Yearly Archives: 2020
Xbox Reveals Its Classy Jordan-Branded Console
The Jordan Xbox One X console, seen above, is all red with the Jordan symbol featured in middle. Further, the special edition controllers are also red and showcase the Jordan logo on the right grips. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-big-xbox-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"] Currently, the special edition Jordan Xbox is not for sale — which means the only way to get one is to win the contest. Microsoft is no stranger to limited edition consoles, as it gave away a special edition Godzilla console last year just before the movie hit theaters. So, it's likely not a coincidence that Xbox has teamed up with Jordan just in time for the NBA All-Star weekend, which begins tomorrow, February 14. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/28/nba-2k20-players-pay-tribute-to-kobe-bryant-ign-daily-fix"] During the All-Star game, which tips off Sunday, February 16, the teams will honor Kobe and Gianna Bryant who recently passed away in a tragic helicopter crash. Team Giannis will wear the iconic #24 to honor Kobe Bryant, while Team LeBron will wear #2 to honor Gianna. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.RT @NTWRKLIVE: .@Xbox + @Jumpman23 pic.twitter.com/v0DD8jUGz6
— J23 iPhone App (@J23app) February 12, 2020
Marvel’s Avengers Special Editions Include Early Access, Costumes
Freddie Prinze Jr Shares the Story Behind Kanan’s Cameo in The Rise of Skywalker
Batman: The Animated Series Continuation Coming in Comic Book Form
Nioh 2 Gets Limited-Time Demo This Month on PS4
Half-Life: Alyx March Release Date Announced
Sonic the Hedgehog First Critic Reviews Say Jim Carrey Steals the Show
The Hollywood Reporter
"While Fowler keeps the story moving efficiently, Marsden's easy geniality prevents the simple narrative from feeling rote. Carrey gets a moment or two to cut loose — an evil-genius happy-dance in his lab will likely be mimicked by young viewers on the way out of the theater. But the actor's adult fans may hope he's not as ready to commit to a sequel as closing scenes suggest. Better to cast about looking for the next strange vehicle, like Kidding, than to clown around for a generation of viewers who weren't born when Ace Ventura came out. Leave it to the made-of-pixels hedgehog to keep racing around the same track year after year and pretending it's new." - John DeFore (Source)The New York Times
"Indeed, other than product placement, the movie’s primary goal seems to be delivering 1990s nostalgia. To that end, Jim Carrey gives his most spry, “Ace Ventura”-like performance in years as the know-it-all villain, Dr. Robotnik. Only his physical and verbal contortions (“I was spitting out formulas while you were spitting up formula”) make the film feel remotely animated." - Ben Kenigsberg (Source)Variety
"A review like this one should probably come with a disclaimer: For all the borderline tedium I felt at “Sonic the Hedgehog,” I do realize this is a picture made for 8-year-olds. And they’ll probably like it just fine. Yet I would also call the overly kiddified tone of the movie a mistake. The protesters who rallied for the changes in Sonic’s design by treating it as a line-in-the-sand issue, thereby demonstrating at least one reason why Donald Trump will probably be re-elected (we now have a generation that thinks this is a cause), were not 8-year-olds. As a movie hero, Sonic could (and should) have been hipper and sharper, less megaplex arrested. Even as they fixed his face, the filmmakers strove so hard to make him “likable” that they never figured out a way to make him cool." - Owen Gleiberman (Source)GameSpot - 8/10
"As video game adaptations go, Sonic the Hedgehog is among the stronger ones. It's smart enough to stand on its own, making use of longstanding aspects of Sega's supersonic mascot and his franchise, while making sure that what really shines through are its characters. That restraint goes a long way to making Sonic the Hedgehog a light, funny movie, and while it definitely skews young, longtime Sonic fans should have just as much fun finally seeing the Blue Blur on the big screen." - Phil Hornshaw (Source) [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/12/jim-carrey-on-the-evolution-of-dr-robotnik-and-a-sonic-sequel"]New York Post - 3/4 Stars
"Carrey is back in peak comedic form playing the villainous Dr. Robotnik in “Sonic the Hedgehog,” a pleasant new family film based on the old Sega video game. If the title makes you wince, know the movie is a lot better than it deserves to be. You’ll actually care about what happens to the prickly blue dude, even if you never cared about getting to zone seven. - Johnny Oleksinski (Source)The Washington Post - 3/4 Stars
"There are a couple of misses: It’s probably time to retire the Queen song “Don’t Stop Me Now” as the Official Tune of Action Montages. And we could do with one fewer Sonic-is-so-fast-that-everyone-else-looks-frozen-in-place scene. Fans of the video games will find a host of allusions, but there’s plenty to please any moviegoer who can’t tell a Sega from a Switch. In the end, “Sonic” is quippy without being mean, and sweet without being sappy, making this a trip that’s well worth taking." - Kristen Page-Kirby (Source)Collider - C
"Sadly, the rest of Sonic the Hedgehog doesn’t share the manic energy that Sonic and Robotnik bring to the picture. They’re off in something that’s sillier and goofier, but the overall movie demands that they play by the beats of a standard buddy picture/road trip comedy. That formula is fine for what it is, and it gets the job done here, but I wish the filmmakers had taken a bigger, more imaginative swing than settling for just using the Sonic IP, stuffing him into a one-size-fits-all narrative, and calling it a day." - Matt Goldberg (Source)TheWrap
