Do yourself a favour and check out the demo for Codemasters new upcoming racing title, F1 Racestars available today ahead of the anticipated release of the title on November 15th on out it.. In what looks to have some adrenalin pumping fast paced action, players will experience Formula One on steroids as they hurtle down the F1 Racestars Germany track, getting to try out both single player and four player split screen action. The tracks are jam packed with screeching hairpin corners, straights and jumps, giving players a glimpse at some of the racing environments on offer.
The demo will put players in the seats of such Formula One icons as Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen as they race against other well known drivers as well as fictional characters all with their own individual personal touch. We all know the importance of Power Ups in and F1 Racestars arms players with an arsenal of forces such as Wet Weather and DRS at their disposal to obliterate the competition. In conjunction with the release of the demo comes a new video trailer showcasing some of the games more over the top tracks and actions from dodging sumo robots in Japan, carnivals in Brazil and the mighty Truckosaurus in the good old USA.
Welcome to the 13th episode of CC Powerslam, Capsule Computers Wrestling Podcast! In our thirteenth episode, the CC Crew discuss the aftermath of WWE’s Hell in a Cell PPV.
Cast: Luke Halliday, Travis Bruno and Dustin Spencer
The famed planet of Superman’s birth has been discovered in real life. Astrophysicists have discovered a small planet matching Krypton’s description orbiting red dwarf star LHS 2520, and its only 27.1 light-years from Earth.
Krypton was discovered at the request of DC comics, who wanted a real life planetary tie in with their up coming Action Comic Superman #14 “ Star light, star bright” where we will see the Man of Steel try and find the location of his home world.
For those who don’t know (and I imagine you will be few), Superman was sent from the Planet Krypton as a young child before the entire planet was destroyed. It’s Earth’s yellow sun that gives Kryptonians their awesome godlike powers, while the rest of us only get sunburn. Damn yellow sun!
Want to see the brilliance of Warren Specter? Well, today – Xbox and PS3 owners alike can download the full demo for Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two two weeks before the game hits stores for a nice sneak peak.
I know, I know…the first title was nice, but flawed in a few ways. Time has passed and a lot of older flaws seem to be gone now though, which should let the creativity that was put into the experience shine through. So go, download, and let us know your thoughts in the comment section if you get a chance to play it. Epic Mickey 2 is out for the Wii U, Xbox 360, 3DS, and Playstation 3 on November 18th.
Resident Evil: Retribution will be arriving on our shores on January 10, 2013. What better way to kick off a new year by watching the Zombie Apocalypse play out in your own living room. There is also a lot of platforms to choose from, with the flick coming out on DVD, Blu-ray and a 3D Blu-ray edition.
The release follows the trend of DVD/Blu ray releases where the special features are noticeably different. On DVD, You’ll get commentary, a “Creatures of Retribution” documentary and outtakes. Buying it on Blu-ray will score you deleted and extended scenes with many more behind the scenes docos to keep the hardcore Resident Evil fan happy. And of course, 3D Blu-ray will get all of the above special features, with outtakes and deleted/extended scenes in 3D.
Neon Alley Provider:Viz Media Price:$6.99 monthly – Free Trial Here
While there has been a few streaming services launched over the last few years which have made watching anime whenever you feel like easier than ever there has been one flaw in most of these services. That flaw is the fact that most of these services only provide subtitled anime, making actual English dubbed series a rarity on television outside of Netflix.
However, a little over a month ago Viz Media stepped into the streaming game by launching a new service that has made it possible for subscribers to watch an anime series simply by turning on their PlayStation 3 and accessing the app. Of course the company does require a monthly payment of $6.99 to use the service, though anime fans are able to get a taste of what Neon Alley can provide with a free trial.
So what does Neon Alley provide you ask? Well first it is worth mentioning that Neon Alley is not like other services such as Netflix or Crunchyroll that allow you to pull up a series at will and watch it whenever you feel like. Instead Neon Alley is set up like a basic television channel where viewers are presented with a pre-set line-up of anime episodes that cannot be modified in anyway.
