Minecraft: CoCo Edition
Danny and I have been enjoying Minecraft on the XBox 360. I think Conan O’Brien has managed to encapsulate the feelings of both of our respective girlfriends. Enjoy!
Explore Boston… in Assassin’s Creed 3
I’ve been powering my way through Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and about to start on Revelations in preparations for the upcoming release of Assassin’s Creed 3. This video just proves how much my wait is justified. Take a look.
Along with new improvements like moving blend spots and indoor escape routes, I’m really excited for the new combat system which seems more free-flowing and comparable to the Batman: Arkham series fighting mechanic. It looks there has also been a new update to the Animus. I can’t wait to play this game and see how Connor’s life effects Desmond’s in 2012.
Man, I really need to just marathon through Revelations.
Borderlands 2 Goes Musical
I used to avoid first person shooters. Sure I played Goldeneye, but I didn’t really enjoy them until a little game called Halo. Then, along came Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and I was sold on another franchise. But recently, there has been a little fatigue from the repetitive nature of first person shooters. Most recently, Danny and I have dived headfirst into the world of Pandora and enjoyed Borderlands. Now Borderlands still has a lot of the repetitive shooting mechanics, but what sets Borderlands apart from the plethora of FPS games out there is the sense of humor present in the game. Check out what I mean in this new trailer.
Batman: Arkham… Prequel?
Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are two of the best comic video games ever created. Developer Rocksteady Studios is obviously hard at work at another installment even teasing back in December at the VGAs. Well, Variety is reporting Rocksteady’s new Batman game will be a prequel featuring Batman’s first encounter with Joker. Also, the game will feature Batman’s Justice League cohorts including Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash.
There are a couple questions that come to mind. Will characters like Superman and Wonder Woman be playable or only appear in cameos? Who will voice the Joker with Mark Hamill claiming retirement from the character?
Also considering recent news that (a) Nolan will not be involved in future DC movies and (b) no possibility for new DC films after Man of Steel before 2015, I’m hoping this game manages to give me my DC fix in 2014, as that would be the earliest possible release. I’m also hoping DC and Warner Bros. gets their act together and utilizes their laundry list of characters in film soon. I’m loving Young Justice and Green Lantern: The Animated Series, but I really want to see them on the big screen!
Game of Thrones: Minecraft Edition
If you are like me, then you might already be sucked into the game Minecraft. The game where you can demolish everything you see and build it up into anything you want it to be. Minecrack, as some people are calling it, has already come up interesting maps which include working computer boards,Star Trek’s Enterprise, and so much more.
I am also a Game of Thrones fan, along with Ricky and Natalia. The Westeroscraft community has set out to create the Seven Kingdoms all inside the PC version of Minecraft.
It is amazing, just amazing.
Addictive Apps: Temple Run
As many you may know when you download the Amazon Appstore on your smart phone they offer a free app of the day. Recently the free app of the day was this little game called Temple Run. It is currently available for iOS systems, including the iPhone, iPad, and Android. It used to be .99, but as of this morning it is still being offered for free in the Appstore. I downloaded it mainly because it was free and a few Facebook friends had mentioned that it was an entertaining game. Typically this means it is of the Farmville variety and I steer clear, but while waiting for a movie to begin that night I peer over and both Danny and Ricky are playing this game. I start it up and somehow I am 3 days in with no clear recollection of where the time has gone. If I have a spare moment to kill I find myself running this endless maze and being chased by demonic monkeys.
This game is highly addicting for the mere fact that it is small bursts of increasingly difficult twists, dramatic drops, and multiple obstacles. They keep you motivated by having objectives that you can complete in order to increase your score and unlock power-ups and other characters. I have been more of the Angry Birds player in the past, but I appreciate the short-burst entertainment of Temple Run. This is a game that should be easy, I mean, you see a turn coming up you swipe and clear it, see a chasm you jump! Well, after a dozen or so turns you realize that it is not that easy and the game refreshes fast enough that you can try to redeem yourself almost instantly. That is what makes this game so addictive.
For you Disney fans there is a variation of this game to promote the newest Disney Pixar movie: Brave. 
Happy 40th Birthday Atari
Today happens to be the 40th birthday of Atari. I’m too young to really appreciate the 2600, but the games still have my attention to this day. Back when there were arcades, I would pop quarters in Gauntlet and Millipede. Hell, I was really into San Francisco Rush when I was in high school. It is a little sad where Atari is now, but there’s not much we can do.
To commemorate the date, Atari has put out this video:
DC Universe Fighting Game
So we got a peek at what could happen when DC characters like Superman, Batman, and the Joker would appear in a fighting game in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Now the makers of Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm, have made Injustice: Gods Among Us. Check out the announcement trailer:
The game appears to feature a cast of characters including Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Flash, Solomon Grundy, Harley Quinn, and Lex Luthor. There’s also the possibility of Captain Cold, Mister Freeze, or another ice-based villain. NetherRealm also promises a roster with “at least as many” characters as Mortal Kombat
It looks fun and interesting, but not being a fan of fighting games, I’ll probably pass. I wish Warner Bros. could focus on creating content that was more original and less reactionary to the successes of others. A DC Universe fighting game ends up drawing comparison to Marvel’s many Capcom games which are strong examples of excellent fighting games. A unifying Justice League movie would be compared to the Avengers. So Warner Bros. I hope you read this (Yeah, right): Make content worthy of your characters like Arkham City that respects the source material.
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Trailer
As I’ve said time and again, I’m a big fan of DC comics. I am also a big fan of Legos. On top of that I am a fan of video games. So of course, I love the Lego games, especially Lego Batman. Well, here’s the trailer for Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.
This looks like the same kind of fun and humor of previous Lego titles, but now we get a full stable of DC heroes to play with as well as a stable of Batman villains with Lex Luthor thrown in the bunch. One thing I’m a little wary of is the addition of voices. So many Lego games have done so well with the silent mini-figs. Minor complaint. I’m looking forward to playing this one.
Harley Quinn’s Revenge DLC Trailer
We talked about it for a little bit in last week’s podcast, but here’s the trailer for Harley Quinn’s Revenge DLC for Batman: Arkham City. Take a look.
Sets up the story and shows what is going to be happening. It looks like the majority of the game takes place in Arkham City’s Industrial District where Joker set up camp in the main story. The game will be split as you spend time playing as both Batman and Robin. I’m looking forward to see exactly how much more Batman lore we’ll get from this story. Will there also be more hints to future games (Arkham World?). We’ve only got a few weeks to find out.
Call Yourself A Nerd 