With only a little over a month remaining until Pokemon X and Pokemon Y for Nintendo 3DS hit store shelves across the globe, Nintendo released a special Pokemon-centred Nintendo Direct Presentation. This presentation gave us a few bits of information about the upcoming games, as well as some of the online-connectivity features that will be available.
A large part of the presentation was the announcement of Pokemon Bank. Pokemon Bank is an online system where players can store their Pokemon. The service can be seen as the next iteration of mass-storage options, after Pokemon Box and My Pokemon Ranch. The system, which will be accessible through a downloadable app on the 3DS will allow players to store 3000 Pokemon for convenient storage and quick searching.
The system is designed to be compatible with Pokemon X and Pokemon Y, but will also be used for future titles. According to Nintendo, all future Pokemon games will be able to tap into this system, which means you can send your Froakie you got at the beginning of your X or Y adventure, and keep it all the way through until the 7th, or even 8th generation of Pokemon games.
In addition to making allowances for future games, Pokemon Bank is also backwards compatible with Pokemon Black, Pokemon White, Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2 through another app called the Poke Transporter. The Poke Transporter will allow players to send their Black/White/Black2/White2 Pokemon to their Pokemon Bank, where they can be accessed and sent to X or Y. Although no official pricing has been announced, Satoru Iwata, CEO of Nintendo stated that the service will require an annual fee.
Moving back to the games themselves, we discovered today that in a deviation from what normally happens in Pokemon, it will not be the region’s professor who gives you your first partner. Instead, your partner Pokemon will be gifted to you by a close friend. The professor will show up later in the game, and give players a choice between three additional Pokemon; The Kanto starters; Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle.
MegaVenusaur, MegaCharizard and MegaBlastoise
To end the presentation on a high note, and to get fans even more excited for the game, we were shown that the original three starters will be able to undergo Mega-Evolution. MegaVenusaur, MegaCharizard and MegaBlastoise were all shown, and they look pretty badass. We also learned that Mega-Evolution will be controlled by a key item known as the Mega Ring. When the player’s Mega Ring interacts with the Pokemon’s Mega Stone, then Mega-Evolution will take place.
That was a lot of information in such a short time, and for this reporter anyway, Nintendo have done their job. I am even more excited for Pokemon X and Pokemon Y when they launch next month; October 12th. Did you check out the presentation? What do you think about MegaCharizard? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Pokemon news as it becomes available.
OnNet Europe released Sky 72 today, a new course for their golf simulation, Shot Online; inspired by the real golf course in Korea.
Production Director from OnNet Europe, Kyeong Youn stated “In Shot Online we enjoy emulating the world’s famous and beautiful golf courses , and as our eighth ‘real course’, we are excited for players to experience ‘Sky 72′. We feel that we have done the course justice. Aside from its picturesque beauty, as an island course, ‘Sky 72’ has unique wind patterns that we worked to duplicate in Shot Online to provide the most realistic experience possible”.
To celebrate the launch of Sky 72, OnNet will be hosting several special in-game events, including tournaments and giveaways for PC gamers; such as gift vouchers, in-game currency and an iPad mini grand prize. Don’t miss out on your swinging shot!
Check out the official website here for more details regarding the events surrounding the new golf season of Shot Online.
After months of being referred to as simply Transformers 4, the next entry in the Transformers film franchise has received an official title – Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Filming started on the project back in May, helmed by the once sequel-dismissive Michael Bay, who has written and directed recent action/black comedy Pain & Gain since the release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011.
All returning Decepticons and Autobots – Bumblebee included – have gotten a makeover, all being represented by different car models. The cast includes Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Chinese actors Li Bingbing and Han Geng, and more.
You can check out the first official poster for the film to the right. Transformers: Age of Extinction hits Australian theatres June 26th, 2014, thanks to Paramount Pictures Australia.
The 5th episode of the Payday 2 web-series has just been released by 505 Games. The latest episode of the Payday 2 web-series focuses on a the seductive but deadly assassin Greta, a truly dangerous femme fatale if there ever was one..
Payday 2 has become a massive global success. The game is available on a number of platforms including Steam, PS3, 360, Playstation Network and Microsoft’s Games on Demand service.
You can check out the latest episode below. Also be sure to ‘like’ Payday 2 on Facebook and follow Payday 2 on Twitter for all the latest updates on the amazing gaming experience that is Payday 2.
Overview
Since the initial release of Sony’s PlayStation Vita platform in February 2012, one thing has been on the forefront of most mobile gamers’ minds. “With dual joysticks, the platform is ripe for portable shooter games!” Unfortunately, the previous attempts have failed to live up to players’ expectations, leaving everyone feeling like half-baked design was doomed to haunt the portable platform. With Guerrilla’s newest title, hopes have renewed that the platform may indeed be able to support a fully featured first-person shooter experience. How does Killzone: Mercenaryhold up? Has it saved the day or did it take the money and run? Let’s find out.