This is unfortunately a drawback with the system as a whole thanks to the fact that the app is as bare boned as you can get. In fact the only ability the user has is to pull up a guide showing what episodes of a series are next while small descriptions of an episode are provided which each listing. This is a nice feature on its own thanks to the fact that viewers can check when the next episode of their favorite show will come online but planning is a necessity.
Thanks to the fact that Neon Alley is set up like a television channel, there are no options to pause, rewind or fast forward through an episode you’ve already seen or don’t care for, nor is there an option to possibly record an episode in-case you are unable to view it. If that is the case, then your only option is to keep an eye on the schedule, which can also be viewed on Neon Alley’s website, and aim for the next time that episode will be aired.
Now what about the anime series themselves? Viz Media has provided a classic line-up of shows that are not only licensed by themselves, but also a few series from companies such as FUNimation and Aniplex. There are a large number of classic shows to be seen on Neon Alley such as Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, One Piece, Inuyasha, Kekkaishi and a few others all presented in either SD or HD quality depending on when the episode was created.
Outside of these older classic shows, Viz is also airing a number of brand new shows that are being shown for the very first time in English, often far ahead of the physical English release of the anime. These series include the widely popular Tiger & Bunny, Blue Exorcist, Inuyasha the Final Act and Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan and new episodes of Naruto Shippuden. Each of these new series are given a new episode once a week, though older episodes do replay throughout the week as mentioned before and are presented in HD quality.
For many anime fans this may be enough of a reason to subscribe to a series, especially when Tiger & Bunny lends itself well to being translated into English, though some may be disappointed with the English voice actor chosen for Kotetsu, and fans have been desperate to see the ending to Inuyasha for many years. However there are also a number of movies being shown on Neon Alley, with roughly two a day. These movies often revolve around an anime such as Naruto or Bleach, but last week the channel presented the first showing of Beserk: The Egg of the King and also a number of live-action Asian movies.
What makes all of these anime and anime movies great is the fact that they are all presented in full English which is already a major plus but also, whenever possible in crisp HD. Now it is worth noting that your presentation may vary slightly depending on your internet connectivity, so people using the PlayStation 3 wirelessly connected to the internet may experience lesser video quality because of this.
It is also worth noting that, considering most anime episodes last roughly 25 minutes out of a half hour programming section there are actually commercials present in Neon Alley. Ironically, these commercials aren’t bad as they often show off what shows will be shown later in the day, a new premiere that will be happening in a few days or various physical releases from Viz Media’s manga section. Unfortunately mixed in with these are some standard commercials as well so don’t expect everything shown to always be anime/manga themed.
Now while some people may be worried that the series’ line-up panders mostly to fans of the shonen genre, that is unfortunately a bit true as most of the shows presented are of said genre, but there are a few series which expand beyond shonen shows such as Tiger & Bunny, Vampire Knight and then soon to premiere Lagrange.
With a number of shows premiering in the future and Viz Media acquiring licenses from Japan such as K, Neon Alley could easily be worth the minimal price of $6.99 as it offers a unique service and while there are a number of small issues that hold it back from being something an anime fan should subscribe to, it is certainly a great way to check out various series in English long before they are meant to be released in stores. While the unique television channel set-up does have a number of limitations such as viewer freedom, its uniqueness helps set it apart as something that harkens back to older days when anime lovers could tune into a channel and watch a set of shows with only minimal commercial interruption.
Get ready, fans of the 90’s. The jammin twosome from the era of hip-hop are back, and have made their way to the Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network as of today. Sega Vintage Collection: ToeJam & Earl is an Xbox Live release, featuring both ToeJam & Earl and ToeJam & Earl: Panic on Funkotron in one awesome download for just 800 points.
PSN users will be able to download each game separately for $4.99 a piece, and all versions have online co-op and achievements/trophy support to give further incentive to explore these crazy worlds all over again. Being one of my favorite games of all time, I can not stress enough for all of you to go show these classics some love, as ToeJam & Earl is one experience you won’t be able to forget.
