Tag Archives: Behind the Scenes

E3 2014: Nintedo Direct – Surprises Galore With Some Wait Times Involved (But Well Worth It)…

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Of all the three big game company media events, Nintendo had the most to prove, mostly to non-fans and journalists who believe the Wii U is “dead” when the console has yet to show off all it can do. Well, Nintendo’s showing was pretty impressive on a few fronts as you’ll see above, below and later on when I run individual videos. The new (and untitled) installment in the classic Legend of Zelda with its open world and lush visuals was the biggest surprise to me, but Bayonetta 2 packing the full version of the first game enhanced with Nintendo-themed outfits for the character (and coming in September on a single disc). Hyrule Warriors looks spectacular, Yoshi’s Wooly World activated my “D’awwwww” gene (dormant for a while) and will be the first stupidly cute game I’ll pick up in quite some time.

The big JRPG X, now officially known as Xenoblade Chronicles X has slipped into 2015, but this is a good thing at the end of the day because it gives Wii U owners time to get through a few other big releases. I’m not normally a Smash Bros. fan, but the newly announced ability to use custom Miis in the game makes my eyebrow tingle (which means I’ll at least TRY this one out). A few new IPs like Mario Maker, Splatoon and others kept me grinning and overall, it was a successful show, closing with Miyamoto teasing his Star Fox game without actually showing it up close. Anyway, enjoy the show – back in a bit…

E3 2014: Sony’s E3 Experience: Greatness Inbound, Warts & All…

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SO much good going on here, it’s hard to know where to begin, although this presser’s a bit long and has some snoozy moments. Then again, unlike Microsoft forgetting ALL about it’s “last-gen” consumers, Sony gets in nods to the ps3 while expanding the base with that lovely $99 Vita TV, coming sooner than many thought. I’ll shut up now and let you watch it all, but expect some commentary later on individual titles as I find time to talk about them… enjoy!

Game of Thrones 4:8 Recap: Mountain Always Beats Melon!

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Yeah, well… that was an innnnnnteresting fight while it lasted. Of course, even though I didn’t read that far into the books, I knew from the moment all those fancy moves were being displayed and the non-stop banter that sounded half out a medieval Spider-Man comic was droning on that the fight was going to go a particular way. Ouch and double ouch. Still, as noted by a few people, it WAS a tie at the end, so perhaps the Imp can get away on a technicality or something. Hey, with two episodes to go, things are certainly getting really interesting… Continue reading →

Jodorowsky’s Dune Coming to Blu-Ray/DVD July 8. BUY IT.

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Jodorowsky's DUNE BDVD 

 
Predictions: this one will get a nomination for Best Documentary at next year’s Academy Awards for sure, but will probably lose to something more dramatic and real-world fixated. Anyway, if you’re a creative sort, Jodorowsky’s Dune will expand your mind significantly even as the project as intended ends up not getting filmed in the end. If you happen to love behind the scenes dirt, this film is packed with it (and MAN, is some of it of the VERY bizarre variety). Still, I wonder how the sci-fi film landscape would have changed had this been shot and completed as intended. It would have certainly been one of the more expensive films ever created at that time, but as we all know, money tossed down a well doesn’t guarantee all the wishes dumped in afterwards will come true. Anyway, grab this one in July, invite some friends over and make it a movie day, as I’m betting any special features included will be as compelling as the documentary or even more so…

Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare Popping Up On PS3 & PS4 In August

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PVZGW_charactersAh, so the trickle-down effect IS fruitful after all! Well, it’s more like a sideways-creeping vine effect as PopCap’s Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare finally makes its way to the PS3 and PS4 as an August 19, 2014 release. The game will also be playable on the Vita via Remote Play, although currently, there’s no direct Vita version you can stroll into a shop and buy or download from PSN.

I’ve not yet played this thanks to my pair of dead Xbox 360’s and my not having committed to buying an Xbox One (yet), but now I have no excuse not to play this one and perhaps drag a few friends along for the ride. I like that it’s not a straight port and Sony fans are getting some exclusive content for pre-ordering as well as in the actual game. Granted, it would be cooler if everyone got the same goodies in that came case or download no matter when they buy the game. But that’s something I’ll grouse about in a future feature. I’m just soaking in the happy rays of this news and can’t wait to give this one a go.

