POWET.TV: Games, Comics, TV, Movies, and Toys

$20 Game of the Week: Universe Sandbox (PC)

William Talley — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:08:10 +0000

Designed by Dan Dixon over the course of a 15 year period, Universe Sandbox is exactly what the title implies: a sandbox allowing you to play with the universe. Not so much a computer game as an education tool, Universe Sandbox is a gravity simulator. While it simulates our universe, you can pretty much adjust and test anything within the game, from the size of the planets, position of bodies, to collisions of stars and planets. There are several simulations included with the game, and you can edit them as you wish. So if you want a look at how our solar system looks, or bring about the apocalypse, then you’ll want to download this game. Makes for a good science project too.

KEEP PLAYING: Rewind – Amiga Memories Part 2

Sindra — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:43:26 +0000

Meet the Care Bears from the new series

Adam — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:33:58 +0000

The new Care Bears series “Welcome to Care-A-Lot”, which will premiere June 2nd, is a bit over two weeks away and the Hub and American Greetings are busy advertising. A huge Care Bears billboard sporting the words “Care Bear Stare” can now be seen in Los Angeles, in the same location that many popular My Little Pony billboard have been posted.

In addition to this a number of videos introducing various Care Bears are now online on the American Greetings web site. Check out videos to introduce Cheer Bear, Funshine Bear, Grumpy Bear, Harmony Bear, Share Bear, Tenderheart Bear and Wonderheart Bear.

So who’s your favourite bear to date? Grumpy Bear seems promising, with his carry all which seems something like Batman’s utility belt. It should be noted that Funshine Bear is male in this show. Though female in the original Care Bears cartoon, Funshine Bear’s sex has changed in later series.

We can see three different humans in these clips, suggesting there will be many to visit Care-a-Lot. In the Tenderheart Bear video, we learn that he sends “Care Kids” a “Care and Share Charm” so that they can come and visit them in Care-a-Lot.

Avengers Behind the Scenes clip on Hulk’s special effects

Crazy — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:28:50 +0000

The video above has some great behind-the-scenes looks at the Hulk and the special effects that brought him to life. Mark Ruffalo had a much more active role than I would have imagined, wearing the motion capture suit on the set and actually participating in the fight with Thor. Very cool.

Reminder: MattyCollector Day for May 2012

Crazy — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:02:21 +0000

Here is your friendly reminder about MattyCollector Day for this month, May of 2012. You can find all the releases for DCUC, MOTUC and much more along with a few pictures after the jump. The big names for MOTUC this month are Slush Head, Stinkor and The Mighty Spector, not to mention the Snake Mountain action figure stands. All items can be found on MattyCollector.com at Noon EST.

Items available for May 15th

DCU: Golden Age The Flash (included with DC Universe Club Infinite Earths subscriptions)
MOTU 30th Anniversary Series: The Mighty Spector™ (included with MOTU 30TH Anniversary subscriptions)
MOTUC: Slush Head™ (included with Club Eternia® subscriptions)
MOTUC: Stinkor® (included with Club Eternia® subscriptions)
MOTUC: Snake Mountain™ Stands (not included with Club Eternia® subscriptions)
MOTUC: Man-at-Arms® (reissue – not included with Club Eternia® subscriptions)
MOTUC: Princess Adora (reissue – not included with Club Eternia® subscriptions)

MattyCollector Essentials (non-monthly items you can purchase to combine on shipping)

DCU Super Powers Stands
Ghostbusters™ 6″ Ray Stantz
Ghostbusters™ 6” Peter Venkman
Infinite Heroes Figure Stands
MOTUC Battle Cat®
MOTUC Castle Grayskull® Diorama & Stands
MOTUC He-Man®
MOTUC Hordak®
MOTUC King Hssss™
MOTUC Panthor®
MOTUC She-Ra®
MOTUC Skeletor®
MOTUC Swiftwind™
Retro-Action® DC Super Heroes™ Darkseid
Retro-Action® DC Super Heroes™ Guy Gardner
Retro-Action® DC Super Heroes™ Kyle Rayner
Retro-Action® DC Super Heroes™ John Stewart
Retro-Action® DC Super Heroes™ “SHAZAM!”
Retro-Action® DC Super Heroes™ Sinestro
Retro-Action® DC Super Heroes™ Martian Manhunter
Voltron® Blazing Sword Voltron®

Possible ‘Halo 4′ Box Art, Definite New Enemies

Zac Shipley — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:17:18 +0000

As part of a promotional effort from Microsoft, several sites (including Powet.tv) were sent out part of a large ‘Halo 4′ image, split into 32 parts.

I got the email less than a half hour ago, but enough other fans and blogs got it that a forum goer from NeoGAF was able to stitch them all together.

What appears to the left may well be the box art for Halo 4. Behind the crouching Master Chief is the UNSC ship Forward Unto Dawn, broken in half from the event of Halo 3, is being sucked into the maw of the mysterious monster planet we saw in the E3 trailer last year. Also along for the ride are a few Covenant ships and who knows what else behind that fire and debris.

This next image transcends implications into an outright leak. This is the card back to one of the Halo 4 action figures. The first wave has Master Chief, an Elite Zealot, a Grunt Storm (whatever that means!) and a Red multiplayer Spartan.

