It was bound to happen by the grace of God, we have the red band trailer for Kevin Smith’s movie Red State. We all know that Kevin Smith movies are practically meant for a redband trailer (cue the Jersey Girl needs a red band trailer to hide its stench from the general public jokes), but this seems to be a great use of it.
Continue reading Kevin Smith’s Red Band Trailer for Red State
It’s June in Los Angeles, and while that means horrible humidity in the gridlock infested ‘City of Angels’, it also means that it’s time for my summer Christmas treat: The Electronic Entertainment Expo, or as it’s affectionately called everywhere, E3!
I have had the pleasure to go to E3 a few times, and I remember it being probably one of the coolest experiences of my life. It’s pretty much an assault on the senses, where strobe lights and booth babes puts stars in your eyes. The subwoofers buried under the exhibit floors, and concerts rattles your ear drums, and your fingers develop blisters from the severe button mashing and controller switching done at the conference. My favorite thing was to try out the Wii the year before it came out, being treated to one of the best experiences in gaming, and getting to brag about it on the intraweb. Although getting kicked out of the bathroom by Vin Diesel’s bodyguards so he could take a piss was a close second…
Regardless, I’m not there this year and this seems to be one of the best years to attend. There’s a lot of excitement in the air from the ‘Big 3’ and storylines are abound: What is Nintendo’s successor and will it appeal to the hardcore? How will Sony recover from the PSN debacle? Can Microsoft carry the Xbox for a few more years as it now enters it’s swan song?
Like I said, I’m super pumped about this year, and while it may not encompass what everyone else is interested in, there is a comment section so feel free to say what you want to see. And with that, let’s start off with the honorable mentions:
Final Fantasy XIII-2Other than the fact that FFX-2 was an absolute debacle, (yes, decent game…until you realize it completely ruins FFX’s story in my opinion) I’m still curious to see this game.
I have yet to beat the original, but I dug the combat system (although XII still has a special place in my heart). The trailer is below, but apparently it ruins the last game, so SPOILER ALERT in case you don’t want it ruined for you. Also, apparently feathers are to Final Fantasy like doves are to John Woo…
Bioshock InfiniteI like the Bioshock games, I don’t love them. I get that I’m in the minority in that but my reasoning is that System Shock 2 is one of the most fantastic games of all time, so anything that is supposed to be a psuedo-sequel/spin-off has a hard time to capture my heart.
Still, they are considered great games and it’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it. That and I LOVE the trailer.
The New Harmonix GameI love Harmonix. The creators of Frequency, Karaoke Revolution, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Dance Central, should I keep going…? They are extremely innovative when it comes to music genre, and more importantly, we are at a crossroads in music gaming. Guitar Hero is basically dead, there’s no Rock Band this year. What does Harmonix have up their sleeves? Guess we’re going to find out this week…
UPDATED> New Harmonix Game will be: Dance Central 2!
Assassin’s Creed: RevelationsI’ve been playing through the 2nd one and I dig it. It’s a lot less repetitive than the first, so I assume the third is even less repetitive and this 4th part of the series should be good times. And also my mentioning it gives an excuse for Dr. Kronner to a picture of Kristen Bell… 
Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimNow, I like the Elder Scroll games because you can do whatever the hell you want in them. I also hate the Elder Scroll games because they’re so absolutely non-linear that I never remember what the main quest is after I’ve decided to become an assassin, who specializes in real estate and being a traveling merchant.
Daggerfall remains one of my favorite games of all time, if not also the most frustrating because for the life of me, I have no clue what the hell I was supposed to do in that game.
Star Wars KinectYes, I need an excuse to purchase the Kinect. Having my avatar wield a light saber with my movements would be that excuse.
X-Men DestinyThis is kinda a cool concept where you customize your character, decide if you want to go X-Men or Brotherhood and it’s written by X-Men Legacy writer Mike Carey. Obviously, not like Marvel Alliance where you pick up any character but it gives the idea of growing your mutant into a team and making your own storyline. Intriguing of course so I think it’ll be something this site will follow for the months to come.
