Today Namco Bandai revealed the upcoming Dragonball Z for Kinect will be releasing in October for the Xbox 360 Kinect system. The aim is to create a more dynamic level of immersion in the gaming front by having players perform legendary moves from the television franchise with their own hands.
The game will also feature QR code connectivity allowing players to unlock special items and characters by presenting the code for inspection by the Kinect sensor. Even further the game will feature all the iconic characters of the series, as well as an additional unknown character, who will all use memorable moves presented within the manga.
“There’s going to be no better feeling in the world for fans of the Dragon Ball Z series than standing in front of their screens and unleashing their own fists and raging blasts upon enemies with this game,” said Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing, NAMCO BANDAI Games America. “The Kinect sensor has truly enabled the development team to finally realize the dreams of millions of fans of both the classic games and the timeless original anime. This game will truly represent the next generation of interactive entertainment in the Dragon Ball Z Universe”.
The game comes to Australia and New Zealand this October. Be sure to check out Namco Bandai’s site for more info.
If you have already played Street Fighter X Tekken until you bled and are ready to look down the road for the next great fighter, then today is your day as Namco have finally announced that Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will be out this September.
For those unfamiliar of what this sequel will feature, players will get to choose from more than 50 characters with brand new movesets, along with quite a few new modes that were not seen in the original. For the first time, you can choose to do a single player match up, or go for a bigger challenge by playing in one vs tag battles. Pair Play mode is a more interesting addition, letting fighters play in a four-player online match, while Fight Lab mode offers a new spin on tutorials and lets users customize the moves and appearance of new training character, Combot.
“TEKKEN Tag Tournament is one of the most beloved entries in the TEKKEN series – not just among fans but also for myself and the entire development team, so crafting the sequel has been a labour of love for everyone here,” said Katsuhiro Harada, TEKKEN Project Director at NAMCO BANDAI GAMES Inc. “To truly make this game stand up to the high benchmark set by the original, we have injected some exciting features and modes that will revolutionize the online fighting game community and allow new players to enjoy and master the game – so there will be something for everyone.”
It seems like the main idea of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is to keep the gameplay stylings fans loved from the first entry, but to also make it more accessible for the much larger fighting community that Street Fighter IV reawakened. A lot has changed over the years for the genre since we played Tekken Tag last generation, and you can bet that all eyes will be on Tag Tourney 2 when it hits shelves this fall.
Chickens, Chickens everywhere and a big hoorah for Toki Tori fans as Two Tribes games have announced the launch of their digital store, with their first line of merchandise now available for sale to the public. Originally wanting to release a lot more in the form of plush toys and other items, Shan from Two Tribes explains how they were limited somewhat in their search for a partner who would make small amounts of merchandise rather than large commercial quantities. Eventually they settled on 2 items which could be produced in the quantities they required and have introduced firstly the Toki Tori T-Shirt and also by popular demand the Toki Tori USB stick.
There are plans to also work towards releasing Plush toys and Rubber duck Toki Toris which were amongst many items wanted by fans of the franchise. One of the most appealing things about the store is FREE shipping worldwide which is a big drawcard for some of us living in countries where postage from elsewhere costs more than the item does.
The Splatters Studio: SpikySnail Publisher: Xbox LIVE Arcade Platform:XBLA Release Date:April 11, 2012 Price: 800 Microsoft Points –Available Here
Overview: The Splatters is a physics based action-puzzler that gives the player command of amorphous blobs called Splatters, whose sole goal in life is to explode in an amazing display for the amusement of an audience. The more stunts and the more bombs set off, the more amazing the display. The Splatters can fill the interests of casual and hardcore gamers alike with the exact same gameplay, the only difference being trying to achieve perfection.
Story: The Splatters forgoes a story to focus on gameplay. Splatters exist to explode and die for the spectacle, what more can you ask of them?
Visuals:
The visuals of The Splatters are very visceral. As the rounds progress on each level, the remnants of Splatters remain wherever they hit, on the ceiling, floor, walls, and platforms. This gives a lived in feeling to the levels, anytime past the first round, which helps to give a sense of progress. As opposed to a clean slate between rounds that would leave the game feeling like a series of unrelated events on a given level.
Explosions are a big portion of the game, where every level’s goal is to blow up all the bombs. So, it is great to see that there are plenty of different forms of explosions, in terms of shapes and color. When playing, if one is able to abstract themselves enough when playing or watching someone else play, the events on-screen can play out as a visual symphony of movement and explosions that is really something to behold.
