In a very peculiar turn of events, Arc System Works has confirmed that BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend will be getting a release on the PlayStation Portable platform.
BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend is an expansion to BlazBlue Continuum Shift, the expansion adds a new character to the roster and introduces a host of new changes to the character balance and play styles. The game originally received a port on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, and later released as a launch title for the PlayStation Vita handheld. So it is a bit strange that they are releasing a PlayStation Portable version after the Vita version.
This PSP version will obviously the weakest version in terms of graphics, and Arc System Works has also decided to add a BlazBlue Quiz mode where players will answer multiple choice questions related to the BlazBlue universe. The game is set for a Japanese release on 31 May 2012. You can check out the first screens below.
Plants vs. Zombies Publisher: PopCap Games Developer: PopCap Games Release Date: February 22, 2012 Price: $14.99
Overview:
If anyone were to mention the game Plants vs. Zombies to someone else, they would likely not have to explain a single thing about the game itself. You see, PopCap’s unique home defense game has become so popular since its original release on the PC that nearly every single platform today has a version of the game available. While this means that it is available on your PC, home consoles and even phones, it is also now available for Sony’s brand new PlayStation Vita handheld. With a few new features added and the unique capabilities of the Vita is this version the one for you?
Audio & Visuals:
Plants vs. Zombies retains its familiar happy-go-lucky soundtrack and sound effects as the zombies shuffle slowly towards your house and the plants defend them with the soft plopping of peas hitting zombie skin. Even Crazy Dave’s kooky mumblings return as he gives advice and tries to sell you things out of his trunk.
There has always been something charming about the art design of Plants vs. Zombies and that charming aesthetic stays as true to the original as possible on the PlayStation Vita. The graphics are crisp and colorful and look as great as ever. All of the different zombies retain the same designs as your various plants do their best to protect your home.
Gameplay:
For those who have never played Plants vs. Zombies in any form, the game is in fact quite simple in its execution, being a basic defense game at its core. Players must defend their home against waves of attacking zombies and the only way to defend yourself is through a wide assortment of plants that will gladly die for their master and knock the heads off of any zombie that gets close.
As you play through the game and make it through each level you will unlock stranger and more powerful plants that range from standard peashooters to giant corn cob cannons and everything in-between. That doesn’t mean that the zombies won’t become more diverse or stronger as they continue to find more ways to get closer to your house as they attack you from all angles at all times of the day.
Now while the formula hasn’t changed much in the PlayStation Vita version, there are a few things that have been added in to the game that help keep things a bit fresh. Most of these changes focus heavily on the fact that the PlayStation Vita offers touchscreen and gyroscopic functions, which means most of what you have seen on other touchscreen devices are also available on the Vita, which means you can tap the suns or coins you want to pick up or can plant the plants with a few taps of your finger. What is different here however is that players can also simply tilt their Vita in any direction ever so slightly and all of the suns or coins on screen will be collected instantly which is a very nice touch.
The touch screen format works well enough on the Vita, though it is worth noting that the Vita’s large screen does make it a bit difficult to plant your plants for long periods of time. There is an option to use the Vita’s normal buttons to control the game instead, however these controls feel clunky and slow compared to using the touchscreen.
Now besides the various ways to control the game, there are a number of brand new additions to the game as well. One of these new additions is the Zombatar mode which allows you to create your very own Zombie. There are plenty of different customization options which let you create the zombie of your dreams, though no matter what clothing you place on your Zombie, any clothing below the head will appear as the default brown suit and blue jeans. What makes Zombatar mode even better is that all of the zombies you created can then appear inside the game carrying the flag, which means you can kill your very own creation.
Aside from the standard main mode there are also the returning mini game modes that offer slot machine fun or bowling fun that help break up the monotony of the normal modes, as well as various survival modes and tasks to complete as well. Though you can take it nice and easy and enjoy the Zen Garden once that mode is unlocked as well.
Those interested in multiplayer of any kind will find that there is none for Plants vs. Zombies on the PlayStation Vita, however there are leaderboards for all of the various modes which allow you to scroll through the list of other players to see where you are located. These leaderboards can be found on your house, and the houses of your friends if they too own the game, which also gets decorated with various lawn ornaments for certain unlocked Trophies.
Speaking of Trophies, those looking to gain some more of these will be happy to hear that Plants vs. Zombies on the PlayStation Vita has not only the 12 original Trophies available on the PlayStation 3 but 30 brand new ones as well. This means that there are now 42 Trophies to be unlocked for those eager to raise their level and have a good time with some zombie killing plants.
