Nintendo is planning on having a little Pokémon extravaganza on October 7th as today they revealed that they will be releasing both Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 on that day for the Nintendo DS, allowing fans to play the first ever direct sequel to a Pokémon title.
But also set to be released on that same day, though with a much smaller impact, is the 3DS eShop title Pokémon Dream Radar. This little game allows players to catch Pokémon with the 3DS’ camera as well as use the game’s motion controls and Augmented Reality features. Interestingly enough, those who pick up the Dream Radar will be able to transfer Pokémon that they caught in the app to Pokémon White or Black V2. Interesting combination there.
So you have probably heard about the pocket-busting size that the new Nintendo 3DS XL will have when it is released later this year in North America. Well today it was revealed that Nintendo is planning to make it so the Nintendo 3DS XL will no longer be a portable handheld gaming device. They are planning on doing this by releasing a Circle Pad Pro for the Nintendo 3DS XL system.
So… while the poorly received 3DS accessory will expand the 3DS XL to an even larger size, assuring that even the biggest cargo pant pockets will have difficulty holding the thing. While many may argue that Nintendo should have included the second circle pad on this XL version, it would probably have royally ticked off anyone who already owns a Nintendo 3DS, so in the end this may have been their best choice.
Beeline Interactive’s latest game Dark Ring was released to the iTunes App Store today. Available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, Dark Ring is a collectable creature game. Players will take possession of a magical ring that allows them to summon over a 100 different creatures, such as dragons and demons, from three different classes to do their bidding. Players will equip, level, and grow their army of creatures to do battle with the enemy, whether they are the computer AI or real human players via the multiplayer mode.
Dark Ring is free to play and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store here.
Frederic – Ressurection of Music was featured in our very own MasterAbbot’s iOS Pick of the Week and now the team behind Frederic – Ressurection of Music is back with a huge contest worth $17,000 dollars. Yes, $17,000 with three zeros. The devs are giving away a limited edition set of white gold and diamond jewellery hand crafted by the Japanese artist HIROKO. This set was made in commemoration of Frederic Chopin’s 200th birthday anniversary and bears the serial number 001 of 200 and contains a necklace, a brooch, a ring, and a pair of earrings. To enter, purchase and play Frederic – Ressurection of Music and nail the high score. The competition starts July 1st and to celebrate, Frederic – Ressurection of Music will be free for two days. Check out the rules of the contest hereand snap up your copy of Frederic – Ressurection of Music here.
Honey Darling Author: Norikazu Akira Release Schedule: Oneshot Publisher: SuBLime/Viz Media Release Date: June 12, 2012 Price: Print $12.99, Digital $5.99 – Available Here
Overview:
Yaoi, for those that don’t know, centers around the relationships between two male characters, so it is often also known as Boys’ Love in English. Needless to say, if you’re the type of person interested in the bond that can be shared between two men, Honey Darling might be your cup of tea or even a gift for that special someone. The author, Norikazu Akira, has previously written Twin’s Labyrinth, Heart Strings, and Beast & Feast, so she has a decent amount of writing and art under her belt for Honey Darling and knows what the ladies (or guys) like. Want to be sure if this is the nightstand book for you or a friend? Keep reading to find out.
Story:
Honey Darling tells the tale of Chihiro, a do nothing kind of guy, that is completely non-committal to anything. That is until the day he happens upon the kitten Shiro and finds the drive to want to do more with his life. After Shiro gets sick and must go to the vet, Chihiro finds that he wants to learn how to be a vet and as luck would have it the big strapping vet Kumazawa is willing to take him in as a housekeeper.
The interesting thing about Honey Darling is that although it is a yaoi, it becomes more and more about cats and vetting. Realizing this herself, the author actually puts in side chapters from Shiro’s perspective and about vetting itself. This less subtracts from the story and more adds to the depth of the characters by showing more about what Chihiro is going through and doing in his time living with Kumazawa.
Those yaoi fans interested in lots and lots of sweet man love action will be kinda disappointed with this, as the story is based more on Chihiro and Kumazawa growing to love each other then jumping into things. Not that it doesn’t happen, but the story works up to it making the relationship the story goal and not the story matter. In this way Honey Darling is actually a good intro for those interested in getting into yaoi than the more hardcore fans.
Characters:
The characters are actually very well developed throughout the story. It is nice that the character pool is kept generally low, focusing mainly on Chihiro, Kumazawa, and Shiro with other characters providing outside views and conflict. So the main three drive the story, while the others will help steer or push it in different direction.
Animals lovers will definitely like this as well as besides Shiro actually being a cat, both Chihiro and Kumazawa describe and see each other as the animal they are closest to, a cat and bear respectively. This not only gives a good starting point for understanding the characters, i.e. Chihiro being drifty and quick to drop things when he’s bored or it’s too tough and Kumazawa being stern dominance as well as big, with beard scruff.
