Sorry Shatner; No Trek Sequel For You
It’ll break William Shatner’s heart to hear, but J.J. Abrams confirmed this week that none of the Original Series cast members would be making an appearance in the upcoming sequel to 2009’s Star Trek.
Celebrating Metroid’s 25th Anniversary
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 20, 2011 in Videogames
The Legend of Zelda isn’t the only Nintendo franchise to celebrate its 25th Anniversary this year. Although its hardly their most popular, Metroid is among the most successful franchises to ever grace Nintendo’s catalog. The series is also having its 25th anniversary and, while I’m uncertain as to why Nintendo failed to shine a spotlight on it, fans have taken to crafting their own musical tributes to the franchise. Today, Bad Dudes Music released a limited edition arrangement album, entitled simply Metroid Arrange 25th Anniversary Album to commemorate the occasion — for the record, I contributed to an arrangement of my own to the project.
Need a Last Minute Gift? Try Digital Comics
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 20, 2011 in Comic Books
I might have procrastinated a bit this holiday season, but thanks to the magic of the world wide web, and the recent proliferation of digital content, I’ve been able to fulfill most of the leftover shopping without having to leave the comfort of my house. Of course, I’m not sure that’s a good thing but I digress. If, like me, you’ve grown fond of your fireplace and would rather curl up next to one than fight those last minute lines, here’s a nice alternative. It might not be the answer for any of your Comic purists, but Marvel is currently offering 30% off their annual digital subscription service. Find out how to save after the jump.
BBC at Odds Over Doctor Who Film
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 19, 2011 in Dr. Who
We haven’t really covered it much, but last month David Yates discussed plans for a potential Doctor Who motion picture. Yates, credited for directing final four installments of the wildly successful Harry Potter film franchise, mentioned his desire to reboot the series from scratch, setting aside the series crafted by Russel T. Davies and Steven Moffat. Though I couldn’t fathom why, Yates insists a reboot would be necessary for Doctor Who‘s transition to a feature film — Moffat doesn’t agree.
Who Doesn’t Want to be a Jedi Ninja?
This falls into that category of “too cool not to post.” Ever want to see a bunch of Jedi ninjas battle to the death? Well, thanks to directors James Mark, Justin Lovell, you’ll get to. Featuring the martial arts performance squad Team 2X, this awesome short aims to recreate some of the stylized lightsaber combat featured in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. It’s very reminiscent of those over-the-top lightsaber battles from the latest trilogy, but you have to admit those lightsaber duels were probably the best part of the films. Be sure to watch the clip all the way through, as there’s a pretty funny reveal around two minutes and twenty seconds in.
Breaking: Rory & Amy Pond’s Swan Song
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 15, 2011 in Dr. Who
It’s a sad day for fans of The Doctor’s latest companions, Amy & Rory. At a Doctor Who press screening in London today, series producer Steven Moffat confirmed our fears when he announced that the Doctor would be moving on next season with a “new friend,” stating “The final days of the ponds are coming.” Read more…
Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock Teaser
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 14, 2011 in Dr. Who, Videogames
Here’s some exciting news for all you Whovians out there. BBC Worldwide just announced the first in a new line games planned for home consoles. Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock, currently being developed by Supermassive Games in collaboration with BBC Wales, is set for both the PS3 and Playstation Vita early next year. Not much is known about the plot, but we can expect a completely new adventure featuring the voices of Matt Smith, and Alex Kingston reprising her role as River Song. If you only own an Xbox, don’t worry — the game will also be receiving a PC port. For more info, head over to the official twitter feed and be sure to check out a short teaser after the jump. Read more…
The Battle of Hoth Meets FortressCraft
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 14, 2011 in Star Wars, Videogames
Check out this neat little recreation of the Battle of Hoth from The Empire Strikes Back by youtube user TheToma69. It was crafted using Xbox Live! Arcade’s FortressCraft. I’m sure some of you probably wondering what that is, and the answer is yes, it’s just another MineCraft clone, but it also happens to be the highest grossing indie title on Xbox Live, and I’d say this was pretty good for something built on a home console. Read more…
Pointless and Excessive? The Expendables 2 Trailer
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 14, 2011 in Cinema
Much like G.I. Joe: Retaliation, The Expendables 2 is one of those films that has the potential be much better than the first, or just really really bad. However, unlike the one for G.I. Joe, the trailer for The Expendables 2 doesn’t really help its case. It actually starts out promising. Bruce Willis mentions something to Stallone about having to pay back his debt, but that’s it. Suddenly, we’re treated to an impressive list of action stars with some nifty cut-aways and nothing more. There’s something ironic about spending the last 30 seconds of that trailer just list the stars. Then again, after the first film — whose plot could be summed up in one word, “dismal,” — we really shouldn’t expect much. Let’s just hope there’s more to it than a few explosions.
Modern Retrogaming for the Road
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 13, 2011 in Tech, Videogames
There was a time when I would look at portable gaming with disdain. The products, ranging from Tiger handhelds, to even Nintendo’s GameBoy, always struck me as poorly developed, delivering casual experiences just to kill time. A lot has changed since then and, in recent years, I’ve grown new-found respect for the medium. These days, developers have found ways to offer the deep, immersive experiences that were once exclusive to the consoles and PCs of old. Even some of those classic titles I once held in such high regard have made their way to our smartphones. But what about the ones that haven’t? There’s options.
