This week is PS4 news is a wild one, loaded with plenty of updates on your favorite forthcoming titles, deals, and more. There are also plenty of E3 updates and deals for you.
Deus Ex isn't dead, but it's not coming back any time soon. We saw new reveals from of Kingdom Hearts 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Rage 2, and more. On the other end, Shenmue 3, Skull and Bones, and Metro Exodus have been delayed. A new PS4 system update is available now and GTA 5 Online's update added a battle royale mode. E3 news is finally filtering in this week too. Don't forget to pick up this month's free PlayStation Plus titles, or snag a few deals from GameStop, the PSN, or Best Buy. Keep reading for all of this week's biggest PS4 headlines.
Xbox One's news this week is all about forthcoming titles, though not many of those are exclusives. This week is also seeing plenty of events, deals, and more.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is foregoing a traditional single-player campaign, Kingdom Hearts 3 actually does exist, and Halo is coming to arcades. We also saw the gameplay reveal of Rage 2, and a brand new controller for Xbox One and PC that will be more accessible for players with limited mobility. Dragon Ball FighterZ has its first limited-time event happening this weekend too, and save $100 on an Xbox One X. For even more Xbox news, keep on reading.
From cult-favorite RPGs to chill exploration narratives, this week's Switch news is definitely more about what games are coming than what's already released. There are also a few deals you won't want to miss, and some E3 sneak peeks.
Headlining this week's biggest news on Switch is Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, which will be available worldwide this fall. Mineko's Night Market has also received a fall release date, and might be the closest thing we'll get to Animal Crossing on the system for a while. Later this year, get ready to earn Xbox One achievements while playing Minecraft on Switch. If you want to play the new Super Smash Bros. at E3, you'll have to sign up; bring your Switch to the show, and Nintendo might just give you a special collectible pin; you also won't want to miss this week's Eshop sale. Keep on reading for the rest of this week's Switch headlines.
Is there anything more difficult to make sense of in movies than the X-Men film franchise? Whether it's the initial trilogy, the three prequels that followed and completely changed the established timeline, or the three Wolverine spin-offs that are set all over the place, the X-Men movies are... a lot to deal with.
And that's before you throw Deadpool into the mix. While the Merc with a Mouth makes a mockery of just about everything--and plenty of meta jokes at the expense of his own movie universe--Deadpool and Deadpool 2 do exist in the X-Men franchise. More specifically, they are set in the altered timeline that follows the events of X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Where in that timeline, though? Based on simply watching the films, chances are you'd expect they were set in modern day--2016 for the first movie, 2018 for the second. However, Deadpool 2 throws a massive wrench in that assumption. If you have yet to see Deadpool 2, consider this your spoiler warning as we're going to dig into the movie's events.
First and foremost, Deadpool 2 begins with Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) playing with a music box designed to look like Logan's final moments from the 2017 film Logan, with the Hugh Jackman character dying. That particular movie is set in the year 2029, so either Deadpool can see the future or it's actually set in a post-post-apocalyptic world. However, neither of these are the case. Like most things Deadpool-related, this moment can simply be chalked up to another in a long line of jokes, even if that can be frustrating to those trying to keep the timeline straight.
However, the movie's tinkering with the timeline doesn't end there. During a scene at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Deadpool jokes--because that's what he does--that none of the A-grade X-Men ever show up in his movies. Instead, he's saddled with Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and, in this sequel, new addition Yukio. As he registers his complaint with the universe, the camera finds Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Professor X (James McAvoy), Quicksilver (Evan Peters), and Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) in a room, as Beast quickly closes the door to avoid the Merc.
It's a great joke and an excellent set of cameos. However, it simply makes no sense. These versions of the characters are from 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse, which was set in 1983. Are we to believe the X-Men haven't aged in 35 years? Xavier should certainly look a bit more like Patrick Stewart at this point.
Yes, this is taking Deadpool 2 and its jokes way too seriously. In many ways, though, that's half of the fun. Taking a moment to examine the timeline this franchise has built, destroyed, and built again is interesting--especially when you take into consideration the gripes people have about the comparatively tiny discrepancies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Honestly, do you really care how long after Marvel's Avengers that Spider-Man: Homecoming is set? Not really, but it can be fun to talk about with fellow fans.
Besides, in many ways, making viewers obsess about timeline inaccuracies is exactly what Deadpool and Deadpool 2 are striving for. These movies are a complete romp that are about making jokes that appeal to the kinds of fans who spend a lot of time thinking about things like the X-Men movie timeline and whether the DC Universe is too dark and gritty for its own good. The titular character is simultaneously making jokes with fans and trolling them. And those very same fans eat it up.