The secondary characters are a bit more flat, who for the most part can be summed up in their first few lines or introductions. They are mostly there simply to give the main characters people to talk to, but it would have been nice to see at least a little more depth out of them. The way the character interact gives the feeling that much more could have happened to expand the story, but instead it stays fairly short.
Artwork:
The art of Honey Darling has three distinct ranges within the story itself. The first is the most common, where the characters have a good amount of detail and are the general representations in the story. This one is probably the best as it makes the characters look the most like regular people, as well as showing off how good the characters actually look.
The second style is halfway between the standard characters and chibi style. The detail is toned down to display one specific type of emotion, in most cases this is ire between the main characters and some side character. This is a little haphazard, as the characters are made to look angry, but at the same time cute. Though looking cute all the time is probably a main tenant in yaoi anyway.
The final style is really just showing off the characters as their animal side. For Chihiro, this means having cat ears whenever he’s being aloof and catty, from sleeping on the bed with Shiro to his surprise at his feelings for Kumazawa. The bear aspects of Kumazawa don’t show up nearly as much in drawing as Chihiro, but they still happen a bit and in pretty humorous ways.
The final aspect of the artwork is probably the main elephant in the room, with how much the manga actually shows. Hardcore fans might be a little disappointed, but for the most part the naughtiest bits are blurred out white. Scenes still take place and actions still happen, but imagination is required to fill in all the little (and big) voids.
Overall: Honey Darling is a pretty fair Boys’ Love yaoi, that provides a good start or introduction for anyone interested in seeing what they are about, but worried about seeing too much too quickly. The story in some places feels a bit rushed, in that a lot more could have been expanded and more character depth could have been done, but for the most part its good at what it does. Ladies (or guys) looking to get themselves a little something for themselves or a friend, who has a soft spot when it comes to pets, can probably enjoy what Honey Darling has to offer. Though hardcore yaoi fans would probably get their kicks elsewhere.
Pokemon Trainers looking forward to the upcoming Pokemon Black and White 2 games will be feeling a sense of joy at the launch of the Official Pokemon Black and White Version 2 websites launch a short while ago. The website is stock full of information and other kinds of presentations for the upcoming Black and White 2 versions of the series.
Having a quick look around on the site we can see that there is detailed information on much of the games’ story, region and more. In order, the site has contents on –
Story
Characters
Pokemon
Locations
Gameplay
Online Features
Fun Stuff
Videos
News
Players will also be glad to know that they can pre-order the game from website by clicking on a link at the bottom of the navigation bar. So if you’re a Pokemon fan, or are just plain interested in the upcoming games, be sure to take a look at the official Pokemon Black and White 2 website.
GAMEVIL has just released a new game to download for FREE on iOS devices with MOLEHEART. MOLEHEART is the tale of William, Prince of the Mole Kingdom, who has to save the kingdom from evil. Part defense, part RPG MOLEHEART features William as much in the action as the other units players must utilize to deploy to protect different locations across 60 stages.
Through skill building and leveling up, players will be able to successful defend through the real-time strategy gameplay, continue the story, and save the kingdom from all the foes that threaten it. Plus, if you can’t tell from the picture overhead, the game has a fairly unique, stylistic set of characters.
Players interested in downloading MOLEHART for FREE from the App Store for iPad, iPhone, or iPod can find it HERE.
Sonic Underground: Rock On Studio: DiC Entertainment Publisher: Beyond Home Entertainment Release Date: 27/06/2012 Price:$19.95Available Here
Overview:
Any gamer who grew up during the 90s will tell you just how huge Sonic the Hedgehog was, in particular his days on the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis). While the popularity of the franchise is still quite strong today, but back in the 90s and even during the Dreamcast era, the franchise became a pop culture phenomenon and Sonic himself attained superstar status. The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise would venture to other forms of media, which included a highly successful and long running comic book series, several Western animated series, and even an anime feature films and series.
Sonic Underground was one of the major animated series based on Sonic the Hedgehog, alongside the early Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and the immensely popular (and arguably the best Sonic animated series) Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series.
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog offered an extremely goofy and slapstick portrayal of the games and the characters. Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series was strongly based on the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series, borrowing much of the premise and characters from it, and was perhaps the most popular of all the animated adaptations produced in the West. The show was dark, had serious character development, and a very compelling story. Sonic Underground followed after the two aforementioned shows, and is perhaps the most unique and unusual adaptation of them all.
Sonic Underground is an oddity, for one thing it’s a very large departure from the Sonic franchise in general as unlike the other animated series, it seems to be very loosely based on the franchise and its known canons. Sonic Underground offers its own unique take on the Sonic story and in a way, presents an alternate universe and canon.
Story:
Sonic Underground, like most canons in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, takes place in the planet of Mobius. The planet was once ruled by the loving and caring Queen Aleena, however a war breaks out and her rule is overthrown by none other than the primary Sonic the Hedgehog antagonist, Dr. Robotnik and his robotic army. To save the Kingdom and her lineage, and in line with an ancient prophecy, she separates herself from her three newly born children by hiding them. Her three children are actually triplets, Manic, Sonia, and yup you guessed it…Sonic himself. So here’s a world where Sonic has siblings, and is an heir to royalty.
