The next title handed down from the gods of Mojang. Scrolls lies somewhere between Magic the Gathering and Heroes of Might and Magic. One commands an army in turn based combat on a battlefield of hex’s and effects the tide of battle with spells in the form of cards. Mojang has said that like Minecraft the game will be available to purchase in its open beta stage for a reduced price and fittingly purchasing the game also buys you a subscription to recieve a new scroll each week to add to your deck.
The game is set to include Multiplayer, Singleplayer vs AI, an auction house and a deckbuilder to build decks out of the many scrolls you will accrue as a young apprentice journeying through the world earning gold for winning battles. Then the decision becomes whether to spend your hard earned coin on gear or scrolls. Open beta is approaching fast and I for one can’t wait. Just..
Ahead of the highly anticipated release ofNew Super Mario Bros. 2available on Nintendo 3DS from 17th August, Nintendo is releasing a one-off collectable gold (coloured, not actually made from gold) coin case as an exclusive pre-order gift when you pre-order your copy at GAME and gamestation stores. The small case – a replica of Mario’s iconic Coins – can hold any number of small objects, including theNew Super Mario Bros. 2Nintendo 3DS Game Card itself if you’re that way inclined.
Simply pre-order New Super Mario Bros. 2 at GAME UK or gamestation to receive the collectable gold coin case, a bonus to suit Mario’s coin-collecting ways.
Studio: Gameloft Publisher:Gameloft Platform:iPhone (reviewed), iPad, Android Release Date: June 28, 2012 Price:$6.99 Available Here
Overview
The most amazing thing about The Amazing Spider-Man by Gameloft is how surprised I am. It should be referred to as The Surprising Spider-Man from now on. Movie tie-ins are generally considered to be really average or sucky games, and on mobile devices they tend to be some of the worst crap you could ever possibly play. But Gameloft have lived up to their reputation of providing high-quality hardcore games for mobile devices, and delivered a solid title reminiscent of the classic Spider-Man 2 web-heads fell in love with back in 2004. What’s even more surprising is that while this is the 2nd Spider-Man title by Gameloft, they actually went back to the drawing board and pretty much reinvented the gameplay all together resulting in a very, very different type of game. While it isn’t perfect, The Amazing Spider-Man is easily one of if not the best movie-based mobile game I’ve played and is definitely worth picking up if you’re a Spider-fan!
Gameplay
First thing that you’ll notice is how freaking awesome it is to swing around Manhattan from your mobile device. While the web doesn’t actually have to connect to any particular building, this is easily forgiven as it does make navigation easier. With a simple tap, you can swing to insane heights and letting go will have you lunging towards the ground creating an intense adrenaline rush. Speed and crazy acrobatics provides a really rewarding experience which really fights the problem most sandbox games have – navigation is typically boring, but here it’s probably the most exciting aspect of the game. Players can also take advantage of Spidy’s web to create a zip-line to travel at even faster speeds, which is also effective. Of course, navigating a city is pointless if there’s nothing to do in the city, and The Amazing Spider-Man does deliver to some extent. While there is very little variety of crimes to stop in the city (it’s usually just stop the bad guys beating up the cops), challenges are provided which do switch up the gameplay a little bit. What’s really surprising however is how much the camera doesn’t suck. Most Spidy games often have crappy cameras, yet even after completing the entire storyline, I had no complaints for the most part. That being said there are a few bugs here and there, but most are so insignificant it’s easily forgivable.
But Spider-Man does more than just swing around a city right? Doesn’t he kick all kinda of bad-guy butt and stuff? You bet he does! Unfortunately combat can get a little repetitive. Luckily Gameloft attempt to distract you from this with a variety of mission objectives such as chasing people, stealth missions, etc. However the combat while decent in The Amazing Spider-Man, it doesn’t have the same impact as it did in Gameloft’s last Spidy game, Ultimate Spider-Man: Total Mayham. That being said, it’s not half bad. While there is a nice tech tree to level up and buy new moves and upgrades from, none of these unlockable moves really improve gameplay at all, and are easily forgotten. Furthermore switching from combat mode to navigation mode is awkward, and the lack of variety in enemies is very dissapointing. Unlike every other Spider-Man game made ever which features multiple super villains, this one features one – The Lizard. So this lack of variety leads to some very repetitive and unsurprising gameplay. Perhaps if some more were thrown in, the game would’ve been a little more interesting. The game’s biggest problem however is a lazy and confusing one. At a particular part of the story mode, a section has Spider-Man lose his powers. But he only loses the ability to web swing. He can still zip-line, crawl walls, everything else. The worst part is, the film it’s based on clearly states that shooting web isn’t even a power, it’s a technology he uses so the entire section of the game is just annoying.
