2012 came and went in what felt like a blink of an eye. Before December came to a close, we seen the year of the sequel, the rise of the indie, and digital interpretations of storytelling that captured our hearts and minds. After twelve months of blockbusters, it’s time to celebrate the games that went for big and delivered in excellence in every way imaginable. From the iOS to the Xbox 360, join us yet again as we revel in the year that was, and relive memories of what will go down as some of the greatest gems of a generation.
Welcome to Capsule Computer’s 3rd Annual Game of the Year Awards!
Click on the pages below to and find out who wins, along with our editors’ choice awards and special bonus feature GOTY Podcast!
Golgo 13 Part 4 Studio: TV Tokyo Publisher:Siren Visual Format: DVD Release Date: Out Now! Price: $49.98 (Buy Here)
Overview
What sort of show would you get if you combined an assassin, a sexy Japanese man, frequent sex, unrelatable characters and a lot of nothing really? If you answered Golgo 13, you would be correct. Unfortunately for the series, the fourth part of the Golgo 13 collection does nothing to remedy any of the issues that the series has. Instead it only expands and exacerbates most of them. What did I think of this particular disc as a whole? Read on to find out.
Story
Golgo 13 is a series about a Japanese Assassin for hire named nicknamed Golgo 13. He is a straight-faced silent killer that somehow manages to woo all of the ladies. If there was a concurrent storyline, I would not be able to tell you what it is, simply because, from what I’ve seen, there is nothing linking the episodes together.
One of the biggest problems of Golgo 13 is that the storylines in each episodes rarely revolve around Golgo himself, but they would rather focus on characters that were introduced in that episode and then feature Golgo in a limited capacity. If I was a newcomer to the series and was jumping in at this point, it might be easier for me to jump straight in with this format, but with no real storyline between episodes, there is nothing really there to keep me on as a viewer.
Some of the things that happen in the stories in this particular package are completely nuts. For instance, in order for Golgo 13 to complete one of his assassinations, he blows up an entire building in order to shoot his target. Why didn’t he just blow up the building with his target in it? Why not impose as a security guard or something? By using an entire building, it seems like the team behind the show wanted Golgo to come off as some kind of genious, but really, he just destroyed a building for no reason.
One of the biggest problems I’ve found with this series though, is that Golgo 13 constantly kills the women he fornicates with. Often this is very soon after the fornication has taken place. Even worse is that there is no real reason for him to do this, or if there is, it is the most flimsiest excuse ever. Oh what’s that secret service woman? You know who I am and have seen my face. I’m going to shoot you now, even if the secret service likely already knows everything about me; you sure did. Actually, she may have been some kind of British spy. Ah well, she’s dead now.
If you’re the kind of person that likes to watch standalone stories with no real arc or character progression throughout an entire series, Golgo 13s story will be on that you’re interested in. However, if you like any kind of cohesion, definitely avoid this like the plague.
Visuals
Visually Golgo 13 is the same as it has been in previous releases. If there has been an improvement in visual quality, it has been lost on me. This isn’t to say it’s a bad thing, but generally, things should significantly improve as a series progresses.
Fortunately, some of the complaints I had from the last release have been alleviated slightly. The main one of these that I want to talk about is the egregious over-use of closeups on Golgo 13s face. In this particular release, this has been cleaned up significantly. However, if you pay attention, you’ll find that in some episodes they’ve just found other ways to stick it in. Like in this one episode where Golgo 13 has to fight another assassin. You’ll notice that his face has a significant closeup in one of the background monitors as opposed to a full on closeup that would normally have occurred. Now this is not to say it doesn’t happen, but it does happen significantly less.
One thing that I noticed on this release is that many of the female characters are quite plain looking as opposed to the beauties of the past. As someone who is slightly invested in the Golgo 13 franchise, it saddens me to see how unattractive the women have become. These are one of the main selling points of the series, but if they’re going to make everything less pretty, what’s the point in continuing?
There is something about each scene that makes it undramatic, I’m not entirely sure what it is though. Maybe it’s just the way it’s directed, I think it’s supposed to have a kind of noir feel to it, but it does not. It just does not work and as a result, detracts from the series.
Overall I can not recommend Golgo 13 based on visuals alone, however when combined with the poor story it becomes slightly more bearable, but not by much. Avoid if you want pretties.
Audio
Golgo 13 is one of those Anime series where if you’re the lead voice actor, you really don’t need to do all that much work. The title character barely says anything and instead gives all the dialogue to the side-characters. This is quite unusual as you would expect the lead character to have the most to say, or, at the very least, the most important lines of the show. In Golgo 13, this is simply not the case. You don’t even get inner monologues.
