The Fall of an Icon: Can I Interest You in Bruce Campbell Figure?

I honestly can't explain in words how much I hurt having to write this blog post. I wanted it to be an interview article with my greatest hero of all time but he smashed that dream into a millions piece when he decided to act like a jerk and ignore a promise him made.

I've been a Bruce Campbell fan for a long time - ever since my friends in high school introduced me to a little movie called Army of Darkness. After that, I couldn't get enough of "The Chin" and his B-movies. Now I'm not an uber-fan as I've never actually seen all his movie and I don't own every fan collector's piece known to man or anything but I did have my fair share of items from the Bruce Collection.

I even stood in line back in September for 2 hours to get his autograph and meet him when I could have been spending my time on video game stuff at the Fan Expo - instead I wasted several hours on him.

So back in December I tracked down Mr. Campbell's email address which is easy to find if you know where to look and asked him for an interview. He agreed as long as I didn't ask the typical same old questions, so I made sure to do some research and ask questions are related to current events rather to the same old Evil Dead, Xena and Brisco Country stuff.

He also asked that I give him time to respond to the questions which was fine too - I understand that he was doing this on his time. So 3 weeks goes by and nothing - no response from him, so I email him back about the questions and get no response again. I try emailing him again after the holidays and still no response. So at this point, I'm crushed and pissed.

How could anyone, big star or not, make a promise and not even be polite enough to send an email back to say why they don't have the time or something? Is Bruce that big of an ass that his fans mean nothing to him? Why bother to say yes in the first place? I could haven't taken a polite no in the beginning rather than this run around.

So after all this, I say fuck celebrities and fan worship. They don't deserve having us spend our hard earned money on their merchandise and autographs. I personally am selling all of my Bruce Campbell items on ebay currently. I refuse to keep items in my home that praise that pompous ass. Beside I might need to take my dog into the vet soon and the money from these items is better spend on my fluffy friend than worshiping a bitter old actor.

If anyone is interested in the items, they can check out the items here.

Epic 8-Bit Art: Plants vs Zombies

Plants vs Zombies Perler Bead Sprites, originally uploaded by Joel W.

NES style Plants vs Zombies perler bead creations have finally been created by the genius artist, Joel W.

You can buy this cute creations in a set on Etsy from Joel's store: Creations by Joel for only $15 per set plus shipping.

Check out more of Joel's work on flickr.

Nathan Drake Action Figures - Custom Made

It's such a shame that Sony hasn't decided to market a Nathan Drake action figure especially since the second game did so well. Until a real figure is made though, here are a couple of custom figures to gawk at.

The top figure is made by Sabretooth from pieces of a Bullseye action figure and a Daredevil action figure.

And this figure is made by Da Man from pieces of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Angel figure.

Bubble Bobble Clock (Cross-stitch)

Bubble Bobble Clock (Cross-stitch), originally uploaded by jazzhands9000.

This IKEA clock got an upgrade when Jazzhands decided to replace the face of it with a Bubble Bobble Cross stitch face cover.

I love the "Hurry" addition to the clock which is actually pops up on the main screen in the game when time begins to run out.

You can see more of Jazzhand's work on her Flickr page.

Lost - Answers?

This song is for all the Lost fans out there hoping to finally get all those pressing questions answered this season. This is the final season so any questions not answered now, will continue to haunt the fans forever and trust me, they will.
This song is a join effort from Rhett and Link, my favorite musical comedy duo and The Fine Bros., the guys who brings us the wonderful Lost action figure videos.

The MacGruber Movie Trailer

Yes, they actually made a MacGruber movie but honestly I would rather watch an hour and half movie based on a MacGyver skit than the dumb short skits on the show. The trailer actually looks funny.

Review: January 2010 Downloadable Games

Fat Princess
SCE, Titan Studios
Available on the Playstation Network

Fat Princess is a 2 team, 16 player online game that is pure cartoon chaos. Two teams must work together to kidnap the other team’s Princess from inside a defended castle, while trying to defend their own Princess. To make things interesting each Princess can be fatten up by each team member with random pieces of cake found on the battle field. The more cake you feed your Princess, the bigger the she gets and the harder she is to kidnap which can help or hinder your team depending on the situation.

