Iceberg Interactive has released the shots of the retail editions for Blades of Time, both regular and limited edition. Blades of Time will be coming out for Mac and PC May 18th to North-West Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, as well as the exclusive Mac and PC limited edition.
Blades of Time: Limited Edition includes in addition to the full game the Mac/PC exclusive Sky Islands map for Outbreak mode, an art book, Original Soundtrack, a wallpaper collection, and the Dismal Swamp DLC, which features Michelle and her mentor seeking to prevent the Blades of Time player character Ayumi from joining the Keeper of Chaos.
If you’re interested in Blades of Time, be sure to check out the limited edition version, so that you don’t miss out on all those extras.
The not so secret Sony fighting game has been officially been announced on GTTV with a release in holiday 2012. Playstation All Stars Battle Royale, in development at Superbot Entertainment, will pit an array of Sony owned characters (a possibly a few third party characters who have appeared on the Playstation consoles) in four player, free for all battles in themed stages based on popular Playstation games. Six characters have been revealed in the announcement: Kratos (God of War), Sweet Tooth (Twisted Metal), PaRappa the Rapper (PaRappa the Rapper ), Fat Princess (Fat Princess), Colonel Radec (Killzone), and Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper series). Of course, more characters will be announced, most likely at E3 2012. The game will be for the Playstation 3.
Playstation All Stars Battle Royale will feature both solo and multiplayer modes, as all fighting games will. Two single player modes were announced: Combat Trials and Arcade Mode. In Combat Trials, players not only learn the basics of the game but perfect their skills through hundreds of unique challenges. Additionally players can play through a fixed level progression with prizes in Arcade mode. Three online multiplayer modes have been announced: Tournament Mode, Special Event Battle and Custom Matches.
A few preview articles have popped up and have revealed a few gameplay details. Yes, the presentation does look like Nintendo’s Super Smash Brothers, but there are differences. First up, the Playstation characters have three attack buttons in combination with directional input, one more than Super Smash Brothers. Each character also has three levels of special attacks, built up by collection Energy Points (EP). Health is also non-existent, but you don’t knock characters off the stage. Items are existent, but don’t pop up as often. Stages are quite different as well, as the background does get involve in the fight. One stage is based on BUZZ!. At times, the titular character will pose questions and players can answer them. Get it right and reap in the benefits. Besides, as Charles Caleb Colton said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
With the game now out in the wild, what does everyone think? With such a polarising audience emerging, will you give it a go if you had the chance? Give us your thoughts and check out a couple of screenshots & and gameplay below.
Sugar High Developer: Shortbreak Studios Publisher: Shortbreak Studios Platform: iPhone(Reviewed)/iPad Release: 18/4/12 Price: $0.99 – Available Here
Overview
Honestly, what’s more fun than watching a dog sleep? They move their legs and sometimes utter tiny barks or growls. We all stare on and say “awww they’re dreaming!” But what do they dream about? Sugar High is a game about one dogs dream to feast on as much candy, fruit and cake as possible. Small iOS developers, Shortbreak Studios, have created this delightful little treat, fusing an original story, simplistic mechanics, easy to use control systems and topping it off with pleasantly unique visual style.
Story
It’s always nice to see an original story on the iOS market. Shortbreak have created a casual game that has a well integrated story. Although it may may not directly impact on the gameplay itself, it is framed in such a way that it creates a rather enjoyable experience. The story is an optional element to the game that can be accessed through the main menu. It’s told through animated comic-book style panels. A small adorable dog salivates and stares at an empty bowl, before slowly walking off to nap in the wait for dinner. In it’s dreams, the dog visits a huge land of candy, with vast amounts of cake, lollies and fruit. The option to watch the story voluntarily at first seemed like a bit of a waste, but given the casual nature of the game, it makes sense. This way players are not confronted with the story over and over again and can dive straight into a world of cakes and candy.
