Despite Namco Bandai being very tight lipped about Dragon Ball Z Kinect, it seems that the game is indeed in development and will be released to Western audiences as well. Not even a week has passed yet since Dragon Ball Z Kinect was given a rating in Korea, and now a game called Dragon Ball Z for Kinect has just been rated by the British Board of Film Classification, which also handles game ratings.
With two countries already rating the game and more likely on the way, expect to see Namco Bandai making some sort of official announcement in the coming weeks and plenty of people practicing their Kamehameha poses and trying to turn into Super Saiyans.
The wait for North American RPG fans to finally play Xenoblade Chronicles without having to do anything special to their Wii is finally approaching its end. Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime himself has stated that Xenoblade Chronicles will be released to GameStop stores everywhere on April 6.
To commemorate this announcement the company also revealed what the box art for the game will look like and let me just say, it is incredibly gorgeous. With The Last Story just announced for release in North America by XSEED, JRPG fans who own a Wii are in for quite an enjoyable time in the coming months. Now all that is left is to see if Pandora’s Tower will be released here…
Since it seems that Nintendo has more or less abandoned the Wii for greener pastures besides providing a decent game for the console every few months, Project Rainfall members can celebrate, because The Last Story is finally making its way over to North America, however it won’t be Nintendo who is bringing this great looking RPG to fans.
Instead it will be XSEED who has decided to pick up the reins on this game and will be localizing it for North America release despite Nintendo of Europe bringing it over for that region. It is great to see this title finally making its way to North American gamers sometime later this year.
With the PlayStation Vita now available around the world, most of you will be checking out the Playstation Store for Free downloadable titles. If you live in the US or AU your PlayStation Vita will come with a pack of 6 Augmented Reality (AR) cards which can be used for a variety of different things. Currently at the moment PlayStation have released three free Augmented Reality Games to download via the PlayStation Store.
They are :
Cliff Diving : Take the plunge with Diver Dan and your AR cards to build a series of high diving boards. Perform elaborate dives and try to splashdown safely to earn prize money.
Fireworks : Light up the sky with a spectacular fireworks display. Set off fireworks and perform some explosive combinations to earn special bonuses and work your way up the Fireworks leaderboard online.
Table Soccer : Use your AR cards to create your very own superstar soccer stadium and enjoy the beautiful game on any flat surface. Challenge your friends via Ad Hoc Mode and compete in 1 on 1 games and tournaments.
Now none of this will be possible without these little 6 AR cards below. As mentioned the cards will be included if you purchase your PS Vita in the US or AU, but if you’ve picked up your PS Vita from Japan, these cards will not be included. So to solve this little problem, simply download the cards below and print it out on good quality white paper, cut them out and get back into the game.
The Playstation Vita launches on the 23rd of February in Australia and New Zealand. To celebrate the launch, Capsule Computers were invited to an event to celebrate its release this past Tuesday in Sydney. In addition to a presentation, which featured a few interesting announcements, thirteen launch titles were available to try out. It was a great night where the media got to try out first and third party games, as well as mingle with each other. Being the Playstation expert of the site, I was the one chosen to celebrate the arrival of the Playstation Vita.
Upon arriving on the barge, I was greeted with stations of Playstation Vitas, showcasing several launch titles which will be available on Thursday. Games present included Rayman Origins, FIFA Football, Escape Plan, Little Deviants, Virtual Tennis 4, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, WipEout 2048, Unit 13, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Modnation Racers: Road Trip, F1 2011, Lumines: Electronic Symphony and Reality Fighters. Out of all the games that were available, I got my hands on seven of those games: Rayman Origins, FIFA Football, Escape Plan, Little Deviants, Virtual Tennis 4, WipEout 2048 and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. It was a great selection of games, further reinforcing the strongest launch lineup in the history of gaming hardware launches.
