Josh Jackson | Geekscape

WWE’s First Slam Crate Makes Sure You Ain’t Booty!

by Josh JacksonNovember 2, 2016

The WWE Slam Crate has been hyped up for a few months now, marking the wrestling company’s first foray into the subscription crate business. From figures to shirts and pins, many wrestling fans were anxious to see what a WWE themed box would contain. Well, we’ve received our first crate, and the results are as varied as the many personalities that fill the roster. With that said, here’s what’s inside!

With all of the promotion New Day has been doing with this crate, it’s no surprise that the centerpiece of the first crate centers around the trio. With that said, I never would have expected what we got. As the debut figure for the inaugural Slam Crate, we got Big E, Xavier and Kofi riding a unicorn. It’s just as bizarre as it sounds, which is why it’s easily the highlight of the box for me.

When you want to look like a Boss, a blue pair of Sasha Banks’ glasses definitely help. These are pretty much identical to the gold pair we can buy from WWE Shop, but it never hurts to have variety. All we need are the “Legit Boss” hand accessories and we’re good to go!

If you’re not feeling much like a boss, you at least don’t want to look sawft. This Lootcrate exclusive Enzo and Cass shirt will show the world that you’re a certified G and a bonafide stud, even if you aren’t seven feet tall. Cass’ frame made me think it was a Lesnar shirt at first, but the comical proportions work for the team.

No superstar would be complete without a bit of gold, so with the Slam Crate’s debut pin, we’re getting the classic winged eagle! Designed to look like the classic WWF championship from the late 80’s to the mid 90’s, this hefty pin is incredibly detailed, with its only real drawback being that its size and weight would make it a bit impractical to put on a lanyard. But it looks so nice, I’d rather display it or frame it than risk it falling off at a convention.

Representing NXT, we got two items showing off the future of the WWE. First, the NXT patch will let you literally wear your fandom on your sleeve, or wherever you want it to go! Then, a preview of the upcoming Topps NXT trading card line gives us a look at Austin Aries. Labeled as an “NXT Prospect”, the back gives a brief history of The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived. It’s a great way to introduce fans who don’t watch NXT or don’t follow the indies to a guy like this, even if it is weird that someone who has been wrestling for over a decade is being called a “prospect”. Still, I get what they’re going for.

Lastly, this crate has plenty for the Dean Ambrose fans out there. This giant belt buckle shows off the Lunatic Fringe’s prominent logo, for those times you’re feeling like stealing a hot dog cart or making friends with a potted plant. Speaking of plants, what has to be a close runner up to the New Day figure for the best item in the box, you can have your very own Mitch! While Dean’s plant may be gone, it lives on through this mini plant encased in a bamboo pot. Definitely the most creative item in the set, Ican’t help but be excited over seeing this bad boy sprout.

That’s all we’ve got for the very first Slam Crate! From some weird figures, to an incredible pin and a potted plant, the variety of this debut box is surprising. With so much to love, what are your favorite items from the box? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to use the promo code “Geekscape” for a discount on your crate!

Power Up Your Old School Decks With The YuGiOh 2016 Mega Tins!

by Josh JacksonNovember 1, 2016

Much of this year in YuGiOh has revolved around nostalgia. Shining Victories and The Dark Illusion booster sets have firmly revived the Blue Eyes White Dragon and Dark Magician archtypes from the beginnings of the game, while older monsters from the 5D‘s and GX eras have gotten plenty of love over the last 12 months. Now that the year is wrapping up, it’s time for another set of Mega Tins to compile all the best cards over that period, for a more economical way to compile what otherwise would be an expensive deck to build. With Yugi and Kaiba at the forefront of the sets this year, this means we’ll have an even easier time finishing off our retro builds, with some brand new cards thrown in for good measure.

As with every annual tin, each one has its own set of guaranteed promo cards outside of the three 16 card Mega Packs. As you would guess, Yugi’s tin focuses on the cards that his deck was famous for, with some new ones thrown in to make them more competitive to the modern game. Aside from Ultra and Secret Rare variants the old school Dark Magician design and Yugi’s God Card, Slifer The Sky Dragon respectively, the sought after Ebon High Magician from The Dark Illusion and Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer, the highlight of the Breakers of Shadow set are the real stars, ensuring you can get your hands on these cornerstone cards. Ebon in particular brings Dark Magician to the realm of Xyz monsters, allowing you to play Quick Play Spells and Trap Cards from your hand as long as it has Xyz material to use, protecting them from being destroyed on the field. Throw in its ability to Special Summon a Spellcaster when its destroyed, and you get a card that can spell disaster for the opponent.

In addition to these monsters, the set has two original cards that can only be found in this tin. D/D/D Flame King Genghis is a Fusion Monster that can only be summoned when fusing two D/D monsters, but Genghis gives you an easy way to bring them back. As long as you Special Summon D/D monster, the Flame King can bring back a D/D monster from the Graveyard once per turn. The hard part when it comes to this combo might be to keep him alive, but if he is destroyed, you can add a Dark Contract card from the Graveyard to your Hand, giving you a bit of retribution. Dragonox, The Empowered Warrior, can also make the Graveyard your playground, with its ability to Special Summon one Spellcaster with 2000 or less attack in Face Down Defense Position. Its meager 1500 attack and defense makes it easy to kill, but as a Pendulum Monster, it can also be played as a Scale 7 Spell on either side of the Pendulum Zone. When placed there, Dragonox can be discarded to end the opponent’s battle phase when they declare an attack. So basically, Negate Attack in Monster form.

Over on Kaiba’s side of the field, the power obsessed CEO of Kaibacorp has his own upgrades since the last time we saw him. While we would never expect Obelisk The Tormentor or his trademark Blue Eyes White Dragon to be left behind in a set like this, his new Synchro Monster, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon, is the highlight among the promo cards. As one of the top cards in the Shining Victories set, not only does it pack a punch attack wise at 2500, but once on the field via Synchro Summoning, it can negate the activation of effects in the Graveyard, which has become a popular tactic in recent versions of the game. Tributing it also lets you Special Summon any Light type Synchro Monster during either player’s turn, which can get you out of some serious jams if played right. The trick is knowing when to use it, since the monster is destroyed at the End Phase of the turn it was summoned.

Rounding out Kaiba’s promo cards are two original cards and an old favorite. Starting with Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit, a Secret Rare from the Crossed Souls set from 2015, this card is essentially a free Solemn card disguised as a monster. If it’s either on your field or IN YOUR HAND, you can destroy the card that was activated, allowing you to catch your opponent off guard. As far as the original entries, D/D/D King Gust Alexander is a Synchro card that has a similar effect to Yugi’s Genghis, but with more more flexibility and durability. With 2500 attack points, he can Special Summon a D/D Monster from the Graveyard when you Special Summon OR Normal Summon a D/D Monster. While he doesn’t have a secondary effect like Genghis’ Dark Contract ability, I’m liking Gust better since you can swarm much easier with his ability. Lastly, Aether, The Evil Empowering Dragon, is a Scale 4 Pendulum Monster with some nasty effects. By Special or Normal Summoning this level six monster, it allows you to flat out banish a monster on the field with no cost outside of what you used to summon it. Once in the Pendulum Zone, it allows you to destroy one card on the field once per turn by banishing an Empowered Warrior monster from your own Graveyard. Once it gets going, it looks like Aether would be a huge threat with the right support cards protecting it.

Rounding out the sets are the Mega Packs themselves, which each include three all star boosters. Containing highlights from the Crossed Souls, Clash of Rebellions, Dimension of Chaos and Breakers of Shadow sets, these cover a lot of ground. You’ll find plenty to love, such as the many Performapal cards, additional support for the Blackwing and Red Dragon Archfiend lines of monsters, and individual powerhouses such as the Odd Eyes Rebellion Dragon to name a few in the long list of viable cards. There’s no better way to catch up with the recent card releases than through this set. My personal pull highlights included Neptabyss, The Atlantean Prince, which single-handedly revived Atlantean and Mermail monsters earlier this year, and Jar of Avarice, which lets you recycle five Graveyard cards followed by a one card draw. If someone with luck as bad as mine can draw those, then there’s no reason why other pulls out there won’t be even better!

That about does it for the 2015-2016 YuGiOh season. What were your highs and lows, and what are your favorite cards from these sets? Sound off below and let us know!

Help Us Crack Open October’s Horror Themed Lootcrate!

by Josh JacksonNovember 1, 2016

October’s Lootcrate is here, and what better way to celebrate the season of all things spooky than by featuring some of horror’s greatest faces! From Leatherface to Freddy Krueger, and a playful reminder of what ended up at the end of Negan’s bat far too soon, here’s what we unboxed this month!

First off, this month’s shirt features the man that everyone loves to hate with Lucille in hand. The premiere of The Walking Dead Season 7 is still fresh in our minds, which is why I can’t help but want to wear this everywhere. As a player for Negan’s Sluggers, you’re sure to get plenty of awkward laughter, mean looks and the occaisional call of your apparent trolling of the general public. One way or another, you’ll get plenty of attention with this eye popping shirt.

Serial killers have never looked so adorable. This supder deformed Leatherface plush straight out of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has never looked more huggable, which is a far cry from his vicious character in the films. That smile is hard to resist, but you might want to be careful when you’re cuddling with your new buddy late at night.

Stepping away from the viciousness of zombies and murderers, The Legion Of Regrettable Supervillains takes an interesting look at some rogues that you might have never knew existed. From the obscure to the strange and the flat out grotesque, comic fans and horror fans alike should find plenty of trivia to enjoy as they uncover some of the lesser known bad guys throughout comic book history.

On the subject of reading materials, this month’s Lootcrate Magazine ramps up the horror theme with a feature on the Walkers from The Walking Dead. Interviews with Emily Andras and Tim Rozon from Wynonna Earp and a section letting us find out whether or not we could survive a horror movie round out the cover content, with some shocking revelations in the latter article. Spoiler alert: I would die!

For the old school horror fan who wants to fly their camp pride high, this Camp Crystal Lake banner will surely attract anyone nearby who happens to be wearing a hockey mask, a grey jumpsuit, or carrying a machete. Friday The 13th may only come around once in a while, but you can remind yourself of the horrors that Jason put those poor kids through every time you see it flying.

From one horror icon to another, Michael Myers is the highlight of this month’s pin, featuring a half mask and half pumpkin design, with the killer’s signature knife splitting the two images. Use this to remind your siblings what can happen to them when they make their siblings angry. Some grudges can be hard to let go.

Lastly, my favorite item of the box has to be this amazing set of Freddy Krueger chopsticks, held together by his signature leather glove. Now you can eat ramen and show off your amazing rice picking skills in style, making tools for murder your eating utensils of choice. They’re so great, that my cat, Piddles, (or P for short), couldn’t stay away either. Maybe the claws remind her of someone?

Once the contents are gone, the box this time around becomes a zombie mask. For those with no idea what to do for a potential costume, all you have to do is pop out the zombie face, and you’ll be a ready made Walker! All you have some ratty clothes on and make sure to stumble around with no sense of direction or coordination. Naturally, this is a perfect fit for me.

That’s it for October! The Freddy chop sticks were my favorite items this month, but what were yours? Let us know in the comments, and tell us what you hope will arrive in next month’s crate! As always, make sure to use the promo code “Geekscape” to get a discount on your next subscription!

Celebrate Halloween Weekend With The First ‘Pokemon Go’ Event

by Josh JacksonOctober 28, 2016

So who’s playing Pokemon Go? We all know that the grind for candy and rare Pokemon is a daily struggle for the trainers willing to put in the grind. With Halloween right around the corner, Niantic thought this would be a good time to give us a little relief in the form of the game’s first special event!

Until November 1st, the game will have increased spawn rates for the especially spooky Pokemon, which includes Drowsee, Hypno, Ghastly, Haunter, Gengar, Golbat, and Zubat, the latter of which will make your every day life feel like you’re walking through a cave. Every Pokemon that is caught, transferred and hatched will give out double the candy, while the amount of walking needed to retrieve candy with your buddy will be cut down by 3/4ths the normal distance.

Being a few days into the event, I refuse to believe that Cubone isn’t part of this. It and Marowak are the new Pidgey’s in my area, on top of the overflow of Drowsee’s. If nothing else, now’s the time to hatch as many eggs as possible, especially those coveted 10 KM eggs. Maybe this event will be when you’re finally able to hatch enough Dratini for that elusive Dragonite? Or it could just be another Onix. That’s the true horror of the season.

Who else is taking part in the event? Have you found anything good? Share your stories below!

‘Mario Party Star Rush’ Focuses On The Fun With Its Coinathlon Mode!

by Josh JacksonOctober 27, 2016

From the beginning, the mini-games were the star of the Mario Party series. Oftentimes, the board game aspect would just be a formality in between that moment where you were waiting to gang up on that guy who’s three stars ahead of everyone else, removing most of the luck from the equation. When Mario Party Star Rush was revealed to cut out most of the waiting, allowing everyone to act at the same time, it was a needed step in the right direction. This is taken a step further in Coinathlon, an extra mode that’s all about the mini games. We got a chance to try out the game and see how crazy things can get when the restrictions get thrown out the door.

Rather than move your characters with a traditional dice roll, Coinathlon is all about skill. Choosing from a pool of about three mini games, each of its boards have a certain amount of spaces that the character moves depending on how many coins they collect during the mini-games. The first player to circle the board a certain amount of times wins, while each player tries their best to sabotage their competition in a way that’s very similar to Nintendo’s popular kart racing game.

From activities ranging from hammering enemies on a set path, fishing for golden Cheep-Cheeps, and avoiding obstacles that slow you down with nothing but your reflexes, these games can get hectic pretty quick. To make things worse, after a player achieves enough success, a meter charges that lets them unleash a random weapon attack on a random opponent. Finally making the Blooper useful, the squid can ink an opponent’s screen, obstructing their view. Other items can stun, slow down or confuse opponents, hopefully leading to them falling further behind in your quest for board game supremacy.

To make things a little more fair between the skilled vs. the newbies, these games will begin to get more difficult for players who are closer to the finish line. Of course, if that player is REALLY good, this gives them the chance to rake in the coins even faster, leading to an ensured victory. This high risk, high reward style ramps up the stakes in a way that builds real tension when you’re close to winning, making the slightest mistake mean so much more. It truly has the potential to be some of the most fun I’ve had with the games in a long time, especially when you consider that this mode is one of the ways four players can get together and play with just one copy of the game.

