Now it’s safe to say that we don’t know a great deal about Project Versus J, what we do know is; it’s a Namco bandai developed fighting game that pits Toriko against One Piece against Dragon Ball Z. That alone is enough to get a Shonen Jumps fan excited! We also know that it’s set for the Playstation 3 and Vita. The game is made to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Shonen Jump Manga so we can expect there to be appearances, big or small, from a bunch of other Shonen Jumps favourites.
Do NOT turn away from this yet! Not even for a break because two days ago a site popped up, a Bandai-run site that teases the hell out of this! Basically the site is just a count down timer. It started at ten days but seeing as that was two days ago we’re now down to eight.
It’s entirely in Japanese but go and check out the site here.
An infographic was released on the Mass Effect Twitter, detailing the choices of all Mass Effect players world wide. It is quite interesting to compare one’s playthroughs with the general populace, and knowing just how wrong they are.
Only 64% of players were able to see Wrex in Mass Effect 3, which majorly effects the game’s setting. Liara and Garrus are the most popular squad members, most likely because they have the most useful powers and the way the game is paced. 36% of players were able to save both the Quarians and the Geth and only 8% of players did not cure the Genophage, proving that humanity is still good.
64.5% of players were Paragon, leaving the rest to be renegade. Only 18% of players who completed the game played as femshep, which is consistant with the statistics of the last two games.
Look at the infographic below to find more details to compare your game to the rest of the world’s.
Have you ever read through the gaming news of the day or kept up with the new releases of the week and thought, “Man, I’d love to play this, but I can’t afford it right now,” or “I really need to wait until the weekend so I can finish my classwork and pass this calculus class!” We may have a resolution for you.
Now, you can let us show you the first half hour of games we’re playing. With our newest feature, CC Impact!, we’re looking to share our first impressions with you as we experience them. This may be new releases for the week, footage of demos or betas that we’re allowed to share, or something that’s been around for a while that we’re itching to show off .
When we’re first playing the game, we will be livestreaming the footage to our Twitchpage. We’ll be sure to upload it to our YouTube page later for those that missed the livestream as well.
Check out Episode 1 of CC Impact! below, where editor Joe Morgan brings you his first impressions of the beta for the upcoming game Defiance. Be sure to leave a comment here or head on over to our YouTube page and leave a comment so we know what you think of our newest feature. Also be sure to follow us on Twitter, since we’ll let everyone know when a livestream begins that way.
Without further ado, here’s our inaugural episode of CC Impact! Defiance Beta Game Play!
All you have to do to win is to simply answer the following question: “Which game in the bundle are you most excited to play?” Leave your answer in the comment section below.
A Lucky winner will be drawn at random on March 30th, 2013. Good luck to you all!
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When you enter please leave a VALID email address when you register NOT IN YOUR COMMENT so we can notify you if you are the lucky winner.
Gamers have probably seen the standard UFO games before, aliens come in muddle around, maybe drop a thing or two allowing humans to improve our technology. It makes for a fun concept and strategy, facing a superior force and turning their tech against them over time. The developers at UFO Studios however are interested in giving players a chance at seeing the situation from the other side with Revelation.
Revelation is set to be a UFO simulation where players take on the role of the UFO invaders that must try to silently infiltrate Earth, the first game to ever take this approach. The difficulty comes from two points, the first being that humans can improve their tech utilizing the player’s alien tech anytime they fail and the second being another alien race. Sounds like a pretty unique concept. Main features of the game include:
Variety of alien ships.
Playing as the infamous Greys.
Flight using electrogravitic and electrostatic behavior.
Centered around modern UFO and alien mythology.
Unique tech, from implants, to biotechnology, to weapons, to ships.
Evolving gameplay as humans adapt captured alien tech.
New flight simulation for UFO for very different aerial combat.
A focus on stealth within the UFO
Currently, Revelation is in the developing stages, but still needs some help funding and is hoping to hit Kickstarter March 25th. Those players that want to see more about can check out the trailer embedded below, while those that are interested in helping to fund the game can do so from its website HERE, which will also link to the Kickstarter when it’s finally up.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Platform: Nintendo Wii U (Reviewed), Nintendo 3DS Release Date: March 19, 2013 Price: $59.99 – BUY NOW
Overview
The Wii U has had a fairly decent start, but has suffered from an onslaught of ports since release. Mass Effect 3, The Amazing Spider-Man, Need for Speed: Most Wanted..heck, even Ben 10: Omniverse was a port. I think you see where I am coming from. What is good is that those blue cases are filling shelves, and we are finally starting to get news of brand new IPs for the console. Better news? Well, these ports are starting to step up their game entirely, and no title has proven itself to be “more” than Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for the Wii U. Sure, its a port (Wii) of a port (3DS), but one done right in many ways with a brand new coat of HD paint and plenty of new features. Does this version warrant a purchase from Wii U owners hungry for a new game? Let’s see the results.