Advertised as Wave two is another Spartan, Cortana, and two new characters: The ‘Crawler’ and the ‘Watcher’ with images of each. They’re kind of hard to see, since they’re toys and the images isn’t the best to begin with. Hopefully these new enemy classes mean we’re officially beyond The Flood as late game enemies. The Flood did not appear in ODST or Reach.

Halo 4 will launch on November 6 in North America, and is available for pre-order now. More news is expected soon, during E3.

Safety Not Guaranteed trailer

Crazy — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:54:04 +0000

Maximum Letdown: Heavy Metal – Geomatrix (Dreamcast)

William Talley — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:16:25 +0000

Heavy Metal is a comics anthology magazine that began life in France under the name Metal Hurlant. It gained notoriety due to its heavy emphasis on sex and violence. It was bought over to the U.S and renamed Heavy Metal in 1977, and was purchased and published by Kevin Eastman. Yes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kevin Eastman. The U.S version of the magazine featured several news articles that tied it into the Heavy Metal culture. The series spawned two feature films: 1981′s Heavy Metal, a set of story sequences done in different art styles (similar to The Animatrix) and 2000′s Heavy Metal 2000, a feature film featuring a character played by B-movie actress Julie Strain. The game also spawned 2 video games, F.A.K.K.2, a PC game sequel to Heavy metal 2000, and Heavy Metal:Geomatrix, a 2001 Dreamcast/Arcade game from Capcom. Although it uses a gameplay style similar to Spawn: In the Demon’s Hand, various gameplay issues and a lack of content cause the game to fall flat on its face. It doesn’t help matters that the game has very little to tie it in with the comics.

Geomatrix isn’t based upon any of Heavy Metal’s stories, but the character designs were done by longtime artist Simon Bisley and it’s plot was written by Kevin Eastman. In the distant future, the Earth has been destroyed by numerous disasters. Thanks to nanotechnology and cyberspace however, humans are able to reverse trace their bodies into cyberspace. Of course things get out of control, and various factions compete for shares of cyber-real estate. Interesting premise for a story, but there are virtually no references to it in the game. While the game is fairly easy to pick up and play, the camera issues make things difficult. You can’t adjust it, so it’s either locked on you or your opponent. There are 12 characters in teams of three. Each team has it’s small guy, big guy, and (this being Heavy Metal after all) busty scantily clad chick. Of course the only differences between each character is their special moves and what weapon they start with. The game’s arcade mode simply has you going through the same battles over and over again. It’s the same sequence of foes each time, so you’ll get bored quickly. Hell, there isn’t even a final boss. You can play through the game’s Geomatrix mode, which is a collection of platforming challenges in a series of vector-style backgrounds where you have to find a key. While this adds a bit of content to the game, the camera issues make this difficult, and before long, you’ll get tired of this mode as well. Did I also mention that this game is only 2 players (whereas Spawn had 4 players and more characters)? This, despite the fact that the arcade mode frequently has you facing more than one opponent at a time. To add further insult to injury, the network play option that was present in the Japanese version of the game is absent from this version.

If there is one good thing about the game (at least if you like Heavy metal music) it’s the soundtrack, which was supplied by Metal Artists such as Halford and Megadeath. Also, the game was only $20 when it was released. For what it’s worth, the character backgrounds are interesting, I only wish the game could have done more to flesh them out. Perhaps it could have been parlayed into a Heavy Metal strip or even a sequel. As it stands however, the game was just one final nail in the Dreamcast coffin.

Movie Posters: Battleship

Crazy — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:00:33 +0000

The Powet Top 5 – Best Sailor Moon episodes

Adam — Sat, 12 May 2012 06:35:09 +0000

Welcome to the Powet Top 5, where we explore the top (and bottom) 5 items we think are relevant to any of a variety of topics that span the imagination. Sit back, read, and respond

Sailor Moon is, in my opinion, the greatest series of all time. With that being said, what’s the best of the best? Sailor Moon at it’s best was epic, emotional, exciting and often hilarious. Picking my 5 favourites isn’t easy. I tried to put a little variety in here so I selected from different seasons and chose different kinds of episodes. I hope you like my choices, and I also hope you share your own list of favourite episodes in the comments.

5: Sailor Moon R episode 56 – “Steal Mamoru’s Kiss! Ann’s Snow White Strategy”

The first 13 episodes of the Sailor Moon R series centered around what some call the Makaiju arc. Though unpopular amongst some fans due to not being based on a manga story, the arc offered some great original characters and a lot of good episodes in this short contained story. Comedy was frequent in these episodes, and this one is a prime example of that.

The main focus of this episode is a production of the play Snow White. Mamoru has his entire theatre troupe flake out, leaving him needing to do a play, which Rei suggests be Snow White. This causes endless bickering as all of the girls think they should be Snow White, all giving their own reasons for this, including Makoto who thinks she should play the part because she has the biggest breasts. The role is decided by Natsumi who suggests they draw strings. She draws the white string by cheating, because she wants to kiss Mamoru, and make him fall in love with her, just like in the play.

