has given us a humorous live action trailer which can be found below. The game itself can be purchased for $19.99 and follows the story of a self-aware assassin motorcycle called I.R.I.S that is attempting to escape to freedom. With only her engineer Pablo, who is tangled in her chassis, as an ally I.R.I.S. must escape from a psychopathic motorcycle named S.P.I.K.E. and a weapons cartel.
Daily Lives of High School Boys Studio: Showgate Publisher: Showgate Format: Cinema (Japanese Film Festival 2013) Release Date: 18th November, 2013
Overview
Daily Lives of High School Boys is an adaptation of the popular anime and manga of the same name. The anime and manga are a wild and sometimes surreal look into the lives of high school boys, yet always underpinned with some grounding in reality. It is that very balance that made both the anime and manga so successful. The strange thing with the Daily Lives of High School Boys film is that for a live-action film it is baffling how that realism underpinning madness has completely disappeared here. If anything the live-action film is positively absurd and not in a good way. Despite its eccentricities, the film fails to capture the heart of the source material, instead what results in a dull film that makes little to no attempt of being anything more than an utter mess.
Story
The general concept of Daily Lives of High School Boys is all in the name, the film follows the daily lives of three high school boys and their misguided attempts in chasing girls (if you would even call it that). What we see on show here in this film is essentially an hour and a half of awkward moments with these boys and the girls they wish to woo. This is problematic for a number of reasons, but none more so than the fact that it comes off as intensely repetitive, with one of the boys freezing when asked a question by a girl repeatedly occurring in exactly the same fashion over and over throughout the course of the film. A lot of the great humour from the anime is completely lost in this poorly executed adaptation.
The cast of characters are all poorly defined here, with their distinctive qualities from the source material completely drained in favour of a more bland standardization for the cast. There is seriously only two character types in this film (horny teenage boy who can’t talk to girls and bitchy girls creeped out by boys) and it is a damned shame. The writing is so painfully weak in Daily Lives of High School Boys and it is nothing short of a disappointment for fans of the original anime and manga.
The humour that fans come to expect from the originals is not to be found here. Whether it is just a case of things being lost in translation or just poor execution, Daily Lives of High School Boys falls flat and hard. It begs the question, should this have ever been made into a live-action film? One could easily be forgiven for thinking so. There is a real feeling to proceedings that it is not a necessary film in any way. It may just be one step too many for the franchise and it is ultimately an inessential adaptation of a pretty solid anime and manga.
As for the story of the film, it might as well be non-existent. It follows a school festival taking place between the all-boys school an all-girls school. Very little happens in this film free of any real incident. The conclusion comes with a whimper leaving a lot to be desired. There is no pay off for any characters or the little story they have – there is no full circle moment, no climax, no conclusion.
That is the real problem with Daily Lives of High School Boys, the film meanders about for an hour and a half never really reaching any point of resolution, proving to be nothing short of a failure of an adaptation. If you are looking for the real Daily Lives of High School Boys experience, this is not the place to be looking for it.
Visuals and Audio
The visual style for Daily Lives of High School Boys is not unlike the film’s plot, it is benign and lacking any flair or flavour. The film utilizes a primarily muted palette which is disappointing considering the bombastic and colourful nature of the anime series. The framing is off the mark throughout, nullifying any atmosphere that could be possible here. All around it is an easily forgettable aesthetic effort.
On top of the lackluster visuals, the film also features a mediocre soundtrack that feels almost non-existent at the best of times. It doesn’t do anything to add to the film or improve on its lesser parts and is ultimately a forgettable joke of a composition. The only noteworthy track comes from the pop group featured in the film’s conclusion performance. Other than that it was disappointing in every regard.
Overall
Love it or hate it, Daily Lives of High School Boys is nothing if not divisive. This film proves the be something that will divide audiences. Fans of the series may find something redeeming in the film, but it is best left forgotten for those who can’t.
Daily Lives of High School Boys is mediocre throughout with laughs few and far between. For a comedy film it is surprisingly devoid of any real comedy. This is a poor adaptation of a relatively good anime and manga comedy. While the anime and manga balance its ridiculous aspects with a basis in reality, this film loses that balance by not having any genuine realism beneath it. The heart of all comedy is a distortion or exaggeration of reality. Daily Lives of High School Boys fails at even the most basic of comedy.
