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Serious Sam Double D XXL Review

February 24, 2013

Serious Sam Double D XXL
Developer: Mommy’s Best Games
Publishers: Devolver Digital and Mastertronic
Platforms: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 20/02/2013
Price: 800 MS Points – Available Here

Overview

Firing up the Xbox rarely draws a crowd in my house. Most of my house mates are rather apathetic toward my video gaming hobby. Yet when I turned on Serious Sam Double D XXL they all looked across and stood perplexed for a few seconds by the events that were unfolding in front of them. And then they laughed. Hearty belly laughs. I couldn’t understand what was happening. Didn’t they realise that this was serious? To be fair, Serious Sam is only serious about one thing – guns. When it comes to the plot, characters & villain types however? Not so much. Serious Sam Double D XXL takes the popular side scrolling chapter from the franchise off of Steam and ports it successfully across to XBLA.

Extra content has been added in order to celebrate the transition. The clincher for this game is the core mechanic: strapping guns on to guns so you can strap a few more guns on top (don’t try to think of a Xhibit joke for that – they already got to it first). In the end you have a game that plays like an arcade classic similar to 1943 on a horizontal plane. Serious Sam Double D is a part of Croteam’s strategy of giving the Serious franchise out to indie developers to extend their universe. They are joined by Vlambeer and Be-Rad Entertainment, who have both done their own spin-offs individually.

Story

Any one who buys this game for the story is going to be in for a rude surprise. In regard to the rest of the series the plot varies only marginally from the others. The game itself lampoons the inanity of its own plot several times. It whole thing boils down to ‘a horde of bad guys are running at you heaps, they look a lot like your arch nemesis Mental’s creatures, so we should kill them.’ That’s about it. After every level the game’s antagonist, General Maxillia, has a one-on-one with an enemy and hilarity ensues. It’s not side splitting but there are a few grins to be had as you play through the campaign. If you want any more exposition, well too bad, this game is about the guns.

Gameplay

In a word – shooting. It’s a side scrolling shooter that has pretty decent execution but no more than that. If you’re familiar with the series then the enemy types will be recognisable and you’ll know how to react. Beheaded Kamikaze’s will rush you so blast them quickly, Biomechanoids are tanks and need large doses of explosives – there’s little to be surprised by here. It’s all pretty much the same if you’re a verteran, except for the addition of the Vuvuzelator which are about as annoying as their name implies. Other instalments the Serious Sam franchise really emphasised knowing which specific guns were needed to successfully take down enemy types – making huge gun battles frantic. The heat of the moment flipping between guns is lost here and with it much of the tension is gone too. I was actually kind of irked by this. One of the key features of the franchise is the difficulty, making it pop against other shooters that want to emulate war scenarios or throw massive cinematic pieces at you. Serious Sam has always been about the wave. With the focus on Sam so tight, there really isn’t enough space on the screen to get that pulsing, varied attack pattern. Half of the issue is that, as a side scroller, you’re missing a whole dimension to attack on. Yet, it does feel like the only way they’ve tried to include this mechanic is by synchronizing the enemy dumps. It works to an extent and that’s all I can really say for it.

Oh. My. God. I can’t believe I got this far into the review without detailing the Gunstacker. Achievements like this are the reason I play video games; to get that perfect blend of the awesome and the absurd. Fitting perfectly with the famously ridiculous tone, the core motivation in playing this game is getting more guns to strap to your guns. Throughout the game you can find hidden Gunstack Connectors, which allow you to join weapons in your arsenal to others. Add the individual upgrades for each weapon and you have a massively customisable roster of guns. Changing weapons around is a joy, if only because of the total ridiculousness of the whole affair. There’s something Macgyver-esque about the look of it. As if Sam had just got duct tape, haphazardly joining whatever weapon he could find together in a fit of desperation. The game gives you a few tips about good combinations but the core rule to remember is that explosives are for big dudes and the rest are for small dudes. Weapons like the chainsaw and the flame thrower have more practical applications than putting them to use purely for killing. Don’t avoid using them to kill though, burning and slicing stuff is one of the more visceral experiences the game offers. They also play well for when the rush is getting a little too close for comfort. Once you’ve got more than one complete gun stack and a few weapon upgrades the game devolves to a point where you’ll rarely struggle to wipe out the next wave.

