Not A Slow Day, But A Busy One…

Posted on May 14, 2014 by geelw

Don’t think the lack of updates today means I’m snoozing. I was up and about most of the day looking at stuff including the best bicycles I’ve ever seen and an upcoming machine that changes air into drinking water (SCIENCE!). More on those later.

And yeah, yeah, I do KNOW that Microsoft dropped the price of the Xbox One by $100 by dropping Kinect, but it’s a weird and bad thing to do. First of all, they spent SO much time last year telling everyone multiple times how important Kinect was to their console/entertainment center/surveillance device/space heater, but all of a sudden, it’s NOT so important as to now be an option? Weird. I still don’t want one unless I never need to connect online and can play EVERY game off a disc. But I guess at this point, all I need to do is ask nicely or act cranky and get mad on a message board and the company will bend over backwards to give me a custom console experience like no other. Yeah, surrrrrre.

Back in a bit. As in tomorrow.

Humble Daily Bundle #2: It’s All About Space Today!

Posted on May 14, 2014 by geelw

While today’s Humble Daily Bundle deal is a mere three games, each one looks like it’ll be deeper than it looks and well worth checking out. I’ve yet to play X3 Terran Conflict, I’ve played the other games in this deep space simulation lite series and while they’re not perfect, there’s a LOT to do and plenty to see as you planet-hop. I’ve never played the other two games in this bundle, but the two words Universe and Sandbox mean nothing but a HUGE game. Or at least it SOUNDS like one. Heck, it BETTER be after all that build up, huh? Anyway, Kinetic Void is an Early Access game, so it’s a work in progress… but a great looking one and yes, also looks quite peachy.

Now, you may NEVER get your ass to Mars or anywhere higher than your average airliner flies, but for ten bucks, these three are worth the trip. Well, whatever the distance from your mouse to monitor is, as these are digital games. Anyway, check these out on the Humble site and do your thing with the wallet or purse if you like what you see.

Appleseed Alpha Trailer: Slick CG + Skrillex = You Probably Need This Blu-Ray/DVD…

Posted on May 14, 2014 by geelw

Well, now. I was surprised I actually liked that first Appleseed CG movie, so imagine my surprise when I see that (whee!), there’s a sequel and it’s looking like another winner in my book. Granted, I liked what I saw in the anime way back in the day, so I guess it’s a no-brainer that I wasn’t (and am not) turned off by the movies. As for that Skrillex soundtrack? Well, it’s fine, although I tend to appreciate orchestral scores over what the kids and hipsters call “cool” these days. Yeah, I can take or leave Daft Punk, too. I don’t need some “robots” to tell me what to like, that’s for sure. Anyway, you can grab Appleseed Alpha pretty much anywhere you buy movies from these days. Yeah,I’m talking about an actual DISC, you crazy kids.

Cavia Lives! Sort Of. Xseed Returns Bullet Witch To The Xbox 360 Via Games On Demand

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

Ah, my dear, dear Alicia… I missed you and your “witchy” ways, but it’s too bad this brief and non-physical reunion we’re having is just courtesy of a reissue and not an all NEW adventure.

Some people hated the now shuttered Japanese developer Cavia’s Bullet Witch when Atari brought it to the US for the Xbox 360, but I liked it (warts and all) thanks to the difficulty that required players PAY ATTENTION to enemies in the environments (snipers in that game were paid very well, let’s just say), learn patterns and take advantage of assorted strategies while trying to find that perfect pace to move at so poor Alicia didn’t get swarmed.

While PlatinumGames’ Bayonetta became a much more popular (and faster moving) heroine three years after this game came and went, I’ll always remember Alicia being there first with her big gun and wild spells. One day, she needs a proper comeback in a better (and multi-platform) game, I say. Continue reading →

Humble Daily Sales? For TWO WEEKS? There Goes Someone’s Summer. And Fall. And Winter…

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

First up, The incredible DEEP SILVER Re-Bundle!:

Wow. I missed this big sale last time on a fantastic bundle of Deep Silver games and as I just walked in the door about twenty minutes ago and see it’s on again, I’m kicking myself hard because I’m too busy to play this lot even if I did jump on it and buy it up. But still, WOW. Pay a buck or so for four massive games, bump that up to $6.16 and add FIVE more games (that’s nine), but go for not broke and get TEN games for nine dollars flat? THAT’S the way to go here, considering the games in question and how much content you’re getting. All the Saint’s Row games are outrageous, stupid fun, Dead Island and Dead Island Riptide will appeal to your undead killing,get me the hell off this “vacation paradise” gone to hell in a hand basket side, Risen 2: Dark Waters sets you out as a pirate type in a big fantasy world, Sacred 2 Gold is an even larger and more fantasy world with some incredible replay value (and even more incredible difficulty if you try to run around like you’re the boss of everything), Sacred Citadel is a goofy throwback to arcade brawling/hack ‘n slash games of the past and finally, Metro 2033 is a bleak, unsettling, freakish and deadly trip to a future Russia where radiation, mutants and not enough survival supplies test your skills.

