After losing many game developers over the last few years, from prominent established big names like Team Bondi through to the multitude of smaller companies that shut its doors in the wake of the financial crisis, it seems the Australian gaming industry is again on the rise. Having finally clued on to what the rest of the world already knew the Australian Government has sparked into action with a modest 20 million dollar funding for new and existing companies and projects.
In a recent ABC interview, Screen Australia’s Fiona Cameron said although times had been tough for the industry, their was a ‘seismic shift in the games industry’ that will hopefully start to rectify the 50% drop in the workforce across the industry since 2009. She credits the huge increase in the adoption of smartphone technology worldwide as a catalyst for the growth, with games now being able to reach a much larger and broader audience than ever before with 92% of households owning a gaming device and the proportion of female gamers on the rise.
Local developers still have a lot of faith in the market, and who could blame them, with Fruit Ninja, the second most popular smartphone game with 400 million downloads being developed in our own backyard (or someone elses in Brisbane), something that seems to be a common changing thread throughout the industry. While there is and always will be a place for the huge gaming conglomerates, the days of the backyard developer are among us, with many choosing the comfort of their own homes in place of the office environment.
Morgan Jaffit, a Brisbane Game Technician says “We’ve moved away from working in what I would style a factory environment, where we’re working on intellectual property owned by other people in large companies, towards a home-grown ethos where we build our own IP, our own brands. Many individuals and groups alike have banded together and new companies have sprung up full of like, new ideas and more importantly, in the majority of cases, years of experience working for multinational gaming companies.
The Governments 20 million dollar funding will begin soon and will involve grants and business loans to assist existing companies as well as provide a basis for incentive for others to follow.
As everyone has been made previously aware, Disney have acquired the rights to the LucasArts company, and with it, the Star Wars brand. This means that the company Disney will be in charge of all things Star Wars unless they choose to license parts of it out.
What makes this interesting is that there hasn’t really been a lot of news being spread about the franchise. Even more interesting is that it seems that a popular Youtuber has some pretty keen information hunting skills and has in fact found what could very likely be legitimate casting news for the latest Star Wars film, Episode VII.
This latest piece of news shocked me, and it is almost unbelievable. So I’ll be labeling this as a rumour until it is absolutely verified. But the hints are still there. Check out the video embedded below to find out the latest in Star Wars Episode VII casting.
Hellsing Ultimate Collection 2 Blu-Ray Studio: MadHouse Publisher: Madman Entertainment Release Date: Out now Price:$59.95 Available here
Overview
As many fans would probably know by now, Hellsing Ultimate, the well known and much loved successor to the original Hellsing anime series, recently made the jump to Blu-Ray release in Oceania. This is a series that has become well known for its up-front level of violence, surprisingly deep and structured character development as well as the creation of one of the most sadistically popular anime badasses of all time. Hellsing Ultimate is designed to appeal to a certain special variety of anime fan. These are the fans who laugh maniacally at the feast of violent madness that is so consistently offered throughout the course of this series.
So far, two Blu Ray collections have been released, containing OVA episodes I-IV and V-VIII respectively. A review of the first collection can be found on our site here. If you were a fan of the first collection for the afore mentioned reasons, then you’d best be prepared for what collection 2 makes to offer. The box art for collection 2 has been outfitted with a shiny black R18+ rating, which is a promise of a step UP in violent content in comparison to collection 1’s MA15+. Long time fans will already know what they’re in for, so the real question is: how does the Blu Ray Collection 2 stack up?
Story
In the first collection of Hellsing Ultimate, new viewers were introduced to Alucard; an honor bound vampire lord whom had sworn an oath to serve an order of Protestant Knights known as the Hellsing Organization. In their quest to protect the world from numerous supernatural forces, Alucard serves as the organizations ultimate weapon. Audiences were also introduced to Seras Victoria, Alucard’s vampire fledgling who was still coming to terms with her new status as a member of the living dead. The events of the first collection revolved around the pair being dispatched to investigate and VIOLENTLY put down a number of supernatural insurrections around the world. Throughout their battles, one thing had become abundantly clear: that an enigmatic group called Millennium was orchestrating these events for some yet unknown grand design.
Collection 2 opens with Millennium on the cusp of launching their major assault on London. With only the Hellsing Organization standing in the way of their mad slaughter of millions, the enigmatic ‘Major’ sends an elite attaché of Nazi Zombies to strike at the beating heart of the organization. At the same time, the Iscariot Organization gears up to take on Millennium with an army of their own, though their intent is quickly revealed to be more sinister than their catholic makeup belies. Close to the end of the collection, each of the three groups: Hellsing, Iscariot and Millennium, reveal their respective “trump cards”, creating one crazy three-way confrontation.
Many characters of the series undergo a significant amount of character development in this collection, chief among them being Seras. Her struggle with her clashing human and vampire nature’s reaches a head, and her role quickly changes from that of a comedic support character to one of the most badass chicks in anime history. On the other hand Alucard’s role in the series is very much downplayed in this collection, only making an appearance in the final episode. However, this protagonist’s lack of screen time is quickly made up for when Alucard reveals his most powerful ability, known as “Level Zero”. This revelation also comes with a significant dose of character development and an explanation as to why a vampire as powerful as he is bound to the will of humans.
