New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nintendo 3DS Game Based on the Bay & Liebesman Film (Activision & Magic Pockets)

     Earlier today Activision announced a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie tie-in game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Magic Pockets, who also made the Nickelodeon TMNT game for Xbox 360, the Wii, and the 3DS.

     Mad genius Baxter Stockman's mutant and robotic horrors have teamed up with the shadowy armies of the Foot Clan to terrorize New York City, and only Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello can protect its subways, sewers, rooftops and streets from their devastating campaign.

     The game is a 3rd person hack-n-slash, with the ability to grow in power and skill points.  Each turtle will have their own abilities and strengths, as well as the option to swap between any of the 4 at any time.  The only thing that really caught my eye was the mention of crafting, as we'll apparently be able to craft new weapons with materials collected throughout the levels in the Turtle's Lair.

     As much as I want to have high hopes for this game, the Nickelodeon TMNT game was quite bad.  To make matters a bit worse, this one looks like it might just be a reskin of that game.  I can't say that for certain, and I'll definitely be checking this out- but I'll be doing it with less than optimal hopes.
  
     Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be released later this summer in time for the August 8th release date of the film.

     In all seriousness- Activision needs to make a TMNT game as an open-world 4-player action-brawler or beat-em-up with a good budget.  Even keep it based on the Nickelodeon show and it would sell a billion copies.  Simple as that.

     Source [ NeoGAF ]

     For more of my Turtles posts [ TMNT ]

Empire Magazine: 20th Anniversary Issue: The Birthday Portfolio

     I've been a bit lax in the art department lately, and I stumbled across Empire Magazine's upcoming Birthday Issue.  Well, I felt the need to share a couple of the photos they've released with some actors and actresses revisiting old roles for new photos, and they look stunningly elegant.
     I'm only putting up the Sam Neill's Jurassic Park and Christian Bale's American Psycho pics.  Note the brilliant axe reflection and business cards- they're absolutely genius.  This is an issue I'll be certain to buy.

     Sources [ IMGUR ]  [ Empire Magazine ]

               

The Plan (Krillbite Studio): PC: Steam Game Review

     This will be an odd review, as it might take longer to read this post than the 5 minutes the game took to play through.  Krillbite Studio, whose main project was Among the Sleep, created The Plan as an experimental side project- a free game for people while making their main game.

"A fly ascends to the skies, pondering the pointlessness of its brief existence."

     The Plan happens to be a wonderful take on the brevity of life and how well it can be shown in such brevity- through the life of a fly.  Sure, there might be arguments over the validity of calling this a "game," but it doesn't really matter.  It's a short and controlled experience that brings you on a journey of struggle and insight about your place in the universe and what meaning we may find in what little time we get to live for.

     This game has all it needs to make a great game, pared down to the absolute minimums necessary.  A pervading and eerie atmosphere, subtly haunting music, and the smallest story about the path of life itself.  We try to ascend as much as possible in the time we are given and therein lies the transcendent reflection on the nature of life.  If a game like Shadow of the Colossus would be the video game equivalent of a Da Vinci painting, The Plan would be a sketch capturing something extremely unique in the simplest way possible.

Mister Hide Leather: Great Products

     It's been a while since I blog pimped some friends- and it's due time.

     One of my buddies has been into serious leather working for the last couple years and creates custom leather products.  He is open to making a variety of products and his works speak for themselves.  I would highly recommend checking them out at the links below.  My personal favorite item is the Blue Key Fob with silver Celtic Knot pictured to the right.  

     To check out his Official blog page [ Mister Hide ]

     His Facebook page [ Mister Hide ]

    Or to see some of his stuff without the hassle of a few extra clicks see below.

Butterfly Bracelet

Tobacco Pouch

Abstract Wide Watchband

     As you can see he's got some excellent talent and is on the lookout for new and interesting projects to make for people.  Bracelets, belts, key fobs, wallets, purses, bags, holsters, sheaths, or pretty much any leather project you might want, he'll find a way to make it.  Don't hesitate to ask for something- ask or check for what you may like.

Tuffy the Corgi and the Tower of Bones

     I've got to be honest here, I stumbled across this today and am very curious.  I enjoy some action platforming games from time to time, and I do like dogs a lot, but this game has me at a disadvantage.  It's meant to be a very difficult, as difficult as it was for creator Tim Rogers (Action Button Entertainment) to beat Super Mario Bros. 3 without being hit a single time.  Every level, straight through, without warping.  That feat will require an immense amount of skill, patience, and determination, none of which I have right now.  But that animated corgi is sooooooo tempting.

