Oh, Japan! is a weekly feature in whichĀ we chronicle the wierd, wacky and just plain crazy goings on in Japan. Because we all know, Japan is prone to doing things that make us Westerners say āOh, Japan!ā.
We have had video games, prank shows, music videos, game shows and now I present to you some weird pictures of places and productsĀ from our Japan adventure from last week for Tokyo Game Show.Ā Ā We also stumbled upon a Cat Cafe MEEEOOOWWW in Shinjuku – (video below courtesy of our editor Jared)Ā after our Cat Cafe experience we then walked into a variety store called (ćć³ććć) Donkihote and discovered a number of crazy wacky stuff openlyĀ accepted in Japan. (Gotta love the Black Man Underwear)
Check out the clip below and don’t forget;Ā Don’t suppressĀ the cats while they sleep.Ā What more can I say besides, Oh, Japan!
Check out the pics below, our personal favoite is the “Finger Basher” andĀ the Poo Hats modelled by our bearded warrior Kyle Moore. We also stumbled upon just like the OS systemĀ a run down abandoned Linux Cafe in Akihabara.Ā Let us know what your favourite crazy products are.
Arkedo Series – 02 SWAP! Developer: Arkedo Studio Publisher: Sanuk Games Platform: Playstation 3 (PSN, reviewed), Xbox 360 (XBLA) Availability: Out Now Price: $2.49/ā¬1.99/Ā£1.59
Arkedo Studio has returned to the Playstation Network with the second installment of the highly successful Arkedo Series. Entitled SWAP!, this puzzle game follows a binge drinking (milk, that is) cat on his quest to return to the grand castle through a series of colour matching puzzles, a far cry from their previous title, JUMP!. This twin stick puzzle game is challenging but exciting. The speed of the game changes and offers a few modes of play. The visuals are colourful and bright, while the music, although not memorable, fits the game well. However, the game does suffer due to its over reliance to the simplicity of its game mechanic and the staples that puzzle games bring.
Gameplay
The gameplay can be described in one sentence: four match puzzle game. The core mechanic revolves around that style of gameplay. It is a classic formula that has never tried throughout the ages (Connect Four anyone?). It is also twin stick, the face buttons have no input in this game. The left stick is used to move the cursor around the blocks while the right stick swaps the blocks in any of the four directions. The controls work well and are quite comfortable. With the added fact that the blocks can move as far as they can without any repercussion, the quest for those points can seem like a breeze, if you know what you are doing. Power-ups are present in the game, including temporary halt of the blocks, as well as coins and treasure chests to boost the score. Combos, a staple of puzzle games, are also present.
The modes on offer are more numerous than that of JUMP!, but by only one. There is Castle Mode, which acts as the story mode of the game. King Kat, the protagonist, has had a night of binge milking and doesnāt remember the activities of the previous night. The story covers the journey home to his Castle, played out in five levels. These levels can be a challenge when the speed of the game increases to the higher levels. Then there is Arcade Mode, a never ending line of blocks with the simple objective of collecting points before a game over. Then there are the Challengers. Each challenge has a set objective, like doing a combo or achieving a certain score. The challenges are unlocked after the completion of Castle Mode, to keep the players coming back for seconds.
The mechanic is reliant on simplicity. Being a downloadable title, this is understandable. Many downloadable titles have hit it big time by sticking to the basics. I will mention Limbo as a prime example. It is basically a 2D platformer at its core but its art direction, storytelling and complementing mechanics made it a very compelling game. However, with the four match puzzle genre, there has to be a certain degree of originality or creativity so that the player wouldn’t turn it off and walk away. I donāt see it with SWAP!. Yes, playing the game was fun, but only when speed was a factor. With JUMP!, at least there was some sort of variation. Despite that, the gameplay mechanic should appeal to puzzle fans.
Visuals and Music
The visuals heavily differ from those of JUMP!. While JUMP! was based on the 8-bit era, the SWAP! art style tends to focus on the cute factor. To be honest, this was done very well. King Kat has this simplistic design but still looks cute. His expressions during the game reminds me of the facial expressions in anime, which I did enjoy. I even glanced at them during gameplay. The blocks are colourful and easy to look at, which is good considering that is all you will e looking at. The menus are well designed and fit the overall art style.
The music is quite generic and unmemorable. However, it does fit well with the game and some of the tunes are easy on the ears. Each of the stage music complements the gameplay, despite its generic tone. So does the main menu theme. Its cutesy aswell, so it blends in with the overall art style. Just donāt expect any sort of great music piece. JUMP! suffered the same problem. It was great but too generic.