MKTG_lineup2_WMCompany line press release below the jump for those of you who feel the need for (more) read… Continue reading →

Mind Zero Update #3: A Kick In The Shin Megami Tensei Won’t Hurt (Much)…

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Ah, ha-ha (again). Okay, I kid Aksys Games here (again!), but this upcoming PlayStation Vita exclusive coming from developer Zerodiv reminds me so much of the Shin Megami Tensei games that I’m not going to even be surprised if I see a review or two that makes note of this. Hey, as long as the story is good, I don’t care much about the gameplay as long as it’s not clumsy or forced. So far, this is looking nice and simple (which is good), but probably won’t be a cakewalk as the game progresses. Anyway, we’ll see soon enough, as the game is out NOW at a retailer near you (or on PSN, if you want it faster)…

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel PAX East Gameplay: “Bounce, Breathe, Look, SHOOT!” (Rinse & Repeat)…

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BL_TPS_coverOkay, so it’s the name of an old basketball primer for kids, but that’s also a fitting description of what Gearbox and 2K Australia expect a great deal of you Borderlands fans to be doing in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, the upcoming standalone game set for a fall release on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Sorry “nest-gen” fans! You’ll need to wait a bit while the game you wanted or expected NOW or sooner is being cooked up in one way or another for its eventual release whenever.

While I’m sure that Gearbox and 2K Games could make a small fortune redoing the older Borderlands games and DLC from the ground up, I’d gather they’re doing the WISER thing and creating an all-new chapter to the franchise that packs in even more of what’s expected. This will also keep owners of those shiner (or matte-r) new systems from rioting and storming assorted game company headquarters anytime soon, too (er, Ha-ha?).

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Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Sounds Like A Court Case. It’s Not.

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Well, it’s official and I’ll get used to it, but I’ll admit I laughed out loud and IMMEDIATELY thought of one of those many “Judge” TV shows that crowd television these days. Batman suing Superman or vice versa? For what, one can only wonder. Of course, I’d better shut it with the snark or director Zack Snyder will whip out his trusty Leica, bash me on the head with it and take a photo to post on his twitter page. Ouch. or worse, I’ll suffer the raaaaage of a few hundred thousand DC fans who will be queuing up to see this one as soon as someone posts a release date. Anyway, updates to come when I feel like it. The film just started shooting today in Detroit (of all places, but hey – they NEED those movie studio dollars), so there’s a loooong road to go before it’s a wrap.

Game of Thrones Recap: When Push Comes To Shove, Indeed…

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Heh. Spoilers, spoilers! You’ve been warned! I won’t be the one who’s scorned! I missed posting about last week’s episode (above) thanks to the week crushing me with stuff to do, but this week’s surprise-packed episode got me chuckling to no end. Yeah, I won’t say a thing so anyone who hasn’t seen it yet can get the full effect, but I really wasn’t shocked about that ending at all other than thinking it would be another annoying character getting the Red Bull Special treatment.

 
But, wait! There’s more… Continue reading →

Orphan Black’s Helena: Love Her Or Hate Her, She’s Bad News In A Bottle (And That’s Good)…

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I’m of the “love her!” camp, as Helena’s unpredictability, penchant for tightly focused violence when she’s doing her assassin thing and her somewhat weird sense of humor all work perfectly for the character. Of course, Tatiana Maslany’s dead-on performance makes the character work so well, especially when she’s playing in scenes with herself (as Sarah, another of the clones) and you see how spectacular she is as an actress. The interesting thing is although both characters tried to kill each other when they last crossed paths, it seems their reunion last week (creepy as it was) may mean some sort of teaming up against their common enemies. This could be really amazing with a twist, because Helena’s bound to snap at the drop of a hat.

 
Although, personally? I think she’s REALLY just in need of a BIG hug from someone who she sees as her twin of sorts…