Strike Suit Infinity Developer: Born Ready Games Publisher: Born Ready Games Platform: PC Release Date: May 1st, 2013 Price: $6.99 – Available Here
Overview
Strike Suit Infinity is the score chaser based on Born Ready Games’ space shooter Strike Suit Zero. Players can get into the pilot seat of one of three Strike Suits and battle against endless waves of enemies.
Story
Strike Suit Infinity has no story. You will have to use your own imagination to explain the endless waves of enemies.
Gameplay
Strike Suit Infinity shares the same mechanics as its slightly older brother, Strike Suit Zero. Players take control of a Strike Suit that normally looks like a fighter plane. As the game progresses and enemies are destroyed, the player acquires more Flux. The Strike Suit can transform into a humanoid mech that is able to fire off barrages of missiles and powerful short ranged guns. Firing the weapons as a mech costs Flux but the damage dealt in mech mode is far greater than the normal flight mode.
The game hurls round after round of enemies, each round containing several waves of enemies. There are eighteen rounds in Strike Suit Infinity, with the 18th round being an infinite round. Between rounds, a menu display pops up showing the player’s current upgrades, the enemy composition of the next round, and options to hire allies for the upcoming round. Ally pilot level upgrades only last for the duration of the game. To earn new Strike Suits, weapons, and upgrades players will need to rush enemy transports as they spawn and destroy them before they disappear. The game does not make this very clear that this is how upgrades are unlocked, leaving me perplexed for quite some time on how I was randomly acquiring these permanent upgrades. The announcer will inform the player of the incoming transport and recommend that players destroy it for upgrades. With the chaos of an intense dog fight, I actually missed the announcement for several rounds before I actually noticed it. I would have preferred to see a text prompt with this information when the cut scene introducing the transport played.
As a score chaser, Strike Suit Infinity is solid. The action is well paced and can be fiendishly difficult. Coming from an Ace Combat background, I was quickly forced to break out of the habit of zooming around in flight mode slowly whittling down the opposition. Using Strike Suit mode is a quick way to build combos which are the key to high scores and extra credits. Managing the risk and reward of spending credits on allies and their skill levels also turned into a key aspect of the game. A good score chaser should test the skill of the player. Strike Suit Infinity delivers.
Strike Suit Infinity can be played with a gamepad, joystick/keyboard, or mouse/keyboard combo. I tested the game with both the gamepad and the mouse and keyboard combinations. Although the gamepad controls were usable, I found that the game seemed to be better designed for the mouse and keyboard. I would have liked to see the option to invert the left thumbstick while leaving the right one untouched. Using the guns effectively in flight mode is an important part of clearing waves quickly. The gun’s crosshairs have a little bit of movement that is independent of the ships movement. When using the keyboard and mouse, the keyboard is inverted while the mouse maintains the traditional FPS movement. When using the gamepad, either both sticks are inverted or not. For me, I felt really awkward when transitioning from the mouse and keyboard controls to the gamepad.
Visuals
Strike Suit Infinity is an excellent looking game. Veteran mech designer Junji Okubo is behind the Strike Suits’ design. He has lent his imagination to several video games and anime, including Appleseed: Ex Machina and Steel Battalion. The Strike Suits transform back and forth smoothly and the flight modes look as realistic as possible. One minor annoyance is the fact the end of round animation is reused over and over again. Each round takes place in a slightly different area, but the end of round space station looks like it is located at the first level. Graphically, Strike Suit Infinity is looks solid. The game runs smoothly without any sudden drops in frame rate. The UI is futuristic and utilitarian. The cockpit view is a little disappointing as it lacks detail and takes up almost the whole bottom third of the screen.
Audio
The sound effects in Strike Suit Infinity are excellent. Surround sound performs well, as I could easily pick up the direction of oncoming ships from the direction of their warp noises. Allied ships compliment your kills, providing a nice bit of radio chatter. The music unfortunately gets repetitive quickly. When the game picks up intensity, an anime styled song begins to play. It sounds like the same one-minute track played on loop unfortunate and quickly becomes boring. It would have been nice to have a little more variety in the music.
