Windows 10 Upgrade Review July 31, 2015
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Microsoft officially released Windows 10 to heavy fanfare on July 29th, 2015 and any user with a legitimate (non-enterprise) copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8 is eligible to upgrade their computer to the new Operating System completely free of charge.
So how did this upgrade process go? Take a look at this video below to find out. Spoiler alert, that icon that’s been taking up system resources in your taskbar for the past two months was no help whatsoever.
If you wish to upgrade your copy of Windows to Windows 10 and are also sick of waiting for that useless taskbar icon to do its job, you can obtain Windows 10 installation media from Microsoft’s Official Windows 10 Site.
Windows 7 or Windows 8 users are only eligible to upgrade to Windows 10 for free within the first year of Windows 10’s release.
Final Fantasy Explorers Release Date July 30, 2015
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An all new cooperative Final Fantasy game is coming exclusively to the Nintendo 3DS early next year. Take a look.
Final Fantasy Explorers is coming January 26, 2016 exclusively to the Nintendo 3DS.
Windows 10 Released July 29, 2015
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Windows users rejoice, your Operating System has become obsolete.
I know that Microsoft will typically say this every time they release a new OS and then completely forget about their promises shortly after pushing their software out the door, but Windows 10 looks to revolutionize gaming in a way that the PC was meant to for years. Not only will the OS include the all new DirectX, allowing for exclusive graphical features in upcoming games, it will offer gamers a lot more than just graphical tweaks. Windows 10 supports tons of gaming tools designed to make it easier for players to not only play their games but share their experiences playing them as well.
Gamers who prefer to buy their games digitally will have a lot to be happy about. The new OS will support tons of gaming marketplaces including Valve’s Steam for traditional PC games, or Oculus for users of the VR headset. Xbox One owners with Windows 10 PC will also be able to stream Xbox One games on their PC, in case they don’t have access to the TV the Xbox One is connected to.
You can purchase Windows 10 right now for new PCs. Windows 7 and Windows 8 owners can upgrade to Windows 10 for free if they upgrade within the first year of the OS’s release.
Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire 2015 Review July 27, 2015
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From the end of June to the beginning of July, the Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire was held at Warsaw Park in Ansonia, CT. Unlike other Ren Faires I’ve attended, which prided themselves on historical accuracy, this was a fantasy event inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, Tolkien, and Final Fantasy. Throughout the day, a group of actors and actresses dressed as fantastical characters to tell an overarching story revolving around the fate of a powerful gauntlet.
The event not only had an awesome story which played out through the day, other performers also held shows throughout the day. There was the fire breathing Irish magician Daniel GreenWolf, the talented Irish band Three Pints Shy, the hilarious comedy group The Questless Company, and a lot more.
So what did I think of this event? Watch this video and find out.
Life is Strange Episode 4 Release Date July 23, 2015
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Since its launch, Life is Strange has been hailed as one of the best new IP’s this year. It’s incredible story, remarkable characters, and unique gameplay features have made it a modern classic.
However, the series is far from over. Only three episodes of an expected five have been released up to this point, and until today players did not know when to expect the game’s fourth episode. Today, we know when to expect Life is Strange Episode 4 to be released. Given the huge cliffhanger episode three ended on, I don’t blame people for being impatient. Take a look at the launch trailer and see for yourself.
Life is Strange Episode 4 is coming July 28th, 2015 to PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 and PS3.
FAIL: The Plot of Superman Lives July 21, 2015
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Here’s a new episode of FAIL for you guys today, a brand new series where Maniac talks about Hollywood’s ongoing failures.
Today, we’re going to be talking about the plot to Superman Lives, a bonafied Superman film planned for production in the mid-90s. It was written by Kevin Smith (writer/director of Clerks), produced by Jon Peters (producer of Batman and Caddyshack), star Nicolas Cage (Ghost Rider) and get directed by Tim Burton (Beetlejuice).
Sadly, production issues and creative differences forced the project’s cancellation before production began, and the script Kevin Smith wrote was never shot. A documentary has just recently been produced which details the film’s failed development, but a small criticism about it was that the documentary never talked about the film’s plot.
So what was the plot of this movie, and why was it never produced while other films like Man of Steel and Superman Returns were? Give the video below a watch and find out. Then you can decide for yourself if it was a shame or a good thing that the movie was never made.
