While the Ouya might be getting most the mobile-game-console attention (who knew that was a thing?), it looks like a new competitor is about to step into the ring. The GameDock isn't exactly a console - rather, it's a dock for your iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads that allows you to play iOS games on your TV with a controller.
Currently all iCade apps that are limited to two buttons should be compatible with the GameDock, with more on the way. Cavorite, Don't Run With A Plasma Sword, Final Run, Neoteria, and Vertex Blaster are being featured as compatible apps. GameDock is developing a dashboard that will allow you to easily sort and find compatible games and launch them straight from your couch with your controller.
While it doesn't have its own custom controller like the Ouya, the GameDock allows you to plug in two USB-powered Retrolink NES-style controllers.
The GameDock is just about fully-funded (at a shockingly low $50,000 goal when compared to the Ouya). But if you want one, it'll cost you. Pledging $125 on GameDock's Kickstarter will get you a GameDock and two USB controllers.
It all looks pretty slick, but what do you think? Are you willing to drop $125 to turn your iPhone into a console, or are you fresh out of dough after pledging the Ouya?
A couple of months back, we brought you an enlightening chat with our good friend and Image Comics writer Kurtis Wiebe about his new series Debris, which re-teams him with his Green Wake cohort Riley Rossmo to deliver a fantasy epic inspired by the likes of Final Fantasy.
The story centers on Maya, the last hope of humanity, as she's forced to battle the spirits of Earth that take the form of gigantic monsters made of junk. And yeah, it's as cool as it sounds. Courtesy of Image Comics, take a look at the first issue, which hits stands next week.
Hey, everyone! Hero Worship is back, and it now exists in a post-Comic-Con and more depressingly, a post-Dark Knight Rises world. Yes, the one big blockbuster movie I’ve been waiting for since 2008 has, at long last, passed through my eyeballs and entered my brain. As such, I’m left aimless. Without purpose, you might say. Okay, that’s not entirely true, but the lack of any other movies left to anticipate this summer has instead drawn me to reflecting on the Christopher Nolan trilogy and, more broadly, Batman as a character.
Superhero comics are an industry built on the hard work and often, the unsung sacrifice of many creators whose contributions have fallen by the wayside in the decades that followed the debut of their iconic creations. While it’s taken legal battles and much championing by advocates of creator rights to get names like Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s listed as co-creators of Superman, one name in particular still has yet to be given credit where credit is due: Bill Finger, the uncredited co-creator of Batman.
To help shed some light on Finger’s importance in the Batman legacy and the need to appreciate the creators – not just the characters they create – I turned to my friend Marc Tyler Nobleman, who just recently released a new book called Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman. “Bill Finger was the original writer and even before that, co-creator of Batman. He was there from the very first weekend; Bob Kane the cartoonist came to Bill with a sketch of a character that some people say was called Bat-Man. Other people say that Bob didn’t even do that much – that might never be known for sure,” said Nobleman. Illustrated by Ty Templeton and meticulously researched through the culling of old documents and interviews with friends, associates, family, and others that had never spoken at length about Finger before, Bill the Boy Wonder is presented as a kid’s storybook and walks the reader through the life of and career of Finger, following the format of Nobleman’s other book, Boys of Steel, which is a similar exploration of Superman’s creators.
It’s important to reflect on this, especially as The Dark Knight Rises climbs up the box office charts. With the rights of creators shooting to the forefront of the comics community this year as superhero flicks continue to eat up more and more of our money, fan awareness of the men and women behind their favorite characters is more crucial than ever. While creations like Spider-Man have gotten proper billing for both Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Batman remains credited solely to Bob Kane, despite the fact that Finger did much of the heavy lifting. Nobleman told me, “Bill was the one who completely overhauled it [Kane’s original sketch] and turned it into the Batman that we still know today, visually. Bob went into what became DC Comics that Monday morning with a revised sketch that was Bill’s vision. He didn’t mention to DC about Bill being involved, and then he hired Bill to write anonymously for him. That’s how Bill’s career got started.”
In terms of Finger’s contributions, Nobleman said, “I always challenge people to name something central to Batman that doesn’t come from Bill. So far, no one’s done it.” The most notable additions are things now synonymous with Batman: the color scheme, the cape and cowl, the name Bruce Wayne, and even the moniker “the Dark Knight,” a phrase so iconic that the latest Batman movies – one of which is one of the most successful movies of all time – could use that moniker alone without even having “Batman” appear in the title.
Perhaps most importantly, Finger is the one that penned that fateful journey into Crime Alley. “He wrote the first story, and many of the best stories of the first 25 years including Batman’s origin, which some people say is the reason for his endurance,” explained Nobleman. “This was the first time someone had imprinted a psychological reason to wage war on crime, where it wasn't being done just to do good for good’s sake; there was a real scarring there.” Finger was also instrumental in the creation and development of some of Batman’s most famous supporting cast, including Robin, Catwoman, and the Joker.
Sadly, the exploitation of creators at the time was not unheard of. In fact, it’s only fairly recently in the world of company-owned characters the creators have gained more recognition for their creations, even if they are still technically owned by the publisher. “It was unfortunately fairly common at the time where the comic book company couldn’t care less how the story got there; they just wanted the story there on time. You could’ve hired a person to write each page if you wanted, and they didn’t care as long as you turn it in and don’t ask for more money,” Nobleman said. He continued to explain that eventually DC discovered Finger’s involvement and then contracted him to work directly for the company instead of for Kane.
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Bob Kane never wrote a single Batman story in his lifetime.
Finger’s involvement in Batman has become common knowledge throughout the comics community, but Nobleman’s goal is for more mainstream recognition. “Bob [Kane] never wrote a single Batman story in his lifetime,” said Nobleman, but you’re not going to find Finger’s name in the credits of The Dark Knight Rises this weekend or in the next Batman graphic novel you buy; Kane’s name will stand alone. But Nobleman hasn’t given up hope that it could happen someday. “Nothing can happen for Bill unless there is legal action. DC’s not just going to put his name on there just because they know it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “They know it’s the right thing to do, but they’re part of a corporation.”
Nobleman’s exploration of Bill Finger in a digestible, accessible manner is to be commended and hopefully will educate new comic book fans on the sometimes revisionist history of superhero comics. It’s important not only to respect the past as you watch, read, or play the latest Batman adventure, but also be aware that the characters you’ve come to love and admire are products of much sacrifice, often not appreciated until long after the loss of the creators.
Keep that in mind the next time you’re reading a new comic book that you love. With comic book creators more accessible than ever on social media or at conventions, let them know their hard work is appreciated.
Bill the Boy Wonder is now available at Amazon, and Nobleman suggests that you mentally insert Finger’s name during the end credits of The Dark Knight Rises. At least until it appears there for real.
