Monday 24 December 2012

The Killer 2013 Opening Line Up



2013 is going to be a cracker. We can feel it. It’s in our bones. And not only that, but it’s also in the release schedules as well, and the year hasn’t even begun! As we slot each game into its allotted launch date, it only takes a brief step back to see that it’s going to be a jam-packed year full of extravagant gaming delights enough to make you salivate yourself a bath! Disgusting impossibilities aside, let’s take a look at what you should be preordering this month!

January sees the relaunch of Devil May Cry, the demon shooting slicing dizzy-em-up from yesteryear thunders back into town riding a newly refined pushy attitude. Whilst it doesn’t take place in the same universe as any previous DmC adventures you may fondly recall, it plays very similar, retaining all that lithe accessibility that allows you to perform jaw loosening acrobatic stunts that result in your enemy being simultaneously shot, impaled and sent hurtling through the air with just a few button pushes. There’s a sprinkling of new elements involved as well, adding a strategic element to the way you direct your battles with these post-Earth nuisances!

Things hot up in February, as we see the resurgence of Dead Space, Raiden gets his own game and Aliens Colonial Marines, the game we’ve been waiting for since 2007, finally bursts through your stomach and onto shelves!

The third iteration of Dead Space looks set to send us to the snow-covered plains of Tau Volantis, where our old favourite Isaac dons his iconic suit of armour once more to go antagonise those easily-irritable Necromorphs again. With drop-in/drop-out co-op and a new cover system, Dead Space fans the world over are already quaking in their little space boots.  Metal Gear Rising Revengeance sees whiny feminine ninja  Raiden in his own game. Trust us though, Revengeance has to be played to be believed; it looks incredible and plays like the focussed, solid and innovative experience you’d expect from Platinum Games. Give it a try today by picking up the Zone of the Enders HD Edition, which includes the demo! Lastly, Aliens: Colonial Marines is every bit the corker we’ve been hoping for: we got to grips with the multiplayer back in September and they had to physically prise us off it. Excitement.

March ushers in the true return of Bioshock in the game’s third instalment; Infinite. The beautiful art style, soaring locations and the opportunity to cruise around the level on metallic zipwires, not to mention the promise of that captivating, iconic narrative back in full force, and this is a game of the year contender already! With Gears of War : Judgement and God of War Ascension ticking the exclusives boxes, we’re back in full swing by the third month of the year.

With GTA V heading out in Spring and available to preorder now, not to mention that incredible looking new Metal Gear game Ground Zeroes, this year is the most exciting prospect the industry has had in a long while. Stay tuned to Hitari for all the news and all the latest games throughout 2013!

Tuesday 18 December 2012

The Hitari 2012 in Gaming


It’s finally that time again Hitari blog readers! Christmas is upon us and as such, it’s time to take a reflective glance back at the WILD RIDE that was 2012. If there’s anything you’ve missed out on this year, Christmas is an excellent time to demand you be reimbursed by the more generous members of your family; point them in our direction, and you can flick old Queeny over for a bit of Dishonored come Christmas day! Here’s our 2012 in the form of a tumultuous scrawling!

It’s been a right old year really hasn’t it, when you take a good hard look at it. We’ve had no less than TWO new pieces of hardware, we’ve had a number of residual 3’s hitting the shelves after last year’s unending torrential downpour of threequels, Mass Effect and Max Payne among them; we’ve heard no end of rumours about new consoles, we got Smartglass for our Xbox so we can call it up, we got a shiny new Playstation Store not to mention an even shinier new Playstation SUPER Slim; we even learned that 343 Industries don’t do a half bad job of Halo. Skylanders doubled in size, whilst Lego’s Lord of the Rings entry was surely only matched by the appearance of The Hobbit at the cinema. And even better the Moshi Monsters made their return to our screens in their theme park based outing! Great fun all round.

