Despite being delayed twice in as many months, you can now go onto the iTunes Store and purchase Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions for your iPhone or iTouch if you so please. Be a bit wary however, because to do so you may need to take a second look at your bank account because the app will run you a cool $15.99 for the iPhone version.
This is a bit of steep price for an iPhone app, but don’t think you will be getting the same game that was released four years ago on the PSP, nor the one released ten years ago on the PlayStation One. This version of the game will see “improved graphics, loading times and framerate over the PSP version.” Still the price is a bit surprising considering the PSP version was released on the PSN a few weeks ago for only $10… Also those hoping to play the game on their iPad will be “coming later” at some unannounced date and price. You can purchase the app/game here.
We are now just six weeks away from the release of Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 and thankfully Nintendo have brought out yet another trailer for the upcoming DS sequel. Much like the last clip we seen, this trailer also lacks in length, but it does show off the many monsters that players will be able to recruit and synthesize within as well as footage from the battles.
I am glad Nintendo are giving some decent promotion for this game, and hopefully soon we will see a clip or some new details come forward regarding the backwards compatibility feature that will allow players to obtain monsters from other Dragon Quest DS titles. Check out the new trailer below, and get ready slime-fans, as Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 launches on September 19th!
Those hoping to get their hands on the PlayStation Vita some time this year are unfortunately going to be a little disappointed because Sony has changed their launch plans for the handheld. The change made is that, rather than the PlayStation Vita being available “starting at the end of 2011” it will be only available in Japan by the end of 2011. This news comes out of an AP report saying that SCEI Charman Kaz Hirai would not be able to make the holiday window release for North America and Europe and instead would be released in these regions during the early part of 2012.
Hirai also said that the PS Vita would not be seeing a lower price to compete with Nintendo’s 3DS price drop. The reasoning for this he says, is because Sony “packed so much into the device and made it very affordable,” and that “there is no need to lower the price just because somebody else that happens to be in the video game business decided that they were going to lower their price.” This means that the PS Vita will still be selling at $249 for a normal version, and a 3G enabled one for $299.
Yestrday Atlus came out and said that Catherine had been their “largest launch” in the entire history of the company in the United States. They didn’t release any sales numbers to back up that data though, until today. Although the source of the information could be called into question for being delicious, Atlus USA tweeted a picture of a cake about an hour ago.
On this cake, which can be seen below, it says “Congratulations 200,000 sold in first week.” This number is extremely good for Atlus, and of course what better way to celebrate with cake. It’s a good thing that they decided to take a picture though, because I bet this cake is having its own nightmares now.
Great news everyone! Doctor Who’s second half of Series 6 is going to be returning to air soon. For now we have a date of August 27th, 2011; so be sure to keep an eye out on your local listings and cable guides for more information about the series.
In anticipation of the return to this series, the BBC have posted a new trailer for the show that teases the second half of this season. I have included this embedded below for your enjoyment.
What does everyone think about the new trailer? What are your expectations of the new series? What do you think will happen?
In an update from Tecmo Koei games, the upcoming Champion Jockey game appearing on the X360, Ps3 and Wii has had a series of new screenshots released. These screenshots show off the race track and some of the races within the game.
Champion Jockey is the spiritual successor to the G1 Jockey series, recreating the horseracing world through a variety of immersive races, intuitive gameplay with simple controls. Utilising the latest motion controllers, being a jockey is no longer just a dream. The new standard in horseracing is here.
Junior Brain Trainer: Maths Edition
Developer: Vacari
Publisher: Avanquest Software
Genre: Maths/Brain training/Puzzle
Platform: Nintendo DS
Released: Out Now
Both Junior Brain Trainer and Junior Brain Trainer 2 contain maths and number puzzles interspersed among the word and literacy games; Junior Brain Trainer: Maths Edition, on the other hand, is from a different developer and focuses only on the numbers side of things, providing 15 all-new maths puzzles separate from the other Junior Brain Trainer games.
