Get geared up for the release of Gears of War 3. Recently, a new transmission from has been released calling for all surviving COG forces. Colonel Victor S. Hoffman reports there are codes placed amongst the world that hold valuable COG gear. It has become our duty as the last remnant to find these pieces and attain the valuable material contained within to prepare for the final fight.
Acquire the codes by your everyday communication devices. Look on your Xbox email, Xbox LIVE, and Xbox social networks. Find the codes and reap the rewards.
I put my faith in you comrades. Find the codes and share them with your friends. Trust me when I say, “You cannot be Geared enough!”
Remember that odd little game that went on for infinity? The one where you press a key to move your helicopter up, let go to float it down, dodging procedurally-generated walls, and getting bored in five minutes? Well, apparently it was such a hit and a classic that those mechanics have followed us through the years; never letting us rest; always looking over our shoulders for fear of seeing a helicopter bobbing up and down, haunting us to our grave…
Well, Halfbrick Studios decided to take on the challenge of using exactly the same one-button mechanic, exactly the same core gameplay and making it awesome. And make it awesome they did.
Hot off the heels of their hit Fruit Ninja (and numerous follow-ons), the studio has released their latest title— Jetpack Joyride. The main thurst of the plot is “you’re riding a freaking Machine Gun Jetpack!!!” And the gameplay does the storyline justice.
You can tap and hold to fire the giant twin machine guns strapped to “Barry’s” back, lifting him up in the air, and wiping out any headless-chicken-flailing-arms-type scientists below in the process. There are coins liberally applied about the place, in the shape of smiley faces, (not so) secret messages, and the classic “wall of coins”.
The AI puts electricity fields in your way, flies in laser arrays, and launches missiles at you, which you have to dodge, dodge, and well, dodge. But you never get bored, thanks to the stuff around the core gameplay they have added. Allow me to demonstrate…
Within the main gameplay, there are cool things to pick up. The first of these are the vehicles; 5 in total (and yes, these are their real names).
The Crazy Freaking Teleporter puts you in a glass chamber and teleports you to a place on the screen when you tap.
The Wild Hog gives you the chance to cruise on a beefy easy-rider. That springs into the air on it’s own. It’s custom.
Lil Stomper lets you… ya know… stomp. It also bulks you up which allows you to pick up more coins, and has little booster packs you can use to slow your descent when you go for a high jump.
Profit Bird, inspired by Tiny Wings, flaps itself higher with each tap, and greets coins with a gaping beak, all the while pooping out dollar bills.
The Gravity Suit changes gravity when you tap, allowing you to walk on the ceiling, hover in midair, or… like… walk on the ground, I guess.
Oh— and did I mention you can’t die in a vehicle? That’s right. When you slam into a field of electricity, fry in a laser beam or faceplant into a missile, you just revert back to the Machine Gun Jetpack none-the-wiser, keeping the pace frantic, and fun-levels high.
The main incentive to keep playing for hours at a time before being pried from your iPhone by a loved one concerned for you health… is the Missions. They start off easy, to build your confidence — things like “Survive to 200m”, “Get 100 coins in one game”, or “High-five 10 scientists”. These then earn you stars which go towards levelling up. I’m not entirely sure if this actually helps you in any way other than massaging your ego, but this is welcome nonetheless. Of course, the difficulty of these missions, and how many stars are required to level up increase quickly, but Halfbrick have done a great job of balancing the Missions to your skill level; making them within reach, but not without some considerable effort. You know what they say… “all carrot and no stick makes jack addicted to video games”.
There are also Spin Tokens that appear ever now and then, floating around the screen daring you to catch them. If you manage to pick some up, then at the end of the level you can spin a slot machine in the hopes of winning more coins, a Head Start or even an explosive of some kind, ranging from “Quick Blast” to a full-blown Nuke, pushing you a few hundred meters along.
And then there’s The Stash itself; a place you can go to spend some of your hard-floated-into coins.
You can buy stuff from the Clothing section… stuff ranging from a Grass Skirt to a Zombie Head, to customize your dude.
There’s an array of alternative Jetpacks to play with.
You can upgrade your vehicles in the aptly named Vehicle Upgrades screen, where you can buy shiny gold versions of each of the vehicles, or increase the likelihood of picking up your favourite one.
