Nintendo has been holding media conferences this week down in Australia, detailing upcoming releases financial news and other things Nintendo related. Well the big news coming from down under is that Nintendo plans to release the highly anticipated Metroid: Other M and Super Mario Galaxy 2 “mid year’. Now that doesn’t give us a definite release date, but considering most were thinking these two would be out during the Christmas season it’s great to hear that we could be playing these games by the summer time.
UPDATE: It has been confirmed that Mario Galaxy 2 will release on May 23rd.
So I recently acquired TMNT: Smash Up for WIi from our good buddies over @ Gamestop. As a huge TMNT fan, I was superstoked to finally get my hands on the game, and I got to say, it is a lot of fun.
Basically, a Smash Bros. clone (they’re both made by publisher Ubisoft), TMNT: SU blends the melee combat and destructible environs of Smash Bros. with the characters and storyline of the most recent incarnation of the Turtle:their CW cartoon. With a focus on aerial maneuvers and wall-climb attacks, the game action does differ slightly from SB, but overall it is basically Smash Bros. with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And what’s wrong with that? Sure, it’s not the most original idea, but it totally works. The settings are all turtle-inspired and a particularly manic fight-on-a-whale stage is worth checking out the game alone.
There are some camera issues, and occasionally the computer will get in cheap shot after cheap shot as you wait for the game to allow you to stand up, but overall this is one of the more addicting games I have played in a while, and by far one of the best games currently available for the Wii. The opening and story animations are basically TMNT motion comics done in the original style of the comic book, which is rad (contrary to most current internet reviews), and the character models, movements, and voice work all stay very true to the source material. The Smash Bros. engine translates particularly well to the TMNT universe, as well as the over-the-top martial-arts-based combat a good turtles game requires.
Yes, I wish there were characters from the classic cartoon. Yes, sometimes you really have no clue what the fuck is going on. But that’s just part of the goddamn charm. Seriously, if you’re a ninja turtles fan, or a Smash Bros. fan, or a Wii owner desperate for an interesting, playable title, go out and blow grandma’s Christmas money on TMNT: Smash Up. And uh, cowabunga.
I’ve got to say that one of my favorite modern Christmas stories comes from the 1985 TMNTMichelangelo one-shot comic. A few years ago, it was translated into cartoon form for the 2002 TMNT show. Check it out:
Also, probably the best way to pick up the original ChristmasAliens book is to get that TMNT Collected Vol. 1 that came out this year. It’s in there along with everything else that is awesome.
With $5 Festivus, and $2 red and green jello shots, It should be a Christmas-y, drunken good time. So head on out, eat pizza, drink Piece beer and party and drunkenly sing for a cause.
It should be a festive, drunken good time. So head on out, eat pizza, drink Piece beer and party and drunkenly sing for a cause.
Check out this sweet giclee print from Jeff Buffum (aka “The Jude”) for that upcoming Under the Influence Masters of the Universe show at Gallery 1988 from Jan 8th to Jan 29th in Los Angeles. I’m digging the super retro game motif of this one. You see, kids, before all video games looked like that creepy Tom Hanks Christmas train movie, this is how many of them actually looked. The Jude makes a really cool point with this piece about the iconic identity of these characters.
From Jude Buffum’s blog:
Shown above is my piece for Gallery 1988’s upcoming “Under the Influence: Masters of the Universe” show. Titled “Battle Bones”, it is a giclee print on canvas edition of 20, and 1/20 will come in this green hand-painted frame.
As a product of the eighties, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was a big part of my childhood, so I was super excited to be a part of this show. One thing I love about the characters is that they are so iconic and colorful that they can be reduced to very few pixels and still read.
I’ll post more once the gallery releases info about the show, but look for the opening to fall in the first week of January 2010.
For more info on all things Jude Buffum, check out his blog here.
Previews of stuff for this show are popping up all over the intertubes. Check back here on the regular, and I’ll spotlight as many of them as I can. For the latest on the Under the Influence show, go to the official Gallery 1988 site here.