The Dark Knight Rises director Christopher Nolan has issued the following statement on the theater massacre in Aurora, Colorado earlier today. (A statement from Warner Bros. on their plans for the film's release and marketing follows Nolan's statement.)
"Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of The Dark Knight Rises, I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community.
I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime.
The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me.
Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families."
Warner Bros. immediately canceled the film's Paris premiere in the aftermath of the Aurora shooting, but has quashed rumors that they might yank The Dark Knight Rises from theaters altogether this weekend. “We are not cancelling any screenings or showings of the film,” Warner Bros. spokeswoman Sue Fleischman said. In the meantime, TV spots for the Batman movie have been pulled from the air on NBC, CSB and ESPN.
Whether you’re sleep-deprived, schizophrenic, or taking illicit substances, hallucinations can seem as real as any normal day-to-day experience. You may even understand that what you’re seeing, hearing, or feeling isn’t actually happening, but it doesn’t make the illusion any less vivid.
As Captain Martin Walker, players of the superb Spec Ops: The Line experience multiple hallucinations. True to video game tradition, you’re meant to do as instructed and believe what you’re told. Most of Walker’s delusions are obvious indicators of the man’s descent into madness. Some are less apparent until revealed during the finale. Even fewer are undetectable as illusions -- you probably still don’t realize how thoroughly you’ve been duped.
Hallucination is the device with which Spec Ops subverts convention. In turn, 2K Games and Yager Development challenge and deceive players -- and with the help of writer Walt Williams, they do so with a purpose.
“In chapter one, Konrad's face appears on the billboard,” Williams explains. “In chapter five, Konrad's face appears on a very large billboard that changes when you go around a corner. Nobody noticed that change happening.” These effects are inconsequential when it comes to actually playing Spec Ops, but this subtle presentation reinforces Walker’s obsession with his missing former-commander. The man is consumed with Konrad from moment one. As first-time players we don’t recognize the face, and Walker doesn’t mention it. Regardless of anyone’s reaction, the images are there, looming at the back of Walker’s mind while staring him straight in the face.
“There are a lot of pictures of people with their eyes blacked out in the first half of the game,” says Williams.
“You'll notice that those eyes are only blacked out in situations where there's something truly horrible in the area. They are literally closing their eyes to the reality in front of them.” Later, Williams explains, “there's a tree covered in leaves that, after you pass, if you look back, the tree is now dead, the leaves have completely vanished.”
Is it a metaphor for Walker’s desperate hope to find life in Dubai, or is this a basic consequence of his insanity? It’s ultimately up to you. This is what makes Spec Ops’ special: It leaves each of its story beats open to interpretation, and they can be as meaningful or empty as you want them to be.
Williams and the rest of the development team want players to have emotional reaction based on what Spec Ops means to them. For those investing emotions into it, this opens up a ton of new questions about the characters and events of Spec Ops: The Line. Walker repeatedly envisions himself slaughtering his squadmates, he kills thousands of men, both CIA and American army, and he fabricates painful moral dilemmas. Are these visions of what Walker fears, or what he wants?
At the point you ask yourself this question, Spec Ops is speaking directly at you. It asks, “You find this fun? You enjoy this slaughter? You like watching awful things happen to good or innocent people?”
And you say, “yes I do.” Suddenly, Yager Development, 2K Games, and Walt Williams force you to ask yourself why, and to consider the kind of person you’ve become because of shooters. By telling you this specific, small-scale story about suffering, Spec Ops simultaneously comments on the triviality of war games and the people who play them.
“We wanted that sense that the game was physically opposing you,” says Williams. “Not simply as a simulation, but also as the game itself.” Williams refers to the loading screens, which eventually stop giving gameplay tips and start reminding you of the mistakes you’ve made and the damage they’ve caused. Death as well as progress rub salt in your wounds.
That’s a small touch, but it’s a means of emphasizing Spec Ops’ aggression toward players. For Williams, the infamous white phosphorous scene embodies exactly what he wanted for Spec Ops. Walker inadvertently murders civilians, soldiers, and families. At that point, Williams says, “we wanted the player to be in the same emotional position as Walker.” From there, Williams projects Walker onto the player. “We wanted the player to be where Walker was and be angry at us, the people who made them do this,” Williams explains.
Angering people was an active goal, particularly with this scene. Williams “didn’t care about crossing a line. We hoped we would piss people off. We wanted people to be angry because we felt like that was a real emotional response to that scene.”
During focus tests, in which 2K brought regular gamers in to play large chunks of Spec Ops and give the developers feedback, players paused the game and left the room to compose themselves. Williams didn’t expect such an intense reaction to the harrowing imagery of a mother and child burned alive.
“That's a moment where a human being, if you were actually a soldier in that situation, you would have to make that very conscious choice of trying to move on and accept what you had done,” he says. “We were hoping that that choice would be mirrored in the players. They would look at this game and go, wow, is this actually a game that I want to finish playing? And if I do, I have to accept what just happened and choose to keep playing this game.”
Creating imagery, story, and scenery engineered to upset emotions definitely comes with repercussions, and Williams met some serious resistance internally. “I'm finding this from a lot of gamers,” he says, “that as they're getting older and having children, they get a bit uncomfortable sometimes with how children are treated in certain games.”
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Look at all the people you killed just to be a savior.
Another 2K staff member was, as a father of “two absolutely adorable kids,” convinced that this kind of visual was unnecessary. It's a reasonable response to a controversial scene. “Ultimately it wasn't done entirely for shock value. It was meant to be organic with the story. He eventually agreed that yes, in that regard it does work,” Williams explains, “because it's not exploitative.” You’re not making a conscious effort to kill a child, and the death isn't for any greater good -- it’s a horrific consequence of a bad decision you can’t avoid making.
In military shooters, players are conditioned to trust the hero more than his superiors. Whatever Goodguy McHero says is your guiding force -- Spec Ops turns the tables by transforming him into a delusional liar and a despicable monster. When Walker shoulders the blame to someone else, the guilt should lift from your shoulders as well.
For a while, anyway -- it all comes back to haunt you in the end anyway.
By the end, Williams wants you to think about what their actions mean for Walker as a person as well as how that makes you feel. "You may think you're a savior and a hero, because at the end of the game you saved someone," Williams says, "but you're not, really, because look at all the people you killed just to get to that one point."
If he did his job right, you should hear Williams voice in the back of your mind asking, "What is it you were wanting to feel when you chose to sit down and play a military shooter? What did you think you were at the beginning of this game? Why did you think it was okay to keep going and to keep doing these things?"
