How many of you out there have heard about the Intellivision ? What about the CBS Coleco Vision ? Well how about the Atari 2600 ?? Well if you haven’t, those three consoles back in the day are what the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii are today – gaming consoles that have bought entertainment, fun and imagination into our homes and allowed you to enjoy arcade quality games in the comfort of your own living room. I caught up with Keith Robinson of Intellivision Productions and asked him all there is to know about the rise and fall and rebirth of Intellivision and the gaming industry way back when PONG was the king of video games and 4k games such as Bi Planes ruled the skies. If you’re a hardcore Intellivision fan, or even a casual gamer that has always wanted to kow how it all began, sit back and enjoy this in-depth interview that will truly open your eyes and provide you with amazing journey down memory lane. Hear what Intellivision have accomplished and what they plan for the future.
Manufacturer : Mattel
Type: Video game console
Generation : Second generation
Retail availability : 1979 (US test market) 1980 (North America) 1982 (Europe, Japan)
Discontinued : 1991
Units sold : 3 million
Media : ROM cartridge
CPU : GI CP1610
Total Games Created : 125
Best-selling game : Astrosmash (1Million Sold)
Game Name: WackyLands Boss Platform(s): iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad (iOS 3.1 or later) Publisher(s):Chillingo Ltd Developer(s): Fair Play Labs, S.A. Genre(s): Casual, Action Release Date: 27th October, 2010 Price:$0.99 (BUY NOW!)
Overview
In many games, player would assume the role of a hero, destined to fight the bad guys or retrieve some very valuable treasure, and at the end of the day, he will save the world from destruction. This game is way different as it puts you in a totally opposite role. Instead of playing the hero, you play as the evil boss. Instead of saving the land/castle/kingdom/princesses, you eat the princess of the Trogan Kingdom and is tasked to destroy her castle just because you don’t like the castle. Sounds fun? Then read on!
Gameplay
Like I said, you play as the ‘boss’, a very huge, ugly and smelly one. It’s like five times taller and bigger than any ordinary human out there. During your first few moments into the game, you were presented with some very nice hand-drawn cut-scenes, which basically tells you how big and ugly you are and why are you attacking the kingdom. The reason behind it sure made me laugh out loud though! The very shiny castle that the princess live in coincidently blocks the view of your cave, hence it must be destroyed! Of course, you will be stopped. The brave warriors of the Trogan Kingdom will unite as one to defeat you and protect their kingdom. Looks like it’s not going to be an easy task for you.
There is a total of 13 locations spread across the land of Trogan for your ‘boss’ to stumble upon. In each stage, you will be confronted with several hordes of protectors. If you manage to kill all the little humans and stay alive, you will need to fight the ultimate boss of that level, which looks a lot like you. That ‘said’ boss is actually transformed from a human being by several magicians to stop YOU (the bad guy) from destroying their castle. Of course, there will be rewards if you win, and you will be able to evolve your ‘boss’.
The game started off easy, but it gets harder and more challenging as you proceed. Not to worry though, because your ‘boss’ will get stronger as well with increments in its stats (Attack, Defense, Attack Rate, Speed) and the opportunity to buy better equipments. Furthermore, new special powers will be accessible as you leveled up. You will see the special attack icon on top of the screen, and the power can be used when it is completely filled. Each special powers refills at different rate, so make sure you use it well!
Controls
The control here is very simple and intuitive. It is designed to fully utilize the touch screen. No on-screen button. No D-pad. No virtual joystick. All you need to do is tap, hold and swipe. Tap and hold to walk around and smash stuff, swipe down to roll and dodge attacks and spells, tap the screen for a light attack, swipe left and right to perform heavy attacks that sends the castle protectors flying away, and swipe up to pick up stuff and throw them away. As simple as that. It might be a little bit confusing at first to perform so many movements at once, but you will get used to it as you play more of the game. It works very well with the game-play, just don’t tap too hard or you might break your precious touch screen.
