Random Art (Again!): Hey, Maybe This Can Be A More Regular Thing?

Posted on February 27, 2014 by geelw

Or maybe not – we’ll see. I tend to draw only when I can find the time to do so, so you folks just got lucky this week. Yeah, that’s it. Anyway, off to a late start again this week. This cold weather returning is messing with my sleep schedule. Well, that and compiling notes for some articles, playing a few too many games at the same time and other stuff. Eh, back in a few hours. I need to find some coffee and get myself moving…

Dark Souls II Collector’s Edition Reveal: I Need To Put Up Some Shelves, It Seems…

Posted on February 26, 2014 by geelw

Well, wow. I have no room for those big box set Limited and Collector’s Editions some (and some would say too many) games get these days, but I’d sell someone’s kidney for this one. As usual, I have to say “someone” because I rather like both of mine (we’re VERY close) and I think I can find a willing volunteer if I look hard enough. Hmmm… I wonder how I can word that Craigslist ad so it makes it look appealing that some ~~sap~~ willing ~~victim~~ soul would be more than happy to go under the knife AND sell their own part (or parts if there are any other organs they thing they have no use for) on the black market AND deliver me the cash (cash ONLY!) before the game ships out on March 11? What, that’s TOO much to ask for? Nonsense, I say! Heck, I’d go to GameStop myself and BUY the game after all that, so it’s not as if I was asking that ~~fool~~ person to do that (which is the most painful thing of all if you’re like me and hate going to GameStop)…

You know where to reach me, folks. I just need ONE ~~sucker~~ volunteer…

Things I Learned @ Toy Fair 2014 (#2): It Takes A World Village…

Posted on February 26, 2014 by geelw

Share your travel experiences! Laura Barta travels a lot and wants you to do so too. Thanks to her company Whole Wide World Toys is set to make a splash with the first of a few World Village Playsets set in various countries that bring a bit of foreign fun home for the kids to play with and learn from. China is the first stop on Barta’s tour and the $59.99 set (set for a May 2014 launch) encourages not only play, but thanks to the included 32-page storybook, allows for children to get some reading time in to go with their play.

The colorful illustrated play mat (slightly reminiscent of the great Richard Scarry’s work sans the cute animal characters) is printed on a nice fabric, making it an interesting and arty shift away from a simpler cardboard game surface. A set of fourteen story cards are included to kick off imaginations about that faraway land (and perhaps some future travel plans?). The thirteen figures of people, animals, food and transportation are set in a puzzle frame that has the name of each piece in English and Mandarin Chinese (a nice touch), and if you’d like more elements for the set, an additional $39.99 gets you an extra three wooden pieces – a shop, house and boat, all of which add even more color and life to the set.

If you’re not ready to commit, or don’t quite have the space for the set if you live in a small space, you can (and should) at least snap up the wonderful My China Travel Journal (also available on Amazon in retail and Kindle versions). It’s 32 pages with some color illustrations and photos, telling the story of Emma and Joe, two American children as they explore parts of the country, meet people and enjoy the culture of that wonderful country. Barta’s writing is crisp and lays out some nice historical tidbits that keep the pages turning.

On a side note, I also have to thank Laura for introducing me to Palais des Thés and their very tasty Grand Yunnan Imperial Black Tea, as there was a bag included with info about the game. They have two retail shops here in NYC, but I’ve never been there all the time it’s been open. Well, that may change soon enough (either that, or I’ll be ordering some tea online very soon). It may not be the trip to China I’d prefer, but I think I’ll be happy nonetheless. That said, seeing this well-crafted playset and talking to Barta made for a great experience and she’s got plans for the next playset already. Ireland is the next stop for Whole Wide World Toys, so it’ll be interesting to see how that set looks once it’s ready.

Random Art: OK, It’s Have a Tree TUESDAY Now? Um, Maybe…

Posted on February 25, 2014 by geelw

Yes, I know it’s not Thursday yet, but I have an excuse or two handy for this one. I was cooking dinner earlier and as I was waiting for some water to boil for pasta, I started randomly doodling away in MS Paint and the next thing you know, I got this out of it. I was going to save this for Thursday’s tree picture, but figured I’d drop in in now because my post count is so low this month. Yes, I still have a bunch of posts to bang out, but I forgot February is only 28 days (oops) and it looks like some of that stuff will gently slide into the first week of March. Eh, I may as change the name of this non-feature to “Tree of the Week” or something corny like that. We’ll see…

Up For Air From Some Tales Action…

Status

Okay, Tales of Symphonia Chronicles has been keeping me occupied today, so I haven’t posted much since that Godzilla trailer. This former GameCube exclusive to PS3 enhanced port is nice and old-school Tales action through and through, including the difficulty early on if you’re silly enough to run into fights unprepared or think that cuteness means the game will be easy. HA. Tales of Symphonia Chronicles laughs at your silly self as its monsters eat you senseless (they start at the head, and work their way down it seems).

