Capcom have unveiled a trailer for Devil May Cry at E3. Simply called Devil May Cry, or DmC as it is sometimes known as, it marks a change of direction which has caused a divide among fans, such as Dante’s new look and style.
Despite being the first externally developed game in the series, in development at Ninja Theory, it looks to still have retained its core values with the same stylish hack and slash gameplay you’d expect to see. The trailer also makes it clear that the gameplay shown is ‘work in progress’ but it’s not looking too bad for a game still classed as a prototype.
These are the questions that we all have about the Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary edition.
Q. What engine is it running on?
A. This game actually uses 2 engines in singleplayer. The game uses the original engine for the gameplay. Simply pressing a button, you’ll be able to switch between the remastered graphics and the old graphics that Halo originally used. However, all the physics from the game will be the same as the ones you were used to in Halo: Combat Evolved.
Q. What about multiplayer?
A. Multiplayer uses the Halo Reach engine only. Those playing multiplayer in this edition will only be able to play seven remastered maps, taken from the original game, but also including a new Firefight map. This multiplayer will be entirely separate from Reach, although there will be a code to allow you to import these maps into Reach.
Q. God pistols?
A. No details have yet emerged about whether the weapons from the original game will make another appearance in multiplayer. Depending on viewpoints, these weapons could either wreck Reach if put into the game, or, if taken out of Anniversary, ruin precious memories.
All Frank O’ Connor was that they intend to “respect the classic experience.” Expect more info at PAX.
Hopefully, we will learn about Halo 2, achievements and more there too. What are your questions about this special edition?
Nordic Games Publishing has today announced We Sing Pop! a brand new addition to the We Sing range of games for Wii it will feature 40 of the greatest pop tracks around.
We Sing Pop! will be available in Europe and the US on Wii and will feature pop hits spanning four decades. The look and feel of the game will also replicate a real ‘pop’ vibe.
This news comes soon after the revelation of We Sing UK Hits from Nordic Games Publishing, only We Sing Pop! will be open to a much greater audience and will also give a more general overview of pop music, rather than the other game’s Brit-focused approach.
Nordic Games has also announced We Sing Rock!, featuring four decades of classic rock tracks and We Sing UK Hits, offering the best of British music spanning an incredible six decades of music, and We Sing America (exclusive to the US audience).
During the Nintendo press conference at E3 2001, Nintendo showcased a reel of gameplay footage from various third party developers. This reel included a graphically compelling title, called Metro: Last Light.
As anybody familiar with gaming will know, Metro 2033 was heralded as a highly entertaining shooter that was also graphically pushing, especially on the PC with the Ultra settings. While it’s likely that we wont be getting an ultra-high detail version on the Wii-U, we’ll definitely be getting a version that competes graphically with a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 title. We’re hoping that this title is as epic as the last game was and that it continues the story and updates the lore nicely.
Lets us know what you think in the comments below.
Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. At Nintendo’s big press conference at E3, Iwata announced that a new Super Smash Bros. title is currently in development for both the Nintendo 3DS and the newly announce Nintendo Wii U. Iwata also mentioned that both games would have interactivity “is some fashion”.
As of right now, nothing else is known as the Nintendo President mentioned he wouldn’t go into further detail at the moment as the game is still in a very early stage. Personally, I thought that half of what made Brawl special was waiting and sitting glued to the computer screen with the Super Smash Bros. Dojo website up as new items, arenas, and characters were revealed along the way. Let the countdown begin!
A few years ago now, Microsoft released their official Steering wheel controller around the time of the release of Forza Motorsport 2. Now Major Nelson, on behald of Microsoft for E3, has revealed this latest peripheral for this wireless day and age: the Xbox 360 Wireless Speed Wheel.
Launching in early October, the Wireless Speed Wheel is totally wireless and controls naturally as you would expect with precise steering, standard controller buttons/triggers, and haptic feedback with rumble. The triggers act as the accelerator/brake, eliminating the need for pedals, which in some respects is a shame as I won’t give that entirely authentic feel, but doing so removes the excess wires/wireless connections needed for a separate pedals device.
