The Flickcast

Game Review: ‘Scribblenauts’

Posted on September 18, 2009

Score: 9.0 – Nintendo DS – $29.99

Ever since we heard about Scribblenauts at E3 and then finally got our hands on it at San Diego Comic-Con, there has been no handheld game more anticipated by any member of The Flickcast. Scribblenauts is without a doubt one of the most innovative and ambitious puzzle games to come out for any video game system. Recently, it was reported that someone had hacked the game’s ROM and found out that it featured over twenty thousand unique words in its database of objects that players could write and create during game play. Because of this, the combination of solutions are virtually infinite, only limited by the creativity of the player.

Like our hands on time at Comic-Con, having the full retail game in front of us has been nothing short of an addiction. Even turning off the Nintendo DS to type this review was a challenge. With 12 stages featuring 11 action challenges and 11 puzzle challenges, Scribblenauts offers a daunting amount of gameplay. But because of the game’s incredibly innovative format, time streaks by. Challenges range in difficulty from 1 to 4 stars with early stages staying in the lower ranges.

Wii Gaming Console Dropping to $199

Posted on September 17, 2009

Earlier this week, The Flickcast reported that the Nintendo Wii may be getting a price drop.

Now, according to Kotaku, Target AND Toys R Us are advertising a new price of $199 in upcoming circular ads. While this seemed to be just rumor before, these ads make a price drop more and more of a possibility.

A price drop for the Wii couldn’t come at a better time.. Since its release in 2006, the console has never dropped in price. At $250, the Wii is only $50 cheaper than a PS3, which has far more advanced graphics and a Blu-ray player. A $50 drop in price will surely help this small console compete with its much bigger and bulkier adversaries this holiday season, as well as convince gamers who don’t already have the console that it’s worth buying for new holiday titles like New Super Mario Brothers, Spybots, and Wii Fit Plus.

Be sure to check back here at The Flickcast, since we’re likely to hear something from Nintendo at next week’s Tokyo Game Show.

Spider-Man on Broadway Still Going Ahead

Posted on September 17, 2009

It looks like after complications with casting, an overblown budget, and a scripting problem with over four proposed villains in the show, the broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is still going ahead, even though they announced production would stop. Last month, producers stated that they could not continue with the show due to “unexpected cashflow problems”, but now tickets are going on sale at the end of October. What’s the deal?

The show has plenty of star-power behind it, from Julie Taymor (Across The Universe) directing, to Bono and The Edge writing the music, even to Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming being cast as Mary Jane and the Green Goblin, respectively, the producers feel that the show will do well enough financially to go forward. From the NY Times:

A spokesperson told Playbill that tickets would go on sale Oct. 31. After the lead producer, Hello Entertainment, experienced cash-flow problems, modest construction on the musical resumed at the Hilton Theater this month. Last month producers said they expected performances to begin on Feb. 25, with Julie Taymor directing.

The Pull List Comic Reviews: ‘Ex Machina’, ‘Planetary’ and ‘Blackest Night’

Posted on September 17, 2009

Because we want to keep things fresh, we’ve decided to bring you an edition of The Pull List by guest reviewer Dave Press today. Keep it here tomorrow for another guest reviewer! –Ed

EX MACHINA #45
Rating: 7.5

My favorite series of the last couple of years is beginning to wind down and I’m getting quite sad about it. This issue picks up where we left off with New York City Mayor Mitchell Hundred discussing the effects of the previous arc and how Village Voice reporter Suzanne Padilla may be on to the White Box.

Our Mayor who can talk and control machines created The White Box around his election night. Padilla was convinced that it helped elect Hundred as Mayor. What happened was the White Box went off and implanted itself in Padilla’s brain, in a similar manner that the device that gave Hundred his powers.

Ex Machina is essentially The West Wing mixed in with some super heroics and tracks a retired super hero during his first and only term as New York City mayor. With five issues left, Padilla possessed by the White Box, she is slowly picking off members of Hundred’s cabinet. Who knows what she has planned or for that matter Vaughan.

The question we have now is what will Vaughan be doing after Ex Machina concludes? He’s left the writer’s room for Lost and his spec script, Roundtable, is a modern day re-imagining of the Arthur legend. To say the least his life as a writer is expanding and if he has any time for comics now post-Ex Machina I’ll be quite pleased.