My first port of call is the platformer Rayman Origins. I can tell you that, if you are a fan of the console version, then you will be a fan of the Vita version. The gameplay is the same as any platformer out there, you can run, jump and attack enemies with Rayman or any other character featured in the console version. I had tried the first two levels and I am impressed. The artwork benefits the 5 inch OLED screen, bringing out the colour of the game. They were quite easy, as the first few levels should be, but also showed promise. This is one game worth picking up at launch, especially if you want to take Rayman on the go.
My second game was Virtual Tennis 4. Sega’s tennis game is definitely one for the tennis fan. I played a couple of matches with Rafael Nadal against opposition chosen by the computer. Both physical and touch controls can be used and they are not enforced. You can move your player by touching the spot and slicing the screen will execute a shot. The touch controls are quite smooth and accurate, but will take time to get used to. What works best is the combination of both physical controls for movement and touch controls. Graphics are gorgeous. They come pretty close to their Playstation 3 counterpart.
Next was FIFA Football, another sport game. I tried out one game of the North London derby, which is between Arsenal and Tottenham of the English Premier League. The presentation of the game reflects the console counterparts. So does the gameplay, with, of course, touch control capabilities. The front touch screen controls passing, as well as selecting players while on the defence. I wasn’t that impressed, mainly that it will only do simple passes. The rear touch pad, which is used for shooting, did impress me. The rear touch pad becomes the goal, so all you do is tap a particular area and it will go in that direction. Holding the pad down will increase power. First time I had tried it I scored with Robbie Van Persie. I can say with confidence that this is one for the soccer/football fan. Sadly, there is no Ultimate Team mode.
Escape Plan was the fourth game I tried. The downloadable title can only be described with one word: quirky. You control two characters, Lil’ and Large, in this puzzle game. In terms of gameplay, all the player uses are the touch controls, both the front screen and the rear touch pad. Swiping the screen across will move the characters while tapping on various objects will interact with them. What did grab my attention was the art style of the game. The game is black and white and the designs of the characters are quiet alien. Yet, the designs bring out a little bit of their personality. I am surprised at it and it would be one of the games I would suggest at launch, even if it is only on the PSN. Don’t let the touch only controls be a deterrent to pick up Escape Plan, as it is one of the best uses of touch controls for the system so far.
It must be quite difficult to select what type of box art you should place on your game. I mean, while the more intelligent consumer looks online and makes an informed decision about what to purchase, there are always those who happen to be walking down the video game aisle looking for an interesting game and if your box art catches their eye, you just guaranteed a sale.
Tecmo Koei has revealed their finalized box arts for two of their upcoming releases. While these box arts are for the Australian market, these will likely be the same used in North America as well. Ninja Gaiden 3’s box art is quite striking with the contrast between the black and blood red in the background, while Warriors Orochi 3 features a mash-up between two series’ characters as well as the giant multi-headed serpent in the background. Too bad Warriors Orochi 3 won’t be seeing a PlayStation 3 box art thanks to Sony’s strange release limitations…
Aquarion EVOL has quickly become one of the better anime series of 2012. The anime is a sequel to the Aquarion anime series that aired sometime in 2005, and the story takes place 15,000 years after.
The opening theme song for Aquarion EVOL, ‘Kimi no Shinwa ~ Aquarion Dai-Ni-Shō’ by AKINO, was released as a single and sold 23’354 copies to debut #3 on the Japanese Oricon music charts. The song is performed by AKINO and her new group instrumental group called bless4. It was composed and arranged by Yoko Kanno and written by Gabreila Robin.
You can listen to the song below and tell us what you think.
Having Hitman withdrawals; well Square Enix have coming running to your aid with the antidote in the form of some in-depth ongoing trailers named the ” The International Contract Agency Files” series. The first in the series features artwork from comic book artist Ben Oliver and introduces the main characters involved in the intertwining storyline. The first of the main characters of Hitman Absolution to be introduced is Diana Burnwood, the long time handler of lead protaginist Agent 47.
