October 26, 2016

Case of the Pirate Princess begins in Sonic Universe #91


Posted on October 26, 2016 by Jason Nason

sonic_universe_091_coverSONIC UNIVERSE #91

Vector, Espio and Charmy are on the job in “The Case of the Pirate Princess” Part One: The Chaotix are back!  Our favorite detectives are hired to find a missing princess from the bottom of the ocean!  There will be pirates!  There will be ninja! (At least one, anyway.) There will be a car that drives underwater!  Don’t miss the beginning of a new, wacky adventure! Featuring cover art by Sonic comics veteran Tracy Yardley and a “Super Sleuths” variant by super-talent Jason Piperberg!

Script: Ian Flynn, Aleah Baker
Art: Adam Bryce Thomas, Jim Amash, Matt Herms & Jack Morelli
Cover: Tracy Yardley and Ben Hunzeker
Variant Cover: Jason Piperberg
On Sale Date: 10/26
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

Read More


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Rez Infinite | REVIEW


Posted on October 26, 2016 by Ellen McGrody

Rez Infinite logo banner

Rez Infinite is immensely difficult to review. It’s a daunting task, really. That’s not because the game’s bad, it’s not because I don’t have anything to say about it, to the contrary. It’s because I could talk about Rez for a lifetime and still not have said enough.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Tetsuya Mizuguchi is responsible for what may be the defining VR title of our time. In addition to Rez, he’s responsible for landmark games like Lumines and Space Channel 5, in addition to producing classics like Meteos and Every Extend Extra. Rez Infinite will define the best of PlayStation VR the way Child of Eden did for the Kinect.

Rez’s history is rich with talent on Mizuguchi’s level. After the development of Panzer Dragoon Saga in 1998, SEGA broke up the super talented Team Andromeda, whose members splintered off to Smilebit (Jet Set Radio), Polyphony Digital (Gran Turismo 2, 3, 4, Sport, etc), Artoon (Blue Dragon), and United Game Artists, the team ultimately responsible for the first Rez. Rez picked up where Panzer Dragoon left off – a gorgeous on-rails shooter with brilliant mechanics and sometimes blistering gameplay. What Rez did different was melding that style with pulsing EDM, seeking to inspire synesthesia within its players.

Activating a Network Gate in Rez Infinite

The pursuit of pure synesthesia is what’s driven Mizuguchi’s return to the series. Rez always pulled some fantastic tricks to make that feeling stick – packing a USB vibrator in the box, allowing users to connect multiple controllers to simulate a vibration experience – and Infinite pulls all the stops with fully redone models, 3D audio support, and crucially, virtual reality integration. Because of these changes, Rez has always been a uniquely engrossing experience, and the changes in the PS4 remake only amplify that immersion.

Fighting dragons in Rez Infinite Area 3

Rez’s original campaign, the story of a hacker diving into a super-advanced AI named Eden to save it from a viral invasion, returns with the same remastered music which accompanied it in Rez HD, along with gorgeous new graphics and VR support for the whole beast. VR support totally changes the way Rez plays. For the first time, players can aim quickly by looking at a virus, or even turn around to see what’s coming from behind.

Hacking in Rez Infinite

These new mechanics means bosses like Area 4’s Uranus feel totally different – it’s suddenly possible to turn around and see the gargantuan running body of Uranus behind you and take it down before it can get an advantage. Being surrounded by the digital machinations of Rez is at once overwhelming and a totally natural extension of the game’s original vision.

Uranus runs away in an iconic moment in Rez Infinite

 

The original campaign isn’t alone, however. Mizuguchi has planted the seeds for a future with Infinite’s new Area X. Designed to take advantage of the PS4’s hardware, Area X is glittering, gorgeous, and designed first and foremost for VR. Area X is a beautifully rendered free-roaming journey through a world of cyber dragons, giant robots, floating cubes, and digital women.

Giant robots in Rez Infinite's Area X

Combining the scope of the level’s design with the immersion of virtual reality and an array of buzzing controllers pulsing with the music (or an entire suit) is an experience unlike any other. There’s a sense of scale inside the headset that video simply can’t portray. The necessity of looking around to examine every corner of your surroundings pulls you into the experience. It left me emotional, breathless, and ready for more.

