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Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 19, 2013 in Anime, Videogames 
The Naruto videogames keep coming, and while not every game leaves Japan, we tend to get most of the better ones. The latest in CyberConnect2’s Ultimate Ninja series is Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, and the graphics still look as beautiful as ever. While the gameplay of previous Ultimate Ninja Storm games has never been that special, the cel-shading is always well done. And of course, there are over 80 characters, giving it the biggest roster yet.
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Tags: Namco Bandai, Naruto, PS3, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 14, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Since Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is finished, Warner Brothers needs to take the Batman franchise in a new direction, and that means a reboot. The previous plan was to introduce a new Batman in the upcoming Justice League movie, which itself will be shaped by the success of Zack Snyder’s Superman movie Man of Steel. But now, things are uncertain, and we me see a new solo Batman film even sooner.
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Tags: Batman, DC Comics, Justice League, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 14, 2013 in Cinema 
Looking for something to wash that awful taste out of your mouth now that Aliens: Colonial Marines is out and apparently sucks? Let’s return to the days when the Alien franchise was always good, specifically the original Aliens. In a “Hey dawg, we heard you like Aliens, so we put Aliens in your Aliens” move, Annapurna Pictures has recreated the Aliens movie poster with images from the film. Read more…
Tags: Aliens, Film Poster
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 13, 2013 in Videogames 
So there is good news and bad news when it comes to the Batman: Arkham videogame series. Surprising everyone, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City turned out to be really well-made games; they’re some of my favorite games of this console generation. So the good news is that Warner Bros. has confirmed the next game is in development and will release later in 2013. But unfortunately, this game might not be in the hands of previous developers Rocksteady. Read more…
Tags: Batman, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 13, 2013 in Anime 
Production I.G. is on a mission to show the world what 2D animation can do with their latest project, a four-film series in the Ghost in the Shell franchise. As a massive fan of 2D animation, I couldn’t be happier, and the fact that Ghost in the Shell is such an interesting universe is pretty nice to boot. The first film is named Ghost in the Shell: Arise, which focuses on Makoto Kusanagi, back in her younger days before she was the Major we’re familiar with. Read more…
Tags: Ghost in the Shell
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 12, 2013 in Videogames 
I suppose you shouldn’t let that headline scare you too much. There may be more games in the Professor Layton series, but this is the last game starring Hershel Layton himself as the protagonist. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies concludes the prequel trilogy of Layton games, and while the game still doesn’t have an English release date, the game is out on February 28 in Japan, so have some tantalizing trailers! Read more…
Tags: Professor Layton
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 12, 2013 in Dr. Who, Television 
I would have thought that Doctor Who mania would be in full swing, since 2013 is such a major milestone in Doctor Who history. It’s been 50 years since the broadcast of the first episode, “An Unearthly Child,” but other than a 60-minute anniversary special, there are only a few minor things being done. And what’s the deal with one 60-minute special? There should be some two-hour extravaganza, with as many Doctors returning as possible, a la the 25th anniversary’s The Five Doctors. (Plus, the season leading up to it featured the return of previous villains.) Ah well, at least the special will…be in theaters…and in 3D? Read more…
Tags: 3D, Doctor Who
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 7, 2013 in Television 
HBO is loving Game of Thrones as much as its fans, and with good reason: the show is a cross-over hit. Season three begins on March 31, and like many people, they’re eager for anything with George R.R. Martin’s name on it. So it’s no surprise that Martin has signed a two-year deal with HBO to continue as co-executive producer on Game of Thrones. But that’s not all! Martin will also be developing and producing new shows for HBO. Read more…
Tags: Game of Thrones
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 7, 2013 in Cinema, Star Wars 
It seems like Disney is definitely set on making some Star Wars spin-off films to be released between official episodes of the sequel trilogy. Yesterday we heard about a Yoda movie, but Entertainment Weekly is claiming that Han Solo and Boba Fett will be getting their own stand-alone films. Han Solo’s will explore the smuggler’s origins, set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, perhaps with an older Harrison Ford as a framing device for a new actor younger than Han Solo’s original portrayal. Meanwhile Boba Fett’s will be a bounty hunter adventure, set either between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back or between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Read more…
Tags: Disney, Star Wars
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 6, 2013 in Videogames 
Woah, stop, don’t just go breaking your toys after reading that headline. I’m talking specifically about new toys that are supposed to break in half. Activision just announced Skylanders: Swap Force, the newest entry in the surprisingly popular videogame/toy line. If you somehow haven’t heard of it, you buy real toys and place them on a special device to summon them for play in the game. This latest version features 16 new toys (sold separately) that you can break apart and reassemble however you want, for up to 256 possible combinations! Read more…
Tags: Activision, Skylanders, Toys
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 6, 2013 in Cinema, Star Wars 
Here’s a juicy rumor about the fate of Star Wars in Disney’s hands. We all know about the sequel trilogy, and everyone is pumped about J.J. Abrams directing Episode VII. But while these sequels will be released every two-to-three years, not as much attention has been paid to Disney’s plans for additional stand-alone films. Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg are writing two stand-alone films, so what’s the deal with them? At least for one of them, there’s one word: Yoda. Read more…
Tags: Disney, Yoda
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 5, 2013 in Videogames 
No matter how accomplished a Pokemon collector you are, it is currently technically impossible to have caught all 649 Pokemon. (At least, officially — let’s ignore the hackers.) That’s because Nintendo has yet to make available the last event pokemon, Meloetta. Sure, the game doesn’t require it to complete your Pokedex, but if you’re going to bother to catch ’em all, you might as well go all the way. But now, Nintendo is finally giving out the rare Meloetta. Read more…
Tags: gamestop, Nintendo DS, Pokémon
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 5, 2013 in Cinema 
Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim may not have had a trailer during the Super Bowl — for that matter, no Warner Brothers movie did — but at least we have a bunch of fancy new images to share. If buzz from the recent test screening is anything to go off of, this is going to be a giant robot movie you don’t want to miss. Plus, Looper director Rian Johnson has seen it, and he loves it!
