Tag: 2015

Horror Movie Night Episode 69: Deathgasm (2015)

by Saintmort
Do you like metal?? This movie may or may not be metal! It’s not necessarily good metal, but yeah, the central theme is more or less “metal” – of course we’re talking about 2015’s NZ shredfest Deathgasm! You can tell the protagonist is totally metal by his Trivium posters… Super duper metal, guys. He realizes the whole town has figured out what a poser he is, so he summons a demon to steal everyone’s souls and their ability to tell him he needs to practice more. Let’s just say he’s no Slumber Party Massacre II Driller Killer, all right? Get your corpse paint and nail gauntlets, we’re heading out into the woods to shoot a lofi black metal video, because that’s how we roll on Horror Movie Night!

Feel free to join in discussion at on our Facebook Group or in the comments below.

Do you have a movie suggestion for us or just want to tell us stories about your experiences with the movies we’ve watched? Send them to us at HMNPodcast@gmail.com

Also subscribe to our podcast on Soundcloud and iTunes

The Very Best New Board Games Of 2015!

by MonkeyMagic

We stand in a dimmed room, surrounded by bright warning signs, and are briefed by an Agent from the T.I.M.E. Agency, a German in a black suit whose eyes are veiled by dark glasses. An anomaly has been detected in an Asylum in 1921 and we are to be transported back into the bodies of Receptacles there. The cause for the disturbance in the time continuum must be found, and fast. We step into the next room to see three low white tables surrounded by white chairs. As we sit down onlookers peer at us through large windows in the opposite wall. We look at the table to see a panorama of an Asylum Dayroom and as we focus on the details we begin our attempt to unravel the mysteries within.

T.I.M.E. Stories Agent – image BenOni

This was how the first day at Essen started for us. The annual boardgames fair/convention/show held in Germany every October and attended by some 160,000 gamers from all over the world (you can learn some more background here). At the last count almost 800 new games were available.

Now that we are into 2016, and have had the chance to really chew over the 2015 releases we can sit back and single some out that stood above the rest. While what follows is purely personal opinion there is major overlap with many other ‘best of the year’ lists, and virtually every title is among the top 10 from 2015 in the over all game ranking at boardgamegeek.com. One other thing they also have in common is that they could all be found at Essen, along with most other contenders for the game of the year that have not quite made my shortlist.

TIME STORIES

The mysterious experience we began Essen with was T.I.M.E. Stories. It is comfortably in my 2015 top 5 as well as that of many others. One of the most striking features about this game is that it can be played only once! That’s right, for around €40 (or $33) you get a single co-operative gaming experience for four people that lasts about 4 hours, then it’s done. The puzzle has been solved, the plot revealed and the experience is over. To many boardgamers this seems insane, and I was put off buying it at first, but when you compare it to the cost of a trip for four people to the movies, or to a decent restaurant, it seems much more reasonable. Add to that the fact that this is a game system, with new scenarios being released regularly for around €23 (or $20) and things seem less crazy. In the Asylum scenario the team move around an Asylum, talking to the staff and patients, making choices, picking up items and overcoming challenges. The plot unravels as you play and you slow piece together clues in an attempt to solve the mystery. Everything you do in the game costs time, however, and if you run out you will have to reset the scenario and try again, using the information you have gained to do better the next time. The pleasure comes from the combination of the puzzle solving, the unexpected twists of the plot, and the immersive environment created by the combination of story telling and art. A unique game that has sent some fair sized ripples across the boardgaming pond.

CODENAMES

A few stalls over is a very different beast. The presentation is stark by comparison, a 5×5 grid of cards, on each one a single word is printed. For me this is possibly the best new release of 2015. Codenames. This is a team game, the Red team against the Blue. A secret card tells the Spymaster (the clue giver) from each team which words belong to which colour, which are neutral and which is the Assassin – the card that if selected spells instant defeat. Each Spymaster takes it in turns to give a clue that leads their team mates to select as many words from the grid that belong to their team as possible. The clue takes the format of a single word and a number. “Fruit 2” says the Blue Spymaster, that means there are 2 words on the table that belong to Blue and are related to fruit. You see “Apple”, that’s clearly one, but what is the other? “Bat” as in Fruit Bat, that must be it. Your team mates disagree, “Ninja” as in Fruit Ninja, the mobile phone game. You all try to get inside the head of your Spymaster to work out what they mean, while they are forced to sit poker faced as you veer off on a wild tangent. The Red team meanwhile throw in helpful suggestions; “Platypus! They eat fruit” “Fan Fruit, everyone has heard of Fan Fruit”. This game is so simple yet so clever. The deck of word cards that make up the random 5×5 grid always conspires to throw in words that confound your clues and risk your team helping your opponents out by accidentally picking one of their words. Whenever you are not the Spymaster you want to have the job because you are so convinced you could do it better than the current one, and when you are the Spymaster you almost wish you were not, the pressure piling on for you to pick a decent clue as your team watch you expectantly. I have never played just one game of this in a sitting, people always want to try again. It is also among a select number of games I have seen work as well with a group of hardcore gamers as it has with my easily distracted family, including my 90 year old granddad. Genius.

FOOD CHAIN MAGNATE

Not far away from T.I.M.E. Stories is a modest collection of two tables. Immediately after the doors opened on the first day it was surrounded by a snaking queue of people all waiting to secure a copy of this sought after game. The table is absolutely covered in stuff. A compact board sits in the centre depicting a simplistic suburban area. It is surrounded by about 40 little stacks of cards, and tons of colourful little wooden pieces. On closer inspection these are shaped like little hamburgers, pizza slices, coke bottles, beer bottles and lemonade bottles. And all the art is in a predominantly monochrome 1950s style. This is Food Chain Magnate. I hovered around the table for a while but was deterred by the €60 price tag and did not want to burn so much of my budget so early on, there were about 799 other games still to see. Sadly by the time I decided that I would take the plunge and buy it half way through day 2, it had sold out. Happily one of the others in my group been more decisive and had picked up a copy.

Food Chain Magnate is a heavy game. Not heavy in terms of mass, although it does actually weigh more than the average game due to all the cards and bits of wood inside the box, but heavy in terms of depth and complexity. You are each running a fast food restaurant chain in the 1950s and the one who makes the most money wins. After placing your first branch down on a spot you feel is close to neighbouring households and supply points, but far enough away from the competition, the game begins. By running ad campaigns you generate demand in households for certain products – burgers, pizzas, beer, coke and lemonade. They will then buy from the player whose restaurant can provide the combination of products they want at the best price, provided they are not too far away. At the heart of your empire you have employees represented by cards. Each card is an employee who can perform a certain function such as make burgers, pick up drinks, reduce prices, increase prices (if you have a monopoly), hire more staff (get more cards), carry out ad campaigns, open new restaurants, train staff and thereby upgrade employee cards, and so on. And this is the heart of the game. The staff you hire determine your strategy. Do you get an early start in a particular product and aggressively market at hiked up prices, do you slowly build up a massive array of well trained staff to swamp the market with a host of products and undercut the competition, do you poise to jump in on a product your neighbour has marketed, do you open up extra restaurants so you are always just round the corner from every house. One of the marks of a great game is when it occupies your mind after each play as you try to modify your strategy; optimising, fine tuning or completely revolutionising it for next time. Food Chain Magnate absolutely leaves you with that feeling, particularly when you keep losing like I do.

THE GRIZZLED

The Grizzled – image mudshark_baby

Finally we travel to a small single table staffed by a friendly Frenchman with a dry sense of humour. The booth is adorned with beautiful comic book style art. The game is The Grizzled, a co-operative game where you and your colleagues attempt to survive as French soldier in the trenches of WWI. At the heart it is a team hand management game where you try and avoid getting in a situation where you have played cards with matching symbols (gas mask, bullet, rain etc.) on to the table. The mechanics are simple with some nice additional touches, like the ability to give a rousing speech at a particularly difficult time. As the game goes on players will suffer the psychological effects of war with certain cards like Frenzied, Demoralised, Clumsy, or Mute having specific negative effects on how you must play the game. Somehow the game is simultaneously fun and yet manages to evoke the depressing hopelessness of war. Some of this is evoked through the artwork, which was one of the last projects of Tignous, a French artist who was killed in the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris. The mechanics of the game also manage to call to mind the camaradare of the squad and at times the feelings of futility. While these are noble achievements, the game also needs to be good, and it is. Like all well designed co-ops, when you get beaten down to start with you feel the urge to try again and are convinced that you were defeated by the wrong decisions you made rather than the blind luck of the draw.

PANDEMIC LEGACY

A final honourable mention must go to Pandemic Legacy. This was the big launch title at Essen for one of the pretty big publishers, Zman games. The game is based on the popular co-op game Pandemic that is now 7 years old. In Pandemic you are a group of scientists trying to cure diseases by moving around the globe, collecting cards to find cures, and fire fighting outbreaks as you go. In Pandemic Legacy the core game is the same, but it is played out over multiple sessions, each representing a month. During the games decisions will be made and events will occur that fundamentally change the game – cards will be added or ripped up, stickers will be put on the board, and standard rules will dramatically change. Every time you sit down and play the game it will have evolved, with an accompanying narrative that drives these changes. Once you reach the end of the campaign you are done. That game cannot be played again, the surprises have been revealed and permanent changes have been made. Like T.I.M.E. Stories you buy the game and get a single play. In this case there are no new expansion scenarios to give further replay value, although to get through the whole game, over multiple sessions, will take many hours. Pandemic Legacy is a veritable phenomenon, shooting to the all time number one spot on boardgamegeek.com as the game rated by voters (based on over 7000 votes at present) as the best boardgame in the word, dethroning Twilight Struggle which had held the top spot for years. I have yet to try it, but will hopefully know before the end of 2016 whether I think it was the best game of 2015, or even of all time.

So what will 2016 bring? I already have my eye on a few upcoming releases. And I have my tickets and hotel booked to go to the Essen Spiel fair again in October and see what delights it will offer up for the 2016 hit list.

Watch A New, Extended TV Spot For ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Following last month’s final trailer for the anticipated film, Warner Bros. has just debuted another, extended TV spot for this week’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The spot features (somehow) more new footage, and really drives home the fact that these two want to (but won’t) tear each other apart.

In the film, “fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs.  And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.”

You can take a look at the spot below, and be sure to let us know what you think! Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theatres on March 25th!

http://youtu.be/fnGC7BoH6P8

Home Edition Of ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice’ Gets An ‘R’ Rating!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Now that Deadpool has come and gone (well, it’s still very much here, based on its continued box office performance), all eyes have now fallen onto the second gigantic super hero flick of 2016, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

We already know that the film, which is now just over a month away, is set to be (definitely) long, (probably) too busy, and (likely) a damned good time, but some fresh news states that the home video release of Dawn of Justice will feature a we-wouldn’t-have-guessed-it ‘R’ rating.

Nope, it’s not going over-the-top ‘R’ (or how-the-hell-is-this-14A-in-Canada) like this month’s Deadpool, noting that the film is ‘Rated R for sequences of violence’.

Whether Snyder and company were deliberately shooting for this rating, or simply riding on the coattails of Deadpool at this point is uncertain, but in any case, color me interested to see just how this version differs from the Dawn of Justice that we’ll be seeing next month.

Are you looking forward to the film? How would you feel about the ‘R’ rated home edition? Sound out below!

Three New ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Photos Feature Fisticuffs, Somber Bruce!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Yesterday gave us our best look at Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice yet via the film’s final trailer, and today Warner Bros. debuted three slick new promo photos for the anticipated feature.

Two of the images feature… well, Batman v. Superman, while the third image features a somber-looking Bruce standing atop some rubble.

In the film, “fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs.  And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.”

Take a look at the images below, and be sure to let us you if you’re looking forward to the feature! Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theatres on March 25th!

PROMO1

PROMO2

PROMO3

Watch The Final Trailer For ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Can you believe that it’s nearly here?

Yep, we’re just over one month away from the heavily anticipated release of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Warner Bros. has just released an intense final trailer for the upcoming feature.

In the film, “fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs.  And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.”

This is probably the best look at the film we’ve seen thus far, and at this point I simply can’t wait to line-up on March 25th. Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know what you think!

‘Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice’ Gets A Slick New Trailer!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: With every new clip, TV spot, poster, and teaser released thus far, I’m getting excited as hell about the March release of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

A new, 90-second trailer for the film has just hit the web, and while it’s mostly footage that we’ve already seen, it’s a well edited look at the film that also features a few small surprises.

In the film, Fearing the actions of a god-like super hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

You can take a look at the new trailer below, and be sure to let us know if you’re excited! Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theatres on March 25th!

https://youtu.be/qywqs526u-I

Here Are The Nominations For The 36th Annual Razzie Awards

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Well, it’s award season. Along with the already passed Golden Globes (see all of the winners here), and the upcoming Academy Awards, we can’t forget about The Razzies, the ceremony that celebrates (?) the worst of the worst, and generally the most entertaining awards show of the season.

The nominations for this year’s Razzies have just been revealed. Take a look at the announcement below, and head further down for the list of nominees!

All five films up for Worst Picture at this year’s 36th Annual Razzie® Awards are big budget/high profile productions that have no excuse for being among the year’s “berry” worst. And 2015’s acting contenders include popular stars like Johnny Depp, Channing Tatum, and Kayley Cuoco-Sweeting, previous Oscar®winners Gwyneth Paltrow, Eddie Redmaine and Julianne Moore, and such Razzie Repeat Offenders as Adam Sandler, Jennifer Lopez and Katherine Heigl. “Winners” will be announced in intentionally tacky ceremonies scheduled for 8pm/PST on Saturday February 27 — Oscar eve.

The choices for Worst Picture include Fifty Shades of Grey (2015’s “Most Successful Bad Movie”) Fantastic 4 (a nearly instant remake that flopped with both critics and movie-goers) Jupiter Ascending (the latest sci-fi fiasco from Andy & Lana Wachowski) Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 (a box office hit despite its 95% negative rating at Rotten Tomatoes) and Adam Sandler’s latest excuse for a movie, the 70’s video game-themed Pixels. A complete list of all nominees is included with this press release. There is also a Nominations announcement video on The YouTube RAZZIE Channel.

For this year’s 9 regular Razzie categories, contenders and “winners” are determined by seeking online votes from over 900 Voting Razzie Members throughout 47 U.S. states and 21 foreign countries. For the 10th category, The Razzie Redeemer Award, (which acknowledges past Razzie “winners” who’ve gone on to do better work) the honoree will be decided by a public vote of users at popular movie review website Rotten Tomatoes.

And, here are the nominations:

WORST PICTURE
Fantastic Four
Fifty Shades of Grey
Jupiter Ascending
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
Pixels

WORST ACTOR
Johnny Depp, Mortdecai
Jamie Dornan, Fifty Shades of Grey
Kevin James, Paul Blart Mall Cop 2
Adam Sandler, The Cobbler and Pixels
Channing Tatum, Jupiter Ascending

WORST ACTRESS
Katherine Heigl, Home Sweet Hell
Dakota Johnson, Fifty Shades of Grey
Mila Kunis, Jupiter Ascending
Jennifer Lopez, The Boy Next Door
Gwyneth Paltrow, Mortdecai

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Chevy Chase, Hot Tub Time Machine 2 and Vacation
Josh Gad, Pixels and The Wedding Ringer
Kevin James, Pixels
Jason Lee, Alvin & The Chipmunks: Road Chip
Eddie Redmayne, Jupiter Ascending

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, Alvin & The Chipmunks: Road Chip and The Wedding Ringer
Rooney Mara, Pan
Michelle Monaghan, Pixels
Julianne Moore, Seventh Son
Amanda Seyfried, Love the Coopers and Pan

WORST REMAKE/RIP-OFF/SEQUEL
Alvin & The Chipmunks: Road Chip
Fantastic Four
Hot Tub Time Machine 2
Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence)
Paul Blart Mall Cop 2

WORST SCREEN COMBO
All Four “Fantastics,” Fantastic Four
Johnny Depp and His Glued-On Moustache, Mortdecai
Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, Fifty Shades of Grey
Kevin James and EITHER His Segue OR His Glued-On Moustache, Paul Blart Mall Cop 2
Adam Sandler and Any Pair of Shoes, The Cobbler

WORST DIRECTOR
Andy Fickman, Paul Blart Mall Cop 2
Tom Six, Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence)
Sam Taylor-Johnson, Fifty Shades of Grey
Josh Trank, Fantastic Four
Andy and Lana Wachowski, Jupiter Ascending

WORST SCREENPLAY
Fantastic Four (screenplay by Simon Kinberg, Jeremy Slater and Josh Trank, Based on the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
Fifty Shades of Grey (screenplay by Kelly Marcel, Based on the Novel by E.L. James)
Jupiter Ascending (written by Andy and Lana Wachowski)
Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 (screenplay by Kevin James & Nick Bakay)
Pixels (screenplay by Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling, Story by Herlihy, Based on a Work by Patrick Jean)

RAZZIE REDEEMER AWARD
Elizabeth Banks – From Razzie “winning” Director for Movie 47
to directing the 2015 hit Pitch Perfect 2

M. Night Shyamalan – From Perennial Razzie nominee & “winner”
to directing the 2015 horror hit The Visit

Will Smith – For following up Razzie “wins” for After Earth
to starring in Concussion

Sylvester Stallone – Sylvester Stallone, from All-Time Razzie Champ
to 2015 Award Contender for Creed

So, what do you think? Did they nail the list? Miss something? Sound out below!

 

The 2015 Golden Globes Are Over, Here Are The Winners!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Tonight, thousands of pretty and talented Hollywood bigwigs gathered to give recognition to the best performances, films, shorts, and television series’ of 2013. Ricky Gervais hosted this year’s gathering, and has already apologized for his actions and antics at this year’ ceremony.

Actually, he apologized for them last week:

This year’s ceremony was a blast to watch, and as much as I missed Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Ricky Gervais is always a stellar host (even if those Mel Gibson jokes were a bit scary).

Here are all of the winners from this year’s Golden Globes, including well deserved wins for Brie Larson, the funniest movie of 2015, The Martian, an incredible standing ovation from Sylvester Stallone, a fantastic speech from Leo, and much, much more! Be sure to let us know which categories you agree with, and who was robbed!

Best Motion Picture – Drama
“Carol”
“Mad Max: Fury Road”
“The Revenant” – Won
“Room”
“Spotlight”

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
“The Big Short”
“Joy”
“The Martian” – Won
“Spy”
“Trainwreck”

Best Director – Motion Picture
Todd Haynes (“Carol”)
Alejandro G. Iñárritu (“The Revenant”) – Won
Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”)
George Miller (“Mad Max: Fury Road”)
Ridley Scott (“The Martian”)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant”) – Won
Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs”)
Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”)
Will Smith (“Concussion”)

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Cate Blanchett (“Carol”)
Brie Larson (“Room”) – Won
Rooney Mara (“Carol”)
Saoirse Ronan (“Brooklyn”)
Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Christian Bale (“The Big Short”)
Steve Carell (“The Big Short”)
Matt Damon (“The Martian”) – Won
Al Pacino (“Danny Collins”)
Mark Ruffalo (“Infinitely Polar Bear”)

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy 
Jennifer Lawrence (“Joy”) – Won
Melissa McCarthy (“Spy”)
Amy Schumer (“Trainwreck”)
Maggie Smith (“The Lady in the Van”)
Lily Tomlin (“Grandma”)

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Paul Dano (“Love & Mercy”)
Idris Elba (“Beasts of No Nation”)
Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”)
Michael Shannon (“99 Homes”)
Sylvester Stallone (“Creed”) – Won

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Jane Fonda (“Youth”)
Jennifer Jason Leigh (“The Hateful Eight”)
Helen Mirren (“Trumbo”)
Alicia Vikander (“Ex Machina”)
Kate Winslet (“Steve Jobs”) – Won

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Emma Donoghue (“Room”)
Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer (“Spotlight”)
Charles Randolph, Adam McKay (“The Big Short”)
Aaron Sorkin (“Steve Jobs”) – Won
Quentin Tarantino (“The Hateful Eight”)

Best Original Score
Carter Burwell (“Carol”)
Alexandre Desplat (“The Danish Girl”)
Ennio Morricone (“The Hateful Eight”) – Won
Daniel Pemberton (“Steve Jobs”)
Ryuichi Sakamoto Alva Noto (“The Revenant”)

Best Original Song
“Love Me Like You Do” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”
“One Kind of Love” from “Love & Mercy”
“See You Again” from “Furious 7”
“Simple Song No. 3” from “Youth”
“Writing’s on the Wall” from “Spectre” – Won

Best Animated Feature Film
“Anomalisa”
“The Good Dinosaur”
“Inside Out” – Won
“The Peanuts Movie”
“Shaun the Sheep Movie”

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language 
“The Brand New Testament”
“The Club”
“The Fencer”
“Mustang”
“Son of Saul” – Won

Best TV Series – Drama

“Empire”
“Game of Thrones”
“Mr. Robot” – Won
“Narcos”
“Outlander”

Best TV Series – Comedy
“Casual”
“Mozart in the Jungle” – Won
“Orange Is the New Black”
“Silicon Valley”
“Transparent”
“Veep”

Best TV Movie or Limited Series
“American Crime”
“American Horror Story: Hotel”
“Fargo”
“Flesh and Bone”
“Wolf Hall” – Won

Best Actor in a TV Series – Drama
Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) – Won
Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”)
Wagner Moura (“Narcos”)
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)
Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan”)

Best Actress in a TV Series – Drama 
Caitriona Balfe (“Outlander”)
Viola Davis (“How to Get Away With Murder”)
Eva Green (“Penny Dreadful”)
Taraji P. Henson (“Empire”) – Won
Robin Wright (“House of Cards”)

Best Actor in a TV Series – Comedy 
Aziz Ansari (“Master of None”)
Gael Garcia Bernal (“Mozart in the Jungle”) – Won
Rob Lowe (“The Grinder”)
Patrick Stewart (“Blunt Talk”)
Jeffrey Tambor (“Transparent”)

Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy
Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex Girlfriend”) – Won
Jamie Lee Curtis (“Scream Queens”)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”)
Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin”)
Lily Tomlin (“Grace & Frankie”)

Best Actor in a Limited-Series or TV Movie
Idris Elba (“Luther”)
Oscar Isaac (“Show Me a Hero”) – Won
David Oyelowo (“Nightingale”)
Mark Rylance (“Wolf Hall”)
Patrick Wilson (“Fargo”)

Best Actress in a Limited-Series or TV Movie
Kirsten Dunst (“Fargo”)
Lady Gaga (“American Horror Story: Hotel”) – Won
Sarah Hay (“Flesh & Bone”)
Felicity Huffman (“American Crime”)
Queen Latifah (“Bessie”)

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited-Series or TV Movie
Alan Cumming (“The Good Wife”)
Damian Lewis (“Wolf Hall”)
Ben Mendelsohn (“Bloodline”)
Tobias Menzies (“Outlander”)
Christian Slater (“Mr. Robot”) – Won

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited-Series, or TV Movie
Uzo Aduba (“Orange is the New Black”)
Joanne Froggatt (“Downton Abbey”)
Regina King (“American Crime”)
Judith Light (“Transparent”)
Maura Tierney (“The Affair”) – Won

That’s it! What did you think! What was the best joke? What was the worst joke? Sound out below!

revenant

The Top 10 Gaming Waifus Of 2015

by Josh Jackson

Warning: Potential spoilers follow!

