There have been incredible advances in video games in the past decade, with stories rivaling those found in films, deep, complex characters, elaborate design and even some amazing soundtracks. They have truly become an art.
But if there’s one thing that always gets in the way of art and that’s money. When the game is developed with cash in mind instead of design, there’s sure to be trouble. Which is probably why most video games based on movies tend to be terrible: they’re rushed into development to meet the height of movie-related hype and the emphasis is on clearing out the stock before word can get out about just how terrible it really is.
Which brings us to this video, which I recently found after researching some truly terrible games on Wikipedia. It’s a hilarious Top 10 List of the very worst movie games ever made, from Catwoman to E.T. and beyond. It just goes to show you what can happen when the Almight dollar trumps the development team’s interest.
Meanwhile, here are some toys and collectibles that might help you commemorate your favourite movies and games without tarnishing them both by cramming them into one unsightly package…
If you checked out this post this past summer, then you’ve already seen the trailer for the upcoming Legend of Zelda game for the Nintendo DS. Entitled ‘Spirit Tracks’, its development and release were very hush-hush. But fortunately, Nintendo has thrown away the veil and given out some more details on the hotly-anticipated adventure!
In my humble opinion, the most interesting new piece of information is definitely the player’s ability to control the eponymous Princess Zelda, who is transformed into a Spirit and can use her new powers to control some of the villains Link faces. It’s a very cool addition to the plot and should add a new twist to the franchise.
You can watch an updated trailer here to see what ’s being brought to the newly revised land of Hyrule.
And if you’re really itching for the new game, we might be able to tide you over with a pretty decent selection of figures and toys from The Legend of Zelda section of CmdStore.com.
For those unfamiliar with Club Penguin, it’s an online playground where children can chat (in a well-monitored room), play games, customize penguins and pets and explore a frozen fantasy land. Owned by Disney, it’s probably the only MMORPG out there for kids (you know, since the incredible Castle Infinity truly died) and it has recently launched a line of merchandise, which we feature over at CmdStore’s Club Penguin section.
We’ve got everything from penguin plush toys to action figures to trading cards, ready to be snapped up by adoring fans of the game. But what’s even better is that whether you’re subscribing to the club itself or just grabbing one of these adorable items, you can feel very good about the purchase because you know the money is going to a great place.
VANCOUVER, Nov. 3 /CNW/ – Kids Help Phone announced today a $150,000 donation from the popular children’s virtual world Club Penguin. The gift from the Kelowna-based online playground which is owned by The Walt Disney Company, supports Kids Help Phone’s Futures Campaign, a $7.5 million national campaign that will revolutionize and expand the way Kids Help Phone helps kids by phone and online.
“This gift will have a significant impact on Kids Help Phone’s ability to enhance our counselling services and provide professional, compassionate help and hope to kids in Canada,” said Sharon Wood, President & CEO, Kids Help Phone. “Club Penguin’s contribution to the Futures Campaign will help ensure we can be there for kids as they continue to embrace web-based communication.”
Funds raised through the Futures Campaign will help Kids Help Phone transform its current website into a more robust, interactive and kid-friendly site. The Club Penguin donation will support the development of interactive, multimedia therapeutic tools (such as resiliency building and self care tools, quizzes, polls and video) to support kids as they seek help and information about a wide variety of topics.
Club Penguin is one of the largest and fastest-growing virtual worlds for children. Widely known as a trusted provider of fun for kids and peace of mind for parents, Club Penguin is also committed to giving back. A portion of the proceeds from each membership purchased on Club Penguin goes to support organizations such as Kids Help Phone that are working to improve the lives of children and families around the globe.
For more information about Kids Help Phone and The Futures Campaign, please visit www.kidshelpphone.ca.
If you’re a fan of Resistance: Fall of Man, you’ll be pleased to know that the brilliant designers and sculptors at DC Direct (I’m surprised, too!) were awesome enough to create a very cool set of four figures based on the game.
The first series is available for pre-order over in our video game section and it includes Nathan Hale, a Chimera Advanced Hybrid, Ravager and Steelhead. Each one stands a little over 6 inches tall and the detail on these guys is impressive. Just take a look!
