Com2uS released Derby Days today, and has already stormed across the world, ranking in the Top 20 RPGs in Korea!
Loosely modelled after the many time-management crop-growing social and casual games in the market today, as well as their own “Tiny Farm”, Derby Days lets you breed and rear horses of all shapes, sizes, and magical-persuasions, readying them to train and compete in races against your friends.
The graphics are cute, and new content is set to be released introvenously, so there’s always something new to play with. Customize your ranch with an insane amount of items and decorations. Show off your prized horses to your friends and family through Com2uS Hub and Facebook social network integration.
Just a few days ago, THQ announced all digital PC download games will be half price until the end of January for Austrailian players.
This means Homefront is available for under $30. You can play Darksiders before it’s sequel comes out this Winter for less than $15, or catch up with Metro 2033 for under $10 before it’s sequel Metro: Last Light is released. Best of all, Saint’s Row: The Third, plus it’s season pack including 4 DLC packs, is just under $60!
After their release of Breakout: Boost for the iPhone and iPad, selling over 2 milltion downloads in the first month, Atari have now announced a new version of the title, Breakout: Boost+. The new release will include 100 new and challenging levels while keeping the core gameplay that made the original a hit.
For just AU$0.99, this new title has a few new features…
“Boost Control” allowing the player to manually control the ball’s speed and multiplier.
Upgrades to aid in the destruction of the level, such as Fire, Acid, Splitting and Grenade balls.
New special bricks to encounter, including Exploding, Mystery, x4 and Metal bricks.
Save and restore mid-game, letting you easily resume where you left off.
Game Centre and OpenFeint integration with leaderboards and achievements.
The original, Breakout: Boost is also still available for free, with in-app purchases to buy more levels.
Indie iOS developers Mojo Bones have released their first update for Tongue Tied entitled ‘Labrador’. The update includes 10 new levels, 3 DogHouse challenges and unlockables as well as some brand new scenery animations. Mojo Bones have also listened to your feedback and fixed two of the biggest issues from the original release, like the accidentally trigger of the pause menu and adjustments to the camera so you don’t ping off-screen so easily.
For a limited time Tongue Tied will be on sale for the low price of $0.99, which is available here. For those without iOS fear not, Mojo Bones will shortly be releasing an Android version for the same price as the iOS.
Independent developer, GameMill Entertainment has announced today that it will release Silverlicious for the Nintendo DS in March 2012.
Silverlicious is based on the Pinkalicious series of children’s books, which are written and illustrated Victoria Kann. Players take control of Pinkalicious, who embarks on a journey to regain her ability to taste sweet things. The game will require players to dress up Pinkalicious in all sorts of outfits and accessories, explore colourful environments and engage in tasks that will teach lessons of friendship and kindness.
The game is being developed by First Playable and is designed for young gamers.
DoDonPachi Resurrection Publisher: Rising Star Games Developer: Cave Company Ltd Platforms: Xbox 360 (Import) Release Date: November 11, 2011 Price: $30.00 – Available Here
Overview:
Cave is a company that has made quite the reputation for itself by making 2D shooters, now more commonly known as ‘Shmups’. Their games have primarily stayed in Japan, and at one time only a few elite (and rich) import gamers were aware of their existence. While the main focus of the company has always been on the arcade (coin-up) platform, they’ve released some masterful console ports over the years, many of which are now quite expensive to acquire.
In the beginning, their focus was on the Sega Saturn and later the Dreamcast. Interestingly enough, in this console generation the company has been extremely loyal to the Xbox 360, which is still surprising considering how poorly the console has performed there.
Cave has released several exclusive shmups for the Japanese Xbox 360, and unfortunately most of them are region locked with maybe one or two exceptions (such as Mushihimesama Futari). The Japanese Xbox 360 really feels like a whole different console, because of all the support it has gotten from Cave and other Japanese companies with plenty of exclusive releases which not only include shmups, but also RPGs, fighting games, and visual novels. If you’re a serious import gamer then a Japanese Xbox 360 is something you should consider investing in.
However, you don’t really have to buy a Japanese Xbox 360, as some of these niche titles by Cave have quietly made their way to western territories and are fully localised. DeathSmiles and Guwange are some examples. Not to mention, Cave’s recent hit, Akai Katana Shin, is confirmed for an early 2012 PAL release.
Cave started their shmup legacy with a game called DonPachi, and it has since become their mainstay franchise. DodDonPachi Resurrection is the most recent entry in this series, and is currently available for the PAL Xbox 360.
I’ve been a proud owner of a Japanese Xbox 360 since day 1, and have owned the Japanese version of DoDonPachi Resurrection, which was titled DonDonPachi DaiFukkatsu. On that note, the Japanese version is in review here, but it is identical to the PAL release.
Story:
While games like DoDonPachi Resurrection may come across as a simple, retro arcade pass time. A lot of attention goes into their artwork and plot, and is part of the reason why importers enjoy collecting them so much. The game has this rather strange and convoluted sci-fi plot about computer viruses, time travel, and a big military war involving all sorts of futuristic war machines and robots. The main adversaries are these five giant female robots called the Element Daughters, and they serve as the main bosses, and each of stages end with an intense battle with one of them. You’re not going to be playing a game like DoDonPachi Resurrection for the sake of its story, but you can look forward to an elaborate sprite based ending and enjoy the character artwork.
Visuals and Audio:
DoDonPachi Resurrection is a fairly retro looking game, and if you’ve seen/played any game in this genre then it will look very familiar. It uses a mix of sprites and some polygons, but it mostly has that retro 2D look that shooters had back in the 90s. That said, everything looks and run nicely on the Xbox 360, and the resolution is rather crisp. The artwork and character designs are pretty cool too.
Games like DoDonPachi Resurrection are dubbed as ‘Bullet Hell’ games, and it won’t take you long to realise why. There is an insane amount of activity taking place on screen, with hoards and hoards of enemies and a mind bogglingly amount of projectiles occupying the screen. There are literally thousands of little coloured bullets and missiles coming at you. It does get very overwhelming with so many different types of particle effects going on simultaneously, but it’s still impressive to behold.
The sound effects are what you would normally expect from a Shmup title, and the soundtrack is a mix of rock and hard techno with some interesting styles. There isn’t anything particularly exciting about the music of but it’s serviceable enough and gives the game a strong anime vibe.
Gameplay:
DoDonPachi Resurrection seemingly plays like a very traditional and old school shmup title. If you’ve somehow managed to play the previous import only entries on the Sega Saturn and PlayStation 2 then the formula is largely the same except there are some new mechanics and systems in place.
You get to choose one of three battle ships: red, blue and green. They each offer a different shot style in terms of their basic missile spread attack, as well as in terms of mobility speed. The red ship offers a concentrated attack, and the blue ship offers a wider spread shot, while the green ship allows you to control the direction of its shot. Apart from that you get to choose between the type of secondary offense you want, you can choose the traditional screen filling bomb attack or a boost mode that powers up your ship’s attack but slows it down a bit. Each ship can also fire a concentrated beam at the cost of mobility, and also pull off a hyper laser attack that counters enemy offence.
It’s pretty clear by now that this game isn’t a straightforward shooter, there are several intricate mechanics in place here, mastering of which will allow you to conquer the game easily, possibly even beating on a single credit.
The game itself is structured like any shmup title as you essentially just shoot anything that moves and do your best to dodge an onslaught of enemy offence, and face a boss at the end of each stage. There is a gradual difficulty progression where things get increasingly difficult, and the boss battles and their patterns get increasingly large and complex. It’s quite the exhilarating and challenging experience, one that requires a million retries and a lot of memorisation.
Overall:
DoDonPachi Resurrection is a welcome release, and is refreshing to see such obscure and niche titles arriving in Western regions. The game is an excellent place to start if you want to experience a truly traditional and unique Cave shooter experience, and if you find yourself enjoying it then you can also try their other localised releases like Death Smiles and Guwange.
The experience offered in DoDonPachi Resurrection is uniquely Cave, while it does not have the unique gameplay gimmicks or modern visual style of Treasure produced shooters such as Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun, it does have unique and noticeably different aesthetic, design, layout, and pattern.
All that said, DoDonPachi Resurrection is a seriously hardcore shmup title, and there isn’t any modern gaming convention or hook to win you over. Games like Ikaruga, Radiant Silvergun and Strania look and feel modern because of their graphics engine and gameplay mechanics, and while they are challenging titles, they are not nearly as hardcore or intense as DoDonPachi Resurrection.
Cave’s latest classic, Akai Katana Shin, gets a Western release in a few months, and based on my experience with the Japanese version, that is one title that you should definitely be excited about if you’re a fan of the genre. Until then, you can get your hands dirty with DoDonPachi Resurrection and familiarise yourself with the world of Cave shooters.
Sony Australia have announced that the Personal 3D Viewer (HMZT1, pictured above) will go on pre-sale on the 27th of January 2012 in Australia, which happens to be this Friday. The headset will be available at the recommended retail price of AU$899 and only available at Sony Centre stores or on Sony’s official website. There is no word on the actual release date.
Here is some more info on the Personal 3D Viewer:
The HMZT1 is equipped with the newly developed 0.7-inch (diagonal 18.0mm) high definition (HD) OLED (1280 x 720) panel which has been developed through Sony’s unique expertise in both OLED display and semiconductor silicon drive technologies. This technology provides high contrast, colour reproduction and fast response capabilities, videos are given added depth, allowing for smoother and higher-quality videos. Unlike other 3D image display methods, the HMZT1 adopts the ‘dual panel 3D method’ which consists of separate panels for the left and right eye. With its own dedicated 3D video for the left and right eyes, viewers are now able to enjoy high resolution 3D video that is natural, bright and extremely pure with no crosstalk.
The HMZT1 boasts a wide horizontal viewing angle of 45 degrees by incorporating an optical lens that suppresses unwanted aberration and distortion. This puts a cinema style virtual screen in front of the viewer’s eyes, creating the equivalent of a 750-inch screen (virtual viewing distance 20m). The design of this device is such that it results in a feeling of deep immersion with any information unrelated to viewing being isolated. Light from below the HMZT1 can also be intercepted by using the accompanying light shield (shade plate), thereby further enhancing the feeling of being in a movie theatre for the viewer.
Viewers are also spoilt for choice when it comes to their audio needs with the HMZT1. Incorporating Sony’s proprietary 5.1ch Virtual Surround Technology that was developed especially for headphones, the equivalent of a maximum 5.1ch multi-channel audio can be experienced adding to the effect of the viewer being virtually present in the cinema. With a choice of four different surround sound modes (standard, cinema, game and music) to suit any kind of content, there is a perfect surround mode available for any situation.
Compatible with a wide range of 3D products and 3D content production systems such as Sony’s PlayStation 3 Gaming Console, Blu-ray Disk Players and VAIO notebooks, the new 3D viewing style provided by the HMZT1 will enable users to enjoy the realistic feeling of being in a theatre whilst relaxing on their living room sofa, further expanding Sony’s 3D world.
Editors of the site, myself included, have actually encountered and tried out the Personal 3D Viewer. I have only praise for the technology. The 3D is much better than what is produced with 3DTV’s and, considering it is a personal viewer, no TV is necessary, which means someone can play the Playstation 3 while someone else is watching TV in the same room. The only downside, once again, is price. If Sony wants this to be a hit, then the initial price needs to go down. However, seeing that it has a limited retail release, Sony is not banking on it.
If you are already thinking about Christmas 2012 (people do), then I have the prefect gift for you. A report on Bloomberg Japan notes that we will see Nintendo’s next console during the 2012 holiday season. In which regions, though? All of them. That means that Japan, North America, Europe and Australia will be receiving it in the same time period. This came out of Iwata’s mouth.
