The biggest prize in e-sports history hung in the balance last night as the 2 best DOTA 2 teams in the world stepped up to the grand final stage. Over 1 million people tuned in from across the globe on streams, at pubstomps, or if you were lucky enough to be there, at the Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington. The mood was electric, the teams ready, and the crowd barely had time to catch their breath as play after play was executed perfectly by these true masters of this fantastic, emerging game.
After a thrilling lower bracket final, the Ukranian powerhouse Na’Vi (Natus Vincere) managed to overcome an extremely strong Neolution Orange team to secure their place in the grand final against Alliance. To give credit where credit is due, Orange fought bravely in this tournament and their endurance was unmatched, having played more games than anyone else after dropping into the lower bracket quite early on. Their star player of the internationals had to be Mushi who seemed able to play any single hero he wants in any position while still being astounding.
As the build up to the grand final started, the feeling was like no other. The main hall was packed, twitter feeds were going wild, and as the Aegis of Champions was illuminated on centre stage the reality of that $1.4 million prize suddenly hit. Everybody thought Na’Vi had gone mad when they picked their first draft, opting to not only let Alliance take the most broken character in the game, Io, but picking a team of glass cannons themselves, seemingly hoping to shut Alliance down in the early game. Needless to say the risk didn’t pay off and match 1 was a complete wipe-out, giving Alliance the early lead. Standing strong though, Na’Vi played some of the finest DOTA I have ever seen and managed to pull back 2 games giving them the lead with just one more match to win for the championship.
Alliance are not a team to throw everything away on a risk though, and after a shock to their system they went back to what they know best … cool, calculated precision. The final 2 games were a lot harder on the meta-game and less shock picks were seen, but this meant that Alliance’s signature strategy of sitting back, getting farm, and coming out ahead in the mid/late game was allowed to thrive. 2 magnificent strategic games of DOTA later and the Alliance fans in the Benaroya Hall erupted as their team threw down their headsets and lifted the Aegis of Champions high and proud.
Alas, my earlier predictions of Na’Vi coming out on top after the group stages were wrong, but I did say never count out Alliance so I take some kind of personal victory in that! If you want to read my ranting about losing all my rares and general anime discussion then I can be found at @JamesMapley on twitter and be sure to follow @capsulecomputer for all the latest gaming and anime news, reviews, and discussion as soon as they go live.
Slated to be the biggest DLC yet, Apocalypse will feature two brand new multiplayer maps and two re-imagined fan favourites:
Pod: A failed utopian community from the 70’s has left stacks of dilapidated residential pods nestled into an abandoned cliff side in Taiwan. Its residents long gone, the modernist compound now hosts frenetic combat as players must run atop the pods, as well as navigate their multi-tiered interiors for a strategic edge.
Frost: Fresh snow meets explosive gunpowder in this snow-capped European city, where the bridge over a frozen canal separates it into two sides, requiring players to employ multi-level traversal strategies to outsmart and ultimately outshoot their enemies.
Takeoff: Fans of “Stadium” from the original Call of Duty®: Black Ops First Strike DLC will find themselves at home on “Takeoff.” Marooned in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, this remote launch site is all about close-quarters combat, combining tight corners with open spaces for intense encounters.
Dig: An adaptation of the fan-favourite “Courtyard” from Call of Duty®: World at War, where two archaeological dig sites in Afghanistan become the perfect playground for combatants eager for hectic, unceasing confrontations. Treyarch, has retained the spirit of “Courtyard” with two major chokepoints, a wide open layout and raised platforms, but has provided fans with a fresh take on the multitude of paths.
The history books never mentioned this…
In addition to these maps, players will be able to experience one of the most horrifying and imaginative Zombies experiences to date: Origins. Featuring the four original heroes from the very first Zombies map, Tank, Nikolai, Takeo and Rictofen, players will be sent into a Dieselpunk France circa World War I.
Unleashed after the Germans unearthed the mysterious “Element 115,” this next chapter in the Zombies legacy will explore the saga’s origins as players reunite with an unlikely band of soldiers that come together to defeat the greatest evil the world has ever seen, using a period-specific arsenal that includes Wonder Weapons that harness supernatural powers, a diesel-drone and Mark IV tank, as well a new perk machine and power-ups – and that’s just the start. Players will need all the help they can get to succeed in defeating the undead, as well as evading an unprecedented 1,000-foot tall robot abomination. In this stylized undead adventure, they’ll need every advantage if they have any hope of surviving one of Treyarch’s deepest Zombies experiences to date.
