Retro Thursday - Emulators: The classics and more at your fingertips.

Welcome to the July 31st edition of 'Retro Thursday' here at New Geek Protocol.

I hope some of you had a chance to try General Chaos on the Sega Genesis last week. What's that? You don't own a Genesis or General Chaos? Well, do I have a solution for you. That solution is Console Emulation.

What is Emulation? Well, in a nutshell, it is a program coded to mimic the behavior of a video game console like the Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, or even the PlayStation Portable. The games aren't physical games, but files called 'ROMs' that contain the data from video game discs or cartridges. Mainly, emulation is used for classic game consoles, but recently there have been attempts by programmers to emulate last-generation video game systems. While these attempts to haven't seen the same results as older generations, there is hope to one day perfect the emulation of systems like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

My first emulation experience was on the PlayStation Portable. When the system first launched, programmers discovered flaws in the code that allowed the installation of user-created programs. This became know as Homebrew. Once the custom firmware was installed, you gained the ability to download and play emulators right on the handheld. I was fond of NES emulator 'Nester J'. Through various system firmware updates, Sony repeatedly killed the capability to use Homebrew on your console. This was mostly due to some gamers storing and playing newly-released PSP games on the system. After updating your PSP, if you had Homebrew installed, it was rendered useless. No more 'Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!' for you.

An emulator running 'Super Mario Bros.' on a PSP.

As time went on, emulators became more and more accessible and ran with greater performance. I had one called NESticle along with every Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Sega Genesis game ever made right there on my PC hard drive. But it's important to know that while emulation itself is legal, distribution of copyrighted code is not. So technically, you can have an emulator and all is good in the world. But once you throw the "ROMs" into the mix, you're breaking the law. Due to this, I won't be linking any websites to download "ROMs" in this post. But...I will say this: a simple Google search will point you in the right direction. It's also worth noting if you own the cartridge or disc to a game, you are legally able to possess the "ROM" and play it on an emulator since you already own the intellectual property.

NESticle running on a PC.

Emulators also allow talented programmers to edit or create "ROM" files. Many people create their own games or change/upgrade one of their favorite titles. The best example of an upgraded title is "Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - REDACTION". If anyone has ever played the classic NES title "Castlevania II: Simon's Quest", it's almost impossible to know where to go or what to do without a walkthrough or guide handy. The hints are extremely pointless and there is no general sense of direction. But one emulation user changed all of that. In "REDACTION", all townspeople now provide helpful hints, towns are properly labeled, and you have an idea of where to go and what to do. The final boss, Dracula, is also upgraded to look more like Dracula and provide increasedl difficulty. The game is now fully playable decades later and becomes one of the best titles in the "Castlevania" franchise. And it's all thanks to emulation.

Emulation: Turning a bad game into a great one.

Many gamers nowadays won't be able to experience the classics offered by consoles of old. The classics are either too expensive, too difficult to find, or too time consuming to play. On an emulator, you have a library at your fingertips along with the advantage of saving your progress wherever, whenever. Playing a game of "Dick Tracy" and you want to quit? Save state. Finally going through "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link" and you want to make sure you don't lose your progress? Save state. About to fight Mike Tyson in "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" and are sure you will lose, but don't want to start over? Save state. It makes classic gaming more enjoyable for today's generation. It also allows you to try all different types of games without having to spend a bunch of money on something you may hate.

Thanks to the constant upgrades to technology, there are now multiple ways to play emulators. Obviously, PC is still in the mix. On my cell phone, a LG Nexus 5, I have a few classic emulators installed. There are also apps you can download to help you find "ROMs" and download them straight to your Android phone. If you're on an iPhone and want to emulate, you have to jailbreak your phone in order to download the emulator. Unless you were lucky enough to get one before Apple pulled them off the App Store. On Android, the apps are easily downloadable and simple to use.

Super Mario Bros. on an Android emulator.

Emulator Apps on Android.

