Arcade in the Sky Blog

At wedding reception now.

I just wanted to thank Justin and Hazel for inviting me to their wedding and I wish them a lifetime of happiness. It was a lovely ceremony.

This just in from an article on Gamasutra, Keiji Inafune, the creator of Mega-man, has left the company. This is quite a blow, but not unexpected. Inafune has been critical of Capcom for years as well as all game development in Japan, stating that they are falling behind their American counterparts.

tron-new
Originally uploaded by HazeStudiosGames

Last night, Rant Casey and I went to Elizabeth, NJ for a Tron Night. This was to be an early showing of the movie, but as it turns out, they only showed 23 minutes of it. It was in IMAX 3D, though.

We arrived hours early, expecting a long line. There were only 20-30 of us at the location. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, as there were only a limited about of passes given.

Anyway, they handed us our 3D glasses and began the show. No commercials or previews they just went right into it. a text type pops up and talks directly at the audience, telling us to put on our 3D glasses. They showed a succession of finished scenes, in chronological order. They take us up to the end of the first act or perhaps the mid-point, then it degrades into a montage and essential finished up the show as a trailer.

Let's start with the first scene, 23, Sam's Apartment. Here the young Sam coming home after a night of stunt-biking for cash to his dog and impressive view of the city skyline. Whom I think is Alan, Bruce Boxlienter from the last movie shows up and says he just got a page (yes, he's been holding onto his pager all this time) from Flynn's arcade. Sam is jilted by the disappearance of his father, but curiosity take him to the abandoned arcade anyway. Next scene, he powers on the arcade machines which have been encased in plastic for years. It got me choked up to see those old machines turn on, but then again look at what blog you're reading! Sam finds a secret laboratory behind the TRON upright, Nancy Drew style! There he find the laser aperture, and we can all guess what happens.

In the next scene we are given, Sam is picked up by the guard and given a new outfit for disk gaming. Then he is set to compete against some sort of known game hero in a disk duel. I say that because Sam remarks that he has an action figure of his opponent on his desk. The battle is beautiful and stunning. Everything you'd want a Tron-style scene to do in a post-Matrix movie is pulled off brilliantly.

From here we get a scene straight out of Tim Burton's Batman. In what can only be explained as a Tron-Batmobile escapes from some light-cycles, Sam spouts the like "Who are you?" to his masked savior. After transforming the car to buggie mode and going "off the grid", the mask comes off to reveal a beautiful Tron-woman whom drives Same to Meet Jeff Bridges. She even drives through a secret opening in the mountain side, a la Batman. I'd like to take a moment to discuss what "off the grid" looked like. In the original Tron everything was designed like a neon sign, and the hand of a designer could be scene even in terrain that was supposed to be wild. Here the land looks like a giant silicon crystal, albeit a dark and Noir one. You really get the impression that they are driving a car on the microscopic parts of a printed circuit board. Nicely done!

From there a ring leader program instructs Daft Punk to spin some beats, and the show devolves into a trailer. I'd like to point out how brilliant an idea it was to have them in the movie. They are two two DJs whom dress like they are in Tron anyway.

All in all, it was a great showing. I am pumped to see this movie in 3D on opening night, December 17th, 2010.

Here are their top 25. For reference, I'm posting these next to their top Sci-fi choices.

Top 25 Horror.

25. Friday the 13th - 1980
24. Scream - 1994
23. Dracula - 1931
22. The Haunting - 1963
21. The Blair Witch Project - 1999
20. Suspiria
19. Let the Right One In - 2008
18. An American Werewolf in London - 1981
17. Dawn of the Dead - 1978
16. A Nightmare on Elm Street - 1984
15. The Thing - 1982
14. The Fly - 1986
13. Poltergeist - 1982
12. The Ring - 2002
11. Halloween
10. Night of the Living Dead - 1968
9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - 1974
8. Rosemary's Baby - 1968
7. Bride of Frankenstein
6. The Shining
5. Silence of the Lambs
4. Alien
3. Jaws
2. Psycho
1. The Exorcist

The List

25. Moon
24. District 9
23. The Thing
22. Avatar
21. Jurassic Park
20. Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind
19. Forbidden Planet
18. Brazil
17. Back to the Future
16. Metropolis
15. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
14. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
13. A Clockwork Orange
12. E.T.
11. Aliens
10. T2: Judgment Day
9. The Road Warrior
8. The Day the Earth Stood Still
7. The Matrix
6. Planet of the Apes
5. The Empire Strikes Back
4. Alien
3. Star Wars
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
1. Blade Runner

21. Critters. (1986)

This movie scared the whozits out of me when I was a kid. I would watch the previews on the pay-per-preview channel. That and Puppet Master. I knew about it even though I wasn't old enough to watch it.

