For those of you that were unable to attend Comic-Con this past week. Or for those of you that did and weren’t able to get into Hall H. Here is the official video of RDJ making his oh so awesome entrance to Hall H at Comic-Con this past Saturday. I’m starting to think that Tony Stark the character and Robert Downey Jr the man are both one and the same!

If you’re living in a cave, San Diego Comic-Con happened this past weekend. Since that event has long since evolved into covering all pop culture, not just comics, there was plenty of gaming excitement as well. While there were a few announcemetns and breaking news, the real meat of the gaming presence were the demos available on the show floor. Many of these showings were the public’s first access to things shown to the press last month at E3. I wasn’t able to go the show this year, but I think I’ve got the major newsbreakers covered:

The much-anticipated Gears of War Judgment has been rumored for a February 2013 release for sometime. Turns out that rumor wasn’t exactly correct, but it was damn close. The official date of March 19, 2013 was unveiled over the weekend at San Diego Comic-Con.

It appears EA is looking to hype their Origin service a little more with exclusive beta access. According to a recent advertisement on the service (that apparently went up early because it’s since been pulled), pre-ordering Medal of Honor Warfighter for $69.99 will get you a code for access to the Battlefield 4 beta when it begins, probably mid to late 2013. Obviously Origin is PC only, so it’s unclear if the beta offer will extend to consoles. The beta offer isn’t a surprise, and seems like EA is simply fulfill ing expectation. What really seems shocking is the $70 price tag on a PC game. Warfighter is available October 23, 2012. Battlefield 4 is expected in October 2013.

Apparently the re-skinning of last-gen games in HD is a lucrative business, because we haven’t reached the end. SEGA recently had two items listed for December 2012 on their schedule, Yakuza 1 & 2 HD. Both games have now been removed from the schedule. Yakuza 5 is planned for December in Japan, so an HD re-release of the original games would not be unusual. It’s a safe bet this is happening, but apparently SEGA didn’t actually want us to know yet. Just in case, the list price was slightly over 5,000 yen, presumably for the two game combo.

It appears the rumors about a Hit Monkey game from High Moon (Transformers: Fall of Cybertron) were false. In fact, they may have been an elaborate ruse to lend weight to the announcement of their actual next game. Revealed in San Diego over the weekend at a small event for comics and other pop culture, the developer is actually working on a Deadpool game for Marvel, starring Nolan North. Vital details, like date, platforms, etc. have not been announced. I’m definitely watching for more information on this one and I’ll pass it along when I get it. I get the feeling Arse-bot will be all over this one instantly.

I recently had a small bit about a new PS3 model being rumored for Gamescom, but I didn’t give it much credit. Now there are apparently leaked images surfacing. Supposedly these images come from a Sony filing with a Brazilian telecom regulator. Until I hear confirmation from Sony, probably at Gamescom, I’m keeping this as rumor. Though a very cool-looking rumor. The new “super slim” will have a flip top disc tray, a la PS2 Slim. There are apparently three SKUs: 160GB, 250GB, and 500GB. [The actual leak said 16GB, but that’s got to be wrong. 160GB just makes more sense.] I wouldn’t be surprised if these include a free PS+ membership, possbily for a year but probably only three months. Seeing a few retailers recently offering gift cards with purchase of a new PS3 does add a little weight to the rumor, as those offers usually indicate an impending price drop. Then again, PS4 is rumored for 2013; does a redesign of PS3 make sense in light of that upcoming milestone? Would this sleek new design convince you to spend $199 on a 160GB PS3?

How upset were you that you North America didn’t get Ratchet & Clank HD Collection on June 27th along with Europe? Doesn’t matter. You’re getting August 28, 2012. That’s right, only six more weeks and you’ll get your HD release of the three of the best platformers from the PS2 era. Ratchet & Clank, Going Commando, and Up Your Arsenal will be available on blu-ray or digital download for $29.99. In addition to 1080p resolution, you’ll also have the option of 720p sterescopic 3D. Yes, Up Your Arsenal does include online play. As a bonus to the North American audience who had to wait an extra two months, you’ll also get a special 10th anniversary avatar for PSN, and a playable demo of the upcoming Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time.

Remember that Kinect: Fun Labs you found recently? Like most things for Kinect, it was cool for about ten minutes and you’ve since forgotten about it. Want ten more minutes of fun? What about 8 achievements? Available for free now through Fun Labs, Kinect: Mars Rover lets you control NASA’s Curiosity Rover on the surface of Mars. It doesn’t look like a very robust addition, but it is free and has neat concept. If I were 20 years younger I’d think this was amazing. I still love the ideas of space exploration, I’m just not as fascinated with it as I was then.

