While One Piece fans in Europe have been able to breath easy, fans of the series in North America have been growing concerned over the lack of news concerning One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 in their territory. However today Namco Bandai in North America announced that the title is indeed coming over to the West as a digital download for the PlayStation 3.
Unfortunately, it seems that, for some unknown reason, the Vita version of One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 is not going to be released in the West. In response to Siliconera, a Namco Bandai rep stated that “Unfortunately the game will not be available for Vita in North American territories.”
Today must be the day of Namco Bandai considering there has already been information released for Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3’s pre-order bonuses and the localization of Project X Zone. Well to continue this string of Namco news, a number of new screenshots for Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 have been revealed and can be seen below.
Also released today was a new Ninja Storm 3 trailer, this time focusing on all nine tailed beasts that will be playable in the game. The trailer, which can be seen below, shows off some of these fighters abilities and gives some of them more screentime than they ever received in the anime/manga.
Earlier today we reported about the North American pre-order bonuses for Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, and while we may be receiving a few physical bonuses, Japanese gamers will be receiving bonus costumes. Namco Bandai in Japan has released screenshots of the six bonus costumes that will be given to anyone who pre-orders the game in Japan.
The below costumes are the Goku crossover outfit which is included in every first run copy of the game, then we have an Armored Naruto costume, Hinata and Sasuke’s outfits from the Road to Ninja Naruto movie and finally a ANBU Kakashi costume and Sakura fighting in a bikini because fan service.
Currently Namco Bandai in North America has not mentioned these costumes except for the Goku one, and we have reached out to them for comment on whether or not these outfits will be released in some form (probably DLC) in the West.
Today Namco Bandai revealed what type of bonuses you will receive if you pre-order Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 from certain retailers in North America. As we’ve long known now, anyone who pre-orders the game from any store will receive a a special costume for Naruto that has him wearing Goku’s clothing from Dragon Ball as well as a trading card of some kind.
However if you pre-order the title at GameStop, you will be given an exclusive poster alongside those aforementioned bonuses. Plus, if you happen to be a GameStop PowerUP Rewards member you will also be given a 30-day trial to Viz’s Neon Alley anime stream for the PlayStation 3. If you don’t know what Neon Alley is, you can read up on our impressions of the service here.
Also, Namco Bandai officially announced their Club Namco collector’s edition which we reportedon last week. In case you missed it, this collector’s edition comes with the Goku outfit, a poster, a trading card, the game’s soundtrack as well as some neat Nartuo and Sasuke figures. The collector’s edition now costs $80 instead of the early order price of $60 and only 5,000 copies have been made.
Currently Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 is set to be released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in North America on March 5th.
This is certainly a very pleasent surprise on a Monday morning. Today, Namco Bandai has announced that Project X Zone, a title that many thought would never head West due to the massive amount of licensed characters in the game, will indeed be released in North America, Europe and Australia sometime in Summer 2013.
Project X Zone features over 50 different Namco, Capcom and Sega fighters from 29 different franchises all combined into an RPG which was developed by the makers of Xenoblade, Monolith Soft. Players will use these characters in a team of two fighters in a “pair unit” while a “solo unit” can be added into battle to help assist these two fighters.
Namco Bandai handled the publishing of the Nintendo 3DS exclusive in Japan and they will be doing the same in the West. To go along with this announcement, the company also released a number of Japanese screenshots which can be seen below.
‘Double Trouble’, the 2012 starring vehicle for none other than Jackie Chan’s son, Jaycee Chan, will be released here in Australia and New Zealand on March 13th on DVD and Video On-Demand.
Jaycee plays the role of a Taiwanese security guard named Jay, who gives chase after some thieves whom he failed to prevent from stealing a 400 year old painting. With the thieves being hit-girls in stilettos, Ocean, a Beijing security guard on holidays, misinterprets Jay’s pursuit and interferes.
The two security guards then find themselves buddying up to track down these cat burglars. And so a trademark Chan family buddy cop story has been set-up. David Hsun-Wei Chang, who also directed ‘Let the Bullets Fly!’, has attempted to pay homage to older action films whilst working on developing an understanding for these characters’ camaraderie in this somewhat outlandish situation.
The DVD will have both Mandarin/English audio tracks and subtitles and will retail for $32.95, courtesy of Vendetta Films. Intrigued to see this legendary lineage continue? Then maybe you should check out Double Trouble.
Tin Man Can Review Developer: Red Candy Games Publisher: Chillingo Ltd. Platforms:iPhone (Reviewed), iPad Release Date: 17/10/2013 Price:$0.99 – Available Here
Overview:
Tin Man Can is a level-based runner with platform elements, starring a tin can man named Tic. Does that make sense? Not really. But does it matter? No really. Tin Man Can is all about the gameplay, blending platform elements into the increasingly popular runner genre. Filled with charm and polish, Tin Can Man is a solid title definitely worth checking out for endless runner and 2D platform fans.
