Since the last OVA of Oreimo aired in August it’s safe to assume most of you have calmed down, but this latest Dengeki Bunko announcement might just re-excite you again for a little sister otaku based series (or make you more annoyed).
Tsukasa Fushimi, the author behind Oreimo, will be starting a new series called Ero Manga Sensei- Imoto to Akazu no ma which roughly translates to My Little Sister and the Locked Room. The main character is Masamune Izumi; a high school light novel writer who lives with his shut in younger sister. Things start to get interesting for the two of them when Izumi discovers that the illustrator for his LNs, the person behind all the highly perverted drawings, is none other than his own sister Sagiri.
The new LN series will be drawn by Hiro Kanzaki, the illustrator behind Oreimo and will make its appearance on December the 10th. Let us know what you think about this new series, or the Oreimo anime, by leaving a comment down below.
We have one Magic: The Gathering Holiday Gift Box valued at $29.95 and one Theros intro pack valued at $24.95 to give away courtesy of Hasbro. The packs include the following :
The Holiday Gift Box includes:
A storage box that holds more than 2,000 cards
Six illustrated plastic dividers
A sticker sheet for customizing the dividers
Four Theros booster packs
An alternative-art Karametra’s Acolyte from the Theros set
20-card Theros basic land pack
A Theros Intro Pack includes:
A ready-to-play 60-card deck featuring a foil premium card
Check out all images below (click to view in full size)
To win simply leave a comment below answering the following question and we’ll pick two lucky winners for each pack:
What do you love the most about Magic The Gathering?
We’ll pick 2 lucky winners on the 18th of November. Make sure you use a valid email when you register/post your comment so we can email you if you are one of our winners. Also let us know your preference.
If you also want to try out the game print out this special offer below and take it your closest magic store to pick up a free sample pack!
Sony has just released a very interesting and undoubtedly cool video which is an extremely romanticised and epic unboxing of their newest system the PlayStation 4. It serves as both an unboxing video and a pretty sweet and somewhat sneaky marketing ploy. It actually shows everything that comes with a standard purchase of the system which I found to be really cool, we’re getting first hand info straight from the horses mouth in a real funky way.
Anyway, enough out of me, you can catch the PlayStation 4 unboxing video below in our Featured Video Section. The PlayStation 4 is set for release over here in Australia on the 29th of November so if you haven’t pre-ordered it already, now is the time to do so!
2K Games have released a trailer for the NBA 2K14 companion app MyNBA2K14. The app allows NBA 2K14 players to stay in touch with their game at all times through their smartphone devices.
The MyNBA2K14 app compiles stats and leaderboards based upon your progress in NBA 2K14. On top of that there are mini-games to play that can earn you VC (in-game currency) that transfers from MyNBA2K14 over to NBA 2K14.
MyNBA2K14 is available here on the iTunes store for free download. Be sure to check out the trailer for the app below to get a gander at the incredible features available in this wonderful companion app.
PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures Developer:Namco Bandai Publisher:Namco Bandai Platforms: PlayStation 3 (Reviewed), Xbox 360, Wii U, PC, 3DS Release Date: October 29, 2013 Price: $39.99 – Available Here
Overview Pac-Man is arguably one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. Armed with that knowledge, Namco Bandai has tried to keep him relevant for over thirty years. With a popular children’s television show, the pellet-munching, ghost-crunching maze adventurer once again takes the stage in a fight against ghosts, but with a few new faces and powers only fans of the show would know. How does PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures hold up? Is he still the go-to ghost buster or should he have stayed in the past?
Story
Pac-Man and his friends are back in PacWorld, hanging out at the high school when things suddenly go berserk. The mayor bursts in and lets everyone know that Betrayus, the ruler of the Netherworld and all of the ghosts, has launched a full scale invasion of PacWorld. When PacWorld is saved, though, the chase takes to a series of locations that will have the golden gobbler ghost hunting as he chases down Betrayus and seeks to save PacWorld from another devious plot!
Gameplay
Gone are the two-dimensional arcade mazes of the past. PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures puts Pac in a fully realized three-dimensional world that ends up feeling more like an action game like Spyro or Sonic the Hedgehog than anything else.
The basic gameplay puts players in charge of Pac-Man as he runs, jumps, and chomps his way through each obstacle put before him. The basic flow of the game consists of running from point to point, getting as many power pellets as you can (there are usually ~150 or more), and heading for a major piece of fruit. You’ll have to avoid or eat all of the ghosts in your way, though.
