Publisher 505 Games has just announced the latest Ashes Cricket game to be released, Ashes Cricket 2013. This game is being released in celebration of the double header Ashes Series cricket over in England.
The things about this is that we’ve received the most ambiguous sounding information in regards to this game, so are any cricket fans out there able to help me translate this?
Celebrating the most intense and long standing international test cricket rivalry, the game launches in time for the unique double header Ashes Series that takes place in England and then a few months later in Australia.
On the new game Luke Bould, Head of Commercial Marketing at Cricket Australia had this to say:
“The launch of the new Ashes Cricket 2013 is an important step in bringing fans closer to the game than ever before. Gaming is an important part of cricket’s entertainment offering and plays a role in achieving our objective to be Australia’s favourite sport. 2013 is a huge cricket year, with back to back Ashes series, and we look forward to seeing the tradition and excitement of the Ashes brought to life through Ashes Cricket 2013”
This new Ashes game will be released on home consoles and the PC master system. It looks like the game is set to be released sometime in 2013. It would be a great help if any cricket fans could help us out on the actual date in the comments below. Also make sure to check out the official site for more info.
Welcome to my weekly SKET Dance episode impressions. This week, I go through episode 76 of the crazy comedy anime that is SKET Dance. What did I think of the episode? Watch below to find out.
Got any questions for Anime Say? You can send me a tweet on my official twitter or alternatively drop me an email at [email protected]. I will do my best to respond to your tweets and emails as well as try read some out on the show.
What do you think of this episode impression? Let us know in the comments section below.
Welcome to my weekly Hunter x Hunter episode impressions. This week, I go through episode 48 of the 2011 version of Hunter x Hunter. What did I think of the episode? Watch below to find out.
Got any questions for Anime Say? You can send me a tweet on my official twitter or alternatively drop me an email at [email protected]. I will do my best to respond to your tweets and emails as well as try read some out on the show.
What do you think of this episode impression? Let us know in the comments section below.
Steins;Gate: Complete Series Part One Studio:White Fox Publisher: FUNimation Format:Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Release Date:September 25, 2012 Price:$69.98 – Available Here
Overview: Usually when an anime is adapted from a visual novel of some kind, that visual novel’s plot revolves around one young man and a large group of women who gather around him. Rarely do we find a visual novel that is packed with drama and suspense given an anime adaptation, however back in mid-2011 one such adaptation was created.
Steins;Gate, originally developed by 5pm. and Nitroplus for release on the Xbox 360, was critically acclaimed by the Japanese media and the subsequent creation of an anime delighted many. Now FUNimation has brought Steins;Gate to North America in two parts. Does the first half of the series ensnare the viewer in an intricate storyline that will hold them throughout both parts? We shall see.
Story: In what is stylized as modern day Japan, a rather eccentric and slightly delusional college student named Rintarō Okabe who claims that he is a mad scientist is attending another scientist’s discussion on time travel. However during the event he stumbles upon a girl named Kurisu Makise who for some reason says that she had met him only fifteen minutes prior, though he never remembered seeing her before.
After leaving the scientist’s discussion with his female friend Mayuri, a scream is heard in the building and Okabe finds Kurisu dead and laying in a puddle of her own blood. As he leaves the area in shock, he sends a text message to another one of his friends Itaru Hashida but as soon as he sends the text, the world around him changes and the once busy street has cleared of people. Too his dismay not only has a satellite crashed into the building he was just standing in, but no one around him remembers anything about the lecture nor the fact that they were ever in the building.
While this bizarre turn of events may be startling to most, Okabe continues on with his day and returns home where we learn that there is a good reason that Okabe calls himself a mad-scientist. He is the leader of a small group who is planning on discovering time travel. While trying to discover a possible way to travel through time, Okabe and Daru (Itaru’s nickname) find that they have actually created a time machine in the form of a microwave hooked up to a cell phone.
