Geekscape Roundtable: Our Top 3 Moments Of SDCC 2019!

by GeekscapeStaffJuly 25, 2019

It’s still hard to believe that it’s over, but SDCC 2019 has come and gone. Our blisters are beginning to heal, our sunburns are beginning to peel, and we’re here to reminisce about some of the amazing moments that we had over the past weekend.

If you weren’t able to make it to SDCC yourself, there’s tons of coverage right here on Geekscape.net to catch you up. Derek and Mikaela provided numerous recaps detailing just what can happen over the course of a day at this massive, massive event. Among other things, you can read (and watch) all about the impressive offsite events from around the Gaslamp District (including Amazon’s amazing Prime Video Experience, and FX’s terrifying and hilarious Fearless Forum), Mikaela also chatted with the co-creators and author of the new Audible Original Stan Lee’s Alliances: A Trick of Light, and Jonathan has posted up the annual SDCC episode of Geekscape, where he interviews many of the multitudes of individuals that stop by the Geekscape Booth each year, including Daryll ‘DMC’ McDaniels, whose conversation with Jonathan about mental health is worth the download alone.

We had a myriad of amazing moments at SDCC this year, and here are some of our top three!

Jonathan London

For me, San Diego Comic-Con is more than just the biggest pop culture convention in the world. It’s what I have long used as a barometer for Geekscape’s growth and success over the years. Are people still discovering the brand? Are they excited to find out what we’re all about? Do old school Geekscapists still use SDCC as their yearly chance to hang out with us face to face? The resounding answer this year was “YES”! So with that being said, here are my Top 3 experiences from SDCC 2019!

#3 – Super Action Man announces his 2020 Presidential campaign at the Geekscape booth.

Many of you enjoy Super Action Man’s antics. Perhaps you see them as a necessary evil for all the good he does day in and day out in keeping America safe from various threats around the world. Personally, I don’t like him. I think he’s a psycho. That being said, his multiple appearances at the Geekscape booth this year had everyone who witnessed them talking. He handed out campaign buttons, took photos with fans, kissed babies and shouted campaign promises like “Make DC Comics great again” and “Less Alt Right and more All Night!” I for one am glad that SAM has finally chosen to perform his All-American antics in the bright light of day instead of clandestinely carrying countless unspeakable acts of violence in the name of patriotic babes, barbecues and bravado.

#2 – Mandatory Geekscape team dinners unless your name is Derek Kraneveldt.

This is an SDCC Geekscape tradition that I had let fall by the wayside for the last few years. I’ll admit it. I was not in a good headspace and after spending the day at the Con I often found myself wanting to just step away from everything. But in retrospect, what I was stepping away from was the entire purpose of going: experiencing a week with the Geekscape team and keeping my finger on the pulse of how the team was doing (see above on the whole “yearly barometer” thing). What’s worse… I had missed countless hilarious moments with Matt, Derek and the team that were crucial to what larger companies would call “team building”. Since I’m not going to have anyone from Geekscape walk on coals anytime soon, not attending our nightly dinners are a pretty big missed opportunity for me. I found myself so distant by this past January that I literally told Derek and Matt that I was instating mandatory team dinners at SDCC. Matt responded “oh, Jon… we’ve been doing them. You just haven’t been around.” That was a pretty heartbreaking moment. Well, unless you’re Derek and have promised yourself to Amazon Studios every single night in the pursuit of free food and liquor (I’d say he’s a cheap date but his fiancé Mika was shackled to him for these events… read more about them here), our nightly team dinners were some of the brightest moments of my SDCC. From singing “God has a new thang” out loud in restaurants to hearing how the Geekscape team spent their day and acquainting myself with new members like Stephen Bay, the Geekscape dinners were the best parts of my day. I love my team, they crack me up and I can’t wait until we’re causing a scene next year or just picking on Matt for continuing to insist on Old Spaghetti Factory.

#1 – Talking mental health with Darryl “DMC” McDaniels at the Geekscape booth.

I’ll tell you right now why none of the SDCC 2019 exclusives, panel announcements or giant parties and events are on this list: I intensely do not care about them. In fact, other than an hour on Friday and Saturday night spent at parties, I actively avoided all of them, choosing to put my limited time and energy (during the single week each year where these are in the shortest supply) towards what I really care about: all of you! This is my 15th straight Comic Con. None of the big pop culture events or announcements or parties have lived in my brain during that time like the conversations, dinners and times shared with friends, both old and new! The majority of what is celebrated at SDCC each year is so incredibly disposable that I suggested to the team that we should start a betting system on our site to see which shows, properties and brands wouldn’t exist in just one year (but, you know… “don’t hate, create” and all that). What matters are the people who are there and make up our community. And we are suffering through a real mental health epidemic that is costing people their lives. Knowing that, I don’t really enjoy the disposable pop culture stuff anymore but I see the importance in using metaphors, stories and the shared passions that bring us together to keep us all going. I’d rather talk about the “real shit” than the things that just don’t really matter. Because of that, the highlight for me was my talk with Darryl “DMC” McDaniels on the podcast we recorded at the Geekscape booth. Darryl started the podcast interview thinking he’d be talking about his comic book and I think he was taken a bit by surprise when I turned the conversation towards mental health and his battles with depression. But like the “real gangster” he is, he didn’t blink and went all in in talking about it. Listen to the conversation on this week’s episode and tell me that wasn’t some real shit. And the real shit is what Geekscape is all about. Thanks for an awesome week full of real experiences, everyone!

Stephen Bay (of Analog Jones and the Temple of Film)

This was my very first time going to San Diego Comic-Con, and the journey definitely did not disappoint. I had a ton of experiences that I could have listed here but for speed, I’ll narrow it down to three. Without further ado, here we go!

3. Ray Harryhausen: The Lost Movies Book Panel

If you know me, then you know that I love stop-motion animation. There was no way I would turn down a chance to hear about the godfather of stop-motion himself, Ray Harryhausen, and his lost movies and scenes. Filmmaker John Walsh put together this book with never before seen drawings, projects, and characters from more than a dozen films from Ray Harryhausen. His presentation of how talented and hard-working Harryhausen was was a fantastic window into Harryhausen’s incredible career in Hollywood.

A bonus was sitting with two of Weta Workshop’s special effects contributors that were just as big of fanboys as I am. I loved every moment of talking with them before and after about how he affected their childhoods and their work today.

The book will be available on September 10, 2019. Pre-order today! That should earn me a free book.

2. The Angry Video Game Nerd Panel

Not many YouTube stars are as well known as James Rolfe in the gaming community. He’s the angry video game nerd that plays the sh*tty games, so you don’t have to. James Rolfe shared his experiences of being a YouTube star and filmmaker. He’s always well-spoken and honest about the struggles and successes of his long career on YouTube.

The most memorable and bizarre moment of the panel came at the Q&A when a fan asked about James Rolfe’s friend and contributor on AVGN, Mike Matei. A fan waited in line to ask about the size of Mike Matei’s penis. I’m not kidding. Why anyone would ask that is beyond me but talk about a strange moment!

1. San Diego’s environment!

San Diego’s embracement of nerd culture was by far the best experience for me. The entire city just gave me a big dorky hug that I will never forget. Every restaurant and bar had drink and food specials based off comic hero’s and villains. The streets were loaded with cosplay characters and street performers at night. On top of all that, it seemed like every block had events planned with stars or personalities based on anything comics or anime. All this was before you even stepped into the convention center to be overwhelmed and amazed with trailer drops and displays of future movies and streaming shows to come out soon.

I have to take a second to call out the Geekscape crew that gave me this opportunity. I can’t thank them enough for getting me a press pass and letting me experience SDCC 2019. All seven of us stayed in one hotel room and got along great. It was like I knew all of them, and we had just met. Thank you Geekscape for one hell of a trip. Let’s do it again!

Josh Jackson

3: The Nintendo Lounge

I was expecting to ignore the Nintendo Lounge this year since nearly every game on display was either out already or was covered during E3. Then I found out that MyNintendo members could scan their QR ID’s for free Splatoon 2 keychain sets that represented Team Chaos and Team Order from the Final Splatfest, (which happened to be going on during the con). That may have got my foot in the door, but there was plenty of reason to stay, including a special Southwest Airlines sponsored stage in Mario Maker 2 and a very odd digital claw game. Plus, being able to play games like Luigi’s Mansion 3 that I can’t wait to own come October was a huge plus.

2: Borderlands 3 Museum of Mayhem

Coincidentally, I had just finished Borderlands 2 a few days prior to the convention to prepare for the upcoming third game, so I was on a huge Borderlands kick when I happened to walk by the museum. Once inside, the room was filled with framed concept art, character statues, game themed paintings and a variety of cover ideas that ultimately failed to make the cut. Speaking of cutting, a free barber was on site to brand the game’s logo in the hair of fans, while Moxxi’s bar and photo ops kept the party going in the back. But it was easy to ignore all of that when we learned that codes were hidden throughout the exhibit that would grant points on the Borderlands VIP website to unlock in-game gear. We’d have to be psychos ourselves to pass that up.

1: Ryme City (Detective Pikachu Activation)

It was cool enough to be surrounded by the sights and sounds of Ryme City. From the subways to the alleyways and storefronts featured in the movie, I would have left satisfied based on that alone. It wasn’t until we got to Howard Clifford’s office however that it became my favorite activity of the convention. Mocked up like his desk from the film with Mewtwo leering in the background, (but not in a way that would lower our Defense), the room was loaded with a collection of items from the game that an evolution obsessed mastermind would surely collect. Seeing classic items like the Fire, Water and Thunder Stones and newer ones like the Shiny Stone and Prism Scale was a lifelong Pokemon fan’s dream come true. Even non-evolution based items like the Nevermeltice sat proudly on display. I literally wanted to leave with the entire office!

Derek Kraneveldt

3: The Offsites (it’s too hard to narrow it down to just one)

I absolutely adore experiencing all of the different offsite events at SDCC. The fact that these incredibly impressive events are built from scratch at the level that they are… just to be torn down a few days later is just baffling to me. Every year these things seem to get bigger and bigger (and I always wonder just how much return these companies get from them), and this year was no exception. From the Amazon Prime Video experience (check it out here) that took fans through memorable experiences for upcoming shows like The Boys and Carnival Row, and the anticipated return of The Expanse (or even the premiere events that had the likes of Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne dancing around in animal costumes), to the FX Fearless Forum, which turned sunny San Diego into a terrifying 1980’s Summer camp (and right across the lawn provided much-needed It’s Always Sunny sunscreen to those waiting in line), to the activation for EPIX’ upcoming Pennyworth, which transported visitors to a 1960’s club rife with influence from the mysterious Raven Society.

I could go on and on and on, but while the charm of the show floor itself starts to fade after this many years (and as it gets busier and busier), the insane offsite events are an experience that I’ll never tire of.

2: The Team

SDCC is tough, because the event itself is the only time of year where much of the Geekscape team comes together, and there are simply so many things pulling for your attention that you never get to spend as much time with everyone as you want to.

Usually I’ll try to fly into LA to spend a couple of non-convention days with some of the Geekscape crew, but this year I wasn’t able to make it happen. That said, the moments that we spent together this week are moments that I’ll remember for far longer than any activation or exclusive. From reconnecting at Rockin’ Baha (pretty much my favourite place in the world) just an hour after my plane landed, to standing in line waiting for badges while Jon and Matt badgered me to experience ‘Nu Thing’ (see Jon’s list above), to nearly dying of laughter as we reminisced about old SDCC stories in Seaport Village one night after the convention, to realizing that in our ‘Goodbye SDCC’ photo that Matt looked like a ventriloquist’s dummy without a hand in it, to running into Josh and Megan completely by accident while in line for the Borderlands 3 Museum of Mayhem. There were just too many moments to list them all, and I absolutely adore all of them.

I consider all of these people family, and I wish that I could spend more time with them than I do.

1: Seeing the convention through fresh (Mikaela’s) eyes

This event is crazy. This event is exhausting. After seven years, there are absolutely elements of SDCC that don’t feel as fantastic as they once did (like the actual show floor, for instance).

SDCC is an event that you can describe, show photos and videos of, and tell people just how insane it actually is, but until you’ve experienced it yourself you really have no idea.

This year, my fiancé Mikaela joined me for SDCC. We don’t actually get to spend all that much time together, so if this wasn’t sweet enough, being able to experience the convention with someone who has never been to an event of this size before was absolutely reinvigorating. Seeing her excitement for grabbing an exclusive here, or for spotting a celebrity there, or for experiencing an offsite here, or for figuring out how we were going to get all of our crap home was simply phenomenal, and was a stark reminder as to why I started attending these things in the first place.

She also did a ton of work at SDCC that I’m still catching up on, and I can’t wait to see all of the incredible cosplay that she captured on the @GeekscapeForever Instagram page!

Mikaela Maxwell

How does one even pick a top 3 of SDCC!? I feel like I could have a top 3 of each day, however I will try to narrow it down so this isn’t a novel! So here they are in no particular order:

Meeting Daniel Danger

We have been collecting prints by Daniel Danger through Mondo for years now, and some of my favourite art is by him. I totally did not realize that he would have a booth at SDCC and was so pleased to accidentally stumble across it! I got to meet him, and hear him talk about the meaning of some of his pieces, and I got to buy a couple of prints directly from him (check out his store here)! Amazing!

Getting to go to the premiere of Carnival Row.

It was super neat to attend this exciting atmosphere where everyone was so jazzed about this project and stoked to present it to the world. The actual show was really great too, I’m now anxiously waiting to see the rest of it! And to top off the experience, Orlando Bloom was there!

Having the b’jeezus scared out of me at the American Horror Story activation.

This activation was so well done that I was almost grabbing the stranger in front of me to avoid getting lost or murdered in the middle of it. I haven’t watched American Horror Story in a few years, but I’ll probably have to now cause it was freaking intense!

And as a side note, my personal favourite was getting to spend so much time with Derek. We don’t very often get to spend so much time together and it was a real treat to get to share so many fun experiences! On top of that I got to meet the Geekscape team who are a bunch of his favourite people in the world! All in all the trip was amazing and I am so glad I got to go to SDCC 2019!

Matt Kelly

Most of my Comic-Con is spent by sitting at a table and shaking hands but that doesn’t mean that I left SDCC without a few highlights!

3) Scooters with Derek & Mika

Some people complain about the scooters but just riding through the streets with Derek and Mika and taking in the beautiful city is a blast for me.

2) Hacking at the table

Multiple times this week we’d start some hack circles with Jonathan’s Punchline branded Hacky Sack which lead to some great memories and a fantastic way to meet new people.

1) Dinner with the Team

Didn’t matter if it was Rockin’ Baja, Old Spaghetti Factory, Lolita’s or Coin-Op. Everywhere we ate had great food, even better conversations and laughter for hours.

Geekscape Roundtable: Our 2017 Holiday Wishlist!

by GeekscapeStaffDecember 6, 2017

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!

Karson Braaten

Despite there being a ton of cool hardware to wish for this year (Nintendo Switch, iPhone X, Xbox One X, just to name a few) most of what I wish for lives in the digital realm…

Audible Subscription

Every year Santa spoils me with the Platinum Annual plan which gives you credits for 24 audiobooks! At $229 it isn’tt the cheapest of gifts ($10/book is a great deal though), but I listen to it every day. I crush through a ton of books in a year and I never feel negative stuck in traffic or a line up because I’m listening to a book. Looking for a recommendation? Stephen King’s IT is unreal. The narrator’s voice is haunting. Really want to commit? Dive into Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive!

Chemex Coffee Filters

I purchased Chemex 8-cup coffee maker in the fall and am still loving it! I don’t know the ins and outs of coffee brewing, I just know I like the taste of the coffee it makes and I like the ritual of making it.

Marvel Unlimited

Somewhere in the middle of the year I took a huge step back from comic books. Spending, book quality, time to read, my thoughts on the companies were all factors. I’ve subscribed to the service in the past but I think this time it’s going to stick. The back catalog of classic issues is everything I could ask for. I’m interested in current comic book events but I’ll probably just wait for trades.

Miscellaneous

I’m also taking donations from my family for a few months of my gym membership and a few different programming books I’ve wanted. If you’re ever unsure of gift ideas, just take a look at what monthly subscriptions you have and ask for that!

Matt Kelly

The best gift I got myself this year was MoviePass. I love film but I always hated the hassle of going to the movies, trying to get a group together, scheduling, paying $15 per ticket, etc etc etc

In the end I was only seeing about 3 movies a year. This November I purchased MoviePass and ended up seeing 8 movies in a month. Not only has it re-ignited my love of the theatric experience but it’s also gotten me to start seeing movies alone which is one of the most relaxing things imaginable and I hate that it took me 32 years to start doing.

Additionally this year I finally caught up with the rest of Geek culture and started reading Bone. I crushed the first 3 volumes in 2 weeks and am holding off on buying more in case friends or family wants a good quick easy gift for this sexy gorgeous geeky man!

Stranger Things Season 1 – Yes you can watch this on Netflix but the collector in me NEEDS this mock VHS case that the DVDs come in. It’s a great season of TV and this is one of the most brilliant packaging choices I’ve ever seen.

Derek Kraneveldt

Doom VFR

This game looks so freaking cool. I had the Playstation VR on my Wishlist last year, and was lucky enough to obtain one just after Christmas.

The thing is incredible. I’ve played had some incredibly memorable gaming experiences on the platform (20 minutes of Resident Evil VII at a time, Farpoint, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes with friends yelling instructions at me, freaking Skyrim), and as the platform continues to evolve, I simply cannot wait to see what other games and experiences are in store for us.

One of those experiences is Doom VFR, which looks insanely fast-paced, terrifying, and super slick and stylish. I still haven’t even played last year’s Doom, but I’ll be playing this iteration as soon as possible.

Xbox One X

Earlier this year I grabbed a (low end) 4K television, and after upgrading my Apple TV to the 4K model early this fall, I saw the high resolution future for the first time.

The Xbox One is the most-played console in our household, and we’re still using the unsightly, definitely-showing-its-age first generation model. Things like navigating menus, opening apps, and the like are pretty freaking slow at this point, but more importantly a ton of the games that we already have (and a ton more that aren’t out yet) would simply look and play SO much better on this newer console.

Yeah it’s pretty expensive, but can you really put a price on moderately better looking versions of the same games?

Turns out you can, and it’s $600, and I want one.

A Taylor Swift Concert In Vancouver

I’m a HUGE Taylor Swift fan. I’m loving the new album so far (I’ve somehow managed to purchase several copies of it), and it’s been pretty much on repeat since it first hit iTunes last month.

Sadly, Swift’s recently announced tour is largely ignoring Canada this time around. There are two shows in Toronto… and that’s it. The 1989 tour a few years back sold the 54,000+ seats of Vancouver’s BC Place, so I was pretty surprised not to see another show in my neck of the woods.

There’s a show in Seattle, but heading to this performance looks substantially pricier than going to a show up here instead. Rather than just ticket, we’d be looking at more expensive tickets (in freedom dollars, too), a hotel, food, gas, time off work, etc. In my current state of financial ruin, it’s just not going to happen.

So Taylor, if you could just announce a Vancouver show, that would be really, really great.

WWE Network

Yeah, I already have a subscription to the WWE Network, but if you’re buying presents for anyone who is anything like me, the network would quickly become their most used streaming service.

Seriously, it’s my most used streaming platform, and I subscribe to most of the available services in Canada. Between all of the classic content new original content (including incredible docu-series like WWE 24), and how-did-this-get-made content (WWE Legends House) there is limitless entertainment here that could sports entertain almost anyone.

A Vacation

I’m tired, stressed, burnt out, and would freaking love a break from real life. Need I say more?

Courtney Dossett

Cat Ear Headphones

Okay, so I know that literally every basic white girl has these, but I feel like that just justifies them being on my list even more. I never have enough headphones, and the cuter the better. While the speaker-ears (yes, you can play music thru your kitty ears), probably wouldn’t get much use, they are super cute and help solidify my cat-lady status. Noise cancelling is a definitely must for blocking out the world while you game or binge on Netflix, and they’re rechargeable with a 5 hour long battery life. You can pick up a pair (for you or me!) on Amazon for $78.

Cell Phone Camera Kit

I’ve been doing a lot more phone photography this last year during class field trips and the lab. Having a little kit like this would go a long way towards making my life easier while geeking out over sea lions, baby whales, sea stars, and fishies. This kit comes with a 12x zoom telephoto lens with manual focus ring, fisheye lens, macro lens and wide angle lens, and is only $25 on Amazon.

Doctor Who Wool Duffle Coat

Now that I live in the land of perpetual rain, I need good coats that keep you warm and dry. This Dr. Who inspired coat from Her Universe is absolutely gorgeous. It’s a subtle nod to the Who fans, but not so over-the-top that you couldn’t wear it as a jacket on a nice night out. This beautiful wool blend overcoat is currently $79.92 on the Her Universe site.

Nintendo Switch

I’ve wanted a Nintendo Switch since the Geekscape guys pre-ordered theirs during our podcast, but my poor college student budget hasn’t been able to work it in. I have gotten to play a few games with Shane – keep reading for my dream games list for the Switch! (retails for $300)

Snipperclips

This game is a lot of fun to play with friends, and I could see myself not only playing with people my own age, but my smaller cousins and friend’s kids as well. Who am I kidding, I’d probably end up playing by myself most of the time, but the game is still amazingly fun! (Retails for $30)

Skyrim

I already have Skyrim for my PC, but the idea of being able to play Skyrim on the go is just too alluring (yes, I know you can play on a laptop, but I don’t have one). I’m not a fan of long plane rides or car trips, and being able to re-do all my side quests, and maybe finally finishing the main quest in Skyrim while being stuck in a car sounds like the best way to deal with boredom. (Retails for $60)

Josh Jackson

PlayStation VR

Yeah, I know I’ve been down on VR in the past, but that was before Neptunia VR existed.

