The next animated master piece from the wonderful Studio Ghilbi, headed by Hayao Miyazaki, comes in the form of this title, Arrietty. Based on the English novel by Mary Norton, The Borrowers, Arrietty had a budget of a massive $23 Million and won the 'Animation of the Year' award at the 34th Japan Academy Prize, following in the footsteps of Ghibli film 'Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea' which won the award in 2009.
Arrietty follows the story of the borrowers, a group of tiny people who live under floorboards, unbeknown to the humans that live there. Main character Arrietty, behind her mother and father's backs, strikes up a friendship with a boy who lives in the house, Sho. Once she is fouind out, her father, pod, deciedes its best fo r the whole family to move.
Its then up to Arrietty and Sho to save her family, as the maid of the house, Haru, unearth the Borrowers home, and calls for a pest removal company to help towards the extinction of the Borrowers race... This title is a must see, with it recently being released over here in the UK. Expect a full review of 'Arrietty the Borrower' very soon.
This is the next weekly installment of my Artist of the Week Segment!! Every week I will be showcasing some artwork that I have stumbled across, from a range of different artists from many different countries.
It's getting around that time of year again, sports game season, a season that I actually look forward to. That being said, I usually stray to the likes of Fifa and NBA 2K titles these days, it's been awhile since I've picked up the to play some virtual American Football. With the title 'Back To Football', its a shining beacon of happiness to NFL fans as it reiterates the fact that they are out of the Lockout and their season in back on track, while NBA fans like myself remain discontented and quite annoyed while our season looks extremely doubtful. Seriously annoyed. Throughout the trailer, the players state how much they can't wait to get out there for the fans. Wasn't the Lockout cause by the fact that you didn't want to take a minor pay cut from your already wopping yearly salary to help support the buisness that is the NFL? Hypocrites and overpaid athletes aside, the trailer showcases crunching tackles and long down field passes which you can be a part of come August 30th, 2011 . One a side note, College Basketball anyone?
Can't get enough of Tekken? Own a PS3? Well, your in luck! Tekken Hybrid will include a remastered HD version of Tekken Tag Tornament and the 3D movie Tekken: Blood. Boss. Oh, how I love Tag Tournament! If you have the same fondness of the Tekken franchise as I do, and own a 360 console, you wont be able to get your hands on this 2 in one Blue Ray disc. I do happen to have a PS3 in my household, but its not in a particularly prime time playing spot, the living room is usually inhabited by others most hours of the day; so I'm going to go without this PS3 exclusive Unfortunately. It sucks! You PS3 owners out there can get your hands on this Tekken treasure trove this November. Xbox 360 owners, well you better dust of your PS2 and find your copy of Tag Tournament, it's better than nothing, right?
Yes, Batman brings his next video game offering in the form of Arkham City, sequel to the critically acclaimed Arkham Asylum which was released in 2009. As the hype continues to build for this title, Arkham City, all I can seem to think is, so what? I'm a big fan of the films and have a number of batman related comics stashed away in the never regions of my loft, but Arkham Asylum just didnt do it for me. The first half hour of gameplay that I played before turning my Xbox off, didn't have me begging for more batman. That being said, Arkham City, being developed by Rocksteady Studios, does look absolutely stunning thanks to the Unreal Engine, there's no question about that, but will it personally catch my eye and have me reaching for my wallet when I walk past it in a game store come October? Well, its a possibility I suppose, but there are other titles that will far out way this one when it comes to spending my hard earned cash and time. All you Arkham City lovers can purchase the game October 18th - 21st depending on location, on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and Microsoft Windows. Enjoy the trailer featuring Penguin!
The seventh title in the Namco's Soul series, Soulcalibur V, will be hitting Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles in 2012. The trailer gives us a glimmer of all 8 of the currently released characters, 4 present in previous titles and 4 that are completely brand new, including the main protagonist Patroklos Alexandra, who is the son Sophitia, first seen in Soul Edge. If Soulcalibur IV is anything to go from, I'm sure this game, being 17 years after the events of IV, will go above and beyond its predecessor in terms of further improving already solid gameplay mechanics. Oh, the amount of hours I spent in character customization (I created so many anime characters!) and grinding to learn Yoshimitsu's combos. I'll be sure doing the same when Soulcalibur V hits shelves in January 2012.
