Today NIS America announced that they will be releasing a Limited Edition version of Time and Eternity when the game comes out on July 16th. While this version of the game costs $64.99 compared to the $49.99 price of the normal version, it comes with two awesome extras.
The bundle contains the above Double Vision poster which measures at 24″ x 36″ and a fully colored hardcover art book which will likely contain some pretty great artwork considering the visual style of the game. It also includes the game itself and the Timeless Love soundtrack CD, but this CD is also available with all first run copies of the basic Time and Eternity edition.
Get ready for some pink! This week on the eShop front is full of the pink fluff, with Kirby’s Super Star and Dream Course making their debut on the Wii U Virtual Console. Even sweeter is the news that those who purchased Kirby’s Adventure will be able to swoop up each at a discounted price (by 30%) for a limited time.
Also out this week is a demo for Project X Zone, Resident Evil Revelations for the Wii U, and several other titles that are sure to please. Check out the list below and get those downloads a flowing!
Title
Platform
Available on
Price Point
Kirby’s Dream Course™
(Nintendo)
Wii U
(Virtual Console – Super Nintendo)
Nintendo eShop from 24/5/13
AUD $10.40 (NZD$13.60)
Game Description: Kirby’s Dream Course puts a new spin on golf, with Kirby as the ball and enemies as obstacles! Conquer eight different courses packed with water, spikes, conveyor belts and trampolines. Roll Kirby to take out enemies, and then head for the hole that appears. Adjust the angle of movement, add spin and power, and also copy the powers of enemies; such as using a parasol to float, ice to freeze water or fire to burn bad guys! Kirby’s Dream Course also features a two-player mode to compete against a friend.
Kirby Super Star™
(Nintendo)
Wii U
(Virtual Console – Super Nintendo)
Nintendo eShop from 24/5/13
AUD $10.40 (NZD$13.60)
Game Description: Kirby Super Star features not one, not two, but six games in one – plus extra modes and minigames – all starring the powerful pink hero with the ability to copy his enemies’ abilities. Each adventure has its own storyline, featuring Kirby battling against classic foes like Meta Knight and King Dedede, and unique gameplay; from platforming to treasure-hunting and even a space shoot ‘em up! A friend can also join in as Kirby’s helper, using their own copy abilities to attack enemies and come to Kirby’s aid.
The “DENPA” MEN: They Came By Wave
(Genius Sonority)
Nintendo 3DS
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 24/5/13
until 30/5/13
AUD$10.40 to $8.20 (NZD$13.60 to $10.70)
Game Description: The Denpa Men are mysterious creatures that float around radio waves in your daily environment. Catch the Denpa Men to form a party, which you can take on a variety of adventures in this fun, new Dungeon RPG! Each radio wave territory has its own unique Denpa Men. Go to many different places in real life to find Denpa Men with a great variety of skills, and go on an exciting adventure to save your loved one from the clutches of the King of Evil!
Resident Evil™ Revelations
(CAPCOM)
Wii U
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 24/5/13
AUD$59.95 (NZD$79.95)
Game Description: The critically acclaimed survival horror title Resident Evil™ Revelations returns redefined for console complete with high quality HD visuals, enhanced lighting effects and an immersive sound experience. This latest version of Resident Evil Revelations will also deliver additional content including a terrifying new enemy, extra difficulty mode and improvements to RAID Mode such as new weapons, skill sets, and playable characters including Hunk and Rachael!
LEGO® BATMAN 2: DC Super Heroes
(Warner Bros.)
Wii U
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 25/5/13
AUD$69.95 (NZD$89.95)
Game Description: The Dynamic duo teams up with legendary DC Super Heroes to save Gotham City! DC Super Heroes Unite! Play as Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, and more! Discover LEGO Gotham City! Harness the power of the Wii U GamePad for unique game play and control functionality.
