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Last half of AquaPazza’s partners introduced with ToHeart 2 characters highlighted in trailer

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A few days ago Atlus USA released introduced the first half of the partners that can team up with the various fighters that players can choose to play as in Aquapazza and today the second half has been introduced.

Also released today is a new trailer for the game which introduces us to all of the characters in the game from ToHeart 2. Currently the game is set to be released on November 19th in North America.

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Ulthury
Game: Utawarerumono: Lullaby to the Dying
Weapon: Lightning and wind magic
Background: Ulthury is a princess of Onkami Yamukai. Her beautiful white wings and trim appearance, along with her calmness and kindness, has her known across the land as the”princess of princesses.” Because she is also a maiden to the state religion, she is rarely sent abroad as an envoy; however, she was dispatched to Tuskur as a religious emissary by her own request.

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Camyu
Game: Utawarerumono: Lullaby to the Dying
Weapon: Fire and darkness magic
Background: Camyu is the second princess of Onkami Yamukai and also posseses wings like Ulthuy (though hers are black). Although she is an energetic, affable girl who can quickly make friends with anybody, Camyu had no friends before coming to Tuskur because everyone was in awe of her power and standing. However, since coming along with Ulthury, Camyu has befriended many people and has a close kinship with Hakuowlo.

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Yuma Tonami
Game: ToHeart 2
Weapon: Mountain bike (called “the MTB”)
Background: Yuma is a good-natured girl with a strong competitive streak. She hates to lose and will challenge Takaaki whenever the opportunity arises. Whenever she loses a challenge to Takaaki, she always says her famous catchphrase, “Don’t think you’ve won yet!”. Regardless, she’s actually a kind girl who cares deeply about her friends. Furthermore, she and Manaka have been best friends since middle school and she loves riding to school on her adored mountain bike, the MTB.

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Ma-ryan
Game: ToHeart 2
Weapon: Fireworks
Background: Ma-ryan, last year’s student council president, should have already graduated and moved on to a technical school, but she keeps showing up at her old high school. Even when she was a student there, she would play pranks and cause so much trouble that it caused a rift between her and Sasara (who was student council vice president at the time), though they get along quite well now. It’s very likely that she will continue to cause trouble… You’ve been warned.

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Yuki Morikawa
Game: WHITE ALBUM
Weapon: Ice power
Background: Yuki is a popular young singer with an honest and gentle personality. She spends her days taking singing lessons to prepare for an upcoming music festival. While she’s currently dating a man named Touya, whom she has known since high school, it seems that her busy schedule is putting a strain on their relationship. While she is lonely inside, she has the strength to bear it.

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Rina Ogata
Game: WHITE ALBUM
Weapon: Explosive power
Background: Rina belongs to the same management agency as Yuki, but has been there for longer. She’s a talented idol who has climbed to stardom through hard work, but has sacrificed any time she had to “be herself”. This is exacerbated by the fact that her older brother Eiji, the president of the management agency, has become infatuated with Yuki, completely isolating Rina. Things begin to change when she meets Touya, Yuki’s boyfriend…

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Serika Kurusugawa
Game: ToHeart
Weapon: Traps and magic spells
Background: She is the young and elegant heir to the prestigious Kurusugawa Group… but her love of the occult draws strange looks from other people. Because she seems so absent-minded, no one can tell what she’s truly thinking. Also, it doesn’t help that she has a very quiet voice that almost no one hears.

Sakura Wars: The Movie Review

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Sakura Wars: The Movie
Studio: Production I.G
Publisher: FUNimation
Format: DVD/Blu-ray Combo Pack
Release Date: October 22, 2013
Price: $34.98 – Available Here

Overview
The Sakura Wars franchise is quite the powerhouse as it has received numerous video game adaptations, an anime series, OVA series, a movie, novels, and even stage shows but if you happen to live in the West then you may not know anything about the series except for a couple characters recently appearing in Project X Zone. Despite not reaching such a high level of popularity in North America as it did in Japan, FUNimation has rescued the Sakura Wars movie and have released it on Blu-ray for the first time in the West but was the movie deserving of such a rescue in the first place?

Story
Sakura Wars: The Movie takes place in an alternate world where some modern technology is readily available for use in the 1920s thanks to the advent of steam powered machinery. However the development of steam technology is not the only thing that sets this world apart from our own, there are also demons and monsters that appear and must be defeated with the use of special mechs powered by steam and controlled by pilots with psychic abilities.