Ubisoft are having a great week. Today, it was announced that Assassin’s Creed 3 has sold over 3.5 Million copies in one week alone, which is certainly a huge feat for the the series and brand as a whole. Love it or hate it, Assassin’s Creed is now a holiday powerhouse, releasing every year to a rabid fanbase that only crave more. That’s a good thing in my eyes though, as it’s good to see something other than a shooter grow into an utter phenomenon.
Here is the official statement from CEO Yves Guillemot :
First-week sell-through sales for Assassin’s Creed 3 are estimated at over 3.5 million units, representing a year-on-year increase of more than 100 percent
You can check out our own review here, and pick up your own copy in stores now.
PSP owners who want something new to play are in luck this week, as an absolute treat has been delivered. Aksys Games new strategy RPG Ragnarok Tactics has hit shelves today, delivering an epic story with five different endings, as well as that familiar Ragnarok universe that fans know and love.
Here is some more details for those of you just learning of this game:
Long ago, a ferocious war, which came to be known as the Holy War, was waged. It was during this bloody conflict that humanity erected a magical barrier to keep both gods and demons from overrunning their world. Once the war was over, it was believed that peace would return. However, humanity soon began to turn on itself, and war began anew.
Many centuries after the Holy War, the Branshaldo Empire and the Aura Republic engaged in an extended war for control of the Grantria Peninsula. The conflict eventually ground to a halt and an uneasy truce was reached, as neither nation had the resources to continue fighting. Even so, the animosity between the two parties never faded, but smoldered beneath the surface, always threatening to explode into flames. In the resulting tenuous peace, the people of the peninsula began to resume their normal lives, always aware that the war could resume at any time.
It was against this backdrop that the protagonist begins their fight against rival factions, hordes of ravening monsters controlled by enigmatic puppet masters, and even their own dark impulses…
Features:
· Immersive Story –With multiple factions to support and a plethora of different endings to pursue, Ragnarok Tactics has a vast wealth of original story content for players to enjoy.
· Engaging Strategic Battles – Go beyond standard strategy RPG combat with a variety of unique tactical mechanics, such as the Overdrive, Burst Strike, or even resting mid-battle!
· Interact with Friends – Using the Playstation®Portable’s adhoc capabilities, you can exchange weapons and unlock extra features with your friends.
· Customizable Characters – True to the spirit of former Ragnarok games, Ragnarok Tactics features customizable characters complete with modifiable skills, stats, and job classes.
You can pick up Ragnarok Tactics as of today in either PSP UMD format, or digitally for your Vita or PSP via the PSN.
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop Studio: Pariah Publisher: Beyond Home Entertainment Format: DVD (Reviewed), Blu-Ray Release Date: November 1, 2012 Price: $19.95 – Available Here
Overview
Back in 2010, Conan O’Brien had to make a decision…a decision that was unselfish and kept the legacy of The Tonight Show pure, by not allowing it to move into the AM for the first time in it’s history. Jay Leno got his old job back – the one he promised to give to Conan – and Conan left NBC with a fat pay-check for his troubles. This documentary gives us a candid look at Conan and his crew as they embarked on “The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour” soon after, and it suffices to say that you have never gotten an inside glimpse at the psyche and inner workings of Conan O’Brien, like this, anywhere else.
Story
The start of Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop briefly recaps the widely publicised events that led to Conan being unemployed and him coming up with the idea for The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour. Moving forward, we see the beginning stages of the tour’s preparation, while Conan speaks candidly to the camera about how he felt after the whole NBC Tonight Show debaucle. It’s obvious that Conan harboured a lot of anger and resentment over it all and needed this new outlet to prevent himself from self-imploding and possibly falling into a depression. He jokes about it, but there’s this unsettling truth behind the façade he puts up. Comedians and creative types famously deal with their issues in this way, so it’s not a new concept.
“Oh, I just rubbed this microphone into my leaking eye!…Seriously, no one touch this microphone!”
The tour gets rolling, and we see the utter and total commitment to perfection from Conan, putting more stress on himself than is necessary. But that’s who he is. And it’s not for himself, it’s for the people; his audience; his fans. He recounts a story about a guy whose friend says Conan blew him off when he approached him for an autograph. Conan says “That’s not possible! I said it with authority, like the way you would say when he says “a friend of mine says you shot at him with a 22 handgun!” That’s not possible!” It’s a very endearing trait, and one that is becomes all the more evident throughout the film as Conan just can’t refuse a conversation, a meet-and-greet or a photo op with someone, even when he feels he is in danger of losing his voice for the next show. He even did a “secret show” with Jack White at White’s studio!
