For the first time ever in the series’ history, Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl will have a definitive story mode. But die hard fans won’t have to worry too much as there is still a certain mode for those who like the freedom of the main Etrian Odyssey games.
This gameplay mode is the Classic Mode which offers players the first Etrian Odyssey title with only the main upgrades to the game, sans story mode. To show off the Classic Mode Atlus USA has released a new trailer for the game which can be seen below. As for the game itself, it is set to be released on October 1st.
As we learned during their announcement at Otakon last month, Viz Media is planning on releasing Ranma 1/2 on Blu-ray and DVD starting early 2014. What wasn’t revealed at that time is the fact that the company is planning on republishing the Ranma 1/2 manga series from beginning to end in a 2-in-1 omnibus format that will be read right to left for the first time ever. The manga releases will also begin in 2014.
Those who can’t wait a few months to see some Ranma 1/2 will be delighted to hear that the company has placed the first four episodes of the series on Huluand on VizAnime‘s streaming service. These episodes are subtitle only at the moment but they are planning on streaming the English version of the series on Neon Alley sometime this fall.
Overview
As all of the fans know, the Marvel Universe is split into many sectors, with several storyline arcs running at once featuring Stan Lee’s vivid creations. The “Ultimate” line changed a lot of the personalities we were used to when it was introduced well over a decade ago, but the Marvel faithful took to the series quickly – giving a brand new life to the brand as a whole. Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk may be the most prestigious of the lot, featuring writing from LOST co-creator Damon Lindelof, and with art by Leinil Francis Yu. The six issue mini-series has now been re-created in motion comic form through Marvel Knights, but does voice acting, a bit of animation, and a fancy case do justice to the original? Let’s find out.
Story
Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk starts out with Logan being ripped into two halves by the green monster – which as you could imagine is an impressive way to start off any narrative. Of course that is just the beginning of this feature, as the entire plot has been treated much like the original mini-series and is broken up into six different episodes. This is also a slightly grittier tale than what we have seen from Marvel Knights, as the plot involves Nick Fury enlisting a very angry Wolverine into killing The Hulk, which is nearly a suicide mission in itself.
Instead of a linear story, each episode builds upon the next and even though an entire episode (or issue, if you will) clocks in at less than 10 minutes, there is still a very satisfying feeling as the credits roll each time. A good portion of the first few shorts take the viewer from the present to past on multiple occasions, slowly creating a build-up for the big showdown. I for one am not a big fan of flashbacks as I feel like they can be a scapegoat for stronger writing. Thankfully, that is not the case here as there are so many flashbacks to for the viewer to piece together that it actually paints more of a vivid picture of the animosity and genuine humanity of Logan, Bruce Banner, and all of the other characters involved. One point you will be watching a legless Wolverine climb up a mountain, while at another Betty Ross will be going through her own emotions – dealing with the love of her life being put in the cross-hairs of a nearly unstoppable mutant.
The writing never gets weak, as there truly is no filler to be found. Sure, there are moments where the action takes a break and we get some quick laughs (such as one scene where Wolverine finds his spirit animal), but the humor is clever and on point, only complimenting three stories that run parallel until not one, but several explosive encounters take place during the final two episodes. When it comes to the story, there is really is nothing to complain about unless you want to go into the fine details of loopholes, but why bother with that when the final product is simply a joy to watch? Now, if I had to mention any negative, it would be that the “Play All” function plays every episode, but has the viewer sit through the opening and closing credits on six different occasions, which can kind of kill some of the momentum and flow of the series due to the cliffhangers that each leave off on. That however is just a small nitpick to be honest though, as a quick fast-forward alleviates that problem.
Visuals
Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk rips its art straight from the pages of the real deal, but as you would expect, this motion comic adds a bit more life with subtle animations. Well, “subtle” in this feature’s case might not be the best term to use, as the animation was done with great attention to detail, highlighting small movements, facial emotions, and even background fauna in order to set the appropriate atmosphere for the viewer – as well to tell the intended story. If you have seen Marvel Knights’ other works on DVD before, this won’t come off as a surprise, but it is still a welcome sight to see considering the lower price of the DVD.
Leinil Francis Yu deserves most of the credit for the quality put into Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk. Each character’s features are very detailed and the shading dark tones and shading blend perfectly with the raw tale at hand to really capture the viewer throughout each episode. Sure, this is no Oscar winning animated motion picture, but there was still a need for Wolverine and Banner to be portrayed in this darker perspective due to two lives being on the line and thanks to the added lines, wrinkles, sweat, and blood, we really get to see this story come together in one fantastic format.
Audio
Sound wise, the quality is just as good as the animation and art style that drives these six episodes – with clear, fitting music that captures the current scene and changes appropriately to offer something more than rock for the more exciting moments. The voice acting itself was also well done, as Bruce Banner comes across as a man who is completely torn, Logan – a lovable raspy voiced asshole with a conscience, and Betty, who is portrayed with a ton of emotion and quick wit during her decent amount of dialogue. The other voice actors do a fine job as well, but I think what makes this cast sound great is the fact that they took their work seriously. This is an adaptation from a comic book, and even though the plot is over-the-top and wild, the actors seemed to have put a great deal of effort and time into capturing their roles, which makes this motion-comic feel like so much more.
