Fanboys Anonymous

Welcome back Fanboys to more Smash related talk from me! In this week's video I ask a very simple question what's in store next for the third installment to the Smash Brothers franchise. We know many familiar faces will be making a comeback for this game as well as the few new faces that will be debuting as well. We've even got to see a fair share of stages up to this point.

Some other ideas I discuss in the video as well are, how many returning veteran characters from Brawl will make the cut to a second game for themselves. This is perhaps the most challenging thing to try and predict in terms of the future content of the game that will be revealed. The only known returning fighter from Brawl thats been confirmed is Pit. The characters I would like to see make a comeback are Sonic, Olimar, Diddy Kong, King Dedede, and Pokemon Trainer just to name a few.



I'm pretty sure it's safe to assume that the twenty veterans that all made the Brawl roster will all be returning to the fourth game. Those of course being the original twelve from the first game and the eight select Melee veterans as well. The prospects of a Mewtwo return to Smash Brothers is looking all the more likely as perhaps one of the main Pokemon representatives again, as well as being the ninth Melee veteran fighter added to the line up. I'm beginning to believe Mewtwo getting another shot is way more likely than a popular current Generation Pokemon making the roster at this point.



Another rising question to me since both versions are getting different stages will there be different characters for each roster? By this I mean strictly newcomers that would be either 3DS or Wii U exclusive fighters as I believe all veterans are going to be available for both version of the game.

Also the significant difference in processing power which is going to prohibit any of kind of cross platform play (though some version will have a connection feature of some kind) will the roster size be different? I'm for sure expecting a large roster for the platform console and quite a smaller one for the handheld. Also the character roster size at it's largest will not go much over forty characters, so to those who are expecting at least fifty you're simply asking for far too much.



Which brings us to newcomers for the game. I didn't get into who has the best shot at making the games or anything like that, more so I just talked about characters that I would like to see get a shot at making the roster. Characters such as Little Mac, Ridley, Shulk, King K. Rool, and Dillion (Dillion's Rolling Western) make that bill. As always for more of my opinion on the future of this game please watch the video below.

2013's E3 is now officially in the books. Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and the world's major third party developers have showcased their upcoming software titles and successfully stirred up the hype. Lots of great games are that are either right around the corner or still heavy into development were on display, but one title that gamers were promised years before was absent from the show as well as the internet for the past year. Namco-Bandai's Tekken X Street Fighter, which was first announced alongside Capcom's Street Fighter X Tekken in 2010 has yet to be revealed to the masses despite the latter title being released last spring. Fighting fans may fear that this game may not ever see the light of day, as Namco has been hard at work developing the newest Super Smash Brothers entry for Nintendo's Wii U.

The last we heard from Namco's esteemed Tekken franchise was Tekken Tag Tournament 2, which was released last winter and received extremely well on all platforms. Mum has been the word on their crossover with Capcom, and it seems like the game is destined to reside in development hell for the rest of eternity. Unfortunately for fans of both franchises, most signs point to the fact that we will never see another pairing of the two behemoths of the fighting game genre.

The last update we received on the title game this past March, when producer Katsuhiro Harada stated that they were considering "platform strategy", leading most gamers to believe that the title was heading to next-gen systems, which was most likely due to the announcement of the PlayStation 4 and the then impending reveal of the Xbox One. Those following the development of the title may have thought that something might be shown off at this year's E3, however that dream has been crushed. The team behind the game has said absolutely nothing since and there was no presence of anything relating to it at E3. To be completely honest, this writer is confident that most gamers (even the passionate fighting fans) have all but forgotten that the game ever existed, especially due to the fact that Capcom's iteration didn't sell nearly as well as hoped, nor did it gain sufficient steam in the fighting game community.

While the future seems grim for Tekken X Street Fighter, there may still be a small sliver of hope left. Any fan of the Super Smash Brothers franchise and avid gamer has hopefully been following the development and teasers for the newest incarnation of the notorious Nintendo all-star fighting tournament series. Namco-Bandai has been attached to the next-gen Smash Brothers title since the game was originally announced, with the companies Yoshido Higuchi directing the project. Many of Namco-Bandai's top developers are masterminding the development of the game, and they have given old-school video game fans a little bit of a treat with the newest guest character to be added to the roster in Capcom's own blue bomber, Mega Man. Could this little easter egg be some sort of hint that Namco-Bandai still has Tekken X Street Fighter in mind?

What do you fighting fans think? Will Tekken X Street Fighter ever see the light of day?

Leave a comment and check back for more news at www.fanboysanonymous.com

Episode 30 of the I Got Gameplay podcast is now online. On this episode Michael Burhan, Mike Paden, Miguel Leon and Samantha Jenings discuss the topic of gameplay vs story, which is more dominant in the gaming industry? To join the discussion go to the I Got Gameplay facebook page or leave a comment.

You can check out this episode and the previous two by using the following links:

Lybsin: http://adf.ly/IwSX3

iTunes: http://adf.ly/IwSaK

Stitcher: http://adf.ly/IwSd0

If you'd like to join the discussion, like us on Facebook and comment on our page here: http://adf.ly/IwSfZ

You can also subscribe to the podcast's YouTube channel at http://adf.ly/IwShu

(Note: the links use adf.ly, just click on skip add to get to your destination)

ck skip to go to your required destination.)