The puzzles aren’t too complicated either but to their credit they’re at least interesting to pull off. You’ll usually be required to do something like slow down time to string together jumps or avoid long strings of death traps. Platforming in this kind of game can often feel like it was included because it had to be. Double D uses these opportunities really well in breaking up the pace. I think I would have been exhausted if it were just a continuous throng of enemies.

Outside of the main campaign there are some awesome challenges. Fighting for leader board positions among friends may become addictive. These levels seem to be far more spatially aware than the campaign missions, fully exploiting the vertical axis in a way that is not really utilised in game. Wave attacks are the more interesting of the challenges that are offered but there is also time trials and kill x dudes within y time courses that are interesting. There’s also a PvP mode which I didn’t get to test out. I fail to see how killing a friend would ever be boring though.

Visuals

The visuals in this game are freaking ridiculous. The aesthetic is consistent with the rest of the franchise in that it’s insane. From headless bombardiers, cybernetically enhanced flying chimpanzees to cat’s floating in beakers filled with poisonous liquid this game is nuts. This is the only game ever where I turned the parental controls on for blood. With this enabled all the blood is replaced with doughnuts and other delicious pastries. Oddly enough it perfectly matches the tone of the game and I felt it added a nice flavour. There are a few times you’ll lose Sam in the mass of explosions and bodies on the screen but you’ll rarely die as long as you keep holding the trigger. The bright pallet used never lets up, even in the cavernous levels.

Audio

Not too much can be said of the audio. The music suits the frenetic pace the game sets and isn’t all that bad as long as you like video game heavy metal. John J Dick is back voicing Sam but I could help but feel that the dialogue came across a bit flat. That’s not John’s fault, all the characters seem to struggle in pulling off the jokes. Most of the jokes that do work are sight gags and belong to General Maxillia, who has slightly more tonal variance than the rest of the cast.

Overall

If you like explosions and the idea of strapping guns to more guns you should probably give this a go. It certainly isn’t essential for fans of the franchise but it isn’t unwelcome either. If it weren’t for the Gunstacker then this game could have easily faded into the background. I think if they released a sequel to this that was zoomed out a bit more and refocused on the specificity of attacks then you’d have a really tight mechanic here. That being said there’s tonnes of challenges to unlock so this game has re playability by the bucket load. What can I say? I had a ball just looking at the screen fill with chaos, dealing infinite amounts of damage and watching the bodies pile up. For XBLA it’s hard to ask for anything more than an interest in coming back again and again, which it certainly sparked in me.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Hidden Agenda – Play Now and Get Bonus Coins

Joshua Moris

February 24, 2013

PopCap Games is pleased to present online gamers with their latest hidden object title – Hidden Agenda. And now for those that choose to sign-up to play the game on Facebook, PopCap Games is giving away 200 additional “Coins” to use during gameplay. Such currency can be used to upgrade buildings as well as to obtain new crime scenes. Having a little extra coin in your wallet should help you get ahead as an up-and-coming detective!

We at Capsule Capsule were fortunate enough to exclusively interview PopCap Games Hidden Object Executive Producer, Kurt Busch, regarding Hidden Agenda (here). Join the adventure now at Hidden Agenda’s Facebook page (here).

Car Town Streets Adding Tie-in Races to Real World Events

Simon Wolfe

February 24, 2013

Free-to-play Car Town Streets is adding new content with an expanded licensing deal with the International Speedway Corporation. The content are events that tie into the real world racing events that racing fans love. The first event, the “Daytona Challenge”, has been released just in time for the 55th Annual Daytona 500.

