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Arc Style: Soccer 3D Review

Dustin Spencer
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Arc Style: Soccer 3D
Developer: Arc System Works
Platform: Nintendo 3DS eShop
Release Date: April 12, 2012
Price: $6.99 DOWNLOAD NOW!

Overview
When you think of the eShop, you think of platformers and addictive little puzzle games. Yes, there are a few sports titles on the service, but none have ever been too eyebrow raising or worthy of much mention. To shift the tide a bit on the genre, Nintendo have release Arc Style: Soccer 3D, exclusively for the 3DS’ downloadable service. Along with 3D visuals, this title also brings about a ton of customization and cutesy graphics that give the game a pleasant, yet silly appeal. Does this balling romp shoot a goal, or should you just stick with the retail offerings on the platform for a more fulfilling soccer fix? Here is my review for Arc Style: Soccer 3D.

Gameplay
When you look at the raw, core product of Soccer 3D, there isn’t a lot there. Single player has two modes – Exhibition and World Tournament. Exhibition is as you would expect, and lets you go head to head with another team until the timer runs out, with the victor of course being the team with the most points. World Tournament plays nearly the same, but has the player take on the default World teams one after another, until a champion is crowned at the end. Yeah, it’s your standard fare for the sport, but thankfully the controls are solid enough to provide a good deal of entertainment, even if it is just for short bursts.

Speaking of movement, it’s quite easy to hop in and instantly catch on to the control scheme, as everything is pretty basic. Players run with the slide pad, which effectively moves your character around the field, and use the face buttons to perform their techniques. Passing is done using the B button while on offense, and other inputs offer a small variety of other techniques such as dashing and performing charged or uncharged shots to knock the ball into the goal. A special maneuver can also be performed, which allows for one big burst of energy to be put behind the ball in order to make a goal. Defense keeps the simplistic swing of things moving along as well, with slides and the ability to change players done at the tap of a button. Now, one could argue that there isn’t much depth to the gameplay due to the accessible nature to it all, but that seems to be the general concept of Soccer 3D. Instead of intense competition, this is the soccer game you play to simply relax.

That simplicity does come at a bit of a cost though, as the opponents AI for the single player modes could have definitely seen more attention. Half of the time, the opposing team spent a good portion of a match just running around in all directions, as if they didn’t know what was going on. When my foes finally did try to play the game and go for a goal, it was right back to their “zombie land” state afterwards, playing endless games of pass the ball until our team was back on offense. This isn’t a crippling flaw by any means, as you are still performing the same objectives and there are moments when you do have to step up your game, but those looking for something with a true challenge are sure to feel disappointment before the first timer runs down. Luckily, there is a local multiplayer mode in tow that lets players go up against a real competitor and test out all of their own special play-styles.

The core game may be where the meat of the game is, but the delicious seasonings come in the form of customization. Players can create their own team from scratch and craft every detail of their team, from appearance to techniques. Want to make a team of rabid kindergartners or tall, bald businessmen? Well, you can. The color choices are very broad for both hair and eyes, and these Mii-like personas become much easier to love when you get to add your own little charms into the mix. Even the names of each individual teammate can be changed, which allows the player to then have complete control of who they want out on the field.

This editor also provides customization for abilities as well, which allows each member of your team to feel different from the next. My personal favorite of all these options though comes with the use of the 3DS’ built in camera. In just a few, short seconds, the player can snap a photo and then paste their own face to one of these custom characters. We have seen this before in Photo Dojo (which allowed for a full body image to be captured), but having a squad of you and all of your friends and family is definitely a fun addition and one that makes Arc Style: Soccer 3D stand out among all the other sports games currently available on any handheld.

Visuals/Audio
Even though “3D” is in the title, I preferred for it to stay off for a good portion of my playtime with the game. It’s not that the effect is poorly implemented – it’s just unnecessary. Even with the slider up all the way, I got little satisfaction from seeing these subpar models in 3D. You see, the presentation is decent, but the models themselves are a bit generic and blocky. Yeah, this is partly the art design for the game at fault, but the 3D seems to just make every flaw stick out. With that said, I didn’t hate the appearance of the characters and seeing the goofy “macho” and “runt” characters battling for the ball is a charming affair, but one that is better enjoyed without the extra dimension of gimmickry.

