Hive Jump, Huh? Hmmm… Color Me Highly Interested!

Posted on August 25, 2014 by geelw

Nope, despite that idyllic GIF above (twang, twang!), Graphite Lab’s upcoming PC/Mac/Linux and Wii U (yay!) game Hive Jump isn’t about some space cowboys sittin’ around a blazing campfire strumming a gitbox and singing bean-related songs (although that might make a fun mini-game now that I think about it). In fact, this in progress Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight game is the exact opposite of low key and gassy. One to four player alien blasting action reminiscent of X-Com, a bit of Slime World, Spelunky and Contra is the name of the game here (EDIT: Hey! I thought this was called Hive Jump?!) and based on that Kickstarter video, thing certainly look pretty thrilling.

See? Now THAT’S more like it, huh?

However, with a mere 931 backers and only $27,030 pledged of their $50,000 goal and ONLY 11 days to go (Eeek!), it seems this game needs MORE people hopping on the bandwagon. Granted, I bet some of those non-pledgers own a Sony or Microsoft console and are wondering why Nintendo is getting the love and they aren’t. But hey, I love it when a developer picks the more under-appreciated console and gives it the old college try. The Wii U needs games like this to stand out, and if it does well across the board, who’s to say Sony and Microsoft won’t be calling them up and getting a few dev kits out via some speedy shipping method? As much as I’m wanting to grab this download on the Wii U next year, I’d actually LOVE to play this on the Vita just so I can take it on the road to show it off and convert a few skeptics into new fans.

I’d say there are a lot of bugs in this game (and that’s a compliment.)

Anyway, internet? Go do what you do so well (no, not THAT complain about meaningless crap in the wrong places!) and FUND THIS GAME! I’m broke after paying a few bills, so I’ll be one of those picking it up once it’s all done. It sure looks like it’ll be a total winner no matter what it appears on. Anyway, stop throwing money AT the screen, as all that does is crack you monitor. You need to do a bit more than that (or: give ’til it hurts or you get hurt) if you want to see this one live to fight another day (and perhaps on other consoles?). You go do just that – I’ll be here, awaiting your progress report!

ALL THAT JAZZ & All That Jazz You Need To See, Thanks To The Criterion Collection!

Posted on August 25, 2014 by geelw

Bob Fosse’s 1979 semi-autobiographical musical masterpiece finally gets the Criterion treatment and if you’ve not see it yet (or have and it’s been a while), NOW is, as they say… the TIME. This is one of those one of a kind films that while not exactly an autobiography, is about the director’s own struggles, vices and other issues, cutting very close to the truth of his wild life on many levels. Compare this to the formulaic pap most Hollywood biopics have turned into over the decades and it’s no wonder this one makes plenty of lists of people’s favorite films. Of course, it also made me never want to do more than five things at ones, kept me away from drugs and smoking, so it’s also kicking it as a cautionary tale. Yeah, I’ll get to writing up a Random Film of the Week on this one in a bit – I actually want to see this new transfer to check out how good a job was done on it first. To the backlog you go, Gideon!

The Bundles, The Bundles! The Mondays, The Mondays!

Posted on August 25, 2014 by geelw

Happy Monday! Here are two deals you probably shouldn’t pass up if you’re like me and need to feel terrible about having WAY too many games (ha and ha). JUST KIDDING! Actually, I like what’s in both these bundles, but I have enough of the games in both lots to not need to buy them. You’ll see that in a bit when I do some cleaning up of the backlog and duplicates get loose in the wild for anyone with a Steam account to claim. Anyway, this weeks’ IndieGala Every Monday sale above, Humble Flash Sale below. I’m buried in stuff to do today, so click on either link (or both!) to be zapped right to the sites so you can check out these deals on your own time. Which, by the way, you don’t have a lot of to get these deals!

MotoGP 14 Trailer: A Bit of Bike Action Tease To Get Your Monday Racing…

Posted on August 25, 2014 by geelw

With veteran developer Milestone S.r.L. on the case, MotoGP 14 is looking like a motorbike fan’s dream game. While this particular racing sub-genre doesn’t draw in the legions of fans automobile games do, the developer’s talents at making some very solid racers for quite some time shows once you pick up a controller. I played a few races at Bandai Namco’s NYC event a few weeks back and found the game solid in terms of the excellent controls and sense of speed. Visually, the game looked absolutely great, but I’m betting you’ll be wanting to keep your eyes glued to the road. Speaking of roads, MotoGP14 will feature more than 100 riders to choose from, all the official manufacturers, racing classes and 18 tracks all based on the Official MotoGP World Championship.

As with their other racers, Milestone knows how to yank you into the game they’ve created by concentrating on the details that are the most important, so this just may be one of the better entries in the long running series when it ships out later this year for PS3/PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Sunday Schooling Keeps My Post Count Low…

Status

Heh. Between the internet here getting chuggy with it and me playing a couple of games that were beating me around the room for the better part of the day, this is all you’re getting from me today. Okay, I’ll apologize for being distracted a wee bit too much by trying to survive Shadowgate and Sword Art Online. But reviews need to get done, so die I must. Well, not me PERSONALLY, but my assorted avatars going through the eternal struggle. All that and I have still have some wrapping up of Tales of Xillia 2 to do.