Gameplay
Mechanically, Sugar High is not the most original. However, this does not mean the game isn’t well executed. The game is reminiscent of that popular iOS title, Tiny Wings. The character, in this case a hungry dog, travels down and up slopes, flying into the air and collecting items along the way. The game is controlled with a simple touch and release input, that is rather easy to pick up. The physics and basic mechanics both work well, but like I said, are not the most original. Yet, that’s not all Sugar High has to offer. Throughout the level, there are pieces of candy, small green monsters, and rings of fruit. Knocking down monsters or eating candies adds to your sugar level, which can reach all the way to 10. Entering fruit causes the dog to flip around before being thrown out into the air. Performing perfect jumps too will add to your sugar level. Once it reaches 10, you obtain a sugar high. The point of all this is to make it as far as possible before a clock-faced monster catches up and eats the dog. Writing the description of the game, or even having read it, it may appear that Sugar High has too many elements. This is not the case, each of these parts seamlessly work together, making for a particularly fluid gaming experience.
Visual and Audio
I really enjoyed the visual style of Sugar High. The worlds are hyperbolic and dreamy and all have unique colour schemes that fit within the overall theme of the game itself. The dog is well designed and just adorable. Little touches like fruit juice coming out of fruit slices and the dog looking at you when they fly really adds to the game over all. I particularly like the surprise interactivity of the dog in the main menu screen. I had a small glitch with the audio initially where there seemed to be no sound effects, but once I replayed the game I was taken by the small howls of the dog and the well-designed soundtrack.
Overall
Overall, Sugar High is a fantastic execution of a rather simple idea. The game is incredibly addictive and I even found myself playing half-heartedly as I walked down the street. Those in the market for casual games will be captivated by this delightful title. With its pick-up-and-play game design and charming audiovisual elements, Sugar High is sure to impress any iOS user.
We have 3 copies ofVoltron Forceto give away on DVD courtesy of Beyond Home Entertainment. All you have to do to win is to simply answer the following question:
What is Voltron the Defender of?
If you think you know the answer, Send an email to [email protected] along with your name and address. A winner with a correct answer will be drawn at random on the 11th of May, 2012. Good luck to you all.
EA Games have today released a new trailer to promote the upcoming ‘Close Quarters’ downloadable content expansion pack for Battlefield 3. The latest trailer focuses in on the map from the pack known as Donya Fortress. You can check out the trailer below.
The Donya Fortress map is incredibly destructible and the perfect playground for players with a destructive streak. The map is largely indoors with the environment being destructible.
The Battlefield 3: Close Quarters downloadable content pack launches into the battlefield in June 2012 on the Xbox Live Marketplace, Playstation Network and Origin. What do you think of the Donya Fortress map? Let us know in the comments below.
Sony have finally unveiled their thinly veiled Smash Bros. clone, Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale. Many suspected this was simply a rumour but Sony have went right on ahead and confirmed that they do in fact plan on releasing a blatant copy of Nintendo’s mash up fighter, because that’s how they do things now… I guess?
The game appears to be a Smash Bros. clone with Playstation characters in place of Nintendo characters. As you would expect Sony are hyping the game up to be something big and as such an in depth trailer detailing this ‘new’ and ‘revolutionary’ fighting game has been revealed. You can check it out below.
It is currently unknown whether the game will be compatible with the Move controller, which would of course bring this clone full circle. Wii will of course find out more on this title come E3 2012 when Sony reveal more of the game’s playable characters and gives some more wiitails on this blatant wiip off. In other news, Sony have revealed that the Playstation 4 will use an iPad as a controller.
Check out the trailer for Playstation All-Stars: Battle Royale below. Sound off in the comments section with your thoughts on this ‘new’ game.
The views expressed in this article do not belong to Capsule Computers. These views and opinions belong to the article’s author.