The Wireless Speed Wheel is compatible with all racing games that feature steering wheel support and will go on sale for (US)$59.99 later this year.
After unveiling their full line-up which included a surprisingly low price-tag for the Playstation Vita, Sony’s Press Conference has came and gone at this year’s E3. This was a year of redemption for Sony, and while it is still to soon to call just how they fared out of the “big three”, we did see some incredible premieres last night and those who attended got to see many of those in 3D.
MasterAbbott & Travis were in attendance for all the madness and captured the event frame by frame. Join us as we look over the highlights of Sony’s big event and all of the announcements that unfolded.
MasterAbbott & Travis pose with Drake & Elena during the Sony Pre-show
Preparing for the 3D Festivities
Jack Tretton takes Center Stage in a Bubble
An exciting Uncharted 3 Gameplay Demo is shown to kick-start the evening
Sony Confirms stereoscopic 3D & Move support for Resistance 3…
..and a nice 3D bundle that will launch for $499.99.
Kobe joins in to promote the now Move compatible NBA 2K12
Ken Levine announces Move Support for Bioshock Infinite
Introducing The PSVita…
…with Street Fighter X Tekken headed to the handheld’s line-up!
Cole’s cameo shocks everyone…
as does the price chart for the Vita.
Yoshi & MasterAbbott pose with Blanka
I haven’t quite figured out who this is, but obviously we know who snapped it 😉
Quite an event with a lot to talk about. I would say Sony have did a great job this year in simply showing that they are not going to let bad situations stop business from happening. Judging by the low price-tag on the Vita, it appears they are ready to take on Nintendo’s handheld reign once and for all as well.
You can view the full gallery below and let us know what you thought about the announcements made in the comments section below.
Upcoming game Darksiders, which was previously announced for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC is now coming to the latest console revelaed by Nintendo, the Wii U.
Darksiders is a well known game that has a Zelda like gameplay with a much darker tone and a more modern setting. The sequel looks like a really fun addition and, most importantly, it looks as good as the origianl and it looks competitive to the other consoles that it is appearing on. The title was announced alongside the Wii U in Nintendo’s e3 Press Conference that just finished a few moments ago.
About Darksiders II
Awakened by the End of Days, Death, the most feared of the legendary Four Horsemen, embarks upon a quest to restore mankind, and redeem his brother’s name. Along the way, the Horseman discovers that there are far worse things than an earthly Apocalypse, and that an ancient grudge may threaten all of Creation . . . Can DEATH really become mankind’s savior? The original Darksiders, released in January 2010, received critical acclaim including the Best Fantasy Game 2010 award from IGN. Darksiders followed the story of WAR, wrongly accused of starting the apocalypse, on a quest to reclaim lost honor and take revenge on those who wronged him.
Nintendo, in what was easily the greatest press conference in all of E3, revealed their latest console! This console is creatively titled the ‘Wii U’ and appears to be such an amazing device.
Imagine this: You’re playing Super Smash Bros. on your TV and suddenly some douche changes the channel on you. With the flick of a button, or maybe even less, you can continue playing on the screen that the controller has built into it. Along with the controller interface reveal came many different other functions, such as touch screen compatibility as well as some of the ways these features can be utilised. There was a Ninja game where players could use the touch screen on the controller to throw stars onto the game on the tv. Another awesome feature was that showcased was that you could have one player in multiplayer play on the controller and then have 4 other players utilise the split screen on the television unit. The controller also utilises gyroscopes, dual analogue controls, cameras and the like.
Previously, video games played on a home console have been confined to the TV and offered identical viewpoints to each player in a multiplayer environment. Furthermore, watching TV and playing console games have been completely separate experiences. The new controller removes these boundaries, creating a more dynamic and fluid gaming and entertainment experience. Visitors to the E3 Expo will see firsthand the type of gaming experiences made possible by Wii U and the new controller such as:
In single-player games:
The new controller can display information on its screen that does not appear on the TV.
The information and viewpoint can also change in the new controller based on the orientation of its gyroscope.
