Best Anime: January 2011

Pokemon Black and White; stepping up in 2011

How does catching all them little Pokémon get more addictive? Take a look

With the March 6th of Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version quickly approaching not only will gamers get a new entry in the classic franchises RPG formula but they’ll get an easier way to play online with the Pokémon Global Link web site. What’s the deal, what do gamers get on the site set to launch soon after the release of Black and White?

Gamers will sync their gameplay from the DS to PC allowing for access to customizable web-only content
Ability to friend additional Pokémon
Communicate with fellow Pokémon Trainers
Earn and view Worldwide Battle Ratings
And of course the perquisite ‘more’

Access will be gained using a Pokémon Trainer Club account. This gets the franchise closer to what’s at the heart of Pokémon, not catching but battling and doing so against real trainers. This is not limiting gamers to friends and those close enough to share a cart but rather a truly unique way to get online, get ranked and even, potentially, invited to regional, national and global tournaments. It’s a truly outstanding experience that removes so many borders from gamers looking to compete without travel.

So gamers get a new Pokémon video game and (finally) an easy way to battle online with DS data but what else? Why else should gamers get geeked for Pokémon in 2011? Ask and ye shall receive.

New Movie; Pokémon-Zoroark: Master of Illusions – Set to premier on Cartoon Network on February 5th at 7:00 P.M
New Manga based on Movie from Viz
New TCG Expansion Black & White
Black & White Mall Tour
New merchandise and toys

So yeah, there’s a lot to get excited about and very early in the year. It’s going to be great to be a Pokémon gamer, collector and fan in 2011.

Epic Mickey Impression

No Sora or Final Fantasy cameos in this solid adventure starring Mickey Mouse

One of the best games on Wii in 2010 stars a very familiar mouse in a setting last seen in the 16-bit era. Disney’s Epic Mickey is a solid visual adventure that takes the classic 2D gameplay from Mickey’s earlier platforming days and merges it with a bit of Kingdom Hearts 3D adventuring for a must have offering. No gimmicks, no mini-game love but rather one solid game that all ages of the family can enjoy. Why should this mouse be in your house; let’s take a look.

Gameplay – Mickey climbs into a painting, makes a mess of the wizards Magical Kingdom imagery and years later must come back and clean up the mess that is now called Wasteland. Mickey, a little more mischievous than most may recall, must pick up paint brush and paint thinner to clean this mess by recreating the locations found in Wasteland. Along the way, as gamers point and paint with the Wii-mote, Mickey will encounter long lost, forgotten Disney characters and settings. The adventure will feel like many adventure platformers on the Wii but its unique content, the pulling for Disney archives, keeps it fresh and fun for fans and family. The controls feel natural, needed but the camera can often be a bother and lead to cheap death from occasional baddies and bad platforming. Expect to take on many quests to fulfill the clean up requirements as well as plenty of un-lockable secrets.

Graphics – Mickey and gang look outstanding with a polish few Wii titles can match. That being said the real star(s) were the twisted environments of Wasteland as well as the effects seen with the paint brush and thinner. The revamped clips from yesteryear look great also and mesh very well with a title that, while not always bright and happy, gets the job done.

Sound – While no characters speak the overall sound package is outstanding. The musical score sets the right tone and will leave many a Disney fan wanting these tracks to spice up their daily routines. Did any of the original work sound this good? An outstanding effort especially on the Wii.

Design – Implementation of the brushing, spray and shoot mechanics of the brush and thinner is well pulled off and avoids the gimmick tagging Epic could have received. Instead the controls are as much a fluid part of the game as Mickey and the Wasteland. The levels are all twisted versions of original works and created in a manner which satisfies gamers for cleaning it all up, it looks and feels good later. The tiresome questing and backtracking could have been nicely avoided but overall a solid, well designed first Mickey on Wii.

Miscellaneous – Wasteland and the use of long forgotten characters such as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit help make the content so unique for Disney gaming fans. Titles such as Kingdom Hearts use the well known franchises, the Princesses, but getting a taste of something more unique, original in it’s being forgotten, really satisfies.

