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LOTR: War in the North Heroes behind the scenes video

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have unveiled a new behind-the-scenes video giving a look at the new characters that will be encountered in The Lord of the Rings: War in the North. Members of the Snowblind Studios development team guide you through the video with commentary about Fornost and the story of how Beleram joins the Fellowship of three on their quest to save Middle-earth.

We are also introduced to new characters which featured in J.R.R Tolkein’s books but didn’t have a part in the films, such as Radagast, a Brown Wizard, one of five wizards who had parts in the books but not in the films. It’s good to see him featuring in the game, along with other characters some may not be familiar with like Elrond’s twin sons, Elrohir and Elladan.

The recently introduced Great Eagle, Beleram, is also seen breaking free of his goblin captors with your help to join in the fight, with the trailer showing the part of the game this event takes place.

Supanova 2011 Sydney Day Two Wrap Up

After a hectic Saturday at Supanova, both Ben and I needed more than one coffee/energy drink to keep us alive and functioning for Supanova Day Two. The second day is always less crowded than the first, but with the line of fangirls that rushed in at 10am on the dot (for who else other than Tom Felton?) it may as well have been Day One.

The stalls were still equally as packed, but we managed to chat to a few owners and examine their merchandise in more depth than the first day. We discovered some great independents like Storm Publishing, and also sat in on the Kamehameha contest where a Gengar faced off with a small Goku – and by small, we mean primary school.


Pics or it didn’t happen…? Well, here’s living proof that there is in fact a small child masquerading as Goku.

We also managed to score interviews with Barbara Eden (Jeannie in I Dream of Jeannie), Neil Kaplan (Tychus Findlay in Starcraft II), Dave Nykl (Radek Zelenka in Stargate Atlantis), and Sean Maher (Simon Tamm in Firefly and Serenity). All of our interviews will be made available on the site within the next week.

Us crew will also be putting together a podcast an an overall wrap-up of the event, so check back soon for our full coverage including interviews and photos. You can read about our first day at Supanova here.

Supanova 2011 Sydney Day One Wrap-Up

Every morning when the Supanova Pop Culture Expo is on in Sydney, it smells like convention is in the air. People are up before 9am, everyone is chirpy and chatty on public transport, and – the dead giveaway – Sydney suddenly becomes filled with a lot more Marios, Cloud Strifes, and Ezios than one can care to remember.

From the lines at the event, it was already clear that this year was going to be a big one for Supanova in Sydney. The line not only stretched out past the front of The Dome at Olympic Park, but it curved all the way around…and back again. In fact, the line nearly lapped itself with eager convention-goers, ready to leap in and spend, meet, and mingle as soon as the doors open at 10.

Just one of the stalls filled with awesome merchandise.

Once inside though, that’s where the chaos, mayhem, and fun truly began. Each row was lined with stalls – as every convention is every year – from King’s Comics to Madman, and Magic the Gathering to GAME, and there were plenty of awesome and incredible things to be snagged up, and awesome guests to meet. There were Saints Row 2 bullet shaped USB sticks for $1, games to play like Child of Eden and Just Dance 2, chocobo plushies, Mario toys (way too many Mario toys, honestly), and plenty of free comic books, posters, and trading cards to ease the wallets of us anime and gaming fans.

Tom Felton, Sean Maher, James Marsters, Dan Green and Barbara Eden were just a few of the guests lined up for this event, and each had their own line of fans poised and waiting for photographs and autographs. We managed to score a quick interview with Amy Acker, the actress who plays Dr. Claire Saunders in Dollhouse and Winifried Burkle and Illyria in Angel, which we will put up on the site in a few days time. She was absolutely lovely to speak to and such a talented woman – and for all you guys who want to know, she’s a hottie in real life too!

Wouldn’t this be an awesome bedroom?

There were also plenty of panels with their own unique moments: Dan Green actually got asked which Final Fantasy character he would like to be play, and someone chimed in “Dan, you could be my final fantasy” (and no, I didn’t make that up…it actually happened). There were also hordes and hordes of cosplayers from a diverse range of shows, anime, and games: I saw Kerrigan, Jack Sparrow, about 12 Ezios and Altairs, 4 Wally’s from Where’s Wally, and about a dozen people in Pikachu suits…Oh, and there was a person fully decked out in a Charizard suit. However, they have a reason to dress up: Madman National Cosplay Competition saw the best of characters from around Australia compete for the country’s best cosplay.

