Iceberg Interactive and Interactive Fate announced their rogue-like spaceship sim Shortest Trip to Earth will launch on PC via Steam Early Access later in 2018. Pre-orders are not available yet, but the game can be wishlisted on Steam.
The game offers a procedurally generated universe where players will build and crew their very own spaceship. As they explore the far reaches of the galaxies, players will be forced to navigate a massive intergalactic war and try to avoid dying in the cross fire.
When combat inevitably comes, players will battle it out against hostile forces with a real time tactical combat system. Battles include both ship to ship combat and boarding parties. While death is permanent in Shortest Trip to Earth, every run will reward players with perks to make the next playthrough just a bit easier.
Ready for some rogue-like action with an airplane? Airheart: Tales of Broken Wings from indie developer Blindflug Studios might be the right game for you then! Visit floating cities in the sky, fight pirates and go sky-fishing. We visited this strange world above the clouds that came right out of Steam Early Access and tell you why this refreshing idea can get very frustrating sometimes.
Story
After an introduction we find ourselves in control of Amelia, who is a young pilot and fisherwoman in a flying city called Granaria. She wants to conquer the skies and hunt the legendary Sky Whale, following her father’s dream. Unfortunately over the years there are now a lot of pirates roaming around and sky-fishing got really dangerous. Good thing that you can modify your airplane with some weapons and defend yourself to fulfill this dream! Unfortunately as interesting as this plot sounds, in the game it only gets a minimal amount of space. I mean why wouldn’t you tell this great story in detail?
Gameplay
In Airheart: Tales of Broken Wings our mission is to fly higher and higher. While the first levels are pretty simple and you get to learn the mechanics of the game, difficulty raises significantly later on. In every level you’ll find a variety of fish to hunt and mean pirates. I mostly flew around in circles and tried to get good shots at my enemies using the twin-stick-mechanics. After that I started to gather the collectables as of course it was way easier doing it finishing those intense fights in the air. When a level is cleared we can advance to the next one and as mentioned already, it gets more difficult. This means in most cases that there are more pirates waiting for you.
If you want to be successful in the higher levels, it’s necessary to modify your airplane with one of the over 40 available weapons and upgrade the parts. While hunting fish and fighting against pirates we collect the necessary resources for the crafting system of Airheart: Tales of Broken Wings. While exploring the different levels, we also have to take care to not attack other airplanes as this might result in a cop-plane chasing us. This game can really create chaos on the screen with pirates, fish, cop-planes and random planes including myself flying around. This is where also some kind of frustration takes place – often I felt that I can’t really can influence all of my moves and so I definitely crashed more than once. Then I thought twice about it and remembered: Hey it’s a rogue-like!
The great thing about Airheart: Tales of Broken Wings though is the feature to save your progress with a very unique method. After a pirate destroyed you or you crashed your airplane, you’ll fall down and can navigate your damaged plane to land in Granaria. This makes sure you don’t always have to start from scratch with every death. Great idea! Besides the weapons we use for our defense against the pirates, there is also a hook available. The hook helps us to remove armor plates from turrets or larger planes and we can use it to drag loot and fish too. In Airheart you’ll also have to deal with bosses and you better get into this fights with your best equipment as they are really tough. As in other games too, you’ll have to find the weak spots and learn their attack pattern. If you die, it can also happen that the game takes away your hard earned weapons and modifications, really frustrating! But yes, I remember, this is a rogue-like.
The crafting system wants us to discover all recipes by ourselves. So basically what this means is that we have to sacrifice a part of our materials for the hope of a good result. This is why you literally pick up everything that you find during your expedition. You never know the recipe you’ll discover next and what materials you’ll need for it. On one hand I think this is an interesting approach on the other hand I think it adds more frustration to the game. There is just no other word for it if you’ve spent a big part of your materials without any results.
Visuals & Audio
Visually I really liked Granaria. The so called dieselpunk world looks great and includes nice details. The electro music soundtrack is great and gives you a nice feeling while discovering unknown skies. It also changes the higher you get during your playthrough. One thing that could need improvements are the sound effects – compared to the music they really don’t deliver at all.