It also seems like most of the dialogue spoken in this show exists only to service the plot, rather than actually having the characters display any personality. The best example of this is where Golgo is on a bridge with this British (American sounding) woman. She explicitly states that the reason he is about to kill her is that she has seen his face. She tells us the story and the reason why it has to happen. As a viewer, this bores me. I want to find out why Golgo 13 kills anyone that see’s him. I don’t want to be told that he does it because he has been seen. Why not show a flashback where his identity has been revealed has led to something bad happening?
I’d have to say that I have no preference for either the English or Japanese tracks at this point. Both are just so unbearably plain that listening to the one feels like listening to the other. However, the show has some really great opening and closing themes, so that’s definitely a positive for the Audio.
Extras
Golgo 13 comes with a reversible cover that allows for users to flip and reverse it. The underside of the cover actually hosts superior cover-art over whats shown on the front. Definitely flip it. Golgo 13 also comes with clean openings and closings, as well as three trailers. These can all be found on the second disc.
Overall
Overall Golgo 13 is a horrible series that should never have been allowed to see the light of day. However, it can be entertaining for people who are looking for just the right series. If you’re someone that loves standalone stories, not caring about characters, sex and assassinations; this is definitely the series for you.
Time Surfer Developer: Kumobius Publisher: Kumobius Platform: iOS Release Date: Out Now Price: $0.99 (Available Here)
Overview
Time Surfer is the latest game from Melbourne studio Kumobius; the creators of the award-winning platformer title Bean’s Quest. The game is reminiscent of the 2011 smash-hit Tiny Wings with a very specific visual/audio style that screams retro 80s. The ‘End of the Universe’ is coming to consume you, a “trans-dimensional cosmic time God” who is surfing through time in order to escape. Time Surfer may be an endless runner but everything ends. Does the game do enough to stand-out, or is it itself unable to out-run an early demise?…
Gameplay
The core gameplay of Time Surfer is simple, and if you’ve played Tiny Wings before, familiar. Your player character is in constant motion on a 2D perspective and all you have to do is press on the down arrow at the bottom right corner of the screen to dive. Time these dives to achieve the ‘perfect curve’ and propel yourself further and faster. If you make a mistake – say mistime your dive – you can rewind time by pressing on the hourglass icon at the bottom left. The ability is not infinite, as you have a ‘Time Power’ bar that can be refilled by gathering gems. There’s a great ‘Magnet’ pick-up that will suck in all gems within it’s radius that helps to replenish that ‘Time Power’ bar rather quickly.
As you race to essentially escape the apocalypse, you will also attempt to mark down your best distance travelled as, unfortunately, death is inevitable. Time and speed pick-ups can be attained to give you that extra edge in. You can compete with friends on the Game Centre leaderboards for the further distance reached. Also, as you are playing, you are given a total of three missions at any given time, which, when completed, will earn you a certain number of ‘space cakes’ that you can put towards feeding ‘pets’. These pets basically enable one-time use special powers that, for example, provide a temporary speed boost or will save you from a pitfall death. The pets themselves unlock as you complete a set number of missions.
There are many obstacles on your path to survival, such as asteroids, aliens and spikes. The asteroids and aliens, however, can be bounced off of if hit on their top halves. There are also ringed planets, whose rings can be surfed on, also providing a small speed boost. Short sections of surfaces may also be painted with multi-coloured arrows which indicate a speed-zone of sorts. All of these elements are encapsulated perfectly in the image above. Aside from the arcade mode, there’s an added, extremely more difficult area called ‘Hell Zone’ which can be accessed and played through at any time. Spikes are strategically placed throughout the level in order to try and stifle the player’s progression. Unlocking the ‘Rock Bug’ pet, which saves you from one spike death, is ideal and it comes in handy here.
The game has customisation options as well, grouped in the ‘Time Capsule’ sub-menu, which are completely aesthetic options that pay respect and homage to the tropes and aspects of 80s culture. My personal favourites are the Aliens: ‘Future Assassin’ and ‘Xeno Tuxedo’, which are representations of The Terminator and a Xenomorph…in a tuxedo. You can also use a ‘Bean’ skin based on the title character from Bean’s Quest by downloading the free game. Your ‘Flair’ – the trail your Time Surfer leaves – can also be changed. Finally, your statistics and the current mission list are also available to view here, along with the option for in-app purchases of more space cakes. I am not a fan of micro-transactions and try to avoid making them, but later pets will eat through your space cakes, so use them wisely.
Visuals
The visuals (including the U.I.) are soaked in signature 80s neon blue and pink with some colourfully accented backdrops and objects that really shouldn’t exist in a space setting! Mountains, clouds, a magical-looking tree and … the Fortress of Solitude!? It’s all very psychedelic, and that’s just in the main playground, or zone. The extra ‘Hell Zone’ is aptly bathed in reds with the same background objects, but a whole different atmosphere. The ground, or curves, are no-longer blue, Tron-like, hard-light surfaces, but abyssal black mounds with creepy imagery lining its edges.