You see, MegaDimension Neptunia VIIR comes out in February of next year, which means I’ll finally get to be face to face with Gamindustri’s Best Girl and 2015’s waifu of the year, Nepgear. That means that PSVR is now a must own, but sadly, I still think it’s a bit pricey. But if anyone wanted to buy it as a gift, especially for a particularly awesome writer and podcast co-host, then I’m sure they would appreciate it!

Kat and Raven Figma Figures

Gravity Rush 2 came out in January, and has remained one of my favorite games of the year, partially due in part to the endearing leads, Kat and Raven. What better way to celebrate the game with their own Figmas?

Kat comes with her best bud Dusty, and her arm and leg bands that show off her new Gravity Shift forms. Raven appropriately comes with Raven. Show some love for Sony’s most underrated release of the year by adding these lovely ladies to your collection.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Classic Control for the Switch

The Splatoon 2 control was my jam… until the Xenoblade 2 control got announced. Now, we get to search for Elysium in style with my favorite controller design for the Switch so far.

Retailing at an admittedly pricey $75, being able to really feel that HD rumble while you’re settling in on your 100 + hour adventure is well worth it. The red and black design helps it stand out above other controls, with the logo proudly displayed next to the left joy stick. If you’ve been meaning to get a Classic Control or know someone who is, wait no longer! This is the pinnacle of controllers… until the next special design comes out.

Razer’s Dva branded mouse and keyboard

For the PC gamer in your life that plays to win, the recently released Dva mouse pad and pro mouse found exclusively on Razer’s website are the go to gaming accessories. Branded with the logo of everyone’s favorite fictional e-sports queen from Overwatch, the slick designs are only outshone by the optimization both have for your intense gaming sessions. Plus, I hear they can withstand all of the Doritos dust and Mountain Dew spills a person can manage, but don’t quote me in that.

Fire Emblem Warriors Season Pass

Yeah yeah, Breath of the Wild finally released its long awaited final DLC for its expansion pass, which means that our time has been freed up for more important matters… like Lucina in a wedding gown!

In a sea of game of the year contenders like Mario Odyssey, I couldn’t put down Fire Emblem Warriors, logging in about 75 hours before I finally ran out of things to do. With the first of three DLC packs coming out this month however, that relief won’t last for long.

Each pack will come with three new characters and a new history map, the first of which will be Azura, Oboro and Niles from Fire Emblem Fates. Recently shown were new butler costumes for Takumi and Camilla, with the bonus Bride Lucina outfit still being given for buying the pass. There’s seriously no better way to mash one button for hours at a time than with Koei Tecmo’s latest hack and slash game, so even more of it is welcomed.

The YuGiOh Legendary Dragon Decks

Mikaela Maxwell

All I want for Christmas … Oh gosh how do you choose?!

I honestly can’t remember the last time I wrote a wish list, but put it out in the universe and who knows what’ll happen!

In no particular order:

A Wedding Dress

Derek and I have been engaged for almost 3 years now, and it is about dang time we got this wedding thing going! I am not one of those girls who has spent her whole life planning this shindig, so when it came time to planning I kinda freaked out. However, this Fall we have managed to make a plan! So next year (hopefully!) we will finally be tying the knot! A couple of weeks ago I actually went wedding dress shopping for the first time. I was totally terrified and insecure about the whole thing, but it turned out to be a great experience! The dress ladies helped me find dresses that made me feel like a total bombshell! It got me excited about getting married and getting to wear a kickass dress! Though turns out wedding dresses are expensive… who woulda thought?! So if Santa were to leave a dream dress under the tree, no complaints here!

A Sewing Machine

I definitely never thought this would be something that I longed for. However I am finding that there are so many projects I would like to try and having a sewing machine would totally make that possible! I recently have become more and more interested in trying out cosplay for myself, and being able to sew something together seems like a logical first step. I’d also like to try some quilting, I don’t know how quilting works, but I feel like I’ve got some ideas in my head and would like to at least give it a try… that being said, I think a second hand sewing machine will be where it’s at, given that I’ve never really tried these things, who knows if I would actually use it enough to justify the cost of a brand new fancy sewing machine!

A Trip to Somewhere Warm

I consider myself a traveller. Somehow over the last few years I feel like I have kinda lost that little bit of myself. In that time we have done some incredible road trips and had some amazing experiences. However, A trip to somewhere warm and tropical would be amazing and so so relaxing. I even kinda wanna try the resort thing where you just lay around the beach/pool etc and just enjoy having zero responsibility. On the other hand it would also be amazing to throw our stuff in a some back packs and go to somewhere totally out of our comfort zone and experience a totally foreign culture. Or even heading over to England to see my greatly missed family and meet the new little ones would be a dream… Basically anywhere, a trip to anywhere, would be perfect.

A Personal Trainer

A little over a year ago life fell apart. Since then getting out of bed and making it to work/the couch have felt like a real accomplishment most days. Needless to say this has been less than ideal for the waist line. I keep talking about needing to make a change, but have yet to actually do so. Now with the possible wedding date looming in the near future I have an actual goal/deadline/reason to be motivated to make a real change. I also have no idea of how to really make that change. A little guidance would go a long way for this gym shy girl who gets awkward when she thinks you can tell she is sweating…

Picture Frames

This one actually seems like a practical request! There is something about having art on the wall that helps turn a house into a home. Derek has brought home Mondo and various other prints from SDCC and other conventions over the years, and I have some some amazing paints gathered from my trip to Nepal a few years ago. We are lucky to have so many amazing pieces of art that I would love to be surrounded by on a daily basis. However we don’t have frames for most of them, mostly due to awkward sizing. It would be amazing if I didn’t have to deal with figuring out sizes (or pricing) and all of the required frames just showed up under the tree!

There are other more practical things that I would appreciate as well, like my audible subscription (which was my most valuable purchase of 2017), Sephora gift cards, Gas cards, someone to do a deep clean of my house… but those are far too practical and aren’t nearly as fun to wish for as the ones listed above!

What are you hoping to unwrap this Holiday season? Let us know in the comments below!

Geekscape Roundtable: Our 2016 Holiday Wishlist!

by GeekscapeStaffDecember 19, 2016

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!

Natalie Kipper

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (for the Nintendo 3DS)

Now technically, this game comes out just after the holidays (January 20, 2017) but I am so excited for this baby that I would happily take an IOU. Truth be told, I never managed to finish the original PS2 version of the title so I am especially excited to get another chance to tackle it with the new release’s extra features. I eagerly look forward to playing the game on the sofa. And in bed. And on planes. God, I love my 3DS!

Hashtag Collectibles’ Water Bear Plush (available at ThinkGeek and directly from Hashtag Collectibles)

Bizarre critters are kind of my thing. That is actually how I became acquainted with the makers of this adorable plush. I met Hashtag Collectibles through their Stuffed Blobfish years ago and I have been a fan of theirs ever since. Their stuffed Water Bear just looks so soft and huggable. And just look at those big, shiny eyes! I want one so freaking bad.

Popplio Plush – Trainer Size

Yes, I have more than one plush on my list. If you know me personally, than you are probably surprised that they aren’t all plushes. Anyways, back on topic. I am hooked on Pokémon Sun and Popplio was my choice for a starter. Who wouldn’t want a life-size plush of this lovable water-type?

Kitties Draped Ladies’ Hooded Cardigan

I am a sucker for cats and cardigans. Combine the two and it is love at first sight. And dude, it even has a hood. You can’t beat that!

The Art of Fire Emblem: Awakening

Fire Emblem has some damn pretty art and I would love to have them in a book to admire, preferably over a nice cup of tea. Not only are there illustrations but there are story boards and even scripts for every piece of dialogue. When you consider all the options you have during conversations and situations, that is really very impressive. This book looks to be not only yummy eye candy but fun reading.

Adam Lemuz

NES Classic Edition

While the Nintendo Switch is still 3 months away from release, that’s not stopping Nintendo from releasing a new(ish) console for the holiday season. Enter the NES Classic. While it may just seem like a simple plug ‘n play, it’s a much better investment than if you were to buy the included games on Nintendo’s Wii U Virtual Console. The game selection is very varied, and has even been color corrected from the Wii U’s dark and drab color palette. That’s if you can find it in stock. Yes, just like Amiibo back in 2014, Nintendo has “underestimated” demand for the product, causing a nationwide storage and many MANY people in hysteria. Still, for what it’s worth, Definitely pick this up if you find it.

We can’t really link this one, because it’s sold out everywhere forever.

Uncharted 4 PS4 Slim 500GB Bundle

2016 has been a pretty awful year for most things in general. Everything except for video games. Weirdly enough, this has been a pretty great year for games such as Street Fighter V, Uncharted 4, The Last Guardian, and many more. What do all of these have in common? They’re all PS4 exclusives. Sony has been on fire with their games division (One of the only parts of the company that’s actually profitable and good), and their recent showings at E3 2016 and PSX 2016 show that the company shows no signs of slowing down the hype train! Right now you can even get the 500GB Uncharted 4 Bundle for only $270 instead of $300 on Walmart’s website right now! So if you already have an Xbox One, it’s never been a better time to join the Playstation nation.

Gravity Falls Journal #3 Collectors Edition

While we had to say Goodbye to Gravity Falls as a TV series this year, that doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to gravity falls as a whole. While Disney did release a Journal #3 earlier this year back around Comic Con, they have decided to release a special collector’s edition of the item for hardcore fans. This new edition includes invisble blacklight ink, a monocle, and much more to give the book a more authentic feel than the current hardback version. Right now, it’s going for over $100 pre sale, but you can currently pre order it on amazon for only $90! If you’re a fan of Gravity Falls, you NEED this in your life.

Watch Dogs 2 (Xbox One)

The first Watch Dogs is pretty notorious by now. While the final product ended up being just an alright game, many people were disappointed by how limiting and underwhelming the full game actually was compared to its original E3 debut. A big graphical downgrade coupled with very limited hacking, and too serious of a story completely turned people off of the first game, leaving them with a very sour taste in their mouth. Not so much with Watch Dogs 2 though. The devs over at Ubisoft really took the criticism to heart, and in return, created a goofy, over the top, adventure where the only thing you can’t hack is the game itself. Watch Dogs 2 is a fine example of game devs listening to fan feedback in order to create a better product for both sides. The game is even going on sale for only $40 at Target on December 18th. So if you’re looking to catch up on any fall games you may have missed, Definitely take the offer, and hack into this deal.

The Nice Guys (Blu-Ray)

Let’s be real. 2016 was pretty bad for movies in general. Bad Summer blockbusters, boring Oscar noms, etc. The only real good movies this year have really been the animated movies, but that doesn’t mean all live action movies were bad. Enter The Nice Guys, a movie that’s a love letter to 70’s buddy cop films. Directed by Iron Man 3’s Shane Black, The Nice Guys stars Russel Crowe, Ryan Gossling, and is a smart, and clever take on the once popular genre. This has got to be one of the best overlooked movies this year. The crazy part is that you can get the Blu-Ray for only $13 at some stores! So if you’ve been burnt out by blockbusters like me this year and want something new, take this film for a spin.

Karson Braaten

Audible

Last year, I raved about Audible, and I’ll do it again this year. For me, audiobooks have essentially replaced reading books of the non comic book variety. 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 this year include:

Off to be the Wizard by Scott Meyer, narrated by Luke Daniels
Replay by Ken Grimwood, narrated by William Dufris
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, narrated by Nick Podehl

ComiXology Unlimited

Think of ComiXology’s service as the Netflix for comic books. They have some great content available and starting to get into the production game. Take a look at the available titles and see if you’ll get your money’s ($5.99 a month) worth from it. If you like Image Comics this’ll be up your alley.

Raspberry Pi

I like retro (SNES era) video games, this will let me play them all! Well, hopefully. I’ll be using this kit and following the instructions from Lifehacker. Any suggestions, let me know!

Derek Kraneveldt

Playstation VR

Yeah, I’m a sucker for new stuff.

That said, I’ve been pretty enamoured with the Playstation VR (and VR in general) since the very first time that I put on one of the headsets. I don’t own a gaming PC, and likely never will, so the fact that I already have a PS4 sitting on my shelf makes biting the bullet for a PSVR a little easier.

The Playstation VR is by far the most comfortable VR headset that I’ve worn (which is fantastic as a glasses-wearer), and I’m enthralled by the promise of being able to play full titles like Resident Evil VII using the headset. PSVR already has so much more support coming down the pipeline than any of Sony’s previous peripherals, and with some of the slick games that have already been released (Arkham VR, Until Dawn, etc), it’s seriously hard not to just throw this on a credit card.

Apple AirPods

Again, I like new stuff.

I was looking forward to picking up a pair of Apple’s new, wireless AirPods at the end of October. The earphones weren’t quite ready for consumers at that point, and saw a delay that had them completely unavailable until earlier this week.

These things look slick as hell. Apple’s new W1 wireless chip ensures that there’s none of the annoying pairing-with-every-device-all-the-time annoyances of standard Bluetooth headsets, and the fact that there’s no wire connecting the left bud to the right is super cool.

You’ll get about five hours of battery life from the AirPods, and the clever little floss-sized carrying case will stop you from losing them, as well as give you another ~19 hours of charge. Damn.

More Philips Hue Stuff

This is a staple on my yearly wishlist. Philips Hue is a smart, heavily expandable lightbulb system that lets you set automation patterns for your lights, turn them on and off with your phone (or even Siri), and much, much more.

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 Control Centre on my phone, or just ask Siri to do it for me.

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.

The Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment

Last December my fiancé and I decided to give the award-winning WWE Network a try. “Just for a month,” we said. A year later we’re still hooked, have friends over for every PPV event, and the Network is probably the most-used streaming service of the several we’re currently paying for.

I watched professional wrestling briefly as a child, and now that I’m back, I’m very aware of the decades and decades of incredible characters, gripping storylines, and dearly missed superstars that the industry holds. I’d love to learn all about them, and the recently released Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment seems like a great way to do so. The book contains “over 400 full-color pages and over 1,200 Superstar and event profiles. The WWE all-time roster in this book has been expanded to unprecedented proportions, and now features all your favorite heroes from the modern era.”

Sounds pretty awesome to me.

The Last Guardian: Collector’s Edition

I (well, more so everyone) has been waiting for this game forever (and ever). It needs no introduction, as we’ve been hearing people begging for it for the better part of ten years.

The Last Guardian finally released (to fairly divisive reviews) earlier this month, and I’m so excited to finally learn about Trico whenever I can get my hands on the title. I was just out of high school when The Last Guardian was first announced, and it’s hard to believe that all theses years later, it’s finally here.

The Collector’s Edition of the game includes a slew of extras, including a Premium statue, Premium Steelbook game case + Blu-ray game disc, 72-page art book, Digital sountrack (10 songs), Sticker sheet, Collector’s box. I’m in!

Alexandra Gallarza

Tile Slim Bluetooth Tracker

Have you ever lost your phone in your house? Or put your wallet somewhere? Or left your keys in an obscure place? There is a thing called a Tile . You attach it to your keys, your phone, slip it in your wallet and you can track your items. It’s a little thicker than a credit card so it’ll fit into your wallet perfectly. And it’s cheap!

Donations to the Sunshine Kids

Every year, or almost every year, I try to donate to a new charity that I’ve found. This year it’s the Sunshine Kids. The Sunshine kids was established in 1982 and the non-profit organization is dedicated to children with cancer. What makes them different from say Make-A-Wish? Once a sunshine kid, always a sunshine kid. So if you had cancer when you were 8 and are now 30? You’re still part of the organization. Based out of Texas, there are two chapters in Los Angeles and the kids are just full of life.

Copper Smartphone Projector

It’s a vintage inspired projector for your smartphone! Easy to assemble and easy to use, not only does it project against a wall, it also amplified the sound. Another ‘cheap’ item for Christmas courtesy of Urban Outfitters. I’m sure there are other places you can get smart phone projectors, but I’m a fan of vintage things.

Sphero Force Band

As someone who likes Star Wars ( I love it and I blame my mother) having the power to control a BB8 unit from my wrist is pretty damn cool. Having played with my light saber, pretending I was a young Jedi when I was well, young, having the power of the Force now, I think would be pretty awesome. Do I sound like a nerd yet? No. I could continue, but we don’t want to go there. Anyway – having this would be amazing.

Making of Books

I like knowing how things are made. I like knowing how a director figured out how they’re Oscar winning movie was going to be made. What processes they went through, how the script jumped off the page and onto my screen, what costumes were picked and how they were picked, things like that. I know the basics, but I like to see how other people do it. It could be for anything, movie, TV, theater – all of it interests me. I’m a nerd for that kind of thing. If I know how one piece of the puzzle works, then when I see the finished project, it’ll make more sense.

Adam Korenman

Bose QC 35

Due my work as a billionaire playboy philanthropist movie star (or something) I travel pretty regularly. In order to stay true to my roots, and to stay connected with the little people, I fly coach. As I’m sure you all know, flying coach is about the same as riding a Greyhound bus through a tire fire factory.

Fuel today is so prohibitively expensive, airlines have to cram in every last passenger in order to make any flight financially sustainable. They pack in people like insulation, shrink down the aisles to fit more seats, and remove anything but the bare minimum of amenities to keep us from—God forbid—consider taking a train instead.
And babies? I think they hand those out instead of headphones nowadays. It seems that every flight I’m on contains at least a bushel of newborns, still swaddled in hospital rags, screaming at the world for having the audacity to exist!

Enter the Bose QC 35. Bose has been the leader in noise-reduction/cancellation headphones for years now, and this current model only improves on the old formula. The over-the-ear design, combined with a plush leather cushion, effectively silences even the most egregious noises. Once you turn on the active cancellation tech, the world dissolves into a muted paradise, where you could vanish from the horrors of manned-flight into your escape of choice.

“But Adam,” you cry from your cramped middle seat. “Those cords are so invasive and tangly.”

First of all, how dare you speak to me when I’m in the middle of a rant? Secondly, the QC 35 is wireless. That’s right. They’ve done away with the most annoying part of the headphone.

Yes, this means you have to connect via Bluetooth, but the battery lasts 20 hours on a single charge. So even if you’re flying to Fiji, you’re covered.

And, as a final bonus, the headband is made of Alcantara. “What is Alcantara?” you ask while fumbling with your peasant food. Alcantara is the luxury material used by only the fanciest manufacturers of yachts and impractical automobiles. Why is that important?

Because if you’re dropping $300+ on headphones, you’d better be getting something worth bragging about.

Whiskey Making Kit

I’ve only recently started dabbling in home brewing for beer, and already I consider any other form of beverage unpalatable and plebian. How dare I sully my taste buds with anything so uncouth? Surely only the hand-crafted ales of a red-bearded god (me) should ever pass forth between my lips!

But beer is so carby, and living in California means I have to counter every intake of carbs with violent stretches of—shudder—exercise (because we’re all very vain here). So instead, I delight my senses with barrel-age, peat-soaked scotch.

Until recently, I’ve been forced to accept the substandard distillations of the aged families of the Highlands, Speysides, and Isles. Sure, they have hundreds of years of history making whiskey, and sure they are objectively the greatest distillers of our time, but certainly a 30-something millennial can figure out how to make the same amazing concoctions with nothing more than cheap wood and grain alcohol. Right?

Enter the Whiskey and Rum making kit. It’s pretty simple, really. You dump about 750ml of pure, unadulterated poison (grain alcohol) into a barrel made of cheap wood, drop in a powder of “flavors,” and wait a few weeks.

That’s got to be just as good as taking the time to culture a drum of 21-year-old nectar of the gods?

Serenity Film Scale Replica

Take my love, take my land. Take me where I cannot stand…

Firefly ran for just half a season more than a decade ago, and yet I can recall every detail of that show even now. Sure, that could be because I have a bimonthly marathon of every episode + Serenity (the fan-driven movie that changed an empire), but I choose to believe it is due to the enduring legacy of Joss Whedon’s greatest epic.

Like all Browncoats (a term us Firefly fans use lovingly), I am often depressed by the sheer lack of available tools for acting out my pages of fan-fiction. Season 8 is when things really heat up, when a pulsar launches Serenity into an alternate reality and Mal and the crew face off against Admiral Adama and the crew of the Battlestar Galactica!

But alas, in order to fully realize that dream, I was forced to use my poorly constructed cardboard version of the iconic ship. This often led to my characters (repurposed G.I. Joes, if you’re wondering) falling through the vessel enroute to places unknown.

No longer, with the new Film-Scale Artisan Replica from QMx. This faithful and gorgeous reproduction of the Firefly-class starship features an incredible amount of detail. It’s a steal at under $10,000, and who can put a price on being able to FINALLY film my award-winning short: Mal and the Anger Bunnies.

Marvel Groot Car Charger

Let’s all be honest for a minute. Let’s stop with the games and facades and let it all be real for just a moment.

LA traffic sucks donkey stones.

There. I said it. And you know what? There are few out there who would argue with me.

So how do you survive the literal HOURS you have to spend going from point A to point B in the godforsaken town?

Some people choose to text and drive, but that’s basically becoming Hitler on wheels if you ask me.
Others listen to books on tape. You know what, you might as well beat puppies with rolled up copies of Harry Potter for all the evil you’re bringing into the world.

For me, maintaining my sanity while living inside my gas-guzzling money pit only takes one thing: A Baby Groot Car Charger.