In the end, it doesn't really matter what changes he makes to the timeline, because thanks to Cable's watch, he spends the movie's post-credits scene traveling back in time to change a number of things--including the events of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. At long last, that first, horrible version of Deadpool is gone once and for all.
Through the antics of that sequence, the character is making tons of massive changes to an already wildly confusing timeline. By the time he's done, who knows what state it's in? Perhaps it's even more unrecognizable before, or maybe nothing has changed. After all, once Deadpool 3 eventually hits theaters, chances are everything will be status quo because that's exactly what it should be. Deadpool's actions aren't going to have major implications on X-Men: Dark Phoenix or New Mutants, and they probably won't help Gambit get made any sooner.
Still, it's fun to think about. At least, until trying to make sense of it gives you a headache, then just go watch the movie again and laugh at the dick jokes. Really, though, would him going back in time to kill baby Hitler really have been so bad?
By Anonymous on May 19, 2018 09:00 pm Tune in to watch the best Rainbow Six Siege teams duke it out in the Pro League 3 Finals and also find out more details on the new map and new operators in Operation Para Bellum.
From '80s movies to obscure comics to meta jokes about the actors themselves, Deadpool 2 is full of the gags, references, and winks you've no doubt come to expect from the Merc With a Mouth. In that spirit, we've gathered up a list of the best and most clever Easter Eggs and callbacks from the movie that you may or may not have missed.
Of course, maybe you haven't seen the movie yet and don't want to find out the best jokes Deadpool 2 has to offer before you can see it on the big screen. You know the drill: everything beyond this point is full of potential spoilers, so please tread carefully!
1. The Not-So-Empty X-Mansion
Much like the first Deadpool, Deadpool 2 has an extremely limited selection of active X-Men between Colossus, Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and the new Yukio. Wade's made a few cracks about this before, pointing out that it's probably because they couldn't get the rights--which is most likely the real reason--but this time around, we got an actual in-universe reason.
There are other X-Men in the mansion, they're just straight up avoiding poor DP. In a brief shot as Wade walks through the mansion, we see a room full of familiar faces--Beast, Professor X, Quicksilver, Cyclops, and more--trying to slyly close the door to the room they're hiding in without Wade noticing. Rude.
2. Marrow in Prison
A split-second glimpse around the Mutant prison known as the Ice Box gives us a look at some of the other mutants that might exist in this universe. One, in particular, seems to have giant bone spikes growing out of their back, a clear nod to the X-Man named Marrow who, strangely, was also referenced back in the first Deadpool during the experimentation scenes of Wade's origin story. So, she either survived that whole ordeal and wound up in prison or there are just two different mutants with the same incredibly unfortunate mutation running around.
3. Interview with the Vampire
Wade's trusty cab driver, Dopinder, has a running obsession with the 1994 film, Interview with the Vampire, starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and a young Kirsten Dunst. The references and ongoing gags come full circle when Pitt makes a surprise cameo as the invisible hero "Vanisher" just seconds before he dies.
4. Yentl vs. Cable
Wade's depressive episode leaves him watching the 1983 Barbra Streisand movie Yentl and fixating on the song "Papa Can You Hear Me?" As if his being a fan weren't enough of a gag already, Wade's love of Streisand has a specific meta-joke built in--she just so happens to be Cable actor Josh Brolin's stepmom. Furthermore, he's not wrong about how similar the song and Frozen's "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" is.
5. Colossus vs. Juggernaut
In the climactic final showdown, Colossus winds up facing off against the unstoppable Juggernaut in a knock-down-drag-out fist fight. If you think those are two characters who are pretty much destined to go head-to-head, you'd be correct--over in the comics, the two have a long, long history of getting into brawls. They're so in each other's orbit that Colossus even became the new Juggernaut for a while.
6. Hope Summers
We only get the briefest glimpse of Cable's family during the flash-forwards to the future, but he confirms his daughters name as "Hope" as he speaks about her. This is an obvious nod to Hope Summers, a mutant of some distinction over in the comics universe. Hope was the first mutant born after the House of M event where Scarlet Witch famously altered reality so that there were "no more mutants."
7. Shatterstar's Green Blood
Lewis Tan's Shatterstar was not long for this world and, potentially, totally crazy as he attempted to explain his superpowers ("being better than you") and his origin, ("from Mojoworld") to an extremely unimpressed Deadpool. However, as he met his tragic end the blood splatter we saw was actually neon green rather than red meaning he actually (probably) wasn't delusional. He wasn't from this planet after all.
