The Sinking City Studio & Nacon Are Fighting Over “Pirated” Steam Release [Update]

Update [4th March 2021]: Nacon has made a public response. The story is updated with the latest.
Adventure game The Sinking City is getting quite a bit of buzz as of late, but for different and legal reasons.
Previously, there was a contractual dispute that happened between the game’s developer Frogwares and publisher Nacon, which resulted in the title being removed from most digital PC gaming storefronts back in 2020. At the start of 2021, the French court declared that Frogwares terminated its contract with the publisher unlawfully, thus the terms of the sale were restored and the game was on Steam again. It was halted soon after.
The Sinking City reappeared on Steam once again on 27th February last week. However, Frogwares put out a public “buyers beware” message and a subsequent video stating that the Steam version is not the same one released by the studio. Frogwares explained that Nacon allegedly “cracked and pirated The Sinking City” in order to re-release the game on Steam.
Here’s the long explanation. The video explanation is below, showing comparisons between the original master copy and the “cracked” version. Basically, Nacon allegedly decompiled the version meant for Gamesplanet via using a key to get around the Unreal Engine encryption system.

The post and video stated that neither Stam nor Gamesplanet are at fault; it directed its ire towards Nacon.

“Nacon has proved they are willing to do anything possible to serve their interest, including illegal actions.
They ignored the decision of the Justice and bypassed them, pirating The Sinking City in order to deceive their partners, Steam in the first place. There are long term damages we need to take care of, Nacon unpacked our data, stole our source code and used it.
Nacon can create a new version of The Sinking City using our assets; they can resell, reuse, recycle our content and our tools etc. We have to take the measure of what happened now and follow the best path on the legal side to prevent anything like this happening again.”

What Did Nacon Have To Say About This?
The publisher has made the following statement in response to these allegations.

“We regret that Frogwares persists in disrupting the release of the Sinking City. It’s easy to play the victim, but all we seek is that Frogwares respect its commitments both in the contract and as demanded by the courts. In regards to feedback on the release of the Sinking City on Steam, this is an official and complete version.
However, due to a lack of cooperation with Frogwares, we are unable to integrate Steam-specific features (cloud saving/achievements). Thus, this version contains only the base game, without any additional content. Despite this, we have organized the release so that fans on Steam can enjoy the game.”

Nacon also has made a public response, stating that the claims from Frogwares areÂ “unjust allegations” and asserting that it is “contractually the sole exclusive distributor of The Sinking City game on Steam.”

“By encouraging the gaming community via Twitter not to buy the game on Steam, Frogwares is once again sabotaging our investments in the game.”

The publisher has also stated that it has paid Frogwares â‚¬8.9 million (US$10.71 million), including royalties, financing of the game’s development, and full payment for the Steam version.
We’ll be keeping an eye on this story, since it’s still ongoing.


New No Time To Die Trailer Teases Epic Mission That Changes Everything

A new trailer for the latest (and 25th) James Bond movie, No Time To Die, has been released and it’s the most action-packed one yet.

In the new trailer, we get a better gist of what new antagonist Safin (Rami Malek) has in store for the world. It definitely sounds like genocide or eugenic cleansing of some kind, but we’ll only know for sure when the movie releases.
No Time To Die is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 12 November 2020.
In the meantime, check out the epic new trailer below:


You Can Now Preorder The Best-Looking Overwatch Mercy Figma

Hello, nurse! Overwatch’s best medic Mercy is going to be immortalized in lovely Figma action figure form; she’s available for pre-order right now according to Blizzard’s latest Overwatch tweet.

Did someone call a doctor?
Support your collection with this #Figma Mercy collectible. Pre-order yours today:
? https://t.co/mC7pi57s6p pic.twitter.com/fOH5qnn9WQ
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) February 7, 2019

The Figma will be retailing for US$90 and will ship by the end of Quarter 1 2020. It’s only a year’s worth of waiting, right?
In the meantime, bask yourself with her healing aura and afterglow with these official product pics.


Air Asia VTuber Aozora Kurumi Announces Graduation Next Month

On the noon of 4th of July, Project Kawaii by Air Asia announced on their Twitter the graduation of their first ever Vtuber Idol, Aozora Kurumi.
This has shocked many of her fans as it comes shortly after her return from hiatus on the 1st of July in the same week. Kurumates (Kurumi’s fanbase) were saddened by the sudden news but also respects and remains supportive of her decision.

ANNOUNCEMENT: @AozoraKurumi's graduation on 7th August 2022. Read more pic.twitter.com/TiSUseIOXc
— Project Kavvaii (@projectkavvaii) July 4, 2022

Many fans replied to the Twitter post thanking her for the memories, reminiscing her fun-filled reactions on her gameplay livestreams, and sharing her beautiful voice such as with her cover of Doja Cat’s “Say So” in both English and Japanese on her Youtube channel.

@AozoraKurumi you’ll always be my number one vtuber. Sad but happy because it happened. So long Kurumi. ??? pic.twitter.com/BjrBSDVX43
— Dinieasna Dekdi (@dekdiii) July 4, 2022

Wait .. please tell me this is just a bad dream…what happen pic.twitter.com/6wJbAGRc41
— DzComix Corner (@DzSakura1) July 4, 2022

wha…kurumi-boo… ?? thank you for everything… pic.twitter.com/uYKzZnTjeu
— Hanniroh Momoko ??? (@hanniroh) July 4, 2022

But we can only respect her wishes pic.twitter.com/0kQoGmDK2A
— Blooming Blossom ?? (@Blooming_Blsm) July 4, 2022

Project Kawaii noted that content on her channel and social media accounts will remain public while her Streamlabs tip page and Youtube membership will be up until the 9th of August 2022. In the remaining few weeks of her Vtuber activities, Kurumi will also release her last song cover.
Aozora Kurumi will hold her graduation and final stream on the 7th of August 2022. Kurumi will also do her Graduation Announcement stream, giving the opportunity to her beloved Kurumates for a Q&A Session regarding anything between her future plans or reading out sweet and warm wishes from fans. Head on over to her Youtube channel to catch her stream later tonight at 8:00PM (GMT+8) or 9:00PM (JST).

Let’s all wish Aozora Kurumi a happy graduation on her last stream and all the best to her future endeavors!


Man Gets Shot Over Stolen Diablo 2 Loot

Some folks are taking stolen digital property in an action RPG a wee bit too far.
Over in the US of A, a person by the name of Joshua G.Spellman was accused of second-degree murder over a Diablo 2-related dispute (via The Columbian). The 36-year old allegedly shot and killed 34-year old Andrew Dickson because of a heated argument involving an unprotected Diablo 2 room and stolen loot.
See, Spellman, Dickson, and a third person were playing Diablo 2 together. Both of them were playing the game from separate places on the same property in Washington, communicating via headset. Dickson was upset because a random player entered the game and stole a piece of loot the party hasn’t collected. The game apparently wasn’t password-protected, which led to Dickson cursing at Spellman.
Spellman said the rant went on for three to five minutes, with him telling Dickson to calm down or he was going to get shot. Probably fed up with all this, Spellman took his gun from behind his computer and went to the main house on the property. Spellman fired the gun into the air before entering the house. He spoke to Dickson’s father before Dickson came into the picture. Dickson “closed the distance” between the two before Spellman shot him.
Dickson was shot in the torso. He went through surgery but died from his injuries in the hospital. As of this point in writing, Spellman is requested to be held on a US$2 million bail, stating that he should be reprimanded for shooting someone and killing them over a “seemingly minor incident”. The arraignment will be done on 29th December.
Moral of the story? Do double-check if your Diablo 2 rooms are password-protected, and make sure it’s not “password” or “guest”.


The Latest Fire Emblem For Switch Is Part Chess, Part Persona

Nintendo strategy fans have one more week until they can get their hands on Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Based on the most recent build of the game, the game is shaping up to be living up to its traditional turn-based combat mixed in with a huge number of elements from Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series, at least when it comes to interacting with the denizens in this world.
Fans will definitely find a lot that’s new and familiar. For starters, instead of being a general for an army, you play a teacher who gets to pick between three factions to tutor, grooming their military future through battles. At the same time, you also talk to your students to bond with them while also courting rival factions to your cause during the school phase of the game. And for some reason, you have a magical green-haired girl living in your head who tells you about dark times ahead. Pretty anime if you ask us.
Let’s explain how the latest Nintendo strategy RPG takes the best of both worlds and schools of thought.
Not-Quite-Auto Chess

Combat in FE3H is like chess but with a ton of units involved and a weapon triangle system. It is elegant in its delivery, with even more pizazz and wow added to its results and damage-dealing. The main crux of Fire Emblem: Three Houses is its weapon abilities, character abilities, and combat arts. Your characters can learn weapon abilities via weapon mastery; you do this by teaching him/her about that weapon during the teaching phase of the game, or have him/her use it on the field. You can also learn abilities for a specific character class as you and your students master that class, though you can only do this during combat.
Speaking of weapon triangle system, as your students gain mastery at certain types of weapons, they’ll sometimes earn abilities that make them stronger against particular weapons. Some axe-wielders can get an ability called Lancebreaker, which will help them against their affinity weakness, especially in an upcoming battle where you know you’ll face a lot of enemy lance users.
Skills For Kills

