Female. 26 years old. Geek.
Loves: super heroes, science fiction, cartoons, cats, blogging, bike riding, & sunny skies.
I'm a great appreciator. I report nerdy news for Nerd Bastards. I occasionally review comics for Kabooooom!. Here is where I fangirl. Hard.
Mike Mika: My three year old daughter and I play a lot of old games together. Her favorite is Donkey Kong. Two days ago, she asked me if she could play as the girl and save Mario. She’s played as Princess Toadstool in Super Mario Bros. 2 and naturally just assumed she could do the same in Donkey Kong. I told her we couldn’t in that particular Mario game, she seemed really bummed out by that. So what else am I supposed to do?
Now I’m up at midnight hacking the ROM, replacing Mario with Pauline. I’m using the 2010 NES Donkey Kong ROM. I’ve redrawn Mario’s frames and I swapped the palettes in the ROM. I replaced the M at the top with a P for Pauline. Thanks to Kevin Wilson for giving me the lead on the tools and advice.
This is so wonderful. And how appropriate of a follow up to Feminist Frequency’s latest video, Tropes vs Women in Video Games: Damsel in Distress Part 1,
I might have to take back all my skepticism about this game.
Honest to God, this thing is amazing. I’ve only played for about half an hour total so far, but this is NOT the often hyper-sexualized and invincible Lara Croft who became almost cartoonish in later stories. I made a great deal of fun…
With such glowing praise from Gail Simone, how can I pass it up!?
Finally picked ‘LEGO Batman 2’ back up again this morning and completed the story mode. I know, sad it took me this long right? The story’s hilarious, by the way, though it could have used more Wonder Woman and less Green Lantern.
Now I’m on to Free Play, which is where these LEGO games really shine. I love the open world of Gotham and I can already tell I’m going to be spending hours discovering every brick and character to unlock. I’ve also learned flying is hard. You’d think it’d be the easiest way to get around town, but only if you need to fly across the island. Anytime you move around short distances, say while looking for a gold brick puzzle, you’ll end up overshooting it every time. Though, I’ll never tire of hearing John Williams’ score every time you take flight as Superman.
Also, when you run or drive a vehicle throughout the city it’s inevitable you’ll destroy property and kill countless civilians. I mean, I guess they’re LEGO people and they’ll hop back up but it does feel a little cruel. “GOTHAM RESIDENTS, GET OUTTA BATMAN’S WAY WHEN HE’S CRUISIN’!”
So that’s how I’ll be spending all my upcoming free time. Have you played any of the LEGO video games before? Which is your favorite?
By now I’m sure you’re all we aware I already contribute nerdy news for Nerd Bastards. We’ve started a new, weekly Ask column where you can - yes you! - ask questions and have one of us bastards answer them. Brilliant, right? I thought so, force you guys to do some work other than passively perusing our posts.
In the very first edition of Ask the Bastards I tackle a question about the point of having both a Batwoman and a Batgirl, especially when neither is Cassandra Cain. I like to think I give a thoughtful and thorough response. Tell me what you think!
On to the recent news! You’ve heard about this Justice League movie Warner Bros. is desperate to make, right? All us DC fans are hoping they can actually pull it off but somehow I fear it’ll pale in comparison to ‘The Avengers.’ That movie was simply PERFECT. Well, the rumor that blew up the internet last week was Ben Affleck was being sought to direct Justice League - EEK! - though it now appears to be bullshit. Like most internet rumors. But if there was ever any truth to there, it does seem to suggest DC and WB are seeking to make their Justice League gritty and dark. It’s a definite contrast from the flashy Avengers, will it work?
We’re still awaiting an official air date for ‘Doctor Who.’ Most of us are speculating it’ll air either August 25th or September 1st, but neither is soon enough! In fact, there’s an official press screening today in the U.K. and I expect they’ll make some kind of announcement then. At least, I hope. Meanwhile, Steven Moffat and co. are hard at work filming the Christmas special which appears to have a Victorian era setting. Here’s some recent set pics, but be warned, there are spoilers.