In fact, you should probably wonder this far sooner than the reveal that Konrad is a deranged representation of Walker's imagination. You can perceive Spec Ops' story in any way, but for Walt Williams, Martin Walker was a dead man the moment his chopper crashed. His first experience after recovering, after all, is the most spectacular hallucination of them all: Dubai erupts in a bright red flame and visions of the dead start shambling toward Walker.
"For me, everything after the crash is Walker kind of reliving the hell of what he had just done," says Williams. "You can even interpret Konrad as being not necessarily a delusion inside his mind, but some kind of external projection of his guilt in this purgatory or hell or afterlife, or however you choose to view it."
That said, Williams notes one last, vital visual trick. "Any time the game is doing a normal transition, it'll fade to black. Any time Walker is hallucinating, or lying to himself, in a kind of delusional fashion, the game will fade to white," he says. "The entire epilogue sequence where Walker goes home, it fades to white. Even if you are not reading that Walker died in the chopper crash, it is meant to be understood that Walker is hallucinating going home."
Spec Ops spends much of its time trying to pull the wool over players' eyes using visual trickery. That it uses the same device to silently reinforce an agenda is nothing short of brilliant. Williams and Yager display an extraordinary level of coordination to support a story whose greatest strength is deception.
It makes you wonder what else Walt Williams' Spec Ops script lied to you about, doesn't it?
When DMC first debuted, it hit the internet like the least popular kid showing up at prom. Misunderstood. Underappreciated. Single. In the comment thread of the debut trailer, IGN reader DaveJ41 wrote: "what the F*CK is this BULLSH*T." Bugman offered a similar sentiment: "character looks like a douche." Dante's new appearance -- coupled with a new development studio -- caused an uproar in the Devil May Cry community.
...Or rather, the sections of the community well-versed in complaining and overreaction. Other fans (this author included) stroked their chins and pondered over what wonders a new team could bring to the rambunctious, demonic death orgy that Dante made famous with two pistols, a sword, one red coat, and some envy-inducing hair.
This community backlash is especially shameful because DMC has so much potential -- now more than ever after another strong showing at E3 2012. Furthermore, the "new Dante" shares so many similarities to the "old Dante" that any comparison deeper than "No White Hair No Thank You" reveals that Ninja Theory's adaptation falls much more in line with the original than rabid fans dare to admit.
Dante has always been defined by three pillars: his appearance (i.e. his outfit and weaponry), his effortless display of power, and his attitude. All three of these pillars stand proud in DMC.
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First, Dante's looks. While his hair may not be white by default, you'll notice that when Dante initiates his Devil Trigger in recent trailers his appearance changes. With white hair and a blazing red coat, Old Dante shines through when New Dante decides to step it up. Dante's twin pistols and sword also return, rounding out the weaponry bit with a proper checkmark.
Next, Dante's display of power -- often punctuated by an effortless lean or impossible feat. Watch Dante face the fleshy demon queen in our E3 live show demo to see all the nonchalance a demon killer needs. Or enjoy the Hangover trailer to see Dante dress in midair while his home literally flies past him -- a scene invoking the intro to Devil May Cry 3 in more ways than one.
And what would Devil May Cry fans do without Dante's biting attitude? We all remember his no-nonsense personality and one-liners, including the infamous "flock off, feather face" in Devil May Cry 1. Once again, New Dante echoes his predecessor with a fitting middle finger.
Ninja Theory is more than capable of building a great game atop these pillars. At Captivate, journalists received a closer look at the scoring system employed by DMC. It attempts to clarify previous scoring systems by showing exactly which moves score a certain number of points, specifying the details in real-time, on-screen. This system brings a much-needed sense of transparency to style combos and still preserves the charm of the original Devil May Cry.
The visual spectacle on display in recent trailers further highlights the raw coding might of Ninja Theory -- a studio that betters itself with every project. If you trace the team's history from its beginnings with Kung Fu Chaos through each colossal step of growth -- including Heavenly Sword and Enslaved -- you'll see that the studio has come a long way both critically and creatively.
Not to say that Ninja Theory is incapable of committing utter insult to the gaming space -- no one is. But a studio that improves with such a flourish from project to project deserves the community's trust when handling a classic series like Devil May Cry.
With the reboot of Devil May Cry in perfect tune with the original series, the initial internet rage has no place in the larger reception of Ninja Theory's efforts. Fortunately it looks like the more vocal gamers are steadily warming up to New Dante, as the comments posted on our E3 live demo read much more positive. IGN user zeroskiel wrote "wow, it looks way better than I thought it would." Meanwhile, j1spen summarizes the totality of this DMC debacle with this final pearl: "if this game was a cat, it'd be a very nice cat."
Hear, hear, j1spen.
With DMC still agonizing months away from launch, let's put our faith in Ninja Theory and trust that a developer with years of experience will bring a new and exciting spin to Devil May Cry. Let's also recognize that despite a change in hair color and some potential psychological issues, our favorite demon killer never really left us.
We extend the olive branch to you, Emo Dante. May you slaughter all the writhing baddies haunting closets and street corners in the city of Limbo.
Apologies for this review going up a week late - Comic-Con had us all in its clutches when this episode aired!
Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.
As I've mentioned in previous reviews, despite delivering spectacularly on the promise of an original and stylish visual aesthetic, Tron: Uprising has relied on familiar storytelling tropes a lot in the first half of its inaugural season. It's a minor complaint, given that the show is generally well written and the writers have managed to adapt the themes organically into the world of the Grid, but the trend continues in "The Price of Power." This time, however, the source material comes with an interesting meta significance.
In this episode we have a powerful weapon with a poisonous affect on anyone who possesses it and a hero who must destroy it while resisting the temptation to harness its power. Oh, and it also happens to be in the shape of a ring. Even those with only a passing familiarity with the Lord of the Rings franchise can see the connections between the stories, but they don't end there. Both have the same actor at the center of the chaos, Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings movies and provides the voice of Beck in Tron: Uprising. Wood is clearly in his comfort zone here, giving one a more dynamic performance than the usual flatness I've come to associate with Beck.
The action is set in motion by a Gollum-like character named Shaw, a scientist who has built General Tessler a prototype that could give the occupation a huge advantage over any potential rebellion (not that Tessler doesn't already have one, with a massive force of armed soldiers, recognizers, tanks and other heavy artillery at his command). Shaw's device snaps into an identity disc and provides the bearer with a massive power upgrade in strength and agility. But he has already become corrupted by his own creation, paranoid and aggressive, with glowing red eyes. It's a little preview of what's in store for Beck once he gets his hands on it and gives into the temptation to use the power-up for himself. As we all know he will, despite his promise to Tron to destroy it.
