|
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 1, 2013 in Videogames 
Every year during Halloween, something special happens… something truly spooky! No, it’s not costumes and trick-or-treaters, it’s Team Fortress 2’s annual Scream Fortress event! Every year a map is transformed into a dark, spooky underworld where presents drop and candy reigns. This year they’ve adapted the Hightower map to become… Helltower. Also added are a new exclusive feature to this map: magic spells. Cast them at the opposite team to spook them out! Lastly, they added over 100 new community-made items, some of them even by people I know! All of those folks will be getting a cut of the money from those items sold, so if you decide to buy some items to dress up your character, know that you’re supporting real people! Now get out there and spook some folks! Read more…
Tags: Halloween, Team Fortress
Posted by Ben Huber on Nov 1, 2013 in Hobbies and Collections 
Now here’s an excellent adventurer to add to your collection: Max Factory’s figma version of Indiana Jones! At around 6-inches, this is one of the most poseable and detailed figures for that size. It of course features Indy in his distinctive hat, but it appears to be modeled onto his head and not removable, which is a shame. Also included are the various relics and artifacts he’s picked up in his adventure, like the Holy Grail and the golden idol. Since Figma parts are often interchangeable between figures, I can’t wait to see how people mix Indy in with the other figures Max Factor has made! Check out more images below, and pre-order it here or here. Read more…
Tags: Action Figures, Indiana Jones
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 31, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
With short previews for upcoming films attached to current films becoming more and more popular, Marvel has decided that stingers at the end of films just aren’t enough. If you decide to drop the extra cash to see Thor: The Dark World in 3D (out November 8), you’ll be able to enjoy five minutes of footage from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which won’t be out until April 4, 2014. It’s just a shame the footage won’t be attached to 2D showings, since I make a point of avoiding “3D” movies that were shot in 2D and converted in post (as opposed to the 3D cameras used in movies like Avatar). But if that doesn’t bother you and you want more Cap after that recent trailer, you’ve got the option. Read more…
Tags: 3D, captain america, Disney, Marvel, Thor: The Dark World
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 31, 2013 in Videogames 
If you’re a retro games enthusiast, chances are you’ve bought certain games more than once. Sonic the Hedgehog has been rereleased at least ten times in the last decade, between Virtual Console releases, cellphones, compilation discs, and more. Now you can add yet another rerelease to it, but at least this release has something new to offer. Sega recently converted several Genesis games into 3D for Japanese release on the 3DS. Not every game released on the system needs to be in 3D, especially retro games, but Nintendo and other companies have done so occasionally to offer a new reason to repurchase old classics. It was strange that the games were Japan-only, but now Sega has announced that all eight of them will be coming West before the end of the year. You’ve got Sonic, Ecco the Dolphin, Streets of Rage, Shinobi, and more to pick from. Check out the list below! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Sega, Sonic the Hedgehog
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 30, 2013 in Videogames 
Have you heard of this “walking dead” thing? If you’ve been living under a rock, The Walking Dead is a critically acclaimed comic series by Robert Kirkman that has been adapted into a very successful TV series on AMC. Last year, Telltale Games released a episodic adventure game called The Walking Dead: Season 1 that went on to win untold Game of the Year awards based on its strong design, writing, storytelling, and characters, despite competing with games with far bigger budgets. If you haven’t played it yet (or its short expansion 400 Days), go do that now before even thinking about watching what many fans have been waiting for: the reveal trailer for Season 2. Read more…
Tags: iOS, PS3, Telltale Games, The Walking Dead, Xbox 360, zombies
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 30, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
We’ve finally got a trailer for X-Men: Days of Future Past, the sequel to X-Men: First Class that promises to unite the cast of the original trilogy with their younger selves (and probably create a new unified timeline without those pesky contradictions). Bryan Singer, the director of the first two films as well as a producer/story contributor of X2 and First Class, is again directing and producing the film, which should give some hope to those burned by X-Men: The Last Stand. The plot involves Wolverine being sent back to his younger self (still played by Hugh Jackman, on account of the whole “not aging” thing) to help ensure the survival of both time periods. It’s looking like a fun flick that hopefully won’t go up its own ass with time travel nitty-gritty. Read more…
Tags: 20th Century Fox, Marvel, X-Men
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 29, 2013 in Videogames 
Here’s a weird game that you probably won’t get to play. Akiba’s Trip 2 is set in Akihabara, one of the geekiest places in Tokyo. However, demons have invaded, so what do you do? That’s right, you punch and kick the clothes off of demons to expose them to sunlight. And if some of those demons are girls/are possessing girls (it’s hard to tell) and you see them in their underwear, so much the better, it seems. You can also visit over 130 real shops from the area. Akiba’s Trip 2 will be released in Japan on November 7, with no plans for an international release, which should come as no shock to anyone. Of course, it could still come to America, as stranger things have been released. Just don’t get your hopes up! Read more…
Tags: Playstation Vita, PS3
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 29, 2013 in Animation, Comic Books 
