Taito released their latest game for iOS and Android today. Crime Connection is a free to play social simulation that will pit players against each other in the quest to take over Sunlight City. Players will start their base of operations and grow their crime empire by any means necessary. Gangsters will need to be recruited and trained properly to win gang battles fought against other players around the world. Winners of gang battles will take over the loser’s territory, raising the stakes in these types of battles.
Wadjet Eye Games released their indie adventure hit Gemini Rue to the iTunes App Store today. The neo-noir game will be available for both iPad and iPhone. The game stars former assassin Azriel Odin and hospital inmate Delta Six on a low resolution adventure in a gritty futuristic world inspired by Blade Runner and Beneath a Steel Sky.
Gemini Rue for iOS features a new UI designed with touchscreen users in mind, an improved combat system, and a hot spot finder. The game will be on sale to celebrate the launch for $3.99 on the iTunes. The game is normally priced at $4.99.
EA Mobile released an update to the free to play game The Simpsons Tapped out. A new limited time event has started in game called Whacking Day. The event traces its origins to the April 29th, 1993 episode that has been a fan favourite since its airing. The Simpsons Tapped Out will arm players with batons and unleash snakes upon their Springfield. Whacking snakes will provide in game currency and other prizes. As with all limited time events in The Simpsons Tapped Out, Whacking Day brings new buildings, characters, decorations, and quests to complete in game. The game is available for free on iTunesand Google Play.
EA Mobile announced their partnership with Vue in Australia this week. Vue combines pictures from Facebook and music from Rdio, Spotify, or the user’s iTunes library to create slideshows that can be shared with friends and family. “Vue is an innovative project that will continue to evolve over time, we can’t wait to see what our audience creates with this app,” said Sinjin Bain, Head of EA Partners. Vue is available on the iTunes App Store.
The figurine manufacturer MegaHouse has recently scheduled for release a pair of amazing and extremely detailed figures from the One Piece series. The King of Pirates; Gol D. Roger and The Man Closest to One Piece; Edward Newgate (Whitebeard) are the newest additions to the Portrait Of Pirates series.
The P.O.P NEO-DX figures are set for release some time during August but preorders are open now! Gol D. Roger stands at 25cm which will go for $70 (7,000yen) and Edward Newgate which stands at 32.5cm will go for $75 (7,500yen). This pair, much like the other P.O.P figures, are detailed like you wouldn’t believe.
So go ahead and cash in your gold doubloons, avoid the gallows and wait out the next few months on the open sea in preparation for this awesome release*.
Head down to the gallery section below to see all the pictures of the two figures and afterwards just pop below that and drop us a line in our comments section.
*Capsule Computers does not approve of real-life pirate behavior.
Focus Home Interactive have released some new screenshots for their upcoming title Magrunner: Dark Pulse. Alongside the new screenshots was the launch of the official website for Magrunner which can be seen here.
The game itself is developed by 3AM (Frogwares) for the PC, Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. The newly launched website will provide gamers with all the ins and out of Magrunner: Dark Pulse ahead of its release.
You can check out the exciting new screenshots of Magrunner: Dark Pulse in the image gallery below. What do you think of Magrunner? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works Studio: StudioDEEN Publisher: Madman Entertainment Release Date: March 20, 2013 Format: DVD Price: $29.95 – Available Here
Overview: Many of you have probably heard of Fate/stay night and its other bizarrely-named iterations by revered creator Type-Moon. Whether it’s through the iconic character art that’s spread across the anime fan scene, or the endless debates on forums by raging extremists, Fate/stay night is one those topics which you either enjoy and invest in, or take at face value and move on.
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works is a movie adaptation of one of the three possible routes of the original visual novel. While the TV anime series got a bit creative and mixed all three paths into one flawed narrative, Unlimited Blade Works focuses solely on the second route. This culminates in a tighter viewing experience, but one that still struggles to define its narrative and background universe.
Story: I cannot stress enough how one must be familiar with the anime series at least, if not the visual novel. While anime movies that summarise a series can be executed with flair, many fall flat as enjoyable stand-alone titles that offer more than just a recap with fan service. It is all the more remarkable then that Studio DEEN has attempted to not only incorporate a large chunk of the anime plot, but cram all-new story elements with a conclusion in just 107 minutes.
