The Worlds of Wreck-It Ralph 2

The new release Wreck-It Ralph is a movie that should appeal to anyone who loves CG animated adventures, but it has a special appeal for gamers. The movie is crammed with references and homages to video games of both the classic and modern era. Even the movie's two leads, Wreck-It Ralph and Fix-It Felix, are inspired by Donkey Kong and Mario, respectively.

As Ralph embarked on his quest for acceptance, the movie featured three game worlds inspired by real-world games and gaming genres. There was the Donkey Kong-esque Fix-It Felix Jr. arcade world. There was Hero's Duty, a hardcore sci-fi shooter inspired by games like Gears of War, Halo, and Metroid. And there was Sugar Rush, a world that was equal parts Mario Kart and Candy Land.

We were only disappointed that the movie didn't feature even more worlds. There are plenty of genres still ripe for Wreck-It Ralph's brand of spoofing. But with a sequel looking very likely at this point, the potential is still there. We've picked out a handful of worlds we hope to see appear in Ralph's next epic quest.

Fantasy World

As seen in: The Legend of Zelda, Fable, The Elder Scrolls

We're not expecting an actual movie based on the Legend of Zelda anytime soon, so the next best option might be to throw Ralph into a world inspired by Hyrule or Fable's Albion. Rather than the running and gunning of Hero's Duty, this world would force our heroes to navigate labyrinthine dungeons, contend with mind-bending traps and puzzles, and battle dragons, goblins, and the undead. Perhaps the movie could lampoon the endless, arbitrary fetch quests these games often saddle players with or the fact that action RPG heroes like Link so rarely speak.

Horror World

As seen in: Resident Evil, Silent Hill

Outside of Cyril the hatchet-wielding, emotionally supportive zombie, Wreck-It Ralph didn't pay much attention to the colorful legacy of horror gaming. To some degree that's understandable, as it can be difficult to maintain a family-friendly PG rating when dealing with nightmarish landscapes and zombies, vampires, and the like.

Still, we'd like to see more horror representation next time around. There has to be a way to put a more colorful and less scary spin on popular games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. What happens when Ralph's giant fists go up against a Pyramid Head or Tyrant? Is it possible to scare even the unflappable Sgt. Calhoun? Are all zombies as friendly as Cyril when they aren't on the clock? These are questions that need answering.

JRPG World

As seen in: Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest

If any gaming sub-genre could do with a little Wreck-It Ralph spoofing, it's the Japanese RPG. Games like Final Fantasy are known for their epic role-paying experience and creative worlds, but also for outlandish fashion design, androgynous male heroes, strange animal sidekicks, and intricate attack sequences that take entire minutes to play out in some cases.

Why not throw Ralph and the gang into a world that draws on these elements? In general, we'd like to see more of Japan's rich gaming culture reflected next time around. Cameo appearances from Nintendo characters and an “Aerith Lives” tag spray-painted on a wall aren't enough. And really, with Square-Enix's RPG characters already mingling with the Disney crowd on a regular basis in the Kingdom Hearts games, is it that much of a stretch?

Fighting Game World

As seen in: Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat

Zangief pretty much stole the show in the movie's early moments. But we never did get to see his talent for crushing a man's skull between his thighs in action. And while that might sound grotesque for a Disney movie, they did get away with allowing Kano to rip out someone's heart. Maybe Cyril can take another one for the team.

In any case, we'd love to see Ralph and his friends thrust into a world inspired by popular fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Imagine Ralph battling a character like Goro or setting a new high score in Street Fighter's car smashing mode. Even the 2D perspective of these games could offer the animators some fun new opportunities for CG storytelling.

Adventure World

As seen in: Uncharted, Tomb Raider, Pitfall

The recent announcement about Disney buying Lucasfilm has us hoping that Indiana Jones will be back in action before too much longer. Perhaps a Wreck-It Ralph sequel can allow Disney to dip their toes into the international pulp adventurer pool by including a world inspired by Indy-esque games such as Uncharted and Tomb Raider.

The first movie did a great job of taking the Halo/Gears of War shooter formula and delivering an epic action sequence built around it. We'd like to see the sequel do something similar for these titles. The movie could deliver epic dashes through tombs, ruins, and jungles that could put any previous live-action efforts to shame.

MMORPG World

As seen in: World of Warcraft, Second Life

One popular gaming genre that has a huge amount of potential for a Wreck-It Ralph sequel is the massively multiplayer online RPG. While World of Warcraft is still the most popular MMORPG, we're not focused on the fantasy elements this time. Instead, we're more interested in the social aspect of these games and the ways they connect players.

