NextGen Player - Canada's Premier Entertainment Blog

Review: Assassin's Creed III Liberation

2013-05-09T22:48:00.000-04:00

Paul Hunter

Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation is the most ambitious Assassin’s Creed handheld game ever attempted – and it’s also the best. Fitting a console-quality Assassin’s Creed game into a tiny game cartridge is no easy task, and while Liberation has its faults, the overall package is quite impressive.

There have been plenty of attempts in the past to create portable Assassin’s Creed experiences, such as the many Nintendo DS and iOS spin-offs, and the PSP-exclusive Bloodlines, but none of them have the ambition or scope of Liberation. The PS Vita-exclusive game is the first full-fledged Assassin’s Creed game, designed from the ground-up to be as large and as deep as any of the main console entries. All the series staples are here including a historical open-world setting, free-roaming movement, rich graphics and voice acting, and a fluid combat system.

Despite retaining the fundamentals of the Assassin’s Creed series, Liberation takes strides to separate itself from the pack. Most notably, the game stars the series’ first female protagonist, Aveline de Grandpré, born from a wealthy French business man and an African slave mother, in 18th century New Orleans. Just like Assassin’s Creed III on consoles, the story of Liberation takes place as the American Revolution is heating up in the north, though the focus of Aveline’s story is heavily placed on historical events in Louisiana where Spanish forces are posing a new rule.

Aveline’s set-up is interesting and engaging: having lost her mother to the slave trade at an early age, she enters the Assassin’s Brotherhood aided by her mentor Agaté, an escaped slave, in attempt to free her people and her land from the invading Spanish forces. Aveline leads a fascinating double life as a stealthily trained assassin in the Brotherhood while also maintaining a highly visible position in society as the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Aveline's affluent upbringing plays a central part in her story, as she takes full advantage of her privileged status to mingle with high society to gather intelligence or assassinate key players.

Story Trailer:

Further differentiating Liberation from past Assassin's Creed console games is that this is the first to eschew the story of Desmond Miles, who has tied all previous games together, in favour of a story told from the perspective of Abstergo Industries, the organization that serves as a front for the Knights Templar (the sworn enemy of the Assassin's Brotherhood). The Liberation story is, in essence, a propaganda training tool used to educate Abstergo trainees, which recounts the life of Aveline yet purposely distorts her history to show the positive aspects of the Templar movement, while also depicting a disorganized Assassin’s Brotherhood. The concept is fresh and opens up some interesting possibilities for future Assassin's Creed titles beyond the formulaic Desmond bloodline titles.

Throughout the ten chapters of Liberation, which takes 10-15 hours to complete, Aveline will visit a range of historical locations such as a gorgeous, recreated 18th century New Orleans, the swampy Louisiana Bayou, some ancient Mayan ruins, and she even has a cross-over with Assassin's Creed III's Connor Kenway (but I won't give away any spoilers). Each location has its own visual flair, from the tall New Orleans' cathedrals and coastal shipping docks, to the Bayou treetop hideouts and smuggler camps, and graphically it's all very impressive.

The standout new feature in Liberation is Aveline's ability to don different personas depending on the specific situation at-hand. She can use her high society upbringing to transform into the "Lady", outfitted in flowing dress and a feathered wide-brimmed hat, to charm guards or work her way into high class affairs. Using her "Slave" persona, Aveline can blend in with street workers by carrying boxes or sweeping with a broom, and at times she can also incite riots. Finally, the familiar "Assassin" persona controls exactly like Altair, Ezio, or Connor, giving Aveline the ability to free-run/climb, use of all weapons and perform her full range of combat moves. The persona mechanic does add variety to the gameplay; however, it is a bit disappointing that far too often, especially early on, the game forces you to choose a particular persona in order to complete the mission, taking away the opportunity to strategically approach situations from different personas.

Another differentiating factor between the three personas is that each has their own notoriety meter, and each gain notoriety in different ways. The Assassin persona is very quick to gain the attention of nearby guards, and it's more difficult to reduce notoriety once gained (nearly the whole game my Assassin has some level of notoriety). On the other hand, the Lady gains notoriety very slowly and has to kill eyewitnesses if caught performing a suspicious act. The Slave is a balance of the two, gaining a medium amount of notoriety for questionable acts, with notoriety reduced through the tearing down of "Wanted" posters.

Gameplay in Liberation is a slick as you'd expect from a full Assassin's Creed game. With the PS Vita dual-analog sticks, the console controls translate very well, from the free-running to vertical climbing to hand-to-hand combat, everything controls as you'd expect. There was the odd time that I missed a landing or had Aveline perform an unintended move, but these rare blunders happen at about the same frequency as they have in any previous Assassin's Creed game (so not very often). Liberation incorporates the new Tree Navigation system, also seen in Assassin's Creed III, which allows Aveline the ability to effortlessly hop along the treetops, which is especially fun to do during the heavily forested Bayou missions.

Aveline has a wide range of weapons to choose from, from the common Assassin hidden blade and sword, to the new sugarcane machete, poison-dart blowpipe and whip. Weapons are selected using an easy-to-navigate weapon wheel, and can be done using manual controls or the PS Vita touch screen. There are some new motion controls moves, that range from the intuitive slow-motion chain killing (think Splinter Cell marking) to the imprecise and downright aggravating pickpocketing (done using a swiping motion on the rear motion pad). Thankfully, most of the motion control moves can be done using the regular input buttons, so you rarely have to swipe the touch screens.

Gameplay Trailer:

Missions in Liberation are the usual type: investigatory, escort, stalk, rescue, and assassinations. Sure we've done it all before, but at least Liberation varies the objectives enough that they don't feel repetitive like in the original Assassin's Creed. There is plenty to see and do beyond the assigned mission, such as completing challenges of the "defeat in under 90 seconds" type, along with numerous side missions such as freeing slaves or reviving fevered civilians with medicinal mushrooms. Gaining money is always an important element in Assassin's Creed games, and in Liberation there's a surprisingly enjoyable "trade shipping business" mini-game that has you load ships with cargo and trade the goods for cash at different ports. It's a big deviation from the usual securing districts to acquire money at intervals as in past games, but I found the money-making system in Liberation to be even more fun.

No review would be complete without mentioning the asynchronous multiplayer game, however it really wasn't my cup of tea. The premise is bit like the boardgame Risk, with opposing Assassin/Templar teams attacking and defending nodes on a real-world map. You don't actually control any of the action, but rather make strategic decisions to dispatch your Agents to war or home defense. Once deployed, battles take place in real-time, over the course of many hours, with the team who sent the more powerful force after time runs out winning the node. I can see the multiplayer being the occasional diversion, but long-time appeal seems limited.

For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Liberation, but there are a few bleak spots. By the conclusion of the game I was disappointed with how little of Aveline's backstory was given (the timeline jumps from her as a child to full-grown adult without much about her evolution as an Assassin). There's also some draw distance graphical problems, with far away buildings covered in slight haze, which is especially noticeably when Aveline climbs up the panoramic View Points to perform the signature Assassin's leap of faith. Also, in very rare situations I noticed a drop in the framerate, mostly when Aveline is dashing through crowded city streets or in combat with multiple enemies.

Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is a superb attempt by Ubisoft to squeeze every bit of quality of a console game into a handheld experience. The small number of technical faults are not enough to detract from the hours of enjoyment that are contained in the lengthy campaign. With plenty of hidden items, side quests and mission challenges, there is plenty of replayability with Liberation. Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is a great addition to the PS Vita library and will keep you entertained for as many hours as its big console brethren.

Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is available now, exclusively for PS Vita. The game was developed by Ubisoft Sofia and published by Ubisoft Entertainment.

Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: Gravity Rush

2013-05-05T22:38:00.000-04:00

By Paul Hunter

Over the last ten months, the PS Vita has been slowly gathering a quality line-up of software titles, and with recent hit games such as LittleBigPlanet and Sound Shapes it might be easy to forget some of the great games that released earlier in the year.  One of my absolute favourites is Gravity Rush, and if you’re a new PS Vita owner, or surprising a loved one with a PS Vita this holiday season, I definitely encourage you take a look at this exceptional title.

Gravity Rush is the brainchild of Keiichiro Toyama, best known for his work on the Silent Hill and Siren franchises, who had been toying with the idea of creating a game with a gravity-bending core mechanic for more than ten years.  While Gravity Rush is a big departure, in terms of genre, from Toyama’s usual work, it’s certainly among his best.

The game stars Kat, a cheerful blonde girl who finds herself awoken in a strange floating city named Hekseville, with no recollection of how she got there.  Adding to the mystery is her new astral cat companion named Dusty that follows her every move, imbuing Kat with the power to bend gravity at will.  Like a true superhero origin story, Kat initially wrestles to gain control of her new special ability, which allows her to shift gravity (essentially which direction is “down”) and perform previously impossible feats such as walking up walls and across ceilings.

Kat learns the basics of her gravity altering abilities by accident as she attempts to rescue civilians caught in a mysterious "gravity storm" that is pulling entire chucks of Hekseville into its black hole. At the same time, amorphous, inky creatures named "Nevi" are invading the city and nobody is quite sure why. If all this sounds like a great superhero origin story, it's because it is, and the strong lead character in Gravity Rush is one of the most compelling reasons to play.

Further adding to the superhero vibe, like how individuals in comic books who gain sudden superhuman abilities are often mistrusted by the general public, Kate too is initially suspect by the Hekseville locals. Over the course of the adventure, Kat must not only try to piece together her past, but also attempt to gain acceptance from the townfolks in her home – neither of which are easy tasks.

What’s great about Gravity Rush is how you can identify with Kat as a player throughout the adventure.  Perhaps because bending gravity is so rarely used in gaming (and none which implement the feature so effectively), learning how to manipulate the space around you at first can be disorienting.  With a simple tap of the R button, gravity can be shifted and suddenly what was up becomes down, and what was down becomes up, so you have to get used to a constantly changing perspective. Reversing the effects of gravity alteration is just as simple, with a tap of the L button causing gravity to right itself, often sending Kat plummeting downward. As Kat becomes acquainted with her new ability, so too did I as the game unfolds, and within the first hour I was already quite adept as shifting perspective.

The 21 episodes in Gravity Rush will have you explore multiple districts in Hekseville, which range from sci-fi looking city streets to sprawling university campuses. The graphics are beautifully cel-shaded, resembling an animated comic book, though at times to oft dark hues of the cityscape get a bit tiring. Hekseville is a semi-open world environment and plenty to see and explore in each district, and I use the word semi because each area isn't very big, and districts are separated by large spacial gaps requiring trains or airboat liners in order to cross.

There are moments in Gravity Rush where Kat ventures into alternative dimensions that are often filled with gigantic mushrooms or odd-looking geometric shapes. Inside these words Kat may experience fluctuations in her powers, such as a reduced ability to alter gravity, or she may even outright lose her gravity shifting power.

To increase Kat's reputation with the cityfolks, she can collect pink gems that can be traded in to repair parts of the city, such as mending a broken bridge. With each successful city repair, a Challenge Mission is unlocked, which is typically a short objective-based mini-game such as speed runs through checkpoints or defeating enemies within a specified time. Successful completion of Challenge Missions will result in more pink gems and submit your scores on the global leaderboards.

Pink gems aren't just used to unlock extra missions, they're also the in-game currency used to upgrade Kat's abilities. There are several types of upgrades, including her Core Powers such Health or Shifting Speed, and you can also upgrade Combat Powers including her basic Kick and more advanced Gravity Kick. After certain milestones in the game, Kat will learn Special Attacks, ranging from the basic Spiraling Claw to the more powerful Gravity Typhoon and Micro Black Hole.

Gravity Rush includes motion control, and thankfully it's implemented quite well. Swiping the front touch screen will make Kat perform a dodge roll, and is quite useful to chain attacks or escape from battle. It's simple to perform, and while it requires taking your thumb off the analog stick, I felt it didn't hamper the gameplay in any way. There are also sections requiring you to place two fingers on the touch screen which initiates Kat's gravity slide, and then tilting the PS Vita will cause directional shifts. While the gravity slide moments are far and few between, they are enjoyable while they last. The most satisfying uses of touch controls has to be during boss battles as you're required to tap the screen to execute the final blow, which is surprisingly satisfying.

Enemy Nevi range is size from small and sluggish to (later in the game) massive creatures that can fill your entire screen. Each Nevi creature has a weak spot, identified by a bright red spot on their body, and this is the only area in which attacks will register damage. While it's an intuitive system, combat can occasionally be quite frustrating as you constantly shift gravity while trying to pinpoint enemy weakness, which for the largest of Nevi can be quite the chore.

Cutscenes in Gravity Rushare presented a la comic book panel style, very similar to say inFAMOUS or the classic Sega Genesis game Comix Zone. What's more, the comic book panels have a pseudo-3D effect, allowing you to use the PS Vita gyroscope to look around and in behind the objects within each panel.

Gravity Rush is great new IP from Sony and with the inclusion of Kat in the recently release PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and murmurs of a sequel, it seems like Sony intends on keeping this franchise alive. Considering how much fun I had with Gravity Rush, and how easy it is to recommend (despite some minor flaws), it's great to think Kat's story may continue some day. If you've got a PS Vita, Gravity Rush will make a nice addition to your games library, assuming it's not already there.

Gravity Rush is available now, exclusively for PS Vita. The game was developed by Sony Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment.

Gravity Rush is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: Wonderbook: Book of Spells

2013-04-28T22:20:00.000-04:00

By Paul Hunter

J.K. Rowling's latest wizardly creation is here with Wonderbook: Book of Spells, a game that takes advantage of Sony's PlayStation Move technology. Using the new Wonderbook peripheral, Book of Spells is the closest a Harry Potter fan can get to experiencing first-hand the excitement and wonder that comes with learning some of the most popular spells taught at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Instead of starring Harry Potter or his familiar band of friends, Wonderbook: Book of Spells casts the player in the role of a brand new student at Hogwarts who happens to come across the Book of Spells, a 200-year-old magical tome written by Miranda Goshawk, the fictional author of The Standard Book of Spells series in the Potter universe. Having been kept in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library, the Book of Spells is a powerful, secret textbook meant to give students step-by-step instructions on how to practice 20 of the easiest to learn, yet most valuable spells in a wizard's or witch's repertoire.

Wonderbook: Book of Spells is an augmented reality experience brought to life with the Wonderbook, a 12-page physical book that comes packaged with the game. Inside the blue-coloured book are patterns that resemble QR codes, and when placed in front of the PlayStation Eye camera, transforms the book into an ancient spell book on your TV screen. It's an amazing visual experience to witness your plain-looking Wonderbook morph into a full-fledged book of wizardry, which quite convincingly makes you believe it was taken straight from the Hogwarts' library shelves.

If you already have a PlayStation Move, set-up is a breeze, and requires as little effort as adjusting your PlayStation Eye camera so it faces down towards the floor as you sit cross-legged with your Wonderbook in front of you. For new PlayStation Move owners, expect about 5 minutes to set-up the camera, plus the charging time for your PlayStation Move controller. Upon starting the game, the in-game instructor asks you to select your preferred magic wand, from three available choices which vary in appearance and length, and then you choose a Hogwarts' House from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. Once your selections are made, on-screen your stubby PlayStation Move controller will magically extend and transform into wizard's wand, bent-tip and all.

After completing the set-up, you're whisked away to the main menu screen where you learn the Book of Spells is divided up into five, two-part chapters, with each whole chapter teaching you four spells (for a total of twenty spells to practice and master). In an interesting use of the Wonderbook, before opening the Book of Spells you're asked to brush off the dust that's been collecting over the centuries, which is accomplished by waving your hand across the surface of your Wonderbook.

Each chapter in Book of Spells is formulaic, running through the same basic exercises until finally culminating in a chapter test where you must employ the skills learned throughout the two-part chapter. You'll begin with a brief overview of each new spell, followed by an animated anecdotal history lesson describing the creator and first uses of the particular spell. The humour-filled, interactive lessons are presented via some visually impressive cartoon dioramas which have you pull tabs with your PlayStation Move controller to answer simple questions or add effects to the story. The characters are pretty comical, having such funny names as Eldon Elsrickle and Elizabeth Smudgling, and the stories are as zany as any that J.K. Rowlings has created.