Character abilities are passive. You don’t need to do anything special to trigger them; just equip them. Certain healers in the game can learn powerful abilities like Miracle as you use them more often; this lets you survive attacks that reduce your life to zero, but at the cost of just having 1HP remaining. You only have five slots per character, so you need to think long and hard on whether you need certain abilities during a particular skirmish. Within 10 hours or so, every character you have will have more than 5 passives, so you’re spoilt for choices.
And then we come full circle with Combat Arts: powerful special moves that help tilt the battle to your favour at the cost of breaking your weapon faster. Moves like Curved Shot allow bow users to hit targets farther than usual while Helm Splitter lets you axe-wielders get a damage bonus against armoured units. The weapon durability system is thankfully not as annoying as the one in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You can still attack with your broken weapon, but your attack values are significantly lowered and you are more prone to counterattacks. Cheaper weapons have about 30 uses before they’re inactive, while expensive ones have more. Don’t worry; you’ll get a blacksmith later in the game so your weapons can be in tip-top condition.
A Ton Of New Tools
Fire Emblem: Three Houses also brings in more awesome abilities in your main character’s favour. Your teacher character can use Relics, which are super-powerful weapons that can usually kill enemies with one hit. They’re super-limited in use, but you can recharge them during the school portion of the game. You can bring Battalions into the fray, which are extra attacks you can call upon mid-battle for your characters. These “extra attacks” can either boost your team’s ranged attacks or set them ablaze, or just heal adjacent characters.
And unlike real chess with real people, you can undo your moves in case you made a mistake. You do this by using the Time Pulse, which lets you turn back time during a battle in case you made an error in movement or judgment. This can be useful, especially in battles where you can earn extra Relics and Battalions by keeping certain characters alive long enough in battle. Battles in FE3H can get pretty gruelling and tough, so having this handy-yet-limited option of turning back time is a godsend.
Social Justice

So remember all that friend-making nonsense in Persona 5? Well, you now have to do that in FE3H. The first 10 hours of the game isn’t just turn-based combat, oh no. You’ll be bonding with your chosen faction and its members as you act as their teacher and mentor to shape their destiny. You even have a calendar filled with duties, special events, and student birthdays to keep track of so that you can maximize what you can do for each day. Each week, you will either perform group activities to improve house bonds, set learning goals so that your characters can change troop class during exams and even personally tutor certain characters and students.
You even get free days where you can explore the monastery you’re teaching in, or even host mock tournaments for students. You can also organize seminars with guest lecturers to open up specialization possibilities or take your students out to the field to level up. Of course, you can’t do everything all at once; you will be given a set amount of points to spend on choices per week. Which means you need to make a balance between personal stat-buffing and party-building, just like that Atlus game with all the students and potential waifus.
Speaking of which, while purists are complaining that the game is suddenly into a waifu/husbando simulator, let it be known that it started evolving into that archetype since Fire Emblem: Awakening. FE3H continues that tradition with its plethora of characters and heroes, from the eight students in each House to the teachers and monastery knights roaming the hallowed hallways.
House Rules
So far, FE3H is taking lessons from the Persona series in fleshing out the party-building and social elements in its fantasy strategy trope moreso than past entries. This new direction is definitely refreshing and builds upon the template set by Fire Emblem: Awakening, though we do hope the later parts of the game gets deeper and more fleshed out than the first 10 hours.
As fun as it was conversing and mingling with your entourage, it does feel like extra busy-work when you’re obligated to bring someone out because he/she is a lancer in need of special training instead of him/her being an interesting party member to be with. At the very least, the classic turn-based combat fans know and love is still intact, albeit with much-needed refinements.
FE3H launches next Friday, 26 July, for the Nintendo Switch.


Two Point Campus Leaked On The Microsoft Store

The Microsoft Store has published an official product page for an unannounced game. That game is Two Point Campus, a new university management game from publisher Sega and developer Two Point Studios, best known for Two Point Hospital.

It is currently listed for Xbox platforms and PC. However, it’s worth pointing out that Two Point Hospital is also available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, so it’s certainly possible that Two Point Campus will also be available on those other platforms as well.
According to the product page, players will be able to develop their own delightfully educational campus environment, housing the top teaching facilities in the land. What’s interesting is that students in Two Point County (that’s the name of the university) enjoy a range of wild and wonderful courses: from Knight School (hey, we all have to learn jousting at some point in our lives), to the salivatory Gastronomy, where your students will build mouth-watering concoctions like giant pizzas and enormous pies.
You can also build libraries, hire the best staff (from eccentric professors to madcap researchers), kit your campus out with the best courses and watch the academic potential of your students get unlocked. You will also get to know your students, explore their individual personalities, wants, and needs.
There’s no release date yet, but this game will likely be announced either during Summer Game Fest or E3 2021.


You Can Now Team Up With Danny Trejo In Far Cry 6

Ubisoft has announced that Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon Classic Edition will launch today, on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game will be available as a standalone purchase or free as part of the Far Cry 6 Season Pass. On PC, Season Pass holders will receive the original 2013 game.Â
In Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, players jump into a 1980s-style, retro-futuristic open-world in which Earth has been ravaged by a nuclear war. As Sergeant Rex Colt, a state-of-the-art Mark IV Cyber Commando, players take on the mission to save humanity from the threat of an army of rampaging killer cyborgs, mutated scientists, metal sharks and vicious Blood Dragons that shoot lasers from their eyes.
Concurrently to the release of Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon Classic Edition, Far Cry 6 continues to be regularly updated with new content. Starting today, Far Cry 6 players will be able to team up with Danny Trejo in two free missions playable solo or in two-player co-op:

â€œDanny & Dani vs Everybodyâ€, a new Yaran story in which players will need to prevent AntÃ³n Castilloâ€™s forces from blowing up Dannyâ€™s plan to come to Yara to make his world-famous tasty tacos to feed the hungry.Â
The sixth and final Special Operation, â€œMalaguaâ€. Upon completing the mission â€œDanny & Dani vs Everybodyâ€, Trejo returns a favour by joining players to help students protesting the AntÃ³nâ€™s military â€“ who is deploying the chemical weapon (PG-240X) in Yara.

Players will also get access to the Danny Trejo Bundle giving them access to new themed gear to customize their characters with, including Trejoâ€™s signature real-life outfit and taco truck.Â
Led by Ubisoft Toronto, Far Cry 6 is an open-world first-person shooter that plunges players into the heart of a modern-day guerrilla revolution. On the island of Yara, President AntÃ³n Castillo vows to restore his nation to its former glory while grooming his son Diego to follow in his footsteps. Yet, paradise comes at a cost and enriching his country means subjugating those who donâ€™t follow his vision. Players will take up the cause to liberate Yara as Dani Rojas â€“ a local Yaran and military dropout â€“ tries to escape Yara but ends up joining the revolutionary group, Libertad. As Dani, players will experience the adrenaline and chaos of â€œresolverâ€ guerrilla combat, Far Cry style, with the most creative and innovative arsenal yet.Â Â
Far Cry 6 is available worldwide on PS54, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC through the Ubisoft Store and the Epic Games Store. Throughout the holiday season, discounts up to 40 percent will be applied to Far Cry 6â€™s Standard, Gold and Ultimate editions across all digital stores.
In the meantime, you can check out our review of Far Cry 6 by heading over here.


Overwatch 2 “Actioned” For Cheating, Or At Least Playing With Cheaters

Talk about no mercy. Blizzard may have attracted over 40 million players old and new for its multiplayer shooter Overwatch 2, but a number of them are not playing nice and fair it seems.
Blizzard has mentioned on its latest update that not only has it been developing tech to discourage disruptive voice chat that contains abusive language and context, but it’s also taking aim at halting inappropriate content in custom games (like sexual harassment simulators). The biggest takeaway here? Blizzard has “actioned” over 50,000 accounts for cheating over launch and even targeting players who go along and associate themselves with cheaters.
“Players who knowingly group up with cheaters are looking to take the same advantage as those who use cheats themselves, including boosting their accounts to skill levels they would not normally belong in with their own skill.”
Blizzard will be taking action against cheaters and other disruptors of Overwatch 2, but implores players to report, report, report. The company is more likely to take action against behaviour when it’s reported.


Dragon’s Dogma 2 Announced

Finally, after 10 long years, we’re getting a sequel to the beloved action RPG Dragon’s Dogma.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is officially announced during Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma 10th Anniversary video. Director Hideaki Itsuno talks about Dragon’s Dogma’s history, before finally pulling out a t-shirt to reveal that he and his team are working on a sequel. He will have Dragon’s Dogma veteran devs Daigo Ikeno and Kenichi Suzuki joining him. They will share more information in the future.

No release date or platform has been announced yet.


Fake NFT Project Involving Mega Man “Father” Keiji Inafune Has Shut Down

NFT Project dubbed “Beastroid” claiming feature artwork from Mega Man artist and Mighty No. 9 creator Keiji Inafune was shut down.
Earlier today news broke that Mega Man artist and Might No. 9 creator Keiji Inafune was working on an NFT collection labelled “Beastroid” (via VGC).
It was discovered that there was a countdown website via a Japanese NFT marketplace called PolkaFantasy claiming that Inafune has designed his very first futuristic NFT collection.
The project has since been taken down from PolkaFantasy along with the website hosting a countdown to the alledged release date.
This was later debunked by Twitter user and Mega Man enthusiast, @Protodude who had early broke the original claim.

About 99.9% confirmed Inafune has NO involvement with this project.
His copyright appears nowhere on the site, his typical message to fans is absent, and the Japanese text portion is ripped verbatim from his Japan Game Creators' Guild profile. https://t.co/WixMbPrzHv pic.twitter.com/2yOlWu7m5Z
— Brian (@Protodude) May 17, 2022

For those curious the original site claimed that this was going to be Inafune’s first of multiple NFT collections.
“Beastroid Vol 001 is Inafune-san’s first futuristic NFT collection integrated with incredible utilities. As he is stepping foot in the Metaverse, PolkaFantasy is proud to present the official debut of the robo-revolution collection on its brand new Marketplace 2.0.” (Translations via Nintendo Life)
Furthermore, the site featured a roadmap claiming that there was going to be over 2,600 different Beastroids to feature as NFTs.
Owners would also be able to “explore the nfinite potential” of these NFTs (not really sure what they were implying) along with having the privilege of meeting the legendary artist himself through various social events related to the NFT project.
The last time Inafune was making headlines was in regards to the unfortunate release Might No. 9 which was underwhelming received by audiences. There were also performance problems and it was eventually revealed “zero progress” was made for the mobile version.
Now this must have you itching to see what the NFTs’ looked like right? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered. The now nonexistent collection wore its inspiration on its sleeves as the Mega Man aesthetic was as clear as day.


