Monthly Archives: March 2015
Fun Facts About Classic Nintendo Characters
A historical document from the 1990s surfaced recently, revealing lesser-known biographical facts about some of Nintendo's most beloved characters.
The Official Nintendo Character Manual from 1993 was originally provided to Press the Buttons last year, when Yoshi's real name (T. Yoshisaur Munchakoopas) was officially made public. The latest set of pages from the same guide shed light on personality traits for even more characters –– namely, Mario, Wario, Bowser and Toad.
Powers Cast Imagine a World With Superpowers
My first impression of the Powers set is appropriately that it's powerful. The PlayStation Network original series, debuting March 10th, films in a massive space that allows for standing sets so sprawling you can get lost in them. And I did briefly lose my way during a visit at the end of last year. It's a fitting setting for a world where super powers are a common occurrence and part of everyday life. The series, based on the comic books of the same name created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming, centers on Detective Christian Walker (Sharlto Copley). He used to be a Power, specifically a hero known as Diamond. But he lost his powers and now works in the Los Angeles Powers Division investigating crimes committed by Powers.
Update: Harrison Ford ‘Stable’ After Plane Crash
This is a developing story.
Update: Ford is now in stable condition according to People. Original story follows...
Harrison Ford was piloting a private airplane that crash-landed today at Penmar golf course in Venice, California.
According to TMZ, the Star Wars and Indiana Jones icon was piloting what appears to be a vintage 2-seater fighter plane when it made an emergency landing. He was the only person aboard the plane.
Wil Wheaton Voicing Abraham Lincoln in Code Name S.T.E.A.M.
Actor/writer Wil Wheaton is the voice of Abraham Lincoln in Nintendo's upcoming 3DS game, Code Name S.T.E.A.M.
Nintendo made the announcement today via Twitter, saying, "Wil Wheaton lends his talents to #CodeNameSTEAM for #3DS as the voice of the great Abe Lincoln." The Tweet was also accompanied by the image below.
FOX Developing Expendables TV Series
FOX is teaming with The Expendables writer/creator/star Sylvester Stallone to develop a TV series version of the action franchise - with the twist being that it would use legendary TV action stars for its mercenary team.
Per Deadline, Stallone is executive producing alongside Expendables producer Avi Lerner and NCIS's Shane Brennan (who will also serve as series showrunner).
So who are we thinking here? The realm of TV action stars actually covers a lot of territory. More so than film perhaps. Everyone from Chuck Norris to Don Johnson to Kiefer Sutherland all the way to Jennifer Garner to Lucy Lawless to Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Vince Vaughn, Nic Pizzolatto on True Detective Season 2
True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto and Season 2 star Vince Vaughn recently spoke about the crime drama's upcoming sophomore season, sharing their excitement for working with one another.
"Nic is very unique because he writes literally every episode by himself," Vaughn told Variety. "And it’s such adult storytelling. You investigate a specific culture and really climb in and explore it over a long period of time."
Vaughn added he is especially excited about working on True Detective as he feels he's "moving into a more adult part" of his career.
Lords of the Fallen – Ancient Labyrinth Review
Lords of the Fallen cannot escape Dark Souls' shadow, but its weighty combat and impossibly chunky art style still give it an identity of its own. Yet the shadow still looms, and in the case of Lords of the Fallen's newest add-on, Ancient Labyrinth, it wholly swallows its imitator. That Ancient Labyrinth is so short is not, in itself, a fundamental flaw. That it is devoid of imagination and betrays the exploratory wonder of the main game, however, is unforgivable. This tiny, throwaway slice of action is a rude return to a world with far better stories to tell.
The eight-dollar asking price may sound reasonable, but it is important to understand what you are getting: a skimpy maze that amounts to three hallways, a few levers to pull, some skeletal archers, and a few other cronies to defeat. A difficult boss battle puts the cap on this miniature adventure, which includes about 30 minutes of content and a finale that stretches that half-hour into a masochistic stretch of trial-and-error bashing and blocking that could substantially extend your play time, depending on how quickly you learn The Keeper's tricks, and how flawlessly you execute your attacks. The skimpy gameplay leading to that battle is so forgettable as to be barely worth detailing: A secretive stranger--that Lords of the Fallen storytelling staple--sends you into the maze of monsters, hoping that you might defeat The Keeper hidden within and thus free him of his torment. Calling the three, tight, same-ish corridors you traipse through a "labyrinth" is laughable, sadly, as would calling the ensuing lever-pulling "puzzles." Your greatest challenge within the gothic stone halls is the collection of creatures that patrol them: Ghostly warriors, translucent wizards, and those pesky undead archers pester you on your lever quest, and you apply the same blocking-rolling-swinging-spellcasting techniques to off them as you do elsewhere in Lords of the Fallen.
You might have expected a grander journey, not simply because Lords of the Fallen itself provided one, but because the first glimpse of the labyrinth from the staircase leading there is so dramatic. Slabs of rock hover over the menacing maze, and ribbons of flame and lightning warn you of the danger waiting within. Pulling a lever causes the maze's circular walls to rotate and reveal entrances, which produces a satisfying sound of grinding and a conclusive thud. There's little fault to find in the presentation, presuming you take to this particularly exaggerated art style, in which every surface and every piece of armor is covered with sharp edges and intricate carving. Draw too near, and some part of your anatomy would surely be punctured.