The best part about cell phone emulators is the multiple controllers you can purchase if you don't want to use the standard touch screen. I bought the MOGA Pocket controller to pair with my phond and it is perfect. Via Bluetooth, you connect to your decice and are able to assign the buttons to your liking. You can also save various button layouts for different games. It's like having a generation of games in your pocket. There are also other controllers out there that aren't as mobile and have more features. But for the gamer-on-the-go or for travel, the MOGA Pocket is perfect. It runs on only two (2) AAA batteries and has a pretty long life. I used it on a 5 hour plan ride and had enough juice to play in my hotel room for a few nights and my flight home.

MOGA Pocket controller.

Every gamer should check out an emulator for themselves. Download your old favorites, try a game you've never played, or finally beat that son of a bitch Jaquio in "Ninja Gaiden" by using save states. There's nothing like experiencing the classics again and emulators allow you to do just that. What's your favorite classic game? Your favorite emulator? What platform are you emulating on? Leave a comment or hit me up on Twitter @Money_Launderer.

And, as always, game on.

-ML

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Bronies: Misunderstood

My daughter and I share a love for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I know that I will probably receive a lot of flack for this, but I don’t care because I love this show and love that my daughter got me into it. I really do believe that this show is done really well and definitely a whole lot better than the original.

  

“A brony is a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic that is outside the target demographic of little girls. Most bronies are friendly teenagers and young adults that simply aren't afraid to admit to enjoying a show that is innocent, colorful, and funny. 

The latest rendition of My Little Pony is much different than the previous generations most people associate the title with. This show has a fresh, modern look, and tells fun stories that people of all ages can enjoy. Not to mention the show is amazingly well-made and showcases a massive amount of talent ranging from voice artists, to writers, to music composers, and much more.

What began as a simple internet meme has turned into a massive global fan base.” (whatisabrony.com)

What I have found really interesting is that Hasbro is adding characters that connect back to the geek community. There is Dr. Hooves, Daring Do (the MLP version of Indiana Jones), and the Power Ponies. There has been an episode where the “Mane 6” (Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, AppleJack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy) and Spike (Twilight’s dragon sidekick/assistant) get sucked into an alternate “comic book” world as the Power Ponies (Ponies with super powers) to defeat a super villain.

The MLP voice cast are no strangers to the animated industry. Tara Strong, Twilight Sparkle, has also voiced for: The Fairly Odd Parents, Teen Titans Go, Ultimate Spider-man, Chowder, and many others. Ashleigh Ball, Apple Jack/Rainbow Dash, along with Andrea Libman, Pinkie Pie/Fluttershy, have lent their talent to Strawberry Shortcake and Dinosaur Train and several other popular shows as well. There has even been a guest voice appearance by Weird Al Yankovic who voiced Cheese Sandwich.

This is just a small glimpse of the My Little Pony universe that continues to expand. They are already expanding into graphic novels, chapter books, comic books, and stand alone straight to video features. All I ask of you is to give the show a chance and maybe one day you can proudly call yourself a brony.

- Da_Fettman

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San Diego Comic Con 2014 Recap

This year at SDCC all the fanboys were treated to wave after wave of huge announcements, mainly thanks to the houses of Marvel and DC taking their gloves off and throwing huge punches at each other. The big guns on display were, of course, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. There was a plethora of news but I'm going to go over the big stuff and what I felt was kind of a big deal.

Warcraft Movie Tease
Legendary and Universal brought not only the new Warcraft movie logo but also a couple props from the movie set (Doomhammer, Dragon Sword, and Lion Shield) which are looking pretty sweet.

Goosebumps Is Real!!!

Jack Black and the director Rob Letterman chatted with IGN about the panel where they revealed that the iconic "Slappy the Dummy" would make an appearance along with other classic Goosebumps characters.

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

All of the characters you love are back for this new game with the addition of few more (and by a few more I mean it's going to be hard to find a DC character that is NOT in this game). IN SPACE!!!

Star Wars: Rebels Footage

Disney showed off what is to be the follow up to the much loved Clone Wars series with new trailer, and it looks awesome.

Mockingjay Pt. 1 Teaser Trailer
Lionsgate finally showed of some on-screen footage of the new Hunger Games movie with its new teaser trailer. The Mockingjay lives!!!



Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Story
WB showed that they not only have amazing gameplay, as they have with many trailers before, but also the epic story to make this game truly great. As a Lord of the Rings fan it is exciting to see that the story of this game will have strong roots in that universe with a couple characters showing up that we all know and love.



Godzilla 2
Although there was no media presented by Legendary there was a huge announcement for the follow up Godzilla movie. Monsters!!! Godzilla 2 will have the fabled kaiju facing off against Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah!

 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Thorin declares war in the final Hobbit movie that is set to release on December 17th. The new trailer is packed with strife for all the characters involved except for Smaug who will burninate the countryside.

Mad Max: Fury Road
With Tom Hardy set to take on the role of Max Rockatansky in the new post-apocalyptic George Miller adaptation, Warner Brothers gave us a look at a few of the 'splosions we'll see when it hits theatres May 15th 2015.



Ant-Man Panel
With quite a bit of controversy surrounding this film Marvel stepped up to "Wright" the wrongs of their upcoming movie. They announced that Evangeline Lilly will be joining the cast and playing Hank Pym's (Michael Douglas) daughter Hope Pym. Michael Douglas however, during the panel, referred to Lilly's character as Hope van Dyne at one point. This suggests that her mother is in fact Janet van Dyne a.k.a. The Wasp. Corey Stoll was also introduced during the panel as the main antagonist of the movie Yellowjacket. They talked about Yellowjacket's origin to villainy in that he was formerly Hank Pym's protege who, when given control of Hank's company, leads it down a more sinister path. The poster for the Ant-Man movie was also on display which showed the hero riding and leading a horde of flying ants.

Batman v. Superman Reveal

The Holy DC Trinity united for the first time onstage at SDCC. Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot made a brief appearance at the Warner Brothers panel. There was also a brief teaser shown off to the crowd as well. This is the play by play of that teaser straight from the source by Scott Collura over at ign.com: "It starts with thunder and rain, as a hand pulls a tarp off of something… it’s Ben Affleck’s Batman on a Gotham City rooftop, and he’s in the full bat-armor from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. His eyes are glowing white, and we see that what he’s pulled that tarp off of is the bat-signal. He turns the signal on and the famed bat symbol fills the sky… but then we see it’s aimed at something. At a man floating in the sky. A super-man! Cut to a close-up of Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel as his eyes start to glow with heat vision. Cut back to Batman whose eyes are still glowing white. It’s the stare down of all stare downs! Cut to the title screen: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." The movie itself sounds like it is coming together quite nicely and it is incredibly reassuring that it is influenced so strongly by Frank Miller's Dark Knight series. The last bit of info we got was the reveal of the new Wonder Woman outfit which looks really good.

Avenger: Age of Ultron Panel

Coming off the massive success that was the first Avengers movie there couldn't have been any more excitement in the room before the start of the Avengers: Age of Ultron panel. Most of the cast was on hand to give a glimpse into the new world and shed some light on what is to be a darker and more urgent sequel. There was footage of the movie shown that reveals how Ultron comes to be the big villain along with his eventual hordes of minions. Apparently one of Tony Stark's Iron Legion becomes self aware and decides that the Avengers are all killers and they need to be taken out to protect humanity. From there is shows glimpses of combat from all the main Avengers along with Quicksilver zipping around laying some smack down and Scarlet Witch doing her magic pew pew pew thing. We also got a small glimpse of Vision in a poster that was created for the movie. Originally released as individual character posters of each Avenger fighting the Ultron horde was later found out to be a huge promotional piece that fit them all together. In the upper left hand corner you can see Vision floating above the battlefield (picture shown below). The panel culminated with casting news that Josh Brolin will now be playing the ultimate villain Thanos in the upcoming Marvel movies. The actor took the stage wielding the toy Infinity Gauntlet and later took a jab at Robert Downey Jr. by accepting one of the roses he was handing out to the crowd and promptly beheading it with his teeth.

So that was San Diego Comic Con 2014 in a nutshell. It will go down as possibly the most epic of all time. With huge announcements and reveals I personally am very excited to see how DC and Marvel will throw down on the silver screen. What are you most excited about from the news explosion that was SDCC 2014? Shout it out in the comments and don't forget to follow us on twitter @NewGeekProtocol!