The best thing to happen to cinema since the first talkies has to the be the all-encompassing Mavel Cinematic Universe. And the best thing to come out of the MCU has to be Guardians of the Galaxy. And if we’re all gonna lay out some truth today, we can agree that the best part of GotG has been Groot. Given how amazing the teaser for Vol. 2 has been, I think we can safely assume Baby Groot will cure the misery that has been 2016.

So now you can have a tiny, plastic version of Planet Earth’s favorite sapling. And better yet? He’ll charge your useless electronics.

You’re welcome.

Longclaw

I don’t know about you, but I count Zombie Apocalypse (Zompocalypse) as one of my top 3 priorities for preparing for the future. If you’re dying to know, the other two are Robots Gain Sentience and Being Abducted by Sexy Aliens. No, building a dependable portfolio nor investing in land are not on the list.

When I think about the ways the eventual undead uprising could occur, I grow concerned that our (not-so-subtle) craving for the shambling dead may be for naught. Given how well the rest of this year has gone, it’s a safe bet we’re in for a Game of Thrones style army of the dead.

Since Bran the Builder has yet to seal off Canada with a great mountain of magical ice, I think we’re going to all need to get our hands on an authentic Valerian-steel sword, and I call dibs on Long Claw.

Made famous by the late Commander Mormont of the Night’s Watch, and then wielded by the perpetually ignorant Jon Snow, Long Claw is a song of metal and leather. It cuts through undead flesh like a…well, like a magic-infused sword through rotten flesh. If you’re up against White Walkers, Wights, or even White Supremacists*, then you can’t do better than Long Claw.

Then again, if we end up with a Dawn of the Dead (remake) style Zompocalypse, where the dead are Olympic-level sprinters, we’re all dead in five hours anyway.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

*Hey. Don’t be a dick and use this prop to hurt people. That would be a dick move. You dick.

Gary M. Kenny

Loot Crate Socks Subscription

Loot Crate Socks (lootwear): I have had a few of these subscriptions and as a man who wears a lot of suits (for work), these socks are amazing. They tend to use great quality fabric ranging from hiking to dress. All of Loot Crate’s socks are exclusive prints; check out their backlog, my legend of Zelda 8 bit socks are a hit when I show them off. Plus, as an “adult” with a wife and 2 kids, owning geeky socks lets me keep my fanboy membership. Just like most online subscriptions you can do yearly or 3-month or monthly. Their customer service is top notch as well, I received a hole in one of my socks, within a week I had a brand new pair, no questions asked. Loot Crate itself tends to have some quality boxes but I’m telling you for a cheap (depending on the plan), fun, stylish subscription- this is the one I recommend.

Triad Trike Bike

Triad Trike Bikes: Adult Big Wheels! I’ll repeat: Adult Big Wheels! They are almost custom made, with bullet proof – oath free wheels, oversized handle bars with lock grips, and a groovy color scheme. They cost a hefty price tag of over $300 but if you want to be king of school yard (as an adult), sometimes you have to shell out the green. They are built to drift and do they! Triad has put a few videos up of how they handle, you owe it to yourself to go on Amazon and watch. Even if outside activities aren’t your thing; acting crazy and drifting on an oversized trike should be tried at least once (especially if you missed out as a child). So, relive those Big Wheel glory days and buy a triad. These toys are a sure fire bet for fun.

Shane O’Hare

The 12 Bottle Bar: A Dozen Bottles.

I’ve always fancied myself a wannabe bartender, and the art of making cocktails has always interested me.

The inherent problem you run into when trying to start your own home bar, is the sheer amount of stuff you need to buy and stock to have a competent selection for your drinks. I’ve read plenty of bartending/home bar guides that say you need to shell out a lot of money to start. Then I came across the 12 Bottle Bar Book.

This book has over 200 recipes in it that only need access to 12 bottles in total. That includes stables like bitters and vermouth. This is a fantastic book for someone starting into their own home bar experience, and when you get down to it. Cocktail making is BASICALLY just alchemy, and we all need that level 1 tome to start our training.

Grado Labs DJ100 Cartrdige

Grado Labs is one of the most prestigious companies around when it comes to audio gear. They’ve been independently owned and operated for over 60 years, making top shelf headphones and cartridges (turntable needles) in Brooklyn. They are the epitome of the American dream, and their care for their product comes through.

When this article was originally a gift guide I was going to suggest their SR80e Headphones. Since this is all about me me me, I want to get a pair of their DJ needles!

Their DJ cartridges are designed to take a beating. They resist heavy tracking forces, have top notch channel isolation and incredible frequency responses. I’ve had an opportunity to hear their Prestige Series cartridges in person, and I was blown away.

They lay slightly on the pricey side, $100 a cartridge, but they have user replaceable styli and are sure to take a beating any DJ will throw at them.

ASUS ROG Radeon RX 480

I will admit it. I am an AMD fanboi. I will always have their CPU’s and GPU’s in my rig. My first gen R9 290X dual is starting to struggle a bit, so it might be time for an upgrade.

The RX 480 series is the latest and greatest from AMD, and delivers incredible performance for the dollar. Fully supports Direct X 12, so you know this card will be future proof for some time.

This particular pressing from ASUS and their Republic of Gamers line of products is fashionable to boot. Featuring full spectrum RGB lighting and intelligent cooling, this will look fantastic in any gaming case.

FiveFour Club subscription

FiveFour Club is probably one of my most favorite things I’ve discovered over the last few years. The one thing that us Geeks usually fall short on is fashion. Dressing well is something we kind of ignore, we’re way to busy being occupied with D&D campaigns, Kill-Death Ratios, Uber Micro, Sick Vids, collecting toys, gaming, Comic-Con, and finding that perfect raid group. So obviously when it comes to getting nice clothes and dressing like “ADULTS” (disregard the fact that I dress as Rarity from MLP at SDCC) falls to the wayside. Now, there isn’t anything inherently WRONG with those #lit graphic tees, but your sister in laws wedding ins’t the place to show off your Killing Joke shirt you got signed by Alan Moore in 2004.

FiveFour’s beauty is it’s simplicity. You fill out a style guide and every month a stylist will put together some clothing options for you. That’s it! They show up in your mailbox ready to wear. After having it for a few years, half my wardrobe is FiveFour. They run a tad SMALL. I have a big belly and big shoulders, so I have to size up a tad.

Physical Release from Dreamcatalogue

Vaporwave is a very divisive thing. People either are completely absorbed in the ａｅｓｔｈｅｔｉｃ, or hate it. I am in the former camp. I love everything about it. The music, the vibes, the essence, the art, the clothing, the anachronistic nature of it all. It’s something I extremely enjoy. Dreamcatalogue is my favorite record label publishing some incredible artists such as 2814, COCAINEJESUS, and telepath just to name a few. Dream is putting the time and effort in making incredible physical releases of music that tries to be a lowfi and retro as possible. The cassette tape releases are works of art and I would LOVE to get my hands on one eventually.

That’s it for us! What are you hoping to see this holiday season?

Geekscape Roundtable: We Celebrate Pokémon’s 20th Anniversary With Our Favorite Pokémon Memories!

by Derek KraneveldtFebruary 27, 2016

We’re just about to celebrate our 400th episode, and today Pokémon is celebrating its 20th anniversary. What a weekend.

I don’t think I know a single human being whose life hasn’t been touched by those adorable pocket monsters in one way or another. Essentially all of us here at Geekscape have spent countless hours and dollars, and thrown away a myriad (well, one or two) of date opportunities to feed our Pokémon addictions.

Be it the anime, manga, RPGs, puzzle games, stadiums, TCG, plushies, Amiibo, or otherwise, there are a lot of different ways to be sucked into this universe, and it’s nearly impossible to escape it.

So let’s celebrate! There are a myriad of different events occurring today around the country, and we thought that today would be a perfect day to share our favorite Pokémon memories!

Read our memories below, and head down to the comments to share your own!

Josh Jackson

Man, where do I even begin? I’ve been gaming for 26 years now, but I can’t think of many other franchises that have stuck with me as long as Pokemon has. From the moment I first heard of some Japanese game called Pocket Monsters that was taking the region by storm, (along with the stable brain activity of their children thanks to the infamous siezure episode,) to when I stumbled across the anime by accident, and all the way to when my Squirtle and I took our first steps on what would become a lifelong journey, there are far too many memories to count. I’ve traveled miles away for legitimate legendary Pokemon, journeyed across states to participate in tournaments, experienced triumph when completing my Pokedex without hacks in Diamond, heartbreak when I physically lost my cartridges, and a return to glory when I re-caught 718 Pokemon in Y. But more than any other memory, one stands out in my head more than any other, if only because of how embarassing it is.

As mentioned, the siezure episode in Japan had a huge effect on the series, which led to the featured Pokemon, Porygon, being banned from the franchise’s animation iterations, which still endures to this day. However, this wouldn’t stop Porygon from ruining another kid’s day. When my local GameStop announced a No-Legendary local tournament (meaning standard Pokémon only), I trained my favorite Pokemon to peak condition, led by my special attacking powerhouse, Porygon Z. Unfortunately, the store employees didn’t share my enthusiasm for the games and didn’t know what a Legendary Pokemon was, which led to them throwing their hands in the air and allowing anything. I never lost a first round before, so I was both scared and angry, coming to the resolution that all my hard work would be for nothing.

That feeling only grew when I went up against a Dialga that my young opponent, who couldn’t have been any older than 10, threw out at the start of battle. Keep in mind that Dialga is strong against Normal types like Porygon, AND it’s a Legendary Pokemon with high defense. Also keep in mind that I’m a 25 year old man. With that in mind, imagine my shock when the “not very effective” Hyper Beam one hit KO’d his Pokemon! In fact, in a display of maturity and humility, I spontaneously waved my hand in front of my face, trying my hardest to channel my inner John Cena.

Not realizing what I had done, I looked over and saw the boy in tears. I then proceeded to wipe up the rest of his team, which resulted in me beating him so fast that I got a bye in the second round, as my humiliated opponent slowly shuffled out of the store with his dad. A valuable lesson was learned that day. No, not that I’m a jerk, or that a Porygon can one hit KO a likely poorly trained Dialga, or even that the power of Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect can overcome any challenge. It was that Pokemon isn’t just a game, but a lifestyle, and I won’t hesitate to wreck children in my pursuit of the title of Pokemon Master. Train On!

Matthew Rodriguez

My favorite memory is of generation five (Pokemon Black/White). Before my wife and I got married, we were dating long distance and I would only see her once or twice a year. We would always play Pokemon through the internet, but there were other features that were specific to local multiplayer, so we would take advantage of those when we would physically meet. In Pokemon Black/White, they had special missions where you can go to another players world to do various tasks, like locate a missing item, or buying specific items from their world. Well, I proceeded to do a mission, this time relating to hiding an item in her world.

My wife enjoys using the dowsing machine to find hidden items on the ground. One day she calls me and she’s practically in tears, because she managed to find an item in her game that was very useful and it had my name attached to it–she was very happy that she was still connected to me in a different way, despite our long distance apart. She wasn’t playing the game as often at this point so it was a very pleasant, and touching surprise.

It was a moment that brought us closer, as Pokemon had done on more than one occasion.

Natalie Kipper

My favorite memory is more a series of memories centering around the bond I built with my Skuntank, Stinker. He was my first Pokemon to have maxed-out happiness from PokemonAmie. The little side comments during battle about how he tried his best for me and such actually helped me through some of my darker moods. I love my Stinker so much, and if Sun/Moon let me transfer him over, I look forward to another adventure with him.

Shane O’Hare

Pokemon will always have a special place in my heart. It was one, if not THE first RPG I ever played. It sculpted how I approach role playing games today. I have three extremely vivid memories of Pokemon that will stick out in my mind forever. Reading a random issue of Nintendo Power and turning a page to see all about this hot new game/anime called “Poket Monsters”. I was incredibly intrigued, and a bit frightened. “Who would want to collect MONSTERS?!” elementary school Shane thought. The one thing I remember most from that spread, was that Jessie and James were in black Team Rocket uniforms.

Then the hype started. More and more information about the Anime was coming out, and a US broadcast was soon coming. I woke up so early one day to watch one of the episodes on Fox. 10 minutes in and no Pokemon, I realized I was on PBS! I will never forget flipping to channel 4 and seeing Ash and the Bug trainer battling their Metapods in the Viridian forest. I was hooked.

Shortly thereafter we got our US release of Pokemon Red & Blue. I was so hyped for it. Talking about it for days and days. Then one late evening my Mother called me when she was coming home from Anchorage (a city about an hour away). She told me that she had just picked me up a copy of Pokemon Red! I WAS ECSTATIC! I was going to be playing Pokemon! She asked me if I would have rather had Blue. I sheepishly said yes, but that any Pokemon was a great Pokemon. She proceeded to make an additional thirty minute trip BACK to Toys R Us, exchanged Red for Blue THEN made the 1 hour drive back home. I will never forget that moment, and am eternally grateful for her.

The rest, is history!

Eric Francisco

I don’t care about Pokemon.

I mean, I don’t hate it. But looking back on our childhoods — all of ours — our generation was so fickle. Pop culture fads came and went like the coming and going of military regimes. But unlike everyone else in school, I stayed a devout Power Rangers fan through and through long after its expiration date (circa 1997). I beat the Power Rangers drum all the way through Pokemon, Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Harry Potter, girls… but especially through Pokemon.

Man, I was alone. Yeah, I watched Pokemon and played the games and collected the cards. (I still have them too.) But Pokemon was state, while Power Rangers was church. I only got into it so I wouldn’t be alone on the playground, but I was anyway so what was the point?

But Pokemon gave me something which I’m thankful for everyday: My best friend. Playing the games with him cemented a friendship that lasts to this day. For over ten years I saw how Pokemon began to influence him day by day, and now that nerd is on his way to becoming marine biologist — a career that could only come from catching and training wildlife and learning all about them. As I type this, he’s on his way to grad school in Louisiana, and I couldn’t be more proud.

So, thanks, Pokemon. You made someone’s life worth living.

Power Rangers still rocks though.

Derek Kraneveldt

There are way too many amazing Pokemon memories.

From one-sided trades that had student’s parents nearly in fisticuffs (somehow, my elementary school was one of the few that didn’t ban the cards), to the myriads of actual cash that I saw offered for cards around the playground, to the incredible amount of hours I spent playing the Pokemon Trading Card Game for GameBoy Color (via an emulator, unfortunately). I had a ton of incredible Pokemon experiences, even though I missed out on a lot of the RPGs by being a NeoGeo Pocket kid instead of a GameBoy/GameBoy Advance kid (until way later in the GBA’s lifespan).

My favourite memory has to be the actual, physical trading card game. From picking up the original starter kit (and unfortunately trading my Machamp way too hastily), to spending exorbitant amounts of cash on booster packs in search for that one card to perfect my current deck, everything about the trading card game was fun and addicting, which is probably a big part of why Pokemon is still so near and dear to us all these years later.

I loved everything about the trading card game, except for playing it with most people, that is.

See, I’m a stickler for rules and regulations. I’m the dude that would get a new video game, and sit at the kitchen table reading the manual cover to cover before ever putting it in my console (and I would still be doing that if games still came with manuals). Playing a board game, everyone is going to listen to me read the rules before that board even comes out of the box.

Kids sucked at playing Pokemon. Energy cards might as well not have existed. We’re two turns into the game, I obviously haven’t seen a Charmander or a Charmeleon, and you’re already playing a Charizard (and unleashing its Fire Spin, again, without any energy). Screw you, kids.

It’s probably one of the reasons that I (sadly) dropped Pokemon cards long before everyone else did and jumped into playing Magic: The Gathering with adults. They could follow the rules, and they could actually play the damned game instead of simply playing ‘I drew a better card before you did so you lose’.

There was one saving grace though. Playing the Pokemon Trading Card Game with my close elementary school pal, Graeme H (who I just had dinner with a couple of weeks ago, actually). Like me, he followed the game’s rules to a T, and it was a freaking blast every time that we got to play (because we were actually, really, playing). Eventually, the trading cards fell by the wayside to things like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and other Pokemon-level addictions, but these are memories that I still hold dear, and are moments that I try to bring up whenever we get to see each other.

Thanks, bud.

Adam Lemuz

Pokémon has always been a big influence in my life. Out of the countless games, cards, and tv shows released for it, my favorite Pokémon item has to be Pokémon Gold. This is why I love Pokémon HeartGold even more. The original Gold itself was pretty amazing alone. Being able to explore and catch a whole new generation, as well as being able to revisit the first, made this one of the longest games at the time that I’ve ever played. Bundle that with a beautiful graphical update, being able to have any Pokémon follow you around, and a few more tweaks here and there, and you’ve got a remake that almost feels like it’s completely different from the original. I would say to go out and play it, but odds are, you already have.

Geekscape Roundtable: Our Favourite ‘Star Wars’ Memories!

by GeekscapeStaffDecember 17, 2015

Can you even believe that December 17th is finally here?

After years of waiting, and what feels like a lifetime of anticipation (not to mention way, way too many trailers and TV spots), Star Wars: The Force Awakens is finally here.

Finally!

So, while we’re all getting our Obi-Wan robes on and Shane readies his sexiest Jar Jar Binks cosplay, we thought we’d share our very favourite Star Wars memories, well, ever!

Now, these aren’t moments of our favourite characters or scenes from one of the ~~six~~ three films, but far deeper than that. Our favourite memory of how Star Wars made us feel, or ways that it brought us closer together with other, like-minded geeks.

In putting this piece together, I definitely teared up more than once (thankfully I had my Star Wars tissues on hand), so we’re beyond excited to be sharing these memories with you!

Read on, enjoy, and may the force be with you, always.

Daniel Campozano

I didn’t grow up with my biological father, and my step father is more of a Western fan, so our similarities in film and TV were simply never in sync.

My friends don’t share my level of dedication to consuming media, let alone having a feverish fandom for a particular series, and my wife falls asleep 15 minutes into any of my picks for movie night.

I was a lone wolf until 11 year ago when I stumbled upon a podcast where I found fellow enthusiasts of the geek culture: Geekdrome. I found a home. Fast forward a year, Geekdrome was over and my girlfriend was pregnant and I was at this strange place far from home on Christmas day.

My only reprieve, Episode 1 of Geekscape.

I’m home again.

Fast forward another 5 months. My daughter is born and I have a new friend. Someone with whom I can share my love of all things and try to lure her to the dark side. It works, at 10 years old my daughter has become a geek, maybe not of the old guard, but part of a new empire.

For the past four years I’ve been introducing my daughter to world of Star Wars. At three years old we took her to see Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and so started her journey. We would watch the prequels, the original trilogy, and the despecialized original trilogy. Currently we are watching Clone Wars on Netflix while re-watching the despecialized trilogy in between breaks. A Star Wars fan, she has become. It is the one thing that she and I share that is just ours that we really enjoy (besides Doctor Who).

So my excitement for the new Star Wars trilogy is literally not measurable. Whenever I start to think about the date and how close it is and how I’m about to embark on a journey to a galaxy far far away with my daughter and my fellow Geekscapists, I start to tear up. My favorite thing about Star Wars isn’t something that has happened yet. It’s going to be on December 18, 2015, when I’m in a theater with my daughter and our bond will be that much stronger, a force will awaken that we will share for years to come. Our community will come together and once again, for better or worse we are going to lose our shit when we which watch the film.

Natalie Kipper

I come from a family of nerds. I mean, BIG nerds.

The chief nerd of our tribe is my mother, who has a special love of all things sci-fi. For Mother’s Day a few years ago (in a galaxy far, far away), Mom made a special request for the day’s activity: a Star Wars marathon with unlimited popcorn (Mom also has a special love for popcorn).

That day, my younger brother and I spent the morning, afternoon, and early evening, changing Blu-Ray discs from our Star Wars collector set and refilling our Disney Parks popcorn buckets. We may or may not have spent part of Episodes I, II, and III heckling Anakin. (Spoilers: We did.)

Eric Francisco

I think I grew up with Star Wars wrong. I watched the series in “chronological” order, from watching The Phantom Menace with my dad and sister on a Sunday matinee (long after the hype in 1999 had fizzled out) all the way to Return of the Jedi when I got the box set for Christmas a few years later. Which meant the “twist” in Empire Strikes Back wasn’t a major reveal! And because I was such an impressionable kid, I watched the prequels — yes, the prequels — with awe.

Of course they’re awful movies. I’ve gone back and can barely sit through them. But I think the Star Wars magic still worked, regardless if it was the prequels or the “real” trilogy.

Which is all to explain my favorite memory: You know when they go to the Gungan planet and meet the dude who spits a lot, Boss Nass? In the theater my sister sipped her Pepsi and whenever Nass slobbered she spat at my dad and me. We were the only ones in the theater so it was fine, and it was hysterical. (My dad was probably bored anyway.) I know it isn’t an iconic moment, I know everyone wants to forget the prequels, but you know what? That just makes that memory all the more mine.

Josh Jackson

I’m embarrassed to admit, but I spent the majority of my childhood hating Star Wars. My love of sci-fi wouldn’t come along until I was well into high school, but all I remember is that a combination of my mom constantly talking about how the movies were bad, and the SNES copy of Biker Mice From Mars that I rented turning out to be a mislabeled Super Star Wars cartridge made it so I couldn’t care less about the franchise.

Then the GameCube rolled around, and Rogue Squadron II looked like one of the most amazing games I had ever seen on any platform. Combining the stellar game play from the N64 games with updated visuals, sound and missions completely hooked me, and I couldn’t get enough. Suddenly, I just needed to know EVERYTHING I could about this universe and what the context was surrounding these levels that I played over and over again. Around this time, I finally got home Internet, introducing me to a host of new people. When my first, (and one of my best) online friends turned out to be a huge Star Wars fan, it wasn’t hard to get caught up based on all of her recommendations, to the point where I fell in love with the original trilogy.