Director Rich Moore has already talked about how a sequel “would bring the characters involved a bit more up to date.” An MMORPG would drag Ralph and friends out of the arcade and into the modern gaming landscape. A gaming landscape inspired by WoW or Second Life would allow the characters to actually interact with humans in a way they really can't when they're stuck inside of an arcade machine. The potential here is almost limitless, both in terms of the worlds it can allow and in exploring the poignant relationship between gamers and gaming heroes.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Amazon Posts $274 Million Loss in Q3 Earnings Report

Amazon announced a Q3 $274 million net loss in an earnings report today. The poor quarter is no surprise to anyone who followed the LivingSocial meltdown - which contributed to $169 million of that $274 million.

But perhaps the big news is how Amazon used the opportunity to slam the iPad Mini as an inferior device. Starting the section "Highlights" is a lengthy bulletlist, which compared both models of Amazon's Kindle Fire HDs to the iPad Mini.

While there's no hard and fast rule on how a company must report their earnings, starting their quarter highlights by taking a competitor's product to task seems like a weird choice. Why not celebrate the Kindle Fire HD's general release and reception? Also odd: where's the Kindle Fire HD's other competition on that list? Or are they genuinely not worried about the Nexus 7 as a competitor?

What do you think? Should Amazon stick to their own numbers, or is this a classic case of turning lemons into lemonade?

Nic is the Editor of IGN Tech. He loves technology almost as much as the SF Giants, Dogfish Head iPA, and Freelance Whales. You can follow him on Twitter @nicvargus and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Smart As Gets A Release Date on PlayStation Vita

Smart As is one of the very first Vita games anyone ever saw, long before Sony’s new handheld was released. Unveiled back at Gamescom in 2011, Smart As appeared to be a promising brain-twisting romp, though we’ve seen very little of it since. That is, until now.

Sony has revealed that Smart As, a PlayStation Vita exclusive, finally has a release date. It will be available in North America beginning on October 30th and in Europe a day later, on October 31st. Interestingly, what appeared to be a download-only game isn’t. It’ll be available on the PlayStation Network and in retail stores, and will cost $29.99.

The puzzles in Smart As promise to challenge you in “four key areas”: Logic, Arithmetic, Language and Observation. John Cleese of Monty Python fame voices the game’s commentary. The game will feature extensive online leaderboards so you can compete with your friends, and a day one demo will also be available to give you a taste of the full experience.

Keep an eye on IGN later this month for our full review.

Colin Moriarty is an IGN PlayStation editor. You can follow him on Twitter (@notaxation) and IGN (Moriarty-IGN) and learn just how sad the life of a New York Islanders and New York Jets fan can be.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Invincible Iron Man #525 Review

Anyone reading Invincible Iron Man knows the drill by now. The series has reached its climax point as Tony Stark teams with a group of sworn enemies to take down the Mandarin. It's an effective payoff to years of storytelling and groundwork, but it's also a very slow and methodical payoff. Issue #525 is one more chapter that will entertain readers but leave them wishing there was just a little more meat on these storytelling bones.

This issue is certainly heavier on the action than the last few, as Tony is finally back in an Iron Man armor and on the offensive again. Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca tackle some some memorable battle scenes throughout. Here is where having characters like Living Laser and Blizzard on Tony's team comes in handy. Laser in particular adds a nice visual flourish to the battle scenes so that the book isn't dominated by armored dudes clobbering each other. While Frank D'Armata's coloring has never been a highlight of the series, he does some nice work tackling the various bursts of energy and radiation that dominate these fights.

This issue relegates the Hammer girls to the sidelines, so that only the Stark Resilient and Rhodey subplots remain to offset Tony's struggle. Those two pieces of the story are all but merged at this point as Fraction builds closer and closer to the big reunion/rescue sequence. A brief appearance by a couple of super-teams from the book's past only heightens the idea that Fraction is pushing towards the finish line. More loose ends are coming together and the stakes are growing higher. It seems that the cover image of Mandarin crushing the world in his grip is more literal than it seems. So even if the general sense of plot progression remains a bit sluggish from month to month. Fraction is delivering a worthy finale to his multi-year run.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following Jesse on Twitter, or on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

High School Blu-ray Review

For anyone who's ever wondered what it would be like to dose the bake sale brownies with pot – we've got a film for you! John Stalberg Jr.'s High School is a crass, fun teen comedy, but with a fresh, amusing twist and plenty of zany, off-the-wall antics to keep things interesting.