Fan fiction has been around almost as long as there’s been fiction at all. People who don’t necessarily have their own original characters or settings try to build their own stories with someone else’s properties. Most of the time, fans are stuck with self-insert stories that simply play into the desires of the writer or maybe just empty, boring tales where the characters are so far from their canonical personalities that you wonder why the author didn’t just create their own. But every so often, you end up with some real gems that don’t just rip off the canon, but take it and make something wildly different, fun and truly respectful of the original. That’s the case with Horrible Turn, a Dr. Horrible prequel made by some die-hard fans and scheduled to be released November 10th, 2009.
Not only was it clearly made with love for the source material, but was endorsed and called ‘cool’ over on Dr Horrible’s OFFICIAL Twitter With that kind of press, it can’t fail! For excited viewers, Horrible Turn is an hour-long musical that, along with that Horrible interruption at this year’s Emmys, might help tide fans over until the promised Dr. Horrible sequel finally comes to fruition. And how’s that going, anyway?
The answer is in an article recently posted over at TV Over Mind, where Nathan Fillion (Captain Hammer) was quoted as saying:
“There are plans. The media for the sequel has not yet been decided, but there is a title.” Naturally Fillion wasn’t about to reveal that title, but he did also confirm that along with the writing of the script, at least a song or two had also been written.
“Joss, I was talking to him right before we won the Emmy,” said Fillion. “He said that he’s finished writing a song or two. He told me a couple of verses to the song.”
There’s still no date set for the production of the sequel, but I personally can’t wait to see it. I’ve still got the original and its soundtrack on my iPod and still loving it.
For those who haven’t joined the club, head over to Amazon.com to grab your copy of Dr. Horrible.
Connor and Murphy McManus have been cult heroes for ten years now thanks to the relatively underground success of the film, The Boondock Saints. Critically panned but embraced by audiences, the film had the additional handicap of being directed by Troy Duffy, whose ridiculous antics and overall bad attitude even made him the subject of a documentary detailing how irritating he could truly be. But for whatever reason, the fans held on and were eventually rewarded for their patience with a sequel.
Of course, the reviews for Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day are absolutely abysmal and most likely well deserved. But all the same, it’s likely that the film will either delight die-hard fans or just make them remember what it is they loved about the first one without seeing in the second. And Troy Duffy earns a few dollars more.
Either way, it seems an appropriate time for the folks at NECA to release two new toys based on the film: Connor and Murphy McManus 6-inch figures, part of their Cult Classics line. If you’re a fan, check ‘em out.
The original Wii Sports was a free game that came with the Wii. It was was easy and concise and gave new players a chance to really get into the controls before they started up with Link or Samus in one of their bigger, badder games. But the surprise was how much fun it was. It might have been simple, but it was well-crafted and new enough that it merited a sequel.
When I first heard about Wii Sports Resort, I honestly didn’t see the point: giving a free, low-budget game a sequel with a real release? And doing so in a sea of licensed games or huge franchises carted out by Sony and Microsoft? Apparently, I was wrong to doubt. As you can read in this article from Cubed, sales of the game have been stellar.
Despite lower sales for Wii hardware, the follow-up to Wii Sports (which itself has now slipped past 50 million) has now sold 6.97 million copies worldwide, giving a fairly solid install base for MotionPlus-enabled owners.
Fellow software in the Wii range has also performed exceptionally well, with Wii Fit selling 22.5 million with the balance board, the expansion, Wii Fit Plus creeping past the 2 million mark and Mario Kart still hogging the charts at 18.4 million. The mini-game compilation bundled with Wii Remote, Wii Play knocked up 24.4 million.
Nintendo has also performed continually well with DS software, the classic 2D revival, New! Super Mario Bros selling 19.94 million copies, Mario Kart DS 16.1 million and Professor Layton and [the Diabolical] Box is at 1.26 million. The much desired Pokémon Gold and Silver remakes, Heart and Soul, together shipped 2.27 million, with Platinum topping 6.39 million.
And if you’re looking to get your hands on Wii Sports Resort or some of the other games mentioned above, check out Amazon.com!
One of the biggest and best video game franchises belongs to Nintendo’s adventurous Italian plumber, Super Mario. Though the hyper-realism and violence of modern games is as far as you can get from Mario, he continues to be at the center of dozens of hugely popular games. Which makes it surprising that there has been remarkably little real Mario merchandise until recent years. But now that it’s arrived, CmdStore’s got a ton of it right here. Plush toys, Mario Kart vehicles, Gashapon mini toys, keychains, the whole nine yards. Definitely something Mario fans will want to check out.
