GamingAngels

Spider-Man reaches #600 Hero Initiative celebrates

2009-07-10T21:43:21Z

Spiderman

Amazing Spider-Man has reached its milestone 600th issue! That’s alot of Spidey. To celebrate, San Francisco’s Comic Outpost is holding a Spider-Man anniversary party on Wednesday, July 22.

Comic Outpost has constructed a wall of all 600 issues of Amazing Spider-Man going back to issue #1 from 1963. It is probably an amazing site to take in. There will be raffles for signed books and a genuine chainsaw prop from Doctor Octopus emergency room scene in the Spider-Man 2 movie.

“Way back in the early ’70s, my mother bought me my first comic, Marvel Team-Up #42, featuring Spider-Man and Vision. From that point I was hooked!” said Comic Outpost owner Gary Buechler. “Through the years, I’ve put together a full run of Amazing Spider-Man and it’s a kick to be able to display it in my own store! It’s an honor and a duty to help give back to all of the creators who brought me and so much joy and have allowed me to actually make a living. It is the least I could do.”

“I’m very proud of my years of work on Spider-Man, and always pleasantly surprised to see that people remember it fondly still today,” said Hero Initiative Board member John Romita Sr. “My thanks to the crew at Comic Outpost. This should be a great event I wish I could attend, and should raise some much-needed funds for Hero!”

Comic Outpost is 2381 Ocean Ave in San Francisco. If you attend please take pictures for GamingAngels.com!

Nintendo hosting two big events in NY

2009-07-10T21:26:58Z

Nintendo logo

Nintendo is gearing up for two fun events in New York. First up is this Saturday, July 11 at their Nintendo World Store. Nintendo is celebrating the launch of The Legendary Starfy in the United States. Starfy himself will be available for pictures with fans and people can win Starfy prizes.

On Thursday, July 23, Nintendo will be at Military Island/Times Square for their Wii Sports Resort launch event. Military Island will turn into an urban island getaway where visitors can take a mini “vacation” courtesy of Nintendo. It will be like you are in California on the beach.

The event is from 9am - 3pm. Here is the address for Military Island:
Military Island/Times Square
7th Avenue and Broadway
Between 43rd and 44th Streets, Manhattan, NY 10036

All the fun happens in New York!

Killzone 2 Napalm and Cordite DLC announced

2009-07-10T21:14:46Z

Killzone 2 DLC

Guerilla Games have announced a new DLC pack called Napalm & Cordite. The DLC also includes a patch for new features and fixes. Here is the official lists of fixes from Playstation Blog:

* Feature - Code support for DLC pack III “Napalm & Cordite”. The update will enable players to create games with the newest maps “Suljeva Cliffside” and “Arctower Landing”
* Feature - Code support for DLC to allow the additions of the Flamethrower and the Boltgun to multiplayer.
* Trophies – New trophies added for DLC pack III “Napalm and Cordite”.
* Feature - Detailed information screen when browsing games. Items displayed include: Friendly Fire, Faction Balancing, Custom Weapons and Custom Badges as well as the region, game size, selected maps and allowed Missions and Badges.
* Feature - Higher values for Bodycount mode. Players can now create games with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 100 and 200 points to increase the time of the mode for 32 player games.
* Feature - Moderators can now create double-points events.
* Fix for persistent squads now working correctly when users using separate Japanese accounts join Friends.
* New loading screens.
* Moderation – Additional powers and functionality for online moderators.
* Fix for Clan Leader leaving his clan before an active Tournament of Clan Challenge.
* Fix for score replication on different clients.
* Fix for a Clan Challenge results displaying a won/lost games as a ‘Draw’.
* Fix for incorrect Tournament timings being displayed for (semi)-final.
* Fix for an empty message pop-up being displayed.
* ‘High Precision Mode’ now defaulting when requested.
* Fix for stuttering audio on the Asian version.
* Fix for network error displayed when trying to log in with another users account.
* Fix to reduce network traffic and improve performance.
* Fix for occasionally being displayed an empty background when ‘Join Friend’ via Communications tab.
* Exploit – Pyrrhus Rise map boundary fix.
* Exploit – Radec Academy collision fix to prevent players being revived inside a pillar and using it to their advantage.
* Cosmetic fix for Medic Gun visual effects.
* Cosmetic fix for Search & Retrieve object being cloaked by the Scout.
* Cosmetic fix for Scouts body remaining cloaked after being mortally wounded (i.e. headshot).
* Gameplay – Damage from Sentry bots tweaked back on request of the community.
* Collection of minor code fixes.

