Tag: Games (91-100 of 159)

Feb 4 2010 01:50 PM ET

'Sonic the Hedgehog 4,' a Genesis-style throwback

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Tags: , , , Videogames

Attention, old-skool Sonic fans: Sega has revealed that its long-discussed Project Needlemouse will be Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. The game will be available as a download this summer for Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii. Exciting!

The game is a throw-back to a Genesis-era Sonic, according to Sega’s interview with Gamespot, and will pick up after Sonic and Knuckles.

On the one hand, I am a huge sucker for Genesis-era anything: I was talking about Ecco the Dolphin just yesterday. (Really!) On the other hand, the Sonic franchise has produced some real stinkers in recent years. The trailer on the official site (warning: makes noise) is encouraging, but I’m still a little wary.

And you, PopWatchers? Have you been eagerly awaiting Sonic’s return to greatness?

Feb 3 2010 05:26 PM ET

'BioShock 2' trailer: Bring on the Big Daddies

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Tags: , , , Videogames

This brand-new trailer for BioShock 2 makes me want to play the game right now. Immediately. Is it Feb. 9 yet?


What about you, PopWatchers? Are you all about the return to Rapture?

Feb 3 2010 01:06 PM ET

Round Monopoly! Will wonders never cease?

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Tags: , , Those Crazy Kids!

To celebrate its 75th anniversary, Monopoly is changing its look. A lot. To a circle. I can only assume this represents the endless cycle of wealth accumulation and the ultimate futility of seeking fulfillment from money alone. That, or it looks really really cool. Either way!

Dubbed “Monopoly: Revolution,” the revamped game speaks to a generation coming of age during times of economic crisis. Passing go? You now collect $2 million. And paper money? Pish posh. Everyone gets a debit card! (That’s already part of the electronic banking version. Oy, kids these days.) A crash in the real estate market? Just kidding, that’s not part of it. The play is otherwise the same, though Community Chest and Chance are now include sound effects and audioclips from popular songs. I’m concerned that the introduction of debit cards means no more cheating, which is the one perk of having to be the banker (which is otherwise totally thankless), and no more fudging the rules where you get a pile of money if you land on free parking.

PopWatchers, my Monopoly of choice was and will always be Star Wars Monopoly, and a sound-emitting card-swiper will always mean Mall Madness. Still: The round board is both intriguing and surprisingly lovely. Will you be buying the Boardwalk?

Jan 5 2010 04:49 PM ET

'Bayonetta': Sega's wicked (awesome) witch begins the year with a bang

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Tags: , , Videogames

Bayonetta, an original third-person action-fueled romp crafted by some of the creative talent behind Devil May Cry, lands on consoles with all the impact of an over-sized battle ax to a thick demon skull. Starring a sexy-librarian-looking witch, who can let her hair down with literally Earth-rattling results, Bayonetta is fast, frenzied and, most of all, crazy-fun. READ FULL STORY »

Nov 28 2009 10:00 AM ET

Hasbro lets us operate on SpongeBob. Which TV character would you like to get inside?

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Tags: , , , , , , , American Idol, Lost, Television

I’ve always been somewhat of a board game purist. (Evidence: my reaction to Hasbro’s new-ish pimped-out version of Clue.) Yet, I’m not totally against Hasbro’s new SpongeBob SquarePants-centric Operation game, which allows you to dive inside the character and remove his Barnacle Brain, Clammy Hands, and questionably named Patty Pleasure Center. (What kind of game is this exactly?!)

And that’s not because I’m a SpongeBob fan. In fact, I’ve only caught a few episodes during those nights when I’ve had enough PBRs to find myself inexplicably drawn to Nickelodeon. No, I like the concept of the Operation game because it got me thinking about other TV characters I’d like to get inside. (I’ll give you a second to get your mind out of the gutters, PopWatchers!)

For one, I’d love to take a gander inside of Lost‘s Ben Linus, if only to find out whether or not he does have a heart. And who wouldn’t want to extract Liz Lemon’s funny bone from her body in order to implant it into their own?

Your turn—what TV character would you like to Operate on? And what show do you hope Hasbro eventually uses as inspiration for one of its games? I’m still crossing my fingers for an American Idol-inspired Trivial Pursuit, because I need something to show for the 5 million hours I’ve spent ingesting the series.

Photo Credit: Hasbro

Nov 10 2009 05:00 AM ET

'Big Bang Theory': Everybody's fighting!

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Tags: , , , , , , , , Television

Don’t let that sweet and cuddly photo from the end of last night’s Big Bang Theory fool you; this episode was packed to the rafters with one full bore fight after another, and, thank jeebus, the result was maybe the funniest ep of the season thus far. Which means I owe Pennard an apology. For weeks now, I’ve used this space to gripe and gripe and gripe about their peripheral, inconsistently funny, and obviously doomed relationship, but last night, for the first time, not only was Pennard the catalyst for most of the comedy, but I actually could picture these two crazy kids making it after all. (Speaking of shaky fall romances on CBS Monday sitcoms — and kids, consider this your SPOILER ALERT — let us take a quick moment of silence for the end of How I Met Your Mother‘s Robney last night, and let’s use that time to privately hope for the return of Fat Barney.) (Silence over.)

