On the back of the news that Tales of Xillia will see a release in North America and Europe in 2013, Namco Bandai have revealed the first commercial for the upcoming sequel, Tales of Xillia 2, for Japan. While it is now on the air, it was first revealed to members of the Tales Channel+ fan club. Someone decided to record it and post it on Youtube for the rest of us. It is an odd time to start promoting the game through television as the game, which will be released on the Playstation 3, does not come out until November 2012 in Japan.
I have to admit, at first I wasn’t completely sold on Team 17’s claim that the upcoming Worms Revolution was more than a graphical update, but the more I see of the game, the more I’m convinced it deserves the title.
The second Developer Diary explains how some of the announced features will actually work in the game.
Covered in the video are the graphical update, using classic 2D gameplay rendered in 3D models; the physics objects, that replace the static environmental obstacles that were dotted around the landscape in previous Worms games; and that game-changing element, dynamic water, which can push worms around, restrict their movement and attack effectiveness, and slowly drown them.
If you’re still unsure of how this Worms game will be a revolution over the old ones, this video will get you excited for the game.
While the release dates for North America and Europe have been revealed for Playstation All Stars Battle Royale, over on the European Playstation Blog, two more release dates have been announced. The first concerns the territories of both Australia and New Zealand. They won’t be getting the same release date as their European brethren. Instead they will have to wait one more day on October 25 before they can brawl with their favourite Playstation characters.
The second release date is interesting to say the least. When the European release date was announced, it was assumed that the United Kingdom and Ireland would be included. The same blog post has revealed that those two countries will be receiving a separate release date. They will have to wait two days after the European release as the United Kingdom and Ireland will receive the game on October 26. With these extra release dates, the release of the game will be spread over four days. Both the Playstation 3 and Playstation Vita versions will be released simultaneously.
Heatwave is perhaps a common term used in the past weeks in the States. Air conditioners have been cranked to the max, so gamers like me can enjoy some iced tea that won’t melt on contact. While my fists are raised to those with central air, my heart goes out to all that do not have any sort of cooling unit. The Poid Pipper is here to present new deals and releases that just might make your summer even hotter.
Deals Of The Week
While we are nearing the end of the deals, Activision is offering discounts to Modern Warfare 3 and Black Ops. If you didn’t purchase the exclusive pass for Modern Warfare 3, this would be your chance to get the add-ons for 1/2 off.
Name
Discount Dates
Price
Activision
July 4 to July 9
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3: Collection 1
600 (50% off)
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3: Collection 2
600 (50% off)
Call of Duty Black Ops: First Strike
600 (50% off)
Call of Duty Black Ops: Escalation
600 (50% off)
Call of Duty Black Ops: Annihilation
600 (50% off)
Call of Duty Black Ops: Rezurrection
600 (50% off)
New Releases
Dawnguard overshadows new game releases, but even our recent review of Spelunky proves that excellent games can still shine.
Name
Release Date
Microsoft Points
(Games)
Jeremy McGrath Offroad Racing (D3 Publisher)
28-June
800
Mini Ninjas Adventures (Square Enix)
23-June
800
Spelunky (MGS)
5-July
1200
Bellator MMA Onslaught (345 Games)
5-July
1200
(Game Add-Ons)
Skyrim Dawnguard (Bethesda – English version only)
27-June
1600
Battlefield™ 3: Close Quarters (Electronic Arts)
27-June
1200
Mass Effect™ 3: Extended Cut (Electronic Arts)
27-June
FREE
Forza Motorsports 4 July Car Pack (Microsoft)
04-July
560
(Avatars)
Ninja Update (Xbox LIVE)
04-July
Vampire/Werewolf Collection Update (Xbox LIVE)
04-July
Spongebob Squarepants (Nickelodeon/MTV)
04-July
Surf and Skate Update (Xbox LIVE)
04-July
adidas Summer Sports (Konami)
04-July
Modern Warfare 3 Collections, Dawnguard, and some new releases should keep you busy until the next waylay of releases. Thanks everyone for tuning in again for another chapter of Xbox Live News with Pipper. Go ahead and grab some delicious iced teas, and “Play Hard or Don’t Play At All!”
Ayopa Games’ newest title was dated and announced as Pocket Heroes for iPhone and iPod Touch. Pocket Heroes will be released July 12 for $0.99 on the iTunes App Store. Pocket Heroes is an adventure RPG featuring 8-bit style graphics with ten different environments and social game play.
