After its release for Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC a few years back, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is finally making its way to iOS for any players that have yet to check out the story set 40 years prior to the Heroes V story. Telling the story of 5 heroes as they set out in 5 different regions of Ashan to find their way and save the world from demonic forces, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes features a 20 hour solo campaign for the first time ever on iOS this month.
Utilizing a battle system that was praised in its previous releases, players can engage each other in local or online asynchronous multiplayer with 10 heroes, against 40 creatures. Playing on the iPad or iPhone, players will be able to achieve great control with the touch screen and be able to unlock exclusive wallpapers for their iOS device. Be sure to check out the trailer embedded below and download Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes when it releases to the App Store on January 24th, 2013.
World of Warcraft players on the Public Test Realm will have noticed that they can now access the latest patch, 5.2’s, functionality in the game. This means a fair bit of new content has been thrown towards the player to undertake.
For those that have never heard of the Public Test Realm, it is essentially a separate server for players to test and report on the stability of new game builds before they go live on the main official servers for all players. This latest patch offers a new Raid, new world bosses, pet battles and more.
Be sure to check out the official Blizzard postingfor the complete and comprehensive list of changes included in the patch. Be sure to check out our review for Mists of Pandaria here.
Death Golf, by Ayopa Games, is creating a brand new game genre by mixing platform gaming with golf skills to finally make golf more than what your dad watches on TV. Use golf power ups and combos to get yourself to the hole and try not to be obliterated. Ferocious predators await you on the course, just itching to take you down. There are upgrades and customization in the golf house between more than 35 levels of amazing visuals and challenges. Match your high scores with others on the leader board and try to fight your way to the top of these savage golfers.
The game will support full retina display for the iPhone and the iPad. Check out game play screen shots and a pretty slick trailer below. You can also find out more about Death golf, here.
While one or two new LEGO adventure games were expected this year from developer Travellers Tales Games (TT Games), since going under the publishing of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. the next game being announced as LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is definitely unexpected to say the least. While Warner Bros. is owned by parent company Time Warner, the same parent company that holds DC Comics the idea of a Marvel LEGO seemed to only be a far off fantasy, but there it truly is.
Working in collaboration, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, LEGO Group, and Marvel Entertainment will be releasing LEGO Marvel Super Heroes in the Spring of 2013 and feature the gamete of the Marvel Universe’s characters, from Wolverine, to Thor, even Spider-Man and Deadpool. The game will feature not only New York City, but plenty of other Marvel Universe locations as the Marvel heroes assemble in an original story to save Earth from such foes as Loki and Galactus.
While information is still limited, such as if this game will follow LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes and LEGO Lord of the Rings with voice acting (fingers crossed), the game will include more than 100 unlockable characters from the Marvel Universe. While no specific release date has been announced outside of “Spring” the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes will be releasing for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, WiiU, Windows PC, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and PS Vita.
My Neighbor Totoro Studio: Studio Ghibli Publisher: Madman Format : Blu-ray (reviewed), DVD Release Date: 28 November 2012 Price: $39.95 (available here)
Overview
My Neigbour Totoro is one of the earlier films to come from Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, it was released in 1988 on the same bill as the heartbreaking Grave of the Fireflies, which was directed by fellow animation legend Isao Takahata. Totoro is far lighter fare than the World War II set picture, and follows the adventure of two young girls who move into a new home in rural Japan.
Upon it’s cinematic release the film didn’t set the box office alight, but after an airing on television and the release of some Totoro plush toys, My Neighbour Totoro became one of the most famous of Ghibli’s works. It marked the beginning of a golden age for the animation studio, which is now world renowned for its films.
Story
Satsuki and Mei are the two young sisters at the heart of My Neighbor Totoro, who along with their father have moved to the country to be closer to their mother who is recovering from a long term illness in a nearby hospital. They soon discover that they share their new neighbourhood with some fantastical creatures, including soot gremlins and a trio of creatures that Mei decides to name Totoro. There is a great emphasis on nature and magic throughout the movie, and it is something of a given fact that the creatures the girls discover not only exist, but couldn’t possibly be anything other than a force of good.
The plot is as light as a feather and for the most part simply follows the antics of the girls and their new friends. The film spends a good portion of its running time introducing the two girls, which given the strength of the characters is a charming experience. The girls are wonderfully written and performed, and the secondary human characters provide solid support. The magical Totoro only make an entrance after twenty minutes or so, but by that time the audience has no doubt fallen hook line and sinker for the two girls – never mind the fuzzy Totoro themselves.
It is also something of a love letter to the Japanese coutryside and what has now become an outdated way of life. The local village seen in the film is a simple place where rice paddies and forests dominate the landscape, and the Totoro are quickly cast as helpful forest spirits who protect the land and it’s people (indeed Totoro was the mascot for the Japanese “Totoro Hometown Fund Campaign”, which sought to preserve rural areas such as the one depicted in the film).