Since then, I’ve read some of the books, I’ve played other amazing games such as the Battlefront series, Racer Revenge and The Force Unleashed, (the first one at least), and I’ve seen all of the movies and shows. Yet, none of that would likely have happened if I had never come across that GameCube classic. The hours I sunk into that title, and the interactions that followed.

Matthew Rodriguez

I’ve had some interesting friends in my childhood. We were always into nerdy things and video games but couldn’t always afford the latest games and tech because of the impoverished nature of our neighborhood (for example, I had to miss out on the entire eight bit era), so we sometimes found unusual ways to be wacky and have fun.

The Star Wars prequels were pretty huge when I was growing up. A friend of mine, my brother and I, all went to see them together and we always joked that one day Obi-Wan would just snap at Anakin, and slap him in the face. One day, my friend actually did this to us—exclaimed “Anakin!”, slapped us in the face, and ran off. This became a rick roll/prank of sorts between us. When we received a tape recorder as a gift, we used it to dub our voices over Brock Lesnar’s (the wrestler’s) music to exclaim “Anakin!” between the end of the first verse and where you hear the sound “Ough!”

My friend stretched the limits of this joke to others that were somewhat outside of our social circle, until he “Anakined” the wrong person one day and caught a fateful suplex straight into the concrete sidewalk. The joke hasn’t been used ever since.

Gabriel von Grünbaum

I think my favorite Star Wars memory is being alive. I feel extremely fortunate that I’ve never had to live in a world without Star Wars. This isn’t to say that I’m surrounded by Star Wars mugs and blankets and posters all over the place—not that I wouldn’t like that and I do enjoy a couple Star Wars collectibles. . . Okay, they’re Star Wars Legos—a little ship and a little Death Star. Oh, and a few Star Wars tee shirts. But I’m getting off track here.

The point I’m trying to make is that there hasn’t been any time in my life when Star Wars didn’t exist, when it wasn’t a part of shaping my perspectives, when it wasn’t there for me as a touchstone or reference point in digesting something new and different in my life. Star Wars is as much a part of reality for me as are trees or the moon. . . roast beef sandwiches. So trying to isolate a favorite Star Wars memory for me is akin to trying to remember my favorite time breathing—it’s absolutely all of the times.

Gun to the head? I suppose I would have to go with those very first viewings; the ones where my parents popped the VHS’s into the VCR and plopped me down in front of it to keep me occupied and I took in that galaxy far far away for the very first time in slack-jawed wonder and delight. The best part is that I’m transported back to that moment every single time I see them again.

Karson Braaten

I didn’t plan on sharing a Star Wars memory. I don’t have any significant ones, but then I realized that I think I might be in the middle of one right now!

My dad was always a Star Trek fan, and he had a large collection of VHS tapes that we would watch every few evenings while my parents ate supper. As a child, I don’t even know if I could have told you what Star Wars was. When I was fourteen; I got the Star Wars Trilogy on DVD. We didn’t even have a DVD player other than our computer. Over the next two days, I sat in front of it and watched those three movies. I wish I could tell you they changed my life, but they didn’t.

I haven’t seen any of the movies more than once. I don’t think I could list you a dozen Star Wars characters. However, that didn’t stop me from purchasing a group of tickets for The Force Awakens the moment they became available. I’ll be going with one of my best friends who loves the series. I’m taking a day off work so we can introduce the series to another friend. With any luck, my girlfriend might even tag along. The passionate aura around this series fascinates me and just like an underage teen in a bar; I love sneaking into it.

I view the new Star Wars release as a worldwide celebration of geekdom. The movie captures at scale what all us geeks feel inside, an overwhelming, undefinable, and sometimes even crazy love for things. Star Wars may not be one of those things for you but even if it isn’t, I strongly encourage you to make an effort to participate in this event. Find a friend or two and become a part of the celebration of not just Star Wars, but of how awesome it is to be a geek right now! I have no doubt these next few days will become my favourite Star Wars memory.

Derek Kraneveldt

It’s pretty crazy looking back and thinking about all of the memorable Star Wars moments that I’ve had over the past 25 years. From spending way too many hours playing various Star Wars video games with my friends, to the last decade+ of my father making fun of me for defending Jar Jar Binks when 9 year-old me saw The Phantom Menace for the first time, to arguing with Shane O’Hare over just how bad The Force Unleashed II is.

It’s absolutely insane to think about just how many times the franchise has created a memorable moment in my life. That said, the most memorable Star Wars memory for me is probably not a moment, but many.

As I mentioned in my Star Wars video games feature last month, I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with the franchise, to a point where from my late teens through my early 20’s, I barely thought about it.

Then something crazy happened. Disney bought Lucasfilm, announced that the series would be expanding like crazy and that the dude who developed Lost and made Star Trek cool for non-Trekkies would be kicking everything off.

Before this insane, unexpected development, I’d rarely even hear (or read) the words Star Wars save for deep inside geek circles such as this one. Now, today, at this very moment, I’m sitting in my call centre cubicle at work and I can hear two groups of employees having separate Star Wars conversations, another guy is wearing a Star Wars t-shirt, and someone else is carrying around a Storm Trooper Funko Pop! figure.

On top of that, I’ve had conversations about the franchise with people who you’d never imagine would be interested in it. Hell, I’m more interested in Star Wars now than I was all throughout my childhood (and I thought that I loved it back then).

I remember the outcry of fans shitting on the idea of Disney owning Star Wars. That this was the worst possible outcome in the entire world and that the company that freaking saved Marvel had no business diddling their droids and spreading through the far reaches of this galaxy far, far away.

I believed that was an absolutely nuts thought at the time, and it’s an idea that your rarely (if ever) hear today. It’s damned clear that Star Wars is healthier than ever, and the movie isn’t even out yet.

So, I guess that my favourite memory would have to be that time that Disney saved Star Wars.

So, what’s your favourite Star Wars memory? Sound out in the comments below!

Geekscape Roundtable: Our 2015 Holiday Wishlists!

by GeekscapeStaffDecember 14, 2015

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Dec 8, 2015 at 8:09am PST

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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!

The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki

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

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).

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. . .

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.

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!

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.

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.)

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!

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

Geekscape Roundtable: Thanksgiving Is Almost Here, So Here’s What We’re Thankful For!

by GeekscapeStaffNovember 24, 2015

Can you believe that the holiday season is nearly here? In just a few days, Americans everywhere will be eating turkey, pie, and other junk food… while Canadians will simply go to work as usual because they celebrated Thanksgiving over a month ago.

In any case, it’s a pretty great time to be a geek, so we thought it would be a great idea to round up the ol’ crew in order to find out just what we’re thankful for this year!

Read on, enjoy your turkey, and we hope that you make it through Black Friday unscathed (and with a nice cheap console or TV, to boot).

Oh, and happy Thanksgiving! Or Thursday, rest of the world!

Natalie Kipper

I’m thankful for anime reboots! I grew up on Sailor Moon and Heroic Legend of Arslan (yes, that British-flavored dub where they kept changing characters’ names) and the fact that I get to revisit these series as an adult is pure geek heaven. Sailor Moon Crystal was recently renewed for another season (with higher production values, too). And while Arslan is being remade under the direction of a different artist (Hiromu Arakawa rather than Mamoru Hamatsu), I am simply grateful that I get to see that story completed.

Daniel Campozano

The thing that I’m most thankful for this year? Easy. Star Wars. Just like Derek had stated in his Star Wars article last week, I have also had a love/hate (and now back to loving) relationship with the franchise. With The Force Awakens set to be released in a less than a month (finally) I find myself trying to consume as much Star Wars media as I possibly can. From going through Clone Wars with my daughter, to reading all of Marvel’s new comics, to playing the newest console game. Marvel has been doing a phenomenal job with the books, my favorite being Darth Vader and its current Vader Down event. And of course, there’s Star Wars: Battlefront; I have so much fun just randomly playing through all the modes and I completely lose it whenever someone dies and it triggers the wilhelm scream. When I’m feeling for some quick, fun, guns-blazing action, I head into the ‘Hero Hunt’ or ‘Heroes Vs. Villains’ modes and just lose myself for hours. When I’m finished with that I just hop on the Battlefront companion app which lets me score some space credits to help unlock some more gear within the main game. Amazing.

Eric Francisco

Right now I’m thankful that television is diversifying. I just finished a few episodes of Marvel’s Jessica Jones, which (I must say as a straight male) is probably one of the most feminist action shows because it goes beyond “girl power.” Never before I have ever seen trauma dealt with in such an intelligent, artistic manner and still stay an exciting comic book TV show. It’s nothing short of impressive. Furthermore, shows like Fresh off the Boat and Into the Badlands are giving kids like myself a familiar face they can relate to, which I didn’t have growing up. I read Alex Tizon’s “Big Little Man” which, in short, advocates why a diverse pop culture can instill confidence for people to pursue their dreams.

Jonathan London

One of the things I’m thankful for the most this year (and every year!) is the continued presence of Geekscape in our lives. The podcast gives me a weekly outlet through which I can meet new people, interact with those of you who listen and run my mouth. As I always say: I’m going to be talking about these things anyways… so why not at least talk about them with other people? The website, Facebook and community also give us an excuse and a place to keep up with everything going on in our community. I’ve seen many of you graduate college, get married, start your careers and live your lives, both in person and through these digital mediums. It’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and together we’ve built this place into our own little neighborhood bar where everybody knows your name.

Gabriel von Grünbaum

As the holidays approach this year, it feels like a good time to reflect back on what I’m feeling grateful for this year. How convenient that Thanksgiving is about to hit! There’s a lot that I’m thankful for—I’ve enjoyed some great new events in entertainment and there are still more to come!—I’ve enjoyed reconnecting with some old friends and making some excellent new friendships—getting the chance to meet some of you at the cons, premieres and other events. As I thought about all of this, it occurred to me that what I’m grateful for could be summarized pretty easily. This year I’m really grateful for Geekscape. Joining this amazing team, having the opportunity to share what I’m most passionate about with all of you who feel the same way and getting to share in that excitement together—well, it just makes this Geekscape adventure that much more amazing and for all of that I’m truly grateful. Looking forward to more magic next year and getting the chance to share it with all of you. See you at the next event!

Matt Kelly

Last week Scream Factory released a beautiful double disc blue-ray of Troll and Troll 2. Beyond being a beautiful transfer of two truly weird and wonderfully bad movies, the Blu-Ray also contains a bonus copy of Best Worst Movie. For those who haven’t seen this touching documentary it tells the story of the making of Troll 2. What this SHOULD be is a wacky comedy about a terrible movie… but what it ends up being is a fascinating tale of redemption following a group of people who are just discovering how loved they are to a cult community.

Jake Lopez

After spending over three years with minimal video game time, it’s easy to profess just how thankful I am to be able to feed a guilty pleasure. I got an Xbox One recently and have been catching up on games I’ve missed. I’ll talk about two games I’m thankful for and, for good measure, I’ll throw in one movie I plan on seeing this week.

Batman Arkham Knight is a fantastic game that I just got around to playing. I know it’s had its troubles on Steam, but find a way to play this on a next-gen console if you have to. I’m taking a break after beating it through the first normal run-through, but you better believe I’ll be taking a swing at the hardest difficulty. It’s a definite treat for those of you have avoided spoilers this long.

The second video-game-related treat I’m thankful for is Halo 5’s free DLC. There is no season pass and so far there’s been one content drop with another planned for December. With so many games, *cough* Battlefront *cough*, that are charging an extra price equal or over the price of the game itself, it’s nice seeing a change of pace for the better.

As for the movie, I’m certainly excited to see Creed. Directed by relative newcomer Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) and starting Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station, Chronicle), I’m hoping to see a new spin on a franchise that started in the post-classical era of filmmaking. It’s been nearly forty years since Rocky was released in theaters and a lot of cinema has happened between now and then. I have high hopes for this film and am excited to seen what Coogler and Jordan do with this next installment into the Rocky franchise.

Adam Lemuz

This year I’m thankful for Game Center CX. Game Center CX is a Japanese game show that centers around a man named Shin’ya Arino, or Arino Kacho (the chief). His goal each week on the show is to play and complete classic video game challenges. The only problem is that he’s pretty bad at them. These challenges mostly consist of beating the game and range from a variety of systems including the Famicom (Japanese NES), Super Famicom (Super Nintendo), and the N64. He’ll even throw in a relatively new game every now and then. This show is chock full of humor at every turn as Arino wins, fails, and gives humorous gaming advice.

That’s not all the show has to offer though. In between footage of him trying to conquer said weekly game, there are tons of different show segments scattered throughout the hour long program. These include arcade and restaurant visits, a game where he must guess a Famicom cartridge from far away using a super scope, retro game showcases, and much more. Even though there was an American DVD release of the show a while ago, it seems that nothing else has really come out of it and the show has mainly stayed over in Japan which is a shame. Not to worry though, because you can watch almost every episode of Game Center CX with English subtitles over at this link, and if you want to support the official release you can buy the DVD (renamed Retro Game Master for North America) right here!

Shane O’Hare

What I’m most thankful for this year has to be my friends. Let me get a little serious on you guys for a moment, (so I hope Derek puts this at the end of the piece).

2015 has probably been my worst year ever, and yes, even beating out that time that I was nearly put away for 20 years (that’s is a story for another time)!

I began the year by breaking up with my long term girlfriend of 8 years and moving back in with my parents. At 26 years old, shacking up with Mom and Dad was a debilitating blow to my self esteem and happiness. Couple that with a broken heart, my decline started off pretty good. But the whole time this was going on, I had plenty of friends who were consoling me. My long time buddy from high school, Dylan, can attest to a couple instances of crying Shane showing up at his door at midnight.

I quickly (probably TOO quickly) found myself in another relationship. I thought it was an amazing one, but looking back it was horribly abusive. Emotionally and verbally, she would constantly cut me down and question my values and actions. Everything I did was wrong, and she was perfect. Being with this woman really ruined me this year. You don’t realize how much a loved one can hurt you, mess up your drive and desire to contribute to society and consume your thoughts in a negative way. You begin to miss out on things you enjoy. Every time we had a fight or a falling out, I had my friends there for me. Since our multiple breakups over the course of the year, I’ve had people I know casually come up to me and see that I was hurting and help me through it. My list of close friends quickly grew because this woman was awful to me, and even to this day I have people telling me about things she has done/did to me without me knowing. People looking out for me, caring for me.

These ups and downs really hurt my productivity. My work declined drastically, and I was constantly borrowing money. I was drinking to excess WAY to much. My contributions to Geekscape all but stopped. I would get into these week long funks of depression, where all I wanted to do was lay in bed and watch sick vids on YouTube. I’d miss out on recordings of our podcast, because I just couldn’t muster up the strength to put on a happy face and be funny for an hour. Because of it, I had to miss out on many opportunities this year that would have been amazing. No Wondercon. No Comikaze Expo. And most recently, no Mega64 Gamedays. I BARELY made it to SDCC. That trip saved my life. Getting to see my friends from Geekscape. My convention friends. My sister and her crew from Santa Monica. They were all there and made me feel amazing.

What suffered the most was my music. I had no desire to play records anymore, and whenever I did DJ it felt like a chore. I was super self conscious of my mixes and song selections, I would pass up opportunities to play. But I had my friends from the music scene always there cheering me on and helping me. Tony, Grant, Chris, Colin, Adam, Erik, Derek, Samuel and Sam. All DJ’s and artists I respect and admire giving me praise and support. It was an odd concept, and I wish I realized sooner how much these guys were my friends.

The Geekscape Games Podcast (The Number 1 video game podcast on the Geekscape Network & The Number 1 video game podcast on Ranker.com editor’s note: more like the number 1 least consistent podcast on the entire internet) really blew up this year. We’ve finally found our groove and our voice. Meeting each week with Derek, Josh, Juan and sometimes Kenny has become my highlight of the week. These guys have become my best friends. They’ve been there when I bitch and moan about the trials and tribulations of my love life. They’ve all helped and given amazing advice. Little daily reminders that life isn’t as bad as I imagine it is. Always supporting me, trying to make me happy.

The year is almost over, and things are finally starting to look up. I’m really starting to value the friendships in my life. I’ve started at a new real estate office with more opportunities and more money. I’ve expanded my musical interests, and have started to write some original pieces. I’ve met a lot of new people this year, grew relationships with existing people and learned that I didn’t know the people in my life like I thought; and how much we have in common.

I still find myself not making my goals on here, much to the lament of Derek and Jonathan, but I’m trying! I am so thankful for Geekscape, my colleagues here and the fans. Much love. Mad hype.

Derek Kraneveldt

Well. I Thanksgiving a little over a month ago, and incredibly enough, I was able to spend it with my wonderful fiance, and Jonathan and Laura London in beautiful Vancouver, BC.

Yep. I live in Vancouver now. The thing that I’ve been most thankful for this year is my fiance and her ability to challenge me, as well as wholeheartedly support me if there’s something that I really want to do (even collect Amiibo). See, I wasn’t overly happy where I was, so we moved from Middle-Of-Nowhere, BC to big, beautiful Vancouver. While I’m still not really doing just what I want to do, the fact that I’m in this amazing place, with an amazing person, has been a dream come true.

Also, I happened to move here at the same time that Jonathan was sent up, so I was able to spend a bunch of time with the man, and do a lot of Vancouvery things. This came at the perfect time, too, as based on my ailing exchange rate and growing credit card balance (which I’m now, thankfully, working on), it’s been really hard to get down to the US for anything more than San Diego Comic-Con.

And then there’s Geekscape and Geekscape Games. The site is my online home, and while we’re still working on podcast consistency, the ability to get together and talk with some of my Geekscape pals about life and occasionally video games always gets me riled up. I strive to one day be the #1 gaming podcast on the Geekscape network, and while we’ve got a ways to go to get there, doing the show is still an absolutely blast. If you haven’t heard it, go ahead and (please, please) give it a listen at the bottom of this page!

I hope that all of my American pals have a great time this Thanksgiving, and this weekend!

Josh Jackson

I’m thankful for the Xbox One and Wii U’s external hard drive support

Having owned all three current generation consoles since or close to launch, it goes without saying that each platform has had a ton to play. Unfortunately in today’s gaming world, that often means most of it is downloaded or installed, making 32, or even 500 GBs disappear before you know it. It’s because of this that during this year’s holiday rush, I’ve all but abandoned my PS4 in favor of the Xbox One and Wii U, mostly due to the fact that I don’t have to spring clean my hard drive every time I get a new game. So thank you Xbox One and Wii U, for ensuring that after all the installs and updates, that I don’t have to be delayed even further from enjoying my games without having to micromanage memory.

I’m thankful for Jessica Jones

I’d like to think that everyone who’s reading this has already binge watched the show over the weekend, but if not, what are you waiting for? Bringing a brand new style to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Jessica’s noir style of storytelling, combined with some truly shocking events and a villain who comes off as charismatic as he is terrifying, and you’re left with what could be Marvel’s best outing yet. Considering we were saying the same thing about Daredevil earlier this year just shows how much comic fans have to be thankful for these days.

I’m thankful for Nepgear.

After playing through what must be my 57^th Hyperdimension Neptunia game, one fact remains clear every time; Nepgear is, and will always be best girl. I don’t care if the fan base thinks you’re boring, or every game after your starring role in Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk.II has made you the butt of a revolving door of jokes. While you may spend your time protecting your sister and tinkering with robots, I just want you to know that you’ve already tinkered with my heart.

And lastly… I’m thankful for waifus.

For allowing me to fall in love with high school girls and not go to prison.

So ‘Scapists, what are you thankful for this holiday season? Be sure to let us know in the comments below, and of course, happy Thanksgiving!

We Celebrate ‘Super Mario Bros.’ 30th Birthday With Our Favourite Mario Memories!

by GeekscapeStaffSeptember 12, 2015

30 years is a long time.

In 1985, there were only three Star Wars films, one Back to the Future, and Alf wasn’t even a thing yet. It’s also the year that the wreck of the Titanic was found, the first Blockbuster Video store opened (RIP), and New Coke was introduced (and discontinued).

Arguably the biggest, most important, and most culture defining moment in 1985 was the introduction of Super Mario Bros. for the NES / Famicom. It’s the title that made people fall in love with video games all over again, fall in love with a myriad of quirky characters, and become enamoured with a unique platforming formula that is still beloved today.

We want to wish Super Mario Bros. a very happy 30th birthday, and what better way than to share our favourite Mario memories from the past 30 years. With the just-released Super Mario Maker and beyond, we can’t wait to see what memories we’ll create next.

Read on for our memories, and be sure to share your own below!

Daniel Campozano

This may come as surprise to some, but I’ve actually only played three iterations of the Mario franchise. Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World. So I have short list to pick from for my favorite moments with the franchise.

I would have to say my favorite Mario memory is with the original Super Mario Bros. for the NES. I remember getting it in the late 80’s as a Christmas gift and just being a natural at it. Everyone gathered around the television taking turns to see who could get the furtherest. As I’m jumping around and trying to figure out the mechanics I accidentally find the hidden warp room on level 1-2 and everyone screams in delight that I found a secret board and transported to another far away Mario land.

My favorite of the franchise would have to be Super Mario World. It was the only game I completed without the help of a warp or a magical flute. Though to get the full completetion I did use a strategy guide. The aspect that I enjoyed the most from the game was just the updated graphics and soundtracks from the prior gaming consoles. It almost reminds me of when I first saw an HDTV after decades of standard visuals, all the bright colors were mind blowing.

