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Nancy Drew Warnings at Waverly Place Review

August 17, 2010

Released: Out Now

Genre: Adventure

Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy is no less than the the twenty first installment of the popular point & click adventure game series from Her Interactive. For those unacquainted with the books, games or movies or TV series, Nancy is far from your average 16 year old. She is in fact a grade A super-sleuth, think Sherlock Holmes in a mini skirt, and this latest instalment tests her powers of deduction to the absolute limit.

In Warnings at Waverly Place Nancy goes undercover at a private and very exclusive all girl academy hoping to solve the Mystery of the Black Cat. Nancy must learn the identity of the insidious Black Cat as they have been sending increasingly threatening letters promising all sorts of nastiness. As the adventure begins all girls that are candidates for the valedictorian are under threat and one by one strange and underhanded things start to happen to them taking them out of the running. One is framed for allegedly plagiarizing course work whilst another somehow ingests nuts in the cafeteria despite everyone knowing that she is very allergic. On the surface that sounds pretty harmless, by modern videogame standards at least, but things suddenly turn very sinister when she goes into anaphylactic shock and almost dies. Apparently the ‘prize’ is worth the crime as the girl who becomes valedictorian will have the choice of going to the college of their choosing with a full scholarship. Acting as a fellow student Nancy must befriend each of the girls and gain their trust in order to uncover who is sending these letters and why before more misdeeds are carried out.

During the Game you get to know the girls by talking to them in turn and by later interacting with your cellphone. Throughout the game you will meet many interesting, if somewhat stereotypical, characters (goth and bullied nerd present and correct) each of whom has their own reasons why they want to be the valedictorian and anyone of them could therefore be the Black Cat. These girls form tight social circles and acting as Nancy the player must use their skills and guile to be accepted, gaining trust by performing tasks or errands to help them out. These tasks help move the story forward whilst keeping things interesting and interactive. Gossip is also very hot on campus and often times you will find that you are the brunt of such talk. Text message alerts from other students will keep you ahead of the game, let you know whose dishing on who and also act as a pointer as to what might need to be done to progress.

Nancy must follow the rules of Waverly Academy in order to remain undercover. First point of call is changing your name to Becca as it appears that young Nancy is quite well known, by name recognition at least. You also get given an area of responsibility with Nancy’s, um Becca’s being the school’s snack station where you are expected on duty at least once a day to avoid demerits. Too many demerits will see you expelled which basically means game over! Demerits can also be obtained by making too much noise or staying out past curfew so keep tabs on your time by looking at your cell phone. Alternately doing positive things like actually turning up for work and doing a good job or playing memory games on the library computer earn merit points.

As a self confessed fan of the point & click genre Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy doesn’t disappoint and its puzzles and challenges, from darts and building DNA molecule structures to photography and chasing squirrels are many and varied. The game contains more than enough puzzles and quests to keep would-be super sleuths and ardent adventure fans busy for hours.

Whilst I am new to this series and I can honestly say that this one game has made me a fan and I now look forward to trying out the other titles in the well stacked Nancy Drew back catalogue. It goes without saying that I will also be keeping a sharp lookout for future installments. Her Interactive have done a great job with this detailed and immersive title with an easy to use interface and brilliant voice acting helping to make the story even more appealing with perhaps the only only negative being that the locations can become a touch repetitive as you never really step outside the school grounds.

Overall Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy is a fine example of the point & click genre at it’s absolute best and I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game to it’s conclusion.

Highly recommended.

Stronghold 3 Announced!

Dustin Spencer

August 17, 2010

Fans of the popular Stronghold series now can celebrate as Stronghold 3 has now been announced! FireFly Studio’s much loved franchise will be having the newest installment published by SouthPeak Games. The Stronghold franchise has sold in excess of five million copies to date, generating over fifty million dollars in revenue.

Here is the official Announcement from SouthPeak:

“Stronghold 3 is an extremely impressive addition to our continually growing portfolio,” said Melanie Mroz, SouthPeak Games’ CEO. “We believe that Stronghold 3 will be an important growth driver for SouthPeak and that the Stronghold brand will benefit from our proven distribution, sales and marketing expertise. FireFly Studios are creating a true masterpiece, pushing the boundaries of what can be expected in this type of game. Millions of existing fans are sure to be excited by this incredible leap forward and new fans will be introduced to a game of superior quality and exceptionally broad appeal.”

Features are set to include:

Improved building system allowing unprecedented levels of realism and intricacy in castle and village design
Realistic physics and cutting-edge graphics bring siege warfare to life in stunning detail
Story-driven gameplay engages players across two campaigns: combat or economic
Dramatic nighttime sieges add a new dimension to the Stronghold franchise
Besiege other players’ castles or defend your own in a range of action-packed online multiplayer modes
Play through accurately re-created sieges from the pages of history. Will you succeed where others failed?