"The entire cast knows what film they’re in, providing the perfect blend of energy and charm needed to sell this wacky story about a little blue alien hedgehog. But I couldn’t contain my glee at watching Jim Carrey operate in peak early-’90s form. Robotnik is definitely a villain, but you can spot elements of “Ace Ventura” and “The Mask” whipped into this tech-savvy, egotistical, psychopath. There’s a dance sequence to “Where Evil Grows” that shows off Carrey’s genius." - Yolanda Machado (Source) [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=sonic-the-hedgehog-the-movie-image-gallery&captions=true"]USA Today - 2/4 Stars
"It’s like Sonic got stuck somewhere between hand-drawn "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" territory and the photorealistic “Lion King” animals, though there are some eye-popping sequences with him doing his speed-demon thing, especially a chase between Sonic and Robotnik that hits various international landmarks and uses the Great Wall of China as a racetrack. The film is fine, familiar fare for gamers and children: Sonic sprints, Carrey mugs, but the creative juices run out quickly." - Brian Truitt (Source)CinemaBlend - 3.5/5 Stars
"Rather than throwing the audience into an inter-dimensional adventure straight away, the buddy comedy that Ben Schwartz and James Marsden engage in, with Jim Carrey chasing them at every turn, feels like a classic blockbuster adventure rather than a hard edged “extreme” version that’s trying so hard to play to the kids. This video game movie does what others don’t. Playing in a sandbox that wears its heart on its sleeve, but isn’t afraid to go big and goofy, this is a starter film that has its eyes on the future, but doesn’t forget to do the job right in the here and now." - Mike Reyes (Source)CNN
"The bottom line is not every piece of intellectual property really has the heft to merit such big-screen treatment, and if there was a way to build a viable cinematic franchise around the game, this doesn't feel like it. Sonic the Hedgehog might move like a bolt of lightning once his feet start flying, but even with the orthodontia done to correct his chompers, the movie bearing his name still goes nowhere, fast." - Brian Lowry (Source)The Guardian - 2/5 Stars
"Sonic the Hedgehog’s big Hollywood entrance was swiftly followed by undignified retreat last year, when the first trailer for this movie prompted online reactions of ridicule, puzzlement and horror at its CGI star’s unsettlingly creepy appearance. The cast of Cats were adorably cuddly by comparison. Now, after a quick redesign, the speedy video-game character is back: less weird-looking, more overtly cartoonish, ready to tear out of the uncanny valley and into our hearts. By the looks of it, though, they should have spent longer in the workshop. Few but diehard fans and young children will be charmed by this predictable, derivative caper." - Steve Rose (Source) [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/12/how-much-does-sonic-know-about-sonic"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who can't wait and is so excited he just can't hide it. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.Grand Theft Auto Online: Get Double Adversary Mode, Heist Rewards This Week
Crossfire Movie Adaptation Coming From Sony
Fresh Final Fantasy 7 Remake Screenshots Introduce Another New Character
Square Enix has released new images for Final Fantasy VII Remake that showcase Tifa's moves in battle, a look at the game's side quests, and introduce a new character called Chadley.
First up, Chadley can be found in the Sector 7 slums and is described as "a 15-year-old Research trainee, working under Professor Hojo." He researches new types of Materia and employs Cloud to help him out with that pursuit.
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This involves completing Battle Report quests, which task you to meet certain requirements, such as making enemies burst. Complete these quests and Chadley will develop more Materia for you to buy. Chadley isn't the first new character in the remake as we previously got to meet Roche.
Hoji, the Shira scientist that Chadley works under, is also on show in the images. You can also get a closer look at the beastly Red XII, who previously showed up in the most recent Final Fantasy 7 Remake trailer. You can also see the upgraded looks of the Mako Reactor as well as the Corkscrew Tunnel, which connects the slums of Midgar to the city's better living areas.
The new images also showcase Tifa using her martial art style in combat. She's shown doing the moves Whirling Uppercut, Omnistrike, as well as Rise and Fall. Fill her ATB bar and you can have Tifa unleash True Strike for devastating damage, along with a powerful dive kick.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/31/final-fantasy-7-remake-theme-song-trailer"]
Also related to battles are the Materia in the screenshots. The Healing Materia does as you'd expect, letting you use abilities that heal friendly targets in combat. While the Deadly Dodge Materia lets you hit back immediately after evading an attack with a powerful melee strike.
Square Enix shows it's been listening to what fans want with a show of the nail bat. Finally, we get to see the summons, including the Chocobo Chick, Carbuncle, and Cactuar. These are available to those who pre-order the game at different tiers - hit up our Final Fantasy 7 Remake pre-order guide to find out how to get each summon.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is now due to launch on April 10, 2020 for PS4 after its delay last month.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
