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!

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!

The Amazing Sony Spider-Man Rumours

Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was a summer extravaganza with favourable audience and critical reaction. This cinema goer had a blast and found the sequel to be a much better, satisfying and amazing experience. Even with an over 700 million dollar pay day in theatres worldwide, the bean counters condemned it as a failure.

As of now, rumour has it that Sony has begun retooling it's franchise plans, even though Spidey 2 was already retooled to expand franchise plans. oh, boy.

Sony's original intent was to spin off a Sinister Six flick, an obvious choice considering Spidey 2's plot. As well as a Black Cat movie featuring Felicity Jones, who was in the Spider's second outing as well. Until, Sony releases a press release regarding these future films, we have no idea if they are happening.

The word on the street is that Sony is interested in working with The Mouse House (Disney) on getting Spidey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This would work fantastic with The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 in 2018 and Part 2 in 2019. It definitely provides enough time for the two studios to work something out. If it happens, it would be a great way to co-market the franchises and bring more interest to Sony's movie universe.

There are those out there who would love to see Sony get rid of Spidey and toss him back to Marvel Studios, but that will never be the case. You have to remember back in the day, the perception of comic book movies was poor and the Marvel flicks produced reflected that. To Sony and the late producer Laura Ziskin's credit, they fought for Spider-Man's cinematic rights. They hired Sam Raimi, released a fantastic first picture and really got Marvel's movie ball rolling.

So here we are today. Rumour and speculation fill the air in Sony's future Spider-Man plans. Until, that press release is out, all we can do is guess.

The Curious Case of PlayStation TV

This piece of hardware is small. Really small. Smaller than a deck of cards. It's features feel big and yet, not at the same time.

As sweet as it is to be able to play Killzone: Mercenary, Freedom Wars and the Persona games on your big TV set, the exclusion of Netflix is troubling. Luckily, more apps are coming like PS Now and PS4 Live Stream. The UI is the Vita's touchscreen interface which doesn't translate well on the television. Now controlled with a Dualshock 3 or 4, it feels unintuitive. Then you have Sony's insanely high priced proprietary memory cards required for the device, will just cause consumer's headaches.

PS TV feels like a glass that's half full or half empty, you decide. I love the slick design and small size. I had an extra 32gb card kicking around and loaded it up, via my Vita, with games and movies. I get joy out of the device and can easily  throw it in my satchel. It's clearly aimed at PlayStation fans,  those who are invested in its ecosystem and digital content.

If you're new, interested or curious, I recommend the $139.99 package. It comes with a PS TV, 8gb card, The Lego Movie game digital voucher and a Dualshock 3.

Now it's time to bust mine out to battle in the Freedom Wars. ;)

I'm Still Enjoying The Alien

I'm a daddy with very limited time on his hands. It takes a lot. Yes, I mean a lot, to keep me interested, invested and hooked to stay with any modern game.

Most of my game time has been with classic arcade titles. They're quick, fun to play and rewarding. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Pac-Land and more have been my game space. I'm still looking forward to Freedom Wars and Minecraft on the PS Vita very much.

I'm glad to say there is one big budgeted console experience that has me hooked.

Alien Isolation

It's addictive, intense, adrenaline pumping and a blast to play.  I've completed the meaty 20 to 25 hour campaign once, with my second play through going on right now. I've tackled a number of the survival modes and completed the movie dlc's. Now there is more coming down the pipeline with the first of five planned extra dlc packs coming out right now.

I can't get the enough of this game. It should be part of your gaming collection.

A strong contender for my GOTY. 😊

The Alien Isolation Experience

This universe is huge. From a set of classic celebrated films (Alien and Aliens) to an expanded universe shared with the Predator series, the Alien saga is The Lord of The Rings of sci-fi terror.

Games have always been a staple of the franchise. From a couple of terrific and terrifying Commodore 64 games to the modern Alien VS Predator games. Most of these games have been based on Aliens, few have been made of the original Ridley Scott film. In Fact, only 2 games have ever existed. One for the Atari 2600, which is an unusual Pac-Man clone. The second, was an atmospheric Commodore 64 title. Slow, heart pounding, tense and actually pretty good. Sega and Creative Assembly’s 2014 Alien Isolation is much like that C64 classic in tone and in spirit.