Giving G.I. Joe Another Shot
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 13, 2011 in Cinema
Earlier today, Machinima gave us the first trailer for the upcoming film, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and I hate to admit it, but it looks pretty good. Of course, after how terrible the first film was, that’s not much of an achievement. Not surprisingly, those silly, over-the-top, accelerator suits are missing in action, along with The Baroness, previously played by Sienna Miller. Instead, we’ve got Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Bruce Willis — not a bad trade by any means, but I think I might miss Sienna a bit, even if she didn’t really add much. If the trailer is any indication, expect to see more Byung-hun Lee, and Ray Park, as both ninjas are featured throughout. I find that promising, since they were easily the best thing Rise of Cobra had going for it. Read more…
Valve’s Steam Powered Stories
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 12, 2011 in Comic Books, Videogames
With Christmas around the corner, and no new titles on the horizon, you’re probably wondering what to get your favorite Valve fan. Since you can’t just hand them a new hat for Team Fortress 2, try this fantastic collection of comics inspired by Valve’s most recent hits instead. Published by Dark Horse, and featuring the work of veteran comic artist and writer, Michael Avon Oeming, Valve Presents: The Sacrifice and other Steam Powered Stories Vol. 1 boasts over 200 pages of fully-illustrated stories with titles like Team Fortress 2, Left-4-Dead, and Portal — the perfect gift for all those Valve-addicts out there. Seeing as the first-edition hardcover just hit shelves in November, you probably won’t have to worry about them already owning a copy. It retails for just $25 via ThinkGeek, so if you need it in time for the holidays, don’t delay. Just promise me you won’t try to stuff it in a stocking.
Kotobukiya, Where Did You Go Wrong?
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 12, 2011 in Comic Books, Hobbies and Collections
I confess, I love Kotobukiya’s bishoujo line. They’re easily collectible, are often equal parts sexy and cute, and for whatever reason, my wife loves them as much as I do. Not only that, but each of these figures are based off a sketch by one of my favorite artists, Shunya Yamashita. Recently, Kotobukiya posted images of their upcoming Storm bishoujo figure, and the fan reaction hasn’t been as positive as one would expect. Read more…
Save Greendale PSA
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 8, 2011 in Fandom, Television
It’s probably irrational of me to be so upset about a show being put on hiatus like this, but NBC’s Community consistently proves to me why its among the best on television. Read more…
Chrono Trigger Hits iOS, Android This Month
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 8, 2011 in Videogames
I always have mixed feelings when Square Enix decides to port one of their classics. Not because the games can’t withstand the test of time, but because I almost always end up buying it. Read more…
Time to Invent Warp Drive
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 7, 2011 in Science
Two years ago, NASA’s Kepler space telescope identified the planet designated Kepler 22B — a super-earth orbiting a yellow dwarf similar to our sun. Read more…
New Typhon Pact Novels on the Horizon
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 7, 2011 in Star Trek
Truth be told, it wasn’t a very good year for Trek novels. It seemed as though the license would meet its demise, after Simon & Schuster made the decision to restructure their Pocket Books operation following the layoff of editor Margaret Clarke, and the subsequent cancellation of several planned novels. Read more…
Spockulations; The Wrath of Robocop?
Today, Vulture published a report stating that Benicio Del Toro will not be appearing in J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Trek sequel after negotiations between the actor and studio broke down last Wednesday. Read more…
This Xbox is More Than Meets the Eye
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 6, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Videogames
Here’s a look at Major League Mods‘ latest project — a special Transformers-themed Xbox 360 slim. Modeled after Bumblebee’s appearance in the live-action films, the unit comes packed in a remote control 1977 Camero, complete with its very own built-in 8″ LCD display. Read more…
Apple Barks; Samsung Doesn’t Flinch
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 5, 2011 in Tech
Those of you planning on purchasing Samsung’s latest line of Galaxy products can stop holding your breath. Read more…
Stuff Your Stockings With the Doctor Who Advent Calender
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 5, 2011 in Dr. Who
BBC recently launched a Doctor Who advent calender for the month of December. Each day, the official site will be updated with fresh content related to the series, with everything from exclusive clips and interviews, to free wallpapers, cards and more leading up to the premiere of Christmas special, The Doctor, The Widow, and the Wardrobe. We’re only four days into the month, and they’ve already given us a small clip of Matt Smith discussing the upcoming special, along with a few promotional images to be used as cards for friends and family. The special airs stateside December 25th at 9/8 PM central on BBC America. Read more…
Star Trek 2 Spockulations
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 1, 2011 in Star Trek
See what I did there? There’s been a few developments relating to the upcoming Star Trek sequel, so I thought it might be a fun time to speculate a bit. It was recently announced that Alice Eve would be joining the cast in what’s reported to be a “major role.” They’re also saying that Benicio Del Toro is extremely close to signing on to play a villain that fans of the original series would be familiar with — and no, they don’t mean Khan. Finally, there’s now a rumor that one other major role has yet to be cast and is described as being “someone slightly older but related to Del Toro’s character,” or something along those lines. So who could these characters be? I have a few guesses.
GamePro Throws in the Towel
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 1, 2011 in Videogames
Earlier this evening, GamePro announced that their website would officially close its doors on December 5th. The move marks a sad, but inevitable end for the long-standing magazine as we know it. According to reports, some of the staff will be let go, while some editors may end up writing for PCWorld. The magazine published its final issue last October.
Insane 50-Note Final Fantasy VII Music Box
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Nov 30, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Videogames
I’ve always had a fascination with music boxes. They may have gone the way of vinyl and become a novelty for collectors, but there’s always a certain level of care and craftsmanship involved in creating one. That’s something I can respect, not only as a musician but as an artist. That’s why I freaked out the moment I saw this — a limited edition 50 note music box featuring Aerith’s theme from Final Fantasy VII. Supposedly, only a thousand of these boxes were ever produced, and they’re highly sought after. Finding one for sale is next to impossible, but anyone willing to part with it can usually ask for over a thousand dollars to start. To see it in action, click here.