That’s not to say, however, that the main ‘playground’ is at all visually repetitive, as you do travel through dimensions and therefore varyingly designed and themed colour schemes. There’s a black & white theme that features shorter stretches of surfaces with larger gaps in-between them, a rocky, volcanic theme (similar to the ‘Hell Zone’), a green, more organic theme with snakeskin-like surfaces and a couple more. And when the ‘end of the universe’ gets close, it will creep in from the left side of the screen, engulfing everything in the immediate area with it’s bright orange glow, which also obscures the player character and surfaces on that side a little, but not too much that it becomes frustrating.
The characters themselves, as well as the many customisable elements and pets, are sprite-based, with the static images used in the U.I.’s icons derived from that instantly recognisable and nostalgic 16-bit art style. The text is clear and perfectly sized in all areas, with your rank and best distance displayed on-screen in the main menu. Speaking of, the game does a great job of implementing non-intrusive HUD-like elements such as the ‘Time Power’ bar at the very top of the screen, the small skull at the top left that glows brighter and brighter as the ‘end of the universe’ starts to catch up to you, and the current mission objectives icons at the bottom of the screen.
Audio
The music was created by Nathan Antony (a.k.a “Derris-Kharlan”), a Melbournite who’s been writing chip-tune music since 2008. His style of composition compliments this particular project perfectly, as the main track heard throughout represents the 80s retro theme extremely well; not only because of the tones and effects used, but because the chip-tune era WAS the 80s…thematically, it just works. The synth-pop/electro sensibilities of the time also shine through nicely. I therefore found it to be in a perfect blend with the visuals in both concept and execution. The sound effects, developed in-house, are equally fitting and not at all jarring, which can sometimes be the case with indie-game sound design.
One thing I noticed with the music, more prevalently in the track that plays as you peruse the ‘Time Capsule’, is that the loops do not flow perfectly from end to beginning again. There’s a little hiccup as it completes it’s loop, but that would rarely be heard because you will not likely spend too much time there. And if, for some reason, you must play the game in silence, there is the option to turn off either the SFX or Music, or both, at any time in the main menu screen or the pause screen during play. The ability to track your current missions can also be turned off in the same manner.
Overall
The team admit to being inspired by both Tiny Wings (which is clearly evident) and the time-bending Braid, so don’t bother prattling on about how they ripped them off…it’s out of love and admiration that they adapted the simplistic, but addictive feature of physics-based flight through peaks and valleys, whilst adding the time-rewind mechanic found in Braid. But this isn’t a simple mish-mash of other games. It has its own original elements that helps to differentiate itself from, specifically, Tiny Wings.
I found Time Surfer just as addictive, and just as fun. I loved the fact that these added elements, such as the numerous ability/bonus pick-ups, add an extra layer to the gameplay and promote strategy in your traversal as you may dive and aim for a power-up, or a planet’s ring, or an asteroid to bounce off of instead of simple trying to nail a perfect curve if you think it’ll get you further in that situation. All up, you’d be hard-pressed to find another opportunity, ever, to skip across dimensions for only $0.99…you know the future won’t be cheap! Support this great local developer. Buy it, go back in time and buy it again!
No. 6 Studio: BONES Publisher: Siren Visual Release Date: December 6, 2012 Price:$49.95 – Available Here
Overview: No. 6 is a series that had ton sof potential but was doomed to never live up to it. Weighing in at a mere 11 episodes, it was always going to be hard for BONES to adapt the epic scale portrayed in No. 6’s source material with such little time. In the end the result is a sloppy, awkwardly paced, relatively disappointing anime series albeit one with real heart underneath all its flaws. But is heart enough to make up for such apparent faults?
Story: Set within a supposed utopian future, No.6 follows Shion a young boy who one night has a fateful encounter with a fugitive by the name of Rat (Nezumi). This encounter ultimately changes Shion’s life and sets into motion the events of the series.
No. 6 itself is a walled in utopian city in a time following a catclysmic world wide disaster. Outside the walls lives the rejects of society, the ones who live in a slum-like environment in the baron wasteland beyond No. 6’s walls. Rat is one such inhabitant.
Oddly enough despite its title this series spends most of its runtime outside of No. 6. Opting instead to spend multiple episodes outside of No. 6 simply pondering what to do about No. 6 and its inherent darkness beneath the squeaky clean surface. There is undoubtedly a secret behind No. 6 that is far more grim than it appears. As the series progresses layers are slowly peeled back revealing this secret. The final payoff however is bizarre to sa the very least.
Throughout the course of 11 episodes we come to care for Shion and Rat as they lead a slow burning rebellion against No. 6. There is some pretty strong boys love under-tones in this relationship but these characters are so endearing that it does not feel shallow, instead it feels like genuine love between friends. This may be off-putting for some who do not find these kinds of relationships interesting, but if given a chance you may find that their connection is truly moving at times.
