Gamers who own Forza Motorsport 4 can now add a brand new, extremely slick looking car to their collection as Turn 10 has released the 2013 SRT Viper GTS as a free piece of DLC for the game. It is worth noting that although the download itself is free, gamers will still need to pay in-game money to race this bad boy unless of course you have the money to race one in real life Mr. Moneybags.
Those who are interested in picking up the DLC can do so here. Those who have yet to pick up Forza 4 may also be interested in downloading this car as Turn 10 will be releasing a new car every month for free.
First up for this month is PressPausePlay, which focuses on the impact of digital technology on the creative media. In the spirit of the documentary the title will be released exclusively on digital format, making it the first Madman published title to be so. It features appearances from artists such as Moby and Hot Chip, and explores what has happened to the world of creativity now that everyone can instantly be seen and heard. Keeping things in the vein of reality, Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest follows the career of the titular groundbreaking American hip hop group. Talking heads paying tribute include Mos Def, Pharrell Williams and the Beastie Boys. If you think you have never heard of these guys then simply complete this lyric to prove yourself wrong: “Can I kick it?”
Buck is a story of triumph against the odds, chronicling the life of Buck Brannaman, a real life ‘horse whisperer’ who overcame his abusive childhood to become an unsung hero to those whom he helps. The film picked up the Audience Award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and is likely to hit hardest with those who have any connection with horses, or indeed, any experience with abuse. If you prefer your transport to have four wheel and a deck then the intriguingly misleadingly titled Dragonslayer is probably more up your street, following the life of one young Californian skater. Taking place in a down on it’s luck Inner Californian suburb, the film features footage shot by the participants themselves and an indie rock soundtrack to match.
Roland Emmerich adds yet another movie to his already copious set of apocalypse specials (2012, Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow), this time cranking up the heat of the sun to leave Earth a scorched and barren wasteland – Hell. A group of siblings set out in search of water and meet with a mysterious man along the way – what could possibly go wrong? Knowing Emmerich, the dog will survive. Adding a bit of serial killing to the mix is Revenge: A Love Story which uses a series of murders of policeman and their pregnant wives to try and set up some sympathy for it’s main character – who’s own pregnant partner was killed by a corrupt cop. The film follows the young man’s journey from innocent youth to presumed killer, with a heavy dose of violence along the way.
Moving from Hong Kong to Paries, we have The Woman in the Fifth. Ethan Hawke plays Tom, a washed up writer who emigrates to Paris in order to try and sort out his life and win back his estranged family. Whilst there he meets the mysterious Margit (Kristen Scott-Thomas, of course) and the two start out on a passionate affair (of course). Things begin to disintegrate when a series of inexplicable events occur, leading Tom to ponder exactly who Margit is, and what she is hiding. The OSS17 Collection finally adds some light heartedness to the month of releases, bringing some of the earlier work of Oscar winners Michel Hazanavicius and Jean Dujardin (The Artist, Director and Lead Actor respectively) to light. Dujardin stars as the chauvinistic, egotistical spy OSS17 in these tongue in cheek comedies.
Late Bloomers stars William Hurt and Isabella Rossellini as a married couple who begin to drift apart after thirty years of marriage – fear not, this is a comedy! As health scares begin to rear their head and careers wind down, the two find themselves reacting in often unpredictable and infuriating ways, so much so that their three adult children begin to come up with schemes and tricks to keep them together. Another new entry for your comedy shelf is Sleepers, a satirical and quirky show about forgotten Russian sleeper agents who have now become more English than Russian. Starring the most English man alive, Nigel Havers, the series catches up with two forgotten sleepers just as the KGB & MI5 both decide to track them down.
More TV shows are lining up for some attention, with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – Friendship Changes Everything Volume 1,which is the first batch of episodes from the now eerily popular show. If you don’t know your Pinkie Pie from your Fluttershy (good on you) then this is the place to get started.Ben 10 : Destroy All Aliens takes it’s hero back to being ten years old again and throws in some CGI effects, with that same computer generated path being followed by Transformers: Prime (V1) – Darkness Rising, which stars the original voice actors for Optimus Prime and Megatron, but is also being brought to the table by the people responsible for the trio of Michael Bay movies…
Dragon Age – Dawn of the Seeker is the much publicised prologue to Dragon Age II which follows the story of Cassandra, the Templar interegator who keeps Varric talking throughout the game. Full Metal Alchemist: The Movie – The Sacred Star of Milosrounds out the veritable horde of releases for this month, and finds the Elric brothers caught up in a rebellion. Leading the conflict is a young alchemist called Julia, who will go to any lengths to save her people.
