Big name movies coming out this year

This year is definitely going to be an intersting year for movies.  Last year, there was the third and final hobbit movie, Iron Man 3,  Guardians of the Galaxy (interstingly, the guy that played Starlord is from the Lake Stevens area here in Washington), Teenage Muntant Ninja Turrtles reboot (still have yet to see that movie) and even Captain America Winter Solider (btw much of the Agents of Shield episodes since the movie have dealt with the aftermath of that move with the revived Agent Coulson being named the new director of SHIELD after Nick Fury stepped down), Lego Movie and even Interestellar (I thought that movie was as blast to watch, especially at night in theaters).   This year, more movies are slated to be released.  Here are some movies I am looking forward to:

Movie 1- Avengers 2: Age of Ultron (should be coming up in May)

It looks like Marvel is going to be starting this year off with a bang with the release of the anticpated Avengers 2 Age of Ultron.  This movies seems like it is going to be significantly darker than the first movie and brings the heroes back in a seemingly more chaotic world, especially with SHIELD in ruins and pretty much in civil war mode in the aftermath of Captain America 2 as well as unfolding events in Agents of SHIELD (given the hydra situation as well as now the so called "Real SHIELD") group too that has arisen (tough to tell the good guys from the bad guys too sometimes).  By the way, at comic con this year, I decided to dress up as Nick Fury (had the trench coat and eye patch) with the new movie coming out.  Interestingly, Age of Utron is supposed to mark the end of "phase 2" and being the "phase 3" marvel movies.  Apparently, it is also supposed to tie into Captain America 3: Civil War (apparently the Civil War storyline is going to be shown in that movie), though it is not clear on how the events will lead to the marvel civil war.

Movie 2: Ant Man (currently set to come out in July sometime)

This movie will start the storyline in the Marvel Cinematic universe version of Ant Man (aka Hank Pym).  He had a much bigger role in earlier versions of Avengers (such as Avengers Earth's Mightiest heroes, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and Marvel's Ultimate Avengers 1 and 2 movies).  Interestingly, Hank is not supposed to appear in the New Avengers movie considering past versions of Ultron were Hank's creation.

Movie 3: Fantastic 4 Reboot

Who here saw Fantastic 4 back in 2005 with Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans (also known as Steve Rogers from Captain America), and Michael Chiklis portraying the Fantastic 4 characters?  Well, it looks like we are about to be a reboot version of that movie, this time portrayed by different actors.  Will the infamous Doctor Doom make a return in this movie?  Only time will tell.  It will be interesting to see how this version compares with the 2005 version.

Movie 4: Jurassic World

After a long hiatus in Jurassic Park movies, the franchise is about go get yet another sequel.  This movie is supposed to be set about 22 years after the events of the original movie and a new dinosaur theme park is built in place of the old one.  It appears a new mutant dinosaur is supposed to make a debut too?  I still remember when the earlier version of the movies when they came out in the 1990s and early 2000s (especailly Jurassic Park and Lost World).  By the way, where is Turok the Dinosaur (from the N64 game Turok) hunter when you need him should the dinosaurs go on a rampage once again?

Movie 5: Terminator Genysis

  

Interestingly, the 5th installment of the Terminator is slated to be released later this year and Arnold Schwarzenegger is supposed to make a return into the franchise once again, after being absent from Terminator Salvation (aka Terminator 4) probably as a result of him being governor of California at the time.  Interestingly according to an article I read apparently, he wasn't too wild about Terminator Salvation (see http://www.fashionnstyle.com/articles/56098/20150409/terminator-genisys-news-arnold-schwarzenegger-slams-terminator-salvation-says-glad-didnt-have-appear-fourth-movie.htm), though I suppose having less say in the movie was a small price to pay for not being in that movie and being governor instead that year.  By the way, while I have seen Terminator Salvation, I haven't seen all of the other 3 movies yet.  Will have to watch the other movies sometime.

Movie 6 - Star Wars Force Awakens (aka Episode 7)

   

You know, who would have thought that there was going to be a third Star Wars trilogy in our lifetime.  I remember George Lucas once saying that he wasn't going to make any new Star Wars movies after episode 3 (Revenge of the Sith).  However it seems like he had a change of heart and let others directors continue the Star Wars movie storyline.  This movie will officially mark the beginning of the 3rd trilogy and will see the return of old favorites (portrayed by the original actors and actresses), including Luke Skywalker,  Han Solo, Princess Leia, etc.  This storyline is set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, though even I am in the dark on what the new movies are going to be about.  Originally I thought that the Expanded Universe (such as books, comics, games, etc) were going to bridge the gap between the original trilogy and the new trilogy but it looks like the producers are not going to use those versions of events (no longer considered canon) and the new movies will be all new, so it is pretty much uncharted territory now.  There is some speculation though considering that there were some loose ends ins the storyline after Return of the Jedi (especially in light of the prequels).  Some questions I might have includes:
1) Does Luke restore the Jedi council (remember it was decimated during the events of Revenge of the Sith, especially once Order 66 was issued by Palpatine).
2) Does Darth Sidious Make a return despite his apparent death in Return of the Jedi?
3) What happens to Coruscant and the fallen Old Republic?
4)   How about Han and Leia?  In the book version of events, they get married and have kids (Jacen and Jaina)
5)  Does Boba Fett escape the Sarlacc monster?  In the expanded universe, he does?
6)  Is Luke married?  In the book version of events, he gets married to a lady named Mara Jade.  Interestingly, if you read the Thrawn Trilogy, initially she wanted to kill Luke as a result of Palpatine's death, but I don't remember seeing her in the prequel trilogy, so I don't know if she will be in the movie or not.
7) Does Obi Wan Kenobi make a return as force ghost
8) Does Leia become a jedi?  Remember in Return of the Jedi she just begun to realise her powers (much like how Luke was in Episode 4).
9) How about Luke and Leia's origins (not sure how much they knew about Anakin and Padme).
And many other questions.  Of course right now, one can only speculate.

Well, that is all for now.  I am sure there are many other movies set to be released this year.  How about you, are there movies you are anticipating this year?  Next year (2016) we will see more big name movies, including Captain America 3: Civil War, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Reboot (bringing back all of the original characters portrayed by new actors), Superman vs Batman (interestingly, when Man of Steel came out, I had to do a demo at the Walmart in South Everett where I literally had to dress up as Superman and try to get people to buy tickets for the debut screening of the movie, it will be interesting to see if Walmart stores do a similar promotion for the next film), and Independence Day 2 (yes, Independence day is getting a sequel at last).  By the way, all of these movies coming up are already giving me ideas on what to dress up as to next year's Emerald City comic con.  Could go as superman again, Batman, a power rangers character (doing a Bulk and Skull cosplay might be fun, though I would have to get someone to dress up too and get a punk outfit to look authentic), or even a Star Wars character.

