Category: Today’s Specials

Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam Disappoints

After the outstanding Batman: Under the Red Hood and the good Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, I was really looking forward to Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. One of the most intriguing and complex anti-heroes in the DC Universe, Black Adam is one of my favorite characters. Unfortunately, this animated feature didn’t convey what makes Black Adam so interesting.

But first, let’s cover some positive features of The Return of Black Adam. For the most part, I loved the art. It’s very clean, bright, and cheery, which fits in with the nature of Captain Marvel (yes, his name is Captain Marvel, not Shazam). The characterization of Billy Batson/Captain Marvel is well done. You really get a feel for his purity and innocence. The voice acting is great all around, which is par for the course with DC animated features. That’s pretty much it for the positives.

One problem I had with the art was the fight scenes. Superman, Captain Marvel, and Black Adam are three of the most powerful characters in DC Comics. Every time one of them throws a punch, windows should shatter and tidal waves should form in the ocean. The final fight scene between Neo and Agent Smith in The Matrix Revolutions is what a battle involving these three characters should be like. Instead, it was kind of like pro-wrestling with high-wire flying. The artists and animators did not illustrate the awesome power these three characters wield.

My minor gripe with Black Adam’s portrayal was his accent. He sounded Eastern European. In the comic books he hails from the fictional North African country of Kahndaq, which is supposed to be between Egypt and Israel. I’ve met people from Egypt and Israel. None of them sounded like Russian spies, which is that the Black Adam in this feature sounded like.

My major problem with Black Adam’s portrayal was its simplification. In the comics, he has been a villain and a hero. He has been in the Injustice Society and the Justice Society. He’s a beloved god-king in Kahndaq, but viewed as a severe threat to global stability by most other nations. He has a code of honor. He has suffered tragedies that have given him a harsh view of justice. He’s not really a bad guy or a good guy, but he’s done heroic and heinous things. In The Return of Black Adam, he’s just an evil dick. He was appointed Earth’s protector by the wizard Shazam and was corrupted by power — no complexity, no layers, and no depth. It’s so sad that Black Adam is nothing more than an evil dick in this movie.

I was disappointed immediately after watching Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. After an hour or so passed, I kept thinking about one of Billy Bob Thornton’s lines in Bad Santa: “They can’t all be winners, kid.” After so many excellent and very good DC animated features, I suppose it was time for a dud. I just wish it didn’t involve one of my favorite characters in the DC Universe.

Coffee Talk #244: Memorable Videogame Bugs and Glitches

Last week a few of you started talking about videogame bugs and glitches and I thought to myself, “Self, this would make a fantastic Coffee Talk topic!” So here it is! Whether they were bugs that completely ruined your game’s progress or glitches that…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, your thoughts on Conan’s new show, President Obama getting grilled at the G20 meetings, or Derek Jeter’s undeserved Gold Glove, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last week a few of you started talking about videogame bugs and glitches and I thought to myself, “Self, this would make a fantastic Coffee Talk topic!” So here it is! Whether they were bugs that completely ruined your game’s progress or glitches that you exploited to get an edge, I’m sure y’all have some great stories to share.

As for me, I’m going to have go old school, since I don’t really think about bugs or glitches as a pure gamer anymore. Obviously I loved getting extra lives in Contra using the most popular startup code in the universe, but I’m going to give Super Mario Bros. World 3-1 my vote. I remember playing the game with my friend Alex and laughing at how long it took him to master the infinite lives glitch. That little glitch led to hundreds of hours of gameplay and friendship in my parents’ basement. Good times.

Now it’s your turn! What are some videogame bugs and glitches that have been seared into your memory?

Call of Duty: Black Ops Midnight Launch Video

Sometimes it’s nice to have a GameStop below your apartment. Last night as I was out for a walk, I noticed all these gamers lined up for the Call of Duty: Black Ops launch. I went to my apartment, grabbed my camera, and filmed some video. Here’s a quick look at what the Call of Duty: Black Ops midnight launch was like at the Koreatown Los Angeles GameStop.

Coffee Talk #243: How Much Mobile Data Do You Use?

With the days of truly unlimited mobile data coming to a close, I’ve been curious about my mobile Internet consumption. My last billing cycle ended yesterday and I was pleased that I only used…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, your favorite Indian dish, the hottest chick on Baywatch, or the horrible TNA belt Jeff Hardy ordered up, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

With the days of truly unlimited mobile data coming to a close, I’ve been curious about my mobile Internet consumption. My last billing cycle ended yesterday and I was pleased that I only used 600MB of data in the last month. However, I was almost always on WiFi. If I’m traveling or working at an office that doesn’t grant WiFi access to contractors then I can see my data consumption going way higher.

With unlimited data nearing extinction, I’m going to keep tabs on my mobile data use. Do you ladies and gents already do that? Is it something you’re going to do? How much data do you use per month? Kindly take the poll, discuss, and be merry!

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PlayStation 3 Ahead of Xbox 360 Worldwide?

