Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 26, 2012 in Videogames
Here’s a look at the Dragon Quest X Wii bundle due out in Japan later this year. While it’ll likely remain a Japanese exclusive — especially with Nintendo’s Wii U on the horizon — I can’t help but feel we’re missing out. The box itself is quite gorgeous, featuring a slightly larger image of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Quest X box art. The bundle itself comes complete with a copy of the game, a black Wii with a matching black Wiimote, Classic Controller Pro, a USB stick and to top it all off, a 10,000 yen prepaid Nintendo Points card. I suppose how badly we’re missing out still depends on how good the game turns out, but I have high hopes — even if it’s an MMO of sorts.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 25, 2012 in Tech, Videogames
As a rule, I usually avoid game-oriented Kickstarter projects, but seeing as this is for an tangible product with some rather impressive applications, I figured it’d be worth mentioning. Introducing the Ringbow Controller — an attachable d-pad designed to interface with tablets and other touch-based devices. The Ringbow was designed specifically to give players accurate control without compromising the ability to touch the interface with your fingers. It just so happens that the controller would also enable developers to map the controls to whatever they way, be it an action, cursor, or event within their game or application. The only draw back being that developers would have to design their games specifically to interface with the device, or at least support it on some level for it to work. The project has a stated goal of $100,000, and is nearly half way there with a full 27 days to go. If you’re still interested in supporting it, a donation of $45 will snag you one of your own when they begin mass production.
Japan might be getting a full disc release of Okami HD, but at least the US and Europe are getting it at all! This fall on PSN, you’ll be able to pick up the much-revered Clover Studios game, Okami, in HD for $19.99. This reveal trailer gives a pretty good look at the update of the game, and man, does it look great. I’m glad we’re getting it on PSN, and that price is pretty much the sweet-spot for this type of release. Hopefully it’ll do well here!
A newsletter signup showed up on the Adult Swim website yesterday, emblazoned with images of the Team Fortress 2 cast and a warning: next week there will be new details of an Adult Swim and Valve team-up. This, of course, set the internet ablaze wondering what this could possibly be. This past week Valve has been running a small ARG within TF2, dropping hints that their final animated short, Meet the Pyro, could be coming out next week. Could Adult Swim air it on TV? Or perhaps they’ll show the annual TF2 Community video awards show, the Saxxy Awards? We’ll find out soon!
DigiPen students seem to be making it big! First the group of students that made Narbacular Drop become Portal developers (and Kim Swift has just released Quantum Conundrum) and a second group helped make the paint for Portal 2. Now another intrepid group of students is hitting it big with their game: Perspective. It’s first-person, yes, but you play as a little Mega Man-esque character who jumps throughout the world you’re viewing. Depending on the angle you’re looking at, the whole map can change. Check out their amazing video above, and who knows? Maybe the next big game will have these students behind it.
Yesterday, Nintendo announced a new 3DS revision to be added to their lineup. This came just after Miyamoto stated a week ago that Nintendo wasn’t working on 3DS revision (probably because it was already done). But of course, keeping in tradition, the 3DS XL was announced for the US, Europe, and Japan. It’ll arrive August 19th on our shores, for $199.99 (in blue and red), but Japan and Europe are getting it next month on July 28th (with silver and white). Essentially it’s just a bigger 3DS, with 90% larger screens and matte finish, so it’ll fit in my hands better and won’t leave as many fingerprints, but I can’t help but wonder if that larger screen will pixelate the games too much? Read more…
I think I echo most people’s sentiments when I say I hate political attack ads. However, these are just fantastic: Mother Jones Video on YouTube has created three short attacks ads that could’ve spawned from the Game of Thrones universe. One attacking Daenerys, one for Robb Stark, and one for Joffrey. There are minor spoilers for events in the second book/second season but nothing too deliberate. Watch the Joffery ad above, then check out Dany and Robb after the jump. Read more…
Yes, this is the most bizarre video I’ve seen this week. It’s also very, very well animated. It’s a little NSFW too, unless your job approves of Pokemon on acid (wish I could work there). High5Toons has done a great job showing what would happen if we took the Pokemon’s move’s names literally. And really, the image of Pikachu rubbing a balloon on his head to generate a static charge had me laughing. That’s just clever. Anyway, on with the Pokemon acid-trip!
Here’s our first good look at Lionsgate’s upcoming Judge Dredd reboot — though, I hesitate to use the term. Dredd 3D looks as though it’ll take on a more serious tone than the previous film, and I don’t think anyone could argue that the lack of Rob Schneider could possibly hurt it. However, as some fans have pointed out, the film’s plot seems awfully close to that of The Raid — the martial arts blockbuster Ben mentioned on our podcast the other week. Of course, The Raid is just over-the-top action with little substance in terms of plot, so that might be where Dredd has an edge. Just how much of one? We’ll have to wait until this fall to find out. Dredd 3D hits theaters September 21st.