The 2010 film (which is just getting released now) follows two young high school enemies (Matt Bush and Sean Marquette, brother of Chris) who bond over a joint, but freak out when their school principal (Michael Chiklis) announces he'll be drug testing the entire school the very next day in order to “weed” out any stoners and expel them.

Worried they'll get kicked out of school, they steal some high-quality kief (resin glands) from a wacked-out drug dealer (Adrien Brody, who steals every scene he's in, and even a few he's not in) and bake it into some brownies that they intend to swap with the real brownies being sold at the bake sale, which is also happening the next day.

And that's basically the first 20 minutes of the picture. What follows is one long trip as the entire school – and I mean the entire school – gets stupid stoned off the powerful kief. Meanwhile, the drug dealer seeks out the two high schoolers looking for his drugs, and the school's assistant principal (Colin Hanks) has a major freak out after taking control of the school.

High School is a pot comedy for people who generally don't like the usual strain of pot comedy. It's not a laugh-out-loud riot by any means, but it is quite funny and sometimes very original. The film does play on paranoia, which is perfectly punctuated by the tense narrative and a creepy, fun and downright awesome performance from Adrien Brody, who – had the film been a little bit better – might have earned some Oscar cred for his role.

Alas, High School is a bit fragmented, missing a middle act and often running out of steam, slowing down once the entire school gets stoned. It's clear the film's trying to emulate that drugged-out feeling, contorting and mixing the narrative in strange ways that are rather un-cinematic and bizarre. And while it works at times, as a whole the film is often a bit dry and too sporadic, with no conflicts beyond those established in the first act.

Still, as a clever social commentary on marijuana policies – the movie is sometimes rather critical and refreshing. The story is fascinating and fun to watch unfold, even with the dry patches. And the performances are all a delight, from the newcomers (Marquette and Bush) to the veterans (Brody and Chiklis). Colin Hanks chimes in with an amusing performance as the assistant principal. And Mykelti Williamson steals a few scenes as a rather hilarious Kimbo Slice-knockoff named Paranoid.

High School definitely won't be everyone's flavor of pot comedy, but it's certainly a fun trip and a clever spin on the genre. It should appeal to those seeking something a little different. The film certainly plays a fine complement to films like Pineapple Express and even other offbeat high school comedies like Detention.

The High School Blu-ray comes home courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment. The film is presented in 2.40:1 widescreen, mixed in 5.1 Dolby TrueHD. Sadly, no Digital Copy, DVD or UltraViolet copy of the film is provided with this release.

With so many low-budget titles getting shot on video these days, it's nice to see a movie that looks and feels like it was actually shot on film. High School certainly isn't as sharp and pristine as many HD-photographed pictures, but it's atmospheric and textured, with spot-on flesh tones, inky blacks and plenty of depth and visual allure, despite the somewhat dry school setting. The encode is clean, too, with no distortions, compression or other annoying hiccups gumming up the works

Audio is more subdued than I would have expected. The track's center channel is often a bit overbearing compared to the front and rear surrounds, and bass isn't used nearly enough. The atmosphere of high school isn't quite captured, either, leaving a track that sounds a bit hollow and empty, save for the film's sometimes cluttered soundtrack, from The Newton Brothers. The track is certainly good in short bursts, but it's just not aggressive enough, or moody enough, once things kick into high gear (pun intended).

Extras for High School are rather thin. There's a commentary track with executive producer/co-writer/director John Stalberg Jr. It's a solid track that takes fans through virtually all aspects of production. Stalberg discusses his intentions, the story, characters, and various on-set anecdotes. While it would have been great to hear from a few cast members as well, this is a good commentary that should entertain those who enjoyed the film.

The Blu-ray also includes 12-minutes of deleted scenes. Nothing much here, but worth a watch. There's also a trailer as well as trailers for other Anchor Bay Entertainment titles. Unfortunately, that's it. No featurettes or documentaries.

The Verdict

High School makes a great film to pair with Joseph Kahn's equally wacky hipster slasher-comedy Detention. Both films are wild, irreverent and loaded with originality and flare. Alas, with a fragmented plot that sometimes runs out of steam, High School is best served as the opening course.

Source : ign[dot]com

Play Guild Wars 2 Early, Get a Free Hat

ArenaNet has announced a limited edition hat for anyone who plays Guild Wars 2 early. From August 25th through September 12th, every player will receive a Celebration Hat, “a baseball cap with the iconic Guild Wars 2 dragon logo” that ArenaNet calls “a stylish addition to your town attire!”

