HAPPY NEW YEAR (Or Else)!

Well, it's not quite 2013 here, but yeah - hopefully your year will be better than this one was. the NEW DAF is back in action and going strong, so pop in over thataway and sign up if you haven't. Lots of fun stuff is in the works and you should be a part of it, ladies and gents!

The Man of Steel Trailer # 2: Reboot of the Blue Suit Just Might Work Well For Most Fans...

Oops - the darn html code for the trailer disappeared when I hit Post! Anyway, here you go!

 

I'm liking this new trailer more than the first one for a few reasons, but I'm still not too fond of that blood-drained color palette so many modern films overuse. Look, I get that this is a darker, more emo Supes and all, but I'd like to have some more colors popping where applicable (but not quite like the old comics and their 4 color overkill, though). The big Q's will e how's the final cut and is this a better Superman than Richard Donner's 1977 flick? I think the jury is out until the film is released, but I also think both will be seen as great for their separate eras by fans of the comics and films from then and now.

Random Film of the Week: Fiend Without A Face

Yup, this is re-posted from the other DAF blog just to have something up daily here. I'm still transferring content to the new blog from here, so I may as well add selected posts from time to time. Lazy? Hah! Not really, as I'm in the middle of writing a stack of game reviews and figuring out what to do with a THIRD site (eek)- enjoy!

   

If you're old enough and recall camping out in front of the TV on Friday or Saturday nights long after the sun went to sleep (Chiller Theater or Creature Features, anyone?), you probably saw a ton of horror and sci-fi flicks from the 50's and 60's. For some reason, Hollywood's "B" movie makers were brain-obsessed during this period, churning out films good to terrible with titles such as Donovan's Brain, The Brain From Planet Arous, The Brain That Wouldn't Die and so forth and so on. All those brains on screen and yet, the best one wasn't even made in the USA. For years I always thought Fiend Without A Face was a US-made "B" flick, but I just found out recently that it's British. Oops. Granted, that doesn't make it any "classier" at all - it's just yet another reason you should check out this classic 1958 sci-fi/horror gem.

It's That Time of Year (Again)...

Holiday season. Whee. People running around jamming elbows into ribs when they could sit at home or in a coffee shop somewhere and buy the same (or better bargains). people buying cheap HDTV's big and small that are actually really bad deals when it comes to picture quality, getting suckered into a new phone or device when their older one is working fine and so forth and so on. Bleh. I'm not a big fan of all this holiday hype, as it taps into some people who should know better and makes them NUTS when they could do all that gift-buying during the year, sock stuff away and hand it out when they finally get that tree or whatever up and decorated. Meh, whatever - I'll be home sipping adult beverages and sleeping near my anti-air guns. Santa better have some good radar on that sleigh is all I'm sayin'. OK< I'm not THAT much of a Grinch - I'll have a few Holiday Gift Guide suggestions on the other DAF site. Well, there are some ALREADY posted if you just do a simple search over there...

Merging Ahead (on a Few Fronts)...

This weekend should be "fun" if you consider moving posts here to the other DAF clog and adding a few new reviews if I can get all I need done. I also need to find banner images (I know what game I'll choose for December), write up some article I had notes for, lost, then found a day ago and so forth and so on. Hmmm. I also realized that some people think the world will end next month... Er, if you're reading this and are one of those folks, can you send me all your money in a well-wrapped package? Hey, you can't take it with you and I'll make sure to put it to good use. IF you DO decide to take me up on this offer and the world doesn't end, I'll send it back - er, minus shipping and a 5% fee.

Now Playing (Plus): Wii U, I'm Exhausted!

While I'm flipping a mental coin and deciding where to end up (I'm only posting here for the time being while working on a few new site ideas), I'm also up to my eyeballs in games. I just got in Zombi U yesterday (which took me away from Nintendo Land and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 for a few too many frightening hours of creeping around trying to survive) and I have something like eight more games on the way (some old, some new). It's not all Nintendo games (just in case you were thinking I'm only reviewing Wii U stuff, as that's the next batch of games I'll be posting impressions on). I also need to get back to posting Random Indie Game and Random Film of the Week reviews, as I've been backlogged with a few half finished pieces during all this holiday crunchiness and wacky WP nonsense that seems to have been cleared up. Anyway, stay tuned for more updates either here, Wordpress on some other site. The money is spent, so I just need a hell of a lot more time to get everything up and going full steam ahead...

The Final Naughty Bear: PiP Costume Will Make You SCREAM...