Gabriel von Grünbaum

Apparently, the saying might not be entirely accurate but parts of my childhood remind me of what I’ve heard is an old Chinese curse—”May you live in interesting times.” I’ve heard some tales from folks about troubles they endured while they were growing up that would rank as far more difficult than my own experiences; those occurrences that carved me into who I am today. I’m quite content now to think of my more tender years as interesting.

As my own interesting times began to develop, I remember that one of the highlights of any day—that I was able to wander off on my own—was to find myself at the arcade. It’s where I first met one of my oldest friends, Mario. He was just a young scrapper then, climbing up in the world, facing challenges like any of us do. . . especially like any of us who faced barrels hurled at us by a giant gorilla dabbling in human trafficking while we tried to balance on steel I-beams. Donkey Kong easily encapsulated the big scary world outside the doors of the arcade while Mario helped teach me that determination can payoff. Plus, blocky little Pauline was rather captivating and absolutely worth all the quarters.

Not too much later, as life got so much more interesting—and opportunities to visit the arcade became harder to come by—Nintendo offered a solution, the. . . Nintendo. Now the arcade could be right in the living room. The thought of it was like a dream within a dream within a Round Table Pizza. My father was pretty firm about his “no” on the subject of bringing such magic home. Magic where my new friend Mario wasn’t just climbing beams in a dark void—he had an entire world to explore!—an army of turtles to fight and a princess to save! It may have been only days but, honestly, I’m not sure how long it was that I languished after asking him for this magical arcade machine that I’d heard and read about, because it felt like eons upon eons.

I still remember coming home from school one day and he wasn’t there to greet me as usual. I just heard his voice from the living room, “Come here. I want to show you something.” I moaned reluctantly feeling confident I was in trouble for something—probably the grape juice I’d spilled and covered up by scooching the potted plant over it. So much for the perfect crime.

As I entered the living room, there it was on the coffee table, the cardboard box that held unspeakable wonders within. “I waited to open it so that you could help me set it up,” he explained. And so we did—through my squeals of delight. And so we didn’t get much sleep that night or many other nights after. Super Mario Bros. was far better than I’d imagined. We’d trade off playing Mario and his brother Luigi, milking every ounce of adventure, three lives at a time—hurtling down pipes, hunting down mushrooms, turtles and 1-Ups.

Yes, the game was amazing but during such interesting times in our lives, the best part was how it brought us together. We were exploring this fantastic new world, side by side, with hard-headed Italian brothers serving as our guides.

My dad and I solidified a bond over Super Mario Bros. that stands to this day. We became a team in the face of those interesting times and I’ll never be able to thank Mario enough.

Shane O’Hare

My most memorable Mario moment is probably one of the most unconventional.

We all remember the first time we played Super Mario Bros 3., Super Mario World, and Mario 64. My most VIVID memory has to be playing Mario Paint on the SNES for the first time.

I was a huge computer nerd growing up, and always had a PC around. My first gaming memory was playing DOS shareware games. So when I visited my uncle’s house and he showed me Mario Paint I was blown away. The mouse controller was so familiar yet at the same time foreign to me, it being an SNES input device and all.

Playing around with the different stamps, canvases, music creator and that fly swatting game OH MAN! I wish I had a SNES and a copy of the game right now!

Juan Carlos Marquez

As a kid, I was lucky enough to grow up during the NES era. Having amassed a number of great memories involving my friends and family playing Nintendo–specifically Super Mario Bros. titles. From the Christmas of 1985 where I read the Super Mario Bros. manual cover to cover in anticipation of starting my adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom, to playing Super Mario 3D World with my wife who inadvertently caused me to die a number of times because she wanted to grab a Star Coin or a 1-UP mushroom,–Mario games are a constant when reminiscing about my beloved gaming moments. But one that stands out quite prominently is one involving the biggest Mario fan besides myself: my grandmother.

As a kid, my parents worked late into the afternoon and wouldn’t come home until 6 P.M., so for the better part of my childhood, my grandmother was in charge of watching over me when I came home from school–along with my sister and three cousins. Luckily for her, I owned an NES which kept my cousins and I inside the house which kept my grandmother’s nerves at ease. She would watch us play Super Mario Bros., listen to us yell and point out oncoming enemies to avoid, and question me why there was always a butter knife on top of the television (RF switches, right?). As much as she refrained from playing, she would always sit quietly behind my cousins and I while we played. It seemed like our pleas would never convince my grandmother to play, but that was quickly proven wrong when she forgot my cousin and I were coming home early from school.

Whenever we came home around 2 P.M., my grandmother would have lunch ready for all of us. While we were at school, my cousins and I imagined my grandmother was watching a marathon of game shows, Mexican novelas, or simply taking nap on the couch, so you can imagine my surprise when my cousin and I showed up to the front gate and heard the Super Mario theme blaring through the living room window. We peeked and saw our grandmother–the one who always refused to play video games with us–sitting dead center on the couch with her hands firmly gripped on an NES controller. Her eyes locked on the television as she made her way through World 3 of Super Mario Bros.

We just stood there and watched her play for another ten minutes–partly to convince ourselves that what we were seeing was real and to marvel at how she would frantically move the controller up and down whenever she wanted Mario to jump. It was incredibly hard to keep our laughter to ourselves. The muffled sounds of two kids giggling caught her attention and was surprised to see us outside the window.

After explaining why we were home early, she laughed and confessed that she has been playing for weeks and would watch us play to get tips on how to get passed certain areas of the game (she hates Lakitu and Spinys with a passion). Here I thought that my grandmother was spending her day watching Price is Right when in reality she’s been getting her Mario fix on.

To this day, my grandmother still plays Nintendo games, and I can’t wait to see what she creates when she gets her hands on Super Mario Maker. I guess I’ll have to keep the levels that I make for her Lakitu-free.

Karson Braaten

I was four when Santa Claus came down my chimney with a Super Nintendo and a copy of Super Mario World. My parents told me I played it a lot so it’s safe to say that Mario has been a part of my life for longer than I can remember. Speaking of not remembering, does anyone else play the Mario Kart drinking game?

All joking aside, here is a list of some of my favourite Mario memories:

– Loudly swatting flies with the Mario Paint mouse and pad and being jealous that my friend could compose songs on it that actually sounded like music. I couldn’t.

– Being blown away that Super Mario All-Stars was four games in one!

– I spent years fascinating about owning an N64 before actually getting one. While my mom shopped in Zellers I would spend all my time with my neck tilted at an awful angle playing Super Mario 64.

– I enjoyed Super Mario 64 but the game my friend and I sank the most time into when I eventually got an N64 was Mario Tennis.

– Once upon a time there was a girl who 15-year-old me had a crush on but was too shy to talk to. I broke through my shyness by volunteering to help her beat a level in Super Mario World. We spent that summer playing Nintendo then became MSN friends shortly after. Ten years later, she is now my girlfriend.

– Luigi’s Mansion was the first game I played on day one of a console release.

– Crazy nights that began with one too many rounds of Beerio Kart. (Racing your friends in Mario Kart but you must finish a drink during the race. The catch? You can only drink while your vehicle isn’t moving).

I could go on and on. I think many people could. There is no measuring all of the good that Mario has brought to our society. However, I have a decent idea of the impact he has had on me. Mario has in one way or another brought joy to nearly every facet of my life and because of this, the little plumber will always be close to my heart.

Eric Francisco

I weirdly associate Mario with my mom.

My sister grew up with an NES and Super Mario Bros., but the console was pretty broken by the time I grew into gaming. So as a kid I knew Mario as this kind of — thing — that was just some kind of… game thing. Very descriptive, I know.

A few years later I’m playing Super Smash Bros. on my N64. I didn’t have many friends to play with, so my mom and I would play and she’d always pick Mario for whatever reason. Perhaps because he was the easiest to control and his moveset established the paradigm of Smash controls (Up+B gets you higher, Down+B is a baller ground attack, and B is projectiles).

I was never a huge Nintendo gamer. I liked the GameCube and Wii and stuff like Mario Kart just fine but I never played many Mario games, even now. So while most people see an Italian plumber, I see a middle-aged Asian lady who just finished the dishes and wants to play video games with her son.

Derek Kraneveldt

I really cannot believe its been 30 years since Super Mario Bros.

Heck, I’m only 25. I’ve never lived in a pre-Super Mario Bros. world. What was it like? It was awful, wasn’t it? I can’t even imagine.

Well, in my 25 years I’ve amassed a ton of memories in the Mario universe. It’s pretty tough to narrow it down to just one or two, so how about a RAPID FIRE BULLET POINT ROUND!?

– I think that I was a pretty good kid, but when I was little I was sent to my room a lot. In said room, I had an NES and a myriad of games for it, so I kind of loved being in there. Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 (2 was a little strange for kid me) were my favourites, and by the age of 6 or 7 I was pretty much a pro.

– The time that I learned the upside down Koopa shell on stairs in Super Mario Bros. to gain tons of lives trick. I felt like a god.

– I don’t know how many hours I spent pinching Mario’s face on the Super Mario 64 title screen. Also climbing up hills and sliding down them. So fun.

– My dad was a gamer, and he seemed pretty good at most games when I was growing up. When Super Mario Sunshine came out, I actually had to help him complete a lot of the levels. That felt pretty cool.

– I ended up really good at Mario Kart. In a big media-only prerelease tournament for Mario Kart 8, I ended up in 2nd out of 32 very good players. That last match, I was in first until the last turn when a trio of red shells came towards me. That stunk, but second is still pretty great. Now, I have friends that have trained for 100+ hours that still rarely beat me. That feels good.

– Completing Super Mario 3D world with three friends is one of the best times I’ve ever had playing a video game. We’d play once a week, for a few hours at a time, and always try to get all three stars in each level. It was probably the thing I most looked forward to each and every week

– For some reason when I was a kid, I loved Mario Is Missing. It was pretty tough for me as I was so young, but I was pretty addicted to it until I finished it. It wasn’t until years later that I realized that Mario Is Missing was not a well received game. Haters gonna hate.

I also just realized that I’ve bought the Mario Amiibo seven times between the different versions. That’s how much I love the guy. I love Luigi too, but they’ve only released two Luigi Amiibo thus far.

Did our memories bring back some of your own? What we they? We want to know!

Geekscape Roundtable: What We’re Looking Forward To At E3 2015!

by Derek KraneveldtJune 10, 2015

Another year has passed, and another E3 fast approaches. What an interesting and frustrating year it’s been. Sure, we saw some phenomenal titles released over the last 12 months (The Witcher 3 has already become one of my favourite games of all time), but we also saw some titles that looked so promising release without much content (Destiny), more delays than we can count (Zelda, Batman, everything else), and nearly two years into their life-cycles, both the PS4 and Xbox One are plagued with remastered versions of last-gen titles instead of all new experiences.

But E3 is where everything (hopefully) changes. We’ll see a myriad of new announcements, promising titles from indie devs and AAA studios alike, a ton of VR, and hopefully some things that we haven’t even imagined to this point. With one of our most anticipated titles being announced the week before the expo, it’s going to take some big reveals to top Bethesda showing off Fallout 4.

It’s been awhile since we’ve done a roundtable piece here at Geekscape, and with most of our writers being gamers as well, what better way to bring the roundtable back than by asking everyone what they’re most looking forward to at E3 (or what they predict we’ll see).

Check back with Geekscape for E3 news as it happens, and be sure to listen to the Geekscape Games podcast, where Shane, Juan, Josh, and Derek chat video games and more each and every week.

Jonathan London

For the first time in years, I’m not attending E3. Repeatedly, while Xbox and Sony beat each other up in a race to announce the next exclusive or HD next-gen remake of a last-gen game, the excitement on the floor has centered on the indie marketplace games coming to Steam, PSN, Xbox Live and Nintendo’s eShop. It’s where I find the most exciting and risk driven titles each year. Or maybe just the most hilarious like last year’s Bro Force and Cloudberry Kingdom from two years ago. As I get busier, the number of giant Triple-A titles I can consume each year shrinks and I find myself able to play more titles like Guacamelee or Pokémon Shuffle for 15 minutes at a time than anything else. Not to say I’m not looking forward to Arkham Knight, but the urgency is no longer there.

That is, unless we’re talking about Zelda for the Wii U. If the rumors are true, this E3 will be all about Star Fox for Nintendo, and for sure I’m looking forward to it. But as one of my top 3 franchises in all of gaming, and after that long gameplay trailer we saw a few months ago, I couldn’t be more excited for Zelda’s arrival to the world of HD (I’m not counting Windwaker HD!). Zelda Skyrim, as many of us are calling it, shows all the promise of the best Zelda game yet and hopefully we don’t end up with another fetch-quest based game like Skyward Sword. Still, I’m getting my hopes up. As much as I’d love some more news on Zelda Wii U, I’ll be patient and realistic. The game has been delayed in order to implement more ideas and will probably barely get a mention from our friend Reggie. I’ll let Starfox tie me over this year and look forward for a big return to Hyrule in 2016. I just hope it’s not buried by the coming of the NX, or whatever Nintendo’s next mystery console ends up being.

Megan Haley

I’m really excited to see all the new HD remastered versions of games that I played last year. I mean, who wouldn’t be excited for Knack: Remastered! Hopefully they would remake it into a something that resembles entertainment this time around.

Seriously though, I’m excited to see what Vicarious Visions is doing with the latest Skylanders game. I always felt that the series had more potential as a game than what Activision has ran with so far. The original Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure for 3DS was amazing gameplay-wise, and I’m hoping that with VV back at the helm that they can bring back some of the same stellar gameplay from the first DS incarnation.

I’m also looking forward to what new tech they’ll show for VR hardware. I’ve had a few hands-on with Oculus Rift before and the future of VR technology is super exciting.

Eric Francisco

I’m absolutely conflicted about E3 this year. On one hand, I’m jaded. The current console generation in its entirety hasn’t captivated me enough to want to stay plugged in. Believe it or not, I’m still playing on my Xbox 360 taking care of unfinished business — achievements I could still go after and games I hadn’t completed.

Neither the Xbox One or the PS4 have too many incentives to pick one or the other. The only reason I have an Xbox One is because I took advantage of a retail promotion. If it weren’t for that I wouldn’t have one at all.

On the other hand, this might be the year the generation finally matters to me. Arkham Knight is out in just a few short weeks, Halo 5 is on the horizon, and Final Fantasy XV is somewhere around the corner.

I could bother to mention more games that might make me glad I’ve joined the current gen, but there is only one, and ONLY one game that will make or break E3 for me: Mass Effect 4. I want to know as much about that game as possible, and if they happen to announce a 2016 release date I may immediately suffer a heart attack.

Jake Lopez

A Summer hallmark among my circle, E3 continually provides cheers, empty promises, and, if we’re being honest, sadness. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about E3 2015 is the lack of major leaks before the show kicks off. Anyone who’s really in tune with leaks will be able to find them through a few minutes of google searches, but I believe presenters have a few tricks left up their sleeves. Hopefully we can actually be surprised this year.

One thing that worries me is the potential for remastered collections of past video games. Up until now, gamers were treated to upgraded versions of GTA: V, Halo, Last of Us, and Tomb Raider. It won’t stop there. In fact, I’m sure we can expect a couple of remasters on both the Microsoft and Sony platforms. I’m all for remasters, but lets just hope they’re not the center of attention in this year’s keynotes.

Now, for some wild predictions:

Nintendo announces a new console
An announcement from Activision/Bungie for a new Destiny title
Microsoft announces a few cross-platform titles that will group console gamers with PC gamers
Rockstar announces a new Red Dead title

Juan Carlos Marquez

It should come as no surprise that Nintendo’s E3 presentation is the one I’m looking most forward to.

With the announcement of Zelda Wii U being pushed back to 2016, I’m curious what Nintendo plans to release this holiday season–especially when they are going up against Halo 5 and Star Wars: Battlefront. Star Fox Wii U is still on track to be out this year, but I don’t know if Nintendo would place the weight of their holiday sales hopes on the shoulders of Fox McCloud and company. Unless Star Fox Wii U ends up blowing us all away at E3 with incredible game mechanics and multiplayer modes which made StarFox 64 a commercial success, Nintendo needs to show off a new Metroid or Super Mario Galaxy game. Devil’s Thirds, Mario Maker, and DLC for Smash Bros. and Splatoon will undoubtedly get Nintendo fans hyped up for the remainder of 2015, but what will attract those who have yet to purchase a Wii U?

Of course, this wouldn’t be E3 without some Smash Bros. talk, so let’s get right to it. With Mewtwo making his long-overdue return and Lucas arriving June 14, I’m willing to be Sakurai makes an announcement concerning the addition of at least two more DLC characters. Will it actually be Ryu and Roy as rumored back in April, or will it be two new fighters from the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot? (Shovel Knight, please). Hopefully we also get an update on the online tournament mode. That feature alone would keep the online community satiated for years.

And while we won’t get to purchase a new Zelda game this year, I’m sure we will get an update on what Aonuma and his team have developed thus far with the extra time alloted. Another teaser trailer wouldn’t be too much to ask, right?

My mind is just flooding with possibilities and wild hopes, and I know Nintendo will have a slew of titles that will keep many Nintendo fans like myself happy, but one thing is for sure—I won’t be hoping for any news of The Last Guardian. I’m done waiting in that pumpkin patch.

https://youtu.be/7jZKDfh1xhs

Shane O’Hare

E3 2015. I am so incredibly torn on this years conference. Last year my favorite developer, Ubisoft, really lost my faith. The entire AC: Unity debacle (and their dubious decisions with Tetris) made me question their sanity.

That being said, like a domestic abuse victim, I couldn’t be more hype for their press conference. Rainbow Six Siege, The Division, the new Assassins Creed and any new original IPs they come out with (thought I honestly think this year won’t be the year of anything brand new from the Frenchies) will get me going.

I pray that there will be more Battlefront info, maybe a playable demo or beta invites?

I have a feeling that this year may be the year Sony announces a new handheld to compete with the New 3DS, at the least they’re going to announce and even SLIMMER Vita!

I expect the DOOM reboot to have some serious in game content at the Bethesda conference.

My biggest wish would be some new, first party games from Valve. A huge expansion to Global Offensive? More info on Source 2? Half Life 3? Half Life 2 HD Remake?

Derek Kraneveldt

Whatever happens at this year’s expo, I’m already a happy camper: one of the games that I’ve been waiting for for years was announced last week (instead of stealing the freaking show). Fallout 3 is one of my favourite games ever, and I didn’t love New Vegas, which means I’m more than ready to see Bethesda Softworks at the helm of this one. Seriously, it looks so good.

Really, the stuff that I want to see announced, well, never gets announced. So maybe this year, if I don’t think about The Last Guardian or Half Life 3, they’ll actually happen? A watched pot never boils, right? Right.

Some of the games I’m most looking forward to seeing this year are new iterations of games I played when I was younger. I put countless hours into Need for Speed Underground and Need For Speed Underground 2, and EA’s newly announced title (so far) looks like a spiritual successor. Awesome. Plus, Tony Hawk is coming back, and if it’s even a little better than the last seven or eight Tony Hawk titles, it should be pretty alright.

Had things gone a little differently, I’d probably go off about how freaking excited I am to see more from Konami and Silent Hills. The clever announcement of that game coming from Hideo Kojima, Guillermo Del Toro, and Norman Reedus, may have been the most excited I’ve ever been for a game. Silent Hill is my favourite game series, and it’s a series that fell from greatness, became absolute trash, and apparently can’t get back up. Damn. On the horror front, I hope that The Deep End Games is on the floor with Perception, because that game looks insane, as does Frictional Games’ Amnesia follow-up, SOMA.

One last thought. Please, Nintendo, hold back on the Amiibo announcements. You’re already making me broke, and I’m living in constant fear that I’ll miss a pre-order because your company has no freaking idea how to keep stores even semi-adequately stocked.

There’s just a week until showtime, so be sure to let us know what you’re hoping to see at this year’s E3!

Geekscape Roundtable: Our 2014 Holiday Wishlist!

by GeekscapeStaffDecember 12, 2014

The holiday season is here yet again (wasn’t it just December 2013?), 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).

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

Jonathan London

‘King Dork Approximately’ by Frank Portman

This is a follow up to ‘King Dork’, the 2006 YA book that was recognized as one of the Best Books for Young Adults in 2007 and was optioned by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay as a film that same year (the movie has yet to happen but I’m hoping)! The original book followed high school outcast Tom Henderson as he defends against the slings and arrows of sophomore year while investigating his father’s death, trying to identify a girl he made out with at a party and start a rock band… but the fun plot wasn’t the highlight of the book. It was Portman’s colorful and wry writing style that was as fun to read as his own rock band The Mr. T Experience is to listen to. This year’s ‘King Dork Approximately’ promises more of the awesome same, as Tom navigates the 10th grade. You don’t have to be a big Young Adult reader to enjoy this book, as the original ‘King Dork’ was my first since grade school, but this would probably make the most sense for any high-schoolers in your life.

Princess Mononoke, The Wind Rises and Kiki’s Delivery Service Blu-Ray+DVD

We love Hayao Miyazaki here at Geekscape. In fact, we worship him. So why not help spread the Studio Ghibli gospel with some of his best works from the past 25 years? ‘Princess Mononoke’ is arguably his best film and is presented here on a brand new Blu-Ray+DVD treatment with both the English and Japanese audio and original storyboards. It’s the perfect movie for anyone between 15 and 45 who appreciates incredible storytelling. If you’re looking for a gift that skews a little younger, Miyazaki’s classic ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ also received the gorgeous 1080 HD treatment. This one is a classic and also includes a French audio track. And finally, older audiences will probably appreciate the recent Miyazaki film ‘The Wind Rises’, which was a 2013 Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature Film. The movie is a historical romantic drama centered around the designing of Japanese airplanes, so even though it’s not the most commercial of Studio Ghibli’s films, the filmmaking on display is Miyazaki at the top of his game. I can’t recommend all three of these films enough and Disney, Touchstone and Studio Ghibli really went out of their way to bring audiences the best presentations possible.