Day One was jam-packed full of great events and personalities, and it’s more than likely that Day Two is going to be just as huge. Check back for more coverage on Supanova 2011 in Sydney, and make sure to stay tuned for our interview with Amy Acker coming to you soon!

East West 101 Season Three Review

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama
Director: Peter Andrikidis
Featuring: Don Hany, Susie Porter, Aaron Fa’aoso, Renee Lim, Daniela Farinacci, Matthew Nable
Running Time: 364 minutes
Available for purchase at: Madman Online Store ($34.95)

Overview

When it comes to Australian film and television, I will be the first to admit that the calibre should be higher. I have been countlessly disappointed time and time again by series made Down Under, which I suppose accounts for my lack of trust when it comes to a new Australian show…actually, it’s more surprising to me if a homegrown show is good than if it is bad.

It’s safe to say, then, that my expectations of Australian television are very minimal. Upon initially picking up East West 101, it’s hard to say if I had any expectations other than “I’m not going to enjoy this”. However, whether it was my expectations or the quality of the show itself, I found myself genuinely surprised by this series – in fact, I even found myself enjoying it. From the fast-paced action to a visual style I would not anticipate from a crime show, it seems that East West 101 Season Three has exceeded my expectations in more than one sense.

Plot

If there is one piece of information that sums up East West 101, it’s that it takes a very new stance on a television series which wouldn’t ordinarily be covered in Australian television. From the first season, the show not only deals with issues of crime and terrorism, but also the conflict of religion in a time where Muslims are largely discriminated against around the world.

And so Season Three begins…

In Season Three, there is a 36 million dollar armed robbery that occurs on the road in Sydney. As a result, men wind up dead and, around the same time, there are murders of 17 people in Afghanistan. Who committed the crime and who murdered the people in Afghanistan? Is this the work of terrorists, or is there something more sinister afoot? Are the two, in fact, inextricably linked? The Major Crime Squad investigates this mystery, but while investigating the crime becomes personal for Detective Zane Malik (Don Hany).

I suppose the overarching concept of the series is what threw me off from my “this is terrible Australian television” frame of mind. Australia’s television is often so caught up in the nets of suburbia and in the drama genre (a la Home and Away and Neighbours) that it was surprising to see something that didn’t conform to the moulds of television. Instead, East West 101 Season 3 really deals with the suburban, family side of Australia without compromising action and originality and presented a show that was familiar and fresh at the same time. The show – and this season in particular – deals with the hardships of stereotypes in society as well as the hardships of the home. The other great thing was that anyone could jump straight into the series without any prior knowledge and feel just as taken in by the narrative without any back story. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, with a few tweaks the first episode of Season Three could have been a modified pilot episode.

Characters

The characters in the third season really show a strong amount of personal development – largely due to how close to home the crime ends up becoming. In fact, the title of Season Three – and the name of the first episode in the season – is “The Heroes’ Journey”, which is a clear indicator that the show will deal with the exposure of the man beneath the title of ‘hero’.

Detective Zane Malik…he’s a bit of an intense fellow.

The main character throughout the series is Detective Zane Malik, a Muslim who has overcome conflict within the Major Crime Squad and settled in as a respected detective. He works alongside Inspector Patricia Wright (Susie Porter), Detective Sonny Koa (Aaron Fa’aoso), Detective Helen Callas (Daniela Farinacci), Constable Jung Lim (Renee Lim) and Detective Neil Travis (Matthew Nable). All of the characters, aside from Neil Travis, have been with the show from the beginning and Travis joined in Season Three.

Throughout this season, I’d have to say that Malik grew on me. I’ve often found him to be irritating and slightly bogan – although in Australian television, everyone sounds like a bogan – but as his character grew and developed with the personal circumstances I’d have to say he became more respectable, particularly in this season. However, sometimes I really felt as though Hany’s acting was contrived and slightly too exaggerated at times. Perhaps this was a result of the high focus on emotional drama within his character’s life, but when someone’s screams of anguish sound like a crazy 30-year-old man who just hit his foot, there’s something wrong.

Aside from Malik (and Travis, but he was just irritating overall), I found I actually loved the rest of the characters. Lim was a great comedic relief from some of the tense action, and Wright was really the stand out female character for me: she’s an unwavering voice of reason and Porter’s acting was genuinely believable. With all that being sad, the best character throughout the entire series – and even more so in the third season – is Sonny Koa. He’s like that cool big brother or friend you wish you had; he says very little, but exudes awesomeness and always has your back when you need it, and his character really was expanded upon as he was faced with the confrontation of personal dilemmas within the season.