Where the first four episodes of collection one dealt with character introductions and contextual set up, the episodes of Collection two are centered on what is widely considered to be the major conflict of the series. All four episodes are structured in an arc style of storytelling, unlike the episodes of Collection 1 which featured more one-shot standalone episodes. Even so, the story still flows at a well considered pace. Despite the abundance of over-the-top action sequences, such scenes are broken up by some very well written transitional dialogue which serves to not only let the viewers metaphorically “catch their breath” but also heighten suspense at the next action scenes to come. And with a series so intently focused on delivering fast paced, bloody action, this effect makes the viewing experience all the more attention grabbing.
This particular collection is a completely madness induced slaughterfest from start to finish, but like the first collection, the level of violence is never so realistic as to cause nausea in the viewer. That said, the R18+ restriction should be adhered to quite strongly, not just due to the violence, but also due to numerous disturbing scenes audiences are shown in Alucard’s and Seras’ pasts. The warning is there for a reason people. However, for all the brief unpleasantness, Collection 2 of Hellsing Ultimate is still an intense roller coaster of action driven events and one insanely entertaining anime (both figuratively and literally.)
Visual
The presentation of Hellsing Ultimate in Blu Ray is nothing short of amazing. Much like the first collection, the presentation of a series that is still a good five years old still stacks up, and in fact outshines many other anime series of the modern day. Character modeling is handled with a great amount of care with its detail, as is the manner in which said characters are bloodied, torn apart or liquefied in action sequences. Each character’s design is handled in a way which exemplifies their individual visual characteristics, which are at their richest in looking at Alucard’s and Seras’ transformation forms. After each transition, you can still tell that they’re the same character, but the look and feel of both is completely different.
If there would be a single colour that viewers are liable to get used to seeing, it’s RED. The fires of London and the bloody execution of violence will provide exposure in droves, which contrasts very strongly against the dark drawn backgrounds. Speaking of which, the background detailing is similarly well presented, highlighting a great visual juxtaposition between the colorful foreground elements with dark environmental ones. With the exception of confusing elements of mangled anatomy, there is never a scene where the viewer can’t visually discern what is going on.
Audio
The soundtrack of this collection is very much on par with that of the first collection, though the themes associated with action sequences do feel much faster paced to compliment the rapid deliverance of action. The increased intensity of the musical scores appropriately fit the increase in pace and euphoria as the bloodiest battle yet takes place.
Voice acting is equally as well handled in this second collection as it was in the first. The English translations are still performed exceptionally well, with a hugely respectable performance going to Crispin Freeman once again. However, this time around Katherine Gray and Steven Brand steal the show for their portrayals of Seras and Anderson, whose character performances really shine given their great level of development, and for continuing to nail those British and Irish accents without making them sound forced.
Extras
As is standard for a Madman DVD and Blu Ray release, Hellsing Ultimate Collection 2 is filled with a variety of bonus features. Of course the standard episode commentaries, trailers and textless openings are present, as is standard fare. The collection also contains a special round table segment which addresses both fan questions of the series creators and voice actors. A dubbing session for the show is also shown in a part of this presentation, which gives fans a great insight into what things are like behind the scenes in a recording environment.
The bonus features also includes a special panel event in Las Vegas 2010 for AnimeVegas, and most interestingly of all, a special subbed “prequel” episode called The Dawn, which explores the roots of the conflict portrayed in this collection, as well as the presence the Hellsing Organization had in one particularly famous conflict in human history. Like the first collection, if you enjoy your series extras, you won’t be disappointed.
Overall
Hellsing Ultimate Collection 2 takes everything from the first collection and makes it a faster, bloodier and crazier than the first. This series still remains a joy to watch from beginning to end with its intriguing characters; unique world perspective and challenging what some are liable to consider heretical views. Each episode will keep you fixated and wanting to see more, a feeling which is exemplified at the end of this collection’s events. Nonetheless, the madly maniacal rush of adrenaline you will get from this series is something which has yet to be challenged or reproduced in any series, and is something that truly must be experienced.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
U.S. data collection company Superdata has crunched the numbers to reveal the health of the video game industry. While the numbers are for the U.S. only, it’s fair to say the results will impact gaming globally. So broadly speaking, what do the numbers look like?
On the plus side March showed an increase of 2.9% month-on-month dragging the annual numbers up 1.3% year-on-year after February’s decline. This increase is due to sales reaching $875 million in the U.S. alone for March. Unfortunately this has been balanced off by social gamers tuning out as time passes on the bigger titles. The data shows that it’s the casual gamers ditching the joystick as conversions and revenue per user are up.
Free-to-Play MMOs are still pulling in audiences, with an extra 3 million players joining the fold in March. Monetisation is improving with time as well with revenue in the sector increasing by $195 million. Hawkenand MechWarrior Onlineare currently doing a lot of the heavy lifting in the sector.
Despite Pay-to-Play MMOs losing badly, having dropped 289,000 subscribers in the last month, revenue is stable at $86 million. Further decline is projected in April.
Mobile gamers are starting to show a disinterest in the platform but revenues are still strong in the ever expanding mobile platforms. A 7% year-on-year increase in revenues has converted into a pay day of $157 million for the sector this month.
Downloadable PC and console games are doing the largest amount of leg work for the sector. Of the $312 million revenue generated in March, equalling a 19% increase from last year, Bioshock: Infinite and Tomb Raider by themselves account for 9% of total growth.
That’s it for the numbers. Unfortunately the industry has seen better days but these numbers are still healthy; even if they do indicate negative traits that we’ve seen in the gaming world.
