This here is one of Ireland’s top Anime cons and we want you guys to make it apart of your con list, when it happens.
below are images from 2011
This years event will be held in the summer, go to http://www.nom-con.net/
MOTUC Classic:Episode #8 Dean Stefan Interview
To get the fans of Alternative Mindz familiar with the Masters of the Universe Chronicles, Here is a Classic Episode!
Hello and welcome to March’s edition of Masters of the Universe Chronicles.
You also find out who the guest will be on April’s show and hopefully you wont be disappointed. The Dean Stefan interview is very informative and even if you were a fan of the 2002 Mike Young Production show or not, you will hopefully enjoy it! Dean talks about how King Grayskull came about, what was planned for season 3 of the show and much more
You can join the facebook group www.facebook.com/mastersoftheuniversechronicles and go to the official home of this podcast by clicking chris.vint@podbean.com
Masters of the Universe Chronicles: “The Shaping Staff” Commentary
In another episode of our commentaries episodes, myself and He-Man cartoon expert James “Busta Toons ” Eatock commentate on “The Shaping Staff”. So if you have the DVD, why not join us by popping it in your player. All you need do is press the play button on your DVD remote when we instruct you to! The audio of the episode is in the background so you will hear what we’re talking about regardless.
Head over to the Pop Culture Network boards and post what episodes you would like to hear us perform commentaries on by clicking here –http://vglosers.conforums.
Also if you are a fan of James’ work and who isn’t, why not head over to www.cerealgeek.com to buy THE glossy magazine dedicated to cartoons of the 80s. You will find many a cool article, drawing and just fun facts too! You can buy pdfs of the magazine and pre-order forthcoming issues. Support a great magazine and a great guy too! Follow James on Twitter – @cerealgeek and you can follow Chris too – @Vinto316 or @motuchronicles
Also make sure to head over to James’ blog which can be found at www.bustatoons.blogspot.com
bonus episode: What the Shell
Why Michael Bay? Why?
Hello and welcome to a bonus episode of What the shell. We apologise that it is not under better circumstances!
Dylan Cook rallies the troops, Chris Vint, Suine Hallock and Mike Lacey as they talk about the announcement that has shell shocked the majority of TMNT fans. Michael Bay had stated that the Turtles would be aliens…………….
This opens the floodgates for debate as to why this shouldnt be allowed to happen. We are joined by the fantastic Brian T Stevenson and he brightens up our spirits by reciting a very apt prayer to you and the hosts! This just shows there isnt all doom and gloom!
The guys read out some comments from around the internet (twitter, he-man.org, popculturenetwork.com and the What the Shell facebook page). They tell us how they feel about it too!
Make sure to head back on April 1st for the awesome Townsend Coleman interview. Suine Hallock is now a permanent co-host on What the Shell and major congrats to Suine for being the fourth turtle. The hosts are all on Twitter – Dylan @Happymonkeyshoe, Chris @Vinto316, Suine @Suine_Hallock, Mike @mlacey91 and the podcast is @tmntshell. There is the Facebook page which is www.faceboook.com/
Episode 1: What the Shell
Episode 1
Hey Dudes
Welcome to episode 1 of What the Shell. You are in the turtle lair but fear not as you have three turtle-rific hosts to guide you through the episode. Dylan Cook, Mike Lacey and Chris Vint make up your turtle-tastic trio. This is a podcast that will air monthly and possible extra episodes may happen depending on scheduling and news stories.
So what do the guys have lined up for you? With New York ToyFair over a few weeks ago, the guys are talking about the classic TMNT reveals and the modern TMNT reveals toyline wise. They discuss who they want to be made next, THAT playset and a few other things!
In the commercial break, make sure to check out Suine Hallock’s Radical Retro Turtle Toy Talk and if you are a fan of his work(why would you not be?) head over towww.radicalretro.com to check out his terrific web series! Thanks go to Suine for allowing us to use his audio in the podcast!
The guys also have an announcement and how you can be involved in it. Tune in to find out what surprises they have up their sleeve!
Follow us on Twitter by following TMNTShell for the show, Vinto316 for Chris, Mlacey91 for Mike and Happymonkeyshoe for Dylan. There is also a facebook page which ishttp://www.facebook.com/#!/
Till the next episode – COWABUNGA dudes!!
Prologue episode of What the Shell
Prologue
Hello and welcome to the prologue episode of What the Shell, the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles podcast.
In this episode the show host Dylan Cook and his co-hosts Chris Vint and Mike Lacey grab a slice of pizza and introduce themselves. The guys also talk about what got them into TMNT, their favourite movie from the 3 live action ones and the CGI movie, the characters they want in the newly revealed Playmates TMNT Classic line and much more.
From episode #1 onwards, this podcast will also feature the audio from the terrific Suine Hallock’s Radical Retro Turtle Toy Talk. To find out more about this fantastic video series, head to www.radicalretro.com and check it out.