The verbal brawling began on Big Bang during the inaugural game of Research Lab, Sheldon’s DIY board game where “the physics is theoretical, but the fun is real!” Penny casually mentioned that her friend Justin, a budding musician from back home, was flying into LA and crashing on her couch for a few weeks. This was, by all appearances, the first Leonard had heard this news, and when Penny further allowed that Justin was an old fling — doing so by explaining that he’s “definitely not gay” — well, that was enough to flip Leonard’s lid something fierce. Which put Penny on the defense about her intelligence and independence. Which launched Sheldon on his gut-busting emotional regression, goaded by this simple, primal fear: Mommy and Daddy won’t stop fighting! Even when it’s just Daddy, fighting with himself! READ FULL STORY »

Nov 2 2009 07:48 PM ET

A Ouija board movie scripted by 'Lost' writers — Yes or No?

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Tags: , , , , , Lost, Movies

Last year, when Universal Studios and Hasbro announced a six-year deal to produce movies based on the toy company’s board games, it seemed to be just the latest bit of confirmation, as if any was needed, that Hollywood had completely run out of original ideas. Were audiences really clamoring for big-screen versions of Candy Land and Monopoly? What would be next: a Pictionary movie? A Hungry Hungry Hippos feature? Now, though, comes news that two writers from Lost, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who also wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Tron Legacy, have signed on to write a Ouija board movie—and suddenly I’m wondering if I need to actually take this thing seriously. The studio is billing the project as “a supernatural action-adventure movie” and hints that the plot may involve some of those supposed Ouija board rules that gave you goose bumps back in elementary school: never use it alone, never use it in a graveyard, always say goodbye at the end of a Ouija session. I’m still skeptical—a full-on horror movie would seem like a more suitable way to go than some Jumanji-esque action-adventure flick. But I have to admit, with credible talent on board (so to speak), the idea sounds cool enough that my fingers may be slowly pushing the Ouija thingy toward “Yes” on this one.

What say you, oh spirits of the PopWatch realm: does the idea of a Ouija board movie fill you with excitement or dread? While we’re at it, have you ever had an experience with a Ouija board that genuinely freaked you out?

Oct 27 2009 06:17 PM ET

Could 'The Who: Rock Band' be next?

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Tags: , , , Videogames

Roger Daltrey let it slip in an interview this week that The Who might be the next band to get Rock Band-ized. He told a Massachusetts newspaper, “The game, yeah, yeah, they’re going to be doing a Who one next year. There is one planned. [The idea] is fabulous. Anything that gets non-musical people interested in music is wonderful. In my opinion, music is our last true great freedom. They can burn our books, they can burn our paintings, but they can’t stop us singing and making music.”

A rep for Rock Band was a bit more vague: “We’re working closely with The Who on what’s next, but don’t have anything new to announce at this time,” he told EW.

Watch out, PW nation: Should this game come to pass, I will positively crush you with my mighty “Pinball Wizard” skills.

I would be all about a The Who: Rock Band game. How about you, PopWatchers?

Sep 22 2009 02:48 PM ET

Wii prices drop: What's the best way to spend $200 on games?

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Tags: , , Videogames

wii_lIn recent weeks, both Sony and Microsoft dropped their prices on the PS3 and Xbox 360, respectively, and now Nintendo’s getting in on the price-cutting action by dropping the Wii’s sticker price to $199 from $249. That makes Wii the cheapest — Xbox 360 and PS3 still run $299 — and Nintendo no doubt hopes to revive the console as the it-gift for the holidays this year. (Xbox Arcade is still $199.)

So what is the sweet-spot price for a gaming console? Is the $200 mark it? Can it possibly be, given how successful Wii was at its previous price? Is a Wii better bang for my gaming buck than, say, the $199 8GB iPod touch, or a DSi? Part of me wonders how big a difference that $50 makes over the lifetime of the console, especially if game prices don’t drop, too.

Okay, PopWatchers, given $200 to spend on games, how would you distribute your funds? Buy a Wii? Or a few solid Xbox games? Or dozens and dozens of apps?

Sep 18 2009 02:45 PM ET

Adventures in 'Celebrity Jeopardy': What is, Get a clue, Wolf Blizter?

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Tags: , , , , About Last Night

Andy Richter killed on Celebrity Jeopardy, but uh, Wolf Blitzer? Wolf Blitzer did not kill at all. He misidentified a picture of a bowl of pasta as fettuccine (it was mostaccioli, which looks really really different), said “Julia Childs” instead of Julia Child, and then things took a turn for the even-worse.

In the E Times 3 category — where all the words have three Es — Wolf had a few choice answers:

  • Answer: King David and Jesus both hailed from this town.
    Wolf: What is Jerusalem? (“O little town of Jerusalem…” Come on, dude.)
  • Answer: An accused person in court, along with his counsel
    Wolf: What is a defendant? (One E too few, Wolf. Try defense.)
  • Answer: Selected some material from a larger work
    Wolf: Annotated. (He didn’t even have the “what is” in there. And that’s not what annotated means, and it only has one E. So, three-fer.)

Finally, to the clue “The 1850s saw a bad one of this 5-letter word that refers to an economic crash and the fear-driven rush to sell,” Wolf responded, “What is a crash?” This, friends, is how you wind up $4,600 in the red at the beginning of Final Jeopardy.

PopWatchers, this would bug me less if he seemed like he was being a good sport about it, but man, he’s all grumpystiltstkin up in there. On a scale of Fake Burt Reynolds to Fake Sean Connery, where do you rank Blitzer’s performance?

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