Battlefield 3I love Battlefield all the way back to the 1942 days. There’s something about mass chaos and being able to fly, drive, shoot, or snipe your way to glory. The battle also made me pee my pants a bit. I normally do not play a lot of FPS (I think Halo is overrated to be honest) but sometimes you just need to jump into a game and just go nuts. Plus it honestly looks like the most amazing thing I’ve seen in awhile. Or at least until the end of this conference. It’s a long trailer but considering it’s all gameplay, you better take a look at this.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward SwordIt’s freakin’ Zelda. Why the hell should I explain why you should be excited for this game? One more reason? Okay, with the new Wii motion plus, you can actually control where the sword strikes, hits, swings very accurately. Hold the sword to the right, Link will hold it ready to the right. Hold it back to charge, guess what? You just charged your sword. Again, this is stupid why I have to explain, because it’s FRIGGIN’ ZELDA.
Batman: Arkham CityA terrific game gets a sequel, and I know it’s be covered ad nauseam by us, with reveals of Catwoman and trailers and such, and it will only continue to grow as we inch closer to October. The first game was terrific and actually gets me to tell the story of Dr. Kronner’s first attempt with the game. He was on the rafters and was ready to swoop down to take out the bad guy. So he does his Batman glide down and you can see Kronner’s eyes light up as he has taken control of his boyhood hero, and is about to make his first victim feel the wrath of the Dark Knight. About 3/4 of his dive down on top of the victim, I noticed that his line was a bit off and that he was going to miss horribly so my eyes started to widen with glee. Kronner lands in front of the bad guy. Shot in the face. Dead. One of my favorite video game moments ever. Regardless of first try follies, I know he loves this game, I love this game, you love this game, and that most likely means you’re going to love the follow-up.
ContraContra is possibly one of my favorite games of all time. It’s also one of the most frustrating games ever this side of the first Battletoads (more specifically the speed bike stage, I mean C’MON).
So imagine my excitement that they are bringing it back. I mean, yeah, they brought it back once before for the Playstation and that blew ass, but it’s Contra.
If they go back to what made the originals awesome, we will have zero issues here.
So here’s the Gamespot link, because there’s no big news on it as of yet. I’m sure however, we’ll have good stuff to deliver by the end of this week…
Mass Effect 3I love the Mass Effect series and it’s been one of the most engrossing games I’ve ever played. Plus, to actually carry your character over from the first game all the way to the last game without having to start new characters and stat distributions is genius. They have had the best storytelling and character development I have seen in games and it’s not surprising considering that Bioware, responsible for the Knights of the Old Republic series, is behind this effort. This is the last game of this trilogy and I cannot wait. Now if the combat system can finally be fixed…
RageThe next first person shooter from ‘id software’, responsible for Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake? Yeah okay, I’m in. They always push the envelope on what to expect from shooters, but let’s be honest, when Half-Lifecame out, we began to look at Valve as the best FPS developer out there. But enough time has passed for id to reclaim the throne. I believe they have a great shot with this game. Check the trailer and judge for yourself.
Gears of War 3Dear God yes. I love these games and it has the best co-op I ever played in my life (sorry River City Ransom). This game series really put me on edge while playing it, just like seeing the first bezserker in the first game to having bunches of fun on top of the giant riding things (my research is impeccable). Having one of the best single player campaigns ever really works in your favor but like I said, it’s all about the co-op. I think my old roommate and myself played through the first Gears 5 times on different difficulty levels and the second one 4 times just because it was that damn fun. So yeah, I’m pumped for this one and can’t wait to finish this trilogy off.
Star Wars: The Old RepublicWe’ve mentioned Bioware before, and how awesome they are right? They did Mass Effect, Dragon Age, even the oldie but goodie Balder’s Gate. Well, they also did Knights of the Old Republic. They basically were in the golden age of Star Wars games with their RPG, and the FPS Jedi Knight series (which was AWESOME for multiplayer) and guess what? They are going back to Star Wars with this online game.
Now, let me get this straight, Galaxies was cool then sucked pretty fast. The outset was great, but the more you played the game, it made you miss being jedi because you had to be “chosen” in order to accomplish that feat. Instead I was a sniper killing farm animals while Kronner’s Wookie charged in with a giant hammer. Try doing that for 2 months straight. Regardless, if anyone was going to revive the series, Bioware was the right pick.
Check it out : HERE
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Yeah, another game I’ve pretty much talked about a lot.
So I’ll just post a new gameplay trailer, reiterate that Infinity Ward is behind it and they are better than Treyarch as a developer, and it’s full of pure awesomeness. That is all.
