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Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy Review

March 28, 2011

Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy
Publisher & Developer: Square Enix
Platform: PlayStation Portable (Reviewed)
Release Date: March 22nd 2011
Price: $29.99 US, £34.99 UK, $69.99 AUS

Overview:
Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy is already a pretty hefty title nowadays when some games only end up getting one maybe two word titles. But that isn’t what sets this title apart of course, what sets it apart is the fact that the Dissidia series brings together characters from every single Final Fantasy game and the fact that they are all at your fingertips to do battle with one another. Now it’s been a year and a half since the first Dissidia was released, does Dissidia 012 shine a new light on the series?

Story:
Characters from every Final Fantasy game sounds like a great idea at first. The only problem is how to tie every character together in a meaningful way. Unfortunately that is something where Dissidia 012 falls short at. Dissidia 012 is a prequel to the original Dissidia and begins with one of the newly added characters and most recent addition to the Final Fantasy series Lightning and her group as they join the side of Cosmos. The mission of the Cosmos fighter is to do battle against the fighters assembled by Chaos whom are also a collection of Final Fantasy characters.

The story is told through a number of cutscenes which involve the characters talking to one another or preparing to enter battle with one another. With so many different characters drawn together to the battleground there really isn’t a whole lot of story to go on. Sure there is actually a long story that happens throughout the game and Final Fantasy fans will be interested to see various interactions between the characters but unfortunately the story doesn’t have enough structure to hold up the little weight it has.

The storyline is very thin and at best it can be seen as something simply to place the characters in a situation together without having to say it was done strictly to see who could defeat who. Practically nothing that happens in the storyline is worth mentioning and often the conversations that the characters have with one another can be seen as idle talk between battles with little redeeming value.

Graphics:
Ignoring the storyline, Dissidia 012 has nothing to be ashamed of as far as looks are concerned. The graphics are simply fantastic especially for a title on the PSP. The overworld is suiting for the most part with enough detail to show which each place is and have various structures and environments the players can walk through but the true gem are the characters and battlegrounds.

Every character, even the old ones which used to be nothing more than a bunch of pixels placed together have been fully upgraded to polygonal beauty. Some may be worried initially that the downgrade of Lightning, whom has taken the stage on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 before would take a major hit after being placed on the PSP but surprisingly still looks impressive and matches the rest of the characters perfectly.

The fighting animations are top notch despite some of the action going on at times. The battlegrounds themselves are great to look at and have destructible environments which are certainly a highlight when your fighter crashes through a pillar to take down the enemy. The stages on the other hand don’t have a whole lot of variety which is a minus as many bare distinct similarities with one another.

Also it is worth noting that the camera has not improved much since the previous game. There are a number of times in the more confining areas that the camera begins to perform badly and struggle to show the action happening on screen. Also it means that there are times you will be beaten around and thrown across the screen without any idea what actually happened to you or any chance to stop it because of camera obtrusions.

Audio:
Without a doubt a game that has a roster spanning every Final Fantasy means that the soundtrack would be superb and Dissidia 012 doesn’t disappoint. Some of the best songs from each Final Fantasy game are included and can be chosen between as you wait for the game to load up the battle sequence. Considering the fact that Final Fantasy games have an impressive musical score to draw from this means you have your pick of great music.

As for the characters themselves their voices, if they had them, are as memorable as anyone can remember. The actors performing the voice work do a great job to voice each character despite the disappointing dialogue they had to work with in the storyline.

Gameplay:
Now anyone who has touched the first Dissidia game will immediately find one of the more significant changes to the game as a whole and that is the overworld. For the most part players will still navigate between areas and story battles through a grid system but rather than jumping around the grid between battles you will traverse the overworld instead. In the end this may have just appeared to be a feature added to help flesh out the story mode but regardless of that it still is a nice addition overall.

The overworld will feature Moogle Shops and treasure chests that the player can acquire items from and use on their characters to help strengthen them. Random battles also occur on the overworld in the form of manikins as well as shining lights that allow the player to use special chain skills in the battle grid and achieve more rewards from their consecutive fights.

Also something added to the game’s story mode and battle grid is the Party Battle feature. As the player advances through the storyline they will of course run into enemies that are in groups and will want to fight as a team. This means that players will do battle with the other teams’ party and defeat them in order to advance. This is done by either having the player fight fighter against fighter with the next fight featuring two different fighters or having the player use the same character until it is defeated and then switching to the next fighter in their party. This is a nice addition which helps emphasize the fact that there is a lot of action going on. Nothing feels overly forced upon the player and a helpful tutorial is there when needed to introduce the player to the fighting mechanics if they are new to the game.

The fighting is of course where the money is in Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy. The meat if you will. Players do battle on an open field where they can either choose Action or RPG style battles. In RPG battles players will fight according to instructions given by the player but mostly control themselves. The real fun however is the action battle. Players have complete control of their character and are able to dash through the air, run up and down walls, slide on rails and of course simply charge towards the enemy.

Combat is performed through two separate numbers which show the player’s hit and bravery points. Hit points are of course self-explanatory and the first fighter to drop the other’s point value to zero wins. But what is unique with the Dissidia series and remains true in Dissida 012 are the bravery points. The bravery points have two different meanings. One they are meant to show how much damage a player can do to the other player’s HP by using one of six customizable HP damaging attacks, and also show the fighter’s overall defense.