Overall
For $6.99, you get what you pay for. Strike Suit Infinity provides intense dog fighting action against infinite waves. Unfortunately the game could use some more variety in the music and end of round animation departments. Additionally, I would like to see the gamepad controls tweaked. However, Strike Suit Infinity serves as an excellent chance for gamers to check out the Strike Suit series without plunking down the full price for Strike Suit Zero.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Ubisofthave just released a character trailer for player protagonist Silas Greaves in the upcoming Techland-developed Call of Juarez: Gunslinger.
The video, entitled “The Story of Silas Greaves”, features a folk-song – not unlike those speaking of legends from the past such as Billy the Kid – proclaiming Greaves to be “a man legends fear…a four-holstered reaper, crying bullets for tears.” You can view the trailer embedded at the bottom of this article.
Also check out the reveal trailer here. The game comes out on May 22nd for XBLA (1200 MS Points), PSN and PC digital ($17.95), with special pre-order bonuses for an exclusive Uplay edition. There will also be a physical retail copy for PC owners who want something tangible, released the next day on May 23rd.
We’ll pick 3 lucky winners on the 20th of May. Make sure you use a valid email when you register/post your comment so we can email you if you are one of our winners.
Eternal Darkness is one of those games that is etched into my brain forever, a game with the ability to make mess with you, making players jump in terror from demonic incantations and question their own sanity as they wonder if what they just saw on screen was real or a mere hallucination. So it is with great excitement for many that Dennis Dyack (ex Silicon Knights) and the rest of the Precursor Games team have announced that the Kickstarter campaign to fund the ‘spiritual sequel’ will begin in under 7 hours.
Currently planned for release only on PC and the Wii U, the next installment entitled Shadows of the Eternals will be a complete game broken up into 12 episodes, with 1.5 million required to fund the first episode. There is already a lot of eyes on the project that many gamers have been waiting 11 years, since the release of Sanitys Requiem in 2002 to get their hands on. Sanity’s Requiem still sells on average for around $40, testament to the games groundbreaking qualities in the puzzle horror genre. Hopefully funding will come quickly and generously and Precursor can make use of the Wii U’s unique gamepad for another innovative and immersive experience.
For more information head on over to http://www.shadowoftheeternals.com/ and keep an eye out today for the start of their kickstarter campaign.
Microprose’s Special Forces: Team X will be getting a Steam sale starting May 6th. It will be on sale for $4.99 USD for one full week. After that, the game will only cost $9.99. Currently, the game costs $14.99.
Special Forces: Team X is a 3rd person team based shooter that features constantly changing maps, five multiplayer modes, and a unique comics style graphics.
Microprose released the following statement in regards to the game’s rocky launch:
“Initially, the game launched with a bug that could randomly reset character XP under certain conditions, and we deeply apologize to any of our players that had to experience this. However, since then multiple patches have been released on Steam to address the issue and also to subtly alter the play mechanics based on customer feedback, which we believe now delivers a faster paced and smoother experience. We are hoping that this price drop will bring players into the game that may have been scared away by the initial launch problems.”
Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc Studio:Studio Deen Publisher: Sentai Filmworks Format:DVD, Blu-ray (Reviewed) Release Date: March 5, 2013 Price:$39.98 – Available Here
Overview: If you were to ask almost any anime fan about the first five anime they watched, a number of them would likely mention the Rurouni Kenshin anime series which aired in North America ten years ago. Now almost a full decade after the series stopped airing, Sentai Filmworks has released a special OVA set created by Studio Deenin 2012 to put a different spin on one of the most popular story arcs in the original anime, the Kyoto Arc. However has this well-known story arc transitioned successfully into a ninety minute OVA release?
Story: Considering the limited run-time of the OVA set, the story picks up rather abruptly by focusing on Misao Makimachi, a member of the Oniwabanshū clan of ninjas. However with the leader of her clan missing and many of their clans’ best fighters missing with him, Misao is searching for the one man who her master was looking for, Kenshin Himura.
Upon finding Kenshin and learning the fate of her clan members, Misao continues to travel alongside Kenshin in the hope that she may still find her master, though by doing so she finds herself embroiled in a plot that may set all of Japan ablaze, starting with Kyoto. With the deadly swordsman Shishio pulling the strings and a number of enemies in their path, will Kenshin and his allies be able to put a stop to his plans?
Trying to determine a target audience for this release is difficult. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, trying to jump in at this point would not only be a confusing mess with almost zero character information provided, only a bit of information regarding Shishio’s plot and barely any context outside of that. For those who have seen Rurouni Kenshin and experienced the Kyoto arc already, they will find themselves immensely disappointed with what is presented here.