-Demo  

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3 Months To Die

3 Months To Die

As a monthly pull list subscriber at my local comic shop, Goldmine Comics and Cards, I like to pride myself in knowing my interests span a wide variety of both flagship and indie titles over twenty-five strong. However, despite my best efforts, there is one character who appears in 25% of my subscriptions every single month without fail. The Wolverine.

Although his introduction in 1974 was brief within the pages of The Incredible Hulk #181, Wolverine quickly became a fan favorite (much like the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett after his brief appearance in The Empire Strikes Back). His next appearance then helped launch a revival of the X-Men within 1975's One-Shot, Giant-Size X-Men #1, and became a full member of the squad in the pages of the monthly publication, X-Men #94. 

As time went on, the character's growing popularity led to two solo mini-series in the early 1980s and soon after landed his own ongoing book in November of 1988 by Claremont and Buscema. However, it wasn't until 2001 that we learned of Wolverine's true origins in the pages of Origin, which was also briefly depicted in the train wreck of a film, Wolverine: Origins (in which only the beginning of the film is based strongly on the comic).

Currently appearing in 9 ongoing monthly titles, (2x Avengers, 4x X-Men and 3x Solo) and handling the protagonist duties in all 7 cinematic X-Men films, many fans and creators feel that the character has become overexposed with his popularity.

As a result, Wolverine will soon find himself face-to-face with Death herself as the 3 Months to Die teaser leads directly into September's 4-issue conclusion, Death of Wolverine.

In the comic world, dead rarely mean "dead" (i.e Hawkeye, Captain America, Superman and Colossus to name a few) unless we're strictly discussing Marvel's Ultimate Universe. The old adage used to state, "The only people who stay dead in comics are Bucky, Jason Todd, and Uncle Ben." However even the former two were resurrected back in 2005. Will Wolverine inevitably return? Of course. Will he be the same? No one ever is. 

Let's just see if he can stay dead though Christmas. 

-ArchangelEZE

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Welcome to Terminus - The Walking Dead Season 5 trailer has arrived!

Finally, it's coming back. Fans of the #1 rated television program on cable, The Walking Dead, were given a treat today. As we gear up for the return of the explosive TV series, the long-awaited trailer for season 5 was released at Comic-Con in San Diego. And it's a doozy of a trailer.

Season 5 will bring Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Daryl (Norman Reedus), Glen (Steven Yeun), and the rest of the group head to head against the people of Terminus. Or, at least, that's what you expect with the way season 4 ended. And if you haven't watched season 4, get on it. It was honestly a step in the right direction for the series, which I've felt has struggled a little since Frank Darabont was fired from the show.

When we last left Rick and the group at the close of season 4, they were locked in a rail car. Unsure of what to do, they began plotting their next move. According to Rick, "they're screwing with the wrong people". As history has shown, normally Rick is not to be crossed. And if the today's trailer is any indication of where we're going in season 5, it's going to be a hell of a ride with a lot of bodies and bloodshed left behind.

There are so many questions to ask. Do you think Rick leads his group out of Terminus alive and intact? Do they have to compromise with the rumored cannibals of Terminus? What the heck happened to Beth? Will we see Negan this season? Are you happy with the show diverting from the source material? What did you think of the trailer? Sound off in the comments below. Any way you cut it, something big is going to go down in season 5. October can't get here fast enough.

The Walking Dead returns Sunday, October 12th at 9/8c on AMC.

For more on The Walking Dead, visit http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead.

-ML

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Nintendo Joins the Party with Amiibo

Nintendo Joins the Party with Amiibo

Since the launch of Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure in late 2011, adventure/platform/role-playing games that utilize figurines you can bring to life have only grown in popularity. Spawning multiple spin-off series such as Skylanders: Giants, Skylanders: Swap-Force and the up-coming Skylanders: Trap Team, players transport their characters via a "Portal of Power," which reads a built-in tag via NFC (Near Field Communication) to import customized player data directly from the figurine (i.e. abilities, combat level, etc.).