Additionally, Square Enix have released some interviews with some of the actors breathing life into the in-game characters, all filmed in the peformance capture sessions in Giant studios, a large motion detection facility. The first in this interview series runs parallel with the game trailer, introducing Marsha Thomason who plays Diana Burnwoods character.
Fans of Metal Gear Solid may be ready for a certain Snake to be appearing on store shelves everywhere for the Nintendo 3DS, but others may not be quite so lucky. They’ll never see him coming until he takes the $39.99 out of their wallets and is riding home with them in their shopping bag.
But back to reality, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D has been released to retail stores today and gamers will be able to experience the classic title for the first time in 3D with a number of new adjustments to the series, including the ability for players to take their own pictures and turn them into camouflage that will allow them to blend in with their environment and sneak around.
Mailmen Developer: Sandstorm Interactive Publisher: Ayopa Platform: iPad (reviewed) Release: 16/2/12 Price: $3.99 – Available Here
Overview
Apart from Newman on Seinfeld, I have no idea what mailmen do. Given my only reference point is lazy, and doesn’t deliver mail, I have no idea how mail ends up in my postbox in the middle of the day. Mailmen – the latest iPad game by iOS developers Sandstorm Interactive and publishers Ayopa games – is a game about just that. Well, sort of.
Story
The story is rather straight forward – largely based around mailmen who are just doing their job. Delivering mail. There isn’t really a plot, or any twists to the story. It’s just delivering mail and avoiding dogs. There are a few villains thrown in to the mix, but essentially this doesn’t really add too much to the main story arc. The only notable feature would be the number of characters at your disposal – a team of three. The story involves them working together to deliver mail, which didn’t really provide me with enough incentive to keep playing. But that may just be me.
Gameplay
The premise is simple enough. Sneak past dogs, deliver some mail, and combat enemies who always involve dogs and for some reason hate mail. On paper, the game sounds fine, as long as you don’t have an issue with mailmen. Yet, in practice sometimes doesn’t sit quite right. The essence of Mailmen is stealth, you need to utilise the special powers and abilities of the mailmen you control within the game to sneak past angry dogs. Mechanically this is fine, the dogs have a graphic-based visual field and even if they do catch you, you can escape (but only so many times). The problem is the range of controls that are used to strategically move through the maps. There are a few too many, and the control system isn’t the most user friendly. If you like stealth based strategy games, then sure give this one a shot. If not then I very much doubt it’ll change your mind.
The mechanics are simple enough to pick up, which makes my next complaint even more valid. The first eight levels of the game are all tutorial-based levels. The chief mailman will tell you what is happening in the situation, and what tools to remedy it. Sure, perhaps the mailmen’s abilities don’t exactly speak for themselves, but being told what to do again and again can become a little taxing. The levels will require some planning to get through, which means that a full view of the map will become helpful, and knowing what abilities you have at your disposal will come in handy. But like I said, eight levels of learning is just far too much.
Visuals and Audio
The visual style is a mix between three dimensional levels, and hand drawn looking characters. The diaolouge boxes are all obviously hand draw with hyperbolic cartoon character designs. The three main characters all, to some degree, epitomise their special abilities. With this in mind, they are well designed. The world itself is made up of some intricate mazes, and is rather interesting, but not visually stunning by any means. That is not to say it’s bad, just that it doesn’t sweep you off your feet. However, it is a unique and original design and I will give the designers that. The audio, too, is original, yet slightly repetitive. However, the background music is different and manages to capture that “suburban” feel – which is absolutely perfect for this title.
Overall
The idea of the game is interesting. However, it immediately won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. The idea of using mailmen is interesting, and highly original and the game itself does play out the story of mailmen delivering mail and avoiding dogs well – but mailmen just may not be what some look for in a game. Played out on the iPad, the mazes are rather inventive, and indeed some are difficult to navigate – but the hook that keeps you playing just isn’t there. If you like strategic stealth based games, give this one a shot. If not, then perhaps it’s best you return this one to sender.