After sitting down to watch the first 12 episodes of Jinsei Kataoka's Deadman Wonderland, I found myself only able to utter one word. Wow. By going into this, not knowing any background on the story, I presumed it was going to be another Anime that emphasizes friendship, which it does at times. That being said, friends seem to come and go in the life of lead character Ganta Igarashi, as in the prison 'Deadman Wonderland' everyone around you can be slaughtered in a pool of cold blood and any moment, in a a quite gruesome way. Awesome! Deadman Wonderland is definitely not for those of weak dispositions, as death and slaughter is an occurring theme in each episode, basically if your looking for a cutesy Anime, go some place else. Just run.
The plot follows Ganta Igarashi aka 'Woodpecker' as he witnesses the mass murder of his entire class by the one known as the Wretched Egg, who plants a mysterious red shard in his chest. With him being the sole survivor, he awakes to find out that the whole thing has been pinned on him, and is sent to death row in Japan's only privately only prison/amusement park, built on ground zero after a earthquake that destroyed Tokyo. The falsely accused fourteen year old gets an eye full of prison brutality as soon as he arrives, with an fellow inmate being sliced across the chest. Yeah, prison isn't a nice place. When Ganta is face with falling debris that could spell the end of him and new acquaintance Shiro, he uses a power same as the Wretched Egg and turns his own blood into a destructive force, saving himself but crushing over prisoner around him. Believe me, they had it coming.
With mass massacres, all out crazy individuals, and the Deadman inhabitants of Block G who literally fight for their life, where losing can result in your losing a limb, Deadman Wonderland is an extremely promising Anime and I cant wait until the plot thickens as more blood continues to run red.
The first 12 episodes can be watched, online, for free, here.
Support the official release when it becomes avaliable in your region!
Ive never really sniffed at a James Bond related game since GoldenEye on the N64, but now you, along with myself can take a stab at playing as the 'Shaken not stirred' gun toting agent 007 once again, as he takes on new missions. 007: Reloaded will be a remastered version of the Wii game 'GoldenEye 007', for both the Xbox 360 and the PS3. This title boasts high definition graphics and Playstation move connectability. The trailer flows with all the suave and sophistication that 007 is known for, with the sleek 007 lettering animation that would be right at home in a trailer for a Bond film. The graphics and gameplay mechanics that are shown also seem quite promising, with this being early days. With this being a reveal trailer, expect more in depth info in the future, watch this space.
The Nintendo big money heavy weight Link is back for another adventure on the Wii. This prequel to the Ocarina of Time will have you eventually looking for Zelda as the plot progresses. This time round though the princess that we all know and love appears not as a princess, but as a childhood friend of link. With revised gameplay mechanics, you as Link, will discover the Skyward Sword and travel to a previously unknown world that is ruled by evil forces. In the trailer, Link and Zelda's hometown of Skyloft is shown, and appears to be currently hosting a festival of some sort, sadly, I wasn't given an invite. Also shown are both Zelda's and Link's pet birds, one red and one blue, as they soar in the sky and then suddenly fall into the darkness, as Zelda is kidnapped by Demon Lord Ghirahim. Get ready to don the green hat, shirt and pick up your sword and shield to charge into battle this later this year.
Developer: Vigil Games Publisher: THQ Platform: PS3, XBOX 360, PC EU Release: January 5, 2011
Control the wrath of war as you make you way through this hack and slash adventure game as you slice through enemies with brute strength and use your wits and resources to complete puzzles. Sounds easy right, not so much. With three levels of difficulty, your skill will be tested as you seek out the one who called you to the earth to bring balance prematurely, and thus, got you in the dog house with the charred council. Not a fun place to be, believe me.
