Although THQ maybe hemorrhaging like a stuck pig, it apparently won’t stop them from trying to save themselves and innovate. They have announced that they will be partnering with Innovative Leisure to create games that will live on mobile, downloadable and social platforms.
The real news here is that Innovative Leisure is a company full of developer veterans. Seamus Blackley, Ed Logg, Ed Rotberg, Rich Adam and more are all employed at the company.
Blackely was instrumental in getting the Xbox to market, while Logg has created Asteroids, Centipede and Gauntlet. On the other hand, Rotberg was responsible for Battlezone and Adam helped with Missile Command.
The Simpsons Arcade Game Publisher: Konami Developer: Konami Platform: Xbox Live Arcade (Reviewed), Playstation Network Release Date: February 3, 2012 (XBLA), February 7, 2012 (PSN) Price: 800 MS Points; $9.99 (PSN) – Download Now!
Overview
Even though it may be hard to believe, The Simpsons have dominated the animated scene for nearly 25 years now. Just a short time after taking over Sunday nights, Konami released The Simpsons Arcade Game to gobble up quarters in back in 1991, which quickly became one of the most loved machines of all time. After years of waiting patiently and living on memories, fans of the classic finally can celebrate as Bart, Lisa, Homer and Marge are now back, and ready to bring back the yellow-skinned beat-em up to consoles. 20 years is honestly a long time though, and even with a few new goodies jammed in, one has to wonder if the magic is still there. So what’s the answer? Here is my review for The Simpsons Arcade Game for the Xbox Live Arcade.
Story
As far as a plot goes, The Simpsons don’t really have a very fulfilling tale to be told in this arcade version. The story starts out with Smithers nabbing a precious jewel for the dastardly Mr. Burns. Just a few seconds later, The Simpson family make a straight-on run-in with the crooks, knocking the diamond into the air and then in the hands of Maggie. Instead of just taking the jewel from the baby, Smithers kidnaps the youngest Simpson and runs off, with Bart, Lisa, Marge, and Homer right on his tail in order to recover their beloved toddler.
The story is by no means told in the fashion of the television show, as the cutscenes are short and that famous humor is not nearly as present in this adaptation. If you have even followed the series for a short time though, it’s hard not to fall in love with all of the Springfield lore all over again. Along the way to recover Maggie, players will run into many favorite residents such as Nelson, Sideshow Bob, and Moe, all ready to offer a hand if needed with plenty of those famous landmarks in tow. When this game was originally released, it was one of the first few licensed arcade cabinets to provide such a true feel of the franchise it was built from, and that is what makes The Simpson’s Arcade so special to start with. Players got to have a blast together, losing change and drinking cheap slurpees until they popped, and even though the story doesn’t hold it’s age from a narrative standpoint, it’s hard not to feel utter joy while exploring every inch of Moe’s Tavern or being antagonized by angry bears all over again. Sure it doesn’t make sense, but it’s fun.
Gameplay
If you have played TMNT, Final Fight, or any other arcade beat-em up made…well..ever, you should not have any problem hopping right in here and instantly getting a grip on this simplistic control scheme. Players can walk around the level with the control stick, jump by hitting A (which can be combined with attacks for aerial maneuvers), and smack an enemy with the X button. Yep, that’s pretty much it. While this may seem a bit too easy compared to the likes of Castle Crashers, these controls all perform flawlessly and offer up nearly the same feel of the original adaptation. To add in the personality, each Simpson have their own techniques and weaponry to battle the many goons within. For example, Lisa has a jump rope, Marge has a sturdy vacuum, Bart has his legendary skateboard, and Homer has his frantic mauling abilities of destruction. There isn’t a whole lot of variation when it comes to individual attacks, but The Simpsons is a rather short experience anyway, so most are unlikely to be bothered by the many moments of repetition.
As I mentioned, each level contains one of the famous backdrops from the television show. The main objective is to simply survive until the end of a level, where a boss character then makes an appearance to do battle. The stages themselves don’t offer much interaction, but the goons all sport a range of projectile and melee attacks that you must avoid while defeating every living thing in sight. Most of the time, players will have to clear the area of several clones of the same suited character, but from time to time, a more substantial foe will appear and offer some extra challenge to test your wits. Unfortunately, this is really the only difficulty level offered though as the entire experience is ridiculously easy aside from a few moments of overbearing cheapness. When it comes down to it, the only strategy required to defeat any enemy, boss or not, is to mash your attack button as quickly as possible and wait for them to fall. Again, it’s a matter of preference, but those looking for a deeper romp would be looking in the wrong place with this port.
The main game can be beaten within 30 minutes, which is rather short, but thankfully there is plenty of reason to keep returning to Springfield. A complete Japanese rom was included as a bit of an extra, where players can run through the entire game again and see a few new enemies and slightly different dialogue. Those wanting something to test their skills are also in luck, as a survival mode was also included that allows the player to attempt to run through the game with just one life. All of that though is really just gravy compared to The Simpsons Arcade’s most intriguing and “buy-worthy” factor though, with that being the up-to four player online co-op. With team moves and full online support, it has never been better to be a Simpson and with the lack of multiplayer beat-em-ups on the digital scene as of late, this mode feels both refreshing and enjoyable as nothing is better than seeing this family’s four player attack when you are busting through credits with some friends.