Attempting to cram everything from the Kyoto Arc into only a small time-frame means that not only is the storyline poorly handled, even the battles are pathetically handled and many of them have been skipped entirely. Shishio still plays a rather effective villain and his plans to overthrow the Meiji government and his way of thinking certainly make him an intriguing enemy outside of his mummified appearance.
Unfortunately outside of that, there is almost no original content here outside of a change of venue for most of the aforementioned climactic battles. Despite mentioning how this release is a “new perspective” from Misao’s eyes of the events of the Kyoto Arc, practically every important event, including most of the battles, occur quite a distance away from Misao’s actual location.
To make things even worse, the various allies of Kenshin’s are mistreated to such an extent that outside of a brief meet-up, viewers wouldn’t even know that these characters are actually friends and even then, numerous characters which are meant to be developed in this arc barely are referenced but still appear as if viewers should already be expecting them.
Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc may be worth re-visiting for the most die-hard fan of the series or those who maybe never experienced the original arc despite catching earlier bits of the series, but ultimately it not only pales in comparison to the original, it barely tells a proper story outside of a few battles which may as well be the lowest-key affairs given the amount of attention paid to them and Shishio’s ultimate plan.
Visuals: If there is one thing that the Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc truly excels at, it is backgrounds. While it may be a strange focus, one of the first things that will likely catch the viewer’s eye is how extravagant some of the scenery is in this release. There are numerous locales visited over the course of the series and even when night falls, extra attention has been given to make sure every scene looks its best.
As for the characters themselves, Studio Deen has kept the same type of character designs used in the original series but more modern techniques have been used to create the characters, which means some minor details have been lost in transition but everything is vibrantly presented with bright colors and thanks to the incredible backgrounds, the characters almost always are great looking.
Unfortunately the battles which used to be the highlights of the original Rurouni Kenshin series are poorly represented with this release. Perhaps it is due to the time constraints of the release, or perhaps they were worried about the budget, but nearly every single fight lasts no more than thirty seconds and most of the action isn’t even shown to viewers, instead giving them a “Dragon Ball” effect of characters fighting too fast to be seen.
Audio: Now this release contains both the original Japanese voice work and the new English dub provided by Sentai Filmworks. However the first thing viewers should note is that the voice actors who provided the voice work for the Rurouni Kenshin anime which was broadcast on television were not called to work on this project. Instead Sentai Filmworks has chosen to go with an entirely new English voice cast for the New Kyoto Arc.
Now while this change in voice actors wouldn’t be too much of an issue if it wasn’t for the fact that the dub is sub-par at best. Outside of Misao’s voice actress Meg Bauman providing a decent job, the rest of the characters are voiced so poorly and without any emotion that their characters appear to simply be going through the motions without caring about the events occurring at any given time. The dreadful voice acting means that even though many may wish to check out the English dub, simply sticking to the Japanese voice track is likely the best choice.
Extras: Unfortunately the only extra features included with Sentai Filmworks’ Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc are trailers for other Sentai releases and credits for the disc, meaning bonus features are pretty much non-existent.
Overall: Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc finds itself in a strange place. Newcomers will be left scratching their heads at nearly everything happening in this release while old fans will be left disappointed by this paltry offering. By forcing a popular story arc into a limited time frame, not only does the story suffer greatly, but even the sword fights are cut to a bare minimum. This is quite a shame however as the New Kyoto Arc is presented with gorgeous animation, character design, and background work and witnessing a longer fight would certainly have helped this release be at least partially decent. Instead the New Kyoto Arc is presented with a poor English dub, a terribly handled storyline and barely anything fans of the series would appreciate or newcomers would understand.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen Developer:Capcom Publisher:Capcom Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed) Release Date:April 23, 2013 Price:$39.99
Overview:
When Dragon’s Dogma was first released a little under a year ago, it was a great experience that had a few issues but overall offered something fresh that could eat hours and hours of your time as you traveled the continent slaying all manner of beasts in extravagant and enjoyable fashion. Now Capcom has released something of an expansion to the original game called Dark Arisen. It is worth noting that Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen contains the entirety of the original Dragon’s Dogma game and my review for that original section of the game can be found here. However what does the Dark Arisen expansion hold for those who already know the secrets of the world?