Not only does this microwave manage to transport a banana back in time (gelatinized however) , but the group soon discovers that they can actually send text messages back in time to their former selves. Too make things even more complicated, the previously dead Kurisu appears alive and well, eventually joining the group’s efforts to better understand their time travel device. However things aren’t all fun and games, as text messages sent to the past can have an irreversible effect on the present, altering minor to major details in the world.
While the group tries to understand the machine, the changes to the timeline grow worse and only Okabe manages to retain his memories between these jumps. Though with another supposed time traveler called John Titor warning of a future where an evil organization uses time travel to rule the world with an iron fish, Okabe’s own concept of events unwinding and more occurring around the group, can Okabe manage to keep everything together and discover what exactly is happening?
If it sounds like Steins;Gate has a whole lot of storyline going on at one time, you are absolutely correct. However despite the dense plot the anime never lets the viewer feel too overwhelmed or let the plot become muddled as most of the intricacies of time travel are explained throughout Part 1 and viewers learn alongside the characters in the show. This not only helps the show flow fluidly but also allows for minor character development throughout.
Part 1 is presented mostly lighthearted and comically with the main character Okabe presenting most of the humor with his outlandish behavior and comedic belief that an “Organization” is out to get them. Combine his eccentric behavior with the other members of the cast who join the group along the way and we find a well-functioning cast of characters that begin to feel something like a family.
Now Part 1 brings us to the midway point of the storyline and as mentioned before, while most of the first half is played for laughs things begin to take a dark turn as more revelations about time travel and other factors in the world come into play. As such, Part 1 leaves off with a killer cliffhanger that will leave viewers wishing that Part 2 would come faster.
Visuals: Steins;Gate is a rather beautiful looking series with excellent artwork both on the characters as well as the backgrounds. The characters are well designed, especially when it comes to Okabe, and the close-ups of a character’s face during dramatic moments helps raise the tension greatly. In fact, a number of the characters in the series are designed rather different from each other and go a bit outside the norm by having a rather large individual be a main character.
It is worth noting that Steins;Gate uses a rather subdued color palette, but this ultimately works for the best as any brighter colors that are used ultimately accentuate plot points or certain objects. Another thing worth noting is that Steins;Gate features a lot of text messaging and therefore text reading. Thankfully FUNimation has done a good job with translating all of the texts that are shown on screen with subtitle displayed over the object, though larger messages usually have to be paused and read thanks to their short display time.
Audio: As standard with a FUNimation release, Steins;Gate Part 1 includes the original Japanese dub as well as the brand new English dub. The English voice work for the series is handled quite well though there are a few times that it sounds like the quality of the recording itself takes a dip for the worse. This is a shame as Michael Tatum’s portrayal of Okabe and Trina Nishimura’s work as Kurisu are the two stand out performances in the series, though Jackie Ross also deserves a mention with her portrayal of the always positive Mayuri.
Steins;Gate features a rather light set of background music which is usually forgetful outside of dramatic moments in the show. On the other hand the theme opening song “Hacking the Gate” by Kanako Itō is impressive sounding and worth listening too often and the ending song “Toki Tsukasadoru Jūni no Meiyaki” by Yui Sakakibara happens to follow along the same lines.
Extras: As far as Bonus Features go, Steins;Gate comes with your standard faire of trailers for other FUNimation releases, a clean version of the opening and ending theme song as well as two episode commentaries. Outside of the norm is a rather simplistic Akihabara map tour done through the menu system that shows the location of some areas in Steins;Gate if they were in the real Akihabara.
As far as the episode commentary goes, Episode 1 features Trina Nishimura the voice of Kurisu and Tyson Rinehart who voices Itaru/Daru. The two of them spend a lot of time discussing how this is Rinehart’s first major role in a FUNimation series and past works of his. This one is rather hilarious as the two spend a lot of time joking around with only a little focus on the episode itself.
