Sonic The Hedgehog Movie?! Almost.

At last weekend's MagFest, Blue Core Studios released their Sonic the Hedgehog live action 20-minute fan film. When you think fan film, you may be thinking Be-Kind Rewind quality... but this is really nice. They spent two years making the film with the help of fan donations from around the world.

This is the way a video game movie should look and feel. It's dark, yet very enjoyable. It represents the source material well, and it almost has a noir feel to it. Most of all, it doesn't feel cheesy.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. Jaleel White (yes, Steve Urkel!) is the voice of Sonic.

Review: Life of Pi.

I read Yann Martell’s Life of Pi some ten years ago at the insistence of my well-read girlfriend. It stuck with me then, as director Ang Lee’s stunningly beautiful film adaptation sticks with me now. An unlikely story of a boy who winds up on a lifeboat with a tiger, there is far more here to unravel than the premise suggests. If Pi stretches belief, it’s to make you believe. Pi has a point. A sharp point that is driven home at the end of an expertly told, thought-provoking and life-affirming story.



To find out why I love this movie... join me after the jump!

Review: Doctor Who "Titans" Vinyl Figures!

Whether you're a fan of time-fiddler Doctor Who, or hipster blind-boxed vinyl figures - or heaven forbid, BOTH! - then you would be out of your gourd to skip over the new Doctor Who Titans vinyl figures which are travelling into specialty stores RIGHT NOW. I'm a casual fan of The Doctor, but a big fan of vinyl so when I stumbled across these late last week I recklessly snapped up ten of them.

Look at this charming box of mystery! What could possibly be inside?

I am going to crack all of these boxes open... after the jump!

Kaiju Kaos Smackdown: Limited Edition Miniatures Game Release!

This is interesting. Bailey Records, a record label that produces roleplaying and miniatures game soundtracks, as well as comic book soundtracks (I swear, here's proof.) produces their own miniatures game called Kaiju Kaos. It's a big tabletop skirmish game featuring "humans, werewolves, scarecrows, zombies, Giant Apes, and Colossal Kaiju" and the new version of the game, Smackdown, is a quick (what?) and small (crazy!) miniatures game. A new set of limited edition black cast figures for Kaiju Kaos: Smackdown are being released tomorrow night. There are only 40 sets being produced, and knowing today's demand for miniatures... they won't last long.

This game seems to go right for the gamers gut too. The combination of character types PLUS Kaiju? It's too cool. The first run consists of Orcco the Everfolk / Martial Artist Orchid Titan champion, Earwig the Insectien / Scout Specialist Battler Beetle and Atticus the Wicked Werewolf / vicious Saboteur.

Click through the jump for more images and info.

Review: Best Drinking Vessel Ever! The M.O.D.O.K. Mug!

In office environments especially, there are often few opportunities for you to modify your environment and assert your personality. You need to make a statement! How about staking your claim with, what is clearly, the BEST DRINKING VESSEL EVER from which to chug evil, black, invigorating coffee! Yes, I am talking about Think Geek's M.O.D.O.K. Mug...

To find out exactly what the hell is going on here, and why I have this thing... join me after the jump!

J. Tagmire's Top 10 Board Games of 2012!

Last year, Risk Legacy took the top spot because of it's innovative campaign mechanics, where players modify the board as they play the game. Writing on the board? Tearing up cards? It's all crazy and had a huge impact on me last year. Now... which game will take the trophy for 2012?

First, two 2011 games that made a huge impact on my gaming sessions were King of Tokyo and Cards Against Humanity. I play King of Tokyo until a few months ago and didn't even get a copy until late 2012, but man that game would have been high on this list. Cards Against Humanity has dominated our game nights as well and the expansions have been better and better.

And there are plenty of games that I haven't had a chance to play yet. The most important one to note is probably Android: Netrunner, which has been sitting in its shrink wrap since Black Friday. 

On to my top 10 Board Games of 2012!