Star Wars Battlefront 3 2015 Talk: Singleplayer & Force Awakens DLC; Mus...

It looks like the latest Star Wars Battlefront game is going to be coming out this year.  I remember playing through the first 2 Star Wars Battlefront games too.  Will definitely consider buying this game when it comes out.  Interestingly, it looks like there might even be content in the upcoming Star Wars Force Awakens movie too (aka Episode 7).

Lego Movie Xbox One Review

Who here likes Legos?  I remember playing through both Lego Star Wars (prequel era Star Wars) and Lego Star Wars 2 (based on the original trilogy back in the day) and thought they were pretty fun to play through.  It is Lego and Star Wars after all.  Fast forward to Christmas season of 2014, there is now a game based on the classic Lego Movie that was released earlier last year.  In case if you don't know, Lego Movie was a movie that was released back in February of 2014 and was basically about an average Joe worker, named Emmet who had been living a seemingly normal and comfortable life.  However, unbeknownst to Emmet, the world he was living in was basically a global dictatorship lead by the evil Lord Business, who was pretty much ruling the world with an iron fist and secretly wanted to "cragle" (or anhilate everyone).  One day Emmet stumbles across a prophecy that would spell the end of Lord Business' regime and soon gets caught in the middle of an ongoing conflict between Lord Business and his cronies (such as Bad Cop) and an ever growing group of rebels that want to overthrow his regime and it is up to Emet to help save the day.  I won't spoil how the movie plays out and ends (assuming some of you haven't seen the movie yet), but if you want to see the movie, you can probably buy it on Amazon or maybe even Netflix (not sure of it is on Netflix or not).  See link below for the lego movie.

Anyways, as most people might expect: several games have been released based on Lego Movie and I was able to play through the Xbox One Version of the game.  After playing through the game, in my opinion it is definitely a fun and interesting movie based game to play through.  The game starts out with the prologue, where the wizard Vitruvius and Cleopatra teams up to take on Lord Business (much like he does in the movie) which comes in the form of a boss fight and ends with Vitruvius utters his prophecy about the downfall of Lord Business' regime. Then the game shifts over to present day and in the role of Emmet and in an open world environment.  Initially the game takes place in the City of Bricksburg, but other areas open up as you play through the game, inlcuding Flatbrush gultch (which petty much as an old west style theme), Cuckoo land (basically a city in the clouds) and later the Octan tower.  There is also a bonus room (there is nothing in there at first, but comes alive after you beat the story mode) and a secret area too I believe.  In each world there are a series of levels and storyline missions to play through.  Below is a video showing the first 9 minutes of the game.

I won't spoil the rest of the game for you (of course if you do not mind spoilers, you can get a full game guide at http://www.gamefaqs.com/xbox360/722935-the-lego-movie-videogame/faqs/68687 that details the walkthrough of the entire game).  Overall, personally I thought the game was a very fun and great tie-in to the movie.  The levels and worlds feel like you are playing in an interactive version of Lego Movie, full of worlds, levels, cutscenes and voice acting that you would see in the movie.  It even has a huge boss fight at the end where Emmet and Hello Kitty team up in their final showdown against Lord Business.  I have seen some sources that seem to offer mixed reviews of the game, but I have seen movie game that are much worse than Lego Movie, but I am sure that Lego Movie will not appeal to everyone, though I am sure kids will love the game, though maybe not as much for older crowds.

Review Highlights:

Pros:
+  Plays out much like the ovie
+ Good replay value.  Like many lego based games, as you play through each storyline level, you will find that there are hidden objects and secret areas hidden throughout the levels and will definitely require revisits on Freeplay mode if you want to find them all.
+ Somewhat open worlds in Free Roam mode.  The map size is not too big, but there plenty of things you can do in each world, such as stocking up on lego pieces that can be used to buy red bricks or unlocking new characters.  Many of them even have hidden objects you can find and side missions you can do (for example, in Bricksburg one side mission has you finding cats around the city for a reg brick, and in Flatbrush Gulch there is a side mission where characters can help find and bring outlaws to justice).
+ Lots of cutscenes from the movie complete with voice acting and all from the movie.
+ Interesting characters you can play as too.  My favorites are: Batman, Superman, Bad Cop, Green Lantarn, as well as the guy that can throw dynamites at things, but there are plenty of other ones available.
+ Minigames (especially the hacker terminal games, which pretty much play out much like Pacman).

Negative aspects about the game:
- The storymode is relatively short and linear.  Though it is possible to stretch out the game to extend the gameplay
- Will probably appeal more to kids than adults.  While I thought the game was pretty fun even though I am 32 years old, I am sure the game will not appeal to everyone, though I am sure kids will love it.
-  Like many similar games, eventually, you do run out of things you can do and items to find and then  there really isn't much left to do.  Eventually you play through the storyline, complete the freeplay mode and complete all of the side missions in each world and then it is time to move on.  On the positive note, the game can be stretched out so that you don't have to do everything in one setting.
-  The game might seem to be too easy to some people.  When your character dies, he/she just respawns right by where he died and it just subtracts some of your lego money.

Overall grade in my opinon: A

Want the game, you can buy it on Amazon at:


Note that the game is also available for the PS4, 3DS, Xbox 360 and WII U as well.

Similar games:


Have you played Lego Movie?  Feel free to share your experiences with the game in the comments section below?  Feel free to like and share this post if you like it.  Your support would be most appreciated.

Commentary on the article: Cheshire, England: Schools Intend To Call The Police On Parents Who Let Kids Play Violent Video Games Pic

Here is a Big Brother is Watching you photo with Tony Blair (image source: flickr.com)

Picture of Halo 3, another video game that could be affected by the new rules

Here is an interesting and potientially controversial article I found on Inquisitr and at Infowars (http://www.infowars.com/schools-to-parents-if-you-let-your-kid-play-call-of-duty-well-call-the-cps-on-you/) worth talking about.  Apprently in England, some schools are adopting a new policy where if kids are allowed to play violent video games (such as Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto 4 / 5, Dogs of War, etc) or use social media like Facebook, schools can calls Child Protective services or even the police on their parents.  Here is the original letter posted on the info wars website:

(source: http://www.infowars.com/schools-to-parents-if-you-let-your-kid-play-call-of-duty-well-call-the-cps-on-you/)

My Commentary:

Who here have kids or even teenagers that play video games?  Talk about a Nanny State style system.  Can't you imagine this: you have a typical teenage son (say 16 or 17) and he plays Call of Duty Advanced War Fare with his buddies or maybe he does Halo Masterchief, Assassins Creed, or similar games (which I am sure many teenagers do) and should nosy school officials learn what games he is playing, they might call the cops on the parents.  Interestingly, the proposed rules would also prohibit kids from using Facebook (possibly twitter and myspace too) or apps like WhatsApp, apparently because they might encounter cyberpredators online (which is definitely an inherit risk people can take when online considering that you never know who you might meet online).  What do you all think of such policies?  Should schools or even the government be able to dictate what games kids or teens can play or wither or not if they can use social media like Facebook.  