Graphics/Sound
Graphics wise, it looks pretty good. It might not earn them an award of the best in-game graphics for the iOS devices, but it sure looks good. The background has crisp clear and colorful graphics, makes the game looks very pretty in general. Also, there are a lot of details that are visually presented. Equipments purchased are also shown on your character, which is a great addition in terms of customization. Players can customize the looks of their boss by equipping various items for literally every part of their body. A nice touch to the game! Not to forget the animation is very robust as well. Every move and attacks are animated, like the archers shooting arrows at you, the way your boss performs its attacks and skills, etc.
On the other hand, the game is accompanied with a nice mix of BGMs that keeps you happy while you play from the beginning till the end. Turning off the music really makes this game half as enjoyable. The sound effect is right on too to complement the great animation that this game possessed.
Conclusion
Overall, this is a great casual game for everyone. Anytime you feel like smashing something, this game is great for that purpose. With so many levels and the feature of develop your own “boss”, the possibility is endless here. Furthermore, there are 3 additional mini-games if you got bored of the core game-play, but you need to unlock them before they are playable. All together, this is a great time-waster, a highly recommended buy.
Bejeweled is only a few days from getting it’s third installment, and I am ready more now than ever to jump back in the addictive puzzler. PopCap have now also released a new video explaining Zen Mode, a mode which lets you personalize your game by switching out sounds and music to more relaxing tones. The whole concept sounds amazing as if you have ever played a game of bejeweled, the game is already a good way to kill stress. PopCap seem to want to capitalize on this fully with Zen Mode and let the player use what ambient music and sounds fit best into their mood.
You can check out the brand new video below and do not forget that on December 7th, Bejeweled 3 Swaps it’s way into the public in exchange for all of your free time with it’s addictive as crack gameplay. Keep checking back as well as we will be posting a full review once we get our hands on Bejeweled 3 and we will be sure to share every detail.
For all of you looking for the perfect game to go with your Kinect, Wii, or PSMove, Zumba Fitness is now available. The Zumba fitness program has been a huge hit all over the world and the game looks to be a solid title for anyone looking to shed some pounds while having some fun at the same time.
With nine dance styles and 30 routines in the mix, Zumba Fitness fully utilizes the motion controls and is also designed by the the creator of Zumba, Beto, and his core group of celebrity instructors. The launch trailer does a great job of showing how intense the dancing and workout sessions can be and the game is looking to already be one of the biggest workout titles of the year so it should make the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone wanting to join the craze. Check out the new launch trailer below and for more information, check out the official website at zumbafitnessgame.com.
When it comes to certain genres on the DS, the mystery/hidden object games have been released in full force over the past couple of years in full force. I honestly don’t mind as a lot of these games are great as not only do they utilize the touchscreen well, you usually get an interesting story. O-Games recently announced their newest title, The Mysterious Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde will be hitting shelves February 18th for the PC and the Nintendo DS.
This mystery/hidden object title puts players in the year of 1886 and straight into a hot murder case where you are trying to find a killer and a motive as well. Playing as “Inspector Newcomen”, you must work with Dr. Jekyll and try to solve this mystery once and for all.
Throughout your investigation you will have to complete over 30 exciting mini-games: collect fingerprints, examine your findings, navigate your way through all the twist & turns of the story and solve the crime. Based on the screenshots (which you can view below) I think this game looks a bit interesting, but then again I am a sucker for this genre on the DS to start with, but still I feel a bit of promise as the plot may not be too original but it still looks like a solid title. The Mysterious Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde does release as I mentioned for the DS and PC come February, but rest assured if anymore information comes forward for this interesting title, we will be sure to bring it to you
Have you heard of Queen’s Crown? Well, not literally Queen’s Crown, but a game from one of the greatest game developer cum publisher for the iOS devices – Com2uS. If you do, I’m pretty sure you are looking forward to it. Fear no more, as their latest RPG title finally hits the App Store yesterday.
This time, it features a heroine going by the name “Ann”. She is the princess of Scarbelhold Kingdom, and she is tasked to embark on a journey to save her kingdom. Apart from all the things that made it a great RPG (awesome graphics, great UI, endless dungeons), it also has Facebook and Game Center enabled that allows you to show off all your amazing skills in hack and slashing to your friends. The game is now available for purchase on the App Store worldwide at a puny $4.99 (iTunes LINK). Quickly grab your copy now! Also, do check back for here an in-depth review, only on Capsule Computers!
