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Paid and Free DLC Planned For Rome II Post-Launch

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With little over a week to go until Total War’s latest grand daddy lands, it should come as no surprise that Creative Assembly are already planning additional content for Rome II post-launch.

“Rome II will be the biggest game we’ve ever released, in terms of scope, gameplay features and sheer weight of content,” said James Russell, Lead Designer, “but even then we’re just scratching the surface of the Roman period, an era so rich in diversity that it’s easy to foresee releasing relevant content for years after Rome II has shipped.”

If Shogun 2 is anything to go by, it’s clear Rome II will have both paid DLC along with free feature updates and regular optimisation such as AI balancing. Specifically, Russell mentions Culture Packs (units and factions), Feature Packs (gameplay or aesthetic changes) and Campaign Packs (story-based expansions).

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On day one players that pre-order the game will receive the otherwise paid-for Greek States Culture Pack and the free Pontus faction update. By October the free Selecuid Empire will be available to download while the Nomadic Tribes Culture Pack featuring the Royal Scythians, Roxolani and Massagetae will be available to buy as DLC.

Total War: Rome II will available on September 3, 2013 for the PC.

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa’s First Poster

Bad-Grandpa-Poster-01Paramount‘s recently announced comedy spin-off, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, has its first official poster (visible to the right).

If you haven’t seen the announcement trailer, you can check it out here. Going by the raucous reaction to the video – which played before our Pain & Gain screening earlier this month (review here) – Bad Grandpa may just be a worthy excursion for the Johnny Knoxville character.

Here is the official synopsis for the film, which releases nationwide November 14th this year:

86 year-old Irving Zisman is on a journey across America with the most unlikely companion, his 8 year-old Grandson Billy in “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa”. This October, the signature Jackass character Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) and Billy (Jackson Nicholl) will take movie audiences along for the most insane hidden camera road trip ever captured on camera. 

Along the way Irving will introduce the young and impressionable Billy to people, places and situations that give new meaning to the term child-rearing  The duo will encounter male strippers, disgruntled child beauty pageant contestants (and their equally disgruntled mothers), funeral home mourners, biker bar patrons and a whole lot of unsuspecting citizens.

Real people in unreal situations, making for one really messed up comedy.

PES 2014 release date set for September 24th

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It has been revealed that Konami is planning on releasing PES 2014 in North America, Central America and South America on September 24th for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Since Konami holds the rights to the UEFA Champions League, the game’s packaging will be designed to highlight the replication of the competition rather than simply on the players.

There will also be some special regional packaging depending on where you purchase the game. Some of the new additions to the game per region are listed below:

  • Brazil: The Brazil PES 2014 cover reaffirms the licensing of 21 teams throughout the country and features some of the country’s most renowned stars and teams including Santos, Palmeiras and Corinthians. Complete with kits and stadiums and local announcers, Brazilians will feel at home with PES 2014.
  • Argentina: New to the franchise this year, is the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) Primera Division brings all 20 top level teams (and some of the corresponding home stadiums) into Pro Evolution Soccer 2014.  KONAMI has also enlisted the talents of national football announcers and FOX Sports commentators, Mariano Closs and Fernando Neimbro, to call the action in each game. Some of the premier teams that will be included are River Plate, Boca Juniors, Newell’s Old Boys and Racing.
  • Chile: During the Festigame convention in Santiago, Chile, PES announced an agreement with the Asociacion Nacional de Footbol Profesional (ANFP) to bring all 18 Primera Division teams to Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. The teams include Colo Colo, Universidad de Chile, Universidad Catolica, Cobreloa, Union Espaola, and more.  In addition, PES 2014 will also feature local announcers Fernando Solabarrieta and Patricio (“Pato”) Yáñez, to call the action.
  • Latin America: PES 2014 also features a region wide cover, which pays homage to the Copa Bridgestone Libertadores teams, which are exclusively licensed in PES 2014.

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For those who want to add a little more to the game, there are numerous pre-order bonuses that will add the classic Latin American and European kits to the game and there will even be some DLC released later after the game has come out in the form of roster updates, new kit elements and other DLC.