Each team member can choose one of 6 character classes like a mage or a warrior which each has their own abilities and weapons. Classes can be changed by grabbing hats from stations inside your castle. In addition to the main “Capture the Princess” mode, Fat Princess has a multiplayer death match mode and two single player modes: a story mode and a survival mode.

While I found this game to be clever and whimsical, overall the game has just too chaotic for me. I never saved the Princess once because I always died before I got to her and I tend to hate games that don’t give me even a fighting chance. I know some people love hard games like Mega Man but to me, this was like trying to ice skate up a hill. It just wasn’t possible.

Pass on it!

Final Fantasy VII
Sony, Square Enix
Available on the Playstation Network

Retro games are all the rage and most game companies are cashing in by placing old titles online for players to purchase and download. Now I personally would rather own the old systems and the games themselves, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to get these games instantly rather than having to hunt for them in flea markets and garage sales.

Square Enix is one of those companies that have taken up the task to re-release old titles from their vault onto services like the Nintendo Wii’s Virtual Console and the Playstation 3’s Playstation Network. While I’m still praying for Final Fantasy VI to show up, I have been thankful for the release of Final Fantasy VII which any fan will tell you is the most loved game in the series.

This online version of FFVI is probably as close as you can get to the actually game without actually buying yourself a hard copy – every side quest, chocobo ride and boss battle is here. So I suggest that if you want to relive the greatest heart breaking moment in gaming history, then download this game now. As for the newcomers to the game, please don’t delay – buy today, so you can finally understand what we FF fans are finally babbling about. Aerith who?

Buy it!

Sam and Max: Beyond Space and Time
Telltale Games
Available on the Xbox Live Marketplace

Sam and Max: Beyond Space and Time aka Sam and Max: Season 2 has finally made its way to the Xbox Live Marketplace. Based on the comic books series by Steve Purcell, this point and click adventure game follows up Season one aka Sam and Max Save the World which is also available on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

The crazy crime fighting duo of Sam and Max bring you five of the weirdest stories for your adventure solving pleasure. Sam and Max will encounter everyone from Abe Lincoln to Santa Claus during these coo-coo adventures and you will need to think outside of the box in order to keep up with them.

Each episode is better than the last and the hilarious dialog will have you rolling on the floor laughing. While I am a fan of the old 2D graphics from Sam and Max: Hit the Road, I do like the updated 3D graphics used by Telltales. Overall, this is a great series and I suggest my readers check out both Season 1 and 2.

Buy it!

Borderloads DLC: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned
2k Games, Gearbox Software
Available on the Xbox Live Marketplace, Playstation Network and Steam

Considering how huge a game Borderlands is on its itty bitty own, it’s hard to believe anyone would want to purchase additional quests for the game but honestly offer up anything with zombies in it and I will buy. The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned is the first downloadable content for the holiday hit, Borderlands, which brings your team to the creepy island of Jakob’s Cove. There you discover zombies are eating the locals and you need to find away to stop them, starting with seeking helping from Dr. Ned – no relation with Dr. Zed, your health provider in the Arid Badlands.

There are quite a few new quests, items and enemies here for your skag killing enjoyment. The humour in the main story is far more off the wall than anything you’ll find in the main Borderlands game and the new enemies will have you on your toes every minute you traverse these new swamp lands.

Zombie related content is usually better released at Halloween but I’ll take my zombies any way I can get them. Zombie lover or not, I highly suggest Borderland fans check this download out whether you have finished the main game or not. The quests are tailored to your character’s current level, so you can jump in any time.

Buy it!

Most Anticipated Games of 2010 from The Girl Gamer

As we leave 2009 behind we look forward to a brand new year full of new possibilities and new videogames. While there are tons of new titles announced for this year, these are the games that have caught my eye as the ones to pre-order.

Bayonetta – Sega, Platinum Games
Xbox 360 and Playstation 3

This over the top action game is like Devil May Cry on acid. Throw in the fact this game has a sexy heroine with super hair powers and guns in her shoes, and you have probably the weirdest and most intriguing game of the year. Best of all, you don’t have to wait to experience this title cause it’s available on store shelves now.