Sonic, Sonia, and Manic lead separate childhood, but in line with an ancient prophecy, they were reunited and formed a rebel group by the name of Sonic Underground, and together with other freedom fighters, fight against Dr. Robotnick and his tyrannous rule. The show essentially follows the adventures of the Hedgehog siblings, as they fight against Robotnick and his army, while also pursuing their long lost mother, Queen Aleena. The series ran for 40 episodes, which is a pretty impressive run, but the show was never concluded. This DVD collection by Beyond Entertainment covers the first 18 episodes of the series, spread across two discs.
Each episode features Sonic and his siblings going up against Robotnik and his henchmen, in particular Robotnick’s loyal sidekicks, Sleet and Dingo. They involve several unique scenarios and situations that the hedgehog siblings need to fight out of, and in just about every episode they seem to catch a glimpse of their mother, but always letting her slip away. Their journey is mostly driven by the search of their mother, and unfortunately for them, Robotnik and his henchmen too are in pursuit of Queen Aleena, so they cross paths more often than they would like to.
What’s unique about Sonic Underground is how it’s centered on music, as Sonic, Sonia, and Manic, each carry a pendant, which allows them to summon a mystical electronic instrument that can blast enemies. So instead of the usual Sonic attacks, he and his siblings fight by playing music, and to go with the musical theme, most episodes feature a special song performed by the Sonic Underground band.
It’s a very strange depiction of Sonic, and while it is decent for what it is, it ends up feeling like a work of fan-fiction rather than a properly produced canon. From the music elements, Sonic having twin siblings, and the whole premise, it’s all just very odd and unusual. The episodes, while offering a different plot, still follow a predictable pattern where the good guys somehow triumph over bad guys even with odds stacked against them. The main characters are actually not too bad, as they are interesting and have decent development throughout the series. Manic for example, was raised in a very poor environment and struggles to let go of his old habits, such as stealing. The siblings have an interesting dynamic, and there are even some appearances of other characters from the Sonic universe, such as Knuckles the Echidna.
The storytelling in the end, feels a tad bit generic and shallow, but still has sufficient unique elements to make it an interesting viewing experience. This show is going to be a love/hate thing for Sonic fans, simply because it is so very left-field and unorthodox. For everyone else, there isn’t anything particularly remarkable about this animated series.
Visuals and Audio:
Sonic Underground has been reproduced really well for this DVD collection as the production is crisp and everything looks really nice on updated resolution. The show has aged well, far from being the best example of Western animation, but it does the job well enough. The soundtrack is probably going to be an acquired taste, the cringe-worthy rock opening theme will get stuck in your head (not a good thing to be honest) and the songs featured in the episodes are pretty corny and cheesy. Sonic Underground was obviously meant to be a children’s show, and so the nature and content of the songs are aimed at a much younger audience.
Extras:
Apart from the 18 episodes, there really isn’t anything in terms of extras. That said, this is a very well-produced re-issue of a very obscure cartoon series and the price isn’t bad either.
Overall:
Sonic Underground is a hard show to recommend, due the obscure nature of it. That said, it’s actually a nice opportunity for Sonic fans to revisit a rather experimental era of the Sonic franchise. For everyone else, there really isn’t anything special here and you’re not going to miss out on much. Overall, this one is for the curious Sonic fan.
Remember .Hack//? Yeah the anime about the MMORPG. Well a new series with a similar yet different premise is starting up soon. That series is Sword Art Online, a series which focuses on that distinction between reality and the video-game world. A new preview trailer has been released for the new series which you can see below.
Sword Art Online comes from the mind of Reki Kawahara of Accel World fame and focuses on a scenario in which players are trapped within a virtual reality MMORPG with in game death resulting in real world death.
The series is set to premiere soon as part of the Summer 2012 anime season. Be sure to check out the trailer for Sword Art Online below and let us know what you think in the comments section.
The Resistance series is being placed on the side after Resistance: Burning Skies producer Daniel Brooke revealed that Sony has decided not to continue the series in the near future in an interview with Official Playstation Magazine UK. This follows the decision from Insomniac Games to stop developing the main series, handing back the IP to Sony. The Resistance series contains three Playstation 3 games, which comprises the main trilogy and two portable spin-offs: Retribution for the PSP and Burning Skies for the Vita.
This is the quote from Brooke:
“The Resistance franchise has been exciting to work on but as for the future we have no definitive plans”
While the overall reaction of Burning Skies has been mixed and sale figures of Resistance 3 not reaching the heights Sony wanted it to reach, the series has reached a crossroad. The Resistance games have offered an excellent story with well-developed characters (with the exception of Burning Skies), fantastic and interesting gameplay and some beautiful visuals and soundtracks. However, it is also lost in the current over saturation of the first person shooter genre, most of which try not to be different that the current market leader. Hopefully Sony reinvests in the series with releases on both the Vita and the Playstation 4.
