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Telltale releases free match-three Back to the Future puzzle game on Facebook
Telltale games has released a free Back to the Future game on Facebook called Blitz Through Time. It's a pretty straightforward Bejeweled Blitz ripoff, though of course it's skinned up with sounds and graphics from the classic movie series. Your goal is to match three or more same-colored gems in a row, pushing the in-game speedometer all the way up to 88 miles per hour, where you'll ... change the background to a different time and start matching gems again. Fun? Sure. New? Not really. But if you're a real BTTF fan, "liking" the game on the fan page will enter you in a contest for some related prizes. You can see a short trailer for the game after the break. Of course this is all promotion for the actual BTTF adventure game, which comes out sometime next month.
The Road to Mordor: Will our journey take us back to The Hobbit?
The next few years promise to be exciting ones for fans of Middle-earth. Ever since The Return of the King debuted in theaters in 2003, audiences have clamored for more of Tolkien on the big screen -- specifically, The Hobbit. After nearly a decade of back-and-forth negotiating and legal entanglements, it appears that this The Hobbit movies are finally going to happen, with Sir Peter Jackson once again in the director's chair and Martin Freeman taking on the lead role as Bilbo. That's smashing news for movie buffs, but what does this have to do with Lord of the Rings Online -- y'know, that MMO we sometimes talk about in this column? It could be "very little," with Turbine proceeding on its merry way and perhaps enjoying the free boost to playership as movie buffs hunt around for a game to extend the experience. However, if the company were smart, it would be laying out the groundwork right now to synergize the heck out of the movie with a similar in-game experience. For a while now, I've been chewing on the notion that Turbine could incorporate the events, locations and characters of The Hobbit into LotRO -- in fact, several of the key pieces are already in place. Could our journey in LotRO eventually take us back to the era of Bilbo's grand adventure? How would such a thing even work? Hit the jump and I will smack your brain so hard with ideas that you'll forget all of your piano lessons. It's OK -- you didn't really need them.
Back to the Future: Episode 1 requires '121GIGAWATTS' for free ride
Telltale's first episode of the Back to the Future game won't be free -- unless you've got power. Specifically, we're talking: "121GIGAWATTS" of power! That code, first spotted in the Blu-ray release of the time-traveling movie trilogy, grants access to a free copy of the first episode of the five-part series on PC or Mac. Unless you're just "chicken," you can now make like a tree and register in advance for the free episode (which requires a Telltale account). Redeemers will be contacted in the future about when they can go back ... to the future -- in other words, this December.
Blu-ray releases on October 26th 2010
Yeah, we know, they don't hold up when you go back and watch them again, but that doesn't mean we don't won't to buy the Back To The Future trilogy on Blu-ray this week and enjoy 'em in HD for the first time all over again. You know you're thinking the same thing, and besides, it isn't like there is much else out there for the HD geek this week to really get excited about -- or are we missing something. Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy (Universal) Alien Anthology (Fox) Altitude (Anchor) Dancing Across Borders (First Run) Earth & Space (A&E) Elf (Ultimate Collector's Edition) (New Line) The Girl Who Played with Fire (Music Box Films) House (Criterion) How the Earth Was Made: Complete Season 1 (A&E) Judges (E1) Legend of the Black Scorpion (Dragon Dynasty) Los Angeles Lakers: 2010 NBA Finals Series (Image) Maniac (Blue Underground) National Geographic: Dawn of the Ocean (National Geographic) NFL: Ultimate NFL (Warner) Paths of Glory (Criterion) Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express (Acorn) Santa Claus: The Movie (Lionsgate) Score (Cult Epics) Sex and the City 2 (New Line) Slings & Arrows: The Complete Collection (Acorn) South of the Border (Cinema Libre) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (The Complete Season Two (Warner) Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes (Warner) Winter's Bone (Lionsgate) World War II: 360 (A&E)
Where Back to the Future: The Game's going, we won't need Wiimotes
Telltale has revealed that it's trimming the list of platforms upon which its next onus, Back to the Future: The Game, will appear. The game will arrive first on the PC and Mac sometime this December, followed shortly thereafter by PS3 and iPad versions. Looks like the Wii and Xbox 360 got the short straws this time -- if only they could travel back in time to before this announcement was made! Unfortunately, time travel isn't real, or else we'd totally have a pet Europasaurus right now. The game's PC and Mac iterations are currently available to pre-order for $25. Each pre-order includes a free copy of Puzzle Agent (available to download immediately after placing your order) and access to an exclusive "pre-release insider forum" on Telltale's site. Oh! And for every pre-order that goes through the site, Telltale will donate a dollar to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. That's awfully classy, you guys.
Telltale showcases the new voice of Back to the Future's Marty McFly
Are you ready to hear one of the most startling things you'll hear this month? Listen to the new voice actor for Marty McFly in Telltale's upcoming Back to the Future adventure games, one A.J. Locascio. As far as we know, he's capable of channeling Michael J. Fox's voice using dark voodoo magicks.
