While the world may be high on Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 at the moment with the anime series, the upcoming enhanced PlayStation Vita port, and the fighting game spin-off for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Let’s not forget that the PlayStation Portable still has some life left in it with an enhanced Persona 2: Eternal Punishment to be released for it this year.
This latest trailer shows off some more characters that will be in the game and showcases some more gameplay and animated cut-scenes. You can view this new trailer below. It’s shaping up to be quite the definite port much like the PlayStation portable port of Persona 2: Innocent Sin. With this title, every single Persona game has now in some form found its way on Sony handhelds.
As reported recently, a port for the Sega Saturn (and later PlayStation) Shin Megami Tensei title, Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, will be getting a release for the Japanese Nintendo 3DS this year.
Courtesy of Japanese video game publication, Famitsu, we get the first set of screens of this upcoming enhanced port. These first screens show off the new animated cut-scenes that will be featured in the game as well as a little glimpse of the battle system. Like the original version and other traditional Shin Megami Tensei titles, this game will be using a first person view during exploration and battle mode. You can view these screens below.
Ben 10 Alien Swarm: Swarm Smash Publisher: Cartoon Network Price: Free – Play Game Online Here
Overview:
Ben 10 is a Cartoon Network cartoon series that has spawned several additional series and movies. Ben 10 Alien Swarm is one such movie that was done in live action and has one online flash game related to it on the Cartoon Network website. This game is Ben 10 Alien Swarm: Swarm Smash, a fighting game that is available to play for free. The question that remains though, is free a good enough price to warrant a play?
Story: Ben 10 Alien Swarm: Swarm Smash has a simplistic plot. Ben needs to stop some Alien Swarm by smashing them to bits, so he is going to use the Humungousaur to smash them into bits. The game takes place in the same warehouse/factory throughout the game, with stronger enemies coming in at later levels, so that Ben can smash them into bits too. Without ever seeing the movie, it is suspected the game is based off of part of the movie where this same things happens, but it is hard to be sure. The story is told on single panels before and after the game proper, which makes sense for a game designed for a younger audience to play.
Gameplay:
Humungousaur is who the player plays as, since Ben is limited to only the single panel screens. Though there is no transition to let uninformed players know that Ben is actually changing into Humungousaur, so it fits that the game is mostly only for fans of the movie or series.
But I digress, Humungousaur is outfitted with a basic attack set and a few special moves. One of the problems is that the game gives the player no information on how to perform the 3 different special moves, as they are all the same button, turns out they are context sensitive. Humungousaur can punch, jump kick, uppercut, and tackle; however, if the player uses the special attack he can enlarge a lot and stomp on standing enemies, enlarge a bit and swat at enemies in the air, or enlarge a bit and swan dive on knocked down enemies.
Attacking quickly will keep the combo going up, which improves the attack rating. The defense rating is based on not getting hit, which starts out easy as enemies only punch at first and Humungousaur can overwhelm enemies fairly easily, but later enemies can actually throw projectiles that much be ducked. The technique rating is probably based on mixing things up with the different moves, but it is a little hard to tell. Score is based on several factors, so it is best to go for a high rating in each aspect to get a maximum score. Scores can be submitted after completing the game, so excellent players can get on a highscores list.
Audio & Visual:
Ben 10 Alien Swarm: Swarm Smash is interesting in that the story panels focus on the live-action movie actor, but the game itself is more based on how the creatures look in the cartoon series. Both are alright, simply being oddly juxtaposed together in the same game. The music is all of two songs, the first being for the menu and combat song and the second being for the rating screen. The music does fit the subject, but it is a bit repetitive since as there are so few, though the game is fairly short, so players wont have to put up with it long or simply mute it. There isn’t any dialogue, which was weird as I thought they could at least have a line or two Ben is known to say before each section or at the end.
Overall:
For the most part, Ben 10 Alien Swarm: Swarm Smash is okay. It really only has the highscores going for it, but the scoring does seem fairly dynamic to ensure players can’t receive a “perfect” score and just all tie for first. The Cartoon Network website also has badges for the game, which are fairly simply so anyone that enjoys earning those can have a grand old time with that. For the most part though, it’s an average fighting game based on Ben 10, so if you happen to like both those things go ahead and check it out.
Adventure Time: Righteous Quest Developer: Bamtang Games Publisher: Cartoon Network Price: FREE – Play Game Online Here
Overview:
Adventure Time is one of the more popular shows on Cartoon Network, having a wide following with young and old alike. As with lots of kids shows, it follows the trend of having flash games available on its show’s website as a way of having more for users to do on the site. So, how does the game stack up as a free online flash game?
