Chances are if you are on the internet and got bored you’ve probably played some variant of the classic match-3 puzzle game, where hint hint you have to match three things of the same to score points.  Well, indie developer Cube Roots is finally releasing their first game with publisher Devolver Digital and while it still utilizes match-3 in part of its gameplay there is a lot more going on.
Dungeon Hearts has players matching runes of the same color, but this is during battles where the attacks are impacted by the runes on the field and thusly those being matched. Â This makes it less about finding the optimum way to matches runes and more about quickly and strategically making the combos that will make the most impact in the battles.
Priced at $2.99 Dungeon Hearts will be releasing onto Steam for PC and Mac March 28th, as well as the Apple App Store  for the iPad.  To see some of the gameplay in action watch the trailer embedded below, as well as check out some shots of the game in the gallery.
The Australian Anime Industry is currently going through a period of great growth. Last year a new company joined the fray down under in the form of Hanabee. Since beginning operations they have made quite an impact on the community and industry. I recently got a chance to conduct an interview with CEO of Hanabee, Eric Cherry in order to get his thoughts on the state of the industry and its future.
Q. Hanabee is a relative newcomer to the Australian anime industry, having only just begun operation last year. What do you believe sets Hanabee apart from the rest of the industry down under?
A. At present, we exist as a company purely to service the anime and gaming community. All our activities are designed with the same audience in mind, and I believe we’re the only company with this approach.
Q. How would you describe Hanabee’s position in the current landscape of the Australian anime industry?
A. Hanabee is a pretty dynamic company. We’re continuing to try out ideas that we hope resonate more and more with the community. If we keep having success in this area it should go a long way towards putting us in the position to exist.Â
Q. In the past few years there has been a notable increase in the popularity of more niche titles such as those from the noitaminA brand. Hanabee has even recently announced the acquisition of Kids on the Slope, another series that ran on noitaminA. What do you believe makes these kinds of titles so popular?
A. I think noitaminA’s overall success is attributed to the high level of talent they were able to attract to their projects. Kids on the Slope has the Director/Musical Composition A-Team from Cowboy Bebop behind it so I think it has a real chance of resonating with a wider anime audience.Â
Q. A lot of the titles in Hanabee’s library could be classified as niche. Can we expect to see more mainstream series licensed by Hanabee in the future?
A. Yes.
Q. Simulcast streaming has become a mainstay in the industry at this day and age with both Madman Entertainment and Siren Visual having tried their hand at it. Is this something that Hanabee would be interested in trying out?
A. Australia’s a funny market for simulcasting because it’s not big enough to generate substantial revenue from advertising or subscription sources, but I think it will eventually. We will jump in at one point, but we will need to be smart about it. Â
Q. There are several anime distributors in Australia, but very few manga distributors. Has Hanabee considered releasing manga in Australia?
A. We have, but we’re not ready to make any announcements one way or the other right now.Â
Q. Since its inception Hanabee has proven itself to be a company strongly involved with the anime community. Why do you believe it is important to stay so closely in touch with your audience?
A. Thanks. I can’t imagine a situation where it wasn’t important for a company to stay closely in touch with its audience, so it’s kind of a hard one to answer. I suppose if Hanabee was to grow substantially, a close relationship with the community may become harder, but it will always be important.Â
Q. Social Media is undoubtedly an incredibly useful tool for connecting with your audience. What can anime fans expect from Hanabee on Facebook and Twitter?
A. The element of surprise is one of the things that keeps it fresh, so I wouldn’t be willing to answer this question directly. That said, we’ll continue to invest resources into this area and come up with innovative ways to use it.Â
Q. What advice do you have for someone looking to get working in the anime industry?
A. Send us your CV and if an opportunity that suites your skill set comes up we’ll contact you.Â
Q. How do you view the current state of the Australian anime industry and where do you see it heading in the future?
A. It’s expanded a lot in a short amount of time so I expect it will eventually have to contract a bit, then probably ebb and flow like the USA market does.Â
Q. Is there anything you would like to say to all the fans of Hanabee reading this?
A. Reach out. Message us, make suggestions, come see us at conventions, share with us the ideas you have to build your own community and we’ll do everything we can to support you.Â
Q. Thank you for your time.
A. Indeed, thanks for the opportunity!
That concludes our interview with Hanabee CEO, Eric Cherry. For more information on Hanabee and their products you can check out their official website here. As always be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Blood Bowl, the fantasy sports game based on the Warhammer universe, has been out for fours years and received 3 expansion packs in that time. Â With that success Cyanide Studio has decided to team up with Games Workshop again for an new and different take on the bloodiest sport in fantasy.
Blood Bowl: Star Coach puts players in the role of coach instead of player where they will be tasked with forming a team deciding on everything from race, to playbook. Â Then once they think they’ve got a solid team put together, pit them against another coach’s team from any platform. Â Coaches are able to improve their team by a variety of means, from star players to new staff.
Set for release in second quarter 2013 for the PC, with Mac and tablet versions to follow later in the year, Blood Bowl: Star Coach will be available free-to-play. Â Check out the gallery embedded below to see a few in-progress screens to see a little of what Cyanide is bringing.
Marvelhas finally released a new theatrical trailer for Iron Man 3, set for the big screen worldwide on May 3rd 2013.
The epic third installment, directed by Shane Black, brings the well-known Marvel Comic superhero who returns with a vengeance to reclaim his dignity and overcome his enemies after his personal assets are destroyed. Based on the trailer, we can expect to see the greatest ‘iron men’ battle yet, as Stark takes on himself in the form of a new villain: The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley).
