Posted in: Game Reviews by Michael Durr on December 16th, 2012
Another year for the franchise NBA video game of the console, portable and pc world has come. NBA 2k13 is automatically the best NBA game you will play this season before you even flip on the game menu because no other outfit can get their act together long enough to produce a viable game. With that aside, I suppose NBA 2k13 could have rested on their laurels but instead we get a game that is introducing a lot of new concepts. Let us go forth and play this hardwood smash of putting the ball into the ole peach basket.
Ultra realism is the mark of the hour for NBA 2k13 graphics and they are arguably the best the game has ever been in that department. Player's faces look reconditioned, custom animations have improved dramatically and uniforms are tailored to the slightest detail (with updates). It looks and feels like a television broadcast worthy basketball game. There are so many players to get right (including members of classic teams) but I think we can safely say that all of them are covered correctly here.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on December 9th, 2012
One of the traps as a kid I never really got into was the art of the Magic card game. Sure, the cards were pretty to look at but the actual game behind it or the similar pretenders never seemed to interest me. Of course, these card games never quite stay card games, they become toys and often cartoon series. Today, I get one of those so called card games which have spawned a series. Its name is Kaijudo and the review is next on the Hub.
There is a rip in the space-time continuum and a large rhino-like creature jumps out to attack a couple who have decided to take a stroll. Out of nowhere, Hector Chavez, a duel master comes to the scene and calls his creature, Gilaflame the Assaulter. The two creatures start to fight with Gilaflame gaining the upper hand and driving the rhino-like monster back into the rip and sealing it once again. These rips are becoming far too frequent. In the distance, a man with a blue claw watches.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on December 3rd, 2012
There was some real enjoyment when I took on the reviewing reigns for the first season of Transformers Prime. It was the best thing since the infamous Generation 1 cartoons and showed great sound, dazzling video and fantastic character development. Now, we enter season two and if we watched the teasers, we learned that Optimus Prime was branded with the Decepticon logo possibly meaning the impossible. How could this be? Well tune in true believers, we shall find out all this and more.
In light of Unicron’s awakening, drastic measures needed to be taken (such as Optimus Prime and Megatron uniting as a team). The Matrix of Leadership had kept Earth safe, for now. But when Optimus lost the matrix, he lost himself too and reverted to his form before he assumed life as a Prime. That life he was simply known as Orion Pax, librarian and researcher. Doing what Megatron does best, he deceives Orion into joining him on his ship and branding him under the image of a Decepticon.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 30th, 2012
So you say Shipping Wars was not enough Waring for you? Are you back for more? Alright, let us dig through the review pile and get some more action for you reality show freaks. How about Hamster Wars? Okay, okay perhaps Paper Airplane Wars? Never mind, I can not stand paper cuts. Ah I have the perfect one here, a spinoff of one of the most popular reality shows out there. Its name is Storage Wars: Texas. Well yee-haw and get me my cowboy hat. This might be a hootenanny after all.
This season one of Storage Wars: Texas is actually something of a misnomer. It contains sixteen episodes and actually it is comprised of the first two seasons of the show. There is a distinction between the seasons which I will explain in just a little bit. As with any reality show, there are usual lists of players who need some introduction.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 27th, 2012
Is it just me or does every new reality show have to feature the word: Wars? We have Storage Wars, Property Wars, Parking Wars, and I believe I just heard the other day we have Weed and Whisker Wars. Apparently War is good for reality show business. Well, today we have yet another war to throw on the proverbial fire. Shipping Wars, sponsored by UShip.com and on A&E Television. I guess we need to go find out which trucker will come out on top in this season one package.
The basic premise of Shipping Wars centers on the website known as UShip.com. UShip.com’s plan is simple, if you have something you do not know how to ship, you can list it on the website. Then for the truly odd items, the website offers them up to potential shippers in a reverse auction scenario. Occasionally, the low bidder does not win and the one who gets the shipment is the one with the best feedback. For show purposes, we have a usual list of players who create the reality element.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 15th, 2012
Most of you reading this now have probably seen my reviews for part 2 and part 3 of this series. Well, the wonderful people at Shout Factory sent me a compilation disc in blu-ray nevertheless and I am very excited to bring it to the reading public for review. The important medium of digital or motion comics is about to receive its most significant package yet. But enough about an introduction, lets directly dive into the complete collection of Astonishing X-Men or better known as the Joss Whedon run of X-Men.
