Another character trailer for the upcoming Spring 2012 anime series Medaka Box has been released. This time the trailer focuses on the male lead of the series, Zenkichi Hitoyoshi. You can check out the Zenkichi trailer below.
The Medaka Box anime series is an adaptation of the Shonen Jump manga from NisiOisn and Akira Akatsuki. The series focuses on Medaka Kurokami, the head of the student council as she tries to help out around her school by taking on tasks placed in her ‘suggestion box’.
Be sure to check out the trailer and let us know what you think in the comments section. Medaka Box is set to premiere on April 4th, 2012.
Mass Effect Infiltrator Developer: Iron Monkey Studios Publisher: EA Games Platform: iPhone (reviewed), iPad, iPod Touch Release Date: March 6 Price: $6.99 (HERE)
Overview
Mass Effect 3 is a game so massive that, much like blockbuster movie releases, it’s getting its own licensed video game for the iOS platforms. Mass Effect Infiltrator is a touch-based third-person shooter that puts you in charge of a Cerberus agent who turns against the diabolical, conspiracy-ridden enterprise. With Iron Monkey Studios, the developers of the award-winning iOS rendition of Dead Space, in charge of the game and the high production values associated with EA and Mass Effect, is this one of the rare licensed games that plays like a charm, or should it be left in the grisly tentacles of the Reapers?
Story
There is no “BioWare” tag associated with Mass Effect Infiltrator. If there had been, perhaps players would have felt a little duped by the promise such a tag brings with it.
The story is as basic as it gets: you play as Randall Ezno, a Cerberus agent with cybernetic implants who gathers up aliens for scientific testing. A charmer, in other words. When Randall’s partner back at the Cerberus base is abducted by her own company for testing, he gets a little angry and decides it’s time to blow up the joint and its malevolent Director with the help of the Human Alliance. That’s it.
A basic story isn’t always a bad thing, and in the few moments of dialogue of Infiltrator the writing can actually be compelling, but for the most part, as you advance through the base, you’ll mainly be hearing menacing one-liners from the aforementioned Director.
He’s evil see? Evil people say mean things while you wander through their corridors, and they do it a lot. As such, the game becomes a bit of a grind leading into the closing chapters of the story.
On top of that, there are some bits of story that don’t really seem to make sense within the established world of Mass Effect. In the very first mission, I was confused to be fighting Turian Soldiers and Geth Snipers who appeared to be on the same side. Not really what I’d call lore appropriate.
The ending is left a little open-ended, but to its credit Infiltrator tries for the same tone of loss and despair as Mass Effect 3. Though it does not come close to reaching those heights in terms of pulling at your own heartstrings, it does a good job of showing Randall Ezno’s pain at the tragedy that has befallen him.
Gameplay
Mass Effect Infiltrator should feel familiar to play for anyone who has played the console Mass Effect titles. There’s crates, walls, and conveniently placed benches to be used as cover while enemies pour forth from various doors in an area. From your “I’m behind the safest workbench in the galaxy!” perch you can shoot, use biotic abilities, and cloak to move around undetected.
Of course, converting shooting mechanics from the console versions and attempting to implement them with touch-based replicas of analogue sticks would have been both difficult to design well and frustrating to play, so I’m happy to say that Iron Monkey opted for a touch-based shooting mechanic instead. Players will tap the enemy they wish to target and then, using the recently maligned touch-based analogue-stick-wannabes, they can aim at a certain part of the target’s body to do extra damage (usually the head).
Ezno can switch between assault rifles, snipers, and shotguns to help in his vengeful quest, and can use the biotic abilities Pull and Leash to suspend enemies in mid-air and throw them about like useless puppets. Personally, I found Pull more effective, as it can rip the shields off of the annoying Cerberus riot troops and tear snipers out of their perches, and at later stages you can target multiple enemies with it, so you can do both the shield and sniper pulling in a manner that’s adaptive to whatever battlefield you’re on.
Infiltrator features a good deal of enemy variety. At the expense of explaining why others gunning for Cerberus aren’t working with you (you’d assume once you and the escaped prisoners realized you were both shooting the same people that you’d fight together), you’ll never know whether there’s a Krogan battle unit, Geth juggernaut, Asari prsioner, or sniper team waiting to blow your head off just around the corner.
So with all the stuff it’s throwing at you, it’s good that the game features a robust cover system. In fact, I found moving from cover to cover in Infiltrator to be far more effective than in Mass Effect 3. Sure, it can be weird that Ezno does massive somersaults to travel between distant pieces of cover, but in terms of gameplay, it just works. This is where the game truly excels, and therefore it’s a shame that though these mechanics serve you well throughout the four to five hours of the game, the two boss battles involve a lot of running and gunning. Using the aforementioned, and still much maligned, touch-based analogue-stick wannabes.