 

One killer bear game gets one more costume change based on yet another popular slasher flick. I can only imagine how much more gory a Naughty Bear game would be if they went for a Mature rating, but then again, that would limit the fan base a bit in places where some users would be shut out of a purchase. Then again, given that Panic in Paradise is a digital download, that point might bee totally moot. Anyway, go grab that Ghostface Bear costume (which includes The Mask of the Major Yawn, Pitch Black Hood, Pitch Black Garb and Pitch Black Skirt) from PSN or Xbox Live NOW. Naughty will stalk you if you don't (and that's NOT a good thing)...

Help FOTONICA Go Steam Greenlight!

 

One of the coolest indie games I've played is looking to get even more love from gamers worldwide. While you can indeed (and SHOULD indeed) grab FOTONICA (and its fantastic soundtrack) for five bucks from the Santa Ragione site, the developer also want to get the game on Steam Greenlight. I say help them out if you're a Steam user and nominate them! 

Review: Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition

Platform: Wii U 

Developer: WB Games Montreal

Publisher: WB Games 

# of Players: 1 

ESRB Rating: T (Teen) 

Official Site 

Score: A- (95%) 

Nintendo-only console owners have most likely been hearing about how stellar Batman: Arkham City was on the PS3 and Xbox 360 for long enough that I've heard of some of the more hardcore fans of the Dark Knight plunking down the money for a competing console and a copy of the game. For the rest of you who waited it out, you're getting the definitive version of Arkham City that not only features every bit of DLC (on the retail disc (not as some download you need to buy or add before you play), but great new GamePad exclusive functions and some nice new costumes that make the experience even better than before. I'm console agnostic myself, so as soon as I heard this was coming out, it made it to the top of the list of "ports" that had to be played. While perfection comes thanks to the wealth of content old and new, some minor technical issues break the illusion from time to time. Nevertheless, WB Games Montreal has done some amazing work in bringing Rocksteady Studios' smash onto a new console in such fine order.

Incoming 2! NEOGEO X Gold... GET!

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I couldn't help myself. Pre-order placed (thanks Best Buy!), as people are already trying to sell these for almost $100 more (and up!) on eBay. Lovely on them, but not when you can get it at its actual price and with free shipping to boot. Some in the industry think and keep going on about dedicated handheld systems being dead thanks to the glut of me-too mobile devices, but I say they're dead wrong if someone manages to do something as cool as this. I'll get a review up on one of the blogs sometime in mid-December after my system arrives. Now, go get one of your own, I say...

Or maybe get one for that gamer guy or gal on your Nice list - they'll thank you 'til the cows come home!

Incoming! More of Too Many Games (But That's A Good Thing)...

Yes, it's been slower than usual around here, but that's due to all the craziness of a site move (again), getting my other site back, trying to juggle what's turning into a small empire (well, in one corner of my brain) and getting a ton of games in and coming in over the next few days. Eek. Well, nothing to do but forge on ahead, decide where to post (little in-joke there) and get cracking. Back in a bit - I think that's Fed Ex at the door...

Moving Onward (Slowly But Surely)...

UPDATE! So, new host gotten (whee). Working on a site migration shortly. If it all works, DAF will have a NEW home (again) where I can hopefully have the freedom to make the occasional mistake and not get kicked around by bits and pieces of a TOS that makes no sense in the real world. Hell, let's hold ANYONE running for office or thinking of getting into politics to the same damn standards and I'd bet more than half of the loons out there would be out of a job (and not wasting taxpayer time or money for that matter)... Feh - back to the salt mines, as I have a ton of games to review (and some more on the way - eek)...

Video Game Appreciation 101: Twinkle Nights Isn't Inexpensive (It Just Reeks of Cheapness)

While it's rare and probably still fairly expensive once found, Intarus' Twinkle Knights has far too many problems keeping it from being anything other than a cool prize for hardcore 3DO fanatics, collectors of Japanese strip games (of which there are plenty, according to one friend who seems to have dozens for all sorts of systems)  or those folks heavily into Kusoge ("shit" games). As an actual game experience, it's far too short and quite easy to beat, yet can be infuriating at times when the CPU decides to put a stop to your progress. As "adult" entertainment, it's pretty poor (OK, it's beyond terrible) and of course, if you're still one of those people that thinks imports like these are packed with all sorts of hidden salacious content, you'll be very sorely disappointed in a WYSIWYG manner.  Besides, there are far better ways to get that sort of er, "sexy interactive excitement" on a shiny disc you can pop in a player of some sort.

Review: TANK! TANK! TANK!