Shane O’Hare

Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol Z2

Much like last year, I want more DJ gear! The Traktor Kontrol Z2 is an independent 2 Channel DJ mixer. The best part is that it reads Traktor’s special timecode vinyl records! The way it works, is the records when played normally, emit this constant high pitched tone. When the software reads that tone, it translate it into software manipulation. So if you scratch the record, the MP3 file will scratch. This mixer is exactly what I want to go with my two new (to me) Technic 1200 turntables.

WeLoveFine Night Mare Vinyl

The folks at We Love Fine make some of, if not THE, best My Little Pony figures. They’ve been able to take the very unique shape of the characters, and translate it to a 3D space. If you’ve seen some of the disastrous toys from Hasbro like most Brony’s have, then you’ll understand. This Nightmare Moon vinyl is so freaking awesome, and I want it so desperately to sit next my other We Love Fine figs.

ShapeWays Mane 6 #3

To stay on the MLP hype train is this awesome 3D printed toy from shapeways. Very recently Hasbro decided to NOT sue the crowd sourced 3D printing company, and rather join forces! AND THANK GOD, because we would have to be out some of the incredible fan created 3D toys. This Rarity fig is of the Diva herself enjoying a good cry on her Chaise lounge.

Rocketeer Adventures Volume 1 Hardcover and Rocketeer Adventures Volume 2 Hardcover

It’s no secret that I am a gigantic fan of The Rocketeer. IDW has been putting out some incredible Rocketeer books these last few years. They are really doing the original comics justice. I am absolutely craving these two issues in Hard Back to go on my shelf of Amazing Rocekteer Things. Full disclosure, I have all the single issues, I just want dat hard cover binding.

Eric Francisco

Legacy Dragon Dagger

In the never-ending celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Power Rangers, Bandai America has released the most iconic weapon of the equally iconic Green Ranger in a 1:1 scale complete with the epic summon tunes of the Dragonzord. You or your loved one can finally complete that Green Ranger cosplay with a more size-appropriate side-arm, and not a puny children’s toy. Never mind that, yeah, this is still a toy. BUT STILL! I can’t wait to put this on my shelf.

“Yes Please” by Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler’s new book isn’t quite an autobiography, a memoir, or a self-help book. Rather, it’s basically all of that! The nice lady who rose the ranks of the Upright Citizens Brigade to Saturday Night Live and starred in the soon-to-be fabled Parks & Recreation tells the stories and challenges that defined her and gives advice that can inspire anyone, women, men, and anyone in between. Future generations will hate that they missed her. In a world where people brag about carrying guns, I want to brag about carrying this.

Batman: The Complete Television Series (Blu-Ray)

You either die a hero or you live long enough to make people realize just how much you rocked. Thing is, I really DID love this show with no irony whatsoever! Batman is cool when he’s gritty, but AWESOME when he’s hamming it up. This complete Blu-ray set not only has the expected remastering of picture and sound, but it contains 3 HOURS of bonus features and a handful of collectible items, including a Hot Wheels replica Batmobile! Gotham on FOX and the upcoming Zack Snyder films will ensure Batman will be dark for years to come, but you and the Bat-fanatic in your life can relive a time when having fun wasn’t looked down upon. Also, if I get this, I am immediately watching The Green Hornet crossover episodes!

“Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation” by Blake J. Harris

If anyone considers themselves a “gamer” or a “’90s kid” or whatever buzz-word people need to identify themselves, indulge them with author Blake Harris’ excellent, must-have chronicle of the late ’80s-early ’90s corporate war that took place in our living rooms. I was barely seven when I played on the SNES and Sega Gensis, and reading this book instantly took me back to those golden early years. A documentary is in post-production and Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are working on a feature film adaptation. Should any of those movies live up to the book, they will go down as a classic in their own right. Think “The Social Network,” but with Sonic and Mario.

Broadcast News (Criterion Collection) (Blu-Ray)

Having watched this movie several times while at Rutgers, I can’t help but need it in its definitive form. This incredibly funny and still-relevant 1987 comedy classic from James Brooks is not only a sentimental reminder of my undergrad years, but as a textbook to study from. How can I make a smart, funny, and important movie people will remember in the years to come? I’ll find out in this high-def Criterion Collection release, which contains new audio commentary from director James Brooks, a new documentary, deleted scenes with Brooks on commentary, an interview with CBS veteran Susan Zirinsky, and an essay from critic Carrie Rickey.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens

A necessity for all DSLR filmmakers and photographers. A 50mm prime lens will really teach you how to frame a shot, as the 50mm measurement is the closest to mimicking the human eye. If you have an aspiring filmmaker or photographer in your life, this lens would be a big help.

NBC To Renew Constantine

PLEAE DON’T CANCEL CONSTANTINE. PLEASE. #SaveConstantine

Derek Kraneveldt

Nintendo Wii U

Yep. I totally had the Wii U in my Wishlist piece last year too. Nothing here has changed (except that the console has gotten SO MUCH BETTER). Nintendo’s latest is still the only console that you should be looking at if local multiplayer is a thing that you enjoy (it is) and the library has only gotten more and more stellar with games like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and even more that I haven’t yet had an opportunity to play.

With some great bundles available to get you started (I think that the Super Mario 3D World or Mario Kart 8 bundles are the best value), you absolutely, positively cannot go wrong with a Wii U this season.

SAXX Underwear

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.

Seriously, dudes. Buy one pair, then go broke on them, and then you can thank me. I <3 SAXX.

Godzilla Blu-Ray / Graphic Novel

I’ve been enamoured with Legendary’s Godzilla ever since I was lucky enough to experience the Godzilla Encounter event at San Diego Comic-Con 2013. Following that, I waited patiently, ate up every image, trailer, clip, and teaser, and even had the fantastic opportunity to interview the film’s screenwriter.

Then, the movie came out. Jonathan saw it way before me and took to reviewing it for Geekscape, and I wholeheartedly agree with his thoughts on the film. I loved it, and I cannot (cannot) wait for the series to be expanded. The Blu-Ray edition of the film looks absolutely gorgeous (though you will miss the big screen of the theatrical experience) and boasts a ton of special features in its multitude of beyond-intriguing featurettes. If you’re at all interested in the monster, his history, or what director Gareth Edwards and his cast and crew did to bring the film to life, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.

And don’t forget about the prequel graphic novel, which acts as a great introduction to the film and its titular creature (and the MUTO). The pair would make a great gift for existing Godzilla fans, as well as those who haven’t seen it yet!

Nintendo’s Amiibo

These things are crack. Jonathan, Juan, Josh and I actually refer to them as drugs at this point. I didn’t even want them, and now I own several, and I can’t and won’t stop until I own each and every one.

Any gamer, young or old, would love to have these on their shelves. The figures look great (especially for their price point) and their in-game functions are just beginning to be realized. It’ll be really, really interesting to see how Amiibo evolves over the next couple of years.

Be warned, if you’re planning to pick these up as gifts, you better get on it. They’re selling like hot cakes, some of them are reportedly already being discontinued, and prices are skyrocketing online. Wave two does release very soon however, so if you can jump on those as they come out, you could definitely be a hero this holiday season.

Also, they’re crack. So unless you want an addicted little (or big) monster, be very, very careful.

“Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation” by Blake J. Harris

Eric already covered this above, and Jonathan definitely covered it in his review of the book, but Console Wars was one of the most intriguing, revealing, and hard to put down books that I read all year.

I was born in 1990, so I was a little too young to understand the console war as it occurred, but I’ll be damned if it wasn’t interesting as hell to read about it. Don’t worry about gifting me this one though, as I’ve already got a copy signed by author Blake Harris, Tom Kalinske, Al Nilson, and more!

Matt Kelly

Do you have a horror fan in your family tree? If so, there’s really one two places your attention should be. The first is Scream Factory. This all Horror & Cult branch of Shout Factory has been dominating in the last year with tons of titles we never thought we’d see on any format other than VHS.

They gave us gifts like the 70’s Musical Phantom of the Paradise starring Paul Williams. This disco/rock version of Phantom of the Opera is a real delight. Throw in some great songs, good special effects and an amazing Blu-Ray transfer and you’ve got a great gift for that friend of yours who’s been obsessed with Rocky Horror Picture Show since high school.

They’ve also given us amazing collectors editions of The Funhouse, Night of the Comet, Day of the Dead and other well loved classics but the true gift that keeps giving to any horror fan is the Nightbreeed Director’s Cut (also known as the Cabel Cut). Over 2 decades since Clive Baker’s film was infamous cut against his will we can finally see the full story he wanted to tell.

Now sadly some films we will probably never see on DVD or Blu-Ray. For those titles you can really shock your friend or family members mind with a purchase from VHSPS (The VHS Preservation Society). These “VHS copies” include all the magic of your 90’s VHS memories on a DVD.   VHSPS is not in the business of stealing money from other companies. Their titles are available on their website until the day an official DVD/Blu-Ray is announced. Once they know that they have successfully preserved a film’s legacy they remove it from the store. Currently they’re the only way you can enjoy classic cult titles like Fade to Black, Possession and Linnea Quigley’s Horror Workout

The final gift is the gift that keeps giving to even the most mild Wrestling fan. A Subscription to the WWE Network. The fact that for $9.99 a month you have access to new shows, every pay-per-view and a constantly growing library of matches throughout wrestling history is nothing short of astounding.

On December 1st the Network blew up Twitter with a live Podcast between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon. Their original content has continued to be great, be it the countdown show (creatively named Countdown) or Legends House in which aged wrestling icons like Mean Gene, Roddy Piper, Hacksaw Jim Dugan and Pat Patterson all lived under one roof together for a month.

But at the end of the day the biggest reason to make this purchase is the Pay-Per-Views. Every month you get a new pay-per-view that in the pre-network days would have been a $60 investment FREE with your subscription. It’s never been a better time to be a wrestling fan and it’s never been an easier time to get into wrestling.

But better than all of those combined is the gift of the Saint Mort Show which you can listen to for free at www.thesaintmortshow.com and www.soundcloud.com/thesaintmortshow

Josh Jackson

What do you get for the gamer who has everything? Even more stuff! Luckily, there’s hardly a shortage on that, so let’s jump into the coolest gaming gifts a high interest GameStop credit card can buy!

First4Figures Vyse Statue

Straight out of the Dreamcast and onto your shelf, this limited edition figure displays the lead of Skies of Arcadia in all of his Sky Pirate glory! For nostalgic gamers who fondly remember pirate ship battles before Assassin’s Creed made them famous, or a time when JRPGs were actually good, this would be the perfect gift. That is, if you have $200 lying around and you REALLY like the person.

Winter Fest Lob Star

If you’re more on a budget, but you really want to do right by your figure loving friend, then you can’t go wrong with Winter Fest Lob Star. This special holiday edition of the water element Trap Master from Skylanders: Trap Team is great to display OR play with. Plus, I guarantee that you won’t find a toy with a beard as sweet as his.

Disney Infinity 2.0 Aladdin, Jasmine, and Stitch

If Disney is more your thing, then the recently released Aladdin, Jasmine and Stitch figures are the way to go. With a strong amount of detail and plenty of personality to match, taking these characters into the Toy Box that you and your family have been making since September will surely be a blast! And if you need to start the fireplace on those cold, winter mornings, you can always buy a couple Merida figures to throw in. Brave will finally be good for something!

PDP Disney Infinity 2.0 Play Zone and Power Disc Binder

Chances are if you have kids, (or are a kid at heart), you already have most of the Marvel and Disney figures that have hit the shelves. For those times that you want to bring your haul to a friend’s house, why not show off the hundreds of dollars you’ve spent than with a sweet carrying case? The Play Zone doubles as a travel bag that holds a portal, 10 power discs, and anywhere from six to about 20 figures depending on how you arrange them, which is perfect for those extended Play Set sessions.

If 10 power discs slots aren’t enough, the new Power Disc Binder is much improved over the albums. Replacing the hard to grab slots, the binder replaces them with traditional sleeves that hold up to 90 discs. And if you have 90 discs to hold, then I think an intervention is due.

Marth Amiibo

Speaking of interventions, Amiibo are like drugs. We’re hooked, and desperate for our next fix! Sadly, many of us are missing the hard to find Marth figure, sending us into a Tickle Me Elmo style frenzy! If you manage to snag this for someone, then you’ll surely be their hero for life.

PDP Nintendo Fight Pads

But let’s be honest. Most of us gamers are going to be too busy playing Smash Bros to buy anything. With that said, if you do get a few minutes to buy SOMETHING for that fighting aficionado, make it one of these Fight Pads. With designs for Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi that match each of the Wii Remote Plus designs that released over the last year, they simulate the GameCube experience without the adapter. Besides, there’s nothing more satisfying than spiking your friend using a neon pink controller!

That’s it for us! Again, be sure to let us know what you’re hoping for (or planning to give) this holiday season!

Geekscape Roundtable: Our 2013 Holiday Wishlist!

by GeekscapeStaffDecember 17, 2013

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

SJ Borger

I LOVE giving gifts to people, and I think online shopping is just the best thing ever (plus, no need to feel guilty about leaving items in your cart and virtually walking away). Christmas is like the ultimate combination of those two things!

My top five geek gifts this year are:

R2-D2 USB Car Charger

It bleeps and bloops and charges two phones/tablets while it’s at it. You can pretend you’re Luke, charging between tie-fighters as R2-D2 bleeps at you. His heads rotates, his eyes light up, and yes, he bleeps and bloops. – $49.99 at Thinkgeek.

Journal of Impossible Things

This gift is for the Doctor Who fan who may want to show their love for the Doctor without dressing up like a TARDIS. An embossed leather journal (a replica of the one the 10th Doctor used when he was John Smith to record his ‘impossible dreams.’ It also comes with a mini-sonic screwdriver pen. – $22.99 at Thinkgeek.

A Jayne Hat

Despite the hullabaloo earlier this year over who had the rights to sell these, a Jayne hat is still a must-have for the Firefly/Serenity fan in your life. You can by the mass produced one at Thinkgeek, or get a handmade one on eBay. – $24.99-$25.00

Electro Snap Circuits Lights

An ingenious so-fun-you-can’t-tell-its-educational toy, this set has over 175 projects, including one that lets you hook up your iPod and have it light up in rhythm to your favorite songs. For ages 8-108 (our niece LOVED it, and so did her Dad, so the box doesn’t lie). $79.98 at Amazon.

PS3 ‘The Last of Us’ Bundle

I know, I know, there’s a PS4 out—but for that friend of yours that never bought a PS3, they’re on super sale now, with a ton of games and titles (like The Last of Us). It’s still a solid platform and the deep discounts make them an ideal gift for the ‘likes to game but not hardcore’ dude or dude-ette on your list! – Available from multiple retailers (Amazon, Best Buy, etc.) with a price range from $225-$279.

Shane ‘Rarity’ O’Hare

I have weird tastes for a geek. What I want for Christmas really goes all over the place. Here are some of the things that Shane O’Hare would love to see under the tree:

Raspberry Pi

If you aren’t in the know let me bring you up to speed. The Raspberry Pi is a single board computer not much bigger than a deck of cards. It is super small and fairly high powered for something its size. It has USB ports, audio, Ethernet and HDMI on it making it an amazing little machine. Toss in a memory card and fire up the linux and you have yourself a proper machine for pretty much anything you can imagine. People run web and email servers on them, but I want one for game emulation! These things can run NES, SNES, N64 and all the other consoles in between. Perfect for carrying your entire game catalog over to Grandmas house for Christmas brunch! – $74.99 at Amazon.

Nintendo 64 USB Controller

This is the most essential accessory to go with your Raspberry Pi emulation machine. A 1 to 1 N64 controller allows you to play every game imaginable from the Nintendo 64 all the way back to the Magnavox Odyssey. Must have for the Pi! – $24.99 at Thinkgeek.

BenQ 144hz Pro Gaming Monitor

I just finished up my brand new computer build a few weeks ago. I haven’t upgraded my rig in over 5 years and it is amazing to see games like Bioshock Infinite and Battlefield 4 in all their high-def glory! Well… sorta. The weakest link in my setup right now is my monitor. A super old Gateway LCD monitor with the same old 60hz resfresh rate. That’s where the BenQ 144hz monitor comes into play. Designed with the help from Professional Counter-Strike players, BenQ’s pro line of panels is the best you can get. This particular model is a good 24hz higher than what is recommended for Professional FPS players. It will keep your games from tearing and will give you an edge. – $299.99 at Amazon.

Traktor Kontrol S4 mk 2

This is the peak of DJ controllers. Native Instruments revolutionized the market for portable DJ controllers with the release of the Kontrol S4 a few years ago, and this year they refreshed the model to reflect the changes in their software. Hook this up to your laptop and you will have full 4 Deck (4 songs) independent control over the gig. The update brings full RGB lights and a sturdier set of Jog Wheels for controlling the tunes. New outputs and a nicer finish means you will be using this baby for years to come. This is the ultimate tool for the mobile DJ who wants to have the usability of almost 10k worth of CD players and mixers all in one little package. – $799.99 at DJTechTools.

3D Printed Rocketeer Cufflinks

The Rocketeer is my favorite movie and comic series of all time. The story portrays the era perfectly, and in the movie the music and sets are the closest I’ve felt to being around Hollywood in the 1930’s. So, when I found this set of 3D printed Rocketeer Cufflinks I flipped. Shapeways is Etsy for 3D printed items, you can find pretty much anything on here. These particular cufflinks can be made in a couple dozen materials and I bet they would look amazing in the polished brass. – $18.30 at Shapeways.

Jonathan London

Image Comics Books

Image Comics is on fire. Well, not literally. That’d be awful! But as far as running on all cylinders as an indie comics publisher is concerned, they’re hitting it out of the park. Yes, you know to give your loved ones copies of The Walking Dead and Saga (or Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Criminal), but there was a whole slew of great Image books launched in 2013 that deserve a place on any gift list. Lazarus, by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, has hit 5 issues and every one of them is a fantastic blend of futuristic, social commentary sci-fi, action and intrigue. Sidekick by J. Michael Straczynski and Tom Mandrake is great for anyone who loves both mysteries and superhero books. And Velvet by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting takes the whole Miss Moneypenny concept from James Bond and puts her front and center as the world’s top super spy turned secretary is now on the run from her former agency. Also, don’t forget Todd The Ugliest Kid on Earth if you’re looking to put some laughs alongside those Holiday smiles! Writer Ken Kristensen told you about the book first… right here on Geekscape!

Ni No Kuni

This might be my favorite game of the year… and is definitely the top JRPG of the year (sorry Pokémon… whatever the heck you are). The perfect blend of roleplaying, Studio Ghibli animation and Level-5 puzzle solving make this a no miss for any gamer who has even flirted with any of those three elements. Plus, sites like Amazon regularly have the game on sale (for ridiculously cheap too considering the game’s 70+ hour playtime) so there’s no excuse not to give this as a gift this year.

The Cornetto Trilogy Box Set

Let’s get real. This is worth it if only for Shawn of the Dead, but now that The World’s End is out on Blu-Ray… do you really have a reason not to combine them with Hot Fuzz and put this handsome collection on your shelf? No. You don’t. What’s more, when you have company over for the holidays, this gives everyone something great to put on TV in lieu of Christmas Story and Rankin/Bass Christmas movies (yeah… what if you’re company is Jewish? You don’t wanna make them watch that stuff, you insensitive jerk!). – Just $34.59 on Amazon.

Derek Kraneveldt

Pacific Rim Blu-Ray / Graphic Novel

I loved Pacific Rim. It was one of the most enjoyable theatregoing experiences that I’ve had this year, and it’s definitely a film that I’ll want to rematch again and again (it’s just so much fun). What I would really love this holiday season would be the official greenlighting of a sequel, but since that’s likely not going to happen anytime soon, let’s all pick up the Blu-Ray (bettering the chances for a sequel in the future).

Seriously, the movie is awesome, and so is its prequel graphic novel, Tales From Year Zero. – Blu-Ray $12.99 on Amazon. Graphic novel $19.19 on Amazon.

Game of Thrones Beer

I’m not really a beer drinker (or a drinker at all), but the Iron Throne Blonde Ale that I sampled (extensively) at this year’s SDCC was incredibly delicious. Just in time for the holidays, Brewery Ommegang Brewery and HBO have launched a second flavour: Take The Black Stout.

Game of Thrones is bound to be a topic of conversation at many-a dinner table this season, so how cool would it be to serve Game of Thrones beer at the same time?

Head to Brewery Ommegang’s official website for more info!

Nintendo Wii U

Of of the first things that I realized when I picked up a Playstation 4 last month was that there is virtually no reason (at this point anyways) to own a second controller. I then thought of the countless times over the course of the Wii U’s year of existence where I (and four friends) spent hours playing multiplayer New Super Mario Bros. U, all in the same room.

The Wii U has struggled since its release last November, but a phenomenal catalog of games (Super Mario 3D Land, Pikmin 3, The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker HD, and The Wonderful 101 are all acclaimed titles that have released in just the last few months), and the console’s first price drop have things looking up for the system, which so far has been celebrated by its owners and seemingly ignored by everyone else. Console sales surged 340% in November (from October, which also saw a 75% increase), which leaves me very hopeful for the units future!

