Despite the popularity of Hyperdimension Neptunia in the West, many people thought that despite NIS America‘s track record of bringing everything Neptunia related, including an iOS app for the game, that a game where players manage the girls as idols called Hyperdimension Idol Neptunia PP would never be released in the West.
Thankfully that won’t be the case as today NIS America has announced that they are picking up Hyperdimension Neptunia PP as they are calling it and are planning on releasing the game in North America and Europe both physically and digitally sometime in 2014. For those who don’t know, the game involves training Noire, Blanc, Vert, and Neptune as they train to be idols. Various gameplay footage of the game can be found here.
As you may already know, Nintendo is working on bringing Square Enix‘s Bravely Default: Flying Fairy to Western audiences and today Nintendo in the land of Australia has unveiled that the region is going to be given a special Bravely Default Deluxe Collector’s Edition.
No price has been revealed as of yet but the Bravely Default Deluxe Collector’s Edition comes with the game itself, an Agnès Figurine, a deluxe artbook, 34 AR cards, and a soundtrack CD.
This version will be available for purchase alongside the normal version of the game when it is released in Australia and New Zealand on December 7th. It is also worth noting that anyone who pre-orders the game from EB Games will also receive a smaller artbook regardless of which version they choose to pre-order.
It is a week from Halloween today and what better way to start getting hyped for the spooky event than to release some creepy looking screenshots and concept art for an upcoming survival horror game? Well that is exactly what Bethesda has done as today they released three new images for The Evil Within which can be seen both above and below.
The first image features a guy named Boxman who will be one of the many horrific creatures that the player will run into in the game while a look at the Butcher has also been provided. Currently The Evil Within is set to be released sometime in 2014 on the PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
“Bad” Grandpa is an understatement… Irving Zisman may just be the worst grandfather in history! A terrible influence that should not be allowed guardianship of any kind. But, by God does he use his grandson to produce some hilarious situations.
Paramount Pictures Australia is bringing the Johnny Knoxville created character to the big screen with Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, releasing nationwide on November 14. And the newest individual clip released highlights one of the more riotous scenes shown in the original trailer – the ‘Beauty Pageant’. Watch the clip embedded below to see the parents of these poor children traumatised… serves them right for exploiting their kids. And for the adults who aren’t afraid of swearing and, of note, an elderly man with his ‘member’ stuck in a vending machine, then check out the Redband trailer too.
Deep Silver has recently released the latest DLC for one of the most insane games of the generation, Saints Row IV. This latest DLC mission pack called Enter the Dominatrix was deemed even too crazy for Saints Row, and that’s saying something. Interestingly, Enter the Dominatrix was originally teased back in 2012 as an expansion to the previous Saints Row title but was continually delayed. Elements of the expansion found their home in Saints Row IV and will now be fully playable by all in this DLC pack.
The mission pack will feature an alternate story set in an alternative Zin Invasion storyline where The Saints are trapped in a simulation run by an AI program known as the Dominatrix. Check out the trailer below for what you can expect from this newest DLC. Please be warned the video containts some sexually explicit content and is not appropiate for young children. You can download the expansion for Saints Row IV now on PSN, Xbox Live or Steam for $6.99 or for free if you have purchased the Season Pass.
Overview
Hideyuki Kikuchi and his Vampire Hunter D series have been around nearly three decades. The series has seen animated films, audio dramas, video games, and more. The question remains, though: How does mangaka Saiko Takaki’s take of the worlds best vampire hunter hold up? How well does the first volume in the series do?
Story
The world of Vampire Hunter D is one far removed from anything we’ve ever known. The world’s great powers took aim at one another and destroyed earth as we know it with nuclear war. Radiation and cosmic rays then turned many beings into mutants, throwing mankind back into the dark ages. Out of the darkness, a power vacuum was created. Vampires known as the nobility rose to seize power, and they held onto it tightly for nearly 5,000 years. That’s when other beings, spawned by radiation and more cosmic rays, began to make themselves known. With great strength, agility, and wisdom, they alone could withstand the nobility. They came to be known as “Vampire Hunters.”
When we’re first introduced to our hero, he’s alone on a road. As he’s traveling, he encounters a beautiful young woman who attacks him with a whip. When she realizes that he is no mere bandit, but is actually a vampire hunter, she begs to enlist his help in exchange for food and a place to sleep. Then she reveals two deep puncture wounds on her neck – the “kiss of the nobility.” Upon seeing the bite marks, he agrees to enter her employ. She then introduces herself as Doris Lang.
After an encounter with Larmica, Count Magnus Lee’s daughter, on the ranch, the true nature of the plot is revealed. Count Magnus considers Doris to be the most beautiful girl in the land and wishes to take her for his bride. Through happenstance, Doris and D are soon separated. We’re also introduced to a local gang known the Fiend Corp who quickly form a vendetta when Doris is kept from their clutches by D.
Through the various encounters D has in the first entry in the series, we’re shown not only how masterful he is with swordplay, but also his deep knowledge of the lore in the world around him. It’s also easy to see that, much like an ace fighter pilot, D stays cool as ice in virtually every situation. Whether he’s fighting bandits with stolen magic, vampires, werewolves, or other mystical creatures, he’s the man you’ll want for the job.
Vampire Hunter D, Volume 1 does a fine job establishing the players and all of their motivations. While D and Doris are clearly the focal points of the story, the effort was clearly put in to develop several secondary characters. That helps give more weight to the decisions they make that help drive the plot. The story also keeps the pace moving at a solid clip and the setting and plot really draw you into the world.