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The movie begins with the obtusely named Imperial Assault Force Flower Division performing on a stage as they sing and dance for those in attendance at the theater. After the show wraps up, the girls including the most recognizable member of the cast, Sakura, are relaxing in their dressing room and discussing various things and briefly celebrating a birthday.

After this the girls find that a new member is being added to their team, an American by the name of Lachette Altair. Shortly after she is introduced to the group a number of demons appear and the girls are sent out in their mechs to put a stop to the rampaging demons. It is clear that Lachette doesn’t work well with the group at this time but there is little time to recover as the girls fight another battle only to have two members of the team grievously wounded in battle.

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All the while a mysterious corporation called Douglas-Stewart from America is creating new robots with sinister intentions. As the current face of evil rears its head the girls still standing must do their best to put a stop to the enemy which has managed to capture even the theater the group performs out of.

Sakura Wars: The Movie is interesting in two ways, the first being that for fans of the games who actually are keeping up with the story, it takes place between the second and third game in the series and adds a little bit to the story, but not much, leaving it in a gray area about whether or not those who enjoy the series should worry about picking the movie up.

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The second way being that the movie’s plot is so simplistic that even those who have never heard of Sakura Wars before will probably be able to enjoy it as a throw-away mech movie. It does this by offering little in the way of character introductions outside of providing a name for most of the faces that viewers will see, some very brief world explanation and that is unfortunately it as the movie tends to be fairly predictable from the onset outside of the performances at the beginning and end of the movie.

Visuals
Sakura Wars: The Movie’s Blu-ray transition speaks volumes to how impressive older anime can look on the new format compared to their DVD counterpart. Being the first time that Sakura Wars: The Movie is on Blu-ray, the film has seen a rather drastic upgrade overall aesthetic with colors a bit more vibrant and less grain compared to the DVD version which suffers from age.

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It is worth noting that the movie has aged since it was made, with many of the character animations appearing stiff and the CGI elements looking rather bland, but they are still nicely blended together with some highly detailed background scenery which looks great on the Blu-ray version of the movie.

Audio
For those wondering, Sakura Wars: The Movie is being released with the original English dub that was created when the movie was originally released in North America back in 2003. This means that for those who have seen the original DVD, the numerous painful sounding moments of English dialogue are also retained in this release, meaning that it might be better to listen to the Japanese voice track instead since the performance songs remain in Japanese regardless of the language track.

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As for the movie’s ssoundtrack, for the most part the background music is rather simplistic and very forgetful but it is worth noting that the opening and ending songs sung by the Japanese cast and danced to by the characters are absolutely wonderful to listen to.

Extras
As far as the bonus features for Sakura Wars: The Movie go, for the most part they are standard fare with the original Japanese promotional videos and trailers for both the US release of the movie and other FUNimation products. This is then accompanied by a video interview from 2012 which lasts for over twenty two minutes long and features various questions being answered by the creators of the film.

Overall
Sakura Wars: The Movie may have seen a rather significant visual improvement over its DVD counterpart released many years ago, but for the most part it still languishes in mediocrity thanks in part to some terrible dubwork. Newcomers will either be lost and simply enjoy the movie for what it is or be intrigued enough to check out the full series while fans of Sakura Wars will find very little additional story here.

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Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

How I Met Your Mother – The Complete Season 8 on DVD November 6

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“It’s going to be legend – wait for it – dary!” They made me type that… I’m sorry. Who’s they? I have no idea. Anyway, the eighth season of the Emmy-award winning series How I Met Your Mother will be available on DVD November 6 from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Get your yellow umbrella ready.

Starring Josh Radnor (Liberal Arts), Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Cobie Smulders (The Avengers), Neil Patrick Harris (The Smurfs) and Alyson Hannigan (American Pie), How I Met Your Mother – Season 8 finally revealed to fans the elusive ‘Mother’, with further developments in Barney’s courtship of Robin, Marshall and Lily’s new lives as parents and more.

For a RRP of $44.95, all 23 hilarious episodes – featuring guest stars like Paul Shaffer, Ralph Macchio and Kyle MacLachlan – are included in the 3 disc set, which is also packed with special features that take you behind-the-scenes of the show. The full list of extras can be seen below.

