Despicable Me 2 Toy Profile of the Week (4): Double “Evil” Geniuses On Display

Posted on March 15, 2013 by geelw

It’s Gru, he’s back again for you with kids and Minions in his crew.
He’s not as bad as he first seems – his new girls tamed his evil dreams.
But Minions vanishing from his place have him now in quite a race.
To put a stop to a new foe (and have you all cheer Go, Gru GO!)

And here’s Nefario, Gru’s right hand man, who’s always on with every plan.
But hearing loss is his big bane, his mistakes make Gru’s projects lame.
Dart Gun to Fart Gun is good for fun, but useless when more pain’s the one
Nevertheless, Gru keeps him ’round, as good friends for life go pound for pound
And perhaps if their plans would just work right, the world will be theirs day and night!

Pictured, two more Collectible Action Figures (Gru and Dr. Nefario) from the upcoming Despicable Me 2 toy line (2”-3.5”), Age: 4+; Approximate Retail Price: $4.99 – Available starting in May at a retailer near you.

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger Is Back! Krome Set to Shine on Games for Windows 8 Platforms

Posted on March 15, 2013 by geelw

ty is back File this post under “Aha, I knew it!” Super talented Aussie developer Krome Studios has been posting all sorts of cool artwork from their older Ty the Tasmaniam Tiger games on Facebook for the past few weeks and now after a load of fan speculation, they’ve dropped a super cool trailer for an all all-NEW Ty game currently in development and set to launch later this year. And it’s a gorgeous HD sprite-based 2D side-scroller, to boot. That’s the great news. The not-so great news for console owners is the new game is currently only set to be released on Games for Windows 8 PCs and tablets. Which means Microsoft Studios is involved in the publishing process, which means the chances of this coming to a non-Microsoft console or handheld are currently slim to none. Grrrr. However, a tweet from Krome notes that the game “may end up elsewhere later on”, which balances things out a bit. Continue reading →

Random Film of the Week: This Island Earth

Posted on March 15, 2013 by geelw

(Thanks, TrailerFood!)

Depending on how far back your cinema memories go, 1955’s This Island Earth is either a really cheesy “B”- grade sci-fi flick chock full of laughs or a genre classic that still has some compelling moments. Given that it took around 2 1/2 years to get from novel to screen (and it shows in some pretty solid production values and impressive for the era visual effects), the fact that a good chunk of younger movie fans may only know this from the on-target butchering it got in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie is a wee bit annoying.

Hey, like many of you, I like MST3K a great deal. But I can still recall a few friends who were also fans of this gem thinking the folks behind that decision to rip this classic a new one were a bit out of their heads. I grew up watching this on TV a few too many times as kid and along with the stellar Forbidden Planet and heady, deep The Day the Earth Stood Still and the thrilling “B” Earth vs The Flying Saucers, it’s on my (too) long list of ‘Desert Island Disc’ sci-fi picks.

No CG here, folks. Just good ol’ models, mattes, and dangerous chemical explosions.

That’s not to say the film doesn’t have its share of intentionally and unintentionally funny moments, mind you. Clever viewers can mine this one for plenty of chuckles if they choose to go that route. That said, it’s best to look at it today as a product of dedicated over-exuberance of the filmmakers in delivering a space opera for the masses that was also a pretty darn good genre movie that holds up today when approached from the proper perspective. Continue reading →

More gog.com Bliss? OK, Omikron: The Nomad Soul Is Now Available

Posted on March 14, 2013 by geelw

Quantic Dream’s ahead of its time PC game (which also came out on the Sega Dreamcast) is finally now out on gog.com for $9.99. It’s one of those open world sci-fi experiences that’s unique on a few fronts thanks to the ability to hop from body to body as you play, which makes the game a very flexible experience for players. Yep, it’s the game with a heavily retouched artwork of David Bowie on the cover in the weird alien makeup. He appears in the game and even did some music (all of which I’m not sure is In this version game, but that’s modern rights clearances for you). Anyway, if you’ve a bit of time and patience, this one will grow on you. Check it out if you’re in the mood for something old but new and unique.

VGA 101: On Kenji Eno (2): Something Old Brings In Something New(-ish)…

Posted on March 14, 2013 by geelw

Lumines ES2 So, as I posted last week, I finally got around to sending back that formerly long-lost Kenji Eno autographed copy of D2 about a week or so ago and got this nice surprise as a return response. A copy of Lumines: Electric Symphony autographed by the game’s producer and one of Eno’s close friends. Nice. Amusingly enough, I hadn’t played this Vita game previously, so now I get to do so and having done something nice for someone in the process. Yeah, I’m a nice guy under all that cranky. MOST of the time. Not get the hell off my lawn, you kids. Scoot! I have some games to play and no time for you whippersnappers. Git!

