Batman Arkham Origins TV Spot #1: Good (And Slightly Unbalanced) Guys Wear Black…

Posted on June 20, 2013 by geelw

I’d say by now that the older 60’s era campy Batman is no longer the “ideal” version of the character (and hey, I’m old enough to have been around for that original series), so it’s good to see the darker Dark Knight get so fully embraced by the bulk of the fans out there. OK, mostly embraced, as I know there are some REALLY stubborn die-hards who refuse to submit to “gritty” being the new black for their favorite hero. Granted, there IS that exclusive Adam West skin for the PS3 version that’s going to be fun to dink around with (although, I’d also want DLC that adds a ton of those campy full screen sound effects for the combat and you KNOW you want those as well), but I’m going to stick to the cranky newer guy I’m more used to these days. Sometimes, nostalgia needs to have a seat in that comfy chair with its feet up and sleep for a bit in front of whatever old stuff it used to watch on TV…

Wolfenstein: The New Order Update: Meet Torvenius!

Posted on June 20, 2013 by geelw

No, it’s not the name of a villain from the upcoming game, silly rabbits. It’s Axel Torvenius, one of the artists at Machine Games. His Speedpaint skills are pretty awesome, I have to say. Of course, I need to actually get around to doing more art myself, so it’s cool to get inspired by assorted people in a few places… OK, back to work before I start getting distracted by too much other stuff…

E3 2013: Deadpool Trailer: Um… Well… I Suppose… Oh, Nevermind…

Posted on June 20, 2013 by geelw

OK, OK, fan favorite or not and guaranteed big, BIG deal to those who know despite the “M’ rating, the kids who want this WILL be playing it, I still don’t get this fascination with Deadpool. I guess he’s so unconventionally non-PC a comic book antihero (basically he’s the insane adult cartoon version of Beavis and Butthead and Bart Simpson with access to all sorts of weaponry) that his antics are immediately appealing to that crowd, but maybe I’m getting old or something. Anyway, if the game is good, I’ll give it a try. I’m not expecting much at all, but that’s actually the best way to go into ANY game, I say. It’s best to end up always surprised by something as it helps keep the jade eye somewhat more closed.

Stride Gumulon: Chews Your Weapon? Nope, Not In This Chomp & Jump Game…

Posted on June 20, 2013 by geelw

File this under “Now I’ve seen everything…”, folks. Stride Gum has teamed up with W+K London and Johnny Two Shoes to create Gumulon, which as you can see above is… yes, a game controlled by players chewing to jump. And I’m betting you’ll want a gum with a long-lasting flavor to play, meaning (cue Stride Gum theme music… if they don’t have a theme, they better get one and fast)… you’ll be buying some Stride with this new iOS game (as in: iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPad 2, iPad 3rd & 4th generation, iPad Mini, iPod Touch 4th & 5th generation). I normally don’t cover iOS stuff (hey, do I look as if own anything Apple other than actual apples which aren’t “owned” for long because they’re eaten in a few delightful ways), but this was amusing enough to catch my eye when it hit my inbox, so here you go. Er, I guess if you get REALLY good at this one you can consider yourself… (wait for it…) chew chew trained. A ha ha and ha…

Thank you, thank you… I’ll be here all week…

Two For The Road: James Gandolfini and Slim Whitman…

Posted on June 20, 2013 by geelw

I actually didn’t like The Sopranos the first time I saw it (coming into the middle of an episode in the middle of a season has that effect on some people), but I wised up and stuck with it, enjoying the ride over the last four seasons or so and going back to catch most of the episodes I missed out on. For me, that final episode was quite a nice surprise but not too surprising, as it didn’t go for the expected. Of course, neither did the show on many occasions where stories were layered with hidden and not-so hidden depths mixed in with some shocking deaths just to hammer home the point that Tony’s world wasn’t a very nice place after all. I liked James Gandolfini’s work in most of the films he was in, but like many fans, he’ll always be Tony Soprano, driving down that highway through New Jersey on the way to raise some hell or suffer through some of his own creation. He’ll be missed…

As an impressionable teen, these commercials for Slim Whitman’s albums had my friends and I always laughing (and occasionally warbling awfully mangled versions of his tunes while strolling down the street), but I think they also made us appreciate other musical styles. Granted, I’m a nut with wild musical tastes (AM radio USED to play great music before it became home to the insane, incessantly annoying “opinions as facts” and “I’m famous because I have a radio show and people who believe my crazy BS!” talkers), so I think I came to see the man’s genius a bit more over time. But I do recall having the stupidest yet most amazing dream where Slim was covering The Ramones and yes, it was a spectacular a vision indeed. “I Remember Yoooooooou-ooooooooou-oooooooou!” (I still can’t listen to that song without laughing, by the way).

That and hell, Slim Whitman saved the earth, dammit. Go watch Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! if you don’t believe me…

Late Night Game Week, Day 3: Jimmy (Almost) Survives Watch_Dogs And Aisha Tyler

Posted on June 20, 2013 by geelw

The problem with five minutes of one game (or two and a half minutes give or take of two games) is it’s IMPOSSIBLE to grasp what the hell some games are about. That said, in the case of Ubisoft’s stellar-looking upcoming action/adventure game Watch_Dogs, five minutes on a crazy and funny talk/variety show with a giddy host is excellent yet somewhat less than perfect for a game so huge. Don’t get me wrong, kids – I’d invite Jimmy Fallon over to the home office and show off some wacky games he’s most likely never heard of at the drop of a hat, BOOM, I’m there… er, he’s here (oh, you know what I mean). Thankfully, Aisha Tyler (also a HUGE gamer and comic as well as Ubisoft’s go-to celebrity as she also happens to be a character in the game) did a great job of explaining the concept and some of the open world gameplay before Jimmy took over and failed a mission (*sigh*). Well, he got further than I thought, but still. I’d actually love to see the guy host an ALL gaming show one day, not just one with funny segments and a few stars popping up to plug their assorted projects.

Of course, that would be a different show entirely, but a NEEDED one for gamers and G4 is no more (although, like a zombie with a steel-plated skull, the damn channel is STILL on the air pumping out movies and reruns of old shows including X-Play and Spike TV is too damn dumb to watch unless GTTV is on, as it’s just macho crap and blood beat-fests all day and then some. Yuk). I suppose internet “TV” shows are a good source, but not if one has a crap connection or hell, prefers gaming news from eight feet away and doesn’t own a damn Smart TV or whatever it is that basically means you’re online watching Honey Boo Boo when you COULD be learning a new language or something else more interesting…

Memo to Self…

Aside

I keep forgetting. so here’s a friendly reminder.

Dear Self,

EMBED. EMBED. EMBED. Old habits die hard. Think of the children. If you’d like to make a call, please hang up and try again. Good Guys Wear Black, Elvis needs Boats!

That is all.

Love ya,