Platform: Wii U

Developer: Namco

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

# of Players: 1 - 4

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: B (80%)

As a launch title for the Wii U, Namco Bandai's TANK! TANK! TANK! may not look like a system seller, but look past its colorful arcade visuals and initially simple gameplay and you'll find a fast-paced (and 100% tank focused) party game shooter that owes more than a little credit to Sandlot's always fun Earth Defense Force series of games. In fact, the game manages to play almost exactly like an arcade version of EDF would, streamlining the experience down to timed stages, random weapon pickups that you can use instantly and a mix of assorted enemies from giant robotic spiders and wasps to some pretty wild bosses that need to be taken down as quickly as possible. Granted, blowing monsters into scrap metal over and over is all you do here in the main game whether playing in solo or co-op, so those seeking something deeper should look elsewhere. On the other hand, given that this is a rather enhanced port of an arcade game that offers much more than the original version, you SHOULD expect and respect the repetitive nature of the game to the fullest by diving in and shooting up the scenery as much as possible.

"Retro" Review: The Dark Spire

Platform: Nintendo DS

Developer: Success

Publisher: Atlus

# of Players: 1

Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: A

(Note: while I'm cooling my heels and planning a new site relaunch soon, here's an old review to peruse. this previously lost review was written LONG before the PSN Wizardry games from XSEED and Wizardry Online were announced, but I decided not to alter anything mostly because I'm surprised this turned up in a folder packed with stuff I thought was gone for good - enjoy!)

Since no US publisher seems to even be thinking about reviving the classic Wizardry franchise anytime soon, Atlus has pretty much taken up the mantle of "publisher of Wizardry-like gameplay experiences" on the Nintendo DS. Some of you might be asking "Hey! what about that excellent 2001 PlayStation 2 game, Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land, huh?" However, that game (great as it was) wasn't at all related to the eight Sir-Tech PC games. Other than a few console remakes of the first seven games scattered over an assortment of Japanese consoles and a few handheld version the numerous Japanese-developed Wizardry games are their own bird (and yes, it would have been grand to see them localized in English), but that's another subject for another time. Anyway, thanks to titles such as the two Etrian Odyssey games (which can be seen as spiritual successors to Sir-Tech's original games) and now The Dark Spire, developed by Success, Atlus will absolutely make you do a happy dance if you love your RPGs old-school tough yet completely user-friendly.

Jack the Giant Slayer Trailer: Well, It's Got To At Least LOOK Better Than the Original, Right?

 

Hey, I'm old enough to remember seeing the original 1962 flick on TV a few times during the late 60's and early 70's, but even then I thought it was pretty cheesy when it came to the special effects. That was thanks to seeing almost all of Ray Harryhausen's work in better films and noting my my smart little head right away that the "special" effects in Jack weren't up to snuff. Hell, 1940's The Thief of Bag(h)dad beats JtGK by a few miles in terms of sheer visual punch.Anyway, some who view this trailer are crying "sacrilege!" or claiming Warner Bros has RUINED their childhood memories, but I say this new coat of CG paint might at least be a better film in terms of looks. OK, and acting as well, as I never could stand Kerwin Matthews as a lead. There was something about him was so wooden that the effects in the fantasy films he was in were more compelling (well, except for the ones in the original JtGK). We'll see about the story and all that in a bit, I suppose...

Three More Wii U Quick Takes (Before I Go Back To Playing)...

I'm in a Sergio Leone sort of mood, what with all this chaos happening in my tiny corner of the blogosphere, so here you go: a tiny bit of humor to lighten the mood...

THE GOOD! TANK! TANK TANK! Is basically a riff on Sandlot's Earth Defense Force series of games, but with all tanks, all the time, a lot of them to unlock and some pretty fast-paced levels. Playing on the Gamepad is pretty awesome and you can even play multiplayer with bots in case you can't get online (or don't want to). Nice.

THE BAD! For some crazy reason, Nintendo seems to think EVERY potential Wii U owner has a HDTV (thankfully, the console supports standard definition TV's, but you need to set the system up correctly) AND a solid broadband connection. You absolutely CANNOT register the console unless you connect online, which is quite stupid. The company should have thought ahead and included a "low-fi" option (old-school reply card, toll-free phone number, online registration for dial-up users, whatever) for people who want to get those 160 Club Nintendo points for filling out the registration survey. FIX THIS!