Graphical presentation looks great
Story
Just after the end of the original Killzone, the ISA and Helghan forces are embroiled in war over the planet Vekta. Gun-for-hire Arran Danner and his squad of mercenaries will take on any mission for the right price, and they’ve been chosen to spearhead the attack on the Helghan homeworld. After a relatively routine mission to extract a Vektan ambassador that goes awry, it becomes apparent that the ambassador’s son could hold the key to victory, and both sides will go to great lengths to get him. With desperation driving each side to greater and greater lengths, Danner begins to wonder if the price of victory is worth the paycheck.
The Helghans want you gone
Gameplay
First thing’s first. For those of you out there who are wondering, “Did they finally do it? Is this the first person shooter we’ve all been waiting for?”, the short answer is a resounding, “Yes.” Killzone: Mercenary isn’t some half-baked quick money mobile games port. This is a deep, rich, fully featured first person shooter that delivers on everything you’d expect from the genre, all wrapped up into a nice package for Vita owners who’ve held on to their system this long.
One of the biggest questions on everyone’s mind is, of course, the game’s controls. Did the good people at Guerrilla manage to squeeze everything down into the portable system? Well, everyone can rest assured Mercenary feels spot on. They’ve managed to really get the feel of a console Killzone game onto the portable with no loss in fidelity or response. You’ll aim and shoot with the shoulder buttons, as you’d expect, and the dual joysticks allow you to maneuver and aim just as well as you would with a Dual Shock. The touch controls are also intuitive and immersive without feeling invasive. It is worth mentioning, though, that folks with larger hands will want to limit their sessions with the game to avoid hand cramping.
This officer got a little too close
The gameplay itself feels great. You can sprint, slide, take cover, operate turrets, and more. Mercenary carries the same sense of weight and maneuverability fans have come to expect of the franchise. The intense melee kills are back as well, delivering all the brutality you crave, and getting you involved in the process. Anyone who enjoyed the big console releases will still feel right at home here.
The single-player offering for Mercenary is a meaty experience that grows as you play it. There are nine single player missions to work through. Once you complete the basic playthrough of a mission, three separate challenges known as “Contracts” open up for you to play. This brings the total effective mission count up to 36, giving you plenty of hours to enjoy with the game.
Blackjack is more than happy to help you gear up for combat…for a price
The contracts typically include three different ways to go about a mission. These include “Precision”, “Covert”, and “Demolition.” Each one requires very specific equipment loadouts and contract completion requirements (so many headshots for a precision mission, a certain number of backstabs in the covert mission, or a specific level of destruction for the demolition missions). Each mission will also award you with money to equip your armory.
Given that you take on the role of a mercenary, it’s only appropriate that everything you do is done for money. Mercenary is drenched in ways to reward you for every task you complete. Kill an enemy and get cash. Execute them out with silence, style, or long distance and you’ll be rewarded. If you can take out several quickly you’ll get a cash multiplier. You also get cash rewards for hacking terminals or interrogating officers. Watching your funds climb ever higher provides a fantastic feedback loop that will have you pumped to continue to the next room of baddies.
Reach out and touch someone
During your downtime, you’ll get a chance to dive into Blackjack’s wares and build your own custom loadouts. Taking the money you earn, you’ll build yourself up with a variety of rifles, pistols, shotguns, rocket launchers, and more. You can even buy a variety of armor, grenades, and AI systems (called Van Guards) to suit your style, whether assault, assassin, or something in-between. There really is a lot to choose from, and the customization makes spending your hard earned credits feel substantial. It’s great to invest in your character and see how that impacts your experience.
Visuals Killzone: Mercenary is easily one of the best looking games to be released on the Vita to date. From the first minute, you’ll feel like you’ve been dropped in the middle of a PlayStation 3 game. It’s really impressive to see in motion.
Pound for pound, Mercenary does a great job keeping pace with its console siblings. Environments convey a great sense of the war torn future, with bombed out buildings and thick metal sliding doors everywhere. The Helghan forces still look as menacing as ever with their red, glowing eyes leering at you from behind a great variety of character models. The game even goes above and beyond, utilizing intelligent UI design to accommodate for touch screens.
Storytelling is wonderfully executed
It’s worth noting that, while the game looks wonderful most of the time, hardware limitations had to become a factor at some point. Smoke and fire effects often look lower resolution, which can be quite jarring in such a beautiful world. Everything can also become pretty grainy when a lot of enemies and effects are on the screen at once. It isn’t enough of an issue to stop you from playing, but it can take you out of the experience on occasion.
Audio
The audio design is well done from the ground up. The music fits the atmosphere and drives the action, the voice actors do a great job delivering the story through the eyes of their characters, and the sound effects all carry the appropriate weight and atmosphere with them. You’ll definitely want to make sure your headphones are handy so you never have to miss out.
Overall Killzone: Mercenary is, without a doubt, the best shooter on the Vita right now. It’s clear that time and care were put into the game by a team of very talented, dedicated people. The game looks incredible and sounds great, the story is well told and has excellent pacing, and the gameplay is solid as a rock. Despite occasional graphical bugs or hand cramping during long sessions, Killzone: Mercenary is well worth the time you’ll put into it. Anyone with a Vita and an itchy trigger finger will undoubtedly want to pick this up.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
After much anticipation, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 has finally set sail onto shores in North America and Latin America. Namco Bandai Games have confirmed that One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 is now available for American gamers.