And that is it once again for this month, keep your eyes peeled for the next batch of Madman releases.
Welcome back for this week’s iOS Game Suggestions. If you missed or are new to the suggestions, click on the link below and check what cool games you should be picking up for your iOS along with the introduction and disclaimer on how the suggestions work. (suggestions 1 has the disclaimer and how it all works)
A pretty good week on iTunes, as always it started slow but ended up quite reasonably, certainly a few must buy game this week in both the FREE & over 99c department. This week i’ve suggested a total of 24 great quality titles. Break down below :
11 – FREE Games 6 – $0.99c Games 7 – Over $0.99c Games
As always for this week’s suggestions are all new titles that you should take a look at and consider spending your hard earned iTunes cash / time on. Well the Free games just below should all be given a shot as they are FREE!
NOTE MasterAbbott’s iOS Suggestion’s will be going on leave for the next 2 weeks because of E3 coverage.
For The Cheapskates – FREE GAMES
MasterAbbott’s FREE GAME PICK OF THE WEEK!
Soccer Superstars 2012 – Price : FREE – Publisher – Gamevil (Do you have what it takes to be the Soccer Superstar? Play Soccer Superstars 2012, the most immersive and dynamic soccer game on smartphones. Train your player and team with endless skill building and leveling options. Unlock special players and dominate the stadium against impressive AI or others players across the world. Soccer Superstars 2012 brings intensive team management and soccer game play to your device for endless hours of soccer fun.) on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Shrek’s Fairytale Kingdom – Price : FREE – Publisher – Beeline Interactive (ONCE UPON A TIME, there was an ogre named SHREK… Experience the twisted fairy tale of everyone’s favorite ogre in an all new way. Become part of the story! Earn the friendship of the solitude seeking Shrek as he outfits his beloved Swamp with all manner of ogre-ly comforts, including slug-laden logs, mud baths and an outhouse guaranteed to make any ogre green–er with envy. When the Fairytale Creatures of Far Far Away invade his peaceful Swamp, Shrek’s simple desire to reclaim his home begins the epic journey across the Kingdom, facing adventure, hilarious encounters, and eventually… True Love.) on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
MILQ – The Quest – Price : FREE – Publisher –Earl Gray Entertainment (Meet the Kindians and join their ultimate search for the perfect snack. After creating the coveted kookie, the Kindians inevitably launched the Massive Intergalactic Leche Quest (MILQ) in search of the holy and mystical substance called milk. The ancient texts lead them straight to planet Earth. Now it’s up to the alien hero, Klim, to make their dreams come true. But there’s only one problem, the cows won’t cooperate. Will you help the Kindians abduct the cows achieve their goals? Will the cows win their fight for freedom? Will you download this app? Let’s find out!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Min – A Space Adventure – Price : FREE – Publisher –Cwerki Studios (Min, is a planet, a very small planet, ruled by a people, a very small people known as the Minimar. For centuries the Minimar were divided and warred among themselves much like we do, but one day, as their world’s top scientists discovered ways to tap into their planet’s core and harvest its energy, the Minimar united, constructed a huge rocket attached to their core that they dubbed the core-cannon and united to take on a new endeavor, space exploration!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes – Price : FREE – Publisher – UBISOFT (James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch is a mind-bending puzzle adventure in an interactive 3D world! Experience the thrill of uncovering a deadly mystery as you solve over 150 tailor-made mind games. Hollywood, 1961.
As an expert in puzzles and riddles, you have been selected to participate in a famous TV game show. But the set of the show is in danger: as you play, you discover a series of murders targeting former candidates. The FBI needs your talent to solve the puzzles left by the killer and track him down… but be sure to find him before he finds you!) on iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Dice Soccer – Price : FREE – Publisher –6Waves Lolapps (Are you ready to roll for GOAL? Then grab your team and get on the field ‘cos this is surely the soccer showdown of the century. Only this time, we’re duking it out with Dice! So grab your strikers and goalies, roll their dice and watch out for some crazy action as they combine, powerup and show-off their awesome abilities on the way to scoring stellar goals.) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Marine Zoo – Price : FREE – Publisher –althi Inc (Make a wonderful aqua paradise in the blue sea! This is a magical zoo for fishes, “Marine Zoo”. In Marine Zoo, there are so many types of fishes enjoy swimming. Make your original and unique marine entertainment park
and show your wonderful park to your friends!! Why don’t you start keeping cute fishes in Marine Zoo?