& THE UGLY! The otherwise superb enhanced port of Tekken Tag Tournament: Wii Edition is GREAT and quite spectacular to play (long load times aside), but some of the Wii U exclusive features are silly to the point of distraction. In particular, the Mario, Luigi and Peach costumes for some of the characters just look really dumb (at least I thought so). It wouldn't be so bad if there were ONE character stuck in those ridiculous get-ups, but, noooooo - here you see too many of the same goofy costume. Granted, there are a bunch more Nintendo-themed outfits to see (and yep, anyone looks good as Link), but it would have been nice to have a choice from the beginning. Fear not, Namco Bandai - I'm not going to dock the game any points for having to look at Paul Phoenix and a few too many others in the game with those red overalls, bag, fake nose and familiar mustache.

OK, back to working on some games and plotting out some more reviews... Back in a bit.

To those who celebrate it - Happy Thanksgiving, by the way!

Random Film of the Week: COLOR ME OBSESSED: A Film About The Replacements

For a film that hasn't a single second of their music, zero interviews with surviving band members and only briefly shows a few photos of the band at its ending, COLOR ME OBSESSED: A Film About The Replacements manages to be one of the best documentaries on any subject I've seen this year. Whether or not you agree with the "Best Band Ever" status the Replacements have among their most avid fans, director Gorman Bechard (a seriously obsessed fan of the band himself) makes the case for this haughty title thanks to a series of outstanding interviews with their their peers of the period (fellow musicians and producers, that is), die-hard fans young and old and even a few Hollywood types, all who reveal their love (and sometimes hate) for the band as the film progresses.

Like any great music documentary, COLOR ME OBSESSED will make you want to track down the band's back catalog of releases because the stories you'll see told about their work are more than compelling enough to make you want to create a playlist based on the songs and albums discussed. One very cool thing here is how Bechard compares each of their releases to the biggest selling albums of the year they were released in. You'll find out that compared to top acts of the time, the "Mats never sold a ton of albums throughout their history, but the loyal fan base and critical acclaim they received all added to their legendary status. At least as far as their recorded works...

Video Game Appreciation 101 - Gallery: Wii U Stuff

 

Well, my crappy site destruction issues aside, things aren't a total freak-out here. My Wii U arrived as well as some games, so I've been buried in setting up and diving into everything so I can get reviews posted here while also figuring out my next move in terms of getting a new site up and running. In the meantime, here's some...

Fun Wii U info:

1. Low-Fi Gamers, Beware. It doesn't come with standard AV cables and the default screen setting is for 16:9 HD sets (you get a nice HDMI cable), so don't sell that Wii off if you've got an old analog TV or else you'll need to shell out for a new first-party cable when you buy the system. That sales clerk at Gamestop or wherever won't even bother to ask what sort of TV you have, I'd bet.

2. You don't need to download that update UNLESS you want to use the online features. Granted, Nintendo WANTS you to be social an all, but if you can't get online for whatever reason, you can still play single player or couch-co-op games out of the box. The system will play those games without setting up an account. It took me about 10 minutes to set up my system from opening the box to glancing over the quick start sheet and piecing everything together. Par for the course, Nintendo has made it pretty easy to get up and running. You get a bunch of stuff like a pair of "feet" for the Wii U that give it a nice profile) a charger cradle and GamePad stand (one's a dedicated charger, one's just a stand), but don't you dare toss anything you think you aren't going to use. You'll be buying a second GamePad at some point so yeah, you'll need somewhere to set it, right?

3. Nintendo Land is pretty cool (but EVERY game should have had a solo play component). I wasn't expecting much (and a few of the games could have been a bit better), but leave it to Nintendo to make mini-games that are basically extended tutorials VERY fun and even more rewarding. Pikmin Adventure is my favorite, and it needs to be expanded upon with bigger maps and turned into a full-fledged game. Heck, it's good enough as it is to get put on the 3DS, but what's here is addictive and has a nice old school meets new school thing going for it. More on the other games in my review...

4. You can play Batman: Arkham City completely on the Gamepad (and it's quite impessive). Yeah, yeah - everyone is talking about the new Mario game, but for me WB Montreal's super-duper port of Rocksteady's already amazing game will make Vita owners REALLY pissed. Granted, there IS some annoying slowdown in spots, but the incredible amount of content here (ALL the DLC packs, new costumes and added GamePad functionality) makes this the best version of the game to date.


There's a lot more to cover, but I'll get to some of that when I start putting reviews together...

OK, back in a bit - Tekken Tag Tournament is calling me and there's still a big chunk of Arkham City to explore.

On the Hunt for a Host (The DAF Saga Continues!)

