Hello everyone, it’s good to be back! On this week’s TMA, there’s a lot to talk about! Oh so many games bought and played, as well as a breakdown of the Danish weather, some Detiny Beta analysis and more Tea Baggin’ action than you can care to miss!
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It's not just videogames old and new that we love at Blast Process! Many of the team are also avid comic book geeks, and it's no exaggeration that at a few of us were rather excited for the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
Guardians of the Galaxy, based on the Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning 2008 reboot of the team, was always going to be a risky sell for Marvel. Only the hardcore fans know of the comics, and isn't as iconic as Captain America or Hulk - However the same could be said for Iron Man before the first film, and we all know how that turned out! Still, without the draw of well known characters a few feared that this could be a flop compared to the rather excellent collection of films so far.
Thankfully, Guardians of the Galaxy is a fantastic addition to the series, and frankly my favourite one so far, even eclipsing the nerdgasm that is Avengers Assemble! For a world tiring from superhero overload, Guardians mixes things up by taking us on an action packed sci-fi comedy epic with an awesome 70's soundtrack!
Rather than a band of infallible heroes, the Guardians are a bunch of losers and outcasts. First up we have Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) a Han Solo style smuggler and pirate who calls himself Star-Lord whilst sleezing his way through the female population of the galaxy while listening to his mixtape of 70's hits. Next we have Gamora (Zoe Saldana) assassin and daughter of the mad titan Thanos, she's a bad-ass warrior who is out to avenge for everything her father has done. The subtly named Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) is the muscle of the team a mighty warrior who has no sense of metaphor - in his own words, nothing goes over his head, his reflexes are too quick!
Finally we come to the true stars of the film, Rocket - a genetically engineered talking homicidal raccoon-thing mercenary voiced by Bradley Cooper who shows that a wisecracking CGI character can be so much more than Jar-Jar Binks! His sidekick Groot is a giant walking tree that can only say "I am Groot", hilariously played by Vin Diesel! Groot steals every single scene he is in, somehow managing his low vocabulary not become tedious over the run of the film.
The film expands on what has happened so far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe regarding the Infinity Stones and sets things up for the people who want to obtain them...
Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the most enjoyable films I have seen in a long time, and had a stupid grin pasted across my face for the duration - from the hilarious script to the fantastic soundtrack (Seriously, go and buy it now - its that good!) It left me wanting to spend more time with the characters, I promptly pre-ordered the Blu-ray and started counting down the days until the squeal is out!
Guardians is everything that I want the new Star Wars films to be, and it certainly does a better job of crafting a sci-fi world with a lighthearted swashbuckling vibe than episodes 1-3 did. Episode 7 is going to have to pull something pretty special out of the bag to top what Marvel have put out with this film!
Finally I want to mention briefly the post credits scene, so if you don't want it spoiled before you see it make sure you close this page now...
... Still with us? Ok, last spoiler warning!
The post credit scene shows The Collector being licked by a dog in a space suit (most probably Cosmo, a dog sent into space by the soviets who also happens to have telekinetic powers!) and then being given grief by non other than Howard the Duck!
After the fairly horrific Lucas film, most people never expected to see Howard again, especially in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - this post credits scene opens the door for things even stranger than Rocket and Groot!
Go out and see Guardians of the Galaxy now! You will not regret it! Now excuse me while I get in line for Avengers: Age of Ultron...
Stop the press! No more hours on the road to find the comiccon of your dreams, gazing out the window at miles of the motorway and squashed packed lunches- Comiccon is coming to you!'Stoke Con Trent' has crashed into the North West like an explosion of Comic book and movie joy to please the masses. This is only it's first year but is sporting legends such as Colin Baker (Doctor Who), Chris Rankin (Harry Potter) and James Cosmo (Game Of Thrones). Hosted at Stafforshire University, get ready for Cosplay competitions, exhibitions and a mountain of comic and memorabilia stalls to sink your teeth into. As a seasoned comiccon goer, I honestly cannot wait! I've traveled all over the UK to visit my favourite stars, squeal with excitement at the Q&A sessions and have the best time any comiccon veteran can go. The 28th September cannot come soon enough - get your tickets from the website here: http://stokecontrent.co.uk/about/ Don't miss out!
Over and out! Mel
Mousecraft Review (PSN – PS4, PS3, PSVita Cross buy) - By Neil Kenny I pondered for a while how to describe this title.
