Coming on September 2nd for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii. The game will be compatible with the Kinect and Move devices for the two HD consoles listed.
The game is a horse racing simulation and involves jockeys riding horses. These jockeys can be customised by the player and used in races within the game. Tecmo Koei have this game pegged as a spiritual successor to the G1 Jockey series.
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.
This week we talk about how Capcom has shoved their foot deep down their mouth, what games we’d like to see turned into a movie, how everyone is jealous of Irvo going to the Mana Bar opening, what we’ve been playing and some game news.
Cast: Alexis Ayala, Philip Federico, Dustin Spencer, Matt Vella, Michael Irving, Luke Halliday
2012 is shaping up to be the year where sports games get a major overhaul, and Pro Evo 2012 is no different. Konami have just announced in PES 2012 will have a new Teammate Control system which allows gamers to control two players at once.
The Teammate Control system will allow for the control of a secondary player while running with the main player, and can be used in two ways: the user presses the right analog stick in the direction of the player which they wish to control, but by holding down R3 the user can activate a second player in Assisted mode. Alternatively, Manual mode offers the user complete control of the second player; when R3 is released, the user goes back to controlling the main player.
Other improvements have also been made to PES 2012, including an Active AI which ensures players track targets more effectively, and one-on-one situations will allow defenders to jostle for the ball and attackers to feint. Movement and reactions have been enhanced (there’s a three-frame improvement in response times), and aesthetics have also been refined.
According to John Murphy, European PES Team Leader for Konami, PES 2012 will be a sophisticated title that will push the franchise to that next level.
“The addition of Teammate Control is something we have been working on for a while now, and we are delighted that it will make its debut in PES 2012. We have been building to create a control system that truly lets the player do whatever they like on field, and the ability to manually control a second player while simultaneously running with the ball opens all kinds of attacking options. Coupled with the Active AI advancements that ensure supporting players make shuttle run and find space, and I think we have made a huge step towards producing the most advanced football title to date.
If you’re looking forward to seeing the new Tekken CGI movie, Tekken Blood Vengeance, there’s a one-off chance to see it before it arrives later this year on PS3.
The movie is set to be released as part of the Tekken Hybrid compilation coming to PS3 before Christmas, but Namco Bandai has organised a One Night Only event to see the movie early.
The showings will take place on July 26 at 7:30pm local time in select movie theatres across the US, showing the movie in 3D well ahead of the release as part of the Tekken Hybrid package. Following the movie will be a 20 minute special with interviews with the Tekken Project Director and Screenwriter.
Well this sucks… While we in Australia are pretty used to getting the short end of the launch stick when it comes to huge titles, more and more speculation has been growing as of late as to whether or not Australia and New Zealand will be receiving the highly anticipated MMO: Star wars – The Old Republic. The latest revelations to give creedance to that argument is the mass number of Australian’s attempting to utilise the offical SWTOR website’s pre-order function and receiving the message: “Star Wars: The Old Republic is not available in your region. To maintain a high quality of service, only certain regions will be able to pre-order Star Wars – The Old Republic.” As you can imagine, this has caused not shortage of anger in both Australian and New Zealand gaming communities. And just when we finally got the R18+ rating passed through, fate finds yet another way to deny Australian gamers the same experiences as the rest of the world.
This has also been backed up by rumors of EA not being willing to spring for Oceanic / Australasian servers. As a result, Australian and New Zealand based gamers are unable to pre-order the Old Republic online. While pre-orders still stand throughout retailers like EB and JB Hifi, the prospect of a delay will no doubt turn some away from what is stiull shaping up to be one of the best looking MMO’s ever. Already, calls have been made for a boycott of EA products, but we know how successful those have been in the past…
At this point, the official release date changing is still marginally speculation, though highly likely. For the time being, it may only be the pre-order and beta access that the pre-order guarantees that we will miss. Hopefully EA will decide on a concrete response to provide Australia and New Zealand with some sort of server access.
It certainly has been a while since Nintendo have released new items into Club Nintendo, but thankfully, three new bits of swag were added today that are sure to get the attention of DK fans and 3DS owners.
The first item to talk about is a 3 Poster set featuring Donkey Kong. Each poster features different art from the series, with a History of Donkey Kong poster, a Poster from the original Arcade version of the game, and a more recent image from Donkey Kong Country Returns that features both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. This poster set can be purchased for 400 Club Nintendo Points, which is a bit of a price increase from that of the Zelda & Mario poster sets we have seen in the past.
