Showing posts with label Mass Effect. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mass Effect. Show all posts

Friday, August 23, 2013

Top 10 Giant Monsters

Yesterday our good friend Michael May ran a top 10 list of his favorite giant monsters over at his Adventure Blog.  After reading his list I knew I wanted to play along and started making my own list.  The first couple were easy, but it was harder than I thought it would be.  What constitutes as a giant monster, how big does the monster have to be?  Does Jaws count?  The shark’s size is so inconsistent in Jaws 3 I think that argument could be made.  How about the Zentradi from Robotech?  Being able to add Khyron to the list would certainly alter the results. 

The other big note to add here is that Michael made it a point to mention that he isn’t including giant robots because that should be a separate list.  He’s right and sometime next week I’m going to post up my top ten favorite giant robots.

10. Alligator (Alligator, 1980)

I was still living in Detroit when I first saw this movie. I know I was very young when I saw it, so it must have been on HBO or something.  An alligator is flushed down the New York sewer where it ends up eating the carcasses of animals that were test subjects of a growth formula.  Of course the alligator becomes a giant eating machine and eventually escapes the sewers.  A fun movie, but the alligator makes the list because of one scene that is forever burned in my memory.  There is this kid’s party and the party goers are going to force one of the kids into the pool.  None of them know the gator is hiding in the pool.  I don’t think I’m giving anything away by saying it doesn’t end well for the kid.

9. Giant Gila Monster (The Giant Gila Monster, 1959)

I might love this movie more than the actual monster.  The special effects are mostly a real gila monster walking through scale models.  It’s fun, but hardly enough to make it on the list.  The movie stars Don Sullivan as a mechanic and hot rod racer with a heart of gold.  There are French girls, younger sisters in need of surgery, and a bizarre subplot with a disc jockey.  The whole experience borders on surreal, which is why I’m always happy when I see it.

8. Mothra

First appearing in 1961 Mothra is the most famous of the good kaiju.  Mothra is pretty amazing because the character is so different that most other kaiju.  Mothra first appeared in her own movie before joining the other Toho kaiju in Godzilla’s movies.  Usually once a monster joins Godzilla’s stable they are stuck with him.  Mothra is the only monster to get her own movies after being in Godzilla’s.   All of this is well and good, but I’d be lying if I said these were the reasons I liked Mothra.  No, it’s all because of the Tiny Beauties.  These little ladies (seriously they are tiny) speak for Mothra.  They were originally played by Japanese twin singers The Peanuts.   

7. Rancor (Star Wars)

You weren’t expecting Star Wars were you?  First, let’s forget all the Expanded Universe here.  I’m not worried about Dathomir or their witches, this is about the big monster under Jabba’s palace.  The beast fed on anyone foolish enough to cross Jabba and stand on his trap door.  The first time it stepped out of the shadows it was amazing.  We all know how a meddling Jedi killed this poor beast, but the Rancor’s few scenes still made a big enough impact on me to put him on this list.   A while back during the Tamagotchi craze there were Star Wars versions.  The Rancor ate Gamorians for food and dancing girls as treats. 

6.  Thresher Maw (Mass Effect)

Picture the scene.  You’re Commander Shepard responding to a distress beacon on a planet’s surface.  You’re driving across a big stretch of desert when the whole ground starts rumbling.  There is a scream, your vehicle is tossed into the air, and you’re facing a giant snake/insect thing that spits acid.  One of Shepard’s histories can even be tied to humanity’s first run in with a thresher maw.  In Mass Effect 3 you even run into Kalros, the legendary thresher maw known as “the mother from which all other thresher maws spawn.”  I realize they are very similar to the sand worms in Dune, but I prefer this version. 

5. Godzilla

King of the Monsters and Godzilla only ranks number five?  I realize I’m strange.  If we’re talking cultural impact or importance to a genre Godzilla would be hard to not place at number one.  But this list is talking about my favorites and the big guy is at number five.  If it wasn’t for his iconic roar I might have even place him lower, but every time I hear that noise I just smile.  I also want to point out here if you’ve never actually watched the first Godzilla movie I really recommend you do.  It is a far deeper movie than just a guy in a rubber suit knocking over buildings.

