It looks like people just can’t get enough of copying names and designs or products lately, or at least that is what it seems like when the China based company: Long Xun Software has decided to create a PS Vita look alike that is named the Droid X360.
As you can see, they are just asking to be sued for copyright infringement, stealing patents, etc. The design for this system is exactly the same as the PS Vita, from the D-pad to the joysticks, it is all the same. The name of the device also appears to be something that was lifted from both Microsoft and Motorola, which is plainly evident to anyone paying the slightest attention.
The device runs on Android 4.0 and includes: front and rear facing cameras, 8GB of internal storage, and comes preloaded with games that have been illegitimately lifted from other devices. There have been reports that the device will include games such as: Mario N64, Mario Kart N64, 40-Winks, Bomberman Heroes, F-Zero X, Rockman, Batman NES, Super Smash Bros., Final Fight, and Cadillac’s and Dinosaurs.
Considering it runs on Android 4.0 it should also be able to run games like Angry Birds and Temple Run. If anyone even wants this phony machine you’ll have to head over to China to purchase it.
Are you a fan of clothing? Do you enjoy killing zombies in a bestselling horror game from Japan? Then, you should head on over to Insert Coin Clothing.
Insert Coin Clothing are the makers of some of the best gaming clothing and apparel out there and today they have unveiled the Resident Evil 6 clothing collection. The team behind the clothing teamed up with the people at Capcom to create the designs in order to make sure they “fit” perfectly inside the Resident Evil universe. The designs have just been completed and the producers have given the go ahead to begin producing the actual clothing.
You can expect to pick these up sometime during September and each design features a little word from the Insert Coin team too. The clothes will range in price between $30.00 USD and $50.00 USD. So it looks like even the conservative gamer will be able to afford this.
2012 is an exciting year for the British what with hosting the Olympics and all. Not so good, though, is that the world’s going to end this December according to an ancient Mayan calendar. Not that I believe in it, but Rhys Darby does – at least for the purposes of his comedy set.
This Way to Spaceship, Rhys Darby’s first ever UK tour, recounts a life once lived and how it gave him the unique set of skills that led to a place on a spaceship to salvation. These skills mainly being a proficiency with sound effects and a nimbleness on the dance floor, Rhys offers a master class in physical theatre.
His material ranges from the observational to the downright silly, incorporating the same lovable goofiness seen during his time as the fictional band manager of Flight of the Conchords and in his various film roles. He draws on his childhood and his experiences in the New Zealand Army for a face-achingly funny routine of ridiculous scenarios and stories.
*Rhys Darby’s UK Tour This Way to Spaceship has ended, but he will be performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2012*
The fifth expansion to Blizzard’s juggernaut of an MMO, World of Warcraft finally has a release date attached to it. Mists of Pandaria, where players get a chance to play as the elusive pandaren, eventually visit Pandaria and level to 90, is due for a September 25, 2012 release date.
Digital Pre-sales are already available on the Blizzard site, Standard Edition going for $39.99, and Digital Deluxe going for $59.99, which contains an Imperial Quilen Flying Mount, Diablo III Sigil and Banner, and Starcraft II Battle.net portraits.
There has been no official word on what the Collectors Edition will contain, if the Collectors Edition will have the same Mount, Sigil, and Battle.net portraits.
Einstein Brain Trainer Developer: BBG Entertainment Publisher: BBG Entertainment Platforms: iPhone (reviewed), iPad and iTouch Release Date: July 4, 2012 Price: $2.99 – Available Here
Overview
Brain trainer games are clearly popular, what with all the training games that have come out on the DS. They’re a way for you to feel like you’re playing a game, tell yourself that you’re doing something good for your mind, and fun facts to whip out in conversation. Like hey, did you know my brain age was, etc etc. So it’s no surprise that the brain-training genre has hit the other mobile gaming device, the iPhone. So, how does it measure up? And does Einstein beat out Dr Kawashima?
Gameplay
Einstein Brain Trainer works simply enough with a daily test for you to do, workouts to hone your skills, and just general exercises for practice. Instead of having a ‘brain age’ there is a score and this puts you in different categories. Don’t expect to see it move very often though, unless you throw your scores any progression you get will be made gradually. Unless you’re operating at your maximum capacity, that is.
