This certainly came from nowhere. Just recently, it was announced that a remake of Double Dragon 2 will be headed to the Xbox Live Arcade, titled Double Dragon II: Wander of the Dragons. Now this same title did surface back in 2011 – but has just re-appeared and looks to be ready for release.
Yes, your guess is as good as ours, but I am all for a 3D rendered remake, as long as there is some quality behind it. Will it beat Neon? Well, I kind of doubt it, but you never know as stranger things have happened and the concept of a remake is certainly refreshing. You can pick this title up when it launches on April 5th for 1200 points.
I Get This Call Every Day Developer: David S Gallant Publisher: David S Gallant Platform: Mac, Windows (Reviewed) Release Date: December 21st, 2012 Price: $2.00 or more (Pay What You Want) Buy it Here
Overview
David S Gallant used to spend his day working for a call centre in Toronto. Then he made I Get This Call Every Day to blow off the stress from his day job. His boss fired him for this game in twist of life imitating art. I Get This Call Every Day an interactive fictional version of the idiotic and annoying customers he used to handle on a daily basis.
Story
I Get This Call Every Day is a simulated choose your own misadventure simulating life as an office drone in a call centre. Anybody who has had the unfortunate experience of having worked or currently working in a field involving customers will appreciate the game. The game only features one caller with a variety of possible endings. The caller is believable, ranging from an obnoxious youth to grating idiot. The player’s own possible responses range from new at your job polite to burnt out completely rude.
Gameplay
I Get This Call Every Day works like any piece of interactive fiction. The game gives you one of several options to select, the narrator reads the chosen line and then the caller responds. The controls are simple, extremely usable, and do not suffer from any difficulties. One of the biggest problems with the game is its length. The game can literally be played in ten or so minutes if the player patiently sticks to the script of a polite call centre employee and suffer the caller with grace and serenity worthy of a Zen master. The game is worth a few replays just to see all of the ways it is possible to be fired. It appears that the game keeps some sort of strike mechanic running. If enough incorrect actions are taken, the player is unceremoniously fired by email. Unfortunately, each firing is rewarded with the exact same curse with no response to the nature of the firing.
Visuals
I Get This Call Every Day looks like it was made in Microsoft Paint and drawn with a mouse. Creator David S Gallant stated that the art style started in the original mock ups of the game but was maintained because the ugly “art seemed to fit … [because] the game presents an ugly situation.” The art style actually contributes to vibe that this game was made by an angry and frustrated employee blowing off steam during or between calls.
Audio
It is blazingly obvious that David Gallant suffered worked as a call centre employee. The lines he delivers as the employee roll off his tongue like a well-practiced machine. The caller’s voice is believable and manages to hit the right tones of indignation and stupidity without becoming a caricature.
Overall
I Get This Call Every Day would make a great Flash game. But asking for even $2.00 is an extremely steep price for the game. The game can be completed in a short period of time and the replayability only doubles the 10 minute length of getting the most polite ending. Trudging through the same painful conversations to see how the other endings work out gets painful quickly. On one hand, the game proves its point about how terrible Gallant’s job was as a call centre employee. On the other hand, Gallant was being paid to endure this torture handle callers, the player is paying to endure stupid callers. After the first call, the game goes from funny to agonizing. For the full price, I cannot suggest buying the game for the sake of enjoying a game. The purchase of I Get This Call Every Day will most likely be more for the buyer than a purchase for long term personal enjoyment. The reasons to buy ths game might be to balance karma after accidently driving a call centre employee insane or to simply to support Gallant in his freedom new life. However, buying I Get This Call Every Day for face value is not recommended.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Today Atlus released nine new screenshots for their soon to be released 3DS exclusive Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers. With only a couple of weeks until the game is released in North America, the company chose to focus on the game’s battle system with these images.
As you can see, players are able to give commands to their demons as they fight against other demons as well as answer various questions posed by their enemies in the hopes of convincing one of the enemies to possibly join their side. Anyways, expect to see Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers on April 16.