As for the aforementioned payoff, everything culminates in a grand way which is heavily juxtaposed with the rest of the entire series which hums along like slow jazz. The finale hits hard and fast not in ways that feel very out of place with the 10 episodes that preceed it. It all wraps up very poorly in a confusing manner that doesn’t exactly fit with the themes displayed in the series. Coming from absolutely out of nowhere things take a turn for the extraordinary in what is an incredibly bizarre way to end such a quiet series as No.6. In the end it is a flawed ending to what was an anime riddled with them.
The biggest problem with No. 6 is that it had too little time to tell so very much. On top of that it squanders the time it has instead of putting it into proper plot progression and world building. When the viewer constantly is confronted with the thought of ‘How are they going to wrap this up in x amount of episodes left to go?’ there is a serious problem. The viewer shouldn’t worry that a series won’t end properly, that is just TV basics. Despite all that though, No. 6 is still fairly intriguing and the central relationship is something not too common in anime, making it worth a look in for its unique qualities alone. Other than that, this is far from what its potential promised, which is a true shame.
Visuals and Audio: In terms of aesthetics No. 6 is disappointingly bland at the best of times and just plain ugly at its worst. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing given the nature of the series but it really could have used some more creative visuals. Animation wise BONES have done a good job however, it is an overall fluid series in that regard, it is just the uninspiring art that ruins it.
The series’ soundtrack is perhaps its biggest highlight, with brilliant track after brilliant track lifting the material to heights that it doesn’t really deserve. Without this beautifully composed soundtrack No. 6 would honestly fall apart. It is the fulcrum of this series undoubtedly as it serves as the glue that holds everything together both tonally and atmospherically. The opening and ending songs are notably great selections that set a great mood for the series with finesse.
This release from Siren Visual happens to feature a dubbed audio track by way of Sentai Filmworks which was honestly one of Sentai’s weaker attempts at anime dubbing. Greg Ayres is once again horribly miscast this time as Shion in a very cringe-worthy performance to say the very least. This is one release that you’d probably want to stick with Japanese audio.
Extras: Siren Visual have done a great job with No. 6 in way of special features. On this DVD collection they have included an English dub (even if it could be better) which is something that has become less and less common in recent times with many anime simply being fast-tracked with a sub-only release. That isn’t all though, Siren Visual have even managed to get a hold of Japanese audio commentaries which is sure to delight those with an interest in what went into making the series. Both of these extras alone are great, particularly the audio commentaries which will surely provide some added shelf life to this collection.
Overall: No. 6 is an anime that has a lot of heart and invests most of that into developing the relationship of its two characters. This is something that is does quite well and it should be commended for creating such an interesting pair of characters. Unfortunately the world and story surrounding these two is so heavily flawed that it all falls apart. Regardless No. 6 is an interesting watch for what it is, not because of its flaws, but in spite of them.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Welcome back for this week’s iOS Game Suggestions. If you missed or are new to the suggestions, click on the link below and check what cool games you should be picking up for your iOS along with the introduction and disclaimer on how the suggestions work. (suggestions 1 has the disclaimer and how it all works).
A great week on iTunes, as always it started slow and but ended with a bang! As always there certainly is a few must buy games this week in all departments, FREE, 99c and over 99c. This week i’ve suggested a total of 22 great quality titles. Make sure you check them all especially Baldur’s Gate, Joe Danger, Zenonia 5, Little Amazon, Time Surfer, Death Golf, ShaqDown just to name a few.
Break down below :
10 – FREE Games
6 – $0.99c Games
6 – Over $0.99c Games
As always for this week’s suggestions are all new titles that you should take a look at and consider spending your hard earned iTunes cash / time on. Well the Free games just below certainly should all be given a shot as they won’t cost you anything!
For The Cheapskates – FREE GAMES
MASTERABBOTT’S FREE GAME PICK OF THE WEEK!
