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Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 2, 2014 in Videogames 
Those lovable Servbots from Mega Man Legends are always getting pushed around, but in this short, at least one of them finally gets a fighting chance. Animator ultimatemaverickx has imagined a scenario in which a Servbot gets a hold of the Model X armor from Mega Man ZX. He transforms, gaining a Mega Buster, and can take on enemies himself! It’s a cute animation, but it reminded me of something: why don’t we have Servbot LEGOs yet? It seems like a no-brainer! Read more…
Tags: Mega Man
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 2, 2014 in Videogames 
The first bit of “story” DLC in Batman: Arkham Origins wasn’t that impressive, since it was just Bruce Wayne training with ninjas in what are basically just challenge rooms. The next campaign looks more interesting though. We don’t have a name yet, but Warner Brothers is “inviting” gamers to Gotham’s Humanitarian of the Year Awards at Wayne Manor. We’ve got an award statue, a diamond, and a lot of ice, which means Mr. Freeze might be involved. Senior Producer Ben Mattes hints that this DLC “focus on one of the most key relationships in Batman canon,” so maybe it’s Freeze’s relationship with his wife, or his relationship with Batman. Either way, hopefully it’s more interesting than that last DLC. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Origins, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 1, 2014 in Fandom, Videogames 
Pokemon are usually a bit more cuddly thanks to their cartoon style, but I love attempts to show what they’d look like in a realistic-looking world. Sam Yang tried reimagining Mewtwo, already one of the cooler pokemon, if he was actually made by scientists in our world. Not only is he more buff, but it seems that he needs some cybernetic enhancements just to function, as they’re sticking out of him in various places. Maybe he can’t live without the enhancements because the scientists weren’t talented enough to make a fully working clone of Mew? Whatever the reason, this is a version of pokemon I’d love to see in action. Read more…
Tags: Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 1, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
New Year’s Eve means news is light, but Marvel decided to give fans a little present with the first still from Guardians of the Galaxy. You’ve got five characters standing in this line-up: Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), and Groot (Vin Diesel). I for one love the fact that Marvel has decided to spend money on hiring someone really big like Diesel to voice a walking tree that only says his name. I’m curious how Chris Pratt does in the role of Peter Quill though, a.k.a. Star-Lord. I keep worrying I’ll just see his character Andy from Parks and Recreation. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 31, 2013 in Cinema 
Dead Snow was a fun, campy movie about Nazi zombies in Norway. It was never going to win many awards (especially in subtitle-adverse America), but it was certainly worth a watch. Now the sequel is on its way: Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead. It’s not going to be just more of the same, though. One of the survivors lost his arm, and one of the Nazi zombies lost his arm. Apparently the doctor didn’t notice that the Nazi arm was dead, because he reattached it to the survivor, meaning we’ve got that wonderful cliche of the evil hand on a good guy’s body. And from this first teaser trailer, it looks like the good guy can use it to dish out some serious damage. It looks like more campy fun, and I’d definitely like to see the finished product. Read more…
Tags: zombies
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 31, 2013 in Television 
In Parks and Recreation‘s latest season, accountant Ben Wyatt is unemployed for a week between jobs and comes up with a ridiculously complicated board game called The Cones of Dunshire. It was actually produced for the show based on the script by Mayfair Games, who makes The Settlers of Catan, which this game is trying to evoke. I loved the joke because it reminded me of times when I’d have to try and explain other complicated board games like Arkham Horror to neophytes and watching their eyes glaze over — or times when I felt the same way trying to understand someone else’s board game. Apparently the numerous rules have been ironed out somewhat, as the game will be staged at GenCon this summer in Indianapolis. Mayfair notes that it will be “big and festive and probably for charity,” hoping that Adam Scott, the actor who plays Ben, can make it there for “his” game. I’d just like to figure out how the hell it’s actually played, because nothing he said in the episode made sense. Read more…
Tags: Board Games, parks and recreation
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 26, 2013 in Videogames 
Nintendo’s “Year of Luigi” — celebrating 30 years of both the original Mario Bros. and Mario’s younger brother Luigi — was a great success. With Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, New Super Luigi U, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Luigi Bros. in Super Mario 3D World, Dr. Luigi on December 31, and tons of merchandise, I’m almost Luigi-ed out. Nendoroid finally revealed their Luigi Nendoroid, and it’s adorable. It won’t be available by the time 2013 ends, but I suppose Club Nintendo’s Luigi statue won’t be available either. It comes with a Goomba, Bullet Bill, warp pipe, dust cloud, 2 extra faces, and running legs. Plus, look at his big head! Read more…
