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Five free comics added to PSP Digital Comics
The PSP Digital Comics store is still going strong with its weekly updates. However, it's been a while since the store has been updated with free comics to try. Starting today, you'll be able to download these five issues for zero dollars: GI Joe Cobra #1 Star Trek Mirror Images #1 Astro Boy Prequel #1 The Ghoul #1 Dreamland Chronicles #1 To access the Digital Comics store, you'll need to connect to the PlayStation Store on your PSP and hit the Comics tab on top. Then, find the "Free Comics" tab to download one or all of the 22 free comics currently available.
Still undecided? Here are some more PSP Digital Comic samplers
If you're on the fence about Sony's upcoming PSP Digital Comics service, the PlayStation UK blog has a few more sampler comics to decide whether the feature piques your interest. Available for lucky users in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are two sampler comics, featuring the service's highly touted Autoflow feature -- which mimics the way your eyes read a page. Following the release of the PSP's 6.20 firmware, PlayStation released comic samples of Transformers: All Hail Megatron and Aleister Arcane. Free sample first-issues of Star Trek: Enterprise Experiment and Astro Boy: The Movie Adaptation are available until December 16. In order to grab your sample, make sure to first download the Comic App via the "Extras" section of the XMB (or through this link) for your PSP and use the redemption codes available on PlayStation's UK blog. Then prepare to use your amazing 3D hardware to ... read!
Astro Boy voice acting gets real with Kristen Bell
You'll remember Kristen Bell from her less-than-endearing performance as Lucy in Assassin's Creed a couple years ago (and you should remember her from TV's Veronica Mars). Bell's back in the sound booth to record another game voice, playing Cora in Astro Boy, the upcoming movie-based adaptation. According to the video interview above, her character is a "17-year-old, edgy girl," immediately demonstrated by her declaration, "Sorry, we don't need any newbies." Good to know! (We were worried.)
E3 2009 highlights: The Nintendo roundup
Nintendo E3 2009 checklist: Mario? *check* Zelda? *check* Metroid? *check* Are we missing something? Head past the break to find out!
Impressions: Astro Boy (Wii)
Many of you likely remember the punishing gameplay of Astro Boy: Omega Factor. In fact, our first question to the High Voltage rep that demoed the game at the D3 Publisher booth was just that, if they played the game and whether they planned to follow in its footsteps. The good news is that High Voltage indeed did play through Omega Factor and took inspiration from the game, evident in the 2.5D approach of the Wii game and simplistic combat. The bad news is that this seemed less like a game inspired by Omega Factor and more a watered down version of one of the better GBA games out there.
Astro Boy movie adaptation coming to Wii, DS, PSP, PS2
It appears that High Voltage Software's unannounced non-FPS title has been revealed, and ... it's only wearing underpants. According to a recent press release, the Conduit developer, along with D3Publisher, will be bringing Imagi Studios' upcoming CGI-infused Astro Boy film to the Wii, PSP and PS2 -- but in the form of a video game. How very clever! We'll see how well this bold experiment pans out when the game drops this Fall, probably around the film's October 23 release date.The title will also be developed for the DS by Art Co. Ltd., who also adapted Coraline for D3Publisher. That doesn't exactly fill us with confidence, but hey -- it's pretty tough to screw up "Finger Lasers, Arm Cannons, and Butt Machine Guns."