Based on your performance, the game awards you credits after every battle, and using those you can upgrade your armour, abilities, and weapons. It’s not the deepest system in the world, but you’ll definitely feel the results of your investments. You can also gather intel from defeated enemies and use this to either increase your Galactic Readiness rating in Mass Effect 3 or garner some additional credits.
You’ll occasionally find a Cerberus scientist hidden in a room and the screen will freeze and ask, “Paragon or Renegade?” Though attempting to mimic the choices of Mass Effect games, these bear no overall consequence and so mean little. I just switched between them depending on my mood at the time. The game really could have done without this as Mass Effect is about more than binary choices.
Regardless of issues, Infiltrator does a good job at being an iOS cover-based shooter, and it needs to be commended for that. Most combat arenas are challenging and fun, and the checkpointing doesn’t leave too much to be desired.
Audio & Visual
Mass Effect Infiltrator is great to look at. Though some of the environments get repetitive, the graphical fidelity always remains. It’s most definitely one of the better looking games on the platform, and, in visuals at least, it does a good job of capturing the look of the Mass Effect universe.
When a game prompts you to “plug in headphones for best experience”, you know you’re in for something pretty good, and, indeed, the sound design of the game matches the visual presentation. The sounds of guns bear the necessary impact, a few good tracks are lifted from the Mass Effect games, and the voice acting, though not spectacular, does its job well. Ezno in particular really sells a tone of desperation as he desperately searches for his partner.
Overall
Mass Effect Infiltrator is a good game. It has flaws with its controls when roaming about, but when you’re fluidly moving through cover, mowing down approaching enemies, it gives you a rush on par with some of the better shooters out there. You could take the Mass Effect moniker away from the story and probably not tell the difference, but the bonuses to Shepard’s campaign are substantial enough that you’ll feel like you’re helping your overall war effort even when you’re stuck on the daily commute.
It may not be the most fitting companion title to BioWare’s epic finale of the Mass Effect trilogy, but it is a solid game, and worth your time if you just can’t get enough of Mass Effect or third-person shooters.
There is currently an amazing looking game being developed in Japan at the moment and the director of said game is the same man who handled the Ar Tonelico series, Akira Tsuchiya. Last night he was interviewed for the “Game Heaven” presentation for the PlayStation Vita and while this interview is entirely in Japanese with no subtitles, the latter half of the video contains some important footage.
That footage is the first trailer for Ciel no Surge, a game where players will interact with a girl named Ionasol who has lost her memory. Players will take care of her for three years and interact with her using the Vita touch screen. Apparently this is the first game in a series called Surge Concerto which will be available on multiple platforms. Currently the title has no release date in Japan, nor any announcement for a North American release. Whom do you believe would give Ciel no Surge the best treatment if it were to be localized for the West?
Konami’s non-sequel to X-Blades is making its way to store shelves today for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Developed by Gaijin Entertainment (same developers of X-Blades) the game follows the story of Ayumi (same character from X-Blades) as she hunts for treasure in the mysterious and dangerous Dragonland.
Blades of Time features an interesting game mechanic called “Time Rewind” that allows players to make clones of themselves to either help attack the enemy or solve puzzles. Wielding her dual katanas and multiple firearms, Ayumi will stop at nothing to find the treasure she seeks, even if it means facing down mysterious monsters never seen before.
It was recently revealed in Dengeki PlayStation that the sparkle-full zombie killing game Lollipop Chainsaw would contain a number of costumes from various anime and manga that have been released in Japan. Those curious to see what those are can see the small list below.
Highschool of the Dead: Saeko Busujima and Rei Miyamoto
Deadman Wonderland: Shiro
Is This a Zombie?: Haruna
Manyu Hiken-cho: Manyu Chifusa
Now while names are great, seeing these outfits in action is even better. Today a new trailer was released showing Lollipop Chainsaw’s main character Juliet wearing each of these anime/manga outfits as well as a number of other outfits that are going to be available once the game is released, as well as how the PS3 and 360 versions of the game will feature different voice actors. Now there has been no word if all these costumes will be available when the game is released in North America but we can certainly keep our hopes up.
In the first episode of a Heavy Hitter enemy-introduction video series, Irrational Games introduces you for the first time to one of the unique BioShock Infinite antagonists you’ll be facing in the city of Columbia: Motorized Patriot.
An odd name for an odd enemy, then. You’ll notice it’s a strange foe to be facing, but it wouldn’t be Bioshock without it, so allow Irrational Games’ creative director Ken Levine and art director Nate Wells to talk you through this most patriotic of adversaries.