Over the course of the five chapters, you'll learn many of the most popular spells from the Harry Potter books, such as Wingardium Leviosa (Levitation Charm), Incendio (Fire-Making Spell), and Expelliarmus (Disarming Spell). The first step to learning a spell is mastering the incantation, which the game enthusiastically asks you to repeat. It's fun, for example, to yell out "Alohomora!" to enact the Unlocking Charm, but once you realize the game is only detecting that you speak, and doesn't care what words you utter, part of the magic is lost. Following this is the wand gesture, which has you trace a simple shape, be it a wavy line or sharp flick of the wrist, to initiate the spell. Disappointingly, when you actually start employing the spells you're only required to perform the wand gesture, so it feels a bit useless to learn the incantations.

Once you've practiced the spell hand gesture, it's time to practice in mini-games that take place in various areas around Hogwarts such as the herbology greenhouse, and the library. The practice sessions are very basic, such as levitating a jar and placing it back on the Wonderbook, or foiling coin-stealing Nifflers by hardening the ground as they try to bury their stolen treasure. Even the practice sessions in latter chapters, which have you summon supposedly more advanced spells, rarely evolves beyond simply wand waves to ward off enemies with predictable attack patterns. Then again, this is a game that seems intended for ages 6-12, so perhaps I'm being too fickle.

While the mechanics are rather simple, seeing your wand motions result in magic spells is surely the highlight of this game. I was amazed the first time I cast Aguamenti, the Water-Making Spell, and splashed water all over my TV screen, and most other spells initially delighted me equally as much. Also fun was using hand gestures to brush off dust or feathers that occassionally would cloud some text on the Wonderbook, and it was visually impressive to tip my Wonderbook forward to peer straight down a well that appeared in the middle of my book. Without a doubt, Wonderbook: Book of Spells was the best augmented reality I've seen yet for PlayStation Move, and on more than a few occassions the effects mesmerized me.

My biggest gripe with Wonderbook: Book of Spells is how little content there is in the game. Each of the chapters can be completed in forty minutes or less, and there's little incentive to go back and replay them. I would have thought that after spending four hours learning spells there would have been a rich castle to explore and practice your spells, or perhaps a mini battle campaign which has you combat dementors or evil wizards, but nothing of the sort exists. After you finish practicing the twenty spells the game simply ends and you're encouraged to go back and practice the spells some more. There are collectibles found throughout the lessons, and at the end of each chapter you're presented with a "Conundrum", which is a poetic cutscene, spoken by Miranda, providing insight into the qualities of a successful wizard or witch, but both are fillers at best.

Wonderbook: Book of Spells is short-lived experience, but it kept my interest throughout. Certainly the game shows the potential of augment reality games using the Wonderbook, making it a great first attempt and proof-of-concept. Young Harry Potter fans will surely derive lots of fun with this being the most immersive spell-casting experience yet, and you get a real sense of what being a first-year student at Hogwarts must be like. This is original J.K. Rowling writing at its best, and the witty history lessons and charming poems will delight Harry Potter fans interested in the story's lore. The PlayStation Move controller is extremely accurate and casting spells will quickly and effortlessly become second nature. It's a shame there's not more depth to Wonderbook: Book of Spells, but what's included retains the magic and wonder that Harry Potter fans have come to expect.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask

2013-04-21T22:05:00.000-04:00

By Paul Hunter

The first Professor Layton game on Nintendo 3DS is a daring one which sees our habitual, puzzle-solving gentleman make his bold move into the third-dimension – bringing with him a familiar cast of characters and all-new puzzles that take advantage of this added dimension.

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask has finally swept up on North American shores, after debuting in Japan more than a year and a half ago. The game was originally in development for Nintendo DS, but after Akihiro Hino, the CEO of Level-5, saw the capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS, he decided to rebuild the game for this new platform. It was an ambitious move, and the results are superb: Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is the best game yet in this top-quality franchise.

Whenever a new Professor Layton game arrives on my desk I’m reminded of just how fantastic this long-standing series is. With all the glitz and glamour of AAA console releases it can be easy to forget how relaxing and enjoyable a Professor Layton game can be, but once you have one in-hand they’re too irresistible to put down. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is no exception.

The Professor Layton series has traditionally been among the most formulaic in the games industry, which makes the innovations in Miracle Mask seem all the more important. Sure the basic premise will feel instantly familiar: Professor Layton is summoned to a mysterious city to investigate the suspicious activities of a surly villain and must solve puzzles to unearth clues which lead to an inevitable revelation. From the get-go however, it’s clear that Level-5 re-envisioned what a Professor Layton game can be, as the game introduces many new elements such a full 3D polygonal characters, dazzling 3D environments to explore, the ability to search behind and around objects, and a redesigned interface. For a series has otherwise kept the status quo, Miracle Mask introduces many welcome improvements.

Joining Professor Layton on his latest “whodunit” adventure is his apprentice Luke and assistant Emma who all wind up in the city of Monte d’Or, a bedazzling European-inspired place filled with luxurious casinos and hotels, and surrounded by dessert, resembling a Los Vegas of sorts. Curiously, the bustling city is celebrating its 18^th birthday and few of the cityfolks are able to explain how a fully developed tourist destination could have been built in such a short period of time – giving rise to the nickname of the “City of Miracles”. Upon arriving in Monte d’Or, the trio attend a celebratory parade which is soon interrupted by a rather dapper, masked individual who seemingly turns numerous tourists into stone. Referring to himself as the “Masked Gentleman”, the terrorizing villain miraculously sprouts wings and flies away, eventually escaping by vanishing in mid air. Unable to resist a good mystery, Professor Layton and pals quickly get on the case.

The story, as expected, is charming, witty and entertaining. Most dialogue sequences follow the usual character on the left-side, character on the right-side conversations seen in past Professor Layton games, however this time around gorgeous 3D cutscenes occur regularly with full voice acting (including the unmistakably demure Layton and boyish sounding Luke), and the more rare anime scenes incorporate a pseudo-3D effect which just looks great. Some of the character polygons are a bit jagged (especially their hair), so a few characters have a boxy look -- but otherwise the graphics are crisp and clean.

With the world map presented in full 3D on the upper screen of the Nintendo 3DS, the lower touch screen is used to navigate a magnify glass on the upper screen, via stylus controls. Investigating is done by dragging the magnify glass around the environment to locate points of interests, which are identified by the magnify glass turning orange. What’s interesting is that for the first time, you can shift the camera left/right and up/down as you explore, giving most environments a nice panoramic feel. Furthermore, there are points of interest where your magnify glass turns blue, which enable you to zoom-in for a closer inspection – a neat addition. It takes a bit of time to get used to this new way to navigate, but since it eliminates the need to repeatedly tap the on touch screen, exploring the city is quite enjoyable.

As usual, nearly every citizen of Monte d’Or favours solving puzzles as a means to interact, whether you’re trying to extract information, advance to new location, or simply as a way to build rapport. Puzzles are divided between those that are mandatory for the story to progress, and those which are optional, typically found by speaking with the cityfolks or tapping on an area of interest. If you’ve played past Professor Layton games, the puzzles, for the most part, will be quite familiar. There are 150 puzzles in the main quest, which vary from logic (e.g. “which one is telling the truth, A, B, C or D”?), simple arithmetic, sliding puzzles, checkerboard type, spot-the-difference and the type I dread the most: visualization (I’m a math guy, what can I say?) Each puzzle is worth a certain amount of “Picarats”, the in-game puzzle currency, and reflect the difficulty of the puzzle at-hand. While the majority of the puzzle types are not new, each one is presented, to some degree, in 3D, which is a nice added touch. There are some puzzles that seem specifically made for 3D, such as an interesting one where you have to reunite lost ladybugs that happen to be stuck on either side of a corncob maze. To help you solve puzzles, the abilities to write notes on an overlay of the puzzle or cash in Hint Coins once again return in Miracle Mask.

There are also your standard goodies to be found, such as hidden collectibles, and an array of mini-games found in Layton’s briefcase. The mini-games, of which there are three, include “Robot” where you have to guide a robot on a checkerboard around obstacles to an exit location, “Shop” where you have to strategically position shop items in such a way that a shopper will be motivated to purchase every item, and “Rabbit”, a Nintendogs-type game which has you train a rabbit to perform various actions such as "wiggle", "dig", "sulk", and "roll", and use these skills to act out a play for his trainer.

To add replayability to Miracle Mask beyond the main story, there are 365 free downloadable puzzles that will be available one per day since, for a full year. At time of writing, there 30 additional puzzles that are available, which vary from the types found in the main game, so they're a great added value to the overall package.

Like a hot cup of warm soup, the familiar, comforting Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask was a joy to indulge. The new 3D polygon characters are so well crafted, they appear hand-drawn. Add in the rich and colourful environments found in Monte d’Or and you have a beautiful, artsy game to look at. The puzzles rarely venture outside what we’ve seen before, but they are spaced out nicely and there are a few duplicate types. If you have some down time and are looking for a relaxing treat, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is your cup of tea.

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is out now for Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL. The game was developed by Level-5 and published by Nintendo.

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is rated E10+ by the ESRB.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Bioshock Infinite Review

2013-04-07T18:00:00.000-04:00

By Paul Hunter

Stepping into Bioshock Infinite, I had sky high expectations. Since the beginning, the Bioshock franchise has aspired to deliver a richer, fuller experience than most other first-person shooters care to offer. Rapture, the immense undersea city of the first two Bioshock games, was incredibly immersive with its distinctive and dark art deco design motif and the characters, such as the genetically mutated Big Daddy and main antagonist Andrew Ryan (“would you kindly”), that will long be remembered as exceptional. With Bioshock Infinite, the team at Irrational Games made a bold decision to introduce a new setting and new characters, taking on the challenge of drawing gamers into a whole new experience.

The setting for Bioshock Infinite is Columbia, an airborne city launched in 1893 by the American government, appearing to be held up by giant balloons, propellers and numerous zeppelins. The city, with its unprecedented advanced technologies, was seen by the American people as a symbolic representation of their unrivalled global power. In many respects, Columbia couldn’t be more opposite than Rapture: the floating city is filled with dazzling hues of blue and gold, districts are wide open and often bustling with citizens, and movement between areas is hyper-fast thanks to the intricate set of high-speed Sky-Line rails that connects the numerous hovering city locales.

In Bioshock Infinite you play as Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton agent turned private investigator suffering from alcoholism and massive debt from excessive gambling. At some point, he accepts an offer from a mysterious man to enter Columbia and find Elizabeth, a woman imprisoned in the floating city for most of her life. Her captor, the deeply religious “Father” Comstock, rules over Columbia and is zealously worshiped by its inhabitants for his apparent ability to see into the future. In exchange for her safe delivery to New York, the man promises that all of Booker’s debt will be forgiven.

Gameplay begins somewhere off the coast of Maine with Booker sitting in the back seat of a small rowboat during a heavy nighttime downpour. He’s handed a personal chest by an unknown man and woman containing the essential elements of his quest: the passcode to enter Columbia, a loaded pistol, several Silver Eagle Dollars (the city’s currency), a picture of Elizabeth and Monument Island where she’s held captive, and the coordinates of New York. Booker arrives in Columbia during the city’s fair, and through a series of cleverly disguised carnival games that act as the game’s tutorial, players learn essential skills such as firing weapons, aiming down iron sights for more precision, and using Vigors, Bioshock Infinite’s version of Plasmids.

Along with Bioshock Infinite’s entirely new setting, the game revisits – or tweaks – many core gameplay elements from the previous games in the series. Vigors, as previously mentioned, act as the game’s source of super powers, and like Plasmids from past Bioshock games, they alter the user’s DNA which bestows them with extraordinary abilities. There are eight Vigors in total, many of which feel similar to the previous Plasmids, though there are some interesting new powers such as Murder of Crows which sends a flock of frenzied crows to peck your foes to death. Vigors can also be charged up to deploy stationary traps, opening up possibilities of luring enemies into a deadly ambush. An uncharged Devil’s Kiss, for example, sends out a single flaming projectile, whereas its charged version drops a stationary fire trap that explodes with tremendous burning power once sprung. Further, there are quite a few advanced Vigor combinations that are possible, achieved through correctly timing two quick Vigor attacks in a row, such as Murder of Crows + Shock Jockey which electrifies the furiously attacking crows for additional damage.

Gunplay is once again central to gameplay in Bioshock Infinite, with a number of new weapons and old favourites present. Unlike Vigors, which once acquired Booker keeps for the remainder of the game, it’s only possible to possess two weapons at any given time. Thus, weapon management is key to survival in Columbia, particularly when readying for major confrontations. The usual suspects are back, such as the Pistol, Shotgun and Machine Gun, and new weapons such as the Sniper Rifle prove particularly useful given the many long-range combat scenarios that arise. Other, rarer weapons, can be lifesavers when faced with heavy-hitting enemy such as the Firemen, including the grenade-launching Volley Gun which has the side benefit of stunning these larger enemies. Perhaps the most versatile weapon in Booker’s arsenal is his Sky-Hook, a melee weapon acquired very early on. Serving as both a mode of transportation (via Columbia’s Sky-Line rail system) and a melee weapon, the Sky-Hook is capable of delivering the most gruesome attacks of any weapon. Using the deadly rotating blades of the Sky-Hook it’s possible for Booker to snap necks, explode heads or rupture a poor foe’s chest. Given how essential it is to conserve ammo in the higher difficulty levels, and how quickly the crazed citizens of Columbia rush at you, the Sky-Hook is often the go-to weapon of choice .

Like its predecessor, Bioshock Infinite includes a passive upgrade system, this time in form of wearable Gear. Found Gear will be one of four types: hat, shirt, pants or boots, each focusing mainly on a particular type of perk, be it offensive or defensive bonuses, or special perks. Similar to Tonics, once Gear is equipped it provides an enhancement of some sort, such as the Nitro Vest which increases the radius of explosive weapon damage or the Fit As A Fiddle boots that revive Booker with full health. There are over 40 Gear items to collect in total, most of which are hidden off-the-beaten path or locked behind doors.

One of the biggest gameplay changes in Bioshock Infinite is the introduction of a magnetic-repulsive shield which Booker acquires very early in the game. The shield allows Booker to take damage without draining his health, and it recharges if Booker remains in cover or avoids taking damage for a few seconds. While shields have become quite common in first-person shooters these days, this is the first time a Bioshock game has incorporated the game mechanic and it does dramatically alter how the game feels. With the added protection, the action moves much more quickly as there’s less of a penalty for taking damage and a diminished need to hide behind cover. The game designers have also increased the number of attacking enemies, so instead of the methodical, singular enemy encounters found in previous Bioshock games, in Bioshock Infinite enemies often attack in packs and combat is aggressive.

Helping Booker out for the majority of the game is Elizabeth, quite possibly the most helpful AI partner ever in a video game. She’s not one of those helpless damsel in distress types that requires constant supervision, nor does she engage in combat at all. Rather, Elizabeth often remains slightly out of slight and constantly supports Booker by throwing him a bottle of Salts that refill his Vigor power, health kits to restore his life gauge, or valuable Silver Eagle Dollars that can be spent at the many city vending machines to upgrade Vigors, weapons, or purchase supplies. Moreover, Elizabeth possesses the unique ability to open “Tears”, which are portals to alternate realities, and through these she can bring over ammunition supplies, auto-turrets and even create cover for Booker in the midst of combat.

Not only is Elizabeth a helpful companion, her believability as a living, breathing character, creates a bond that grows strong as the story progresses. This sense of attachment feels especially heightened during the times where Elizabeth is not around, as there’s a tangible reactive feeling that something is missing. Protecting Elizabeth from Comstock thus feels purposeful and meaningful, a refreshing change considering how dreadful “escort missions” are in other games.