Overall
SWAP! is a great game. The gameplay can be enjoyable and fun and the visuals are colourful and cutesy, fitting the overall tone of the game. The music is not bad but not memorable either. The problem is that the mechanic is basic and it can get boring if there is nothing happening. Its over-reliance on the simple mechanic restricts the game to cross new boundaries that other downloadable titles manage to do. Its lack of original spin on the genre will make it fade into the shadows of already established puzzle games. Despite that, it is a well-built game with the tendency to have fun at times found. The higher speeds of the game will provide a challenge, testing your nerves and skill.
Four years after the initial installment of the Darkness, Top Cow Productions and publisher 2K Games are gearing up for the release of its sequel, the Darkness 2. Jackie Estacado is back and so is the Darkness heās been trying to bottle up. The sequel boasts the same incredible story written by comic book author, Paul Jenkins, who was responsible for the writing behind the first Darkness. Another addition is quad-wielding with being able to control the two demon arms at the same time as firing two weapons. These features, plus a lot more, are guaranteed to bring a pretty awesome sequel to our gaming screens on February 10 2012.
For more information including a kickass trailer, developer Q&A, podcasts, downloads, and media. Head on over to EmbracetheDarkness.com. And with a name so warm and cuddly you just know this game is going to be as happy go lucky as the first one.
Needless PartĀ 2 Tag Line: IN AD 200X, World War 3 began… Produced by: Sentai Filmworks (US), Siren Visual (AU) Run time: 280 minutes, over 12 episodes. Language: English, Japanese Genre: Action, Seinen, Science-Fiction, Comedy Available for purchase at Siren Visual Online Store ($49.95)
Overview:
So here we are with the second and final part of Needless,Ā a series which set out to break down the walls of convential anime with it’s first half and doesn’t show any sign of slowing down with it’s second. Or does it?
Story:
We left off at an unusually slow spot in Needless with the battle in the giant bedroom in the previous collection. While that was somewhat of a drag and went probablyĀ 2 episodes longer than needed, the plot is finally moving forward again this collection. While last collection’s first half was spent introducing the cast, world and general tone, it’s second half really let it down by falling into the trap of overly long unimportant fan service battles which really were the series lowest point. Being the lowest point, that means things only get better right? Wrong.
It doesn’t get better. It spends another hellish period of time in the very same location that the first collection ended, simply squandering time and showing off some fan-service. What else can I say besides that this is a pacing nightmare. Half of the entire series is spent in the same god-damn room, with next to nothing happening in said room story-wise. It is without a doubt one of the most disappointing decisions I have seen in an anime series in a long time. It’s almost as if the creators had no idea how to adapt the manga into the alotted amount of episodes and just said “screw this!” and decided to spend about 10 episodes in the same room and then after realising they actually had to end this show, rushed out any plot they could in the last 4 or so episodes.
All of the plot at the end really should have been spread across far more episodes to have been effective. Besides that there is really no excuse what so ever for the horrible pacing of story-telling here. It is simply unexcusable.
And with that long exasperated sigh which was what shall forever be known as “The Room of Hell” Needless loses all it had going for it at the very beginning. It could not even reclaim it with its final episodes. All in all, Needless will be remembered as a perfect example of were story-telling can go wrong in anime.
Characters:
Somewhere along the way Needless just lost control, and not the good loss of control that was in the series beginnings, the bad one. The characters completely fall flat losing nearly all the heart they had at the series outlook and are now reduced to walking stereotypes instead of being parodies (good ones) like they once were.
There is little to no character development here, besides a few back stories here and there. But it is honestly just so utterly disappointing to see the characters I once enjoyed now reduced to monotonous one dimensional jokes.
I just can’t wrap my head around how things could turn so bad for this show. Especially when taking in to account how much promise it showed in the early goings. The very little character action going on here is so very small or poorly done that in the long run feels irrelevent or just plain disappointing.
Artwork:
Thankfully the art and animation is still in good shape even when the plot and characters have spun out into a complete chaotic mess. The art stays in its comfortable spot somewhere close by Gurren Lagann’s artstyle. While it doesn’t stray too far, there is some pretty dodgy animation sequences, however when their are sakuga (fluid animation) scenes, the series really does look brilliant, even if what is actually happening is far from it.