Overall
You might have already guessed it, but in the end I had unfortunately only little fun with Airheart. I love the idea but I couldn’t get familiar with the rogue-like approach. I think the game lacks the right balance to also offer non-hardcore players a great and fun experience. There’s too much to lose and not enough rewards to keep me motivated.
2064: Read Only Memories Investigates Nintendo Switch 14 Aug.
Platform Exclusive Remastered Side Story “Punks”, 10% Discounted Pre-Orders Available Now
SAN FRANCISCO – 1 Aug, 2018 –2064: Read Only Memories Integral, the cyberpunk narrative adventure from MidBoss with more than 200,000 copies sold across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, will explore Nintendo Switch on 14 August, 2018. It is available for pre-orders today with a 10% discount until launch.
Take to the streets with the “Punks” side story, remastered, fully voiced and seamlessly integrated exclusively into 2064: Read Only Memories Integral on Nintendo Switch. Other content in this definitive edition of Read Only Memories includes video clips from the cutting room floor, a jukebox with never-before-heard tracks, as well as all of the voice acting, other polish and content added to the game since its initial launch.
Follow Turing, who claims to be the world’s first fully sapient ROM (Relationship and Organizational Manager) on a mysterious investigation after the disappearance of their creator. Turing is as witty as they are cute and depending on player choices can become a close companion while helping solve point-and-click puzzles and problem-solving minigames.
The city of Neo San-Francisco transposes modern day social issues into a hopeful cyberpunk future by asking questions about identity, individuality and what it is to be human. With a diverse cast of characters, each fully voiced by talents including industry legends Melissa Hutchison (The Walking Dead), Adam Harrington (Middle Earth: Shadow of War, The Wolf Among Us) and more, 2064: Read Only Memories Integral puts the focus on meaningful interactions and choices while exploring topics such as advanced AI, cybernetic enhancements and genetic experimentation.
“The core of Read Only Memories’ beloved story complete with positive representation of marginalized people is unchanged, but it’s been enhanced and expanded over the years.” said Cade Peterson, interim CEO, Midboss. “With the definitive edition for Nintendo Switch, players returning to the futuristic world of Neo San-Francisco can find just as many things to be excited about as people visiting for the first time.”
2064 will be available in the Nintendo Switch eShop for $20.64USD and support English with full audio and Japanese with a text-only localization. To learn more, visit the 2064: Read Only Memories Integralofficial website and follow it on Facebook and Twitter, or follow MidBoss on Twitter and Tumblr.
About Midboss Based out of San Francisco (although not the Neo kind), Midboss aims to make the world better, safer and more inclusive for marginalized people, especially those across the gender and sexuality spectrum, by creating cool experiences through games and other forms of media which diversify representation, as well as becoming a platform for queer content around the world.
To learn more about Midboss visit the studio’s official website.
REND™ EARLY ACCESS NOW AVAILABLE ON STEAM® WORLDWIDE
Strategize, Dominate, and Ascend in Epic Team-Based Fantasy Survival RPG Inspired by Norse Mythology
IRVINE, CALIF. – July 31, 2018 – The army of the gods continues to grow to massive numbers with the Steam Early Access release of Rend, the fantasy team-based survival game, available today on PC for $29.99 USD. Players worldwide can join one of three factions and work with teammates to survive the vividly beautiful, yet brutal shattered remains of Midgard. Victorious teams will earn their right to ascend to Valhalla as honored heroes and bask in the glory of victory while collecting earned rewards. Rend pairs RPG mechanics, sandbox elements, factional combat, and massive battles with win/loss conditions to introduce a new gaming experience to the survival genre.
Rend is being developed by Frostkeep Studios, an independent game studio founded by a team of veteran game developers – Solomon Lee, Mat Milizia, and Jeremy Wood – who met working together on the original World of Warcraft before moving on to other successful game titles like Overwatch and League of Legends. Frostkeep Studios plans to take advantage of this Early Access period to continue receiving constructive community feedback to further improve upon Rend.