According to Famitsu, developer Tose claims that PlayStation 3 is ahead of Xbox 360 by a cool one-million units in terms of global installed base. At a recent presentation, Tose reported that the current worldwide numbers for the three major consoles are approximately:

According to Famitsu, developer Tose claims that PlayStation 3 is ahead of Xbox 360 by a cool one-million units in terms of global installed base. At a recent presentation, Tose reported that the current worldwide numbers for the three major consoles are approximately:

  1. Wii: 74,000,000
  2. PlayStation 3: 42,000,000
  3. Xbox 360: 41,000,000

I’m sure this will shock some American gamers. Xbox 360 is way ahead of PS3 in North America, but globally it has been close for the last year. Tose believes that Sony has pulled ahead of Microsoft. What do you think of these numbers?

Source via Sankaku Complex

This Week’s Videogame Releases

As you’d expect in November, there are fantastic games coming out this week. Call of Duty: Black Ops should light up the charts. Actually, it should obliterate them. The PlayStation 3 has the wonderful The Sly Collection, as well as the Move-tastic The Fight: Lights Out and Singstar Dance. Konami has already pasted American Idol on its Karaoke Revolution franchise, but now it’s time for Karaoke Revolution Glee to shine. Last, but not least, is the delightful Mario vs. Donkey Kong Mini-Land Mayhem for Nintendo DS.

Any of you guys and dolls picking up new games this week?

Coffee Talk #242: China, Neodymium, and You

For gaming and gadget nerds, neodymium is a part of everyday life. It’s found in consoles, speakers, headphones, hard drives, and more. This rare earth metal is…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the bullsh*t election in Burma (Myanmar), Keith Olbermann’s two-day suspension, or Mickie James in chaps, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

For gaming and gadget nerds, neodymium is a part of everyday life. It’s found in consoles, speakers, headphones, hard drives, and more. This rare earth metal is an integral ingredient in countless consumer electronics devices. Where does most of the world’s neodymium come from? China.

As technology continues to become truly global, neodymium becomes increasingly valuable. China knows this and has engaged in some questionable practices when it comes to trading neodymium. You all know that oil-rich countries have a ton of stroke. Will China become even more powerful than it already is due to the burgeoning growth of consumer electronics and the fact that it’s the world’s leading produce of neodymium? Imagine if China’s continued squabble with Japan lead to dialog like, “You know what? Screw you and your PlayStations and Game Boys. We’re not selling you any more neodymium! And also, your mother dresses you funny.”

Did you ever think that the hard drive in your console, the pickups on your Les Paul, or the speakers in your entertainment center would be part of a global power struggle? Pretty crazy, hey?

Emma Watson is the Perfect Woman

Emma Watson is pretty much the perfect woman. She’s beautiful. She has a sexy accent. She attends my dream school (Brown University). And it turns out she’s worth $32-million. According to Vogue UK (via People):

Watson is now said to be worth $32 million, give or take a few pounds sterling.

“By the third or fourth film, the money was starting to get serious,” she told Vogue, according to published reports in the U.K. “I had no idea. I felt sick, very emotional.”

I don’t care that she lopped off all of her hair and got a pixie cut. Watson’s combination of utter hotness is so mind boggling that my brain is on the verge of shutting down. I better stop thinking about it…. Oh yeah, here’s that lovely photo of her in a bathtub.

Source

Dell, Bank of America, and Citibank Ditching BlackBerry

RIM’s BlackBerry platform has been taking a beating in 2010, losing market share to Apple iOS and Google Android. While RIM hoped to change its fortunes with the BlackBerry Torch, the phone is technically unimpressive and the software is still archaic. It looks like the BlackBerry bashing will continue, with corporations like Dell, Bank of America, and Citibank looking to leave the platform.

Right now, Dell is the only company that’s confirmed to be abandoning BlackBerry. According to The Wall Street Journal, Dell is offering its employees Dell Venue Pro phones (Windows Phone 7) to replace their BlackBerry handsets. According to the paper, “The switch begins next week and will save the company about 25% in mobile communication costs.” The cost savings would come from not having to run BlackBerry Enterprise servers.

The Dell move isn’t surprising considering that the company now competes with RIM, offering a variety of Android and Windows Phone 7 handsets. What’s more alarming for RIM is Bloomberg’s report that Bank of America and Citigroup (Citibank) are considering dropping the BlackBerry platform in favor of Apple iOS. Those are two of the biggest banks in America with almost 600,000 employees between them.

If Bank of America and Citigroup join Dell in abandoning the BlackBerry platform then that’s nearly one-million customers lost. Until RIM makes significant improvements to its crusty software, I don’t see things changing for the company. Perhaps I should have called this article “BlackBerry Torched”. *snicker*

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Splatterhouse November 2010 Screens

Here are more screens for the upcoming Splatterhouse for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. I’m totally digging the game’s art — so stylish! I liked the gameplay I saw at E3 2010 and am hoping the game revives this classic franchise. Check ’em out and let me know what you think (please)!

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