Castle building has been the foundation of the franchise and has been significantly improved, providing players with unprecedented control over the placement of buildings. This allows them to create their kingdom with a precision that compliments their carefully planned tactics. What’s more, village planning is no longer confined to a grid system; players can now create castle walls that flow gracefully… until they’re blasted to pieces by the enemy.

Also new to the series are night sieges, which should open up a whole new door of strategy. Players will have to hunt enemy soldiers cloaked in darkness and carefully choose their weapons in order to survive the dark hours.

With a whole new graphics engine with amazing details on every environment and a newer, more refined physics engine, Stronghold 3 is looking quite promising for hardcore fans of the series and new players alike.

Stronghold 3 is set to release in the first quarter of 2011. For more information you can check out www.stronghold3.com.

Lost Horizon is a Point and Click Game..With Mocap Actors.

Dustin Spencer

August 17, 2010

With the upcoming Gamescom event this year in Cologne, Deep Silver has announced a special treat for all in attendance this year. Members of MAMM, Martial Arts Meets Media, who are responsible for choreography and motion capture in several scenes of Deep Silver’s new adventure game Lost Horizon, are going to perform on the Deep Silver stage on the Saturday of the fair.

Here is a bit of info from the the official press release:

Martial Arts Meets Media (MAMM), founded by David Török, consists of top-class, multiple award-winning Wushu athletes. Török himself, the current four-time German champion, created the intricate martial arts choreography for Lost Horizon. Twins Leyla and Necla, who took on the roles of the protagonists for Lost Horizon’s motion capture, will demonstrate some of their scenes to visitors live.

Perfect body control, spectacular combat techniques, top-notch acrobatics and a multitude of exotic weapons are going to leave the audience breathless. “In combination with the graceful movements and female elegance of Tai chi, Wushu is an athletic highlight that will capture everyone’s attention. We are proud to be able to show this fascinating sport through motion capture in Lost Horizon, and live on the Deep Silver stage at gamescom,” says MAMM manager Rainer Hoffmann.

Steffen Schamberger, Senior Producer at Deep Silver, says: “We are very happy that we were able to work with David and his team for the relevant scenes in Lost Horizon. With his professional support, we achieved an exciting, believable implementation of these sequences.“

Lost Horizon is the third title issued by Animation Arts, the developer of the award-winning Secret Files series. With its classic 1930s setting, fascinating locations such as Hong Kong, Tibet, Berlin, and Morocco, and the eventful search for one of humankind’s greatest secrets, Lost Horizon sure to bring in mystery fans back to their PCs for some solid storytelling and exploration.

A point and click title with graphics worthy of having top notch mo-cap actors sounds like a wonderful idea and I am excited to see how this will play out in Lost Horizon. On August 21 at 2 PM, the Wushu pros are going to show elements of Chinese martial arts at the publisher’s booth in hall 7.1, B041, as part of the Lost Horizon game presentation at this year’s Gamecom event. If you can’t make it to that, breathe easy as the game will be coming out to all on September 24, 2010.

Interview With Streamline Studios- HoopWorld

Dustin Spencer

August 17, 2010

Hello Everyone! I recently sat down with Hector Fernandez, Co-Founder of Streamline studios, who most recently brought us HoopWorld for the Nintendo WiiWare download service. Hector gave us a detailed breakdown on HoopWorld and the production that went on behind the scenes.

Enjoy the Interview!

Question 1. How did you first get your start in the industry and go on to co-found Streamline Studios?

My first “official” job in the industry was back in 2001, when I worked for EA University. It was during this time that my future partners at Streamline contacted me with a super cool demo reel. It literally blew me away, and I immediately became jealous. I thought to myself, “Here I am wasting away at EA, while these guys are making it happen!” I showed the demo reel to my boss at the time, who said, “These guys are 95% out of 100% awesome! We should hire them.” Within a few days I had given my two weeks notice and then in November I was on my way to join Streamline.

Question 2. What made you decide to release Hoopworld on the WiiWare download service?

WiiWare just seemed like the logical first choice for platforms given the audience and potential for a greater gameplay experience.

Question 3. When a player purchases Hoopworld, what can they expect? (Features and modes, Story, Gameplay, Multi-player)

I like to think of HoopWorld like a game-snack. A quick, pick-up and play experience that has 3 different game play modes; quick match, survival, and tournament mode. However, I feel that the real spirit of HoopWorld is found when playing against a friend – head to head. There’s something super enjoyable about talking trash while laying in a last minute 3 (or) using the shadow ball to take their points!