Acclaimed band Avenged Sevenfold is also set to lend their song “Shepherd of Fire” (from their upcoming album “Hail to the King”) to Origins, to be featured during the intro cinematic. Famed comics illustrator Alex Ross, famous for his work with Marvel and DC, will also provide original artwork featuring the Zombies heroes.
Mark Lamia (Treyarch Studio Head) said:
“Apocalypse is Treyarch’s grand finale to Call of Duty: Black Ops II. It is the perfect culmination of our efforts, and fan feedback, with two all-new multiplayer maps for players to experience for the first time, and two fully reimagined fan-favourite multiplayer maps from past games – and Origins, our most epic Zombies experience to date. Apocalypse is a DLC pack that our fans will never forget.”
Call of Duty: Black Ops II Apocalypse will be available August 27th on Xbox Live for 1200 Microsoft Points, with release on other platforms to follow. For more information, visit the official site and Facebook page. Every story has a beginning…
At this year’s D23 Expo, Disney were proud to announce the second set of figures and Play Sets for their upcoming game; Disney Infinity. Some of the characters we already knew about and were just waiting official confirmation, while others were unveiled for the first time.
Toy Story fans can rest easy as Buzz, Woody and Jessie will be leading the charge for Disney Infinity’s second wave, which begins in October. Buzz and Jessie come included in the Toy Story in Space Play Set, which will feature Andy’s toys finding a new home for the Pizza Planet Aliens. Woody will come as a single-figure, and all three will also be usable in the game’s Toy Box mode.
Other figures we knew about but that are official are; Jack Skellington, Wreck-it-Ralph, Vanellope von Schweetz, Phineas and Agent P. Alongside them will be newly announced Rapunzel, Anna and Elsa (both from Disney’s upcoming film; Frozen) and most importantly; Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey (I for one was really expecting Mr. Mouse to be included in the first phase)
Disney Infinity and the first wave of figures and power discs will be available next week, August 22nd, on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U and PC, with the Phase-2 figures being rolled out from October all the way through to early 2014. With the release date so close, you had better be sure to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Disney Infinity news as it becomes available.
AMVs, or Anime Music Videos, are one of the many ways in which fans can express their love for their favourite shows and songs. Open to worldwide and Australian contenders, SMASH! 2013 put creativity and technical skills to the test with the very awesome AMV Screenings, Finals as well as the winner of the new “Blitz” category. Read on!
It was eye opening to see just how many different kinds of AMVs are possible during the screenings of the entries. There were drama flicks set to pop music, action epics with heart-pounding beats along with innovative shorts dubbed over with unexpected tracks.
One of my favourites had to be the thrilling “Bloody Memories” featuring Blood-C: The Last Dark. There was just something so effective about its production and it hit home hard, viscerally. A close second would be the Valkyria Chronicles anime synced to the Fast and the Furious 6 trailer. It had to be seen to be believed! Check the SMASH! site page for a huge list of the viewable entries.
The action-packed Fate/Zero was spotted in several entries.
AMVs were placed into 4 categories: Action, Comedy/Parody, Drama/Romance and Upbeat/Dance. The competition also had 4 Special Awards up for grabs including the Judge’s Choice, People’s Choice, Best Technical and the Aussie Award, made for homegrown editors. All winners displayed a keen sense of coordination, passion and skill.
The Blitz AMV Tournament is a new competition for shorter videos with a length between 30-90 seconds and no categories. Editors are free to make anything they want to impress the judges. Once the top few are chosen, editors go head-to-head with specific and challenging themes. The Blitz finalists had to base their AMV around the theme of Australia, which would have been tough since there’s barely any anime around that feature this continent!
Guilty Crown proved to be surprisingly popular this year.
Nevertheless both of the finalists did an outstanding job and the winner, KonohasOrangeFlash, pulled it off with the iconic Men at Work – Land Down Under. You can check out the editor’s compilation below!