If you are looking for a fun comedy film, Daily Lives of High School Boys is not something that would be worth your time. Some of the most die-hard fans may find some redeeming aspects here, others will find themselves averting there eyes in pain. It is a mess of a comedy film not unlike a gaggle of geese running through a swamp with their necks flapping in the wind. You either can’t help but look or you can’t help but look away.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Any Battlefield 4 player who has been playing since the game’s release date, particularly on the PC, has experienced the anguish of chronic rubber-banding and server crashes. Thankfully, most of these issues have finally been ironed out and the game is running as it should have on launch day.
Vice President and General Manager of DICE, Karl Magnus Troedsson, has come out saying he is “extremely proud” of the development studio and those at EA that contributed to the game but is “less proud” of the game’s crippling launch bugs. As a result, the entire team at DICE is working to stabilise the game and not move on to other projects until Battlefield 4 meets the players’ expectations.
As a show of appreciation for the players’ patience, a Double XP event will be held from November 28 through December 5 for all players, not just Premium members which is normally the case for these events. In addition, those who log on on December 5 will be given a special 3x zoom scope for the M1911 pistol that was previously reserved for DICE developers.
It’s a step in the right direction to have DICE come out and accept the extent of the launch issues but we can only hope that the next Battlefield isn’t released until it’s absolutely ready. Is this enough to reassure you for next time? Sound off below! A trailer was recently released of the game’s upcoming expansion pack, Second Assault.
Hajime No Ippo – Rising Episode 8 – The Mad Dog and the Red Wolf
Hajime No Ippo, as a series, has a certain structure; there are pre-fight episodes, the fight episodes themselves, post-fight episodes and then there may possibly be an entirely humorous episode thrown in just to change things up a little bit. Episode 8 is very much a pre-fight episode wherein which Ippo must now train up the Dempsey Roll to be much more than it currently is because, at this point in time, it is almost defeat-able. Shimabukuro has nearly done it and now Ryuuhei is threatening to do it and it seems as though Ippo is being backed into a corner with people coming at him left, right and centre, ready to crush him and his signature move. Ippo, alongside the other gym members, realise this and now must work to make it better but before they can evolve it they must first crush it.
The comparisons between Ippo and his soon to be opponent Ryuuhei have now begun and this time it shows something both incredible and deadly. Ryuuhei visits his old teacher who just so happened to be the first man to ever take him to a boxing gym, the teacher saw that Ryuuhei had a lot of aggression as a child and sought to see it exercised from his body much like demon but, after chatting to Ryuuhei over dinner, he sees the type of ruthless killer he has become and now blames himself for not quenching his thirst for blood and for making his thirst all the more greater. Ryuuhei, over dinner, explains his need to feel flesh crumble under his fist, he counters because it uses the oponnents force aginst them and, to him, gives him a greater sense of satisfaction.
On the other side of the coin, Ippo continues to train, as he does so he meets an old friend, Vorg, who he once used to fight against. Vorg lost to Ippo and retired from the sport for a very long time, he gave his gloves to Ippo and now, many years later, he has come to get them back so that he can finally rejoin the sport. He too hears of Ippo’s opponent and is immediately interested, although he doesn’t play all that big of a role in this episode I feel as though it is ultimately leading onto something. Itagaki Manabu, after a run in with “Team Aoki”, finally realises the trick behind Ippo’s Dempsey Roll; the reason it stuns an opponent is not just because of the impending force or simply the swerving around, it goes deeper than that, it is the fact that Ippo continuously moves in and out of an opponents blind spot that scares them so much.
Manabu realises that a simple step back away from Ippo will not only eliminate the blind spot issue but it also gives the opponent a greater chance to counter which just so happens to be Ryuuhei’s speciality. Ippo knows this now, Ryuuhei clearly knows this and now it’s time to evolve the Dempsey Roll and make it all the more powerful. I cannot wait to see the fight between Ippo and Ryuuhei, it’s going to be one of the biggest fights of the season and we might actually see Ippo fail, the chances are low but the fact is it may happen and, either way, it’s going to be an incredible fight to see. Bring on episode 9! Check out more Hajime No Ippo – Rising Impressions HERE.
