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Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 13, 2013 in Videogames 
Microsoft never really did much themselves with HD remakes on the Xbox 360, despite the efforts shown by Sony and various third-party publishers. The only one they put out was Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, which gave the original Halo a new coat of paint and some other bonuses. While the core game was the same (meaning that level design was pretty mediocre — that’s right, I’m one of the few who didn’t enjoy it), the gorgeous graphical overhaul and reorchestrated music went a long way towards making the game feel modern (and even alleviating level design issues). Now Microsoft is releasing its second HD remake: Fable: Anniversary, and it’s dated for February 4, 2014. Read more…
Tags: Fable, Microsoft, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 13, 2013 in Videogames 
Next-gen consoles like PS4 and Xbox One may be considered “current-gen” now that they’ve released, but as with the PS2, it will be a while before developers fully abandon the PS3 and Xbox 360. Case in point: Namco Bandai has announced that Tales of Zestria, a game marking the 20th anniversary of the Tales series, will be released on PS3, presumably sometime in 2014. The announcement was a worldwide announcement, confirming the game’s release in North and South America, in addition to the usual Japanese release. Other statements seem to imply a European release as well. Read more…
Tags: Namco Bandai, PS3, RPG, Tales
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 12, 2013 in Videogames 
While there are plenty of Christmas movies, there aren’t a ton of Christmas videogames, even counting the ones that include a winter holiday level. (My personal pick is Freezezy Peak in Banjo-Kazooie.) Saints Row IV is doing its part to fix that with a new DLC mission pack called “How the Saints Save Christmas.” For $6.99 (or free if you purchased the season pass), you can help restore the Boss’s Christmas spirit to go deal with what appears to be an evil antlered Santa Claus. Yep, this is Saints Row. I fully support more games offering holiday levels in the vein of this DLC or Christmas Nights (on the Sega Saturn). Read more…
Tags: DLC, Saints Row IV
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 12, 2013 in Dr. Who, Television 
The time has come to say goodbye to Matt Smith, the Eleventh Doctor. But before Peter Capaldi takes over as the Twelfth Doctor, Eleven has one more chance to go out with a bang. It’s “The Time of the Doctor,” the Doctor Who Christmas special, and BBC America has a nice little trailer. Watch as The Doctor takes on, like, all the enemies ever. Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels, the Silence, it almost seems like overkill. I’m sure it will be cool, but can any regeneration ever top The Caves of Androzani, Peter Davison’s last serial as the Fifth Doctor? I’d argue no. Read more…
Tags: BBC, BBC America, Doctor Who, Twelfth Doctor
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 11, 2013 in Videogames 
In Grand Theft Auto V, there’s an area in the game called North Yankton that is only used for the prologue. Once the main game begins, it’s inaccessible and not on the island with the rest of Los Santos and its northern wilderness. There is, however, a way to get to it again, thanks to a glitch discovered by CVG. Basically, you start a new game and play to a certain spot, at which point a friend invites you into Grand Theft Auto Online, the multiplayer component. Once there, you fly a helicopter to the southeast section of the map, where you’ll see floating mountains in the distance. Fly to those mountains, and you can land and explore North Yankton to your heart’s content. You can even get other people up there to play with you! Read more…
Tags: Grand Theft Auto
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 11, 2013 in Cinema 
I always thought Godzilla was big, but going by the posters for Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla reboot, he’s gotten an even bigger makeover. The teaser sells it even more, and suddenly I’m very interested in the movie. Obviously the giant lizard is all CG, but at least going by this trailer, it’s only possible to catch glimpses of it. Godzilla is shrouded in clouds, mist, and dust for the most part. I have no doubt that the movie will probably show the whole model at some point, but if they’re wise, they’ll go the Cloverfield route and avoid direct shots of it for most of the movie, not only to avoid showing too much of the CG, but also to build the mysterious force-of-nature elements of the monster. But admittedly, I’ve never seen a Godzilla film. All I’d want out of a Godzilla reboot is that Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla” loudly plays every time Godzilla appears. Meanwhile, the actors and actresses have to shout over the song, and they’re frankly more annoyed at how loud it is than whatever Godzilla is up to. This is all played straight, and this is why I wouldn’t be allowed to produce any Godzilla movies. Read more…