“Attack On Titan: Before The Fall” Prequel Manga Launches Today

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It was revealed through the second Attack On Titan Anime Blu-Ray that writer Satoshi Shiki has been currently working on the Prequel Manga to the Attack On Titan series, called Before The Fall. The small Manga releases will be done so through Shounen Sirius Magazine starting with the first issue that, yes, will be going on sale today! Unfortunately it’s only in japan as of right now but I have no doubt that we’ll be soon seeing this on local shelves. There has already been a release of three light novels in the “Before The Fall” series. They’re written by Suzukaze Ryo and illustrated by Thores Shibamoto who also illustrated Trinity Blood.

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The first story will revolve around the creation and production of the 3D Maneuver Gear that we see in the series, it will also focus on the struggles of the recon groups as they desperately try to figure out what kind of weaknesses the Titans have. The second story follows the character Kyklop who, as a baby, was discovered one day in a pool of Titan vomit and the third still follows Kyklop when he’s older as he fights Titans using primitive 3D Maneuver Gear. Check out the gallery below where there’s a few nice pictures of the manga and let us know what you think about all this in the comments section just below.

Asphalt 8: Airborne Review

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Asphalt 8: Airborne
Developer: Gameloft Barcelona
Publisher: Gameloft
Platform: iPhone (Reviewed), iPad, Android
Release Date: 23 August 2013
Price: $0.99 – Available on iTunes and Google Play

Overview

Asphalt 8: Airborne is the latest addition to Gameloft’s long running arcade racing series. This edition completely shakes up the car lineup with 80% of the lineup new to the series. Gameloft also introduces the new physics engine which allows players to execute death defying aerial stunts.

Story

There is no story in Asphalt 8: Airborne, just eight seasons worth of racing events and a whole load of people to beat.

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Gameplay

Asphalt 8: Airborne is an arcade racer. Unlike racing sims, “knockdowns” and stunts play a major gameplay role. Players acquire Nitro boosters by picking up Nitro bottles scattered across the track, causing knockdowns by instigating a crash, drifting, driving aggressively, and completing airborne stunts. The Nitro booster will give the player’s vehicle a speed boost and comes in three tiers of speed. Skilled players can save themselves a step by tapping the Nitro booster a second time in the middle of the red zone. Success in the race will require a combination of controlled risk taking and clean driving.

The traditional video game racing events are all present in Asphalt 8: Airborne. Classic mode will pit racers in traditional first past the finish line racing. Elimination is a twist on Classic mode that eliminates the slowest driver at an interval until only one driver is left standing. Versus mode will pit two racers in a head to head race. Drift Gate is the only solo event in Asphalt 8: Airborne. Players will be provided with a set course full of Drift Gates they must drift through under the pressure of time. Knockdown will pit two racers against each other to knockdown as many cars as possible in a period of time. Finally, the game has a unique mode called Infection. The slowest racer will be given an infection that gives them an unlimited amount of Nitro. The infection spreads through knockdowns. However, any racer who is not last will have a limited amount of time to knockdown another vehicle to buy extra time. Once the timer expires, the car will explode and the infection will clear. The first vehicle past the finish line is the winner. Personally, I am a huge fan of Infection mode. It is great fun and a perfect choice for a party game.

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Asphalt 8: Airborne contains 47 vehicles grouped up in five different classes. The line-up favours luxury brands like Cadillac, Audi, and Ferrari. The player starts with a single Dodge Dart GT and will slowly purchase new cars with race earnings. The game has car level recommendations and car requirements that need to be satisfied for certain races. The player can save a little money by purchasing upgrades for their existing vehicles. However, this gets exponentially more expensive after the first set of upgrades. I personally preferred buying the first set of upgrades then buying a better a new car to modify.