The Celebration Hat will be available in the Black Lion Trading Company for zero gems. It can be found in the Style category by pressing O during the game and cannot be traded to other players. The Celebration Hat will be available to any character on your account.

Guild Wars 2 officially launches on August 28th but will be available starting tonight through ArenaNet’s headstart program, which allows anyone who pre-purchased and installed the game to play early. For more on the game’s skill combat, check out our interview with systems designer Jonathan Sharp.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Falling Skies: "Death March" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

Anyone who has taken a road trip knows it’s a great way to get to know someone.  Locked in a car with little personal space and a lot of time on your hands inevitably leads to some very interesting and insightful discussion.  “Death March” takes this concept and puts it to good use by giving us some key pieces of information about character we don’t know much about while also doing some strong character building for those who we thought we knew quite well.  It’s not effects heavy, and the action is slim, but “Death March” is one of the smartest episodes of the season.  It also has a hell of an ending.

The 2nd Mass find themselves on the final road to Charleston with little else to do than sit around and wait.  There’s a lot of discussion about how far they have left to go and a lot of doubt as to whether or not they’ll actually make it.  If that wasn’t grim enough, Max hands his father a will – just in case.  That appropriately sets the tone for the rest of the episode.

One of the surprisingly engaging conversations was between Tector and Weaver.  So far, I’ve admittedly dismissed Tector as a secondary character who would probably never have any real involvement in the meat of the story.  However, “Death March” establishes him as a key asset and does a lot to develop him into a potentially pivotal character from here on out.  Through plenty of prodding from Weaver we discover a lot about Tector and his time in Afghanistan and Iraq.  We learn a lot about his self doubt and why he is the reckless person he is today.  Not only does Weaver manage to find the soldier within, but Tector gets to return the favor in the final few minutes by helping out Weaver in his time of self doubt.  It’s a great bit of character building and I expect we’ll see a lot more of Tector from here on out.

Hal, Maggie and Pope are tasked with some advance scouting working.  With Hal and Maggie now an item, Pope decides to be Pope and attempts to shake things up a bit.  This time however, Pope was absolutely right and he goads Maggie into revealing her darkest secrets to Hal.  As far as the story goes, I’m glad they finally got this out of the way as well.  There has been a dark cloud floating over Maggie ever since her first appearance and it’s good to finally get that deep dark secret out in the open.  We learn that she turned to a life of crime and drugs after she recovered from cancer and eventually ended up in prison.  The real kicker is that she had a child while in prison.

Hal’s reaction to all of this news was cold but at least it seems like he was coming around in the end.  Yeah, it’s a lot to digest, but we’ve seen them go through a lot of obstacles to be together.  Throwing another curveball into the mix now would have killed the momentum of their story, which I fear will inevitably end in tragedy.

The wildcard this week was Jenny.  This harnessed kid spends a little time with the 2nd Mass after being hit by Tector and Weaver’s truck.  There’s not much to her character but she does give Max someone to talk to and through her he develops a lot more self doubt as to whether Ben will ever return.  It’s an interesting little side story but the weakest story in the episode.  It will be curious to see whether or not Max spilling the beans about Charleston to Jenny will have horrible repercussions in the next couple of weeks.  I’m thinking yes.

With everything so horribly bleak the real kick in the teeth hits them as they arrive at Charleston, only to discover that the entire city has been destroyed.  I absolutely loved the reaction of the characters after they discover that one shred of hope they had been holding on to was a pipe dream.

Tom’s reaction was especially moving as he consistently finds a way to be the voice of hope and reason for the rest of the group.  He’s absolutely crushed and this time around it’s Dr. Glass who helps Tom find a quantum of hope in another wise hopeless situation.

Weaver, with a little help from Tector, musters up the courage to rally the troops once more.  Weaver’s speech may not have been of the same quality as President Whitmore’s from Independence Day but I thought it was well written and he did a pretty good job of giving everyone a little bit of hope.

But wait!!  The real twist presents itself just as the 2nd Mass is heading out when long thought dead Colonel Porter walks out of the brush to great Weaver and Tom!  Apparently the new Capital of the United States Charleston is well hidden amongst the rubble of the city they saw.

I wasn’t sure how to take this twist.  At first I was a little disappointed that they didn’t have the stones to stick to their grim ending, but, you know what, I think this is ultimately the better route to take the story.  We’ve seen them on the grim path, holding on to a shred of hope for a while, let’s see what happens when they get their little bit of paradise.  With a third season looming, I imagine things will go south eventually for Charleston and the 2nd Mass.

Source : ign[dot]com