Now, I have mixed issues when it comes to what kids can play and do.  Sure there are games that kids probably shouldn't be playing (especially games like Grand Theft Auto 5, where you pretty much control 3 different criminals in a huge open world environment that mimicks Southern California and gets into things like drugs, gangs, crime, murder, and similar elements that are likely to be offensive to some, especially kids and mothers).  On the flipside, you can get a grey area when it comes to video games and some people can handle violent video games better than others.  I remember when I was in high school, the Nintendo 64 and Sony Playstation were the style and I remember playing 007 Golden Eye on the 64 on many different occasions (even bought the 64 and golden eye back during my college years) which was very similar to Call of Duty in many ways, and definiely a predecessor game that probably helped inspire games like Halo and Call of Duty (especially the multiplayer modes).  Also, back then there used to be a flight similar arcade called The Otherside (which seems to have gone out of business since then) where people can pay $20/hour and play online games, such as World War 2 dogfight games, Duke Nukem, Quake, and similar games over a huge network.  So should teenagers (let alone parents) be punished by schools or even the government for what games they play on their game systems?  Also, would be restrictions just be aimed at MA 17 games or could they be expanded to T rated games too (such as the Sims 3 or say Mortal Kombat)?  

I found the Facebook restrictions interesting too.  By the way, according to Facebook, people have to be at least 13 or older to sign up for Facebook (though back when I was in high school, facebook and myspace did not exist and I did not sign up there till when I was going to Northwest University).  Sure there can be shady people on social media sites like Facebook, Myspace, etc such as trolls, cyberbullies, scammers, and even the occasional pedophile types.  Even I sometimes get random ladies online that I don't know trying to flirt with me on MSN Instant Messenger and Facebook too sometimes and I usually ignore them since I don't really know them and want to protect myself.  Last year I won't name names, but I met a random lady from Wyoming (she contacted me first).  She was apparently in her 30s, had 2 kids and no husband (apparently he died sometime ago) and she obviously seemed to be in a hurry to get into a relationship with me.  She wanted me to drive out to Cheyanne, Wyoming at least once or twice (which is definitely at least a 2 day away from the Seattle area) and even wanted me to call her, and even meet her at a state park in Montana once,  but obviously I did not know her personally and knew better than to rush into such a relationship (after all, I did know know what her intentions were).  Even if she was legit, I knew I wasn't ready to have kids of my own, which probably would have come with the relationship with her and obviously I would not be able to support them considering that I am only working part time and living on low income.  Luckily she unfriended me and moved on before things got out of hand.  Anyways, people like her do exist on Facebook and Myspace and people have to be careful when it  comes to meeting people online.  But at the same time, Facebook (and similar social media) can be used for more productive things too, such as connecting with friends, sharing photos they take, keeping in touch with people, etc.  Blogging sites, such as Blogger can be good to have too, as it can help kids develop their writing skills, which is pretty crucial to have, especially once they go off to college as writing quality papers do become a part of the daily routine in college and papers not living up to standards usually get Ds and Fs.  

By the way, while the new rules concerning violent video games and social media mainly affects England, I am sure it is only a matter of time before American schools take up similar laws and rules (after all, America and England are similar in many ways, even when it comes to politics and schools).  Also, this is not the first time schools have tried to impose their policies and rules to students even when they were not in school.  I rmember when I was in college at Northwest University, students were not supposed to drink alcholic beverages, even when off campus, so if students went to nearby bars and pubs, they ran the risk of someone noticing them and reporting it to school authorities (which probably could lead to susepensions or even expulsions in some circumstances).

1. In Virginia Beach, Virginia, a pair of 7th graders were expelled for the "crime" of doing airsofting in their own yards, not far from the rest stop.  I don't know what all lead up to the expulsions, but the kids were playing some airsoft in their own yard (which is somewhat similar to paintball, where you you shoot small airsoft pellets at targets or sometimes even each other which is pretty harmless, though they can leave bruises and welts much like in paintball) and a neighbor complained about it and somehow the school found out about it and expelled the kids apparently for "possession, handling and use of a firearm" (apparently airsoft guns are considered fire arms as far as the school was concerned and not allowed, even at home). Not sure if the students were able to overturn their expusions or not. By the way, if me and my brothers were in that district, we probably would have been expelled too considering that we used to do mock civil war battles with cap guns in our back yards, even went paintball and laser tagging on a few occasions too.


2. In another incident a student from Louisianna was arrested because he was using an app called, "Real Strike" to "shoot" fellow students. Real Strike is an augumented reality app for the Iphone that mimicks Call of Duty in Real life settings (much like how it is with Laser tag, where people can shoot harmless "lasers" at each other). Now while "shooting" fellow students was definitely inappropriate in my opinion, having the student arrested shows how far the zero tolerance policies can go.

       (above is Real Strike in Action, it is a similared game, where app users can "shoot" things in a simulated setting, though of course nobody really gets hurt).  By the way, the Windows Phone has a similar app where you can "shoot paintballs" at "targets" (you tap the screen, the phone vibrates and a virtual paintball splatters).