Seeing the colossal effort at this year’s showing has inspired me to continue dabbling in the art of AMV making. If you have any music playing in your head and a passion for anime, give it a try and get creative! If you’ve ever made an AMV, let us know about it! Make sure to check out the official SMASH! site along with the rest of our coverage of this year’s event.
2K‘s TheBureau: XCOM Declassified live-action web series is coming to a crescendo as the release of the game draws ever closer. Before that day – August 23rd – we must find out the fate of Agent Ennis Cole and discover the results of Agent Carter’s interrogation session, as well as exactly how he plans to#EraseTheTruth of the ‘Battle of Pima, New Mexico’.
The video embedded at the bottom of this article, entitled ‘The Aftermath’, gives us those answers. Orbit the Clown even makes a re-appearance…man I hate clowns! But, I love how well done this web series is. Has it influenced you to pick up the title when you may not have been too interested beforehand? Let us know in the comments below and remember to check out the trailer! You can pre-order The Bureau: XCOM Declassified for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
Overview Anytime a franchise becomes popular, various spin-offs or adaptations of the franchise into other entertainment mediums occur. Video games are made into books, books into movies, etc. Nowhere is this more prominent than in the anime industry, where original series are uncommon and most anime adapt a light novel series, a manga, or a video game.
For over two decades, Sega has been releasing the Shining series in Japan with a couple of the titles making it to North America and since then, only two anime adaptations have been created. Now that Sentai Filmworks has brought the second anime series, Shining Hearts, to North America. Being the first product related to the Shining franchise released in English in over six years does the Shining series make a triumphant return to the West?
Story In the land of Windaria, all kinds of people have gathered together in one place. While populated primarily by humans, Elves live in a nearby forest, members of the beast race work throughout the city and even a dwarf lives in the town. This assortment of random elements can be attributed to the fact that the Windaria has seen quite a number of oddities wash up on its shores over the years, including a man named Rick.
Rick is one of many “Drifters” who have washed up on the beach but unlike many others, he has recollection of his past. Lacking any memory, he is taken in by the three girls, Amil, Airy, and Neris who found him that day. While these three girls may have found him washed up with armor and a sword, he has since become a baker working with the three girls at Le Couer. After finding out that he is actually quite a talented baker, he learns more techniques from an elderly woman named Madera who is well known in the land and also talented at baking.
Rick has grown accustomed to his new life as a baker and is more than happy to live out his days with the three girls and interact with the rest of the townsfolk, not caring about his former life. However when another Drifter appears, this time a woman named Kaguya, shades of what Rick’s past life begin to appear. Or at least they would if Shining Hearts had much in the way of an actual story.
Shining Hearts is a perfect example of what can happen when someone attempts to adapt something into an anime which ultimately goes nowhere, serving as something of a terrible commercial for the original product in hopes viewers buy the product after seeing the series. I say this because there is a lot of potential to be found in Shining Hearts and much of it is presented to viewers throughout the series’ runtime.
Thanks to the nature of the bakery and the popularity of Rick and the girls, the four of them spend quite some time interacting with other townsfolk, including clearly special characters in the form of a catgirl named Xiao-Mei, the dwarven smith Hank and his mysterious female Automaton he tries to keep under wraps, members of the palace staff including the rulers of the island, and even a familiar face in the form of Elwyn from past Shining series.
However despite spending quite a bit of time introducing us to each of these characters and exploring their characters a bit, nothing is ever delved further than skin deep until the series attempts to find some sort of conclusion in the last couple of episodes, however it fails even then. While the first half of the series serves as a way to introduce everything in the world and also reveal some details about each of the main cast, it at least saw the characters interacting with one another in a slice-of-life fashion as they tackle the minor obstacles placed in front of them.
If Shining Hearts continued in this form, it might have been somewhat passible as a simple and relaxing slice-of-life anime involving an amnesiac baker interacting with various fantasy races and living his life with three women. However by adding numerous mysteries to the mix, spending time on superfluous characters that serve no purpose in the series’ running time, there is little time to actually try and resolve anything or answer any of the questions brought up throughout the series.