Bioshock Infinite is an admirable example of how to take an existing franchise and reinvent itself as something even greater. The sky city of Columbia feels steeped in history, made believable by the omnipresent Father Comstock with his barrage of propaganda videos, posters and loudspeaker monologues that progressively reveal the city’s darker side. The evolving relationship between Booker and Elizabeth serves as the narrative’s driving force, drawing us deep into their characters all the way until the story’s unforgettable final twist. While Bioshock Infinite is single-player only, the core experience is so gratifying that it’s easily worth repeat plays, and at about ten hours per run-through, there’s plenty to come back to.

OVERALL
Gameplay 4.5/5
Graphics 5/5
Sound 4.5/5
Lasting Appeal/Replayability 4.5/5

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: Zone of the Enders HD Collection

2013-03-09T16:33:00.000-05:00

By Paul Hunter

Kojima Productions, the acclaimed studio behind the Metal Gear Solid franchise, has opened their vault for the re-release of two classic PlayStation 2 titles in their Zone of the Enders HD Collection. The compilation pack features completely remastered versions of the original Zone of the Enders (2001), plus the far superior Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (2003), and even throws in a demo of the upcoming Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance for good measure.

With over ten years since we first stepped into the cockpit of Jehuty, do the original games combined with a shiny coat of HD warrant a second interplanetary trip through these mecha adventures?

Back in the early years of the PlayStation 2 era, famed producer Hideo Kojima wanted to venture outside the realm of Metal Gear Solid and helm a new franchise; the result was Zone of the Enders. Set more than a 100 years in the future, the games take place on distant colonies on Jupiter and Mars at a time when humans have recently discovered Metatron, a high-energy ore that warring factions are seeking to control. BAHRAM, a particularly ruthless military organization led by Col. Ridley (Nohman) Hardiman, are the most aggressive coveters of Metatron resources and stop at nothing -- including civilian casualties -- to further their own corrupt agenda.

In the original Zone of the Enders game, players assume the role of 13-year-old Leo Stenbuck as the forces of BAHRAM invade his space colony Antilia, which orbits one of Jupiter's moons. By happenstance, Leo stumbles upon a powerful "Orbital Frame" mecha named Jehuty which he uses to ward off his attackers. With the help of Jehuty's A.I. named ADA, the young boy sets out to rescue civilians from his colony, and defeat the BAHRAM forces that are threatening his people.

If you're familiar with Kojima's work on the Metal Gear Solid series, then it won't come as a surprise to hear that Zone of the Enders story sequences are more often than not, loquacious, convoluted and stuffed with unnecessary exposition. For a high-action, aerial combat mech game, these long-winded dialogues interrupt the action much longer than they should, and the stiff voice-acting and grainy animations certainly show their age.

Where Zone of the Enders shines is in its blisteringly intense, aerial combat gameplay. Jehuty has a range of offensive abilities including using long-range laser blasters, destructive energy bursts requiring a momentary charge, and a short-range energy sword for melee-style battles. Attacks can also be combined with a dash move, giving combat a constant high-speed feel. On the defense, Jehuty can latch on to enemies at close range and give them a nice toss, resulting in damage if aimed toward a hard surface, and can also project an energy shield capable of nullifying everything short of an enemy burst attack. The abilities of Jehuty are fast, varied and surprisingly deep, but unfortunately a great deal of this richness is lost in the simplicity of combat. Enemies, including most bosses, have paper thin attack patterns and combat rarely needs to surpass a "button mashing" strategy to succeed.

Objectives in Zone of the Enders are repetitive and monotonous, basically boiling down to traveling from location-to-location on the world map and either destroying all enemies in a particular zone, or obtaining an item to progress. There's a lot of back-and-forth as you are forced to visit areas over again and combined with the clear lack of development of your mech, the action feels like a repetitive slog.

Zone of the Enders is so thin, clocking in a mere four hours to completion, that it's better thought of as a proof-of-concept versus a full-fledged mech game. It gets you familiar with the core mechanics of Jehuty through VR training and live combat, introduces you to the essential characters and plotlines, and that's about it.

The real meat of this package comes in the fully-realized sequel, Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner. In short, it's fantastic.

In every conceivable way, The 2nd Runner is better than its predecessor. The graphics and animations are much improved, enemies are more varied and have better attack patterns, Jehuty moves with more fluidity and has a wider range of attack maneuvers, the locations are more varied, brighter and feature more detail, and the story, while still a bit contrived, is at least more coherent and even fills in some of the gaps from the first outing.

Taking place two years after the events of the original game, an ice miner named Dingo Egret inadvertently stumbles upon Jehuty just as the BAHRAM forces are attempting to retrieve the concealed mech (sound familiar?). Dingo boards the massive Orbital Frame, but is knocked unconscious by Anubis, a counterpart Orbital Frame controlled by Col. Nohman. Dingo soon wakes up to find himself inside Jehuty, which has been hooked into his body as a life-support, rendering him unable to exit the mech. Understandably frustrated, Dingo sets out to confront Col. Nohman and make him pay.

The sheer amount of improvements in The 2nd Runner are impressive, and where the real value of the HD Collection is derived. Enemy battles require much more strategy this time around, and boss battles are more varied and a great deal more challenging. Your Jehuty mech has improved abilities as well, such as new grappling mechanics that allow you to use enemies as melee weapons or protective shields, and you can also pick-up objects in the battlefield and perform a powerful swing attack with them, or hurl them at your opponents.

While The 2nd Runner is a completely linear affair, eschewing the world-map model found in Zone of the Enders, the lack of exploration in no way takes away from the enjoyment, and if anything, this series is better suited to straight level progression. The 2nd Runner constantly feels like it's being driven forward, with more satisfying narrative and a real sense that your mech is getting more powerful along the way.

Unfortunately, the frame rate of this HD remake suffers noticeably, so whereas the PlayStation 2 version held stable at 60 frames-per-second, the remastered edition feels considerably slower. Even with a reduced frame rate, the action is still faster than most action games out there, so likely only purists will care.

It's worth noting that the version of The 2nd Runner included is the PAL special edition, which has never been released before in North America and includes extra missions, more VR training, extra difficulty settings and graphical improvements such as better anti-aliasing. There's also an all-new 7-minute opening cinematic created by the acclaimed Sunrise animation house, which ties together the story between the two Zone of the Enders games, as well as higher resolution versions of the original opening animations for both games. Both games also include full PlayStation Trophy and Xbox Achievements support, a nice added touch.

To sweeten the pot, the HD Collection includes a demo of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, the upcoming spin-off title starring Raiden and set for release on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on February 19, 2013. With the original Zone of the Enders game featuring a demo of Metal Gear Solid 2, the subtle, pleasant feeling of déjà vu is a nice addition.

It's no surprise that Konami showed off the remastered HD version of The 2nd Runner during the majority of their presentations leading up to the launch of the HD Collection -- it's by far the better game of the two included. It's best to view this compilation as an HD version of The 2nd Runner with the original Zone of the Enders and a Metal Gear demo thrown in for good measure. The 2nd Runner, as a stand-alone remastered title, is worth the cost of admission for this value-priced collection, so as a whole it's easy to recommend. It may be nearly ten years since we've last entered Jehuty, but like the return an old friend, it's great to finally be reacquainted.

Zone of the Enders HD Collection is out now for Xbox 360 and PlayStation. The game was developed by Kojima Production and published by Konami.

Zone of the Enders HD Collection is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: Wii U

2013-03-09T16:23:00.002-05:00

By Paul Hunter

Nintendo has come first out of the gate with a brand new console -- the Wii U -- officially kickstarting the next generation of home gaming. The Wii U brings with it a new online experience, finally bumps the graphics up to full HD, and delivers a superb new Mario game; yet, it's the Wii U GamePad, with its range of innovative features, which really steals the show.

After putting the Wii U console through its paces over the last few days I was amazed at how multifaceted the Wii U GamePad is, and the degree to which the second screen adds to the overall gaming experience. There were a few hiccups with my overall experience with the Wii U, which I'll explain below, but they didn't detract too much from the numerous hours of enjoyment I had.

Wii U System

In terms of pure looks, the Wii U is the plainest Nintendo console yet. It has a smooth body with rounded corners, and is larger and bulkier than the Wii: 10.6” deep, 6.75” long, and 3.5lbs, vs. Wii’s 8.48” deep, 6.18” long, and 2.65lbs. Out-the-box the Wii U can only be placed horizontally, but can have a vertical orientation with the optional Console Stand (included in the Deluxe Console package, or sold separately). The face of the console has a disc drive capable of playing Wii U or Wii game discs, eject and power buttons, and a front hatch that reveals two USB 2.0 ports and an SD memory card slot. In a nice touch, the hatch slides into the console when you open it, instead of jutting out like it does on the Wii. Above the power button is a tiny LED that shines blue when the console is powered on and red when powered off. Above the disc eject button is a second light that emits a bright white light when a disc is inserted into your Wii U.

As previously mentioned, the Wii U is capable is displaying full HD graphics -- the first for a Nintendo console. The supported video modes for Wii U include 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i. The back of the Wii U console contains slots for the AC adapter, sensor bar, AV connector, HDMI out, and two additional USB 2.0 ports. Inside the box comes an HDMI cable, which makes Wii U the first console to ever include one (Wii included a standard A/V cable). There's no AV cable included, so if you have an older model TV you'll have to either buy Nintendo's AV cord accessory, or if you have a Wii, you can use the same AV cable with your Wii U (very convenient). Finally, Wii U contains a built-in wireless adapter, allowing you to connect the console to the internet through your home network.

Wii U Sets Available

There are two Wii U console packages available now. They are: (1) the Basic Set, and (2) the Deluxe Set. For a comprehensive review of each of these sets, have a look at Erika's comparison article. There's a $50 price difference between the two packages, and if you look at the contents of each package you'll notice the more expensive Deluxe Set is a better value by a longshot. Not only does it come with Nintendo Land (a fantastic launch game -- see Raj's review here), it also has four times the hard drive storage space, and a slew of peripherals including a Wii U GamePad charging cradle and Wii U console stands -- items you will most certainly want to own. As a further incentive to pick-up the Deluxe Set, Nintendo will be rolling out the "Deluxe Digital Promotion" (coming Dec. 2012) which will give you a 10% credit for each purchase made through the Nintendo eShop. So for example, if you purchase a $60 game through the Nintendo eShop, you will receive credits equal to $6 towards your next Nintendo eShop purchase.

So you can visually compare the two sets, here's a full list of the contents:

Wii U 8GB Basic Set

White Wii U console with 8GB of internal storage
One white Gamepad controller
AC Adapters for both the console and controller
Sensor bar
HDMI cable

Wii U 32GB Deluxe Set

Black Wii U console with 32GB of internal storage
One black Gamepad controller
Nintendo Land video game
Console stand
Gamepad charging cradle
Gamepad stand that allows it to sit vertically on a table
AC Adapters for both the console and controller
Sensor bar
HDMI cable

Setting-up the Wii U

Nintendo hit a small bump in the road this past weekend when they rolled out a system update on launch day that every Wii U owner had to install if they want to connect their consoles online. The massive update takes about an hour to download and install using a broadband internet connection, and Nintendo cautioned owners to let the process run uninterupted or risk damaging your Wii U system. That, combined with the physical set-up of the Wii U console and the 2.5 hours to charge the Wii U GamePad meant that there wasn't a lot of gaming during my first night with the Wii U. [pro-tip: start charging your Wii U GamePad immediately after opening the box to minimize overall set-up time]

Wii U GamePad

The Wii U GamePad is by far the most interesting aspect of the package. The natural focal point of the Wii U GamePad is the 6.2", 16:9 aspect ratio LCD touch screen (single-touch). The screen itself looks beautiful, but it's not HD, with a resolution of 854 x 480 (the same as Wii's video output). You can, as a main feature of most Wii U games, play the games directly on the Wii U GamePad instead of on your TV. Even with a lower resolution on the LCD touch screen, the games I played (New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge) looked fantastic and I barely noticed the drop in resolution. The truly impressive technical achievement of the Wii U is how smooth the games play on the Wii U GamePad, with no latency or graphical ghosting or clipping, despite being steamed to the controller from the console unit. It's impressive to see Wii U games running on your Wii U GamePad at the same speed as the image on your TV, so much so that I'd put it on par with the feeling of "awe" I got when I first tried the Wii Sports motion controls on the original Wii.

The Wii GamePad is much more than just the LCD touch screen, in fact, it's the most feature-rich main console controller that's ever been designed. The controller is bulky: measuring 5.3" high x 10.2" wide, it's almost as big as the Wii U console itself. Surprisingly though, it feels extremely light at 1.1lbs and the left and right grips are ultra-comfortable even during long game sessions. There are two analog sticks, at the top corners of the controller, and they are clickable for extra button inputs. Below the stick on the left is a D-pad slightly larger than what's found on the Wii Remote, and below the right stick are A/B/X/Y face buttons in the same triangle formation as the Super Nintendo controller. At the top there are left and right shoulder buttons, and below them on the back are ZL/ZR trigger buttons which have a short push distance, so there's no analog range.

The main navigation controls include +/- buttons, which act as Start and Select, and below the touch screen on the right is a Power button that turns the Wii U console on or off. In the centre below the touch screen is the Home button which serves a similar function as on the Wii, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 controllers.

Since you can navigate menus using the touch screen on the Wii U GamePad, the controller also includes a GamePad Stylus slotted in the back-right, which has a noticeable "click" that locks it into place when inserting it back in. Using the GamePad Stylus to launch apps such as the Nintendo eShop is a snap, and it helps to search through content quickly and easily. You can also use the stylus for typing messages to your friends using the on-screen keyboard, and you can draw pictures.

For audio, the Wii U GamePad includes stereo speakers adjacent to the touch screen, which sound better than the speaker found on the original Wii controllers, though there is still a noticeable tinny quality to them. Since I found myself playing games more on the Wii U GamePad itself than the TV, the included headphone jack came in handy for times when other people were in the living room. There's also a volume control on the top-right of the Wii U GamePad that adjusts the volume for your earphones or the built-in speakers. Furthermore, there's a microphone beside the Home button, though the only time I was able to test it out was in the "Donkey Kong's Crash Course" carting mini-game found in Nintendo Land (and it worked just fine).

Similar to the Nintendo 3DS, there is a front-facing camera that can snap photos or insert your face into a Wii U game, and the quality of camera is improved over the 3DS, though don't expect hi-res images. I tested out the camera in the Mii Maker application, which lets the camera take your picture and then convert the image into a Mii character. It worked "ok", and included my basic features (recognized I was a guy with glasses), but really, how accurate do you really want a Mii character to look?

There's yet more input mechanisms as the Wii U GamePad incorporates motion control with a 3-axis accelerometer and gyroscope. It felt on par with the Wii Motion Plus technology that Nintendo introduced in their last console, and when I tested out the motion controls with ZombiU it felt 1:1 with my movements. The Wii U GamePad also has built-in rumble somewhere in between the quality of the original Wii and an Xbox 360 controller (so it's serviceable).

As for the battery life of the Wii U GamePad, I got about 3 hours in before the battery indicator started flashing, indicating low power, and about 3.5 hours use in total before it totally conked out. My average charge time for the rechargeable lithium-ion battery, using the Charging Cradle, was just over 2 hours. So, expect to be charging your Wii U GamePad quite frequently if you're a heavy user (or keep it plugged in while playing using the included Wii U GamePad AC adapter).

A feature that most users will quickly learn to enjoy is the TV Control button that, once pressed, calls open a menu which allows you to use the Wii U GamePad as a universal TV remote control. Upon set-up of your Wii U console you have the option to search for your TV's frequency (you search by manufacturer), and after finding the right frequency you have the ability to control various functions of your TV such as the channel, volume, and power on/off. So, this means that not only can you turn on your Wii U console with the Wii U GamePad, you can also turn on your TV using this one-stop-shop controller. Pretty nifty.

One feature I was not able to test out is the Wii U GamePad's Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities, which has yet to be incorporated into a Wii U game.