Tags: Mario Brothers, Nendoroid, Nintendo, Toys
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 26, 2013 in Tech 
Sometimes I have difficulty really seeing optical illusions. My brain will just break the image down and I’ll see how it works, or if it’s one of those hidden image things, I can never cross my eyes just right. But this T-Rex Illusion by brusspup, based on a dragon illusion by Jerry Andrus, is just mind-boggling to me. The way it turns its head to keep looking at you had me thinking it was somehow mechanized. But no, it’s just a stationary cut-out, which you’ll realize near the end of this video. But even once you’ve seen the secret, your brain will likely snap it back into the illusion once the camera pans back around. Read more…
Tags: Magic
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 25, 2013 in Videogames 
Living in Los Angeles, I can attest to the fact that we barely get any sort of bad weather, much less snow. But Grand Theft Auto V‘s similar setting, Los Santos, is getting a winter make-over, along with various holiday treats. If you’re reading this on Christmas Day, you can hop into Grand Theft Auto Online and see the snow, which will also affect driving conditions. There are now special holiday items to buy such as Santa hats, snowman masks, and elf jackets, but they’re only available until January 5. There are new filters to use on your camera as you take selfies, as well as other additions like facial expressions, depth of field, and the ability to add text for easy meme pictures. And finally, some items like weapons and vehicles are up to 50% off, if you need to buy a gift for your online character or a friend. Read more…
Tags: Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 25, 2013 in Tech, Videogames 
The Legend of Equip Pants is a retro-styled adventure game that usually doesn’t feature any player death. But for Christmas, there’s a new episode called Panta Claus where you can die. The developer tracked some data about where players went and where they died, then compiled it into this animation of the level’s layout. It’s a Christmas tree! The green lines are where 2000 players went in the level, and the red lights are where they died 6000 times, or about 3 per playthrough. If dying over and over in order to give a faux-Christmas tree twinkling lights doesn’t fit the spirit of Christmas, then I don’t know what does. Read more…
Tags: Christmas
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 24, 2013 in Animation 
Craig McCracken’s The Powerpuff Girls was one of Cartoon Network’s best series. Beneath the pink-colored veneer was a wonderful action series with strong scripts and smart jokes. Cartoon Network is reviving the characters for a new special to be aired on Monday, January 20, 2014 at 7:30PM. Unfortunately, going by this new trailer, the whole thing is animated with unattractive CG, trying to give it a flat look. It’s also lacking vibrancy, like some of the color has been sucked out in the interest of making the world look more realistic. It could still be good, but it’s a shame that so many people seem to have practically abandoned 2D animation in favor of trying to do the same thing with CG. Read more…
Tags: Cartoon Network, Powerpuff Girls
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 24, 2013 in Videogames 
Sega bringing back Typing of the Dead with Typing of the Dead: Overkill (and including the original House of the Dead: Overkill as a bonus) on Steam was a pleasant surprise. Now that Lab Zero has to put out Skullgirls Encore to replace the version delisted by Konami, they’re including a typing mode too. Plug in a keyboard and you can play The Typing of the Skullgirls Encore. Type well to deal super moves with bonus damage, then type well to defend against an opponent’s super move. I love when companies toss in weird extra modes like this as a way to reuse a game’s assets while offering a different experience. Read more…
Tags: Skullgirls
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 19, 2013 in Videogames 
Everyone’s excited for the next console installment of The Legend of Zelda, which is in development for Wii U. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD was a great holdover while the game is in production, but it seems that there will be at least one more console Zelda in the meantime before we get to that game. Nintendo has announced Hyrule Warriors, a collaboration with Tecmo Koei, that is basically Dynasty Warriors, but with Link fighting classic Zelda enemies. It looks a bit more fluid than the usual Dynasty Warriors games I’ve played, though it’s still clearly a similar game. The name is tentative right now, and I’d imagine a lot could change, but not too much: the game is due out sometime in 2014. If it takes most of the year to be released, does this mean that we won’t be seeing the next main Zelda installment for Wii U until 2015? Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 19, 2013 in Videogames 