As far as music goes, small, catchy tunes make up a cheerful and “fun” little soundtrack to play to, which captures the lighthearted atmosphere well. None of these tunes are masterpieces by any means, but they certainly can be earworms and in a matter of time, you will be humming along as you run down the field to make a goal. One missed opportunity however comes in the lack of voices for the game. I know there shouldn’t be dialogue in a game like this, but little squeaks or signs of audible life would have worked really well here.

Overall
Arc Style: Soccer 3D isn’t an amazing soccer game by any means. The main game is pretty bare bones and delivers just enough of the sport for fans to enjoy. The one-sided single player mode means there isn’t a lot of challenge, but younger players are sure to love how accessible and easy the game is to actually play. The customization aspects however are enjoyable and can be fulfilling to either party, allowing one to spend hours conjuring up teams and letting their imagination run wild. Is Soccer 3D the next Fifa or Wii Sports? No. It is a charming little game with some interesting features though, which makes it easy to recommend for anyone wanting some simple soccer on the go.

7-0-capsules-out-of-10

Ghost Recon Alpha Short Film Launches

Claire Phillips
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It’s becoming something of a trend for developers and publishers to produce short films to sit in tandem with their games. Dragon Age, Assassin’s Creed and Halo are just some of the big name games to have received the short film treatment, even if it was only for an ad. Jumping on the bandwagon is Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier, which has seen the premiere of it’s own live action short today – Ghost Recon Alpha.

So why should you care about yet another short film tie in? Well this one features the four playable characters from Future Soldier in the leading roles, and is set moments before the game’s storyline kicks off. Players will also be able to recognise the location in the film as one of the multiplayer maps to be available in the game. In short it is a very in depth (to the tune of 25 minutes) opening cut-scene that will set things up for Future Solider.

For those interested in it’s cinematic credentials then fear not, there are a slew of talented crew behind the film, with an Oscar nominated script writer and the cinematographer from District 9.

If material gain is more your thing, then there is also a secret code hidden somewhere in the movie, which when entered via the Ghost Recon Network will unlock an exclusive weapon for the game, which hits consoles on May 24 . The network was previously home to the game beta, but has been shutdown until May 22. Of course you’ll need a Uplay account to access it, along with the full version of the movie.

The trailer for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Alpha is attached below, and the full short film can be found here – remember you’ll need to have a uPlay account to see it. If you fancy watching the film elsewhere, then you’ll be able to catch a screening this Friday at 11.30pm AEST on digital channel One. The Collector’s Edition of the game will also come with a DVD copy of the film.

Reflexio Review

Michael Irving
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Reflexio
Developer: Box Jellyfish Studios
Publisher: Box Jellyfish Studios
Platform: PC
Release Date:  May 9
Price: $4.99
Available Here

Overview
The best indie or small-scale games are built around one or two basic ideas, feature a directed visual style and a catchy soundtrack. Reflexio’s central mechanic is ingenious, but how does its execution hold up?

 

Gameplay

You play as a koala (for some reason) who has a magic umbrella (for some reason) that lets you reflect the world (for some reason), to collect zippers (for some reason) and aim to be eaten by a zip-faced monster thing. But don’t let the context (or lack thereof) put you off: that reflection mechanic is solid and unique.

Each level is basic platformer fare, set across a grid of blocks, with an “axis” through it somewhere, around which the environment is reflected at the push of a button. Objects and blocks move relative to their proximity to the axis. So, far left of screen becomes far right, objects close to the line move a short distance, etc. Your character stays where he is, and moves the level around him to open paths or provide platforms. Your aim is to collect all the zips littered around the level, then reach the end – which is a weird little backpack monster, or something.

