Big news! Marvel have announced another new comicbook movie, this time in the form of a Dazzler movie.
Announced today, Marvel’s forthcoming X-Men spinoff will feature Miley Cyrus in the title role. Cyrus has been quoted as saying this about her new leading role:
[quote]”Dazzler seems very similar to my role as Hannah Montana but with sparkle powers! So I guess she’s a Twilight version of Hannah Montana…”[/quote]
Expect to see some of your favourite Marvel characters appearing, such as Wolverine & Beaky… making an appearance in May 2014.
On Saturday three generations gathered at my house to play as many table top based games as we could, to celebrate International Table Top Day. I am proud of what we achieved, not only did we re-visit games not played in years but we had heaps of fun doing it.
Board games and card games have been a hobby of mine since being young. The very first board game I can remember playing is Sorry, not that I can tell you how to play it or the objective. No, what I remember is the laughing and the overall sense of satisfaction of spending time with my mum and sister chasing each other around a board. Similarly Monopoly was a great childhood pleasure, mostly because my sister was so anal with the banking that we made it our mission to rob as much as we could. Yes this ended with her in tears and us laughing our asses off, but that is what is so great about board games, the memories of those epic moments stay with you.
I suppose the argument could be made that there was little else to do in the 80’s, we had a telly with only 3 channels, some toys and of course the outdoors, but no electrical based device constantly feeding our entertainment needs. It’s a very different world for our children, my daughter alone has 3 devices on which she can play games and mess with apps. So I wondered, with the arrival of International Table Top, whether I could keep the kids occupied for an entire day with no electronic gaming, just cards, boards and counters. Turns out I needn’t have worried.
The day started with the obligatory ‘Keep the kids happy’ section, beginning with Operation Disney Cars edition. Problem with this was the number of awol pieces and the fact that it just frustrated Xander (5) due to his heavy handiness. Really, I considered game 1 a fail. It served to frustrate the youngest attendee and anger the adults with all the annoying buzzing. Still it meant things could only get better.
Second up was Disney Trivial Pursuit for the daughter Maddie (10). This game did come with conditions; I firmly explained in my parental/teacher voice that it would be unlikely we would get to the end of this game. The nature of Triv is long winded and doubly so when you are dealing with a specific subject matter of Disney. I’ve watched my fair share of Disney films over and over again so you would of thought I had this one in the bag. But despite playing with the easy questions, I found my knowledge of the Rescuers and Oliver’s Company severely lacking. 45 minutes of constant failure was enough.
Interestingly a card based game highlighted a failing in my parenting. My daughter, my very own flesh and blood, was not aware of how to draw cards and return them correctly to the deck. This may seem a harmless problem, but for me it was blasphemy.
As a child I spent a lot of time playing cards with my parents and siblings, camping in France there is very little else to do come evening time. We would gather and play a range of card games until bedtime. I loved it, but there was one thing that brought dread to each of us, if we dealt wrong my father would shout, loud, and mock your mistake. He would make us start again and do it right. He abides by the rules of cards as taught to him by his father and such he would teach his daughters the same rules. As much as it was the wrong approach on his part, I have never forgotten. To this day I find people who deal in the wrong direction or in the wrong order severely irritating causing me to want to grind my teeth together and flap my hands (Yes husband I’m talking about you). Thankfully my reaction to my daughter’s faux par was not nearly as shouty as her grandfathers; a little irritated I grant you, but fingers crossed helpful.
The next game on the agenda was a special request on my part, Rummikub, like playing gin rummy with cards but with tiles and time limits. Another flashback moment for me and I wanted to see if it would bring as much joy to my friends. It started with a touch of difficulty as our derper cat Drew, decided the table was the ideal resting spot.
However, to my great satisfaction after the first couple of turns, my hubbie exclaimed “Why don’t we play this all the time?” He was right, it had sat in a cupboard for over 8 years just waiting. Which is the sad reality of what happens to a lot of games. Stored away until someone remembers that glimmer of excitement and goes to the effort of digging it out.
