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Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category

Pikmin 3 at E3 2012?

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , , on April 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Hooray!

Alright, so as you may or may not be aware, Nintendo has recently announced that they will indeed be previewing or at least discussing a Pikmin game for the Wii-U or Wii, we aren’t sure which. Pikmin, a well received game for the gamecube, along with Pikmin 2, it’s successor, are two of the best-selling games on the console with their addictive gameplay and light-hearted adventure storyline. Previously, you controlled Captain Olimar as he crash lands and later explores an alien world filled with what seem to be gigantic pieces of trash scattered about everywhere. Along his journey, he discovers the Pikmin (and their predators) and befriends them, getting them to help him rebuild his rocket and get himself back home. In the sequel, you join Captain Olimar once more, this time joined by his sidekick Louie as they return to the Pikmin world and reunite with their companions. Hopefully the third game of the series will have just as much promise and fun-filled escapades as its predecessors, but only time will tell.

Source: Pikmin 3

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Morning Banana Oatmeal: 6 Awful Jobs That Must Exist in Video Games

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , on April 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

They look to be having fun...at the expense of who?

When we play through our various collections of video games, saving the world or racing against friends, we usually do it without thinking about what goes on behind the scenes. Who fixes Mario’s kart, or anyone’s kart for that matter, when they crash into the water or get hit off the course by a shell or other forms of trickery and sometimes douchebaggery (here’s to you, Blue Shell, bane of my existence). What about Link’s neighbors, always being woken up by his terrifying battle screams (NYA! HYA! HAAAAAAA!) in the middle of the night with no explanations, and do those item chest noises always have to be so loud? (DA NA NA NAAAAAAA!). After reading through this article, I assure you that you may have a different take on your favorite video game characters and how they treat those around them. To be fair, most of them already treated everyone else around them like a sack of dung.

Sources
6 Awful Jobs That Must Exist in Video Games

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Webcomic Spotlight: Questionable Content

Posted in Articles, tagged , on April 20, 2012| Leave a Comment »

You'll have to go to the site for a better sneak peek 🙂

Now, I know this isn’t really video game related, but I just wanted to share this comic. The brainchild of Jeph Jacques, Questionable Content has a special place in my heart as it is one of the first webcomics I started reading. Essentially, anything Jeph linked to our tweeted about I would also pick up, thus expanding my repertoire. This isn’t about me, however, this is about the awesome webcomic series known as QC. Centered around a group of very different people spanning from Marten, the shy indie boy to Hannelore, the crazy OCD friend, this strip is generally very lighthearted. Additionally, while I won’t go so far as to say it exists to teach you lessons, I must say that it does a very good job of explaining situations and resolving them in a way that seems realistic and rather interesting. With wacky cartoon antics aplenty there is much enjoyment to be had by reading through this series, if not anything else similar to it. I do recommend starting at the beginning so as to familiarize yourself with the cast and setting, then enjoying the crazy (and sometimes disturbing) pranks played by Pintsize, Marten’s pet…Anthro-PC.

Sources:
Questionable Content!

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Game of the Week: League of Legends

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Welcome to the League

Well folks, it’s that time of the week again. Time for us to once again to dust off our swords and shields, to restring our bows and polish our magic gems, to rise up against the forces of evil or combat the forces of good depending on your alignment. Time for us to clash with other players from all around to world in a test of might, magic, and patience. That’s right, you’ve guessed it, this week’s game of the week is League of Legends, a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, or MOBA, style game, that has gained considerable and deserved praise for the way it revolutionized…or defined a genre of gaming. Now, that last statement might get me into a heated debate about the first MOBA game of all time. Well I do agree that DotA and HoN are also games of this genre, you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere near the level and sheer size of acclaim this game has gotten in comparison to the others. (more…)

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Webcomic Spotlight: Penny Arcade

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , on April 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

All this and more could be yours, just visit the Penny Arcade website!

