Ghostbusters Art Puzzles

ghostbusters0102Besides doodling with coloring books, building LEGOs and playing board games when I was younger, putting together puzzle pieces was entertainment in our house.  And with the new girl-power Ghostbusters flick coming out, USAopoly releases two incredible 30th Anniversary Ghostbusters Art puzzles for fans and collectors.  Both Ghostbusters Artist Series Puzzles feature 550 pieces each and form a 18″x24″ puzzle poster.

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Trivial Pursuit Marvel Cinematic Universe Volume 2

tpmcuv2Before all this internet stuff and video games, we played board games!   My siblings and cousins used to love playing Trivia Pursuit.  Now MCU fanatics can test their knowledge with the latest Volume 2 edition.  For instance Robert Downey Jr. and Marisa Tomei make their reunion appearance in Captain America Civil War, but the question is what movie did they first appear together in?  Guesses?  The answer is:  the 1994 flick “Only You.”

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Super Mario Checkers & Tic Tac Toe Boardgame

supermariocheckers00I do not play chess at all, but I know how to play checkers and tic tac toe board games.  From USAopoly comes the Super Mario Checkers and Tic Tac Toe games.  Fun for 2 players, ages 6 and up.

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Star Wars X-Wing Board Game

xwingff00I played lots of board games with my siblings when we were younger.  One game in particular that was fun to play was the classic Screaming Eagles (1987) board game from Milton Bradley.  Roll the dice and pick your cards.  Somewhat similar and a little more complicated is Fantasy Flight’s new X-Wing Miniatures Game.

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Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Review

Uncharted 4 Title

 

Uncharted 4 came out just last week, May 10th, but with it having not only a Singleplayer campaign but also a Multiplayer, I wanted to play this game a little while longer before I wrote anything about it.  I had been waiting for this game since they first talked about it, and I pre-ordered the collector’s edition of the game back in September of 2015.  Learning that it was going to be the final chapter in the Uncharted series, I was a bit nervous on how they would end his journey.  Would he get a happy ending?  Would this adventure be to much for him and have him perish at the end?  As the day of release came closer and closer, I sat down and played through the three games that came before it, getting ready for my final adventure in this great series.  Half way through the third game my doorbell rang and a large package was left outside my house; my collector’s edition had finally come, and it was time to set aside all responsibilities and play through both the single and multiplayer game.

Uncharted 4 Collector's Edition [Read more…]

Pokémon is Twenty Years Old!

pokemoncnn Wow!  Pokémon turns 20 years old.  CNN interviews Pokémon Director Junichi Masuda about how Pokémon was created and memories of just a small staff of 8 people to make the game.  Junichi also talks about the rise and popularity of the video game.

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Big Boys Toys: Street Fighter The New Challenger Figures

bigboystoyskensfplaysetThe new offerings from HK toy company Big Boys Toys with their super deformed big head Street Fighter series figure playsets.  This is the Street Fighter The New Challenger Figure 02 – Ken and Street Fighter The New Challenger Figure 03 – Chun-Li.

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Rebel Galaxy Review

Rebel Galaxy

Rebel Galaxy came out on Steam in October, but it just recently came out for the PlayStation 4 at the beginning of the month, January 5th.  I had never heard of this game before it came to the PS4 but the opportunity to be a “Space Cowboy” was too much to pass up.  The game played a lot like the naval side of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag.  You sail the ocean of space in a straight line, not being able to pitch up or down, however your opponents are given that option and the smaller crafts will often fly above and below you, while the larger ships are stuck flying on the same level that you are.  Think of it as a less maneuverable version of the “Freelancer” game.

