Tag Archives: video games

2015 Los Angeles Anime Expo – Talking With Cosplay Fans (Day 2)

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Review: Wreck-It Ralph wrecks the box office

I saw Wreck-It Ralph this weekend and apparently so did everyone else.  It’s about Ralph, the villain in an old 8-Bit game called Fix-It Felix Jr, who is fed up of being the bad guy, so he game jumps and decides to find his own destiny.

The Good:

Where to start… where to start… the humor is great, lots of stuff for the grownups who grew up with 8-bit games.  When they’re in Game Central Station there are a lot of characters from other games, Wreck-It Ralph is the Who Framed Roger Rabbit of video games.  I enjoyed seeing all the other characters throughout the movie, as well as the other arcade machines that pass time in the arcade.

The animation is top notch.  Each game is a separate world and the characters that inhabit that world behave and look differently.  An example is Ralph’s world, the inhabitants of the apartment of Niceland behave in short quick movements, almost with a staccato beat, which is very evocative of the 8-bit world in which their video game takes place in.  Then we go on to Hero’s Duty where everything is in high def with lots of action going on in the background.  Next we visit Sugar Rush where the world is made up of some form of candy.  A standard movie takes time establishing one world in which the protagonist lives in, with its own set of rules in the case of sci-fi or fantasy, but with Wreck-It Ralph we’re treated to at least three other worlds, amazing that the filmmakers were able to accomplish that.

My main praise for this film has got to be the story.  The story is what grabbed me immediately, from the beginning Ralph is a relate-able character and his journey is one that is simple yet complicated in its own way.  The arc of the story is very very similar to Brave and The Iron Giant.  The ending especially reminded me of The Iron Giant.

The Bad:

I don’t think I have anything to put here.  Only that people will immediately dismiss this film as being a cartoon and not an animated film.  “I don’t watch cartoons,” to those of you whom this applies to… I say, stretch your brain, and allow yourself to experience something new, it might shock and amaze you.  And if it doesn’t, then you have no soul and you should have a doctor look in to that.

Overall:

I cannot recommend this movie enough.  There’s something for everyone, it’s a throw back to the 8-bit games that pioneered video game entertainment industry, as well as a commentary on the state of video gamer entertainment today, but above all it’s touching and moving in the right places.  I predict a best animated feature nom.

Another bonus is the short Paperman that we got before the main feature, what a pleasant little treat.

It’s also great to see all the other video games, here are some to name a few; Bowser, Paperboy, Ryu, Ken, Blanka, Pac-Man, M. Bison, Zangeif, Chung-Li, Sonic, Q*Bert, Frogger, Princess Daisy…

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, No More! Comikaze Expo is Her Final Convention Appearance

That’s right, after November 6th, Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark, will no longer be making convention appearances. Comikaze Expo, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will mark the last convention appearance of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. As the official “spooksperson” of Comikaze Expo, Elvira (aka Cassandra Peterson) will sign autographs, pose for photos with fans and take part in various events throughout the Expo.

Elvira became a household name as the host of Elvira’s Movie Macabre, the first nationally syndicated horror movie show. The weekly series featured the sexy, outrageous movie hostess’ sharp wit and clever banter throughout her tongue-in-cheek commentary of B-movie classics. Her reign as ‘Queen of Halloween’ spans three decades and includes two feature films, her long-running series and two motion control rides. Her appearance at Comikaze Expo solidifies the event’s commitment to horror fans and promises to be a memorable experience for all.

Comikaze Expo is the largest multimedia pop culture convention in Los Angeles. This unique event brings together the best in comics, gaming, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, anime and all other cult programming. Comikaze takes place November 5-6 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and offers a slate of innovative programming, panels, contests and other activities that provide fans access to their favorite artists and creators in this adventure-packed weekend. The event will kick off with an appearance by the father of modern comics, Stan Lee, at the event’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

 

Tickets are already on sale for an awesome price of $12 and kids under 12 get in for free. Please go to the official Comikaze Expo page for additional information and a full list of scheduled guests and events.

 


Twelve bucks for a convention ticket isn’t gonna break the bank. Heck, parking usually costs that much. I’m quite excited to see what this convention will offer and how fun it will be. Come back for more information as the con draws near.

