French publisher Anuman Interactive released the hotly anticipated multiplayer update for their mobile strategy game The Bluecoats: North vs South today for iOS alongside a brand new Android version. The multiplayer mode features cross platform capabilities allowing for players on Android to do battle against their iOS rivals for device superiority.
The Bluecoats – North vs South is a reboot of the popular North and South strategy game released in 1989. Both games are based on the Belgian comics es Tuniques Bleues, a comic about the American Civil War.
To celebrate yesterday’s American presidential elections, Anuman Interactive is knocking down the price of The Bluecoats – North vs South to $0.99 on iPhone and iPad for one day only. Grab your copy on the iTunes App Store here.
While news of its existence may have been leaked earlier this week by a listing from Amazon, Ubisoft has officially confirmed the details of Assassin’s Creed Anthology, a collection of the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise in one box.
Minus the various Assassin’s Creed spin-off games, all major Assassin’s Creed titles are here – Assassin’s Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and the recently released Assassin’s Creed 3, along with all expansion packs and downloadable content for all games, and it includes a season pass for AC3 as well!
And it’s all packed very nicely in a collector’s box with five exclusive lithographs and a steel book.
“This is amazing deal, so how do I get my hands on it?!?!” I hear you ask.
Well here’s the bad news, unless you live in Europe then getting your hands on Assassin’s Creed Anthology will prove to be quite a difficult (time consuming and expensive I might add) task. The pack is an amazon exclusive and will set you back £120/150 Euros.
Ubisoft hasn’t announced a plan to release the pack worldwide, which sucks for just about everyone else in the world. Assassin’s Creed Anthology will be available to purchase on November 30 for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
Ah bless the Australian Classifications Board for revealing unannounced video games. A posting on their website for Uncharted: Fight for Fortune has today sent Uncharted fans and the internet into speculation mode.
Developed by One Loop Games this new Uncharted game will be G-rated and multi platform (huh??? I hear you say). Our guess is the ‘multi platform’ is referring to a Playstaion 3 and Vita release, after all Uncharted is one of Sony’s big exclusives.
Developer: Dimps Publisher: Namco Bandai Platforms: Xbox 360 (reviewed), Playstation 3 Release Date:November 6th – Out now Price: $39.99 – Avialable here
Overview
Still regarded as one of the greatest anime series of all time, Dragonball Z has seen more than its fair share of merchandising. From model kits, to trading cards to DVD releases, and a legion of successive video game titles spanning four console generations. Some of the most notable games were those in the Budokai series, which experienced massive surges in popularity upon release on the Playstation 2. Naturally, as a series about super-powered martial arts, the franchise lent itself to the fighting genre quite well. These games offered a brand new variety of fast paced fighting action that had not been seen in previous DBZ game releases, and ultimately set the stage for the creation of the many future titles.
Budokai is still fondly remembered as the place where it all began for DBZ games. The recent release of the Budokai HD Collection attempts to capture those memories once more, with both Budokai 1 and Budokai 3 now available on a single disc for modern consoles. To many, it’s a ripe opportunity to experience the series’ roots, and dissect them to see if the games truly were ahead of their time. So does the Budokai game franchise still stack up against its modern counterparts? Or have we, as an audience moved on?
Story
Being a split collection of two games, the Story modes naturally focus around the exploits of Goku and his friends, though the content featured between the two is different. Budokai 1 follows the Dragonball Z chronology from the Saiyan Saga to the end of the Cell Saga, but does not include any of the various movie events or characters. Budokai 3 on the other hand follows the chronology from the Saiyan Saga right through past the Buu Saga and finishes at the end of the Dragonball GT series. This particular game also features many of the movie characters, including fan favourites like Bardock, Broly and Gogeta.
For those uninitiated to the Dragonball Z universe, this collection makes for an ideal introduction point. The story of both games centres around a super powered warrior named Goku. Very early into the series, it is revealed that Goku’s unnatural strength and energy stem from the fact that he is one of the sole remaining members of an alien warrior race called “Saiyans”. Choosing to live as a protector and not a destroyer, Goku and his colourful collection of friends take a stand against the plentiful evils in the universe, all done with super powered martial arts, energy beams and explosions. In each conflict, seven wish granting artefacts called Dragonballs are called on numerous times to correct a problem, raise the dead or rebuild shattered societies.