Just in case you’ve been seeing the image “leaked” from Comic-Con over the weekend, allow me to ruin your day. Hideo Kojima’s secret “Project OGRE” is NOT Metal Gear Solid 5. Yes, Kojima was at Comic-Con. Yes, he was showing something secret behind closed doors. Yes, Cliffy B was one of the lucky few to see it. No, the images floating aorund on the internet are not real and were not secretly taken from whatever Kojima was showing. At least, that’s the line from Konami and Hideo Kojima. According to Kojima, “that title logo is completely fake. I apologize to those who were looking forward to it.” This wouldn’t be the first time a game company denied a leak, then revealed the same information a few weeks later. However, an outright denial is different from the standard industry line about not commenting on rumors. Kojima has always been secretive about his projects, and he doesn’t always make sense even when he explains it. I don’t know if the images are really fake or not, but I’m going to trust Kojima.

Here’s a surprise announcement that surprised absolutely no one: Jak (with Daxter) and Cole McGrath will be in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. I honestly don’t know why these weren’t included in the original announcement. You don’t have a Sony mascot mash-up without some of the top titles in the PS2 and PS3 generations. By withholding them this long, they’ve basically wasted a hyped-up announcement that could have been used for something shocking, like Sonic (no, he hasn’t been announced). Regardless, if you’re interested in the game at all, both of these characters look to be strong additions. Daxter joins Jak in melee attacks, plus he has a variety of trademarked weapons (Gyro Burster, Mass Inverter, etc.), and he’ll have both Light and Dark Jak forms. Cole also has plenty of powers from which to choose. In addition to his standard lightning and amp attacks, you’ll also be able to utilize the crykinesis abilities he gained from Kuo in inFamous 2. I’m a little disappointed to not see Nix’s abilities incorporated, but maybe they’ll surprise me with it later. The game is scheduled for October 23, 2012.

Movies based on video games have had a strong presence in VGQH these past few issues and today we get to finish with Silent Hill: Revelation 3D. Apparently this is a sequel to Silent Hill, a movie I don’t remember being made. Even with the press release I don’t much about the film, coming October 26, 2012. This is one of those classic franchises that I’ve missed completely over the last two (or is it three) generations. I’ve always been a little intrigued, but never enough to actually jump into the series. I somehow doubt the movie will be the best way to start, but it does have Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange), and I can’t help but like that guy. Here’s the presser and a screen shot:

Based on the groundbreaking video game franchise, SILENT HILL: REVELATION 3D is the sequel to the hit film SILENT HILL, which opened to number one at the U.S. box office and took in nearly $100 million at the worldwide box office. Featuring an unparalleled horror experience, Konami’s Silent Hill franchise has captivated fans for more than a decade and has spawned a hit comic book series, graphic novels, collectible action figures and numerous soundtracks from rock bands.

In SILENT HILL: REVELATION 3D, Heather Mason (Clemens) and her father (Bean) have been on the run, always one step ahead of dangerous forces that she doesn’t fully understand. On the eve of her 18th birthday, plagued by horrific nightmares and the disappearance of her father, Heather discovers she’s not who she thinks she is. The revelation leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her forever.

CAST: SEAN BEAN (HBO’s Game Of Thrones, Lord Of The Rings), DEBORAH KARA UNGER (The Game, 88 minutes, The Samaritan), RADHA MITCHELL (Man On Fire, The Crazies, upcoming The Frozen Ground), ADELAIDE CLEMENS (X-Men Origins, upcoming The Great Gatsby, No One Lives), KIT HARINGTON (HBO’s Game Of Thrones), CARRIE-ANNE MOSS (The Matrix, Disturbia, NBC’s Chuck), MALCOLM MCDOWELL (A Clockwork Orange, The Artist)

DIRECTOR: Michael J. Bassett (Solomon Kane, Deathwatch),
PRODUCERS: Samuel Hadida, Don Carmody

In what may be the best idea since peanut butter met chocolate, Marvel and the producers of Phineas and Ferb announced an hour long crossover episode between everyone’s favorite comic book heroes and the boy geniuses Phineas and Ferb.