The Wii U has some great holiday bundles available (one including both New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U, and another including The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD, and many great launch titles can be had on the cheap), so there has really never been a better time to buy!

Apple TV

I’ve given a few of these as gifts over the past few years, and they always, always become one of (if not the) the most used items in the house. The Apple TV currently features content from the following sources, and more are being added all the time:

You can also, of course, use Plex from an iOS device, and simply AirPlay it to your television (along with music, video, photos, and anything else that may be on your iPhone or iPad).

The best feature of the Apple TV? Its simplicity! Its elegant interface is so easy to understand that even my grandparents can use it without issue (unlike their computers or cell phones). – $89.99 at Amazon.

Pebble Smart Watch

I’ve had one of these babies for months now, and I’d recommend it to anyone who spends too much time on their phone.

In my review, I said that the Pebble was “an indispensable part of my daily life” after just one week of using it. It’s sleek, it’s useful, it’s waterproof, and it costs a lot less than you may expect it to. Seriously, this thing is awesome, and with the upcoming 2.0 Firmware, the Pebble is about to get even more useful. -$119.99 at Amazon.

That’s it for us! Again, be sure to let us know what you’re hoping for (or planning to give) this holiday season!

Geekscape Roundtable: What We’re Looking Forward To At SDCC – Panels!

by GeekscapeStaffJuly 15, 2013

With San Diego Comic-Con just a few days away, everyone here at Geekscape is getting prepared for our biggest convention ever. As always, there will be more to see and do in San Diego this week than is humanly possible, so each of us has been scouring the schedules and deciding exactly what is most important to us while we’re there.

While deciding what we need to do and see, and what we’d be okay with missing, we thought that we’d include all of you in the fun as well. Here’s part three of our pre-SDCC round table, where we share the panels that we’re most looking forward to at San Diego Comic-Con.

Thursday

How to Get News Coverage for Small Press Publishers
What makes the difference between an item that will get news coverage, previews, or interviews, and what doesn’t? Many publishers have no idea what to submit to the press, how to submit it, and why they are being overlooked for coverage. Comic journalist Rik Offenberger (First Comics News, Archie Comics) moderates this panel on just what it takes to get coverage, with the comic journalists themselves telling you what they are looking for in your submission. Panelists include (in alphabetical order) Albert Ching (Newsarama), Glenn Hauman (Comic Mix), Holly Golightly (BroadSword Comics), Rich Johnston (Bleeding Cool), Alan Kistler (Comic Mix), Heidi MacDonald (The Beat), Chris Squires (Buckley Radio), Tanya Tate (First Comics News), Chris Thompson (First Comics News), J. C. Vaughn (The Scoop), Josh Waldrop (M1W Entertainment), and Bryan Young (Huffington Post, Big Shiny Robot). Find out what it takes to self-promote and make a significant impact on your ability to sell your comic.
Thursday July 18, 2013 10:30am – 11:30am
Room 8

Lame, we know. I (Derek) am always on the lookout for a new learning experience, and if that experience can help better Geekscape and the content it features, why wouldn’t I be in attendance?

Video Games to Movies: Is the Golden Age Upon Us?
11:00am – 12:00pm Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Join some of the top industry professionals as they discuss the challenges, opportunities and the future of what many are calling the next dominant supplier of franchise films to the studios: Video Game-based movies! Are we in for the long anticipated “Golden Age” of video game to movie adaptations? Expect surprises and a glimpse into what is on the horizon for some of the biggest video game characters/franchises as they begin their journey towards the silver screen! Panelists include Adrian Askarieh (Hitman, Agent 47), Tim Miller (Blur Studios, attached to direct Deadpool feature), Justin Marks (producer, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li), Patrick J O’Brien (VP of EA Entertainment, currently developing films based on Need for Speed, Dead Space, Mass Effect and Dante’s Inferno), C. Robert Cargill (Sinister, Dreams and Shadows, Queen of Dark Things, Deus X), and moderator Ben Fritz of The Wall Street Journal.

Our buddy, Adrian Askarieh was on the show a few weeks ago to talk video game movies and had a bit of insight on the direction that Hollywood is headed. If he’s half as knowledgeable on this panel as he was on Geekscape, this one is a must. Plus, you get to find out if that Deadpool movie is ever really going to happen!

Askeriah is also producing the upcoming 'Deus Ex' film. — Askarieh is also producing the upcoming ‘Deus Ex’ film.

Batman: Arkham Origins
Witness the next installment in the blockbuster videogame franchise. Developed by WB Games Montréal, Batman: Arkham Origins features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crimefighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, players will meet many important characters for the first time and forge key relationships. Get the latest reveals from a panel headed by WB Games Montréal creative director Eric Holmes and actors Roger Craig Smith (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Troy Baker (The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite), the voices of Batman and the Joker, respectively. Batman: Arkham Origins will be released worldwide on October 25.
Thursday July 18, 2013 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Room 6BCF

Considering we don’t know if this game is going to stand up to the previous two or by a shadow of the franchise’s former self, this panel may be a must for those of us who want answers… and we DO want answers! Next to GTAV, this is my most anticipated game left this year. I’ll be damned if I have to wait until October 25th to get my fix in!

Vertigo: Defy
Vertigo is ready to blow your mind with the next wave of trend-setting comics! From horror to mythic fiction to sci-fi and beyond, see what amazing new ideas are coming your way from the imprint that’s on a mission to defy all your expectations! With Mark Buckingham (Fables), Jeff Lemire (Trillium), Scott Snyder (American Vampire, The Wake), and others.
Thursday July 18, 2013 5:45pm – 6:45pm
Room 6DE

I’m a sucker for Syder and Lemire. Snyder’s The Wake is one of my favourite new miniseries, and I can’t wait to see what happens next! I own nearly all of Lemire’s books, and Trillium looks absolutely badass. I couldn’t possibly miss an opportunity to hear the two talking about their next projects!

Only one month to go until 'Trillium' finally hits shelves! — Only one month to go until ‘Trillium’ finally hits shelves!

Friday

ElfQuest: 35 Years of Pointed Ears
Wendy and Richard Pini (ElfQuest, Masque of the Red Death), Paula Rhodes and Stephanie Thorpe (ElfQuest-A Fan Imagining), and Rob Beschizza (managing editor at Boing Boing) celebrate three and a half decades of “the first American manga” and longest-running fantasy graphic novel series. Even if you’ve followed ElfQuest from the beginning, prepare to be surprised by what’s planned as the story builds to its most ambitious chapter yet, Final Quest. Plus, meet ElfQuest’s newest partners in the worlds of publishing, licensing, and even academia in a visual presentation followed by Q&A.
Friday July 19, 2013 6:30pm – 7:45pm
Room 8

I don’t know if I’ve used Geekscape as a forum for discussing my intense ElfQuest fandom before… but I’m a pretty intense ElfQuest fan. I have one panel that I’d like to attend on Friday and this is it! After accosting Stephanie Thorpe at a party 2 months ago and cross-examining her about the latest news on ElfQuest, I’ve had to wait for this panel to get my true answers! If you’re a wolf rider like I am, you’ll be there Friday night!

Saturday

A&E Bates Motel
The Bates Motel is open for business in San Diego! Executive producers Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights) will release new footage from the highly acclaimed A&E drama series Bates Motel exclusively for Comic Con attendees. The executive producers will be joined by the cast, including Academy Award nominee Vera Farmiga (Norma Bates), Freddie Highmore (Norman Bates), Max Thieriot (Dylan), Olivia Cooke (Emma), and Nestor Carbonell (Sheriff Alex Romero) to discuss the show’s unique backstory and creation. Fans will get an opportunity to hear more about season 2, debuting in 2014 on A&E, and will have a chance to ask the cast and creators questions during a Q&A. Moderated by Tim Stack from Entertainment Weekly.
Saturday July 20, 2013 10:00am – 11:00am
Room 6A

Want to know the one thing I didn’t love about the first season of Bates Motel? How damned short it was. Sure, there’s a season two in the works, but it won’t premiere until well (well) into 2014! To have a chance to see new footage, as well as hear directly from the creators and actors, is an opportunity that I do not want to miss!

Jay Glatfelter and Jack Glatfelter (Jay and Jack TV, The Married Man Show) and special guests get lost in TV talk. The co-hosts of the popular Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack discuss Lost three years after the airing of its finale, as well as other TV shows that have filled the void, such as Once Upon a Time, Person of Interest, Game of Thrones, Justified, and many more.
Saturday July 20, 2013 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Room 29A

Of course, my second most anticipated panel is LOST Podcast and Beyond. There are other bigger panels on my list, but in terms of actually being able to get into the likes of Hall H or Ballroom 20 without feeling guilty for missing other panels is a different story.

Behind the Scenes with Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead Game Series
Join Robert Kirkman (Creator of The Walking Dead comic series) and Telltale Game’s Dan Connors (Telltale Games, CEO) and Kevin Bruner (Telltale Games, President and CTO) as they discuss the inspiration behind developing the critically-acclaimed game series. Along with PlayStation’s Don Mesa (Director of Product Planning & Platform Software Innovation, SCEA), the team will walk fans through the origins of the game, reveal details on exciting new gameplay features exclusive to PlayStation Vita and include a little sneak peek on what’s to come for next chapter of The Walking Dead game series. A moderated by Greg Miller (Executive Editor, IGN).
Saturday July 20, 2013 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Room 23ABC

You know full well how much all of us at Geekscape love Telltale’s The Walking Dead. Having just finished the 400 Days DLC, we’re hungry for more. This panel is set to include what is bound to be a very exciting origin story about the series, as well as a sneak peek of season two? Yes please.

One of gaming's best characters, like, ever. — One of gaming’s best characters, like, ever.

Batman: The Animated Series Turns 21
Pop the champagne! The landmark television production Batman: The Animated Series turns 21 this year. Spend an hour with the creative core of this groundbreaking series — Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, and Eric Radomski — as they recollect the dynamics of crafting a series that would have a resounding influence on Dark Knight properties — and the entire animated television landscape — for two decades and counting.
Saturday July 20, 2013 5:45pm – 6:45pm
Room 6DE

Aside from the few video game panels I want to attend, (Arkham Origins, Splinter Cell: Blacklist), I’m incredibly excited for Batman: The Animated Series Turns 21. While the series is almost as old as I am, I’m tempted to show up to the panel with the handmade cape my mom gave me when I was three years old.

Lion Forge Comics Fall Lineup: Knight Rider, AirWolf, Saved by the Bell, Punky Brewster, Miami Vice, and more!
Some of your all-time favorite TV shows from the ’80s are coming to comics with Lion Forge! Joining the event will be creators Joe Philips (Doctor Who), Rick Burchett (Lady Saber), Carl Reed (Lion Forge), Lorenzo Lizana (Lion Forge), Brandon Easton (Thundercats), Joelle Sellner (Jackie Chan Adventures), Geoff Thorne (Leverage), Jonathan London (Geekscape), Shannon Denton (DC/WildStorm), Flex Alexander (Snakes on a Plane), David Gorden (Bulletproof Knights), and some surprise guests.
Saturday July 20, 2013 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Room 26AB

This is it, the panel in which we talk about our brand new Lion Forge comics! I’ll be on stage talking about Miami Vice with my editor Shannon Denton and the creative teams behind the rest of the great Lion Forge Fall Lineup, including recent Geekscape guest Brandon Easton! If you want the down low on the digital comics downloads, look no further than this panel! We might even give away some free stuff!

Well, that’s it! I’m sure we’ll be slipping into other panels as the days go by, but everything you see above is definitely worth waiting in line for. We’re all getting unbelievably excited for the convention, and can’t wait to see you all there!

Don’t forget to visit Geekscape all throughout the week at booth #3919!

Geekscape Roundtable: What We’re Looking Forward To At SDCC – Exclusives, Art, Products, Etc!

by GeekscapeStaffJuly 11, 2013

With San Diego Comic-Con less than one week away, everyone here at Geekscape is getting prepared for our biggest convention ever. As always, there will be more to see, do, and buy in San Diego next week than is humanly possible, so each of us has been scouring the schedules, products, and exclusives lists and deciding exactly what is most important to us while we’re there.

While deciding what we need to buy, and what we’d be okay without, we thought that we’d include all of you in the fun as well. Here’s part two of our pre-SDCC round table, where we share what we’re most looking forward to at San Diego Comic-Con. Today, we’re talking exclusives, art, products, and more!

Shane O’Hare

Part 2 baby! The list of my most looked forward to exclusives and artists is pretty damn diverse. Of course it goes wuthout saying The Aquabats and the Mega64 Boyz are first on my list. The ‘bats have their concert going on the FIRST night, so it will be a HUGE start to the weekend. Then the Mega64 crew has their booth, you can expect me to drop some cash night one there. The author of the amazing looking The Fifth Beatle graphic novel, Vivek Tiwary will be there alongside the two incredible artists, Andrew Robinson and Kyle Baker. I cannot wait to interview these guys, AND get my hands on the book!

Key art for 'The Fifth Beatle' — Key art for ‘The Fifth Beatle’

The SWAG I want is the SWAG I get. The super cute My Little Pony exclusives are a must for me. A tradition I’ve had the last few times is hittin up the Mr. Toast booth and grabbing their con exclusive. This year it’s ZOMBIE BACON!. And I GUESS I’ll grab the Blizzard Zergling plush for a friend. Let’s not forget about Bandai’s exclusive Power Rangers Gold Legacy Morpher, that thing just looks INCREDIBLE. I got my eyes out for any cool and exciting hats or helmets to add to my collection!

Jake Lopez

I’m not much of a collector, so when I buy something at Comic-Con, it’s usually something I’ll keep. This year will be no different. My first order of business will be to secure this classic Batmobile, which is priced at $60:

In any case, Entertainment Earth is usually my first stop. I may snag a Walking Dead exclusive while I’m there. I also have my eye on the Yes Anime booth; they’ll have some Superman and Batman figurines that are sure to attract attention.

Have a look for yourself, and maybe you’ll see something you want!

As for vendors, I will be visiting the RoosterTeeth and Penny Arcade booth. Nothing but good experiences there and they always have something great for sale! And don’t forget to ask them to sign, they’re typically happy to!

Derek Kraneveldt

As I noted in Tuesday’s piece, this year’s SDCC is pretty much my first convention. I hear that it’s expensive, and that you essentially always spend more than you’re anticipating, which is a little bit terrifying (but if I get cool stuff out of it, it’ll be hard to be disappointed).

I’ve scoured through the entire list of exclusives on the official site, and I think that I’ll do pretty well. There was very little that stood out at me as I NEED THIS, which is likely only because I’m not looking forward to paying everything off when I get home.

In any case, here are the products that I’m most looking forward to picking up at Comic-Con:

The Plants vs. Zombies comic is set to be digital only for some time, but the first chunk will be available at Comic-Con. I’m a huge PvZ fan, and for a measly $2.00, this one will be hard to pass up. I’m hoping to score an interview with writer Paul Tobin as well, and figure out just how he turned a silly, tower defence game into an enthralling comic book.

The Squid Kids Ink 10-Doh! figure looks super cool, and that’s the only reason I want it. For $20, it would look pretty cool sitting on my desk.

My girlfriend’s birthday is coming up (in fact, I’ll be missing it while I’m in San Diego), so maybe this cool exclusive Lady Rainicorn + Puppies set will partially make up for it?

Artist Ash Thorpe has two awesome Pacific Rim prints up for grabs. Framing them and mounting them both on my wall will surely make me more popular, right?

Aside from that, I’ll probably have a hard time not buying things once I’m there in person. This is definitely my list of must-haves however! I’m also on the lookout for Gary Frank, as my father has sent me on a quest to obtain a sketch from the venerable artist.

That’s it for today! Look for part three in the series on Saturday!

Readers, are you headed to the convention? What are you most looking forward to?

Geekscape Roundtable: What We’re Looking Forward To At SDCC – General Experience, Memories, And Events!

by GeekscapeStaffJuly 9, 2013

With San Diego Comic-Con just one week away, everyone here at Geekscape is getting prepared for our biggest convention ever. As always, there will be more to see and do in San Diego next week than is humanly possible, so each of us has been scouring the schedules and deciding exactly what is most important to us while we’re there.

While deciding what we need to do and see, and what we’d be okay with missing, we thought that we’d include all of you in the fun as well. Here’s part one of our pre-SDCC round table, where we share what we’re most looking forward to at San Diego Comic-Con. Today, we’re talking the general experience, memories, and coolest events.

Jonathan London

Easily my most anticipated thing about San Diego Comic Con each year is the Geekscapists. Yes, seeing all of the cool announcements and discovering new things to love on the show floor or on the streets of the Gaslamp District are great, but nothing makes the San Diego experience more rewarding than seeing old Geekscapists and meeting new ones. It’s insane to think that this will be our sixth Comic Con since starting Geekscape, and every year we make new friends and see old ones that we don’t get to see any other time of the year. At least a few times at each Comic Con, I’ll have someone come up to the booth and introduce themselves as a long time fan of the show or the site and it’ll make everything we do hear seem so that much more worth it. And the silent Geekscapists are everywhere, even in our seventh year! Heck, I didn’t even know Derek Kraneveldt EXISTED until a few months ago and he’s been a supporter since the Geekdrome days!

I always look forward to spreading the Geekscape name and making new friends. This year, we’re sharing our booth with the folks at Lion Forge comics and getting people hyped about their upcoming comic books, of which I’m writing one. We’ll also be doing some promotion for the upcoming Geekscape co-produced ‘Doc of the Dead’ and revealing the ridiculous first footage from our new project ‘Paul London: Hero of the Prophecy’! I only wish that Paul could be there to see it (but he’ll be off on another wrestling adventure)! Plus, we’ve got our two sponsored back-to-back Nerdtacular concert series, which will know doubt cement Geekscape into the hearts and minds of a fresh new batch of Geekscapists!

Oh, and I get to meet Derek Kraneveldt in person too… I’m excited for that because I’m not sure he exists. Hell, I’m still not sure Shane is real. And was Matt Kelly EVER real…?

Shane O’Hare

This is my 9th SDCC. I’ve been going since 2004, starting out as a lowly nerd who strolled up to the convention center and bought a 4 day kid’s pass to the “reporter” I am now. Comic Con will ALWAYS be the highlight of my summer. Forever the memories are ingrained of the random rave that kicked up while watching the masquerade performance and getting drunk and ending up at the wrong hotel on the otherside of town. This being my first event as Press, the doors have opened up. The events and interviews are going to be crazy. Aquabats, My Little Pony, Power Rangers, The World’s End, Evil Dead and more. I cannot comprehend the how fun it is going to be to really work the Con. The Geekscape Co Sponsored event Nerd-A-Thon is also going to be amazing. I cannot wait!

Jake Lopez

Between my family members and I, the San Diego International Comic-Con is treated as a week long holiday. The joy and excitement this event brings simply cannot be measured.

I was 18 when I went to my first Comic-Con. As with every other first-timer, I unknowingly stepped into a huge culture shock. I’m sure I did not walk the entire floor my first day, or even my second day. That year also saw my first real interview with some of the minds behind the Halo universe, an interview you can still find today somewhere on the internets. I was young, excited, and amazed at what exactly I was experiencing there at Comic-Con. And that’s the thing, year in and year out, those feelings never change. You’ll always feel young when walking the floor (I mean that figuratively, not physically).

The next year at the Con, I witnessed the last panel for LOST, a panel that ended with Somewhere Over the Rainbow playing over the loudspeakers immediately after Damon Lindelof told the crowd of 5,000 strong that he’d “see us some other time.” This memory belongs to me, but is shared with thousands others that will all recite it with just as much enthusiasm and excitement as if it happened ten minutes ago.

Yes, I am one of the newcomers to the Con and no, I don’t remember what it was like before the big Hollywood studios came over to promote their lineups. It doesn’t make me sad. While I believe there are some unwarranted panels, it doesn’t exactly hinder the experience for me. If the Con didn’t begin to encapsulate more than comic books, we wouldn’t have the full world in which our people reside in. Geeks don’t love JUST comic books. We love video games, movies, television, anime, cosplaying, partying, AND comics. Comic-Con is expanding, and with each new year, and each new expansion, the event grows. The memories become more plentiful. You’ll meet more people, and above all, you have more fun.

My past experiences at the Con have made this convention the end all be all to the greatest gathering of media in the world, and it will be treated as such when I arrive in San Diego next week. Hope to see you there!

Derek Kraneveldt

Sadly, I’ve only been to one convention in my entire life: Emerald City Comic Con way back when I was a youngin. With that said, despite reading all of the SDCC tips and watching all of the SDCC videos across the entire internet, I still feel as though I have no idea what to expect. And I couldn’t be more excited.

I can barely imagine an event with that many attendees. Hell, more people go to Comic Con than live in the city I reside in. It’s perplexing to even think about!

I’m excited for everything. Checking out panels, scoring interviews, being fed by game companies while playing games that aren’t even out yet, covering things that would be impossible to cover from home. It all sounds like a blast, and it sounds like so much fun that it couldn’t possibly be real. What I’m most excited for, however, is clear: meeting the rest of the Geekscape team. That’s right, I’ve been working with these people for nearly a year, speaking with them constantly, some of them daily… and I’ve never met a single one of them! I’m beyond excited for that to change.

Aside from that, I’m excited for the future of Geekscape! With announcements coming from Doc of the Dead and Lion Forge Comics, It’s simply enthralling to be a part of this team.

That’s it for today! Look for part two in the series on Thursday!

Readers, are you headed to the convention? What are you most looking forward to?