Overall:
Now there are plenty of different versions of Plants vs. Zombies on the market, unfortunately a lot of these versions are also cheaper than the one that can be found on the PlayStation Vita, which runs a standard $14.99 on the PSN. However despite its higher price point the game offers everything that those versions offer and more. Plants vs. Zombies is just as fun as you may remember and this version may just be the best one available today. This of course means that those who have never touched a PvZ game before should definitely try it out as they are missing quite an enjoyable game that offers hours of addictive gameplay.
Risen 2: Dark Waters is an action RPG sequel to Risen, a game which was banned in Australia due to “sexual activity and drug use related to incentives or rewards”. Deep Silver and Piranha Bytes are nonetheless back for another round, and if the preview build of the game is anything to go by, nothing’s changed! Players take control of the nameless main character from the first game, who despite having saved an island from a giant titan in Risen, has ended up a disillusioned alcoholic: turns out there were several other titans out there who managed to trash the rest of the world while he was busy…woops.
Yo Ho, Yo Ho…
With the old world completely destroyed by the titans (even starting stronghold Caldera is surrounded by apocalyptic flames), everyone is seeking a new place to live, but is having a bit of trouble with a giant beastie in the ocean – a kraken. When called to help the survivors of a ship wrecked by the monster, the hero (from now on referred to as Jim-lad, because I can) finds an old companion washed up on the beach. Patty is the daughter of pirate supremo Silverbeard, and with a little shove from the Inquisition, Jim-lad is off with Patty to track him down and discover the secret to defeating the kraken. As it turns out, there’s a nifty little weapon that could not only take down the great sea monster, but the ring leader of all the titans- Mara. Unfortunately the Titan Spear is in the hands of another pirate, one who has betrayed his brethren to side with Mara.
Jim-lad and co must fight and persuade their way through jungles full of hostile wild life, less than happy natives, and towns full of Inquisition goons who would like nothing better than to wipe pirates off the map.
The preview build that I got my hands on is based on the beta version of the game, with the full title expected to release at the end of April this year on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Throughout I was playing the PC version, controlled with mouse and keyboard.
A Pirate’s Life For Me…
The first thing to note about Risen 2 is the way it handles its RPG elements. Your character is set in his physical appearance, and is fully voiced. Customisation fiends need not fear however as along the way you can customise Jim-lad with different clothing and a variety of suitably piratical headgear. Along with the weaponry which covers swords and guns and throwing weapons, clothing has different stats that give additional bonuses to Jim-lad’s skills and abilities.
These cover five areas: cunning, toughness, voodoo, swordplay and gunplay. Levelling up is accomplished by gaining glory points – killing wild animals, exploring the islands and completing quests all add to your total, which you can then spend on upgrading your skills. Higher skill rankings open up the opportunity to learn more talents, which can be bought from the plethora of teachers that make up the NPC’s. An imprisoned pirate will pass on his knowledge of stealing (perhaps not the soundest advice), and that lovely lady in a tavern will help you improve your um, silver tongue. But new skills do not come cheap! Risen 2 puts you firmly in pirate shoes, making you obsess over every scrap of gold that comes your way, reluctant to give it up for anything! Ever had too much money in an RPG and had nothing to spend it on? Well that certainly won’t bug you here. Should you buy a pistol so you can start shooting things? Or a pick axe to mine some gold? What about learning to pickpocket to steal back a pirate’s black pearl and complete a quest? But you need that money for a stake in a drinking contest to win a treasure map! Arrrr!
Risen 2 forces you to explore, to track down treasure and do everything that you can. Side quests and exploring are motivated by greed and the need to progress skills, so there’s always a reason to go wandering off down a beach in the hope of finding some treasure or extraordinarily hostile wildlife. Stealing too can net you valuable coin, but the NPC’s know their pirates, and will keep an eye on you if you wander into their property. Sneaking or waiting until night falls do wonders for your chances, and reading other people’s books can often reveal new quests.
One thing to emphasise about Risen 2 is that you don’t have the ability to do everything from the beginning. You can’t just pick a lock or pickpocket without having first paid to learn the skill, so depending on what you invest your glory points in and how you spend your gold, it will probably take a while to get to the point where nothing in the game outsmarts you. Certainly learning talents isn’t the end of it, as chests and the like will vary in their level of difficulty and may still be out of reach until later in the game. Character progression in Risen 2 feels important and like a genuine achievement – there’s no careless levelling up here.
