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

As I said two weeks ago, there is plenty that is wrong with video gaming. However, as I also stated, there are plenty of good things about the gaming scene. For one, technology is more advanced than ever before, and two, there are plenty of examples showing that video games can be a form of art and literature. Number three, developers are breaking new ground when it comes to graphics, gameplay, and storytelling, weather it’s triple A mainstream titles or independently developed games. This week’s top 5 shows why I’m happy and blessed to be a gamer, and why you should be too. Again, not everyone will agree with me.
[Read the rest of this entry…]

Remember when before Final Fantasy 7 came out, the graphics in Playstation role playing games weren’t that much different from 16-bit role playing games? Thankfully early Playstation RPGs, like their 16-bit ancestors, made up gameplay and storywise for what they were lacking in graphics, so you were still able to enjoy titles like Suikoden and Arc The Lad I and II. Sadly, this was not the case with Beyond the Beyond. This game had a boring storyline which did nothing to move the genre forward, and it didn’t exactly help matters that the game’s graphics resembled a 1993 SNES RPG. Actually, scratch that. In 1993, the SNES had games like Lufia and Secret of Mana that made this game’s graphics look like pong. Not that that was hard to do,
[Read the rest of this entry…]

Hasbro has sent along two additional images to us. Each photo is of a 3 3/4 inch figure from the movie toyline for The Avengers. The two figures are soldiers in Loki’s army. One is a standard soldier, the other is part of a Power-Up Mission Pack with additional accessories including aerial speeder of some sort.

Loki's Army Soldier

Loki's Army Power-Up Mission Pack (3 3/4inch)

Hasbro has sent along some official photos of a couple Spider-Man variants that have been pretty highly anticipated. Miles Morales, the Spider-Man from Marvel’s Ultimate Comics, appears here in 6 inch form and a 3 3/4 inch Marvel Universe form.

6 inch Ultimate Comics Spider-Man

Marvel Universe Ultimate Comics Spider-Man variant

Now we really get to see Grimlock in action. We have 4 high resolution stills of Grimlock from the game. That’s not enough? OK, here is two and a half minutes of footage with narration from High Moon Studios Matt Tieger.

We see Grimlock performing very differently from other characters in the game. He is all close combat, using an energon shield and sword, swiping at Insecticons that threaten him 3 or 4 at a time. When he’s taken (or dished out) enough abuse, he hulks out and becomes a T Rex and has a move set that includes swping with his tail, stomping the ground and biting enemies in half. Keep an eye out for another Dinobot at the end of the video as well.

If you liked the teaser with Black Widow under interrogation, you may just like this new teaser for Marvel’s upcoming Avengers movie. In it, we see Loki (Tom Hiddleston) locked up in a cell having a conversation with Nick Fury (Samual L. Jackson).

Master Chief or Commander in Chief? If you’re in the US, thats what you’re facing on November 6, as Microsoft will be launching the first chapter in the next Halo trilogy, Halo 4. This day also happens to be Election Day, with national and local offices including the Presidency on the ballot in all states and territories.

Halo 4 is still pending a rating, but is expected to be rated “M” like others in the series. M rated games are available to those age 17 and up, while those 18 and up are eligible to vote. Just a friendly reminder to vote by absentee ballot if you’re planning to attend a midnight launch and spend all night playing.

Halo 4 is on the cover of the next issue of Game Informer (see image) and many details from the interior article are already online. Expect the Covenant to return in reduced numbers, a Forerunner planet, and a new faction that will challenge players beyond previous games.

Adam and Zac are joined by Jim from Not Safe For Watercoolers, proving that the only qualification for being on the show is the ability to talk and laugh loudly.
Topics of discussion include Fez, bare knuckle boxing, Sour Patch Kids, The Avengers, The Simpsons’ home town of Springfield, and the forthcoming video game The Witcher 2. Or at least we tried to talk about these things.

Listen live on this page, or subscribe via RSS or iTunes.
Direct Link:Powetcast 117: Not Safe For Witchers
[Read the rest of this entry…]