The New Year is here! Which means for many of us, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the past year and think about what you did right, what you can improve on and how you can tackle 2016 in the best way possible. Or for the rest of us, you think back on all the fictional characters you were totally crushing on through 2015.

Yes, that’s right! It’s time for the second annual waifu of the year list (check out last year’s list right here), and if you were expecting it to be a one and done feature after I would have been inevitably added to the sexual offenders list, I’m just as surprised as you are. But before we get into the list, let’s show some appreciation for the fantastic waifu candidates that just missed the cut this year.

Rise Kujikawa (Persona 4: Dancing All Night)

Waifu 2015 Rise Kujikawa

While in the midst of a big comeback tour, a pop idol should probably spend her time brushing up on her choreography and screaming at interns for bringing them the wrong mineral water. Yet, Ms. Kujikawa decides to spend it saving her understudies from the clutches of monsters who must be fought with the power of dance. It was hard to list Rise over the new girl, Kanami Mashita, but considering the new girl is a big reason why the crap hit the fan to begin with, her senpai gets the nod here. The only reason why Rise didn’t make the main list is because her time to shine is essentially stolen by the swagtastic Yu Narukami, but that doesn’t mean her contributions shouldn’t be acknowledged.

Toko Fukawa (Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls)

Waifu 2015 Toko Fukawa

In the original Danganronpa, Toko was often rude, shrewd, and oh so smelly, to the point where her alter ego overshadowed her in every possible way. When you consider that said alter ego is a serial killer, then you must really be a special kind of awful. Then Another Episode came along, and we were reintroduced to a strong, steadfast girl who was able to be Komaru’s voice of reason when being trapped on a secluded island full of killer robot Monokuma’s become too much to bear, (pun intended af.) So much so in fact, that even Genocide Jack develops self control along the way, serving as an invaluable ally for the Future Foundation. Toko would have normally been a shoe in for this year’s waifu list, except that she still only has eyes for Byakuya Togami. Anyone else would likely wind up dead, so yeah… There’s that.

Quest Receptionist (Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate)

Waifu 2015 Quest Receptionist

Always there to greet you with a smile and a bad joke right before you take off to fight towering beasts that are likely to maul you, the mission girl is the cornerstone of any successful caravan. Now if she actually did something more than sit in a chair and make fun of you, then she would definitely be top waifu material. Regardless, she left her mark on the hearts of the Monster Hunter fandom, and that’s what counts.

Ayumi Shinozaki (Corpse Party: Blood Drive)

Waifu 2015 Ayumi

A shy girl with good intentions, this spiritually sensitive girl will do anything for her friends, even if it means diving back into a haunted school where most of them were previously killed in the hopes that she can revive them. Such loyalty is rare these days, which is why Ayumi deserves a nod. But we should also mention that her friends are essentially dead because of her, and returning to revive them means the ones that are still alive could end up killed as a result! But you know, an A for effort, Ayumi.

The Criminal Girls (Criminal Girls)

Waifu 2015 Criminal Girls

Now we can’t compile a list as pathetic amazing this one and not talk about the Criminal Girls, a group of mostly underage female inmates that are forced to help you as a guard, (who’s essentially a Pokemon Trainer if the monsters were girls of questionable morals,) escape a prison overrun with demons. That would be all well and good if criminals had any respect for the law, but considering these girls have an NWA attitude towards your authority, the only way to get them to follow your commands is to tie them down and spank them into submission… I mean, that really says it all, doesn’t it? The girls might have made the proper list if the game they star in wasn’t an absolute bore to play, but the concept is too absurd to ignore. So here’s your time to shine girls! And we’ll see you in 2016 in the sequel!

So after asking yourself how this made publication in the first place, you might be wondering who could have made the final cut with so many great characters on the sidelines! From weeaboo bait, to some of the biggest titles of the year, we scoured the gaming landscape and compiled the definitive list of waifu’s 2015 had to offer. From ninjas, to CPUs, vault dwellers to squids, and even a dude. Crack open your ramune and curl up with your favorite body pillow as we proudly (?) bring to you the top 10 waifus of 2015!

10. Homura (Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson)

Waifu 2015 Homura 1Waifu 2015 Homura 2

An evil ninja formerly of the Hebijo Clandestine Girls’ Academy, Homura and her squad have become renegade ninjas, on the run from their former allies after helping the good ninjas of Hanzo Academy foil Hebijo’s plan for world domination at the end of the first Senran Kagura. Despite being rightfully known as the game that was specifically created for 3D boobs on Nintendo’s handheld, the games have deceptively strong storylines behind all the clothes tearing and shameless zoom ins. But what makes Homura stand out beyond all of the other Senran Kagura girls is that despite her cold, distant exterior, she’ll do anything to protect her friends, even if it means putting herself at risk. Whether that means shielding her fellow renegades from the wrath of their old school, or fighting alongside her childhood friend / good ninja rival, Asuka, Homura is never one to let pride get in the way of doing what’s right. To top it off, when her 10 kitanas, (which are incredibly badass by the way,) can’t get the job done, her Crimson Mode helps her take the battle to the next level.

9. Lin (Xenoblade Chronicles X)

Waifu 2015 Lynlee

The girl with the Monado hair pins. Lin Lee Koo is the resident prodigy of New Los Angeles, serving as the top mechanic for the BLADES as they explore the seemingly uncharted planet of Mira. In addition to being the one who services the team’s giant mechs, or Skells in this case, she also manages to hold her own in battle, wielding a heavy shield that’s as big as she is. It also helps to be tech savvy when everyone in town is using a substitute mechanical body.

But more so than all of that, Lin finds herself on the list mostly because of all the controversy that surrounded the ability to dress her up. After Nintendo added some extra cloth to a costume that they felt was too revealing for a 13 year old in the West, a segment of Xenoblade fans had a meltdown, fighting the decision tooth and nail to protect the integrity of the original work. Others might have just wanted to see her half naked, but the point is people were obsessing over her look for a very long time. Her being awesome is just a bonus!

8. Me (Fallout 4)

Waifu 2015 Fallout 4

After spending enough time in the wastelands of Fallout 4, I came to the conclusion that I’m a pretty awesome wife. In a time that’s easily full of confusion after waking up from a cryogenic sleep, only to find everyone who was with you has been long dead and the last thing you witnessed was your spouse getting killed as your son was kidnapped, it’s all a lot to take in. But I pushed on, hell bent to rescue my son from the monsters who ripped him from my husband’s arms, eating and drinking as much radioactive meat and water as I can along the way. But in between developing stage 3 lymphoma with every meal, maybe I can help these passerby’s along the way? Or find this missing item for this questionable traveler? Wait, who was I supposed to rescue again?

If my version of Fallout Wife wasn’t so easily sidetracked, she could have been much higher on the list, but since I play as if my kid isn’t as important as these shady strangers I keep coming across, my priorities are clearly all out of whack. Number 8 sounds like a good place since I should get around to saving my son. Eventually…

By the way, Fallout 4‘s female lead voice actor was just on Geekscape this past week, which you can listen to right here.

7. Me (Hatoful Boyfriend)

I had trouble finding a picture that captured my good side in Hatoful Boyfriend. Oh, I know, how about this?

image

When I’m not a decapitated robot scarecrow tied down with a burlap sack, I’m a mild mannered middle school girl attending St. PigeoNation’s Institute for birds. I also happen to be the only human attending. In Hatoful Boyfriend, I have the capacity to love everybirdie, so much so that I’m acting as a secret liaison to re-establish human-bird relationships, unbeknownst even to me! Some of my friends have weird tastes in clothes, but still not any less weird than a human dating a pigeon.

Waifu 2015 Hatoful Boyfriend

As a hunter-gatherer who has enough compassion to not only serve as the ambassador for an entire species, but to fall in love with men of other species, my Hatoful self was a no brainer for this year’s list… Especially since I spend half the game without a brain. Whether I’m going to festivals with my bird boyfriend, or curling up next to him as a head in a jar while an army of bloodthirsty soldiers look to murder us in what could be our final moments, I must say that this time around, I’m a pretty good catch!

6. Me (Amnesia: Memories)

Waifu 2015 Amnesia Memories

Making the list three times!? I think I’ve set some kind of waifu record!

When it came down to all of the different iterations of “me” this year, the top waifu goes to my female self in Amnesia: Memories. Imagine being a college girl who’s memories get erased when a well-meaning demon accidentally gets trapped in your brain, and said demon is the only person you can trust as you try to piece together your life while keeping your memory loss hidden from those who might take advantage of it. Sucks, doesn’t it? But despite all this, Amnesia me has such a big heart. Despite my potential husbandos being completely awkward around me, having magical eyes that make every girl *except* me fall in love with him, being so protective of me that they lock me in a dog cage so I can’t leave the house, or even a man with a split personality, one of which wants to kill me, the fact that I’m still able to find the capacity to love these men is amazing in and of itself.

Above all else however, if I get tired of a guy and want to dump them, rather than break their heart, I can just jump to a different dimension where I never dated them at all! If nothing else, at least I’m empathetic.

5. Jonah (Rise of the Tomb Raider)

Waifu 2015 Jonah

What’s the first thing you notice about Jonah?

Yes, Scott. But aside from that. Jonah is the only companion from the Tomb Raider reboot to follow Lara into her latest adventure, serving as the textbook definition of her ride or die. Anyone can say that they would follow you to the ends of the earth, but Jonah really means it. Whether he’s traveling to war torn Syria, or to the Siberian mountains to track down an ancient relic that may or may not exist, the man even takes a knife for her! Forget that he’s so deep in the friend zone that a pair of pickaxes couldn’t dig him out, because he’s always there for Lara when she needs him.

Yes, he’s a guy, and I know that I disqualified guys last year, (no matter how feminine they looked,) but I would give Jonah a shot as my waifu just on the merits of how awesome he is.

4. Plutia (Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3: V Generation)

Waifu 2015 Plutia

In last year’s list, Neptune took the number two spot primarily on the basis that she was essentially every gamer’s dream girl. If you took those qualities and applied them to Plutia, she would be Neptune cranked up to 11. A perpetually sleepy and highly impressionable girl who will only greet the day if it means being able to play video games, knit dolls, or balk at any and all responsibility, the goddess of V Generation‘s alternate version of Planeptune doesn’t seem like much at first glance. But if you make her angry, she takes up a form that strikes fear in the hearts of friend and foe alike.

Waifu 2015 Iris Heart

In her CPU form, Plutia’s personality takes a complete 180 as Iris Heart, a goddess that takes as much pleasure in punishing her friends as she does her enemies. Nicknamed “Sadie” for her sadomasochistic tendencies, her whip and high heels can grind any foe into submission, leading her allies to dread the occasions when Iris Heart is forced to show herself. Yet, some of you might be into that kind of thing, getting the best of both worlds from this polarizing Neptunia character. And if you are indeed that kind of person, Plutia will make her playable return in this year’s multiplayer extravaganza, MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune Vs. Zombies. Get hyped!

3. Komaru Naegi (Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls)

Waifu 2015 Komaru

Often touted as a regular girl who can’t do anything special, everything that takes place in Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls flies in the face of that idea. Despite being trapped on an island full of killer robots that are out to kill her, while a group of insane children turn hunting her into a game, Komaru doesn’t do too bad for herself! Armed with a special megaphone that can destroy and manipulate almost all of the machinery in Towa City, the girl who initially only known as the little sister of former protagonist Makoto Naegi, grows into a defender of hope in the face of growing despair.

Despite secretly being groomed to become the successor to the Ultimate Despair, Junko Enoshima, Komaru forsakes revenge and spares the lives of the innocent Monokuma Kids in the process, ending her adventure with both the kids and the adults out for her head. What the future holds for Komaru might still be unknown, but being able to make such a difficult choice, taking on all of the hatred of an entire town and carrying it on her back, earns her the number three spot on this illustrious list.

2. Callie and Marie (Splatoon)

Waifu 2015 Callie and Marie 2

Whether you’re a kid or a squid, there’s not a person who has played Splatoon who hasn’t fallen in love with Callie and Marie, collectively known as the squid sisters. Acting as news reporters who make sure to clue you in on all of what’s happening in Inkopolis each time you boot up the game, the girls are known to up the stakes every now and again with occasional Splatfests. Unlike any other waifu on this list, Callie and Marie have the power to manipulate Inklings around the world to fight in their name over such important matters as deciding if burgers are better than pizza.

However, rumor has it that in addition to keeping the world of Splatoon up to date, the two are said to secretly act under the guise of Agents 1 and 2, protecting the city from the hidden Octoling threat. As driven career women, it’s amazing that they’re able to find the time to work as undercover agents while managing to make wise cracks at each other in between discussing new stages. And if you think putting both girls on the list as part of the same entry is a cop out, it is! Because I can’t decide which one between the two is best girl. While Callie’s energetic personality would usually win out, Marie’s sarcastic wit delivered what had to have been the best line of the year, declaring that Team Science lost against Team Art because her team “had jobs to do.” Right in the feelers, Marie.

Whichever one you prefer, it’s undeniable that Callie and Marie have become the icons of what’s arguably the biggest new IP of 2015, so get used to those faces, because I expect to see them for a long time. And as always…

Waifu 2015 Callie and Marie 1

 

We’ve gone through a lot of amazing characters, but only one can stand alone as the undisputed “Best Girl” of 2015. So without further ado, the top waifu of 2015 is…

1. Nepgear (Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation, Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3: V Generation)

Waifu 2015 Nepgear 1

Releasing in very early 2015, we were re-intruduced to Nepgear in Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation, and from the moment the download started on my PS Vita, it was love at first byte. As the resident techy of the group, Nepgear rocks at tinkering as much as she rocks that school uniform, often daydreaming of all things robotic.

Being the little sister of the series protagonist means having to live up to some high expectations, especially when said protagonist and all of her friends from the previous game start off as captured and powerless. From the point of Nepgear’s escape and rise from the ashes was one of the most enjoyable journeys I played during the year. Yes, I know that seemingly the majority of the fandom craps on the second game due to it losing a big portion of the first game’s humor in favor of a doom and gloom story with heavy anti-piracy themes. From a narrative standpoint however, Nepgear and the rest of the little sisters, under her leadership, are able to rise above hate, never give up and eventually surpass the goddesses, becoming incredibly powerful in their own right.

Waifu 2015 Purple Sister

Nepgear in her CPU form as Purple Sister

Which is more the reason Re;Birth 3 broke my heart a little when it came to Nepgear. The game regained its trademark humor, turning the fans’ dislike for the second game, turning it into a big joke, and directing it straight at Purple Sister herself. Despite the fact that her only sin was coddling Neptune way too much, that didn’t stop her beloved sister from constantly putting her down, mocking her status as former main character, and turning her friends against her to the point where she even convinces her allies from the second game that it’s perfectly okay to leave her trapped in another dimension when it came to the “good” ending of the third game. A dimension she wouldn’t have been in in the first place if she didn’t travel between worlds to rescue Neptune AGAIN!

But speaking of alternate endings, the most controversial moment in the entire series falls squarely on Nepgear’s shoulders during the Conquest Ending of Re;Birth 2. The only thing Nep Jr. loves more than her sister and friends is Gamindustri itself, and this ending proves how far she will go when it comes to protecting the world she’s come to care for so much. In a desperate attempt to vanquish their enemies once and for all, the girls learn of a forbidden weapon that absorbs the life energy of CPUs to build its strength. From here, its open season, as Nepgear travels from land to land, slaughtering all of her friends, including her best friend, Uni, and the twin girls, Rom and Ram, the former of which looks up to Nepgear like a big sister. Eventually, only Neptune herself is standing, but not for long…

Waifu 2015 Nepgear 2

What the goodness!?

After all the Re;Birth 3 shenanigans, I almost wanted this to be canon, but when she’s not slaughtering everyone she holds dear, Nepgear is a strong, reliable girl who’s managed to charm the knee socks off of us. Plus, we’re humans, so when the inevitable day comes when Nepgear finally snaps, is there anyone better to be in your corner?

So there’s your list of top waifus for 2015! Did your favorite make the cut, or were our trash waifus far too inferior to deserve the honor of best girl? Share your thoughts, picks, and all the reasons why I’m wrong with us in the comments below, and tweet me your suggestions @InuJoshua!

Horror Movie Night – Episode 25: The Final Girls (2015)

by Saintmort

Are you ready to relive the murders of everything you love? You are? Well then you’re ready to give a long, hard listen to our somewhat spoiler-free discussion of 2015’s killer camp homage flick “The Final Girls!” What started as a short episode (due to the aforementioned lack of spoilers) took more turns into strange territory than a couple of horny counselors looking to bump uglies. Leave your smartphone at home, so as to not confuse the 80s characters, cuz we’re heading to Camp Bloodbath on this episode of Horror Movie Night!

Movie Spoilers from 17:15 – 20:50

Feel free to join in discussion at on our Facebook Group or in the comments below.

Do you have a movie suggestion for us or just want to tell us stories about your experiences with the movies we’ve watched? Send them to us at HMNPodcast@gmail.com

Also subscribe to our podcast on Soundcloud and iTunes

Geekscape’s Favorite Things Of 2015: TV, Comics, Geek Moments, and More!

by GeekscapeStaff

Can you believe that 2015 is coming to a close? Tomorrow, we’ll abolish that dreaded five for ten more years, and a cool, clean, sexy six will take its place.

2015 has been an incredible year for all forms of media, so as always, we rounded up our ever-growing pool of writers to share their favorite things of 2015. Yesterday, we published the list of our favourite movies of 2015 (along with our favourite video games from the day before) and next up, everything else that we loved this year.

Yep. Most of us love video games and movies, but we’re all pretty different people (obviously). Some of us love TV, some comics, some toys, and of course we all have our favourite geek moments of the past year!

So read on, and find out our favourite TV series, comics, geek moments and more, and be sure to let us know yours in the comment section below!

Gabriel von Grünbaum

Television

Doctor Who

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; this is a culminating touchstone of human beings’ ability to craft stories. What began with tales shared over a campfire in the mouth of a cave millennia ago is the direct ancestor of the storytelling framework constructed to deliver each episode of Doctor Who. Is every single episode a mind blowing extravaganza? No, some episodes—and even whole seasons—may be a little off. However, I think those qualitative reactions are actually quite personal and often relative: I’ve had discussions with groups of “Whovians” where everyone seems to be in agreement about an episode missing the mark, only to discover that it was so pitch-perfect for one viewer that it brought their confusing childhood into better perspective. That is storytelling at its finest: an entertaining conduit for us to better understand the world around us. Let alone that the same storytelling construct Doctor Who has refined over the decades also allows for any story type to be told through it—horror, comedy, action, adventure, romance, tragedy, drama. . . and, of course, sci-fi and fantasy—you’ll recognize them all and they’ll all be freshly defined. Every story worth telling can be, will be and is told with Doctor Who.

Game of Thrones

Where I think I’d classify Doctor Who as a passion; I believe Game of Thrones would be my obsession. It’s made fantasy accessible to the masses while still honoring the loyal hardcore geek fanbase at the same time—a feat not often pulled off successfully. The secret of this success lies in exceptionally effective character construction—it is so effective that I find myself caring about background bar wenches and stable boys! I’m so entirely invested in the fate of every single character that my devotion to the show crosses over into that obsession territory. Credit goes to George R. R. Martin and his books but equally extends to the showrunners, writers, actors, directors. . . heck, I’m positive that even the craft services are elevating this finely tuned clockwork into real magic. I just wish, like Doctor Who, that there were more episodes each season.

Supernatural

The brilliant minds behind Supernatural have successfully built a dynamic that feels comfortable for the returning viewer week to week and at the same time allows for amazing flexibility. Much like The X-Files, one episode may be extremely dramatic followed by one that is practically an hour-long comedy! In fact, I might describe it to a potential viewer as a healthy combo of The X-Files, Ghostbusters and Starsky & Hutch. A sort of on-the-road dude version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, if you will. Heck, one recent episode took place entirely from their black 1967 Chevy Impala’s point of view! That’s versatility!—and it extends from the wonderfully crafted framework of the show.

iZombie

Adorable fun right out of the gate since starting last season—which is an odd thing to say about anything having to do with zombies (compare to The Walking Dead). Versatile Rose McIver is perfectly cast as Olivia “Liv” Moore (get it?!) who became a zombie after getting scratched by one at “the worst boat party ever” on Lake Washington and, after waking a little less than dead, left her budding career as a doctor to become a medical examiner’s assistant at the Seattle PD morgue—which supplies her all the fresh brains her new zombie metabolism craves. As a viewer, you eagerly follow her through the unfolding plots. Zombies themselves are a conceptually diverse tool in storytelling, allowing for grim commentary on various aspects of modern life. The fresh take that iZombie uses is in identifying with the zombie main character, relating to the isolation and the desire to connect with others—to fit in when you feel like an outsider.

Ash vs. Evil Dead

A genuine horror screwball action comedy. It’s what might result if Monty Python teamed up with National Lampoon to produce a Stephen King story. It doesn’t pull punches with the horror or the comedy. You’re knocked out of your seat with frights and laughs. It’s “you had to be there” entertainment. It’s the ol’ Evil Dead made fresh and new by the very same hands that made it in the first place—including the one and only Ash, his boomstick and his chainsaw hand!

— It’s been a very busy year and regretfully (and enjoyably!) I’m still catching up on The Walking Dead, Daredevil and Jessica Jones before diving into The Man in the High Castle. So far I’m very impressed with each of them and they absolutely deserve a mention here; as does Orphan Black, if for no other reason than clone “sestra,” Helena, taking care of business in “Insolvent Phantom of Tomorrow”—freakin’ priceless!

https://youtu.be/unnLg1TPCYM

Comics:

Saga

I’m still catching up AND I’m reading as the trades come out—so I know I’m WAY behind some folks out there—but I am loving every minute of it so far! I’ve been a Brian K. Vaughan fan since first picking up Y: The Last Man and Saga is soothing my synapses with more succulent story-craft.

Saga

Black Science

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I’m ever 100% sure I know everything that’s going on with story but it’s not keeping from being fully engrossed and thrilled with every beautiful page. A series of fascinating events and encounters continue to string together after reckless science flings the characters through parallel dimensions. The art is gorgeous; every page deserves to be framed and hung in a gallery. A feast for the eyes and adventure for the soul.

