Page 5651 – Capsule Computers

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn – The Game Review

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December 21, 2011

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn – The Game
Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Platform: iPhone/iPad(reviewed)
Release: 15/12/11
Price: $5.49 – Available Here

Overview

With the release of the new full length Tintin film, Tintin fans all over the world hold their breath in anticipation to see how their beloved comic book character has been transformed by Hollywood. Set to be a huge release, and why not, it’s Tintin after all, the film has been turned into a multiplatform videogame – bringing fans along for one of Tintin’s greatest adventures. While Ubisoft has taken control of the console games, Gameloft have taken the reigns of the mobile side with their title: The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn – The Game.

Story

The story of The Adventures of Tintin is it a little bizarre. Not the story itself so much as the process of maintaining the story through multiple media – first comic book, then film, then game. Each medium obvious has it’s own means of telling a story and will need to alter the plot accordingly. The story roughly follows the plot of the Secret of The Unicorn, with a bit of the Crab with the Golden Claws thrown in. Much the same as the movie really. Gameloft have tweaked the story ever so slightly to make it more playable, giving player’s greater options to engage with the environment then they would if the story was merely transferred over.

For those not familiar with Tintin, the above paragraph may make little sense. This after all isn’t a game just for Tintin fans, but for anyone with an iOS device. Tintin is a reporter, who stumbles across a model ship. He lands himself in trouble when the wrong kind of people decide they want the ship. With his faithful dog Snowy by his side, Tintin makes a new friend in Captain Haddock who’s ancestor Sir Francis Haddock was the captain of the real life Unicorn. Each of these characters becomes playable characters through out the game and work together to carry the story with unique gameplay.

Gameplay

Being a tie-in with a film, The Adventures of Tintin has a huge number of quick time events and cut scenes. Normally, I would be rolling around groaning form boredom by the time the third cut scene came around, or a few quick time events into the game. Yet I found myself strangely engrossed by these gameplay elements. The cut scenes, while they may not intrinsically seem like gameplay elements, keep your attention by hiding hidden elements through out them, such as coins and puzzle pieces. The coins can be used to buy more puzzles that can be solved in the gallery to give you virtual little figurines to admire. While it isn’t the most amazing thing, at least they have a use and I find myself swiping like crazy to collect all the coins before the camera pans away.

For the most part, Tintin is an adventure game, utilising the touch screen as the main means of moving through the game. While you may find you’re swiping to collect coins, you’ll also swipe to sword fight as Sir Francis Haddock, to open doors, to push boxes down, or engage with any objects in the game that can be played with. The Adventures of Tintin also features a run and sneak button, as well as a directional pad – all of which are designed with a neat little travel theme. Although the camera is automatic for most scenes, there is still a touch that exploratory adventure that should be present in a Tintin game.

Alongside these gameplay elements, there are also a few puzzles to be solved through out the game. For example, waking up the crew of the Unicorn back in the 16th century is achieved by moving boxes by cutting the appropriate rope. The puzzles may sit oddly within the framework of the story for some, but I feel they are a nice little element just to keep player’s engaged with the game and thinking a little more about the game environment beyond the visual.

Visuals

Gameloft are known for producing high quality visuals on mobile platforms, each time pushing the graphical boundary of iOS games. Even with that knowledge, I was still not ready for the amazing detail and beautifully rendered characters and scenery that The Adventures of Tintin had to offer. The characters are all modeled from the soon to be released feature film, yet lack the freaky human-like qualities that the films motion capture technology created. Personally for me this is a great thing, as close ups don’t have that uncanny feeling about them where a half-human is staring at you. The characters all look like the classic Herge characters, only updated to look as if they fit into a videogame world. Gameloft have also paid a small homage to the comic book origins of Tintin, incorporating some comic book panels to push the story forward where perhaps fully rendered 3D animations may take up too much room on your iOS device. Whether you’ve just gotten into Tintin because of the new film, or have been a fan as long as you can remember, the effort Gameloft have put into maintaining the visual style of Herge, while at the same time bringing Tintin to life in a videogame is nothing short of admirable.

Audio

The Adventures of Tintin features cinematic sound tracks aptly played at the appropriate times. Each level has it’s own soundtracks that flow through out the game providing little interference for voice-overs. While it isn’t the exact same actors playing the voices, Gameloft have done a terrific job casting sound-alikes that really capture each character perfectly. Just another element that makes Tintin a well crafted film tie-in.