Editor’s Note: We already reviewed Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for the 3DS in heavy detail. This version is the same product aside from console specific features that the review down below will tackle. Check out that review HERE, and read on to find out more about the Wii U version.
Gameplay
If you have forgotten or are new to the Monster Hunter franchise, I will yet again give you a brief recap of just what is in store for all players as they head into this large, living and breathing world for the first time. Monster Hunter has always been about quests, and with this expansion of sorts – that is still the theme. Players take the role of a young hunter for hire and will quickly begin to receive quests from residents of one of the many areas, which usually include activities such as fishing, collecting, capturing, and of course slaying monsters. There is a lot to this formula, most of which was broken down in our 3DS review of the game, but thankfully, the Wii U version is able to pull all of this off effortlessly.
You probably didn’t come here to hear about how well every aspect of the game blends together – with its perfected mechanics of upgrading rather than leveling and themes of exploration, as the Wii U version is indeed a beast in it’s own right. The Gamepad is part of the experience that indeed makes things so accessible for new players, as while it is your controller, it also plays as your menus, inventory, and map screen. Yes, this all fits quite well, and just like the 3DS version, you are able to transfer icons and customize the Gamepad to include the features that you, yourself want at your fingertips. Convenience at its finest.
Also like the 3DS version, Capcom have implemented several control schemes to satisfy every type of Monster Hunter out there. The best option comes with the Wii U Pro Controller. Yeah, we haven’t seen too much use out of the wiresless controller, but every button comes well mapped, allowing for the solid combat to remain fluent and simple. Cameras can also be better controlled with the extra analog stick, letting the player whip the view behind them at any given time, ensuring that if you do die, it probably will be at your own fault. Another plus of using the Wii U Pro Controller is the battery life. Let me first say I do love the Gamepad’s use in Ultimate, and was pleased with how well it handled – but let’s face the facts. There is no other game on the Wii U at this moment that will take more of your time than Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, meaning that unless you want to be running to your dock after a long play session, this controller just makes more sense.
Getting back on the Gamepad for a moment, if I had anything to criticize, it’s that Capcom seemed to copy and paste nearly the entire game straight from the 3DS version aside from a few small details when it comes to the Gamepad’s screen. This isn’t a bad thing, as that worked well enough and the customization seems more relevant on the Wii U, but those who are playing both are surely going to take notice at the features that seem out of place like the touch screen D-Pad – which gives a further camera control option and seemed unnecessary due to the extra analog already being on the Gamepad controller. Those battles however feel more epic on the big screen, and the ultimate reason to have both versions of the game under your belt comes in the form of multiplayer.
Since the Wii U released, there haven’t been a ton of online games. Sure, Black Ops II and Assassin’s Creed III work better than their cousins on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in my opinion (an opinion based on the community rather than the actual gameplay), but Monster Hunter is one of those games where the online and multiplayer experience in general may raise a few extra questions. Well, to squash those fears, I must say that Capcom have shown us yet again that they know how to implement a clever and well balanced multiplayer for this franchise, and just like the Wii’s Monster Hunter Tri, Ultimate comes with more than enough option to keep you busy outside of single player combat.
The first thing I want to speak about is lobbies. Up to 100 people can be in a lobby at one time, where users can use the keyboard to chat among the crowd as they prepare to gather friends and allies for battle. Every one of the eight locations from the main game has 10 different lobbies to play in, and the host can customize their own game and name their room to their liking to ensure preferences are met accordingly. I know having an on-screen keyboard may not sound like a game changer for online, but Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate breaks new ground with the feature as chat has never came easier on a console. Making matters even sweeter is that voice chat comes straight from the Gamepad, meaning you don’t have to have a headset to speak to your squad. The only real issue I had with the online mode here is that if the host is being a jerk or just happens to bail for any reason, the game ends abruptly. Maybe we will see this patched, but for now – those pondering of hitting the packed servers need to ensure everyone is in it for the long haul before starting a game.
The 3DS also plays a decent role in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate‘s offerings. Remember when we used to play Pokemon with friends, and then go to Pokemon Stadium to bring our team to the big screen? Well, the local play is sort of like that. Up to three 3DS owners can join in on multiplayer quests with the user that holds the Gamepad, and since this is the same game, all players see everything in unison on their device. For both online and 3DS local, I did not suffer from any lag or hiccups during my many hours with the games, which is an indication of how solid this title syncs up. Also, soon – but not yet, a patch will be coming to allow for saves to be transferred between the two games, meaning you can take the same save file on the go after saving and transferring to the 3DS. It sounds like an awesome feature, but its quality remains to be seen until Capcom post the update.