If this sounds to you like a recipe for disaster, you’re probably right. But that depends on who you are. If you’re jumping in without knowing what’s going to happen next, be prepared for a frustrating experience that will leave you scratching your head if you try to delve too deep in the marginally explained plot. If you have a grasp on the characters and the alternate concept of the story to the anime series, then there is something to gain from this movie even if it’s only a tantalising glimpse of the full picture.
Those familiar with the the Fate/stay night story will recognise all the elements as the plot starts to unravel in short bursts. The opening scene is a genuine highlight of the movie, explaining the premise and generating excitement as the events of the prologue play out in tune with the credits. Fuyuki City plays host to the secret Holy Grail War where a so-called omnipotent device selects seven Masters known as Magi, who in-turn summon seven Servants to compete to the death for the Grail and its power to grant a wish. Out of the seven, Shirou Emiya is chosen as an unremarkable Magus whose only ability is reinforcing objects.
This fact (along with the rest of the background universe) isn’t explained properly in the movie, nor that his power evolves into Projection magic where he can create any object as long as he is able to conceptualise the “blueprint”. This is central to the relationship Shirou shares with a fellow Master’s Servant, Archer, whose identity isn’t revealed until the end.
Rin Tohsaka, the aforementioned Master, is also key to the Unlimited Blade Works story path in the same way as Saber is key to the Fate path of the TV anime series. However the nature of the movie format simply doesn’t allow their relationship to develop, ending with a romantic conclusion that feels unnatural and forced. Viewers will soon come to accept that jarring transitions between story elements is an unfortunate result of such an adaptation.
Visuals: A true accomplishment of Studio DEEN is the huge leap in animation quality over the original anime series while retaining their established art design. A high budget suited for a theatrical movie coupled with cinematic direction brings out the best in the sweeping action scenes that are scattered throughout the feature.
There are moments when the CG animation looks awkward, particularly in the final battle, but overall it is used non-intrusively and often enhances the background environments. The depth of field and camera techniques should leave the audience in no doubt they’re watching a theatrical movie rather than a standard anime series.
Audio: The soundtrack does well to highlight the frantic pace of the plot. For anyone familiar with Kenji Kawai’s music (Mobile Suit Gundam 00) you can expect a booming, orchestral score that becomes a natural fit with the quality animation. The main theme especially sounds great and is one you might hunt down to listen to again.
The Japanese audio retains the previous voice actors of the visual novel and anime and complements the story with convincing voice work. I can never get tired of hearing Gilgamesh spout his fabulous arrogance in such a gloating tone.
The English dub sees some changes from the cast of the TV anime, in particular Saber who is voiced by Michelle Ruff rather than Kate Higgins. Her character is meant to sound strong but also soft and capable of changing emotions, however most of the time Saber sounds much older and more robotic than necessary. Illyasviel on the other hand doesn’t sound childish and cute as intended, but completely uncanny and jarring. Quirks aside, most of the English cast performed satisfactorily.
Extras: The DVD comes in standard packaging on a single disc with no additional slips or booklets. You do however get a whole heap of theatrical and home release promotional videos for the movie, but otherwise this is a bare bones release.
Overall: It is hard to pin down Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works. The movie successfully incorporates an entire route from the visual novel (albeit with omissions due to time constraints), and does so with intense and fluid battles. The music and animation is all there where it needs to be. The plot, however, falls short of what should be an acceptable viewing experience for most people. The fast pace, disjointed progression and expectation that the audience is on the same page proves to be the movie’s weak point.
It seems the primary focus of the movie was to animate the events and battles that fans wanted to see, and to give Rin Tohsaka more screen time for her fans. This might sit well with those knowing what they’re about to see, but I just cannot recommend this movie to any curious anime fan without them doing some serious homework first.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Today Arc System Works USA announced in a very unique way that they will be bringing Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R to the PlayStation Vita in North America in the coming weeks. How did they reveal it you ask? Well the company took to their USA Twitteraccount and wrote that Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R will be released on the PlayStation Network on April 23rd on the bottom of a shoe.
Anyways, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R is an enhanced version of the original Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus released on consoles late last year. No pricing information has been revealed for the Vita version of the game though we have contacted Arc System Works USA to see if it will be priced similarly to the console versions which cost 1,200 MSP or $14.99 depending on the console.
Some unfortunate news has come in through Media Factory’s Taiji Misaka announcing that Noboru Yamaguchi the author of Zero no Tsukaima has tragically passed away this past week after a 2 year long struggle with cancer.