Overall

There are two possible ways to look at The Adventures of Tintin by Gameloft. The first way is to view Tintin as a film tie-in, and assess it through the framework that the film provided. If one is doing that, then Tintin is a fantastic game, which captures the story of The Adventures of Tintin perfectly with a completely playable world. However, purely comparing the game to the film doesn’t really do it much justice. Sure the story is excellent in comparison, but it is also an interesting tale of adventure in it’s own right, well written to allow player’s a highly enjoyable gaming experience. The graphics are some of the best I have seen on any iOS game to date, and the audio adds that extra element to complete the world. The gameplay utilises the touch screen device perfectly, and is very easy to get the hang of – making Tintin an excellent game for any gamer of any age. Highly accessible and visually stunning, The Adventures of Tintin by Gameloft is a must own for any iOS gamer.

Become acquainted with characters both new and old in latest Final Fantasy XIII-2 trailer

Travis Bruno

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December 21, 2011

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One of the most important parts to creating a great RPG is to have likable and well developed main characters for the players to become attached to. As such, there is no better time than right now to become acquainted and reacquainted with a number of characters that will be seen when Final fantasy XIII-2 is released next month on January 31st.

In the video below we are shown footage of Lightning and Caius as they fight against one another as well as newcomer Noel and familiar face turned main heroine Serah. Those who are eager to see some returning main characters will also be interested in the last part of the video where two old friends return to say hello, albeit they are just a bit older than how we remember them.

DaGeDar Review

Dustin Spencer

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December 21, 2011

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DaGeDar
Platform: Nintendo DS (reviewed)
Publisher:GameMill
Developer:Black Lantern Studios
Release Date: November 15, 2011
Price: $19.99 – Available Here

Overview
DaGeDar is a name that rolls right off the tongue, but before a short time ago, I had no clue what the a DaGeDar truly was. That name happens to be from one of this year’s big imports from Japan and lets players race little balls in a Hot Wheels fashion where the tracks feature loops and obstacles. It may sound a bit generic to a newcomer, but so far this little franchise has it’s own comic, a video series, and a ton of toys that players can collect and trade. To satisfy the growing fanbase, GameMill and Black Lantern Studios have now brought DaGeDar to the Nintendo DS. With all of the goods already in place, does DaGeDar roll into the video game universe without any bumps in the road?

Gameplay
Think Sonic, add a touch of pinball and you have the formula for DaGeDar. While this title has a few tricks up it’s sleeves in other areas, it is first and foremost all about racing a computer opponent through a good number of different tracks. Once you choose your spirited ball of choice, the player will then be taken to a set track to speed through before the challenger finishes. Controlling the ball is easy as well, as the tracks resemble railing and are in 2D, so all that is needed of the player is simply to jump, boost, and move their bearing with the D-Pad. It only took me a few minutes to actually master the basics as this scheme is simplistic enough that a player of any age could easily pick up the game and jump right in without much room for error.

While the core mechanics are pretty basic, the clever track design is where the true challenge comes in. Tracks vary completely in appearance and layout, giving each a distinct feel and making nearly every race feel different from the next. Players must guide their ball along a set line and avoid hazards built into the road that can either cause slowdown or that can make your DaGeDar reset from a previous position. To win, the player must utilize the special offerings built onto the pipeline. This includes the likes of speed boosts that lunge you forward, cannons that can fire your ball into a new section, and orbs that can charge up the DaGeDar’s abilities. Thankfully, everything plays our solidly and speed is always at the forefront for all your treks around the track.

I went into this game thinking it would be easy to win every race because the main line of products are mainly targeted to the younger crowd. Interestingly enough, I was dead wrong on that train of thought though. Even on the Novice difficulty, the computer opponent can be insanely difficult. I rarely ever seen an opposing foe miss a beat in a race and there isn’t much the player can do to prevent an opponent from having a perfect run. You might think this kind of challenge would suck the fun out of the game, but I felt it had an opposite effect as the entire experience went from being rather bland to addictive and rewarding. Due to the challenge, it’s a good idea to run through tracks in practice mode and memorize where every boost and shortcut is, as knowledge and memory is key to being victorious against a devastatingly hard ball bearing. Just one wrong turn or slowdown can make it nearly impossible to keep up in a race, so again, this game requires both careful movement and strategy to succeed.