Visuals/Audio
How do you really judge a nearly 21-year old arcade port’s graphics? Of course the visuals haven’t quite stood the test of time, but the brightly colored environments are still full of activity and are crafted to please any fan of the television show. Much like MegaMan 9-10, it’s truly that pixelated aesthetic that gives this port it’s flare, and even though there is an option to run smoother looking sprites, I feel it would have been an injustice to do so. If you think about it though, this title really pushed boundaries for it’s time and the smoothness of each animation has remained in-tact, allowing players to enjoy the finer things such as watching a rabid Krusty the Clown air up a balloon or explore the magical world of Dream Land all over again.
Another worthy mention for this port is the fantastic audio quality. Each character have their own mild voicework, with the actual actors playing the parts of the four main characters. Homer has his famous doh’s, Bart has his quick one liners, and Marge and Lisa…well, they sound like Marge and Lisa, which is really all you could ask for. As far as soundtrack goes, you should expect random and peppy beats that all stay true to the wacky atmosphere of The Simpsons. Each level has it’s own tunes, and each do wonders to make each of these famous arcade-crafted levels feel distinctly different. Sound effects are also notable, with the over-the-top effects playing whenever a player is shocked, hit, or victorious.
Overall
If The Simpsons Arcade was to just come out in 2012, most would find it’s lack of substance or strategy to be very unfulfilling and rather bland overall. The thing is, this port wasn’t made for newcomers. This is a true adaptation of one of the greatest arcade cabinets ever built, and those who remember the simple joys of the past should not even blink when it comes to making a download. Every single element has been ported over to perfection, and all of the extra inclusions offer even more reason to have a ridiculously brilliant trek through Springfield all over again. Konami made a name for themselves by conjuring up masterpieces in the past, and even though the simplistic gameplay here isn’t as gratifying as it used to be, one has to respect the fact that after all these years, us arcade junkies are still being thought of and that this title exists for a whole new generation to enjoy.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Taking after the success of Humble Bundle, Indie Gala has released their second ever Indie Gala bundle in support of Child’s Play and Save the Children Italia ONLUS. You set the price. The more you choose to pay the more games and albums you take home. The games and albums found in the first two levels are new to Indie Gala. If you missed the first Indie Gala bundle, the Epic Gala Bundle level will allow you to take home some of the games and albums from the last bundle too! The price starts at one dollar and you can choose how the money is split between Indie Gala, charity, and the developers. The minimum amount you need to pay to snag certain bundle will go up and down depending on the average price paid by other buyers. All the games are available as separate keys that can be redeemed on Steam.
“The teams at Del Rey and BioWare would like to extend our sincerest apologies to the Mass Effect fans for any errors and oversights made in the recent novel Mass Effect: Deception,” the apology post on Bioware’s forums reads. “We are currently working on a number of changes that will appear in future editions of the novel.
If you happen to have a copy of the book with mistakes in it, hold on to it, as it may very well turn out to be a collectors item. No release date for the second printing of books has been announced.
If you have a Playstation Network account, then you might want to read this piece of news. From February 8, all Playstation Network accounts will be renamed to be part of the Sony Entertainment Network, according to an email posted on NeoGAF and confirmed by various news sources.
Sony confirmed in the email that the change is in name only. According to the email, the following passage reveals that user acounts require no change in username or password:
For general purposes, this account change is a change in name only. Your username or password will not change, nor are we asking you to change them.
Sony also explained why they are changing PSN accounts to Sony Entertainment Network accounts:
This transition is based on Sony’s goal to enhance its unique digital entertainment offering. As a series of these activities Sony started last September, PlayStation®Network will be aligned with “Sony Entertainment Network.” This helps us get closer to our goal of establishing a global comprehensive network platform of services across games, movies, music and more, all accessible from one convenient account.
Sony has been looking to integrate all of their offerings into one digital ecosystem. The Sony Entertainment Network is the hub for all of Sony’s digital distribution, including music, films, books, games and more. It is also cross-platform, serving already on other Sony products. Since the PSN hosted movie and gaming content, it was a matter of time before it is being integrated within Sony’s digital ecosystem.
Are you interested in the change? Do you care? Tell us below.
The zombies mode has been one of the most well received additions to the Call of Duty franchise. And when that mode came to iOS, it was just as sweet. Now, Activision has made it even sweeter in a new update.
The new update adds the ray gun, in-app purchase abilities for points , and monkey bombs. In addition, it is now possible to save and load games when you are in the middle of a game, for those times when the grocery store line moves at exactly the wrong moment. We’ve all been there, right?