ModNation Racers debut trailer

2009-07-10T20:42:06Z

ModNation

The debut trailer for ModNation Racers has just come out. The cute, customizable racer was shown at E3 this year. The video shows the customization options with racers and the cars. I’m so building a Hello Kitty car and race track.

Video Games | ModNation Racers | Exclusive Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Michael Jackson game scheduled

2009-07-10T19:35:46Z

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson might be dead, but his legacy will live on and people will figure out various ways to make money. A video game starring Michael Jackson’s likeness and speech was recorded before the musician died. Now that game is being worked on for release.

MJJ Productions has been working on the game for ’several months’. The release is set for a Christmas 09 home console release. Lots of money to be made around the holidays.

MJJ Productions rep said:“I am sure it will still be released. Michael loved games”.

Honey and Clover (film) Review

2009-07-10T17:55:08Z

Title: Honey and Clover (film)
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: yes (English)
Number of Discs: 1
Runtime: 116 minutes

Sometimes it’s good to go through your closet once in a while and pick up something totally different that you probably never got a chance to watch. This is fun especially if the film is good. Honey and Clover is that type of film. I have never seen the anime or read the manga so it was a totally fresh idea and I was completely blind to the story. It’s a good thing that I hadn’t seen the anime or read the manga, I really enjoyed the film.

Plot Summary: The plot is simple. This is a story about five art school students that are just trying to find their way. They get lost in the progress and that is what makes life fun. It’s a movie about living and learning. It also has a twist of love because when Hagumi Hanamoto enters the picture love triangles form and life becomes just a bit more complicated.

Why I think it deserves a watch: At first when I had heard that it was a romance story, I was hesitant to watch it. I thought it would be another “boy meets girl, boy falls in love with said girl, and they live happily ever after” type film but I was wrong. Though it does have some of those elements especially with the meeting of Hagumi and Takemoto where there is that awkward moment of silence while they look at each other or the seeing of blossoms at her artwork (I guess it’s the equivalent of fireworks after a kiss) this is still a story about life. The film outlines some interesting subjects. It covers popularity and what it feels like to be awkward in school while you try to uncover your own personality. It covers unrequited love it is funny watching Mayama stalk the girl that he likes all the way down to what lip gloss she wore. It talks about college life (pressure in classes and those wild college parties) and just about anything that can be fit into film format.

Overall, it’s a wonderful and enjoyable story, full of twists and unexpected turns (beach anyone?). They are all normal though and associated with life with bits of romance sprinkled here and there. This is a definite must watch for those that are fans of the genre or who are just looking for something new to watch.

Special Features:
Hanamoto’s Study Group – An interview of the cast about the film
Original Japanese Trailers – Original Japanese trailers for the film
Director and Cast – A little blurb about the creator of the anime and manga and the director
VIZ Pictures Presents – Previews for other films by VIZ Media

Note from the Editor: If you like the movie, or want to check out the anime before watching, check out yesterday’s announcement from VIZ Media: iTunes will exclusively offer the first episode of HONEY AND CLOVER as a free download until August 31, 2009. Plus, every purchase of the complete first season of HONEY AND CLOVER will include a free, bonus episode download.

First Look: National Card Hockey League

2009-07-10T17:35:45Z

So, National Card Hockey League is a card game, sort of like the old “War” card game we’ve all played at some point or another. However, this version of the game, takes another twist by letting you choose a NHL team to represent and game to play against. Game play is in quarters, just like a hockey game, and you play your cards (players) using the player’s jersey number to match cards placed by your opponent. If you’re a fan of quick card games to play online, or games that incorporate hockey themes, this will definitely be one to keep an eye out for Since the game is still in development, there were several things that I saw that may be improved before you get to see the game. The graphics are still unpolished, but I’ve been told that when a final product is released that the graphics will match the teams that you choose - for example, if you were to choose the Toronto Maple Leafs as your team, the background the game is played on would match the Air Cananda Center where the team actually plays. Also, upon full development, there will be the ability to customize your game as you go - creating your own team, or switching players to be part of your deck. Because the game play is so like that old “War” game play - where cards are played to try and create matches to score points, I’m pretty interested to hear that they’re also working on building game play between 2 or 4 players.

I’ll be honest and say that while I might enjoy a good hockey game from time to time, I’m not a huge fan. But, I’m always up for a good game that I can play on my phone, or PC that gives me a quick opportunity to game when I don’t have a lot of time. I think a game like National Card Hockey League can definitely be one of those types of games, even if you’re not into hockey or sports in general. And if you’re the competitive type, keep an eye out for the different customizations the game will provide to create new challenges for yourself, or you and a friend.