BioShock 2 – 2k Games
Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC

Even though I know the experience of playing BioShock 2 will never be as amazing as the first BioShock, I still can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel in February. New features in the sequel include a multiplayer mode, the new Big Sisters and the ability to work with the Little Sisters.

God of War III – SCEA, Santa Monica Studios
Playstation 3

Kratos will be back. God of War III will pick up right after the events of God of War II with Kratos working with Gaia to destroy Olympus. Those wanting to experience the game now, can check out the demo which is available when you buy the God of War collection on Playstation 3.

Final Fantasy XIII – Square Enix
Xbox 360 and Playstation 3

Finally the wait will be over and Final Fantasy fans will be able to play the 13th instalment in the official Final Fantasy series after such a long development process. This will mark the first time the official series has appeared on the Xbox 360. I personally can’t wait to dive into the world of Pulse with its newest hero, Lightning and her resistance group, Team Nora.

Fable III – Microsoft Studios, Lionhead Studios
Xbox 360

After an amazing comeback with Fable 2 in 2008, Lionhead Studios plans to wow us again in 2010 with Fable 3 in late November. The story will have a new hero defending the kingdom against an evil tyrant and then having to take on the crown themselves in the second half of the game.

Alan Wake – Microsoft Studios, Remedy Entertainment
Xbox 360

This psychological thriller follows Alan Wake, a writer who hasn’t written anything in months as he goes on vacation with his wife. Once they arrive in the sleepy town of Bright Falls, she disappears and Wake finds himself trapped in a nightmare story he swears he knows word for word, even though he hasn’t written it yet.

Okamiden: Chiisaki Taiyo – Capcom
Nintendo DS

After Clover Studios was shut down, Okami fans were afraid they would never see another instalment in the series but lucky for us, Capcom has continued the franchise with Okamiden: Chiisaki Taiyo on the Nintendo DS. The demons have returned to Nippon and Chibiterasu, the son of Amaterasu has been summoned along with his celestial brush to silence them forever.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Nintendo
Nintendo Wii

This could possibly be the year of the Nintendo hardcore fan with so many of the major franchises coming out with titles this year. Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be hitting the Nintendo Wii this year with Mario finally sharing the spotlight with his old pal, Yoshi. Also look for Sin and Punishment 2 and Metroid: Other M on the Wii this year.

New Legend of Zelda Title – Nintendo
Nintendo Wii

Not much is known about the storyline of the future Legend of Zelda title but Nintendo places the release date for the game sometime in late 2010. The only thing we have seen from the game so far is a piece of artwork which shows Link with a shield and no sword, and him standing with a mysterious figure that shares common features similar to the Master Sword. [Update: When I wrote this, Nintendo hadn't announce the delay on this title.]

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction – Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal
Xbox 360 and PC

After seeing a stellar demo of Splinter Cell: Conviction at the Xbox Holiday Preview Event, I knew right off this would be the game to look for in the New Year. Due for release in February, Conviction follows Sam Fisher as he goes on the war path to find the men responsible for the death of his daughter but he is no longer with the Third Echelon and they are hunting him now.

StarCraft II – Blizzard Studios
PC

This is going to be a huge year for Blizzard – though... with an online legion of World of Warcraft players so big that they could start their own nation, when isn’t it Blizzard’s year. StarCraft II, a sequel that fans have been waiting for since the first game came out in 1998, is finally going to be hitting computers everywhere this year. On top of this amazing event, WoW will also be seeing a new expansion called Cataclysm and there’s always hope that Diablo 3 will be announced for the end of the year. Blizzard will definitely be rolling in the cash this year.

On top of these giant titles, I’m also keen on Halo: Reach, I Am Alive, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Death Spank, Lost Planet 2, Dante’s Inferno, Dark Void, Epic Mickey, Darksiders, Mass Effect 2, The Last Guardian and Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO; all amazing titles that have been announced for 2010. This year is full of great games just waiting for us to play the heck out of them and I for one can't wait to jump into the newest January titles I’ve already begun picking up. Expect reviews on these games and more this year from The Girl Gamer.