It’s been awhile since I’ve seen any news surrounding a proposed fourth installment of Jurassic Park, so I thought it might be worth mentioning that the project might still be in the works. Word has itRise of the Planet of the Apes writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver have signed on to pen the sequel for Universal, and while I’m not sure how I felt about Rise of the Planet of the Apes, anything they write will probably be better than the mess that was Jurassic Park 3. However, seeing as they successfully revived the Planet of the Apes franchise — at least, enough to sell tickets — we should probably have a little faith that they can deliver a script worth filming. Of course, the project could still fall flat down the line. Sadly, it might be the closest thing anyone will get to a second season of Terranova, so keep your fingers crossed.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 20, 2012 in Cinema, Fandom
I’m surprised it was still standing after all these years, but recently some fans took it upon themselves to raise the money necessary to restore the Lars Homestead — Luke’s home which he shared with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru in Episode IV A New Hope. It’s amazing to think what fans can accomplish when they set their mind to it. As you can see from the clip above, it wasn’t an easy task, but after battling with the blistering heat of the North African desert, they finally managed to finish the job on the igloo and as you can see from the end of the video and the photo below, they might have made it look too good. Given the harsh nature of the environment, that might not last for long, however. I’m just glad fans still exist who will be willing to preserve such a historic location. For more info, check out the project homepage here.
An official Japanese street date has been announced for the home video release of the Ace Attorney live-action film. From all of the trailers I’ve seen, the film looked pretty amazing, having accurately depicted the events as they occurred throughout the game, from the over-the-top costumes and special effects, to the ridiculous dialog and plot twists. Set for release on August 22nd, both the Blu-ray and DVD release will feature the full 135 minute film, audio commentary with both directors of the game and film. They’ve also included a bonus disc with promotional and behind-the-scenes footage. Unfortunately there probably won’t be any English subtitles on the discs, but at least you expect to see a version of the film fan-subbed within a month or two of the release, as that’s usually the case with films like this. Just do yourself a favor and buy a copy anyway. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 19, 2012 in Videogames
There have been several titles I’ve had eyes on over the past few months, one of which is Arkane Studios’ upcoming steampunk action game, Dishonored. From the looks of things, the game plays like a cross between Deus Ex and Assassins Creed, but that being the case, you can imagine my surprise to learn that the game could be completed in just 12 hours. Of course, in order to do so, you have to ignore story elements, and rush from target to target. According to Arkane, the game can easily take twice as long if you actually stop to eavesdrop on your enemies conversations in order to flesh out the plot and immerse yourself in the story. Apparently there are also 40 unique charms throughout the game that give you small supernatural perks, however you can’t collect them all during a single play-through, so perhaps there’s some re-playability to be had there.
Earlier today, my wife was enjoying her latest obsession, NimbleBit’s Pocket Planes for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Similar to their previous free-to-play management sim Tiny Tower, you use bitizens to grow your business but rather than building floor after floor of shops, instead the game focuses on transporting passengers and cargo between destinations for income, allowing you to unlock more planes, and so forth. Any way, while she was playing through the game, she noticed that a piece of cargo she had to transport, labeled “Time Machine,” resembled a certain blue police box. Just to make sure she wasn’t crazy, we snapped a photo. Look familiar? Any way, I’m told the game is fun and addicting, though, I can’t imagine how. If time management sims are your sort of thing, check out the app for free and be mindful of the in app purchases, as you can easily rack up a hefty bill if you’re not careful!
Okay, so you’ve got yourself a shiny new MacBook, complete with its nifty retina display. If you’re like me, though, you’re probably the kind of person who would cherish it way too much to take it anywhere. I know, ironic considering it’s a laptop, and made specifically for its portability, but let’s be honest — it’s an expensive piece of hardware. So, that being the case, why wouldn’t you want to take extra special care of it? I know I would. One of my chief concerns — especially during these hot summer months — is heat. True, the MacBook is built with asymmetrical, low-noise fans that will kick on to help cool things off, but there’s no reason you can’t give those fans some room to breathe. That’s where the AirSlab comes in.
Here’s a new television ad for The Dark Knight Rises that sheds a little more light on how the film starts. We see Bruce getting back in the game and building up his armoury to take on Bane, as well as the return of Lucius Fox. He offers up the new hovercraft to Bruce, reminding him that yes, “it does come in black.” A nice little callback to the first film, for sure, and while this does make me a little more excited for Rises, I still hope it stands on its own and doesn’t fall back on the previous films too much.
