Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Hip-hip-hooray for Christmas blogcation

I know, I know. I had one of these like a month ago in order to eat criminal amounts of turkey.

But it's December, and here in 'Merica, we like to do things up nice and big to properly celebrate the birth of the Lord baby Jesus, and also capitalism and insurmountable debt.

Lots of events and travel mean I'm going to be running wild through the new year. I'll get up as much sporadic content as I can, but otherwise, we'll hit the ground running in 2011.

Enjoy yourselves and thanks for spending another year with me here at staticEchoes. It's been a blast.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Christmas 2010 edition




My special lady friend has a knack for locating obscure, yet awesome videos on the youtubes. She is once again to blame for this week’s offering.

In keeping with the festive nature of the holidays, she turned me on to this little number from the gang at Liberty University. You’ll likely recognize the tune from the infamous news report of a late evening break-in wherein an excited victim recommended everyone “hide your kids” and “hide your wife.”

You wouldn’t think this could be made all that Christmasy but, hey, they pull it off nicely.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Rejected T-Shirt ideas: Seals

Every now and then I like to post a T-shirt design that, while awesome, would likely never find its way to an actual T-shirt.

Mistakes happen. It's part of life. However, as a journalist, I find it interesting that if you mess up one word somewhere in an article, you can rest assured at least 20 people will be calling the paper to let you know about it.

Funny that none of those people ever call to comment on the other 265,000 words I spelled correctly that week, but I digress.

Thinking about these "simple mistakes" got me wondering what sort of affect such an error would have on a T-shirt design. That's where the image on the right comes from.

If you ask me, it looks way better this way.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Review- Black Swan

If you’re looking for an end-of-the year festive flick to get you in the holiday spirit, Black Swan is probably a bad choice.

If, however, you’re in the market for a beautifully crafted thriller overflowing with desperation, jealousy, love, lust and characters consumed by their passions, then this is the one to check out.

Directed by Darren Araonofsky, the guy behind such films as Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and last year’s The Wrestler, you should already know you’re in for a dark, emotional and intimate thrill ride. Black Swan is expertly shot, especially during the hypnotic, dizzying dance sequences, and perfectly paced. The characters, all driven to an unsettling degree, show a passion that should be equally envied and feared.

Black Swan stars Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers, a young and beautiful ballerina who, while perfect on the stage, lacks the ability to let herself go and become the characters she’s portraying.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Thirsty cat edition



This cat drinks by sticking his head under a running tap, then licking the refreshing water as it rolls off his snout. You couldn’t possibly ask for anything more out of your Monday.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Movies to Miss in December

Much like the world of video games, there isn't a whole lot happening for movies in the year's final month.

If you have children you also happen to dislike, by all means, go see the following films. Otherwise, I'm left once again wondering who actually gets paid to make some of these decisions in Hollywood. I want that job. "You want to turn Street Sharks into a film? Brilliant! Here's a million bucks. Make it hot!"

Yogi Bear
There's a very special place in hell for the folks who green-lit this monstrosity. Seriously, folks, we don't need to cash-in on every single cartoon and television show from the 70s and 80s. Some things are best left in the past and, yeah, Yogi is definitely one of them. This looks like a train wreck in slow motion. Do modern kids even know or give a crap about these characters?

Gulliver's Travels
I'm one of those people who usually likes what Jack Black has to offer. Except for this. This looks like poop. I'll give him this freebie under the assumption he's got some bills to pay, even though I'm pretty sure Kung-Fu Panda 2 would have taken care of that...Maybe he was really stoned when he signed on? That's about the only way you'll ever get me to watch this.

Games to get in December

Talk about a light month. With most publishers pushing out their final big titles in time for the holiday shopping season, there's little on the menu, good or bad, for the month of December.

December
7th- World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC)
12th- Super Mario All-Stars (Wii)

It's been a great end of the year for gamers on the PC. Not only did the highly anticipated Star Craft II make an appearance, but now WoWers everywhere have more ways to lose track of time thanks to the world-changing Cataclysm expansion. If you have gamer relatives missing through the holidays, this is likely the cause.