Visuals and Audio
When I played Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on the 3DS (which is the first version I played through), I was blown away by the stunning environments, models, and scale of the game. Now, being on a big screen, the shock effect has worn off due to the fact that we expected to see great things anyway considering the Wii U’s power, but the beauty of this game remains in tact, allowing for every monster encounter to still pack a punch of intimidation and excitement. I did however have a bit of a problem with the text size during dialogue sequences of NPCs. The menu text, HP bars, and general HUD information displays fine, but the dialogue itself is very small and located in the very bottom left-hand corner of the screen. I have an HDTV that is decently sized, but I still felt as if I needed to move closer to be able to see every bit of text from a conversation. Menus from the Gamepad that do show up on screen can suffer from a size shrinkage as well, appearing somewhat cluttered compared to the 3DS version.
The Wii U version takes the soundtrack that was already powerful and an absolute masterpiece and enhances it in every way. Sound effects blend with the music to give the player an intense and realistic atmosphere to hunt in, and those who choose to play the game with the volume down are certainly going to cut their own excitement from encounters down dramatically. That said – while online, many users have their volume cranked up to enjoy this. Is that a problem? Well, not really, but it can get a bit frustrating have to hear the same music and roars of foes while trying to speak to someone. That isn’t the game’s fault, but it is a reason to think about investing in a headset – even with the convenience of the Gamepad’s mic coming into play.
Overall
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is a port, and honestly feels as if it were ripped straight from the 3DS version with upgraded HD visuals and online features added in. Due to the way the multiplayer here works however, I don’t think I would want it any other way. No title thus far has done more to show how the Wii U can handle an online experience like Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and those wanting to capitalize on their own experience need to honestly consider picking up both versions as they fit together just like those old Pokemon games did with Stadium back on the Nintendo 64. Sure, it might not bring a lot on it’s own and has some minor flaws that come with it, but Wii U owners looking for the “Ultimate” version of the franchise can look no further, as there is no better way to hunt than with this upgraded console version of a modern classic.
Just the other day, Rising Star Games announced that Deadly Premonition: Director’s Cut had a date (April 30th) and let us in on the features. Today, a new trailer was released to introduce the player to Greenvale, but it comes with a bit of a catch.
While it shows off the graphical upgrade well, this trailer is full of spoilers. I repeat, DO NOT WATCH THIS TRAILER UNLESS YOU HAVE BEATEN DEADLY PREMONITION. Appreciate it’s glory, but don’t peak too much as there are plenty of things that the trailer shows that might take away some of the shock that this tale brings.
Now, with that out of the way, you can see the clip down below if you must.
I will keep this short and sweet, as we have been keeping you all up to date of where to get Meloetta as of late. Meloetta is of course a rare Pokemon that has been getting its rounds via distribution events as of late, and now Pokefans can get their hands on the little species at GAME starting today.
Fans who also show up with Pokedex 3D pro will be able to add the Mythical Pokémon at Level 50 in its Aria Forme, including a variety of powerful moves – Close Combat, Teeter Dance, Psychic, and Round to their Pokémon Black, Pokémon White, Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2 video games. And there you have it. Go and download, and build that Pokedex while you can.
It’s hardly surprising that there’s money to be made in the free-to-play world but hundreds of millions of dollars is a big deal no matter your sales strategy. Kabam has done just that, having just surpassed the $200 million mark. In achieving this feat, their game ‘Kingdoms of Camelot’ is now the leader in free-to-play core games in the western world. This milestone also puts them in the top ten strategy franchises of all time.
After hitting $100 million after 3 years of operation, the next $100 million took less than one year to make. That’s a level of success even the majors would be deeply jealous of. The mobile version of the game ‘Kingdoms of Camelot: Battle for the North’ contributed to this outcome by being the top-grossing iOS game in 2012.
The news couldn’t have come at a better time for Kabam either. They’ve just released ‘The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age’ to a hoard of bloodthirsty fans. I hope this translates into a highly playable movie tie in game for once. For more information on Kingdoms of Camelot and Kabam’s library of games, visit www.kabam.com. You can follow the company on Twitter and ‘like’ Kabam on Facebook.
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere Season 1 Studio: Sunrise Publisher: Madman Entertainment Release Date: February 20, 2013 Price:$64.95 – Available Here
Overview: Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is one of the more bizarre entries into the anime medium in the past few years with a plot rich with oddity, a colourful cast of characters that just keeps expanding with every passing episode and a setting that is as unique as it is deep. All of this combines to create what is an all-round raucously fun anime series the likes of which haven’t been seen in quite some time. Its many things but above all else it is uniquely Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere.