Risen 2 certainly demands a lot of thought from the player in comparison to other Western RPG’s: you’ve got to think ahead when spending glory points and gold, and there are no magic trails to objectives or hand holding tutorials. This may be off putting to some but to me it’s a refreshing change. Having to delve back into quest dialogue to figure out your next move makes you feel much more connected to the character and the world than following an arrow on a map. Indeed Risen puts you firmly in it’s lead characters shoes. Not only will you greedily horde gold and take every opportunity to make some moolah, but you’ll treasure rum and grog as well.
For anyone living in Beijing China, M.Y. Comic 3 was on today, so it was another perfect excuse for the Capsule Computers Crew to attend and cover the event. I have to say that the organizers for this year’s M.Y. Comic 3 did a fantastic job with planning and organizing the event. Everything went down without a hitch. With special media pass tickets we were able to get in and take a look at the event floor 2 hours before the massive crowds / fans and cos players were allowed it. And let me say, THANK THE ANIME GODS for that! Once the clock stuck 9am, the flood gates opened and it was on for young and old!
I said this last time and I’ll say it again, Cos-Play is very much alive in China as you can see with the pictures taken below (over 200 gallery images) a lot of effort and time has gone into some of these outfits which I must say were very interesting and amazingly well designed. Cos-Play here at M.Y. Comic 3 was as good as ComicDive 6 that happened last year in Beijing. The great thing about attending these events is you also get to know the regulars and see what new costumes they have designed, which is always very exciting if you’re a cos-play fan.
M.Y. Comic 3 was jam packed with geeks, nerds, cos-players, children, old people wanting to be cool, you name it, they were there! The show floor was organized into two huge zones, jam packed with stalls stocked with amazing Comics and Dojinshi’s, toys, clothes and a variety of other cool stuff (see image gallery for more details) If you wanted your favorite book or comic, the plan was to make sure you knew were it was by doing your research while in the queue waiting or by checking online days before and preparing your list and memorizing stall locations and high tailing it over to them to buy whatever you needed! As always if you blinked too many time or stopped to smell the roses by looking at all the stalls one at time to see what they had would certainly on many occasions leave you very disappointed when you finally made it to the stall where your favourite book or item would be, as it would of been sold out by then.
The event opened its doors at 9am and was still buzzing at 5pm with fans taking photos of cos-players and people still buying their last minute comics, toys etc before they were asked to vacate the show floor. As always with video games in mind, this was the perfect opportunity to bring along my trusty Nintendo 3DS hoping that I might pick a few more street passes, and boy I sure did. I ended up picking up over 50 + new Mii profiles, swapped puzzles in the new Puzzle Swap and also nearly finished a run through on StreetPass Quest 2, not a bad effort at all for a days work. I also brought along my PSVITA in the hope that the NEAR option would work, but alas, with lack of WI-FI internet in the area, this option did not work and I walked away empty handed in that department.
Check out all the great photos from today’s event below, let us know what you liked the most or which Cos-Play character you thought was the best dressed. Our good friends Ezio & Altair from Assassin’s Creed were back again this time it looks like Ezio found the Apple of Eden! He was very happy about that and decided not to blade me with his retractable hidden blades this time around.
If you live in Europe, you should feel lucky as The Last Story is now out for the Wii. To celebrate this monumental release, Mistwalker have produced a lengthy launch trailer, with an introduction by Final Fantasy mastermind Hironobu Sakaguchi.
After the short bit, we then get a glimpse of the gameplay, story, and the surprisingly well done voice acting. You can check out the clip in full below, and run out and grab a copy if you happen to be in the appropriate region. All of you in the U.S. however still have a wait ahead, as XSeed will be publishing The Last Story later this year.
We have a few codes to give away for the new Cut The Rope Experiments on iOS courtesy of Zeptop Lab. To win simply leave a comment on MasterAbbott’s iOS Suggestions #8 and we’ll pick a few lucky winners.
We’ll pick the lucky winners once we have a few entries. Make sure you leave a valid email when you post your comment so we can send you your code via email if you win.
Good Luck to all!
Want to know what Cut The Rope Experiments is all about? Check out our review and game play video below.