Just watch the video:

“>httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNVW7G4tnTA

Now, I know a ton of fanboys’ heads are currently exploding, and to them I say an emphatic, “CHILL OUT!” Oh no! your precious characters are going to be marketed to children?!?!!? How dare they?!?!  And in a CARTOON?! For kids?!?! You knew this was going to happen when Disney merged with Marvel, and the characters would get all cutesified and so on. . .

To which I have to say:

1- Did you ever see the Superhero Squad Show? It’s on Netflix Instant Watch right now if you haven’t (I can’t escape it, as my son watches 3 or 4 episodes a day probably). That was happending loooooong before the Disney merger, so don’t blame this on corporate greed.

2- Have you ever watched Phineas and Ferb? That show is great. Jon Stewart even likes it and makes references to it on The Daily Show.

You know Family Guy? And how they went on that long hiatus/cancellation? Well guess what? During that time, those animators and writers had to go get other jobs. And two of them were Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh. And they went and made Phineas and Ferb.

Yes, it’s a kids show. But a show that also has a lot to offer adults. Simply some of the best writing on TV, and, in my opinion, the best animated show on right now. Yes, Clone Wars wins in the technical department, and Metalocalypse rocks my socks off, but Phineas and Ferb is an awesome show. There’s a reason I put them in my top 10 of last year.

So, before you start bitching, go watch some Phineas and Ferb and then tell me of all the cartoons out there, this one isn’t the most worthy of all of them.

3- Since when can’t we market comic book characters to children? Why is this dismissed as a cynical money grab? I showed this trailer to my kids and they went off the handle with excitement. They’re sad they have to wait an entire year to see The Beak team up with Iron Man. (truth be told, so am I!)

I know that if I worked on a show like Phineas and Ferb, I’d be busting down Jeff Loeb’s door every week with a new idea of how to bring the Marvel characters onto my show. And seeing the video of Marsh and Povenmire, they don’t seem any less excited than I would be in their position. Because nothing says summer to me like comic books, and to kids trying to suck the marrow out of every single day, I doubt they would say any different.

I would trade in an entire set of Existentialist Trading Cards to see this right now. Or a month’s supply of victory gum. I am incredibly excited.

But I’m ready to be roasted by fanboy hate. Bring on the hate and let’s do battle in the comments section like the warriors of old!

Sure, it’s a fan film. But I still think Thomas Jane was the best pick for Frank Castle, even if the movie he was in wasn’t that good.

Marvel would be smart to bring him back and make a REAL Punisher movie with him….

And even Ron Perlman is in it.

It’s brutal and is what a Punisher film should be like…

The Marvel Studios panel opened with a video showing their presence at San Diego from 2007 until now. It ended saying that phase one is over and phase two begins NOW!

Kevin Feige came out and announced the following movies and release dates:

Captain America: The Winter Soldier 4/4/14 Guardians of the Galaxy 8/1/14

The Guardians of the Galaxy team will consist of Star Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Rocket Racoon and Groot

We were then introduced to Edgar Wright who says he “Always thought that a great film was to be made of Ant-Man.” He then showed us the very bad ass rumored test footage that he filmed.The scene starts with a tiny Ant-Man in an air duct looking at two guards guarding an elevator. He starts running down the hallway and grows to normal size until the guards pull their guns. He then shrinks back down and we see him on the barrel of one of the guards pistols running down it. Punches the guard in the face with a nice ripple effect and proceeds to jump over the other guard grabbing his tie. He flips the guard backwards through a glass window and proceeds to get on the elevator while “It’s a Small World” plays as the elevator music. This test footage was pretty amazing! Wright told us that “Ant-Man will kick your ass, one inch at a time!” and proceeded to leave.

The Iron Man 3 portion of the panel then started. Kevin Feige was inturrupted by music as Robert Downey Jr ran from the back of the hall down to the stage decked out in a Tony Stark suit and Iron Man Glove.

He then asked three questions. “How much do I love you? How much do you love me? Then why aren’t we watching any footage yet?” After which we were treated to the first footage of Iron Man 3.

The trailer starts with Tony Stark talking to his hall of armor about introducing their new baby brother. He holds out his hand and the armor which is in pieces starts flying to him attaching itself. I believe this is our version of Extremis.The pieces of armor start knocking him around all over the place. After the armor completes itself we cut to a scene with a returning Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan. He goes on about about how he quit because people knew him as being the bodyguard for Iron Man and goes on about his new “super friends.” We see Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow returning. The Stark estate then gets bombed and falls into the ocean. The trailer ends as we see the 10 Rings of power and our first shot of Ben Kingsly as the Manderin saying “As you cry out for mercy, you will be silenced.”