The direct objective of every battle is to lower your opponent’s bravery counter by hitting them with one of six also customizable bravery attacks which will not only lower their bravery amount but raise your own. When a fighter is brought to a Bravery Break, meaning zero bravery, the fighter who caused the break will be able to perform devastating HP attacks and can at times drop the opponent’s health significantly with one blow.

Also returning are the EX attacks which are special moves that every character in the game has that is unique to them. When a player does damage to an enemy or receives their own, small blue orbs appear in the air and whoever gathers these orbs will raise their EX Gauge and a full gauge allows the fighter to enter the EX mode and possibly perform a devastating EX Attack which is visually impressive and can turn the tide of a battle. Players can also use EX Mode to reverse their misfortune by activating it on the defensive, called Ex Revenge. Ex Revenge deals heavy damage to the enemy while stopping them from pounding you into the nearest wall.

A lesser but noticeable new addition is also the inclusion of an Assist meter which allows fighters to have an assistant jump into battle and perform a certain skill/attack to help out the fighter they are assisting. The Assist meter is filled by landing consecutive attacks on the enemy which means if you do manage to gain the ability to call in your assistant it is a tactical choice. There is also an Assist Break which occurs when your assistant is attacked in battle and locks them from entering for a moment. A handy feature of the assist option is the EX Break ability which means Assist characters can be called in to stop the enemy if they are in EX Mode and steal bravery points from the enemy and adds them to the player’s total which furthers the tactical advantage of having an Assist character waiting in the wings.

If all of this sounds confusing it can be at times but the learning curve is actually not as steep as it seems. Through being able to do one on one battles with fully customizable characters you can easily train your fighting abilities without worrying too much about the outcome. There are also countless items to unlock and to purchase from the store, whether it be additional playable characters, costumes, stages to fight on or even experience boosters to level your characters there are tons of things to do and plenty of options outside of story mode.

Overall:
Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy may not have the best story around but honestly the title features so much more beyond the storyline itself that you will be hard pressed to put it down. With almost a never ending stream of unlockable content, impressive graphics and the enjoyable fighting mode Dissidia 012 is certainly the game for anyone looking for an in-depth fighting game on the PSP. Also if you are a fan of Final Fantasy then you will certainly be pleased with the new character additions to the roster to flesh out the already impressive roster.

I give Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy

_{A review copy of this title was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes.}

What are we playing this week?

Kelly Teng

March 28, 2011

As usual, it’s been a hectic week in gaming for the Capsules crew – Yakuza 4 was a popular game as was Crysis 2 (but what did you expect?). Check out what else ate away at our time this week, and don’t forget to tell us what you’re playing!

Editor-in-chief: MasterAbbott

This week was a busy one for MasterAbbott.. I started off playing Yakuza 4. Absolutely love that game – every time I play it, I feel like I’m in Japan walking through the streets, checking out the local stores, eating some Ramen in the noodle shops, getting into fights and slapping the taste out of some street punks then making my way to a Hostess Bar and singing the night away in a Karaoke bar !! YEAH BABY !! That’s the life!

Apart from that, been playing some more Double Dragon on the iPhone (Did I mention? I LOVE THAT GAME!). I also got stuck into ATARI’s recent arcade release Ghostbuster Sanctum of Slime (review here) not a bad game but the comic book sections between the missions was a little annoying as I had to read them… come on man I read enough during the day when I play a game I want someone else to read stuff for me. Apart from that the action is fast and furious, you get to play with four new recruits as the original Ghostbusters sit back at head office eating pizza and playing video games. Not a bad life get the newbs to do the work while you reap the rewards.

During the week I got to watch Ben (Link) and Michael play Child Of Eden on the Xbox 360 Kinect (check our preview here) over at the UBISOFT Offices in Sydney, and I totally fell in love with it. It’s AMAZING, ITS BEAUTIFUL, ITS VISUALLY STUNNING and so many other things as well. I would urge you all to get this game once it comes out. It’s simple to play but hard to master, director Tetsuya Mizuguchi-San has done an amazing job with this game from the music to the simple gameplay mechanics.

I’ve also stated played Gameloft’s Legend of Zelda/Fable clone: Sacred Odyssey: Rise Of Ayden. It’s on special at the moment (pick it up here, and check out our preview for the game here). If you’re into those action/adventure games like Zelda or Fable, Sacred Odyssey is right up your alley. It’s simple to play and has a great story with a truck load of quests to complete.