Hmmm. So... here we go again, huh. I actually did find a new host for the blog, but it'll take me a bit to prepare for the move. I'm going to probably import some recent posts here just so I have that older content up for the month while I get set for some (more) MAJOR work. I'm actually more amused than annoyed, as I figured something crappy would happen with the new site before the year was out. Of course, I didn't expect to be nuked off Wordpress (boo!), but oh well. At least I can export my XML file and hopefully not need to go crazy re-reformatting work.

Ah, technology...

In the meantime, my Wii U is arriving today, so I'll get to finally crack open some games and get to playing at some point (stupid mandatory update aside). Reviews incoming!

Review: Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (PS3)

Platform: PS3 

Developer: Blitz Games 

Publisher: Disney Interactive 

# of Players: 1 - 2 (Co-op) 

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) 

Official Site 

Score: Single Player: D+ (65%)/Co-op B+ (85%) 

Rather than cut and paste my Wii review of Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two  from earlier today with a few HD-themed edits, I decided to get a little more creative... to a point. Yup, this is what happens when you stay up to long playing one version of a game after another, folks...

More Epic song? OK, I've got one- 
In HD, Mickey's hot as strong sun
The shadows here? They can't be beat  
with detailed backgrounds that are quite neat.

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two looks great on the PS3, with some gorgeous cartoon colors, more detailed backdrops, better draw distance and some great use of shadows that give areas a lot more life than on the Wii version. It may seem like a small thing, but the care that went into elements such as the bucket-carrying brooms casting shadows on the walls (and yes, recalling the Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence in Fantasia) add to the overall game experience. Granted, lovely shadows and backdrops don't make a great game, but for the most part, the game doesn't disappoint on the visual front...

OK, Back Here Again (For Now)....

Gah. I seem to have some might DUMB luck as of late, as I'm suddenly booted off Wordpress. Feh. OK, I'll run some posts here in the meantime while I try and sort stuff out. Back in a bit....

Sandy, Systems and Such...

It's been a hell of a month so far, as you can probably guess if you keep an eyeball on the news. Hurricane Sandy did a number on the NYC metropolitan area and the surrounding states (in a fairly wide random areas at that), so things are a bit chaotic in a few places, yet quiet in others. We didn't get much bad damage here, but a few blocks over in any direction, the power has been out for folks, but is slowly being restored. Staten Island, parts of Brooklyn, Queens and New Jersey were beat up badly and will take ages to get back to "normal" - but with enough help and effort, they can do it, I'd say...

It's October! Games & Movies Galore Month (But Isn't It Always?)...

OK, You're still here, huh? Well, you're missing out on the game and film reviews, dopey commentary and other junk on the NEW DAF, so there! Anyway, October is a pretty busy time everywhere, but this month in particular brings gamers a ton of awesome stuff like Resident Evil 6, Dishonored (my game of the month, if you want to know where the banner images is from - the other blog has a better header that's kind of Halloween themed) and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember because it's freakin' 8am and I've been up all night working on too many things AGAIN.

Anyway, let me shut up and go to sleep, but I'll leave you with a link that fits the season. NO, not Christmas, silly - some shops were putting up displays LAST MONTH (*Yaaaaaaa!!!!*), which was a bit annoying to see, but hey, the economy is kind of awful if you're not raking in the dollars as an online shop. Which is a nice segue to SINISTER CINEMA, a fine purveyor of things cinematic. OK, they sell "B" movie classics across a few genres on VHS (shocking!) and DVD and a bunch of cool books you might like if you're old and creaky like I am (or just have an interest in stuff like that). Anwyay, go check them out sometime, as website aside, they still do things the old-fashioned way when it comes to shipping what you pick out.

OK, basta es basta, as I hear the Sandman calling... or is that snoring?  Yup, once again, I think he's passed out on the chair in the other room (in front of the TV, actually). Ha! That sleepy sap with the nappy sack can't keep up with me!  

La La La... Just a Test Post (Because Google Is Annoying Again)

Just checking some stuff out, as I've been getting error messages when trying to post here or on the DAF trailers site. Sometimes it goes away, sometimes it doesn't, so I'm wonder8ing if Google is just being annoying (again). Ah, I see I'm getting an error message while typing this, so it's not a problem on this end. Hey, Google! Knock it off, damn you...

Babycastles Summit Info - Get Ready For A Big Gaming Blast!

Are you going? This is looking like the event of the year for the NYC gaming "scene" (eek), but I'm not going to gawk at geeks and geekettes galore. No, sir - I'm all business, mister! OK, I'll dip into that game project thing and see what's what and maybe smile once or twice (I'm near my quota for the month already)... 

