Hey DVD enthusiasts, TV watchers and general media consumers,there are new things for you to buy! There are a trio of SBS Highlights out this month courtesy of Madman, keeping the pickings slim but wonderfully varied with a bit of Bollywood, a bit of Bear, and then in the perfect antithesis to all that excitement, a bit of educational quizzing.
Bollywood Star(Out now, $29.95, DVD only)
Bollywood is the biggest movie industry in the world, producing an insane amount of movies every year and famous for beautiful and intricate costumes and huge and joyous dance numbers. It’s a very acquired taste for those not brought up with it, but Bollywood is big enough in Australia to warrant this show – Bollywood Star. As you can most likely guess, this is a reality show that aims to find an Australian Bollywood style performer to take on a role in the next film of legendary Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt, who already has 50 directing credits to his name.
Mission Everest with Bear Grylls(Out now, $19.95, DVD only)
Ah Mr Grylls, will you ever stop? The latest DVD from the worlds most infamous boy scout sees Bear and his pal attempt to fly over the summit of Mount Everest, that’s the highest thing in the world, using only motor powered paraglides. That’s a paramotor if you’re up on your insane sports gear. although the fact that it has a motor attached doesn’t make this any more sensible. This DVD covers the design of the paramotor by aforementioned pal Gilo Cardozo, and also takes in Bears ‘survival’ prep, in which he must consider how he and his friend can overcome hurricane strength winds, flesh freezing temperatures and low levels of the slightly essential oxygen, all whilst strapped to a paraglide.
Letters and Numbers – The Masters (Out now, $19.95, DVD only)
If the energy of Bollywood and the craziness of Bear are a bit too much, then perhaps this will satisfy the calmer minds out there. Yes, Letters and Numbers (Which all Brits know should actually be called Countdown…) has a new DVD out. If the concept of this show needs explaining then you have obviously never seen a television, and are thus highly unlikely to be reading this article. Nonetheless, this DVD will features lots of letters, numbers, and of course the grand finale, the -Countdown- Conundrum!
Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] is set to be released in just under two weeks and give Kingdom Hearts fans a chance to follow Riku and Sora into the 3D realm of the Nintendo 3DS. Along the way players will venture through a number of older areas as well as a number of newer towns exclusive to Dream Drop Distance.
Some of these include a Tron world, a Hunchback of Notre Dame world as well as Sword and Sorcery from Fantasia. You can take a brief look at all of these areas and more below the slew of screenshots which were also released today.
WayForward are known for making some utterly brilliant throwbacks, and by the looks of it, the new Adventure Time game is right on par with the recently released licensed titles Aliens Infestation and Thor: God of Thunder (which were both for the Nintendo DS), as it seems to keep that retro flavor flowing.
The new trailer released shows us a nice glimpse of the gameplay and quirky world players will explore, and I am definitely getting a Zelda II vibe from what is on display. Check out the clip below in full for Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d you steal our garbage?!, and get those wallets ready as this adventure drops this fall on the Nintendo 3DS and the original DS.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Developer: indieszero Publisher: Square Enix Platform:Nintendo 3DS Release Date: July 3, 2012 Price:$39.99 – Available Here
Overview: Between making large scaled RPGs in the main, numbered, Final Fantasy series, Square Enix has made plenty of different games which happen to be spin-offs of the franchise. Some of these spin-offs still held true to the game’s RPG origins, only modifying the formula slightly, while others took the Final Fantasy name and did something completely unexpected with it.
Now Square Enix has released what can only be seen as one of the strangest turns for the series yet, a rhythm based music game that has taken songs from the main Final Fantasy series and compiled them into a game called Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. Does a music oriented Final Fantasy title have plenty to offer on a portable gaming device?
Story: Interestingly enough, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy does contain a bit of a story to set up the events of the game. The story follows the events of Chaos and Cosmos and a crystal which has been created in a space known as Rhythm. Chaos has caused the crystal to become disrupted and now characters from Final Fantasy through Final Fantasy XIII have been summoned by Cosmos and they must work to restore the crystal with “rhythmia.”
Anyone familiar with the Dissidia Final Fantasy series will likely recognize the name Chaos and Cosmos as these were the two factions the Final Fantasy characters were divided into. As it stands in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, the storyline simply offers a base and that only springs up again once the player gathers enough rhythmia to face off against Chaos in a simple battle. It is nice to see that Square Enix did try to include some semblance of a story into a rhythm based game such as Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, albeit one that is rather lackluster.
