This week on Anime Say! I return with a review of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s ‘Battle Tendency’ story arc. The ‘Battle Tendency’ arc is also commonly referred to as Part 2 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. This arc follows the battles between Joseph Joestar and the dastardly Pillar Men. What did I think of the arc? Watch below to find out.
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Vince McMahon, Chairman & CEO of WWE just now revealed his #BigReveal that he was teasing via his Twitter account this week to the WWE Universe which turned out to be an exclusive sneak peek at the spectacular WrestleMania 29 set at MetLife Stadium. The sneak peak is only 1min in length but certainly is more than enough to get any WWE fan excited for the grandest stage for them all. Check out the sneak peak below and listen to Vince sell the HEL out of the Wrestlemania 29 set!
Wrestlemania 29 will be live this Sunday 7th April 2013. Who’s ready to Rumble? Let us know what you think of Wrestlemania 29 set in the comments section below! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh YEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
First announced in 2011 and after spending more than a year in localisation limbo, Nippon Ichi Software America has announced Black Rock Shooter: The Game will be available on the PSN on April 23 in the US followed by Europe on April 24. NISA has announced a price of US$19.99 and Vita compatibility.
Unfortunately the game will not be available to download in Canada, Mexico and select countries in Europe due to licensing and copyright restrictions.
Developed by Imagepooch for the PSP, Black Rock Shooter: The Game is based on the famous illustration by huke and its subsequent song, spawning a fan base that has seen the character realised in anime, figures and merchandise.
Set in the year 2032 the player controls Black Rock Shooter, a battle android created to fight aliens that have ravaged Earth. She awakens too late, however, as there are only twelve humans left on the planet.
The game’s second official English trailer as well as a variety of screenshots can be seen below.
Stanley Technician iPhone 4/4s Case by Incipio Manufacturer: Incipio Platform: iPhone 4, iPhone 4s Price: $39.99 Buy it Here
The Stanley Technician is a yellow and black semi-rigid case constructed from TPU and polycarbonate. Although branded by the famous tool manufacturer, the case is actually manufactured by Incipio. The Technician comes with a belt clip holster, a screen protector, and a cleaning cloth.
Installing the Stanley Technician is literally a snap. Although it is made out of two different materials, the case comes in one single piece. Simple snap the phone into the Technician and it is ready to go. The fit is actually very tight and will require quite a bit of force to pull the phone out of the case.
I am a big fan of TPU. It is a semi-rigid material that provides a bit better drop resistance than traditional polycarbonate. Unlike most silicone or rubber used in iPhone cases, TPU does not stick to pockets or collects lint because the finish behaves more like plastic. Although the polycarbonate pieces on the case seem a little unnecessary, it gives the Technician a little extra rigidity and provides a nice textural and visual flair. One of the problems with the polycarbonate is that it is not as scratch resistant as the TPU used in the case. The bright colour seems to hide the scratches well though. Unfortunately, the iPhone 4/4s version only comes in black and Stanley yellow. So those looking for something a little less eye catching will have to look elsewhere.
The Stanley Technician is a very good size. It only adds roughly 6 millimeters to the thickness of the iPhone 4 and feels very comfortable in the hand. The yellow polycarbonate tends to be very slippery but there is enough TPU material on the sides of the case to get a good grip on the case.
A very generous lip on the front case to keep the iPhone screen off gritty surfaces that can potentially scratch the screen. The lip extends rather high compared to most cases, which makes sense as it is designed for construction work sites and other smartphone dangerous areas. I noticed that the lip does not play well with screen protectors. Curiously enough, this includes the screen protector bundled with the Technician. The lip of the case rests tightly against the phone and most screen protectors are a little larger than the uncovered area of the screen. Installing the case immediately causes screen protectors to bubble a little. In addition, the sides of the case is a little loose. Squeezing the sides of the case causes the lip to move inwards which causes more bubbles in the screen protector. I found only solution around this problem was to trim the screen protector in areas that had particular problems with bubbling.
The Technician has several holes cut out for the camera, headphone jack, vibration switch, speaker, microphone, and 30-pin dock connector. The camera hole is generously sized and is surrounded with a black ring that prevents any glare or interference when the flash is used. The vibration switch is large enough to be compatible with all versions of the iPhone 4 and 4s. The 30-pin dock connector hole will work with most cables. However, the case is not dock compatible as the case is rather thick. The headphone jack cut out is generously sized. I consider the stock Shure se215 cable to be the thickest of my collection and it was unable to fit through the Technician’s hole. Interestingly enough, my next largest plug, the AKG Q701, was able fit with a little bit of room left. All but the largest of headphone plugs will have no problem fitting the Technician.
The buttons on the Stanley Technician are excellent. They are well pronounced and easy to use with a lightly gloved hand. The TPU add a little more resistance compared to the naked buttons or a silicone material but only require a reasonable amount of force. Only having problems with mild arthritis or similar conditions should have problems using the buttons.