The Wii U console is able to support up to two Wii U GamePads (second controller sold separately), and up to four original Wii controllers. You can also use all your Wii accessories, including the Balance Board and Nunchuk. There are numerous different ways you can play games on the Wii U, including using just the Wii U GamePad, using the Wii U GamePad plus your TV screen, using the stylus, using the Wii Remote (plus Nunchuk), and you can even use the Wii U GamePad and Wii Remotes together for up to 5 players. The amount of play options are simply staggering, and the possibilities are practically endless for game developers -- meaning we should expect to see some very interesting combinations in future game titles.

Conclusion

With the Wii U, Nintendo has once again delivered an innovative piece of technology that has the potential to revolutionize the gaming industry much like they did back in 2006 with the Wii. Graphically, it doesn't have that "next-gen" feel you'd expect, simply because the Wii U brings the console up to the same standards we've expected for years with the Xbox 360 and PS3. With that said, the Wii U GamePad is really the main draw here, and with its numerous features and functions, there are a staggering number of gameplay possibilities. The software line-up for Wii U, which includes New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land, Assassin's Creed III, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and more, is the strongest launch line-up we've seen to date for any console. My absolute favourite feature of the Wii U is the ability to control games using the Wii U GamePad, and I spent more of my time gaming on the controller than on my home TV. Nintendo has certainly ignited this new console generation in a big way, and given their history of innovation, I am already looking forward to what's potentially next for mega franchises such as Zelda, Kirby, Kid Icarus, Donkey Kong, and Metroid, on the Wii U.

Stay tuned in the coming week for a follow-up article on the Wii U's operating system interface and online features (of which there are many!)

Wii U is available now.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: Resident Evil 6

2013-03-09T16:18:00.001-05:00

By Paul Hunter

Playing through Resident Evil 6 was one of the most enigmatic experiences I’ve ever encountered in a video game. The franchise, which was once known for its survival-horror roots, has all but abandoned its petrifying, spine-chilling moments in favour a mishmash of genres ranging from stealth, to puzzle, to all-out third-person action. The problem isn’t that Resident Evil is attempting to evolve; it's that the franchise is trying so hard to morph into a jack-of-all-trades that it ends up being a master of none.

That’s not to say Resident Evil 6 is a terrible game – because it certainly has its moments – it’s just that with such an enormous development budget and the largest production team ever for a Resident Evil title, there are way too many moments that left me wondering “what in the world was Capcom thinking?”

The opening 10-minute prologue of Resident Evil 6 is reflective of what the majority of playing Resident Evil 6 is like. In this tutorial of sorts, you assume the role of familiar series mainstay Leon S. Kennedy, who along with his new partner, Helena, are both attempting to escape from a zombie-infested city that's quickly burning into ashes. During this introduction, you'll learn the basic movements such as the new dodge mechanic and cover system, how to flip through the now real-time inventory menu, and get a grip on your new ability to run and gun. However, punctuated throughout this entire tutorial are an endless number of quick-time events (QTEs), from opening a door to wrestling off a zombie, that have you wiggling and waggling your controller around like you were playing Super Street Fighter Turbo on maximum turbo. Even more baffling are the over-the-top setpieces, such as the obnoxious helicopter chase sequence, that somehow manage to make Resident Evil look more like Call of Duty zombie mode. What's worse, these setpieces invariably contain numerous QTEs, so while you want to relax and enjoy a nice cutscene, you end up having to sit at the edge of your seat anticipating the next waggle. Dodge, QTE, shoot shoot, QTE, reload, QTE QTE, massive explosion, repeat -- this is the Resident Evil 6 experience.

To Resident Evil 6's credit, the game does pack-in a lot of content. There are three main campaigns, each of them playable co-operatively via local split-screen or online through Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network. The campaigns each contain five chapters lasting about an hour each, for a total for fifteen hours. What's interesting is how each campaign differs from the rest, and how they draw influence from past Resident Evil games. Leon's campaign, which is reminiscent of Resident Evil 4 with its dark atmosphere and the eerie locations such as the cemetery and its central cathedral, is as close to survival horror as Resident Evil 6 gets. Chris Redfield's campaign is action-oriented a la Resident Evil 5, and many scenes include squad-based assaults featuring tanks, heavy machinery and towering bio organic weapons (BOWs). Newcomer Jake Muller, who happens to be the son of the now-deceased Albert Wesker, spends the majority of his campaign running from an unstoppable BOW called the Ustanak, giving a clear Resident Evil 3: Nemesis vibe. Each main character is paired with a partner for the duration of their campaign, and both of the characters are playable.

What's more, the three campaigns follow distinct timelines, yet occasionally have crossover moments where, for example, Jake and his partner Sherry Birkin (all grown up from Resident Evil 2) bump into Chris and his sniper support Piers, and the four of them team up to take out a particularly menacing BOW. These are moments where Resident Evil 6 shines, particularly when you factor in that during these crossover moments four players online can all participate simultaneously.

Playing Resident Evil 6 is another story altogether. While in many respects the series has evolved, such as finally allowing running and gunning, the series controls are increasingly feeling archaic. As an example, the "new" cover system (wait, didn't Resident Evil 5 have a cover system?) Capcom introduced is so finicky, it's practically useless. Unlike games like Gears of War, which features a seamless wall sticking cover system that allows easy targeting over obstacles, in Resident Evil 6 it's not always clear which areas will provide cover, and when in cover, the camera never seems to position itself right for the clean shot. Fortunately, you can progress through all three main campaigns without using cover, as it's more of an option than a necessity.

Rounding out the story mode is an entirely new single-player campaign starring Ada Wong that unlocks after beating the three aforementioned campaigns. Her campaign is the most interesting of them all, featuring a hefty dose of stealth and puzzles, and provides new twists on the other three campaigns. All together, there is over 20 hours of campaign content here -- the most ever for Resident Evil game and about twice as long as the standard action game.

The best new addition in Resident Evil 6 has got to be Agent Hunt mode, which unlocks after the individual campaigns are completed. In this mode, you can jump into another player's online game as a zombie, or other grotesque BOWs, as you attempt to take them out. It's fun, fresh and it's the mode I keep on coming back to play more of. The popular Mercenaries mode returns as well, rounding out the online features.

After putting in thirty-something hours into Resident Evil 6, I'm just as boggled as I was during the first ten minutes into the game. Why Capcom decided to stretch Resident Evil 6 into a game that caters to so many tastes is baffling when you consider that the core mechanics are just simply flawed in some respects. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty to enjoy in Resident Evil 6, such as the twenty hour campaign and solid Agent Hunt mode, it's just that given the pedigree of the development team this game should have been much better. Resident Evil 4 was, and still is, the best entry in this series, and sadly, the only real horrifying aspect of Resident Evil these days is watching this once-great franchise steadily decline with each new iteration.

Resident Evil 6 is out now for Xbox 360 and PlayStation. The game was developed and published by Capcom.

Resident Evil 6 is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Wii U Launch Photos (Toronto)

2013-03-09T16:04:00.003-05:00

By Paul Hunter

The launch of the Wii U was a big day for Nintendo fans across the country. The new Nintendo gaming console promises to usher in a new era of gaming with its innovative Wii U GamePad.

Since the big Wii U reveal announcement at last year's E3, the industry has been buzzing about the revolutionary Wii U GamePad which features a 6.2" LCD touch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio and is intended to supplement the gameplay on your main display. The touch screen can be used in a variety of innovative ways, such as scanning objects, accessing your inventory, solving puzzles or selecting sports plays. Furthermore, with some Wii U games it's possible to play them right on the Wii U GamePad, freeing up your television during times when other family members want use it.

To give Nintendo fans in Toronto a chance to test out the new Wii U GamePad first-hand, Nintendo took to the streets with a huge gaming truck and a tent filled with launch title games such as New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land, Just Dance 4 and FIFA 13. Hundreds of gamers came out to sample the new Wii U console, get their photos taken with giant Mii mascots walking about, and to relax with a cup a hot chocolate provided by Nintendo.

It was a lot of fun to check out the event, and without a doubt the enthusiasm from the crowd for Wii U was high. The diverse line-up of games, which catered to hardcore gamers and casual gamers alike, seemed to have something for everyone.

And of course, see below for photos (with descriptions) of the Nintendo Wii U launch event in Toronto!

The Wii U game truck

Miis jumping for joy because Wii U is finally available!

At the Nintendo Land select screen

Dancers playing Just Dance 4

A gamer player New Super Mario Bros. U

Another gamer checks out New Super Mario Bros. U

A gamer plays FIFA 13

The Wii U GamePad

The Wii U console and GamePad

They even have Wii U cups!

Wii U is available now.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Far Cry 3 Launch Event Photos

2013-03-09T15:57:00.004-05:00

By Paul Hunter

Ubisoft kicked-off their Far Cry 3 launch event at the Tattoo Rock Parlour in Toronto in a big, big way. And no I don't mean the 6-foot-something Dan Hay, producer of Far Cry 3, who came up on stage to introduce the game, I'm referring to the opening 10-minutes of the game those in attendance were given the opportunity to watch. In short, it was easily among the most breathtaking, fluid, and suspenseful introductions I've ever seen in a video game. I must have looked pretty silly with my jaw dropped the whole way through.

Dan had an interesting way of presenting Far Cry 3, instead of a verbal run-through of the story and main features, which typically happens at media events, he simply walked up on stage and asked us if we wanted to see the game, and then said the game would do the talking for him. The demonstration walked us through the first ten minutes of Far Cry 3, [spoiler alert] which shows how lead protagonist Jason Brody found his way to the island in which the game takes place, and the circumstances surrounding his abduction by Vaas, the merciless pirate who controls the island.

The opening sequence is visually stunning and incredibly intense, setting a new bar for realism and storytelling in video games. It's one of the few video games demonstration I've seen where you actually felt "there", feeling the same raw emotions of confusion, fear and apprehension that you know Jason is experiencing. What's also superb is how the development team at Ubisoft Montréal managed to integrate the gameplay tutorial directly into the opening sequence seamlessly, without distracting or taking away from the flow of action. In fact, the on-screen instructions added to the overall vibe, creating more tension as you quickly learned how evade, distract or engage enemies.

We've heard before that Ubisoft was aiming to make Far Cry 3 a visceral experience that would invoke a constant state of fear within the player, and to that degree what I saw certainly lived up to the hype. In past interviews, Dan has been quoted as saying that each of the insane cast of characters you meet in Far Cry 3 is "like a rabbit hole" that has somehow been affected by the island. If the quality of the performance capture and voice acting throughout the game is a good as the opening sequence, then it looks to be one heck of a ride.

Also shown at the launch event was Far Cry 3's competitive multiplayer, and media were invited to participate in a multi-round, competitive tournament. The game type selected was called Domination, and the objective was to capture three specific strongholds on the battlefield, and keep them protected while under enemy fire. The influence of the Call of Duty series was obvious, with the custom loadouts, XP system, kill cam, and tried-and-true game types; however, the island setting made it visually distinct. It seems like all the checkboxes were made, and while it was felt like a competent competitive shooter, I left the event feeling the real bread and butter lies in the single-player campaign.

To catch a glimpse of Toronto launch event for Far Cry 3, here's a run-down of the best photos I captured during the night (with accompanying descriptions):

The Tattoo Rock Parlour entrance was lined with screens displaying Far Cry 3

Jeyson Acevedo, Ubisoft's PR Manager, kicks off the event

Far Cry 3 producer Dan Hay introducing the game

Far Cry 3 in action

Future Shop's Carl-Edwin Michel plays Far Cry 3 co-op campaign

The new antagonist for Far Cry 3, Vaas

Steve Tilley (Sun Media) & Kirby Yablonski (Canadian Online Gamers) pose with their team

Canadian journalists getting some Far Cry 3 practice time in before the tournament

The Far Cry 3 competitive multiplayer tournament in action

A winner of Far Cry 3 tournament poses with Michael Mando (actor for Vaas)

After the tournament, journalists could get their photo taken with Michael Mando

Far Cry 3 is out now for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The game was developed by Ubisoft Montréal and published by Ubisoft.

The game is rated M for Mature (17+) by the ESRB.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Launch Photos

2013-03-09T15:48:00.001-05:00

By Paul Hunter

Call of Duty: Black Ops II made its historic launch last year, an event that publisher Activision expected to be the biggest entertainment launch of all-time. With pre-orders exceeding that of last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the franchise is poised to be the top-seller across the entire industry for its fourth consecutive year.

Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision, called the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops "another legitimate, pop cultural phenomenon", with massive launch events around the world. In Canada, all Future Shop locations opened their doors early, with 120 stores hosting midnight openings on Monday, November 12. There were plenty of prizes and giveaways including t-shirts, dogtags, patches, posters, energy drinks, and exclusive Future Shop Steelbooks. The Future Shop downtown Toronto, Vancouver and South Edmonton Common locations also gave away a huge prize pack consisting of a 47” Smart Cinema 3D LED TV with dual play feature, and a 5.1 Channel Blu-ray Home Theatre system (a $1,600 retail value).

Black Ops II is bringing plenty of innovation into the franchise with futuristic weaponry and branching stories driven by player actions. Activision tapped the likes of Trent Reznor (theme), Jack Wall (score), and tracks from acclaimed music acts Avenged Sevenfold, Skrillex and Alvin Risk. The story was written by David S. Goyer, the screenwriter for The Dark Knight and the upcoming Man of Steel, and takes places immediately following the events of Call of Duty: Black Ops.

"From day one, we've pushed ourselves to make the best gaming experience of our lives and I am so incredibly proud with what this team has created with Call of Duty: Black Ops II," said Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia.

"Our vision has been to deliver the complete package — something for every type of player. Beginning with the single player campaign, Treyarch introduces things that you've never seen in the Call of Duty franchise before, like branching storylines, non-linear missions and customizing player load outs; or multiplayer, where we've re-written the rules with an all-new 'Pick 10' Create-A-Class, Score Streaks, and entire suite of eSports competitive features like CODcasting, Live Streaming and League Play that further makes Call of Duty a spectator sport; all the way to our biggest Zombies experience yet, which has three modes of play by itself."

The Toronto launch event had plenty of thrills as droves of fans waited until midnight to get their hands on Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

Below are some photos that I took during the night -- have a look at some of the fun that went down!

The first buyer at Future Shop's flagship Yonge-Dundas location

Fans line-up down the street for Black Ops II

First fans coming up the elevator to buy Black Ops II

Midnight shoppers buying Black Ops II

Cosplayers dress up for the launch event

Call of Duty zombies

Black Ops II logo spraypainted outside the game stations

Black Ops II helicopter

Black Ops II game stations

Huge digital advertisements at Yonge-Dundas Square

The Black Ops II Hardened Edition

The Black Ops II Official Strategy Guide

Black Ops II unboxing

The Black Ops II Regular Edition

The Black Ops II Steel Book

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is out now and available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, with the Wii U version releasing on November 18, 2012. The game is developed by Treyarch and published by Activision.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: DOOM 3: BFG Edition

2013-03-09T15:20:00.002-05:00

By Paul Hunter

DOOM 3 is one of those games that feels like nothing else on the market.  Even in the crowded spaces of first-person shooters and horror, DOOM 3 stands apart as one of the most visceral, carnage-soaked experiences possible on any gaming platform.  Eight years after its original release comes the brand new DOOM 3: BFG Edition, a compilation packing featuring fully re-mastered versions of DOOM 3 and the Resurrection of Evil add-on pack. Is it enough to warrant a revisit into Hell?  The answer is yes, if you’re a console gamer.

It’s interesting that Bethesda decided to label this package with “DOOM 3” when in fact on the disc there are full copies of DOOM and DOOM 2: Hell on Earth, including most of the add-on packs such as Thy Flesh Consumed and No Rest For The Living.  You’d think they’d position the game as an “ultimate collection”, which would be simultaneously more marketable and more accurate.  Add in the fact that Bethesda threw in an all-new DOOM 3 chapter called “The Lost Mission” and you get a sense of just how much content is crammed onto the disc.

