It’s funny how some things work out. I was battered into buying Dragon Age Origins by multiple friends telling me I’d love it. Turns out my friends know me too well. I’ve spent longer playing it than most of them and only Disgaea 3 has cost me more of my life (well apart from when I was young and games didn’t track how long you played them).
Anyway, the first thing about Dragon age: Origins is the choices available. You have the usual choice between 3 races, humans, elves and Dwarves and 3 classes, Warriors, Rogues and Mages (unless you’re a Dwarf) and there’s plenty of customization to be done once you pick.
Initially you play through one of 6 different origins stories depending on your race and class. From here on the real choices that affect the whole Dragon Age world begin.
Computer animation must be a very hard field to be in. There is one company that dominates it and everything you do will be held up in comparison and rejected as not being good enough. Not because your work is bad, it is probably amazing. But compared to what Pixar do, it’s worthless.
Out now is “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs”, the latest home release from Dreamworks Sony/Columbia. Their work keeps getting better and better, the last film (Monsters vs Aliens) is probably the best they have done. But there very best just does not compare to the standard set. Gaff-tastic: My fault! I even laughed out loud when they showed the classic Columbia title screen that has brought me so much joy over the years, should have remembered that.
Cloudy is a great film, we all laughed out loud at various bits. The voice acting is top notch, the story is a lot of fun, the animation is excellent. But somehow its missing something… (more…)
Some time ago I wrote about one of my favourite Sci-Fi TV Series “Day of the Triffids“. Made in 1981, much like “Blakes 7” it is a little known British gem of a show that never really seemed to get the regard it should have got. Over Christmas the BBC have finally shown the new version. With some excellent actors, and a more grown up feel it is an excellent addition to the growing catalogue of remakes of this classic story.
I have to confess I have not read the book, and now I am starting to think I should. Every remake of this story has something new, while the core story still remains as chilling as ever. (more…)
Up until two weeks ago my favourite game of 2009 was definitely, and without doubt Batman: Arkham Asylum. This is the Batman game I have been waiting twenty years to play. It has absolutely everything you can want in a Batman game and the best production of a game you can hope for. All of the artistic elements are there that make Batman a thoughtful super hero, as well as some of the best voice acting I have ever heard in a game. All that before we even get onto the game play and story.
All of these things should make this the best games? Until two weeks ago you were right and I was ready to fight to preserve it as the best game I played all year. But all that has changed. While it is still the high point for me in terms of stealth/action/super hero games there is now one game that does all of that, but only much better. (more…)
One of the first robot anime I ever saw was Macron 1, shown rediculously early (5am) on the Super Channel back in the 80s. Of course I didn’t know it was an anime then. To me it was a cartoon with fighter jets that combined into a robot or more often, just docked into the legs and chest of an even larger super robot MacStar (GoShogun) that fired beams from its eyes, had a Photon Battle Axe, and Sword and a gigantic Bazooka that fired a huge energy beam, not to mention it’s trademark lazer bombardment (GoFlasher).
Accompanying the awesomeness of being one of the first super robot shows I saw, it was given a soundtrack comprised of covers of then contemporary music. To this day I still hear the voices of Kathy and Jason as they shoot robotic skeleton warriors whenever I hear “Hit me with your best shot”. Other 80s songs covered included Beat It, The Reflex, Electric Avenue and more.
At this point I will admit that Goshogun isn’t particularly well loved in Japan but they had had Mazinger Z and countless other super robot shows. Us UK cable TV viewers had Transformers, Voltron, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, Macron-1 and Robotech and I’m not sure that some of those weren’t after Macron-1 (my memory sucked when I was 7 too). Anyway, I loved and still love robot shows and being one of so few I saw in my highly impressionable youth definitely helped make this all the more memorable.
Over the weekend I got the chance to see “District 9” but what I can’t tell you is whether I enjoyed it?
This is technically a very good film, the CG work is outstanding and the plot is good. The film is shot like a documentary at the start, talking about various events like the arrival of the ship 20 years earlier, and how once we eventually got inside they found it filled with aliens. A camp is created, and the aliens are basically left there. Coming back to the present the camp is almost a prison, squalid and over run with crime.
Various groups are exploiting the aliens for their own ends and we are introduced to Wikus, a mostly useless middle manager for the company in charge of looking after the aliens. The style continues as we follow him around the camp doing the dirty work of the corporation.