Back to the Future trilogy Blu-ray includes voucher for free episode of Telltale's game
There's a nice surprise waiting inside of the Back to the Future trilogy Blu-ray set, due to hit stores on October 26 -- apart from remastered versions of all three films, that is. After ripping the shrink-wrap off our copy, we discovered an insert advertising a "complimentary first episode" of Telltale's upcoming Back to the Future game for PC and Mac. The insert lists a URL for redeeming the included code -- "121GIGAWATTS" -- which currently directs browsers to the the game's homepage. We contacted Telltale to find out when the episode will go live and were told that the timing has yet to be nailed down. "At the URL on the insert, people will be able to register for the free episode and will receive notification from Telltale Games when the episode is available to download," the developer clarified. Also, if it wasn't obvious, the redemption code isn't unique, suggesting that the free episode will be available to the masses -- Telltale, when asked, couldn't confirm if this will be before or after the game told us this will happen at or after the game (which is still undated) launches. "We haven't announced the release date for the first episode of the game quite yet – soon though," a rep said. Not soon enough, we say. Anyone got a DeLorean with a Mr. Fusion we can borrow?
Universal lets loose a few Back to the Future Blu-ray teasers (video)
We're still more than a month shy of the Back to the Future 25th Anniversary Trilogy pack shipping on Blu-ray, but if you just can't wait HighDefDiscNews points out a few snippets of special features Universal's posted on YouTube. Check out the videos (embedded after the break) for a couple minutes of making-of talk from the director and producer, a clip focusing on Christopher Lloyd's performance and (spoiler alert!) the scene where George McFly punches out Biff in the first movie. Unfortunately the clips are only in 480p here, but that does leave us with something to wait a few more weeks for.
Telltale's Back to the Future touts Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown
You can breathe a little easier if you've been eagerly anticipating Telltale's five-episode Back to the Future series, as USA Today has just confirmed some of its key inclusions: 1. Marty McFly and Doc Brown 2. Christopher Lloyd voicing Doc Brown 3. Hill Valley 4. 1985 5. BttF screenwriter Bob Gale's guidance 6. The DeLorean We've worked with a team of experts to prepare a list of things we still need confirmed for the episodic game to allow our hearts to open and our expectations to run free, like majestic, time-traveling ponies: 1. Hoverboards. 2. Huey Lewis Seriously guys, what's up?
Power Laces 2.0 ditch the external servo and retro colors, look production-ready (video)
The self-lacing Power Laces shoes have made quite a stir since we caught sight of them back in July. Creator Blake Bevin launched a Kickstarter program to actually produce the things and, working to raise the $25k in funding needed to build 'em, Blake has created a video of version 2.0 of the shoes. This time the blue and pink are gone, as are the Nike logos (perhaps to avoid trademark and patent ramifications), replaced with a cleaner though taller silver and white design. The servo that handles the laces is now hidden in the heel, and a pressure sensor starts the lacing process as soon as you put your foot in. We like that idea, but we're not sure how comfortable walking on a servo would be. Pony up $50 to join the fund and you can be among the first to find out.
Back to the Future Blu-ray trailer revealed
Get an early peek at the Back to the Future 25th Anniversary Edition restored footage in this trailer (embedded after the break.) Not that a YouTube stream can hope to match Blu-ray, but you can click the 1080p switch and pretend it's October 26 already. Where we're going, we don't need (to wait for) discs.
Telltale surveying fans' favorite Back to the Future elements
There's a lot to love in Zemeckis' time-space continuum-altering Back to the Future trilogy -- it makes sense that Telltale Games wants to know what aspects fans are hoping to see in its upcoming episodic game adaptation of the films. Fans can now participate in a quick survey, choosing some of the time periods, characters and a handful of scenarios which reference iconic moments from the films which they'd like to see in the games. Click past the jump to see some of the sample scenarios presented in the survey. You can access the questionnaire through Telltale's site, but be forewarned! If you vote for an adventure set in the 1800s featuring Doc Brown's Wild West offspring, and which doesn't feature Biff or hoverboards or time traveling of any sort, we'll come through the internet and open-hand slap you in the face.
Back to the Future's 25th Anniversary celebrated by a Blu-ray box set October 26
The Back to the Future trilogy is coming to Blu-ray for its 25th Anniversary, with a boxed set hitting stores October 26. There's apparently two hours of new extra content, with plenty of BD-Live and U-control features baked in. Back to the Future.net reports these should be great looking and sounding, with an all new transfer that preserves the original film grain and lets viewers hear the "full dynamic range" of the audio. Of course, we would have preferred a hoverboard and Mr. Fusion pack-in, but we may have to wait for the 50th anniversary to get those -- details are in the press release after the break.