As you start to progress, more DaGeDar become available and each one of these feature their own perks that can boost your odds slightly as new worlds open up. There are over 100 types in all that can all be unlocked over time as well, adding a ton of replay value after you finish the main championship mode. If difficulty isn’t your thing, a time attack mode has also been included, where you must complete a set number of laps in previously unlocked tracks as quickly as possible. Also on board the cart is a local multiplayer mode, allowing those who are afraid of the strong witted opponents to race their friends.

Visuals/Audio
Visually, DaGeDar is a very pretty game. Tracks are all vividly colored and each ball has their own looks and minor quirks due to the gimmickry of the franchise. Backdrops add to the level design as well, displaying the likes of space, jungle, and icy scenery in the background, which in turn makes the races feel different from the next. I almost want to compare the actual ball bearings to that of a charged Sonic though, as taking them through loops and hopping over broken paths can make it feel like your playing through a non-stop race as the blue wonder and the animations are fast and fluent throughout the entire game.

The soundtrack in this title was also well done. As I mentioned, I’m not too familiar with the franchise of DaGeDar, but if a sci-fi/electronic theme is what the developers went for (considering the whole “33rd Dimension setting), they did a fantastic job as these tunes are catchy and bode well in providing a nice, upbeat atmosphere for races. I did feel that some kind of individual sound effects could have been added in to individualize the balls, but that is mainly just a nitpick and the visual look proved to be enough to make each spirit worth unlocking.

Overall
As a single-player, handheld racing game, DaGeDar is one of the most difficult, yet rewarding titles I’ve played in the genre. That’s great news for the hardcore market out there, as the DS is obviously targeted towards much younger audiences and challenging titles are hard to find on the platform. Sadly, this is a franchise that younger gamers are going to be more interested in and unless the player has patience and an open mind to learn some strategy, frustration will become a common emotion for many who take these supercharged ball bearings for a spin. Even with that said though, considering the lower price-tag and the extra single-card multiplayer packed in, it’s still easy to recommend and is sure to be a must-have for any fan of the growing DaGeDar universe.

Gravity Rush demo officially announced

Travis Bruno

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December 21, 2011

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Last week we caught wind that there could potentially be a demo appearing for Gravity Rush sometime in the near future. This news came from a retail display saying fans could expect the demo sometime on December 27th, and today Sony has officially confirmed that the demo will indeed be coming out.

Unfortunately at this time, Sony did not go into further detail about the demo nor with what fans could expect. The full title of Gravity Rush will be available in Japan on February 9th, but unfortunately Sony has yet to confirm Gravity Rush for Western release. Being that the title is set for release in February in Japan, its potential to become a North American launch title is quite high.

FFXIII-2 Gets Xbox 360 Exclusive DLC

Justin Mienkiewicz

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December 21, 2011

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Square Enix announced today that, among the slew of DLC already announced, the Xbox 360 version will be getting at least one exclusive, the Azrael Bow. The bow is a collaboration between Microsoft and Square Enix, meaning it’s only going to be available for 360 users (at a price). The price is a scant 80 MS points ($1), though due to Microsoft’s “monopoly money” currency, you will need to drop at least $5 to accrue the points necessary unless you happen to have left over points from some other purchase.

The weapon boosts the chain gauge bonus in battle and can be purchased in-game at the Chocolina shop starting January 10th. It’s unknown if the chain gauge bonus ability is accessible on any other of Serah’s weapons or if purchasing this will be the only way to get it. This DLC will be released in the West at launch, though there isn’t any mention of the other DLC that has already been detailed. It’s looking like those who are hardcore Final Fantasy fans are going to need to pony up a decent amount of cash on the side in order to obtain all of the content this game has to offer. Remember the good, old days when all of the content made during development was put into the final product and if the game was successful enough they made an expansion with a respetcable amount of content to include the extra stuff?

100 Games You Must Play Before You Die – Part 8

Christmas is a time for stuffing your face and disregarding such pettiness as diets, moderation and manners, and in that spirit, our 100 Games You Must Play segment is a veritable feast this week.

We’ve got some modern classics fresh off the vine, which are sure to leave a lingering sweetness on the back palate; a couple of rare delicacies that you may not have tried before; and a generous helping of arcade hits, aged to perfection.

So dig in!

Remember, the games are in no particular order.