“Since we first announced Rend, we have been developing it side by side with our players through Pre-Alpha and Alpha testing and by gathering feedback through Discord and our official channels,” said Jeremy Wood, co-founder and CEO, Frostkeep Studios. “Our goal has always been to transform the way players interact and participate in survival games while delivering on the fantasy that they have come to expect from this genre.”
Added Wood, “We have created a unique space that doesn’t feel like any other game in the survival genre and while this marks a significant milestone for our studio, we’re only just getting started.”
Rend takes inspiration from the motifs of ancient Norse mythology to bring players a colorful world of epic battles and survival-based gameplay. To accommodate the various gameplay styles, Rend will host official servers – including Conquest servers that eliminate the magical shield protecting each faction’s base – as well as support private servers for players who are interested in customizing the game’s rulesets and their overall in-game experience.
“We’re making Rend for the players, not for us,” said Mat Milizia, co-founder and creative director, Frostkeep Studios. “We’re excited to see how the community will continue to make an impact on the game’s development during the Early Access period.”
About Rend Epic fantasy adventure meets team-based survival in Rend. Inspired by the fabled universe of Nordic myth, the world of Rend is a harsh domain where the strong ascend as gods. Players must choose among three rival factions, combine forces to build their faction’s stronghold, and battle foes and brutal creatures. Together, they will endure the dangers of Rend’s treacherous landscapes to discover valuable resources and powerful artifacts. With the game’s deep talent trees and skill systems, players have the freedom to choose how they want to play and how they want to fight. When a cycle ends, one faction will be declared the winner… but the end is only the beginning. Victorious players receive rewards they can use in subsequent cycles as they ascend to legendary heights as heroes. For more information, visit: www.RendGame.com.
About Frostkeep Studios
Frostkeep Studios is based in Irvine, CA and was founded in May 2016 by veteran game developers who met working together on the original World of Warcraft. Its founders have more than 75 years of combined experience in the industry making games including World of Warcraft, League of Legends,Overwatch, WildStar, and more. For more information, please visit: http://www.frostkeep.com
First Official Gameplay Trailer Showcases Stunning Visuals, New Features and Game Depth
Larkspur, Calif. – July 31, 2018 – Codemasters® has released the first full gameplay video for F1® 2018, the official videogame of the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship™, which reveals the incredible depth and feature set of this year’s game. Launching onto PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X and Windows PC on August 24, 2018, F1® 2018 lets you follow the path and career of an F1® driver like never before.
Featuring the most in-depth career mode ever seen in the franchise, 20 classic cars from the history of the sport, and new stunning visuals, F1® 2018 takes F1® gaming to the next level.
“This is the most complete F1® experience that Codemasters has ever created,” said Game Director Lee Mather. “The Career mode is the central point of the game and has been greatly expanded with the inclusion of pressurized press interviews that will directly affect your path through the sport. There is also far more flexibility for the player, including the ability to select your own rival and negotiate team moves during the season. The Career mode also expands the player’s research and development options, with each F1® team now having its own unique technology tree with differing strengths and weaknesses. What’s more, F1® 2018’s Career will also feature significant rule changes between seasons during the Career for the first time.
“The game’s handling has also been reworked using real world F1® data to give us new suspension and chassis physics, as well as the introduction of manually deployed ERS. This all means that the cars feel great to drive and you can really feel the difference between the modern cars and the 20 classics there are in the game. There is a huge contrast between the low aero, low grip cars from the 1970s compared to the 2018 cars.”
As well as improvements to the career, classics and simulation, F1® 2018 has also undergone a significant graphical uplift with the inclusion of new visual elements, including environmental mist, heat haze, track mirage effects, new engine heat haze and off racing line dirt kick-up which brings it even closer to the real sport.
When playing online, the game’s new Super License system is designed to minimize the effects of poor driving in multiplayer races. Players are rated on their skill levels and driver etiquette and then matched with other gamers of a similar ability and driving style.
F1® 2018 is the official game of the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship™ and features all of the official teams, drivers and circuits from the thrilling season. This includes the return of the iconic Hockenheimring and the addition of the FORMULA 1 PIRELLI GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE at the Circuit Paul Ricard.