Telltale's Jurassic Park games to be 'cinematically much more serious'
Ever since Telltale announced an agreement with NBC Universal to develop an episodic series of games based on Jurassic Park, we've been kept awake at night, wondering just how one goes about defeating a Tyrannosaurus Rex using nothing but an umbrella handle, a lightbulb and a unicycle. There are at least seven ways to do it -- trust us -- but Telltale design director Dave Grossman informed us at E3 that Jurassic Park won't quite fit the company's traditional adventure structure. "... in the case of Jurassic Park, we've wanted to kind of step out and do something that's cinematically much more serious than the kind of.... you know, we feel like we're getting pigeonholed a little bit as a company that makes funny cartoon games about talking animals, whereas really what we think of ourselves as is a company that makes games about cinema," Grossman said. "And so we want to explore some different territory. How is the gameplay supporting the tension of the scene, and what kind of tension is it? How is the game paced? And so you're going to find all of that stuff in the Jurassic Park series." While Jurassic Park will feature adventure mechanics deemed "appropriate," it seems its focus won't necessarily be on laid-back lateral thinking. "I don't want to have it be a game about hanging around and solving thinky puzzles at your own pace," Grossman explained. "It just doesn't seem like the right thing to do for that." And while that might seem to suggest an action-oriented approach, Grossman wasn't willing to characterize it to such a simple degree. "You can definitely expect tension elements, let's say. Whether they're action or, well, there are a lot of ways to do that. I think there'll be a liberal mix of stuff in that game." Let's hope we learn more before Telltale's Jurassic Park begins its monthly excursions from Isla Sorna Nublar this winter.
This is heavy: Telltale making episodic Back to the Future game
Where Telltale Games is going, it doesn't need roads (because its games are distributed digitally). In addition to the announced Jurassic Park games, the AP reveals that Telltale Games is crafting an episodic game based on Back to the Future, the classic '80s movie trilogy about a time-traveling Delorean, hoverboards, and Nintendo's Wild Gunman (also, people are in it). Telltale has yet to specify gameplay styles, but we expect adventure games similar to Sam & Max, as is Telltale's specialty. We're so pleased Telltale made that deal with NBC Universal. "The games are going to exist within these worlds," Telltale's Dan Connors told the AP. "I wouldn't call these games sequels per se but a new interpretation of their worlds for a new medium." That means we shouldn't necessarily expect to relive movie moments, but rather experience new stories within the worlds of these games. For Back to the Future, that means that all of human history is open to exploration; for Jurassic Park, it pretty much still means running away from dinosaurs. The AP notes that both series are due to debut this winter, on the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC and Mac. [Via Shacknews]
Artist creates Back to the Future hoverboard -- that actually hovers (video)
Don't expect to ride it on solid ground -- much less water -- but what you see above is indeed a hoverboard that floats. Using electromagnets embedded in the podium and a laser system to measure its position, artist Nils Guadagnin has managed to keep a familiar-looking pink plank aloft, a full five years and five months before the real deal supposedly sees common use. Give the man a pair of kicks, a car and a flux capacitor, and he'll be all set. Video after the break.
See Burnout's Jansen 88 Special fly into action
What it lacks in a Flux Capacitor and time circuits, Burnout Paradise's hover-enabled "Jansen 88 Special" more than makes up for in its ability to make us drool, as evidenced in new footage released by Criterion Games. View it after the break!The car, which certainly meets with Doc Brown's seal of approval, is one quarter of the upcoming Legendary Cars Pack, which will also include the Cavalry Bootlegger, Manhattan Spirit and GT Nighthawk. Now, if only our Flux Capacitor would start fluxing so we could leap ahead a few months and try this DLC out for ourselves.
Burnout Paradise goes Back to the Future
Go ahead: Blink twice. Yep, it's still here. You're not dreaming. Now, would somebody please whip up an award for Best DLC Ever? Thanks -- just hand it over to the folks at Criterion Games.It may be the first time you actually pay for Burnout Paradise DLC, but we're gonna go ahead and put in writing that the Legendary Cars Pack will be well worth your hard-earned PSN money / . Exhibit A: The DeLorean DMC-12 "Jansen 88 Special" (see above). Time traveling? No*. Hovering? Yes! And be on the lookout for Exhibits B, C & D: The Cavalry Bootlegger, Manhattan Spirit and GT Nighthawk. (One of those has to be codename for the "Tumbler," right?) *But there are burning flame trails! %Gallery-36402%[Thanks, Bob]
Back to the Future hoverboard up for auction: $30k to play
Tired of waiting for scientists to crack the secrets of levitation in order to purchase a bona fide hoverboard? Look, life's short -- why not take matters into your own hands? A genuine wooden Mattel hoverboard used by Michael J. Fox (or Marty McFly, as we prefer to call him) in Back to the Future II and III is up for auction, though the barrier to entry is rather substantial. Of course, this is considered the "best example of all wood hoverboards to have survived the rigors of filming," but whether or not it's worth the $30,000+ asking price is entirely up to you.[Via CrunchGear]
Back to the Future destined for Blu-ray release?
This one has been around the block a time or two, but it's just too juicy to pass up. The famed Back to the Future has always seemed like a perfect fit for a Blu-ray release, and based on a few hints dropped during a recent screening and cast reunion near Orlando, it could be happening. Writer and producer Bob Gale was quoted as saying that what folks were seeing in the theater was the "digital master for the upcoming high-definition Blu-ray version of Back to the Future." He continued by saying that he "didn't know when it was coming out," but affirmed that he was "involved in the mastering [process]." Go on and cross your fingers, alright?[Thanks, Joel]