A clip on holster is included with the case. The holster is a little fussy for me. When the case is inserted with the screen facing inwards, the fit is a little loose. This is not a problem when the holster is seated vertically, but if the holster is twisted horizontally, than bending forward can easily cause the phone to come tumbling out of the holster. When the screen is facing outwards, the phone needs a bit of force to slide in and out, but stays securely in place. Considering the phone is designed for harsher conditions, designing a holster that requires the exposed portion of the phone to be facing outwards seems a little odd to me. All the promotional videos and pictures of the Stanley Technician shows the holsters being clipped vertically to the outside of the pants pocket. If this is supposed to be the correct method of carry, I have to wonder why it is possible to rotate the clip to the case can be positioned horizontally.
The Stanley Technician is an excellent case. It has a few flaws and a couple of strange quirks. Its incompatibility with screen protectors is annoying. Unless the owner modifies the screen protector, it will incessantly bubble the screen protector and potentially cause the screen protector to off the screen completely from a rough removal from a pocket. The holster is designed strangely. It is perfectly usable when aligned vertically, but in a horizontal configuration, the phone must be inserted screen outwards for the phone to stay in the holster. When using the holster in the clipped horizontally to the belt, phone owners much decide if they would rather risk the phone falling out of the holster or expose the screen to scratches. On the other hand, the Stanley Technician is a well sized case that has a bit of drop protection from the TPU material. The installation is breeze. For $39.99, the case is starting to bump into the overpriced zone for a case of its materials and pack-ins.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Dream Chaser Developer: We.R.Play Publisher: Chillingo Platform: iPad (Reviewed), iPhone, iPod Touch Release Date: April 4th, 2013 Price: $0.99 Buy it Here
Overview
Dream Chaser is a new take on the old endless runner genre by adding a story component to the game and wrapping things up in pretty graphics. Two modes are available, an endless runner mode and a story mode.
Story
The story stars a young night spirit named Nito. He is a little rebellious but understands that Idana, the daughter of the God of Dreams, has assigned him to a very important task. The Tower of Dreams has been destroyed, the two Gemini crystals that power it have been stolen, and the crystals’ four guardians have ran off. Nito must use his armour to survive the dangerous run to retrieve the crystals and return the four guardians, at all costs.
The plot of Dream Chasers is told by short conversations between Idana and Nito. The writing feels forced and awkward at times. There are some endearing moments, but the writing is mostly forgettable and at times utterly cringe-worthy.
The worst part is the delivery of the story. The player is provided with a limited amount of attempts at the story mode. Every attempt at a level consumes a heart. Three hearts are provided every eight hours and twelve hearts can be hoarded at any one time unless the player either buys hearts with dreams or real money. This unnecessarily breaks up the flow of an already mediocre story.
Gameplay
Dream Chaser is an endless runner and We.R.Play does little to modify the base formula. Players are given an infinite tunnel to run through while avoiding obstacles and collecting orbs called dreams. Players can either strafe an obstacle or slow down temporarily to jump over the obstacle. The upgrades can be purchased with dreams as currency for use in Endless Mode.
Story mode can be considered a very long tutorial for Endless mode as power ups are slowly introduced and properly taught in story mode. There is a short movement tutorial and quick text instructions in Endless Mode. Unfortunately, Story Mode is unnecessarily broken up by the annoying heart system.
The controls are decent. The whole device needs to be tilted left or right to move Nito accordingly. Tapping on the left half of the screen will enable the boost mode and tapping on the right hand of the screen will make Nito jump. Playing Dream Chaser for hours at a time with an iPhone or an iPod Touch would not be too bad, but using the heavier iPad with a heavier hard case was tiring after a while.
There is a major glitch in the game that results in Nito falling through the world. Jumping at the wrong time over a pit and landing in a specific spot will result in Nito falling through the wall of the pit and endlessly fall through the world. I was able to do this pretty consistently after a while.
The In App Purchase system is probably the worst thing in the game. The game already limits the player’s progress in story mode with the hearts system. Although extra hearts could be purchased with dreams, the prices in the shop are ridiculously high and would require hours of gameplay for a few extra tries. The prompts for the shop are extremely aggressive. It is hard to go for more than five minutes without seeing a prompt or two to purchase something from the shop. There is a fine balance required to make a mobile game with in app purchases profitable yet optional to those who want to enjoy the game without paying. Dream Chaser completely misses this balance by a few miles.
Visuals
Dream Chaser has beautiful visuals. The colour palette is soft and ethereal. It focuses heavily on pinks, purples, blues, and browns. However, things get stale quickly. There are only two levels in the game, a claustrophobic purple canyon and a slightly wider canyon with cherry blossoms planted on the side. I expected a little more variation between the two levels and was unpleasantly surprised. Worst off, as Nito runs through the canyons, the passing view does not change much
Audio
There are a handful of audio tracks and sound effects used in Dream Chaser. The songs range from dream like lullabies to intense orchestral scores. The sound effects are used extremely sparingly and often fade into the music. Dream Chaser is one of those games where muting the sound makes no real difference to the game.