Even when the series then tries to force the answers to these various questions on the viewer, it is done so poorly that when everything is said and done, the whole experience feels superfluous. By trying to cash in on both the fans of slice-of-life series and those who prefer mystery and action, Shining Hearts ultimately ends up being a hodgepodge of ideas that will please no one. While the aforementioned slice-of-life aspect is done in a decent enough manner to be enjoyable as the characters meet each other and interact with one another, not developing any character, even the main cast, beyond surface level and barely looking into any story detail will leave viewers scratching their heads as the final episode airs, wondering what the entire series was supposed to be about.
Visuals Anime viewers who are familiar with a certain artist may feel like they recognize the art style used to design the various main characters, especially the female cast, of Shining Hearts and for good reason. Many of the main characters have been created by Tony Taka, a well-known artist. His designs are superb and the various characters viewers encounter throughout the series are all noteworthy for their appearance.
This impressive artwork transfers over to the world itself since, while numerous backgrounds and scenes are re-used, the land of Windaria is gorgeous. Thanks to a wide-ranging color palette everything feels natural and nothing in the series feels simplistic or an easy cash-in. If there is anything to complain about, it may be that some of Tony’s character designs may be a bit out of place considering the roles the three girls play in the series, something which is highlighted in an accompanying special feature.
Audio Interestingly enough, Sentai Filmworks has given Shining Hearts an English dub to accompany the original Japanese voice work. The English cast is suitable enough for the roles, though there are numerous times throughout the series that the dialogue feels stiffly delivered by nearly everyone involved, making some of the character interactions rough to watch in English.
As far as the soundtrack goes, the background tracks are your standard fare for a series in a fantasy setting, though there are a couple of noteworthy insert songs. The opening theme for Shining Hearts is “Toki Sekai” while the ending is “Fuwaffuwa no Mahou.” Both of these songs are sung by the Japanese voice actresses of Airy, Amil and Neris and while the opening is generic, the ending theme is very happy-go-lucky and cheerful.
Extras Alongside the standard bonus features of a clean version of the anime’s opening and ending theme as well as trailers for other Sentai Filmworks releases, Shining Hearts also comes with two extra bonus feature collections, both of which give viewers a chance to spend more time with the characters.
The first collection is the “Le Coeur Travelogue” which is surprisingly dubbed in English, I say surprisingly since usually bonus features are not presented with an English dub. This set of extras offers viewers some short mini-episodes which mostly involve the cast getting involved in humorous situations while in mostly in chibi form, though some mild fan-service can be found here. The second is the ‘Expressing my Heart Shining Hearts Picture Dramas’ set which is only offered in Japanese and gives viewers a short time with each of the female characters as they expand a bit upon their feelings throughout the series.
Overall Shining Hearts had a lot of potential from the start thanks to some amazing looking character designs and an entertaining cast of characters. However this potential is squandered due to the fact that the writers seeming to believe that they had at least twice as many episodes to work with than what is found in Shining Hearts. While the slice-of-life events in the first half may have been rather plain, they at least felt relaxing and provided a nice change of pace. Unfortunately these disappear once the tangle of plot points is introduced and left abandoned like stale bread.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Pokemon fans have a lot of news to chew on, as first up comes the results of the results of the 2013 Pokémon Championship Series, covering the DS video game franchise as well as the Trading Card Game. After a heated night in Vancouver, Canada, your winners are as follows:
2013 Pokémon TCG Junior Division World Champion, Ondrej Kujal from Czech Republic.
2013 Pokémon Video Game Junior Division World Champion, Brendan Zheng from United States.
2013 Pokémon TCG Senior Division World Champion, Kaiwen Cabbabe from Australia.
2013 Pokémon Video Game Senior Division World Champion, Hayden McTavish from United States.
2013 Pokémon TCG Masters Division World Champion, Jason Klaczynski from United States.
2013 Pokémon Video Game Masters Division World Champion, Arash Ommati from Italy.
Here is an official statement on the event, which will take place in Washington DC – as well as some news on what the winners went home with.
Winners of the invitation-only tournament earned the title of Pokémon World Champion, received a special World Championships trophy featuring Pikachu, won a trip to next year’s World Championships in Washington, DC, and collected scholarship money. The Pokémon Company International has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships since it began running the tournaments.