Extras
In terms of actual DVD extras, don’t go into this expecting to see a lot. There is a nice little featurette that has Yu and a producer speaking about the origin of this series which is rather interesting, but that is it. No bells or whistles, just the movie and a quick retrospective of sorts. For a DVD priced under $15 however, that isn’t too much of a disappointment. The packaging itself was made collectors, as the DVD is housed in a comic book styled case that is plastered with that beautiful art from top to bottom, and that alone makes it worth owning for the hardcore Marvel fans out there needing some new love on their shelves. Even though the material is cardboard, and plastic interior lining keeps your disc safe in its well crafted home as well, which is yet another plus.
Overall
Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk has made a fantastic transition to the motion-comic world thanks to this Marvel Knights installment, with a fantastic presentation inside and out. The story told in a different way, but that format proves effective as each episode is guaranteed to leave the viewer in their seat until the final set of credits roll. The voice acting and artwork blend together to near perfection, and as someone who enjoys but is not a die-hard fan of the two anti-heroes at large here, I must say I was rather impressed with how much fun I had watching this collision occur. Marvel fans, this one is a no-brainer. To everyone else who is looking for something light, entertaining, and well executed at a low entry price – this is one hour of action that is worth every penny.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
We have some great news Fairy Tail fans. While fans of the series are currently waiting for the next set of Fairy Tail series releases after Part 5 and 6 were released, our reviews of which can be found here and here respectively, FUNimation has announced the release date of the first Fairy Tail movie, Fairy Tail: The Phoenix Priestess.
The company is planning on releasing Fairy Tail: The Phoenix Priestess on December 10th in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack that will sell for $34.98. Currently it appears that the only special features planned to be included in the release are a clean version of the opening and ending songs as well as a movie prologue called “The First Morning.”
Earlier this year, Madman had to delay the Blu Ray release date for the first part of Cowboy Bebop; it looks like history is repeating itself as it has happened again only this time to the second half of the collection and in another country.
The Glasgow based company Anime Limited planned to release part 2 of the popular series on Blu-Ray on the 23rd of September, but have made an announcement on their Facebook page that the release date will now be in October. The post was made stating a video capture glitch was found and the release dates had to be moved back in order to fix the problem.
The company will also be releasing a complete collection of Cowboy Bebop on DVD alongside the part 2 Blu-Ray. While this set back is an inconvenience, UK fans will only have to wait a little while longer to get this great anime in their hands.
For the first time ever, Kokonoe will be playing a bigger role in the Blazblue series outside of a story character. It has been revealed by Famitsu that Kokonoe will be a playable character in Blazblue: Chronophantasma if you feel like dropping a bit of extra cash on her.
While no price was announced for her at this time, a few screenshots of Kokonoe in action were released and can be seen below. She is described as a fast fighter who uses various tools and mechs in battle. Currently Blazblue: Chronophantasma is set for release in Japan on October 24th while Aksys Gamesis planning an English release sometime early in 2014.
As we already know, Nippon Ichi Software is currently working on bringing an enhanced version of Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten to the PlayStation Vita and while we know when the game will be released in Japan, January 30, 2014, we have yet to see how the game will look on the Vita.
Well today the company has released the game’s first trailer and in it we see… nothing. Considering this isn’t the first Disgaea title to be released on the Vita, we likely will see Disgaea 4 Return featuring all of the DLC for its console counterpart and extra storylines included in the release. Anyways, at the moment there is no word about NIS America localizing Disgaea 4 Return but it may as well be a forgone conclusion at this point.
20 years on from the release of the original Superfrog for the Amiga, Team 17 are reinventing one of their first ever games for PC, Mac and Linux. Their new 2D platformer, Superfrog HD, is making its return with sleek, updated graphics and new life breathed into a classic game. Otherwise famous for the squeaky bloodfest known as the Worms series, Team 17 have a tremendous track record of producing fun, quirky games across multiple platforms.
This version comes just a little bit after the PSN release of the title, and now when it is released on the PC, Superfrog HD will be available to purchase for £6.99 in the UK, €8.99 in Europe, and $9.99 in the USA.
Compile Heart has posted the latest trailer for upcoming RPG Fairy Fencer F, showcasing the main character Fang as he chats with fellow companions, unleashes some outrageous combos and bathes with Shalman. Some friendly bromance can never hurt, right?
More importantly we get a better look at the game’s user interface and the effects of the Fencer weapons with their ability to transform the player, dishing out some heavy damage in the process.
Fairy Fencer F is the first of Compile Heart’s new Galapagos brand of RPG games catered for Japanese gamers. The PlayStation 3 exclusive is landing on October 10 in Japan, with no word yet of an overseas release. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the game’s opening movie that was revealed last week.
The Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu just revealed that there will be an upcoming, free-to-play SoulCalibur game coming to the PlayStation3. The game is titled SoulCalibur: Lost Swords and it will be published by Namco Bandai. The only playable characters that have been announced for the game are Siegfried and Mitsurugi who are, pretty much, a given for any Soul Calibur game.
There are actually no specifics regarding in-game purchases or any other ways the game intends to make money, we can assume though that like Tekken Revolution and Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation, there will be a limit to how long you can play for, you may possibly have to pay for more “energy” so that you can continue playing, it is so far unknown. Even the release date is vague; Namco Bandai have just stated that it is planned for release later this year. Hopefully there’s going to be a great deal of information and news released within the coming months so keep your eyes on the site for that.
We have some great news 