There are no randomly generated dungeons in this game. All the dungeons are built by hand which allows for special triggered events and objects to interact with. Players will be able to bring up to three friends to co-operatively tackle the epic quests in campaign mode. Choose from four different classes and face off against over 20 different enemy types.
Ayopa Games promises strong content support, with of plenty of new classes, dungeons, and co-op gameplay mechanics in future. updates.
Bigpoint’s free to play MMO Drakensang Online has gotten a huge new expansion in the form of the undersea legend of old Atlantis. This expansion is the biggest one Drakensang Online has ever added and it includes a lot of new quests, monsters, and areas to explore.
The Atlanteans have been at war with Gorgons and now players can join in the fight to try and defeat the snake Gorga threatening the people. The new continent of Atlantis itself being divided into 8 areas, with a combined total of more than 100 quests for the now 8 million registered users of the game. With this much expanded world area, the world map itself has been improved, so that players can see how they are coming along in their fight.
Still in open beta, Drakensang Online looks to be providing a large amount of content for their users to make sure the game is ready and set for when they are completely finished. Players can check out Drakensang Online at their website HERE.
For anyone living in Beijing China, the very first Fate Only (FATE SERIES ) Anime / Comic book event to be held in Beijing was on today. So it was another perfect excuse for the Capsule Computers Crew to attend and cover the event and also for the first time also take part as a CosPlay participant. Fate Only Event was open to the public with tickets being sold online and also at the door. Due to the size of the venue only 300 tickets (200 online and 100 at the door were made available to the public) ticket prices were set at 35RMB (approx $5USD/AU) per person, so it certainly was a very affordable price if you’re a fan of Fate Series. The event was held at Beijing Workers Indoor Arena, also known as the Beijing Worker’s Gymnasium which hosted the 2008 boxing events for the Summer Olympics. It was held in a special function hall of the arena used for hosting events, the size of the hall was certainly one of the smallest I’ve seen for a comic/anime convention which brings me back to the reason why only 300 tickets were made available, a smart decision by the event organizers as it was the perfect size with the right amount of fans and not overly crowded. As always with every major comic / anime convention in China, everything went down without a hitch and once the clock struck 11am the fans and cos players were allowed in and the mad rush to buy your comic books and Fate Zero merchandise was on for young and old!
What the event organizers also did to entice the fans was offer everyone attending a chance to pick up and collect the Fate/Zero trading card game cards. (similar to other card games like Magic The Gathering) These cards were not for sale but were given away to the fans once they purchased a comic book or Fate/Zero merchandise from a particular booth. Massive lines were quickly formed around specific booths which were giving away special cards (such as the Ryder card that everyone wanted) you had to be quick or risk walking away with nothing as these cards were very limited. The set comprised of 21 cards, I personally ended up collecting 13 out of 21. (see image below) This was certainly a great little incentive cooked up by the organizers for the fans which everyone really loved.
Today’s event drew an impressive amount of Cos-Play characters from the Fate anime series. Even yours truly dressed up as the legendary King of Conquerors Ryder (Alexander The Great) Check out the pictures below (we also have a link to our full gallery images hosted on Facebook) a lot of effort and time was certainly spent into some of these outfits which I must say were very interesting and amazingly well designed, special mentions to watch out for in the gallery go to Saber, Caster and also Lancer Cos players. All in all it the Fate Only Event was a great day out and for the fans of the series. Click on the link below to be taken to our Facebook gallery page for Fate Only Event
Riot Games has brought a truly diverse warrior to life with Jayce – the Defender of Tomorrow. Wielding an altering weapon, Jayce can quickly adjust to the changing needs of battle by switching between a Mercury Hammer or Mercury Cannon. With ranged and melee abilities, Jayce can transform into whatever is needed on the Plains of Justice. Are you ready for this brand new League of Legends champion?
Mercury Hammer – Abilities
Hextech Capacitor (Passive): Jayce gains a quick burst of movement speed and ignores unit collision each time Transform is cast
To the Skies!: Jayce leaps to an enemy dealing physical damage and slowing enemies.
Lightning Field:
Passive: Jayce restores mana per strike.
Active: Jayce creates a field of lightning damaging nearby enemies for several seconds.
Thundering Blow: Jayce deals magic damage to an enemy based on their maximum health and knocks them back a short distance.
Transform: Mercury Cannon (Ultimate): Transforms the Mercury Hammer into the Mercury Cannon gaining new abilities and increased range. The first attack in this form reduces the target’s Armor and Magic Resist.