4. King Kong

A giant monkey falls in love with a beautiful woman.  It’s the story of my life; minus the dinosaur fighting and building climbing.  I love both the original and the latest remakes for different reasons.  What’s not to love about his movies?  You can watch Kong stomp on people, crush them between his teeth, and still for sorry for him as he falls to his death.  Kong is a classic in the truest sense of the word. 

3. SpaceGodzilla (Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla 1994)

My top three giant monsters are probably going to be vastly different from most peoples.  I prefer SpaceGodzilla to the original.  So some of Godzilla’s cells get sent into space; either from Biollante or from Mothra. Once these cells are in space they enter a black hole, become altered, and returns out of a white hole.  SpaceGodzilla looks like a blue version of Godzilla with giant crystals growing out of his shoulders.  SpaceGodzilla has all over Godzilla’s powers plus a new set granted by the crystals.  There is also no doubt that SpaceGodzilla is evil to the core.  I love his look, I love his powers, and I love SpaceGodzilla.

2. Mighty Joe Young (Mighty Joe Young 1949)

Is this one cheating?  Joe should be about 12 feet tall, is that a big enough gorilla to be considered a giant?  Anyway, Mighty Joe Young is on my list as more enjoyable than King Kong.  I know it’s blasphemy.  Traveling to Africa to find animals a smooth talking business man meets up with a beautiful woman and her giant trained gorilla.  They take them all back to the states where the craziest nightclub ever is opened.  There are lions and running around in glassed off areas.  The club is amazing.  Joe is turned into a spectacle.  He ends up getting drunk, fighting the lions, and trashing the club.  Then it’s a race to get Joe back to Africa before the police kill him.  There are car chases, a burning orphanage, and actor Ben Johnson (one of the best cowboys ever).  This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I had to include Mr. Joe Young on the list.

1. Gamera

I’ve said it on this site before, Gamera is my favorite giant monster.  He’s a fire breathing giant turtle that can fly by pulling his legs in and shooting jets of fire out his leg holes.  It’s no surprise that Gamera was created by a rival film studio trying to cash in on the Godzilla craze.  The series became more popular with children as it went, so the original run of movies (1965-1971) get sillier as they go.  The second run of movies (1995-1999) are simply amazing.  Seriously if you like giant monster movies you need to see them.  How much do I love Gamera?  I own the original Japanese run, the 90s reboot, and the MST3K Gamera box set.  MST3K was the reason I was introduced to Gamera and I’m forever thankful to them and Sandy Frank for bring Gamera to America.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Mass Effect Citadel


The final piece of DLC for Mass Effect 3’s single player game hit this week.  Citadel is all about fan service, teaming your Shepard with his or her favorite team mates.  It’s a huge download too, on the X-Box it is actually made up of two separate downloads.  Below is the official trailer for the DLC.


I haven’t played it yet.  When ME3 first came out, I played through it one time.  Since then Bioware has released the Extended Cut, Leviathan, and Omega DLCs.  I bought them all right away, but I didn’t play. I didn’t want to start another game until everything was released.  I finally started the game up yesterday.  I can’t wait to explore all the new areas that have been released since the last time I’ve played.  

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Mass Effect Extended Cut

Today is the release of the eagerly anticipated Extended Cut DLC. If you aren’t familiar with Mass Effect I’ll sum everything. Through the course of three Mass Effect games, players become very involved with the characters and the setting. The ending was not put together well. The ending gave you three choices, but once you made that choice you were left with more questions than answers. The fate of your friends was left unanswered.


