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Distro Issue 34 takes a 'Shot in the Dark' with Canon's 5D Mark III
If you were lucky enough to grab a 5D Mark III when they hit shelves last week, you know how well the slick shooter performs with the lights down low. If you're still pondering plunking down $3,500 for the DSLR, on the other hand, you can check out the camera's night moves in this issue of Distro. And if you're looking for even more of our expert opinions, we have reviews of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7 for Verizon, a 14-inch Series 5 Ultrabook, a pre-production Galaxy Note 10.1 and SYNC by 50 Wireless Headphones. We'll also grill Mutemath's Darren King and give you an Angry Bird's-eye view of the smartphone market in this week's Switched On. So grab your device of choice and hit the appropriate download link below.Distro Issue 34 PDFDistro on the iTunes App StoreDistro in the Android MarketDistro APK (for sideloading)Like Distro on FacebookFollow Distro on Twitter
Pac-Man's 'Adventure Begins' next year in new animated series
At its E3 2010 party -- a 30th anniversary celebration for Pac-Man -- Namco Bandai showed the pilot for a 3D animated series, produced by former Marvel exec Avi Arad. The show disappeared like a ghost monster's body until today, when Namco Bandai announced a deal for the show to appear on Disney XD in fall 2013.Called "Pac-Man -- The Adventure Begins," this will finally be your opportunity to learn how Pac-Man started his long career of wandering around a maze trying not to starve.%Gallery-149064%
RIM: It's okay, we have superheroes
It's a common human trait that, when faced with a series of calamities, the brain will retreat into a fantasy world in which everything is the exact opposite of reality. Could this be the inspiration for RIM's four new cartoon characters, which the company hopes will spread its "Be Bold" marketing message? The pattern certainly seems to fit. From left to right: there's GoGo Girl, who "saves the day with a brilliant strategy" (translation: we don't have a strategy). Then comes Justin Steele, who's "always ready to stick up for his friends" (translation: we don't have friends). Trudy Foreal "isn't afraid to call it as she sees it" (translation: our shareholders are complaining). Finally, the adventurous Max Stone is "able to jump out of a plane" (translation: we're going to crash).Update: RIM has provided a little update stating that this is "not a new ad campaign." Still, it's fun to imagine what might have been.
Daily iPhone App: Spy Mouse
Firemint Games' latest title is finally out for iOS, and the early reviews are great. I played a prototype of this game over a year ago, and it's been through a few big revisions since then. But the same gameplay I saw in the very beginning is still there and as polished as it's going to get. Spy Mouse turned out to be a great game. The basic idea is you control a mouse chasing after cheese by line-drawing around a level. But there's lots of fun gameplay devices to play with, including pouncing cats, gadgets, powerups, and lots of other tweaks and tricks. Perhaps most importantly, the gameplay is like butter -- the graphics are bright and colorful, the spy music soundtrack is as delicious as the cheese you're chasing, and every bit of the gameplay is well-thought out and intuitive. Spy Mouse is a great title, and definitely a bargain. It's a little disappointing to see that there's no Game Center integration at launch (achievements would be terrific). Each level has three different goals to go after, and there are six whole worlds to play through, so there's lots of gameplay anyway. Spy Mouse has more than enough to justify the US$0.99 launch price. Definitely pick this one up.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Battle Slugs
Battle Slugs is essentially a stylized version of the old Chinese game Go. You start with two different colors of playing pieces which jump around the board in different ways. Jump one space to produce a cloned slug or two spaces to move the slug you're controlling. When you land next to a piece of the opposite color, it changes color. Those are basically the only rules, but like Go, the strategy gets complicated quickly. You want to try and claim space on the board (the one you're playing at least -- there are 25 different levels in the game), but you have to do so carefully, because overextending can make trouble quickly. The game's actually pretty hard -- I had trouble mastering even the first level consistently. Battle Slugs was originally a Flash game, but you can't tell from the presentation on iOS. While the graphics can be somewhat crude, they are colorful, and bring a lot of personality to the title. Loading times are a little long (though that's of course between matches, not during), and the iTunes reviews have some complaints about the game's performance on older phones, so beware of that. But there's a lite version to try out first if you want to make sure you like it, and the full version (which is Game Center enabled as well) is only 99 cents for a universal build anyway. If you like the strategy of Go and don't mind some cartoony characters, Battle Slugs could tease your mind for a while.