RDJ then introduced Shane Black, Don Cheadle and Jon Favreau to the panel. “This guy IS the Manderin,” Shane Black said of Ben Kingsly.

Marvel surely brought their A game this year as far as bombshells dropped! I can’t wait for phase two of the Marvel Studios projects to commence!

Day 2 of Comic-Con started off with 3 big panels in Hall H. First up was Big Bang Theory. They started us off with a gag reel. There was the customary Q and A in which we really learned nothing, but fans got to have fun and talk to their favorite celebrities. Later on in the panel they brought an astronaut out to offer actor Simon Helberg, who plays Howard on the show, a trip to outer space. He declined, so they offered it to one of the many people who asked questions in the Q and A. A young lady won it and will now get to fly into space. All in all there wasn’t much learned, but we got a few laughs.

The second panel of the day is the one I looked forward to the most, AMC’s The Walking Dead. Which kicked off with a kick ass trailer for the upcoming third season where we got to see plenty of Michonne, The Governor, the prison, and a returning Michael Rooker as everyone’s favorite racist redneck Merle Dixon! The trailer gave me the chills and I may have wet myself a little bit! The Nerdist, Chris Hardwick, was the moderator for the panel which included Robert Kirkman, Andrew Lincoln, Sarah Callis, Laurie Holden, David Morrisey, Norman Reedus and others.  We then got the same Q and A treatment in which we learn nothing about the upcoming season that we didn’t already know, but got to know the actor’s favorite moments and opinions about their characters. However we did learn that the show’s third season will start on October 14^th, 2012.

-uFA

Lastly for me in Hall H was the Game of Thrones panel. The author of the novels, George R.R. Martin, was the moderator. On the panel were the actors who play  Danyrus, Rob Stark, Catlin Stark, Ygritte, and Theon. I’m not bad mouthing his work, however George Martin seemed to be a very awkward moderator and to me came across as a dirty old man. We got the usual fandom in the Q and A. A recap video of season 2, and a video introducing us to the new members of the cast including the bombshell that Diana Rigg will be playing the Queen of Thorns. To close out the panel we got a date for the series return next year, March 31^st 2013.

The Walking Dead seemed to be the best panel of the day because the rest didn’t really give us much in terms of info or footage for the upcoming season. All in all not much was learned, but I didn’t seem to mind. The pure geekdom and energy from the thousands of people there was amazing.

I then closed out my day by returning to the floor and demoing Marvel Heroes. Marvel Heroes will be a new free to play game that is in the style of Diablo. It will be online, and you’ll get to play with other people. The characters available to me in the Demo were Wolverine, The Hulk, Scarlett Witch, and Iron Man. It seemed like a perfect blend of Diablo and Ultimate Alliance. In the demo level Professor X tasked me with fighting the Purifiers and Sentinels to get to William Styker before Magneto. Well in true comic book fashion of course the villain got there first and I ended up having to save Styker from Magneto in a cool boss fight. There will be a beta soon, and I will report back with more about the game then.

Delays are nothing new in the gaming industry. That’s why I’m not shocked that Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 has been delayed from its August 21st schedule. What is slightly odd though, is that it’s now set for October 9th. Not that October is a bad mmonth for games, but because it’s a very big month for them. The first Ghost Warrior was decent game, but nothing special. It found some sales, but was hardly a huge hit. Delaying the sequel for the extra polish makes sense if you’re trying to build a loyal fan base. A lackluster game with an even more lackluster sequel is a good way to lose a lot of good will. But, being a lackluster, under-the-radar game means you probably shouldn’t be squaring off with Assassin’s Creed III, Call of Duty, Halo 4, Resident Evil 6, and every other AAA title on the market. If you’re already giving up two months for quality, why not give up three more for sales and release this in the January doldrums?

I came across an odd item concerning Persona 4 Arena that I just can’t seem to make sense. Of course, nothing about that series makes sense, but this concerns its release, not its content. One of the nice but unnecessary things about the PS3 is that it’s region free. For most gamers this is irrelevant, so you may not know that on most consoles you have to buy a game from the same region of the world that you bought your console. If, like one of our ‘bots on this site, you bought your Wii while living in Japan but now live in the US, you’ll need to import your Wii games from Japan for them to work. Sony has avoided this by making their consoles, and all of the games, “region free.” For some reason, Atlus now intends to release Persona 4 Arena as “region locked.” Frankly, this doesn’t make sense unless the copies from various regions have different content, something that would have been applicable before Australia created their newest rating, but is just silly now. Considering the game is set for release in Japan on July 26th, the US on August 7th, and the EU on August 31st, maybe they’re just trying to prevent the western countries from importing it early. But, why? And why is Sony okay with it?