About Codemasters Codemasters (AIM:CDM) is an award winning British video game developer and publisher with over 30 years of heritage. The company specializes in high quality racing games including DiRT, GRID and the BAFTA award-winning official F1® series of videogames.
For more information on Codemasters’ product portfolio, please visit www.codemasters.com. Join in the conversation with @codemasters on Twitter or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/codemasters.
All other copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are being used under license. Developed and published by Codemasters.
About Deep Silver Deep Silver develops and distributes interactive games for all platforms. The Deep Silver label means to captivate all gamers who have a passion for thrilling gameplay in exciting game worlds. Deep Silver works with its partners to achieve a maximum of success while maintaining the highest possible quality, always focusing on what the customer desires.
Deep Silver has published more than 200 games since 2003, including its own brands like the open world extravaganza Saints Row, the zombie action franchise Dead Island, and the grim post-apocalyptic future of the Metro series. Deep Silver also owns the development studios Deep Silver Dambuster Studios in Nottingham, UK; Deep Silver Fishlabs in Hamburg, Germany, and Deep Silver Volition based in Champaign, IL, USA. For more information please visit www.deepsilver.com
BREAKING NEWS – UNSUSPECTING CUP OF JOE HAS BEEN ASSAULTED BY A WILD MOB OF DIRTY HIPSTERS
This just in – a gripping testimonial from an average cup of black coffee, brought to you by Televisor, an organization devoted to the eradication of all things flannel and neck beardy, and makers of the new App, Hipster Attack. The mission behind Hipster Attack is to shed light on the unjust acts committed by the neck bearded menaces against society and destroy them. Today, we bring you the story behind the coffee – what was once just plain cup of joe, sometimes with a bit of milk and sugar, has now been sullied by the hipster community. For more information and to help, please watch the below video, download it and spread the word.
WARNING – This video may feature sensitive content, not suitable for the emotionally fragile.
Hipster Attack is a new tower defense game in the vein of a certain plant-themed zombie killer, but instead of undead terrors, you’re battling mindless lemmings that obsess on trends, ironically of course, while trying to look like they’re “deeply” unique. That’s right, much worse than a blood-thirsty zombie, scientists call their kind “hipsters.” Players command a squad of brave and loyal workers from janitors to top-level HR managers in a fight against legions of hipsters who are trying to take over the local coffee shop.
Start out small, using your HR reps to fling job applications at the vinyl-spinning foes, then bolster your forces by adding resource-generating coffee makers (which also fire gobs of coffee beans as an alternate weapon!), sleepy (yet highly efficient) security guards, maids with mauling mops, and more!
Hipster Attack Key Features:
Hipsters of all Shapes and Sizes: From the trendsetter, to poet, to the music master and …. the horrific being known only as flying tofu. The game abounds with a variety of hilarious hipsters to destroy!
Unconventional Weapons and Abilities: Use your HR reps to chuck job applications and wads of paper at the hipsters! Players can power up coffee makers to shoot donuts at incoming enemies, cast the ‘Statue of Hipsterity’ to freeze hipsters in place, or set an ‘urban trap’ filled with stylish sunglasses and hot espresso as bait.
Variety of Characters: Players start out with the junior HR employee, but as they progress through levels, they’ll get a higher level corporate team to take on the hipster onslaught. Utilize security guards, the logistics senior, and even the cleaning lady, to protect the coffee shop.
Built-In Tongue in Cheek: Use tons of different weapons to take down the incoming waves of moustache-twirling, vinyl spinning hipsters. Hit ’em so hard that it knocks their $200 second-hand-store 80’s era denim vests right off! In-game economy is based off of two types of resources: coffee and money. Coffee provides energy and cash is motivation for workers — what more do you need?
For the latest updates, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out the game on Steam, and visit the Hipster Attackwebsite.
31st July 2018 – Team17, a global games label, creative partner and developer of independent, premium video games in partnership with the Brazilian indie development team at Firecast Studios and Fableware Narrative Design have today announced that Sword Legacy: Omen will release on 13th July 2018. Sword Legacy Omen will release on Steam for £14.99/$17.99/€17.99/R$36.99. A Digital Deluxe Edition will also be available which includes a digital art book, wallpapers and the Sword Legacy: Omen OST. This will be available on Steam and priced at £19.49/$24.99/€24.99/R$46.99.