In the fall of 2013, Disney also jumped on the synchronized collectible figurine bandwagon and launched their own version of the software entitled Disney Infinity, allowing players to collect and control their favorite Disney and Pixar characters. Due to the game's success and rise in popularity, a second installment, Disney Infinity: Marvel Superheroes, is set to launch later this year.

Early this week, Nintendo has also revealed their version of the NFC software with Amiibo : character figured designed to connect and interact with compatible games. With the first wave set to release this holiday season alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, characters such as Mario, Pikachu, Link and Yoshi are set to make an appearance. Although late to the party, Nintendo has made quite the impressive showing with their attention to detail, multiple game functionality (Mario Kart 8 and Mario Party 10 are among the few) and compatibility with how each amiibo will react from game to game.

Check out the E3 launch trailer below for a more detailed look at how Amiibo functions with the Will U gamepad, console and respective games. *Beware the cheesy intro

-Archangel EZE

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Retro Thursday - General Chaos: the strategy game you've never played.

Name: General Chaos
Developer: Game Refuge Inc.
Publisher: Electronic Arts
System: Sega Genesis
Release Date: January 14th, 1994
Genre: Action/strategy
Players: 1-4

I present to you one of the best games made for the Sega Genesis that did not receive it's proper day in the sun: General Chaos. I stumbled upon this game during the heyday of Sega Channel (which I'll save for another Retro Thursday) and it was one of the best experiences I had on a Genesis.

Developed by Game Refuge Inc and published by EA (before they became the 3rd most hated company in America) you play as a group of rag-tag commandos pitted against an opposing group of rag-tag commandos. The objective is simple: Win multiple battles at various locations before attacking and capturing your enemy's capital.

The game features multi-player for up to 4 people, single player versus mode, or a single-player campaign. Starting out, a player selects the blue team (General Chaos) or the red team (General Havoc) before picking a "squad" to take into battle. There are four pre-assembled "squads" to select from:

Assault Team: Gunner x1, Launcher x1, Chucker x1, Scorcher x1, Blaster x1
Commandos: Gunner x1, Chucker x1
Demolition Squad: Gunner x2, Launcher x2, Chucker x1
Brute Force Troop: Gunner x5

Five different classes of soldiers make up these squads:

Gunner: Sub-machine Gun class. Medium attack range, high rate of fire. Gun can potentially jam for a period of time during a firefight.

Launcher: Essentially the sniper class. Long attack range, slow rate of fire. Can randomly one-shot an opponent and destroy objective targets.

Chucker: Grenade class. Medium attack range, very low rate of fire. Can damage/kill multiple enemies, be thrown over cover, and destroy objective targets.

Scorcher: Flame-thrower class. Shortest attack range of all classes. Extremely dangerous, as they can damage/kill multiple enemies quicker than any other class. Can randomly insta-kill an opponent, reducing them to a pile of ash. Weapon will be temporarily disabled if exposed to water.

Blaster: Dynamite class. Extremely weak, due to their slow rate of fire and short attack range. Can one-shot an opponent and destroy objective targets.

Each team has positives and negatives to consider when selecting. Once a squad and battlefield is selected, you are thrown into combat against the opposing squad. There are ammo/supply drops, bonus objectives, and over 50 battle settings like a city, crossroad, or the forest. And each setting has different advantages and obstacles for players to use or avoid. In addition to all the gunfire and grenades, there is hand-to-hand combat at random times if two players get too close to each other. You win by mashing the face buttons to punch and kick your foe or block their attacks. Though randomly, your opponent will take the coward's way out and shoot you, robbing you of your victory. Will you take all of these factors into account, wipe out the opposing team, and win the battle? Or will you lose and allow your sworn enemy to come one step closer to taking over your capital? The choice is yours.

This was one of the first real multi-player experiences I had with my friends. We could play 2-player games on the NES together, but there weren't many 4 player games to choose from. Once General Chaos was discovered, we had a game everyone could play. I'm bummed that it has not received the Xbox Live Arcade treatment, as it has held up extremely well over the past 20 years. The gameplay is action-packed, the multi-player is fun, and the music is some of the best on the Genesis. The controls are a little odd when you start out, but there is a training mode you can play to get acquainted with them prior to entering battle.

