Oboro Muramasa Gameplay: Your Japanese Lesson For The Week…

Yes, Oboro Muramasa will be coming stateside this year (as Muramasa Rebirth) thanks to the fine folks at Aksys Games, but you may as well take a long look at the import version of game before it’s in stores or on PSN this June. As a big fan of the Wii version, it’s great to see this game in HD on the Vita’s lovely wide screen and coming to gamers with some new content and a few tweaks. As usual, Vanillaware is proving itself a master developer when it comes to “old-school” 2D gameplay and some incredibly gorgeous visuals that are bound to make this one a hot item when it’s released. Of course, if you can understand Japanese, you’ll get a hell of a lot more out of this gameplay video. However, it’s not necessary at all of you want to see how the game will look and play on a handheld as opposed to on a TV with a controller in your hot little hands…

MURAMASA REBIRTH VITA

World War Z Trailers: (Almost) No One Gets Out Alive…

I have to say that the less one believes in this whole “zombie apocalypse” sub-genre that’s taken the world by storm, the more comic some of these films, books and other media tend to be. Look, the fact that people are making money off of being so-called “experts” in zombies and surviving the horror of the “inevitable” invasion means there are way too many fools parting with their money that they should be spending on better things. Hell, even this awesome-looking flick will become something of a “zombie” itself once it goes into heavy cable rotation in what, nine or so months after it’s released? Or Christmas, if the film needs to grab some big holiday bucks as a home video release.

My bet is we see a good deal of this summer’s flick pop up by the end of this year or early next as big-deal Blu-Ray/DVD combo packs. Granted, most will be milked further as “Director’s Cut” or “Unrated” versions with all sorts of extra footage and bonus features, but hey – some things never change as time goes on… Well, until some jerky corporation decides ALL physical media is like a zombie that needs its head chopped off and we’re all forced to sit in front of a damn monitor of TV that’s connected to crappy internet that LAGS like molasses made in hell because everyone is trying to download or stream the same flicks at the same time. Bleh – I’d rather get my brain eaten by a damn zombie than suffer through that crap, that’s for sure…

Star Trek: Into Darkness Trailer 2: Jumping Off Tall Stuff Is The New Black (Part 2)…

Speak of the devil, here’s another trailer for J.J. Abrams’ sequel, which is still making some old-school Trekkies livid for basically having more action in two minutes than half a season of the original series. I say as long as the plot is solid and the characters well-written and acted, i don’t mind at all. I’m still cracking up at all the shots of people jumping off high places, as it seems to be a hallmark of the director’s style. The funniest thing about these shots is you KNOW everyone jumping in them isn’t going to end up like Wile E. Coyote a the bottom of a ravine at all… it’s just how and where they land that’s going to keep the sequence going. Hmmm… someone needs to make a YouTube video of EVERY Abrams jump-off shot and landing and post it so I can fall out of my Captain’s chair in hysterics. Get on it and get back to me – that’s your homework assignment for the week…

Star Trek: The Video Game: Making of (4): That’s A REALLY Big Canon You’ve Got There…

Hey, now… by law I’m allowed one absolutely horrific pun on a Sunday… and I don’t think that title counts, either. Anyway, developer Digital Extremes is doing it up right here, as this game actually takes place between the last Star Trek film and the upcoming sequel, Star Trek: Into Darkness. This more than makes perfect sense, as too many licensed games try to expand their stories after a film or worse, try to add elements into a film that don’t quite work out continuity-wise. As for how it all plays, let’s see what happens in a few days when the game hits stores on April 23, 2013. As long as the AI in solo play is solid, this one should be one Trek fans should be snapping up as soon as it teleports into stores.

Among the Sleep: Child’s Play Gets A Whole New Meaning In this Upcoming Indie Game…


 

among the sleep logoI can only think of a very few games that are played from the perspective of children and all of them are indie-made sleepers. In addition to a few RPG Maker games, there’s Papo & Yo, Baby Blues and now, Among the Sleep, which looks to be the most intriguing for a few reasons. First, the protagonist is a mere two years old, second, it’s a horror-themed game that doesn’t revolve around combat (I don’t know any two-year old babies who can carry around a rocket launcher and Rambo-sized knife). It’s also a recent Kickstarter project that’s garnering a lot of interest for its theme and excellent visuals. Hamar, Norway-based Krillbite Studios is crafting this gem up carefully.

There are minor similarities to Baby Blues in that the game has a young child and a teddy bear as key elements of the experience. However, Among the Sleep focuses on its child escaping from a nightmare and from the production art shown so far, the game looks to take on a more fantasy-themed twist as it progresses. Hmmm… Keep an eyeball on this one, pony up a pledge if you like what you see and someone get Guillermo Del Toro on the horn – a film version looks right up his strange, dark alley. That or, hell, I’d ring up LArry Cohen and get his blessing to do his cult 1974 flick, It’s Alive as a game, complete with that creepy Bernard Herrmann score and the film’s shocks and scares intact.

Ride to Hell: Retribution: “No Rules” Means You’re Always The Man…

Deep Silver’s awesome, violent “grindhouse” biker action game looks like one of those interesting Mature-rated sleepers that really doesn’t give a dead rat’s ass about some jerky politicians and parents groups whining about video games being the modern scourge of the earth, but that’s a good thing. Anyone with half a brain and no Sunday soapbox to stand on who’s actually HELD a controller knows that games don’t CAUSE violence at all and hell, if this were some TV movie or rolling up into a theater near you, you wouldn’t hear much about it save for whatever some overpaid film “critic” says. For those concerned adults running around with their hair aflame, I say just keep little Johnny and his soft, easily molded brain away from it and the world is a safer place. Anyway, June 25, 2013 seems to be the day this one hits the road with all engines burning. I’m liking what I see, so yup – I’ll be playing this for sure…

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Cheers, Too!