Free ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’ DLC Today

Posted on September 17, 2009

For those that have played it, they know that Batman: Arkham Asylum is one of the best comic book video games ever made. It is without a doubt the best Batman title and to some arguably the best comic book game ever. With so many players trying to take in all the content they could as fast as they could, Warner Bros.

Interactive Entertainment and Eidos wanted to throw one more bone to their faithful players with the “Insane Night” map pack, a free two pack of challenge maps coming today to XBox Marketplace, the Playstation Netowrk and soon to the Games for Windows Live Marketplace.

The first map, “Totally Insane”, is a FreeFlow Combat map set in Arkham’s secure records facility where players must defend themselves from wave after wave of insane escaping inmates. Of course instead of being content with escaping the asylum, the inmates each decide to take a stab at being the one who took down the Batman instead of running for the hills.

After seeing some of the brutal combat that happens in Arkham Asylum, it only makes sense that these waves of attacks would have to be insane to want to take on the Dark Knight in hand to hand combat.

Superman Returns? Maybe Not

Posted on September 17, 2009

Superman Returns With DC Comics rebranding itself as DC Entertainment recently, many anticipated a slew of movie announcements and the like to emerge after the deed was done. One such update we hoped for was what plans the company had for Superman. Many hoped the franchise would get a reboot, or at the very least a sequel to Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns. It should be noted at this point that while Superman Returns faced lackluster reviews, I for one liked it. Well, an update actually did come, and the news isn’t good.

DC Entertainment’s Diane Nelson told MTV:

“We actually don’t have any current plans for Superman,” said Nelson when asked if the new environment (and the recent legal decision regarding the character) made a “Superman” movie more or less likely in the near future… We’ve obviously done a lot of great things behind the property in our history, and it’s a key part of the family, but we don’t have current plans behind Superman,” she said.

No current plans? Nelson, and DC collectively, have to be aware of the recent lawsuit they lost which means they could lose all control over Superman by 2013 if they don’t do something with the property, right? Sure, this could be media spin and development is, in fact, underway. But what if it’s not?

If a project doesn’t start shooting by early 2010, it seems unlikely DC will able to bring a new Superman film to the big screen in time to satisfy their contract. Even more unsettling is the possibility that DC could lose the Superman rights in their entirety and the new Disney/Marvel giant could scoop them up. Welcome to “Bizarro World.”

Red Band Trailer for ‘I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell’

Posted on September 17, 2009

The title is a bit of a mouthful, the premise is something we’ve seen this year, and there aren’t any recognizable names in the film, yet I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell is looking more and more like the sleeper comedy of the year. Based on what one could only call a “testimony” by writer Tucker Max about his exploits during his best friend’s bachelor party, this movie may just get that title.

Matt Czuchry gets the inglorious honor of playing the main character, Tucker Max, as a loudmouth, womanizing player — which pretty much describes Max. Czuchry is probably best known for his role as Logan Huntzberger, the rebel boyfriend on Gilmore Girls, which he played for five years. Alongside Matt is Jesse Bradford, who is probably best known for his roles in films such as Hackers, Bring it On and Swimf@n.

For now, check out the brand new red band trailer after the jump. But be forewarned: There’s a reason why it’s a red band trailer and not a green band trailer. It’s definitely NSFW. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell hits theaters September 25.

TV Review: ‘Community’

Posted on September 17, 2009

Fans of The Soup rejoice! This week alone, we not only get punchy host Joel McHale on the E! clip show, but also in theaters alongside Matt Damon in The Informant and on the very first episode of NBC’s Community. Thankfully, the show looks like it has potential to stick around for quite some time, playing partner to other NBC hits like The Office and 30 Rock.

For those who plan on catching the premier tonight, here’s a little about the show. Community is about Jeff Winger, a lawyer with the gift of gab who gets disbarred when it’s revealed his license to practice law is all but real. He is then forced to attend community college, where he feels completely out of place among what he thinks are the old, young, and useless. Winger then meets fellow classmate Britta (Gillian Jacobs), who he becomes smitten with, a decides to give the community experience a try.

The show brings together great names like Chevy Chase, John Oliver, Joel McHale and the writer/creator of the show, Dan Harmon. You might not recognize that last one but Harmon has been a prominent name in the internet comedy community for years now. He started off writing the failed pilot Heat Vision and Jack directed by Ben Stiller and starring Jack Black and Owen Wilson, which was about a traveling astronaut and his talking motorcycle. Harmon then moved on to the internet with cult web series such as Laser Fart, as well as co-creating The Sarah Silverman Program for Comedy Central.

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