Visual and Audio

But, no matter how intriguing the plot or how likeable the characters, I’d have to say that the number one standout aspect of East West 101 Season Three is still its visuals. From the very first episode of Season One, the series has established itself as a forerunner for cinematography in Australian police drama, and the visuals in this season are brilliant. There is almost a CSI style of mystery to a lot of the film’s visuals, and the action scenes are littered with fast-paced shots to make up for the lack of budget that the series has. With that being said, the special effects were not as impressive and it was evident that they were just that: effects.

What stunning cinematography…

In terms of soundtrack and audio, I found East West 101 Season Three to be average: nothing bad, but nothing that truly stood out. The sound effects were fine, the soundtrack was fine, and everything was just…fine. Unlike the visual elements, I could find nothing that amazed me in the soundtrack. East West 101 Season Three did, however, manage to mesh up the audio to suit the visual quite nicely, and there were moments of silence that truly rang out and complemented what was happening on screen – in the end, that’s all you can really ask for with audio, especially for a show that focuses more upon its cinematography.

DVD Extras

The DVD comes with a whole 20 minutes of behind the scenes footage…yeah. It’s a let-down. I thought with how visually and narratively rich the footage was throughout the season, there would have been more extras available on DVD to whet the appetite. But alas, to no avail: the ‘behind the scenes’ feature is really just the standard stuff you would expect. There’s nothing to get excited about, but at least SBS threw in something for those who bought the season.

Final Comments

Overall, I’d have to say I was genuinely surprised and impressed by East West 101 Season Three. The series continues its great visual legacy while adding to the wonderful foundations of narrative and character that Season One and Two laid out. East West 101 Season Three is great for both veterans and newbies to the series, and it is definitely worth checking out at least one episode…but chances are, you’ll watch the entire thing, just like me.

I give East West 101 Season Three

8-0-capsules-out-of-10

Wii Play: Motion – Review

Game Name: Wii Play: Motion
Platform(s): Nintendo Wii
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Developer(s): Nintendo
Genre(s): Mini-game Compilation
Release Date: June 13, 2011 (US), June 24, 2011 (EU)
Price: $49.99
BUY NOW!

Since the launch of the Nintendo Wii, we have seen many mini-game compilations come out which have been hit or miss over the past few years. Wii Sports & Sports Resort as well as the original Wii Play have sold exceptionally well due to the bundled format they were presented in which made each a no-brainer for most owners of the console considering the value (and quality) of a package deal. Five years after the launch of the Wii, Nintendo have released Wii Play: Motion, which includes the new WiiMote with the Motion Plus sensor built in as well as the game itself that includes 12 different mini-games that each claim to fully utilize the motion sensor accessory. The question most would have for this new bundle is the quality of the content included. How do these 12 mini-games fare? Here is my review for Wii Play: Motion.

Gameplay
As I mentioned, there are 12 separate games in Wii Play: Motion. The original Wii Play was known for the game “Tanks!”, a title that became a true gem for the collection and included hours of gameplay alone. Sadly, Tanks! is not in this predecessor, but there is still a few gems that can be found within that all present their own clever way of utilizing the Motion Plus controls. One could argue that we have seen it all before when it comes to compilations on the Wii like this, but where Wii Play: Motion sets itself apart is the sheer variety presented. Here is a breakdown on what is inside the package:

Cone Zone
The very first title you will see when booting up Wii Play: Motion is Cone Zone. The object of the game is to balance a large cone while scoops of ice cream are continuously added. When the tower of creamy goodness collapses, your game is over and the total number of scoops are tallied where you are then judged by score. In order to keep the cone balanced, the player must gently move the WiiMote in all directions as the tower of ice cream sways. This may be the most simplistic title on the compilation, but I will admit I enjoyed the concept and the actual game controlled quite well.

Two players can also compete as they stack scoops side by side. This adds a bit more challenge as the other player’s tower can now collide with your own. I felt completely evil smashing my tower into a friends, but seeing the shocked look on that Mii’s face as he sat covered in ice cream was well worth it. After reaching a certain score, “Swirl Mode” is unlocked, which changes up the gameplay formula as scoops are replaced by a swirl of ice cream that pours from the sky. It’s not a huge change, but it does slightly change up the control scheme as the player must focus on catching all of the ice-cream correctly as well as balancing the tower.