There are so many different exercises that it will take a while to make it through all of them. Unlike the DS Brain Trainer game, these exercises take on various forms and you won’t likely get bored because rarely are exercises repeated soon after each other. While some are obviously the standard sort, such as mental arithmetic, or memorization of words, which you’ll see more often, there will be a few thrown in that you aren’t as familiar with, just to mix it up.
Whether it actually does test your brain’s abilities is sort of up in the air, especially since the app does lag sometimes which can result in an incorrect answer for you. Plus, some of the tests are a bit sketchy in terms of what they’re trying to measure, like one where you had to memorise the order of the smallest to largest object, when some of the objects weren’t really discernible in their pictures. Most of them are fairly easy to tell as brain exercises, with logic, calculation, vision and memory being the different subjects you can be tested on.
The game has a very sensitive difficulty adjustment setting, so if you fail one or, God forbid, two questions in a row, then it will scale back immediately in a noticeable way. This is really handy if you’re having trouble, however, if you’re like me, you tend to take it as an insult and it makes you want to redo the entire level to prove the game wrong. It seems to be very sensitive to those who might want to rage quit if it gets too hard, which can either be great or frustrating.
And, of course, there are plenty of achievements such as gaining certain scores within a test, and then achievements for the overall game. So if you are one of those people who love getting achievements then this will definitely cater to that competitive nature. Plus, there’s a hot seat mode where you can play with up to 4 people if you want to take them head to head and really show off your brain training skills.
There’s a tutorial at the beginning of each test the first time you do it, so too bad if someone else tries to hop onto your account and play because some of the games are a bit far-fetched and hard to catch on to.
Visuals
The visuals are pretty simple, but Einstein and his little helper robot guy is 3D modeled which is nice and fancy. This may attribute to some lagging though, which is unfortunate. They’re fun and cute but also annoying in the way that you can’t skip them.
Audio
Einstein Brain Trainer sounds kind of like the Sims in the way that the music is loud, happy and not really the sort of thing that you’d want to listen to while you’re trying to remember the path a robot took around a grid. Some more concentration and time sensitive music would be great, but you can always just turn off the music if you’re finding that, like me, it doesn’t help your brain have that feeling of urgency it should.
Overall
Einstein Brain Trainer is definitely a good app if you’re looking for something to make you feel like you’re actually using your brain while still playing a game. It also has that competitive feeling with the trophies that will really interest those with that side in them (which I’m assuming is all of you, if you’re looking for a brain training game).
It’s the sort of app which will sit in your phone for a while, even if you lose interest you’ll still check back every so often and play around with it and see if you can score any higher in your daily test, and it certainly does what is advertised, and with more interesting twists than the classic Brain Trainer games. Apart from a few issues with it, it is a solid app overall.
After having attended Sakura Tange’s SMASH! 2012 Panel, I was fortunate enough to be able to sit down with the star of Cardcaptor Sakura for an interview. We discussed her lengthy voice acting career as well as what she thinks of voice acting and the industry in general. Not only that but she also reveals what her favourite anime series of all time is, you may or may not be surprised too see what it is. Read of to see what she had to say when I sat down with her at SMASH! 2012:
Q. A few years ago you made your return to voice acting after a long break, What factors contributed to your decision to return to voice acting?
A. It was through the role in Love Plus that I got back into voice acting.
Q. Your most famous role is that of Sakura Kinomoto in Cardcaptor Sakura. What is it like having voiced such an iconic anime character?
A. Cardcaptor Sakura aired ten years ago in Japan, and I heard it was quite popular when it was aired here in Australia. I’m very happy that this series has been loved for such a long time, crossing country borders.
Q. You have had many voice roles in both anime and video games. How different is the experience between voicing a character in an anime compared to in a video game?
A. Voice acting in video games is just the same as anime. However in games, you often do recordings by yourself, whereas in Anime you collaborate with other voice actors.
Q. You have been involved in a lot of anime and video games, so I am wondering are you an anime and video game fan? If so, what is your favourite anime and what is your favourite video game?