And of course, we can’t forget the new amiibo that are launching alongside the game. With Wario and Boo being two highlights, we’re going to have to find more shelf space to give these guys the space they deserve. Especially Boo, who glows in the dark.

Mario Party Star Rush does away with the shared car and the wait in between turns and replaces it with the most fast paced version of the game to date. Is this enough to get you to join the party one more time? Share your thoughts with us in the comments, and check out the amiibo in action courtesy of the game’s latest trailer!

We Went Hands-On With The NES Classic Edition! Here’s What To Expect

by Josh JacksonOctober 27, 2016

Since it was announced, one of the most anticipated gaming products this holiday season has been the NES Classic Edition. As a literal blast from the past, this mini console comes pre-loaded with 30 games from years past, including games from the Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy. Packaged with an HDMI cable for modern TV’s and capture devices, it looks to deliver a way to bring classic gaming into the modern era with ease.

Once I got the chance to sit down and actually play with it, the late 80’s came rushing back, as if the time where controllers only had two buttons and 1080P was replaced with 8-Bits never left. Playing the classic Castlevania, the emulation was picture perfect, fitting just right with these modern HDTV’s. The controller felt lighter than I remember, with the same rectangular block so many of us grew up with, to the point where it feels awfully weird not to have shoulder buttons anymore. That didn’t keep me from slaying Dracula’s worst minions with ease, but making the switch after so many years definitely takes a slight mental adjustment.

For those who want to switch up their viewing experience, the unit will have three different aspect ratios to choose from while playing. The standard mode is a pixel perfect recreation of the old days of gaming, meaning there will be a ton of empty space towards the left and right side. If you want to make sure no space is wasted, you can opt for the full screen option in exchange for some stretched out models, or an in between mode that keeps the characters more proportioned while using up more of the screen.

Using an AC adapter that can plug in to either a wall socket or a USB charger, you should never have trouble finding a place to power the thing. Keeping in mind how many games that the $59.99 price point gets you, I can see this being the perfect travel companion when you’re traveling to a hotel, a friend’s place, or if you just want to show off the mini console. Throw in the fact that the controller works as a Classic Controller for Wii and Wii U Virtual Console games means you’ll get even more mileage out of your purchase.

What games are you most looking forward to re-playing, and will you be with us in line when the unit releases on November 11? Share your thoughts below!

Bring Your Imaginator To Life With The ‘Skylanders Creator’ App

by Josh JacksonOctober 27, 2016

The latest entry in the annual Skylanders toys to life franchise has just released, allowing us to create our own heroes for the first time in series history. As detailed in our E3 preview, using special Creation Crystals, players can customize their characters appearance, personality, stats and fighting style, taking the place of standard figures. But what if you want your Skylander to be able to stand side by side with the favorites you’ve collected over the last five years? Now’s your chance, thanks to the Skylanders Creator app.

The app has all of the same character customization options the game has, allowing you to work on your next character when you’re away from the game. When you’re satisfied with what you’ve made, Activision is giving us the option to have the character 3D printed, complete with the same technology that standard figures have. This means when you place the toy on your Portal of Power, it will summon your fully realized character, moves, stats and all. Pretty cool for the most imaginative players out there.

At $50 each for your custom figure, that might be a little pricey for some, which is why you’ll also have the option to have a trading card printed with the same functionality for $15. For those especially proud of their character, they can have it printed on a T-Shirt for the world to admire at $25.

Check out some samples of what the service delivers below, and let us know if your creations are worthy of being immortalized as a figure. And by the way, I’m totally jealous that I didn’t come up with “Steampunkin” first.

Celebrate Halloween With This Special Edition Candy Coated Chop Scotch ‘Skylanders’ Sensei

by Josh JacksonOctober 27, 2016

Every year, Skylanders brings out special editions for their newest characters in time for big events like Halloween. This year is no exception, with Chop Scotch getting the festive treatment in the form of the Candy Coated Chop Shop variant.

Replacing its typical skull design for something that looks closer to a jawbreaker, the orange clad Skylander brings all of her axe wielding abilities to the field alongside her new costume. As a Sensei, Chop Scotch is part of the Smasher Battle Class, allowing custom characters of the same class to break their standard level cap and become even stronger. As an Undead Skylander, her powers draw from the power of all things spooky, which is why she’s a perfect fit for this kind of event.

The figure itself looks like it has more detail put into its design compared to your standard release, with so many interesting markings to help her stand out. Check out these images of her toy and her in game model and see if you agree! If not, you can always design your own!

For collectors or those who just want to play, if you’re only planning on getting one Smasher Sensei, this Halloween variant doesn’t seem like a bad one to go with. What are you hoping to see as the next year of Skylanders rolls out!

The First Screenshots For ‘Cyber Dimension Netpune: 4 Goddesses Online’ Are Here!

by Josh JacksonOctober 27, 2016

It’s been a long time coming since we first talked about the reveal of Cyber Dimension Neptune: 4 Goddesses Online, the latest spinoff in the ongoing Neptunia series. Plugging the girls into a beta test for Vert’s favorite MMORPG, 4 Goddesses Online, sounds great enough on its own, but after seeing our first glimpses at the CPU’s in their new roles, a peak at the game play, and the game’s gorgeous Unreal 4 debut.

Apparently taking some pointers from games like Sword Art Online, 4GO gives players control of their favorite goddesses as they traverse a simulated MMORPG in a single player setting. From these screens, it seems like the game play should be a huge departure from any of the games before it, showing off what can potentially be a real time battle system. From the game play standpoint, the Sword Art games have improved greatly since its rough debut, while other games with similar combat systems like Xenoblade Chronicles and Final Fantasy XII have refined this style of RPG for years. I have my fingers crossed that Compile Heart and Idea Factory take cues from these titles to make Cyber Dimension the best game in the series yet, especially after some recent spinoffs that turned out kind of iffy. (Get it!?)

And let’s be honest, if the game play possibilities alone didn’t have us excited, then the new looks for the girls is more than enough to do so. Noire as a Dark Knight looks especially great, with Neptune as a Holy Knight, Blanc as a Priest, and Vert as an Enchanter rounding out the main cast. I must say that they suit their new roles well, which is making me all the more anxious for the debuts of the CPU Candidates in their 4GO classes.

Check out the screenshots, as well as the first teaser trailer below! Cyber Dimension Neptune: 4 Goddesses Online will arrive in Japan on February 9 exclusively for the PS4, meaning that we’ll probably get it sometime in August. Man, if there was ever a time to import…

Meet The Voice Actors In The Latest ‘Danganronpa V3’ Trailer

by Josh JacksonOctober 27, 2016

Is anyone else still reeling from the ending of Danganronpa 3? Just me? Okay…

If you couldn’t wait for your latest update for the upcoming sequel, you’re in luck! Spike Chunsoft has released a new trailer showing the new cast, their voice actors, and some of the new environments we’ll be exploring within the walls of the Gifted Inmates Academy.

Featuring the first female protagonist in the main series, a host of new Ultimates, such as the Ultimate Cosplayer and Ultimate Robot, and a whole new group of robotic bears to torment us, we can’t wait to see how this will all play out. One thing is for sure, the characters are looking very interesting so far, surely forcing us to get attached to them until they’re inevitably ripped away from us by the cold embrace of death. But surely all can’t be as simple as it seems. With a new Lie Mechanic being introduced into class trials, and the idea that the cast are all inmates, they can’t be good people, right? Could we have the first trial to have your character kill someone? And how will it tie in to the Hope’s Peak storyline, if at all? And why does the baby looking dude have such a deep voice?

The Japanese version will release on January 12, so it will be a long time before we’ll have those answers here in the West. If you wanted to catch up with the previous games, a PS4 bundle of the two games that I named my games of the year in 2014 will be released in early 2017.

Who’s your favorite so far, and how will you accept their inevitable death? Let us know below!

‘Kingdom Hearts 1.5’ And ‘Kingdom Hearts 2.5’ Are Being Bundled For A PS4 Re-Release

by Josh JacksonOctober 27, 2016

Square Enix has announced that PS4 owners who were looking to play the Kingdom Hearts series again in its entirety ahead of the eventual release of Kingdom Hearts 3 will want to keep their eyes peeled in 2017. Both PS3 HD re-releases are going to be repackaged and re-re-rereleased for Sony’s current console.

For those who may have gotten their decimals crossed, Kingdom Hearts 1.5 was the Western debut of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, remastered alongside Re:Chain Of Memories, and a rundown of the storyline via text and cutscenes from 358/2 Days. 2.5 followed suit with the Final Mix versions of both Kingdom Hearts 2 and Birth By Sleep, while Re:Coded got the synopsis treatment that time around. The recently delayed Kingdom Hearts 2.8 is set to round out the core story, remastering the one time 3DS exclusive, Dream Drop Distance, for home consoles, while debuting a brand new scenario staring Aqua, the heroine of the PSP’s BBS.

Can I just say that we called this!? On the Geekscape Games Podcast, we joked that they would find a way to re-release all of the games all over again before the third game saw the light of day, and WHAT DO YOU KNOW!? The only part we got wrong is it being called 2.95 to the square root of pi.

Alongside this announcement were a few new screenshots from the long awaited third game, which you can check out below. Sora’s sporting some new forms!

What do you think of the news? Will you be re:buying the games? Let us know!

We Played The First 30 Minutes Of ‘Pokemon Sun’ and ‘Moon’!

by Josh JacksonOctober 26, 2016

WARNING: Light spoilers for the beginning of the game. Turn away now if you want to go in blind.

With 2016 winding down, it looks like the 3DS s looking to send off the year with a bang in the form of Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, the next set of mainline games that are scheduled to release on November 18th. Across nearly a year of trailers, teases and rampant speculation, we finally got a chance to try the beginning of the full game, all while having some of our most burning questions answered. From what we’ve played, the games are shaping up to be some of the most ambitious titles yet, doing away with many series staples in order to give them their own identity, all while opening up more than a few new questions in the process. With that game time under our belts, here’s what we’ve learned, (and what we didn’t), during its first 30 minutes.

These game will be much more story focused.

A persistent complaint across nearly every Pokemon game was its basic level of storytelling. Somewhat forgiven in the early days since the audience didn’t expect much from a Game Boy or Game Boy Color game, future entries seemed to actually regress in their depth of storytelling, to the point where fighting the newest team or collecting a new set of badges felt more like a chore in between better Pokemon than a fulfilling part of the game. Black and White broke away from this trend, but fell right back into it with its sequels, and to a lesser extent, Pokemon X and Y. From the early portions of Sun, it wastes no time upping the stakes, involving Pokemon and people alike in a much more dangerous situation than previously encountered. As your character protects a mysterious creature, (which we’ll talk about more below), from being assaulted by a flock of Spearow, the bridge they’re on collapses, resulting in what would have been a REALLY short game if it wasn’t for Tapu Koko, the island’s guardian, swooping down and rescuing you at the last second.

This is all before you pick your Starter.

What’s Lillie’s relationship with the Ultra Beasts? And what’s in her bag?

From the moment the Ultra Beasts were revealed, fans quickly linked the first one’s appearance to Lillie, Professor Kukui’s assistant. In case that theory needed any more fuel to add to the fire, the whole bridge incident I mentioned above began when the creature in Lillie’s bag broke out for some fresh air, only to be assaulted by a flock of Spearows. If you’re wondering what’s so weird about a person accompanying a creature in a world full of weird beasts, it’s because Nebby as it was called, was not a Pokemon. It was not in a ball like almost every Pokemon carried by the main cast throughout the main line games, it didn’t fight back when attacked, and it seemed completely helpless. Since it’s being made very clear that Ultra Beasts are separate from traditional Pokemon, what else could Nebby be? My guess is that Lillie’s relationship to Nebby, the Ultra Beasts, and the Aether Foundation’s need to study them will all be major plot points throughout the game’s story.

HMs are dead, but what about the moves themselves?

As reported previously, Pokemon is FINALLY doing away with the dreaded HM, moves that were needed to progress outside of battle while taking up a valuable move slot with an attack that was usually useless in combat. Rather than carrying around one or two useless Pokemon to have these moves in your inventory, your character will now be able to call on Ride Pokemon for these tasks. Using a pager straight out of 1996, players will call on helpers such as Tauros, Charizard and Sharpedo to navigate the field.

Yes, this is a step in the right direction for sure, but among the awful moves were accurate, yet powerful moves like Surf, or the physical Waterfall that remained popular in regular battles. Will those moves be making a return in the form of standard TMs? Unfortunately, this might not be the case. While it was confirmed that those moves will still be attached to any Pokemon you transfer over from Pokemon Bank that knows them, (meaning you should be able to breed them onto new Pokemon), it could not be confirmed if we’ll just be able to teach them the moves if we want to.

Alola has no gyms, but might gyms make an appearance anyway?

Recent news has also revealed that as speculated, the Island Trials, where trainers have to complete unique tasks before fighting powerful Totem Pokemon and the Island Kahuna, will replace the traditional eight gyms that measured your progress. Considering there are only four islands, it makes us wonder what else will change in between, since the game obviously won’t just end when you complete four challenges. With the inclusion of two potential rival teams in Team Skull and The Aether Foundation, the Zygarde side quests and the Ultra Beasts, signs are pointing to the surrounding narrative being even more important than fighting to be the very best this time around.

But then again, that’s not to say that gyms aren’t involved at all. At the start of the game, Professor Kukui makes a comment about just returning from visiting Kanto, only to get beaten pretty badly by the Gym Leaders of old. Sure, this has been hinted at in previous games, resulting in a whole lot of nothing each time, but considering how much of an overhaul the game has received since the last time we visited the region, the fact that your character is originally from Kanto, and the huge focus on the original 151 Pokemon with all the new Alola Forms, it wouldn’t be too crazy to imagine taking a trip to Pallet Town once again.

Original Forms of Alola Pokemon can be found… Kind of. And what happens when they breed!?

The first thing I noticed when the game fired up was an Alolan Meowth in your room. Yet, in the living room, a standard Meowth is hanging out with your mother. Naturally, this led me to ask whether or not the original forms could be found throughout Sun and Moon.

It was confirmed that they CANNOT, and the only reason why a regular Meowth was in your house was because it was brought over from Kanto during the family move. Following the trail further, I asked what would happen if you breed a Kanto version in Alola. Would the egg hatch as an Alolan form? Unfortunately, we have no idea! This question remains one of the mysteries heading into the full release, and likely won’t be discovered until we get the chance to test it ourselves. For now, I would suggest breeding your best classic Pokemon in the old games before transferring them over until we receive final confirmation.