Tags: Godzilla, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 10, 2013 in Cinema 
I said my peace about how awesome Cookie Monster skits are, even as an adult, a few weeks ago with this Catching Fire parody. Now that we’re on the same page, here’s Cookie Monster as “Gobble” in The Lord of the Crumbs. While I might wonder why they don’t feel like parodying The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, it doesn’t really matter. Watch as Cookie Monster argues with himself, tries to get past a wizard, and comments on the special effects. Part of me is looking forward to having kids down the road just to watch these sort of things with them. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, Muppets, parody
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 10, 2013 in Cinema 
If there’s a really good adaptation of something, it’s often hard to do any other adaptations because of the way the earlier adaptation sticks in the public mind. Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining may have made notable changes in his adaptation of Stephen King’s original book, but regardless of how much King prefers the TV miniseries, it’s unlikely that people will think of that version over Kubrick’s. Thus, this trailer for a live-action adaptation of Kiki’s Delivery Service is already facing an uphill battle, despite purporting to be closer to the original Japanese novels. Studio Ghibli’s adaptation, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is an absolute classic, after all. But this trailer makes me not want to even bother seeing the live-action film. Besides the lackluster art direction, everything looks cheap, like it was a low-budget made-for-TV movie. And the weak flying effects pale in comparison to those in Miyazaki’s film; Miyazaki is known for his love of flight, and this version just doesn’t capture that joy. It could still be a good film, but I’m fairly skeptical that anyone will be watching this years down the road. Read more…
Tags: Kiki's Delivery Service
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 5, 2013 in Videogames 
Okay, we had to have known that Bravely Default: Flying Fairy was getting a sequel when Japan got an updated version of the game called Bravely Default: For the Sequel. The new version wasn’t a sequel itself, but it added new content and revamped the battle system in a way that would be used for a future sequel. Now a leaked Japanese magazine has confirmed Square Enix’s sequel: Bravely Second. I’d like to get excited, but the English translation of Bravely Default (based on For the Sequel, not the original Flying Fairy) is only just coming out in Europe this Friday, while North America has to wait until February 7, 2014. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Bravely Default, square enix
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 5, 2013 in Uncategorized 
I feel a little bit for Man of Steel‘s Superman. Henry Cavill did an good job working under Zack Snyder’s weak filmmaking, and we all assumed he’d get to be at the heart of whatever WB was doing to eventually lead into a Justice League movie. But it seems they’re not taking the Marvel path of several origin films, as his next film is Batman vs. Superman (or one of many other poor names for a movie). Now he’ll have even less of the spotlight, as it’s now confirmed that Wonder Woman will be in the movie. WB just announced that Gal Gadot will play the famous female superhero in her first time on the big screen. Read more…
Tags: Batman, DC Comics, Man of Steel, Superman, Warner Brothers, Wonder Woman
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 4, 2013 in Videogames 
Microsoft’s creativity game/software Project Spark has entered beta, and you can test it out right now, with some conditions. First, you had to have signed up on the game’s website; don’t worry if you haven’t done it yet, because you can still sign-up now. Beta invites are going out, so you may have already received yours. The biggest barrier to entry, however, is the fact that the beta is only available on Windows 8.1. That’s right, there’s no Xbox One beta support, and the beta won’t run on Windows 7. So if you’re one of the people suffering through Windows 8.1, feel free to sign-up and away. All those who thought buying an Xbox One might let them into the beta, you’ll be disappointed. I know I would be, but Microsoft still hasn’t replaced my broken Xbox One Kinect and controller because they cancelled the replacement orders without telling me, so I’m not even using my launch unit yet. Huh. Read more…
Tags: Project Spark, Windows, Xbox One
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 4, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
