I've been waiting for this since my Nintendo 64 broke in 2001. Mario Kart is an all-time great game and a personal favorite of mine simply because of how addicting and how extensive of a game it is. Videographer Freddie Wong decided to take his video game addiction a step further and make a real-life version of Mario Kart, complete with those pesky turtle shells, the stars, speed arrows and that annoying ghost that would take forever to put you back on the track after you were knocked off. Thanks to some good video editing and CGI, it's actually a pretty nice video. Now if only we could get the same thing going for Sonic the Hedgehog... *dream clouds appear*
The line between the real and fantastical is something that I ponder on the daily. If not because I love video games, then because our world is oftentimes too rooted in what is real and what isn't. Thus, I always wonder what would happen if the portal between the video game world and ours was somehow opened in a Space Jam-esque phenomena. That is the inspiration for designer & illustrator, Aled Lewis' project Video Games vs. Real Life. Lewis takes some classic video game characters from early video game-dom (sp?) and juxtaposes them with where they would probably end up if given a shot at real life. See if you can name any of the characters after the jump...
*wipes drool off chin* I am an NBA 2K veteran. Yes, I said it. A veteran. I've been playing NBA 2K exclusively since 2000, when it graced its basketball goodness on the now-dead Dreamcast. I remember heads clowning it for years, only to come around two years ago, when they realized NBA Live Elite was doo. That said, I've been waiting for years to see Michael Jordan grace the best NBA video game out. That year is upon us. October 5th marks the release date for the 11th edition of NBA 2K, and I for one, cannot wait. Just check out the trailer and see how incredibly dope this game looks...
For all of the foreboding talk I have about 'the Future,' and what it will do to our bodies and minds as humans, this is honestly some of the coolest shit I've ever laid eyes on. I thought that we'd reached somewhat of a plateau in terms of interactive gaming when the Nintendo Wii came out in 2006, where we were actually controlling the game with ourselves, rather than using a 'controller' in the traditional sense. Microsoft has shattered that mold at E3 (the world's biggest gaming conference) with the unveiling of Kinect for Xbox 360. Last year, I previewed Kinect, but it was known as Project Natal at that point. It still talked about motion sensing, as well and motion recognition, but less than a year later, Kinect has surpassed everything I could have expected.
Microsoft describes it as a 'controller-free gaming and entertainment experience' that boasts 'a natural user interface using gestures, spoken commands, or presented objects and images'. It uses cameras and infrared light emitters to 'see' what you're doing and transpose it with what is going on in the video game or application. In laymen's terms, that means as you move and act and speak and interact with other players, Kinect is able to track those actions and translate them into a gaming experience. The possibilities for such technology are endless!! The new hardware will be like a virtual touchscreen, where you can access all of Xbox 360's functionalities. In addition to that, new home theater software will come with Kinect, enabling you to access ESPN (see below), movies, and TV shows all from the 360. Last but not least, we've got to discuss the games that come with this new technology. First up is Kinect Adventures, which is like a virtual obstacle course (see below). They're also developing Kinect Sports, DDR for Kinect and Kinectimals (see below), which is like a Tamagotchi for the 21st century. Kinect, and the new, slimmer Xbox 360 will be available starting this Novemeber. I, for one, will be copping because this is simply epic. Check out some videos and look out for more titles coming for the Microsoft Kinect...
If you're a video game fan (#shoutout to real fans; not bandwagon heads), you remember the game Mortal Kombat like it was yesterday. Between Jax, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Johnny Kage, Liu Kang, Kano and Goro, the characters and plot were entirely too trill. And let's not get on to the finishing moves. This video was a promo given to Warner Brothers to convince them to greenlight a re-adaptation of the story (real fans know the last movies were crap sandwiches dripping with wack sauce). In the video, you see Jax and Sonia Blade interrogating a shadowy figure who turns out to be Scorpion. Note, that this isn't for the faint of heart. It's a lot grittier than the original movies and the video games, which were campy with their violence at times. Hell, this could be a horror movie with how bloody these 7 minutes are. Whatever your stance on video game violence (quit being a baby), the promo will be getting more airplay, especially as E3 (the world's biggest video game conference) draws closer. I hope they give us more to salivate on when E3 finally happens in one week...
It's really a great time to be an older video game fan, with classics like NBA Jam (clearly won't compare) making a return for next generation systems. The video game companies, specifically Capcom, are answering more of our prayers by releasing Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Ten years ago, the 2nd version of Marvel vs. Capcom turned my free time into ridiculous blasts of energy, huge punches and mind-numbing graphics (maybe not that serious). The characters in the new version will be mostly the same, along with a new graphics engine that allows for 3-dimensional fight scenes. All in all, MvC3 looks like it's going to be just as addicting as the 2nd. Sadly, it doesn't drop until next year. Keep your eyes peeled for more...
In January, I posted up a preview for the new NBA Jam coming out for the Wii later this year (link). Now we finally have footage and a trailer for the game that made me realize basketball was my favorite sport in 1993. Still no word on the release date, but you can definitely see the stars are going to be in full force in this game. I spy LeBron, Carmelo, Shaq, Kobe, D-Will, Dirk, J-Kidd, and many more already. This game just needs to hurry up and come out already. Check the trailer...
Yeah, so apparently the new trend in Hollywood (or in the last decade, at least) is to take bits of pop culture from the 80's and 90's like other movies, TV shows, video games and music, and make new CGI-laced versions of them. The latest piece to get the Hollywood treatment is a childhood favorite of mine, Prince of Persia. For those of us fortunate enough to remember the video game, this movie should be a flashback to days on end spent in front of a TV and a Sega Genesis (SNES for some of you guys). The movie will be loosely-based (why are ALL movies loosely-based these days?) on 'The Sands of Time' storyline, hence why the movie is called 'The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time'. Along with having the Dagger of Time included in the movie, the film casts Jak Gyllenhall as Prince Dastan, though he bears no semblance to a Middle Eastern man aside from a long, flowing hair, a permanent 5 o'clock shadow, and a computer-generated tan. Whatever the case, the movie looks like it's going to be another Jerry Bruckheimer classic. Check the trailer and look out for the movie coming out on May 28th...
Okay, suspend your dislike of Kobe Bryant for let's say, 40 seconds, and take in how dope of a commercial that this is. Everybody in the NBA is gunning for that number one spot. Amped is not the word for how I feel about NBA 2K10. It comes out TOMORROW, October 6th. Any charitable donations for my 'Buy NBA 2K10' Fund can be sent directly to me...
Dear sweet Jesus... For the past four months, summer leagues and free agency have been the minuscule headlines for the NBA. But on October 6th, that all changes, when NBA 2K10 drops. The only game that I play religiously returns for its 10th year on the shelves and looks set to shake the basketball world again. Honestly all I can say is this: If you play 2K10, get at me. And if you play NBA Live, please off yourself. That is all...
Every guy in his right mind has played Grand Theft Auto at some point in his life. If you haven't, then I pity you. Regardless, the saints (I call them saints because only they could release such hot games) at Rockstar Games have decided to bless us with another installment of GTA. No, it's not a complete game. It's based off of the character Gay Tony, who was a minor character in GTA IV. From the trailer, it looks like there will be more of the same from every guy's favorite game. You can pick it up on October 29th...