Next up is an item that has been shown off at various events held by Nintendo, a Giant 2-sided AR card, which allows for the 3DS users to take pictures of a life-sized Mii or Mario at any location they desire. The Giant AR card is priced at a rather low 200 points.
Finally, a Metroid: Other M Screensaver has also been added in at 10 points, which displays “logos and character art” from the game.
I have already redeemed the AR card myself, as a Giant sized Mario was a bit too tempting, and as someone who purchased both poster sets in the past, I must say the DK set is quite tempting. What do you think of these new rewards? Give us your input in the comment section below.
Not too long ago, Atari & WayForward announced a reboot of the classic game Centipede under the name of Centipede Infestation. Today, it was announced that this run-n-gun reboot is now available for pre-order for both the Nintendo 3DS & Wii at Gamestop, and according to the dates listed at the retailer’s official website, Centipede Infestation is set to launch on November 1st for both platforms.
Ever since being announced, I have drooled over the concept WayForward and Atari put together for this reboot, as it looks to be pulled straight out of an arcade with a shiny new coat of paint. Centipede Infestation has also received a price for both platforms, making the reboot $39.99 for the Nintendo 3DS and $29.99 for the Nintendo Wii.
If you still have not viewed the trailer as of yet, you can do so by visiting the official website for Centipede Infestation by clicking HERE.
Those who want to continue to follow further updates can continue to check back, as we will continue our coverage as more news releases. Don’t forget to also follow the Centipede Facebook page and show some love to Atari.
Bastion Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Developer: Supergiant Games Platform: XBLA (Reviewed), PC Release: July 20th, 2011
Overview: You awaken, alone, in a strange yet familiar place. The world has fallen to a great Calamity, you appear to be the only survivor. Do you try and rebuild what has been lost or do you pave the way for a brand new world? That is the question that echoes throughout Bastion, do you choose to cling to the past or look toward the future?
Story: In Bastion, you play as The Kid, a white haired survivor of the great Calamity, which somehow he managed to miss whilst taking a nap. He awakens alone to hear the voice of a stranger commenting upon his every move. The wise voice guides you through the world to the Bastion, the place in which we all were supposed to meet at in case of such a Calamity. Unfortunately, no one else made it to the Bastion.
Bastion is a post-apocalyptic action RPG, which features a storyline deeper than words could say. The wise old man who narrates the game says it himself, “Sometimes there is just nothing to say”. That one line epitomises Bastion. Although Rucks, narrates the entire game and comments on each and every action the player takes (which might I add would be a horrible idea, if it weren’t for the amazing writing), someimes the quiet times speak greater than any words could.
The greatest strength to the game is indeed it’s story and characters, who are instantly iconic. For a game which was released on the XBLA, to feature such iconic and memorable characters, is a wonder in itself. This game could’ve been released as a full retail title and no one would have thought twice. It isn’t often a game comes along with this solid a storyline, nor is it often one comes along that resonates so deeply with the player, to the point of invading the players dreams.
I found myself thinking, dreaming and contemplating Bastion. It is so subtlely philosophical you may miss it, but underneath it all is some incredibly deep ideas, oozing with intelligence. Part of what makes Bastion so good is that it knows exactly what it wants to be. It knows exactly what story it wants to tell. It knows exactly what it wants to achieve and it does so with flying colours.
Gameplay: Never before have Action RPG’s been so fun. Bastion takes out the nitty gritty, often monotonous stats building of RPG’s and focuses entirely on enjoyment. The game tasks you with traversing dungeon-like levels in order to gain new items as well as to find the all important Cores. It may sound simple, and it is, but with so much depth underneath that simplicity, the RPG genre hasn’t seen such a simple yet revolutionary game since Guardian’s Crusade.
That’s not to say this is anything like Guardian’s Crusade apart from it’s simplicity. That is the only similarity, however it’s the best similarity it could possibly have. Too often are RPG games bogged down with heavy exposition and tedious stats building systems, that detract from the actual adventure and story of the game. Bastion avoids these pitfalls with a swift dodge-roll into greener pastures.
Along side the simple gameplay style, is the previously mentioned dynamic narration from the stand-out character Rucks. He is a man wise beyond belief and always has something witty and clever to say, when he has something to say that is. This narration in anyone elses hands would be completely terrible, however Supergaint Games have pulled it off with perfection, creating a memorable character as well as a unique atmosphere for the game, to match it’s unique world, that is constantly being created with each step The Kid takes.
