"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!"

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

2013-05-04T12:15:00.001-04:00

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)...

2013-04-01T00:22:00.000-04:00

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!)...

2013-03-24T15:42:00.002-04:00

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)...

WIN FREE STUFF! Urban Trial Freestyle PSN Codes (PS3/Vita) Up For Grabs!

2013-02-19T23:55:00.001-05:00

CONTEST CLOSED!!! CODES AWARDED!!! CHECK BACK AGAIN FOR MORE FREE STUFF!!!

OK, OK - you've been asking me to give more stuff away, soooo here you go. Thanks to the fine folks at Tate Multimedia, I have three Urban Trial Freestyle PS3 and three Vita codes here (for the North American PSN store) burning a hole in my inbox. I think six DIFFERENT people out there could use a fun blast of slick visuals, challenging stunt and speed-based gameplay and a ton of replay value to keep them busy for a bit. I think that YOU just might be one of those people, right? So, HOW do you get one of these codes, you ask? Well, just head on over to the NEW DAF site and find out!

Don't take too long to respond, though... You're almost there - a click away, in fact!

It's Toy Fair Time Again!

2013-02-03T23:31:00.001-05:00

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!

Review: Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable: It Might Just Be One Game That Keeps the Vita Alive...

2013-01-12T18:58:00.001-05:00

While Sony's otherwise excellent new portable gaming system wasn't quite the big hit the company thought it would be in 2012, there were a number of great games released for it last year that made it a more than worthy purchase. 2013 is getting off to a solid start for the handheld thanks to D3Publisher's recently launched Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable, a greatly enhanced "port" of the Xbox 360 game and the first new EDF game by original Japanese developer Sandlot to hit a Sony platform since the stellar Earth Defense Force 2 Portable on the PSP about two years ago. EDF 2017P offers up seven new stages, four new enemy types, new Vita-exclusive weapons, online wi-fi co-op and versus mode play for two to four players. That $40 price point may seem high for a download-only game, but trust me, you'll get that money's worth thanks to dozens (and potentially hundreds) of hours of outrageously challenging gameplay in solo mode and a fun online component where you can meet up and blast bugs with like-minded EDF recruits.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR (Or Else)!

2012-12-31T12:59:00.001-05:00

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...

2012-12-12T00:01:00.001-05:00

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

2012-12-03T02:44:00.002-05:00

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.

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

2012-12-01T14:36:00.000-05:00

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)...

2012-11-30T16:28:00.000-05:00

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!

2012-11-29T13:14:00.002-05:00

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...

2012-11-28T14:11:00.000-05:00

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!

2012-11-28T12:53:00.000-05:00

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

2012-11-27T21:23:00.002-05:00

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.

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Incoming 2! NEOGEO X Gold... GET!

2012-11-26T20:51:00.001-05:00

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)...

2012-11-26T12:56:00.001-05:00

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)...

2012-11-25T16:01:00.000-05:00

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)

2012-11-25T15:36:00.000-05:00

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.

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Review: TANK! TANK! TANK!

2012-11-24T13:18:00.001-05:00

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.

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"Retro" Review: The Dark Spire

2012-11-23T22:27:00.001-05:00

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.

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

2012-11-23T14:22:00.000-05:00

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)...

2012-11-22T01:23:00.001-05:00

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

2012-11-21T18:05:00.000-05:00

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...

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Video Game Appreciation 101 - Gallery: Wii U Stuff

2012-11-21T00:12:00.002-05:00

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.