NYCC 2013: Sonic Lost World Impressions

This past weekend at New York Comic Con, Nintendo made their presence known with panels, gaming tournaments, and many playable games for the Wii U and 3DS. One such game is Sonic Lost World for the Wii U. I’ve been a Sonic fan for a long time, but as many others have said, Sonic hasn’t always had the best track record. This is especially true when it comes to games that take place in a 3D plane. Of the 3D Sonic games I’ve played, I always felt like the games have a strong start, but as you get further into the game, the cracks start to show more and more. The question then becomes whether or not the game ends before it falls apart. Even Sonic Generations, a game I really enjoyed, had some problems toward the end of the game. My hope is that one day I get to play a flawless 3D Sonic The Hedgehog game.

Sonic Lost World may be that game.

Otakon 20: A First Timer's Perspective (Part 2)

Previously, I talked about some of my experiences at Otakon 20, mainly about the time I spent at the concerts. Of course, there was plenty of other things I did besides standing in line and listening to live music. I also went to panels and bought a bunch of stuff. Also, I stood on more lines. I never was a fan of lines.

While I was at Otakon, I did manage to go to a few panels. Unfortunately I missed a handful of panels I wanted to go to due to either the concerts or me not managing my time correctly. I especially wanted to go to more industry panels than the one Funimation panel I went to, but that’s life. It’s no big deal.

Otakon 20: A First Timer's Perspective (Part 1)

I’ve never been to a major convention that caters exclusively to anime and Japanese entertainment before. I’ve especially never been to a convention that required me to travel a great distance. The only major convention I’ve been to in the past in New York Comic Con; a convention that is located a short train ride away from where I live. This means it’s a smaller financial investment to go to that convention than any other convention. That said, this past August I decided to take a chance and go to this year’s Otakon convention being held at the Baltimore convention center. They were celebrating their 20th annual event and had a lineup of musical guests I was interested to see. So about a week before the event, I finalized my decision to go, booked my hotel and planned my travel route. The drive wasn’t fun, but the convention sure was.

Capcom Is Giving Away DuckTales: Remastered Press Kits. I Want One.

Before DuckTales: Remastered was released on PSN, Wii U eShop, and Steam, members of the gaming press received a press kit promoting the game’s release. This is nothing new as companies trying to promote their games this way happens all the time. What was special about this kit, however, was the contents inside. Each kit included a DuckTales: Remastered lunchbox filled with shredded money. Also inside the lunchbox were fake DuckTales themed advertising insert, a pamphlet advertising “upcoming” and “recently released” Capcom NES games, and a special golden DuckTales NES cartridge. Here’s the catch: it actually works with your NES and plays the original NES game. Like many others, I became very jealous of the press this time and wished there was a way non-press people could get a hold of those press kits without having to resort to ebay.

Looks like Capcom has us covered.

Teen Titans Go! Impressions

I am a big fan of the previous Teen Titans cartoon series that aired on Cartoon Network. It was a great mixing of comedy and seriousness that I thoroughly enjoyed. When I heard a new Titans series was being created, I was genuinely excited by the idea, despite the fact that it would be a comedy spin-off. I genuinely believe that a more comedy focused version of Teen Titans is perfectly feasible. So with an open mind, I have watched the first six episodes of Teen Titans Go! My reaction to the show, however, was not something I even considered could happen.

I should explain.

Giving IGPX A Second Chance

Back on Novemebr 5th, 2005, Toonami aired the first episode of their first, and currently only, original animated series, titled IGPX. It was a joint project between Toonami and Production I.G. (Ghost In The Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire, Psycho-Pass) about a futuristic racing league and the teams that competed in it. It even featured a superstar cast, including Haley Joel Osment, Mark Hamill, and Michelle Rodriguez. You could tell from the advertising that Toonami was very proud of the show they helped create.

I didn’t watch it.

Apparently, most people didn’t watch it either as Cartoon Network moved the show to Fridays at 12:30 a.m. during its second season in order to burn through the remaining episodes. Afterwards, Cartoon Network deemed the show a failure and wrote the show off as a loss. Years later, IGPX developed a cult following and seemed like a great show to add to the newly revived Toonami lineup. One problem: Cartoon Network writing off the show meant they were legally unable to air the show in the US, Adult Swim included. That is until last month when Toonami announced that with the help of their legal team and their partners of the original IGPX deal, IGPX will be making its return to Toonami. This time, I’m going to make sure I don’t miss it.

Ten Most Anticipated Games of 2013

Oh look, it’s the start of a new year. Looking back, 2012 was a rather dull year for me in terms of video games. It felt like there were a whole slew of games, both high profile and independent, released this year, and yet the only games I was really excited for before their launch were Rhythm Heaven Fever, Xenoblade Chronicles, Lollipop Chainsaw, and Kirby’s Dream Collection (I also bought The Last Story out of obligation). This year, however, is already looking much different when it comes to games I’m interested in. that’s why to start off 2013, I decided to create a list of the ten video games I’m most interested in this year.

This is a list of games that are currently scheduled to be released in the United States this year that I am most excited for. They are listed in alphabetical order so don’t look at this list expecting some kind of ranking of my anticipation for each game. In addition, prepare to learn just how bad I am at finishing video games. That’s a habit I should fix.