Psyren Volume 1 Author: Toshiaki Iwashiro Publisher: Viz Media/Madman Release Date: November 11, 2011 Price: $14.95 – Available Here
Overview: It isn’t often that a ‘shonen’ manga exceeds the common conceptions attributed to the genre. Psyren, like Hunter x Hunter and Full Metal Alchemist before it, are not only well suited to the teen demographic, but also feature highly complex plot and characters alongside some rather mature content. It certainly is not a series that dumbs itself down to cater to a younger audience.
In terms of complexity and grand scale brilliance, Psyren is one the very few truly ground-breaking ‘shonen’ series available to manga readers right now. The first volume of Psyren promises to be merely a taste of things to come, while proving to be an exciting 7 chapter’s of intrigue, action and intensity.
Story: Psyren is one of the very few manga I have ever read that focuses it’s first chapter on completely giving dimensions to it’s mythology. Within one chapter, Iwashiro have explained the urban legend that is Psyren and built up for the events that immediately follow. That is an impressive feat for any manga artist and he does it with ease and style.
What follows on is an immense journey set within a barren wasteland filled with deadly creatures, wherein the series protagonist Ageha must try to survive as well as save the girl he ventured there for. It may sound relatively simple, but it is this first journey into the apocalyptic world of Psyren that promises even more intense things to come in the next volume.
This first volume is not only deep and incredibly well conceived it is also a brilliant series opener. I left the final chapter salivating at the mouth for more of this manga, left with nothing but a preview of the next volume.
There was just so many things that clicked for me in Psyren; the survival game concept that harkens back feelings of Gantz, the well drawn mythology and characters, the deft artistic talent of Iwashiro and of course the sheer fun this manga provides.
Artwork:
Iwashiro has a very distinctive art style, it is not only sleek and pretty on the eyes but it is also gritty and intense with a sense of danger to each panel he draws. He is simply an incredibly talented artist and it shows throughout every page of this volume.
Whether it is his unique character designs, incredible landscape shots, fist-pumping action sequences or even the comedic scenes, Iwashiro handles it with finesse, giving life and motion to his characters and the world they inhabit. It isn’t everyday you read a manga that feels alive and it was a pleasant surprise to get that feeling from Psyren, a manga I had not known much about before reading.
Overall: Psyren Volume 1 is an impressive first entry into Iwashiro’s manga series and one that has certainly left a lasting impression on me. The final chapter left me on one hell of a cliffhanger, with nothing but a desire to read more of the thrilling manga. Psyren is more than just your everyday run of the mill ‘shonen’ action series, it is deep, engaging and above all pure fun.
Honestly, I can hardly wait for the second volume of what looks to be an utterly brilliant action series all around. If Iwashiro can keep up this level of quality that went into this first volume (which I wholeheartedly believe he can), Psyren could easily become true ‘shonen’ classic.
Another day, another free iOS game, this time from Guild Wars developers NCsoft. Gem Keeper is the company’s first mobile game, and it will be part of the Free App a Day promotion for a limited time.
Gem Keeper is a highly rated tower defence game with 40 unique levels, 14 different towers and 30 types of gem crazy monsters! It will run on any iPad, iPod touch or iPhone running iOS 4.1 or later. You can check out the game’s website here, or if you don’t need any more convincing to drop exactly none of your well earned money, then click here to head straight to the App Store.
Today in Sentai Filmworks title acquistion; The Book of Bantorra. Following a long list of recent license acquisitions from Sentai Filmworks comes yet another announcement of The Book of Bantorra being picked up for digital and bilingual DVD release later this year.
Sentai have made a name for themselves recently for their haphazard license pick ups of series that they mostly don’t plan on even dubbing or releasing in any kind of meaningful manner, but at least more anime is getting licensed right?
Book of Bantorra funnily enough is based off a series a books (light novels to be precise) and runs for 27 episodes. Sentai plan to release the series later this year.
Following last month’s January Forza 4 car pack, Microsoft are releasing yet another DLC pack filled to the brim with more hot cars for players to tear up some asphalt with come next Tuesday when the pack hits the Xbox Live Marketplace. The car pack will be titled ‘February American Le Mans Series Pack’ and is set to feature enough vehicular goodness to please any racing fan.
The cars featured in the pack include:
2011 #2 Audi Sport North America R18 TDI
2011 Panoz #050 Panoz Racing Abruzzi
2010 Dodge Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Challenger SRT8
1991 Mazda #55 Team Mazdaspeed 787B
2011 Bentley Platinum Motorsports Continental GT
1986 #2 Audi Sport quattro S1
1992 Alfa Romeo 155 Q4
1995 Ford Mustang Cobra R
2011 Holden HSV GTS
2011 Volkswagen Polo GTI
So be sure to pick up the ‘February American Le Mans Series Pack’ for Forza Motorsport 4 next Tuesday for 560 Microsoft Points, or alternatively (if you haven’t done so already) you could purchase a season pass to the game which unlocks all DLC as they are released for the price of 2400 Microsoft Points.