Throughout rehearsals Natsumi, who we also know as the alien Ann, keeps trying to kiss Mamoru, which angers Usagi, who got stuck being the witch. The rest of the girls along with Naru and Umino get stuck wearing animal costumes which clash with the theme of Snow White pretty drastically.

Natsumi courting Mamoru is a pretty major theme of this story arc, and things get pretty intense in this episode as she makes her intentions to do so extremely clear, causing Ail to be quite jealous and to send the monster Pierrot to attack the play, ultimately foiling Ann’s plans. We get a clear picture of the dynamic between the two at this point, as their chasing down Usagi and Mamoru tears them further apart, which unbeknownst to them only worsens the condition of the Makaiju, their tree, which they are trying to protect and restore.

This episode is tons of fun, with a lot of silly gags.

4: Sailor Moon episode 31 – “Loved and Chased! Luna’s Worst Day Ever.”

Sailor Moon is no stranger to silly episodes, and this one is a great example of that. A sub plot at this part of the series was the search for the 7 Rainbow Crystals, found within the bodies of people who had been given super powers because of them. This time around, it’s not in a person at all, but in a big, adorable, courageous cat named Rhett Butler, who’s named after a character from “Gone With the Wind”.

The episode opens with Luna being attacked by alley cats, and Rhett Butler coming to the rescue. He is portrayed essentially as the Tuxedo Mask of cats, and these super abilities and a precognition when Luna is in danger can probably be attributed to the Rainbow Crystal that is inside him. That’s just the ability, Rhett Butler’s real greatness comes from what he does with that ability, putting it all on the line for that black cat that he protects.

Rhett Butler is himself no alley cat. He belongs to a young girl who’s parents are conveniently missing for the whole episode. As both Zoisite and Ami are tracking this Rainbow Crystal, they both assume the girl is the one with the crystal, though Rhett Butler once again escapes to help Luna when she is being protected by Usagi and her friends. The Sailor Soldiers run into Zoisite in an alley and trying to fight him end up stepping on each other as Ami falls over and Makoto blushes after looking up her skirt.

Zoisite quickly determines the cat to be the real host to the Rainbow Crystal and follows him through the sewers, having a creepy encounter with a ton of rats in the process. The gang is late to the party, realizing too late that the girl is not the one they’re looking for, but in the mean time Zoisite extracted Rhett Butler’s Rainbow Crystal causing him to become the monster Bakene. Showing a mental strength stronger than most human Rainbow Crystal carriers he has a moment of lucidity even in his state as he protects Luna once again.

Once returned to his natural form, Rhett Butler returns to his owner, and the rest of the girls pester Luna about her relationship with him. Though Luna denies any attraction, she ultimately remembers him quite fondly. This hilarious episode shows that even without any real advancement to the main story Sailor Moon had some really great individual episodes which held their own, and that single appearance characters frequently left a lasting impression on fans.

3: Sailor Moon SuperS episode 149 – “Mirror of Dreams! Amazons’ Final Stage.”

Sailor Moon has a bad reputation for having standalone filler episodes, which don’t advance the plot much, and the SuperS season is filled with these. Though the individual episodes are quite great, the season very rarely dealt with advancing the plot, though in the odd cases where it did, it did a stupendous job. This episode is one of those rare examples.

This is the second part of a two part episode where in the first part Fish Eye, of the Amazon Trio, targeted Mamoru, but his advances were rejected as Mamoru tells him that he doesn’t have any dreams. As the episode begins Usagi finds Fish Eye in the rain and takes him in. This is a prime example of Usagi’s strength. Not only has she shown time after time that she can forgive and show love for villains, but here she does it for who she assumes is an unknown girl after her boyfriend.

In talking with Fish Eye, Usagi reveals her dream of being with Mamoru and in talking about him says similar things that Sailor Moon had, causing Fish Eye to figure out her true identity. To top it off, he catches ChibiUsa talking with Pegasus, who they’ve been looking for all along. Fish Eye confronts Ziriconia, asking if they can really become human when they catch Pegasus, which causes her to attack Fish Eye. Assuming Usagi was the one with Pegasus, Hawk Eye attacks her and reveals her Golden Mirror. The monster Mr. Magic Pierrot gazes into it only to discover that Pegasus is not there, and so he turns his attacks on the Amazon Trio as Ziriconia had requested.

In trying to attack the Trio Mr. Magic Pierrot destroys Usagi’s Mirror of Dreams, leaving her in a kind of soulless, catatonic state. He then attacks Fish Eye again but Hawk’s Eye takes the hit and ultimately dies. Tiger’s Eye and Fish Eye decide to give up their lives in human form to resurrect Usagi and free ChibiUsa so that she may defeat Mr. Magic Pierrot. The Amazon Trio die, leaving only animals in their place as their true identities are revealed. Hawk’s Eye is a Hawk, Tiger’s Eye is a Tiger and Fish Eye is a Fish.

Pegasus immediately appears and not only return the Amazon Trio to their human selves, but also gives them their own Mirrors of Dreams, in essence giving them souls, and takes them back to Elysion to stay until the light returns to the forest. It’s not entirely clear if the Trio are actually dead or alive at this point. While they appear to have been resurrected, they are shown surrounded by glowing sparkles in human form and are then turned into balls of light which enter their Mirrors. This can be interpreted as their spirits passing on into Elysion as a form of afterlife.