Just yesterday, Com2uS announced a free update for their popular puzzle game – Slice It! in prepare to celebrate the greatest holiday this month, the Santa Claus day (aka Christmas)! Other than additional Christmas-themed stages, there is also a lot of new stuff bundled together with the update to get you into the holiday mood. This includes Christmas Carols BGMs, additional bonus stages that are hidden and can be opened as you play the game, etc. I shall let you find out the rest of update yourself, so i don’t ruin the surprise. If you have already bought Slice It!, then head over to iTunes to receive your free update. If you didn’t, you should really check this puzzler out (LINK). It’s simply amazing.
Sega released a new trailer today for Yakuza 4 that delves into the backstory of one of the main characters, the newly added Shun Akiyama. From what the trailer describes he is a self made millionaire and also a ladies man, but upon finding the woman of his dreams he becomes involved in a dangerous business involving a hundred million yen and must fight to not only protect the girl, but himself.
We also see plenty of fighting in the trailer which shows off a bit of the gameplay and fighting mechanics that we’ll be graced with when Yakuza 4 shows up sometime early next year. It begs the question however as to why does Shun Akiyama who used to live on the streets, willing to risk so much for this girl? And who is she even to have such a drastic request? All questions that I can’t wait to have answered.
Great Scott! Well you knew that had to be coming eventually, but good news regardless of quoted movie lines. We have a the full list of the release months and titles for the five episodes of Back to the Future: The Game that is being worked on currently by Telltale. The episodic game will be receiving a new episode released almost a month apart from one another and we also now know the names of each episode.
December: “It’s About Time” (Episode 1)
February: “Get Tannen!” (Episode 2)
March: “Citizen Brown” (Episode 3)
April: “Double Visions” (Episode 4)
To be announced: “OUTATIME” (Finale)
But that isn’t the only good news, we also have a new trailer courtesy of GameTrailers that shows off the game’s storyline and also how the game itself will look when we get our first taste of it in December. Other than that however you may notice that Michael J. Fox is not voicing Marty, but thankfully Christopher Lloyd has returned in his role as Doc Brown.
When Catherine was announced by Atlus it was already seen as quite an Adult oriented game in the first place. In the subsequent months since the game’s announcement there has been more and more suggestive material released such as scenes that appear sexual in nature, or show the act with barely any regards to hide the fact. Sure sexual themes have been in games before but it sure looks like Catherine is going to go right to the border of Mature rated games.
Of course with all of the adult marketing that they have already done, why should they stop there and go with simple box art? They are instead going with two different box arts for the Xbox 360 and the PS3. The PS3 box art features the blond girl Catherine whom the game is named after and whom the main character Vincent has an affair with that could lead to all of his problems, while the Xbox 360 box art shows Katherine who is his actual girlfriend. Both of them feature Vincent crawling on them, and the sheep men that seem to plague his dreams.
No news that this game will ever see a release outside of Japan, but if it is I wonder how drastic the box art will be changed and how much the game itself will be censored. Or could it perhaps make it to western shelves completely uncensored?
How many of you out there have heard about the Intellivision ? What about the CBS Coleco Vision ? Well how about the Atari 2600 ?? Well if you haven’t, those three consoles back in the day are what the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii are today – gaming consoles that have bought entertainment, fun and imagination into our homes and allowed you to enjoy arcade quality games in the comfort of your own living room. I caught up with Keith Robinson of Intellivision Productions and asked him all there is to know about the rise and fall and rebirth of Intellivision and the gaming industry way back when PONG was the king of video games and 4k games such as Bi Planes ruled the skies. If you’re a hardcore Intellivision fan, or even a casual gamer that has always wanted to kow how it all began, sit back and enjoy this in-depth interview that will truly open your eyes and provide you with amazing journey down memory lane. Hear what Intellivision have accomplished and what they plan for the future.