If you picked up a Vita at the start of the year, there are finally some great titles out now and heading out in the direction of the powerful little fellow, with Black Ops Declassified, the series’ portable debut for this new age of handhelds, EA’s latest Need for Speed: Most Wanted AND Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation all sat in our stock room and flying off our shelves at a dangerous velocity: high quality gaming on the go, that doesn’t involve hurling displeased fowl around , is now possible! Oddworld is on its way too, along with Earth Defence Force 2017 and Final Fantasy Type-0, so next year is already looking jam-packed; the perfect time to pick up a portable? Oh we think so.

Sliding on down to the opposite end of the year then and the Wii U launched to the insatiable applauding of fans and new-Ninty-nibblers alike. With its second screen delivering all the fun, let us know how you’re having fun with yours this Christmas! Got it out for the family to see? Perhaps getting everyone involved with your favourite arm flailing dancing game? We want to see pictures and we want to hear stories: who knows what we’ll do for the best ones! There’s a comments section below just for you guys! Further than that, there’s all sorts heading out next year, with the Wii U finally able to take on the Xbox and Playstation in terms of raw power, all the great new games that have been announced for start of next year will be sidling out on the Nintendo offering too. And of course, we’ll inevitably hear from Mario and his Karting friends at some point, so stay tuned Mario maniacs.

We’ll have a further look at everything that’s heading our way next year next time, but that’s it for now! Thanks for a great year everybody and from the whole team at Hitari, Merry Christmas! 

Thursday 29 November 2012

The Hitari Paparazzi: PreOrders, The Wii U, Far Cry 3 and More!



Good news Hitari blog readers! We now come complete with a pre-orders page! Which, by anyone’s standards, is extremely fancy. Point your cursor toward the Pre Order Zone in our navigation menu on the left hand side of the home page and you’ll be transported to a realm of upcoming gaming extravaganzas! Have a click through our list and see if you can’t find something you, or that special someone in your life, will want to tear open on Christmas Day, silently shun the family and sit in a room in festive bliss until dinner time! We’re pretty sure you’ll find just the ticket.

And the good news is, there’s a ton of new releases on their way this week! Most prominently of all, of course, is the tangibly excitable Wii U. Launching with a tumultuous array of titles, from the old reliable New Super Mario Bros. U to the incredible Batman Arkham City Armoured Edition to the mini-game merriment of Nintendoland; have a look through our deals on the PreOrders page and find your perfect package. We’ve made sure there’s something for everyone there, but there’s no need to thank us. Just make sure we’re on your Christmas list.

Across the way, hang gliding on to the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC also this Friday, is the third instalment in the prestigious Far Cry series. And have you seen the reviews? Whilst the first was a humdinger for its time, the second left a little to be desired, but we can confirm that Far Cry 3 settles all debts and is one of the most polished and complete open world games you’ll play! Again, hit up our pre-orders page, and secure your copy for release day today!

And, if your tastes are slightly further abroad, we’ve also got the legendary Zone of the Enders, heading out to post boxes in delicious HD flavour for the astonishing price of just £22.99! Get in on this one while you can, and remember, you’ll get access to the Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demo when you pick up your copy!

That’s all from us today, but keep checking back for updates!

Happy gaming!

Behind the Scenes on Black Ops II’s ‘Surprise’ Trailer

But of course we’re all going Call of Duty nuts again, and as such, we simply can’t stop posting about it! If you caught the excellent live action ‘Surprise’ trailer just before Black Ops II was launched, perhaps you’ll take a moment to peel yourself away from your controller, tear your eyes from those ironsights and give the zombies half a chance so as to consume this wonderful supplement to that very trailer!

Yes, featured below, we have a Behind the Scenes expose of the trailer, in which we’re talked at by some rather famous faces (anybody you recognize) and we’re given a little insight into how the whole thing went down on set! You lucky, lucky folk you.

So what do we reckon then; how long will it be before the Call of Duty movie gets officially announced? Not long is our guess, what with Tom Hardy called up as Splinter Cell’s raging caging Mr. Sam Fisher, and Michael Fassbender confirmed for the big screen adaptation of Assassin’s Creed. Ubi are really going to Hollywood on us at the moment, evidently.

Have a peak at this video and let us know what you think! Any good ideas for video game movies floating around in that all-gaming head of yours? Drop us a comment below!



