Graphic designer Clay Gardner launched a Kickstarter on May the 8th for his newest role playing game, six days have passed and the project already has over $48,000 pledged to it.
OVA: The Anime Role Playing Game’s Kickstarter page describes the game as a tabletop RPG that was “lovingly crafted to capture the diverse worlds of Japanese animation.” Originally created in 2005 the game was met with praise; however Gardner wanted to re-create the game entirely, he has spent years taking out unnecessary items and adding new features to make the game more exciting.
OVAs character creation is one of the main features pushed for the game, the rules are said to be simple to understand and can be tailored to the character concept you had in mind.
Pledges start at $1 which gets you digital wallpapers and avatars of OVA, all pledges over $30 will get a PDF version and a hardcover full color copy of the actual game. People who contribute $125 will be giving the physical and digital versions of the game as well as 3 player books, dice and a dice pouch.
The initial goal for the project was $7,500 and has 34 more days to go before it closes. OVA currently have 956 backers, click here to check out the Kickstater page.
This week, we have a good number of eShop releases in store for the region down under, with a good number of classics coming to the Virtual Console for both the 3DS and Wii U, as well as a shiny new demo for the upcoming Resident Evil: Revelations on the Wii U.
Now, Resident Evil doesn’t drop for another week, but the demo should sell us on the new Wii U control schemes, and hopefully, it will be a smooth transition from the 3DS version. We also have another Level-5 romp this week, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, and the age old favorite – Super Metroid that will cost well under a buck for a small period.
Check out the deals for this week below.
Title
Platform
Available on
Price Point
Resident Evil Revelations Demo
(Capcom)
Wii U
(Download)
Nintendo eShop from 15/5/13
Free
Game Description: The critically acclaimed survival horror title Resident Evil Revelations returns redefined for console complete with high quality HD visuals, enhanced lighting effects and an immersive sound experience. This latest version of Resident Evil Revelations will also deliver additional content including a terrifying new enemy, extra difficulty mode and improvements to RAID Mode such as new weapons, skill sets, and playable characters including Hunk and Rachael!
THE STARSHIP DAMREY™
(LEVEL-5)
Nintendo 3DS
(Download Software)
Nintendo eShop from 17/5/13
AUD$ 10.40 (NZD$ 13.60)
Game Description: From two masters of suspense, Kazuya Asano and Takemaru Abiko, comes a new twist on the genre as players discover a fear born of innocence. You awaken to discover that you are trapped in a Cold Sleep capsule aboard the titular Starship Damrey with no memory of who you are or how you got there. With no tutorials, explanations, or hints provided, the game was created with the intent that self-discovery and experimentation be an integral part of the experience. An inconceivable truth awaits those willing to discover it. Do you dare to hope? Or will despair claim the final shreds of your mind? Discover the mystery of the Starship Damrey to find out for yourself…
Pokémon™ Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
(Nintendo)
Nintendo 3DS
(Card/Download)
Nintendo eShop from 18/5/13
AUD$ 69.95 (NZD$ 89.95 )
Game Description: Get ready for an infinite adventure! Become one of five popular Pokémon and then step into a world where amazing experiences are always nearby. Explore more than 20 exciting dungeons, each one filled with all kinds of Pokémon, treasures and surprises! Not only does each dungeon have its own unique characteristics – the Pokémon found within it, the type of terrain and the number of floors to explore – but the layout changes every time you enter, meaning an infinite number of dungeons await you!
Mega Man 5
(CAPCOM)
Nintendo 3DS
(Virtual Console, NES)
Nintendo eShop from 17/5/13
AUD$ 6.50 (NZD$ 8.50)
Game Description: Proto Man – once the trusted brother of Mega Man – has mysteriously gone berserk, kidnapping Dr. Light and forcing Mega Man to go on the offensive. Assisted by his new sidekick Beat, a robotic bird, and his faithful robo-dog Rush, Mega Man must battle through eight thrilling levels and defeat the robot masters lurking within. Defy gravity in Gravity Man’s stage, chip away the defences in Stone Man’s stage and catch some surf in Wave Man’s stage, before the final showdown!
Super Mario Bros. 2
(Nintendo)
Wii U
(Virtual Console, NES)
Nintendo eShop from 17/5/13
AUD$ 6.50 (NZD$ 8.50)
Game Description: Join Mario and company on a journey to save the world of Subcon from the foul frog tyrant, Wart. Super Mario Bros. 2 offered freedom to explore levels not only horizontally but also vertically; while collecting power-ups, uprooting veggies to throw at enemies and seeking out hidden ‘Sub-space’ rooms. It was the first Mario title to let players control other characters like Princess Toadstool (Peach) and Toad; each with their own skills. It also featured the first appearance of many Mario series regulars, including Shy Guy and Birdo. This is the US version of the game.