Trigger Twist
Trigger Twist was one game on the compilation that took some time to get used to. The objective of this game is to hit various targets such as UFOs, Ninjas, balloons, and several other objects as quickly as possible. While it sounds simple, the control layout is a bit awkward as instead of simply pointing and shooting, the player must literally “twist” the controller to quickly hit an enemy or object on another area of the screen. Waves of targets are presented quickly and while this mechanic works, I found myself a bit uncomfortable constantly trying to aim my reticule in the twisting fashion.

I would consider this game to be a small tribute to Duck Hunt (as there is even a small reference), but with a very unique control scheme. Trigger Twist isn’t bad by any means as the controls do work, but most will tire quickly of this one with the awkward layout presented. Thankfully, there is a bit of a variety with the enemies and settings that add a nice incentive to continue playing until the end.

Treasure Twirl
Imagine your Wiimote is a spool of string with an open box of treasure on the other end, located deep underwater. That is exactly what the game Treasure Twirl is. Gripping the Wiimote, one hand on each end, the player must twist the controller to reel in the box of goodies and balance each line of sting attached to the box by tilting the Wiimote back and forth, preventing the treasure from falling out on the way up. My initial thought on Treasure Twirl was how interesting the control scheme was as I haven’t ever used the WiiMote in this way before.

Two players can cooperatively play the game where the balancing really comes into full play as both players must be in sync as they steadily reel in their load. I didn’t find myself really wanting to go back into Treasure Twirl all that much after I completed the levels as there isn’t a whole lot of actual replay value, but I do think the control concept would be a brilliant addition to future fishing titles on the console.

wii-play-motion-screenshot-03

Star Shuttle
Every compilation has it’s duds, and sadly Star Shuttle was the weakest of this collection. Star Shuttle has the player use the D-pad controls as they steer and accelerate their shuttle to a target while controlling a shuttle with the motion controls. Each shuttle has a small ball at the end which must be inserted into a proper position at the end of a linear path to finish the game. This simplistic concept was quickly made downright aggravating however as the D-Pad controls were overly sensitive, shooting my Mii past the target on more occasions that I’d like to remember. When it comes to mini-games, I feel simplicity is crucial. The control scheme for Star Shuttle just feels a bit off and convoluted though, making my big trip to space a one time experience.

Pose Mii Plus
Pose Mii was included in the original Wii Play, where players had to move the Wiimote to guide their Miis through approaching shapes by changing the position of the controller. Pose Mii Plus takes that same formula, but uses the Motion Plus controls to add a bit more depth to the control layout as Miis can now rotate and twist into different positions. The whole setup works fine, but it just comes off as a bit bland compared to the other titles in this compilation and it doesn’t do much to stand out. Since the first title was actually an nice addition to the first Wii Play, I felt that this successor of sorts would try to do more to enhance the game. Sadly, turning a Wiimote in circles is about all that Pose Mii Plus brings to the table.

wii-play-motion-screenshot-02

Teeter Targets
Take one cup Breakout, one cup Pinball, and add a bit of Nintendo’s charm and you have the recipe for Teeter Targets. As various balls fall to the ground, it is the player’s job to control a wooden teeter-totter by holding both ends of the Wiimote to knock the balls into the air, smashing the targets that fill the screen. The single player game is fun on it’s own, but for those with friends, this is one of the better titles on the compilation as players must try to grab the high score while preventing their balls from landing in the opponent’s area, which turns that ball into their own color and allows them more ammunition to knock out targets.

Flutter Fly
If you hate waggle controls, Flutter Fly is not for you at all. The point of this game is to take control of a fan to blow balloons into a target at the finish while dodging obstacles. How do you do this? Waggling the controller of course. Players must use the Wiimote as a fan and flap the controller in different directions to guide the balloons upward. Much like Trigger Twist, Flutter Fly isn’t a bad or boring entry, it just suffers from an uncomfortable and awkward control scheme, making multiple playthroughs less likely.

wii-play-motion-screenshot-04

Veggie Guardin’
There is no way to describe Veggie Guardin’ other than a Whack-a-mole clone. Prevent moles from grabbing your vegetables by whacking them on the head and avoid smashing innocent Miis along the way. As simple as this title is, I found the idea of a mole wearing a Wii mask to attempt thievery a charming little touch and this was one mini-game that I found myself going back into again and again as the formula works well with the Motion controls.