To see the games 1 – 10, please click here.
To see the games 11 – 20, please click here.

To see the games 21 – 30, please click here.
To see the games 31 – 40, please click here.

To see the games 41 – 50, please click here.
To see the games 51 – 60, please click here.

To see the games 61 – 70, please click here.

71. Halo: Combat Evolved
Platform: Xbox
Genre: FPS
Release date: 2001
Nominated by: Jack Joly

The story behind the ‘Combat Evolved’ in the original Halo’s title – something that often sets people off-balance as they wonder whether it is even linked to Halo 2, 3 and Reach – is one of intriguing origin. The people at Bungie apparently resented the addition to the title, but Microsoft were convinced ‘Halo’ on its own was too short and no one would buy it. How wrong they were.

Halo is one of the most successful shooting franchises out there, for good reason. The campaigns haven’t always been the strongest, and have been in decline since this very first game set such high standards with its single-player or co-op space-age adventure, but the addictive multiplayer ensured people misspent hours upon hours slaughtering other Spartan soldiers in team games or free-for-all combat. As Halo: Anniversary has just arrived on Xbox 360, you could either play the slightly modified, modern version of the game, or go back to the old game and see what all the fuss was about.

72. F-Zero
Platform: Super Nintendo
Genre: Racing
Release date: 1990
Nominated by: Matt Vella

F-Zero set a standard for the racing genre and is responsible for the creation of the futuristic sub-genre. THAT is how awesome it is! Using an innovative graphical technique thingy called “Mode 7”, F-Zero featured realistic racing like never seen before and contained fast, dangerous and challenging gameplay where your vehicles can even be destroyed beyond use. To this date it can still leave you biting your lip and screaming at the screen – a testament to how well it’s aged over the years. For those looking for a more ‘modern’ experience, check out 2003’s F-Zero GX, it just highlights all the amazing features of the original.

FALCON PUNCH!!!

73. World of WarCraft
Platform: PC
Genre: MMO
Release date: 2004
Nominated by: Kelly Teng

If there is ever an MMO that can be defined as “the one that started it all”, it would have to be World of Warcraft. WoW is the father of raids and instances, and it’s a testament to the title that even half a decade later, it still generates as much buzz as ever. While the game may have gotten a bad rep, you still owe it to yourself to play it for the people you will come in contact with (some fantastic, some just a bit odd) and the sheer fact that every time you gain a new level item, you feel that little bit of accomplishment inside. Add in the detailed backstory, the endless quests, and battlegrounds, and you don’t have a reason not to play WoW.

74. Super Mario Bros 3
Platform: NES/SNES
Genre: Platformer
Release date: 1990
Nominated by: Michael Irving

The Japanese version of Super Mario Bros 2 was deemed too hard to be marketed overseas, so the West received it as that strange, vegetable-plucking, floaty-physics platformer that had little to do with the series. When Super Mario Bros 3 finally hit, the franchise had returned to its roots as a pure platformer, and is arguably considered the pinnacle of 2D Mario platforming.

SMB3 added a lot to the series, and many of the new features became standard not only for later Mario games, but the platformer genre and even video games in general. Most importantly, it’s known for injecting even more character into the Mushroom Kingdom and its inhabitants.

The bread and butter of the series’ gameplay – running and jumping – was kept intact and expanded upon expertly, granting Mario more abilities, including the iconic Tanooki Suit that provided the power of flight. It was also the first Mario game to include something we’re so used to nowadays that its absence would seem bizarre – level selection via a world map view.

Greater diversity was apparent in the enemies, providing multiple versions of the traditional Goombas and Koopas, as well as introducing other enduring characters, like Chain Chomps and those stacked-up cacti. The environments also varied greatly, with the gameplay and physics changing accordingly. Now, Mario could slide down slopes, sink in quicksand in the desert, and skate around on icy surfaces. It really changed up the basic gameplay, and made each world a unique place, with unique challenges.

Chances are you’ve already played this one, but if not, you better keep it a secret until you sit down with a NES, or SNES, or Game Boy Advance, or your Wii’s Virtual Console, and get into it before someone finds out about your shameful oversight.

Don’t worry, I won’t tell anybody.

