Magna Pacific have confirmed with us the release date for the upcoming second season release of the Pokemon: Black and White anime series. The 14th season of the Pokemon anime and the 2nd season of the Black and White series is scheduled for release on DVD throughout Australia on the 6th of June, 2012.
We have previously reviewed the first season of Pokemon: Black and White which can be seen here and we also reviewed both movies based upon the Black and White series which can be seen here.
Interestingly enough the release coincides with the release of the video-game sequels Black and White 2, which will be released in the same month, making for one hell of a Pokemonth.
In the mood for some new games on your new Android 2 Smartphone or Tablet PC? Want something that isn’t shovelware designed to cheat you out of $7 with crappy controls and a poor interface scheme? Why not go indie and buy a game from the Humble Bundle #2 on the Humble Bundle website.
Included in this bundle are a small handful of games, which are “Zen Bound 2, Avadon: The Black Fortress (Android version is tablet-only), Canabalt, and Cogs!”. These look like some quality games, and we have reviewed the PC version of Avadon, which can be viewed here.
The bundle will only be around for the next 14-days, so be sure to check out this deal here before it is too late.
There has been quite a bit of news surrounding the upcoming anime adaptation of NisiOisn’s manga, Medaka Box and now after two previously Medaka Box character trailers we are treated to yet another. This time focusing on Medaka Box character, Shiranui Hansode.
You can check out the Shiranui character trailer below. Shiranui is Medaka Box’s resident Moe character and friend of the titular character Medaka Kurokami.
The series is set to premiere next month in Japan as part of the Spring 2012 anime season. An official website for the anime series has also launched and can be seen here. Be sure to let us know what you think of the Shiranui trailer in the comments section below.
During their recent Kawaii Kon panel, Sentai Filmworks revealed that they have intentions of releasing and dubbing more of the Gintama anime series, pertaining that the soon to be released dub version of Gintama: The Movie sells well in the U.S.
Sentai confirmed that if the film does well financially, that they will most likely dub the currently licensed first 49 episodes (which they released in sub only format previously) and license and release more episodes of the series.
So it looks like good news for Gintama fans and also a call to arms for them to purchase the upcoming movie release. The film is scheduled to hit shelves on DVD and Blu-Ray later this year.
Mass Effect has created one of the deepest universes in contemporary video games, and now, thanks to some handy iOS apps, you can fit the world of Mass Effect in your pocket.
First off came Mass Effect Infiltrator, whose campaign could provide direct benefits to your Galactic Readiness in Mass Effect 3. Now EA have announced that those of you who own the new iPad are in for a spectacular visual treat, as the iOS app has been optimized for the higher processing power and resolution of Apple’s new device. That means that you get to see an already pretty game in, well, even prettier.
Beyond that, EA have also recently released a companion app for Mass Effect 3. Mass Effect Datapad is a completely free application in which players can receive text messages from in-game characters as they complete certain missions and conversations in Mass Effect 3. On top of that, it comes with the fully featured (including the audio bits) Codex from the Mass Effect games, as well as a minigame through which you can increase your Galactic Readiness. Be sure to check this one out! What can you lose? It’s free.
What do you think of these iOS tie ins? Is taking the game world with you something you wish more franchises would do? Sound off below!
Doomsday III: Base Ganymede Publisher:Apple Developer: General Arcade Platforms: iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone (Reviewed) Release Date: March 12, 2012 Price:$0.99 – Available Here
Overview
Doomsday III was developed using the source code of Doom Classic (or the id Tech 1 engine) and is the product of the the community project Freedom. In the description of the game on the App Store, General Arcade states that “All our work will be contributed back to the community.”
So, although it is not a straight port of the classic shooter, Doomsday III: Base Ganymede is obviously very closely related to the series. However, Doom was made to be played on the PC. Can this game overcome the limitations of iOS devices and deliver a quality experience?
Gameplay
Really, there has never been much to the story in Doom games, so I think its best to skip it in this review. Suffice it to say, there was a base that got attacked and this soldier dude has to fight off strange alien creatures. End of plot.
Funny as it may seem, that basically sums up the gameplay too. Playing as the soldier mentioned above, you will explore a variety of locales and fight off increasingly crazy and creepy enemies. As is standard in Doom games, you will start off with a simple pistol. However, there are numerous weapons to be found in the game. Within about 5 minutes I had found a shotgun and I was blowing up giant worms like a maniac. In total, there are 9 weapons to be found in Doomsday III, each more fun than the last.
One featureI really appreciated was that I did not have to unlock any levels. I could jump into any one whenever I felt like it. This really helped me not get bored with the game, because if I could not get past a level, I could just go right into a new one and start playing that one.
One reason why Doom is popular is that it is known to be a difficult game. And that part of the gameplay has certainly transitioned into this game. There are a plethora of bad guys to fight and the enemy variety is nothing short of amazing. I was shocked that my phone never slowed down while I was playing the game, as there were literally about 10+ enemies at a time on the screen in almost every area.