The 1911 semi-automatic pistol has been one of the deadliest and longest serving weapons in Max Payne’s arsenal. Making a welcome return in Max Payne 3, this hard-hitting, reliable handgun – a staple since Max’s NYPD days – features machine-gun like firing rates plus the ability to dual-wield.
Extremely light-weight, yet packing enough force to punch holes in any enemy brazen enough to cross Max’s path – grabbing a couple of these as you dash and Shoot-dodge through crossfire will make you a dangerous target.
Check out the video below to see the raw power, impressive range and precise accuracy of the 1911 in action, along with detailed 360-degree renders that show off all of its individually modeled components.
While Nintendo is already planning on offering full retail games through digital distribution on the Nintendo 3DS in August, the company appears to be taking an even more aggressive approach to digital distribution when it comes to the Wii U.
Satoru Iwata revealed Nintendo’s plans today to sell Wii U games both in retail stores as well as through their digital distribution service when the games are released. The plan will be the same as previously described for Nintendo 3DS games, wherein retailers will be able to sell downloadable codes for games as well as making them available for purchase on the eShop. As such, retailers will also be able to set their own prices for these digitally distributed game codes, allowing for discounts which has previously been unheard of from Nintendo’s eShop.
Sinclair ZX Spectrum 100 Greatest Hits Developer: Elite Systems Publisher: Elite Systems Platforms: iPhone (reviewed), iPod Touch, iPad Release Date: April 20, 2012 Price: $9.49 (HERE)
Overview
The Sinclair ZX Spectrum was released almost exactly thirty years ago as a home computer. Since then it has had thousands upon thousands of pieces of software created for use on the device, many of them games whose names bring back fond memories to those who had the good fortune of playing them at the time.
Well, they’re back! 100 Greatest Hits bundles one hundred games created for the ZX Spectrum and puts them all on iOS. Is this collection of games a bargain you should dive right into, or should the past have stayed in the past?
Gameplay
100 Greatest Hits has a hundred greatest hits… and so no, I did not get the chance to play through all of them for this review. I did, however, get into some of the classics, such as Barbarian, Jet Set Willy, and Manic Miner. But here is a list of what you get when you download/purchase the 100 Greatest Hits :
Elite Pack #1 – Chuckie Egg, Buggy Boy, Turbo Esprit, Saboteur!
Elite Pack #2 – Roller Coaster, Beyond Ice Palace, Saboteur II, Batty
Software Projects Pack #1 – Manic Miner, Astronut, Orion, Thrusta
Software Projects Pack #2 – Jet Set Willy, Jet Set Willy II, Push Off, Hysteria
Gremlin Pack #1 – Wanted Monty, Monty On the Run, Auf Wiedersehen Monty, Moley Christmas
Gremlin Pack #2 – Jack The Nipper, Jack The Nipper II, Avenger, Krakout
Palace Pack #1 – Barbarian, Cauldron, Crazy Cars, Secret Armor Of Antiriad
Palace Pack #2 – Barbarian II, Cauldron II, Crazy Cars II, Extreme
Alternative Software Pack #1 – Skool Daze, Hideous, Eliminator, Dead or Alive
Alternative Software Pack #2 – Back To Skool, Confuzion, Slug, Revolver
Cronosoft Pack #1 – Splattr, Stranded 2.5, W*H*B, Treasure Trove
Cronosoft Pack #2 – Gamex, SlubberDegullion, Egghead 4, Egghead 5
Hewson Pack #1 – Cybernoid, Zynaps, Uridium, Nebulus
Hewson Pack #2 – Cybernoid II, Rana Rama, Dragontorc, Avalon
Vortex Software Pack #1 – TLL, Deflektor, Highway Encounter, Android One
Vortex Software Pack #2 – Cyclone, Android II, Revolution, Alien Highway
New Generation Software Pack – Trashman, Trashman II, Genon, Escape
Mikro-Gen Pack – Pyjamarama, Everyone’s A Wally, Automania, Frost Byte
Julian Gollop Pack – Chaos, Lords of Chaos, Laser Squad, Rebelstar
Steve Crow Pack – Starquake, Firelord, Wizards lair, Laser Snaker
Odin Computer Graphics Pack – Nodes Of Yesod, Arc Of Yesod, Heartland, Robin Of The Wood
Nexus Pack – Earthlight, Micronaut One, Firestorm, Nexus
Data East Pack – Midnight Resistance, Dragon Ninja, Sly Spy, Express Raider
Audiogenic Pack – Emlyn Hughes International Soccer, Exterminator, Helter Skelter, Impact
Durrel Pack – Critical Mass, Fatworm Blows A Sparky, Scuba Dive, Thanatos
Thankfully, there were quite a few attributes that were universal across the games. To begin with, we’re turning back the clock thirty years here, so the level design isn’t streamlined or console-ified. This is gameplay at its purest and most difficult. If you’re used to playing any game made in the last ten years, other than the rare exceptions like Dark Sous and The Witcher series, then be forewarned – you’ll not find the creature comforts of Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed here.