Predictability can be a big liability when a story is heavily influenced by other material, however well that story is adapted, updated and executed. It's not hard to see where the story is going long before it gets there. Fortunately, Tron: Uprising manages to provide us with lots of cool scenery along the way. The slow-motion shot of Beck flipping over Paige's chopper may be one of my favorite action shots in the series so far (Beck jumping out the window in "Identity" runs a close second). There's a glowing, crackling energy to this world that enhances even the most played-out themes and circumstances.
One other thing this episode accomplished was to give a little more heft to the character of Tessler. Thus far he's been the scheming, mostly fumbling, authority behind the scenes, barking out orders and sending his commanders out to get beat by the Renegade. Here we see him derez one of his minions by pulling out his identity disc through his chest, a ruthless act that even Pavel and Paige seem to find gruesome. So, okay, maybe Tessler is a badass after all. And for the first time, we actually got to see him go up against the Renegade when Beck, under the energy disc's influence, storms into his base and confronts him directly. An injury to Abel brings Beck back to his senses, but I look forward to seeing the continuation of this fight at some point in the future.
I also liked the way the episode ended, with the repaired disc back in play. As the cast and crew teased during the Tron: Uprising panel at last week's Comic-Con, there's some really interesting territory to explore up ahead. The tenuous bond of trust between Beck and Tron suffered a blow in "The Price of Power," but it's about to be put through an even bigger test. Stay tuned, programs.
If you're still waiting patiently for the gang over at Sparrow to release their promised iPad upgrade, it seems as if you can find something else to do now.
That's not because the iPad version is here, but rather because the entire company was just scooped up by Google, as announced Friday morning on the company's blog.
"We care a lot about how people communicate, and we did our best to provide you with the most intuitive and pleasurable mailing experience," writes Sparrow CEO Dom Leca. "Now we're joining the Gmail team to accomplish a bigger vision -- one that we think we can better achieve with Google."
The move is an interesting one for the maker of the Mac and iPhone third-party email client which bears the same name, essentially driving a stake through the heart of the iPad edition which was teased in recent weeks.
"While we’ll be working on new things at Google, we will continue to make Sparrow available and provide support for our users," Leca adds, while confirming to existing users via email that Sparrow will not be receiving new features in the future.
Not surprisingly, the Sparrow developers are heading to Google's Gmail team, which could foretell all kinds of interesting possibilities, including a dedicated Mac Gmail client or even an improved Gmail experience on iOS.
For now, however, it's just a bittersweet goodbye to the fans who have helped make Sparrow what it is.
"We’d like to extend a special thanks to all of our users who have supported us, advised us, given us priceless feedback and allowed us to build a better mail application," Leca's blog post concludes. "We had an amazing ride and can't thank you enough. Full speed ahead!"
Square Enix will share more details about its next Final Fantasy XIII project on September 1. We told you previously that the company was set to make an announcement at the Final Fantasy 25th anniversary event in Shibuya, but now we know slightly more.
According to Andriasang the Final Fantasy XIII stage will take place at 11.30 on September 1 and will be titled "Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Saga: New Developments Presentation". The game's producer, director, art director and other members of staff will attend.
We've talked before about the possibility of Final Fantasy XIII-3 being revealed, and the fact the news is about the "Lightning Saga" still makes this the likeliest option. Despite this, we doubt we're alone in hoping something is said about Final Fantasy Versus XIII and whether it's been cancelled or not.
The Final Fantasy 25th anniversary event will take place from August 31 to September 2, with other panels set to include a Final Fantasy XI music presentation and new details about Final Fantasy XIV version 2.0.
A gunman, reportedly masked and dressed in body armor, opened fire today at an early morning screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, killing 14 and wounding roughly 50. Several children were among the victims, including a 9-year-old girl. Police have the suspect in custody. The gunman is said to be in his 20s.
The Denver Post quotes survivors and witnesses as saying the man entered the theater dressed in body armor and carrying a canister that released gas. Initially, not all audience members realized they were under attack as they believed the sounds of gunfire were part of the movie.
Associated Press reports that the gunman "stood at the front of the theater and fired into the crowd about 12:30 a.m. MDT at a multiplex theater in a mall in Aurora. 'Witnesses tell us he released some sort of canister. They heard a hissing sound and some gas emerged and the gunman opened fire,"Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said at a news conference."
The gunman is not believed to have had any accomplices and no motive for the crime has yet been reported. Police also checked a local apartment searching for explosives, reportedly based on comments made by the suspect, whose identity has not been revealed.
10 victims are said to have died at the theater and four at hospitals. The youngest victim is said to be 6-years-old being treated at Children's Hospital Colorado, where 10 victims were taken.
President Obama released the following statement on the shooting: "Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado. Federal and local law enforcement are still responding, and my Administration will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded. As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family. All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and we must stand together with them in the challenging hours and days to come.ople of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors."
Reports are surfacing that Final Fantasy Versus XIII, which has been in development since 2006, has been cancelled.
Kotaku is claiming that the planned PS3 exclusive has been canned quietly by Square Enix after it hasn't been seen in some time.
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The company has allegedly made the decision to let the game fade away rather than officially announce its cancellation due to concerns over stock prices.
The company has allegedly made the decision to let the game fade away rather than officially announce its cancellation due to concerns over stock prices. There has been much speculation over the past year that the writing was on the wall after the title was conspicuously absent from conventions.
In fact, the last time the game was mentioned was back in May when designer Tetsuya Nomura told Game Informer that "We would like to ask for your patience on an official announcement for this title. It always takes time when tackling the challenge of doing something completely new, but we are doing our best to bring information to the fans as quickly as we can. Your patience is greatly appreciated."
Kotaku also reports that resources used to make the game were folded into working on what will become Final Fantasy XV a few months back.
We've reached out to Square Enix for comment. Whether true or not, an official cancellation would be better than simply letting the game become "vaporware", where its existence is never referenced again.
Final Fantasy Versus XIII was originally announced in 2006 as part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series of games. The other games two games in the series announced at the same time, Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0 have both been released, and Final Fantasy XIII-2 has also been announced and launched since.
Deadline claims that, "amid much secrecy (including assumed names), Spielberg met and now wants Hemsworth in his next helping effort." The site adds, though, that no official offer has been made yet to Hemsworth, who has had a great summer with two hits under his belt, The Avengers and Snow White and the Huntsman.
Based on Daniel H. Wilson's book, Robopocalypse recently received a rewrite from Drew Goddard, who also directed Hemsworth in The Cabin in the Woods.
Hemsworth next shoots Thor: The Dark World for Marvel Studios and Disney.
In this week's episode "Now," Ryan and Wilfred came to yet another crossroads in behavioral philosophy. While Ryan prepared to set up a new investment opportunity with a bigwig friend of his co-worker Kevin's (Rob Riggle), Wilfred tried to convince Ryan to slow down and live in the moment. However, a traumatic run-in at gunpoint soon led Wilfred to lose his sense of smell, gradually breaking down his entire way of life.