Feed them, see their growth and fill your park with many fishes!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Elphis Adventure – Price : FREE – Publisher –Com2us (Colorful time-twisting casual RPG, Elphis Adventure! Enjoy the full story for FREE~ Red Riding Hood + Jeanne d’Arc + Liu Bei = Elphis?! Crazy yet intriguing! Scenario definitely differentiated from other time-traveling stories.
Roam inside fairytales, historical times, and other fantasy periods in Com2uS’ casual RPG “Elphis Adventure”!!
Lalala~ Another peaceful day for Red Riding Hood, and her Granny tells her to bring back some apples.
But when she came back home…. Granny’s gone?!?! Search for Granny by traveling through time, and find out who or what took her away! ) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
The Pilgrim’s Codex – Price : FREE – Publisher –Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (“The Pilgrim’s Codex” is a passionate 3D graphic adventure in which you will accompany Norberto de Bricasard on the search for his destiny through the Road to Santiago. As a medieval pilgrim, you will travel through real landscapes of the Jacobean Route and you will have to overcome the difficulties that arise on the journey. Awaiting you are magnificent characters, dark forces, thousand-year-old legends, trials and challenges to rise above until you reach your destination: the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Ultreia!! Travel well!!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Toon Shooters – Price : FREE – Publisher – Mooff Games (In a faraway place a long time ago, the Galactic Fleet threaten to eat the galaxy and Earth is the next target. Only one hope remains – the TOON SHOOTERS, a mischievous band of freelancers and rebel cartoon characters – each with their own amazing super powers and stories. Defend earth over land, sea and air – and then goto alien worlds and beyond. Kick the Fleet back to wherever they came from, so that everyone can have some peace and quiet once again.) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Rock All Zombies – Price : FREE – Publisher – IBA Games (A story where music decides everything.
Imagine that you and your band are in the garage playing your favorite music before a concert, where glory and general acclaim await you. But then – the lights go out. The city is plunged into darkness, and the screams and growls of the undead sound all around you. Your dreams of a better life dwindle with every passing minute. What will you do? Will you let the monsters steal your future or will you fight for what’s right…and do it
Hordes of zombies and a multitude of unique monsters will rise up to fight you on your path. Will they be able to resist the power of Rock? The power of your music?) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
For The Bargain Hunters – 99c Games
Centipede Origins – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – ATARI (Inspired by the Atari classic, Centipede: Origins brings an entirely new level of bug-blasting fun to the world-renowned franchise.Evil, plant-munching vermin are swarming into your precious garden and rapidly destroying everything! You, a peace-loving gnome, have no choice than to wage an all-out war against these vile creepy crawlies.Using extreme weapons and gadgets, protect your garden from the ambush of vicious bugs and the dreaded CENTIPEDE.Who will survive: GNOMES or BUGS?! YOU DECIDE!) runs on iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
Asphalt 7: Heat – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Gameloft (The completely revamped multiplayer lets you take on up to 5 of your friends locally or online. Keep track of who’s the best with the new Asphalt Tracker that lets you compare stats, show off achievements and challenge rivals. You can also find new online opponents with the matchmaking system. Practice haHit the speed of heat in the newest, fastest, most visually stunning edition of the famed Asphalt series.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
InnKeeper HD – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Monkey Eater (The island of Siquijor in Philippines is a beautiful place with pristine forests and wonderful beaches. However, rumors of monstrous beings called Aswangs prevent it from ever being popular. Your dream is to build an Inn in this place and make it popular for both local and international tourists while also unraveling the mystery behind the Aswang folklore.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Bravo Jump – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Sudo Game (Jumping! Jumping! Brave jump! Merciless ridicule those ruffian who are bullying the vulnerable children. Be careful not to be stumbled by the rope, they’re cunning. You have only 3 chances, otherwise the challenge will end. Tap longer, jump higher.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