22. Monster in the Closet. (1986)

I discovered this movie on Netflix, and it's fast becoming one of my favorites. I'm glad to see it here!

23. The Troll Trilogy.

It's about time James chimed in on these movies. Cinema Snob and Phelous have done a number on these already. There's nothing in these video that hasn't been covered by them before, but I still like to see James tackle these.

24. Brain Damage. (1988)

This is interesting. I've never heard of this, but I'd like to see it.

25. Monkey Shines. (1988)

Another of my favorites! I love this movie, glad to see it getting some love.

26. Texas Chainsaw Massacre. (1990)

Interesting. I'd think that we would have heard the last of the TCM movies. James seems to have a distaste for everything after 2. Wouldn't it be cool to mention the 4th movie in the next MM?

27. Ernest Scared Stupid. (1991)

First the Nostalgia Critic now James. This is the year for ESS. I loved this movie too. I understand how Critic was disappointed that this wasn't as good as Saves Christmas or Goes to Camp, but it was still good. I enjoyed it a lot, and I put it up there with Trick r' Treat and Charlie Brown with my best Halloween Specials. This is quite the juxtaposition isn't it? Chainsaw Massacre 3 and Earnest next to each other?

28. Robot Wars - Robo Warriors. (1996)

Interesting to a degree. I wouldn't put these high on my must see list, even though I agree that practical robot effects are awesome.

29. Evil Ed. (1995)

Not really my cup of tea, but I can see why James would be into it. He is an editor, after all. I might check this out someday.

30. Reptilian. (1999)

I had always wondered if there was a remake of Yangary, the Korean Godzilla. Now I know. I think I'll stick with the original, though.

31. Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. (2004)

Now this is a movie! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this!

Well, overall, it was a great year. There's nothing like the great feeling of waking up on an October morning and knowing for sure that there's a cool Monster Madness video for you to watch. It's like Christmas morning all month long! There was a good mix this year of things I had heard of, and things I hadn't. It really rounded out well. Can't wait for next year! Thank, James!

IMG_2473
Originally uploaded by HazeStudiosGames

While at the Game Education Panel at Rutgers, I decided to visit the student center, as this was my Alma-mater, and I wanted to see how the campus had changed over the past 10 years. This is where I did most of my studying and had my Anime Club meetings.

The biggest shock was 'The Cove'. Not that my childhood arcade had closed down, just that the sign was still there. They had converted the arcade into another study hall, but they kept two billiard tables for some reason. You'd think clakking billiard balls would distract someone studies. I hope to heaven there's wifi in there and that people are at least playing facebook game sin there. That would be something.

The Wendy's there had been changed to a Burger King. Boo.

The pizza place and Chinese buffet were both there. The student lounges and meeting rooms were as I'd left them. The student store had changed a bit, as all convenience stores do over time. I bought a Rutgers T-Shirt there, just for good measure. It was a fun trip. I guess sometimes you can go back home again.

[This was done on Saturday October 23rd.]

IMG_2462
Originally uploaded by HazeStudiosGames

Another fun event I went to on Saturday the 23rd was the traders expo in Brick NJ. Unfortunately, there weren't many people there. The venders were all well stocked they had everything a gamer could want, but not many people showed up. It was their first show, so I'm sure things will improve.

IMG_2467
Originally uploaded by HazeStudiosGames

At Rutgers University Campus in Piscataway, NJ, on Saturday from 2 to 4pm there was a panel discussion about higher education in video game creation. The MC was Drew Sikora from gamedev.net and he directed a teacher from NJIT, Bloomfield College, Raritan Community College, Rutgers University, and Camden County College. They spoke on what courses their institutions offered and the genesis of each of their programs.

Attendance was a dedicated few, but the fierce networking afterward was testament to the fact that all attending were ardent supporters of what was being discussed.

What conclusions did we come to? Game education has come a long way, and though not all classes are fully recognized by larger universities, you can now take this program at a community college and get most-but-not-quite-all credits transferred over for the continuation of your degree. Placement is improving for graduate, but it's still most all in casual games, not hardcore.

After this success, they hoped to plan another panel soon.

[This event happened on Saturday October 23rd.]

Video Games | Antipole | Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Well, we finally got our newest trailer on Gametrailers.com. I'm proud of our team and I'm proud of the progress the game has made. I've still got a lot of work to do to get the game promoted and published, but I'm up for the challenge!

Haze-Cast 14

This one got cut a little short because of business, but there is some good news and events here!

Here is a new trailer for Antipole. It's a good game and is worth your attention. The folk at Saturnine Games did a good job balancing the levels. This trailer reveals more info, but still leaves a lot to be discovered by playing the game.

