Futurama Cast Updates

After fans were shocked that the voice cast from Futurama might not return for the new season, some good news has surfaced: the voice cast might just return after all.

Currently, Maurice LaMarche (who plays Kif Kroker) has officially signed on, as well as Katey Sagal (who voices Leela) and Tress MacNeille (who voices Mom, as well as other side characters). Billy West and John DiMaggio (Fry and Bender, respectively) have yet to officially sign, though it has been reported that they are "close".

Stay tuned for updates on the situation, and news of the upcoming season.

Image credit: Tv-serieguiden (here).

Comic-Con: Expansion of Dead Space

The original Dead Space, released in 2008 (along with a full-length animated film) was received with overwhelmingly positive reviews, including IGN's award for "Best New IP". But, this isn't the end of the franchise - a prequel, Dead Space: Extraction has already been announced for the Wii and is set for released later this year.

At Comic-Con, it was announced that two sequels for the original game are being planned, as well as a live-action movie. D.J. Caruso, director of such movies as Disturbia and Eagle Eye, has already been signed on as the director. Interestingly, both of those movies star Shia LaBeouf, and his next film, Y: The Last Man, also features LaBeouf, leading to the the possibility that LaBeouf could be featured in this film adaptation.

In more game-to-movie news, it has been confirmed that a Gears of War movie is being planned - however, it has not passed a "basic stage", and no details have been released. Check back for more updates!

Image credit: Gamepressure (here), SuperVoodoo (here).

'Harry Potter' Impresses Critics, Breaks Records

Despite being the sixth film in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has continued to dazzle audiences. Overall, the critical reception has been positive, with the cast being praised and the visuals praised as well. Among the top complaints was the confusion that newcomers likely felt watching the movie and the film "dragging" during the first half.

In the box office, Half-Blood Prince has been even more successful, breaking opening day records with $22.2 million and 5-day records at an astounding $394 million, beating Spider-Man 3 by $12 million. It is quite possible that the film might break even more box office records, considering the fact that the original movie in the series is the fifth highest grossing film of all time.

Image credit: Reading Cinemas (here).

'Futurama' Cast To Be Replaced

Fanboys may have been excited over the return of Futurama, but perhaps they shouldn't get their hopes up: several news outlets have reported that the entire cast of Futurama is to be replaced.

According to 2oth Century Fox, the reason for this major change is their inablity (or, more likely, reluctance) to meet "their [the Futurama cast] salary demands". Seeing as animated shows usually have low budgets, this isn't a surprise, but considering the overwhelming fan response, Fox would be wise to meet these "demands" to please their fans.

Variety reports that the show, while it is indeed returning, will have the incredibly low budget of $75,000 per episode. Their is a small chance that the original voice actors will return, especially considering the overwhelming fan response, because a similar event occured with the cast of The Simpsons a few years back.

Check back for updates on this astounding development in the return of Futurama.

Image credit: diggin88nine.wordpress.com (here).

Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is currently the highest-grossing film of the year, and that's not a surprising fact. An action movie with giant fighting robots and an immediately recognizable license is sure to attract a great deal of fans. But how does the film stack up?

The film revolves around Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and his attempt to live a normal life, free of Bumblebee, an Autobot that has grown attached to him. However, his attempts are futile, as he begins seeing strange symbols whose origins are linked with the Transformers.

However, the plot is certainly not why you will see the movie. In fact, the plot is hardly interesting at all, though the parts of the film that most people will be interested in (namely, giant robot battles and Megan Fox) work for the most part. Nearly every part with the human characters is enormously uninteresting, with the exception of the parts with both humans and Transformers.

Leo Spitz, introduced as Sam's college roommate, is wholly unimportant and bland, though is featured a great deal in the movie. Megan Fox's character was so uninteresting (likely because of her inability to act) that I cannot

even remember her name - and didn't know it when watching the movie either. Mudflap and Skids, two Autobots, are also introduced in the movie, and are possible the most offensive characters in history - they are nothing more than racial stereotypes (one even has a golden tooth).

Overall, the movie is very poor by most standards; however, if you enjoy the license, you will certainly enjoy this movie. As much as I love Transformers, I have to give it a less-than-impressive 4/10.

Image credit: Mania (here), seventeen (here).

Classic Review: TMNT: Hyperstone Heist (Sega Genesis)

With an upcoming, re-release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time that features brand new 3D graphics (a preview of which can be seen here), I thought it only appropriate to review a TMNT arcade game experience of my own with Hyperstone Heist.

Though I never actually played the arcade version, I did own the Genesis version (and still do), and it was one of my all-time favorite games. The "hack 'n slash" action is definitely taken straight from the arcade, and is one of the most memorable parts of the game. But, to be truly fun, you need a partner; having two players really is twice the fun.