Magrunner is still coming along, so today developer 3AM Games and publisher Focus Home Interactive have released some more screenshots to show off just what kinds of things players can expect to encounter. From scientist NPCs, to sleek looking puzzles, to many-tentacled Cthulhu Mythos beasties, the main character Dax will have his hands full with people to see, solutions to find, and monsters to escape.
Being made using Unreal Engine 3, Magrunner will follow Dax from competing as part of a training program to trying to reach the end just to get back to the world and away from the horrors unleashed. The training program was designed to teach how to utilize the magnetic manipulation glove Dax can be seen wearing, which seems to be the main focus of gameplay.
Magrunner will be releasing for XBLA, PSN, and PC though no precise date has been announced just yet. However, those wanting to check out the 6 new screenshots can click on the images in the gallery below to see the full sized versions.
Dinner Date Developer: Stout Games Publisher: Stout Games Platform: Windows Release Date: March 1, 2011 Price: $2.99 Available Here
Overview
Dinner Date is a nominee for the Indie Games Festival 2011 awards. The game is a fantastic example of video games as a legitimate art form.
Story
Dinner Date is puts the player in the sub-conscious of a young British man named Julian Luxemburg who has invited a girl named Meiko to his house for a dinner date. For the most part, Julian appears to be an average young man, suffering from normal insecurities and desires. Players endure Julian’s heart wrenching experience as he slowly begins to realize he has been stood up and watch as his ego. Players witness Julian’s sense of self-worth crumble.
Dinner Date can easily compete as one of the most depressing games ever made. The themes of longing for romantic companionship and heartbreak are universal. Most gamers can sympathise if not outright empathise Julian’s situation. I do not recommend playing this game while feeling depressed, this will only drag the mood to even darker places. Julian’s monologue is well crafted and believable. It spans approximately 25 minutes in length and even manages to quote Lord Byron’s poetry.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Dinner Date is not gameplay in the traditional sense. Dinner Date could have easily been made into a short film as players only control Julian’s subconscious. Players can nudge Julian’s anxious eyes to the clock or dip his bread nervously in his soup by pressing keys on the keyboard. That is literally the extent of the gameplay. The game clearly states in the beginning that the actions of the player will have zero effect on Julian’s behaviour. It is extremely difficult to properly give Dinner Date a genre beyond “indie” as it is unlike most pieces of interactive fiction. Instead of providing options on how Julian reacts to the situation, the player will drilled right into Julian’s shoes and forced to ride along a set track with the story. Many gamers will be uncomfortable with having so little control over their character.
Visuals
Dinner Date does not have cutting edge photorealistic graphics. Instead, it runs with a slightly dated graphics that is realistic looking with the slightest touch of cartoon. The animations were excellent, however with the camera movement, I found myself getting a little motion sick. I am usually ok for the most part when playing video games, but I found when Julian threw his head to the side to look at the kitchen counter or stare at the clock on the wall. I suspect this may be a mix of the field of view used and the way the camera jerks to the side. This can be avoided by simply choosing actions that keep Julian’s attention focused to things in front of him.
Audio
Dinner Date contains approximately 25 minutes of Julian’s monologue. Although it will not win any Oscar awards for acting any time soon, the actor does a good job none the less. Julian’s voice strikes the right tone of a man whose confidence is slipping away and being filled with self-doubt. The delivery manages to be depressing and just barely avoids becoming mopey to the point of annoying. The music is gentle and suits the mood well. One thing that particularly stood out to me was the menu’s sound after the game was complete. I wore headphones using Dolby Headphone for surround sound. I felt like I was actually sitting in the kitchen while Julian cleaned up the dishes from the night before. It was a small but impressive touch to the game.
Overall
Dinner Date is an incredibly hard game to give a proper numerical score. It is a love it or hate it game that probably split a room of gamers in half. For the price of $2.99 for a 25 minute game with zero replay value, it is extremely expensive. However, it is an interesting take on video games as a story telling medium. If you manage to see Dinner Date on sale and are looking for something new, give it a try.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Over the years, gamers have rescued princesses, saved the world, and stopped horrible villains countless times, but how many times have gamers done something as simple as protecting someone who is being bullied?
A few months ago, I posted an article about a unique game on Kickstarter called The Adventures of Rubberkid. Rubberkid is a Flash and PC game all about helping people get through the evils of bullying while learning about the terrible effects it can have.