Anyway, a review is forthcoming, but not ’til the weekend or so. I need to knock out more thoughtful Toy Fair wrap up posts, dink around with some games in my queue and otherwise stay out of trouble. The cold weather has returned (booo!) and I’m not too pleased about that nonsense. back in a bit…

Godzilla Official Trailer: Now THAT’S More Like It (Times Ten Or So)…

Posted on February 25, 2014 by geelw

BOOM. Okay, I’ll take two tickets, please. Any doubts that a decent Godzilla can be made outside of Japan get squashed here and now. Toho is probably pretty happy with the results, I’m gathering. I can’t say anything more because I despise the usual speculation and trailer trawling that goes on as soon as something like this goes up. Slowing it down to poke and peck at individual frames is meaningless because the final film will be structured differently and may not even have everything seen in the trailer. But you can’t stop people who should be happy and move onto more productive stuff from getting all over-geeky and picky and foolish with their opinions, so I won’t even try. Eh, whatever. I just file the good trailers away into my Must See mental pile while the rest go into the Catch it on Cable stack where most films end up because they’re not worth traveling money and the ticket price to pay for. Godzilla, on the other hand? He’s worth the 11-mile or so trip I now need to take since there are NO theaters near me at all these days. Bleh.

Hey, Spider-Man 2? Even Electro Doesn’t Spark My Interest…

Posted on February 24, 2014 by geelw

Uh… nope. I’m not feeling this new Spider-Man movie at all for a few reasons. The reboot was kind of lame and forced with way too many CG effects (par for the course for this franchise) and worse, separating it from the rest of the Marvel movie lineup has always been a terrible idea because as come comic fans know Spidey WAS an active Avenger for a brief time. Anyway, this new film has too many villains, too many connected bits (I think the Oscorp-created heroes is a terrible idea) and nope, I don’t like the casting here at all. That said, this one will rake in the dough as it were because the fans don’t seem to care thanks to them just wanting more of the same but bigger and louder.

That said, I’d really rather see a filmed version of that now dead Broadway musical Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark just because of all that behind the scenes turmoil that went into the live show and all its changes during and after its initial previews and premiere. I hope someone was smart enough to shoot that, as even as a flawed work, there’s something about a live show (or a filmed version of one) that’s a good deal more interesting and impressive than a film with a room full of computers powering the better parts of the action scenes…

Godzilla “ROAR” Teaser: What’s Coming Is Far Larger Than You’re Thinking…

Posted on February 24, 2014 by geelw

Soooooo, tomorrow is the big day, huh? 10AM, hmmmmm? Well, it’s a date then. And I do hope this trailer coming shuts up the people wailing like a stomped on Bambi that Legendary Pictures hasn’t been promoting their big movie as much as the more vocal fans wish. Trust me, kids… like a real giant monster attack (well, if giant monsters did exist), you won’t be escaping from this new Godzilla any time soon once he gets walking in your general direction. I’ll bet that in some cities, no form of transportation, billboard or other large free spaces will be safe! Well, from an ad plastered all over those things, that is. You’ll see…

Things I Learned @ Toy Fair 2014 (#1): Super Sprowtz Wants To Help Your Kids Eat Better*

Posted on February 24, 2014 by geelw

Well, besides there being way too much stuff for one person to cover without going slightly mad, I did pick up a few helpful life tips while poking round this year’s show. Below (and for the next few days) you’ll find those tips with a few products that come in quite handy for learning some essential life skills. Yes, this is a humor piece of sorts, but everything in these posts are things I saw and liked, so plugged it shall get. Onward!

(Thanks, SuperSprowtz!)

Eat Your Veggies! Super Sprowtz wants to change the way parents and kids look at and eat food and if their TF2014 presence was any indication, these healthy looking guys and gals are going to make a major impact over the next few years. Launched in 2011 by WILD Restaurant owner Radha Agrawal, the company is dedicated to getting kids to see and appreciate vegetables in a more positive manner using a wide range of media and fun activities to get them motivated and moving towards more healthy eating choices… Continue reading →

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Launch Trailer: Vampire Post-Weekend Busts Up The Monday Blahs…

Posted on February 24, 2014 by geelw

Well, here’s a fine way to kick off a Monday, folks. Knowing that Tuesday will be better because Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is arriving in stores and online here in the US (Europe and the UK get theirs a few days later). Well, tomorrow is a big launch day for a few titles, but I’m thinking this one will be the one many are looking forward to the most. With developer MercurySteam going out in style here, it’ll be interesting to see what new plans Konami has for the franchise in the future. As for the present (today) and near future (tomorrow), I’d say fans and new players should enjoy what’s here quite a lot.