     So here's how the game works- Tuffy the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, being an overexcited canine, moves of his own accord, and you as the player can guide him in two ways- altering his direction with any button on the left side or tapping the left side of the Vita screen, or making him jump by pressing any button/tapping the right side of the screen.  The simplest of control scemes.  But here's the catch, a single hit and you die and start the entire game over.
     To make it a little bit more of a sting, the game will tell you your death count after each one, the game keep track of every one.

     Mr. Tim Rogers did put something interesting out there, a sort of challenge, to tweet him a screencap of making it to the top of the tower with all 108 bones in the game.  In addition, he's also hinted that there might be different endings if you can make it to the top of the tower with some, all or even NONE of the bones.  An intriguing ploy to give it some replayability.
     As I doubt I'll ever put in that much effort, more due to the fact my games backlog is almost in the triple digits, it's still a neat way to spend a few hours of time.

     Tuffy the Corgi and the Tower of Bones is available on the PS Vita through the PSN, and can be found under the Playstation Mobile section of the store.



     Source [ Playstation Blog ]

The Legend of Korra Game Coming This Fall From Activision & Platinum Games: Announcement Trailer

     This fall we are getting a new game in Avatar: The Last Airbender universe, led by the current Avatar Korra!  This is great news with the 3rd season's premiere airing this Friday on Nickelodeon  The Platinum Games studio making this also developed Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, The wonderful 101, and Bayonetta 2.

     Because the announcement trailer above doesn't really tell us much, IGN has a small tidbit of info:

     Korra scribe Tim Hendrick is writing the story, which takes place between The Legend of Korra’s second and third seasons. As the series' leading lady, players will use the Avatar's fire, earth, air, and water elements in combat to fight familiar enemies such as Mecha Tanks and Chi Blockers, as well as other Benders in the 3-on-3 Pro-Bending arena.

     The Legend of Korra will be a 3rd person action game in a decent cell-shaded style.  Players will get to throw the typical punches, kicks and counters to combat a variety of foes, as well as harnessing the 4 elements as the Avatar Korra.  The game is set to take place between Book 2 and Book 3 of the animated series.

     The Legend of Korra will be available for download this fall on PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC.

     In addition, the Nintendo 3DS will be receiving a Legend of Korra by Webfoot Technologies that is a turn-based strategy game focusing more on tactical gameplay.

     You can vote on which cover the downloadable game will arrive with on the official show's Facebook page  [ Vote Here ]


     Source [ IGN ]

Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Trailer 2: The REAL Shredder & April O'Neil's Butt

     After re-watching the newest TMNT reboot trailer I got a little better look at things.  I wonder if this fellow is the real Shredder, because William Fichtner (Listed as Shredder) says, "we've taken your armor to the next level."  Which in my mind, means merging it with a Transformer and maybe a couple explosions for good measure.

Could this be Oroku Saki, The REAL Shredder?

     I also noticed a hilarious moment in the Russian version of the trailer Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett) crashes while driving due to staring at April O'Neil's (Megan Fox) butt.

We'd all crash if this was in the passenger seat.

     I also wonder if the Krang (Kraang in the newer show) will show up?  It would give a little more credibility to the aliens mention from the older script, and ties it into the giant fan trolling of mentioning that they are turtles- not aliens- comment.  Baxter Stockman is cast in the film, and the suit looks to be mostly mechanical so there is a chance of that happening.


     For more Turtles posts [ TMNT ]

NEW! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trailer 2 (Bay & Liebesman's ) From Poster Reveal Campaign

     After the last 24 hours of the TurtleReveal.com poster reveal antics the 2nd full triler has been released.

     Despite my reservations about Bay and Liebesman's reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it looks like it'll be very entertaining regardless.  We get tons of new footage- the Turtles in action, more Splinter, and a lot of Shredder shooting and reclaiming blades.  And, this may sound strange but Megan Fox is still the least realistic thing in the trailer.

     #TeamMichelangelo for me.

     Source [ Turtle Reveal ]

     For more of my Turtles posts [ TMNT ]

New Kaiyodo Revoltech Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nickelodeon Toy Action Figures (TMNT)

     As both an avid action figure collector and long-time TMNT fan, these new Kaiyodo Revoltech Ninja Turtle figures have wowed me.  They are highly pose-able, and being based on the Nickelodeon cartoon series, they look absolutely amazing.  I mean I really like the new Playmates toy line, but these blow those out of the water.  The only figures I can think of that even come close to these are the Playmates TMNT Classics line.