Donkey Kong™ Country Returns 3D
(Nintendo)
Nintendo 3DS
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 25/5/13
AUD$59.95 (NZD$79.95)
Game Description: Go ape with the swingin’ king of the jungle! Donkey Kong and his simian sidekick Diddy Kong are back for more action-packed platforming antics in Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, an enhanced version of Wii adventure Donkey Kong Country Returns. Jump, race and roll your way across Donkey Kong Island on a quest to rescue DK’s beloved banana hoard from the trouble-causing Tiki Tak Tribe. Stomp on enemies, grab banana bunches and ride rockets, rhinos and much more in classic 2D platforming gameplay, stuffed full of spectacular scenes and tricky traps. Use both characters’ special skills to overcome all kinds of obstacles and explore each stage to the full – hop Diddy onto DK’s shoulders and use his Barrel Jet to hover them both over large gaps, or roll to your heart’s content and trample everything in your path.
PROJECT X ZONE: A Lethal Surprise Demo
(NAMCO BANDAI Games)
Nintendo 3DS
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 24/5/13
Free
Game Description: When a rift in time and space suddenly appears, a doorway to various universes is opened allowing both heroes and villains from different worlds to cross paths. Players will be able to take control of a massive selection of heroes including favourites such as Jin and Xiaoyu (TEKKEN), Toma and Cyrille (Shining Force EXA), to X and Zero (Mega Man X) and discover the cause of the rift and stop evil from coming through and spreading into their world. Enjoy over 50 characters from 29 franchises from Namco Bandai, Capcom & Sega, including Street Fighter, Tekken, Darkstalkers, Devil May Cry, Sakura Wars, Tales of Vesperia and many more!
Rabbids® Rumble Demo
(Ubisoft)
Nintendo 3DS
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 24/5/13
Free
Game Description: Rabbids have escaped from your cartridge all over your Nintendo 3DS and found their way into the real world. You must collect them throughout 7 worlds full of mini-games and bring the complete collection back, one battle at a time!
Crash City Mayhem Developer: Rocket Games Publisher:Ghostlight Games Platform: Nintendo 3DS Release Date:May 9, 2013 Price:£19.99
Overview:
There comes a time when games can be so shamelessly over-the-top that they become genuinely endearing. Crash City Mayhem is one of those games. It is preposterous to say the very least but there is something so deeply charming about this game that it is impossible not to get swept up in the mayhem.
Originally titled ‘Runabout 3D: Drive Impossible‘ in Japan, Crash City Mayhem is a ridiculous exploration of destruction and the gleeful fun that comes with it. If you love action movies of the 80’s and 90’s, the cheesy humour and over-the-top sensibility of Crash City Mayhem will be right up your alley. It’s crazy, it’s wild, it’s fun – it is Crash City Mayhem.
Mayhem awaits you in Crash City.
Gameplay:
The core premise of Crash City Mayhem is one that can be best described as a kind of mad genius. You crash into things and you get rewarded for doing so. There is a sense of wish fulfillment there that adds to Crash City Mayhem’s charm. Doing these insane things in the world of Crash City is pure fun. Crashing into a police vehicle and watching as it rolls into on coming traffic leaving nothing but destruction in its wake is tantalizing sight to behold. The destruction is addictive to say the very least.
Crash City Mayhem is more than a concept however, there is a great deal of layers to this game that add a sense of depth that is easy to appreciate. There are two gameplay modes; the main mode which is the standard story mode and there is also the driver’s ed mode which will help you sharpen your skills to get you ready to make some mayhem in Crash City.
The story mode is the centerpiece of the game and is actually a very deep experience with a large amount of variety on show. It has a distinctively arcade feel to it, both in terms of gameplay structure and visuals. In the story mode you play as a washed-up spy turned courier taking on one job to the next. Each episode or mission can be done on different difficulties as well as a free run which allows you to roam through the world of the episode.
There is a real challenge to some of the missions, as you need to take into account how much time you have to accomplish each task as well as keep your vehicle in good nick all the while avoiding the long arm of the law in the form of the police. Completely missions allows you to unlock more vehicles and upgrades, giving a greater level of customization to the game’s proceeding, which can be well crafted to the style of play you enjoy most.
Pimp out your Scooter with a Bus Horn if you fancy.
Some mission types include chasing a vehicle and crashing into it, crashing into objects and racing to a certain goal. The variety is immense and it goes a long way to keeping the game fresh. On top of that there is a wealth of replay-ability to each episode, which players wanting to get a high score and a perfect run as well as gain more points having the option to get behind the wheel again for a mission.