This episode and the one preceding it give a great amount of depth to the Amazon Trio, who previously were shown as little more than a group of players and are now shown as heroes who sacrifice their lives for a worthy cause. We are made to care for them just in time for them to be taken away.

2: Sailor Moon S episode 110 – “Death of Uranus and Neptune? Talismans Appear.”

This episode, from around the middle of the Sailor Moon S season, features a lot of story development, but it is told at an odd pace, and the episode is composed visually in a very unique way. There are a lot of long shots with little motion, series of stills and even weird colourations on certain shots. The end effect gives the episode a very artistic feel which sets a very different tone which is fitting to the subject matter of the episode.

The story centers around the discovery of the true location of the Talismans. It is known only that the Talismans exist in a person with a Pure Heart, and the Death Busters have been looking for that person all season. Eudial discovers the identity of those that have them, and upon learning this she calls Haruka and Michiru so that they can meet. Haruka and Michiru are troubled, because they know that they will have to kill those who have the Talismans in order to save the world. Usagi is at odds with this plan and so they arrange a meeting with her, in which Haruka steals her transformation broach, leaving her incapable of transforming into Sailor Moon. They then leave to meet with Eudial.

Eudial has set a number of traps for Sailor Uranus and Neptune. Neptune is quickly captured, and Uranus is riddled with bullets while trying to come after her. Eudial reveals that those who have the Talismans are actually Sailor Uranus and Neptune. Trying to protect Uranus, Neptune runs at her, getting shot by numerous bullets on the way, and is finally shot by Eudial with a gun she has which extracts her Pure Heart, and leaves her essentially dead. Uranus’s Pure Heart then transforms into the Deep Aqua Mirror, the first of the Talismans.

Usagi arrives, as herself, still unable to transform. As she does this light shines through a butterfly shaped window causing Usagi to appear as the Messiah in the eyes of Haruka. Showing her courage and willingness to protect her friends, even in the face of unsurmountable odds, she charges at Eudial, knocking her out of the way.

She then tries to put Michiru’s Talisman back into her to revive her, but Haruka won’t let her. Haruka returns Usagi’s broach to her, as Usagi insists she can save the world without the Talismans. Haruka says she briefly thought Usagi was the Messiah and almost believed her, but ultimately didn’t, and so she turns the gun on herself, killing herself and revealing that her Pure Heart is also a Talisman, the Space Sword. The rest of the girls and Setsuna arrive to find Usagi sobbing over Sailor Uranus and Neptune’s bodies.

In the next episode Sailor Pluto manages to revive the two girls, but at the time of seeing this episode for the first time it was from a fansub of episodes taped off of TV that I had, and it was years until I saw the next episode, and even longer until I saw how this season played out. Surely not many people really die for good in Sailor Moon, but the emotion of the scenes as they happen are still quite effective.

1: Sailor Moon episode 45 – “The Sailor Soldiers Die! The Tragic Final Battle.”

This is the first episode in the two part finale for the first season. It’s hard to consider them separately, needless to say both are great. Essentially what happens in this episode is that Sailor Moon watches all four of her friends die. Not in one swoop, but in individual, personal, graphic deaths. Hard to watch, but masterfully executed and extremely emotional.

Having discovered the location of the D-Point in the North Pole, the girls travel there by using Sailor Teleport. It’s cold in the North Pole, and the girls are wearing nothing but mini skirts, but they soon get over it as they’re attacked by the DD girls. They begin to use illusions to tempt them starting with Sailor Moon, who naturally falls for them even when told what they are.

When Sailor Jupiter is confronted with an illusion of Motoki, she can’t help but run to him and by falling into this trap she is grabbed by the DD Girls. Seeing no other option she uses her Supreme Thunder attack and kills two of them, but not without fatally injuring herself. Usagi is in disbelief, telling Makoto that they have to go back and fall in love, but she dies. Usagi is ready to give up and give Beryl her crystal, because she can’t accept her friends dying.

Sailor Mercury slaps Usagi in the face, telling her that Makoto can’t have died for nothing. When her computer detects something, Ami stays behind encouraging the group to go on ahead. She is faced with the image of Urawa, but quickly determines it’s an illusion, and pinpoints the source to a gem on one of the DD Girls’ foreheads. As an explosion comes toward her she protects herself in a bubble, and as she’s being attacked she uses her last bit of strength to break the illusion causing gem with her computer, and then dies. While Ami was unable to defeat any of the DD Girls, she is able to give the other girls a strategic advantage. Ami’s death is felt by Usagi, Minako and Rei.

Sailor Venus spots something moving under Sailor Moon, and pushes her out of the way, sacrificing herself to save her life. She uses her Crescent Beam on one of the DD Girls, killing her and then dies herself.

This leaves only Usagi and Rei, the unlikely friends who despite arguing constantly have been shown time and time again to have a strong bond which I have always felt is the strongest of the show. As the two remaining DD Girls attack Sailor Mars she is enveloped by a mountain of ice, which appears to kill her. As a DD Girl emerges to attack Usagi, all hope seems lost.