As implied above, you will begin as War is called to the earth to bring balance between the feuding heaven and hell as Armageddon is taking place on earth, why can't they ever get along!? As he is summoned, he realises he is the only one of his horseman brethren who has attending this royal rumble-Esq shindig. Soon you will witness the death of Abaddon (general of the heavens army) at the hands of Straga, a powerful demon fight for the underworld. You as war will then proceed to battle Straga, with access to the chaos form, but unfortunately lose. This won't be the last you see of Abaddon as the once revered angel will fall from grace .... and you are spared death as you are sent to face the council.
War demands a chance to find the one who summoned him and the council agrees, but first they seal away your power (losing your chaos form!!!) and tie the rather irritating 'babysitter with a knife to your back' The Watcher to you, to keep an eye on you through your quest. The following events that ensue include meeting the once powerful demon Samael who sends you on a quest to kill and retrieve the hearts of the chosen four who protect the black tower, the demon lord The Destroyer's place of residence, I heard it's nice in the summer. The Destroyer led the forces of hell to victory in the Armageddon battle on earth, and became displeased with the demon Samael and imprisoned him. He needs to the hearts of the chosen to regain his power, and along the way he helps you get your own power back in return. You scratch his back, he'll scratch yours. After the 'Big Four' you'll will make your way to charge the black tower and take on the The Destroyer face to face.
When I first picked up this game, it wasn't high on my play list and went a while without playing it, that was incredibly stupid of me. Incredibly. The first weapon you start of with is the Chaoseater, a fitting blade to be in the two-handed grasp of the Horseman War, and will help you to spill gallons upon gallons of demon blood as you play through the game. As you progress you can also unlock the scythe (weapon of death who will be featured in darksiders 2), the Crossblade, Earthcaller, Mercy (magnum pistol) and the Tremor Gauntlet. All weapons have some form of upgrade, excluding the Earthcaller, all of which can be purchase through the games merchant, Vulgrim, Through the games currency of souls. Souls can be harvested through killing enemies, opening certain chests and destroying parts of the environment. Along with these weapons, War can use of range of magic based attack to both attack and defend that are used when you have one full gauge of wrath. Things such as Wrath and Health will increase in total as you progress through the game and collect Health and Wrath shards.
And you also get a Horse!! Ruin is a badass steed, a loyal flame maned companion and can be summoned at any time (LB + RB/ L2+ L2), to gallop across the many locations in game. Blisteringly deadly combos and gruesome quick time event finishing moves will have you hunting for more and more demon blood for the thrill it provides, it literally had me singing every time I ripped apart a boss, yes, I'm that strange at times. The only thing that left me feeling annoyed were the puzzles and dodging system the game employs. Some of the harder puzzles had me resulting to walkthroughs, I'm in summer mode, thinking can be strenuous at times, maybe thats just me. Also with the dodging system, when facing mass amounts of enemies which is commonplace in the game, I found myself being overwhelmed when I'd target one enemy and speed dodge into the path of anothers lunging attack.
Graphics wise, the game is quite visually pleasing. From the batlle action to dialog cutscenes, the graphics are smooth and help enhance the gameplay. On the soundtrack side of things, its not really all that present other than than the general ambient sounds and sounds of weapons clinging and clanging in battle. In a way it helps complement the game, without an attention drawing soundtrack, it helps suck you into the game's gameplay and story line, leading to consecutive hours of gameplay time. If you have an eye for collecting, you can have your fill by hunting around for Abyssal Armor pieces, ten in total, and Artifacts that can be exchanged for souls. If you still haven't got round to playing this game, why not!! With it being so far after its release, the title can be picked up in a 2 for £30 bundle from most video game retailers. An absolute bargain. Keep an eye out for Darksiders 2.
This is the start of my Artist of The Week section! Every week I will be showcasing some artwork that I have stumbled across, from a range of different artists from many different countries.