Visuals: The main visual style for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is quite unique as every character and enemy that the player will be seeing on-screen has been drawn in a chibi-like art style with characters better resembling little dolls than their usual selves. This art style is actually quite charming and many of the characters are still very detailed despite their more cartoonish appearance.
During Event music scenes players will also be shown cutscenes or segments of gameplay from the game the music is from. Obviously the quality of these displays are dependent on when each game was made of course, though it is worth noting that their visual representation is impressive on the 3DS’ screen, even modern cutscenes like those presented in FFXIII.
As for the 3DS’ 3D function… it would probably be best if anyone playing the game would simply shut it off. At first the 3D provides a nice bit of depth to the game’s scrolling notes, separating it from the events in the background, but throughout my experience it became more of a hassle than it was worth. Meaning that despite the game’s admirable 3D attempt, it would probably be best to simply be played in 2D only.
Audio: Those concerned about Theatrhythm Final Fantasy’s music quality have absolutely nothing to be concerned about as each and every song that has been placed into the game sounds the same as fans will remember them, this includes the high quality songs from the later Final Fantasy titles as well as the MIDI sounding songs from earlier titles.
As for the songs that have been selected and placed into the game, this will obviously be purely subjective due to which songs are your favorites of course, but there are a wide range of songs taken from each game in the series, such as the opening and ending themes, a battle theme, field theme and character/event song from each game with a few other miscellaneous songs hidden within, more on these momentarily.
Gameplay: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is at its core a rather simple offering, where players will need to make use of the 3DS’ touch screen to tap, swipe and press to the music. There are three types of triggers which have to be activated to successfully make it through a song with a missed trigger causing damage to the party’s total HP. Red triggers simply involve the player tapping the screen, green triggers have to be pressed and held until the end and finally the yellow triggers involve the player swiping the stylus in the direction of the arrow. Unfortunately sometimes these directional swipes can be mis-read by the system, often causing a break in your trigger chain.
Before players begin the game they will be told to create a party of four characters which are the protagonists from each of the Final Fantasy games so far, though more secondary characters can be unlocked over time. These party members will level up over time as players gain experience for every song they complete.
Interestingly enough, despite the fact that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is a music title, players will want to manage their team and equip them with adequate skills and items that will assist them in finishing some of the more complex songs. You see, there are three different modes of gameplay in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, which are the Series, Challenge and Chaos Shrine mode.
In Series mode players will be able to select one of the Final Fantasy games and play through three consecutive songs from the selected game with an optional opening and ending theme. Challenge mode is more of a free play mode, allowing the player to select any songs they have already completed on Series mode and take them on with increasingly harder difficulties, making the aforementioned character managing crucial for high scores and sometimes even completion.
The Chaos Shrine on the other hand is probably the most unique out of the three, as it places the players against “Dark Notes” which are two song challenges which are randomly generated. These songs are quite difficult but it is worth noting that some of the songs in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy can only be found in the Chaos Shrine. These difficult challenges can be unlocked either through game play and defeating already unlocked Dark Notes or via StreetPass.
So now we know what modes you will be playing the game in, but how exactly does the game itself play? Well there are three different song types held within the title; Field, Battle and Event. Field music has a party member walking a straight path which contains hidden items that can be encountered when the player successfully hits enough notes. On these maps players will also be presented with special triggers which can transform their character temporarily into a chocobo, making them run faster.
The battle music features the entire party fighting against a set of monsters. These monsters are dealt damage every time the player successfully hits a trigger. It is worth noting that these battles do not punish the player if they are unable to kill a boss character, nor do there always seem to be bosses present. The final music piece is the Event music, which plays a cutscene from a game in the background while the player taps and swipes triggers along a constantly moving line.
Now it is worth noting that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy can unfortunately be quite short and while playing the game itself is very enjoyable and a great walk down memory lane, nostalgia can only take you so far. Once the player finishes the Series’ song sets, nearly everything else in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy becomes repetitive. While it is great to see that players can indeed continue to challenge themselves through the Challenge mode and the Chaos Shrine does spice things up, far too often are Dark Notes presented with songs the player has already conquered once.
Overall: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy gives players a chance to look back at some of their favorite memories from past Final Fantasy games. Even more recent fans will enjoy Theatrhythm Final Fantasy’s inclusions and may even convince them to give older games in the series a chance. While things may end up getting repetitive quickly, there are plenty of things to unlock and difficult challenges to tackle for those looking for a long-term experience full of some of the best music you can find in the video game industry.
Popular and well known cosplayer Yaya Han is slated to be their first International Cosplay Guest for both Melbourne, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand.