Previously developer Cie Games has worked with NASCAR and ISC to bring licensed things to the Car Town Facebook game, but now they are more than glad to partner up again in a better way for the mobile sequel Car Town Streets. Every event will run for one week, starting the Thursday before the real world event, and during which the top scoring players will win a special in-game NASCAR that with 1200 horsepower makes it the fastest car in the game. For the “Daytona Challenge” the top 150,000 players will receive the National Guard Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR.

Players that are interested in checking out the race events or the free-to-play game in general can download it from the iOS App Store for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch HERE.

Boba Fett Trailer for Star Wars Pinball

Simon Wolfe

February 24, 2013

With the release of Star Wars Pinball fast approaching and only one trailer for the announced tables revealed Zen Studios have put the second trailer up. This time for the Boba Fett-centric table, the trailer shows off the table and a glimpse of what kind of missions players will have to complete with everybody’s jetpack toting bounty hunter.

From the Sarlacc, to Hans Solo imprisoned in Carbonite, to Slave I, this table has everything a Fett fan could want, with missions that stem from both the Galactic Empire and gangster Jabba the Hutt. Players will be able to get it on slew of platforms from XBLA, to PSN, to Google Play, and the iOS App Store. Check out the trailer embedded below to see the table in action and get ready to download it when it releases February 26th, 2013.

Penumbear Comes To Light On iOS Next Week

Joe Morgan

February 24, 2013

Taco Graveyard, creators of musical runner game Four Hats, have announced that their newest game, Penumbear, will release next week. Penumbear is a puzzle platformer game coming to iPhone, iPod, and iPad devices and it will be available in the App Store on February 28.

In Penumbear you’ll take on the role of a small bear and his purple firefly companion in their attempt to escape a deep, dark castle. Between Penumbear‘s ability to walk the line between light and dark and the firefly’s ability to turn switches and lights on and off, you’ll have quite an adventure ahead of yourself!

The game features include:

The ability to walk on light and shadows, you’ll look at your surroundings in a new way.
Over 100 levels, full of exploration and danger.
Secrets: hidden levels, bonus bears, achievements, and an unlockable character.
Challenging – prepare to die many times as you learn your way around the castle!
Giant bosses blocking your path at the end of each area.

For more information you can check out Penumbear‘s website here, and be sure to check out the trailer for the game below!

Week Three’s Champions of Injustice: Gods Among Us’ Battle Arena

Zac Elawar

February 23, 2013

Week 3 of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment’s Injustice Gods Among Us ‘Battle Arena’ is now history. And here are the winners of this third batch of “Super Fights”, as voted by you, the fans:

First up we had the confrontation between Aquaman and Cyborg. Aquaman was only recently unveiled to the public through a story trailer and has been getting a lot of fan fare for his kick-ass representation in the game so far. Cyborg was one of the first characters to be announced for the game, and hasn’t really been featured since. Watch the battle video below to see if Cyborg blasted Aquaman out of the spotlight and back into the water.

Aquaman vs Cyborg

The second fight of the week was between the courageous, creative and fearless Green Lantern, and the seemingly immortal, yet not necessarily unbeatable (you tell me how that works!) Solomon Grundy. Many people have had a vested interest in this fight because the resultant battle video would be the first time we’d see the Green Lantern in action. And now it’s here…check out the battle results below to find out if he could stop the powerful and relentless Grundy.

Green Lantern vs Solomon Grundy

Remember to visit injustice.dccomics.com to cast your votes on all future battles. For those who are unfamiliar with the competition, its rules or the prizes at stake, go here for more information.

Incipio Flagship Folio Review

Jamie Laike Tsui

February 23, 2013

Incipio Flagship Folio
Manufacturer: Incipio
Platforms: iPad 2, 3, 4
Price: $69.99 Get it Here

The Flagship Folio is a hard shell case constructed from polycarbonate plastic and aluminium. It is finished with a carbon fiber design. The case features eight different viewing angles with a micro suede interior and Apple Smart Cover functionality.