When the game starts, Pac-Man has three hearts. After taking a hit from a ghost, he’ll lose a heart. To refill his health, he can snack on cheese or hamburgers. For wolfing down a rare pie, though, you’ll be rewarded with an extra life and full health. When playing through the game, you’ll very rarely ever feel as though your life is in danger. Pac is equipped with plenty of tools for taking on the ghosts, and if all else fails, the world is littered with pick-me-ups to keep him in good health.
Throughout each stage, there are various power-ups. Unlike the Pac-Man your mama and daddy (and maybe you) grew up with, power pellets are no longer in style. In this new PacWorld, the Tree of Life grows “power berries.” These can bestow its consumers with tons of different powers, and Pac-Man utilizes them to the fullest extent. The power-ups in Ghostly Adventures are all based on the level you’re playing, as they’re all tied to maneuvering the levels themselves. This feels mildly restrictive on a per-level basis, but there’s enough variety in the game that you never feel as though it’s unbalanced.
On top of world traversal, Pac can use the power-ups to take out specific enemies. Use the fire ability to take out ice ghosts, the ice ability to freeze ghosts, the chameleon ability to avoid being detected by them at all, the magnetic ability to pull them to you, and much more. At first, it feels pretty odd to see Pac-Man using the sorts of power-ups his competitors would be snagging from mushrooms and gemstones, but it feels pretty cool after a while, giving him so much more to play with than scaring ghosts.
Speaking of scaring ghosts, every form of Pac-Man has two different abilities that can be utilized. Pressing the square button (or ‘X’ on Xbox) usually has him lunging forward, mouth agape to take out a ghost. That can be chained together to clear an area quickly. The alternate attack in each form, though, can be triggered with the triangle button (‘Y’ for Xbox). In his normal form, this scares all the ghosts in the area, making them easier to eat. The same button typically activates whatever special attack you have for the power-up your using.
The world and level design in Ghostly Adventures is solid. You’ll play through several stages in each of the six worlds. Each world offers a fairly unique aesthetic (cityscape, frozen, volcano, etc.) but some of the themes end up getting rehashed. It’s nothing egregious, but it would’ve been nice to have a little more variety instead of reuse.
The levels themselves range everywhere from quick blasts through a few obstacles to longer jaunts through some well thought-out platforming sections, with the bulk of them ranging toward the latter. At first, disappearing and moving platforms can feel awkward as you get your land legs back, but the bulk of your deaths likely will come from missing a jump or ending up off the beaten path and falling to your doom. When you finally reach the end of a stage, a small animation will show a huge piece of fruit pop up. Pac will eat the fruit, belch out the eyes of all the ghosts he’s eaten, and go on his merry way.
Though they’re relatively few and far between, one of the better portions of Ghostly Adventures are its boss battles. Each has a relatively simple pattern that you’ll have to figure out and capitalize on. Even with a simple pattern, things can get hectic, maintaining a sense of challenge without ever feeling unfair. They’re well designed and fun to boot.
There is a multiplayer mode built into the game, but sadly, it feels underwhelming. It puts you and three others (or AI opponents) in the roll of Inky, Pinky, Blinky, and Clyde, as they work through the original maze, gathering power-ups and working to stop Pac-Man. It’s a neat concept that a few friends may have fun with for a few minutes, but the lack of online as well as lack of variety with it means you probably won’t be going back to it very often.
Visuals PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures won’t win any awards for its graphic design, but it’s fun to experience nonetheless. Everything is bright and colorful, giving your eyes a vibrant range of colors to drink in. It all stays true to the aesthetic of the Saturday morning cartoon as well, ensuring that folks who watch the show will feel totally comfortable with the world they’re interacting with.
Audio
The soundtrack is fairly forgettable. It does its job, but it never does so with such gusto that it leaves an impression. The voice acting feels right in line with an animated series, too. As someone who doesn’t watch the show, though, it feels really jarring to hear Pac-Man talk, as the voice behind the character is meant to put him in high school and it sounds much younger than I would’ve anticipated. Perhaps he should have been called Pac-Boy or Pac-Teen.
The sound effects are arguably the strongest design choice in the game. Namco Bandai have smartly kept the sound effects of the original game intact. Eating pellets, getting ghosts, and even dying all have a fantastic sense of nostalgia hooked in to give long-time gamers something to hold onto.