Yaya Han, known as both a model, cosplayer, and seamstress, has been cosplaying for over 10 years and has accumulated over 200 costumes since her start as in 1999 at Anime Expo. By 2001, she was already modeling her friend’s creations on The Faerie Grove, and asked to be an attending Guest of Honor, which was almost unheard of at the time.
Now in 2012, she has already appeared in over a hundred events world wide, spanning from Scotland to Brazil, and making a living as a professional cosplayer and model, booking events and selling cosplay accessories.
Were you in attendance at E3 this year? If not, then this will probably be new to you. This being the Metro: Last Light Gameplay Demo that was on feature at E3. In this video, players will be bale to watch the gameplay demo unfold around them and see what it is that the game is like. The video is described as this –
Metro: Last Light rocked E3 2012 with this stunning live gameplay demo, earning over 20 E3 nominations and awards in the process. Now you can watch the entire, unedited playthrough. In this sequence, Artyom is forced into an alliance with the young Red Line officer named Pavel, as they attempt to cross the hostile surface of post-apocalyptic Moscow in a bid to reach the relative safety of the legendary station city The Theatre.
As a sequel to a game based on a book, it is looking pretty good. Gamers who loved the first one should be excited for this game. Be sure to check out the trailer embedded below for more info.
Ubisoft have just announced that Ghost Recon Future Soldier’sDLC Arctic Strike is now available for purchase. In celebration of this, they have also released a new trailer as well as a Developer Q&A that we will reproduce below. The trailer itself showcases some of the coolest parts of the new DLC and looks like it adds some amazing content to the game.
The Developer Q&A is as follows –
When will it be available ?
Arctic Strike is out this week on both PS3 and Xbox360
Arctic Strike will feature new multiplayer maps, what are these maps?
With Arctic Strike we’re introducing 3 new Multiplayer, Riot, Evicted and Skyline. We’re also offering 1 new Guerrilla map, Arctic Base.
Riot puts players on the streets of downtown Moscow. The empty streets provide long engagements as the enemy darts between burned out vehicles. The tight corners of the alleys provide excellent locations to ambush your enemies with a shotgun or a well placed piece of equipment.
Evicted continues the fight on the streets of Moscow as battle erupts in a sleepy residential neighborhood. With long alleys between the large apartment complexes, snipers are a valuable resource. Sensors and UAV’s are less effective in this expansive location. Communication is key to track and control enemy movements.
Skyline is a two level CQB nightmare. Connected by tunnels and stairwells, the limited access points provide excellent locations to set traps. Snipers exchange fire between towers and cover their teammates as they advance into enemy territory. A skilled UCAV or UAV pilot can push the enemy out of the open area and into the kill zone.
If you’re looking for intense action the new guerilla map “Arctic Base” is made for you. It’s one of the most challenging Guerrilla maps we’ve ever made as we’ve added a third HQ much harder to defend. There are many strategic high spots on the map that allows you to cover your teammates but you will have to be careful if you decide to split your team
What is the inspiration for these new maps?
The community asked for larger maps so we designed spaces that were bigger and had more navigational options than the maps that shipped with GRFS. Visually, the Moscow campaign maps were very exciting to us but we didn’t focus on this theme for the original ten maps. We decided that our first pack would expand on the story of the final missions of the campaign and take the fight into the heart of Russia. The wide open spaces of the Moscow theme matched our desire to construct larger spaces that slow the pace of the experience and provide additional options for a well coordinated team.
We’ve heard about a new Multiplayer mode, stockade?
The overall objective in Stockade is simple: kill without being killed, eliminate the entire enemy team before time expires.
Players wait in the Stockade in the order they are killed. A player is released each time an enemy is eliminated. Every few minutes an objective appears for each team that, if captured, will release your entire team from the Stockade.
In the event of a tie, teamwork points are used to determine the winner. Stockade is playable on all 13 multiplayer maps.
Here are some pro tips to get you started. Use the objective as bait. Ambush your enemy when they try and free their teammates. Don’t use your objective if only one teammate is captured. And finally, one data hack almost guarantees a victory.
Could you tell us more about the new weapons that have been introduced with Arctic Strike?
With Arctic Strike we’re introducing 6 new weapons:
Rifleman: F2000
(Ghost) F2000: 5.56x45mm Assault Rifle. Unlike many bullpup rifles, the F2000 features ambidextrous controls and a unique casing ejection system. Its compact design makes it highly maneuverable. It also features a high rate of fire, but recoil is easily controllable.
