Hyrule Warriors Direct: It Would Seem That The Missing Link Is MORE Action…

Posted on August 6, 2014 by geelw

Hyrule Warriors may not have BUY ME stamped on it in shiny gold letters, but based on the response to the game so far in video form, I’d say Nintendo has a hit that’s not just for Nintendo fans only. The long-running Dynasty Warriors franchise is indeed “niche”, yet it has mass appeal to action game fans who may or may not be into The Legend of Zelda games. As you can see in this Direct presentation, the gameplay is quite similar to the Dynasty Warriors games down to the packs of enemies, powerful attacks, large battle maps and multiple objectives that need to be tackled as they pop up. But seeing it all with familiar faces from the LoZ series makes me grin a lot and my wallet hurt even more.

Oh yeah, and Gannon(dorf*) pops up as a playable character (oh, this should be interesting, folks):

As I’ve said previously… SOLD. Hell, this was sold from the first moment I heard it was being made. Anyway, I’m betting Nintendo gets a nice surprise once this ships and they see it sell faster than even they anticipated. If it does, Team Ninja and Omega Force will have to probably hire a semi-permanent HW team for the inevitable sequel and perhaps even consider a 3DS version that’s some sort of side story, as that handheld certainly isn’t outputting HD visuals anytime soon.

*I tend to call Gannondof “gannon” as that’s the name I first encountered him under and “dorf” makes me think of the always hilarious Tim Conway because I’m as old as the hills and not one of you under a certain age will get that reference at all unless I clue you all in. Get it? Got it? Good. Now you can call him Gannon as well…

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition TV Spot: Giving That Devil His Due (Before He Does You In)…

Posted on August 6, 2014 by geelw

August 19 is right around the corner and that means quite a few people are planning to take a little vacation to hell and back with this console version of the Reaper of Souls expansion for Diablo III. This one’s going to eat away at productivity here, which isn’t a good thing at all, so I’m actually going to hold off picking it up for about a week or so while I knock the pile of work I have here down to a more manageable size. That’s not to say YOU shouldn’t run like hell out to grab this one on day one if you’re a fan of the series (you absolutely SHOULD). I just know myself all to well and know I’ll just pull a disappearing act if I get this and there’s “suddenly” some “free time” that pops up like a rabbit out of a hat…

I Hate You (Again and Always), Internet…

Status

Ugh. Here we go again with the “Change your passwords!” craziness. This internet stinks because it’s like someone swiping your house keys every few weeks (or more) and you needing to pay for new locks each and every time. Er, with the exception of one forgetting to take all the old keys off that huge keyring. Amusingly enough, I’ve changed my passwords so many times this year that I think I’m behind in sending myself coded hints as to what they are on some sites (yaaaaah!).

Anyway, I think we need to start hanging some of these annoying cyber crooks in the virtual public square just because it’s a pain in the ass to have to wake up to yet ANOTHER “Change your passwords!” panic that just shows how crappy “security” is online.pretty much everywhere you go using any device. And screw the vague “reporting” on this story. A billion people and 400,000 sites compromised? Well, no names and no sites listed means yup, madness (again). I despise changing passwords because I tend to use some slightly elaborate ones and it’s getting harder to think up ones I can remember easily. I don’t trust password generators or sites that save passwords in bulk because they’re ON the internet (duh) and no doubt targeted by these not so nice folks.

Feh. Off to change some passwords. This could (and will) take a while, grrrr. Stupid Internet.

Review: Table Top Racing (PlayStation Vita)

Posted on August 5, 2014 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation Vita

Developer: Playrise Digital

Publisher: Ripstone Games

# of Players: 1 (1 – 4 online)

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Score: A- (90%)

If there was ever a no-brainer purchase, it would have to be Table Top Racing, the former iOS racer now making a splash on the Vita as a better-looking and more polished product. Featuring speedy 60FPS gameplay, plenty of cars and customization options plus some nifty tracks and events, for a mere $7.99 you’re getting one of the best portable racers on the handheld. While all is peachy keen on the speed and accessibility front, perhaps a track editor of some sort and more control options would have made this one even better than it already is. Then again, as it is, it’s a fun and fast gem that needs no manual reading at all. Just pick up and play, pick up those power-ups and zoom your way to victory and new upgrades for your growing garage of cool little toy cars… Continue reading →

Rollers of the Realm Teaser Trailer: Pinball & Wizards Combine In This Soon To Be Sleeper Hit…

Posted on August 5, 2014 by geelw

I’ve been looking forward to Rollers of the Realm ever since it was a PC-only game from Phantom Compass (“and friends”), but now that’s it’s been snapped up by Atlus for a winter release, I’m eager to see how a larger gaming audience responds to it. Granted, I’m old and wise enough to know this isn’t the FIRST pinball-themed RPG at all, but it’s the one I’m betting more people will be talking about once they play it. I still have an early demo of the game from last year on my hard drive and go back to it often just so I can stave off my need to want the full version sooner than its release date.