To build on that, the axis can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal,  and there may be more than one to choose from. These require a fair bit of lateral thinking, as you figure out which axis will rotate the level the way you need it.

All up, it’s a very interesting way to manipulate and traverse the environment, and like most “new” puzzle game concepts, it can be hard to wrap your head around at first. It takes time to learn to predict where blocks will move once reflected, and which axis to use to get them where you want them. Levels being made up of plain squares helps a little, but often trial and error becomes the most viable method. A grid laid over the whole level might have improved the learning curve – especially as being wrong by a single block can result in a restart.

If you happen to be in the way when a block is reflected into that space, it can kill you, but it isn’t consistent. Sometimes it just pushes you out of the way, or traps you inside the block. It seems the game intends for you to die if “hit” by a block, but interestingly, it’s a relief when it fails to register the hit: restarting due to a miscalculation of one block is frustrating, but when it messes up and traps or pushes you, you just reflect it back, move the character and try again. That seems like a much more forgiving system, given the complications of trying to guess where everything will move.

That’s not the only area that’s more complicated than necessary. When choosing which axis to use, separate keys are used to switch to each, depending on which direction they run. So, W and S switch between horizontal lines, A and D between vertical ones, and X for diagonals. During play it often takes a bit of finger-scrambling to select the right axis. The window to pick one is usually wide open, but it still feels awkward.

Visuals & Audio

Reflexio’s presentation sadly lacks spark. There’s nothing wrong with a simple art style, but Reflexio’s is a bit too plain. The odd hint of personality still shines through, but it isn’t quite enough to properly colour the game.

The basic blocks are useful mechanically, but they don’t look very appealing. Despite being a little too “cutesy”, the character works, and the goal of each level, that little backpack creature, is adorable.  Likewise, the backgrounds are appropriately pastel to help the foreground stand out, and feature subtle, charming images that I didn’t even notice for a while. All this hints at a personality for the game that didn’t quite make it through strong enough.

Unfortunately, the audio is even weaker. The music won’t stick with you long, and the only real sound effect is a conspicuously loud jump noise. With my speakers at a normal volume, the sound had enough bass to it that my dogs actually started barking from the other end of the house, and ran up the hall to investigate. I’ve never seen them do that for anything.

To be honest, I ended up muting the game and playing other music in the background.

Overall

If I’ve come across as too negative, I didn’t mean to be. The potential exhibited in Reflexio has me very excited, even if it isn’t as polished as it could be. It feels like Narbacular Drop: its central mechanic is genius as a concept, but the project needs some work to become Portal. With a lick of paint and a bit more depth, the game, the team, or both, may be headed for great things.

5-0-capsules-out-of-10

 

GAME Australia gone into administration

Roger Ma
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Australian video game retailer GAME has gone into administration, leaving the future of its 500 employees and 92 stores at risk. Accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been appointed voluntary administrator of GAME Australia, which confirms earlier rumors that the video game retailer had entered administration.

In a statement released by PwC administrators Kate Warwick and Greg Hall, they express their concerns for the video game retailer and have stated that the administrators aim to maintain ‘business as usual’ for its customers.

However, GAME Australia is yet to confirm the impact of its administration on its products and on the status of thousands of dollars worth of customer loyalty cards, pre-orders, gift cards and in-store credit which all hang in the loom.

In a statement provided on GAME’s website, the company is still honouring pre-orders on Diablo 3 and Max Payne 3 – two high profile games that are set to be released later this week, however they are unable to refund customer’s pre-order deposits and it is unclear whether or not they will be honouring other new game releases in the future. Though PwC states that they are “working on schemes aimed at giving customers some return on these claims if they are used to make additional purchases.”

In regards to Diablo 3’s launch tomorrow, GAME has stated via their Facebook page that “Customers who preordered online will receive the game via the post in the usual way. Customers who preordered in-store will need to check with their local store regarding availability.”

This is not good news for Australian gamers with the future of one of Australia’s largest video game retailers hanging in the balance. The best advice for gamers who have loyalty cards, pre-orders, gift cards and in-store credit with GAME is to contact their local store for further details regarding their situation.