Audio/Graphics
The Amazing Spider-Man clearly doesn’t have the same actors as the film it’s based on. Voice acting is cheesy as hell and the only thing in this game worse than that is the terrible dialogue the poor voice talent was forced to perform. I cannot stress how painful it is to hear the Amazing Spider-Man actually call himself ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’. Music however is very typical of the Spider-Man universe and does a great job of setting the tone of the game. Graphics on the other hand are much nicer. While cars can look a bit block-ish, character models and textures are absolutely stunning and the frame rate is perfect. I don’t know how they done it, but there is nothing more rewarding than getting some massive air and looking out at the horizon and seeing the beautiful scenery with buildings as far as the eye can see – and that you can travel too. Simply put, it’s amazing. See what I did there?
Overall
The Amazing Spider-Man is a top quality mobile game. While it does suffer from a few flaws, it’s still a very solid and fun game to play. Gameloft have perfectly captured the feeling of being Spider-Man with the navigation aspect of the game. While the combat isn’t perfect however, it is still charm to play. It’s clear a lot of effort went into this title and it has certainly paid off. This is a must have title for Marvel Superhero fans and solid evidence that not all games based on films are cheap cash-ins. Hopefully we can see more Spidy titles from Gameloft in the near future.
BBG Entertainment announced today the worldwide release of Einstein™Brain Trainer, which sees the theoretical physicist and his celebrated cerebral conundrumsappearon the Apple iPhone for the first time.
The game is now available on the App Store, priced £1.79.
In addition, BBG Entertainment has launched an update to Einstein™ Brain Trainer HD for the iPad, granting users access to 12 extra activities for free.
EinsteinBrain Trainer Features:
30 exercises in all, with 15 specially developed for the App
Scientific background including a tutorial for each exercise
Daily Tests to check your current “Brain Fitness”
Dynamic adaptation of the difficulty level of individual exercises
Continuous interaction between Albert Einstein and the player
Detailed help system accessible from anywhere in the game
Trophy room for awards received
Hot Seat mode – multiplayer mode on a single iPhone
Game Center support for a global high score ranking
Personal coaching by the likeness of Albert Einstein
Rosario + Vampire: Season II Volume 9 Author:Akihisa Ikeda Publisher:Viz Media Release Date: July 3, 2012 Price: $9.99 –Available Here
Overview: It is standard practice for a manga to introduce a powerful new force which is capable of soundly defeating every main character, leaving them with barely any life left in their bodies. This usually then leads into the cast doing everything that they can to try and become stronger and defeat this new opponent. While Rosario + Vampire Season II may originally have been billed as a romantic-comedy with elements of action mixed in, the series has seen quite an increase in action, with Volume 8 being no exception.
Those curious about our review for Volume 8 can find it here. Now that Rosario + Vampire Season II Volume 9 has hit shelves, does the heavy atmosphere of combat continue or will it provide readers with some new romantic developments between characters?
Story: Volume 9 picks up immediately after the end of Volume 8, throwing readers into the middle of the battle between the seemingly unstoppable Aqua and LingLing who may be Tsukune and the group’s only hope of protecting Moka from Fairy Tale, a group that appears hell bent on kidnapping Moka for their apocalyptic plans. With LingLing and Aqua battling against one another, Kurumu just barely manages to rescue Tsukune, Mizore and Tohofuhai from Moka’s seal. However all of their struggling is for naught with the wave of Aqua’s hand and a sinister trick that stays the angry group.
After witnessing just how weak he truly is, Tsukune swears that he will do anything that he can to save Moka from Fairy Tale, even if it means risking his life. However with Tohofuhai taking charge of the training, his life may very well be the cost of power. Can Tsukune possibly survive such torturous training and can the rest of his friends become strong enough to take on the powerful Fairy Tale and save Moka?
With the finishing of Moka’s backstory last volume we have a stage set for the beginning of a mild training arc accentuated heavily with fast paced action. From the battles with Aqua and the twist that Tsukune’s training takes, there is no shortage of fighting throughout the volume. On the other hand, the humor of Rosario + Vampire does return slightly as we have a few breaks in the action for small jokes made at the expense of Aqua or Tohofuhai.