     The downside is they are rumored to be 5-6" tall and between $40-50.  The price to import these might be worth it as these are stunning.  The release date is rumored to be Sept-Oct 2014, so it's not too far away.

     Now to wait for the release of these while contemplating the effects of Bay & Liebesman's reboot of the TMNT film franchise on the Turtles' fanbase...


     Sources [ ToyReviewDaily ] [ Kotaku via TAG Hobby ]

     For more of my Turtles posts [ TMNT ]

Pavilion: Extended Gameplay Trailer

     I remember seeing things about this game back in February and it looked great.  Today they released an extended gameplay trailer that really doesn't give us a lot of what's going on.  I mean the game description itself is making people question what exactly is a "4th person game?"

     Over on the Playstation Blog, Creative Director of Visiontrick Media, Henrik Flink, has given us a little bit of insight on the puzzling question of Fourth Person Gaming- revealing to us what we might expect with Pavilion:

     The second thing, as requested, is to uncover some more information about the gameplay of Pavilion. Without going too deep spoiling specific puzzle features, we’ll try to shed some light on the overarching gameplay by presenting the three fundamental components that make up Pavilion’s puzzle design. These three things are woven together, and all three aspects need to be taken into account when solving puzzling situations.

• The first of the three components is the main character seen running around in the world of Pavilion. His behaviors and personality need to be observed, understood and aided, for you both to traverse and progress in the game.
• The second component is the environment. The layout of the surrounding world in which the main character is traveling will affect his traversal.
• The third component is the interactive objects which can be manipulated and thus affect both the environment and, indirectly, the main character.

     Apart from these three in-game components, there’s also an outside fourth component, the wielder of interactive objects that brings forth reactions from the character and changes in the environment.

     Pavilion sounds like a new breed of game, and it certainly looks like a very interesting puzzle to solve.  They've definitely engaged my curiosity, and I look forward to playing it when it releases sometime this fall.


     Source [ Playstation Blog ]

Penguins of Madagascar: Official Movie Trailer

     I don't know how I missed this trailer being released a while ago, but as they have been the best parts of the Madagascar movies I am super grateful they are getting their own film.  

     The Cheezy Dibbles scene would have sold me on this film if I didn't already like these guys.  I foresee a slew of high-flipper-fives being given this Thanksgiving.

Where is My Heart? (PSP) PS3 Minis Review

     There is something special in Die Gute Fabrik's Where is My Heart?  A seemingly simple pixel-art 2D puzzle-platformer with an immense amount of charm and ingenuity.
     It's the story of 3 little monsters lost in a forest trying to get back to their home tree.  What makes this platform-puzzler oddity a bit more difficult is the disorienting way the levels are split up.  Instead of a straightforward platforming level, the screen is split up into a variety of different sized boxes that each give a small part of the area- and they are all mixed up.
     The concept is handled wonderfully and add to the story lending a good feeling to that of being truly lost.  All the tiles are placed so you may walk off the right side of the first tile on the bottom right panel and fall through the top left and land in a middle one somewhere else.

     In addition to the navigational puzzles, there are a few smaller puzzles, like hitting a heart box with a headbutt to open a new space, collecting hearts to create a walkway, or an evolution of the main characters that change the way the environment is interacted with.
     The brown monster transforms into a double-jumping reindeer called the Antler Ancestor that warps the stage into a twilight version of the stages and the two other monsters become tiny hovering versions of themselves.  The black monster can see the into another dimension once it becomes the Bat King, opening new paths and possibilities where they not have previously been.  And the orange monster turns into the Rainbow Spirit, a flying white block that can swirl and shuffle the panels around and it can actually float from on one to another during the shifting.  Over the course of the 2 hour game you gradually ease into each of the abilities and in the end use a team effort of combined abilities to find your way home.

     There might be some grand design behind the characters just as there is in the levels themselves.  Why does each evolution give each one a different perspective?  It could be a metaphor for using cooperation to create clarity and understanding in the world.  Once you think about that, each one using their own talents and perspective to navigate the world, it becomes the story of this small family working together to fix their broken image of the world.  Bringing order out of the jumbled and chaotic mess we typically see and transforming it into a manageable place is something we can all learn from.  