Gameplay:
Players control Tic by touching the screen to hover as he automatically runs (well, he wheels himself along really) in order to avoid obstacles. Just think Jetpack Joyride and you’re pretty much there control-wise. When it comes to level design however, things get interesting. While Tin Can Man at first glance may seem like just another 2D runner that wishes it was Tiny Wings, Red Candy Games have taken this familiar concept and thrown it into the 2D platfomer genre, breaking gameplay up into 60 different levels across 4 dimensions/stages/worlds, you get the idea. To hover player must also collect energy or travel along the ground, so players must also think hard about when to hover. Each dimension is differently themed, and various levels introduce new power-ups and obstacles that will force players to change their approach to each level. From spaceships, springs, smog clouds, to the ability to turn into a ghost, level design is packed with creativity.
This may scare off some casual gamers as it can be a bit of a challenge, but true retro platform gamers should appreciate this a lot. While levels are both fast and fun, they also require the player to think so gamers aren’t just mindlessly tapping at the screen. So while it may control similarly to a game like Jetpack Joyride, it actually has more of a Sonic the Hedgehog feel to it. Red Candy Games have taken an idea that could’ve been easily made into a cheesy casual with little depth, but instead fleshed it out into a very creative and entertaining title, and for that they should be commended.
Of course all the typical mobile device features are there – leaderboards, upgrades & customization, Facebook & Twitter integration, you can buy currency with your money from the real world, etc. The most interesting part though is the inclusion of an online multiplayer where gamers can race against friends or strangers online. That is, of coarse if you could ever actually find someone to play with you. Finding an opponent is literally next to impossible, but hopefully we can see this improved with future updates.
Audio & Visuals:
Another bright aspect of Tin Man Can is it’s beautiful polish and presentation. Colors are vibrant and designs are as adorable as they are quirky. Everything is done with a simple, yet effective approach that is very welcoming and likeable with a childish steampunk vibe. Audio compliments the graphics, with the same quirky and likeable tone. Music and sound effects contain typical science fiction-related sounds, and music is always at an upbeat tempo to keep the cute, positive tone seen through the game. Tin Can Man is very well polished and presented beautifully.
Overall:
Tin Can Man feels very familiar, yet equally fresh at the same time. It may not reinvent the wheel of video gaming as we know it, but the unique blend of runner and platformer genres mash together beautifully. With creative level design, great polish and addictive gameplay, Tin Can Man is a very entertaining title. While it’s lifespan may be a little short and multiplayer at this point isn’t exactly much, all flaws in this title are greatly outweighed by the positives. If you’re into endless runners or 2D platformers, Tin Can Man is definitely a must-have in your mobile library.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Today we’ve got what is likely to be the last batch of promotional clips for ‘The Guilt Trip’ before it’s Australia-wide release on January 24th. You can read our review here.
The first clip, “Middlesex”, shows Joyce Brewster (Barbara Streisand) looking for her “book on tape”, the topic of which is hermaphrodites…yeah, it’s that kind of road trip.
“Middlesex”
The second clip, “Dinner With Friends”, shows Andy Brewster (Seth Rogen) sitting through a dinner from hell with all of his Mother’s friends. Talk about a generational gap!
We have two DVD copies and one Blu Ray Copy of Bodacious Space Pirates, as well as one copy of ef~ A Tale of Memories to give away on courtesy of Hanabee. To win simply leave a comment below answering the following question and we’ll pick a few lucky winners at random:
If you were a Space Pirate and the one you loved was being poached by someone else, what would you do?
We’ll pick the lucky winners on the 29th of January, so you have a week to enter. Be sure you leave a valid email when you post your comment so we can email you if you win. If contacting you via Facebook is appropriate, log in with your Facebook account and note that it’d be your preferred method of contact. Also make sure to list which prize you would prefer, we can’t guarantee that you’ll receive that prize (especially if everyone all wants the same thing), but it will significantly increase your chances of getting it.
Gritty British crime movie, Pusher, is coming to DVD in March here in Australia. The exact date for this is March 13 and will include both DVD and Blu Ray releases for the film.
The movie follows the Drug Dealer Frank who borrows money from his drug supplier Milo. This is to fund a scheme that he believes will make rich incredibly quick. However, this scheme quickly falls apart leaving Frank broke. He is willing to screw over as many people as possible to pay back his debt.
The film releases on March 13 and will retail for $32.95 for the DVD and $37.95 for the Blu Ray disc.