Sword Legacy: Omen is a turn-based tactical RPG set in the candlepunk realm of Broken Britannia. Marrying masterful, brutal storytelling with comic-inspired aesthetics, Sword Legacy: Omen presents a bloody re-telling of the King Arthur mythos as you follow Uther Pendragon to fight a path of vengeance across Broken Britannia. Joined by a band of misfits, Uther seeks justice for his fallen lord and to recover the lost sword, Excalibur.
Explore the world and engage in challenging battles where you must use tactics to play to your hero’s strengths while exploiting your enemy’s weaknesses. Each hero is individually equipped with both passive and active skills and your comrades’ different strengths are crucial to dominating the battlefield. Combine and complement the skills of your party to pick the right team for every situation.
In a new video, Arthur Protasio, Creative Director at Fableware Narrative Design, talks through the story, characters and gameplay of Sword Legacy: Omen. From exploration to battlefield tactics, Arthur gives the low down on all you need to know before facing the realms of Broken Britannia.
Long live the legacy!
Sword Legacy Omen will release 14th July on Steam for £14.99/$17.99/€17.99/R$36.90
About Team17 Digital Ltd
Founded in 1990, Team17 Group plc is a leading international video games label and creative partner for independent developers. The portfolio comprises over 90 games, including The Escapists, Genesis: Alpha One, Overcooked, Yoku’s Island Express, Yooka-Laylee, the Worms franchise and many more from developers around the world. Visit www.team17.com for more info.
About Firecast Studio
Founded in 2014, Firecast Studio is a game studio focused on innovation and fun. We create high quality graphics, characters and stories, to enable expansion into other universes outside the “game world”.
About Fableware Narrative Design
Founded in 2015, Fableware is an independent storytelling studio specialized in developing content for multiple platforms and transmedia projects. Its portfolio includes awarded works such as the Digital Emmy nominated TV show, Now Generation; the mysterious VR adventure, Angest; and the tactical RPG, Sword Legacy: Omen, awarded Best Storytelling at the SB Games Festival.
The survival RPG releases in 2019 for the PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch® and PC – to coincide with the 20th Anniversary of the original TV show
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (July 30th, 2018) – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. is excited to announce Digimon Survive, a brand-new survival RPG coming to the Americas on PlayStation®4 Computer Entertainment system, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via STEAM®.
Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Digimon anime, Digimon Survive presents an original adventure set in a mysterious world with characters designed by Uiti Ukumo, and music composed by the much-acclaimed Tomoki Miyoshi. Digimon Survive is a fresh new game with a unique timeline that does not correlate with other Digimon series, allowing the player to discover and learn about the Digimon world together with the characters.
In Digimon Survive, a group of teenagers led by Takuma Momozuka, get lost on a school camping trip and find themselves transported to a strange world of monsters and danger. As they fight their way back home through a 3D world of difficult decisions and deadly battles, players’ choices throughout the game will impact the evolution of their monster allies, and the final ending.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive entertainment for all major video game consoles, iOS, Android, and online platforms. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises including PAC-MAN®, GALAGA®, TEKKEN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and ACE COMBAT®. BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. is the premier publisher in the Western hemisphere for anime-based video games including NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, DRAGON BALL Z®, and ONE PIECE®. More information about the company and its products can be found at http://www.bandainamcoent.com or www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS
As children, we all have heroes. Sure, we forget a few – but the lasting impression they can make on us for even a moment can go on to define our tastes and preferences for the rest of our lives. It only takes a single moment to create a memory, and when you have a full career that is viewed on a weekly basis for years by millions, you then can rest proud knowing that you have a legacy of your own, even if the weight of that said legacy may differ from your peers.