Featuring a ton of cool, scary movies, and fright-film vendors perfect for the twisted gift-giver, this should be a truly terrifying good time. So head on over to The Portage and celebrate a cruel Yule. (Ed. Note: Four Christmases, the scariest holiday movie of all time, will not be shown)
This Friday Dec. 11th, @ 9 p.m. Chicago’s awesomest rock club, the Double Door, presents Viva Christmas!, with Los Straightjackets and El Vez.
Los Straitjackets are a rad surf rock outfit, known for their tasty licks and luchador masks, and their Christmas albums is one of the best, ever. Seriously. Plus, El Vez is a Mexican Elvis impersonator. ‘Nuff Said.
This is guaranteed to be one of the best events of the entire X mas season. Plus, Nerd City is making it their official holiday party, so get your ass in gear, and celebrate the joy of Christmas, dammit! Stop by Chicago Comics for the Reading with Pictures fundraiser first, then head on over to toast the holidaysNerd City style.
Plus the Double Door and Nerd City are so cool that the first person to email max@nerdcityonline with subject heading Viva Christmas! will receive a free pair of tickets to the show. So Ho! Ho! Ho! mother f’ers.
Looking for something to do in Chicago this weekend? Come out to Janiks for an awesome time with live music and the art of a really good friend of Nerd City, Brett Whitacre.
From Brett:
Hi All. Come out to Janik’s (2011 w. Division) this Saturday for a huge art display and live music performances by Word and Number and Tony Sackett (of Warm Ones). This opening is from 6-10ish pm Saturday December 5th. I will be featuring my newest reverse glass paintings as well as some older favorites. Local artist Melinda Cook will display her colorful images with paints on wood panels. And Paula Gramley displays her “found” object jewelry.
The music will be provided by the local avant-electro duo Word and Number as well as a solo performance by Warm Ones frontman Tony Sackett.
Janiks Cafe will be serving Beer, Mixed drinks, and Coffee. Division Street will be hosting their first annual DoDivision Christmas walk this very evening. Should be a great night to get out. And oh yeah, buy some art. Give em as gifts or keep it all to yourselves.
Hope to see you all there!
Brett is an amazingly talented artist with a really unique approach to making his art. Check out this video of his creative process:
Seems like I just went to Terror in the Aisles 2 a couple months ago - I guess time flies when you’re watching horror films? Fine by me! Rusty Nails is putting on his third installment in December, and here is the info he sent me:
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (10th Anniversary!)
with director Eduardo Sanchez in person!
NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (director’s cut)
with director FRED DEKKER in Person!
[REC] 2 (Midwest premiere!)
Sequel to the Spanish horror hit! One of the first US screenings!
Special Guest WENDY ROBIE
(star of People Under The Stairs & Twin Peaks)
Reads Edgar Allan Poe for Poe’s Bicentennial Birthday Celebration!
Short films include:
TREEVENGE (A Chilling Tale of Christmas Gone Wrong!)
This is a very cool organization, responsible for the Texas Chainsaw Musical, and a show based on Hack/Slash. In fact, our good buddy Tim Seeley occasionally does their posters. Plus, i have heard nothing but good things about last year’s production.
The prints are still on sale at the shop until November 14th. They are all super reasonable, and would make great Christmas gifts for your weirdo cousin.
If you were to make me pick what my all time fav. designer vinyl toy is up to this point, I would probably have to pick Joe Ledbetter’s Hammerhead from the Kaiju For Grown Ups line. Luckily for my wallet, things have been pretty quiet on the Hammerhead front as of late. We haven’t seen any new colorways of the sculpt for quite a few months. However, Joe has done something really cool and done a custom painted version of the Hammerhead figure in a style that makes it look exactly like one of his illustrations come to life. This is a one off piece for a show @ STITCH Gallery in Tokyo, starting May 29th and exhibiting through June 14th.
If anyone is looking to get their Christmas shopping for me out of the way early this year, feel free to contact the fine folks at Stitch here.
Use Priority Code WL192 When Ordering Tickets!
