While we heard earlier that THQ would be releasing a season pass for those eager to drop a little bit extra money on Saints Row: The Third DLC ahead of time, we now also know that they will be releasing an online pass for the title. Those who purchase a new copy of the game will find a slip inside with a redeemable one time use code that allows the player to play online co-op as well as a Whored Mode.
This news comes from Joystiq and is in all copies of the game. Of course this means that anyone who buys the game used or rents it won’t be able to enjoy the online co-op section of the game. At least for a Saints Row title, the online isn’t essential to gameplay nor a main focus so many could easily live without it.
The popular new anime series Phi Bain: Kami no Puzzle has proven itself to be one of the most successful series of the Fall 2011 season. So much so that it is now getting a manga adaptation, with it’s first chapter debuting in Newtype Ace magazine.
Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle is a shonen type series but with a difference. Instead of focusing on physical violence, the battles in Phi Brain are focused on the mind, as Kaito and his friends must attempt to solve the Sage Puzzles. If they don’t solve them, they may not live to tell the tale.
The series focuses heavily on the power of the mind and challenges the viewer to solve the puzzles along with the characters. The manga will be drawn by Yoshiki Togawa, the man behind the Cloverfield manga.
What do you think of Phi Brain getting a manga adaptation? Let us know in the shoutbox and comments section.
THQ have announced that there have been 1.2 million unique characters created in the Initiation Station since it’s launch, including a large number of red, green and silver skinned deviants.
The Initiation Station demo was made available through Xbox Live, PSN, Steam, giving users the ability to create, share and upload their disturbing creations onto the Saints Row community site, SaintsRow.com.
“The characters we’ve seen are mostly ridiculous, often hilarious, and always over-the-top. And now there are a million of them,” said Kevin Kraff, Vice President of Global Brand, THQ. “With the crazed creativity we’ve seen in only one week, we can’t wait to see what’s to come. One million is just the beginning.”
Check out the latest Cherished Memory #9 clip as well from Saints Row: The Third down below as we approach the final few days before it’s release!
The first downloadable content pack for Forza Motorsport 4 is now available under the title of the “November Speed Pack”. The new downloadable content pack for Forza Motorsport 4 introduces several new cars for you to tear up some asphalt with. You will now be able to take to the tracks with the following vehicles:
2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4
2012 Aston Martin Virage
2011 #2 Audi Sport Team Joest R15++ TDI
2011 Audi RS3 Sportback
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
2012 Dodge Charger SRT8
2011 Ferrari #62 Risi Competizione F458 Italia
2013 Ford Focus ST
1992 GMC Typhoon
2011 Volkswagen Scirocco R
Thats a total of 10 new cars ready for you to drive. You can get the “November Speed Pack” now on Xbox Live, or if you would prefer to get each DLC pack as it becomes available for one simple payment, you can get a Forza Motorsport 4 “Season Pass”. This guarantees you 6 DLC packs immediately as they become available for Forza Motorsport 4. If that’s not a great deal, I don’t know what is.
Will you be taking these new cars for a spin? Let us know in the shoutbox and comments section.
That’s right folks, Dave “The Animal” Batista has just been announced as the latest DLC superstar to grace the WWE 12 roster. That leaves only a few spots on the roster for additional wrestlers.
Below is the announcement trailer for Batista, briefly showing off the Batista Bomb and parts of his entrance, however the full videos of those will be released soon no doubt.
Batista will be made available in the first DLC roster, set for release in January 2012. So with just about 2 weeks until the game comes out, who do you still want to see on the roster? Let us know!
Overview
Captain America hit both theaters and consoles alike earlier this year. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Xbox 360 version of the game, as it went for a more “Arkham Asylum” approach and benefited greatly by doing so. Now months later, yet another version of Super Soldier has hit store shelves for the Nintendo 3DS. Crafted by the same team that worked on the Conduit series, this version sets out to bring our beloved Captain into 3D while keeping that fast and fluid gameplay. The question is, does this Captain aim his sheild above his console kin, or fall powerless like many of the other licensed titles the 3DS has seen so far? Here is my review for Captain America: Super Soldier on the Nintendo 3DS.
Story
Much like all other versions released thus far, Captain America: Super Soldier’s plot loosely ties into the cinematic adaptation. Players take the role of Steve Rogers and must set out to stop the terrorist group known as the HYDRA from building dangerous weapons of mass destruction by infiltrating their secret hide-out. It’s a rather simplistic plot, but is actually quite easy to follow this time around due to the many cutscenes that play throughout each level.