Bioshock Infinite will come to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on 19th October this year. For now, check out the video featurette below:
A new trailer for the upcoming sequel to Is This a Zombie? (Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?) has appeared on Kadokawa’s official website. The trailer for Is This a Zombie? of the Dead (Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead) lasts nearly two minutes long and contains all new footage from the upcoming season, so those who are missing their dose of Haruna, Tomonori, Eu and Seraphim will be able to satisfy themselves for now.
Those eager to know roughly when the anime will begin airing will be happy to hear it will begin airing in Japan on April 4th. Currently there are no plans for this season to be streamed online, however it is worth noting that FUNimation has licensed the first season for home distrubition and Crunchyroll recently streamed the first season so it is highly likely this second season will make its way to Western shores.
Action flight simulator Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters is now available across the UK for the Xbox 360, Windows PC, and PlayStation 3. In its exciting campaign mode, Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters offers 16 missions and a territory of 65,000 square kilometers with mountains, deserts, and urban landscapes.
Besides the single-player campaign, Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters features various multiplayer modes. Up to 16 players can take part in free-for-all battles in the dogfight mode, destroy the enemies team headquarter in the base assault mode or fight in teams against rival players in the team dogfight mode. Players can set battle conditions such as the number of rounds and available aircrafts themselves to keep the multiplayer experience captivating for a long time. Up to four players can cooperate to tackle the campaign missions together.
While playing Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters, gamers can take a seat in the cockpit of 30 different types of fighter jets from the USA, Russia, Europe and China. The game contains aircrafts from the last 30 years and considers the technical specifics of each warplane as well as the different roles that indicate its use, such as fighter jets, ground attack airplanes and multirole warplanes.
Earlier today during the PlayStation Vita Game Heaven event it was revealed that Japan would be seeing the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection released on the PlayStation Vita on June 28th. A few hours later, the Western divisions of Konami have revealed that the game will be, as expected, making it to North America and Europe. For those who don’t know Metal Gear Solid HD Collection on the PlayStation Vita will include Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
At the moment the release date for these two areas sit vaguely as a Summer release, however it is likely that they too will share the June 28th release of Japan. While Konami wasn’t able to give us a more concrete release date, they did release a number of screenshots that show off how the game will look on the Vita. Check them out below.
Here we are again, MasterAbbott is back for this week’s iOS Game Suggestions. If you missed out on last week’s suggestions, click on the links below and check what cool games you should be picking up for your iOS along with the introduction and disclaimer on how my suggestions work, as I’m not going through the same old intro every week. (suggestions 1 has the disclaimer)
What I’ve also introduced is video game play footage (if it’s possible) on some of the iOS games I’ve suggested, you can check this out at the bottom of the article. Currently video game play footage for this week’s suggestions are not available, check back in a few days there will be some more added. For now, if you jump into previous suggestions there are a few videos to check out.
Once again it’s been a great week on iTunes, so many amazing games were released, this week I’ve suggested well over my normal amount with a total of 20 great quality titles. As always for this week’s suggestions are all new titles that you should also take a look at to spend your hard earned iTunes cash / time on. This week I’ve focused an both the $0.99 over 99c titles there were some awesome and unique games released. These titles are all well worth taking a look at. Now lets get down to business shall we.
