Here is the newest picture of our upcoming Jessica Chobot statue. We have been working very hard on getting the paint applications perfect on this project. It is our main concern to make a product that Jessica and her fans can be proud to own. Note: This is not a finished statue, but it is getting very close.
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After a week abroad lying in the sun enjoying the views and the delights of time away from work I return home to find a copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl sat on my desk with a mental post-it sat on top saying ‘finally!’ You’ll have to excuse me, Brawl has only just come out in the UK, yes while the rest of the world has been enjoying Smash Bros. We’ve just been digesting the delights of Mario Kart and Wii Fit (if you can find a copy anywhere) so only now do we get Brawl.
It’s probably a good idea to get the views from where I’m coming from to understand the criticism, firstly I’m a huge fan of this franchise cluster-fuck and a look at my records will see me topping up hundreds of hours in Melee. I eagerly awaited the release of Brawl like every other Nintendo Fan boy, checking the dojo site daily for a seep of information which looking back on I wish I’d avoided like the plague. I guess for some it’s different but the Dojo from my point of view pretty much killed Brawl before it reached the players hands, all good spoilers were leaked through months ago so by the time I did put the disc into my Wii, I felt like I’d already played and finish Brawl and was awaiting a sequel. I would have killed to have a blank sheet before walking into Brawl but oh well I killed my own fun.
So the moment you step into Brawl, your looking at a huge package of entertainment that is essentially everything you saw in Melee tweaked here and there and a few my options added which isn’t a bad thing, but wait you might say, what about the Subspace Emissary, the games single player extravaganza? Well sure it’s an addition but to what ends? It is essentially a tedious, struggle to play though around 30 very similar levels of platforming hell with a nice cut-scene of a Nintendo fanboys dream in between with some nods here and there to Nintendo’s backlog of hits. I wouldn’t even expect a Nintendo Fan to enjoy it, for so many reasons. Many levels barely resemble any similarities to Nintendo’s past, aside from a handful of gombas and bosses, the enemies are all badly designed which is crazy, from the developers standpoint, you’ve got hundreds of games from Nintendo full of baddies to use yet here we have these obscure looking things and a poorly designed game that ends with an hour or two of back-tracking old ground for what feels like no reason.
I look for reasons why the single player gameplay feels so poor and I have to look at the man behind it ‘Masahiro Sakurai’ the creator of Kirby and I can’t help but think he’s a little pissed that Nintendo don’t give Kirby a good enough chance anymore so he overdoes it in the Smash Bros games, when you start the subspace you pick between Mario or Kirby, the level design plays out similar to a Kirby game, one of the best items to get in a fight is a weird flight thing taken from the flat on face game ‘ Kirby’s Air Ride’. It might be superstitious but that the impression I got, especially from the Subspace. Overall I’m disappointed with the Subspace, it’s only purpose is a quick way to unlock all the characters in the game but get a team of Nintendo fans round a table and they could do something better than the Subspace.
So what about the rest of the game? That multiplayer bit? Well it’s as good as it has ever been if not better! While there’s a considerably shift between the super fast movement of Melee and essential slow but slippery Brawl, the fun is still there and in a room with 4 people, there’s still the mad dash for Poke balls and Hammers but the newest additions like the Smash Ball makes for some good pandemonium and the new assist trophies while aren’t as apparent or varied are still quite awesome. It is the online mode that is a little disappointing, playing against anyone is impossible due to lag out the ass so you have to rely on friend code fights which is much better depending on connection, also playing matches with friends means you can change the rules to make the game more enjoyable but these options should be available to playing against anyone.
Aside from that the game is filled with everything you should love about Nintendo, trophies, stickers, photo albums, demos, a stage builder. You’ll never get bored of Brawl because there is so much to do but overall the feel is there isn’t that much more than Melee didn’t do and that the single player made is simple a means as to improving the multiplayer experience.
It’s been a long wait for Brawl, it is a shame that the subspace emissary isn’t as up to scratch as the multiplayer is, yet the rest of the game is essentially fun to boot and the multiplayer which is pretty much the reason you’ll by Brawl is everything you should expect and a bit more. I’ve been playing Melee since it arrived on the cube and still play it right up to this day, expect the same six years on with Brawl.
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P.S. Dr Tran, Stykman, Jessica and Sam and Max are all dropping very soon! Pre-order them all from here!
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Dr. Tran and Stykman will be arriving at our warehouse on July 28th 2008. We have already sold a large number of both of these items and we imagine there will be a rush to buy the day they arrive. We recommend pre-ordering now to make sure you get one of these collectibles.