Overall
Overall, PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures is a solid game. Bright visuals and nostalgic sound effects combine with well conceived, varied level design and a slew of unique power-ups to create an experience anyone can enjoy. It doesn’t do anything new or groundbreaking and the story is nothing more than a typical Saturday morning hero show, but fans of the animated series or folks looking for a fun platformer will have a good time with it.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Microsoft have revealed details surrounding the first wave of TV and Entertainment applications for the Xbox One entertainment device. The line-up of apps features both local and international content providers as well as Microsoft’s own creations.
Set to launch on November 22nd are the following apps: Network Ten’s tenplay, SBS ON DEMAND, Quickflix, TED, MUZU TV, Twitch, Crackle and Machinima. Also set to be included are Xbox Fitness, Xbox Video, Xbox Music, Internet Explorer, Skype, SkyDrive and Upload.
The Xbox One console launches in Australia on November 22nd, 2013. In order to take advantage of this superb line-up of apps you must purchase the entertainment console device, so be sure to do that if you’re interested.
Parrot Flower Power: Your personal gardening assistant!
Australia, 11 November 2013: Parrot is bringing the Internet to your garden with Parrot Flower Power, the first smart wireless sensor equipped with Bluetooth Smart technology. Flower Power connects to your Smartphone to help maintain and grow your plants, with a dedicated application developed in collaboration with international scientists.
In a pot or in open ground, Parrot Flower Power monitors and analyses four criteria that are crucial to plant growth: soil moisture, fertiliser, ambient temperature and light intensity.
Rookie gardeners, expert planters or involuntary serial plant killers… Join the ‘eco-geek’ movement!
Available November 2013
Parrot Flower Power: the smart sensor watching over your plants!
Have you ever wanted to grow tomato plants or herbs on your balcony, citrus trees in your backyard or have beautiful flowering potted plants? Designed to resist a variety of difficult climates (rain, heat, frost), Parrot Flower Power is a sensor to be “planted” close to a plant, indoor or outdoor, in a pot or in open ground.
It measures, in real time and with precision, key factors that are crucial for the growth and good health of plants: soil moisture, fertiliser, ambient temperature and light intensity.
You can pair single Parrot Flower Power sensors with individual plants, or several plants to a single sensor. In the case of multiple plants, Parrot Flower Power measures the soil parameters in a perimeter of 5 to 10 cm around it, to help ensure that watering is distributed evenly and that the conditions of soil drainage, sunlight/sunshine and temperature are the same for all plants, like in a window box for example.
Advice on your Smartphone
The data and details of each plant are stored in the flash memory of the Parrot Flower Power for up to eighty days and regularly transferred via Bluetooth Smart to your Smartphone or tablet equipped with the free Flower Power App.
You can then consult the respective data and analysis easily on a single Smartphone or tablet to better maintain your plants and receive alerts when action is needed.
You can easily adjust the watering or the addition of fertiliser, find out if the location of your plants needs to be changed and be alerted to extreme temperatures Parrot Flower Power App: having green fingers is easy…
Parrot Flower Power is accompanied by a free dedicated application, available to download on the AppStore. Very intuitive, it gives access to rich content and precise advice to help maintain your plants.
A botanical encyclopaedia
You can select the plant that needs to monitored from a library of more than 6000 plants, trees and vegetables (2000 species) compiled by a team of French, Dutch and American botanists. Via the app, you can access fact sheets: origin information, photos, maintenance needs and advice.
Lavender, basil, geranium, tomato plant, ficus or olive tree… Parrot Flower Power app knows exactly what plants need!
A garden 2.0
A home screen of the app shows your “garden” the list of all connected Parrot Flower Power sensors as well as the pictures of the associated plants. This allows you to quickly visualise all of your plants and their needs.
An “agenda” lists any tasks to be completed that day and predictions for the coming days (watering, addition of fertiliser etc.).
Follow-up of your plants’ needs
Every 15 minutes, Parrot Flower Power records the data that is important for the growth of the plant (soil moisture, fertiliser, light intensity and ambient temperature) and then sends them to your Smartphone/tablet when close (5 to 25 meters). Available in real time via graphs, this data is transmitted to the ‘Parrot Cloud’ for analysis by algorithms Requires Internet connection.
This analysis enables you to keep track of the condition of your plant and receive updates for any actions that need to be taken.
The data is symbolised by icons, which colour variations for each situation:
· green: no action needed ;
· red: immediate or incomplete action (in this case, an alert is sent to your Smartphone/tablet). A scientific collaboration with universities and specialists of agriculture and horticulture
Parrot works with prestigious universities and laboratories to make agricultural and horticultural advice accessible to everyone.