Stryder's Favourite Comics - 1/2/2013

Welcome to 2013!  This week's comics were released on my BIRTHDAY!  That's what I love about New Comic Book day, man...every year I get older, but it stays the same age...

Superman #15 - "Does the Boy make you uncomfortable?  He should.  But since you asked so politely...I trust you're inquiring about H'El."

The last time we saw Lex Luthor, he was working with both the U.S. government and (secretly) Brainiac in Action Comics, just as Superman was really coming into his own in Metropolis.  Fortune has not been kind to Lex, who now evokes comparisons to Hannibal Lecter! Lex is locked away in a prison of his own design, never to see the light of day again due to his crimes.  This is where Superman, with Superboy in tow, arrive.  The Man of Steel needs Lex's opinion...is what H'El says possible?  Can he achieve time travel and somehow SAVE KRYPTON?  And if so...at what cost?

At least, that's the premise of Kal-El's visit to his old enemy.  The subtext is...well, there's a lot more going on here than appears on the surface.  Both Superman and Superboy are disturbed by their meeting with the "Earth's Greatest Human Intellect."  "H'El on Earth" just got real!

Oh, by the way, Kenneth Rocafort is a tremendous artist!  I can barely turn a page of this comic without being impressed!  He was awesome on Red Hood and the Outlaws and he's hit an even higher gear here!  Awesome!

Lots more, including Teen Titans, Batman, Incorporated and The Flash after the JUMP!

The Kindle Paperwhite? It's Pretty Much Awesome

I wasn't the earliest adopter to the Kindle world, but when a friend of mine back in summer 2010 let me play around with her massive Kindle DC with the keyboard and about 8 million books, I knew I needed to have one. I got the Kindle DC (now the Kindle Keyboard) as a gift in 2010, and used it more than I thought I would, but less than I wanted to - the experience was both superior in many ways and lacking in others. Finally, the Paperwhite came out. The consensus seemed to be that it was both the best eInk ereader to hit the market and that it had some flaws as well.

For me, it's a lot simpler. On a functional level, the Kindle Paperwhite is exactly the ereader I hoped the Keyboard/DX would have been. On a personal level, I can now sit in bed with my pregnant wife and read a book without disturbing her at all. It's made my life better in nearly every possible way.

Kickstart the Week: Pirates vs. Dinosaurs by Jolly Roger Games

With simply a name like "Pirates vs. Dinosaurs" you think the Kickstarter campaign would be fully funded by now. With a name like Richard Launius (designer of Arkham Horror, Defenders of the Realm and much more) attached you think it would be funded by now. And with just 5 days to go and 44% more funding needed, there is something even scarier than the pirates and the dinosaurs.. not reaching the funding goal.

Thanks to Kicktraq's wonderful public stats, you can see how the project is going and how it's projected to go. It's looking pretty tough, but we've seen much bigger miracles on Kickstarter.

For $55 you get a copy of the game shipped in the US. It sounds a hefty price tag for the theme, but Richard makes some hefty games. This one is on the medium side with a 90 minute playing time. Also, the graphic design looks great so far, and the artwork is very nice.

Richard Launius chimed in on the Board Game Geek forums with 6 reasons to consider buying the game.

6) This one may be debatable by you, but I think I have proven that I design good games. My games are not for everyone, especially the hardcore eurogamer, but for those that like adventure, don't mind a little luck, and enjoy the story that comes from the gaming experience as much as winning or losing - I think my designs provide that experience.

Check out Pirates vs. Dinosaurs on Kickstarter:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1649598142/pirates-vs-dinosaurs

Review: The "Final" Wave of Star Wars Vintage Action Figures, Part 3: Clone Wars, Expanded Universe.

Here's the final part of my far-too-long look at Hasbro's last wave of vintage-design 3 3/4 action figures, covering The Clone Wars and The Expanded Universe. There's only three figures left to show you of this online exclusive wave starting with Anakin's baffling padawan... Ahsoka Tano!

And I have plenty to say about her... after the jump!