Brian Christopher was one of my heroes growing up. During the most successful era in wrestling history (the “Attitude” era), he served a pivotal role by becoming one third of the stable “Too Cool”, which today is known as one of the most entertaining and celebrated teams of the new millennium. Brian passed away today at the age of 46, and while the circumstances are anything but pleasant, he is certainly deserving of tribute for contributing to so many of those little memories that introduced the world to a new side of wrestling. Today, let’s take a look back at Christopher’s career and celebrate the man who made goggles a hip-hop fashion accessory.
This piece isn’t exactly biographical, as it is simply made up of my introduction to the man. You can go to Wikipedia to track the decent careers of Brian, Scotty, and so on, so instead of going down some historical timeline, I will simply share how I was introduced to Christopher through my own childhood. Sometime in 1997, I discovered WWE. I knew about wrestling and was a fan of the concept, but due to so many kids stating it was fake and so on, I stayed away and indulged in other things like Power Rangers and everything in-between. You know, those other kind of heroes. Anyway, once I finally took the plunge, I was hooked. I have always admired any kind of over-the-top programming, and during this timeframe, WWE was insane. We had Undertaker performing ceremonies in darkness, Mankind talking to rats in a boiler room, and men wearing golden spandex who looked back fondly on their movie careers. It was the era of characters, and there was literally a hero or villain for anyone to root for.
I have a lot of spotty memories of when I first saw Brian Christopher on television for the first time, but I do remember him being absurd in the best kind of way. He would wear these brightly color tights with checkered patterns on them, and would perform a diving leg drop that looked like it would take the head off of his opponent that he called the “Tennessee Jam”. Yes, instead of taking on the role of some clone from the world of pop culture, Christopher’s first gimmick on television was a loud southern boy with a bad attitude. He was spoiled, eccentric, and could perform high flying maneuvers with ease. That last part may not sound special to most, but in 1997 into 98, WWE didn’t really push smaller guys as Cruiserweights were more of a WCW feature, so having this kind of performer in a product that was now identifying itself as “entertainment” over sport was kind of a big deal. Add in an amazingly irritating cackle that would be shouted after nearly every damn move, and you have an amazing heel that was a joy to watch.
Christopher would enter and nearly win a tournament for the Light Heavyweight Championship, and have some awesome feuds with Taka Michinoku and Águila, all while his daddy cheered him on in the commentary booth. Yeah, WWE definitely made sure that we fans knew that Jerry “The King” Lawler was the father of Brian. They looked alike, talked alike, and even have somewhat similar styles in the ring, so you could definitely tell that the apple did not fall far from the tree. Even with a famous father constantly pushing his name, Christopher needed to break out from that shadow as his larger than life personality was simply getting too big for the same sort of gimmickry. For this, WWE aligned him with Scott Taylor, a man who had been with the company for years, but was mainly used to give guys a solid match or sell a new debut or gimmick from another talent to a crowd for the first time. The two had great tag-team chemistry in the ring, and became Too Much. At first, the duo were just your basic whiny heels. They would talk trash, act crazy, and get the fans riled before usually getting stomped, creating a huge pop for whichever face was doing the work. As the gimmick went on, the two became a bit more stylish and in sync with one another, and would tease an infatuation before Too Much would stop dead in its tracks in 99, when a quick repackaging would turn the music up and give the pair some focus.
Before we speak of sunglasses and such, I can say that I do not know the actual circumstances for the repackaging. I have heard Scotty speak in interviews and state that they didn’t feel happy with the direction the gimmick was going in, so they stood up for themselves and ended up being allowed to go their own creative course, so if you want an actual answer, that would probably be the best bet. At the end of the day Too Much were fine, but nothing compared to Too Cool. Now carrying boomboxes, donning shades, and dancing to some 90’s hip-hop, the newly branded Grand Master Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty relaunched as heels on Sunday Night Heat. Instead of that whole “are they or aren’t they” gimmickry from before, Too Cool simply smashed opponents with cheesey one liners, and embellished in a culture that they were not cut out for. That was the joke, and it was so damn entertaining. Add in a new dance move by the name of “The Worm” and turn these two face, and this tag team would quickly become one of the most featured duos of 1999.