Today’s DLC was created after Mass Effect 3’s ending caused the internet to erupt into flames. This new ending doesn’t undo the dues ex machine at the end. It doesn’t get rid of the strange Buzz Aldrin bit at the very end either. It does expand on what happens to your crew and what happens to the galaxy because of your choice. From what I’ve seen it isn’t perfect, but it is a far better end to the series than what we were originally given.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Mass Effect Tali’s Song

I’ve been avoiding talking about the Mass Effect 3 ending fiasco. For the most part, I’m going to continue avoiding that subject. I will say that that through the three games many of the characters become a part of you. There are some huge character moments in ME3 that will have you cheering, laughing, or crying. I’m not ashamed to admit that last one either, it might have happened more than once. Tali is one of my favorite characters in the Mass Effect universe, because of that, I had to share this video.


Tali’s Song was written by James “Diegus” Panto and sung by Erin Panto with sound mixing by Eric Dumoulin. You can check out Erin and Eric’s band “Jackylin & Jermy” and their bandcamp page.  Apparently this is also a Taylor Swift parody. 



Saturday, March 10, 2012

Mass Effect 3: Where are you Shepard?

Before I get started, I just want to say that there are no spoilers for Mass Effect 3 in the following piece. Please let’s make sure they stay out of the comment too. Between Old Republic, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect I’ve talked a lot about BioWare on this site. The internet likes to complain about their games a lot lately. I’m in a minority, I liked Dragon Age 2. I recognize the problems with the game, but I still enjoyed it. I’m currently 20+ hours into the single player portion of ME3 and while I love the game so far, I was extremely disappointed with the first 5 minutes of the game.


There is currently an issue with Mass Effect that if you created your Shepard with a custom face way back in Mass Effect 1 that the face will not carry over to Mass Effect 3. You’re pretty much left to try to recreate your face from memory. This probably sounds like a minor gripe, but I don’t think it is. One of the major points of Mass Effect is crafting your own story over the games. Decisions you made in the first game carry over into the third. I take a long time with my play throughs. I could easily say that adding my play time from ME1 and ME2 together is 100 hours.


I have a really hard time understanding how that wasn’t caught before the game was launched. I’m not angry. I’m not demanding anyone’s job or anything. I re-created a face that is passable to the one I used before and I’m enjoying the rest of the game. I am disappointed though. The excitement of the midnight launch quickly faded when I ran into the error.  I know BioWare says they are working on a fix for the issue. It’s too late for my first playthrough, hopefully it will be working when I’m ready for my next Shepard.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Gone Reaper Hunting!

It’s time to take back the Earth!  Mass Effect 3 is out today.


If you see this image then one of three things is currently happening:

1. I’m currently taking the fight to the Reapers and gathering galactic allies.

2. I’m currently responding to a global threat in co-op with my Engineer. If this is what I’m doing, there is a good chance I’m also yelling “Go for the eyes Boo!” as I launch my Combat Drone.

3. After playing since I got back from the midnight release, I’ve fallen asleep. If the Galaxy Map still plays the same music while you are in it, it is very possible I’ve fallen asleep while looking at what planet to travel to next.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer Impressions

Not wanting to get off the couch most of Friday and Saturday, I spent a lot of time with the Mass Effect 3 demo. This is no small demo; it has a lot to offer. We aren’t going to be talking about the two single player missions the demo lets you play though; today is all about the multiplayer. There is something strange in my head that make me very uncomfortable playing games with people I don’t know. I get very anxious and don’t end up enjoying it. So when multi-player was added to my favorite game I got very nervous.


When you start the multiplayer you have to choose your class. They are the same classes you pick from when creating your Shephard. Each of those classes has 4 possible race selections, but only one of them for each class is unlocked at the beginning. The starting race for all of the classes is human, with some classes having the male unlocked and some having the female. Once you pick the class you can modify your armor color, name your character, change weapons, etc.


The missions you send your newly created character on can include up to three other players. For the missions I played there was only one other person playing with me. Waves of enemies come pretty fast. After the first two waves you’re given an objective. That objective might be kill specific enemies, stand in an area long enough to upload data, or interact with four different devices. Completing objectives means earning credits, more on those later. As you battle through the waves you can earn medals that are worth XP bonuses. Things like 5 headshots, or 25 assault rifle kills will pop up while you are playing.