DOOM 3, as most of us already know, provides among the most intense, white-knuckle experiences ever in gaming.  Set in 2145, you assume the role of an unnamed new space marine recruit who’s been deployed to Mars to assist the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) as they conduct questionable scientific research.  Being outside the jurisdiction of Earth, the UAC freely conducts experiments with teleportation, extraterrestrial biology, and advanced weaponry, all without the typical ethical and legal boundaries corporations on Earth must adhere to.  As you orient yourself to your new surroundings, a feeling that something isn’t quite right sets in, and that feeling builds to worry and soon dread.  In fact, only the initial ten minutes or so on Mars is somewhat placid, the rest is wrought with jitters and scares worse than Dead Space and early Resident Evil games.  This might be the scariest game ever created.

The build-up to the catastrophe that unleashes the forces of Hell onto Mars is gradual, methodical and deliberate.  From the moment Hell’s unsettling sonic boom turns your former colleagues into blood-thirsty zombies and opens a gateway for its worst demonic creatures to come through, DOOM 3 is visually and aurally horrific.  The levels are, for the most part, straight-forward and tight to the point of claustrophobia.  As a radical departure from earlier DOOM games, usually only one or two enemies are ever attacking at once, usually emerging through pipes or come sprinting around corners.  Though enemies are spaced apart, most attacks instill some level of panic since room lighting is practically non-existent in some areas and unlike modern FPS games, your health doesn’t regenerate (health packs are required).

Perhaps the only reprieve in DOOM 3: BFG Edition is ability to now use your flashlight while shooting.  In the original version you had to make a choice, use your flashlight for sight or use a weapon to shoot, and given that some rooms are totally dark there were more than enough occasions of blindly firing into blackness.  The ability to see and shoot simultaneously will likely polarize fans into ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’ categories, for better or worse.  For me, even with a shoulder-mounted flashlight, DOOM 3 still gives one helluva scare.

Adding to the relentless feeling of unease are frequent radio transmissions of fighting, screaming and dying, presumably from other inhabitants in the Mars facility, along with the frequent heavy-breathing, unexplained voices, and sudden wailing pitches that are often heard.  The environment too adds even more terror as machinery suddenly bursts, grated floors collapse and doors frequently get stuck while opening.  For good measure, rooms are routinely covered in dismembered limbs and enough blood to put the Saw franchise to shame.

DOOM 3 is certainly a radical departure from previous games, and the influence the Half-Life series had is easy to see.  Story plays a much bigger role this time around, with non-playable characters frequently adding to plotlines, providing key advice, or passing your character new inventory items.  There’s also a larger meta-story that plays out over your Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a device that gains you security clearance to specific areas, and lets you view videos and emails that delve into the inner thoughts of the recently dead.

DOOM 3: BFG Edition clearly seems targeted at console fans that may not have experienced DOOM 3 on the PC some eight ago.  I say this because PC gamers have already been treated to upgrades and mods for enhanced graphics and gameplay, including the “duct tape” mod that allowed use of the flashlight and gun concurrently.  For Xbox 360 and PS3 owners however, this is the best version available and comes highly recommended if you’ve never experienced DOOM 3. The game controls have been nicely mapped onto the controllers and a new check point system adds to an overall smoother experience.  Add the fact that this is the best-looking DOOM 3 ever on a console and value proposition is even more appealing.

Complimenting the story of DOOM 3 and the Resurrection of Evil is an all-new campaign called The Lost Mission, which follows the exploits of the ill-fated BRAVO team seen in the main story.  It’s a roughly 3-4 hour experience, so not it’s not lengthy by any means, but still, it’s another campaign to sweeten the deal.  If you’re a PC gamer, there’s not enough to The Lost Mission to justify another Doom 3 purchase, but console players will likely view it as a nice supplement to an overall excellent package.

Graphically, DOOM 3: BFG Edition is crisp, though you can’t help but feel some textures and lighting effects are a bit dated.  The flashlight, bizarrely enough, no longer casts dynamic lighting, an effect that added significantly to the original experience.  Still, DOOM 3 was ahead of its time graphically when it was released, and this re-mastered version still looks great.  The game clocks at a smooth 60 frames-per-second, and never drops, so gameplay is fast and frantic.

The odd quality about DOOM 3 is that while the presentation is superb and thoroughly engrossing, the actual combat is about as drab as FPS games get.  Enemy demons and zombies have atrocious AI, and more often than not simply charge at you with guns blazing or claws swinging.  In an ironic twist, this incredibly dumbed-down AI serves to add even more fright as they come at you unrestrained and aggressive.  Whether or not this was intentional is debatable. Combat is further dragged down the completely snoozer repertoire of weapons at your disposal, which all sound muted and lack punch, including the worst pea-shooting pistol I’ve ever seen in a shooter.

What makes DOOM 3 so special is despite all its drawbacks, the game is still undeniably engaging.  Very few games drag you into their worlds better than DOOM 3, and if you enjoy the sensation of constant fear, this game is bar none a must-play.

DOOM 3: BFG Edition also features a number of enhancements such as Stereoscopic 3D and VR headset support, but given the popularity of these technologies I would say the appeal is rather limited.  Of course, there is included multiplayer, which features your standard Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch gameplay types, however DOOM 3 fans will know that the franchise has never really been focused on multiplayer (Unreal Tournament was where the real multiplayer was at).

DOOM 3 is without a doubt a divisive game, with its macabre visual onslaught to its radically different gameplay from previous DOOM games this game is a love-it or hate-it affair.  If you’re in the love it camp like me, then DOOM 3: BFG Edition represents a tremendous value with its three full games and abundance of add-on pack.  This is especially true for console players that are receiving the best-looking and most content-rich DOOM package ever released.  No matter what the detractors may say, DOOM 3 made its mark on gaming in a big way, and this package is testament to the game’s ongoing legacy.

Doom 3: BFG Edition is available now for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game is developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks.

Doom 3: BFG Edition is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: Halo 4

2013-03-09T14:46:00.001-05:00

By Paul Hunter

At the beginning of Halo 4 when Master Chief awakes from his nearly five year cryo-slumber, it might as well been symbolic of the entire Halo franchise waking up to what made the original title such a captivating experience. Not since Halo: Combat Evolved has a Halo game given us such a sweeping sense of scope and exploration of the unknown, alleviating all doubts that new developers 343 Industries can successfully helm the franchise.

From the opening cutscene it’s obvious how much work went into creating Halo 4. Not only is the context and dialogue pretty thick, the meticulously detailed character facial expressions will surprise most fans of the series. We knew that Halo 4 was the first entry in the new “Reclaimer Trilogy”, but we didn’t know how determined 343 Industries was to make it apparent that this isn’t a Bungie Halo.

If you’re expecting Halo 4 to begin on a high note, you can rest assured that it does. Perhaps paying homage to Halo: Combat Evolved, the game once again begins with our Master Chief on an UNSC spaceship, this time it’s the Forward Unto Dawn which we saw during the final moments of Halo 3. The adrift, derelict frigate is rapidly approaching an unknown planet when Master Chief is awoken by his AI companion Cortana and immediately is set into action. A more desperate and aggressive Covenant fleet has attacked the Forward Unto Dawn, and at once our hero is thrust into war.

Surprisingly though, this isn’t Master Chief’s story to be told, but a greater focus is placed on Cortana, who is suffering from “rampancy”, a condition that besets all UNSC artificial intelligence after seven years, where literally the vast collection of information they’ve acquired causes them to think themselves to death. The connection these two characters share is explored in a respectful and believable way, makes you wonder if perhaps Cortana is the more human of the two.

We later learn the mysterious planet is the artificial Forerunner home of Requiem, where the majority of the Halo 4 campaign takes place. Halo history buffs will finally have their chance to explore some of the background of this ancient race, which is only hinted at in previous Halo games. What’s more, on Requiem an ancient evil is revived, paving the way for the first real antagonist in the Halo franchise.

Halo: Reach set the bar high for graphics, so the expectation that Halo 4 would deliver an even higher standard must have been a daunting challenge for 343 Industries. In every way conceivable the team accomplished their goals, Halo 4 is simply gorgeous to behold with its breathless vistas and sprawling battlegrounds, all layered with the best textures and lighting seen in a Halo game yet.

Perhaps the best visual aspect of Halo 4 is the distinctness of each race (Human, Covenant, and Forerunner), from their architecture, weaponry and physical appearance. When you approach a Forerunner stronghold you’ll immediately recognize unique characteristics such as its neon blue and orange lighting, and tall perches for Promethean Knights, the race’s most loyal guards. In the same vein, entering a marshy swamp and seeing purple landing pods strewn about immediately alerts you to the presence of Covenant forces.

What has always set Halo apart is how unique and specialized each race’s weapons are, and how each serves a very specific purpose. This has never been more prevalent than in Halo 4, which introduces a whole new class of Forerunner weapons in addition to the vast selection of Covenant and UNSC weaponry. The Forerunner munitions are energy-based, mostly concentrated beams of orange light, and range from the new short-ranged Boltshot to the rapid-fire Suppressor and precision sniping LightRifle. The higher you increase the game’s difficulty, the more you have to rely on the unique characteristics of each weapon for survival, and more appreciation you get for how much thought went into their creation and placement in-game. For example, a quick spurt from a Covenant Needler can take out a dodgy Elite, however trying the same technique on a squad of Grunts will quickly result in catastrophe as the spikes all home in on a single Grunt, while the rest take you out. These same application of specific weapons to specific situations applies to all Forerunner weapons, as for example, Boltshots can effortlessly take out a group of Crawlers (the dog-like Forerunner pack hunters), but is practically useless against the larger Promethean Knights.

Long-time fans of the series will be happy to know that Halo 4 features the return of all the major Covenant forces, from the sniping Jackals to the hulking, armour-plated Hunters, only this time they all seem more intelligent and quite a bit more erratic. Elites will hoof it towards you with ruthless aggression, while Grunts will wait for you to walk by them unnoticed and ambush you silently. The same AI sophistication holds true for the new Forerunner forces, and it will take several campaign levels to fully understand the best fighting techniques to take each unit type out. Vehicles are also back, from the classic Warthog, Scorpion, Ghost and Banshee, along with new moveable behemoths such the ultra-heavy, 70-meter wide Mammoth anti-air tank, and the two-story Mantis mech equipped with a four-barrel machine gun on one arm and a multi-launch missile launcher on the other. Each vehicle has a least one spot in the 8 mission Campaign where its use is required, or at least strongly encouraged with its conspicuous placement or mention by Cortana.

343 Industries took a bold step by having Neil Davidge from Massive Attack fame compose the soundtrack for Halo 4, replacing the revered incumbent, Marty O’Donnell. Gone is the iconic monk chant that Halo is best known for, and the soundtrack this time around is decisively more atmospheric. Instead of the tension-raising tunes we’re used to in past Halo games, Halo 4’s soundtrack more often than not is additive to the ambient, extraterrestrial environments, instead of really heightening these moments. It’s a different story when it comes to sound effects, which all serve to heighten the mood, whether it’s the panic of bullets rattling Master Chief’s MJOLNIR armour, or the hilarity of watching Grunt’s screeching wildly as they flee.

It wouldn’t be a Halo without a robust online multiplayer component, and again Halo 4 shines. All the online modes are given context this time around, with players assuming the role of a new Spartan-IV enlistee (remember, Master Chief is a Spartan-II) aboard the UNSC spaceship Infinity. There’s an all-new ranking system where players are awarded skill points for finishing multiplayer matches, with additional points earned based on performance. As players rise in rank, new weapons, abilities and outfits unlock, allowing players to customize their Spartan to their liking. Furthermore, up to five loadouts (they unlock as you gain rank) can be customized, including your primary and secondary weapons, Grenade type, Armor Ability, and new Tactical Packages and Support Upgrades.

The amount of customization here is much more robust than ever before in a Halo game, meaning that no two games – or two characters – will be the same. If you prefer sniping, equipping a long-range DMR with the “Awareness” Support Ugrade, which allows use of your motion sensor when using a scope, will do the trick. Conversely, a Suppressor mixed with the “Active Camouflage” Armor Ability would be a better choice if you prefer close-quarters combat.

Competitive multiplayer takes on a new name, War Games, and is placed within context of the Halo universe – on the training deck of Infinity to be precise. A brand-new point system is used during online matches, with kills generally earning players 10 points, and other actions such as assisting a kill or distracting an enemy also awarded points. There are 9 game types including old favourites such as Capture the Flag, Oddball, King of the Hill, and classic Slayer, along with some exciting new game types such as Regicide, where additional points are awarded for killing the person in first place, and Dominion, a tactical mode where the goal is to occupy and resupply strategic bases. There are 10 maps to choose from, and vary from big-team maps like Exile loaded with vehicles, to small, symmetrical maps such as Haven that are best suited for close combat. While they range from average to excellent, I didn’t find a single map that evokes the kind of feeling that classics such as Halo 3’s The Pit, or Halo 2’s Zanzibar, can do.

In addition to new competitive multiplayer maps and game types, there’s a brand new cooperative mode called Spartan Ops that replaces Firefight mode seen in Halo: ODST and Halo: Reach. Spartan Ops is a new weekly episodic story-driven mode, complete with cinematics on par with the main campaign and cooperative multiplayer for up to four players. Season one of Spartan Ops is set to deliver five new objective-based missions every week for ten weeks, each with their own backstory and end goals. These levels are great if you enjoy bite-sized missions, as each one takes about 20 minutes (longer on Legendary difficulty), however it doesn’t have the staying power as Firefight mode did. With no point system, there’s very little reason to replay a Spartan’s Op mission upon completion, except perhaps to try at a higher difficulty. Still, Spartan Ops will have content equivalent to a second main campaign, and has potential for future episodic seasons.

As a complete package, Halo 4 is genre-defining in a way that Halo: Combat Evolved was genre defining way back in 2001. The Halo franchise did not suffer in any way during its transition from Bungie to 343 Industries, and long-time fans should celebrate this moment. Halo 4 is the pinnacle of the first-person shooter genre and will long be remembered as the best example of how to pass on a beloved gaming franchise to a new development studio. Best of all, with Halo 4 the beginning of a whole new trilogy, after you’ve poured hundreds of hours into this top-notch title, you can rest easy knowing that two more games from this top-tier team are in the works. This is Halo at its absolute finest.

Halo 4 is out now, exclusively on Xbox 360. The game was developed by 343 Industries and is published by Microsoft Studios.

The game is rated M for Mature (17+).

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: LittleBigPlanet PS Vita

2013-03-09T14:26:00.001-05:00

By Paul Hunter

While LittleBigPlanet PS VIta's heartwarming narrator Stephen Fry uses words like "wonderful" and "magnificent" with obvious and intentional exaggeration to describe just about everything in Sackboy's latest adventure, he might as well be saying it with a straight face. Simply put, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita is such a joy to play that it's basically LittleBigPlanet 3 in the palm of your hand.

Having a big franchise like LittleBigPlanet given to relative newcomers Double Eleven Studios and Tarsier Studios seemed a bit uneasy on paper, even with Media Molecule giving their guidance. Those fears were soon alleviated when I popped in the game cartridge and started my new Sack-adventure. Beginning with the most charming introduction seen in a LittleBigPlanet game yet, a rather odd-looking ringmaster of a planet known as Carnivalia tells a tale of an evil Puppeteer whose malevolence towards disrespectful audiences drove him to rid the land of all its happiness. Now a miserable place, it's up to our burlap-textured hero to travel through themed levels as he attempts to foil the Puppeteer's plans and return joy back to Carnivalia.

Graphically, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita is pixel for pixel exactly as charming as LittleBigPlanet 2 was on PlayStation 3. Like in previous LittleBigPlanet games, the 45 included Story mode levels serve as an excellent portfolio for the wide range of level-types that can made in the game's robust level creator. In LittleBigPlanet PS Vita you'll encounter touch-control flying areas, underwater sections, rolling levels using tilt motions, timed races, and take a ride on numerous contraptions and creatures.

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita introduces motion controls into the franchise for the very first time and I'm happy to say they work. There's no tacked-on feel whatsoever, the motion controls are introduced naturally and effortlessly become second-nature. You'll tap the front touch screen to "push" blocks into the background, just as you press on the rear touch screen to "pop" these same blocks into the foreground. The game also incorporates the PS Vita's gyroscope with levels that requires you to move objects via tilting your screen or roll your Sackboy using the same method. Aside from the odd smudge you'll get on your PS Vita screen, there are no real negatives here when it comes to motion control.