Following the return of a stunning cast lead by ‘iron’ man Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark and his beautiful girlfriend and upcoming sidekick, Gwyneth Paltrow, there is no reason you should not watch this!
Check out the official trailer featured below and be sure to let us know what you think of this upcoming film in the comments section.
PlayStation Minis developer Laughing Jackal has announced today that they will be releasing their newest title, Hungry Giraffe on the PSN.  The title will be released on the PlayStation Vita in Europe this Wednesday, March 6.  You will be able to get the game for £2.39 / €2.99.
Hungry Giraffe was first released as a PlayStation mini and received over 100,000 downloads. Â For the release of the Vita version, the folks at Laughing Jackal have added a few features:
Trophies – Show off your giraffe feeding skills with Laughing Jackal’s shiny range of Trophies
Online Leaderboards – Compare your Hungry Giraffe scores with the best players from around the world.
All-new Store menu – Earn calories in-game then spend them on upgrades and power-ups in the Store
Three new skins – Fed up with gobbling your way from the savanna to the skies as a giraffe? Then why not use our fabulous Reindeer, Emu and Snake skins?
Brand new Angel Feather power-up – If you find yourself falling to your certain doom, why not buoy yourself back into the skies with the brand new and ever-useful Angel Feather powerup?
Amazing Upgrades –Â Use your calories to unlock later Stages, nerf the effects of poison, pills and weights, get more boost from low-calorie foods, store more Hard Hats, give Chillies a better kick and more!
Digital Manual –Â See our gameplay hints and tips and learn about more about the content of the game.
Though no release date has been established for the United States yet, Laughing Jackal hopes to have one available shortly. Â You can check out their website here. Â Also be sure to check out the launch trailer below.
Proletariat Inc. have unleashed their first foray into the iOS gaming field with their title Letter Rush. Available now for no charge on the iPhone and iPad, the game has taken the common word search and added its on spin to the formula. Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to swipe at words as they come swiftly across the screen attempting to earn multipliers and other bonuses for a job well done. Goals are present to add organization to the flurry of letters and you unlock levels as the goals are reached and gems are collected to unlock powerups.
The game also has a synchronized multiplayer to take on people in game modes such as 20 Finger Glory. The developers announced their project last week and wasted no time in getting the title to the public. Fans of titles from Zynga may be excited about the title as well. Proletariat Inc. formed after the unfortunate closing of Zynga Boston in October last year by 5 members of the senior team. As previously mentioned the game can be found on the Apple App Market, and more information can also be found at the developer’s official website.
Sure, today is Lara’s day, but let us not forget about the famous family who have made their comeback in full form this week as well. By who – I am speaking about the Belmont family, who are back in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirrors of Fate for the 3DS.
I think most of you who have followed this title know what to expect, but just in case you need a rundown…well, here ya go:
Trevor Belmont, a knight of the Brotherhood of Light sets out to avenge the death of his mother at the hands of his own father, who has now returned from years of exile to take up residence in a mysterious castle. What was once Gabriel Belmont now stands a powerful vampire called Dracula. Dracula has declared war upon the Brotherhood and thus the scene is set for a cataclysmic showdown between Father and Son.
Our own review is coming very soon, but for now – you can swoop up this entry of the prestigious franchise as of today, and go after Dracula yourself.
As we previously mentioned, Activision was looking for something to do with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles license.  It looks like they’ve got the ball rolling now.
Fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will soon be getting one more game to tide them over.  Activision announced today that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows will be available this summer.  The game will be download-only and available on the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and PC via Steam.
The trailer, which we’ve included below this article, depicts the exact style of game long-time fans of the series would expect – a third-person brawler set in New York City. The game will take players through true-to-life environments as Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael. It will also feature a hyper-realistic 3D-style and four-player online co-op so you and your buddies and stomp the Foot Clan together.
Developed by Red Fly Studio, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows looks to give ‘Turtle Power’ to players with an immersive world, deep character development, and combo-driven action with skill-based combat.
Be sure to check out the gallery below for some screenshots and box art, and check out the trailer as well.
Today it was revealed by Tecmo Koei that Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge would be given a demo prior to the game’s launch on April 2nd in North America and April 5th in Europe. An exact date for this demo was not revealed, but it was said that the demo will be available for both the PS3 and 360 versions for the game and will feature playable stages for both Ryu and Ayane.
Also revealed is the fact that the game will sell for only $40 on these consoles, likely due to the fact that it was previously released for the Wii U and is an upgraded version of the original Ninja Gaiden 3. To go along with these announcements the company revealed new screens and also a few images showing off the previously reported“SmartGlass” functionality the game will support.
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk has had a rather quiet Western journey over the past few months since it was revealed the title would indeed be released in North America, Europe and other PAL regions earlier this year. However the game is now available in stores today for North American fans while European gamers need only wait until Friday to pick the title up from stores.
Until then, Tecmo Koei has chosen to release an extended trailer for the title which gives viewers a glimpse at the game’s story which involves Ayesha Altugle setting out on a journey for her missing sister Nio. It is worth noting that unlike past Atelier titles, Ayesha features only an English audio track but despite being released by Tecmo Koei, NIS America still handled the title’s localization. Anyways, check out the extended launch trailer which is a minute and a half longer than the one we mentioned earlier today.