To those already familiar with the story of the anime, there’s absolutely nothing new here. Vegeta and Goku still have the same old rivalry, Cell still reaches his perfect form, and of course Frieza can’t tell how long 5 minutes is. The story flow of both games follows the anime pretty rigidly, so much so to the extent that in some situations it really breaks up the flow gameplay. After many years of doing this, you still can’t beat the collective crap out of the Ginyu Force until Goku shows up; no matter how good a job you’re doing with Vegeta.
However, of the two games in the collection, Budokai 3 makes up for this by actively altering the storyline over multiple play throughs. The game introduces a few unique “what-if” scenarios where a second story mode playthrough can unfold very differently to the first. For example, rather than fighting Frieza on planet Namek, if certain choices are made, Goku will end up face off against Cooler instead. Touches like this really bolster the replay ability of the game, unless you already owned this game before the HD re-release.
Gameplay
As you’d expect from a set of fighting games, Budokai 1 and 3 both feature a 2.5D battle style, similar to those in games like Soul Calibur and Dead or Alive. Combat itself will often be strung together by rapid combinations of punches, kicks, energy attacks and blocks. It should be noted that this is NOT a game for the button masher. Even on the easier difficulty settings, both Budokai 1 and Budokai 3 stand out as highly technical fighters. Much of being able to succeed in combat will be reliant on the players own ability to manage their ki (or energy) consumption while doing their best to string together multi-hit combos. The best of these will often be made up of half a dozen melee attacks with a signature energy attack follow-through.
It’s definitely worth noting that with age, the controls of particularly Budokai 1 feel slow and clunky. Veteran fans of the first game are likely to have their senses of nostalgia ripped out as they ask “was the game always this slow?” While it’s no fault of the game design due to the relative age of the game, it goes to show that Budokai 1 hasn’t aged very well when compared to its successors. Budokai 3 however still feels quite fluid and fast paced, though this reviewer expects that a similar trend might eventually be cast on with age. However, with a larger more repayable campaign and a larger variety of playable characters Budokai 3 definitely stands out as the better of the two games.
Both games feature similar modes of gameplay, which by now are generally considered standard amongst Dragonball Z games. The story modes of both games follow the events and battles of the anime to the afore mentioned points. Both games also feature a world tournament mode, where multiple players are able to pit themselves in your typical knockout style competition. Naturally, the game also comes with a standard free battle mode for one or two players to test their skills against one another or against computer controlled AI. Finally, Practice mode offers to tutor players in how to get the most out of their fighters by providing instructions on movement, offence, defence and combos.
If any of these elements are sounding like your pretty standard DBZ game fare, then you’d be right. However, it is worth noting that these were some of the first games to set these standards in the first place, so naturally they’d have to be reflected in a re-release.
Visuals and Audio
The cell shaded art style still mixes really well with the typical graphics of the anime. The same variety of colours and patterning are easily recognisable to anyone who has watched the anime at length. However, despite the “HD” re-release, it’s definitely obvious that the games are from a time long past. Outlining and character detailing are the strongest indicators of this. Character movements in both also appear static, lifeless and somewhat robotic (which is great for Android 16, can’t apply to everyone else.) The “HD” touch-up only brings out better colouring and a slightly more crisp image. Graphically, the games aren’t all that different from their originals.
The HD collection’s sound quality is a similar story. The voice acting work is still familiar, with many official voices such as those of Christopher Sabat and Sean Schemmel offering their talent to Budokai 3. The collection also allows sub fans the opportunity to play Budokai 3 with the original Japanese audio (of which you have no choice in Budokai 1). Naturally, iconic power-up and attack sound effects have been included, which tie it in nicely to the experience of watching the anime, but again it’s nothing new to devoted fans.