I mean OK; it’s a puzzle game that’s a bit like Krusty’s Fun House from the early ‘90s in that you have to formulate a route for the captive rodents. However in this instance it is for their salvation and they’re mice, not rats but it’s still blocks and furry quadrupeds with tails nonetheless. But that to be truthful isn’t the whole story and in any case it isn’t a quite like that anyway. In fact this game reminds you of a lot of titles and none at the same time.
So back to the description; the mice have rules that determine their movement and you’re supplied with Tetris like pieces in order to modify the environment. Over time other pieces are added to the available stockpile bringing new properties and hence opening up other strategic opportunities.
The objective is to get the mice from the start to the goal. Just the one of the group is sufficient in order to complete the task. The mice themselves are not indestructible which you have to bear in mind. They can climb the height of one block but a fall greater than 3 blocks will prove fatal and nearly everything else on the level is there to kill or trap them.
As you complete successive rounds your progress is marked on the map (actually depicted as a blueprint) and not only have you got to save the mice but certain thresholds require you to have collected a number of shards (crystals) along the way. These crystal trinkets serve as a way to make you replay the levels and improve one’s results. Sometimes the act of finishing a level is straightforward but to complete it properly you have to really think ahead. Remember that you only have the pieces supplied in the quantities stated. You also have bombs which can be used to clear out unwanted blocks. These are also a limited in quantity but you can find further bombs situated on some of the levels that you might have to factor into your route to the finish (which strangely always makes me thing about MGS and finding equipment in the field).
The controls are straightforward and are common to all versions of the game. I do think that you could do with a reminder before each time you start playing. It took me a while to recall how you actually release the mice upon returning to the game. But this is more a fault with me than the game but it would have helped since they are not listed with in the game.
The game plays at fairly sedate pace. There is a requirement to modify the mice’s path on some of the levels whilst in play in order to get all of the goodies and this provides the only real tension in the game which is no bad thing. You can also undo your item placements sequentially from last to first in real time without penalty which makes experimentation a lot more pleasurable. This by no means robs the game of any difficulty but does remove the annoyance of seeing a ‘game over’ screen repeatedly.
There is overarching story in the game with animated cut scenes revealing the plot. All to do with a space cat called Schrödinger and it is this feline’s experiment that we are actually playing. The use of Schrödinger is an obvious reference to Erwin Schrödinger’s thought experiment that was designed to show the problem when Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Mechanics is applied to everyday objects (phew!). But instead of the experiment centring on a cat this game is about saving the lives of the trapped rodents. It does make you wonder why the game isn’t called Schrödinger’s Mice?
However there is a reason why this came alludes itself to the runaway success that is Minecraft. It contains within a level creator that allows you to produce your own levels using all the items that exist within the main game. It is very easy to use with minimal instructions that are only given as a series of prompts when selecting the items from the onscreen menu. Anything you build can be saved and the shared amongst your registered Sony devices (PS3, PS4 and PSVita) but not alas with others it would seem.
So after all that what’s it like…
Well the game is polished to a high standard and certainly provides value for money (especially if you own a PSVita). I wouldn’t recommend that you play it in isolation and instead dip in and out to avoid any feeling of repetition, but I hasten to add that you must keep playing it regularly to keep your skills ready because you have a lot of mice to save.
Earlier today I spotted a news post over on VG247 that took my interest. Since it's release years and years ago I've played (on and off) World of Warcraft, and prior to that the RTS Warcraft titles. The Warcraft lore ties all the games together as it continues to evolve with each and every Warcraft expansion. Blizzard Entertainment know how to craft a fantastic tale.
Even if you've never really had much interest in the series, or if you are a die-hard fan of Azeroth's residents you should give the video below a watch. It's a very well put together video detailing the full story of Warcraft.
The video was created by Youtuber Nobbel87. My thanks to VG247
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ__nRnO2mE]
An announcement from our co-founder, Michael Davies. We have some real treats in store for you at Blastprocess.com this Autumn. Keep those eyes peeled!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rQcmXrwJiM&w=560&h=315]
It’s almost the Holidays! Well for Tom at least, Mat’s already been on his and brought back some wonders from Corfu! We talk the usual tat about gaming, upcoming releases and Tom’s gaming induced narcolepsy, as well as discussing something a little closer to home n the wake of one of our listeners hanging up his controller for good.