As the afternoon moved on we covered a few more. Connect 4, a childhood classic for everyone. Shamefully I was beaten by a 5 year old. Not exactly sure how that happened so I’m going to say that I let him win to build his self confidence. Bite/Crunch was another one to keep the youngest busy, a fishing based twist on Snap but easy to make at home. I also had a quick game of Superhero Squad pairs, done in 5 minutes but a smiley satisfied son at the end.
As you are probably aware I am a bit obsessed with Zombie Apocalypse but I am not on my own. My husband and two best friends regularly discuss and plan for such an event, so the four of us took the opportunity to test our survival skills with Worst Case Scenario Survival Card Game. It was a win all round for me really, I came second but my husband won the game. I feel much happier that, in the instance of bad things happening such as being attacked by Kangaroos or riding an out of control camel in a sandstorm, at least I’m with the right fella. With the bonus of being able to handle myself in a gun fight.
What added to the day was our friends and surrogate geek grandparents to our children. They brought along some old school games. Whilst we didn’t get a chance to play them all, the success of Othello surprised me. I will be honest and say that I was extremely skeptical as to whether the children would understand the strategy behind it or whether it was interesting enough to keep them playing. But with the help of the older generation as mentors they handled it fine and I think siblings competing spurred them on.
Next came a group favourite and staple to in our game diet for many years. Steve Jacksons Chez Geek, where the aim of the game is to reach your slack goal faster than your fellow housemates. For those of you whom have never played it I implore you add to your selection. Once you get going and know the rules it becomes a great time killer, with plenty of geek based humour to keep you amused. From buying shrooms and playing rpg’s there is something for everyone. What I enjoyed about this particular session was introducing Ricky to it once again. There was a point when I felt may be I should give her some slack and lay off with the harsh cards but when it became clear she had a real chance at winning the punishments began. All in good fun of course.
Words based games are amongst my favourites, but Scrabble would have taken far too long in our endeavour to play as many games as possible. Luckily Mel Santo had brought along Bananagrams. Think Scrabble but no board or points just lots of letters and a race to rearrange all your tiles into some kind of cohesive correctly spelt crossword before the other players. Turns out I don’t work well under pressure.
My poor effort
Unfortunately Rapidough was cut short due to food and imminent Doctor Who, but it was nice to see the eldest in the room versus the youngest. Yes this was a little unfair but too cute a photo opportunity to miss.
Pit, Ninja Burger and Buffy the Vampire Slayer followed to complete our day at just after midnight. We had done it! Save for a little break for essential Who viewing, we had played table top games for an entire day. I was a little disappointed that Munchkin didn’t get a look in, but then it is a game we already play a lot. The downside of trying to fit in as many as possible, is games with a longer play time didn’t get a look in, no Monopoly, no Zombies, no MuchkinQuest, no epic Trivial Pursuit. Ah well, there is always next time. Overall I am declaring this celebration of table top games a success!
This year we didn’t have a trophy but if I was going to declare a winner of the day, then it would have to be my good friend to whom I will refer to as Ullrakesh. He won the most games and therefore is victorious. But the day wasn’t about winning, it was about taking a moment to dust of those old games and appreciate them for the simplistic joy they bring. They come with the condition of necessary social interactions that enable everyone to have fun, jibe each other, celebrate wins and laugh at funny as hell losses. I am already eagerly awaiting next years event so fellow geeks let the planning begin!
The long anticipated new series of Doctor Who hit our screens Saturday night, and what a magnificent start it was! Titled “The Bells of Saint John”, we find our Doctor in the heart of 21st Century London surrounded by people who seem to be disappearing. Their bodies, empty. Their minds, their soul, an unknown location. Downloaded from their bodies, echoes of these missing people can be heard through the laptops of many, pleading to be found, repeating the words, “I don’t know where I am”. Can the Doctor race against time to rescue the human race once more before everyone as he knows it becomes pixels and megabytes?