I also mentioned last week I was going to get an Apple iPad2 and do all that wacky stuff like tether it with my iPhone, but I wasn’t going to wait in line for 4 hours like an idiot to get one. So I’ll have to wait till the Apple store get more in, hopefully in the next week. But what I’m looking forward to picking up this Thursday is the new Nintendo 3DS. Yes I know it’s already out in JAPAN and will be released in the US on Sunday (Hate living in Australia – we are always the last to get everything) but this is something I’m not going to miss out on. If I have to wait in line like an idiot for 10 hours I’ll do it 😉

Senior Editor: Travis Bruno

I started out my week spending a majority of my time playing Ar Tonelico Qoga but since I ended up getting Yakuza 4 and Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy in the mail both of those have definitely taken up the rest of my time. Considering the long name Dissidia 012 has plenty of content to go along with it but unfortunately the storyline is lacklustre. Be prepared to see both my review of Dissidia 012 and Yakuza 4 on the site shortly. Besides playing what I have to review, I’ve still been dabbling with Koihime Musou and have yet to complete all of the different routes despite the game’s simplicity. Managed to get my hands on Crysis 2 but haven’t really been able to commit a lot of time to it yet so I know that it will be one of the titles I’ll be working on this upcoming week as well. Still a pretty varied week overall for me.

Senior Editor: Jed Bradshaw

I have been playing Barista for most of this week, but I also had time to go get Crysis 2 on the day of release and review it (check it out here). Luckily, this saved me from a lot of tedium, and injected my life with a bit of badass. Yeah!

Crysis 2 is a fantastic game that is engrossing, filled with great characters and sweeeeeeet gameplay. Who doesn’t want a nanosuit with awesome powers? The nanosuit allows you to sneak around while invisible, armor yourself against grendaes and jump like a, uh, jackrabbit? Maybe kangaroo? I’m not sure, but you can jump pretty high. Complemented with a high adrenaline story, this sets the bar for FPS games.

I have also been playing Pix’N Love Rush for PSP Minis – expect a review soon. I can’t wait until next week, as I will finally be playing through my backlog.

Editor: Ben Webb

This week I have been playing Dragon Age 2, Rift and a tonne of Quakelive.

As our readers may be aware, I recently put up the review to Rift which details the game and what to expect from it.

In regards to Dragon Age 2: I have been playing the PC version and am thoroughly enjoying it. I went into it expecting it to be quite console-ised, but was quite surprised when it felt just as a PC game should.

And lastly, QuakeLive: I’ve been playing this game for roughly two years now and have steadily been getting better at it. I frequently come first or second on any team that I am placed on and am generally within the top 3 players in the whole match. Though, lately I feel as though I’ve started lose some of my skill, or I’m starting to cap on my abilities. Regardless, I’m skilled but am humble enough to admit that there are players out there that simply eclipse my skill.

Editor: Jack Joly

I’ve mainly been playing the Xbox 360 this week, with a number of titles getting their share of the action. Of course I was playing Yoostar 2 on Xbox 360 Kinect before writing up a review. It is an absolutely hilarious game to play for a couple of evening’s amusement, but soon you’ll lose interest and parts of it aren’t very well thought-out. As well as this, I played Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2, an over-the-top beat ’em up which is fairly average, and some XBLA games have had some playtime this week, namely Full House Poker and Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime. Full House Poker is an excellent casual game when you fancy chatting with some mates and throwing down some chips, whereas the less said about Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime the better. In my experience with the game so far, there was a lot of bugs that need to be ironed out to make it enjoyable.

Editor: Michael Irving

I told myself I wouldn’t get into Pokémon Black, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to help it. As with each generation before it, I’m now hooked. Conveniently, there’s a lot of train travel in my routine lately, so I have plenty of time to hunt down and imprison the next 150 critters.

But this week that had to compete for my travel playing time with the new Angry Birds Rio, which I blame Phil for getting me into. But at least I can justify my quest to get three stars on each level as “research” for my review.

During the infrequent times I get to spend time at home, I’m into the online multiplayer for Left 4 Dead 2 at the moment. I love the Versus mode, trying to determine the best techniques and places for each Infected character’s abilities, and the co-ordination required for both teams. I find it’s much more dynamic than your usual team-based shooter. Teamwork is not just a strategy – it’s the only option.

Editor: Kelly Teng

This week I’ve been dabbling more in DVDs than I have in games. I had a pile of Madman DVDs lined up (AvN, A Town Called Panic, IP Man: The Legend is Born) to watch and review so that was my first priority. Other than that, I’ve been going a bit old school and playing some Heroes of Might and Magic IV. When I saw the Collector’s Edition for Might and Magic: Heroes VI had been announced, I immediately started playing the old ones again to remind myself of how awesome the series is. I hope Heroes VI will update the graphics a bit, but other than that the game is still great. I’m also still running around in Mass Effect 2, and debating whether or not to buy a Nintendo 3DS when it launches in Australia this Thursday.

Who is Elsa Lichtmann ?

News

Philip Federico

March 28, 2011

Well let us be the first to tell you. Introducing the glamorous Elsa Lichtmann – sultry siren of the jazz lounge, The Blue Room in L.A. Noire.

This beautiful German expat has previously been seen in screens from Rockstars recent feature on the High Life of Los Angeles, 1947 and their behind the scenes Production Design feature on her character design, costuming and wardrobe.

If your interested, why not download the brand new official artwork as a downloadable desktop, Twitter background, avatar or buddy icon from the Downloads section of both the L.A. Noire site and the Rockstar site.

Pix’N Love Rush Review

J. Bradshaw

March 28, 2011

Game: Pix’N Love Rush
Genre: Platformer
Price: $2.50
Consoles: iPhone, iPad and PSP (Reviewed)
Publisher/Developer: Bulkypix/ Pastagames & Sanuk Games
Try the game on iPhone here.