Gifted (Disc One)
The X-Men prepare for a new year of students. Jean Grey is gone, but Emma Frost has taken her place and Kitty Pryde has returned. The students are promising but still have a lot to prove. However, when a “mutant cure” is announced by Benetech scientist, Dr. Kavita Rao, the students and the team get concerned. The now almost feline Beast pays her a visit to find that her methods might not be ethical. In addition, an alien named Ord has taken a party hostage and it is up to the team to do something a little astonishing.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 13th, 2012
As a moviegoer, I love my share of epics. The bigger the storyline, the bigger the world, the more I probably enjoy it. Oh, it has to be sci fi/fantasy related too. Fantasy worlds in particular are often amazing since the creator is making it up from scratch. Today, we visit the world Aradius, a land where a very special mineral plays a very important part in the story. The story you ask? The story of Hirokin, the Last Samurai. Let’s explore, shall we?
Let’s start with a little back story. Humans came to the planet of Aradius to trade for Aradium. This special mineral allowed massive metal objects the ability to float. Well as with any precious mineral, it was soon depleted and most of the humans left. However, the planet of Aradius was left with its kinfolk succumbing to disease, refuse and infertility. The Arid people (who we could tell the difference from humans from the veins in the palm of their hands) were ruled by humans who wanted them wiped from the planet.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 8th, 2012
My favorite genre of music to make fun of is Metal (even though I like listening to it). As an example, This is Spinal Tap, the best musical mockumentary ever, we learn that metal can be freaking hilarious. That’s why when my webmaster offered me Metalocalypse Season Four on Blu-Ray, I eagerly said yes even though I had only seen the cartoon once or twice. However, once I opened it up, I realized before me was perhaps one of the funniest dark comedic cartoons I have ever seen.
This site has not really touched this series since Season One, so I will go ahead and go over the basics. Metalocalypse is about a band, possibly the world’s greatest death metal band, Dethklok. This band has become so successful that they are considered the seventh largest economy in the world. Dethklok consists of five members: Nathan Explosion (lead singer), Skwisgaar Skwigelf(lead guitar), Toki Wartooth (rhythm guitarist), Pickles (drummer) and William Murderface (bassist).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on November 5th, 2012
For those who do not know, I am half polish. My mother was born in Poland during the 1950’s after the second World War. Often through my youth I would ask my mother for stories of World War II from her father. However, this was met with much resistance as my grandfather was rather tight lipped about anything that happened in that time period. It was understandable, but I still wanted to learn. In fact, today we visit World War II and more specifically the Nazi Collaborators in our dvd review.
This documentary set includes thirteen hour long episodes spread over four discs. All of these deal with a different section of Europe including Poland, France, Belgium, and Finland. The specials also deal from right within Germany itself as it examines delicate subjects like Jews inside Germany and the Killer Police. This is six hundred and fifty minutes that covers virtually everything about leaders and people who would later be labeled as collaborators. Here are a few examples.
Posted in: Game Reviews by Michael Durr on November 2nd, 2012
When a company decides to adapt a made for pc game into something a console can play, it can either become a nightmare or something very rewarding. It simply is not a game of system requirements but rather adapting a keyboard layout and game play into something that allows for more bite sized morsels. But at the same time, one cannot produce a dumbed-down game and must pay homage to the classic. After years, I think we might have one of the very few games that has underwent this transformation and done it fantastically. Enter XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
The first thing the player will find themselves doing upon entering the game along with other options is changing the gamma setting on this game. In some cases, players such as me will be placing the cursor pretty close to the right. This game is very dark in theme and graphics and regardless of whether you advance the gamma meter towards the right or not, the player will always be looking towards the inevitable darkness.