These last few episodes in Season 2 have been largely focused on Ryan struggling to balance his working life with his personal one. We've seen a lot of Ryan taking initiative and contemplating his own methods of experiencing reality. However, in this episode, it was Wilfred's turn to suffer from an existential crisis. Without the use of his nose, we finally saw what it was like for Wilfred to lose his grip on meaning and purpose.
It's interesting, too, because the episode was initially set up to be another play on Ryan's own misplaced priorities. Wilfred's original plan to convince Ryan that he had a brain tumor offered a pretty good setup to explain his ongoing anxiety, blackouts and hallucinations -- although, to be fair, this was the type of thing we'd seen Wilfred try to do to Ryan in the past. But from the moment Wilfred said, "Gotcha," it was game over for our clueless canine as he was sentenced to a life without scent.
I think one of the most entertaining recurring bits throughout the episode was Wilfred's constant stream of epiphanies, including, "So there’s more than one UPS guy... Of course! It’s all so clear to me now. The uniform changes guys!" His increasingly broadening intellect was a nice touch. This, of course, eventually led to Wilfred's deeply seeded ennui and nihilistic depression. It was a fun process to watch, especially for a character that's usually portrayed as aloof and sage-like.
However, this didn't mean Ryan was left out of the loop completely. While his prospectus storyline wasn't quite as entertaining as Wilfred's, his few scenes with Rob Riggle had their moments, particularly Kevin's diatribe on his son. ("Ah, K.J., what have you done to your beautiful little scrotum?") Also, Ryan's scenes with Wilfred near the end -- the emo ones -- were pretty solid. It also provided a neat little bow for the conclusion.
The overarching narrative for the episode wasn't quite as strong as the others' this season, but it was definitely an interesting way to change things up for Wilfred. If nothing else, it offered a nice breakup from Ryan's usual onslaught of tedium, which can sometimes get become formulaic. However, the general lack of auxiliary characters made this episode feel a bit vacant. That's not to say an episode featuring only Ryan and Wilfred can't be good, but the absence of characters like Jenna, Kristen and Amanda this week left an overall hollow impression for the episode.
In a new interview, Columbia Pictures president Doug Belgrad dropped a lot of bits and pieces about several of the studio's properties, including Dragon Tattoo, Men in Black and Jumanji. Yes, Jumanji.
While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Belgrad said that Men in Black is "an ongoing franchise" and "we're going to do [another one], but we don't have clarity yet on how it should be done."
He also revealed that one of the mandates of the company is to get more into family films, including the successful Smurfs franchise that they currently have going (the sequel is now shooting). But the plan is also to "reimagine Jumanji and update it for the present." (No mention, however, of Zathura. Ahem.)
The trade paper also notes that Belgrad is moving ahead with the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, despite that film's tepid response.
The Caped Crusader. The Dark Knight. Batman has been reinvented many times since his creation in 1939, having at times represented all that is goofy about comic book characters and then all that is dark and serious about comic book characters.
With the super-mega-off-the-charts anticipated The Dark Knight Rises opening in theaters, we figured it was time to take an updated look at the history of Batman on TV. The character has been the focus of a huge amount of animated series that have been wildly divergent in styles. And of course, he’s also appeared in live-action on TV, including in a series that remains one of the most iconic comic book adaptations ever. Hey, that sounds like a good place to start!
This show holds a complicated place in the history of both Batman and comic book adaptations in general. Batman was a hugely popular series, and it's the reason Batman became one of the most recognizable and popular comic book characters in the world. Beyond that, it also made icons out of several Batman villains – The Riddler was an almost forgotten character until Frank Gorshin's gleeful portrayal and thanks to this show everyone soon knew who The Joker, Catwoman and Penguin were.
Of course where this show causes problems for modern fans is the tone – the epitome of camp, Batman, didn't take the title character, his "chum" Robin, or anything else in Gotham City seriously. While Batman was played with mock seriousness by Adam West, this was clearly a very jokey, very tongue in cheek series. Let's put it this way: is there any other incarnation of Batman where the Caped Crusader and the Joker are in a surfing contest with each other?
Because of this show and its popularity, comic book heroes would be perceived by many in the mainstream as very silly creations, something it's taken years to undo – and there are still articles about Batman that can't resist a "Holy something, Batman!" or "Bam!" joke in the headline.
The thing about the 1960s Batman though is that it's a very well done and very funny show. The show was intentionally played a certain way, and in that respect, it's a success. There are some completely hysterical, wacky sequences throughout this show, which is very much a product of the '60s, in all its trippyness. We all now know Batman as The Dark Knight, and that's how it should be these days. But this series showed that if you did play Batman for comedy, it could be legitimately funny. (Unlike, say, Batman & Robin).
With the Adam West TV series making Batman a household name, an animated series was the next natural step to capitalize on the Caped Crusader’s popularity. And while the Superman segments of this series were previously produced, the Batman segments were brand new – and featured many of the villains familiar to viewers of the live-action series, such as Joker, Penguin and Riddler, plus some like Scarecrow who never appear on the West series.
Batman and Robin were voiced by Olan Soule and Casey Kasem – and it wouldn’t be the only time famous radio personality Kasem would play the Boy Wonder. Ted Knight provided several voices again – again reflecting the live-action series – Commissioner Gordon and Batgirl had prominent roles.
The Batman segments of The Batman/Superman Hour would be repackaged many times on their own, including under the titles Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder and The Adventures of Batman.
The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972) was the second series starring the ever-popular paranormal investigating dog and his human friends. The episodes were an hour long – certainly unusual for a cartoon, though still a bit questionable to be called a "movie." On this show the Scooby gang teamed with a different guest star each week – some were real life celebrities, some were fictional characters.
An example of the latter is when none other than the world's greatest detective teamed up with Scooby-Doo. It's a bizarre pairing, and it actually happened twice – Batman and Robin were among a handful of repeat guest stars on The New Scooby-Doo Movies.
In both episodes, the villains were Joker and Penguin, both now widely known thanks to the Adam West series. That show's influence is certainly still felt here, as Batman & Robin don't act that dissimilar to the Adam West/Burt Ward incarnations.
Obviously, viewed now this is all ridiculous – It's Batman teaming up with Scooby-Doo! Of course, if you're a little kid, this is kind of the best, most amazing thing ever - It's Batman teaming up with Scooby-Doo!
