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Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 11, 2013 in Anime 
Otakon is in full swing this weekend! If you’re not there you’re missing out on Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichiro Watanabe’s panel, at which he announced his next anime: Space Dandy. It’s a comedy about a crew of alien hunters lead by Dandy, the dandiest man in space. Dandy and his two partners, Meow and QT (a robot Dandy bought thinking it would be cool, but was actually “a Roomba”), travel the galaxy in search of new aliens not yet discovered. Watanabe promised “old school” Flash Gordon-styled space adventures with tons of crazy alien designs each week. And, the staff list looks incredibly solid, with Dai Sato and BONES on the list. Check out an off-screen video below of the trailer as well as more images. Read more…
Tags: Shinichirō Watanabe, Space Dandy
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 10, 2013 in Videogames 
Hideki Kamiya, the Twitter-infamous director of many popular games, such as Viewtiful Joe, Okami, and Bayonetta, has partnered up with Nintendo to release a Nintendo Direct about The Wonderful 101. Given that this is one of the biggest games coming to Wii U in the near future (besides Pikmin, which just came out and you should get!), it’s no surprise Nintendo is giving this a big push. There’s a new trailer to watch that stretches over 7 minutes long and a demo is now out on the eShop in Japan, Europe, and the US. If you can’t try the demo out, check out the trailer below. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo Direct, Wii U, wonderful 101
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 10, 2013 in Animation 
YouTube’s Geek Week is going on right now, and while much of it is silly “crazy geek stuff” there’s some interesting stuff too. Cartoon Network has uploaded a video of the intro of Adventure Time — remade with LEGO bricks. Granted, everything under the sun has to be done with LEGOs at one point or another (I’m pretty sure it’s a law of the internet at this point), but this has some creative use of perspective to created the effect of the original opening. No where in the video description is who made this for them though – unless they chained Cartoon Network interns up in their basement and forced them to do it. Read more…
Tags: Adventure Time, Cartoon Network, Lego
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 9, 2013 in Hobbies and Collections, Videogames 
Tony Swatton keeps on forging, and his latest piece is the Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda. It’s possibly his nicest-looking blade yet, and certainly the best Master Sword replica I’ve seen – especially since it can actually cut things (mostly). They of course take it out and test it, swing it at various jars filled with gems and soda bottles that vaguely resemble potions. This is all well and good, but Tony keeps referring to it as “Zelda’s Master Sword” which is either hilarious or annoying depending on your personality. Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 9, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Thor is back for phase two of the Marvel cinematic universe, and they’ve brought a new trailer to show for it. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the original Thor movie, but I felt its best moment were when Chris Hemsworth got to really throw himself into the silly Norse side of the character (“Get me a horse!”). At the least, it seems The Dark World takes place in in Asgard mostly, so we get to see more of the fantastical and Norse-inspired side of things. Also, Christopher Eccleston is the villain, but you can barely see him in this trailer. Given that he seems to be the most interesting new actor in this deal, I’m very keen on seeing how his role plays out. Check out the trailer below and play Where’s Waldo, but with Eccleston. Read more…
Tags: thor, Thor: The Dark World
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 8, 2013 in Tech, Videogames 
John Carmack, co-creator of Doom, co-founder of Id Software, and programmer on many, many computer games is joining Oculus VR, the company making the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset for use with games. Carmack was the one who debuted the device at E3 2012, and now he is taking a full-time position at the company as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). However, the award-winning programmer isn’t really leaving Id, either. He’s still planning on working on games, and he’s also not abandoning his rocket company Armadillo Aerospace. Read more…
Tags: id Software, oculus rift, Rocket
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 8, 2013 in Videogames 
For a while there, I thought it was entirely possible that Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney would not be released outside of Japan. Sure, Level-5 often takes an unusually long time to announce Western releases for their Layton games, but with so many other niche games not leaving Japan, you can’t blame me for being nervous. It didn’t help that Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies is only getting a digital release, and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth 2 never got translated at all. But lo and behold, during the latest Nintendo Direct, they finally confirmed that the US (and it turns out also Europe) will be getting this crossover game in 2014. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Ace Attorney, Capcom, Level-5, Nintendo Direct, Phoenix Wright, Professor Layton
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 7, 2013 in Videogames 
So far we only knew that Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske, and Millia Rage were returning for Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, the long awaited proper sequel to whatever the last Guilty Gear X2 update was. Now four more characters have been confirmed to be returning to the game: Chipp Zanuff, May, Venom, and Potemkin. There are no new characters yet, but Potemkin’s design does look quite different from how he used to look. See his new art for yourself below. Read more…
Tags: Arcade Games, Guilty Gear
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 7, 2013 in Cinema 