Thursday 22 November 2012

Nuke Town map on Call of Duty Black Ops II availability issue explained



here has been confusion overnight around the availability of the Nuke Town map on Call of Duty Black Ops II, as of this morning, a playlist called “Chaos Moshpit” has been added which includes the most hectic maps in the game along with Nuke Town 2025. If any consumers are unable to locate the map in multiplayer matchmaking, this is the place to send them as the map is included in this playlist specifically. It can be found by going to the “BONUS” playlist menu when in multiplayer mode, then selecting “Chaos Moshpit”.

IMPORTANT: Please note that the map is part of a playlist containing multiple maps as options to be selected, and as such, Nuketown 2025 is not always guaranteed to appear or be selected. The full map rundown is:

Chaos Moshpit
Nuketown 2025
Carrier
Cargo
Express
Hijacked
Slums
Standoff

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Call of Duty: Black Ops II: Derails the Competition, Breaks Records


It’s Call of Duty time again ladies and gentlemen, as I’m sure you’re all aware; and as hundreds queued up at midnight on Monday 12th, and many millions more waited impatiently by their letter-boxes (that’s you, by the way, Hitari readers!) Black Ops II was birthed violently into existence! It was a frenzy! Nobody could move! There were COD emblazoned headsets and keyrings everywhere! And of course, as everybody rushed online to begin feeding the rest of the world some delicious bullet sandwiches, the records began to be broken.

It was announced on the 16th of November that, for the fourth consecutive year, the unstoppable behemoth franchise that is Call of Duty, overthrew all competitors, dragged wannabe upstarts off by their heels, and crushed gigantic foe without ever breaking a sweat, and came out the other side as the biggest entertainment launch of the year.

With more than $500 million worldwide sell-through in the first 24 hours, this astonishing figure sits along the series’ past efforts with ineffable competency. Bobby Kotick, the man behind the magic, (not Paul Daniels) Activision Blizzard’s CEO whose infamous, often unbelievable statements seem to have been quelled of late, commented:

“With first day sales of over half a billion dollars worldwide, we believe Call of Duty is the biggest entertainment launch of the year for the fourth year in a row, life-to-date sales for the Call of Duty franchise have exceeded worldwide theatrical box office receipts for “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars,” Which he made reference to, as they are the biggest selling movie franchises ever; which by all means, is an incredible feat. Well done Bob!

With 30 million YouTube views accredited to the ‘surprise’ launch trailer, and hundreds of videos springing up in the same time, chiefly due to game’s in-built ability to stream your gameplay straight to the internet video channel, it’s an inarguable fact that Call of Duty fever is back! Are you playing Black Ops II? Have you got yourself a season pass? How about a CoD branded set of Turtle Beaches? You want ‘em, we got ‘em!

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Moshi Monsters Moshlings: Theme Park - The Ride is about to Begin

Just like a real-life rollercoaster slowly cranking its way up to the tipping point before hurtling towards the loop-the-loops, corkscrews and all the other fun-stuff, the release of Moshi Monsters Moshlings: Theme Park 3DS and on Nintendo DS is creeping ever closer and come Friday 26th October children everywhere will be setting about on an all-new and totally Monsterific adventure!

So what is it all about? What rides weave their way through this theme park and out through the screen on the 3DS version? Well to find out, you’ll first have to re-build the park, because the Moshlings have not only lost their way around Amusement Isle, but the theme park is long past its best. So it is up to you to round up all of your Moshling friends, restore the park to its former-thrilling glory and then embark on an adventure you’ll never forget – tackling puzzles, various missions and unlocking secret areas along the way. Oh, and of course taking to all of those heart-pumping rides when the park is restored!

Check out the trailer below!



All of the action doesn’t just have to stay inside the dual screen of your DS either! As over at the Hitari store and inside our special Moshi Monsters section, you’ll find everything you need to boost your Moshling experience, with cases for your 3DS or DS, a camcorder or even coming just in time for Christmas on December 5th – your own Moshi Monsters Universal Headphones! Just make sure you’re buckled up, your hands and feet are inside the carriage and that you’re ready for the ride to begin on October 26th!

