The wait for the inevitable sequel announcement is over good folks. SEGA have released their first offical teaser for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 2. A short 30 second trailer clip. The video doesn’t reveal anything gameplay-wise, but it reveals some interesting information about possibilities in the instalment to come. Following Sonic’s solo outing in the first episode of this popular downloadable game, it appears that a few familiar faces will be rejoining the adventure along with the Blue Blur himself. Naturally, we can expect to see Doctor Robotnik/Eggman up to his same old hijinks, but 2 other Sonic series veterans are returning to the fold.
The first is naturally, Sonic’s long time sidekick Miles “Tails” Prower. Will this be a matter to adding a second selectable character? Or perhaps a hint towards co-operative 2-player gameplay? At this point players and fans can only speculate. The second character inclusion comes as a nice surprise, as viewers are shown the silhouette below, and what is described as “The rebirth of a villian.” It appears as though Metal Sonic, probably THE fan favourite villian of the series is also making a return. After his inclusion in Sonic Generations, many fans like myself are glad to see SEGA giving him a chance in the antagonist spotlight yet again.
The trailer ends with the promise of new surprises and the confirmation that Sonic 4 Episode 2 is looking at a 2012 release. Retro Sonic fans who own an Xbox360, PS3 or iOs device should keep their eyes peeled for this future release. “The Saga will continue in 2012.” It’s already given me something to look forward to next year!
Hunter’s Trophy Developer: Kylotonn Publisher: BigBen Interactive Platform: Playstation 3 Release Date: Out Now
Overview
Hunter’s Trophy is a game where players can live out the life of a regular hunter, using real world hunting regulations and the motion control of the Playstation Move. The game comes with a plastic gun to outfit with both the Move and Navigational controller. Players create profiles and semi-customise their hunters and go into a Career as a hunter, go for a Quick Hunt or get some practice at the shooting range. However, is it really the perfect hunting simulation or should it be one of the targets of the shooting range?
Gameplay
In Hunter’s Trophy, the player will live out the opportunity to hunt for different types of game, whether they are small or large. Players can choose to hunt in swamps, plains and forest. The game captures the sport of hunting very well. One must go at a slow pace, find clues and draw out their game. Hunters will be given a pack of dogs to help draw out their game. Each hunt has a quota and will count towards a final score, which takes into account accuracy and penalty shots among others. In essence, it captures the realistic world of hunting and I applaud this game for doing that.
Packaged with the game is orange and grey plastic gun. It is divided into two parts: the barrel and the stock/grip. The gun itself feels like a gun or what a gun would feel like, I imagine. It is quite sturdy but there will be a slight off balance of weight due to the Move being right at the end of the gun. Inserting the Navigation controller mimics loading a shotgun with its shells, signalling a readiness to hunt some game. The gun is fine as it is, although it is quite strange that the stock/grip is coloured orange instead of brown.
There are three modes of play for the player to choose from. One of these modes of play is Quick Hunt. In Quick Hunt, the player chooses their hunting ground, their time of day and what type of game they want to hunt before proceeding to the customisation screen. Once that is done, then it is time to hunt some game. This is a great option for those who want to just play for a short amount of time. It is also great practice for Career Mode.
The game also features a Career Mode. In Career Mode, the player is tasked to go through a set number of hunting grounds and completing challenges, usually meeting a quota of animals as specified in the player’s hunting plan. For example, the plan may ask for the player to hunt for a boar and a deer. If the player over indulges on their quota, they will be penalised, as well as shooting protected animals, such as females and children. Shooting pests, like foxes, however, will actually increase the player’s score at the end of the hunt. This can be compared to an online leaderboard, but it only shows surrounding players, not the top players, which is quite questionable. Why would it be restrictive with the leaderboards?
