I love it whenever my favorite toy and figure companies pick up a videogame license, so it’s no surprise that I’m excited about this little venture I’ve stumbled upon. Capcom and Medicom have recently teamed up to create a line of Mega Man inspired Kubricks and Be@rbricks! Each Kubrick, Mega Man and Protoman respectively, come packed with their own 1Up Be@rbrick. Each set will be limited to 500, and are currently available exclusively through the Capcom US online store. Now, they won’t be available until August 12th, but you can pre-order them now for $39.95 each, and if you buy both sets together, you can save $5 off your total. Sure, they might be a little expensive, but they’re limited edition. Besides, if you’re any fan of those classic Nintendo games, you owe it to yourself to pick one up — I know I will.
As you can probably imagine, the leaked Lost epilogue has been pulled from many fan sites around the net since it hit the web yesterday. Disney was quick to pull the plug, though you can still catch it here if you’re lucky. For those of you who’d rather wait until the DVD box set hits shelves later this month, the epilogue promises to answer some, but not all, of those lingering questions that we had once the series finale aired back in May. Read more…
How often do you see those little fish emblems on cars? You know which ones I’m talking about — the fish used to tell everyone else that they’re Christian and proud of it. Why? I’m not so sure myself, but I guess they feel its important that we know. Hell, I’ve counted at least 4 or 5 of them today, but I have to admit that I wasn’t exactly going out of my way to look. Now, I’m well aware that modifying that emblem to fit our needs isn’t exactly a new idea. In fact, I’m getting a bit tired of seeing the little feet attached — it was funny the first 1,000 times. Why not show your love for Star Trek instead? Well, thanks to ThinkGeek, you can share your love for Shatner and Stewart with other unsuspecting motorists. Better yet, it doesn’t have poor Darwin’s name smushed inside and is still slightly clever. Besides, it has warp nacelles — awesome, right? Read more…
Lionhead studios, in conjunction with Microsoft Game Studios, have released the opening cinematic for their upcoming installment of Fable. The third title to date, Fable 3 tells the tail of a kingdom on brink of revolution, its subjects the victim of a tyrannical ruler. This opening cinematic tells that tale in an interesting way — through the eyes of a chicken, doomed to be a served at a royal dinner. While it might show little in the way of potential gameplay, the cinematic certainly doesn’t lack the dark humor found through out the series. Instead, it provides us with an explanation of the plot via a rather clever set of metaphors — in addition to painting a clear picture of the setting itself. The game is currently set to ship for Xbox 360 on October 26th. Read more…
While Japanese roleplaying games seem to be declining in popularity, there are a number of series that seem timeless. Chrono Trigger is definitely one such series. With Akira Toriyama’s signature character designs and Masato Kato’s innovative script, the game has remained a fan favorite for over 15 years. With that in mind, Square Enix and Bird Studio have taken it upon themselves to recreate some of the most memorable scenes from the game with their Chrono Trigger Formation Arts, available now at Hobby Search. Each of these six figures are sure to bring about a sense of nostalgia for anyone who loved the original game — now if only Square Enix would make a proper sequel.
It was only a matter of time before someone decided to print the Empire’s precious Death Star floorplans. Available via ThinkGeek, this set of 5 double-sided posters will provide you with some of the highest detailed diagrams from the series to date. Ever wonder what Vader had going on under that suit? How about a hyperdrive? That’s right, it has all of that and more. While I can’t personally vouch for the validity of these diagrams — I hear the Death Star plans were actually found on the floor of Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood, California — I’d like to think the novelty of claiming you own them should be worth the purchase. Besides, you never know when you’ll have to make a trench run.
When I first heard about the upcoming Gatachman film back in 2008, I was excited. The series, known as G-Force here in the states, is in part responsible for my love of anime today. Alongside series like Robotech, Speed Racer and Voltron, it was one of the many anime that somehow managed to make its way to network television in the 80’s. Of course, the series was re-aired in the mid-90’s thanks to Cartoon Network’s Toonami, but was never shown unedited. The upcoming film should stay true to the original Japanese, though I have to admit this teaser has me a bit worried — not that the plot or visuals will be toned down for a younger audience, so much as that the animation itself might be a bit lacking. I guess we all have to understand that Imagi isn’t Pixar, and with their various financial issues — some of which are responsible for the film being delayed until 2011, instead of being released back in 2009 as planned — we should be happy the film is even happening. Until then, we’ll be left wanting a bit more. Read more…
Japan has always had a very structured and linear approach to game development, especially in regards to the role playing genre. Stereotypical Japanese roleplaying titles, or JRPGs as they’ve become known, often follow set storylines, limiting replayability and the freedom that’s usually associated with western titles. While I’ve personally found those titles to be enjoyable, it’s easy for some to liken them to reading a book, or watching a movie — a simple interactive, yet aesthetically pleasing script.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 29, 2010 in Videogames
I’ve always been a huge fan of Robotech, so much so that I’ve owned several iterations of the show since it went off the air so many years ago — one of which happened to be Super Dimension Fortress Macross. For those of you who may not know, it was one of the original three series used to create Robotech for syndication here in America. However — unlike Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA —Macross became a hit, spawning numerous movies, OVAs, and sequels. With only a few exceptions, the legal situation surrounding the Macross license has pretty much prevented the series from being licensed for distribution in North America, and as such, any related works have also met a similar fate — such is the case with the upcoming PS3 title Macross Trial Frontier.