If arcade style fun is to your tastes, then Crash City Mayhem will provide you with a great deal of enjoyment. There is a lot to see and do in this game and the madness at its core is intoxicating. It is a bizarre game to say the very least, but its oddity is what makes it so endearing. It is like Daytona USA meets Grand Theft Auto, you can’t help but be swept up in the mayhem of Crash City.
No need for petrol when you’re running on a full tank.
Visuals and Audio:
Aesthetically Crash City Mayhem is a unique blend of arcade racers such as Daytona USA and OutRun. It is very vibrant by design and features some very interesting vehicle designs. The highlight of the game’s visuals is the locations throughout Crash City that you find yourself in. There is a real Japanese style to it that feels actually quite unique for this type of game. Some of the visual effects such as smoke and fire look a little sketchy but all in all the game is a visual treat that has a distinct atmosphere and personality that is uniquely Crash City Mayhem.
Not only does Crash City Mayhem have great visuals, it also features an eclectic soundtrack that is every bit as addictive as the gameplay itself. There are a number of pulse-pounding tracks that will rock you right through your system. It hearkens back the feeling of oldschool action films which featured very similar compositions. It is dripping with atmosphere that just shouts action and excitement. Thankfully you can listen to the BGM in the settings section on the game to get a better listen to these great tunes.
Life is a Segway, I wanna ride it all night long!
Overall:
What we have here is a very special 3DS game in Crash City Mayhem. It is a non-stop thrill ride, that goes right on over-the-top without a hint of shame. It is unadulterated fun that can be enjoyed by anyone willing to take it for a spin.
It must be said that Ghostlight have done an excellent job with localizing this title for release. If it weren’t for them a title such as this may have slipped under the radar and never seen the light of day in English, thankfully that was not the case and we can all enjoy the crazy fun of Crash City Mayhem.
This could very well be the surprise of the year for the Nintendo 3DS. Crash City Mayhem is crazy fun and quite frankly a must-play for 3DS owners. This game is absolutely insane but I wouldn’t have Crash City Mayhem any other way. Embrace the mayhem, go wild in Crash City.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Indie developer Mousechief has announced that their narrative strategy game, 7 Grand Steps: What Ancients Begat, is being released for the PC and Mac via Steam on June 7, 2013.
A finalist at the Indie Games Festival 2013, 7 Grand Steps combines the historic nature of Civilization with the family management of The Sims in a tactical board-game mechanic where the player must advance their family lineage through the ages.
Utilising a narrative or novel approach to the game, Mousechief promise a 15-20 hour experience with replay value and a choice of four social classes. Players will advance humanity’s history, discovering inventions and embarking on adventures all the while nurturing the generations of your family.
Mousechief is offering a demo and a paid Beta, after which you can receive the final Steam game for free. Have a look at the latest trailer below to see its unique approach.
As the gaming community knows, E3 is only a few weeks away and as such companies have started saying what they will be showing off at the event. In Aksys Games‘ case, it appears that they are planning on announcing two new games. They will also be showing off Muramasa Rebirth on the PS Vita, A.R.E.S. Extinction Agenda EX for Xbox LIVE Arcade and some mobile games.
As for what their game announcements could be, it seems many fans are looking for either an announcement concerning Demon Gaze on the Vita or the Western announcement of BlazBlue: Chronophantasma, but these are merely guesses at the moment.
If for whatever reason or another, you cannot simply download Ubisoft‘s I Am Alive and From Dust for the PC or haven’t picked it up for either the PS3 or 360 then you’ll be happy to hear that the games are now available in physical form down in Australia. The games are part of Ubisoft’s budget PC range called “That’s Hot!” and are priced at $20 each.
The physical copies are available for purchase at EB Games and JB HiFi. Those interested in seeing if they are worth picking up or not can check out our reviews for the Xbox 360 versions of From Dust and I Am Alive here and here respectively.
Get ready to draw your six-shooter asUbisoft have releasedCall of Juarez: Gunslinger today for retail PC ($19.95), digital download on PC ($17.95), Xbox LIVE Arcade (1200 Microsoft Points) and PlayStation Network ($21.95). You can see the launch trailer embedded at the bottom of this article.