So, The Walking Dead has an ongoing comic, a TV series, and a successful adventure game from Telltale. Also, Activision has the gaming rights. Which means the obvious next move is to cash in and turn the franchise into a cloned FPS rather than the unique property it is. Thanks Activision. Just what I need from an artistic and touching IP is a game that makes it just like all the others. Am I being unfair? Possibly. Activision has hired Terminal Reality, developers of the Ghostbusters shooter, to create a “haunting, unforgiving quest to make their [Daryl and Merle Dixon] way to the supposed safety of Atlanta.” I like the idea of playing as the Dixon’s, I’m guessing with the option of co-op. I also like that you’ll probably see a lot of crossbow. Having a resource management component that makes avoiding zombies just as important as killing them is also a good thing. Now if I could just get over my dread of Activision making a zombie of the entire franchise, I might actually be able to support the game. Current plans are for 2013 on XBox 360 and PS3.

The release date for Sony Smash Bros. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale has finally been announced, along with the preorder bonus. Like every other game you’ve been considering, this one is scheduled for October, the 23rd to be precise. Preordering will get you an extra character skin for everyone on the roster. By the looks of it, you’ll be getting a Robin Hood out fit for Sly Cooper (actually I think it’s one of his relatives from the upcoming Thieves in Time), a Deimos skin for Kratos, spacesuit for PaRappa, pink pirate get-up for Fat Princess, etc.

The two question marks were filled in over the weekend at EVO. Heihachi Mishima of Tekken fame is the second third party fighter for the game (Big Daddy was first). Also, Toro Inoue, the Sony “mascat” you may remember from SFxTekken, was announced. Two more characters are expected at Comic-Con this weekend.

Speaking of Toro, Capcom is has taken the DLC model and turned it into something completely insane. I can’t make heads or tails of what they’re doing with Street Fighter x Tekken now. We’ve known for a long time that the PS Vita version would introduce 12 additional fighters (for a total of 50). It was also discovered immediately after release that those same fighters were on the PS3 disc, but locked. The plan, we thought, was for the characters to be released with the Vita version in Fall. Those 12 fighters will actually be available on PS3 on July 31st for $19.99. If you do buy the Vita version you’ll get the 12 characters included. You’ll get two codes included in the box. One will give you alternate skins for the original 38 characters on your Vita. The second will allow you to port the 12 fighters to your PS3. So, if you plan on getting the Vita version, don’t spend the $20 now like everyone else you want to face online? Why does this seem like a punishment to people who are buying your game twice? Vita preorders will also get alternate costumes for the 12 (SF: Blanka, Cody, Dudley, Elena, Guy and Sakura; T: Alisa Bosconovitch, Bryan Fury, Christie Monteiro, Jack-X, Lars Alexandersson and Lei Wulong) that can be ported to PS3. I suppose that makes up for it?

343 Industries apparently likes to keep busy. Not only are they developing Halo 4, which looks to great despite the doubters, but they’re also looking to capitalize on the success of Halo Anniversary. No time frame has been specified, but work on Halo 2 Anniversary is underway. When it comes to HD revamps of last-gen classics, they’re a dime a dozen, but few of them are special. Halo Anniversary was definitely one of the better one, and Halo 2 version is going to make a lot of people very happy.

Gearbox promised some kind of unlockable content for Borderlands 2 if you have a save from the first game on your system. I doubt anyone was expecting anything serious, and it’s not. Your “Vault Veteran” rewards consist of a new head and costume for each of the four heroes. A new skin may also apply to the upcoming fifth character via DLC, but since it wasn’t mentioned in the release I doubt it’s happening. I’m not even sure how to describe the weirdness that you’ll be unlocking, so I’ll let the picture handle it.