Episode 12 on the other hand features J Michael Tatum who voices Okabe and is also the Lead Writer and John Burgmeier who is the head writer on the series. The two spend a lot of time talking about technical aspects and the writing in the show, while also discussing how they worked in Western references such as Back to the Future so the original Japanese references wouldn’t fly over the viewers’ heads. It is worth noting that this commentary should be avoided until the viewer watches the entirety of Part 1, as the two also discuss how the show takes a darker turn.
Overall: Steins;Gate does a great job sinking its claws into the viewer with Part 1 and doesn’t let go throughout the first twelve episodes. While slowly introducing the time travel logic used in the show and the various alternate realities that spring from the group’s actions, viewers will grow invested in the intriguing storyline and the characters themselves. With an impressive presentation, top-notch voice work and a story that will leave viewers begging for Part 2, Steins;Gate is an anime that simply should not be missed.
Fans of the XCOM franchise, or those taking an interest in the franchise for the first time will be pleased to know that a demo for the upcoming XCOM Enemy Unknown is now available on Steam. The demo itself is a whooping 5.4gb in size, so those of us with a small internet cap will probably have to find another means to obtain the demo.
As someone who has taken a look at the demo already, I can tell you that it is very similar to the levels of the game that we played earlier this year, only it is a lot more refined. Disappointingly though, is that the demo ends incredibly fast, especially if you skip through all of the cutscenes. And it ends on the most cliffhanger part possible too. This has got my psyched for the full game when it releases in under a months time.
Players can pre-order the game at this link. Pre-orders will receive an Elite pack which unlocks a bunch of new customisations and special abilities. This is all rundown on the previous link.
Mark of the Ninja Developer: HAL Laboratory Publisher: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo Wii Release Date: September 16, 2012 Price: $39.99 – BUY NOW
Overview
As a long-time Nintendo fan, no series holds a more special place for me than Kirby. The franchise as a whole is simple, light, and has always been about innovation and quality with every release that HAL have delivered during the past two decades. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the series, and Nintendo want to celebrate their mascot who has mainly played third fiddle to the likes of Mario and Link over the years with one jam-packed compilation by the name of Kirby’s Dream Collection: Special Edition. Yes folks, this one is for the fans and encased in love, but is it enough? Do these 6 ports and bonus features warrant a purchase on a console that is on it’s last leg? Consider this the only answer you will need.
Gameplay
Ah, the games. As I mentioned, Kirby’s Dream Collection features six complete titles – which were chosen to represent the best traditional platforming experiences our pink fluffball has seen over the years. Each are raw ports of their original forms, with not one change made except for method of control. To make things convenient, Nintendo have included support for nearly every type of controller for the Wii, with support for the Classic, Gamecube, and WiiMote controllers for each title. The Game Boy titles in the package work well enough considering the jump to a television screen, and the more button-happy titles that hit classic Nintendo consoles are just as accessible, playing exactly the same as the Virtual Console versions.
Kirby’s Dream Land is where it all started, and is the shortest romp on the disc with around an hour of playtime to be had for a first run-through. Now, the lack of ability stealing can be seen as a flaw, but everything still feels bubbly and still very Kirby throughout, so most should be able to forgive that minor shortcoming due to how solid this twenty year old game still feels. Kirby’s Adventure was actually the next title released and seen life back on the NES. Ability stealing made it’s debut within Adventure, and the soft colors keep the game looking timeless. Dream Land 2 brings us back to the Game Boy yet again, but this time with a bit of a gimmick at work in the form of animal buddies. Kirby can now hop onto (or into) Kine the Ocean Sunfish, Rick the Hamster, and Coo the Owl. It’s definitely the most superior of Kirby’s Game Boy outings, and one of the most underwritten titles in the franchise that in my opinion should be played first for those who missed out years ago.