Coming soon.

I wanted to list there here, just to give everyone a taste of what all these games look like side by side.

Wii

25. de Blob
24. No More Heroes
23. Wario Land: Shake It!
22. Rabbids Go Home
21. Wii Sports Resort
20. Dead Space Extraction
19. Muramasa
18. Resident Evil 4
17. Boom Blox Bash Party
16. Excitebots
15. Super Paper Mario
14. Lost Winds 2
13. Mario Kart Wii
12. Punch Out
11. Zack and Wiki
10. Tiger Woods PGA Tour10
9. Madworld
8. Okami
7. Guitar Hero 5
6. New SuperMarioBros.Wii
5. World of Goo
4. TLoZ:Twilight Princess
3. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
2. Metroid Prime Trilogy
1. Super Mario Galaxy

PS3

25. ModNation Racers
24. MLB 10: The Show
23. Ratchet and Clank Future: ACiT
22. Super Stardust HD
21. Flower
20. Resistance: Fall of Man
19. Burnout Paradise
18. Borderlands
17. Call of Duty 4:ModernWarfare
16. Valkyria Chronicles
15. Super Street Fighter IV
14. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
13. Heavy Rain
12. Dead Space
11. Shatter
10. God of War III
9. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
8. Grand Theft Auto IV
7. Batman: Arkham Asylum
6. Killzone 2
5. Infamous
4. Little Big Planet
3. Red Dead Redemption
2. Fallout 3
1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Xbox 360

25. Super Street Fighter IV
24. Left 4 Dead 2
23. Splinter Cell: Conviction
22. Batman Arkham Asylum
21. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
20. Gears of War
19. FIFA 10
18. Dead Space
17. Halo Wars
16. Assassin's Creed II
15. Forza Motorsport 3
14. Alan Wake
13. Halo 3: ODST
12. Rock Band 2
11. Borderlands
10. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
9. Grand Theft Auto IV
8. BioShock
7. Mass Effect
6. The Orange Box
5. Halo 3
4. Red Dead Redemption
3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
2. Fallout 3
1. Mass Effect 2

Creature Combat IV: Slaughter House

Wait for it...

14. The Exorcist 2. (1977)

I've endured this movie before, and it's really hard to get through. I'm glad it was included, however, just to see the James Earl Jones joke!

15. The Manitou. (1978)

Geez. Another movie I've never heard of. It seems movies this year are getting more and more obscure.

16. Laserblast. (1978)

Wow. Never heard of this one. It seems the movie choices this year are getting more and more MST3K. In fact, I watched this movie just the other night on Netflix streaming. They had both the normal and MST3K versions. I hate to say it, but most of the jokes in this episode were already done by the Satellite of Love.

17. Night of the Demon. (1980)

Possibly the most graphic movie we've seen yet. I know about Night of the DemonS, but not this one. I'm surprised 'Night of the Demons' hasn't been mentioned before now. I need to check this out, but I'll need a stiff drink first.

18. Mystics in Bali. (1982)

This blew my mind. I didn't think James would go all the way to India for horror movies. I am impressed. I get the feeling this is only here so he can make a Jim Bob reference.

19. Fright Night. (1985)

Alright! Now we're talking! Glad to see this movie included!

20. Transylvania 6-5000. (1985)

I expected this to be on here, since there was a clip of it in the promo for Camp Cult, and it's Campy as Hell. I already have this movie in my collection and I really don't like it. It's worth a watch, for sure, but it would have been nice if he had explained the joke behind the title. He did mention the Bugs Bunny cartoon of the same name. There's a lot of history behind that and this movie, but I guess it would have taken him all day to explain all that.

Barcade_6_y_Party_2
Originally uploaded by HazeStudiosGames

Last night was a great time at the Barcade in Brooklyn. The party went from 7 to Midnight, but I was hit by a nor'easter and major traffic, so I couldn't get there until 8:15pm. It's a shame because I missed a lot of free BBQ, and I here someone got a kill screen on the Pac-man machine!

The place was packed, and I got my fave Doc's Draft Cider and played some Q-bert. I also got the special Collectible Pint Glass.

Overall, it was a great party. I got to meet some familiar faces and meet new ones, too. I defiantly recommend this place as a regular hang-out!

sonic_colors_new_cover
Originally uploaded by HazeStudiosGames

In a radical turn of events, Sega has caved to fan's demands and changed the difficulty of Sonic Colors to appeal to more hardcore players. They even got Robert Duvall to reprise his role. Quite impressive. Sonic takes on Sean Penn's role as the two team up as cops on the mean streets.