75. Galaga
Platform: Arcade (and almost every single console since then)
Genre: Shooter
Release date: 1981
Nominated by: Kyle Moore

Although it may be a sequel to the fixed shooter Galaxian, Galaga stands on its own as a fantastic game. Where other arcade shooters like Space Invaders or Galaxian provided no variation in levels, Galaga brought different formations of alien invaders down for you to blast. With the help of bonuses like an extra ship creating dual lasers, and bonus rounds to gain some extra points, Galaga is one of my all time favourite arcade games, one that I have played across a number of consoles over the years.

The most recent addition to the Galaga name is the 30^th anniversary addition for iOS, featuring Galaga in all its incarnations. Thanks to names like Pac-Man and Galaga, Namco was one of the front-runners during the Golden Age of video arcade games, paving the way for the current success of Namco Bandai.

76. Katekyo Hitman Reborn: Flame Rumble X
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Fighting
Release date: 2009
Nominated by: Luke Halliday
While there were definitely some great fighting games on the Nintendo DS, none revolutionised the DS fighter genre in the way that Katekyo Hitman Reborn: Flame Rumble X did. By taking influence from the immensely popular Jump Ultimate Stars, this took the best elements of that game and improved them tenfold, making it one of the fastest paced fighting games on the DS, with more customization than you could possibly imagine. It is definitely a game to play before you die.

77. Ghosts ‘n Goblins
Platform: Arcade
Genre: Platformer
Release date: 1985
Nominated by: Phil Federico

Now what can I say about this legendary game? Created by Capcom way back when games were starting to flourish in the arcades, not much was known about King Arthur, our little knight/hero in shining armor. Why were he and his queen in a graveyard that dark and gloomy night? All of a sudden this big red flying demon appeared out of nowhere, snatched her up and took her off into the darkness.

And with that intro, you placed your quarters into the arcade machine and set off on a perilous journey into the unknown, demonic world full of ghosts, goblins, flying red devils, and a variety of unique and evil creatures. Players were aiming to save their beloved queen from the clutches of what could only be described as the king of the demons: a creature so scary it had two heads, one in his belly and one of course on top his shoulders.

Ghosts n’ Goblins is one of the most successful side-scrolling platform games ever created. Its originality was certainly unmatched by titles back in its day. Controlling King Arthur was very easy (only two buttons in the game were used, jump and shoot/throw weapon) so anyone could play it. Of course to the N00b starting off, I would guarantee that they would never get out of the starting graveyard level alive without throwing more quarters in. It was easy to pick up and play and had outstanding level design, but what really made it stand out was its sheer level of difficulty. In all my years playing I’m still unable to finish this game with only one credit, and I’ve only seen one person actually accomplish this task. To do so you need great reflexes and a photographic memory, to remember where enemies and end of level bosses will be coming from, and where to find the much-needed secret items and weapons.

If you ever get the chance to try the original game on an arcade machine, please do so. It’s a game that you need to play before you die – and die you will when you play it, over and over and over – but you’ll enjoy every minute of it.

78. Dofus
Platform: PC
Genre: MMO
Release date: 2004
Nominated by: Luke Halliday
While other MMORPGs mostly aim for presenting a 3D overworld with real time battles, Dofus stands amongst the crowd as genre-defying. While it does indeed fit within the MMORPG genre, it features a beautifully hand-painted art style and world, paired up with an intricate turn-based strategic combat system, setting a precedent for the genre. More so than that, the world of Dofus is fully realised and holds the claim of being the most popular RPG in France and Canada. For its bold step away from the norm of MMORPGs, Dofus deserves to be played.

79. Viewtiful Joe
Platform: Gamecube/PlayStation 2
Genre: Beat em’ Up
Release date: October 2004
Nominated by: Matt Vella

You know that weird small red guy from Marvel vs Capcom 3? This is that guy! Viewtiful Joe is the most refreshing and unique take on the side-scrolling beat em’ up I’ve ever personally played.

The basic premise of the game is that the game your playing is a movie, as the lead actor and director. So while the game is an epic side-scolling beat em up with intelligent puzzles and platforming elements, your also given the ability to slow down, speed up and zoom-in on the action. To make things even more exciting, when you do this it doesn’t effect the game, but rather the world. Slowing down near a platform hovering via fan will cause the fan to stop and the platform to fall, speeding up around a fire will put it out, you get the idea.

The creativity to Viewtiful Joe is endless, and with a unique B- film setting and unforgettable and loveable characters, Viewtiful Joe is easily one of Capcom’s finest and in my opinion, one of the greatest games I’ve ever played. HENSHIN-A-GO-GO BABY!