I can now happily report that, not only was the game fully funded with the goal surpassed, but the game is now complete! You can either play the game straight out of your web browser or download it. Both ways to play the game are available on its official website here.
The game is full of upbeat music, bright colors, and lessons that everyone should learn. There are also other learning materials available to go in tandem with the game.
We’ve all had to deal with bullies at some point in our lives. Being able to educate people about something that can be so devastating while having fun in the process is what The Adventures of Rubberkid is all about. So head on over and check out the game, and make sure you follow them on Twitter!
There are three very important questions that you have to ask yourself:
Do you like games? (If not, why are you even here?)
Do you like pie!? (Who the heck doesn’t like pie!?)
Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do ya?
What is Pie Day, you may ask? The history behind Volition’s celebratory holiday is simple. Someone there gave up sweets for lent. The day after lent, he decided he wanted pie, and there was pie, and it was good. Now, on the precipice of their 8th Annual Pie Day Celebration this Monday, April 1, they’re asking for friends to join in! Can you top the current record of 7 minutes for an entire pie eaten?
The rules are as follows:
Pie type is up to you.
You’re responsible for your own pie.
Pie Day begins at noon CT.
Anything in a normal 9″ pie pan or bigger is legitimate, but it has to have been bred within the pan.
Official end time is 7:00 PM CT
Volition recommends you pick a pie you love – not just something you can only handle a single slice of. They also ask that you take the decision seriously – it may be the biggest decision you make all year. Failure to consume the entire pie will result in shame being brought upon your family, which will then honor-bind you to attempt a comeback with the same pie the following year.
Once you’ve finished your pie, be sure to let everyone else know by tweeting your empty pie pan with the hashtag #PieDay2013. You can also tune in to watch Volition destroy their pies in real time over on their Twitch channel, Monday at noon.
That’s right, the most over the top anime of all time is being re-released in two extremely comprehensive box sets.
The DVD pack will contain all 26 episodes, including a director’s cut of episode 6, in both English and Japanese as well as 2 soundtrack CDs, a 36 page artbook, 12 postcards, a double sided poster and two Kamina catchphrase stickers. Video extras will include staff interviews, 3DCG test footage, along with the “Yoko Goes to Gainax” short among others.
The Blu Ray set will be an import of Japan’s “Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Complete Blu Ray Box” set over 10 discs and 5 CDs. In addition to the series and features of the DVD package, this set will contain both Childhood’s End and The Lights in the Sky are Stars movies with English subtitles, since there is no English dub of the films. It will also include clean openings and endings for both the series and movies, the Parallel Works music videos, episode 5.5 “My Gurren is Shiny” OVA (originally released alongside the DS game), staff interviews, documentaries on the films and more. All the Gurren you could ever want. Seriously, even the box is an added bonus, featuring exclusive illustrations and early production designs. Ridiculous.
The sets are slated for an American release in May, though pre orders begin April. The DVD set is said to cost $174.99(US) whilst the Blu Ray set will put you back around $669.99(US).
With more special features than you could shake a Giga Drill at, what more could you want? But ludicrously over the top, that’s Tengen Toppa. That’s Gurren Lagann.
Avoiding chocolate this Easter? Cheap PC games will help you avoid those sugary calories!
Steam has the Grand Theft Auto series and the Hitman series on sale this weekend at 75% off the local price. All of the 3d Grand Theft Auto titles are on sale separately or buyers can opt for the Grand Theft Auto Complete Pack that contains all of the PC titles including Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2 which are unavailable for purchase on their own. Personally, if I can only recommend one then Grand Theft Auto: San Andreasis probably my favourite title. Grand Theft Auto is definitely a series that deserves to have one of its games played by every gamer.
The Hitman series including the recently released Hitman: Absolution are also on sale. This is the second lowest price since its release. So if you missed Greenman Gaming’s 75% off plus an additional 20% off, snag it at Steam. Gamers on Redditare reporting that they are receiving Hitman Sniper Challenge as an added bonus. This was not included in the GMG sale, so that definitely makes up for the extra 20% off not available on Steam. If you aren’t sure about Hitman: Absolution, be sure to read our review.