Samsung To Unveil More New Gaming Tech This April

Samsung will be hosting an Unbox & Discover 2023 livestream, where the company will be showing a bunch of new tech. These include new gaming TV and monitor lineups, Neo QLED 8K and OLED TV setups, and a ton more.
“Samsung will reveal the latest role of screen experiences and innovations while bringing unrivalled usability to users’ daily lives. Providing utmost convenience and seamless connectivity with its new ecosystem, the event will feature Samsung’s Vision, ESG Keynote, SmartThings Lifestyle, Neo QLED 8K & OLED TV lineup, Gaming TV and Monitor Keynotes.”
Details on the livestream are below.
Date: 12 April
Time: 9pm GMT+8
Link: Samsung Malaysia @ Facebook and YouTube

For more Samsung gadget reviews, head here.


Here’s How You Can Get Arnold Schwarzenegger As A Commander In World Of Tanks

Wargaming originally released a World Of Tanks video featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger last week, but now we know the full details of what that means. Players can actually obtain the legendary actor and former Governor Of California as a tank commander in the game.
Starting from 9 December 2021 to 10 January 2022, Holiday Ops 2022 will offer players a traditional set of recreations, an enticing decoration quest and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get Arnie himself as their tank commander.

Here’s how you can do that:
Everything starts in the Garage. Here, players will instantly get their first present (theÂ brand-newÂ T3Â Convertible, aÂ Tier III PremiumÂ AmericanÂ medium) and will receive special Missions from Arnie. Each day a new mission will be revealed and thereâ€™s a total of 32 to complete.
Upon completing 27 of them, the player will get Arnold Schwarzenegger as a commander. And this is the only way to recruit the action hero who comes withÂ aÂ voiceover recorded by the man himself, which includes some of Arnoldâ€™s most iconic phrases! Additionally, Arnold comes trained with three skills (Sixth Sense, Repairs, and Brothers in Arms as a zero perk).

Each successful mission will bring Small Boxes and Holiday Stamps. Small Boxes contain Shards for players to craft Standard and Large Decorations in the Decorider. This year, Standard Decorations will beÂ of equal value, some of them containingÂ easter eggs from Arnoldâ€™s acting career.
The more embellishments, the more Festive Atmosphere Points and the higher the Festive Atmosphere Level.Â Holiday Post allows players to send parcels with Small Boxes to their friends by amassing Holiday Stamps. Their generosity will pay off: exchanging these parcels will bring senders special rewards.

In a statement, Arnold Schwarzenegger said:
â€œWorld of Tanks proves better than anything else that nothing is beyond reach for a person who has the desire, determination, and dexterity to get it. So, start your engines, commanders, and donâ€™t miss a moment of Holiday Ops 2022!â€
In the meantime, check out the trailer with details below:


Be A Pirate With These One Piece Puma Shoes

Puma is collaborating with popular anime and manga One Piece for a new lineup of kicks and sneakers. These shoes look shiny enough to be pieces of treasure themselves, worth the grab for any pirate or fan of the franchise. Let’s take a look at them below.
The first is the Thousand Sunny-themed Cell Endura.

The other one literally looks like it’s made of gold doubloons.

According toÂ Kai-YouÂ (via Kotaku) the shoes go on sale in Japan on 11 October 2019 and priced at 19,800 yen or roughly RM776+. Stay tuned on the official website here.


You Can Create Your Own DC FanDome Avatars & Selfies

With justÂ 3 days to go before DC FanDome – the ultimate DC fan experience, explodes on your screens, here’s what you can do to hype yourself up before the main event this weekend.
DC FanDome Selfie Station

https://fb.watch/8APEbG30S0/
This is a SUPER COOL way to create your very own DC FanDome selfies and post them on your social platforms!

https://www.facebook.com/DCAsiaOfficial/videos/274770911176150/
DC FanDome Avatar

https://notsosecretorigins.dcfandome.com/
Another FUN activity where you can create your very own DC FanDome avatar and post it on your social platforms

Here’s an example of my avatar:

Don’t miss all the action LIVE from 12 Midnight, Sunday, 17 October 2021!
Catch the main show at:

DCFANDOME.COMÂ OR
YouTube.com/DCAsiaOfficial

For more details and information on what to expect, head on over here.


Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Battle-Damaged Darth Vader Gets The Hot Toys Treatment

Hot Toys has announced the Deluxe Version of the 1/6th scale Darth Vader collectible figure from Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Following a brutal battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar that nearly killed him, Darth Vader is restored under the watchful eye of his new master, Darth Sidious. Vader becomes fully consumed by the dark side of the Force and is on the hunt for Obi-Wan…
The collectible figure is meticulously crafted with a battle-damaged helmet revealing the scarred head sculpt of the former Anakin Skywalker equipped with rolling eyeball function allowing positionable eyeline, battle damaged chest control panel, LED light-up belt boxes, LED light-up Lightsaber, an interchangeable lightsaber blade emulating the weapon in motion, a pair of Third Sister’s lightsabers, and a rocky diorama base!
In addition, this Deluxe Version includes an interchangeable Darth Vader helmet head, chest control panel, and an additional LED light-up figure base! A Special Edition available in selected markets will offer a Grand Inquisitor hologram miniature and holoprojector as bonus items exclusively for collectors.
Earlier this month, we also received our first look at the new 1/6th scale Obi-Wan Kenobi collectible figure (check out the full story here).
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, we were given the opportunity to interview none other than the former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and current Dark Lord Of The Sith Darth Vader; Hayden Christensen himself.
Check out my breakdown of Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6 here.


TSM Signs All-Female Apex Legends Roster

After much controversy, TSM has finally taken a good step forward by signing an all-female Apex Legends team featuring renowned existing TSM content creator Janey.
TSM initially brought on Janey as a streamer on 28 June 2021, but with the recent announcement, she has transitioned from creating content to becoming a professional player. Along with her, TSM has also recruited Kornelia “Sabz” Zawistowska from Phoenix Legacy in EMEA, Isabella “Avuhlie” Rivera from the NA Pro League Qualifiers, and former ALGS Caster and Pro League player Laurice “GuhRL” Habibi to join the Apex Legends division.

One Apex pro team is good, but what about two? ?
Please welcome our four new Apex pros to the #TSM family!@ItzJaney @BearSabz@avuhlie @heyGuhRL pic.twitter.com/4ZGcvAjOE6
— TSM #TSM100 (@TSM) January 27, 2023

TSM’s recent addition of players to their Apex Legends division is a continuation of their expansion into the game, following the signing of Mikkel “Mande” Hestbek, a former professional player for SCARZ and winner of the EMEA ALGS Championship 2021, as a European content creator. With Sabz now joining as the second European player signed by the team in the past week, this marks a significant milestone for the North American organization.
The Vice President of Esports for TSM has clarified that the newly signed players will not be forming a team to compete in the ALGS due to various reasons. Janey will not be participating in competitions due to a lack of interest, Sabz will continue competing with Phoenix Legacy in EMEA, and Avuh and GuhRL are currently searching for a North American-based team to compete with. Despite this, TSM plans to continue competing together in community tournaments and creator events, such as the Celestial Cup and Twitchcon and will be highlighting the individual paths and tournament results of all the players even if they are not always playing together as a team.

TSM’s VP of Esports talks about the orgs recent signings pic.twitter.com/8kIb0nel7R
— Cutnoid (@Cutnoid) January 27, 2023

The response to TSM’s second roster has been very positive, with professional players and content creators emphasizing the significance of a top organization signing a female roster and expanding its reach into Apex Legends, especially as other teams such as G2 Esports, Cloud9, and Team Liquid are withdrawing from the competitive scene entirely. TSM is continuing to establish its presence in the Apex Legends scene through the ALGS and community tournaments and is setting a high benchmark for involvement in the Apex Legends scene.
This is on the back end of a lot of controversy surrounding TSM’s owner and former CEO Andy “Reginald” Dinh alongside the org’s affiliation with crypto company FTX who are also under a lot of fire at the moment. This move is not only massive for TSM’s reputation but more importantly, brings more attention to women in esports who are criminally underrepresented in the industry.


Here’s More Evil West Extended Gameplay Featuring Air Combos & Gun-Fanning

Developer Flying Wild Hog is known for making good action games, and Evil West looks like it’s going for that same acclaim. Only this time, you play an armed-to-the-teeth cowboy who can juggle bad guys with his six shooter(s).
Check out the extended gameplay & key features below, featuring a lot of action and a good-enough reason to keep an eye out for this game: it’s looking like a high-octane third-person action game with cowboys, blood, guns, and twirly Wild West mustaches.
Key features

Battle alone or with a friend in stylish, gory action combat.
Myths and legends retold within a stylized, weird wild west universe.
Evolve with perks, upgradable weapons, and tools.
Explore and fight through a story-driven campaign to save America.

Evil West will be out on 20th September for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC, PS5, and PS4.


EA Gamechangers Program Now Open To Southeast Asia

In another bout of offering up-and-coming YouTubers, Twitch streamers, and other content creators early access to their games for free publicity, EA has now opened up its EA Gamechangers program to our corner of the world: Southeast Asia.
Here’s the official PR blurb describing EA Gamechangers:
Game Changers is EAâ€™s community partnership program that fuses content creators and expert players directly into the game development process enabling early collaborative feedback for improvements. We also empower innovative storytelling by granting creators early access to gameplay capture.
Like we said; free marketing. If you’re a cynic who hates EA games and their annualization practices, you’ll most likely think this to be a not-so-worthy fair trade. But in this land where editorial-type videos and content are up for grabs free of charge, and if you’re the kind of guy who wants to up his content-making game, you should at least give this a shot.
The EA Gamechangers will offer:

Training events for YouTubers, Twitch streamers, and other folks that teach them all about editing and streaming.
Early and unparalled access to EA’s content, dev team stuff, real-life events, and a chance to impact their games.

If this sounds like something up your alley, hit EA up atÂ APAC_GC@ea.com.


