Capcom themselves stated recently that Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom on the PlayStation Vita would not have an actual game manual included in the package, but instead would contain an in-game digital manual. Now it seems that a number of titles will be taking this route as Japanese website Inside Games has managed to get their hands on a Vita title before the handheld’s release tomorrow in Japan.
With this, they found that the package only contains the game itself and a sheet of paper with the various warning messages and firmware update notification. They also state that PlayStation Vita titles do away with the paper manuals in favor of digital ones. However this is not the case, as an unboxing video for the Vita and a number of titles show that Dynasty Warriors Next indeed comes with a full manual as you can see below. Also for those interested in the cartridge size of the Vita’s games, you can find a size comparison with a 3DS game card, Micro SD card and normal SD card from the same website.
No, it’s not your local barber’s newest innovation, and it’s not a complete abuse of hyperbolic adjectives. It’s Althi’s Naked Sheep app for iOS devices, and it’s got a new item available for purchase to give you that extra edge in the finger-swiping, sheep-shearing gameplay.
The Super Ultra Electric Clipper is a purchasable add-on for the free game that “shears sheep at the speed of light”, to give players willing to lay down some cash an advantage on the scoreboards.
Gameloft seem to have turned over a new generous leaf, and are planning to make four of their current, and popular, games available completely for FREE! And who doesn’t love themselves some free things? I know I certainly do, and when they’re good quality apps like these two it certainly is something I’m interested in. Anyone who say they aren’t are either silly, or lying.
The first of the few games is Real Tennis, in which you can expect some damn good graphics, 8 characters, 7 stadiums on 3 different surfaces (the hardest part will be choosing which amazing city you want to play in, Paris, New York, or perhaps Stockholm this summer?), a range of realistic strokes, awesome controls, and a career mode that includes a tennis tour. Grab Real Tennis for the iPhone or iTouch HERE for FREE.
The second game that you can grab for free is Real Football 2012, arguably one of the best football (well, I like to call it soccer) games on the iPhone and iTouch. You can use the app to recreate any match-up, get some sexy custom uniforms, enjoy some amazing graphics and gameplay, and play with real players from 350 teams and 14 league championships including England, Spain, France, Germany and South America. Grab Real Football 2012 for the iPhone or iTouch HERE for FREE.
The next two games will be revealed at a later date, however if you are too impatient for them then just head over to this Facebook site and keep up to date on just what else is next to be free!
Let’s be honest here, for a series that is all about giant robots fighting each other, the Transformers series haven’t really received a good video game and I suppose Michael Bay’s Transformers movies and their rushed video game adaptions are to blame. But looking past this, High Moon Studios in 2010 did bring us Transformer’s War for Cybertron, the first decent Transformers game in a long while. And now High Moon Studios are back with a sequel Transformer’s Fall of Cybertron, with its official trailer shown off at the 2011 Spike TV Video Game Awards.
The cinematic trailer took a very different take on whole Transformers series, creating a very moody and dare I say, emotional trailer. So just what goes into making a trailer like this? Well High Moon Studios have released a behind the scenes video to walk through and explain just that.
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is set to be released sometime in 2012 for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.
Tozai Inc has announced the expansion of their company with the opening of a Japanese office in August. Located in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, the new office was formed by the US president and co-founder of Tozai, Sheila Boughten, US senior advisor and co-founder, Scott K. Tsumura, and Takuya Banno, who will be the president of Tozai Japan.
Banno has produced many games, including being the lead designer of ‘Spelunker HD’, which was awarded the PSN Top Sales Award in Japan, which is nothing to sniff at.
Tozai is looking at expanding their Spelunker and Lode Runner brands to multi-platforms such as consoles, handhelds and smartphones, and continuing to expand their business. Tozai Japan has the exclusive rights for both titles and will be in charge of their expansion to other consoles.
Given the Japanese clear love for the Spelunker title, this will surely be an excellent move on Tozai’s behalf, and will most certainly pay off in the future. All the luck to them and I am looking forward to what this expansion means for their future releases!
Check out the Spelunker site for more information on the game as it comes.
Codemasters have announced that an action packed extension of the DiRT series is coming, perhaps with a vengeance, as things have gone all shunt-y. It will debut May 2012 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, and looks to take the Gymkhana spin-off for the series one step further with destruction derby-esque scenes displayed in the announcement trailer.