All in the all the artwork is perhaps the crowning achievement of Needless, however that isn’t too hard to achieve when you take into account how bad most of the other parts of this series sadly are. So make of that what you will.
Audio:
The soundtrack like the previous collection is still overall well done however, the opening and ending theme have changed and it really was not a change for the better. Perhaps the change in themes was a bad omen or something because their change marks the rapid decline in quality of this series. Both songs aren’t very good in their own right, making poor companions to the series background music and even tone of the show.
On the part of voice work, what can I say, the actors in the dub clearly know they are dealing with something that all in all just isn’t very good. But you have to give them points for effort, although it’s evident in their voices that they are growing tiresome of these roles, they still do their best in portraying them. Which is indeed quite admirable, when considering the laughable material they had to work with. The japanese audio is equally well voiced however there is no hint of tire as is noticeable with the English actors.
When it comes to the audio portion of the series, I left feeling more sorry for the actors than I did, happy for them for landing a role in this series. Which is a sad thing to say but it is true. Heres hoping they find other betterĀ works to let their talent shine.
Special Features:
Unlike nearly all Siren Visual releases there is actually special features here.Ā There isĀ clean OP/ED themes as well as 12 bonusĀ short animations calledĀ The Secret of St. Lily’s Academy, which isĀ a great improvement over the usual lack of features Siren put out.Ā As for the slip case cove however, that is a disappointment. Siren opted for an incredibly similar slip cover to the previous collection that from a distance would not look any different until closer inspection. Besides that, Siren have done a relatively good job with extras here, especially when compared to their other releases.
Conclusion:
Needless Part 2 is 12 episodes of anime that I would unfortunately rather forget. I do not intend to come across as hitting this series too hard, as I truly did enjoy it at one point. But it slowly unfolded into something so utterly disappointing from all possible perspectives that I am given no choice but to do so.
Don’t get me wrong, this series had a lot of potential. The way it parodied common anime tropes all the while telling a relatively compelling story, had me rather engaged in the early going, however it all amounted to nothing in the end, becoming merely another added to the pile of best forgotten anime series.
That’s right boys and girls, it’s finally time to get our FIFA on! Well…at least it is for our American amigos. FIFA 12 hits shelves today ahead of all other continents, although early release through EA Sport’s Season Ticket has been available for almost a week now in Europe.
For us Aussies, it’s only two more sleeps til we can get our hands on a copy, or should I say two sleepless nights. Don’t forget to check back on the site in a few days as Miss Kelly Teng will be getting the review up for you guys.
For now, I leave you with a little video gem to harness some of that agitating, check out EA’s Simon Humber giving a rundown of the FIFA 12 Youth Academy down below.
Who is the first team you guys are going to use in your Career Mode? Let us know down below, and include any transfers you hope to make.
Name: Bop It!
Developer: EA Mobile
Publisher: EA Mobile
Genre: Family
Platform: iPhone (reviewed), iPad
Release: February 3 2011
Price: $0.99
Overview
Ahh Bop It, simply hearing that name brings back memories of childhood and desperately trying to twist, pull and bop my way to some far away goal. The nostalgia market is one that gets a lot of attention, and for good reason. Who doesnāt want to escape from rent and bills by remembering a simpler time when lollies were a penny and the streets were safer?
Bop It doesnāt go this far back, but it certainly does a good job of bringing back my childhood.
Gameplay
Adjusting from a solid, real life Bop It to a virtual one is odd, but that is to be expected, it makes it easier. Especially on an iPhone, all it takes is a small movement of one or two fingers to make a move and that makes it so much easier for when the game gets faster. However, it also loses that tactile nature and apart from being missing that cool, brightly coloured plastic underneath my hot little hands, it also means you canāt play with your eyes shut like a badass.
There are four different modes in Bop It in solo mode. Classic, Basic, Extreme and Blitz.
Classic Mode
Classic mode for me was one of the easier modes. Itās basically just the old Bop It, with a Bop, Twist and Pull function and you do each as quickly as you can after being ordered to do so. There are only the three Bopjects (Bop It objects for those of you who arenāt good at portmanteaus) so you wonāt find yourself forgetting what each one means, and the fact that you just try and do it as quickly as possible without caring about the beat makes it pretty easy going.
Basic Mode
Basic mode was a step up from Classic, because there are twelve Bopjects in total, some which have similar controls and some which you can get completely flustered in all that Bopping action and forget what youāre meant to do. Still, it is pretty easy since only one Bopject is on the screen at a time. It also includes a rhythm function where you get higher scores if you hit it in time with the beat.