Super Ghouls’n Ghosts™
(Capcom)
Wii U
(Virtual Console – Super Nintendo)
Nintendo eShop from 17/5/13
AUD$ 10.40 (NZD$ 13.60)
Game Description: Game Description: The third game in the legendary Ghosts’n Goblins series, Super Ghouls’n Ghosts follows brave Sir Arthur’s quest through demon-infested lands to rescue the kidnapped princess. Battle through deadly stages and beat each level’s boss to progress. But watch out: if Arthur is injured his armour breaks, leaving him only in his boxer shorts! Originally developed exclusively for Super NES, this supremely challenging platformer won critical acclaim and became an instant bestseller. This is the US version of the game.
Permanent Price Reductions
Title
Platform
Available
Price
Tekken Tag Tournament™ 2 Wii U Edition
(NAMCO BANDAI Games)
Wii U
(Download Software)
Nintendo eShop from 17/5/13
AUD$ 74.95 (NZD$ 94.95) to AUD$ 49.95 (NZD$ 69.95)
Special offers
Title
Platform
Price
Available
Super Metroid
(Nintendo)
Wii U
(Virtual Console, Super Nintendo)
Nintendo eShop from 17/5/13
until 16/5/13
Special offer until 14/6/13 – AUD$ 0.30 (NZD$ 0.30)
Kouji Tajima, a Japanese concept artist with a number of film credits to his name, including the upcoming Captain Harlock film, Les Miserables and Total Recall. Not only has he done all of that great stuff but he has also created a gorgeous Attack on Titan mock-up poster for the recently announce live-action adaptation of the series.
The mock-up Attack on Titan poster which can be seen to the right, is so damn good that we wish it was real. Tajima claims that he is a huge fan of Attack on Titan and would love to get an offer to work on the upcoming live-action film. I don’t see why he shouldn’t after making a poster that incredible.
The date on Tajima’s mock-up poster is not the actual release date of the film. The film is slated for 2014, but no official date has yet to be set.
The first 5 minutes of Makoto Shinkai’s highly anticipated The Garden of Words anime film has made its way online. The film recently saw its world premiere take place at the Gold Coast Film Festival, which Shinkai himself attended.
The Garden of Words has also recently been licensed for distribution by Sentai Filmworks, who previously released Shinkai’s Children Who Chase Lost Voices film. Children Who Chase Lost Voices was part of Madman Entertainment’s REEL Anime Festival last year, be sure to check out of review of it here.
You can view the first 5 minutes of The Garden of Words below, for a little bit of a taste of what to expect from Shinkai’s latest work.
Square Enix’s new franchise Gyrozetter recently got an anime adaptation which is airing on TV Tokyo in Japan. The Gyrozetter franchise itself has already spawned an arcade game and a 3DS RPG game is currently in the works.
In order to promote the franchise in all its iterations, Square Enix have begun streaming the Gyrozetter anime series’ first episode on their official Youtube channel. The episode which can be seen below is entirely in Japanese and does not feature English subtitles, but the action should speak for itself.
Gyrozetter is set within a world where teenagers drive cars that just so happen to transform into mecha and fight them, as one does when they are piloting a giant robot. Race on, Gyrozetter!
Matrix Games and Advanced Gaming Systems have released the latest patch to the game Harpoon 3 Advanced Naval Warfare, bringing the game to version 3.11. This latest update, not only fixes a large amount of bugs and gameplay, but also brings existing players up to the same level as the Ultimate Edition players.
To quote the Press Release:
[…]As far as stability and polish, it does bring existing Harpoon 3 ANW customers up to the Ultimate Edition release level for free!
Harpoon 3 is a PC game where players do battle in naval and aerial warfare. The game features both single and multiplayer campaigns based on several scenarios influenced by what-if versions of battles inspired by history.
As many of you probably know, several cities in Australia are hosting the Evangelion Art Expo in succession for the first time outside Japan. An assortment of production stills and sketches are being displayed and a bunch of cool, limited merchandise from Evangelion 3.0’s Japanese theatre screenings is up for sale.
Capsule Computers received permission from NERV HQ to visit Japan Foundation Sydney on May 11 to see what all the fuss is about, and we were fortunate enough to score an interview with the wonderful Yuko Miyamura and attend her Q&A panel as well. But here I’ll be talking about the art gallery itself, in-case any of you missed out on this rare event.
Tucked away in the business district of Sydney, Chifley Square, The Japan Foundation works tirelessly to bridge the cultural gap between Australia and the Land of the Rising Sun. Now its humble gallery space is playing host to art from a series that connected the world to Japan’s anime culture.
Being open to the public for free, the gallery is seamlessly connected from the neighbouring food court so passersby don’t need to look far. Chances are they will hear it first, either from the fans milling around or the anime’s iconic music playing softly in the background.