Story: Upon starting up the game, players are given a new quest automatically which mentions a new land being unlocked and the only place to get there is from the pier in Cassardis. Upon arriving in Cassardis players will stumble upon a new character named Olra who is seeking out the help of the Arisen. Upon accepting to help this woman, players are whisked away to Bitterback Isle, a new area set to test the Arisen unlike any area before it.
It is worth noting that the story of Dark Arisen is rather minimalistic, but still intriguing as Olra knows little about who she is or why she is trapped upon the mysterious island and the player is the only one who can help her piece together her memory. The further players venture into the dungeon that is Bitterback Isle more of her memories seem to return and haunting voices and scattered epitaphs slowly begin to reveal a tale of loss that is as bleak as the dungeon the players are traveling through.
Visuals: The original Dragon’s Dogma was never very polished visually, with character designs being rather basic and plenty of rough looking textures. However despite this the title always offered an atmospheric experience with lush scenery and magnificently designed enemies to battle against. It is interesting to note that this release of Dark Arisen comes with an optional HD texture pack which can be installed which makes the basic game’s lush environment even better looking than before.
As for Bitterback isle, the island truly lives up to its name as it really feels like an oppressive place to be and the deeper one ventures into the dungeon, the more oppressive the environment becomes, such is how great these levels are designed. That being said, there is a fair amount of areas that, while still new to the game, are literally copied from one another minus a few small details changing things up.
As for the new enemies that players come across, a few of them are re-skins of past creatures players have fought against but for the most part every new enemy players fight against has a terrifying new look to them. This includes the ominous Death, a two story tall creature that had to be restrained to a wall for fear of destroying the entire dungeon and more. These new additions provide not only a challenge of the player’s strength, but also of their courage as the level design in Bitterback Isle always places the player at a disadvantage, whether it be narrow corridors, tiny battlefields, or dangerous pitfalls all around you, making every fight one that must be approached carefully.
Audio: The game’s background music is mostly forgetful though the atmospheric noise does add to the experience of Bitterback Isle, as winding through narrow corridors can be quite dangerous if the player isn’t listening for threats.
As for the game’s voicework, it is worth noting that there is a new Japanese voice over option which can be installed and used if the player wishes. This is a nice little inclusion that frankly, does wonders for the fact that although new dialogue has been added to the Pawn’s voice database, they still incessantly repeat the same dialogue over and over again, which at this point in the game has become quite an irritant.
Gameplay: Despite being playable almost from the get-go, tackling Bitterback Isle is best saved for experienced Arisen that are at least above level fifty. As such, Dark Arisen should be seen as more of an expansion to Dragon’s Dogma’s already impressive end-game. The reason that it should be seen as such is due to the fact that anyone tackling this area unprepared or under leveled will find themselves staring at a game over screen very quickly.
Even players entering the dungeon with experience and powerful Pawns at their side will still find Bitterback Isle a dangerous place. Upon entering the dungeon players may face off against some opponents they find a bit tame, but the deeper they venture the harder the challenge. This includes a number of the aforementioned new enemies which can potentially kill a player with one blow and the fact that even if a battle may appear to be over, it could just be beginning.
You see, while players may already be struggling against a number of smaller enemies or a larger mini-boss style opponent, there is always the risk of something far stronger appearing once battle ends. Occasionally a stronger boss that dwarfs your previous opponent may appear at the scene of the carnage and ultimately the player either must choose to run away from this powerful foe or take it head on with everything they have.
However if the player chooses the latter option, one of Dragon’s Dogma’s returning issues rears its head, the fact that Pawns tend to be incredibly stupid in combat. Now players should know that Pawns learn about enemy weaknesses and attack patterns the more they fight them, but even after fighting the same enemy a few times there are many instances where they are more of a hindrance than a help. This includes taking easily avoidable blows, enchanting weaponry with wrong element types and my favorite, leaping over small objects into a pitfall and immediately dying, forcing the player to re-summon them at the cost of their rift crystal total.
Thankfully, Pawn frustration aside, the combat of Dragon’s Dogma remains the best part of the game as climbing up a towering beast and slashing at its weak points in numerous battles that can best be described as epic thanks to their intensity and level of difficulty makes Bitterback Isle a challenge worth accepting for any veteran Dragon’s Dogma player.