Audio:
The music for the game is very unique. Feeling light and fun on the menus, but grandiose during gameplay to fit the mood and tone. The music does a great job of conveying the perfect mood for the game, though has a synthy-pop feel that not everyone might enjoy. It even does a good job letting the player know when they have failed through musical cues too, by slowing , reversing, then beginning anew. Which, when failing to notice that something was missed, the music slowing is a better cue to just stop trying to control the Splatter than any visual indicator.
Just as the visual are fairly visceral, the sound effects certainly are as well. Mainly liquid, the sound of Splatters hitting each other, walls, and bombs fits the gameplay perfectly. Throwing a large Splatter into a wall to turn it into mass liquid is very gratifying, and while a single bomb going off isn’t overly thrilling, getting a cluster of a dozen or more is certainly enjoyable.
Gameplay:
The gameplay comes in three distinct flavors with the different modes: “Become a Talent”, “Combo Nation”, and “Master Shots”. “Become a Talent” is really more of a glorified tutorial, explaining the core basics and unlocking new stunts, which when you have finished the whole thing unlocks the other two. “Combo Nation” focuses on more rounds and bombs to string it all together better for higher scores, where as “Master Shots” has few bombs and requires specific stunts to pass.
The general gameplay is very straight forward. There are Splatters that can be controlled or switched between and bombs that must be set off using the liquid inside the Splatters’ globby bodies. Controlling Splatters amounts to force and direction, with different stunts that can impact that force and direction mid-flight, so a Splatter can jump straight up in the air to then “air strike” in a different direction. To finish a round all the bombs must be detonated, which can get very frustrating when multiple attempts end with only a few bombs remaining and the whole round restarts anew. Every round being all or nothing can get taxing, to the point where it feels like there should be at least a little forgiveness.
One of the issues though is that almost all of the stunts are controlled with the same button and control being passed to the next Splatter at the death of the current. Until one gets really used to the game, this can lead to mashing that button and causing Splatters to smash into walls before you realize the first one is dead, along with half the others.
There are awards for each level, except those that unlock new stunts. The awards are the stand 1-3 stars for performance, a bandanna for completion without failing, a trophy for one continuous chain, and an air strike medal for utilizing that a lot. The only real difference between modes is that “Master Shots” rewards stars for the more stunts used, while “Become a Talent” and “Combo Nation” do so by score.
Overall: The Splatters is a pretty fun game. It may start out feeling very difficult, but after getting through the learning curve, and not mashing the stunt button trying to win, it becomes a lot more manageable. It also works very well as both a casual and hardcore game, as casual players shouldn’t have too big of a problem getting all through all of the levels or getting all the achievements, but a hardcore gamer can “enjoy” going through and getting all the awards for each level, definitely not a easy task.
The leaderboards and “Splatter TV” also give the game a decent amount of replay-ability. Trying to top your friends and actually be able to show off how it was done is a neat concept to put with this style of game. “Splatter TV” also works as a built-in walkthrough for those stuck trying to get 3 stars on some of the different levels or just to be amazing with the ridiculous things people are able to pull off.
The game is very unique and mostly fun, with only issues being the sometimes frustrating difficulty and only one button being used for the different stunts, but there are plenty of levels to play through (which can be good and bad). Anyone interested in physics and puzzle games, should definitely check this one out, unless you have high blood pressure.
Amoebattle Developer: Grab Games Publisher: Grab Games Platforms: iPad (reviewed), iPhone, iTouch Release Date: April 4, 2012 Price: $5.49 – Available Here
Overview
I have a soft spot in my heart for RTS games, they’re from a simpler time, when tactics and thinking was more of a necessity than charging into a room and firing at anything that moves. Possibly while yelling like Rambo. RTS apps seem to be getting more popular as well, given that they’re quite compatible with mobile gaming devices, and afford the action without the lack of smoothness we’re accustomed to in console games.
Gameplay
Amoebattle is based around a war between, well, amoebas. You control a group of little amoebas who are traversing the microscopic plains and are at war with a different type of amoebas. There isn’t really a hell of a lot of explanation as to why, something about science and stuff, but hey, these days you don’t really need an excuse to take down a rival faction other than the fact that they’re differently coloured from you. Concerning reflection on society? Perhaps.