Overall
The Budokai HD Collection is a great look into the past of DBZ and its associated fighting games. Between the two games, it must be said that Budokai 3 holds up a heck of allot better than Budokai 1, with better refined gameplay, more content and longer last ability. While neither is able to claim the fast paced or fluid combat styles of the modern DBZ games, the collection is certainly worth consideration for DBZ fans who may have missed out on experiencing the roots of the games. The collection is not so much a defining title, but more of a trip down memory lane. It shows the players that the older is still enjoyable, but in the end, we’ll always go for the newer thing.
Do yourself a favour and check out the demo for Codemasters new upcoming racing title, F1 Racestars available today ahead of the anticipated release of the title on November 15th on out it.. In what looks to have some adrenalin pumping fast paced action, players will experience Formula One on steroids as they hurtle down the F1 Racestars Germany track, getting to try out both single player and four player split screen action. The tracks are jam packed with screeching hairpin corners, straights and jumps, giving players a glimpse at some of the racing environments on offer.
The demo will put players in the seats of such Formula One icons as Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen as they race against other well known drivers as well as fictional characters all with their own individual personal touch. We all know the importance of Power Ups in and F1 Racestars arms players with an arsenal of forces such as Wet Weather and DRS at their disposal to obliterate the competition. In conjunction with the release of the demo comes a new video trailer showcasing some of the games more over the top tracks and actions from dodging sumo robots in Japan, carnivals in Brazil and the mighty Truckosaurus in the good old USA.
Welcome to the 13th episode of CC Powerslam, Capsule Computers Wrestling Podcast! In our thirteenth episode, the CC Crew discuss the aftermath of WWE’s Hell in a Cell PPV.
Cast: Luke Halliday, Travis Bruno and Dustin Spencer
The famed planet of Superman’s birth has been discovered in real life. Astrophysicists have discovered a small planet matching Krypton’s description orbiting red dwarf star LHS 2520, and its only 27.1 light-years from Earth.
Krypton was discovered at the request of DC comics, who wanted a real life planetary tie in with their up coming Action Comic Superman #14 “ Star light, star bright” where we will see the Man of Steel try and find the location of his home world.
For those who don’t know (and I imagine you will be few), Superman was sent from the Planet Krypton as a young child before the entire planet was destroyed. It’s Earth’s yellow sun that gives Kryptonians their awesome godlike powers, while the rest of us only get sunburn. Damn yellow sun!
Want to see the brilliance of Warren Specter? Well, today – Xbox and PS3 owners alike can download the full demo for Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two two weeks before the game hits stores for a nice sneak peak.
I know, I know…the first title was nice, but flawed in a few ways. Time has passed and a lot of older flaws seem to be gone now though, which should let the creativity that was put into the experience shine through. So go, download, and let us know your thoughts in the comment section if you get a chance to play it. Epic Mickey 2 is out for the Wii U, Xbox 360, 3DS, and Playstation 3 on November 18th.
Resident Evil: Retribution will be arriving on our shores on January 10, 2013. What better way to kick off a new year by watching the Zombie Apocalypse play out in your own living room. There is also a lot of platforms to choose from, with the flick coming out on DVD, Blu-ray and a 3D Blu-ray edition.
The release follows the trend of DVD/Blu ray releases where the special features are noticeably different. On DVD, You’ll get commentary, a “Creatures of Retribution” documentary and outtakes. Buying it on Blu-ray will score you deleted and extended scenes with many more behind the scenes docos to keep the hardcore Resident Evil fan happy. And of course, 3D Blu-ray will get all of the above special features, with outtakes and deleted/extended scenes in 3D.
Neon Alley Provider:Viz Media Price:$6.99 monthly – Free Trial Here
While there has been a few streaming services launched over the last few years which have made watching anime whenever you feel like easier than ever there has been one flaw in most of these services. That flaw is the fact that most of these services only provide subtitled anime, making actual English dubbed series a rarity on television outside of Netflix.
However, a little over a month ago Viz Media stepped into the streaming game by launching a new service that has made it possible for subscribers to watch an anime series simply by turning on their PlayStation 3 and accessing the app. Of course the company does require a monthly payment of $6.99 to use the service, though anime fans are able to get a taste of what Neon Alley can provide with a free trial.