For The Cheapskates – FREE GAMES
Gazzel Quest – The Five Magic Stones – Price : FREE – Publisher – Nerlaska Studio. (Gazzel is the bravest warrior of the armies of Pharaoh. So tired of war, he decides to finish a life full of struggle and death. But Pharaoh, furious with the decision of leaving by his best warrior, kidnaps his beloved Salama and orders to be imprisoned behind the Asorom door. Asorom’s door is sealed with the five sacred locks. To open it, Gazzel must gather the five magical jewels. Once all the jewels were placed in the five locks, the door will open and Samala will be free. Every stone is kept by an underworld demon. ) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Jumping On Cloud – Price : FREE – Publisher – Cloud Soft. (Greedy Rando fell into the dangerous ice cave when stealing troll’s treasure. But you have the power of ice, which can be used to create a shorttime ice layer for jumping. Can you help Rando get out of the ice cave and collect all the gold coins he lost? iPhone Version is coming soon next week! Features: New way of control and new experience! Various trolls and monsters.18 chanllenging levels and much more to come!Game with NO IAP!!! !) runs on iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Warheads Medieval Tales – Price : FREE – Publisher – Glu Distribution. (Take charge of Sir Hugo and his band of unlikely heroes as they battle the dreaded forces of the evil Sir Gui. Level up your party and take to the battlefield in Warheads: Medieval Tales, the premier fast-paced roleplaying game. Easy to control: Simple swipe commands to move you Heroes or attack the enemy. Play the way you want: Create your own unique party of Heroes and deploy them onto the battlefield to match your play style) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Wizard’s Choice – Price : FREE – Publisher –Hosted Games. (Fortune and glory or death? Stay alive, cast spells, and smite evil. Dungeons & Dragons-style text adventure! Stay alive, manage your spell power, find treasure, and smite evil. Wizard’s Choice is a series of RPG text-based adventures that will engross you in a storyline while allowing you to make the decisions that will determine your fate.) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
TN Tiger – Price : FREE – Publisher – Tech Nutrition. (Are you able to help Tommy the Tiger get back his girlfriend from the evil hippo and elephant who kidnapped her? Have a blast running, jumping, flying and rampaging across 21 levels in this brand new beautiful and highly addictive game of physics and awesomeness. Please note that if you do download this game addictiveness is guaranteed – you have been warned! ) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
For The Bargain Hunters – 99c Games
Munch Time – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Gamistry. (SWING AND GO
Meet Munch, a chameleon and his quest for lunch that the player must guide him through. Swing around using your super strong tongue to reach the most difficult places! Latch onto different flowers for different acrobatic effects! CHANGE COLOR
Flowers have various colors and Munch will need to change color according to the flower he wants to latch onto. But there’s a problem: Munch can’t change color on his own and requires the help of special color flies that are flying around. ) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOWCHECK OUT OUR REVIEW FOR MUNCH TIME HERE
TwinGo! – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Chillingo Ltd. (The two Weather Twins, Fuyu and Natsu have lost the stars, now it’s up to you to help get them back. These twins couldn’t be any different though, one is a glowing ball of flame and the other is made of ice! You’re going to have to get them to work together in this unique, innovative puzzle game that will surprise you right to the end. TwinGo! is highly addictive, innovative, and challenging. Each of the 90 levels, spread over 3 unique worlds, has been designed to offer the perfect amount of challenge. Will you be able to collect all the stars and find your way to the finish? ) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Barbarian – The Ultimate Warrior – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Elite Systems Ltd. (THE ORIGINAL CLASSIC IS HERE! Barbarian is one of THE defining games of the 1980s. The Barbarian HD app will be offered as an in-app purchase from within the Elite Collection HD app. (The in-app will be priced at £1.49/€1.59/US$1.99 and it may include one or more other 8-bit games).The Barbarian HD app is also available in this stand-alone form. It does not include any other 8-bit games but it does include an infinite lives version.The Barabarian HD app is the near-100% original 8-bit game, as written Steve Brown and published by Palace Software in 1987 and is brought to you – as an officially licenced product – utilizing our Elite Collection technology..) runs on iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
Final Freeway R2 – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – NEWTYPE K.K. (Have you always wanted OUTRUN on your iOS device? Well Introducing the much awaited sequel to our hit game “Final Freeway”. Ladies and gentlemen, put down your emulators and start your iPhones! Old-school arcade racing through 14 stages, Real-time road splits (choose as you go) Fast, fast driving action! Awesome pixel art, for a perfect retro feeling. 3 fantastic pop-rock tunes (80s are here to stay!) 3 selectable characters, with different skills!) runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOWCHECK OUT OUR REVIEW FOR FINAL FREEWAY R2 HERE
Kinito Ninja – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Yubi Games. (KINITO Ninja is a white knuckle side scrolling action adventure. The player’s goal is simple: run head long past obstacles, slash past enemies with your Katana, and get as much treasure as quickly as you can through sixty unique levels! As addicting as it is engaging, KINITO Ninja also boasts beautifully stylized professionally rendered cartoon graphics, smooth gameplay, and seamless in-game animation!) 3 selectable characters, with different skills!) runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOWCHECK OUT OUR REVIEW FOR KINITO NINJA HERE
Coco Loco – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Chillingo. (It’s time for the Cocoa Bean Guardians to ‘Mallow’ out.