Despite the story containing little in the way of drama and peril, Totoro nonetheless boasts a world of innocent charm and fairy-tale magic that younger children will fall in love with. There are several standout moments to capture the imagination of everyone who cares to watch, whether it is the cat bus (like something from Alice in Wonderland with even more hallucinogen at play) or the lovely scene of the girls and Totoro waiting at the bus stop. It’s a film that should be shown to young children without hesitation, and is a rare thing for being so peaceful and without violence or animosity.
That said it doesn’t have the same lasting appeal for first time adult viewers, and meatier Ghibli fair like Princess Mononoke will probably hold onto their places in people’s hearts. My Neighbour Totoro is heart-warming without a doubt, but it simply doesn’t hold the same power.
Audio & Visual
This release comes with both Japanese and English audio, with the latter being the more recent Disney dub rather than the 1988 Streamline Pictures version. It features the voices of Elle and Dakota Fanning as May and Satsuki respectively and their performances are what make the movie. The bond between both the fictional and real life sisters is obvious to hear, and having a real sibling dynamic at play pays off in spades. Both girls are incredibly lifelike, so well realised that you could pluck them off the screen.
The opening and closing theme songs channel the same spirit as the film, and if the closing theme doesn’t get stuck in your head there’s definitely something wrong with you. The music throughout is composed by long time Miyazaki collaborator Joe Hisaishi , who as ever provides a perfect accompaniment to the magical world on screen.
The animation is in classic Ghibli style, with simple but expressive character designs and beautifully painted watercolour like backgrounds. Totoro is an iconic character and the rural Japanese village setting is idyllic – the perfect setup for such a gentle fable. As far as the Blu-Ray transfer is concerned the film sadly shows it’s age. A flash of the newly released Ponyo during some of the extra features provides a stark contrast with the movie, and whilst the quality of the animation is not questionable it is not one of those movies that looks fresher for a transfer to high definition.
Extras
The extras include picture in picture storyboards and a handful of making of featurettes. The majority of these are only a few minutes long, apart from one location documentary which is actually a snippet of a full length Japanese documentary on Ghibli film locations. The drip feed of information includes some background on the film from the director himself, but the clips really only serve to whet the appetite rather than satisfy it. The textless opening and closing are included as expected, along with the original Japanese trailers.
Overall
My Neighbour Totoro is another classic animation from Studio Ghibli that should be as much a part of childhood as any Disney tale. The characters of Mai and Satsuki are wonderfully realised, and the world which they occupy is one of magic and innocence. Whilst the drama might not be there for older viewers, it is still an incredibly easy task to switch off that grown up brain and simply enjoy the fairy-tale being laid out before you.
EA Games Australia have revealed their planned line-up for the Sims 3 throughout 2013. Sims fans have reason to be excited as EA plans to release some new expansions and DLC packs for Sims 3. These new additions are said to add a greater depth and variety to the gameplay of Sims 3.
EA have announced that The Sims 3 University Life and The Sims 3 Island Paradise Expansion Packs as well as a currently unnamed DLC pack will be heading to the Sims store in 2013. Coming on January 24th is The Sims 3 70s, 80s, & 90s Stuff which will transport players figuratively back in time to the 70s, 80s and 90s. The University Life expansion will hit the store in March and the Island Paradise expansion will be released in June.
What do you think of this line-up of content for the Sims 3? Let us know in the comments section below.
Players of the awesome XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Review here for proof of awesomeness) should have started up their Steam clients and noticed that their game has been updated to the latest version. If not, you should tell steam to manually update the game because there is a plethora of new content available to you for free.
This new content is available for players that have completed the main campaign and offers a tonne of new customisable options for the game. And honestly, these look like they’ll make the game so much better than it already was. The following is a list of new content being made available to the game:
Damage Roulette: Weapons have a wider range of damage.
New Economy: Randomised council member funding.
Not Created Equally: Rookies will have random starting stats.
Hidden Potential: As a soldier is promoted, stats increase randomly.
Red Fog: Combat wounds will degrade the soldier’s mission stats.
Absolutely Critical: A flanking shot guarantees a critical hit.
The Greater Good: Psionics can only be learned from interrogating a psionic alien.
Marathon: The game takes considerably longer to complete.
Results Driven: A country offers less funding as its panic level increases.
High Stakes: Random rewards for stopping alien abductions.
Diminishing Returns: Increased cost of satellite construction.
More Than Human: The psionic gift is extremely rare.
