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!

Future Now: 2 Weeks with Sony SmartWatch 3

Future Now: 2 Weeks with Sony's SmartWatch 3

Let the smartwatch war begin!

Now that Apple has thrown their hat or watch, if you will into the arena, we know things are going to get competitive. Their watch releases this month with a wide variety of pricing and style options. Google has dabbled with them for over a year with Android Wear, with various hardware manufacturers releasing unique products. Competition brings the best of ingenuity and creativity, with the users will end up the winners in the end.

I grew up owning a calculator watch, a Transformers one and a Nelsonic Pac-Man game watch. To me, that thing on your wrist wasn't just to tell time, it was to have fun with as well.  Today, smartwatches are unbelievably powerful tiny pieces of tech. Should I get one or not? In the end, I purchased Sony’s SmartWatch 3. Apple's entry model is nearly $200 more than Sony's offering in Canada. So I figured, what the hell? Maybe it's time to see what all the fuss is about. Now that I've owned one for a couple of weeks, I find myself happy with the purchase.

The SmartWatch 3 is Sony's fourth generation watch. One was developed during the Ericsson phone era. Then they released two watches with their own custom Android wrapper. SW3 is their first with Android Wear, Google's official software brew. Specs for the watch where a definite plus for the purchase. Out of all of Android Wear’s offerings, Sony's has competent offline abilities. It is the only watch with to offer a built in GPS. It's fully waterproof. Plus, it also has 4GB of internal memory for offline music storage for walking or running. It is the watch that can be independent when your smartphone is not in reach.

The build is solid, featuring a very pleasant look and feel. There are sexier options like the Moto 360 or Apple Watch, but I like this one a lot. It’s size is smaller than expected. I have average wrists. So, a giant honking piece of tech on my arm doesn't appeal. I was surprised that it fit comfortably and it'a appearance is very much like a "sports watch".

I have Google Wear’s UI is simple and to the point. Notifications. App launches. A swipe here and there and you’re gold. Sony advertises two day functionality and I can vouch for that. With light usage, yes it will last days.

Software offerings are varied. Plenty of free apps are available, accompanied by the occasional low cost alternative. You can tell it's early days for everybody involved. Few hits and plenty of misses. This is why I'm really happy that Apple has joined the arms watch race. Competition is going to make all the players involved, work harder and make this tech category shine brighter.

My favourite apps are essential:

Sony Walkman: Used for controlling music on your smartphone or offline directly on the watch. I love this app!

Google Note: Utilizing your voice to create notes for easy reminders.

Google Tracks: Uses the SW3 GPS, tracking your route offline. Nice!

Google Fit: A nice workout package, integrated on the go.

Wear Mini Launcher: A very easy way to keep track and launch your apps quickly and easy.

Wear Orbits: A fun little arcade game on your wrist. One of the best!

Video Poker: Poker on your wrist? Sure why not? Gotta love poker!

Bandai-Namco's Pac-Man Watch Face: The only app I paid for. Costs a little over a dollar and puts a smile on your face whenever you look at your watch and see Pac-Man telling you the time. :)

Should you get one?

If you want one, sure. If you want to wait, go ahead. I love Sony's option. I think it's the best from pricing, design, features and a two day battery life. Plus, you can purchase additional watch straps of various colours, with a stainless steel band coming soon. It's a great time to have fun with watches again! ;)

Sony's Xperia Z4 Tablet Unveiled

I'm writing this with my 8“ Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. I love it's elegant, slim design.  Holding it in one hand and typing with the other, is easy thanks to it's light as a feather weight. I do miss a big modern 10“ tablet experience. We all know the saying that "bigger is better" and Sony answered the call at MWC 2015.

Unveiled was the Xperia 4 Tablet. Measuring in at 10.1“ with an 8 core, 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor. Stuffed with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of on board storage. Weighing in at only 389 grams and 6.1mm thick. The best part? A 2K display able to pump out a resolution of 2560 x 1600 at 300dpi while retaining a 17 hour video playback.

Wow. I'll let that digest a bit.