Finally, Wii owners with a hankering for nostalgia, and who haven't already purchased these titles on the Virtual Console, have a slightly enhanced version of Super Mario All-Stars to look forward to. Featuring Super Mario Bros. 1-3 and the Lost Levels, there's plenty here to keep you busy into the new year.

Don't worry. The first few months of 2011 look to be as jam-packed with top-notch titles as the last half of 2010.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Review wrap-up

I have once again fallen behind in reviews. Rather than flood the site with a bunch of posts that, let’s face it, would be far too long-winded (I love to hear myself type), I’ve decided to round everything up here and spare just a paragraph or two (or five) per item.

It’s a real mixed bag, as I’ve got a CD, a comic, a movie and a video game all here for your consideration. (Spoiler alert: They were all pretty fantastic.)

Mumford and Sons: Sigh no more
I heard the tune “Little Lion Man” by Mumford and Sons on the radio a couple months ago and did my damndest to remember the name of the song and/or the artist, ultimately forgetting both. That happened twice more, causing me loads of frustration. I was near my computer the next time I heard the song and immediately logged on to just download the whole album and be done with it.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Athletic hamster edition




I’m a simple man and, thus, simple things amuse the hell out of me.

Take, for instance, this hamster running a pint-sized dog endurance course.

No matter where my week goes from here, it’s unlikely anything will top the simple joy of watching that athletic little furball of awesomeness tackle that popsicle stick course. That either says a lot about this hamster, or very little about what this week has in store for me.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving blogcation

It's time for my annual one week cop-out wherein I explain that I'm taking a blogcation for the holidays.

With Thanksgiving just a couple days away and all sorts of other personal and professional jibba-jabba getting jumbled as a result, it's just easier to take this one thing off my plate for the next five days.

Speaking of plates, I plan on eating myself into a coma this year. Assuming said nappy-nap doesn't last too long, I'll see you back here next Monday for a return to your regularly scheduled bloggings. Expect reviews, a double dip of Joystick Division posts and buckets of love.

Friday, November 19, 2010

UFC 123 reminder

Sadly, this is one of those weeks where I just don’t think I’ll find the time to get out and take in the fights. Unfortunate, since there are a couple on this card I would really like to see.

This week’s predictions are going to have to be abbreviated, too. The main card is listed below, with my predictions marked in black.*

UFC 123
George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon
Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch
Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcao
Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn
Rampage Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida

*This way, there’s no chance I’ll miss a prediction.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Review: Jackass 3D

It’s kind of hard to review a Jackass film. There’s no acting or plot to speak of. There’s little in the line of a soundtrack and, while some of the camera work is pretty great, I wouldn’t exactly call it “cinematography.”

Fans will see Jackass 3D in hopes of laughing their butts off and being grossed out, and, for the most part, the film delivers. While this would be my least favorite of the series, there’s still plenty here to keep you and your friends talking long after the credits have rolled.

After so many years of watching these guys perform this shtick, it simply feels like 1) The gang is running out of ideas and 2) Most of their hearts just aren’t in it anymore. The closing credits leave one feeling like this film is being used as a sort of send-off to the long-running series, so let’s hope they stick by that and decide to go out while the welcome is still warm.

Review: Due Date

I’m really scratching my head over why the critic community has such a hate-on for Todd Phillips’ Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Reallyneedstogetanewlastname, also pronounced “Galifianakis.”


Resting somewhere around a 38 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the general consensus seems to be that the starring duo lacks chemistry and the characters are so “out there,” it’s hard to root for them.

I’m gonna go ahead and disagree. Downey plays a seriously high-strung father-to-be while G-Town is the exact opposite, a flies-by-the-seat-of-his-pants man-child with abysmal social skills.