“The Pokémon World Championships celebrate an international community that is unified by the fun, friendship, and mutual respect that the Pokémon spirit embodies,” said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “We are incredibly proud of all the players who competed this weekend and want to extend a big congratulations to the 2013 Pokémon World Champions who represented their nations proudly.”
Now, for even better news, the Mega Evolutions that were revealed the other day now have more weight, as Mega Ampharos, Mega Absol, and Mega Mawile have been revealed in a new trailer. Check that out below, and stay tuned as more Pokemon X & Y news is sure to come as we get closer to a release date.
A new anime about an agricultural highschool will soon be on our screens and no I’m not talking about Silver Spoon 2. Adapted from a popular light novel, No-Rin is planned to be premiered next year in January which coincidently is around the same time as the premier of Silver Spoon 2.
No-Rin is a romantic comedy set in the Tamo Agricultural High school and focuses on Kosaku Hata who is devastated to hear his favourite idol is retiring from singing. Luck happens to be on his side when he discovers that she is the newest transfer student going under the name Kinoshita Ringo. The ongoing light novel began in 2011 and is written by Shiratori Shirow and illustrated by Kippu.
The anime will be directed by Shin Oonuma, who is also the director for the currently airing show Watamote, and will feature all of the original voice over cast members from the No-Rin Drama CD. A promotional video for the anime was added to the official website last Saturday, and regular updates can be found on the official twitter page. Check out the PV below which is narrated by the main character Kosaku Hata.
Here’s a little piece of anime merchandise just for the ladies. Online retail shop 2PM WORKS have released new merchandise based around the very popular Madoka Magica; these items include fake nails and tattoo stockings, allowing female fans to fully express their love for the anime.
Apart from the usual IPhone cases and mini figurines, seven sets of false nails and eight pairs of tattoo stockings are also available and each set has a specific theme related to the anime. Such themes include the soul gems, ultimate Madoka and enemy witches and their minions. Featured witches include the Elsa Maria, Oktavia and the candy witch Charlotte (before and after transformation). Each set of nails cost 1,890 yen ($18.90USD) and the stockings will have you paying 3,780 yen ($37.80USD) for each pair.
Other products on the site include Madoka themed shoes; however the sale for them appears to have ended. Check out the full display of the merchandise by clicking here.
Overview
Since the announcement of the Wii U, Pikmin 3 has been one of the main topics when it comes to software – but for good reason. Back in 2001, Pikmin provided us with one of the freshest experiences seen in years from the famed publisher, delivering a large dose of strategic gameplay that was hidden by an endearing plot and lovable characters. After 12 years, one sequel, and a ton of teasing, we finally have a proper follow-up for the franchise, along with three new protagonists and a bit of a new direction so to speak. While fans are certainly already going to be drooling over this release, is Pikmin 3 the first all out blockbuster title for the Wii U, or just another safe move by Nintendo in order to make more first party fare come available? Let’s find out.
Story
If you haven’t played either of the Pikmin releases seen back on the GameCube (or their Wii counterparts), you should know that this sequel is from a series that has never been strong on narrative. In the past, we have had Olimar racing to get off a strange planet and Louie joining in to help pay off a large debt, and while those tales were suitable – they certainly don’t come to mind when thinking about some of Nintendo’s releases that have grand storytelling. Pikmin 3 is no different in that sense, but still manages to hold its own with charm and clever dialogue sequences in order to keep the player thoroughly entertained throughout.
Pikmin 3 introduces us to three new characters that come from the planet Koppai. Back on their home planet, food sources are running low and the survival of an entire race depends on their findings and research. It wouldn’t be Pikmin without a disaster however, which means of course that landing on the Pikmin-inhabited world comes in the form of a crash with all sorts of danger running a muck on the surface. With a shortage of food and other hardships rearing their head, our new heroes must work together to overcome the odds, and with new, undiscovered species of enemy and Pikmin alike joining in, the player is sure to find this journey to be one grand adventure.