The first thing I noticed when I picked up the Flagship Folio is the brushed aluminium hinge. I was actually taken aback by this. The cool metal against the hand gives the case a feeling of sturdiness and quality. The next thing I noticed about the case is how sharp the aluminium edges are. Although it is probably not sharp enough to cause actual physical harm, its sharp enough to scratch a delicate finish on a table. Due to this finish, I would not slide this case around on a table or surface I am attached to under any circumstance. I would have preferred to see rolled or rounded edges on the hinge system as it does come in contact with tables when setting the closed case on tables.

Installing the case is literally a snap. Simply snap the iPad to the back side of the case. The case clips to the iPad at four points. Removing the iPad is just as easy. Simply provide some downward pressure on one of the four clip points and then twist the case a little and the iPad pops out. In normal usage, it will be next to impossible for the case to separate from the iPad by accident.

The case is constructed from polycarbonate plastic and finished with a carbon fibre styled finish. It is definitely not actual carbon fibre. The finish is more like a plastic sticker. The finish is surprisingly durable. The case survived a few serious bangs against the corner of walls with only a few light scratches to the finish.

The case opens like a book. The hinge has enough room to allow the back portion of the case to rest on one of eight ridges on the inside of the front cover. This provides a large variety of viewing angles at the expense of a larger foot print on the desk. I found the typing angle to be a little steep for my liking, but it is still very usable. I loved the wide variety of viewing angles as it provided me for the best set of choices depending on my lighting conditions and sitting position. There is two large rubber pieces on the case that helps provide a tight grip against the ridges. I found that it was even possible to position the iPad in between ridges with the two rubber pieces and it would stay in place as long as the case was not jostled too violently or pressed too hard.

The one real downside of the case’s viewing mode design is a synergy problem with softer screen protectors like the clear vinyl screen shield. When the case is closed, the ridges press against the screen protector. When the screen is bare or covered by a hard screen protector, the soft micro suede prevents scratches on the screen. However, when used with a soft screen protector, the ridges press up against the screen protector and causes visible denting in the screen shield. This results in slight cloudy lines in the screen protector that does detract from the visual clarity. Therefore, I recommend switching to a solid plastic or glass screen protector when using the case. In reality, since the front of the case is a hard plastic, only the extremely nitpicky really need to use a screen protector with this case. However, I will be the first to admit I happen to fall under that category.

The case snaps with a plastic portion of the case bent over to hold the case shut. The closure is very secure. There is a good amount of conscious effort required to open the front cover. The Smart Cover functionality works perfectly. The magnets cannot be seen or felt in the inside of the front cover. One small thing I noticed is that the micro suede material that lines the inside of the case did fray and come apart in one edge of my review unit. Listen to what your mother told you and resist temptations to pull on it. It caused the material to fall apart slightly. Beyond that strip of material, the rest of the micro suede has not come apart or lifted from the cover.

The case has individual cut outs for each function of the iPad for the exception of the mute switch and volume button. The cut outs are sized well. The headphone jack’s cut out is generously sized allowing for larger plugs found in higher end headphones and in ear monitors to fit without an adapter. In my testing, I was able to fit the plugs of the stock Shure SE215 and the AKG Q701s without any problems. The bottom of the case has a slot cut out with enough room for a 30 pin connector, therefore the case is also compatible with the new iPad 4 with the smaller Lightning connector.

The case itself adds a decent amount of bulk and weight. It almost doubles the thickness of my iPad 3 and adds a little extra heft to the device. This is the cost of protecting the iPad with a completely hard shell case. Although the case won’t survive a long hard fall onto concrete, when closed the case will easily take being accidently slammed into a wall and some minor spills.

