I love my iPhone, but I really wish it had a notch for a phone charm. I suppose a charm might not be the manliest thing, but it always helped me keep track of it whenever I’d have to rummage through my pockets. These days, I go for the next best thing, swapping out cases. I’m not sure how many different iPhone cases I own at this point, but sometimes I just come across one that I absolutely must have, like this sweet little case from the guys at Lootiful. The iPWN! 4 case is a slick little nod to the original GameBoy. It’s made from a thin but durable polycarbonate material that weighs less than an ounce, and the best part? Easy button access. That has to be my number one gripe about any case for the iPhone 4 and they’ve got it covered.
It’s true, he does. At least, that’s probably what you should tell your kids if you catch them thinking he’s cool. If you’ve found yourself wondering how to introduce your kids to the holy trilogy and its prequels, the guys at Asylum are here to help. Their PSA highlights just how difficult it can be to raise a kid in a post-Special Edition world. Important issues are covered such Han’s trigger finger, Anakin’s appearance in Return of the Jedi, and Vader’s identity — Revenge of the Sith kind of ruined that, didn’t it? Just do me a favor and don’t dress up like Jar Jar to scare you kids. Those scars could last forever.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Aug 3, 2011 in Comic Books
This morning in a USA Today exclusive, Marvel revealed the identity of Parker’s replacement for the Ultimate Spider-Man series, Miles Morales. If some of you recall, Marvel decided to kill off Peter Parker in their ‘Ultimate‘ universe with their recent “Death of Spider-man” story arc leaving the role vacant in their alternate universe. Unfortunately not much is known about Morales apart from being of Spanish and African decent. However, the article contained a bit of trivia that caught my eye — the choice was inspired by Donald Glover’s #donald4spiderman twitter campaign. While he didn’t land the role in the upcoming reboot, Donald managed to catch author Brian Bendis’ attention. After seeing Glover wearing the costume during an episode of Community, he immediately thought “I’d like to read that book.” Awesome, right? I’m a huge fan of Glover, so I’m curious as to what he thinks about it all. For those who care, Parker can still be found alive and well in the latest issues of Amazing Spider-Man. Miles will have his official debut in Ultimate Fallout #4 which hits stores tomorrow, August 3rd.
It’s a scary prospect for fans, but it looks as though Torchwood may be coming to an end sooner than we thought. No, the fate of the show won’t be determined by its ratings, or contractual disputes, but rather the whim of series creator Russell T. Davies. Recently, Starz CEO Chris Albrecht stated that their development deal wouldn’t guarantee a fifth season and that ultimately it would be up to Davies himself as to whether he intends to continue with production after Miracle Day concludes later this year. Davies has previously stated that he may move on having recently grown tired of Science Fiction in general. While I feel its safe to say that Doctor Who will continue regardless of his involvement, the same can’t be said of Torchwood — a property that he himself created. I had really hoped that moving production of the series stateside would lead to great things, but I have to admit that as a recent fan of the show, it feels as though the carpet is being pulled out from under my feet. I would hope that many of you feel the same way, and thankfully this isn’t set in stone. The fate of the series remains to be seen. If the end is near, at least we’ll see it coming.
Square-Enix has finally announced the release date for the iOS port of their SRPG cult-classic, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. Based on the 2007 re-release, the port will contain animated cut-scenes and enhanced gameplay. The English release will also include voice acting, however Japanese gamers will not be so lucky. In addition, the game will make use of the retina display and will feature high resolution visuals than its PSP predecessor. There’s a catch, though — the game will lack the online Multiplayer modes available on PSP, and may not include the sound effects for spells. On the other hand, the slow-down experienced when casting spells has been greatly reduced. If I recall, that was the one major gripe everyone had with it. Set to release this Thursday, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions will retail for $15.99, making it one of the most expensive games on the app story to date. I’d complain but it’s probably worth the price they’re asking. Unfortunately, it won’t be a universal app either. Apple’s iPad users will have to wait an additional month for their exclusive version.