Pokemon truly are your partners this time.

In every other previous game, your starter Pokemon was gifted to you by the game’s professor. Considering new mechanics like Z-Moves and Greninja’s Battle Bond ability are directly tied to the bonds the Pokemon holds with the trainer, it’s no surprise that this connection seems to play a much bigger role in Sun and Moon. With this bond often said but not seen, Alola shows it when you receive your first Pokemon in a much different manner than in previous games.

Rather than being locked in their Poke Balls, Rowlett, Litten and Popplio are each lined up in front of you, waiting for you to make your decision. Yet, you’re not the only one with a say in the matter, because once the Pokemon is chosen, it then has to choose you in return. Standing across from each other like the thrilling, climactic final scene from Air Bud, the Pokemon has to decide whether or not they feel a strong enough bond with you to accept your choice. This type of freedom for the Pokemon themselves would make Team Plasma proud! Oh, and speaking of…

Sun and Moon will likely surpass Black and White as the most polarizing games in the series.

Once I had time to absorb everything that I had played and what we’ve learned so far about the games, one thing seemed abundantly clear to me. Sun and Moon have the real potential to be the most polarizing entries in the series to date. The last time a generation approached the games in such a drastically different way, we ended up with Black and White, which scrapped all previous Pokemon for an original set 0f 150 until after the game was completed, had the biggest focus on story compared to its predecessors, made Gym Leaders mean more than bosses, and bad guys that weren’t one dimensional. As a response to the huge shake up in the roster however, (among other more technical complaints), people seem to either love or hate the fifth generation with very little middle ground.

For every change that will be universally adored, (like the full range of 3D motion and how much more fluid the game looks and plays because of it, some of Sun and Moon‘s bold changes are so drastic, that they’re almost sure to divide the fanbase to an extent. Z-Moves, Alolan Forms rather than new Pokemon, Bottle Caps that instantly raise the IV stats of a Pokemon, making what took hours of work now take what can be a matter of minutes, displaying the weaknesses and resistances on the battle screen to make an easy game much easier, and the removal of series staples like gyms are just some of the ways these games are taking huge risks. From what we’ve played so far though, it seems like they’re paying off.

With The Reveal Looming, Here Are Seven Characters That Could Be The Traitor In ‘Danganronpa 3’

by Josh JacksonSeptember 18, 2016

Warning: Potential spoilers for previous episodes and all three games. Read at your own risk!

Man, it’s rough being a Danganronpa fan. Over the last 10 weeks and 20 episodes in the bag, we’ve been placed on an emotional roller coaster that hasn’t been afraid to drive its viewers into the deepest despair imaginable. But with the connection we’ve built with these characters over the course of three games prior to the show, I’m sure I speak for most when I say we wouldn’t have it any other way. One thing’s for sure though; there are more mysteries left to uncover. With the inevitable reveal of the traitor among what started as the 16 Future Foundation leaders in the show’s Future Arc, we still have one person who may have not been accounted for yet, a host of suspicious people, and questions that need answering. After compiling evidence from both the Future Arc and Despair arc, taking a look at the history of the games, and predicting which directions this story will take before its conclusion, here are the seven most likely traitors.

7. Haiji Towa

Remember Haiji? The vengeful and perverted older brother of Monaca Towa, the mastermind behind the events in Ultra Despair Girls? Despite the way that game ended, hinting that he would be at war with Komaru and the children of Towa City after his Big Bang Monakuma was destroyed, he has yet to be mentioned. Which is weird when you consider that we’ve visited both Komaru and Monaca without a single reference. Could it be that they’re saving it for something bigger?

While not as proficient as his sister, he’s still a technological genius. His spirit was broken, making him rife with despair. He has an affinity for Monokuma. Sounds like all the check marks needed to become a mastermind. Plus, Monaca’s plan was to drive Komaru to despair and make her Junko’s successor. Wouldn’t it be poetic justice if her plan actually succeeded, but by inadvertently making Haiji the next Junko?

Haiji is at number seven because let’s face it; he’s probably going to be forgotten about. He wasn’t terribly important in his only game appearance, so making him the big bad in the grand finale would be anticlimactic. That’s not going to stop me from speculating, though!

6. Juzo Sakakura

Yes, I know that Juzo died last week… Or did he? The thing about the bloodbath that was Future Arc episode 9 was at the start of the episode, there were nine survivors. Yet, despite four people dying over the course of the episode, the opening video teased that there were six survivors remaining instead of five. Now, I’m awful at math, but I know enough to see that there should be five people left. It’s possible that robot Gekkogahara never counted in the total, or that Kirigiri is the one who’s still alive, but if we’re talking about what would induce the most despair possible for Munakata, what would be worse than having both of his closest allies turn against him?

As far as a motive is concerned, I could see Juzo being so dedicated to eradicating despair alongside Munakata that he decided to help eliminate everyone he didn’t deem worthy. After this most recent episode though, I’d go more with the thought that after being humiliated by Junko, he stops believing in hope and plotted along with Chisa to bring down the Future Foundation from the inside. Then again, it could just be that being scared of coming out to his crush drove him to turn traitor. I mean, isn’t that pretty much what happened when Junko beat him?

But the biggest reason Juzo is here is because of the attacker rule. The rule states that every time the designated time limit is reached, all of the survivors will fall asleep. When they wake up, if no one is dead, the traitor must have been killed, setting everyone free. If someone is killed, then the attacker is still on the loose. If you remember when the dreaded episode 9 wrapped up, we had four people killed. Gekkogahara and Juzo were killed by Munakata, while Ruruka was supposedly killed in her sleep, and Kirigiri died due to her forbidden action being violated. On closer inspection though, Ruruka’s death was different from the previous M.O. of the killer. She wasn’t strung up, and she was sliced into pieces. Most importantly though, was that her eyes were wide open with tears in them, showing that she was AWAKE when she died.

What does this mean? My guess is that Ruruka was killed after she woke up, and that NO ONE was killed in that time frame. The game is continuing because technically, Kirigiri did die while everyone was out, and we know how much Monokuma likes to screw with the rules based on technicalities. This means that either Juzo is really dead and couldn’t kill anyone, or his injuries led him to miss his deadline. Then again, it was pointed out that the killer could simply refrain from doing the deed, which takes the spotlight off of the Ultimate Boxer a bit.

5. Chisa Yukizome

Now, we already know that Chisa is A traitor, but is she THE traitor? The sickening events of the past two Despair Arc episodes and the most recent Future episode solidified that Chisa was one of the first to be brainwashed into becoming a follower of despair in years’ past, and that she’s been manipulating her former lover ever since. But with her former students and fellow Remnants of Despair all being held on Jabberwok Island, (and presumably on their way to save Makoto and his friends), she was the last one standing once the new Killing Game started. She was the first to die, but the first game established that an early death can be a fake-out to lead us away from who the real mastermind is. It’s this reason that I don’t think Chisa will be the main traitor, since this plot device has been used once before. With that said, don’t be surprised if she plays a big role in the last few episodes.

4. Chiaki Nanami

I know what you’re thinking; how could Chiaki Nanami, the beacon of hope that has driven most of the series, (and who is very much dead after being killed twice), the traitor? This was just an early hunch, since I know the writers will want to find a shocking way to wrap up this story, but the more I think about it, the less far out it sounds.

First of all, her entire class was turned to despair, including her teacher. The last we saw her, she was horribly mauled in a real life game of Gauntlet, and died thinking that she failed her class, her teacher, and her best friend. But what if she didn’t die? What if Hajime in the form of the infinitely talented Izuru Kamakura found a way to keep her alive? The Future Foundation would go on to use her likeness when creating the AI that was designed to rehabilitate her former classmates in the second game, and once again sacrificed herself for the good of the group. If the real one is alive and were to awaken, with those final, horrible memories being the last thing she knew, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that it would be enough to drive someone to despair. How tragic would it be if her and Hajime finally come face to face again, only for the roles to have reversed, and their precious class rep is the one who needs saving? It wouldn’t be hard to imagine that she would want to take out the Future Foundation since most of them are so firmly rooted in Hope’s Peak Academy, an institution who’s corruption led to the end of the world. Plus, Usami, who was her AI’s partner in the games, has already been shown to be under the control of the enemy at one point throughout the series, so the idea isn’t completely unfounded.

Still, it might be wishful thinking, but my money is more on the hope that she’s the hidden Future Foundation member, and is firmly on the side of hope. Still, never underestimate the lengths that this show will go to make its viewers feel terrible.

3. Makoto Naegi

Since brainwashing has been introduced, nothing is off the table. Even our hope obsessed protagonist and hero of the first game being the Ultimate Traitor. How awful would that be? Making our main character be the one who was killing his friends in his sleep, all while preaching to them that no one would die while he was awake? It would give further credence to Munakata’s suspicions towards him, while landing a huge blow to the morale of the remaining participants. Kirigiri would have died for nothing, and Makoto would struggle with having that blood on his hands.

If we’re speaking strictly about the most despair inducing possibility on the table, then Naegi being the unwilling traitor has to be considered. Ultimate Hope will still win out, but not without some heavy sacrifices, especially when you remember that Great Gozu was killed with three people in the barricaded room with them. Naegi was one of them, but we’ll talk about the other candidate further down the list.

2. Ryota Mitarai

The Ultimate Animator, who is the biggest reason why despair has spread throughout the world outside of Junko and her sister, Mukuro, is looking awfully suspicious right about now. Despite having his work stolen from him and used to brainwash his friends into becoming murderers, his regretful past has yet to be mentioned in Future Arc. We know nothing about what happened to him between the time he escaped Junko’s grasp, up until when he became a member of the Future Foundation. Considering the group’s reaction to what Makoto did to protect the Remnants of Despair, is there any way they would have let him join, or even live, if they knew he played such a huge role in the end of the world? I’m guessing that they have no idea about what he did…

Which leads me to the clues he’s left behind throughout Future Arc. He’s acted timid throughout the show, which is a common way in anime to divert suspicion. He showed obvious signs of jealousy towards Makoto when they first met, which is out of character for him compared to his personality in Despair Arc. He was in direct contact with Junko, but has kept that hidden from everyone in the group. And most importantly, he’s the only character who’s forbidden action we’re unaware of. Does he even have one?

Yet, I have one reservation. Like Chisa, he’s in so deep, that being the traitor feels too obvious. The mystery surrounding him could be a way to keep us off the trail of the real mastermind, the person who was also in the room when Great Gozu was killed. That person is…

1. Aoi Asahina

Aoi Asahina. Doughnut Girl. The Ultimate Swimmer, and one of the six survivors of the original game. Why would she be the top candidate for the role of the traitor? Considering how much she’s protected Makoto, stood up for her friends, and been such a reliable source of positivity throughout this ordeal, what possible reason would she have to turn on her friends after going through so much with them? Mostly because she’s done it before.

In Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, the bubbly ditz of the group showed her mean streak. When her best friend, Sakura, was revealed to be a mole within the class, Asahina was the only one who stood by her. As her classmates tried to kill, attack and shun the seemingly reformed Ultimate Martial Artist, Sakura took it upon herself to commit suicide, freeing the class of their suspicions and allowing them to unite against the mastermind.

Except, Aoi didn’t see it that way.

As the first person to realize the truth about her friend’s death, she tried to throw the trial so that the class would all be executed for choosing the wrong killer, including herself, Driven by revenge, she showed a complete lack of regard for her own life if it meant getting back at the people who hurt those she cares about. Eventually, all was forgiven, and Asahina was among the final survivors of the Hope’s Peak killing game. But what would happen if she was struck with another tragedy? Someone who’s even closer to her than a friend? Someone like family?

Which is where Yuta Asahina, her younger brother comes in. Killed early in Ultra Despair Girls, she has made no mention of the death throughout the series, which is a strange thing to ignore considering how we know she reacts to personal tragedy. The Future Foundation was sent in to rescue the captives in Towa City, but the organization failed her. She obviously would have needed some help to pull such a huge plan off successfully, which is where Chisa comes in, but despite coming off as dense on the surface, we know that she can outsmart the best of them when vengeance is on her mind. How cruel would it be if the whole reason she’s worked so hard to keep Naegi alive all this time is so he could see Kirigiri, who was essentially his love interest, die because of him? Much like she’s had her love ones die while being completely helpless to stop it? That’s what I call true despair…

Most importantly, from a writing standpoint, hiding the identity of the traitor for this long means the reveal has to have some kind of impact, one that will raise the stakes as we head into the grand finale. As Asahina ran into the room with all of the survivors alongside Mitarai at the conclusion of episode 10 with Kirigiri’s notebook in hand, declaring that she knows who the traitor is, how great would it be if the start of episode 11 opens with her announcement leading to an evil smile, and the death of an unsuspecting Mitarai. The only thing worse than killing one of the game’s survivors is making one of them turn to despair, and in that sense, Asahina is the prime candidate.

Let’s hear it, Danganronpa fans! What theories do you have leading into the last two weeks of Hope’s Peak? Do you agree with any of these ideas, do you have any of your own that weren’t mentioned, or do you think this is all pigshit? Let us know in the comments!

Pre-orders For The ‘Superdimension Neptune Vs. Sega Hard Girls’ Limited Edition Are Now Live!

by Josh JacksonSeptember 15, 2016

Do you love Neptunia as much as we do? Do you love waifus? Do you love pillows!? Idea Factory has us covered with the SuperDimension Neptune vs. Sega Hard Girls limited edition, which is available for pre order now!

Ahead of the game’s October 18 release date, Vita owners are going to find plenty of ways to show off their IF love. Aside from the game, the package comes with the soundtrack on two CDs, a full color 28 page art book complete with character bios, a reversible cover, and an awesome collectors box featuring Hatsumi Sega. Most importantly, the double sided pillow case will let you snuggle up with whichever version of IF you want! So whether or not you want to cuddle with regular waifu, or make your dreams come true with the Dream Fusiom form, all it takes to fit your preference is a flip to the cold side of the pillow.

The limited edition is making us even more excited for a game that was a highlight of our E3 experience this year. With new protagonists, firms, and the ability to change classes, the last month is going to be the hardest to wait for. Pre-orders are open here for those who need a cuddle buddy, so let us know if you’re planning on picking this up!

