What’s that I see on the horizon? Is that some more screenshots and a trailer for Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle? Yar! Shiver me timbers! Fetch me my hat!
I’ll stop now. Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle is an adventure game from developers Wizarbox, previously responsible for Gray Matter and So Blonde. Working together with BAFTA nominated adventure game writer Steve Ince (Broken Sword, The Witcher), the game boasts an impressive 20 hours of gameplay set in the pirate paradise of the 1700’s Caribbean.
Adding to the game’s great credentials are more than 40 characters populating 50 environments over 5 islands – all presented in gorgeous HD. The PlayStation 3 version of the game – which will also release on Nintendo Wii, PC and DS – even has move support. The talent and the numbers involved are setting this up to be a potentially fantastic addition to the much missed adventure game genre, so make sure and check out the trailer and screenshots below if Captain Morgane tickles your fancy.
The game will launch across all platforms on February 24.
The real life London Olympics will kick off on July 27, but Mario, Sonic and co. will get there first. Mario and Sonic at the London Olympic Games 2012 3DS (henceforth known as MASLOG 2012 to save my fingers) is released on February 10 and has just received its very first trailer.
Coming for the first time to the 3DS, the game contains the usual mixture of mini games based on Olympic events, from swimming to shooting to, speed walking? All the events will take advantage of the 3DS’ numerous control options, including tilting the handheld to jump horses and breathing into the microphone to swim.There are over 55 mini games in total, and the title is already available on the Nintendo Wii.
Check out the very first trailer for MASLOG 2012 (3DS) below.
With everything we have seen so far from Dynasty Warriors NEXT, the title continues to look like it will be a handheld version of everything fans love from the Dynasty Warriors series. Today Tecmo Koei has released a slew of new screenshots which show us one returning feature for Dynasty Warriors NEXT, the create-a-character system as well as the touch screen duel mode.
As you can see below these duels occur when battling against certain enemy officers. Players will need to use the PS Vita’s touch controls to fight back against the enemy and repel their attacks. Also shown is what appears to be quite a lot of option to personalize your own character to fight in the Conquest and Coalition gameplay modes.
EA Sports have revealed a fairly extensive amount of information regarding the upcoming release of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13, including the integration of Xbox 360’s Kinect.
The game promises an unprecedented level of swing control, bringing the experience closer to the real thing than ever before. There is also a special Masters Collector’s edition which will include exclusive bonus features.
“Our fans asked us to deliver a new level of fidelity and authenticity to Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 13 and our team delivered with the ability to literally choose millions of shot combinations through our new swing mechanic,” said Mike Taramykin, vice president and general manager of Tiger Woods PGA TOUR. “Fans will now be able to experience unparalleled control on the virtual golf course.”
“As the first of the EA SPORTS titles to feature Kinect for Xbox 360 integration in 2012, the controller-free and voice-enabled Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 experience will bring a whole new level of fun to fans worldwide,” said George Peckham, general manager, Global Publishing Group at Microsoft. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with EA SPORTS to deliver the most immersive and engaging sports gaming experiences, only on Xbox 360.”
Some of the new features and enhancements for the game include:
Total swing control – With an all new system, golfers can take full control of their tempo, swing plane and shot power along with an adjustable shot setup, creating limitless ways of hitting the ball.
22 Licensed Professional Golfers including Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and of course Tiger Woods.
Kinect Integration – exclusively for the Xbox 360, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 will be the first ever sports simulation title to integrate Kinect, tracking full body movements and including voice-enabled controls.
PlayStation Move Integration – Fans will once again be able to experience a more authentic golf swing with the PlayStation Move.
Relive Tiger Woods’ most memorable golf accomplishments as he swings his way from a child prodigy into a golfing legend.
Online Country Clubs – Gamers will be able to invite friends to joni their own exclusive country club and team up together to gain quicker access to downloadable courses as well as compete against each other for the Club Championship.
The Masters Collector’s Edition will feature exclusive access to Augusta National Golf Club’s Tournament practice facility and famous Par 3 Course, as well as five additional championship courses.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 will be available on March 29th for Xbox 360 and PS3.
Resident Evil 6 was announced yesterday and it quite obviously was very big news, so big in fact that the internet more or less exploded after seeing the trailer for the game. However there are plenty of things that people don’t know about, but a few pieces of information which were explained, and summarized by Andriasang, at Capcom’s 15th anniversary event in Japan may help out.
Leon is set to be joined by a security worker for the President named Helena Harper, however Chris Redfield’s partner has yet to receive a name. The third, yet unnamed character, will also be a main character who is being referred to “the man who’s told to save the world” but no further details were revealed. Also revealed was that very large Nemesis style monster which was shown in the trailer is called Javo. Capcom also spent some time detailing their other games, but obviously the spotlight shown upon Resident Evil 6 the brightest.
It was recently said by Testuya Nomura that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy would have downloadable content after it was released. Since then nothing has been said about how it will be done, but now an image of a dummy box of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy has surfaced on Twitter, including what looks like support for a new unannounced Nintendo online service.
