Paladin Studios and Elastik Concepts are bringing the legendary Nikko R/C brand of remote control cars to the mobile market. Nikko RC Racer features ten unique Nikko RC cars racing on nine different tracks. Classic toys like the Champion Kart and the VaporizR have been faithfully recreated with multiple options to control the vehicles including classic RC style controls. Nikko RC Racer features asynchronous multiplayer via Facebook, allowing players to race against their friend’s ghosts in time trial races.
Nikko RC Racer will be available for free on iTunes. The game is compatible with the iPhone 4s and 5, the iPod Touch 5th Gen, the iPad Mini, and the iPad 2 to 4.
While the last wave of games to hit the market have produced some memorable experiences, from the perspective of an older gamer it is not hard to see why the retro market is growing exponentially in interest and pricing. I’ve often sat and pondered why people, myself included, are still willing to fork out huge sums of money to play the games from our youth that were traded in and thrown out long ago. Of course, there’s the nostalgia but that’s only going to open your wallet so far, and falls far short of explaining the constant flow of $200+ titles that pass through the grasp of eBay traders.
So what is it really that gamers are wanting from these old retro games when 3D graphics and Dolby Surround Sound beckons them forth so enticingly from today’s current console lineup. Personally, I think it’s a combination of things that gives the gamer the full gaming experience, complete with tangible attractive packaging, immersive and addictive gameplay that draws you into the game as well as the nostalgia of an era where everything was magical and had an element of surprise. Of course, we are talking about a time in the industries infancy where new consoles brought huge leaps in technology and processing power, allowing for features previously unseen rather than just enhanced and more powerful engines essentially providing the same experience with better and smoother visuals.
Another important feature of retro games is that they had the ability to connect with the player and take them on a journey, a true method of escapism as opposed to turning on a game, killing a few enemies and then forgetting it ever existed. They were frustratingly and deceptively difficult, presenting the player with challenges. Today’s button prompting styles of play could learn a lot from these games. Walking up to a door and pressing x to open it loses it value the 400th time, something even losing 20 lives on one Mario level will never do. If we look at the classics such as Mario, Zelda, Bomberman, Metroid and Ghouls and Ghosts, to name just a few, what we are presented with is the perfect blend of puzzle and action, fantasy and decision making. Put in arcades, these games were gold mines, addictive in nature, constantly pushing players into achieving higher and higher scores, which is something else that’s sorely missing from the majority of today’s titles.
So where does this leave us in an industry that is rapidly moving online only with PC boxed games virtually a thing of the past and services like Steam gaining momentum everyday with the ability to offer new release games at budget prices? Is the death of collectors editions and is having something tangible to show for your money an accepted thing of the past? Of course, you can still walk into a shop and buy an XBox 360 or PS3 game, but it’s not the same as lining up at midnight to get that promotional Zelda disc only available at pre-order. Today the best you’d get is a free code for a hat for your online avatar.
From an interest point of view, a quick scan of eBay revealed Aussies to be the biggest spenders of the lot with Australian versions of any older games being worth almost double the US market and well above the European market. Those old Mario and Zelda cartridges gathering dust at the back of your cupboards could help pay many of your debts with average cartridges for the beloved Italian selling for an around $40 and some rarer titles like Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64 selling in its box as high as $600 with collectors being a stickler for those mint boxes and manuals. While its nice to see the tradition carrying on through the generations, in some instances it’s not affordable to play certain games without eating for a week.
French publisher Anuman Interactive announced today that they have added Tough Tony and the Night of the Roasted Moths to their Microids label. The game was originally released in 1997 by Nayma Software and was picked up by the ScummVM project and DotEmu. Now, the game will be republished under the Microids label.
Tony Tough is a small failed detective desperate to prove his worth. After failing to capture a psychopath he has chased for over a decade, Tony is resolved to finally close the case this Halloween.
The game will be priced at $9.99 for the digital version of the game and will be released in the coming days.
Bulkypix and Fallen Tree Games’ newest title in the Quell series of puzzle games will be released on May 23, 2013 on iTunes. Quell Memento is a relaxing puzzle game that sets players on a journey to help an old man reconnect with his lost memories in an old house. There are nine chapters containing 144 levels and over twenty bonus puzzles that will last over ten hours of gameplay. The soundtrack is composed by Steven Cravis, a pianist and composer who specializes in relaxing music.
Quell Memento will be available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. It will cost $2.99 USD or equivlent currency.
Payday 2 provides players the opportunity to take on contracts of their choice, from small jewellery store robberies to complex bank heists, and execute the heist in the manner of their choosing. The game focuses heavily on risk and reward, providing four distinct progression trees. Each mission will provide a variety of random rewards and cash to purchase better equipment for the next job.
