Nintendo Tries To Be Funny, 1DS Joke Falls Flat (and Probably Confuses Some)…

Posted on September 3, 2013 by geelw

Ay, Carumba! OK, Nintendo, just stop it. STOP IT. Seriously. People thought the 2DS was a big fat joke because it had been done to death as a joke meme when the 3DS was announced, but you guys ended up taking that back with last week’s official 2DS announcement. Of course, that led to MANY Nintendo 1DS joke images that got lame after the first dozen or so images, but here comes Nintendo, pulling off the biggest joke with an actual fake site for a nonexistent device that will to some people who think it’s actually a great idea, something they’d actually want to buy. Duh. Yeah, and yep, there’s a disclaimer on the site that’s worth a chuckle, yet insulting at the same time to anyone not used to Nintendo’s way of following their own path and ignoring the mobile market (for now).

Anyway, yuk it up while you can, people – when your fans start clamoring for that 1DS, you’ll wish you’d never cooked up this shortsighted gag…

Lost Planet 3 “Ask Jim” Q & A: Here’s Your Bill!

Posted on September 3, 2013 by geelw

Mr. Watterson takes questions from some fans in character as Lost Planet 3‘s Jim Peyton and you get to listen in and maybe learn a thing or three. I’m about midway through the game (I’m taking my time as scouring every nook and cranny) and having a blast so far. Although I’m writing up a review myself, I’d have to say straight up that LP3 is one of those interesting game experiences where you just need to play it and experience the story as opposed to reading impressions and making up your mind based on those alone. OK, shutting up now and getting back to the game – back in a bit with an update… it’s a stupidly busy week here!

And If You DID Work Today, Black Curtain Studio Says, “Boo!”

Posted on September 2, 2013 by geelw

But not “Boo, you had to work today!”… it’s more like “Boo! You’d better NOT be working late, silly rabbit!” Yeah, as I noted with their first game One Late Night, these guys sure know how to make you dread office work. Well, guess what? They’re working on a follow up that, based on this teaser, will make you want to call in sick for about a month until your boss does something about that creepy space you have to slog to five days a week (and sometimes more… with NO overtime to boot! Bastard!). Anyway, go check out the original game (which has since gotten a Developer’s Cut version) and keep an eye and ear peeled (eww) for this new one when it finally gets a release date. Now, go get some sleep – your holiday is done and it’s back to the grind tomorrow (and those pissed off ghosts are waiting to jump you at the coffee machine…)

Random Film of the Week: The Man With the Golden Arm

Posted on September 2, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, OMP Drama!)

Sure, drug addiction isn’t a laughing matter at all, but Otto Preminger’s 1955 classic The Man With the Golden Arm manages to be more hilarious each time I see it for a few reasons. Although it’s packing in a classic Elmer Bernstein score, a great Saul Bass title sequence, Preminger’s strong direction, some powerful performances from Frank (One Take) Sinatra, Kim Novak, and a bunch of very familiar faces, the simple fact is the film hasn’t aged well at all (but that’s a good thing).

What may have been seen as a deathly serious subject for a cautionary tale almost 60 years ago can now be enjoyed as a nearly non-stop riot of scenery chewing performance art with two of the funniest demises in a “serious” film. Granted, if you’re in a totally unfunny mood, the film still has its story and dramatic pacing to keep you hooked in. On the other hand, it’s hard not to get in a laugh at the film’s expense in a few spots…

Continue reading →

“It’s a Holiday! I’m Not Supposed to Work Today!” (Well, Perhaps You Should…)

Posted on September 2, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, theincredibletoy!)

I overheard that at the laundry early this morning and got a chuckle because everything is a form of “work” even if you’re on a holiday. Hey, run that quote by my brain when it wants to get something done with words and it’ll chuckle at you too. “I can start anytime I want to” it will say in response before getting me into some sort of trouble after I post what pops out. It’s a messy process, people. Of course, this striving to put out content that changes based on a few things from a squishy, thinky thing needs to be continually fed and fertilized can lead to some minor to major distress on occasion. Oh, don’t worry, dear readers – I’m not the suicidal type at all, but it’s sure hard as hell to concentrate on stuff I need to do that’s of a mildly entertaining value when the rest of the world is perched on a ledge and no one’s called the cops.

Go ahead and jump, planet – the gawkers will click away with their cameras and get all social about the dive in their usual places online and off (not realizing that you’re taking those sheep-shaped dopes with you). Meanwhile, I’ll be here doing stuff (or letting my brain do stuff) while those who can handle it pick up the pieces and break out the library paste. Hmmm… maybe the planet just needs a vacation from the people on it and has been dropping some hints of the not so gentle variety. Oh well. At least I now have clean socks and underwear for the apocalypse, ha ha… eep.

Bugbear Wants Their Next Car Game to Be Your New Car Game…

Posted on September 1, 2013 by geelw

… even after you’ve gone and smashed that car into scrap metal. That’s right, folks – check out that video above and if you’re felling all warm and fuzzy inside about what you see, you know what to do. Get in on that pre-order action over at the official site, and bring along a few friends while you’re at it as hey, if you want to smash into someone with that virtual ride, it may as well be someone you know, correct? Oh, and “Next Car Game” is a tentative title – you can’t get more generic than that, so let’s hope Bugbear is saving up that title reveal and makes it a great one.

REALLY Quick Take: Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward

Posted on September 1, 2013 by geelw

I finally got around to playing this excellent Vita sequel to a Nintendo DS and 3DS game (999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors) and I had to chuckle a bit because there are two ways to describe the game and as I’m busy with a ton of stuff, I’ll take the shorter route and potentially tick off some people who think this game is the greatest thing since sliced cheese bread. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it a lot, being a cranky old fan of point and click adventure games and all. But as I was finishing it up, I just so happened to be in the library last week and overhear two kids talking about the game and one of them offered up an unintentional ten word review that made me almost burst out laughing because Yahtzee with his awesome Zero Punctuation videos is supposed to be KING of the ten-word review. This kid nailed the game without even realizing he was doing a Yahtzee impression.

His take (and mine, if you have a short attention span and just want to know what the game is about or similar to) when his friend asked him about the game:

“It’s like SAW… but with anime characters and better writing.”

Yeah, that’s about right. Damn kids… I should have hired him on the spot, but I don’t think he was old enough. OK, so the game IS a bit more complex and cerebral than a SAW flick, but there are a few more than amusing parallels that if you describe the plots of the game and one of the movies, someone who knows one and not the other might get a little confused.

Sony’s Third Party Production Team Gives The Vita A Big Boost

Posted on September 1, 2013 by geelw

One of the coolest bits of news that popped up from PAX Prime this year was the announcement of Sony’s new Third Party Production team which will be dedicated to bringing more titles from third party publishers to Sony’s current and future platforms. According to a post on the PlayStation Blog, gamers can expect new IP, ports and localized games, which opens up a ton of options given Sony’s strategy to make as many upcoming titles compatible on the PS4 and Vita. The team is currently working with Iron Galaxy Studios on the eagerly awaited Vita version of Borderlands 2 and OSny fans have been bombarding them with requests (many of them impossible or improbable thanks to the posters not quite grasping how this studio will function).

Anyway, I’ll be keeping an eyeball peeled for more news, as I more or less know what they can and can’t do and want to see them succeed with whatever they’re tackling. Yep, it’s a dull post… unless you’re a Vita owner or soon to be PS4 owner wanting to see more games popping up more often.