What isn’t shown in the image above is the back of the box which says that the game supports download content from the internet and that it will be paid download content. However one thing you can see is the “Nintendo Network” on the upper right part of the box. Obviously Nintendo has yet to make any announcement about this service but we can likely expect one now within the next few days or at least before Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is released to stores.
It was only a matter of time before someone decided to pull apart a PlayStation Vita and check out all of the various materials and pieces that make the new handheld run. As such, UBM TechInsights have chosen to tear apart the more expensive PlayStation Vita 3G version and figure out the cost of the materials.
The cost of all of the materials inside the Vita and the casing equals out to a total of only $159.10 at current rates. This means that, at a selling point of $299. at stores, Sony is making at least $100 profit on each purchase, minus the retailers cut of the price of course. Could this mean that, depending on sales, could Sony pull a price-drop similar to what Nintendo had to do to boost 3DS sales?
Yes MasterAbbott is back for this week’s iOS Game Suggestions. If you missed out on last week’s suggestions, click on the link 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 on some of the iOS games I’ve suggested, you can check this out at the bottom of the article. Currently there is video game play footage for this week’s suggestions but if you check back in a few days there will be some added. For now, if you jump into week 2 suggestions there are a few videos to check out.
It’s been an average week this week in the iOS department. Once again for this week’s suggestions I’ve added a handful of old games into the mix as some of these games need to be given a mention. Of course the focus is still on the newer titles that you should be spending your hard earned iTunes cash / time on. This week I focus a little more on the free / freemium titles, as I want to ensure you can all pick up and try as many suggestions as possible. The payed titles are also well worth taking a look at if you can afford it. Now lets get down to business shall we.
For The Cheapskates – FREE GAMES
Crazy Escape– Price : FREE – Publisher – Bulkypix( The poor, innocent, defenceless sheep have been sheepnapped by the greed and of course very hungry wolves! With the help of Cutlet and Mismash, their trusty 4×4 Jeep and your finger you can save the day in this 90 level puzzle action game full of heart racing excitement.) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Order Up!! To Go – Price : FREE – Publisher – Chillingo. ( Order Up!! To Go is a delicious blend of frantic kitchen cooking and restaurant empire building. Chop, roll, slice, and dice your way to culinary stardom. Optimized specially for iOS, featuring perfect controls and comic kitchen action, this is one time management game that will keep you busy for hours.) runs on both iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Angry Drums HD – Price : FREE – Publisher –Sowanna ( Angry Drums HD is rhythm action action game that looks looks, plays and feels like the very popular arcade/ds game : Taiko No Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master) If you’re a fan of J-POP music and love your rythm games, Angry Drums is just the game for you. ) runs on iPad only. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Stardom: The-A-List – Price : FREE – Publisher –Glu Games Inc ( Can you reach the A-List? Schmooze, flirt, lie, fight – and maybe even work – your way to STARDOM! From getting off the bus as a nobody to accepting an award as an international superstar, get rich and famous by starring in movies and TV shows and winning over fans. The A-List is free to play. Players can purchase additional Cash and Stars (the in-game currencies) for real money, or earn currency through special offers.) runs on iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Stardom: The-A-List – Price : FREE – Publisher –Birmingham City University ( ‘Revenge of the Ninja’ is a 2D action platform game which uses intuitive touch screen controls. To progress through the game the player must master a combination of skills including combat and precision platforming.) runs on iPad only. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Gun Strike – Price : FREE (in-app purchase available for $0.99)- Publisher –Paladin Entertainment. (Gun Strike is FPS with a twist: You don’t get to move around, you stay in one place and the enemies come to you, similar to the games like operation wolf and time crisis. With 7 theme maps and a total of 70 levels and approx 17 different weapons to choose from Gun Strike is certainly jam packed with hours of gameplay.) runs on iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
FireMon – Price : FREE – Publisher –GPAX Co. (The city is on fire! The fire started in the city because of Firemon are running around like crazy. You are the only one that can save the city from this disaster!! Eliminate this little Firemons with your water cannon and save the day, Firemon play similar to Pang.) runs on iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
For The Bargain Hunters – 99c Games
Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior– Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Indiagames Ltd. (A masterpiece of the 3D martial arts genre, Bruce Lee was developed using motion capture technology and features players fighting in historical locations around the world in an attempt to become the Master Of Martial Arts and Honor Bruce Lee’s Legend. Do you have what it takes to be the Dragon Warrior?) – runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
In Time The Game – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Fox Mobile Entertainment. (IN TIME is a high-adrenaline, arcade-style handheld game experience set in a near-future world where TIME is a finite commodity that can be earned or taken away. Score points by sprinting, jumping and dodging waves of obstacles & assailants across often-hostile city streets on the way to your destination before your time runs out. ) – runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Cyberpunk Shooting Training– Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Digital Jokers Mobile. (Powered by the Unity engine, Play as Gibson, the elite mercenary of Cyberpunk as he prepares himself for his hardest mission ever. Take your first step in The shooting training, and see if you have what it takes to be the ulitmate mercenary. This game plays very similar to Time Crisis) – runs on both iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
For The Millionaires – All games over $0.99
MASTERABBOTT’S PICK OF THE WEEK
Jazz: Trumps Journey – Price : $2.99 (Publisher – BulkyPix (Play as Trump a Jazzman as you immerse youself in the memories and dreams as a young jazz musician in love with lovely Lady Poppy on a quest to form a group of muscians and battle the injustice in the New Orleans. Use Trumps Trumpet to stop time and fight bosses, moving platforms, detectives, spikes and a whole lot of other obstacles.) – runs on both iPhone and iPad. BUY NOW
ASH II: Shadows (GOLD Edition) – Price : $4.99 – Publisher – Konami ( A heart pounding RPG classic – The world of Aghaus is once again in peril, and the heroes of old must heed the call to embark on another dangerous adventure. Join Nicholas and Damien as they pursue new quests, discover ancient mysteries, and find unexpected new allies. With a brilliantly original tale to experience and stunning HD hand-drawn graphics, Ash II: Shadows will once again capture your imagination and take it to new heights.) runs on both iPhone and iPad. BUY NOW
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 joing the dicsussion in the forums. Check out the link below :
After advertising a game for a very long period of time, it begins to become harder and harder to not spoil anything about the game’s storyline and it seems that Capcom has finally reached the breaking point as today they have released an official video which was shown at the Premier Party yesterday.