Massive creatures surround you in Rez Infinite's Area X

The experience offered by Rez Infinite is nearly indescribable. Mizuguchi has said that the promise of VR is what pulled him back into games. Rez in virtual reality is a masterpiece. It rips you out of your reality and places you firmly inside a screaming machine, overwhelming your senses with thumping music and gorgeous visuals. It’s one of a handful of PSVR launch titles that will likely shape the medium of virtual reality for years to come. It’s stunning how different a 15-year-old game can feel in virtual reality, and if Area X is a taste of what the future of Rez – indeed, the future of all VR – might look like, I’m all in.


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Star Mazer DSP Gets Halloween Update


Posted on October 26, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Indie rogue-like shooter Star Mazer DSP, developed by our friends at Pixel Jam & Imagos Software, is receiving a special update and contest just in time for Halloween.

A special game mode titled Boss Rush Mode challenges commanders with chosing their top pilots and guiding them to victory against 3 difficult versions of pre-exiting bosses. Those who successfully complete this challenging limited time event will have their name etched on the newly minted leaderboards and entered into a contest to be featured in the game. Boss Rush Mode will only be availably until October 31st so you’ve got aproximately 4 days to leave your mark or forever lament not being able to be featured in Star Mazer DSP.

Here are the prizes on offer for those who make it to the top of the leader boards:

Ace Pilot Grand Prize
Add a complete custom First name, Middle name and Last name to the name pool for DSP pilots!
Plus win the Official Starr Mazer T-Shirt from Fangamer

Wingman Runner Up Prize
Add a complete custom First name, Middle name and Last name to the name pool for DSP pilots!

The Top Dog Third Prize
Add a custom First name, Middle name and Last name to the name pool for DSP pilots!

Star Mazer DSP is currently available through Steam Early Access for $9.99 USD and will be playable at next week’s Day of the Devs presented by Double Fine in San Francisco CA.


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Nintendo Canada Holding Pokemon Sun & Moon Events Nationwide


Posted on October 26, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards

Nintendo Canada is launching a series of special events nationwide to promote the upcoming release of Pokemon Sun & Moon for the Nintendo 3DS. These events will allow attendees to go hands-on with the Special Pokemon Sun & Moon E-Shop Demo that we covered earlier in the month, meet up with a “Pokemon Expert” and in a few cases snag some swag while it lasts. Pokemon Experts will be on hand to explain the game’s various systems and assist trainers in completing the demo .

It should be noted that some of these events require an entry fee to a larger event such as convention or show in-order to participate while others will be held at retail outlets free of charge.

Select British Columbia Convention Events:

  • Vancouver Train Expo – November 5 & 6th
  • Enchant Vancouver – December 4th – 6th, 9th – 11th
  • Delta- Tsawwassen Mills – December 17th – 21st

Select Ontario Free Events

  • Mississauga- Erin Mills Town Centre – December 16th – 24th
  • The Santa Clause Parade – November 20th

Select Quebec Convention Events:

  • Quebec City- Toy & Game Consumer Show – November 18th & 19th

Additional Retail Outlet Showings (Alberta)

  • Calgary Toys R Us Locations
  • Edmonton Toys R Us Locations
  • Rocky View Toys R Us Locations

Additional Retail Outlet Showings (Ontario)

  • Barrie Toys R Us Locations
  • Brampton Toys R Us Locations
  • Ottawa Toys R Us Locations
  • Greater Toronto Area Toys R Us Locations
  • Hamilton Toys R Us Locations

If you didn’t find your city or province in our list above this is only a selection of some of the locations Nintendo will be demonstrating the Pokemon Sun & Moon E-Shop demo at select kiosks and conventions.

The Pokemon Sun & Moon Special E-Shop Demo allows trainers to be introduced to the Alola Region and allows them to train up a Greeninja through a series of trainer battles and other activities. Outside of battles there are various tasks to be completed in the one playable down including taking pictures of various monsters within a cave, meeting the new villans Team Skull and of course becoming acquainted with Professors KuKu. Demo trainers will be able to transfer their Greninja and any items collected to the full version.

Pokemon Sun & Moon releases on the Nintendo 3DS on November 18th.


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