Career mode contains eight seasons. Each season contains a variety of events. New seasons are unlocked by collecting stars from events. The first three stars are awarded for placing first, second, or third in an event. The last two stars are awarded for completing two optional requirements in a race. Most of these requirements are pretty benign, such as drifting a certain amount of distance. The multiple flat spins in one jump optional requirement and no wrecks are some of the hardest in the game and often end up becoming an annoyance. All five stars do not need to be earned in one race, but each season’s event can only award five stars. There are a 180 events across eight seasons, so there will be plenty to keep players busy in the long term.

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In addition to the single player Career mode, players can take it online with either asynchronous multiplayer or traditional multiplayer over Wi-Fi. Asynchronous multiplayer involves uploading a race performance online, then friends can then download and race your ghost on their own time. My only complaint is that uploading the ghost data is a little slow for some reason, but the impatient can skip uploading data. Traditional multiplayer works well, with little to no lag and room system that allows participants to vote on which event and track they wish to see next.  Those lacking an internet connection can also do quick races with a customized rule set.

AI drivers are well balanced, staying competitive without being impossible to beat. However, AI drivers are not aggressive at all. They all seem to be programmed to drive the cleanest race possible and will make no attempt to knockdown opponents in their way.

There are nine race tracks that can be played in normal or mirrored configuration. There is a great mix of tight urban and off-road driving with plenty of opportunities to go airborne. The routes are not straight forward. Many parts have two possible routes to take. Those who do not memorize the quickest routes to take will struggle a little in harder races. There are some really great dynamic events in some of the tracks, like the spaceship launch in French Guiana.

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Asphalt 8: Airborne provides players with several options to control the game. The default motion controls are probably my favourite as it is responsive and simple to use. For those who hate motion based controls, there are some touch based controls that also work well. Stunts like drifting are extremely easy to execute, save for flat spins that require the player to drift over a ramp. Even older children should have no problem managing the controls in this game.

Visuals

Asphalt 8: Airborne is a fantastic looking game. Gameloft Barcelona has brought console quality graphics to the small screen. The cars are detailed and the race tracks look lively. There is some minor stuttering on the iPhone 5 in particularly busy moments, but these are extremely rare. My biggest complaint is the car damage. When a car is wrecked, the most that will ever happen is the doors blow off and the hood may come loose once in a long while. The menus can be a little cluttered on the smaller phone screens, but once in game, the clutter is swept away from a minimalist HUD.

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Audio

Electronic music dominates Asphalt 8: Airborne’s soundtrack. There are three radio stations to choose from, Bass (which is mostly Dubstep), Rock, and Electronic. The soundtrack is full of licensed artists like Queens of the Stone Age, Crystal Method, and Nero. However, those looking for something beyond head banging tunes will need to provide their own music to drive to. The sound effects tend to be drowned out by the music, but are solid on their own right.

Overall

Asphalt 8: Airborne is a great addition to the series. Gameloft Barcelona has taken great lengths to bring the console arcade racing experience for the small screen. For $0.99, Asphalt 8: Airborne is a fantastic purchase for any racing fan looking to take their favourite genre on the go.

9-0-capsules-out-of-10
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

High School DxD Review

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High School DxD
Studio: TNK
Publisher: FUNimation
Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo
Release Date: August 20, 2013
Price: $69.98 – Available Here

Overview
Fan service has existed in anime for decades and while the anime community usually has mixed feelings on panty shots and unabashed nudity there are numerous series which revel in the amount of flesh that is revealed. Many of these series devolve into mindless, run of the mill anime that are a dime a dozen. However every so often an anime manages to deliver both an enjoyable and humorous storyline and pretty much defines fan service. Does High School DxD, manage to craft something memorable around the breasts and asses of its cast?

Story
Despite enrolling in an academy which only recently became co-ed, Issei Hyoudou has had the worst luck with women in his life. This isn’t exactly his fellow classmates’ fault, as he is part of a trio of boys who have managed to earn the reputation of being the most perverted and horny students at the school. Not only has Issei been caught peeping into the girls locker room multiple times, he also has quite the perverted mind which usually ends up disgusting the girls around him, and many of the most popular girls, including the well-known Rias Gremory simply ignore him.