Our Jessica Chobot statue is almost complete and only the last finishing touches are being added to get it ready for a September release.
The Sam and Max statue sculpt has been fully approved and is getting it’s paint application right now. We expect the statue to release in September or October. We will have the statue up for pre-order later this month.
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Those people wanting to revisit their childhood may want to note down the 29th July on your calendars, the sequel to John Badhams “Wargames” will be released straight to DVD. Wargames: The Dead Code is rumored to be decidedly mediocre, but if you’re keen on seeing some of the first video footage of Stargate Worlds, Cheyenne Mountains upcoming MMO based on the popular TV series, you might want to catch this on DVD when it releases if you’re interested. Recently a trailer for Wargames: The Dead Code was included with the Stargate: Ark of Truth DVD, so it should probably come as no surprise to learn that there is a lot more footage of the game tucked away inside the Wargames sequel. I hear rumors of video conferencing within the game too, however I’d be skeptical of that particular rumor for the meantime.
I sense a movie double bill night approaching.
Footage from the game includes a blurry noob shooting a Goa’uld Trooper.
Said noob then dies a painful death.
Stargate Worlds looks to be shaping up pretty well. Could it be that Cheyenne Mountain will replicate Age of Conan’s recent successes with consumers?
Time will tell. Stargate Worlds is scheduled for release in Q4 2008
The Gruff
Check out our range of collectibles over here! Taking orders for Stykman and Dr Tran now!
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I’ve never been particularly interested in New Line’s fright men. I’m perfectly aware of whom Jason Voorhees, Leatherface and Michael Meyers are, but they never managed to slash their way into my heart.
When it comes to playful horror, for my money, it doesn’t get any better than the Puppet Master series (specifically the third movie). So it shouldn’t come as a shock that the Jason, Freddy and Leatherface toys that actually interest me look like they escaped off the set of Puppet Master.
Earlier this year, Mezco rolled out their Cinema of Fear brand. The line encompasses all of New Line’s horror icons and includes a variety of products; including figures, dioramas and plush toys. Every time I would stop into Newbury comics, I would spend a few minutes playing around with their Jason plush. It’s something about his eyes. They’re so bulbous.
As you may have gathered from my previous Sideshow post, toys are friggen expensive these days! And these plush toys are no exception. Spencer Gifts was originally charging $30.00 for each doll, but after two generations of discounts, you can grab them for a cool ten spot. Mezco has a second series scheduled for October featuring the same lineup in alternate, less recognizable outfits.
These toys are known as ‘rotoplush’. I don’t know if that’s a technical term or something Mezco invented, but Microsoft Word certainly doesn’t recognize it. Basically their head, feet and hands (and any additional weapon) are rotocast, while the body is a stiff plush. These aren’t beanie baddies. They’re stuffed to the brim with fluff. Unfortunately their limbs are not sturdy enough for them to stand on their own. Thanks to some inspiration from Mezco’s guru Jor, I added a wire skeleton to mine. Now they can stand on their own two feet and hold any embarrassing pose I decide to put them in.
It was quite possibly the easiest surgery ever performed. Their appendages are connected to the body using a plastic cable tie. Just snip the original tie and feed a length of 14 gauge wire up their legs and into their head (and through one arm and out the other). You can buy replacement ties from Home Depot. Head to the electrical aisle and grab a pack of 40 four-inch ties for two bucks. If you plan to snip the head tie, you’ll need a longer tie, but separating the head piece isn’t necessary.
Toys may still be expensive, but if you wait long enough, or get someone else to buy them for you, you won’t feel the pinch quite as much.
As always, you can find more photos of the toy(s) featured in this blog on my Flickr page.
Until next time, I’m gonzo. Check out the Stykman Statue at our store!
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I’m not sure if it’s the economy or just the fact that I’m starting to feel like I’m running out of space, but lately, I’ve been seriously thinking about how many action figures I’m buying. (In all seriousness, it’s the space thing, I’m not smart enough to stop collecting just because of the economy.)
Currently, I actively collect almost all superhero minimates made; many of the Justice League Unlimited figures; a selection of just my favorites from the new GI Joes, DC Universe and Marvel Legends and then a random movie figure here and there.
That may not sound like many to some, but after doing this since I could find Mego figures brand new at Children’s Palace, it does add up.
The results of that many years of collecting are 13 shelves full of figures at work and 12 more at home, some of which are pretty large. That’s not counting the drawer containers and other storage boxes full. I won’t even take a stab at what the total would be. Definitely not thousands, but hundreds is a safe bet. This may shock some of you, but less than 5 of those figures are MOC or on card at all. 99.9% are loose and have been played with in some form or other.