Returning players are also gifted a large number of Rift Crystals, which are essential for not only summoning Pawns but also for a number of other things on Bitterback isle, an infinite Ferrystone that allows for teleportation and a few pieces of costume armor. Though it is worth noting that although there are no noteworthy skill additions to the player’s arsenal, a large amount of equipment added to the game and even an ability to upgrade dragon forged equipment to a new level, will help equip the player for the fight before them, and what a fight it will be.
Overall: Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen offers a challenging new addition to fans of the original game by providing not only a number of new enemies to battle against, but enemies that are capable of challenging seasoned Arisen in a bleak atmosphere where retreat may be the best choice for some battles. For newcomers, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is something that should be picked up immediately for anyone who loves RPGs or action adventure titles, especially at this cheaper price. As for veterans, while it is still plagued Pawn idiocy, the ten or so hour expansion is more than worthwhile for fans of the game, though its price point may be a sticking point for some.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
When it comes to the Australian Anime Industry, Madman Entertainment is undoubtedly the top-dog down under. With a multitude of events coming up, such as the recently announced REEL Anime 2013 festival, the Madman Cosplay Championship and of course the Evangelion Exhibition, we took the chance to speak with Product Manager at Madman Entertainment, Sylvester ‘Sly’ Ip about the upcoming events, Madman itself and the anime industry as a whole.
CC: Madman Entertainment is regarded by and large as the top anime company within Australia. What do you feel has contributed most to Madman’s success in the industry?
Sly: There are a plenty of factors – but first and foremost, we have spent many years acquiring a great and broad catalogue and we’ve been smart and innovative in our approach at bringing it to market. This has in turn developed a bond with our fans and a high level of trust with our licensors. It’s an important cycle, and one that needs to be constantly kept in check.
Crucially though, we have spent a huge amount of our time communicating and connecting with fans and the broader community all over the country. We’ve worked our butts off for the better part of two decades to bring them new and exciting things, and to give them choice and satisfaction when it comes to product.
And it’s because we are all fans in the first place that they’re the most important thing to us, and the reason we love what we do.
CC: Madman has been the number one anime company in Australia for quite some time now. What kind of responsibility do you feel comes with being the top dog in the industry?
S: We have a responsibility to continue to keep the market growing in new directions and to offer new experiences. While it is incredibly important for us to be able to keep the current fans happy and stay true to our roots, we also need to embrace and feed new audiences for the sake of the expanding the category and to support an open and welcoming culture that caters to both.
CC: What do you feel sets Madman apart from other companies in the anime industry like Siren Visual and Hanabee?
S: Firstly, the depth of our catalogue and, of course, substantially more years in the game. We have a hard-earned retail presence throughout Australia and New Zealand for our products and an established fan base who enjoy what we offer and know that Madman is synonymous with anime culture.
But also the ability to innovate, and to grow and contribute to the culture we love so much. We have invested across a myriad of experiences over the years outside of just DVD and manga distribution/sales for the sake of the culture alone – including theatrical screenings, online streaming & simulcast, sales of properties to TV networks, cultural & community events and so much more.
CC: In recent years Madman has released an increasing amount of subtitled-only products. What are the benefits of such releases in comparison to a dual audio release?
S: The immediate benefit is obvious – the consumer can get their hands on new content from Japan in a much shorter amount of time, such as NICHIJOU, GOSICK and CODE GEASS: AKITO THE EXILED. But we always prefer to release titles with a dual language option to give fans maximum choice, so we will always strive to do this where possible.
CC: Legal streaming and simulcasting has really revolutionized the way people watch anime. With websites like Crunchyroll being a popular destination to watch anime legally online and of course the success of the Madman Screening Room, how important do you feel streaming is to the future of the anime industry?
S: It will continue to be an important area of focus for us moving forward, as I’m sure it will be for any right-minded entertainment company. Simulcasting is such a great way to satiate fans hungry for new content. And the Screening Room series runs in general are an excellent alternative to broadcast, or catch-up TV, if you will.
We also have a lot going on in the background with digital offerings for anime across a number of platforms and providers. We’re already on iTunes and the PSN store, plus a few others I think – so that will continue to develop.
At the end of the day, we will go where our fans go – but there is still a huge demand for packaged goods, and this remains our priority for the interim.
CC: Many attribute legal steaming and simulcasting with having made a significant impact in combating the illegal piracy scene. What are you thoughts on the issue of piracy? Do you believe legal streaming is an effective way to counteract this problem?