For years the general public's main perception of Batman came from the Adam West TV series and this Saturday morning animated show. Of course, both portrayals of the Caped Crusader were just about as far removed from the popular Dark Knight incarnation of today as you could get, and yet the cheeseball, kindly, father-figure style Batman remains near and dear to many a viewer's heart for those of us who were a certain age when Super Friends (1973) aired over its long run, from 1973-1986.
Featuring an eponymous version of the Justice League called the Super Friends, because, you know, these guys are all friends, the show starred Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman, and Robin, the latter of whom the show's creators apparently felt was inseparable from his mentor. Debuting in 1973, the program was no doubt barely tolerable for adult comic-book fans -- and this in a time when superhero programming was much harder to come by -- but the kids loved it. Variations on the program would air with different titles and an ever-widening range of heroes and baddies, including some infamous inclusions like Wendy, Marvin and the Wonder Twins.
Many of Batman's enemies found their way onto the show, including the Penguin, the Scarecrow, and the Joker. Adam West voiced the character in the final two seasons of the show, though Olan Soule (reprising the vocal role he originated on The Batman/Superman Hour) and his stentorian-yet-gentle delivery handled the vocal chores for the bulk of the show, with Casey Kasem again voicing Robin.
This Filmation-produced animated series had Adam West and Burt Ward revisiting their roles as Batman and Robin. The Dynamic Duo were joined by Bat-Girl (voiced by Melendy Britt, who would later be the voice of She-Ra) and a completely bizarre character named Bat-Mite (voiced by Lou Scheimer, who would go on to voice many characters in Filmation's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, such as Orko). Bat-Mite was an annoying little creature from another dimension who considers himself Batman's biggest fan, sometimes helping him but most often just getting in the way. Not appearing in the series at all is Alfred (Bat-Mite probably drove him away).
Featuring a lot of the same campy humor and cheesy dialogue as the live-action 1966 series, The New Adventures of Batman (1977) is a far cry from The Dark Knight of today. Did we mention Bat-Mite had a prominent role!?
This series would be another that would get repackaged and integrated into other series in later years, with segments appearing in The Batman/Tarzan Adventure Hour, Tarzan and the Super 7 and Batman and the Super 7.
Legends of the Superheroes (1979)
Some Batman fans hate the 1960s Adam West series for its campy nature. Well, if you don't like that show, you might well implode when watching this. Adam West and Burt Ward donned the tights one last time for this bizarre pseudo-variety show, which does for the DC heroes what The Star Wars Holiday Special did for that franchise. And yes, that means horror beyond imagination.
Batman and Robin are joined here by a large group of other DC heroes and villains here, for what could be seen as the first-ever live-action incarnation of the Justice League. Green Lantern, Hawkman, The Huntress, The Flash, The Atom and Black Canary all got their live-action debuts, joining Captain Marvel on a show that for some of the above is still their only time to date appearing outside of comics and animation.
But don't get excited, because Legends of the Superheroes, which only aired two episodes, is truly, mind-numbingly awful. It's all played as broad, pun-filled comedy and not a lick of it works. There's one groaner after another, and seeing West, Ward (way too old to be playing "The Boy Wonder") and Frank Gorshin (back as the Riddler) doing such terrible material, it only elevates the legitimately funny '60s Batman series they appeared in more.
The first episode is at least watchable in a train wreck sense, as the heroes go outside and into action to try to stop a team of villains -- including Riddler, Solomon Grundy and Sinestro -- from their plan to blow up the entire world… a plan which the villains don't seem to have thought through, all things considered.
The second episode is even worse and watching it may cause harm to your soul. The episode is all contained on the shoddy set of the show, with a seemingly never-ending superhero roast, featuring Ed McMahon as MC. We only wish we were making this up.
How bad is this show? Well, there's a black superhero featured on the second episode, who goes by the name of Ghetto Man. Yes, really. Bad, stupid and offensive! It's a superhero trifecta! This would be the last time Batman would be seen in live-action until Tim Burton's first film – much like Batman & Robin, a long rest was greatly needed for Batman after this disaster.
Railroad Story is a simulation game that puts the player in the transportation mogul hot seat, tasking them with building railroads, micromanaging a bustling train system and repairing the railways to earn enough money to pay off a ridiculous debt. Set in the dusty Wild West, this simply-presented game by Alawar Entertainment offers up an 18-mission campaign, no in-app purchases to nickel and dime unsuspecting gamers and the discovery of almost 100 different towns.
Players are given an isometric view of their countryside and a handful of starter towns. Tracks are built between these towns with a couple of simple taps. Trains show up at each station and require another tap to be sent on to their final destinations. Careful attention has to be paid to the direction trains are heading, as a crash is a costly endeavor requiring a repair.
Did we like it?
The interface and the controls of Railroad Story are not its strongest qualities, nor is the typo-ridden text. The entire game has a generally low-budget feel. Still, the familiar ease of the gameplay and the fast pace makes for a sim that is surprisingly difficult to put down. The missions are an elegant way to guide players into understanding the mechanics without pages of text and the additional element of story helps to drive players to see what comes next.
Should you buy it?
Railroad Story doesn’t bring anything new to the railway sim space, so aficionados who have spent much time in these types of games may be underwhelmed by the presentation and lack of innovation. There is plenty of content to keep you entertained if you find the act of tapping trains and stations enjoyable though, and enough of a skill requirement that Railroad Story will take some time to master. At a maximum price of $1.99 and no additional In-App Purchases for a few hours of content, it’s a decent buy if you’ve been waiting for another Pocket Planes (yet without the charm and polish that makes Nimblebit’s games spectacular).
Just days after Jessica Biel dropped out of talks with Fox to play Viper in The Wolverine, the role has been filled by a relative unknown beauty.
Twitch reports that 29-year-old Russian actress Svetlana Khodchenkova (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) is in talks with the studio now to play the Marvel femme fatale.
James Mangold directs The Wolverine, which will adapt the 1980s comics miniseries about Logan in Japan. Viper, aka Madame Hydra, has a complicated backstory, as well as ties to Logan, the Hand, and Silver Samurai.
Sometimes a simple idea -- something novel and refreshing -- can make for great entertainment. But sometimes a simple idea is simply a simple idea. Such is the case with Intruders, from director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. The film, a genre-bending mesh of ghostly thrillers and psychological drama, incoherently toggles between two families in the midst of a rather strange phenomenon.
In Spain, a young boy is terrorized by a supernatural faceless enemy wearing a hooded jacket. In England, a young girl writes a story about a similar monster and starts to encounter him as well. As it turns out, both families are being haunted by the same unknown force.
Without spoiling the film's central twist, Intruders was meant to convey the nature of fear and its origins. In this case, the entity – while ghostly in appearance – is actually a creature of the past. In other words, the film is less focused on its horror elements and more about how fear psychologically affects us.