There’s also a Utilities screen where you can buy “items”, for use in the game itself. There are a few tier-one items available in the Slot Machine, as well as unlocks for the current missions, in case you get stuck, o just can’t be bothered to complete that one that’s giving you grief.
You can also see your stats, achievements, and in-game purchase some coinage to make your life that much easier… or nice-looking.
So whilst the core gameplay may be insanely simple and easy to pick up, Halfbrick have succeeded in making this one game that’s nigh impossible to put down. And why would you want to? The crisp, cartoony graphics, pumping soundtrack, and ridiculously simple controls makes this one an easy recommend to hardcore and casual gamers alike.
Shock Troopers Developer:Saurus Publisher:SNK Playmore Platforms:Playstation Portable (PSN, reviewed), Playstation 3 (PSN) Release Date:Out Now Price:$8.99 (PS3)/$6.99 (PSP)
The Neo Geo was both an arcade board and a console released in 1990 in Japan, with a subsequence release in the United States. Although it was lost in the video game jungle, thanks to the rise of Nintendo and Sega, it still had its own library of games that were quite decent. A game that originated on the Neo Geo was Shock Trooper, a top down run and gun game where you have control of a squad of troops and try to defeat the evil organisation behind the fighting. It is now available as part of the Playstation’s Neo Geo Station emulation, alongside World Heroes. So, is the game worth replaying or worth playing for the first time?
Story
You take control of the Shock Troopers, a group of eight warriors sent to defeat the Bloody Scorpions, a ruthless organisation who has kidnapped a scientist and his daughter. In order to breach the headquarters of the Bloody Scorpions, you must travel through one of three routes: Mountain, Jungle and Valley. After five stages in one of these routes, you will reach the headquarters of the Bloody Scorpions, where you will face the commander. The characters come from eight different countries, including an Australian with an exploding boomerang. That’s right, an Australian.
Gameplay
The game is your standard run and gun game from a top-down perspective. You control your character with the directional buttons and use the face buttons to shoot, dodge and swap out characters. Each character has a gun but will have either a single shot or double shot, which is unlimited. Each character also has a special attack, called a “bomb”. It is an explosive ranged weapon which deals heavy damage. Ammo is limited but you can find refills all over the stage. There are other weapons the troops can use, such as a Heavy machine gun and a flamethrower. Enemies include regular troops, ninjas, heavy troops and tanks.
There are two modes of gameplay: Lonely Wolf and Team Battle. Lonely Wolf means you can only choose one troop and go through the stages as that character. You are given 20 lots of special ammo but will lose the versatility that Team Battle offers. Team Battle allows you to form a squad of three. You can change the characters on the fly, useful if one character is greatly hurt. Instead of 20, you are given 10 lots of special ammo, however, you can take advantage of the variety that you are offered. I chose Team Battle often because of that variety I am offered as a player. For one, with Team Battle, you can have a high defence character taking down big hoards then switching to a high speed character for the smaller hoards.
This is quite basic gameplay, but it does keep you on your feet. The action is fast paced and you have to be alert in all directions. With that said, it can be very difficult, even on easy. Just like World Heroes, there are four difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, Hard and MVS (arcade difficulty, between Normal and Hard). Instead of balancing issues, the problem is too much stuff on the screen. There could be bullets everywhere, which can mean that you can dodge into a stray bullet, taking damage. Nonetheless, the gameplay is fun.
Visuals
Just like World Heroes, the sprites are wonderfully detailed and well designed. Each character flaunts their own look quite well. Even the muscles on the male characters are quite detailed. The environments are bright and colourful. They are also incredibly detailed. For example, the mountains in the mountain stage are well detailed, right down to the last boulder. However, I do have to raise something. I make reference to another Neo Geo game, World Heroes. That game was made in 1992. Shock Trooper was made in 1997, five years after World Heroes. Although I think the visuals are good to look at, they are outdated. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt considering it was developed for a 16-bit console, but, considering it was re-released, maybe they could have added a touch or two before release. Still, they are good to look at. Animations are smooth, with each character having their own end stage victory animation, which actually looks good.
