hard-boiled
Latest
It came from the Blog: Live stream of the Hop to Hard Boiled
We've been hopping around Razor Hill, but now we're taking our fluffy tails off to Un'Goro crater. Join us in game on Zangarmarsh (US-PvE) or by watching the stream above and participating in the chat after the break. Update: The stream is now over. You can watch our hop (which includes bunny lemmings) by clicking on the image above.
The OverAchiever: Guide to Noblegarden achievements
UPDATE: This guide has been revised for Noblegarden 2010. In honor of Noblegarden, we're running a special-edition OverAchiever today, dedicated to what you'll need for the meta-achievement Noble Gardener. Should you finish, not only do you get a spiffy new title, but you also get to check off another set of achievements toward What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been, the yearlong achievement-palooza rewarding a 310% speed Violet Proto-Drake. Because Noblegarden has been extensively reworked, most of what you'll be doing this year is completely new, and some of this guide is going to be comprised of educated (or not-so-educated) guesses as to the difficulty of the achievements on the live realms, and tips on how to get them done. I'll let you know if I just plain don't know something or have to hazard a guess based on PTR information, but fortunately most of the holiday is pretty straightforward. We're only going to cover the achievements you need to worry about for the meta, as everything else you can achieve is really based on luck and doesn't count toward Noble Gardener. Let's get started!
Stranglehold film adaptation won't be ready for years
Things have been rough for the film adaptation of Midway and John Woo's 2007 gaming collaboration, Stranglehold. Fans of the 1992 classic action flick Hard Boiled (for which Stranglehold served as a pseudo-sequel) were disappointed to learn that the adaptation would be produced, but not directed, by John Woo. Also, the possible non-involvement of Hard Boiled star Chow Yun-Fat has sullied the excitement of the film's expectant audience.More bad news for fans recently surfaced in an Empire interview with Woo, who explained that the Stranglehold adaptation "won't be ready until years from now." Don't get us wrong -- we love hearing about creators of game-based movies taking their sweet, sweet time with their work, but we're afraid that any further delays could rule out the possibility of Fat's participation. He ain't exactly getting any younger.
Rumor: John Woo's Stranglehold to get the film treatment
We thought we'd seen just about every permutation of Hollywood and the game industry's lascivious intersections: The movie based on the game; the game based on the movie; the game based on the movie based on the game, the game based on the movie based on the graphic novel; the movie sequel to the video game; and the video game sequel to the movie. But what about the movie based on the game, which was a sequel to the movie for which the aforementioned movie based on the game is also a sequel ... to? It's confusing, but it's also Hollywood breaking new ground!According to The Hollywood Reporter, screenwriters Jeremy Passmore and Andre Fabrizio are writing a celluloid adaptation of Stranglehold, Midway's 2007 shooter and sequel to John Woo's classic action film, Hard Boiled. Stranglehold saw players assume the role of inspector "Tequila" Yuen (played on the big screen by Chow-Yun Fat) and generally wage war on treacherous gangs, unstable trolleys, unexpected flocks of doves and especially watermelons. We're awaiting a comment from Midway, but this potential adaptation seems like a great idea, especially with many critics describing the first sequel to Hard Boiled as being just like a movie.[Via /film]
Deal of the Day: Stranglehold Collector's for $50
Best Buy is offering the Collector's Edition of Stranglehold for $20 less than its MSRP. At $50, you get a decent (but not great) game, and a decent (but not great) transfer of a terrific movie. The inclusion of Hard Boiled makes this a must for any John Woo fan, and the discounted price certainly makes it easier to swallow.[Via CAG][Update: amazon.com is price matching Best Buy.]
PS3 Fanboy review: Stranglehold: Collector's Edition
Though Midway's Stranglehold has been out on the Xbox 360 and PC for quite some time, due to the well publicized problems with adapting the Unreal Engine to the PlayStation 3, our version has only just come out. And while it is frustrating to have such a long delay between releases, it's not all bad for once. Midway has used the time to tighten up the performance of Stranglehold on the PS3 to a very solid framerate as well as add on one of the coolest video game bonuses of all time -- a high-def re-mastering of Hard Boiled, the fantastic John Woo Hong Kong shoot-em-up that serves as the primary inspiration to the game itself. While only the Collector's Edition of Stranglehold includes an HD copy of Hardboiled, this is one of those unusual bonuses that actually makes the game itself better. Taken on its own, Stranglehold is "just" another shooter with a story of revenge and the ability to blow the hell out of pretty much everything in the environment. Taken with the movie as well, you see a continuation of one of the greatest stories to come out of the Hong Kong action genre from the early 90s, as well as a continuation of the style and cinematography of the movie. Characters that seem flat or unnecessary suddenly become interesting and special effects that seem like simple next-gen window dressing gain added meaning.Movies like Hard Boiled are what started the whole concept of tough guys with dual Berettas who can dive through the air backwards while taking out half a platoon of villains. It's hard to remember sometimes, but the action in games like Max Payne (as well as the bullet time in The Matrix) are direct homages to John Woo's early movies. Slow motion shooting, dive-shots, and heavily stylized combat were all traits of movies like Hard Boiled, Bullet in the Head, and The Killer, so in some ways it's surprising that it's taken this long for John Woo to just come out and make his own video game.%Gallery-3206%
Today's chowiest video: John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat in Stranglehold
So, you know how developers say things like, "Oh yes, Steven Spielberg was very involved in the development of this game" when what they actually mean is "Yeah, we sent a fax to his office and showed him a picture." We've been wondering if that's how involved John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat were with Midway's Stranglehold.Here's video evidence to quell our fears that John Woo's involvement was simply sending a smiley-face emoticon to the development team when they asked him for feedback. Plus, seeing Chow (Mr. Yun-Fat? Fat? CYF?) recording lines for the game and sitting in meetings warms the slow-motion, dove-filled cockles of our hearts.