Nevertheless, this difficulty also presents problems. Being based on an accurate control system, Doom has problems when it is transported to a touch control system. While touch controls can be accurate and provide a good experience for many games, shooters seem to suffer on the platform. General Arcade attempted to solve this by offering customization options: it is possible to move the buttons anywhere you want on the screen. In addition, they offered 3-4 different control button combinations. Try hard as they might though, Doomsday III still is extremely frustrating to control when using the plain touch controls. It felt like I was always having to fight the controls, or that I was dying simply because my reticule was wildly meandering across the screen. It should be noted that Doomsday III also includes support for the 60beat GamePad and the Fling, but I was unable to test them out, so the game may be better if it is played with one of these accessories.
Audio and Visuals
Doomsday III: Base Ganymede gives the user the option to download 11 additional soundtracks. However, these take up quite a bit of space, and I would say that the standard soundtrack already present in Doomsday is more than enough to complement the gameplay. Nevertheless, the additional music is quite good, and if you can spare the memory, it may be worth it, especially if you are a hardcore Doom fan.
This game certainly is not the prettiest iOS game out there, but it is reasonably well rendered. Being based off the orignal game, it should come as no surprise that the graphics are a little on the rough side, with lots of blockiness being present. Nonetheless, it certainly looks almost exactly like DOOM and that ought to bring back a lot of memories for most folks. Plus, watching blocky blood effects spatter from dead aliens is always fun.
Overall
In conclusion, if you are an addict of Doom and just can’t enough of it, I wholeheartedly recommend Doomsday III: Base Ganymede. Being able to play through 29 levels while you are on route to somewhere is satsifying in the most immense way. Nevertheless, the inaccuracy of the controls is annoying, and I was shocked that General Arcade did not include any multiplayer options. All in all, I would say that for $0.99, you are getting your moneys worth though.
Have you finished it yet? Chances are that you’ve ploughed a lot of time into a particular sci-fi galaxy this week, but what about the multiplayer? Coming in as a surprisingly strong addition to the series, Mass Effect 3’s co-op multiplayer is well worth a try, and it’ll even boost your Galaxy at War readiness.
EA and BioWare have just released two new multiplayer focused videos to help you up your game, one focusing on the enemies you’ll encounter and the other on the classes you can play as. Along for the informative ride are Senior Combat Designer Corey Gaspur and Gameplay Designer Eric Fagnan.
There are some useful little snippets in both videos, although veterans of the mode will probably be hearing nothing new. So take your mind off that elephant in the room and give ME3’s other option a bit of attention. You can catch the enemy focused video above, and check out a bit more detail about the games many classes below.
EA Sports has released FIFA 12 and the NBA Jam to the masses today on Google Play.
FIFA 12 features top of the line graphics, famous footballers like Kaka and Rooney, 32 real stadiums, major football leagues such as MLS and La Liga, and daily challenges to keep you playing. NBA Jam is also released, bringing the classic game to 2012. Featuring the biggest stars from each of the 30 NBA teams playing 2 on 2 arcade basketball and Tim Kritzrow’s return as the announcer, NBA Jam has three modes of play and unlockable legends from the classic arcade game and crazy cheats. FIFA 12 and NBA Jam are both available for $4.99 on the Google Play store.
The first 2 Marathon games by Bungie are both up for download on both iPad and iPhone, but even better they’re both as cheap as free. Ported by Daniel Blezek, each game is the entire original experience, but with additional improvements available for download at $0.99 each.
The additional improvements are an HD mode, which matches the games to the HD remake for Marathon 2: Durandal released for XBLA; Master Chief mode, named after Bungie’s later Halo protagonist which gives cheats to the player; and lastly Enhanced Reticules.
Players that have played Halo will see the inspirations Bungie pulled from their earlier work from a chargeable fusion pistol to a double-barreled rocket launcher. Those that loved the overpowered Halo 1 pistol will probably equally enjoy Marathon’s .45 Magnum Mega Class, which can be conveniently dual-wielded after you find another for even more ridiculous power.
You can download Marathon 1 here and Marthon 2: Durandal here for your iOS devices.
Think you know what Pong has been missing all these years? Then enter Atari’s Pong Indie Developer Challenge and tell them how you would make it even better. As Nolan Bushnell explains in the video, this challenge is a way of celebrating Pong’s 40th anniversary with a burst of creativity from the game community. Entrants have until April 15th to submit a design document and even a link to a playable demo, if you got it.
Those entrants that make it to the semi-finals will then submit a short playable demo and video by May 29th. Then those that are selected to be finalists will be tasked with actually completing their game before July 6th.
All finalists will receive a cash prize in addition to revenue, but first through third will receive $50,000; $37,500; and $15,000 respectively. So, get cracking on perfecting all those crazy ideas you’ve had building since the first time you played Pong.