Personally, I’m super thrilled to see this on the Vita, as it’s most likely going to be one of those niche titles that gets bought because it’s so unlike anything on the handheld and even the purer pinball sims out there need to bow down a tiny bit at this blending of genres and how it all works so well. Anyway, back to waiting for some smoke signals or whatever Atlus will send up as far as preview or review code. I can wait a while, but I also don’t want to see this gem buried in the holiday crunch of AAA titles everyone always falls for…

DEVO Lives (Not That They Ever Went Away), Thanks To MVD Visual & Pledgemusic.com!

Posted on August 5, 2014 by geelw

So, less than a week after I get a copy of the excellent new DVD from MVD visual DEVO: Men Who Make The Music/Butch Devo & The Sundance Gig (review incoming later this week, but here’s a sneak peek: BUY IT), Clint from MVD shoots over this super crowdfunding project from the band and pledgemusic.com: DEVO Hardcore Live!, a CD/DVD/Blu-Ray/Vinyl LP live concert recorded this June 28 at the Fox theater in Oakland, California.

You won’t be seeing this disc or LP at that local Walmart or other chain retail outlet, as it’s ONLY going to be available as a crowdfunded consumer item and the campaign is well on its way to making its target based on the response to date.

If your ears are buzzing and you’re interested, well, spuds… you know what to do. Hell, at LEAST grab the DVD of this, as that teaser trailer makes this show look pretty awesome.

Resident Evil Makes A Return In 2015 For “Old” & New Consoles, PC

Posted on August 5, 2014 by geelw

One of the MOST requested (if not THE most requested) Capcom games fans have wanted to see remade for HD consoles has been the original Resident Evil and it looks as if those rabid folk are getting their wish granted and in a big way. Well, provided you own a PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One or a decent gaming PC. Capcom is set to release a beefed-up HD version of the 2002 GameCube remake of the 1996 original as a digital-only purchase.

That particular version improved the visuals and added many changes to the old game and is considered by some (and me, of course) to be the definitive version of the classic survival horror/action game. Featuring traditional or direct control schemes, 1080p support on next-gen consoles (PS4, Xbox One and of course, PC) and all the content from the 2002 game intact, this could be the definitive remake that also introduces new fans to the long-running series.

Unfortunately, there’s no word of a Wii U version, which is unusual given the 2002 game was made for a Nintendo console. Of course, the Wii U’s sales and Capcom perhaps realizing that they’d probably spend more money on that version than they’d make back means chances are slim we’ll see this on Nintendo’s latest console. It could also be the download size issue and the cost of getting this onto a disc release (and selling a set amount of physical copies) also mucking things up a bit.

That’s show business, kids – but Wii U and Wii U game sales need a nice jump upwards so publishers see the system is worth getting games like this on automatically. Granted, the console IS indeed getting a bunch of excellent titles this year and next… but this doesn’t look like it will be one of them unless something magical happens and it arrives (with some nice GamePad enhancements in tow).

As always, we shall see… we shall see. For now however, this one’s going to be played by plenty of people who didn’t buy a Game Cube but have always wanted to get their paws on a controller and experience Evil in a whole new way.

Some (Trouble-Free) Adventurezator Impressions…

Posted on August 4, 2014 by geelw

So, I haven’t gotten into much trouble at all with the beta version of Pigasus Game’s awesome Adventurezator, but I’m certainly having a blast playing around with this game creation kit in progress. While it needs a bit more work before it’s ready for prime time, as an easy to use adventure game creation tool, it’s coming along quite nicely. In the current build, it’s best to play the included scenario-based game just to see how the inventory and object interaction work before diving into the editing function and getting all “I’ve got a story!” on this software. Creating characters (or “actors”, but you don’t have to call them that because you’re not paying them and they’re not making ends meet as wait staff somewhere) is super simple (although the game needs more variety in hairstyle and clothing options) and you can even whip up masks using your own image files if you’re feeling really creative… Continue reading →

Monday Still Not Working For You? How About A Trip To The Dentist To Cheer You Up?

Posted on August 4, 2014 by geelw

(thanks, GoodOldDaysReturns!)

Yeah, I figured that would work. Actually, I’d bet that watch this under any stressful situation, you’ll just feel less stressed. Maybe. Unless you’re actually sitting in that dentist’s chair, he strolls up as you’re grinning like a loon, is NO fan of old musical numbers and thinks you’re making fun of his profession. You’d better hope that he doesn’t “accidentally” extract the good teeth you have left and leave the bad ones is all I’m saying…

Interstellar Trailer #3: Brainy Blockbuster Alert…

Posted on August 4, 2014 by geelw

Chris Nolan’s upcoming sci-fi drama Interstellar certainly looks as if will be quite the ride, but not of the many explosions per second and impossible close calls galore variety. Although, amusingly enough some of that stuff seems to be in this new trailer (out of proper context, I’m gathering). Already, some of the film is telegraphing itself (this looks like a one way trip and the fate of humanity depends on this mission’s success), but par for the course here, I’m not going to let a trailer decide whether or not I like an entire film. I’m kind of immune to most trailers these days, no matter how cool they look or sound thanks to some films being less enjoyable to sit through for longer than the running time of the average trailer. Or am I just being a cranky cynic here? Again.

Anyway, November will tell all about this one and I can certainly wait until then. Heck, my plate is pretty full as it is, so a little suspense will do me good.