The major GI Joe convention from last weekend provides a good example of how my collector’s conscience is affecting me. Pictures of legions of new GI Joe figures that are coming out in the next year are hitting the net now. Of the many coming, I think one set of four is all that really has me genuinely interested. There are a couple of other random figures I’d like, but Hasbro has them buried so deep in multipacks that I’m not even going to try. $50 and getting stuck with two more tanks and several extra figures just to get TWO of the 13 original Joes is just too much. I’m beginning to think I’ve had enough of this line, at least until they re-release Sgt. Slaughter and Lowlight.
Marvel Legends and Justice League have both taken substantial hiatuses (hiati??) recently and absence has not necessarily made the heart grow fonder for either line. I won’t say that I’ll be dropping them, but I realize that I can live without them for the most part. DC Universe has me thinking similarly, but their problem is simply an utter failure to put out product at retail. If it weren’t for an utter compulsion to own at least one of every DC character ever made, I’d drop them easily. (More on this next week)
Finally, I come to minimates. I’ll collect those until they quit making them. (I know, I know. DC has already said they are done, but I refuse to acknowledge that. Denial is all that keeps the tears at bay.) To me, there is no such thing as a bad minimate. (At least, not until the Desperately Seeking Susan movie mates are released.) I already have well over 100 of the little guys and would have no problem buying over 100 more if they keep making new characters. They are my main weakness.
So I have to ask myself and you: is there really a particular stopping age for collecting toys and comics? Or will I be having my nurse wheel my wrinkly butt down the toy aisle until my final days? Will you be doing the same?
sentinel331
No question that you must get Dr. Tran, available here.
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The Chest of Chobot sounds like a pirate movie, but really it’s more pictures of our upcoming Jessica Chobot statue.
This first picture shows you the entire front view of the Jessica statue. Remember this is not a finished product and changes will still be made. Some changes that we are working on are removing the redness on her stomach and arms. When we originally drew the turn around art we used the redness to show an innocent glow to the statue. However, after seeing it in statue form the redness looks a bit odd.
The second image shows the back of the Jessica Statue. Please note the game boxes on the base are not finished and the white shag carpet needs a better color of white.
Finally we give you the shot that inspired the fictional pirate movie “The Chest of Chobot!” This shows off the front of Jessica’s t shirt that has a Jinx logo.
The Jessica Chobot statue is available for pre-order at Symbiote Studios. Bring one home and feel less lonely on those warm summer nights.
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Dear Ubisoft
Our name is Symbiote Studios and we are a toy manufacturer that specializes in high end consumer products. We make action figures, bobble heads, busts and statues. All our products are limited edition and hand numbered to retain their inherent value. We specialize in designing products that appeal to sophisticated consumers. We also enjoy long walks on the beach and late night LAN parties.
Ubisoft is a company that makes high quality cutting edge games that are creative and infused with passion and dedication. This is why we think we would be a perfect match for each other.
Now we are not one to beg, sure we flirted with other video game companies in the past, but now we only have eyes for you. (Don’t tell Telltale Games as we are seeing them currently.)
Just imagine what we both could make together. Imagine if you will an entire line of Raving Rabbids figures and bobble heads. Heck, Raving Rabbids are just like Dr. Tran but with fur and longer ears!
Imagine DR. Tran as a Raving Rabbid. An entire army of Raving Rabbids!
In short, give us a chance and we promise to be a good boyfriend or girl friend or whatever sex our company is.. do companies even have sexes? We will create the best products for you and we will promise to stop sending love notes to Jade Raymond.
Standing outside your window holding a boom box…
Symbiote Studios
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We’re living in the gaming generation where there’s an ongoing war of hardcore gamers against the casual gaming uprising. It’s a tough clash, while the casual market is doing good things for the industry on a positive scale giving videogames a good name or making your once ‘concealed in the bedroom’ console a welcome guest in the living room, hardcore fans say this kind of thing is killing the industry giving the wrong impressions and making it’s games shift target audience.
I say, can’t we all just get along?
Of course I can’t really speak too much about this otherwise I’ll draw myself into dealing with a much greater dispute. Nevertheless I’m here to converse over a casual amusement from you guessed it, Nintendo. ‘Cooking Guide’ for Nintendo DScaught my eye via a video found on the Nintendo Channel, now usually when this kind of thing comes out for the DS I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt such and welcome it with open arms on such occasions as Brain Training and Nintendogs, but what I’ve learnt from the training range is that I don’t care how old my brain, eyes or math skills are. But here comes a game that isn’t judging me on my sight or memory, both of which are very poor…according to the grapevine.