Brittany, Alph, and Charlie bring a new flavor to the franchise compared to Olimar and Louie, as this trio is far more talkative. Sure, Olimar’s own journal entries did a lot to give his character some depth, but Pikmin 3 goes the extra mile and includes that old format of recording thoughts of the lead character – while still delivering a good number of clever and genuinely humorous dialogue sequences in order to bring out the best in three all new faces. I could even go out and say that after finishing the campaign, I feel that Pikmin 3 is the strongest release this humble little franchise has seen thus far, as it has a hidden depth in underneath what seems to be a general, quirky plot – where three survivors don’t panic, yet band together to find a solution to every threat they encounter. While it isn’t a all out epic piece of storytelling, Pikmin 3 proves that Nintendo still know how to implant heart into a game without pasting the underlying message in front of our faces while we try to enjoy the experience. In my opinion, that is a special quality that many western developers need to start capitalizing on – but then again that whole argument is for another article entirely.
Gameplay
When I first heard Pikmin 3 was going to be arriving on the Wii U, my mind lit up with possibilities. The Gamepad controller has proven in other first-party fare that touchscreen controls can be introduced subtly and still provide a brand new experience – and while playing the Pikmin romp on Nintendo Land, we got a first taste of what could have been utilized for this release with the device. Getting the bad news out of the way first, I was a bit saddened to learn that the Gamepad is far more limited in this installment. Players can use the method of control we seen in the re-release for Pikmin 2 on the Wii, use the Wii U Pro, or settle for the Gamepad to control their squad. Even with that extra layer the screened controller brings to this installment, you won’t be touching the screen to control anything other than the “KopPad” – which is essentially an in-game device that handles all communication between squad-mates, as well as maps and statistics that display performance. Did we want something more? Sure, but these controls are still highly polished, and for a game that has been in development for years – I guess the lack of Wii U specialty features could be expected for a game that was developed during the time of the Wii.
With that out of the way, we can now talk about what is different. Pikmin 3 allows the player to control three party members at once. Yes, we did see this utilized a bit in Pikmin 2 with Olimar and Louie, but the role of alternating protagonists serves a greater purpose that makes this title very distinct from its predecessors. Aside from the glaring fact that you can now separate your team of 100 Pikmin into three individual parties for exploration purposes, the player can also take advantage of many pieces of the world in order to progress further. This means that not only is teamwork critical for getting your daily tasks finished in time – but literally mandatory if you want to get that coveted 100% completion mark.
There is no AI control over Brittany, Alph, or Charlie – only for the Pikmin themselves, who must be thrown into battle or at a target that needs to be collected. This means that multitasking will be a good part of each in-game day – where each character has their own chores to partake in. For instance, say a wall needs to be demolished- but there are two fruits in the area and pieces of a bridge can be found in a cave across the level. Since we are on a timer, this means that the best way to go about the situation would be to have Alph rally a small squad to hammer out the wall, while Brittany takes a team to finish that bridge and Charlie handles the fruit. That is just a minor example that doesn’t carry many of the elements such as enemy encounters and so on with it, but was used mainly to show how much strategy is actually needed to beat the clock. Just because there is a timer doesn’t mean you need to come out of a state of relaxation that the game’s world offers however, as if you don’t complete a task, you can always go back to a previous day or onto the next. If the player exhausts their fruit juice, well – it will be a grim end, but in true Nintendo style, that end does not come too easily as long as a little effort is applied by the player.
Since this is Pikmin 3, it would definitely be wise to talk about the Pikmin themselves. Returning to the party this time around is the rather standard yet still flame-resistant red Pikmin, the waterproof blue, and electric inducing yellow. That does mean that the white and purple species introduced in Pikmin 2 have been left out of the main campaign, but they do find suitable replacements. The rock Pikmin are the first new breed that the player will discover among the lush campaign, and as their name implies, they’re indeed able to pack a punch. These little guys (or big compared to the rest) awkwardly walk and are not built for speed, but are able to lunge their bodies at enemies for a great deal of damage and smash through both glass walls and shards of crystal. The winged Pikmin are very weak, but are able to gracefully flutter over water and other obstacles which makes them one of the preferred groups for the player to obtain. This advantage over land comes at the cost of strength, but with the right balance on a squad – having this flying breed makes life much easier for our heroes.