There are blurry posters and trailers out there for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, so it makes sense that Sony is putting out the official posters and trailers this week. That image up above is all three posters, showing off Rhino, the Green Goblin, and Electro; click the image to check it out full-res, because they do look great. The trailer is coming out Thursday, so that’s something for fans to look forward to. In the meantime, Sony also released four stills of the movie. Check them out below while you wait for the trailer. Still, I doubt this movie will be as good as the original Spider-Man 2. Read more…
Tags: Sony, The Amazing Spider-Man
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 3, 2013 in Videogames 
2013 is almost over, but it’s apparently not too late for one last celebration of “The Year of Luigi.” Not content with putting out a bunch of other limited edition 3DS XL systems this year, Nintendo has just released a Mario & Luigi 3DS XL. Besides a snazzy silver and gray color scheme, the case features the Mario Brothers. The system comes bundled with Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, which of course is pre-installed because Nintendo seems to have abandoned giving out cartridges that could be traded away. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Mario Brothers, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Dec 3, 2013 in Anime 
Well, that was quick. Now we have a list of which US theaters are showing Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, the third Rebuild of Evangelion film, this coming January. There are over 45 theaters to choose from, with a good spread of states. Of course, as with all limited releases, some people are going to be left out. Luckily for them, the Blu-ray and DVD release has been given a release date of February 18, 2014, something that I somehow missed completely. So if you can’t make it to one of the screenings below, you can go order the movie on Amazon right now! Read more…
Tags: Evangelion, FUNImation
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 28, 2013 in Videogames 
One of the major new feature of Super Mario 3D World (besides it being the first must-play Mario game since Super Mario Galaxy) is the Cat Suit, which provides lots of mobility and new abilities, as well as making whoever wears it completely adorable. Mega64 brainstormed and realized that if Cat Mario loves jumping around his candy-coated world, maybe real cats would too! Hence this video, in which cats prove that they are not going to play along with your Mario fantasies. Now if only Mega64 would put out more videos like they used to, because I can’t remember how long it’s been since their last one. Read more…
Tags: Mario Brothers, Mega64, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 28, 2013 in Animation, Cinema 
Everyone knows Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs’s story of a boy who was raised by apes. As usual, Hollywood is running out of things to remake and reboot, so Constantin Films is dipping even further back for another Tarzan movie. It’s a CGI motion-capture animated film, and god do the faces look creepy. But more importantly is the new subplot of why modern man is going into the jungle and meeting Tarzan. Instead of hunting for gorillas, they’re hunting for a mysterious power source left behind by aliens many years ago. As if that wasn’t enough, you can also see Tarzan fighting some sort of tentacle monster in the film. Read more…
Tags: Aliens, Tarzan
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 27, 2013 in Videogames 
While everyone is getting excited about the start of a new console generation, it’s easy for smaller, niche games to get lost in the holiday madness. So allow me to draw your attention to Ys: Memories of Celceta, a JRPG for PlayStation Vita that just launched. Ys is a long-running series from Nihon Falcom that has been on tons of platforms, including many obscure Japanese computer systems. XSEED did everyone a solid and localized several PSP remakes and sequels in recent years, including the wonderful Ys: The Oath in Felghana. Memories of Celceta is a 25th anniversary celebration for the series, and it’s looking great. Read more…
Tags: Playstation Vita, Ys
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 27, 2013 in Anime, Comic Books 
It looks like the Naruto manga is getting close to ending. Author Masashi Kishimoto recently gave a message to TV Tokyo’s Sakiyomi Jan Bang!, which often covers manga from Weekly Shonen Jump and its related magazines. In that message, Kishimoto implied things were getting close to the end, though he didn’t say exactly how much longer things would last. Fair warning, there are spoilers in his message, especially if you only watch Naruto Shippuden, which is further behind in the story than the manga. Read more…
Tags: Naruto, Shonen Jump
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 26, 2013 in Videogames 