In addition to the Wii U news, Iwata remains supportive of the portable arena in the form of the 3DS, citing that there will be major titles heading to the portable. This is good news on the back of some bad news, as shipments of the 3DS have been lowered on the back of a slash in forecast profits for the fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2012. Back in October 2011, Nintendo forecast net sales of 790,000 million yen. Now, Nintendo forecasts net sales of 660,000 million yen. A huge loss, but not fatal, considering the treasure trove that the Wii brought in.
Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings Season One Studio: Production I.G. Publisher: FUNimation Format: Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Release Date: February 7, 2012 Price: $49.98 – Available Here
Overview:
Now while most western movies that are created by using a video game as a source they usually end up turning out very bad and fans will tear the movie apart to anyone that they see. However there is an entirely different story to be told when it comes to anime created from video games. There have been various adaptations released in the past and now FUNimation has brought us one from a Capcom series.
Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings Season One may have already been released in North America but now FUNimation is releasing the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack of season one just in time for the second season to be released to anime fans everywhere. However before one can jump to a second season, one must first know where the story begins. Does this action packed series take samurai fighting to the next level?
Story:
Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings Season One takes place during the Sengoku Era of Japanese history which is also known as the Warring States period where various generals and lords battle for power and control over the land around them in an effort to control as much land as possible and defeat anyone who stands in their way.
Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings Season One drops us right in the middle of the Sengoku Era where the battles between generals rage constantly and some of the strongest fighters in the land look to take each other’s heads as a testament to their might and honor. At the start of the series we see our two main protagonists of the series, Date Masamune also known as the One Eyed Dragon and Sanada Yukimura who is unmatchable in his loyalty to Shingen Takada.
What starts out as a battle between these two men with Masamune looking to rule the land himself and Yukimura wishing to claim land for Takada we see a new force arise that threatens not only these two men and their forces but every single general in Japan. His name is Oda Nobunaga, the Devil King… a man who will stop at nothing to destroy everything around him and set the world aflame even if it means sacrificing his own generals and alliances just to see the world burn.
Once the threat of Nobunaga is realized, alliances quickly begin to form amongst the once warring generals and lords as they choose the best way to defeat such a devastating foe. However with weapons from the West at his disposal, various Lords who have sworn to obey Nobunaga without question and Nobunaga himself, whose heart is as black and empty as a black hole, can the these Samurai Kings stand up to such a horrific opponent?
For those who have never played the game before or have studied about the Sengoku Era a number of facts and characters will simply go over your heads, though in the end this isn’t too much of an issue as this is far from a historical documentary and various warriors will deal out devastating blows and wield superhuman-like abilities countless times in the same fight.
One issue that does arise however is that there are a lot of characters to follow once the story picks up and introduces everyone. The viewer will need to focus on keeping track of various characters and also understanding their various situations as the battles begin to heat up and alliances are formed and torn apart within the same episode. There are multiple plot-twists that are thrown the viewer’s way as well, some of which even require a minor explanation from a narrator to clear up any confusion.
Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings Season One offers plenty of story for those interested but also offers so much action that there will be multiple fights between multiple characters nearly every single episode. These fights are barely ever realistic by any means, in fact at times it seems like the action is a combination between Dragon Ball Z and Samurai Champloo as various warriors fight each other with either exaggerated weapons, such as Masamune wielding six swords at once, or normal weapons able to perform amazing abilities. As it stands however most battles are one on one affairs or at most three opponents battling at once and most action amongst normal soldiers involving them being blown away by special attacks, much like they would be in the video game.
The thirteen episode package of Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings Season One contains non-stop action as well as plenty of drama as betrayals and death are commonplace on any battlefield and will be seen much throughout this series. It is worth taking note however that the final episode, Episode 13 is a side-story OVA that actually takes place between Episode 11 and 12 meaning that the show itself is best seen as finished by episode 12. With a truly evil and manipulative villain and main characters providing an impressive show there is an impressive action anime here with a decent enough storyline to keep viewers interested between all the fighting.