S: Piracy will always be a problem and it is especially challenging in the entertainment industry, as consumers are demanding to see shows quicker than ever before thanks to the internet and social media.
But yes, absolutely, I believe that if they can satisfy their hunger with a few free episodes on the Screening Room; or have the opportunity to sit down with a simulcast event, then there is less need for them to go to the torrents.
The way people consume entertainment content – especially niche content like anime – has changed so dramatically in the past 5 years that it’s still early days in terms of a real measure of success. Although I believe that we’re keeping up with demand for the most part, and we’re always trying our best to deliver content to fans as best we can and as quickly as we can.
CC: Madman is involved with a number of different anime related events in Australia. It was recently announced that Madman would be bring the Evangelion Exhibition to Australia. Could you tell us a little about this exhibition?
S: Certainly! We’re right in the middle of it now and it’s all pretty exciting.
This is the first time that we have brought anything like this to Australia, and it’s such a great way to offer fans a new experience that is still familiar. The EVANGELION exhibition itself showcases a number of original drawings and artworks used to create the new films, direct from some of the top artists who have worked on the film. It gives fans of the anime, as well as animation students and enthusiasts in general, a great way to see the supreme artistry that goes into creating Japanese animated features.
Oh, and there is also sweet loot! We are selling exclusive merchandise at each exhibition that has not been available outside of Japan before.
There is a big move towards doing exhibition tours like this in Japan so hopefully we’ll be able to do it more regularly!
CC: Evangelion is a series that has an incredibly loyal fanbase. What do you believe has made the Evangelion franchise so endearing to anime fans?
S: Australia has a particularly strong love affair with the series, which is primarily thanks to a fan base that grew up watching the series on SBS in the late ‘90s. In its original, episodic form, with the promise of an epic battle each week, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION was truly event TV at the time. For many Australians, it was THE moment they discovered the joys of anime.
In fact, the NGE series was also amongst our earliest of commercial releases – with dubbed and subbed volumes issued on VHS in 1998/1999, I think – and since then, has remained one of our best-selling properties. So this contributes to overall nostalgia surrounding this era. Combined with the excitement for the epic new feature length additions and you have a pretty substantial and irresistible offering for fans old and new.
There are eminently relatable themes of love, loss, growing up, relationships and friendships, all piled on top of the burden of having to save the world from a constant apocalyptic threat, which gave way to a tapestry of psychologically complex characters, who are still analysed and debated today.
Each of the characters are unique, and the Eva and Angel designs are so strikingly original, artistic and now iconic. I think these things all make NGE and EVANGELION a one of a kind, compelling and endearing experience that will live a long while yet.
CC: The second Evangelion movie, Evangelion 2.0: You Can [Not] Advance, was part of Madman’s REEL Anime Film Festival back in 2010. Will Australian Evangelion fans get a chance to see the third film in the series on the silver screen?
S: They certainly will. The third film – EVANGELION 3.0 YOU CAN (NOT) REDO will be coming to cinemas later this year, headlining REEL ANIME 2013. We can (not) contain our excitement!
CC: Speaking of REEL Anime, when can we expect to see the next festival? Any hints as to what films may be on show?
S: As many of your readers will be aware, we have now also revealed the second film in the program – 009 RE: CYBORG – which will be the first anime feature screen in Australia in stereoscopic 3D.
We will be revealing the other films and dates for REEL ANIME 2013 in a few months at each of the Supanova Expo events in Sydney and Perth. You can also check back to reelanime.com for all the latest updates.
This year also marks the first year that REEL ANIME will run as an annual event, which is pretty gratifying for us. The response from the public has been so positive over the last few programs, and the content so strong, we just couldn’t wait another year to bring it back.
We are also currently exploring the idea of expanding out the REEL ANIME offering this year by arranging REEL ANIME-branded events in theatres as one-off / one day only screenings – much like what we did with the Madoka Magica film screenings last year – for films that don’t make it into the official REEL ANIME program. If it works, it’ll be a great way for us to get anime up on the big screen more often.
CC: Australia is home to a bustling Cosplay community. Conventions such as SMASH! and Manifest are a great place for Cosplayers to show off their efforts. It goes without saying that Cosplay is a passion for many anime fans, so what does Cosplay mean to Madman?