Sony wasn't kidding when they said they where creating and selling "premium" products. With specs like that, be prepared to pay a "premium price" as well.

So here we go. Sony continues their march of product excellence. I know I'll take the Z4 plunge soon.

Catching Up With Resident Evil

Resident Evil: Fan Fiction

Rarr!

The zombies slowly creep towards Jill Valentine. Their fallen flesh bodies proceed with unstopable precision. Jill, the master of unlocking, quickly runs towards a closed door. Seconds after unlocking, the door swings open, revealing a space clear of the un-dead.

Dun! Dun! DUUUUNNNNN!

End Fan Fiction

Weeks ago, the PSN had a wonderful Resident Evil sale where virtually, every game was on discount. From fan favourite RE4 to the mixed received RE6. Even the PS MOVE package RE: Chronicles HD Collection was highlighted. So a shopping I went, catching up with a series that fell off my radar years ago.  I stocked up on all of it, costing less than a brand new triple-A title.

I played a little bit here and there. RE6 begins with an explosive hollywood-like introduction, which I enjoyed very much. Nice! The Chronicles HD Collection is awesome! It's simply a blast to play with the Move controller. I love me some light gun game action every once and a while.

The game I was looking forward to the most was Revelations. The NDS title was updated to HD on the PS3 and X-Box 360 a few years ago. It's a fairly entertaining title. Some solid gameplay with a presentation held back by low polygon characters and crummy textures. Too bad. It features 12 episodes, divided into smaller sub-chapters, allowing for quick gaming spirts. Obviously, the game was designed with a portable aesthetic in mind. I enjoyed that way to play. Experiencing smaller, more concentrated play sessions with an episode recap beginning each chapter. The story is the usual ridiculous RE style, which is no surprise. Some nice moments here and there. I am looking forward to Revelations 2 which is aimed at HD consoles and retains it episodic presentation.

It's definitely worth a sale purchase, maybe not a full price plunge.

So Revelations proves there's still life in that old zombie. Hopefully the core franchise will come back with a fierce vengeance with RE7.

About That Pac-Man Fever

Pac-Man Fever was a hit pop song in the 1980's. It sold like pancakes, went gold and was listened by millions world-wide. Today, the song reminds us of glorious memories of the golden era of arcade games and it's rich history. Below is a fun video, explaining the sensation and how it all came together for modern novelty songs.

Cheers!

About Pac-Man's Ghosts

Well here we go again. You can't stop the Pac. PBS posted a sweet video giving you a little bit of history about Pac-Man and a whole lot on the Ghosts and their behavior in the arcade classic.

Enjoy!

Pac-Man Be Chomping 2015

This year, Pac-Man turns 35.

What? Holy crap! Its been that long? Happy birthday big guy!

So far 2015 has started favourably for him. First we have the big event. Bud-Light's Super Bowl commercial featuring a live action version of the beloved, iconic arcade game. This is the stuff Bandai-Namco could only dream of. Well, it happened for real as millions worldwide witnessed the commercial on the television air waves and online. It re-affirmed our love for the arcade icon.



Next up, Iaapa 20154 happened a month ago as Bandai-Namco showed off new arcade and amusement machines. Check out the video presentation bellow. It features tons of Pac-Man goodies alongside four other reasons to enjoy the video. ;)


Plus, OMG! OMG! Bandai-Namco's Star Wars Battle Pod! Star Wars Battle Pod! Old-School Holy Trilogy love! OMG!


Finally, we have a couple of Nintendo related goodies. A Pac-Man amiibo will be released this spring, allowing connectivity with Super Smash Bros. Wii U. Also, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy+ will be compatible with the amiibo on New Nintendo 3DS systems.

This is just the start. It's A long year folks! Great ready for more Pac-New's!

Borderlands on Next-gen!

The good news! Borderlands: The Handsome Collection hits PS4 and X-Box One, March 24th. Sweet! Includes Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel with all of the additional bells and whistles that where added later. Both games will allow saves from the previous generation consoles to carry over to the new, including the PS Vita version of Borderlands 2.

Looking forward to it!