Alas, the first boss is the only boss, and a troublesome one at that. Like The Worshiper from the main game, The Keeper employs an instakill area-of-effect attack that requires speed and care to avoid. Determining how to survive the explosion is your first task; actually performing the required tactics is the other. If you have built player-character Harkyn for bulk and not for speed, you may have a tough time of it, though there is a magical trick you can pull off to ease your troubles. The boss has four stages, the third of which breaks the rules the battle previously established regarding how and when the explosive attack occurs--a deviation likely to result in a torrent of profane language. The fourth stage, on the other hand, is easily exploited with particular types of magic, like Ram. It's an unrewarding gameplay arc for a boss fight, ending with the easiest form, rather than building the challenge to a proper climax.
And then your task is complete. A shield of your choice is the reward, along with a few other odds and ends, and you may then return to the monastery, or wherever else you might have been exploring. "Is that it?" you may ask , though not just because the add-on is so short. No--that reaction is born of what a droplet of nothing this long-awaited return to Lords of the Fallen is. It is a miniscule stroll, made to feel longer by gating its ending behind tedious lever-pulling and a trial-and-error boss battle. With Ancient Labyrinth, Lords of the Fallen doesn't just fail to take a step forward: It takes a momentous leap backwards.
Lords of the Fallen – Ancient Labyrinth Review
Lords of the Fallen cannot escape Dark Souls' shadow, but its weighty combat and impossibly chunky art style still give it an identity of its own. Yet the shadow still looms, and in the case of Lords of the Fallen's newest add-on, Ancient Labyrinth, it wholly swallows its imitator. That Ancient Labyrinth is so short is not, in itself, a fundamental flaw. That it is devoid of imagination and betrays the exploratory wonder of the main game, however, is unforgivable. This tiny, throwaway slice of action is a rude return to a world with far better stories to tell.
The eight-dollar asking price may sound reasonable, but it is important to understand what you are getting: a skimpy maze that amounts to three hallways, a few levers to pull, some skeletal archers, and a few other cronies to defeat. A difficult boss battle puts the cap on this miniature adventure, which includes about 30 minutes of content and a finale that stretches that half-hour into a masochistic stretch of trial-and-error bashing and blocking that could substantially extend your play time, depending on how quickly you learn The Keeper's tricks, and how flawlessly you execute your attacks. The skimpy gameplay leading to that battle is so forgettable as to be barely worth detailing: A secretive stranger--that Lords of the Fallen storytelling staple--sends you into the maze of monsters, hoping that you might defeat The Keeper hidden within and thus free him of his torment. Calling the three, tight, same-ish corridors you traipse through a "labyrinth" is laughable, sadly, as would calling the ensuing lever-pulling "puzzles." Your greatest challenge within the gothic stone halls is the collection of creatures that patrol them: Ghostly warriors, translucent wizards, and those pesky undead archers pester you on your lever quest, and you apply the same blocking-rolling-swinging-spellcasting techniques to off them as you do elsewhere in Lords of the Fallen.
You might have expected a grander journey, not simply because Lords of the Fallen itself provided one, but because the first glimpse of the labyrinth from the staircase leading there is so dramatic. Slabs of rock hover over the menacing maze, and ribbons of flame and lightning warn you of the danger waiting within. Pulling a lever causes the maze's circular walls to rotate and reveal entrances, which produces a satisfying sound of grinding and a conclusive thud. There's little fault to find in the presentation, presuming you take to this particularly exaggerated art style, in which every surface and every piece of armor is covered with sharp edges and intricate carving. Draw too near, and some part of your anatomy would surely be punctured.
Alas, the first boss is the only boss, and a troublesome one at that. Like The Worshiper from the main game, The Keeper employs an instakill area-of-effect attack that requires speed and care to avoid. Determining how to survive the explosion is your first task; actually performing the required tactics is the other. If you have built player-character Harkyn for bulk and not for speed, you may have a tough time of it, though there is a magical trick you can pull off to ease your troubles. The boss has four stages, the third of which breaks the rules the battle previously established regarding how and when the explosive attack occurs--a deviation likely to result in a torrent of profane language. The fourth stage, on the other hand, is easily exploited with particular types of magic, like Ram. It's an unrewarding gameplay arc for a boss fight, ending with the easiest form, rather than building the challenge to a proper climax.
And then your task is complete. A shield of your choice is the reward, along with a few other odds and ends, and you may then return to the monastery, or wherever else you might have been exploring. "Is that it?" you may ask , though not just because the add-on is so short. No--that reaction is born of what a droplet of nothing this long-awaited return to Lords of the Fallen is. It is a miniscule stroll, made to feel longer by gating its ending behind tedious lever-pulling and a trial-and-error boss battle. With Ancient Labyrinth, Lords of the Fallen doesn't just fail to take a step forward: It takes a momentous leap backwards.
Spider-Man: Freddie Highmore Wants to be the New Spidey
We know that a new Spider-Man will appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - likely in Captain America: Civil War - followed by a solo Spider-Man movie for Sony. We're not entirely certain which Spider-Man will be hitting the big screen. The inital press release listed Peter Parker, but some subsequent rumors have indicated that it may be Miles Morales, rather than Parker, or at the very least a non-white actor playing the role. If those rumors prove true, then some of the current casting theories wouldn't make much sense.
AU: Zombie Army Trilogy Competition
Berlin 1945. Facing defeat at the hands of the Allies, Hitler has unleashed one last unholy gamble – a legion of undead super soldiers that threatens to overwhelm the whole of Europe.
We have 10 copies of the Zombie Army Trilogy on Xbox One and 10 copies on PS4 to giveaway. All you need to do is tell us in 25 words or less who you would want fighting alongside you to repel the Zombie horde!
