Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn - Part 4 (Live-Action Halo Series)

Headed up by Machinima Prime this live action series is one that is a must see.  

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Please support Machinima Prime on this amazing series "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn".

Enjoy,
Scully

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ_xn889cSk 

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

Halo fans rejoice, we are going back to where it all began in “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary”, it has been ten years since players took on the role of Master Chief, a super solider and humanities last hope against the alien race exterminating humanity. The first person shooter brings halo fans back to what they truly fell in love with when they first took on the role of the chief; the gameplay follows almost identically to the original elements of the first game with the addition of some new features. While the story may not have changed players will be able to enjoy the incredible campaign one of two ways, the game has been brought up to today’s amazing level of design and graphic which brings “Halo Combat Evolves” story to life in a whole new way or players can freely change the graphics feature back how it was originally designed all those years ago. Also players who pick up “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary” won’t have to tackle the alien threat on their own, unlike the original players can play co-operatively to bring the fight to Halo in a whole new way. The game also comes with some minor features that fans have come to know from the newer installments to the Halo franchise such as hidden terminals with new hidden backstory information and hidden skulls that modify the game play experience. While in today’s world gamers are all too familiar with online multiplayer, the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” didn’t come with an online experience while the anniversary edition offers seven multiplayer maps to play competitively against opponents through online play. Along with the new multiplayer element “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary” offers a game mode familiar to fans of Halo, Firefight. Firefight is a game mode in which up to four players put their skills to the test as they face wave after wave of enemies seeing how long you can survive the onslaught. The game comes packed full of what people fell in love with the original and puts a whole new spin to the gameplay, with totally redesigned levels and new in game features and online features as well, “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary” offers so much to enjoy.

Developers created something truly spectacular with the revitalization of the Halo franchises legendary beginning and offer an experience that can be appreciated by longtime fans of Halo and for fans that came late to the franchise but love the games and didn’t get the chance to experience the original can now enjoy it. While the games originals short comings are still a part of the game, the totally redesign world and well balanced game play and weapons make for an exceptional game.

Good:

-Offers what fans loved about the original

-Incredibly revamped world bringing new life to the old design

-New multiplayer and in game features

Bad:

-The original gameplay flaws are still there such as hard to find way points and objectives, you may sometimes find yourself getting lost trying to figure your way around levels

(Game Reviewed on Xbox360)

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Star Wars Episode 7 to come out in 2015

Watching the news today the announcement came on that George Lucas was selling Lucasfilm Ltd. to Disney, for a sum of $4.05 billion dollars.  Along with this news update Disney is projecting that "Star Wars Episode 7" will be released in 2015, and that they are also looking to doing episodes 8 and 9 in the years to come.  We will continue to follow this story as it progresses and bring you the updates as the come out.  Below is a list of other news article links that have information as well on the coming of Star Wars Episode 7.  

List: 

http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2012/10/30/disney-to-buy-star-wars-producer-lucasfilm-for-405-billion/ 

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1696467/star-wars-episode-seven-disney-lucasfilm.jhtml 

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=96524 

http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/disney-acquires-lucasfilm-star-wars-creator/ 

May The Force Be With You,

-Scully

Worms 2: Armageddon

Get ready for another round of insane high jinxes with the sequel to the artillery strategy game “Worms” in “Worms 2: Armageddon, taking place in a crazy world of worm against worm chaos only the strong will survive. This insanely fun game brings the strategic world of video games to a humorous level where players take on the role of worms in a single player campaign along with the ability to play with friends in local gameplay or online play, fighting against each other with various in game weapons. To start out you create your very own worm team that include four worms, players get to name their team and their worms whatever they would like however players who will be playing online later my find that the names of their worms may change dependent on their most likely lewd and hilarious name choices. Players also can customize their worms further with a selection of various worm colors, hats, grave markers and voices that make for funny in game responses whether a character or an opponent does something good or screws up in the worst possible way. Players can continue to upgrade their worms with even more quirky gear and items by buying items from the shop in the games menu, players can purchase various guns, voices, missions and apparel for their worms with coins gained through completing campaign missions. After you get done making your crack team of worms, players can continue on to play through the single player campaign that offers 30 playable missions along with extra missions (bought in the games shop) that start from very easy and basic tasks leading to progressively harder challenges later on. These missions can have players use any of the various items in the game to complete tasks given to them or have players fight a group of computer controlled players in turn based attacks that “Worms” is known best for. “Worms 2” also offers a training mode with tutorials on all the various in game mechanics so players who don’t know how the game works or want to learn what the various weapons of destruction and killing do in the game against your enemies. Players will perhaps most enjoy the classic gameplay that unfolds in online and local play with their friends as players take their team worms and fight in battles for victory using the various and sometimes ridiculous weapons you have to choose from. 

“Worms 2: Armageddon” offers a goofy and enjoyable way to play a strategy game offering players the ability to alter their worms with various name, apparel and voices players and their friends are able to find a lot to enjoy. The game comes packed with a unique level of humor as well as an extensive single player experience alongside a multiplayer experience that makes for hours of fun whether playing against your friends or anyone you meet online. And with the dull selection of turn based strategy games out there you can’t go wrong with all the craziness “Worms” brings to the table.