The Secret Of Arcanesium – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Playtinum (It all started when I received the message from Professor Baumgartner. I was excited to know that Arcanesium was now a reality but. The professor had disappeared and he didn’t want me to contact him!!! Ominous thoughts raced through my mind. Was the professor in some kind of danger? I had to find out…
…But first I had to get to the professor’s lab. Enjoy the first episode of this entertaining point and click adventure to embark upon a journey to discover the ‘Secret of Arcanesium’) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Fish Heroes – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Craneballs Studios (Below the ocean’s surface, a gang of vicious sharks is ready to attack you, but the Fish Heroes are prepared to save the day. Each Hero has its own unique ability. There’s the tough-guy Piranha from South America’s waters with accelerating powers, the inflating Puffer with sumo-style techniques, the inky and intoxicating Octopus and many more. These heroic fish accompany you through an undersea adventure to bring an end to the Shark Mafia.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
For The Millionaires – All games over $0.99
MASTERABBOTT’S OVER 99c PICK OF THE WEEK
Yesterday– Price : $1.99 – Publisher – BulkyPix. (The first thriller by the indie studio that created the million-selling RUNAWAY saga! A psycho is killing beggars alive in New York. A Y-shaped scar forms in the hands of seemingly unrelated people. The press and the media just don’t care, so Henry White, a young NGO volunteer, will be the first to investigate the crimes with his friend Cooper. They are two of the three playable characters in Yesterday, the third being none other than the enigmatic John Yesterday, who is dragged into this twisted plot after his memory is completely wiped. How far will you go to find out who John Yesterday is?) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Campaign The Game– Price : $1.99 – Publisher – Insolita Studios (Did you ever think of creating an ad campaign with Sensitive Pirates? What about a TV commercial with Profound Zombies? or a web piece on Serious Spring Break? Then Campaign is for you! Get creative and make advertising history by leading a dynamic and spontaneous ad agency from the 80s to the 00s, all the way to the top! Create ad campaigns, work with pop and advertising superstars, win festivals and throw parties on your way to success. All that while dealing with loveable and smart (yeah, right) clients that just want you for your numbers! Unite your left and right brain in a glorious explosion of screen touching magic, or in other words: get creative and win the game!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Tour de France 2012– Price : $5.49 – Publisher – Extra Live (The OFFICIAL GAME of TOUR de FRANCE 2012!
Designed for you, the fans and players. The YELLOW JERSEY can be yours! A RACING GAME faithful to the Tour de France, also featuring aspects of a STRATEGY and MANAGEMENT GAME. Every detail has been engineered for your fun: breakaways, climbs, managing the peloton, accidents, eating, drops in power, and many more! Take control of a team of riders and choose the correct racing strategy, the best tactics, and then set off to win the YELLOW JERSEY like Cadel EVANS!.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
The Act– Price : $5.49 – Publisher – Chillingo (Introducing The Act – an exciting new interactive comedy that makes gaming feel like playing a classically-animated movie. Take control of Edgar, a humble window washer, and help him on his quest to save his job, rescue his brother, and woo the woman of his dreams!
In The Act, you control both Edgar’s actions and emotions. Swiping left or right with your finger will cause Edgar to react in different ways, and engage with other characters. Be careful, though, swipe too far and Edgar may get over-confident and things can get out of hand!) runs iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
Traffic Panic London – Price : $1.99 – Publisher – Neon Play. (Will you control Traffic or cause Panic?! The most chaotic traffic management game on the App Store comes to London! Join over 4 MILLION fans who have played the Traffic Panic series! Tap to change the lights and get points for safely crossing the traffic. If you cause an accident prepare for more points and an explosive cinematic visual feast!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Strike Soccer Euro 2012– Price : $7.49 – Publisher – U-Play Online. (The first unofficial football simulator for Euro 2012! After the success with Striker Soccer we launch the first football game with 3D simulator for European Cup 2012. Pick your favorite European national team from among the 16 strong nations competing for the ultimate European soccer glory, the Euro Cup 2012 and play to be crowned the champion! Prove you are the best commanding your players on the pitch!) runs on iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
RayStorm– Price : $9.49 – Publisher – TAITO CORP (RAYSTORM, the second installment in TAITO’s classic RAY series of arcade shooting games, locks on to iPhone!
