Saturday, November 30, 2013

Friday, November 29, 2013

Connect To TTDILA

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Team Fortress 2 Pyro Sweater, Reversible Scarf and Blind Box 3-Inch Vinyl Figure

TTDILA Gift Guide give the people Team Fortress 2 ideas!


Team Fortress 2 Pyro Sweater

Nothing could be more toasty!$84.99, not including shipping

Team Fortress 2 Blind Box 3-Inch Vinyl Figure
Now out until January, but you can say you pre-ordered one or two for a friend. Hide them around their house and laugh as they freak out when they find them.
$9.99 each, blind-box, random selection,
not including shipping

Team Fortress 2 Reversible Scarf

Keep warm by not getting fired up by the Pyro. Share your team colors and get into epic snowball fights.

$19.99
not including shipping

TTDILA COMICS #17 - Godzilla V.S. The one who knocks


by ARG



click comic to expand.

All star cast in this coming Godzilla movie!

Will it be a knock out?


ENJOY THE COMIC.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Grinchmas Started





Florence Henderson, the Mom from The Brady Bunch, won the  ‘Who-Manitarian of the Year’ award for her work with City of Hope research and treatment hospital. This kicked off Grinchmas at Universal Studios Hollywood until 12/31.

"The Who-ville 60ft twisting tree will be featured at the new Universal Plaza, provides an amazing family holiday photo-op. The Grinch and Max will also be doing performances at the original “Who-ville” movie set as part of the famous Studio Tour. If you are thinking about holiday gift guides: their Buy A Day, Get 2014 Free" annual pass is an incredible value. Guests who purchase the “Buy A Day, Get 2014 Free” pass can return to experience their and the new “Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem” attraction opening in Spring 2014! Season pass holders also receive savings on tickets purchased for visiting friends and family."

Whimsic Alley Black Friday Sale

Wizard robes on sale and future events

Humble Bundle Mobile Bundle 3

Just get the bundle for Ridiculous Fishing, finally on Android. The game comes out of nowhere as touching thanks to TTDILA artist favorite Mare Odomo. Bundle ends soon.

Powerpuff Girls Tribute Blog


RUIZ BURGO & IRENE RODRIGUEZ

 Just in time for the Macy's Day parade!
Glen Brogan

The artist Chogrin has put together a new blog where other artists can share their love of the Powerpuff Girls for their 15th Anniversary.

Check out PPG15

MAROTO


Hey, wasn't Cartoon Network suppose to air a Power Puff Girls special from Kevin Dart? What happened? The year is almost up.

The Powerpuff Girls Special: “Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice…plus a dash of mysterious Chemical X” were the essential ingredients that created Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup—also known as The Powerpuff Girls. This groundbreaking and Emmy®-winning series, created by Craig McCracken, ran on Cartoon Network from 1998-2005 and will soar again as a brand-new, redesigned and re-imagined CG special coming in 2013 where the trio of pint-sized super heroines will be called upon to rescue not just the city of Townsville, but the USA and the world! Featuring an original song “I Wish I Was A Powerpuff Girl” performed by Beatles legend Ringo Starr, who also portrays Townsville’s most famous flamboyant mathematician, “Fibonacci Sequins,” this all-new original special comes from a powerhouse creative team featuring animation talent from around the globe including acclaimed director Dave Smith and award-winning art director Kevin Dart and is produced by Cartoon Network Studios in association with UK’s Passion Pictures. The special also features the original voice cast reprising their iconic roles and will premiere later this year.

via

How The Sith Stole Christmas Greeting Card

Someone start begging Mike Vasquez to make more How The Sith Stole Christmas Greeting Cards. I got mine at WonderCon earlier this year. A perfect blend of Star Wars' Darth Vader and Dr.Seuss' Grinch to tug on the heart strings of the Jedi friend or foe in your life.

At the time this post was written, Mike's store is empty of this yule tide mash-up.



Wednesday, November 27, 2013

2013 Pokemon Holiday Card

X or Y,  White or Black, Red or Blue and possibly Yellow we all come together for the holidays and Pika ★ Chi Double has captured the seasonal Pokemon spirit with her

2013 Pokemon Holiday Card

This card reminds us to be thankful that a new Pokemon game came out in 2013 and it was some weird one where your robots or something. Now bring in the New Year with new Pokemon to love. Be sure to check out the rest of Pika Chi Double's store for other Pokemon cards, greeting cards and post cards. Items you won't find at any Nintendo store on the West Coast, oh wait we don't have one. 

Nintendo, the company trying to sell games through Southwest Airline's hubs this holiday season. Instead why not open a store in LA, hosting events and racking in cash and community love. Seriously, couldn't you put a mega store where the Grand Ave development is happening. Near the beautiful Grand Park.


Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW! Review I Don't Know Why?

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW!

Travel back to Comic-con last Summer with me, won't you? I was dressed as a 1950's News Reporter and on a Adventure Time quest that lost it's value when Mighty Fine gave out the medals you'd win at New York Comic-Con. I was testing an early build of the game 'Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW!'. It was fun, playable and the first level had me and other players having to hug air as we were incapacitated by a hug wolf curse.

Skip forward to last weekend, Level 2 with two amigos with me playing the game. The game was turned off by my amigos and then we played 2009's Trash Panic, a Tetris like Japanese garbage destroying game from the PSN. Garbage was more fun than Adventure Time: Pen Ward does these long titles as a joke.

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW! was played both on the PS3 and 3DS for this review and neither held up. The graphics for the 3DS version make it a sin against the graphics style it's tries to emulate from classic games. They are both less fun versions of Gauntlet, a four player hack and slash dungeon crawl game from 1985 that has been re-done multiple times.

I get the nostalgia, I don't get why it's so boring.

You are tasked by Princess Bubblegum to go into the many floors of the Royal Secret Dungeon. There you'll fight skeletons, some sort of a bird thing and gum goo tentacles. That's as far as I got with enemies up to level 8 or 9.

Finn, Jake, Marceline and Cinnamon Bun (wrongfully-sized as smaller then everyone in cut-scenes) are all playable from the get go. Why is Cinnamon Bun a main character? Oh, so many odd choices here. They each have their own move set, but don't learn any new moves. If you attack enough and build up their imagination bars your dungeon crawler can unleash a super attack. Finn's super attack won't make much sense unless you're beyond a fan of the show.

*Finn is in an elevator with a half- orc shaman, this comes from the episode "The Creeps" when Jake asks him to prove his identity. He asks Finn what reoccurring nightmare he has and it's being in an elevator with a half orc-shaman. It makes no sense why this cut scene is the super attack and it took me a while too even get that joke and I'm a super fan of the series.

There are some sub-weapons to collect and badges that give you certain boosts you can attach to yourself at the start of every new venture into the dungeon. I  collect a cat gun that shot cats and went meow every time it fired. In theory I should have never gotten bored with that gun, it's animations weren't big enough nor did it change people into cats leaving me wanting.

One or two inside jokes aren't enough for me, the dungeon layout and attacks are boring and repetitive. The tiny 16-bit like versions of Finn and Jake are fun to glimpse at. Playing as them you get bored, start to yawn and imagine how they game could be fun.

Level layout changes further on, my amigos and I didn't make it that far. I've played the game alone and it's even less pleasing.



Loading on either one of the copies of the game was ridiculous. The game has to be so small a file size I wonder what has to even load.

Going back to look real quick, everything looked fine on my PS3 copy. The 3DS version, which should easily be able to handle the 16 bit like graphics looks ugly as the characters and enemies are blobby. Finn and Jake lose shape on the 3DS.

*3DS version has no multiplayer, what???
*3DS version has the character talking with "wawawawa" or tiny toy versions of themselves from another episode.

Clearing out a dungeon and another and another is monotonousness and gets on your nerves. The layouts are far to similar to be anything eye catching.

Many reviews complain about the music. I won't as I simply don't remember they're even being music in this title. Just want to remind you the list Adventure Time title had an OST soundtrack people wanted to get.

How WayForward managed to go so backwards on this title and make it so unplayable might be because it was directed by Tomm Hulett instead of the previous Adventure Time game director James Montagna and music seems does not come from Jake Kaufman also from the previous title.

Blame also needs to rest on Pen Ward who as a gamer himself should have stepped in a little more. I assume his role was little more than a few meetings with WayForward, but if he really wants an Adventure Time game he needs to take the time to direct it himself.

Be sure to ask for your money back from Ward at the Adventure Time Encyclopedia Benefit Dec 18 then put that money into the benefit.



Here are some current reviews off of Amazon, just debasing the game.


Even for a fan of the series I can't recommend this title.

For future reference WayForward make a title that has a thoughtful new story. Is big enough to see the quality animation and is better than a cheap homage to old school titles. I can't believe the same developer who made the Double Dragon Neon game couldn't make this a better title.

Reviewer was given copies by publisher for review purposes.

Sonic The Hedgehog Morphed Figures

The Holiday Gift Guide Guide is getting faster and faster.



Sonic The Hedgehog Morphed Figures are the perfect desk toy or kids toy for the Sonic fan who happens to be related to you or is a friend. Jazzwares isn't known for the best quality, so you might want to check how well-painted the figures are is in person. Sonic, Tails and Metal Sonic at $6.99 retail are your choice wherever finer game related toys are sold.

Weekly What To Do: The Deadliest Caffeine Christmas

Hollywood Christmas Parade
Sunday Dec 1 5PM
Starting on Hollywood Blvd at Orange, the U-shaped parade route will travel east to Vine, south on Vine to Sunset Boulevard and west on Sunset, back to Orange.



Old Pasadena Home for the Holidays
Friday, November 29, from 4:00 – 8:00pm
Holly Street between Fair Oaks and Raymond Avenues

Holiday fun for the family. Caffeine



Coffeegraph
Dec 1-21  Think Tank Gallery
939 Maple Ave, Suite #200
"Think Tank Gallery and LA Coffee Club present a feast for the senses with an event series that embraces Downtown’s accelerating craft coffee culture. Showcasing the art of Avi Roth, a unique abstract expressionist that creates entirely from the textures of coffee, Think Tank Gallery incorporates his unique Coffeegraph technique into its massive space, transformed into a fully-sculptured coffee bar, hosting LA’s most exciting names in coffee from Dec 1 – 21. LA Coffee Club and select partners invite the community for a series of events ranging from coffee table conversations and workshops, to live music and performance art with the goal of sparking creative discussion over a cup of craft coffee."
 
Film
Three Stooges Big Screen Event!
Saturday, November 30, 2013 at 2 & 8 pm
Alex Theatre
216 North Brand Blvd., Glendale 91203

6 shorts and one thought to be lost forever Stoogery is up for watching this weekend.


Kubrick's Cube Double Feature!
THE SHINING / ROOM 237/

and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY

Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028 Map
Fri, Nov 29, 2013
7:30pm
Sat, Nov 30, 2013
7:30pm
11/28(Thu)~12/4(Thu):,[AM11:00],[PM1:15,3:30,6:00,8:30,10:45],12/5(Fri)~:,TBA
CGV Cinemas
"In the not-so distant future, researchers at a deep-sea laboratory have finally invented a time machine. Head researcher Woo-seok is promised funding from a mega-corporation if he completes a test flight. He and Young-eun carry out the mission and travel to 11 A.M. the next day, only to find the base on the verge of collapse. All the researchers are gone and someone is out to kill them."

Top Thing To Do
Wednesday, Dec 4 at 07:30 PM 
The Crest 1262 S. Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90024
Is it a film? Technically. Is it any good? No.

No in the best way possible. It's up there as possibly so bad it's good movies to watch. Set in the 80's filled with Ninjas, bikers and cocaine this film is pure cine-filth. Pleasure from seeing something so bad.

VIDEO NIGHTS: Deadly Prey & Deadliest Prey (L.A. premiere, cast in person!) 
Sat, November 30, 2013 9:30 PM (Doors open at 09:00 PM)
The Cinefamily
What? What is going on here? They made a sequel! The original makes less sense then Miami Connection, though Miami Connection is just a more entertaining horrible movie. See what cinema dorks on-line have been making fun of all this time from these Rambo rip-offs that makes no sense at all.



Tuesday, November 26, 2013

No Best Game Store 2013 LA Weekly?

Just noticed LA Weekly didn't have a Best Game Store category this year. 2012 had World 8 as the winner and 2011 had Gameplay. Nothing this year LA Weekly? Best Arcade did go to Round 1 in 2013, all the way in City of Industry.

Calendar Winner!

The Video Game Console Girls 2014 Calendar Contest is over.

The lucky winner Harlan N. from Tuscaloosa, Alabama will be getting the calendar just in time for the start of December.

For those who still want the calendar get it here for $20 plus shipping.

Thanks again to Glen Brogan for donating it for this contest.

Anime Thanksgiving

For those of you who haven't caught up with Madoka Magica you can see the first two films over the weekend at the Downtown Independent. Sadly, you'll have to go two days in a row.

Madoka Magica The Movie Part 1 & 2 Encore Screenings
Part 1:Fri, Nov. 29th: 2:00pm, 9:30pm
Part 2:
Sat, Nov. 30th: 12:00pm, 9:30pm
Downtown Independent

Remember, the sold out 3rd movie is happening Tuesday at the Egyptian.





My Neighbor Totoro
Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Avenue,
Santa Monica, CA 90403 Map
Sun, Dec 1, 2013
4:00pm 
Spend the last day of the weekend on a cat bus!

Machinima's Interactive Film Festival 2013 Opening Night



Dump Master 3 greeted me as I walked into the 2nd Machinima Interactive Film Fest last Friday night, a film fest showing off Machinima known and new talent for one night and two days over at iam8bit on Sunset.  A short fake doc on the making of a video game where your moves consist of  taking a crap on others could not prepare anyone for the different vids they could gander at the tablet connected big screens at the multiple stations in the gallery area. Three TV's, two headsets for each station and no Oculus Rift support, just yet.