PS3's Stranglehold coming with Woo's Hard Boiled in HD
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/playstation_3/PS3s_Stranglehold_coming_with_Woos_Hard_Boiled_in_HD'; Good news for PS3 owners, and a synergistic slap in the face to Xbox 360 lovers: the PlayStation 3 Collectors Edition of John Woo's Stranglehold will have the HD Blu-ray version of his classic film (and Chow Yun-Fat's classic firing-two-guns-whilst-jumping-through-the-air starring role) included on the game disc.Midway had to work out a special deal with the Weinstein's Dragon Dynasty imprint, which owns the rights to John Woo's Chinese-language films. They'll be releasing a new special edition of Hard Boiled sometime later this year under that banner, so this may be the only way you can see the movie in HD for some time.Mind you, the fancy version of Stranglehold will cost you $10 on top of your standard "next-gen" fee, resulting in a steep $70 price tag. No word on special features, or if the disc will play in regular Blu-ray players ... but we'll take our game with a shot of Inspector Tequila. Thank you very much.%Gallery-3187%
Best Special Edition ever? Stranglehold SE exclusive to the PS3
Wow. After years of videogame special editions including nothing more than a making-of DVD or a lame in-game item, Midway Games has decided to up the ante considerably. Included with the exclusive PS3 special edition of Stranglehold is a full-length high-def remastering of John Woo's greatest movie (and Stranglehold prequel), Hard Boiled.A stunning example of 90's Hong Kong cinema, Hard Boiled pretty much put John Woo on the map. Starring Chow Yun Fat as the hardened Hong Kong cop Tequila, the violent action movie has some of the most memorable shoot-outs in the genre. The finale, a 30 minute gun fight in a crowded hospital remains one of the most intense scenes in an action movie to this very day. A classic in every sense of the word, the movie has had a bumpy release history in the US. The DVD has been out of print for many years, and the Criterion Edition will command prices upwards of 100 dollars on eBay. But now, thanks to Midway, for just 10 extra dollars ($70US total), you can get the special edition of Stranglehold with the first ever HD remastering of Hard Boiled. Suddenly, my interest in this game just went from moderate to INSANE. [via blu-ray.com]
Chow Yun-Fat, John Woo push Stranglehold back
Ring Out! Loser, Strangehold. Punishment: delay from 2006 release until first quarter 2007! That's another launch title for the PS3 getting knocked back a step, but at least it wasn't an exclusive. There hasn't been any comment by Midway other than the arbitrary release date change. Should we be concerned about another title being pushed farther from the PS3's launch? Especially one that garnered a lot of praise at E3? Maybe. It's not an exclusive launch title, but it was still slated primarily for the PS3. The number of launch titles are dwindling... a few more and yes, it will be a concern. What's the point of a system without any great games? Sounds familiar... Oops! Backwards compatibility. Sure, the games won't be next-gen, but they're no less awesome. At least there will be something to play other than Blu-ray movies when it first comes out, worst case scenario.What's Strangehold, you ask? Ever see the John Woo movie series, "Hard Boiled"? It's like that. Sort of a follow-up to the movies with John Woo starring in the game and Chow Yun-Fat also starring as a fellow aptly named "Inspector Tequila". Hopefully there will be a bar brawl with such promising names.
Stranglehold: can you taste the cinema?
Anything that has John Woo's name on it should automatically come with a warning label. You're almost guaranteed to walk away with a bruised noggin... if you walk away at all. Enter Stranglehold: his brand new PS3-powered videogame sequel to none other than the oh-so-action-packed Hard Boiled. IGN got the chance to chat it up with Jason Kaehler, who is the Art Director on the game. They talked about how much effort is going into just creating the detailed characters you will see in the title. For example, instead of relying on sketches and concept art alone, Midway actually had a casting call where hundreds of extras came in to have their likeness captured via photographs. So next time you see a call for "Gritty, rugged, mean-looking bad asses," keep your options open because you could find yourself immortalized in the next interactive cinematic videogame. Check out the article for more (and some new screens too).