Thoughts
This is a very good film, I would recommend you go and see it. Did I really enjoy it.. I don’t know, it was not bad. I can see how it could become an important film in this genre. It did manage the most important thing which is to make you think, and discuss what you have seen.
I will see it again, but I don’t feel the need to to go the cinema to do it.
If there is one anime I want to be released on blu-ray that won’t be in the UK or US for a long time if ever, it is 2008’s Macross Frontier, my next choice would be the 2009 remake of Mazinger Z.
Mazinger Z is the original, big giant robot piloted by a human. A world without Mazinger Z is unimaginable. And now, the king of big giant robots is back in this hi-def re-telling and it is seriously awesome. From the adrenalin pumping intro you know you are in for a treat and it does not disappoint in the action stakes.
The first episode blew me away, it dumps you straight in the middle of the fight to end all fights. I have to admit, I haven’t seen all of the original Mazinger Z and while I marked out like mad as everyone I recognized appeared in the first episode, I still didn’t know everyone and was left thinking there is no way anyone could just pick this up. Then the episode ended, without finishing the epic battle and without telling us how we got to this point. I was hooked, I wanted more, much more. (more…)
On Sideswipes recommendation, and to celebrate nikobe’s birthday we saw G.I. Joe. We all agreed Sideswipe was right, as long as you don’t think too hard its a great action-fest that is definitely worth checking out.
But if there is one thing better than that, its the Ballard of G.I. Joe
The official poster for G.I. Joe does the job but I'd have had Baroness and Scarlett much more prominent...
G.I. Joe, or Action Force and then G.I. Joe the Action Force as it was known in the UK back in the day has it’s first film out and it’s suffered a lot of negative press and I have to set the record straight here.
It is an excellent popcorn film
You read that right. This film is not without its faults and I’ll get on to those later but first and foremost, this is a fun film. Well paced action that really deserves to have a sequel (which is cleverly set up at the end). Seriously, that Transformers Revenge of the Fallen is one of the top 10 movies of all time and this has been somewhat a failure is a mystery of the highest level.
Just out (in the UK at least) is Watchmen on Blu-Ray. It is shameful to admit but I have never read the comic and I missed the film at the cinema (double shame.. I’m sorry) but I have been waiting for the release on Blu-Ray and I can tell you my wait was not in vein.
I’m not going to review the film, there are plenty of other sites out there who have done a great job. They know the story a lot better than me, so I will let them do it. All I will say is this is a great film, subtle and nuanced, that is more to do with the source than it is the quality of the production, but that is not a let down either. All in all a great film, very well done.
I wanted to look at the technical side of the release. What is included and how does the disk stack up in our new HD world. (more…)
Street Fighter: The Legend of Fail, I mean Chun Li
The second official live action film based on the Street Fighter video games is possibly the most mediocre action film I have ever seen.
That said, I will buy it on blu-ray just for the awesomeness of Balrog.
There’s an awful lot wrong with this film from a Street Fighter fan’s point of view but as a stand alone film it’s not bad, just average, from the competant but not great fights to the glory of Balrog and an RPG which really sums up a lot about this film, it shouldn’t really have been called Street Fighter at all really.
Of course there’s also the question, how does it compare to the original live action film?
Due to friends with good contacts and one of the best Transformer websites http://www.transformertoys.co.uk I was privileged to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at a special FDA screening at the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square on Friday 12th June. I would have reviewed it sooner but this was an invite only screening and there was a blackout on mentioning it in public until today.
The film was more of the same, the stuff that made the first film awesome is all here and the weak points from the first film are all still here. I’m not going to go into much detail here but there will be some mild spoilers but nothing you probably couldn’t have guessed but don’t read on if you really don’t wanna know.
That is the simple title of this board game. I saw that and thought that’s enough for me and bought it. Anything to do with Zombies, or fills my need to be Bruce Campbell is a sure fire winner. The concept is simple, like every zombie apocalypse you have ever seen you are a survivor, and if you want to stay that way you need to get out of the city before it is completely overrun.