Pix’N Love Rush has been a popular game on the iPhone. The cutesy main character and addictive game play has made it an instant hit, and now it has been transferred to the PSP, with even more features and game modes. Since this game has already proven its worth on the App store, and since Sanuk Games, Pastagames & Bulkypix have merely just added more great modes to this game, it is not hard to quickly realize that this PSP Mini is a great game and a natural continuation of the franchise.

Pix’N Love Rush is a rather simple game and is self described as “All you love in classic Jump & Run games stuffed into 5 minute sessions where your heartbeat will not resist the Rush!” If your a lover of Sonic games or other classic platformers, you will most likely feel very at home playing this game, not to mention that the game is just super fun. All 3 modes of play offer different game play opportunities, are challenging and will keep you playing for hours.

The first mode you’ll come across is the original game. Basically, the entire premise of the game is try to go as far as possible in 5 minutes, while also collecting as many points as you can. To accomplish this, there are items to collect that will grant you bonus scores. However, there are also items that will take away valuable points and seconds. In addition, bumping these undesirable collectibles will shoot your multiplier to zero. Jumping up and down across widely scattered platforms is the only possible way to grab these valuable (or not so valuable) treasures. Of course, things still aren’t so simple. Enemies can also obstruct your way, but you can take care these bad boys quite easily. Simply press the Square button to shoot pellets out of your mouth like a Howitzer, and when these bullets come crashing down, the baddies burst into those oh so addictive points that rack up the score. An infinite mode is also included, and this mode is exactly like it sounds. The graphical style in this classic mode is based on rainbow colors, but when you collect a bonus run (running over a string of “Plus” signs) the graphics change to neon colors, with Aurora borealis patterns dancing in the area behind you. If you manage to get another bonus run, then the graphics change AGAIN! Get another bonus, and the again, the graphics change. Woo HOO!

“Cursed” is the second re-imagining of the game. In this game play type, there are 5 levels of difficulty, from Hard to Hardcorest. Yup, there is no easy mode, but this is easily the most fun of the 3 options. The goal is to go as far as possible while jumping across to smaller and smaller scaffolding as the background races by. Eventually, the platforms are so small that it is nearly impossible to play unless you have science fiction-like reflexes and eyesight. It starts out pretty easy, but it does it get super difficult later on. Although it is just straight platforming, I found this simple game type the best and most addicting of them all. In this cursed environment, the graphics are black and white; they remind me of old black and white cartoons.

The final way to play the game is called On/Off mode. Run through the level in daylight to collect the Suns. Once you get to the end of the stage, you will automatically turn around and it will magically turn into Night time. On this run, your mission is to snatch up the half Moons. If, on either run through, you accidentally snag the opposite of the what your going for, expect a drop in score and a nasty red X to show up. A puzzle version of On/Off mode is also included. In this version, your mission is also to grab every Sun and Moon, but this time the platforms are much harder to reach and the timer is much less restrictive. This mode is new to the game for the PSP.

For less than 5 dollars, there are hardly any reasons not to recommend this game. In fact, there are only 3 faults with the game. The first is that you can get the iPhone game for only $1. It seems a little jacked up that the PSP Mini costs $1.50 more. The other problem with the game is that the loading times are pretty long, even when you just want to retry the level. Re-spawn times are also pretty long considering how simple the game is. The final error present in this game is that the controls are just a little iffy. That is, they are not super accurate.

In conclusion though, for less than the price of a Happy Meal that your only going to get one use out of, this game offers virtually unlimited gaming fun. Plus, its a quality game that will keep you addicted and, when you get tired of one mode, there is always the next one to switch to. Plus, by supporting this developer, you will automatically help this awesome indie developer create more games. Just be warned that this game is fairly hard to master, so don’t get scared.

The original voice of Ash Ketchum

Justin Mienkiewicz

March 28, 2011

Who hasn’t watched Pokemon? Nobody. Pokemon was the ever-loving shit. I can’t vouch for it now, but that show was legendary back in it’s heyday. If you watched the show you likely have some fond memories of it, I know I do. Those first few episodes showing Ash going out on his journey and meeting Pikachu, that epic intro and amazing Poke-rap at the end and then the first movie! Pokemon was a force of nature back in the day (and it still is, just not as epic) and it owes part of it’s fame to the cast of the show, specifically Ash Ketchum.

Ash was the kid who was meant to be a representative of “ourselves”, our “avatar” if you will. He was the kid that we, as pokemon fans and children (or children at heart) were to identify with. With an undertaking as big as Pokemon, casting this role is no small task. Luckily, the lady (yes, Ash’s voice actor is a woman) who was cast absolutely nailed it and has left quite the legacy. Not only did Veronica Taylor voice Ash, but also Ash’s mom and May from one of the later series as well as a handful of extras here or there. It should be noted that Pokemon is far from her only gig, though it is what she is arguably best known for.

I just stumbled across an old video of Veronica addressing her fans at Anime Boston 2009. During the video Veronica does several voices of both Ash and his mom which is nothing short of awesome. Not only is she the voice of the most iconic character (aside from Pikachu) from Pokemon, but she’s also pretty cool. She makes light of the fact that Mr. Mime and Prof. Oak are always hanging around Ash’s mom which is pretty funny. Anyway, check out the video, it’s sure to make you smile.

