MegaCubic Entertainment is a new development company that have got a few iPhone games ready to rock and roll, with their debut game being Foodie the Bug. Foodie the Bug is based around a bug with a taste for fine international foods.
You can fly, collect ingredients, and create exotic dishes, a la Bug. But it won’t be simple, there are a tonne of obstacles and different items over fifteen foodie levels.
Reminiscent of Ratatouille, but in a distinctly bug way, it seems to be an interesting concept and we shall see how it plays. Keep an eye out on the site for more details on the game, and a preview that will be coming out on the site soon.
Check out MegaCubic over on their Facebook and Twitter pages below :
It has been confirmed today that the popular Silver Saint characters from the Saint Seiya franchise will be fully playable in the upcoming anime action title, Saint Seiya: Sanctuary Battle. Not only that but several screenshots of the Silver Saints have also been revealed.
All of the Silver Saints will feature in Saint Seiya: Sanctuary Battle, alongisde their counterparts known as the Gold Saints whom were previously revealed.
You can check out the screenshots below, that show off some shots of the Silver Saints as well as more of the Gold Saints. Saint Seiya: Sanctuary Battle is set for a release throughout Japan and Europe next year, however it is unknown whether the rest of the world will eventually get a localisation or not. What do you think of the Silver Saints inclusion in Saint Seiya: Sanctuary Battle? Let us know what you think in the shoutbox and comments section.
Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor + OVAs Studio: Bones Publisher/Localization: FUNimation Release Date: November 8, 2011 Price: $64.98 – Available Here
Overview:
While most anime are created using a manga, light novel or even a video game as a basis there are those that are completely original in their creation. One such series was Darker Than Black. The series was written by Tensai Okamura and was handled by the animation studio Bones and the first season was released in Japan four years ago in 2007. Since then a number of spin off manga have been released in Japan but what is most important, a sequel was created.
Darker Than Black season 2, or its official title Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor aired in Japan in 2009 and even had a few OVAs (Original Video Animations) released periodically after it was released. FUNimation has now brought over not only the second season, but also the four OVAs as well all in one package. Let us see how Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor stand on its own.
Story:
The story of Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor picks up two years after the events that occurred in the first season of the anime. After escaping from the events in the past season, Hei encounters a relatively normal teenage girl named Suo Pavlinchenko while on the run in Russia. Unfortunately for Hei and Suo both, she has a twin brother known as Shion and that is actually who Hei was looking for.
Being that the Syndicate is hunting down Hei, otherwise known as “Black Reaper” this puts Suo in danger and pulls her into the middle of a brewing conflict. Though through an accident, Hei loses his powers as a Contractor and they have been transferred to Suo. This allows Suo to summon a giant high caliber sniper rifle that is called a PTRD-41 Anti-tank rifle that she can summon through the locket she wears around her neck.
Despite this the young girl must now try to survive in a world that she barely knew about where Contractors and the mysterious Section 3 seek her life, all while trying to find where her missing brother is and why these two dangerous groups are on the search for him. All the while Hei tries to teach Suo how to handle her new Contractor powers and escape to Tokyo.
Those who have seen the first season of Darker Than Black should know now that Hei doesn’t play as significant as a role in this season than he did in the original. Rather than play the main character role, he takes more of a back seat role with Suo taking more of a main character role for Gemini of the Meteor. Besides Hei however we are treated to a few more characters from the first season, though although they show up occasionally most of them do not play much of an important role and seem to be there simply for a few throwbacks to season one.
Now those who have not seen the first season of Darker Than Black will likely be very lost if they decide to jump in at Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor. The series provides little actual explanation for anything that is happening in the series, meaning that those who care about such a thing will quickly find themselves disinterested with the title. Of course if the more in-depth facts about why things are happening and how they are happening don’t really interest you, then there is enough substance to allow someone to jump in at this season and at least enjoy the action.
As a whole the character development mostly focuses on Suo and how she learns to control her Contractor powers and manage to survive in this new situation. Hei has minor development as we see how he has to deal with the disappearance of Yin, though at the beginning it is simply seeing him as a rather drunk man who is extremely unkempt. Though Hei may be the highlight for most viewers, I found the focus on Suo to benefit the series and provide a better viewing experience as we see her go from a simple girl who loves photography into a woman coming to grips with her new abilities.
As a whole Gemini of the Meteor has better pacing than the first season, though some may find the ending quite disappointing. Near the latter half of the series most of the plot twists start coming rather quickly and could have used more time to develop rather than be crammed into the last half of what is ultimately a twelve episode series. Because of this much is left unanswered and with as many questions as we have left over from the conclusion of Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor, Tensai Okamura could easily create a third season and hopefully resolve all the lingering questions from the past two seasons.
Visuals:
When you hear the animation studio name Bones, the first thought that will likely pop into your head is the high quality of most of the shows that they have created over the years. Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor is no exception to this rule. It is quite obvious that the studio put an extensive amount of time and care when you see how fluid the action is.