8. A Cure for Blindness
In a call back to the first movie, Wade pulls up some of the floorboards of Blind Al's apartment, finding a ton of cocaine and bags labeled "cure for blindness." He joked about both the drugs and the "cure" (which, honestly, is probably just more cocaine) in Deadpool 1 before he went off to face Ajax for the final time, implying if he didn't make it back safe Al would never find it. Apparently, he was telling at least part of the truth.
9. May As Well Be Hawkeye
After being strapped with a power damping collar, Wade makes a crack about how now that he's powerless and riddled with cancer, if you gave him a bow and arrow he "may as well be Hawkeye." A cheap shot, sure, but considering the outcry over Hawkeye's absence in both in Infinity War's promotional material and the movie itself, it's certainly a topical one.
10. Cerebro
Though the brief Professor X cameo we get in the X-Mansion seemed to be the James McAvoy version, there's plenty of love for the original to be found. Deadpool is shown playing with Cerebro (much to Colossus's dismay) and, when forced to finally stop messing around, says "it smells like Patrick Stewart in here."
11. Echoes of Mister Sinister
The nefarious mutant-hating organization responsible for both Firefist and Domino is known as the "Essex House," a sort of mutant orphanage that acts as a front for a zealous torturer experimenting on kids. The name Essex seems to be a nod to Nathaniel Essex, aka Mister Sinister, a longtime X-Men foe.
12. Deadpool vs. Deadpool
During the post-credits scene, Wade gleefully hops over continuity boundaries to make a trip into X-Men Origins: Wolverine where he, technically, made his live-action debut. The version in Origins, also played by Reynolds, was so unrecognizable as Deadpool that it's become a running gag for fans and one that the current Deadpool was all too happy to finally be rid of.
13. Erasing Green Lantern
The final moment of the post-credits scene involves Wade traveling back in time to the home of none other than Ryan Reynolds just as he gets the script for the infamously bad Green Lantern live-action movie. Reynolds has never lived starring as the CGI-suited Hal Jordan down and, despite Deadpool literally putting a bullet between the eyes of the ongoing joke, it's unlikely that it will ever stop haunting him.
14. Four or Five Moments
While trying to decide what he's going to do with the abusers at the Essex House, Wade begins talking about how being a hero only takes "four or five" moments, small decisions that make big impacts in your life. His speech is lifted almost line for line (with a few extremely Deadpool adjustments) from Colossus's final monologue in Deadpool 1. It seems like Wade was paying enough attention that first time around to remember exactly what Colossus had said but whether or not he actually internalized the message is still pretty up for debate.
15. Meet Black Tom
One of the only named side characters in the Ice Box prison is a mutant named Black Tom Cassidy who becomes the punchline of a running joke about Cable's imagined racism. Black Tom is actually a long-time enemy of Deadpool in the comics and partner of the Juggernaut. Black Tom doesn't seem to have a connection to Cain in this universe, but the name check alone was some pretty great foreshadowing.
16. Can't Draw Feet
Wade, becoming increasingly frustrated with Domino's hard to explain "luck" superpowers, comments that she must have been created by a "freakshow artist" who "probably can't draw feet." This, of course, is a nod to/jab at artist Rob Liefeld who co-created Cable, Domino, and Deadpool and who is also infamously bad at human anatomy.
17. Sword Swinging Deadpool
While facing off on the prison transport, Cable does his level best to shoot Wade with a handgun as Wade "deflects" the bullets with his two katanas. Or, well, he tries to deflect the bullets and winds up riddled with holes. This scene is a play off of a moment in X-Men Origins: Wolverine in which Ryan Reynolds' first incarnation of Deadpool pulled off a similar stunt to much greater effect.
18. Say Anything
As Wade finally decides to ask the X-Men for help, he tries to summon them outside of the mansion by holding a boombox over his head while standing on their law. Well, okay, not a boombox exactly, a boombox app on his phone, but it's the thought that counts. Who even has a real boombox anymore?
Anyway, this was a clear nod to the iconic 1989 movie Say Anything with Wade doing his best John Cusack impression.
19. The Sun's Getting Real Low, Big Guy
Wade is left to make a few desperate Hail Mary plays as he tries and fails miserably to fight the Juggernaut for the first time. One such plan is to pull a page out of Black Widow's (and Thor's) playbook from the Marvel Cinematic Universe for calming down the Hulk by reciting a mantra that goes "the sun's gettin' real low, big guy."