3. Perhaps a more disturbing story: Student getting expelled for refusing to wear an RFID tracking chip
In this story, a girl named Angela was expelled from school because her family wanted to opt out of the RFID program apparently for both religious (apparently she thought it was the prophecized Mark of the Beast from Revelation in the Bible) and privacy reasons.  It was apparently a chip embedded in student asb cards that can track student werabouts at all times (both on campus and off campus) and apparently kids had to check in with staff members to go over the RFID data.  Apparently it was also used to reduce truancy as well. Personally I have mixed feelings about the chips.  First off personally I doubt that the chip is the "mark of the beast".  From Christian standpoint, the mark of the beast system is not supposed to be implemented until when the end time events happen, probably around the mid point of the 7 year tribulation period (just before the great tribulation that is supposed to take place during the last 3 1/2 years before Christ's return) and will be imposed by the Antichrist himself (he is a prophecised world leader that will appear, probably in Europe or the Revived Roman empire as a charismatic leader that will impose a global dictatorship on the entire world and will eventually be indwelt by Satan himself, claim to be God and demand to be worshiped, which will also lead to the imposition of the mark of the beast system).  Most likely it will likely be some sort of microchip, tattoo, or similar implant that goes on the right hand or forehead and people won't be able to buy or sell without it, with the threat of death (probably by beheading) for people who refuse it (you can read the book of Revelation in the bible for everything you need to know about the antichrist, mark of the beast, etc).  Obviously people will want to avoid the mark of the beast at all costs (even if it means martyrdom) given the eternal ramifications for people who take it.  Anyways, last I checked, t he tribulation has not begun yet and the Antichrist is not on the scene yet, so I doubt that the RFID chip is the mark of the beast.  It could be a predecesor to it for all I know, but it is not the mark of the beast (at least not the present form).  As for privacy concerns, while the school officials may have good intentions for it, such as being able to tell where students are on campus (especially in the case of emergencies or fire drills) and even help find kids who go missing (which can be useful considering some kids do get kidnapped or lost at times), the technologies can definitely get intrusive too.  I can't imagine what it would be like going to a school or college where staff members can track your every move both on and off campus (for example, I wouldn't even think about going into a bar or pub the schools I went to tracked my every move).

I am sure this list goes on, but this article definitely shows how far schools can go when it comes to imposing their policies on students on and off campus and how more authoritarian schools are becoming.  Personally, I think big brother and zero tolerance policies is a dangerous mix when it comes to people's freedoms both in England and here in the US considering that many unsuspecting students and kids can easily find themselves caught in the ever expanding system, especially when there already does seem to be school to pipeline style system in place in many places across the country and taking a big brother approach to things could definitely lead to more people falling into that system, which would be terrible for society in my opinion.  Hopefully people will work on setting up checks and balances for school systems to ensure they do not get too much power over peoples' lives and reduce unnecessary suspensions or interactions with law enforcement agencies.   I will try to keep you updated on this story as I come across more.

What do you think.  Should schools be able to dictate what games kids can play or should it be left up to their parents?  Do you have teens that play games like Call of Duty or similar games?     Feel free to leave a comment below.  For fellow Americans, what would you do if schools inacted similar parties.

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Emerald City Comic Con 2015 Slideshow

Yesterday, I went to the Emerald City Comic con and decided to create a slideshow from the pictures I took.  Here is the video below:

This free slideshow design generated with Smilebox

I definitely had a blast yesterday at comic con.  I went with my brother Justin yesterday and got there about 10:30ish and was there all day, till about 10:30 pm.  This time around, I mainly sat in on the panels discussion, though I did wander around on several occasions as well.

This time around, I did some cosplaying myself and dressed up as Nick Fury from the Avengers.

Show highlights at the show includes:

1. Anthony Daniels panel discussion

Picture of Anthony Daniels (source: http://totalgame.es/star-wars-7-ya-tiene-titulo/).  I got a picture of him too, but I was in the back and it was hard to get a good picture of him.

Obviously, if you have seen any of the Star Wars Movies, you should be familiar with C3PO and Anthony Daniels is the actor who played the droid.  He has definitely had an interesting career playing C-3PO considering that he was not only in the original trilogy, but he also served in the Prequel trilogy and the upcoming sequel trilogy as well.  He even reprised his role in Clone Wars, Star Wars rebels and other Star Wars media featuring C3P0 (see http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000355/ for Anthony Daniels' information on IMDB).  His panel was just starting when I got there and sadly I got there late (got lost trying to find his panel as the comic con's convention center layout was changed since last year).  I did have at least one question for him, but I didn't really get a chance to ask it, but my question would have been: "which trilogy did you like working with and why".

Other notes about the comic con

- Star Trek Improv

This one was fun to watch.  Back in 2013 a similar "Star Trek Crew" did a similar improv where they do a lengthy play based on an episode of the show that the audience helps to create.  This year, the audience picked "Candy Land" the planet the crew landed on with the people made of chocolate (which made some of the crew members like Uhra hungry) and the crew was on a diplomatic mission to work with the people of candy land.  Pretty funny improv to watch.  Last time I saw the play, the crew went to a planet called the "Kardashians" (some of the audience were Kardashian fans) and the people of the planet were worshiping "apple pies" and was funny to watch too.

- Geek Career panel

This is an interesting panel to watch for people looking to get "nerdy type" careers (such as working for companies like Nintendo and microsoft.   Considering that I am looking for work myself (hey if this blog was generating alot more ad revenue than it, say at least $100 per day or more, then it is I wouldn't need to find a new job, but unless that happens, I will scouting for jobs), I decided to attend the panel and get some tips

- Marina Sirtis panel

This is what Marina Sirtis looked like in Star Trek Next generation (back in the 1990's)

Picture of Marina Sirtis.  She definitely looks older than she did in Star Trek Next Generation

This panel is definitely a must watch one for those who watched Star Trek Next generation.  By the way, John De Luce (aka Q) was at the comic con last year and I saw that panel too.  Interestingly, Patrick Stewart was there too last year, but I didn't see him (I think he did his panel on Sunday and I was only there on Saturday).  I remember my family usually watched TNG back when it was on during the 1990's and even saw the movies too when they came out (Generations, First Contact, and Nemesis) along with Star Trek Voyager, which became the official successor to Star Trek Next Generation. 

- Clark Gregg Panel

Picture of Clark Gregg of the Comic Con (image source seattlepi.com)

This was definitely a "must see" panel in my opinion.  In case if you do not know, Clark is best known for his role of Agent Coulson from Thor, Iron Man 2, Agengers, and now Agents of Shield (he was "killed off" on the Avengers by Loki, but was resurrected by Nick Fury in the Agents of Shield storyline).  I actually meant to get to this panel earlier and get a closer seat, but the time of the panel was changed and I was unaware of the change until my brother texted me about the changed time (it was originally going to be on at 6 pm, but it was changed to 5 pm, right after Marina Sirtis' panel).  Had I known better, I probably would have just stayed in the Main Hall (where the Marina's and Clark's panels were held) and gone to Clark's panel alot earlier than I did.  Sadly, I was late and and was forced to stand in the back of the room, so I didn't get a real good view or photo of him.