BABYCASTLES SUMMIT AUGUST 24th 25th 26th featuring KEITA TAKAHASHI IVAN SAFRIN KAHO ABE NEIL FRIDD Brought to you by NYU GameCenter CITE Game Innovation Lab TAKAHASHI TAKES NYC Special Interview with Keita Takahashi by Frank Lantz ✌ THREE DAYS OF ✌   BANDS ✌ WORKSHOPS ✌ TALKS Inspired by Keita’s kid-friendly play-scape designs and Anna Anthropy's book, "Rise of the Videogame Zinesters: How Freaks, Normals, Amateurs, Artists, Dreamers, Drop-outs, Queers, Housewives, and People Like You Are Taking Back an Art Form" Our goal is to inspire and encourage people who didn't think they could make games to make games. Babycastles will be building four video game play-scapes designed by Keita Takahashi In association with Kaho Abe, Neil Fridd and Ivan Safrin. They will be on display and available for play throughout the summit at the Museum of Art and Design. RSVP HERE. 2 Columbus Circle // NEW YORK // NY 10019 Sponsored By THE NYU GAME CENTER CITE GAME INNOVATION LAB ALSO ANNOUNCING: Join Gameifesto and Babycastles on a journey through videogame's dynamic history, from the arcade to the living room and beyond, we'll discuss how technology, design, culture, and commerce have all influenced each other to create the most important medium of the 21st century. Featuring Anna Anthropy, Nolan Bushnell, Phil Fish, Tim Schafer, Keita Takahashi, Doug Wilson + more! #WhatsInAGame CHECK OUT OUR DEBUT TRAILER PREMIERE NICE HAIR The Babycastles summit is a three-day series of talks, panels, bands, hands-on workshops and custom video game installations designed by Keita Takahashi, game designer of Japan’s Katamari Damacy.  The summit will be hosted by the Museum of Art and Design from August 24th through the 26th as part of the “Fun Fellowship”. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE JEAN CLAUDE VAN JAM A NEW GAME JAM ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ celebrating the film career of the most excellent actor  JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME ☜ ☚ ☜ ☚ ☜ ☚ ☜ Come make games with Babycastles & Eyebeam! --------- RSVP www.jeanclaudevanjam.com BABYCASTLES WANTS YOU to join our Volunteer List

☺ HELP US OUT AND VOLUNTEER  xoxox  - Syed Salahuddin, Colin Snyder and all of Babycastles

Keeping It Simple (At Least Here)...

Yup, no big killer screenshot this month, as I'm concentrating on the new DAF and another project that's going to keep me occupied for a while this month. That is all - more later (but most likely on the new site, hokay?)

The Walking Dead Season 3 Trailer: So, Prison Was A Bad Idea After All, Huh?

 

I still haven't read the comics yet (other than six pages of the first issue), so I'm really not one of those complaining about anything different from the books or how Season Two wasn't packed top to bottom with zombie slaughterhouse action every single episode. I loved much of the pacing and tension in the last season and hell, that payoff was worth it in the last few shows, right? Season Three looks to be a bit more chaotic, but I'm hoping to hell the show's writers aren't going to respond to EVERY criticism about downtime by going full-tilt with the weapons to the head or flesh-chomping just to feed those who can't grasp a damn great story that takes TIME to evolve their weekly meal. Given that the comic has hit issue #100, I can see the show going on for a while... but I'd say they'd need to replace (or get rid of) some characters before they start getting too old to be the ages they're supposed to portray...

Free DREDD 3D Advance Screening Chance At San Diego Comic-Con!

 

Going to San Diego Comic-Con? Want to see DREDD 3D for FREE? Well, OK, then! Here's info direct from Lionsgate on how to get in on this:

We're excited to announce that Lionsgate is kicking off San Diego Comic Con 2012 with an Advance Screening of Dredd 3D!!  

**SCREENING:

When: Wednesday, July 11th, 10:00PM

Where: Reading Cinemas Gaslamp. 701 5th Ave., San Diego

Note: Star Karl Urban will introduce the screening!

To learn more about the above, and register for the exclusive screening, visit www.JudgementIsComing.com and retweet DREDD 3D's tweet! #JudgementIsComing

**MASTERS OF THE WEB PANEL:

When: Thursday, July 12th, 4:30PM - 5:30PM

Where: Room 24ABC

What: Masters of the Web - The annual gathering of some of the most prominent and influential film pundits on the web discuss the film industry, writing for film online, film fandom, and a whole lot more. Moderated by star of the new Lionsgate film Dredd, Karl Urban (Star Trek, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King), with special surprise cast members from the film. Panelists include Mike Sampson (ScreenCrush.com), Jen Yamato (MovieLine.com), Mali Elfman (ScreenCrave.com), Erik Davis (Movies.com), Steve "Frosty" Weintraub (Colider.com), Grae Drake (Fandango.com), Jenna Busch (Cocktails with Stan Lee), and Edward Douglas (ComingSoon.net), and hosted by John Campea (AMC Theatres). AMC is generously providing free movies passes to all attendees of the panel this year! Room 24ABC

http://www.facebook.com/dreddthemovie

http://www.twitter.com/LionsgateMovies

#Dredd3D

Happy Independence Day!