Beating levels nets you rewards such as stickers, costumes for your Sackboy, and can unlock special bonus levels if you find hidden keys on certain levels. These bonus levels almost always require you to hold the PS Vita vertically and most feel inspired by other video games, such as Tower Building (like Tetris) and Flower Pop (like Bust a Move). Acing a level (beating it without dying), unlocks even more goodies, and if you have a buddy join a multiplayer session with you there are sometimes designated two-player areas containing additional costumes and stickers.

On top of the five main worlds, a sixth area called The Arcade unlocks after completion of the first world. Inside the Arcade there are five games sans Sackboy that show off even more capabilities of the level creator. These games are so impressive, each of them could easily be mistaken for a PlayStation Mini title. They all incorporate the new and powerful tool called the Memorizer, which allows creators to build multi-level games that include save points, level select menus, three-star performance ratings, and even RPG elements such as persistent inventories between levels.

It wouldn't be a LittleBigPlanet with a Community mode and this one feels every bit as complete as its console sibling. Here, all the user-created games can be found and played (at time of writing, 20,000+ games have already been created). If you enjoy a community game you can give a heart vote, tag it with identifiers, or leave a comment. To search for levels there are three methods, using the Cool Levels option where popular levels naturally float to the top, by entering the Team Picks area to find games selected by the LittleBigPlanet development team, or by simply searching for the level if you happen to know the name. While a WiFi connection is required to play games in the Community area, there's a neat feature to download games to play later when you'll be in a spot without WiFi, say on a road trip. You will need WiFi however for multiplayer, which supports up to four players simultaneously.

The level creator is back, and is as feature complete as what was seen in LittleBigPlanet 2. In fact, there are even more tools and gadgets to use this time around, all explained through 67 tutorials narrated by the always giddy Stephen Fry. These tutorials start out with simple editing techniques and later show advanced techniques to incorporate motion control and even create multi-level games using the Memorizer. Bringing photos into your LittleBigPlanet level has never been easier, given that the PS Vita includes built-in front and rear cameras. Keep in mind that if you found level creation to be too time-consuming or tedious in previous games, you'll likely feel the same way this time around. While the tutorials are nice, they're the weakest part of the whole package as they can sometimes be insufficient to fully understand a concept, and in some bizarre cases you can't even replay the tutorial.

Overall, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita shines as the best example of how to fully take advantage of the PS Vita's unique capabilities. The motion controls are a natural fit for LittleBigPlanet and add a new layer of challenge and fun. If you've been deterred by the "floaty" platforming feel that permeates the series, you'll find nothing unchanged with the PS Vita version. However, if you can accept the controls as part of the LittleBigPlanet experience, you'll find this new entry to be the very best in the franchise's history -- and that's saying a lot.

LittleBigPlanet is out now, exclusively for PS Vita. The game was developed by Tarsier Studios and Double Eleven Studios, in conjunction with Media Molecule, and is published by Sony Computer Entertainment.

LittleBigPlanet is rated E for Everyone.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: Game Party Champions

2013-03-04T11:46:00.000-05:00

By Paul Hunter

It takes mere moments after popping in Game Party Champions to realize the title is a misnomer. This Wii U minigame collection, which consists of eight classic skill games, doesn't offer much of a "party", and you certainly won't feel like a champion playing this game. I was hoping with the release of Wii U that the days of second-rate motion control titles would be over, but alas, Game Party Champions comes along and invites everyone to a brand new shovelware party.

It seems with the advent of new Nintendo hardware technologies comes launch titles that attempt to take advantage of new capabilities. Wii Sports did just that, and quite successfully mind you, showcasing the impressive motion controls of the original Wii. Game Party Champions tries to mimic this success on the Wii U by exploiting the unique features of the new Wii U GamePad, but the results feel more like a downloadable Nintendo DSiWare game that mistakenly got packaged as retail disc.

The bread and butter of Game Party Champions is the Story Mode which begins by letting you choose to play as a boy or a girl, with about a dozen avatars to select from for each gender. I chose to play as a boy named Riley whom has become quite the "basement dwelling cave troll", according to his best friend Jace, ever since his father passed away five years ago. Jace, determined to get his depressed best buddy off the couch, surprises Riley by signing him up to participate in a skills game competition at the local arcade. It's a bit of a rarity to have a backstory this detailed in a minigame title, though it's an odd choice to have grief and melancholy as the emotional anchors in a party game Story Mode.

Game Party Champions trailer:

With Riley's detailed introduction (at least for a minigame title), you might expect that he would be an interesting character. This is definitely not the case here. During cutscenes, Riley is completely mute, aside from infrequent grunts and hollers after winning matches. It seems Riley prefers to communicate using hand gestures, of which he employs about a half dozen, some expressing the joys of victory with others the agony of defeat, while his friend Jace responds as if they are having a conversation.

The Arcade introduces four of the eight included minigames: Air Hockey, Hoop Shoot, Ping Pong, and Football. Each game has a ladder of four opponents that must be defeated before advancing to a "boss" which has a name like Manny Hair or Sho Yu, and has a defining characteristic such as a bad attitude or smelling terrible. The first time you play a minigame, a tutorial goes over how to hold the Wii U GamePad (either vertically or horizontally) and the objectives. For example, with Hoop Shoot, the Wii U GamePad is held vertically and upward swipes with your stylus on the touch screen will launch basketballs at the target hoops. Tilting the Wii U GamePad back and forth will set your horizontal aiming, and tilting back and forth will alter your throwing distance.

Baseball minigame

Defeating all the bosses in the Arcade unlocks the Amusement Park, where four additional games can be played: Water Gun, Skill Ball, Miniature Golf, and Baseball.

Like most minigame collections, there are hits and misses. The majority of the minigames in Game Party Champions are misses, for various reasons, but mostly boil down to four main problems: horrendous slowdown, shallow depth, laughable A.I., and nonexistent multiplayer. The last gripe needs explanation and emphasis. While Game Party Champions is marketed as a party game (heck, it's in the title), none of the games can be played multiplayer at the same time. All games must be played single-player. This includes games by their very nature are multiplayer, such as Ping Pong and Air Hockey. As if to slap you in the face, you can play these multiplayer games with an A.I. opponent, but with such poor A.I. programming you won't want to.

Hoop Shoot minigame

"Defeating" opponents in Game Party Champions are done in one of two ways: beating an A.I. player in a live one-on-one match, or for single-player games, surpassing a high score that supposedly the A.I. player achieved prior to your turn (you never actually see them play). In games such as Ping Pong and Air Hockey, it's hard to decide which is worse, the incredibly slow gameplay (it feels like you're playing in slow motion) or the atrocious A.I. During my Story Mode play through, I actually scored more points against myself in Air Hockey than my opponents did (due to finicky controls), and the majority of the time I missed the ball in Ping Pong was because you can't actually see your paddle on-screen. The single-player games are just as bad, as I regularly scored between 200-500% of my "target" score on the first try. It's so easy to score points in these minigames that I typically met my quota about 15-20 seconds into the 60 seconds given for most matches.

Also included in Game Party Champions in a Party Mode which is set-up boardgame style with players taking turns spinning a spinner to move ahead squares. Each square is colour-coded to a specific minigame, and once landed on, you jump into an abbreviated version of the games found in the Story Mode, each lasting about 25 seconds. Players take turns spinning and moving, playing minigames individually since there's no real "multiplayer" included in Party Mode. The objective is to make it to the finish before your opponents. Ho hum.

Ping Pong minigame

There is technically a multiplayer component in Game Party Champions, called "Griefing", but it's just not very fun to use. Griefing involves using a Wii Remote to grab your opponent's ball while they play and causing it to temporarily go haywire using the A button. If anything, griefing adds frustration to a game already overflowing with frustration.

With Game Party Champions being the fifth installment of this long-standing franchise, I was hoping for much better. While previous Game Party games have underwhelmed, this time not even a new developer (Phosphor Games Studio) could breathe new life into this mediocre series. If you just got a Wii U and are looking for a great party game, take a look at the superb Nintendo Land or even Rabbids Land, both would be better choices.

Game Party Champions is available now, exclusively for Nintendo Wii U. The game was developed by Phosphor Games Studio and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Game Party Champions is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: Wii U Pro Controller

2013-02-13T11:56:00.000-05:00

By Paul Hunter

To coincide with the launch of their Wii U console, Nintendo has designed a new controller aimed specifically at the hardcore gamer - the Wii U Pro Controller. It does, at first glance, resemble an Xbox 360 controller, however there are many subtle differences between the two. Considering how comfortable the Xbox 360 controller is, you might be wondering if the Wii U Pro Controller holds up after extended gameplay use. I'm happy to let you know it does.

The ergonomic, light-weight Wii U Pro Controller has been designed specifically for extended gameplay comfort. After clocking in roughly ten hours of testing, I can say the controller is one of the most comfortable on the market. The controller is extremely light, feeling roughly half the weight of an Xbox 360 pad, so it does take some time to get used to, and may even turn off gamers who prefer a more solid feel. However, if you can get past the light weight, you'll find the Wii U Pro Controller is highly responsive, comfortable, and well-constructed.

The conventional Wii U Pro Controller features dual analog sticks that are convex (rounded tops like those on the PlayStation 3 Dualshock 3 controller), and the sticks are clickable buttons. The analog knobs are smaller than those found on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 controllers, and most closely resemble the analog stick on the Wii Nunchuk. The top features L/R shoulder buttons and ZL/ZR trigger buttons, which are all digital buttons just like those on the touchscreen Wii U GamePad.

The face buttons include A/B/X/Y in a similar triangular formation as those on a Super Nintendo gamepad. You'll notice the face buttons are below the right analog stick, which bucks the trend set by Sony and Microsoft who both have the stick and button layouts reversed. While I can't really consider this a "negative", I can say it takes time to mentally get used to moving your thumb downward to jam on the buttons.

Also on the front are buttons for Power, Home, and -/+ (for Select and Start), all conveniently spaced apart. To the left of these buttons is a standard D-pad which feels extremely tight and responsive, much more so than the D-pad on the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 controller.

You'll also notice the Wii U Pro Controller is quite glossy, but strangely enough when you flip it around, the back has a nice quality matte finish. It made me wish the entire controller was made with this same matte finish.

While I didn't have enough game time in to wear out the battery, Nintendo claims the Wii U Pro Controller is useable for up to 80 hours with one charge. It seems exceptionally high, especially when you consider that's 2-3 times the charge you typically get on a PlayStation 3 controller. Perhaps battery technology has come a long way in the last seven years.

Inside the package is a lengthy USB charge cord which must be plugged into the Wii U console with the power on in order to charge the Wii U Pro Controller. Just like the how the Wii U console come in either black or white models, so too does the Wii U Pro Controller come in black or white (with the same glossy finish I might add).

The Wii U Pro Controller has built-in rumble technology, though like the Wii U GamePad, it feels somewhere in between the quality of the original Wii and an Xbox 360 controller (so it's subtle).

Do keep in mind that not all games are compatible, and you'll need to check on the back of game boxes to look for compatibility. Launch games that can be played using the Wii U Pro Controller include Call of Duty: Black Ops II, ZombiU, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, and Assassin's Creed III. The controller is not compatible with Nintendo Wii system or games.

If you're looking for an alternative to the rather bulky, touchscreen Wii U GamePad, the Wii U Pro Controller is the best option I've tried yet. It's comfortable, light-weight and feels solid in your hands. Exactly what I'm looking for in a hardcore gaming controller.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Overview: Sony PlayStation 3 Pulse Wireless Headset

2013-01-22T12:03:00.000-05:00

By Paul Hunter

Sony's first attempt at a wireless PlayStation 3 headset was a great value for an entry-level audio device, however its flimsy design and low audio performance meant it was limited in its appeal. This year Sony is back with a successor headset, the Sony PlayStation 3 Pulse Wireless Headset, which improves upon everything that was good with the original, while also eliminating most of the bad. This is a quality headset clearly intended for hardcore gamers, and that's evident from the moment you peek inside the box.

The Pulse Wireless Headset has been redesigned from last year's model, and now sports a split headband for better breathability and more comfortable padding underneath for extended gameplay sessions. The sleek black matte finish has a metallic tinge to it, giving the headset a nice visual sense of quality. The silver support bands on either side of the headset give a firm grip that are nicely balanced between a tight fit and relaxed feel for maximum comfortability. Overall, this is definitely a headset you'll be proud to wear at home or on the go.

In terms of features, the Pulse Wireless Headset is loaded with an impressive list. Sony was smart to include bluetooth technology into the design the of the PlayStation 3, and the Pulse Wireless Headset takes full advantage of these capabilities. Inside the box is a Wireless Adapter that plugs into your PlayStation 3 and instantly transmits audio data on a 2.4GHz radio frequency. Using the headset with PlayStation 3 games allows you to take advantage of the built-in 7.1 virtual surround sound (VSS) capabilities, which have been optimized for gaming. While it's not true surround sound home theatres are capable of producing, the VSS sounds are quite convincing.

Pulse Wireless Headset features video

Interestingly, the headset includes a Mode button on the right ear cup which is used to select between six pre-determined audio configurations, depending on how you're using the headset. For example, there are Music and Movie modes, which optimize the sound for these experiences, and there are gaming options such as Shooter, which amplifies footsteps, gunfire and explosion sounds, Fighting, which alters the intensity of the bass depending the strength of punches and kicks, and Racing which lets you feel the rumble of competitors around you and augments the effects of acceleration, collisions and crashes.

There's also a noise-canceling mic for voice chat, which has been built-in to the unit, so there's no fumbling to position a boom mic, and no possibility of the mic snapping off.

Perhaps the best added features is Sony's new BassImpact technology, which independently lets you adjust the bass from the main volume control. What's more, BassImpact doesn't simply amplify bass, it converts low frequency sounds into "pulses" around the the earpads that results in an immersive rumble-effect to let you feel the action. The BassImpact has an adjustable slider behind the right ear cup, which you'll likely want to finetune before turning on the headset as the maximize BassImpact can literally shake you head. Easily the best feature of the headset, BassImpact truly has to be experienced to fully understand how great it adds to the audio experience.

The ear cups themselves have a lot of cushion, resting gently yet firmly on your head, and the angled transducer means even more comfort, along with improving the virtualization of the 7.1 audio sound.

Rounding out the features on the headphone, are an LED Power on/off switch (the unit also gives an audible "beep" sound when pressed), a mic mute button, a volume slider, a sound-to-voice adjuster which lets you strike your desired balance between game sound and voice chat, and slots for a 3.5mm audio cord and a USB charge cable. Disappointingly, similar to last year's PS3 headset, the Pulse Wireless Headset does not come packaged with a charge cable (you have to use the one that came with your PlayStation 3).

If you enjoy using headsets on multiple devices, you'll be happy to know that the Pulse Wireless Headset out of the box includes the ability to connect to other devices, such as your PC or MAC, TV, PS Vita, and devices such as an iPod Touch/iPhone which has a 3.5mm audio jack. While other devices may not support all the headset features (e.g. 7.1 VSS is only available when connected to a PS3), during my testing on the PS Vita and iPhone, the audio was crystal clear and sounded great. You will likely want to turn off the BassImpact during music play, as I found the rumble effect to be too heavy over prolonged listening sessions. If your TV has a 3.5mm headphone, you can transmit the audio data wirelessly to the headset since the wireless adapter includes a 3.5mm headphone jack.

It's worth noting that the integration of the headset with a PlayStation 3 is really good, but you must download system software version 4.20 or later. Once downloaded and installed, the headset will work with minimal set-up (literally just plugging in the wireless adapter), and on-screen you can see real-time status updates on your headset including the signal strength and battery power remaining.