Based on it’s more recent popularity on the DS and the mass amount of content within, the most fulfilling experience on this collection is without a doubt Kirby’s Super Star. A lot of people rank Super Star as one of the greatest games of all time, and for good reason. The hefty amount of Kirby hats, new partner system, and more refined visuals pull together one of the finest outings of the franchise, while introducing elements that can still be seen in the more recent entries. Is the DS version better? Yes, but that doesn’t mean that a good amount of entertainment can’t still be had.
Dream Land 3 was another Super Nintendo release that acted as a curtain call for the console, and it is certainly a very unique Kirby platformer. You see, this title brings back the animal buddies, adds in some oddball partners, and introduces a pastel art style for one unique and memorable experience, through and through. The level progression system plays a bit like (the also similar) Yoshi’s Island, letting players go through a tile based map, instead of the usual star door stage entrances. A lot of these elements were carried over to Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, which is just as charming, and in my opinion paved the way for what we now call the “2.5D platformer. Combining abilities is a lot of fun and brought a fresh burst of air to the line-up, and while it is a bit sluggish in comparison to the 2D platformers, it still remains strong in terms of charm and quality.
As you can tell, there are a lot of classics on display, and each are sure to be played over and over by new and old fans alike, as this franchise doesn’t show a lot of age when it comes to it’s gameplay. Yes, HAL Laboratory have made some more creative titles since Kirby 64, and the lack of the spin-offs does raise a few questions, but value wins when it comes to the six titles on display here due to how much one would typically spend trying to obtain all six original, or even digital versions of these games. I said there wasn’t a lot of wrinkles or grey hairs, but one must realize that each one of these titles, especially the Game Boy duo, have all had their formula perfected with remakes and ports since seeing a release, so jumping from one title to the next is something a lot of fans are sure to participate in until they find their favorite among the lot. If you do hit that home button to reset a game, the game automatically saves from where you left off though, letting you jump right back in at a later time.
Bonus Features
Last year when Kirby’s Return to Dreamland launched on the Wii, I fell in love with everything about it. The pure happiness gleaming out of every stage, solid gameplay, and return to traditional antics of the pink wonder made it one of the highest points of Kirby’s history, and Dream Collection includes a bonus mode with all of the above packed into new challenge stages to act as sweet icing on this layered birthday cake. At the start of each stage, the player is given one specific copy ability and must try to gather points by killing enemies in the most effective way possible. Magalor can also be raced in true Gormet Race fashion, which furthers the Challenge levels’ replay value even further.
The next bonus honestly would be worth the full asking price alone, and that is the history timeline that tells the story of each Kirby release to date. Kirby can run along his own timeline where every release is shown off and fully selectable for a quick history lesson of sorts. Each game has random facts, such as the events of the release year, as well as a full video of the said title in action and viewable boxart. It may sound plain, but there was obviously a lot of work that went into creating this lesson of sorts, and fans are sure to eat up every second of it. During the timeline, three full episodes of the animated series “Kirby: Right Back at Ya!” can also be viewed, which isn’t all that bad, to be honest. For the “Special Edition” of the Dream Collection, a short but sweet paperback book was thrown in that has full color pictures of a lot of the art from most of the series, along with a wondrous soundtrack featuring 45 fantastic tunes that are candy for the ears.
Visuals and Audio
When it comes to the presentation for the menus within Dream Collection, expect a fully animated, red-carpeted delight for this party. Much like the whole series, this collection has Kirby’s charms stitched into the backdrops for games, which assist in recreating the experiences for today’s current displays. One of the biggest losses of the collection comes in the lack of HD however, as time has made our mascot’s hit titles appear dated by age through the brightness of the visuals. It’s not too damning by any means, but as I stated, memories of the more recent Kirby remakes are the main drawbacks of playing the raw releases. This franchise still has a timeless art design though, so most fans can easily overlook the lack of HD as even with the lower grade SNES, NES, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy graphics, there is still a lot of color and beauty for the eye to see within any game you so choose to play.