Exclusive: Uncover Xibalba In Season 3 Of ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’

by Josh JacksonSeptember 14, 2016

When the Titty Twister was destroyed in the second season of From Dusk Till Dawn, we stand to lose a lot more than our favorite drinking hole.

In this exclusive clip, showrunner Carlos Coto warns us of the kind of hell we can expect to walk through as Season 3 of the series continues. Resuming the story of Seth and Richie Gecko in an alternate universe that stands apart from the Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino film, it seems like the pair of would-be vampire hunters have unearthed something even more dangerous. So much so, that the pair will have to amass an army to stop what can literally become hell on earth.

Discussing the Mesoamerican mythology behind the portal to hell that just happened to be uncovered underneath the brothers’ bar of choice, Xilbalba houses an army of grotesque demons that’s looking to wreck havoc on their way back home. By letting us take a peek at the new heroes, villains, and unlikely allies that will arise as the season continues, fans of the show will have plenty to look forward to as more is revealed. But I can’t say it any better than the man himself, so check out the video below and let us know what you think about these developments!

From Dusk Till Dawn airs every Tuesday at 8 PM on the El Rey network.

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE’

by Josh JacksonSeptember 14, 2016

In 2013, Atlus and Nintendo announced a collaboration that we had no idea we wanted so bad up until that point. Promising a crossover between the legendary Shin Megami Tensei series and the comparably popular Fire Emblem turn based strategy games from Intelligent Systems, fans of JRPGs around the world were abuzz over what possibilities such a partnership could deliver. What kind of game would it be? How would the two drastically different tones come together in one game? In what way will the game play be consolidated to make fans of both series’ happy? Those questions came and went… And we had no answer for nearly two years, with the project getting pushed to the wayside.

When Atlus was finally ready to show off the game in action, what we got was something resembling neither property. Replacing the dark, desolate world of SMT and Fire Emblem‘s feudal Japan setting with a bright, bouncy version of modern day Tokyo, with a plot line revolving around Japan’s idol obsession. Similarly to the infamous GameCube reveal of The Legend of Zelda, only to seemingly bait and switch the realistic looking tech demo with the toon shaded Wind Waker, many who were looking forward to the potential crossover felt cheated in a way. On the surface, it’s the opposite of what was expected, so it’s no surprise that the game was met with a certain level of negativity. But after playing the game, I can say with certainty that what we ended up with was something better, because rather than plugging two series’ into each other and being tied down to the conventions of both, Atlus was faced with the challenge of creating something that resembles both while creating something brand new. Something better. The final result is Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, a role playing game that masterfully blends old school RPG conventions with some exciting new game mechanics, an unforgettable cast of characters, and some nostalgia fueled call backs that proves that a little creativity can go a long way.

We may not have asked for an RPG about idols and singing, but I’m sure glad we got one.

Placing us in modern day Tokyo five years after a mass disappearance led an entire concert hall full of people to seemingly vanish, we follow Aoi Itsuki, your run of the mill high school boy. Tokyo is holding a massive open audition to choose the next big idol, and after finding his way inside, he bumps into his childhood friend, Tsubasa Oribe. As the younger sister of the lead singer who performed during the disappearance, she hopes to become part of the music industry so she can find out the truth about what happened during the incident, (even if she is clumsy and dense.) It isn’t long before this audition turns out to be a ruse orchestrated by a group of monsters called Mirages, who feed off of the creative energy of humans. After lucking into running into two friendly Mirages, Chrom and Caeda, they lend the teens their power, giving them the ability to fight off this new threat. Now classified as Mirage Masters, the pair are recruited Maiko Shimazaki, the head of Fortuna Entertainment who was a former model herself. Serving as both a talent agency and a defense force against the Mirages, Itsuki finds himself trying to find a way to fit in with all these wildly different talents with no talent of his own, while trying to save the world from the growing Mirage threat. You know, typical Japanese high school stuff.

On the surface, the game plays very closely to your standard Shin Megami Tensei spin off. Once battle starts and your team takes the stage, (literally, since combat takes place on a concert stage with an arena of monsters cheering you on), the bright and bubbly aesthetic hides some punishing combat. The core mechanics involve your party taking advantage of enemy weaknesses, which will put those taking the damage at a huge disadvantage. In TMS, it takes the typical elements like electricity, fire, force, light and dark, and throws in the weapon triangle from Nintendo’s series, throwing swords, axes, bows and lances into play. Once an enemy is struck with their weakness, unlocking skills through leveling up triggers a Session, where your non-active party members will jump in and create a chain of attacks for huge damage. If done right, your whole team can attack in a single move! As your party grows and your ability list becomes longer, you’ll be rewarded with free money, items and a potential chance to wipe out the enemy party during a single turn at no cost to the extra participants. Keep in mind though, that your party has their own weaknesses too depending on their pre-set class, such as Itsuki’s familiar Lord class, and Tsubasa’s Pegasus Knight for example. If an enemy hits your weakness and a Session starts, chances are you’re getting one hit killed. Thankfully for us, you can swap party members in and out mid battle to adjust for weaknesses with the exception of Itsuki. Even if he is a damage dealing monster late in the game, the early chapters can be frustrating when he keeps getting KO’d and can’t do damage.

Itsuki constantly finds himself in trouble early on, regardless of how great his Lord form is.

Itsuki aside, that’s the brilliance of the game play, because while playing smart is always going to be the key to victory in an RPG, you’ll really need to prioritize your moves here. Each character and enemy’s turn order can be seen at the top, so planning ahead during tough battles can make or break your run. Leveling up to higher levels will eventually max out the amount of active skills, passive skills and Session skills you can hold. When you create a new weapon with its own set of abilities, it’s often more advantageous to equip a weaker weapon so you can unlock better abilities. The choice can be nerve-wracking when you’re asked if you have to choose between being immune to sleep or raising your attack for example, which is why making your whole team balanced plays such a big role.

Each attack skill has a set amount of EP to use special attacks, with an SP bar that the party shares. By spending SP, each character can unleash a tide turning special attack, with effects such as starting a guaranteed Session, removing enemy resistances and reflections for the turn, or healing your party. Tying back to the musical theme, unlocking songs for your team of performers during the story gives them a chance to randomly use an Ad-Lib Performance if the right attack is used. Here, the standard attack will be replaced with a short cutscene, mirroring their performance outside of battle while delivering a powerful version of your chosen ability. Even dozens of hours in, the unpredictability of combat constantly keeps it exciting. Even when you think you have the mechanics down, each chapter typically introduces a new challenge to take on, and a new mechanic to add that bit of depth as you proceed. Once all the cards are on the table, pulling off those massive Sessions is insanely rewarding, (even if there is no way to skip or fast forward extra long Sessions).

Sessions, Duo Arts and Ad-Libs are the bread and butter of a great offense.

Unfortunately for my sentimental self, sometimes I would go against my strategic interests in combat, because I would stubbornly stick to certain characters that I was attached to. Thanks to how incredibly well characterized the cast is, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the entirety of the party, with one glaring exception. Much like the Persona series that this game has been so often compared to, the strongest aspects of the narrative are not the main conflict, but the party members that you interact with. As your team becomes stronger and you advance through the game, you’ll be able to take on Side Stories, which give you more background on your Fortuna co-workers. While not nearly as depressing and rife with conflict compared to what you’d find in Atlus’ other friend simulator, completing missions and tasks will help them come to terms with their own insecurities while making them better performers in the process. Plus, you’ll often unlock Duo Arts upon completion, skills that will randomly be offered mid-Session where two party members act out a scene while extending the Session, delivering huge damage, healing the party, or inflicting status ailments in the process.

What makes them stand out so much is that much like the game play, or even the initial reveal of the game itself, it gives you an expectation, then either flips it on its head, or immediately gives you a reason why they’re the way they are. Touma for example, comes off as the typical “bro” character who always has your back. He’s desperate to star in a super hero show after many failed auditions because of his troubled childhood, and is extra loyal because of it. Eleonora on the other hand, seems like a snooty brat who is overcompensating for the fact that her TV show is doing poor ratings by coming off with an air of arrogance and an obsession with Hollywood. Yet, she’s always kind and sincere, never letting her perceived ego make her think that she’s above her colleagues. When we almost immediately learn about the her trouble coming to terms with how she’s viewed as a bi-racial actor in Japan, this light touch on xenophobia and the awkwardness of feeling like an outsider makes her instantly sympathetic. And she’s not the only one… Despite not being playable, Tiki serves the very important function of being able to unlock new abilities with the Performa and items you find for your cast, creating new weapons for your Mirages, or performing late game class changes. As the team’s “vocaloid”, her existence as a non-physical entity gets played up to incredible heights, making her one of the saddest characters in a game this year. Even Itsuki, who serves as the bland player insert, is far from the typical silent protagonist, with his own charm with how oblivious he is to all that is going on around him. Barry, the resident American who is obsessed with Japan on the other hand, is the exception, and gets worse as his story goes on. Going from drill sergeant trainer to creepy and obsessed was unfortunate, and the final result is flat out strange. And unlike the rest of the game, not in a good way.

Oh, Ellie. You’ve shot me with Cupid’s arrow.

To be frank, the core story is a bit of an afterthought. After the first chapter is completed, the main plot line gets pushed aside until the third act in favor of some often hilarious character development. Each stage in the middle is like those Nephrite episodes of Sailor Moon where someone extra talented is possessed by a monster, lures in unsuspecting citizens who want to work with them, and drains their energy, (or Performa in this case), while building their own to feed their master. But throughout these chapters, we learn that these challenges are the catalysts to fast track Tsubasa’s growth as a performer, taking her from every aspect of what life as an idol is like. Despite Itsuki being the player’s character, this is very much Tsubasa’s story, displaying her evolution from a clumsy, insecure and ditzy kid, to a national superstar. Away from Ms. Oribe however, one of the more compelling mysteries is how characters like Chrom, Tharja, Virion and Tiki came to be in this timeline, and what their purpose is in modern day Tokyo. Once that question is finally answered at the end of the game, I couldn’t help but get chills, and I’m not even the biggest Fire Emblem fan! If you have any attachment to the series and can accept how silly the concept is, these moments really can’t be missed.

If there’s a pattern to any of this, it’s that from concept to completion, Atlus has taken a game and balked at expectations at every turn. The final result is what might be the best game of the year so far, with a 50 hour plus story, and plenty of extra content when the New Game + rolls around. When the curtain fell and my time was Fortuna Entertainment had come to an end, I felt empty, like I didn’t want it to be over. I haven’t felt that way about a game in a very long time. It’s hard to say if it was because of the rewarding combat that blends classic mechanics with a modern flair, the incredible cast of characters, the stylish interpretation of Tokyo and its many locales, (which would suffer some minor slowdown when the population is high), the concerts rendered with the gorgeous Fire Emblem cutscene style, how well the music plays into everything that takes place on screen, or how cleverly the two franchises that inspired this game were brought together to create something so special while being so original, but one thing is for sure. If you love RPGs, if you love J-Pop, if you love Fire Emblem and especially if you love something that turns genre conventions on its head, do yourself a favor. Pick up Tokyo Mirage Sessions. There’s really no better way to say it.

tl;dr

+ A beautiful interpretation of modern day Tokyo, with a unique style that makes everything from dungeons to character designs pop from the screen.

+ An unforgettable cast that baits you with their on the surface tropes, then hits you hard with their depth and motivations.

+ Challenging, yet rewarding combat. Knowing when to make the right moves, (and avoid the wrong ones), will get you through with little to no level grinding.

+ The music! Everything from the remixes to the original songs and the music videos will stick with you long after the game is over.

+ So much to do! From the requests, side stories, and a New Game +, you’ll be playing this for a long time.

– Sessions can’t be fast forwarded, making it repetitive to sit through them every battle.

– Being unable to switch Itsuki out of battle can handcuff your choices in battles where he’s ineffective.

– Barry’s side story gets borderline creepy.

– Minor slowdown during crowded battles and in the streets of Shibuya.

Final Score: 4.75/5

Here’s What’s To Look Out For In The Pokemon Trading Card Game ‘Steam Siege’ Expansion

by Josh JacksonSeptember 7, 2016

Steam Siege, the latest Pokemon Trading Card Game expansion, marks the TCG debut of Volcanion, the last Mythical Pokemon from the latest generation of games. While it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Steam Pokemon would be the face of the new set, Volcanion isn’t the only monster to take center stage this time around. With the debut of the first Sun and Moon Pokemon in card form, new Break and EX monsters to supercharge our decks, and a larger emphasis on the dual type mechanic that debuted many sets ago, here’s what to look out for when you’re tearing open those booster packs.

Serving as the star of the set, Volcanion looks to power up its fire type teammates courtesy of its Steam Up ability. By discarding a Fire Energy, all fire type attacks will do an extra 30 damage. That boosts its own Volcanic Heat attack from an already massive 130 HP of damage to 160. Its dual typing gives it the ability to do double damage to most other fire types thanks to its water typing, meaning it can make using a different fire deck against it a nightmare. Its biggest drawback is that it can’t attack during the turn after it attacks, which leaves it wide open to take more damage. Being that it’s an EX Pokemon, getting it KO’d means the opponent gets two prize cards compared to one, bringing them that much closer to victory. As a high risk, high reward monster, play Volcanion EX with caution.

Perhaps even more important than Volcanion is Magearna, the first Sun and Moon Pokemon to make its TCG debut. As a pure Steel type, Magearna EX needs a special type of Energy Card to be able to attack. Thankfully, two of the three it needs are colorless, meaning any other energy type will work. Perfect for a steel focused deck, Soul Blaster does 120 damage, with the following turn leading to a 60 HP reduction in power. While its regaining its strength, its Mystic Heart ability prevents all status ailments to any Pokemon on your team with a Steel Energy attached. Made with defense in mind, Magearna finds itself being able to constantly attack, which is a step up from Volcanion.

The EX cards are great, but the new Break Cards might outshine them, especially when it comes to the new Yveltal Break. Evolving from the standard Yveltal, the Break form deals 120 damage with three Dark Energy cards. If that wasn’t strong enough, this Baleful Night attack does 30 damage to every Pokemon on your opponents bench. Depending on which version of the base card you used for the evolution, it can also gain additional abilities that it doesn’t normally have. This goes for cards like Talonflame Break too, which can deal 150 damage with only two Fire Energy cards. Even if you have to discard the energies attached to it, it’s a great way to pull out a clutch win.

