It’s funny I always remember my sense of disappointment as a kid when looking at the amazing realistic cover art on videogames of that era and seeing what I perceived as the terrible lack of quality as to the 8-bit images that I’d see on the screen: So it’s a bit of a joy to reverse that in my later years and embrace the ugly pixels of days past. This 8-bit t-shirt collection does a nice job of taking Star Wars characters and converting them down from 70mm to good old fashioned 8-bit: Read more…
Here’s a little treat for your Christmas morning: Reddit user Tmyakal took his artificial tree and with a little cleverness, gave it some pizzaz. I might have to steal this idea for myself next year. Don’t worry, I’m not going to make you endure any more Portal jokes. I only have one question: where do the presents go? Read more…
If you’re looking for the ultimate gift for the Spider-Man fan in your life, this may just be the ticket. Sadly, it doesn’t come out till the second quarter of 2012, but this Black Suit version of Spider-Man from Spider-Man 3 is one of the best Spideys I’ve seen. The joints are all hidden under the fabric of the suit, which looks fantastic. Not only that, the sculpted head of Tobey Maguire is up to the usual Hot Toys standard of ‘looking almost as real as the person’s actual face.’ Read more…
If you’re looking for a recipe for internet success, face it, you’ve been beat. Avemagnadude created a trailer that combines the two most popular video games this holiday season: Minecraft and Skyrim. Using a combination of in-game footage from Minecraft and custom CGI he recreated the Skyrim trailer in all it’s glory, and also brought to a conclusion this whole silly Mojang vs. Skyrim silliness. It’s really quite stylish, although the name ‘Minerim’ doesn’t exactly sound too pleasing. Click through for the full video. Read more…
There’s a certain charm to “sweded” versions of films. Adding a dash of home-made ingenuity in trying to recreate big-budget scenes along with a little bit of child-like fun makes for entertaining videos. Dumb Drum recently created their own version of the Dark Knight Rises trailer that’s been hyped up quite a bit recently. There are some fairly creative bits in here, especially with the zoom out of the Batman logo and the football stadium! Click through to check it out. Read more…
I have a huge love for classic anime films, especially Miyazaki. A little Lupin III doesn’t hurt either. Castle of Cagliostro is one of my favorite films, but if you’re a figure collector there’s only been a few worthwhile items out there (although they did make a model of the castle itself). Luckily, Dive has been bringing out several Lupin III figures, with their most recent being a Castle of Cagliostro version of Fujiko Mine. She’s roughly 8 inches tall, and is going for ¥6,825. Read more…
Now, I don’t always like to bring up every little new anime series that gets announced, because frankly there are too many out there. However, the popularity of Eureka Seven is undeniable and while I had some issues with the first season, it was still a fairly solid series and the fans adore it. So I’m sure they’re happy to be hearing that a second season, called Eureka Seven AO, has been confirmed for April 2012 by the official website. Read more…
Star Wars: The Old Republic hit the ground running this week and despite some crowded servers, its reception so far is seemingly positive. At a distance, the gamemay resemble World of Warcraft more ways than one. Visually, both titles might appeal to the lowest common denominator, in that they’re designed function with the average PC, yet feature beautifully crafted opening sequences. Being that they’re MMORPGs, both titles feature an ability-based interface and similar gameplay mechanics. However, one area in which The Old Republic really shines is its ability to tell a story. World of Warcraft has some incredibly deep lore, and the while the story is well-told, Bioware really excels. Here’s a documentary to explain why.
Being a geek myself, I’ve received my fair share of Geek-themed stocking-stuffers over the years. Some have been awesome, and others not so much, so I’ve decided to throw together some quick suggestions for those of you in a rush. Don’t worry, we’re all guilty of a little procrastination every once in awhile.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 21, 2011 in Videogames
Feast your eyes on this travesty. Its not often that I find a video with so many views and dislikes. Earlier today, TouchGameplay released some in-game footage from the upcoming iOS port of Mega Man X. Based on a previous mobile phone version of the title, the graphics have been enhanced, along with the addition of touch controls. Suffice to say, fans are not happy — many of whom have questioned Capcom’s definition of “enhanced.” Read more…
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.
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.
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.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 19, 2011 in Comic Books
Desert Island is a very dangerous comic book shop for me to visit — I always find myself wanting to buy every book that I see in the shop! What makes the store so special is that every inch of it is packed with a wonderful selection of indie comics from all over the world. But in addition to their wonderful selection of books and zines they also have beautiful window display which is a work of art on to its own: Read more…
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.
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.
Two new pieces of news are floating around regarding Spike Lee’s remake of Park Chan-Wook’s film Oldboy. While Josh Brolin had been confirmed to be playing the leading man (Dae-su), several other important parts were left un-cast. However now we have two names popping up: Clive Owen is being offered the role of the villain (Woo-jin), and Mia Wasikowska the role of the lead female (Mi-do). I think Clive Owen is a perfect choice, and I love him as an actor. He simply needs more roles to breathe in, and this could be a great part for him. Read more…
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 18, 2011 in Comic Books
I was always fond of Sam Raimi’s two Spider-Man films (What? Spider-Man 3? Never heard of it), however they had a layer of cheesy fun applied to them. But I liked them for that – they are comic book films after all, must we always be so serious about them? Anyway, the Green Goblin costume in the first film has been discussed to death over the years, but just recently FX company Amalgamated Dynamics released this video of their original makeup test of the first Green Goblin mask. And it’s awesome. Read more…
I love finding beautiful or cool art prints online. There’s always something new and exciting popping up, you just have to keep your eyes open. And I’m glad my eyes caught this poster by Victor Vercesi! He recently created a great custom Star Wars print featuring everyone’s favorite green bounty hunter, Boba Fett. I’m particularly fond of the integrated logo – solid work all around. It’s available on his Society6 page for purchase. Read more…
LEGO has their hands in everything these days. From the immensely popular LEGO Star Wars and Harry Potter lines to Pirates of the Caribbean and Toy Story, they’ve tried their hardest to embed themselves in current pop culture. It’s served them well, especially with the success of the LEGO video games series, which have done a pretty good job of appealing to pretty much everyone. So what’s next? Lord of the Rings, of course! Read more…
A beautiful new art book to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda is surprisingly cool of Nintendo, who hardly ever lets concept art seep outside the confines of their company. This book features 274 pages packed full with content. But in the listing for the book there is a mention of a “historical timeline of Hyrule” being contained in it. Read more…
I was skeptical when a movie adaption of Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter was announced. Sure, it made for a fun book, but let’s face it, so much gets lost in translation when most books hop over to the big screen. I’m honestly surprised this film got much of a budget at all, given how terrified many studios seem to be of new ideas. Why make something original (well, an adaption of something original) when you can churn out another sequel? The answer is simple, I think: vampires. Read more…
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…