The credits you earn while playing unlock booster packs. Just like booster packs for card games, you don’t know what you are going to get. You might get an uncommon weapon modification or unlock a new playable race. Some of the items, like the medpacks, are one time use. While we were playing Brandon unlocked the Asari Adept, I wasn’t able to unlock any of the classes.  The Turian Sentinel has an amazing grouping of powers.


I was very wary of the multiplayer addition. Those fears are gone. As much as I’m looking forward to jumping neck deep in Mass Effect 3’s story, I’m also looking forward to tracking some friends down and meeting them in the multiplayer, I’ll be the Engineer screaming “Go for the eyes Boo!” when I launch my combat drone.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning: The Demo

The demo for Kingdoms of Amalur: The Reckoning came out the other day. The game is interesting for a couple of different reasons, but a lot of attention is getting paid to its demo. The game’s executive designer is Ken Rolston, who was lead designer on Morrowind and Oblivion. So right out of the gate the game already has a pretty good bit of hype. Then R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane came aboard. Salvatore created the game universe and lore while McFarlane worked on the artistic duties. While personally those names are more of a deterrent than an incentive, a lot of other people do enjoy their work.


I played through the demo the other morning before I left for work. Much like Fable you can seamlessly switched between casting spells, shooting arrows, or swinging your weapon. I really like the skill trees; they easily let you specialize as a warrior, rogue, or warrior. The game moves quickly, to me, it felt very arcade-y in the way it moved. The other thing I want to say is the demo was surprisingly long. After you finish the tutorial part, the demo gives you 45 minutes to explore and quest in the first area. That is a surprising amount of time for a demo. A very cool move, I really wish they would have told me that before I started though.


The other important thing about the KoA demo is that you can unlock two pieces of DLC for Mass Effect 3. I’m sure as we get closer to ME3’s release date we will be flooded with bits and pieces of DLC offers. I won’t lie, like a pokemon master, I’m going to want to catch them all. I realize how silly that is, especially since I rarely use the items once I’ve collected them. I think after tracking down all those Dr. Pepper codes for ME2 that I only ever used one of the helmets. For starting the demo you unlock the Reckoner Knight Armor. For finishing the demo you unlock the Chakram Launcher.


The Reckoner armor will increase melee and weapon damage. They have not said if the armor is like the Blood Dragon and other promo armors. So at this point I can’t tell you whether or not you’ll be able to disable your helmet. If you finish the entire demo you’re awarded the Chakram Launcher. The Launcher sounds like it would be a heavy weapon, but it is actually an assault rifle. Both of these items were designed by Todd McFarlane.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Dark Horse April Solicits

I don’t normally talk about a company’s solicits. I guess it would be easy. I could stretch it into a couple posts if I did a separate one for each of the big companies. Normally that doesn’t feel right to me though. I generally want to talk a little more about things then, “hey this is coming out.” I’m very excited to talk about one of Dark Horse’s April releases, but as I looked over the other solicits I wanted to talk about them also.


Here is the big one. Dark Horse Presents #11 is the debut of Francesco Francavilla’s Black Beetle. Black Beetle is a character that Francesco created on his own blog, Pulp Sunday. Since this seems to be a big year for the Black Beetle Francesco has also created a blog specifically for the Black Beetle. Trust me; this is a book you’re going to want to read. Besides being one of the nicest people on the planet Francesco is such an amazing storyteller. This is very big stuff and we will be talking about it more in the future.


There is also a Criminal Macabre one shot out in April. We love Steve Niles at That F’ing Monkey and we especially love his pill popping detective. Anything Cal McDonald is an instant buy for me. I’m pointing this one out because of that amazing Fiona Staples cover. I love it.