Make sure to head over to our lair which is the Unofficial TMNT Facebook page which is here –http://www.facebook.com/#!/
Episode 1 will be available for you on March 1st and stay tuned for more on this monthly podcast!
Classic: Operation Retroshock – Wrestlemania Special
Hello everyone and Welcome to another episode of Operation Retroshock. In this Episode Allan and Chris decide that because it is Wrestlemania Season they would provide their own little piece on the event known as “The Grand-daddy of them All!”
The show begins with Allan and Chris getting pumped up for the event by taking us on a trip back in time as only Operation Retroshock can. They give us a rundown of every Wrestlemania event to date, yes they bring you Wrestlemania’s 1 through 25. That means matches starring Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Randy Savage, Rowdy Piper, Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Randy Savage and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase right up to the Attitude and Modern Era with The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, John Cena and Randy Orton to name but a few. This is a segment not to be missed and if you have been living under a wrestling rock then this is all you need to listen to, to bring you up to Wrestlemania speed.
After the break Allan and Chris dive straight in this year’s Wrestlemania, Wrestlemania 26 from Phoenix, Arizona! The guys take you down the card, with matches such as Chris Jericho Vs. Edge, Money in the Bank and Undertaker Vs. Shawn Michaels. They give their opinion on the individuals in the matches and whether they think the match will grab your attention and then of course make their predictions on who they think will win!
To Round out the show Allan and Chris play The Undertaker’s “Funeral March” which fades into Wrestlemania 26’s Theme “I Made It” by Kevin Rudolf.
As Always visit the home of Operation Retroshock at www.PopCultureNetwork.com for shows on Toys, Comics, Video Games and all the things you love! Not only does Pop Culture Network give you shows but a store that can track you down virtually anything covered on the site!
Rex, Zombie Killer Review
by Charles Suffel
Writer Rob Anderson
Artist/Cover Artist Dafu Yu
From the full page ad in February’s Diamond Previews:
In the wake of a zombie apocalypse, a Golden Retriever and a small pack of animals, accompanied by a bat-wielding gorilla, attempt to cross the country to find safety. But they’ll face many dangers, including a group of outlaw bikers! Homeward Bound meets The Walking Dead in this double-sized one-shot!
We’ve seen animal teams before We3 and Beasts of Burden are great examples. What drew me in immediately in this book was the team dynamic or the lack thereof. The animals aren’t written simply, they all have very distinct personalities and the dialogue seems very natural. This a rocky group, the pack mentality hasn’t kicked in yet. Watching Rex be a leader, the voice of reason, the big brother, the peacemaker, and the tactician all while trying to get where he wants to go really works. Kenji’s naivety, Brutus’ bravado, Buttercup’s optimism, and Snowball’s snotty aloofness make for an interesting combination. This book definitely doesn’t skimp on the zombie action. Rotters are all over the place and our heroes have to learn to think quickly and work together to keep themselves steps ahead from the shambling hoards. Throw in a group of nut-job bikers with a really sick idea of fun and you’ve got a book that keeps you turning pages and leaves you wanting more.
Post apocalyptic books are always an interesting playground, a great backdrop to showcase the human condition. I think by giving us a bunch of non-humans to follow Rob Anderson shows us a different and refreshing view of the usual zombie apocalypse. If all this sounds as good to you as it does to me get to your local comic shop order this book. The release date is April 25th. Stop by the website www.rexzombiekiller.com, it’s a great website with a lot of preview material and background stuff.
Format: ONE-SHOT
Price: $3.50
For more on Rex, Zombie Killer, check out Charles Suffel’s interview with creator Rob Anderson!
Follow Chuck on Twitter @Chuck_Suffel
ORS Reviews: Rayman Origins (PS Vita)
by Allan Price
Most game savvy people would have to agree that the Playstation Vita has one of the most impressive launch line-ups for any console in recent times. You just have to look at the 3DS….which had PilotWings and Ridge Racer 3D. The Vita hits the ball out the park when it comes to quality with the likes of Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Wipeout 2048 and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. They are just the tip of the Vita launch iceberg because one of the other great launch titles comes from an old favourite.
It’s a Vita conversion of Rayman Origins, last year’s beautiful retro reboot of the classic platformer, and it’s arrived on Vita with its gorgeous hand-drawn HD visuals wonderfully intact. It’s arguably the most stunning-looking 2D platformer ever made, and one of the most inventive, matching the likes of New Super Mario Bros Wii when it comes to throwing in crazy concepts at a frantic rate.
Rayman Origins also has its own distinctive cartoon style, an infectious, exuberantly silly brand of humour, and one of the best soundtracks in modern gaming. You’re not just interacting with the visual landscape, but also with the soundscape too. All of this remains in the Vita version of the game. Visuals designed to show off the 1080p look with stunning sharpness and vibrant color on the 5 Inch OLED screen, the smooth animation and slick, multi-layered backgrounds appear to have made the transition without a detail fudged or missed.