So what does Neon Alley provide you ask? Well first it is worth mentioning that Neon Alley is not like other services such as Netflix or Crunchyroll that allow you to pull up a series at will and watch it whenever you feel like. Instead Neon Alley is set up like a basic television channel where viewers are presented with a pre-set line-up of anime episodes that cannot be modified in anyway.
This is unfortunately a drawback with the system as a whole thanks to the fact that the app is as bare boned as you can get. In fact the only ability the user has is to pull up a guide showing what episodes of a series are next while small descriptions of an episode are provided which each listing. This is a nice feature on its own thanks to the fact that viewers can check when the next episode of their favorite show will come online but planning is a necessity.
Thanks to the fact that Neon Alley is set up like a television channel, there are no options to pause, rewind or fast forward through an episode you’ve already seen or don’t care for, nor is there an option to possibly record an episode in-case you are unable to view it. If that is the case, then your only option is to keep an eye on the schedule, which can also be viewed on Neon Alley’s website, and aim for the next time that episode will be aired.
Now what about the anime series themselves? Viz Media has provided a classic line-up of shows that are not only licensed by themselves, but also a few series from companies such as FUNimation and Aniplex. There are a large number of classic shows to be seen on Neon Alley such as Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, One Piece, Inuyasha, Kekkaishi and a few others all presented in either SD or HD quality depending on when the episode was created.
Outside of these older classic shows, Viz is also airing a number of brand new shows that are being shown for the very first time in English, often far ahead of the physical English release of the anime. These series include the widely popular Tiger & Bunny, Blue Exorcist, Inuyasha the Final Act and Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan and new episodes of Naruto Shippuden. Each of these new series are given a new episode once a week, though older episodes do replay throughout the week as mentioned before and are presented in HD quality.
For many anime fans this may be enough of a reason to subscribe to a series, especially when Tiger & Bunny lends itself well to being translated into English, though some may be disappointed with the English voice actor chosen for Kotetsu, and fans have been desperate to see the ending to Inuyasha for many years. However there are also a number of movies being shown on Neon Alley, with roughly two a day. These movies often revolve around an anime such as Naruto or Bleach, but last week the channel presented the first showing of Beserk: The Egg of the King and also a number of live-action Asian movies.
What makes all of these anime and anime movies great is the fact that they are all presented in full English which is already a major plus but also, whenever possible in crisp HD. Now it is worth noting that your presentation may vary slightly depending on your internet connectivity, so people using the PlayStation 3 wirelessly connected to the internet may experience lesser video quality because of this.
It is also worth noting that, considering most anime episodes last roughly 25 minutes out of a half hour programming section there are actually commercials present in Neon Alley. Ironically, these commercials aren’t bad as they often show off what shows will be shown later in the day, a new premiere that will be happening in a few days or various physical releases from Viz Media’s manga section. Unfortunately mixed in with these are some standard commercials as well so don’t expect everything shown to always be anime/manga themed.
Now while some people may be worried that the series’ line-up panders mostly to fans of the shonen genre, that is unfortunately a bit true as most of the shows presented are of said genre, but there are a few series which expand beyond shonen shows such as Tiger & Bunny, Vampire Knight and then soon to premiere Lagrange.
With a number of shows premiering in the future and Viz Media acquiring licenses from Japan such as K, Neon Alley could easily be worth the minimal price of $6.99 as it offers a unique service and while there are a number of small issues that hold it back from being something an anime fan should subscribe to, it is certainly a great way to check out various series in English long before they are meant to be released in stores. While the unique television channel set-up does have a number of limitations such as viewer freedom, its uniqueness helps set it apart as something that harkens back to older days when anime lovers could tune into a channel and watch a set of shows with only minimal commercial interruption.
However, a little over a month ago Viz Media stepped into the streaming game by launching a new service that has made it possible for subscribers to watch an anime series simply by turning on their PlayStation 3 and accessing the app. Of course the company does require a monthly payment of $6.99 to use the service, though anime fans are able to get a taste of what Neon Alley can provide with a free trial.