Tests of thousands of plants have been administered in:
· the laboratories of Wageningen University in the Netherlands ;
· the centre of urban horticulture at Washington university ;
· the greenhouses of Agrocampus Ouest in Angers, France ;
· Topager’s urban vegetable garden located on the roof of AgroParisTech School.
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With Parrot Flower Power you can learn plant care through the advice shared by the app.
Your vegetable, aromatic, herbaceous or ornamental plants will no longer hold any secrets from you!
· Availability: November 2013
· Recommended Retail Price: AU$79.99
· Points of sales: Apple stores, leading DIY, specialist gardening stores & leading department stores (exhaustive list on www.parrot.com/au)
· Available colours: Green, Blue and Brown
The Parrot Flower Power application is now available for free via the AppStore.
Technical data
– Compatible with Bluetooth® Smart ready Smartphones and tablets: iPhone4S, iPhone 5, iPad 3, iPad mini and iPod Touch 5th generation.
– Water resistant (IPX5 and IPX7, ultrasonic welding of plastic parts and use of Macromelt® and polyurethane gaskets)
– Temperature resistant (from – 10°C / 14°F to 55°C / 131°F).
– 6 month battery life (AAA battery included)
– Dimensions: 35 x 70 x 195mm
– Weight: 45.4g
First Wave of TV & Entertainment Apps Coming to Xbox One Unveiled
11 November 2013, SYDNEY AUSTRALIA: Microsoft Australia announced the first wave of entertainment app partners coming to Xbox One in Australia.
The line-up includes a combination of local content providers, international apps and Microsoft created apps, coming to Australia between launch on November 22 and Autumn 2014.
The local apps launching on the platform will be Network Ten’s tenplay, SBS ON DEMAND and Quickflix, with Xbox also confirming availability of a series of global apps available in Australia including TED, MUZU TV, Twitch, Crackle and Machinima.
In addition to the entertainment apps coming from partners, Xbox One will also feature Xbox Fitness, Xbox Video, Xbox Music, Internet Explorer, Skype, SkyDrive and Upload.
Jeremy Hinton, Interactive Entertainment Business Lead, Microsoft Australia said: “Xbox One is designed to be the centre of the living room experience with gaming, television and entertainment. That’s only possible with great content, and we are thrilled to have such a strong line- up of local and international content available at launch in Australia.”
The launch of Network Ten’s tenplay app on Xbox One is part of Ten’s TV Everywhere strategy and represents another step in Ten’s digital evolution. The tenplay app – which is already available on web, mobile, tablets and smart TVs – will provide Xbox One users with access to Ten’s new, best-in-class catch-up video platform and unique live streaming experiences.
Rebekah Horne, Network Ten’s Chief Digital Officer, said: “tenplay has been a hit with consumers since it launched in late September this year and we are delighted to be able to offer Xbox One users the tenplay experience. From November 22, anyone with an Xbox One console will be able to enjoy all their favourite Network Ten shows.”
“All the entertainment apps coming to Xbox One will be integrated into the OneGuide, a personalised experience to view Xbox One content. With the power of Kinect, people will be able to use the improved Kinect sensor to their television experience with the sound of their voice or gesture commands,” said Jeremy.
SBS ON DEMAND, SBS’s dedicated catch-up viewing service, will be completely integrated throughout the Xbox One platform.
SBS Chief Digital Officer, Marshall Heald, said: “Xbox One provides SBS with a great new opportunity to provide our audiences with on demand access to all their favourite SBS shows. Coupled with our recently unveiled 2013-2014 programming line-up that features more thought-provoking, powerful and daring commissioned content than ever before SBS continues to demonstrate its leadership as an innovative multi-platform broadcaster.”
The Quickflix app will provide the latest blockbuster movies and television shows, often fast tracked from the US, direct to the Xbox One.
Stephen Langsford, CEO, Quickflix said: “The Xbox One is a great audience fit for Quickflix content and love the unique elements of the Xbox One, allowing people to multi task, take Skype calls and snap content while experiencing their favourite movie or TV show,”
“The strength of our local entertainment offering shows Microsoft’s dedication to providing Australians with a premium experience at launch, where they will be able to make the most of unique features like HDMI pass through, Skype on the big screen, instant switching through local and international content and all a simple voice command away. These entertainment apps are going to be totally new experiences for Australians when they see how they work with Xbox One,” said Jeremy.