The Techland developed Call of Juarez: Gunslingeris a true homage to the tales and legends of the Wild West era. Players will embody Silas Greaves, a ruthless bounty hunter who has spent his life on the trail of the West’s most notorious outlaws. The telling of his personal story is linked to the history of the Wild West, drawing on a mix of myths and historical facts. Made of memorable encounters with some of the West’s most notorious names such as Billy the Kid, Pat Garret, Jesse James and Butch Cassidy, the game blurs the lines between man and myth.
We will have our own review up in the coming days.
Dead Ahead Review Developer:Mobirate Publisher: Chillingo Platforms:iPhone (Reviewed), iPad, iPod Touch, Android Release Date: 23/05/2013 Price:FREE – Available Here
Overview
To tell the truth I’ve had a soft spot for endless runner titles ever since I first picked up Temple Run. However since then I’ve played and reviewed about a million vanilla titles of the genre and as a result I feel like I’m slowly becoming brain dead. Thus it makes me extremely happy to report that developer Mobirate’s latest effort, Dead Ahead is a fresh and exciting take on the concept and is probably one of the best endless runners on mobiles to date. I’ll be honest – this is the second zombie-related “free-to-play” title from Chillingo I’ve reviewed in a row, and the last one was a bit of a disappointment. But oh boy, Dead Ahead is one hell of a treat!
Gameplay
The concept of Dead Ahead works so perfectly it makes me wonder why we haven’t seen a thousand other games just like it. It’s an endless runner disguised as a zombie survival title. Generally when I play a game I just wanna kill things, but If I have to run from something personally I’d prefer it to be a zombie. Dead Ahead has a unique take on things and as a result has a slight learning curve. At first it appears to be very much like Jetpack Joyride as it’s a side scroller, the vehicle moves by itself and you got to dodge obstacles by moving up and down, etc. But Dead Ahead is so much more than that. The twist with this title is that the obstacles that are dead ahead (see what I did there?) are usually the least of your worries. An endless horde of zombies are chasing you and can catch up. There are a few ways to kill the zombies. Firstly, you have a gun so you can shoot those behind you, but like all good zombie survival games you have limited ammunition. Players can also accelerate to go faster and escape the zombies, but the catch there is moving faster means you have a higher risk of crashing into the obstacles in front of you. The most encouraged way to kill zombies is to make them run into obstacles or other zombies. You know those scenes in action movies where the hero must escape a missile that’s locked onto them? It’s a lot like that. Move out of the way at the right moment and the zombies with run into things, killing them. With so many options and tactics at the player’s disposal, Dead Ahead actually feels like it has a ton of depth to it.
But it doesn’t stop there. In fact the better you get at the game, the better the game becomes. The further the player gets in a level, the more various types of enemies are introduced. There’s exploding zombies, the banshee who will charge at you and even boss characters who jump at you and take some time to kill. Furthermore the more coins you get the more types of weapons, vehicles and stages you can unlock. On top of all this there is a challenging level up system that feels greatly rewarding as it allows players to unlock new items. To level up players just need to complete three unique tasks that surprisingly have plenty of variety and never feels repetitive or pointless. Even Facebook integration has been done in an interesting way. Players are given banners showing their stats that they can share on Facebook so even that has a nice twist to it. Sure players can also take advantage of in-app purchases but they never seem forced as the game is so fair with coins. For players who are struggling to complete tasks, they can be rewarded with more coins by defeating bosses, getting high scores or completing daily challenges. This is how free-to-play titles should be. The option for in-app purchases is present, but you never have to use it to enjoy the game. With such a strong balance of challenge it is tempting at times, but a true hardcore gamer would most likely embrace this.
Audio & Visuals
Dead Ahead is filled with style. The retro, pixelated presentation adds to the gameplay’s arcade feel (I’m getting a kind of Metal Slug-ish vibe) and character design is outstanding. But it’s the little things that make it a joy. From the blood that trails off your wheel from running over a zombie to the fight game styled font that appears when racking up combos Dead Ahead is truly a work of art. Audio is right up the same ally as sound effects for weapons certainly packs a punch. Music isn’t crazy and in your face but instead hangs in the background pumping up your adrenaline with strong kicks with an outlandish feel (I’m getting a kind of Metroid-ish vibe). All in all Dead Ahead is presented in the same way the gameplay is: pretty damn good.