Music
The music is good to listen to, being in its 16-bit glory. Each peice of music fits the moment. For example, the mountain stage offers a great piece of music that gives the player a sense of danger. The music gets more intense as you progress through the game. The opening sounds great as well. There is a sound player outside of the game as part of the emulation, allowing you to listen to your favourite tunes from the game.
Overall
Shock Troopers is a good game to play on the go. The action keeps you on your toes and there are enough characters for some variation. The visuals are well detailed and the music reflects the situation quite well. However, with that said, the game looks outdated, you will see too many things flying around with all difficulty levels and. Despite these minor inconveniences, this is a game that, alongside World Heroes, will be a great companion on your Playstation Portable.
Before the Tokyo Game Show officially kicks off in a couple of weeks, Nintendo wants to have themselves a Pre-TGS event. Rumours have been circulating that this event will focus on a revised edition of the 3DS. The two names being thrown around are 3DS Lite and 3DS XL, two names that were used for revised DS hardware.
Another rumour that has been circulating is the a second analogue attachment. However, this seems unlikely due to the fact that it will be optional and will alienate early adopters. A revised 3DS seems to be the more logical choice.
With stiff competition from the smartphone market, as well as the upcoming Playstation Vita, Nintendo needs to do something in order to avoid playing catch up, something Nintendo is not familiar with in the handheld market.
Capsule Computers are in Tokyo for the Tokyo Game Show. Check here for all of the latest news from the Land of The Rising Sun as we countdown to the big show between September 15-18.
At Call of Duty: XP, the inevitable “Hardened Edition” of Modern Warfare 3 was announced, giving those anticipating the game’s release a reason to run to their local retailer and upgrade. Most limited editions for Call of Duty titles are usually priced at $79.99, but Activision have listed this one at $99.99. Now, before you grab you pitchforks and torches and prepare to riot on Bobby Kotick’s doorstep though, you should take a look at just what is inside this box as in my opinion this might be the best value for any Call of Duty fan awaiting the game.
So whats inside? Here is the full list of contents:
Special Founder Status: Includes an exclusive in game emblem, playercard, weapon camouflage, clan XP boost, and “more exclusive benefits”.
Collectable Steelbook Case
Unique Disc Art
Exclusive Playstation Network Animated Timeline Theme *PS3 Only*
Exlclusive Special Ops Juggernaut Xbox Live Outfit *360 Only*
100-page field journal with military sketches and written entries detailing the Modern Warfare saga.
One Year of Call of Duty Elite Services
Now considering the hefty price of COD map packs (and the fact that Elite will cost $49.99 to start with), this pack seems to be a pretty nice ensemble for those who plan to go all out and save a bit of cash in the process. Of course you can now pre-order this Hardened Edition for Modern Warfare 3 now, and then be forced to wait patiently as the timer slowly winds down to November 8th.
Other Ocean’s upcoming platformer The War of the Worlds for the Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network has some new screenshots and a trailer fresh out of PAX 2011.
The War of the Worlds is as you’d imagine by it’s title based upon the classic H.G. Wells novel about an alien invasion, that we were far from ready for. However in this game, you play as Arthur Clarke a man fighting for survival against the Alien invaders.
You can check out the new screenshots and trailer for The War of the Worlds below. Be sure to leave us a comment letting us know what you think of this interesting looking title.
Earlier this year, Thor: God of Thunder released on the Xbox 360, PS3, and DS. As we stated in our reviews, the DS version was miles above it’s console kin for a number of reasons, but now a new portable version for the 3DS has finally been dated and will hit shelves alongside the release of the DVD and Blue Ray for the movie on September 13th.
As far as story and even gameplay goes, I want to say that this version of the game looks closer to it’s console brethren, but being a on a handheld the visuals are certainly looking polished and sharp at the moment. To prep for this release, Sega released a few screenshots which show are hero in action and also confirm real-time event boss battles. The 360 version had these same style, but I am hoping Thor for the 3DS takes a simpler route as we know how that turned out for the thunder god. You can check out the new screenshots below and let us know what you think about this title in the comments below.