The new generation console launches on November 22 in Australia.
JOIN BEST BUDS MORDECAI AND RIGBY IN THEIR VERY OWN 8-BIT VIDEO GAME ADVENTURE IN REGULAR SHOW: MORDECAI AND RIGBY IN 8-BIT LAND
Video Game is Based on the Emmy® Award-Winning Animated Comedy From Cartoon Network
Sydney Australia – November 11th 2013 – D3Publisher (D3P) and Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) today announced Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land is now available in Australia and New Zealand exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS™ system in its first foray into the video game world. Developed by WayForward, in close collaboration with the show’s creator JG Quintel, Mordecai and Rigby prove that a day in the life of Regular Show is anything but.
In Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land, best buds Mordecai and Rigby get transported into a variety of mysterious video games, where they’ll have to use their best skills and unique abilities to traverse the various challenges to escape and get back home in this brand-new ‘eggscellent’ journey. This hi-jinx filled adventure is packed with action platforming, side-scroller space shooting, old-school top down video game mania, and comes fully loaded with fan-favorite characters and humor from the show.
“With Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land, our sister company, D3Publisher, and WayForward have created an incredibly fun and awesome experience for fans of all ages” said Mathieu Piau, EMEA Marketing Director for NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe. “As the game captures the essence of Cartoon Network’s TV series Regular Show, it will allow players to follow a hilarious story and its characters, created by the very talented JG Quintel”.
Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land is now available in Australia and New Zealand for the Nintendo 3DS™ system.
If you would like a review code for Nintendo Shop for Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land on Nintendo 3DS, please respond to this email.
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About NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S.
NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S., part of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content for platforms including all major video game consoles and PC, with marketing and sales operations in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN™, Tekken™, SOULCALIBUR™, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA™, RIDGE RACER™ and ACE COMBAT™. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.namcobandaigames.eu or www.facebook.com/namcobandaigames.europe.
About Cartoon Network Enterprises
Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) is responsible for building consumer products and merchandising programs for a wide range of brands by securing and supporting long-term licensing partnerships across all categories. As the global branding and merchandising arm of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, the division manages the consumer product programs for the networks’ award-winning original programming, brands and characters including Ben 10, Adventure Time, Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball, The Powerpuff Girls, Adult Swim and more. CNE also serves as the exclusive global licensing agent for LazyTown Entertainment and the PGA of America for the youth marketplace.
Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com) is the #1 U.S. television network among boys 6-11. Currently seen in 99 million U.S. homes and 194 countries around the world, Cartoon Network is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for kids and families. In addition to Emmy-winning original programming and industry-leading digital apps and online games, Cartoon Network embraces key social issues affecting families with solution-oriented initiatives such as Stop Bullying: Speak Up and the Move It Movement.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
About D3Publisher
D3Publisher is a leading worldwide publisher of interactive entertainment software for all platforms, including console and handheld gaming systems, personal computers, smartphones, and tablets. The company also owns development studio Vicious Cycle Software, Inc., and its technology platform, Vicious Engine 2™. For more information about D3Publisher and its products, please visit: www.d3publisher.us.
Some information regarding Attack On Titan: The Last Wings of Mankind’s DLC have been released and it seems as though players will be able to take control of Captain Levi alongside Eren, Mikasa and Armin. It will be called the “Levi Route” and will put you in the shoes of the fearless captain as you play through the same story but from his point of view. Not only that but once you’ve finished his storyline you can then use him within the multi-player mode. he is said to have special weapons and parts that come along with his character and those are also usable. We’ve known all along that Levi would jump in as a playable character in some way or another, he’s crucial to the story and he’s a fan favourite that I couldn’t imagine being left behind, what’s funny is that Spike Chunsoft have also stated that part of his gameplay will involve cleaning in some way. I don’t know about all of you but I’m looking forward to that the most!
– The Only Screenshot From The DLC Released –
Alongside the release of this little snippet of information came the release of another promotional video for the game. I have had my doubts about this game ever since it came out but the extra little bits of gameplay that you can see in the video are, somewhat, warming me up to the game. The footage shows the ability to ride a horse outside of the safe walls as you can jump back and forth fro the horse, killing Titans in between. It has also shown footage of Eren’s Titan transformation so it seems like his Titan form also makes a playable appearance even if it is for a short while. The game is set for release, in Japan, on the 5th of December on the 3DS and there’s still no word of a Western release but for now enjoy the Promo Trailer.