Take control of a troop of fearless marshmallow heroes as you set out to rescue your friends from the candy clutches of the nasty chocolate guardians. Traverse across strange wildernesses using each Marshies’ special skill and show those chocolate chumps that you’re not as soft as you look!) runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Egg Punch – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Pixel Juice. (Ack! Your feathers have been stolen by rascally rabbits! Put on your trusty old egg shell and roll out in pursuit of your feathers! Roll your way through a lush, wonderfully crafted 3D world of wacky gizmos, mazes and puzzles to reclaim your feather suit! Rack up big scores! Collect feathers, take shortcuts and bounce of rabbits with as few shots as possible to make the perfect play-through. Earn coins and unlock more levels and neat items to help you out or to dress you up! ) runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
For The Millionaires – All games over $0.99
MASTERABBOTT’S Over 99c PICK OF THE WEEK
Mass Effect Infiltrator – Price : $6.99 (Publisher – EA Mobile (THE FATE OF THE GALAXY LIES IN THE BALANCE! From the makers of the critically acclaimed Dead Space on iOS comes an all-new, original Mass Effect storyline – made exclusively for mobile! YOU’RE A CERBERUS AGENT – GONE ROGUE! As Commander Shepard battles Reapers across the galaxy, veteran Cerberus agent Randall Ezno procures aliens for illicit experiments at a secret facility. But when the Director of the facility goes too far – Randall fights back and vows to bring Cerberus down! Can you fight your way off the hostile Cerberus base and deliver their secret research to the Alliance?) – runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
AstroPlasm – Price : $4.99 (Publisher – Subspark Entertainment (Immediately blast away from reality, step inside an alternate dimension and meet your match in a fierce round of Airpuck in this outrageous and hilariously addictive sports arcade. Welcome to AstroPlasm! – Game is similar to the old classic Shuffle board Cafe.) – runs on iPad. BUY NOW
Doomsday III: Base Ganymede – Price : $1.99 – Publisher – Gennadiy Potapov. ( General Arcade proudly presents new old school shooter for Doom fans: Doomsday III: Base Ganymede. Doomsday III based on community project Freedoom and source code of Doom Classic. Freedoom resources is adapted to iPhone and iPod Touches, you will have more weapons, items and power-ups. All our work will be contributed back to the community. ) runs on iPad. BUY NOW
Lume – Price : $1.99 – Publisher – State Of Play Games. ( Small and perfectly formed, introducing you to the perplexing world of Lume. The hit Indie game Lume is now available for iPhone in glorious remastered with higher detail for iPhone 4 and above, more sounds and an improved interface for touch devices. With a set built entirely out of paper and cardboard, and sumptuously filmed, Lume is a game with a style unlike any other. Power to your grandad’s house has failed. What’s more, he’s nowhere to be seen. Immerse yourself in Lume’s photoreal world, solve perplexing paper puzzles to help restore the power, and uncover a deeper mystery behind the blackout.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Ahrbol: City – Price : $2.99 – Publisher – Lagali Asia Ltd. (Welcome to Ahrbol! Ahrbol is a tiny planet that is filled to the notch with objects for you to find using both your eyes and ears. Try to get to the next level by achieving all kinds of missions and unlock the extra features, get your top score published in the game centre. Ahrbol comes in 6 different worlds. This is the second one and it is called “City”. In the months to come the other 4 worlds will also become available.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Lightopus – Price : $2.99 – Publisher – Bulkypix. ( Go, Lightopus ! You are the last of our kind. Go into the Abyss, save the bulbies and bring back the Light! All the lightopuses in the Abyss were killed and their remaining young captured by the monsters of the Abyss. You are the only lightopus alive, a species on the brink of extinction. Your mission is to rescue the young lightopus and free them from the Abyss monsters’ sealzones. But beware! You will face various monster bosses with special powers in each zone and finding your way out will not be easy.!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Mysteryville 2 HD – Price : $4.99 – Publisher – Nevosoft. ( Brave and talented journalist Laura Winner returns to the small town that everyone remembers from the award winning game Mysteryville. And once again she finds herself at the epicenter of a scandal. She plans to take a vacation and relax with her friend Bill Witowsky and ruined when she arrives to find that Bill is missing. She starts her own investigation and also discovers that the town’s new priest is about to organize an art and jewelery auction, something rather unusual for this small rural local. Could Bill’s disappearance be somehow linked to the auction? It’s up to Laura to find out. ) runs on iPad. BUY NOW
Cavorite 2 – Price : $1.99 – Publisher – Cascadia Games. ( Dr. Cavor is back! Lacking sufficient fuel to launch his space vessel home, Dr. Cavor musters the courage to once again descend into the vast subsurface lunar labyrinth! There he must gather powerful moon gems, which harbor enough energy to propel him home. Once more armed with only his anti-gravity spray gun, Dr. Cavor puts his genius to its greatest test yet.) runs on iPad. BUY NOWCHECK OUT OUR REVIEW FOR CAVORITE 2 HERE
There you have it folks, these games should keep you busy for quite some time. I’ll be back next week for another dose of iOS goodness, in the meantime if anyone would also like to suggest their own suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments section below, or join the discussion in the forums.
