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Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 17, 2014 in Videogames 
When American Nintendo fans heard they were getting Club Nintendo way back in 2008, we had good reason to be excited. The customer loyalty program offered Japanese players tons of rare Nintendo collectibles that could only be earned by spending coins gained with every Nintendo purchase. But while some interesting products were announced, it never lived up to its promise. Over time, the focus became less on physical items and more on downloadable games. It’s not that the games were bad, but it seemed pointless to spend the equivalent of $200 worth of coins on a digital download you could buy yourself for $5-10; physical items were actually worth it, but they’ve become deemphasized, culminating in this year’s elite prize. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 17, 2014 in Animation, Comic Books 
Batman: The Animated Series had a sharp, yet moody art style, ripe for exploration. Mondo, known mainly for their limited edition posters of classic movies, has done that with a new series of record sleeves. The 7-inch record sleeves will come in five varieties, featuring Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, Clayface, Man-Bat, and naturally the Joker. And of course, there will be a small 7-inch vinyl record inside with the show’s theme music pressed onto it. The records are colored as well, to match the sleeves. You can buy them at Mondo’s booth (#835) starting on San Diego Comic Con’s Preview Night, to celebrate Batman’s 75th anniversary. Check out more below! Read more…
Tags: Art, Batman
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 16, 2014 in Comic Books 
Due to story events, Thor is no longer worthy to wield Mjolnir, so a new character is taking over the mantle and wielding the mighty hammer in the comics. But for the first time, that character will be female. It’s easy for sexists to complain about this, but I think there are other reasons this is a poor decision. Let me try to unpack why Marvel’s good intentions aren’t necessarily right. Read more…
Tags: Marvel, thor
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 16, 2014 in Comic Books, Television 
Gotham is set before Batman emerges, so the upcoming TV series has a chance to show supervillains before they actually become supervillains. We’ve seen various characters confirmed for the show, but so far, no Joker. You could assume it’s because they might want to leave him out, since Batman is often credited with accidentally creating his most persistent nemesis. But the Joker didn’t always originate from Batman in every origin story, so in this show’s continuity, he could spring from anywhere. Apparently that’s what Gotham will be playing up. Read more…
Tags: Batman, DC Comics, Gotham
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 15, 2014 in Videogames 
Masahiro Sakurai has said we’re nearing the end of new character announcements for Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U (or at least new characters they feel like announcing that aren’t a surprise unlockable). The latest trailer adds two more Fire Emblem characters from Fire Emblem Awakening, joining previous fighters Marth and Ike. For the first time, you’ll be able to play as Robin (the main character) and choose whether the character is male or female, just like in the game. Lucina is also joining the fray. Meanwhile, Captain Falcon will be a returning character, having appeared in every previous Smash Bros. game. It’s all looking good, but I wouldn’t mind even more new character announcements by the time the game is out! Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo, Super Smash Bros., Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 15, 2014 in Dr. Who, Television 
No more of pussy-footing around with a single shot with a strobe light! With the series 8 premiere of Doctor Who right around the corner — August 23 — the BBC has seen fit to release a trailer with actual content in it! The tone seems a bit darker, but we do have a new, older Twelfth Doctor played by Peter Capaldi, so this is a chance for a new direction. Plus: dinosaurs and Daleks! This season looks exciting, so waiting a month is going to be quite difficult. Read more…
Tags: Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 10, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
Sega is putting fans of Alien in a very awkward position right now. They’re publishing Alien: Isolation, a game that promises to emulate the first movie’s horror and tension instead of taking its cues from Aliens. Now, you can pre-order anywhere and get upgraded to the Nostromo Edition, which includes a bonus mission, “Crew Expendable.” The mission will feature Sigourney Weever and other original cast from the film and let you play as Ellen Ripley, Dallas, or Parker as they try to lure the xenomorph to the airlock after Brett’s death. If you preorder from Gamestop, you also get “Last Survivor,” which has Ripley trying to escape on the Narcissus during the film’s climax. Those missions sound great, but that’s not the problem. Read more…
Tags: Alien, Alien: Isolation, Sega
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 9, 2014 in Cinema 
Technically, Scarlett Johansson looks deadly without a gun, but in this clip from Luc Besson’s Lucy, she’s using a gun to escape captivity. What follows is some very efficient shooting, probably because she’s using more than 10% of her brain. (You know, that old pseudo-scientific concept that’s been disproven over and over again, but whatever.) It looks like what I imagine the auto-lock slow-motion feature in some videogame shooters looks like, where time slows and you pick several targets to shoot instantly with no need for aiming. Will she be this cool the rest of the movie? I liked Leon: The Professional, but I disliked The Fifth Element, so I’m not sure about how much I should get excited for Lucy. Read more…