Overall gamers looking for a Kingdom Hearts clone on Wii will be a bit disappointed, in a good way. Epic Mickey paints a path all its own with solid controls, great graphics and outstanding sound that utilizes the Wii’s controls in an ‘it-feels-right’ manner. Only a bad camera and resulting frustrating platforming experience take away from the overall package but not enough to ignore. Mickey makes his return to video game adventuring with a solid overall effort that calls on Disney’s past rather than Square Enix’s.

Black Butler DVD Set Part 1 Impression

Is ones soul worth the best butler on Earth?

Stylish and classy with a bit of the dark mixed in. Black Butler from FUNimation will satisfy fans looking for a more sophisticated, less gruesome anime that feels parts Hellsing and parts Pandora Hearts. What’s not to love I say; but oh first you need to see to believe. What’s it about, let me tell you.

He may be powerful, the watch dog of the queen of England and he may be young but one thing Ciel Phantomhive is not is a pushover. The young lord rules his estate with an emotionless fist in which he holds the most unlikely of swords … his butler. Sebastian is quite simple one hell of a butler as he often say and not only does he make the best tea and keep the best household but he is also contractually bound to Ciel, a bond only a demon can forge. Sebastian has served Ciel’s family before and will continue to do so after Ciel is gone but while they both reside in the land of the living their task is to hunt down those that do evil, especially of the super natural type. From a town haunted by a demon dog to a mysterious camera and even involvement with reapers no day is ever dull. Add to this an interesting crew of servants and the running of normal business and Ciel is anything but an average boy but luckily he has one hell of a butler to guide him and protect his soul.

First the animation; beautiful with a very shoujo look similar to that seen in Pandora Hearts or Ouran High Host Club. Don’t let these comparisons fool you as the old English style and class hides a darker story where contracts are sealed with demons and bumps in the night can be very bad things. This compares to the look seen in Hellsing with a bit more polish. These are proper noble folk with their servants and real world settings. It’s a great looking anime with a high level of polish on the animation and action but it’s all driven by the story.

Ah the story; poor Ciel, so young but his path already determined. The mystery to his contract with Sebastian is not revealed in this first volume but like any good story it’s hinted at with more and more players introduced as the story progresses. Does Sebastian really care about Ciel? One question as well as the Phantomhive family history that will intrigue viewers. Thing is the story is really well done with great pacing, really solid characters a nice mix of humor and a variety of mysteries to be resolved. The larger plot keeps moving all the while sucking viewers into caring about Ciel and Sebastian knowing this can’t end well.

So overall who do I recommend this to … anime fans who like Pandora Hearts, anime set in old English times where the ladies and gents are classy and a dark, super natural entity lurks in the shadows. Borderline reality anime that is almost believable. Fans of the gore in Hellsing won’t be happy but fans of the demons, action and setting in Hellsing will be happy. This is quite simple one hell of an anime.

Summoner Girl vol. 1 Impression

Can this Ayakashi hunter become the next leader of Exorcists?

A cute story about an innocent girl with immense powers and a potentially impressive destiny. Hibiki is not the average fourth grader and in Summoner Girl volume 1 form Tokyopop readers will learn what it means to wield power at a young age. Hiroshi Kubota creates a tale that shows how powerful a little lady can be no matter the obstacles. What’s it all about, let’s take a look …

Hibiki may be in fourth grade but as the latest in a long line of exorcist she wields power to defeat dangerous Ayakashi. Using the powers of elemental Shikigami, who control her body, Hibiki takes on these troublesome spirits. Her grandmother has grander plans for her as she task Hibiki with finding the six magical jewels, Rikutou, that will make her the next leader of the Exorcist Underground. Hibiki is not the only one out for these jewels as a rival makes an appearance as does the bumbling somewhat spiritually talented Kenta Oda. From a troubled fox spirit to collection of spirits at a temple the troubles for Hibiki are just beginning but with such a cheery personality it’s hard to notice.

