Street Fighter X Mega Man: Capcom Reveals All (Well, Some of All)…

Posted on December 14, 2012 by geelw

Amusingly enough, I was talking to someone yesterday about fan-made indie games and this one came up, as it’s now some sort of standard in terms of a big game company like Capcom actually approving of a project like this before making sure it gets done right. Of course, the bigger story will be how well the game does with the fans once it’s let loose on December 17 as a free PC download. I say it will do well, but I’d also expect other creative fans have been flooding Capcom and other publishers with even more ideas and suggestions than they usually do. I wonder how many people come up with exactly the same ideas, write them up (and maybe do up some nice art to go with their projects) and send them off thinking they’ve struck a gold mine. Live and learn, yes indeed… but wise up at some point and create your own original content at the end of the day. Sometimes, it’s better to make a little money from all that hard work than to just keep giving away the farm for free, I say. Hey, Han Solo didn’t walk away from a cargo hold full of Rebellion credits in Star Wars (AND he later got a Princess out of it to boot)…

Random Film of the Week: Never Give a Sucker an Even Break

Posted on December 14, 2012 by geelw

I’ve decided to keep things a bit lighter on such a heavy day here and not post reviews of a couple of games just out of common courtesy, Anyway, time for some much-needed comedy:

For his final encore (that’s a little vaudeville joke there, I think), the great W.C. Fields created one of the more surreal comedies of the era that’s just as quirky today as it must have been back when it was originally released. 1941’s Never Give a Sucker an Even Break is the not quite true, but very true story of Fields’ problems in getting his often outrageous for the time comedies past brainless executives and censors who deemed his material too wild for movie audiences. Playing himself, the film is basically Fields trying to sell a screenplay he’s written to a producer at the aptly named Esoteric Pictures with scenes from the script turning into some pretty bizarre and hilarious stagings thanks to some really fun special effects work and plenty of Fields’ comic genius.

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New G.I. Joe Retaliation Trailer: What, Still No Bulletman?

Posted on December 14, 2012 by geelw

And hey, where’s the Intruder? Anyway, after some reworking and a rather long delay (wasn’t this supposed to come out this year?), that G.I. Joe sequel is getting an official release date. It’s definitely much better looking than the first film and as you can see, they’re serious about the star-power on display. Hmmm, I wonder what the paychecks for the principals were? Bruce Willis has another Die Hard flick hitting theaters as well, so I’m guessing he’s saving up for a new boat or something. Or two boats. or a year’s supply of Headblades. I’m so glad he’s not an expensive toupee and Botox-using action guy like some others who will remain unnamed in this post. The man looks better as he is, I say…

OK, OK, I’m not really planning to see this in a theater, but it looks like it would be a heck of a lot of fun to catch on cable on a rainy Saturday or something. Some of these action flicks based on toys and comics are instant classics, but I’m not sure all the writing in the world or Willis and The Rock can save the fact that we’re looking at a film based on toys, er action figures that became a comic and an animated show, all of which were geared to kids who’d probably not be allowed to see it if it were released back when the toys first came out. Yeah, sometimes I think WAY too much about this stuff, but I just can’t take the Joes as seriously as some people who toss them up on a pedestal as some sort of ideal hero figure. Eh, whatever – pass the popcorn. I may as well enjoy the ride when I do get to see it.

EDF Recruitment Update! Earth Defense Force 2025 Coming to PS3, Xbox 360 in 2013

Posted on December 14, 2012 by geelw

The EDF Wants YOU! Well, not right now, but soon enough. Get ready for more big bugs, big robots and big futuristic weapons to take them out with sometime in 2013. Although the game is still working its way through development over in Japan, Sandlot’s upcoming Chikyuu Boueigun 4 (Earth Defense Forces 4) is indeed coming to North America and Europe as Earth Defense Force 2025 next year. For hardcore EDF fans like me, this is fantastic news, particularly given that we’re also getting Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable on the PlayStation Vita in February. Yep, I have the import and in fact, I’m currently playing through EDF 2 Portable on the PSP because I’m that hooked on the awesome fun of this pick up and play run ‘n gun series since about 2004.

As you can see from the lovely screenshots below, EDF 2025 is going to be Sandlot’s most polished work to date. Not bad at all for what was initially created as a budget game for the Japanese market. Now, all we need to see are some official game trailers and it’s even more on than it already is. While a concrete release date for EDF 2025 has yet to be revealed, the press release is dated “June 28, 2025”, but let’s not make anything of that until there’s a more official update in the future. All D3Publisher of America needs to do now is actually update their official site to include this game as well as EDF 2017 Portable, which is set to hit the PlayStation Vita on February 12, 2013. Between these two EDF games and Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim coming out next year, it’s going to be an absolutely epic year for kaiju fans. And if that new Godzilla gets let loose next year, expect lots of screaming in the streets as we all run into the theaters to see these flicks and then into game shops to snap up these two games.