Top 5: Licensed Games That Don't Stink
Apparently, happy is the new angry (Uggh, I apologize; I hate the "X is the new Y" phrase as much as anyone). While the Angry Video Game Nerd series continues to grow in popularity, a legion of imitators -- err, "inspirées" -- have arisen from the depths of YouTube. While most appear to simply swap "Angry Video Game Nerd" with a few synonyms and reduce the effort, quality, and obtainable entertainment of the video, one manages to make the formula something completely his own. Alaskan native Derek, AKA lophatjello, has created the "Happy Video Game Nerd." While the self-explanatory premise may sound eye-roll-inducing, one would be hard-pressed to ignore his passion for the retro games he highlights after watching a video of his. And that is a quality which I value greatly: unbridled passion and optimism for gaming. We're too often deluged by a flood of pessimism and jaded cynicism from the gaming world. Very recently, Derek covered the NES semi-classic Ducktales. He labels it as a "kick-ass licensed game." This is a notable statement, as conventional gaming knowledge tells us that a license is often indicative of a terrible game. While there are always exceptions to rules, I feel confident that most who are reading this post can agree that licenses are too often a kiss of death. Yet the HVGN is correct; Ducktales is a pretty awesome licensed game. Here, in my humble opinion, are the Top 5 games based on popular film and television. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
DS Daily: License to thrill
In yesterday's edition of Bury the Shovelware, Kaes dug a shallow grave for Sensory Sweep's atrocious game adaptation of Jackass. Nobody here was surprised. Throughout pretty much all of gaming's history, licensed spinoffs of anything -- be they movies, TV shows, comics, or any other non-game property -- have turned out to be utter dreck.There are exceptions to the rule however, and it's those we want to ask you about today. Which license-based games really struck a chord with you and defied your expectations of what a movie/TV show/comic tie-in could offer? We know the DS is short on these, so we'll let you choose titles from the GBA library if you so wish -- such as this, for example.
DS Daily: Favorite GBA games
We were thinking about all of those sealed GBA games up for grabs and we just wanted to buy them all. Then, we remembered we have no money and looked at our own sad little pile of GBA games for some kind of solace. None was to be had.What about your GBA games? Got a lot? Got a little? Our of all your GBA games, which is your favorite? Astro Boy: The Omega Factor? It's up there! Metroid Fusion? Definitely another good one! What are your favorite GBA games?
Virtually Overlooked: Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Welcome to our weekly feature, Virtually Overlooked, wherein we talk about games that aren't on the Virtual Console yet, but should be. Call it a retro-speculative. Yeah, there aren't any Game Boy Advance games on the Virtual Console, and there probably won't be any time soon, but that's not important! This column is about games that should be on the Virtual Console, and this game should be everywhere.Treasure is known for producing super-hardcore action games, from frantic run-and-guns like Alien Soldier and Gunstar Heroes to clever shooters like Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun. Between original releases, they sometimes take on licensed works, seemingly to pay the bills. One of their best games -- and possibly the best game on the GBA -- combines all of these aspects of Treasure's style. It might be slightly strange to say that a licensed game based on a kids' show is one of Treasure's best, but it absolutely is.%Gallery-20301%
Zeno the child-robot apes Astro Boy, Chucky
Hanson Robotics, creators of the wildly creepy Albert Einstein and (now missing) Philip K. Dick robotic heads has turned its attention to children... er, that is, a child-robot. Sure, it's somewhat difficult to look at little Zeno and not find him just slightly disturbing, but that won't stop the team from breaking ground on this new cybernetic-tyke. The bot will stand 17-inches tall, weigh 6-pounds, and will cost you around $15,000 apiece (consumer models could be $200-300), though you can't put a price on a child-bot that walks, talks, and makes eye contact, right? The original design for Zeno is based loosely on Astro Boy, though somehow the creators have imbued him with a slightly more Chucky-like appearance. Zeno will be controlled wirelessly from your PC, but will also have, "His own moods," and make, "His own decisions." The bot is due out for mass consumption in "a few years," though no word yet on whether Zeno will silently creep into your bedroom at night and stare at you while you sleep.[Via The Raw Feed]
Animation studio Imagi inks distribution deal with Wowwee
Imagi, the animation studio behind the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, and the upcoming Gatchaman and Astro Boy movies, has inked a deal with Wowwee Ltd., makers of the infamous Robosapien (amongst others), which will grant the toy-maker exclusive distribution rights for the studio's properties. According to the company press release, Wowwee will provide some of its proprietary technology for use in toys related to the upcoming pictures, which will closely replicate the look and story of the films in both design and "play patterns." As Imagi co-CEO Douglas Glen puts it "All too often, film-licensed toys fail to live up to kids' expectations, because they fall so far short of what the kids see on the movie screen," but Imagi and Wowwee will seek to avoid this by having toy designers and filmmakers work closely with one-another. Our personal hope is to see a life-size, fully functional Astro Boy... with feelings. Maybe we're expecting too much.