Surprising no one, it doesn't work--but between this moment and Thor: Ragnarok, this just might be the first in-universe superhero meme.
20. Black and White Deadpool
After the final fight leaves him scorched and covered in ash, Deadpool's red-and-black costume takes on a distinctly black-and-white look. This was a clever way to wink at the comics version of Wade's X-Force costume, which he wore when he first officially joined the team back in 2012.
May's Pokemon Go Community Day is here. This month's event takes place around the world today, May 19, and those who participate will have a chance to get a special Charizard that knows a rare Fire-type attack.
As usual, the Community Day isn't centralized at a particular location, but rather during a specific window of time, meaning players can head anywhere to take part in the event. The Community Day runs for only three hours and begins at different times depending on which region you live in. You can find the scheduled hours for each region below:
North America
11 AM - 2 PM PT
2 PM - 5 PM ET
Europe and Africa
10 AM - 1 PM BST
Asia-Pacific
12 PM - 3 PM JST
During this month's Community Day, players will earn triple the usual amount of Stardust for capturing Pokemon. Any Lure Modules that are activated during the event will also last for three hours, up from their usual 30-minute duration.
The featured Pokemon during this month's Community Day is Charmander. During the event hours, the popular Red and Blue starter will spawn much more frequently than usual. If previous Community Days are any indication, players may also have a chance to encounter a rare Shiny variant.
Any Charmeleon that evolves into Charizard during the event hours will learn the powerful Fire attack Blast Burn, even if the Pokemon was captured prior to the Community Day. However, Charmeleon will need to evolve before the event ends in order to learn the attack, giving you only a brief window of time to get the exclusive move.
In addition to its monthly Community Days, developer Niantic will host another series of real-world events for Pokemon Go throughout the summer. The Summer Tour 2018 kicks off next month with a Safari Zone event in Dortmund, Germany, and continues in July with the second annual Pokemon Go Fest in Chicago. The tour will be capped off by a special Safari Zone event in Yokosuka later this summer.
In the meantime, Pokemon Go players can still capture the latest Legendary Pokemon, Latios and Latias. The two Eon Pokemon recently traded locations, meaning Latias is now available across North America, South America, and Africa, while Latios can be found in Europe and Asia. The Legendaries will remain in their current locations until they're scheduled to leave the game on June 5.
By Anonymous on May 19, 2018 07:30 am Here's some brand new gameplay (captured off-screen) of Kingdom Hearts 3's new Toy Story world. We Andy's Room with Woody and Buzz, visit the nearby Galaxy Toy shop, and even get a surprise visit from Wreck-It Ralph!
By Anonymous on May 19, 2018 06:14 am Check out GTA Online's new battle royale inspired adversary mode called Trap Door. In this mode teams battle on a rapidly shrinking floating platform until one team remains.
By Anonymous on May 19, 2018 05:30 am See how new abilities, weapons, and attachments impact Black Ops 4's multiplayer in this full round of Domination on Contraband.
We initially saw Hyrule Warriors back in 2014 on the Wii U, but now the Zelda-themed spin-off Musou title is back again, this time in shining Switch form. Right beside the updated graphics comes a new split-screen mode and all the DLC from the original Wii U and 3DS versions.
But is that enough content for fans to return to the title? If you've already played through Hyrule Warriors Legends on 3DS, this version may not be enough for you. But if you're a newcomer to the title, Daniel Starkey says in our Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition review that the title is "a great second chance for the strongest Zelda spin-off ever." Keep on reading for more thoughts on the title from other critics in the industry, or head on over to GameSpot's sister website Metacritic.
Game: Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition
Developer / Publisher: Omega Force and Team Ninja / Nintendo and Koei Techmo
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Release date: Out Now
Price: US $60 / £60 / AU $69
GameSpot -- 8/10
"Hyrule Warriors is a beautiful, chaotic mess of a game. It's got all the glossy rupees, imaginative monsters, and fashionable characters you'd expect from the Zelda series (and plenty you wouldn't), topped off with some nods to the medieval hack-and-slash Dynasty Warriors series. In place of puzzles and elaborate levels or side-quests, you're here to do one thing--mess up some monsters." -- Daniel Starkey [Full review]
IGN -- 7.5 /10
"Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is a good-quality port of the Wii U game, but outside of much more stable performance and better local co-op it doesn't add enough new content to make replaying the story mode interesting again if you've already tried it. Luckily, the Adventure Mode maps and 16 of the 31 unlockable characters are available from the start." -- Casey Defreitas [Full review]
Nintendo Life -- 8/10
"All told, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is a great time-sink game, featuring mindless but fun action gameplay that offers up the potential for dozens - if not hundreds - of hours of content. Though it certainly feels like a game that's too bloated in places, it manages to balance the Zelda and Dynasty Warriors elements well. Group all of that with stellar presentation and impressive portable gameplay, and you've got a game that does a great job of doing something new (and weird) with a classic Nintendo property. We'd give this one a recommendation, especially to fans of the Zelda series who have always wanted there to be some sort of 'anniversary' game. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition may not have a ton of depth, but it's way more fun than it has any right to be, and you'd be missing out by not picking up this complete edition." -- Mitch Vogel [Full review]
VG24/7 -- No Score
"Zelda games are typically action-packed but also fairly contemplative. Sure, Link might be saving the world, but he does so with a little lateral thinking, with swordplay usually second to puzzles. Hyrule Warriors is the opposite, transposing the setting, trappings and characters of the Zelda series into the over-the-top, crowd-stomping hack-and-slash action popularized by the Dynasty Warriors series. Surprisingly, it's brilliant. That's the joy of Hyrule Warriors: On paper it all feels a little like it shouldn't work at all, but in practice it becomes something really rather special." - Alex Donaldson [Full review]
VentureBeat -- 84/100
"I went into Hyrule Warriors with zero expectations and came out satisfied — this is a cool game with treats for Zelda fans, strategy fans, and hack-and-slash fans alike. It's fun to play in two-level sessions, allocating around half an hour to an hour per level, and between the main objectives, optional missions, and side story quests, there's an incredible amount to see and do here. That said, the only reason I'd call Hyrule Warriors "good" rather than "OK" is its sheer scope. Around halfway through the Legend campaign, I got tired of mowing down crowds of soldiers, and annoyed by the game's sub-optimal map and control UIs. But then I discovered the Adventure and Ganon modes, and felt reinvigorated by the title's potential for variations on the lengthy Legend battles. And the more I continued to play, the more amazed I was by all of the fan service Koei Tecmo and Nintendo included." -- Jeremy Horwitz [Full review]
Destructoid -- No Score
"Nearly four years. That's how long Hyrule Warriors has been out, and very few people have probably 100%-ed it. I don't blame them! While the core loop is fun and the roster is on point, upgrading every single hero and villain and obtaining every key item for them would take hundreds of hours. I spent a few hundred of my own just working on a few of my favorites, and I'll probably spend at least half of that on Switch with the Definitive Edition all over again. Hyrule Warriors hasn't magically mended any of its shortcomings just because it hit Switch. There's more content to work through (mostly maps) and more characters, but this is basically the same Warriors formula hack and slash it was before." -- Chris Carter [Full review]
Let's face the facts. As much as another streaming service being launched onto an already crowded market may be annoying, this is the way the world is moving. Some of these new services may not be up your alley; however, when DC Entertainment announced its new service "DC Universe," people like me--giant comic book nerds--celebrated the seemingly endless possibilities.
When the news of DC Universe first launched, a group of new shows were announced, including a live-action Swamp Thing series, and more recently, a Doom Patrol series. One of the first shows announced was Young Justice: Outsiders, and while there have been little to no details about the series, it's pretty obvious it's a followup to the 2011 animated series Young Justice, which was bonkers good.
That got us thinking. What DC animated series would we like to see added to DC Universe? The company's new streaming service has to have classic shows on there, and what DC has done exceptionally well, in the past, is animated series. So we put together a list of shows that DC Universe needs to include when it launches. However, not all of these shows are fantastic, there's a few stinkers on here for the sake of nostalgia.
Batman: The Animated Series (1992)
Number of episodes: 109 (Including The Adventures of Batman & Robin and The New Batman Adventures)
Currently streaming on: Amazon Video
There is no other show in DC's vaults that defines who Batman is better than Batman: The Animated Series. It is what every comic book cartoon should strive to be. It developed its own animated style, tone, and look, all while appealing to both the young and the old. The best part is that the show still holds up. While we're not discussing DC's straight-to-DVD movies just yet--and most of them are amazing--if DC is including this series, then the movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a must have for the service, as it takes place in the same Batman universe
Batman Beyond (1999)
Number of episodes: 52
Currently streaming on: The show itself isn't streaming anywhere, but the movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is on Amazon.
