Pokemon: A Special Commercial and The First Movies

Super Bowl 50 was notable for the competitive battle between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. Two teams that were at the top of their respected divisions. Both teams couldn’t be more diverse. Peyton Manning, aged, injured, yet experienced, would let the Broncos incredible defence, do the heavy lifting. Cam Newton, young, healthy and a fantastic QB, would stand beside the Panthers solid offence and defence during a 90 minute extravaganza. Denver would win, surprising NFL fans alongside this one.

For Pokemon fans, The Pokemon Company would spend 5 million dollars to air a very special 30 minute commercial. This piece of marketing is one of the greatest Super Bowl spots in years. Exciting, encouraging and heartfelt, it was a delight for Pokemon fans young and old. The spot reminded me of the early days of the phenomenon, celebrating the franchise’s 20 years. At the end of the spot, a father and son are staring in awe at a Poke-Battle on television. The boy is amazed. The father whispers, to encourage his son, “you can do that”. The spot ends with the anniversary tag line “Train On”. As a father myself, I see a dad passing that joy of this game to a newer generation, to his family. I love that commercial.

Recently, the first three Pokemon movies were released on Blu-Ray in a special anniversary tin. It’s been a blast watching the movies once again.

Pokemon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back features the incredible story of the origin of Mewtwo, the world’s first man created Pokemon. Cloned and created from Mew, Mewtwo is a psychic Pokemon with devastating powers and abilities. The journey would take Ash and Pikachu alongside fan favourites Misty and Brock to a climactic battle that would leave the audience in tears. Literally. Yes, in tears. I still remember going to the flick opening night alongside my girlfriend. The lineup was huge, fans were excited. It was definitely notable for its box office performance, which would earn over $163 million worldwide and leave a very positive impression on fans.

Pokemon: The Movie 2000: The Power of One would release a year later. Focusing on a new villain named Lawrence III who travels the world collecting legendary Pokemon. The flick would sprinkle a little bit of a romantic plot between Ash and Misty which would eventually lead, of course, absolutely nowhere. My least favourite of the trilogy, does include a few great action sequences and a rousing finale. Plus, those Ash and Misty scenes are gold. It would do very well at the box office, making over $133 million worldwide.

My personal favourite Poke-Flick out of the trilogy, in fact out of all of the feature films(there are 18 in total with number 19 on the way) is Pokemon 3: The Movie: Entei - Spell of The Unown. Yes, that is how that word is spelled. The Unown are a mysterious, mythical Pokemon. They are uncovered by Professor Spencer in an archeological dig. Once discovered, they snatch Spencer away, sending him into an alternate dimension and never to be seen again. His little daughter Molly finds out about her father’s disappearance and is crushed and feels alone. I love this movie because it’s about family. Father’s and daughters. Mother’s and son’s. I don’t want to blow the plot away but all I’ll say, the flick is well paced, written and features some fantastic action sequences and imagination. It really is a treat, delivering plenty of genuine emotion. With such high praise, it did decent at the box office collecting over $68 million worldwide. Making a $100 million less than The First Movie. With dwindling box office performances, the next movie Pokemon 4Ever, would be the last the films to have a worldwide theatrical release.

That wraps up Pokemon’s first trilogy of films. They’re definitely worth the purchase and watched in chronological order. If you're only going to watch one, check out Pokemon 3, it’s seriously good stuff. Expect my next bunch of blog posts to talk about the anniversary, memories, recent merchandising and oh yes, those games of course.

So That Pokemon 20th Anniversary Is Going On

20 years. What?!?! It's been 20 years of Pokemon already?

Developer Game Freak, nearly bankrupt, would release the OG Pokemon 20 years on February 27th, 1996 in Japan. The aging Nintendo Game Boy hardware was on it’s last heels when this global phenomenon would help rejuvenate it once again.

Oh yes, I still remember like it was yesterday my first experience with Pokemon. It was an episode of the anime, way back in October 1998. A friend of mine recommended I check it out after I had mentioned my boredom of gaming at the time. After watching one episode, my girlfriend and I drove to Toys R Us where we picked up Pokemon Red and Blue alongside accompanying Nintendo Power guides.