A flame erupts from the mountain killing the DD Girl that was threatening Sailor Moon. An unseen fight occurs inside the mountain, and the final DD Girl emerges and discards Sailor Mars’s defeated body. Barely able to move, Rei grabs her foe’s tentacle and uses her Fire Soul attack not to shoot a fireball at her, but to send it up the tentacle up to her body, killing the final DD Girl. Rei tells Usagi that she regrets not being able to kiss Yuichiro and dies.

With all her friends gone, Usagi puts her head between her knees and sobs, but then she feel a touch on her shoulder. Her friends, as ghosts, appear to encourage her. Usagi runs off, to rescue Mamoru, to confront Queen Beryl and to save the world.

Sailor Moon kills it’s heroes all the time, and they usually come back. The deaths in this episode were still very effective. While Sailor Moon does ultimately use the power of her Crystal to bring them back, they did die for some time, and return with the memories of doing so.

Honourable mention

To be perfectly honest, if I had to rank all episodes in order, my top 5 would probably all have been from the first season, but I wanted to add a little variety to the list. With that in mind, here would be the other episodes from the first season which would have been part of my 5 favourite episodes were I not trying to balance things out.

Episode 24 – “Naru’s Cry! Nephrite Dies for Love.”

You have probably noticed from my list that I’m a sucker for episodes when characters die, and this is another fine example of this. Deaths are treated so powerfully in this show, and when Nephrite dies in Naru’s arms, we feel her pain. Here is a horrible villain, transformed by the power of love, such a fitting story for the Sailor Moon show. The effects of his death continue for a number of episodes as Naru morns him and ultimately finds comfort in her friends Usagi and Umino who help her work through it.

Episode 35 – “The Sparkling Silver Crystal! The Moon Princess Appears.”

This is the episode that got me hooked on the show. I tuned in early for something else one morning and caught the final act of this show, where Mamoru and Usagi learn each other’s identities and the Moon Princess is revealed. Such important scenes are told to us so well in this great episode which more than any other shows the relationship between Mamoru and Usagi developing independent of their destinies.

Episode 46 – “Usagi’s Everlasting Wish! A New Reincarnation.”

I wanted to include both episodes 45 and 46 as my top two favourite episodes, but I avoided doing so because it would have been too much of the same thing. This epic ending to the first season truly is the greatest season finale of all time. Usagi’s struggle against Endymion is heart wrenching, as she watches him die, and ultimately dies herself in defeating Beryl. Despite all this hardship, the end of the episode leaves us with a strong feeling of hope, as the girls regain normal lives, but at the price of their memories of each other. This could have worked as a series finale in many ways, either leaving the characters dead, or continuing with this ambiguous ending as it is. Ultimately we’re better for having gotten more seasons, but I believe that this first season as a single contained story, truly is the greatest story arc ever told on television.

Transformers: Prime The Video Game trailer

Crazy — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:00:49 +0000

Mattel to dramatically hike prices on MOTU Classics in 2013

Crazy — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:53:41 +0000

Poe Ghostal wrote a lengthy article using quotes from several recent Mattel Q&A’s about the expected price hike for next year. I’m not going to rehash everything he said because I think he did a better job than I could. There were two choice quotes, though, he used made by Scott “ToyGuru” Neitlich, manager of the MOTU brand.
From the Ask Matty forum on MattyCollector.com:

The Horsemen tend to “overdeco” figures. Every figure in 2012 is delivering $22.00 worth of paint apps. In 2013 we are dramatically raising prices so we can afford more paint and accessories. If we wanted to deliver all the figures exactly as the 4HM painted the protos we would need to charge more and we already sold in the sub for 2012, so that is not an option. Legally we can’t raise prices on the sub after it is sold in. This is why we will start 2013 at higher prices.

The most frank and honest quote I have ever heard from a Mattel rep, again from the Ask Matty forum:

We will keep the line going as long as their are customers buying. But, yes, as I stated on Roast Gooble dinner, one day these figures will cost more to make then fans are willing to pay. Hopefully that day will be far in the future.

Again, I recommend fans of the MOTU Classics line to read Poe’s article, which can be found here.

Assassin’s Creed III world gameplay premiere trailer

Crazy — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:41:47 +0000

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers coming to DVD

Crazy — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:11:11 +0000

It looks like ShoutFactory will be brining the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to DVD at long last. Four offerings appear to be in the pipeline:
MMPR: Season 1 Volume 1
3 DVD set
First 30 episodes
MSRP: US$19.93
Available August 21, 2012
Available for pre-order now on Amazon (see link below)

MMPR: Season 1 Volume 2
3 DVD set
Second 30 episodes
MSRP: US$19.93

Full Season 1 Set
6 DVD set
Available through Time Life TV campaign and online
Available starting July 30, 2012

The Power Rangers: Season One – Seven
40 DVD set
Contains all 145 eps from MMPR Season 1-3
Contains 10 episode series MMPR: Alien Rangers
Contains all 183 episodes of Seasons 4-7 including:

Power Rangers Zeo
Power Rangers Turbo
Power Rangers In Space
Power Rangers Lost Galaxy

Bonus material will include but is not limited to:

Retrospective featurette
Interviews with cast and team

Available starting July 30, 2012

Full press release after the jump

GET READY TO SUPER-CHARGE YOURSELF WITH THE SERIES
THAT STARTED A GLOBAL POP CULTURE PHENOMENON

POWER RANGERS

PRODUCTION NOW UNDERWAY FOR SEVERAL
MULTI-DISC BOX SET COLLECTIONS TO BE MADE
AVAILABLE DIRECTLY TO FANS THROUGH TIME LIFE

LOS ANGELES, CA, May 9, 2012 – Following its debut in 1993, Saban’s iconic live-action pop culture series, Power Rangers quickly became the most watched children’s television program in North America. Emphasizing the importance of teamwork, responsibility and helping others by following the adventures of a group of ordinary young people who “morphed” into superheroes, this long-running series has been seen in more than 60 countries, translated into numerous languages, and remains a mainstay in children’s programming blocks. For 19 years, the highly entertaining saga and fan favorite characters from Power Rangers have captivated children and adults alike, and are beloved by legions of fans worldwide.

Now you can return to where the phenomenon began and re-live these thrill-packed adventures when Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Saban Brands, unleashes a cornucopia of home entertainment offerings, many of which have never been released on DVD, from the original series Power Rangers. Through unprecedented access to Saban Brands’ vast archive of content, many of these DVD collections produced by Shout! Factory boast extensive bonus materials and collectible packaging, making them must-haves for loyal fans and collectors.

The first multi-disc set to be released will be the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season One, Volume One 3-Dvd set, which will arrive in stores and will be available through select digital entertainment platforms on August 21, 2012. Marking the DVD debut of the original Power Rangers series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season One, Volume One features the first 30 original episodes from the first season and delivers over 10 hours of high-energy, family friendly entertainment. Poised to attract a new audience of kids as well as young adults who grew up with this popular series, this 3-DVD set is priced to own at a suggested retail price of $19.93. Pre-order is now available at Amazon.com and ShoutFactory.com.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season One, Volume Two 3-DVD set is slated to arrive on store shelves Fall 2012. Featuring the subsequent 30 original episodes, this DVD set continues more action-packed adventures of five teens, who quickly learn the full impact and awesome responsibility of their new powers and weapons. The evil villain, Rita Repulsa and her henchmen prove to be very worthy adversaries for the young super heroes, and they are challenged at every turn.

In an effort to provide avid collectors with an exclusive first-to-own experience, fans will have the first opportunity to collect upcoming box sets through a Time Life direct-response television and online campaign. Shout! Factory has teamed up with Time Life to make Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season One 6-DVD set and the 40-DVD collection of Power Rangers: Seasons One – Seven directly available to fans starting July 30, 2012 through Time Life’s direct-response on-air TV campaign, as well as online.

The Power Rangers: Seasons One -Seven 40-DVD collection will include: All 145 original episodes from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Seasons One, Two and Three, plus the ten-episode series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Alien Rangers. It then continues on with Power Rangers: Seasons Four – Seven, featuring all of the original 183 episodes spanning the seasons entitled Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers In Space and Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. In-depth bonus content includes: a retrospective featurette on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers phenomenon, brand-new interviews with members of the cast and the creative team, and much more!

As excitement builds for these anticipated home entertainment releases, Shout! Factory, Saban Brands, and Time Life will announce additional news and activities for fans in the upcoming months. Meanwhile, fans will have the opportunity to learn more about upcoming collections by following us on Facebook and Twitter (@shoutfactory). Join the excitement and relive the action on DVDs!

About Saban Brands
Formed in 2010 as a subsidiary of Saban Capital Group, Saban Brands (SB) was established to acquire and develop a world-class portfolio of properties and capitalize on the company’s experience, track record and capabilities in growing and monetizing consumer brands. SB applies a strategic transmedia management approach to enhancing and extending its brands in markets worldwide and to consumers of all ages. The company provides full-service management, marketing, promotion and strategic business development for its intellectual properties including comprehensive strategies unique to each brand, trademark and copyright management and enforcement, creative design, retail development, direct-to-consumer initiatives and specialized property extensions. SB is led by a superior management team with decades of experience in media, content creation, branding, licensing, marketing and finance. For more information, visit www.sabanbrands.com

About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company’s audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY-nominated box sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com

Taken from: http://tvshowsondvd.com/n/16925#ixzz1uTbOL839

Botcon 2012: Matt Tieger on Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Adam — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:20:07 +0000

At Botcon 2012 we caught up with Matt “Tieg” Tieger” to talk about the upcoming Transformers video game “Fall of Cybertron”. If you’re not already excited for this game, you should probably check out this clip so that you can get on board.

Argo first official trailer

Crazy — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:40:27 +0000

Stop Motion Music Video features classic toys and games

Crazy — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:20 +0000

You can this in the ‘creative use of toys and games’ category. A band by the name of Delta Heavy has put together a fantastic stop motion animated music video. The feature includes appearances of Connect Four, Battleship, Jenga, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Scrabble, Dominoes and more.