However, if you were an avid gamer back in the day, or are one of those hipster-types who was born twenty years ago but plays retro games because it’s not mainstream, then prepare to enjoy a magnificent blast from the past.
My one gripe is the controls, particularly on the iPhone, can be quite clunky. While you generally have the option of choosing between onscreen buttons or an onscreen joystick, both take up a rather large portion of the screen. Add in buttons for attacking and what-not, and you’ve got yourself a screen half covered by fingers while you try to manoeuevre through games that aren’t as forgiving as most. The controls on the iPad version are a little more acceptable due to the larger screen resolution. (see image above)
So, essentially, if you’re play this on your iPhone you’re stuck either obscuring your vision and moving about quickly, or pulling your fingers away so you can see what’s going on, but your reaction time will be much slower. This is, of course, alleviated on the bigger iPad screen, but it is an issue on the iPhone that it does severely dampen the experience.
Audio & Visual
The sounds and graphics have not received any updates beyond being displayed on the HD screens of iOS devices.
Much like the gameplay, what you get is pure, retro goodness. Eight-bit visuals greet you as you boot up a game and midi tunes blare in that obnoxious fashion that makes you glad that games have orchestral scores nowadays. The presentation will pull at every nostalgic heartstring in your body, and if retro games are your thing, you’ll be in a state of bliss.
Overall
The Sinclair ZX Spectrum 100 Greatest Hits is a blast from the past – quite literally. With the insane amount of classic titles available, anyone who was a fan of the system back in the day should definitely look into purchasing the app. And if you’re a new-generation gamer who just happens to love the old-school, there’s plenty of charm to be found amongst the hundred titles made available on the app.
The game is held back by its controls on the iPhone’s smaller screen, however, so if you have the option, go for the iPad version. And if you think retro means “too complicated”, you should probably look elsewhere.
As part of the Macross 30th Anniversary celebrations it was previously announced that the classic anime film Macross: Do You Remember Love? would be getting a special edition re-release. In order to promote the special release a new trailer has made it’s way online which can be seen below.
The special release bundle of the Macross: Do You Remember Love? film comes with a plethora of extras including over 90 minutes of extra footage, the first ever blu-ray release of Macross: Flashback 2012, a Playstation 3 game titled Macross: My Boyfriend is a Pilot 2012, a Playstation Network download of the classic PSOne side scrolling shooter based on Macross: Do You Remember Love? and many other 30th Anniversary edition bonuses. It is certainly a must have for fans of the Macross series.
Be sure to check out the Macross 30th Anniversary special trailer below and let us know what you think in the comments section.
Iceberg Interactive has released the shots of the retail editions for Blades of Time, both regular and limited edition. Blades of Time will be coming out for Mac and PC May 18th to North-West Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, as well as the exclusive Mac and PC limited edition.
