LEGO Assembles the Ultimate Avengers Collectible
LEGO has been doing some great things with the Marvel license lately, but they've really outdone themselves with their latest Marvel-themed playset. The LEGO SHIELD Helicarrier playset will adapt the massive floating craft from the first Avengers movie in all its intricate, blocky glory.
This playset clocks in at a whopping 2,996 pieces and should keep collectors plenty busy for an afternoon or three. When fully assembled, the Helicarrier will measure 31-inches long, 17-inches wide, and 11-inches tall. The set will include five standard-sized LEGO figures (Captain America, Nick Fury, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and the new-to-LEGO Maria Hill). However, the set will also include a number of microfigures and accessories that better match the Helicarrier's scale. That includes 12 microfigures (Cap, Fury, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and eight SHIELD agents) as well as various vehicles (Quinjets, fighter jets, gasoline trucks, etc.).
Code Name S.T.E.A.M. Demo Live in eShop
A demo for Nintendo's upcoming turn-based strategy game for 3DS, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is now available for download on the Nintendo eShop.
Medals and sub-weapons earned during the demo will transfer to the full game when it releases March 13 in North America and May 15 in the EU.
The quirky game sees Abraham Lincoln leading a squad of alien hunters. In the demo, players can take control of a four-person team consisting of Henry Fleming, John Henry, Lion and Tiger Lily.
The game, from Fire Emblem developer Intelligent Systems, will feature amiibo support for Marth, Lucina, and Robin, all from the Fire Emblem series.
Thanos Joins the Hot Toys Marvel Lineup
Despite his limited screen time so far, Thanos the Mad Titan has left quite an impression in his Marvel movie appearances. Thanks to Hot Toys, fans will have a chance to own an incredibly detailed Thanos figure based on the villain's appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy.
New Star Wars and Avengers Figures Coming from Hot Toys
Hot Toys' Thanos figure is designed at 1:6 scale and measures about 15-inches tall. The figure features a newly designed muscular body designed to replicate Thanos' massive frame, and a very lifelike head sculpt to go along with it. As in the movie, you can definitely see the resemblance to Thanos' voice actor Josh Brolin in the sculpt. The figure's biggest selling point may be the throne accessory, which even includes an LED light-up function. Take a look:
EA Announces Battlefield Hardline Beta Dates
The Battlefield Hardline open beta will run from February 3-8, EA announced today.
It will be available to players on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, and PS3.
"There's nothing more valuable to our team than the relationship we have with our community," said Steve Papoutsis, GM of Visceral Games. "Their passion feeds our passion and their feedback has definitely helped make Hardline a better game. We want them to play the hell out of the beta next week and trust that they'll keep that feedback coming so we can continue to fine tune the game."
The Battlefield Hardline open beta will include three maps and modes, tons of weapons, vehicles, gear, and more.
How War Unfolds in Code Name S.T.E.A.M. Multiplayer
Head-to-head multiplayer matches in Code Name S.T.E.A.M. play out like a match of speed chess. The quick choices you make present your four-person squad with opportunities, but the same choices can also reveal major vulnerabilities to an opponent. If you’ve been keeping track, you already know S.T.E.A.M. blends third-person action, turn-based strategy, visuals from the golden age of comics, and steam-powered tactical abilities into a wacky world where President Lincoln leads a squad of alien hunters. Competitive play takes that framework and speeds it up, transforming the deliberate pace of campaign missions into a quicker, meaner experience locally or online.
The timer plays the most important role in Code Name S.T.E.A.M.’s multiplayer modes. During a match you and an opponent take turns planning out strategies 60-seconds at a time. In that window your four-person squad can individually secure spots on that map, attack opponents, heal teammates, or acquire helpful items that increase health, movement, or other attributes. Remember: You aren’t allowed to move during an enemy’s turn, but you can interrupt them with overwatch – a counterattack that can be used during an opponent’s turn. It requires a specific amount of steam to use and, in some cases, a specific type of gun. I should note that each squad members special moves are disabled in multiplayer.
The LEGO Movie Video Game and LEGO Batman 3 Head to iOS
The LEGO Movie Video Game and Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham are coming to iOS.
The LEGO Movie Video Game is available for download from the App Store as of today. LEGO Batman 3 on the other hand, is expected to release this coming spring.
The LEGO Movie comes complete with a mix of 90 characters, whereas Batman 3 boasts more than 150 characters, including members of Justice League, The Legion of Doom, and many more.
In our review of the Caped Crusader’s latest outing, we said “Lego Batman 3 has loads of great DC characters and missions, but suffers from an inconsistent tone.” And in our review of The LEGO Movie Video Game, we said “The LEGO Movie Videogame's diverse backdrops and heroes devolve into tedium and busywork.”
LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin Gets a Release Date
Warner Bros. and TT Fusion have revealed the release date for LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin as March 27, 2015, for Nintendo 3DS and Playstation Vita.
The latest entry tells the untold story of the Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu TV series, and features a mix of Spinjitzu abilities along with puzzle solving gameplay.
For those who don’t know, Ninjago is getting its own feature film, with an expected release date of September, 2016. The movie itself will be directed by Charlie Bean, who you may know from Disney XD’s Tron: Uprising. For all the details on that, and what else 2015 has in store for the LEGO games (Spoiler: Jurassic World and Marvel Avengers), follow the links.
Badland: GotY Edition Coming in Spring 2015
Action adventure game Badland is getting an enhanced Game of the Year Edition across PS4, PS3, Xbox One, PC/Mac, and Wii U in Spring 2015.
The game -- originally released for tablets in 2013 by a then two-person development team -- offers physics-based puzzle play that places you within flying creature Clony as it traverses an "ominous" forest, solving puzzles and triumphing over obstacles. The Game of the Edition is set to feature four times the content originally offered in the launch title, complete with 100 single-player levels, 100 co-op challenges and 27 multiplayer deathmatch stages, too.
"Our original goal in making Badland was to create a console quality game for tablets," writes developer Frogmind's Teemu Mäki-Patola on the PS Blog. "Back then we were a team of two with too few resources to enter the console market. But we hoped to bring Badland here. Luckily, it did well and we can finally make this dream a reality."
Warner Bros. Announces LEGO Marvel Avengers
Warner Bros. and TT Games have officially revealed LEGO Marvel Avengers.
The new movie tie-in is set following the events of both Avengers films, namely Avengers, and the forthcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron.
No specific release date has been given as of yet, but it’ll be available in Fall 2015 for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, 3DS, and Windows PC.
In case you missed it, Warner Bros. is lifting the lid on what the company has in store for 2015. One of the other big announcements was the confirmation of LEGO Jurassic World, which – like Avengers – will let players experience every single film.
Ivan Reitman Talks About Draft Day and the Comedy Greats
Director Ivan Reitman was the king of comedy back in the day, kicking off his career at the National Lampoon before helming gut-busting classics like Meatballs, Stripes, Ghostbusters and Twins. This week sees the DVD release of his new film Draft Day in the UK, a sports drama that stars Kevin Costner as the General Manager of an American Football team trying to hold it together on the most important day of the season.
Here he talks to IGN about the movie, about sport, about the potential of future Black Panther Chadwick Boseman, and about his working relationship with screen legends Kevin Costner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Murray and John Belushi.
Reitman on the Draft Day set.