The third mode of Hunter’s Trophy is called the Shooting Range. In here, players can practice their shooting skills in three types of practice modes: trap, target and silhouette shooting. Players play for points as well as increase their familiarity of the gun attachment. This is also the only mode where multiple players can actually join in. However, it is not adding a second player via a second Move. It is passing the gun to the next player. It is alright if one wants to practice without the game or want to add that second player. Yes, there is no online co-op play or any online multiplayer, which could have worked in a game like this.
The game does offer customisation, although it is pretty limited. The player can choose their gender, their clothing and weapon of choice when they do go out for a hunt. That is all they can choose. Most of these items are in fact locked at the beginning, so that bow one wants has to be unlocked through Career Mode. To be honest, this feels like a let down. The game should have facial and body customisation, allowing the player to shape their hunter as they would like. In addition, with the Playstation Eye, the camera should have captured the face of the player and morph it into a face of the hunter. Further clothing options and some form of customisation for the weapons could have added to the individuality of each hunter. Alas, one can only wish for these things.
The game offers two control methods: regular controls and Playstation Move. If I had to recommend one of these schemes, then it would have to be the regular control. I am not against motion controls in gaming, however, the motion control here are below average compared to other games. More often than not the Move is quite inaccurate, which leads to frustrating moments and missing what could have been the killing blow. The calibration is fine, it is just the cursor does not match where the Move is being pointed to. I believe this was designed with the mindset that the Eye should be right in the middle of the screen. It is also a tad bit too sensitive when the Move it’s turned to face another direction. This is quite awkward when the player manoeuvres around the hunting ground.
Visual and Audio
The visuals are quite bad, to put it bluntly. Character and animal models have minimal detail and the environments are quite ugly to look at. I was not expecting a grand, realistic environment, but it could have looked better. The colours are quite muted where they should have shined. Animations are not bad, but there is one that raises my eyebrows. After collecting the dead game, the hunter simply walks to it and collects it like it is something to put in one’s pocket. Considering that the game is quite big for a space that small, why does it simply pick it up and put it in its pocket? I’m sure something else, like hanging it by the hunter’s side, would have been better. This is a game where realism is hammered to the player, but the visuals are anything but. The audio is limited mostly to the menus, with decent orchestral music playing in the back ground. The sound effects during the hunt all match up with their respective purpose, so all is alright in the audio department.
Overall
Hunter’s Trophy is great for the hunting enthusiasts but for no one else. The game barely offers anything in terms of gameplay and still manages to create a somewhat frustrating experience if one wants to use the Playstation Move. The visuals are very bad but the audio seems to be decent, with good use of the ambiance of the environment. One might have fun with the game but that fun will dwindle after a certain period of time. Couple that with constant spelling mistakes in a time where people are paid to make sure every word is spelt right and one has a mediocre experience that should be only picked up by those who love the sport of hunting.
The last eShop update of 2011. It’s been a good year for downloads on the eShop for the most part, and Nintendo are ready to deliver a handful of new downloads, across all three platforms.
The most notable release this week comes in the form of the already mega indie hit, VVVVVV. In this retro-esque title, players must assist Captain Viridian in finding five crew members and save a dimension on the brink of destruction. You can pick VVVVVV up for $7.99 on the 3DS.
Those up for an actual classic will be happy to know that the Game Boy version of Bionic Commando is also now available for $3.99 on the 3DS Virtual Console. Commandos not enough? Try some fruit…erm..cake! For the DSiWare, owners can snag up Cake Ninja and rip baked goods to shreds for $4.99 or 500 points. This game looks a bit familiar, but you can’t say a clone is a bad thing in this case. Wrapping up the handheld downloads is Slingo Surpreme, priced at $7.99 or 800 points.
Need more nostalgia? The WiiWare is seeing it’s usual one offering a week and what an odd yet interesting way to go out of 2011. Carmen Sandiego Adventures in Math: The Big Ben Burglary…(yes, that Carmen) can now be purchased for 600 points.
Not a bad grouping this week, and hopefully we will get even more nice offering as 2012 rolls in. So, anything you plan on picking up this week?