Without a doubt Bastion, provides a gameplay experience unlike any other and would just as easily have fit as a full retail game. There is little else to say about the gameplay other than, playing is believing.
Visuals: Bastion is bursting with flirtacious colours, luring you into it’s world. For a post-apocalyptic game, the world feels anything but. It takes a stance against the norm of baron wastelands and cities turned to rubble and instead creates magical vibrant world living within the confines of your console.
The imagery is magnificently created and Supergaint Games should be applauded for their work here. The artstyle is without a doubt one of the most well concieved and ingenious creations seen within a long time, perhaps even on the Xbox in general.
For a story about the end of the world, Bastion is simply busrting with so much life, you wouldn’t even realise, upon first glance. What they have created here isn’t just graphics for a video game, they have created art.
Audio: One of the first things that I noticed when I opened up Bastion was it’s brilliantly composed soundtrack. The beautifully solemn yet hopeful, opening music during the menu screen sets the mood for what is to come perfectly. You know that what you are about to see is simultaneously going to be lonesome and inhabited with a great deal of heart.
The in game music is a perfect mix of adventurous and sorrowful. You have a brand new world being built beneath your feet, so you adventure onward, yet the shadow of the past looms behind you beckoning you to stay slumped in it’s presence.
Alongside the game’s music is the brilliant narration of Rucks (voiced by Logan Cunningham), which is crafted so masterfully, that his voice becomes the sound of hope for a new world. It is a perfect contrast, having a man with many years of experiences under his belt, guiding you towards a brand new world. He does not cling to the past pre-Calamity, nor should you. It’s those simple yet intelligent touches of greatness that make this game so damn good.
Overall: Bastion is without a doubt the crowning achievement of the XBLA. It is a game, with no faults. It is a game that treats the player with a level of intelligence. If you have ever felt lonely, ever felt happy, ever felt at all, Bastion will speak to you. It will speak to you even when it has nothing to say.
Bastion will go down in history as one of the greatest games of all time. It was an absolute pleasure playing through and reviewing this game. I will wait with bated breathe for Supergiant’s next release, as they have created more than just a game with Bastion, they have created a masterpiece of modern entertainment.
Mortal Kombat Legacy’s highly anticipated season finale has finally been officially released on Machinima’s youtube channel! The 9th episode was originally previewed at Comic Con on Thursday and blew audiences away, which leaked to youtube only hours later. The episode involves Shang Tsung, Kano and the Grandmaster as they turn Cyrax and Sektor into emotionless Cyborgs in preparation for the Mortal Kombat Tournament, and most likely takes place before the first episode. To test the cybernetic ninja’s abilities, they are sent into combat with a cyborg named Hydro! Incase you haven’t heard about the character, you can find out about Hydro here!
You can check it out alternatively on Machinima’s Youtube Chanel for a much higher quality version of the video this Sunday, or alternatively buy the episode oniTunes here once it’s released, or grab it on Blu-Ray when it hits the shelf in fall this year. As for now, enjoy the episode below!
King of Fighters-i 002
Platform(s): iPhone(Reviewed), iPad
Publisher(s): SNK Playmore
Developer(s): SNK Playmore
Genre(s): Fighting
Release Date: 7 July 2011
Price: $8.99 BUY NOW!
Overview
Mixing characters from many of it’s previous games along with new ones, the ‘dream battle’ King of Fighters saw its debut in 1994, and the series still rages on today! In anticipation for the latest title, King of Fighters XIII due to hit the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 later this year, SNK Playmore have decided to send a much stripped-down handheld version to iOS devices to give us a taste of whats to come. The iPad/iPhone market these days seems to be getting more and more crowded with ported fighters becoming increasingly common on the system, but King of Fighters-i 002 stands out amongst the rest, even going so far as to give Street Fighter IV: Volt a run for it’s money as the title for being the….well…the King of Fighters? But have SNK mastered The Art of Fighting with this mobile title, or will SNK leave it’s fans in a state Fatal Fury? Insert Metal Slug reference here, now read on!
Yep! This pretty sums up the entire game!
Gameplay
There are two elements to a good fighting game: #1-awesome character design, and #2-a unique system that makes it stand out from it’s competition, so it doesn’t become yet another Street Fighter 2 clone, making Capcom want to tease you with a parody character like Dan. While SNK have failed at doing so in the past, in 1994 they got it right with King of Fighters (and arguably earlier with Fatal Fury), and they’ve stuck with “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” ever since. I’m happy to say the combat system helps it stand out from the rest of the pack. While Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is based on spamming the special attacks for free hits and Street Fighter IV: Volt focuses on slowly analyzing your opponent’s moves to preform a counter-attack, King Of Fighters focuses more on fast paced game play and button-mashed combos and evading attacks rather than blocking with 3-on-3 team battles rather than 1-on-1. It’s always been one of the more complex fighters of the genre, but it’s been hidden well to appeal to newcomers and works well, and its smooth translation to the iPhone generates an identical experience.
