(tech)
GAME ON: BY MATT DOLBY
STATE OF DECAY: YEAR-ONE SURVIVAL EDITION
SPLATOON
MORTAL KOMBAT X
Zombie games just keep springing up. The
The shooter genre, with all its bullet wounds and F-bombs, is typically aimed at adult audiences, leaving Nintendo’s Wii U on the outside looking in. Splatoon embraces the family-friendly console with a fun, all-ages, third-person shooter. Although the game features a serviceable singleplayer mode, it really shines in its multiplayer online form. Two teams take sides in an arena armed with paint, then each side coats as much of the space in their team’s color as possible. The vibrant palette mixed with simplistic gameplay is the ideal way to draw in gamers of varying skill levels. It’s a team-based shooter to make late-night sessions a lot more colorful than just blood red. AVAILABLE FOR WII U IN MAY.
The Mortal Kombat series has proven that
market has been saturated with them for years, so it’s not surprising that gamers have grown weary of the undead as a motif. State of Decay, however, is one of the rare games in the genre that favors strategy over blunt force and cheap suspense. In a small town overrun with zombies, players take control of a series of characters looking to team up and occupy outposts. Year-One Survival Edition packs in all previous downloadable content along with new vehicles, and a game mode that sees supply drops filled with impressive new weapons. Be warned, though, these drops attract a dangerous level of zombie activity. AVAILABLE FOR PC AND XBOX ONE ON APRIL 28.
while tricky, it is possible to successfully transition a 20-plus-year franchise across new consoles. MK die-hards will always be nostalgic for the epic finishing moves that captured our hearts (through our chests) in the early ‘90s, but a 2-D fighting platform and stock cast of characters haven’t been enough to keep fans slack-jawed over the years. So for Mortal Kombat X, NetherRealm Studios has enhanced the series in phenomenal ways. A mixture of old and new characters look gorgeous with next-gen graphics, but the real coups are the online multiplayer Living Towers and Faction Wars modes, which offer a constantly changing set of challengers against whom players can show off their best fatalities. AVAILABLE FOR PC, PS3/4, AND XBOX ONE/360 ON APRIL 14.
po-14 sub bass line synthesizer and sequencer, $59, teenageengineering.com.
po-16 factory melody synthesizer and sequencer, $59, teenageengineering.com.
lost in sound
ortho remote, wireless control for od-11, $149, teenageengineering.com.
po-12 rhythm drum synthesizer and sequencer, $59, teenageengineering.com.
WITH THE SLEEK, MINIMALIST DESIGN THAT CHARACTERIZES ALL THINGS SWEDISH, TEENAGE ENGINEERING IS TRANSFORMING HOW WE CREATE AND ENJOY MUSIC. NOT ONLY HAS THE TECH COMPANY AMPED UP ITS 40-YEAR-OLD CARLSSON LOUDSPEAKER, ADDING IN THE LATEST WI-FI TECHNOLOGY AND THE WIRELESS ORTHO REMOTE, BUT IT’S COLLABORATED WITH CHEAP MONDAY ON THREE HANDHELD SYNTHESIZERS, PUTTING MUSIC PRODUCTION RIGHT AT YOUR THUMBTIPS. LOOKS LIKE IKEA, SAUNA CULTURE, AND FIVE WEEKS’ PAID VACATION AREN’T THE SWEDES’ ONLY CROWNING ACHIEVEMENTS.
teenage engineering photographed by will styer.
od-11 ortho directional loudspeaker, $995, teenageengineering.com.