Nobody seems to know how Marvel will react to this, however a number of weblogs have posted a leaked trailer for the upcoming Thor film set to release next May. The 5 minute trailer premiered at San Diego Comic-Con International last week, but it wasn’t long before someone managed to leak it to the net and it’s since spread like wildfire. While I’m not about to join everyone else in posting the trailer, I’d gladly point you all in the right direction. My suggestion? Watch it before the cease and desist letters are sent out, because it’s bound to happen. As for the trailer itself, Chris Hemsworth, and Natalie Portman look promising. It’ll be interesting to see how they transition from Asgard to Earth and vice-versa. At least we can expect plenty of action. Click here to see the trailer while it’s still on the net.
Like him or hate him, Wesley Crusher’s name makes for a fantastic bowling team — at least, Sheldon seemed to think so. To be honest, I can’t decide on if I actually want this myself. While I enjoy Star Trek puns as much as the next guy, I’m a little miffed that the shirt isn’t in fact a bowling shirt. That’s right, I’m actually bothered by the fact that it’s not a lounge shirt — it may seem petty, but I’d like to think I’m entitled to that much. Still, I’m glad the guys over a ThinkGeek were clever enough to print this, even if they didn’t just go the extra mile. There’s always next time, besides, I’d definitely want to name my team “Pin Farr,” or “The AWAY team.” I just hope they don’t make the shirts red, I need all the luck I can get. Read more…
I heard several months back that ABC had planned on auctioning off a good number of the props from Lost now that the curtain has officially closed, but I wasn’t quite sure when and where that was taking place — it could have been on an remote island for all I knew. Turns out it’ll be in Santa Monica — not quite an island with polar bears, though I was hoping they’d at least have some bears available to auction off. In fact, I would have settled for a brown bear that was spray painted white. Needless to say, they have some pretty cool props to auction off, including but not limited to the baby-blue DHARMA Van, Locke’s trusty wheelchair, a classic Apple computer, and Hurley’s red Camaro.
Last year, Marvel Animation discussed their upcoming forays into the realm of Japanese animation by debuting several concept trailers featuring two of their most popular characters, Wolverine and Iron Man. I had enjoyed the trailers, but we were left wanting more, and there had been no updates regarding either series — that was, until last weekend. We have yet to hear more regarding Wolverine, but Marvel debuted the first official teaser trailer for their upcoming Iron Man anime, which will debut on G4HD next year. In it, we briefly see a mid-air battle between Iron Man and his government owned counterpart War Machine. There are still no details regarding the plot of the series, but I imagine we’ll learn more in the months to come. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 27, 2010 in Comic Books
With the recent passing of Al Williamson, I thought it might be nice to give another nod to one of the series that made him famous, Flash Gordon. Of course, I’m well aware that he didn’t have anything to do with Alex Raymond’s original Sunday strips, but they were indeed the inspiration needed to launch his storied career. IDW recently announced that those original Sunday strips will be completely remastered, alongside Jungle Jim, in a 12 x 16 inch “champagne” format. Read more…
Hot Toys, perhaps one of my favorite Hollywood toy manufacturers next to Sideshow Collectibles, has managed to secure some of the hottest licenses this summer. Some of those titles include Silvester Stallone’s upcoming film The Expendables, Spider-Man 3, Tron Legacy and Resident Evil: Afterlife — you know that strange looking 3D Resident Evil film that they’re working on. I really wish they already had some of these figures to show off, but one look at their current offerings, and you can pretty much know what to expect in terms of quality. In fact, I’ve had some people mistake some of the high resolution photos of their Joker figure for Heath Ledger himself. Not too bad if you ask me. The only draw back is that these figures can be a bit pricey. We’re talking in the upwards of $150 or more — on the 0ther hand, the quality honestly justifies the price. Check out their official website for more of their current products and keep an eye out for these new lines in the months ahead. Read more…
HBO’s True Blood has been a huge success, no doubt due in part to the Vampire craze that’s plagued the nation since Twilight hit the scene. It might be slightly more overplayed than mixing zombies with our favorite Sci-Fi series, but that certainly won’t stop anyone from watching the show — or, reading the comic. That’s right, IDW has picked up the license to the hit show and will now be publishing the True Blood comics. The first issue should be available in stores now, but a special edition is available at San Diego Comic Con with a limited edition wrap-around cover. The comic should continue the on-going adventures of Sookie Stackhouse and her lover Bill. No word on if the series will actually feature any cannon storylines, but I imagine it won’t unless the producers get involved.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 21, 2010 in Videogames
