Yes indeed, it’s that time of the year again, folks? So, what are YOU doing this weekend? Me, I’ll be getting tired feet and big eyeballs checking out some of the newest toys and games for you guys and gals to drop that disposable income on this year and next. Of course, I may even let you in on some of the cooler stuff I see in a post or three, so stick around for that. Oh, the things I have to put myself through to keep you kids entertained…
CD Projekt RED is indeed currently making the final game in The Witcher series (well, the last Geralt of Riva story, as least), but they’re going out at the top of their game by releasing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on high-end PC’s and consoles (which most likely means whatever new is coming from Microsoft and Sony, not current generation hardware). For those new to the series, the developer is also offering the chance to pick up the first two games at an incredible value. There’s a 72-hour sale on The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings – Enhanced Edition for PC on gog.com (both games) and Steam (The Witcher 2: AoKEE) right now and if you happen to be a console owner, the fantastic Xbox 360 version of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings – Enhanced Edition has been permanently price-dropped to must-buy price points worldwide (USD/EUR 29.99 USD/EUR or GBP 19,99). If you’re looking for a dark, truly mature and thrilling RPG experience, these come VERY highly recommended (provided you have the hardware to run the games on).
Activision and veteran developer Vicarious Visions (along with Beenox and n-Space for the Wii and 3DS respectively) could have gone and done the next Skylanders game just like the two Toys for Bob developed entries, but they decided to get fun and funky with the features and kids (or people like me who love the time-sink addictive quality to the games) are going to be very nicely surprised. Skylanders SWAP Force will feature 16 new characters with interchangeable torsos and legs that allow up to 256 character combinations. Think of it as a bit of a money and space-saver, parents…but know that there will also be 40 new and redesigned Skylanders popping up at retail this fall and Holiday season. I’ll post screenshots and my shaky camera gameplay footage I shot at the press event tomorrow, but it’s safe to say that the SUPER gorgeous HD visuals, new gameplay mechanics (EVERY Skylander can now jump and a few can fly!) and in-engine cinemas will make this the hottest ticket once again all around the globe.
Back with more info soon – start saving up, parents… you’re about to make another big investment this fall.
OK, I’m not a celebrity watcher at all, so I’ve always found game ads with them to a bit weird. Granted, many stars of all stripes are big to casual gamers, so I’m not passing any judgment either way. That said, you can actually see “Kiss Me, Kate” Hudson popping a 3DS into a purse or pocket before heading out to a film set. Hey, making movies is actually 70% downtime in a makeup chair or waiting around for stuff to get set up, so one does need something to do. And hey, according to 9 out of 10 actual blondes, smarter blondes are a better thing in general in this day and age, as it helps fight that stereotype they always seem to get hit with. That said, it would have been really bizarre and morbid to see this TV spot done with a Marilyn Monroe lookalike or worse, a CG recreation…
I’d actually almost forgotten about Iron Man 3 because of so many other blockbusters (or are they BLOGbusters?) coming this summer, but here you go. I’m still curious about how some of these comic book flicks work and others stumble all over themselves. The first Iron Man was great fun, the second was OK and Both The Mighty Thor and The Avengers were fun to sit through. On the other hand, Ghost Rider? Bleh and double bleh deluxe with extra cheese and don’t get me started on anything related to Daredevil, The Punisher, Fantastic Four and that last Spider-Man flick. DC, you’re not immune at all, as Green Lantern made me green (and not with envy, either), I felt the previous Superman reboot was weird and unnecessary and I still have scars from that Swamp Thing film (even though it had a corny one-liner that made me laugh really loudly in the theater I saw it at). Well, at least there’s a willingness to experiment until it’s gotten right, but that doesn’t mean there’s an audience always willing to drop full price on a ticket to see those films that don’t quite get it right…
*add 5 XP if you got the Neil Young reference…
Ha. So, you thought I was taking the day off? Ha! Actually, I had some fun stuff to take care of with a friend, but now I’m back. Anyway, I was talking with some folks recently about the classic Wizardry series and it turns out a few too many people who don’t play a lot of PC games seem to think that series is from Japan. Eek. Granted, there’s hasn’t been a North American-made game since Sir-Tech Canada flamed out after the final “official” game in the series, Wizardry 8. Now, I’m not some flag-waving jingoist starting trouble, kids – I own a bunch of import Wizardry titles including a few Japan-only games and nearly all the ports and remakes of the original seven Sir-Tech releases. W8 was only released in limited qualities around the world and despite positive reviews, it didn’t exactly gain as huge a following as it should have and to date, has never been re-released or remade. Yep, I think that needs to be changed… Continue reading
(thanks, Carl’s Trains & Stuff!)
