So, What’s In That Breaking Bad: The Complete Series Barrel? Let’s Ask Vince…

Posted on November 22, 2013 by geelw

*DING!DING!! DINGDINGDINGDINGDING!!* Translation: Since Gilligan IS the Skipper, he knows it all. Check out the man himself unboxing the gift that keeps on giving, one of the best shows on TV and yeah, you want it even if you’ve seen every episode multiple times and can run lines with the family pet (who wants to bit the heck out of your foot for making him watch all that TV when it wanted to catch up on naps and playing with your shoe). I think I need one of these. Or one for each hand. I’ll give the second one away as a gift, you know…

Ys: Memories of Celceta: The Vita Nets Another RPG Winner From Xseed Games

Posted on November 8, 2013 by geelw

Ha. Just as I’m starting up my Valhalla Knights 3 review (which I’m hoping will be a definitive one as it’s not filled with wrongheaded references to incorrect thought processes gone wild), my inbox is buzzing away and telling me that not only is there DLC for that game I need to download NOW, Xseed is also going to be shipping out Ys: Memories of Celceta for the PlayStation Vita on November 26, 2013.

For the uninitiated, the game is a very heavily reworked/remade retelling of Ys IV (one of the few games in the popular Nihon Falcom RPG series not yet released in English until now) and features an enhanced party battle system from Ys SEVEN, along with the insanity of Boss Rush mode. Are your fingers prepared? They’d most surely better be is all I’ll say…

As usual, this one is getting the triple threat treatment of a physical retail and PlayStation Network digital release for $39.99 as well as a special Ys: Memories of Celceta Silver Anniversary Edition for $59.99. According to the press release, it’s definitely omake time for Ys fans with this one:

This Limited Edition contains a 3-CD collection of original and arranged music spanning the entire history of the franchise, a cloth map detailing the lands of Celceta, a logo-emblazoned compass, and ‘Adol’s Travel Journal’ containing 130 pages of adventuring strategies and artwork, all within an exclusive commemorative package.

Of course, that compass won’t help you navigate the game world on your Vita, but I think you’ll do just fine without it. Besides, you need TWO hands to use your Vita and if you wanted to be distracted by a second screen you’d be playing another system entirely, correct? Now, about Ys V and Ys V EXPERT… I’ll be definitely holding out hope that those get the remake treatment one fine day…

Breaking Bad Ends It Classy… At Least Here In The Big City.

Posted on September 28, 2013 by geelw

If you’re lucky enough to live in and around New York City and have been to the Museum of the Moving Image any time since July 26th, you’re probably more than aware that there’s been a very cool exhibit based around AMC’s Breaking Bad that’s running until October 27th, 2013.

Those in the know about this also know about tomorrow’s really special viewing party for the show’s final episode that’s going to draw in BB fans and toy collectors thanks to the fine folks and AMC teaming up with Mezco Toyz. Tomorrow’s events include a raffle of some of Mezco’s popular Walter White action figures with the already sold-out screening.

Details below the jump. If you’re interested you can most likely pop into the museum to see the exhibits but not the screening unless you’ve got a ticket from somewhere or someone. Fat chance on that happening at this late date, but a bag of blue can get you anything I hear…

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WIN FREE STUFF!* Tweet Yourself Up A Treat From D3Publisher of America!

Posted on September 17, 2013 by geelw

As that title says, D3Publisher of America is giving away some nice free stuff and they want YOU* to win. Yes indeed, folks. The company is rolling into NYC this coming Thursday, September 19th with their lineup of awesome holiday titles:

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!
Regular Show: Mordecai & Rigby In 8-Bit Land
Earth Defense Force 2025
Ben 10: Omniverse 2

And they’re asking fans to get in on the fun. Well, you can’t actually attend this press-only event, but you CAN win a nice bag of game-related swag!

To enter follow @D3Publisher on Twitter, tweet which game you want to see the most and use the tag #D3Holiday13. Five (5) lucky winners will be chosen at random on Sept. 20th, notified and yup… SWAGGED. Simple, no?

*NOTE: Yes indeed, US entrants only. Sorry, my overseas peeps – them’s the rules, as they say…

Breaking Bad: The Complete Series to Roll into Retail on Blu-Ray November 26

Posted on September 9, 2013 by geelw

Here’s a good reason to quit smoking (or cooking) all that meth and start saving up some of that cash you’re throwing out the window like a certain Mr. Pinkman. $300 (or less if you shop around online) will get you this set of 16 Blu-Rays packed full of every episode of the show PLUS a ton of special features (or whatever 55 hours weighs these days). So yeah… “Fire in the hole, bitch!” – go dig up one of those barrels you buried in that secret spot and buy up a ton of these to give out as gifts if you’re so inclined. As for exactly what’s in the box, just peek below the jump for the long press release… go on, you KNOW you want to…

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Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate Is “Under New Management” (So Watch Your Step!)