Take a break, sit down, relax for a while. While you’re not out there grinding for the next level or trying to destroy some nubs and get some achievements or other load like that, take some time out of your day to get a good couple of laughs out of the geeky comic strips from the guys at Penny Arcade. Loaded with tons of inside jokes and great humor, Tycho and Gabe deliver endless amounts of entertainment from comics to coverage of major gaming events. One that stands out in particular is the latest coverage of PAX 2012, despite them being there as artists. If you’re ever feeling down and want a little pick-me-up to feel better about yourself (whether it concern your ELO tanking or being demoted a league in SC2, they’ll understand), take a breather and cycle through some of their strips and hopefully you’ll feel a little less grey.

Sources:
Penny Arcade!

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Darksiders II Customization Elements

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , on April 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Talk about BA.

Alright, so if you’re hyped up for Vigil Studios’ sequel to bestseller Darksiders, you’re in for what appears to be an incredible treat. Not only have the devs allowed you to wield the power of death himself, but they’ve also allowed you to customize how death kills all the things. With branching skill trees and a slew of weapons with which to beat the evil things that go bump in the night senseless, Kotaku’s latest misleading title cues us in to the level of diversity (which I highly doubt there can be much, but I can be wrong) in which one can customize their character in this GoW-esque hack and slash. Now I for one may not be persuaded to pick it up on launch day as of right now, but with the right shiny things and the promise of endless hours of gameplay I may just change my mind. Unfortunately, with games such as this I find myself skeptical of just how much ‘customization’ one can really do with a character. In the end there are always skills that outshine others and will undoubtedly be maxed out in terms of usability. I won’t say too much more, however, as things could change. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?

Sources
Kotaku Article

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Morning Banana Oatmeal: Mass Effect Hoodies!

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

For all of you Mass Effect fans it is time to rejoice! Despite being an idea created by deviantart user lupodirosso, this idea has gained some backing through internet forums and news aggregation sites alike, including Kotaku and Reddit. Though we don’t know how long it will take before people start sporting Wrex or Garrus inspired hoodies, the fact that someone has taken time out of their busy (or not so busy) day to craft these for us means that at least someone, somewhere will definitely want to be paying for something along these lines. Kotaku has already stated that similar designs have been released by BioWare, meaning that these designs could come into production whenever they so choose to hire this man. For now, however, I know that I’ll be sleeping soundly, dreaming of a collection including the very chic and stylish ME hoodies. BioWare TAKE MY MONEY!

Sources:
Lupodirosso’s DeviantArt Page

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Who Is Today’s Most Significant Director?

Posted in Articles, Movies, tagged , , , , on April 13, 2012| 5 Comments »

I want to open up a debate today regarding who is today’s most significant director.  Obviously the answer is open ended and very opinion based, ranging from choosing your favorite director based on a favorite movie vs. his style.  But I want to narrow it down by choosing a director who’s currently still making the best movies.  I do appreciate out of the box answers like, Stanley Kubrick and his influence on the style and heavy music moments in Nicholas Winding Refn, and I questions just how movie savvy you are if you can make that connection.  I am not a film major, so the lines aren’t as clear as some of you who are, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have an opinion, so I challenge those who are intimidated by these notions to take a chance and stand by your choice.

In my honest opinion, I think today’s most consistently good director is without a doubt Christopher Nolan.  He’s distinguished himself over and over again with his blockbuster movies that are more than just blind action movies.  I understand that some directors after a big action movie with a production company breathing down their necks would want to take a break and do an artsy and less demanding film, but Christopher Nolan’s break from The Dark Knight was Inception and we both know how amazing that was.  His track record is near flawlesss with Memento and Insomnia as his relatively underappreciated beginnings [neither films got as much attention as they did until Nolan did The Dark Knight].  And he continued to build upon them with the genius of The Prestige.

I also respect him as a private man, who values the magical sense of his movies.  Seriously, no one knew what the hell Inception was about until they sat down at a movie theater and watched Leo break down dream hunting to them.   Now-a-days, he’s become a household name and his name attached to anything warrants the public to go see what he’s up to.  When he wraps up his Batman trilogy, the man will be unrestrained again to do what he likes, and I’ll sure as hell be lining up at the theaters to shell out for whatever he produces.  And I think that mentality is what makes me believe he’s the most significant director out there today, a man who, no matter what the material is about, we line up for because of his name attached to a film.