Extreme Mode
Extreme is pretty much basic but harder. Instead of showing only the Bopject that you need to activate, it shows all of them around the Bop It button and results in a stress attack as more come along and the music gets faster and youāve forgotten what to do what with what and what now? And make sure you get it in time with the music! Although as it gets faster it tends not to matter as much because youāve only got a limited amount of time to react anyway. I did find that it glitched sometimes, I would accidentally swipe the wrong corner but it would register as a correct move anyway, those are the kind of glitches I like. It did make me feel a little bit dirty for cheating though.
Blitz Mode
Concept wise Blitz is probably one of the easier ones, but I found it quite stressful. There is a timer going and you have to do what is ordered of you as fast as you can. The goal is to get up to 20 moves successfully completed. If you do the wrong move the screen just shakes and there is a tiny delay until you can start again. My aversion to it is a personal thing, I tend to hate any time-sensitive things when thereās a timer staring me down.
The multiplayer has games based on the same concepts, with pass and play for Basic, Extreme and Blitz. There is also Head 2 Head where each player as a side of the screen that is theirs, each with their own Bopjects, and the Bop It button in the middle is up for grabs by either side. Head 2 Head is probably best played on an iPad, since it can get a bit squishy on an iPhone and result in some finger injuries.
Visual
Each Bopject is independent of others, unlike the original game where it was one long interactive object. They are simple 3D models, that being said, nothing more is required. The style is like the original, fun, colourful and simple. Some of the new Bopjects are odd, some are inventive, and some are just weird.
Audio
The audio is a simple soundtrack with a male voice instructing you on what to do. As you get further into a level the music gets more frantic and his voice goes up in pitch until he sounds very odd and quite unmanly. You have to keep the sound on in this game, not only to know what to do, but to keep with the rhythm of the beat for Basic and Extreme modes. So if you plan to do this in an environment where you donāt want others to hear what youāre doing make sure to bring headphones.
Conclusion
Bop It is quite a fun game overall, it’s good for competitive people who will constantly be striving for that quicker time or better score. It doesnāt hold much of a candle to the real-life interactivity of the old game, but thatās the pitfall of nostalgia games. It does a good job of emulating it as much as it can, and this is definitely a great game for the next generation. The only thing is it’s one of those games that you kind of have to play with other people, otherwise it gets super-repetitive and apart from the trophies and unlockable Bopjects there’s not much to keep you hanging around.
Moxie Girlz fashion dollsĀ have taken the female youth of the world by storm and naturally a video game adaptation was the next logical move for these crazy girls. That is where GameMill Entertainment come in with their upcoming Nintendo DS title aptly titled Moxie Girlz.
Moxie Girlz is slated for a release in this upcoming holiday season and will provide girls with hours of fun as they interact with their very own Moxie Girl as well as stylize them. The game beckons players to “be true and be you” with engaging gameplay and customization.
Whether you are a fan of Moxie Girlz or simply have a younger female relative that is, be sure not to miss Moxie Girlz for the Nintendo DS this holiday season!
A new trailer for the upcoming Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm GenerationsĀ title has made it’s way online thanks to the kind folk at Namco Bandai.
The trailer for the upcoming anime action game based off the Naruto Shippuden anime and manga, sets out to make the meaning of generations known, by showing off several characters from both the past and future in the Naruto Universe.
Fans of Naruto will finally be able to have the dream match up of Younger Naruto versus Older Naruto as well as play as the long requested Younger Kakashi. You can check out the trailer for yourself below, be sure to hold onto your shurikens, this one might justĀ blow them away!
Trendy Entertainment dishes out one last character class trailer beforeĀ Dungeon Defender‘sĀ final launch in October. Boasting on using little blockades and traps, the developers emphasize how devastating the monk class can be. Utilizing auras to boost ally damage and health, a monk character can swipe through enemy minions with energy charges and spear thrusts. A boost can also be added to any defensive turrets that support your base. Monk classes prove to be invaluable due to their healing abilities, and I fully believe that will have a grand effect in this game.
Health and damage auras supplemented with a deadly spear only spells danger for opponents. Keep both eyes wide open for the monk class on October 19th when Trendy Entertainment releases Dungeon Defenders for PC and Xbox 360. Enjoy the monk class trailer below!
Developer: Codemasters Birmingham Publisher: Codemasters Platform: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PS3, PC Release Date: Out now!