And here’s some wonderful news,Matt Smith will continue as the Doctor through 2014! Apparently, the scripts and the direction the show will take post-50th Anniversary is just too good, Smith couldn’t say no. I like to take comfort in this news because now I won’t fear Smith meeting some terrible end in the anniversary special. No regeneration, at least not yet.
Someone has started a silly rumor AMC might be considering a ‘Walking Dead’ movie. I’m hoping this turns up false ‘cause I feel a movie isn’t the right direction. Kirkman wrote these comics to be the zombie movie that never ends. A movie needs an ending, unlike a television series which can put that ending off for as long as it likes. I don’t know, I highly doubt we’ll be seeing ‘The Walking Dead’ in theatres anytime soon. (Unless, of course, you live in the Columbus area and come to the Grandview Theatre where we screen every episode of the series! For FREE. We’re cool like that. Oh, and we screen ‘Doctor Who,’ too.)
Lastly, a couple trailers for upcoming games I’m dying to play: ‘LEGO Lords of the Rings’ and Catwoman’s trailer for ‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’, the new DC fighter. The LEGO games are awesome. If you’ve never played them you’re doing yourself a disservice. I really, really, really want to get the ‘Lords of the Rings’ one - and I believe my reasons should be obvious - but I need to finish ‘LEGO Batman 2’ first. ‘Injustice’ is a game I’ll probably pick up once it releases because, HOLY CRAP, you can punch people through walls and throw them into outer space.
All right, Dragon*Con is in 17 days! Who can I expect to see there?
It’s currently about 9 o’clock on the west coast and things, I’m guessing, are swinging into party mode in San Diego. I wouldn’t know, not being there and all. Wah, wah.
Anyway, news has been flyin’ out of the con, and I can’t believe there’s still two more days to go! Here’s what I’ve been scrambling to cover today,
I had blogged earlier about how Karl Urban might have let slip just who Benedict Cumberbatch, ‘Star Trek 2’’s villain, would be playing. Well, at Comic-Con while he was promoting Dredd - check out how fantastic that movie looks - he explained away his accidental leak and then gave us more tantalizing Trek news: “secret” footage will be released on YouTube before the con ends! He just can’t stop, can he? What will that footage be? Who knows! But I guarantee it’ll contain excessive lens flare.
Comic-Con may have “comic” in the title but anyone familiar with the con knows things have become far more commercialized with a stronger focus on movies and television in recent years. Still, I’m surprised about the amount of comic book news actually coming out of this year’s Comic-Con. So there’s that ‘Sandman’ bit, and here’s another rad annoucement: Brand New ‘Star Wars’ Comic Set After ‘New Hope’ But Before ‘Empire’ Coming From Dark Horse. Yes! Best part, it’ll feature Leia as an X-Wing pilot. Finally, the most kick-ass girl in the galaxy gets to do stuff!
Plus, the covers will be by Alex Ross, and do I need to remind you how beautiful that will be?
Finally, I wrote up some recaps for two panels, ‘The Walking Dead’ and’The Legend of Korra’. Two of my favorite shows, oh how I wish I could have been at those panels. Then again, having been to large cons before, I know how difficult it can be to get in, even after waiting for hours and hours! (grumble, grumble stupid NYCC grumble) But that’s why awesome websites like Cinema Blend run live blog updates, so we can all learn what’s happening inside those ballrooms.
And since it’s probably one of the highlights from the con so far, add in the fact I can’t stop watching it, here’s the season three trailer for ‘The Walking Dead’!
Season three looks fantastic! Sure, I can already see the stuff they’re changing up, but anything that brings The Governor into the story faster is a good change. I can’t wait to see David Morrisey in that role.
What’s awesome is tomorrow I don’t have to leave the house, so I can just stay in, reporting the latest news, watching any available live streams online, and work on developing a nice, sickly, pale hue for my skin.
Whew! It’s only the first day of Comic-Con, I’m not even there and I’m already beat! How’s that even possible!? Maybe if I was actually at the con I’d be so engulfed by all the incredible sights, sounds, and dare I say it, smells, I wouldn’t be capable of feeling tired.