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However despite this damning reputation, a pretty young girl named Amano suddenly asks him to become her boyfriend and go on a date.  Being the answer to Issei’s prayers, he readily agrees to the date and rejoices as he has made his first ever girlfriend. The only problem is, despite a rather enjoyable date and Issei keeping his perversion to a minimum, Amano ends the date in a way that he could never have expected… transforming into a fallen angel and killing him with a spear of light right through the stomach.

Since it would be a rather short series with the main character slain in the first episode, Issei is dragged into a much larger and darker world as he is saved by none other than Rias Gremory herself. How does she manage this you ask? Because she is from one of the few remaining powerful houses in the Devil World and is in fact a Devil, as is everyone inside of her Occult Research Club. After being saved, Issei finds himself turned into a devil as well.

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Now your standard harem anime usually ends up falling into a predictable meet and greet pattern after this point, where multiple episodes are used to introduce and spend time with each of the main members of the cast. However High School DxD goes the opposite route. While all of the Occult Research Club members are given brief introductions, rather than focus on character building that time is spent on building the world itself.

There are a lot of moving pieces in High School DxD and perhaps that is what makes a series that could easily be considered mindless fan-service full of lewd poses and naked women into something special. Throughout the series the intricacies of the Devil world and the previous war that was held between the Angels, Devils and Fallen Angels are explained even as Issei comes to grips with his newfound power.

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Multiple questions are asked as the series goes along, such as why would a fallen angel purposely seek out Issei of all people and what type of power does he possess that would entice one of the strongest remaining Devils to make him her servant at the cost of a large portion of her potential power. These questions are answered as the series progresses and continue to build upon the world that exists in High School DxD.

Outside of a few one-off episodes; this season is broken into two major arcs that not only develop the world further, but give Issei a chance to grow as a character and reveal more about who he is. Despite wishing to be a harem king and remaining perverted throughout the series, he continuously demonstrates a strong desire to protect those close to him and a resilient heart in the face of adversity. All while hoping to receive a breast related reward of course, which is actually refreshing to see since many perverted main characters either act embarrassed or try to hide their nature while Issei relishes it.

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High School DxD has quite a lot to offer in terms of story and humor thanks to the fact that rather than simply fall into stereotypical genre pitfalls, it spends its time building a world and central characters in this first season. Of course it is absolutely bursting with fan service and most of the humor revolves around how perverted Issei can be, but that only helps add to a series which has so much going for it in terms of story and character.

Visuals
Let’s just say this right off the bat since I’ve mentioned it numerous times already, there is a surplus of nudity in High School DxD. Panty shots, lewd poses, bare breasts, groping and more abound in this series so anyone who may have an issue with overkilled fan service may find themselves disliking the series. However everyone else will be able to enjoy it for exactly what it is, a celebration of the genre. There is a varied range of character designs in High School DxD and numerous breast sizes on display so be prepared for that, as well as plenty of suggestive eye catches.

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Outside of the fan service, the series features a vibrant color palette and is very well animated with only minor drops in quality whenever fighting takes place or mid-range shots are used on groups of characters. It is worth noting that even in combat there is fan service, but it does nothing to detract from the action as everything is well put together and looks gorgeous on Blu-ray.

Audio
While many English dubs can be either worse or the same in quality as the Japanese voice work, rarely does an English dub surpass the original voice track. High School DxD can be considered one of those rare cases since nearly all of the English cast performs exceptionally well, minus some issues with the way Kiba’s voice actor handles the character. Perhaps due to the unabashed nature of the perversion in Issei’s voice, handled by Scott Freeman, the nature of the jokes or a combination of the talents, the English dub actually manages to surpass the original in many ways, especially when it comes to the voicing of the psychotic exorcist Freed.

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As for the soundtrack for the series, High School DxD became well known long before it was released in English thanks to its ending theme “Study x Study” by SylipS. Not only is the song extremely catchy but it is also paired with one of the most well recognized ending sequences from the year High School DxD was released and has to be seen to be believed, as describing it would spoil the fun. As for the opening theme, it is “Trip –innocent of D-“ and is handled by Larval Stage Planning and is also enjoyable, but is overshadowed by the ending theme and the rest of the music within the series is rather run of the mill.