Visuals:
The studio behind the production of Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings is Production I.G. and they have really outdone themselves as far as animation quality goes. There are plenty of details that are simply stunning with this show whether it is the consistency of the animation during the battles or the amazing backdrops we are treated too often whenever there is a break from the action. Not only are the backgrounds highly detailed but the main characters are as well, also there are plenty of nice little touches added into the battle scenes as well including sparks off of sword clashes and more.
The only complaint I have concerning the artistic quality of the series is that the background soldier characters suffer from repetitious designs, with multiple soldiers who look the exact same often on the screen at any given time. However this again is outweighed by the variety found in the main characters and even the little touches on them as well, such as Masamune’s forces appearing to be like a biking gang. His horse even has handlebars and what appear to be exhaust pipes…
Audio:
As far as the background music goes, the quality shifts from good to bad often. There are multiple times where the action is set to basic action music and is easily forgettable however there are a number of inserted tracks with Japanese vocals that really help accentuate the action occurring on screen at the time. The opening song for the series is “JAP” and was performed by the Abingdon Boys School and fits the theme of the show perfectly while the ending song is called “Break & Peace” by Dustz and is suitable enough.
As per usual with FUNimation, the release contains both the Japanese voice track as well as the English voice track. When it comes down to voice actor performance it is satisfactory at best and a bit disappointing at times with some of the minor characters and even a few of the main characters as well. This may be a release some viewers may prefer to listen to in Japanese and read the English subtitles, however the option is still there for those who enjoy the English dub as well.
Extras:
It is worth noting that this release takes advantage of FUNimation’s new box style which, for Blu-ray/DVD combo packs will feature a full DVD sized sleeve although the case itself will be that of a Blu-ray. The size difference between case and sleeve is adjusted by an empty inch at the bottom of the case being supported by two strips for support. This however causes the soft spot at the bottom of the case to be extremely vulnerable to bending and holding the case at the bottom is not a wise choice for those who prefer to keep their anime cases looking the best.
Now on to the actual extras on the discs, Sengoku Basara Samurai Kings: Season One contains your standard inclusion of extras including a clean opening and ending as well as trailers for past and upcoming FUNimation releases. Besides the standard inclusions are 7 special mini episodes that feature Chosokabe-kun and Mori-kun, two generals given very little screen time in the main story. The extras are not given full animation and are animated with chibi style art. They are worth a few laughs but some may simply pass on watching these. It is also worth noting that those with DVD players only will not be able to watch all seven episodes as only the first 3 episodes are available to those without a Blu-ray player.
Overall:
If you’ve ever wanted a series that takes a look back at historical Japan and set it for a spin with over the top action and plenty of strange additions such as a giant, mecha type fighter than Sengoku Basara Samurai Kings Season One is right up your ally. There are a few things holding the series back from being exceptional however, such as less than stellar English dub and a story that those who know little about the Sengoku Era or the games may confuse. Still those negatives cannot hold back the level of action found in this series.
The wait is nearly over. On February 7th, Chris and Jill will make their long awaited debut on the 3DS in Resident Evil Revelations. While we have had plenty on news on the gameplay and story thus far though, we have seen very little revealed about any form of Streetpass functionality.
Thankfully, Nintendo World Report have gotten the scoop on what this feature will offer, and it looks like Capcom are indeed wanting offer even more reasons to continue taking your 3DS everywhere with you. The first function of Streetpass will allow players to pass items to eachother, which then can be used in Campaign Mode. In the co-op mode (also known as RAID mode), new enemies and even missions will be added to the main game.
Not too shabby at all, I must say. Even with the higher price-tag, it is looking like Revelations is destined for greatness and with all of these extra goods, there should be no issues with replay value whatsoever.