At $69.99, the Flagship Folio lives up to its lofty name. As the most expensive case in Incipio’s line of iPad cases, it provides a full hard shell case with Apple Smart Cover functionality in a classy package. The case provides excellent coverage and one of the best options for viewing angle. Considering a case from Incipio’s line at nearly 60% of the price can provide almost the same level of protection, the Flagship Folio is definitely one of those purchases you for over because the look of the case appeals to you. The premium price is extremely steep considering there is no screen protector bundled in. It’s a great case, just a little pricy.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Incipio Edge/Edge Pro Review

Jamie Laike Tsui

February 23, 2013

Incipio Edge/Edge Pro iPhone 4/4s Case
Manufacturer: Incipio
Platforms: iPhone 4, iPhone 4S
Price: $29.99 Buy the Edge Here and the Edge Pro Here

The Edge and the Edge Pro is a hard shell slider case for the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4s. The case is available in a wide variety of colour options from a plain black to an eye catching pink camouflage. The bottom fifth of the case slides off to allow compatibility with docks and the case is made from a solid plastic Incipio calls Plextonium with a soft matte finish.

The case installs by sliding the phone into the larger half of the case. The fit is a little tight, but not completely impossible. Then the smaller half slides onto the bottom of the phone and the case is ready to go. The bottom half is meant to be taken off and on whenever the phone needs to be docked. I found the bottom half of the Edge Pro slid off with a reasonable amount of force, the Edge required a lot more force to remove. On the flip side, the Edge Pro had problems with screen protectors. Putting it on cause the Edge Pro to catch on the screen protector and causing the protector to completely lift off the phone. Considering the cases seem to be exactly the same, this is most likely differences in the manufacturing tolerances. I found if I carefully installed the Edge Pro’s case, I could usually avoid lifting the screen protector. This is still annoying since screen protectors tend to be a dust magnet and this is a great way to introduce more dust underneath the screen protector.

The Edge and the Edge Pro is made from Incipio’s Plextonium material. It is Incipio’s trademarked plastic material, which is a high density polycarbonate. The inside of the case has strips of rubbery material to ensure the case has a snug grip on the phone. The rubbery material seems unnecessary on the bottom of the case as it makes it more difficult to remove that portion of the case. The whole case has a matte finish that has a slight rubbery texture to it. The rubbery texture comes from the matte finish versus the coating as it does not scratch off. The texture feels great in the hand and aids in keeping a good grip on the phone. The best part is it is not sticky enough to catch on pockets, allowing the phone to slide in and out of tight hip pockets without problems.

The case itself is pretty thin. By my measurements, it only adds a little more than a centimetre in overall thickness. The front of the phone is protected by a generous lip on the case. Resting the phone down on the screen will not cause scratches thanks to this lip that raises the phone off the surface, away from any grit or dirt that could scratch the oleophobic coating. The case has a large hole cut in the side of the case to accommodate the vibration switch and the volume buttons. The single hole means the Edge and the Edge Pro supports all versions of the iPhone 4 and 4s. The bottom of the case has a hole for the speakers and the 30 pin connector. The hole is large enough to fit most cables, but due to the thickness of the case, the Edge and Edge Pro is not compatible with most docks. The slider design allows for the case to partially disassemble so the phone can be docked. I found size of the removable piece to be perfect. It is large enough to fit most docks yet still provide excellent coverage in case the phone falls off the dock or some other accident.

The hole for the power switch is well sized, with a slight indentation on the back edge of the phone allowing for a gloved hand to press the button without problems. The lowered edge is just high enough to protect the edge of the phone from damage while providing extra room for larger or gloved fingers. I thought this was a neat design. The headphone cut out on my units of the Edge and the Edge Pro were slightly different. My Edge unit is an early model, so the newer models may mirror the newer Edge Pro. The Edge had a smaller hole that was ideal for headphone plugs that were designed with iPhone cases in mind. The Edge Pro on the other hand had an extremely generous hole. In fact, it is the only case I have reviewed so far that was large enough to accommodate the stock plug for the Shure SE215 and my AKG Q701 without any modification or tweaking. Those who use high end audiophile equipment will benefit from the Edge Pro’s generous headphone cut out.

The camera ring was supposedly upgraded from the old Edge to the Edge Pro. I cannot seem to find a difference between the two camera rings in practice. The Edge Pro has a shinier camera ring with the original Edge has a matte ring. I tried taking photos of both with flash on and could not find much difference in the cases in terms of image quality. Both camera rings are large enough to not interfere with the flash.