Nokia BH-905i Bluetooth headset Review

Jared Hilliers

March 28, 2011

Nokia BH-905i

Make: Nokia
Model: BH-905i
Standby time: 600 hours (25 days)
Charge time: 2hrs
Operating (bluetooth) Range: 10m maximum
Weight: 167g
Dimensions: 190 mm x 140 mm x 35 mm (flat)
Price: AU$349.95
Bluetooth version
2.1 with enhanced data rate (EDR)
Bluetooth profiles
Handsfree profile (HFP) 1.5
Headset profile (HSP) 1.1
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) 1.2
Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) 1.0

The New Nokia BH-905i Bluetooth headset is basically, a perfected version of the previous model, the BH-905, with a complete redesign of the headband. Nokia has done well for the construction and rebuild, as the pads on the headset are quite comfortable and light on your head whilst resting, it’s unlike any other headset I’ve worn. The plastic stems are curved outward slightly, which looks a little silly, but they do provide a nice fit. However the earpads don’t work as well as full-sized earcups when it comes to the noise cancellation, but they do a decent job.

The headset features multi-microphone active noise control that eliminates 99 percent of ambient noise. Not to mention its wireless mode with stereo widening that creates an immersive center of sound experience. Pair it with a compatible Bluetooth device–such as a mobile phone or iPod–or use a full range of adaptors to plug to any player, there’s not really much this headset can’t do in terms of connectivity and it’s an easy process.

Most of the controls are housed on the right earpad. Above the Nokia branding is the multifunction call button, while the play/pause control is underneath it. The track shuttle controls are on either side. The control labels are etched into the metal surface, so you can find them by feel. There’s not really anything missing, they’re quite easy to press as well.

The Nokia BH-905i gets points for being a wireless accessory, if you’re using a modern notebook/phone, you should have Bluetooth capability, but there are bluetooth dongles available if your device lacks built-in bluetooth. That said, losing the cord means having to charge the headset nearly every night, which isn’t really such a problem in the age of smartphone battery life. But do really want to have another device to charge? I don’t listen to music constantly but in the experience I had with daily usage, the headset lasted more than 5 hours, which is more than adequate for average users. Remember the BH-905i headset comes with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which can sap battery life so use this feature judiciously.

There are controls on the BH-905i headset for playing your music; you can fast-forward, go back, play/pause music from the headset directly (the Right ‘ear’ specifically). This isn’t a normal trend for headsets, with controls usually on the chords, so it didn’t exactly feel natural to begin with. However after daily usage it did eventually become second nature, but it still remains a little awkward personally.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not exactly an expert in the area of audio or acoustics, but from an average users perspective the Nokia BH-905i sounds just as good or better than previous headsets I’ve had. The sound is quite immersive and I did manage to become lost in my daily gaming habits on public transport (mostly Pokemon), it’s one of the best experience I’ve had with headphones to date, however whether or not you can justify paying the hefty price tag is a personal choice.

Overall, I’m quite the fan of these headphones. They feel like they’re built to last, they fit nicely and muffle out the world when you have them on. However, I can’t find the motivation to cut the cord by moving to a wireless headphone accessory with this price tag (currently AU$350). Nevertheless, it’s the current average price for the market of Bluetooth headphones.

In conclusion, quality sound, design and comfort make this headset a keeper, but the price tag may or may not deter people from a good investment.

Here are the adapters bundled with this headset:

3.5 mm Nokia AV connector
3.5 mm iPhone compatible AV connector
Audio cable
Supporting adapters for:

◦                                  2.5 mm Nokia AV connector
◦                                  Standard 3.5 mm jack
◦                                  Standard 6.3 mm jack
◦                                  Standard airplane jack
◦                                  Adapter for VoIP calls

Technical Details

Bluetooth-enabled headphones for music and mobile conversation; twin speech microphones
Hear clear music and calls with multi-microphone noise cancellation for blocking out noise on planes, trains, and more
Great comfort with adjustable headband and soft supra-aural ear pads; wear wireless or wired with a wide range of music players
Up to 15 hours of talk time with active noise cancellation (24 hours of talk time without noise cancellation)
What’s in the Box: headset, charger, carrying case, user guide, and wide array of cables and adapters

Features of Nokia BH-905i Active Noise Canceling Bluetooth Headset

8 microphones for cancelling the background noise and providing high quality music enjoyment as well as the luxury of silence when you need an environment to relax.
2 microphones for capturing speech and advanced digital signal processing enabling clear communication even in noisy environments.
Tune your wireless music with new bass booster and stereo widening audio features
Wide compatibility for using with music players at home, when travelling, or on the go–wirelessly or with wire s.
Ultra lightweight with a compact travel case for maximum mobility.
Great comfort with adjustable headband and soft supra-aural ear pads.
Make calls from your computer with a VoIP adapter for your headset.