$20 Game of the Week: Borderlands (Xbox 360, PC, PS3)

William Talley — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:30:23 +0000

Borderlands is a synthesis of first person shooting action and RPG-style level grinding and looting. Playing as one of four survivors in a post-apocalyptic landscape, you search for what is called “The Vault”. According to legend, the Vault contains vast amounts of treasure. Since no one has ever made it there, you’re going to trek through miles of desert, battling enemies, and collecting weapons. You’ll complete several quests and meet several NPCs. The guns are a huge part of the experience. You’ll collect certain guns, fall in love with them, using them every chance you get, only to discard them when you find something even cooler and you’re nowhere near a shop where you can sell it. Each of their four characters have their own upgradable abilities, and you can team up with another player for online co-op. The sequel is on its way, so now is a good time to check out the original. If you got a little extra, you can buy the complete edition which contains all the downloadable content released for the game.

Botcon 2012: Transformers Collector Club Roundtable panel

Crazy — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:39:26 +0000

The Transformers Collectors’ Club Roundtable panel happened at 3PM EST on Saturday April 28th, 2012 at Botcon. Among the announcements were the free club exclusive membership figure for next year, the figure subscription service (FSS) for Transformers, and some narrative behind the creation of this year’s exclusive set and box artwork.

Join us after the jump for all the details, pictures and even a little video.

[UPDATE - Crazy: The Club has posted an official version of the Depth Charge artwork. I have included it in the banner]

Figure Subscription Service (FSS)
The biggest announcement of the panel was the Figure Subscription Service. Similarly structured to the GI Joe Club FSS, the service will cover 6 figures. Some logistical details are still being ironed out. Here’s what we know:
-Pricing and shipment frequency are still being decided
-Looking at two different payment options. All up front or in 3 payments over the course of the sub.
-They are considering shipping two of the figures at a time to save on shipping costs.
-Pre-order will be done in a 3 week window coming soon
-Production numbers will be based on the pre-order. Everyone that wants the FSS will have a chance to get it.
-Production numbers will be slightly higher than the pre-order to allow for extras to be sold at a steep mark-up to those who did not purchase the FSS.
-Current subscribers will also have a chance at those extra figures (if they want a second of one) at the subscription price and not the marked up price
-Figures will not be given collector boxes due to price.
-Club is working on a double box shipping method to better assure product arrives undamaged

There is basically something in this set of figures for everyone. They do not have the actual figures in hand yet to take pictures of so some of the slides are the result of some heavy photoshopping to give us a fair idea of what to expect.

G1 Breakdown
The first figure announced was a G1 colored version of Breakdown using the Classics Sideswipe/Red Alert mold. Its not clear if the mold is actually Red Alert’s or Sideswipe’s. I am under the impression that this is simply a repaint of the 2010 Botcon Exclusive G2 colored Breakdown. After the G2 version, there was a lot of requests from fans for a G1 version. The interesting part of this exclusive is that it goes counter to previous statements that once new tooling has been used for an exclusive, it is then destroyed and no longer usable for future production runs. It looks like this figure uses the same head as that figure from the G2 set, though. Food for thought. I believe this will be Breakdown’s fifth appearance as a Botcon exclusive.

Animated Jackpot
Animated Jackpot was the second figure announced. He will use the Animated Jazz mold with a retooled head. Derrick Wyatt put together a color sheet for the figure along with a design for what we believe is a new head. It looks like the slide is a picture of the figure with the new head’s drawn design placed on the photo. The original Jackpot was a G1 Action Master.

RID Scourge
Some fans were upset this year to find out that one of the Botcon 2012 souvenir sets used the RTS G2 Optimus Prime mold for a Shattered Glass Optimus Prime instead of a RID Scourge. The small outrage was soon dashed as RID Scourge became the third figure announced for the TF FSS. Not only is the figure in the appropriate colors for the character, but he also features that styling upside down G2 Autobot logo. Well played, Fun Pub. Well played.

Prime Slipstream
Seeing a Transformers Prime mold in the line-up was a bit of a surprise, but not as much of a surprise as the character selection. Starscream’s female clone, Slipstream, appears to use the well-received First Edition mold of Starscream. She will feature a new head whose composite design was photoshopped into the picture in the slide.

Circuit
Circuit was a choice that left a number of fans scratching their heads. Circuit was a G1 Action Master released only in Europe. He is a repaint of the European only Action Master Axor. Appropriately, the FSS Circuit will be a repaint of the Generations Axor (which was a retooled version of the Generations Lockdown figure). Still with me? Circuit features a pretty amazing paint deco that almost puts him in G2 levels of awesome decos. For more information on Circuit, go here.

Ultra Mammoth
The final announcement of the FSS was Ultra Mammoth. He is a straight repaint of the Beast Wars Neo Big Convoy/Transformers Universe Nemesis Prime. It’s much larger than the other deluxe figures in the service. He is more of an Ultra class or Voyager class figure. The slide pretty much speaks for itself.

2013 Free Membership Figure
Depth Charge
The final big news of the panel was the announcement of the 2013 free membership figure, Depth Charge. If you sign up for a club membership for next year, you will receive Depth Charge for free. He uses the Terradive mold. Some new art was shown off after the figure reveal showcasing Depth Charge in front of Protoform-X.

yakko of iaconhub.com got some video of the reveals and you can hear some of Pete Sinclair’s commentary as well.