     When it comes down to it, the game is great because of its simplicity in both story and gameplay.  Three siblings having to work together to make sure they all make it home.  They didn't try and augment the game with an overabundance of the same crap over and over.  They avoided redundancy and the game is much better for doing so.  It isn't too complex- there's just enough challenge to keep it interesting without getting old.  When it comes down to it Where is My Heart? is really an exercise in restraint and minimalism- using cuteness to hide the fact this game is a subtle masterpiece.

Bay & Liebesman's TMNT: Shredder First Look

     The TMNT fansite has Tweeted a really good look at the TMNT reboot's Shredder, and boy, does he have Michael Bay written all over him.

Shredder in HD quality in the upcoming #TMNTMovie. That's some high tech armor. #TMNT #NinjaTurtles pic.twitter.com/YgozlX8Eff
— TMNT (@TMNT_Fansite) June 17, 2014

    It might just be the Blade-splosion coming out of the Transformer-y arms, but this looks just a tad over done.


     For more Turtles' posts [ TMNT ]

New Guardians of the Galaxy Trailer 2

     With every new trailer this movie just looks better and better.  In this we get a little of Star Lord's backstory and a whole lotta extra footage we haven't previously seen.

     Marvel has probably got a new franchise with near unlimited marketing potential with this film, and I'll be going along with it.  Here's hoping for a decent video game tie-in future for The Guardians of the Galaxy!

First Official Dumb and Dumber To Trailer!

     It's finally arrived, and it's everything we could've hoped for.  Good lord this looks awesome and dumb.

     A mere 20 years have passed since the original, and Harry & Lloyd are exactly as ridiculous as I remember.  I'll be purchasing tickets ASAP.

Project Beast (Bloodborne) Officially Named Demon Soul's Spiritual Successor

     Something pretty much all Souls fans have suspected has been confirmed- From Software's Project Beast has been officially announced as Bloodborne, but more than that, it's also been stated that it is a spiritual successor to the beloved game Demon's Souls.

     Bloodborne takes place in an ancient, forgotten city called Yharnam, known for an old medical remedy. Over the years, many hopeless and afflicted people have made long pilgrimages to Yharnam in search of help. As the main character, you are one of these travelers. However, you find that Yharnam is also cursed with a horrible endemic illness. You must navigate the perilous streets of this city, fighting off nightmarish creatures, malformed beasts and deranged mobs stricken with this horrific illness. Face your fears as you discover the secrets and mysteries of this dark and horrific world where danger, death and madness lurk around every corner.

     According to the Director Hidetaka Miyazaki- the game development focused on retaining the signature style as a core philosophy- which is quite good news, as fans have grown to love the skill and strategy required to overcome the games.


     Source [ Playstation Blog ]

The Legend of Zelda: E3 2014 Wii U Announcement Gameplay Trailer & Footage

     The only game Nintendo's E3 conference really struck me as amazing was the Zelda series' producer Eiji Aonuma's announcement of a Wii U Legend of Zelda.  Said to be fully open world like Skyrim, this is something that needed to be made a long time ago, much like Pokemon needs a MMORPG.

     Here's the video, and it looks pretty stunning:

     It appears Nintendo's Wii U now has a game I actually want.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris: Announcement Trailer

     In a surprise announcement, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have shown a sequel to the action-puzzle-platforming game Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.  This one, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, takes things up a notch and makes it a 4-player co-op game instead of a mere two player game.

     In this game we can choose to play as the legendary Lara Croft, archaeologist Carter Bell, or Egyptian deities Horus and Isis in human form bearing their god-like powers in a battle against the nefarious god Set.

     The original game was a wonderful co-op game and now the addition of two extra players might make it even better.  With no load times listed as a feature as well as competitive co-op, and a massive amount of collectibles I think this might be one to keep an eye out for.

     Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris will be coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
     No release date has been listed yet.

     For more information check out the official site [ Laracroft.com ]

Far Cry 4: Official E3 Trailer

     We finally get some good look into Far Cry 4.  The trailer is focused on self-anointed leader of Kyrat- King Pagan Min.  He looks ridiculous with that hair, but oh how he does have style and flair.  Could the creators have made a villain more entertaining and charismatic as Vaas?  He's definitely got the violent temper and humor to go with it...

     Official synopsis:

     Far Cry 4 delivers a massive new open world for you to explore and survive. Hidden in the towering Himalayas lies Kyrat, a country steeped in tradition and violence. You are Ajay Ghale. Traveling to Kyrat to fulfill your mother's dying wish, you find yourself caught up in a civil war to overthrow the oppressive regime of dictator Pagan Min. Explore and navigate this vast open world, where danger and unpredictability lurk around every corner. Here, every decision counts, and every second is a story. Welcome to Kyrat.