Digimon: Digital Monsters (1999) Collection 1 (Eps 1-27) Tag Line: The Digidestined Have Arrived! Produced by: Saban Entertainment Publisher: Madman Platform: DVD (Reviewed) Run time: 675.0 mins Number of Discs: 4 Language: English Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy-Drama Release Date: 17/08/2011 Available for purchase at Madman Online Store($49.95)
Overview
The Digimon Virtual Pet was a toy released by Bandai in 1997 as a ‘Tamagotchi for boys’, and spawned both a massive craze amongst the youth world wide thus beginning the Digimon franchise. The anime based off the toy; Digimon: Digital Monsters (also known as Digimon Adventure) originally aired in 1999 and despite being overshadowed by rival anime Pokémon, gained a massive fan base. At the age of 12, I was one of these massive fans upon hearing that the first half of the original (and arguably the best) season was coming to DVD in Australia after over a decade, I was more than eager to re-live my childhood and review the collection. It was no easy task to throw all bias aside, but I had to ask myself- does the Digimon anime stand the test of time?
Story and Characters
Digimon Collection 1 contains the first half of the first season of the Digimon franchise, where 7 kids- Tai Kamiya, Matt Ishida, Sora Takenouchi, Koushiro “Izzy” Izumi, Mimi Tachikawa, Joe Kido, and Takeru “T.K.” Takaishi. known as the DigiDestined are transported from their school summer camp to a digital world, filled with creatures known as Digimon. As the DigiDestined, they must save both theDigiWorld and the real world from darkness in order to go home. To do so, they are partnered up with their own Digimon who each reflects their own personalities, and later their own crests that represent them. The collection contains four story arcs, where each episode each follows the same repetitive structure, but fresh ideas and creative new characters are thrown in to mix things up so you it’s unlikely to bother most. Following the typical ‘monster of the week’ format, Digimon introduces a new situation and evil Digimon that must be conquered in each episode, usually by the means of one of the main protagonist’s Digimon temporarily transforming into a newer and stronger Digimon through a process known as Digivolving.
The constant introduction of new evil Digimon in each episode leaves little to no character development for these characters, but thankfully the main cast gets a significant amount to make up for this, proving to be one of the biggest highlights of the series. Surprisingly enough for a kids show, the best moments of the series aren’t the awesome Digivolving segments or the action scenes, but rather the more real, emotional moments showing insights into each character, many of which are the solid basis of each episode especially in the later ones. The characters Matt and T.K. are especially interesting, as well as Tai who leads the group and at first seems pretty simple, but surprises the viewer with insights to his mind in episodes such as Prisoner of the Pyramid and The Earthquake of MetalGreymon. Even the less interesting characters such as Mimi and Joe get episodes dedicated entirely to adding depth to their character, and each are done wonderfully especially in the later episodes, although early episodes like Ikkakumon’s Harpoon Torpedo are especially great at doing this as well. The writers have creatively done this by often separating the group from each other to allow all characters more individual screen time. Many of these moments revolve around the particular theme of friendship and kindness, further strengthening the bond between each characters and on some level, it can be quite touching to watch unfold. While the tactic does seem a bit overused, the trade-off is worth it because we get a lot of interesting personalities that aren’t so black and white. The only downside to this one is a huge one-the series ends up becoming really slow paced. In fact, it doesn’t really feel like the anime even has started until episode 8, and 8 episodes is one hell of a long introduction if you ask me.
Possibly the biggest flaw in the series is the numerous amount of tiny plot holes, many of which I’m sure even young children should be able to notice. One of these is the use of the Digimon Analyser used in every episode starting since the first episode, but in episode 26-Sora’s Crest of Love, Izzy claims to have just received it off a mysterious man known as Gennai. There are many of little plot issues like this which are painfully noticeable, many of which are errors due to a bad attempts at localizing for an American audience. In episode 27, The Gateway To Home, the children (who have been changed from Japanese to American in this dub) claims to not know where Japan is but still acknowledge that Tai went to Japan in Episode 21. However, in episode 21 it’s revealed that Tai lives there, and even shows you a good look at his house. There are plot holes like this made quite often and the list is too long to even mention here. It doesn’t ruin the anime, but it does disconnect you from it. Despite constant plot holes, constant repetition and a very basic storyline however, Digimon is still a pleasure to watch, but only because the characters are so well designed, and the writers have placed such great focus on character development and exploring the emotional journey equally as much as the physical one. You are drawn in by Digimon not by the story, but rather the characters, so despite all it’s flaws you want to keep watching as the series to see these kids and their Digimon you’ve become connected to.