Whenever you create an anime series that focuses around plenty of action the fight scenes must be choreographed well and animated well. Bones pulls this off amazingly well with an extensive amount of detail. Most of the background scenery is well done and varied well enough that viewers will enjoy watching the characters navigate through the snowy environments in Russia and Japan.
Considering there is plenty of snow, the colors are saturated well and the character designs are absolutely gorgeous. The DVD quality visuals are enjoyable and as crisp as you could ask for, though I do find the menu screens to be a tad basic and mostly mimic the images that are displayed on the front of each DVD disc.
Audio:
As with nearly every FUNimation release, Darker Than Black: Genesis of the Meteor contains both the English dub as well as the original Japanese dub. The Japanese voice work sounds absolutely amazing and the cast from the first season return to reprise their roles in the second anime. The music itself is still in Japanese on both voice tracks and I found the inserted songs to work perfectly with the fight scenes and heighten the action to the next level, a must in an action oriented series.
The English dub provided plenty of memorable voice work as well. The cast provides excellent dub work and I couldn’t find any complaints about the dialogue and all of the voices matched their characters’ personality well. This is especially true about the extra content where commentary is provided, as the voice actors make various jokes and comments about the series it is amazing to hear how they sound when they are in character and outside of it.
Extras:
Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor comes with a number of bonus features, one of which is a collectible art box that the DVDs come in. Unfortunately I couldn’t review the box itself, but it is always a plus to see a series given extra care for collector’s who enjoy the box art, especially collectible ones. Besides this collectible box, a number of bonus content appears on the discs as well. This includes your standard opening and closing songs with no credits rolling across them, as well as trailers for upcoming and recent FUNimation releases.
Besides these more or less standard inclusions are also a few commentaries by various members of the English voice cast. Episode 4 of the series and Part One of the OVA both have commentary by the staff, and hearing the voice actors as well as the director outside of the project is a great experience. Of course these should be listened to after watching the series itself as the episode dialogue is nearly muted and contains some minor spoilers.
Overall:
Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor contains everything that someone who has watched the first season will enjoy. However those who are looking to jump in at this point in the series will likely be lost for a large amount of the series. As it stands alone however, Gemini of the Meteor provides a massive amount of action and plenty of character development for Suo, however there are stil questions to be answered and loose ends that must be tied up. Could there be a third season sometime in the future? Who knows? But Gemini of the Meteor stands as a great experience with a few interesting bonus features and a well animated feature which upholds Bones’ animation quality that perhaps ends just too abruptly with no sign of continuation in sight.
For all fans of DC comics, DC Universe Online is now available free to play on Steam. Within the first 48 hours of the switch to free to play, 120,000 new players signed up. President of Sony Online Entertainment John Smedley, said that these statistics are 400% higher than the previous month.
Pro: Play along side the DC characters.
Con: This game is a 14GB download.
Free players get two character slots and all standard game content, whereas paying members get additional character slots and expansions, plus a larger item inventory. For more info about account types, go to http://www.dcuniverseonline.com/free/.
The new developer Happy Camper Games have released a new action puzzler, Pearls. In Pearls you are in control of Sam, the happiest pearl, whose life goal is to string as many colourful pearls as possible together. Because he believes in unity and friendship and other happy pearl things.
At the beginning of each level you lay out a path for Sam as different colour pearls fall from the top of the screen and players have to try and predict their position while drawing Sam’s path. You have to try and make the longest chain possible without hitting the black pearls who will just ruin that perfect pearl rainbow you’re trying to make. The game is clearly pretty simple in terms of gameplay, and just one of those lovely cheerful games with stylized graphics and an addictive quality that you will have trouble getting away from. Must. Make. Rainbow. Pearls.
Pearls is perfect for the casual gamer who wants something quick to mess around with to waste some time. Check out the cute gameplay trailer below!
Pearls is available for iTouch, iPhone and iPad for $0.99 – HERE
Mamba Nation Battle has been released by publisher BulkyPix and developers Mimesis Republic. It’s based off Mamba Nation Universe, which has over 200,000 member currently, so Mamba Nation Battle is certain to have an awesome starting point.
In Mamba Nation Battle you create an avatar, take up arms, choose your strategy and battle an entire world of enemies. There is Facebook connectability for you to battle your friends and brag about just how awesome you are at conquering. The game has a simple and original gameplay, decent graphics and a sense of humour. What else can we ask for from a game?
Mamba Nation Battle works around the idea that you can battle up to five times and then you need a two hour break before fighting again. This isn’t a game you’re going to be able to pound out in a few hours, it’s one that you’re going to have sitting on your iOS device for a while. Whether or not that’s a good thing depends on who you are.
Mamba Nation Battle is available now for FREE with in game purchases – GET IT HERE
The latest update for Muffin Knight has been released, and the game’s developers, Angry Mob Games, have announced that the iOS version of the game will be available completely free (for a limited time, of course).