The last thing I feel like I need to mention is that the Mass Effect line is starting a series of single issue stories. The first is starring James Vega. This is the strangest choice ever. The internet is already pretty much against this douche-y looking new character. The bonus is that the writer of each comic will be the person who wrote the character in game. I look forward to seeing who else gets a one-shot.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Mass Effect Toys Return

Back in 2010 there was a large part of my life consumed by Mass Effect 2. One of the things I was excited about was DC Direct’s line of action figures. I waited, and waited, and waited. The line was delayed and when it finally did come out, it did so very quietly. Months later I finally found the Tali figure at a comic shop I stopped into while on vacation.


Well the line is back and no one should be surprised to hear that DC Direct is not involved this time. The company who has taken the Mass Effect reins it Big Fish Toys. They are re-releasing the first wave of figures and the second wave. The first wave is male Sheppard, Thane, Grunt, and Tali. The second wave is Garrus, Legion, Mordin, and Miranda.


With Mass Effect 3’s release date getting closer and closer you have to wonder if Big Fish is already hard at work getting new lines of figures ready. Sadly, I never play with the default Sheppard, so the figure looks good, he just doesn’t look like Sheppard to me. Still, anyone who missed out on the figures the first time around should be happy.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Replica Normandy Review

From looking at the articles on the site, there is no denying that I am a huge BioWare fan boy. I love their games. Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Dragon Age, and we can’t forget Mass Effect. Mass Effect is something that consumes my thoughts. I become obsessive about the designs, the characters, the story, and the ships. It was heartbreaking to see the Normandy torn apart in the start of Mass Effect 2. I was cheering when the Normandy SR2 was revealed.


Because of these feelings I was very excited when Dark Horse announced that they were doing a replica of the Normandy SR2. I quickly pre-ordered and counted the days until it showed up at my local comic shop. With all of that setup you’re probably expecting a glowing review. I really give it one in good conscience though. Unless you are a crazed die hard, the replica just isn’t worth 35 dollars.


The Normandy measures just under seven inches in length. It is cast out of resin, so the details show through the mold, you just have to be careful it doesn’t take any dives off where ever you display it. It also comes with a display stand. The bad news is that the Normandy looks like I painted it. That is not a good thing. Seriously. The paint applications are sloppy and ugly. It really detracts from the model and makes it look cheap.


So in my opinion, the Normandy is a big letdown. I really wanted to love it. I was all ready to make ship noises and zoom it all over the house. Unfortunately it is the only replica available. Well there is another version of the Normandy, it’s identical to the one I bought but painted in the Cerberus color scheme. If you must have a Normandy on your shelf/desk/etc… this is sadly your only option.


UPDATE:  So after posting my review I see that "Antique" version of the Normandy has been solicited.  "This version is offered as a limited edition of 1,500 pieces, with a custom base treatment (not pictured) that is different from the regular edition."   It is retailing for 50 dollars  So now you can pay more for a model where they don't even bother to paint details.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Midnight Openings

Take pity on your local game store employees, they’ve been staying up late a lot lately. More specifically I’m talking about midnight releases. When game stores will open at midnight just so everyone can get their hot new release the second it becomes available. I haven’t been to many; I have a love/hate reaction to them. The first one I ever went to I was picking up Mass Effect 2 and wanted to hand out severe beating to a handful of the teenagers that I was in line with. Obviously I didn’t, mostly because I was afraid of not being able to go home and start playing my game.


The most recent was for Batman Arkham City. This one was more than a line of people waiting outside the store. There were people in costume and all sorts of games and give a ways. There were some people who acted like they don’t eat a large bowl of lead paint chips for breakfast every morning. At the end though, when we did need to get in line via our ticket number only like 6 people knew how to line up. The rest of the crowd just stood around in a big mass. I suppose it is possible I bunch of them didn’t know how to count past five, so the Southwest Airline style queuing procedure was beyond them.


I understand Digital Distribution, it circumvents all of this. But I like the people that work in my local store. I like chatting about game experiences or about what is coming out. It’s pretty likely that I’m going to brave the lines again Monday night although I’m already dreading that crowd. I’ll be there for Saint’s Row the Third, but a new Halo and Assassin’s Creed are also coming out that night. There was a secret midnight release once, I can’t talk about the specifics, but if you were involved with it and you’re reading this, just know that was awesome and I appreciate it. So have you done the midnight release thing?  How'd it go?

