Monthly Archives: March 2018
How Black Panther Helped Marvel Discover Its Musical Identity
It's not hard to understand why the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become king of the superhero movie hill over the past decade. These movies consistently deliver terrific superhero spectacle, hilarious banter and, most importantly, compelling characters that continue to evolve from one film to the next. But there's one area in which the MCU continuously falls flat. These movies rarely have superhero-worthy soundtracks. Luckily, Black Panther suggests that trend is finally changing.
Music is one area where DC has continued to reign supreme. Early films like 1978's Superman and 1989's Batman set a strong example. Both feature iconic scores crafted by some of the most legendary composers in Hollywood. John Williams' "Superman March" and Danny Elfman's "The Batman Theme" each perfectly embody their respective heroes, to the point where they've basically taken on a life of their own beyond the movies. That high bar continued in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, with Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard building a completely new but no less captivating take on the Caped Crusader and his world. And even as the DCEU has struggled in many areas, it's continued to give us some pretty great superhero music. In particular, Zimmer's work on Man of Steel is some of the best of his career (even if the film around it is deeply flawed).
Tomb Raider’s CinemaScore: What Audiences Think of Video Game Movies
Moviegoers have a very love/hate relationship with video game adaptations, while critics just plain hate them. That's obvious just by comparing CinemaScores (a rating based on audience surveys taken opening night) to the critical percentages on Rotten Tomatoes. Sometimes these numbers align, but usually there's a stark difference between how audiences and critics feel about these films.
The numbers are now in, and they show that audiences and critics were still fairly divided on Tomb Raider. The film currently sits at 49% on Rotten tomatoes, despite earning a respectable "B" CinemaScore rating.
Check out our slideshow breaking down the critical and CinemaScore reactions to past video game movies and what impact those numbers have had on box office performance.
UK Daily Deals: Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus Contracts, and More
Yakuza Kiwami 2 Western Release Date Announced
Yakuza Kiwami 2, released in Japan last December, is coming to the west in a special edition steelbook.
The steelbook is only available for preorders and the first run of the game, and features art on the inside cover of "Kiryu and his fierce rival, the Dragon of Kansai, Ryuji Goda."
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a remake of Yakuza 2, remastered in the Dragon Engine used to create Yakuza 6. All the in-game and cut-scene dialog has been re-recorded, with an emphasis on remaining "as true to the original as possible."
The localization has also been reworked, so it's "the most faithful representation of the original Japanese," according to Sega.
If you've forgotten, or aren't familiar with the story, you can check out a 10-part web comic on the Yakuza Experience website to get up to speed.
5 Little Things You May Not Know About Nintendo Labo
Leave it to Nintendo to get the whole world excited about cardboard with what looks to be the latest incarnation of its philosophy: fun and play over graphics and power. Labo is Nintendo's new DIY Switch-powered cardboard accessory line, and I'm sure you have plenty of questions. So we put together a list of five little things that you may not know about Nintendo Labo.
The RC Car is without a doubt, the simplest Toy-Con in the Variety Kit. It only takes a few minutes to assemble, but it still comes packed with some pretty exciting features. This Toy-Con can see. It uses the IR sensor located inside of the right Joy-Con as a camera and sends a direct video feed back to the Switch, allowing you to see where you're going, even in the dark. The camera is also smart enough to track objects using reflective stickers, so we don't recommend sticking any on your cat. That is, of course, unless you'd like to test out your cat's paper shredding skills.
Ys: Memories of Celceta Announced for PC
Ys: Memories of Celceta is headed to PC in 2018.
During its recent "Mystery Stream" on Twitch, XSEED Games announced it will release a PC version of the action RPG in the west this summer. Hyde Inc., the same team that worked on the PC port of Ys Seven, is handling the PC version of Ys: Memories of Celceta.
Ys: Memories of Celceta was released for PlayStation Vita in Japan in 2012 and North America in 2013. The game made its way to Sony's handheld in Australia and Europe in 2014.
The upcoming PC version will feature a number of improvements over the original, including support resolutions of 1080p and higher, dynamic shadows, the ability to play the game with an unlocked frame rate, and more.
Every Enhanced Character in Marvel’s Netflix Series
Netflix's Marvel Cinematic Universe features a number of characters who were not born with powers but were later enhanced, altered or otherwise empowered through science, exposure, or alchemy.
This list is strictly about the Netflix MCU so there won't be any mentions of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, The Gifted, Legion, Runaways, Cloak & Dagger ... if the character didn't appear in a Marvel-Netflix show then they're not on the list.
Scroll through the slideshow below for the most notable of these heroes and villains who have gained newfound abilities. SPOILERS for all the Netflix MCU series follow!
For all the latest on Netflix's MCU, check out our biggest coverage on Jessica Jones Season 2, including our reviews for every episode, our five big WTF questions about this season, our breakdown of all the Easter Eggs we caught, and this explainer on this obscure Marvel character Netflix made interesting.
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus Contract Deals
Did the Infinity War Trailer Reveal Which Avenger Dies?
It's no secret that Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War will mean the end for an Avenger -- according to directors Joe and Anthony Russo -- and the new trailer has a hint to who that unlucky character might be.
Warning: potential spoilers ahead!
The latest trailer for Avengers: Infinity War features Captain America facing off against Thanos, which is pulled directly from the Infinity Gauntlet comic that the movie is heavily inspired by. Unfortunately, if things go the way they did in the comics, then it could be Cap's last stand.
Super Smash Bros for Switch Could Be Much Bigger Than We Think – Nintendo Voice Chat Ep. 399
Weeelcooome to episode 399 of our weekly Nintendo show and podcast, Nintendo Voice Chat. This week, the panel gets together to discuss the latest Smash Bros rumors, Kirby Star Allies review, six little things you may not know about Nintendo Labo, the possibility of Fortnite on Switch, and more!
As always, you can watch NVC here on IGN and on our YouTube channel (subscribe and hit that bell! It gives fairies wings!) or listen to it on your commute in audio format. If you enjoy the show, share it with other Nintendo fans, leave us a comment, and give us a thumbs up or leave us a review! If you prefer audio over video, please subscribe to NVC on iTunes or your podcast service of choice. You can also download and listen to the Latest Episode of NVC Right Here.