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So, if you own a PS3 or PS4 then and you've managed to A) Get a beta code and B) managed to dodge the flurry of PSN issues, then you could well be playing Destiny right now!
We'd like to gather any and all thoughts on Bungie's latest epic. If you'd like to jot a few of your impressions down, create a video or share some cool gameplay clips please feel free to email them across to me. Pop 'Destiny' in the subject and fire over your words or links to dave@blastprocess.com.
We'll also be after any Xbox 360/One impressions next week once the beta goes live on Microsoft's consoles.
The latest from Tom's Game Room. Seeing as the original Game Room video was nearly 3 years old, Tom has created an update to show the room in its current fit to burst state, enjoy!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3Nomb7VPjM&feature=youtu.be]
It’s Tom & Mat Time coming at you and it’s going to be a Klax-ic episode! Ok, as you might have guessed from the Puns, Mat’s played Klax on his new Master System II, as well as a whole host of other games you probably love and he doesn’t… But it’s new consoles all round! Tom’s picked up a Famiclone all of his own and a copy of Takeshi no Chosenjo to go with it! Then things get serious as Mat spots a reseller in Denmark, and Tom’s been looking down at the Wii U Gamepad for some Final Fight 3! There’s some talk of Valiant Hearts, some Revenge of Shinobi and also a little Transformer talk, just because we thought you might appreciate it!
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A couple of big announcements were made today regarding two highly regarding fighting franchises.
Namco have announced TEKKEN 7 for Xbox One and Playstation 4. For the first time in the TEKKEN series the title will be made using the Unreal Engine 4. The teaser trailer gives a couple of story hints. You can check out it out below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGhz1JqqnIg&w=560&h=315]
Also, the already star-studed roster of characters for the upcoming 3DS and Wii U versions of Super Smash Bros has gained a few more new entries. Robin (available to play in both male and female form) and Lucina from the 3DS title Fire Emblem Awakening will be entering the fray. Captain Falco (of F Zero fame) is also back. Once again, you can check out the trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW6TpZPYd58&w=560&h=315]
That's 4 Fire Emblem characters confirmed for Smash Bros so far!
This is not a joke. I repeat - NOT A JOKE. I had an amazing conversation with a IT teacher who visits primary schools, teaching pupils to create animations and all sorts of things. However what he told me next both baffled and excited me. He works with one of the designers of Minecraft and they are taking Minecraft to the classroom, the actual, run of the mill classroom.
They are creating secure servers for schools who sign up, creating detailed worlds that they teach pupils to use, setting challenges and tasks for them to complete in whichever environment the teacher chooses. They've created roman cities, ww1 battlegrounds (complete with minecraft characters to talk to named after famous people) all with built in tasks for pupils to complete, sometimes online, sometimes offline. Build this monument, create this peice of equipment, work as a team to reach this goal.
These need to be downloadable packs. City of Rome? Yes please.
Now this my friends is awesome.
Why wasn't school this cool when I was a kid?
Mel
While at this year's Gadget Show Live, the team managed to play a small indie 2D shoot 'em up entitled Mighty Tactical Shooter, by Sock Thuggery. I'm happy to announce that the turn based shooter is now on Kickstarter and I highly advise all of you to chip in and help make this game reach it's goal.
I was a little skeptical at first, I mean, a turn based 2D shoot 'em up, how could that work? After some hands on time with the title though I was quickly converted. It's a fantastic take on the age old genre, adding a whole new tactical edge to a title with hints of classic R-Type gameplay. Challenging yet incrediably enjoyable.
We interviewed 'The Mighty Git' himself (aka Johnny Marshall) during our visit to the Gadget Show. You can watch the interview below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ARyJVZ-Dt4&w=560&h=315]
If you are unsure if the game is for you, then why not try out the Alpha Demo?
For more information check out the official webpage for Mighty Tactical Shooter.
Game Room videos. If there's anything a self respecting video game website should have then it's videos of the site's bloggers showing their wares. So here we are, my Games Room circa 2012...I think.
As you may have guessed there's a little story as to why this video's taken so long to appear on the site. Firstly, it was technically never finished as part 3 was never fully edited and secondly the screen ratio of the video got squashed somehow.
Regardless of these problems I felt what we did manage to film was worth salvaging, so here it is, a lost relic from the Blast Process archives...