The overall experience is greatly improved by the very smooth graphics (for the Genesis days, that is), though it cannot compete with Turtles In Time's superior color palette on the SNES. The sound quality is also very poor, with the voices of the turtle's sounding "raspy" and the background music being very scratchy.

Length is also a big issue in the game; while each of the five levels is very fun, they are not incredibly long, and the game can be played within a very short time frame. The competition in co-op that is created when each player attempts to kill the most enemies to get extra lives also may deter players from going multi-player.

Still, if you stick to the olden days and still own a Sega Genesis (or own an emulator), this is definitely one of the best titles to pick up. 8.5/10

Image credit: Rustaq (here).

"Lost": Stolen?

ABC is getting sued over the TV series Lost, with Anthony Spinner (the producer of multiple TV series, including The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) claiming that it was stolen from him.

Spinner recounts the similarities between the TV series and his idea, also titled Lost, stating that his series also included a plane from Los Angeles crashing into an uncharted island. His series involved both a doctor and a man from the military - which could be the basis for the characters Jack and Sayid, respectively.

Spinner offered the project to ABC multiple times, including 1977, 1991, and 1994, but was rejected everytime. He is now sueing for a cut of royalties, though no other details are known.

Image credit: "The Antitrust Hotch Potch" (here).

Wii Goes To The Movies

The Wii might not be the "media center" of your home yet, but that doesn't mean it isn't on it's way. In addition to the expansive Channels of the Wii, ranging from Weather to the Internet, a new service called "Everyone's Theater Wii" will allow Wii owners to rent movies for a small fee.

Currently, the application is only available in Japan, where Wii owners can download it for 500 Wii Points ($5.00) and rent Warner Bros. movies for 300 Wii Points ($3.00), which they can view for 48 hours. However, it seems that Nintendo will certainly release this same Channel in the U.S.

The service began today in Japan and launched with a total of 54 movies, such as: Batman Begins, Goonies, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Free Willy, and plenty more. That's quite expansive, considering the fact that only Warner Bros. movies are available.

This could be a major stepping stone in the development and the future of the Wii. Right now, only movies previously released are available, but The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will be released on this service on the same day it is released on DVD in Japan. In the future, a similar music service could also become available, and the Wii might become the "media center" of everyone's homes.

In other movie news, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has broken the midnight records set by The Dark Knight. Harry Potter's $22.2 million opening night easily beat out the $18.5 million made by The Dark Knight in it's opening night. According to the trends, it seems that the sequel to this movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (which is to be split into two movies) will likely break this record as well.

Image credit: "Gambit's Blog" (here).

Sony Diches DLC For Gran Turismo PSP

After a shocking 5-year development cycle, Gran Turismo PSP is finally set for release October 1 of this year. And with such a long time for development, gamers will definitely be expecting a big game - and, apparently, this will all be coming right in the box.

It has been confirmed by Sony that no "DLC" (Downloadable Content) will be released for GT PSP. This could be a slightly controversial move; fans often want the most out of their games and devices, and simply because the PSP is capable of downloading extra content, fans will expect that it is available. But there is the other side of fans, who feel that, once they buy a game, they should have the whole game.

The game is to have "800+" cars, so DLC will not be necessary

Personally, I believe DLC should be available in just about all games. Nobody is forced into downloading extra content, and it does provide a more robust gaming experience for those who are willing to play a little extra for it. It's a little unfortunate that not all developers are embracing this concept; Nintendo could easily make thousands by allowing fans to downlad new characters for Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Gran Turismo PSP is slated for release October 1, 2009.

Image credit: IGN (here).

Ryan Reynolds To Play Green Lantern

It looks like the upcoming Deadpool won't be Ryan Reynolds last venture into the world of superheroes. After beating out actors Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto, and Justin Timberlake, Reynolds has officially signed on for the part of Green Lantern in the heroes upcoming film.

But is "the merc with a mouth" up for such a different role? Given Reynolds' usual roles, would it not make more sense for him to play The Flash? Perhaps this is exactly why he has given so much for this particular role. Actors and actresses rarely enjoy being type-cast, so could this be a permanent switch to more serious roles for Reynolds?

There is no doubt that this casting choice will be met with criticism - as most are - but it will be quite interesting to see what Reynolds can do with this role, and what it could mean for the future of DC Comics' films.

Image credit: Answers.com (here).

New Michael Jackson Game

Some rumors have been persisting about an upcoming game based on Michael Jackson - and, apparently, they are true. MJJ Productions, Michael Jackson's personal company, is developing the title. But is it a 'tribute'?

Apparently not. MJJ Productions has been working on the title "for months", and it even includes dialogue from the King of Pop himself. It has been confirmed that Jackson's death has not interfered with the planned release of the game, set for Christmas of 2009.

It will be released for the Xbox 360 and PS3, and is purported to contain a number of hit songs.