80. GoldenEye 007
Platform: Nintendo 64
Genre: FPS
Release date: 1997
Nominated by: Michael Irving

There are some things in games that, for whatever reason, just don’t work. At least, until a game like GoldenEye comes along and fixes everything.

It was a recipe for disaster in theory; a console first-person shooter, which rarely hold up against their more responsive PC counterparts, and a film-franchise game to boot. Unlike most licensed games, GoldenEye wasn’t rushed to coincide with the release of the film – it was out two years later, in fact, meaning the dev team could take their time to polish the game.

And polished it was, with mission and environment design that was both faithful to the source material and effective in gameplay. It hit the right balance between stealth and action, and the fantastic multiplayer mode became a staple in many households, including mine. We still pull out our Nintendo 64 from time to time, and GoldenEye is, by default, stored in the cartridge slot, ready for another round.

It’s the little game that shouldn’t-but-did. Still regarded as a classic today, it has appeared on many a “Top Games” list, and, behind first-party juggernauts Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64, it was the third-best-selling game on the console.

Vita and 3DS battery life compared

Travis Bruno

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December 21, 2011

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Oh and just for fun, a PlayStation Portable as well. A YouTube user who has picked up the PlayStation Vita has decided that the best way to test out the battery life of the system was to compare it to the Nintendo 3DS and Sony’s last handheld the PSP. The video for the test can be seen below and is sped up 60 times and even to 100 times at one point, but be warned it is still 9 minutes in length.

For those who like to hear about specifics, Andriasang has broken down the stats for each handheld used the PSP is a PSP-3000 Hunsters Model with an expanded 2200mAh battery. The Nintendo 3DS is a Zelda 25th anniversary system with the system’s standard 1300mAh battery. Both are playing the same title, Monster Hunter 3 respectively for each system.

The Vita is the 3G Wi-Fi model with its standard 2210mAh battery and is playing Uncharted off of the game card. The systems are all set to their highest brightness and volume with the Nintendo 3DS’ 3D setting all the way at max. Those who don’t feel like watching the video and learning how long each system lasts can simply catch the breakdown of results below.

3DS dies at 2 hours 35 minutes.
Vita dies at 3 hours 47 minutes.
PSP dies at 9 hours

Dead Island hits 3 million copies sold

Travis Bruno

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December 21, 2011

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You see that consumer up there? Good luck holding him back from picking up a copy of Deep Silver’s Dead Island. Wait… no that is a zombie, you should probably hit him with that oar ASAP. In all seriousness, Deep Silver has announced quite an accomplishment today for Techland’s Dead Island. The title has officially sold three million copies, this news comes after the news that Dead Island had shipped two million during the first month of release.

It is always good to see titles that aren’t from the more established companies such as EA and Activision selling in the million range, but when the title sells so well that they had to ship out an extra million copies just to meet demand, bravo.

Yakuza Black Panther 2 expected in Japan March 2012

Travis Bruno

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December 21, 2011

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Fans of the Yakuza series in North America may currently be waiting for Yakuza Dead Souls, however Japanese fans of the series are actually looking forward to a PSP Yakuza game known as Yakuza Black Panter 2. Andriasang reports that the latest issue of Dengeki PlayStation has revealed the release date for Yakuza Black Panther 2 and that date is March 22nd.

Black Panther 2 will continue to follow the story of Ukyou Tatsuya who has returned to Japan after spending some time in America. His dream is to become a pro boxer. One of the newer features mentioned so far for the title is the fact that players will be able to call in a partner to help in fights and walk through the hazardous streets of Kamurocho alongside you.

PlayStation Vita launch issues to be addressed with new firmware

Travis Bruno

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December 21, 2011

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The PlayStation Vita may not be out in the West for a few months, but it has actually been out for a couple of days in Japan. Unfortunately it seems that the PlayStation Vita suffered from a large number of issues that were causing various problems with the system, some making it completely unresponsive. So, what is the best that Sony can do? You betcha… firmware update.

Now the issues that were actually plaguing the system ranged from complete system freezing to touch screens being unresponsive. The firmware was released today and it is expected to fix a number of problems that have already been brought up by consumers. This is still some disheartening news as one would think that Sony would have at least made the effort to make sure their next generation portable would be completely polished and not breaking day one.