Yeah, yeah, I'm a few days early, but hey, better too early than too late, right? Besides, given the fireworks that have been popping outside my window in the distance the last week or two, I'm actually a bit "late" already, according to some folks in a few neighborhoods around here. Amusingly enough, fireworks are allegedly "illegal" here in NYC, but every year we get a free show up here that lasts a few hours from the folks who manage to smuggle them in from the surrounding areas (as in states where they ARE legal).

Anyway, it's too damn HOT outside, there are way too many great, good and not so great games to play this year and next, the industry still can't admit there's a recession hurting sales at retail and online, we're moving too quickly towards the cloud as a solution for things it will fail at when, frankly speaking, shit goes down hard and so forth and so on.

Exciting times? Yes indeed, but don't get me started on politics, compulsive liars trying too hard to please the wrong people and those folks who don't have a clue still getting shafted by those they think have solutions. Just get me a pile of games and some decent moves and I'm sticking to those for the time being... Anyway, what are you dong reading THIS nonsense when you can check out (and sign up at) the NEW DAF? Go on, now... git! And thank you for doing so if you've already done so!

eBay, You Suck More Often Than You Think You Don't....

That is all. This has been a public service announcement.

E3 Is Here, But The Future Isn't Exactly So Bright...

OK, I'm kind of annoyed.  Don't get me wrong, folks - I'm THRILLED about the Wii U, new Vita and 3DS games, all the new console games coming, fun stuff like Torchlight II, Dishonored, Sleeping Dogs and even the new Steel Battalion stealing my free time even more than Dragon's Dogma, The Witcher II and a few other games I've been buried in this past month. But something shifty is going on under all the flashy lights at this year's show that's a tad unsettling. Despite the huge amount of new games coming, a number of key publishers are skipping the event this year and there has even been criticism coming from a few well-known names about the show not being relevant any longer. In addition, there's still a worldwide recession going on (worse in some spots than others) and layoffs happening all over the industry, yet it forges on ahead with the plan to make us all lazier than we need to be, which is a really bad thing if you think about it...

It's May, So That Must Mean It's Max Payne Month...

With Rockstar teaming up with Marvel Comics and rolling out a Max Payne 3 comic (digital and limited retail release), the game arriving soon afterward and a bunch of ads all over doing their thing, I'm predicting old Max will be feeling better about himself once he's back in the gamer eye for a bit. I'll be covering the game on the NEW DAF blog, so remember to boogie on over thataway to see what I think of Rockstar's wrap-up to the series (well, it's looking like some sort of finale, but I'm expecting to see Max pop up elsewhere at some point in some playable form)...

Buy A Tree, Keep Me Gaming!

Hey! You're still hanging around here instead of signing up at the NEW DAF, huh? Well, good for me, especially if you're sitting on some dispoable income and happen to like a little art collecting. I'm selling off some of my art in the form of  random pencil or ink tree sketches over at fiverr.com and yes, you should maybe think about taking a peek over there and perhaps buying one. Or two. No pressure at all, folks. Hey, everyone needs a little art in their lives, that's for sure!

A Shadowrun Reboot Is On Kickstarter. That's All You Need To Know...

For me, FASA's Shadowrun was (and is) one of the great gaming experiences from the 90's back on the Super Nintendo and Genesis (I never played the tabletop games at all, my loss, I know) and now it's coming back as a Kickstarter project. Even better, it's a single player RPG, not some shooter, MMO or co-op focused game that goes far away from what the originals were. Hmmm... this crowdfunding thing is getting out of hand... but in an extremely good way. Still, I can see bigger publishers wanting to muscle in on things even if Kickstarter won't let them. How so? Well, I can't imagine some of the more important publishers today NOT being a bit ticked off that people are putting up MAJOR money to get smaller indie projects done while ignoring quite a lot of AAA titles for any number of reasons. My only problem with all this is the lack of retail versions of most of these Kickstarter games, or at least the promise of budget-priced disc versions that don't come with a bunch of swag some have no use for. One of these days I really HOPE someone puts out a few of these titles on something a lot more permanent than an invisible download...