BlackScience

Rocket Girl

Hahaha! She’s a teenage cop from the future, sent back into the ’80s to save time! What more could you possibly need to know before you start delighting yourself with this well crafted romp?—oh, right—she’s got a rocket pack strapped to her back. Get on this!

RocketGirl

Red One

Just getting started on this one and already having a great time. The story of a Soviet secret agent sent to infiltrate the evil USA as superhero—her day job to blend in?—adult film actress.

RedOne

— I recommend you give all of them a little eyeball time. (Seeing Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá together at the Comic Con Experience in São Paulo Brazil this year has me crossing my fingers that Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion might finally be in the works and that rumors of an Umbrella Academy show might actually be developing into reality.)

Natalie Kipper

Joining the Geekscape Crew – Okay, I am going to go all mushy for a second but bare with me. These Geekscape guys are seriously awesome. Every writer has so much heart and genuinely cares about the site and its readers. I haven’t been here very long but I have enjoyed every minute of my time here and I look forward to a long career writing for this site. I can’t really say much more or I going to start crying and trust me, nobody wants that.

ShellieMay the Disney Bear (Disney Parks) – I love Disney. I love plushes. Combine the two and I love it all the more. ShellieMay the Disney Bear, best friend to Duffy who first came to the States in 2010, finally made the trip here this year. Full disclosure: I already had a ShellieMay plush that I had imported from Japan some years prior but her wardrobe had been greatly lacking. Truthfully, she’s been straight-up naked. That issue is now solved however and my closet runneth over with adorable outfits for her. I really am happy that Disney Merchandising brought her over and that she is selling so well. Because not only does that mean Duffy will continue to get merchandise (which I was concerned about for a while), but maybe if I wish hard enough, Gelatoni (the two bears’ cat friend) will make his way West. Now, I don’t see that happening any time soon and for now, I am enjoying all the support the Disney Bears are getting. That is enough for now.

Shellie

Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Celebration – Disneyland is my home away from home. I have been visiting the Park since my second birthday. It truly is a magical place that seems separate from the rest of the world, where stresses and worries can be left outside the entry gates. And one of the things Disney does best is celebrations, so I anticipated the Disneyland Resort’s 60th Birthday to be something phenomenal.

Now some people will say Disney fell short, but I am the one writing the article. I personally felt that Disney did an amazing job of winning the hearts of both long-time park guests as well as those who may be visiting for the first time. One of my favorite additions is the Paint the Night parade. Disneyland hasn’t had a nighttime parade since 1997. Paint the Night not only paid homage to the original nighttime parade, Disney’s Electrical Parade (when “Baroque Hoedown” started playing at one point, I cried out in joy) but also added in plenty of new elements. The Glow with Show paint brushes and Mickey Ears are finally justifiable purchases. I had so much fun changing the colors of cast members’ and other guests’ items while waiting for the parade as well as during. The parade dancers could change your colors too. It was crazy!

Mega Yarn Yoshi amiibo – I am not the biggest amiibo addict on the block. I am relatively picky about which ones I buy, actually. But, being a lover of plushes, I had a soft spot for the Yarn Yoshi amiibo, especially the Mega Yarn Yoshi version (the bigger, the better!). As I mentioned in my list of Top Video Games of 2015, I was one of the collectors who waited out in the dark at 4am to be able to purchase this amiibo. I was fortunate enough to have met up with friends at the Toys R’ US location where I lined up and the time I waited didn’t feel so long in the end. Whenever I play with my Mega Yarn Yoshi amiibo or even just look at it on the shelf, I think of that early morning and how much fun I had.

YarnYoshi

Karson Braaten

Television:

Undateable

This show is hilarious. On the surface, it looks like just another sitcom about a group of friends in a bar but after watching a couple of episodes, you soon find out it is so much more. The third season of the series starring Chris D’Elia consisted entirely of live episodes, and they embraced the format wholeheartedly. There are moments where the actors will slip up or improvise, but they always just keep rolling with the punches. It’s just a blast to see. I can’t say enough good things about this show.

Ash vs. Evil Dead

This show isn’t for everyone, but for the people it was made for; Ash vs. Evil Dead may be one of the best shows ever. The show falls into a lull near the middle of the season for an episode but the premiere and what is happening now more than make up for it. All the things you love about Evil Dead (lots of blood, brutal kills and one-liners) are all here. If the show sounds like something you’d like, you’re going to love it!

https://youtu.be/JxV4jKsxOs0

Books:

The Martian by Andy Weir

Not much needs to be said about this one; I don’t think I’ve heard of someone who hasn’t liked it. Pick it up, you won’t put it down until you’re done.

Martian

Armada by Ernest Cline

Cline’s follow-up to his wildly popular Ready Player One has received mixed reviews, but I thought it was great. It doesn’t quite have the same volume of pop culture references and 80’s nostalgia, but I had a blast with it. It probably helps that I listened to the audiobook read by Wil Wheaton, who’s voice is perfect for the part.

armada1

Daniel Campozano

5. Jessica Jones

The second Marvel show to be produced for Netflix things were taken to a new level of darkness. The series picks up with Jessica Jones working a case of a missing persons which she figures out things are what not it seems. Again the shining star of the series is portrayal the villian, Killgrave. David Tennant as Killgrave was just terrifyingly creepy and just plain ol’ fucked up. Reminiscent of his take during the Alias comic series that came out under the Marvel’s Max imprint in 2001. Just like Daredevil, the suporting cast was stellar. With the introduction of Luke Cage, I’m definitely looking forward to his series and the planned series of The Defenders.

4. Daredevil

The best superhero show not on television. Back in 2013 Disney/Marvel entered into a deal with Netflix to produce superhero shows starting with Daredevil. These shows are to be about dark street level heroes that would be more for the adults. Boy did they knocked it out of the park. The casting was spot on, embodying how I pictured the character come to life. The show really captured the dark gritiness of Hell’s Kitchen and the violence one encounter. Vincent D’Onofrio’s as the Kingpin was just stellar, perfectly balancing the calm demeanor with the ferociousness of a rabid grizzly bear. The show also had a great caliber of supporting casts that helped balance the scenes out from the serious to the not serious moments. Season 2 was announced to be out March 2016 staring The Punisher as the series bad guy.

3. The Leftovers

The show is centered around people who have to deal with tragedy after their loved ones vanish without a trace and with no explanation.  Season 2 was so emotionally draining that I would just be left in a daze after each episode. One of the things this show does best is question whether whats happening is supernatural or practical. It’s maddening. Justin Theroux as Kevin Garvey really ramped it up this year in the final episodes of the season. I wouldn’t be surprised if he or the writers receive a Emmy nominations based on those final episodes. Unfortunately, it’s not getting the viewership numbers needed and HBO has renewed it for one final season to wrap things up.

2. Better Call Saul

When this show was announced to have been green lighted for a series, I wasn’t surprised. Bob Odenkirk simply dominated the screen as Mr. White’s sleazy attorney. Setting place as a prequel showing his up and comings. We get an insight into what shaped him into the type of attorney he is at the end of the Breaking Bad series.

1. The Flash

The best comic adaptation on television. I feel like this totally captures the essence of reading a comic book. The highlight of the show is Jesse Owens who just elevates the acting of everyone around him. The episodes where Joe encounters Grod, I really believed he was terrified. My favorite of the CW/DC Universe are the crossovers with Arrow. Its exactly what you would hope for. Grant Gustin and Steve Amell playoff each other perfectly. With the upcoming Legends series CW is ramping up to take over Superhero TV.

Derek Kraneveldt

​iZombie

iZombie is my favourite currently-running television series. Bar none.

Somehow, the series eluded me until it began its acclaimed second season, and now I’m in forever. Seriously, I don’t know if I’ve ever binged anything as quickly as I sped-through the first season of this unforgettable series.

Rob Thomas and Dianne Ruggiero have crafted one of the best comic book adaptations that I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing (on film, television, or otherwise), and Rose McIver’s astonishing range (as well as the rest of the series’ perfectly-cast characters) always leaves me starving for more. Every single episode has been pure gold so far, and that’s a trend that I don’t see ending any time soon.

Liv’s a zombie, who works as a Medical Examiner (assistant, actually), who has visions after she eats brains, and she uses those visions to help solve crimes. You don’t get television any more original than this, and if you’re yet to give iZombie a chance, you’re freaking crazy.

https://youtu.be/dycMoHn27ao

Philips Hue

This one made my holiday wishlist, and I have to mention it again here, as Philips Hue is a game-changing project that is potentially one of the best purchases that I have ever made.

It’s crazy to think about how little lighting has changed in the last half century. Televisions gained remotes, and are now on their way to transcending them (Johnny Depp style), car keys became FOBs became proximity sensors, and now we’re on the cusp of not needing to drive at all.

Aside from some power-saving technologies (which are definitely very important), and some cool ahead-of-their time products that don’t really seem to be around any more (The Clapper), lighting doesn’t seem to have changed all that much.

But with Philips Hue, when I leave my house, my lights turn off. When I get home, they turn back on. ‘Hey Siri, It’s movie time’ will dim them for me. When I go to bed, I hit a button on my phone to turn the lights off instead of stumbling through the dark (or just say ‘Hey Siri, Goodnight). When it’s time for me to wake up, my lights simulate a gentle sunrise.

And those are just the very basics. There’s also the whole science aspect, where different colors of light have a different effect on your body, mind, and feelings.

These things are incredible, and while they’re expensive right now, I believe that with the upcoming flux of competitor’s products, as well as falling costs, we’re in for a bright future with smart-home lighting, regardless of the brand you choose.

Hue

Marvel / Netflix

We all new that we were in for a treat when Marvel and Netflix announced that they’d be developing four different series in partnership (with them all coming together for The Defenders after all was said and done), but I don’t think any one of us knew just what was in store for us.

Earlier this year, Daredevil took the binge-ready world by storm, and is arguably the best adapted Marvel property in television or film.

Then, just last month, they did it again with Jessica Jones. It couldn’t have come at a better time, either, as Age of Ultron was a fun, yet busy mess (have you tried watching it a second time?), and Jessica Jones made me forget all about it.

With a second season of Daredevil being on the fast-track, and Luke Cage and Iron Fist still incoming, if the rest of the Marvel / Netflix parnership is *half as good as Daredevil and Jessica Jones have been, well, I’ll be beyond happy.

https://youtu.be/s3UYWK2jeX0

Geekscape Games

I can’t believe that Geekscape Games is already in its second year, and is already the #3 gaming podcast on the Geekscape Network (inside joke).

Editing and taking charge on news for Geekscape doesn’t leave me as much time as I’d like for things like reviews and opinion pieces (though I did manage to bang-out quite a few reviews this year), and being a part of this podcast has really helped me get my groove back.

Geekscape Games was initially attractive to me because for just a couple of hours a week, I had an outlet to discuss and talk gaming news and opinion with friends, and then be done with it and head back to my regular duties. Now, it’s one of the highlights of my week, and getting to chat with some of my best pals every seven days about everything that we’ve learned and played (or not played) is simply a blast.

I love hearing everyone’s responses to our weekly Mission Objective read aloud each week, and getting a group text from Jonathan after he listens to an episode letting us know just how dumb that thing that Shane said was.

It’s been a year, and it’s been wonderful, and I can’t wait to see what happens next for Geekscape Games and its crew!

That time that Jonathan came to Vancouver.

I was in the process of moving here, and got to spend a ton of time with one of my best buds as he began a new incredible chapter in his life. It was freaking awesome (though I’m sorry about the poutine).

Roomates

Eric Francisco

Favorite TV:
If I have to remember 2015 in TV two come to mind: Supergirl and Into the Badlands. I could also mention Wayward Pines (renewed for season two!) but I think Supergirl and Into the Badlands will be the ones I mark 2015. Supergirl is the female-led superhero show we’ve all dreamed of. She’s not just smart and sexy (though she is), she’s also flawed. Her greatest weakness isn’t Kryptonite, it’s that she wants to help people but is just one person. Yes, Superman is there and he has to shoulder the weight of the world, but fuck that, this isn’t his story. It’s Supergirl’s, and I’m all in to see Kara become the hero she’s meant to be.

Meanwhile, Into the Badlands is fucking wild. The feudal politics in the show isn’t as deep as Game of Thrones but it’s rich in style and swagger, and Daniel Wu is going to seriously change the way TV sees heroic Asian leads.

Favorite Comics:
Monstress by Marjorie Liu. 2015 has been the year I picked up more comics than ever, but it’s Monstress by former X-Men scribe Marjorie Liu that I will tell everyone to pick up. Marvel’s Silk and Totally Awesome Hulk are great and of course Scott Snyder’s Batman will go down in history. But Liu is really on to something magical and majestic and even horrifying in her steampunk kaiju fantasy.

MONSTRESS_01_CoverDressed-Web

Favorite Geek Moments:
This year I had the chance to interview Power Rangers Dino Charge producer Chip Lynn. Just speaking to the man in that context was revealing, insightful, and after the interview he offered amazing advice I can’t live down. I also interview the Backstreet Boys and Joey Fatone of ‘NSYNC at Comic-Con. No reason other than just because that’s freaking awesome.

Not personally: Shenmue III. We’re getting Shenmue III, at long fucking last. We won.

Mary Campos

To be completely honest, my top 5 life moments of 2015 are not categorized at all. It’s just the top moments In my shiny 2015 percent life.

First of all, getting my OWN Pass into E3. Valid. I’ve wandered the “outer halls” and met many great people at the parties. But this year thanks to my good friend Adamah for the heads up on a contest, I won my own badge. It was all mine! E3! And I will tell you. It is not for the faint of heart. Middle of summer, post open bar, trying to dash through crowds of people, trying to get food, water… and let’s not forget trying to get through that line for the greatest bit of E3 Swag ever?

Yeah. It was worth all of it.

Lego Dimensions.

I just really love this game. I love how they had a grand character to vehicle scheme. Scooby Doo Driving the Batmobile? Huh?

Gimme!

Well, granted Lego isn’t the first “toys to life game” but in a way, by holding out, this game was exciting for me. I do like to mix my universes together, and I like the fact that I have to spend the effort to put my Lego characters together. It’s why Lego Dimensions won me over in our instant gratification life style.

Finally getting to see Marilyn Manson and the Smashing Pumpkins.

When I was a pup, I missed out on a bunch of shows. Never got to go to the original Lollapalooza, (Google it, it was a thing, it was the grandpappy to all those commercial U.S. wide shows you kids have now.)

But I paid a lot less for Manson + Corgan than I would have at 17. And I wanted Manson to be what he was when I was 14, but alas, he wasn’t. But, being an adult and sitting in the grass with on a blanket with cheese, salami, and space to breathe and belting out all the Manson & Smashing Pumpkins classics As loud as I wanted was so worth the price of admission.

Manson

Leaving the country for the first time. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone out of state, and I’ve never been out of the country. But I did it. I went to Mexico City, Mexico. We visited an ancient pyramid, learned how tequila is really made, rode on a boat through old canals and just got to explore a brand new place. It was awesome, and I can’t wait to go back.

Tori Amos coming back into the fold. This little red headed pianist got me into trouble as a teen. I’m so glad she re-released Little Earthquakes and Under the Pink, giving another generation the chance to see the beauty of the piano.

82897B1.T

Adam Lemuz

Best Surprise of 2015: Shenmue 3

16 years ago, a Japanese game maker by the name of Yu Suzuki created a videogame unlike any other for the Sega Dreamcast. The game would be very story driven and also consist of an open 3D world that the player could freely roam. This game was Shenmue. While the game and it’s 2001 sequel both received critical acclaim by both press and players, the game ended up over budgeted and failed to sell enough units to classify it as a success.

Thus for the last 14 years Mr. Suzuki has been unable to finish the cult series and give it the ending it properly deserves. That was until this year. At Sony’s E3 this year Yu Suzuki himself took to the stage in order to announce a crowdfunding campaign for the long awaited sequel. The announcement excited so many people that within just 8 hours of announcement, the campaign had already been 100% funded by the fans. Sometimes dreams do come true.

Shenmue

That’s it for us, now how about you!? Share your favourite TV shows, comics, geek moments, and everything else in the comments below!

Geekscape’s Favorite Things Of 2015: Movies

by GeekscapeStaff

Can you believe that 2015 is coming to a close? In just a couple of days, we’ll abolish that dreaded five for ten more years, and a cool, clean, sexy six will take its place.

2015 has been an incredible year for all forms of media, so as always, we rounded up our ever-growing pool of writers to share their favorite things of 2015. Yesterday, we published the list of our favourite video games of 2015, and next up, Movies!

Take a look at everyone’s top 10, top 5, or favourite film altogether, and be sure to let us know yours in the comment section below!

David Traverso

#1. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Typically we have to wait until November and December to catch the best films the cinematic year has to offer. Yet, 2015’s finest entry, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, came straight out of the Sundance Film Festival in January and reached theaters nationwide by summertime. The emotional coming-of-age story follows a high school loner (Thomas Mann) who forms an unlikely bond with a female classmate (Olivia Cooke) recently diagnosed with cancer. Superb performances, well-timed humor and excellent direction each help in transcending the film far beyond its all too familiar premise.

#2. Room

Lenny Abrahamson’s unforgettable drama is one that will stick with you long after the credits roll. Brie Larson has emerged as the Oscar frontrunner in the Best Actress category for her soulful performance as a young female sex slave being held captive in a 10 foot by 10 foot room. After years of abuse she finally gives birth to her captor’s son (Jacob Tremblay), and she must raise him in this sheltered environment where “room” becomes the only world he’s ever known. Room is a thought provoking and emotional roller coaster that consumes your attention from start to finish.

https://youtu.be/mQpnyb3k3Eg

#3. Infinitely Polar Bear

During my film-watching journey at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, while everyone clamored for the Best Picture nominee, Whiplash, I threw my support into a much different corner. Infinitely Polar Bear tells a more light-hearted side of a bi-polar father, Cam Stuart (Mark Ruffalo), who’s struggling to keep both his employment and his family. After separating from his wife (Zoe Saldana), a rare opportunity allows her to venture from Boston to New York in order to attend graduate school. In the meantime, an unstable Cam is left to care for their two young daughters. This Mr. Mom comedy is a heartfelt and hilarious film that recently shocked the industry after Ruffalo landed an unexpected Golden Globe nomination for his impressive onscreen work.

#4. Spotlight

Although it’s been a tempered cinematic year, Tom McCarthy’s gripping true story drama, Spotlight, has solidified itself as a Best Picture juggernaut. Set during the early 2000s, the film follows The Boston Globe’s investigative reporting team (known as “Spotlight”) and its diligent efforts to expose the Catholic church’s massive child abuse scandal and cover-up. There are a plethora of strong characters and fine performances scattered throughout the film’s lengthy unveiling of the truth. Any other year Spotlight may feel like a watered down choice for Best Picture, but it’s one of the 2015’s finest offerings.

#5. The Revenant

With all eyes on Leonardo DiCaprio’s desperate quest for Oscar immortality, The Revenant has evolved into the year’s most mysterious selection. Thankfully, I was able to catch a screening early in December and can confirm that it’s an impressive feat of filmmaking. Oscar winning director, Alejandro G. Inarritu, does a remarkable job of placing you into the time and setting of 1820s frontier life where Leo stars as famed explorer, Hugh Glass, who is left for dead by a member of his expedition team (Tom Hardy) after a violent grisly attack. Yet, rather than die peacefully, Glass fights to survive harsh winter conditions until he regains enough strength to seek vengeance on his nemesis. It’s a lengthy and brutally violent affair, but certainly worth the investment.

#6. Brooklyn

It may be hard to believe, but behind this macho exterior is a big softy. Therefore, you shouldn’t be surprised to see John Crowley’s charming love story, Brooklyn, nestled comfortably on my top 10 list. Saoirse Ronan will almost assuredly find her way into the Best Actress race for her portrayal of Eilis, a young Irish immigrant who leaves her mother and sister behind as she ventures to the U.S. during the 1950s in hopes of a better life. Homesickness becomes nearly unbearable for her until she meets an Italian plumber named Tony (Emory Cohen). But despite their natural chemistry and affection for one another, their relationship is put to the test when Eilis unexpectedly must return to Ireland. There’s no shortage of laughs in this otherwise crowd-pleasing romantic drama.

#7. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Anticipation was certainly high for J.J. Abrams’ first shot at the iconic Star Wars franchise. The Force Awakens didn’t disappoint as the 500+ day countdown until Episode VIII is already in motion. Yes, there were a large number of similarities between A New Hope and the latest entry, but Abrams does a spectacular job of using this familiarity to his advantage all while branding a fresh new set of characters to take over the saga. The Force Awakens is a wonderful transitional film that sets up its next installment very well. Now, if only Abrams would climb back into the director’s chair for another go-around, all fears would easily subside.

#8. The End of the Tour

There’s something profound and existential about James Ponsoldt’s masterful 2015 work, The End of the Tour. As a fan or his entire filmography, this title manages to elevate the collection even further. The film centers around Rolling Stone Magazine interviewer, David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg), on a five-day road trip with American author, David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel), during the closing parts of his book tour for the acclaimed novel, “Infinite Jest”. This dialogue-heavy journey forms a very personal and insightful connection with the viewer, clearly labeling The End of the Tour as a thinking man’s movie. Jason Segel’s turn is the finest work of his career and a performance that has been unjustly omitted from the awards season discussion.

#9. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Despite my minimal interest in seeing the film, I was pleasantly surprised to discover one of the year’s most entertaining movie experiences. Set during the height of the 1960s Cold War with Russia, news of a criminal organization with plans of mass producing nuclear weapons forms the unlikeliest of duos comprised of American CIA agent, Napolean Solo (Henry Cavill), and a Russian KGB operative (Armie Hammer). Supporting star, Alicia Vikander, has had herself quite a year with other major releases, The Danish Girl and Ex-Machina, to add to her profile of work. Together, this trio of stars lead an action-packed and fun-filled secret mission that plays wonderfully as both a spy film and a comedy wrapped beautifully into one magnificent package.

#10. The Hateful Eight

When it comes to unique storytelling and dialogue unlike any other, Quentin Tarantino is your guy. Those shining attributes continue to exist in his latest Western, The Hateful Eight. I’ve always been a fan of plays and Tarantino stages his film in such a framework. This long-winded three hour affair is separated by a perfectly-timed intermission that also serves as a sturdy divide between the film’s vastly different halves. A wordy introduction to a collection of untrustworthy characters snowed in together during a blizzard, eventually culminates in typical Tarantino fashion as a visceral and bloody showdown that refuses to hold back. Although I would still admit a preference to Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight is a very strong and worthy film in its own right.

https://youtu.be/gnRbXn4-Yis

Honorable Mentions: The Gift, The Martian, 99 Homes and Kilo Two Bravo

Jonathan London

Looking back at my past years’ selections for Favorite Movies of the year and comparing it to 2015, this is for sure my most Geekscape-friendly year of all. Almost every title on the list is a sci-fi, superhero or genre picture! But still, looking at the list, I’ll argue that there’s a good range of differences between them, from Documentary to Animation to Sports to Live Action Thriller. And of course, you’ve got the Star Wars. Thanks for coming back to us, Star Wars!

10. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Did any of you even see this movie? If not, you absolutely missed out as it was some of the most fun that I had in the theater in 2015. This is one of my favorite Guy Ritchie movies and he nails the pop-energy, dialogue, wit and charm of the 1960s spy film while cranking the whole genre to 11. From the opening sequence in East Berlin to the multiple twists and turns of the character and plot machinations, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a complete surprise. It’s a shame that audiences didn’t turn out for it as it not only set up for a sequel but promised to take things to a whole new level with it. This is going to be a fun movie to re-watch (second only to the energy of Mad Max: Fury Road on the Zip Pop Editing And Crazy Camera Moves Scale) and it also contains my favorite interrogation scene in recent memory (you’ll know it when you see it… and you will laugh your ass off, you twisted, twisted puppy, you).

9…? – The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? / The Toy Masters

Hmm… two genre fan documentaries made out of sheer love and ceaseless curiosity… and I have them TIED FOR 9TH. No… maybe one of these is 9th and one of these is 10th. I just can’t decide which because they both do an incredible job of answering questions about topics I love that I never knew that my fandom was even asking! Jon Schnepp’s The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? is fantastic… potentially the best fan documentary I’ve ever seen. The interviews and revelations in this film about Tim Burton’s deceased late-90s Superman movie are equal measures damning and illuminating. Even as you see the events that lead to its slow and ultimate destruction you’ll be beside yourself wishing that you could watch even 10 seconds of it on screen. This is the closest you are ever going to get and it is more satisfying than you’d ever imagined. The Toy Masters hit me right out of left field. This chronicling of the creation, success and legacy of the He-Man toy and cartoon property might be the most fascinating movie that I saw this year. It focuses on the men, corporations and ideas that gave birth to basically our entire childhood. As a study on ego and delusion, some of the moments within are hard to watch, as several creators vie for authorship of the popular toy character. As a celebration of everything that we loved as kids it exceeds in large amounts, blasting a light on the process of creation on a corporate level and how art, commerce and imagination sometimes meet at just the right time to catch lightning in a bottle… But when the bottle is mishandled the things that spill out of it can shape people’s lives for decades. Very, very amazing documentary storytelling.

https://youtu.be/_5Q1j0XJQPI

8. Inside Out

So Bing Bong might be the single best characters introduced on film in the last 10 years. Yes, Inside Out is a very, very good movie, but it didn’t totally rank as one of my favorite Pixar films. Is it very impressive? Of course! These guys are at the top of their game! The story is tight, the performances and animation are top notch. Really, Inside Out deserves to be on this list just for the continued achievement that it is, maintaining the Pixar standard of quality storytelling! But that character Bing Bong, at one moment making me cry from laughter and the next putting a pin to the balloon of my emotions… Wow. What an incredibly dynamic and amazing creation. Congrats, Pixar, on another trophy from the fans to you!

7. Tomorrowland

Guys, I loved it. From opening scene to the final, rapid action sequence, I fell hard for Brad Bird’s Ode to Positive Thinking. I found it beautiful and flawed in a way that some might have found it preachy and clunky… because the hooks were already in me from the get go. I wanted to love this movie and I did. It’s fun, has a message that we obviously have not heard enough of (even if you thought it beaned you over the head with it… um, that means it hasn’t worked on you yet) and the journey of George Clooney’s Frank Walker might be my favorite character progression of the year. If there’s any flaw in Tomorrowland’s construction, it’s that the protagonist Casey Newton is the same go-for-broke optimist and positive instigator on upon meeting her that she is when the end credits hit. She’s a singular force pointed forward throughout the film. Frank, on the other hand, goes from child to adult and takes us on an incredible voyage of heart break and redemption along the way. If I’m in the minority on this one then I am okay with it. I’ll have the ride all to myself!

https://youtu.be/lNzukD8pS_s

6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Um… after The Prequels I never thought this movie was going to happen. And then it did. And despite all of the smug reservations about plot similarities and cow-towing to fan service, it was awesome. And it was undeniably Star Wars in a way that we hadn’t seen since Return of the Jedi.. You want more thoughts? Here’s an hours worth between Ian Kerner and I on the podcast.

5. Ant-Man

Hell yes! Keep it weird, Marvel! And keep it funny! If there’s a positive side to the complaint that Marvel’s tent-pole films are getting bigger and more laborious (Avenger: Age of Ultron wasn’t exactly met with the same level of adulation that the first Avengers film was) it’s that Kevin Feige and company can take more risks… or at least what everyone else thinks of as risks! Fun, poppy movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man that explore the wider canvas of the Marvel mythos are what us hardcore, 4-color fans have been waiting for since the first Iron Man knocked it out of the park! And Ant-Man was not only Marvel’s funniest film yet but maybe its most surprising. Equal parts heart, humor and action, I’ve already got a place for it on my Blu-Ray shelf.

4. Sicario

This movie took me by surprise in the best way. I thought I’d seen all I could see with Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin playing gritty sides of the law in movies like Traffic, Savages and No Country For Old Men. But not only did they exceed all of those expectations but they did a fantastic supporting job in supporting Emily Blunt to the best role of her career. Denis Villeneuve gave me one of my favorite movies of 2013 with Prisoners and this study of the complexities of the U.S. Mexico border war gives him a much bigger canvas in which to tell a story (ie. some fantastic action sequences and thought provoking views of the U.S. military). But it never loses the personal feeling of loss and disorientation in our main character that made Prisoners so engaging.

3. Mad Max: Fury Road

The year of revisitations (and at it’s worst “regurgitations”) continues and until Creed entered the ring I didn’t think any movie was going to do it at the level that George Miller delivered with Mad Max: Fury Road. It’s a completely high-octane, breakneck thrill ride and it’s simple story leaves tons of room for Miller to go nuts with his 2000 A.D. style characters, insane action sequences and bold visual designs. This was the movie that really kickstarted the Summer and when the dust settled in August it had left all of the other movies way behind.

2. Creed

Wow. Ryan Coogler’s sophomore film packs more punch than the last few Rocky films combined! From the incredibly shot One Take Masters that bring you right into the ring to the dialogue to the respectfully disciplined and well written homages to the original Rocky films, this movie is above and beyond what any other franchise reinvigorating addition has to offer. Sylvester Stallone’s performance alone is enough to remind everybody that he came of age as an actor alongside the likes of Pacino and DeNiro and deserves to be thought of in the same way. Had he not gone all 80’s Action Hero and Expendable, whose to say what incredible performances we would have witnessed? I’m thankful to have gotten this one and can’t wait to see it again.

1. Ex Machina

As the months went on, Alex Garland’s sci-fi masterpiece about the dangers of A.I. stuck with me. Incredibly well written, directed and put together, there are so many pieces to it that struck a chord and kept me engaged. Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson have rarely been better but newcomer Alicia Vikander owns every frame she’s in as the robotic experiment that wants to be more than just the sum of her parts. This movie is as thought provoking and horrifying as it is entertaining.

Daniel Campozano

5. Beasts Of No Nation

Netflix’s first forray into original films started off on the right foot. Following the story of a child, forced to join a rebel force after his family and village is decimated caused by a civil war. The film has already garnered Idres Elba a Golden Globe nomination for his role as the Commandant.

4. Mad Max: Fury Road

TONIGHT WE DINE IN THE HALLS OF VALHALLA! The film that wasnt really on my radar. I went on a whim with my brother in law to a midnight showing and boy was i pleasantly surprised at how awesome this film was. Furiosa portrayed by Charlize Theron stole the film as the strong female lead. Tom Hardy was almost secondary to her as they battled Immortan, racing to the green lands.

3. Inside Out

A film that has you running through a gamut of emtions. I sat there reflecting on myself as young child and that of my daughters. Questioning my response to whenever my daughter over reacted to simple situations. Bing Bong. Bing Bong.

2. Ant-Man

This movie was so much fun and and had so much heart that it easily became one of my favorites of the MCU. The highlight of the film was definetly Michael Peña he lieterally stole any scene he was in. I was glad to see that Marvel had invested in a sequel and integrating Ant-Man into the rest of the MCU starting with the upcoming Captain America: Civil War.

1. Star Wars The Force Awakens

This movie accomplished something that most films can’t and that’s live up to the massive hype. The casting was spot on the actors really knocked out of the park. Oscar Isaac as Poe was easily my favorite character he just oozing with charisma. It’s a fantastic start for the trilogy to come.

Gabriel von Grünbaum

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Well, duh! Such an excellent return to form for the franchise. With so much at stake, J.J. Abrams managed to balance every element needed to make the film work while comfortably laying the groundwork and set up for all the expansion of the galaxy far far away to come. Combined with solid writing, performances and production across the board—everything that went into the film so wonderfully well is as awesome as the story itself.

Krampus

This freakin’ movie comes up out of nowhere and runs off with my heart! Rarely have I felt so charmed by a movie. This exists in the rarefied air of the “delightful horror” movie—that it’s Christmas themed makes it all the more effective. Really, the closest comparison that could be made is Gremlins, another delightful horror that takes place at Christmas. Who knew there could be two distinctly wonderful treats made with so many of the same ingredients?—and then one is gingerbread and the other is chocolate chip! What I’m trying to say is, gobble up Krampus as soon as you can, it satisfies a hunger you may not even realize you have.

Mad Max: Fury Road

A balls to the wall action poem! A diesel fueled opera explosion of fire and survival. If you have yet to shove this deep into your eye sockets you need to reevaluate your life choices. It’s not unlike what NASCAR might be if there was no track to circle, the object was to blow up the competition and all the drivers were from Cirque du Soleil with a death wish.

The Martian

I love the whole story of this story: guy self-publishes his novel, novel sells so well that it gets picked up by a big publishing house, film rights end up in the hands of Ridley-Freakin’-Scott, who goes on to make a fantastic Oscar-worthy film with a top notch cast! Amazing! It’s funny. It’s moving. It’s thrilling. “Get your ass to Mars” for this winner, if you haven’t already.

Jurassic World / Ant-Man and Avengers: Age of Ultron

I’m going to give these a three-way tie for the final spot on this list. This is not a bad thing. I think these films were very successfully in different aspects respectively. Jurassic World was a visual feast! Ant-Man was amusing and accessible! Age of Ultron kept all the various threads of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe connected while dishing up the action! I think I was just hoping to feel and connect a bit more with these than I did—maybe that’s on me? Bottom line, each one is a shouldn’t miss.

Also…

Whereas, I missed a lot in theaters this year so I’m still hoping to enjoy Ex Machina, What We Do in the Shadows, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and Age of Adaline. In the next few weeks I’m pretty sure that I’ll be adding Joy and The Hateful Eight to my favorites list.

Derek Kraneveldt

​Room

I don’t really have words to describe just how Room made me feel.

I went into the film as a Brie Larson fan with limited knowledge of the feature, aside from the universal acclaim that the film had been receiving since its TIFF debut.

Really, I don’t want to get into it. This is an unbelievably powerful film, and said power was amplified by the fact that I had no idea what was coming. This was a career-defining performance for Larson, and I really cannot wait to see the opportunities that appear for her from this point forward. Don’t even get me started on little Jacob Tremblay. That kid is AAA star material, no freaking doubt. I absolutely could not believe the incredible range of emotion coming from such a tiny human.

Room is one of the most emotional, affecting films that I’ve seen in my 25 years on this Earth, and if I have just one tip for potential viewers, it’s to not have anything fun planned after you see this movie, because it’s going to shatter your whole heart.

I’m tearing up just thinking about it. What a freaking film.

Crimson Peak

If we had a list for ‘most breathtakingly gorgeous films of 2015’, there’s no doubt in my mind that Crimson Peak would find itself the winner of that category.

Crimson Peak is an impressive tale of gothic romance that was far too overlooked by moviegoing crowds this Fall. Sure, it fared okay at the box office, but due to a disappointing marketing machine and trailers that made it look more like a B-grade horror flick than anything that would bear Del Toro’s celebrated name, this film did not get the recognition that it deserved. It’s almost as though general audiences took the ‘Beware of Crimson Peak’ mantra to heart, and simply avoided this incredible feature.

From the moment that I met with Del Toro a couple of years back at SDCC, and had him explain to me the intricate beauty of the house (right down to the hidden messages in its wallpaper, and the haunting shape of its ceilings), its characters, and more, I knew that I was in for a treat. Then I waited for what felt like forever, and I was not disappointed with the outcome.

Mia Wasikowska was an absolute standout of this star-studded cast, and I cannot wait to see where Hollywood takes her next. Hopefully Crimson Peak gets the viewership that it’s meant for when its feature-laden Blu-Ray drops in February. I implore you to give this one a shot (or ten).

Mad Max: Fury Road

Yep, the above film (Crimson Peak) was the most beautiful film that I saw in 2015, but Mad Max: Fury Road wasn’t far from it. The conversation-worthy practical effects and incredibly realized world had my jaw on the floor throughout Fury Road‘s not-long-enough 2 hour runtime (I was absolutely desperate for more as soon as the credits began to roll).

Seriously, it’s not often that a film comes around that reminds us what movies used to look like (Evil Dead is the last one that I can recall), and Mad Max: Fury Road is an absolute assault on all of your senses (in a good way). Every beautifully photographed and coloured action scene in the film is infinitely rewatchable, and the movie slows down at just the right moments, and just long enough for you to catch your breath.

This was the most technically impressive movie that I saw this year, and it was also one of the best. George Miller, please, please don’t make us wait so long for a sequel (and please give us more Furiosa).

Inside Out

Pixar knows, better than any other studio, how to make a grown man cry. That said, I don’t know if I’ve every cried during a film as much as I have in Inside Out. They’ve absolutely perfected the tear-inducing formula, and now I’m completely terrified to see what they do next.

You’re watching a little girl grow up, and her confused, changing emotions figure out how to balance themselves, and it’s absolutely impossible not to reflect on your own adolescence and relationships.

Learning to adapt, to let go, and to remember what’s important. It’s all in here, and offers one of the most important messages that Pixar has ever made us adults think about. Inside Out is truly Pixar at its best, even though I don’t think that Riley is old enough to be dating just yet.

I’m getting all tingly just *thinking about the film. It’s that powerful.

https://youtu.be/zkBSRadEv8A

Ex Machina

What an incredibly impressive directorial debut.

It’s difficult to speak about Ex Machina without potentially ruining some of the intense edge-of-your-seat questions that you’ll constantly and consistently ask through its duration.

Oscar Isaac’s (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) Nathan hires Domhnall Gleeson’s (yep, also from The Force Awakens) Caleb to perform a Turing test on a new model of AI he’s developed, Alicia Vikander’s Ava. Nathan’s mysterious as hell, and it’s not long before Caleb begins to question everything. Although they also have a fantastic bromance to start.

It’s the most though-provoking sci-fi film that I’ve seen in as long as I can remember, and Ex Machina has begun a myriad of intense conversations between my fiance and myself since we first saw the film back in April.

Garland has crafted a gorgeous, smart, and terrifying film that feels a little too real for comfort, and paired with its phenomenal performances, Ex Machina has skyrocketed to become one of my favourite films of all time.

Run and see it, now, and then keep running, because something like this is probably going to happen for real (if it hasn’t already).

Honorable Mentions: It Follows, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Creed

Karson Braaten

When it comes to movies, this year was strange for me. Movies that I looked forward to like The Peanuts Movie and Sinister 2 let me down more than I could imagine. Then highly anticipated summer blockbusters like Jurassic World and Mad Max: Fury Road I have yet to see. Then just like every year, movies that are on my best of year radar like The Hateful Eight and Creed I haven’t had an opportunity to watch. That said, I have been able to come up with five movies that, in no particular order, I can proudly (well mostly) call my top five movies of 2015! … I’d like to replace one of the horror movies with Creed and maybe even Me And Earl And The Dying Girl but, hey, I haven’t seen them yet. So without further ado, my top five-ish movies of 2015!

It Follows

After hearing the premise of It Follows, I was sold on it. Basically, there is a curse going around where if you sleep with someone who is infected you end up getting stalked by a scary-ass demon that slowly walks, and only walks, towards you. If it ever gets to you, it kills you. It can take the form of a scary old people, someone, you know, a child, anything. This movie builds tension throughout and has a few nice jump scares as well. It takes a bit of a tumble near the end when things start playing out differently than I had hoped.

The Babadook

Speaking of movies whose ending didn’t live up to their beginnings, The Babadook was shaping up to be my new favorite horror movie of all time until it took a turn right around the third act that didn’t work for me. I understand the reasoning for it but what The Babadook went on to explore was something I wish would have happened in a different movie. The first half of it had me squirming in my seat more than any other movie this year or maybe even in my life, but the last half fell flat.

The Visit

Alright, I admit, this list is a little horror heavy but like I said I haven’t had a chance to see a lot of my “Best of…” contenders! Perhaps it’s lazy, but I think I judge M. Night Shyamalan’s movies on the quality of their twist; the twist is good, the movie usually is too, and damn did I love the twist in this movie! Along with the twist came great tension building, creepy ass dialogue, and plenty of jump scares! I know Shyamalan’s is a whole lot of miss and not a lot of hits, but he has himself a home run here!

Inside Out

I’m one of those guys who holds all Pixar movies near and dear to his heart, and Inside Out became one of my favorites. I had no idea how a movie that takes place inside the mind was going to work, but it exceeded all my expectations. I was thinking about this movie long after I finished watching it. The character development and writing was unreal! How sweet was Bing Bong!? Everything about it hit the mark for me. Perhaps my only complaint is that LAVA, the short that play in front of it, wasn’t their best offering.

https://youtu.be/7ZLOYXKmIkw

Meru

If you like your movie filled with “oh fuck” moments then Meru is for you. A documentary about a group of climbers who take on the challenge of climbing the technically challenging and dangerous mountain that makes climbing Everest seem like a breeze. The scenery shots in this are gorgeous. Not only does it do a great job of capturing all the majestic landscapes, but it also manages to capture some incredible and subtle character moments too. The characters face a handful of setbacks and have to battle many personal demons throughout the movie, many of which will leave your jaw on the floor. I cringed, I cried and left feeling uplifted and inspired. I can’t recommend this movie enough.

Natalie Kipper

Two things. One: I did not step into a movie theater once in 2015. I tend to prefer to watch movies in the comfort of my own home and if that means that I have to wait longer to view them, so be it. Two: I am not that big on movies in general. I am incredibly picky with what I will watch and it eventually leads to me re-watching older films that I know I like over and over.

I did eventually get a chance to view Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out and I must say, it was genuinely moving. The animation was beautiful as one would expect from the studios involved. The graphics weren’t what kept me watching however; it was the smart script. The writers did such a moving job of making each of the emotions’ actions and dialogue fit them. Their individual effects on Riley during the course of the girl’s life just seemed so real and relatable. It was brilliant. And can we talk about Bing Bong for a moment? Riley’s childhood imaginary friend was far and away my favorite character in the film. His design just spoke of youthful innocence and curiosity and I loved him for it. That is where Inside Out shines: the movie’s universe is at once realistic and fanciful.

Inside Out may have been the only movie I saw this year but I am glad I chose it over countless others. Disney and Pixar succeeded in making the film accessible to every age, with so many layers that every group got something slightly different out of viewing it.

Adam Lemuz

Best Movie of 2015: The Peanuts Movie

In today’s day and age of botched and unfaithful movie adaptions of licensed properties, it’s a pleasure and relief when something like The Peanuts Movie comes along. Released by Blue Sky Studios, the movie follows the life of Charlie Brown as he desperately tries to become a winner in order to impress the little red haired girl. While the movie at times can seem a bit simpler than some of the other Peanuts films, that doesn’t stop the movie from having an uplifting message as well as some beautiful backdrops and animation. If you’ve already filled your quota of watching Star Wars 7, then buy a ticket to The Peanuts Movie and give it a watch. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed with it.

https://youtu.be/fVR4E6Q6u5g

What was your favourite film of 2015? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

Geekscape’s Favorite Things Of 2015: Video Games

by GeekscapeStaff

Can you believe that 2015 is coming to a close? In just a few of days, we’ll abolish that dreaded five for ten more years, and a cool, clean, sexy six will take its place.

2015 has been an incredible year for all forms of media, so as always, we rounded up our ever-growing pool of writers to share their favorite things of 2015. First up, video games!

Take a look at everyone’s top 5, or favourite game altogether below, and be sure to let us know yours in the comment section below!

Derek Kraneveldt

5. ​Splatoon

I truly did not expect to love Splatoon as much as I do.

In fact, I largely ignored the title as our fearless leader, Jonathan London, told me after E3 that is just wasn’t that good.

Want to know how I got the game? My largely non-gamer fiance and I were watching the Nintendo World Championships earlier this year, and after watching a few rounds she told me that ‘We’re going to go and buy that game right now.’ So we did, and its the most fun I’ve had playing a full-on shooter in years.

We’ve talked about it endlessly on Geekscape Games, but with Nintendo regularly releasing new stages, weapons, and costumes for the title, plus the consistent schedule of incredibly addicting Splatfest events (not to mention the always adorable MiiVerse drawings), Splatoon has ascended the ranks of first person shooters to become something that most titles (especially in this genre) can only dream of: a full-fledged, lasting community.

It still feels so odd to start a match and simply point my gun at the ground instead of heading straight for my opponents, but at the same time, it’s (obviously) instantly satisfying. Of course only Nintendo could turn the genre on its head as it has, and it’s amazing to see the company get such positive recognition for the title (including 2 awards at this month’s The Game Awards).

So, hot dogs or pizza?

4. Until Dawn (Review here)

Until Dawn is the best game that Sony didn’t want you to play.

After the heavy marketing (and disappointment), that was The Order: 1886, Sony basically ignored the fact that Until Dawn existed, giving the title barely-there marketing and no recognition leading up to its quiet August release.

Which is truly disappointing, as the game is one of the PS4’s best, and you simply can’t play it anywhere else. In the game, you’ll take control of eight (old looking) teens gathered at a remote (Canadian) mountain lodge over the course of one night (including Heroes Hayden Panettiere and Mr. Robot’s Remi Malek, among others). They’re there on the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of two of their friends (who disappeared from the same remote mountain lodge), to remember them, and to, of course, party. Things turn sour pretty quickly, as the group discovers that they’re not as alone as they thought they were. It’s then up to you to ensure that they survive UNTIL DAWN… Did I mention that the surrounding area also contains an abandoned sanatorium and a partially collapsed mine with a terrible history?

Yeah, it’s cliched as hell, but I firmly believe that it’s entirely deliberate, which just adds to the charm of Until Dawn.
The game is extremely cinematic in its presentation (funky camera angles included), and like this year’s Life Is Strange, often offers Telltale-level difficult choices. A game like this is obviously full of quicktime events, but unlike most titles, one wrong button press in Until Dawn can (and often will) kill your current character, thus ending their storyline (and skyrocketing the game’s replayability).