Flash Vision To Host Fighting Game Tournament This November

Miss the fighting game offline scene? Well, Flash Vision has the next best thing: a major online fighting game tournament.
The fighting game group will be hosting the upcoming FV Major X Level Up KL 2021 fighting game tournament from 20th to 28th November; a nice long week of 2D tournament fighting among Malaysia’s best. The tournament registration is free and sports a grand total prize pool of RM20,000.
Here are the details:

Date: 20th, 21st, 27th, and 28th November
Time: 11am
Venue: Online
Games In Tournament: Street Fighter 5, Tekken 7, Guilty Gear Strive, The King of Fighters XIV
Registration Link: https://esports.mydcf.my/fightgames
Good luck, have fun! Tournament rules & details are below:

1. Tournament is open for all Malaysians.

2. Tekken 7 and Guilty Gear Strive tournament will be run on Steam. KOFXIV will be run on PlayStation. Street Fighter 5 can be accessed on both Steam and PlayStation.

3. As the tournament will be conducted online, all participants must make sure that their connection is stable enough for a match to take place.

4. All tournaments will be in a double-elimination format.
a. All participants must be connected using a wired connection. No wifi connection please.
b. No wireless connection will be allowed.
c. Marshalls will have the right to determine whether the connection is deemed stable enough for a match to proceed.

5. Marshalls may disqualify any player not adhering to the rules stated above.


The Best Films & TV Shows Of 2020 So Far [Updated]

Originally published on 10th July. Updated with video.Â
We’re halfway through the year of 2020, and we’ve already been hit by calamities such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This affected the entertainment industry, with lots of content and events being delayed or cancelled altogether. However, that’s not to say that there wasn’t anything good at all from January to June 2020.
Let’s check out out some of our favourite movies and TV shows from the past six months.

Harley Quinn Season 2

When the Harley Quinn animated series was first announced, I was sceptical about how it was going to turn out, due to how tame the live-action portrayals of the character has been in both 2016’s Suicide Squad and 2020’s Birds Of Prey.
Imagine my pleasant surprise when it turned out to be one of the best shows of the year. Season 2 of the show came out in April 2020, only two months after the end of the first season, and I was blown away by the batshit crazy antics featured in the show.
It makes full use of its R-rating, with gratuitous swearing and violence that complements all the amazing jokes and gags. There have also been plenty of scenes from the show that has gone viral on social media, such as Robin asking Batman about sex and an entire musical sequence that parodies the “Under The Sea” song from Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Despite all that, the relationship between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy is a definite highlight, giving emotional weight to the series as well. This is perfect for DC Comics fans and fans of Harley Quinn alike. This version of the character is pure Harley Quinn in all her glory as Paul Dini and Bruce Timm intended; not just trying to imitate Deadpool like in the comics or movies.
The Gentlemen

Guy Ritchie has been in a bit of a slump recently, with 2017’s King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword and Disney’s Aladdin in 2019. He’s always been best at making British crime movies, focusing on the seedy underbelly of the criminal underworld with all the weird accents and complex characters that come with it.
He made a triumphant return earlier this year with The Gentlemen, a masterful and brilliant crime movie. It’s extremely funny and thrilling, with compelling characters and a giant ensemble cast boasting the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Henry Golding, Colin Farrell, and more. It’s also got all the narrative twists and turns, red herrings and all, that you’d want in a crime movie like this.
You can check out our full review here.
The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man is the start of Universalâ€™s new effort and plans to remake and reimagine their classic movie monsters like Frankenstein and The Wolfman with standalone stories.
This classic has been updated to modern tastes; with the movie showcasing the real terror of trying to escape your abuser. This exploration of abuse in a horror lens is disturbing and distressing, but it makes for a great horror movie that’s more than a collection of cheap jump scares.
Combine that with Elisabeth Moss’ incredible but harrowing performance of abuse victim Cecilia Kass, and we have one of the standout horror sci-fi movies of recent times. Director and writer Leigh Whannell is no stranger to the horror genre too, considering that he wrote the first three Saw movies and the entire Insidious franchise.
You can check out our full review here.
Avenue 5 Season 1

This is probably one of the year’s most underrated comedies. Sci-fi comedies are rare, and it’s easy to see why; they’re difficult to pull off. You’ve got classics like Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Red Dwarf but in recent times, there have been little offerings, with the exception of perhaps the Rick And Morty animated series and similarly criminally-underrated The Orville by Seth McFarlane.
HBO debuted Avenue 5 earlier this year, starring comedy giants like Hugh Laurie of medical comedy House fame, Star Trek Voyager alum Ethan Philips, Josh Gad, and more. Admittedly, the first few episodes are rocky and all over the place, but the second half of its first season is where it sticks the landing.
Expect witty and sometimes even dark humour from Avenue 5; it’s a bumpy but fun cruise in space. You can now stream Avenue 5Â via HBO Go.
Hunters Season 1

Amazon Prime Video has been responsible for some of the biggest recent sleeper hits like 2019’s The Boys and reviving beloved sci-fi series like The Expanse. Now they’ve created a brand new original series,Â which is set in 1977 New York City, with legendary actor Al Pacino leading a band of vigilantes against the remnants of Nazis in hiding after World War 2.
If that doesnâ€™t sound like a crazy-ass intriguing premise for a series, I seriously donâ€™t know what is. This anti-Nazi Avengers team comprises of not only Al Pacino as the leader, but also an ensemble of famous stars you probably havenâ€™t seen for a while, such as Josh Radnor of How I Met Your Motherâ€˜s Ted fame and Logan Lerman, who is best known for the Percy Jackson movie adaptations.
Just like The Boys, Hunters features balls-to-the-walls violence and swearing. It’s not for easily-offended snowflakes, as it also depicts scenes set during the Holocaust, which may upset some.
Locke And Key Season 1

Locke And Key continues the trend of good comic book adaptations by Netflix, as it differentiates itself from other fantasy stories by featuring a realistic family with real issues trying to fix their broken lives while still reeling and grieving over the loss of a family member.
All of that is interspersed with sprinkles of horror and magical moments of fantasy, especially in scenes when the characters discover what each Key can do for the first time. However, one of the flaws of this adaptation is that it fails to reach the fantastical premise of the comics, which means that it feels somewhat toned down, probably to appeal to younger viewers as well.
You can check out our full review here.
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power Season 5

It is a testament to the brilliant work by showrunner Noelle Stevenson and the folks at Dreamworks Animation that they have managed to pack so much action, adventure, and complicated character dynamics into a total of 52 episodes in the span of only two years.
The best thing about She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power throughout its five seasons have always been the way that it manages to convey the emotional complexity of its characters. The best comparisons I can mention are to that of the redemption arcs of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
At least, you wonâ€™t feel horribly-cheated like many of us did with the conclusion of Netflixâ€™s other popular original animated series, Voltron: Legendary Defender. You can check out our full review here.
Superman Red Son

Superman Red Son is one of the most iconic Elseworlds DC Comics IP of all time. Back in 2003, Mark Millarâ€™s seminal comic book miniseries featured an intriguing premise; what if Kal-El/Supermanâ€™s shuttle crashed landed in Soviet Russia at the height of communism as a baby, instead of Kansas in the good old US of A?
It strives to prove that Superman fundamentally remains Superman at his core no matter the circumstances, whether that be under the flag of America, Russia, or any political entity/ideology.
While it might not be perfect (what is, really?), Superman Red Son is one of the most ambitious DC Comics animated adaptations yet, which makes for a compelling and memorable entry into its already-massive library. You can check out our full review here.
Pixar’s Onward

Onward came out just when the COVID-19 was beginning its full assault on the world, which means that not a lot of people managed to watch it in cinemas. It’s a shame that it was overshadowed by the pandemic, as despite not being as brilliant as the studio’s best works, it’s still an incredible animated movie in its own right.
Featuring a world inspired by fantasy and Dungeons And Dragons trappings, Onward is best when it focuses on the relationship between the two protagonist brothers Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt). It never reaches the emotional heights of Up or Coco, but Onward will still make some (especially those with brothers) to tear up during the climax.
Until Pixar’s Soul releases later this year, this will remain the year’s best animated feature film so far. Full review here.
Color Out Of Space

Need more H.P. Lovecraft adaptations in your life? You should check out Richard “Comeback After The Island of Dr. Moreau” Stanley’s adaptation of this short story. Nicholas Cage stars as a father, husband, and farmer who is trying his best to raise alpacas and grow tomatoes. A meteor crash-lands on his family’s rural property, and things go sideways from there.
We’ll say this: it’s well-paced, trippy, gross, and horrifying all at once. Recommended for fans who love films like 1982’s The Thing and 2016’s The Void.Â
The Vast of Night

What’s the best way for a director’s debut into the world of movie-making? Make something you love that explores a familiar genre in a different perspective. That’s what Andrew Patterson did with the retro sci-fi movie The Vast of Night.Â
The premise and setup may sound familiar, but its execution and delivery is smart and mesmerizing. This is all thanks to dazzling tracking shots and artistically dark scenes, and the strong authentic performances of its leads Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz. You haven’t lived until you’ve at least seen Andrew and his crew’s long-track shot that showcases the scope of the Southwestern town the show is set in.
Check it out on Amazon Prime.
Shirley

This fictional semi-real portrait of what it’s like to live under the roof of famed horror author Shirley Jackson is creepy, surreal, and tense in all the right places. This is all thanks to The Invisible Man’s Elisabeth Moss, who made a committed on-screen performance of the eccentric title character.
If you ever wondered how Shirley added bits about the claustrophobia of small village life and female group treachery in her books like We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House, this movie will give you a visual insight that’s about as accurate as it can get.
The Way Back

Ben Affleck shows us how to do an uplifting underdog basketball team story without being a typical underdog basketball story: have the focus be on the coach struggling with his path to redemption and away from his alcoholism.
The fact that this mirrors Affleck’s real-life drama and battle with his addiction makes his performance all the more personal and real. This film is also made possible with director Gavin O’ Connor and writer Brad Ingelsby’s fine balance in combining the previous story with a portrait of trauma and grief.
Beastars Season 1

Miss Zootopia? Wished it had an R rating? Then Beastars is your jam. Part of it is a love story between a tiny herbivore and a large-ass predator. The other part is a commentary on how two different races can co-exist, and how little things and some rule-breaking can lead to dissonance between the two as a whole.
A few worldbuilding issues aside, the animation and action beats make this 10-episode series worth tuning into.
Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 7

Even if you hate the Star Wars Prequels, we still have them to thank for the epicness that has been seven seasons of Star Wars The Clone Wars by Dave Filoni. This series probably lives up to the name Star WARS more than any other canon property in the franchise, depicting everything that actually happens in a war behind all the glory; the deceit, the horror, and the grit.
Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 7, which is the final season, may not be perfect (that whole Ahsoka adventure with the Martez sisters was unnecessary and pointless), but the final arc that concluded the entire series, the Siege Of Mandalore, was worth the years of waiting and the culmination of the Prequel era.
The four-episode Siege Of Mandalore arc is enough proof that this series is essential watching for any Star Wars fan worth their salt. Ahsoka Tano is the best character in all of Star Wars, and you’ll know why after watching Star Wars The Clone Wars.


