Firemonkey’s free to play game Real Racing 3 was awarded iTunes App Store’s Editors’ Choice award around the world this week. The game has been downloaded millions of time since its world wide release.
The game features 46 licensed vehicles, real race tracks from around the world, eight different race types, over 900 possible events, and multiplayer. The game features the time shifted multiplayer allowing people to race their friends, even while offline. Gear heads will love to know that cars are upgradable and customizable.
Real Racing 3 is available on the iTunes App Store here, Google Play here, and Amazon Appstore here. Check out our review of Real Racing 3 here.
Iron Man Armored Adventures – The Armor Wars: Termination Studio: Marvel Animation/Method Animation Publisher:Beyond Home Entertainment Format:DVD Release Date:Out Now Price:$12.98 (Available Here)
Overview
‘The Armor Wars: Termination’ is Season 2, Volume 2 of the animated series ‘Iron Man Armored Adventures’. Originally airing in the first half of 2012, Termination came to DVD boasting 7 episodes. With the litany of Iron Man-based anime’s out there, you Marvel fans may be asking yourself if Armored Adventures may be worth your time. Read on to find out.
Story
The Armor Wars: Termination covers episodes 7-13 of Iron Man Armored Adventures’ second season. Like most long-form animated series, most episodes have their own self-contained story, although certain themes and characters re-appear to thread together a main plot. The first half of Season 2 – which is concluded with this DVD – revolves around the Armor Wars whilst the last batch of 13 episodes focuses on the Stane International storyline.
The Armor Wars involve many entities who have either stolen, or are attempting to steal Stark tech for their own evil purposes/plans. Many of those plans include the destruction of Iron Man. The first episode on this DVD, “Titanium vs Iron”, has Justin Hammer – a 21 year old multi-billionaire and competitor to Tony Stark – presenting his newest creation, Titanium Man, to prospective buyers in the military field. Infiltrated by Iron Man, the presentation is a bust and the first confrontation between these men of metal ensues.
“The Might of Doom” introduces Fantastic Four super villain Dr. Doom into the mix as he makes a somewhat shaky deal with Obadiah Stane – recently appointed, acting CEO and Chairman of Stark Industries – to help his floundering project in exchange for the Iron Man suit specs. I particularly liked Doom’s treatment here as a major force in the Marvel Universe. I also appreciated how, what seemed like a flaw in continuity when Iron Man’s attack actually floored Doom, was later addressed and tied into Doom’s reasoning for wanting Stark’s tech.
“The Hawk and the Spider” sees the familiar pairing of Hawkeye and Black Widow appear on the scene. The duo steal Stark Industries’ U.I. Chip (just another job for them), but don’t keep possession of it for very long as Justin Hammer ends up getting his weasily hands on it. This is little more than a throwaway episode used just as an introduction for Black Widow. “Enter: Iron Monger”, however, is important in introducing the Iron Monger suit that Obadiah Stane is famous for using in the comics. Here, he builds it under the guise of simple construction-demolition equipment, but Iron Man knows better.
“Fugitive of S.H.I.E.L.D.” features the return of Black Widow as she plays thief, yet again, only this team S.H.I.E.L.D. is the victim. Taking a Vibranium/Adamantium mix alloy and data drive, Romanov tags Iron Man in passing, resulting in S.H.I.E.L.D. pursuing Stark for the crime. Stark discovers that S.H.I.E.L.D. has built a troop of “Mandroids” (terrible name) integrating unauthorised Stark tech. After an encounter with them, Stark sets his sights on the stolen goods, entering a four way battle with Romanov, Stane and (returning from episode 4) Ghost.
This next episode really took me off guard, as it basically turns into an absurd Saw film. Tony Stark’s classmates, twins Rhona and Andy Irwin, gas the classroom and proceed to test Stark in a series of stages where he must correctly answer a question for each of his captured friends. There was always tension between the two parties, but this episode felt like such a jarring thematic departure. And what is their motivation? Rhona is upset that Stark has taken over as the No. 1 student…is that truly reason enough to threaten his friend with a descending saw?!
Finally, we have “Heavy Mettle”. Stane has improved the Iron Monger after developing the Vibranium/Adamantium alloy and is showing it off to interested Military parties. The board at Stark Industries is poised to make Stane permanent CEO when Stark crashes the party with some incriminating footage of Stane’s dealings with Ghost. However, Stark makes the mistake of repeating a line to Stane both in and out of the suit, leading him to be discovered by him. Furious, Stane then goes on a rampage before his daughter Whitney convinces him to stop.