Of course he can, he’s the Doctor. The start of the new series also sees the appearance of the new companion, Clara Oswald (played by Jenna Louise Coleman). A spunky young girl in her twenties, we watch as she helps the Doctor track down the minds behind the downloads, taking everything in her stride. The Doctor is an alien; yeah, she’s OK with it. People are being downloaded for a mysterious being, (whom we later find out to be “The Great Intelligence”); yeah, let’s shut him down.
The episode was very well thought out; the same epic atmosphere that comes with anything Stephen Moffat-related is ever present. I also personally like the theme of the show; even now, as I write this article whilst keeping one eye professionally trained on Facebook, in the back of my mind is always the question, ‘Is there something in my Wifi?’ Setting a Doctor Who episode in 21st Century London is nothing out of the ordinary, but using an everyday utility that almost every human on Earth uses is a clever theme.
With the new series brings a new opening sequence. The same addictive music is used but ‘jazzed up’ and it is still accompanied with the spinning police box through a time vortex, making us dizzy with excitement (well, me anyway). The music within the episode is also the same as the previous series and makes my heart beat with a fervour that the show has always brought me.
The Doctor is as quirky as he ever was. There aren’t any massive explosions that usually accompanies an epic episode but the action sequences in this works in its own way. An anti-gravity motorcycle riding up the side of a building and smashing its way through to the bad guys hideout is pretty badass, even if I do say so myself.
I cannot wait for the next episode. Make sure you tune in this Saturday for “The Rings of Akhaten”.
As fans of the DCAU will no doubt know (and be appropriately outraged by) Cartoon Network has cancelled the two most popular shows in its DC Nation segment- Young Justice and Green Lantern: The Animated Series. This is bad enough in the case of GL:TAS, which had an odd style of 3D animation which I wasn’t fond of, but good writing and up-to-date characters (Bleez and Saint Walker put in appearances, much to my delight); however in the case of Young Justice, it is nothing short of unforgivable. Avoiding spoilers for those of you who haven’t seen the finale yet, suffice it to say that if that was indeed the last episode ever, it leaves the series’ most popular character out of action and set up an apocalyptic third season that we will never see.
Fortunately, all is not lost!
The wonderful Show Must Go On exists purely for the purpose of saving cancelled TV shows, and they revealed recently that they are in negotiations to meet with DC to discuss reviving the shows. Now, this seems like a long shot, and doesn’t guarantee that DC themselves will renew the shows -SMGO is a Kickstarter-esque crowdfunding operation, after all- but a long shot is better than no shot.
There’s also a petition that you can (and should) e-sign to try and convince DC that we love Young Justice -and GL:TAS too, I guess- enough that they should totally renew it- at least for one last season, so we can get some closure.
If there’s one series of games that will always make me drool (besides the second one), it’s Deus Ex. The first game is my favourite game of all-time, and the third title Human Revolution is definitely in my top 10. Well it seems that Square Enix are due to unveil the next in the series sooner than we expected.
The official Deus Ex Facebook page updated about 14 hours with the picture above, and the following quote attached to it: [quote]”Yes, the rumors are true: World’s first look at Deus Ex: Human Defiance TOMORROW!”[/quote] Now, I’m a little fanboy-esque when it comes to games like Deus Ex, and System Shock 2, Bioshock etc etc. So understandably as I read this little post by Square Enix, I pretty much looked like this:
In case you’ve not played any of the series then shame on you! Go and buy them all now! Although, feel free to skip Invisible War if you like, I won’t hold that against you. The series is set in a future where it’s possible to have cybernetic augmentations implanted into your body to enhance specific attributes like speed, strength, eyesight, hearing, hacking and much more. These facets allow the games to be played pretty much anyway you like; Stealthy, Rambo-style all guns blazing, more RPG-like etc.
There are also heavy storylines attached, usually with some pretty intricate and engaging themes based around conspiracy and the like.