Volume 9 also sees the solidification of a number of Tsukune’s harem members, with Mizore and Kurumu having to come to grips with Tsukune’s sudden heartfelt confession in Volume 8. This is a nice piece of character development for these two who have been given smaller segments of the story lately. Along these same lines, readers will also witness Aqua go through a number of bi-polar changes in personality, which raises a number of questions about what exactly made her who she is today.
Artwork: With an action heavy volume such as this one the story’s artwork has remained pleasantly consistent and well detailed throughout. These fights are well drawn and the emotions that the characters are feeling are very evident in their faces as it seems that Akihisa has went through quite some effort to detail these faces, some of which can take up page-sized panels. The final few pages are especially worth mentioning in their quality though what they happen to feature is up to you to read for yourself.
This time around Volume 9 includes what is described as two mini-posters, however it is simply one poster which is double sided. This is a bit unfortunate for those who would want to use both images, as one side features Tsukune with a slightly opaque Outer Moka standing against his back while the other features both Mizore and Kurumu in their swimsuits.
Overall:
With Moka’s past revealed, Rosario + Vampire Season II Volume 9 successfully capitalizes on the cliffhanger from the past volume by bringing readers plenty of action, some interesting character developments while also weaving a bit of comedy within the dramatic turns that the story has been developing over the last few volumes. Volume 9 doesn’t leave off with much of a cliffhanger, instead ending in a resolution which will leave fans eager to see the outcome in of such a resolution in Volume 10.
Rosario+Vampire: Season II Volume 8 Author:Akihisa Ikeda Publisher:Viz Media Release Date: April 3, 2012 Price: $9.99 –Available Here
Overview: Any manga series which can say that it has been around for over eight years now can likely be considered successful in one way or another. One such manga series happens to be the Rosario + Vampire series. Originally stared back in 2004 by Akihisa Ikeda, the manga is still being published in Japan and Viz Media has been faithfully bringing complete volumes of the series to North American fans.
Back in 2007 the manga entered its second stage, or as it is now titled, Rosario + Vampire Season II. This second season introduced a number of more serious elements to the story of a human boy enrolled in a school full of demons. Does Rosario + Vampire Season II Volume 8 keep the romantic comedy element or is it time for some drama?
Story: In the previous volume Tsukune, Mizore and one of the Dark Lords, Tohofuhai were drawn into Moka’s seal when they were attempting to find a reason to repair it. Volume eight picks up immediately after volume seven, as Tsukune and the others are still trapped within Moka’s seal, learning more about her past and the true reason that the rosary was needed in the first place.
They say that a good character needs a compelling backstory and while most of the girls who have gathered around Tsukune have had some elements of their characters explored, Moka’s past has mostly been left a mystery. Volume 8 reveals more information about a force capable of destroying the world if it were to ever be released, Moka’s mother as well as her elder step-sister Aqua.
However while these three are trapped within Moka’s seal, the Huang household is under attack by the members of Fairy Tale. With a practically unstoppable force bearing down on the vulnerable Moka and Tsukune, Kurumu makes a desperate effort to bring them back and fight against what may be their greatest threat yet.
As I mentioned before, a character’s backstory is always essential and one of the biggest mysteries in Rosario + Vampire was the origin of Moka and her rosary seal. Finally learning the reason that the seal was necessary and the events that unfolded which lead to her sealing was truly a heart-rending moment. While I may never be a fan of flashbacks, this volume has handled Moka’s backstory quite well and will leave fans eager to see what will happen in Volume 9 with a dark cliffhanger.
Artwork: One thing that Rosario + Vampire Season II excels at is impressive artwork. Whenever there is an action scene, many artists will skimp on certain background details or detailing attacks, however there is never a quality drop within the pages of Volume 8. Considering Volume 8 is roughly half action and half exposition, there are plenty of panels that contain full page illustrations of character’s crying out in anguish or panels detailing complicated looking attacks and enemies.
Those who have looked at the cover above will note that Volume 8 contains a free mini-poster of Aqua standing before a moonlit window. The poster, roughly two pages in size, is a nice bonus and a good effort to push the newly rising character. It is also worth noting that Volume 8 is an extremely serious chapter however, so anyone looking for any kind of fan-service will be a bit disappointed that at most, there is only one panel of service for readers, though it is not flaunted at all so those who may be bothered by such an inclusion won’t need to be worried.