Earlier this year Deep Silver decided to release a trailer for the upcoming title Dead Island that critics hailed as both stunningly visceral and emotionally-engaging. The artistic nature of the trailer had many of us excited about a game that we all thought would take the survival-horror genre in a bold new direction. Unfortunately, what many of us had the chance to finally play at E3 and, more recently, San Diego’s Comic-Con hardly seemed bold, or new. Instead, we were treated to what amounted to little more than a clone of Valve’s Left-4-Dead franchise — albeit a shiny one. Initially this bothered me, but now I wonder, is that really such a bad thing?
Looks awesome, doesn’t it? It’s not exactly everyday wear, but Hasbro’s Dark of the Moon Robo Power Cine-Mask — yeah, the name is a bit of a mouthful — is the coolest pair of 3d theater glasses we’ve seen yet. The mask actually contains the same RealD technology you’d find at theaters nationwide, so it won’t work with your home theater system, or that fancy new 3D LED you’ve been saving up for, but on the other hand, it’ll only set you back $10. Another catch is that the mask is actually designed for children ages 6 and up, so I’m not exactly sure it’ll fit just anyone. If you’re curious there’s a matching Bumblebee mask similar to the Optimus Prime one pictured here. Finally, Hasbro has also decided to throw in a set of standard red/blue stereoscopic glasses in case you need them for whatever reason. For $10, it’s a neat novelty at the least. Check Hasbro’s official website for more info.
Reports from several sites are indicating that we be seeing Star Trek: The Next Generation in full HD by the end of the year. Not the full series mind you, but a special remastered “Best of” Blu-ray with only four episodes. The report also suggests that the set, serving as a test of sorts, could be followed by the entire series as early as next year. Early speculation led many to believe that remastering the series would be infeasible due to the number of special effects shots necessary to complete the project and attempting to do so would be costly. Also, if any of you remember how terrible the first two seasons were, then you’ll know they have their work cut out for them. Still, if there’s a clear demand, and I’m sure there is, CBS could easily fund it. No word yet on how they plan on distributing the “Best of” set, but we’ll keep you posted on any new developments regarding the project.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 28, 2011 in Videogames
Bioware recently launched it’s first Facebook game, Dragon Age Legends — a game they claim is the first real game to grace the social network. I’m not really sure how accurate that statement is. I suppose they could mean its the first one to fall outside the realm of casual gaming, but I know some people who take their Farmville pretty seriously. Any way, here’s the launch trailer. Personally, I don’t find myself really impressed with the visuals but then again, I shouldn’t complain too much. The game is free, after all. Features include multiplayer with friends, a full RPG leveling system and character customization. If you want to give it a go, head over to the official Facebook page for more info.
It still seems like half a year away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a jump start on your Christmas gifts. Like most of you, I usually don’t bother buying calendars until the holidays, and even then, I’m usually not the one I’m buying it for. This year will be different, however. Pocket Books just released their 2012 Star Trek Ships of the Line calendar. For just $15, the calendar comes packed numerous pieces of art depicting various starships against the lush backdrops of space, nebulae and even in the midst of battle. Each piece is displayed horizontally, and in a panoramic format allowing you to truly appreciate the art for what it is. The only drawback, at least from what I can tell, is that you might have some issues writing down your appointments on there. Then again, isn’t that what your Google Calendar or precious smart phone’s for? If you can’t wait, head over to the official Star Trek online store and pick yours up today.
It’s rare to find myself excited about a new anime series that hasn’t even aired yet. Perhaps I’m just a bit jaded, but so many new shows air each season that it can be hard to stand out. Fortunately, Persona 4 is the exception. Sharing both name and plot with the game its based on, Persona 4: The Animation seems to be shaping up rather nicely. Fans will likely appreciate the attention to detail, while new viewers will likely fall in love with the characters and story that made the game a hit. With that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Aniplex bring the series stateside sooner rather than later. I still have my hopes up for a simulcast when it airs in Japan later this Fall. Until then, they’ve given us this nifty trailer to sink our teeth into. Any of you as excited as I am?