Lovable (Leisure Suit) Larry Laffer is Coming Back in HD Glory!


Replay Games has picked up the rights for the original Leisure Suit Larry franchise, and plans to re-release the original series. Additionally, they will begin working on an all new adventure beginning in 2012, to coincide with the series’ 25th anniversary.

The remakes will feature upgraded visuals, sound and control. However, the original sense of humor and puzzles will be kept. Thankfully, Replay Games CEO has been working closely with the Leisure Suit Larry’s creator Al Lowe.

Personally, I am really excited on this announcement. I loved the original series. After I played Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!, I was eagerly hoping and anticipating any other sequel. I even bought the Leisure Suit Larry’s Casino, hoping it would have some sort of short adventure with Larry Laffer. It didn’t have one, it was strictly casino games using characters from the game.

When the new crop of Leisure Suit Larry games started to come out (Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude in 2004, and Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust in 2009), I was initially super stoked; sadly, after playing them, it left me quite disappointed.

Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, and Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust did not feature a couple of key elements that made the original series entertaining and fun.

  1. Instead of Larry Laffer as the main character, they used his oddly more pathetic nephew Larry Lovage.
  2. The new games did not involve Al Lowe in any way.
  3. Instead of tongue-in-cheek humor, its focus was more on the T and A factor. Basically, trying to be an interactive Skin-a-max flick.

There is no release date mentioned yet for the HD re-mastered version of the original Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of Lounge Lizards. Replay will hopefully be releasing it on multiple platforms including, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, XBLA, PSN, On-Live, and Steam.

With a bit of luck, look for more updates in the near future.

Source: EGM Now

How to Get Your Ambassador Games for Your 3ds

UPDATE: Ambassador Program is now Live!

As a reminder for those who bought their 3ds early on and qualified for the Ambassador program, September 1st is rolling around the corner!  With that in mind, Nintendo support has now posted instructions on how to acquire these games.  The quickest explanation is that you are re-downloading titles you now own, instead of getting some sort of voucher to redeem these games.

Likewise, owners will also get an Ambassador Certificate (a video file), which can be used to receive updates regarding the program and notify users when new titles are available to download.

The 10 NES Virtual Console games available to download on Sept 1st:

  • Super Mario Bros.™
  • Donkey Kong Jr.™
  • Balloon Fight™
  • Ice Climber™
  • The Legend of Zelda™
  • Metroid™
  • NES Open Tournament Golf
  • Wrecking Crew
  • Zelda II – The Adventure of Link
  • Yoshi

For more information go to Nintendo Support

Related Articles: Handy Dandy Ambassador Checker

Gears of War 3 Coming out on 9-20-2011

Do you remember the sound of a chainsaw cutting through Locust flesh? Finding cover and blind firing at Locust Drones coming at you? Yelling at your friends to run away from an exploding Flame Grenadier? On September 20th, when Gears of War 3 is released, you’ll remember those feelings.

Once again, in the story campaign, you will play as Marcus Fenix. However, for the first time in this series, the game will feature four-player co-op. Now you can take three other friends with you; in previous games, it was limited to two-player co-op. Also returning to the series will be the popular Horde mode, featuring new innovations like boss battles, upgradeable fortifications, more diverse waves and enemies, and a deeper player progression system.

Gears of War 3 : Campaign Trailer

Gears of War 3 already has over one million pre-orders and looks to be one of the most anticipated game of 2011.

For more information, go to the official Gears of War 3 website.

Where’s Wall-E?

Where’s Wall-E?

I don’t know who the artist is of this beautiful image, but somewhere in the mix of classic to modern robots is Disney’s Wall-E. I haven’t found him yet, but I recognize a bunch of famous robots from all decades of television, movies, cartoons, and even reality (find the Sony original bi-pedal walking robot QRIO).

I’ve found Cylons from Battlestar Galactica, the Lost in Space robot, that robot from the old 80s movie “Millennium”, Scooter from GoBots, Dotty from Spaceballs, even the Humping Robot from Robot Chicken! The artist even put robot Bill and Ted from “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey.” The list just goes on…

It makes me feel nostalgic.

But… I still haven’t found Wall-E. Can you?

What other characters can you all name/find?

 

 

(Update: I have found Wall-E)