Netflix adds Marvel animated series to Watch Instantly streaming library (Update)
The latest addition to Netflix's library of streaming content are a slew of animated titles from Marvel. While quite a bit of the series added are older cartoons that aren't available in HD, there's a few that are including Iron Man: Armored Adventures. Other selections that showed up this morning are The Incredible Hulk, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man Unlimited and more. There's a bit more information available at the Netflix blog, check that out and see what might be worth adding to your queue. Update: Marvel.com has more details on what was added immediately, as well as other series (X-Men from '92-97) that will be arriving later this year.
The Governator cartoon is real, soon to be a video game
OK, we get it, Arnie. You don't have to keep going on with the April Fool's joke. We all thought the idea that you would do a cartoon with comic legend Stan Lee called "The Governator" was a good laugh when we heard about it last Friday. But actually releasing a nonsensical trailer for the show is a little much, don't you think? Come on, telling The Hollywood Reporter that you're also developing comics, video games and eventually a movie based on the property is really just beating the joke into the ground. Yes, the real key to comedy is believability, and the fact that you've got property house A Squared Entertainment spearheading this whole thing does add grounding to the gag. Sure, it's done cartoons about a 10-year-old Martha Stewart and Warren Buffett giving business advice to a group of kids, so it's the perfect peg of truth to hang the whole joke on. But come on, Arnold. April 1 was days ago. It's time to admit you're just kidding around on this one. Please?
MapleStory exclusive cartoon: New Leaf Saga
The goofy creators at Nexon have put together a video to help you noobs understand the mechanics of their side-scrolling MMO MapleStory. This third episode of the New Leaf Saga follows the adventures of a girl trying to find her place in the world. Where does she belong? What class should she play? Of course, the first place to turn for the answer would be her friends. Each friend wants the girl to play the same class he or she did -- well, except the thief; he wants to steal her purse. But we come to find out there are far more classes in MapleStory than she has friends. Our new adventurer asks a very important question: "How many classes are there?" For the answer to that question, step past the break and watch the Massively Exclusive video: Classy. (Let me know if you notice the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time sound effect, too.)
Self-balancing Domo-kun WobblyBot looks drunk, won't tip over (video)
He may look like he's had a few too many sake bombs, but this animated Japanese superstar is actually built to teeter about. The Domo-kun WobblyBot comes to us by way of Eastern Geek and uses a relatively simple pendulum, with the pivot situated at the axle, to keep the balancing bot from tipping over. As is the case with punching clowns, the bottom part of the WobblyBot is significantly heavier than the top, serving as a counterweight to maintain balance. It also sports DC Geared Motors and two D cells, and, as its creator points out, you can customize its shell to give your favorite cartoon character the tipsy treatment -- hyphy Hello Kitty anyone? Check out the source link to make a WobblyBot of your own, but only after having a laugh at the video just beneath the break.
Report: THQ forming Voltron games
Variety reports that when the '80s hit Voltron relaunches on the airwaves later this year in the form of Voltron Force, there will be video games on shelves to herald its arrival. According to the article, the titles will be published by THQ, which has secured the exclusive ability to do so from rights holder World Events Productions. No further details were divulged, such as which developer (or developers) will be in charged of translating the cartoon -- which features a five-person team piloting robotic lions that combine to form the titular mega-robot -- into something we can actually play. We've contacted THQ for comment and will update when we hear back.
Rise and Shiny recap: MilMo
If there's one thing I think many developers need to learn, it's to keep games accessible. No, I'm not talking about making a game "easy" -- I'm talking about making it available to as many different players as possible. This means making a game that can run on many different PC setups and does not require a degree of some sort to play. Yes, there is a time and a place for uber-realistic, theory-crafting, nerdy-wonderland games, but bear in mind that good design does not automatically translate into complicated design. As I played through MilMo this week, I realized how much potential this new generation of browser-based games has. The new engines, Unity in particular, give developers the ability to make beautiful games that can be accessed directly through the browser. I was surprised to find a good-looking "kid's game" that presented plenty of challenge and fun for kids of all ages (including 36-year-old game writers like myself). Read on for more details.