Ah well, next year. I’m always saying next year and one of these times it’ll actually be true. But here’s all the news I’ve been covering lately, which surprise, surprise, is a lot. Consider this is a roundup of pre-Comic-Con news with a touch of what’s already been happening today.
I’m a big fan of strong female characters and no one really epitomizes that role like Sigourney Weaver’s character, Ripley from the Alien franchise. So when I heard this news about there being no option to play as a female marine in the upcoming Aliens: Colonial Marines, I was all like, WTF? What an oversight, amirite? Hopefully their petition will bring the problem to the developers’ attention and it can be remedied before the game’s release. OR ELSE.
In more video game news Michael Fassbender is planning to star and co-produce a movie based on Assassin’s Creed. Okay one, AC is a fantastic series and there’s a lot of great material there to sift through for a movie, and two, Michael Fassbender could make a movie where he prepares a PB&J sandwich, doesn’t even eat it, and I’d watch the hell out of it.
Continuing with super heroes, you’ve probably heard Warner Bros. has decided they’re going forward with a Justice League movie. As big a DC fan as I am, I’m a little unsure about this. Mostly I’m worried it’ll fail miserably where Marvel’s The Avengers was such a success. But before that, WB and DC are hoping to reintroduce the public to the Justice League with a new video game from Rocksteady! Yeah, those guys who already blew our minds away with Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. I. Am. REALLY. Excited.
Next year will be Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary which is a really impressive mark for a TV show. Even more so for a science fiction show from Britain that only ran on PBS in the U.S. before becoming the mega-hit it is today. Fans are hoping for something big to celebrate the milestone and the rumors we’re hearing are promising just that. Mainly, that Tom Baker is planning to return for whatever shindig the showrunners throw to celebrate the big 5-0. That’s some big news since the Fourth Doctor infamously refused to appear in the 25th anniversary special.
Hey, in other big Who news Jonnie and I are officially going to Gallifrey One! The convention, not the planet. Though that would be cool, too. We’ve booked our hotel, bought our passes, now all that’s left is to find airfare for under a grand. Ha! Good luck to us.
Trailer for LEGO Lord of the Rings via Nerd Bastards
I always like how the LEGO characters in these games never talked, the just motioned and made little noises. The though of them talking felt like it would ruin it.
Nope. Having them talk is completely awesome. This trailer makes the game look so EPIC.
w0ot! Episode IV of Nerds Say What!? is now available for your listening pleasure! We’re also available on iTunes, so if that’s your podcasting preference search us up, subscribe, and please, if you like what you hear give us a rating. Thanks!
It’s Leap Day! Or…at least it was when we recorded, and maybe since it was a fake day that’s why we all sound so tired. Or it could have been us recording late at night.
Either way, we’ve got an episode full of silly, nerdy discussion. Here’s the breakdown:
03:47 New ‘Avengers’ trailer 11:43 Those leaked pics and video from ‘Star Trek 2’ 16:02 What’s the best order to view ‘The Star Wars Saga? 32:53 Noah’s excited about Mass Effect 3
It’s the inaugural episode of Nerds Say What!? Meet Sarah, Jonnie and Noah. Three nerds who talk about things. Things you like! Movies. Video games. TV. Comic books. Not necessarily in that order or with thoughtful commentary. In this episode they talk about their formative nerd years (Batman! Star Trek! Star Wars!), what they’re excited for in 2012 (The Avengers! Diablo III! Mass Effect! Futurama! Game of Thrones!) and generally get off topic with the tendency to ramble.
(Music: Mind Your Own Business by Delta 5)
Yup, my friends and I have recorded a podcast. We’re hoping to begin by having episodes published bi-weekly eventually moving into weekly. This is our first episode, as in first podcast any of us have ever recorded. We had a lot of fun so I hope people have fun listening.
Please comment and send in suggestions. And follow us on Twitter at @NerdsSayWhat