The Edge Pro and the Edge cases are both excellent options for those looking for a case that will take every day bumps and spills. I highly recommend the Edge Pro for those who prefer to use high end audio equipment with their phones and do not want to deal with the hassle of modifying their headphone’s plug or using an adapter. The case feels excellent in the hand and is compatible with all manners of docks due to its slider design. At $29.99, it is more expensive than the average polycarbonate case from China. But for the extra money, you get a well-designed case that will not interfere with the camera flash or large headphone plugs. The Incipio Vanity Kit is added as a free pack in, containing a cheap crystal clear screen protector as a value added bonus.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Free Vocaloid launch event announced to commemorate Megpoid’s English launch

Travis Bruno

February 23, 2013

The Vocaloid phenomenon has started to venture overseas and with the launch of the Vocaloid 3 Megpoid occurring on February 28th, New People, a company focused on bringing the latest in Japanese pop culture to North America, has announced that they will be holding a free Megpoid Launch Event which will take place on March 3rd.

The all-day launch event for Vocaloid 3 Megpoid will begin at Noon and it will offer a number of dance and Vocaloid performances, chances to check out the Vocaloid 3 Megpoid English software on free workshops, various demos and other activities that will run through to 6PM.

The event is being held at New People’s location in San Francisco at 1746 Post St. which happens to be in San Francisco’s Japantown. One of the noticeable attendees is the Vocaloid perofmance troupe Vocalekt Visions which will present two special Vocaloid holographic performances inside of the New People Cinema. The presentations will occur at 2PM and 4:30PM and they will feature songs created with Megpoid and performed by GUMI whose motions will be accompanied by real-life dancers on-stage.

All tickets to these performances are free but it is worth noting that the tickets that can be picked up at the New People Cinema box office are handled as a first come first served basis which means you will have to hurry to secure a ticket when the box office opens at 12:30PM. It is also worth noting that all attendees of these performances will be given a free trial version of Vocaloid 3 Megpoid 3 English as long as supplies hold on.

For those interested in how Megpoid and GUMI will sound in English, you can check out a song created using the English version of the software below and those interested in learning more about the title or pre-ordering the software which costs $135 plus shipping, can check out the official website for Megpoid here.

Tomb Raider PC requirements and features announced

Travis Bruno

February 23, 2013

Tomb Raider PC requirements and features announced

Today Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics announced how decent of a computer you will need if you choose to pick up Tomb Raider on something other than a basic home console. You can check out the recommended and minimum requirements below:

Minimum system requirements for PC

Windows XP Service Pack 3, Windows Vista,7,8 (32bit/64bit)
DirectX 9 graphics card with 512Mb Video RAM: AMD Radeon HD 2600 XT
nVidia 8600
Dual core CPU: AMD Athlon64 X2 2.1 Ghz (4050+)
Intel Core2 Duo 1.86 Ghz (E6300)
1GB Memory (2GB on Vista)

Recommended system requirements for PC

Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8
DirectX 11 graphics card with 1GB Video RAM: AMD Radeon HD 4870
nVidia GTX 480
Quad core CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 565
Intel Core i5-750
4GB Memory

Also the company released a list of features that PC users will be able to take advantage of and that list can be seen below:

General

Full integration with Steamworks to offer cloud storage for saves, multiplayer matchmaking, achievements, as well as automatic updates and new content.
Support for Steam Big Picture Mode.
Configurable mouse and keyboard support.
Gamepad support.

High-end graphics

Very high resolution textures with up to 16x the amount of data
Detail Tessellation to enhance the detail on many surfaces in the game
Higher quality shadows
High quality bokeh depth of field with near-blur
Tessellation algorithms used to smooth out geometry
Improved cloth, SSAO, quality wetness effects, and post-filter effects.
LOD quality is adjustable for better quality on higher-end machines.

Low-end graphics

Crystal care about TR fans being able to run on older systems, unlike many other games they still support Windows XP.
A lot of scalability options to suit a range of machines.

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