Posted on August 30, 2013 by geelw

In other words, the inmates have taken over the asylum and yes, Bats needs to do some darknight detecting and with due diligence at that or he’s not getting out in one piece. This 3DS/2DS and Vita game (set to launch with the console and PC versions on October 25, 2013) brings things down to size in “2.5D” form, but manages to look pretty cool and should feel like a classic side-scroller with a nice Arkham twist. Sure, you can get cranky and say the Vita game should be closer to the PS3 version, but here’s a case where I’ll defer to the dev team over at Armature because they’ve done a really good job with the visuals on both handhelds.

Did You Win The Lottery Recently? Saint’s Row IV Wants A Million of Those New Bucks…

Posted on August 14, 2013 by geelw

I saw this image a little while back and ignored it because I thought it was a big fat inside joke, but apparently, it’s all too real. UK retailer GAME was/is offering up the most insane pre-order bonus ever created with this Saint’s Row IV Super Dangerous Wad Wad Edition that packs in the game and a ridiculous amount of goodies from plastic surgery, spy training and a flight into SPACE. Seriously. I’ll shut up here and let you soak this all in at your leisure, but if you’re a Scrooge McDuck, or a more real life zillionaire (no, Trump doesn’t count because he’s all hot air, ego and bluster and if he really had money, he’d buy himself a new brain that actually works), feel free to bug Deep Silver directly about buying this here(makemeasaint@deepsilver.com).

And yup, tell them you heard about it here on DAF – I don’t get a finder’s fee at all, but if you’ve THAT sort of bank, maybe you could spare a few ten thousand for a poor starving artist type?

Batman: Arkham Origins Collector’s Edition: All You Need Is A Room To Store It All In…

Posted on August 14, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, BatmanArkhamVideos!)

Holy WOW, Batfans! I suppose a limited edition wooden shelf or build it yourself bookcase would be out of the question, huh? Actually, at $119.99 for all that stuff you’re getting, this isn’t a bad deal at all AND it’s packing more than what’s in the European version announced last week. Um, “Don’t mess with Texas? Everything’s BIGGER in…” oh, never mind. The sheer scope of all this swag automatically nets this limited edition an automatic entry into this year’s Holiday Gift Guide and given that word on the street is the gameplay’s stellar… this one’s a total no-brainer if you can only afford the standard edition.

Anyway, here are photos of the massive set (one each of the PS3 and 360 SKUs) and below the jump, a listing of what’s in the box. Add a cape and you’re practically Batman, folks!

Batman: Arkham Origins will be available for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and Windows PC. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, the handheld version (developed by Armature Studio), will be available for PlayStation Vita handheld and Nintendo 3DS. The game will release on all platforms worldwide on Oct. 25, 2013. I don’t think there’s a collector’s edition for the portable versions, as it sort of looks silly carrying a shelf or small bookcase with you when you’re out and about (ha ha)…

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Random Game of the Month (JRPG Edition): Tales of Xillia

Posted on August 6, 2013 by geelw

It’s finally here and it’s going to be a game genre fans should buy for a few key reasons from the mixed art styles working amazingly well, the stupidly deep amount of stuff to do in this installment (it’s the biggest Tales game to date), the “open world” feel to the gameplay experience plus all the usual stuff that has fans of this series sometimes buying specific consoles to play a single game in the long-running franchise. Tales of Xillia is all that and more, folks.

I’m betting at some point over the next day or three Mr. Baba and the dev team will probably be sitting at home (well, at their separate homes, as I’d hate to know what happens with such a large bunch of people living together biting their nails at the same time each Tales game is released) and wondering right about now how many fans in the US and other territories this is coming out in will be snapping up this one in the Standard, Limited or Collectors Editions. I need to get this one myself, as my backlog is SO huge this year that it’s worth doing a flowchart on (and I did – it’s terrifying). Anyway, if you’re an fan of anime/mamga-styled Japanese RPGs, yeah, you need to buy this game.

Gallery: Tales of Xillia

Posted on April 22, 2013 by geelw

Watching and listening to series Producer Hideo Baba talk about his beloved Tales franchise will make anyone want to pick up a controller and play whatever lands on these shores. The latest in the long-running franchise (which started on the Super Famicom back in 1995), Tales of Xillia breaks new ground for the series by combining the distinctly different art styles of the series two key character designers (Kosuke Fujishima and Mutsumi Inomata), blending them flawlessly in a larger and prettier overall game. Toss in “Empress of Pop” Ayumi Hamasaki singing the theme sone, a refined battle system and the usual Tales quality bumped up to a nice PS3 shine and you get a game fans should be more than pleased to play…