Wii 2/Project CafeOh yeah. This is coming out. Touchpad controller? More powerful than 360 and PS3? HD? A callback to hardcore gamers instead of soccer moms? Well, I want this system. I’m watching the Nintendo conference as we speak so expect a report and that’s why I made this one last. Because I’m pretty sure that this will change gaming. Again. Like the last time. Sort of. Please don’t let me down Nintendo.
UPDATE>>>
So that’s what I got. And I’ll be doing updates throughout the week. Especially after the Nintendo presser…happy gaming people.
So he’s out. After many months of speculation dating from the Tat Five and the bowl game to the avalanche of evidence edging closer to the dreaded “lack of institutional control”, Jim Tressel has finally did what should have happened months ago, he left his dream job at Ohio State and will hang his head in shame. Okay, he probably won’t. He won bunches of games, established Ohio State as the annual BCS representative and destroyed Michigan so really, it’s about the same as when he left Youngstown State 11 years ago: Amid NCAA infractions, a title-winning coach leaves and does not take consequences for his actions (or lack thereof). So here’s the question: Who’s the loser?
Continue reading Jim Tressel Resigns – Ohio Adds Sweater Vests to LeBron Jersey Bonfires
Hard Knocks on HBO was one of the most entertaining sports series I have seen. In a world where T.O., OchoCinco, and Lamar Odom can make their mark on reality television, the show is a great way to have comedy, drama, and some good ol’ Rex Ryan to keep you happy throughout the NFL preseason. Obviously with the uncertainty clouding the current season, it seems everyone is skittish about being the next team chronicled on the premium channel.
According to the Detroit Free Press, PFT/NBC Sports, and CBS Sports, so far the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, and even Dr. Kronner’s beloved Detroit Lions have all rejected offers to be the next ‘Hard Knocks’ team. (PFT’s Poll for who the fans want out of the NFC) A lot of the speculation goes with the lockout ongoing with no real end in sight, there’s no point in having a TV crew document a training camp that may or may not happen. There’s no drama in watching coaches sitting in a room hoping their players get through their playbook while running their player workouts at some random high school. There’s no comedy in watching trainers and other employees at their facilities getting laid off, or stadium workers struggling to find another job to make ends meet. Heck, even Rex Ryan’s Jets want no part of it and I would watch a show with him any day of the week (unless it’s about feet. That’s just…no).
So who’s the next team they ask? Looking at the list of the Bucs, Lions, Broncos, and Falcons, they are looking for the team that is about to take the next step and has intriguing storylines. With the Bucs, can they carry over their momentum, and can Josh Freeman establish himself as an elite QB? Can the Lions finally break the streak and protect Matthew Stafford? Can the Broncos with Elway in charge, rebuild on the fly with John Fox and Tim Tebow? Could the Falcons and Matty Ice lead the Dirty Birds back to the Super Bowl? Here are some suggestions of teams that they can go to:
Pete Carroll loves him some attention and having turned around the ‘Hawks into a playoff team (albeit in the NFC West) after the year before should garner some good attention. They have a solid young D, a charismatic coach, and a crazy person in Marshawn Lynch. That’s solid television right there. Add in a Carson Palmer trade? That’s gold.
Jim Harbaugh should get chronicled as well as he makes the transition into a NFL gig. You have an under-achieving team for the last couple of years under Mike Singletary (who also, is a golden candidate for this show) ready to shake things up and turn it all around. With Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, and Patrick Willis to anchor the team, they can turn a few heads. Plus Patrick Willis is possibly the best damn linebacker in the game right now. I would love for them to pick his head on the show and break down his process.
I’m aware that I’ve picked all NFC West teams and there’s a reason for this: They all can win the division (except Arizona, the curse of Kurt Warner remains) and they all have great young talent. Sam Bradford has the look to be a great QB and with Stephen Jackson behind him and James Laurinaitis securing the defense in the middle, they have a good shot to have teams circle them on the schedule. And the rumors of Chad OchoCinco going to the SL? It’d be a shame if his VH1 show was the only reality show in the area.
Set camera down. Put Ray Lewis in front of it. Record. That’s all you would have to do. They did it once before and they set the tone of the series. It’d be cool to have them bring it back with Ray-Ray in his final years, Flacco trying to make the jump, and just to see that defense in their meetings and on the practice field. You have to wonder why they’ve been able to stay so consistent year after year. They would be a prime candidate for sure because they are also waiting to take that next step and jump over the Steelers.