National Card Hockey League is not currently available to the public, but you can keep a watch for it {here}. I’ve been told by the developer that they’re also looking into a Soccer version of the game, if that’s your thing.

Lev Grossman’s Magicians

2009-07-10T18:19:12Z

Buy Magicians on Amazon!

Brakebills College is not your average college, and Quentin Coldwater is not your average high school senior. And one very cold November day, a day in which Quentin should have been sitting down to an interview to get himself into Princeton, the two will meet and things will never be the same again.

Quentin is not the happiest boy on the planet. For all the smarts he has, he’s just never really all that happy. He’s in love with a girl who doesn’t love him, and completely obsessed with a world that doesn’t exist: Fillory. But he has the brains to get into Princeton, so he walks into his interview….. and finds the professor is dead.

A mysterious paramedic on the scene hands Quentin an envelope. When he opens it, he discovers it is a manuscript; the next book in the Fillory series. There is a note tucked into it, and the note floats away from him, with Quentin chasing it all the way to Brakebills.

Brakebills College is a magic college. For those who have the skill, it becomes their home for five years of study. Some students don’t pass the entrance exam, others will drop out in later years for various reasons. Quentin hopes to find the happiness here that he doesn’t feel in the normal world. Time flows differently here, and he makes new friends, ones who understand him, a girl who loves him.

When classes have ended and there is nothing to distract him any longer, Quentin’s attitude slips back to his earlier days. Nothing makes him happy. He still wants to escape to Fillory, the magical land of childhood books.

And then he gets the chance.

A good half of The Magicians takes place in Brakebills College, where Quentin learns to cast spells, makes friends (and enemies) with fellow students. He rarely goes home for the holidays (his parents are under a spell thinking he goes to some elusive private academy), and discovers all the things most college students do: sex, alcohol, boredom. There’s just magic involved. I have to be honest, I felt that school-time went on much longer than it should have for a book that promotes actually getting to visit Fillory, Grossman’s “Narnia” tribute.

By the time I got through the school years and hit the “I’m a moody 20-something” section of the book, where Quentin & friends have graduated from Brakebills and are living life in the real world, I was getting bored. When was I going to Fillory? When would I get to see the characters who’ve been referenced throughout this entire book? I didn’t want to read about the students lazing about, high on drugs and experimenting. And then one of Quentin’s friends came bursting through the door during a most awkward scene for poor Quentin. We were finally going to Fillory.

But this wasn’t an immediate thing either. I had to read about them making preparations for going, learning and creating darker spells to defend themselves. It was taking forever at this point, and I just wanted to get to the good part.

Eventually we got there, to Fillory. It took Quentin’s temper to get us there, but we did. And what could have really been the majority of the book was crammed into a very quickly paced less than 100 page adventure, filled with dark magics and startling revelations. I felt almost robbed by the time we got there. There was all this build up, the students talking about what had happened in the other five books. But the very end of the story, where everything was revealed to Quentin, and his personal realizations, almost made up for it all.

Did I like the book? Yes, it was fairly enjoyable, even if it did seem to take forever to get to the good part. I wish there was a little more originality to it though. As a reader of fantasy novels, I was waiting for something unique to hit me over the head and say “Wow!” but that never really happened. There is only so much you can do with “paying homage” to Harry Potter (which I have never read) and C.S. Lewis’ Narnia. But Grossman does spin a tale that did have me reading until the very last page, which is a very good sign.

The Magicians will be hitting stores in August 2009.

New Mass Effect 2 footage

2009-07-10T07:58:52Z

Mass Effect 2

Gametrailers has released a new developer diary for Mass Effect 2. It’s four minutes of the developers talking about to expect from Mass Effect 2. Only watch if you aren’t upset by spoilers though.

Left4Dead & Castle Crashers Community Playdate

2009-07-10T15:29:31Z

Don’t wake the Witch!

If you aren’t able to join us for our Gears of War 2 night, don’t panic! You can join us on August 2nd as we host a double-header: Left4Dead and Castle Crashers! We’ll start up at 6pm Eastern with Left4Dead, which will continue to run for most of the night. Castle Crashers will start a little later on, at 7pm Pacific.

GamingAngels has lots of goodies to give away from our Box of Goodness. So please join us and the ladies from GamerBeauties as we host multiplayer rooms for both of these great games.

Left4Dead - starts 6pm Eastern

Twinkletoez79, germesdefille, m3gamantastic, Nurse TZA, Psycho Satanico, GB GunpwdrNLace
xCHICKAMUNGUSx, smatchiemo

Castle Crashers - starts 7pm Pacific

Yuki no Kokoro, GamingAngel, KagoMegan, GB Uncertain, Rawr itz Nicole, SuperChiick