You read that title correctly, Best Buy is currently running a promotion for you to get an Apple iPhone 5 for FREE when you trade in your old iPhone 4 or 4S. I just got home after visiting my my local Best Buy and taking advantage of the deal, and now I had to share it with the rest of you fanboys and fangirls.

First, I need to give a shout-out to fellow fanboy Matt Press for alerting me about this deal via Facebook status. When I first read it I found it hard to believe. It really is an incredible deal to get a phone with an MSRP of almost $600 as an equal trade in for 3 year old technology. I went to BestBuy.com's Mobile Section and found it to be the truth!

Here's the way it works: You bring in your old model iPhone 4 or 4S and trade it in for a Best Buy Gift Card valued at $150. That card is then used to buy a new model iPhone 5 which, with a new 2-year contract, the subsidized price is $200. Best Buy then offers an additional $50 discount as part of this promotion equaling out to a full value trade-in and a free iPhone 5 for you! The only thing you will find yourself paying is the tax, which for me in NY came out to about $17.

As with any deal, there are always a few catches:

- Offer only available for iPhone 5 16GB model. You still have options of carrier (Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint) & color (black or white).

- Offer only good with trade-in of iPhone 4 or 4S in full working condition. They will do a thorough inspection of your phone to ensure this. So any phones with a cracked screen, water damage, or anything else that keeps the phone from functioning will sadly not be able to take advantage of this deal. All carriers but T-Mobile will be accepted.

- Requires the signing of a 2-Year Contract and you must be eligible for an upgrade with your carrier. Call your carrier to check your eligibility.

This offer will be available in-store only at your local Best Buy until June 29th. For more info see BestBuy.com or call your local store but locating it here.

For more by Mike Paden follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

It's almost been one year since Bleach was cancelled and in my opinion, there was no reason to cancel the show. It was still going strong and each week, I couldn't wait for the next episode to air.

Bleach had 16 seasons and in that time, aired 366 episodes. To this very day, it is still one of the most bought Shonen Jump manga comics in Japan and in the United States.

So why did they cancel the show? Why did the series end? Was it the ratings? Was it money? Was the anime getting too close the manga?

Honestly, I don't know. It could have been any of those things and possibly a number of different factors, but there really isn't any single conclusive answer as to why the anime ended that has been made public (to the best of my knowledge).

I'm hoping that with these articles, where I will break down a story arc from time to time (possibly once a month), I can get more people to watch the show and make it popular again. Maybe that will convince them to start making more episodes...

And with girls like this helping, anything is possible!

When Google Street View began beta about 6 years ago it was one of those "the future is now" type programs. The ability to virtually walk a road with 360° of view was something I could easily use to pass massive amounts of time. And surely, I wasn't alone. And as such, it wasn't long that internet loafers began to notice that the virtual photographing of the world we live in provides documented proof of what we already knew about the real world: odd things happen anywhere and anytime.

Some notable things picked up by Street View cameras before have been folks walking around with blow-up dolls, TP'd homes, street lugers on busy roads, and people making whoopee in just about every location.

The Tamagawa Josui in Musashino, Japan was an Edo era water-supply system, some of which still remains so to this day. However, majority of it has been turned into a scenic trail for citizens to enjoy what both the city and nature has to offer.

However, if you find yourself virtually moseying down it, you may end up with nightmares. Most of the time, you'll see nothing to be alarmed about. Just people, trees, cars, and lots of pavement sidewalk. Then you come across this...

Oh dear god...

Source: Reddit User bawsinmymouth

For more by Mike Paden follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

The third volume of New Avengers has consistently been my favorite of mine since its initial release. Aside from the rich writing and beautiful artwork, New Avengers offers readers a look into the "darker" side of superhero-ing with characters that have classically been strictly "good." In the first six issues of the series, we see the Illuminati dealing with a world-crisis situation, throwing pieces of their morality to the wind in the process. Now, with New Avengers #7, Hickman begins painting a picture of the personal tolls that such actions have taken.

I've been a fan and follower of the US Big Brother since season 1, so naturally when season 15 was announced, I was excited. What new twists will they come up with? Who are the people that we'll be spending the summer getting to know?

#BB15 - Big Brother 15

DETAILS ABOUT THIS SEASON:

• THREE houseguests will be nominated this season instead of two. This is a huge change to the game and could really affect how it's played more than anything else.
• Viewers can vote on a "Big Brother MVP" that will be given special powers throughout the game
• All but two people are single. Hm...

MEET THE CAST:

Let's take a look at the people. Keep in mind that my first impressions are based on virtually nothing and they usually change throughout the season. Many times, the way these people come off in their interviews and on the first few episodes is nothing like the person they are for the remainder of the game, so don't hold me to these generalizations! For all I know, the people I run down could be the nicest and the ones I praise could be total assholes.