As any fanboy can tell you, it’s always fun to speculate about the future of our favorite franchises. Today, I’ve decided to take a look at Marvel’s — specifically The Avengers. I’m sure some of you are probably wondering why I’d even bother when they haven’t even released the first film. That’s true, they haven’t. On the other hand, Marvel’s shown that they often plan their films well in advance. This is fairly evident when you look at 2008’s Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk. Obviously we wouldn’t be able to nail down a plot for the film — that much will remain up in the air. Instead I wonder if we’ll be seeing any cameos from the Marvel’s universe. With an estimated budget of $150,000,000, there’s a chance we’ll get one. Here’s a quick list of candidates we’d like to see.
This summer, Funimation Channel launched a viral campaign encouraging anime fans to contact their local cable providers to request Funimation’s 24-hour cable network. At last month’s Anime Expo in Los Angeles, I noticed they were even handing out gifts to con-goers who made the call in front of them. It might seem a bit cheap, but the cause is just. It’s a fact that Cable companies won’t bat an eye unless they see a reasonable demand for a service. I admit I like their approach, but unfortunately I find myself questioning how effective this method could be. According to one spokesperson for the company, several cable providers had reached a point where they were simply hanging up on the callers during the convention. On top of that, how impressive could a weekend of calls really be? If you really want to do your part, I suggest everyone actually take the time to call your local cable providers and make the request at your own leisure. It stands to reason that a steady demand would look far more impressive than a proverbial flash-mob. Don’t you agree?
While wandering San Diego Comic-Con’s exhibit hall during their preview night, a friend of mine passed along this preview sketch for Kotobukiya’s Liara T’Soni Bishoujo figure. I know that when I had dealt with Kotobukiya in the past, they had asked me, along with several of my colleagues, which games they should look at licensing. Pretty much everything we listed had been developed in Japan and would have easily lent itself to Shunya Yamashita’s bishoujo treatment. I was half-expecting to see them give us a license like Bayonetta, Persona 4 or Cathrine, but I would have never guessed that they’d manage to give us something from Mass Effect. Consider my mind officially blown. I really do love these bishoujo figures, but at $65 a pop, it’s hard to keep up. In fact, I was having trouble keeping up with it when they were just doing Marvel figures. By the time they decided to start doing DC Comics I pretty much gave up all hope of collecting them all. One thing I do know for certain is that I will gladly spill my wallet for Liara here. Now, if only they’ll make Miranda. I suppose time will tell. Also, if you’re visiting SDCC, stop by their booth and let them know what you think. Believe it or not, Kotobukiya listens to its customers, even international ones.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 21, 2011 in Videogames
Just a day ago, Activision announced their upcoming title GoldenEye 007 Reloaded for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. If you don’t count 2004’s GoldenEye: Rogue Agent — and most people wouldn’t — this would mark the first time an official GoldenEye title will be appearing on a non-Nintendo console. It’s sort of a big deal, I suppose, but will fans of the original really enjoy this new title? At Activision’s Comic-Con showcase, I had a chance to play a pre-alpha build of the title and while it still had its issues it was actually quite fun. The only problem? It really didn’t feel like GoldenEye. Sure, they had Bond — in this case, Daniel Craig — and the setting was spot on, but the game literally played like Call of Duty. In fact, I over heard several journalists jokingly referring to it as Call of Duty: 007, or GoldenEye: Modern Warfare. While I couldn’t get anyone to confirm that the game used the Modern Warfare engine, every element led me to that conclusion. In fact, the in-game HUD looked spot on, with indicators for thrown grenades, location of the mini-map, and obligatory blood splatters filling the screen. Even the button mapping was exactly the same, leading me to believe that Activision seems to be under the impression that they’ve stumbled on a winning formula and simply don’t want to let it go. Suffice to say, if you’re a fan of the Call of Duty franchise, and the Modern Warfare series in particularly, you’ll probably love this. No word on an official release date, but I’m looking forward to seeing how development progresses in the months to come.