Are any of you out there ballers? If so, strap on your hi-tops (or sneakers, or insert-brand-heres), grab your iOS device, and get ready to play some ball! Synqua Games have released Basketball: Hoops of Glory, a unique sports game that toes the line between catering for the basketball fans and the casual gamers who have picked it up for a bit of procrastination fun. With one-touch contols, great graphics, realistic physics and addictive gameplay, this is certainly a title to take a look at.
Basketball: Hoops of Glory follows Brodie – or Bro-Dawg, as the cool kids say – who wants to become the bestest basketballer ever. So it is your job to mentor, coach and aid Bro-Dawg to victory!
There are a few different modes: Practice, Challenge, Arcade and Time-Attack. There are also additional stages for Challenge mode available as an in-app purchase (99c for an additional 25 challenges).
Basketball: Hoops of Glory is available NOW for the iPhone, iTouch and iPad for FREE – Grab it HERE
The Gantz manga is at it’s end. In the author’s notes for the 6th/7th issue of Shueisha’s Young Jump magazine, Hiroya Oku announced that he wants to draw the ending for the Gantz manga in 2012.
The manga follows a young Tokyo man, Kei who is brought back to life after a deadly subway accident, along with a group of random individuals. Kei and the other resurrected people go on a violent, seemingly endless missions at the behest of an unseen host, fighting aliens, and whatever else he and his team are commanded to go up against.
Back in 2000, the debut Gantz manga was released in an issue of Young Jump, and the 33rd manga volume will ship in Japan next month. The manga also inspired a television anime series animated by Gonzo as well as two live-action movies. In January, North America received the 20th English volume of the manga. The magazine (Young Jump) issue’s official release date is set for January 4.
All around the world many people received new phones for Christmas or whichever holiday they celebrate and many of those phones may run using the Android service. Now what better way to get your new phone up and running than to pick up a few Apps from the app store, correct? Well what if you could do that, but for a whole lot cheaper than you ever thought possible? Well then we have some good news for you as Gameloft is holding a special 24 hour sale on their whole catalog of Android titles.
All the titles will be priced at $0.99 instead of their usual price. There are 22 games in total and the full list of them can be found on Gameloft’s website here. This includes “The Adventures of Tintin The Game” and “Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation.” Now this sale isn’t just for people who just obtained their phones, it is available to everyone, even previous owners. Which of these apps are you willing to pick up during this sale?
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Studio: Paramount Pictures, Skydance Productions, Bad Robot Publisher: Paramount Pictures Format: Cinema Release Date: 15 December, 2011 Price: – Available Here
Overview
Franchises these days tend to be squeezed to their last drops, a lot of people blame this on either the studio’s greediness or a lack of creativity and courage to try and create a new concept and new characters to love. This is Mission Impossible’s fourth run at the silver screen, and while it has never been hailed as the most influential or thoughtful film, it is known for the great blend of action, suspense and just enough effort to make it seem legit (something infamously missing from Michael Bay flicks).
So does Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol deliver once again? Or has the amount of volumes in the series left us with a washed out version of the franchise?
Story
Initially they were tossing up between ditching the ‘Mission: Impossible’ part of the title, its pretty obvious even in the way that they’ve styled the poster that they wanted to depart from the name. Personally, I think they should’ve just called it what it is: Tom Cruise doing awesome things, getting really beat up and saving the world.
The movie is like every male’s wet dream (not that type, the other type), being the stoic, strong hero who takes a beating, gets back up, and can coolly and calmly deal with insane situations that would make anyone else have a heart attack. Oh, and then there’s Jane Carter (Paula Patton).
Patton is just about the most gorgeous woman in the world, who can also kick some serious ass. She’s Mission: Impossible’s version of a Bond girl, but without the patriarchal values and with more combat skills. And, just in case you didn’t get it before, she is a looker. So I guess that just adds another reason for testosterone-fuelled individuals to watch this movie.
