Page 5728 – Capsule Computers

Raccoon Rising Review

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November 19, 2011

Raccoon Rising
Developer: Pixelnauts
Publisher: Romper
Platforms: iPhone (reviewed), iPad
Release Date: November 18, 2011
Price: $0.99 – Available Here

Overview

The forest is in danger Raccoon hero! Sure, it sounds like an odd Disney movie, based around cute little talking animals and the evil invading forces of mankind, but that certainly hasn’t detracted from iOS games in the past.

Gameplay

Raccoon Rising has a simple, yet also surprisingly difficult to fully master, control system. You tap on the screen, sending your raccoon flying high through the forest, rebounding off either side of the screen. With the invading robot forces threatening the forest, you have to dodge, leap, and slam your way through dangerous obstacles.

There are four worlds to go through, and the learning curve is quite steep. I was actually quite surprised at the tutorial, which is an entire world and consists of twelve gates, because while it does well to introduce you to the various aspects of the game, it gets far more difficult than you’d expect from a tutorial. Or maybe that’s just me being uncoordinated with my raccoon. Either way, this game will need some definite stubbornness to get into because otherwise you’re pretty much just going to give up on it.

If you die during the gate then you’re sent back to the start, which is okay if it’s a short gate but if you’ve managed to get to near the end of a long, hard gate and then get sent back to the start of the gate you feel the urge to rage quit. Not to mention when it’s a boss gate at the end of the world and you do all the work and fail at the last second. Nothing is quite as devastating as that. That is why I think this game can’t really be classified as your standard casual iOS game.

While it can be played in short bursts, and some gates are easy to pass through, you will encounter a gate that will take some attempts, then a frustrated re-evaluation of what you have to do, and then some more attempts, to get it right. Don’t think that I’m saying this is a negative thing though, I think it’s quite the opposite. In an environment where solutions and hints are handed to you on a silver platter before you’ve even really tried to do something this is a great diversion from that. Even the way you have to figure out how to deal with bosses is great, if frustrating at times. Personally, I think that being frustrated at a game is a good sign because it means that the developers have put the effort in. Because of this, the fact that there are four worlds doesn’t feel as short as it sounds at all.

However, the game still has some issues, the main one I had didn’t have much to do with the game itself, it was with the pause button. In trying to select the pause button I’d just end up having the raccoon trying to go up the wall. To pause you have to drag the button across the top of the screen, which I caught on to through no help of the game itself. The ability to shift the pause button across the top of the screen doesn’t always work, and I don’t know if it was because I have sausage fingers or something, but at one point it was so impossible that I just ended up quitting the app instead of pausing. Also, the load times were lengthy at times and require a little bit of patience.

Visuals

I really like the graphics, they’re sharp and the little details, such as calling the robot stompy arms the TreeStomper v1.6. The comic book cut scenes are great, the graphics have really been taken care of and I have an appreciation for that. Plus, the fact that the raccoon fur patterns makes him look like he has a bandana mask like all good heroes.

Audio

The soundtrack is a jaunty little tune that goes well with the graphics, even if it might get on your nerves while you make a crucial mistake that drives you mad. There is a repetitive aspect to the soundtrack, which means that if you’re planning on working through a world you might be switching it to silent.

Overall

Raccoon Rising is a game that you will enjoy greatly, given that you have the patience to spend some time learning how to play it. The concept is interesting and the gameplay is easy to pick up, but has that degree of difficulty which makes it a very interesting to master.

Take the great American roadtrip for free!

Jessica Barabas-Bui

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November 19, 2011

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For those of you who have got some epic family road trips planned for the holidays, EA Mobile has got you covered. With their new app Road Trippin’ you get to cruise your way from the east to west coast of the US, visiting more than 100 real American cities and completing over 400 activities along the way.

Ever dreamed of crossing American in a Military Tank? Well you’re in luck, with thirteen different cars to choose from and over 100 accessories to pimp your ride, you can fulfill that lifelong dream to take up the entire highway and put those American muscle cars to shame. Along the way you can also tune up your cars, receive ‘power boosts’ and earn extra points at Sears Auto Centers.

Road Trippin’ is available on the iPhone and iPad for free – get it HERE

Oh, Japan – #12 The Finale

Japanese Pop Culture News

Luke Halliday

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November 19, 2011

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Capsule Computer’s ‘Oh, Japan!’ segment has been running for a total of 15 weeks and 12 editions. Today I bring you the news that Oh, Japan! will be ending. That isn’t to say it may never return, it is just simply time to wrap things up with this weekly segment and bring in some new ideas and hopefully capture your imagination in the same way that Oh, Japan! has for it’s past 12 editions.

I have strived since Oh, Japan’s inception to make it a great way to introduce the eccentricities of Japanese culture to those who are not privy to it, or to glorify it to those who have grown to love it. In that right, I feel Oh, Japan! has been a success.

For my final Oh, Japan! segment, I will introduce you to the mother of all that is strange with Japanese animation, Chargeman Ken. An anime that took roughly an hour worth of plot and tried to cram it into 5 minutes each and every episode. See for yourself in the infamous 35th episode of the series below.

To conclude, I’d like to thank everyone who has stuck with Oh, Japan! over it’s short but sweet tenure and for one last time let’s all kick back together, watch a funny video a say the words we all know so well… “Oh, Japan!”

New Soul Calibur V Characters Revealed

Joshua Moris

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November 19, 2011

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Namco Bandai unveils four new characters joining the ranks of Soul Calibur V. Veteran players of the Soul Calibur series will recognize the faces of Aeon, Cervantes, and the infamous Yoshimitsu. With the old blood comes new and a rod wielding, monkey man enters the battlefield.