These two end up on a cross-country trek so, yeah, the film doesn’t exactly get major points for originality. But I thought the two played very well off of each other.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Great moments in middle school sports edition



Napoleon. Alexander the Great. That kid from Little Giants who orchestrated “the annexation of Puerto Rico.” All amateurs compared to whichever brilliant tactician came up with this play pulled off by a middle school football team in Texas.

Simple, yet brilliant. I can’t wait to see a professional squad attempt something like this off.

I can see it now: Down by five, the ball is spotted on the 50 yard line, and there’s 10 seconds left on the clock when coach uses his final timeout. In the huddle, he whips out his Blackberry as all the players gather to get a look at the tiny screen. “My grandson sent me this clip from youtube,” he says with a twinkle in his eye and a sly grin dawning. “I think it might just be crazy enough to work.”

Then...Pure magic.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Movies to miss in November

It's another light month for awful-looking cinema with only three films appearing so bad that I would preemptively recommend you just pretend they don't exist.

Skyline
Anyone know where this movie came from? Not that something so simple as late marketing should keep you away from a film, but when something that looks this "big" pops up out of nowhere with a no-name cast and a half-assed viral campaign, I tend to be sceptical. Early reviews are pretty much saying the same thing "decent special effects with a low budget, but poor drama and even poorer writing." I'm all for under-the-radar Sci-Fi flicks, but the consensus seems to be that this one is missable.

Faster
Dammit, The Rock. You had such potential. Unless this movie is actually supposed to be as bad as it looks, and the acting and dialogue are supposed to be god-awful for an ironic sort of throwback to classic revenge flicks, I can't imagine why anyone would want to see more than the terrible minute and a half of this film provided by the trailer. I honestly couldn't tell if the whole thing was meant to be tongue-in-cheek or if it was just doing a really, really bad job of taking itself seriously. If it's all in jest, then forget everything I just said.

Tangled
I'm usually all for a Disney flick, but this one just looks awful. Seriously, I'm one of those adults who can fall in love with a quality children's flick. Not a second of what I've seen of Tangled, though, makes me believe this film will have anything in it resembling "quality." Maybe I'm forgetting something, but I'm pretty sure this has been one of the worst years in a long time for family-friendly animated entertainment. Pixar, we're going to need you to ramp up production to about three movies a year. Thanks.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Games to get in November

The beginning of November pretty much shot right past me, leaving me to completely forget about the monthly game and movie posts. How will you ever know what to buy and what not to see if I don't throw my two cents in? So here's the late games post and, on Friday, I'll take a few minutes to make fun of craptastic movies.

November
2nd- GoldenEye 007 (Wii)
2nd- Ys: The Oath in Felghana (PSP)
2nd- God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)
4th- Dance Central (360)
5th- Knights in the Nightmare (PSP)
9th- Call of Duty: Black Ops (All)
9th- The Sly Collection (PS3)
16th- Split/Second (PSP)
16th- Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (All)
16th- Assassins Creed: Brotherhood (PS3, 360)
21st- Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
29th- Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (DS)
30th- Epick Mickey (Wii)

Monday, November 8, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Synchronized walking edition




What do you do with your free time? These guys practice walking...To the extreme.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Supreme Court considers violent video game law

It’s taken a while, but video games finally had their day in court yesterday. The U.S. Supreme Court, to be exact.


California, represented by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, took on the Entertainment Merchants Association concerning a law that would make it a crime to sell “obscenely violent” video games to a minor.

Despite the fact video games are already voluntarily rated by the ESRB, which also provides information for why said game is receiving said rating right there on the box, and despite the fact parents already have a slew of control options for their televisions and gaming systems, and despite the fact most respectable establishments already refuse to sell such games to minors, the Govornator wanted more.

The truth is, yes, most teens can figure out their way around parental controls. And yes, even though mature rated games are not supposed to be sold to minors, some are getting out. It’s my understanding that some minors also sneak into R rated movies and the like from time to time, but California opted to focus solely on video games, something the Justices quickly pointed out during yesterday’s hearing.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Monday mini-movies: People are awesome edition



It's amazing what we can do if we just put our minds to it. Some of those minds need to be crazier than others in order to think up and pull off some of the feats featured in this video, but it takes all kinds, I suppose.