Story: Adventure Time: Righteous Quest tells somewhat of a disjointed tale, which fans of the show might not be surprised at. The Righteous Quest ranges form seeking out a book for the Princess Bubblegum, getting Finn’s keys back from Marceline, and defeating the Ice King because what would an adventure time game be without defeating him. These aren’t unimpeded of course, so Finn and Jake have to fight past gnomes, ninjas, and snow monsters to be able to complete their quest.
Gameplay:
The game plays like a regular platformer, but with Finn and Jake moving in tandem as one. Finn is capable of throwing snowballs at enemies, where Jake supplies a variety of special moves ranging from flight, growing to surmount heights, and a super attack that destroys all the enemies on the screen. There are plenty of things for the player to collect from gems, to sword cards, to the tokens that give Jake his super attack, most of which increase the score for players trying to perfect the game. The game is fairly easy, so it shouldn’t be a problem for younger players to attempt, though sliding around on the ice may prove the most difficult.
The platforming is fairly standard, but it is good that all the platforms are adequately spaced, so there are no doubts about what jumps can be made and there aren’t any issues with jumps that are at all iffy. Some of Jake’s powers though can sometimes slow the games pace a bit and/or get in the way, as it uses the same button as Finn’s attack, so it will opt for the special move instead of attack. Jake’s grow power is the main culprit as you have to watch the animation every time and feels like it could be a bit quicker, but luckily it is a short game.
Audio & Visual: Adventure Time: Righteous Quest looks and sounds just like the show, with the voice acting and art style remaining consistent with what viewers would expect to see. The music is a cheerful strummy tune, which can get old after a little while, as it is the same in each stage, but as stated before it is a short game. The other audio seems to be mostly clips from the show that are simply used for the game and it is most of the generic sayings, so it’s not altogether out of place. The visuals, while keeping within the art style, are simplistic, but fair for a flash game and there aren’t any apparent errors or problems from them either.
Overall:
For a free flash game, Adventure Time: Righteous Quest is a good time waster that fans of the show should enjoy. It does have a scoring system, so players can certainly try and collect everything from the in-game gems to the outer game badges. The few issues are more than offset by its shorter length and shouldn’t keep anyone from trying it out. Lastly, it’s a pretty clean game too, so there isn’t real issue with what age should play it, simply being any age can play. If you enjoy the show and have some time to kill online, consider giving it a shot since you can’t really go wrong with free.
Legend of the Legendary Heroes Part 1 Studio: Zexcs Publisher: FUNimation Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Release Date: April 17, 2012 Price: $69.98 – Available Here
Overview: Whenever a company localizes a product for release in the West and they must adapt the title’s name to English there are two things that can be done. They could either adapt the anime’s name into something fitting that sounds proper in English, or they could go for the literal translation which sometimes causes a few problems. FUNimation chose the latter option when they brought Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu to North America as The Legend of the Legendary Heroes.
Originally a forty volume long light novel series written by Takaya Kagami in Japan that has been adapted into multiple mangas and an anime adaptation was created in 2010 featuring 24 episodes. FUNimation has split the series into two separate parts released on the same day. Does part one successfully kick off this legendary story?
Story: Our story follows a young man known as Ryner Lute who would much rather be napping than going on a quest for legendary artifacts. However that is exactly what Ryner is tasked to do. When Ryner was just a teenager he was imprisoned by the previous king of Roland for possessing a devastatingly destructive ability known as “Alpha Stigma.” The Alpha Stigma allows the user to copy any magic ability used by another magic user and wield it as their very own. While this may sound like a blessing, it is in fact a curse as any Alpha Stigma wielder can easily go on a rampage and murder everyone in the vicinity regardless of whether or not they are a friend or foe.
Despite being imprisoned for two years, the new king of Roland releases Ryner from jail, surprisingly enough because the new king is his old friend from the Roland Royal Special Military Academy, Sion Astal. Sion’s purpose for releasing Ryner extends beyond helping out a friend however, as he has tasked Ryner with the quest to seek out “hero relics.” These relics are weapons that were used by heroes of legend that established the world that they live in today and with the use of these relics Sion seeks a way to bring peace to the land. To go along with Ryner, Sion sends the skilled swordswoman Ferris Eris to assist him, despite her displeasure in doing so. With Roland at war with Estabul and the threat of more wars on the way, can these two discover relics of a long lost age and perhaps unite the world in peace?
The Legend of the Legendary Heroes’ contains an interesting premise and a slew of different characters to draw upon, however therein lays the problem. The first part of the series spends a lot of time focusing on every Ryner’s, Sion’s and slightly on Ferris’ backstory in flashbacks meaning that instead of moving the story forward we spend a lot of time learning about Ryner’s past and his connection to Sion. This is understandable for the most part as it does add more to Ryner’s character as a whole but does tend to delay actual story development significantly.