Toriko: Part 4 Studio:Toei Animation Publisher:FUNimation Format: DVD Release Date:May 7, 2013 Price:$39.98 – Available Here
Overview: The Toriko experience has certainly been an interesting one so far. Since FUNimation began releasing the series at the beginning of the year, anime fans have had a chance to experience a shonen series unlike any I’ve personally seen before. One focused almost entirely around food. Now while Part 3of the release was more combat oriented compared to the first two releases, does Toriko: Part 4 bring monster slaying, ingredient hunting and food back to the forefront while also keeping the show interesting?
Story: Let me start this off with a bit of a warning, anyone attempting to jump into the series at this point will not only be completely lost on the storyline of Toriko but also missing out on important plot points. Therefore knowledge of the rest of the Toriko series up to this point is required not only for enjoyment but also understanding the various terms used in the series.
Back when Toriko: Part 3 ended, viewers probably felt shortchanged thanks to the fact that despite focusing entirely on the longest running story arc of the series, the “Century Soup” arc, the release ended one episode away before the end of said arc. Although rather predictable, Toriko: Part 4 kicks things off by bringing the “Century Soup” arc to a close with the first episode before moving on with the story.
Unfortunately, it quickly becomes evident that after the long running Century Soup arc, the writers of Toriko decided to take a break because rather than keep things moving at a brisk pace, half of Toriko: Part 4 consists of episodes which simply feel like filler. The following mini-arc presented after “Century Soup” is completely inconsequential and only shows off more of the strange creatures in the world of Toriko, nothing more.
Thankfully, once the series moves past the filler mini-arc, viewers will find that Toriko: Part 4 actually contains not only character development, but new revelations about the world that show that Toriko and the rest of the Heavenly Kings are still nothing more than small fish swimming in a big pond full of predators and mysterious creatures with unfathomable power.
While battling against the Gourmet Corps’ forces has always been a challenge for Toriko and the group, rarely has there ever been a time that Toriko was actually pushed to the limit by a monster or even the environment. With the revelations of the Gourmet World and the power wielded by the older generation of Gourmet Hunters, viewers are left knowing that despite his beastly strength, Toriko has quite a ways to go.
Now while the Toriko series hasn’t been completely devoid of character development since it began, the only character to really ever be developed, outside of inconsequential powering up, is Komatsu. However Komatu’s development has always been squandered instantly thanks to the fact that no matter what type of successes he had up to this point, he remained the whiny boy who practically “fudges” himself anytime something happens.
However Komatsu, and by proxy Toriko thanks to their bonding, receives some actual noteworthy character development in this release. Not only does he grow more confident in his own abilities he also becomes a useful member of the group. Of course whenever he is presented with a dangerous situation he still will react rather characteristically, but even then he no longer believes that everyone is going to instantly be killed.
Toriko: Part 4 finally finishes the “Century Soup” arc before languishing in the middle in filler territory before finally sending Toriko and Komatsu off on a character building journey together. Of course things also take an interesting turn when the true terrors of the “Gourmet World” are revealed and even Toriko finds himself at death’s door despite his confidence.
Visuals: While Toriko’s animation quality and artwork has always been a mixed bag throughout its release history, Toriko: Part 4 falls into the middle of the spectrum of decent and terrible artwork. While viewers are presented with some jaw-dropping scenery and great food-themed areas in Part 4, the character animation itself is quite poor at times, often suffering noticeable drops in quality that remain apparent for minutes at a time.
As mentioned before, one of the biggest highlights of Toriko is the exaggerated food and ingredients that the cast hunts down and creates. This offers viewers not only various lush landscapes vibrantly colored with a wide-range of colors, but outlandish animals/monsters as well which helps keep things fresh.
Audio: The English voice track for Toriko has always been very impressive and it remains true with this release. Toriko’s voice actor Ian Sinclair is priceless as the muscle-bound glutton with his exuberant voice acting perfectly fitting the character. The rest of the cast also offers impressive voice work and again it is worth highlighting that a few of the voices in Toriko are actually quite fresh to the voice acting scene, so this is especially noteworthy.
As for the background music, Toriko: Part 4 continues to be very forgettable as far as the series’ soundtrack goes. There is an unknown insert song with vocals in the second episode of this release which was quite refreshing, though this treatment is not given to any other episodes contained in Part: 4. The opening theme continues to be “Gatsu Gatsu” by Akira Kushida which, despite being a bit old now, still is an excellent opening that fits the mood of the series perfectly. As for the ending track, we have a more dramatic song called “Sabrina” by Leo Ieri. At first this ending theme felt out of place, however it quickly turned into my favorite ending theme in the entire series.
Extras: Toriko: Part 4 comes with a rather interesting set of special features that, while not too far from the norm, are interesting thanks to one inclusion. Before that however we have your standard inclusions such as the clean opening and ending themes, trailers for other FUNimation shows, the US trailer for Toriko, two episode commentaries and an actual video commentary which is quite a delight.
The first commentary track is for episode 40 and it features Ian Sinclair, the voice of Toriko, and Jarrod Greene, the voice of Coco. These two spend most of the commentary discussing various “foodie” topics as well as what Jarrod’s favorite meal would be for his birthday. The second track is for episode 46 and for this one, Ian Sinclair returns once again and Josh Grelle, the voice of Komatsu, joins him for the second pairing of this group. Since the two already discussed their favorite foods etc in their first commentary, this one focuses more on the episode itself and how the characters have developed sine the start of the series.