DVD Special Features:

  • Deleted scenes
  • Audio commentary on Farhampton and The Final Page
  • PS I Love You Music Video
  • The Making of PS I Love You
  • Where We Make You Mother: Set Tour with Josh Radnor
  • Gag reel

Two New Wii U Console Offers for Australia and New Zealand

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Just in time for Christmas, Nintendo have announced that they will be launching two new Wii U Console bundles for Australian and New Zealand based gamers. The bundles will feature Just Dance 2014 or Skylanders Swap Force

Those who purchase a Wii U Basic Bundle from November 14th onwards will receive a free copy of Just Dance 2014 Additional Set. All up this means that your Basic Bundle (RRP: $349.95) will include:

  • Wii U Basic Console
  • Just Dance 2014 game disc
  • NintendoLand game disc
  • Wii Remote Plus (white)
  • Sensor Bar

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Alternatively, staring on November 21st, gamers will be able to pick up the Wii U Basic Skylanders Swap Force Bundle. For the same RRP of $349.94, players will get:

  • Wii U Basic Console
  • NintendoLand game disc
  • Skylanders Swap Force game disc
  • Three Skylanders figures, including TWO Swap-Force figures (in an exclusive Wii U only colour).
  • Portal of Power
  • Skylanders Collector’s poster.

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Each of these bundles will look great sitting under a loved one’s tree at Christmas time, and both arrive just in time for the highly anticipated Super Mario 3D World (out November 30th), so if you don’t have a Wii U yet, then this will probably be your best way to grab one. Remember that for all the Wii U news as it becomes available, be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers.

New Trick or Treat Trailer for Dead Rising 3

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“Trick or treat?” A fair few people will be hearing those infamous words tonight as kids knock on their doors asking for lollies, chocolates and whatever else they can get. While we don’t celebrate Halloween too much here in Australia, that hasn’t stopped Capcom from answering their door with a smile on their face and pouring a brand new Dead Rising 3 trailer into our goodie bag.

In the new Halloween inspired trailer, we get to see some of the various insane weapons and costume options that players will be able to get their hands on when the game launches on November 22nd. Check out the trailer below, and get excited for Dead Rising 3 exclusively on Xbox One in just three short weeks. We recently did an interview with the game’s producer Mike Jones, so check that out here, and remember that for all the Dead Rising news as it becomes available, stay tuned to Capsule Computers.

Angry Birds Star Wars Hits Consoles and is Coming to Xbox One and PS4

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Chewbacca has his turn at revenge in the depths of the Death Star.

Rovio Entertainment and Activision Publishing have launched the popular mobile game, Angry Birds Star Wars on Xbox360, PS3, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, Wii U and PS Vita, and confirmed that Angry Birds Star Wars will be a launch title for Xbox One and PS4.

Jami Laes, Executive Vice President of Games at Rovio Entertainment declared, “Angry Birds Star Wars brings together fans from multiple generations and across two widely loved fictional worlds. The success of Angry Birds Star Wars is a testament to the versatility of these iconic franchises. As a company we want to be where-ever the fans are, so we are thrilled to be partnering with Activision to bring this one-of-a-kind experience to console and handheld gaming fans.”

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Obi-Wan Kenobi uses the force to take aim at Pig Troopers.

Angry Birds Star Wars takes players on a captivating adventure across the galaxy, with inventive challenges and tantalising force powers; focusing on the astronomical struggle between the ragged Rebel Birds and treacherous Imperial Pigs. The action-strategy game will feature:

  • Sharp and Colourful HD visuals
  • Over 200 stages + 20 exclusive levels
  • Co-op and Competitive Multiplayer modes
  • Achievements, Trophies and Leaderboards
  • Touch-Screen Controls on Nintendo 3DS
  • Automatic video capture and online sharing with Xbox One and PS4
  • PS4 applies DualShock 4 controller’s touchpad to offer precision and touch-screen handling
  • Xbox One offers timed challenges and voice command support and intuitive gesture controls through Kinect
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Luke Skywalker trusts his instincts to keep his lead in 4-player competitive mode.

Angry Birds Star Wars is currently available for a retail price of $49.99 for Wii U, $39.99 for Xbox 360, PS3, PS Vita and Wii and $29.99 for Nintendo 3DS. The PS4, Xbox One versions will be available for each console’s respective launch in November, both priced at $49.99.