Greenman Gaming has Codemaster, Plug in Digital, Saints Row the Third, and Tomb Raider games on sale this weekend and a 20% off coupon that works for most games. Remember to try out GMG20-FDSCL-AQQXD on your purchase. The recently released prequel Tomb Raider is 25% off, the cheapest price so far. Just be aware the 20% off coupon will not work with Tomb Raider. If you found GTA IV a little too series for your liking or wished for a co-op open world experience, I highly recommend Saints Row the Third. However, the game regularly goes down to 75% off, so skip this sale. If you were still on the fence about purchasing A Valley Without Wind 1 & 2 last week, the game is now even cheaper as the 20% coupon stacks with this sale. Finally, GMG brought back the 25% off coupon, GMG25-S0FSG-R7Z9B, forDead Island: Riptide, Defiance, and Metro: Last Light. Check out our preview for Dead Island: Riptide, our review of Tomb Raider, and watch our very own Joe Morgan play the first 30 minutes of the Defiance Xbox 360 beta.
Gamefly is running their own 20% off coupon code too. Enter GFDAPR20 at checkout. Puzzle fanatics getting bored with Portal 2 should definitely check out Quantum Conundrum which is 75% off and works with the coupon code. Origin redeemable Syndicateis also 75% off.
Ubisoft’s Uplay store has an Easter Salethis weekend. Most of the deals are completely forgettable at 50% off. However,Orcs Must Die 2, Alan Wake, Walking Dead, Tomb Raider, Assassin’s Creed III, and Chivalry: Medieval Warfare are all at one of their lowest prices. Just be aware, all of these only activate on the Uplay service. I highly recommend Orcs Must Die 2 if you love tower defense or co-op games. Walking Dead is a must play whether you are a fan of the show or not.
Amazon has Dark Souls: Prepare to Die edition on sale for $14.99. This is the cheapest price for the game so far. If you are looking for a fiendishly difficult game, this is it. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves a little to make this game run the best on the computer though. Amazon is also running a 2k Games Weekend sale. Those who pre-ordered Bioshock Infinite on Amazon and have credit for 2K Games are able to use it here if they aren’t saving it for the upcoming Civ V expansion. XCOM: Enemy Unknownand Civ V: Gold Edition are on sale for 50% off while the rest of the games are 33% off. For the exception of XCOM, the prices are not very good and should be avoided. Those wishing to purchase Civ V: Gold Edition right now should look at purchasing from Get Games for 66% off. If you can wait, Civ V goes down to 75% off during major sales.
Get Games has a World Builder Sale on this weekend. Tropico 4 Collector’s Edition at 75% off is recommended for those looking for a city building alternative to a certain heavily DRM-ed city builder. The Collector’s Edition contains the base game and Tropico 4 – Modern Times expansion. The DLC and the Modern Times expansion alone is 50% and 66% off respectively and should be avoided. They have gone down to 75% off in the past and will most likely will drop down to that price in the near future.
GamersGate has a decent sized sale this weekend. The big title is Borderlands 2 for 66% off. This is the lowest price so far and a fantastic game. I highly recommend purchasing the game at this price. As a bonus, the Season Passis also 50% off, one of the lowest prices yet. GamersGate also has Tomb Raider for sale, so buyers have plenty of options on where to purchase their copy this weekend as all three retailers running Tomb Raider sales are selling the game for the exact same price.
IndieGameStand’s latest 96 hour sale is Waking Mars. The platforming adventure takes places in the deep caves of Mars where new alien creatures are waiting to be discovered. Players seek to discover the ancient secrets hidden on Mars, but will need to use the local plant and animal life to help them on their journey. The iPad version of the game was runner up in Apple’s Game of the Year award.
Waking Mars is normally $9.99. Pay a minimum of $1.00 and buyers will receive keys redeemable on Steam, Desura, and GOG.com. Those who beat the average price paid will also receive wallpapers, hi-res posters, and the soundtrack. The game is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. 10% of the proceeds will go to support Feeding America, a charity that helps stock 202 food banks around the United States.