Tags: Science Fiction, Superheroes
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 9, 2014 in Videogames 
Gearbox isn’t just working on more Borderlands games. Their latest announcement is Battleborn, an FPS that mixes MOBA elements (think DOTA or League of Legends) into its co-op campaign. Battleborn has a science fantasy style with lots of colorful visuals, taking a page from Borderlands‘ avoidance of the usual FPS grittiness. The game is releasing for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but the date is unknown; the only estimate we have is sometime before the end of Take Two’s next fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2016. Read more…
Tags: Gearbox, MOBA
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 9, 2014 in Cinema 
Though author J.K. Rowling has no plans to write any more Harry Potter novels, that doesn’t preclude spin-offs and short stories. Her latest addition to the Potter world is a continuation of her stories about the 2014 Quidditch World Cup Finals, posted on Pottermore. This latest story actually focuses on Harry Potter himself — now with “threads of silver” in his hair — reuniting with his friends, albeit written from the point of view of sensationalist reporter Rita Skeeter. If you’re a member of Pottermore, you can read the story (and many others) on that site, but for the rest of us, The Today Show has you covered. Read more…
Tags: harry potter
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 8, 2014 in Comic Books, Television 
Looks like DC is hiring back Brandon Routh after kind of ruining his career with Superman Returns. The actor will appear in the third season of Arrow as the new owner of Queen Consolidated. However, he won’t be donning a red and blue outfit again. This time, he’ll be playing Ray Palmer, a scientist and inventor better known to fans as The Atom, DC’s shrinking superhero. It’s nice to see Routh get any roles these days, because he’s still a good actor. The last thing I saw him in was Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, which he was great in. Maybe this role could get expanded in the future beyond this season? Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Green Arrow
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 8, 2014 in Videogames 
You can’t have a new, big-budget IP without also offering a collector’s edition for all those hardcore fans of a game they’ve never played! I kid, but as expected, Bungie’s Destiny will have a collector’s edition and a more expensive collector’s edition, if paying $60 for the base game is too cheap for you. The Ghost Edition will run you $150 and includes the following: the game in a steelbook case, a field manual with “handwritten” notes, an “antique” star chart, a Guardian folio, four “Golden Age” postcards, the Destiny expansion pass (worth $35; gives you the first two expansions), some Collector’s Edition skin DLC, and a life-size replica of the Ghost robot (including lights and voice clips by Peter Dinklage). This version will supposedly be very limited. Read more…
Tags: Bungie, Destiny
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 3, 2014 in Videogames 
Just how much of a difference does an HD remaster make? Take a look at this video for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX, the second of two compilations that collect all but one of the currently-released Kingdom Hearts games. While you won’t see much improvement in textures, everything looks very crisp in a higher, widescreen resolution, with some models having much more “pop.” One of the bigger draws is the additional content in the previous Japan-only “Final Mix” versions of Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. Note that Sora is wearing a Tim Burton-esque Santa outfit in The Nightmare Before Christmas‘s Christmas Town, as opposed to continuing to wear his Halloween Town outfit like he did in the original North American release. All in all, looking good, but it’s a shame the game’s not coming out until this fall. Read more…
Tags: Disney, Kingdom Hearts, PS3, square enix
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 3, 2014 in Anime, Cinema 
Just because Hayao Miyazaki has retired from directing doesn’t mean Studio Ghibli won’t be making new films. While we’re still waiting for GKIDS to release The Tale of Princess Kaguya in the US, Ghibli’s next film is coming out on July 19, 2014 in Japan. Called When Marnie Was There, it’s based on the novel of the same name by Joan G. Robinson. It tells the story of Anna, a young girl with no friends, who meets another girl named Marnie in a house across the marsh. One day, Marnie vanishes, and a new family moves into the house. Anna soon learns there’s more to Marnie than what she thought she knew. I’m interested in seeing this, but I suppose we won’t be seeing this movie until Princess Kaguya comes out this fall. Still, it looks wonderfully atmospheric! Read more…
Tags: Studio Ghibli
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 2, 2014 in Videogames 
As long as the characters are balanced, offering additional characters as DLC for a fighting game can be a good way to extend playability. It’s a bit weird when that DLC is available at the launch of a new version (with new characters) of a previous fighting game, though. Perhaps to head off any complaints about money-grubbing, Atlus USA has announced in their newsletter that the Adachi DLC character for the upcoming Persona 4 Arena Ultimax will be free for a week after launch. You don’t even need to own the game yet, as you can download Adachi from Xbox Live or PSN during the free period. I’ll spare any further discussion which could spoil Persona 4‘s story and say that not only is this good, but that I also approve of Adachi’s alt-color that’s shown above. He belongs to the Jester arcana, so a Joker palette seems appropriate.