The above monsters are complimented by a host of great cards, including Gardevoir EX, Professor Sycamore, (which lets you draw 7 cards after discarding your hand), Ninja Boy, (a highlight from the recently released Theme Decks, allowing you to replace one basic Pokemon on your field with another in your deck), and Pokemon Ranger, (which removes all attack effects).

If you want more information on the newest theme decks, check out our review here! Do you have any other cards from Steam Siege that you’re particularly fond of? Let us know in the comments, and keep checking back for more Pokemon news and impressions as they become available!

The Pokemon Finder Brings ‘Snap’ To ‘Sun’ And ‘Moon’ While Ultra Beasts Make Their Debut

by Josh JacksonSeptember 6, 2016

In the latest trailer for the next entries in the storied Pokemon franchise, Pokemon Sun and Moon, multiple new features, Pokemon and characters were introduced, one of which will look very familiar if you’ve been hoping for a sequel to Pokemon Snap for the last decade. Check out the trailer below, then get hyped with us as we break down its many reveals!

Making the most out of its two minute run time, we’ll start with the new Pokemon. Following up on Thrusday’s reveal, Alolan Raticate was shown, with a pair of puffy cheeks to go with the new Dark/Normal typing and the Gluttony/Hustle abilities it shares with its previous form.

But how did it get so fat? Its environment, of course! According to The Pokemon Company,

Raticate in Alola live in urban areas, leading to a higher-calorie diet than that of Raticate elsewhere. This means they have tough bodies but have gotten a lot fatter. They stockpile huge amounts of food in their nests and prefer fresh fruit and high-class ingredients. Alolan Raticate is the Totem Pokémon of the trial that takes place in Verdant Cavern on Melemele Island in Pokémon Moon.

Next up is Jangmo-o, a determined Dragon type with the Soundproof and Bulletproof abilities. A determined warrior who is constantly seeking to become stronger, could this be the first in a line of this generation’s main Dragon type?

The Scaly Pokémon Jangmo-o has the pride of a warrior and never neglects its training in its pursuit of becoming stronger. This Pokémon uses the scales on its head as a weapon both offensively and defensively. It lives in harsh locales, like canyons, where it can train.

Last on the list of standard Pokemon is, Type: Null. No, that’s not a new typing, but the name of the new synthetic Pokemon that’s made up of different parts. Sporting a fin, an armored head with a helmet that keeps it under control, and other various limbs to make up its body, its easily one of the most openly morbid designs the series has produced. With the Battle Armor ability, which keeps it from receiving critical hits, we’re expecting this one to give us trouble as we progress through the story and face off with Team Skull’s enforcer, Gladion.

Type: Null is a Synthetic Pokémon which was constructed to synthesize the strengths of various Pokémon, making it adaptable enough to complete a mission that requires a Pokémon as strong as the Pokémon of mythology. The mask fitted to this Pokémon’s head is a piece of equipment designed to control its power. Type: Null is the partner Pokémon of a newly revealed character—Gladion, the taciturn enforcer of Team Skull, who places a high value on being strong in battle.

After all this time, it seems like the evil team finally has a unique, menacing Pokemon to fight with. Nothing against a sea of Rattatas and Zubats, but it was hard to take them seriously.

If these are the new Pokemon, what are the Ultra Beasts? That’s what the Aether Foundation hopes to find out. This new organization led by Lusamine, Faba, and Wicke, is researching these otherworldly creatures alongside their employees. Knowing that they could pose a threat to humans and Pokemon alike. what direction will they take the story into once they’re introduced? Could we be getting a more detailed story again like in Black/White? I wouldn’t even be surprised if Aether has some ulterior motives of their own…

But perhaps the most important reveal of all was the Pokemon Finder, a new camera based mini game that might look familiar to those N64 gamers who have been clamoring for a certain photography based sequel. Using your Rotom Pokedex, trainers will be able to view the environment through its lens, taking pictures of Pokemon in the wild and unlocking new upgrades with the points they score for good shots. While not a full-on Pokemon Snap follow-up, it’s great to see its game play be adapted into the main series.

Rounding out the trailer was the differences between each version and a side quest that explains how we’re going to come across those Zygarde Complete Formes. While the two versions have always had variations in their character roster, Sun and Moon takes that further with each version being scaled 12 hours apart from each other. So it will be night time during the day in Moon, while Sun follows the normal flow of time. This effects certain events in the game as well, such as some Totem Pokemon being different between each version. Either way, trainers will eventually come across Dexio and Sina, Professor Sycamore’s two assistants from X and Y, and help them gather Zygarde Cells throughout the environment, to eventually compile enough to give the legendary Pokemon its true form.

With so much news, there was plenty to love. But what was your favorite part of the trailer? Let us know in the comments!

Geekscape Reviews ‘Star Wars Rebels’ Season 2 On Blu-Ray

by Josh JacksonSeptember 5, 2016

I’ll admit. The idea of Star Wars Rebels was a tough one to accept when it was initially announced. With all of the hubbub surrounding the Extended Universe being scrapped canon wise, it was hard to imagine how a kid focused prequel linking the two trilogies would do anything but complicate the continuity. Bringing in new Jedi, Sith, and obviously, Rebels, that we never hear about during any of the major events of the films sounded like a recipe for disaster on paper. Then… Season 1 happened, and quickly changed the minds of many of its skeptics. By creating its own identity while tying loosely into the abruptly cancelled Clone Wars animated series, Rebels teased the potential to create a proper bridge between episodes three and four. In this way, the show doubles down throughout its second season, creating constantly compelling storylines that work surprisingly well both as standalone episodes, and serve as glimpses into what the future may hold for The Force and its users. That is… When the show isn’t spinning its wheels with inconsequential content.

The crew is back for season 2!

Following the defeat of the Sith Inquisitor at the end of the first season, Kanan Jarrus, the Jedi Knight who avoided Order 66, and his newly discovered apprentice, Ezra Bridger, continue to travel the galaxy as part of the Lothal Rebels, who are working towards the destruction of the Empire long before Luke took up a lightsaber. Leading the group alongside Kanan is Hera, an ace pilot who’s exposure to battle dates back to the Clone Wars. Rounding out their crew is Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian soldier with a past as a bounty hunter, (and a penchant for graffiti), Zeb Orrelios, a Lasat warrior who is out for revenge after The Empire attacked his homeworld, and their droid, Chopper. With the idea of rebellion still in its infancy, the crew constantly finds itself hiding from their enemies as they fight for territory and resources, narrowly escaping danger at every turn. But with The Empire’s strongest enforcer, Darth Vader, now on the hunt, will the return of Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice, Ashoka Tano, be enough to protect the crew from the wrath of the Dark Side? And will its pull be too much for the crew itself to resist?

From the very first episode, Rebels raises the stakes with the crew’s first encounter with Vader. The setup puts many of the season’s themes and conflicts into place, including Kanan’s paranoia over not being strong enough to protect his apprentice and crew, Ezra’s growing frustration with his mentor’s lack of faith as the Dark Side begins to tempt him, and Ashoka’s inevitable reunion with her former master. As if to ensure that this wouldn’t be a one sided conflict from the get-go, Vader inexplicably disappears after the rebels narrowly escape, sending two new Inquisitors to complete the job that he was so close to finishing himself. Along the way, the crew meets Lando, Leia, and other key figures as they travel the galaxy in search of a way to defeat the Empire, all while avoiding detection themselves.

Seeing Rex again is one of the highlights of the season.

In the episodes in between the first two and last three, the season uses its 22 episode total to better acquaint us with the crew and their backgrounds as they work towards establishing their new base. Hera’s skill as a pilot and her history with her father, the Clone Wars hero, Cham Syndulla, is given its time in the spotlight, alongside Sabine’s bounty hunter past, and Kanan’s distrust of Clones after Order 66 when Captain Rex resurfaces. Among the side stories however, none were more compelling than late in the season, when Zeb becomes stranded alongside Agent Kallus, the Empire commander who spends most of the season trying to weed out the heroes. Easily the most compelling episode that’s not focused on the Jedi and Sith, the two enemies are forced to work together to survive the native threats that surround them, all while finding a better understanding of each other. Through their interactions, we learn that not everyone in the Empire is evil. Many think they’re doing the right thing by bringing order to the galaxy, and see their enemies as those who misunderstand their good intentions. From Kallus’ point of view in his days as a low rank officer, his squad was meant to help Zeb’s home world, but distrust and unrest from the natives led to paranoia from the ground troops, which would eventually break into the battle that would nearly wipe out the Lasat. By the end, both characters develop mutual respect for each other as people despite being pit against each other in the larger conflict, bringing a sense of humanity to the evil Empire we’ve grown accustomed to for decades. That is, in between jokes about how Stormtroopers are terrible shots, which is on full display here. In fact, outside of the Sith and Kallus, it’s hard to take any of them as a serious threat when they come off as so incompetent every time one of the team’s unlikely plans to escape their predicaments goes off without a hitch. You’ll start to wonder how they held a grip on the galaxy for as long as they did.

Yup, still imposing. And we love him for it.

Make no mistake about it though, because when the Dark Side is in full force, they’re still the group that we love to hate. With some gripping build up to the final conflict of the season, old friends such as Yoda re-surface to impart some lasting knowledge on our master-less Jedi and his Padawan. After the well constructed build up finally hits its crescendo, and we finally get the face off between Ashoka and Vader, there’s so many moving parts that all fit so well together that even this long awaited battle can’t overshadow what’s going on with Kanan and Ezra. I won’t spoil too much for those who haven’t seen it, but by brining back a ghost from the past, we suddenly have ties that go back to the earliest points in the film timeline, all the way to The Force Awakens. In typical Star Wars fashion, the second story ends with the heroes in a bad spot. By the time it was over, I definitely wanted more, and I can’t wait to find out what the fallout is going to be after the events of the finale. But most of all, I’m very anxious for how all of this is going to end.

With all the excitement out of the way however, I can’t talk about the season as a whole while ignoring some poorly placed episodes in the season that serve as nothing more than time fillers, making certain points throughout the run feel like they were stretching out material to meet the season total. I get that in a weekly cartoon, especially one marketed with children in mind, they’re not going to be the ones analyzing whether or not the episode had merit. They’ll largely care about seeing the characters do some cool stuff to hold them over until the following week. But even among the pointless episode here and there, the episode before the two part finale is the most unfortunate of all. After making an announcement that was teased to have everlasting effects on the crew, Kanan and Ezra find themselves playing Starship Troopers near their newly founded base with the rest of their team, in a complete throwaway that undercuts the gravity of the first and last two minutes of the episode. Thankfully, the following episodes were enough to pull me back in, but the change in tone was jarring to say the least.

Will Ezra be tempted by the Dark Side?

Now if you’ve watched the season as it aired and were looking to get your money’s worth with extra content, you’re going to find yourself disappointed on that front. Each disc in the 3-disc set has its own set of Rebels Recon shorts, where we learn about what went on to develop each episode. These mini documentaries however, have been on StarWars.com since each episode aired, so you can head over to the site and watch them there, rather than needing this set. The third disc houses two bonus shorts, one going over the history between Ashoka and Anakin, while the other talks about easter eggs that tie the season to the rest of the Star Wars continuity. While interesting, each one clocks in at less than five minutes, making the package feel bare bones outside of the actual episodes.

Lightsaber duels will never stop being great.

So if you’re someone who wants a satisfying continuation of the unfinished Clone Wars saga, who never watched Rebels and want some fantastic storytelling in that galaxy far, far away, or who can’t wait to re-live the events of the second season, do yourself a favor and pick up Season 2. The special features might be sparce, and the season could have been better without a few episodes, but overall, these episodes succeed in producing original stories that manage to be compelling all on their own, while enriching the established film universe. Most of all, I can’t wait for more! So in that sense, mission accomplished.

Key Episodes:

Episode 1: The Siege of Lothal Part 1

Episode 2: The Siege of Lothal Part 2

Episode 3: The Lost Commanders

Episode 4: Relics of the Old Republic

Episode 5: Always Two There Are

Episode 8: Blood Sisters

Episode 9: Stealth Strike

Episode 11: Legacy

Episode 12: A Princess on Lotahl

Episode 16: Homecoming

Episode 17: The Honorable Ones

Episode 18: Shroud of Darkness

Episode 21: Twilight of the Apprentice Part 1

Episode 22: Twilight of the Apprentice Part 2

Season Score: 4/5

Blu-Ray Score:3/5

Gears of Fire vs. Ring of Lightning; Which Is The Better Pokemon Trading Card Game Deck?

by Josh JacksonSeptember 5, 2016

Steam Siege, the latest Pokemon Trading Card Game expansion, has unleashed some never before seen Pokemon into the game. If you wanted to see what Volcanion, the Steam Pokemon that serves as the last Mythical Pokemon of the X and Y generation, can bring to the battlefield, we have the chance with the new Gears of Fire Theme Deck. Not to be outdone, Hoopa won’t let its spotlight be taken that easily as the previous Mythical release. Its Unbound form takes center stage with the Ring of Lightning deck to oppose the newcomer, with some impressive power of its own. When these two decks square off, which one wins out?

Gears of Fire and Ring of Lightning both have some incredible cards that would be an asset to any deck. Namely, Tierno lets you draw five cards, while Ninja Boy lets you swap out any basic Pokemon in your deck with one on your bench. Considering both Volcanion and Hoopa are Basic, moving them on your bench and building up their energy cards for potential team sweeps makes it very easy to earn a dominating win. Combined with Energy Retrieval and Professor’s Letter, you’ll rarely have trouble finding the Energy you need since both cards let you search your deck for what you need.

But when it comes to energy, that’s where Gears of Fire has an edge. Volcanion’s weaker attack, Power Heater, only needs one Fire Energy for 20 damage, but its secondary effect is what makes it shine. Every time this attack connects, it can pull two Fire Energy cards from the discard pile and add them to two Pokemon on the bench, ensuring that a powerful follow-up can come through if Volcanion retreats or gets taken down. Two more Fire Energy cards unleashes its Steam Artillery attack, doing 100 base damage. Nearly enough to take out any opposing Pokemon in one hit, you’ll be able to clean up the competition real quick.