Anyway this is awesome news! Now as it’s nearly 11am here, and they posted this 14 hours ago… hopefully this should mean the reveal will be today – as a worst-case scenario though I’ll bring you the new information first thing tomorrow.
Keep your eyes peeled right here for the update!
Here it is! Deus Ex: Human Defiance has been officially announced on the Deus Ex Facebook webpage as promised, and it looks awesome already!
The new title will be an 8-bit sideways-scrolling game, with state-of-the-art graphics, and an intense storyline, complete with co-op play!
However Eidos Montreál need your help to get the project off the ground. Make sure you check out http://www.deusex.com/humandefiance to see the gameplay footage, and how you can support this forthcoming awesome title!
Next month sees the arrival of a fairly young event with rapidly increasing popularity, Wales Comic Con, on Sunday 28th April. The first event took place in June 2008, under the name North Wales Film Exhibition. Since then, events have been held annually and the convention is fast becoming one of the biggest of it’s kind, particularly in the North West.
Held at Glyndwr University in Wrexham, Wales Comic Con is easily accessible via many transport links, with it being close to the city of Chester. Being a local Chester girl, I first attended Wales Comic Con in September 2012 and was utterly astounded at the amount on offer and how busy it was. By the time the doors opened to the public, the event quickly filled to maximum capacity and many were turned away at the door.
However, this year’s event is taking over a much bigger space to allow for more attendees, special guests and exhibitors, promising to be quite a day.
Last year’s event
Some of the fabulous displays this year include Supernatural’s Chevy Impala (swoon), Knight Rider‘s KITT and a Tardis from the current series of Doctor Who. There will even be a 1.5 hour Jedi Training class with International Stuntman and Star Wars Stunt Co-ordinator, Nick Gillard. It’s costly at £95 and places are extremely limited, but an interesting offering for any hardcore Star Wars fan!
Shame Jensen Ackles doesn’t come with the car…
The guest list at this year’s Wales Comic Con rivals even larger and longer established events in the UK, boasting a huge variety and amount of stars from Film and TV, artists and writers, even wrestling legends! Buffy fans can meet Nicholas Brendon (Xander), a popular edition after last year’s popular guest, Anthony Head, who was just simply charming. There’s plenty on offer for fans of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, with actors Billy Boyd, Adam Brown and Jed Brophy. Billy Boyd’s band, Beecake, will also be playing at the afterparty, kicking off at Wrexham’s Central Station venue at 7:30pm.
Red Dwarfcast member Danny John-Jules, Chris Barrie, Robert Llewellyn and Craig Charles will be appearing along with a large number of the Game of Thrones cast. Kristian Martin, Josef Altin, Gemma Whelan, Ross Mullan and Eugene Simon will be at the event, as well as Ian Whyte, who has also appeared in films such as AVP and Prometheus.
The list of Film and TV guests just goes on, with actors from Star Wars, 300, ALIENS, Merlinand the twins from The Matrix Reloaded. Robert Picardo from Star Trek will appear, as well as John Challis from Only Fools and Horses.
Wrestling fans will also enjoy the day, with Goldust, Mick Foley, Tommy Dreamer and Million $ Man signing at the event. On top of all of these guests, there will also be a large number of artists and authors at Wales Comic Con, offering signings and drawing original artwork for you on the day. A favourite from last year who is back in April is Neil Edwards, who’s most notable work is on Spiderman, Avengers and Fantastic Four. Definitely one to check out.
The guests aren’t the only thing on offer at Wales Comic Con, which is host to a huge amount of stalls selling a vast array of goods. From replica jewellery (Buffy, Supernatural, True Bloodetc), collectible cards and figurines to posters, cupcakes, cuddly things and t-shirts, there promises to be a great deal on offer.
