February's Game of the Month: Earth Defense Force 2025

  

Yeah, it's not even out until the 18th of the month, but I've owned the Japanese version of the game since it came out last July and it's pretty amazing and VERY replayable, a great thing in this age of games you can blow through in less time that it takes to make a crock pot dish. EDF 2025's four distinct classes, 780 weapons, over 90 levels (with more coming through three DLC expansions) and both couch co-op and multiplayer modes means this one will be in some play stacks for a good long while.

Sure, it's not the "best" looking game and yes, developer Sandlot isn't whipping out visuals that are going to compete with the greatest-looking games of last generation. That said, the scale of the maps plus the level of destruction here is remarkable, and combined with the seemingly simple gameplay that grows deeper as the game gets more challenging, makes this one a keeper even after you've beaten it. Which will take weeks if you're going for every bit of content.

So yeah, BUY THIS GAME. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 only (Sandlot doesn't make PC Games, sorry!).

Happy New Year! (Or Else...)

  

Yeah, that's right: I'm EARLY for a change. Actually, I'm probably going to take tomorrow off and rest up a bit (NO, I'm not going to Times Square with the rest of the fools who get trapped down there for the better part of a day without the ability to pee), so I'm posting that new banner above and this post here to wish you all a stellar 2014. Or else. Now, I won't do anything to you if you don't try and have a super year, but I'd say you need to kick a few bad vibes in the nether regions and get some stuff DONE that you've been putting off for a while. You know you want to. Hey, change is good although moving forward can be tricky business if you're set in your ways and unwilling to bend a bit. 

Yeah, yeah, I'm talking to myself as well, so let's see what happens 365 days from now and maybe kick up a heel or two in a victory dance. And oh yeah, one BIG change anyone reading this can make (if you haven't done so yet) is follow me over at the NEW DAF site! Lots of stuff going on there and you may even get lucky and win something when I run a new giveaway! That's a pretty good way to start off a new year, I'd say...

Happy Holidays To All (Or Else!)...

Random advice time! Whatever you celebrate, do it and have a damn good time doing it. Stay away from the crazies who want you to tumble into their gloomy un-holiday traps, imbibe and consume responsibly and if you're giving gifts, give from the heart first and the wallet last. Shut up and listen for a change if you're a big talker. Go squeeze a plush object if you're a big hugger and generally, be nicer to random strangers unless they're trying to ruin your day. Then, you have my permission to kick them with those Nutcracker boots you're wearing, which them a merry whatever and stroll away home for a cup of hot cocoa or home-made eggnog (or a carton of the store bought stuff with some special additive that's usually rum or some other adult spirity liquid). That is all. No, wait - in case you STILL don't know this: I'm writing over at Wordpress on the NEW DAF! So boogie on over, check the site out and sign up! It's you're gift to ME if you do this, as followers and hits keep me happy and I KNOW you're cheap when it comes to getting total strangers presents. Note: if you're NOT cheap and don't mind parting with a few thousand dollars, sure, I'll take it!

Testing, Testing...

Nothing to see here, move along! It's just a test post because I'm up too late working on stuff and I have some time to kill while waiting for a download to complete. Anyway, the NEW DAF needs YOU to pop in and sign up as a regular reader if you have not yet done so. I could certainly use the readers and you could certainly use the entertainment there rather than camping out here waiting for new content. SO yeah, nothing to see HERE... so move along to my other site and I'll be a happy camper!

Your Pretty Obvious Game of the Month: Grand Theft Auto V

September 17, folks. Yeah, yeah, it's not even out yet, but between all the content descriptions, teasers, trailers and screens it's more than clear that this is Rockstar's biggest game to date and it will be a major distraction for those fans who buy in and tune out the even crazier goings on in the real world. Provided the planet doesn't blow itself up, melt or get invaded by aliens (and variations of two of those three things could happen), it should be a great holiday season for anyone employed at the company when those bonus checks go flying around...

Game of the Month: Dragon's Crown

As in just shut up and buy it already if you own a PS3 or Vita. There are big differences in both versions (so yeah, you want both), that art book is PHENOMENAL (and even more so if you happen to have imported either expensive deluxe Japanese version of the game) and the game itself is an instant classic that's both a throwback to arcade beat 'em ups as well as its own bird.

Take a peek at the video below if you're not convinced yet. If that stunning artwork and outrageously stylized characters don't get your eyes popping and your wallet flying out of your pocket or purse, well... I can't help you in your art appreciation much. Anyway, grab this for home and/or the road and tell a friend if they own a PS3 or Vita to buy this as well. You'll be able to play together... but the game WILL make both of you work like hell for that privilege, as co-op is locked out until you play through the main game once. This won't take too long, mind you and hell, you'll NEED the bonuses earned in order to survive the harder difficulties and alternate paths.

A Little VGA 101 Love For Cauldron's Conan...

Digging up some ancient random stuff from the vaults, here's a look at the intro and attract mode for Cauldron's 2004 game CONAN (aka CONAN: The Dark Axe). If you haven't played it (well, it WAS only available in Europe for PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Game Cube), it's a third-person action game that has some quirks, but makes for an interesting experience thanks to the motion captured combat moves and some really creative camerawork in the cinemas. It's not the best-looking game featuring the Cimmerian, but it's probably one of the more interesting ones Conan fans in the US never got to play unless they imported it. I have the PC, Xbox and Game Cube versions in the library (and yes, I've played it all the way through on each platform). The chances of it ever coming out as a re-release here are slim to none unless the PC version gets put on gog.com or some other download site. Of course, there's probably some sort of licensing agreement that needs to be hashed out, but I guess that's up to the folks at gog.com and CIP... 

Game of Thrones Season 3: So Far, So Great (And More to Come)...

Yikes. How about that first episode, hmmmm? Well, it looks as if there's a lot more to come in terms of shocks and surprises. I'll probably catch this again on HBO on Demand at some point this week, as I may have missed a line of dialog when I sneezed at one point. Anyway, Happy April Fool's Day, I suppose. This is going to be a wickedly cool TV month, that's for sure...

Hey! I'm Still Alive (and More Productive Elsewhere!)...

Woo-hoo? You're STILL here? OK, OK, How can I get you to subscribe to the NEW DAF site over on Wordpress? (sings) "Tell me, tell me, pleeeeaaaaase!"... Well, you COULD just click on over, see the 160+ posts I've done this month and say "Oh, that's a LOT more updated... I like it!" and sub away. OR I could always BRIBE you to join (a penny each, as I've a bag of them here collecting dust), but that's not feasible and bribery always sucks when you get caught doing it and need to do some jail time. Not that I plan on EVER going to jail, mind you. I couldn't do the site from there unless the Wi-Fi was REALLY good and I didn't have to worry about getting a shiv in the shower every so often. Anyway - go poke around the new site, sign the heck up and let me know how you like the place. I'll be waiting. or posting too much to notice you unless I look at my followers listing (which is hovering around 120 or so)...

It's Toy Fair Time Again!

Hey... it's that time of the year again, folks. It's said that he (or she) who has the most toys wins, which means Toy Fair ALWAYS wins every single year. I'll be there covering the big event from a few angles on the other DAF blog, so pop on by during the week of the show for some thoughts on stuff that I like. I'm going through my too-packed inbox making appointments, so I'm going to be busy as heck that entire week. Even better, Electronic Arts will be in NYC for their spring press event, so I'll have a few games to write about as well. Hmmm... sometimes I think need some interns or something, as I have too much on my plate every so often. But then again, it costs a lot to care and feed interns and no one makes that perfect robot companion that can do it all, so I guess I'm flying solo once again!

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! 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...