Mercury Cannon – Abilities
Hextech Capacitor (Passive): Jayce gains a quick burst of movement speed and ignores unit collision each time Transform is cast
Shock Blast: Jayce fires an orb of electricity that detonates upon hitting an enemy (or reaching the end of its path) dealing physical damage to all enemies in the area of the explosion.
Hyper Charge: Jayce gains a burst of energy, increasing attack speed to maximum for several attacks.
Acceleration Gate: Jayce deploys an Acceleration Gate increasing the movement speed of all allies who pass through it. If Shock Blast is fired through the gate the missile speed, range, and damage will increase.
Transform: Mercury Hammer (Ultimate): Transforms the Mercury Cannon into the Mercury Hammer gaining new abilities and increasing Armor and Magic Resist. The first attack in this form deals additional magic damage.
Lore
Jayce has become well-known as one of the best inventors of Piltover. He has gained the love of his people through charm and wit of developing inventions for his city’s use alone. However, Jayce has faced many trials as an inventor and nearly doomed his people. His laboratory was raided by an increasingly interested and devious Viktor of the Zaun. Knowing well that the mad scientist would use his own plans to create evil, Jayce went to work on his greatest creation – the Mercury Hammer.
The warrior of Piltover charged into Viktor’s lair making easy work of the mad scientist’s acolytes. The power of the interchangeable weapon caused some of the minions to flee rather than to fight. Even Viktor himself fled the once sanctuary of his own lair. After the short confrontation, Jayce made little work of the diabolical creations and returned to Piltover as a hero. Jayce knew well that his actions may have started a war, but he remains willing to fight for Piltover no matter the cost.
– Check out Jayce’s Champion Spotlight in the video below to catch the hero of Piltover in action.
It has been 20 years since a teenage girl began fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight. That’s right it is the 20th anniversary of seminal magical girls series Sailor Moon. As part of this 20th anniversary there was some major announcements made during the 20th anniversary event streamed live on Nico Nico.
The biggest announcement of the event is without a doubt that a new anime reboot of Sailor Moon is in the works and slated to begin airing in the Summer of 2013. It has been confirmed that this new series is a complete rebooted adaptation of the original manga created by Naoko Takeuchi and not a film or OVA series.
The other announcement made is that Momoiro Clover Z will be performing the infamous opening theme song ‘Moonlight Densetsu’. Besides that it was also confirmed that it is planned to have the series broadcast throughout the world (most likely through streaming services such as Crunchyroll). However no details have been set in stone on that.
This is certainly brilliant news for Sailor Moon fans and great news for anime fans in general. Now if only Yu Yu Hakusho could get the same treatment… Be sure to let us know what you think of this amazing news in the comments section below.
Spelunky Developer: Mossmouth Platform: Xbox Live Arcade Release Date: July 4, 2012 Price: 1200 Points ($14.99)
Overview
Spelunky first came onto the gaming scene back in 2008 as a free-to-play PC title, where players had the main objective of trying to survive throughout several worlds until reaching the end. This may sound basic, but in all honestly, Spelunky is far away from your standard platformer. Imagine a game that is ready to kill you at a moment’s notice. You only have one life, and you have to utilize your findings to simply stay alive until the end. Add in some HD visuals and multiplayer, and you have the new and improved version of Spelunky for the Xbox Live Arcade. Yes, this is quite a special title that is sure to capture the attention of the old-school crowd, but is there enough content in Spelunky to justify it’s asking price? Let’s find out.
Gameplay
Normally I would start out a review speaking of the story within a game before touching on gameplay. There is a slight narrative in place for Spelunky, but it really only exists to suit the purpose of progression. That said, not having a sufficient plot takes nothing away from this title, as there could be a story about talking ice cream cones and Spelunky would still be just as satisfying. Players start out by picking one of four different characters, and then get thrown into the first stage right off the bat. As I mentioned, Spelunky is a platformer, and all the standard fare for the genre are in tow from the get-go. Your main character can jump over pits and on a foes’ head, run right over narrow passageways, and climb up platforms that he (or she) has latched onto. For offense, our spelunker has a small little whip that can pop foes at close range, and can lift just about anything to throw at enemies. It’s a simple formula that feels solid, leaving no room for argument when you find out the game’s true #1 antagonist. Death.