Sentai Filmworks Licenses Log Horizon For North America

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It was only announced yesterday that the North American Anime Distributor Sentai Filmworks picked up the license for this seasons new fantasy Anime Log HorizonThe Anime has quickly climbed to the top of this season’s ladder with fans absolutely loving the animation as well as the story and characters.It seems like Sentai Filmworks has picked up another good title that is sure to get plenty of sales.

The story follows an event wherein which people playing a video game called “Elder Tale” are sucked into the world of the game. They become their characters and now that the video game is reality, death in the game means death in real life. The three friends Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Akasuki must now play to win and, most of all, play to survive.

They plan on giving Log Horizon a home video release sometime in 2014 with no specific date attached to the release which is normal considering it was just picked up. Keep an eye out on the sight for any and all news to be released in the coming months and head down to our comments section below to let us know what you think about this acquisition. 

Paradox Interactive Title Update Mashup

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Paradox Interactive opened the flood gates and let the waters of gaming knowledge rush forth today. They gave up a little information regarding five titles coming up or having content worked on for them. The breakdown can be found below:

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Empire building strategy game Europa Universalis IV, developed by Paradox Development Studio, was initially released in August and they’re just getting start on it. A big announcement will be coming next week! In the meantime, you can visit the official website here.

 

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The newest DLC for Crusader Kings II, entitled “Sons of Abraham,” has just been announced. It brings Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to the forefront with papal elections, religions favors, and more! It’s scheduled to launch November 18! You can read more about it here.

 

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War of the Vikings, the upcoming multiplayer close-quarters game, has entered Early Access on Steam. The Huntsman update was just recently added, granting hunting bows and the mighty Dane Axe to warriors thirsty for blood. Tomorrow, the eerie, foreboding map Sanctuary will be released and will only be playable on Halloween! More major updates are coming up soon too! Read more about it here.

 

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If you’re going to go to war, there’s no better way than with the powers of mystery and the elements at your side, but you’re going to need practice! Magicka: Wizard Wars is available on Steam’s Early Access right now and take on other wizards and get that needed practice! You can check out their official website here.

 

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Recently announced, Warlock II: The Exiled is set to be released in Spring 2014. Sequel to the turn-based fantasy wargame Warlock: Master of the Arcane, it will grant you the power to  build vast armies to conquer cities while you research the next spell to crush your opponents!

Gaijin Games Releases BIT.TRIP RUN! For iOS On Halloween

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Happy Halloween, everybody! As a little present to you, the team over at Gaijin Games has decided that they will be releasing their game BIT.TRIP RUN for all iOS devices today! BIT.TRIP RUN is the iOS version of the fantastic “endless-runner” game Bit.Trip Runner 2. It features the same art style and sense of humour as well as the way it is played but it’s not just a simple port onto Smartphones, no, it has been tweaked and changed to be a perfect fit on any Apple Smartphone or Tablet so you can play this awesome game on the go whilst also feeling comfortable. If you look closely you may also be able to spot a spooky creature that’s going to be hanging around for Halloween!

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 BIT.TRIP RUN will be sporting updated features like 3 new worlds, 30 levels, more than 12 brand-new challenges and 15 retro challenges, 40 unlock-able costumes and 3 action-packed boss battles. There are also plans for an update to the game which will include features like: 2 more worlds, 20 more levels, 8 more challenges, 10 more retro levels and an extra 2 boss battles. There’s plenty for you to do in this game that will keep you occupied for hours and hours on end. The game is out now and will retail for $3.99 so head over to the iTunes App Store now to grab your copy!

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Hits 1.5 Million Players

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Square Enix hit another massive milestone today with their latest foray into the MMO market, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. It has been just 2 months since the release of FFXIV and as of today it has reached 1.5 million registered players across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, North America, and Europe.

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In a little over a month the first large content patch will be ready to launch and players will finally be able to compete in PvP Arenas as well as delve into new dungeons packed with fearsome creatures and epic loot. When you’re done risking your life for the day though, what better way to kick back than to return to your own personal house, have a sleep, and ponder how to spend all of your hard earned money. Just another exciting, upcoming feature to look forward to while you wait for the hugely anticipated beta release on the next-gen PS4 system in February 2014.

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For more information on this huge game with it’s gigantic worlds and hours of playability, check out our hands on preview, or for our thoughts on how the game plays on the PS3, head on over to our review and be a part of the next big subscriber milestone.