The hugely popular franchise directed at young girls, Monster High, has been getting more and more popular ever since it was first released as a line of dolls. From there many different branches of the franchise were created and began to grow and it’s exactly the same for the video game side of things. The Developers over at Game Machine Studios and the Publishers Little Orbit are both very excited to announce that “Monster High: 13 Wishes” is now available all around Australia and New Zealand, it is available on the Nintendo DS, 3DS, Wii and Wii U and can be found at any good game retailers.
After years of being under her popular older sister’s shadow, Howleen WolfTM finds an ancient genie lantern hidden deep within the attic of Monster HighTM. The genie grants her not 3, but 13 wishes! With great power comes a great responsibility… Each of her wishes is brought with a dark side!
Players can take the control of their favourite character; Frankie Stein, Clawdeen Wolf, Draculara, Abbey Bominable and many more characters all have a role in the game. Howleen is in trouble and the Monster High crew must now work to save her! This new game will take players on a ghastly journey through 10 different magical levels all of which lead to multiple endings! It’s set to be a great game for young girls who are fans of the franchise and for those of you who don’t have the game there’s a trailer for it in our featured video section just below.
“I thought they talked like us?…” How the bloody hell are ya Australia?! We’ve got a new Anchorman 2: The Legend Continuesclip to share today, courtesy of Paramount Pictures Australia, and it will be of particular interest to our Aussie readers.
The clip is embedded at the bottom of this article and shows the moment Global News Network‘s (GNN) founder Kench Allenby (Josh Lawson) is introduced to the news crew. The Australian character proceeds to speak in a thick accent, using slang terms that absolutely no one on the team can understand. “Does anyone else speak Australian?!” Brick (Steve Carrell) has an especially funny verbal reaction when Allenby asks the guys to repeat a phrase after him.
Check it out below. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues releases nationwide on December 19.
Steam Punks Developer: Monster Robot Studios Publisher: Monster Robot Studios Platforms:iPhone(Reviewed), iPod Touch, iPad, Android Release Date: 21st November 2013 Price: $2.59 – Available Here
Overview
Platformers are the types of games that can really be enjoyed by anybody, they’re fun, they’re difficult and, most of the time, they look great. Monster Robot Studios have created a game for mobile devices that shoots all the way back to the basics of platforming but puts a spin on it, it is a game that is very similar to the Megaman series, so much so that the developers themselves have stated that the games are very similar, that’s not to take away anything too much from the game though because we see stuff like this all the time. A nice action/platformer with good controls and a lengthy story is exactly what mobile devices need, does Steam Punks make the cut? Read on to find out.
Story
I want to begin by stating that I feel as though the story behind Steam Punks is a very basic yet good, it is both extensive yet small and works on a very fundamental level. You’re an Enforcer named Dunn Calhan who witnesses the theft of a great and powerful invention; The Grand Reactor. Now The Grand Reactor is exactly how it sounds, it’s a device that has many different uses but it’s most needed use is power, much like a normal reactor it generates power and can run cities, machines, anything you’d like, unfortunately the Bowler Gang have stolen it and it is now up to our hero, Dunn, to get it back.
That is basically the story layout for the entire game and, like I said; it’s not ground breaking but it isn’t nothing and it works for exactly what it is. You go around as Dunn Calhan, fighting your way through the bosses, all of which are incredibly powerful members of the Bowler Gang, as you attempt to take back The Grand Reactor and ultimately save the day.
What I enjoyed most about playing through the story of this game wasn’t so much learning why exactly the Bowler Gang stole the Grand Reactor, nor Dunn’s past, what I enjoyed was the locations it takes you to, the people you meet along the way and enemies you have to overcome to eventually save the day. It was pure adventure and it really felt that way, look I did honestly want more out of the story, I hoped that some particular aspects could have been fleshed out more or built upon, but no game can be perfect. Even its story was similar to that of a Megaman story, not in what the story had to tell but the layout of it; it gives you a reason to travel and to fight and, essentially, that’s all you really need.