A dedicated maths edition was a good move as maths is slightly more universal and boundless in terms of age. Despite being having a recommended age bracket of 7-11 years, this has potential to extend with maths as doing simple mental arithmetic calculations can still be fulfilling as you just do them faster. The same isn’t the case for English puzzles though, as when these are simple, no matter how many of them you are racing through under timed conditions, they can still seem unsatisfying.
As a result of having a different developer to the other Junior Brain Trainer games, Junior Brain Trainer: Maths Edition takes a different approach to training young minds. Instead of going for a Dr Kawashima-esque layout of your daily training visit, which in turn unlocks other mind challenges to play, this game is an adventure with an abundance of rats. You play as a young rodent called Newton, and after the evil Count Ratatrax imprisoned all the furry inhabitants of Rodentown for his experiments, you must find a way to free everyone. Yep, you guessed it! Solving the maths and logic games is the solution to setting your innocent community free. Completing each of the fifteen challenges unlocks a new piece of an aircraft, which with the help of a wise old rat called Flanagan, you will build to provide a means of escape.
You are given a choice from the three standard difficulty settings upon starting your data: easy, medium and hard. Three data slots allow two others to create save files or, alternatively, let you create a data for each of the three difficulty settings. As well as making the puzzles themselves harder, (such as introducing division and multiplication symbols into calculations), going for the higher difficulty settings increases the set amounts of points required to unlock the next set of games or win a ship part, and the combined challenge of a higher point requirement and more difficult puzzle, all done to the pressures of a time limit, make the game more than enough challenge for 7-11 year olds. You must be speedy and also correct as wrong answers affect your final score and chances of receiving a piece of the aircraft, and not only does the level of challenge mean those who aren’t necessarily ‘juniors’ can enjoy the game, but it also brings up the question of whether it could be too difficult for 7 year olds to complete. Certainly they will still be able to enjoy and make use of the software, but given that the different mini-games are unlocked in sets of three once you have hit the target with the previous three mini-games, younger players could have trouble opening up the rest of the game, significantly dwarfing the already brief adventure.
With only 15 games on offer, it is a relief that all of them are fairly strong. Many have you completing calculations by inserting the missing numbers/symbols, or finding the sum of the calculation, although some are more logic based puzzles. Some games can be difficult to understand as there’s only a short explanation before each game, but fortunately, the booklet has a rundown of each individual game which should help if any problems knowing what to do arise – quite likely given that many young kids nowadays might not have come across an abacus or know what to with dominos.
However, some puzzles have slightly deeper problems than initial understanding, problems relating to errors in their design. Firstly, some games don’t have a back button or a way of cancelling and re-doing your first answer, meaning you have to take the points deduction of a wrong answer despite knowing that the answer you’re submitting is wrong. It’s a silly gripe to have with the game because a handful of the games do have a cancel or undo button included, proving it could have quite easily been done for the others. Secondly, a problem which relates to the ‘Mystery Number’ game, one of the first you will meet, is that the game can have some trouble recognising your writing, hence misinterpreting the numbers you write unless you do it their specific way. For example, when doing a ‘4’ you must do it joined up as a singular motion because taking your stylus off of the touch screen will cause it to see the downward swipe to cross your ‘4’ as a ‘1’.
Overall, Junior Brain Trainer: Maths Edition isn’t a bad brain training tool, as the incentive based rewards of ship parts as you try to build your aircraft and complete the adventure means you do the challenges before you fully realise, or more importantly the kids fully realise, that the challenges completed were actually maths. The fact that it is all maths – along with a slightly mismatched difficulty given that 7 year olds are supposed to be able to complete it – mean that the game’s bearable even for non-juniors, and of course the short-ish 15 puzzle adventure lasts a little longer in younger hands.
Elsword has introduced Raven, a new playable character in the manga-inspired fantasy MMO. A human melee fighter, Raven, uses his Nasod arm (a metal limb with claws), and a blade to create combos that can destructively defeat enemies as he searches for redemption. This twenty four year old has a dark past containing jealousy, treason and vengeance. After meeting Elsword and his friends, Raven sees the wrongs he had done and teams up with them to look for the stolen El Stone in the hopes of achieving salvation for his misdeeds.