Rayman Origins asks a lot of your platforming skills, and so a lot of the controls. If I was being really, really picky we might say that the left analogue stick isn’t quite as precise on the Vita as it is in the PS3 version, but there’s not much in it, and within a short period of starting play we’d ceased to notice. While Rayman Origins has its share of nasty difficulty spikes, we can’t honestly blame the controls for our failure to zip through these on the first try.
Vita-specific features are relatively thin on the ground. Bar the pinch-to-zoom gesture, the main one in the single-player campaign is some extra collectible items – relics – which you have to tap when you see them on the screen. All I can say is, good-luck remembering to do so when you’re in the midst of all that bonkers platforming mayhem.
One thing missing from its console counterparts is multiplayer which is a slight disappointment, but not one that should put you off Rayman Origins on Vita for a minute. If you have a home console and simply want to play the game, then the 360 and PS3 versions are now widely available for under £20, so might be a more tempting bet. Yet there’s something about the fast-paced, short-lived levels of Rayman Origins that make it a natural fit for handheld play, and the action is just as compulsive and addictive as it was on the home consoles, if not more so. In fact, one of the best things about replaying Rayman Origins on Vita is that it hammers home what an artful, beautifully constructed platformer it is, making it all the more tragic that more people haven’t managed to pick it up. This new Vita version marks a chance to put this situation straight.
In Conclusion
A fabulous conversion of one of the finest 2D platformers ever made, with beautiful HD cartoon graphics, bags of energy and an excess of ideas. If you missed Rayman Origins on its first pre-Christmas run this is an opportunity to make good on your mistake, and if you buy it on Vita then you’re buying one of the best launch games on the system.
9/10
Follow Allan on Twitter @AllanGWPrice
ORS Reviews: Lumines Electronic Symphony
by Allan Price
When it comes to musical rhythm games, Q entertainment knows what they are doing. First launching with the PSP, Lumines has become a classic gaming hit due to its addictive gameplay, fantastic soundtrack and suitability for portable gameplay. With the launch of the PlayStation Vita, Q? entertainment have gone back to the well along with Ubisoft and crafted Electronic Symphony. Whilst the core of the Lumines franchise remains the same, there is enough in this package to justify yet another purchase of this fantastic series.
For those who may have never played a Lumines game, the aim is to build blocks of the same colour that will then eliminate them. It works a bit like Tetris aside from the fact that you are matching colours not building lines. As those colours match, the lines will eliminate and the music may change, depending on how far into the level you are.
Lumines: Electronic Symphony introduces touch game-play for the first time. Whilst most of the game can be controlled by the regular controls of the PlayStation Vita, you can if you wish move the blocks via the touch screen. This sometimes can feel a bit more intuitive than the regular controls, but we found a combination of both was the best solution. One frustrating aspect about this is that the menus force you to use the touch screen.
Lumines: Electronic Symphony also introduces game modes other than the main journey mode. In the journey mode you continue through various themes and soundtracks until you fail. As you reach those songs, they are unlocked for use in other game modes and to say Lumines: Electronic Symphony has a brilliant soundtrack is an understatement. Songs include the brilliant “Played-A-Live by Safri Duo” (which fits Lumines incredibly well), “Hey Boy Hey Girl” by the Chemical Brothers and “Yesterday when I was Mad” by the Pet Shop Boys to name just a few.
As well as the journey mode, Lumines: Electronic Symphony includes some unique game modes that are new to the series. One of the more interesting modes is the world block. Each day, the game will generate a huge block full of Lumines blocks. As players are online and playing the game, the block reduces in size until it disappears. If you contribute to the destruction of the block, you gain experience that can unlock new weapons for you to use in the journey mode.
There is also the ability to play through the themes by themselves to up your score and also against the clock where you try and score as many points as possible in the time frame that you set. These modes are perfect for pick up and play. Whereas with the journey mode you can be going for half an hour or more if you get on a roll (making it not the most suitable for mode for short trips), you can set a limit of say six minutes so you know when the game will finish. And if you want to take the game to the next level it also has a master mode where the blocks come faster and the chains are not as easy to create.
Visually Lumines: Electronic Symphony is impressive. Although the PSP game did very well for the technology, the PlayStation Vita takes this to the next level with some visual effects that really bring home the visual and aural experience of the game. It’s as much about how the game looks as to how it sounds which leads to the addictive nature of the game. The soundtrack as mentioned before is one of the game’s best features and even if you don’t like the soundtrack when looking at a list, it will probably grow on you over time, especially once the addictive game-play gets to you.
In Conclusion
Lumines: Electronic Symphony is very much like the old games and in some ways that can be seen as a negative. However, Lumines has always been a game that relies so much on its addictive nature and familiarity that it’s hard to see where they could have improved the game. The changes on Vita including the world block and the touch screen controls may not be enough to consider the game value enough if you already have the old games, but on its own, Lumines: Electronic Symphony is a fantastic PlayStation Vita game.
8/10
Follow Allan on Twitter @AllanGWPrice