Closing out the bonus features we have the “Feast with the cast of Toriko: Episode 42 Video commentary” which features Ian Sinclair the voice of Toriko, Jarrod Greene the voice of Coco, Aaron Roberts who voices Sunny, and Morgan Garrett, the voice of Tina. Each cast member brought a dish that was inspired by food from Toriko, including some very weird combinations and they discuss the episode while pigging out on the food. This is a very nice change of pace and a sign that hopefully more video commentaries like this will be included instead of the simple audio recordings.
Overall: Once more viewers find themselves in the food-rich world of Toriko with a great English cast but sub-par visuals. Toriko: Part 4 expands the world of the series greatly by not only giving viewers their first glimpse of the Gourmet World, but also showing just how far along Toriko actually is when it comes to the true challenges Gourmet Hunters can face. Actual character development somewhat makes up for the poorly-paced story, though given the arc that Part 4 ends with, viewers are left with the reveal of a new character and a new challenge for Komatsu and Toriko that goes past simply defeating an opponent or conquering an ingredient.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Dead Island: Riptide Developer: Techland Publisher:Deep Silver Platforms:PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed) Release Date:April 23, 2013 Price: $49.99
Overview: Dead Island was originally released back in 2011 and my experience with the title was a very enjoyable experience full of zombie slaying goodness that was almost devoid of the various issues with bugs that many people had with the title. Now two years later Techland and Deep Silver have returned with Dead Island: Riptide, a game which has been emphasized as more of an expansion than a full blown sequel. As a spin-off/expansion, how is Riptide? Let’s find out.
Story: The story of Dead Island: Riptide actually takes place immediately after the events of the original Dead Island. The survivors of the Banoi outbreak managed to escape with their lives and have found what they think is a safe aircraft carrier run by a military organization. However it quickly becomes apparent that something shifty is going on as all of the survivors are imprisoned in the bowels of the ship. Here they meet a new survivor named John who has been held captive for quite some time.
After an unknown issue causes a zombie outbreak aboard the ship, causing it to crash, the group of survivors washes up on a new island which is called Palanai. Palanai is suffering from the same zombie crisis that afflicted Banoi, however the stakes are higher than ever now that a surviving member of the military informs the group that a nuclear weapon will be used on Palanai soon and they must hurry to escape the island with their lives.
Similar to Dead Island in a number of ways, Dead Island: Riptide is quite sparse on its storytelling. There is certainly a story to be told in the game and the secrets behind the zombie outbreaks are in fact revealed in Riptide, however the storyline is very basic. Even when the game introduces a plot twist involving mutagens, the story is unfortunately very predictable and quite barren.
This is perhaps due to the fact that the game’s storyline is told through a series of quests that have to be completed and often these quests simply involve going to a certain area and gathering a missing item, killing a few zombies or simply reaching a specific area. There is a little spice here and there in these mission and two sequences in particular are not only enjoyable but actually create a tense suspenseful atmosphere, but many of them simply devolve into fetch quests.
Thanks to the siege system that will be discussed later, players are supposed to take a bit more interest in their fellow survivors and their survival, though ultimately they play such a minimalistic role, or barely any whatsoever, in the storyline it is almost pointless to be concerned for their safety. It is also worth noting that there seem to be a number of plot holes that are left unanswered by the time that Dead Island: Riptide wraps up. This means that while there are a few new developments and twists to the story and the reason for the outbreak is revealed, many will find the story of Riptide lacking.
Visuals: Something must have went wrong when it came to creating Dead Island: Riptide’s environments. While its predecessor that took place on the island of Banoi was a beautiful resort town that starkly contrasted the horrible things players were seeing, Palanoi is quite an ugly place. There are only two, though you could stretch things and say two and a half, zones in Dead Island: Riptide and each of them feels bland and unimaginative. The starting area may look decent enough initially, but quickly players will find themselves exploring bland areas that are poorly designed. That says nothing for the amount of building interiors and “Dead Zones” which are duplicated almost to the exact detail numerous times within the game. It is worth noting that the environmental system with the heavy amounts of rain that can fall at times does do wonders for the game’s atmosphere.
As for the zombies themselves, they appear quite similar to what gamers experienced in the original Dead Island; though their clothing does match the more subdued nature of the island compared the resort that was Banoi. There are a few new enemy types included in this release as well and although they are nothing to really write home about, it is nice to see some more variety to spice things up.
It is worth noting that the zombies are also more than willing to part with their limbs similar to the past game. Literally disarming zombies or slicing off their legs or heads remains both visually satisfying and quite visceral as the first person combat and camera pack quite the punch when it comes to combat. Unfortunately I must mention that the game does suffer from quite a bit of slowdown. This primarily occurs whenever the player is fighting in water, though given the flooded nature of Palanoi, there is water everywhere and any combat that takes place in these flooded zones will often slow down to a complete crawl.
Audio: While Dead Island: Riptide can still be quite the scary experience, the terror aspect of hearing zombies in the distance is practically non-existant in this release. Perhaps it is due to the fact that the ambient noise I enjoyed from the first game has either been removed completely or I failed to notice it at all, but the moans and snarls from the zombies lack the feel that made the first Dead Island an experience to remember.
As far as voice work goes, the cast has remained the same for the playable survivors and John’s voicework is commendable, though some of the accents used in the game which seem to still be Australian in nature are forced sounding.
Gameplay: One of the first things that players should note when they start up Dead Island: Riptide is that they can import their previous character with all of their levels and skill points. However it is worth noting that thanks to their confinement on the boat, all of their weapons and money has been removed. This means that players start from square one equipment wise if they choose to import their character. Of course starting fresh is always an option, especially for those who want to check out John’s fresh set of skills and focus on hand-to-hand combat.