Specifications for Nokia BH-905i Active Noise Canceling Bluetooth Headset

Universal compatibility with devices supporting wireless Bluetooth technology: Bluetooth Specification 2.1 + EDR, Headset Profile (HSP) 1.2, Hands-Free Profile (HFP) 1.1, Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) 1.2 and Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) 1.0
Wired connectivity: Compatible with 3.5mm headset jack inputs
Speaker drivers: 32mm high performance drivers
Frequency response: 15Hz to 20kHz
Battery: Li-ion Polymer Rechargeable Battery 600 mAh
Operating time: 24 hours of talk time; 25 hours of music playback; 15 hours of talk time with active noise cancellation; 16 hours of music playback with active noise cancellation; 40 hours of wired music playback
Charging time: 2 hours

iOS 4.3.1 Update Already ??

Philip Federico

March 28, 2011

It wasn’t to long ago that Apple consumers picked up the latest iOS 4.3 upgrade that had a few major features including my favourite the personal HOTSPOT. So to our surprise today we plugged in our iPhone into the PC and iTunes tells us that there’s another update. Now what’s this one all about ? Well it isn’t much, it just fixes a few minor bugs, but hey an update is an update. Make sure you do your backup first then download and install it. Details below :

iOS 4.3.1 Software Update

This update contains improvements and other bug fixes including:

• Fixes an occasional graphics glitch on iPod touch (4th generation)
• Resolves bugs related to activating and connecting to some cellular networks
• Fixes image flicker when using Apple Digital AV Adapter with some TVs
• Resolves an issue authenticating with some enterprise web services

Products compatible with this software update:
• iPhone 4 (GSM model)
• iPhone 3GS
• iPad 2
• iPad
• iPod touch (4th generation)
• iPod touch (3rd generation)

This update contains security content originally included in previous iOS Software Updates.

Swarm – XBLA Review

Dylan Radcliffe

March 27, 2011

Game Name: Swarm
Platforms: XBLA, PSN
Publisher(s): Ignition Entertainment, Ltd
Developer(s): Hothead Games, Inc.
Genre(s): Platformer
Release Date: 3/23/2011
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Price: 1200MSP ($15USD)
Demo: Add the demo to your Download Queue

“An action-platformer where you take direct control of 50 pudgy blue morons and drive them through an intense and suicidal gauntlet of destruction. Run, bash, huddle, boost, stack, jump, push and throw your way through a ridiculously dangerous world in your attempt to collect valuable DNA and ensure at least one swarmite survives. Swarm features fast-paced platformer action and includes death medals, boss fights and a scoring system that encourages heated competition with your friends.” [Via Xbox.com]

Gameplay
Swarm has a nice combination of platforming and speed running elements in it. The first time you progress through the game it lets you take your time and collect as many points as possible, but you have to keep your multiplier up in order to hit the required points needed to progress to the next level. Once you complete a level you can then return to the level and this time there will be a time multiplier and now you need to find the best balance between speed and getting all the points in a level possible. Leaderboards are built in that let you compare stats with people around the world for extended fun.

During the game you take direct control of 50 little swarmites as you charge through the levels attempting to get a good score while at the same time trying to kill off as many of your swarmites while not losing all of them. That is correct, in Swarm you actually want to kill off your swarmites whenever possible while holding onto enough to attain the best score possible. The perfect balance is different for every level and may take some player a while to find the perfect balance, but when you hit it and see that hi-score at the end it makes it all worthwhile.

Throughout the game there is DNA to collect and death medals to kill yourself for. Some of the DNA is required to progress through the game, but not all of it is and some of them are hidden quite well. The second series of collectibles consist of the death medals, and these are essentially collected by dying; dying a lot! Many of the death medals will come after time, but if you want them all you will need to play a lot and die a lot. On the bright side, dying in the game is incredibly fun. The little swarmites have so many ways of dying that you will enjoy their deaths and occasionally won’t even notice if one little guy falls as you progress through the level. After you beat the game going back to collect the DNA and the death medals will extend the length of the game.

My main gripe about the game is the control scheme. The basic controls are incredibly straight forward and easy to master; however, the more advanced techniques take time to master doing at fast speeds. Sometimes you may want to create a tall pillar of swarmites to collect the DNA, but instead of making the pillar you instead jump in the wrong direction and kill yourself. The camera angles and the explosions occurring on the screen also sometimes make it hard to tell where all your little swarmites are located at and even harder to hit the boxes for more points while keeping your multiplier up.

Audio & Graphics
The graphics are intriguing, with dark themed levels that all look sinister. To go along with the sinister feel there are tons of ways to kill your swarmites as you progress through a level, and tons of tiny little death animations as you chop up your swarmites, burn them, electrocute them, throw them off a cliff, or do any other number of sadistic harmful deeds to your swarmites. A nice touch is a “do not press” button on the main menu screen. By pressing this button you essentially sentence the swarmite on screen to an excruciatingly painful death. It is like watching the 100 ways to kill a sprite animation, and you can sit there for quite a while just killing the swarmite on screen. I wasted around 5 to 10 minutes in the main menu just killing the poor swarmites and another one would unknowingly walk back into the screen waiting for me to kill him as well.

The audio isn’t anything impressive, and there isn’t much to say about it. While the death sound effects are nice, the rest of the audio is simply there and isn’t very memorable. Simply put, while playing the game instead of saying “ooh, this is a catchy theme song for this level”, you will instead be saying “OOOH! That sounded painful… let’s do it again!”