Graphics
The graphics are a mixed bag for Digimon. One one hand the character designs are amazing, filled with creativity and lively colour and character. In the 21st episode Home Away From Home however, the art style is much more serious and has a less vibrant tone as it is mostly set in a different world. This provides a nice contrast between the two settings that separates them both effectively in a very stylish manner. Backgrounds too are stunning, with a very watercolor painting feel to them. It should be noted some episodes appear in worse quality than others, and graphics unfortunately can look a little blurry. There are also many inconsistencies with lip syncing in almost every episode, where characters, mostly Digimon will talk even without moving their lips when they normally should. Furthermore, when Digivolving into the Ultimate stage is concerned, Agumon and Garurumon have special 3D animated transformations that do look nice, but the rest are stuck with 2D animations. There are some other 3D animations often in backgrounds thrown in here and there throughout the series, and they are always a nice treat to see. In true anime fashion, animated scenes are repeated as often as possible. Every transformation and almost everytime a signature move is preformed, your watching stock footage you’ve seen before. While it’s not terrible, it does feel quite repetitive at times.
Audio
Digimon: Digital Monsters contains one heck of an opening theme song. Simple, catchy and true to the theme of the show, it’ll have you singing along and smiling in no time. Collection 1 also contains one other musical theme with vocals called Hey Digimon. This acoustic track while catchy seems quite out of place and doesn’t really suit the atmosphere of the anime most of the time, especially as it normally comes in during high-adrelanline action/combat scenes it actually can ruin the mood on some occasions. As previously mentioned, not all voices are synced correctly, often with characters talking without moving mouths, but worst of all many voices do not match the situations or emotions on the character’s faces. That being said however, the voices chosen for the majority are well done, especially the main cast. Although many of the minor characters, especially enemies have less appealing voices. Sadly, no Japanese dub is included, and only the English dub is available.
Verdict
Digimon: Digital Monsters is a classic anime in my books. If you loved it ten years ago, you’ll still love it now, but if you weren’t a fan then, this collection will most likely not win you over. The dub seems fairly lazy, with a mixed bag of voice acting and various plot holes, and the collection itself isn’t wonderful with some seldom episodes slightly less appealing to look at than others, and with no special features other than trailers and no inclusion of the Jap Dub, it hardly does the fans justice. However, the anime is still there and it is full of heart and soul. The character development is insanely great and the character designs are just as epic. Plus it’s got that awesome theme song! While the story may not be all that engaging, the characters are and if you can get past all those tiny flaws, you’ll find one heck of a great anime that is really worth watching. I should also mention this collection ends on a massive cliff hanger, so if you plan on buying this one, you should probably also buy collection 2 which will be released on 19/10/2011.
PROS
Ensemble Cast of Protagonists
Great Character Development
Great Character Design
Although Repetitive, Fresh Ideas Keep Story Interesting
Can Get Pretty Deep For A Kids Show
CONS
Mixed Bag of Voice Acting
Numerous Plot Holes
Some Blurred Graphics
Animations Are Repeated A Bit Too Often
Has a Slow Start, Doesn’t Really Pick Up Much Until Episode 8
World Heroes Developer: Alpha Denshi/ADK Publisher: SNK Playmore Platforms: Playstation Portable (PSN), reviewed), Playstation 3 (PSN) Release Date: Out Now Price: $8.99 (PS3)/$6.99 (PSP)
The Neo Geo was both an arcade board and a console released in 1990in Japan, whit subsequence release in the United States. Although it was lost in the video game jungle, thanks to the rise of Nintendo and Sega, it still had its own library of games that were quite decent. King of Fighters originated as a Neo Geo title, as well as some others. Another Neo Geo title was World Heroes, a 2D fighting game. With a choice of eight characters you travelled all over the world until you battle a boss character. It spawned a series of game and is now available as part of the Playstation’s Neo Geo Station emulation, released alongside Shock Troopers. So, is the game worth replaying or worth playing for the first time?