If you have a Vita, you may have noticed the ongoing problems plaguing the new Facebook Application which was released last week. In order to provide a fix, Sony have now removed the app from the PS Store for the time being and released a statement to all owners that it will be “republished once the difficulties Facebook have experienced have been resolved”.
As for when Facebook will re-join the Vita, it was also mentioned that there is no time-scale at the moment, so those who are wanting to get social on their portable will just have to play the waiting game for the time being.
Cut the Rope: Experiments Developer: ZeptoLab UK Limited Publisher: ZeptoLab UK Limited Platforms: iPad (Reviewed), iPhone, iPod Touch Release Date: August 4, 2011 Price: $0.99 USD/AUD – Available Here
Overview
The original Cut the Rope earned its place on the must own list for iOS beside such classics like Angry Birds, Plants VS Zombies, and Infinity Blade with its cute visuals, thoughtful puzzles, and an addiction factor rivaling Farmville. Almost a year later, ZeptoLab brings the second iteration of the series called Cut the Rope: Experiments, which adds new gameplay elements and a slew of new puzzles.
Visuals & Audio
Cut the Rope: Experiments does not mess with the original formula of cute visuals and sound. The visuals and sounds are appealing to all ages and genders, and is child friendly. This is a bonus for parents with little ones who want to play on mom or dad’s iOS device. The game is colorful and the sound fits in perfectly with the mood of the game.
Cut the Rope: Experiments also adds the wacky Professor to the game. He will provide commentary on your performance and his observations as the game progresses. The Professor’s adds a little bit of storyline to the game and some hidden photos that can be collected in game. Although nothing ground breaking or game changing, the Professor’s commentary adds a little extra to the game that is well appreciated.
Gameplay
The premise of the game is still the same. A piece of candy hangs on a length of rope, and by manipulating the environment; you are tasked with delivering the candy to Om Nom’s mouth by means of cutting the rope. On the way, three stars will are scattered around the puzzle, ready to be collected for bonus points. At the end, you will be scored based on the time required to complete the puzzle and how many stars collected. This adds a level of difficulty and replay value to Cut the Rope: Experiments.
A game like this requires accurate touch controls, and ZeptoLab delivers. Cuts are accurate with no noticeable lag. The game hiccups once in a while during high speed movement of the camera, as it struggles to differentiate between taps and cuts. Thankfully these occurrences are rare. There have been a few game play additions to Cut the Rope: Experiments. New items such as suction cups and rope launchers add a twist the game that is well executed and fit into the theme of the game.
Overall
For gamers new to the Cut the Rope series, purchasing Cut the Rope: Experiments is a no brainer. It is a finely tuned game that mixes cute visuals, great audio, and simple, yet highly addictive gameplay into one package. After completing all the levels, new players may find themselves purchasing Cut the Rope just to satisfy their addiction. However, owners of the original Cut the Rope will most likely be asking why they should spend the extra 99 cents and purchase Experiments, especially since Cut the Rope has received incremental updates since the release of Experiments.
The additions of the Professor and the gameplay elements are well executed, but those alone may not convince owners of Cut the Rope to make the purchase. What should convince them is the 125 levels Cut the Rope: Experiments brings, the promise of continual free updates similar to the original Cut the Rope, and the 99 cent price point. Whether you are a veteran of the series or a new player, Cut the Rope: Experiments is a must buy.
PokeBeach reports one bombshell of an announcement made at the Pokemon Smash event, the next Pokemon games have been decided and they will appear on the Nintendo DS, they are Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2.
In the past, there was always been a final expansion to the set of Pokemon games. Red/Blue was followed by Yellow, Gold/Silver was followed by Crystal and so on. However, instead of getting an expansion to Black/White (which many imagined would be Pokemon Grey), fans will be getting direct sequels.
The Japanese release will happen on 2 June 2012 and it will be for the Nintendo DS platform but there will apparently be some DSi and 3DS features. At the moment, there is only a teaser poster showing off two new Pokemon that are also set to appear in the upcoming Pokemon movie.
Ridge Racer Vita Publisher: Namco Bandai Developer: Cellius Release Date: February 22, 2012 (AUS/UK), March 20, 2012 (US) Price: $29.99(US) – Available Here
Overview:
Over the past few years there has always been a series of games that will be staring at you from the store shelves as you purchase a brand new console or handheld gaming device. Practically every single handheld or console release since 2000 has been accompanied by a Ridge Racer title launched right alongside the new console. Now that the PlayStation Vita has been released Namco Bandai continues their tradition of bringing out a PlayStation Vita version of Ridge Racer for the system’s launch. Is Ridge Racer going to burn rubber on your new handheld or did it stall at the starting line?