Overall
I’ll put it in clear terms: Dead Ahead is a breath of fresh air amongst an endless sea of endless running titles. It’s surprisingly deep for a game in this genre, it’s fun, it’s addictive, it’s challenging, it looks & sounds fantastic and most importantly it’s never aggressive in regards to in-app purchases. Dead Ahead is a prime example of what developers should aim for in regards to free-to-play video games. An easy to recommend title for both casual and not-so-casual gamers alike.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Yesterday it was revealed in Famitsu that Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate would see the addition of Ein, Hayate’s amnesiac alter ego and Virtua Fighter’s Jacky Bryant. Today the company chose to reveal how the characters will look in the game and a snapshot of them fighting already existing characters.
Jacky takes on Christie while Ein takes on Hitomi, which is a bit ironic considering their history together. It is currently unknown how many more characters will be announced before the game is released in Japan on September 5th, but with the previously announced Momiji, the roster has seen three additions so far.
Zombie Fish Tank Developer: Aidem Media Publisher: Chillingo Platform: iPad (Reviewed), iPhone, iPod Touch Release Date: May 23rd, 2013 Price: $0.99 – Available Here
Overview
In the illustrious career of the zombie disease, zombie-ism has affected humans, dogs, crows, and now fish. Zombie Fish Tank stars a fish looking to predate his way up to the top of the food chain and seek revenge on the people that turned him undead.
Story
Zombie Fish Tank’s basic premise is that our hero has been subject to many cruel experiments that eventually resulted in his zombification. Now, our yellow scaled friend is off to grow larger and larger while he seeks revenge on the humans. First, he must survive the insane creatures the lab has produced. The plot is a little light, but serves as a good enough reason why we should sate our zombie fish’s insatiable appetite. The game does have many witty little pieces of writing scattered through the game, which is a pleasure to read. Some of it is genuinely laugh out loud to read.
Gameplay
The core mechanic in Zombie Fish Tank is to eat smaller fish while avoiding larger fish. Getting eaten will result in game over. Once a certain amount of prey is devoured, the zombie fish grows in size and the hunter now becomes the hunted. After devouring a fish, there is a random chance that a can drops that contains power ups, debuffs, or radioactive material called Zomboil. Zomboil serves as in game currency. The game is composed of forty levels split into ten zones. Each zone composes of three normal levels and a boss fight. Each normal level has three optional tasks that need to be completed that add an extra level of difficulty to the game.
With in-game currency, players are able to buy a variety of limited use power ups, new in-game power ups, and a variety of fish that can be placed into a fish tank to provide a stat boost for the player. Eight fish can be placed in the tank at any time, but there are 81 different fish to purchase. Many of these are either more potent versions of previous fish or have the same stats as other fish, allowing players some leeway to pick the best looking fish while still able to stack certain stats.
I thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay of Zombie Fish Tank. The boss fights were an interesting change of pace, and some were downright difficult. The prey/predator mechanic is a lot of fun. However, Zombie Fish Tank is one of the few games where the motion controls are by far superior to the touch controls. The gyro controls can be re-centred at any time with a quick double tap of the screen. The motion controls were very responsive and accurate. On the other hand, the touch controls were extremely clumsy. Using the touch controls required very fine movements to control the zombie fish. Even then, half the time I felt I wasn’t really controlling the zombie fish so much as I was encouraging him in a certain direction and eventually he would eventually fling himself that way.
Visuals
Zombie Fish Tank is a done in a slick 2d animated style. There is a large assortment of mutated fish, ranging from monstrously cute to completely strange looking, that help provide a nice visual variety to the game. The backgrounds manage to be full of life without being distracting to the gameplay. The in game UI is well designed, but I found the menus to be visually busy. This gave a cluttered feel to the menu that I do not like.
Audio
The audio in Zombie Fish Tank is rather average. The music is a little on the generic side, but is pleasant enough to listen to. The sound effects are a little lacking; there is only a small handful of chomping sound effects. I would have preferred to see more variety in the chomping noise as it is such an important mechanic of the game. Players won’t be missing much by playing with the sound off.
Overall
Zombie Fish Tank is a good game. It combines snappy writing with a fun predator/prey mechanic. The visuals are excellent, but the audio side is a little lacking. The touch controls could be improved, but it is thankfully eclipsed by the fantastic gyroscope controls. For $0.99, you really can’t go wrong with Zombie Fish Tank.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