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Mass Effect 3 Update

Last month we talked about all the extras that the Collector’s Edition of Mass Effect 3 is going to include. The information said we’d be getting alternate appearances for Ashley Williams, Kaiden Alenko, James Vega, and Liara T’Soni. The image for the Collector’s Edition even showed off a tiny picture of James and Liara.


Thanks to the power of the internet, we now have a full picture of what appears to be all four alternate appearances. While it is possible that the Ashley and Kaiden pictures aren’t the alternate appearances, the James and Liara are the exact same image used in the earlier picture.  So while I can be 100% certain, this certainly looks like all 4 alternate appearances.


Thankfully Ashley doesn’t looks cross-eyed like she did back in ME2. In other ME3 news Casey Hudson has confirmed that players can change their Shepard’s appearance. He also stated that they have been able to improve existing hair options and have added new ones. On top of that, you can set your helmet to on, off, or on except for conversations. Also a new novel titled Deception will be coming out in the fall. Bioware apparently is going to have a big presence at SDCC, so we should see more ME3 news after that.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Mass Effect 3 Collectors Edition and News

Last week was E3. There was a lot of video game news that came out of the show. Games were announced, systems were announced, demos shown, and new trailers released. We also got information on Mass Effect 3’s Collectors Edition. Sure, we knew that there would be a Collector’s Edition but we didn’t know what it would contain. Those details have emerged and now we know what to look forward to in March 2012.


The Collector’s Edition includes:

A metal case. Just like the ME2 game, the actual discs will be contained in a “collectible tin.” This one will feature the male Shepard on the front and the female version on the back. Having never played as either of the default appearances I much prefer the N7 design on the outer case to the images on the tin.

An exclusive hardcover art book. I like this one, a 70 page art book from the production team. I’m a big fan of the production art. The book will probably contain some spoiler material so if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing you probably will want to leave it alone until you’ve completed the game.

N7 fabric patch. Not sure if I’d ever use it, but I think it is a neat extra.

Exclusive 4x6 Lithograph. It looks like a very cool picture of the Normandy, but seriously, it is the size of a post card. Not really something to get excited over.

A unique Dark Horse comic. I’m not sure what they mean by unique. Honestly the Mass Effect comics haven’t thrilled me. I’ll read this one, I just don’t have high hopes.

Social badges, avatars, and perks. This is all for Bioware’s social website. If you spend a lot of time on that website, these might appeal to you.

Exclusive Extended Soundtrack. You either like video game soundtracks or you don’t. Personally I’m hoping to some day use these as the backdrop to a pen and paper Mass Effect RPG.

Normandy Xbox 360 Avatar item. I’m ashamed to say, this excites me. Obviously this is for the Xbox 360 version only.


That’s all the items that don’t even affect your game. Some good things and some okay things. Next we’re going to look at all the in game items.

N7 Arsenal Pack. Consists of the N7 Sniper Rifle, SMG, Shotgun, and Pistol. I have no idea how good they are, but more weapon choices are always a good thing.

N7 Hoodie. Something for Shepard to wear on the Normandy. I’ll have to see this one before I pass judgment; Mass Effect’s in game version of casual wear can be pretty strange sometimes.

Alternate Appearance Pack. New outfits for Ashley, Kaidan, James Vega, and Liara T’Soni. I’m a sucker, I bought both of the appearance packs for ME2 so I’m glad to see this one included in the CE.

Robotic Dog. A FENRIS mech that follows Shepard around the Normandy. This is very important. If they can do this with the robot dog, they can give us a Varren. I was so sad that I had to leave Urz on Tuchanka.

An additional Mission and Character? This is a strange one. It was listed on the images and still listed on some websites but it is being pulled from others. My personal guess is that if we are getting this, it will be something all pre-orders will get.