There’s no rewinding or retrying either. Play well enough, and all eight characters can survive this terrifying night. Or, if you suck at games or horror movies, you might not even make it to the end.

Performances are spectacular, presentation is some of the best in recent memory, and the game’s cheesy-as-hell plot is beyond welcome. I’d imagine you’ll see Until Dawn hit the bargain bin fairly soon, and regardless of the price, I’d implore you to pick it up.

3. Fallout 4

It’s pretty impressive that Fallout 4 was officially a secret for so very long. The first assets for the title were created over seven years ago, and yet Bethesda announced Fallout 4 last June, then essentially went silent, and then released the game this November.

A far cry (ha ha) from the announce too early, then delay cycle that seems to be the standard for most developers today.

Yep, it’s Fallout, and it looks and feels like Fallout… which for some reason is garnering a lot of hate on the internet. Fallout 4 is Bethesda at its best, and the myriads of armchair cowboys who are ridiculing the title for its ‘bad graphics’, and the fact that yes, it’s similar to the previous two iterations of the series are the same people who constantly talk about how little graphics matter, and how plot and gameplay are key (and who buy Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed ever. single. year).

Then again, it did get an insanely long list of improvements from the last title; graphics, soundtrack, shooting mechanics, cover system, settlement system, dialogue, better companions, really, there are far too many to list.
Plot and gameplay? Fallout 4 has a ton of that, and an incredible amount of variety too. I’ve never become as unfocused in a game as I have playing this one, as each and every time I’m on an important mission I’ll simply become distracted by something interesting off in the distance, a new radio signal, or an unfamiliar icon on my map. It’s crazy.

I’ve put over 30 hours into Fallout 4 thus far (which may not seem like a lot, but that’s a lot of game time for me), and every chance I get I’m jumping right back into the world of the Commonwealth. My map looks full-as-hell, yet I know that I’ve barely scratched the surface of this unbelievably deep title.

Fallout has never been better, and I can’t wait to see this story through! Where are you Shaun!?

2. The Witcher 3

2015 was truly CD Projekt Red’s year.

From physical packaging so memorable that I just had to write about it, to an insane amount of free DLC after launch, to potentially the best after release support of any game ever, The Witcher 3 and its hundreds of hours of content is one of the very best titles available on current generation consoles.

It certainly felt odd jumping straight into the third game in an RPG series after missing out on the first two titles, but I beg you not to let that shy you away from this experience. The Witcher 3 does a great job of catching you up on past events, and you’ll very quickly be so enamored with this world (and its insanely addicting card game, Gwent), that you’ll forget that the other two (excellent) games exist.

It’s an incredible action-RPG, but what impressed me the most about The Witcher 3 was the incredible after-release support that CD Projekt Red provided. Had they not released a single patch, the game would have still made it on a myriad of end-of-year lists, but constant updates provided new content, UI enhancements, control updates (and additional options), and more.

One of the updates even made my life substantially easier, as when the game launched, Geralt’s ‘Witcher Sense’ was completely invisible to me due to color blindness issues. Things like this happen fairly often in today’s games, and typically I just have to suffer, stop playing, or in the case of The Witcher 3, ask someone for help. One day, I was looking through the release notes of the newest patch, and the developers added a freaking colorblind mode that made the previously-invisible elements clear as day.

This is not only the best RPG of the year, but it could be my favourite RPG’s ever.

Go buy this game. You’ve only got about a year to finish it up until Cyberpunk 2077 drops.

1. Life Is Strange

This one will come as no surprise to regular readers of Geekscape or listeners of Geekscape Games, as I stated numerous times throughout 2015 (and the title’s too-sporadic release cycle) that Life Is Strange was the best gaming experience that I’d had (so far) this year.

Now, we’re at the close of 2015, and absolutely nothing has changed. DONTNOD Entertainment took the Telltale formula of intriguing plots, incredible characters, and impossible choices, and turned that formula on its head with Max Caulfield’s time-rewinding powers (not to mention a wonderful new IP to boot).

Surprisingly enough, having the ability to rewind and make an opposite choice, does not make those choices any less impossible. Like, at all.

Life Is Strange offers an incredibly realized world, with one of 2015’s best video game soundtracks (not to mention voice acting), and some truly relate-able characters put into absolutely incredible circumstances. The game will have you guessing to the very end, laughing (and crying… a lot) throughout, and have you strangely interested in reading the lengthy journal of a teenaged girl.

Life Is Strange is my Game of the Year. Thank you DONTNOD for such a memorable experience, and screw you DONTNOD for making me cry so much.

Honorable: Her Story, Guitar Hero Live, Metal Gear Solid V (at least its mechanics), Yo-Kai Watch

Joshua Jackson

As longtime Geekscape readers might know, I usually write a variety of end of year lists, including games of the year and best waifus. Sadly, school has kicked my ass this year and I haven’t played as much as I need to. With that said, I did want to post some of my favorite games of the year so far, then put together the usual lists after I play some catch up!

2015 was an interesting year for games. Between gamers waiting on pins and needles for the next Smash Bros DLC reveal, to the ongoing Konami / Hideo Kojima drama, the first half of the year being dominated by Amiibogeddon and the ongoing censorship debate among many other hot topic issues, it seemed as if much of this served as a distraction from the fact that not a whole lot of impressive software released this year. With that said, there still were some impressive games on the market over the last 12 months, many of which caught me completely off guard. So in no particular order, here are my favorite games of 2015, (so far.)

Guitar Hero Live (Review here)

To echo what Derek said in his review for the game, not only is Guitar Hero Live one of the most addicting gameplay experiences of the year, but it manages to revitalize a franchise that many thought they were far too burned out of to care about again. Serving as more than just a guitar change, the new format that Freestyle Games used for the game makes it feel so fresh. Scrapping the cartoon inspired band mates for real stage footage that changes with your performance was brilliant, but is trumped even still by Guitar Hero Live. By completely rethinking what DLC can be, GHTV lets players select channels that play certain genres during certain blocks of time, shuffling the entire catalouge into one giant score battle against players from around the world. If you want to play on demand, you have to pay, but with a variety of ways to earn free plays, you can pick and choose the songs you want to try without committing to buying one you might not like. If you haven’t tried it, do yourself a favor and step on the stage one more time! You’ll be glad you did!

Skylanders Superchargers

Another year, another Skylanders game. But before you pass this off as another shallow cash grab, know that this vehicle themed sequel to the first Toys To Life game is not only the best in the series to date, but one of the best action platformers of the year. I always feel that the franchise is at its best when Vicarious Visions is at the helm, and they prove it once again with the most imaginative stages in the series. Combined with more interesting additions to the cast, visual presentation that must have taken a small miracle to pull off without framerate drops considering how crowded the screen can get, excellent implementation of vehicles, and a full on racing mode courtesy of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions developers, Beenox, and you have one of the most content filled entries in the entire series, (despite the core experience still being relatively short.) For Wii U, Wii, and 3DS owners, the extra bonus of playing as a fully realized Donkey Kong and Bowser, each with some really fun abilities that reference the entire history of the characters, make a great game even better. If you’re jaded about the franchise and need an excuse to fall in love with it again, (or for the first time,) Superchargers is your best bet.

Disney Infinity 3.0

You obviously can’t talk about Disney Infinity without comparing it to Skylanders, and while the latter’s biggest problem has been its lack of content to use all your figures with, (which Superchargers alleviated to an extent,) the former’s was developing interesting campaign modes for those who aren’t into spending hours in the title’s deep world building Toy Box mode, (which is even better this time around.) However, Disney employing a variety of developers worked out well for their latest Toys To Life game has payed off big, offering some of the best combat in a Star Wars game to date across any genre. Primarily developed by Ninja Theory, the influences from DmC, Devil May Cry are clear, with juggle combos, delay combos and air combat abound. Each character stands out well, helping gamers travel through the prequels, sequels, and even The Force Awakens in the guise of a well made action game. Throwing in the Inside Out platforming game that again, has some wildly imaginative stages that I would LOVE to see realized in a full fledged game, and the new Toybox Games that add more content for your non Star- Wars characters are icing on an admittedly expensive cake.

https://youtu.be/DWnA-yXUmJI

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 and 3 (Review here)

We had FOUR new Hyperdimension Neptunia games this year, and while the spinoffs, especially Hyperdimension Neptunia U if our review is anything to go by, nothing beats the core series. Being too similar to split off into their own entries on this list, the real time turn based combat is back with a lighthearted, fourth wall shattering adventure to save Gamindustri is present in both. Re;Birth 2 introduces the CPU Candidates, the little sisters of the main characters of the first game, as they fight to save the elder goddesses from a group of game pirates who are distributing software for free! Led by Nepgear, (a strong candidate for this year’s top waifu,) this more serious story has divided the fanbase, but I found myself being a big fan of the younger girls’ struggle to fight their way out of the shadows of their more powerful siblings. Re;Birth 3 on the other hand, is back to the never serious style of the original, placing Neptune back into the lead role while leading a hilarious new cast to the forefront in an alternate Gamindustri based on the late 80’s through the early 2000’s. Either one is a great RPG to play if you need something to play on your Vita, (which I know you do,) and in a year that was surprisingly heavy on the JRPG front, Neptunia still stands out strong!

Xenoblade Chronicles X

What can I say that hasn’t been said about this incredible title? When the promotion material for this game promised 100’s of hours of game play, they weren’t joking. Taking place on Mira, an uncharted planet that humans are forced to call their new home, this living, breathing world is easily the most stunning environment of the year. Wildlife fills the world and goes about their own business, whether or not they’re hostile. High level monsters mingle with low level ones, forcing you to think twice about how you’re going to travel to the next uncharted point. Side missions reward you with a deeper understanding of the citizens of New Los Angeles and the citizens that inhabit it. And most importantly, the game play is top notch, allowing you to switch between firearms and melee attacks to hit enemies at the right position and keep them from attacking. Oh, and when the mechs, or Skells come into play, then the world really becomes your playground. With all of this said, Xenoblade‘s biggest accomplishment is that despite the acceptance that a large game being glitchy is just a byproduct of a game of this scope, this Nintendo exclusive RPG on the weaker Wii U manages to pull it off without anything nearly as bad as some of the large open worlds released this year. Constant pop in is the worst you’ll come across. A surprisingly well done online mode rounds out what is a strong candidate for game of the year, and shapes one of the definitive Wii U experiences on the market.

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (Review here)

What happens when you take a text adventure, (which I named my game of the year last year,) and spin it off into a Resident Evil 4 style third person shooter? You get one of the more innovative takes on the genre in a long time. As Komaru Naegi, the younger sister of the protagonist of the first game, you’re forced to fight your way through an abandoned island that’s being torn apart by an army of the murderous Monokuma bear robots. Led by the Warriors of Hope, a group of children who look to kill every adult, Ultra Despair Girls featured some of the more gruesome, shocking and uncomfortable scenes in a game this year, and it was so much better for it. Naturally, you can’t make a game of the year list on story alone, (on my list at least,) but Ultra Despair Girls has some incredibly lighthearted mechanics for a game so sadistic. Dancing killer robots? Ammo that forces cars to drive? A variety of weapon types to fit multiple situations? This game constantly keeps you on your toes, making a typically bland genre feel fresh again. Like Neptunia, this is one of the better games for the Vita this year, and is absolutely worth dusting off the handheld to check out.

Splatoon

My early candidate for game of the year, Splatoon is everything I look for in a game. Creative? Check! Innovative? Who would’ve thought about making a 3rd person arena shooter where the goal is to shoot the ground instead of your opponent? Single player content? While short, it has plenty of collectibles, fun boss fights and serves as a great tool to learn the game before you jump online. When it launched in May, the game’s biggest flaw was that it lacked a lot of basic features that you’d expect to be standard in an online shooter. For better or worse, all of that content was rolled out over time and made available by August. Fast forward to December, and I’m still playing it, which is much more than I can say about other so-called AAA titles throughout the year. By adding a variety of game modes, monthly Splatfests, which are nationwide competitions where each player picks a team to represent, more new weapons and stages than you can shake a tentacle at, and an insane amount of gear to customize your character with, and its no wonder why this game stands tall as one of the premier games of 2015.

Shane O’Hare

Not only was this a bad year for Shane, this was a bad year in video games for me too! I had to seriously sit and think what games I bought that came out this year that I played and enjoyed! It took me some time, but these are the Top Five Games I played in 2015

5: TIS-100

TIS-100 was a real surprise to me. A new take on the puzzle genre, you take the role of a guy who finds a used computer at a yard sale and attempts to fix it up to get it working again. Instead of replacing parts, you have to reprogram modules and nodes. What follows is you, the player, LITERALLY writing code to create programs. Each level you are faced with a problem, a series of inputs, and a series of outputs. You have to figure out how to get the numbers from the inputs, move them down through the different nodes and to the outputs. The early levels can be done pretty easily, but just a few levels in you will be hitting your head against the keyboard as you have to SERIOUSLY figure out some intense logic puzzles.

4: Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

I’ll admit, I haven’t put as much time into MH4U as I did 3, but I’m not really sure WHY. MH4U is a GIANT leap forward in the franchise. More monsters, more armor, more DLC, more environments, more everything. Gone are the tedious underwater battles, and in its place are some interesting climbing elements. Monsters will fight you in areas that span multiple levels, and you will have to strategically place yourselves above them to get the literal drop on them.

3: DmC: Definitive Edition

When DmC came out a couple years ago, it made my Top 5 games of the year. It was a fresh take on the Devil May Cry franchise, with a “new” Dante. A Dante that was overtly muscly man god, a Dante with more depth. The gameplay was tight, and the levels were extremely creative and interesting. So when they said they were releasing it on current gen, upscaled to 1080P, 60FPS and all the DLC I freaked out and jumped at the chance to get it. I originally played it on the Xbox 360, but this time around it was on the PS4. I couldn’t be more happier with this HD rerelease.

2: Homeworld: Remastered

Homeworld is one of my all time favorite RTS games. A different take on the genre, Homeworld puts players in space in charge of giant motherships. The most unique thing about this game, is the ability for your ships to traverse space upwards and downwards. No longer are you stuck on a 2D plain, you can travel below your enemies and strike them from their weak spots. OR come in from above. It literally added a whole new dimension to combat.

The Remastered edition features both Homeworld 1 & 2 in their original states, plus fully upgraded HD graphics and sound. The updated UI from Homeworld 2 is in both versions of the game. This is such a wonderful product, but I do not remember it being so damned hard!

1: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Admittedly I had zero interest in this game until Ground Zeroes hit Playstation Plus for free. I snagged that and almost 100%’d it. It got me on the hype train, and with all the surrounding controversy with Kojima and Konami, I figured it was going to be the last Metal Gear Game ever.

This is the game I put the most time into. The graphics are beautiful, the story is compelling and intriguing (exactly the kind of story that I love, the kind where it fucks with the player just as much as the characters in it) and the gameplay is top notch. The side ops were never boring, and even doing the same type of mission over and over again never felt old. The grind was enjoyable because the core mechanics of the game were enjoyable.

The audio tapes really fleshed out the story, and being able to listen to a playlist of them while grinding out some side ops really helped fill in the gaps of the story that main cutscenes left out.

HONORABLE MENTION : Counter Strike: Global Offensive

Yeah CSGO came out in 2012, but besides MGSV I put dozens of hours into this game this year. The constant updates Valve relased this year kept the gameplay fresh and new. The operation packs gave players mini missions to complete to get ingame weapon drops and skins. The skin market BLEW up this year, with some skins becoming contraband and being removed from the cases. So existing skins of certain weapons would go for THOUSANDS of dollars.

The competitive scene always made going into a match fun. Even if you were getting stomped, there was a reason. It is a skilled based game, and there are very little variables that come into effect. You either out shoot your opponent, or get outshot.

Natalie Kipper

Yo-kai Watch (Nintendo 3DS) (Review here)

This title came out late in the year and, while I anticipated liking it, I had no clue that I would love as much as I do. This is one of those games that I will play for hours upon hours on end, all with a smile on my face. Yo-kai Watch delivers an experience that caters to the child in me, filled bug-catching activities and gachapon machines. The yo-kai designs are so likable that I often find myself filled with the desire to give them a hug. A tad sentimental perhaps but 100 percent true.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3DS (Nintendo 3DS)

I missed out on purchasing and playing the original Wii version and regretted it ever since. Thank goodness for this version! I am a fan of portable games in general so adding the ability to finally play title on top of it being on the Nintendo 3DS and I was over the moon. My all-time favorite game is Xenogears and I was happy to visit to a related universe. Xenoblade Chronicles 3DS is huge, as in “how-in-the-heck-did-they-fit-this-into-a-cartrtidge” huge. Voice acting abounds and thankfully, it is actually decent (some characters are even good). The battle system took some getting used to but by hour two or so I was accustomed to it. It keeps you on your toes and, for someone who likes to sit and ponder moves like a chess player, things can get dangerous fast. The storyline was engrossing and one I wouldn’t dare spoil. I will say one thing: I teared up/cried more than twice. Every RPG fan owes it to themselves to give this title a shot.

Yoshi’s Woolly World (Wii U) (Review here)

Another feel-good game on favorites list (ironically developed by the studio, Good-Feel) was Yoshi’s Woolly World. This game appeals to the crafter in me on a level that no other has before. The level and character designs so cleverly incorporate the fiber arts theme that it leaves with a warm, fuzzy feeling, no pun intended. I am one of those fans who waited in line at 4a.m. to buy a Mega Yoshi amiibo and I have no regrets. Now if only Nintendo would make a nice big plush of Poochy …

Skylanders Superchargers (Wii U)

I have been a fan of the Skylanders franchise since Spyro’s Journey but I was honestly a bit skeptical about adding vehicles into the mix. Thankfully, Activision managed to make the inclusion flow seamlessly. And while it is available for pretty much every console (sorry, Vita), I had to buy the Nintendo versions. The ability to play as Donkey Kong and Bowser in Skylands is an experience that should not be missed. Their abilities are true to character (Bowser can summon Koopas to attack enemies, for example) and sometimes cleverly pay homage to Nintendo’s past (DK causes ladders and girders to fall in one of his attacks). The fact that every single previous Skylander is compatible is icing on the cake.

Citizens of Earth (Nintendo 3DS) (Review here)

Citizens of Earth is a RPG that aims to be funny and while it wasn’t enough to make me laugh out loud, it definitely kept me playing. People say this game is reminiscent of Earthbound but having never played that title (blasphemy, I know), I judged the title for what it was: an entertaining and clever old-school RPG. The gameplay, from the battle system to the over-world, drips of old-school charm. A clever script and impressively large cast gave Citizens of Earth more staying power than most of the eShop-only titles I find. Every playable character added something new to your team strategy and finding a combo that worked well for my playing style was a fun challenge. Recruiting all 40 of them was a sort of obsession of mine. For these reasons, this game earns a place on my top games of 2015.

Matthew Rodriguez

1. Xenoblade Chronicles X

It’s been a long time since I last had a game that permeated my every thought, yelling out, “Play me!” throughout the course of the day no matter where I am, whether it’s work, traveling, or otherwise. Xenoblade Chronicles X, with it’s expansive, open, and vibrant world, near-endless customization of character classes, and treasure troves of loot and quests, can leave any gamer with a sense of wonder, and a drive to improve oneself, especially since you can encounter high level enemies in the open world.

The battle system is similar to the ATB (Active Time Battle) systems in Final Fantasys 7/8/9, except each separate command his its own gauge. This results in RPG style battles that still tests your reflexes and strategy in crucial moments. All of these battles happen in real time in the open world, so you never lose your sense of immersion in the game.

I believe this is a title every gamer must own, especially if you enjoy sci-fi genres.

2. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

This franchise has always been tested and true, and is gaining great traction in the West. It is a game focused on cooperative play, where the main objective is to beat boss-like baddies to protect the town civilians. The only way to power up your character is by making said baddies into armor and gear, to help you fight new baddies.

It is a game that rewards skill and time, and you can truly feel your character getting more powerful as you progress through the game, and the most hardcore can get into nitty gritty details on how to customize sets and skills. While the learning curve can be difficult, that also is a strength of this game because there’s always something new to learn, and thus there’s always a reason to be playing with friends.

Online is very well implemented, although I still won’t recommend playing with “randoms” online. There are plenty ways for people to troll and very few ways to report them. And it’s a little more difficult to strategize without being able to speak to the person.

It is a game with lots of depth and reward, and is simply easy to recommend to any gamer that loves the satisfaction of taking down boss-style enemies.

3. Splatoon

Also a winner of several awards this year, Nintendo has a great winning formula game. Even people that I know who normally wouldn’t even touch a shooter play this game. With adding the “paint the floor” mechanic for both stealth and mobility purposes, a lot lies underneath the surface than just a kid’s game here. The main characters, Callie and Marie, the squid sisters are great characters that kids can relate to, and are extremely colorful and fun. The weapon sets, whether it is a ranged blaster, or a huge paintbrush, are all varied to provide different levels of expertise from a depth standpoint. And the monthly Splatfest festivals pits all kinds of players at different skills levels against each other in a bid to see which “topic of the month”, whether it is cats vs. dogs, marshmallows vs. hot dogs, etc., is the reigning fandom.

The lengthy single player is also really good and paints the storyline very well. Overall, you’ll find yourself having tons of fun and it’s hard to put down. Nintendo regularly updates the game with free DLC so the metagame can be totally different every few months. It is splatacular!

4. Final Fantasy Type-0 HD

I actually haven’t completed this game yet, but it’s one of the most memorable Final Fantasys I have played. It’s all action oriented, as Kingdom Hearts style, but each of the characters have their own weapon and skill lineup, so there’s plenty to choose from. The characters are very likable, I could easily see the personalities of many anime characters being portrayed here—for example, Jack’s personality is very much like Shikamaru from Naruto, where he cannot be bothered with most assignments.

I do hope to return to it one day, but be warned: this game is not for the faint of heart. At times its difficulty can be daunting and it may take the most grizzled Final Fantasy veteran to get through its trials and tribulations.

5. Nintendo Badge Arcade

This game has soaked up more of my money than I’m willing admit. Although some might argue that it isn’t a game at all, I’ve definitely spent a lot of time on it, generally enjoying the crane games and enjoy the mascot’s (the pink bunny’s) witty sense of humor.

It is a game centered around crane games, and the badges you obtain from this game can be used to decorate your 3DS home screen, allowing a level of customization that is rare for any portable system. You can show off these designs through miiverse or 3DS image share, but the satisfaction of booting up to your own customized screen is a pleasure in itself. I’ve managed to chalk up a few myself, such as an underground mario level, and a collection of Pokemon folders!

