The Playstation

If you’ve ever read classic kung-fu comics like Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu or Iron Fist (or its excellent modern reimagining), then you know just how good beating up on ninjas can look on the page.  But until now, you’ve never known how good it can feel.  That’s all set to change with the upcoming release of Kung-Fu Live on the Playstation Network.  More information is expected to be released at Comic-Con this week, but here’s what we know already.

Kung-Fu Live will be the latest title to incorporate Playstation Eye or the upcoming Playstation Move camera technology.  These devices literally allow you to become the game character, and beat down on a variety of thugs and nogoodniks.  In addition to using your most reliable weapon (your body), you can also bring in objects like the bat seen in the game trailer.  Read the rest of this entry »

A couple of weeks ago, a mysterious 8-minute long video started making the rounds on the web, featuring Michael Jai White as hard-bitten detective Jax, Jeri Ryan as the sultry Sonya Blade, and Ian Anthony Dale as the eerie Scorpion.  If those characters don’t sound familiar, then you’re not a fan of the long-running Mortal Kombat fighting series, and considering its lackluster presentation in recent years, it’s hard to blame you.  However, the short showcased a darkness and energy never before seen in the series, tempered by a real-world sensibility.

While fans wondered what this short entailed, NetherRealm Studios announced the latest in the game series.  It was later confirmed that the video was an unofficial teaser for the rumored third film.  This synergistic shot could be just what the series needs to win over a new generation of fans.

The new game is titled simply Mortal Kombat, taking a back-to-basics approach.  In that vein, the storyline revisits the events of the first three games, picking up with thunder god Raiden right before his execution by the evil Shao Kahn.  Raiden sends a message back in time, and in doing so, he (and the player) revisit the events of MK I-III, encompassing black magic, humanoid reptiles, and cybernetic ninjas. Read the rest of this entry »

Marvel comics have seen an amazing resurgence in recent years, especially with the success of films like Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk.  Popular game titles like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 also brought in new fans.  Ultimate Alliance 2 was an adaptation of two popular storylines from the Marvel Comics universe, Secret War and Civil War.  These tales left no character untouched, and many were thrilled at the opportunity to play as favorites like Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, along with surprises like vampire-hunter Blade and the wisecracking assassin, Deadpool.

Now Marvel has a number of new ways for fans to create their own stories.  First up is exclusive downloadable content for Little Big Planet, the acclaimed PS3 title which allows players to construct their own doll-like characters (referred to as Sackboys and Sackgirls) and run them through puzzle-based levels, making sure not to get crushed, flamed, or thrown into the abyss along the way.  Marvel’s content will come with costumes of 20 of the most popular characters, including Captain America, Daredevil, Hulk, Iron Man, as well as the urban vigilante, the Punisher.  There will also be a four-level kit in which players can take on the X-men’s nemesis Magneto. Read the rest of this entry »