A paltry $1.89 for this week’s set of Steam code delivered indies is a great deal especially when you take into consideration the assortment you’re getting. A bit of space strategy and combat, some retro action games and a funky little game about some poor guy waiting for his late date to arrive as he contemplates life and such:
I’d like to think that Dinner Date is worth that under two clams alone, but I know some you will disagree on that front. I guess it’s a good thing there are six other games in this deal, huh? To wit: Famaze! (it sure looks like fun!):
Anyway, you know what to do – your backlog needs to be bigger than mine so I can feel better about not getting to EVERY game I’d like to this year. Boo, but that’s how it goes in this digital age. Out of sight is NEVER out of mind. Just out of hard drive space (ha and ha)…
I was a rather huge fan of the seven .hack games back in the day (well, it wasn’t THAT long ago), so getting the chance to go hands-on with Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment at Bandai Namco’s recent NYC event was a must. The two series are similar on the surface in that you play a character trapped in an (faux) online game’s deadly world and both are solo experiences with no actual online play modes.
The game will also include an HD version of the Japanese PSP-only Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment, meaning you’re getting two games for the price of one, a good deal in this age of consumers wanting more bang for their gaming buck. Of course, you’ll probably be wanting to know if the game isn any god, right? Well, let me soothe any potential fears and report that it’s all good (and hard) in this one so far… Continue reading →
Sure, it was a single course (Brands Hatch) and car to drive on that course, but the Project CARS demo running at Bandai Namco’s recent NYC event floored me on a few fronts.
This super-popular initially thought headed for high-end PC-only racer is coming to next-gen consoles in November and (surprise!) is actually set for a Wii U appearance sometime in 2015. More on that later, as overhearing that news from Marketing Director Brian Hong hit me like a ton of bricks as someone was filming me play the demo for their website and I probably skidded off the track and hit something from the shock of that news… Continue reading →
If you’ve never been exposed to the entertaining wonder that is Classic Arts Showcase, it’s time to upgrade your television viewing experience. I could bore you with a retelling of the history of this fully funded highbrow clip show that runs seemingly endlessly in eight hour blocks on cable networks across the country (and is now online for even more people to check out), but that’s what the link to the official site is for. Actually, CAS is rarely “boring” unless you COMPLETELY hate the arts and don’t want to see some of the most unique and completely RANDOM performances from stage, screen and even TV, many of which are unavailable elsewhere.
In case you’re THAT lazy, here’s what the CAS site says about their programming:
Expect the Unexpected
There is no program guide for CAS, because the beauty of CAS is that you’ll never know what to expect. One moment you might be watching a rare film of George Gershwin performing one of his own compositions on the piano, and less than five minutes later you might see Beverly Sills in a great moment from a classic opera. Each weekly eight-hour show is downlinked by hundreds of channels across the country at different times, with different schedules. The element of surprise — not knowing exactly what’s coming up next — is part of what CAS is all about. The goal is to generate excitement and build a new audience for the wide range of performances presented through the arts.
And I can VERY safely say that the randomness indeed makes CAS so much fun to watch. Yesterday I happened to flip by the channel here with about 45 minutes of free time floating about and caught a long clip from a Hitchcock film, a bit of Swan Lake, an aria or two, a clip from the film Aria, a fun bit of an old TV show that had a waltz turning into a sort of sock hop and back again, and part of a Nat King Cole TV performance before I had to head out the door. How cool is that? Sometimes you’ll see old animation, sometimes a musical performance or super-arty film segment, an brief interview with a long dead genius and more. This fragmented presentation recalls MTV in its early days when it played stuff seemingly at will, although if you watch CAS long enough, you’ll see there’s a method to the non-madness.
Anyway, if you’re bored this summer thanks to the TV dry spell, give Classic Arts Showcase a look-see and if you find yourself strangely addicted to it, well… my work here is done.
Fun fact: There are three live performances of “Uncontrollable Urge” on DEVO – The Men Who Make The Music/Butch DEVO & The Sundance Gig from 1978, 1996, and 2003 respectively and both the dynamism and choreography haven’t changed a bit. Granted, the younger DEVO was a slimmer, trimmer band way back when that first LP was released, but the more spud-like shapes of the band-mates doesn’t slow them down one bit when it comes to delivering what’s still one of their most memorable hits.