Overall
Dream Chaser is an average game wrecked by an aggressive in app purchase scheme. There is no reason why anyone should purchase this game for $0.99 when there are free games with similar if not less aggressive in app purchase schemes. The Story Mode should be a positive distinction for the game, but ends up being a poorly written disappointment that servers as another encouragement for the player to make in app purchases. The graphics are pretty at first glance, but get stale quickly. Skip Dream Chaser, there are better and cheaper endless runners out there.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
We knew things were bad for Aliens: Colonial Marines but we didn’t know they were this bad. Aliens: Colonial Marines’ Wii U version has officially been cancelled.
This latest news comes after a firestorm of criticism and controversy following the game’s dismal launch and backlash from critics and gamers alike in February.
The Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines was said to be the best-looking version of the game and was to be released by the end of March.
This of cause is not the case. It had been long suspected that Aliens: Colonial Marines on the Wii U was in doubt. In February, the game had vanished from the Wii U online despite no official word from Sega. Check out our review for Aliens: Colonial Marines here.
The surprising hit Farming Simulator from developer Giants Software and publisher Focus Home Interactive is going to be making the jump this year from PC onto consoles. The announcement, which is both unexpected and yet in other ways expected, was made with two new screenshots showing off how the game will look on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Players shouldn’t be expecting a straight port however, as the console version will include more than an acre of additional content, doubling the acreage in fact with a new North America environment ripe for sowing, tending, and reaping. Consoles aren’t just getting a bonus in area though, many new exclusive vehicles will also be including for this version of the game from manufacturers like Case IH, Kramer, and Horsch.
Farming Simulator will be releasing the first week of September this year for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, players can check out the two screenshots in the gallery below to see a little bit of the new content.
The gorgeous Digimon MMORPG ‘Digimon Masters’ is about to have a massive extension added for all you monster training butt-kickers. If you haven’t taken a look at this game you really should even if you’re not a Digimon fan, if you set aside your feelings about franchising and the like you’ll find one of the better looking games waiting for you. If you’re already a fan and playing then you’re definitely going to want to check out this new content.
Fans of the series will recognise the new maps from seasons 1 & 2 of Digimon. The game aims to be faithful both in design and narrative to the original series to involve fans and introduce new gamers alike. While the new areas, the Village of the Beginning, Silver Lake and Silent forest may be picturesque they all come with new raid bosses to battle.
Be prepared to take on Kuqagamon, the scissor-armed virus-type, the fiery Meramon who digivolves from Candlemon and Ogremon, another virus-type with avicious Overlord Fist attack. Each one gives out some sweet, sweet loot, too. You’ll have til the 7th of May to play the Guard the Fire Island questline – which will allow you to access one of several awesome rewards.
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Beginning today and running all the way through to this Monday, April 8th, is the Call of Duty Championships – a collaborative effort Activision and Xbox.
The Call of Duty Championships which are presented by Xbox are more than just a mere eSports competition, it is a celebration of the Call of Duty series and what it means to its millions of passionate fans. The Call of Duty Championships are being streamed live on Xbox LIVE, Call of Duty ELITE, Facebook, Gamespot and Twitch.
32 of the greatest Call of Duty: Black Ops II players will be competing for a chance to win a share of $1 million dollars. The finals of the championships will be streamed live through all the aforementioned channels at 7:00 a.m on April 8th.
For more information on the Call of Duty Championships you can check out the official website here.
Sumom Games has been a little slow going with their Kickstarter for Humans Must Answer, but they still believe they can make it to their goal. So, to try and drum up some more interest and hopefully reach fans of shmups that haven’t heard about their project, Sumom Games has teamed up with two other shmup devs for a 3 shmup bundle.
Including Humans Must Answer after it is finished, in addition to Syder Arcade from StudioEvil and Rhythm Destruction from Curious Panda, the Shmup Bundle is available on the Humans Must Answer Kickstarter for only £7. Those that are more familiar with Syder Arcade and Rhythm Destruction may recognize them by name, but those that don’t can find more information about them from their trailers HERE and HERE respectively.
That isn’t the only new offer from Sumom Games however, they have also added a new Limited Edition in their Kickstarter tiers. Available for only 50 backers, the Humans Must Answer Limited Edition gives those backing that tier a DVD case with exclusive artwork, printed game disc, and the original soundtrack included on the disc. Those wanting the Limited Edition can receive it for backing the project for £35.
Currently Humans Must Answer‘s Kickstarter has less than a week to go, so those that are interested or know some shmup fans should let them know about it HERE.
This week on Anime Say! I return with a review of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s ‘Battle Tendency’ story arc. The ‘Battle Tendency’ arc is also commonly referred to as Part 2 of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. This arc follows the battles between Joseph Joestar and the dastardly Pillar Men. What did I think of the arc? Watch below to find out.