So every turn you have to evade the on coming zombie horde, plan your escape, and thwart the other survivors. What more could you want? (more…)
I finished reading Bret Hitman Hart’s autobiography today. As expected of The Excellence of Execution, it was excellent. This book is full of so many great little stories that seem crazy but somehow all too believable. I’m probably too biased in favour of Bret to know if it’s him hyping himself when he talks of other wrestlers congratulating him on his work as a wrestler but from what I saw in my youth and in his DVD boxset, I can’t see why they wouldn’t. I really recommend it to anyone interested in what life at the bottom and at the top of Wrestling used to be like. His tours of all over the world make for excellent reading in a similar way to Chris Jericho’s book which may be more entertaining than this but lacked the amazing drama that went on during Bret’s career (no offense Chris, you are still my favourite wrestler of this generation and wrote a great book). Anyway, you should know that this book is Highly recommended for anyone that grew up watching wrestling in the 80s or 90s.
As a child of the 80s, it was an amazing read for me as Bret was always one of my favourites. (more…)
I have been a fan of Luc Besson for a long time now, ever since I first saw “Léon” so many years a go. He is also responsible for the best value I have ever had at the cinema, watching “The Fifth Element” for just £1 can not be beaten in my view (as well as it being one of my favorite Sci-Fi films).
Unfortunately I have managed to miss all three “Transporter” films at the cinema, but I have certainly enjoyed them at home. I was initially sceptical about Jason Statham in this role having only previously seen him in “Lock, Stock, and two smoking barrels”. But how wrong can you be? he has proved himself again and again (especially in “Crank” that I have only just seen, but will be seeing the next one when its released). He combines excellent skill, with humor and fantastic acting. Making him always a joy to watch. So the stage is set. You have some great cast, a great writer/director team, and an established character that is quiet flexible in what can be done. Does he manage to pull it off?
In a strange way I am not at all surprised. I did not have very high hopes for this “series” and in a way they managed to hit the nail exactly where I thought they would. That is not to say there were not things to like.
It is just unfortunate that it fell so flat after so much hype. In case you have not seen it I wrote an article on my expectations for the new show a while back that caused some discussion.
If you intend to see the series please stop reading now. Go and watch it and make up your own mind. There might be spoilers in here, and I would not like you to hear it from me before you have seen it for yourself.
If you don’t know me, I am a huge Dragonball fan, I have an army of Goku toys (stopped keeping a count around the 50 mark) and have watched all of Dragonball/Dragonball Z and even GT numerous times. I am a biased hard-core fan I freely admit it. I went into this movie expecting it to be a terrible adaptation but was hoping it would at least be an entertaining action film. Sadly my low hopes were shattered…
Not so detailed spoiler – It is crap
Now I am going to go into detail so you don’t have to watch it. Don’t read on if you don’t want spoilers but if you go you’re in for the ultimate spoil. Your precious time and money. Really you shouldn’t pay to see this. It’s nonsensical crap.
This week the tinterweb has been alight with news of the new Shuffle from Apple. You have to hand it to Apple, they certainly think outside of the box. The new shuffle is tiny, but its much more notable for its lack of controls. They have been moved onto the headphone cable, so they are always in easy reach.
But all is not as it appears, this is not about giving there customers a new way to interact with the player. This is about making a grab for the after sales headphone market. I think Apple are setting a dangerous precedent, and should not be allowed to muscle in on a market where there obvious intention is to drive up prices and exclude competitors they don’t happen to like. (more…)
As I have already mentioned I am not one for reading books (although I wish I was), there are so many books I would like to read but just can’t do it. But I do enjoy listening to audio books, so as long as I can find the book I want read aloud I can “read” it and thoroughly enjoy it. So I got a wonderful surprise this week when I was browsing one of my favourite sites (BoingBoing) and I came across this. A fan reading of “Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom”.
Written by Cory Doctorow in 2003 under a Creative Commons license. So anyone is free to make a recording of the book, and even give it away as Cory does on his own site. Cory himself is a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) as well as contributor to BoingBoing, and a prolific writer on many subjects. (more…)
I couldn’t resist, I know its what everybody does in January but I’m just not strong enough to go against the flow (don’t hit me!).
Here is my top 10 things of 2008…why “things” well I could do games but then I’d have to make another post for all the other cool stuff and I really don’t think anybody wants that, plus even with all the games in the massive surge of gaming that was pre-xmas I prob couldn’t name 10 I really loved.
Starting with my number 1…because I want to and I’m not going to include personal things like I got married this year (which is the true number 1 but of less interest to people who don’t know me).