We were in Poke-Heaven.

The simplicity of the gameplay was so addictive. The beauty of the game’s 8-bit graphics and chip music was mesmerizing. That brick Game Boy of mine got played and played and played some more.

So now The Pokemon Company has a year of celebration happening. From the original Blue, Red and Yellow releases on the Virtual Console, to monthly Legendary Pokemon giveaways, to new merchandise and games.

I’ll wrap this up this post quick.

Today, I’m married to the girl who I first played Pokemon with. We have children of our own and to introduce them to this colourful world is definitely a treat.

On February 27th, I will be picking up the 20th Anniversary New 3DS Pokemon bundle, which includes the OG Pokemon Red and Blue releases. So I’ll be replaying Blue once again, making new memories and remembering old ones.

This year, with Pokemon’s 20th, expect blog updates of my yearly rediscovery, catch up, celebrating and all that fun stuff of the world of Pokemon.

Cheers!

A Few of My Favourite Games of 2015

Another year and another bunch of games played.

So, what did I like? What stood out and captured my much desired attention?

Bloodbourne - I never expected this game to be so damn good. I played a bit of Demon Souls. I played me a bit of Dark Souls II. Didn’t care for either of them. However, Bloodbourne just got me. The hard as balls gameplay. The beautiful, dark crumbling victorian setting. The monsters. That damn Kirkhammer! It took a few hours to get the gameplay, combat and rhythm of the experience but when you do, it’s just so flipping amazing to play.

Until Dawn - Like Bloodbourne, Until Dawn is another new IP, 2nd studio party offering from Sony. The adventure game/movie experience has finally, finally been perfected! Dripping with 90’s teen slasher style, Until Dawn is a satisfying experience and definitely earns its “sleeper hit” status. Everything from the atmosphere, acting, mo-cap, story, musical score and gameplay is executed with perfection. Damn great looking game!

Pac-Man 256 - It wasn't that long ago that we’d have a separate category for “mobile games”. You know what? Fudge that. Great games be great games, no matter what you're playing them on. Pac-Man 256 is such an addictive and pleasant experience. Pac-Man’s 35th birthday couldn't be more festive with this release. Fun! Fun! More fun! The Pac is back!

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX Mobile - Oh yeah! Take that perfect modern day Pac-Man classic on the go. DX plays surprisingly well with your mobile swipe controls and its plays even better with a bluetooth controller. It’s Pac DX on the go. I mean, how much better can gaming get?

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - Hideo Kojima’s final chapter of his MGS saga ends with a bang! Controversy surrounding the game’s development and post release couldn't put a damper on it’s smooth, addictive gameplay. Kojima takes Peace Walker and blows it up with gorgeous graphics and a lotta mo game. When you feel you’ve hit the max out of gameplay, BAM! New objectives happen on Mother Base. So much fun things to do! The Phantom Pain never felt so good! I can't stop playing this game! Goodbye Kojima! Goodbye Big Boss! You've more than enough earned your rest.

There's a few of the greatest hits I've played during 2015. Looking ahead to 2016, we got PS VR coming. KABOOM! The dawn of a new gaming frontier. I can't wait!

Pac-Man 35th Anniversary Update Explosion *BOOM!*

Chomp! Recently, ye ole blog has been a celebration of the Pac’s 35th Birthday. A number of great games have been released alongside movie related goodies. Let’s check them out.

Pac-Man 256 on Android/iOS

Wow! Double Wow! Triple Wow! This game caught everybody off guard. Bandai-Namco teams up with Crossy Road developer Hipster Whale to give you one of the most addicting games in recent history.

Pac-Man aims for the high-score as he travels through a ¾ maze view that stretches to infinity. Pursued by colourful ghosts and the deadly “Glitch”, the Pac battles back not just with energizers, but with explosive power ups such as lasers, bombs and tornadoes. Hell yeah! A refreshing new take on the arcade classic, I guarantee you’ll find it hard to put it down.

How much will this little piece of heaven cost you? Nothing. It’s free. However, to play with power ups you'll need credits. You do start with a number of free one's and you can earn them. However, if you wanna play with unlimited credits that'll set you back around 9 bucks, the price of a foot long sandwich.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX on Android/iOS

I can take this modern day classic on the go? Yes please!