Sega Genesis Mini Is Officially Coming To Southeast Asia

Epicsoft Asia has announced that it will officially be making the Sega Genesis Mini available in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Also known as the Sega Mega Drive Mini in the US and Europe, the retro console will be launching in SEA regions simultaneously worldwide on the same date on 19 September 2019.

Here are the prices for the Sega Genesis Mini in each Southeast Asian country:

Singapore: SGD119.90
Malaysia: RM359.00
Thailand: THB3,390
Indonesia: IDR1,499,000
Philippines: PHP4,590

The Sega Genesis Mini is 55 percent smaller than the original console. It comes with various replica ports, a sliding volume control, 2 USB-connected controllers with the classic 3-button layout, an HDMI Cable, and a Power Cable.
Here are all 42 pre-loaded games on the Sega Genesis Mini:

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Alisia Dragoon
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Columns
Comix Zone
Contra: Hard Corps
Darius
Dr. Robotnikâ€™s Mean Bean Machine
Dynamite Headdy
Earthworm Jim
Ecco the Dolphin
Eternal Champions
Ghouls â€˜n Ghosts
Golden Axe
Gunstar Heroes
Kid Chameleon
Landstalker
Light Crusader
Mega Man: The Wily Wars
Monster World 4
Phantasy Star 4: The End of the Millennium
Road Rash 2
Shining Force
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog Spinball
Space Harrier 2
Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition
Streets of Rage 2
Strider
Super Fantasy Zone
Tetris
Thunder Force 3
ToeJam & Earl
Vectorman
Virtua Fighter 2
Wonder Boy in Monster World
World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck

Pre-orders for the Sega Genesis Mini in Southeast Asia have started at all retail partners of Epicsoft Asia, but online pre-orders will only be open closer to the console’s launch date.


Locke And Key Is A Great Fantasy Teen Drama But Lacks Gory & Fantastical Elements From The Comics

Locke And Key continues the trend of great comic book adaptations by Netflix, as the streaming giant capitalizes on the booming genre by gobbling up the rights of any non-Marvel or DC property it could get its hands on. This time it’s based on the best-selling comic book series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez published by IDW Publishing.
In case you didn’t already know, Joe Hill is the son of famed horror maestro Stephen King. Hill proved that he was more than just descended from distinguished writing pedigree when he published the first issue of Locke And Key back in 2008.
Now showrunners Carlton Cuse, Meredith Averill and Aron Eli Coleite are adapting the popular comic book series after years of slumming in development hell. Just like Netflix successfully adapted The Umbrella Academy‘s bonkers bizarre premise, the trio has managed to bring Hill and Rodriguez’s iconic work to life.
A Little Of Everything

First, you should understand that the Locke And Key comics were more contemporary or urban fantasy rather than straight-up horror like any of Stephen King’s works or traditional fantasy like The Lord Of The Rings. The closest iconic property that I can probably compare it to is The Chronicles Of Narnia or Harry Potter, though it’s most definitely not meant for kids with the amount of bloody gore and violence it features.
Locke & Key revolves around three siblings (Jackson Robert Scott as the youngest sibling Bode Locke, Connor Jessup as the eldest sibling Tyler Locke, and Emilia Jones as Kinsey Locke) who move to their late father’s childhood home in Massachusetts with their mother, Nina Locke (Darby Stanchfield) after the gruesome murder of their father (Bill Heck as Rendell Locke).
They soon discover that magic exists, in the form of Keys that come with a variety of abilities and powers. Little do they know that a demon named Dodge (Laysla De Oliveira) is scheming to obtain all those Keys for a nefarious purpose.

Although that sounds like a generic fantasy premise, Locke And Key differentiates itself from other similar stories by featuring a realistic family with real problems trying to fix their broken lives while still reeling and grieving over the loss of a family member.
There are no Chosen Ones or perfect heroic protagonists here. Only flawed individuals trying to do the best that they can to recover from their recent traumatic experience, as they struggle with their inner demons.

All of that is interspersed with sprinkles of horror and magical moments of fantasy, especially in scenes when the characters discover what each Key can do for the first time. Unfortunately, Netlix’s Locke And Key holds back some of its own potential, as it shies away from adapting some of the source material’s more fantastical elements and gore.

Fans of the comics will realise that the comics’ shocking and bloody gore is missing from Netflix’s Locke And Key, which is a real bummer, especially since the series does go the meta route and acknowledges its fantasy/horror roots.
The Chronicles Of Narnia alone is mentioned not once but several times throughout the first season, and one of the Locke siblings’ circle of friends are literally fanboys/girls of classic B-movie horror.

As a result, Netflix’s Locke And Key is a lot lighter compared to the source material. That’s not saying that it doesn’t explore the same complex subject matter of the comics, but it does so in a less darker way. It’s way less bleak than the comics, and the showrunners have weirdly decided to include more high school teenage drama than there was in the comics (presumably to attract more viewers from that demographic).
I would have loved to have seen more of the comics’ more outrageous horror and fantasy elements in Netflix’s Locke And Key, but even Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy adaptation didn’t go as full-on quirky and weird as the source material. I do accept that this is a necessary evil for the adaptations to receive a more ‘mainstream’ audience.
Improved Key Elements

That said, Netflix’s Locke And Key does indeed improve on several aspects from the comics. For instance, in the comics, the Head Key literally opens up a person’s head so that others could take a peek inside. The adaptation changes this by making it so anyone using the Head Key will automatically conjure up a door that people can enter, acting as the doorway into the person’s head and psyche.
The adaptation’s version ultimately works better for live-action cinematic purposes in terms of production design and special effects, so kudos to the showrunners for thinking of that. Fans will love spotting some familiar Keys from the comics, as well as one or two brand new ones specifically-created for the show.

I would also like to praise the pacing in Netflix’s Locke And Key. It doesn’t suffer from the same ‘dragging’ problem that plagues other Netflix shows, many of which lose steam as it nears its conclusion.
The opposite is true for Locke And Key‘s 10 episodes. The first episode doesn’t waste time introducing its characters and setting, unlike other shows that tend to take the slow-burn approach.

Although the first half of Netflix’s Locke And Key might focus too much on the high school teen drama stuff, things start to really pick up around the halfway mark. I couldn’t stop watching after the fifth episode, as the series actively works to its climax in the final few episodes of the first season, where any lingering questions or seemingly confusing plot holes are finally answered. I felt glad when that happened because just when some unexplained things were beginning to frustrate me, the series does eventually provide satisfying answers.

As for fans of the comics, keep in mind that the first season of Locke And Key derives its plot and story elements from several volumes of the comic books in its first season alone, streamlining them in a surprisingly cohesive way.
The showrunners weren’t kidding when they said that the series will be ‘biting a huge chunk’ of the source material.

In addition, the Netflix adaptation is faithful in some ways and diverges in other ways, as the ‘streamlining’ I mentioned above also means that characters and plot come together differently than in the comics, resulting in different endings as well. Still, I think fans would be mostly-satisfied with this adaptation.
Locke-ing In The Key

After watching the entire first season of Netflix’s Locke And Key, I feel like they could have done a lot more with the series, considering the content of the comics. However, I understand they’re operating under a TV budget, so they probably did the best they could under their circumstances.
It’s not as dark as the comics, but that’s a good thing. The comics can be too bleak at times. It’s also not as weird, gory or fantastical as the comics, which I hope the showrunners will work on fixing in the second season, should it get renewed.
Final Score: 70/100


G.I. Joe & Cobra Will Clash In World Of Tanks Modern Armor

Wargaming and Hasbro have announced that World Of Tanks Modern Armor will add G.I Joe and Cobra content this month in June 2021. However, no details or images have been revealed for the upcoming crossover.
Instead, there will be a bunch of streams where more information will be unveiled. These will take place on the following dates at 3am GMT+8:
Hereâ€™s the schedule of upcoming streams, where youâ€™ll get more info on whatâ€™s headed your way:

12 June 2021

G.I. Joe Stream â€“ a discussion about the G.I. Joe season and the collaboration between Wargaming and Hasbro!

15 June 2021

A look into the future of World of Tanks: Modern Armor â€“ Part 1

18 June 2021

A look into the future of World of Tanks: Modern Armor â€“ Part 2

25 June 2021

A look into the future of World of Tanks: Modern Armor â€“ Part 3

With Snake Eyes G.I. Joe Origins coming out on 23 July 2021, this is a great time for the G.I. Joe franchise to cross over into a video game.


God Of War Sales Hit Over 10 Million Copies Worldwide

It’s pretty clear that Sony’s God of War was, and still is, stellar in all directions. It’s little wonder it scored very, very high in our reviewÂ of the game.
It has also reached a pretty milestone of 10 million copies sold since its release. As part of Sony’s presentation, it’s revealed that God of War, along with Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and The Last of Us Remastered, are Sony’s best selling exclusives with all the three titles breaking the 10 million units sold milestone.