The Pulse Wireless Headset is a quality headset with its much-improved audio quality, design and comfortability over last year's model. It does take a bit of time to get used to all the input buttons found around the perimeter of the ear cups, but after a few hours you'll get to know the location and function of each control intuitively. The range of connectivity adds quite a bit of value here, though don't expect that you can connect the headphones to an Xbox 360 controller (it won't work). Since the headset doesn't ship with a charge cable, it's strictly meant to be used by PlayStation 3 owners, so make sure you have an available cable. With so much competition in the gaming headset market (Turtle Beach, Astro Gaming, and others), it's great to see Sony stepping up the quality of their proprietary headset, and I am truly impressed with the results.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Hands-on: Nintendo TVii

2013-01-09T12:09:00.000-05:00

By Paul Hunter

Sundays are always my favourite day to relax and watch a movie or get caught up on my favourite TV shows. Considering how much I enjoy TV time, if there's a way to enhance the experience I'm all for it, so that's why this Sunday I decided to power on my Wii U to test out Nintendo's new TVii application. The new service, which is available free to all Wii U owners, combines your home TV with the Wii U GamePad to deliver a unique, second screen experience. Does Nintendo TVii "transform and enhance the TV viewing experience" as the company claims? Well, not exactly, but it has potential.

Set-up

At its core, Nintendo TVii attempts to bring together the hundreds of satellite and cable channels, and multiple video-on-demand options, into a customizable, personalized viewing application. Provided you did the day one system update that takes about an hour to download, then Nintendo TVii has already been installed on your Wii U, it's just been inactive until now.

The set-up of Nintendo TVii starts with entering your postal code and selecting your cable or satellite provider. After entering my postal code, Nintendo TVii gave me an alphabetically sorted list of local providers and it took me a brief moment to swipe horizontally through the list to find my provider, Rogers Cable.

Once your provider is chosen, Nintendo TVii then displays cover art for a list of popular TV shows and asks you to select your favourites, which is done with a simple tap on the image. If your favourite show(s) don't appear on the provided list, you can search by keyword for additional shows. The same process of selecting your favourites is done with movies to build up your personal profile. Next, you can select your preferred sports teams, but presently there are only options for NFL, NBA, NCAA Football, and NCAA Basketball. Next, Nintendo TVii lets you select your favourite TV channels from the provided list or through keyword search. All of your preferences are then saved in a "Favourites" section where you can browse and manage your selections.

The main Nintendo TVii screen

Social Connectivity

Nintendo TVii is meant to be a social platform and by default it's linked into your Miiverse account. There is also an option to tie your account to Facebook, which provides you with a URL to visit and a code to enter, then asks you to link the app to your Facebook account. Associating your account with Twitter is even easier, and only requires you to type your login information using the Wii U GamePad touch screen keyboard. Now you're ready to join live conversations (called TV Tag) by tweeting, updating your Facebook status and posting on Miiverse about how much you love the Simpsons, Zoolander and the Toronto Raptors.

Or, maybe not. As I soon discovered, not every TV show has commenting enabled, and in fact the vast majority don't. I tried accessing TV Tag for a wide range of shows, including Family Guy, Family Feud, Friends, 30 Rock, and more, and each time I was given the following message:

"TV Tag is a feature that allows you to follow along on the GamePad while you watch your sporting event or TV show. TV Tag is not currently available for this show."

It seems that TV Tag is only active for a select few TV shows, mostly during primetime, and some sporting events. Bummer.

Main Menu

On the main Nintendo TVii menu there are options for Favourites, TV, Movies, and Sports. Here's a quick explanation of each:

Favourites

This area contains a list of your selected favourite TV shows, Movies, Sports and Channels. There's also a "Queue" section that shows you a list of live and upcoming shows you may be interested in (based on your preferences), and a history of the past TV programs you've watched. I did notice that TV shows are placed in your "watched" area regardless of how much of the show you actually did watch, so even if you accidentally load up a show for a few seconds it'll stay permanently in your "watched" queue since there's no way to remove shows. It may not sound like a big deal, but I'm assuming the Favourites area is used to help shape the TV shows that appear in the "Recommended" TV, Movies and Sports lists (more on this below), so having shows you didn't watch could mess up the accuracy of recommendations.

TV

This area contains a list of Featured, Live, and Recommended TV Shows. The "Featured" section has a small selection of popular TV shows, likely chosen and featured by Nintendo, with mine presently showing Family Guy, Dateline, The Voice and The Colbert Report. The "Live" section you'd think would contain a rundown of live TV shows, but oddly enough most of the shows on my list had a counter icon indicating how many minutes, or in some cases, hours, before the TV show started. I was a bit bewildered by this, since usually when I turn on my cable box I want to know what TV shows a playing now, and not what's on two hours from now. Perhaps knowing upcoming shows would be more useful if Nintendo TVii supported DVR functionality, but unfortunately that feature won't be rolling out until next year.

The "Recommended" list seemed pretty generic, and including numerous shows far my general tastes such as The Bold and the Beautiful, Dora the Explorer and America's Next Top Model. These are all great shows, with their respective audiences, but when you list WWE Raw, Kenny vs. Spenny and The Walking Dead as three of your favourite TV shows, you don't expect to get soap operas and children's cartoons in your "Recommended" list.

What is great though is that clicking on a TV show gives you plenty of content to root through including: (1) a list of upcoming Episodes, (2) Show Info, (3) a full cast listing, and clicking on a cast member opens a profile page listing the movies and TV shows the actor has starred in.

The TV area also has a "Grid" feature that calls up an interactive TV listing, but there's no ability to skip to channels by typing the channel number, so you have to flip manually, page by page. This makes the Grid feature completely useless since most cable providers these days offer 100s of channels -- far too time consuming to flip through page by page.

The "TV" area (note: this is preliminary photo, menu labels have since changed)

Movies

This area is almost identical to TV section, in that it contains a listing of Featured, Live, and Recommended movies. What's cool here is that each movie includes the Rotten Tomatoes score, the movie rating, and a link to the trailer. Many of the same issues noted above are present here as well, as for example the recommended list seemed a little too generic to be tailored to my selected favourites.

The "Movies" area (note: this is preliminary photo, menu labels have since changed)

Sports

The sports area is perhaps the most interesting and shows the biggest potential. The only drawback is the lack of sports, since it currently only has NFL and NCAA football, and NBA and NCAA basketball (come on, where's the NHL?) Selecting a sports league calls up a game schedule and current scores for active games. Once you click to view an active game, the Wii U GamePad displays a robust interactive menu on the left-half where you can browse an impressive list of live updated game stats, such as (for football), stats for passes, rushes, kicks, turnovers, penalties, total yards, and more. The right-side contains a play-by-play description of the action, which can get updated multiple times every minute. Scrolling through the plays updates a mini map on the left which shows a visual representation of the field and exactly how the play panned out. It's really impressive to see, and means you could walk away for 5 minutes and come back to review every play you missed.

The live sporting events I checked out also had the TV Tag feature enabled, which allows you comment on Miiverse, Facebook or Twitter. Instead of allowing you to freely comment, Nintendo TVii restricts comments solely to the entries in the live play description news feed. Posting on your Facebook simply adds your comment verbatim to your timeline wall, without any context of what you're posting about, so for example if you write "nice goal!" that's what will appear on your Facebook wall. As for Twitter, the comment will also appear verbatim, and will also include the #NintendoTVii hashtag. Hopefully Nintendo will update this feature to include information on what sporting event you're commenting on (e.g. "nice goal! -- Washington vs. Dallas (NFL)")

The "Sports" area (note: this is preliminary photo, menu labels have since changed)

Negatives

While Nintendo TVii shows potential, there are a number of drawbacks that take away from the experience. As a whole, it's a bit slow to navigate through, which is a common problem of the entire Wii U menu interface. Furthermore, the application completely froze on me once, requiring me to hard reset my Wii U, and several times the app would just pause for 5 or 10 seconds at a time. It's also problematic to switch users, since you're required to go back to the Wii U homescreen and login as another user, then relaunch the TVii application -- a process that can take upwards of 90 seconds to perform. As previously mentioned, there is no DVR functionality, so while Nintendo TVii lists upcoming shows you may be interested in, you can't record any of them. I also experienced a really annoying bug where every time I launched a TV show, it initially would bring me to the Rogers "Quick Search" screen, and not the actual TV program, so I had to press the "Guide" button a couple of times to bring up the show (perhaps this problem is isolated to Rogers cable). The most significant complaint I have is that it doesn't appear that Nintendo TVii recognizes that channels you've actually subscribed to when making its recommendations. Far too often Nintendo TVii would recommend a TV show to me on channels I didn't subscribe to, such as suggesting I watch Family Guy on KTLA (Rogers - channel 344) and Total Recall on HD PPV.

Conclusion
I like the idea and kudos to Nintendo for tackling the challenge of making the complicated TV viewing experience a simpler, better one. If you view the current version of Nintendo TVii as a beta, then you could perhaps look past the shortcomings noted above. In its current state, Nintendo TVii feels rushed and incomplete. It just doesn't fulfill its mission of bringing together TV and video-on-demand services into a fun and friendly experience. Nintendo TVii may be an app you'll want to show to family and friends, simply for the novelty factor, but until Nintendo improves the stability, usability and functionality, I can't see many people using this service as their de facto TV programming hub.

Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it. [This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Future Shop Opening 61 Stores at Midnight for Halo 4

2012-10-28T16:43:00.000-04:00

By Paul Hunter

After over four years in Cryo-Sleep, our beloved Master Chief is finally awakening for another sci-fi saga in Halo 4, and for this grand occasion, 61 of Future Shop stores across the country will be opening at midnight the evening of Monday, November 5.

Details of the Future Shop midnight openings can be found below, and also on the snazzy Halo 4 dedicated webpage on futureshop.ca.

Ever since Master Chief ended his triumphant story arc with the Covenant and the Flood way back in Halo 3 (2007), fans have been clamouring for the return of UNSC's greatest super soldier. The great news is that we're just over a week away from his momentous return, in what is arguably the most-anticipated game of the year.

In addition to the 61 stores hosting midnight openings, these select Future Shop locations will be giving away an exclusive SteelBook Case (minimum 10 per store) and downloadable content (DLC) for a customizable multiplayer Spartan IV Gungnir Armour Skin and helmet to the first customers that purchase Halo 4 at midnight. Take a look below at the amazing artwork contained on the exclusive SteelBook:

Future Shop exclusive SteelBook (outside case):

Future Shop exclusive SteelBook (inside):

While that was all the giveaways noted in the announcement email I received, the futureshop.ca Halo 4 page says to "line up early to win cool Halo swag and t-shirts", meaning that there might be even more goodies given away at participating Future Shop stores.

Halo fans living in the Greater Vancouver Area get a special treat with a Halo 4 multi-player tournament at the flagship downtown Future Shop location (Robson & Granville), starting at 9:00pm. Tournament participants will have a chance to win incredible prizes, including the grand prize of an Xbox 360 320GB Limited Edition Halo 4 Console with a Warhead 7.1 Wireless Surround Headset (a $749.99 value). Other prizes include exclusive Halo 4 posters and t-shirts, and a random draw for an LG 47" Smart Cinema 3D LED TV with Dual Play and a 5.1 Channel Blu-ray Home Theatre system (approx. value $1,599.98).

For a complete list of participating Future Shop stores open at midnight on Monday, November 5, see this link www.futureshop.ca/Halo4

This is not the first time Future Shop have been open at midnight for a Halo launch, with select stores also open for the Halo: Reach launch back in 2010.

Future Shop has many Halo 4 products that will be available at launch including the regular edition, the Limited Edition, an Xbox Halo 4 Limited Edition Console, and a Halo 4 Limited Edition Xbox 360 Controller. All these products are reviewed in detail in the following posts:

Halo 4 Limited Edition Available Now For Pre-order @ Future Shop
Microsoft Announces Xbox Limited Edition Halo 4 Console
Limited Edition Xbox 360 wireless Halo 4 controllers

Halo 4 officially launches on Nov. 6, 2012, exclusively on Xbox 360. The game was developed by 343 Industries and is published by Microsoft Studios. The game is rated M for Mature (17+).

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Nintendo Reveals Launch Dates For Professor Layton & More 3DS Games

2012-09-24T22:55:00.002-04:00

By Paul Hunter

Much like how every puzzle has an answer, every video game has a release date, and for Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask for the Nintendo 3DS, that date has now officially been set by Nintendo for October 28. What's more, the company has revealed the release schedule their 3D portable gaming system for the remainder of 2012. With a line-up that includes Professor Layton, Skylanders, Paper Mario, Rayman, Epic Mickey, and much, much more, the Nintendo 3DS truly has something for everyone.

With the August 19 launch of the Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo is ushering in a whole new era of 3D portable gaming with screens that are 90 percent larger than the regular Nintendo 3DS. Many of Nintendo's fall line-up will take advantage of the Nintendo 3DS XL's larger screens, including Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone! which lets players draw with more detail on a more spacious touchscreen, and Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask with puzzles that are much bigger and easier to see, and more room to draw notes.

Regardless of whether you have a Nintendo 3DS or a 3DS XL, there's plenty of great gaming options coming from Nintendo and third-party publishers this fall, let's have a look at what is coming out:

(official game descriptions from Nintendo)

Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone!
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Oct. 1
Users of any artistic skill level can learn painting and drawing techniques that can be applied to real-life art projects, with optional, additional lessons available for purchase. The game also lets users share and download certain game content via SpotPass.

Crosswords Plus
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Oct. 1
More than 1,000 professionally designed crossword puzzles will challenge players at any skill level. They can also receive and share bonus puzzles via StreetPass or connect their Nintendo 3DS to the Internet to receive free additional puzzles via SpotPass. The game also includes other game play modes such as Wordsearch, Anagrams and the new Word of the Day.

Skylanders Giants
Publisher: Activision
Release Date: Oct. 21
Fans can look forward to more than 20 new inter-action figures to collect, including Giants that are twice the size of regular Skylanders and new LightCore Skylanders that light up both in the game and in real life when they are placed on the Portal of Power.

Style Savvy: Trendsetters
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Oct. 22
Players can run their very own full-scale fashion shop and spark a fashion revolution by helping customers keep up with current trends, buying new clothes for their customizable store and sharing their creations with their friends online.

Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Oct. 28
Experienced fans and newcomers to the Professor Layton series can solve dozens of fascinating puzzles as they work their way through a new mystery storyline. Players can even download one additional puzzle per day for 365 days, starting on game launch day, at no additional charge.

Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive!
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Nov. 5
Players can create their own creatures and use them to explore a planet that they customize. Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive! contains new features not found in the original downloadable title, such as dungeons to explore, enhanced creating capabilities with more parts to choose from and new special powers that can be used to further personalize the creatures. The game also features Download Play, which allows players to share the creative experience with friends who do not have a copy of the game.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: Nov. 11
Nintendo's classic Paper Mario franchise gets a fresh 3D look in its hand-held debut. Stickers are the backbone of Mario's newest adventure in which players use stickers found in the game to not only win battles, but to solve puzzles as well.

Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
Publisher: Disney Interactive
Release Date: Nov. 18
Inspired by the classic Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, this game features new ways for Mickey Mouse to interact with a 3D game world using paint and paint thinner.

In addition to the above mentioned titles, Nintendo also wants to remind fans that Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 will launch on October 7 for Nintendo DS (also playable on Nintendo 3DS in 2D). The previously announced Pokémon Dream Radar and Pokédex 3D Pro arrive in the Nintendo eShop on Oct. 7 and Nov. 8, respectively.

The full list of Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo eShop game releases this fall can be found on Nintendo's website here.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

It's Kirby's 20th Anniversary! How Will You Be Celebrating?

2012-09-24T22:42:00.000-04:00

By Paul Hunter

Nintendo's iconic pink puffball turned 20 years old in August, and with so many great games in the Kirby series, there are many ways to celebrate. Perhaps the best way to celebrate this significant milestone is with Nintendo's release of Kirby’s Dream Collection Special Edition, a compilation package for Wii containing six classic Kirby games, a soundtrack CD, and a full-colour collectible book.