So the story is not revolutionary but it has that magic that makes readers want to follow, to see what’s next for Hibiki. She has great power but her challenges are just beginning. She’s very likeable as is those supporting characters around her, even her crazy grandmother. Each Shikigami has a unique and funny personality while Oda steals the show at times with his forgetfulness. What Hibiki shows is anything can be overcome with friends and not always with force. Sometimes observing and listening helps. I like the story for its mix of action and innocence. The art helps with it’s very magical girl look. It’s solid and well done, easy to look at and contains a great amount of detail which only enhances the solid story.

Overall Summoner Girl won’t set any new standards in manga story telling but what it delivers is a well drawn, solid story about a girl coming into her true role in life and the journey to get there. Solid and fun, a good read for the young and young at heart.

Beyblade Metal Fusion DVD vol. 2 Impression

The Beyblade action is still spinning, should otaku care?

Pokémon is the gold standard for gaming and anime collectible/battling franchises. The amount of trading cards released, merchandise and games shows no signs of slowing and is a formula Digimon and Yu-Gi-Oh! have replicated to varying levels of success. Beyblade is another such entry with a stronger anime and product line than gaming but still with a solid presence in all arenas. The latest anime offering which gives greater meaning to the games and products is Beyblade: Metal Fusion. The story in Metal Fusion drives the game action and gives fans greater need to buy those spinning tops. What does this mean to gamers and anime fans alike?

The Story: As Gingka continues his blading the evil organization Dark Nebula sets their plans in motion to neutralize him as he’s the only one with the power to prevent their unleashing of a dark and evil Beyblade. With a love of blading fueling him Gingka must overcome an odd game show which harnesses and assesses his power while confronting friends turned foes to be turned friends again. His courage and belief in his blade keep him going but Dark Nebula close in and engage Gingka in an epic battle where all could be lost.

There is more to the story but the points above keep the fun plot points intact. Gingka is the latest hero who has amazing potential and he’s put into amazing battles and must convince friends and foes alike what is the right path. The real star are the beyblades themselves which have power and character. The overall formula for this story has been seen before and it’s fit for the younger viewer but is a lot of fun. It reminds of all the tales above from Pokémon to Yu-Gi-Oh! and don’t mark this off as a kids show, it’s got a lot more depth than expected even if some of the story points are a bit hard to grasp.

The Animation and Action: Clean bright and vivid animation show off the colorful characters and settings which again reflect this overall genre. This is what many think of when told the word anime with big eye, big hair characters with over the top moves. If you’ve ever seen Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Digimon then you’ll know what to expect in the animation and action category.

What’s It Mean to Gamers: Gamers can get a taste of the full story for the DS and Wii games available which they or their kids will be playing. Any game that has a story driving it is greatly enhanced with a fleshed out story via animation or a book.

What’s It Mean to Anime Fans: Want more young boy growing into his power and overcoming evil? This is the latest in a long line of shonen anime and it fits in just perfect. Great mid-day Cartoon Network fodder also.

Overall Beyblade: Metal Fusion is a solid entry, a new round of anime episodes for young and old fans to embrace with good gaming backing and tops on steroids to buy and battle with. A successful product just needs a new story and setting to makes kids go gaga and Metal Fusion is hitting on all cylinders from the marketing front.

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes on PlayStation 3 Impression

The Sengoku Basara anime rocks, does the game?

A great anime does not always translate into great video gaming. Even with Dragon Ball Z’s successes on PlayStation 2 it had a fair share of failures while Naruto also went through growing pains on the PS2 only to finally shine on the current generation of systems. The advantage these two big hitters have over Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes on PlayStation 3 is pedigree. Naruto and Goku got to work through their growing pains, the stigma that haunts many an anime game here in the States. Sadly the promise seen in the Sengoku Basara anime does not translate in-game for a number of reasons and without the pedigree of a Naruto it’s a safe bet to assume it SB won’t get the chance to work out the kinks. Fans can dream but what makes this first title struggle? Let’s take a look …

Gameplay – Take control of one of multiple heroes (12 total) in 16th century Japan in battles and campaigns that will determine the future of the country. Each hero provides different story arcs in a larger scale campaign setting where gamers jump into battles third-person style where wave after wave of similar looking enemies attack. Gamers unleash special moves and take on boss battles in a style that will be instantly familiar to fans of the Dynasty Warriors franchise. Lots of running and fighting is what gamers can expected without much change to strategy no matter the level of game reached. The ability to play with another gamer keeps the formula a bit fresh but not by much.