Rebel Galaxy - 2

Most of this game will be you flying your ship from one end of the solar system to the other, complete a mission and head back across the solar system again.  One of the best way to make money in this game will be doing missions that you can pick up during your stops at different space stations; however, after you jump to the next solar system, you will be able to join the mercenary guild which will give you a lot more money but for a lot more risk of course.  This means you will be going back and forth in one system just to scrounge up enough money to to buy upgrades or new weapons/armors for your ship.  Speaking of the stations, the game will automatically save your game when you visit one so always remember to stop by one before heading off to a difficult mission.  Missions and mercenary work aren’t the only way to make money in this game though.  You can also scavenge for parts scattered around space, which to be honest will probably take the most time since you can barely find cargo floating around, look around the space system for bounties to collect or mine asteroids for goods.  Everything you find can then be sold at the commodities market, but be warned as the price for different goods fluctuates.  Then once you get enough credits to buy the new spaceship you’d been eyeing, you’ll be doing missions, mercenary work, scavenging for parts, hunting down pirates and mining asteroids all over again to get more money for new upgrades.  In other words, you will probably be spending most of your time trying to make enough money to use on your ship than actually going through the games story.

Rebel Galaxy - 3

So is this game fun?  Should you try it out or pass on it?  Well I’ve been having a blast with it myself, though it really depends on if you have the patience to play a game like this.  You won’t be getting into space battle after space battle unless you are actively looking for them.  Most of your time will be flying through the emptiness of space.  For a game created by a two man team, this game is amazing.  Still it would have been better if you could fly up and down because there are times when your enemies or certain asteroids are above or below you that your guns can’t seem to shoot at.

In the end, I give this game a solid 8/10.  The price point of 19.99 may drive off a few customers, but for those who enjoy these types of games, I say go for it.  It’s a good PSN game to pass the time with.

Review Rewind: Final Fantasy 7 (PS4)

Final Fantasy 7

Man… when this game showed up on my PS4 on the PlayStation Store, I didn’t even hesitate to buy this game.  I’m a huge Final Fantasy fan, and this was one of my favorites growing up as a kid.  So I buy it, install it and get ready to play through a game I haven’t touched since the turn of the century.  I couldn’t wait, it had to be as good a I remembered it to be right?

Well, they added three mechanics to the game this time around.  Three cheats to get you through the game faster.  While I was fine with one of them, and used it probably throughout the whole game, the other two were game breakers.  The first, and only one I really used, was a ‘3x Speed’ cheat.  After playing with it on for most of the game, I couldn’t switch it off; I had forgotten how slow this game was.  The second was was a ‘no random encounters’ cheat.  With that on you could make your way down to Sephiroth without having to deal with any of the tough enemies in the Northern Crater.  Lastly… the worst offender of all was a ‘power-up’ cheat.  This cheat kept healing you, meaning you couldn’t die unless you were hit with an instant death attack or their attack did more damage than you had health.  Not only that, but your Limit Break meter would refill every time you used it.  It broke the game and took most of the fun away from it.

Final Fantasy 7 - Zolom

So there were two reasons I wanted to replay this game.  The first, and most obvious one, was that I wanted to refresh my memory for when I played the Final Fantasy 7 Remake; the second reason was to actually pay attention to the story.  As a kid, back in 1997, I never fully paid attention to what they were talking about.  I always just mashed away at the buttons to get past the long dialogue parts of the game, and you know what?  I didn’t miss a single thing.  Now I’m not saying the story for Final Fantasy 7 sucks, but it’s not that great either.  The story just felt silly if you sat down and thought about it.

But in the end it all comes down to the remake.  Will it be good?  Will the episodic style hurt the game?  Will they be taking out or putting in content in the remake?  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.  All I can say is ‘Lady Luck don’t fail me now…’.

Cid - Lady Luck

This game is slower than I had remembered, but with the ‘3x speed’ cheat I cut down a game that once took me over 70 hours to complete down to a 30 hour game.  The story isn’t anything wonderful, but the characters are fun.  Raising Chocobos and trying to breed yourself a Gold Chocobo will probably take up most of your time, as well as racing them.  Trying to master every one of your Materia is hassle but feels rewarding after you do, and of course let us not forget about Ruby and Emerald Weapon.  Final score, I give this game a solid 8 out of 10.  Play it and get ready for that remake…… in about 2 years or so.