Part 1: SATURN, MEGA DRIVE, NES, GAMECUBE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niEYSnQMc-A
Part 2: MASTER SYSTEM, N64, XBOX, MASTER SYSTEM, WII.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQdDFyhwQ8c
Andrey Sharapov, CEO & Producer for AuraLab is currently working with his team on Karma. Incarnation 1. A "Classical 2D point-n-click psychedelic adventure, permeated with original humor and mind blowing puzzles." but what caught our eye was the dark and spooky world that is held within a vibrant and colourful environment.
We asked Andrey a couple of questions to find out a little more about Karma. Incarnation.
1. Their soundtrack is great, how did they come up with that style of music? John Kukaryamba (from Zmeiraduga band) is a friend of Alexander Kuvshinov (our art director and inspirer), so they knew each other for quite a long time before we started this project. When I listened to the music that Alexander chose for the game - I said that it’s the best choice for our vision, I really like the music of Zmeiraduga band too, so we never had any real doubts about it
2. What’s the deal with the full stop in the name?
The full stop after the name is there because the game’s planned as a series – nothing exciting really. So, for example, the next in the series will be Karma. Incarnation 2 – but future titles may still use the Karma. name, as long as they’re interconnected within the same gaming world we’ve created.
3. Like the visual style. What influenced the character's design, and why was black chosen as the predominant colour for the foreground and characters?
It’s a question for our art director and ideologist Alexander Kuvshinov, I think he has some kind of astral vision, like Pip and he takes images straight from the cosmos or astral world =)) And a some of sources of hi inspiration was the animated series by Zumbakamera and Adventure Time.
4. The game has a very original storyline, combined with unusual gameplay mechanics. What inspired you to come up with this game?
Good question, the games of studio Amanita Design I think, such as Botanicula and Machinarium. We all just love to play these kinds of games and decided to create the game we all dreamed of. I can count all of the good point-n-click adventures published in the last 5 years on one hand, and all of them have great commercial success.
5. We like our retro games on BlastProcess.com, but which did you prefer…Megadrive…or SNES?
Super Nintendo =)
Thanks to Andrey for taking the time to chat with us. 
You can find Karma. Incarnation 1. on Steam Greenlight and show your support on IndieGOGO.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGw4sGVju4U&w=560&h=315]
It’s Tom & Mat Time again kids! On this weeks episode, Mat sets out to concur the Danish car boot scene after watching lots of Game Chasers, while Tom’s too busy accidentally purchasing copies of Virtual Tennis 4 and talking himself out of buying a Kinect. Other than that, the chaps talk Megaman, Danish Supermarkets and an awful lot about retro gaming yet again. Yup, it’s just another Sunday in Tom & Mat Land!
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Phwoar! It’s another Tom & Mat Attack! This week is again a more retro orientated podcast, talking about a lot of classic titles! Tom’s been on Megaman, Mat’s been digging up some Gameboy obscurities and together, the boys have been playing some games set in the ol’ west! With some Red Dead Revolver, Dead Eye Jim, not to mention some Bloody Roar 4, this is a cracking episode! Also learn all about our exciting Tetris contest, in which you can win a Tee, a Gameboy & a copy of Tetris!
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The guys at Payload studios have just launched their Kickstarter for the frankly awesome Terratech! The BlastProcess team checked it out at the Gadget Show this year, and by all accounts it was one of our favourite games at the event.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXRb_9jFA_I
Recently the team released a demo as shown off by Craig in his Let's Play vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-4PyFX5oGM
The game is well worth a look at, and if you're quick you can get the early bird rewards to bag the game at a bargain £10 if the kickstarter is sucessful!
My my! It’s that time of year again, it comes around so fast! It’s time for Tom & Mat to talk about the Electronic Entertainment Expo! Covering everything from Microsoft, Sony & Nintendo, to EA and Ubisoft, weighing in with opinions such why Assassin’s Creed would make crap multiplayer, as well as why Splatoon looks like the best thing ever! If you have any thoughts, please feel free to share them with us, we’d love to hear YOUR opinions on all of this!
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Hold onto your controllers folks! Tom + Mat are back with another exciting look at the news, latest releases and what the chaps have been buying and playing! Mat’s still knee deep into his Gameboy gaming and Watch Dogs, while Tom’s been on the Neo Geo Pocket and Capcom’s latest offering to the fighting world, Street Fighter IV Ultra!
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