Batman Beyond is about a young kid in the future, who finds out a very old Bruce Wayne used to be Batman, and now, that kid becomes a new Batman. It takes place in a bright, futuristic city, and it's filled with raves. While, on paper, that may not sound appealing, it encapsulates everything you love about Batman, through a brand new set of eyes.
Superman: The Animated Series (1996)
Number of episodes: 54
Currently streaming on: Amazon Video
Following in the footsteps of Batman: The Animated Series, Superman got his own show in 1996, and the art style followed its Dark Knight predecessor. It is easily one of the best small or big screen adaptations of Superman.
Wild C.A.T.S.(1994)
Number of episodes: 13
Not everything on this list is going to be an amazing series hailed by critics as nothing short of "glorious." There are a few misses as well, and the first is the X-Men-esque Wild C.A.T.S. based on the Wildstorm comic of the same name. It's very much a reminder of how not everything from the '90s was gold, no matter how Xtreme it was. What it boils down to is I just want to see an animated Grifter again.
Static Shock (2000)
Number of episodes: 52
Based on the Milestone/DC Comic series of the same name, and created by Denys Cowen and the late Dwayne McDuffie, the series follows a teenager who gains the ability to control magnetism after a chemical explosion. McDuffie himself cited that one of the main factors of its cancellation was low toy sales, which was a bummer since the show was so much fun.
Justice League/Justice League Unlimited (2001)
Number of episodes: 91
Essentially the same show, Justice League/Justice League Unlimited was the third animated series developed by Bruce Timm, who brought us Superman and Batman previously. While Justice League focused on the core team, Unlimited expanded the team by featuring new JLA members every week.
Batman: Brave And The Bold (2008)
Number of episodes: 65
You may have missed out on Brave and the Bold because it was marketed as a kids show, and for all intents and purposes, it totally was. However, it is also, without a doubt, one of the funniest cartoons ever put out by DC, especially anytime Aquaman showed up. It was Adam West's Batman as an animated series, but the volume was turned up to 11. It also had one of the best series finales of any superhero show.
Swamp Thing (1991)
Number of episodes: 5
Much like Wild C.A.T.S., Swamp Thing isn't a great show, and the episode count should tell you that. Before the live-action version rolls around in 2019, this animated series should be available on DC Universe. Swamp Thing was a departure from the comic series, as the cartoon was action-based and has Swamp Thing and friends fighting the Un-Men. It's another case of people in charge getting the formula completely wrong and trying to jam a well-known character into a '90s action cartoon.
Super Friends (1973)
Number of episodes: 109
Super Friends is the show that created the "Aquaman is lame" stigma, and it continues to stick, regardless of what Peter David or Geoff Johns did with his comic book series. It was a light-hearted and sometimes silly '70s series that had the Justice League--with some new friends like the Wonder Twins--taking on the bad guys of the Legion of Doom. It's cheesy, but it is classic Saturday morning cartoon fare.
The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show (1979)
Number of episodes: 61 (First three seasons)
The Plastic Man series was a delight. The show followed the comedic character as he stopped crimes and helped people out. There were a lot of Scooby Doo elements to the series, but the comedy was a whole lot better. It knew it was silly and had no problems exploiting that. While the series kept changing the cast, we're only counting the first three seasons in the episode count, as Plastic Man and his family faded from the show after that.
Teen Titans (2003)
Number of episodes: 65
Teen Titans was a superhero team that skewed to a younger audience, as everyone on the team was a teenager. The show followed Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire as they worked together to stop crime in the city. It was fast-paced and fun for a serious superhero show.
Teen Titans Go! (2013)
Number of episodes: 205
Currently streaming on: Hulu
Teen Titans Go! is just 2003's Teen Titans with the wackiness amplified beyond belief. What's craziest about the series is that has the same voice cast as the original. The team goes on crazy adventures in their Titans Tower and tends to sing a lot of bizarre songs about their journeys. If you want more Teen Titans Go!, there's a feature-length movie coming to theaters July 27.
The Batman (2004)
Number of episodes: 65
While it is near impossible to follow up what Batman: The Animated Series accomplished, 2004's The Batman did just that by not replicating its predecessor and crafting its own style. It was another series that told the story of Batman and his journey to protect Gotham City. The show pulled stories from DC comic books and along with its unique art style, the series ended up winning over most Batman fans.
Young Justice (2011)
Number of episodes: 46
With Young Justice: Outsiders launching on the service, DC Universe better include the original Young Justice series, which is easily the best superhero team show from DC Entertainment. It follows the next generation of superheroes who are all trying to prove themselves to the Justice League.