Board Game: Monopoly Here & Now – World Edition

monopolyworldeditionbuzzfeedboxTired of the classic Monopoly property grabbing board game?  Now you can travel around the world from Hong Kong to London with the new Monopoly – Here & Now – World Edition powered by BuzzFeed.   The goal is get your passport filled up to win the game!

monopolyboardgameworldbuzzfeed [Read more…]

Bicycle Everyday Zombies Playing Cards

bicyclezombies00If you play lots of Poker games or just games using playing cards, then you’re probably familiar with brand Bicycle.  Bicycle makes playing cards, but every now then, Bicycle collabs, like with artist Rob Sacchetto on this playing card themed “Everyday Zombies.”

bicyclezombies01 [Read more…]

FALLOUT 4 Live Stream with Ramon

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Ramon just got in his Fallout 4 collectors edition and is ready to play the game for you all to see!
So join him on his Fallout adventure here on his personal Twitch Channel!

http://www.twitch.tv/neo_valentine

Metroid: The Sky Calls by Rainfall Films

metroidjessiscachobotWhen you take a 15-minute break from your workstation today, check out this short fan-film by Rainfall Films.  If you’re fan of Metroid and Nintendo in general, this will get your geeky blood pumping.  This Metroid fan film is a re-imagining of what it would look like if it was a live-action film starring Jessica Chobot and directed by Sam Balcomb.

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Halo Covenant Needler Blaster from BOOMco.

boomconeedlerblasterDo you have Halo fever?  Are you playing Guardians right now?  If you’re offline and still got Halo on your mind or need a Halo cosplay prop, this Covenant Needler Blaster from BOOmco. looks great to mess around with.

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Retrenders Plays: Metal Gear Solid Online!

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To celebrate the launch of Metal Gear Solid Online, The Eddie will be streaming a few games exploring Metal Gear’s Online mode.   Watch all the action here on our brand spankin new Twitch channel!

http://www.twitch.tv/retrenders

Sayori Chu interviews Amie Lynn & Lindsay Elyse

04 Sayori Chu - TwitchCon CallWhile a community of Twitchers have an open forum about the latest growing social development surrounding female gamers in their webnet interactions on Twitch, Sayori Chu interviews Cosplay/Gamer,  Amie Lynn (a.k.a. MissHabit) and Lindsay Elyse, who are not cosplaying today?

TwitchCon – where Geek Gaming and Communication transform everything!

Sayori Chu - TwitchCon - BeanBaggedOutLet the games begin at TwitchCon. Sayori Chu ventures to the first official Twitch Convention in San Francisco, where she finds out why the latest in gaming communication rules, and how the Twitch community is driving behind it! Here’s a RETRENDERS/RamenandaHalf promo of our TwtichCon experience.

Optimus Prime Voice Actor Peter Cullen on Devastation

transformersdevastationPlayStation interviews voice actor Peter Cullen on being the Autobot leader Optimus Prime and the upcoming Activision game Transformers:  Devastation.

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Fallout Shelter (Android) Mini Review

Fallout ShelterThis game has only been out for about three weeks, on Android, and it doesn’t seem that I’ll stop playing it anytime soon.  When Bethesda announced this game back during E3, I was excited to play something new that was Fallout related; though I would have to wait two months to get my hands on the Android version, but it was worth the wait.  Not a day has passed since I haven’t been on this game; leveling up their abilities or sending them out in the Wasteland.