ZENONIA 5 – Price : FREE – Publisher –Gamevil (Long ago, a great war was fought to restore peace and harmony to mankind. But as the years passed, greed and selfishness corrupted the hearts of man. The elite rich began to exploit the poor and great darkness came over the kingdom. Then, from the ruins of a slum village, rises a hero destined for greatness… Immerse yourself once again in the best action RPG for mobile. Defeat impossible bosses and unravel the mysteries in stunning HD!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Noble Nutlings– Price : FREE – Publisher – BoomLagoon (Join the Nutlings on the wackiest ride you’ve ever experienced! Build your dream cart and show your friends who’s in charge. FREE TO PLAY! Physics based awesomeness. Build your dream cart – thousands of combinations! Beat your friends’ scores and brag about it!) on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Run’n’Gun – Price : FREE – Publisher –Gaijin Entertainment (Run’n’Gun is a new runner/shooter developed by Gaijin Entertainment, which offers you both rushing around and plinking. In those troubled times when everyone might easily come across trolls or even uglier ones, when every child kept a revolver under his or her pillow, there was only a nearby tavern to beguile a boring afternoon. At the late hour all are equal at the bar desk – either a sheriff, or a hunter, or a nasty troll. They said a city bank was robbed, and everybody who seems to be capable of breaking strong safe locks has fallen under suspicion.) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
GeoDash: Wild Animal Adventure – Price : FREE – Publisher –National Geographic Society (Geo is on a mission and he needs your help! Join the curious robot as he explores Earth’s habitats, earning awesome animal abilities along the way. You’ll be able to leap like a poison frog, dig like an armadillo, climb like a baboon—even run like a cheetah! Every time you get a new ability, Geo gets a new look. As you explore, you’ll collect animal) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
The Blockheads – Price : FREE – Publisher –Majic Jungle Software (Explore, mine, craft and build in this giant and detailed sandbox game. Navigate huge simulated worlds thousands of blocks wide with a full temperature and climate system, seasons, an equator, and frozen poles. Explore complex cave systems and flowing water, and survive deserts and snowy mountain tops.) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Pony Trails– Price : FREE – Publisher – Chillingo – (Go on pony trekking adventures in the great outdoors! Saddle up and explore mountain paths, desert trails, and coastal courses atop your trusty steed. Steer your stallion using intuitive tilt controls and snap pictures of the wildlife you discover. Return to the stables to clean, care for, and purchase new riding gear for your pony.) on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Amazing Ants – Price : FREE – Publisher – Pocket Gems Publishing(Make these jumping ants FLY with Rocket Sticks, TUNNEL underground, FLOAT in soap bubbles, and BOUNCE off water sprinklers to get golden apples, luscious berries, mouth-watering peppermints and much more! Loaded with fun physics game play, challenging puzzles, and gorgeous graphics, Amazing Ants will keep you on the edge of your seat.) on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Little Amazon – Price : FREE – Publisher –Bulkypix (Join Lily as she flees the cursed lair of the horrible demon Grûûl. Use the exceptional agility and extraordinary abilities of an amazon to run as far as possible! Jump from hill to hill, go around the creatures of the forest and destroy them using your destructive powers.) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Townsmen – Price : FREE – Publisher – HandyGames (Grow your tiny village to a grand medieval city with a thriving economy and happy Townies! From mining, logging and farming to the production of jewelry, tools and clothing – a well managed economy is the key to success! Build churches, taverns and marketplaces for your Townies! Beautify your city with splendorous statues, magnificent monuments and lush parks and gardens) on iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Pinball Kid – Price : FREE – Publisher – Sauce Digital (Remember the days of handheld plastic pinball toys? Then Pinball Kid is for you! Too young to know what we’re talking about? Then Get Pinball Kid anyway, it’s awesome! Pinball Kid is a nostalgic iOS tribute to the toy pinball games of yesteryear. With retro styling and classic gameplay, it will keep you amused for hours.) on iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
For The Bargain Hunters – 99c Games
Swing King– Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Chillingo (Fling the King, save the kingdom. The King’s furry kingdom is in jeopardy. Time to swing into action! Fling the King across levels, through obstacles and traps to grab stars and reach his flying unicorn. Use simple touch controls to aim the King’s trajectory, move obstacles out of his way, and use power-ups such as the sticky grappling point and the boxing glove. Your kingdom is in trouble. What are you waiting for?) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Time Surfer – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Kumobius (Surf for your life across the galaxy! An inevitable destructive force is after you… The end of the universe! Your only hope? You can cheat death by rewinding time! Get ready for the most psychedelic adrenaline-pumping surf of the year!) runs on iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
Death Golf – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Ayopya Games (If you like golf games and platform adventures then Death Golf is THE game for you! Adventure through incredible golf courses in this revolutionary platform golf game. Use skill and timing to aim your shots, then combat ferocious predators and ingenious traps on a journey to the hole!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Wake The Cat – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Chillingo (Wake a kitten from her endless slumber and dreams of fish by experimenting with meticulously designed contraptions. Fling the yarn across the room and use toy trains, portal slippers, fans and more to help guide the yarn to the dozy cat.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Catch The Arc – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Chillingo (Can you survive the jungle and catch the ark? A flood is coming and Catch the Ark’s three adorable creatures Titan, Boon, and Zuzu haven’t got an invite to board Noah’s Ark. Armed with just a raft, the trio must brave the jungle rapids where outrageous hazards, hungry enemies, and even grumpy old Noah himself is out to ensure they don’t make it out alive. Can you catch the ark?) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Shaqdown – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – One Speak Entertainment (Celebrity Basketball star Shaquille O’Neal stars in his first action game for mobile! In a post apocalyptic future, the mutation of a zombie virus creates a new sentient breed of zombies that have enslaved mankind. It’s up to SHAQ to take down these Mutant Zombies with his awesome powers and abilities. GET READY FOR A SHAQDOWN!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
For The Millionaires – All games over $0.99
MasterAbbott’s over 99c Pick Of The Week!
Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition– Price : $10.49 – Publisher – Beamdog (Play the Legend. This classic saga of mystery, intrigue, and adventure has set the standard for Dungeons & Dragons™ computer role-playing games ever since. Now, upgraded and enhanced, it comes to your iPad. With the following features! 80 hours of Epic RPG adventure. Over 40 classes and kits, Over 100 spells, over 150 magical items, New adventure: The Black Pits, a thrilling combat adventure. New character: Rasaad yn Bashir, a Calishite Monk searching for answers. New character: Dorn Il-Khan, a half-orc blackguard with a history of violence. New character: Neera the Wild Mage, a half-elf on a quest to control her powerful magic.) runs on iPad. BUY NOW
Joe Danger – Price : $2.99 – Publisher – Hello Games (Wear the cape of the World’s Most Determined Stuntman, and take your trusty motorbike on a wild ride from zero to hero! Race, ride and defy death as you jump buses, dodge giant mousetraps, leap tanks full of sharks and reclaim your title of Master of Disaster! Swipe Joe to pop a wheelie, flick obstacles out of the way, tap to jump, hold down to crouch and waggle to fight sharks!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Hundreds– Price : $2.99 – Publisher – Semi Secret Software (DESIGNED FOR AGES 2 TO 222: The goal of Hundreds: Grow at least 100 points between the circles in each puzzle. Circles turn red and volatile while being grown and if they collide, it’s game over. It’s that easy.) runs on iPad. BUY NOW
Redemption Cemetery: Children’s Plight Collector’s Edition– Price : $4.99 – Publisher – Big Fish Games (A warlock’s curse has trapped you in an otherworldly cemetery! Explore gorgeous Hidden Object scenes and save the children that the warlock has taken. Learn the history of the evil warlock and find a way to stop him before it is too late! Help other spirits find peace as they help you find useful items and overcome challenging obstacles in Redemption Cemetery: Children’s Plight!) runs iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
Abyss: The Wraiths Of Eden – Price : $2.99 – Publisher – G5 Entertainment (Ready to strap on your oxygen mask? Famed underwater explorer Robert Marceau has disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and now his fiancée must descend to the gloomy depths of the ocean to find him. Venture into unknown and unsettling waters to investigate the sunken city of Eden, now controlled by demons, find hidden objects and confront eerie sea monsters in this heart-pounding quest to save a missing diver!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Rails – Price : $2.99 – Publisher – Belight Software. (Introducing Rails, the official remake of Shortline Railroad, one of biggest and most addictive gaming sensations of the 90s! You’re controlling the railroad today! Build tracks and guide trains to their stations, keeping the rail yard collision-free. Control the railroad switches and signals to lead trains from Point A to Point B, raking in money and earning achievements along the way.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
There you have it folks, these games should keep you busy for quite some time, well till next week at least. I’ll be back next week for another dose of iOS goodness, in the meantime if anyone would also like to suggest their own suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments section below or in the iOS forum section on the site here.
Baka and Test: Season Two Studio:Silver Link Publisher: FUNimation Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Release Date: January 29, 2013 Price: $69.98 – Available Here
Overview: Attending a school in an anime is always risky business. There could be a magical girl showing up at any minute or even a zombie apocalypse about to break out any day. Of course the whole purpose of school is to learn things and become better people, so why not throw in inter-class fighting to spice things up? Such is the case with Baka and Test and FUNimation has now brought the second season of the anime over to North America a year and a half after the first season was released. Is Baka and Test Season Two just as enjoyable as the first? Let’s find out.
Story: In Baka and Test, a certain Japanese school called Fumizuki Academy has created a new way to encourage students to learn and strive for higher test scores. They have done this by creating a Summoning system that allows the students to summon Avatars of themselves to battle against other students, with their strength gauged by how well they have done on various tests. As such, these classes are ranked by grade, with Class A being the best, and Class F being the worst and to help motivate students, their school supplies match their grade.
The story of Baka and Test revolves around a group of students who mostly reside in Class F and Season One provided a great introduction to not only the biggest idiot in the school Yoshii and his friends, but also the entire system. As such, Season Two makes no effort to actually explain neither the character relationships nor any of the past occurrences, meaning that viewers who jump into season two first will unfortunately be left in the dark regarding the summoning system and character history.
In fact, Season Two goes ahead and gets rid of one of your classic school-based anime clichés immediately by taking the main cast of characters and their friends to the beach for some classic beach antics, however whenever Class F is involved, things never are simple. Things take a turn for the worse when both Yuuji and Yoshii are blackmailed with a marriage proposal and cross-dressing image. In fact, that is only the tip of the iceberg for how crazy the lives of this group of friends can get.