All that and yes, some of what you pay goes to the Child’s Play and American Red cross charities. So yep, you NEED this bundle even though I won’t be buying it. THIS time (again). Now, I’m wanting to see the next 13 days of sales as I eyeball my hard drives and probably dump a few older games for some nice new-ish ones. Just like you, too. Anyway, I’ll be back every day of this sale with an update (and hopefully earlier, at that!)…

Batman Revealed: Affleck Shows Some Muscle (Of The Suit and Car Varieties)…

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

So, after a tease yesterday of the new Batmobile on his Twitter account:

Director Zack Snyder has yet again whipped out his trusty Leica and finally shown fans what they’ve been waiting for:

To which I say “good!” While I’m not sure how “good” a film Batman & Superman will be when all is said and done, at least Ben looks decent in that suit, although I kind of got used to that Tumbler as the go-to Bat-ride thanks to it not being an extended black bathtub with wheels that looked more at home on the Bonneville Salt Flats than on the mean streets of Gotham City. Those Burton and Schumacher cars had the turning radius of a school bus! Anyway, I guess this means more reveals as the weeks pass, as the hype wheel turns and more gets dripped out on this soon to be blockbuster.

I’m still not convinced Gal Gadot (Who? Who?) will make a good Wonder Woman, but hey, she could surprise me and the many other skeptics that think she’s a LOT less of an Amazon and a lot more of a skinny gal who worked out to PLAY one. Eh, we’ll see, I suppose…

Dark Shadows: Army of Evil Or: With Some Games, Sometimes, You Get What You Pay For (Or Less!)…

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

Note: Some of you MAY need Dramamine or something in order to continue to enjoy reading this post.

Now, I didn’t buy Dark Shadows: Army of Evil on sale at the IndieGala Store… but I almost did until I decided to poke around the game’s website (yikes!) and later, watch this way too awesome and very outstanding, hilarious “review” by Jim Sterling. Oh,before you click away, it’s kind of NSFW because Jim curses up a storm (for very good reason, as you’ll see) AND the game may make you a bit motion sick if you’re easily affected by that sort of thing. Anyway, I like some awful games, but this is one that I’d probably have regretted (even at $2.39). Now, if YOU want to buy this, I certainly won’t stop you at all. Hey, I’ll even lend you my bucket so you can toss your cookies into it if that field of view starts making you queasy. Uncle Jim gets it right in his long take on this one, is all I’ll say. Wow.

Godzilla Wants To Know: What Are YOU Doing On Friday? Or Thursday Night, For That Matter?

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

Well, if the answer is “NOTHING”, well dear sir or madame… it looks as you have a hot date with a big angry radioactive lizard (like it or not and he WILL come get you). Although I hear those Thursday shows have sold out in some areas, so there’s that to consider. Of course, Friday will be a crunch of people storming the cinema, stepping on toes and sitting in your popcorn if you do show up, so there’s that to consider. I’d go myself on that day, but given that the last movie theater here is officially closed and being turned into a freakin’ T.J. Maxx or some other shop we don’t need around here (although, if it IS a Maxx, i’ll op in to look at the food section), I’d need to travel into Manhattan and go to an even MORE packed theater (yuck). Eh, we’ll see. I’ll probably go see this on a quiet mid-afternoon when the kids are at school and there are mostly old curious people in that theater because it’s hot outside and they’re getting that discount on a matinee. Hey, I’m getting up to that age anyway, so I may as well see how the other half lives, right?

Diablo III Ultimate Evil Edition Coming August 19 to Consoles (Yep, PS3 and 360, Too)

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

When the Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion was announced for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, many fans of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions on a few message boards thought they were going to be left out of the loop. I also initially thought so for a hot minute, but didn’t think Blizzard was nuts enough to NOT bring that expansion to the consoles where MORE of that version sold (and continues to sell). Fortunately, console owners from last and this generation (well, save for Wii U owners) will be reaping the rewards come August 19 when Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition rolls out on PS3,PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Yes, that sound you heard is me screeching like a happy Harpy and dancing around the room.

Now before I break a hip, hear below the jump and read what else I wrote about this excellent news… Continue reading →

Constantine TV Trailer: NBC Wants To Give You A Few Cases Of Vertigo…

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

I’ll reserve judgment on this until I see a few episodes, but while some are championing this as awesome, I’m skeptical on a few fronts because of what’s missing and what will be missed. First off, Hellblazer works better as a title (at least to someone like me who read the original books when they were first published), but network TV with a shiny new show in need of an audience in America probably isn’t going to touch that one (right, NBC?). Second, John’s icky chain smoking is gone, no doubt because network and public outrage deems he lose his nastiest habit. Although, this may not be a bad thing as I can see the show tying into the film (some still despise) by knocking away John’s habit because he lost the taste for ciggies in the movie. Finally, and this is the touchy part (no pun intended, maybe)… in the Vertigo books, Constatine was how do we say… swinging for both teams (to be as vague as possible but not about the man’s bisexual tendencies). Granted, getting people outraged about that sort of thing is WAY too easy these days and yep, I’ll bet that NBC didn’t want to even go near that bit of business…