In DiRT Showdown, players will jump into a new world of competitive and combative racing, boosting, tricking and smashing their way to ‘Showdown’ finals on a chaotic tour of motorised mayhem. But is this one step too far into the abyss with these street-rules shenanigans for the racing sim? It’s certainly something I’m interested to see how it turns out. How about you?
Who doesn’t love a good board game? Well, here comes the next generation in family board gaming – Boom Street. Boom Street has several different themes boards, that you go around purchasing property and charging opponents for landing on them. Sound familiar? Yeah, just a bit.
As you move around the board you can buy shops to build a property portfolio along with collecting ‘suits’ that can be cashed in at the bank to earn more money. There are a few different settings, beginner to get you used to it, and standard mode which offers more strategic options as well as the ability to manipulate the stock market. Which sounds totally legit.
You can play on Mario and Dragon Quest themed boards, and you can also play with your own Mii or over 20 playable characters from Mario and Dragon Quest. I totally put dibs on Yoshi forever and ever to the end of eternity. You can play with up to our people on the same Wii remote, or against people all over the world using the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection, to see who can earn the most net worth the quickest.
Boom Street is coming out on January 5, 2012 on the Wii for $69.95. For more information on the game, go HERE
Voltron: Defender of the Universe Publisher: THQ Inc. Developer: Behaviour Interactive Platforms: XBLA (reviewed), PSN Release Date: November 30, 2011 Price: 800 MSP – Available Here
Overview
In the 1980’s, Voltron quickly became a popular anime television series. Even though the series had gained immense popularity, not many games have been developed in its honor. The developer, Behaviour Interactive, has created a duel stick shooter that incorporates different styles of gameplay. Let’s take a look and see if Voltron: Defender of the Universe lives up to the anime persona.
Story
The good planets of the universe created an alliance to protect the galaxy from evil oppressors. From this alliance one name rang throughout the galaxy – Voltron. A group of five space explorers sought the secret of the lion force to fend off the new evil from Planet Doom. Proclaimed as king, Zarkon rules his planet with force of machines. In addition to the evil ruler, a mischievous Prince Lotor and Witch Haggar aid in the king’s plans.
As Zarkon’s forces begin to spread, it has become the Voltron Lion Force’s duty to stop his reign. With the combined efforts of King Zarkon and Witch Haggar, they summon powerful Robeasts to destroy the lion fleet. Only by forming into Voltron will they be able to defend their universe.
Gameplay
In the character select screen, players will be able to choose their favorite/available lion to play. Each lion is given different attributes and identifiable color. However, the difference in lion attributes is hardly noticed during play. Once the character chooses a lion the game begins with a short film from the anime series.
The game style changes between three modes of play during the course of the game: Lion Mode, Space Mode, Voltron Mode. In Lion Mode, players use a duel stick shooter format that provide constant fire with the right analog and movement with the left. A tap of the right trigger will cause a lion to activate mega-thrusters and pounce in a targeted area. This melee attack can be quite useful to avoid attacks or take down flying opponents. Additionally, each lion is given their own special attack using the left trigger. During the course of each Lion Mode level, players are to complete objectives like defending a castle, protecting supplies, or defeating minions. No matter what lion you choose, the constant firing of your guns will grow tiresome and make you wonder if you have really accomplished anything. Any level can be cleared alone by strafing left to right with constant fire.
Within Lion Mode, players are given a chance to redeem themselves once their lion takes too much damage. The character is ejected out of the lion and must defend the position for 10 seconds without dying. If the player can survive 10 seconds and make it back to the lion, his/her life will be spared. Staying alive is a huge deal in multiplayer because extra lives are shared by everyone – this is a team sport!
Space Mode incorporates a scrolling environment in zero gravity space. Moving in outer space can be difficult if the screen becomes full of Zarkon’s forces. This mode mimics a combination of Geometry Wars and Asteroids but with Voltron graphics. As the Voltron Lion Force travels from planet to planet, they must dodge/shoot asteroids as well as take down attacking airships. Still with the duel stick format, the only difference is with the secondary controls. Once activated the right trigger will perform an unique somersault that avoids any contact with enemies. This becomes extremely useful when enemies begin to cloud your screen with projectiles. Space Mode was the most difficult for me to play because I would occasionally lose sight of my lion in the blending background.