The cosplay element of Wales Comic Con is also a great feature. In September I decided against cosplaying, unsure of how many people would actually turn up in costume. I was rather surprised to find that a huge proportion of attendees took part in the cosplay and there were some amazing costumes on display. As I’ll be attending this year on behalf of Geek Pride, I’m going for something simple and wearing a gorgeous Totoro kigurumi. With friends attending as Gotham City Sirens, Ripley from Alien, an NCR Ranger and True Blood’s Sookie Stackhouse, it will be a rather interesting day!
I won’t be going quite this far…
This year’s Wales Comic Con on Sunday 28th April really does promise to be a great event. Tickets are only £6, but unfortunately you can no longer order them online and must buy them on the door. Doors open at 11am and from previous experience, I urge you to get there rather early if you need to buy a ticket, as it’s an extremely popular event.
Autographs range from about £10, with photoshoots with some guests also available. There’s plenty of merchandise on offer and the chance for comic artists to draw you a piece of original work.
Neil Edwards at last year’s event
If you do attend the event, be on the look out for myself and any other members of the Geek Pride team. We’ll be there to talk to some of the stars at the event, attendees and take some fabulous photos of cosplayers. If you can’t make it, fear not, as we’ll have some lovely interviews and coverage on Geek Pride following the event. However, if you’re considering attending, I really urge you do to so. This is one convention not to miss.
For more info, check out www.walescomiccon.com or take a look at their Facebook page.
My fellow geekians. I have taken this time to put the metaphorical pen to paper and share with you my recent experience. Upon falling ill and having to glue myself to my bed with nothing but my laptop for company, I was told to watch a quite famous TV show amongst the geek population, ripped from our hearts so prematurely. A confession which I must admit to is not watching this programme sooner; forgive me. I was blind, but now I see. I will actually take this opportunity to thank my fellow Geek Pride contributor Mr James Buckingham for suggesting I use my down time to watch this show. Having never seen it before, I started watching with a curiosity which eventually turned into love and a somewhat unpredictable hatred for the Fox network.
I am of course talking about Firefly. Most of you would have already deciphered this from the title of this blog alone. For those of you who are also new to the series, whether you missed it when it was originally aired or being like myself, a fairly new, naive geek, then let me give you a quick run-down of what the show is all about.
Firefly is an American made, space western drama created by Joss Whedon. It consists of 14 episodes and one feature length film. Firefly is set in the year 2517. After the Earth was used up, the humans moved to a new star system, terraforming the surrounding planets. We follow the crew of “Serenity”; a firefly-class spaceship and the adventures they are faced with whilst trying to make a living on the outskirts of the “unified” society and trying to stay under the radar of the Alliance; the central federal government. Nine people make up the crew and as Joss Whedon himself said, “They are nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine different things”.
So, now you are all caught up on what Firefly is and how I came about it, I’d like to give you my top eleven reasons why I fell in love with the show. Yes, eleven. Well, why have ten, when you can have eleven? Here we go!
11. The ‘bad’ guys are in fact the ‘good’ guys
As we follow the Serenity crew, we come to see them in a light that can only be described as a good one. However, in reality, in the Firefly reality, they are the renegades, the rebels, the ones who should not be trusted. For me to think anything bad about any member of the crew would go against every fibre in my body. The show portrays the bad guys as the good guys, and the so called good guys, the Alliance, are a far worse evil once the surface crust of perception is broken.
Many planets are united under this central government, under their rule, and the few that defy them are cast out onto the outskirts of society, making a living using underhand techniques and illegal tradings as this is the only way they can make money. On the run from the law, not living by anyone’s rule except that of the Captain.
I guess for me, the line of good guy and bad guy is blurred almost to an indistinguishable level. The fact that most humans are unaware of the horrid acts caused by the Alliance makes them to be the perceived good guy in the light of the majority when as we know, they are in fact the face of evil and the minority, the crew of Serenity, are a beacon of hope in an otherwise brainwashed nation.
10. The Music
The theme song is a wonderful mixture of guitars, violins and a voice that would make chocolate melt. It reminds me of a classical western drama, but mixed in is the sounds of spaceships swooshing by, making it a magnificently perfect theme song. It gives you a feeling that whilst there is adventure and voyages, there is also sentimentality to the song which reflects the relationships that are born upon Serenity with a finesse that only a genius can accomplish.
