Nintendo Preview Event: Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE

Nintendo is hosting an exclusive preview event for Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE and you’re invited! The upcoming Wii U game is a stylish new RPG from Nintendo and ATLUS inspired by the popular Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem series. Oozing with style, it’s filled with high-energy battles featuring an explosive color palette and over-the-top characters so fashion forward they might as well be from the future! You really have to experience it for yourself – and now you can. Attendees will be able to play the game before it launches and receive some fun Nintendo items, while supplies last.  Event will take place Nintendo NY - 10 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020 Register here at EventBrite

Batman: Return to Arkham for PS4 and Xbox One Officially Announced

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced Batman: Return to Arkham.  The new title bundles Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, two of the most critically acclaimed videogames on the last generation of gaming consoles.  Both are being remastered for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One using Unreal Engine 4, a first for the award winning Batman: Arkham series.  Remastered by Virtuos, this set offers fans a chance to play the first two Batman: Arkham titles including all Game of the Year edition bonus and downloadable content from both games, now with improved graphics, as well as upgraded models, environments, lighting, effects and shaders. Batman: Return to Arkham will be available beginning July 26 for a suggested retail price of $49.99/€49.99/£39.99.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is where it all began. Originally developed by Rocksteady Studios and released in 2009, the game pushed the envelope for action, adventure and super hero games and exposed players to a unique, dark and atmospheric adventure taking them to the depths of Arkham Asylum.  Featuring an original story, gamers can move in the shadows, instill fear amongst their enemies and confront The Joker and Gotham City's most notorious villains, including Harley Quinn, Bane, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy and Scarecrow, who have taken over the asylum.

Batman: Arkham City is Rocksteady Studios’ 2011 follow-up to Batman: Arkham Asylum.  The game builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring through the expansive Arkham City – the maximum security “home” for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds.  Featuring an incredible Rogues Gallery of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals including Catwoman, The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze and many others, the game allows players to experience what it feels like to be The Dark Knight and deliver justice to those confined within Arkham City. 

Black Butler: Book of Circus Review

The Duo of Darkness are back again this time to figure out the mystery of children disappearing as soon as a circus comes into town. Can Ciel and Sebastian find out the truth before it's too late? Or is the children not the only souls that need saving?

My Thoughts: This season of Black Butler is dark. Darker than the first series and maybe more graphic than pervious seasons. I am a fan of the series in general and this installment of the series is no different. The first two seasons of Black Butler, for me, had more light-hearted moments than serious moments, even though the subject matter was heavy. I think because this season is centered around children, it hits a place for me, especially with the last three episodes. What also gets me is the backstory of the main circus performers that the investigation starts with. Their story is heart-wrenching and it makes me question Ciel's side of things. I understand that Ciel is the Queen's Guard Dog and the implications and moral standing that he has to go through at such a young age. When he undertakes this assignment and how he reacts, I don't know about Ciel and his reasoning's. No spoilers here about what has been happening but I worry about if Ciel can take anymore trauma...

The shows pace was really good. The season is about 13 episodes and the episodes pack a lot in with the limited running time. Even though this is technically Season 3, they treat this set of episodes like its Season 2. There is exposition that takes place within the series that mention certain events that happened in Season 1 in case anybody skipped to watch this season instead. In my opinion, it seems that they disregarded that the second season existed (maybe because some people did not like the second season and the ending that occurred at the end of that season) ;) .  

Voice Acting: I can't get enough with the voice acting. Brina Palencia and J Micheal Tatum was exceptionial as always and everyone, old and new voices that I have heard, did a great job. The one voice actor that blew me away was Matthew Mercer as Joker. His performance was so spot on and I almost cried when I saw a certain scene towards the end of the series and I believed every word, every emotion that he conveyed. It was a brilliant performance.  Plus seeing Matthew being a DM on Critical Role using many accents, made him a perfect fit for Joker.

Music/Graphics: The music is beautiful as always, and sets the mood for the show very well. I love the opening and closing themes of the show since it also fits what the show is about. The graphics are beautiful even though most of the show is filled with dark colors. And of course the animation is great. The scenes with the circus were awesome and it made me feel like I was an audience member myself.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5- I love the story of the season I just wish it was longer and that the subject matter was lighter. There is some comic relief within the episodes but for me, I knew that it wouldn't last. It did help with the aesthetic but I do suggest people to watch the first season before one. Overall I enjoyed the series and any Black Butler fan would be very happy with this installment.

Anime Rules!!!!! 

eigoMANGA's Feature Film PADAK Will Debut On Steam

San Francisco based digital media publisher, eigoMANGA announces that Steam, a leading interactive content delivery platform by software company, Valve Corporation will stream the feature film PADAK beginning June 6, 2016.

PADAK is a Korean computer animated film written and directed by Lee Dae Hee. The film is about the lives of fish in captivity in a seafood restaurant. Some fish accept their fate while others fight to change it. PADAK has won various awards from international film festivals such as the Vladivostok International Film Festival, Jeonju International Film Festival, and Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival.

Steam is a leading content platform with thousands of titles and millions of members. Through Steam, fans can easily buy, play, share, modify, and build communities around Valve products as well as titles from other independent studios. Steam is available in 237 countries and 21 different languages. Since March 2015, Steam has also added more than 100 film titles, with more coming soon.