Game Trailers has been putting out some great retrospectives. It's been a while since they came out with something this good. I especially like Part II. I knew Rondo of Blood was a good game, but after their description, I'm chomping at the bit to play it.

Retrospective Part I

Retrospective Part II

8. The Screaming Skull. (1958) continued...

Well, that was a royal waste of time. I wrote that I already owned the movie, and I watched it as soon as I saw the MM review. Didn't really stand out to me, but the review James did was still very entertaining.

9. The Terror. (1963)

Wow. Talk about deconstructing a movie. I have this movie two. It's on the same DVD collection as The Screaming Skull. In fact, it's on the reverse side of the same disk. I guess James didn't have to go far. I haven't watched it yet, but I'm on task.

10. War of the Gargantuas. (1966)

I was half expecting this one, it has been mentioned before during Godzillathon. I streamed this on Netflix the very night of the review's posting. It was just as good as promised. I had never thought to see a giant monster movie that didn't star a major monster like Godzilla or Gamera. I assumed that because the didn't have as big a name, the sets and production value would be at a lower standard. This movie proved me wrong.

11. Dracula vs Frankenstein. (1969-1970)

This was a movie I had actually seen before. The first one he discussed. I had to fast forward through a lot of it because it was just so slow or impossible to see anything. I share James' disappointment in how this fight turned out. I was not, however, enough of a masochist to eek out the other two movies.

12. Legend of The 7 Golden Vampires. (1974)

Another movie I had no idea existed. I can't wait to track it down and watch it. I like Asian Horror like 'Mr. Vampire' so this should be right up my alley!

13. Infra-Man. (1975)

Funny. I have giggled more at this video than anything else on the internet in more than a year. It's hard to describe the hypnotic, giggle-inducing power of this video. You just have to watch it. I'm not sure if hunting down this movie is a priority, but watching this funny review is definitely top on my list!

AMA day2 009
Originally uploaded by HazeStudiosGames

We will be needing great game testers this weekend, the 16th and 17th. If you're available, contact me on Facebook.

Abbaye Des Morts

Cinemassacre and it's Monster Madness

Team Fortress 2 Server

Games of Saturnine Games

Here's a running list of Episodes of Monster Madness Camp Cult, and my thoughts. I will be updating this post regularly.

1.The Phantom Creeps. (1939)

This was a good way to start things off. Not only do we get to see James this time, but he has he projector. As we've seen in a previous post on Cinemassacre, he really does have this film serial in film format. This lends some authenticity and fun to the episode. Once again, he also makes notes of how elements of the movie show up in other parts of part culture; a fav part of monster madness for me. This serial looks interesting, but I don't think I'll watch it soon.

2.The Vampire Returns. (1944)

More Bela Legosi. It's a shame he had to be type-cast as a vampire, but these movies are just too much fun. Another I didn't know existed, it goes right on my list of movies to watch!

3. Robot Monster. (1953)

This pick was so obvious it escaped me. I've seen clips of this for years. When people was to show clips of what a "B-movie" is, they always come right here. That montage of the cave was awesome! From what James describes, it actually seems fun. I'm going to watch this as the earliest opportunity!

4. The Cyclops. (1957)

It was a sure-thing that we'd get a Bert I. Gordy movie this year, especially since James did an interview with him recently. I assumed it would be "Earth vs. the Spider", but this is good too.

5. From Hell It Came. (1957)

Here's another I hadn't heard of. If looks fantastically cheesy. What gets me is the joke at the end. It just makes me chuckle infinitely. The thing is; James is known as the Angry Nerd, so you just assume blue humor is forthcoming. By making such a G-rated joke, it just blows the mind.

6. Fiend without a Face. (1958)

Wow. Just wow. This could turn out to be my fav episode this year. This movie is exactly the kind of thing that would give me nightmares for months when I was a small child. I've already put this flick on my netflix cue, and I'm waiting by my mailbox with bated breath!

7. Frankenstein 1970. (1958)

Here's another movie I would never have stumbled across if not for MM. I can't wait to dig this up and watch it. I bought a lot of Karloff movies since Monster Madness started, but am not really a fan. But something about seeing this Frankenstein swan song... intrigues me...

8. The Screaming Skull. (1958)

About time MST3K got a mention. I actually own this movie in that collection James mentioned. I'm going to go watch it right now!

Just wanted to take a moment to promote my friend Rant's TF2 Server:

The Sandvich Shack: 66.55.131.198:27015

Runs standard TF2. Stock map rotation on the weekdays, custom maps on the weekend.

The Warzone: 208.167.247.55:27015

Runs the War3source plugin. It adds leveling and classes like Warcraft 3 to the game. Mix of stock and custom maps.

link to the latest map pack for the servers.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Friday, October 15, 2010

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Monday, October 4, 2010