Yeah, it’s Ray Harryhausen with a baseball bat who’s behind you. Um… Duck, You Sucker! Too late… Bonk! That said, I’d imagine Ray would have liked to go after the folks who animated the original, as they certainly mucked it up with some lousy-looking models and super cheesy “magic” effects work that were terrible back than and haven’t held up well at all today. I’d say the best thing here will be Bryan Singer’s direction, as he’s quite good at doing comic book flicks and yeah, yeah, The Usual Suspects is one of those films that keeps you hooked in right from the start.
Oh, Codemasters, you big fat tease! OK, maybe not so big (or fat) after all. I saw and played a nice demo of the upcoming racing game last week in NYC, but my actual hands-on coverage is embargoed until 2/14 so I can’t lay a peep on you about all the new and fun stuff I saw. I think I can get away with telling you the game looks amazing, but that’s it until after Toy Fair is over, kids. Now If you’ll pardon me, I need to figure out how to weld a blowtorch to a shovel so I can get out the damned door on Sunday morning. My hour train ride is probably going to be a wee bit longer. Stupid blizzard…
Hmmm… I haven’t seen a decent yo-yo commercial (or heck, ANY yo-yo commercial) since the days of Duncan, but seeing the email in my inbox from modern yo-yo masters Yomegaabout their upcoming Star Wars line made my brain cook up a doozy of an ad idea. A mock battle breaks out between two kids (or adults) dressed like characters from the films who pull off all sorts of fancy tricks while facing each other (er, out of range of any actual injury, of course!). Add in some CGI laser string effects and *ding!* – instant classic. Maybe. Anyway, Yomega is releasing three new models this summer and fall – I’ll post pics of them from the show floor on Sunday – descriptions and prices are below the jump.
Hmmm. I wonder what George Lucas is up to these days? Then again, if he directed the spot, we’d end up seeing it pulled and reworked a few times too many (ha ha), so I guess some aspiring college kid with a good eye will do just fine… Continue reading →
Oh, look… it’s another Hollywood movie about “maaa-gic.” And by my corns, does it look quite (and intentionally) silly. But people go for silly these days and it’s supposed to be a comedy, so at least that’s working for it. Bleh. My kingdom for a few corny but fun episodes of The Magician with the late Bill Bixby, Chris Nolan’s The Prestige (which I didn’t like the first time I saw it, but a second viewing helped) or even (yikes!) Magic with Anthony Hopkins (soon to be a Random Movie of the Week, by the way), which really wasn’t about “magic” at all, but a ventriloquist who maybe has a rather unique dummy (an old trick from the creepy horror anthology Dead of Night). Eh, maybe I’m being too much of a skeptic here. The again, there’s no REAL “magic” anyway… just “the foolers and easily fooled” as I once overheard some old lady say as she walked away from a street magician doing his thing.
Well, it looks sort of interesting in a “I’ll catch it on cable in eight months” kind of way, but I bet this makes a load of dollars vanish from wallets worldwide once it hits theaters. That, or it’ll disappear without a trace because it’s terrible and people magically stay away. As always, we shall see… *poof!*
Yeah, yeah – if you use the hugely popular (and according to some, not so legal) arcade emulator, you already “own” these games in their original formats, but Capcom is wagging its finger at you (well, just lightly). Capcom Arcade Cabinet is on the way, adding HD visuals, modern multiplayer functionality and a load of other stuff to these 15+ classics and making them available as three-game sets or one big bulk download pack over PSN and XBLA starting February 19, 2013. Of course, thanks to licensing rights and other hassles beyond their current control, we STILL don’t get an updated version of the stellar Dungeons & Dragons arcade game (boo!) that NEEDS to get re-issued somewhere at some point on something (grrrr!). Oh well, those Capcom fanatics who aren’t eternally pissy whiners about everything the company does these days (why don’t they just find another publisher to stalk if they’re so displeased?) will be happy with what’s here or on the way.