TAITO is famous for arcade shooting games, and the RAY trilogy is one of its most beloved series! Beloved for its beautiful 3D graphics and exhilarating pace, the series’ second installment (following RAYFORCE) is now available in app form!) runs on iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
There you have it folks, these games should keep you busy for quite some time, well till next week at least. I’ll be back next week for another dose of iOS goodness, in the meantime if anyone would also like to suggest their own suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments section below.
More developments about Metal Gear Solid 5 have come out as PSM3 Magazine has revealed that the game will be taking place in Africa between 1974 and 1980. Speculation is that the events of Metal Gear Solid 5 will have Big Boss taking part in the creation of Solid Snake. Konami still has yet to make any official announcements, but Hideo Kojima seems to be giving strong hints about the game, and we will likely see Konami make the official announcement at the Tokyo Game Show. Tokyo Game Show takes place September 20th to the 23rd. Metal Gear Solid 5 is shaping up to be a great game.
What do you think about the latest developments on Metal Gear Solid 5?
Yesterday Square Enix released demos for Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance, and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy in all Pal regions. Each demo can be downloaded from the Nintendo E-shop. The full versions of the games will be releasing in July. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy on July 6th, and Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance on July 20th. North America will be seeing Theatrhythm Final Fantasy on July 3rd, and Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance on July 31st exclusively on the 3DS. So Plenty of Square Enix goodness to checkout this weekend. What do you think of the demos, and will you be picking up either of these games?
EA has released a new video to walk players though their new SimCity spin-off Facebook game SimCity Social which is set to launch in a couple of weeks time.
The new video guides players though the browser game and gives us a tastes of just what to expect. SimCity Social Producer Pete Lake, shows us a few gameplay features as well as a few tips and tricks.
For anyone that’s played The Sims Social will feel right at home here, both games feature similar interfaces. Players can visit their friend’s cities, deliver gifts and receive bonus by interacting with their friend’s buildings.
Lollipop Chainsaw Developer:Grasshopper Manufacture Publisher:Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Platforms:PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Reviewed) Release Date:June 12, 2012 Price: $59.99 – Available Here
Overview: Suda51 has been known for making some very unique and sometimes strange games in the past and now that he is the CEO of Grasshopper Manufacture he has been able to release a number of his titles to the world and one of these just happens to be Lollipop Chainsaw. Originally revealed last year it was extremely questionable whether or not the title would actually appear overseas until Warner Bros. stepped in to bring this unique title to North American shores. Can a title as quirky as Lollipop Chainsaw provide an enjoyable experience? You betcha but read on to find out more.
Story: Juliet Starling is a high school cheerleader at San Romero High School who wakes up on the day of her birthday ready to celebrate it with her friends in school and her boyfriend Nick. Her bubbly personality and love of lollipops has made her quite popular in school but she has one secret that no one knows about, and that is the fact that she is a zombie hunter. In the end this turns out to be a good thing however because on her way to school she finds that her whole city has become infested with the undead.
At her disposal she carries her two yellow pom poms and a large wicked (and sparkly) chainsaw that she uses to tear apart the zombies in her way. Unfortunately for her she finds her boyfriend a bit too late as he was bitten by a zombie. Now Lollipop Chainsaw is a game that practically takes nothing seriously so it only takes a few seconds for Juliet to decide that the best way to save her boyfriend Is to cut his head off with her chainsaw and strap him to her hip so he can bounce against her butt. With her boyfriend/fashion accessory in tow Juliet must find the reason for the zombies and put a stop to it, even if she has to battle against Viking drummers, zombie hippies and more.
Lollipop Chainsaw is a wild ride that never slows down for a moment. You have to give credit to a game that will literally never have you guessing what will happen next simply because everything that happens is absolutely outrageous. Juliet herself is hyper sexualized as she runs around in a number of tiny skirts and her peppy attitude never falters, though she seems relatively normal compared to the rest of her family who also happen to be zombie hunters.
It is unfortunate that the game’s storyline is relatively short in length however, as players will likely be able to finish each stage and complete the game in around six hours. However while the game’s storyline may be a bit on the shorter side, there are a multitude of unlockables, high scores to beat and collectables to find. All of these potential unlockables make Lollipop Chainsaw a title that is literally begging to be replayed more than a few times.