Question 4. What is the inspiration behind the graffiti painted and city setting of Hoopworld?

City setting? I think you mean jungle, right? 😉 For the logo, we were looking for a young, fresh, urban, energetic, and organic feel. Our designer Laura A. came up with it, and we just loved it!

Question 5. What is Basketbrawl and how does it play out in this title?

Basketbrawling is essentially kung-fu mixed with basketball. For anyone who has played basketball on a trampoline, in the pool (or) against someone you can’t stand; you’ve probably basketbrawled at some point.

Question 6. Power-ups look to be a lot of fun for the game. How will they play into the action?

We have 8 power-ups that effect the gameplay in various ways. They randomly pop-up in a mystery box that players run over, and can be activated by the player at any time. Power-ups are a lot of fun in HoopWorld and can truly change the dynamics of a match. For example, “The Bomb”, instantly knocks all of your opponents out with a massive explosion, while others protect you or give your team a boost. Most power-ups generally last for a maximum of 10-15 seconds. My personal favorites are the Golden Ball and the Shadow Ball, with the Golden Ball you score 5 points from anywhere on the court, while the Shadow Ball drains – 5 points from your opponents score. This is intense fun in the final seconds of a match!

Question 7. How much time and development went into making Hoopworld? Could you explain the process?

The Wiiware version took about 12 months. We had a co-development process with our partners at Virtual Toys that was very collaborative and unique in the sense that the coders were in Spain and we were in Amsterdam. We traded builds, talked over the phone and skyped, and met on a regular basis to discuss the game.

Question 8. There are many different characters and they each have a back story and personality. Could you explain what went into character development?

There is a HUGE back story for this, but the abridged version is that we started with only 7 character on the Xbox 360, and it always felt incomplete. As we entered the Wiiware development, we decided that we should simply create themed teams and more characters, rather than randomly mixing individual characters together. The themes came from the original character designs and snowballed into the teams and courts we have now. We wanted each of the characters to stand on their own, so we created an individual personality for the characters and a world for them to live in.

It all seems logical in retrospect, but when you’re in the thick of development, it’s easy to loose sight of how the small choices can have a great impact.

Question 9. What can we expect to see in the future from Streamline Studios?

More games, entertainment, and fun! I feel like we’re only getting started!

Question 10. Finally, what is your favorite part of developing games and being a part of Streamline?

Proving that tenacity, character, and dedication towards a dream can make it a reality.

Capsule Computers would like to thank Hector and the dedicated staff over at Streamline Studios for taking time to answer our questions about HoopWorld. We will be sure to bring all of our readers updates on all games from Streamline in the future. If you have not played HoopWorld yet, pick it up as soon as you can as it is a fun arcade-style basketball game with some great features. Check out our review on it as well.

Also let us know of what you thought in the comments below. Your feedback may even be read by a member of Streamline Studios and I am sure they would love to hear what our readers think of HoopWorld.

First Video Developer Diary for Brink

Fernando T. Gonçalves

August 17, 2010

Brink, the all-new Bethesda Softworks FPS title in development by Splash Damage, received the first development video called “The Last Stand”.

The Last Stand explains Brink’s backstory and the motivations of the two factions in the game. This is the first in a series of 5 ‘making of’ videos that will be released over the oncoming weeks.

Razer Orca Gaming and Music Headphones Announced

Fernando T. Gonçalves

August 17, 2010

The famous manufacturer Razer today announced the release of the Razer Orca Gaming and Music Headphones. This stylish pair of headphones features a comfortable ergonomic design with quality sound and an ultra-sleek look featuring Razer’s distinct, venomous green colour. Razer unites the music enthusiast with the hardcore gamer to bring you the coolest pair of headphones to hit the streets.

“The Razer Orca marks Razer’s foray into the lifestyle audio world. We specifically designed the Razer Orca for the consumer who demands unmatched comfort and the utmost style, who also happens to game. We wanted a pair of headphones that could transition from your gaming den to the subway by adding a cool look to great gaming sound.” – Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff, president, Razer USA

From the Press Release:

About The Razer Orca

Equipped with a plug and switch cable, the Razer Orca provides a quick and convenient solution for seamlessly switching between gaming and listening to music. The Razer Orca comes with a shorter, standard braided cable for listening to music on the go, but also includes a braided 2 meter extension cable for a quick transition to desktop gaming. With enhanced drivers crafted to optimize both in game action and the thumping bass of your favourite artists, the Razer Orca excels in providing a dual-purpose solution for gamers and music lovers. Crafted for a secure yet lightweight feel, the circumaural design provides a comfortable fit for hours on end, letting you keep your style on lock in all situations whether it’s in front of your gaming rig or jamming out to your MP3 player.