Friday 5 October 2012

Need for Speed Most Wanted Power Pack Details


Need for Speed Most Wanted Limited Edition

Pre-order Need for Speed Most Wanted to guarantee your Limited Edition version. Boost your progression faster than your friends by earning double Speed Points for your first four hours of multiplayer. Leave your friends and rivals in your rearview as you take control of two of the World’s hottest cars, equipped with the latest performance modifications and the exclusive Satin Black livery.  

Plus, Need for Speed Power Pack Details (Indie Exclusive)

Pre-order Need for Speed Most Wanted from Hitari and get the exclusive Power Pack!

When it comes to dominating your friends and rivals, nothing comes close to the raw power and aggression of the twin turbo-charged Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. The first ever vehicle of its kind in Need For Speed, it comes locked and loaded with attitude, giving you plenty of horsepower and handling to intimidate rivals and standout amongst the crowd. Unlock the F-150 Raptor for use in multiplayer action with the Power Pack equipped with three awesome upgrades.

Power Pack Custom Modifications

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor comes equipped with the extra durability of the Reinforced Chassis Modification, allowing it to take even more damage from aggressive rivals.

Break from the crowd, make tight jumps or power up your takedowns with the powerful and violent Nitrous Dump Modification.

Finish it off in style in the exclusive Satin Black livery.

Need For Speed Most Wanted Limited Edition Xbox 360Need For Speed Most Wanted Limited Edition PS3Need For Speed Most Wanted Limited Edition PC

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Skylanders gets GIGANTIC on 19th October

Character after character has graced your portal and you’ve done and seen all Skylands has to offer… Or you think you have - because starting on the 19th of October, the Giants are coming out to play and are set to bring with them the gigantic expansions you would come to expect from new additions to this ever-evolving story, such as Tree-Rex and Crusher.

Set to be bigger, better and with more to do and explore than ever before, how do you know ‘Giants’ warrants that purchase and dusting off your Power Portal to set about on a whole new adventure? Or, if you’re completely new to Skylanders and the merging of what’s real and found through your screen in the virtual realm, what does this new title do to have you ordering that Giants Starter Pack and embarking on a litany of quests with each new character you add to your collection?

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Skylanders

Right from the offset and from what will be a familiar process for seasoned Skylanders players (the unpackaging process) you will realise that things are different… very different. These ‘Giants’ are giants in every sense of the word, being much larger than previous iterations of Skylanders figures, and as soon as they get close to the Power Portal and are placed on it, they will light up – not adding just another ‘cool’ wow-factor, but something that will add yet another connection between the virtual and real-worlds as you play through each character’s story.

But what can these Giants actually do that Spyro, Trigger Happy, Gill Grunt and the rest can’t? Well to whet your appetite, giants such as Tree-Rex and Crusher bring the obvious brute strength and size to the table, but this means they can now smash through the ground, knock-down barriers and even pull whole lands closer – building upon the existing successes that keep kids and adults alike coming back for more, and even adding something to suit the hard-core gamer. If you’re heading straight to pre-order Skylanders Giants Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii – watch the trailer first to get even more excited!


Monday 24 September 2012

Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 - PES Full Control



The eagerly-awaited PES 2013 have now been released for PlayStation 3 PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC last Friday, September 21st.

Hailed as a massive advance for the football genre, PES 2013 introduces  'PES Full Control',  a new feature an unrivalled level of control, with players given fully manual control over every pass and shot.  The game’s new Pro Active AI ensures players move and react as they would in real life, while the new Player ID system means that the world’s greatest players are instantly recognisable by how they look, move and play.

The planned PSP (PlayStation Portable), PlayStation 2 PS2, Nintendo 3DS and Wii versions will be released October 2012.

Pro Evolution Soccer PES 2013 Sony PS3Pro Evolution Soccer PES 2013 Xbox 360Pro Evolution Soccer PES 2013 Nintendo Wii

Pro Evolution Soccer PES 2013 Sony PS2Pro Evolution Soccer PES 2013 PCPro Evolution Soccer PES 2013 Sony PSP