I don’t think I have to talk much about this title. However, I will mention it’s been perfectly translated for mobile devices. It controls surprisingly well with swipey, touch controls. Beautiful graphics. Sweet music. Awesome game play. No wonder why this game garnered perfect scores with it’s original console release.

Pixels The Game on Android/iOS

A totally, free tower defence game featuring the stars, locations and classic arcade game characters from Pac-Man, Galaga, Centipede and more. I know that tower defence games are a dime a dozen on mobile devices, or free/freemium a dozen. However, Pixels is pretty good. No BS, it's 100% free. No ads or in purchase options. Check it out. It does have Pac-Man in it. ;)

Pixels The Movie

I really enjoyed this flick. I found it to be a perfectly executed summer, popcorn movie featuring plenty of giggles, a couple of great belly laughs and awesome effects. Pixels is a great family viewing experience and perhaps, gives all of us all nice break from superhero adventures. Not that I have anything against comic book flicks, but snap, there are plenty of them now.

Pac-Man’s appearance is one of the highlights alongside his father, Professor Toru Iwatani who share the cinema screen. Look for a ton of classic arcade cameos and action-packed scenes. Peter Dinklage steals the show and Michelle Monaghan is simply adorable. Her scenes with Adam Sandler are a highlight and dare I say it, make it a great date flick. Look forward to seeing Q-Bert join our heroes, a definite highlight for the kids.

Amongst all the Pixels fun, there was a Pixels Pac-Man 35th Anniversary press conference featuring fan favourites such as Professor Toru Iwatani and gaming legend Billy Mitchell. It’s a great video, filled with tons of info regarding the Pac. Check it out below!

"Game On" by Waka Flaka Flame and Featuring Good Charlotte

One of the hottest hip-hop singles of the summer is from the Pixels movie itself. "Game On" features Waka Flaka Flame and Good Charlotte providing an energetic and playful track. Check out the music video below, that of course, features a familiar yellow guy.

This isn’t the end. There is more to come. I’ll have another update soon.

Now, go download Pac-Man 256! Cheers! :)

Summer Movie Watching, The Year of 2015

Mid-July is that wonderful time of the year when summer heat blazes, barbeque's be grilling, kids running through sprinklers and tunes be blasting. Outside is sweet but sometimes it gets hot. Really hot. So, to easily cool off, a trip to the local movie theatre is in order. Let's take a look at three flicks that transported me to different worlds with accompanying cool air conditioning.

Mad Max: Fury Road

George Miller has had an interesting career to say the least. From the original Mad Max trilogy to The Witches of Eastwick to the Babe flicks. The oscar winning director of Happy Feet, returns to his R-Rated origins with Mad Max: Fury Road. A blast of adrenaline, sharp, calculated, perfect in length, shot amazingly, massive sound and all around cinematic fury.

If there is one movie you have to see this summer, it is Mad Max. Tom Harding did a terrific job as Max, however it would have been perfect to have  Mel Gibson back. His original performance, look and older age would have been awesome.

Please, go see this movie right now!

Jurassic World

The third sequel to the original Spielberg classic, Jurassic Park, finally gets things right. Jurassic World is simply a fun summer roller coaster ride. It delivers where it matters, archetype characters, man versus nature storyline, damn great sound, awesome action and super sweet dino action.

Yes, dinosaurs still rule movie theatres, box office numbers and kids imaginations. I have to admit, I felt like a little kid once again seeing this popcorn feast.

Terminator: Genisys

The fourth sequel to James Cameron's groundbreaking classic, The Terminator. Terminator: Genisys is a mixed bag of expectation and delivery. It's hard to talk about it, without blowing the plot away. So, I'll keep it at a  minimum.

I enjoyed it as much as Terminator 3, it is definitely a huge improvement over Terminator: Salvation. Of course, it isn't a classic like T1 or T2 are. I'm sure you've seen the trailers and TV spots, so expect a Back To The Future 2 like type of sequel. Some silliness, great action, a confusing plot line a times but it sure was great seeing Arnold as The Terminator once again.