If you’re new to the band or maybe not so new but haven’t yet seen them live, this set of eyeball and ear searing old stuff will show you DEVO’s originality and rather special craft that’s kept fans around through think and thin. With a new tour and cool crowdfunding project happening, MVD is helping bring these guys to a new audience that needs to listen to something other than the radio-ready junk that sells in lower and lower numbers each year…
MVD Visual has done up a VERY entertaining DVD here that’s a combination of the long out of print 1981 VHS tape (DEVO – The Men Who Make The Music) and a complete 1996 reunion concert given at that year’s Sundance Film Festival along with two bonus DEVO clips from a pair of MVD’s other DEVO video discs. The Men Who Make The Music is a bizarre “documentary” of sorts that combines six 1978 concert tour clips, the two videos from 1976’s “The Truth About De-evolution” and three music videos (from the band’s first LP) as it spools out the story of the band dealing with music industry pressures of the time. In all the weirdness, I’m gathering the band may have been having some issues with Warner Bros. Records trying to control it to some extent… or perhaps this was all done as a send-up of this sort of thing common to the industry. In any event, it’s a hoot to see the young spuds, Booji Boy and General Boy “face off” against Rod Rooter and pretty much not follow his dopey orders to stick with those yellow jumpsuits. Continue reading →
Cyanide Studios’ upcoming stealth/action game, STYX: Master of Shadows is looking pretty slick and I’d bet that one doesn’t need to have played the developer’s previous game Of Orcs & Men in order to hop into Styx’s boots and feel right at home. It’s too bad this one’s only for “next-gen” consoles and PC, as I know more people would have the chance to play it if it were kicking it “old school” on the PS3 and Xbox 360. But hey, that’s one way to get people to finally make the move, I suppose.
In any event, this certainly looks like Cyanide’s best work to date and I hope even the most jaded gamer out there gives this one some respect, as it’s too easy to fall into the “I never heard of it before, so it must be crap” trap I see scribbled about games all over the internet. Yuck. Styx needs to get stabby-stabby on those folks, I say. We’ll see what happens in November when the little guy sneaks into store shelves or a download queue near you…
Yep, it’s that time of the week again and this time, it’s everyone’s favorite skull-headed nuisance who wants to invade your collectibles shelf. Check out this Havoc Skeletor Hikari Sofubi FigureFunko is giving away to ONE very lucky winner:
#1 of only 2000 can be all YOURS if you get on over to one of Funko’s social channels, enter and do whatever lucky dance you do when you really want to score a win:
Well, okay… dancing is optional when you enter, but I’d bet you a buck you WILL dance around the room if you DO win this one. I know I’d be doing just that if I got that email next week saying I was the big winner! And if you don’t win, just poke your head into your favorite comics shop or other retailer that stocks Funko products and see if they have this in stock when it ships out in September. Anyway, GOOD LUCK as usual and check back next week for another Funko giveaway!
Well. It’s been quite the week or so for retro game news in terms of 16-bit Sega games making a comeback. Pier Solar HD is headed to (some) modern consoles, It Came From The Desert is finally arriving on the Sega Genesis later this year and now, Super Fighter Team is finally bringing back a retail edition of Beggar Prince, one of its most popular titles.
Developed by C&E, Inc., this turn-based RPG was initially a Taiwan-only release back in 1996 until Super Fighter team took notice of it and localized, debugged, and partially reprogrammed the game in order to bring it to audiences worldwide. The game’s low print run sold out and of the games the company has released since, this one’s been the most requested for reissue status.
While the game is currently available as part of the excellent RPG Trifecta Pack digital download, collectors have been clamoring for a physical reissue for years and now they have the opportunity to snap this up at a mere $63 (US) or $70 (international). Considering the price of the original game is now in the hundreds of dollars and Super Fighter Team doesn’t see a penny of those resales, finally getting the game out as a reissue is a great thing. I know a certain SegaDude will be dancing around his room when he gets this news…
EDIT! Oops. I was so excited that I forgot to mention the other cool games SFT has for sale: Magic Girl and Cascade are still up for pre-orders on the Genesis/Mega Drive and Nightmare Busters is getting a second go-round of orders for you Super Nintendo/Super Famicom fans. GET THEM BEFORE THEY’RE GONE!
I’d leafed through the first volume of Concrete Park a while back and liked the art, so I made a mental note to point you folks in the direction of the new issues when they arrive at your favorite comic emporium, so here you go. Writer/artist Tony Puryear and Erika Alexander are back on the case in this sci-fi action series. Check out the preview pages below the jump and mark your calendars for September 3, 2014 when volume two goes on sale!
I only own ONE copy of Pier Solar at the moment (one of the reissues with the Sega CD/CD soundtrack bonus), but that’s about to change soon when the fully revamped HD version of game FINALLY makes it to PC (for a few operating systems), Sega Dreamcast (!), PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Wii U (yes!) at some point this year. Or is it next year? It’s hard to say, but I’m sure it’ll be well worth the long wait in the end. The visuals certainly benefit from the transition, the new cut scenes also look great and yes, I’m betting the game is still as tough as it was when it was initially released. Anyway, the fine folks at Watermelon are to be commended for getting this new and shiny version out on pretty much anything that can play it as it needs to be played (on a large screen, of course). Nothing more to say here other than let the waiting begin!
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 