As we have come to expect from Mission: Impossible movies, there are some crazy stunts and some truly amazing scenes. One of the scenes from the movie is probably one of my favourite action, stunt scenes. And the fact that Tom Cruise did it without a stunt double (although plenty of wires) makes me have some extra respect for him. Or just some respect, since there wasn’t really much of a foundation to start with.
However, despite some awesome action sequences, I wasn’t that blown away. The fight scenes were average, the story was quite simple and there were a couple of plot holes here and there that a sarcastic person such as myself picked up. It definitely beats a Michael Bay movie, but not by a comfortable enough margin in my opinion. There was no interest in the storyline, nothing drew you in overall, just in scenes.
You don’t care a whole bunch for the characters, there is some backstory and a little depth but not enough to really drive it. The only character I really cared about was Benji (Simon Pegg). Pegg revitalized the movie a little and gave it another dimension, with his rambling comedy, and I doubt I would have enjoyed the film if it wasn’t for him. His timing is excellent, and he had great comedic chemistry with Brandt (Jeremy Renner).
In the two most suspenseful scenes in the movie, Pegg manages to make you laugh, which gives you this great sense of relief as the suspense cools off. Including him in the cast is a great move on the behalf of the franchise, it stops it getting dry and boring.
However, I wasn’t really expecting any of these things anyway. It’s a movie you see when you want to switch off, suspend your disbelief and have some fun. And that is more than okay.
The one glaring thing for me was the final scene. It feels so forced and has little to no purpose, and I wish that they hadn’t included it – even if it then left loose ends. It is just terribly awkward and elicited many a grimace.
Visuals
If there is one thing that you can’t fault this movie on, it’s the graphics. The movie is partially shot with an IMAX camera, at director Brad Bird’s insistence. This provides a higher quality image, and in some scenes this pays off a lot. In one particular scene on the outside of an extremely tall building, you can almost feel the wind on your face as the camera pans down the side of the building. There is a lot more of a tactile feel visually than is usually experienced in 3D movies.
Apart from the superior equipment and style of filming, the shoot locations are also quite beautiful. They utilize the environments to the best of their ability, and the cinematography is quite excellent. Visually, it is amazing, so it is quite easy to glaze over the lackluster story line.
Audio
The soundtrack for the movie is what you’d expect from an action film, the whole sweeping, massive sound with the Mission: Impossible theme pops up a few times. The music, in itself, is good, however I have to say my favourite part in terms of sound is when there was no music and the tension was incredibly thick in the air. You’d be surprised how tense you get just from the sound of fabric brushing against each other. In that instance, the music playing gave you an out so that you could start to breathe again.
However, and yes I will bring this up again, the last scene was less than desirable. To accompany the forced dialogue, was heavy handed emotional music that just highlighted the jarring nature of the scene, both in terms of the chemistry between the actors, as well as the contrast between that scene and the rest of the movie.
Overall
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol gives you what you expect. It’s a action-packed flick with awesome stunts, great graphics, and the general Mission: Impossible theme. The plot has been spread thin over the movie and remains plainly simple. There is very little intrigue beyond the scene’s inherent suspense, so don’t concern yourself too much with paying long term attention.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol delivers what is expected of it, and nothing more really. The highlight of the movie is Simon Pegg’s performance, and that’s mostly because it is so different from the rest of the film. It’s fun, explosive, and a perfect film to zone out to.
In the 1999 film Entrapment, Sean Connery played the male protagonist Mac. Being an old-school thief, when he and his partner Gin, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, successfully infiltrated a bank vault and he saw that there was a computer terminal instead of gold bars or columns of cold, hard cash waiting to be bagged, he exclaimed: “This is it? Whatever happened to money? I mean where is the good old-fashioned loot?” Thereafter Gin proceeded to digitally transfer billions of dollars from thousands of electronic accounts worldwide into their own account.