Did you like the club announcements? Did you hate them? Are you still confused by half of them? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Powetcast 119: Helicarrier Connection – ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Discussion

Zac Shipley — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:44:24 +0000

Spoilers ahoy! Do not listen beyond the 55 minute mark if you have not seen Avengers!

I’m joined again by Adam and Jim, with Sean and Captain Genius returning after several weeks away. We dig deep into the Avengers film series and hold a couple of inappropriate off topic discussions along the way. I also kept my promise to Jim to not make the podcast 2 hours long. 1:52:44 ain’t bad!

Listen live on this page, or subscribe via RSS or iTunes.
Direct Link:Powetcast 119: Helicarrier Connection – ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Discussion

Music:
“Shoot To Thrill” – AC/DC
“Mothership Connection (Star Child)” – Parliament

Inspiration for the title image
Shawarma
Avengers is the biggest opening EVER

Lost Classics: Earth 2140 (PC)

William Talley — Sun, 06 May 2012 17:00:08 +0000

Earth 2140 is an old-school RTS in the vein of Command and Conquer. Strangely, it had more of a following in Turkey than in American and Europe. It told the story of two warring factions: The Eurasian Dynasty and the United Civilized States. This is your typical dystopian future, where Earth has been bombed into a nuclear wasteland and rival factions are at war for the world’s remaining resources. This is pure 4X strategy gameplay (expand, exploit, explore, and exterminate). Gather resources, build bases, and construct units. The soundtrack is a strange blend of jazz and adult contemporary, and the plot is light compared to the sequels. However, this is still a fun classic RTS. You can buy it from GOG.com for $5.99, and teh game includes the DOS version, and both expansion packs.

Movie Posters: God Bless America

Crazy — Sun, 06 May 2012 10:00:15 +0000

The Powet Top 5 – Top 5 TMNT look-a-likes in the Four Horsemen’s 7th Kingdom

Crazy — Sat, 05 May 2012 04:53:52 +0000

Welcome to the Powet Top 5, where we explore the top (and bottom) 5 items we think are relevant to any of a variety of topics that span the imagination. Sit back, read, and respond

I know that when I write these articles that they tend to get on pretty niche topics. This time around I think I have outdone myself on niche-ness. If you were born any time after 1975, you should know of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their wonderful initial toy line from Playmates in the early 90′s. If you collect toys, you should absolutely know of the Four Horsemen. You should also have heard of the Four Horsemen’s FANtastic Exclusive endeavor and the property it spawned, The Seventh Kingdom. In today’s article, we are going to draw some parallels between the properties. Read on after the jump to learn more!

First, a bit of background to get everyone on an even playing field. Here’s a short synopsis of The Seventh Kingdom’s backstory (from the back of some of the packaging):

In the infancy of time the world was made of one great continent. As civilizations prospered and grew, the world’s people separated into six enormous kingdoms. As some kingdoms expanded so did their hunger for power. Bloody battles raged for centuries resulting in nothing but death and frustration. When the devastating effects of these wars finally became too unbearable, a plan was devided to end the bloodshed once and for all. The kingdoms would combine their power to shatter the very land they fought for into six equal parts. However, when plan was indeed realized a grave miscalculation was made. Six equal continents were created, but central to all of them was a seventh continent bigger than the rest. It was a land that breathed an incomprehensible new power. Because of the new unpredictability of this power, the kingdoms vowed this terrain was never to be stepped foor upon. Until now… Growing doubts about the creation and evolution of the seven separate realms have infected some with a renewed thirst for power. Quests for power have turned once again into battles, and those battles have transformed into wars. In these troubled times one thing is for certain – the wars will not end until a legendary power is unleashed. The power of the … SEVENTH KINGDOM

I’m going to let the images do most of the talking here.

5. Groundchuck vs Defender of the Fiery Crater

4. Dr. El vs Ramathorr the Elephant Swordsman

3. April O’Neil vs Queen Alluxandra of the Bluddmane Clan

2. Rocksteady vs Gauntlet of Vaskkh

1. Bebop vs Helm of Xaanm

Honorable Mention:
Karai vs Isadorra of the Ironspynne Clan

Agree with the choices in the list? Think some are a bit of a stretch? Let us know in the comments and let your voice be heard.

We (I) have written extensively about The Seventh Kingdom. If you would like to see more, here are a few helpful links to give you a general overview:
7th Kingdom spins out from FANtastic Exclusive
FANtastic Exclusive 2007 Update
Logo Analysis: 7th Kingdom
PowetToys: FANtastic Exclusive 2006 – Xetheus The Minotaur
Four Horsemen FANtastic Exclusive 2006 Painted 2-Up Revealed

Botcon 2012: Powetcast 118 The Video

Adam — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:42:55 +0000

It’s a podcast for your eyes! We don’t often get a chance to do our shows in person, so when we do it’s nice to put together a little video. So here is the super elite behind the scenes recording of the Powetcast 118 “Put Your Doors On”, our live show from Botcon 2012. I’ve throw in some photos and clips I had handy when relevant.

Amazing Spider-Man trailer #3

Crazy — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:10:29 +0000

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

The Amazing Spider-Man is coming to theaters July 3rd, 2012.