Another issue is that there are multiple stories being told at the same time in Legend of the Legendary Heroes. While most of the time viewers will be following the journey of Ryner and Ferris as they make their way through various lands in the search of relics other times the focus will shift back to Sion as he makes critical decisions about the future of Roland and deals with a crushing workload, backstabbing politicians, wars against neighboring nations and even one of his own allies who will do anything to see the kingdom remain intact, even if it means putting Sion’s own friends at risk.
This creates a stark contrast from the oft hilarious interactions between Ryner and Ferris as they search for relics and try to get along and the convoluted political side of things with Sion. In fact, it is disappointing that so much extra time is paid to the political side of things as the story truly shines when it focuses on Ryner and Ferris. With Ryner’s lazy work attitude and Ferris’ love of dango driving her forward the two make for quite a comedic pair that often involves physical comedy. Unfortunately these shining moments are often left behind for various branching storylines that seem to have zero effect on the overall story.
This first half of the Legend of the Legendary Heroes presents us with just a bit too much backstory but begins to move the story along nicely towards the end of the series as Ryner and Ferris encounter another pair of adventurers seeking out the relics for their own purposes. Not only do these two adventurers already possess a few relics of their own, but one even seems to know the secrets behind the Alpha Stigma. As one may expect, the first part of the series leaves off on a cliffhanger in lieu of continuing the story in part two.
Visuals: While the character designs fit easily into your standard fantasy adventure setting, the attention to detail on these designs is what makes each of these characters shine. This is a good thing, considering the characters’ facial designs leave a lot to be desired as their expressions are often lacking the same quality as the rest of the show which is full of vibrant colors and careful attention to detail, especially when it comes to the amount of blood that the series contains.
The backgrounds and environments are exceptionally well detailed and diverse, focusing heavily on a medieval European setting mixed with magic. On top of that the battle scenes themselves are impressively well handled with CGI elements mixed in with the standard animation. The magic attacks used are as impressive as they come and the same can be said for non-magic related combat. This makes the first part of The Legend of the Legendary heroes quite an impressive offering as it will leave viewers eager to see more of the same high quality action.
Audio: As standard with FUNimation’s releases there is an English voice track as well as a Japanese voice track for the purists out there who prefer listening to the Japanese voice actors. As for the English dub cast, they perform their jobs admirably enough for a series with as much back and forth dialogue as Legend of the Legendary Heroes contains and the fact that so many of the characters feature their own unique way of speaking. This is especially true with Ryner whose voice actor Ian Sinclair had to handle his unique personality amongst the rest of the characters.
The first part of Legendary Heroes’ background music is suitable enough and heightens the mood of whichever seen it occurs in. The action scenes deserve special mention for the impressive sound effects that accompany them. This first part of Legendary Heroes features “Lament~Yagate Yorokobi Wo~” by Aira Yuuki as the opening song and “Truth of my Destiny” by Ceui as the ending song. The opening song fits well with the action fantasy theme of the show and is accompanied by impressive animation that viewers may want to watch more than once. The ending song on the other hand features a slower pace and dramatic images which are surprisingly fitting. We are also given a brief glimpse at Part 2’s opening “Last Inferno” and ending “Hikari no Firmento” in the final episode of this set.
Extras: The extras included for Part 1 of Legend of the Legendary Heroes are what most would come to expect from FUNimation as it contains a slew of trailers for their past and upcoming releases alongside clean, textless versions of the opening and ending songs. Besides these standard inclusions there is also an episode commentary on each disc.
The two episodes which receive this commentary are Episodes 03 and 09. Episode 03’s commentary features Brina Palencia who plays Kiefer and J. Michael Tatum who plays the character Miran and is also the lead adaptive writer. The two discuss the cast and the characters of the show with a mild amount of comedy.
Episode 09’s commentary features Colleen Clinkenbeard, the voice of Noa as well as director and line producer, as well as Monica Rial who plays Iris, Ferris’ younger sister. Unlike the first commentary, this one features a lot more comedy as Colleen and Monica have great chemistry in the recording booth. It is a bit disappointing that none of the more main cast was given a chance to take part in the commentary, but it is good to hear from these voice actors which may never have taken part in a commentary until now.
Overall: The Legend of the Legendary Heroes is an intriguing fantasy adventure so far in Part 1 and offers an enjoyable journey of a mismatched pair who slowly grow to work together over the course of their trials. However the series tries to keep too many balls in the air at once and often the plot suffers because of this. Instead of following the fantastic journey of Ryner and Ferris or even the interesting and darker political plot of Sion the series often goes on extended tangents that feel half-hearted and incomplete.