Happy Birthday, Virtual Boy July 21, 2015
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Twenty years ago today, Nintendo launched the Virtual Boy system in Japan. Created by Gunpai Yokoi, the father of Metroid, Game Boy and the Game & Watch, the Virtual Boy would go on to become Nintendo’s greatest failure.
I first became aware of the Virtual Boy during the mid-90s. There was a local electronics store in my area called Lechemere, which would always carry the latest technology, appliances, movies, music and games, and for the brief few years it was open it was the only place I could demo the newest games before I got my first computer.
Lechemere had a Virtual Boy demo kiosk, set up at the perfect eye level, and loaded up with a copy of Wario Land. I remember playing the game and being tremendously impressed by it. Virtual Reality was a big deal in the mid-90s and it looked like Nintendo was going to capitalize on it before they would go on to launch the Nintendo 64.
However, a high price, lack of a wide supply of games, and technical limitations would end up bringing a quick downfall to this promising system. It was discontinued mere months after its launch.
To celebrate the system’s anniversary, here’s a cool blast from the past. Several years ago, the system and its games were reviewed by James Rolfe, better known to the Internet as The Angry Video Game Nerd. It might be a little unsafe to watch at work, but it is a pretty detailed video which looked at all aspects of the system including its history,
I know Nintendo has been missing for a few years now that they could port Virtual Boy games to the Nintendo 3DS’s Virtual Console service. That would be a nice option. I never got the chance to own a Virtual Boy back when it was new, and it would be awesome to play the system’s games on the 3DS.
Diance Distribution July 24-27th July 20, 2015
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The Pokémon Company has just made a major announcement in time for The Pokémon World Championships. They will be distributing the mythical Pokémon Diance as a free download off the Nintendo Network between July 24th and July 27th, 2015.
What will you be able to do with this Pokémon? Take a look.
You should be able to download Diance as a gift from the game’s main menu once the distribution period begins. Your 3DS will need to be connected to the Internet to receive Diance. If you don’t have access to a wireless network, you can always take your 3DS system to a Nintendo Zone location for free WiFi internet access.
Pokèmon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire are out now exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS.
Gaming History You Should Know: The Story of Super Mario Bros 2 July 16, 2015
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I make it no secret that the first video game I’ve ever played was Super Mario Bros on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Really, do I need to say anything about this game? It is one of the greatest games ever made, has one of the most iconic theme songs that even non gamers can hum to themselves, and was responsible for resurrecting the entire video game industry in the US.
While I enjoyed the game a ton, I have to admit I never picked up a copy of its western sequel, Super Mario Bros 2. In fact, I can’t really remember many of my friends talking about that game at school, nor do I remember a lot of my friends admitting to playing it. What I do remember is a phenomenal reception for the release of the third Mario title, Super Mario Bros 3, and I got my parents to get me my own copy of that game after I played it at a cousin’s house.
When I finally did play Super Mario Bros 2 at a friend’s house, I was extremely disappointed. It felt nothing like a Mario title. Years later while I was watching a documentary about the Super Mario franchise on G4 (back when it was a legitimate video game centric channel) I found out the reason why the game was so different was because the version of SMB2 released in the west wasn’t a Super Mario game at all, but a Japanese game which came to the west with Mario characters swapped into it. It turned out the original game released in Japan as Super Mario Bros 2 was deemed too difficult for a western release, and Nintendo decided it would not be a good idea to release it outside of Japan, despite it being a true Super Mario sequel.
Years later, the west would finally get the original Super Mario Bros 2 released on the SNES as part of the Super Mario All Stars compilation game, where it was titled The Lost Levels and released with updated graphics. It wouldn’t be until some time after Nintendo launched the Virtual Console digital download service for the original SMB2 to get a western release with its original graphics.
Why did Nintendo make the decision not to release Super Mario Bros 2 in the west and instead take an unrelated game and release it over in the west with Mario characters? Well, I know someone who has that answer. The Gaming Historian is a YouTube content creator with an amazing channel focusing on obscure gaming information.
If you ever wanted to know what the full story was about this game, give this great video a watch.
God of War III Remastered Launch Trailer July 14, 2015
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One of the first games I ever covered on this website is getting rereleased on the Playstation 4 this week and it’s coming in native 1080p at 60 frames a second. Here’s the game’s official launch trailer.
If you haven’t played this epic conclusion to one of the greates video game trilogies in history you owe it to yourself to check it out. Kratos must have his revenge.
God of War III Remastered is out now exclusively on the Playstation 4.
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