Visuals: As far as colors go, Lollipop Chainsaw has a literal rainbow of colors that can be displayed on screen at any time. There are a number of times Juliet will literally make rainbows appear in the air (alongside gushing blood of course) as she slices through zombies with fluid combo attacks.. The world itself is bright and colorful and each stage is unique and full of different features. The zombies themselves are usually designed to match the stage though they tend to be a bit bland after a while, though the Dark Purbeyors (bosses) are wonderfully designed.
Juliet herself is of course, smoking in appearances and players can unlock a number of costumes to change her into, with some later costumes capable of changing her appearance and hair color entirely. Now while Lollipop Chainsaw may be beautiful to watch, there are a number of hiccups as well as I experienced a number of texture pop-in issues with certain zombies and fell through the floor twice, resulting in the restarting of a checkpoint, though this was thankfully not a common occurrence.
Audio: All in all Lollipop Chainsaw earns its M-rating through dialogue alone as the Starling family and the zombies themselves are willing to curse and make blatant sexual references all throughout the game. Ironically given the way that Lollipop Chainsaw was designed, none of this feels out of place and the cast of characters themselves are well voiced by enthusiastic sounding voice actors.
As for the game’s background music, you can literally take your pick. Players will unlock various pieces of BGM as they make their way through the game and can swap out songs they prefer and boy are there a lot of songs to choose from. There are pieces of music that were originally created for the game as well as a large number of licensed songs ranging from classics such as the ever prominent “Mickey” and “Lollipop” to hard rock songs such as “The Way of the Fist” and “Heroes of our Time.”
Gameplay: At its core Lollipop Chainsaw is a simple third-person beat ‘em up game, with players taking out waves of different zombies with Juliet’s chainsaw and pom pom attacks. Juliet will use her pom poms often to deal out small amounts of damage as well as stun zombies into a groggy state, which makes them instantly killable with one swing from Juliet’s fancy chainsaw. Nearly all zombies must be dispatched with Juliet’s chainsaw and those who are able to take out more than three zombies with a single attack will trigger “Sparkle Hunting” which rewards the player with gold and platinum coins depending on how many zombies they killed at once.
Normal zombie kills will usually drop gold coins and players can destroy a number of objects in the environment to discover more gold coins. These “zombie coins” are then used for new attack combos, passive upgrades to Juliet as well as the aforementioned costumes, music and concept artwork. It is worth noting that Lollipop Chainsaw is extremely accessible to even the most fresh faced gamer as Juliet is quite easy to control.
Although she is easy to control, Juliet also possesses a wide variety of attack combinations which range from small button inputs to situational attacks. These combos range from simple to outlandish, with players able to lay out drop kicks, leap frog over enemies and slice them up through the middle or impale crawling zombies with a viscous finishing maneuver.
As the player takes out zombies they will earn stars which begin to fill up a gauge which, when activated, makes Juliet capable of dispatching any zombie (except bosses) with one swing of her deadly chainsaw. Besides this special mode Juliet can also use her boyfriend Nick’s head to perform a number of tricks with the use of Nick Tickets.
Going through each level players will be able to save fellow classmates and take part in various mini-games, though it is unfortunate that some of these minigames can result in a game over if the player is unable to finish them which will damage the player’s all important final score, as well as take on unique and outlandish final bosses called Dark Purveyors.
Interestingly enough, Lollipop Chainsaw contains an ever present score counter which will rack up points depending on how many zombies you kill, how many coins you’ve obtained, clear time and subtract points for deaths. These scores can then be compared to the rest of Juliet’s family, though the final goal is to beat your Dad’s score on each level and unlock a number of extra goodies.
Overall: Lollipop Chainsaw is like no other game on the market today. With a story that is never taken seriously, crazy yet enjoyable combat, pleasing aesthetic, varied soundtrack, a cast of vulgar characters to accentuate the game’s story and ease of playability Lollipop Chainsaw is the best title Suda 51 has put out in years. Some may be a bit disappointed by the game’s lacking length, but a number of unlockables and just sheer enjoyability of the title make it more than worth your time.
Sony has announced today that the first two games in Naughty Dog’s award winning Uncharted Franchise will be available on the Playstation store next week on July 26th. Both games will be available separately for $30 or together for $40. Sony also released a double pack back in September 2011 of the 2 games for $40. So if you’re a fan of physical media, you may want to check out the double pack. The version of Uncharted 2 will be the game of the year edition. So no need to worry about buying all the DLC, though most of the DLC is now free.