Monster House 3D Blu-ray reviewed, hints Sony's skills are improving
If your 3DTV and eyes are moaning from endless replays of the Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 3D Blu-ray, High-Def Digest says Sony's second 3D Blu-ray release, Monster House, can provide some relief. Besides gushing over the "spectacular" 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer, they note that Sony has fixed the issue of background smearing and image ghosting present in the few other 3D Blu-ray titles out there like Cloudy and Monsters vs Aliens. The "impressive" DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack was also deemed a great improvement over the original Blu-ray release's English PCM 5.1 version. Combined with the refreshing lack of pointy-objects-in-your-face 3D gimmick shots and accurate color reproduction, they gave the title 4.5 out of 5 stars for both HD video and audio quality -- which certainly isn't kids stuff. Good news aside, it probably won't make up for the scorn of Pansonic's Avatar exclusive for those using LG, Sony or Samsung gear, but then again, you can always just rent Dances With Wolves if you just need to belong. To read the full review, hit the source link below.
Flobi robot head realistic enough to convey emotions, not realistic enough to give children nightmares (hopefully)
We've seen our fair share of robots meant to convey emotions, and they somehow never fail to creep us out on some level. At least Flobi, the handiwork of engineers at Bielefeld University in Germany, eschews "realism" for cartoon cuteness. But don't let it fool you, this is a complicated device: about the size of a human head, it features a number of actuators, microscopes, gyroscopes, and cameras, and has the ability to exhibit a wide range of facial expressions by moving its eyes, eyebrows and mouth. The thing can even blush via its cheek-mounted LEDs, and it can either take on the appearance of a male or female with swappable hair and facial features. And the cartoonish quality of the visage is deliberate. According to a paper submitted by the group to the ICRA 2010 conference, the head is "far enough from realistic not to trigger unwanted reactions, but close enough that we can take advantage of familiarity with human faces." Works for us! Video after the break. [Thanks, Simon]
EyePhone reference mysteriously disappears from online clips of Futurama
Remember how awesome and clever Futurama was the other night? Well, if you missed it, your chances to see it in its original form might be slowly dwindling. It seems that Comedy Central has wiped out the reference in the dialogue to the "EyePhone 2.0." So, while we don't have any conspiracy theories brewing about what happened, it's a pretty odd thing to scrub, and we figure there are two possibilities: either Comedy Central is trying to cover their <censored> on this one, or they got a late night email from... someone. Thankfully, nothing disappears on the internet, so you can check out both clips and see for yourself after the break. [Thanks, Henry L.]
Rise and Shiny recap: Hello Kitty Online
Each week Rise and Shiny asks you to download and try a different free-to-play game, chosen by me, Beau Hindman. Some of the games will be far out of your gaming comfort zone, and some will pleasantly surprise you. We will meet each Tuesday and Friday night at 8 PM Central time, followed by this column the Saturday after. I welcome any suggestions for games, either in the comments or at beau at massively dot com. This week I asked my readers to man (or woman) up and download Hello Kitty Online by Sanrio Digital. I'm a firm believer in the old saying "Looks can be deceiving" and have tried to keep that in mind as I look for games. After all, what is the difference between fluffy pink and white bunnies and giant robots that throw hissy fits? In fact, if I were to ask my readers what makes up the difference between a game like Hello Kitty Online and a game like Lord of the Rings Online, they might only shrug and say "C'mon, Beau, you can see the difference." Remember, though, that we can still pull emotions out of cartoon characters just like we can out of more realistic ones, and it has been shown that many moviegoers actually feel more connected to stylized characters over super-realistic representations. I wonder if Hello Kitty Online can inspire the same strong emotions that a hardcore raider feels?
