The Walking Dead has become quite a big phenomenon, from comics, to TV, to games, to online talk shows. Speaking of which, the online talk show “Playing Dead” has just released its 4th episode and it has some nice gooey giblets of information as they talk to two of the designers of the game series, Sean Vanaman and Jake Rodkin.
The video is posted below, but as fair warning it does cover some spoiler material for The Walking Dead Episode 1, but they also cover some hints at what Episode 2 will have to offer. Episode 1: A New Day was released to a solid success of 1 million downloads in 2 weeks, so hopefully Episode 2: Starved for Help! can keep up the pace. Each episode is priced at 400 MS points on Xbox LIVE, $4.99 per episode on PSN or the season pass at $19.99, or on PC and Mac the whole season for $24.99 at Telltale Games’ website HERE, so check them out if you haven’t already. If you still aren’t sure, you can see Capsule Computer’s review of The Walking Dead: A New DayHERE.
Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. have announced that their collaboration with Revolutionary Concepts, Gesundheit! has been updated to version 1.1.0. The critically acclaimed puzzle game is back with a free bonus map, Twitter and Facebook integration, new cut scenes and retina display graphics for the iPad. The update also includes iCloud support for iOS versions.
Gesundheit! still retains the same extraordinary hand-drawn visuals and animation based on the concept art by film and TV animator Matt Hammill. The story follows an odd little pig with allergies, who narrowly escapes capture by monsters who have invaded the village. The has a unique and slightly-gross humour, but is a rather fun and charming puzzle.
It’s time to brush that dust off your Playstation Move as the fantasy tale of Sorcery hits Australian shelves today. Sorcery, developed by The Workshop, with help from SCE Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America, is the latest title in the Playstation Move library. Players take control of Finn, a sorcerer’s apprentice, who accidentally unlocks a great evil, spreading across the Faerie Kingdoms. Using his arsenal of spells, Finn must defeat the great evil and revert the world to its normal state.
“Sorcery has remained an eagerly anticipated title for PlayStation Move on PS3 since it was first announced and we’re thrilled to offer this unique title to gamers everywhere today,” Patrick Lagana, Marketing Manager of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia said upon the launch of Sorcery. “Built from the ground up with PlayStation Move in mind from the beginning, Sorcery takes full advantage of our motion controller’s precision to provide a compelling gaming experience that is sure to capture the imaginations of players of all ages.”
Sorcery uses a gesture-based motion control system for casting spells as well as chaining spells to create more powerful combinations. Players can also brew potions, solve puzzles, find new spells and items and upgrade any potions the player may have. The game is available now across Australia. Check out some screenshots of the game below, including the box art and BBC’s Steve Mould, who hosts Sorcery – The Science Behind The Magic.
This year E3 is going to be filled with many of the leading game publishers around the world, but for this article we are going to be forecasting for Ubisoft. Ubisoft have recently revealed a small amount of information on what they’ll be doing at this years Electronic Entertainment Expo.
The first thing that we’ll be forecasting is the conference dates and times for this group.
The conference kicks off at the following times on Tuesday June 5th
10:00AM NZST Auckland
8:00AM AEST Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart
7:30AM ACST Adelaide
6:00AM AWST Perth, Beijing
Like with last year, the Ubisoft panel will be being streamed live on Youtube at the following link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKRWubusKBU – and will also be streaming live on the UPlay service and on their Facebook page. Even better is that Ubisoft will be answering questions live at the conference that have been asked on their Facebook pages on Farcry 3 and Assassins Creed 3.
Ubisoft will also be showcasing various upcoming games off at their booth, such as –
Farcry 3
Assassins Creed 3
Rayman Legends
Rocksmith
and a competition on the upcoming Shootmania: Storm
Make sure you check back here for all the best info on Ubisoft as the news becomes available.
Nintendo of Australia has launched a massive campaign across the country today, challenging gamers with a copy of Mario Tennis Open for the Nintendo 3DS to hunt down Yoshi.
So how do you hunt down Yoshi exactly? What does that even mean? Well this Yoshi chase will involve gamers having to hunt down various coloured Yoshis by scanning QR codes in participating stores across the country. The stores which will be taking part are EB Games and JB HIFI, most of which across the country will feature said QR Codes which will unlock different coloured Yoshis. This week the Black Yoshi is discoverable at EB Games and the White Yoshi is discoverable at JB HIFI.
To see if your local store is taking part click here and see. What do you think of this wacky promotion for Mario Tennis Open? Let us know in the comments section below.
Dragon’s Lair Developer: Digital Leisure Platform: Xbox Live Arcade Release Date: May 18, 2012 Price: 800 MS Points
Story
When it comes to the plot for Dragon’s Lair, you really can’t get more basic. It’s your duty to take control of a clumsy hero by the name of Dirk the Daring and save a princess from the clutches of a dragon. Yeah, we have seen it all before, but this title really paved the way for Mario and Zelda in terms of a general narrative, and those who have not yet visited this lair are sure to find many small elements that have been nodded to quite a bit since 1983.