What do you think about Uncharted Drakes Fortune, and Uncharted 2 among thieves headed to the Playstation store?
Broken Blade Studio: Production L.G, Xebec Publisher:Madman Format: Blu-Ray (Reviewed), DvD Release Date: May 25, 2012 Price: BD $64.95 (Buy Here), DvD $59.95 (Buy Here)
Overview
In Cruzon, children are born with the ability to control quartz. This power allows them to levitate simple objects – or control enormous and complex mobile battle suits called Golems. This is the way that the publishers of the show would describe the premise of Broken Blade. At a very basic level, this is what the world presented in Broken Blade is, however, as you watch the series, you find that there is a much deeper and more intricate story at work.
The series is also rather unique in that it contains eight episodes that are 55 minutes a piece. Does this harm the series or enhance it? Find out by reading on.
Story
After reading the series’ premise, you’d probably think that this was a series about a group of teenage mecha pilots whop fly around and beat the crap out of other teenaged mecha pilots with some silly reason tacked on to the end to make the whole mechas fighting each other scenario plausible. If you did, then you had the same thoughts as I did going into the series. However, as I learned after watching it, this is not the case.
The story is actually about a group of young adults, raised in this world where this quartz manipulation magic is an every day part of their lives. However, one of the main characters is unable to harness this magic and is heavily shunned by society. Fortunately, thanks to the friendships he’s made earlier in his life, he has very close ties to the current royal family of his land. Unfortunately for the main characters, their best friend is from another land and he is cast as the main villain for the first few episodes. This gives the story a much more personal touch to it and significantly enhances the experience.
Of course, as a mecha series, the main concepts behind this series are war and the mechas themselves. In Broken Blade, the main character is unable to wield quartz magic and as a result he is recruited by his friend, the King, to try and pilot an ancient Golem that is probably built to withstand the efforts of quartz-magicians trying to pilot it. Over the course of the series, we watch as the lead character gets better as a pilot, as well as how constant battles with characters that were once friends affects the cast.
There are also a few interesting plot developments that happen over the course of the series, but delving too far into them would kill the drama. One thing that you have to be aware of is that each episode is almost an hour in length, but it never feels like it. Marathon at your own risk.
Visuals
Visually, Broken Blade is really good in some aspects, but isn’t as good in others. For example, some of the Golems look incredibly plain and generic, while others looks absolutely stunning. While this kind of inconsistency doesn’t degrade the series too much, it can sometimes be a little strange to see two different amounts of effort placed side-by-side. This is often the case with the CGI.
Now, I know that a lot of anime have been using CGI to animate objects for a while now, even though they used to only really be for effects. It is fine when done properly, but a lot series do it wrong. Broken Blade somehow does it both right and wrong. I am often reminded of how the quartz effects and sometimes the combat is handled with the CGI and it turns out really well. However there some other moments where I feel that it detracts from the scene, particularly when the 3D is placed next to 2D elements.
One of the greatest things about Broken Blade is its character designs. When I initially began watching the series, I thought that the character designer was Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, because a lot of the facial structures are very reminiscent of his work on Evangelion. However, I was surprised when I read that it was actually Takushige Norita who had designed the characters. I am now a fan of this guys character designs because of the way he designes his characters. Anything that reminds me of Evangelion is a plus in my book.
Audio
Upon writing this review, I can’t say that I can recall much about the Broken Blade soundtrack. I’ll regard this as a bad thing as a series with a memorable soundtrack is a series that is a memorable series. I mean, how many of you would regard Evangelion as highly if it had a generic techno/synth-rock soundtrack? What if Cowboy Bebop had an orchestral soundtrack as opposed to the Jazz?
Unfortunately, Broken Blade does not really have that kind of unique soundtrack to call its own. I feel that the show could have been greatly enhanced if it had the same amount of attention paid to its audio as it had on its visuals and story. Broken Blade does, however, have an awesome and fitting opening and ending song. I suggest you check those out ASAP.
Extras
Broken Blade, as a package, is very light on Extras. The package itself has a cleaner cover on the inside, I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be reversable or not, the packaging doesn’t say, but it does have some very nice artwork on it. The package also includes textless opening themes and trailers. This is incredibly bare-bones, but having less features doesn’t really detract from the experience at all.