The last thing I wanted to mention about the different versions of Mass Effect 3 coming out is that there will only be two versions. Months ago it was hinted that there would be a version with some kind of uber-expensive pack-in, but we’re being told that this is no longer happening. So unless something changes in the months to come you only have the Standards and Collector’s Editions to choose from.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Incoming Space Ships

Like every other sci-fi fan I have a handful of spaceships that I consider my favorite. When I was growing up I loved the toy for the Slave 1, but I think a large part of that was it had a handle on it, so flying it around the house at full speed was much easier then even trying to pick up that massive Millennium Falcon toy. Once built in handles were no longer important though, I fell in love with the X-Wing. A few years ago I bought Code 3’s massive diecast X-Wing.


This is just a brief glimpse, because in all honesty I could do an entire article on just how impressive this model is. It was not cheap. But my thinking was sound, I’d buy the best representation of the X-Wing I could find and then I could overlook all the lesser versions. Sure I’d spend money then, but I’d save money and shelf space in the long run. And much like Scrooge, I kept my word. From that day forward I kept Christmas in my heart all year long. No, wait… From that day forward I resisted buying any more X-Wing toys.


It looks like I’m about to break that deal I made with myself way back in 03. In July they are releasing a plush X-Wing. It may just be too cute to resist. And it’s only like 12 bucks; I could easily field a whole squadron of them. Okay, well I won’t get that extreme. The little plush X-Wing will be coming out with plush versions of the Millennium Falcon and an AT-AT also. We can only hope that a couch sized Star Destroyer in the works.


Moving outside of the Star Wars universe, my new favorite ship is seeing its first replica released in October. From the Mass Effect series comes the Normandy. To be even more specific this is the Normandy SR2 that was used in Mass Effect 2. From what I’ve read it will technically be your ship in Mass Effect 3 too, but after a series of upgrades they decide to call it the Normandy SR3 in that game.


The replica will run around 35 dollars and is 6 ¼” long. I couldn’t find any information on what it is made of. Is it resin? Is it plastic? Is it die-cast? I have no idea. I’m going to guess the flight stand comes with it, but I might be assuming too much there too because that isn’t mentioned in any of the product descriptions I’ve found online. I still pre-ordered it though; because I am weak when it comes to resisting all things Mass Effect. For the record, I’d buy a plush Normandy too although I’d prefer a plush varren.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Mass Effect 2 Arrival

We’ve known it was coming for months now, but the release date has finally been made public. The Arrival DLC is being released for PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3 on March 29th. Seven bucks will get you one more jaunt on the Normandy 2 with all your companions. This is touted as the last DLC for Mass Effect 2 and its story is meant to bridge ME2 with Mass Effect 3 (due out at the end of this year).


Arrival’s story says, “A deep cover agent is missing in Batarian space, after reporting evidence of an imminent Reaper invasion. Shepard must travel to the edge of the galaxy, rescue the agent, and discover the truth behind the Arrival. Uncover new research and 3 new achievements in this spectacular new adventure for Mass Effect 2.” Someone else finally believing that the Reapers are out there will be a welcome addition to the game. If you remember BioWare said that the Cerberus Daily News would start up a week before the DLC, so we should be seeing some news stories very soon. Hopefully they will give us more clues as to what is happening in Arrival.


The biggest surprise leaked so far is the return of Admiral Hackett. If you’ve only played ME2 then you missed out on that gravelly voice hitting you up all the time in ME1 to take time out of your duties and to help out the Alliance Military. It might have been that I was drawn to the character because he is voiced by Lance Henriksen, but I really liked Admiral Hackett. From the released images, it looks like you’ll be talking to him face to face for once too.


Anyone else excited? I’ve got 3 Commander Shepards that can’t wait to get back into action.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Dragon Age 2 Demo Days

There have been a lot of changes made between Dragon Age 1 and 2. The main character is now voiced and has to be human. The class skill trees and specializations have been completely reworked. The dialogue system has been given a complete overhaul. Combat was called more dynamic. Many fans of the first game were worried. There was a lot of talk about the game being “dumbed down”. Starting today we can find out exactly how these new systems work, because today you can download the demo. Pick your poison the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will both be on their respective networks and the PC one will be available here http://dragonage.bioware.com/da2/demo/.