If you haven’t checked out that video above, don’t let the title fool you one bit – this isn’t a family friendly movie about a bouncy, happy CGI penguin and there’s definitely no red-suited Jolly Saint Nick here to spread happy holiday tidings (but there is a fat guy who throws hammers). Nope, this 1973 film from the late, great Robert Aldrich is simultaneously big, mean, brutal and hilarious, often within a few seconds in some scenes.
Based loosely on a Jack London book and a book partially about Jack London, the film features Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine as bitter rivals battling for turf rights in the most absurd of places – a moving freight train. OK, there’s much more to this classic than that, but it pretty much boils town to a prolonged (and excellently shot) fight between two men way past middle age beating the crap out of each other with 2 x 4’s, a chain, thrown hammers and an axe. I guess a cynic would call it Thunderdome on rolling stock, but not as cheesy and much better acted, at that…
Yay! But also *Yawn…* Look, Sony. Every gamer with an internet connection of any speed or two tin cans and a long enough string KNOWS you’re working on a fancy new console. So all this going to extremes to run possible teasers that may or may not be official reveals for more reveals as 2013 spools out is a bit silly. Well, at least I think it is. On the other hand, E3 is such a waste of time and money and has degenerated into less of a trade show and more of a fan convention with people lining up for free crap. It’s all long lines and loud, noisy bunch of annoying kids running around posing as game journalists and breaking any embargo or NDA they can sign, a few too many demos made by developers who hate making them in such a short time for the show, too many big, expensive parties, some of which are basically early funerals for developers who don’t make the Metacritic average once their expensive to produce and promote games are released to a too jaded audience that doesn’t really know what it wants because all they demand are more sequels… Continue reading
Hoo-kay, at this point, you’re either all in with Omega Force’s long (long) running franchise or you’re one of those people who constantly pokes fun at it for its intentionally cornball issues. A few years back I once heard the series described as “the same old wheels with new rims”, and that’s only superficially true to some extent. Granted, fans will be fans and defend to the death (sort of) anything they love, but at least the level of quality has gone up since the PlayStation 2 days. That said, it’s hard to sell the modern internet skeptics with too much time on their hands on the series, but I have ask why are they wasting time bashing a game they don’t play when they could be having ACTUAL productive fun playing a game they like?
Anyway, there’s something strangely addictive about the series’ dozens of playable characters, light tactical elements that have crept in over the years and potential for too many hours of gameplay to properly count. As for me, I’m kind of a drop-in, drop out fan of the series who appreciates DW and all the different Musou spin-offs (DW: Tactics, Samurai Warrriors, DW: Gundam, Warriors: Legends of Troy, Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage, Bladestorm, and so forth and so on). Which means even though DW 8 isn’t yet set for a US release, there’s that nice warm scent of freshly baked apple pie lingering in the air and it’s a familiar aroma that’s full of promise.
Hmmm… now I want a cold slice with a scoop of ice cream and a cup of hot coffee…
“… then maybe this MIGHT be cool.” was the first joke I heard from a friend who saw this trailer and pointed it my way. Ouch and ha – ha. Well, it might be cool indeed… unless you’re a die-hard ro-dey-o fanatic who takes this Xbox 360 game way too seriously and start flopping around your living room like Elizabeth Berkeley in that infamous pool scene from Showgirls. Well, I’m a glass half-full guy, sooooo… at least when you fly off that invisible bull and bust you ass and/or any other important bits, once you wake up from that coma, you can end up riding a Rascal scooter with a fake bull tail stapled to the back of the seat. It HAS to be a fake tail, as who wants to be chased down the street (slowly) by some pissed off PETA members?
Those scooters only do what, 1/4 a mile an hour or something like that and if they went faster, you’d just go off a curb or bump in the sidewalk or street like Evel Knievel and land just like he did on some of his more unsuccessful motorcycle jump attempts. Hmmm… I wonder if Rascal makes a street-worthy riding bed? That way, when you come out of that second coma, you can get fake bull horns for the front to go with the replacement tail you ordered from that Cabela’s catalog.
Hmmm… perhaps there’s something to this “video games causing violence” thing after all… Yee haw.
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