Sega and Marvel just set up a multi-year partnership to make babies video games based on the Hulk, Thor, and Captain America. The press release says we should expect these games for “console, handheld and PC platforms,” though no timetable was mentioned, other than loosely being set to come out around when the corresponding movies do. (Cap and Thor are currently planned for ’09, with Incredible Hulk for ’08.)

The agreement got set up after Marvel decided they were pleased with Sega’s early development work on the upcoming Iron Man game – not the surest way to gauge a game’s success, but here’s hoping it works out for them. After all, no one wants to smite some bad guys with Mighty Mjolnir more than I do. And if we’re really lucky, maybe they’ll even take a few notes from Hulk’s most recent run in the video game world.

The first issue of the ongoing comic book based on the Halo universe is coming in July. Marvel.com has a page up previewing the story and this image, which may be the first cover.

The Eisner Award-winning team of superscribe Brian Michael Bendis and artist extraordinaire Alex Maleev unleash an epic story of mankind’s struggle against the alien threat of the Covenant. Picking up from the conclusion of blockbuster video game Halo 2, the must-read issue reveals how the Master Chief, while onboard a hostile ship headed towards Earth, is battling against Covenant forces! Intertwined with Master Chief’s interstellar one-man-war is the saga of a great American city’s rebellion and downfall, two disparate lives’ collision and shared fate, and the Convenant’s hunt for an ancient relic of untold power and value. With hope dwindling and the fate of humanity hanging by a thread, is there any chance for a future? Read this debut issue to start the journey into the Halo universe!

All this can be yours for only $3.99! Seriously, it’ll be nice to get some more story in before Halo 3 launches, though with any expanded universe stuff, I doubt too much of it will effect the game itself. Theres been lots of Spartan action all over the books and in the graphic novel last year, but Chief is still the only one in the game. Still, with Bendis on board they’re not exactly turning this over to a fanfic writer, so we may get some good stories.

A thread posted in the TFW2005 forums has an image posted of what appears to be a super low quality scan of a Japanese magazine. The very top line of the image says MP6 with some Japanese to the right of it. I happen to have a little bit of Japanese from college still left in me and I can tell you it says “Masterpiece Skywarp” next to the MP6. Trying to get any details out of the pictures is like watching scribble porn on old tv though, so no real details or confirmations on this yet. I would very much look forward to having Skywarp added to my Masterpiece collection.

Amusingly, the TFW2005 writeup of the article misspelled Masterpiece as Masterprice. I cannot think of a more appropriate typo.

I have mirrored the image below.

Just my quick kneejerk reactions to the newly released maps to Halo 2. They went up for purchase in the content downloader this morning for $4. Note this is the Halo 2 content downloader, not Xbox Live Marketplace.

This first thing that strikes me about these maps is some of the weapon choices. Tombstone’s default start is the Battle Rifle, and with good reason as its too big to use SMG or Plasma weapons to start. The Sentinel Beam also makes a return appearance in Desolation. 2 Halo mainstays are completely missing from the weapon set: Plasma pistol and Sniper Rifle. This can be changed easily in a custom game, and I’m sure Tombstone will become a popular sniper map, but its kinda odd for them to be missing. Neither map supports vehicles or turrets from what I can tell, which further narrows the gameplay. I think the designers were trying really hard to bring orignal Halo multiplayer into Halo 2

Also, neither map feels like Halo 2. While any of the original maps felt like they were plucked from the single player campaign, these look more like arena maps more common to Quake. Tombstone in particular has lots of hallways and ramps everywhere, and it doesn’t have the organic feel of Halo 2. It is a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved’s “Hang ‘Em High” map, and its still really fun to play capture the flah, oddball, and King Of The Hill, but the geometric nature and screwy structure choices seperate it from a map like “Turf” where the art style kept you within the Halo universe even in the free for all multiplayer games.

Ultimately the maps appear well worth the money as they will add some new life to the game and its been a good 2 years since I’ve grabbed a flag and had no idea where to take it and thats a fun feeling. Just don’t expect a new classic like Lockout, Terminal, or Relic. The best way to play these maps will be with friends, so send a friend request on Xbox Live to me, and we’ll get in some games in the upcoming Powet.TV Game Night for Halo 2 on April 28-29!

So what do you think of the new maps? Was a throwback to Halo: CE welcome in the last days of Halo 2? Leave a comment below!

Batman-On-Film’s Bill Ramey reports on that the Joker we know now from the comics and as played in films past is not the Joker we should expect in the highly anticipated sequel to Batman Begins.

Sticking to the more realistic take of the first movie, you can expect the purple suit to be gone, the over the top gags might be fewer, and his skin might be a more grey tone than white. Should we be scared of these changes? Maybe. They took a big risk on fans hiring Heath Ledger in the first place, and changing up the Joker’s tone and appearance sounds like like a recipe for disaster. Or at least it might be in anyone else’s hands. Remember, this is the same crew and cast from Begins, which is easily my favorite comic movie ever now. Director Christopher Nolan and Writer David Goyer have earned my complete trust with this franchise and if they can find a way to make the Joker scary and unsettling on film without giving up too much of the goofy elements of the character, we’ll have a real great villain and one that won’t be compared with Jack Nicholson.

We may know soon enough. Superhero Hype reports that a daring bank robbery scene with the Joker is being filmed in Chicago as I type this post. I’m tempted to get in the car right now.

WORLD WAR III
written and drawn by DC’s army of creators

The long awaited “World War III” event lands this Wednesday at DC, and I’m here to help provide you a roadmap in how to navigate the five books that tell its story this week. After all, there are 5 different books coming out this week which tell the story, and it might be nice for you to know what’s what. Read on, after the jump, IF YOU DARE!
[Read the rest of this entry…]

Hi, I’m Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars! I want some candy. I’m not a regular Taxi, I’m fighting a war over fares. Isn’t that CRAZY? Now give me some candy!

Blue Dragon is a game for Xbox 360 I’ve had my eye on for a while. Why?

The original game is the first time that Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Dragon Quest character designer and Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, and Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu have collaborated since the classic roleplaying game Chrono Trigger. The game debuted in Japan on December 7, 2006, and will arrive in America on August 15, 2007.

Yes, while Chrono Cross never met my expectations for a sequel, and Chrono Break never happened, this is as close to a follow up as I may ever get to one of the greatest games ever made. This is not opinion, this is fact.

Anyway, Blue Dragon is getting fleshed out with a matching anime series thats just started airing in Japan this month. VIZ Media has announced they’re bringing it to the US, though theres no timetable as to when we can expect subs&dubs to be released. I’d imagine that given the Toriyama pedigree this show has and the push Microsoft has already made for the game that TV airings may be possible. I don’t know if this will be more of an afternoon kids show or something we’d have to leave for Adult Swim though.

So do you like anime based on games? Will Blue Dragon possibly meet Chrono Trigger fans expectations? Can the world possible resist more Toriyama character designs? Leave a comment below.

Source: AnimeNewsNetwork.