The old survivors have been given a number of new skills as well and with the level cap raised to 70, players still have to be a little choosy when it comes to selecting their skills as there aren’t enough points to go around, but by the time that cap is reached nearly every skill can be leveled up fully. Also added into Riptide is an experience system for the various weapon types: Blunt, Edge, Hand-to-Hand, and Firearms. Using these weapons on zombies raises the level of those weapon types and this adds various bonuses for using weapons of those types, such as more XP, damage or Rage points. While a neat system, the fact that every survivor’s skill tree is designed specifically for a specific weapon type in mind means that while you can certainly work on leveling up your blunt weapon skill, if your character’s entire skill-set adds bonuses to edged weapons, it is rather pointless.
Also newly added into the game is the aforementioned siege system. At various points in the story players must defend their base of operations from an incoming horde of zombies. Not only can players die (only to lose money) in these fights, but other survivors can lose their lives if the player isn’t quick to help them. This is because not only will you be fighting in these siege battles, other non-immune survivors and the other playable characters will be CPU controlled to defend the base.
Despite there being various quests to give the survivors stronger weapons, even at their strongest the survivors feel very inadequate compared to the player and will almost always need saving of some kind. This means that while you are trying to not only set up fences to hold zombies off, you’ll also be running from place to place to save your hapless allies.
Riptide also sees the addition of a boat as a faster way to navigate the flooded island of Palanoi. Traveling through the deep waters of flood zones is extremely tedious without a boat, making aquatic travel a necessity. While driving the boat you can use a boost system to ram through zombies wading through the water, often creating a satisfying visceral collision. However if you aren’t careful, zombies can rip your team members off of the boat or even climb onto the craft and tackle you into the water, forcing you to fight for your life before returning to your dinghy.
Outside of these additions, Dead Island: Riptide is still very much the same game as Dead Island, players will come across numerous weapons and creating poisonous, electrified or weapons on fire is always a great experience that allows for the game’s satisfying combat system to always be enjoyed. It is worth noting that the hand-to-hand weapons and mines that can be used to help in sieges or normally are really the only actual weapon additions in Riptide while everything else will be extremely similar.
The game can still be incredibly difficult at times and thanks to the zombies scaling to your level, there is never a time that you’ll truly feel safe. Even the weakest zombies pose a major threat as they can levy enough damage that simply taking a few hits can put you on the ground. This makes taking out these enemies by slicing their limbs off, throwing weapons at their heads or whatever else you feel like doing all the more satisfying however as the first-person camera really helps sell the experience.
It is also worth noting that as mentioned earlier, there are a few new enemy types. These enemies add a bit of a challenge as those familiar with the series will be caught off guard, especially when it comes to special versions of basic zombies appear. The “Grenadier,” “Screamer,” and “Wrestler” special zombies are certainly unique, however they aren’t all that challenging due to their very obvious weaknesses. It is also worth noting that there are special areas called “Dead Zones” where players can challenge an enclosed area full of basic zombies, infected, special versions of infected and “Boss” type enemies which are extremely strong and difficult to kill. These Dead Zones often contain some of the best loot in the game, though these Dead Zones are also some of the most re-used segments in the game.
As for the game’s online system, the co-operative mode remains online only as there is no split-screen option however it continues to play flawlessly. With the game’s drop-in and drop-out online system, players can easily join a team of three other survivors to tackle various missions with four players at a time without a hint of lag, though the frame rate can drop with four players fighting enemies at one time.
It is worth noting that the bugs that plagued the original Dead Island are still prevalent in Riptide. There are numerous graphical glitches, glitches involving quests either not finishing properly or requiring an incorrect number of items and even a few odd bugs that teleport players to the other side of the map and more. While many of these do not ruin the experience and even the quests can be completed once you gather more than the shown amount, they are quite noticeable.
Overall: Dead Island: Riptide is without a doubt a very enjoyable game. With the same satisfying combat system and enjoyable weapons of Dead Island, taking on the countless zombies in Palanoi is a blast, especially when you team up with your friends. However even though this release is an expansion, the game’s unimaginative and repetitive environments, bland storyline and blander quest system, issues with slowdown and bugs and a number of new additions that just fail to work well make the experience pale in comparison to the original.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Star Trek: The Video Game, available from April 26th in Australia for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC, provides players and Trekkies (will most likely be one in the same) a brand-new canon story within the new universe continuity of the films, set after the first, but before the upcoming Star Trek: Into Darkness.
Paramount Pictures hired BAFTA-award-winning writer Marianne Krawczyk (God of War), to pen the narrative for the title, which we had the chance to get some hands-on time with earlier in the month. Paramount have just released a new video which featuresexecutive producer Brian Miller delving deeper into this rich, exciting story, examining the plot that awaits players. Check it out below, along with the making-of video released a few days ago.
Capcom Arcade Cabinet 1984 Game Pack Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Platform: Xbox Live Arcade (Reviewed), Playstation Network Release Date: April 16, 2013 Price: 800 Microsoft Points ($9.99 PSN) BUY NOW!
Overview
Say what you will about digital content, but when Capcom say they are going to deliver – they always pull through (fans of Mega Man, note the word digital content there). Capcom Arcade Cabinet has seen quite a bit of love over the past few months, capturing the publisher’s golden years in the arcade, but the releases are coming to a close, and what better way to cool off than in the year of 1984 with Pirate Ship Higemaru, 1942, and SonSon. Yes, we have gone back even further, where the gameplay is raw and the visuals even more simplistic. Was it wise for Capcom to go off with this collection on such a note, or is this finale satisfying enough to tie everything together? Let’s find out.