The update introduces a new Sumo Panda character, who comes with a set of new moves and special attacks, such as the ground stomp and the body slam. The update also launched with a contest being held over at the Muffin Knight Facebook page, where fans can submit videos of their Muffin Knight playthroughs. The funniest film, the most skillful player, and the most interesting multiplayer match will win participants either two iTunes giftcards or two Muffin Knight T-shirts.
To check out the game while it’s free, head over here.
Com2uS have announced a new partnership with Free Range Games for the release of their title, SummitX Snowboarding.
The game is said to mix realistic graphics and physics with excellent gameplay. As players hit the slopes in game, they will experience “the most beautiful, groundbreaking graphics ever on an iOS device.” And that’s a tall claim considering other titles, such as Infinity Blade, look simply amazing on Apple’s devices.
Don Lim, Manager over at Com2uS had this to say:
We are thrilled to work with Free Range Games, as they are enthusiastic and very talented. After the success of Homerun Battle 3D, we know that there’s a high demand for fun 3D sports titles. SummitX meets both those criteria, but also delivers unprecedented graphic quality, an understanding of what’s fun for players these days, and new tech such as Airplay so you can play on your TV for a better-than-console experience. We can’t wait to get it into users’ hands.
More details on the game will emerge soon, and it will premiere at GStar in South Korea next week.
Zombie Swing Developer: Althi Inc. Publisher: Althi Inc. Platform: iPhone Release: 4th November 2011 Price: Free (Get Here)
Overview:
There comes a time in every man’s life when he discovers a new way to “relax.” Now Althi Inc. plan on tapping into that market of “relaxers” with a their new “relaxation” title, Zombie Swing. A game that will help you “relax” by swinging about your little monster and infecting those it comes in contact with. If this sounds like a normal Saturday night for you, then you are sure to love Zombie Swing.
Gameplay:
It is a little difficult to take Zombie Swing entirely serious, but it is evident that Althi intended it that way. This game while being simple, does not fall into the trapping of many zombie games. That trapping that they have about as much personality as one of the brain-dead masses.
Zombie Swing manages to become something of a unique case. It is bursting with an immense amount of character, which is exactly what you’d come to expect from Althi Inc. Their titles all feature that unique personality unique to them, which is heavily influenced by the Japanese culture that surrounds Althi in their homeland.
I’m sure your wondering, how does this game even play? Well as Althi have said in their promotions for the title, “Zombie will swing, swing and SWING!” If that makes as little sense to you as it does to me, then I’ll give you a little explaination. Zombie Swing is essentially an on-the-go game, that really will not eat up a lot of time. It’s simple as iOS games come but manages to feature some deeper level of intricacy that can be easy to leave unnoticed.
You control a zombie, that has been split in half, with nothing but his intestines holding him together. You wiggle your finger about to swing him into helpless scientist, in the aim to infect as many as possible, whilst dodging obstable that can kill you… again.
It’s all rather straight forward, yet there is a certain skill required to play this game effectively. A lot of things occur simultaneously in this game. With so much going on, it can become very difficult to focus on things and you could often fall into the trap of random finger waggling. But to play this game you need to be able to play close attention, thus adding an extra level of difficulty.
In the end though, you will leave this game having fun, even if it’s not very deep fun. Afterall isn’t that really all that a game is supposed to do?
Visuals and Audio: Zombie Swing employs a unique visual style, that really could only be done by Althi Inc. You could consider it to be Little Dreamer zombified. It oozes personality out of every orifice. It is without a doubt one of the most visually appealing iOS titles that has come out in a long time. Heck it is one of the most visually appealing zombie titles in a long time.
The presentation on display in Zombie Swing, is a little tough to pin down. On one hand it is set out well enough, but at the same time, there is often just too many things going on at one time and it can be very confusing for the player who isn’t in the mood to try and figure out where each character and obstacle are at a time. While this does let Zombie Swing down, it doesn’t ruin the experience all in all. Unfortunately Zombie Swing does feature some rather lackluster music, which is unusual for Althi Inc. I had expected something more unique from the titlle, but instead we are subjected to generic and grating tunes, that really become irritating very quickly.
Overall:
In conclusion, Zombie Swing is a game that is just some great dumb fun. There is no real level of depth to this game and there shouldn’t need to be. Althi have done a good job on the title, that is without a shadow of a doubt. However, it really does not match up to the quality that has come to be expected from this developer. If you are looking for a game that is dumb and fun, pick up Zombie Swing. Afterall, it’s not gonna cost you an arm and a limb.
Despite being a few weeks late, FUNimation and NicoNico.com have announced that they will begin streaming the first four episodes that have already aired of Shakugan no Shana III (Final). The series began airing on October 7th in Japan Shakugan no Shana III (Final) was announced for streaming earlier this month at NYCC as part of the Funico partnership between the companies.
Shakugan no Shana III (Final) is the final adaptation of Yashichiro Takanashi’s light novels which ended last month on its 22nd volume. The episodes can be found here on FUNimation’s website here. Subsequent episodes will be available every Friday at Noon and is expected to be simulcasted with the Japanese airing.