Sony’s game division is doing marvellous;Â they are planning to extend their reach into the future of gaming by collaborating with the company’s eternal rival, Microsoft.
If you feel that you need more of Kratos or is interested in how God of War came into realisation, the Raising Kratos documentary is now available to watch on YouTube. Grab your popcorns and make yourself comfortable, for it is a 2-hour long feature.


[Report] Batman Is Coming To Fortnite

Fortnite fans around the world who have been paying attention to the recent leaks will know that a certain caped crusader might be making his way into the game soon. 21 September is Batman Day and more leaks suggest that’s when the Dark Knight will arrive.
According to Gamesradar, Dataminer Lucas7yoshi has come across more leaks that pretty much confirms B-man is prepping up for his first Fortnite appearance. Two of the leaks show off a Batman Grapnel Gun and an Explosive Batarang. If those two don’t convince you, I don’t know what will.

The dataminer also found a top down view of what appears to be Tilted Town transformed into a miniature version of Gotham City. Definitely a good place to try out that Grapnel Gun which apparently will also let you glide with a Batman cape afterwards.

I’m pretty sure that if it’s true that a Batman-themed event is coming, it will also have some exclusive Batman skins. Maybe even skins or accessories based on Joker and Harley Quinn too. They better not put in any Batman-themed gun skins though, that just ain’t right.
For more news and leaks on Fortnite, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei.


JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure Is Coming to Netflix Malaysia

You may have missed JoJo’s Bizzare Adventures all these while, only noticing all the ‘To Be Continued’ memes across the interwebs. Do not fret, as the show will be coming to a streaming service near you. You can finally go ‘ORA ORA ORA’ when JoJo Bizzare Adventure comes to Netflix soon.’

Netflix recently announced that they would be adding JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure into their library and will go live on 8 MarchÂ in the US. The Southeast Asian and Malaysian Netflix services will also be streaming the show soon.
Just so you know, Netflix isn’t the first streaming service to stream JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure, as Crunchyroll and Hulu have already streamed the anime series. It is also available on iTunes to purchase individual episodes.
Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure is a shonen classic dating back to the 1980s. The series is comprised of multiple parts focusing on various members of the Joestar family. The clan has the unique power to summon supernatural fighters called Stands, allowing them to fight their sworn foes. The series is as known for its action as its over-dramatic leads, prompting a massive cult following to swarm around all things JoJoâ€™s Bizarre Adventure.
The anime was originally created by Hirohiko Araki for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in 1987. With hundreds of chapters under its belt, the manga is the second-longest running title under the magazine. It is the longest running title under the magazine with almost eight parts.


The World Ends With You Anime Impresses With Its Stylize 3D Action

It’s been 14 years since The World Ends With You graced us with its Nintendo DS gaming presence. Billed as a pretty unique JRPG, it featured a lovely 2D art style, great 2D JRPG combat, and the fact that you need to equip fashionable clothing to stay ahead of the competition stats-wise.
The anime adaptation that launched its first episode recently isn’t going to have our main characters play dress up (for now), but it’s a lovely action-packed ride that opens with a battle against creatures called Noise that reside in this “death” dimension our heroes are stuck in.
See, our protagonists Neku (the amnesiac) and Shiki (female protag with a stuffed toy) have to team up and participate in the week-long Reaper’s Game; complete objectives to erase the death timers on their hands and survive the ordeal. The rules are explained along the way through a number of exposition bouts, but they’re kept to a minimum and do not get in the way of the animation.

Coupled with a nifty soundtrack that’s mostly from the game, and you have a shonen anime from Square Enix that gives a good first impression. Nintendo DS boomers will get a kick out of hearing the battle track “Calling” being played in the first-ever Noise battle with Neku and Shiki, myself including. Anime fans looking for an RPG adaptation “isekai” show set in contemporary Tokyo will find a lot to admire visual-wise.
The 3D animation work here is pretty awesome for the most parts, with the talking bits showing off the budget cuts. This is apparent when the Reapers are talking with Neku, Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme mid-episode in a story exposition bit concerning the Reapers’ Game rules. Otherwise, you’re here to see kids battle it out against animalistic Noises in spectacular sync fashion.
And that’s A-OK in my book because I can’t wait to see how the rest of the 11 episodes will pan out. Let’s hope there’s actual character development halfway through. You can watch the full first episode below:


What We Know From The Avengers: Endgame Super Bowl TV Spot

After the first Avengers: Endgame trailer dropped in December, Marvel Studios has given us another glimpse at the upcoming movie with a new TV spot teaser shown during the Super Bowl (non-ironically called the ‘Big Game’) halftime break earlier today.
Let’s see what’s in the new Avengers: Endgame TV spot, shall we?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iFq6IcAxBc&w=560&h=315]
Running at only 30 seconds in length, the Avengers: Endgame Super Bowl TV spot may not seem to unveil much, but there’s actually a lot to dissect here. The teaser begins by showing us a post-Decimation (that’s the official designation for the Thanos’ snap) New York City for the first time.

The whole city seems to be desolate and forsaken, which wouldn’t look out of place in a post-apocalyptic setting. It also seems like quite a significant amount of time has passed since the events of Avengers: Infinity War, as a feeling of hopelessness echoes throughout the teaser.
We meet Steve Rogers, who seems to be attending a support group for survivors/remnants of the Decimation with the tagline “Where do we go, now that they’re gone?”. In response, we hear Steve say: “Some people moved on, but not us.”

We then see an alive and well Tony Stark with Nebula working to repair or build something; perhaps their ship. This debunks the fan theory that Tony will die alone in space as indicated by the first Avengers: Endgame trailer. It could also be that they’re building a new means of combating Thanos. A new armor, perhaps?

The next scene shifts to Black Widow, Captain America, Bruce Banner, and James Rhodes (War Machine) walking towards something in the vicinity of the Avengers HQ compound.

Hey, it’s Rocket and he’s sporting a cool new costume that hews closer to that of his original and iconic uniform (with the purple theme and red gloves) back when he first joined the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics.

Black Widow is venting out her frustrations and grief in a shooting gallery in what might be the Avengers HQ we saw earlier.

War Machine and Ant-Man teaming up, and if I’m not mistaken, that could be a brand new suit of armor. This could then mean either of two things: Tony could already be on Earth by this point in Avengers: Endgame (and made that suit), but I think it’s most likely a spare suit lying around since it does look a bit worn down.

Thor could be out there hunting Thanos, and it does look like he has arrived at the peaceful paradise planet where Thanos was last seen at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. He’s probably still haunted by his mistake of not “going for the head”, as Thanos so cruelly pointed out.

It’s good old Clint Barton in what seems to be his Ronin suit, without the mask. We still don’t know what will lead him to don the Ronin mantle, but I still think that it’s because his family perished during the Decimation.

The Avengers: Endgame Super Bowl TV spot ends with arguably the most exciting reveal yet. We see Steve Rogers wielding the original Captain America shield with the straps, which was last seen a long time ago. This is significant because he actually has been using the new magnetic shield since 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.

It should also be noted that Captain America is shaking pretty badly (with blackened and bruised hands) as he tightens the strap on his shield, presumably for what will be his final stand or confrontation with Thanos. I stand by my theory, that Steve Rogers will die (for good) in Avengers: Endgame. All signs are currently pointing to a heroic sacrifice for the Sentinel of Liberty.

Final thoughts: Everything we’ve seen so far with Avengers: Endgame has cemented that it will be Marvel Studios’ darkest movie yet, with all the promotional trailers, teasers and images having been devoid of humor.
Captain Marvel has also been missing in all the aforementioned marketing content, with some scenes looking like Marvel has intentionally removed the new hero by editing her out. This could be to avoid spoilers for the upcoming Captain Marvel, which releases only a month before Avengers: Endgame. It’s still bizarre, though.
What do you think of the Avengers: Endgame Super Bowl TV spot? Let me know in the comments below. Avengers Endgame is slated to arrive in cinemas on 25 April 2019.


Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Is Finally Coming To Switch This September

Bandai Namco and develoepr Level-5 are bringing Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom onto Nintendo Switch, three years later. Better late than never, right?
This version is called Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – Prince’s Edition and will be available both physically and digitally on 17th September for US$59.99. It’ll contain both post-launch downloadable content packs The Lair of the Lost Lord and Tale of a Timeless Tome.

We had fun with Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom when it was on the PS4. The game came with a good story, a great combat system, and a cute kingdom Kuniverse management simulation. It’s no Crusader Kings 3, but nothing is, right?


SDCC 2019: Westworld Season 3 Trailer Teases New Park & Hosts’ Uprising

Not content with just Watchmen at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, HBO has released a new trailer for Westworld Season 3, and this it shows a lot more than just Aaron Paul’s mysterious new character walking around in a city.
Characters from previous seasons show up, including Thandie Newton’s Maeve, Evan Rachel Wood’s Dolores, Jeffrey Wright’s Bernard, and more.
The new Westworld Season 3 trailer also teases a new World War 2-themed park (potentially called Naziworld), which is where Maeve currently finds herself in. Meanwhile, in the outside world, the humans are hunting down the rogue hosts from Westworld. Dolores prepares to presumably fight back while Bernard will likely try to stop her.
Westworld Season 3 is set to premiere sometime in 2020. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64CYajemh6E&w=560&h=315]


Weâ€™re Not Sure If Paul W.S Anderson Understands Monster Hunter…

Update: set pics have surfaced!Â
As many of you have heard, Capcom plans to bring its franchises to the big screen. One of them is Monster Hunter, with Paul W.S Anderson (the guy who directed the Resident Evil films) to direct and Milla Jovovich to star in alongside Ron Perlman, Meagan Good, Tony Jaa, and Diego Boneta.
And if this recent picture of cast member Diego Boneta -playing Sergeant Marshall- in his Monster Hunter gear is anything to go by, we’re off to a great start! (via Diego’s Instagram).

We already have some of the vocal fans already talking about the official picture.