Extras
As far as extra content goes, High School DxD comes with numerous on-disc bonuses. Some of these bonuses are expected, such as a clean opening theme and clean ending theme, the US trailer for the series, trailers for other FUNimation releases and two commentary tracks. However also included in this release are two sets of Japanese extra collections.

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The first of which happens to be a rather basic set of Japanese promotional videos that serve to showcase the series and introduce the characters to viewers while the other is called ‘Fantasy Jiggles Unleashed.’ This bonus includes six Japanese shorts that equal up to an episode in length when combined and it sees the members of the Occult Research Club going through a number of activities, usually resulting in some of the lewdest fan service found in High School DxD.

The first commentary track is for episode 1 and features Jamie Marchie, who voices Rias Gremory and is also the lead writer on the series, Felicia Angelle who does the voice of Raynere and Teri Rogers who handles the voice work for Akeno. If the latter two’s names seem unfamiliar, it is because they are both new voice actresses and they discuss their start with FUNimation as well as how they handled their first time voicing these characters.

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As for the second commentary track, it takes place during episode 7 and it features Jad Saxton who handles the voice of Koneko, Scott Freeman the voice of Issei, and Tyson Rinehart who voices Issei’s friend Matsuda. The commentary is more humorous and random this time around and when it does focus on the episode, it is usually to highlight the boobs and nut shots on display.

Overall
High School DxD could easily have been “just another boobie show.” Sure it is packed with nipples and panty shots but it also manages to deliver an elaborate storyline with an expansive world waiting to be explored but also a cast of likable characters that bring the plot to life. By leaving viewers with numerous hints as to what will happen in the future of the series, High School DxD manages to boost its way past other ecchi shows and delivers a stronger story than one would find in even serious dramas, making it an easy series to recommend and should not be passed up.

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Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

CC Review Roundup – Week of August 18-August 24, 2013

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Join Capsule Computers editor Joe Morgan as he recaps all of the video game, anime, movie, and manga reviews for the week of August 18 – August 24, 2013. This feature is intended as a way to give you, our readers, a quick recap of every game we’ve reviewed on the site each week.  The goal is to let you get the review information you want in five minutes or less.

Here’s your review breakdown for the week:

Xbox 360
PayDay 28.5 / 10
Flashback6.0 / 10
PlayStation 3
PayDay 28.5 / 10
Flashback6.0 / 10
Wii U
-None- 
PC
PayDay 28.5 / 10
Europa Universalis IV7.5 / 10
Flashback6.0 / 10
Shelter6.0 / 10
3DS
Tangram Style6.5 / 10 
iOS
The Impossible Line6.0 / 10
Anime / Movies
Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine9.5 / 10
Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai9.0 / 10
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, Complete Collection8.5 / 10
Kick-Ass 28.5 / 10
Tsuritama8.5 / 10
Fairy Tail, Part 67.5 / 10
From Up On Poppy Hill7.5 / 10
Daily Lives of High School Boys7.0 / 10
Manga
Library Wars, Volume 38.5 / 10

Be sure to check out the video below this article!

If you like the music in this week’s episode, be sure to check out RoccoW.

CC Comic Zone – The Rise And Fall Of The Bancho

"Where Are They!?"
“Where Are They!?”

Here we are, we’re back again for another round of CC Comic Zone! This is the place where we come to talk about all things ComicsManga, Graphic Novels and, pretty much, all illustrated media! Once again I’m Frank Inglese and this week I want to talk about something that is very near and dear to my heart, this week we will be discussing “The Rise And Fall Of The Bancho”. For those of you who don’t know what a Bancho is; basically they’re the biggest and baddest fighters in a group of big, bad fighters, they’re the powerful leaders, the delinquent youth, they’re full of angst and attitude and they prove to be some of the coolest characters in illustrated media, not to mention games and Anime.