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 is the sequel to the swashbuckling fun of One Piece: Pirate Warriors. Unlike the original Pirate Warriors, this game focuses on the New World saga of the One Piece series. On top of that this game introduces a new game-changing combat feature called Haki attacks.
You can pick up One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 exclusively for the PlayStation 3 now for the price of $49.99.
Yes, the events keep rolling in for Joymax’s leading online MMORPG title Digimon Masters Online, a few weeks ago it was the T.K Tamer Event and this time around the Digimon Masters Online team has decided to throw a big sale! The sale will be to coincide with the last two events which are the T.K Tamer Event (Noted above) and the Jogress Digimon Event which happens to include Shakkoumon as a new addition. The event will take place mainly within the cash shop, now I say that because the event is actually slashing 70% off of a great deal of packages purchasable through the gift shop, this gives new players the great chance to catch up to some of the Digimon veterans whilst also gives the seasoned players a chance to stay on their game.
Here are some of the packages that are available in the sale:
EXP Equipment Set A includes a 60% EXP Booster, Black Star Hoodie, Music Headphones, Red Power Gloves, and Vintage Jeans. 1 day package was 22 silk, now 6; 7 day package was 65 silk, now 19; 30 day package was 214 silk, now 64!
EXP Equipment Set B includes a 60% EXP Booster, Black Long-Sleeved Hoodie, Music Headphones, Black Power Gloves, and Black Cargo Pants. 1 day package was 22 silk, now 6; 7 day package was 65 silk, now 19; 30 day package was 214 silk, now 64!
Premium Package A includes a Premium 100% EXP Booster, Black Star Hoodie, Music Headphones, Red Power Gloves, and Vintage Jeans. 1 day package was 43 silk, now 12; 7 day package was 130 silk, now 39; 30 day package was 260 silk, now 79!
Premium Package B includes a Premium 100% EXP Booster, a 60% EXP Booster, Black Star Hoodie, Music Headphones, Red Power Gloves, and Vintage Jeans. 1 day package was 48 silk, now 14; 7 day package was 145 silk, now 43; 30 day package was 290 silk, now 87!
As you can see these packages are filled to the brine with awesome and exciting items that are ready to pump your Digimon partner to the limits. Head over to the official Digimon Masters Online website now to check out more information and to sign up for the game. I suggest you do it soon because this little event will only run until September the 24th so even if you’re not entirely sure you want to play, it’s probably a good idea you grab this chance with both hands.
Most smaller, indie comic book publishers only put out 1-2 books each month at best. Not Titan Comics however, after the announcement of the A1 Anthology #4 yesterday, they are back again. This time we have a special preview of Chronos Commandos #3 for your enjoyment.
For those who haven’t heard about Chronos Commandos, here is a very brief summary of the latest installment;
Trapped in the past, surrounded by starving velociraptors, and liberally daubed in blood, the Sarge and his squad are in their tightest spot yet!
But there’s no time to linger on their slim chance of escape – they’re sharing the Cretaceous with the Nazi time crew who’ve stolen an Allied Chronosphere – a piece of tech that could tilt the Time War in the Nazis’ favor! It’s up to the Sarge to take it back – or die trying!
Dinosaurs, time-travel, blood, Nazis! This book has everything an action-junkie would be looking for! You can grab Chronos Commandos #3 next week on Sep 11th. In the mean time, check out our little gallery below which showcases some of the pages from the upcoming book. Does this sound like something you would be excited about? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Titan Comics news as it becomes available.
Today the first season of an interesting anime that is quite popular in certain circles was released by NIS America. I’m speaking of course about YuruYuri. YuruYuri Season 1 has been given the premium edition treatment which means that the series comes with a collectible slipcase, a hardcover art book with info and artwork from the series and of course the first season contained on two Blu-ray discs.
For those who don’t know, YuruYuri follows a group of girls who are part of the Amusement Club. These girls are named Akari, Kyoko, Yui, and Chinatsu. The club doesn’t serve any real purpose so the girls are left to their own devices as they do whatever they want, usually causing trouble or simply having fun. The series can be purchased from NIS America’s online storefor $51.99 and those who buy it will receive a “Girls’ Love Reflections Button Mirror” while supplies last. As for the second season of the anime, NIS America is currently planning on releasing it sometime early in 2014.
With Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix set to come out next week in North America Square Enix is going to hold a special launch event for the game in one of the most magical places on the West Coast, Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California.
People who attend the event can buy Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix two days before the game’s release and with their purchase they will also receive a special art book and dynamic theme for the PS3. Also anyone who shows up early to the event will net a Kingdom Hearts poster while others will be selected throughout the event to receive special Kingdom Hearts products signed by by series director Tetsuya Nomura.
Besides that, there will also be a photo booth where people can take pictures with the Kingdom Keyblade with numerous Disney worlds for backgrounds. The event will take place on Sunday September 8 from 12PM to 6PM. Since Downtown Disney is outside of Disneyland, it is instead a shopping area outside of the theme park, attendees do not need to buy a ticket to Disneyland to attend the event.
After months of being referred to as simply Transformers 4, the next entry in the 