PADAK will be available on Steam beginning June 6, 2016. For a limited time only, a special promotional price will be available for the film. Please visithttp://store.steampowered.com/app/4680 60 to access the PADAK on Steam. More information about PADAK is also available on http://www.eigoMANGA.com/padak

"Final Fantasy Brave Exvius" Mobile Game Coming Summer from SQUARE ENIX and gumi

A brand-new FINAL FANTASY experience, will launch for free (with in-app purchases) on iOS and Android devices this summer. The hit title has already drawn in more than six million players in Japan and is an entirely new role-playing adventure for the mobile generation. The title brings the classic FINAL FANTASY lore with legendary heroes from the franchise.

Adventurers will follow two knights of the kingdom of Grandshelt, and a young girl who suddenly appears before them, as they begin their quest to pursue a highly sought after crystal. Players will make their way through various types of dungeons to search for items, collect gil, uncover hidden paths, and venture new routes.

The title features:
·        Traditional, turn-based gameplay with streamlined battle mechanics and intuitive touch controls, making it easy to pick up and play for newcomers as well as long-time fans
·        Players will be able to move their characters through fields and dungeons to search for items, hidden paths, and new routes.
·        High-quality CG animations of FINAL FANTASY summons
·        Appearances from new and characters from past titles like the Warrior of Light, Cecil, Vivi, and Terra
·        A complete RPG experience in an easy, portable format for mobile phones

Rob Gronkowski Named as Official EA SPORTS Madden NFL 17 Cover Athlete

EA Sports officially unveiled the Madden NFL 17 cover art, featuring New England Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski. EA and ESPN jointly revealed the cover live during the 6pm ET/3pm PT edition of SportsCenter, alongside a video debuting this year's game. In Madden NFL 17, players on Xbox One and PlayStation®4 can take their team all the way with new gameplay features that elevate the ground game, arming teams for success on both sides of the ball.

EA also released a Madden NFL 17 video today showcasing Gronkowski and the first of several new features for next-gen consoles in this year's game. Fans can check out the Madden NFL 17 website to learn more about improvements to the ground game, including a new path assist feature, new defensive AI and expansion of ball carrier special moves, which give players new creative controls on the ground, all of which are featured on the Xbox One and PlayStation®4 versions of the game.

First Look Video of Preacher

Fandom has just released a new video giving fans an inside look at the upcoming show "Preacher" from AMC. The video featuring the cast and producers of the highly anticipated AMC show Preacher, based on the popular 90’s comic book, and I thought your readers might want to check it out. The video includes never-before-seen interviews with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and the actors of Preacher, including Ruth Negga and Dominic Cooper. In the interviews, the crew talks about their characters and what fans can expect from the highly anticipated series.

New Gameplay Footage from HoloGrid: Monster Battle

Phil Tippett and Happy Giant just released new gameplay footage from HoloGrid: Monster Battle HoloGrid: Monster Battle’s gameplay is similar to Collectible Card Games (CCG’s) such as Magic: The Gathering or Hearthstone, but uses physical playing cards to trigger Augmented Reality creatures and a gameboard. Players will be able to play head­to­head, either locally or remotely, and offline, non digital play is possible as well through a physical board that will come with the product. A “Hybrid” Board Game, Collectible Card Game (CCG), and Digital Game in one, it delivers to players a new type of gaming experience. Creatures battle on your tabletop with AR HoloGrid: Monster Battle is being built for next gen AR & VR platforms, but will first release for mobile devices, giving players the feeling that the creatures of Phil Tippett are doing battle right in front of them.

Tokyo Pop and Disney Launch "Alice in Wonderland" and "Finding Nemo" in Limited Edition Manga

Tokyo Pop announced today that they will be launching a new line of family-friendly English-language Manga books by Disney. The first title will be “Alice in Wonderland: Special Collector’s Manga” -- a mammoth 352-page hardcover adaptation of the classic film; and the second title will be “Pixar Manga Collection:  Finding Nemo,” a 176-page hardcover adaptation featuring bonus material. TOKYOPOP’s distribution to both the comic book specialty market and bookstores will be handled exclusively by Diamond Comic Distributors. Besides the return to print publishing, TOKYOPOP will be releasing eBook versions of its titles, available on all digital platforms.  In 2016, the company will publish at least one new title per month beginning in May 2016, with upcoming brands to be announced shortly.

Levy commented “I couldn't be more excited to return to publishing with such esteemed licensing and distribution partners.  Diamond boasts the longest experience with comic book distribution and reaches the widest range of retail partners, while Disney’s influence on pop culture speaks for itself.  I’d like to thank our partners, fans, and creative talent for supporting us through the difficult times and keeping their faith in us”.

“We’re delighted to welcome back TOKYOPOP® to publishing,” said Tim Lenaghan, Diamond’s Executive Director of Purchasing. “Their new manga initiatives will surely be a hit with audiences, and we look forward to helping the company market and distribute their titles. We’re especially thrilled that TOKYOPOP® has chosen Diamond Book Distributors to represent them in the book market, as we add to our list of growing manga publishers.” Details of the first two TOKYOPOP releases are:

Title:  Disney‘s Alice in Wonderland Special Collector’s

Manga SRP:  $19.99Pages:

352Hardcover color w/ B&W interiors

Release date:  May 25, 2016

Title:  Disney’s Pixar Manga Collection:  Finding Nemo

SRP:  $15.99

Pages:  176

Hardcover color w/ B&W interiors

Release date:  June 8, 2016