Achievements
The achievements in Swarm is a nice rounded list. There are quite a few easy ones that won’t require a lot of effort, but then the rest will require you to continue playing the game after you beat it in order to get them. The hiscore ones may be difficult for some, and then death medals just take time to get. Luckily dying is swarm is actually quite fun and it will be hard to complain about killing yourself in different ways while playing it. By the time you are done beating the game, unless you are really good at not dying; you will have probably finished a majority of the death medal requirements. The rest of the achievements are pretty much throw always that are quite easy to get. Overall the achievement list is a simple yet fun batch.

There are also two avatar awards but both are incredibly easy to get but they are also not that cool of an award either. The swarmite simply walks around you and then disappears, and the Swarm hat looks too normal.
Below is the achievement list:

Replay – 10 – Replayed levels 1, 2 and 3 after level 4 is unlocked.
In A Hurry10 – Achieved a 2X time bonus
The Answer10 – Achieved a high score of 42,000,000
Sacrificial Lambs5 – Killed 50 Swarmites
The first million10 – High scores add up to more than 1,000,000
Medals of Honor10 – Unlocked 9 Death Medals
Genetic Blueprint25 – Collected all DNA
Multiplicator25 – Reached a 70X multiplier
Death Becomes You50 – Unlocked all Death Medals and turn all Progressive Death Medals to gold
You Are On Fire5 – Lit your mutliplier on fire.
King of the Hill20 – Killed the 1st boss
Hat For Momma20 – Killed the final boss

Avatar Awards –

Swarmite – Buy the game
Swarm Hat – Beat the first boss

Overview
Essentially Swarm is all about dying, but dying skillfully. Rush through the levels as you attempt to beat a previous Hi-score or your friend’s score. Collect the DNA and kill yourself to accumulate deaths toward the death medals. While there aren’t many stages, it still takes some time to master each stage so that you can continue to the next stage. What could make a game more fun, then actually being required to kill yourself? The only thing that may harm this game for most players is the controls that take a while to expertly get used too, and the fact that the game is primarily dependent on the player wanting to get a new hi-score. If you just want to beat the game, there isn’t much here for you; but if you want to dominate the game then be prepared to die and die fast as you struggle your way to the top of the leaderboards.

I give swarm

Angry Birds: The Movie – Trailer by Rooster Teeth

Michael Irving

March 27, 2011

With the ridiculous success of Angry Birds, and it’s propulsion beyond a simple iPhone app into the forefront of pop culture, developer Rovio Mobile has mentioned that they are looking to expand the brand. Already you can get T-shirts and plush birds, but there has been talk of a television series and even a film in the future.

While the CEO of Rovio, Mikael Hed, acknowledges that an Angry Birds movie would be years away, Rooster Teeth – the guys behind Red vs. Blue – have produced a mock trailer that shows their interpretation of what such a film would be like.

Hell, I’d see it!

Check out the trailer below.

And check out our review of the latest instalment in the franchise, Angry Birds Rio.

Angry Birds Rio Review

Michael Irving

March 27, 2011

Angry Birds Rio
Platform: iPhone (reviewed)/iPad/iPod Touch
Publisher: Rovio Mobile
Developer: Rovio Mobile
Genre: Arcade
Release Date: 23rd March 2011
Price: $1.19AU, .99c US Buy Now

Hi, my name is Michael, and I’m here because I’m a recovering addict.

Yes, like many of you, I was once addicted to Angry Birds on the iPhone. I’ve been 26 days clean, until… well, I’m not proud of it, but a couple days ago, Angry Birds Rio came out, and I had a relapse. I was up to step nine of the program – apologising to all the games I’d neglected while playing Angry Birds – but now, I’m back at square one.

Aaanyway, enough of that analogy. Initially I was a little sceptical about this bizarre crossover, but if you’re an Angry Birds fan/recovering addict – and I know that you are – there is very little about this pseudo-sequel that you won’t like.

“Perfect” is a strong word, and one that reviewers should be hesitant to use. But the classic Angry Birds on iPhone is as close to perfect as any app can get. It’s simple to understand and play, yet can pose a real challenge if you intend to master it. It’s clinically addictive, and the length of a play session is variable, playable during a five minute wait at the dentist, or a four-hour session before bed, disregarding an early start the next morning. It has a cute and simple art style, and a catchy theme song. Slap on an almost too-cheap price tag and it’s everything app developers should strive for.

But I don’t need to tell you how good it is. You’ve played it. Everyone has. And if you haven’t, don’t tell anyone, get yourself to the nearest iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch and play it now, before someone finds out.

Angry Birds Rio may basically just be an ad for Fox’s upcoming film Rio, but how good is it as a game?

Story:

The story is almost irrelevant in games like this. No one is here to experience a well-told plot; a simple context for why birds are knocking down structures will suffice. In AB Rio, the story is where Fox Studios gets their money’s worth, by replacing the old “pigs stole our eggs” with what I assume is part of the film’s plot. In the first episode, the birds are launching themselves at parrots trapped in cages, in elaborate piles of crates in a storeroom. In the second, the aim is to squash monkeys in the jungle. I don’t quite get the logic, but who cares?! Story isn’t why I’m here.