On the other hand, when The Legend of the Legendary Heroes Part 1 does keep itself to moving the plot forward, it creates a fascinating fantasy adventure story that will hook you with its comedy and action and leave you to understand the plot as it slowly unfolds.
Did you know that Anime Conventions are in fact dangerous? Well the proof is in the pudding, at the Anime Boston convention recently, Police were called to the scene after several calls were made to 911 regarding a ‘ruckus’ at the event after party.
“Cops were called to the Back Bay Sheraton when a party for fans of Japanese anime got out of control on Easter morning and now the hotel management has been called before the Mayor’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Licensing tomorrow.
Police reported “dangerous” overcrowding, pot possession, a passed-out partygoer and an assault at the fete for Anime Boston 2012 fans. The celebration of Japanese cartoons drew thousands of costumed fans to the Hynes Convention Center April 6-8. At 1 a.m. on April 8, cops showed up at a party at the Sheraton, where they reported removing a “clearly disturbed” 20-year-old male who’d been “kicking and punching” EMTs. Officers also confiscated less than an ounce of pot from two people and tended to an unconscious woman. Sheraton management could not be reached for comment.”
If that’s not enough to prove that Anime Conventions are dangerous business, for the past two years at the Oni-Con convention Sasuke Uchiha himself was arrested for theft (see image above). He was arrested at the 2010 Oni-Con and then again at the 2011 Oni-Con, both for theft from vendors in the showroom. I guess he took the whole ninja thing a little too seriously?
But in all seriousness, Anime Conventions should not be a place for crime like this to happen. As a community we should all try and keep Anime Conventions as safe as possible, otherwise we all might just end up like Sasuke here, hog-tied and ridden like a pony by Houston’s finest. The lesson from all of this? Keep Con’s Safe.
An interesting little tid bit of news has risen regarding Fire Emblem: Awakening for the Nintendo 3DS. The game itself has been largely on the rocks in regards to whether it would get a release in North America, with no official confirmation from Nintendo of America even though the title has been confirmed for a release in PAL territories.
Interestingly enough a domain name has surfaced in the U.S. which hints that Nintendo of America may be planning a release of the hotly anticipated strategy RPG game. The URL ‘fireemblemawakening.com’ was registered over the past week by Nintendo of America so that definitely adds more fuel to the fire (pun absolutely intended) regarding the games localisation in North America.
What do you think of Nintendo of America registering the domain for Fire Emblem: Awakening? Will it get a U.S. release? Sound off in the comments section below.
With the Spring 2012 Anime Season upon us, I have introduced a recurring segment known as Fast Thoughts. In each instalment of Fast Thoughts I will provide quick and concise thoughts on certain topics. At the end of each, I will rate it either a ‘Yes!’ or a ‘No…’ with ‘Yes!’ meaning it is something worthy of your time and ‘No…’ of course meaning something that should be banished to exile on the sun.
This Fast Thoughts topic is Spring 2012 Anime. This is the second part, with the previous part here. So without further adieu, here are my Fast Thoughts on the some of the Spring 2012 Anime:
Tsuritama: This series just plain doesn’t aim to make sense. It doesn’t aim for logic. It doesn’t aim for being fun. It doesn’t even aim for being good. It just exists, without much purpose. I did have some hopes for this to be good, because Kenji Nakamura was helming this series, but I was ultimately let down by what I saw.
It was just so unnatural and while that can be good in some cases, here it verged on claustrophobia. The first episode alone tries to smother you in it’s nonsense and I felt just plain suffocated by it. Absolutely abhorrent and major misstep for Nakamura.
‘No…’
Kids on the Slope:
There are some anime series that upon watching the first episode alone you know almost instantly that it’s going to be something special. Kids on the Slope is that show. It is such an refreshing series, both with it’s setting and it’s characters.
This feels like untouched terrain in animation and with anime directing legend Shinichiro Watanabe teaming up with the equally legendary Yoko Kanno, Kids on the Slope is simply beautiful.
The animation flows naturally, the music is majestic and soulful and the characters and plot and just so real. Everything feels so organic and that is not something easy to come by in animation. This is a series that has soul. It is easily the best of the entire season.
‘Yes!’
Space Brothers:
Now here is a show that I have largely mixed feelings about. I love the concept and the bond between these two main characters, all of that is great. My major problem with the series however, is that it is just plain ugly and far too slow paced. I’m not usually one to shoot down a series for these things, but the pace was so halting at times that a lot of the excitement was lost.