I’m still steaming because my Xbox One was broken out of the box (though my PS4 works great!), so let’s talk about what’s currently the best system out there: the Nintendo 3DS. Yes, what was once seen as a sign that Nintendo was doomed has made a major comeback over the last two years, with a library of must-play games that the PS4 and Xbox One won’t have for a year or two. (Let’s hope Nintendo can repeat that success with the Wii U, which is finally getting amazing games like Super Mario 3D World.) What’s that, you don’t have a 3DS yet? I wouldn’t admonish you if this were 2011, but it’s something you now need if you’re a gamer. Luckily for you, there are several Black Friday deals highlighted by Nintendo themselves in a recent press release. Read more…
Tags: 3DS, Nintendo
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 26, 2013 in Cinema, Videogames 
Normally, I’d approve of more Lego videogames. It’s practically impossible to keep up with them all, but Traveller’s Tales makes solid games that aren’t just for kids. But the latest announcement out of Warner Brothers seems like one step too far because of the franchise it’s adapting. Lego The Hobbit will be out in Spring 2014 for (deep breath) PS4, Xbox One, PC/Mac, Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360, Vita, and 3DS. That all sounds good, but the problem is what’s actually in the game. Because it’s coming out before the third installment of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit film trilogy, it will only include 2/3 of the story from the book. As if the book wasn’t being milked enough by being split into three movies, even the game can’t cover everything. Is Warner Brothers concerned about spoilers for a 75-year-old book? Read more…
Tags: Lego, The Hobbit, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 21, 2013 in Cinema 
Even after Disney successfully made a good Muppets movie in 2011, it’s hard for me to not still be skeptical of a sequel in the same way that I was before the previous movie. Hollywood is drowning in sequels, remakes, and reboots, and it’s rare that any are anything more than merely competent. It doesn’t help that Jason Segel was a major creative force behind The Muppets, but is not involved with the sequel at all. But you know what? Let’s think positively, because based on this trailer, Muppets Most Wanted is probably going to be allllllright. Read more…
Tags: Disney, The Muppets
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 21, 2013 in Cinema 
It’s made the festival circuit, but chances are you haven’t seen Aningaaq, a seven-minute companion short to Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity. That film is one of the best science fiction (in the literal sense: fiction about science) films in a long time and a sure-bet for a Best Picture nomination at the next Oscars. Without spoiling too much for those who haven’t seen the film, Aningaaq is about a titular Inuit man in Greenland who is contacted by Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) at a critical point in her story. It’s a great scene in the movie, but what’s interesting is how this short so perfectly matches the themes of isolation and survival found in the movie, but in different circumstances. Even grounded on Earth, the scene is touching in its poignance, regardless of whether or not you have seen the movie. Read more…
Tags: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity, Science Fiction, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 20, 2013 in Cinema 
What do you do when your franchise needs new ideas? Send it into space! They did it with Jason X, they did it with Super Mario Galaxy, and director Robert Rodriguez is teasing it with this fake trailer that aired before Machete Kills in October. If you didn’t go see it in theaters, you can see it here. Machete Kills Again…In Space is partially riffing on Star Wars, but I’ll let you see that for yourself. Now the only question is whether or not someone will put forth the money to make this sequel…or if it will be reasonably tied to any prior continuity, what with it, you know, being in space and all. Read more…
Tags: Sci-Fi, Space
Posted by Bob Muir on Nov 20, 2013 in Anime 
I know that Disney had previously said that it would release The Wind Rises in select North American theaters on February 21, 2014 (with a wider release on February 28 and an Academy Awards-qualifying run in NYC and LA last week), but I still have a hard time believing it. Though they have the right of first refusal on all Studio Ghibli films, they had passed on their previous films From Up on Poppy Hill. And though this is the last film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, I kind of figured they’d pass on The Wind Rises due to it not only being an adult-focused film, but one that offers a semi-biographical look at the man who invented one of the most efficient planes that Japan used in WWII, something that is controversial in Asia. But luckily, they’re releasing it under Touchstone Pictures, and here’s the trailer to prove it! Read more…
Tags: Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli
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