If you have access to a Sega Genesis or have any knowledge of Genesis Emulation, I urge you to grab General Chaos and see what you've missed out on. It's honestly one of the hidden gems in the Sega Genesis library. From the first time I played it when I was 10 years old to now, General Chaos has become one of my all-time favorite games. Check it out!

-ML

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Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Across America!

Specialty craft brews and beer festivals!! That sounds like summer to me. A delicious one, that is.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has teamed up with 12 different breweries to collaborate on 12 beers in celebration of the 7 city traveling beer festival. This one off specialty 12 pack will cost you a little over $20 in most places. Get it while you can though, this is a limited release. Most of your favorite craft beer specialty stores are receiving only around 5 cases. If you love craft beer like I do, the self described absurd one time only variety pack will surely impress. More info on the beer can be found at, http://beercamp.sierranevada.com/beer/twelve_pack.

The Lineup, style, and collaboration partner:

There and Back: English Style Bitter                              Double Latte: Coffee Milk Stout
New Glarus Brewing Company                                      Ninkasi Brewing Company

Yvan the Great: Belgian Style Blonde                            Electric Ray: India Pale Lager
Russian River Brewing Company                                 Ballast Point Brewing Company

Myron's Walk: Belgian Style Pale Ale                            Maillard's Odyssey: Imperial Dark Ale
Allagash Brewing Company                                           Bell's Brewery, Inc.

Tater Ridge: Scottish Ale                                                Alt Route: Altbier
Asheville Brewers Alliance                                             Victory Brewing Company

Torpedo Pilsner: Hoppy Pilsner                                    Yonder Bock: Tropical Maibock
Firestone Walker Brewing Company                           Cigar City Brewing, LLC

Canfusion: Rye Bock                                                      Chico King: Pale Ale
Oskar Blues Brewery                                                      3 Floyds Brewing Company

If you are interested in attending any of the beer festivals, you can find that info at http://beercamp.sierranevada.com/festival.


~Colonel

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Hello, McFly! - Hot Toys Unveil Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) 1/6 Collectible Figure

"Whoa, whoa, Biff...what's that?"

I'll tell you what it is, Marty. It's something I want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on. Like many of the bloggers here at New Geek Protocol, I'm a fan of action figures and toy collectibles. And if you're a collector, you have to be aware of Hot Toys. These guys are the absolute best in the business by a country mile when it comes to collectible figures. They've done amazing pieces of Iron Man in various versions of his armor, Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) with the full Batsuit cabinet featured in "The Dark Knight" and Alfred (Michael Caine), The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), and so many other characters from movies and comic books. If you're a collectible figure junkie, they're the upper echelon. Mount Olympus. They're just flat out better than the competition.

Out of all their figures, this one...this one takes the cake for me. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) from Back to the Future.

The level of detail on this collectible is massive. The guys at Hot Toys never disappoint. They obviously secured the likeness of Michael J. Fox for this one, as they do with all of their movie-based collectibles. But look at the below photo for a moment:

That is the DeLorean Time Machine, folks. Sure, we've all seen die-cast models of the legendary OUTATIME DeLorean created by Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown, but I'm entirely sure this is going to be on another level. The detail on Marty alone makes me extremely hopeful the DeLorean will perfect. I'm guessing the only thing it won't do is travel through time.

Hot Toys have released a great amount of photos for this collectible, as they're getting ready to release it for pre-order during San Diego Comic Con. A Q2 2015 release date is planned, but at this time no price point has been announced. But if you're at all familiar with Hot Toys, you know it isn't going to be cheap. I'm willing to bet it will be somewhere in the $500+ range. The quality in their work is well worth the price of admission. Just look at some of the photos they've released for this one.

Yes, those are all the accessories the figure comes with. Multiple sets of hands, Marty's Walkman, skateboard, shades, camcorder, backpack, "Save the Clock Tower" flyer, and clothing. There will even be a special edition with Marty's guitar as a bonus accessory. By the looks of the photos released, you'll be able to pose Marty in all the iconic poses from the movie posters. It's a Back to the Future collector's dream come true.