Tags: Atlus, Persona 4
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 2, 2014 in Cinema 
I thought the whole point of the latest reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise was to show the entire rise of a planet ruled by apes. But all of the good stuff in Rise of the Planet of the Apes was right at the end (or in the credits!), and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is skipping over a lot of the first movie’s tumultuous aftermath. So I can understand the appeal of Fox and Vice releasing three prequels to Dawn, collectively titled Before the Dawn. The three short films depict the outbreak of Simian Flu one, five, and ten years after Rise. But why aren’t any of these events being put into the film series? This is like talking up how good Halo‘s story is when all the plot and details are in books, not the games. Read more…
Tags: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Planet of the Apes
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 1, 2014 in Television 
It seems that “six seasons and a movie” is still a possibility for Community. When NBC declined to renew the critically-acclaimed yet ratings-deficient series, it seems that the aforementioned meme would finally be killed off. But on the last day before the actors’ contracts expired, Yahoo stepped in to renew the series for its sixth season. Creator Dan Harmon, producer Chris McKenna, and the regular cast will all return. Yahoo is trying to ramp up its original content, and snagging the next season of a cult show guarantees them a built-in audience for their service. The question now is whether or not Community will continue beyond this sixth season. Will the series do well enough for Yahoo to host a seventh season? Or will Community get its predestined movie? Read more…
Tags: Community, Yahoo!
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 1, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
It’s not just Star Wars Episode VII that motion-capture performer Andy Serkis is appearing in. Just as his company The Imaginarium is helping out that film, it’s also working on The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Serkis is specifically working with Mark Ruffalo, who needs mocap to actually become the Hulk. Supposedly, newer techniques will offer Ruffalo “ownership” of the character, though I was certainly satisfied with his performance in The Avengers. But Serkis isn’t just a consultant: he’ll also be appearing in the film in some capacity. Though he does not specify whether he is performing a mocap character or acting with his own appearance, Serkis doesn’t draw a distinction. It’s still interesting to speculate who he could be! Read more…
Tags: Andy Serkis, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 26, 2014 in Videogames 
Valiant Hearts: The Great War is out now, and Ubisoft has put out one last trailer to persuade you to download the game. The game is set during World War I and features hand-drawn 2D graphics, so there’s lots of war-torn battlefields to explore while you’re getting hit in the feels over and over again. I bet that dog in the trailer is going to die, because that’s just the sort of thing these games do. Don’t get me wrong, Valiant Hearts looks great, but it’s a little strange the way games have been ramping up the canine companions to add more emotional content to a story. Read more…
Tags: Ubisoft
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 26, 2014 in Animation, Videogames 
The Legend of Korra is often compared to its anime influences, so it makes sense that Japanese developer Platinum Games has announced a game based on the popular cartoon. Platinum is known for its action games, and that’s what they’re delivering with this downloadable game published by Activision. The game is set between the second and third seasons, so Korra has access to all four elements in combat. The game is releasing this fall for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. (A turn-based strategy game made by Webfoot Technologies will release on 3DS.) The teaser shows that the graphics maintain the colorful look the show, so it looks great.
Read more…
Tags: avatar: the last airbender, Platinum Games, The Legend of Korra
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 25, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Okay, so there’s a lot of horrible things about the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Michael Bay is producing it, the CGI turtles’s faces look creepy, and the whole thing looks very overblown. But you know what? The turtles themselves still look like a fun crew of outcasts, and ideally, they’ll be the heart of the film. I’m skeptical that they will be with the way Bay tended to make the Transformers guest stars in their own film series, but at least it doesn’t seem like you can keep the turtles down. And at least it seems like they’ve got a sense of humor about the original concept for the film, where the turtles were aliens instead of, you know, mutants, because they mock that idea at the end of the trailer. Read more…
Tags: Michael Bay, Teenage Ninja Turtles
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 25, 2014 in Anime 
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a manga that has been running in Weekly Shonen Jump and Ultra Jump since 1986, spanning generations of the Joestar family having fights with bad guys and doing fabulous poses. The most popular portion is the third part, Stardust Crusaders, which is the only part of the manga released in America, as well as a partial anime OVA adaptation and a fighting videogame. So despite tons of content, most of the story has never seen an official release outside of Japan. But with a currently-running anime adaptation in Japan that started at the very beginning, that may change, especially due to a new announcement.
Read more…
Tags: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 24, 2014 in Videogames 
While I’m happy with my PS4, I don’t think anyone would say it’s worth buying for its amount of unique exclusives right now. There’s plenty coming up, and I’ve been preferring to buy my third-party games on the system due to the controller and slight graphical boost. But for now, one of the best exclusives is the downloadable indie game Resogun. The Defender-like game just got a big update, adding the ability to play the game in local co-op with your friends. You can now also edit your ship to look however you want (provided it can be put together with voxels). The developers even added the ability to share and download ships online. Read more…
Tags: PS4
Posted by Bob Muir on Jun 24, 2014 in Cinema, Star Wars 
It sounds like Harrison Ford’s recent injury may be worse than initially reported. The man who plays Han Solo was injured by a hydraulic door over a week ago while shooting Star Wars Episode VII. While initial reports stated it was a sprained ankle, it turns out that his leg was broken. That’s bad news, considering the actor is rumored to be the main lead in Episode VII, or at least to play a major part. Now rumors are swirling at Pinewood Studios of an emergency meeting to discuss what to do with a film that is due for release on December 18, 2015. Reportedly, the options being considered are rewriting Ford’s scenes, rewriting the whole script to reduce his role, or delaying the film. Read more…
Tags: Disney, Episode VII, Han Solo, Harrison Ford, Star Wars
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