Image credit: P.I.D. Radio (here).

Blast From The Past: Spyro The Dragon

Spyro has seen many changes as of late; several games have been released for a multitude of systems, and were often met with less a than positive reaction. However, with The Legend of Spyro being a "reboot" for the series, Spyro has just about reached his former glory - the final stepping stone may be the upcoming movie, The Legend of Spyro.

The first game in the series, plainly named Spyro The Dragon, was over-all well received, with critics citing the colorful graphics and appropriate music as giving a good over-all experience. The gameplay was centered around certain hub worlds, in which many portals allowed the player to enter different Worlds; worlds

which would contain (in the case of the first game) Dragons that have been frozen by Gnasty Gnorc.

The sequel, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage, played on the success of the original game while giving Spyro a whole new world to explore: Avalar. While the gameplay remained largely the same (with Spyro searching for orbs as opposed to dragons), critics praised the expansive new levels, and often humorous story.

Arguably the most popular game in the series, and the final game in the series developed by Insomniac Games (thus ending the first "saga" of Spyro), Spyro: Year of The Dragon, also built on the original idea of hub worlds, but added considerably to the formula. Each world boasted

several mini portals of it's

own, which

would allow the player to play certain mini-games to earn Dragon Eggs (the equivalent of orbs from the second game). Other playable characters were added, such as Sheila the kangaroo and Sgt. Byrd; because of this, the game got overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Although the series has somewhat floundered since Insomniac Games stopped developing the games, the Spyro series will always live on as a popular platformer, and one of the most successful games on the original PlayStation.

Image credit: GameCyte (here), GiantBomb (here).

Flash Game Review: Warfare 1944

When approaching sequels, I am usually very cautious - but when it comes to games, console or Flash, sequels are almost always better, the sole reason being, the gameplay usually remains the same, but with some new additions that change it for the better. That is exactly what happened with Warfare 1944.

The original game, Warfare 1917, was universally well-received, with an average rating of 9.4/10 on Armor Games, and over 13 million plays. It was an original idea, too - a strategy game set during World War I as opposed to World War II. So, with all of this positive attention, it would be foolish to not make a sequel. Enter Warfare 1944.

I'll start off with some of the changes. The two armies playable are the U.S. and Germany - not a noticeable change, but a change none-the-less. Gameplay has changed a decent amount, while still keeping the exciting action of the original. Troops can now be deployed in one of three Deployment zones - this has a major impact on gameplay, because different Deployment Zones have different amounts of Cover (Cover being comparable to the trenches of the original game).

Another major change to gameplay is the addition of Resource Points. While you still have to wait to access a certain type of troop, you can order two different types within moments of each other - assuming you have enough Resource Points. You start off with 800 RP, and steadily gain 200 every few seconds or so. Riflemen cost 200 RP, for example. This makes the game move much faster - a much needed addition, in my opinion.

The Fire Support system has also changed. To order Fire Support, you must have a Office on the field. He can order Fire Support, but at a price - 400 RP for an Air Strike, and 500 RP for an Artillery Strike. With this cost, it is much easier to order Fire Support, which leads to the destruction of tanks much faster. An important feature, for sure, because in the previous games, Tanks were a nearly indestrucible force. Bazooka Teams also make the destruction of Tanks faster.

Warfare 1944 is undoubtedly a great improvement over Warfare 1917. The action is at a faster pace, and Tanks are no longer incredibly powerful. The Defensive/Objective missions makes the game more "fresh", though the Defensive missions are mostly for the German campaign. I can't think of a bad word to say about the game - 10/10.

Image credit: Con Artist Games (here).

News Overview

Next Wii Zelda: According to Shiegru Miyamoto, the creator of the Zelda series (along with many others), the next Wii Zelda game won't be "that radically different". However, he has already stated that the game will certainly use the Wii MotionPlus, and has pointed out that this "older Link" is not wielding his famous Master Sword. While it seems that the art style of Twilight Princess will remain, it still seems that something will change - and not just the controls.

Transformers: The new Transformers movie, Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, has been raking in over $450 million, only beaten by Angels & Demons, which garnered $469 million. This has all been against poor reviews, with critics claiming that the movie was worse than the original - but fans are still, clearly, excited.

The A-Team: The status of The A-Team movie is about to change, as the cast begins to settle in. With Liam Neeson set to play Hannibal Smith, and Bradely Cooper set to play Templeton Peck, the movie is truly coming along. And now, strong rumors are swirling that rapper "The Game" will play B. A. Baracus - stay tuned as more updates appear for The A-Team, set for realease June 11, 2010.

Bioshock 2: A strange, promotional record has appeared regarding the upcoming Bioshock 2. It seems to hint at a plot, though it is certainly left open to interpretation. Read more about it here. Bioshock 2 is set for release on November 3, 2009, for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Image credit: IGN (here)