I'm willing to bet they're also going to release Doc, Biff, and other versions of Marty in the coming months. It's too good of an opportunity to miss out on BTTF2 Marty with the Hoverboard, Biff with his '46 Ford and Gray's Sports Almanac, or Doc in the Old West with his modified rifle. I see a ton of potential for this line of collectibles. And a huge market for Hot Toys.

If I had the cash to burn, I'd be setting it aflame right now to get my hands on this collectible. It's definitely running at 88 miles per hour.

Check out more about Hot Toys at http://www.hottoys.com.hk/

-ML

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Hot Wheels' Dark Side For SDCC

Mattel went all out this year for SDCC and brought the infamous Dark Lord's new ship to the event. This Darth Vader themed car was built on the Corvette's chassis and is capable of going 80mph, not quite light speed but who would pass this and risk a throat hug.

 

Mattel is selling this limited edition collectible at their booth for $40. Stop by their booth so you don't miss out on this opportunity for a piece that is truly out of this galaxy.

- All photos are courtesy of Mattel -

-Da_Fettman

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Star Wars: Episode VII – Rumor Report

Star Wars: Episode VII – Rumor Report

More than a year from release, Star Wars: Episode VII is generating a vast amount of rumors ranging from character cameos to planet locations. Earlier in the week, Bad Ass Digest reported that they had uncovered the plot details for the highly anticipated 2015 film.

Please note that major potential spoilers may be listed below. However, as a die hard fan of the series, the outline seems a bit far-fetched for me considering the talent involved with the film and the historic secrecy of JJ Abrams productions (the man kept his casting under wraps for 9 months)! In my personal opinion, this rumor is the “Blue Harvest” of our generation, throwing a piece of meat to the media to keep them off the trail. If you do choose to continue, I highly suggest taking the rumor with a grain of salt and just have fun with the outrageous speculation.   

In just 17 short months, imagine yourself settling into your local theatre for the premiere of Episode VII. The crowd is hyped, and you can feel the excitement gathering in the room as the hour draws near. When the lights lower, the crowd errupts as the iconic John Williams theme fills the theatre alongside the classic Star Wars opening crawl making it's way across the silver screen. When the camera finally pans up to the stars, the familiar rumblings of a space cruiser are nowhere to be heard – but instead replaced by …. the severed hand of Luke Skywalker, still gripping the lightsaber originally owned and severed by his own father, Darth Vader, during the duel on Cloud City.

I can already hear the collective sobbing fanboy's cry, “NO! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!”

Questions and contradictions aside (How did the hand leave the Bespin atmosphere? Are we sure Luke's hand was still gripping the blade?), the story continues …

Luke's hand is eventually pulled into the gravatational field of a desert planet, and discovered by our two new leading protagnoists protrayed by Daisy Ridley (Mr. Selfridge) and John Boyega (Attack The Block). Our heroes recoginze the lightsaber as an ancient Jedi weapon, and set out a quest to return the blade to it's rightful owner. The duo's journey is set to take them off world and across the galaxy, where they cross path's with a pair of familiar smugglers (where's Leia?) who recogize the weapon, but haven't seen it's owner in over thirty years (okay …). Thus beginning the journey to seek out what has become of the lost Jedi Master.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the galaxy … an old enemy is building a new super weapon, 1000x more devastating than the Death Star(s), capable of destroying not only planets but entire solar systems.

So what are the odds that there is any truth behind theses rumors? Slim to none. I can buy into the notion that the film may centre around the search for Luke Skywalker, but that’s about it. I think it’s great fun to speculate and entertain the rumors, but like I mentioned perviously, Abrams likes to keep things close to the chest and this particular plot outline is far to similar to that of A New Hope to have any real stake in what’s to come. In my personal opinion, I think the new rumors surrounding Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) portraying an Imperial Officer, or possibly a Sith, hunting down Boyega’s AWOL character seem more likely, and as a fan, a far more fresh and exciting addition to the story. Only time will tell. 

-ArchangelEZE

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