And something else for fans is the upcoming Super Mario Wii. Check out the trailer and this blurb about its difficulty level from Co-Optimus.com
After complaints that the previous 2D Mario Bros. title on the Wii was embarrassingly easy, series creator Shigeru Miyamoto kicked New Super Mario Bros. Wii up a notch or 3. Instead of the cake walk we had in 2D before, expect a solid challenge with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, even in co-op – maybe the Demo Play feature will come in handy after all.
When asked about the game, Shigeru Miyamoto simply said it’s “pretty difficult” and we now know that New Super Mario Bros. Wii celebrates the hardcore fans that grew up with Mario. You and your co-op buddies will need to use all of the “Super Skills” in your arsenal, as well as avoid jumping on each others heads too often, to win this one.
Three new items have been added to the Superhero Squad section of Cmdstore.com in the Mega-packs and box sets subset. All three of the new packs are based on Wolverine, whose recent television and film appearances seem to have officially cemented him as the true star of the X-Men license/franchise. The first in the trio is the ‘X-Cutioners Song’, which includes some very cute renderings of Wolverine (yellow costume), Stryfe, Marvel Girl and Cyclops.
Since the beginning, I’ve always wondered why Hasbro went in such an adorable direction for such fierce, powerful characters, but in this and dozens of other Superhero Squad packs, it’s tough not to see at least some of the appeal. It’s definitely present in the next set, which includes Dark Beast, Havok, Wolverine and Wolvie’s motorcycle under the title ‘Doom of the Dark Beast’. Even the vicious villain of the story is made to be endearing, a smile on a usually snarling face.
Finally, we’ve got the Wolverine Evolutions set (see below). It features four versions of Wolverine based on the comics and film, all without the classic mask and modeled more on the Logan we’ve seen of late. These ones are definitely a great addition to the collection of any Wolvie fan.
Movies are probably the most popular form of horror media out there today. Unlike books and blogs, they seem to have a truly universal appeal and can spread to more demographics, raking in billions of dollars a year. But when there are so many flicks out there that promise to offer real scares, it’s hard to find a truly creepy–or at least well-made–horror movie. We’ll sort some out right here.
NOROI
One of my favourite horror movies would have to be Japan’s Noroi: The Curse. It’s a faux documentary (mockumentary still sounds too jovial) that follows a man who has made a career out of investigating the paranormal for his television specials as he explores a strange new case involving a missing girl, a crazed conspiracy theorist and a centuries-old demon. The tagline is ‘Everybody died’, but in a film with dozens of incredible twists and turns, it gives nothing away. You can watch the movie here or try your luck finding a copy online–none of the big retailers carry it!
THE RING
One of the first movies to bring the Japanese style and aesthetic to North American audiences, The Ring is a remake of the original Japanese Ringu. Starring the brilliant Naomi Watts, it took the viewer on ride that seemed to go from eerie to downright horrifying and never looked back. Some might prefer the original Japanese and indeed it has some definite strengths over the remake, but this is one time I might prefer the second draft. You can snag this movie over on Amazon.com: The Ring (Widescreen Edition)
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT
I feel a little sorry for the Blair Witch Project. It came out to amazing reviews and terrified audiences and then got hit with the backlash that probably awaits Paranormal Activity. Suddenly it wasn’t scary, it was called lame and obnoxious for its shaky cam and eventually it got talked up until it wasn’t scary anymore. But given what it was, a low-budget indie experiment, it’s definitely worth a watch for those who haven’t already been swept up. Well constructed and solid, it can be found right here: The Blair Witch Project
THE THING
Finally, a true horror classic has to make the list and add a monster to the strange other beings we’ve already encountered. John Carpenter’s The Thing is one of the strangest and most terrifying monster movies ever made, with its strengths in the fact that its eponymous Thing seemed to have no motive, nor rhyme or reason to the way it killed and tormented the men of an ill-fated arctic base. You can find it on both DVD and Blu-Ray right here: The Thing (Collector’s Edition DVD)
and The Thing [Blu-ray]
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Posted by actionfigurecanada 
Posted by actionfigurecanada 