As with the entire game, strategy is the main focal point when choosing which creatures to come with you. The wrong Pikmin can lead the player to wasting an entire day or to massive extinction if disaster strikes, so keeping that balance and a bit of planning must be utilized in order to taste the sweet victory of fruit and the other goods that are up for grabs. Going back to controls for a moment, the methods are still the same, but some features have been removed in order to let the game’s more basic offerings shine through. No longer can the player actually control where the Pikmin go, as now everything is much more manual. As a bit of a trade-off, the player can now use a dodge whistle to have the hero and their squad quickly roll out of danger if needed – which works at its finest during the hectic boss battles found within the game. Aiming is one of the only problems I have really had on the control front to be honest. Sure, there is plenty of polish to be found, but aiming with the left stick and controlling the camera while figuring out which squad-mate goes where can be a tricky motif to master. The right stick is used, but serves as a supplement to the left stick rather than an entirely new option of control. I would imagine this was done to make all control methods fair across the board, but it actually makes the much more precise WiiMote & Nunchuck setup stand out as the most adequate scheme.
Throughout the game, players will explore, fight off enemies, and gather fruit while utilizing the abilities of their Pikmin to progress onward. The boss battles in Pikmin 3 are brilliant as they take all of the life lessons learned and apply them into one grand battle, where the player must stay on their toes while coming up with a strategic gameplan for victory. Not one boss feels like the next, as each have a unique weak point that has to be revealed with your current squad. For instance, the first boss has a hard outer layer on its body, and the player must bash and break the shell with rock Pikmin in order to start tossing those red workers to go in and do the dirty work. There is a lot of cleverness going on during these battles, and the intelligence of the player’s skills is only tested to provide great rewards after one of these large foes goes down. Boss Rush Mode acts as a brand new way to experience these epic fights, with the inclusion of co-op to get a friend in on the action.
Other co-op centric modes include exploration based romps that will have players seeking a particular treasure or going on an all out hunt for monsters. Bingo Battle is the finest of the multiplayer fare however, as much like Pikmin 2, this mode allows players to choose one of five maps and go after an opposing player, with an option to fight in a two on two format. Making these modes more special is the re-inclusion of the white and purple species, as well as some exclusive beasts and scenery that can only be found in the multiplayer. With all of the secrets, multiplayer modes, and lengthy campaign, Pikmin 3 is not a game that will be put away after a week, and that is what makes this sequel feel like the fullest experience we have seen from the franchise to date.
Visuals and Audio
Pikmin 3 is a beautiful game. Sure, it doesn’t really change a lot of scenery that we are used to with the franchise, but it improves upon every aspect with HD visuals that make these worlds pop with color and life. Everything – and I do mean everything looks better this time around – as the fauna is more detailed, the water is more realistic, and our Pikmin friends are more animated than ever before. Nintendo didn’t need to change the gameplay mechanics to cement Pikmin 3 as one of the greatest installments, but they did need to make sure it stood out visually – and that was accomplished with the large variety of dazzling characters and environments that the player is left to encounter and explore for hours on end.
The soundtrack is equally as inviting as it is in quality, with tunes that can instantly calm the nerves during the most frantic situation. It kind of ties together with what I said earlier in a way. When you are at your worst, sit tight and think of a solution – and that theme of the game has been capitalized on with the many melodies found in Pikmin 3. That doesn’t mean that there are not a fair share of beats that up in tempo during boss fights – as the game definitely can make the player doubt their own skills to set up a chaotic boss battle with its music, but it does mean that no matter which way the tide turns, you will always have some peaceful and quaint earworms to go back to if that day needs to be restarted.
Overall
When I first started playing Pikmin 3, I was blown away by the character and life found in the game, but I felt as if something was missing. That feeling continued on for around ten hours before I realized it was only being caused due to my own selfish expectations of what a new console could deliver. Pikmin 3 doesn’t try to make new fans with some kind of tacked on gimmick. It is a Pikmin game through and through, and cares to do nothing more than improve upon the attributes of its predecessors. The experience is a better one as a result, as this installment is the finest example of the concept to date, and one of the most enjoyable and strategic releases the platform has seen thus far. Nintendo have made a bold statement with Pikmin 3, proving you don’t have to make a game that follows the route of success, but instead lay the bricks of that road in order to keep the franchise fresh and entertaining. Pikmin 3 continues its franchise’s legacy well by effortlessly delivering a wonderful experience, while leaving plenty of growing room for future installments on the Wii U and beyond.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