Lone Survivor Headed to PS3 & Vita. Lock Yourself In, There’s Trouble All Around…

Posted on March 14, 2013 by geelw

I actually hadn’t heard of Lone Survivor until a friend raved about the PC version a little while back. But I’ve just been way to busy to get to the ton of indie games I already have and pushed this one to the back burner. Now, I have a reason to give it a try, as the game is headed to the PS3 and Vita this summer courtesy of superflat games (which is Jasper Byrne) with an assist from London-based studio, Curve (which is a few more people). The game is a retro-looking but decidedly modern survival horror game that can be played in almost any way a player chooses. You can complete the game without firing a shot or go all out and try to dispatch every undead thing you come across. However, your character’s mental state is a bit off (possibly from hunger, thirst and/or lack of rest) and not everything is as it seems. Innnnnteresting, to say the least and given Byrne’s complete love for Sony’s console and handheld, PS3 and Vita owners can expect some nice changes to the game that include Trophies, Cross-Buy and Cross-Play support plus MORE. What’s MORE you ask? Ha! That trick NEVER works here, kids. You’ll see if you click on this PlayStation Blog post…

Is Dollar Dash a Modern Day Bomberman? Hmmmmaybe…

Posted on March 14, 2013 by geelw

dollar dash tiny Yes, yes… just the mention of the late, lamented Hudson Soft’s classic character and game brings a tear to my eye (and nope, that new-ish online game isn’t my thing despite the massive social aspect – or rather because of it. I like to see who’s beating me and vice versa). That said, Kalypso Media and developer Candygun want you to dive into their fast-paced cops & robbers & assorted traps game, Dollar Dash like it’s the new next best thing. Already out on PC via Steam and through Xbox Live Arcade for the 360, the game is finally headed to PSN on March 19. I’ve played the PC version and found it to be fun and funny with tons of hazards to avoid in each stage and while not quite as kawaii as Bomberman, the game is a blast to play. Anyway, go check it out if you have Steam installed and if there’s also a PS3 in your home, boogie on over to PSN next week and snap this up. Hopefully, this will be Vita compatible, but we’ll see, I suppose…

Gog.com’s SUPER ‘Pick 5’ Sale is ON: Grab Some PC Games For RIDICULOUS Prices!

Posted on March 14, 2013 by geelw

OK, even a total cheapasskate like me couldn’t pass this sale up. I just snagged five games for a paltry $15 and saved $45 in the process. What did I get? The Witcher: Enhanced Edition, Inquisitor, Tiny & Big in Grandpa’s Leftovers, King’s Bounty: Crossworlds Game of the Year Edition and Legend of Grimrock. That’s a few hundred hours of gameplay on the 4 RPGs alone and Tiny & Big is a modern classic full of innovative gameplay super-fun stylized visuals and all-out goofy but non in a slapstick manner humor. Anyway, stop reading this post NOW, click here (er, STOP reading after you read this post or you’ll have no clue what I’m raving about) and get your five of 20 games for a song you’ll be singing as your eyes pop over the deals here. You’ve only got until March 19, 2013 to grab your own five, by the way…

Of course, now I need to find time to PLAY all of these, but so it goes, I guess. Hey, SCIENCE?! Get with the time machine inventing and stuff, grrrr!

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Site Goes Live: Return To Greenvale (Weirder Version)…

Posted on March 14, 2013 by geelw

Rising Star Games is getting things (and perhaps a few heads) rolling with the official launch of the Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut website. This PS3 exclusive update to the former Xbox 360 exclusive that polarized fans and reviewers with its all-out bizarre tone, somewhat unpolished visuals and gameplay along with plenty of gore is getting an updated version that tweaks and adds many new elements (such as 3D TV and PlayStation Move support) while retaining the completely twisted plot and lead character.

Fans of scary games and/or David Lynch’s Twin Peaks and some of his other films will see an homage or three in this game, but it’s the general mix of offbeat comedy, horror and interestingly disgusting demises that will hook some new players in. Of course, that’s exactly what director Hidetaka Suehiro (Swery65) wants… so you just HAVE to oblige him, right?

Class of Heroes 2 Adds A Dash Of Funny To The Daily Grind…

Posted on March 14, 2013 by geelw

COH2_small Just like the first game, Acquire is keeping things light and humorous in Clash of Heroes 2 when needed, as you’ll see above in this slightly spoiler-y (but not spoiled!) gameplay footage. I sunk way too much time into the first game and this one looks twice as fun. Now, all I need is a release date. Gaijinworks and Monkey Paw Games should get that out within the next week or so, I’m gathering, but I hope they let us poor press folk in on the news through a more direct means (like an email), as I’m not living on Twitter or Facebook like I used to back in the “old” days…

And hey, you may not live there or anywhere else online either, so I’ll do my best to dig up whatever info drops into my inbox and share it with you once I finish dancing around the room like a nut. hey, I like this old-school meets new school stuff – what can I say?