With last week’s announcement that NiGHTS into Dreams is being remade for HD, it’s the perfect time to reveal NiGHTS as a playable racer in Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed. NiGHTS is the fifth racer announced that’s new to the series. Unlike Gilius Thunderhead (Golden Axe), Joe Musashi (Shinobi), Vyse (Skies of Arcadia), and Danica Patrick (real life), NiGHTS won’t be cruising the tracks in a kart. Instead he’ll be flying along the surface just like in his own game. Still no release date for the kart racer, but the NiD is hitting your console’s store in Fall.

You’ve probably already beaten Dragon’s Dogma, and by now you’ve used your code to get the Resident Evil 6 demo. But, according to the game’s director, Hideaki Itsuno, “It would be best if you held on to the game for a bit.” Based largely on the success of the title, which was better than expected, they’ve got new gameplay elements on the way. Based on fan reaction, a sequel is also very likely, though not official.

The final issue of Marvel’s team up with Rockstar will be available this week. Max Payne 3: Fight and Flight focuses on Max’s days at the academy and the beginning of his police career. This expands on, and could be considered a companion to, the memories triggered in Chapter 4 of the game. Like the previous two chapters, Sam Lake and Dan Houser wrote the story. Fernando Blanco is on Pencils. You can get the final issue when it releases later this week from the official website. But you might as well enjoy the Michael del Mundo cover now.

Rumors of an Assassin’s Creed movie have been stirred about for several years, but talks stalled between Sony and Ubisoft after the game company reportedly made “ridiculous” demands. Despite the controversy, the film could be gaining momentum once again with a somewhat surprising announcement. Michael Fassbender has apparently agreed to star in the film as well as co-produce with his company, DMC Film. The star of X-Men: First Class and Prometheus, Fassbender could be adding to his repertoire with at least one, and possibly two characters for Ubisoft’s second film (the first was 2010’s Prince of Persia). Fassbender will likely be playing the hero of the first game, Altair, and possibly the series true star, Desmond, as well. Casting Altair and Desmond as the same actor could seriously effect the future of the franchise, assuming it’s successful. If this turns into a series of films, not only would he need to come back as Desmond, but it would only make sense for him to play Ezio and Connor as well. With no writer or director (both more important than the actor, even if it is Michael Fassbender) in place the film is still far from happening, but a little closer than it was last week. Wrath.o.tron has his own take on the news here.

If historical game movies aren’t your thing, what about future game movies? CBS Films has optioned the rights to Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I imagine this would probably include the entire Deus Ex universe, but the film they’re planning is based specifically on the Eidos reboot from last year. Roy Lee (The Departed) and Adrian Askarieh (Hitman, Kane & Lynch films) are attached as producers. Eidos Montreal will be working with CBS to insure the appropriate look.

With two huge Transformers games under their belt, you might be wondering what High Moon is planning next. If they were aping Michael Bay, the obvious one is to talk about ruining a classic franchise then cancel it. But the difference would be that High Moon did a good job with the franchise and we should expect them to do it again. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean a new TMNT game. But it could be one featuring a different Marvel animal, Hit-Monkey. There was a website for the game for a short time, but it’s now bricked. That points to an announcement likely coming at Comic-Con. The only thing the online universe has been able to salvage from that temporary website is a single teaser image, advertising a 2013 release.

There seems to be a bit of a dissension in the ranks over at Namco Bandai. While the suits have been asking Katsuhiro Harada what he plans for DLC on Tekken Tag Tournament 2, he’s publicly declared he’s opposed to charging for anything additional. Harada even told Eurogamer that “given the choice to include paid DLC or quit Namco, I would maybe quit.” It takes a big pair to lay that out publicly. Harada’s views on paid DLC for fighting games have also been made clear, “If you’re making a fighting game, all of the elements necessary to enjoy it should be on the disc, or should at least be available for free.” He did concede that unnecessary but desired elements could be employed. Additional fighters, bonuses, move sets, etc. would be game breaking to his way of thinking. Less vital elements, he specifically mentioned classic soundtracks and legacy ending movies, could be leveraged for the company without affecting actual gameplay. I’d assume those elements could also include color swaps. Cutting that line a little finer, alternate costumes and additional stages might also fit the bill. I have little to no interest in fighting games, but I am interested to see how the situation gets resolved.

That’s all for the early edition this week. Nothing truly groundbreaking, but there’s still bound to be something in here you’ll like. Check back Friday for the latest news that breaks as we enter the first couple days of San Diego Comic-Con.