I like this very much.

Alien Isolation is a game I have waited for a long time. A great sequel to the original movie. It’s clocking around 20 to 25 hours and every single minute is intense. I haven't jumped, screamed, swore and enjoyed a survivor horror game like this in a long time.

The Alien is truly terrifying. A fast, unstoppable star beast who has nothing better to do but wipe anything out of its way. On top of that, you’ll encounter the most creepy android’s in any medium. Their glowing red eyes and non-expressive faces will fill your soul with horror. You’ll also encounter a bunch of human a-hole’s. And they all would like to see you dead.

Now, does all of this sound good?

Oh, yes! I mean it is a survival horror game. I mean, it’s not Mario, Pac-Man or Tetris.

I love this game. Throughout my playthrough, I made sure my emotions were in check. I love this universe. I love the movies and expanded universe stuff and other spin-off media. The game, presentation wise, nails Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece. You are living in that world. It truly is beautiful and terrifying. So, I wanted to make sure my judgement wasn’t clouded from a critical point of view.

Is this a good game?

Oh, hell yes!

That’s the most satisfying part. The presentation is stellar but the game is just as impressive.

If you’re a fan of the Alien saga or a fan of the hardcore survival horror games, than this is right up your steam filled, strobe lit, dark corridor. Damn good stuff.

Post E3 2014 Impressions - Big Games, Big Indies, Vita In The Details

Big Games, Big Indies, Vita In The Details

I think we knew it was going to happen. The day that an independent developed title would win an E3 conference. It happened and a lot sooner than expected.

No Man's Sky is being developed by Hello Games, who previously developed the solid Joe Danger titles. The reaction for their latest title was huge, even catching the developers off guard. No Man's Sky is a big title that has existed in the hearts of gamers forever. Featuring space travelling, planet exploration, ship battles within a huge procedurally-generated galaxy. Even with these details, the game is surrounded in mystery. The game is launching as a PlayStation 4 exclusive in the future. I cant wait.

Bungie has created phenomenal worlds in the past. The creator's of Microsoft's Halo universe, have gone 3rd party and alongside Activision, are developing and creating a half a billion dollars of a new universe for everyone to play in. Destiny will be arriving at the beginning of September, only a few months away. Launching with exclusive content for PS4, Destiny appears to be a tactical shooter, with loot and exploration a plenty. I'm a sucker for these types of game's. I can't wait to see what all they hype surrounding this title will be. It will launch not only with exclusive content for Sony's next-gen platform, but be bundled with a white PlayStation 4 as well. Tempting!

Finally, The PlayStation Vita was shown a little love at the big show. The devil was in the details when it came to the portable. Some exciting games are coming out this year for it including: The explosive Freedom Wars, the addictive Minecraft, the beloved Child of Light, the legendary Gim Fandango and the family friendly Disney's Infinity 2.0. Not too shabby. Also, PlayStation TV will be released fairly soon allowing Vita titles to be played on your big HD screen. I can't wait to play Killzone: Mercenary on my big screen! If history serve's, expect bigger announcements for Sony's portable at Germany's gamescom. It was there that Killzone: Mercenary, Tearaway and Borderlands 2 where all announced. So, let's keep our fingers crossed. Maybe, Sony Bend has something big for it soon. Hmm...

Finally, Bandai-Namco are developing the latest Super Smash Bros. title for Nintendo. Not only are Sonic The Hedgehog and Mega Man ready for battle in this instalment, but Pac-Man as well!

Pac-Man! Pac-Man! Pac-Man!

This announcement made me smile the biggest out of everything unveiled. I can't wait to play it!

Here's to E3 and here's to next year's!

Pac-Man Turns 34 Years Old

Time to party like it's 1980!

Pac-Man turns 34 years old. His official birthday in Japan, his home country, is May 22nd, 1980. So, in my neck of the woods of Saskatchewan, being 15 hours behind Japan, I can celebrate his birthday on May 21st, 1980.

Hmmm... So you could technically celebrate Pac-Man's birthday on both days, making it a two day event. Party hard, play the game, watch the cartoons, BBQ, celebrate hot weather and all of that.

What I love is that my birthday is May 24th. So it becomes this all week celebration of good times!

So here's to Pac-Man! The game that literally started it all with the world's fascination with digital gaming!