Make sure you are logged into your EA/BioWare account when playing though. If a million people try out the demo, BioWare will unlock two new pieces of DLC to those who buy the game. Both are books, one gives money the first time it is read, the other gives experience.


The Far Cliffs of Kirkwall - Written by a Fereldan refugee as she fled the Blight, this book of poems describes her dreams of a new start in Kirkwall, the city across the sea. Readers will surely be enriched by her insights. (Gives money when read.)

Lothering's Lament - Written by a Fereldan refugee as she fled the Blight, this book of poems contains touching reminiscences of all she had to leave behind. Readers will surely benefit from her experience. (Gives XP boost when read.)


Also looks like a PS3 update spoiled Mass Effect 2’s next DLC. There are three trophies for “Arrival.” You have, The Ultimate Sacrifice (Complete the Arrival DLC), Last Stand (Survive all five waves in the battle for Object Rho), and Covert Action (Rescue Dr. Amanda Kenson without attracting hostile attention). Dr. Kenson should sound familiar, because she was mentioned in the last Cerberus Network’s news feed. If you didn’t know, all the Cerberus News can be found here at http://www.cerberusdailynews.com/?cat=1.


While I really want to play more Mass Effect, I hope this isn’t like the last time where we get Witch Hunt and Lair of the Shadow Broker at the same time. Give me a month with DA2 before dropping that Arrival awesomeness. I can’t believe I asked for them to hold off releasing a DLC.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Randomness and Site Updates

Brandon being snowed in didn’t just throw his post off track; it will also delay our review of the Guardian Project characters. These reviews should happen once a week and will be jointly written by the two of us. I’ll still color code the back and forth so you know who is who. It’s the first jointly written stuff we’ve done, so it should be fun.



I thought All-Star weekend was fantastic. In the skills competition we saw the big man Zdeno Chara break his own record with a 105.9 mph slap shot. In the actual All-Star game there was the first ever penalty shot after Ovechkin threw his stick across the ice to block a shot. Cam Ward spent the first period in net and as an on ice commentator. When the action was at the other end of the ice he was chatting it up with the other broadcasters. From the smiles on everyone’s faces you could tell they were having a good time, which in turn made it fun to watch. Best All-Star game I can remember.


I mentioned a second Mass Effect 2 appearance pack; well a foreign Xbox page had a picture! It isn’t full body, or even that detailed, but you get the idea. They have the pack set to release on 2011/01/28, I believe the US release is late February. Edit: BioWare says February 8th is the release date.  Miranda finally gets some armor. I still wish there was a way to remove the Cerberus symbols from my ships and my teammates.


Saturday when I was stuck at work; my wife hit a local comic shop’s moving sale. Everything was marked down super low and she cleaned up. 5 Spirit Archives for like 5 dollars a piece. On top of that she picked out two Flash variant covers, without knowing what they really were. Pretty awesome stuff on the cheap.  My house is often like an episode of I Love Lucy, with my wife complaining that she never gets to be in the show. So this is my thank you to her. 



Epic Meal Time shirts are coming soon.  Get your wallets ready for a next level clothing maneuver.  I can't wait.

Epic Cross Over talked about on Twitter:

@EpicMealTime If you have a proposal that makes EMT fit into the ME universe I'm all ears. No lie, half our Montreal office watches EMT

EpicMealTime @manveerheir selling Elcor ribs in the Citadel obviously! Just give me some dialogue wheel responses!


Finally, That F’ing Monkey has hit a wall. Readership has leveled off and I’m not sure how to improve it. At this point I’ll be at Megacon doing some interviews. And both Brandon and I will be at Heroes. I think those interviews will be unlike anything you've seen on other comic sites.  But other then that, I’m going to ask for your help. If you know someone who likes Comics, Games, Booze please share the site or the Facebook page. The more readers the better.  Now that I've finished the shameless pleading, I can say that I should have T-Shirt news sometime next month.

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