The whole modern weapons schtick is actually tying in with the movie’s plot where a bunch of UN soldiers enter a portal that leads to the Monster Hunter-verse. You know, a simple “guy in MH armour fights a ton of badass monsters” is enough of a plot and makes more sense, but what do we know?
A couple more set pictures have surfaced online. Seems like Paul W.S Anderson has a fetish for deserts. Here is his justification for it (via Variety, Deadline):

“The Monster Hunter world includes these huge deserts that make the Gobi Desert look like a sandbox, and they have ships that sail through the sand. These full-on galleons, but rather than sailing on the ocean waves, they sail through waves of sand.
You’re fighting these giant creatures, some as big as a city block. They live underneath the Earth and when they burst out, it’s like the best of Dune.Â We’ve found a way of connecting the Dune-like sand-covered world of Monster Hunter with our world. So we’re bringing this massive Japanese game into the world of America.”

We’ll be sure to keep watch on this faithful recreation of the medieval fantasy-esque film that somehow has bowguns that look like M4s and AK-47s and Rathalos scale armour that looks suspiciously like kevlar.
The similarities are uncanny!


Team USA Wins Overwatch World Cup 2019; Ends South Korea’s Win Streak

As per every year for gamers all over the world, November started with a bang. The recent weekend was filled with awesome announcements and happenings at BlizzCon 2019. Aside from the Overwatch 2 being unveiled, the Overwatch World Cup (OWWC) 2019 was also happening and now we’ve got a winner.
Photo courtesy of Blizzard.
Team USA is our OWWC 2019 champion!
After a flawless performance in the group stages, they got a bye into the semifinals at the playoffs where they met team South Korea and defeated them 3-1. On the other side of the semifinals bye was China who also beat their opponent, France, 3-1. The two giants faced each other in the grand finals and USA wiped the floor with China, beating them 3-0.
American player Jay “sinatraa” Won was crowned MVP of the tournament. For those of you who are unaware, Sinatraa also plays for the San Fransisco Shock in the Overwatch League. This marks the second time Sinatraa has gotten the MVP title this year, the first time was for the Overwatch League 2019 regular season.

China repeats history after going second place again this year and while last year’s champion South Korea only gets third place. Blizzard never announced the prize pool of the OWWC 2019 so it’s not known how much each team takes home. In OWWC 2018, all of the top 4 teams brought home a flat amount of US$16,000. It’s safe to assume the amount for this year is at least more than that.
The OWWC was just one of many super exciting things happening at BlizzCon 2019. To read up on everything that was announced at BlizzCon 2019, just click here.


PokÃ©mon x Adidas Equals Stylish Shoes & Apparel Lineup

Love PokÃ©mon? Need some white and yellow in your life? Then you should check out these new duds from Adidas.
The PokÃ©mon x Adidas range of shoes, bags, and whatnot are available now on the company’s Japanese website. About 34 of them. The only way you can get these now is through the website, and only a few of them are available outside of Japan. They might crop up on Adidas’ international stores in the future.
But enough talk; here’s what you’re getting into. The Advantage pair (5,159 yen), soccer bags (3,289 yen), and the shirts (2,519 yen) look nice and are probably worth a trip down to Japan if you’re hankering for some Pikachu gear.


The Batman is the First Real Batman Film; Here’s Why

Across almost 40 years, we have yet to get a proper Batman adaptation until now, with Matt Reeve’s The Batman. Every film up until that point featured the Dark Knight but never truly understood the source material and almost all of them were focused on putting the director’s personal take on the character. There’s nothing wrong with that and we have many different iconic versions of the character as a result, but a full on, proper adaptation was never attempted which is what Matt Reeves understood.
This vacuum of a proper adaptation put Reeves on a mission, to create the purest form of Batman ever seen. Which is why Reeves just gets it when it comes to Batman.
Batman Begins
From just the first opening minutes I knew that this movie was gonna be the one. The inclusion of a brooding, edgy monologue was perfect and I’m kinda dumbfounded that it’s never been done in previous films. Pattinson’s portrayal of the Dark Knight uses lines that can easily be seen as cringy or lame if not done well, but his line delivery manages to capture that vengeful abstract concept he’s going for. His performance is rather calm and not as rageful as his actions surprisingly, with a Batman voice that’s more whispery and natural. It reminds me a lot of Kevin Conroy’s stoic and steely voice in terms of performance.

Another thing that the movie just gets, is the idea of Bruce Wayne, because practically Bruce Wayne doesn’t even exist in the movie. There’s not a moment in this movie where Bruce is seen, because he’s simply not there. Batman is the true persona, and we see that when he goes out in public pretending to be Bruce. He’s there as the Batman, and we see him scoping out the entire scene, eavesdropping on everyone and even shrugging off people who want to talk to him, because he’s too busy being Batman.
I love this play on the dual personas, and it works well with the Year Two storyline it’s going for. The concept of Batman using the character of Bruce Wayne as a tool for his personal crusade is exciting to watch and Pattinson performs it believably well.
World’s Greatest Detective
Reeves’ take on the iconic character focusing on his detective side was a great choice for a film that’s as personal as this and showed off the more interesting aspects of the Batman. Setting the stage as a noir crime thriller and having Batman just know the answers to everything on the crime scene was done in a way that was so natural and right for the character. Seeing how he’s 10 steps ahead of the police makes him look freaking cool and you understand why Gordon trusts him so much, why he even puts up with him at the cost of his potential career and respect of his peers.
The lowtech direction of the film does many things to expand upon the detective aspect, such as the video contact lenses. Seeing how he analyzes his footage every single night, writing on his journals and studying his prey makes the viewer understand what an obsessive nerd Batman really is at his core. The fact that Batman can do what he does, isn’t because of his physical chops or bulletproof gear. It’s thanks to his strategic mind and indomitable will which the movie perfectly understands and conveys expertly in its scenes.

The focus of the detective aspect also gives way for scenarios that don’t rely on heavy action, more to the enthralling mystery of the plot and how Batman can be interesting when he’s not beating criminals to a pulp. This also gives Reeves ample opportunity for beautiful set pieces and cinematography showcasing a grungy, rat infested world of Gotham that has never looked better.
A Force of Nature
Batman’s whole goal isn’t mainly to rid crime and clean the streets. Ultimately, Bruce wants to become an abstract concept, so deeply ingrained into the world of Gotham and unmovable just like gravity. He wants to become a force of nature, a concept of fear so that he can win the fight before it even starts. It’s a theme that is constantly played with in the comics and cartoons alike, but the opening monologue and the brutality of Batman’s actions captures it perfectly.
The use of the Batsignal as a warning was the cherry on top, seeing criminals just get taken aback from the mere sight of it, and mind you this is just Bruce’s second year as a vigilante which shows how driven he is to achieve that goal.

The scene with the Penguin chase scenes summarizes my point perfectly. When we see Batman emerge from the flames like a hellbat, imagine if the criminal was just slightly religious. Seeing that sight, the criminal would crap their pants thinking that maybe this is God’s way of punishing them personally, and would make them question their entire lives.
This could put them into the path of repentance and probably make them leave the life of crime, which is exactly what Batman aims to do. At least, that’s my interpretation of it.
Gotham Come to Life
A movie about a superhero wearing all black that uses the shadows to his advantage is a slippery slope to tackle and can limit what your film can look like. However, The Batman brings to life the city of Gotham and its dingy, litter ridden streets with the vibrant fluorescent orange of street lights and lamps, giving us countless beautiful scenes that fit the mood it’s going for.
Throughout the film, the orange tint can be seen for most scenes especially when Batman is overlooking the city skyline or prowling the streets. It gives us a spectacle to behold while still grounding it in reality, giving us a unique and believable world to inhabit. The city itself in its opening minutes has a distinct look, that looks similar to the overexaggerated look from the Burton film but still grounded enough to look like a place you can visit in real life.

The set design for the film is immaculate, featuring the luxurious gothic interior of Wayne Manor, the modern, grounded tech of the Batcave (with multiple TV monitors instead of a giant Batcomputer), to the decrepit abandoned buildings that the Riddler leaves clues for. The film had a distinct look in mind and Reeves carried it out flawlessly to give us a fresh new look to Batman’s world, while still achieving that mission of a true adaptation.
Long story short: we’re excited to see more of Matt Reeves’ version of Gotham. Seeing his take on Robin and how it turns Patman’s life upside down would be incredible. Did you enjoy the movie as much as we did? Check out our review, in case you missed it!


Hades The Long Winter Update Adds Goddess Demeter & More

Supergiant Games has released the highly-anticipated The Long Winter update for their rogue-like dungeon-crawler Hades. The massive update is free for anyone who owns the game, and it adds a bunch of new content.
Players will get to meet the Greek goddess of crops and agriculture, Demeter. She is vital to the myth of Hades, considering that her daughter Persephone is Hades’ wife and queen. This version of Demeter is desperate and vengeful after the mysterious disappearance of her daughter, eventually bringing famine and strife to humankind. In the game, she is voiced by Laila Berzins.

Another addition in The Long Winter Update is the new Aspect of the Eternal Spear, one of the legendary weapons players wield in the game. Aspects are weapon transformations with unique abilities from other legendary characters, all of whom were from Greek myth, up till now. Check out the new Aspect of Guan Yu (top), compared with the starting form of the Eternal Spear (bottom).

Players can also look forward to fishing in the Foul River using the Rod Of Fishing, new Renovations for the House, new upgrades, improved Boon Info screen, and a lot more. Head on over here for the full patch notes of Hades’ The Long Winter Update.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG6HYgfMFHQ&w=560&h=315]


Call Of Duty Modern Warfare Gets Sequel; Warzone Chapter 2 Slated For 2022

It’s inevitable; more Call of Duty is coming your way.
The sequel to the 2019 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is coming out in 2022 and will launch alongside a new Call of Duty Warzone experience; a Chapter 2 if you will. Both of these will be developed “from the ground up” by developer Infinity Ward on a new engine, according to Activision.
The next Warzone chapter will be a massive evolution of Battle Royale with an all-new playspace and a new sandbox mode. No two matches play the same and players will define what winning looks like, at least according to the announcement. According to inside sources from Video Games Chronicle, Modern Warfare 2’s campaign will be focused on the drug war against Columbian cartels. The single-player mode will be a grittier take on 2019’s campaign, with more close-quarters combat, tricky decision making, and classic CoD set-piece moments.
No further information or trailer has been shared or revealed regarding these two upcoming titles, though to be fair, it’ll still be military shooter FPSs, so what else can change drastically?