Fresnadillo uses his characters to illustrate an actual event in his past; however in doing so, he renders a film that is both confusing and perhaps too narrow at times. And once the twist is revealed, and the audience sees how simple the convoluted narrative really was, there isn't much replay value to the film.
Most genre lovers will be able to pick up on the film's twists rather quickly, leaving a mostly dry, uneventful experience with very few scares and not much intrigue. Clive Owen, who plays the young girl's father, does elevate the picture some despite having very little to do in the film other than look shocked and scared. The personal nature of the story is not necessarily relatable, either, which dampens much of the horror. The ghostly clichés are piled on which further adds insult to injury. And there's not much momentum to the narrative, which is a surprise given Fresnadillo's energetic body of work, which includes 28 Weeks Later.
The film does have a few decent scares and some interesting visuals, reminiscent of Guillermo Del Toro's work, mostly toward the finale, but it's too little too late. The 90 minutes that led up to the film's haunting conclusion are too dry and oddly disconnected to really work. The simple idea that guides Intruders is both worn and tiresome, and Fresnadillo, quite sadly, adds little flavor and originality to the template.
Intruders comes to Blu-ray presented in 2.35:1, encoded in 1080p/AVC. The film is mixed in 5.1 Dolby TrueHD. Shot on 35mm, Intruders has a classy, moody appearance not too dissimilar from other Spanish horror films of its type. The encode is mostly pristine with just a hint of noise every now and then. No artifacting, banding or other intrusive errors distort the image whatsoever. Colors are a touch saturated, but add to the film's visual allure. Blacks are consistent with minimal bleed. While the transfer for Intruders doesn't necessarily pop off the screen, it does look very good.
The audio, unfortunately, is terrible. While mixing is aggressive and occasionally terrifying as well as atmospheric, the film's center channel is tuned incredibly low with dialogue that's often inaudible. The film's finale is damaged so much by this flaw that it virtually ruins the emotional punch of the entire picture. Just a little bit better leveling and this mix would have been eons better. As it stands, viewers will likely find themselves playing around with the volume knob often.
Extras are a tad on the thin side. There's a relatively brief featurette and a 19-minute behind-the-scenes feature, as well as trailers for other Millennium Entertainment films. The behind-the-scenes material is well worth a look, but it would've been nice to hear a commentary track from director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, especially because the story is connected to his own past.
Intruders has a few scary moments, and some decent performances, especially from Clive Owen, but the film is simply too dull, too slow and not quite scary enough to win over genre fans. However, if you're looking for something with more of a psychological edge to it, and a few scares, Intruders might do the trick -- just don't expect a masterpiece.
If you haven't already, be sure to read our interview with director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.
A press release from Disney today announcing additional voice cast members for their upcoming animated video game homage Wreck-It Ralph confirms that Sonic the Hedgehog and Street Fighter characters M. Bison, Ken Masters and Ryu will all appear in the film. John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman and Jack McBrayer lead the voice cast. The latest cast additions follow after the trailer:
Alan Tudyk (Suburgatory, Firefly) as King Candy, ruler of Sugar Rush, a candy-coated cart racing game
Ed O’Neill (Modern Family) as Mr. Litwak, owner of Litwak’s Family Fun Center & Arcade
Mindy Kaling (The Office) as Taffyta Muttonfudge, an accomplished racer and Vanellope’s nemesis
Adam Carolla (The Adam Carolla Show) as Wynchel, Sugar Rush security
Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live) as Duncan, Sugar Rush security
Dennis Haysbert (The Unit, 24) as General from the first-person shooter game, Hero’s Duty
Edie McClurg (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Planes) as Mary, a Nicelander who lives within the game Fix-It Felix, Jr.
Roger Craig Smith (Captain Marvel from The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Ezio from Assassin’s Creed) as Sonic the Hedgehog
Gerald C Rivers (the Street Fighter series) as M. Bison
Rachael Harris (The Hangover) as Deanna, a Nicelander who lives within the game Fix-It Felix, Jr.
Stefanie Scott (A.N.T. Farm) as Moppet Girl, a young arcade enthusiast who visits Litwak’s arcade
Reuben Langdon (multiple Street Fighter games) as Ken from Street Fighter
Kyle Hebert (multiple Street Fighter games, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes) as Ryu from Street Fighter
Resident Evil 6 is just over two months away from release. As the latest bio-terror outbreak approaches, Capcom has been unleashing trailers, demos and screenshots left and right. Its latest volley of visuals has been accompanied by a considerable amount of new commentary from RE 6 director Eiichiro Sasaki, which we've gathered here. Also included - three videos showcasing new parts of the Leon, Chris and Jake campaigns.
The Start of Development
We all know Resident Evil 6 has been in development for several years. With Resident Evil 5 arriving more than three years ago, Capcom has had a considerable amount of time to work on its next installment. In fact, much of what we've seen so far was created almost two and a half years ago.
According to Sasaki, early designs of RE 6 focused on technology and general direction, including the Leon sequence just released (see the first video below), Chris's arrival in Lanshiang (which can be seen in several trailers) and the Ustanak's pursuit of Jake Muller (see our E3 and Dragon's Dogma videos for an approximate idea).
"With this [Leon segment] we wanted players to experience the fear of walking through the darkness," Sasaki said. "Light and shadow play a very important part. The initial concept was a scene in a curved tunnel with a large crowd of zombies at the far end, lit so as to be visible only as silhouettes."
A Fear of Lights
That experimentation with lighting resulted in what Sasaki calls "scare lighting," which is mostly a cosmetic effect added by Capcom to enhance the mood and tension in some of these darker, slower sequences.
Sasaki admitted there technically is no light source for this effect, which casts a glow underneath creatures for an eerie visual, but the end result is something scarier, so the concept stayed. "I think it produces a great cinematic effect," noted Sasaki.
Safety (and Fear) in Numbers
One common observation about Resident Evil 6 so far - some of the sequences with Chris Redfield don't seem like they'll be too scary. As we saw in the E3/Dragon's Dogma video, it appears as though Chris is not only accompanied by Piers Morgan, but an entire squad too. Why would anyone be scared when they're surrounded by agents armed to the teeth?
That feeling might change if those agents are being killed one by one, and you're seemingly powerless to stop it. Worse yet, that force is none other than a giant snake, which bears a striking resemblance to Yawn from the first Resident Evil game. "That's what this part of the game is all about, the escalating fear you feel as your team grows smaller and smaller. It's a kind of terror you can only experience in a group scenario," said Sasaki.
Yawn's Cousin
So you have to fight a giant snake. That's not a big deal, right? If you, your partner and a half dozen other BSAA agents are well-armed, a mere reptile - even a big one - should be target practice.
Unless it has the ability to blend into its surroundings.