9. The Environment
The new star system has a brilliant mixture of different planets; from those that are technologically advanced (clean, sterile) to those that are within the poorest regions of the system (horse drawn carts and mud), it creates a believable environment for the Serenity crew to travel through.
Even the smallest part of a planet is thought out thoroughly to make it look real, plausible and believable. My personal favourite environment is that of the Serenity ship. This is where most of the filming is done and while it is clearly a ship, a vessel that travels through space, it is also made homely. Little touches around the ship from Kayleigh’s stickers on her bedroom door to the dinosaurs that Wash plays with at the beginning of the season, it is a home for the crew and as the season goes on, it becomes a home for us.
8. The CGI and Graphics
I’m not the most technically minded person. I can’t recognise what type of software was used to make the ship fly through space or what was used to make the hologram brain scanner, but what I do know is nothing looks out of place. The CGI/graphics help to create a world that some geeks come to love so much. A world in space. Spaceships, technology that only dreams can make work and cities as big as New York, all made on a single computer. Well done, is what I will say. Bravo.
7. There is Never a Dull Moment
I watched 14 episodes back to back and then watched the film without my eyes leaving the screen. In each episode a new adventure is born, along with the ever present threat of the Alliance. If you watch this programme, you will not be bored for quite some time.
6. The Storyline
Taking out all aspects of the show, and stripping it back to the bare bones of storyline, it holds up all on its own. As said in my introduction, a crew, nine in number, adventure on the borders of a society they have never fit in to, and in some cases, actively opposed to during the war times. Making a living using illegal measures, they must keep under the radar of the federal government, flying into the face of danger with a fearless heart.
A strong storyline for a strong show.
5. The Tension is Balanced Perfectly
Whilst I did sit there biting my nails at times, I didn’t sit there with my heart threatening to jump out of my throat or suffering a stroke. The tension of each episode is perfectly balanced with mystery and reveal. We are left in suspense for the right amount of time, we are given the answer at the right time and we are given just enough information to want more.
4. The Humour
For a drama show, I laughed a lot. Not in the ‘oh-goodness-this-is-so-bad-it’s-funny’ way. I laughed in an ‘oh-goodness-this-moment-in-time-is-damn-funny’. The humour is set out in such a way that the smallest of moments makes you laugh uncontrollably for five minutes straight until your sides hurt and you’ve snorted cola all over your laptop (this didn’t happen… *whistles innocently*). The humour not only is well written by the writers of the show but the way it is portrayed by the characters and the actors that play them.
This now brings me nicely onto my next point in this Firefly love fest…
3. The Cast
I started watching the first episode and squeeled. Nathan Fillion! Yes! Alan Tudyk! Yeeeeeessss!!! While the others I had never heard of, each actor portrays their character flawlessly. You fully believe in the character they play and you become emotionally attached to each one in their own way.
The whole world, despite all the effects and side characters that are magnificently portrayed, the programme would have been nothing if it weren’t for the main cast; Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Sean Maher, Summer Glau and Ron Glass all come together to make a perfectly portrayed crew of renegades.
However, some stand out more than others for me, and this brings me neatly on to my second top reason why I love Firefly…
2. Hoban “Wash” Washburne
HE WAS A LEAF ON THE WIND! A LEAF!
Alan Tudyk, apart from being an amazing actor anyway, couldn’t play Wash any more perfectly than he does. I won’t spoil it for anyone who wishes to rush out and watch this series after reading this (it’s on Netflix by the way), but I was shocked and upset by what happened. HE IS A LEAF ON THE WIND!
Of all the characters, I got the most attached to him. He was my favourite out of all of them. From the moment I saw him on screen playing with his dinosaurs, I knew that we were going to get along just fine.
A wonderful character created by a genius writer, played out by a prodigy of an actor. He was my favourite character of the show and film, and will always be my favourite until the day I die.