Fantezzyy
Age: 19
Years Drawing: 2
Location: Italy
Favourite Anime: Naruto
You can find his deviantart account here and his youtube account here.
Thanks again Fantezzy, check him out!
With the debut trailer being shown at last years Comic Con, we are now treated with not only a 2011 trailer which I've linked above, but also a heap of others showcasing "Team Tekken", "Team Street Fighter" and gameplay. I guess Capcom like to get a lot done. From what I've seen from this crossover fighting game so far, and considering the fact the game is being published capcom, the gameplay, overall feel and look will be based on the 2D mechanics of the Street Fighter series. This may have you divided, with me personally being more of a tekken fan, (Tag tournament was one of my favourtite PS2 games!) I am going to miss the playing as Tekken characters without it really being Tekken. That being said I'm sure the game will be worth a place on my games shelve, as come March 2011 you will be able to play as King, Hugo, Hwoarang and Ryu. Hollowood Undead as trailer soundtrack? Boss.
Yeah, thats right, ANOTHER Dragon Ball Z title. When will Bandai realize a DBZ game hasnt been up to scratch since Tenkaichi 3, and that was a LONG time ago. C'mon, Burst Limit? That was just pitiful, with a terrible story mode and nothing new. What. So. Ever. With this latest offering, the prince of Saiyans Vegeta and everybody's favourite hero Kakarot (Goku) are showcased throughout the trailer, which has become the norm in trailers over the past through years. The dedicated manga style animation could draw fans of the series in, but I remain sceptical. Unless I'm proven otherwise, I think ill pass, we'll see. I want Dragon Ball done right, is that too much to ask!?
The second follow up to Street Fighter III, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition is being re-released for download for the Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Networks. Capcon are adding to their comprehensive collection of Street Fighter titles with this release, it's one of many, along with the Street Fighter X Tekken who's release date is TBA. With a whole host of features such as improved graphics, video sharing and live match streaming it could be worth a purchase. Button mashers and combo kings can get their hands on the game on August 23rd (PSN) or 24th (Xbox Live).
Developer: Gamefreak Publisher: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo DS EU Release: March 4, 2011
New Region. New criminal organization. New season cycles. New Pokemon. With the new 5th generation of Pokemon the new Unova region is a land filled with both the old and the new. With the region being so far away from the likes of Johto and Hoen, other generations of Pokemon aren't seen until the Elite four is beaten the first time around. The Gamefreak role playing game will have you reminiscing about your childhood, while at the same time bringing you an updated game in terms of story and looks, and there's not a hint of Ash Ketchum anywhere, thank god.
The game will have you starting off like the rest, being welcomed by the new professor (Juniper) and being introduced to not only the Pokemon that you will set off with on your journey to becoming a Pokemon master, but also your two rivals, Bianca and Cherin. The starter Pokemon follow the same trend as the previous games. There are three, one fire type, one water type and one grass type. This time round though, I already had my choice picked out waay before the games release. Going for the strategy of "always picking the coolest because it will be the strongest" is just great logic, right? And from this bunch of starters I had myself saying, Mijumaru (Japanese Name) I choose you! well, not outloud at least, I'd get weird stares. Gone are the days of Team Rocket in the game and in this outing we are faced with a new antagonist, Team Plazma and N. Its the same ol' song and dance, catching a legendary Pokemon to bring about a new world, with everything happening in a linear pre determined series of events. This all includes defeating the 8 gym leaders, stop Team Plazma, defeating the Pokemon League and attempting to catch many of the over 600 Pokemon that can be seen, to throw numerous Pokeballs at and accompany you on your journey.
With the limited but simple button layout of the DS, any Pokemon newbie can instantly pick up the game and not find it too taxing to grasp the controls. D-pad movement is responsive and fluid, not too many jarring motions that seemed to plague early DS games, which is always good. Pokemon games for me, personally, have always had that fun factor. One of my best earliest memory's is having Pokemon Yellow for my green gameboy colour and never being off it. At that young age, you could go an adventure with companions that grow as you grow through playing the game, that evolve as you get older day by day. I found great satisfaction in building my team and beating gym leaders and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Even now, I still get a little jolt of excitement when a Pokemon evolves, or it flattens an opponent. It's the game of my childhood, its bound too.