Adam Lemuz

Rare Replay

What better way to celebrate the gaming industry then with a celebration of one of the most beloved studios of all time. Rare Replay is a love letter to Rare fans both old and new. Ranging from their humble beginnings making Spectrum games to their Xbox 360 days, there’s a game for everyone here. Top that off with dozens of snapshot challenges behind the scenes videos, and one catchy opening tune, and you have one recipe for pure fun. Not to mention you’re getting 30 games for only $30. There’s absolutely no reason not to buy this if you own an Xbox One. Press A, HOORAY! It’s time for Rare Replay!

Eric Francisco

While I think Rise of the Tomb Raider should be Game of the Year, I think Destiny: The Taken King might be my favorite. I could write all day about the improved content, the story, blah blah. What I love about Taken King is that it’s an appointment for myself and one of my best friends to get together and talk about work and life and just bullshit while shooting aliens. We get a weird sense of accomplishment when we level up, but then we’re back to wondering what’s up with this person we know IRL. Thanks Taken King, for bringing a friend who lives a bit too far a little closer on Sunday afternoons.

https://youtu.be/RpDLxs8z08A

Mary Campos

Lego Dimensions

I just really love this game. I love how they had a grand character to vehicle scheme. Scooby Doo Driving the Batmobile? Huh?

Gimme!

Well, granted Lego isn’t the first “toys to life game” but in a way, by holding out, this game was exciting for me. I do like to mix my universes together, and I like the fact that I have to spend the effort to put my Lego characters together. It’s why Lego Dimensions won me over in our instant gratification life style.

So, what do you think of our lists? What were your favourite games? Be sure to sound out in the comments below!

Saint Mort’s Top 10 Movies That I Finally Saw In 2015!

by Saintmort

I’m not known for seeing movies in theaters, and more often than not I end up seeing the films years (sometimes decades) after they’ve been released. Because of this I struggle to make “best of” lists. Instead of telling you about the top 10 movies of 2015 for Matt “Saint Mort” Kelly (which honestly most likely will contain 85% of the same films everyone else has in their list) I decided to discuss the Top 10 Movies I Discovered in 2015

10) Miami Connection  (1987)

I wish I could explain anything about Miami Connection. It’s a confusing Kung-Fu Musical Comedy? That question mark is intentional. I’ve never been more confused by a movie. I remember I watched this with friends, I remember I loved every second of it but I struggle to be able to find a way to explain the plot in any way, shape or form. Just trust me… it’s incredible.

Connection

9) Paul Williams Still Alive (2011)

Paul Williams is probably one of your favorite songwriters and more likely than not you have no clue who he is. While this isn’t as great at the music documentary “Who is Harry Nilsson (And why is everybody talkin about him)” it is another fantastic look at an incredibly underrated singer/songwriter. A few years ago when I first saw Who is Harry Nilsson I became a massive Nilsson fan and started buying all his albums. Paul Williams was the Harry Nilsson of 2015 for me. I already liked a bunch of his songs (he even wrote Rainbow Connection my favorite song of all time) but this doc introduced me deeper into his discography. The film dabs in obsessive fan-fiction obsessionism but at the end of the day it’s about a man who choose the simple life instead of continuing to be a celebrity.

StillAlive

8) Commando (1985)

How the hell did I take 30 years to see Commando? This movie is what dumb action films were all about. It’s a fast-paced, fun and frantic action film packed with over the top violence and shitty one liners. Chances are I’m the last person on Earth to have seen this so I’m not going to waste too much time going any deeper than this.

commando-1373361965-76

7) The Final Girls (2015)

This is one of the few films released this year that I saw this year. It is a mega-meta horror film about a group of friends who get trapped in a shitty Friday the 13th knock-off film. It’s up to them to use their knowledge of slasher films to survive. While it’s not the love letter that Scream was, the movie is still hyper-self aware of the horror but also has the Wet Hot American Summer comedic touch. It’s not a perfect horror comedy, but it’s a very good horror comedy.

finalgirlsposter

6) Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Every once and a while you watch a movie because you feel like you’re supposed to. Usually you go into the movie with low expectations and they absolutely blow you away. A few years ago Fame was that movie for me… this year it was Saturday Night Fever. I saw the film was available on Netflix and decided what the hell. I was blown away by not just the story but how amazingly cinematic it was. There were definitely downsides to this movie. The rape element of the story isn’t very necessary but beyond that it’s a great film.

Fever

5) Crimewave (1985)

I feel like of all the films on this list this might be the least well known of them, which is ridiculous. This is a film written by the Coen Brothers and directed by a post-Evil Dead pre-Evil Dead 2 Sam Raimi. It was one of the most unique and bizarre films I’ve ever seen. There aren’t words to properly summarize the plot-line. At it’s core… it’s a crime film but it plays like a Marx Brothers comedy mixed with live action cartoon. One of my all-time favorite movies is Freaked. I have no doubt in my mind that Alex Winter and Tom Stern were aiming to make their own Crimewave with their infamous 1993 comedy.

Crimewave

4) Hard Ticket to Hawaii (1987)

Every Thursday I host Weird Ass Movie Night at my house. It’s an event where a group of friends get together to watch a film together. Usually the movie comes from my horrible selection (I don’t have the moniker “Proprietor of all that is shit” for nothing) but every so often one of the movie night attendees steps up with a film. Hard Ticket to Hawaii came from my friend Cloar. I had heard legend of this movie, Paste Magazine named it the #1 “so bad it’s good” movie … they did not oversell that title. This film is bonkers. It follows a gang of female secret agents trying to find snakes injected with AIDS to stop them from infecting Hawaii… or something. There’s a ton of nudity, there’s ridiculous death scenes (including two internet famous scenes involving skateboarding with a blow-up doll & a razorblade frisbee) and there were at least two moments in the film where my entire basement gave the film a standing ovation. Buy this movie, call up some friends and have a great time.

HardTicket

3) Found (2012)

I first heard of Found through the Killer POV podcast, the premise grabbed my attention so I checked it out as soon as it was available on Netflix. I loved this movie. It left me feeling unsettled, which isn’t something many horror movies have done. It’s not the best film in history by a long shot. The acting is bad and the story goes a little long… but at the end of the day it’s a great concept that ends on one of the most unsettling final shots I’ve ever seen.

Found

2) Electric Boogaloo: The Wild Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)

I love documentaries about film. I fucking LOVE them. I’ve watched the 4 hour “Never Sleep Again” more times than I can count. I love weird “Behind the scenes” stories. That’s what Electric Boogaloo is… 90+ minutes of weird “Behind the Scenes” stories. Depending on your taste in cinema Cannon gave you some of your favorite … or your least favorite movies of all time. Ever want to find out how the hell movies like Superman IV, Lifeforce and Masters of the Universe were made? This film will answer it all (but quick spoiler alert … cocaine).

ElectricBoogaloo

1) Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Not only was Phantom of the Paradise my favorite film I discovered in 2015… it was also the film I watched the most this year. I made so many people watch this movie, it’s not even funny. I love this film, I quote this film, I listen to this films soundtrack on the reg. Phantom of the Paradise is a demented 70’s musical from Brian De Palma. It tells a rock-n-roll version of the Phantom of the Opera while mixing in elements of Faust and Portrait of Dorian Grey. It stars Paul Williams and features original music by him. It features a character named Beef who is legitamitely the greatest character in film history. That’s all I’m gonna give you. If you’ve seen it… you’re part of the legion of fans… if you haven’t it’s time you join our weird cult of Phantom fans!

PhantomParadise

‘Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice’ Gets Four Gorgeous Character Posters!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Following the explosive new trailer from earlier this month, Warner Bros. has just debuted four new character posters for next year’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

There’s a new poster for Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, with another one-sheet focusing on the trio. Aquaman and the other four thousand (hyperbole) characters that are set to debut in the film, however, are still nowhere to be seen.

You can take a look at each image below, and be sure to let us know if you’re looking forward to the feature. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hits theatres on March 25th!

WonderWoman

Batman

Superman

Trio

Geekscape Roundtable: Our 2015 Holiday Wishlists!

by GeekscapeStaff

The holiday season is here, and regardless of the exact holiday that you plan on celebrating this year, we know that you’re just in it for the presents (well, and the family/friends, and the food, and some other things too, but mostly the presents).

Instead of doing a traditional gift guide (if your giftee likes x, get them y, etc), we thought we’d take another route:  tell you what we‘d want for our holiday gifts. You know our writers, so chances are that if you need to pick up a gift for someone similar, they’ll probably be into the same stuff!

Here goes! Enjoy, and be sure to let us know what gifts you’re hoping for in the comments below!

Derek Kraneveldt

Philips Hue 2.0 Starter Kit

Now, I actually already have a Philips Hue setup, and it may just be the best thing that I’ve ever purchased. That said, Hue is heavily expandible, and the new 2.0 kit includes a refreshed Bridge that supports Apple’s HomeKit, meaning that, yes, you can control your lights with Siri.

Amazing.

The Hue website will tell you all about the science of the colour of light and why it’s important, and as much as I love all of that stuff, Hue is just convenient as hell. When I leave the house, my lights turn off. When I come home, they turn back on. When my Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock app wakes me up in the morning, my lights simulate a sunrise. I sit down for a movie, and turn off or dim them via Notification Centre on my phone.

Also, using the slick Ambify app, you can have them pulse and change color to the beat of any music.

Really, I’m barely scratching the surface of what Philips Hue is capable of (just look at IFTTT), but I have been absolutely in love with these light bulbs for a year now, and would love to add more to my collection.

Starter2

Mega Yarn Yoshi Amiibo

If you’re a regular around these parts (or ever listen to Geekscape Games), you’ll know how much of an Amiibo fiend I am. Aside from the Animal Crossing series (I’ve never spent much time in the AC world, so they’re not that iconic to me), I have every Amiibo, first print, sealed in box.

Aside from the Animal Crossing lineup, and Mega Yarn Yoshi, I mean.

Look at this thing. It’s giant. It’s adorable (and comes from, in my words, the most adorable game that’s ever been made). It’s also $70 in Canada, and I just moved to the most expensive city in North America, so the one day that these things were available, it just wasn’t happening.

I’m settling for the minature versions right now, but I would certainly love to add this to my collection.

Mega

SAXX Underwear

Yeah, I’m just copying and pasting what I wrote about SAXX last year, but as the marketing states, it truly is ‘Life Changing Underwear’, and every man needs to get some.

Yes, this is a geek blog, and yes, I’m talking about underwear.

This shit is life changing. I never in my life thought that comfort and underwear could be synonymous, but then I discovered SAXX, and everything changed. Chafing? I don’t know the meaning of the word.

Yeah, some people have scoffed at me for spending $30+ on a single pair of underwear, but then, those people haven’t tried it. Plus, let’s switch gender roles and put it into perspective: women (clearly) require their support up top, and from what I’ve heard have no problem spending $30-$50 on a single brazier. Why is it then ridiculous to spend a similar (or smaller) amount on an undergarment designed specifically for areas where men need support.

Seriously, dudes. Buy one pair, then go broke on them, and you can thank me later.

New Saxx Logo1

iZombie Stuff

I don’t even care what it is.

I discovered this series just a few months ago, and absolutely fell in love with its world, its characters, and really everything else about it. iZombie has quickly skyrocketed to become my favourite currently-running television series, and as I absolutely can’t get enough of it, I was beyond excited when The CW extended its second season.

It even shoots in my city, which is clearly not Seattle. Nearly every day I have thoughts about leaving my boring desk job and trying to become a PA just so I can have an opportunity to help create some amazing television series like this one. I’ve just been too afraid to make that move thus far.

In any case, if you haven’t seen it, the first season is readily available on Netflix. Get on it.

Great… now the theme song is stuck in my head again.

izombie

Casper Sheets / Pillows

Looking back on my wishlist this year, I’ve gone decidedly less geeky than I have in the past.

Maybe I live in a small place and don’t have room for too many items to be on display (and I simply don’t love the cluttered look), or maybe I’ve been sleeping on a Casper mattress for the past few months and have never slept so well in my life.

Seriously, it’s too the point where I think ‘Do I really need to go and do that?’ if I’m going to be away from my mattress.

Mid-last month, Casper ‘scienced the shit’ out of sheets and pillows, and created a ‘responsive, dual-layer pillow adapts
to your movements through the night,’ and ‘soft, strong, breathable sheets are engineered with
one of the longest cotton fibers in the world.’

They’re definitely not cheap, but if it even approaches the quality of their incredible mattress, I can’t even begin to imagine the comfort that users are in for. While you may think that I’m just a Level-7 susceptible (woo Community reference), read this:

We designed our sheets to create the ideal microclimate around your body. To do so, we balanced thread quality, yarn construction, and weave for a cool, breathable sleep environment that’s so outrageously comfortable you won’t want to leave.

Yeah, it’s marketing, but the fact that these sheets are backed by the same incredible 100-night trial period means that they’re going to be freaking incredible. I really, really can’t wait to lay down on these (one day).

https://youtu.be/GRJN2uCWk9U

Honorable Mention: Unblock-Us, because I live in Canada and want HBO Now.

Daniel Campozano

Geek Clothing (That Fits)

Previously coming in at over 300 pounds made attaining pop culture gear pretty tough (among other things). Even if I ever did find a cool shirt in my size, I always had to pay extra which made the buying process emotionally and financially even worse. This past year I made big change in my life and have so far shed over a hundred pounds. The greatest side effect is now being able to fit into “regular” sizes and not get penalized for it. So what have I been asking for this Christmas? A bunch of Star Wars and Disney gear. Gotta love that synergy. Good thing the movie is coming out because there was a plethora of choices to be had.  I’ve been to stores all over and I find that JC Penny has the most choices at a the best price.

Shirt

Star Wars Battlefront Season Pass 

Yes, I know the common complaints “the game isn’t worth the money” but damn it I’m having fun with the title, and that’s all that matters! What I really want from the season pass isn’t necessarily just the DLC but for it to make the game better. Like seriously, why even have the Bowcaster as a star card and not have Chewie! But iI digress. As a completionist I’m spending my nights completing tasks trying to fill up my diorama, and playing the battle of Jakku isn’t helping.

Add me on PSN: Bigyanks. I need more friends to try and complete the mission (and survival mode)!

I may have a Star Wars problem.

SP

Adam Lemuz

Xenoblade Chronicles X

While Nintendo’s holiday line-up hasn’t been as strong this year as it often is, that doesn’t mean it’s been a complete failure for the big N. Enter Xenoblade Chronicles X; a spiritual sequel to 2010’s Xenoblade Chronicles for Wii, Xenoblade Chronicles X starts off with a literal bang so big that it causes the destruction of Earth as we know it. Just like its predecessor, the game implements a real time battle system with fully customizable moves to learn and master. Not to mention you get to fly around in giant mech like vehicles called Skells (which are also fully customizable.) If you’re a fan of JRPG’S and are a bit anxious for 2016’s Fire Emblem X Shin Megami Tensei crossover, this is the JRPG for you.

headerXenobladeXnintendodirect

Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library

Retro game collecting has become a very popular hobby for people in the last couple of years, more specifically NES collecting. Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library hopes to help teach you about every game that came out for the NES along with its rarity and even hand written reviews for every game! Right now their Kickstarter has about 11 days remaining. While it will take until March 2016 for a physical version, you can easily back the project at $30 to obtain a digital version of the book that you’ll be able to access before the end of the year. If you’re a retro game collector or just a videogame/Nintendo fan in general, you should definitely consider backing this project.

Ultimate Nintendo

Mega Ran: RNDM

Nerdcore is a thing that’s becoming more and more popular by the day. The idea of taking videogame songs and remixing them into something else has become somewhat of a phenomenon. One of the people leading this charge is Mega Ran. Former school teacher turned rapper, he’s been creating some of the catchiest nerdcore tunes since he arrived on the scene back in 2006 (almost 10 years ago!) One of his newest albums, RNDM, is a bit different though. Described as the album of his life, RNDM is a mix of hip hop, pop, electronica and funk/soul meet at the crossroads of introspective, hilarious and heartwarming songs featuring a variety of different artists. You can buy everything from a regular digital version of the soundtrack, to a physical version and even an NES cartridge (there’s some pretty cool ways to buy this soundtrack.) If you’re tired of the current selection of music out there, this is a great change of pace that you won’t be forgetting any time soon.

RNDM

Jonathan London

Ant-Man on Blu-Ray

Ant-Man was not my top film of the year… but it was definitely my most re-watchable. Peyton Reed’s entry to the MCU feels as fresh and welcome as Guardians of the Galaxy did last year and included some of the biggest fanboy moments of any Marvel film to date. Scenes like Ant-Man meeting an Avenger for the first time and flashbacks to Hank Pym’s earlier heroics are big highlights, but overall the injection of straight comedy to the Marvel universe is a welcome addition. Scott’s return is probably what I”m looking forward to the most in next year’s Captain America: Civil War.

Antman

Punchline’s ‘Thrilled’ 

Yes. These are the boys who did the Geekscape theme song… and they’re still making kick ass songs 9 years later. This latest one sees them taking a bit of a turn and stretching their creative wings, as Steve and Chris add a bit more of an electronic dance sound to the classic Punchline melodies. Songs like ‘Thrilled’ and ‘Can’t Stop Us Now’ are as catchy and anthemic as this band has produced.

A photo posted by Punchline (@punchlion) on

Carl Ciarfalio’s ‘Stars, Stunts and Stories: A Hollywood Stuntman’s Fall to Fame’ 

As far as us geeks are concerned, actor and stuntman Carl Ciarfalio is still the best on-screen version of the Fantastic Four’s The Thing that has yet to appear this side of Yancy Street. But beyond that, this veteran of film’s like ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Drive’ has appeared in many of our favorite films (he doubled Kevin Smith’s Bluntman in ‘Mallrats’ (“fly, fat ass, fly!”) and got his face squashed in a vice in ‘Casino’)! Now he tells it all in his auto-biography. If you have any interest in behind the scenes Hollywood stories, Carl’s book is one of the best you will find!

Carl

Sean Neil’s ‘From Unknown’

This is my favorite album of the year, a mellow, acoustic laced, soul spilling journey from one of my favorite song writers. An artful celebration of distance, remembrances and long goodbyes, you can’t help but reflect while listening to it.  Songs like ‘It’s a Shame’ put a bounce in your step even while filling your heart with melancholy. I can’t recommend it enough.

Neil

Jake Lopez

Halo: Shadow of Intent

Long before the 343 Industries took over the Halo franchise, the creative direction was heavily influenced by one man: Joseph Staten. Staten wrote the cinematic fro Halo’s 1-3, and Halo 3: ODST. Much of the magic that was there for me growing up with these titles was because of Staten. In fact, Staten was such an idol to me, I not-so-famously interviewed him as my first guest on camera during my first San Diego Comic Con.

Staten is a storyteller, and seeing his talents leave the franchise when 343i took over was difficult. Staten went on to work for Bungie for a time before parting with them. Since then, Staten has made his way back to Halo and his first installment into Halo lore comes in the form of the novella, Halo: Shadow of Intent. Fans of the franchise will immediately recognize the name to be that of flagship belonging to the Sangheili (Elite) Spec-Ops commander. The events of the novella will take place immediately following Halo 3.

Unfortunately, Staten isn’t “back.” It’s said that Staten still has “no official role with Halo.” Regardless, I’ll take what I can get. Halo: Shadow of Intent was released on December 7, 2015.

HSOI_Cover-Clean

Starwhal

We all have those memories in college partying it up at a dorm, drinking until we pass out, and ordering pizza after 1 AM. Well, I did all that, just not in a conventional way. Many nights, friends and I would gather around a console and duke it out in fun arcade-like video games. One of the games we loved was Starwhal. At the time, the game was only available on Steam, but it has since jumped to multiple platforms including the Xbox One and Playstation 4.

Starwhal is a free for all in which the sole purpose is to be the last starwhal left. Players are eliminated overtime a horn is stabbed into your abdomen. The controls aren’t as sharp as you might think, since you’re occasionally floating in space and what not, and that makes it even more fun. It also helps that you can dress your starwhal up in over 90+ costumes, each paying homage to internet memes and science fiction. It’s an ultimate party game, something that is seriously lacking in this era of online-only titles.

Starwhal is available now!

Starwhal

Natalie Kipper

Blu-Ray of Persona 3 the Movie #Falling Down [Jika-Net Tanaka edition]

Yes, this set is pricy as butts (¥10,800? Ouch!) but given all the goodies it comes with, I think it is perfectly fair. Plus, it the only way to get that adorable Koromaru plush, which I need in my life. The other Persona 3 movies blew me away and I am dying to see the final one. I still can’t believe the second one ended on such a cliff-hanger.

jacket4

Peace on Earth

Seriously, what the hell, humanity? I know we as a species can do better than this.

Creamy White Cat from Hasbro’s Joy For All Companion Pet Line

The technology for this “toy” is definitely impressive. After losing my cat of 18 years a few months ago, I think I might find interacting with this robotic kitty soothing. I am curious about the whole “VibraPurr” thing, too.

Cat

Hyrule Warriors: Legends for the Nintendo 3DS

Having never played the original, I was already interested in this game as a chance to play it in a portable format with extra content. But after the last Nintendo Direct, Hyrule Warriors: Legends has hit the one of top spots on my list for Holiday game releases.

Hyrule3DS

Vampire Hunter D Volume 2: Raiser of Gales [Kindle Edition]

I have read many of Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D novels but Raiser of Gales is far and away my favorite. My paperback copy is in an awfully banged-up shape from so many re-readings. I would love to own the Kindle version so I could take it with me on trips without fear of pages falling out (I told you it was in bad shape).

D

Josh Jackson

Yu-Gi-Oh: Yugi’s Legendary Decks

From a competitive standpoint, the cards in this three deck set are either long outdated, or have been banned many cycles ago. When it comes to nostalgia however, there’s not a better set to buy for a would-be duelist. Containing over 100 cards, this set comes with three different decks modeled after Yugi’s cards that he used throughout the classic show, including Ultra Rare versions of all five Exodia pieces, the Silent Magician set, the Egyptian God Cards and for the first time in the United States, the Dark Magician with Arkana’s red artwork. To top it off, a few new cards supporting the Spellcaster monster class and promo cards designed after some of the more iconic cards from the Duelist Kingdom series will give old and new fans something to look forward to. This set retails for $29.99.

Decks

Yu-Gi-Oh 2015 Holiday Tins

If you’re looking for something more modern, you can never go wrong with Konami’s annual holiday tins. At $29.99 each, each tin comes with their own set of guaranteed, sought after cards, including Odd Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon. In addition, each set includes three 16 card Mega Packs, each of which has one of every rarity type taken from every set released this year. So if you’re looking for those hard to find Shaddolls, Yang Zings, Performages, or anything else in between, this is a great place to start.

Tin

Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Play Set

Disney Infinity fans, the wait is almost over! On December 18, the first video game version of The Force Awakens will release when the Play Set based on the movie is released. Including Finn and Rey, Kylo Ren and Poe Dameron will be sold separately on launch day. Much like the film itself, we know next to nothing about the contents of the set, but we’re excited to find out when Friday rolls around. Oh, and if light up lightsabers are your thing, you might want to check out the recently released Light FX figures while you’re there!