As far as other characters go, there are a few other faces to see aside from the bumbling knight. Princess Daphne is still the vixen she always was, Lizard King has remained menacing, and seeing that final famous cutscene is still as pleasing as it ever. There isn’t a lot more to say when it comes to story due to the short length of the game, but in true Bluth-styled fashion , this plot is campy and comedic the entire way through as it never takes itself too seriously, which is what makes it simply timeless.
Gameplay
As far as the actual gameplay goes with a standard controller, you will more than likely have to have a bit of nostalgia soaked in to appreciate what’s on display within Dragon’s Lair as it’s age does show. Players must watch the game unfold through the FMV sequences, and hit an appropriate button on the D-pad (or attack with the action command) at the right time to have their actions reflect the choices of the main character. For instance, if Dirk is falling, hitting left at the right moment can pull him up to safety, with the wrong input leading to a quick and immediate death. Players also must choose appropriate paths and attempt not to trigger booby traps as they traverse through the castle, which can also lead to death if performed incorrectly. It’s a game all about trial and error for the most part, and anyone with a lack of patience will find themselves frustrated within minutes due to Dragon’s Lair’s quick-to-kill punishment. Now, you do respawn right where you left off – so it isn’t too bad, but there were a few moments I had to wonder if the timing was a bit off
The new feature this time around is the added in Kinect support. Things still play out the same while utilizing the motion control, but you can now use your limbs and body to literally mimic Dirk. It’s a nice inclusion and works well enough, but I honestly preferred the controller as there just isn’t a lot to it. That really isn’t this port’s fault as Dragon’s Lair has always been a pretty straightforward title, but seeing some new sequences or mini-games added to actually push the purpose for the Kinect would have done a lot in terms of replay value. To be fair, there is a co-op mode, but this is a last-minute inclusion as well as it just requires two players to take turns as they make it to the end.
Visuals/Audio
Much like the story, the visuals are also pleasant and crisp, which goes to show just how much of an impact this title made so long ago. Animations are fluid and keep the pace of the game moving nicely, delivering some quality entertainment to those who are involved, or to those who happen to be spectating. Yes, the art style is fantastic, and it’s hard to spot a fault in this hand-drawn castle. However, I did feel as if I was running in place a bit too often due to re-used scenes that are mirrored just to pad out the length of the game. On a good day, most will be able to see everything Dragon’s Lair has to offer in under 15 minutes time. When half of the game is just mirrored images of previously visited locations, the appeal can quickly wear off as those gray hairs begin to stick out like sore thumbs.
Much like the visuals, there isn’t anything wrong with the sound. The music is utterly brilliant and creates a nice tone for the action sequences, while the light voice acting brings the cast to life – just like an iconic Disney film (SAVE ME!). Again, the sounds are retained for the mirrored scenes, which means you will be hearing the same effects more than once, so get used to any audible cues or effects early on as you will be quite familiar with all of the lot by the time you do battle with the dragon.
Overall
Dragon’s Lair did so much for the industry that it’s hard to show the game any kind of hate. Sure, there is re-used footage throughout and a good amount of repetition, but that delightful tale shines through brightly and makes this journey worth taking at least once. Even with Kinect support, this title doesn’t deliver enough to be truly fulfilling though, and unless you crave a hardcore nostalgic blast, the value just isn’t there. Dragon’s Lair doesn’t need my assistance to prove it’s worth, but newcomers might be more interested in checking out one of the many other options to play the game, rather than try it in an inferior form.
Shootmania Storm is the upcoming Online FPS which is set in a fast-paced fantasy world that is being said to be accessible from any PC. But what makes this game really interesting is the way it deals with the games maps and competitive aspects.
Shootmania Storm, as a lot of people may have noticed, is made by the team (Nadeo Studio, Ubisoft) that brought you Trackmania and as you can see, the name-sake has also carried over. This means that a similar philosophy has been incorporated into the Shootmania from Trackmania, namely that it is nearly entirely driven by player-made content. This is a good thing because the players really know what makes a good map and some of the best level designers in the industry took their start in the modding community.
What I really enjoyed about the trailer was that it showcased a rather unique looking game. On the one hand you had broken down medieval style castles and things, while on the other you had a sci-fi kind of player character that almost looked like it had came out of the Tron films. As I commented on the Youtube video –
This game looks like something that I’ll be giving a go, so I would recommend everyone at least check it out at some stage. Make sure you watch the embedded trailer below.
Today Nippon Ichi opened up their teaser website for one of their two 20th anniversary projects and this time it is for the PlayStation Vita game. Unfortunately the teaser site offers basically zero additional information about the game besides the fact that it appears to feature the below girl.
The image also features three other silhouettes which appear to be two men and one woman. At the moment the Japanese text has been left untranslated but rough translation shows that it means “The object of data gathering previously exceeded everyday life.” Currently there is still no word about what the genre of the game is even at this point, so it seems we will have to wait and see.