Soon enough though, Justin Hammer interferes, having the Iron Monger remotely controlled by an ally as he tries to make the save and put on a show for the news cameras, effectively painting Titanium Man as the hero and superior combat suit. This mega-brawl requires Tony to don the Hulkbuster suit, and things really pick up. This episode is a great bookend to this half of the season, leading into the Stane International story arc. The show really shines during the action sequences, and this episode is one of those instances.
Visuals & Audio
Iron Man Armored Adventures follows the trend of Western animation where the visual style is much more three dimensional and less hand-drawn. Characters look like 3D models in a video game, but with much less detail. I prefer the 2D, illustrated style implemented in Japanese anime as it feels more organic and artistic and not as technical. Though, when the characters are in motion, Iron Man Armored Adventures looks very good.
When things are at a stand-still is when you begin to notice how flat and non-descript the environments are especially. Unfortunately, this style also doesn’t leave a lot of room for subtlety in facial expressions either. The voice acting, thankfully, does not exaggerate too much in compensating for that fact. Overall, there are some of the usual cheesy jokes and delivery of lines, but the voice acting is more than serviceable.
The sound effects do their job and the music is your standard fare of classic action/super-hero, dramatised pieces. In terms of issues in the presentation, the video/audio transfer itself is good, except for a slightly noticeable transparent vertical line on the very edge of the right hand side of the image. Also, there are no menu options or a set-up sub-menu to speak of, so English better be your first language!
Overall
This Iron Man Armored Adventures – The Armor Wars: Termination DVD is bare bones with no special features, but with animated TV series like these, that’s not uncommon. And for the price of only $12.98, you get what you pay for. I was disappointed, however, to see a complete lack of set-up/settings; I expected, at the very least, some subtitle options.
The show itself is definitely more suited for pre-teens/teens (especially because Tony Stark et al are in their teens here themselves), but for a Marvel fan of any age, it is watchable. The visual style was a bit hit-and-miss for me, and the story is very cookie-cutter, but the action is well choreographed. If you have kids who are getting into comics, you should take a look at buying this DVD.
Chillingo and CGMatic are releasing Snoopy Coaster on iOS. The companies have been licensed by Peanuts Worldwide to create an original game for Apple Devices. The classic comic strip character will be the star of an endless runner on a roller coaster. “There’s something in Peanuts that everyone can relate to, and we are always looking for new ways to share the characters with future generations,” explains Leigh Anne Brodsky, Managing Director of Peanuts Worldwide. “… Snoopy Coaster delivers a fantastic, fun experience for players who want the thrill ride of their lives.”
Snoopy Coaster will be released some time in March. Find out more here.
We all probably appreciate how good playing iOS games are for blowing off stream after a stressful day of work. Apparently whoever is in control of the twitter account for the Brazilian Ministry of Defence does too. It must be a tough gig, being the social media nerd surrounded by guys who blow away rebels in the jungle on a daily basis. Hilarity has ensued throughout Brazil.
It is now one of the top five apps in the Brazilian App Store. FDG Entertainment, the creators of ‘Banana Kong,’ congratulated the department on getting such a good score, but did say they would give them tips to help them improve.
The game is quickly becoming a national past time, because there’s nothing better than being able to say you beat the entire Ministry of Defence at something.
DmC: Devil May Cry: Vergil’s Downfall Developer: Ninja Theory Publisher:Capcom Platform:Xbox 360 (Reviewed), Playstation 3, PC Release Date: March 5, 2013 Price: 720 Microsoft Points ($8.99 on PSN and PC) – Available Here
Overview:
If you have not played DmC: Devil May Cry yet and are planning to at some stage, then please do not read this review as it contains spoilers. Also if you haven’t already, do read our full review of DmC: Devil May Cry here.
The much anticipated follow up to DmC: Devil May Cry arrives in the form of downloadable content titled Vergil’s Downfall, and this is indeed a direct follow up to where the original game ended. Now just to clear up this isn’t the true ending deliberately left out by Capcom, this isn’t the same stunt that they pulled with Asura’s Wrath. Nor is the content already present on disc with the DLC simply unlocking it, no this is a massive download weighing in at over 2GB, featuring content that serves as a supplementary sequel of sorts.
Do you own DmC? Love DmC? And want more DmC? Then read on to find out why you need to grab this latest piece of DLC.