     Far Cry 4 will be available Nov. 18, 2014 for PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC.
     Preorder now and get a slew of goodies including extra missions and weapons.


     Source [ Far Cry Game Official ]

Rise of the Tomb Raider: E3 Trailer Revealed

     It looks like we'll be getting the sequel to the 2013 reboot of Tomb Raider sometime during the 2015 holiday season...

     This installment looks to be off to a good start- with Lara Croft shown with a therapist moving on with her new life into further danger and adventure after the events of the first Tomb Raider- by accepting her destiny.

     For this game we'll get to be raiding actual tombs again and exploring multiple locations around the world, two things many fans have been clamoring for.

Doctor Strange: Marvel Casting Rumors: Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy

Cumberbatch or Hardy?  Why not both?  Doctor Strange vs Dormammu.

     Rumor has it that Marvel is seeking out Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme, as well as considering the possibility of Tom Hardy in the role.  This is somewhat striking news for me in the case of Hardy, as he doesn't quite fit the image of the good Doctor.  I would actually rather see Tom Hardy in the role of the villain Dormammu.  A much more fitting role for him- that way most people can have their Cumberbatch fill while still keeping Hardy in the film.  Despite being already over-cast in damn near everything, Cumberbatch weilding the Eye of Agamotto does make sense because he has look of the character going for him, not to mention the perfect presence and attitude for him.

     And in a long shot of Marvel cinematic wishes- I hope they toss in Rorkannu as well.  Here's a brilliant snippet of him from the Nextwave series.

John Carter of Mars: Sequels Logos Revealed by Andrew Stanton

     Aside from the fact this was a great movie done in by mismarketing, among other things, it remains a favorite of mine since it arrived in theaters.  John Carter should've been marketed with the "of Mars" attached and touted as the "Story that started it all!" because in reality, it did.  It heavily influenced all big science fiction stories after it through the last whole century.  From Flash Gordon and Superman to Star Wars- they are all progeny to Edgar Rice Burrough's Princess of Mars series, and that fact might've helped sell it to movie going audiences, because many that didn't know the story really precedes all the the ones people think it copied is kind of important for people to know.

     Anyways, director Andrew Stanton posted a couple neat logo teases had the movie done well.  Perhaps it was done to generate some cult appeal and late sales of the film, either way it's more advertising for the film I adore.

Could have been cool. Had big plans... pic.twitter.com/xtL0KuLyAf
— andrew stanton (@andrewstanton) June 7, 2014

...That would have led to even bigger plans. pic.twitter.com/GCXet6iZ3g
— andrew stanton (@andrewstanton) June 7, 2014

     Sadly, for all of us fans that loved the movie, since Disney has acquired John Carter's progeny, Star Wars, any new hope for the Martian Saga sequels remains far, far away.


     Here's another John Carter post I did professing my enjoyment of the film:
          [ John Carter (of Mars) ]

New Bay Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pic of Splinter and They Aren't Teens!

     A few more pics have been leaked of the upcoming and greatly controversial reboot of the TMNT movie universe.  For this bunch we get the Turtles' Master Splinter as well as a decent look at the Shredder and some production design shots of the Turtles themselves.  Click Source to see the rest [ Idle Hands ]

Actually looks pretty good- simple and effective.

     In other news, apparently the TMNT aren't teenagers either- as the toy pics show, but at least they're still mutant turtles...

     For more of my Turtles posts click  [ TMNT ]

Ant-Man Gets New Director, Synopsis, and a Re-Write

     Although my huge disappointment with the loss of Edgar Wright on the Ant-Man film project, I am a little excited for the news that has been announced.  Officially, Peyton Reed, director of Yes Man and Bring It On, has been listed, as well as a script adjustments by Anchorman writer Adam McKay.
     The director isn't what I'd initially would have thought, but adding Adam McKay seems like a good choice after reading the official synopsis:

     "Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world."

     So they are going with the Robert Kirkman, of Invincible and The Walking Dead fame, written Ant-Man series- and that is what I'm most excited for- The Irredeemable Ant-Man.  A hero that uses his powers to spy on Ms. Marvel in the shower and punch old guys in the nuts, what more could we want?

Dumb and Dumber T0: First Poster (and First Trailer News)

     The first poster has finally been released, and it heralds the return of the fur covered Mutt Cutts Shaggin' Wagon in the Farrelly Brothers' highly anticipated sequel to their 1994 masterpiece Dumb and Dumber.