Crackdown 2 gets ultra-violent prequel cartoon
You know what violent video gaming franchise we always thought would make an excellent Saturday morning cartoon? Crackdown. We're thinking of a modern day GI Joe series, with rugged super soldiers, death-defying acrobatic feats, the occasional car chase and a helpful PSA at the end of each episode. However, Machinima.com recently posted the first episode in a real cartoon series based on Crackdown 2, and ... well, let's just say they went in a much different direction with it. A much bloodier direction. Check past the jump to see the first installment in "The Pacific City Archives," and think about how happy you are that whatever city you may be living in is relatively killer-mutant-free. [Via Kotaku]
Pulitzer Prize winner's app now accepted into App Store
Last week we told you about Mark Fiore, who won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning despite the cartoons' sole medium being the internet. What surprised many was that, though Fiore's cartoons were good enough for a Pulitzer, they were not good enough for the App Store. Back in December, Fiore had submitted an app called NewsToons, which displayed a collection of his political cartoons, only to have it rejected by Apple for ridiculing public figures. However, shortly after he won the Pulitzer and the news broke that his app had previously been rejected, Apple invited Fiore to resubmit the app, with Steve Jobs saying that the rejection of Fiore's app "was a mistake that's being fixed." I'm pleased to report that, as of yesterday, the mistake is fixed. Mark Fiore's NewsToons app is now in the App Store. The $0.99 app gives users access to automatically-updating political animation and the ability to dig deeper into the cartoon and see what news stories, events, and facts inspired each animation. Wonder if we'll see a Steve Jobs cartoon anytime soon?
When you're good enough for a Pulitzer, but not the App Store
Mark Fiore made history on Monday when he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. Though Pulitzers for political cartoons have been around since the 1920s, Fiore's award was historic because it's the first time the Pulitzer has been awarded to a political cartoonist whose cartoons don't appear in print. That's right -- all of Fiore's cartoons appear on the web. I love political cartoons and think it's really cool that internet-only cartoonists are getting the professional respect they deserve. Who knows, maybe the new Pulitzer will be given to a political cartoon that only appears on the iPhone? Hey, maybe Fiore should make an iPhone app so you can enjoy all his toons in one place? Oh, wait -- he has. And Apple rejected it. Yes, it's a weird world when you're good enough for a Pulitzer, but not the App Store. The Nieman Journalism Lab reports that Fiore submitted his iPhone app, NewsToons, to Apple in December. Apple then proceeded to reject it because his satire "ridicules public figures." This isn't the first time that political caricature has run afoul of App Store rules; Tom Richmond's app featuring a cartoon Congress was vetoed in November, then almost immediately cleared for sale. UPDATE: NYT is reporting Mr. Fiore has been "encouraged" by Apple to re-submit. So the lesson here? Win a Pulitzer, get a 2nd chance at the App Store. Look Apple, I supported some of your bans in the past -- like your ban on sexy junk apps -- but political cartooning is slightly different. It's one of the few disciplines that blend art, current events, and humor in such a way that they can convey the entirety of a relevant and complex issue into in a simple picture (or in Fiore's case, a simple Flash animation). So how about you rethink your decision and allow his app into the store? It'd be a shame to see the first Pulitzer for political cartooning going to a cartoonist with an Android phone.
Exclusive: FusionFall free to play launch details
Near the end of last year, Cartoon Network, the developers of FusionFall, announced that the game would move from a freemium/velvet rope type of pricing structure to a completely free-to-play model. While the fans waited, the developers were a bit silent as to when the new version would be released. Well, wait no more. We have received the official date, along with some exclusive shots of new characters and the new armor that subscribers would receive for being loyal to the game! If you haven't tried it yet, FusionFall is a browser based first-person style shooter that mixes elements of platforming, social gaming, and fashion. Think of Tabula Rasa's combat system, complete with its "soft lock" mechanism, and add tons of your favorite Cartoon Network characters. It makes for a very fun, actiony and surprisingly deep experience. Join me after the jump for an exclusive look at new characters and new armor!
Doonesbury covers the tablet release
Cartoonist Garry Trudeau is of course no stranger to the constant expectations and travails of being an Apple fan -- he famously skewered the Newton years and years ago in his comic strip Doonesbury. And with the Appleverse on high alert for what could finally be the "second coming" of a revolutionary handheld Apple computer, he's at it again. Today's strip lampoons Apple fans who are hoping for a religious experience tomorrow, and Trudeau will likely be posting Apple-related work all week long. The satire is biting as always -- while I'm as big an Apple fan as the next guy, it's very true that many people are expecting a life-changing revelation, and in reality, all we'll get at most is a brand new piece of technology. A piece of technology that might change the way we do a lot of different things, sure, but if you're hoping for "miracles" over and above, you know, a new way to read newspapers or watch TV, I wouldn't hold your breath.