I’m still a little sad that I haven’t had a chance to catch an episode of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Last season, the show managed to garner quite the following and it wasn’t long before Aniplex decided to license the series for international distribution. On top of that, I had to deal with all my friends talking my ear off about the series despite the fact that they were totally spoiling it for me. Nevertheless, I’m still hoping to squeeze it in before the end of the summer and it helps that the show’s not-so-lovable mascot of sorts happens to be absolutely adorable. I’ve been seeing that wish-granting Kyubei all over the place since the series aired, but nothing I’ve come across looks as awesome as this giant vinyl replica — in fact, it’s made to scale. Japan’s largest figure trade show Wonfes is right around the corner, and lucky attendees will be able to pick one up while they’re there, but if you can’t make it, you might be able to score one online by following the instructions of Good Smile’s official website. From what I gather, it’ll retail for roughly $125 before shipping. It’s a bit pricey, but I think in this case, the ends justify the means.
Last night, we posted the teaser for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rising. Though I’m excited for the film, it’s not the only Batman title I’m looking forward to. Later this year, Warner Brothers and Rocksteady Games will be releasing their long-awaited sequel to 2009’s Arkham Asylum, titled Batman: Arkham City. The sequel features a larger cast of villains, larger areas, tougher puzzels, and even the ability to play as Catwoman and Robin for portions of the game. What’s more, Warner Brothers just released the details for their special collector’s edition. In addition to the game, the $99 set will include a custom Batman statue from Kotobukiya, a collectible Arkham City art book, access to the Iceberg Lounge challenge map, a unique Batman: The Dark Knight Returns in-game skin, an official soundtrack, collectible cards, and finally a copy of the Gotham Knight anime which, if you recall, was produced by some of the same studios who worked on The Animatrix — though, I’m told it’s much better than that.
Those of you who waded through lines last weekend to catch the final installment of Harry Potter were treated to several nifty little teasers. While we’re still waiting for Marvel to officially post their teaser for The Avengers — though, I’m sure we’ll probably get a decent leak later this week with Comic-Con happening — Warner Brothers have posted the teaser for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises on Facebook. Although it’s brief enough, the final film in the series looks as though it’ll focus heavily on Batman’s battle with Bane in a scene that’s very reminiscent of the graphic novel Batman:Knightfall — not to spoil the film or anything. That said, I’m really looking to seeing how Nolan intends on wrapping the series up, and I have to admit that I’m a little sad that it’s over so soon. At least we can all rest assured knowing that Joel Schumacher won’t ever touch our beloved franchise ever again.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 19, 2011 in Videogames
Tonight Capcom announced that Mega Man Legends 3 has been officially cancelled. With no other Mega Man titles in development, and the recent cancellation of Mega Man Universe — a shame really, I had high hopes after playing a closed-doors demo at Tokyo Game Show last year — the franchise has come to a screeching halt. While I never had a chance to sit down and play Mega Man Legends 3 while it was still being developed, that specific series has a decent cult following and will no doubt leave many fans disappointed. So, what was Capcom’s excuse for giving the game the proverbial axe? The titled failed to meet the criteria for which the company deemed necessary to proceed with development based on the input from various sectors of their staff. Suffice to say, the quality wasn’t there.
It’s not too often that I’ll come across a Lego sculpture so jaw-droppingly detailed that I absolutely have to write about it. Mark Rodrigues’ stunning rendition of the space battleship Yamato is no exception. While I’m more of a Robotech fanatic, I do have fond memories of Starblazers. I think it could safely be argued that perhaps the biggest star of the show was the ship itself. Whether you knew it as the Argo, or the Yamato, we all have to admit the design is particularly memorable and quite beautiful at that. Mark did a fantastic job of capturing its beauty with his 1/250th scale model that features rotating turrets and posable wings. Check out Mark’s official MOC blog entry for more photos and details on how he went about constructing the ship.