On the other hand, Hoopa can do even more damage, but with a big drawback. Portal Strike, its strongest attack, can dish out 130 HP of damage with only three Psychic Energy cards! Essentially allowing 1 hit KO’s for nearly everything in the Gears of Fire deck. The only problem is that once using this attack, it has to wait two turns to use it again. Leaving it vulnerable against strong opposition will make Hoopa an easier target than its fire powered counterpart. Its weaker attack, Hyperspace Punch, almost makes up for this weakness, allowing you to do 20 damage to any two Pokemon on the opposing field, even if they’re on the bench. If you’re having bad luck with drawing Psychic energy cards, this attack only needs one colorless energy, meaning you can use any type to activate the attack.

Aside from the featured monsters, there are some useful cards to lead you to victory, with a few that don’t serve much purpose. Gears of Fire has the weaker roster, with Monferno and Rapidash not serving much purpose. Kingklang’s ability to deal 140 damage in one turn is massive, but needing Steel Energy cards both makes it harder to use, and clutters the deck a bit with energies that the Psychic and Fire types in the deck can’t use. Thankfully, Pyroar makes up for it by having a similar ability to Volcanion. Its first attack deals damage while allowing you to add an extra Fire Energy to it, making sure it can use its stronger move in the following turn.

Even more than Hoopa Ring of Lightning‘s real star is Ampharos. Yes, you need to get through evolving Mareep and Flaffy, and it doesn’t have any low tier attacks, requiring three Energy cards to attack, but the payoff is worth it. Though it doesn’t apply in this case, its special ability allows it to move three damage counters to an opposing EX Pokemon, while its main attack, Gigavolt, will either deal 120 damage, or 80 damage and inflict paralysis, making the damaged Pokemon immobile for the following turn. Throw in Hawlucha, who can switch the opponent’s active Pokemon with one on their bench when its added to your bench, or Ambipom and its potential to inflict 60 damage with one energy while thinning out the opponent’s deck. Ring of Lightning has a lot going for it.

But in the end, I have to give the nod to Gears of Fire. When playing both decks, I often pulled Energy that I couldn’t use with Ring of Lightning, making it so my team would get devastated after a bad KO. With the Flame deck, Volcanion’s ability makes it much harder to run out of Fire Energy cards, while the deck exclusive Pokemon Center Lady card will completely heal the powerhouse when needed. Even then, Ring of Lightning has so much going for it, that adding cards from either one will make your custom decks work much better. In fact, moving Litwick from Lightning to Fire would be a big help, since its only attack lets you discard cards. Sacrificing the haunted candle might be worth thinning your deck while getting rid of some Fire cards to set Volcanion up for some bench powering.

But what do you think? Which deck do you think works best, and what cards would you use to improve them? Make sure to take a look at our review of the Steam Siege set, and keep checking back for all your Pokemon news!

‘Pikmin’ Comes To The 3DS! But It’s Not What You Think…

by Josh JacksonSeptember 1, 2016

Since the original Nintendo DS launched over 10 years ago, Pikmin always seemed like it would be a natural fit for the touch screen, (which was proven on the Wii U with Pikmin 3.) It may have taken a decade to land on handheld platforms, but Olimar and his army of adorable carrots are finally coming to the 3DS. Except… It’s nothing like what any of us would expect.

Trading in its real time strategy game play for what can only be described as an action focused 2D platformer, Pikmin for the Nintendo 3DS looks to turn what we know about the series on its head. Alternating between the fire resistant red Pikman, the high flying yellow Pikmin that laugh off the dangers of electricity, or the blue Pikmin, which are the only type that can survive in water, Olimar will use them to attack, solve puzzles, and fight bosses as he works his way towards the end of each stage.

Not much is known about the game outside of its reveal trailer, such as whether or not the other Pikmin variants like the white, purple, pink or rock Pikmin will make an appearance, but I’m approaching this one cautiously at the moment. What we’ve seen looks good so far, but we only have to look to last year’s Chibi Robo: Zip Lash to find a sequel where an established game was converted to a 2D platformer for the sake of wider appeal, only for it to lose much of what made it special in the process. Let’s hope Olimar and his crew avoid this pitfall.

Thoughts on the new Pikmin? Are you excited about the new direction, or would you prefer the classic style to return? Sound off below and let us know!

‘The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword’ Is Now Available On The Wii U eShop

by Josh JacksonSeptember 1, 2016

Nintendo is going all in with the 30th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. To get gamers up to speed on all of Link’s adventures, the company announced that the latest mainline Zelda title, the Wii’s Skyward Sword, is now available to purchase in the Wii U eShop.

Set as the earliest game in the notoriously confusing timeline, Skyward Sword took us to Skyloft back when it released in 2011. Trading in his horse for a Loftwing, Link flew through the skies to take on a threat that would set the entire saga into motion, creating what would become the kingdom of Hyrule. Somewhat infamous for Nintendo’s decision to make the game completely motion controlled, AND requiring Wii Motion Plus technology, (which when released, had been built in to new Wii Remotes for some time), it’s gone on to be one of the most polarizing entries in the core series of games.

Now, more people will get the chance to decide for themselves with this surprise release. Retailing for $19.99, Skyward Sword is the last of the 3D Zelda games to get some sort of re-release, with Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess rounding out the list over the last year. Now there’s no excuse to enjoy the full timeline before Breath of the Wild launches early next year!

What are your thoughts on Skyward Sword? Let us know in the comments, and keep checking back for more details on all things Zelda, including those sweet new Amiibo!

New StreetPass Games And A 100 Mii Update Are Now Live!

by Josh JacksonSeptember 1, 2016

Just when you thought StreetPass Mii Plaza was quietly retired, we get pulled back in.

During today’s 3DS focused Nintendo Direct, it was announced that a much needed update to the popular StreetPass Mii Plaza, where 3DS owners could retrieve information and characters from other handhelds that they cross paths with to use in a variety of mini games. Players who find themselves passing by droves of people will finally find relief in the character cap increasing from 10 to 100, making it so you’ll have to empty it out far less frequently than in the past. Personally speaking, the biggest reason why I don’t use the feature nearly as much as I used to is because it defeated the purpose of bringing games with me when I would have to be glued to this app in order to constantly empty it. Being able to speed through the Mii introductions and accumulate ten times the amount of characters at a time is a very welcomed improvement, even if this change should have come years ago.

Considering most hardcore StreetPassers would have gotten everything they wanted out of all the games by now, Nintendo also revealed five new Plaza games that can be purchased immediately following the presentation. Promising to be even less time consuming than games past, each one aims to give you quick, yet satisfying rewards from building your community of players. The released games are:

Slot Car Rivals

A racing game where you compete against the best times of the people you StreetPass with.

Market Crashers

Make stock market predictions based on the advice of the Mii’s you StreetPass and become a digital Bernie Madoff.

Ninja Launcher

Stuff ninja clad Mii’s in a cannon and shoot them at things!

Mii Trek

Giving the step counter a purpose outside of Play Coins, the accumulated steps from the Mii’s you collect allow your team of characters to travel farther and discover unknown treasures.

Feed Mii

Use ingredients gathered from Mii’s to make the perfect meal.

Of the five, your choice of either Slot Car Rivals or Market Crashers can be downloaded for free. From there, you can purchase any of the four from within the app for $2.99, or all five in a bundle for $8.99. For those taking the plunge, you’ll want to be near a wireless hotspot this weekend as well, since another National StreetPass Weekend will allow you to gather Mii’s from across the country at select locations.

Let us know what games you’re planning on picking up, and if this update is enough to get you to go back to your StreetPassing ways!

‘MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune Vs. Zombies’ And ‘Trillion: God Of Destruction’ PC Beta Tests To Start Ahead Of Their Fall Steam Release!

by Josh JacksonSeptember 1, 2016

Following the trend of recent Vita releases by Idea Factory International, the publisher has announced that two of this year’s handheld releases, MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune Vs. Zombies, and Trillion: God of Destruction, will be released on Steam this fall. To give players a head start while making sure the games are performing as intended ahead of release, players are now able to sign up for the online beta tests.

Running from September 5 to October 9 for Trillion, and September 9 to September 25 for Zombies, there are a few requirements before you’ll be considered. First and foremost, you’ll have to love waifus of the moe variety. Officially, you’ll need:

A working PC with a reliable internet connection.
An active Steam account.
To agree to the Closed Beta Terms and Conditions.
To be 18 or older.
To include the following information in your application.
ο Operating system:
ο Operating system bit-system (32-bit, 64-bit etc.):
ο Processor:
ο Ram:
ο Graphics card:
ο Sound card:
ο Steam username:

If you recall, Trillion is the unique strategy RPG / dating sim where you’ll lead an army of demon anime girls into battle against a monster that needs to be progressively worn down from its devastating trillion HP total. The more you woo your girl, the stronger they’ll become. In Zombies, the crew from the Hyperdimension Neptunia series gets placed into a school overrun by zombies, bringing back the action game play from Neptunia U and bringing multiplayer along with it; a first in series history.

If you want to give either game a shot, sign up here for consideration. Then make sure to come back and tell us what you think!

These New Classic ‘Legend Of Zelda’ Amiibo Revive Our Thrill For The Hunt!

by Josh JacksonSeptember 1, 2016

Before this morning’s Nintendo Direct, we thought the only Amiibo news we would have to look forward to in the coming months was the release of the fantastic looking Breath of the Wild figurines we told you about at E3. Now, we’re feeling that old Amiibo Hunter call as Nintendo announced four classic Legend of Zelda Amiibo, taking us from the series’ beginnings, to the toon shaded variants from The Wind Waker.

Featuring an 8-bit version of Link modeled after his NES debut, a new Ocraina of Time version with the Hero of Time playing his titular instrument in a pose that looks like it’s ripped straight from the game’s timeless artwork, and the debut of Toon Zelda alongside the baton wielding Toon Link in a new double pack, each figure will function like their standard counterparts across their compatible games. In addition, each one was teased to have compatibility with Breath of the Wild, but in what ways was not yet specified.

I have to say that I absolutely love that Toon Zelda is getting the Amiibo treatment, and with Wind Waker being my favorite game in the series, I’ll always welcome more toys to throw my money at. Admittedly though, the Ocarina of Time variant is my favorite of the bunch, which looks gorgeous in the released images. The Ocarina doesn’t get enough love, so seeing it represented here just feels special, especially when I imagine how nice it would look on that Master Sword stand! My only complaint? If we’re getting three new Link’s and a new Zelda, this would have been a perfect time for a Toon Ganondorf release! Oh well, we’ll take what we can get.

What are your thoughts on the new Amiibo reveals, or on the Direct as a whole? Sound off in the comments and let us know!

Alola Form Rattata, New Z Moves, And An Early Purchase Bonus Revealed For ‘Pokemon Sun’ and ‘Pokemon Moon’

by Josh JacksonSeptember 1, 2016

Nintendo’s 3DS focused Nintendo Direct presentation couldn’t have gone on without some new Pokemon news. As expected, the highly anticipated Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon got their share of the spotlight, with a new version of everyone’s favorite candy and stardust fodder, Rattata. Alongside some new moves and a bonus for early buyers, the reasons to get excited keep on piling up!

First, following the trend of giving the original 150 new forms, Rattata now comes as a dual type, adding Dark to its typical Normal typing. Standing in a bipedal stance and seemingly wearing armor, the things look as terrifying as you would expect a giant rat would. Coming equipped with either the Gluttony or Hustle, the Route 1 mainstay will either eat its equipped berry faster, or have increased attack at the expense of physical move accuracy. We can only assume that a new form will follow for its evolved form, Raticate, but we’ll have to wait a bit longer for official confirmation.

Next, you know those fancy Z-Moves that we’ve been talking about? The super attacks that are supposed to be type exclusive? Well, now we’ve learned that some Pokemon will now have Z-Moves exclusive to them. Showing off Alola Form Raichu’s Stoked Sparksurfer attack in the trailer below, (as if the surfing themes surrounding it weren’t strong enough), Pikachu’s evolved form will ride its tail through the sky, only to crash down for a devastating electric attack. While without its own Alola Form, Snorlax will squash opponents flat with its Pulverizing Pancake, bringing new meaning to the phrase, “throwing your weight around.”

Speaking of Snorlax, early purchasers will receive a special Munchlax. The pre-evolved version of Snorlax holds Snorlian-Z, a special item that allows it to tap into its most powerful move once evolved. You’ll have until January 11 to redeem it, so make sure you don’t sleep on it.

We must ask though, are Z-Moves completely replacing Mega Evolution? They work similarly by needing a hold item to activate, and the Alola forms seem to cover new versions of old Pokemon. Considering we haven’t heard a peep about Mega Evolving throughout the entire build towards the Sun and Moon release, will it make a return at all? We’ll surely know once we get closer to the game’s November 18 launch, but until then, let’s keep speculating!

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X’

by Josh JacksonAugust 26, 2016

Some of you might be wondering what the “X” in Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X stands for. Could it be “extreme”? “Extra”? “Extravagant”!? After playing through the third entry in the Project DIVA console and handheld series… we still have no idea. Yet, after spending plenty of time with our favorite digital pop star in her PS4 debut, Project DIVA X delivers a much more streamlined package that integrates nearly all of its many components into its core game play. The vocaloid faithful won’t need any convincing I’m sure, but for rhythm game enthusiasts who might have missed the boat on the whole hologram craze, then trust me when I say that this game is a worthy addition to any gamer’s library who loves to tap away with the rhythm, even if some long standing problems with the series show no signs of changing anytime soon.

Costumes are for more than just looking weird this time around.

Previous games, such as 2014’s Project DIVA F 2nd, were pretty straightforward when it came to progression. Typically, you’d be given a list of songs to complete, and as they were played through, new ones would open up until you eventually uncovered the final song, hopefully obtaining plenty of currency for accessories, decorations for your in game houses, and costumes, (called Modules), on the way. Project DIVA X apparently looked at all of that and realized how ordinary that all was, and Miku and her friends are anything but. Instead of being like most successful pop stars who rest on their laurels, Miku is evolving in what’s presented is a full fledged story mode. Miku’s music is housed within one of five Clouds. The Cloud Prisms, made up of the Classic, Cool, Cute, Elegant, and Quirky Clouds, have all lost their shine, making it so the performers can’t perform. By entering each of these Clouds and singing the five songs within them, Miku and company are tasked with revitalizing each prism and bringing the music back to their world. Each Cloud houses a sixth Main Event once all five main songs are completed, totaling 30 unique tracks. On one hand, that’s fewer than the 40 or so tracks from the last game, but each Main Event delivers the debut of medleys, consisting short versions of four unique songs each. It’s all about perspective.

Cloud based gaming.