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Tags: Pacific Rim, Robots, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 31, 2013 in Comic Books, Videogames 
If you’re going to make a game like Injustice: Gods Among Us where superheroes beat each other up as well as the supervillains, you gotta at least give some reason for them to duke it out, however flimsy. The latest trailer does just that, showing Batman teaming up with Harley Quinn and Deathstroke to counter Superman’s fascist rule. Hm, sounds like Superman: Red Son! Read more…
Tags: DC Comics, Mortal Kombat, PS3, Xbox 360
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 31, 2013 in Animation 
For those of you who didn’t get to see the surprisingly well-done Wreck-It Ralph last fall, you probably missed a bonus cartoon before the movie named Paperman. The black-and-white short film married 3D animation to a classic 2D style that has me very excited for what Disney may be planning in terms of future animated films. Plus, it didn’t hurt that it was well-directed and had a sweet story of an office worker trying to grab the attention of a pretty lady he met that morning. Since Paperman is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, Disney has made the short available online! Read more…
Tags: Cartoons, Disney
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 30, 2013 in Videogames 
As I was just saying in my last post, the PlayStation Vita needs more games, so I’m very happy to learn that Aksys will be releasing Muramasa Rebirth in the US. This gorgeous 2D game by Vanillaware is a port of Muramasa: The Demon Blade, which was previously released on Wii in 2009 by Ignition Entertainment. Apparently, the localization was rather bland, and Aksys intends to write a new localization for this version.
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Tags: Playstation Vita
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 30, 2013 in Videogames 
As great a system as the PlayStation Vita is, it’s hard to love it when it has such a small library of worthwhile games. Sony just isn’t pushing the system as hard as they should, getting developers on board with more promising games like Soul Sacrifice. As one of the few bright spots in the Vita’s slim upcoming release calendar, the Keiji Inafune-designed game is finally ready to be released in North America. Read more…
Tags: Playstation Vita
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 29, 2013 in Star Trek 
Dust Films must have really loved the second Star Trek Into Darkness trailer, because they remade it shot-for-shot. And despite the use of everyday locations, toys, and tiny model cities, you can easily tell what’s going on if you’ve rewatched the second trailer as many times as I have! They also made a comparison video so you can see how close they came with their fanmade version. Plus, the music is recorded from their own vocals. Gotta love those Inception horns! Read more…
Tags: Star Trek Into Darkness
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 29, 2013 in Cinema, Star Wars 
Were you one of the few people excited about the entirety of the Star Wars series — well, as of now — being converted into 3D and returned to theaters? Then prepare to be disappointed, as Lucasfilm has officially dropped plans to continue with the remaining five films. Apparently, the 3D version of The Phantom Menace last year did poorly, only pulling in $23 million domestically. In addition, all the hardcore fans it was being marketed to treated it like a blatant cash grab. Attack of the Clones would have followed this September, with Revenge of the Sith in October. Read more…
Tags: 3D, Disney
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 24, 2013 in Videogames 
Speaking of Wii U announcements, Nintendo has other tricks off up its sleeve. One of the most notable ones is a new RPG from Monolithsoft, who most recently put out the well-liked Wii RPG Xenoblade Chronicles. It’s untitled beyond an X, but that probably means it will be a new game named Xeno-something, considering that Tetsuya Takahashi, director of Xenogears, Xenosaga, and Xenoblade Chronicles, is executive director for this game.
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Tags: Nintendo, Wii U, Xenoblade
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 24, 2013 in Videogames 
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is one of the most visually stunning games in the past decade, and a game that still looks just as beautiful in today’s high-def era. (It looks even better when emulated and rerendered into HD!) The world will eventually see a full, new Zelda adventure in HD at some point during the Wii U’s lifespan, but before then, Nintendo is working on something to tide us over: an official HD remake of The Wind Waker. Read more…
Tags: Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, Wii U
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 23, 2013 in Cinema 
Hopefully you’ve seen some of the previous work of Honest Trailers, a series of videos by Screen Junkies that produces more frank, insulting trailers for various films. Their latest trailer skewers Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, the fourth Indiana Jones film that I prefer to pretend never happened. Read more…
Tags: Indiana Jones
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 23, 2013 in Animation 
Dexter’s Laboratory, one of Cartoon Network’s best shows ever, had 78 episodes with 221 segments and one special, which is quite a long run. However, there was one segment that never aired on TV called “Rude Removal.” It involves Dexter removing the rudeness from himself and his sister DeeDee, resulting in two foul-mouth versions of themselves. A lot of (censored) swearing follows, so it’s understandable that they wouldn’t show it to kids. It’s been shown at festivals and conventions, but now it’s available online for anyone to see. Check it out!
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Tags: Cartoon Network
Posted by Bob Muir on Jan 22, 2013 in Videogames 
It was a long shot, but Namco Bandai is actually bringing Project X Zone to America. The 3DS game is a crossover between tons of game franchises from Namco Bandai, Capcom, and Sega. Tekken, Street Fighter, .hack, Valkyria Chronicles, Mega Man X, Tales, Resident Evil, and more are represented in the strategy RPG. With that many licenses, even from only three companies, it seemed unlikely that the game would reach our shores. But hey, it’s happening! Read more…
Tags: Capcom, Namco Bandai, Sega
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