Story:
The final battle in DmC saw Vergil nearly tasting death at the hands of Dante, but spared in the last moment and allowed to escape. Vergil’s Downfall picks up right after that moment and shows you what happened to Dante’s twin brother in the post-game. You take control of a bruised and battered Vergil as he embarks on a very personal journey of self-discovery, where he faces his deepest inner-demons.
When it’s all said and done, it becomes clear that this is truly a standalone adventure where the spotlight is on Vergil. His character development is fascinating, and he’s apparently meant to be the new antagonist of DmC, but what this DLC attempts to do is to make players understand his motives and bring his beliefs into context. If anything it offers a very unbiased and grey portrayal of his character, almost to the point where you sympathize with him or at the very least pity him.
Don’t get me wrong, Vergil isn’t a hero or an anti-hero of any kind, in this DLC you play as the proverbial bad guy and learn about his past and witness the full extent of his character. This is a very unusual redemption story, and in a very peculiar way it’s also a coming of age story. We’ve seen these stories told countless times in the medium, but rarely in the same manner that you experience in Vergil’s Downfall. Normally in these stories, you see a character make peace with their past, exorcise their inner-demons, and come out anew, reformed, and better. Vergil’s Downfall portrays its protagonist in a similar manner, albeit in a more questionable way. It goes to show that sometimes there is an even bigger price to pay on the road to redemption, and finding one’s true self.
The emotional story alone is worth experiencing, and it is presented excellently with well written dialogue and highly stylized animated sequences. This isn’t an extension to the already decisive conclusion of DmC, instead Vergil’s Downfall offers a compelling supplement to shed light on an apparent villain, and best of all it sets the scene nicely for the inevitable sequel.
Gameplay:
Considering that it is a DLC, it’s a pleasant surprise how distinct and unique Vergil’s campaign feels compared to Dante’s epic quest in the retail release. They may be identical twins, but their personalities and respective campaigns are anything but. Vergil’s campaign comprises just six missions, each of the standard DmC length of 15-20 minutes. The length of Vergil’s campaign pales in comparison to Dante’s 20 mission odyssey, but for a DLC you can’t really fault the offering here.
The campaign really feels like a slow and steady development of his combat prowess, each mission grants you an opportunity to learn something from his repertoire and even progressively have new abilities bestowed upon him. By the time you fight the major boss, Vergil comes full circle and you get to play around with all sorts of cool new skills and attacks. The progression in his combat abilities is in perfect sync with his character development in the story, so it all feels very organic and natural.
Dante was ridiculously stylish, reckless, and insanely over the top in his combat style, Vergil on the other hand is the polar opposite. His combat style is a lot more defined and methodological, as his approach requires far more tact and a calmer presence of mind on part of the player. While Dante was designed for reckless blood pumping beat downs, Vergil on the other hand is a thinking man’s fighter.
Vergil’s modified katana sword, the Yamato, is all about sharp and precise hits and little to do with effortless fluidity. Don’t get me wrong, you can improvise some amazing things but you need to be more disciplined and smart about it. He is also able to summon small swords which add more strategy and tact to his play style. Vergil feels noticeably limited in the early stages of the DLC, so much that you might struggle to rack up a decent score in combat style, but as the game progresses you unlock and learn more moves, which makes scoring huge style points a lot easier. The new abilities and attacks you unlock will certainly make you want to replay the missions more than once, the coolest one being a doppelganger that you can summon to fight alongside you. He is also a lot more agile as he can literally flash step to cover a large distance in the blink of an eye, making his play style a lot more defensive and evasive than Dante’s. It’s also worth noting that Vergil’s campaign feels noticeably more challenging than Dante’s, and that may largely be due to his distinct play style.
A new playable character isn’t all that you get in this DLC, you also go up against several new enemy types, and even a couple of new boss characters. In terms of core gameplay and enemy types, Vergil’s downfall offers plenty of new things. However, when it comes to locations and level design, things aren’t as interesting. The missions largely take place in different variations of the same location and it doesn’t have the same variety you saw in DmC. You won’t be witnessing the real time world morphing, gorgeous set pieces, and the artistic flair that characterized the original game. The level design has a decent mix of action and platforming, but it feels a bit too predictable and tacked on.
The campaign design may not be very rich, but you certainly get to use a very deep and unique character and test his might against some brand new foes.