     Our collective IQ will depreciate on November 14th, 2014.

     In even better news, Dumb and Dumber To will be getting its first trailer June 10th on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon!  Less than a week away.

Finally! Dumb and Dumber To trailer will debut Tuesday, June 10th on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon! Don't miss it! P
— Farrelly Brothers (@farrellybros) June 4, 2014

Edge of Tomorrow: Review

     Tom Cruise's newest sci-fi film, Edge of Tomorrow (based on the novel called All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka (illustrated by Yoshitoshi ABe)), is definitely going to be compared to the Bill Murray starring masterpiece Groundhog Day, and rightly so- but this adds a little Saving Private Ryan and a dash of Independence Day and it's all slathered in Hollywood's strange fascination with watching Tom Cruise running.

LIVE.

     Cruise plays Major William Cage, a military PR media master with absolutely no combat experience.  He's a man who's spent his time and skills avoiding any battles and is forced into the front lines in a Normandy type battle (the similarities here are layered with meaning) despite his best efforts to evade the fight.

     The Major is stripped of rank and forced into a battle he's fully expected to die in.  But the good part of this is he winds up, through sheer luck of his first death's contact with a special type of alien blood, having to relive the day up to that moment over and over through a multitude of deaths.  Instead of Murray's light-hearted sleeping and waking, Major Cage has to die to reset the cycle- and it is used to great comedic effect here.
       The cleverness and humor of winding up in a continual loop actually serve a purpose- they show us not only his growth as a person, from the coward to capable soldier- but it also gradually reveals the plot to us (with the exception of a scientist's exposition-laden info dump).  In fact, I think the film does a wonderful job of editing the movie so it remains interesting without overdoing the repetitive nature of a time-altering story that plagues many so many other movies.

     Edge of Tomorrow's own tagline sums it up perfectly- Live. Die. Repeat.  Cage has to die over and over and over to learn.  Acclimating himself to the inevitability of death and it's necessity actually adds something special to the middle of the film.  It is funny how in this film, the typical "hero can't die" attitude is tossed aside for reveling in the repeated slaughter of him like a gruesome real life version of Wile E Coyote.  Brutal and hilarious.

DIE.

She can do more push-ups than you.

     What the movie doesn't get quite right here is taking Rita "Full Metal Bitch" Vrataski, played by Emily Blunt, and relegating her to a supporting character that once had the time-looping alien blood infection that Cage currently suffers. She is the ultimate bad-ass soldier, slaying the alien hordes as they come, but she isn't given enough time to continue with that and grow like Cage does.  As the movie progresses it feels like a forced romance blossoms where friendship or militaristic camaraderie should've been- and as for their characters, I think Vrataski should've been the lead, looking to Cage as the hardened hero, and drop the seemingly forced happy ending.  Having her in the lead role might've been more interesting, and the tacked on feel of the ending felt just a little off.  Not hugely, just enough to bother me a little.
   
REPEAT.

     It's not going to win any awards or be any kind of pinnacle of cinematic achievement.  There probably won't be any sequels, and the odds of multiple viewings aren't that high, but there's something oddly charming about this film.  I fully enjoyed it despite my qualms about the time altering from the perspective of the "Mimics" (aliens)- if you readers are as much of a time-travel movie aficionado as me, there's a few in here- including a big one at the end.
     There's a ton of action, interesting aliens, and plenty of laughs- particularly from Bill Paxton, who in my opinion has been given the best role of the movie as Master Sergeant Farell.  It's well acted, well written, and well directed- and while the film doesn't break any new grounds, Edge of Tomorrow is still an entertaining movie on it's own I'd heartily recommend it for its purely popcorn-munching fun.

The Last Guardian: Amazon Lists Placeholder and Release Date

     I saw this last night, and have been thinking a lot about it.  After being in developmental hell for something like 7 years, Amazon has put up a placeholder site and lists a release date as December 31, 2014.  I know many stores previously had placeholders like Gamestop, but they refunded my money for it long ago, so I take this new one lightly.

     Because there's been so much trouble and a huge lack of any real information about the game I think many gamers have lost hope or have severely reduced expectations for it.  Even Ueda's rare comments about how it's still coming and Sony's assurances haven't really helped either.  If this is shown at E3 and is coming then I'll prepare to fangasm over it.