Geekscape Roundtable: All About E3!

by GeekscapeStaffJune 18, 2013

The expo may be over, but there were announcements made during this year’s E3 that the gaming world will be talking about for a long, long time. Each of us here at Geekscape had a blast either being at or remotely covering the event, and since we’re all so different in our gaming wants and opinions, we though we’d each answer a few specific questions:

1. What was the best announcement/reveal/moment of the expo?
2. What was the worst announcement/reveal/moment of the expo?
3. What was the biggest surprise of the expo?

Take a gander at all of our thoughts below, and don’t forget to share your own! We hope that you enjoyed all of our coverage of this year’s E3!

Josh Jackson

This year’s E3 will definitely go down in the record books as one of the most anticipated in the show’s history. Between the launch details of the PS4, the Xbox One, and all of the controversy surrounding the two, plus Nintendo’s attempt to win gamers over with the Wii U’s line up, there was sure to be something at the show that every type of gamer was looking forward to.

Now that the show is over and all of the news is out, it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be to pick a favorite moment. During the press conferences, I would have easily given it to Sony’s PS4 reveal, but after it turned out that some of what they said either wasn’t entirely true, (there WILL be used game restrictions if third parties choose, just like the Xbox One,) or flat out untrue, (like Final Fantasy XV being exclusive,) it’s clear that the old Sony is live and well. Other exciting announcements included Star Wars: Battlefront 3 and Mirror’s Edge 2, but I think I’m going to play it safe with my answer. There was no single moment that made me more excited than when each new character was announced for Smash Bros. Villager was somewhat expected, but his gameplay style looks so exciting. Mega Man had me running around my house screaming like the N64 kid. But when Wii Fit Trainer was quietly revealed the following day? It showed that Team Sora isn’t afraid of getting creative with their characters, and I can’t wait to downward dog all over your faces!

As far as what disappointed me the most, my first instinct, (haha,) is to say Killer Instinct. I was so happy to see it back, but when I learned that Rare was too busy making a new Kinect Sports game to come back and work on it, and that it was adopting a free to play model, my anticipation dropped. Whatever excitement was left disappeared when I saw how dumbed down the game was. I could also say how terrible the Warner Bros. reps were when my friend tried to take a picture of Zod in Injustice even though there were no signs saying he couldn’t… So much so, that they threatened that he wouldn’t be able to go home unless he deleted the “video” that he didn’t film… But worse than that, I’d say the lack of creativity was the worst part of all. As seen in each press conference, aside from a few exceptions, many of these games look like games we’ve already played. Even Nintendo, who is known for their creativity, had a huge focus on Wind Waker HD and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the latter of which was a fantastic play through, but was still very familiar. New generations should offer new experiences, but aside from the cloud data ghosts in Forza, the graphics system in Knack and the two players on one control mini games on Wii Play U, there’s nothing I saw that can’t already be done. Since graphics have pretty much peaked on consoles, they can’t rely on smoke and mirrors to push the envelope forward, but with games getting so expensive to make, it discourages taking chances. Let’s hope the coming years will show the power of the new generation being put into action.

Lastly, there were plenty of surprises, but the one that blew me away was Disney Infinity. I walked in expecting a Skylanders ripoff, (and to be fair, it really is in a lot of ways), but what I got was something so much more. Each of the universes in the game is a standalone 8 hour experience? The ability to customize your Toy Box world any way you want? Online friends who are able to alter it with their figures over the Internet? And creation tools so deep that gamers can design their own games within Toy Box if they want to? Not just half assed mini games either, but full platformers, racing challenges, sports games… All with the creativity that one’s imagination will allow. The real surprise here was that out of everything at E3, this might be my game of show. With so much potential, it’s impossible not to get excited. Being able to play as Stitch and Vanellope are just bonuses.

Shane O’Hare

This year’s E3 will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the big ones. The fight between Sony and Microsoft was what most major news outlets were focused on, and unfortunately, I believe it took the focus away from not only the smaller games, but all of the games in general.

The whole media fiasco that Microsoft went through was terrible to watch…but I just couldn’t look away. Quotes like “We have an offline console, it’s called 360” and “Move to another country if you want to play Xbox One” were shocking to say the least. To watch a company like Microsoft mishandle promotion of their console in the way they did was mind boggling. Now by the time the convention floor opens, people like to ask the question “Who won E3?”, but console wise it is way to soon to tell honestly. Yeah the PS4 had an AMAZING press event, the team at Sony really knew how to attack Microsoft where it hurts. Hearing an entire building full of gamers CHEER at the fact the PS4 will support used games blew my mind. You could see on Jack Tretton’s face when he announced that news just how happy he was. You knew what was going through his head. In-fact, it made him so confident and cocky while being interviewed on GTTV his exit consisted of him throwing his microphone over his shoulder. He LITERALLY dropped the mic like a freestyle rapper in a battle.

Though the PS4 had the best appearance, I can’t say that it won the conference. The games that are planned to come out at launch don’t look that impressive, and we don’t know if any of them are going to be GOOD.

My personal favorite event was the Ubisoft conference, I covered it, but I covered it for a good reason. Ubisoft has really brought themselves to the forefront recently for some truly amazing AAA+++ titles. They are focusing on great games, and not churning out high def sports simulators that will be obsolete by next year. Their event wasn’t full of awkward moments, awful jokes that could be construded as rape, or trailers that were muted. Their spread of games was very diverse, and seeing what they are going to be bringing to the next generation really impressed me. My E3 game of show had to be The Division from Ubisoft, even if on paper it’s just another Tom Clancy war story. Based off of real world simulations showing how fragile the US infrastructure is to any kind of pandemic, it seems rather bland at first, but this third-person MMO game seems like it has some real depth. Players can team up and explore cities that have fallen victim to the pandemic and choose their objectives and missions as they come up. The game has an extremely high polish to it, even in the tech demo, and the interface looks flawless. Seeing the tech demo players quickly move from PvE to PvP in the manner they did impressed the hell out of me. This was a confirmed PS4 title from me, but after reading about a survey Ubisoft had given out to see if there was PC interest, and the survey/petition destroying its “goal” in less than a day had my platform decision waned.

The publisher that I feel didn’t got the love it deserved was Nintendo. After some poor Wii U sales, most of the game media/game fans criticized Nintendo for not pumping out first party titles (and almost going the way of the Dreamcast in its beginning). At E3, they game out guns blazing with a stack of impressive first party games. Smash Bros. looks fun as always and the new Mario title reminds me of Mario 64. The problem I see is that the fickle gamer audience gave poor marks to Nintendo for not having a strong third party title lineup this E3. I feel like Nintendo just can’t win. I do have to say though, if you haven’t yet bought a Wii U, it is now time. I believe the console is finally going to hit it’s stride.

All and all it was a fairly tame E3 for me. Nothing made me fly out the door and preorder it right away. I feel the XBONE and PS4 pissing match really did steal the lime light from games that really deserved more attention. Hopefully we can get some hands-on with the PS4 and XBONE come San Diego Comic Con, and see some more impressive games come Gamescom Cologne.

Jonathan London

People are passionate about seeing the latest and brightest offerings, and I’m no different. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Halo mobile game, Spartan Assault, and was really impressed by Disney Infinity and Watch Dogs. Of course, I loved racing some tracks on Mario Kart 8 and climbing walls as Cat Suit Mario in Super Mario 3D World. That being said, my favorite part of E3 was the Videogame History Museum. So many memories came back to me as I perused the tables of old systems like the Odyssey, the Atari Lynx, the Saturn and the 3DO. There were old cabinets set up where you could play Sunset Riders or Gauntlet and classic systems where you could try out the original Sonic or Bonk’s Adventure. It was an incredibly nostalgic and educational experience (I had forgotten that there was a nearly completed Star Fox 2 for the Super Nintendo… and they had it!). I’ll for sure be visiting them online at http://www.vghmuseum.org/ to see where their next showcase will be.

We sure hope that Spartan Assault doesn't remain a Windows 8 exclusive. — We sure hope that Spartan Assault doesn’t remain a Windows 8 exclusive.

My least favorite thing about E3 is always the crowds. It’s pretty overwhelming and at times hostile. Even though this can be fun, like the blast that I had at the Machinima party on Tuesday night, usually the lines are just too long for demos that are just too short or vague. The frustration of E3 is always that it’s a bit unsatisfying. You leave with only a taste of what these game experiences will be upon release, and most times you’re not able to play the games at all, but just watch tech demos (thank you Nintendo, for having the most playable lineup on the floor)! Probably the lamest part of the weekend is the entitlement of some attendees. I walked up to one person in line and asked what she was standing in line for only to have a bespectacled hipster behind me reply with “I know what you’re not standing in line for”. I’m sorry, dickhead hipster nerd wearing a costume to impress your 3 friends, but are you that far removed from the ass beatings in high school that you’re that desperate for another one? Way to act like an asshole. Yes, being a geek might be cool today, but that doesn’t give you a green light to act like a shithead. I left E3 wishing I’d punched his Buddy Holly glasses off his face… and that’s not really in the spirit of E3, now is it? I’d have remembered his face but his forced geek hipster style was so generic that I wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a crowd.

This is my 8th E3, so there isn’t a lot that surprises me anymore. Maybe I should comment on what impressed me. I show up each year expecting to be impressed by something new and am rarely disappointed. I definitely have to say that I’m completely bowled over by how rapidly trans-media is taking over our gaming experience (which I think is awesome). From having a mobile version of Halo, to the smart glass interactivity of Watch Dogs, it’s really incredible just how quickly video games are pushing the limits of technology and further integrating themselves into our every day life. Decades ago, if you wanted to play a video game, you had to go to them at a neighborhood arcade or a video game store. Today, the games are coming to you whether you like them or not and integrating themselves into our various lifestyles, whether they be on our handheld devices, social media or our home entertainment setup. There will literally be games available to anyone and everyone. And I’m not just talking about Farmville or Free to Play games, but AAA titles like Halo and Call of Duty. Even Nintendo has announced an expansion into the F2P market. We really are living in the future that we dreamed of, and I couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities.

Andy Breeding

My favorite thing from E3 2013 was the way that Sony went on the offensive against everything Microsoft’s Xbox One has done to bring the ire of many people. From no used games restrictions, no required check-ins, and the price announcement of $399.99, Sony did the equivalent of a mic drop. Actually, Jack Tretton did a mic toss. Not a drop, but close enough. Hell, there was even an impromptu video starring Sony Developer Relations VP Adam Boyes and Sony President of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida showed the many steps it takes to share a disc-based game on the PS4.

Worst thing that happened at E3 2013 was all the technical snafus during the stage demos. I seriously feel sad for anyone that has to go through any of this in front of a large audience. The Assassin’s Creed 4 demo sputtered and died at the end which lead to an awkward silence from everyone in the theater. The Battlefield 4 demo had a major false start leaving EA’s Patrick Sutherland stunned as to what to do next. Maintaining composure until the demo was finally running takes a lot of courage.

Even though we sort of knew about it due to EA making a help page live before it should have, I was pleasantly surprised by Mirror’s Edge 2 being announced. No date on when it’s coming, but I am still happy with the fact that Mirror’s Edge 2 is finally coming. Like most people, I hope gunplay is eliminated since it hampered the Mirror’s Edge experience for me.

A new Mirror's Edge is unbelievably exciting. — A new Mirror’s Edge is unbelievably exciting.

Derek Kraneveldt

I love E3. I’ve never had the opportunity to attend in person (that comes next year), but it’s always an amazing week of seeing what’s new, dreaming of playing games that are years away, and wondering what surprises developers and publishers have in store for us. I still recall sprinting home from school each day of the expo in 2005 to watch G4’s incredible coverage of nearly every facet of the expo (plus, that theme song was so damn catchy).

This year was no different. Tons of new games that I’m going to need to find money to buy, and of course this year introduced a new console or two as well. Understandably, the biggest news to come from this year’s expo was the pissing match between Microsoft and Sony. Microsoft unveiled and confirmed a series of bullshit policies, and when Sony announced that they weren’t going through with the same bullshit, but instead would be following the same expectations set by every single other console ever, people cheered and screamed that Sony had won. It’s really hard for me to see how that constitutes a win per se, it just feels like they didn’t destroy their reputation as Microsoft seems to have done. The fact that people felt the need to cheer for something like this remains the most perplexing and surprising moment of the event for me.

It’s really tough for me to narrow things down to a single best announcement. There are so many good titles being released later this year (and next) that I’m just excited to be a gamer in general. Things like Watch Dogs, a new Mirror’s Edge, Star Wars: Battlefront, and other games that have been mentioned a million times are going to rock. Arguably (and strangely), the thing that I’m most excited for this year is to replay The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. I was just 11 years old when the game released, and though I finished the adventure all those years ago, the only thing that I remember is how much fun I had. The Wii U release (which also serves as the developer’s way to familiarize themselves with the new console) is going to be a beautiful, nostalgic, and incredible experience for me. I can’t wait to jump back on that sailboat.

As for the bad stuff. Honestly, I didn’t really see too much of it. Games are games, and everything that was being shown off was obviously something for a vast majority gamers to look forward to. Sure, there are things that I saw that didn’t do much for me, but that doesn’t mean that those things don’t have merit. When my most aggravating experience with E3 this year was the fact that Sony’s press conference (which I was in charge of liveblogging) began 30 minutes late and left me worrying if it was Sony’s problem or just my own computer, you know that it was a damn good year. Oh, except for the fact that The Last Guardian is probably on hiatus, but Sony won’t make that official.

Please don't be dead... — Please don’t be dead…

I’m excited for all that the future brings. I’m excited for new consoles, experiences, and competition, and I’m damn excited to kick all of your asses at Mario Kart 8! Bring on the games!

JC Marquez

Best: Platinum Games is easily becoming my favorite third party. After playing The Wonderful 101 at E3 2012 and again at Pax Prime last year, the Viewtiful Joe/Pikmin hybrid looks and handles better than ever this time around. There’s no doubt that Hideki Kamiya and his development team behind the game have taken great time and effort to ensure the title is recognized as one of the must-have games for the Wii U in 2013, and quite frankly, it’s shaping up to be one of the most fun titles on any console this year.

Worst: Ever since it became known Retro Studios was working on a secret project for Wii U, I wondered what game it could possibly be to keep Nintendo from even making mention of it at last year’s E3. Instantly, the internet blew up with rumors suggesting a new Metroid game was in the works. Later, rumors claimed it was a Metroid/StarFox crossover. As fans argued over what Retro was working on, I doubt anyone would ever have guessed it would be another Donkey Kong Country title. I don’t hate what I saw, but I was expecting more from Nintendo when it came to the Wii U—especially with a holiday season which sees the debut of two brand new video game consoles. While Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze looks and plays amazingly well, and Mario Kart 8 looks absolutely gorgeous, I can’t help but feel disappointed that new entries in the Metroid, StarFox, or F-Zero franchises weren’t announced.

Biggest surprise: To say that Mega Man’s inclusion in the next Smash Bros. game somewhat surprised me would be a gross understatement. Much like a confirmed release date for The Last Guardian and Beyond Good and Evil 2, I was convinced that a Mega Man appearance in Smash Bros. was never going to happen, regardless how much I wanted it or how many deities I prayed to.

Then Tuesday morning happened.

Judging by the way the people in Starbucks looked at me as I pumped my fists in the air when the announcement was made, I can safely assume my reaction was pretty telling of my excitement, but it doesn’t hold a candle to some of these live reactions:

So there you have it. E3 2013 was a pretty incredible experience, and it will be more than interesting to see how the launch of both the PS4 and Xbox One turn out. As always, stay tuned to Geekscape for all of your further E3 coverage, and all of your gaming needs! Don’t forget to share your favourite moments from this year’s E3 with us below!

Geekscape Roundtable: We Say Goodbye To The Playstation 2

by GeekscapeStaffJanuary 13, 2013

After 12 beautiful years, it seems as though death has come for Sony’s Playstation 2. The console reigned king (or queen!) for the better part of a decade and touched the virtual lives of millions all over the world.

I (Derek) was barely 10 years old on the day the Playstation 2 launched. Today, just days after Sony announced that all production had been halted on the once-powerful titan, I’m just weeks away from turning 23.

The system may be dead, but after over a decade of games and sequels, you better believe there are some memories. We sent the word out to the Geekscape staff of the console’s termination, and these are some of the favourite moments and games that were sent back. Enjoy, and please (please!) share your own below!

PS2, we all thank you for your years of service. Rest now, you’ve earned it.

Molly Mahan

I’ve never considered myself much of a gamer. After my much beloved, ahead-of-its-time Dreamcast turned out to be a failed investment (Editor’s Note: What ‘chu talking about failed investment, I play my Dreamcast all the time! -DK), I more or less turned my back on the whole shebang. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t have a few fond memories of the Playstation 2’s glory days.

TGS trailer for 2004’s Metal Gear Solid 3

Unlike many talking about it now, they were more often than not enjoyed with me as a viewer and not an active participant. I would often sit around and watch my brother or other friends play through the latest installment of the Metal Gear Solid or Final Fantasy franchises and relish in the cut scenes, if not the gameplay itself. While you may scoff at that (call me a “fake nerd girl” or some other tripe), I do believe that this will be a great part of the PS2’s legacy. It helped pave the way to make video games watchable to the non-gamer. Opening up typically one or two player worlds to the voyeur by bringing a level of cinema to the gaming world that may have been attempted in previous consoles, but was not yet up to snuff.

The fact that it plays DVDs and CDs gave it an additional utility to those like me, since I only played non-fighting games about two times a year.

Jonathan London

Like many, I bought the PS2 for one game and one game only: Grand Theft Auto 3. In grad school, I was too broke to own a PS2 during GTA 3’s release, but my neighbor owned it and I would constantly make excuses to go play.Was this really the new version of the overhead GTA I used to love playing on the PC? Yes. It was. And it was so much better.

Trailer for 2001’s Grand Theft Auto III

Not only did the 3/4 view and open world map make Liberty City and every GTA locale after it come to life but it also put you in the action in a way I’d never experienced before. The streets teamed with possibilities, you could spend hours off mission just trying things out or pushing your Wanted Meter and the 80s Scarface inspired soundtrack gave the game an attitude and a pulse that the previous GTA games had been missing. And of course, the game map was massive for its time. It was very easy to get lost in it. While Vice City added a slick style to the franchise and San Andreas blew the doors off of the entire map and made nearly anything possible, I still have a soft place in my cold, crime ridden heart for the original PS2 release.

The PS2 gave me so many fond memories of hunting in Shadow of the Colossus and bouncing around with my friends Ratchet and Clank, but nothing comes close to hitting the hard streets of Liberty City.

Goodbye, old friend.

Shawn Madden

Suikoden III: I really don’t know how many times I’ve played this game in all honesty. I’ve had to replay what is hands down one of the greatest RPG’s of all time numerous times. The game’s complex plot is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, with a plot twist that no one could ever expect. Yes, a PS2 game with an unpredictable plot and beautiful visuals mixed with a superb soundtrack.

Intro video for 2002’s Suikoden III

You thought some other game was the best PS2 RPG? Yeah, you thought wrong. The game won both GameSpot and IGN’s RPG of the Year for 2002. No, but seriously. If you haven’t played this one you should. It rules. The end. This is where I throw down the mic and walk away.

Shane O’Hare

I was never huge Playstation or Playstation 2 fan. I’ve never owned a Sony console other than the PSP. I’ve always been a Nintendo and PC gamer, so when I was asked the question for what my favorite Playstation 2 moment was, I reply with my normal snark. I soon realized I have one vivid and specific moment with the device that I will always remember.

Trailer for 2002’s Final Fantasy X

It was 2002 and I was invited to a friends house for debauchery and games. I had seen a PS2 before but never really gave them a chance. As the night grew on my buddy sat me down with a copy of Final Fantasy 10 and said “HAVE AT IT!”. I was hooked. The graphics, the gameplay, the world, the narrative and the characters were all amazing. I was experiencing a game that was unlike any I’ve really played before at that time. As the night went on my host soon fell asleep and I continued to play long into the night. When he woke me up the next morning, he had a shocked look on his face and said “How late did you stay up? You made it all the way to the airship!”. Turns out I am some sort of FFX savant. I will always remember that night playing my first PS2 game, and ultimately my favorite Final Fantasy game.

Never forget the PS2!

Derek Kraneveldt

As I mentioned above, I was just 10 years old when the Playstation 2 was launched. The system’s introduction and evolution means a lot to me, as this was the first console I ever purchased with my own money, and it was the Playstation 2 that grew me into the gamer that I am today.

That being said, I had too many favourite games for the console to narrow it down to just one. From Okami to every Final Fantasy (well, except XI), every Metal Gear and Silent Hill, everything from Team Ico and more, there are just too many now-classic titles to even list.

Intro video from 2002’s Rygar: The Legendary Adventure

My most memorable moments with my PS2 were also some of my first. It had taken me nearly a year to save up for my own PS2, and after purchasing the costly console, I had little money left for any actual software. I took to the bargain bin, and came across a title that was sent there far too soon: Rygar: The Legendary Adventure. Rygar was a character that was older than I was, and I’d never heard of him.

The game was brilliant, and as it would be some time before I had the funds to buy another game, I play Rygar over and over and over again. Rygar: The Legendary Adventure was far ahead of its time, with gorgeous graphics (especially for a 2002 title), amazing gameplay mechanics (the game felt like a slightly less violent God of War, just three years before that title would see the light of day), and a story deep rooted in Greek and Roman mythology. Maybe it’s drilled into my brain from my dozens of playthroughs, but Rygar: The Legendary Adventure was one of the most memorable titles for me in the PS2’s lifecycle. Apparently a few other people liked it too, as the game later got a Wii rerelease, and is now available on
PSN!

Thanks for the memories, and thanks for never breaking down on me!