Fallout Shelter Vault

The game is simple enough.  You are the Overseer or your own Vault, sort of like the big boss, and your job is to build your Vault while making sure the people that live in your vault don’t die.  You’ll have to build water treatment plants, diners and power plants to be able to keep your Vault up and running.  While running your Vault, you’re also going to have to deal with fires breaking out, Radroach and Mole Rat infestations, Raider invasions, and the scariest of all… Deathclaw invasions.  I’ve had two Deathclaw invasions in a row and let me tell you, it is the worst thing that can happen to you.  Your power, water and food storage goes down quickly and they can (and will) kill your Vault dwellers so fast that you had better equip every dweller with good weapons to defend themselves.

Fallout Shelter Deathclaws

I really don’t know how long this game lasts.  Is it never ending? Will it game over once you reach your 1000th vault dweller?  I’m not sure if I’ll ever find out that answer because once Fallout 4 comes out this November, like so many others, I will probably be playing this game a whole lot less.  It’s a fun game.  Even if you are not a fan of the Fallout series you can still have fun, trying to see how big you can make your Vault.  Thank you Bethesda, for such a simple yet addictive and fun game; I can’t wait to see how your main title is going to turn out.

I give this mobile game an 8/10.  So long from Vault 47.

Batman: Arkham Knight – The Novel

arkhamknightOne of the most popular video games of the year for 2015 is Batman: Arkham Knight and if you haven’t gotten around to playing the game just yet, why not read the official novelization by writer Marv Wolfman to get your Batman fix?  Batman: Arkham Knight – the official novel follows the same story-line as the video game with some extra background information and spicy tidbits for DC/Batman comic book lore.

It’s been a year since the Joker has died and a relative calm has presided over Gotham City, but all that is about to change as the Scarecrow unleashes a new fear toxin in a diner, causing everybody to kill each other.  The Scarecrow gives an ultimatum to the citizens of Gotham that he will unleash the fear toxin all over Gotham City in a few hours.  Now it’s up to Batman and his team to stop Scarecrow’s plan, while all this is happening a new player gets involved.  Like in the DC Universe and Jim Lee’s Batman run “Hush” story-line, this new protagonist, the Arkham Knight knows Batman and his allies inside and out.  In this fight against Scarecrow, we find that Batman has been exposed to Joker’s “blood” and as he carries on the fight to save Gotham City and his friends, Batman will be tested mentally and physically.

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Mega Man x Kidrobot

megamanxkrCapcom is back again with another collab with Kidrobot.  This time, the video game franchise Mega Man gets “Kidrobot-ified.” with a 3″ Dunny line and keychain line-up.

kidrobotmegablindboxThe Mega Man 3″ vinyl series features 13 figures to collect and 1 chase figure.  A case will have around 20 blind boxes and probably cost around $230USD and each blind box is priced at $11.99USD.

Buy it @ Kidrobot – Mega Man 3″.

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Kingdom Hearts 3 Announcements

kingdom hearts 3The Disney-only convention D23 made some big splashes and one of them was the video game Kingdom Hearts 3.  The Disney x Square Enix collaboration announced two new worlds for the game, the world of Tangled and the Big Hero 6 city San Fransokyo.

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The Goat Simulator Game

goatsimulatorgameThere have been many video games where you can play as tiger, shark, cat, even a turtle, and now a goat.  The Goat Simulator game has been available for a couple of month’s now, but now it’s a FREE download.  The Goat Simulator is IGN’s Free Game of Month.  You play a goat and get points by tearing-up a rural town.  The Goat Simulator is available for iPhone, iPad and iTouch.

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The LEGO Etch-A-Sketch!

etchasketchlegobuildThis past July 12, 2015, was the 55th birthday of the childhood toy Etch-A-Sketch.  I have lots of fond memories doodling away and asking my parents how is this possible?  LEGO builder Kristi gets into the celebration with this LEGO Etch-A-Sketch.  Looks like the really thing?  Not bad.

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The Sandman Chess Set

sandmanchesscoverThis is a truly wonderful collectible for fans of Neil Gailman’s acclaimed The Sandman series and chess fans alike.  All 32 chess piece figures come from the Sandman universe and sculpted by Paul Harding.

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