Gameplay
Pirate Ship Higemaru is the first title I decided to play out of this pack, as honestly – I had not even knew of it’s existence until viewing the game. Players take the role of a sailor by the name of Momotaro in this romp, and have to defeat a band of pirates Donkey Kong style. By that I mean barrels of course. You see, this title is set up like a maze and the enemies can kill with just a touch. It’s sort of like Pac Man, but without the dot collecting. Pirates that are lined up properly can be killed in succession, and once the player progresses to the next stage – the difficulty rises up and more pirates infiltrate the large ship of sorts. I really wish there were more to it, but this was 1984 and as it’s own product, Pirate Ship Higemaru doesn’t need a lot of gimmicks to be mindlessly entertaining.
Next up comes 1942, which of course came before the war plane themed shooter, 1943. All players need to do to win is simply fire away at every flying object that moves, collect power-ups, and avoid contact with enemies. Unlike 1943, this earlier version is much more unforgiving, as if you die – it is game over. There is no time to “insert another credit”, you just get to enter your initials, claim your high score – and try again. I’ll admit, I went in a bit cocky to the genre, but the score attack premise of all three titles here quickly grounded my mind, but the charm of a raw, authentic challenge was just too addictive to quit entirely. We see many titles that want to reward your failures with gold, and maybe that is a problem in today’s market. 1942 is all about teaching the player to dust themselves off and try again from the start. Sure, the gameplay isn’t as refined, but it does offer more reward than it’s successors, and that alone is what makes this aerial journey so enjoyable.
Finishing things up comes a game many have heard of, played, and love by the name of SonSon. Crafted more as a platformer than a shooter, players take control of our little ape friend and must scroll sideways, jump up and down to platforms, and shoot every enemy that crosses their path in order to progress. SonSon, out of all of the titles in this package is one I remember, but never fondly as the constant moving up and down while trying to shoot just seemed to be a little too overwhelming. That was when I was young however, and I have had more than enough time and experience these days to get the grasp of trial and error styled gameplay. The screen scrolling alone makes the player constantly stay on the edge, as there is no stopping to regroup after a swarm of enemies, it’s just one wave after another – and knowing when to jump up or down is crucial if you want to progress. I can say I still am not sold on SonSon being enjoyable due to my own taste palette, but after getting rather far this time around, I do have a bit of a new-found respect for the age-old classic.
Visuals and Audio
As I mentioned, these three titles are from the year 1984. Even compared to games that came out one year before, one will quickly learn about how fast technology moved due to the graphical limitations on display, as SonSon in particular features little animation and uses it’s gimmickry to make the game feel alive. Yeah, sure…these are all classics and that must be taken into consideration before dropping the gavel, but if you are someone looking for “Arcade Classics” that deliver in all areas, you probably won’t find it here as all that is present is the meaty, high-score themed gameplay mechanics with a side dish of cold, raw challenge.
The soundtracks present are really all about personal preference. 1942 in my opinion has the other two titles beat hands down in terms of music and sound effects, but many will probably take a liking to the other whimsical tunes offered up as they do fit well with their innocent protagonists. While not the most refined, I would say to take the audio as more of a history lesson from the year of 1984. This was the year where Atari had faded away and publishers were trying to shatter the market’s perception of video games – and with that in mind, it’s easy to see why these three titles started Capcom on a wave that continues to be rode by gamers looking for that special, raw experience that could never be replicated by anyone else.
Overall
1984 was a very transitional year in gaming. We live in a time now where the next crash of the industry looms due to DLC and DRM frustrations, as well as AAA titles never being able to sell enough. Back then however, that crash just occurred, and getting the gamer back into enjoying the hobby as a whole was the main goal, which was met through the deliverance of pure and challenging gameplay. Sure, these three titles will not blow anyone away, but serve this collection well as a turning point that took us out of the gutter and into the Super Mario Bros., Sonic, and Mega Man titles that truly revived the scene entirely. Due to that large factor, this trio belongs in every Capcom fan’s collection in one form or another, but if you have yet to add them to this digital Arcade Cabinet, there is no better time to make the download and rediscover the roots of one of the most loved companies in gaming history.
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K: Ever since Professor Oak welcomed us to the wonderful world of Pokemon and asked us our name, and his grandson’s name, fans have been enthralled by a number of cute little creatures. As time passed there came to be more than the original 151. Some people didn’t take this too well. Since Chikorita poked its little leafy head into the fray as number 152, some “fans” of the Pokemon series have been in uproar over the decline of a once great series. Some only accept that there are 151 Pokemon and that everything else doesn’t count. Myself (Kane) and Frank, are here today to delve into this issue. Is Pokemon as good as it ever was, or has it lost the flair that defined it?
F: Even to this very day Pokemon has been given as much crap as it has praise and for a franchise like Pokemon it really shouldn’t be this way. It’s embarrassing to see fans like this turn on the people that made them feel good in the first place. I say “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” because one day when these comments and complaints actually come to fruition and Pokemon is no more than just a memory (I hope that day never comes) and a bunch of old, unplayed games, people will look back on it all and question themselves as to why they complained in the first place. The Pokemon haven’t gotten worse! People just don’t know what they expect! Everyone wanted a new Mewtwo, or at least a return of Mewtwo, and that’s what we were given in the new movie Extremespeed Genesect: The Reawakening of Mewtwo yet as soon as his new form was unveiled the Pokemon world went back into bedlam and was once again divided. Do we really need such a love/hate relationship with this franchise? Surely they know what they’re doing right? We’re going to try and figure this one out.