It looks like Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox really was a way for DC to reboot their animated universe, which has lately been a way for them to just animate movies of whatever storylines they want without much care for overall continuity or consistency. But just like Flashpoint led into The New 52 in the comics, it’s leading into a new origin story for the Justice League in Justice League: War, their next animated movie due out sometime in 2014. Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Justice League, Warner Brothers
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 28, 2013 in Videogames 
Here’s a cool-looking indie game… and it’s not even on Kickstarter! Yet. Paradise Lost: First Contact is a sweet indie game that has a silly title. You play as the monster in a space base and you get to terrify and mutilate the various denizens however you wish as you try to escape. I really like the conceit of playing as the thing that goes bump in the night, and trying to find your way out while using your various alien abilities. The pixel art is also pretty neat. The game will be going up on Kickstarter soon and is on Greenlight now. Check out the trailer below! Read more…
Tags: Indie Games
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 28, 2013 in Videogames 
Star Citizen continues to look like one of the coolest games on the horizon, and it barely even has much of a game yet. They have, however, debuted a new ship called the Hornet F7C which is their premiere dogfighting ship. If you want you can pledge early and get this ship in-game when it arrives. This new commercial is a faux ad set in the future that shows you all the cool features of the Hornet — and how good it is at dodging asteroids. I’m enjoying these in-universe ads because they help set the tone for the game. Check out the video below. Read more…
Tags: Star Citizen
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 27, 2013 in Hobbies and Collections 
How do you make the perfect scary decoration for your Halloween party? What about ditching that silly light-up pumpkin and going with a flying ghost with glowing red eyes? I’d say that’s a good deal cooler. And scarier! Those trick-or-treaters won’t know what hit ’em. YouTube user Alton Porter found a light ghost and skull decoration, wired the LED lights to his quadcopter, and took flight! The result is an evil-eyed ghost that will be sure to get a few people to drop their bags of candy in fright. It looks easy enough to build your own, and that’s what is tempting me the most…! Read more…
Tags: Halloween
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 27, 2013 in Cinema 
Did you know Mr. Peabody is getting his own movie? Yup, Dreamworks has been working on the film for a while now, which is being directed by Lion King co-director Rob Minkoff. The movie is, of course, based on the Peabody’s Improbable History segments from Rocky & Bullwinkle. This time, though, it is its own entity and features original storylines and new characters. They’ve also (obviously) had to get different voice actors, which don’t seem to quite fit. That said, I’m still interested in this film, and if it actually does history right, then I’ll have no problem with some other changes. Watch the trailer here! Read more…
Tags: Cartoons, Dreamworks
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 26, 2013 in Star Wars 
Some strange changes are happening in the Star Wars world: Michael Arndt, the scriptwriter for Episode VII, has been taken off the project. Reports are saying that JJ Abrams is tossing out the entire script and wants serious changes to the story. Instead, he and Lawrence Kasdan will be writing a new script. This is dangerous territory to be in for a film that’s supposed to shoot in a few months. I’m happy to see Kasdan on scripting duties now, but I wonder what Abrams hated in the original script so much? I hope Disney just delays it, rather than rush to get it out by their Christmas 2015 date. Read more…
Tags: Episode VII
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 26, 2013 in Anime 
Yes, you read that right. Shinichiro Watanabe’s new anime series, Space Dandy (about a dandy man in space) will air on Cartoon Network a day before the show airs in Japan! Not only that, it will be dubbed! What a massive undertaking. CN’s Toonami block will be expanded along with it and the first episode will air January 4th at 11:30pm. That’s really impressive that FUNimation was able to pull together a dub that fast as well as airing it before the Japanese premiere. I hope this does well for everyone involved, because I’d love to see more of this in the future! Read more…
Tags: Cartoon Network, Space Dandy
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 25, 2013 in Cinema 
Are you excited for the next Captain America film? I wasn’t too interested until this trailer showed up — and now my interest is piqued. We’re back in the modern day now, and Cap is working with SHIELD, so we’re getting a hefty dose of Nick Fury and Black Widow too. It feels like they’re doing a bit more with the setup, especially with Cap expressing his doubts about how SHIELD is functioning and their role in protecting people. If that’s actually an important theme of the film and not just lip-service, I’ll be very pleased. Take a look at the full trailer after the jump! Read more…
Tags: captain america, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 25, 2013 in Comic Books 
Some superpowers are really silly. We all joke about Ant-Man or Squirrel Girl, but in the end, we like those heroes because of their character, not necessarily their superpowers. But what if you saw someone hating on a popular superhero’s powers. Like say, Wolverine. I’m sure you could come up with some ways to make fun of even fan favorites, like Gambit! Well, that’s exactly what the Pete Holmes Show is doing, with their Ex-Men series. I feel like Holmes is trying to own the “geek humor” market. At least he seems to have a genuine appreciation for the original works! Watch the clips below. Read more…
Tags: Comedy, X-Men
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 24, 2013 in Television 