I am in no way am writing this to circumvent Bryan Young’s previously posted review of this movie. His early review convinced me to go see the film, even though a lot of the trailers left me wondering why the movie was made in the first place. Then I saw it. I was so immersed and impressed with this movie, that despite a few tiny flaws, The Amazing Spider-Man is unequivocally now my favorite movie ever. After seeing the movie, I felt that I had a burning need to share my feelings. As such, there may be minor spoilers contained within. I’ll do my level best to keep things vague, but you have been warned.

I have an uncanny ability to completely shut off expectations when I go see a movie on the big screen. As soon as the lights go down, I belong to the movie, and it has my undivided attention. Admittedly, this doesn’t make me an excellent film critic. Case in point, when I went to see Superman Returns, I loved it. Subsequent viewings brought me to my senses, but the things I loved about that movie still stand. ASM had a similar affect on me, but this time it wasn’t so much a wow factor as it was a realization. This movie has heart.

A large portion of the movie is character introductions and the like. I don’t think Peter Parker even got bit until about an hour into the film. Browse any geek website for a minute, and you’ll hear cries of why this is unnecessary.  The Raimi movie already established the origin, so why retread? I was firmly in that camp myself. I’ve changed my opinion though. This movie had to re-establish the mythos because of how everything is set up. The characters aren’t exactly the same in the previous movies, and this is a good thing. The way the characters are presented and how it relates to the origin all follow an internal logic that is pretty astounding if you think about it. The actors aren’t simply going through the motions or playing established archetypes. They are truly three dimensional, and when the emotional beats happen you care all the more because of it, even though you know what’s going to happen. It made the movie more real than I could have imagined, and that alone makes it a gem in my eyes.

Of course, the movie’s central character is Peter Parker/Spider-Man and if you can’t relate to him, the movie falls apart. Thankfully, Andrew Garfield is not only up to the task, he exceeds my expectations. Peter’s character arc is slightly different in the movie, as he has abandonment issues, growing up without parents. This is particularly felt with the absence of his father. That’s not to say that Uncle Ben isn’t the kind and wise surrogate he’s always been, because he is. It’s just that in this movie, Peter’s father is the catalyst for everything. Growing up without a father myself, I felt like I really understood Peter’s motivation to uncover the events leading up to Richard Parker’s disappearance, not to mention to really “know” what kind of man he was. The path this leads him on not only ties into the origin nicely, but also sets up many possibilities for future films. In particular, I really like the subtle way the filmmakers go about Norman Osborn. Nothing is explicit (unless you count the mid-credits scene), and it make my anticipation for the sequel higher than normal.

Continuing with Peter, once he gets the fateful spider-bite, I found it pretty interesting how the road to becoming Spider-Man played out. There is the obligatory discovering powers scenes, but they are done with such a sense of whimsy that even though everyone has already seen this play out over other mediums something like a million times before, it somehow feels fresh. No wrestling Macho Man Randy Savage here, folks.  The way Uncle Ben’s fate plays out feel more natural as well, it felt a little coincidental to be honest because the sequence between not stopping a robbery and the fatal shot happens so quickly. It’s one of my only little gripes with the movie. What happens after though? That made me start to hate the movie.

You see, after Uncle Ben’s murder, Peter goes full-on vigilante. He’s cocky, self-assured, and definitely not a hero. In short, grieving Peter is kind of an asshole. This includes the much lamented in trailers “small knives” scene. His cocksuredness even gets him the attention of one Gwen Stacy. This made me groan a little too. However, when Gwen invites Peter to meet the family, including Denis Leary as police captain George Stacy, things start to turn around. While it is true that it is Uncle Ben that teaches Peter about power and responsibility, it’s Captain Stacy that shows him how to be a true hero. Never is that more apparent to me than the bridge scene…

This scene makes me well up every time I see it.

In fact, the movie does scenes with this much emotional impact so well and so often, I’m not ashamed to admit that multiple times this movie made me weep like someone stole my lunch money. And if that isn’t an indicator of how successfully the movie works, nothing is. You’ll notice I didn’t really mention the Lizard at all, or the movie’s central conflict. There’s a reason for that. For me, those bits are just icing and an already pretty good slice of cake. Good as that is, it’s not why I love this movie. For reviews of those bits, look elsewhere.

ShazBot Score: 9.6 out of 10 Lightning Bolts

High Points: Emotional resonance, strong characters, well-woven story

Low Points: Series of coincidences, The Lizard’s face (he looked like a Goomba from the terrible Super Mario Bros. movie!)

It is my pleasure to report that The Amazing Spider-Man isn’t a bad movie.