K:The creators have, to an extent, tried to appease some of these “genwunners”, so called by the internet, in Generation V. A majority of the Pokemon added in this generation feature similarities to the original 151. Woobat=Zubat, Timburr=Machop, Tympole=Poliwag, the list goes on. But despite this, people twist it into another reason the original was the best, citing a loss of creativity and reuse of old ideas. Essentially its reached the point where it is impossible to win with some people. The Pokemon that caught probably the most amount of criticism was Garbodor. The trash Pokemon. How people hated it. “Were they blindfolded when they drew this? Seriously, this is a Pokemon?” It basically became the face for hatred against new generations. But I really don’t know why. Yeah, it looks weird, it’s a trash heap after all. I actually like the guy. Some hate it with a burning passion, but I want to point out Muk. A Gen I Pokemon, the apparent pinnacle of the Pokemon series, who is a blob. A literal sludge heap. Don’t get me wrong, I like Muk too, he’s awesome, but how is he so much better than Garbodor? How much more work went into the design of a purple sludge than into a garbage creature? How can one be hated so much more than the other?
F: Adding onto my friends point I would also like to alert everybody to the existence of both Rattata and Bidoof; both of which are shithouse Pokemon, sorry for using the scientific term, yet everyone seems to hate one more than the other. Guess who? Pokemon really hasn’t lost it’s flare, not one bit. If we’re talking gameplay of Pokemon games; the devs have done only good, if you can have the same type of gameplay for the entire run of a series, only adding bits and pieces here and there, you’re on to something incredible! In terms of Pokemon designs, I’m sure we’ve said this but, essentially they have the same level of design and thought put in as any other Pokemon from any other generation, okay, look, maybe the legendary trio (not the deer) from the latest generation were a bit lazy and unnecessary but it really doesn’t warrant a flurry of negativity.
K: Alright, so we’ve spoken about comparisons and continuing themes, but what about the new? Yeah, some of the new designs are more detailed than the old ones, but that’s to be expected. Pokemon was revolutionary back in the day, so you could have pink goo and call it a Pokemon. It takes a little more these days. Same as how old superheroes have the least creative names ever, but they’re still iconic. My mind goes to the Tao Trio, Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem. In the most recent instalment Black and White 2, Kyurem became the first Pokemon ever with the ability to fuse. Now how is that not cool. Fans of the series, with the appropriate ability, have been creating fusion sprites for a long time. I remember way back in Gen I, a rumour passing around that you could fuse Pokemon together if you beat the Elite Four fifty times in a row. Those rumours were everywhere back then, but we were kids how were we to know? Whether or not fusion will be granted to anyone other than Kyurem remains to be seen, but it’s still one hell of an ability, and I mean an Ice move that can burn or paralyse, that’s nothing but awesome.
F:Also the addition of Scald as a water attack that can burn an opponent is great! There are certain evolutions within the Pokemon games that just shouldn’t be disputed; like the form changing of Pokemon, we saw this in Gen 4 with Rotom the, originally, Electric/Ghost type who had six different forms (his original and then five others) each sporting a different type, now tell me how that’s a bad thing? I’m not saying people complained about this specifically but it’s the principal that not all new generations are bad. Look I’m a big fan of the first two generations, I really am, but I’m so damn excited to see what’s to come from Pokemon X and Y, more than words can describe! I’m excited to see whether or not we’re going to be introduced to more evolutions of older Pokemon which is something I guarantee people will be complaining about. Calling yourself a true fan of Pokemon but only recognising the first Generation is so contradictory and really nobody but the people working at GameFreak should be able to criticise what comes next. But like I said; I’m still a big fan of the first few generations and I wish we could see a comeback of a lot of the old Pokemon that doesn’t mean they are the only true Pokemon. I can understand why a lot of older fans stick to the first generation; it was the one you remember the most, the one you remember playing as a kid, it probably got you through a lot of hard times, it was probably the first thing you’ve ever really liked for this long and it’s got a lot of sentimental value with nostalgia being a very powerful thing, I say just broaden your horizons and open up to new things, you don’t have to like every new Pokemon that is to come but you don’t have to hate all of them either.
In Conclusion: Look when you get right down to it, it’s all a matter of opinion. Which Pokemon you like, which ones you can’t stand, that’s your choice as a player. Hell, the franchise itself gave up the “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” tagline back in Crystal Version. It’s not wrong to love Gen I above all others, but why is there so much hatred towards the rest. Pick what you like and play it. Brag about how your Charizard is an absolute beast, but don’t scream at the guy who prefers Infernape. When it came out, Gen II seemed odd, adding to Pokemon, but as time passes they fall into the category of classics. We’re already getting snippets of news regarding the newest generation and it looks impressive. 3D graphics, another hundred or so Pokemon, a new plot to keep us playing. Same old new stuff. The franchise keeps evolving, but at the same time it stays true to its roots. In the end one article probably isn’t going to change you’re mind, but it’s still good to hear the other side of the argument. The side that says: chill, seriously, they’re all Pokemon. Mewtwo itself even said that “the circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant.” It doesn’t matter which generation a Pokemon comes from, you’re allowed to like it. Just enjoy the game.