In the world of Elsword, the El Stone is a huge gem that was in the centre of a miracle that gave life to the once barren and desolated continent now called Elios. With the stone apparently weakening in power, it has been stolen and now it’s up to Elsword’s gang to get it back! Join Elsword, the fast and swift knight; the elven Rena, whose great marksmanship can defeat monsters before they even realise they were in battle; Aisha, a mage of the highest order specialising in destructive elemental damage; and Raven; in their journey through the land of Elios to rescue the beloved stone.
About Raven: Raven is quiet, cold and distant. A heinous betrayal by the Kingdom of Velder, Raven worked hard to become Head Captain of the Mercenary Knights. Being a commoner in such a high-ranking position, he has caused jealousy among the nobles, who then conspired to frame him. His friends, colleagues and fiancée lost their lives in a failed attempt to rescue him from prison. With a scarred body and wounded soul, Raven was prepared to meet the afterlife. Then the Nasod King’s messenger relayed an offer he couldn’t refuse – a rebirth with new powers and a mission. It was to rebel against Velder Kingdom and the very people that took away everything he loved. Reborn with a Nasod arm and a blade on the right hand, he fought to destroy the last thing that had meaning to him. That is until he met a crew of young ambitious heroes that reminded him of his duty to protect the people to whom he once pledged his allegiance. He decides to join Elsword and his friends on a new life adventure to find the El.
The Razer Ferox, in my opinion, is probably one of the best speaker systems for portability, and therefore, ideal for LAN parties. The speakers are small and easy to install, making them a hassle free solution to your audio needs.
The Razer Ferox speaker system have an amazing level of Audio for what they are. The package includes two speakers and a carry case, which has the cables required to hook up the device neatly within. I kind of disliked how the cables were hidden within the carry case, as it took me a brief moment to notice that they were in there (as there was no obvious indication as to the whereabouts of said cables). But they were easy enough to find with a little observation, and I may have been a little surprised (in a good way) when I found them. Plugging the speaker in from there was an easy task, with the speakers running on a standard 3.5mm audio input which fit straight into your standard heaphone port on your pc. The speakers are unpowered though, which means that they have to be recharged after use. This is remedied by the included USB cable and makes recharging as simple as plugging it into the USB slot.
Unfortuntely, this is where my next gripe comes in. If you want to recharge your speakers, you can’t listen to music at the same time as the EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) messes with the audio, which makes it uncomfortable to listen to. This may also be damaging the device, but I can’t back that assertion up. So in order to recharge the device, the speakers must be turned off or unplugged from the audio jack. Turning off the speakers is as simple as pushing down the topmost section of the device until they click-lock. You can turn the devices back on by simply pressing the top in so it releases the lock.
While the device is turned on, the base glows an attractive blue, which shines steadily while they’re in use and pulsate when they’re not. This gives my desk a sci-fi feel to it, especially when coupled with my Imperator mouse. The Ominous glow from my desk is amazing.
The quality of the audio is pretty reasonable for what these speakers are. They’re not 5.1 channel surround, or 7.1 channel surround, they’re just basic stereo speakers. They sound pretty good though, so it’s not much of a problem. As I stated in my opening, these are incredibly portable and are easily one of the best stereo setups for portability and ideal for LAN parties. I think that if you use them for occasional use, like watching a movie on a laptop, or as a backup sound device for your primary PC, these speakers are the ones you’ll be wanting.
The speakers do have this awesome feature in regards to the sound though, and that is that they produce sounds in a 360 degree radius around the speaker. Placing these strategically produces a superior melody that I was quite impressed with. The only downside to this is that you need to adjust your cables so you can place them in a strategic position so as to maximise the sound.
The battery life of the device is pretty long, as I’ve had these running for the majority of a day and they’ve still stood strong. However, I should point out that they don’t last an entire 24 hours, as I realised recently. After exhausting the power, the speaker set does not take all that long to fully recharge, with the recharge time only being a couple of hours.