Unconscious, half-naked Mai with hundreds of soccer mums cheering you on? JACKPOT!
So what did I mean when I said King of Fighters is kinda complex for a fighting game, but they try and make it seem simple? Well the one of the reasons behind that is you’ve got 4 separate gauges to worry about! Sure one of them if your health, but you’ve also got a Guard gauge, a Drive gauge and a Power gauge. The Power gauge has 5 stages, and builds with each time you land a hit or receive a hit and allows you to preform Super Special Moves with one full gauge by tapping the gauge, and with two or more you can preform EX Moves which are advanced versions of your normal attacks by using the correct combination. So that seems kind of standard right? Street Fighter IV did that in two separate bars and that wasn’t so hard to get! Well on top of that, your Drive gauge fills also as you take hits and land hits, and when you have 3 Power gauges full along with your drive gauge fully charged, tapping on your fighters’ face can activate devastating Neo Max Super Special Moves. The Drive gauge also allows you to preform Super Cancels and Drive Cancel Moves when it’s filled half way, and Hyper Drive Mode which has it’s own separate button can be used when your Drive gauge is fully charged. You following? Cause there’s more! While in Hyper Drive mode, your character will glow, which gives you the ability to preform a Max Cancel, which will let you cancel a Super Special Move into a Neo Max Super Special Move for an extended combo. On top of all this you have to keep in mind during this action-packed, fasted-paced game, you have your Guard gauge which decreases as you block attacks, and if it reaches 0 a Guard Crush will occur, encouraging you to use the evade button more often and to block only when when necessary. Oh yeah, and you got a heath gauge too, let it hit zero and you’ll be knocked out! There’s also a little challenge screen at the bottom of the menu, requesting you to preform certain tasks called Target Actions, and most of them are quite easy to pull off. Preforming these tasks and manoeuvres will reward you by filing up a portion of your gauge. It’s pretty innovative and a nice idea to implement, and keeps things nice and fresh and if your not a fan of it, it can be easily ignored.
Preform Three Jumps? THREE JUMPS?! What is this? Xbox Kinect?
While all that may sound technical, KOFi actually plays quite simple for a King of Fighters game. Elements like the popular Striker System and similar game play elements involving team-based attacks from previous games aren’t present and while the matches are still focused on 3-on-3, one after another, no tag team game play is involved unfortunately! Also, taunting has been removed, and special moves have been simplified down into one ‘special’ button, much like in the recent Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat IOS titles. The controls also come damn near close to perfect! The buttons are fully responsive, but what I like most about them is just like other popular IOS fighting games you can customise the buttons, but with an extra feature I personally havn’t seen before: the ability to control the transparency of the joystick and buttons. This is awesome for players who master the controls, and know where everything is and is sick of half their screen taken up by a virtual joystick and buttons, because you can just put the transparency down to zero and have invisible on-screen controls which is a very nice touch and I hope other fighters on the device follow suit in this area. My only complaint about controls is that movement doesn’t seem so tight, while it is responsive they seem to move unrealistically fast and don’t seem very grounded, but its a minor thing and it speeds up the game play so I suppose from that perspective it’s actually a good thing. Theres also an endless mode and a choice to play either 3-on-3 or 1-on-1, but honestly all three of those modes play out almost exactly the same so there isn’t much difference at all.
They call Benimaru a ladies man, but his choice of clothing may suggest otherwise…
Graphics and Audio
King of Fighters-i 002 is filled with so much eye-candy you’d think you were in Willy Wonka’s factory! The animations are some of the smoothest I’ve seen on an iOS device, that go hand-in-hand with the awesome character design and anime-art style. Character sprites are incredibly detailed and filled with texture and character that should impress even the harshest of critics. The only downside is that while standing still they occasionally look pixelated, so that’s why they don’t seem as nice in screenshots. While in motion, the art looks beautiful. The character design is amazing, with a flawless anime art style which just begs to be shown off. I find my biggest criticism for the entire game is that I loved it so much that I wished they had more to show off! Some anime cut scenes would’ve been amazing, but perhaps terrible for file size, so its understandable why this wasn’t included. Hopefully it will be for KOF XIII! Over exaggerated sparks and miniature explosions fill the screen when a blow is connected, filled with vibrant colors reminiscent of fireworks which really light up the screen and excite the player. Each blow you land feels like a miniature victory, accompanied by an appropriate sound effect. The backgrounds suffer the same flaw as Street Fighter IV: Volt, where they look nice but remain still, even when there are people in the background. It’s not a terrible thing, but it would’ve been nice to see some slight movement.