Square Enix Returns to Profit

Claire Phillips
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Square Enix have just released their end of year figures for the year ended March 2012, and things are looking up for the Final Fantasy developer. After losing over twelve billion yen in the year ending 2011, the company has now reported a net income of just over 6 billion yen.

This improvement is being put down to increased console sales of games such as Deus Ex: Human Revoloution and Final Fantasy XIII-2, with increased output to web and mobile platforms also boosting numbers. With Hitman: Absolution and Kindgom Hearts 3D  due for release in the coming months and the Tomb Raider reboot in the pipleine for Q1 2013, Square Enix can probably look forward to another profitable year.

And they aren’t the only Japanese developer reporting stronger numbers. Namco Bandai also recently released figures indicating a net income of 19 billion yen, another vast improvement on the previous year. Once again this increase is being put down to big sales across a handful of titles, with Dark Souls and Ace Combat amongst the big earners.

Source: Square Enix

Kingdom Hearts 3D Demo coming to North America?

Luke Halliday
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Now since this has yet to be confirmed by Square Enix USA, take this as you will, but the creator of Kingdom Hearts, Tesuya Nomura, recently when interviewed by Famitsu magazine let slip that the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3D will be getting a demo on the North American 3DS eShop.

In the translation of his interview, which you can see here, Nomura stated,“We’ve decided to distribute a KH3D demo in North America as well as Japan, you can play part of Sora’s scenario in Traverse Town. So if your friends haven’t played it yet, you can recommend it to them.”

Let’s just mark this as a strong possibility of being real since it comes from the mouth of the creator of the game itself, but as always until we get an official announcement from Square Enix USA, we will file this under ‘rumours’.

What do you think of Kingdom Hearts 3D being released in demo form on the North American eShop? Could this lead to other Western countries also getting the demo? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Total Drama Island: Wild Beast Hunt Review

Jessica Barabas-Bui
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Total Drama Island: Wild Beast Hunt
Developer: Cartoon Network
Publisher: Cartoon Network
Price: FREE – Play Online Game Here

Overview

Total Drama Island is based around a reality TV show that is a cross between a school camp, and Survivor. So it is practically a dream for flash games, given that the whole show is made up of mini games. So, will Wild Beast Hunt translate as well as it sounds?

Story

In Wild Beast Hunt you play as the beautiful and crazy Izzy (or assuming so since she is in the icon, you don’t actually see who you are) as she seeks to take down all the cute critters in her line of sight. The story line? Well, you have a limited amount of time so you better get that crosshairs moving.

Gameplay

Wild Beast Hunt is an arcade style shooter (with darts in the place of actual bullets, and the animals magically disappearing when shot). You have a field of vision that is slightly larger than the screen, so hovering your mouse over the left and right side of the screen will allow you to see a bit further. This isn’t too large though, in fact most of the time you don’t need to move your vision unless you’re looking for a darts refill box.

There is a timer, a set amount of darts, and then you’re off. The range of animals increases as you get progress through the levels, of which there are six in total. While that may sound like nothing, each level can take a little while to master, given the range and huge amount of animals you end up encountering. By the end of the game you’re so swamped with critters that you can spray the screen with darts and hit a few out of mere luck. But that’s a waste of darts, and isn’t recommended.

There are the fast moving animals and the slower ones, with the slow ones requiring a couple of darts to take down, and with each dart they move a little faster because when something’s firing at you that is the automatic response.

There is a set number of animals in each level, and they pace back and forth on the screen until you hit them with a dart and they fade slowly from existence. There’s probably some people out there who would be uncomfortable with the target demographic, young kids, shooting poor helpless squirrels, but let’s be honest that’s better than them shooting people. And the game is fairly clear that they are firing darts, which is obviously the kinder way to do it.