Feast your eyes on the coolest cookie jar since the talking TARDIS. He might not transfer your cookies through time and space, but why would you ever need to when it’s perfectly logical to keep them in one place. ThinkGeek knows this, and that’s why they’ve given us this officially licensed Star Trek Mr.Spock cookie jar. Bearing the likeness of everyone’s favorite Vulcan — a tad more Nimoy than Quinto — this nifty ceramic bust is perfect for stashing your baked goods. Personally, I love it but I think I’d rather have one that looks like the late Jimmy Doohan — now, that man sure looked like he enjoyed a good cookie or two. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty sweet collectible to have laying around your office or kitchen. If you’re curious, the jar retails for only $49.99. Order yours today.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 13, 2011 in Videogames
Back in the early ’90s Nintendo’s dominance of the handheld market went practically unchallenged. Sega’s Game Gear barely put up a fight while Nintendo gave us entries from popular franchises like Super Mario Land and Metroid. With that kind of success, you’d think they’d be willing to take a few chances by localizing all their titles, but in 1992 Nintendo released Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru, or For the Frog the Bell Tolls — a title that never made its way overseas. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. Thankfully, some dedicated fans have decided to take it upon themselves to localize the game for you. It may be nearly two decades old, but this old gem might be worth firing up your favorite emulator to play. Developed by the same team that brought us Metroid II and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, For the Frog the Bell Tolls is an action-adventure title with a twist. You play the role of young prince charged with finding the frogs that inhabit a Kingdom and delivering an important message while attempting to save a princess from peril. The game’s humorously-scripted and has some fantastic music, so it’s sure to be at least somewhat entertaining. You can download the patch for the game here, though you’ll have to obtain your own rom and emulator to play it with. If you’d rather just watch the video above, you’ll get a pretty good idea of how the game plays. Read more…
I admit that I loved Joel Schreiber’s Death Troopers. It certainly wasn’t the most original concept I’ve ever come across, but the idea of taking Star Wars and adding a bit of horror to the mix seemed to work well enough. Better yet, the story gave us a familiar setting without relying too heavily on established characters — aside from a well-scripted cameo which I refuse to spoil for any of you. Unfortunately, I don’t think I could ever bring myself to read it again. Since its release, there has been an unfortunate increase in zombie fiction. So much so, that I feel it’s over-saturated the market — a shame since Schreiber just released his Death Troopers prequelRed Harvest. It looks interest enough, set in the Old Republic and centered around the Sith and the origins of the virus from the first novel. A few years ago, the very concept of zombie Sith would have sold me on the novel alone, but these days I can’t even bring myself to read a proper summary, let alone recommend it anyone else. I suppose if you’re big on zomibification, you’ll want to check out a copy at your local bookstore, or pick up the ebook online. There’s also an Audiobook for those of you who’re too lazy to read. At least it might have some creepy music in the background to help you through it.l
Check out these wicked One Piece punk rock tees from Japanese clothing label Project SR’ES. While I still admit that I’m not the worlds largest One Piece fan, I have to admit the show has led to plenty of interesting fashion. The Tony Tony Chopper tee in particular stikes me as not only sleek and adorably awesome, but incredibly wearable. I can’t really say that much for most of the anime-themed clothing on the market. The real issue is that I’m pretty sure we’ll never get a chance to order these in the US. While the clothing label was established in Honolulu back in 2000, all that remains domestically is a US show room. Their business operation primarily resides in Japan. On top of that, most of the clothing sizes are Japanese, meaning that even though I wear an American medium or large, I’d be forced to hunt for a Japanese extra large and even then, there’s no guarantee it’ll fit comfortably. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find a few of them floating around eBay. If you’d like a closer look, head over to the Oricon Store for more photos.