Once the beat drops and the music starts, all the details go by the wayside when the notes start flying across the screen. As with previous games, buttons will float over a background performance towards a grey outline of the input, lining up with the rhythm as you press the commands to the beat of the music. Standard taps, sustained notes that ask you to hold and release buttons, flicking the stick for special star shaped icons, and pressing the D-Pad and face buttons simultaneously for certain notes all return, in addition to new Rush commands. Once pressed, Rush commands have you tap the button or stick as fast as possible for a certain amount of time, building up extra points in the process. Spread across four different difficulty modes, the obvious goal is to hit as many notes as possible while building up a high score, but once again, the Cloud Prisms change things up.

Rather than simply filling up a bar to determine if you passed or failed, the main mode is more concerned with how much Voltage you can accumulate during your performance. Essentially your score, Voltage delivers a variety of rewards if you go above and beyond what your requirements ask of you. Doing away with the in game shop, how well you do and your difficulty determine how many items you’ll unlock by the end of the song. Ranging from items that can be gifted to your singers with the return of the game’s light dating sim aspects, to accessories that they can wear during their performances, the game gives you plenty of reason to reach for that high score. If you’re having trouble doing so on your own, Technical Zones and Chance Time both return for that extra potential boost. Technical Zones are special sections of the song that will reward extra points if the entire section is combo’d without missing, but that typically comes with some tricky arrangements. Chance Time on the other hand, used to award extra points, and unlock an extended scene at the end of the song for filling up a meter and hitting the last note in a specific sequence. While the extended scenes do not make a return, they’re replaced with unlocking Modules after a successful completion. Triggering a transformation sequence mid song, your singer will finish up their song with the new outfit in tow, adding it to your collection to use in future performances.

Playing an even bigger role this time around, Modules and accessories are for more than just cosmetic purposes. As with the Clouds, each wearable item is classified as either classic, cool, cute, elegant or quirky, and wearing outfits that match the style of the song you’re singing will reward you with bonus Voltage during the Rhythm Game. Other matching motifs, such as wearing all animal gear, will grant extra boosts as well, which is all aside from the individual perks Modules come equipped with. Ranging from making notes easier to hit, to awarding extra points in certain situations, and even making it easier to find new Modules and Accessories, you’ll often be faced with a choice between optimizing your score, or going for those sweet collectibles. As you uncover new equipment, this will become less of a decision, but early on, it’s hard to decide whether or not you want more item drops with a higher Voltage total, or if you want to increase your chances of getting a rare item by wearing an outfit that doesn’t match the song’s theme.

There’s something oddly rewarding about matching outfits.

After enough of the Cloud Prisms are restored, requests will start to become available. These special missions typically give you more freedom with your progression, where you’ll be asked to pick a song, perform a certain song, or put together a custom medley to perform for rare rewards. Like the main stages, you’ll be able to choose who performs each stage between Megurine Luka, Kaito, Meiko, Kagamine Rin, Kagamine Len, and Miku herself, with their own Modules to customize the show with. After you go through the main game and beyond, more of these requests become available, truly placing you in that role of manager and producer that the game hands over to you. Combined with the return of the Concert Editor, where you can adjust the camera angles and presentation of performances, you’ll be able to find all the best ways for Miku to shine.

These are all positive strides for sure, which makes it all the more frustrating that some long standing issues with the game are still present as we enter the game’s third outing. Most noticeably, our biggest complaint before was somehow made worse in the form of hard to see buttons that make it easy to miss. Backgrounds seem even more vibrant and colorful this time around, which will often lead to the green, red, blue and pink face buttons camouflaging with the background. During medleys, there have been times where the new song title has obstructed my view of the prompts, putting an end to a 100 note plus combo. And as rewarding as it is to see the transformation sequence and a potential new Module unlock after a successful Chance Time, the flashing lights, new costume, and notification saying if the drop was new or rare, make it harder to pay attention to what’s going on on-screen. It’s not like this issue is unknown to the developers either, since they’ll have often mapped confusing sequence in on purpose, whether it’s buttons flying in circles, out of sequence, or even overlapping each other, so that what looks like one button press ends up being two or three. I don’t know how to fix it, but the interface needs some kind of change going forward.

That’s not to say that all of the past issues haven’t been improved on, but many of them feel like half measures. Completed Cloud songs become available in Free Play for a more traditional style, and thankfully, both Hard and Extreme are immediately available in this mode, rather than having to beat each subsequent difficulty. Yet, in the Clouds, where you’ll be spending most of your time, you can’t go back to completed Clouds or leave the ones you started until after you finish the main portion of the story. While there, the highest mode you can play is Normal Mode, so Miku veterans are going to have to wait for about four hours before showing off those skills. The unlock system is definitely an improvement, giving players something to work for and receiving instant rewards rather than grinding endlessly for money, but having what you get be completely up to chance becomes a nightmare for completionists who need that one last outfit. Considering that you’ll have gear to unlock for all six characters, you start to see the problem, especially when certain post song scenes will have your Vocaloid ask for a certain type of item. If you don’t have it, you can’t buy it, and have no way to keep from disappointing them. If there was a combination of the two systems, where maybe duplicate outfits would be exchanged for money to buy what you’re missing, then we’d have a perfect medium. Maybe next time?

Be thankful for moments like these when you can see what’s happening.

Lastly, a pet peeve of mine lately is when games will force you to play through the entire story again to get a “true” ending. Project DIVA X kind of does this by asking you to accumulate enough Voltage in each category after completing the main portion of the game to unlock the final song, which is essentially a second play through. It’s not as tedious as some games, since this time around, you can play the harder difficulties and unlock new equipment and challenges along the way, (like smaller notes or invisible prompts), but it’s not the best feeling when the game leads you to believe you’re at the grand finale, only to have the rug pulled from under you. At the very least, it does go by faster since you won’t have to watch the cutscenes that take place at certain points in each Cloud, each of which asks you to make inconcequential choices while watching the performers work out basic problems about what it means to be “cool” or “quirky”. Coming off like a weekday morning kid’s show, the dialogue and problem/solution structure comes off as simultaneously charming and odd in its simplicity. It’s like watching Eureka’s Catle at age 30… Anybody?

Some odd choices and persistent issues notwithstanding, Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X is the highlight of the series, seamlessly integrating its quick play progression, item unlocks, dating sim mechanics, and character customization into one overarching mode. Unlocking new equipment adds an extra incentive to continuously playing the game’s 30 tracks on top of the rewarding harder difficulties, and with only two of the songs being repeats, (even those of which have reworked game play), longtime fans will have plenty to look forward to. Even rhythm game fans in general will find plenty to love, with plenty of catchy tunes to carry you through to that next Module. Being a slave to the whims of luck, having to play the game more than once to see its end, and being the third game in a row to obstruct our view from the button prompts all hold DIVA X back to an extent, but not enough to keep it from being a fantastic music game.

Final Score: 4/5

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Attack On Titan’

by Josh JacksonAugust 26, 2016

Attack On Titan seems like the kind of license that would be perfect for a video game, right? Based on the anime and manga series of the same name, what could be more exciting than soaring through the air and cutting down these towering giants? Unfortunately, past iterations haven’t had much success in delivering a satisfying adaptation to our screens, but that all changes with the new Attack On Titan from Koei Tecmo and Omega Force. Known for their work on the numerous Dynasty Warriors games and spinoffs, their expertise when it comes to creating large scale battles shines through with one of the most exciting games of the year, licensed or otherwise.

Closing in for the kill.

If you follow the anime, you’ll know that the show has been stuck in limbo over the last few years after its initial 26 episodes, so forgive me if the plot sounds familiar. For those who might be introduced to the series for the first time through the game, Attack On Titan focuses on the last of humanity, most of which was wiped out years before by the sudden arrival of the Titans. These seemingly mindless creatures feed on humans, and pushed those who were left behind to build a new settlement separated by three walls. Eren Jager, Mikasa Akerman and Armin Arlert, childhood friends who live within the outermost Wall Maria, have their worlds torn apart when a sudden Titan attack led by the never before seen Colossal Titan, results in the wall being breached and their parents being killed as a result. Deciding to enlist in the military as retaliation, the trio prepares to take the fight to the Titans, becoming humanity’s last hope for survival.

When looking at how easily the humans are decimated throughout the series, Attack On Titan almost feels like Dynasty Warriors in reverse. Between Attack Mode, (where the story takes place), and Expedition Mode, (side missions that focus on obtaining new materials and gear), the core game play revolves around the player stepping in the shoes of one of the Survey Corps members as they traverse one of many maps, slaying dozens of Titans while helping squad mates in need. Capturing the feel of the show and its soldiers’ unique method of movement thanks to the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear, using these grappling hooks to fly through the air at high speeds is as satisfying as it looks. The controls admittedly have a bit of a learning curve as you memorize how to grapple, speed up, lock on, focus on one of five body parts, issue orders to your squad, and close in for your decisive blow, but once it all comes together well. Cutting down enemy after enemy results in one of the most thrilling game play experiences so far this year.

Sasha Blaus holds her own against James Woods here.

Once on the battlefield, your main focus is to follow the red marked objectives to advance the story. Usually involving taking down multiple Titans, you’ll find yourself in a bad spot if you run out of gas for your gear, or if the twin swords you use for attacking wear out. All it takes is one mistimed attack, a lack of speed or a set of dull blades to be grabbed by an enemy, and if you’re not fast enough with your reactions, you’ll be food in no time. Thankfully, the field is littered with support soldiers who hand off more supplies when approached. As barbaric as it sounds however, the only way to know what they’ll give you is if you let them get eaten. Yes, much like the show, death is all around you. These NPC’s will often be killed, with a notification in the corner making you feel extra guilty about it by letting you know each time. By killing a Titan who’s consumed an ally, they’ll occasionally drop their corpse, which is marked with an icon showing which item their body will reward.

Yep. A lot of people die.

If you want someone more reliable on your team, story characters will often signal for help with side objectives, ranging from helping them turn the tides in a losing battle, escorting them to a point, or triggering traps on the field. Once aided, they’ll join your five person squad and attack alongside you, bringing more items with them and triggering traps in the process. Often stronger than the generic NPC’s you can recruit, once a squad is in your control, you can issue generic commands like having them guard you, fan out to attack multiple nearby targets, or focus on the area you’re attacking for a devastating group attack. In typical Dynasty Warriors fashion, important characters like your side quest recruits will comically “flee” the battlefield when defeated instead of getting killed. Which is strange since getting killed usually means getting eaten, so watching your squad be swallowed and chewed only to say they were tired of fighting and retreat right afterwards, is unintentionally comical. I mean, flee to where? You’re dead, man!

Speaking of friends, while Attack Mode is strictly single player, Expedition Mode lets players team up online to take on more difficult quests for the sake of money, new equipment, and the needed materials. Each set of missions is divided by a section of the map, each of which needs to be scouted throughout its nearly 100 missions. Not restricted to the story, these quests have the freedom to offer up some insane challenges to any Survey Corps member brave enough to take them on, and while expedition missions can be tackled solo, you’ll start to regret it once the difficulty ramps up. The reward is worth the struggle though, since the only way to unlock new weapons, Mobility Gears, scabbards, and eventually horses, is by playing through these missions. On the flip side, you can only unlock new characters for this mode by progressing through Attack Mode, so you’ll want to play both side by side if you want to steadily progress without trouble.

And while the assumption would be that each character would be exactly the same, Attack On Titan does a great job of making each main character feel unique, playing up their character strengths. Eren obviously has his Titan Form, where he can temporarily transform into one of the monsters and tear them apart with some basic melee combat abilities, but when characters like Levi and Mikasa feel significantly better at sword fighting thanks to their unique abilities, or Armin making up for his lack of strength by being the only person who can issue individual orders to his squad thanks to his tactical brilliance, each playable character delivers a small, yet noticeable difference to how you’ll approach combat.

Each character is unique, but only Eren can one hand grab Titans that look like babies.

In both Attack and Expedition Modes, you’ll wind up with extra material drops by attacking marked limbs on Titan bodies, or earning an S rank at completion. Coming off as simple enough at first, obtaining S Ranks often felt more frustrating than it was worth. Finishing the stage fast enough and addressing enough side requests were both fine, but it’s easy to get knocked down a rank because you didn’t kill enough Titans. In my confusion, I noticed that in many cases, you’ll have to hunt down and kill nearly every Titan on the map, no matter how out of the way they are compared to the rest of your objectives. Feeling like a battle against my own annoyance, there’s little in the game more disheartening than getting your rank dropped because you didn’t kill those two guys hanging out in the opposite corner of the stage, especially when rare materials are on the line.

As much as the ranking can bring down your spirits, it’s a nitpick next to some of the bigger issues with Attack On Titan, most of which bog down the main game too much. For starters, while delivered with the same solid voice acting, beautiful visuals, and stellar presentation as when you’re in the middle of the action, the story is hard to stay interested in since it’s a story we’ve seen told so many times. This isn’t the game’s fault, but it’s impossible to be excited about sitting through the Female Titan finale for the third time. Fortunately, the game goes above and beyond in this respect, adding in part of the next story arc after the credits roll as a set of bonus post game quests. Within the main game, some of the missions feel more drawn out than they should be. If we break down the anime and make an action game out of the actual fight scenes, there’s very little to explore, (which was a big reason why last year’s game fell short). To compensate, small moments that were either glossed over, or took up all of two minutes of screen time on the show, will be expanded into whole missions in the game. It’s easy to see where the developers stretched things out to create a more “full” gaming experience, but for every great level we get, it also ends up being tied to slow story progression.

You’ll be thankful for your crew when you’re inevitably caught.

But most importantly, as fun as the game play is, Attack On Titan falls into Omega Force’s most consistent complaint. This game is far too repetitive. Don’t get me wrong, the satisfying flash of a perfect attack, the occasional zoom in on your character before they deliver the killing blow, and the spray of blood that douses your character in a brutal crimson rain never gets old, but most of the combat revolves around you doing the same thing repeatedly for the 10 hours or so that the main story takes to complete. Add in a few more for the post game content, and another 10-20 minimum for the Expedition Mode, and the shine will definitely wear off over time. The game does try to throw in new elements with horseback levels, where your faithful steed will accompany you while traveling across areas with few buildings to latch on to, Titan Mode levels, where Eren fights hand to hand with some satisfying, yet few attacks as mentioned earlier, and bosses that require you to wear down their body before their weakness at the nape of their neck will be exposed, but it’s not enough when these brief moments are quickly replaced by the standard combat. It doesn’t help when occasionally, especially in small, enclosed maps, the camera loses all sense of direction and flies around faster than a Maneuver Gear ever could. Combined with the (appreciated) grapple physics that will drop you if your hooks become obstructed, and some minor slowdown when battles get hectic, and you end up with a great game with some minor technical hiccups.