It’s fun, it’s true to the characters, it works generally well. Some parts work better than others and what it gets right, it gets very right. What it misses on, it misses widely.

The story is exactly the same one we got in the trailers. It’s the origin story of Peter Parker and how he got his powers, only this time his parents are vaguely kind of involved. He’s abandoned with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May and his selfishness costs him everything and his drive for vengeance turns him into a hero.

The broad strokes are the same as you’ve seen a hundred times. The details are different. Some of them work remarkably well. I think Martin Sheen did as well as anybody could following up Cliff Robertson as Uncle Ben and sold the part with a heart and resonance that you need out of the character. Andrew Garfield, for his part, worked very well both as Peter and as Spider-Man. I really liked Tobey Maguire’s dopey Peter act, Garfield is much more wry, witty, and slightly more self-assure.

I’m not trying to compare the Raimi and Webb Spider-Man movies. I’m really not. I did everything I could to banish them from my head before I went into the theatre, but they’re just too fresh in the lexicon of superhero films. It was hard to divorce myself completely from making comparisons.

As for the villain, The Lizard works well enough. His best moments were the most comic-booky, from his sewer lair.

Emma Stone and Dennis Leary as Gwen Stacy and her father Captain Stacy are probably the aspect of this film I like the most. She works better as a love interest for Spider-Man than anyone has and Captain Stacy is so perfect to his comic iterations and his place in the story that it’s impossible to dislike him. And it’s the story of the Stacy family I want to see continued into the sequel. I will instantly forgive all the complaints about this film I’ve had if it is, indeed, setting the stage for a dramatic film version of The Death of Gwen Stacy.

For me, this movie easily surpassed Raimi’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man 3, but it just didn’t have the runway space to fly above Spider-Man 2, which is hailed in most competent circles as a masterpiece of superhero cinema. There is no single moment in The Amazing Spider-Man that is better than the fight on the subway or Peter inadvertently revealing his identity to Mary Jane in the boat house. But I think moments that powerful take time. And if Marc Webb and the cast stays on, and there’s minimal interference from Sony, and the writers do their job well, we’ll have a sequel full of those moments to look forward to.

More than anything, that’s what I’m excited to see. Past the origin, I want the sequel. I suppose that’s as high of praise as you can give a movie.

ALSO: Do NOT see this movie in 3D. I don’t easily get headaches, but this film in 3D gave me one. And the colors were so much more rich and vivid when I took the glasses off. And since so much of the film was set at night, it was impossible to see what was happening with the 3D glasses. Even when it was bright it was hard to make out finer details. At one point, Flash Thompson arrives in a Spider-Man shirt and I couldn’t even tell with the glasses on.

The Amazing Spider-Man
7/10 on the Big Shiny Superhero Scale

Bryan Young is the author of Operation: Montauk.

Late last night, Variety broke the news that one of Marvel’s secret film projects they’re developing is, indeed, The Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Guardians of the Galaxy are…well…guardians of the galaxy, dealing with the cosmic and fighting many foes, Thanos in particular. In fact, one character, Drax, was built with the specific purpose of combatting Thanos, who is the bad guy we were all treated to seeing at the end of The Avengers film.

With the cosmic scale of The Avengers film, and its high performance at the box office, this seems like a natural place to go for the studio. I don’t think anyone expects it to make the sort of money The Avengers continues to rake in, but my guess is they’ll show up DC again and show them how cool a balls out cosmic film should be in stark contrast to their Green Lantern film.

Perhaps my favorite member of the team is Rocket Raccoon. If they can pull off a gun-toting, talking raccoon, I’ll die of delight. And if Marvel has proven anything in recent years with their films is that they’re willing to try to make just about anything work.

It’s not known at this point if this film will launch the entire team right out of the bag or if they’ll be introduced slowly in their own smaller films and lead up to a Guardians film. We’ll know more after an expected announcement (or at least whispers) at Comic-Con in a couple of weeks.

Will it tie into Avengers as they work to take down Thanos? Will The Avengers even bother with Thanos and leave it to the Guardians? What is Marvel’s game?

There are still two more mystery movies on their docket as well. The Variety article mentions Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man, which has reportedly just finished with some top secret test shooting. Rumours are abound that we’ll get a Dr. Strange film as well, which I think could turn into something as big as Iron Man. I absolutely love the character and, if done right, he could straddle the universes of The Avengers and The Guardians with ease.

We’ll bring you more as this develops.