Disney’s 2011 Muppets reboot was surprisingly great, so here comes the sequel: Muppets Most Wanted, on track for release on March 21, 2014. The new film prominently stars Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, and Tina Fey, alongside the usual cast, of course. In fact, lots of people are returning, including the director, producers, cinematographer, composer, and co-writer. The only major creative force not returning besides the actors is Jason Segel, who also co-wrote The Muppets. The previous film was a passion project for Segel, and you can tell from how enthusiastic he was about the whole thing. Since he declined to work on the sequel, here’s hoping that the rest of the crew can keep the spirit. But enough of that, check out the teaser! Read more…
Tags: Disney, The Muppets
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 6, 2013 in Anime 
I’m still a little surprised that Sailor Moon is poised to make a comeback after so many years of laying low. But there’s a new anime on the way this winter after a delay from its original air date this summer. This anime apparently won’t be a remake of the original anime, but will instead take a different direction. This could mean that it will simply interpret the original manga in a different way, or it could mean a new story. The makers are still figuring some things out, since there are no voice actresses confirmed, not even for main character Usagi (Serena for you American fans). Read more…
Tags: Sailor Moon
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 6, 2013 in Star Wars, Television 
People have been waiting on a live-action Star Wars TV series for years. (Anyone remember this old Penny Arcade comic joking about what it would be like?) Supposedly, George Lucas wanted to hold off on making it until visual effects technology had improved even further. But now that Disney owns Lucasfilm and Lucas is out of the picture, it seems like the main obstacle is out of the way. Disney also owns ABC, which has reached out to Lucasfilm to discuss making a Star Wars TV series of some sort. Read more…
Tags: Disney, Star Wars
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 5, 2013 in Anime, Hobbies and Collections 
Attack on Titan has been a runaway success of an anime, so thus there must be merchandising opportunities everywhere. However, none might be as cute or pudgy as this one: a Nendoroid figure of the Colossal Titan. While a Colossal Titan Nendoroid is pretty cool on its own, it also comes with a model of the wall and surrounding houses, along with two smaller titans and an assortment of humans to be devoured. You also get a steam effect piece as well – this model really has it all. You can now pre-order one so you’ll have your name in for the December release date. Read more…
Tags: Attack on Titan
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 4, 2013 in Dr. Who 
Looks like the popular fan predictions were correct: the next Doctor will be Peter Capaldi. The Scottish actor (best known for his role as Malcolm Tucker on The Thick of It) will take on the role of the intrepid Doctor. This isn’t really much of a surprise to many who were predicting Capaldi as the early favorite, but he’s a wonderful choice. Now I want to see the reactions of the younger Doctor Who fans who look up Capaldi’s compilations on YouTube from The Thick of It. That’ll be a blast. I still wanted someone a bit different for the Doctor though. Maybe next time around! So: with an older Doctor now, how will the show change in the future? Read more…
Tags: Peter Capaldi, Twelfth Doctor
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 4, 2013 in Animation, Fandom 
I’m gonna bet Pixar playing cards already exist. But you know what? They’re probably nowhere near as classy as these, by Chris Anderson. He has put together a very nice looking set of retro-style, 3 color playing cards focusing on Pixar’s various films. Emblazoned with the Pixar lamp on the front and the Toy Story ball on the back, these would be a fitting coffee table item in anyone’s home. I really love his renditions Remy and Woody – and they all fit together in a nice wooden carrying case. Pixar? Contact Chris and make these real. I’d buy these in a heartbeat. Check out more images below the jump and on his website! Read more…
Tags: Pixar, playing cards
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 4, 2013 in Cinema 
Ender’s Game has had its fair share of controversy hovering around the film, especially with Orson Scott Card’s disappointing remarks. I can’t really fault the crews or special effects teams who have poured tons of work into this movie though, so it’s quite the quandary. Still, the marketing team is doing their best to overcome the bad press, but their latest poster (and supposedly the final one) misses the mark a bit. “This is not a game” running right above the title “Ender’s Game” doesn’t exactly flow well. I imagine most readers of Fanboy have read Ender’s Game, so you can recognize the irony of the catchline. Read more…
Tags: Ender's Game
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 3, 2013 in Videogames 
EverQuest Next was announced roughly three years ago, and since then the team behind it has been silent. However, they have just re-unveiled the game and it has been completely overhauled. It looks very different visually, with improved graphics and a new art style, but perhaps most interesting is the gameplay changes. EverQuest Next has destructible terrain and custom-created tent villages. While it’s still an MMO, EverQuest Next Landmark (a free-to-play game to build and create objects to take into the game proper) has a heavy dose of Minecraft included in it, as you can collect supplies and build anything your heart desires with a voxel landscape. Everything in the two games is generated procedurally with no repeats. Could this be the MMO to finally shake up the age-old formula? Read more…
Tags: EverQuest Next
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 3, 2013 in Videogames 
QuakeCon is going on right now!I hadn’t heard of much news coming out of it, when suddenly Bethesda decided to liven things up a bit! They announced The Elder Scrolls Anthology, which includes all five main games in the series, as well as the add-on expansion packs. Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim are all featured, each on their own disc. The package also includes maps of each major location, which I’m sure would look good hanging up. It’ll arrive September 10th and run you $79.99. Does that seem worth it to you? Read more…
Tags: Elder Scrolls
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 2, 2013 in Videogames 