Overall: As already mentioned, Rosario + Vampires Season II Volume 8 is a very serious chapter which spends a large amount of its roughly 180 pages exploring Moka and her seal’s origins. This means that there is very little actual comedy in Volume 8, though the romantic element does take a bit of a step forward with one character finally admitting their feelings aloud. This volume does an excellent job exploring Moka’s backstory with a number of exciting battles, though those hoping to see some of their favorite characters in action will be disappointed that most of the main cast are bystanders this time around.
It’s July 4th for all those freedom-loving Americans out there and low and behold news has broke that Capsule’s Ghost Editor in Chief, Nicolas Cage and Capsule’s Executive Vice President of Astronomy Game Coverage, Russell Grant, decided to throw a celebratory barbeque in which they may or may not have exploded a firework (most likely not, as Russell has a fear of loud noises).
The barbeque event was said to involve some kind of conspiracy regarding ancient aliens that required Nic Cage (ancient alien and conspiracy expert) to team up with Russell Grant (face on cover of Astronomy game) in order to forget completely about their July 4th barbeque and solve a convoluted mystery that is set to hit theatres world wide this Holiday season.
The Nic Cage and Russell Grant starring film, ‘Barbeque Triads’ will screen world wide later this year, at which point Nic Cage and Russell Grant will be riding motorcycles on the moon for their next film. Thankfully there is no sound on the moon so Russell Grant can ride a motorcycle for the first time in his life without fear of loud noises. It is set to be a real tear-jerking moment in what will be the penultimate scene in their upcoming film ‘Moon Heist DangerZone’ which hits theatres mid-2013.
So how did you celebrate July 4th? Surely not as quietly as Nic Cage and Russell Grant. Let us know in the comments section below.
So it’s July 4th and we are all celebrating what is Independence Day over in the US. However, many of you may not be aware that your Government is in fact in alliance with alien overlords that have taken over the following gaming companies – Electronic Arts, Capcom, Ubisoft, Activision, Sony and Microsoft. Fortunately, Nintendo has yet to be confirmed as infected.
Speculation has it that this will impact the upcoming console releases from Sony and Microsoft by having the machines run on ultra-high-powered alien technology that will make them the ultimate in gaming equipment. Even further, using advanced alien coding formats, game developers are going to improve the visuals and reduce buggyness by over 9000%. All heil our new alien overlords.
Following the monumental announcement earlier today that after 25 years, there would be a definitive anime adaptation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure as well as a new fighting game based upon the popular shonen manga. Namco Bandai Games have now released a HD trailer for the upcoming JoJo video-game.
The trailer shows off all generations of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure in an all-star battle royale of epic proportions. Predominantly featured is fan favourite ‘JoJo’ Jotaro Kujo fighting against many of his most famous rivals including legendary villain Dio Brando.
You can check out the high quality trailer for the upcoming JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle which is set to be exclusive to the Playstation 3. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
If you like your martial arts films with a bit more story and character development, it seems you’re not alone. Thousand Pound Action Company, the creators of more than twenty live-action martial arts shorts, have launched a Kickstarter campaign to develop a new web series, with an original and engaging story.
The project, titled Clandestine: Follow the Path, is set to rectify the problem the creators saw with most recent martial arts films – namely, that narrative is often overlooked. Therefore, Clandestine’s story will be “contemporary yet with supernatural undertones, rooted in feudalistic clan warfare. It follows five families that have been around since the start of human conflict, fighting for power in the shadows as they push and pull humanity’s strings.”
“While the setting is big and supernatural, the story is personal in its telling. It follows Adelene, a young heroine who discovers her true identity when all of the clan leaders, including her father, are murdered in a coup. Forced to accept her role as matriarch, she becomes her clan’s battlefield general, given rank as the enemy is approaching. Viewers go on this journey with her as she becomes a powerful warrior, and the possible savior of mankind, from the point of discovery. ”
They’re asking for $75,000 by July 31st, and they currently have over $7,000 of that after the first few days. If this sounds like your sort of thing, get over to Kickstarter and back the project! Of course, the more you give, the more you get back, with some generous rewards for higher-tier backers.
BBG Entertainment announced today the worldwide release of 