As far as the music goes, well..this category is a no brainer. I mean, there is a fully featured soundtrack bundled in the Special Edition for a reason, after all. Even after all this time, fans are sure to get giddy when roaming through Dream Land all over again, and Kirby’s little squeals of joy and poppy melodies are sure to bring a smile to any sad Waddle Dee’s face.
Overall
Nintendo are not really known for putting together compilations for their classic titles, which is probably due to the Virtual Console’s existence. That being said, this is one collection that any owner of a Wii must not pass up, as there is enough in Kirby’s Dream Collection to satisfy the appetite of the hardcore fanbase, or introduce a new player to the round chap that swallowed up our hearts 20 years ago. Sure, there could have been more, but for the price-tag, you can’t beat what is on our plates here, and much like every other Nintendo console, it seems Kirby has left another platform with an unforgettable entry. Happy Birthday, old friend, and here’s to many more.
For all you Saints Row The Third fans, get ready to blast your way through even more missions as the ultimate package hits the streets November 8th in the land down under and the 9th for our Kiwi friends. Coming pre-loaded with every mission, every weapon, outfit and vehicle found within the game it will sure to delight even the most hardened maniacal of gamers. This new souped up edition to the already widely acclaimed title will feature the 3 downloadable mission packs, Genkibowl VII, Gangstas In Space and The Trouble With Clones as well as over 30 DLC items to keep the outrageous mayhem going.
“The fans have asked for it, and with the Full Package, we are happy to deliver,” said Kevin Kraff, Vice President, Global Brand Management for THQ. “With all the amazing and over-the-top DLC Volition created, the Full Package now stands as the definitive edition of Saints Row: The Third. For anyone that has yet to play this one-of-a-kind game, it’s time to strap it on.” Anyone who already has the game but has not got any of the DLC get ready to trade that sucker in and experience the game with all the extra goodies.
Wearing another super cool t-shirt (and no im not being sarcastic), Mile Jacobson from Sports Interactive is back with another Football Manager 2013 video blog, this time giving us the lowdown on changes to the players transfers and contracts within the new addition to the franchise. Im not a huge fan of Sports simulations but even I have to say that the level of detail and realism built into this title is gearing up to be phenomenal. Managers can be matched with a clubs playing styles both at a board and player level and Inter club transfers have also been given a tweak to ease the negotiation of deals and aid player evaluation. The Scouting system has also had a few additions again all in aid of making player comparisons a lot easier for the manager.
Disney celebrated the one year anniversary of their hit game Where’s My Water? this past September 22nd. To kick off the celebrations, Disney has pushed out a major update to the game adding new levels and a very special Make a Wish level that lets Swampy blow out the candle on his birthday cake. To continue the celebrations, Disney compiled an impressive infographic on the Where’s My Water? series full of interesting facts and character art.
In the past year, Disney has grown the Where’s My Water? franchise to two mobile games with separate free editions. The franchise is expanding to include to a 12 episode animated web series and a merchandise land including plushies. The original Where’s My Water? can be purchased for iOS hereand Android here. The follow up featuring Perry from Phineas and Ferb can be purchased for iOS here. Both titles are priced at $0.99.
The Museum of Contemporary Arts isn’t a venue where one would expect video games to be the centre of attention. Alas, yesterday saw that as Sony Computer Entertainment presented the 2012 Playstation Playground. The Playstation Playground showcases the most anticipated titles from Sony and third party partners. This year, Sony showcased the upcoming summer collection, as well as titles that will head to Australia in the first quarter of 2013. Included in the lineup of games was the impressive Playstation All Stars Battle Royale, the intriguing concept of Wonderbook and a healthy dose of God of War Ascension. The Vita also had its fair share of games, including Sly 4: Thieves In Time, Playstation All Stars Battle Royale and even a few third party offerings.