I really have to give some recognition to High Voltage for their efforts here, as it’s obvious they did attempt to make this plot satisfying and true to the Marvel hero’s legacy. With that said though, I felt that the narrative as a whole was a tad generic. Sure, you will want to progress to see what happens next, but the game never truly sucks you in and makes you feel like Captain America as his persona is so bland that many will feel like they could easily complete the game as some random avatar instead. Yes, you are Steve Rogers and the game definitely lets you know that during cutscenes, but the dialogue provided gives little to make the player truly care about this hero’s motives. However, hardcore Marvel fans will probably not have much of a problem with this as fan service is still pushed throughout the game, which redeems some of the Captain’s personal shortcomings.
Gameplay
This game plays about like the other versions with a mixture of combat and puzzle solving. Using the highly responsive control stick to move Captain America, players must go from one area to the next and complete a list of objectives to finish off a stage. Most of these tasks include the likes of taking out all the HYDRA goons, unlocking doors by hitting generators, or destroying certain targets scattered throughout the castle. The “puzzles” I spoke of usually revolve around using your shield to smash switches in a certain succession or guide lasers to blow up generators, which in turn opens up the next location and keeps you progressing along. These methods work fine within the general flow of the game, but never offer enough variation to provide any challenge due to how often the same kind of puzzles are used.
The shining feature in Super Soldier is the hand-to-hand combat. Most of the time, you will come face to face with many armed enemies and must use your own athleticism and fighting skills to defeat everyone around you. Using the standard face buttons, it’s pretty much the button-mashing beat-em up fare you would expect. Even though the control rarely changes, Captain America still has quite a few techniques in his arsenal and can perform a satisfying final blow to finish off an opponent or toss lightweight goons across a room. To add a bit of depth to this system, the block button counters any enemy attack instantly while delivering a new form of offense, much like Arkham Asylum. This countering system works to near perfection as many times I found myself just executing counters and still ending a fight victorious once the battle was all said and done.
With such a well built, fluid combat system in place, I expected even more for the platforming sections of the game. Sadly, platforming is literally done for the player as even jumping up to a small beam is a pre-set affair. When you come to a heavy platforming section, simply hitting the jump button at the appropriate time will launch the Captain to his destination. Yeah, it usually works without error, but having the player manually perform this form of parkour would have given a greater sense of control and made for a richer experience as a whole.
The shield in this game is in a category all to itself. Captain America’s shield can be launched at anytime to hit any foe that blocks your path. This is done in a quick fashion and would be useful, but most of the time the shield just stuns even the weakest of foes. At one point I had to hit a goon six times before he finally fell. A stun attack is fine, but considering that this is Steve Roger’s definitive weapon, the lack of damage it leaves it as being one of the most useless techniques in the game. There is however a clever mechanic where you can lock on to several enemies at once and launch the shield to ricochet around the room and due to the leveling system in place, more substantial attacks can be unlocked over time, which do add to the incentive to use the shield later on. High Voltage also offered up a bit of innovation with this attack, as players hold the L button and use the shield icon on the touchscreen to deliver a more accurate throw. This would have worked fine, but the reticule at times has a mind of it’s own and makes what should be an easy lock-on an absolute chore. When the player has to stand on a switch and use this touch-screen mechanic to hit a generator, the camera often goes crazy and you will then have to completely set up the shot all over again. I appreciate the idea behind this gimmick, but when you go from fast-paced combat to jerking around a reticule, you completely lose any immersion you had in the game due to the tedious mechanics provided.
For completionists, there are non-mandatory challenges that offer new objectives to be performed at will, which in turn open up art and other goodies at the main menu. Save every prisoner, complete every task, you know the drill. It’s not a whole lot of reason to go back in, but whats offered can certainly add a bit more life into the six hours found in the main campaign.
Visuals/Audio
When it comes to the 3D effect Captain America offers, most will be a bit disappointed as everything is rather subtle and I eventually played the game through it’s entirety with the slider off. The 3D isn’t bad by any means, there just isn’t any factors that make it feel truly necessary. Graphically however, the models are well made. Steve Rogers does appear a bit dis-proportioned, but I forgave that as this version seems to be going for a more cartoony look. Environments however do not mesh well with the models as they are dark and bland for the most part. Even though the game is set in a castle, not much detail can be found in any of the textures which in turn makes exploration a bit un-fulfilling. Animations also miss their mark, with Captain America performing awkward yet hilarious gestures while crossing beams or galloping about the stage.
As far as the audio goes, there isn’t a whole lot to say. The voice actors do a decent job in bringing out some personality to their roles, but Steve Roger’s own emotions just sound mildly generic at best. I can say that the sound effects used while pulverizing the hydra were well done and make battles feel nice and satisfying, even though the shield’s famous “whoosh” was only a minor “whisp”. Soundtrack wise, Super Soldier plays a few forgettable tracks that blend well with the pacing of the game and in turn makes everything feel like a true “Marvel” romp.
