Sony really has 2013 wrapped up in a nice bow with too many first-party releases to count, but as far as Quantic Dream’s and Naughty Dog’s instant classics, the worldwide appeal for these is clear, no matter what console is your favorite. These are two title that non-PS3 owners will wish they could play while the pure Sony fanatics will have more ammo to whip out when they need to make the case for the PS3’s staying power after so long. Without a doubt, Sony’s NOT going out of this console cycle with a whimper, nor by rendering their console obsolete before its time.
OK, I’ll admit to not being so sure Peter Jackson could turn the clock back and make this upcoming film be as “special” as the trilogy, as often, a few too many years between epics this large means there’s a lot lost. Of course, it seems I’m wrong again (and that’s always good when that happens). That said, I’m probably going to wait until the inevitable home video release hits, as this will be yet another film to hunker down with and watch in its entirety once both parts are all done and there are director’s cuts floating around. Hey, I finally got around to watching all the Harry Potter movies one after the other a few months back (I wasn’t a fan of the books, so the films were a really hard sell for me until about six flicks in).
Even though I sunk many hours into Okami, I’m ready to do it all over again in this HD version. The game looks nice and crisp in that higher resolution and I’m sure that the PS Move controls are going to make the experience even more enjoyable (especially if you’re really used to using the peripheral). As great as this looks, I’d actually LOVE to see a complete reworking of the Nintendo DS game, Okamiden for the Vita at some point. Imagine how amazing it would look on that wide screen with visuals made just for the handheld? I’d pre-order that in a heartbeat if it were a reality, that’s for sure…
Oh yeah, the release date: October 30th, exclusively through PSN.
OK, now THIS is pretty damn cool. Then again, everything WETA does or has done in the past has managed to be beyond awesome. As you can see here, that turret is exactly like the ones from the Portal games (but I bet it can’t sing!). Of course, if you never hear a peep from the company after this and it turns out WETA made the thing TOO well (as in fully functioning and happily psychotic), well… there’s a very awesome one of a kind collectible some brave Portal fan can volunteer to retrieve. Hmmm… that might make a pretty cool mod, huh?
Or a 3DS version, for that matter. Or hell, even better, BOTH. Ah well, perhaps we’ll see the day return when Sega just gets it back together and realizes that Dreamcast fans (and most Sega fans in general) have more than one console they like to play the classics on… Anyway, this one should be as awesome as ever, so yup, make it a purchase.
Looking for something nice and gifty for that Street Fighter fanatic on your list or maybe something cool for your own collection? Well, Capcom has two more rather ridiculously awesome items you can drop some of that disposable income on. Check out what’s in store for you in each of these two box sets of joy. You can snap up the super-limited edition Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collection at Capcom’s online shop, while that Street Fighter Monopoly can get grabbed through Amazon. If I had the room, I’d definitely want both here to fall out of Santa’s sleigh, that’s for sure. Should YOU nab both of these if you’re able to pony up the price? Sure, you can (ha ha)!
Yeah, yeah, it may seem too early to be talking about holiday gift shopping, but hey, in this economy and too many people thinking the world will end because of some Mayans who ran out of room on a big stone slab, you’ll want to grab the good stuff early and sock it away to celebrate with once things blow over on the whole doomsday front.
This crazy, low budget 1973 indie horror flick was a big part of my childhood because it seemed to always be on WOR here in New York as one of the late-night horror movies they showed on Saturday nights, and for some reason (even despite it freaking me out all the time), I’d sit through it fascinated by the insanity taking place. In fact, the film takes places at a mental institution gone way off the rails thanks to its rather unorthodox means of treatment. You get two murders right off the bat, a pretty but rather dopey new nurse arriving on the scene who’s a bit slow on the uptake as to what’s going on, a bunch of patients with some rather unusual quirks and it all wraps up with a nicely gory finale and probably the most disturbing end credit sequences you’ll see in a genre flick.
Is it a great movie? Nope, and in fact, it hardly scrapes above lousy in every aspect, I’d say. What works in its favor however, is the general tone of unease and creepiness that hits you over the head right from the start. You know something bad is going to happen right away and other than a few boring patches, the film delivers on much of what its opening moments promise. These days it’s a public domain film, so yup, you can watch it in its entirety above. I’d doubt this will ever reach the remake status some cult genre classics have gotten, but even as raw and weird as it is, it still manages to be freaky enough where it counts. OK, then – that’s a really short and simple movie post this for week, as I’m working on a bunch of other stuff. But it’s all good, as now you can go make a big bowl of popcorn, grab a beverage and watch yourself a pretty silly but scary slice of the 70’s…
Addendum: Oops – it looks as if someone may remake this after all at some point Oh well, i still think the original will be better just because it has its crude charms working for it, warts and all…
Yeah, you know who you are. In fact, there’s a mighty good chance you’re not even reading this because you’re already playing the game. Either that, or, you’re catching up on a few hours of much-needed sleep before you pop out of bed bright and early, call in sick for work with the “flu” or whatever, rush down to your nearest game emporium to snap up a copy of the game and take the rest of the week off.
PROTIP: Stay the hell OFF any social networking site with the bragging rights posting about how long you’ve been playing. Given that the commercials are all over the damn place, your boss KNOWS what’s up, but can’t prove anything if you stay silent and buried under the blankets on Pandora. Screw it up royally by being a braggart and watch it all come crashing down when you join the gainfully unemployed before your tweet or status update gets cold. Just a thought.
And don’t go blaming Gearbox or 2K if you get canned, cowboy – no one told you to be so stupid in this age of TMI when it’s not necessary. Enjoy the game!
OK, this is getting nuts, but in the coolest possible way. As I said earlier, I’m importing this Vita exclusive, but I’m keeping my fingers and toes (and eyeballs) crossed that D3Publisher of America sees fit to get it out here at some point (sooner than later). Interestingly enough, guess who’s coming to town on Wednesday with a bunch of new games? Yup, D3Publisher. Of course, THIS isn’t one of them, but I’ll be asking (or begging, depending on the level of potential alcohol consumption I do) them to make it so.
Well, that’s what I’d do in this situation (or ANY situation involving the undead trying to chomp on my scalp), but I’d make a pretty lousy video game character. Capcom’s got this one all wrapped up tightly and I can see plenty of RE fans getting a good deal of replay value out of what’s going to be a pretty lengthy campaign. I’m still trying to decide whether to play during the day when I feel a lot more invincible, or wait until dark when I’ll be halfway behind a chair in the living room. I guess I’ll just flip a coin and enjoy the ride no matter how I decide to have at it. And before you even ask – yes, there’s actually still time to pre-order the game if you’re interested in doing so.
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 