While the basic premise for the series may revolve around the various inter-class battles that Class F goes through, the Season Two of Baka and Test shifts away from focusing heavily on the summon battle system and more on character development and hilarious situations this time around. The reason for both Minami and Mizuki’s affections for the completely oblivious Yoshii is explored and expanded upon in touching episodes that while emotional and heart-warming, are still comedic throughout.
Ultimately the biggest draw for Baka & Test in this second season remains the charming cast of characters and downright hilarious situations they find themselves in. Yoshii remains as dumb as a sack of bricks, which may be insulting the bricks; Yuuji keeps up his cool-guy persona despite the fact that he is constantly being chased by an obsessed Shouko; Minami continues to angrily take out Yoshii while Himeji’s poisonous cooking rears its head often. These characters may seem rather cookie-cutter but when combined together, the comedic outcome is priceless.
That doesn’t even touch upon the ever androgynous Hideyoshi making both guys and girls jealous and lovable pervert Kouta erupting into fountains of blood at the slightest hint of sexiness. As such, while Baka and Test Season Two may move a bit away from the summoning battles, the witty comedy, visual gags, well-crafted cast of characters and building love-triangle shine in the spotlight in Season Two and the result is a gut-busting anime that’ll leave you wishing this release contained twice as many episodes.
Visuals: Something that stuck with me over a year and a half ago when the first season of Baka and Test wrapped up was how spectacular the series was visually. The combination of well-designed characters, great use of a wide-ranging color palette and impressive visual effects left quite an impression. Now Baka and Test Season 2 has taken everything that made the first season gorgeous and upped the ante.
With what appears to be an increased animation budget, the series has never looked better than it does in Season 2. The anime continues to make use of the monochrome serious faces for certain gags and plenty of chibi looking moments for explanations, while the bulk of the anime makes use of a standard art style. This is not a bad thing however, as the characters are not only very expressive, there are also tons of visual gags spread throughout the season, many of which work wonders thanks to this art style.
Of course the chibified Avatars are back in full force, though rather than spend nearly their entire screentime battling against other Avatars, they are instead used more for comedic situations or even haunted house creatures. It is also worth noting that the atmosphere tone-shift whenever a summoning field is opened is still a treat as it provides a nice backdrop to any event occurring at the time, regardless if it is for action or for comedy.
It is worth mentioning that while FUNimation did provide subtitles/translation for most of the inserted text in Baka and Test Season 2, the mid-card questions and answers from the characters were not given any translation, and the ending-card translation was left simply to standard voice over, not full translation of the image.
Audio: As one would expect, FUNimation’s release of Baka and Test Season 2 contains both the original Japanese voice track as well as the new English dub. Considering this second season is being released around a year and a half after the first season, FUNimation has managed to retain all of the English voice actors and actresses from the first season. This is very beneficial to the anime thanks to the fact that the English cast does a phenomenal job voicing these characters. Alexis Tipton’s portrayal of the soft-spoken Mizuki Himeji is superb and special mention should go to Leah Clark’s great sounding German accent for Minami in episode eight.
Baka and Test Season 2 sees some rather simple use of background music that, while catchy at times, doesn’t remain memorable and often is not noticeable. That being said, both the opening and ending tracks for Season 2 are excellent. The opening song is “Kimi+Nazo+Watashi de Jump!!” by Larval Stage Planning which is set to colorful animation that makes the opening difficult to skip, while the main ending theme is “Eureka Baby” by Natsuko Aso.
Extras: As far as bonus features go, Baka and Test Season 2 actually comes with quite a few offerings, though only one of which is outside of your standard offering. It is worth noting that thanks to printing issues, we were only able to access these special features on the Blu-ray version of the show, though this is something currently being fixed by FUNimation and the final release will have both DVD and Blu-ray versions of these bonuses.
As for the extras themselves, there are two commentary tracks, one for episode 3 and another for episode 13, various promotional videos from Japan, a US trailer as well as previews for other FUNimation releases. There are also clean versions of the opening song, as well as the main ending song and the two special endings “Hi-Ho!!” and “Baka to koshitsu to kodoku mesh!.” Also found in these bonuses are nine three to six minute long videos called Baka and Test: Summon the Beasts Spinout! These videos contain the original Japanese dub only and feature chibi artwork of the characters in random humorous situations outside of the main story.
The commentary for Episode 3 sees Jamie Marchi, the lead writer and voice of Shouko and Brina Palencia, who voices both Hideyoshi and his sister Yuuko discuss plenty of technical aspects of the show. The two spend nearly the entire commentary providing some nice information about the recording process and how they go about getting into a certain mood-set with specific characters. While not very comedic and does not follow the episode at all, this commentary is certainly very informative.
As for Episode 13, the commentary features two engineers so if you’ve heard past commentaries featuring engineers then you know roughly what to expect. This commentary stars Stephen Hoff who engineered the first half of the series and also Kevin Leisure who took care of the second half. The two discuss various things and even talk about a few other members of FUNimation’s staff, however most of it is unrelated to anime and can be very uninteresting at times.
Overall: Viewers will find themselves more than happy to repeat a year and experience Baka and Test once again as Baka and Test Season Two takes everything that made the first season great and does it even better this time around. By moving the focus away from the battles and more onto character interaction, viewers are treated to an entertaining cast of characters that work so well together it will be impossible not to laugh at their misfortunes or become enthralled whenever things turn serious. With magnificent animation and character design, a stellar English cast and the well-developed cast, Baka and Test Season Two deserves high marks in almost every way.
Chillingo is back releasing more games for iOS today with two games, one brand new and one smaller free version of a favorite from last year. The new game this time around is Wake the Cat, a puzzle game centered around just what it sounds, as the player controls different elements of the level to try and guide the ball of yarn to wake up the cute kitten from it’s peaceful slumber. Priced at $0.99 players can download this game to their iPad or iPhone HERE.
Following the success of One Tap Hero, Chillingo has decided to release a free version of the game featuring 2 chapters and 16 levels for players to try out. With One Tap Hero: Free, players will try to save the character’s girlfriend, after she was turned into a teddy bear by an evil wizard. Don’t have the full version yet? Check out the free version from the App Store HERE.
CD Projekt RED released a new teaser trailer today for Cuberpunk 2077, giving us a glimpse into this futuristic world of upgraded and implanted people. The main problem being “psychos” who are people who overuse substances and implants to give themselves an edge. When they have too many synthetic parts, the machine in them rebels and destroys anything organic around them. Find more information about the game at the Cyberpunk website.
There is even a hidden message in the video if you stop at a certain point. Click on the image to see the high resolution version. There is a transcription of what it says below, originally transcribed here.
Do you like our latest creation? We certainly hope so 🙂 Yo may remember that we sometimes send you guys secret messages like this. It’s a great way for us to speak right to you instead of burying ourselves in corporate mumbo-jumbo so let’s begin!
First of all – have you noticed all the details in our teaser (yes, it’s a teaser. We’ll make a proper trailer in the future)? If you know the Cyberpunk setting there are some things you can spot, like implants – look for the weapon hands and the real skin – corporate emblems that should look familiar and more. Happy hunting!
You’re probably curious about the release date. It’s currently scheduled a way off in 2015 but in truth the delivery date is more like “when it’s done”. We will release Cyberpunk to you when we’re convinced it is nothing but pure, refined, unadulterated awesome. We want it to be the most kick ass futuristic RPG ever – OK, maybe this sounds pretty bully, but it is our actual goal! You judge if we deliver it!
Oh – and you may wonder why we announced our game so early before the release. The reason is that we’re still building our dev team so if you are a talented dude or dudette willing to work in a really different company (gamers rule & boring corporate stuff drools!) on a super ambitious project, send us your application right now![email protected]
So you want to know what kind of game Cyberpunk 2077 will be? The short description is that it will be a story-heavy, nonlinear, open world RPG based on the well known Cyberpunk pen&paper system and setting. Building open world games is something we are mastering right now and we believe that properly joining nonlinear gameplay with an excellent story telling will bring a totally new quality. Mmm… We’ll tell some more about it soon!
And that’s not all that’s new. We are about the reveal our other project which is much closer to being completed and yes, it will also be a fully open-world game with an intense story. You can probably guess the game we’re talking about 🙂 On the 5th of February it will all be clear.
So stay tuned as we will have quite a lot to show and tell you soon!
We are waiting for you on our newly created forum called Afterlife – what other name could we have chosen for it?
Remember back when that gameplay footage of The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct was leaked out and Activision scrambledto say how it was made up of preview footage and all that? Well fans of The Walking Dead series better be praying that the footage shown was ridiculously old because rather than have a release date later this year, Activision is shoving The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct out the door in March.
In the first “official” trailer from Activision, the company gives us zero gameplay footage, two endorsements from the actors of the characters that the game is based around and finally a release date. Well… fans can pick up the game on March 26th for the PS3, 360 and apparently the Wii U now, and hope that maybe Activision will pull something out of their bag of mysteries before then to make the game look better than plastic and bland.
How does a game ensure that its biggest edition contains the most of what players want to get? By finding out from the players themselves of course. Which is exactly the route taken for the Dead Island: Riptide being developed by Techland and published by Deep Silver.
As can be seen in the shot above, the Dead Island: Riptide Rigor Mortis Edition has a few special items including a zombified hula bobble girl, zombie arm bottle opener, and bungalow key with engraved wooden tag. In addition to these items, the Special Edition of the game with DLC and digital strategy map are packed inside replica suitcase based off of the original game.
Priced at $79.99, the Rigor Mortis edition is now available for preorder from retailers in North America and Latin America, but as the quantities are limited they will be first come, first serve. Dead Island: Riptide releases April 23, 2013 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