Story
The story affects each character no matter what. It starts off with Dr. Brown, a scientist hailing from the United States of America, declaring that he has invented a time machine. So, what does it do with it? Go back in time? No. Send someone else, possibly an enemy, to another time period in order for him to get what is due? Nope. He decides to use the time machine to summon one of the eight historical figures from various periods of time and let him or her fight each other to the death. Then, the chosen character will travel with the time machine. It sounds interesting because I have never heard of a story like that before.
Gameplay
The game is your basic 2D fighting game. Each character has a punch, kick and throw attack, all performed with the square, X and triangle buttons respectively. Characters also have special attacks, although there are only a few for each character. Quite often you will be only using one of these special attacks as they may be the one that is easily executable. The gameplay is quite fast paced, perfect for any 2D fighting game.
There are two mode of gameplay. The first is Arcade Mode. There is nothing special here, as it is your regular fight everybody in a random order before heading to the final boss. Don’t worry I won’t spoil it for anybody who is interested. To win a match in this game, you have to win two out of three fights. There is no option to change that, you’re stuck with it. Each character has their own ending once you complete Arcade Mode. The second mode is Deathmatch Mode. This is similar to Arcade Mode, however, expect a more dangerous approach. Each arena will have environmental hazards, such as electric fences, at each end. I had quite a bit of fun knocking my opponents into these electric fences and seeing them getting fried.
There are four difficulty options: Easy, Normal, Hard and MVS, which is the difficulty level you would face at the arcade. This is considered between Normal and Hard. However, no matter what difficulty you choose, there are balancing issues with the game, which will frustrate you. Even on Easy mode, expect your opponent to block 70% of the time. Rasputin, based on the Russian of the same name, has a throw attack which drains half your life bar and there is no way to block it. Instead of being a direct emulation, they should have fixed the balancing issues before release.
Visuals
The visuals look good for an early 90’s 2D sprite based game. They have a tinge of Street Fighter with them. It should be pointed out that this game was made as a response of the explosion of the fighting genre after the release of Street Fighter II. Character models are incredibly detailed, right down to their facial expressions. Each character also has a distinct look, except for Hanzo and Fuuma. Apart from their hair and clothes and their animations, I just can’t help but notice that they are meant to act similar, which draws another analogy to another highly popular fighting game during this time. The stages are nice and bright. They reflect on what character you are fighting against and each stage suits the fighter well. For example, J. Carn, based on Genghis Khan, has a staged based on a military camp. Animations run smoothly, although you might encounter a few minor glitches, an example being when you believe you had the chance to throw an opponent but it goes through him.
Music
The music for this game is largely untouched from the original release, this being a direct emulation. The opening theme is quite awesome. It is a theme where you feel pumped up for the upcoming battle. It makes you feel ready and determined to see this through. Each of the stage music enacts a feeling of danger and determination to see the battle through. They also match the character and stage quite well. The sound effects, too, are well put together, also there is one thing I find a bit annoying. When you play a stage with the electric fence and you smack that opponent into it, the sound of electrocution sounds quite wrong. It sounds like more of a poorly tuned television. A sound player is also available so that you can listen to your favourite tracks over and over again.
Overall
World Heores is a decent game. The gameplay is easy to pick up, but not as deep as other fighters. Only a handful of fighters and two modes, although it isn’t much, will still pull you through. The visual look nice and music sounds great. However, balancing issues is a major problem, something that should have been fixed before re-release. They could have also fixed a few graphical and gameplay glitches. If you pick this up for curiosity or for a collection, go ahead. Otherwise, you’re better off with another fighter out there to play on the go.
Kirby Mass Attack has been on my radar since it was announced, and so far the touchscreen styled platformer has been shaping up to be one of this years finest offerings on the Nintendo DS. If you have ever bought a portable Kirby game though since the GBA line, you should definitely expect mini-games to be thrown in as unlockable extras.
Nintendo released a new trailer today, showing off quite a few mini-games that will be able to be unlocked in Mass Attack. Normally we might see one or two, but this title actually features a large variety mini-games based on several types of genres. RPGs, Shmups, Pinball, and even whack a mole are all shown and are set to include several of the enemies from the series such as Mr. Shine and Mr Bright and the infamous Whispy Woods. Check out the new clip below and mark your calenders now, as Kirby Mass Attack launches on September 19th.