- Steampunk Murder mystery.  This was an interesting mystery where these actors were acting out a seance and one character seemed to have died during the event (probably a good reason not to dabble in the occult such as doing seances, ouija boards, considering that demons can and do come through and cause all kinds of trouble for people doing those practices, not that I have witnessed that first hand but I do hear stories like that when people do those things, though I am assuming that the characters were just acting it out).  Anyways, after a character is killed off, it is up to the audience to help solve the mystery.  By the way, there was a huge line for the Steampunk murder mystery and I barerly made it to the event since I was near the back of the line (which was pretty much the waiting list portion of the line should there be extra seating available or somone leaves early, which some people did by the way) and I am sure some people were turned away after me.  I meant to stay for the whole mystery, but it went till 9 and overlapped with the costume contest (which started at 8 and my brother was at it) and I wasn't sure how long the costume contest was supposed to go on, and so I had to choose between the 2, so I don't really know how the murder mystery ended of if they did any actual seances (will have to scour the web for how it ended).

- Costume contest
As if you don't get enough cosplayers to see and get photos of at the comic con, there is a costume contest towards the end where contestants can show off their costumes and compete for prizes (with the grand prize being a $1000 check, which is awarded to the grand prize winner) and is hosted by a guy who is dressed up as the Riddler from Batman and has a lady dressed up as Harley Quinn as his personal assistant in the contest.  In the end, a gargoyle character from World of War Craft won.  I kind of wanted to compete, but it was my first time cosplaying and plus there were several other people dressed up as Nick Fury as well at the comic con.

Me as "Nick Fury" watching the costume contest

Interestingly during the contest, people dressed up as the Penguin and Catwoman walked around looking for extra potiential candidates (even if they did not register for the contest) to call up and while I thought I could have been picked, I did not, so I just enjoyed the contest.
 

Other highlights of the show:
- Checked out the "Bridge" similator (where people can try their hand as "captains" of the Star Trek Enterprise in a simulated adventure)
- Visited the arcade
- Saw the Star Wars Exhibit
- Checked out the lego displays (some people definitely have talent with legos).
- An many others.

Well that is all for now.  If any of you have been to the comic con, feel free to share your experiences in the comments section.

Tentative Plans for next year's emerald city comic con (subject to change of course):

According to the Emerald City Comic Con publication, next year, the comic con is supposed to run from April 8-10.  Tentatively I am planning to go to that event too, unless if something comes up between now and then.  By the way, I do have a few ideas on what I can do next year.  I have 2 ideas in my head right now.  Considering that next year is when the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Reboot is supposed to be aired (currently set for July 22, 2016, according to IMDB), i am thinking about doing something along those lines.

Scenario 1: Dress up as a Power Ranger.  I have to admit that I have been watching the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series on Netflix (currently on the 3rd season) and I could either go alone as a ranger or invite 5 or 6 people to dress up with me (including at least 2 girls) and go as power rangers.  Not sure which color I would be (probably either red or blue) but that would probably be cool.  I saw some people dressed up as rangers yesterday, but they left early, so I wasn't able to get any pictures of them (interestingly, the guys were unmasked most of the time too).  A few downsides to this option: it would be a very elaborate and probably costume to make (not sure where or how I would get the items needed, such as helmet, uniform, gloves, etc), it is a pretty cliche type of costume (considering there will probably be others dressed up as rangers) and finding 6 people go go with me (including 2 girls) could be easier said than done (though I do have some friends that have expressed interest in going to a comic con event possibly next year sometime).  Any volunteers by the way?

Random people dressed up as power rangers.  I could probably dress up as the Blue or Red Ranger (source https://www.flickr.com/photos/exia93/galleries/72157624818225575)

Scenario 2: you know what might be funner to do: teaming up with one other person, possibly my brother Justin (though somehow I don't quite seeing him fitting the role) and dressing up as Bulk and Skull.  I could probably dress up as Bulk considering that I am overweight as it is and then get someone to dress up as Skull

Random Picture of Bulk and Skull from MMPR (source: amy-amy.com), I would probably play as Bulk if I went as Bulk and Skull considering that I am overweight myself and kind of relate to Bulk in some ways.

This costume might be a little bit easier to put together and a bit more creative too.  I could put together a punk outfit and play Bulk.  Of course, I would have to find someone willing to play as Skull (any volunteers?  Preferably another guy to look more authentic).  Not sure if I would grow my hair out (considering that Bulk had a pony tail in some of the episodes) or get a buzz cut.  I could also get police officer clothing too (considering they were dressed up as police officers in both season 3 and power rangers zeo.  If I did go as a power rangers character, this option would be more likely.  Of course, I am sure I will get other ideas as next year's event gets closer, but those are the ideas I have so far.  Or I could go as Nick Fury again too, but most people don't wear the same costume year after year, so something different would be nice.  Other ideas includes: dressing up as a pirate, going as Batman (Superman vs Batman: Dawn of Justice is supposed to come out next year too), or even Count Dracula.

That is all for now.  Feel free to like and share this post.  Feel free to share your comments if you would like too.

Emerald City Comic-Con 2014

Here is a random youtube video of last year's comic con

Recap of Emerald City Comic Con 2014

Another Emerald City comic con is fast approaching (this weekend) and I thought that I would do a recap of last year's comic con.  Last year, I went with Justin, Kenyon, and his former girlfriend, Kara (they broke up later that year, long story short).  Anyways, here are all of the pics I took last year.

Picture of a Star Wars themed shirt and super man themed shirt.  Last year I decided to keep it simple and wear a superman shirt to the comic con.

Driving into Seattle after picking up Kenyon and Kara in Woodinville.  Yes, it was raining that year too.

Picture of the convention center.

Me dressed up as superman (minus the cape).

Picture of the first panel Me and Justin went to.  In this one some people were offering advice on cosplaying (like I will be doing this year, as Nick Fury).

The convention center was packed as it often is during the comic con event on Saturday.  Lots of people dressing up in costumes too.  Event staff were a bit more strict on photography and video taping last year, so I had to be selective on when and where to take pictures.

Random panel discussion I attended, forgot which one though.

Picture of the first celebrity panel I attended.  I can't quite remember her name, though I like to think it was 

Elizabeth Henstridge from Agents of Shield, but I am not positive.

Picture of the Star Wars display at the comic con.  The droids and r2d2 were pretty lively when I was there with someone controlling their moves with a remote control.