Banchos everywhere, they are, even if you can’t pick one straight away you know that they are around. Now if you are aware of what exactly Banchos are than you’re probably thinking of the biblically buff, supremely solid and atrociously angry High Schoolers with their long jackets and their stern faces, you’re both right and wrong. Those stereotypical Banchos are the staple and also the most well known versions of the fighters, they’re also the most interesting, but there are some that seem to slip through the cracks because of their, let’s say, lack of image.

That’s not to say they’re bad though, they’re just…”hidden”. While Banchos and Bosozoku Gangs were real cool a while ago, I feel like they’re being forgotten about and if not that then they’re being overlooked. I happen to be a massive fan of Bancho-style characters, they’re tough, they’re honourable, they believe in respect and they’re great leaders. That’s the perfect combination for a main protagonist yet we barely see it happen.

Mamoru Takamura Killing A Bear!
Mamoru Takamura Killing A Bear!

Japan has the bulk of Bancho characters and, obviously, it’s because it originated in Japan, what I don’t like is how Western Comics and Graphic Novels havn’t seemed to pick up on the trend, or what’s left of it. Yes, I would consider Ombra Ravenga from Sharknife to be, somewhat, Bancho but he is more the Yakuza-type which does share a great deal of it’s traits with the Bancho label. Japan clearly has the lead when it comes to these types of characters, absolutely.

The Manga “Crows” would have to be the most popular Bancho-based series considering there are not many that revolve around that type of thing. The fact that it spawned two movies is fantastic because they were done well and you definitely got the essence of Bancho, not only that though because it also raised “Bancho Awareness”. There are also series’ like Yu Yu Hakusho which, basically, was about Banchos who fought spirits, now I haven’t read it but I trust my source.

The "Crows" gang.
The “Crows” gang.

The popular Shonen Jump Manga Bleach, it’s main character is a Bancho, well, WAS a Bancho at one point in time but the audience tends to forget about that, with good reason though, he went from being a semi-normal teen to a sword-weilding, death machine. Think back to the small arc where Chad and Ichigo share their past with the audience, we’re met with drawn scenes of Chad and Ichigo kicking down the school gates, hands in pockets, anger on their face and picking fights with whoever they could which, now that I think about it, is a very big throwback to it’s predecessor Yu Yu Hakusho.

Fact is; they were Banchos, that’s part of their backstory and it’s something that gets forgotten. Bleach actually has a fair few Bancho-types; I think Kenpachi walks the fine line between Bancho and Yakuza, Kensei Muguruma deffinitely fits the description and Moe Shishigawara (The Fullbringer) was dressed in the appropriate attire and had the attitude too. They’re most certainly everywhere.

Chad VS Ichigo.
Chad VS Ichigo.

I want to jump into who I consider to be the biggest, most well known Bancho and, possibly, one of the greatest additions to it’s rise in popularity: Jotaru Kujo. We all know him, he’s the most popular of the Joestar family and he’s my favourite character from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Let me start off by saying; when the next season of JJBA comes out, Banchos will once again rise. His story starts off a lot like Bleach, he’s a normal teen who gets into fights, every girl wants him and every guy wants to be him, he then gets a supernatural power that would usually change all that…not for Jotaro Kujo, he sticks to his Bancho ways with or without Star Platinum by his side and that’s what I love about this character.

He fights some crazy and exciting characters but he never seems to loose his cool, he’s always got a stern face and a powerful punch and I’m not even going to go into the 80s one-liners he loves. “Yare yare daze”. So Bancho. I still want to mention another JJBA character, Josuke Higashikata, who is much like Jotaro. I’m not going to speak much about him but those of you who know the series will understand why I chose to give him a mention, he is basically the next generation of Bancho in the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series.

Just Jotaro Shotgunning A Beer...
Just Jotaro Shotgunning A Beer…

There’s a Manga that I don’t believe is well know, it is called “Kongou Bancho” and it is a very intense Bancho-based Manga which, unlike Crows, throws us into a world where Banchos aren’t just awesome fighters, they’re on another damn level. The plot of Kongou Bancho is very much reminiscent of a large-scale game, there are 23 Districts controlled by 23 Banchos and the one to beat them all will become the leader of Japan, there’s a hidden society that sets up the games, there’s a lot of deception and searching and what not, I don’t want to wreck any story so I wont get into it.

