Finally some news for all you irate and frustrated parents, especially around Australia, in that Activision have announced a new wave of Skylander characters soon to be released upon the market, ready for you to Zap them up like salivating demons. For anyone who has been living under a rock the past few months, Skylanders is a new game published by Activision, featuring 32 different tangible characters that interact within the game via the portal of power. For me, Skylanders, although too easy for serious adult gamers, gets my vote as the most innnovative and immersive gaming experience for younger gamers of last year.
The new range of Skylanders features the much waited for and crowd favourite, Cynder, who is well known from the Spyro the dragon series where she was defeated and subsequently freed by Spyro from the evil clutches of Malefor. With lightning speed and darkness still remanant in her veins she is a formidable Skylander and best viewed from a distance. Also joining the adventure is Double Trouble the conjurer, always with his detonating clones at his heels. With his forearms of steel, well ice actually, Slam Bam joins the Skylanders after his home was destroyed by the evil Kaos and he drifted into their path. Cynder and Double Trouble come as single characters while Slam Bam comes as part of the Empire of Ice pack which includes an Igloo, Anvil and shield. The extra parts of the pack such as the Igloo are invaluable for opening up new secti0ns of the game, which gives even more additional content on top of that given by extra characters.
With unique abilities, especially that being the opening of new levels, each character reacts differently to their environment, and the more Skylanders you have the more lives you have, as when defeated they need to rest before being used. Each character also has upgrades and challenges that are found throughtout the adventures.
If you doubt the power of Skylanders, think about this. Around Christmas they were as close as you can get to being sold out Australia wide with shortages worldwide. Figures that were retailing for $14.95AUD were selling for upwards of $40 on ebay with some in the $70+ range. The triple packs selling for $29AUD retail went for $70 on average and some fetched over $100.
Whether Activision will release the old first wave of figures along with these im not sure but lets hope so as there are fans around the world waiting for specific characters that were only exclusively sold in cetain retailers.
According to a recent announcement in Weekly Shonen Magazine, popular manga series Negima! will be coming to an end in 3 chapters time, bringing the series to exactly 9 years since it first begun.
Negima! has had an impressive run over the past 9 years, with even an anime adaptation spawning from the manga series. The series follows Negi Springfield, a wizard from Wales with aspirations of being Magister Magi (Master of Magic).
This may be a sad time for Negima! fans, but as they say; all good things must come to an end. Since the series is soon to be ending, which girl do you think Negi will end up with? Let us know in the shoutbox and comments section.
iPhone/Android game developer, Com2uS, has announced today that they have won accolades in the 148 Apps’ Best App Ever 2011 awards. The company has picked up four different awards, with each award going to a unique title. The awards, and the games that won them, are:
Slice It!: Best Casual Game of 2011
Inotia 3: 2nd place in Best RPG (Android)
Homerun Battle 2: earned 2nd place in Best Sports game (iOS)
Heavy Gunner 3D: was 2nd place in Best Arcade game (Android)
Konami Digital Entertainment Inc. is excited to announce the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 3D on the 3DS, allowing fans to experience the game like never before.
Gamers will have full control over every pass, tackle and shot through either the analog stick and buttons or by a new touch-screen control system, enabling players to use the stylus to direct their players.
“With 3D imaging capability, Pro Evolution Soccer fans will have the most authentic soccer experience short of actually stepping onto the field and scoring a goal,” said Tomoyuki Tsuboi, President of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “We’re thrilled to offer this new version to Pro Evolution Soccer with enhanced images to fans around the world.”
Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 3D focuses on the skills on show via a number of new, intelligent camera views that pan and swoop to cover the on-pitch action and show off the 3D powers of the Nintendo handheld. Players are also invited to hone their skills in a number of game modes.
In addition, gamers can now play against a friend in one-on-one games through both the wireless and Wi-Fi settings, while KONAMI has implemented a new take on the StreetPass system of data exchange. The Master League team data can be exchanged with other users, and fans can play against with the exchanged team. In this case, the exchanged team is to be played by CPU.
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?