A. I read the original manga for Cardcaptor Sakura and was a fan of it.
Q. What do you love most about voice acting?
A. The most fantastic thing about voice acting is that whilst traditional actors go on the screen and can only play the parts that are physically similar to them, for voice actors you can play the roles of anyone. Not only humans but animals as well.
Q. What got you into the industry to begin with?
A. My voice was very characteristic from when I was very young in primary school, so I wanted to go with a profession that utilized my voice.
Q. Is there anything you’d like to say to all your fans?
A. I’ve just got back from an amazing stage where the audience really interacted with me. Despite the language barrier they reacted to my voice and some were even responding with the word “Moe” which means cute in Japanese. It’s great too see that the Japanese culture is so popular in Australia.
In the latest video of the “Introducing PES 2013” series, Konami has shown off the latest gameplay feature for the upcoming entry to the Pro Evolution Soccer series, Pro Evolution Soccer 2013. The game is set for a Fall 2012 release and will be coming to the Playstation 3, Playstation Portable, Playstation 2, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360 and PC. In this video, Konami details the individual brilliance of certain players through the use of PlayerID.
PlayerID brings the skills and tricks world-class players possess right into the game space. For example, if you choose to utilise Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid), he will move as he would in the real game. He will also utilise his own signature moves to beat the defenders. Players such as Lionel Messi (Argentina, FC Barcelona), Frank Ribery (France, Bayern Munchen) and Zlaten Ibrahimovic (Sweden, now at Paris Saint-Germaine) will have PlayerID functionality. Check out the video below.
Uprising44 is named after one of the lesser popularised events of World War 2. The Warsaw Uprising of 1944 saw the Polish resistance take on occupying Nazi forces in an attempt to free their capital city. Unlike other major events of WW2 that have received some serious pixellated attention, this story is something of a fresh one, and developers DMD Enterprises hope to capture the attention of gamers who have perhaps given up on WW2 games as old news.
DMD are a small independent studio based in Poland, and Uprising44: The Silent Shadows is their first major release as a team. The game is a blend of third person perspective and real time strategy – thankfully no more FPS!
Subtitled The Silent Shadows after a fictional military unit, Uprising44 will be released on August 28 across PC, Mac and iOS. A console release on Xbox 360 was on the cards in previous press releases, but the new developer diary shows no sign of this happening – for the moment at least. As well as the video attached below which discusses story and sound, a handful of screenshots have also been released to give gamers a better idea of the in game world.
Party Wave Developer: Mistwalker Publisher: Mistwalker Platforms: iPad (Reviewed), iPhone, iPod Touch Release Date: July 20th, 2012 Price: $1.99 Get It Here
Overview
Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s latest project is a surf game called Party Wave. Drawing inspiration from one of Mistwalker Studio’s headquarter location, Mistwalker takes the classic Hawaiian past time of surfing and gives it a cartoony twist for the iOS platform. Will Sakaguchi’s first foray into the iTunes App Store establish a beach head for future iOS releases?
Story
Party Wave stars a bunch of easily recognizable and unique characters. However, there is no story in Party Wave. Simply help your surfers have a great day surfing at the beach.
Gameplay
Party Wave is a casual action surfing game that plays like a cross between Flight Control and a frantic game of keep the ball up. The simple description of Party Wave’s game mechanics is incredibly deceptive. Hidden beneath the premise is an impressively deep game that takes great care with the small details.
The game is divided into levels. Each level has a set amount of surfers that will participate. The level itself is split into two phases. The first phase will require players to guide the surfers into the oncoming wave as a group. Players will have to race against the clock to get their surfers in position. The surfers will appear from the corners of the screen at different positions and players will have to maneuver them around obstacles such as rocks and dolphins by drawing a path for them to follow. Once all the surfers are either knocked off their boards or in position, the game will transition to the second phase, riding the waves. The surfers will bob up and down as players tap the surfers when they fall towards the bottom of the wave. Tapping a surfer will send them up to ride the wave. The closer to the bottom of the screen the surfer was when tapped, the higher the surfer will go and more points will be awarded. However, touch the bottom of the screen and the surfer will wipe out. Have three surfers wipe out and fail the level.