Price: US $59.99 / €59.99 / $AUD TBA

Availability:

Razerzone – August

Worldwide – Q3 2010

Product Features:

· Ergonomic comfort design
· Enhanced audio for music and gaming
· Music/gaming plug and switch cable
· Braided fiber cable with 2 meter braided extension cable

· Connector: 3.5 mm jack

For more details check http://www.razerzone.com/

Mafia II Demo Now Available

Jack Joly

August 17, 2010

A Mafia II playable demo is now available for download on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, via the Xbox Live Marketplace, Playstation Network and Steam, respectively. The download is free (although is not yet available for Silver members on Xbox Live, as is standard practice on the Marketplace with new demos), and should provide a useful taster of the game before it’s release later this month.

Mafia II (from 2K games) depicts mobster culture in gritty ’40’s and ’50’s America, where you work your way into and up the Mafia. The game centers around Vito Scaletta, who’s beginning to make a name for himself on the streets of Empire Bay, proving very efficient, someone you can rely on to get a job done. But, when the crimes escalate as he and buddy Joe work to prove themsleves to the Mafia, greater rewards and a higher reputation lead to heavy consequences.

The playable demo lets gamers plunge into the ‘Buzzsaw’ level. The game spans across two era, with this particular level being set during the summer of the ’50’s- time considered the ‘Birth of Cool’. The demo offers a good look at the expansive Empire Bay, which features accurate period details, and also offers an introduction the characters. In this instance you play as Vito, accompanied by buddies Joe and Henry, as they embark on their assignment to take down a mobster known as ‘The Fat Man’.

Mafia II will be released on August 24 in North America, August 26 in Australia and New Zealand, and internationally on 27 August.

For more info on Mafia II, take a look at the official game site HERE

Hero of Sparta II – iPhone/iPod Touch Review

Yitz

August 16, 2010

Hero of Sparta II
Company: Gameloft
Release Date: July 29, 2010
Price: $6.99
BUY NOW

Story:

Sequel to the major hit Hero of Sparta, Hero of Sparta II finds Argos back home in Sparta. After leaving Hell, he’s only got more of it. He must face new creatures and kingdoms to pay for his insolence. He must fight and pray his way through to come out the Hero of Sparta once again!

Sound and Graphics:

To start off, Hero of Sparta II sounds great and looks even better! Besides being optimized for iPhone 4, this game looks amazing on older-gen iPhones/iPod touch as well. It has an amazing environment to move around in and the soundtrack makes you feel as if you are Argos saving Sparta. Every slash, defeat and mini story sounds great! It looks and sounds like you’re actually in the world of Sparta with such great detail in every object Gameloft designed. After playing for an hour, I had to realize this isn’t Sparta and life doesn’t have epic music following you around. It’s great for when you want to escape to the world of fantasy and not come back for a long time. Gameloft always surprises us with better and better graphics. This game looks amazing and is definitely one I feel great playing.

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’ image=’http://www.heroofsparta.com/hos-2/iphone/images/screenshots/us/screen003.jpg’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV7BnbhwgHE[/pro-player]

Gameplay and Controls:

The game is meant for those that are quick thinking and lots of action. You’re Argos and you have to save Sparta once again. You fight against many different creatures, big and small and fire-breathing. There are many different combos when it comes to the controls. Lift the control up and you’re suddenly fighting this guy mid-air. Move it around a couple times and you’re slashing this monster to bits. Get a great opportunity for a shot, tap the skull in sequence and you either just killed the guy or took over the monster’s control. Yeah, this is a cool game and one I could play for hours. It takes only a small while to get used to all the controls, and once you know them this game is hours of entertainment. Defeating dragons, controlling creatures, facing gods and demons – This game has everything a fantasy fan would love! The controls are placed perfectly on the screen, with easy access to all of them. Play on different levels of difficulty. Try playing on Heroic.

Summary:

Hero of Sparta II deserves to be called a sequel. It combines a great-looking environment with amazing controls, music, sound effects and hours of fun and exciting gameplay. All in all, this may be one of the best games to arrive to-date in the App Store. Gods or demons, creatures or human, defeating them is great. Overall I give Hero of Sparta II an EXCELLENT rating of 9.5 out of 10 capsules.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Developer Diary

Dustin Spencer

August 15, 2010

Namco & Ninja Theory have now released the first of what seems to be a series of developer diaries for their new epic adventure game, “Enslaved: Odyssey to the West”. In the first installment the development team talks about Monkey and Trip, the two main characters. So tune in below and enjoy the new clip for one of this year’s most promising titles.

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