Yamaguchi was 41 at the time of his passing on April 4th, 2013. He leaves behind an impressive legacy of work that has spanned more than a decade since his debut in 2000. 4 years after his debut he began what would become his magnum opus, Zero no Tsukaima (also known as Familiar of Zero). Since it began Zero no Tsukaima light novel series has spanned a collective 20 volumes and five side-stories. It has also managed to spawn 4 anime series based upon it, the last of which aired as recently as 2012.
Back in 2011, Yamaguchi confirmed to his fans that he had advanced staged cancer which was said to be inoperable. Following this initial diagnosis Yamaguchi was informed that his cancer could possibly be cured. He underwent surgery without incident. Unfortunately he would later return to hospital for yet another surgery.
He had originally planned to conclude the Zero no Tsukaima series on its 22nd v0lume in 2012, unfortunately due to Yamaguchi’s passing the series will remain inconclusive at the existing 20 released volumes.
Yamaguchi did not stop fighting until the very end even vowing to continue working on the series “No matter what”. Despite his efforts he was unable to complete the series before his untimely passing. His passion an love for his work was his life and he leaves behind a legacy that will not be forgotten. From all of us here at Capsule Computers, Rest in Peace Noboru Yamaguchi.
It’s now the fourth week of the Anime Girl of the Week feature and although this one is a bit late, this feature focuses on one female character from a currently airing anime and place the spotlight on them by providing background information, personality details as well as a slew of fan-art and official artwork.
This week I’m going to break the rules a little bit by focusing on a girl from a series that actually ended two weeks ago, but thanks to the various events that have occurred I was unable to provide this one last week. As such, you can expect the first girl from the Spring 2013 anime season to appear in next week’s Anime Girl of the Week.
In the world of Vividred Operation, there is no war and the Earth is at peace thanks to the invention of the Manifestation Engine which has provided unlimited energy to the entire world. However when mysterious beings known as the Alone appear and attempt to destroy the Manifestation Engine, which in turn will annihilate the universe due to the power it contains, it is revealed that four girls are the only hope that the world has.
Akane is the granddaughter of the famous Kenjirou Isshiki who originally designed the Manifestation Engine and she is a very energetic girl who is outgoing and innocent. She remains positive even when things look grim and because of this she manages to make friends very quickly with those around her.
To battle against the Alone Akane transforms using the Vivid System where she is able to wield a boomerang style weapon that can be thrown or used as a melee weapon to damage enemies. She has fear of heights which doesn’t bother her too much when she is transformed, but troubles her when she is riding upon her flying motorbike Wanko.
She has been long-time friends with Aoi and quickly becomes friends with Wakaba and Himawari in school. Of the girls, Akane is the leader and thanks to the fact that she is the first user of the Vivid System she leads the girls against the Alone whenever one appears. She has the unique ability to “Dock” with the other girls and transform into a more powerful girl that enhances the abilities of the girl she docks with. For example, she can dock with Wakaba and form Vivid Green or Himawari and become Vivid Yellow where they have higher attack and speed or defensive abilities respectively.
When she isn’t battling Alone or attending school, Akane lives at home with her grandfather and younger sister where she has a part-time job delivering newspapers. Her mother has been hospitalized ever since an explosion at the Manifestation Engine killed her father. For some reason Akane adores mayonnaise so much that she is willing to coat any food with a sickening amount of mayonnaise and adores tomatoes.
Vividred Operation is currently licensed in North America by Aniplex of America and is available for streaming at Crunchyroll.
Anime distributors Aniplex of America are set to release the first and second Puella Magi Madoka Magica movies on Blu-ray in three months time.
The Madoka website, set up by Aniplex contains a promotional poster and a section showing the standard and deluxe editions of the Blu-ray imports.
The standard edition ($90USD) will contain the two movies; “Beginnings” and “Eternal,” theatrical trailers, audio commentary by the Japanese cast and clean opening and endings.
The deluxe edition ($105USD) contains everything from the standard edition plus the original sound track, deluxe art booklet and an English translated version of the booklet courtesy of Aniplex.
The first two movies are recaps of the Madoka anime show; the first 8 episodes will be in “Beginnings” with the rest of the episodes in “Eternal”. The third movie will be a continuation in the Madoka universe and will be released in japan during the autumn season.
The Blu-rays only contain the Japanese audio and include subtitles in English, French and Spanish. Both editions contain a special postcard and will we released in July. Click here for more information.
Some unfortunate news has come in through Media Factory’s Taiji Misaka 