Jump Park
Ever been to a bouncy castle? Jump Park is like that, but with gems scattered in the air that the player must collect as they control their Mii. There really isn’t a whole lot to say about this addition to the compilation as it is pretty basic and there is very little strategy to actually collect the gems aside from forcefully jumping off walls to be propelled the higher areas.

Wind Runner
Wind Runner has the player take control of a Mii with an umbrella (the umbrella being the controller). As wind blows, players must open their umbrellas up to gain speed while flying off ramps and avoiding obstacles such as sludge that slow down the action. The trick to going faster is to catch the wind at just the right moment, boosting the Mii forward at a lightning pace. This is yet another game that truly shines during multi-player as things heat up quickly and the game becomes a windy race to the finish.

Spooky Search
If I had to have a “runner-up” for the best titles in this compilation, Spooky Search would win that prize hands down. In Spooky search, players are thrown into a haunted mansion where ghosts run rapid. Some of the ghosts are hiding though, which means it is your job to fish them out and catch them in a Ghostbusters like fashion. To do this, players point their WiiMotes off screen and must closely pay attention to the sounds and vibrations coming from the Wiimotes. Frightened Miis on the screen also assist by yelling out directions of where the ghosts are located. Once you have a ghost, it is then your job to press down on the trigger button and pull it onscreen to catch it. Once you have a ghost on screen, the true game begins that consists of using your device to pull at the ghost until it is finally captured. If you ever wondered how Luigi’s Mansion would have worked on the Wii, Spooky Search is a excellent example of what could have been as it shines as one of the most innovative games on the disc.

wii-play-motion-screenshot-08

Skip Skimmer
I saved the best for last. Enjoy skipping stones? You will after this one. Skip Skimmer puts us on the shores of a lake with a few flat stones to throw. The objective is as simple as it sounds. Find a stone, line-up a throw, and toss it into the lake where every skip is counted toward your final score throughout five rounds. As you progress, more stones become available to use for the actual skipping. What makes the extra stones interesting is different abilities they possess. For example, a stone with a dog face will bark upon each skip, until it lets out a whimper as it sinks at the end. A more advanced dolphin stone will perform jumps as it skips throughout the lake, with proper sound effects in tow.

To sweeten the deal, an extra mode is rewarded for a high score that ups the competitiveness with players skipping in front of a crowd. This mode also changes up the gameplay as skips are no longer counted. Instead, players must aim their discs (which replace rocks in this mode) through rings with a giant bullseye waiting at the end. I spent hours with Skip Skimmer as it was additive and quite honestly the most fun I have had with a mini-game in a long time as this title feels like it could honestly go on to be a disc-based release.

Graphics/Audio
The visuals in Wii Play: Motion won’t provide shock and awe for anyone as they look about the same as Wii Sports/Sports Resort with bright colors and shapely textures. Skip Skimmer however stood out from the rest as the details used in the stones and the lake itself were quite impressive for the console and helped make that particular game more relaxing and addictive. Miis do grace us with the presence nearly every game, so if you are someone who prefers a Mii-less experience, you will probably not enjoy our rounded friends over-exposure here. I wasn’t huge on the idea of a Mii controlled game myself, but after playing Wii Play: Motion I think I am finally ready to accept these lovable little avatars as the expressions and personality displayed added a lot more enjoyment to each game.

Music for this title is a bit standard fare as each game plays a few different tunes. Nothing is too memorable but each tune works well enough with each mini-game to give the soundtrack a pass. I must say that hearing a group of Miis scream for their lives in Trigger Twist was a humorous touch and small little flakes of charm with sound effects can be heard throughout. I also would not be judging the audio for this game correctly if I didn’t bring up Spooky Search, as the speaker in the WiiMote proved useful for the game and each sound came out clear and vivid.

Overall
Wii Play: Motion came out a bit late in the game for the Wii as the mini-game compilation concept has been done to death on the console. Interestingly enough, the games found within actually show off the Motion Plus with new and innovative control schemes that very well could open a few doors for what few games the console has left in it’s life cycle. While this compilation doesn’t come without a few mini-games that missed their mark, I honestly feel like Wii Play: Motion may be the strongest bundled offering to date due to the sheer amount of love found in titles such as Skip Skimmer and Spooky Search. Wii Play: Motion’s simplistic, yet fun offerings make this bundle one to pick up for the game itself, rather than just the addition of another controller.

I Give Wii Play: Motion:
8-5-capsules-out-of-10

Gundam TRY AGE revealed!