Before the games were sampled, the business side of things had to run its course. A presentation, headed by Playstation Managing Director Michael Ephrain, was conducted; highlighting both the first half of 2012 as well as what is to come in the next half and beyond. A few already announced details were taken care of, like the Playstation Plus coming to Vita in November and Playstation Mobile coming in October. The Playstation team were proud to say they were number one in console sales in the first half and revealed that the hardware/software attachment rate for the Vita equalled that to the Playstation 3, which was seen as a positive. The presentation did not reveal anything new, unless the reveal of the Super Slim PS3 is considered new.
First up, after the presentation, it was time to try out a game that has had heads turning for quite some time. I talk of Playstation All Stars Battle Royale, a game that gets ridiculed for having a similar design to the competition. Knowing the excitement that has been building upon playing this, the first thing I notice is in fact there were two Playstation Vitas next to two Playstation 3 controllers. Yes, Playstation All Stars Battle Royale is not only a celebration of the Playstation brand; it is Sony’s golden child when it comes to the Cross-Play initiative. Anyone who owns both the Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita will be happy to know that Cross Play is seamless, lag free fun. The Vita version is exactly like its PS3 counterpart. The smaller screen does not affect the battle at all, with the camera perfectly. Both versions also feature tight controls. The only complaint would be pulling off super attacks on the Vita version. There are two methods: rear pad and L+R at the same time. At times, during a tense situation, this would not work as well as it should, as I would either hit L or R first before the other. Outside of that, the Playstation world is about to enter a battle royale. Expect it in November.
At the back of the room, the Vita was proudly displayed, with games that will impress any Vita owner. One such game that caught my attention was Sly 4: Thieves In Time. As soon as my eyes met the game, I noticed how well the visuals suit the Playstation Vita. Despite the level I had tried out (it was a dark underground level), the visuals were still eye popping. They also look like as if they were taken straight from the Playstation 3. The gameplay brings back the classic 3D platforming of Sly Cooper. In this particular level, one of Sly’s ancestors took centre stage. This ancestor, Sir Galleth Cooper, fought with his own variation of Sly’s hooked weapon. He is also capable of latching on handles and propelling upwards to reach higher places. A secondary character takes over after Galleth is eaten by a mechanical dragon. This particular character uses a pistol to shoot the flamethowers from within the dragon’s mouth. The Vita version has the potential to be a great title for the Playstation Vita.
The next Vita title I tried out was FIFA 13. Now, I did try out the Playstation 3 version only last week and I was quite happy with it. The same can be said with FIFA 13 on the Vita. For those who have FIFA Football, the first FIFA game that came to the Vita (FIFA 13 will be the second football game in the series), then the game will play a little similar to that, except for some of the new features that are being implemented in the console versions. The visuals do look good and the menus are a mix of FIFA 12 and FIFA 13. Again, I was limited in the amount of time I played, as I was checking out some other games, but definitely check FIFA 13 Vita out if you love taking football/soccer on the go.
The last title I was able to try out was Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation. Liberation (or Lady Liberty in Japan) features the first playable female assassin in the series. She is Aveline, the young protagonist of African-French descent. In this playthrough, Aveline is starting out her training. This is in the woods of Louisiana. This particular section showcased the parkour influences in the movement of Aveline. She can traverse through the woods using the trees and branches surrounding it, bringing in a staple for the series. The movement is quite fluid in terms of animation. The visuals are excellent. Any video of the game one sees will not do justice. The environments were clean and the character models were highly detailed. While my time on the game was quite limited, I do have to say that the team behind it are on the right track with it.
Overall, it was a Playstation Playground that was quite unmissable. The games that were showcased all have the potential to be big sellers, whether it is for the fighting fan or someone who loves their sports. While it was disappointing not to see a playable code for both the Last of Us and Beyond Two Souls (there was rumour that there was a chance for a playable demo of The Last of Us, but it wasn’t made in time), the playable demos that were offered were excellent in their own right. The Vita does have an excellent lineup of games for various gamers, such as FIFA 13, Sly 4 and Playstation All Stars coming within the next six months.
