InFormers: Robots in the News

1. New TransFormers toy images have sprung up today.

   The first ones being from the Robot Heroes line, based on the movie and featuring the first faceplateless Movie Optimus figure, complete with glowy sword. He’s taking on Scorponok, while the rest of the wave is filled out with Protoform Jazz Vs. Brawl, Ironhide Vs. Bonecrusher, and Armor Bumblebee (with visor and Allspark!) Vs. Starscream.

   Without the plate, Prime really looks like Ultra Magnus here. With pouty lips.

   If you don’t have forum access for TFWorld2005 (which many of you probably don’t), then click here instead.

2. The other new images have perhaps been more eagerly awaited, as we get to see Animated Starscream in his full splendor, in both robot and jet modes.

   Debate rages on over whether that’s an open-mouthed smile, or if he’s wearing lipstick. Make your own call.

3. Finally, some good news for fans of GI Joe and TransFormers crossovers, as Devil’s Due is releasing all four volumes of their stories into one hardcover graphic novel.

   The price is a tad hefty at 50 bucks, but overall, it should be well worth it… especially if they pack in some extras.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Stephen Colbert on The Simpsons? This looks to be pretty good, I’m going to have to find out when this one is on.

   Better still, he’s not just playing himself in an arbitrary walk-on appearance!

2. New NECA news from the 5th turtle reveals a few tantalizing tidbits about their fabulous figures, such as two waves of 6 figures being released in Spring and Fall of 2008, and that the current plans are only for characters who appeared in the early Mirage comic books.

   The first wave will feature Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and one other fellow… Raphael. Oh, and there will also be a Foot Soldier for them to take turns beating on, or if you love the movies, to crush all at once between their shells. Plus, one more character whose identity remains a secret… hmm…

3. A new cast member for Garfield Gets Real has been revealed today: Charles, who appears to be a director and is compared to Spielberg, but he reminds me more of something else.
4. Ok, this Chris “Leave Britney Alone!” Crocker thing has officially gone too far.

Video Power

1. So there’s a new Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer from TGS, full of the sort of delightful crack that the name Kojima promises by its mere mention.

   Dennis Rodman and Gollum drinking Coke? That’s wild stuff, man. And if you want to know just what they’re saying, they had these handy scripts to give out, which was apparently easier than using the subtitles to show a different language.

   And in the way that only Kojima can, Metal Gear Online has been revealed, and it is going to come bundled with Metal Gear Solid 4.

2. For those waiting to see what Sengoku Basara X, aka Devil Kings, will look and play like, Capcom has located some shakey-cam footage from a test-site in Japan. And it looks pretty hot.
3. Ok, I generally try and keep things a rough PG-13 around here. And if something more bothers you, I sincerely apologize, but really, nothing else can really do justice to my first thought upon seeing this news.

   Fuck you, Capcom.

   Capcom has had a few games come out of TGS this week, including (among others) Devil May Cry 4, Zack & Wiki, and We Love Golf. And I have nothing against those titles. But there is one that was announced that interests me more than the rest of the entire lineup put together.

   A new Rockman DASH (aka MegaMan Legends) game.

   Now, given my recent petitioning for a MegaMan Legends Collection and a third game in the series proper, you’d think this would be good news. So why am I pissed?

   It’s a Japanese cellphone game.

   Namco X Capcom was a bad enough tease, given that we never got that, and I’m not holding out hope for the future there at this point, but this– even just a cellphone game– an all-new adventure at that… what else can I say? I’m not the only one desperate to see the series continued, and this just feels like an enormous slap in the face. Especially given the way Rockman‘s popularity seems to be waning in Japan, while it still seems to do healthy numbers here.

   Now, there IS the optimistic side of me that says that maybe, just MAYBE, Capcom will use this as a way of gauging interest in the series, BUT that is directly countered by the point made above in Japan’s seeming lack of care any more.

   Another point is that Capcom DOES have a US mobile phone division, which even features Mega Man games, along with Dead Rising and others. And that may very well be our only hope for seeing it here. But even then, are mobile phone games popular enough in the US that it would matter? Does Capcom even care enough about the US market, mobile phones or otherwise, for them to consider the sales as a factor for creating another console (or hell, DS or PSP) MegaMan Legends game?

   Perhaps it’s time I found out.

4. Coming soon to the PSP is Secret Agent Clank, starring the titular costar of the popular Ratchet & Clank series. And GameTrailers has some camera footage of the title’s attract mode.

   Knowing Clank as the more charismatic of the duo, I would expect this to be a fun, and perhaps funny, little romp indeed.

5. After the revelations of the Ice Climbers’ return, WiFi, and the Subspace Army, what will Smash Bros. DOJO!! reveal next?

   Piplup.

   Oh well, they can’t all be megatons, now can they?

   But the thought occurs to me, that it’ll be weird to see the Pokemon Trainer’s chosen fighters using Pokeballs themselves.

6. After all this time, waiting… hoping… we finally have an official English trailer for Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.

   Apollo has a pretty cool voice, too. Sounds a little more likely to make you pay attention than Phoenix’s was… I wonder if he’ll get any points from the Judge for that?

   …and the magic girl’s name is… Trucy?

7. Looks like Nintendo of Europe is making good on that bug in the PAL version of Super Paper Mario.
8. To celebrate Contra 4 for mobile phones, Konami is running a contest (short-lived, at that) in which participants are to design a character “that demonstrates the true meaning of the classic Contra game.”

   “All finalists will receive a t-shirt, mention in the game credits, and see their designs posted on Konami’s site. The grand prize winner will not only have their design incorporated into the mobile game, but also receive a credit in the game and a designer’s award associated with the Contra 20th anniversary.”

   Sounds good to me. Pity my art skills are… well, pretty much relegated to the low-end of cartooning. Still, might be worth a shot, since it does call primarily for text with the pictures being optional.

   Sheesh, lotta mobile phone news today, huh?

9. So Future US has made its acquisition of the Nintendo Power license official.

   The biggest downside I see to this so far, though, is that “The first Future US-published issue of Nintendo Power will be the December 2007 edition, which will go on sale in October.” Yay, screwy month-listings for magazines.

   What depresses me is that it looks like the subscription offer they had been running might no longer be there, and mine just ran out. ARGH!!

10. So, maybe if Nintendo isn’t publishing the magazine in-house any more, maybe that’ll free up a few bucks and we can get our own Club Nintendo program.

    Not holding my breath, however.

    They have some neat new stuff, including a sort of holder for Wii remote/nunchucks, and… um… just what the hell IS that first item?

11. This is nice. Preorder The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass at Wal-Mart, and you get a Phantom Hourglass DS Lite skin and stylus.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 20th, 2007 at 4:41 am and is filed under The Daily 'Shroom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.