You see, each stage has your standard lot of enemies and their main job is to prevent you from finding the exit. Spelunky relies heavily on exploration, meaning the player will have to find their way to the end by using the tools they discover throughout. Our little hero starts out with some rope and grenades though, which both play a large role in your safe travels. Ropes can be tossed to move up or down in the level – preventing a long fall, and grenades can blow up enemies and destroy the very floor underneath you to create a shortcut of sorts. These items come in limited quantity, but can be bought at shops with the hefty supply of gold and gems scattered about each stage. Other items such as spiked shoes, glue (for sticky grenades), and even an ice gun can also be purchased, adding to the wide array of gadgetry.
The core of this game’s mechanics are built around the fact that every stage is randomly generated. Those of you who have played the greatness that is Toejam & Earl will feel right at home with this, but Spelunky takes that one step further and only allows each player one life – with a hero that can only take a few minor scrapes before dying. The punishment for death is severe as well, as death means having to start all over. Personally, I am not a fan of overly challenging games. I never was big on Mega Man, and Contra is still a game I have never beaten to this day. Spelunky could easily make the player break a controller, but it doesn’t. In fact, I can’t think of one moment where I was truly frustrated. If you die, it’s your own fault and dying in itself feels like progression due to the randomly generating worlds, which means Level 1-1, 2-3, or whatever stage you may be on will be completely different each time you play. I was stuck in the first mine world for ages it felt like, but this title’s difficulty compliments the other mechanics so well that the player never feels stuck. There is no trial and error and everything is a surprise, which in my book makes Spelunky refreshing until the end and beyond.
You really can’t even begin to explain this title’s charm without mentioning the witty AI and little secrets that can be found buried in every nook and cranny of this lovely little world. For instance, there is a shopkeeper that has a good memory. Anger him in any way (such as stealing or popping him with your whip) and he will instantly go insane with rage, shooting everything in his path with a shotgun. If you manage to survive, be ready for this lunatic to stalk you, as I found him pacing at the exit, ready to put my little character in a grave. There are a lot of little moments like this in Spelunky, which makes actually progressing so damn rewarding. Each stage also offers more incentive for completionists, such as a princess to save on each stage as well as tikis that add a good amount of loot for picking up but come with a great risk (by risk I mean giant boulder). All these little quirks seem to play homage to the classics, while providing the player with plenty of fun memories from their own playthrough at the same time.
Multiplayer
Another fine feature of Spelunky is multiplayer – and it’s not even online. In the co-op mode, up to four players can play at once, which leads to 4 times the chaos. Teamwork is needed at all times due to the fixed camera, and if a player dies, their ghost arises is able to blow on enemies and items, offering either a slight help or major nuisance to the surviving players. A Deathmatch mode can also be played from the start, and is pretty much awesome as you would expect. All characters can go head to head, utilizing the many weapons against eachother until a victor is named. Some may argue that local multiplayer is a bit of an odd choice, but I welcome this for the platform as couch co-op is just more satisfying for a game like Spelunky anyway.
Visuals and Audio
When it comes to the art style within Spelunky, expect to be taken back to the days of the SNES, but with more crisp artwork and heavily detailed environments. Yes, this game looks fantastic and is coated with a nice retro aesthetic, which is sure to please all audiences. The main characters are full of charm, right down to their round, pink noses all animate wonderfully while the chaos takes place in the main game. Little touches also do a lot for the visual appearance of Spelunkey, such as the blood that bursts out of foes and watching a pal slowly impale themselves in spikes.
The audio is also well done, and the top notch soundtrack is sure to please anyone who is a fan of when video game music was less about dubstep and more about beautiful chiptunes that bring out an atmosphere in the world you are exploring. These characters never talk, but the sound effects that are blaring around you give you an easy indication of where you are, and what you need to do next. Imagine hearing a princess in distress, but you also hear an angry shopkeeper shooting his gun down below you. It’s effects like that that work well in building Spelunky’s stages, and make diving down further even more exciting.
Overall
Spelunky is the first game in a long time that has reminded me of why I love surprises. Each stage is different due to the randomly generating stages, and even without much a story, the game’s characters are able to carry themselves in such a clever fashion that it really doesn’t matter. As I mentioned, I am not a fan of games that are hell-bent on punishing a player, but this is a good kind of punishment. The more you die, the more you get out of the game, and that concept alone is what makes the replay value of Spelunky endless, and also what makes it one of the Xbox Live Arcade’s finest releases to date. If you want a good arcade title that is well worth the investment for both solo and multiplayer purposes, do not pass up this charming and utterly addictive adventure.