There has been a lot of Gundam related news lately and that trend looks to be continuing with Bandai announcing a new arcade game called Gundam TRY AGE.

Not much is known about the arcade game at this point other than that it will tie-in with the collectable trading card game. With the cards being used to activate mobile suits within the game.

Several mobile suits have been confirmed playable including AGE-1 Gundam AGE-1 (Furitto Asuno), GN-0000 Gundam 00 (Setsuna F. Seiei), RX-0 Gundam Unicorn (Banagher Links), MS-06S Char’s Zaku II (Char Aznable) and many more.

The arcade game is set to be released this July across Japan.

Modern Warfare 3 Announcement Parody

The Onion News Network is a parody show that takes aim at pop culture and tears it down, in the style of a deadpan news report.

In a recent parody of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 announcement, The Onion News Network did a spoof news report on the games  announcement, apparent realistic war-time experience and even takes a shot at a Wii version of the game.

Modern Warfare 3 is set to be released later this year, so get your pre-orders ready and start planning your 5 minute quick-scope montage videos, COD fans. This one is gonna be huge.

Check out the hilarious parody below.

Dexter Season Six Trailer

We are primarily a gaming website, but as we move forward we will be bringing you more and more pop culture based news as we expand our pop culture section of the site. But don’t fret, we won’t be forgetting about video games, we will just be expanding our horizons into other forms of pop culture, such as television, movies, anime, comics/manga and more.

Dexter is a critically acclaimed television series that follows the life and ‘deaths’ of a serial killer named Dexter. The series has been airing since 2006 on the Showtime channel in the US and will be starting it’s sixth season this September.

The series is a critical success and has received several Emmy nominations, some of which it has won. This season has been announced to feature guest stars; Colin Hanks (son of Tom Hanks), Edward James Olmos and Mos Def. Oh and in case you were wondering, yes Dexter still like’s killing people.

The trailer for the new season has just been released and can be seen below.

Eden Eternal’s Garnet Server Launched

Just after 2 days since it started Open Beta testing, Aeria Games launched the Garnet server on its latest game, Eden Eternal, earlier today. This free-to-play, anime-styled MMORPG opened its third world due to the popular demand for the game. Garnet joins Eden Eternal’s already existing servers, Emerald and Aquamarine, following the game’s gem theme for naming worlds.

Eden Eternal transcends the limitations of a lot of free-to-play MMORPGs in terms of class allocation. You’ll begin the game as either a Warrior or a Magician, and as you progress through the world of magic and fantasy, you’ll be able to unlock up to 15 unique classes, three of which are still to be released in the coming months. This means that you’ll be able to change your class to any other one you have already unlocked, at any given time!

Now, after slashing some foes with an axe as a Warrior or causing some magical mayhem as a Magician, you feel like jumping into the shoes of childhood hero, Robin Hood? Become a Hunter then – after unlocking it of course. Turns out the bow and arrow ain’t your forte and you’d like to try your hands on some healing and buffing magic? Become a Cleric! Still unsatisfied? Then try any of the other classes in the vibrant and colourful world of Eden Eternal until you find the right one, the one that best suits you!

Lastly, all players who reach Level 30 in Eden Eternal before July 1 will have a chance to win 1 000 000 Aeria Points that you can use in any of Aeria Games’ MMO games. So check out the video below to take a peek of what awaits you in Eden Eternal and start playing for your chance to win!

Saint Seiya game coming to PS3

Saint Seiya is one of the most critically acclaimed anime franchise’s worldwide. Although it has a much smaller fan-base in the western countries it still maintains a rapid community of fans.

Bandai Namco games, have announced a new Saint Sieya game to be released this autumn in Japan for the Playstation 3. Bandai Namco describes it as a “cinematic melee action combat” game. Perhaps it will be an action game in the same style as Bleach Soul Resurreccion also for the PS3. It is unknown whether the game will make it to western shores.

The game is titled ‘Saint Seiya Senki’ and will be set during the Hades – Chapter Sanctuary story arc. It will feature characters such as Pegasus Seiya, Dragon Shirou, Cygnus Hyoga, Andromeda Shun and many more.

It’s not a coincidence that the release of this game ties in with the franchises 25th anniversary. Along-side the game a new Saint Seiya movie has been confirmed to also be released to commemorate the anniversary of Saint Seiya.

A trailer for the upcoming 25th Anniversary movie can be found below. Unfortunately no footage of Saint Seiya Senki for the PS3 has been revealed.