Anyway, games and pricing are below the jump. Get the whole pack, save some money and get a few free games in the process, I say… Continue reading →
Oops. I really need to pay more attention to Rebellion, that’s for sure. While I was snoozing, the veteran developer has been posting a few cool teasers about an upcoming game that looked very much like Sniper Elite V2, but with the added attraction of some sort of zombies. It turns out that Wii U owners (like me) are indeed getting an enhanced “port” of the PS3, Xbox 360 and 360 game quite soon (as in this month!) and with what looks to be a pretty creepy new mode. Of course, comparisons to Left 4 Dead and Call of Duty’s popular Zombies mode will be made left, right and center all around the internet. But given the more deliberate pacing of the Sniper Elite games, I’m gathering this won’t be a mere clone of those games.
Fans of World War II shooters who’ve yet to play this one (and want something more methodical) should put their sights on this one and absolutely give it a shot, as in terms of the main game on the PS3 and 360, there’s a lot to like throughout the solo and co-op modes. As for that newer, more frightening content… well, if it’s got the pacing of the game plus the threat of being scared half to death while creeping around a mostly destroyed, undead-filled landscape, I’m sold for sure. Another Wii U title that’s geared towards “core” gamers? Count me in once more…
Yes indeed, it’s that time of the year again, folks? So, what are YOU doing this weekend? Me, I’ll be getting tired feet and big eyeballs checking out some of the newest toys and games for you guys and gals to drop that disposable income on this year and next. Of course, I may even let you in on some of the cooler stuff I see in a post or three, so stick around for that. Oh, the things I have to put myself through to keep you kids entertained…
CD Projekt RED is indeed currently making the final game in The Witcher series (well, the last Geralt of Riva story, as least), but they’re going out at the top of their game by releasing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on high-end PC’s and consoles (which most likely means whatever new is coming from Microsoft and Sony, not current generation hardware). For those new to the series, the developer is also offering the chance to pick up the first two games at an incredible value. There’s a 72-hour sale on The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings – Enhanced Edition for PC on gog.com (both games) and Steam (The Witcher 2: AoKEE) right now and if you happen to be a console owner, the fantastic Xbox 360 version of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings – Enhanced Edition has been permanently price-dropped to must-buy price points worldwide (USD/EUR 29.99 USD/EUR or GBP 19,99). If you’re looking for a dark, truly mature and thrilling RPG experience, these come VERY highly recommended (provided you have the hardware to run the games on).
Activision and veteran developer Vicarious Visions (along with Beenox and n-Space for the Wii and 3DS respectively) could have gone and done the next Skylanders game just like the two Toys for Bob developed entries, but they decided to get fun and funky with the features and kids (or people like me who love the time-sink addictive quality to the games) are going to be very nicely surprised. Skylanders SWAP Force will feature 16 new characters with interchangeable torsos and legs that allow up to 256 character combinations. Think of it as a bit of a money and space-saver, parents…but know that there will also be 40 new and redesigned Skylanders popping up at retail this fall and Holiday season. I’ll post screenshots and my shaky camera gameplay footage I shot at the press event tomorrow, but it’s safe to say that the SUPER gorgeous HD visuals, new gameplay mechanics (EVERY Skylander can now jump and a few can fly!) and in-engine cinemas will make this the hottest ticket once again all around the globe.
Back with more info soon – start saving up, parents… you’re about to make another big investment this fall.
OK, I’m not a celebrity watcher at all, so I’ve always found game ads with them to a bit weird. Granted, many stars of all stripes are big to casual gamers, so I’m not passing any judgment either way. That said, you can actually see “Kiss Me, Kate” Hudson popping a 3DS into a purse or pocket before heading out to a film set. Hey, making movies is actually 70% downtime in a makeup chair or waiting around for stuff to get set up, so one does need something to do. And hey, according to 9 out of 10 actual blondes, smarter blondes are a better thing in general in this day and age, as it helps fight that stereotype they always seem to get hit with. That said, it would have been really bizarre and morbid to see this TV spot done with a Marilyn Monroe lookalike or worse, a CG recreation…
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