This year at the Consumer Electronics Show, Kingston will be celebrating 10 years of their HyperX brand RAM. They are doing this by showcasing their latest 10th anniversary memory sticks at the event. These pieces of memory go by the name HyperX 10th Anniversary Edition Memory. Kingston will also be hosting a Starcraft II tournament at the event in celebration of its tenth year in memory.
The new memory will be clocked at 240Mhz and will range in capacity from the entry level 8GB to the high-end 32GB variant. The design is slimmer and offers enhanced heat control, making this a superior breed of memory.
Starcraft II players participating in the tournament will be in the running to win $15,000 USD. This tournament will see the top 6 players in the competition going head-to-head for a shot at the cash.
For more information on the HyperX RAM, visit the HyperX website. For more information on the tournament, visit this page.
We all know that DanceDanceRevolution can get you in shape if played enough, and that is the very reason that families have swamped to the dance genre in recent years, making successes out of Just Dance and Dance Central. DanceDanceRevolution started it all though, and Konami has now announced DanceDanceRevolution Classroom Edition, which will be used to battle childhood obesity in schools.
DDR Classroom Edition is an interactive video game, also known as an “exergame,” that combines physical activity with energetic music and visuals. The game and associated hardware technology, which was developed by Performance Designed Products, enables up to 48 students to participate simultaneously, using wireless mat controllers that feature a smart card reader that tracks each student’s individual progress. While students move to the beat, teachers receive vital information about their students’ health including, steps, body mass index (BMI) and caloric burn rate.
KONAMI and UnitedHealthcare launched the game at three schools located in Longwood, Fla.; Gainesville, Ga.; and Fresno, Texas. The participating schools, with assistance from KONAMI and UnitedHealthcare, will use the game to track its impact on students’ health, well-being and exercise habits.
The program builds on UnitedHealthcare’s deep expertise in developing practical solutions to control childhood obesity, including collaborations with school systems nationwide. This latest collaboration will also be incorporated into ‘Activate for Kids,’ a school wellness initiative operated by UnitedHealthcare and United Health Foundation in partnership with school systems throughout Florida, Georgia and Texas.
This is certainly better than any physical education class that might turn away some kids from physical activity, and looks to be yet another way video games can be useful in the outside world. Just think, instead of dessert with lunches, kids can be treated to rounds of DDR with all of the trimmings to burn some weight and have some fun in the process. CES attendees who visit the UnitedHealthcare booth [25515] can try the game out at CES this year, and look for the game to of course hit other schools as the program grows.
We all heard that Black Ops II‘s first DLC pack was coming soon, but we now have a date of just when the content will drop on the Xbox 360. Revolution is set to launch on Jan. 30th, bringing with it four all-new multiplayer maps, an original zombies co-op Map and New Zombies Mode Allowing Fans to Actually Play as a Zombie – as well as a new weapon.
Details you say? Well, here is what we know:
Revolution takes players to unexpected new locales the world over. “Downhill” is set in the ski country of the French Alps, where players fight their way down the slopes and through a ski lodge, while avoiding the moving hazards of the mountain’s gondola system. Opponents must dodge the floodwaters in “Hydro” as they contend for dominance of this hydroelectric dam facility in Pakistan, filled with treacherous spillways. “Mirage” pits players in competition amidst the sand dunes of a dilapidated luxury resort in the sandstorm-devastated Gobi Desert, where a range of long-distance and close-quarters combat will mix up the action for all play styles. Finally, “Grind” transports players to the historic birthplace of skateboarding, California’s Venice Beach, where they will battle it out through the ramps and half-pipes of this massive, epic skate park in a multiplayer environment comprised of unique curved architecture requiring players to adapt and learn new ways to take cover. Each map in Revolution delivers a uniquely exhilarating new landscape for tactics and battle.
Revolution also delivers a lethal bonus multiplayer weapon, the “Peacekeeper.” This powerful SMG, accompanied by its own set of weapon challenges for additional XP, is unlocked to all Call of Duty: Black Ops II fans that pick-up Revolution.
Additionally, Revolution transports players to the Far East, where they will attempt to overcome a zombie infestation inside a series of collapsed skyscrapers towering over the remains of an obliterated Chinese city. In this new and original Zombies map, “Die Rise,” players will wield powerful, upgradable Wonder Weaponry as well as combine new buildable devices to fight a relentless army of the undead throughout Escher-esque sceneries over a deep and perilous chasm. And in a twist, Treyarch has added a new game mode, “Turned,” where players can finally complete against each other as a zombie!
Revolution will hit Xbox Live at the end of the month and will be priced at 1200 Microsoft Points – or $14.99 for those of you using credit. Those who have already pre-purchased the Season Pass for Black Ops II will be able to simply download the pack at launch. At the moment, no other details have arisen for a date for the Playstation 3 or PC versions of the game – but stay tuned, as once that news comes forward, we will be sure to bring it to you.