The bulk of the gallery’s showpieces consists of original production sketches and memorable scenes from the ongoing Rebuild films, with a sample of the final image displayed alongside. However, fans hoping to see more from the long-awaited 3.0 film will be disappointed as further details and spoilers are kept under wraps until its overseas debut at REEL Anime later this year.
Looking at the painstaking work that was put into the Rebuild of Evangelion project makes you appreciate how monumental a task Hideaki Anno has on his hands, and the numerous delays and production length start to make sense. An awesome highlight was the hand drawn, life size tapestries of Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley in her Test Type plugsuit. Asuka’s playful pose is contrasted eerily by Rei who is covered in bandages.
The centre of the room was dominated by a TV set up to show various scenes from Evangelion 2.0 during the different stages of production. Scenes such as Mari in her Evangelion Unit-05 launching the assault on the Third Angel or when the falling Sahaquiel is destroyed in a tsunami of blood. . From the basic sketch to the final product with added CG, attendees got to see the blueprints of their favourite scenes.
It was hard to miss the merchandise table and its long queue, covered in awesome Evangelion 3.0 loot such as mugs, towels, calendars, iPhone covers and hooded jackets. Some items sold out quick, though, such as the red jacket which I’m sure was just about gone when we arrived.
Although not exactly at bargain price, the goods weren’t much more expensive than buying and shipping it from Japan. You’ll also have to factor in Madman trying to break even and making these available here worthwhile. Along with these items there were also your standard Madman video releases including the slipcase re-release of Evangelion 1.11 and Evangelion 2.22 for Blu-ray, in case you don’t have them yet (and you should!)
I honestly hope more like this is organised in the future as it was a valuable insight into anime production and a real treat for the fans. It’s the next best thing to flying over to Japan and visiting the studios, really. A heartfelt thanks from Capsule Computers to The Japan Foundation Sydney and Madman Entertainment for their time and effort.
On the 11th of May, 2013, we had a chance to attend the ‘Evangelion Art Exhibition‘ at the Japan Foundation Gallery in Sydney’s Chifley Plaza. We were able to photograph the gallery in order to give you a look at what was on show at the gallery for Evangelion fans.
The ‘Evangelion Art Exhibition‘ was a glorious and affectionate look at this legendary anime series, that provided a great deal of insight into what went into making Evangelion. The gallery had original artwork and sketches on display, including storyboard art and character designs. It was truly a sight to behold for any Evangelion fan and to make things even better it was free to attend.
The Exhibition has been touring Australia, having previously touched down on the Gold Coast and with plans for a Melbourne showing on the cards. The Sydney showing will conclude on Saturday the 18th of May, 2013.
If you were unable to make it to the gallery in Sydney, do not fret as the we have some photos of the ‘Evangelion Art Exhibition‘ for your viewing pleasure below.
“Presented by Madman Entertainment, NTV Films, Ground Works and Japan Foundation Sydney.”
Many of you may not have heard of Smooth McGroove, but those of you who have likely can’t get his tunes out of your head. If you’ve not become a fan yet, it will only take one listen to get its hooks into you.
Though he does other music as well, he’s becoming a well-beloved voice in the gaming community for the vocal covers he does of classic video game music while his cat, Charl, typically makes an appearance at some point.
Though he’s covered quite a few classic games already (Chrono Trigger, Mega Man X, and more), it was only a matter of time before the Sega Genesis‘ speedster mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, made its way to our aural canals. That day is today.
For those of you itching to see what I’m talking about, be sure to click on the Youtube video below this article to check out Sonic 2’s Chemical Plant Zone theme song. I’m positive you’ll be pleased.
Smooth also has a nice, big catalog of titles he’s already done including the jammin’ Street Fighter 2 song, Guile’s Theme:
If you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out his official Youtube channel here, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Rumours have begun circulating that a PlayStation 3 remake of Tales of Symphonia is in the works under the title Tales of Symphonia: Perfect Edition. The supposed Perfect Edition will be a HD remake of both the original Tales of Symphonia game as well as its sequel Dawn of the New World.
Recently Spanish games website Koi-nya spoke with the Tales series producer Hideo Baba in which they asked him about the rumours. While Baba could not confirm the rumour, he did however say that it would be “a representation of the dreams and hopes of the fans who have long wanted it,” and that ‘something’ will be announced soon for those fans.
According to Koi-nya, Tales of Symphonia: Perfect Edition will be heading to North America and Europe along with Tales of Xillia 2. This would not be the first time a Tales Of game has been remade for the PlayStation 3, with Tales of Graces f being released last year.
At this point in time these rumours should be taken with a grain of salt until an official confirmation is made. Stay tuned as we keep you updated on this developing story.
The first 5 minutes of Makoto Shinkai’s highly anticipated 