Get your wallets ready for a bunch of new games arriving via Steam Greenlight! After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, both Divekick and Papers, Please are finally arriving on Steam. Papers, Please puts you in the role of a border agent who can approve or reject any immigrants papers. It’s a fascinating look into a dark world of borders, immigration, and oppressive governments. It’ll arrive August 8th for $9.99. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Divekick is a fighting game that parodies fighting games and their community. You can only use two buttons: jump and divekick. And it’s amazing. I mean, there’s a Seth Killian character for crying out loud. Divekick will arrive August 20th for $9.99 as well. Buy both of these games! Read more…
Tags: Divekick, Indie Games, Papers, Please
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 2, 2013 in Dr. Who 
Will the long wait for Doctor Who fans finally be over? There have been rumors swirling that this Sunday a big Doctor Who announcement would happen, but nothing had confirmed it yet. Now, Metro.co.uk accidentally posted their article early (and then quickly pulled it), and the news is out: this Sunday, at 7pm UK time on BBC One, the twelfth Doctor will be announced (currently codenamed Houdini). Supposedly, no one knows who the next Doctor is aside from a select few, and many have been working with the twelfth Doctor without even realizing it. There are so many possibilities and rumors for who the next Doctor could be, but I suspect it will be someone a bit more unknown, as that has been their M.O. more. Read more…
Tags: BBC, Doctor Who, Twelfth Doctor
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 1, 2013 in Comic Books, Videogames 
It seems like you can’t get to the third game of a series without multiplayer being thrown in along the way. As rumored, Batman: Arkham Origins will have a multiplayer mode called “Invisible Predator.” It’s an eight-player mode that pits two three-person gangs against Batman and Robin. Basically, Bane’s gang and Joker’s gangs play a game of territories against each other. Along the way, they need to fend off Batman and Robin, who are using stealth tactics to take out the gangs. If certain gang members meet up at the right place, one of them can become Bane or Joker themselves, which grants bonuses and paints a bigger target on their backs. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Origins, DC Comics, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 1, 2013 in Cinema 
One of the major influences on Pacific Rim is that Japanese concept of giant monsters coming from the ocean to attack the city, something exemplified in Godzilla and later riffed on in media such as Neon Genesis Evangelion. How fitting is it then to see someone cut a Pacific Rim trailer in the vein of old Toho kaiju film trailers? The trailer even includes some of Godzilla’s classic score, which fits really well. If the effects were worse and the colors a bit more washed out, this would be spot-on, but it still works wonderfully as it is. What is it that makes big Japanese text tossed on top of images of monsters so cool? Read more…
Tags: Godzilla, Pacific Rim
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 31, 2013 in Videogames 
After much waiting, Irrational Games has finally revealed its DLC plans for game-of-the-year contender BioShock Infinite. Burial at Sea will be a two-chapter DLC that tells the story of an alternate reality Booker and Elizabeth who live not in Columbia, the city in the sky, but in Rapture, from the original BioShock, on the eve of is downfall. Unlike the first BioShock, which is set after the underwater city has torn itself apart, this story is at least partially set when the city is still functioning properly. It looks like a film noir story. But most enticingly is the fact that you will play the second chapter, set during the downfall, as Elizabeth, who will play much differently than Booker.
Burial at Sea hasn’t been dated yet, but I’d expect the first chapter to arrive later this year, with the second chapter stated to arrive by March 2014. Each chapter will cost $15, but those who paid $20 for the Season Pass DLC obviously get it for free.
In the meantime, there’s a new piece of DLC you can download right now: Clash in the Clouds. For $5 (or free if you have the Season Pass), you’ll get four arena maps with 60 challenges. It’s standard “horde” mode stuff where you fight waves and waves of enemies. Along the way, you can unlock new concept art, voxophones, kinetoscopes, and other materials in The Columbian Archeological Society. I’m not that astounded by this offering, but if you really enjoyed the main story’s combat, this will be another big dose of fighting.
Source: YouTube
Tags: BioShock, BioShock: Infinite, PS3, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 31, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
It’s always cool to see a movie early, so here’s something you might be interested in. Kick-Ass 2 has a few early screenings on Wednesday, August 14, as part of a Fan First screening program. Moviegoers in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Dallas can go to Fandango and buy tickets now. Fans will get special bonuses too, such as free snacks, a limited edition poster, and a free download of the song “No Strings” by Chloe Howl. Tickets are $25, and the way these things work, I’d imagine the tickets will go fast. So if you’re going to see Kick-Ass 2 and you live in or near one of those major cities, you might as well see it early and tell your friends! Read more…
Tags: kick-ass 2
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 30, 2013 in Videogames 
Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina are pokemon that control time, space, and antimatter, which is pretty powerful, as far as pokemon go. These were the box mascots for Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, the fourth generation of Pokemon games, and haven’t really been available outside of those games barring a special event in HeartGold and SoulSilver that not many players could access. Since they’re difficult to get in the current fifth generation and we’re on the edge of a sixth generation (Pokemon X & Y release on October 12), Nintendo will be giving them out free over the next few months. Even better, these are rare “shiny” versions, which means they have an alternate color scheme that is astoundingly rare to find without hacking! Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Pokémon
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