Leading up to the winter launch of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadowsfor the Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network, Activision and Red Fly Studio are going behind the bandanas of the varied personae that make up this formidable team of half-shelled heroes. Last time we examined the younger, party-animal Michelangelo. Today’s character trailer is on the turtle with ‘tude, Raphael.
Here’s an official description of Raphael:
Hot-tempered and aggressive, Raphael is the bad boy of the squad. He’s competitive, rebellious, and often prefers being on his own. But underneath the sarcasm lies an unbreakable love and loyalty for his family, particularly his younger brother, Mikey. A true street brawler, Raphael’s brute-force, single-target and combo damage and knock-down strength make him a walking powerhouse. His unique Iron Fists weapon upgrade lets him toss his Sais aside and have his fists do the talking. But like any hot head, Raph’s fury is also his greatest shortcoming. His zeal for up-close and personal combat limits his range, as well as his ability to juggle multiple opponents simultaneously, leaving him vulnerable to attack when outnumbered or being targeted from a distance.
See the trailer for yourself embedded below the following gallery, which holds 3 character shots of the red combat savant.
Mawaru Penguindrum Part I Studio: Brain’s Base Publisher:Siren Visual Format: DVD, Blu-Ray (reviewed) Release Date: 18th April 2013 Price: $49.95 – Available Here
Overview Imagine a story about a sick girl and the struggle of her two older brothers desperately trying to make her final months happy whilst keeping themselves together, now add magic and penguins. Welcome to Penguindrum. An odd little anime series that is a patchwork of the dark and sombre truth of loss and the shenanigans of magic penguins.
It’s Penguin-chic
Story Himari Takakura is a terminally ill girl. She lives with, and is cared for, by her two loving older brothers Kanba and Shoma. In the midst of school, chores and hospital visits, they do the best they can at being a family. On a trip to the aquarium, Himari succumbs to her illness and dies…Luckily for her the penguin hat her brother bought as a gift magically restores her to life. I know there was a little bit of mood whiplash there but to be honest it defines the series. Penguindrum is strange. One half quirky comedy about penguin themed magic, one half drama about loss and obsession.
The main plot point of the series is the Penguindrum itself, an object of vague description. The spirit residing in the penguin hat explains to Kanba and Shoma that they are to retrieve the Penguindrum and in return, she shall keep Himari alive. If they fail, she dies…again. The brothers naturally agree and attempt to figure out what and where the Penguindrum is. Also given to the Takakura siblings are three chibified penguins who, naturally, only they can see. Eventually (two episodes later) the spirit points them in the direction of Ringo Oginome, a girl said to know where the Penguindrum is. After this, Ringo pretty much becomes the focus of the show. Possessing said knowledge, the brothers have no choice but to stalk, talk and appease in order to retrieve it and save their sister. Unfortunately for them, Ringo is one twisted individual. Without spoiling too much, she’s a stalker. Madly in love with a teacher, she believes they are destined to be together. She believes that the writings in a diary are a prophecy of their courtship and she goes above and beyond to make them happen.
You can’t fight destiny…or Ringo
As the series progresses, more is revealed about each character. The Takakura’s past is slowly explored by flashbacks, literally labelled as such and preceded by subtitling defining the context. These often pertain to their parents or the earlier days of Himari’s diagnosis. Ringo’s past is also explored fairly deeply, shedding some light on her current mindset and her ultimate goal. Honestly, as the series progressed I came to feel sorry for Ringo. The context given by her past helped evolve her as a character, beyond crazy psychopath stalker girl…Though she still is that too.
Throughout Part I, a greater plot is hinted at and slowly furthered as the series moves forward. Characters and elements related to the strange going ons of the series are introduced and questions are raised regarding the importance of the Penguindrum to others, as well as what power it holds.
Welcome to the house that love built…and decorated
Visuals The visuals would have to be one of the best thing about Penguindrum. If I had to pick one word to describe them, it would be vibrant. Every colour presented is very bright, especially in the “vision” sequences involving the hat spirit. Some characters possess very striking hair colours, such as Kanba and Shoma have oddly red and blue hair respectively. The animation itself is also done well, at points becoming oddly dramatic, with certain scenes being animated very fluidly. There are also certain artistic cutaways, often the musings of Ringo, which possess a style more akin to a painting or the dramatic clash scene of an anime battle. The illusion realm shown by the spirit is also very artistic. The intro sequence expressly presents the strange yet striking nature of the space, complete with CGI robotic bears a lot of random floating background objects. Though the scene does get repeated in its entirety more than a few times. Something of note is the background characters. Apart from the main cast, the streets are lined with people who take the form of the male and female figures from a bathroom door and essentially glide through the background. Specific choice or lack of funds, it certainly adds to the quirky feel of the series.