Michael Vick is a polarizing figure. You either hate his guts (deservedly so) or want him to claw his way back to the top and root for him (also deserved since he’s passed through the system). Chronically him alone would make for great television as you see him emerge as the go-to man on his second team and to see if he cracks under the pressure. Just like he did in the playoffs. Can he rebound? Does Andy Reid really know what he’s doing? Can they add Nnamdi Asomugha with Asante Samuel to form the scariest corner tandem of the year? Can their defense rebound with yet another new defensive coordinator? These are answers we must know and they must be on HBO!
To close, I did not include the Steelers, Colts, or Patriots for a bunch of little reasons and one big reason. The big reason is they wouldn’t allow it. No team wants cameras pointing at them especially if they like to keep their secrets their own (as Belichick learned a few years ago) and let’s face it, the Patriots and Colts would be boring as hell. There’s no drama there. The Steelers would be intriguing, but you know darn well the Rooney family would not expose themselves like that. Especially since that team relishes the chip on the shoulder attitude, and having the spotlight on them would seem to go against their gritty demeanor. Either way, I hope one of the teams does do Hard Knocks. It truly is great insight into a training camp through the veterans, the rookies, and those struggling just to make the team. As much as reality television annoys the hell out of me, I cannot help but yet sucked in by the human condition and their struggles and triumphs.
I love Call of Duty. I am aware how repetitive it can get, and that it’s mega-popularity disguises the fact that we play the same damn game every time, but it’s just sooooo addictive. So naturally, just like Madden, and any sports game, Activision needs to continue the cash cow and decided to tease the new game with a trailer in preparation for E3 and the November 8, 2011 release date for Modern Warfare 3.
Now, the reason I’m posting this article is because the developer is Infinity Ward. With all due respect to Treyarch, who developed World at War and Black Ops, the Modern Warfare series is all Infinity Ward and it is the superior developer. The single player is better, the multiplayer is better, the game feels cleaner…after all – they started the series.
Now Treyarch did give us Nazi Zombies so I have to give props, but in comparison there’s a reason why I’m excited for this game. After the trailer, you should be too. Until TheBustedBoxes blows your head off while hiding in a corner waiting for you. But then the excitement returns with a hatchet to Dr. Kronner‘s back. So really, it’s a wash and we’re back to full joy and glee.
Let’s face it: Being American is awesome. You get to flaunt freedom, complain about anything, and start chants of “U-S-A!” without anyone knowing a particular reason. It’s pretty awesome.
Of course the other side of being the dominant world power is the opinions of citizens and outsiders are not exactly at an all-time high. Some media explore the American way in both the positive and negative light and that’s their freedom to do so, that’s why this is a great country to live in.
I may not like Kronner’s opinion about how Deuces Wild was better than Spiderman (true story), but he has every right to voice that. But it’s always fun to see comics take on the politics of being American.
We just saw it with Captain America and his Nomad storyline and of course, Action Comics #900 has Superman renouncing his American citizenship. Say what now? The guy who’s as American as apple pie? Yep, that guy.
The story was written by David S. Goyer, and illustrated by Miguel Sepulveda, and it explores Superman going to Iran to support the protesters (without violence of course) and the President’s national security advisor doesn’t take this well. About as well as the Iranian regime who looks at this as an act of war. So through his frustration of trying to do the right thing, Supes feels that he cannot operate as a superhero on a global scale if he is an American citizen so he shall go to the United Nations to renounce his citizenship for the good of the world.
Sooo yeah. The fart noise you just made was the same reaction the rest of America had because they decided to go back to the old status quo. In Superman #711, after taking down Livewire (I seriously read that is LimeWire and thought good, it’s been the worst illegal downloading tool for awhile now) Supes decides to monologue about how America is awesome and he just needed to give it a second chance.
Because that’s what America does, it bails people out of their mistakes so they can live in their shame until the next error comes along.
Some good reactions come via Gamma Squad for the panels of renouncing and re-embracing the country that celebrates the number 22nd best soccer team in the world. Bleeding Cool has a great article about it too.
As with the title, I just want to see the applications for next DC symbol of America. I want them to bring Vibe back. Spanish-American break dancer from Detroit?
That’s soooo apple pie. Apple Pie that can get down with a phat beat!
Grizzly Bomb 