Touch My Katamari Trailer: Hey, Go Touch Your OWN (But Buy A Vita First)!

Posted on February 23, 2012 by geelw

Remember kids: There’s no sin in pleasure… er, at least when it comes to gaming. Namco Bandai’s double shot of Vita launch games (the Shinobido 2 trailer is here) gets off to a rolling start with what’s looking like some pretty decent titles. I’ll need to get my paws on a review copy to see if the latest in the junk-rolling up series has what it takes to be a touchy-feely funny classic or one for the dust bin. Given the Vita’s funky dual touchscreen that adds a lot to some games, I’m rolling toward some positive impressions…

Borderlands 2 “Doomsday” Trailer: You’ll Want To Make Friends Just To Play This One…

Posted on February 22, 2012 by geelw

Gearbox and 2K Games are knocking it out of the park with this upcoming sequel and here’s the proof. If you’re not dancing around like a fool with your wallet in hand screaming “TAKE MY MONEY!” at your monitor (please don’t watch this trailer on a mobile device, as you’ll be arrested for solicitation when you scream those words on the subway or bus), well, you’re either not much of a gamer or just don’t see the beauty of 87 bazillion guns. That and hey, a robot doing the Robot? Claptrap is back and probably up to no good (again). September 18 is going to be a pretty sleepless day here and in other parts of the US, is all I’ll say…

Xseed Games Bringing The Last Story To Wii (And You’d BETTER Buy It, Grrrr!)

Posted on February 22, 2012 by geelw

Fans of many Japanese games (in particular, JRPGs) can be a persistently prickly bunch often to the point of working themselves up into a frenzy if they feel slighted in the slightest bit by a publisher they feel isn’t working hard or fast enough at localizing certain Japanese games (no matter how niche). However, that’s actually a good thing when we all benefit from a publisher like Xseed that can make the magic happen. One example of this is today’s surprising news that Xseed has picked up the publishing rights to Hironubu Sakagushi’s The Last Story, one of the best current-gen games on the console that has a lot of people very excited. You can ogle some more video info on the Mistwalker-developed title over at the Nintendo Direct channel (just skip ahead to 10:11 in the video and prepare to be awed).

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IDW’s Wally Wood EC Stories Artist’s Edition: Stellar Stuff From A True Master.

Posted on February 22, 2012 by geelw

The late Wally Wood’s work was one of many inspirations that got me interested in comic art and thankfully, there’s a large enough selection of his originals still around so anyone who wants to see some of the greatest panel art ever (and can afford to drop a few hundred bucks on a top quality hardcover book) can check it out thanks to IDW Publishing.

This collection in the fantastic Artist’s Edition series presents some of Wood’s classic EC Comics tales as ACTUAL SIZE (15 x 22) pages, complete with editing marks and assorted aging you don’t get in digital comic art. There’s just something incredible about seeing how hard Woody worked on all that meticulous detail and how much of his work has held up over time. This massive new book (which could double as a small card table if you opened it and put legs on the covers).

UPDATE! According to some poking about around the internet as well as a note from IDW’s PR guy the book is COMPLETELY sold out on the publisher’s web site. However, you CAN (and should) call up or stalk your nearest comic store, as they should have copies of the book in stock!

Er, I Forgot To Add The Hitman: Absolution Diana Burnwood ICA File Video (Oops)…

Posted on February 22, 2012 by geelw

Eh, it happens every so often, but I’ll get over it if you will. Here’s the supplemental video to the Marsha Thomason interview I posted earlier (er, yesterday as of an hour or two ago so you can see a bit more about the character (as well as some nice comic art by Ben Oliver). Um, that is all. I’ll try and make less mistakes (well, after I finally get some sleep)…

Asura’s Wrath US Launch Trailer: This Year’s GOD HAND, I Say…

Posted on February 21, 2012 by geelw

CyberConnect2’s masterpiece mash-up is in stores NOW for the PS3 and Xbox 360, so grab it. My review copy is on the way, so I can’t wait to see how it turned out. I played the demo to death and back, so I have a good idea of what’s coming. Still, I always go into a review with NO expectations, as it helps judge a game based on its own merits and not stacked up to something completely different. Yeah, yeah, I made a GOD HAND reference in the title above, but I meant in terms of how quirky, funny and flat out insanely creative both games ended up.

Hitman: Absolution VO Interviews: Marsha Thomason

Posted on February 21, 2012 by geelw

Here’s a excellent interview with one of the voice talent behind IO Interactive’s upcoming game. Actress Marsha Thomason lets you in on a few cool things about her character, Diana Burnwood as well as what goes into performance capturing for the game. It’s been far too long since Agent 47 has appeared on the scene, but from what I’ve seen so far, everyone’s favorite bald (and bar-coded) assassin is coming back in fine form indeed in a game that looks spectacular. I’d say Square Enix has another hit on their hands as a publisher…

Young Justice: Legacy Announced for PS3/360/Wii/DS in 2013

Posted on February 21, 2012 by geelw

Well, well… someone realizes that a LOT of gamers still play Nintendo DS games (he said, not at all facetiously). Little Orbit is teaming up with WBIE to bring a video game version of the popular cartoon series to current generation consoles in 2013. The game is an action/RPG with an online/offline multiplayer focus (which wisely means a kids in a family can play together on the couch if need be). More details and screens to come as they fly into the inbox here. In the meantime, check out the official site and Facebook page, which are both up and running, although the official site is slim pickings for a good reason – not all those character boxes? Reveals, folks.. reveals. With a dozen playable characters, a ton of guest star cameos and a dozen villains, this is going to be fun in terms of seeing who’s going to be in the game.

Belated Valentine’s Day Game Greetings (Because I’m Lazy Like That)

Posted on February 21, 2012 by geelw

Well, OK. I’m not really THAT lazy, but I do have an overactive spam filter that occasionally eats stuff it shouldn’t. Hmm…. maybe I’ll start a trend here by publishing late holiday cards at random just for fun. Besides, if you’re happy and in loooove with whomever, every day should be Valentines Day is some way, shape or form. So I guess you can consider these cards a friendly reminder you need to remember every now and then. Er, except if you actually kiss like Grimlock. Then, you’d probably end up putting your sweetie in the hospital because you keep chomping his or her face off (ouch!)…

Toy Fair 2012: Areaware – Fun & Functional Artwork For The Masses

Posted on February 21, 2012 by geelw

Just when you think you’ve seen everything, along comes someone who shows you a cool wooden robot that folds away into an equally cool-looking cube or a silver baby rattle that can double as an art piece. These were just two items at Toy Fair from Brooklyn, NY-based Areaware, a producer of some really interesting products from a wide range of talented artists and designers. It’s impossible to take a look at their web site or online catalog without a smile crossing your face thanks to the selection of everyday objects given a fresh and often amusing spin. A quick (and goofy) example: Say you’re allergic to pet hair, have too many animals in your space but crave more, just like collecting unique pillows or any combination of the three. Well, say hello to a few pieces from Ross Menuez’ Fauna line: