Stop The Wayback Machine! Mr. Peabody & Sherman (and Rocky & Bullwinkle) Are Coming Back? Eeek.

Posted on April 27, 2013 by geelw

The Old Gang File this entry in the “Wait, what?” Department. Hmmm… on ONE front, this is truly awesome news, as I’m as old as the hills and LOVE Jay Ward’s humor and these characters to death. That said, I’m all too curious as to just WHO the Hecuba this new comic series (and upcoming Dreamworks animated movie) are targeted at.

I’d bet only those very-oldsters like me and whatever college-agers who happen to get a knowing chuckle from the old cartoons will even give a damn, while the Generation “Why” kids that get dragged to this will be sitting there texting for an hour and a half or so. Or worse, sitting there with their arms folded with a cranky “I’m going to kill you in your sleep!” look on their ungrateful faces because some parental unit tried to get them to like something THEY loved as an impressionable kid or young adult.

Of course, I’m betting that instead of historical figures from the past we old folks learned about in school, IDW might tap into more modern and a lot less “historical” figures from pop culture or other time periods that, frankly speaking, won’t be as funny to mine for the old show’s offbeat (and intentionally incorrect) pokes. Ugh… now I have memories of that eyeball and brain searing take on The Three Stooges from a few years back…

Continue reading →

Random Film of the Week(end): The Palm Beach Story

Posted on April 27, 2013 by geelw

You’ll probably need to watch Preston Sturges’ The Palm Beach Story at least twice if you’ve never seen it before. The second time will be to catch some of the rapid-fire dialog you missed the first time out from laughing so hard as your brain attempts to keep up with the wild setups and payoffs the movie hits you with. Sturges’ gift for well-timed comedy direction comes through excellently in yet another gem he also wrote and you have to give the man major credit for letting his actors fly through scenes (and sometimes the scenery) as if they were tossed around sets by small cyclones. Of course, having some great actors throwing those lines around helps quite a bit… Continue reading →

GRID 2 Gameplay: Algarve and Brands Hatch Laps To Lap Up…

Posted on April 27, 2013 by geelw

Just about a month to go, so Codemasters is getting these GRID 2 gameplay trailers out like clockwork. Of course, the curse of the Internet Troll is still hitting the developer, as rants from the “no dash cam, no buy” crowd are still popping up (like clockwork as well). Well, I like the game as is, and I don’t thing threats of not making a purchase, begging for a patch (which would take a while if you add in the number of cars and other changes to the engine) or other complaining will fly right on over the dev team’s heads until they decide to re-implement the viewpoint into a different racer. As I’ve played bits of the solo and multiplayer modes, I can safely report that you really won’t miss the viewpoint (much) because the speed and handling are still there. But, whatever to those who still are screaming to the heavens. Tantrums like these keep me off message board sites and wondering if anyone bitching so loudly about ANY game they don’t plan on playing actually has a hobby outside of being a human soapbox…

Random Indie Game of the Whatever* Review: Pushcat

Posted on April 27, 2013 by geelw

*Yeah, yeah, it’s been a WHILE since I reviewed an indie game here on DAF, but that’s because I’ve been downloading SO many of them and am slowly but surely going through what I can when I can. It’s YOUR fault, developers for churning out so darn many cool games. It’s a hell of a challenge, kids. Anyway, more indie reviews to come on a hopefully semi-regular basis…Onward!

screenshot__0003_title Damn you, Pushcat! There goes an hour wasted playing you (again). Granted, I did go in thinking I’d get a timed “grab the gems, get out of Dodge” game like my beloved Crystal Mines, but Pushcat’s a lazy bastard and that makes for a much better game that will burn up a few brain cells as it gets more challenging. There’s NO timer ticking down and forcing you to make mistakes and by the time the game’s handful of enemies and explosive surprises appear, you’ll have built up a healthy enough stock of lives that make the going not frustrating at all. The game’s combination of Boulder Dash, Crystal Mines and Match-3 gameplay makes it instantly addictive to puzzle fans, the retro visuals are sharp and cute, and the game has an amazing, catchy soundtrack made up of a bunch of ragtime and other ancient classics that has to be heard to be believed… Continue reading →

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: “This Ain’t No Disco…”

Posted on April 26, 2013 by geelw

It’s another Friday night in Greenvale and while the town is practically overrun with tourists checking out every nook and cranny and getting underfoot during FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan’s (just call him York!) investigation of the Red Seeds Killer, making his work a wee bit more complicated, York is taking it all in stride by taking a little time off this urgent case. He’s been disappearing a few more times a day than he usually does, but I’m not about to follow him around to find out where he’s going and what he’s up to. I did get curious at first and thought about poking around the Sheriff’s office to see if Emily Wyatt was around so I could ask her if she had a clue as to what’s going on, but I haven’t seen her in a few days. Hmmm… I guess she’s on vacation for a bit. Oh well, I’ll guess I can speak to her when she gets back from wherever she went off to. Come to think of it, I think I don’t need to speak to her at all because I recall overhearing York at the A&G this morning talking about drinking some coffee and going to another place. Aha! the next town over isn’t too far a drive… I just need to find someone to take me over that way…

Hmmm.. where does than man disappear to? Of course, while I’m on MY trip looking for York, YOU might find out where he’s at before I do when you play Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, exclusively for the PlayStation 3 from Rising Star Games. Featuring updated HD visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, over 100 improvements from the original release and more, this is one weird and wild trip you’ll want to bring a friend or three along on for the ride.Or to hold your hand when things get REALLY creepy. Granted, you may not all return if you’re unlucky enough to stumble across that killer York is looking for, but I guess if you have to go, it may as well be while playing a video game, right?