Booths for the different categories this year: Live-Action, Animation and Fan Films. They spread out over the iam8bit gallery  floor. Kogi and Crepes Bonaparte gave the party a taste along side the free Lucky Buddha Beer. Hours into the event it was hard to find a free spot to stand or even view any of the films that could win a lucrative deal with Machinima to produce a short series.

It was a chance that night for anyone to talk to the directors, actors and crew of the films being shown ... if you already knew what they looked like. Iam8bit, please invest in some name tags. Went to a Meetup event a few weeks ago and they even had them to make introductions easier.

Cast and crew of Tumbleweed
With no idea who anyone was, I tried asking a gentleman, who was getting his photo taken by iam8bit staff, what his role in the night was. I asked him if he was a director or an actor. He grinned at me, "No, sorry. Maybe, one day." I said to him, "Well, your dressed very nicely and look great." He smiled again, "That's very complimentary of you." Too bad I'm hetero, because I said all the right things to this gentleman. Could have been a nice evening if I liked men.

Men-liking aside, I met some more men that night. Thought they might be part of that night's VIPs when the were taking group photos together near the Machinima backdrop and gambled to see who they were.



Clayton Cogswell(r) Noel Carrol (l)
"We should have, but we we're stupid, we blew it", that's what Noel Carrol from Good Cops Entertainment had to say about not being in the first Machinima Interactive Film Festival. He's enthusiasm alongside his partner Clayton Cogswell for their new series Tumbleweed, an old west show with video game jokes (Red Dead Redemption inspired), were that of men ready to party.  You could hear chuckles comes from those who put headphones on their heads while watching their episode on the festival floor.

They had a second chance with this year's festival. They didn't show off their prior series of Good Cops, mustaches and cop humor, at last year's event. Clayton and Noel we're making the evening theirs by celebrating with cast and crew. I asked about how working with Machinima was and soon I'd be hearing the same words, "So much easier", that and happy faces, well silly faces, these two guys were really funny. Clayton and Noel were happy they were part of this year's fest thanks to the reminding nudge of Woody Tondorf.

Woody Tondorf knows his Batman, he also brings in new content for Machinima and had one of his own films The Dark Knight Legacy playing on Fan Film TVs that night. Noel and Clayton introduced. We discussed Batman in length and he could be vetted with the title Batman fanboy. He went over wanting to create a world based on the current movies that led to seeing a Nolan-like Red-Hood featured in his film playing there.

When going over interaction Woody pointed out, "We have around forty films playing in there, if it was a regular film festival it would take a week. You can see everything or nothing."

Interaction could have been a live play of Tumbleweed with Clayton and Noel from earlier when I asked them about them connecting with others that night. They joked about a live performance of Tumbleweed that sadly remind a joke. I would have enjoyed it.


Woody then introduced me to the work of "Z" (Eric Zaragoza) and Aaron Schoenke. He nearly couldn't stop praising the work of both of the directors before I got talk to them. Z was there for his Fan Film, Dead Space: Chase of Death. Aaron, came with his father Sean, their a father son production team, for their latest Super Power Beat Down of the White Ranger Vs. Scorpion.

"We knew when we saw the helmet", Z got into they look of the Dead Space short he directed. Different from the game aesthetic it still looked real, the iconic helmet/mask from the series. Z went over being able to make content that looks professional and get it noticed thanks to Machinima. We went over the third game in the series, which he was just starting. I warned him to stop. Hopefully, he can keep his artistic vision from the first two games in the series. Allowing those who can really direct and also love video games is what he got across to me about Machinima.

Animation like Coin and Goodnight Sweet Pakman brought out both the love of games an animation. Coin has you see a complete playthrough of a beat-em-up with some crazy fight moves and animation you can relate to if you ever played a game in genre out of the 80's or 90's. It's pace and the amount of action could choke out a Die Hard Marathon. Then you have a strange blend with 'Goodnight Sweet Pakman"
mixing live-action with colorful animation. Changing the ghosts to a hit crew and Pac-Man and Pac-Woman to 1950's movie tropes of a detective and his gal.


The festival has no equal, unless you consider a table kiosk area in a Best Buy, only if that Best Buy was having a massive party. You connected with the movies and those who made them like you would at a party. A party that could have used name tags.

-If you missed the event, here's all the films that were playing at it.
-I'll look for news on who wins for a future report.

*Happy Birthday Jon Gibson of  iam8bit