What was interesting about this new branding is that so much of the Too Much characters applied to Scotty and Brian’s new characters, and fans seem to forget that. Some of the quirky dance moves, Brian’s cackle, and even King’s love of his not related but ever so proud of son would also transfer over with Too Cool, simply adding to the tag team’s charm. As the two became more known for dancing, WWE tried out an idea, sticking Rikishi with the duo, and from there – we saw the birth of the Too Cool we all know and love today. This trio could make arenas explode with pops by simply dancing at the end of each match. While their success resulted in merchandising, television spots, and so on, Too Cool would not go on forever. During 2000 and after capturing the tag team titles once, Rikishi would go down a different path as a heel, and leave the group laid out. With change comes a bit of tweaking, and the duo would continue on with a brand new theme song (“Turn it Up”), and would keep trekking forward until Scotty became sidelined due to a real life injury.
Grand Master Sexay began a campaign to find a new tag team partner for the time being. Enter Steve Blackman. This duo was a comedy pairing, with the whole opposites attract chemistry featured behind it. They would even go on to do the pre-show for Wrestlemania 17 against X-Factor, so while not nearly as endearing, Christopher still managed to keep his character relevant and entertaining. Just before the Invasion angle would hit hard, he was released due to an incident in 2001, turning Scotty into a singles competitor when he returned. There are some details of the situation, as Christopher was arrested, but again, this matter is in the past and simply serves as a bump in a solid timeline as it spelled the end of the first run of Too Cool. Over the next couple of years, the now branded Brian Lawler would do independents (most notably NWA-TNA) under his real name, acting as a heel with that same purple attire that he left WWE in. In 2004, Kane just was “heating up” with his new monster character. It was an episode of Raw I still remember very clearly. “TURN IT UP” would hit and out would come Grand Master Sexay, who lost quickly in a return match. This return ended with a release mere weeks later, with Sexay going back to independents for the rest of his career, outside of a brief stint in NXT with Scotty and a few reunion appearances here and there.
That kind of retreads the career, but the man himself is a different story. I get it, I am a fan. I only see one perspective, but two years ago I got to meet Brian and Scotty, my two heroes who I followed for years. I will state that out of the two, Scotty was always my favorite Superstar of all time, but Brian follows closely behind, so getting to talk to a person I admired so much was a big deal to myself. I even attended one of those pop-up Wrestlemania parties with the duo, and let me tell you that Brian was the life of the room. Talking to fans, taking goofy pictures, and just hamming it up the entire time, only leaving after everyone else exited. Sure, everyone knows a few of his issues of the past, but the guy I found in front of me was warm and fun, as if it was his personal job to put a smile on everyone’s face. Oh yeah, that laugh is not just a character thing, either. The man I met provided me countless stories and happy memories that day, and remains one of my most cherished encounters with a “celebrity” in general.
Brian Christopher Lawler was the definition of fun. He is what made Too Cool come together with a thumping heartbeat and even though he is talked about somewhat less in current circles, will forever be remembered as a loud and entertaining roster entry from such an important and redefining era. I have been doing a lot of remembering today. I remember sticking in WWF Attitude on the Playstation and always picking Brian Christopher for his over-the-top one-liners. I remember getting cheap notepads and trying to track Too Cool’s win loss record for almost a year straight before I got solid internet. I also remember being an adult and finding out that my Batman and Robin were just as awesome in real life as the vision I held in my head all these years, despite all of the trivial headlines that would tell me otherwise. Brian Christopher may have treaded shadows of his father and even with his former team mates throughout his career, but that is ok. Grand Master Sexay was over, held gold, made a name for himself, and brought smiles to faces every time he performed. For a wrestler or sports entertainer, there are not a lot of folks who can attest to that.
Today, the world loses its break-dancing, cackling southerner who was both Too Much and Too Cool in every sense. His family and friends should know that despite those shadows, there are those of us who will never forget about how much joy he brought. Modern fans get so caught up in their favorite talents that they almost riot if their favorites do not get enough air time, almost as if a legacy will be tarnished if there are not enough notches in one’s belt. They forget that it only takes a moment, and Brian’s legacy is that he was able to withstand time and still be remembered as one of the most entertaining Superstars of a generation for creating a ton of those little moments for all of us. I hope he is at peace, and I hope he knew he was and forever will be a hero and a legend in this industry to many.