Alrighty, then… let me boogie on over to the kitchen- I could use a cup of tea… see you all tomorrow. I may be giving away some Steam codes for games I have duplicates of at some point this week, so stay tuned…

Random Film of the Week: Once Upon A Time In America

Posted on August 23, 2014 by geelw

The first time I saw Once Upon A Time In America, I hated it. Not because it was a “bad” film at all, mind you. Hell, I was a mere 20 years old and not much of the older, wiser appreciator of film I’ve become (along with possibly being a little bit of a pompous ass about it), so going in at that age and “getting” all that director Sergio Leone intended was going to be way above my head. Actually, I’d read that the film was very heavily edited by the studio and that made me dislike what I saw more than any issues I had with Leone’s craft. Which was none, by the way.

That initial 139-minute release was so butchered as to render whole scenes meaningless or confusing upon my initial viewing, but there was no denying the compelling performances from the entire cast, Tonino Delli Colli’s absolutely gorgeous cinematography, Ennio Morricone’s epic, near-operatic score and Leone’s assured yet polarizing directorial choices that confused some in the theater I saw the film with who were expecting the third coming of The Godfather (a film Leone was picked to direct at one point). Yes, I “hated” the film, but I knew I had to see it again because there was enough there… no, more than enough that made it a truly great film that was chopped up and placed in what the studio felt was a proper order. I’d gather the powers that be assumed audiences weren’t patient enough to get into a film that was intentionally going to flip the crime genre on its head by being more than just a crime drama.

Flash forward thirty years and all the pieces (well, most of them) are in place, the film is back in my life (and more widely available thanks to a recent Blu-Ray version) in nearly its full glory and celebrated as a masterpiece. And yet, it’s still a properly vexing viewing experience if you go into it expecting what it’s not… Continue reading →

Film Review: MOEBIUS

Posted on August 23, 2014 by geelw

It takes a hell of a gimmick to make me sit through a horror film these days and Film Movement/RAM Releasing’s latest indie shocker MOEBIUS certainly has a really sharp one working quite well in its favor. Director Kim Ki-Duk’s unsettling, darkly comic chiller packs in just under 125 minutes of edge of your seat nastiness thanks to a rather disturbed family unit with a few nastier (and literal) twists of the knife along the way to a nicely weird (and a bit ambiguous, perhaps?) finale.

You want somewhat inappropriate sex, bits of nudity, violence, blood (but not too much of it), leg-closing moments galore and a good reason to curl up into a ball under the covers? Well, you’ve got that here and then some. Oh, by the way… that gimmick I mentioned? The entire film has not a single line of dialog…

Continue reading →

It’s Hikari Friday Time! Funko Wants You To WIN One of Two Transformers!

Posted on August 22, 2014 by geelw

Not just ANY Transformers, though – This week, you’ve the chance to win one of two different Grey Skull variants (no relation to Castle Greyskull, I bet!) through the usual means of hitting up one of Funko’s social networks, entering and then dropping to your knees and hoping you’re the lucky one of two picked to WIN one of these cool Hikari Sofubi Vinyl figures. Here’s Grey Skull Optimus Prime:

and here’s Grey Skull Bumblebee:

Boogie on over to one of the spots below and enter away for your chance to win:

http://www.facebook.com/OriginalFunko
http://www.twitter.com/OriginalFunko
Instagram @OriginalFunko

As always, each of the two lucky winners get the first off the line of one of these figures (#1 of 1000 this time out). Remember, If you’re an unlucky loser, you can still grab one or both of these at your favorite Funko retailer in September. Good Luck and remember: “Knowing is half the battle!” I have NO idea what the other half is, by the way…

NIS America Makes NAtURAL DOCtRINE Look Insanely Hard, But That Won’t Keep Me Away…

Posted on August 22, 2014 by geelw

Wow. Lots of dead adventurers in this rather amusing and slightly gamer grim trailer for the PS3/PS4/PS Vita game NAtURAL DOCtRINE, set for a September release. Kadokawa Games’ upcoming tactical RPG looks to test the skills of the best of the best and leave the bones of the rest to feed the vultures. Hey, maybe I should write copy for the backs of game packages or something? I sometimes have a way with words, I think. Or so people tell me from time to time. Hmmmm… wait. Lots of games aren’t coming in packages these days, so I guess I should stick to writing about games and keep my amusing talent to myself. Anyway, this one looks like a keeper AND a sleeper, so keep an eyeball peeled for it soon…

Oh Yeah, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition Is Out. Buy It.

Posted on August 22, 2014 by geelw

No, I didn’t forget about this one. Between the low drama of other game issues and crappy connection speeds everywhere, I know all those games dropping into retail this week were overlooked here. It’s funny that with the PS4 version of RoS, Blizzard, Sony and plenty of gamers aren’t even talking about the “last-gen” versions anymore even though MORE people still own and play games on the PS3 and Xbox 360 than their shinier replacements. Hell, I’m buying this expansion on the PS3 because I’m the stubbornest of old goats as well as a total cheapskate. Anyway, as noted earlier, I won’t touch this game at all until I finish up some stuff I need to get done or it WILL NOT GET DONE at all. Diablo does that to productivity…