Gameplay
The way you go about playing the game is the same way you’d play any platforming game and while that may seem annoying to some I pose this question to you; “Why fix what isn’t broken?”, Megaman does it, Castlevania does it, Metal Slug does it, why change it? Mobile devices need a good platforming title and if it’s pure gameplay that you’re looking for I guess you don’t have to look any further.
You run, you shoot, that’s the bulk of it. Much like Megaman you have a health bar and the ability to scale walls by continuously jumping, you begin the game with nothing but a pistol yet the more boss characters you beat, the more weapons you get, in fact, you take their weapons once you beat them. What I enjoyed about taking an enemies weapon wasn’t just the satisfaction of utterly defeating them but it was also going back to other stages with the weapon allows you to break down certain walls and access different areas, it gives you a huge reason to go back and replay levels which ultimately leads to a longer gameplay time.
It is actually a very long game with a great deal of weapons to unlock by defeating bosses, there’s also a lot to see and if you’re good enough at this type of game you’ll be able to see them with no problems whatsoever. It is a difficult game, I’ll say that much, I died many times but I wasn’t too upset because you’re given a fair few checkpoints in every level so you can easily bounce back once you’re killed. There are so many crazily-designed weapons to unlock from mechanical gauntlets to gigantic swords, there’s armour to find an equip and just so many items to unlock that will help you get through the game easier. It has a very extensive set of unlockables for what seems like just another basic platformer, never judge a book by its cover I guess.
Audio and Visuals
Visually this game has its ups and its down, for every great looking piece of scenery or enemy there is a dodgy piece of scenery or enemy, it just seem to goes both ways, luckily it’s easier to focus on the good rather than the bad. A great deal of the enemy characters are very reminiscent of the Megaman games, I know I’ve spoken a great deal about Megaman in this review but when the developers have clearly stated it was their inspiration it’s hard not to.
I have to say though the animation throughout the game was actually done very well, it was fluid in motion and it seemed to have a certain flow about it. Scenery looked beautiful, it would have to be the best aspect of this game visually. Some character and enemy sprites didn’t look to well but for the most part the developers did an incredible job. Colours throughout the game are very earthy which isn’t a bad thing because it represented the Steampunk sub-genre in a very good way. One thing I have to say though is that the dialogue boxes throughout the game were oddly out of place and incredibly hard to read, they were yellow text on sky blue text boxes.
It didn’t fit into the colour scheme in any way and caused a slight visual illusion that put a certain small strain on the eyes, it was nothing too huge but it was entirely noticeable. Characters were designed well, clearly the developers did their research into the Steampunk genre because they represented it very well. While the sound effects were good in this game they didn’t leave much of an impact on me, not when I was quite taken by the music that played throughout the entire game.
Steam Punks has a soundtrack that is made up entirely by chip-tunes, 8-bit sound populated the title and I really couldn’t have thought of any type of music that would have been a better fit. I found myself turning the sound up on multiple occasions despite my public location simply just to hear the music. This would probably have to be my favorite aspect of the game in its entirety and I think because I believe a good soundtrack really does make the game. The sound effects were very traditional, a great deal of “bleeps” and a fair amount of “bloops” which is exactly what you’re looking for in a game that longs to be a retro title.
Overall
Steam Punks is an all around great game, it IS lacking in several different aspects but as I’ve already said; no game can be perfect. It brings Megaman-style platforming to mobile devices in a way that has surprisingly never been done before. The controls are tight, the animation flows and, for the most part, it looks pretty good. If you’re a fan of platformers than I guarantee you’ll love this game, if you’re a fan of the Steampunk genre than you too will enjoy this game, it really is a title open to a wide audience.
The quick way to enjoying Steam Punks is to look over the fact that it has flaws and to just play it for what it is; a brilliant platforming game set in a Steampunk world, any deeper thinking and you will find that you’ll look for reasons not to enjoy yourself. Monster Robot Studios have done a great job in creating and developing this game and I honestly cannot wait to see them hone their talents and their styles and, one day, make a perfect game, for now though we can all enjoy the simple fun that is Steam Punks.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