SOUND THE DRUMS! TAIKO NO TATSUJIN COMES TO EUROPE FOR THE FIRST TIME
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! for Nintendo Switch® and Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! for PlayStation®4 launch on November 2nd 2018
The celebrated cult classic taiko drum rhythm series Taiko no Tatsujin arrives in Europe, with two new games announced by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe.
Two new games,Taikono Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! for Nintendo Switch® and Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system will be available to buy from November 2nd 2018.
The hugely popular Japanese rhythm game comes to Europe for the first time, and features a wide variety of new songs, special crossover characters, and multiplayer capabilities that are sure to get players drumming to the hypnotic rhythm of taiko drums. Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! for Nintendo Switch® and Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! for PlayStation®4 each boast unique features that tailor the Taiko no Tatsujin experience to each specific platform for optimised gameplay.
Using the Joy-Con® controllers as drumsticks, Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! for Nintendo Switch® introduces motion-control play that uniquely replicates the popular arcade-style experience. Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! also features 20 multiplayer rhythm-based mini-games that can be played by up to 4 players. Additionally, in the Rhythm Games Mode, players will be able to play as characters from classic Nintendo® games including Kirby from Kirby® and Squid from Splatoon® 2.
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! for PlayStation®4 plays to the spirited competitive side of Taiko with its Ranked Mode, enabling players to connect online and test their skills against Taiko players around the world. Players will also have the chance to unlock costumes, sound effects, and greetings for the Taiko no Tatsujin mascot, Don-chan, and play Guest Session with popular characters such as Heihachi from Tekken, Pac-Man® and Hello Kitty®.
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! for Nintendo Switch® and Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system will be available from November 2nd, 2018.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S. part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc. is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content for platforms including all major video game consoles, PC and mobile. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN™, TEKKEN™, SOULCALIBUR™, DARK SOULS™, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball, GALAGA™, RIDGE RACER™ and ACE COMBAT™. For more information please visit www.bandainamcoent.eu . All the BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment products are available on the official store https://store.bandainamcoent.eu
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Airheart: Tales of Broken Wings
If you want to be successful in the higher levels, it’s necessary to modify your airplane with one of the over 40 available weapons and upgrade the parts. While hunting fish and fighting against pirates we collect the necessary resources for the crafting system of Airheart: Tales of Broken Wings. While exploring the different levels, we also have to take care to not attack other airplanes as this might result in a cop-plane chasing us. This game can really create chaos on the screen with pirates, fish, cop-planes and random planes including myself flying around. This is where also some kind of frustration takes place – often I felt that I can’t really can influence all of my moves and so I definitely crashed more than once. Then I thought twice about it and remembered: Hey it’s a rogue-like!
The crafting system wants us to discover all recipes by ourselves. So basically what this means is that we have to sacrifice a part of our materials for the hope of a good result. This is why you literally pick up everything that you find during your expedition. You never know the recipe you’ll discover next and what materials you’ll need for it. On one hand I think this is an interesting approach on the other hand I think it adds more frustration to the game. There is just no other word for it if you’ve spent a big part of your materials without any results.
Visuals & Audio
That kind of retreads the career, but the man himself is a different story. I get it, I am a fan. I only see one perspective, but two years ago I got to meet Brian and Scotty, my two heroes who I followed for years. I will state that out of the two, Scotty was always my favorite Superstar of all time, but Brian follows closely behind, so getting to talk to a person I admired so much was a big deal to myself. I even attended one of those pop-up Wrestlemania parties with the duo, and let me tell you that Brian was the life of the room. Talking to fans, taking goofy pictures, and just hamming it up the entire time, only leaving after everyone else exited. Sure, everyone knows a few of his issues of the past, but the guy I found in front of me was warm and fun, as if it was his personal job to put a smile on everyone’s face. Oh yeah, that laugh is not just a character thing, either. The man I met provided me countless stories and happy memories that day, and remains one of my most cherished encounters with a “celebrity” in general.