Despite the repetition, Attack On Titan is one of the most enjoyable anime adaptations I’ve played. By capturing the style and brutality of its anime counterpart and successfully adapting it into an adrenaline rush of a video game with its satisfying, fast paced action, it won’t be hard to find plenty to love. Fans of the series itself, or even an action gamer who’s never heard of the series, (if any exist at this point), would do well to pick it up and take up arms against the Titans. With online play to keep the battles going long after the credits roll, a distinct cast of characters, and plenty of content to unlock throughout, Wall Maria’s tragedy is definitely our gain.

Final Score: 4.25/5

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘The King Of Fighters XIV’

by Josh JacksonAugust 25, 2016

Throughout the 2D fighting game resurgence over the last few years, one of the kings of the genre has been largely absent. As franchises both new and old continued to thrive, The King Of Fighters seemingly vanished, with the once yearly fighting game franchise failing to see a new release since the thirteenth game released in 2010. Using the last six years to regroup, refocus and rebuild, SNK Playmore’s flagship fighter has finally returned with The King Of Fighters XIV. Re-debuting with both a visual and mechanical overhaul, the series aims to make its current gen debut on PS4 the most accessible to date, all while keeping its solid team based fighting at the forefront. Succeeding in some aspects and failing in others, XIV may not be a return to form, but that doesn’t mean its not an enjoyable title in its own right.

Many years after the fall of Ash Crimson and the apparent demise of Orochi, The King of Fighters tournament has failed to re-surface. Suddenly, a mysterious benefactor by the name of Antonov revives the tournament while claiming that he is the one true fighting champion. To see if anyone can prove him wrong, the powerful warrior hopes to back up his claims by inviting teams from around the world to compete in his tournament for a chance to face him, featuring competitors like the legendary Team Japan, (Kyo, Benimaru and Goro Daimon), the heroes of South Town, (Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard and Joe Higashi), and a mysterious new trio Antonov invited personally. As usual, not all is as it seems, with a more sinister plot taking place underneath the surface.

The Rivalry Continues

Taking an opposite approach compared to its most immediate competition, KOF XIV sticks to a more traditional set of modes when it comes to its feature set. Featuring a giant 50 character roster, (48 to start with and two to unlock), 17 are brand new. Among the 33 characters returning, some of which haven’t been playable in over a decade, and even old favorites have received some big changes, for better and for worse. The core fighting revolves around choosing a team of three fighters, each of which take turns against the opposing group. Becoming somewhat of a survival fight, your first fighter will stay in the match until they’re knocked out, moving on to your second and third character, with the loser obviously being the team who loses all three members first. Using a four button control scheme made up of light and strong punches and kicks, using them to activate the right combos, special moves and super moves at the right times will be the difference between winning and losing.

Considering that this is the fourteenth game in the series, chances are you’ve already played one of these games, which also means you’re well aware of the basic mechanics that make up these games. Moving on to what’s changed since last time, SNK Playmore has delivered on their promise to make the game more accessible to newcomers with new abilities and easy combos. Tapping the light punch button in succession will trigger an auto combo that ends in a devastating super move, (assuming you have enough special meter to pull it off.) Hitting the strong punch and kick buttons at the same time activates a Blow Back attack, instantly creating distance by knocking the opponent to the other side of the screen while setting them up for long range damage. Past KOF games let you pay one meter for a temporary power boost, which gets taken a step further this time around. Once in Max Mode, you’ll have a set amount of time to activate your EX special moves as much as you want. Other fighters usually make you pay per use of an EX attack, but having unlimited usage of the stronger versions of your special attacks can help you turn the tide of battle real quick. Couple these with your Max Super SP moves, and it won’t be long after comboing in these souped up versions of your super moves take down your enemies. Then again, when you want your victories to have that extra flair, new Climax Super SP Moves can wipe out half of the enemy’s health in one attack at the cost of three meters, complete with a special cutscene to accompany the chaos.

Old favorites return alongside some new faces

Once you’ve gotten the hang of the core mechanics, KOF has plenty of ways to put what you’ve learned to the test. Namely, its Story Mode functions much like the Arcade Mode of past games, with an added cinematic presentation at certain points. Aside from the mandatory cutscenes that play no matter who you’re using, having certain characters fight each other will activate some back and forth dialogue that can both explore character motivations and relationships. If playing with one of the game’s established teams, finishing the game will reward you with a lengthy ending, complete with some well drawn still frames depicting the aftermath of the tournament for your team.

Supplementary single player modes include your typical Survival Mode, Time Attack, Training, and Vs. Mode against both other players or the CPU. Who would have thought!? Sadly, Trial Mode, the combo tutorial feature that has become a fighting game staple over the last few years, went from my most anticipated mode to my least favorite. Unlike other games that delve into some of the more complex mechanics for each character, each set is nearly identical in KOF regardless of who you’re playing as. Serving as a way to test your basic understanding of cancels and super moves, it does little to help you bring out the full potential of your fighter.

Mui Mui, the face of SNK puchinko, makes her fighting game debut.

Yet, in a reversal of fortunes, Online Mode, which was the weak point of the previous game due to horrible netcode, is much improved this time around. Aside from most of my matches being lag free during both Player Match fights and Ranked Match fights, there’s just so much to do with friends and strangers alike this time around. First off, SNK had the sense to only make you use your preset team in Ranked Match, which prevents counter picking while letting you switch things up in Player Match lobbies. Speaking of, KOF XIV handles lobbies better than any fighter I’ve played before. Rather than make say… A queue of 10 wait for the top 2 people to finish before taking turns, anyone in the lobby will automatically be paired up to fight with someone who’s not in a fight, making it so that the only way someone won’t be playing is if there’s an odd number of players participating. Even then, the person not fighting can choose to spectate any of the fights they want. So if they see a character fighting that they’re not familiar with, they can spy on the fight and pick up some tips! Either that, or they could go into the online practice mode, where you can head into training mode with another real life person and brush up on your combos. For the extra sociable brawlers out there, Party Mode delivers a true to life KOF experience, pitting three individuals against three others for a six player fight for supremacy. Just remember, that super meter isn’t just YOURS anymore, adding an extra caveat to keep in mind when you don’t want to piss off your friends.

We can’t talk about the game without addressing its most obvious shortcoming, which is its bland graphics. Looking not too far off from what you’d expect from the Maximum Impact series from over a decade ago, its wasn’t long before I was longing for those gorgeous 2D sprites from the last two games. Everything from the character models to the effects look far from what you’d expect from a PS4 exclusive, and it doesn’t gain any points from its pre-rendered CG’s, which don’t look too much better.

The mysterious Kukri is one of the better newcomers.

Then again, fighting isn’t about how one looks, but how one plays To its credit, XIV has its fundamental play down. For veterans however, you’ll likely come across a series of small changes that aren’t game breaking by any means, but will definitely feel like a step backwards. Namely, the game feels far too easy to complete, taking a series that has been known for its punishing bosses, and delivering a final fight that won’t feel like much more of a struggle than your typical brawl. Combos don’t seem to scale back damage as much, leading to some basic chains wiping out nearly an entire health bar for some low risk high reward game play. The most puzzling aspect however, is how some classic characters have had some odd changes to their tool set, making them less effective while keeping their core abilities intact. Unlike say, how Vega is a completely different character in Street Fighter V, Athena is largely the same, but is made to be even more vulnerable after certain attacks, having her Phoenix Arrow’s ending kick be interruptible, and losing her wall jump. Taking away abilities that some characters have had for two decades feels unnecessary, but doesn’t detract from the overall excitement of the game play after making the proper adjustments.

The King of Fighters XIV has a lot going for it. Its huge roster, proper single player modes with rewards in the form of endings and artwork spanning 22 years, easy to pick up and play mechanics and its hidden depth are all still here, along with one of the best sets of online features in the genre and some features to make the game more accessible for new players. Still, I can’t help but feel like something is missing compared to past games that make this entry stand above all the others. Maybe its the easy difficulty when it comes to beating the Story Mode. It could be the dated graphics, or the lack of effort it takes to pull off huge damage compared to other games. Then again, having characters changed for the worse doesn’t help either. If anything, this game is a perfect case of “death by 1000 needles”. There’s no one problem with it that overshadows what it does well, but so many small issues take what is otherwise a great game, and turns it to one that’s simply better than good. Fighting game fans will find plenty to love, but with that in mind, there’s also plenty of room to get better. Let’s just hope we won’t have to wait another six years to see the improvements.

Final Score: 3.75/5

What The Hell Is Wrong With Konami? ‘Metal Gear Survive’ And The Dangers Of Being Out Of Touch

by Josh JacksonAugust 17, 2016

The big news coming out of Gamescom this morning seems to be the reveal of Metal Gear Survive, the first Kojima-less Metal Gear title after the very public split between the famed creator and his overseers at Konami. A quick look at the trailer leaves no question as to why the reaction so far seems to range between “lol Konami”, and “something something franchise killer”. We all know that Kojima was known for introducing some ridiculous scenarios into his games, but I would imagine that even he would laugh at the concept of taking the survivors of the attack on Mother Base and inexplicably sucking them into an inter-dimensional portal, placing them in a post apocalyptic wasteland where they’re forced to fight hordes of zombies. Yes, that’s the premise.

Currently sitting at nearly 30,000 dislikes on IGN’s YouTube page in less than 12 hours, it’s safe to say that after thoroughly killing any goodwill the company had with their fans courtesy of crowd pleasing moves like cancelling Silent Hills, removing the PT demo from the PlayStation Store, preventing Kojima from accepting an award he earned for his work, and turning some of their beloved franchises into pachinko machines rather than produce new games, this latest reveal isn’t going to win back anybody. Almost approaching parody levels of absurdity, it’s hard to imagine how anyone would have green lit a game in a franchise as big as this and take it in such a wildly different direction. But when we stop and think about how not only Konami, but the entertainment industry as a whole handles the concept of audience demand, should we really be surprised?

Oh, what could have been…

Watching this trailer for the first time, it felt like a checklist of what an out of touch executive would do when conceptualizing a game. Let’s see, zombies are still popular, right? Mad Max and Fallout are big! Why not place it in a barren, desolate space? Let’s have a group of no-nonsense soldiers take them down like it’s no big deal while we’re at it. But most importantly, new IP’s are way too risky. I know! Let’s slap Metal Gear Solid on the title and watch it fly off the shelves! We can even reuse assets to save some money while recouping cash on the money sink that was MGS V!

I mean, what could go wrong?

The worst part is that the people in charge will never look in the mirror and realize that they’re the reason for these failures, and we see it time and time again across the entertainment spectrum. Nintendo is going through a similar issue with Metroid Prime: Federation Force, a game that plays just fine on its own. But thanks to their own tone def assertion that making it a Metroid game would build enthusiasm is likely going to ensure that the promising multiplayer title will be dead on arrival. Why? Because the company decided to take a franchise that hasn’t seen a new game since the widely panned Other M in 2010, one that they’ve teased sequels to for years thanks to the rumored Metroid Dread, only to never deliver. What we’re left with is a light hearted spin-off that has next to nothing in common with its main games. While drastically different side games aren’t a bad thing on their own, how can you dangle a carrot in front of your fan base for so long, then be surprised at the backlash when you bait-and-switch them?

As many gamers will tell you, Nintendo has a history of making head scratching decisions such as this, ranging from self fulfilling prophecies like forcing fans to scratch and claw for “risky” games like Fatal Frame, only to run next to no advertisement for them, to the Villager amiibo being among a set of high demand figures that they didn’t deem popular enough to take away shelf space from Mario and Link, creating a huge scalper market for the figurines. This is despite the fact that Animal Crossing: New Leaf is currently sitting at number six on the list of best selling 3DS games of all time, (and might have been higher if they didn’t include each version of Pokemon as one total). You know what sold nearly six million fewer copies? Zelda. I’m no CEO, but this is *THEIR* data! To Nintendo’s credit, they finally restocked it exclusively at Toys R Us in the States about a year later, with a whole line of Animal Crossing figures and cards showing that they finally acknowledged what was right in front of them. The only way they could realistically claim that they didn’t anticipate demand is if they don’t read their own financial reports like the rest of us.

You got any of them Villagers?

This lack of foresight and these reactionary decisions aren’t isolated to the gaming industry either. I’m sure we don’t need to be reminded of how the Suicide Squad film was allegedly re-shot to include more humor after the success of Deadpool. An ironic prospect when you remember that Fox’s project had its own set of challenges when its creators had to fight for the film to be true to the source material with an R rated action flick, reportedly due to studios refusing to believe that a violent, vulgar superhero could sell tickets. Even Marvel, as great as they have been in recent years, isn’t immune to this disconnect. When Sony’s email leak revealed that CEO Ike Perlmutter was seemingly supplying “proof” that female led superhero movies are traditionally failures, he cites Catwoman and Electra, apparently placing the blame on them featuring female leads while ignoring that these were both critically panned. On the flip side, based on the advertisements, the Ghostbusters reboot sold itself almost entirely on the fact that it was led by an all female team, as opposed to the merits of the film itself. Turns out, that wasn’t enough.

I’m sure this had more to do with Electra‘s failure than Jennifer Garner’s vagina.

The examples are seemingly endless, from Capcom’s storied history to Lego Dimensions and the recent reveal that Supergirl will be exclusive to reissues of last year’s starter pack, leaving early adopters in the dust. But will these companies learn their lesson? Probably not. It’s much easier to fail when your job security doesn’t rely on making good decisions, especially when you can pass the blame down to your subordinates. In Konami’s case, I’m sure they see Metal Gear Survive as their saving grace. The game that will prove that they don’t need Kojima to carry on with their biggest franchise. It has everything that’s popular mashed together, and the tens of thousands of dislikes will be attributed to being from “haters” and “trolls” who will buy the game anyway. And naturally, when none of this happens and Survive ends up flopping, the obvious takeaway will be that fans have lost interest in the Metal Gear franchise. Not that their decision makers have no idea what their doing and are out of touch.

Oh well, there’s always pachinko!