The wait is almost over for Sherlock fans. There hasn’t been a new episode (really, more like a new 90-minute movie) since May 2012 (or January 2012 if you watched the British broadcast like me). But now we know when season three is airing, at least in the US. The first of the three new episodes will air on January 19 at 10PM on PBS’s Masterpiece anthology program. Of course, the episodes will likely be out there before that, as the BBC does have first airing rights. While the BBC hasn’t announced their premiere dates, they will be sometime before PBS airs the episodes, possibly airing even by the end of 2013. Read more…
Tags: BBC, PBS, Sherlock Holmes
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 24, 2013 in Videogames 
For years now, people have been saying that Mario is old and predictable. While some of the New Super Mario Bros. sub-series games are well-made, it’s safe to say that they’re all unsurprising with what they do. But if you haven’t seen anything about it yet, watch the latest Japanese trailer for Super Mario 3D World, the Wii U sort-of sequel to the 3DS’s Super Mario 3D Land. It’s made by the same team that made Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel, two of the best Mario games in the last decade. The game marries the 3D Mario games with elements from the 2D games, and it looks fantastic. Plus, it has a ton of power-ups and items, offering many different gameplay mechanics. The whole thing just looks magical and fun in the way that only Nintendo can be. Hopefully it sells some Wii U units when it releases on November 22! Read more…
Tags: Mario Brothers, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 23, 2013 in Videogames 
The latest trailer for Killzone: Shadow Fall on PS4 is out, and it’s all about the story. I admittedly haven’t ever played a Killzone game, but it’s usually not hard to understand these plots. After the events of Killzone 3 killed off a bunch of the Helghast (the guys that look like Space Nazis), there are a bunch of Helghast refugees sharing space with non-Helghast in a city divided by a giant wall. So basically, it’s the Cold War in space. What’s more important to me is that the game looks gorgeous. Watch this trailer and be amazed at how good things look. And this is just a PS4 launch title — just wait until this generation really gets going a few years from now! Read more…
Tags: Killzone, PS4
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 23, 2013 in Videogames 
Respawn Entertainment’s highly-anticipated next-gen shooter Titanfall has finally been dated. What seemed like a possible launch title for Xbox One slipped back and is now confirmed to be released on March 11, 2014 in North America, with a March 13, 2014 release date in Europe. The game is not only coming out on Xbox One, but also PC and Xbox 360, though I think the 360 version won’t be purchased as much. But are you somehow going to have some spare money after the new console launches this fall? Then Respawn is offering you an expensive Titanfall collector’s edition. Read more…
Tags: Titanfall, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 22, 2013 in Videogames 
Were you aware that the first PlayStation console launched in the West in 1995? Yep, besides the December 1994 Japanese release date, it’s been 18 years since Sony fully entered the console market after Nintendo’s tragic betrayal. Sony Europe made this great video that shows several people growing up with PlayStation products throughout the years. While it’s a little unusual that this guy has lived in the same room for 18 years, I guess it’s still plausible now that the economy has forced recent graduates to delay moving out of their parents’ home. Read more…
Tags: Playstation Vita, PS2, PS3, PS4, PSP, Sony
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 22, 2013 in Cinema 
Evil Dead reboot director Fede Alvarez has said that Sam Raimi is trying to make a sequel to Army of Darkness, the third film in the original trilogy starring Bruce Campbell. While that is tantalizing, it’s far from official. However, at Wizard World Nashville Comic Con, Campbell came out with his own confirmation. Though he joked at first about nothing happening for over 22 years and how Ash might have to fight deadites with a walker and cane, he finally responded “Alright sir, the answer is yes” to the question of whether Army of Darkness 2 would happen. Read more…
Tags: bruce campbell, Evil Dead, zombies
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 21, 2013 in Videogames 
Since its release a few days ago, The Stanley Parable has quickly gained momentum. It’s a delightfully unique game that breaks a lot of conventions and preconceptions you might have about video games. You start out confused, wondering what in the world is going on, and why is this narrator constantly talking to you? But as you explore and discover more, things become more clear — and more interesting. This isn’t a game that you “win.” There’s no “perfect” ending. Instead, you play it multiple times, going different ways each time and figuring out how to make strange new things happen. Trust me, saying too much would spoil it: just buy this amazing game. If you’re not sold on it though, try the free demo, which is completely unique content from the main game and gives you a better idea of how things will work. Read more…
Tags: Steam, The Stanley Parable
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 21, 2013 in Videogames 
Oh no, it’s another video game Kickstarter! You’ve got to have some really creative to make people pay attention nowadays… it’s seems SCALE might have that spark. SCALE is an adventure and puzzle game in a first-person perspective — but the hook is that anything can be made larger or smaller with your device. You can shrink a house so you can pick it up and toss it, or make an animal so large you can escape via its digestive system. The in-game story seems equally crazy: you play as inventor Penny Prince who has been arrested for 9,322,591 counts of Depraved Heart Murder for accidentally destroying the east coast. And they’ve confiscated her cat. Now it’s time to escape and rescue her cat! Watch the pitch video below. Read more…
Tags: Kickstarter
|
|