When I first heard that the upcoming Bond film would be delayed indefinitely while MGM executives attempt to sell the studio, I was terribly disappointed. Not only was MGM shelving their upcoming reboot of Robocop, and a remake of the 80’s classic Red Dawn, Eon was forced to halt production to a series of what I’ve considered some of the best Bond films in recent years. Thankfully, not all was lost. Rather than sit around and do nothing, they’ve decided to work with Activision on the next Bond video game — 007: Blood Stone. Read more…
If you’re like me, odds are that you never get around to collecting comics. It’s not that we don’t want to read them, but with so many being released, sometimes we just can’t make it to the store in a timely manner. Thankfully IDW’s already thought of a solution to all our problems — the almighty omnibus. Their latest, entitled Star Trek: The Original Series Omnibus, combines a number of Original Series comics such as Year Four, the Enterprise Experiment, Alien Spotlights and more.
I’m sure a lot of you probably don’t know the company very well, but I’m almost positive that all of you have probably seen their work. Weta, believe it or not, is responsible for a significant portion of the props, conceptual designs and effects that you’ve seen in so many recent blockbusters like Avatar, Lord of the Rings, District 9, and more. So, when I received an e-mail about their upcoming presence at San Diego’s Comic Con International, my it perked my interest. Read more…
San Diego Comic Con is happening this week, and each year, like clockwork, I end up catching some form of illness from interacting with the masses who attend the event. I haven’t quite turned into a zombie just yet, but it’s certainly a possibility — or so this novel would like me to believe. Night of the Living Trekkies, from the publishers of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, tells the story of some uniform-clad, prosthetic-eared fanboys who happen to be attending their annual Star Trek convention when suddenly aliens decide to unleash a zombie plague. Needless to say, their pseudo-Starfleet training suddenly comes in handy. The book is supposedly littered with countless references to the show, and fanboy culture, making it a must buy for people like you and me. Best of all, the book goes on sale just in time for the con. It’s scheduled for release on July 22nd.
I know some of you miss having your flip phones for the sole reason of getting to pretend you were Captain Kirk asking to beam up. Who could blame you, though? They looked just like the Star Trek original series communicators, after all. Unfortunately, some of you probably gave that up the moment you purchased your first iPhone. Well, thanks to CBS Interactive, you might not have to. Their recently released Star Trek Communicator app manages to reproduce the look and sounds of the original series handset using your iphone’s interface. In fact, you can even use it to access your contacts and make real phone calls via the app — assuming you’re using an iPhone and not an iPod Touch , of course. The app will cost you $1.99 via the app store, but I’d say that’s a small price to pay for the novelty. Read more…
With the upcoming release of Tron Legacy, so many companies are rushing to create toys and games to hype the new film. Fortunately for fans of the original, there are a few new products designed specifically to pay homage to the original film, such as this one here. This Tron “Vintage Figure” will be exclusive to San Diego’s upcoming Comic Con International, and apparently comes with some neat little features, such as a case that lights up, and special arcade cabinet packaging. In addition to looking fantastic, they’ll only cost $40 each and will be limited to only 1,500 units, so you’ll need to pick one up while supplies last. Read more…
The Han Solo SL72 sneakers are the latest addition to the Adidas x Star Wars footwear line that was announced last year. The silver scheme, and tongue design is inspired by Han’s carbonite coffin from Empire Strikes Back, but the shoes also feature small details from his costume, including his signature belt and the red trim from his pants. Pretty slick if you ask me. No word on how much they cost, but they’ll be available later this fall. Until then, you’ll have to make due with Hoth-inspired Rebel duds, and a pair of sneakers fit for the Dark Lord himself, which currently retail for $167 and $133, respectively. Check the Adidas online store for more details. Read more…
Back in the mid-80’s, Hokuto no Ken — or as we’ve come to know it, Fist of the North Star — was a huge hit in Japan. It eventually produced a number of games, a few of which were localized after being heavily modified for US audiences, an OVA and a sequel. It actually blew my mind when I found out that my copy of Black Belt for the Sega Master System was actually a butchered version of the second Hakuto no Ken title. Thankfully, the games have come a long way since then.