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Welcome! It’s another Saturday night in Greenvale and yep, that pic above shows it’s slow once more at the Swery 65 Bar. Generally, the joint is jumpin’ as the Fats Waller song goes, but the recent Red Seeds Killer case has made the place turn into a tomb after a certain hour. While it’s bad for business from a tourist perspective, it’s great for the small town’s core drinkers who end up spending more money on slow nights getting their drink on and welcoming anyone who strolls in with a free beer or shot. If it weren’t for the bodies piling up, you’d almost want o show up at the bar every night, like on that old TV show with the catchy theme song that went something like this:

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they’re always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.

(“Cheers” lyric: © Gary Portnoy/Judy Hart Angelo)

Of course, I’d imagine that any sitcom set in Greenvale would have a grimmer opening theme or even odder, something particularly amusing in tone, as despite the axe-wielding killer stalking the woods, the sleepy town has a cool style all its own that keeps it going…

DP_PreorderYou’ll get to check this out for yourself soon enough when Rising Star Games’ Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut hits retail on April 30, 2013. Featuring over 100 improvements from the original version, updated HD visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, DLC and more, once you step inside this strange new world, you won’t ever want to leave. Well, except to get some real food, a beer or two and maybe use your own bathroom. The Swery 65 makes a good enough stop for a virtual drink and maybe some darts and pool, but those digital nachos aren’t the freshest thing on that limited menu…

swery4I’d say those cheesy nachos are the sole thing wrong with the bar, as owner (and Game Director) Swery 65 runs a tight ship. The last time around, he didn’t expect so much traffic, so ther were a few bugs and other issues that had the user ratings all over the map as some people didn’t appreciate the quirky atmosphere and dated decor. Taking all that into account, he’s cleaned up the joint quite a bit and while it looks a lot better with all that extra polish, he made sure to keep just enough of the old flavor that fans of that nostalgia will be coming back and really liking that they see and taste.

Despicable Me 2 Toy Profile of the Week (9): A Little Traveling Music, Please!

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When Minions need a quick get-around
and their feet can’t touch solid ground
You’d best believe that pound for pound
That Minon Mobile’s mighty sound

With Minion Tim right at the wheel
(he’s got a license he didn’t steal!)
He’s got that “get there fast!” appeal
(just listen to those tires squeal!)

Yep, Thinkway Toys has whipped this up
to blaze right past your cat or pup
Whether you’re a kid or young grownup
You’ll want this ride without holdup!

Shown:

Minion Mobile (9”)

Age: 4+; Approximate Retail Price: $39.99
• Includes Voice, Lights and Sounds
• 10+ Sayings
• Comes with Minion Tim Driver

Available at a toy retailer near you starting in May. Despicable Me 2 is in theaters on July 2, 2013.

Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon: Michael Biehn Gets Back To Work…

It’s actually pretty darn cool that Ubisoft has tapped Michael Biehn to voice lead character Rex “Power” Colt in its intentionally campy send-up of way too many dopey (but awesome in their dopiness) 80’s action flicks, but I’ve had a burning question I’ve wanted to ask the actor ever since I saw The Terminator at the movies back when it was initially released. It’s bugged the HELL out of me that fresh through that time portal, a naked Kyle Reese gets his only pair of pants off a drunken homeless guy in an alley (Yuk!) and wears them throughout the entire film (Blech!), doesn’t go near a shower like he should (Ick!) but STILL gets it on with Sarah Conner (Nooooo!). That’s always made my skin crawl more than Arnold (well, his mechanical dummy head) doing “surgery” on himself by poking his own eyeball out with an X-Acto knife in that hotel scene. I guess Sarah had some pretty low standards and no sense of smell. Then again, SHE got to bathe when they got to the Tiki Motel – all Kyle did was buy stuff to make explosives.

Hey, I’m a continuity junkie, folks… I notice stuff like this in every movie I see. Hmmm… then again, maybe I’ll take this issue up with James Cameron. What’s his number again?

New Earth Defense Force 4 Trailer: “The Exterminators Are Back In Town…”

“… and there goes the neighborhood!” Well, that’s probably what the booming-voiced announcer would say if this were some “B” movie popping up at a theater near you or on cable. Circa 1988 and complete with a too-loud theme borrowed from another film (probably that climactic tune from James Horner’s ALIENS soundtrack that ended up in way too many trailers after the film hit it big). Hey, it’s cicada time this year, so I bet people in areas affected by that 17-year frenzy would want to get decked out in some military gear and grab a space age weapon to take down a pack of noisy crickets. Yeah, yeah… they’re not crickets, silly. I know that! It’s just a REALLY bad Men in Black joke I just made (from the OK original, not the “what were they thinking?” sequels. Wait a minute, now… good (or bad) comedy doesn’t NEED an explanation if the person telling the joke gets it, so don’t read that last sentence. Er, anyway… Japanese PS3 and Xbox 360 owners get EDF 4 on July 3, 2013 – North American gamers get it sometime later this year. I’ll let you know when I know, as usual…