S: We see Cosplay as a spectacular and truly liberating form of expression. Even though they might harbour the same feelings, as a fan, it’s not always easy to communicate your love and connection to a piece of pop-culture with the general public. The Cosplay community in general are embracing of pretty much anyone’s passions – so in that sense, we see it as a really supportive and positive thing.
There’s that true community spirit where we’re always seeing Cosplayers helping each other out and encouraging one another to do better – it gives us inspiration and also encourages us to do everything we can to help it continue to thrive.
We are also frequently awe-inspired by the sheer amount of skill and professionalism on display in the Australian community.
CC: Could you tell us about the Madman National Cosplay Championship and what this means for Aussie Cosplayers?
S: The MNCC has really enabled us to give something back to the community, reward those that are really serious about their craft and let everyone around Australia and the world know that we have some world class competitors.
Serious Cosplayers of Australia are now able to get the spotlight they truly deserve, and compete in a fastidiously organised contest that recognises and rewards their efforts on a grand scale.
We will continue to offer the major prize of a trip for two to Japan in the main category – but we will also be expanding into other areas soon, including more tutorials and also an online community for cosplayers via Google+.
CC: How important do you feel anime conventions are for the Australian anime industry?
S: They give companies like us regular opportunities to connect with our audience directly, move some products, allow us to showcase exciting content and news in a live setting and get their feedback on what we do – so, of course, they’re pretty vital to a significant portion of our business.
But most importantly, they’re crucial to the development of our local fan community. It’s equally important for us to have a calendar of unique and interesting events going on as it is to make sales – like signings & appearances, screenings, panels, Q&As and more. Each year, we see more and more non-traditional folk turning up at conventions not knowing what to expect and leaving with a huge smile on their faces, which makes it all worthwhile.
Plus, they’re just a lot of fun. We’d be going to them if we didn’t have to work there. Even then, a lot of the time, it doesn’t feel like work!
CC: What can we expect in the future from Madman Entertainment?
S: Continuing to do what we do best – offering lots more great releases, more events, more Cosplay and being able to continue to truly deliver our motto of by fans for fans. We will continue to grow the fan community in any way we can, so that more and more people will come to love and accept anime.
I dare say there will be one or two surprises along the way too.
CC: What do you think of the current state of the Australia Anime Industry and where it is headed?
S: The Australian industry is still amongst the strongest in the world outside of Japan. We’ve seen a marked increase in the competitor space in the last year or two, which is always healthy, as it keeps us on our toes and ensures the community are getting a few more options when it comes to products.
A greater shift towards digital is inevitable, but for the foreseeable future, there will continue to be a demand for something physical.
CC: Is there anything you’d like to say to Madman fans reading this?
S: Thank you for your continued support over the past 15+ years. Without you, we couldn’t have achieved half the things we have done. We will continue to be the best anime company we can be and offer you easy access to the things that you love.
CC: Thank you for your time.
That concludes our interview with Sylvester ‘Sly’ Ip of Madman Entertainment. You find more information on the Evangelion Exhibition here, more information on REEL Anime 2013 here and of course more information of the Madman Cosplay Competition here. Let us know what you thought of this interview in the comments section below.
Nintendo and giant robot fans will be pleased to know that both the Earthbound and Pacific Rim games were classified here in Australia earlier today. This means that we will be seeing a local release of the Wii U version of Earthbound on the Virtual Console later this year. What’s more, the Pacific Rim video game adaptation of the film by the same name will be appearing on the Wii U, 3DS, X360 and PS3 consoles later this year.
Here in Australia, the Earthbound Wii U version will be releasing under the classification of M (For Mature Audiences), while Pacific Rim will be releasing under the classification of M (For Mature Audiences) as well. Which of the two games are you more pumped for? Let us know in the comment section below.
So it seems that after release and DLC, Crystal Dynamics wasn’t quite done with their Tomb Raider game yet, but the only thing left to do was to look back and pick the top ten moments from their own game. What better way to showcase these moments, than a trailer to show exactly what they love about them.
Narrated by Game Director Daniel Bisson, the trailer of moments is more than just a simple top ten, as he explains why these moments were so important to the team and for Lara as well. Obviously this contains spoilers for those that haven’t played the game yet, so if you’re one that still plans on checking it out, it might be best to pass on by.
Players that aren’t worried about spoilers, and want to see how their own personal top moments compare with those on the actual development team, can watch the trailer embedded below. Tomb Raider was developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Square Enix for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Check out our review for the game here.
