Archive for December, 2009
Hong Kong Celebrates Final Fantasy 13 Release
December 31st, 2009 | 
Author: It seems that the Final Fantasy fever is quite contagious. Over in Hong Kong they have HD TV’s with models dressed as the female leads of the game. Is this game really worth all this excitement?! Yes I think it just may be. And I know everyone can’t wait to see how we over here in the U.S will react in March when the game releases here. Although It is VERY NICE on Hong Kong.
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Games Of 2010: First Quarter
Well Christmas is over and hopefully everyone got something they wanted. Well maybe you didn’t. Are you wondering why that is? All the games you thought were coming out for Christmas have been pushed into 2010. I didn’t count the must have or “hot” titles that were available for the holidays. But the number of games hitting the market after the New Year event to far over 20. And all those games will be released before April. That’s only the first quarter if the year. Some body miscalculated something somewhere. That is just insane. Here is a look at what you’ll be dropping ALL your money on very soon. I hope you got some gift certificates for Christmas. Your going to need them.
January:
Darksiders
White Knight Chronicles
Bioshock 2
Dante’s Inferno
Star Ocean: The Last Hope International
Heavy Rain
Just Cause 2
Also Lost Planet 2 and Super Street Fighter 4 have been pushed back. Crysis 2 is supposed to be making an appearance. And who could forget Red Dead Redemption. That isn’t all the titles or even half the year. So much seems to be getting ready to come out. There’s no telling what the rest of the year will bring.
Film: 2009 A Look Back
I found this on JoBlo’s, and i must say it is outstanding. Here at From Heroes To Icons we don’t discuss film enough. I know. I know. There seems to be way too much for 3 guys to handle. Hopefully we’ll be able to change that in 2010. Anyway this video makes me remember why I’m at Target nearly every Tuesday buying the latest Bluray’s and DVD’s. Truly it is nothing short of a masterpiece in editing. Remembering the movies of 2009 just became one of the coolest things to do during New Years Eve. Watch this and you’ll soon see exactly what I mean………Hurra, Kees van Dijkhuizen!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tekken Japanese Movie Poster
If only a poster could translate into an awesome film. This poster just does it. And I am pleased to see how this was approached. All we can do is pray it doesn’t end up like. Dead or Alive.
Tetsuya Nomora Working On Unannounced Game
The guy that helped bring us Final Fantasy XIII, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep and is also working on Final Fantasy Versus XIII and FF Agito. It seems that he is showing no signs for slowing down .
In the most recent issue of Famitsu, Nomura reveals that he is working on two unannounced titles. He gives some updates, saying that they are working to bring up the quality so that the difference between real time and pre-renders in the upcoming Final Fantasy Versus XIII is seamless. He also says that development for Agito is going favorably.
“There is a still yet unannounced title that I am working on sooner than thought,” he says. Voice recording for this title has begun.
“It’s not a brand new title, but there is one more unannounced title.”
To tell you the truth. This really can be only one title. Sure it’s not brand new. And he’s working on it sooner than he thought. I don’t want to just guess what that game may be but I think everyone that has ever played a Final Fantasy game is thinking the same thing.
Could he be really speaking about the Remake of Final Fantasy VII. Well only time can tell. But I’m optimistic. Wow, I just thought about that……..is he working on a new Tomb Raider?! I hope not.
Notice that Tetsya is the character designer for this spiky haired hero. NUFF’ SAID
Batman, the Blizzard of 2009, and Mooooooore!
Did anyone else find it strangely ominous that only a few days after the Batman winter special came out–in which Gotham was paralyzed by a record breaking blizzard–the east coast got swathed by a snowstorm as well? I found it slightly disconcerting; but maybe that just means the lines between comics and reality are blurring a little and I need to find another hobby during the colder months. 
Either way, I really wasn’t too excited to read it. Mostly comprised of up-and-coming writers and artists, the majority of the book had little impact on me. Some of the ideas were good, it just lacked oomph (in my opinion). I can’t help but feeling that it would have been a better strategy had they paced the book between some well knowns and freshman; let’s say, every other story. I must say, though, that I really liked the artist in the first segment. Really cool stuff. Though, Robin was a little muscular and lanky for a ten year old {smirks}. The writing wasn’t too bad on that one either. I also didn’t mind the Gordon/Mr.Freeze tale. The first picture with the snow on the batsignal was awesome. I could take or leave most everything else. And why was Steve Niles’ only one page?! The jaded part of me feels that all these six dollar specials are just another way for DC to craftfully get into our back pockets. Come on, aren’t you guys already doing that with the way you’re dragging out Blackest Night?
Now, I actually like Blackest Night, and Geoff Johns for that matter, and if you’re not reading it you are missing one of the better things in comics at the moment, but some of the books it’s bleeding into are pointless. I mean, Superman/Batman with Bizzaro and Man-bat? I’m kicking myself in the teeth for buying the first issue. 
By the way; the next Green Lantern is out tomorrow, so make sure you grab that one because all the colors have teamed up to fight against the Black Lanterns (and yes, that includes Sinestro and Atrocitus!).
Moving on…Other than Batman and Robin, I strongly recommend Gotham City Sirens and Streets of Gotham. Both are being written by Paul Dini (of BTAS fame). Yeah, he might have let us down a little with Countdown, but I’m sure Batman: Arkham Asylum has restored any faith you’ve lost in him, and I believe these selections will do the same. The last arc in ‘Sirens’ added to Joker’s history in a cool way; shedding some light on a forgotten friend and the clown prince’s transitional period in the beginning of his career. Nicely done! In ‘Streets’ Dini is partnered back up with Nguyen and Fridolfs. They are a fantastic team. These guys saved my sanity during RIP, when I just wanted to read a good uncomplicated story after a while. 
They compliment each other so well. Met them too; very nice fellas. So far in the run Dini has managed to take a second string rogue (Firefly) and almost elevate him to Joker/Freeze status, as well as somehow making Zsasz even more twisted. You’ll see what I mean. So, that’s my piece on the Batman front.
I’d like to end on requesting you pick up the Hellboy one-shot tomorrow. It is written by Mignola and drawn by Richard Corben. Those of you that haven’t read the limited series Hellboy: The Crooked Man, should know that their collaboration won them an Eisner this year. It took creepy to a whole other level. I love road-tripping the southern back-wood areas, but that thing made me second guess it in a way Deliverance even couldn’t. Snatch up their new venture while it’s fresh off the shelves.
Alright kiddies, that’s it for me until I read this week’s lot.
Happy Holidays, from us at FHTI! Watch out for the mistletoe hat! Your pal, ExSleepyInk. 
Darksiders: 30 Minute Demo From IGN
These guys are just nuts. They are paid to play these games and in no way share the same opinion as I do for Darksiders. It happens that there the only ones that have this much live game play for us to watch. So watch it and enjoy. Also take what they say with a gain of salt. Not too seriously.