ForceAwakens

Seagate Xbox Game Drive

With all of those holiday games that you’ve picked up for yourselves, your friends, it might be time to think about expanding your hard drive space, especially considering how everything needs 50 GBs worth of installs and updates at this point. Seagate is making it easy for console gamers to set this up with their Xbox Game Drive. Retailing at $99.99, this 2 TB portable drive can technically work with anything that supports external hard drives, but with its Xbox Green design, why would you want to use it on anything else but your Xbox One? Using a single USB 3.0 cord, expanding your data is as easy as plugging the drive in. Considering that you don’t have to replace your 500 GB minimum internal drive to use it either, you’ll be able to game without having to delete anything for a long time.

Seagate

Plantronics RIG Headset With Mixer

One of the aspects of the current generation of gaming that confused the hell out of me was audio mixing while game chatting. Thankfully, Plantronics’ latest headset makes this transition much easier. With multiple models that come with different colors and adapters for Xbox One, Playstation 4 and everything in between, you’ll be able to filter the game audio and voice chat with the flick of a switch. Oh, and it helps that the soft ear cups make it one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever worn. It might set you back a bit with its $119.99 price tag, but if you’re serious about competitive play, or just want a convenient way to communicate while you game, you can’t go wrong with the RIG.

RIG

Nepgear 1/8 Scale Figure and Kat PVC Statue

When you can’t choose which waifu you want under your tree, why not get them all?

First, this Nepgear 1/8 Scale Figure displays Neptune’s techy sister in all her glory. Fans of Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 know why the CPU Candidate’s struggle to rescue the elder goddesses makes her worthy of her spotlight, which is why this statue is a perfect way to display your appreciation for her worthiness as a main character. Yeah, I said it.

And just in time for the remaster of Gravity Rush, Kat is back with her own PVC statue, showing off her gravity manipulation skills. With Dusty at her side, all those Vita fans out there now have something to display in honor of what I feel is the best exclusive on the often forgotten handheld. With a second one on the way, it’s good to see the gravity queen getting the appreciation she deserves.

Nepgear

Shane O’Hare

Every year Christmas comes and Christmas goes, and I am constantly asked what I want for Christmas. It’s always a hard thing for me to decide, as I am always very grateful for the things I have already, and the people in my life. BUT if Santa is done being busy conquering the martians and wants to bestow upon me lavish gifts then it would have to go a little something like this.

Duck Sauce Traktor Control Vinyl

Last year I wanted the Native Instruments Z2 mixer. Still haven’t picked it up, but I still use my digital vinyl control when I DJ. It’s special vinyl that sends a signal to the computer so you can manipulate the MP3s in your DJ software. Whenever you see a DJ with a laptop and two turntables, they’re 99% of the time using a type of Control Vinyl.

The market for custom Traktor vinyl is very small compared to their main competitor, Serato. So whenever a unique piece of wax comes out I am always interested.

The Duck Sauce Control Vinyl has Duck Sauce’s single Radio Stereo on one side, and the control tone for Traktor on the other. I like this particular record because of its color. It matches my DJ LOGO!

Duck

Corsair RM1000X Power Supply

If you are ever considering building your own custom gaming PC one thing you should NEVER skimp on is the power supply. A cheap power supply can potentially damage or destroy your precious components. It’s also a good idea to future proof your PSU, so that if you ever upgrade your rig you won’t have to complete disassemble and rewire the whole damn thing. I’ve had my 750W Corsair for YEARS and it has moved from a few builds. But now, it’s starting to hit the limit of its power output, and the stuff I am tossing at it is taxing it.

The RM1000X is a fantastic 1000W power supply from Corsair. One of my favorite companies. The best thing about this is that it’s modular! That means you can plug in the exact amount of leads required for your rig, and not have a big bulky mess messing up air flow!

Seriously kids. Get a modular PSU. You’ll thank me.

PSU

We Love Fine Chibi My Little Pony Vinyls

I’m a Brony. I’m THE Brony. I love almost everything about the show and the fandom. I love the toys, and these Chibi vinyls from We Love Fine are totes adorbs. A lot of the time, “Chibi-ized” toys tend to look goofy, but these are amazing. The cute little feets! AHHHH!

Chibi

Constantine Zippo Lighter Movie Sized

I am a huge fan of the Constantine movie, as well as the TV Show (rest in peace). One thing from the movie that stood out was John’s big ass, engraved Zippo. There are a few replicas out there on the market, but they are your standard Zippo size. This one is jumbo!

Lighter

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon

If you’re a windows fan, and want a Macbook killer then look no further. Lenovo Thinkpads are my go to for laptops. Their magnesium chassis, and hardware level Hard Disk protection make them durable as fuck. You could frisbee disk one of these mothers across the room and it would probably do more damage to the wall.

Super thin, powerful and with a reserved look, I want one of these badly. It would be perfect for DJing.

Carbon

Matthew Rodriguez

Yo-Kai Watch for the Nintendo 3DS

Yo-Kai Watch is one of the leading games in Japan, even rivaling Pokemon!  As a huge Pokemon fan myself, I’ve been looking to try this game out myself, just to see what all of the hubbub is all about.  It’s been getting rave reviews all around (including Geekscape), so I think it’s safe to say that it would be a great purchase!

YoKai

Apple TV 4th generation

Ha!  I thought I could provide an Amazon link to the Apple TV 4th gen, however recent controversies got it pulled on the shop.

However, I’m looking forward to seeing all that Apple is bringing to the table in terms of both video streaming and gaming!  I haven’t  yet owned an Apple TV in my lifetime, but with Apple’s ‘Metal’ technology (Metal is a graphics standard similar to openGL and DirectX), I’d rather be at the forefront of this new tech.  Oh, and it would probably help that I own multiple Apple devices to interact with it, as well.

apple-tv-4th-gen

Skylanders Eon’s Elite figurines (Slam Bam, Voodood, and Zook)

I apologize once again for not being able to locate a suitable shopping link.  Skylander’s Eon’s Elite are “superior” versions of the original Skylanders, and are all GameStop exclusive.  So far, I’ve managed to nab the original eight, however there are three more coming out that I want to get my hands on—Elite Slam Bam, Elite Voodood, Elite Zook.  I’ve been obsessed with these since I had learned that they’re even better than their legendary counterparts, and still playing through Skylanders Superchargers with my wife.  They will be excellent additions to my little toy army!

NewEonsElite

Eric Francisco

To be honest I’ve given up having any kind of material wishlist. Besides the fact that I’m spending the holidays on vacation and putting all my money towards that, I’m just not feeling an itch for a must-have this year. I’m an adult! But if I did, it’d probably be…

PlayStation 4 Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Bundle

I totally missed out on having a PlayStation 3 so I’ve never played any of the Unchartered games! So a remastered bundle on a cheaper PlayStation 4 sounds like a win to me. I’m happy with my Xbox One but there are a ton of Sony-exclusive games I want to get my hands on. And I almost did, until Rocket League was announced for the Xbox One.

Uncharted

S.H. Figuarts G-Stag and Reddle

I’m an avid collector of Bandai’s premium S.H. Figuarts and I seriously want to complete by B-Fighter collection with G-Stag and Reddle. You might recognize these guys: They’re the Big Bad Beetleborgs!

Beetel

Legacy Blade Blaster

Bandai quietly released the collector’s version of the iconic Blade Blaster from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. It’s a must have for me, especially since I’m building towards my legit Red Ranger cosplay. I’m gonna rock Halloween so much.

Blaster

Juan Carlos Marquez

Gift Certificate for Outer Limits in Long Beach, CA

I love tattoos. Always have. Now, I’m not talking about those cruddy tattoos people give their friends in a garage on a Saturday night in exchange for a six-pack of beer; I am talking about quality work from talented artists, and Outer Limits in Long Beach, CA has them in spades.

Three years ago at Outer Limits, I received the best tattoo to date–a full-color stained glass Legend of Zelda tattoo which covers my entire inner left bicep. It took 9 hours to complete–but dear Lord–was it worth it! I am still absolutely in love with it; the colors are bright and the line work is crisp and clean.Now I have the itch to make it a traditional half sleeve Zelda tattoo, and nothing would make me happier than to have the people at Outer Limits make that happen.

Limits

Power-Up Heart Pint Glass 4-Pack

If my 30+ years of gaming have taught me anything, it’s that exploring enemy-infested dungeons can make a man quite parched. What better way to quench a hero’s thirst than by drinking one’s cold beverage of choice out one one of these bad boys! When the pint is full, the three hearts turn red. As one drinks, the hearts deplete, promptly alerting anyone in view that you are in need of a refill. Hey, you could just ask for another Perrier (or beer), but you’re saving a kingdom, damn it. The least the town folk could do is keep your thirst at bay. Cheers to you, hero!

Powerup

Big Trouble in Little China — Fu Manchu Muscle Shirt

Do I really need to explain this to anyone? It’s Jack Burton’s shirt! Forget about wearing this at the gym; I’d wear this thing to weddings! Laugh now, but when ancient sorcerers kidnap your green-eyed girlfriend and need back up to fight elemental kung fu masters, you’ll be thankful your buddy JC is already dressed for battle.

Tank

Mary Campos

Owen – Hart of Gold DVD/Blu-Ray

I always feel that Owen Hart was totally overlooked, and his death was totally senseless and tragic. I’m really excited that the WWE is finally releasing a DVD with footage, and interviews of Owen.

I’d probably spend the day watching this with my grandma. Don’t laugh. She’s the reason I pay for the WWE network.

Hart

Lego Dimensions 

I am so head over heels in love with the Lego series of games. Maybe it’s just the fact that whenever I am stuck in the game I can usually smash something until I figure out what to do next. But I’m sure I’d lose lots of time, and money on this as its Lego’s answer to the Amiibo, Skylanders craze.

Dimensions

Star Wars Ice Cream

I want this. The price tag is a little hefty for my liking. $36.00 for 4 pints of ice cream? But by the same logic, I’ve paid $9.00 a pint for beer, so why am I complaining?  This Ample Hills Creamery limited edition features collectable containers, and two pints of the Light Side flavor, and the Dark Side Flavor.

Ice

Death Wish Coffee

I love coffee, I really really do. So the Death Wish coffee, which claims to have “double the caffeine of an average cup”, sounds like a fantastic idea for the caffeine fiend in your life. Because we can all use a little more pep in our step during the holidays right?

dw-bag

Jeff Potter’s Cooking for Geeks

We all have to eat…but some of us are better at making food ourselves. But this book combines science and tech and brings them into the kitchen. I’m not usually a fan of cookbooks, since every recipe is on the Internet, but this one peaked my interest. There aren’t very many cookbooks that explain the science of smells, and tells you the science behind making a 500-pound doughnut. Not that I would ever attempt that. Ha, no I probably would attempt it.

Cooking

Philip Dobson

Leviathan Wakes

I’m calling out the first book in the Expanse series because the SyFy show of the same name just launched, and this is really such a great series. It’s not going to open your mind up to new ways of thinking, but it’s a hell of a fun ride while you’re reading it. The first book, Leviathan awakes is wonderful introduction into this universe. There are some really wonderfully creepy sections in this book that may make the hair on the back of your neck. I don’t know how well the TV show will turn out, but the books are fantastic.

LeviathanWakes

Future Shock! The Story Of 2000 AD

The documentary about one of the best episodic compilation comic books in history. Great titles like Judge Dredd and the Nemesis came from these pages. So much of the sci fi to come out of the UK has it’s roots in 2000 A.D. I should mention that there’s a drop of nepotism on this one. Our own Helen Mullane worked on this one in between her career as all around awesome geek, and dog sledder. Watch the trailer and tell me you aren’t compelled to go and get this right now.

It’s not available in North America, but after a limited theater run it’s made it’s way to Amazon.co.uk. You can find it here

FutureShock

Nexus 6P

I work in Telecom, I see phones come and go. Apple is of course the staple, they’ll put out a solid product all the time, everytime, but some are better than others. You know what you’re getting up front, what I look for though, is something a little more of the road less traveled. Most people know about the pure Android Nexus 5, it was a solid piece of hardware that cost around $300. The lastest Nexus devices, the 6P and the 5X are really where my heart is though. The price has jumped quite a bit, but the 6P is absolutely the best Android device on the market, and the 5X does a solid job of giving a good alternative to the 6P with a lower price tag. If you want to get slightly better value you can try the Moto Style, but it’s not pure Android, and that may be a slight turn off for you.

6P

Hubsan X4 H107 R/C Micro Quad Copter

The market is being flooded with drones lately. There are a sea of cheap drones that I wouldn’t put a great deal of stock in, but if you want something cheap that works fairly well check out the Hobson 4X in any of it’s iterations. The non camera version is extremely inexpensive for what it is, and it’s fairly easy to control considering the price point.  This one goes for only $40.

QuadCopter

Karson Braaten

Audible Membership

Audiobooks have almost completely replaced reading for me and Audible is the best source for them. If you love books but never find the time to read, try listening to one. At the very least I listen to a book on my commute to and from work (which totals 40 minutes/day). So multiply that by 20 days and you have 13 hours of reading/month! Get use to listening on the 1.5x setting to burn through even more books!

Some of my favourites include:

The Graveyard Book – written and narrated by Neil Gaiman (and anything else narrated by Neil Gaiman!)

The Martian – written by Andy Weir and narrated by R. C. Bray

Ready Player One – written by Ernest Cline and narrated by Wil Wheaton

… Oh, and they recently released all the Harry Potter books narrated by JIM DALE!

audible-logo-white

Bose QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones

One downside of listening to books (or podcasts) on headphones is it is easily interrupted by external noise. While walking passing vehicles can easily drown out the narrator. This beautiful headset will fix that issue. They’ll also come in handy for watching movies on my laptop while my girlfriend is doing something else on the television. Movies are much more immersive with headphones! Sure, this expensive set might be overkill but hey, it’s Christmas!

Bose

The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki

Just in case, Jonathan forgot to put this on his list, Santa can bring me his copy!

Miyazaki

Gabriel von Grünbaum

Recommended: Smile.Amazon.com
Like a lot of people I do a large percentage of my shopping on Amazon these days. It’s really hard to beat the convenience of having things just show up at my door—and with Prime, it’s even faster. I remember the first time a friend was telling me how great Prime was back in the day. The pitch was just about the 2-Day Shipping back then. Now there’s the movies, shows, music and more—but honestly it’s still about the shipping for me and I love it. The other reason I like to do all the shopping I can through Amazon is Smile. You select the charity that’s most important to you and, with Amazon Smile, a small percentage of the purchase price you pay goes to that charity! I chose Lupus LA and I feel great that every comic book, video game, movie and spice rack I purchase is helping them fund research and raise awareness. It doesn’t cost you a dime, whether or not you’re a part of Prime, and it’s easy to set up. It even offsets the guilt I feel when I buy something like I, Frankenstein 3D only to realize it’s a horrid movie—at least I did a little good with that waste of money! Just remember it doesn’t work through the apps or anything; you have log into smile.amazon.com in a browser to make your purchase count (a catch I wish they’d correct).

 

Smile

 

Recommended: Amazon Echo

Holy crow! I have artificial intelligence in my home and I think I’m falling in love with it. Have you guys seen Her?—I’m connecting with that film on a whole other level now. The intelligence built into the Echo speaker is named Alexa and once I call out to her I can ask her to do a whole slew of things—with new functionalities being developed and added all the time. “Alexa, shuffle my Danny Elfman playlist.” Bam!—Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice bounce through the air. “Alexa, add vitamin C to shopping list.” Bam! “Alexa, what’s on my calendar for today?” Bam! “Alexa, did the Seahawks win?” Bam!—she gives me the score of the latest game and when they’ll be playing next. “Alexa, Wikipedia vampires.” Bam! “Alexa, tell me the news.” Bam! “Alexa, who stars in The Martian?” Bam! “Alexa, tell me a joke.” Bam!—(Where do you take a sick boat? To the doc[k].) Ha! She endears me when she starts getting cute about things like when I say, “Alexa, good night,” and she’ll reply with, “Good night—don’t let the bedbugs bite.” I’m in love. It doesn’t stop there; like I said, they’re developing new capability for her all the time. She can connect with home automation systems like Philips Hue and WeMo to start controlling connected devices and appliances with your voice! Like freakin’ Star Trek or something! I had to test this out, so I picked up. . .
AmazonEcho

 

Recommended: LIFX Color 1000 A19 Wi-Fi Smart LED Light Bulb
Pronounced “Life-X” when speaking with Alexa, this light is amaze-bulbs! (Waka-waka!) The range of colors you can achieve is everything you’d hope for and then some. The brightness beats the other regular LED bulbs I have. Like Amazon Echo, LIFX is still adding new features and capabilities to the WiFi bulb that can connect to home automation systems, Echo and can also be controlled through the LIFX app on your phone. I can turn on the light at home from anywhere in the world I have a data connection. At home, I can ask Alexa to turn it on or off, change color and adjust brightness. Some of the current capabilities include being able to program it to change colors, turn on or off—even with a slow fade—at a given time or circumstance. It can flicker like candle/fire light and that programmable fade can be great as an “alarm light” to gently wake you in the morning! Can’t wait to see what new features they’ll be adding next. I’ll absolutely be getting more of these bulbs and networking them together.
Color-1000-E26-Mockup-Box-Bulb-Aug-2015

 

Recommended: Google Cardboard
Google Cardboard has been around for a while already. Until recently, I hadn’t really paid much attention to it at all—seemed like some gimmicky thing you could do with your phone. Whoa, yeah, I came to discover it’s a bit more than that. Cardboard is an accessible, practically free, introduction into some of the latest virtual reality as it’s being developed. This is not the culmination of VR and all it promises—this is a chance for you to start experiencing it in its infancy—to get a taste of everything that’s about to come and realize that in no time this will be how we get all our entertainment and information. One of the first things I did was to VR my way around Google Earth and dive down into where I live. Then I started downloading games and little mini interactive shorts. There’s concerts to explore on stage too and so much more. With both creatives and business flocking to develop and shape the future of virtual reality, there promises to be fresh new experiences coming out at a brisk clip!

 

Cardboard

 

My Wishlist: Nomiku Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
Have you eaten anything cooked sous vide yet? No? Are you ready to feel like a fancy motherf***er? Are ready to feel like you’re actually eating food for the first time? Then it’s time for you to turn cooking into science! It’s hard to adequately describe the results but. . . Imagine your favorite bite of the best beef/chicken/fish you’ve had. Now imagine that every bite of it on your plate tasted like that best bite—but better—cooked exactly the way you like it, evenly, end to end. Nothing gets burned, overcooked or dry; and with every bite, an angel gets its wings. That almost succeeds in describing what you can do with sous vide cooking. The first time I had it, a friend had snuck me into an exclusive New York dining club in Manhattan and brought me a personal favorite dish, the Cobb Salad. I was lamenting that it was made with chicken breast because so rarely does anyone cook it properly; often the white meat is too dry or rubbery. The salad was all fancified as a glorified lettuce wedge with all the Cobb-ery draped over it, including the sexiest looking chicken breast I’d ever seen. I was blown away and it was the first time I started handing out angel wings. The next time was in Seattle at the home of some fancypants friends who are well-traveled trendsetters. They had prepared a selection of vegetables and various cuts of steaks that they then seared the edges of with a torch! So many angels got their wings that day. They had spent thousands of dollars getting their sous vide setup together and I haven’t been ready to make that sort of commitment. Well, thanks to Nomiku, none of us have to break the bank to eat like the gods of Olympus! The Nomiku Sous Vide Immersion Circulator is affordable and extremely adaptable. Could I get a bucket and cook the fanciest and most divine Thanksgiving turkey ever in it?! I think I may be testing that out next year.

 

Circulator

 

My Wishlist: Philips Fidelio B5
Once upon a time, I lived out in the country where I could blast music and movies to my heart’s content without bothering the neighbors. City living changed all that. So, when considering a surround sound setup for my entertainment center, most offerings were just overkill on sonic power I’d never get to take advantage of anyway—additionally, finding a way to gracefully get those speaker wires around the room to the rear speakers never worked out as well as I’d like. I gave up years ago and settled for a nice Sony soundbar that’s been providing decent sound for my television ever since. However, I still greatly miss the experience I’d get with surround sound at home. Now it looks like someone finally heard my very specific prayers for completing my entertainment needs once and for all with the Philips Fidelio B5 Soundbar—with detachable wireless speakers that automatically adjust themselves when placed behind you to give you surround sound! Why has no one else done this yet? Seriously, look around—I have—this is literally the only product that’s doing this. It’s like some amazing dream come true—I hope. Someone still has to make my holiday wish come true so I can start using this at home and make sure. (Hint, hint.)

 

Speaker

 

More from My Wishlist: Sphero’s BB-8 looks like the new droid from Star Wars: The Force Awakens that fits in your hand. Through the app on your phone, you can control him, set tasks and activities, hear his boops and beeps and even set up augmented reality “holographic projections” viewable on your phone’s screen using its camera pointed at BB-8. Personally, this exactly the sort of thing I would love forever but honestly only use for the first week or so—after which, it would likely be coming out to play only when I had guests to impress. . . with my geeky toy. One day soon, I’m going to get a Raspberry Pi 2 and take over the freaking world! (This will also require me becoming somewhat more independently wealthy so that I’ll have the time to learn all of the amazing things that this little beast is capable of—like: creating my own home automation servers, constructing my own customized gaming and entertainment center and building my AI robot army to protect me during the coming Zombie Apocalypse.) I think that the Pebble Time Steel might finally put my ol’ Casio calculator watch to rest at last. Ever monkeyed around with 3D modeling or animation and wished you could get it to look like it does in Hollywood movies? Wonder no more! Remarkably, Pixar is offering their RenderMan software FREE!—for non-commercial use (meaning evaluation, educational or personal use). So as long as, scouts’ honor, you’re not making money/profit off of using the software, have at it for free! (Some of you are literally freaking out right now while others are shrugging with indifference—such is life.) The reality of Los Angeles is that you’re living in a desert and when those Santa Ana winds start blowing it gets extra dry—I’ve gone through a few humidifiers. However, I may have just discovered the last one I’ll need when I found the Dyson Humidifier. I’m already a fan of their. . . fans—I own a tall one and a smaller heater one—and the famous vacuum cleaner. This new humidifier cleans the water with ultraviolet light before filling your home with the welcome vapors to combat arid climates. Humid, ultraviolet and Dyson are really the only three words I needed to hear—I’m on board! I was going to close out with a wish for this awesome self-tracking drone that basically follows you taking video—like your own aerial cameraman—but apparently the company making the ZANO just collapsed after raising over $3 million on Kickstarter! Like it literally fell apart just days ago. So I’ll close with a long shot wish: Dear other English blokes, please don’t sod off to get stupid pissed like those ZANO wankers before sending me a Hoverbike! Pip pip, off you pop. Cheerio!