Get ready to make "whoa" and "no way" your most-used words of the day.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

Last Minute Halloween Costumes III

There’s only a couple days until Halloween and you are without a costume idea. Never fear. Staticechoes is here to once again save the day with some last minute costume ideas that range from brilliant to “why would you even think of that?”


Where’s Waldo?
Similar to my “invisible man” costume from last year, this one allows you to stay home for the day doing absolutely nothing. When anyone asks why they didn’t see you on Halloween, you simply argue, “I was dressed as Where’s Waldo.” When they respond with “I didn’t see you,” you reply “That’s because my costume was really, really good, you dummy.” (Thanks to EDel for the inspiration on this one.)

Be sure to hit the jump for more ideas.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Reminder: The Walking Dead debuts Halloween night

Hey, knuckleheads. This is just your friendly reminder that The Walking Dead is set to premiere this week on AMC. For fans of zombie awesomeness, tune in Halloween night at 10 p.m. You should probably check your local listings, though, as these things tend to be in flux depending on where you live.

I can think of no better way to cap off your Halloween than to curl up on the couch with a show based on an award-winning comic and directed by the man responsible for The Shawshank Redemption.

As an added bonus, be sure to jump past the break to check out the wicked fan-made intro credits using panels from the comics.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Halloween 2010 edition




I love a good scare, and Halloween is all about pulling pranks and creating memories your friends and family will never forgive you for, no matter how many times you say you’re sorry.

Let’s all celebrate the season with this short compilation of people going insane once someone shows up with a mask on. It’s amazing what a well-timed “boo” can do for rational thought.

Hear those screams? It’s like Halloween’s own sweet carols dancing through the night.

Friday, October 22, 2010

UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez- Ryan calls it

UFC 121 hits this Saturday and I have a feeling this card is going to go down as one of the best the year has had to offer.

It’s not so much about the big names, as 121 certainly features several, but about the series of matches that have been lined up for this event.

This week’s bouts feature some big strikers and, more importantly, a group of guys who have little trouble actually pushing a fight.

There’s sure to be a little dancing going on but, otherwise, I’m expecting a night of fireworks and knockouts. Most of these guys don’t like to wait around, so hopefully we’re in for some big, big action.

Click past the link to see this week’s predictions.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Rejected T-shirt ideas: prOn

Every now and then, I like to think up T-shirt designs that will almost certainly never end up on an actual T-shirt. Clearly, since there's no way to make money off something specifically designed to never be used, I'm in this for the art.

And with that, I give you my latest creation. While it's not hard to imagine a Japanese teen donning this bad boy on the streets of Tokyo, blissfully unaware of what it says or what it's referencing, I doubt you will ever find anything like this at the local GAP.

Hell, I'm not sure even Hot Topic would pick this logo up, and they'll put just about anything on a shirt.

But, again, this is for the art. I've crammed about three poor attempts at humor into this single, simple image, so enjoy it.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Real Transformer edition




I jumped on the youtubes hoping to find some really cool costume ideas, not for myself so much as my love to see just how far folks’ imaginations will run.

While I came across loads of hilarious ideas, creative outfits and intricate designs, this functioning Transformers Bumblebee getup pretty much stole the show.

I knew they were real…I knew it.

Friday, October 15, 2010

UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama- Ryan calls it

It’s another week, so it should come as no surprise there’s another MMA fight card ready for your viewing pleasure.

This Saturday, UFC 120 is set to take place in jolly old London town and it’s a pretty safe bet fans of fists meeting faces are in for a solid night of entertainment.

The bouts listed below are accurate. The predictions for their outcomes, however, are anyone’s guess.

No they aren’t, actually. They are “my” guesses. “Anyone” can get their own guesses.

So be sure to click after the break for MY guesses.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Review: Let Me In and The Social Network

Two of the best films so far this year came out on the same day: The Social Network and Let Me In. While TSN continues to rake in millions, sadly, Let Me In already appears to have dropped completely off the radar, not even finishing in the top 10 in its second week in theaters.

But I’m not here to complain about injustices, even considering that Let Me In is likely the best suspense/horror film to hit the silver screen in a couple years and, you know, it’s freaking Halloween.

In all fairness, my initial reaction to both of these films was to make a loud, rude noise with my mouth. I had already seen and fallen in love with Let the Right One In, the two-year-old Swedish film Let Me In is based on. I’m a firm believer that Americans should learn to read and watch a film at the same time, so these types of remakes rub me the wrong way.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Super creepy edition


Halloween is just around the corner and that means it's time to start scaring the hell out of one another.

Scouring youtube for creepy videos and groaning at 99 percent of what I found, this was the first video to actually make me break out in goosebumps.

I love to be scared and, by George, this clip managed to do it in a matter of seconds. Bravo.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Games to get in October

If you happen to be a millionaire with a lot of time on your hands, then October is shaping up to be perfect for you. If you live video games, that is.

I really shouldn't complain about having an abundance of titles I'm genuinely interested in hitting the store shelf. I've also probably harped more than enough on how ridiculous it is to cram all of these games into the holiday window.

Suffice it to say yet another Christmas shopping season is upon us and, once again, some of the biggest games of the year are here to beg for your shopping dollars.

There are loads of (hopefully) great titles to pick from this month, spanning just about every genre imaginable, as well as every console.

Be sure to jump after the break to discover which games I believe will be most worth your time and attention in the next 30 days.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Big Bang Big Boom edition




Thanks go out to Abyss for turning me on to this radical piece of art. These folks used stop animation photography, a few real-world objects and buckets upon buckets of paint to create the most outrageous living art imaginable.

This thing spans what looks to be an entire city block with the art covering just about every surface imaginable.

The planning and execution had to take months, resulting in just an eight minute video.

Bravo. You have far more patience and creativity than I will ever be able to muster...And for that, I hate you.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Movies to miss in October

Like every Halloween season, I have trouble actually calling out the hordes of horror movies set to hit the silver screen leading up to the big night.

Being the one genre where sucking is usually forgivable, it’s especially difficult to knock a film where psychopaths and massive bloodletting are the primary focus, geared at tickling your terror bone rather than reaching for high entertainment.

Still, I gotta do what I gotta do.

Chain Letter
Writers have officially run out of things to try to frighten us. Back in the day, machete-wielding goalies kept the youth away from sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. Since then, babysitting, deep water and even falling asleep have been the targets for such terror.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Review: Veins, by Lawrence C. Connolly

There is no such thing as the perfect crime.

This is one of the lessons hard-learned when a group of small-time crooks get into big-time trouble in Lawrence C. Connolly’s Veins.

Reddy, Tejay and Spinelli have set their sites on a briefcase full of cash, the property of Bird, a young man obsessed with his heritage and a mean streak as long as a backwoods dirt road.

With Tejay providing all the inside information on Bird’s “gambling” habits, Spinelli providing the brains and Reddy on-hand as extra muscle, the only thing this gang of wannabe criminals needs is a wheelman to help make the getaway.

Enter Axle, a young Native American with a floundering business and a cherry Ford Mustang, as well as the knowhow to guide the mechanical beast through the twists and turns of a small Pennsylvania town at breakneck speeds.

What begins as a simple stop-and-grab affair quickly devolves into a high-speed, bullet-riddled chase leading into the heart of an old coal mine where past will meet present and beings of legend will have a hand in the fate of everyone involved.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Cat eats corn edition




It's been a while since I've posted anything adorable.

This is my apology.