The game did experience some lag when I was playing, which actually came in handy because it let me take shots that had previously eluded me. Once you hit about level 3 you’ll find that the game hits a bit of a plateau. New animals are still being introduced at this point, but they are large and lumbering and simply walk along the ground. Given that I found the hardest critters to be frogs, that moved fast and jumped in an awkward pattern, I thought that perhaps the order of the animals’ introductions could have been shifted around with the larger animals coming first and the small nimble ones being introduced later on.

Visuals

The graphics follow the same style of the show, and the animals are charming enough, going around for their little forest romps. The background is a set image, and even though you are technically staring at the same scene for however long you play the game for, it isn’t really a bother since you’re far more focused on what’s between your crosshairs.

Audio

The soundtrack is a little jazzy sort of soft snare-drum number accompanied by animal sounds. It doesn’t distract from the game at all, and adds a forest-y vibe. As someone who is quite picky with game soundtracks, I found nothing offensive about this one, though neither does it add anything useful to the game apart from maybe heighten your tension at taking that last shot.

Overall

While the game does a good job of keeping you occupied and invested while you’re progressing through the levels, I’m not entirely sure about the replay-ability. Once I completed the game I didn’t really find myself wanting to go back and give it another play through to see if I could top my score. Once I had finished it, I felt like that was enough dart-ing of tiny woodland creatures for one day.

Still, for what it is it works very well. There’s a big variation of creatures, a good time limit, and (usually) a good supply of darts. Which will at first seem excessive, and in the later levels are very necessary.

Total Drama Island: Wild Beast Hunt is a great way to pass the time with a classic arcade shooter and a popular franchise.

7-5-capsules-out-of-10

Tomb Raider Reboot Pushed Back to 2013

Roger Ma
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In unfortunate news the new Tomb Raider reboot, which wowed the crowd at last year’s E3, has had its release date delayed until first quarter 2013. Originally the game was set to be released later this year, third quarter 2012. The announcement was made by Darrell Gallagher, Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics, on Eidos Games’ official forum.

In a message addressed to the Tomb Raider Community, Darrell Gallagher stated “Our priority now is to make sure we fully deliver the very highest quality game. In order to do this, we have decided to move the game’s release date by a few months, from Fall 2012 to the first quarter of 2013.”

This news comes in light of Irrational Games’ announcement last week that their highly anticipated game, Bioshock: Infinite would be delayed until next year.

Darrell Gallagher’s full statement regarding Tomb Raider’s delay can be read in full at Eidos Games’ official forum.

Live-Action Helter Skelter Trailer

Luke Halliday
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A trailer for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Kyoko Okasaki’s classic Helter Skelter manga has made it’s way online in anticipation of the films premiere next month. The trailer which can be seen below features a brief behind the scenes glimpse of the film as well as the full length cinematic trailer.

The film, which is set to premiere on June 14th in Japan, follows the story of Ririko a model who undergoes extensive plastic surgery in order to attain her beauty. The plastic surgery clinic in which she got her work done suddenly becomes under investigation for dodgy business practices. Shortly after Ririko’s beauty begins to fade as her body deteriorates and with the loss of her beauty comes the loss of her sanity.

Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think of Helter Skelter in the comments section.

Things Japanese People Hate About JRPGs

Luke Halliday
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Recently Japanese media site, Hachima Kikou asked it’s readers ‘What things do you hate about JRPGs?’ Their responses are both somewhat predictable but also unpredictable. The following list is not ordered and is simply a compilation of responses Hachima Kikou received, here is what the Japanese hate about JRPGs:

1. The characters are all good-looking guys and beautiful girls.
2. Movie –> Dialogue –> Movie
3. Opening chests without permission.
4. You have a bunch of characters, but only a few of them can participate in the battle.
5. The actual game contents are subordinated to the theme song, voice actress, etc.
6. About 1,200 people line up for pre-orders.
7. Hidden things you wouldn’t understand unless you read a walkthrough.
8. The protagonist always does the opposite of what I think.
9. You’re just running errands, and then before you know it you have somehow saved the world.
10. They’re called JRPGs.

What do you think? Do any of these things bother you? I know some of them give me the shits. Let us know in the comments section below what things you hate about JRPGs.

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