Audio and Visuals:
Visually and graphically Vergil’s Downfall is obviously identical to the quality of DmC, sans the detailed artistic flair and real-time level morphing effects. The techno rock soundtrack is also retained here. Nothing much to say about the audio and visuals, but what is unique to Vergil’s Downfall is the stunning animated sequences. The art style in these animated scenes is highly stylized, akin to a noir style graphic novel. It’s really cool to have that unique touch, and it makes up for the lack of variety in the in-game locations and art.
Overall:
Despite some minor issues in level variety and design, Vergil’s Downfall is an excellent piece of downloadable content that is well worth the price of admission. Vergil offers a whole new gamplay experience, and his story is well worth witnessing. If you already own and loved DmC: Devil May Cry, then Vergil’s Downfall is an essential purchase.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Today Tecmo Koei decided that it would probably do them some good if they actually chose to try and promote their upcoming release of Gust’s Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk. How close to release is this game you ask? Well so close that gamers in North America can run to the store right now and purchase it from the shelves since it is past midnight and now March 5th while gamers in Europe and other PAL regions have to wait until Friday to pick it up.
Anyways, Tecmo Koei’s trailer for the game which as released today doesn’t provide any preview of the game’s English dub but does show off a little bit of in-game footage. For more coverage of the title from when it was being advertised in Japan, check out our coverage, including gameplay trailers and more, here.
Last week Dynasty Warriors 8 was released in Japan and today 4Gamer chose to release a nice twelve minute long gameplay video which shows off everything that the PlayStation 3 title has to offer in the way of improvements over Dynasty Warriors 7.
You can check out the video of the currently PlayStation 3 exclusive below. It is unknown whether Tecmo Koei will release Dynasty Warriors 8 overseas or if they will make it multi-platform when they do so. It is worth noting that while the main game, Dynasty Warriors 7 was given an English dub and released on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, both Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends and Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires were released with only a Japanese voice track and exclusively for the PS3.
Last week Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus was released in Japan and in only five days it has sold over 120,000 copies. Marvelous AQL have announced, as revealed by 4Gamer, that these sales include both physical sales as well as downloadable sales. Interestingly enough, Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus is the fastest selling title in the franchise’s history as the best selling game in the series, the 3DS exclusive Senran Kagura Burst only sold 69,084 units in that same time frame.
Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus actually is the third highest selling title for the Vita in Japan, only surpassed by Persona 4 Golden with 137,076 and Hatsune Miku Project Diva F with 159,592. Now it is worth noting that there are numerous reasons for Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus doing well, such as the fact that the game’s fan-service element is glorious, the fact that there is currently a Senran Kagura airing in Japan and probably more than anything else, Shinovi Versus was released in Japan the same week the Vita received a Japan-only price cut.
It is worth noting that there has been no news of Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus heading overseas, despite these impressive sales figures, however the Vita is region free so Shinovi Versus is very import friendly.
You may recall a certain game called Project Happiness which was teased by Harvest Moon creator Yasuhiro Wada during last year’s E3. If not then you shouldn’t worry too much, since little was actually revealed for the game at the time thanks to travel issues Wada experienced.
However today it has been revealed that the game is now called HomeTown Story and is roughly 50-60% finished. To go along with this announcement, the company released the below English narrated trailer and a number of details were revealed to Famitsu.
In HomeTown Story, players will be running a shop, but the title will involve more than simply increasing your sales and making your shop larger. Instead players can meet new friends and encounter new stories as the shop grows. Natsume has already stated that they will release this 3DS title in North America though no release window has been provided.
Today it was revealed that Gears of War: Judgment will have a special mini-campaign that will be unlocked once players have finished Gears of War: Judgment’s main storyline. This second campaign is called Aftermath and it focuses on Baird, Cole and Clayton Carmine’s mission to track down reinforcements before the invasion of Azura during Gears of war 3.
The reason for Aftermath’s inclusion says Epic Games’ Alan Van Slyke is two fold. To be a bit more specific he stated that “Aftermath is two things. One, for the Gears 3 fans who wanted more traditional Gears 3 content, it’s there to satisfy them. Two, I think it gives us a chance to bookend the trilogy, so we have Cole and Baird leaving to go get reinforcements at the end of Gears 3 and we’re able to build upon that. So it gives Judgment this nice additional content to be able to bookend the trilogy with something that happened right after Emergence Day prior to Gears 1, and also plays off of the traditional Gears 3 content.”
Whether this will excite the seemingly complacent fan-base for Gears has currently gone unseen, but we’ll find out for sure once the game is released on March 19th.