And now I truly want your opinion.  I know I haven’t really been making a community of Banana Feed recently, leaving comments unreplied or unthanked, and I’m honestly trying to fix that.  These discussion threads are meant to spark debate that I would gladly have with any of you.  Just be sure to observe common courtesy to myself and others on this site.

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Game of the Week: Spiral Knights

Posted in Articles, Video Games, tagged , , , , on April 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Cartoony yet stylish...I like it!

Imagine yourself stranded on a hostile planet, your only form of transportation now shooting across the sky in multiple fiery pieces, dissolving into the atmosphere and leaving you to explore the unknown with what may very well be the last of your kind. Despite being cliche, this setup has been a staple of the science fiction community since it has existed. The lone adventurer or group of companions battling the evil alien menace, although in this case you may just be as alien as the planet around you. Welcome to the world of Spiral Knights, a free-to-play MMORPG mixed with a dungeon crawler, developed by Three Rings. For those of you who don’t know, Three Rings is a company that was recently purchased by Sega, and that’s about all we know about them besides the fact that they made Spiral Knights.

Spiral Knights starts the player off right outside a crashed pod, almost reminiscent of the orbital drops from Halo for lack of a better comparison. This begins the tutorial, in which the player is taught the basic controls, which are simple enough to understand. The player moves utilizing the WASD keys and controls almost everything else with the mouse. Before I continue to the story, however, I must include a bit more in-depth explanation of the mechanics. The currency in the game is known as crowns, which can be collected by defeating enemies, breaking boxes, or reaching the elevator located at the end of each level. There is a secondary form of currency known as Energy, which is also required to craft new items as well as proceed further into the main dungeon of the game, otherwise known as the ‘Clockworks’. There are two forms of energy the player can use to do the aforementioned crafting or dungeon crawling. First and foremost is Mist Energy, which regenerates over time. Regardless of how high level you consider yourself to be, or how much money you have, the Mist Energy cap will always remain static at 100. There is no increasing it through items or regenerating it faster, you simply wait for that gauge to fill by a measly one energy every thirteen minutes. Secondly, there is Crystal Energy, which has no limit, but is infinitely harder to obtain. Crystal Energy can only be made by either purchasing it from other players or buying in bulk using real money at the in-game store. There is a major problem with this system, but I’ll cover that later, after I flesh out the story a little more. (more…)

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Morning Banana Oatmeal: The Top 25 Television Shows Watched are Absolute Garbage

Posted in Articles, Television, tagged , , , , , , on April 12, 2012| 2 Comments »

Warming Glow has picked up on the 25 most watched television shows out there and when I took a look at the list, I nearly cried.  America as a whole is watching really sh!tty television.  American Idol, NCIS, Rob?!  And if you include cable, there are things like WWE, Pawn Stars and Spongebob.  It’s almost upsetting.  I personally don’t watch any of these shows, yet I watch a TON of television.  It doesn’t even make sense with how much television I watch and consider ‘great television’ doesn’t even make this list.

The Top 25 Television Shows Watched are Absolute Garbage

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5 Benefits of Being a Movie Buff

Posted in Articles, Lists, Movies, tagged , , , , , , , on March 9, 2012| 3 Comments »

Last week, it sort of felt as though I bashed being a movie buff in preference for being a television buff with so many television related posts.   I can feel sometimes that I relay the imbalance of movies and television and I have to remind myself that I still need to write about movies every once in a while.  I haven’t really been to a movie theater as of late and all the movies I’ve been watching are either old or terrible, neither of which warrants a full blow review.  And I tire of lists that hold little relevance.  So I kind of went into the mind process of when I wrote about my ‘television ratio’ and ‘reasons to watch television’.  Today I write to defend the movie buff honor and claim how pride I am to being one. Below I’ve compiled a list of 5 reasons or better yet, perks to being a movie buff.  Read below.