Rifleman: CZS805
(Bodark) S805: 5.56x45mm Assault Rifle. The S805 is a highly customizable gas operated modular rifle. Since the rifle is chambered in 5.56x45mm, recoil is very manageable when compared to other Bodark weapons.
Scout: JSG Type 05
(Bodark) Type 05: 9x19mm Submachine Gun. The Type 05 is a unique bullpup SMG with an integrated foregrip, which improves the weapon’s stability while on the move. The threaded barrel allows for the easy addition of a suppressor.
Scout: MP9
(Ghost) MP9: 9x19mm Submachine Gun. The MP9 is an extremely lightweight SMG. It features an integrated foregrip which helps improve the weapon’s stability while on the move. The unique appearance of the muzzle allows for the easy addition of a suppressor.
Engineer: OCP-11
(Bodark) OCP-11: 5.45x39mm Personal Defense Rifle. The OCP-11 or ‘Popov’ combines the durability and simplicity of Russian firearms design with the modularity of Western weapons. The small round and large ammunition capacity allows for a high volume of controlled fire with relatively light recoil.
Engineer: Mk17
(Ghost) Mk17 PDW: 7.62x51mm Personal Defense Rifle. The Mk17 PDW is a highly customizable, short-barreled version of the SCAR-H. The more powerful 7.62x51mm ammunition hits targets harder, but increases felt recoil and results in a smaller magazine size.
There are new achievements right? How do you unlock these?
Absolutely, we’ve added 2 new achievements allowing you to unlock 35 points:
Tour of Duty Moscow – Win 3 MP matches of any game type on each: Skyline, Riot and Evicted maps (25 points, Bronze Trophy)
Stockade Domination – Be part of a squad where your team eliminates the enemy in under 2 minutes. (10 points, Bronze Trophy)
Is Arctic Strike integrated into GR Network?
With the GR Network at the heart of our multiplayer experience, how could we NOT integrate Arctic Strike deeply in the GRN?
We have:
– Added a Stockade game type description, as well as useful dev tips in the “Ghost Tactics” section
– We’ve added in GunSmith on web and mobiles the 6 new DLC weapons, available for everyone to customize. On top of this, the GunSmith Gallery now supports those weapons being posted by users.
– We’ve added the DLC achievements to the list of achievements accessible on site
– We’ve also added a Stockade filter and the new DLC maps in the Heat maps section
Be sure to check out the official trailer, embedded below, and the official website for more info.
If you’re gearing up for Konami’s annual PES game, you will be happy to know that a new video has been released that shows the game in action. In part 2 of this video series to hype the next title of the Pro Evolution Soccer series, we get a chance to see the game in action.
As you would expect, things are looking more of the same, but the visuals appear to be a bit sharper this time around, and the gameplay looks just as tight with the newly added features. You can check out the video below to see the game in action, and keep in mind that PES 2013 drops this fall. Also, is it me, or do these players appear to all be chewing gum at the beginning?
Ubisoft have revealed that Assassin’s Creed 3 will be receiving a special collector’s edition titled the Assassin’s Creed 3 Freedom Edition. As part of their announcement they released a trailer for the Freedom Edition which they label an unboxing. Now this isn’t your standard unboxing, it’s an epic unboxing backed with suitably epic music. You can check that out below.
The Freedom Edition will come packaged with a limited edition figurine of the new assassin named Connor, a special steelbook with original drawings from Alex Ross (a comic artist), George Washington’s Notebook which is a mock up notebook supposedly belonging to Washington himself which features a number of factoids regarding the game, two exclusive single player missions titled ‘Lost Mayan Ruins’ and ‘Ghost of War’ and finally an exclusive multiplayer package that unlocks the Sharpshooter character for multiplayer use.
The Assassin’s Creed 3 Freedom Edition is exclusive to EB Games stores and is available for pre-order now. Be sure to check out the trailer below for a closer look at all the Freedom Edition’s content.
Medal of Honor and Battlefield fans might be pleased to know that EA have released a Developer Commentary video featuring Medal of Honor called Fire Team Gameplay as well as a Battlefield 4 Beta Access portion on the same video. This is some excellent news for fans of both series as it shows that EA are definitely taking care of their fans and releasing games well within the lifespan of the recent and existing games in their franchises.
The Medal of Honor video showcases some of the multiplayer “fire team” aspects of the game and has the developers commentate on whats happening within the game. Be sure to check out the trailer, embedded below for more info.
Mission Everest with Bear Grylls (Out now, $19.95, DVD only)
Letters and Numbers – The Masters (Out now, $19.95, DVD only)