That was in 1999. Today, plastic credit cards have all but replaced paper currency, but that too is slowly but steadily changing. A few months back both Google and Paypal invested in Mastercard’s Paypass Near Field Communication (NFC) technology – Google with the Google Wallet, and Paypal with version 3.0 of their Android Paypal app. NFC allows wireless, digital transfer of data from one device to another without them even touching, so long as they are within that near field range. This means that through NFC activated devices you can send pictures from your mobile phone to a laptop, for instance, with just a wave of a hand or a tap of the two devices. What Mastercard’s Paypass does is it uses NFC for digital, cashless payments.
If you have Paypal’s 3.0 app on your Android or Google Wallet on your device, you can pay for transactions in stores that support the technology through your mobile phones, and it’ll be charged to your credit card accounts. Uh-huh. You don’t need your credit cards anymore, just your smartphones.
While quite an exciting development, the adoption rate of the technology has been rather slow this past 2011, where Google Wallet launched in September 19 and Paypal’s 3.0 app launched in November 8. Perhaps the greater digital consumer populace is only starting to feel it out, or perhaps word of its awesomeness has yet to go viral. Whatever it is, it’s sure to change in the next twelve months.
And it’s not just NFC technology. Paypal launched a Facebook social payment app straightforwardly dubbed Send Money in the middle of November this year, which can be used to send payments (or greeting cards with payments) through popular social media site Facebook. So now you just need to log in to your Facebook account like you do probably every day, and when you need to pay someone, you pay them through there. You know the money’s flowing, you just don’t see it anymore.
When industry leaders like Google, Paypal, Mastercard, and even Facebook invests in game-changing developments like NFC, it’s a good bet that it’s the next biggest thing. If not immediately, then somewhere down the line. It’s inevitable. It’s like the next step in terms of finance and economics for humankind: barter turns into gold currency which turns into paper currency which turns into plastic currency which turns into digital currency. But where paper currency was developed for the benefit of large financial institutions and entire nations, digital currency appears to be more for the benefit of the consumer standing in line at the checkout counter.
In an age where everything either turns digital or has a digital counterpart, even money loses its empirical substance and retains only its value. In an age where you handle money without even touching it, what was previously represented in dollar bills and paper is now represented in digital numerals and bytes. While everything points to more ease and convenience for the common folk in the meantime, it’s anyone’s guess what NFC’s cashless, cardless development will lead to in the future.
Who doesn’t love PopCap games? There’s something about them, a mixture nostalgic and incredibly addictive gameplay. Even the most hardcore and casual of gamers have at least had a shot at one PopCap game or another, so why not give yourself a little late Christmas present?
Until January 3, PopCap is having a 50% off sale for their downloadable titles. These include such big names as Plant Vs Zombies, Bejeweled 3, Chuzzle, Bookworm, the Amazing Adventures series, the Escape series and the Mystery P.I. series.
So what are you waiting for? With a range of games and genres, it’s definitely worth taking a look around the site and seeing if any of the games catch your eye. Or maybe you’ve played some of them on Facebook or mobile platforms and would like to see what it’s like on PC or Mac. Either way, this is the best time to grab a bargain!
Check out the PopCap site and make sure you get in quick before January 3!
New on the American Playstation®Store market is SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION’s P.O.W. – Prisoners Of War and PREHISTORIC ISLE. These SNK mini titles are blasts from the past, being brought back from SNK’s Golden Age of action-shooting games from the 80’s.
The release of these two titles is part of a “retro-arcade emulation” project, which aims to bring back the classic gaming experience through a grand collection of action, shooting, platform and action/puzzle titles.
In P.O.W – Prisoners Of War you control a military prisoner who breaks free from his cell, and must fight through waves of incoming enemies in a traditional side scrolling model.
In Prehistoric Isle you pilot a 1930’s airplane, and fight against legions of dinosaurs and cavemen over a tropical island, while collecting items and dodging traps that impede your journey in this horizontal side-scrolling shooter.
P.O.W. – Prisoners Of War and PREHISTORIC ISLE will be available on the PlayStation®Store from Tuesday, December 20, 2011. They are exclusively available on PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) and compatible on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.