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Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are British Comedic Geniuses

Posted in Articles, Reviews, Television on March 6, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Blessed be HBO for giving Ricky Gervais’s comedies a shot here in America.  The show that made him famous, Extras, was given this blessing, and now his current show, Life’s Too Short, has also been given this blessing.  Despite one being over 5 years old and the other in the middle of its American release, I’ve been given and taken the opportunity to watch both of these shows in their entirity, and can say despite his relatively negative stereotype here in America, Gervais has had a rather large influence in comedy today and can still deliver a comedic punch in true dry, British humor fashion.  Hear about my adventures into these two BBC telecasts below.

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10 Reasons I Watch Television

Posted in Articles, Lists, Television, tagged , , , on February 24, 2012| 2 Comments »

I left yesterday on a sour note when I was discussing movies vs televison.  I tried to end on a conclusion describing why the reason the imbalance of 3:1 occurs, but it was my birthday and I had to deal with academic issues.  So I’m tying up some loose ends with this post, describing why I watch television as a whole.  This isn’t a post to describe why television is better than movies, because in reality, they’re just two separate entities that is similar to comparing apples to oranges.  So here’s a list on how I justify watching so much television that is probably related to anyone who has ever turned on a TV.

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Morning Oatmeal: Quentin Tarantino’s Favorite Movies of 2011

Posted in Articles, Lists, Movies, tagged , , , , , on February 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Quentin Tarantino is a bonafide movie director, so his list of favorite movies is fairly significant.  Check ’em out, I fairly agree with his list, but maybe the order could be changed up a little bit.

Quentin Tarantino’s Favorite Movies of 2011

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My Television Watching/ Movie Watching Ratio is an Interesting Number

Posted in Articles, Lists, Television, tagged , , , , , , , on February 23, 2012| 1 Comment »

Frank and Fiona Scene

Recently, I’ve been crushing so much television. Caught up with FX’s Archer and Justified. Looking into Life’s Too Short and Extras. Then there’s The Walking Dead that’s returned [one more episode till I decide my verdict on whether this show is still worth watching]. Awake and Game of Thrones come mid spring. And then a dry summer just gets us amped for Fall television. I’d say it’s almost a one year anniversity before I started taking television seriously. I remember a long time ago, my friends saying, ‘do you watch Parks and Recreation?’ ‘did you see last night’s Office?’ I was always left out of these conversations, trying to sway them to talk about movies for something I could possibly geek out about. Around this time last year, I finally started digging into television. Soon enough I had NBC’s Community, Parks and Recreation, and the Office entire series under my belt. Then Friends. Then suddenly I started craving more and more, catching up on Dexter, Firefly and more until the point where I’ve devoured everything from Arrested Development to more obscure TV shows like Better Off Ted. Now I find myself watching tons more hours of television than movies. I honestly say the ratio hours spent looking at a screen for television to movies is about 3:1. That’s maybe 3 hours of tv for one hour of movies. Translate a two hour movie, that means I watch 7 hours of television for 2 hours of movies. 7 hours of television either translates to 20 30-minute block, or 10 one-hour blocks.

Read below for a weekly take down in of my watching schedule and my thoughts on it.

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Morning Oatmeal: Fincher Talks about Each of his Films

Posted in Articles, Movies, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 21, 2012| 2 Comments »

David Fincher is clearly one of the best directors out there today.  The Social Network, Se7en, Fight Club, Dragon Tattoo and more.  He’s one of the most stylish and ambitious directors making some of the best stories out there today.  Here’s an interview of him talking about each of his films.  If you’ve seen his movies, it’s always interesting to see his thoughts on his movies.

Fincher Talks about Each of his Films

 

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A Serious Debate: Should I Read the Song of Ice and Fire Series?