Xiba

Only sixteen years of age, Xiba grew up at the base of Zhen Hang Mountain. Disciplined in the secret arts of the Ling-Sheng Su & Kong Style Rods, he has incredible balance and grip making him a deadly opponent. Xiba travels with Maxi, Leixia, and Natsu during the course of the storyline.

Aeon

Twenty-four years have passed since Aeon Calcos has known a human form. Duel-wielding axes the hunter inside of him has clearly taken over. Aeon can no longer understand the difference between memories of his family and the blood of his enemies – only a void is left in his heart.

Cervantes

The Spanish Empire is the birthplace of the ship captain Cervantes de Leon. With his newly acquired body, Cervantes appears much younger and alive than his previous ghostly self. He has known the powers of the Soul Edge, and the hunger for power still lingers through his veins.

Yoshimitsu

Insanity is probably considered the normal for Yoshimitsu. Combining the Manji Ninjitsu along side katana blades, Yoshimitsu creates confusion for his enemies by performing attacks that can hurt himself. He also leads the chivalrous band of thieves known as the Manji Clan. Perhaps if one Yoshimitsu falls, another will be there to replace him.

If you haven’t marked your calendars already, Soul Calibur V will be released on January 31, 2012 in North American and February 2, 2012 in Australia and New Zealand.

Take a quick look at Minecraft on the Xbox 360

Travis Bruno

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November 19, 2011

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Minecraft lovers have always played the title on the PC, but there are a few other versions which have been created in the past year for the iOS devices and other formats. However there has not been a single console release of the title, that is until we heard about a Minecraft XBLA game being developed for the Xbox 360. Unfortunately since it was announced, there hasn’t been a whole lot revealed for the game.

That is until now. Below you can find a very odd video from the guys at Mojang, including Notch himself. We are also given a momentary look at the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft, though it doesn’t look much different from the original to my eyes. Gamers can expect to see Minecraft XBLA sometime in the spring of next year.

New Sonic Generations 3DS trailer shows off some Speedy Gameplay….

Dustin Spencer

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November 19, 2011

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It’s so good to have Sonic back again and while Sonic Generations for consoles was great, the 3DS version is also looking just as superb. Sega recently released a new trailer (in Japanese) for Sonic’s debut on the 3D handheld, and if this footage is any indication, this may be the best Sonic title yet to hit a portable.

Much like all great things in life, this clip starts off with the tunes from “City Escape” and displays nearly all the stages in the game with the blue blur speeding along at a rapid pace. With the recent releases of Super Mario 3D Land, Cave Story, and now Sonic Generations set to hit shelves as soon as next week, it’s certainly a great time to be a 3DS owner. Check out the lightning fast clip below and stay tuned, as our very own review for this version is soon to come.

Dead or Alive’s Ayane to join the roster of Musou Orochi 2

Travis Bruno

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November 19, 2011

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It appears that Tecmo Koei is bringing more than just a couple of different characters from various game series into their next title, Musou Orochi 2. It has been previously announced that Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden would be appearing in the title and now it seems that they will also be having a crossover with Dead or Alive as they are bringing Ayane in as well.

Now while Ayane is a Ninja Gaiden character as well, the company stated that this is in fact a Dead or Alive crossover. Plus with this announcement they revealed the below screenshots showing Ayane in action. The reason for her inclusion is that after the fourth Dead or Alive tournament, Ayane fell into a bend in the space time continuum and ends up in the world of Musou Orochi 2.

A number of other characters have been revealed in the past including Jeanne d’Arc from Bladestorm, Achilles from Warriors: Legends of Troy, and Nemea from Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll. Musou Orochi 2 will be released in Japan on December 22nd, but currently has no release date in the Western world.

Skyrim to be patched the week after Thanksgiving

Travis Bruno

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November 19, 2011

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It appears that players who have become lost in the world of Skyrim can expect a patch to be arriving shortly to fix at least a few of the problems plaguing their world that don’t involve dragons. Bethesda’s Pete Hines has revealed on his Twitter that the “PS3 & 360 updates have been submitted for certification. PC coming too. Current estimate is they will be live the week after T’giving.”

This means of course that in roughly two weeks time players can expect to see at least the two console versions patched up. However at this time the company has not revealed what the patches will be for, though hopefully it will fix the install issues on the 360 and the save data lag on the PS3.

Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition contents revealed

Travis Bruno

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November 19, 2011

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Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition contents revealed

BioWare has revealed that they will be releasing a special Collector’s Edition version of Mass Effect 3, which they are inventively calling the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition. The package will cost $79.99 and come with a number of special content that everyone could enjoy, especially those who love Mass Effect.

The package will come with a premium metal case that features both the male and female Commander Shepard, a 70-page hardcover art book, a limited edition Mass Effect comic by Dark Horse, a Fabric N7 patch, a 4×6 lithographic print of the SR-2 Alliance Normandy.

Besides all those special goodies, the package will also contain in game bonuses such as the N7 Arsenal Pack, which upgrades the firepower of all N7 weapons, a costume pack for your squad, a Robotic Dog for the Normandy and the digital soundtrack of the title. You can check out all te various features in the video below.

Battlefield 3’s ‘Back to Karkand’ DLC trailer destroys everything

Travis Bruno

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November 19, 2011

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It seems that Battlefield 3 has decided to go back to its roots a bit in the latest trailer they have released for their upcoming “Back to Karkand” DLC. What I mean is, they decide to just simply destroy nearly all of the environment through tons of explosives and gunfire. See for yourself in the trailer below.

Now the Back to Karkand DLC will include the new map of course, as well as new vehicles and a number of other additions. Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand will be out sometime in December and will cost nothing if you have a copy of Battlefield 3: Limited Edition, or basically bought the game new. Those who didn’t purchase the title new will need to pick up the content at either $14.99 or 1200 MSP.