The game gives you a decent introduction, taking you through the different controls and then with each mission it introduces new concepts to you, until eventually you’ve got the whole kaboodle all over your screen. They take you through it slowly, but without it seeming like too much of a waste of time (since the information they give you is stuff that can’t be gleaned easily). It also helps set you up with tactics that you can utilize later on when they throw you into situations where certain things are hitting the fan.
The amoebas are classified under their different eating patterns, there are omnivores, herbivores and carnivores. This affects their attack style, how they regenerate health, and the way you approach them. For instance, herbivores are great long-range attackers because they don’t take chunks out of their opponents but you need to have them near a plant food source so they can regenerate, whereas omnivores and carnivores can regenerate by attacking others.
You can also expand your army by feeding them and having enough ‘energy’ – which also is used to deploy probes, that can either gather information or be handy in battles. Or you can choose to evolve them to other amoebas, whose DNA you have gathered in earlier missions. It all depends on how you want your army to progress, with the limited amount of troops you’re allowed, meaning that the decisions you make could mean victory or defeat for missions.
There has clearly been a lot of effort put into this app, it isn’t some filler or a quick game you can play by bus rides. This app will really suck you in, and make you want to sit there for hours helping your little amoeba dudes take back the microscopic world.
Progression through the game happens by missions, and the pacing of the game is the really great thing about it. You’re introduced to species through your own actions, and some science-y stuff that happens. There’s probes, and a pretty awesome AI that helps you out with the missions, and the whole thing is completely charming.
Visuals
Amoebattle is quite stunning visually, they’ve really brought to life the microscopic world in which amoebas wage war. It’s really well designed and animated, and just so damn cute! The environments are rich and they don’t skimp on anything, in a similar fashion to the rest of the game, and it’s a nice change to some of the apps that leave it to the simple stuff.
Audio
The background music is full of little science-y bleeps and boops, along with some pretty dramatic music whenever you get into a serious confrontation. Apart from that, the handy part of having the sound on is the voice of the AI as it helps you out and handily lets you know when you’re being attacked, as well as voicing parts of the speech bubbles that pop up.
Like the other aspects of the game, the soundtrack also holds up as a quality addition and I can’t really find a fault with it at all.
Overall
Amoebattle might seem like your typical RTS app at a glance, but it is far more than that. In fact, I would say that, even though it doesn’t reflect that old school RTS gameplay that I love, it is truly an awesome embodiment of an RTS game. It might be a bit pricier than other apps in the App Store, but it is certainly worth it.
Amoebattle provides a challenging, and multi-faceted game that requires a thoughtful and tactical approach. So if you’re more of a casual gamer then this probably won’t be good for you, however if you like a challenge and the chance to challenge your tactical skills, this would be the perfect app.
Ball On A Wall Pocket Developer: SmallGreenHill Publisher: SmallGreenHill Platforms: iPhone (reviewed), iTouch, iPad Release Date: April 5, 2012 Price: $0.99 – Available Here
Overview
Simple arcade puzzlers are a great and popular type of app, with a huge range available on the Apple store. Ball on a wall pocket is a new version of one of these arcade puzzlers, so the question is, how does it far in comparison to those already on the market? And does it set itself apart?
Gameplay
Ball on wall is, funnily enough, about a ball. There is a perpetually moving ball that you have to direct around using your power to make blocks appear, and your goal is to pick up as many bonuses as possible from pickups, cogs, special coloured boxes, and coins.
There are 10 levels with 5 stages to each level. The end of each stage comes with the collection of a final pickup, which are full of cogs that explode all over the stage when you hit the pickup. As you finish each stage you are given a score out of five stars depending on how many bonuses you’ve grabbed in the level. This depends on if you are willing to take your time in the stage, grabbing everything you can, or just racing towards the finish line and not risking the possible mistake which could send you back to the beginning of the level. Don’t worry too much though, you do get three lives and if you fall you’re reminded back to where you were before, heading in the same direction, and given a couple of seconds to get your bearings.
The ball continually moves around, changing direction when it hits a block, so to successfully navigate the wall you have to strategically place blocks. You can also make the ball bounce higher by touching the ball, up to three times after the ball touches a block. This is something you’ll find very useful for the higher, hard to reach bonuses.