It makes sense in context
Audio The soundtrack suited the series very well. Background songs were generally relevant to the specific scene being played or the larger episode plot, adding to the moment and enhancing the emotion. These insert songs were also often covers, being sung instead by the voice actors of an in-universe band. This adds a sense of believability and inclusiveness to the songs, seemingly coming from the Penguindrum universe. The songs are often actually being played via a radio or television within the show, further linking the music to the moment. Also notable is the song which plays in the intro to the illusion world. The song connects to the more light-heated side of the series and expresses the more quirky side. The opening and ending themes also feature a mix of both themes, possessing a pop style yet somewhat dark and sombre lyrics.
The English dub of Penguindrum was done fairly well. Though by no means terrible, there is a lot to be left desired. Characters tend to fall into the realm of under emoting when they speak, which kind of takes away from the moment. They fall somewhere between the spectrum of the hat spirit, one of the best voices in the show, and the Takakura siblings’ father, who reacted to the birth of his child with dull surprise.
Collar size is directly proportionate to one’s bishonen level
Overall Penguindrum is an odd series to define. On one hand its a dark exploration of the impacts that loss and obsession have on people, and on the other…penguins. Though it begins to focus more on the darker side, the quirkiness tends to draw away from the drama the series attempts to create. The most powerful scenes of Penguindrum include no penguins at all, usually those focusing on the truth behind Ringo. Penguindrum seems to fall into the realm of a conversational anime series. Better in hindsight and more interesting when explaining it to another. In all honesty though, it left me wanting to see what happens, hoping that the larger plot will kick in and explain some things. I feel that the series would have been stronger if it had of been either completely about the drama or the comedy, rather than a mix of both as each seems to weaken the impact of the other. Chances are you’ll like at least on half of the series, though the other half will probably limit how much you enjoy it. Regardless, Penguindrum is definitely a unique experience.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Set for release this Spring in Australia, LEGOFriends will feature creative gameplay based on the fun found in the already-popular LEGO Friends collection of building sets, which launched in 2012. Tom Stone, Managing Director at the development studio TT Games, said;
We are very proud to welcome even more girls into the world of LEGO videogames with a title based on the best-selling LEGO Friends line. LEGOFriends allows players to build personal fun adventure while expressing their individual style and personality along the way.
LEGO Friends welcomes players to Heartlake City, where Summer fun awaits! The game is all about freedom and the ability to customize your character, express yourself, explore and make new friends. In fact, building friendships is key. Players can join others on special adventures, such as helping Emma take pictures for her next newspaper article or reviewing song choices for Andrea’s next performance. As they do so, their friendship levels with each character grows and eventually “true friend” status will be reached, at which point a Heartlake Celebration is in order.
This momentous occasion can be captured by using the in-game camera mechanic, allowing you to solidify the memory and add it to your own personal scrapbook. Additionally, players can care for a variety of pets. They can train and groom them in preparation for the local pet show, with each pet also having a special skill that players can use to aid them in their adventures. Plus, players can trade places with the fun-loving pets to play the game from the animal’s perspective (so you have the super-power of skin-walking?!).
It’s quite obvious that this title is intended almost solely for the fairer sex…look at that logo for heaven’s sake! If you’d like to learn more about it, visitwww.LEGO.com/videogames.
Anno Online, the free-to-play RTS title by Blue Byte and Ubisoft, has started its open beta in English as of today. This means anyone can now jump on and play! Players from the closed beta will keep their accounts and receive a decorative gift as a thanks: a deco statue to use in-game.
Those who continue playing during the opening week of the open beta will be rewarded with a premium ship as an exclusive item letting you carry more freight with greater speed.
The PC strategy series’ last endeavor was the very successful Anno 2070, released as a full retail game with demanding visuals and deep gameplay. It will be interesting to see how its transition to a browser-based, free game unfolds.
You can create your Anno Online account here and see some new screenshots below.
As previously revealed, you can now ‘Ride’ on certain Pokemon much like you can with a bicycle in previous games. The trailer below features the protagonist riding upon the back of Gogoat, a new ridable mountain-goat looking Pokemon.
The other three new Pokemon all now have official English names from Nintendo. The lizard-like Pokemon is named Helioptile, the new bird Pokemon is named Fletchling and a panda-like Pokemon named Pancham.
The region in which the games are set is called Kalos. The central city of Kalos is called Lumiose City, it features an Eiffel Tower-like structure. Kalos itself is a mysterious region that is shaped like a star and home to a number of different environments and Pokemon. It will be home to more than 640 Pokemon for trainers to catch.
Interestingly enough for the first time ever, the Pokedex will be divided into three sections based upon three different parts of the Kalos region.
You can check out the revealing trailer for Pokemon X and Y below. Both games are slated for a world-wide launch in October 2013 exclusively to the Nintendo 3DS.