     Personally, if this is really true, I hope they've fully updated the graphics to be PS4 level quality, a complete overhaul to make use of the new system (which would help explain at least some of the years of delays) and have it be staggeringly beautiful, otherwise we might get a horribly underwhelming release.  No one that's waited this long wants it to be a disappointment, so we can only hope for now.

     Source [ Amazon ]

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Moon Dance Trailer

     The new trailer has arrived as well as the pre-order bonus reveal.

     We finally might get to see what happened to Handsome Jack's face, as he doesn't have his mask on in the trailer...

     For pre-ordering we'll receive: The Shock Drop Slaughter Pit

     Taking place in an old Dahl facility on Pandora’s moon, players will meet TR4-NU, who once was one of Dahl’s military recruiters until he went crazy. TR4-NU is now hosting the Shock Drop Slaughter Pit and giving awesome loot to those who succeed against the moon’s toughest enemies.

     Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel will be available Oct. 14th on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

     Source [ 2K Blog ]

Goat Simulator Patch is so Awesome They Made a Trailer for It!!!

     A long while back I stumbled across a game that looked so preposterous I really, really wanted to play it- just a little game called Goat Simulator.  Well, after a while of work and school I forgot about it, then remembered it, but then I read a patch was on the way so I decided to wait to buy it.
     Well, the Goat Simulator patch 1.1 was released, and it is so good they made a trailer.

     What makes this patch even better is the notes they put on Steam for it:

• Added local splitscreen multiplayer 
• Added a new map, try it out in the “custom game” section 
• The humans have been given a brain with the cognitive abilities of a 4 year old 
• Humans consequently learned to speak. You’ll wish they hadn’t. 
• Added more goats 
• Isn’t this kid super cute? http://vimeo.com/95834056 
• Made fun of Michael Bay. Again. Please don’t sue. 
• Added more powers 
• Fixed the hitbox of flappy goat 
• Poured several buckets full of Optimization™ into the game 
• Made sure no class differences exists in Goat City Bay 
• Added tons of achievements 
• You can now run along walls 
• You can now run up walls 
• Stand by for Goatfall 
• Changed batteries in our fire alarm 
• The Goats have learned to ride bikes, press R to mount. 
• The Goats have learned to ride longboards, press R to mount. 
• The Humans have learned how to ride Goats 
• Enjoyed flappy goat 
• You can now buy hats for money 
• This woman made her skin look 20 years younger DOCTORS HATE HER click here 
• Fixed display of Int enchantments on crafted gear 
• Applying plastic wrap around your screen will now give you a 3D-effect. 
• Added VR support 
• Reverted hitbox of flappy goat 
• Made hitbox worse on flappygoat 
• Removed Flappy Goat, I hate that fucking game. 
• Got 11 points on Flappy Goat; readded Flappy Goat. 
• Spent more time writing jokes about Flappy Goat than working on the patch 
• Changed the points required for the Flappy Goat Achievement from 10 to 30 
• Just kidding. 
• Removed VR support 
• Ultra-realistic water simulation 
• Fire alarm still beeping 
• You can now swim. Well not really swim, more like float around in a semi-controlled buoyant propulsion fashion. 
• Added volume slider in options for NPC speech. 
• Deadmau5 has finally left EDM. Is now making Goatronica. 
• We went to see Godzilla. It was ok. Cool sound effects. 
• Updated patch notes. 
• Added a lot of new sound effects. 
• Mary had a little ... GOAT!? Historians uncover new evidence, click here! 
• There is a new game inside of the game, it’s called SteamWorld Goat. 
• Honored Notch 
• Changed batteries in fire alarm. Again. 
• Wanted to add shadows to buildable blocks but couldn’t figure out how, can someone please tell us? 
• Patch notes now covers more than an A4. 
• Seriously stop making threads asking about patch notes 4 seconds after the patch goes live, calm down 
• Game downloading, does anyone have the patch notes? 
• New patch? 
• Patch released today does anyone know what it does 
• Where are the patch notes 
• Fire alarm still beeping 
• Why is the patch so big? 
• Lazy devs. 
• If you want we can zip it, then rar it to make it smaller. Do you want it on Megaupload? 
• Is this game worth it? Should I buy? 
• Devs please put the game on a sale so I can save 4 bucks 
• I don’t like ___, please add an option to remove ___ 
• Performed Satanic rituals to summon Phil Fish 
• Plz come back 
• Actually optimized the game a bit 
• What use are ladders when you can run on the walls? 
• I hate water 
• Played a whole lot of Wildstar 
• Volvo pls fix ___. 
• Added a Capture the Flag game mode. 
• Added Uncle Goat, I’m sorry about my Goat. 
• Added a Capture the Flag game mode. 
• Added five new colors, all of which are unseeable by the human eye. 
• We actually bought a stuffed goat head IRL for our office, we have no idea what to do with it. 
• Updated our Meta Score to 91/100. 
• Killed PC gaming 
• How long will the patch notes be? 
• Changed batteries in the other fire alarm 
• Increased Storm Spirit’s Static Remnant AoE by 15. 
• Ride a bike with a human on your back. Not like this dude: 
• You can now play ragdoll goat hockey!