I believe we need more story lines like these where, not only is there Banchos, but there’s a twist that brings the interest level up. Being able to see different types of Bancho is really fun and it gets the imaginative juices flowing, it honestly does. in Kongou Bancho there is a Sukeban (Lady bancho) with “herculean grade” muscles which allow her to pick up incredibly large objects, there’s a Bancho who proactices Buddhism and uses the teachings from it for combat, there’s so many different types and they all fit into the story and setting. I just feel it’s an under appreciated Manga which just happens to be about an under appreciated trope or “character type”.

Akira Kongou's "Double Hammer"!
Akira Kongou’s “Double Hammer”!

In the age we live in now I think that we need to revive character-types like this and while they’re not entirely “dead” they’re definitely on their way out. The great thing is that the Bancho character that are circulating through Manga are fan-favourites and are loved by a lot of people out there, it’s just unfortunate that the West hasn’t entirely caught on and, while they have their leaders and their fighters, they’re missing out on such a great addition to any story. At least that’s what I believe. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of this kind of stuff in the future, there’s a Manga which is soon to be released called “Guren 5” which has the tagline “Delinquents save the world!” that I hope will bring some light back to this character-type so keep an eye out for that. Passion, Respect, Honour and Power!

 

Shadow Blade Debut Trailer

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Get ready for the new action-ninja platformer, Shadow Blade, the first title from Dead Mage to be released later this year on iOS and Android. Independent developer, Dead Mage, is well known for their previous action and adventure PC games; including Garshasp: The Monster Slayer and Garshasp: Temple of the Dragon.

The debut trailer reveals that ‘becoming a ninja is at the your fingertips’; where players must take advantage of their touch-based controls to help Kuro find the last remaining ninja master to become skilled at Ninjutsu and ultimately the Shadow Blade. The fast-paced action game concentrates heavily on speed, skill and stealth as the only way to overcome each challenging level; through proficiently operating Japanese swords and contorting body movements.

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Check out the Shadow Blade trailer featured below for mobile and tablet devices and visit the official website here for further information about the game, concept art and screenshots.

Hajime No Ippo: Rising – Anime Cast Announced

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There are so many sports Anime series’ floating around in this day and age but, in my opinion, no other title blends sports, comedy and all out fighting action as well as the Hajime No Ippo series does. It’s obvious that I’m a big fan of the series so you can understand why I’m so damn excited about the next installation of such a fantastic title. Hajime No Ippo: Rising will be the next in the series and, I suppose, will continue off of the season that came before it. The cast for the upcoming series was just announced and we have the small list for you right below, all will be reprising their Hajime No Ippo roles from the seasons that came before this:

Rikiya Koyama as Mamoru Takamura (Bleach, Coyote Starrk. HunterXHunter, Ging Freecss.)

Daisuke Namikawa as Manabu Itagaki (FMA Brotherhood, Young Hoenheim. HunterXHunter, Hisoka.)

Keiji Fujiwara as Tatsuya Kimura (JJBA, Esidisi. FMA Brotherhood, Maes Hughes.)

Kohei Kiyasu as Ippo Makunouchi (The Prince of Tennis, Kaoru Kaido, etc.)

Wataru Takagi as Masaru Aoki (Naruto Shippuuden, Tobi. One Piece, Vander Decken.)

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Not only have they released who will be doing the voice acting of the series, they’ve also released information on who will be working on the animation itself: Jun Shishido (Hajime No Ippo: New Challenger) will direct the anime based on scripts by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu (Hajime No Ippo: New Challenger). Koji Sugiura, who worked on the original Hajime No Ippo series, will be designing characters and Masafumi Mima (Hajime No Ippo – Champion Road) will be taking the position of sound director. As you can see the staff and cast are great, having people who have worked on this series and it’s branches before is a great decision that will not go unnoticed. I’m very excited for this release next season and you should be too! Keep an eye on the site for any and all new and upcoming news.