In multiplayer games:
The player using the new controller can have a different experience than those looking at the TV. This will offer a wide variety of competitive and cooperative opportunities.
Nintendo also showcased a demo reel of the possibilities of titles that would be available with third party developers. These included many highlights, such as Darksiders 2, Arkham City and a really graphically impressive Alien game (I mean really impressive, you would not have thought that it was on a Nintendo Console). The console will also host first-party games as well as being backwards compatible with the Wii and its accessories.
This console is already making the creative part of my mind go crazy, there are so many possibilities, so many features, so many announcements! I know it’s sometimes unprofessional to put your own bias into a news article, but in this case, it cannot be helped. We also believe the console will be released around December – February 2011, 2012 respectively.
Chobits Collection Published by: Madman Entertainment (Australia), Funimation (United States) Platform: Blu Ray (Reviewed) Genre: Romantic Comedy, Science Fiction Audio: English and Japanese dubs Subtitles: English Classification: M15+ for sexual references and low level violence. Runtime: 675 minutes 24 Episodes Cost: $59.95 BUY NOW!
Overview
Based upon the popular CLAMP manga, Chobits was originally broadcast in 2001, winning over the hearts of many anime fans. The mix of the romantic comedy and science fiction genres blended naturally within the series. Set within the same universe as the anime Angelic Layer, Chobits explores and branches off many of the same themes of humans and their relationships with electronic devices simulating humans. Chobits Collection takes all 24 episodes and remasters them in HD for Blu Ray, as well as throwing in a bunch of special features. If your already a fan of the series this is already a must-buy, and is a delight to watch, although it may not suit everybody’s tastes.
Presentation & Special Features
Chobits Collection keeps in theme of the digital era throughout, with a logo shaped like a button that is constantly being clicked and menu’s font looking like it was ripped straight out of an Atari console, and it works beautifully. The 180i HD remaster looks wonderful and the series has never looked better, and with the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack, the series has never sounded better either. Admitted though, its not by much Special features include a wide range or previews, trailers and textless openings and closings as usually expected, with a few chats with creators involved which should satisfy many fans. The only complaint I can think of is the inclusion of trailers before being able to access the opening menu. While Chobits Collection isn’t the first blu ray or DVD to do this, its quite annoying and could’ve easily been put under special features. Regardless, presentation is wonderful, and the special features are satisfying.
Story & Characters
Chobits follows 19 year old Hideki Motosuwa, an american exchange student in Japan living in an alternate present day. In this world we have computers known as Persocoms that can look like toy figures, animals, and yep you guessed it-humans! Hideki one day stumbles upon a rather ‘cute’ one which can only say the word ‘Chi’, so he decides to name her that. Yeah, much like you would a Pokemon or like that character ‘Nyu’ from Elfen Lied. Chi of coarse is custom built, and just happens to have recently crashed and is without an Operating System. For some reason she has a unique learning program installed and must learn everything from scratch like a baby again. Meanwhile Hideki must solve the mystery behind what happened to her, try and do well in a foreign school, pay the rent and his bills while trying not to fall in love with a computer. If I don’t seem so over enthusiastic about explaining the basis of the plot, it’s because it’s a very common theme in both anime and science fiction. But don’t get me wrong, the theme is explored nicely, with an interesting story, loveable characters and decent humour that it can easily keep you entertained episode after episode, and while it may seem at first to be quite simple and childish, it’s adult themes and surprisingly deep complexity and attention to detail will intrigue you through to the final episode.