Epic 8-Bit Art: Mystic Violet's Final Fantasy Masterpieces

This week we had a new member join the Pixelgasm forum, Mystic Violet and she blew us away from the get-go with some epic Final Fantasy art pieces she created as gifts to her husband and a secret santa.

Mystic Violet has a Deviant Art page where you can check out more of her work.

Rhett & Link: The Perfect Bathroom Trip

Good directions on how to avoid germs in the bathroom in musical form. Another great video from my favorite comedy duo, Rhett & Link.

Epic 8-Bit Art: Sleeping with Mario

mario's pillows, originally uploaded by ReHashimoto.

ReHashimoto created this sweet Mario pillow set complete with a question mark box to store them in. The set features a Mario head, a Goomba, and a Bowser head.

Now she just needs a nice Super Mario Bros. bed sheet set to match.

The Onion Network: Lost Fans More Annoying Than Ever This Year

Final Season Of 'Lost' Promises To Make Fans More Annoying Than Ever

As a Lost fan, I find this too funny and scary... cause it's kind of accurate. Honestly though, I can't wait for the new season to start in a couple of weeks. This season will be amazing but sad cause it's the last one. I'll have to look forward to other shows like Mad Men, Dexter and House.

100 Cupcake Game - Guess the Game

Steelhead Studio throws a big in-house party each year to ring in the New Year and this year they made 100 cupcakes as part of a game. Each cupcake represented a different game, either a videogame or board game.

They posted pictures of all the cupcakes on their website, along with the answers. Can you guess them all?

[Via The BBPS]

Inspiration Mario Video - Have an Awesome Day!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

I've been playing the New Super Mario Bros. Wii and it is pretty damn awesome. It's like someone realized at Nintendo that Super Mario Bros. 3 was the ultimate Mario game and decided to make a new Mario game based on SMB3's ideals.  I hate that I have to send this game back to Nintendo soon (loaner copy), but I might actually buy a copy for myself later on.
With all this Mario playing, I thought I needed some inspiration to keep goomba stomping and coin grabbing, so here's a sweet video to help me and others save the Princess from the Koopa kids.

Yummy Food: Super Mario Brothers Nintendo Cupcakes

Super Mario Brothers Nintendo Cupcakes, originally uploaded by clevercupcakes.

More yummy videogame treats but this time, these tasty morsels are from Clever Cupcakes in Montreal, Canada.

These Super Mario Bros. themed cupcakes were made special order for a guy's 30th birthday party. You can see Mario is wearing a "D" on his hat for the birthday boy.

These are Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream filled with whipped cream and topped with handmade fondant decorations.

Epic 8-Bit Art: 3D Super Mario Bros. 3 World 1 Map

This cool piece of art was created by fellow Pixelgasm forum member, Justin aka NES--Still-the-Best. It's a 3D version of World 1 in Super Mario Bros. 3.  Pretty sweet, huh?

Justin is pretty good at making these 3D scenes and has made several NES 3D pictures before like this Mario scene above. Check out more of his work at Deviant Art.

Online Gamer Playing Monopoly: NSFW

Honestly though - who still plays actually real board games? I think the ones in my closet have a layer of dust an inch thick. I play board games on Xbox arcade via Hasbro Family Game Night but never actually touch my real board games unless I'm playing them with my 4 year-old nephew.

The Girl Gamer's Top Ten Games of 2009

10. Resident Evil 5

I couldn’t start my list without included one of my favourite franchises, Resident Evil. Resident Evil 5 brought back favourites like Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine and Albert Wesker as well as introducing a few new characters and enemies. Resident Evil started our video game love affair with zombies and it will always be as addictive as the T-Virus is infectious. I plan to check out The Darkside Chronicles on the Nintendo Wii very soon.

9. Ghostbusters: the Video Game

This has been a good year for fan boys in the video game industry and Ghostbusters was just one game to proof that fact. Picking up where the 2nd movie left off, the excellent story line will bring you back into the world of the Ghostbusters as if you never left, and the excellent voice-over work of the original movie cast and funny humour of Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis doesn’t the nostalgia factor either.

8. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

Who knew all my knowledge of logic puzzles would finally pay off in video games? Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, the sequel to the highly cool Professor Layton and the Curious Village, will have you using brain cells you didn’t know you had in order to solve all its many logic puzzles and dark mysteries. Only Nintendo could make learning this fun and addicting. Kudos to the Professor and his assistant on another excellent game and hopefully we’ll see another one of your sequels come to our shores next year.

7. Ratchet and Clank Future: Crack in Time

This was truly a year of new game experiences for me and one of those experiences was my first real Ratchet and Clank game. So many franchises don’t survive to see their next generation of consoles or if they do, they live on a series of failed titles like Sonic the Hedgehog, but Ratchet and Clank is now on their 3rd generation console and they are still rocking the platforming genre. You’ll love this dynamic duo and their crazy arsenal of weapons and gadgets. Bonus points for the awesome weapons commercials shown in the game.

6. New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Like a blast from the past, the New Super Mario Bros. Wii is like playing Super Mario Bros. 3 all over again with a shiny new coat of paint. With a new power-up suits and multiplayer modes, it’s time venture forth into the Mushroom Kingdom with the brothers and save the Princess again. Hopefully she’s not in another castle this time.

5. Halo 3: ODST – Xbox 360

I have to give high props to the first Halo FPS that managed to grab my attention. Halo 3: ODST’s film noir style story line and all-star voice cast made this a fabulous game to kill a Sunday afternoon with. Sure, the campaign mode might be short but you’ll have Firefight mode afterwards to fill the void as well as the second disc full of Halo 3 multiplayer maps if you don’t already own them all. I plan to go back and finish the fight this winter with the first 3 Halo games now that this game has shown me what I’ve been missing.

4. Borderlands – Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC

Imagine Fallout 3 – take out all the extreme walking times between missions, add a 4 player co-op mode and injected some wicked humour and you have Borderlands. This futuristic Mad Max like role-playing game will have you and your friends addicted to its vast landscapes, cool weapons and freaky looking enemies. Fallout 3’s vault will be a thing of the past and Pandora’s legendary vault will be all you can think about all.

3. Batman: Arkham Asylum – Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC

Batman: Arkham Asylum couldn’t have been a more perfect Batman video game and it was hard not to put this game higher on the list after all the crappy games we Batman fans have suffered through over the years, but honestly I can’t let my fan girl love of the Dark Knight affect my decisions. While Batman: Arkham Asylum did sport one of the best storyline lines, amazing game play and one of the best voice-over casts possible, the short ending, crappy Riddler reward and a few other issues kept this game at the number 3 spot.

2. Assassin’s Creed 2 – Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC

From the breath-taking digital recreation of Renaissance Italy to Ezio’s amazing killer moves, Assassin’s Creed will have you loving every minute of this sequel to the Assassin’s Creed franchise. You will be drawn into the story line here and once that’s complete, the side quests and item collection will keep the major perfectionists out there busy. This was an amazing follow-up to Assassin’s Creed which only improved upon the franchise and I can’t wait to check out the first DLC in February.

1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - Playstation 3

If you need a reason to purchase a Playstation 3, this Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is it. Heart stopping action, eye popping graphics and interactive game play unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The developers at Naughty Dog have set the bar high for what games should be – interactive Hollywood blockbusters. While this was an amazing year for games, Uncharted 2 is still the clear winner in my mind as the game’s amazing musical score still tugs at my heart strings and the graphics still blow my mind every time I see them. When my brother-in-law bought his Playstation 3 on Boxing Day this year, this was the first game suggestion that popped out of my mouth as would it be to anyone buying the console.

Honourable Mentions: Loco Roco 2, Patapon 2, Little King’s Story and Boom Blox Bash Party.

Best Downloadable Games of the Year

1. Tales of Monkey Island: All Episodes – PC Game, Wiiware
2. Plants vs. Zombies – PC Game
3. Axel & Pixel – Xbox 360
4. Machinarium – PC Game
5. Shadow Complex – Xbox 360

Honourable Mention: Farmville