Sasaki explained that his team was attempting to capture the fear of the unknown, as an enemy that's invisible suddenly springs upon you and your team. Suddenly it's not about spotting the enemy ahead. It might be in front of you and you'd really have no idea. "You don't even need to have obvious enemies present in a scene in order to feel fear," Sasaki said.
The RE director went on to describe how this extends to sound design, and how "ordinary noises" suddenly might suggest enemy presence. "So when you hear something like the rustle of a rubbish bag being kicked out of the way, even though it might well have been one of your team members, your heart leaps as you wonder whether it's an enemy coming to get you," Sasaki explained.
Crossing Over
First revealed at E3 2012, the game's three lead storylines, featuring Leon, Chris, Jake and their partners, will cross over as various pairings run across each other while they pursue their goals. From an online perspective, this results in friends suddenly being split apart and being paired with strangers across the world. Again, here you might expect safety in numbers - but Capcom has designed enemies that ensure even a group of four battle-tested heroes won't have it easy.
Enter: The Ustanak.
The Ultimate Garbage Disposal
The Ustanak isn't just a crazed behemoth that charges after you. It has a number of tricks at its command, mostly stemming from its techno-organic capabilities.
"The Ustanak can attach different devices to his right arm," Sasaki revealed. "One of the interesting ones is the apparatus he uses to grab and crush the player. During gameplay he will start taking out the players one by one, so what starts off looking as a four-on-one fight where the players have the advantage can quickly becomes a massacre. With his right and left arms and the cage-like device on his back, Ustanak can hold up to three players at the same time, leaving just one player left to fight him."
Sasaki went on to describe the encounter between the Ustanak, Leon, Helena, Jake and Sherry as one of "cops and robbers," as friends can race to save their partners once captured. The problem? Attempting to do that will place you within reach of the Ustanak - exactly where you don't want to be.
Good luck with that.
Internet sensation turned TV star Fred Figgelhorn is back in Fred 3: Camp Fred, airing on Nickelodeon on Saturday, July 28th at 8pm. The alter ego and creation of Lucas Cruikshank, Fred’s popularity led to what has become a hit TV movie franchise for Nick.
Once again, WWE superstar John Cena has a role in Fred 3, as a skewed version of himself - an imaginary version of Fred’s dad... who apparently lives inside a refrigerator.
We’ve got your first look at a scene between Cena and Fred from the movie, as Fred – in the midst of a miserable summer camp experience – turns to his “dad” for advise, only to not get the response he hoped for.
It’s Thursday, Koopalings! As many of you probably know, that means it's time for another batch of downloadable goodies care of the the Big N. Whether your platform of choice is 3DS or DSi (no new console downloads this week, it seems), take a look at this week’s offerings below. And be sure to check back at the end of the month for our thoughts on the best the eShop has to offer.
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters
Available on: 3DS (Virtual Console) Price: $3.99 Publisher: Nintendo Description: Angel Land is up to its halos in woes as mythical monsters are running rampant. Pit, the original Kid Icarus, must save the realm again. Armed with his trusty bow, he’ll zap the bad guys and find the Three Sacred Treasures hidden by Palutena. Only after this grueling training will he be strong enough to take on the dark forces behind Angel Land’s troubles. Pit will encounter old friends and new enemies – from helpful Centurions to the dreaded Eggplant Wizard – as he journeys from the depths of the underworld to the towers of the sky palace.
Tumble Pop
Available on: 3DS (Virtual Console) Price: $2.99 Publisher: G-Mode Description: Save the planet by defeating all the monsters in eight spooky worlds. Thanks to pollution and other global calamities, Earth is overflowing with strange creatures. It’s your job to exterminate all the monsters plaguing the planet, but you’ll need some real muscle to accomplish that task. Good thing you have a secret weapon: a turbo-charged vacuum cleaner. Hungry for even more action? Have no fear. You can create your own custom-built stages in Construction Mode.
The Phantom Thief Stina and 30 Jewels
Available on: 3DS Price: $4.99 Publisher: Agetec Description: The year is 2120, and humanoid robot helpers are commonplace, even among thieves. The Phantom Thief Stina and her pack of burglar bots are taking on Detective Sara and her robotic security team in a battle of wits! Heist all 30 jewels to complete the game and unlock the detective mode. Play as detective Sara and deploy her robotic security team to protect the jewels against the Phantom Thief.
Masyu by Nikoli
Available on: 3DS Price: $4.99 Publisher: Hamster Corporation Description: Masyu is a puzzle in which you draw a line through the spaces according to the rules. Learn the attributes of the black and white circles and you'll be able to play in no time. In Stage Clear mode, you progress by clearing puzzles one by one, and in Random mode, puzzles are generated at random.
Rabi Laby 2
Available on: DSi, 3DS Price: $1.99 Publisher: Agetec Description: The player controls both Alice and Rabi and must use their unique skills to escape. They will encounter interesting creatures, strange places and unusual puzzles, fueling their humor and challenging their wits. The goal for each stage is to safely navigate Alice to the exit door with Rabi’s help. Collect medals to unlock additional stages!
Petit Computer
Available on: DSi, 3DS Price: $7.99 Publisher: Gamebridge Description: Petit Computer is a programming tool that lets you create everything from music, to images, to your very own original games using an adapted version of the classic BASIC programming language. You can select commands and run programs using the Nintendo DS Touch Screen, and you can even share your creations via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
That wraps it up for this week’s full releases. In other download news, 3DS Virtual Console title Mario's Picross has been selected as the Game of the Weekend, and will be available for the discounted price of $2.99 from now until Sunday, July 22 at 9:00PM (PST). If you haven't played it, don't hesitate - this game is incredibly fun, and a total classic.
Until next time, Koopalings - game on!
Just last week, I started to come around on the fighting system of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. See, the only way to eliminate people in the game is via Super Moves (earned mega-moves in a three-tier structure), and that initially made my normal attacks seem a bit wimpy. Then I saw how saving for a Level 3 Super Move really made a difference, and the risk/reward system intrigued me.
If a Super Move connects, it's a knockout. In my gameplay sessions this means that opponents get ready to deploy the Supers, and I frantically run away, jumping like an idiot. However, the video below shows how skilled players will be able to duck, dodge and use their own moves to avoid killer attacks.
C-C-C-COMBOS
If you can successfully land a number of hits, each PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale character has a combo that will get foes off their feet and give you the opportunity to pull off bigger and badder moves. Take a look.
There's a lot to PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale's fighting mechanics, and once we get a build of the game in the IGN office, we'll begin breaking it all down for you. Until then, keep an eye on IGN.com for coverage and the IGN PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale Wiki for the latest news, character rumors and information.