Although the game begins at a very low difficulty level, the game quickly becomes a frantic micro-management sprint. Small details have not been ignored by the developers. Each surfer is affected by their physical size. The smaller the surfer, the faster they will move. Players will need to keep this in mind to properly time their interactions with the surfer to avoid a fall. There are plenty of hazards in both phases of the game that will require players to be extremely alert and agile. For even more challenge, there are special items and creatures that can be interacted with for a variety of effects. This surprising amount of depth for such a simple premise is a great example of the amount of loving care Mistwalker seems to have taken in developing Party Wave.
Visuals
Party Wave features colourful cartoon style graphics that is reminiscent of late 90’s and early 2000s North American cartoons with a slight Japanese twist. The classic spiky haired male lead character is even present in Party Wave. The surfers are unique and immediately distinguishable from each other. The animations are varied and the supporting cast of characters are memorable. The levels manage to look different by changing the colour palettes ever few levels. The user interface is extremely simple and uncluttered, leaving plenty of room for enjoying the visuals. Overall, Party Wave delivers an impressive visual experience that fuses North American cartoons with Japanese style.
Audio
If players are expecting Beach Boys style rock and roll in Party Wave, they are going to be incredibly let down. Instead, Mistwalker chooses to take a more relaxed route with music that would be more at home on a Jack Johnson album. The soundtrack is filled with chill Hawaiian styled tracks that rely heavily on the ukulele and acoustic guitar. Party Wave provides a musical atmosphere that fits perfectly with the cartoon graphics. This is exactly the sort of game players will want to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon playing in bed or outside lounging in the sun.
The English phrases are top notch. They are well spoken and easily understandable. The sounds of the oceans are varied and extremely accurate. Those with weaker bladders may feel the sounds of the oceans may be a little too accurate. The menu sound effects are classic Japanese and remind me of a modern take of the Final Fantasy menu sounds. Party Wave is a perfect example of the impressive audio experience that has made the Final Fantasy series memorable, beautiful music and great sound effects that perfectly compliment the visuals.
Overall
Party Wave is an impressive first game on the iOS platform for Mistwalker. I highly recommend playing this game on an iPad over the smaller iPhones and iPod Touches. Although this game looks spectacular on the small screen, I feel the extra room for maneuvering and the bigger screen space gives iPad users a slight advantage over their smaller screened cousins. My only concern for Party Wave is the $1.99 price tag. Party Wave is extremely polished and it is obvious a lot of love and care has been taken to create the game. However, the iTunes App Store is full of similar style games that populate the $0.99 price point. For those who cannot justify Party Wave at the full $1.99 have no excuse to not purchase this game on sale. However, the depth of Party Wave’s gameplay, the perfect synergy of the visual and audio experience, and the level of polish is worth taking a chance and buying a smaller cup of coffee for a day.
Tru Blu Entertainment have released the first trailer for their next rugby league game, Rugby League Live 2. The trailer shows off the new features of the upcoming rugby title, including improved gameplay features to capture the authenticity of the game, with Strategic Defense, a Dynamic Tackling System and even a Massive 10-Year Career Mode just to name a few. you can check out the trailer below. The game will be released for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
Rugby League Live 2 will feature over 100 licensed teams, both at club and international levels. These teams will include the top teams of the NRL, Toyota Cup and the NSW & QLD Cups (Australian competition) and the Super League and the Cooperative Championships (English competition). Representative competitions such as the State of Origin and international teams will also be included. Commentary will be delivered by Andrew Voss and Phil ‘Gus’ Gould, both who are current commentators for rugby league.
After having attended Sakura Tange’s SMASH! 2012 Panel, I was fortunate enough to be able to sit down with the star of Cardcaptor Sakura for an interview. We discussed her lengthy voice acting career as well as what she thinks of voice acting and the industry in general. Not only that but she also reveals what her favourite anime series of all time is, you may or may not be surprised too see what it is. Read of to see what she had to say when I sat down with her at SMASH! 2012:
