Friday, April 12, 2013

Is Jurassic Park 3D worth it?



Recently I revisited Isla Nublar when I saw “Jurassic Park 3D”!
Jurassic Park” is the film that really changed the way movies are made. It introduced us to CGI and brought back dinosaurs after their 65 million year extinction.
Now, this being the films 20th anniversary year, Universal has re-released the film in 3D.
I’m usually against the use of 3D, but “Jurassic Park” pulls it off. For post-conversion the 3D looked amazing.
There are some parts where the effects are starting to show their age. The brachiosaurs scene, where it sneezes, the animatronic looks great but the CGI looks a little rough. The next scene where the CGI looked a little rough was the kitchen scene. The CGI is starting to show its age but then again the film is going to be 20 years old.
Everything else looked great. The clean up they did for 3D makes the film look even better than its Blu-ray release.
After 20 years the film still holds up and seeing it on the big screen again just gives you a warm feeling inside. There is nothing like seeing “Jurassic Park” on the big screen.
I highly encourage everyone to go out and see “Jurassic Park 3D”. The movie is a classic and the 3D is worth it this time around.

A+

Check out Nit-Picking: Jurassic Park at http://jamesentertainmentedge.blogspot.com/2012/08/nit-picking-jurassic-park.html


LucasArts closes and 'Star Wars 1313' goes with it



Disney shut the doors to game studio, LucasArts last week and with it has left an interesting “Star Wars” video game with an uncertain future.
“Star Wars 1313” was a game that was announced last year at E3 (electronic entertainment expo) and since then it has been only gaining our interest. What we saw of the game, we could tell that it was going to be a third-person action-adventure and also be a grittier take on the “Star Wars” universe. It had “Star Wars” fans intrigued.
Now, after waiting for this game to come out we’ve learned that it is most likely completely dead, due to Disney closing down LucasArts. Also, to make it worse, it has now been reported that Bounty Hunter Boba Fett was going to be the main protagonist.
For those of you who aren’t acquainted with Fett, let me fill you in. Fett is a bounty hunter who most people were introduced to in 1980s “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.” In that movie he ruthlessly hunted down the Millennium Falcon to capture its captain, Han Solo.
It is hard to pinpoint why Fett is so popular. It could be the armor he wears. It could be the jet pack on his back. It could be that he shows no fear when talking to Darth Vader or it could be all these things put together. Bottom line, Fett is a mysterious and intriguing character in the “Star Wars” universe.
“Star Wars 1313” sounded like it was finally going to put us into the role of this bounty hunter, something that fans wanted for a longt ime, but it seems like we’ll still be waiting for that day.
There is always hope that someone will buy the game from Disney and finish it, but let’s not hold our breaths.
With all that said, I’m disappointed that Disney closed down LucasArts. The studio has been around as long as I can remember and I hope that Disney knows what they are doing. Yet, if we don’t get a Boba Fett video game maybe we’ll see a Boba Fett movie.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Nit-Picking: The Dark Knight Rises



The Dark Knight Rises was a great conclusion to Nolan’s Batman trilogy, but it wasn't flawless. There were many things in the movie that made you wonder.
Let’s start right at the beginning of the movie with the CIA.
First thing, why would the CIA let three men onto their plane without checking their identities first? Why didn't they just take the bags of their heads? I mean Bane is very recognizable with his mask in all; the CIA might have stood a chance on the ground.
Then we get into the plane and there is a few things that bothered me about this scene, as cool as it was.
First, why didn't a CIA plane detect an aircraft flying over them. You would think that they would have some sort of equipment to detect these sorts of things but apparently not.
Second, why did Bane have to leave one of his men in the plane to die? Once the CIA discovers the wreckage they’re going to immediately notice that the plane has been shot up and the wings have been ripped off. Their first thought should be that something strange has happened so it makes little to no sense to me to leave someone behind. It’s pointless and a waste of a life.
Third, if this was to suppose to be a stealth operation, which all the evidence points to. Why would Bane’s men do so much damage to the plane? You would think that the less damage done, the better.
Moving on, let’s look at Bruce Wayne’s fingerprints and Bane’s attack at the stock market.
In the movie we see Catwoman steal and sell Bruce Wayne’s fingerprints. She does this for a man named Dagget who wants control of Wayne Enterprises. So, he plans on using Bruce Wayne’s fingerprints to make some bad decisions in the stock market. OK,  this could work and be believable if they do it subtlety … but they don’t.
Later in the movie we see Bane attack the stock exchange and uses the fingerprints to force Bruce Wayne off the board of Wayne Enterprises. He does this by shooting up the stock exchange and terrorizing the hundreds of people working at the time. My question here is none of these people report that Bruce Wayne wasn't involved with the attack? And the police don’t think it’s suspicious that Wayne Enterprises goes down at the same time of a terrorist attack? No wonder Gotham is always terrorized by super villains, the police department has no clue what they’re doing.
Speaking of the police in Gotham, why did they all go into the sewers at the same time? This one really makes me scratch my head.
In the movie we see that the police force heads into the sewers to find Bane and his army. When I say police force, I mean everyone. The only two that stay above ground are Jim Gordon and John Blake. Unfortunately, Bane has the sewers setup with explosives that ultimately trap the entire police department.
*sigh* Why would you send all of your officers into the sewers? Who thought it was a good idea to leave a city without any police? You would think that a city as large as Gotham would have a lot of 911 calls during the day, who were taking care of those while the entire department was gathering to enter the sewers? This isn't remotely logical.
Next, how did Bruce Wayne get back into the city? In the movie we see that Bruce Wayne’s back is broken and he is put into a prison in the ground located in a desert. He eventually climbs out of the prison and then just shows up in Gotham.
Let’s go over a few things. First, Bane has taken total control of the city and his men guard it pretty well, I mean they’re keeping the U.S. Army out. Next, he destroyed all the bridges and access points to the city. Now, how did Bruce Wayne just wander into Gotham? He would have had to be seen by someone, right? Does he have some sort of underground tunnel network that he used? I want to know how he got there so easily.
Next, we see that Batman has painted a giant bat symbol on the side of a building with gasoline. OK,  when did he do this? You mean to tell me that no one saw him doing this in an occupied city? How did he do it? Also, don’t you think that it is a better idea to just get into action as the Batman because there is a bomb set to go off and people’s lives at stake?
Other things that bothered me I’m going to list below.
-         How did Bane know about Bruce Wayne’s armory when it’s supposed to be off the books?
-         How is the prison getting a Gotham City news channel?
-         Bane’s death
-         No one putting together that Bruce Wayne is Batman, even though they died at the same time.
-         Gordon never knowing that Bruce Wayne is Batman until he tells him. Some great detective work there.
-         Bruce Wayne showing up in a French CafĂ© after being declared dead. Isn't Bruce Wayne well known, wouldn't this start a stir in the media?
-         How the hell did Batman get out of the blast radius of the bomb in time?
-         Where are all the civilians of Gotham when the city is under Bane’s control?
-         Why did the police decide to attack Bane’s men with no real strategy or firepower? I mean Bane had tanks.
-         Bruce Wayne revealing his identity to John Blake? What if Blake turned out to be a bad guy?
-         Why is Bruce Wayne so trusting?
-         The magic knee brace.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

"Aliens: Colonial Marines" Review



I've been a fan of the Alien franchise for a long time and I couldn't have been more excited for this game. I was excited for the atmosphere, the chance to fight against xenomorphs, the multiplayer and the story. Now that I've played the game, I’m left disappointed, mainly because of the single player.

SINGLE PLAYER
Aliens: Colonial Marines didn't deliver where I wanted it to deliver. The story felt rushed, the gameplay felt incomplete and the AI is hit or miss. Yes, I said the AI is hit or miss because sometimes it worked for me and other times an alien would just be stuck in the corner of the room.
This all frustrates me for the simple fact there is some glimpses of a good game buried under a bad game. You can see if they tweaked or even cared about the game there could have been a decent experience here, but it’s ultimately lost.
The single player is what suffers the most. I’m not going to say anything about the graphics, because there have been great games that had sub-par graphics, but I will say that it is rather repetitive. As you’re playing it, it just feels like the developer was going through the motions.
The game didn't even make me jump or even get freaked out. After fighting the first 50 aliens fighting them becomes tiresome. I was just annoyed that I had to constantly kill them. I shouldn't be annoyed!
Towards the end of the game I just felt worn out. Also, I really didn't like the checkpoints.

MULTIPLAYER
Now, I’m not saying that there are not some redeeming qualities in the game. Those can be found in the multiplayer. I had fun with the multiplayer, it feels very similar to the game “Left 4 Dead” and overall I found myself enjoying each of the modes.
There is also a “Call of Duty” style leveling, as you level you unlock different equipment and you can even customize the look of your marine and alien.
The biggest problem I do have with the multiplayer though is its map selection. I’m tired of playing the same maps over and over again. I honestly feel like there are only two maps in the game because I keep playing the same ones.

So, in reviewing this game it feels like I’m reviewing two different games. The single player is a mess and could have been great if more attention and care was placed into it. The multiplayer on the other hand I found fun and enjoyable despite playing the same maps over and over.

5 out of 10

"Injustice: Gods Among Us" Roster



Here is the roster, so far, of the upcoming game "Injustice: Gods Among Us".

Aquaman
Bane
Batman
Catwoman
Cyborg
Deathstroke
Flash
Green Arrow
Green Lantern
Harley Quinn
Hawkgirl
Joker
Lex Luthor
Nightwing
Shazam
Sinestro
Solomon Grundy
Superman
Wonder Woman


"The Amazing Spider-Man 2" Suit


Here is the new suit for the "The Amazing Spider-Man 2". I have to say that I like it.
I didn't mind "The Amazing Spider-Man" suit but this one is much more sleek. You can see that they're taking ideas from the Ultimate Spider-Man comics and even Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and there is nothing wrong with that.
I'm excited for "The Amazing Spider-Man 2", I want to see where they go with it. I wasn't the biggest fan of the first and I'm hoping that this one delivers.


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Game Glitches: Super Mario Bros.



Video games are going to have glitches. So, I thought I would start a new series on this blog called ‘Game Glitches’ and explore glitches in games stretching all the way back to the Nintendo Entertainment System.
For the very first part in the series I’ve explored the classic title – Super Mario Bros.
This was the first game in the Super Mario series, even though the Mario Brothers appeared in a 1983 game titled Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros. was published in 1985 and has become a gaming classic, a game that really kept gaming and home consoles going.
Super Mario Bros. is more than a great game but it does have some interesting glitches that have become well known throughout the years.
Minus World
The first glitch I’m going to talk about is the famous Minus World.
The Minus World is an endless underwater level that is a copy of the World 7-2. There is no escaping this world and once you run out of time you’re dead. Yet, it’s neat just to witness it.
Now, I’m going to tell you how to do it.
1.) Get a copy of the actual NES cartridge and play on an NES. I’m pretty sure most of these glitches were taken out of remakes of the game and your best chance in doing it is to have the original game.
2.) To get the glitch to work you’ll to get to world 1-2. Once there go to the pipe at the end of the level that leads you to the flag. DO NOT go into the pipe.
3.) After you get to the pipe you’ll need to break the second and third block from the pipe. Yet, leave the block that is at the far right alone.
4.) Now, once the blocks are taken care of, you must stand on the edge of the pipe (Face left). Once standing there, crouch down, and while crouched, jump and move right while in the air.
If you do all the steps correctly, Mario should go through the blocks on the right and fall into a warp zone. Once in this warp zone, go down the pipe on the far left and this will bring you to the Minus World.
Jumping Over the Flagpoles
It IS possible to jump over flagpoles, even though people have been trying to debunk this for years. This is something you can’t do in every level but some of them will let you.
1.) In World 1-1 you want to make your way past the second pit.
2.) Once passed it, Mario will need to get up on the bricks that end with a “?” box and wait for the turtle Koopa. Once the Koopa Troopa is about to fall into the pit jump down and even though you won’t hit him the game will register you did and he will get trapped under the level.
3.) You will see the Koopa Troopa’s head under the level. He will be heading into the direction of the flag. Follow him, but never get far behind or far in front of him. Also, make sure to pick up the mushroom power up on the way to the end of the level. Once at the end, wait until he’s halfway between the stairs and the flag. Once he is, jump off the stairs leading up the flag. Mario will double jump in the air by stomping on the koopa without even being close to him. This will give Mario enough height to jump over the flagpole.
Once you’re over the flagpole you’ll soon discover that there is nothing over there. Mario can just run on forever until time runs up.
Vine Teleport
In world 4-2 there is a vine not even halfway through the level. Hit the box containing the vine and then move the screen ever so slightly to have the pipe with piranha plant in it showing.
Now, if you touch the edge of the left edge on the screen, Mario should teleport to the right of the screen.
Blue Bowser
This will work in any of the castle levels. You want to make your way to the end of the levels, but don’t step on the bridge Bowser is on. Instead, you’ll want to wait for Bowser to come into frame himself. When he does he will be blue.
Die and Win
Well you don’t really win but it’s still an interesting glitch.
While in a castle get to the end of the level and try to be and stay small. Now, it gets tricky you’ll need Bowser to touch you while you touch the axe. This will kill you and Bowser but the level will continue.
Yet, after you read the classic text "Thank you Mario! But our princess in another castle!" you’ll be immediately directed to a game over screen.
There are many more glitches in Super Mario Bros., glitches I will cover in a later installment.