Overall
Broken Blade is a worthwhile purchase, particularly on Blu-Ray, for any and all Anime fans out there. The character designs are wonderful, the opening and ending themes are fantastic and the story is fairly interesting. It goes beyond the whole teenage-angst giant robot beating up on a giant robot rhomp that we’ve come to expect from the genre and as a result Broken Blade has only benefited. Be sure to pick this show up, or if you can;t, at least try and find a rental somewhere.
Gameloft releases a new entry in the Asphalt series with about as much frequency as Activision with Call of Duty. Some call that kind of release schedule cashing in, but when Asphalt 7: Heat delivers on every level you’d expect from a handheld racing game, then there’s not much to do but praise the game.
Well, that, and thank your lucky stars that unlike its previously noted console comparison it provides more value than your average morning cup of coffee.
Gameplay
Asphalt 7: Heat provides everything you’d expect from a console-released racing game.
Career mode features thirteen cups, each with several races each, and each cup is unlocked through use of a star system familiar to anyone who’s played recent iOS games: each race gives one, two, and three star challenges. Once these are accomplished, the stars are used as a form of in-game currency to unlock more races, and then the cycle repeats itself ad infinitum. These career races include various modes: drifting challenges, races against the clock, forcing other players to crash, and the like.
There’s also in-game dollars to be earned via in-race pick ups and simply by completing the races themselves. This cash can then be spent on upgrading your car and purchasing new vehicles (including an unlockable DeLorean. Yes, that DeLorean). The upgrades, though useful, were generally a waste of cash however, and that ties in to the game’s controls.
You see, Asphalt 7 is not difficult, and the default controls only make this point clearer. Acceleration is automatic – all you have to do is tilt your iDevice for steering controls and tap the screen for a nitrous boost. Railing along most of the tracks in the game doesn’t really help with the lack of challenge, either.
But aside from making upgrades obsolete, the lack of true difficulty is something that will annoy, but not hamper the experience, especially as you unlock more advanced cups. Besides, who wants to be maniacally tilting a phone during their morning commute on the train?
For those who require a more hands-on approach to controlling the minutiae of racing, the other control schemes included make good use of the touch-screen on even an iPhone: the buttons are cleverly placed so as to never obstruct truly vital screen space.
Asphalt 7 also features a robust multiplayer suite, both online and on local Bluetooth, with races capable of handling up to six people over fifteen different tracks. Results in both career mode and multiplayer can be shared via Asphalt Tracker, so you and your friends can engage in not-so-friendly competition.
For those looking for just a quick fix of Asphalt, there’s also a Quick Race mode that zooms you right into the action.
As an arcade racing game, Asphalt 7: Heat provides what you’d expect from a full-price retail racing game, minus some shines and baubles, and plays well enough to keep you interested well beyond your 99 cents’ worth.
Audio & Visual
Asphalt 7: Heat‘s presentation is outstanding.
The graphic’s engine got quite a lot out of the Retina display of even my ageing iPhone 4, and the occasional frame rate hiccup didn’t distract from the experience at all. Sunlight flares as you speed over hills, the varying real-world locations look stunning, and the cars themselves look great. The only complaint you could levy at the visuals is that car damage is not shown on your vehicle, so you’ll have no idea how close you are to getting wrecked.
The audio suite is also impressive. The track to most of the game features electro that sounds as clear as can get. However, if that genre of music does to you what it does to me (generally my ears begin to bleed, and then I curl up on the floor, desperately scanning my phone’s music library for some rock classics) then there’s the option of turning it off and listening to the sounds of pure motor, tires, and crunching metal; hopefully not too much of the latter.
Music taste aside, Asphalt 7 looks great, sounds great, and will constantly impress you with special effects like the fireworks over London or the bright lights of Shanghai.
Overall
Asphalt 7: Heat is a solid arcade racer whose only flaw is that it seems to merely be going through the motions. On paper it ticks all the boxes, but there’s nothing new, innovative, or special about it. However, it provides strong core gameplay, beautiful visuals, and polish that makes similar games pale in comparison.
Asphalt 7: Heat is a console experience on your portable device, and at 99 cents, it offers a far better value proposition. It will be very difficult for any other iOS racer to top this game… well, at least until Asphalt 8 hits the app store.