The other day Namco Bandai stormed the internet announcing a bunch of awesome Tekken Tag Tournament 2 stuff: release dates, pre-order information, collectors edition information, and more! However it’s also been revealed which DLC fighters you may get will depend on who you pre-order with. But don’t stress, because Namco Bandai have released a few character profiles to help you get to know your DLC fighters to help you decide!
Those who pre-order throughShopto.net will be able to play as exclusive DLC fighters Angel from Tekken 2 and Michelle Chang who has not made an appearance in the series since the last Tekken Tag almost a decade ago. For more information, check out their character profiles below.
Pre-Order throughZavvi.comand you can get your hands on exclusive DLC fighters Kunimitsu and Ancient Ogre! Kunimitsu, much like Michelle Chang will be returning to the franchise after a 10 year absence. Ogre on the other hand you’ve probably seen recently as a final boss for Street Fighter characters in Street Fighter x Tekken. For more information, check out their character profiles below.
Still can’t decide? Check out the video below for in-game footage!
The World God Only Knows Collection Studio:Manglobe Publisher:Madman Entertainment Format:DVD Release Date:April 18, 2012 Price: $59.95 – Available Here
Overview:
The harem genre as a whole is one that is regularly frowned upon due to it’s over-sexualization of women and general formulaic nature. The World God Only Knows has a pretty big task ahead of it, which is to defy the stigma against harem series. It’s something very few series are ever capable of pulling off, which is what makes The World God Only Knows so special, it does just that.
The World God Only Knows takes a tired genre and does something new with it. It’s the creativity and charm is what makes The World God Only Knows so very special and it’s what makes this a genre redefining series that must be seen to be believed. This series takes the harem genre onto untouched territory. It’s new, it’s fresh and it’s The World God Only Knows.
Story:
So what makes for a good harem series? Well there has got to be some cute girls right? Right. But what makes for a great harem series? Some good plot to support the cute girls right? Right. Well what makes for a brilliant harem series? Some cute girls supported by good plotting with something fresh and creative thrown into the mix right? Right!
The World God Only Knows fits into the brilliant harem series category. It takes the tropes of the genre and turns them on their head. It’s got a creative streak unlike any other harem series in recent memory and it’s stylish as hell to boot.
The series revolves around Keima the self proclaimed Conqueror of Women, the only thing is, all the women that Keima conquers don’t exist. He is a pro dating sim player and has gained online notoriety for his efforts, unfortunately though for Keima, the demons of hell have caught wind of his skill and sent the demon girl Elsie to work alongside him to free the women of the world of their ‘Loose Souls’.
In a strange way, The World God Only Knows is an anti-harem due to the fact that after Keima wins their hearts, they completely forget about all of it, leaving him alone with his 2D girls in his dating sims. It’s very unique and is something certainly different from the norm of harems, which generally involves a loser guy finding himself salivated over by all manner of women for no particular reason what so ever.
The World God Only Knows main theme is that love is something that is earned, but it’s also something that is fleeting. This is a comedy series but that message is undoubtedly a sad but true one. It’s this tenet that makes The World God Only Knows so profound, it connects on a deeper level than the average harem series because it understands that love is something that is hard fought and easily lost, something that anyone who has loved someone can relate with.
From start to finish The World God Only Knows is simply fun. The characters are endearing, the stories are memorable and the message is bold and true. This is not something that comes by everyday and it is a must watch.
Visuals and Audio:
Manglobe put a lot of effort into this series and it’s evident through every single episode. The animation is absolutely gorgeous, with a great deal of attention to detail, right down to the slightest of character ticks, this show is so lively in terms of animation. The show aesthetically is very vibrant and colourful and features some incredibly memorable character designs, in particular Elsie, whom is in many ways the iconic character of the series on looks alone.
In terms of the soundtrack of The World God Only Knows utilises a mixture of digital beats and more standard pop tunes, which is of course a great combination when you consider the subject matter of the show (a character who is a pro dating sim player being forced to earn the love of real world girls). The opening theme in particular is a great song in it’s own right and simply addictive. The soundtrack from top to bottom is catchy as hell and a perfect backing for this series.
Extras:
Now for the unfortunate news. Madman Entertainment unfortunately did not include any significant special features or extras in this release, which is disappointing to say the least. The only special features included is textless opening and ending songs, which is of course the standard for any anime release these days. There is not much else to say, besides that this is a poor showing for a series that deserved some more extras to compliment the already brilliant series.
Overall: The World God Only Knows redefines the harem genre through it’s sheer creativity. It takes a genre that is decades old and pumps it with new life in a way that most series can never achieve. It is the freshest spin on the genre in years and has some real heart underneath it. The heart beneath it all makes The World God Only Knows an endearing experience that must be seen.
While this particular release is a little low on special features, it is still a worthwhile purchase due to the excellence of the series itself. It is 12 episodes of anime brilliance, that is without a doubt The World God Only Knows.