If I had to levy an argument against the story, it would have to be a lack of driving force for the next entry in the series. With a few very minor exceptions, every story arc was closed with a satisfying conclusion. That creates a satisfying read for a single manga, but leaves little tension to build up for any future entries in the series. Fortunately, Volume 1 closes with D’s air of mystery intact. I’ll be quite interested to see what he encounters in future volumes.
Artwork
The artwork in Volume 1 feels a bit broken in terms of pace. It’s clear that illustrator Saiko Takaki was trying to find her footing with the first bit of the manga. Faces often feel as though they’re sometimes a bit warped. Doris, in particular, can feel somewhat off-putting, especially in the first few pages. She’s referred to as one of the most beautiful ladies around, but it feels as though there’s something repulsive about her facial features. Several of the action scenes feel as though their significance is hampered by an overabundance of of action maneuvers and objects in the scenes.
Fortunately, about a quarter of the way through the manga, Ms. Takaki seems to find her pace. Action scenes feel more fluid and less bogged down. Characters seem to maintain a pleasantly consistent style about them as well. Future installments promise to be enjoyable to take in from an aesthetic viewpoint.
Extra Content
In terms of extra content for Vampire Hunter D, Volume 1, there is very little to keep yourself amused with. The afterword Ms. Takaki put in provided some fantastic insight into her feelings as she worked on Volume 1 – the stress she went through to get her pacing, the anguish of unsurety, and her trip to Los Angeles all provide something to help us understand where she’s coming from and what she endured to deliver the manga to readers everywhere.
Overall
Overall, Vampire Hunter D, Volume 1 provided a solid first showing . Though the art started off a little rough, it quickly picked up. A good story with great pacing and excellent character development also helped drive the story. After having read the first volume, the series promises to deliver an exciting story with excellent narrative and entertaining artwork.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
At the EB Games Expo 2013, artist Garry Donnellan was stationed outside the Ubisoft Australia booth, busy at work on a huge canvas painting of Edward Kenway from Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
Made for the purpose of auctioning off – with all proceeds going to the Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia – the artwork came to life over the 3-day period. And now, with the show behind us and the masterpiece complete, the auction is live on Ebay.
The auction will run until 8pm on Tuesday, October 29 – Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag‘s recently pushed forward launch date – with the current bid already surpassing a grand! Check out the bidding here.
A time lapse video which shows the painting being created at the EB Expo can also be seen below embedded below.
Corsair detailed some of the changes for their refreshed line of Raptor and Vengeance headsets in their blog. The crown jewel in Corsair‘s new line of headsets is the Vengeance 2100. It is a USB wireless headset with Dolby 7.1 virtual surround sound. Compared to the previous Vengeance 2000, the joints have been improved for greater durability. The Vengeance 1500 is the USB wired version of its more expensive sibling. The drivers have been upgraded to better sounding 50mm drivers, the in line controls have been slimmed down, and the design of the joints have been improved for greater durability. The Corsair Vengeance 1400 is the analog version of the Vengeance 1500 which will allow gamers to use their own soundcard.
The Raptor line of headsets also received a refresh this year. They are Corsair’s line of budget gaming headsets. The Raptor line of closed headsets have 40mm drivers and have had their physical design updated. The Corsair Raptor HS40 is the USB version that includes virtual 7.1 surround sound. The slightly cheaper HS30 model sports the same internals but only accepts an analog signal.
First announced back in August, the new headsets will be available at retailers everywhere very soon.
Here we are, a month away from the next console generation beginning with Xbox One and PS4 going head to head leading into the holiday period, and to get you excited, Sony have released a brand new trailer that showcases just why you need to own a PS4. The video runs through some of the reviews and comments that the console has gotten, as well as showing off the impressive lineup of titles that will be available around launch, including Infamous: Second Son and Killzone Shadow Fall (you can check out more Killzone footage here).
Check out the video below, and let us know in the comments which of the two consoles (if any) you plan on picking up. As we get closer to the launch of the PS4 it will be an exciting time for gaming, so to make sure you get all the Sony news as it becomes available, be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers.
Mobile game developer Ayopa Games have just released their incredible fun, incredibly addictive, Grave Mania 2: Pandemic Pandemonium for all Android (Google Play) devices. Grave Mania 2 boasts hours of endless fun while also adding to the time management genre of gaming. Not only does it have the basic layout of such a game but it also adds in a tonne of mini-games like “Match-3” and “Connect The Pipes” that will keep you glued t the screen for ages! Coming off of the incredibly popular title that came before it, Grave Mania 2 has a lot more to offer and fans of the original game will definitely enjoy this one because of it’s gameplay upgrades and all around awesome style.
The game is set up for any Android devices (Google Play), right now it is being sold for $1.99 which is actually the sale price, the regular price being $2.99, so get it know while it’s on sale. Click here to head to the game’s Google Play page where you can purchase it now. Not only do we have a few pictures in our gallery for you all to look at, we also have a brand new trailer for the game that was just released so head down below to check it out and let us know what you think in the comments section just under that.
Despite the popularity of Hyperdimension Neptunia in the West, many people thought that despite NIS America‘s track record of bringing everything Neptunia related, including an iOS app for the game, that a game where players manage the girls as idols called Hyperdimension Idol Neptunia PP would never be released in the West.