However it’s not the plot which is the main focus in the story of Chobits, but rather character development. The relationship between the undeniably cute and clueless Chi and her owner Hideki grows in strength with every episode through the use of humour; the majority of which is situational comedy, often based on Hideki not being able to talk to girls and Chi trying to understand the ways society works. The cast while strong, I feel the weakest character in the series to be the protagonist Hideki in which that drives the story, although Im sure many will disagree. Hideki is virgin, and Im sure his personality is meant to appeal to the female side of the audience as much of the humour of the show is based on how he is shy and embarrassed around girls which he finds attractive. Im sure he’s meant to be seen as cute, but I just see him as such a scardy-cat it frustrates me. While there were moments that made me chuckle, I found some of the gags to be a little bit overdone and occasionally silly because of Hideki’s overreacting, making me feel slightly less able to relate to the character. The humour based around Chi trying to understand the ways of living in society I found a lot more humorous, as well as interesting to see how she perceives particular simple aspects of life. Another main focus is the ‘will they or won’t they’ relationship Chi shares with Hideki, and it pushes the story forward and keeps things engaging. In scenes where he is outside the apartment investigating the mysterious past of Chi, suspense and strong plot points drives the story and creates quite a thrill whilst also going hand in hand with the idea of exploring the world of Persocoms, which actually goes quite surprisingly deep. This is where characters such as Hiromu and his persocom Sumomo, as well Minoru and his persocom Yuzuki come into play, as they always give insight to the world of persocoms making their screentime always full of intrigue as being among the highlights of each episode.
Chobits collection is an exciting story told in an interesting setting. It’s warm characters and atmosphere are inviting, and the character development is engaging. The slight hints of romance will have the audience wanting more, and the comedy while sometimes hit and miss, never fails at still finding a way to charm itself into the overall atmosphere of the series. Furthermore, the themes of humanity vs machine come into play at times and can be quite entertaining. However, the series isn’t flawless. At times it feels that Chobits doesn’t really know the target audience it’s trying to appeal to. One episode will be light hearted comedy and socialising that could be suitable for children, while the next episode may be quite mature revolving around humour based on pornography or sexual innuendoes. One episode may be adventurous and thrilling which would appeal to young males, the next may be about trying to find ones true love and soul mate which may seem a tad girly. It can be a little confusing at times. Furthermore some of the sexual innuendoes can be overwhelming at times, and surrounding a clueless, vulnerable, attractive and young female lead it can feel a little perverted and creepy on occasion, especially through the eyes of a western audience. Also in later episodes when Chi becomes more and more self aware of her identity and past, the series takes an unexpected turn which in some ways changes the feel of the series for better or worse. With all this in mind however, Chobits Collection is still very entertaining, and really is one of those anime’s that grow on you the more you watch it. What begins as what seems to be a series of unrelated light-hearted episodes to chuckle along to quickly turns into a roller coaster of emotions and thrills, while mixing to two most important aspects of an anime plot: a community-based setting that allows character development to expand and engage, and a captivating adventure filled with thrills and plot twists.
Audio & Visual
Chobits Collection now displays the Chobits series in 180i High Definition and it’s sound in Dolby TrueHD and while it does improve the original quality, it isn’t all that noticeable. Audio also contains both English and Japanese dubs and English subtitles. Both character and background designs looks great and are all of the same standard. Nothing seems overdone or too exaggerated, as well as containing smooth and fluent animation. The small cast of characters really helps each person stand out and become noticeable, which places a nice focus on each character. The soundtrack works well for the most part, containing a slight retro feel to it. For all those interested, the opening and closing themes are quite catchy, and the opening theme ‘Let me be with You’ by Round Table, featuring Nino is pretty damn good and must be mentioned. You’ll find yourself singing along after just a couple of episodes!
Overall
Chobits Collection is obviously a must have for any fans of the series, but it’s easy to recommend to any fan of anime. While appearing at first to be a simple romantic comedy set in a sci fi universe, the depth of Chobits is delightful, exploring a vast world of how these humanoid computers function and experience life, with loveable characters development strengthening with each episode. While many of the more humorous episodes do seem more like ‘fillers’ they do help the audience become more emotionally attached to the characters, while the episodes that are more plot-driven are very thrilling and filled with many twists and turns keeping you on edge. However the constant switching between mature themes to exaggerated almost childish comedy can seem a bit mixed at times and out of place, and may take some getting used to as it does seem unexpected. Regardless, Chobits Collection is still very enjoyable and is easy to recommend to anime fans looking for an anime based on long-term character development, suspense and discovery, rather than the type of anime that’ll have the world saved in one episode from an evil space monster by a flying, laser beam shooting martial artist.