Gameplay:

The important thing is how well this maintains the addictive nature of the original iPhone classic, and what it adds to the formula. And I’m pleased to report that the near-perfect gameplay synonymous with the Angry Birds brand is left intact, and even expanded upon.

With AB Rio, we are given two episodes containing thirty levels each, with slots for additional episodes promised during the year. The first is due in May, with another every two months or so after that. Hopefully they will be free updates for the software, but honestly, if they charge for them, I’ll still buy them.

While you may be trying to rescue parrots instead of squashing pigs, this has no effect on gameplay whatsoever. You are still given a limited range of birds to fire upon a structure of wood, glass and cardboard and are aiming to destroy targets either by a direct hit or by knocking debris onto them. You progress to the next level when all targets are destroyed, but perfectionists won’t be finished with each level until you reach a three-star rating on them all. This is achieved by destroying as much as you can, and using as few birds as possible. And this is where the game becomes a real time-sink. Apart from a few of the later ones, on most levels it’s easy to finish the basics, but a challenge to get the three stars.

But none of this is new. AB Rio adds a few extra elements to the mix, but nothing that drastically changes the formula. Unfortunately, there are no new birds, which would be the most impactful addition the game could make, creating new strategies and subsequently new types of levels to test them out. And with the Rio license comes a range of bird characters who could be potential weapons. This possibility is hinted at only in the final level, when the film’s two main characters are available to use, but they’re fairly ineffective anyway. I would have loved to have seen more of this, and more use for them.

There are new elements in the structures that will shake up your strategies; life rings and mushrooms will bounce your birds or debris around, allowing you to cause more damage from below. Generally they aren’t very useful, but they are used in interesting ways in some levels, to change the direction of your birds to hit otherwise unreachable targets.

Some elements are now tethered together, so a structure may not collapse the way you anticipated, and chains, strong but thin, can hold things up until a direct hit breaks them. In the second episode, destroying the monkeys can require new strategies, as they can cling to the underside of surfaces or vertical edges in ways the rotund little piggies never could.

There are also now special objects to hit, such as fruit and flowers which net you extra points for the level. The decision of whether to focus on the targets and gain the “fewer birds” bonus, or aim for the optional targets for extra points, is an interesting new trade-off that will be decided according to each level.

The most formula-changing new gameplay feature is the end of episode boss, a cockatoo I assume is the bad guy from the film (a quick wiki search tells me yes, he is. And he’s voiced by Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords. Sweet!) As he flies around, you need to constantly readjust your aim to ensure a hit, using the lines representing your previous attacks as a guide. It’s an interesting variation on the classic gameplay, and it’s a shame it’s only used once.

Graphics:

Perhaps the most noteworthy upgrade over the original game is in the visual presentation. To say that the art style of vanilla Angry Birds wasn’t up to scratch is a dirty lie, but when compared to that of AB Rio, it is almost true. Almost.

The art department is clearly where Fox’s presumably large budget went. Colours are more dynamic, as opposed to the flat textures of the original game. The elements of the structures now look more like wood, crates and cardboard boxes they represent, and despite being a 2D game, backgrounds have a tinge of three-dimensionality to them, as they zoom in and out as you scroll across the environment. The design of the caged birds expertly combines the bright parroty colours of the film with the shape and personality of the birds in the game. And my personal favourite, the monkeys, are much more animated than the comparatively-boring pigs of old, as they yell and jump around while waiting for your move, and panic as the structure topples over.

The interface has also had a facelift, with your score post-level delivered with exciting animations, or failure accompanied by a cute, distraught bird in a cage that makes you feel bad for not saving them all. All up, it’s an improvement on something that we didn’t think needed improving.

Audio:

Sound is probably the least developed area of the Angry Birds franchise. The theme song is fantastically catchy and recognisable, but there is little else audio-wise. Apart from the happy little riff on completion of a level, there is no music in-game. The sounds are kind of entertaining, as the birds will squawk, and the monkeys will chatter, but really, there’s not much of anything. Sound could have been improved in this version of the game, but it’s such a minor issue that most players probably won’t even notice.

That said, the salsa-fied version of the main theme will have you bopping on the train or wherever you are, if you leave the menu open long enough to hear it.

Overall:

Giving us more of the same is the smartest move Rovio could have done with Angry Birds Rio. After all, the simple gameplay lends itself to millions of different puzzles and levels. Each of the Seasons packages only change the appearance of the characters and settings, leaving the core mechanics untouched, but each finds new things to do with those mechanics. AB Rio does the same, with a major graphical overhaul and some minor new additions.

Unfortunately, these new gameplay elements don’t add a whole lot to the game, and their potential seems untapped. Perhaps in the later episodes these will be explored in more depth, but for now, that slight disappointment is more than made up for by the sheer fun of the gameplay.

Angry Birds Rio loses points for essentially being just an ad for an upcoming film, but it gains the points back for being so damn good. And besides, if a mere iPhone app can attract the attention of the huge Hollywood machine, the video game industry may have taken another step in the direction of complete social acceptance.

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