Movie studios have been a little wishy-washy lately, haven’t they? No surprise, I suppose, given the economy, but here we go again: Paramount Pictures has reportedly halted work on Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot. You know, the one in which they weren’t teenage mutant ninja turtles, but were just ninja aliens that kind of looked like turtles. But maybe they were at least still teenagers. Or something. It was originally planned as a 2013 holiday release but with Paramount tossing out the pre-production staff and pushing the date back to May 2014, it looks less likely for the film to happen anytime soon. Who knows what’ll happen – perhaps it’ll start back up to meet the May 2014 date, or maybe it’ll just fade away till the next inevitable reboot. One can only hope!
Our strange fascination with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter continues. This new clip from 20th Century Pictures gives us a straightforward look at some of the action scenes in the upcoming film – and yup, it still looks ridiculously silly. But despite all this coverage I can’t quite seem to pinpoint exactly how I feel about this. I’m neither turned off nor enamoured by the over-the-top action. It works fine and is choreographed well enough that you can see what is going on, but while the idea of fun is there, I still get a sense of emptiness to the whole affair. I guess we’ll find out on June 20th when the film releases!
Here’s a neat item to help expand your collection of awesome geeky cookbooks: a Star Wars Cookbook! Wookie Pies, Clone Scones, and other Galactic Goodies is a cute little book that recently popped up on our radar and really, when you include Yoda-shaped cookie cutters, you know you’re on the right track. The photography for the book is hilarious as well, featuring Luke and Ben Kenobi trying to smuggle an R2-D2 torte into Mos Eisley. Check out some more images after the break! Read more…
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 15, 2012 in Cinema, Fandom
After watching this video, I really want some Inception LEGO sets. Especially if you could rotate the famous hallway around to best replicate the bizarre gravity changes? You know you’d buy it. Or an exploding snow hospital building. Ok, I shouldn’t get carried away. This CGI LEGO trailer for Inception made by a cool bunch of people at VFX is pretty fun, and it has a few clever LEGO jokes in there too. I’m enjoying this recent resurgence in LEGO-themed videos because it really gets my creative juices going!
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 15, 2012 in Cinema, Fandom
I’m going to guess most of you have probably check out Prometheus by now, and you’ve probably taken in the beautiful scenery, amazing sets, and simply awesome world Ridley Scott created on-screen. You’ve also probably got enough questions to choke a small animal, because Damon Lindelof’s vague script detracts from all the good elements in the film. Red Letter Media, the always hilarious bunch of folks who made the incredible 90-minute Star Wars prequel reviews, starring the creepy murderer Plinkett, have returned to ask a few questions about Prometheus’ story. Mike and Jay, from the Half in the Bag series, usually do insightful and dorky movie reviews, but it seems Prometheus has taken its toll on their brains. Check out the brain-melting question video above, then watch their full review here.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jun 14, 2012 in Videogames
I’ve always had a soft spot for Tekken. I know it’s not everyone’s fighting game of choice, but the series has remained successful throughout the years due in large part to its dedicated fan-base, of which I consider myself a member. While I love the gameplay, and even some of the zany story elements, I’ll be the first to admit that that the plot can be incredibly confusing. Thankfully the upcoming Tekken Tag Tournament 2 won’t be adding to that. Instead, the game is considered non-cannon, allowing gamers to simply have fun with the Tekken universe. One of the modes to be included in the upcoming console release is the “Fight Lab Mode” — what’s that, you ask? Find out after the jump.
Although Steven Moffat’s remained rather tight-lipped about the upcoming season of Doctor Who, its been known that production on the latest episodes featuring Jenna-Louise Coleman has been underway. While we’re still at loss as to what to expect beyond the departure of Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill in the 5th episode of new series, these latest promo photos from the BBC gives us a small glimpse of what to expect. The Doctor has some sharp new threads and Coleman looks to be dressed in your everyday street clothes, so perhaps her character might not be too far from the norm. The TARDIS can also be seen in the background. A few more photos are available after the jump.
We’ve all been on the edge of our seats, hoping to catch a small glimpse of Bad Robot’s next Star Trek film at San Diego Comic-Con International. Although Prometheus butcher — yeah, I said it — and Star Trek 2 producer Damon Lindelof had stated that they hoped to have something to show us by SDCC, chances of that happening are now slim to none — the safe bet being none. According to various sources, and subsequently confirmed by TrekMovie, Abrams and company have decided to wait until they’ve polished their project a bit more before showing it off to fans. It’ll be interesting to see if they opt instead for a WonderCon panel next year, but who knows. Abrams could just want to keep things under wraps for the foreseeable future. Read more…