 

Sphero

What are you hoping for this holiday season? Sound out in the comments below!

Here Are The Nominations For The 2015 Golden Globes!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Today I learned that The Martian was a Comedy / Musical.

In all seriousness though, the Golden Globe nominations for 2015 have been revealed, and its damned clear that it’s going to be a tight race this year. It was another amazing year for television and cinema, and while there are certainly some surprises on this list, I really, really can’t wait to see who takes home the gold.

Could it finally be Leo’s year? Will Fury Road win Best Picture? What’s going to happen!? I guess we’ll find out when the Ricky Gervais-hosted ceremony airs on January 10th!

Here’s the full list of nominations!

Movies

Best Motion Picture – Drama
“Carol”
“Mad Max: Fury Road”
“The Revenant”
“Room”
“Spotlight”

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
“The Big Short”
“Joy”
“The Martian”
“Spy”
“Trainwreck”

Best Director – Motion Picture
Todd Haynes (“Carol”)
Alejandro G. Iñárritu (“The Revenant”)
Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”)
George Miller (“Mad Max: Fury Road”)
Ridley Scott (“The Martian”)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant”)
Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs”)
Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”)
Will Smith (“Concussion”)

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Cate Blanchett (“Carol”)
Brie Larson (“Room”)
Rooney Mara (“Carol”)
Saoirse Ronan (“Brooklyn”)
Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Christian Bale (“The Big Short”)
Steve Carell (“The Big Short”)
Matt Damon (“The Martian”)
Al Pacino (“Danny Collins”)
Mark Ruffalo (“Infinitely Polar Bear”)

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy
Jennifer Lawrence (“Joy”)
Melissa McCarthy (“Spy”)
Amy Schumer (“Trainwreck”)
Maggie Smith (“The Lady in the Van”)
Lily Tomlin (“Grandma”)

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Paul Dano (“Love & Mercy”)
Idris Elba (“Beasts of No Nation”)
Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”)
Michael Shannon (“99 Homes”)
Sylvester Stallone (“Creed”)

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Jane Fonda (“Youth”)
Jennifer Jason Leigh (“The Hateful Eight”)
Helen Mirren (“Trumbo”)
Alicia Vikander (“Ex Machina”)
Kate Winslet (“Steve Jobs”)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Emma Donoghue (“Room”)
Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer (“Spotlight”)
Charles Randolph, Adam McKay (“The Big Short”)
Aaron Sorkin (“Steve Jobs”)
Quentin Tarantino (“The Hateful Eight”)

Best Original Score
Carter Burwell (“Carol”)
Alexandre Desplat (“The Danish Girl”)
Ennio Morricone (“The Hateful Eight”)
Daniel Pemberton (“Steve Jobs”)
Ryuichi Sakamoto Alva Noto (“The Revenant”)

Best Original Song
“Love Me Like You Do” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”
“One Kind of Love” from “Love & Mercy”
“See You Again” from “Furious 7”
“Simple Song No. 3” from “Youth”
“Writing’s on the Wall” from “Spectre”

Best Animated Feature Film
“Anomalisa”
“The Good Dinosaur”
“Inside Out”
“The Peanuts Movie”
“Shaun the Sheep Movie”

Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
“The Brand New Testament”
“The Club”
“The Fencer”
“Mustang”
“Son of Saul”

Television

Best TV Series – Drama

“Empire”
“Game of Thrones”
“Mr. Robot”
“Narcos”
“Outlander”

Best TV Series – Comedy
“Casual”
“Mozart in the Jungle”
“Orange Is the New Black”
“Silicon Valley”
“Transparent”
“Veep”

Best TV Movie or Limited-Series
“American Crime”
“American Horror Story: Hotel”
“Fargo”
“Flesh and Bone”
“Wolf Hall”

Best Actor in a TV Series – Drama
Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”)
Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”)
Wagner Moura (“Narcos”)
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)
Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan”)

Best Actress in a TV Series – Drama
Caitriona Balfe (“Outlander”)
Viola Davis (“How to Get Away With Murder”)
Eva Green (“Penny Dreadful”)
Taraji P. Henson (“Empire”)
Robin Wright (“House of Cards”)

Best Actor in a TV Series – Comedy
Aziz Ansari (“Master of None”)
Gael Garcia Bernal (“Mozart in the Jungle”)
Rob Lowe (“The Grinder”)
Patrick Stewart (“Blunt Talk”)
Jeffrey Tambor (“Transparent”)

Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy
Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex Girlfriend”)
Jamie Lee Curtis (“Scream Queens”)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, (“Veep”)
Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin”)
Lilly Tomlin (“Grace & Frankie”)

Best Actor in a Limited-Series or TV Movie
Idris Elba (“Luther”)
Oscar Isaac (“Show Me a Hero”)
David Oyelowo (“Nightingale”)
Mark Rylance (“Wolf Hall”)
Patrick Wilson (“Fargo”)

Best Actress in a Limited-Series or TV Movie
Kirsten Dunst (“Fargo”)
Lady Gaga (“American Horror Story: Hotel”)
Sarah Hay (“Flesh & Bone”)
Felicity Huffman (“American Crime”)
Queen Latifah (“Bessie”)

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Limited-Series or TV Movie
Alan Cumming (“The Good Wife”)
Damian Lewis (“Wolf Hall”)
Ben Mendelsohn (“Bloodline”)
Tobias Menzies (“Outlander”)
Christian Slater (“Mr. Robot”)

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Limited-Series, or TV Movie
Uzo Aduba (“Orange is the New Black”)
Joanne Froggatt (“Downton Abbey”)
Regina King (“American Crime”)
Judith Light (“Transparent”)
Maura Tierney (“The Affair”)

So, what are you surprised to see on the list? What are you surprised was left off? Sound out below!

Where’s Ex Machina?

Watch The New Teaser For ‘Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: It’s been a long time since we’ve seen any new footage come out of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and I’m beyond happy to say that the production’s long silence ended tonight with an awesome new, albeit brief look at the film during tonight’s episode of Gotham.

It’s crazy to think that we see a new teaser, trailer, TV spot, or image for something like Star Wars: The Force Awakens seemingly every single day, and yet Warner Bros., Zack Snyder, and company have done an incredible job keeping so much of Dawn of Justice a secret.

The video was announced in a Tweet promoting Gotham‘s just concluded mid-season finale, and even if you’re not a fan of Fox’s Gordon-focused prequel series, it was certainly worth the watch for the new teaser alone.

Damn this looks cool. Take a look at the new teaser below, and be sure to let us know just how much you’re looking forward to March 25th, when Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice finally hits theatres!

IndieCade 2015: ‘F-Zero’ Meets ‘Ikaruga’ In ‘FAST Racing NEO’

by Josh Jackson

While Nintendo has been better over the past year with revisiting some of their seemingly forgotten franchises like Star Fox and Chibi Robo, one much sought after series that is nowhere to be found is F-Zero. Looking to fill that void, the developers at Shinen Games, (the folks behind the Jett Rocket and Nanostray series of games,) have turned their attention to the race track with FAST Racing NEO, a futuristic, high speed competition that pits the galaxy’s greatest drivers against one another across a series of tracks. At this year’s IndieCade, we got a chance to check out what this promising title has in store for Wii U owners.

FAST Racing NEO Screen 1Opponents are relentless

Obviously modeled after the style of Nintendo’s own racer, NEO manages to replicate the sense of speed, and the punishing difficulty of the games that inspired it. Keeping up with each turn, figuring out when the best times to boost are, and fighting off opponents who will take the first chance they get to run you off the road all comes off as a seamless, adrenaline filled experience that comes off as if it were a sequel in a long running series as opposed to the developer’s first try at this type of game. Putting all of these pieces together as you zoom through the track is vital if you want to win, because once you fly off the road or end up getting your vehicle destroyed, chances are you can say goodbye to that first place position. The CPU in the runs that I played was relentless, ensuring that I was on top of my game each time.

Not content with just being an F-Zero clone however, NEO manages to pull away from the pack thanks to its unique boosting meter mechanic. Replacing the health meter is the boost meter, where driving over certain sections of the track will build up your stored boost for later use. However, these sections are color coated as either blue or orange, and will only reward you with that precious speed if you ship switches its force field to match the color of the track. Much like Ikaruga, changing colors on the fly is achieved with a simple tap of the button, but anticipating when the right time to switch is becomes a challenge in and of itself, adding some depth to an already strong outing.

FAST Racing NEO Screen 3Split screen co-op, and it still looks great? Who would have thought?

Scheduled for a 2015 release on the Wii U e-Shop, FAST Racing NEO is right around the corner. Complete with online and four player split screen races to accompany the game’s yet to be played single player content, and it’s looking like this indie title will be one to save your points cards for when the holidays roll around.

Are you as excited for FAST Racing NEO as we are? Let us know in the comment below!

NYCC 2015: Frank Miller’s Next Book? Another ‘Sin City’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Comic book legend Frank Miller surprised everyone at the ongoing New York Comic-Con with an appearance at a Dark Knight III: The Master Race panel.

That book hits shelves on November 25th, so of course an attendee asked what Frank Miller had planned following this latest controversial book.

“Oh yeah. My next book is set, I’m working on it now, in fact. It’s a Sin City, a love story set against the backdrop of World War II.”

He offered no further information about the characters or details on the book (including a release window), but the fact that another Sin City is on the way (in book form) is very exciting to me. As long as it turns out better than the added segments in last year’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, I’m definitely down.

Would you be excited for another Sin City book? Or have you seen/read enough of Basin City and its inhabitants for one lifetime?

Miller

Source: ComicBook.com

The ‘Danganronpa 3’ Reveal Trailer Teases Updated Gameplay, A New Academy And The Same Old Monokuma

by Josh Jackson

During Sony’s press conference at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, Spike Chunsoft officially revealed Danganrona 3, complete with its first trailer.

Originally said to have been in the works at last year’s TGS, this reveal trailer comes fresh off the heels of the latest game, Ultra Despair Girls, releasing in the West, so everyone should be on the same page when it comes to the story! Teasing a brand new academy, and a type of testimony called “skimmish,” where multiple classmates give their sides of the story at the same time, it’ll be even harder to cut through their words to find the truth. With Monokuma, Monomi, Shirokuma and Kurokuma all making appearances in the trailer, could they all be in the main game as well? Or were they simply stand ins for the yet to be revealed cast? All I know is that I hope that line about Togami being dead was only an example and not a spoiler.

Watch it below and tell us what kind of despair you hope the third main game in this popular text adventure will bring. Danganronpa 3 will release on the PS Vita, as well as making its console debut on the PS4, on a yet to be determined release date.

‘Ace Attorney 6’ Shows Off A New Type Of Courtroom In Its Latest Trailer

by Josh Jackson

With Ace Attorney 6 recently confirmed for an international release, it wouldn’t be long until we learned more about Phoenix Wright’s latest escapades. What better time to show your cards than this year’s Tokyo Game Show? At the event, Capcom released their first full trailer for the game, giving us a hint at what the turnabout lawyer has in store for his sixth outing.

Taking place in the kingdom of Kurain, this far off country uses a legal system known as “Futile Trials”. As the name suggests, all defendants are found guilty in this land that relies on mysticism over logic, especially with their ability to view the final moments of the victim’s life to pinpoint the culprit. Thus, this is a system with no defense attorney’s, but what happens when an ace attorney finds himself behind their walls?

The Ace Attorney 6 trailer implies that the next major game play addition will be the ability to examine the victim’s final moments, doing its best, mystic impression of Minority Report. As expected, Phoenix will find contradictions in these scenes, ultimately proving his client’s innocence as only an ace attorney can.

But we can’t discuss the trailer without pointing out its peculiarities. Like where are Apollo and Athena? Let’s hope Phoenix isn’t riding solo here, since I would love to see them develop more, especially after how well the fifth game handled them. And wait… Did they say Kurain!? Based on the theme of the trailer and the shape of the 6 in the title looking like a magatama, it seems like we’re heading back to the spirit channeling days of the original trilogy. If that’s the case, where’s Maya? Isn’t she the Master? What about Pearl? If nothing else, we can almost guarantee that we’ll be seeing the Fey girls again, but how has the Kingdom of Kurain drifted so far from the Kurain Villiage that we saw in the past? Are they even directly related outside of name? Agh, the questions!

We’ll find out when Ace Attorney 6 releases worldwide in 2016. What our your theories? Share them below!

‘King Of Fighters XIV’ Is Finally Announced! Headed Exclusively To PS4!

by Josh Jackson

Once upon a time, the King Of Fighters series was an annual affair. In more recent years however, the SNK/Playmore team took their time to revamp the game play and give the fighter a visual facelift, creating some of the most gorgeous 2D models we had seen at that point. Then… Nothing. Five years after KOF XIII hit arcades, we haven’t heard anything about the return of the long running franchise, which was odd considering the recent resurgence of 2D fighting games. At Tokyo Game Show however, we learned that we won’t have to wait much longer, because King Of Fighter XIV is on its way after the longest release gap in franchise history.

Headed to the PS4 in 2016, the reveal trailer showed off longtime rivals, Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, battling it out yet again. Except this time, their models are in full 3D, scrapping those incredible sprites that we were introduced to just a few games ago. Outside of this reveal, details are slim, but we’ll be excited to learn more as its release date draws closer.

Personally, I’m REALLY disappointed to see the 2D sprites go, not just because of nostalgia, but because these new, 3D models look kind of bad. I’m getting the vibe of one of those KOF Maximum Impact titles from it, which isn’t a good thing. When games like Guilty Gear Xrd can blend 2D and 3D so seamlessly, or when titles like Mortal Kombat X and Street Fighter IV prove that 3D models in a 2D space can come off as gorgeous, this trailer makes it look a little cheap. Still, it’s a long ways away, and it can still surprise us. Plus, as long as the game play is solid, (and when hasn’t it been?), then all will be forgiven.

Who are you hoping to see make their return? And what type of costume will Athena wear this time around? Share your thoughts below!

 

D23 2015: The ‘Marvel Battlegrounds’ Play Set Delivers 4 Player Local Co-Op To ‘Disney Infinity 3.0’

by Josh Jackson

Star Wars wasn’t the only property getting plenty of love during the D23 video game panel! While on stage, Disney Interactive finally delivered details on the previously announced Marvel Play Set coming to Disney Infinity 3.0.

Titled “Marvel Battlegrounds”, this set will be unique in the sense that it will allow 4 player local co-op in series history. Previously, four players was only possible online and in the Toy Box, but this Play Set looks to put all of your Marvel figures to good use, especially when they’re adding two more to play with.

Ripped straight from this summer’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron, the titular villain will be getting his own figure to use in the set and the toy box alongside Hulkbuster Iron Man. Want to rule the world? Or save it? Or maybe you want to ride in tea cups or have a friendly race through Gravity Falls? Regardless on how you use them, Marvel fans are sure to be thrilled to know that the comic book universe hasn’t been abandoned for a galaxy far, far away.

Take a look at the latest screenshots and trailer below and tell us what else you hope gets added! Will you be rounding out your Avengers collection with these new figures? And will you be getting together with the family to explore the Marvel universe in this new set? Let us know in the comments!

 

D23 2015: ‘The Good Dinosaur’, ‘Zootopia’, and Peter Pan Are Headed To ‘Disney Infinity 3.0’

by Josh Jackson

At the Disney Interactive video game panel at D23, it was teased that new Disney Originals would be revealed for Disney Infinity 3.0. Making good on their promise, it was revealed that characters from two upcoming films, The Good Dinosaur and Zootopia, would get the Toys To Life treatment. In addition, Peter Pan will also arrive next year as the “Toy Box Artists Choice”, after winning a vote amongst the participants of the latest Toybox Summit, consisting of players from across the country who have built some of the best stages in the game’s Toy Box mode.

All of these figures are set to be compatible with the Toy Box mode, (most likely meaning they won’t have a campaign, or “Play Set” of their own,) with both The Good Dinosaur and Zootopia getting their own Power Disc packs. While Spot from Pixar’s upcoming film was the only character confirmed thus far, it’s safe to say that we’ll be getting a few more from both films, especially Nick Wilde from the latter flick.

While these additions are welcomed, I’m especially thrilled that Peter is finally out. Getting Tinkerbell before him is strange as it is, but considering that there will be two Mickey’s a Minnie and a Donald with no Goofy, or Phineas and Perry releasing two years ago with no Ferb in sight, it wasn’t the first time that important characters were missing. Still, it’s not too late! Chances are they’ll arrive sooner or later. Right?

Disney Infinity 3.0 is arriving on August 28th with more content rolling out throughout next year.

 

SDCC 2015: We Throw Down With Tiny Robots In ‘Little Battlers Experience’

by Josh Jackson

Robot battles are awesome, aren’t they? It’s too bad we haven’t seen too many awesome games using the concept in recent years. While games like Virtual On and Custom Robo hold a special place in our hearts, there’s definitely a void that was left by the lack of new content when it comes to this genre. Thankfully, Level-5 is taking the controls and leading charge with Little Battlers Experience, a long running anime and game series that is finally seeing its Western debut on the 3DS this year. Playable at Comic-Con in the Nintendo Lounge, we took the chance to get into a 3-on-3 skirmish with our fellow con-goers.

Little Battlers Experience Preview Screen 2

With a variety of robots to choose from, each cardboard battler has a variety of special attacks, ranged fire and melee skills at their disposal. In addition to general stat differences like speed and attack power, each must be considered when trying to match up the perfect robot with your play style.

Once we hit the field, our teams clashed with the goal of knocking out the opposing team first. This wasn’t as easy as it sounded, since each robot has a limit to how much they can attack before they have to cool down. Try spamming your best skills, and you’ll be left behind as a sitting duck with no way to defend yourself. However, if you manage your skills well while landing flurries of attacks, you’ll gain access to a super attack, that does huge damage to the unlucky opponents who find themselves in your way.

Little Battlers Experience Preview Screen 1

What helps is that movement is exactly what we would expect like something from robot gaming’s past, relying on locking on, circle strafing, and boosting around the field while avoiding damage. The team dynamic made this Vs. mode more interesting as well, since the winning team would usually coordinate their attacks to either defend partners in trouble, or gang up on an isolated foe to rack up those KOs. Attacking wildly would usually lead to a loss, so working together definitely had its advantages.

After walking away with victory in hand, I couldn’t wait to try more. If you’re a fan of games like Virtual On, then LBX is looking like it will definitely scratch that mech battle itch. With an expert team like Level-5 behind it, would we expect anything less? All I know is with the awesome looking robot design and fluid game play, this title is high on my radar.

Little Battlers Experience will release for the 3DS on August 21st.

D23 2015: ‘Big Hero 6’ Is The Next World Confirmed For ‘Kingdom Hearts 3’!

by Josh Jackson

At the Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, it was announced that Big Hero 6 will be one of the new worlds featured in Kingdom Hearts 3!

San Fransokyo will be one of the locales that Sora and his friends will visit, taking place after the conclusion of the film. Hiro, Baymax, and the rest of the group are now a full fledged super hero team, fighting side by side with the Keyblade weilder as they defend their home from the incoming Heartless. Specific details are still a long ways away, but from the concept art that’s been shown, it’s clear that we’ll at least get to team up with Baymax, taking to the skies to fight some new, menacing Heartless.

Kingdom Hearts 3 Big Hero 6 Banner

Joining the previously announced Tangled world, it’s clear that the game is shifting towards Disney’s newer properties. At this point, I would say Frozen is a given, with Wreck-It Ralph being the biggest no brainer of all considering its video game ties. But with Big Hero Six being official, we’ll finally get to play super hero in the Kingdom Hearts universe. This game can’t come out soon enough!

What other worlds should make the cut? Any old favorites that you’d like to see make a return? Comment below and let us know!

Kingdom Hearts 3 is set to launch on the PS4 and Xbox One sometime this decade, (we hope.)

D23: ‘Kingdom Hearts’ Makes Its Debut In ‘Disney Infinity 3.0’!

by Josh Jackson

At the Disney Interactive video game panel at D23, the team behind the upcoming Disney Infinity 3.0 had some big news. Aside from the official reveal of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens character figures that will launch alongside their own Play Set, the Darth Vader branded PS4, and Big Hero 6 being confirmed for Kingdom Hearts 3, it looks like the ever so patient fans of Square Enix’s crossover epic will get a taste of the power of the Keyblade in the upcoming Star Wars themed Toys To Life game, courtesy of this year’s Ultimate Unlock! But the question must be asked; could this be foreshadowing something more!?

Disney Infinity 3.0 Keyblade Screen 1

In past versions, the Ultimate Unlock was a reward for buying every figure and leveling them up to at least level 1. Yes, that’s one expensive piece of DLC, (over $400 to give you an idea,) but the team always tried to make it worth it for their most dedicated fans. The first game unlocked a lightsaber, a full two years before Star Wars would get its own game. That left the likes of Mr. Incredible, Jack Sparrow, Anna and Elsa with the power of The Force. The second game awarded players with Luke Skywalker’s speeder, another tease at what would finally arrive in the third game. With Kingdom Hearts being teased between the Ultimate Unlock, and the con exclusive power disc that gives Mickey his king costume from the RPG, it’s safe to assume that a future game could become a full on collectable campaign featuring this universe. Imagine Sora, Riku, Kairi and Aqua getting the figure treatment!? Ugh, my money!

Will this reveal sway you when it comes to letting the addiction take over? Or are you more likely to give 3.0 a chance now that Kingdom Hearts has some representation? Either way, this might be the closest we’ll get to the series for the next 15 years when KH 3 will finally release. Sound off below and have your opinion be heard!

Gamescom 2015: ‘Scalebound’ Isn’t The Clone We Expected

by Josh Jackson

At first glance, Platinum Games’ upcoming Xbox One exclusive, Scalebound, looked like it was ripped straight out of the Monster Hunter playbook. When you think of a game where you run around big environments fighting towering dragons, how could you think otherwise? Once the first extended look at the game was released at GamesCom however, it’s clear that Hideki Kamiya’s upcoming title was a completely different beast.

From the five minutes of game play footage, it’s obvious that Scalebound looks incredible. Surprisingly, the player was fighting alongside a dragon rather than hunting it, exploring the gorgeous environments while fighting off enemies. Rather than being confronted by intimidating beasts, hordes of humans did their best to take down both the player and his dragon. With HP numbers popping up throughout the screen as damage is taken from both sides, it’s clear that RPG elements play a bigger role than what we had thought.

That’s not to say that you won’t be hunting monsters though, because there were a few shown off during the trailer as well. Fighting alongside your partner, the fighter was switching between sword attacks, long range bows, and items picked up on the field. Fighting around the two dragons clashing looked thrilling, which can only be improved by the co-op that the final version is promising.

From these early impressions, it’s looking like Scalebound might be one of the Xbox One’s highlights, but did we expect anything less from Platinum? Check out the trailer below and give us your thoughts!