The final mode I got to experience was Voltron Mode. After breaking down a robot’s defenses in Lion Mode, up to five player conjointly form into Voltron. Shifting from a duel stick shooter to a turn based accuracy match really dampened any of the game’s greatness. If this section was changed in favor of active boss battles, I believe a lot more opinions would have been positive. To make this mode even more aggravating, you must count on your teammates to accurately time attacks when it is not your active turn. The turn based battles are slow moving and could have been made much more interesting, yet it seems necessary to involve all five players.
You may find yourself strafing and avoiding a lot in single player, but multiplayer offers a fast, addictive style that understands the meaning of playing with friends. Voltron: Defender of the Universe should always be played with five players. The aspect that makes Voltron unique is that a team of space explorers with different mentalities have fought together separately and as one unit. Put away your pride and fight with courage and humility with the rest of the Voltron Lion Force.
While the environments are not completely distracting, they provide enough space for an effective dual stick shooter. And there is enough space for five separate lions to roam freely! In many multiplayer shooters, players complain that they have to stick to a specific area or follow their partners around. This game offers freedom from that “player following” and allows you to take full control of your lion.
Audio/Visual
The storyline becomes enhanced by scenes from the anime series. Before each stage begins, a short film is initiated and offers the nostalgic environment that fans have loved about Voltron. Being able to watch segments of the show was a definite bonus. I almost felt the need to continue to beat each stage just so I could view the next clip. At one point, my brother-in-law came into the room and asked me what I was watching. I told him I was playing Voltron. Stunned, he looked at the screen once more and shook his head in disbelief.
Game visuals do not compare well with modern graphics. Players can definitely tell that this game was made as a downloadable title rather than on a physical disc. The robot battles take the biggest hit for having too much of a cartoon vibe. I felt that the machines did not fit well into the environment and that the turn based system prevented a stream of animations that could have made battles more appealing.
Overall
Many reviews critique Voltron on poor graphics and repetitive gameplay. I agree that the graphics aren’t as great as they should be, and the fact that the gameplay becomes a rigorous grind against robots. However, the greatness that is Voltron is experienced within the multiplayer. Not only does the game move faster but also gains a feeling of teamwork that is the essence of the Voltron Lion Force. What is Voltron but the make-up of five space explorers?
With the single player lacking the essence of a team and game lacking Voltron playability, Voltron does not sit well with a lot of viewers. For those that want to experience an enjoyable multiplayer experience and the nostalgia of Voltron film shorts, this is still a game that can be enjoyed.
Voltron will be right back after these messages… for
Ever popular game publisher and developers, Atari, have announced the launch of Breakout: Boost on the App store. Breakout: Boost combines classic fun with new features such as Boost Control, which allows you to adjust ball speed and customise your brick-breaking experience, should you feel the need to have such control over your balling experience. Five levels of bricks to smash are included with the app, with over 200 additional levels available through in-app purchases.
Breakout: Boost relives the fun of the popular brick-breaking game that Atari first introduced to gamers in 1976, with some awesome new features of course. As well as Boost Control, there are special ball upgrades such as fire, acid, splitting and grenade balls. And if there is one thing that will get me interested in a game, it’s grenade balls. So if you’re an old school Atari fan or just someone who loves to break some bricks, then this is definitely worth the download.
Breakout: Boost is available NOW for FREE on the iPad and iPhone. Get it HERE
PC gamers, have you missed defending the earth from giant bugs while all the other platforms out there made heroes of themselves? Well be disappointed no more! Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon has just arrived on Steam for Windows. To make up for the fact that every other platform has had the game for a good six months there are four exclusive weapon packs available for purchase alongside the game: The Earth Defense Force Battle Armor Weapon Chest, Trooper Special Issue Enforcer Package, Aerialist Munitions Package, and the Tactician Advanced Tech Package.
Each pack contains ten weapons for all that third person bug squashing action, including the interestingly named Nilas Cryo Pancake Cycler (an ice mortar, in normal terms), an acid shotgun and a chain lightning weapon. The game itself is on special from now until January 2nd, so head on over to Steam for 25% off.