1. That Warm Fuzzy Feeling
I do. I get it. I think I realise why I like space related programmes so much. A crew are forced together in a confined space and they become a family, loose nuts and screws included, and let’s think for just one minute, isn’t that all we want out of life? A family, no matter how dysfunctional? As I watch the crew interact it makes me all warm inside and makes me realise that yes, someday, you will find somewhere you belong.
So, there you have it. Top eleven reasons why I love Firefly. You could also use them as the top eleven reasons why it shouldn’t have been cancelled and why Fox are complete dicks but that is another story altogether. I now understand the passionate hate that boils in people’s stomachs when they think about the heartless nature in which Firefly was taken from us.
However, I just wanted to say one more thing. Enjoy the show or not, seen it or not, this blog wasn’t to try and win over more fans or make people hate Fox. This was just a blog to show how much this TV show has impacted me as an individual, and I wanted to share with you, as a fellow geek, how much this show now means to me. As Simon Pegg says, “Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It’s basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating”. And that is what I wanted to do, and I hope that I succeeded in my objective.
I’ve enjoyed Capcom’s Street Fighter series ever since I found an arcade version of Street Fighter 2, many years ago, and got to kick ass with a green feral man from Brazil! In fact ever since then I never got why everybody loved Ryu so much, but then again different tastes I suppose.
Rufus: The worst use of jiggle physics in gaming history
So when Street Fighter 4 came onto the X-Box 360 and PS3 I enjoyed it immensely, except for Rufus’ jiggle physics of course. When I heard about the game coming onto iOS I was skeptical, how is the touch screen meant to become a controller for a heavy combo based fighter?
Well, the answer is jerkily, the sensitivity leads to a few missed combos and swiping your fingers over the virtual joystick and buttons have a tendency to leave your fingers feeling numb, and for me, became very difficult to complete the Tournament mode which ends against M.Bison.
Ryu setting up for a Hadouken!
The original iOS version only had 8 characters to begin with, but thanks to free Updates and DLC it’s now up to a formidable 12, this was to counteract a criticism of the game upon it’s release which was a lack of playable fighters.
Street Fighter 4
With enough variety in characters now, a very in-depth training program and the ability to play multi-player via bluetooth I think paying a mere £2.99 for the game on the app store is a good deal. Especially, if like me, you’re heavily into your fighters. The graphics are solid, the animation is good and overall the game holds up well on mobile platform.
Today the BBC have confirmed that David Tennant (the beloved Tenth Doctor) and Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) will co-star next to the current Doctor and companion, Matt Smith and Jenna Louise-Coleman, to mark the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who which is to be aired on 23rd November 2013.
Both stars of the Doctor Who series will take the reins of their characters once more for the first time since 2010 to help celebrate 50 glorious years of the Doctor hitting our screens.
We have also had confirmed that John Hurt (who also appeared in Harry Potter) will also make an appearance in the exciting 3D spectacular.
Filming for the 50th anniversary will start sometime this week. However, whilst we are on the subject, don’t forget to tune in to BBC One this evening at 6.15pm to watch the first episode of the new series which will officially introduce the newest companion, Clara Oswald in the episode called “The Bells of St John”.
I will admit, I am excited. Watch this space for a review of the new episode from me- and expect a lot of squealing!
CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILER FOR WALKING DEAD EPs 15 – BE WARNED
Now, if there’s a show out there that kills a lot of characters, then that’s The Walking Dead. Surprisingly, sometimes it even brings those characters back. You might cheer if you’re part of the Supernatural fandom where when people die they return rejuvenated and “re-hymenated” (yes, that actually happen), but if you’re a Walking Dead fan you know better than to expect a happy ending. However, despite claims from the most vocal fans of the show about rioting if character A, B or C dies, none of that happened. And you know why? Because AMC knows how to kill their characters the right way.