ShopDisney Malaysia: Our Picks & Highlights

Back in June 2022, The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia announced the launch of its flagship Asia Pacific e-commerce destination shopDisney delivering in Malaysia. With over 1,000 products available online, shopDisney is the official home of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel merchandise, bringing shoppers the best from around the world.
The range spans collectibles, adult fashion and accessories, home, stationery, gifts, toys and baby, and more. Long-time fans and indulgers will gain easy and convenient access to products such as the popular Mickey Mouse: The Main Attraction limited edition series, Disney x COACH collection, as well as a contemporary and stylish homeware catalogue inspired by favourites such as Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse.
There’s a limited-time promotion on the site right now (until 31 December 2022) that offers free delivery when you spend RM300 or more in a single purchase.
Here are our most recent picks and highlights:
Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Halloween Plush 2022 (RM125.90 each)

Halloween month is near and that means spooky-themed products. If you spend RM300 in a single purchase, you can get either the Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse Halloween plush for only RM76.
Grogu Magnetic Shoulder Plush (RM125.90)

Baby Yoda AKA Grogu is always a cute choice. Plus, this one comes with a magnetic fabric disc that goes under your shirt, and you can then place Grogu on top and enjoy his adorable company wherever you go.
Ahsoka Tano Special Edition Doll (RM255.90)

With the Ahsoka Tano series coming in the future and probably being the next biggest Star Wars project in the works right now, having this Ahsoka Tano doll on your shelf will prepare you. It features her iconic Lekku headpiece, painted face and posable arms.
Spider-Man 60th Anniversary Mug (RM99.90)

2022 marks the 60th anniversary of Spider-Man and you can’t go wrong with a unique-looking mug. I like mugs because you can use them every day to drink from.
Spider-Man T-Shirt For Adults (RM205.90)

If you want to celebrate Spidey’s 60th anniversary in an even bigger way, this nice T-shirt looks pretty cool.
Hawkeye Zip Hoodie For Adults (RM335.90)

Even if you’re not a fan of Hawkeye, this hoodie looks stylish with its dark colours.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Hooded Sweatshirt For Adults (RM309.90)

If you don’t mind the bright colours, this hoodie features an Eye of Agamotto.
Avengers Tower Pen Holder And Pen (RM155.90)

Created in metal with a silvertone finish, this detailed replica of the Avengers Tower with its sweeping design features Avengers icons and forms the holder into which the coordinating pen is placed.
Mickey Mouse Two-Tone Spirit Jersey For Pets (RM209.90)

If you’re a Disney fan and have a cat or dog, what better way to make your pets look even more adorable.
The Mandalorian Costume For Kids (RM135.90)

Like I previously mentioned, Halloween month is upon us so why not get your kids some neat costumes like the Mandalorian one?


Dumbo Takes Off Just Fine, But Doesn’t Soar To Greater Heights

I’ll have to level with you Disney animation fans out there: I never cared much about the 1941 animated Dumbo film. All I remember is the following:

Casey Jr.
Flying elephant.
Psychedelic drug sequence featuring pink elephants.
Talking crows that remind me of a time Disney went all out with racial stereotyping.

It’s just a bunch of interesting moments that do not tie into a cohesive story to give a damn about; nothing more. If you liked it and its animation, more power to you. But even with rose-tinted nostalgia glasses, there are way better and meatier Disney fares.
Which is why I’m glad to announce that the 2019 live-action remake of Dumbo is a decent adaptation that tells its decent story about the perils of ostracization and standing out so that you’re not alone. Except without the talking ringleader mice and jive-talking birds: you now have Danny DeVito, an American accent-faking Colin Farrell, and two kid actors who provide the heart and soul to complement the CGI going-ons of the titular flying elephant.
Oh, and framing this new vision of Dumbo is Tim Burton, the director who did Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood to make sure we pay attention to his stylized way of framing the 40s time period the film is set in. Unfortunately, we have to settle for the version who wrapped up the godawful Alice in Wonderland live adaptation, but we’ll get to that in a bit.
I Saw A Peanut Stand, Heard A Rubber Band…

The premise for this version of Dumbo is about the circus troupe family led by Max Medici (Danny DeVito) trying to make ends meet. Colin Farrell plays war veteran and former horse-riding act Holt Farrier who ended up with one arm after being drafted for the war, returning to his kids Milly and Joe (Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins respectively). Max bought an elephant that eventually gave birth to the big-eared Dumbo; everyone calls it a freak until they see its special ability to fly by flapping its giant ears.
The whole of East America’s enamoured by this high-flying act, that billionaire and Dreamland owner V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton) wants in on the attraction. This other half of the film is entirely new, going so far as to add in a romance subplot involving acrobat Colette (Eva Green), and the perils of joining a corporate theme park. It all ends up finishing in the most cartoonish of ways; V.A. Vandevere gets more and more villainous to the point where he might as well be the dressed-up equivalent of Stromboli from Pinnochio.
Thankfully, the admirable performances from the circus troupe help ground this fantastical story together and tying a bow on its proverbial package. Colin Farrell adeptly plays the lost father who doesn’t know how to handle his kids post-war.
The two kids complement the CGI Dumbo well with their positive outlook and science obsession. At first I wasn’t a fan of Nico Parker’s zombie stares when the film started, but she ended up cracking some emotion by its climax. It’s probably the elephant.

Danny DeVito’s bumbling but well-meaning ringleader persona is a joy to watch, with Rongo (Deobia Oparei) and a monkey acting as his foils of sorts. Speaking of side acts, Colette, snake charmer Pramesh (Roshan Seth), Ivan the Wonderful (Miguel MuÃ±oz Segura), and the circus troupe are endearing enough while not wearing out their welcome.
Much like the warmth of the film’s palette, Dumbo 2019 has a soul and some semblance of heart, capped off with an adorable-looking CGI baby elephant mutant. Some may find it a bit off, but I personally dug how it moved, how it interacted with the children, and how it used the trademark feathers to “gain” its propensity to fly.
I Heard A Fireside Chat, I Saw A Baseball Bat…
Does Tim Burton bring anything amazing into this Dumbo retelling? Not really, but it’s not without its standout moments. From the circus atmosphere to the upgrade the troupe get in a form of the movie’s version of Tomorrowland, the film’s bright and star-eyed atmosphere and aesthetic is a callback to a Tim Burton style in the mid-2000s.
However, it lacks the creativity of his earlier works that wowed me back then. Methinks he need to take a step back and try out a more esoteric project instead of relegating towards retreads and obligatory studio work like this one. Even with the new additions in the second half and the aforementioned pretty-as-heck theme park, everything here is by-the-books “be yourself, and believe in them” storytelling checklist.
And the less said about the shoved-in nod to the pink elephant scene, the better. There are so many ways this bit can be worked into the film naturally, so I’m pretty shocked that Tim Burton greenlit the end result.

I’ve Seen A Front Porch Swing, Heard A Diamond Ring
Still, I won’t discount the positives and noteworthy additions in this adaptation of a mediocre Disney oldie. I shouldn’t really expect crazy levels of storytelling and twists from what is essentially a churned-out cashgrab remake of a really, really old Disney property. There’s clearly a lot of effort being put in this remake; about on-par with The Jungle Book adaptation by Jon Favreau and definitely leagues above the Beauty & The Beast remake.
What Dumbo 2019 does well is telling its story in a cohesive and straightforward manner that will be a hit with the young ones, with some sparks of enchanting and vertigo-inducing imagery. The film also proves that you can successfully update your source material if it’s old and not really noteworthy.
Just don’t go in expecting Tim Burton’s mighty return to form. Or anything as groundbreaking as, say, an actual pachyderm flying before your very eyes.
FINAL SCORE: 60/100


The Air Jordans Biopic Movie From Ben Affleck Is An Inspiration, Stock As It May Be

If you are looking for a drama biopic about a shoe company that got big because it made one big and risky bet with then-up-and-coming basketball player Michael Jordan, you’ll be hard-pressed not to watch Air.
Directed by Ben Affleck (who also stars in the film as Nike co-founder Phil Knight), the film centres on the person who orchestrated the fabled Air Jordans deal of 1984: one Sonny Vaccaro (played by Matt Damon), who is out of shape, close to having his division closed down, and about to be irrelevant. He gets colleagues Rob Strasser the marketing guru (Jason Bateman) and Howard White the soon-to-be-VP-of-Air-Jordan-brand and good friend to Vaccaro (Chris Tucker). Also in the mix is Michael Jordan’s mom Deloris (Viola Davis), who is the one obstacle Nike needs to break down for the all-or-nothing deal to happen. And yes, you’ll get to see a pair of prototype OG Air Jordans to boot while relishing in some 80s backdrops, aesthetics, and expected soundtrack choices.

With names like these, you expect to be captivated by the banter, the setup, the planning, and the heart-to-heart talks, as well as the third act’s obligatory closing statement that cemented Michael Jordan to side with Nike. And this aspect does not disappoint in the slightest. You’ll be engrossed to witness the thought process on how Sonny approaches things, talk down the CEO who he happens to be buddies with, and even lend an ear to Strasser who is at his wit’s end with him and the division.
Moments like Sonny’s talk with Deloris in the Jordan residence to the aforementioned closing statement, as well as a follow-up call from Deloris post-meeting are all done with the standard heavy-handedness in film dramas, but you can’t help but just feel inspired and motivated by all of it. Yes, this is a multi-million dollar shoe-making company we’re talking about, but it could have been a lot shadier with its intent.
I do wish the film adhered to the third rule of Nike’s ethos: break the rules. It’s a well-produced show, but it’s not breaking new ground unlike Affleck’s past films. Still, sneakerheads and would-be businessmen who want to get a confidence boost should not miss out on this venture.
Final Score: 70/100