Graphics – Dated looks don’t help endear Sengoku Basara to non-fans of the anime. This feels like a first-generation next-generation title where the developers put some thought into the re-imagined historical figures but no time on settings or the droves of enemies. All the action and style the anime brings is lost in-game. The Naruto and Dragon Ball games look great as they mimic the shows they are based on and this is a path that would have served Sengoku Basara very well.

Sound – Forgettable soundtrack and voice actors yelling a lot. Not a great formula for gamer’s audio pleasure.

Design – Uninspired design that mimics past titles of similar ilk but fails to innovate and bring to life the magic seen in the anime.

Miscellaneous – The anime rocks and while the game is repetitive and not super polished there is a charm to playing as those characters watched for hours in the anime. On the flip side for gamers with no taste of the anime go out now and experience so much more to this franchise and why this game is even close to relevant.

Overall Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes could have rocked if it only matched what the anime delivered. The repetitive gameplay on an old formula with no innovation and lackluster graphics keep the game from reaching the levels of the anime. Fans should give it a spin but sadly unless the anime is already in gamers DVD or Blu-ray library then just pass.

Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage on PS3 Impression

Will Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage be a ramped up, awesome video game or does this anime classic show it’s age?

Having been out for a few months, Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage for PlayStation 3 is a game fans have already embraced and which the average gamer may find a bit lacking. That being said, for a franchise as iconic as Fist of the North Star can developers really complain about this perception? Many an anime fan cut their teeth on this uber violent anime and since it’s been out for well over a decade how much of a newer fan base was this title hoping to obtain? Was this the goal or were gamers just getting a nice dose of the anime gaming love US gamers have been missing for so many years? Let’s take a look …

Gameplay – Assume the role of Ken as he wanders the desolate wasteland taking on baddies and exacting justice through incredible martial arts moves while seeking out ghosts from his past which almost lead to his death. The action is a third-person slugfest where gamers run around, pick a path, fight waves of enemies and a bad camera while taking on bosses with signature moves pulled from both the anime and manga Fist of the North Star.

Graphics – As a third-person brawler the overall look of Ken’s Rage is average with solid textures and in-game action. The special moves and cut scenes look great, worthy of the anime and manga but the entire graphical package is pulled down thanks to the apocalyptic setting. How many desolate wastelands look good even with the best graphics engine behind them? Fans will feel the anime and manga come to life while the average gamer will just feel a bit of repetitiveness. This said gamers will be hard pressed to experience better exploding heads and bodies.

Sound – The soundtrack and effects sounds all bring back fond memories of anime watched long ago. Great for fans but forgettable and uninspired … plain really when compared to other games, like listening to noob night on open guitar night.

Design – Read manga, watch anime, make into game and thus the developers were done. The game’s story and action, special moves, everything is set from the word go so it comes down to which game engine to implement and on this front Ken’s Rage just feels average and ok. Not a well designed games are gamers are funneled down set paths to fight wave upon wave of the same enemies with bosses thrown in. For the average gamer not much fun but for fans of the franchise a freaking blast reliving these encounters and epic battles, really, no joke, great for fans.

Miscellaneous – Finishing moves rock! The muddy looks of the somewhat long levels and repetitive enemies all melts away when gamers unleash the perfect finishing move with visual flare one very unique looking bosses.

Overall Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage is a fairly average third-person brawl fest, for the average gamer, but a tasty treat worth playing over and over for fans of the franchise. It’s these core gamers who will want to unlock every secret and story point, to take control of every character and just enjoy Ken’s Rage for what it is; a well crafted, faithful to the source material anime gamers dream.

100 Apple iPad Wallpaper

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75 Full HD Wallpapers Pack (56)

Full HD Wallpapers Pack (56)
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87 Computer Desktop Wallpapers - Pack9

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196 Girls and Motorcycles 2011

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30 Animation Wallpaper Pack15

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241 Wallpapers 241 Aircraft Collection

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93 Unique wallpapers from Europe. Part 621

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