The video can be seen below and contains five minutes of story heavy footage as well as plenty of spoilers. This means that if you aren’t a fan of having a game’s story spoiled for you then perhaps you should hold off watching the trailer until the game is actually released.
Tower Defence games have been around for ages. And there have been a fair few games in this genre targetted at the touch-screen mobile platforms. Some have trouble making the controls easy to use, and others have trouble making the graphics engaging and interesting to the player. Let’s see how Defenze Zone fairs…
Story
As with a lot of casual mobile titles, this game is light on the story. In fact it has no story. There are no cutscenes, no introductory video, not even a tutorial included in this game. It doesn’t take any time introducing you to the game itself, or explain any of the controls. You tap on “Start Game”, select a level, and start playing.
This is a bit fo a two-edged sword. While it avoids the potentially cliche and cheesy story lines some casual games adopt, the player is left to fend for themselves; left floundering in the deep end with no knowledge of how they should be playing the game.
I guess if there was a story it would go something like: “Bad guys are approaching our base. Let’s build turrets to defend before they wipe us out,” the basic idea behind any Turret Defence game.
Gameplay
Through exploration, you’ll soon figure out that you can drag the different turrents onto the battlefield in specific areas, and tap on them after they are built to upgrade their stats or sell them.
In the turret’s menu there’s also an attack mode, where you can order it to attack the nearest, strongest, or weakest enemy unit. This is a nice addition to the genre, and really makes you think about your attack strategy on top of the placement of your turrets.
There are 6 turret types you unlock as you progress through the levels, including Machine Gun, Rocket Launcher, and Liquid Nitrogen Thrower (which slows enemies), all of which have their own range, attack damage, and great special effects when they’re firing.
For every unit you kill, you’ll get some money which you can then spend on new turrets or to upgrade the old ones. If you kill a vehicle, one or two foot soldiers will spill out, giving you more fodder to earn a few extra dollars with. For every unit that makes it past your defences you’ll lose a point of health and, of course, if you lose all your health you’ll fail the mission and have to start again.
Each wave is anticipated by a countdown in the top-right of the screen, where it also tells you when a special wave, like a squadron of aircraft or the like is coming. You can also skip the wait and bring on the next wave by hitting a button on the bottom of the screen, next to the pause, fast-forward, and settings buttons.
The maps are varied in setting and layout, and introduce new enemy units you have to deal with. They also get real hard, real fast. For hardcore fans of the genre, they’ll find it a pleasant challenge, but for the casual gamers out there, they’ll find themselves slowly sinking into the pit of dispair as they fail for the 10th time on the thrid level on “easy” mode.
That said, the game really goes above and beyond in terms of production quality, and for however long you manage to play it, it’s a fun ride.
The game also has OpenFeint integration, if you’d like to sign in.
Audio & Visual
The graphics in this game are awesome, especially compared to other games in the genre. Everything’s meticulously pre-rendered in 3D, giving you some great realistic maps to look at.
The weapons, while some are a little sci-fi, look pretty realistic, too. And the special effects are simply awesome! Smoke trails, explosions, blood splatters and lightning bolts abound in this game, making the usual tedium of waiting around to see if the enemies make it through or not into a feast for the eyes, keeping you interested in, even excited about whatever’s happening on-screen. There’s even camera wobbles for the particularly potent explosions, adding to the hightened action style of the game.
The sound effects are top nothc, and match the quality of the effects on-screen perfectly. There is an option in the settings screen to mute the sfx and music, too, though there doesn’t seem to actually be any music to begin with.
Overall
This game is probably the best implemented mobile title in the Turret Defence genre in the AppStore. And while the learning curve is steep, if you can stick with it, you’ll be rewarded by more awesome action and special effects blasting your retinas.