Kirby’s Dream Collection Special Edition is the perfect anthology package for fans, featuring six of Kirby's most memorable adventures, from his debut on Game Boy, up to his classic outing on the Nintendo 64. The games included in the package are:

Kirby’s Dream Land (Game Boy, April 1992 release)
*Kirby's original adventure which introduced the inhaling and spitting out of enemies
*one player
*view the trailer here

Kirby’s Adventure (NES, May 1993 release)
*Kirby's original NES adventure, and the first to feature copy abilities (24 in total), which allows Kirby to copy his enemies abilities by swallowing them
*one player
*view the trailer here

Kirby’s Dream Land 2 (Game Boy, March 1995 release)
*Joined by three animal friends Rick, Kine and Coo, Kirby's second Game Boy adventure expands his copy abilities even further as they change in combination with his friends
*one player
*view the trailer here

Kirby Super Star (SNES, September 1996 release)
*Featuring a collection of eight distinct games, Kirby can now generate 19 helpers from certain copy abilities
*includes two-player co-operative gameplay mode
*view the trailer here

Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (SNES, November 1997 release)
*In addition to Rick, Kine and Coo, Kirby is joined by new animal friends Nago, Chuchu, and Pitch
*includes two-player co-operative gameplay mode
*view the trailer here

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64, June 2000 release)
*Copy abilities can be combined together for the first time in the Kirby series
*minigames feature gameplay for up to four players
*view the trailer here

Furthermore, Kirby’s Dream Collection Special Edition will come with new challenge stages based on last year's Kirby’s Return to Dream Land for Nintendo Wii. During these challenge stage minigames, Kirby will race to the goal while in possession of a single copy ability, aiming for the highest score.

The anniversary package also includes an interactive timeline on disc, featuring highlights of Kirby's history including past games and a peek at the Kirby TV show. There's also a special edition soundtrack CD containing a curated collection of 45 of the best songs from games throughout Kirby's history, and a 40+ page collectible book stuffed with character art, development sketches and some behind-the-scenes details never seen before.

For a preview of the Kirby’s Dream Collection Special Edition check out the game trailer below:

Kirby's 20th anniversary is certainly a significant milestone and for a very deserving character that has easily become synonymous with the Nintendo brand. Good to see Nintendo continuing to support this popular character after so many years, as I'm sure fans will agree.

Kirby’s Dream Collection Special Edition is out now for Nintendo Wii. The game is being developed and published by Nintendo.

Kirby’s Dream Collection Special Edition is rated E10 (everyone ten and over) by the ESRB.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Watch the Entire World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Opening Cinematic

2012-09-24T22:20:00.001-04:00

By Paul Hunter

We are drawing ever so close to the September 25 release date for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, so close in fact that it's time to have a look at the full opening cinematic for what's sure to be another blockbuster expansion pack.

The lengthy 4-minute intro begins with a eye-popping naval combat scene between two vessels, one carrying a Horde flag and the other brandishing the Alliance, as they crumble and plummet into the depths below. A survivor from each warship, one being an overgrown Orc and the other a husky Human, manage to swim ashore, where a melee battle errupts between the two. Grabbing whatever weapons they can find from their surroundings, the pair lock arms in a test of strength until...they get interrupted. Take a look at what happens:

According to lore, the denizens of Pandaria are a mysterious and noble race, rarely seen or understood by the other races that inhabit the world of Azeroth. In ancient times, the Pandaren were oppressed by warlords known as the Mogu, however through a staged revolt the Pandaren were able to overcome their captors and lived prosperously for thousands of years.

The new Pandaren race, unlike previous races in World of Warcraft, begin faction-neutral for the early parts of the game. Once your Pandaren reaches Level 10, you can choose to align your character with the Horde or the Alliance. Also unique to the Pandaren race is their ability to speak their native language, plus the language of the faction they choose to enter, be it Common language (Alliance) or Orcish (Horde).

Seven character classes in total are available to Pandaren characters: Mage, Rogue, Warrior, Hunter, Priest, Shaman, and the all-new Monk. Monks are masters of hand-to-hand combat, employing "chi" energy to help them enhance their damage, defense or cast healing spells. The weapons of choice for Monks are primarily their fists, though they are also capable of carrying one-handed weapons such as axes, maces and swords, as well as two-handed polearms and staves.

There are two difference retail SKUs available for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, a regular edition and a limited run Collector's Edition.

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria is releasing on DVD-ROM for Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 and Macintosh on September 25, 2012. The expansion pack is being developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment.

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria is rated T for Teen.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Ubisoft Reveals Just Dance 4 Full Track List

2012-09-24T21:57:00.001-04:00

By Paul Hunter

The Just Dance phenomenon continues this October with Just Dance 4 releasing for Nintendo Wii, Kinect for Xbox 360, and PlayStation Move. A Wii U version is also being worked on, with Ubisoft saying that version will release during the Wii U release window (expected later this year). Ubisoft have announced that more than 40 tracks will be included on disc, ranging from chart-topping hits from Justin Bieber, Rihanna, and Flo Rida, to classic dance party songs from P!nk, Ricky Martin, and Will Smith.

Check out the full Just Dance 4 track list:

1. Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes – “(I've Had) The Time of My Life” new!
2. Las Ketchup – “Asereje (The Ketchup Song)” new!
3. Justin Bieber feat. Nicki Minaj – “Beauty and a Beat” new!
4. Panjabi MC – “Beware Of The Boys (Mundian To Bach Ke)” new!
5. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”
6. Boys Town Gang – “Can't Take My Eyes Off You” new!
7. Emma– “Cercavo Amore” new!
8. Anja – “Crazy Little Thing” new!
9. Army of Lovers – “Crucified” new!
10. Rihanna – “Disturbia”
11. Dancing Bros. – “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” new!
12. Flo Rida – “Good Feeling”
13. Blu Cantrell – “Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)” new!
14. A.K.A – “Hot For Me” new!
15. The Blackout Allstars – “I Like It” new!
16. They Might Be Giants – “Istanbul” new!
17. Elvis Presley – “Jailhouse Rock” new!
18. Ricky Martin – “Livin' la Vida Loca” new!
19. Selena Gomez and the Scene – “Love You Like A Love Song”
20. Nelly Furtado – “Maneater”
21. Sergio Mendes ft. The Black Eyed Peas – “Mas Que Nada” new!
22. Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera – “Moves Like Jagger”
23. Alexandra Stan – “Mr. Saxobeat” new!
24. Rick Astley – “Never Gonna Give You Up”
25. Marina and The Diamonds – “Oh No!” new!
26. Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull – “On The Floor” new!
27. The Girly Team – “Oops!... I Did It Again” new!
28. The B-52's – “Rock Lobster”
29. Skrillex – “Rock N’Roll (Will Take You To The Mountain)” new!
30. Kat DeLuna ft. Busta Rhymes – “Run The Show” new!
31. P!nk – “So What”
32. Sammy - “Some Catchin' Up To Do” new!
33. Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass”
34. Stevie Wonder – “Superstition” new!
35. Europe – “The Final Countdown”
36. Halloween Thrills – “Time Warp” new!
37. 2 Unlimited – “Tribal Dance” new!
38. Rihanna ft. JAY-Z – “Umbrella” new!
39. Hit The Electro Beat – “We No Speak Americano” new!
40. One Direction – “What Makes You Beautiful”
41. Will Smith – “Wild Wild West”
42. Barry White – “You're The First, The Last, My Everything”
43. Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl” new! (US exclusive)
44. Bunny Beatz – “Make The Party (Don't Stop)” new! (available on Wii U, Kinect for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Move)

Wii U-exclusive Tracks

45. The Girly Team – “Ain't No Other Man” new!
46. Cher Lloyd ft. Astro – “Want U Back” new!
47. Jessie J – “Domino” new!

With the major Gamescon trade show happening last month, Ubisoft took the occasion to release a new trailer for Just Dance 4 showcasing the game's major features. Have a look here:

New modes and features in Just Dance 4 include:

Battle Mode: In the all-new Battle Mode, friends go head to head with each other in six rounds of dance battles. During the battle, the choreography and music changes in real time, depending on who is currently winning or losing.

Alternate Choreographies: Players have the chance to unlock alternative dance routines for some of their favorite tracks. They can opt for a more challenging, faster-paced routine or more outlandish choreography, depending on their mood.

Expanded Just Sweat Mode: The popular Just Sweat mode gets a major upgrade with new workout sessions, personalized programs and a calorie counter to track your workout intensity.

Wii U-exclusive Features: The Wii U version introduces up to 5-player gameplay with an exclusive Puppet Master Mode. The Puppet Master Mode allows the player operating the new Wii U GamePad to switch dance routines that are being performed by the four other players in real-time. In this mode, the operator has the power to create choreographies and choose playlists for the other players to follow. In addition, the operator also has the ability to write on-screen live dedications and take pictures and videos of the best dance moments to share online.

Ubisoft is banking on Just Dance 4 to be another smash success, and with a rock solid track list and some great innovative new features, I wouldn't be surprised to see this game go flying off store shelves come this October.

Just Dance 4 is releasing for Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on October 9, 2012. The game is being developed and published by Ubisoft.

Just Dance 4 is rated E10+ (everyone 10 and older).

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Future Shop Opening 61 Stores at Midnight for WoW: Mists of Pandaria

2012-09-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

By Paul Hunter

Attention World of Warcraft fans! Future Shop will be having midnight openings for the next expansion pack of the world's most popular online role-playing game, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria.

61 of its 149 stores across Canada will open their doors at 11:59pm tonight for the release of the much anticipated World of Warcraft expansion. Furthermore, all 28 stores in Quebec will open at 8:00am tomorrow to give fans a chance to pick-up the game before regular store hours.

For a complete list of Future Shop stores that will be opening early, please visit: www.futureshop.ca/wow.

All stores opening early for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria will have collector's items to give away, including:

- Limited-edition, Future Shop exclusive World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria SteelBooks (minimum 20 per store).
- Branded mouse pads (minimum five per store) and branded posters (minimum 15 per store).

Thousands of fans are expected to line-up early to pick-up a copy of World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. The popular online role-playing game, which debuted in 2004, boasts 9.1 million subscribers as of August 2012.

This is not the first time Future Shop has held midnight openings for a World of Warcraft expansion, with stores also opening early for 2010's World of Warcraft: Catacylsm.

Future Shop will be selling a World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Collector's Edition and regular edition, both of which will be available at the midnight openings. The Collector's Edition includes many bonuses, such as a behind-the-scenes DVD and Blu-ray and a soundtrack CD.

Mists of Pandaria will introduce a brand new race to the World of Warcraft universe called the Pandaren, a mysterious race that has long been unknown to the rest of Azeroth. A video clip of the Pandaren can be found here.

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria is releasing on DVD-ROM for Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7 and Macintosh on September 25, 2012. The expansion pack is being developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment.

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria is rated T for Teen.

[This article originally appeared on the Future Shop Tech Blog]

Review: Energizer Ultimate Lithium & Recharge Batteries

2012-09-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

By Paul Hunter

As any huge techie can attest to, using batteries is essential to our daily lives. Whether its AA batteries in our point-and-shoot cameras, or closer to home, our wireless video game controllers, we simply can't live without them. The problem is, most batteries just simply don't last very long. For a serious photographer and gamer like me, having batteries you can trust to last is important to enjoying what we love to do most. So, when Energizer offered me a chance to test out their Ultimate Lithium (AA) and Recharge batteries (AA), two of their longest-lasting batteries on the market, I must say I was pretty excited.

I've always been a fan of Energizer batteries, having used them in electronic devices for as long as I can remember, however I will admit that knowing the differences between all the various battery types on the market is not my strong suit. It's not everyday that I get a chance to review batteries, so as soon as I got my hands on the Energizer batteries I immediately went to their website to find out what makes them so unique.

Energizer Ultimate Lithium

The Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries are claimed to last up to 9X longer in digital cameras (vs their hallmark Energizer Max batteries) and 1/3 lighter than traditional alkaline batteries. They're also said to be good for temperatures ranging from -40C to 60C and can hold their power up to 15 years when not in use. Marketing speak is one thing, but what really matters is how these batteries perform in real-world situations, so I decided to put them to the test.

Since the Ultimate Lithium batteries were intended for high-drain devices, I used four AA's in a Nikon Coolpix (a higher-end point-and-shoot camera) to see how they'd perform. Admittedly, my photography sessions were designed to intentionally drain the batteries quickly, so I would expect even better performance for regular everyday use.

To test the battery capacity, during my time snapping photos I purposely took a lot of indoor photos with flash, maxed out the LCD screen's brightness, and moved the zoom lens in and out to for positioning. I even took a lot of action shots at maximum resolution, again to drain the battery quickly. Despite my abnormally high battery usage, I managed to get about 15 hours worth of use, and captured over 1,200 photos. That's compared to the approximately 2 hours lifespan I got with regular AA alkaline batteries. Overall, it's easy to recommend Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries if you use high power consumption devices like digital cameras, handheld GPS devices or gaming peripherals.

Just a couple of side notes, I wasn't able to measure the batteries in extreme temperatures, because well, it's 30C here in Toronto at the moment, and I also can't measure up to 15 years to hold its charge without use, since that would be impractical. With that said, it is nice to know that given our extreme temperatures here in Canada (we've had summer days in the mid 40s this year) that the batteries should perform as normal, and if you're the type like me that puts fresh batteries in a drawer only to rediscover them six months later, it's comforting to know that the charge should still be at max.

Energizer Recharge Batteries + Energizer Recharge Smart Charger

Being a huge gamer I just had to test out the Energizer Recharge batteries I was given on a game controller, so I selected my Xbox 360 wireless controller. The unit takes 2 AA batteries, and thankfully the Energizer Recharge Batteries come pre-charged so there was no waiting required to power-up the controller. Energizer Recharge batteries are said to last up to 4X longer than Energizer Max batteries, which for an Xbox 360 controller should mean over 100 hours of gaming (standard AA alkaline batteries usually last up to 40 hours). After putting in approximately 25 hours of gaming, the power status on the controller was still showing its maximum charge, so I figured in order to drain the battery for a proper test I had to use a higher power consumption device, such as my digital camera.

After using the same methods as above to drain the batteries down to zero, I used the Energizer Recharge Smart Charger to power the rechargeable batteries back up to full. It's worth noting that like most chargers, you need to charge batteries in pairs, and in the same dock in order for them to charge.

The Smart Charger is able to hold up to 4 AA or 4 AAA batteries, however for my test I used 2 AA's. The charge took about four hours in total, and what's cool is the Smart Charger has a countdown timer to show you how much time before the batteries fully recharge, and there's a fuel gauge to show how much battery power is available at any given time.

There is also a "bad battery" alert that lights up when your battery should be replaced or a non-rechargeable battery is used (I tested with a non-rechargeable battery and it works), and there's an auto shut-off when the batteries are charged, improving the long-term health of the batteries.

Energizer also says the charger has universal voltage so you can take it anywhere abroad. Also interesting is that the Smart Charger intentionally charges at a slower rate to maximize the lifespan of the batteries, and you can get up to 600 charge cycles.

Overall, what I found during my testing is that the Energizer Recharge batteries do perform significantly better than traditional AA alkaline batteries, making them a good value. I was also extremely impressed with the Energizer Recharge Smart Charger, with its big LCD display that shows the current status of your batteries, and can be seen from across the room. Using Energizer Recharge batteries I was able to play over two dozen hours of gaming without showing a measurable decrease in the battery's charge (according to the Xbox 360 controller power gauge) and even after switching the AA rechargeable batteries to my digital camera I still got a few hours of shoot time in before the batteries were fully drained.

As a huge tech guy and heavy user of batteries, my experience with Energizer's Ultimate Lithium and Energize Recharge was good enough to convince me of their value. Keep in mind that these batteries are best used in higher power consumption device such as digital cameras, remote controls, flashlights, etc., so for low power devices you're probably still better off using the everyday Energizer Max batteries. Tech guys like me though need something more powerful, and that's why I was very satisfied with how long Energizer's Ultimate Lithium and Recharge batteries lasted.

[I have been provided with free Energizer products to permit me to review  them. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Energizer Canada Inc.]