The Ferox speakers impress me with their simple, yet elegant, design. The way it pops open, the cup-shaped body and the chain-like cover over the actual speakers all make the Ferox an amazingly beautiful device. The blue LED lights beneath, as I previously mentioned, are icing on an already sweet cake. Not only does the device look aesthetically pleasing, it also feels as though it could potentially survive a fall or a harsh beating. I haven’t actually tested this, due to wanting to keep them in a working order, but they seem like they’d survive a casual drop.
The speakers come packaged in a sleek box, that is both compact and trendy. The way the word Ferox shines in the light is truly indicative of the quality within. These are not a cheap speaker, nor are they weak; as indicated by the tag-line “Tiny But Mighty”. Indeed, Mr. Box, indeed. The box further details the device and its functionality, which I found largely informative and pretty awesome. Inside the box, upon first opening, you will find the speakers enclosed in a protective plastic encasing. This plastic was easy to remove and caused little hinderance to the eventual operation of the Ferox. In a slot behind the speakers lies the previously mentioned carry case that houses the speaker cords, as well as the speakers themself, eventually, should you want to take them out of the house.
The speaker cords are made of a lace-like material that add to the overall aesthetic of the device, and are also very comfy on the hands. Unlike that undurable rubbish rubber. The cords cover a decent distance from an audio jack, but for my set-up, is not as long as I would like. This is a minor gripe, though, as the speakers are an amazing device.
Also included with the packaging are the standard, yet awesome, documentation and other miscellaneous bits of paper, such as a doctrine to the Cult of Razer. The included stickers can be stuck to your peripherals, PC, or anything else that you can think of.
Overall, the Razer Ferox is an amazing device, spread across two forms of output. As I’ve mentioned a few times throughout the review, these are definitely made with portability and LAN gaming in mind and can add to the overall gaming experience in these events. If you’re the type of gamer who regularly attends a friendly LAN or game on a portable device (these can also be used for portable music players too!), then you will definitely want to be picking up the Razer Ferox as soon as you can.
Update: Razer have informed us that the review pair of speakers we recieved were faulty and are not supposed to buzz while connected to the USB port on your computer. Stay tuned for more updates when we get our new pair in for testing.
The not so famous Capsule Computers Couple, Aura and Spike, have started their own weekly youtube series called ‘Tappin’ That’. The youtube series follows the couple enthusiastically and often angrily versing each other at different video games. The name of the series is of course a joke on the fact that they are using tappers on controllers while at the same time mentioning their obvious relationship. The name was cleverly made up by co-worker Dustin Spencer, though I suspect some other people already think the name sounds like a porno with controllers involved somehow.
As Spike cleverly pointed out before, the series is one where a man can lose his dignity against a girl and if he doesn’t he might just lose some privileges for a while. Which is worse? I guess that has to be your choice. Our first video, Marvel VS Capcom 3 we have Spike using the 3 man team of Zero, Wesker and Ironman against Aura’s favorite team of Wolverine,X-23 and Deadpool.
Tappin’ That is planned to be released each week and should be posted up before Monday for your viewing pleasure. Please do view and comment on the video and maybe in the future we can run some couple fight-offs, where you and a friend (as a couple) will get to battle against the all mighty Capsule Couple.
I hope you enjoy the series and the Capsule Couple are looking forward to your comments.
Raven is quiet, cold and distant. A heinous betrayal by the Kingdom of Velder, Raven worked hard to become Head Captain of the Mercenary Knights. Being a commoner in such a high-ranking position, he has caused jealousy among the nobles, who then conspired to frame him. His friends, colleagues and fiancée lost their lives in a failed attempt to rescue him from prison. With a scarred body and wounded soul, Raven was prepared to meet the afterlife. Then the Nasod King’s messenger relayed an offer he couldn’t refuse – a rebirth with new powers and a mission. It was to rebel against Velder Kingdom and the very people that took away everything he loved. Reborn with a Nasod arm and a blade on the right hand, he fought to destroy the last thing that had meaning to him. That is until he met a crew of young ambitious heroes that reminded him of his duty to protect the people to whom he once pledged his allegiance. He decides to join Elsword and his friends on a new life adventure to find the El.