Posted in Articles, Television, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 17, 2012| 4 Comments »

There’s a very strong debate swinging in my head. In anticipation for Game of Thrones season 2, I’ve already made the conviction to read the book A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. This was to gain insight to some of the ulterior moves of some characters and I’ve been told time and time again that the television show, while a great adaptation, holds no comparison to the book. Seeing as I’ve already seen the series on television, there will likely be little spoilers as I read the book.

Now here comes the debate. As soon as I finish the first book, Game of Thrones season 2 is heavily based on the George R.R. Martin’s second book, A Clash of Kings. The debate is whether or not I should read the book before/during season 2 and spoil the television series. Hit the jump for some back story to help you get some perspective on the situation. Incredibly spoilertastic to those who haven’t watched the series, but no spoilers for those who kept up with the book series. Before you comment, please no spoilers for the upcoming Season 2 or the book A Clash of Kings. I will end you if you dare spoil me.

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Morning Oatmeal: The 64 Biggest Entertainment Related Things to Look Forward to in 2012

Posted in Articles, Character Profiles, Lists, Movies, Television, tagged , , , , , , , on February 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

AV Club has created a rather monstrous list of awesome entertainment news that’s going to hit us this year.  We have movies, television, books, video games, the whole spiel.  Being as it’s February, some of these things have already happened and it’s cool to see if what they expected matches what was received.  Check out the link below.

The 64 Biggest Entertainment Related Things to Look Forward to in 2012

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Taking a Stroll on the Boardwalk: Catching Up on Boardwalk Empire

Posted in Articles, Television, tagged , , , , , , , on January 27, 2012| 5 Comments »

I’ve heavily spent that last 2 weeks or so catching up on both seasons of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.  And I will tell you now, that I’m very hooked.  This series is compelling, graphic, unforgiving, and just oh-so good.  It’s an absolute gold mine for US history buffs and those who love the gangster drama.  Martin Scorsese produces and even directed the very first episode and the amount of detail in representing the best and the worst of the 1920s.  I highly recommend if you aren’t watching, that you find yourself some copies and sit through the literal 24 hour [2 seasons, 12 episodes each, one hour long] roller coaster ride that Nucky Thompson and friends take you on.

Enoch ‘Nucky’ Thompson (Steve Buscemi)is a crooked county treasure in the beautiful town of Atlantic City, New Jersey.  Just as the Volstead Act [Prohibition] is passed, he and his council including mayors, governors, sheriffs, and other political figures raise a glass of the finest whiskies.  Just like the tagline said: “When alcohol was outlawed, outlaws became kings”.  Thompson technically owns Atlantic City as he controls the influx of Alcohol and hands out money like candy.  In the eyes of the public, he’s a dedicated man of service, and in the criminal underworld, he’s one of the most feared men on the Eastern coast.  When he gets tangled with the law, rival factions, lovers and betrayers, Thompson must use his wit and resources to keep control of the town he owns.  By any means necessary.

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Yeah, Alcatraz is Pretty Unforgiving and Pretty Good

Posted in Articles, Television, tagged , , , , , , , on January 24, 2012| 2 Comments »

Fox’s Alcatraz aired last week and I’m still trying to feel it out.  Three episodes have passed since it’s premier and I’ll admit I’m fairly hooked.  Is this another cheesy ambitious detective paired with an unlikely partner cliche?  It sure is.  Is there an overbearing agency that is withholding information from our likable heroes?  You’re damn right.  But what Alcatraz has that transcends other cliche shows lies in its very interesting premise.  In addition to that is that it’s fairly graphic and unforgiving.  Usually shows won’t cross taboos of showing people, particularly young women, getting shot, and even include a surprising amount of gore to accompany it.  A shocking addition on account we’re on a big named publically accessible network like Fox.  Maybe it was to master producer and creater JJ Abrams idea to do this.  Maybe this was a stint that we’ll only see in the first few episodes, but regardless Fox has done its job where it has hooked me in to follow it for a couple more weeks.  But like Terra Nova, if this series fizzles, I’ll soon drop it like a hot tamale in favor for greener pastors.  Read on below for my thoughts on the first couple of episodes.

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