In this picture: someone dressed up as Princess Leia with Darth Vader in the background, 3 random droids (including R4?) and R2 D2.  You know, I would not be suprised if the Star Wars people do somethings special this year considering that Episode 7 (Force Awakens) is supposed to come out later this year (in December) and will mark the first new Star Wars film to be made since Revenge of the Sith (episode 3) was released in 2005.  Unlike the prequel trillogy, the new one is supposed to be set about 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi and will feature the return of some old favorites, including Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, R2 and C-3po, all played by the same actors from the original films (though obviously aged significantly over the years).  It will be interesting to see the storyline of the new trilogy, especially considering that much of the expanded universe storyline that would have bridged the 2 trilogies (i.e., Heir to the Empire, other novels, Dark Forces Jedi Knight series, etc) are no longer considered cannon in the Star Wars storyline, which means the new trilogy will definitely be in uncharted territory.    

Are there any lego fans here?  Check out these displays people have made.  I wish I had that kind of creativity and skills with legos.  

More lego displays

Here is a picture of a fully functional lego R2 (it too was lively like the other one I got a picture of earlier)

Who likes Minecraft?  Check out this picture of some kid with a "creeper' from the game.  I have the game for the Xbox One but I haven't tried it yet.  Will have to try it out sometime (been playing through GTA 5 and Lego Movie lately).

Did another selfie of myself

Attended the panel discussion for John De Lance.  In case if you do not know, he played as the infamous Q, who was one of the many villains that Patrick Stewart (aka Captain Picard) and his crew encountered throughout the series and played a huge role in the series finale.  He also did several other works too (such as some of the My Little Pony cartoons as well).

Picture of John talking to a random kid.  By the way, celebrity panels (like this one) are often packed and so sometimes it is easier to get views and pictures of celebrities on screen as opposed to in person (unless if you are lucky enough to get in the front row seats).

Here is another picture of the R2 and droid units in action at the Star Wars display.  At one point they were moving around together and playing tunes.

Random Jedi and Storm Trooper at the Star Wars display.  By the way, in the mainline series, the Jedi and Storm troopers were definitely not friends, especially after the infamous Order 66 was issued by Darth Sidious (aka Palpatine) which essentially caused the Clone Troopers and later Storm Troopers to turn on the jedi.

Attended the costume contest at the end of the show.  I actually did get more picturs from Justin's (my brother) camera, but he forgot to share them, so I had less pictures to share, but some of the costumes people wore were quite impressive.

Another selfie of me at the costume contest

That is all for now.  Will try to get pictures at tomorrow's event too.

Rayman Legends First Impressions

About 2 days ago, I downloaded Rayman Legends for the Xbox One.  They were offering a special in the Xbox Live store (at least gold members) where you could download Rayman and several other games for free (or at least reduced prices), so I decided to try out Rayman Legends.


Above is a video, posted by pivmaster2 showing off the first 10 minutes of the game (essentially the intro and the first level).  The game is divided up into several worlds (similar to how it is in games like Donkey Kong Country, New Super Mario Bros, and Sonic Boom) full of levels you can play through, as well as at least one major boss fight per world (with the first one being a giant dragon you fight).  You start off playing as Rayman, but you can play as other characters as well.  In addition, you can also unlock Rayman Orgins levels as well as do online challenges as well.

Things I like about the game so far:

- Humorous to play through.  Very comical too
- Fun and interesting platformer game
- I also like the side kick feature in the game where on certain levels, Rayman can have a side kick come along and do things for him (such as flipping switches, helping to defeat enemies, taking care of potiential traps, etc).
- Cool boss fights.  I fought the dragon this morning and it was quite fun and divided into several parts.
- Each level does have friends that Rayman has to rescue and levels are rather huge with many things to do, areas to explore, and secret areas to find.
- Interestingly, although you can play though each world in order, it is possible to unlock stages in other worlds (such as Toad Story) early on and play through more than one world at a time.  It is also possible to unlock latter stages and even boss fights early on too.

Negative aspects:
- Cheap deaths.  Expect to die alot in the game, especially if it is your first time through.  Usually Rayman can take 2 hits (assuming he has a heart icon over his head) and then he dies, though sometimes he can get killed in one hit too. Each level is filled with obstacles, enemies, pitfalls, and other death traps, all eager to send Rayman to an early retirement.
- The game can get addicting, so you may want to pace yourself while playing through the game.

That is all for now and I will post more about Rayman Legends as I play through the game.

Want to try Rayman Legends for the Xbox One?  You can download it from the Xbox Live Store on your Xbox One.

GTA 5: Michael, Franklin, and Trevor in the Flesh

Have you ever wondered what Michael, Trevor or Franklin looked like in real life?  Check out the voice actors below who played them



I find it interesting how the actor who plays Trevor looks almost exactly like him.

Elders React to Grand Theft Auto V (Geek Week)

Here is another interesting video I saw on Youtube yesterday.  Can't you imagine what it would like seeing parents and grandparents playing Grand Theft Auto 5, let alone watching a trailer for the game?  Check out these 2 videos below.  Warning: scenes from Grand Theft Auto 5 in the below videos may be offensive to some.

Video 1 - Elders reacting to trailer for GTA 5



Video 2 - Elders Playing GTA 5


My Commentary about the videos:

First off: seeing the elderly playing Grand Theft Auto 5 is impressive, never thought I would see the day.  I seriously doubt that my parents (especially my mother) would play Grand Theft Auto 5 if it was offered to them (especially considering that my mother doesn't like those games to say the least). Anyways, these 2 videos were definitely inteesting to watch.  In the first video, it looks like a group of eldely were watching a trailer for the game and some random gameplay videos of the game too (seems like it was the Xbox 360 era GTA 5) and in the second video, they actually get to play the game.  Interestingly, some of the participants were actually more enthusiastic about the game than others.   One common question I heard was: what is the objective of GTA 5 and I think at least in the main story mode is to complete the storyline and side missions, which pretty much tell the story of the game.  Other than that the game is a pretty open world with lots of things players can do.

Other interesting tidbits about the videos:
- I like the manic laugh sound effect that appears sometime.
- Apparently one elderly was an ex cop and he definitely has an interesting point that there are no known successful or decent criminals like the protaganists in GTA 5.
- There does seem to be the notion that Grand Theft Auto 5 (and previous entries in the series for that matter) can teach some people bad ideas, and while I am sure there are people that ideas from the game, there are plenty of teachable moments in the game and people (especially kids) should be taught that everything they see is purely fiction and should never be tried in real life.
- I also like watching the participants playing in the game.
- Remember: for your own good, anything you see in Grand Auto 5 and similar games are purely fiction and should never be imitated in real life and doing so can lead to serious consequences, long prison sentences or even death.