1. Twitter! – My favorite thing of the year by far and has taken me over more than I ever thought it would, I used to read of people being addicted to twitter and I can see why now. I twitter everything, my first thought on seeing something is to twitter it or take a picture of it and twitter that, its quite shocking just how much I use it now and I don’t intend to stop any time soon.
Actually created my twitter account in Sep 2007 and thought I was a late joiner to the service, my updates were sporadic at best and I wasn’t sure what to write (my second post was about eating twigglets) and then I forgot about it and carried on using Facebook (which I don’t like now).
Initially I just thought Twitter was like a mini blog (or micro blog as they call them) where you just post and forget. Its so much more than that, its more a global chat room based on peoples thoughts..a giant thought cloud hovering over the Earth like some giant smog beast (but lovely and mis-understood). I find myself using twitter to have very slow conversations with friends, linking things I have to share (dancing chimps and the like), following my heroes (link – link – link pewpew) and posting photos through twitpic
This is an interesting game, every magazine online and off gives it huge scores and yet apparently it hasn’t sold well at all outside of Japan. I have to admit, I played the demo and wasn’t that impressed. I can tell Sega exactly what went wrong though, the demo was not focused on what should have been the main selling point – the phenomenal story. I haven’t got to sleep before 3am since getting this… (more…)
“Day of the Triffids” is a great classic British Sci-fi mini-series. The BBC have remade the concept a number of times but this one done in 1981 is by far the best.
Everyone knows the concept. Meteors rain down over the planet blinding everyone who watches them. Then the planet is over run with man eating plants (the aforementioned Triffids). These things are no match for able bodied people. But a population of blind people are easy pickings.
Yoshi’s island is probably one of my favorate games of all time, a bouncy platform game spin-off from the Mario World series with a lovely hand drawn visual effect for every single 2D sprite and backdrop in the game.
LittleBigPlanet feels very much like a modern equivilent the game uses a hand crafted style with hand stiched characters and backgrounds along with cardboard cutout monsters. The whole game has been designed to look like children have built it out of whatever is laying around, such as toys, blocks and even skateboards.
It’s funny how some things work out. I was battered into buying Dragon Age Origins by multiple friends telling me I’d love it. Turns out my friends know me too well. I’ve spent longer playing it than most of them and only Disgaea 3 has cost me more of my life (well apart from when I was young and games didn’t track how long you played them).
To me it was a cartoon with fighter jets that combined into a robot or more often, just docked into the legs and chest of an even larger super robot MacStar (GoShogun) that fired beams from its eyes, had a Photon Battle Axe, and Sword and a gigantic Bazooka that fired a huge energy beam, not to mention it’s trademark lazer bombardment (GoFlasher).
If there is one anime I want to be released on blu-ray that won’t be in the UK or US for a long time if ever, it is 2008’s Macross Frontier, my next choice would be the 2009 remake of Mazinger Z.
I finished reading Bret Hitman Hart’s autobiography today. As expected of The Excellence of Execution, it was excellent. This book is full of so many great little stories that seem crazy but somehow all too believable. I’m probably too biased in favour of Bret to know if it’s him hyping himself when he talks of other wrestlers congratulating him on his work as a wrestler but from what I saw in my youth and in his DVD boxset, I can’t see why they wouldn’t. I really recommend it to anyone interested in what life at the bottom and at the top of Wrestling used to be like. His tours of all over the world make for excellent reading in a similar way to Chris Jericho’s book which may be more entertaining than this but lacked the amazing drama that went on during Bret’s career (no offense Chris, you are still my favourite wrestler of this generation and wrote a great book). Anyway, you should know that this book is Highly recommended for anyone that grew up watching wrestling in the 80s or 90s.
This week the tinterweb has been alight with news of the new Shuffle from Apple. You have to hand it to Apple, they certainly think outside of the box. The new shuffle is tiny, but its much more notable for its lack of controls. They have been moved onto the headphone cable, so they are always in easy reach.
This is an interesting game, every magazine online and off gives it huge scores and yet apparently it hasn’t sold well at all outside of Japan. I have to admit, I played the demo and wasn’t that impressed. I can tell Sega exactly what went wrong though, the demo was not focused on what should have been the main selling point – the phenomenal story. I haven’t got to sleep before 3am since getting this… 