The art itself is rather unpretty without much redeeming features. It’s distracting when the art style is not to your liking and I found the art style to be somewhat repulsive. Sadly despite it’s good qualities, I have to give Space Brothers a No.
‘No…’
Medaka Box:
This is what I’m talking about! This show is just flat out fun. The characters are enjoyable and the jokes always hit their mark. The dialogue is certainly what you would expect from the master of dialogue NisiOisin (Monogatari series). This series looks like it is going to be a hell of a lot of fun and based on that alone I will tune in week after week to see the exploits of Medaka and her friends.
‘Yes!’
This has been my Fast Thought on the Spring 2012 Anime Season, you can check out the first part here. Leave a comment below letting us know what you think of the Spring 2012 Anime season as well as what you think of each series.
Shaun the Sheep: Fleece Lightning Publisher: Chillingo Developer: Green Ant Games Platform(s): iPhone (Reviewed), iPad Release Date: April 19, 2012 Price: $0.99 – Available Here
Overview
Chillingo is known for publishing a great many quality games on mobile platforms. In this review, we’ll be discussing one of their newest games – Shaun the Sheep: Fleece Lightning. Fans of Aardman Animations (the guys behind Chicken Run) are likely already familiar with this wooly, adorable beast. Shaun is the main character in a British stop-motion animated children’s television series. Although he has appeared in a few other apps, Fleece Lightning is probably the best one to date. Why? Read on to find out.
Gameplay
Shaun the Sheep is naturally located at a farm. To pass the time, he races pigs on wild obstacle courses. Apparently, someone or something likes to set up these obstacle courses, as Shaun nor the pigs could do it. They don’t have thumbs. But I digress.
Set in a top down view, you control Shaun very easily with two arrows in the bottom of the screen as he races up to four pigs to win the first prize. Obstacles in the game include barns, barrels, mud puddles and more. If you make it through the gate at the end first, everyone else will smash into the now closed gate. However, if you lose, you willl smash into the gate, and your competing porky friends will do a jig and laugh, which is infuriating! Although you are scored on time, placement is the key to getting the most rewards. For example, if you get second place, you will get 2 apples as an award, while 3rd place only gets you one apple. Time did not seem to factor in that much as far as getting apples was concerned.
Curiously, no matter what placement and time you achieve, unless its last place, the game will proudly display a picture of a sheep with a Gold 1st Place medal upon his chest, even if you come in second or third. This is a minor inconsistency, but still one worth nothing.
Fleece Lightning includes a level editor. Although this is fun to mess around with, it is very data intensive and once caused the game to crash. In addition, it is fairly simplistic, and the UI is pretty awful. However, it does add a unique element to this game, in addition to a couple more hours of enjoyment. They could have expanded it a lot, and made it similar to Little Big Planet, but for $0.99 what do you expect?
Audio and Visuals
The soundtrack in the game is a typical barnyard jig. Personally, I liked it and felt it made the atmosphere in the game better, but your mileage may vary. I could easily see how the repeating audio could annoy someone.
Graphically, the game could use some slight improvement. Although the visuals match the typical style of Aardman, they are a little bit bland. They don’t come close to being rated as some of the best on the App Store. On the other hand, they are definitely not the worst, and the attention to detail in some areas of the game, like trees and fauna, is astounding.
Overall
All in all, Shaun the Sheep: Fleece Lightning is a fun game. The gameplay is spot on. The animations are hilarious, and I laughed quite a few times while playing it. Nevertheless, there are some minor problems with the game. For one, it crashed on me twice. Second, the level editor is not nearly as good as it should be. Some of the later levels can be extremely tough, especially when you are dealing with the good, but not great, controls.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed the game and I immensely appreciate the humor. If you like Aardman, you will no doubt love this game. Although there some irritations with it, I would heartily recommend you try it.
As the launch date for Diablo 3 nears closer, events will be held to celebrate the opening of Hell’s gates. On May 14th – Diablo 3 Eve – global retail partners will be hosting hellish gatherings for the many fans of Blizzard. As the clock chimes 23:00, gamers around the world will finally face the resurgence of evil.
One such event will be held in Greater London, UK sponsored by both Blizzard and local retailer HMV. At 150 Oxford Street, Diablo fanatics can enjoy festivities beginning at 22:00 BST up until the games launch at 23:00. To further increase excitement, Diablo III developers will be available at the event to sign purchased copies.
To get the complete listing of events, check out Blizzard’s Diablo 3 Launch Events page. Whether you are going to pick up the standard edition, collector’s edition, or some free snacks, Sanctuary will have gained plenty reinforcements for the coming siege.