     Source [ Goat Simulator Page on Steam ]

JJ Abrams: Stop With the Star Wars Episode VII Leaks and Rumors

     Known for making marketing ploys, JJ Abrams has recently expressed his distaste for the leaking of photos and videos from the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII with a nice bit of playful humor.

     This is actually kind of hilarious because it could just be to generate more hype about the pictures that really don't show anything.  There's also the fact that the note is on something that might be from the film, pointing that this is a big joke.  The troll level alert is quite high- as I'm fairly certain that's a Dejarik Table like the one Chewbacca is playing in A New Hope.

     As for the Millennium Falcon not being in the movie... firstly, the Dejarik Table picture above, and should we even mention the fact that there was a whole lot of JJ Abrams saying that Khan wasn't in Star Trek Into Darkness back before that movie came out, and we all know how that turned out.

     Source [ Bad Robot Twitter ]

Dark Souls 2 DLC Announced: The Lost Crowns Trilogy

     Namco Bandai and From Software announced today that Dark Souls 2 will be receiving 3 DLC pieces on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Crown of the Sunken King, the first chapter in the trilogy, sends players on a journey to reclaim the crowns that Drangleic's King Vendrick once owned. Crown of the Sunken King features an entirely different world within the Dark Souls II universe, where stepped pyramids span a vast underground cavern. It is said that one of the ancient crowns lay buried deep within these dark caverns; but surely such a valued item cannot sit unguarded. Players that seek adversity and glory will be rewarded with a crown that holds the strength of lords from times long past.

     The first of the three, Crown of the Sunken King will be available in the Americas on July 22, the 2nd DLC Crown of the Old Iron King on August 26, and the 3rd, Crown of the Ivory King, will arrive on September 24.  Each will be individually purchasable for $9.99 or The Lost Crowns Trilogy in its entirety will also be available via a Season Pass for $24.99.

     Source [ Namco Bandai ]

1987 Metal Gear: Konami Gives Okays Fan-Made Remake

     In a strange and wonderful turn of events, developers and modding team Outer Haven have been given the all-clear by Konami to remake the original Metal Gear from NES.

     A few days ago, we received word from KONAMI that said they were happy for us to go-ahead with our remake of the classic MSX game, Metal Gear, aslong as we don't abuse the copyright issues (ie make a profit from the project/take donations). We were then informed to keep them up to date with any updates and feedback received as and when the game is released.

     As thrilled as we were with the news, we then received another email which stated "If the project goes well and there will be public interest in it, KONAMI will surely get to know this and consider further step accordingly".

     Unlike most fan remakes, Konami hasn't outright quashed the project, and will decide what to do as it moves forward.  Extremely smart move on Konami's part- wait it out and rake in the money if the project is good enough.  If this eventually gets put up for sale, I'd definitely buy a copy, I even mentioned it way back on 08.22.2012 (at the bottom of the post).

     The group is now looking for more people to help:

          For general interest, suggestions, questions email outerhavendev@gmail.com

     They better not forget the most important Snake related inventory item...

     Source [  Mod DB ]

Mortal Kombat X Official Announcement Trailer!

     One of the Mortal Kombat Series creators had been teasing audiences with cryptic Tweets for the past few weeks, and today gave the reveal and trailer for the next installment of the series- X.

     It's looking pretty damn spectacular.  Combat seems to be still the same old side-view 2D, with the inclusion of using environmental elements, such as a tree branch, to your advantage.  I was hoping they'd evolve the game into something more like Bushido Blade- with a semi open world to run around in and allow a much larger interaction of the environments.
     They've also shown we get the X-Ray attacks back, individualized weapons return, and the iconic move that started it all remains intact- The Fatality.
     The graphics have come a LONG way since the first one way back in 1992.

     Source [ Ed Boon Twitter ]