Bonus Content: Elderly React to Call of Duty (this video was pretty amusing to watch and I do have to admit that I am still a noob at Call of Duty too).

Well, that is all for now.  What do you think of these videos.  By the way, are any of you elderly or in law enforcement?  What is your take on the series?

TEENS REACT TO NINTENDO (NES) Video and Commentary

You know, just watching this video below makes me feel a little old (considering I was a little kid back in the 1980s and did have an nes system back then too.).  In this video, long story short, teenagers get to play classic Super Mario Bros on the nes and share their reactions to it.  Interestingly, I am not sure if any of them have played NES before.  Check out the video below







Commentary:

Ah, being in my 30's, this video showing teens the classic NES definitely brings back memories.  In case if you do not recall, long before the current generation game systems (Xbox One, PS4, and WII U) back in the late 1980s and early 1990's (before the Sega Genesis and SNES) there was the classic NES (though obviously game systems have changed dramatically since the 80's, especially now with the PS4 and Xbox One being the latest generation of game consoles).  I definitely like the reaction of the teens when they try out the old game system and I do remember that the NES was definitely the style back in the 80's and early 90's.  I still do have some retro games myself, such as the Mega Man Anniversary collection for the Xbox (which features Mega Mans 1-8 along with Mega Man power fighters 1 and 2) as well as Mega Mans 9 and 10, which are 8 bit in that incarnation (despite being for the xbox 360).  Here is a list of games I had when I had (or played) the NES:

- Battletoads - argurably one of the best and yet hardest games of all time.  Boy if you though the Turbo Tunnel level was hard (level 3), that level was just the beginning as the game was 12 levels long, with each level getting progressively tougher than the last, especially from level 7 on.  Game Genie is almost a must have if you want to beat the entire game given the limited lives and continues.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
- Super Mario 1 and 3 (don't have 2)
- Rescue Rangers
- 1943
- Duck Tales
- Castlevania 2 Simons quest (though my favorite castlevanias are Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, Dracula X, Symphony of the Night, and harmony of despair).
- Contra
- Mega Mans 1-6 (my favorites were probably Mega Man 3 and 4).
- and others

By the way, the above video is not the only video showing kids reacting to NES era stuff.  I will share other videos over time.  By the way, you know what I thought was funny about the above video: Mario dying in level 1 considering that level is just the beginning.  I think my favorite Mario games were Mario 3, Super Mario World, Mario 64 and New Super Mario Bros wii.

What did you think of the NES era?  Especially in the light of current gen game systems.

Bonus content: Teens Reacting to classic mega man:
  

Introducing my new GTA Online Character: Uncle Steve

Well, I was finally able to get my Xbox Live account working with the help of my father.  Anyways, I have started a new game and career on GTA 5 Online.  Let me introduce you to my new character, which I dubbed: Uncle Steve (was trying to be creative with names and thought that name looked cool).

Did a "selfie" of my character

Interestingly, there was nobody else online last night so I pretty much had the GTA Online mode to myself and was able to explore the map and try out the online features.  It is also worth noting that this character will replace the character I had on the Xbox 360 version of the game (even if I wanted to resume that version of the game, I traded it in at gamestop and got the Xbox One version in its place).

Stay tuned for the latest updates.

Here are some other pictures I have taken so far:

Siberian huskies at a dog park north of Los Santos.  Yes: sibes do exist in this version of the game and can often be found at parks like this one.

Saw the new Power Rangers short film today - my thoughts

Hey everyone.  In this post, I thought I would share with you the New Power Rangers short film on Youtube.  You can watch the film there.  Warning - this video is rated R and may be offensive to some.  Here is the original video if you want to watch it.  Interestingly, the film was temporarily taken down, but it appears that the film maker was allowed to repost it.  Note: the film is listed as "adult content" (as a part of the agreement the poster had with Bandai / Saban)


My Commentary of the film

In case if you don't know, the creators of the Power Rangers franchise are planning to do a reboot movie of the the MMPR franchise which is supposed to take the series back to its roots (back in the 1990s' incarnation where Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd were the main villians and you had the original characters: Tommy, Jason, Triny, Zack, Billy, and Kimberly as the power rangers), which will definitely be a first since the 1990s.  Anyways, there was a fan made short film of the original franchise and I thought I would talk about it.  The short film is definitely not canon in my opinion (completely different from the original series) with the franchise set sometime in a distant future New World order style system where the Rangers take on an evil empire called the Machine Empire (not to be confused with the Machine Empire from Power Rangers Zeo).  In the film, it appears the rangers were defeated in a battle against a corrupt NWO style government known as the Machine Empire and Kimberly (who is a blonde type unlike her counterpart in the original series) is being interrogated by the secret police (I won't spoil the film).  The film is definitely much darker than the original version but has a little bit more action and drama.

Things I liked about the film:
- Futuristic look (the graphics at the beginning of the film remind me of those in the Halo franchise)
- New actors portraying the original characters
- Different take to the saga.
- I definitely liked the acting style
- New villians: instead of the rangers taking on monsters from Rita or Zedd, they take on an evil empire in a New World Order style world (where there is a global dictatorship).

Negative aspects:
- Definitely more violent and dark than the original
- The fact that it was taken down today.  It looks like I just made it before the film was taken down since it was taken down shortly after I watched it.
- Not quite the same as the original franchise.
- Power Rangers (at least the original version) dieing is definitely not canon in my opinion.

Interesting tidbits after watching the film:
- Machine Empire (the empire listed in the short film): this was a real empire in the franchise, at least during the Power Rangers Zeo series.  The real Machine Empire were the main antagonists during the Power Rangers Zeo season (bridges the gap between Alien Rangers and Power Rangers Turbo), lead by King Mondo.  They replaced Rita and Zedd during much of the Power Rangers Zeo series while Rita and Zedd were on the run from them on the moon.  Eventually the Machine Empire was defeated by the rangers (indirectly with help from Rita and Zedd I might add), though by the time Power Rangers Turbo aired, another villain replaced the Machine Empire (namely Divatox and her minions).

Picture of King Mondo from Power Rangers Zeo (image source: rovang.wikispaces.com, appears that the website was taken down).

