Dr. Mario is Fun, But Its Microtransactions Are Out of Hand
With oodles of Mushroom Kingdom charm and fast-paced gameplay, it’s no surprise Nintendo chose the Dr. Mario series as its next big mobile offering. Like Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp before it, Doctor Mario World is a free-to-play game that does its best to get you hooked before introducing its monetized in-game currency and time-locked progression system. While it’s a decidedly fun little puzzler, Dr. Mario World suffers from aggravating free-to-play barriers and a sometimes overwhelming amount of gameplay variables.
Is Saint’s Row IV The Best Sandbox Game of All Time?
A few weeks ago my boss Jeremy Azevedo asked me if I would like to debate him on whether or not Saints Row 4 was and is “the greatest sandbox game of all time”. His words. I mean, I like Saints Row as much as the next guy, but like most, I sort of forgot about the series shortly after playing its final installment in 2013 (regardless of how many times they’ve re-released it). I agreed to his challenge, thinking that there was no way he could defend such an outlandish and bizarre claim. I was right.
His words were rambling, his thesis incoherent, and his pupils dilated… undoubtedly from consuming scoops of unmixed G-Fuel powder without any liquid. He made outrageous claims like “RPGs aren’t sandbox games.” But still he pressed on undaunted by the lack of any semblance of reason in his argument. He raved madly about “dubstep guns” and “having sec.” He somehow killed our video producer with a Nerf gun, and I was sure that I had entered a realm of pure madness.
Mortal Kombat Movie Reboot Casts the Raid’s Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero
Actor and martial artist Joe Taslim, known for his roles in The Raid: Redemption, The Night Comes For Us, and Cinemax’s Warrior has been cast as Sub-Zero in the upcoming Mortal Kombat film reboot.
Taslim’s deal is the first to close for the movie, which begins filming in Australia later this year. An allegedly incomplete cast list for the Mortal Kombat film was previously leaked last year, listing characters like Kano, Sonya Blade, Raiden, and a new character named Cole Turner. Writer Greg Russo later clarified on Twitter that the leak was from an older version of the script, saying the list didn’t show the full cast.
John Constantine Joins DC’s Sandman Universe
DC Comics is putting supernatural anti-hero John Constantine back in the spotlight this fall. But this time around, he'll be joining the Sandman Universe imprint.
Today DC announced a new ongoing series called John Constantine, Hellblazer. The series will be written by Simon Spurrier (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra) and drawn by Aaron Campbell (Infidel).
The Sandman Universe Presents: Hellblazer #1 cover by Bilquis Evely. (Image Credit: DC Comics)
WarnerMedia’s New Netflix Rival is Called HBO Max
WarnerMedia has officially revealed the name for its upcoming streaming service, HBO Max. The new subscription service will combine the content across Warner’s various media properties into a new direct-to-consumer streaming service, and will have exclusive movies and shows, as well as classics like Friends.
HBO Max will serve as WarnerMedia's streaming competition to services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. While WarnerMedia didn’t announce pricing details, HBO Max is scheduled to be released in Spring 2020 and will include content from properties like DC, TNT, TBS, truTV, The CW, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, HBO, and more.
Current Netflix subscribers should also know that when HBO Max is released, it will be the only streaming service to have every episode of Friends. Netflix currently has the streaming rights to the popular NBC sitcom, and reportedly paid Warner $80-$100 million to keep the streaming rights to Friends for all of 2019.
Game of Thrones Prequel Will Feature Starks, Direwolves and 100 Kingdoms
In a recent interview with EW, George R. R. Martin revealed details for the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel.
Rumored to be called The Long Night or The Longest Night, the spinoff will be set in a different Westeros than what fans are used to, and will consist of 100 kingdoms opposed to seven in Game of Thrones.
"We talk about the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros; there were Seven Kingdoms at the time of Aegon’s Conquest,” Martin said. “But if you go back further then there are nine kingdoms, and 12 kingdoms, and eventually you get back to where there are a hundred kingdoms — petty kingdoms — and that’s the era we’re talking about here."
Game of Thrones Prequel Title May Have Been Revealed by George R.R. Martin
Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin has revealed what may end up being the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series' official title.
In an interview with EW, Martin noted this prequel series, heavily rumored to be called The Long Night, could potentially get an ever-so-slightly different name. Martin suggested that while The Long Night remains his preferred title, there's another very similar candidate being considered.
“I heard a suggestion that it could be called The Longest Night, which is a variant I wouldn’t mind,” said Martin. “That would be pretty good.”
Reward Offered for $60,000 Pokémon Card Lost in the Mail
Pokémon collectors are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the return of a $60,000 Pokémon card, according to YouTuber and trading card purchasing consultant smpratte.
The No. 3 Trainer card, which features a holographic image of the Pokémon Mewtwo, was originally awarded for placing third in a 1999 Secret Super Battle tournament held in Japan, according to Pokémon fan site PokéBeach.com. The card was sold through an eBay auction for $60,000, but was reportedly lost in transit to its buyer somewhere in New York. PokéBeach estimates that only nine to 18 sets of the cards (including 2nd and 1st place versions) were awarded. That, plus the $60,000 price tag makes it one of the most valuable Pokémon cards in existence.
No Man’s Sky Creator Believes Action is Stronger Than ‘Just Talking’
Sean Murray, founder of Hello Games and the creator of No Man's Sky, has discussed a bit more about how his team handled the backlash following the launch of No Man's Sky and why companies like EA, Microsoft, and Bethesda should focus more on letting their work do the talking as opposed to trying to "placate players by just talking to them."
As reported by GamesRadar, Murray spoke during the keynote panel at 2019's Develop conference in Brighton, UK, and discussed how difficult it was to stay quiet following No Man's Sky's rough release in 2016.
Japanese Government Arrests Alleged Manga Pirate After Global Search
An international manhunt by the Japanese government has led to the arrest of Romi Hoshino, the manager behind one of the largest, online manga pirating websites on the internet. Hoshino was arrested in Manila while attempting to leave for Hong Kong.
Hoshino, 27, was arrested Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. Kotaku reports (via Mainichi News) that the Japanese Embassy in Manilla requested Hoshino’s arrest, and that the police operation was carried out in coordination between Japanese authorities and Phillippine’s Bureau of Immigration.