Visuals & Audio:
Ridge Racer may not be the best running game right out of the box, but immediately upon starting the game you should be given a notification that there is an update that will help fix most of the problems that are included in the vanilla release of the game. With the patch applied the game features very nice graphics which are undeniably attractive on the Vita’s large viewing screen.
The colors used in the environment are very bright and given a decent amount of detail and this detail transfers itself flawlessly to the few cars you get, making the small amount received at least great to look at.
As you’re drifting around curves and racing around the tracks you will be hearing plenty of techno-style music that goes well with the racing style used in-game and fits with what Ridge Racer fans would expect from the series at this point. The cars themselves sound great and the engines themselves provide a nice and powerful noise coming from the engine, providing a satisfying feeling that there is plenty of horsepower under that hood, especially when the nitrous kicks in.
Gameplay:
Now… there are a number of things that are wrong with Ridge Racer for the PlayStation Vita however the racing itself is not one of them. Those looking to see the same style racing from Ridge Racers past need not worry as Ridge Racer on the PlayStation Vita retains all of the same charm as the rest of the series, though this also means that barely anything has changed from past iterations in the series.
Meaning of course that the game simply ignores real world physics in favor of providing high-speed drifting action where cars traveling at high speed can make hair-pin turns without spinning out of control and crashing into a wall. As such it is essential that players quickly learn to drift properly or you will likely end up in last place as you race against the computer opponents. Now the reason for why drifting is essential to finishing well is thanks to the fact that each of the tracks you will be racing on all have a large amount of sharp corners and impossible turns.
Thankfully drifting is very simple to do and this is only helped out further by how tight the control scheme is on the PlayStation Vita. Being that the Vita has two mini-joysticks it is easier than ever to control the car and steer it around the curves with their satisfying precision. This means you can easily put the pedal to the metal on straightaways, and then take your foot off the gas, steer into the turn gently and make sure you don’t steer too much or you’ll crash. Mastery of this system makes the racing addictive and it only makes it more enjoyable when drifting charges up your nitrous meter which can then be activated by tapping the screen to gain a temporary speed boost.
Now as you begin racing in Ridge Racer on the Vita you will be asked to choose one of four different sponsors. The sponsor you choose is then locked in place and this also locks you into a community of players where all of your actions either help or hurt your sponsor. This means that every time you win a race, your win will be uploaded to the online servers and this can either help or hurt your sponsor as you try to have your sponsor become the best in the world over the other three.
Unfortunately this system is completely empty of any true objective or incentive. There is practically no reason to care about what sponsor you choose or even if your sponsor is leading the pack as there are no rewards given nor is there any actual story mode for these online sponsors which makes the whole system seem contrived and tacked on.
Now besides that rather negative online experience, the game also supports 8 player wireless racing where players can compete against one another to see whom is the best, while the PlayStation Vita Near system will download ghosts from players in your area and then compete against them to see who is the faster racer on any of the three given tracks.
However there is a major problem when it comes to the ghost system and the online mode in general. Considering the title only features five cars, each car will have nearly the same exact stats as any other you own; however your car can get progressively faster as your level increases. This means that if you haven’t raced as much as anyone else you are facing off against, there is a very good chance that you will be left in the dust, meaning even with more skill you will lose to those who have played the game longer.
Now you may have noticed that I mentioned two key numbers in the past couple of paragraphs and they are what cause Ridge Racer to feel like a hollow experience despite the adequate racing mode. Right out of the box Ridge Racer gives you only three tracks to race on and only give five cars to race on them with. This meager amount of content is absolutely appalling, even with the titles smaller price tag, though a $10 difference shouldn’t justify such a lack of content. Instead, Namco Bandai is promising DLC of some sort in the future, though has given no information about this content or whether or not if it will be free, though at this moment it is not, which just leaves the entire game feeling empty and without substance.
Overall:
There are many times that the lack of content can kill a game and there can be no better example than Ridge Racer on the PlayStation Vita. While the racing itself is rather enjoyable, there are barely any changes to the actual structure of the game, though fans may enjoy this, the lack of tracks to race on and cars to use just feels like a hollow experience that would best be avoided.
In a very peculiar turn of events, Arc System Works has confirmed that BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend will be getting a release on the PlayStation Portable platform.