Children Who Chase Lost Voices Studio:Comix Wave Films Publisher: Madman Entertainment Format: DVD, Blu-Ray (Reviewed) Release Date: March 20, 2013 Price:$39.95 – Available Here
Overview: It is only on a rare occasion that a true masterpiece of a film comes along. Makoto Shinkai’s anime epic Children Who Chase Lost Voices is one of those rare gems. After we reviewed the film at last year’s REEL Anime festival, I was left with one question – How do you top this?
After watching this film for a second time now, I am still at loss as to the answer to that question. This is an incredible film in all regards, a truly thoughtful tale spun with purpose and heart. Children Who Chase Lost Voices is the height of more than a decade of work and it honestly feels like Shinkai’s magnum opus.
The journey that Shinkai takes us on with Children Who Chase Lost Voices is unforgettable, touching, heart-breaking, honest, captivating and beautiful in ways that words just can’t describe. Once you say ‘Hello’ to this film, you’ll never want to say ‘Goodbye’.
Story: Children Who Chase Lost Voices is both perfectly simple and deeply complex. It is easy to write this film off as a fluffy family adventure, but it is so much more than that. There is a heart and soul underneath all of this film’s layers, honest and pure, raw and chaotic, blissful and raging, lost and found, pained yet hopeful. This is not your average film, this is life in motion.
Shinkai’s genius is evident throughout this film. He just sees something that very few can, something so intangible yet so very real. Many of his films focus on separation and distance but none are as introspective and thoughtful as Children Who Chase Lost Voices.
On the surface this film is about a journey deep beneath the earth, but it is so much more than that, this is about a journey deep into ourselves. Throughout the course of the film, Asuna and her companions learn that nothing is permanent, life burns out and hello turns into goodbye. Dealing with this separation, this painful truth, is what Children Who Chase Lost Voices is all about.
There is a poignancy to this film that very few can ever grasp. To accept life is to accept death, all things begin and all things end, ever hello always ends in a goodbye. How we find the strength deal with these things is what makes us human.
All three of the film’s protagonists take a very spiritual journey, each compelling and moving in their own way. Each character has a reason to adventure into Agartha, what they find deep below may not be what they expected but ultimately they discover that sometimes you have to say goodbye, no matter how painful that may be.
Shinkai has crafted a truly affecting film that tells a story that anyone can relate to. We all know the feeling of loss, that hope to return to the way things once were. Shinkai captures that to perfection in a film that can be enjoyed by everyone. This isn’t your ordinary anime film, this is something special, a genuinely life-changing experience. This is the magic of film.
Visuals and Audio:
Once again Makoto Shinkai has made one of the most aesthetically beautiful anime films of our generation. With each of his film’s his artistic styling improves and becomes more refined. Children Who Chase Lost Voices is the summation of that growth. The sprawling landscapes of Agartha and even those of Earth are vividly detailed and awe-inspiring. Shinkai really solidifies himself as not only a superb story-teller but also an excellent artist. He has really polished his craft, seemingly taken a few steps from Studio Ghibli in character design, but all the while retains his unique style that we have come to know from his works and then builds upon it.
I must say, this film is truly done justice on Blu-Ray. The full level of beauty is crisp and sharply conveyed on this platform and I honestly cannot imagine it looking any better. The Blu-Ray version’s visual experience alone is worth the price of admission.
Children Who Chase Lost Voices is also blessed with a remarkable soundtrack, exquisitely composed by Tenmon, a long time collaborator with Shinkai, having previously worked on all of his film’s musical composition. The film also has a lovely and very fitting theme song titled ‘Hello, Goodbye and Hello’ performed by Anri Kumaki.
This particular release of Children Who Chase Lost Voices also happens to feature a brilliant English dub along with it’s original Japanese audio. The English dub features a truly stand-out performance from Hilary Haag as Asuna. Interestingly enough Haag previously played to role of Akari Shinohara in the English dub of Shinkai’s 5 Centimetres Per Second film.
Extras:
Madman Entertainment’s release of Children Who Chase Lost Voices is an impressive one to say the very least coming bundled with a plethora of special features of which an entire disc is dedicated to. Not only do you get the incredible film but you also get a Making Of featurette, interviews with the cast and Makoto Shinkai himself, trailers, promos and a very special look at the works of Makoto Shinkai.
Despite this astonishing amount of content, the release is not without its oddities though. I found it very curious that Madman has once again used the Kaze/Manga UK Blu-Ray release, this is very evident due to a major inconsistency on this Blu-Ray. When you load up the first disc the film is referred to by UK name Journey to Agartha, this is an odd inconsistency to say the least. The other oddity was the fact that the special features disc was not in fact a Blu-Ray but actually a DVD. While both of these things are strange, this product is overall truly excellent and without a shadow of a doubt deserves a place in any anime fans collection.
Overall: Children Who Chase Lost Voices speaks to me. No matter how many times I see this film, it still moves me with its sway. If I could hazard a guess at what this film was made of I’d say heart, soul and some kind of magic.
Makoto Shinkai is a very remarkable man whose genius may not be as appreciated as it should be. Many call him the ‘New Miyazaki’ but that he isn’t. He is the first Makoto Shinkai and this film is his masterpiece.
This is an experience that I’ll always cherish and it is one that I’ll return to again and again. Having seen this film a number of times now and I know one thing for certain. No matter how many times I say ‘Goodbye’, there is always another ‘Hello’ on the horizon. So for now, I’ll see you again, somewhere deep below.
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