Cooking guide is accurately what it says on the tin, a cookbook of around 250 recipes all enclosed within a single DS cart. Now when I’m not gaming or getting my blog on, I love to cook and I’m not talking pre-cooked dinners, aside from most of breakfast, I try my best to make sure I cook all of my other meals of the day but my knowledge of dishes isn’t very great.
A great game DS game should really make use of almost all the typical DS functionsand it really pains me when I see potential in a DS title left unaccomplished. Here, you’ve obviously got your visual representations taking you step by step through the meal you are preparing includes pictures or on request you can view a video demonstration of how to do certain activities, you then have the audio side of the game where your chef companion will talk you through what to do and how to do it and it wouldn’t be a casual title without voice recognition to boot and using your voice you can ask the chef to continue with the recipe and ask for more details on how to prepare your food. It kind of cool, if not degrading chatting to your chef sidekick, often you feel like you’re the sidekick in this relationship. The microphone picks up almost everything you do including the smallest noise, for example while chopping, the chef would keep asking ‘pardon!?’ and you often find yourself repearing things until you give in and just press the necessary button.
The recipes are taken from all around the world and you can custom search recipes based on country, the time taken, difficulty level and calorie content for those picky or on diets, I imagine this is a good product for those who are taking the Wii Fit training and a controlled diet seriously. I chose to scroll through the entire list and make a collection of my favourite, I found a good selection of around 20% of the recipes but i don’t exactly recommend this game for vegetarians who insist on eating less than 200 cals.
As if that wasn’t enough you can use the game to keep a record what ingredients you don’t have to the next time you’re out and about doing your food shop, simply take this with you to remind you of what you need to buy, a nice idea but personally I’m one of those people who feels awkward taking their own possessions out in supermarkets, not because I’m worried someone will steal it, but when I put it back in my pocket, I’m worried someone thinks I’m stealing it and because I think people think that I involuntarily act suspicious, it’s a mad world inside this head of mine.
While the are a great number of recipes and things to do there’s an great opportunity that appear to be absent, for example wouldn’t downloading new recipes be pretty cool? Imagine Nintendo uploading a new recipe a week for you to try out? Yeah…imagine because I’m pretty sure that won’t happen.
So there you have it. I recommend cooking guide only to those who don’t fear the casual style of game. If you hate that and cooking then you probably made up your mind on this game before you clicked the link. Know only that this is definitely the best of the touch generation available that doesn’t make you feel too stupid and, in my opinion, worth the asking price something I’ve never felt with brain training.
Until I get around to filming a demonstration of me cooking up something tasty there’s this video of the game for your eyes to feast upon. Cooking Guide is out now in the UK and Japan, I wouldn’t suggest you import to the US but if this thing is your bag (baby) then go importo!
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ps. Check out the symbiotestudios store right here
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Alone in the Dark held promise a few months ago, showcasing various concepts and innovations that made quite a few of us put this game on our watch lists. Interesting devices such as TV-Style recaps and sheer diversity of game modes and the history behind the franchise had me hoping that they would do the older games justice. I personally held fairly high expectations for this game and oh boy, was I really disappointed.
Now I should probably mention right now that I completed the 360 version of the game and found it to be enjoyable with the control scheme, even with the bugs, but this game is so underpowered in terms of its implementation, it’s ultimately flawed. The console actually ends up being the best of the platforms I’ve seen this on. Despite the PC version being able to generate more eye candy for those with high-spec systems, the PC version is unfortunately slapped into insignificance by the 360, which handled itself much more effectively.
To put it bluntly, the PC version is terrible. The controls are awful, poorly implemented and unintuitive, and the software also boasts some killer collision detection gaffes. What’s truly surprising however, is that the over the shoulder camera view does not support mouse look, which means that it’s so much of a hassle even trying to play through certain sections that it doesn’t bear repeating.
The weapon manipulation is terrible. Once Edward picks up an axe for example, you have to sweep the mouse from side to side in order to orientate the weapon, then hit the mouse button to strike, causing all manner of problems in combat.
As a console game, using the dual sticks it’s much more friendly, however even then, its a frustrating control mechanic. Despite its innovations, the mashing of different game play mechanics such as driving, shooting, first person and third person exploration and quick time events just do not mesh at all. There isn’t one section of the game where they’ve perfected any disciplines, and it does show.
Defying genres can have its unforeseen consequences, however Eden should take solace in the fact that despite these shortcomings, they’ve nonetheless pushed game designers in the right direction with some of their ideas. AitD isn’t a terrible game on the 360, but if I were you, avoid the PC version like the proverbial plague…
The Gruff
Chobotenator is almost finished! Preorder here to avoid being disappointed!
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