If I made a fighting game, I’d show the looser with big font saying ‘LATERZ!’ Also, that game would suck.
Music is great and filled with energy as well, though the tunes for the most part are not very memorable. However, they are composed and recorded nicely, and the choice of melodies and instruments do suit the exaggerated, hyperactive style of KOF, so the soundtrack works as an extra layer of depth to the action rather than a separate entity to enjoy, so in that aspect, the music does a swell job and is pulled off well. Voice acting is sweet and executed well, and expresses the persona of each fighter with style, which can be hard to do when somebody is screaming something under the lines of “GENERIC FIREBALL ATTACK!”, so kudos to SNK for that!
K’, Kyo, King, Kula…OK, Im sure SNK’s King of Fighters cast are brought to you by the letter K. Take that Mortal Kombat!
Presentation
King of Fighters-i 002 opens up on a sweet animation, and straight away you know your in for a beautiful game. While the menu’s are kind of boring and a chore to navigate at times, the randomised character artwork is a nice touch and a joy to look at which keeps it looking all right. There’s tons of extra features and collectables as well, but honestly most of them you’ll never care about. If your keen for a fetch-quest or love achievement hunting, it might be for you though. There’s a bunch of concept art and illustrations as well, and an unlockable novel if for some reason you’d rather read than play the game, plus you can record your replays. The game follows the same story as King of Fighters XIII, but it isn’t told at all. Perhaps this is why the game was called King of Fighters-i rather than King of Fighters XIII IOS. The story is present in novel format, but reading is boring so most people won’t bother, though it is a nice thing it was included there. No/limited story doesn’t mean cut scenes and introductions do not exist, before each battle between fighters, a small conversation is shown between the two, which is completely different and personal depending on who enters the field. This displays a lot of the characters personalities, which really helps you learn to love each fighter individually. Also, if your not into these, you can totally skip them. Online VS isn’t present, but after the issues Street Fighter IV: Volt had, it’s understandable. Bluetooth is available though, and you can do more than just battle via Bluetooth-you can trade your collectables as well as replays as well. Again, a lot of these collectables seem kind of of pointless, but with bluetooth trading involved, you get a very Pokemon-ish ‘Gotta Catch Them All’ thing going on for achievement hunters which Im sure the hardcore fans would appreciate.
I suppose this is SNK paying tribute to the Dead or Alive franchise?
Conclusion
In conclusion, I’d have to say that King of Fighters-i 002 is the nicest looking and the most in-depth fighting game, with the most fast-paced action on the iPhone to date. I wouldn’t call it the best, but I’d call it a close runner up to Street Fighter IV: Volt, but others may disagree. Honestly, these two are very neck-and-neck, and there are many elements that each game does better than the other. Most of KOFi’s biggest flaws will also be addressed soon, such as the small character chart being updated later this year to 20 fighters, including the now-missing fan-favorite Iori. My biggest criticism is that the engine is fun to use, but little strategy can be used at times, as moves can be easily spammed and can become easy to take advantage for button mashers. Still, a pro fighter is still a pro, but that extra level of strategy which is so focused on in Street Fighter isn’t so clear in this title. That being said, KOFi is very close to being the best fighter on the iPhone from my experience, and is a must download for fighting fans. It looks beautiful, its fast, its fun and has some innovative features. Fighting fans, buy this game ASAP. You won’t be disappointed!
Like I said, this game looks beautiful!
PROS
Awesome art, animation and design
Bluetooth VS as well as trading for collectables and saved replays
Customisable controls and transparency settings for on-screen controls
Unloackable trading cards, novels and illustrations
Very deep combat system
Optional 1-on-1 or 3-on-3 fighting
Fast-paced, action-packed game play
CONS
Small character selection for a KoF game (update coming at the end of the year!)
Collectables and Shop feature can seem useless sometimes
Deep fighting system and be ignored and boil down to a button-masher with little stratergy
Graphics can seem pixelated when not in motion sometimes
No online-play (but considering SF IV: Volt it may not be a terrible thing!)