Going into F1 2011 I have to say I felt a bit uneasy. I played through the 2010 version a bit and loosely follow Formula One, but I’ve never been overly excited by F1 on the whole, but after playing 2011 I’ve come out of the gaming experience with a new found appreciation for F1 racing. Whilst F1 2011 still has it’s flaws, it’s one of those games which has wriggled it’s way into my playlist and is something I can see myself coming back to for months to come. Like a lot of other sport games, 2011 offers an update to 2010. The game is nothing groundbreaking when compared to last years, but it still gives many improvements and additions throughout. When a game wins a BAFTA like F1 2010 did, it would be pretty stupid to change the game too much, so F1 2011 has made the smart move, stuck with their winning formula (excuse the pun) and given us a more polished, solid and extensive sequel. Let’s get this review underway.
Gameplay:
Clearly Codemasters have been doing something right with their F1 franchise, so it was no surprise that F1 2011’s gameplay is real quality. The realism of the racing is amazing, and paired with an extremely complex game engine you could not be closer to the real thing.
For fans of Formula One, it will be a near masterpiece, however if you’re relatively uninformed about the world of racing and all of the rules it entails then this is a very complicated game to just pick up and play. AI is absolutely impossible to beat if you crank up the difficulty settings, and even on the easiest setting it will still be quite challenging for most people who are new to the game. There are settings which can assist new gamers such as traction control, however, just like the real thing, if you make a wrong move your time is stuffed. The addition of KERS and DRS has been welcomed by F1 fans, increasing the depth of strategy required and making it just that much more difficult for amateurs I feel the game would really benefit from a tutorial mode, a sort of “F1 101”, which would help lessen the gap between the casual gamers and diehard F1 fans. It’s the type of game that requires a lot of input or practice if you may, to really get the hang of and start enjoying. I get the feeling that this will deter a lot of casual gamers, but if you do persist there is some enjoyment to be found for all in this game.
Career mode is pretty well done, with the teammate challenge, objectives, and upgrades adding a lot of lasting appeal. Whilst the “Interviews” are a nice attempt, it gets very repetitive and quite annoying, not to mention the different responses seem to hold no real difference in impact upon your career path. The overall career mode also gets a bit repetitive after a while and whilst it is still a challenge to build up your racer’s career and lead him to glory, all the practices and qualifying get’s a bit laborious after a while.
Online is where F1 truly gives you your moneys worth, with Co-Op Championship mode providing you and a mate a great chance to compete with and against each other for the Constructors and Drivers Championship respectively. I am yet to experience any issues with online play, so this has got to go down as probably the biggest positive for the game.
Visuals:
Really impressive. There really isn’t much to criticise about the graphics, overall they are very polished and refined and do nothing but compliment the experience of the game. The wet weather visuals are probably the standout, although the little details such as unique steering wheels for each team, pit crew, and just the actual cars themselves are all really well done.
The wet weather details not only look great but really have an effect on the race, making it much more difficult for car handling and also act as a major vision obstruction, especially if driving close to another car, in which case you are almost driving blind.
If I had to take fault with something it would have to be with the atmosphere of the F1 tracks. Obviously a track is a track but it would nice to see a bit more variety in the environment of the circuits to make it feel like you’re actually in the specified nation. Some crowd animations and small things like that could really boost the feel of the circuit.
Sound:
In terms of sound in the actual races, you are left with not much the bee-storm buzzing of the engines, which let’s be honest is the only sound you would want to be hearing when you are racing. The updates from your crew are a very nice touch, although it would be nice to hear a bit of chatter from the racers themselves.
In terms of the menu and out-of-race sound, it’s a little dry. A soundtrack would’ve been nice to accompany the menus as it gets a bit quiet when you’re flicking through and leading up to the race. To be honest I’m not sure why they haven’t put some music into the game as it’s quite a simple thing which, obviously doesn’t affect gameplay, but still bolsters the overall gaming experience for sure.
Conclusion:
My main criticism of this game is the possible lack of appeal for people who don’t follow F1, as a result of the fairly steep learning curve which this game entails. Whilst a challenging game is always what we look for, it gets a little bit to finicky at times and isn’t a “pick up and play” sort of game. That being said, for those that stick it through and put the effort in to learn the rules and master the controls, it’s a truly rewarding and satisfying game. The visuals are fantastic, the online is great, and most importantly the races are extremely fun once you get the hang of the controlling. For F1 fans, it will undoubtedly be in their console for months on end, but even for more casual gamers, it’s still a great game to add to your collection.