That's it for now. So far, summertime movie fair has been popcorn munching good times. Now all I have to do is wait for Sony's Pixels movie to hit the cinema screen. I can't wait for that one! :)

Pac-Man 35th Anniversary Games Update

The Pac just celebrated his 35th birthday at Bandia-Namco's, Chicago based restaurant, Level 257 with great fanfare. Gaming legends such as Billy Mitchell, Walter Day and the creator of Pac-Man himself, Professor Toru Iwatani made appearances. Sweet!

To continue the year long celebration, Bandai-Namco Entertainment have more games coming down the pipeline for all of us to enjoy.

First off, Pac-Man both on Android and iOS just had a significant update. Adding 35th Anniversary mazes, a new user interface and new multiplayer modes, if you haven't downloaded a copy on your favourite phone or tablet, then now is the time.



Now this next game looks exciting! Coming very soon, will be Crossy Road developers, Hispter Whale's next game. Pac-Man 256 is a very unique, fast-paced endless runner featuring Pac-Man as he not only dodges ghosts while eating pellets, but he has to escape the evil level 256 glitch. Nice!

The upcoming summer blockbuster flick Pixels from Sony Pictures, features arcade legends such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong starring alongside Adam Sandler and Peter Dinklage. Bandai-Namco have a mobile title based on the game to be launched alongside the movie at the end of July. This tower defence game will feature the characters and arcade legends from the film. I can't wait for this movie and game to come out!

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is on it's way to Android and iOS very soon. Long been available on Windows devices, this title was confirmed at Level 257's Pac-Man birthday celebration to finally be making it's mobile appearance soon. I love this enhanced version of Championship Edition and I can't wait to play it on the go!

Bandia-Namco Entertainment also confirmed during the celebration that more is to come. This is just the start for a great year in Pac-Man and classic arcade gaming! Let the year long Pac-Man Fever begin!

Pac-Man's 35th Birthday! Time To Play The Arcade Classic

So it’s the big man’s 35th Anniversary. Why all the internet culture excitement? Simply because he is the very reason why everybody got hooked into playing arcade and video games way back in the day. He became a world-wide icon and the first gaming multi-media sensation. Plus, that Pac-Man Fever song is still pretty sweet!

How does one get into the classic? Let me help you out.

Google Android and Apple iOS

The easiest way to play for most everyone, is their phone or tablet. Pac-Man +Tournaments is a ad-based, free to play Android title recreating the original arcade classic. Alongside it, are a number of brand new mazes to test your skills at. The game can be purchased and ad-free for the price of a sub-sandwich. Chomp!

Pac-Man on Apple’s iOS devices, is a paid app, also the price of a sub-sandwich. It is also available in a Pac-Man Lite version, with a number of free times to play the arcade game on a daily basis. It too features new mazes to bust a Pac move. Chomp! Chomp!

Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft X-Box 360 and PC

Pac-Man Museum is available digitally on the PSN, X-Box Store and Steam It is a complete collection of Pac-Man’s arcade adventures. From Pac-Man to Super Pac-Man to Pac-Land to the newly released Pac-Man Battle Royale, this is an essential purchase. Ms. Pac-Man can also be played, as a separate in-game purchase.

Nintendo NEW 3DS/3DS/2DS

Pac-Man Dimensions is a collection of Pac-Man and Galaga themed games. Alongside their arcade classics, included is a Pac-Man fast paced platformer and a first person Galaga extravaganza. The title is currently only available at retail. I'm sure you'll find it discounted or a used copy as well. Hopefully a digital release will happen down the road for ease of access.

Sony PlayStation VITA/TV/PSP/PS3

Not too long ago, Bandai-Namco released the complete 5 volume collection of PS1 Namco Museums on Sony's PSN. At $5.99 a pop, each collection contains around 6 arcade classics, which rounds out each game to 99 cents within each purchase. I recommend picking them all up, but if you’re only going for a couple of them, get Volumes 1 and 3. Then you have access to Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Rally-X, Dig Dug, Galaga, Galaxian, Pole Position 1 and 2 amongst others.

There you have it. The original arcade game can easily be obtained in a wide arrange of options. Go get it and join in on the super fun happy times!

Chomp! Chomp! Chomp!