It seems Nintendo is taking inspiration from the fan-game Super Mario Crossover with their latest digital Wii U game. NES Remix offers short challenges based on classic NES games; it’s sort of like a longer, more expanded version of the retro segments of the WarioWare series. But besides regular challenges, they’re mixing it up with weird versions of the games, like Super Mario Bros. in silhouette, or playing as Link from The Legend of Zelda in the first level of Donkey Kong. It’s available now, right after it’s announcement, on the Wii U eShop. NES Remix will set you back $15, which seems a little steep for what is basically a series of creative ROM hacks, but knowing Nintendo, they probably put enough content in there to justify the cost. At least, I hope! Read more…
Tags: NES, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 18, 2013 in Videogames 
It’s a shame that Lab Zero’s Skullgirls has had so many problems. Being an indie fighting game designed by fighting game players already seemed risky, since it’s hard to launch new fighting games from unknown companies and get a community going. But of course, there are more and more problems. The latest one stems from co-publisher Konami, who Lab Zero dropped to only be published by Autumn Games because Konami was dragging their heels on additional DLC characters funded by fans on IndieGoGo. Because they’re no longer the publisher, they arranged to have it delisted from Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network by December 31 because their name is on it. But there’s still some good news. Read more…
Tags: PS3, Skullgirls, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 18, 2013 in Cinema 
“You shall not pass” is a great line from The Fellowship of the Ring that’s perhaps been used a bit too much over the years. It’s still not too old yet, though. Some Norwegians decided to stop a tram, complete with a fully-dressed Gandalf. But what’s cooler is what happens afterwards, as some other people are told to “fly, you fools.” If I was on that tram, I’d be laughing my ass off, no matter how late I was to work. I’d be slightly less enthused if I saw a Gollum cosplayer run across the tracks shortly after. That’s just creepy. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 17, 2013 in Videogames 
I’ve only had my PS4 copy of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag for a month, so it’s easy to forget that the game was out a bit earlier for last-gen systems. In that context, I suppose it’s not too strange that it’s getting its first story-based DLC today, after some previous multiplayer content. The DLC is called Freedom Cry, and it follows first mate Adewale in his quest to free slaves 15 years after the main game’s events. There are nine missions, and as a reminder, you get them for “free” if you purchased the Season Pass. The game is getting a great reception, so more content is good, but I’m more curious if they’ll make a sequel to this game, perhaps even separate from the Assassin’s Creed series proper. Read more…
Tags: Assassin's Creed, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 17, 2013 in Dr. Who, Television 
Humanity can fly with planes, helicopters, jetpacks, and more. But can we make a TARDIS fly? Flyonix is trying to make that happen. They made a styrofoam TARDIS, and it actually flew a bit! Sure, it’s not flying on its own, but let’s consider the 12 rotors to be TARDIS “training wheels.” It’s obviously not ready for human (or Time Lord) passengers, since I’m sure part of the reason it’s flying is because it’s light. But hey, maybe they can keep working on it, get it to support heavier loads, and then put a person inside! And then maybe work on the whole “bigger on the inside” bit so more people can fit in. And then get it to travel through time and relative dimensions in space… Read more…
Tags: Doctor Who, Tardis
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 16, 2013 in Animation, Cinema 
Frozen just came out, and Disney’s next animated film is Big Hero 6 in November 2014. But what everyone really wants to know is what’s planned for 2018? For those who are interested, Disney has announced what the movie is going to be: Moana. Disney is returning to the Pacific area they last explored in Lilo & Stich, though this time they’re venturing away from Hawaii and straight to Polynesia. But what will the film be about? Read more…
Tags: Disney
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 16, 2013 in Comic Books, Videogames 
People keep asking me why I prefer physical media in an increasingly digital world. Today, I get to give another reason why. Though they didn’t give a specific reason, Capcom has announced that Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will soon be delisted from Xbox Live and PSN, along with all related DLC. You won’t be able to purchase them digitally after December 17 (North American PSN), December 19 (European PSN), or December 26 (global Xbox Live). Anyone who has previously purchased the games and DLC will still be able to redownload the games from their download history if need be. While there are still physical copies of UMvC3 out there, there will be no way to buy any extra characters or costumes for it, while the HD version of MvC2 will disappear completely.
