In the early 90s, Final Fight style beat em ups were a dime a dozen. Few managed to separate themselves themselves from the pack. However, there was one that managed to make itself into something classic. Taito’s Sonic Blastman began life in the arcades as a punching game which used two large punch pads and specialized gloves to complete certain minigames. It was bought to Super Nintendo as a beat-em-up. You bashed your way from the city streets to outer space as you fought off hordes of villains. The arcade minigames came to the SNES game as bonus levels. A sequel was released a few years later adding in two extra characters (your prerequisite slow strongman and fast woman, with Sonic Blastman being the balanced team leader) and a two-player simultaneous mode so you and a friend can take on the forces of evil together. Sure there are many beat-em-ups, and many games about superheroes, but there were none like Sonic Blastman. Hopefully we can expect a Virtual Console release sometime in the near future, since Taito already has the not nearly as awesome Legend of Kage available on the service.

Entertainment Weekly pimps coverage of ComiCon with a new image of Robert Downey Jr ready to fire some repulsor rays.

With Nintendo’s Wii and DS, the features that make them standout (the stylus and motion sensing control) also turn out to be their biggest liabilities. Developers often feel obligated to make use of them regardless of how well it can be implemented. As a result, we end up with games with mediocre playability due to the fact that the developers shoehorned Wiimote/stylus functionality into what would have worked just as fine (if not better) without it. This is why we should be thankful for games such as Mega Man DX, as it proves that DS and Wii games don’t necessarily have to make extensive use of fancy new features to be good.
[Read the rest of this entry…]

Show Notes:

Universe Spacewarp appears in a number of ‘complete checklist’s. Here are a few:

• Hasbro’s complete collector’s checklist
• TFArchive listing
• Transformers Universe listing on answers.com

TFans SPacewarp pictures

Galvatron got his revenge on Hook, Line and Sinker by tricking Sinker into killing Line. Then Galvatron dispatched Sinker himself, then Hook.

Fox News in Chicago apparently has to spy on the set for Batman stuff just like a common blogger. They report, we scrutinize on inter-net.

Clip 1 shows the Tumbler parked with set crew working on it. Enjoy those cargo shorts.
Clip 2 shows the Joker… skateboarding? Hard to tell whats going on there.
Clip 3 begins with Heath Ledger as the Joker standing a bit more and then some more low speed Tumbler driving.

Check out the first official episode of Famicom Dojo, and ongoing internet television project between Powet.TV and 4colorrebellion.com!

YouTube Version

Blip.TV Version
Direct Link: Famicom Dojo: Famicom and Disk System

Video Netcast Version
 Subscribe to iTunes POWETcast
Direct Link: Famicom Dojo – Episode 01 – Famicom and Disk System

Show Notes
http://famicomdojo.tv/season1/famicom-and-disk-system

[Read the rest of this entry…]

This is going to make Blow look like Romper Room.

At long last, He-Fans will be treated to the relaunched series from 2002 in DVD format. Details are scarce, but most of the details will be announced at SDCC 2007 later this month.

From He-Man.org:

On Saturday, July 28th – from 2:30pm to 3:30pm – in Room 10.
Masters of the Universe DVD release! At long last the popular 2002 MOTU animated series is coming to DVD! Come help celebrate this release with a special screening of episode 35 –The Power of Grayskull and learn the secret origin of the most Powerful Man in the Universe- HE-MAN! Q&A with Mattel toy designers to follow.