- Interestingly many of the original rangers including: Kimberly, Triny, Jason and Zack all left the show before the events of Power Rangers Zeo took place.  If you remember, Jason, Triny and Zack all left the show around the midpoint of Season 2 after being picked for the "world peace conference" which apparently happened as a result of a pay dispute between the actors and film makers, which is somewhat understandable in my opinion.  According to the IMDB, the actors and actresses would often put in very long hours, sometimes day and night almost every day (poor fellas, I wonder when they are able to sleep or have days off) and were only paid minimum wage (you would think actors and actresses would have made significantly more being in the show and all especially by being the star in the film).  Their characters would be replaced by Rocky, Adam and Aisha as a result, though it appears Aisha left the show shortly before Power Rangers Zeo.  Though Jason does make a brief return about midway through Power Rangers Zeo as the gold ranger  and was on the show once again for a while before leaving the series once again at the end of the Zeo season (before PR Turbo aired).  He also briefly appeared in the Power Rangers Turbo movieas one of Divatox's (the new series antagonist during the PR Turbo series) hostages in the Power Rangers Turbo Movie (she wanted to sacrifice him and Kimberly to a weird volcanic monster that appears towards the end of the film).
- Amy Jo Johnson (aka Kimberly) left the show about midway through season 3 (taking up gymnastics on a full time basis) and was replaced by Katherine (Catherine Sutherland).  Interestingly she is only mentioned once in Power Rangers Zeo when Kim sends Tommy a "Dear John letter" (which is basically a letter informing Tommy that she wanted to break up and just be friends), effectively ending their relationship permanently (probably as a result of Amy leaving the show).  Interestingly, like Jason, Kimberly makes one more appearance in the Power Rangers Turbo Movie as another hostage of Divatox before leaving the series once again afterwards.  Not sure if she makes any more appearances afterwards.
- Billy and Tommy return on Power Rangers Zeo, with Billy more as a support character than a ranger and he leaves the show before the end of the Zeo series.
- Kimberly as a dumb blonde type?! In the Power Rangers Short film, Kimberly (the pink ranger) is portrayed as blonde type.  Interestingly, according to the trivia page as well as Amy Jo Johnson's panel discussion at the Lexington comic con (see youtube video below) for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, when Saban started doing auditions for the original show Amy's character was originally supposed to be portrayed as a "stereotypical dumb blonde" type, possibly as a comic relief style character, much like Bulk and Skull were (probably the same iq level as them if I had to guess and those guys were definitely the idiot types in the series almost like Beavis and Butthead in many ways).  Though obviously her role eventually ended up being the much wiser California / Valley girl type (Valley Girl, California girl, what is the difference?).  The short film seems to go with the original idea and make her more of a dumb blonde type.  Thought that I would point that out.          

- The Machine Empire in this version of events reminds me of the New World Order style government that will likely appear in the tribulation era (presumably lead by the Antichrist during the 7 years leading up to Christ's return, at least from Christian stand point).  It features the rangers going up against a corrupt global dictatorship with corrupt government agents replacing the "putties".  Many conspiracy theroists think there will be a NWO style dictatorship someday.  When and how such as global dictatorship comes about is yet to be know, though most likely it will probably appear during the end time events (at least in Christian perspective) with the Antichrist leading it.
- Even though this is only a fan film, it does seem to mark the first new incarnation of Power Rangers to bring back all of the original characters (Zack, Billy, Jason, Triny, Kimberly, and Tommy), portrayed by new actors.  We will probably see that again when the Power Rangers Reboot movie comes out next year.  Up till now older characters are usually replaced by new ones with different names (such as Jason being replaced by Rocky, Triny being replaced by Aisha and later Tanya, Kimberly replaced by Katherine, and all of the other changes over the years).    

- Interestingly, Jason David Frank (the original Green Ranger) made a comment about the video.  You can see his take at: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/power-rangers-green-ranger-actor-777984 (apparently he wasn't too wild about it to say the least).  Apparently, the other actors and actresses offered their takes as well.  You can read the article at http://www.slashfilm.com/power-rangers-short-film-reactions-controversey/

  Well, that is all for now.  What are your thoughts on the short film?  You know, the reboot version of the show is supposed to come out next year sometime.  Who all is looking forward to that?  Feel free to leave comment below or like and share this post.  

Introducing Game of War Fire Age for the iOS phone and Android Phone (sponsored post)

He fellow gamers.  Do any of you like real time strategy war games, such as Age of Empires, Command and Conquer, Rome Total War, etc?  I thought that I would share with you all a new game coming out for the Iphone and Android phone called, Game of War Fire Age.

Click here to get the iOS version

Click here to get the Android version.

Game of War is is supposed to be similar to Age of Empire where you can create your own civilization and conquer other civilizations in this real time strategy war game.  I don't have the game myself (don't have an iphone or android phone), but it looks pretty fun.  I know my brothers would probably like these games.  Currently the game is available for the iOS (I am assuming Iphones) and Android Phones.  Not sure if it is available for the Windows Phone at this time.

Here is a trailer for Game of War below that I found on Youtube:

Noteworthy Features of Game of War:

- Play and chat with millions of Online Players from around the world in 32 different languages – all in real-time. I used to play MMORPG games for a while online, including Earth 2025, Adventure Quest, Second Life, and Utopia and this game seems to expand on the MMORPG style game play.

- Be part of a Global Alliance where you can make friends, co-op with Alliance members & become the all-powerful King! Can be a good way to make friends, team up with people, etc. When it comes to online games, I don't recommend going at it alone (for example lone players tend to make easy targets for landgrabbers and people who like to attack newbies from personal experience in similar games). It is good to work with other gamers too.

- Train vast armies to lead into action packed battles & watch the fighting in real-time on the stunning World Map. Reminds me of Age of Empires and Command and Conquer that way.

- Attack & conquer the Wonder to become the King! Use your power to give special Titles to your Friends & Enemies in the Kingdom! Like many online games, you are competing to become the top gamer. Not sure if there are any prizes to be won for top players like some games do, but it can come with bragging rights.

- Talk & strategize with your Alliance & friends in Chat – Alliance Chat, 1-on-1 Chat, or Chat with the Entire World. Can be useful for connecting with fellow players easily.

- Team up & join Forces with friends or smack-talk & burn your enemies!

- Forge diplomatic alliances to Conquer enemies & become the most POWERFUL Alliance in the Kingdom! Like in Age of Empires, alliances can be very useful to have, especially when going up against powerful enemies.

- Build & Customize your Empire - Upgrade buildings, walls & weapons to strengthen your Empire.

- Train, level-up and deck out your Hero – Craft legendary weapons and embed them with powerful Gems to rise above the competition!


Well, that is all for now. I haven't tried the game out myself yet, but if they do make a version for the Windows Phone, I will be sure to check it out.

Want to try out the game? You can get the apps at the following links below:

Click here to get the iOS version

Click here to get the Android version.

What is your experience with Game of War? Feel free to share your thoughts below.