Good:

-Solid campaign

-Lasting multiplayer experience for you and your friends

-Crazy customization for your very own worm team

Bad:

-Finding people you don’t know online to play against may be challenging at times

(Game Reviewed on Xbox 360)

Scully Rating: 9 out of 10

Deathrite Shaman

“Deathrite Shaman” is yet another outstanding Black/Green creature from Return to Ravnica, and this time, one with multi-format appeal! As a 1/2 for one, his body is certainly reasonable, but it’s his incredibly flexible glut of abilities that really define him. This creature does it all, and while messing with any graveyard shenanigans your opponent may have going on. Deathrite has three abilities, each one revolving around removing a card in a graveyard from the game (it is important to note that it is any graveyard – yours or your opponent’s).

He can dig a land out of the graveyard to produce a mana of the color of your choice. In standard, this doesn’t do much of anything, unless you run Ghost Quarter [Innistrad] (which may not be a bad idea, considering how many fantastic nonbasic lands are running around the format), but in old formats, this is incredible. A first turn fetchland [Onslaught, Zendikar] into Deathrite is a frightening set-up in either modern or legacy – especially legacy, where Wasteland [Tempest] is very much a thing.

Deathrite can also dig up creatures or instant/sorceries, at a boon of +2 life/creature or -2 life/spell. This is quite relevant in both standard and older formats. He’s hell on wheels against a reanimator deck as Deathrite can pop off the ideal reanimation target before the resurrection spell is cast. And in any given game of Magic, instants and sorceries will fly around, letting Deathrite turn into a repeatable source of burn, which can finish out some games that stall. These abilities do require a specific green or black mana, meaning he’s only at his best in a deck using (or splashing) both.

Good:

-One mana cost, in either of two colors, allowing for consistent easy casting

- 2 OUTSTANDING abilities, if you have access to the colors

- 1 very relevant Legacy acceleration ability

- Messes with graveyard strategies

- Uses either graveyard, so should have no shortage of ammo

Bad:

            - Small body

            - Specific color requirements for abilities, so only thrives in black/green

            - Mana ability isn’t relevant at all in standard

            - He’s an elf. No one likes elves. :p

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Projected Settled Value: $6-8

Cowboy Bebop Opening

Classic opening to a classic anime.  "Tank" has a prominent Jazz influence behind it that does a great job of getting your toes tapping.  The music is accompanied by some video that mainly serves as teaser for the rest of the show.  One issue that could be noted is that the opening does very little to hint at the actual content in the series.

Anime: Cowboy Bebop

Song: "Tank"

Artist: Yoko Kanno

Scully Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Hetalia: Axis Powers

"Hetalia: Axis Powers" is a anime of history-inspired pandemonium.  That's about it in a nutshell.  Now I'll give you the somewhat lengthy description.  This show takes all of the major nations from World War II and personifies them.  Each person/nation reflects many of the stereotypes about that nation.  France as a person is smooth with women but a terrible fighter, Britain is trustworthy but somewhat dull and everyone thinks his food is bland, and America is tall, loud, and loves his meals super-sized.  What ensues a series of short skits mostly in the limited run-time of 5 minutes per episode.  Many of these little shorts follow actual historical events but put in the context of the Allies and Axis being like clubs or gangs and they're out to get each other.  The violence is severely downplayed, resulting in a show that would be appropriate for all audiences if it weren't for the occasional use of excessive language.  The execution results in a lot of humor mixed with a historical context but the short run-time means you can't really get into anything.

I have some mixed feelings regarding this series.  For what it is, it's a charming and entertaining show; however, that's exactly the issue: what it is.   At first glance, it appears the show tries to entertain while educating the audience a little on foreign history (remember that the show is originally Japanese).  The truth of the matter is that while the show does follow through on tossing a little history and culture your way, it feels mostly secondary to the antics that ensue.  While these antics are for the most part entertaining, it becomes apparent that, aside from the occasional use of profanity, this show would be best suited to children/young teens.  There is no serious plot to be had in this show; any conflict is general portrayed in a very light, comical manner, with no real portrayal of the bloody carnage that actually took place.  While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it further forwards the notion that it targets the younger demographics.  That being said, the show does a great job of offering a lot of humorous scenes that play off of the common stereotypes held about the many nations and their cultures.  Their interactions do a great job of involving their cultures and beliefs, while keeping things light-hearted and fun.  In short, a series of relatively brief, light-handed humorous skits that manage to entertain but leaves something to be desired for those longing for a serious and more in-depth type of story and characters.  It's not that the series isn't good at what it does, I simply think it could have done more.  The comedy is entertaining and the brief history lessons interesting; however, I felt the end result felt a little too simple-minded with no real feeling of direction overall.

Good:

-An interesting group of personalities that embody the different cultures they represent

-Shorter episodes make the series a relatively quick watch, even with 52 episodes

-Cultural stereotypes clashing tend to provide a lot of comic relief

Bad:

-Characters have little/no real depth or dimension

-Short run time makes the episodes end before you can even get comfortable

-Virtually nothing to please those seeking action or a deeper narrative, only comedy mixed with a little history

Scully Rating: 7 out of 10

Watch "Hetalia: Axis Powers" at: http://www.animefreak.tv/watch/hetalia-axis-powers-english-dubbed-online-free