As the crew travels from town-to-town, from coast-to-coast, numerous celebrities stop by to say hello backstage, including Jack McBrayer, Jon Hamm, Megan Mullaly, Nick Offerman and Jim Carrey. Carrey actually appeared on a couple shows throughout the tour, as did lead singer of Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder and fellow TV funny-men, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. Jack Black and Kyle Gass, Tenacious D, also meet Conan backstage at Bonnaroo, where they were performing and Conan was presenting the musical guests throughout the day. Seeing Conan constantly riff afterwards about hosting Bonnaroo and matter-of-factly proclaiming “I know Nas!” (he barely knows who the rapper is!) is hysterical! He never switches off, even when he is exhausted! At the end of the documentary, Conan states that “anyone who knows me, who watches this says “now, that’s just raw you!””, and now the rest of the world can see it too. Personally, I gained a lot of respect for the man because of it.
Visual
Conan waiting to voluntarily perform at his Reunion Class Talent Show!
In 16:9 widescreen format, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop looks as good as a standard definition shot documentary can look on DVD. Its very rare, nay, unheard of, for someone to renounce a documentary because of it’s visual quality. In regards to other visual aspects, there is no artifacting other than a visible, but easily ignorable, vertical green line at the left side of the image border, and the disc menu is quite basic. I would have liked to have seen a scene selection sub-menu considering it is a full-feature length film and people will surely have their favourite moments that they might like to pick out and re-watch – a memorable scene with Jack McBrayer comes to mind. Poor Jack…someone needs to fight back against Conan!
Audio
Again, being a documentary filmed with inexpensive filming equipment, you get what you bargain for with the sound. Having said that, the audio is clear enough throughout in 5.1 Dolby Digital, and, bar a few off-screen quips, every word that is spoken is sufficiently captured. There are moments where director Rodman Flender’s filming circumstances are not ideal or optimal for capturing audio from his subject, but this is again the very nature of a documentary. The footage on-stage in particular sounds great as every musical performance is crisp and clear. Naturally, there are no alternative language tracks, but also no subtitles either.
Extras
Conan rocking out amongst the crowd!
The special features on this DVD amount to a total of 10 deleted scenes, running around 42 minutes long. Some of the bonus footage revolves around the “8 Stages of Mourning” bit Conan did on-stage, during the tour, a look “Inside the Writer’s Room” and the moment when Conan and Co. start “Tweeting the TBS” deal out to the public. I loved all of this additional footage, as it is the same quality as what was left in the film, but was only cut for a better flow and a tighter run-time. Going into this review, I had heard of some more extras that were nowhere to be found on this disc (an interview, interview bloopers and commentary track), although I assume they can be found only on the Blu-Ray release. If you’ve got a Blu-Ray player, and the extra cash to pony up, I would purchase the Blu-Ray version just for that reason alone.
Overall
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop is a great documentary. Being a fan of Conan’s, I appreciate this release much more than the average person would, and I understand that. But, as a documentary, it holds up on it’s own merits. The side of Conan we see here is completely foreign, and will either reinforce your love and respect for him, or it will catch you off-guard and change your opinions of him all together. Regardless, I think this is worth seeing. He truly can’t stop, and it’s a scary attitude, but also an admirable one. So if you’d like to gain a better understanding and appreciation for what makes the man, Conan O’Brien, tick, whilst also being entertained with inside footage of the ‘Legally Prohibited’ tour and its backstage antics…you can’t stop here, buy the DVD!
However, a little over a month ago Viz Media stepped into the streaming game by launching a new service that has made it possible for subscribers to watch an anime series simply by turning on their PlayStation 3 and accessing the app. Of course the company does require a monthly payment of $6.99 to use the service, though anime fans are able to get a taste of what Neon Alley can provide with a free trial.