Innnnterestingly enough, I just so happened to pop by the Swery 65 Bar for a quick beer and who do I run into, STILL in celebratory mode, but owner and Game Director Swery 65. He’s still drinking away merrily and having a blast, but I hope he’s got Drunk Mode OFF, as that tall tube of Blue Curaçao he’s imbibing makes it look as if he’s drinking some Jekyll & Hyde concoction that could turn him sinister in a few seconds. Hey, wait… I think I may have discovered the identity of that Red Seeds Killer! Damn, and York is nowhere to be found when I actually need to ask him something important! Hmmm… I better pretend to not notice, as now Swery is giving me the eye and waving me over to join him… *Ulp!*

Iron Man 3 TV Spot 7: Getting Closer To That Heavy Metal Madness…

Posted on April 26, 2013 by geelw

I haven’t followed any of the early reviews and in fact, I don’t even know if there are any out there yet. OK, I did hear about a few today, but I didn’t even bother to peek at one. Yeah, I’m THAT disinterested in some parts of pop culture because (dammit) I really like to be surprised (dammit!). That said, it would be pretty hilarious is this film was really bad when all is said and done. Hey, I’m NOT wishing that on this flick at all, folks. I was at the library today and some kids were having a rather animated conversation about that very thing for some reason and although I wanted to beat them all with a heavy book for yapping so loudly, they made me laugh as well AND get an idea for a post. So, yeah, kids are good for something after all (hee hee)… Continue reading →

Sony Waves Its Dual Shock 4 In Our Faces As A Friendly Reminder…

Posted on April 26, 2013 by geelw

Yes, thank you… I’ll take a dozen, please. It’s pretty funny that we have a new console cycle slowly but surely steamrolling towards us, but news has been slowing to a trickle on the PS4 front. Or at least Microsoft has been sucking in all the air with its alleged “always online” console that’s “not so Draconian” (in that alleged “always online” way) according to one amusing posting I saw on a game industry site. Anyway, it’s always fun and funny to see these companies jockeying for your dollars when the REAL play should be just to hope as many people as possible find and play whatever the hell they want to play on and expand their horizons by tasting the competition’s waters if the feel like it. Well, there goes MY industry job, huh? Oh well… I like playing games too much to stomp around in a suit and tie…

Capcom Arcade Cabinet 1984 Pack: The Hits Just Keep On Coming…

Posted on April 26, 2013 by geelw

Three more classics are now here for your downloading and playing pleasure. I definitely remember 1942 in the arcades and I think I recall playing SonSon down at an arcade back in the day. Pirate Ship Higemaru will be new to me, but I hear it’s pretty damn challenging right from the get-go. For me, it’s actually been a bit amusing listening to the folks who HAVEN’T played these yet saying they can get the same games for free on the internet and so forth and so on. Well, yes… you can grab a ROM from all over the place, but the higher resolution visuals, bonuses and most importantly, fact that supporting a game company that still owns the damn IP is a lot more of a nice thing to do to show your support means you’re not such a dick at the end of the day.

I’m just sayin’… people who spend money help gaming at the end of the day more than those who don’t…

Pain & Gain: Reality Bites Harder Than In Bay’s Gaudy Live Action Cartoon…

Posted on April 26, 2013 by geelw

Hollywood revisionism isn’t anything new, but I’d say a few films over the last few years including this one have stood out for being more vile than most when going for the funny when they needed to go somewhere else. Did you see 30 Minutes or Less and leave that theater laughing? Well, that “comedy” was “inspired” by an actual series of events in 2003 that led to the death of one man and the arrest and trial of those who planned the crime. Paramount’s Pain & Gain is actually a tad more disturbing when you follow the even weirder and horrifying true story the film is based on. It’s a pretty compelling read, that’s for sure and may have made for a better (and yes, harder to watch) documentary than a heavily re-scripted popcorn flick with some mega-stars chewing the scenery up.

Of course, I’d bet you a wooden nickel that anyone seeing this film won’t give a hoot in hell at all and sure, you can rattle off a whole list of films that bleach out the awful truth and mine the results for comic gold. Eh, perhaps I’m complaining too much here… on the other hand, too many people seem to get their truth solely from these “based on a true story” flicks and yep, that’s a damn dangerously dumb person to try and hold a conversation with…

Orc Attack: Casual Brothers Cooks Up A Cool-Looking “Gas & Slash” Game…

Posted on April 26, 2013 by geelw

OrcAttack Box Art With SO many indie developers getting so many games out there and not enough time in the day to cover them all, they need to be either really innovative or really amusing to catch my attention. Orc Attack isn’t innovative at all, but seeing it in action made me smile because it reminded me of some of the classic arcade beat ’em ups I spent way too much money on back in the day.

This may be developer Casual Brothers Games first project, but it certainly looks as if it won’t be their last if the right audience snaps this one up. It’s already getting interest as a potential Steam Greenlight candidate )go vote if you’ve an account there!) and is coming to PS3, Vita (yes!) and Xbox Live Arcade soon. I’ll have to check this out once it’s out because my retro sense is tingling, shiny 3D visuals aside. Alrighty, then – my work here is done. For now… Orcs, I’m coming for you (and holding my breath, you gassy brutes)…