Yesterday's News: Gamers Get Girls (Plus Some Actual Advice)

Created by: Online University

Hey, I didn't write this, the folks at Online University did, compiling it from a few sources. Since I posted this yesterday on the other DAF blog, I had another amusing thought: This is kind of sexist in a wacky way IF you know any gal gamers like I do who may be in the same boat or perfectly pleased with whomever they're seeing. Maybe OU can do a FemGeek version of this ad just for the lonelier ladies out there who think there's no one for them with the same interests. Then again, it always seems like guys have the hardest time justifying their hobby with their potential significant others, even to the point of tip-toeing lightly around the fact that they play games even after they've committed to the ol' ball and chain. Stupid move, I say. Grow some and learn to communicate better from the start, get the respect you deserve and SHARE those games, ya dopes!


"That'll be five cents, please!"

Silent House: A Nicely Creepy, Single Shot Horror Flick Coming To A Theater Near You...

 

I'm posting this here instead of the new DAF blog as Wordpress gets kind of funky about embedded stuff like this. OK, I finally saw the commercial for Silent House last night and while it didn't really scare me, I love the real-time, done in a single shot aspect of the film as well as some of the "jump out" scares common to the horror scene. I really hope it's well paced and doesn't suffer from a lot of the logic flaws that have plagued other real-time movies in other genres. Will it be like Hitchcock's classic ROPE, or more of an 88 Minutes? We shall see on March 9, I guess. In any event, new horror films always do well at the box office, so there's that. Feel free to hit up the official site link above or the Facebook and Twitter pages for more info and updates.

March Already? Bring In The Lions!

Yikes, it's going to be nuts this month. Not so much here, mind you, but over at the new DAF. Mass Effect 3 is only one of too many cool titles rolling out (but none of the others have those spectacular TV spots), I have a bunch of Game Appreciation 101 "classes" for you guys and gals to attend (optional, but you'll get learned up a bit on some important stuff). Anyway, I'll shut up now and get to posting on the other site, as I have a few fun things planned this month and next...

Toy Fair 2012: He Who Has The Most Stuff, Wins.

So, I'll be doing the Toy Fair thing for the next day or two (maybe three or all four if I'm not wiped out). Finally, a trade show I can safely attend without being trampled by someone with a cardboard sword rushing to grab some freebies or an autograph from a second-rate celebrity! OK, that's a bit of an in-joke on my part (and I bet I'll still be run over by someone rushing to get some freebies), but whatever.  Anything interesting I run across will end up on the NEW blog, so keep that in mind. That is all. Off to get prepared for a very long day!

Update: I fixed that broken link in the post (oops !) - that's what I get for staying up too late before a big show!

Game of Thrones: Season 2 "Shadow" Teaser - Winter in April? No Fooling...

Confession time: Although I've seen bits and pieces of some episodes, I actually JUST started watching Season One from the beginning a few days ago (thank you HBO On Demand!). I haven't read any of the books either (too busy doing the gaming and blogging and poking about for work thing), but going in cold was actually a great thing for me as it's making me want to take a look at the books at some point. Anyway, it's a great show (as you know, blah, blah, blah) and Season 2 (starting April 1, no joke) is looking even better. Of course, given the penchant for anyone to get killed off at any time, I wouldn't be surprised to see nothing but the crew left sometime around episode 8 or 9 of the new season (ha ha)... Anyway, this same post is going up on the NEW DAF - I just wanted to run it here as well just so you folks still hanging out here would have a little more to read... ;^P

A More January-y Header...

Yes, i changed the header, as Silent Hill HD Collection has slipped into March (boo!). EA's upcoming SSX is a lot more fitting, so there you go. Also, as I'm about 50% into moving the old DAF (this blog!) to the NEW DAF (that blog), it would be AWESOME if some of you guys on my followers list would boogie on over to check out the new digs, as I could use the traffic and you're missing out on some keen stuff. Plus I have a few fun surprises on the way...

It's 2012! Yay! Now Get Back to Work!

You'd think we'd be used to a New Year rolling in every year, but nooooo. All those people packed into Times Square don't realize that for 12 hours or so, inmates in prisons have MORE freedom than they do. Bathroom breaks, less security (in some cases), no standing 'til their legs go numb, and so forth and so on. Of course, at least those tourist get to go back to their hotels and most of them know who they're smooching when that ball drops... eek.

Anyway, Guys and Dolls... Happy New Year! Now, let's keep the damn planet around for 2013 and beyond!