Overall
Captain America: Super Soldier is a solid licensed title that has a lot of great ideas, but never can quite execute them properly. It’s a lot of fun just to bash HYDRA goons though, and the combat system is both polished and easily accessible. With that said though, the rest of the game feels average and the in-game world doesn’t do much to keep players immersed in the iconic role of the star-spangled hero. Hardcore fans of the Marvel great are sure to find reason to pick up this portable version due to the fan service packed in, but others looking for a more enjoyable and deep action experience will more than likely want to pass on snagging up this shield.
Looks like a few publishers are having a sale this weekend. Why? I don’t know, but who cares as long we grab the bargains everybody wins. Gameloft have slashed the prices on 5 of their top selling games on the iOS (iPhone and iPad) down to only $0.99. Most of these games are normally priced around the the $5-$9 mark so you if wanted you could potentially pick up all 5 for the price of one! Games include BackStab, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6, Starfront:Collision, Dungeon Hunter 2 and Real Football 2011. All of them with hours and hours of game-play value.
Sale is this weekend only, so don’t delay get them while they’re cheap
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®: Shadow Vanguard for iPhone and iPad
Nico Nico is the Japanese equivalent of Youtube. In fact, it is more popular than Youtube. Just goes to show the difference between the East and West. Considering how popular Nico Nico is, then it is no surprise that a viewing application for the Playstation Vita was announced. Now, here is a first look at the application:
The app, which will be available at launch as a free download, will allow users to browse and view videos from the Nico Nico site, mark videos as favourites and post comments, alongside more features. An update in 2012 will add features such as posting videos and conducting live video broadcasts. Some games will even allow you to do live broadcasts of gameplay sessions, if you are someone who loves showing off your gameplay skills.
Don’t expect this in the West at all, but a Youtube application could be a possibility.
After Sony announced the UMD Passport program, more details on how PSP games work on the Playstation Vita has been revealed. Several options will be available, as well as transferring save data from the PSP Memory Stick to the Vita.
First off, I’ll discuss the options that will appear on the game’s icon within the LiveArea, which is the user interface for the Playstation Vita. Yes, they will have their own LiveArea icon for easy selection. At this stage, an icon for a digital manual will also appear, if the game will include one. For what it will look like, check out the image below:
There will also be an option screen. In this option screen, the player will make some adjustments that the PSP never had. For example, this is where the player activates the right analogue stick for use, most likely for camera control. If one remembers, there were calls for the PSP to have a second analogue stick and games such as Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, while a great game, would have benefited from the right stick. Other options include retaining the PSP look and, if the camera’s can be used, whether the front or rear camera would be used. Below is a screenshot of that option screen:
Also, if you were worried about those PSP saves going to waste, them you can sigh in relief. Sony will allow your PSP game saves to transfer to the Vita via a PS3 or PC. It will have its own program to handle it called the Content Management Assistant for PlayStation. For PC users, it will be available at playstation.jp at a unspecified later date. For the PS3, expect it during a firmware update. For those who like pictures, here is how the save data is transferred (via PS3):
It seems like Sony is thinking about their PSP fanbase. They have a solution for their UMD games, a way for transferring their save data and using some of the features the Vita sports that the PSP didn’t, like the right analogue stick. I, for one, is very happy at what is being offered for my PSP library. Should we expect such things for the West? Of course.
Tecom Koei had their business earnings presentation recently and has revealed their business plans for the year 2012 and beyond, revealing upcoming games, how they view the world market and sales of current games on the market.
First, Tecmo Koei have revealed their support for new platforms, looking mostly at the Nintendo 3DS, Playstation Vita and the Wii U. To show this support, they refer to three games, two of them will be released in 2012. Games mentioned include Dead or Alive Dimensions (3DS), Dynasty Warriors Next (Vita), Ninja Gaiden Sigma (Vita) and Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor’s Edge (Wii U). It was also revealed that Razor’s edge is going to be a Wii U launch title. No region was specified.
Second, Tecmo Koei revealed that they will collaborate with other media entities, similar to the Dynasty Warriors Gundam series. One game that fits into the category is One Piece Pirate Musou, which will put the One Piece and Dynasty Warriors universes into one. There was also a mention of a “collaboration with a big title.” However, it is not specified if the One Piece collaboration is what Tecmo Koei is talking about or another popular franchise.
Worldwide sales figures were revealed for a couple of games. Dead or Alive Dimensions was Tecmo Koei’s biggest title in sales moving 310,000 units in the first six months of this financial year (which starts in April and ends in March in Japan). The next best game in sales was Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends, moving 160,000 units worldwide. Strong downloadable content sales were noted, as well as paid content for social applications like One Million Person Ambition of Nobunaga and One Million Person Sangokushi.
In terms of profit, Tecmo Koei has made a net profit of 412 million yen for this half of the year, with revenue from sales reaching 13,635 million yen. This is quite positive news considering that, in May, forecasts were quite negative. In fact, it was forecast that the company would have made a a net loss of 400 million yen.