Story: It is not often that one can claim that a series is in a whole other playing field of its own, but that is what Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is. It really has no equals simply because there isn’t anything even remotely like this series. It really comes down to the simple fact that Horizon has a little bit of everything – something for everyone to enjoy. Do you like romance? It’s got it. Do you like mecha? It’s got it. Do you like magic powers? It’s got it. Do you like high school comedy? It’s got it. Do you like high octane action? It’s got it. Do you like fan-service? It’s got it. Whatever it is that you want from an anime, Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere probably has it.
The cast of Horizon for the most part appears to be a seemingly random selection of a number of different anime archetypes, yet in spite of that it does well to develop these characters beyond just that. This series features an immense cast with each playing a part in the rich mythos of the world of Horizon. A world which might I add is incredibly well detailed for a mere 13 episode season of anime. The history behind this setting is well-realised – though it can feel convoluted at times – Horizon does stick the landing however and conveys a world and its inhabitants that you will grow to love (and for some – hate).
Horizon’s plot revolves around a future in which Earth has been devastated by some unknown cataclysm which has effected the entire world except some portions of Japan. Society took to outer-space but couldn’t make it that far due to unknown causes instead they now exist in the sky an attempt to repeat history in order to find a solution to the world’s predicament. It all seems so very serious, yet Horizon is often filled with quite lighthearted moments to juxtapose its more dire situations.
There is really a lot to this anime series and you get the sense that this first season alone barely scratches the surface of how vast this story is. This particular season ends in the middle of all the action, but one can rest easy knowing that Madman have the second season lined up for release which continues where this one left off.
At its core Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is a story about fate and the way it ties us together. It may not be the most straightforward series with so much going on at any one time, but it with sheer bombast and unbridled energy it blasts through some very dense material in a way that gives you the essential information while focusing on the more exciting elements of the series.
This is a series that owes a great deal to its pacing and energy. Without either of those things this series wouldn’t be very good, in fact it would probably be a tedious mess of lengthy explanation and political filibuster, which is everything this series shouldn’t be. So it really goes without saying that Sunrise did an excellent job highlighting the more interesting elements of Horizon while tempering a lot of the banal exposition beneath the action and excitement that makes this series so fun.
Visuals and Audio: Sunrise have a habit of creating some of the most incredible action sequences in anime and they have not missed a beat with Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere. Beautifully animated, Horizon is a pleasure to watch in all regards. This is slick, fluid and electric animation at its finest. The best part of it all is that the standard of animation is upheld throughout the entire course of the season without a drop in sight – A hallmark of quality by all counts.
The artwork in and of itself is gorgeous, even being awe-inspiring at its best. Horizon’s character designs are all very distinctive and appealing in many ways. The cast is as previously mentioned incredibly varied and there is a lot of memorable designs here.
In terms of music, Tatsuya Katou no doubt has people lining up for his services after his work on Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere. He has composed a beautiful soundtrack that compliments the series perfectly. The opening and ending theme songs for Horizon are also notably good and well suited to the themes represented in this anime.
This release happens to feature an English dub which was produced by Sentai Filmworks and I must say they have done an admirable job at transitioning this series into the English language, with impressive performances across the board all of which adds further evidence against the ‘dubs suck’ stigma that some anime fans have grown attached to. Sentai have really done a great job with casting for this series and the performers an excellent job portraying these colourful characters.
Extras: This Blu-Ray release of the first season of Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is an impressive one to say the least. It features dual audio as well as a number of bonus features for you to sink your teeth into. With a special video that details the history of the world of Horizon in a school-like lecture, clean opening and ending themes, promos, commercials and of course your standard trailers.
It must be said however that Madman have made a few errors with the bonus content on this release. Usually when they bring over a North American companies product they tend to put in more effort to rebrand it as their own, sometimes creating their own menu screens etc. However with Horizon on Blu-Ray they seem to have simply directly used Sentai Filmworks version. This is heavily noticable due to the trailers section of the special features being titled ‘More Anime of Blu-Ray from Sentai Filmworks’ which is somewhat troublesome for those who have no idea who Sentai Filmworks is due to their lack of presence on the packaging what so ever. It was just something small that I felt could have been fixed, but it doesn’t affect the overall product.
Overall: Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere is a wildly imaginative anime series that has a little something for everyone. It is hard to find an anime series that is this much fun. Although it can border on convoluted at times, it is a thrill ride that maintains a sense of purpose and direction from start to end. If you are looking for a fun watch with a level of depth that you don’t find too often in anime then look towards the Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