Here’s a “short” list of people that have met their (supposedly untimely) demise on the show so far and as you read the list try to remember how many “riots” you’ve witnessed on their behalf or, if we’re viewing riot from an entirely statistical point of view, how much of a drop in ratings the show had. I’ll even tell you the answer: none. The list is shorter than it should, mostly because I’ll be choosing the ones that have actually had a decent run in the show.
1. Dale Horvath
2. Shane Walsh
3. T-Dog
4. Sophia Peletier
5. Lori Grimes
6. Axel (he gets an honourable mention cause I liked him)
and last but not least, the one man that probably should’ve deserved his own private riot: Merle Dixon.
Since he’s the most recent of The Walking Dead’s process of elimination, (it does sound a bit like a reality show, doesn’t it, except people right now are voted out of the Jail rather than out of the house) we’ll focus on the story of his death and the lack of subsequent popular rebellions in the streets.
Now, if any of you plan to write a show, make it big, have fantastic actors playing the parts and then kill them off one by one, this is how you should do it.
Step 1. Find a really great actor to play the part. If possible, hire someone to play his brother/cousin or something similar so you could use their relationship as a plot device
Step 2. Have the character be completely unredeemable. (at least in theory)
Step 3. Give the character a few redeemable characteristics, make sure they are so subtle that people will have to watch an episode at least twice to notice the little seeds you’ve planted. If at the time it’s impossible, place character in a situation that would make people sympathise, regardless of his earlier actions.
Step 4. Take the character out of the equation for a while (at least a season, but if you’re not sure on your ability to get a second season, do it for two or three episodes)
Step 5. Bring the character back and have him disturb the status quo of whatever group or situation you have established.
Step 6. Turn the character around, peel off his layers to reveal the nicer interior, but keep it hidden, except from a select group of people in your script. Make sure you rub it in the audience’s face though, you’ll need them for later.
Step 7. Give the character an amazing storyline. Make sure you’ll explore hidden depths, that you’ll build up in 45 minutes what you’ve failed to do for however long your show’s run had been, but do it expertly.
Step 8. Kill character.
Step 8.1 Bonus points if you manage to kill him again and use the one person that truly cares and loves them to do the deed.
Step 9. Pat yourself on the back and hope this list is actually going to work, or else…you know…you might get a riot on your hands.
That Sorrowful Life was the end of Michael Rooker’s journey on the Walking Dead and I have to say, out of all the deaths so far, his was the one that I regretted the most, but the one I also think was handled the most beautifully. Sure, all the other characters were important, but I liked that he wasn’t simple, that he wasn’t either right or wrong, black or white, he reminded me of a painter’s palette, all colours mixed in a dizzying array, warmth and coldness, good and evil, all rolled into one neat leather jacket. I’m not defending him, he was in most cases an ass, loud, racist, brash, selfish and the list can go on, but the few redeeming qualities that he had to begin with were perfectly exploited by both the writers and the actor that brought him to life during each episode. There are some things that you just can’t script, little gestures that make your character your own and put him in the direction you want, and Rooker achieved that with Merle. How many posts about this episode and his death as a character exist already? How many were brought up minutes after The Walking Dead ended? If that’s not a testimony of his presence in the show leaving a lasting impression than I don’t know what is.
And while I feel there might have been a million other things that could’ve been said about Merle Dixon, a thousand new plots and storylines for him, I think his departure had a positive aspect as well. Other than leaving in his glory, as a hero rather than the asshole villain that we’ve all hated at the start, it also reminded us all that no one is safe, that everyone, including those we consider the absolute heroes of the story can die and there’s nothing beautiful or glorious about it, even if you go out with a bang. It’s dirty and messy and it stirs up things that we don’t want to think about, but we’re forced to anyway. All in all, Michael Rooker and Merle will be missed, not only by the members of the cast or by the characters in the show, but also by the fans that have rooted for them both since they started in on the show, bringing to life one of the most intriguing and compelling characters The Walking Dead has brought on our screen.
A moment of silence for our man, Merle. Peace out!
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