Friday, September 24, 2010

UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop- Ryan calls it

Being short on time and, with UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop just a day away, I decided to take the “lazy bastard” approach to fight predictions and just flip a coin. The sad thing is, this quarter is likely to do a better job of predicting the outcome of these five fights than I would have, were I to give it my usual, deep analysis. I think my best record in the past year has been three-for-five.

Before me lays a sort of twister-board-of-pain, featuring a variety of finishes broken into rows and columns with “decision victory” peppered throughout. In retrospect, I probably would have had time to do these predictions justice had I not wasted so much of it creating this intricate graph.

Anyway, with the simple flip of a coin and, based on where it lands, I shall now make my predictions for UFC 119.

Be sure to click after the break to find out the results.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Weezer: Hurley (Review)

This must be the year of redemption. Eminem regained his credibility with Recovery earlier this year, Korn put together a decent album a few months back and, following a string of mediocre offerings and last year’s abomination, Raditude, Weezer has also managed to make a triumphant return to form with their latest, Hurley.

Leave it to Weezer to name a CD after a character from Lost, going so far as to splash his mug across the album cover as well. It’s pretty much the awesomely nerdy, offbeat sort of thing you’d expect from the band.

Name and cover art aside, what matters here is the fact Rivers Cuomo and company have provided fans with what they have been waiting and hoping for: A solid album.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Four chord edition



Watching this video was something of a revelation for me.

I never even realized how many songs relied on the same four chord progression until the Axis of Awesome put together this impressive compilation.

Seriously…Get ready to have your mind blown for five minutes of “holy crap, it’s true” moments.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

This week in Joystick Division

It was a pretty big week for video games and, more specifically, me playing them. Joystick Division put up my Lord of the Rings Online feature highlighting my first hours in the officially free-to-play massive multiplayer online roleplaying game (or MMORPG, if you prefer). Since writing the piece, I've spent an embarrassing amount of time in digital Middle Earth, murdering countless goblins and running countless errands for lazy NPCs. It's been a blast.

I also got some hands on time with the new God of War for PSP and the upcoming Ninja Theory title Enslaved. Both look like they're going to be a load of fun to play once they ship later this year.

These stories, along with the usual random assortment of updates, can be found linked below.

Be sure to check out joystickdivision.com throughout the week for all your video game news.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Sick day: Five things to occupy a gamer's time

I've been sick for a couple days now and it's starting to drive me mad.

I'm sure we all have a list of things we would do in the event of faking a sick day, but what happens when you're actually sick, groggy, and unable to put forth much effort beyond glugging loads of orange juice and keeping up a steady diet of chicken noodle soup?

If you're like me, you hate letting a day go to waste, even if you are stricken with a cold. Therefore, I've put together a little list of things that might help you get through those long hours of achy nothingness.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Potter Puppet Pals edition




This is another one of those “why did it take me so long to think to post this as a Monday mini-movie” moments. (Ah, alliteration.)

So, yes. Potter Puppet Pals. You watch now. Is fun.

Also, check out even more puppetty shenanigans by clicking on this here.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

This week in Joystick Division

This might be the most random assortment of posts I've ever been responsible for. From Hello Kitty Online to car combat, Duke Nukem and Transformers, It's truly been seven days to be proud of.

While this is just a collection of my most recent posts, don't forget to add Joystick Division to your favorites for regular gaming updates throughout the day.

Sept. 5-11
Yahtzee's book, Mogworld, set to release
War for Cybertron map pack 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops gets a star-studded cast
Holy $#!&, Duke Nukem Forever is coming out
EA Sports MMA gets a demo
My review of Dead Space: Martyr
Knights in the Nightmare pushed back, gets added game
Hello Kitty Online holds event to benefit real-world charities
Blood Drive releases this November
Machinarium coming to WiiWare

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Review- Dead Space: Martyr, by B.K. Evenson

Dead Space: Martyr, by B. K. Evenson, is a pretty easy recommendation for fans of the video game franchise it’s based on. For those unfamiliar with the world and its history, however, it’s a more difficult sale.

In the game, you blast your way through an army of Necromorphs, horrible creatures mutated from the bodies of the dead. You learn that the whole mess got started because of a mysterious object called the “Marker,” which is also a holy icon for Unitologists, a religious group that believes these grotesque events are simply a step on the road to convergence, or a oneness of the species.

The game packs a lot more brains and story than most of its ilk so, naturally, publisher Electronic Arts has decided to flesh things out in a variety of ways. There has already been a spin-off title for the Wii, a series of comics and an animated feature film dedicated to unraveling more of Dead Space’s mysteries. An interactive comic is releasing shortly, followed by a graphic novel in December and, in early 2011, Dead Space 2.

So, yes, there’s a lot to digest in this world where the dead never stay down and a headshot is about as helpful as a pat on the back. But what we’re here to talk about today is the novel, Dead Space: Martyr.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Games to get in September

Ready your wallets, boys and girls, for the gaming flood of 2011 is officially upon us.


Each year, the “holiday window” seems to start a little bit earlier. With any luck, this means we’re only a few years away from having all the quality titles spread out through the entire year rather than crammed into the final quarter in hopes of gobbling up the largest portion of Christmas sales.

This month sees the launch of Sony’s entry to the motion control market as well as a slew of big-name games.

No matter what genre you prefer or system you play on, September has something to offer just about everyone.

September
7th- Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP)
7th- Sports Champions (PS3)
12th- Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (DS)
14th- Halo: Reach (360)
19th- PlayStation Move
28th- Front Mission Evolved (PS3, 360)
28th- Dead Rising 2 (PS3, 360)
28th- Fifa 11 (PS3, 360, Wii)
30th- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Predator (PSP)

Monday, September 6, 2010

Monday mini-movies: Fake Green Lantern trailer edition




I forgot Ryan Reynolds is playing The Green Lantern in the upcoming film adaptation of the comic and stumbled upon the above trailer by accident.

Without noticing the “this is a fan-made trailer” warning, I had my mind blown for a good minute before realizing, “Wasn’t that a scene from Serenity?...And wasn’t that a scene from Star Trek?...And wasn’t that a scene from-Ooooooooh.” I spent the rest of the time continuing to have my mind blown by how much effort this must have taken.

So, yeah, this is pretty awesome and I think the folks responsible deserve loads of attention for creating such an impressive bit of fake advertising.

Now let’s just hope the actual The Green Lantern movie shows as much love for the story and attention to detail as the fan-made trailer.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

This week in Joystick Division

Stranger returns to PSN
Lots of news in the gaming world this week and still more to come as PAX rages on through the weekend.

Here's your weekly dose of stuff I put together for Joystick Division in the past seven days. Remember to add the site to your favorites and check back frequently for gaming news throughout the day.

Seriously, this is all we do. We post about games and paint our toenails. It's fantastic.

Aug. 29 -- Sept. 4
Playstation Move gets new tech demo
God of War: Ghost of Sparta box art revealed
Modnation holds double XP week
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn set to ship
Nintendo handhelds get a price drop
Tik Games/ Creat hold sale
Pinball FX2 hitting XBLA
Get Zeno Clash on the cheap
Battle vs. Chess set to change the game
Mortal Kombat "Shadows" trailer
Final Fantasy XIV beta begins
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hool gets a demo
Crackdown 2 add Toy Box DLC
RZA joins DJ Hero 2
John Daly's ProStroke Golf inbound
Kevin Butler shows off Move in new ad
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath coming to PSN

Friday, September 3, 2010

Movies to miss in September

This is actually shaping up to be a pretty decent month for terrible movies.

With yet another sequel to the Resident Evil franchise, a second-rate-looking animated film and something with M. Night Shamamamamalamalan tied to the project, movie-goers everywhere have several piles of poop to carefully side-step in the weeks ahead.

Be sure to head after the break for my thoughtful, detailed analysis of each.