Bandai Namco has kicked off a special limited-time event in Dragon Ball FighterZ. The game's first Party Battle is now underway on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, giving players the opportunity to team up against powerful enemies and earn some in-game cash.
Party Battle is one of the two new modes that were introduced in Dragon Ball FighterZ's latest patch. These special online events are only available for a limited-time and allow three players to team together and fight a "fearsome boss."
The first Party Battle is called "The Emperor Strikes Back," and it pits players against one of the series' most iconic foes, Frieza. Each win counts toward a shared total, so players around the globe will be cooperating to topple Frieza as many times as possible.
As game producer Tomoko Hiroki explained, "The number of enemies defeated during this event is linked across the world, so the number of players participating and the cooperation between those players will become an important point for this event."
The Party Battle is going on now on all platforms and runs until 11 PM PT on May 21 (2 AM ET on May 22). Those who participate in it will receive Zeni and Premium Z Coins.
In addition to Party Battles, Bandai Namco recently introduced a new type of competition to Dragon Ball FighterZ called the FighterZ Cup. These contests will be held monthly and have players battling to earn points for their respective Z-Union.
E3 2018 is fast approaching, so we're expecting tons of big announcements during the marquee briefings from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and others. But before that, we're taking a look back at last year to go over what was announced and determining if each company lived up to its promises. We already broke down Microsoft's and Nintendo's E3 2017 briefings, and now we're onto Sony.
Before The Show
Sony used its pre-show stream as a platform to announce details and release dates for its upcoming games, like Knack 2, Gran Turismo Sport, Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy, and a port of Undertale for both PS4 and Vita. Each managed to launch in 2017 to generally positive critical reception.
In addition, Sony also gave an in-depth look at its roster of PlayLink games, the company's foray into multiplayer mobile app party games--similar to the incredibly popular Jackbox Games. New games continue to release under the PlayLink umbrella, including Hidden Agenda, Knowledge is Power, and Frantics.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Got A New Gameplay Trailer
Sony opened its press conference with a trailer for Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. While audio issues in the livestream dulled the impact of its set-piece action, the game turned out great when it launched later in August. GameSpot said while aspects of it feel like a greatest hits collection of past adventures, it manages to "grow into a more nuanced, clever experience, ranking among the best in the series while also making its own mark as a standalone Uncharted that isn't anchored to Nathan Drake's harrowing exploits."
Horizon Zero Dawn DLC: The Frozen Wilds
After the successful launch of Horizon Zero Dawn February of that year, Sony unveiled a new DLC expansion for the game, entitled The Frozen Wilds. While it felt more like a missing chapter than a revelatory extension, in our review Peter Brown adored the expansion's riveting battles and ultimately felt that "it's hard to get too upset at such a captivating experience when it's all said and done."
Days Gone Gameplay Showcase
After its surprising debut during E3 2016, Sony finally gave us another glimpse at the upcoming Days Gone, an open-world zombie apocalypse game by Bend Studio. There was more motorcycle driving, stealth action, and a gnarly zombie bear by the trailer's end. No release date was announced at the time, but Sony Worldwide Studio president Shuhei Yoshida revealed a few months later that the game would release sometime in 2018. Unfortunately, Days Gone ended up getting delayed to 2019.
Nobody saw Monster Hunter World coming. After all, the fan favorite Capcom franchise had been predominantly released on Nintendo handhelds in recent years. Its reveal on Sony's E3 2017 press conference stage was a pleasant surprise that captivated audiences with its exciting display of monster fights across a large open environment.
Released in January 2018, Monster Hunter World received positive critical reception, with GameSpot calling it "the biggest and best that the franchise has ever been." After its successful launch, the game has since garnered a massive following and impressive sales numbers. Along with PS4 Pro enhancements and some exclusive content, Sony ensured that the PS4 is the best console to experience the game.
Shadow of the Colossus Remake
In an unexpected move, Sony revealed that developer Bluepoint Games was working on a remake of the cult favorite Shadow of the Colossus. The footage showcased an awe-inspiring level of detail that far exceeded the previous HD version released on PS3. What we ended up getting when the game launched in February was nothing short of magnificence. In our review Edmond Tran called it "a beautiful reconstruction of an already exceptional title [that] continues to be a modern classic and is an extraordinary game that everyone must experience."
Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite Gets a Story Mode Demo
When Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite was first announced during PSX 2016, fighting game fans were eager to try it out. The Sony E3 2017 press conference finally gave us a glimpse of the game's story mode, and better yet, a demo was released not long after the reveal. However, reception for the demo was mixed. Fans criticized the character models and animations--with Chun-Li being the main offender. To make matters worse, the demo featured bad AI-controlled combatants and no training mode, which made it difficult to get a feel for how the game played. The demo was simply a bad representation for what MvC:I was shaping up be.
Released in September, MvC:I's critical reception was favorable, but it ultimately failed to gain a solid standing within the fighting game community. Aside from a handful of post-launch DLC characters, support for the game was limited, and it didn't help that the game's sales numbers were ultimately below expectations. While a variety of factors contributed to MvC:I's middling reception, it probably didn't help that people's' earliest impressions of it were colored by the lukewarm demo made available briefly after Sony's E3 2017 press conference.
Platform Exclusive Content For Destiny 2
In the lead up to E3, Destiny 2 was shaping up to be one of the biggest upcoming shooters. Given Sony's relationship with Activision, it was no surprise that the PS4 version of the game would receive timed-exclusive content. A new trailer shown at the press conference confirmed that PS4 owners would be getting access to an exclusive gear set, weapon, PvP map, and strike mission. Destiny 2 ultimately performed well both critically and financially, but it has since suffered a dip in its player base. But the timed-exclusive content ensured that the PS4 was the best platform to play the game--at least until it released on PC the following October.
The Latest in PlayStation VR's Software Lineup
There was a brief section showcasing the upcoming roster of PlayStation VR games, which included, Skyrim VR, Starchild, The Inpatient, Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV, Bravo Team, and Moss. Not all of these games managed to release in the intermittent months between then and now; the ones that did have varied in quality. Moss and The Inpatient are definite standouts among the roster as some of the best on the platform, but the rest suffered mixed reception. The only game to not release was Starchild, which is expected to launch sometime this summer.
PSVR still does well compared to its competitors mostly due its accessibility as a VR headset. Earlier this year it was reported that Sony has managed to sell over 2 million headset units and 12.2 million PSVR games worldwide. With numbers like these, it looks like Sony will continue to support the platform for years to come.
More God of War
The God of War trailer at the E3 2017 press conference arguably showed less than the previous year's reveal, but that didn't diminish the excitement of Kratos' return. The new look at the game's combat and story only furthered curiosity towards the game's inner workings. Sony rarely revealed much about God of War in-between trade shows, so information regarding the game was relatively scarce outside the initial reveal. However, the trailer finally confirmed that God of War was launching in early 2018.
God of War eventually released on April 20 and went on to be a massive critical and financial success. In our review Peter Brown called it "a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress." Five years in the making, Sony Santa Monica successfully delivered on its reinvention of the God of War franchise.
More Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Human got another trailer during the show, which showcased a different aspect of its universe: android freedom fighters striving to start an android revolution. Once again the trailer emphasized the various ways a given scenario can play out based on the decisions you make. At the time, Detroit: Become Human had no release date, but it has since been confirmed to release on May 25--a mere two weeks before this year's E3.
First Spider-Man Gameplay Demo
Out of all the big games in Sony's lineup of exclusives, it seemed an odd choice to close out the press conference with Spider-Man. While no release date was confirmed during the trailer, it did show off a significant chunk of gameplay featuring stealth, combat, acrobatics, and web-swinging. In addition, the final moments of gameplay confirmed that fan-favorite Marvel character Miles Morales would be appearing in the game.
For a while after Sony's E3 2017 showcase, Spider-Man didn't have a release window, but now we know it's coming on September 7. New details have emerged about the game's mechanics, but Sony is planning to reveal even more at E3 2018 with it being one of the four games it plans to discuss at this year's show.
To Recap:
Sony's E3 217 presentation was packed with tons of trailers for many of its latest first- and third party games. There was little to no time spent talking about hardware, and understandably so. With Sony's PlayStation 4 Pro already out, the company was in a position to focus primarily on software. Despite a strong showing, the absence of games like Death Stranding and Final Fantasy VIII Remake left something to be desired. And compared to past press conferences, Sony's E3 2017 showing was relatively tame. While an exclusive like Spider-Man is a solid game to showcase, its use as the closer lacked the punch of previous years' big-name trailer reveals.
Currently, Sony still stands on top thanks to its extensive roster of quality big-name exclusives, but if it intends to stay there, it's going to need to start talking more in-depth about its next wave of games. With Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man, and The Last of Us Part II being the focus of this year's show, it seems like Sony already knows that. This more focused format is a refreshing change of pace for Sony, but hopefully the presentation will still yield its own share of surprises.
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