Getting good control of the ball is something that requires some practice, given that you have to get a feel for the momentum of the ball and how to react under pressure. However, unless you do try to get all five stars you’ll find that the challenge isn’t huge once you get a feel for how to successfully direct the ball.
There are a few things thrown in there, with certain blocks getting locked in or being unable to build blocks in certain places. These offer a little extra challenge, and can be quite annoying if they appear at wrong times, but with the three lives and the unlimited blocks ability, it didn’t phase me too much.
Visuals
Visually, Ball on a Wall is a fairly simple game. There’s the ball, the wall, the blocks, and the bonuses. There is a nice 3D element to the graphics, but there isn’t really anything super flash to it. Not that that’s a negative, after all, that is the kind of thing you’d expect from a game belonging to this genre.
Audio
The menu soundtrack to Ball on a Wall sounds like something you’d hear in an elevator, or maybe at a jazz bar, with a bit of a synth twist. Fortunately the music does change within the game, since I don’t know if I’d be able to cope with jazz music while trying to navigate the bouncy ball. It turns into something that is reminiscent of an arcade game, complete with the sound effects when you bounce the ball or collect a bonus. There aren’t a lot of games that have a suitable soundtrack that I feel comfortable listening to while playing the game, but this is one of those where they’ve managed to pick it just right.
Overall
One of the main issues that faced the game in development was producing a version of Ball on a Wall that worked well on the smaller screen of the iPhone and iTouch. If I hadn’t already been aware that this game had spawned from a bigger predecessor I would not have noticed it at all. The game works perfectly well on the smaller device, and once you get a feel for how to control the ball smoothly, it is quite fun. However, the learning curve does peter out once you have learned ball control, and this means that rather than offer a challenge, after a couple of levels the game is simply just a fun way to pass the time.
Ball on a Wall Pocket is definitely a game to look at getting, especially if you love your old school-style arcade games.
MumboJumbo has released the fourth iteration of their Midnight Mysteries series, Midnight Mysteries: Haunted Houdini for the iPad today. The Midnight Mysteries series is a hidden-object adventure game series that has spanned multiple platforms and won the hearts of millions of players world wide. Haunted Houdini revolves around the mystery of the life and death of Harry Houdini, as you help the spirit of Houdini’s wife Bess reunite with her husband Harry.
The game features three difficulty levels to accommodate players of all skill levels and boasts a entrancing storyline, high quality visuals, and top notch sound. The standard version can be purchased for $6.99 with extra content in the form of a collector’s edition purchasable as in app purchase.
Sega, Capcom and Namco are hard at work creating a new Strategy RPG together called Project X Zone. So far there are not that many details about the game, but what we do know is that the title will be featuring popular characters from all three companies. It is also quite likely that these characters will be adventuring and battling with and maybe even against each other.
According to sources (dothackers.com and famitsu) the game is going to be appearing on the 3DS in Japan at a later date. Much like the Super Robot Wars series of games, it looks unlikely that the game will be released overseas due to licensing issues, but if the companies can work together in Japan, I don’t see why they can’t over here.
Even though Phantom Breaker has never had a concrete release date, 7sixty has been saying that it would be released sometime this month at least, however that won’t be happening anymore as the game has been pushed back to a tentative May 8th release date.
News of this delay comes from a series of emails between Siliconera and 7sixty where it was revealed that “During testing on the English version of the game we ran across a few issues with Xbox Live play which resulted in being unable to re-invite friends into matches, and also potential long stalls while joining a match if the other player disconnected. We passed those issues back to 5pb and they’ve done a great job patching up the minor things we’ve found.”
While this is disappointing news for those who want to get their hands on the anime styled shooter, it is great to see developers trying to make sure their title is 100% bug free when the game is launched instead of working on patches post-release.
European-based publisher Rising Star Games has announced that Aksys Games, a North American interactive entertainment software publisher, will exclusively distribute the company’s complete 2012 North American line-up.
The first game of the collaboration will be Akai Katana, a side-scrolling bullet hell adventure for the Xbox 360 that will be Rising Star Games’ first US title. Akai Katana will be releasing later this spring, and places players in a parallel world resembling Japan’s Taisho period. Utilizing the power behind the world’s Blood Swords for leverage, schmup (shoot ’em up) fans will fight alongside their rebel warrior kin as they seek to regain peace and order by taking on a fierce empire of tyranny.