Heart Gold and Soul Silver lead to a new revamp of the Pokemon series with the introduction of 3D. Black and White continued with this trend and I can say I am extremely happy with the results. Each town and city that you go to has its own charm and distinct style that make it memorable, which must have been the design team's thought process. With bridges, skyscrapers, forests and caves, there is an abundance of well designed locations, that shows the steps that Gamefreak are taking to enhance the experience of the journey they take you on. Bright, well designed locations make this game a stand out among the older games in the series, with not too much changing graphics wise from the Johto remakes.
Pokemon games would be lost without their area changing soundtrack. The score created by Junichi Masuda, gets stuck in your head, and doesn't want to leave. After hours of gameplay, you will find yourself unexpectedly humming to jaunty tunes that are featured throughout. Along with the ever present "dundundudnudnundundundund" as you find a battle in a patch of grass, or the strange unique noises every different Pokemon makes, the sound adds to the charm of the game, and would be surely missed if they weren't present. It's a game you don't mute!!
As commonplace in the series, there are version differences in black and white, in the form of legendaries, other Pokemon and locations. Those of you who want to master Pokemon Black will have access to Black City post Pokemon league, and those of you who choose White will gain White forest. Both areas are completely diffent with white forest containing Pokemon and Pick up items, with Black Forest housing a heap of trainers and a shop where items can be bought. All Pokemon games follow the same pattern, so endings can be pretty much figured out. Good prevails over evil, remember that kids! Along with a revamped battle animation, new battle types in the form of triple and rotaion battles, Black and white is a well made game and will have fans purchasing it no matter what. That being said, if you are new to the series and want a DS title, I would go for the Johto remakes, Heart gold and Soul Silver instead. I found myself completing Black and White quickly, so much so that I found myself asking, is that it? The Johto games boast more playtime and features such as the pokewalker that may take your fancy. If money is an object head to Johto and leave Unova exploration for another time in the near future.
Darksiders 2 follows the tale of War's (Horseman featured in Darksiders) brother Death as he tries to clear his brothers name. This tale begins around the same time as Darksiders, but will contain all new maps, areas and boasts double the gameplay time. On the surface War looks so much more badass than Death, c'mon, who looks cool in bright purple? That being said, this beefed, skull faced, crusader of hell looks like he can deal out some heavy damage with both dual swords and hammers that are showcased on the trailer. After playing through Darksiders, I can honestly say I will be happy to see the back of the councils servant "the watcher" in Darksiders 2, unless he's turns up ... then I'll take pleasure in attempting to crack his cranium with this new horseman. With Death going out into the realms with a vendetta to settle and his brother's name to clear, I can predict that this sequel will be full of the same epic boss battles, playing time, beautifully designed setting and vast array of characters that made the first game so critically acclaimed. Come its TBA release date in 2012, a copy of Darksiders 2 will be taking refuge on my games shelf.
Yes, at E3 this year a new Halo game was announced. This may have those of you who are die hard fans getting geared up and ready with your battle rifles, and there are others who may just ignore this title from a burnt out franchise. I for one, look forward to storm the intergalactic battle field as Master Chief once more, or even maybe a further three times as developers 343 Industries are set to make a trilogy, as they take the reins from Bungie. With the opening of the trailer you are met by a scene of a pulsating heart and are taken through nerve endings as our hero Master Chief is awoken amidst Cortana's cries for help. That's right, Cortana is back once more, everybodies favourite Hologram and AI sidekick. Chief springs into action straight away as he dodges through explosions and falling debris to make his way to the helm of his burning ship. Stunning visuals and choir like soundtrack as always, this trailer not only has me reminiscing of my play through of halo 3, but also looking forward to a fresh start by 343 Industries. With Halo 4 and Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary being released, fans of the series will have a whole host of game to sample. Halo 4 is set for a 2012 release, watch this space....