And this is the reason why I not only prefer having physical copies of games, but also am wary of DLC and digital-only games. I recognize the boon digital releases have been for indie developers or smaller games from big-budget publishers, because many of those games might never be made and released at all if they needed a physical release. But the idea of this content becoming inaccessible in the future due to whatever reason — I’d imagine that Capcom can’t justify the cost of renewing Marvel’s license — just plain sucks for consumers who may want to purchase these games in the future after hearing about them from a friend.
And even if you have already purchased the content and downloaded it to your hard drive, what happens down the road when this iteration of Xbox Live and PSN are taken offline? After Microsoft shut down Xbox Live for original Xbox consoles, any DLC for those games became forever lost and no longer available to redownload. What happens when your hard drive inevitably fails in the future and you need to redownload unlicensed content from a service that is no longer running?
Many gamers probably won’t care and might put down money for a future rerelease, such as the soon-unavailable HD version of MvC2, which made the game affordable and accessible to those who couldn’t acquire a copy of the original releases from 2000 to 2003. But for those who care about the preservation of these works for future generations to enjoy, the whole thing is nothing but a headache.
Source: Kotaku
Tags: Capcom, Marvel, PS3, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 15, 2013 in Cinema 
If you’re a geek, chances are you’ve seen Leonard Nimoy singing “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.” Feeling that it needed an update, IGN has persuaded the cast of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug to perform a dramatic reading of those silly lyrics. Everyone seems to take it with a good sense of humor, though as usual, Benedict Cumberbatch’s voice steals the show. It’s always good to see modern adaptations embrace the silliness of past adaptations. Read more…
Tags: The Hobbit
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 15, 2013 in Cinema 
Director Christopher Nolan is known for keeping details of his movies private, so we still don’t know a lot about Interstellar, his sci-fi film set for release November 7, 2014. Going by this first teaser trailer, we at least know something of the film’s tone. The teaser focuses on the great advancements humanity has made over the past century in terms of space travel, then hints at where we can go from here. Essentially, the teaser is reestablishing that space is the final frontier, and there’s a refreshing sense of optimism about exploring it. I think we’ve had enough grim realism in our sci-fi films and could use more optimism now that NASA is struggling to still inspire wonder about our universe. Read more…
Tags: Christopher Nolan, Interstellar
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 14, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Keen eyes may have noted two interesting hints in the recent trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. At one point, you can see suits in the background that look like they might be intended for Vulture and Doctor Octopus. And with Electro being one of the main villains in the next movie, it’s easy to imagine a scenario where some other villains join these three to form the Sinister Six, perhaps even the Green Goblin/Hobgoblin and Rhino that are appearing in next May’s movie. Well, Sony just confirmed that they’ll be producing two spin-off movies: The Sinister Six and Venom, the latter of which has been rumored for years. Read more…
Tags: Sony, The Amazing Spider-Man
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 14, 2013 in Dr. Who, Fandom, Television 
Steven Moffat is in charge of both Doctor Who and Sherlock, two of the BBC’s biggest current exports (along with Downton Abbey). Unsurprisingly, there are many fans of both who have been dying for a crossover — Wholock, if you will. While Moffat thinks such a move would ruin Sherlock‘s setting (and I’m inclined to agree), that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be awesome to see. That’s why this fanmade crossover is so great. There are minor flaws here and there, but for the most part, the two series mesh pretty well thanks to some clever compositing. it’s pretty cool to see Sherlock enter the TARDIS after years of searching for information on the mysterious Doctor and go off on an adventure. It’s just a shame that in becoming a companion, Sherlock is leaving behind his own companion. Read more…
Tags: BBC, Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes
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