Bastion is the lastest offering from Supergiant Games, coming to the Xbox Live Marketplace July 20th, 2011. This independent Action RPG drew me in straight away from the design style. The sharply designed anime art style, which from the trailer, can be both bright and vibrant and also dark and bold when it needs to be. Being an anime fan myself, I love it when a game can pull off that art style well, and in regards to lead character "The Kid", he can stand among other lead anime characters such as Naruto Uzumaki and Natsu with his spiky white hair and aggressive attack style. As the trailer takes us on the ride of showcasing the game, the narrator over the top (who would fit right at home in Red Dead Redemption and Gun), gives the viewer a bit of background about the story, and makes us ask questions about this "Calamity". Along with a distillery, shrines, kick ass gameplay snipets and a fitting soundtrack, the trailer leaves no hint of doubt that this "Best of E3" Arcade title will be worth the Microsoft Points with its release later this month.
Victory records, a much respected record label have been known to sign some of the rising stars on the scene in the past, most notably with the band A Day To Remember who's forth full length album claimed the number 1 spot on the US indie chart and a live performance on the Jimmy Kimmel show. While trying to find the recipe for the next big thing, with ADTR doing so well, they seem to have hit a couple of bumps in the road. These bumps come in the form of three of their most recent signings, Design the Skyline, These Hearts, and The Bunny The Bear being the 1 out of the 3 gives me some faith in the Chicago based record label. To go from bands with talent, to those who are nothing but a cheap gimmick to make the scene girls squeal, make no sense to me whatsoever. I know the music industry on the whole in the current climate we live in, is usually based of marketability over talent, in my mind, 9 times out of 10 that is usually the tatic employed by the big four. Victory, along with Fearless, Fueled By Ramen, Rise and Sumerian to name a few, are labels where I know that I can go to find a diamond among the pure dirt that seems to be infesting the scene. Design the Skyline give me a subtle feeling to think of bands like Dance Gavin Dance, IWrestledABearOnce and Rolo Tomassi. I am in no way comparing these bands to Design the Skyline, I wouldn't waste my time to be fair. These bands only come to mind because they can actually pull of what Design seem to be doing, but falling short at the first hurdle. The terrible guitar tones, off timing drummer and unnecessary screaming duo, who sound exactly the same, creates a cluster of musical garbage that insults their math rock influence, with a tremendous amount of breakdowns and annoying synths. Oh yeah, if that's not bad enough, "the image" that this bands seems to be going for doesn't sit right with me. If you need to dress like that to get signed, I think I'll pass, I don't think the people around could take the blinding glow from the ridiculous neon highlights, and with the tightness of those jeans, yeah, I like being able to walk four steps without being in pain, but maybe thats just me. The next band Victory have to offer, These hearts, have makings of band I thought I would like. The breakdown in their single "Apology Rejected" gave me a slimmer of hope for this bands future. Firstly they need to ditch the repetitive lyrics and stick to what their good at, which in my opinion is screaming, his singing voice however, eh, I'm not too fond of it. Once they balance the pop and hardcore, they could begin to start to contend with the countless other bands of a similar sound that litter the scene. Until they bring something new to the table, they're not coming anywhere near my ITunes, let alone my browser. The final offering Victory have showcased to me is The Bunny The Bunny, like Breathe Carolina but with masks. Being a BC fan myself, i have more faith in this band then the previous two. Great vocals, nice techno/dance beats combined with breakdowns. Rome wasn't built in a day right? And after listening to the song "Ocean Floor", I can honestly say I look forward to seeing this bands progress and couldn't get the single out of my head, the masks in my opinion aren't necessary, but I suppose they link in with the bands name, and give them some distinction in the market. I do hope Victory wake up and start signing bands with talent over looks, I can't stand much more of bands like Design the Skyline and These Hearts, and I'm not the only one.