NAME: Aaryn Gries

OCCUPATION: Psychology College Student

MY THOUGHTS: She claims she won't compromise her morals and that people tend to judge her negatively from the start, thinking that she's stuck up. Could she be this season's crier? She's cute and she'll get hit on by the guys, but I don't think she'll be the woman this season that flirts her ass off in an attempt to get attention and votes. Aaryn will find a good friend in one of the girls in the house and one of the guys, but probably be closer to the guys in general, which will cause her to be an outcast to the women in some ways. I'll like her, but I won't care too much if she goes.

PREDICTION: Aaryn's game depends a lot on her physical ability. She should be fine in terms of a social game, particularly if she's smart enough to keep it cool and not try to act like the psychology student in her means she's overqualified. If she becomes too confident, she'll also second-guess herself and cause problems that she'll regret later on.


NAME: Amanda Zuckerman

OCCUPATION: Real Estate Agent

MY THOUGHTS: She's a charmer and a flirt. She knows that she's attractive and she's going to flaunt it. She claims that she's going to lie and say that she's not single. Why? Whenever people do this, it causes problems. Amanda has the potential to be full of herself, as evidenced by her flirtatious confidence and how she said "in real estate, you don't sell a house, you sell yourself". Amanda will be argumentative and have enemies.

PREDICTION: There is a very, very good chance that Amanda pisses enough people off that she lasts a long time in the house as everyone will say that "everyone will target her", leaving her for other fish to fry.


NAME: Andy Herren

OCCUPATION: Professor

MY THOUGHTS: Andy seems funny and likable, but he could also rub someone the wrong way and then possibly snap and cause a lot of problems. A cool head and maybe a sympathetic side that he brings out instead of an angry one are the strengths he could play to, but he also runs the risk of having too many friends and being a target because of that. Andy will be a swing vote for a lot of the game, and those are SO important, but he'll probably also become united with someone that he wants to take to the finals.

PREDICTION: Andy is a major, major threat to win the game. He's one of my top 5 finalists.


NAME: Candice Stewart

OCCUPATION: Pediatric Speech Therapist

MY THOUGHTS: Physical threat, for sure. Socially...hm. Candice will scheme, but not be the biggest backstabber of the bunch. Instead, she'll be the type of person that talks votes with all the alliance members on a regular basis and tries to get to know where the big votes go so she can follow the lead and not stir the pot.

PREDICTION: Mid-season release when her opposing alliance just needs to knock someone else out.


NAME: David Girton

OCCUPATION: Lifeguard

MY THOUGHTS: David is a mimbo (a male bimbo according to Seinfeld). He'll flirt with the girls, which will save him to an extent, as well as his physical prowess, but that will make him a target as well, and the superficial connection that he'll create with the women won't save him. David's biggest problem is going to puzzles and his biggest contribution to the show (other than being eye-candy for the female viewers) will be how people can make fun of him.

PREDICTION: David can last a long time if he's SO bad at the trivia and comes off ridiculously dumb, as they can keep him to hope that they can always outsmart him. This is risky. If David develops this reputation, he's golden to last until the jury time.


NAME: Elissa Slater (Rachel Riley's sister)

OCCUPATION: Nutritionist

MY THOUGHTS: No! NOOO! Why is Rachel still having a presence on this show?!?! I'll try not to hate her as much as I hate Rachel, since they're not the same person, but she has that DNA. Good God, please don't let her be anything like Rachel. I can see her being a big female physical threat.

PREDICTION: This depends. If she tells everyone that she's Rachel's sister, she'll paint a target on her back that will kill her. If she doesn't, she stands the chance to go a long way, particularly if she's a floater. Then again, Rachel tried to compete, so it's tough to say until we start seeing more from her.


NAME: GinaMarie Zimmerman

OCCUPATION: Pageant Coordinator

MY THOUGHTS: She is going to be a major part of this season and have a ton of time in the Diary Room as well as being a strong focal point of physical competitions (particularly races). She's not going to be the lovable one, but she's not going to be a total bitch, either. If any of the women tries to band all of the others together, it will be GinaMarie.

PREDICTION: She wants to lay low, but she'll only do that for a little bit of time before she unknowingly steps her game up and stops that from happening. Mid-season elimination. Also, let's be honest about her looks. GinaMarie's win for this show is going to be to promote herself more in the process. This is what most people are going to be looking for, shots of GinaMarie Zimmerman in a bathing suit, screen caps of of her sunbathing, in the shower, etc. You know it's true.



NAME: Helen Kim

OCCUPATION: Political Consultant

MY THOUGHTS: If Helen doesn't get her buttons pushed and she keeps a cool head, she is going to be a MASSIVE threat. She seems likable, smart, and not much of a physical threat (which is beneficial in lasting long enough to develop the proper relationships to forge alliances).

PREDICTION: Top 5, if not the winner.


NAME: Howard Overby

OCCUPATION: Youth Counselor

MY THOUGHTS: Howard is going to get into a fight with someone that he feels wronged someone else. Maybe he stands up for Jessie? Maybe he just fights with someone that voted the wrong way from the alliance? He's a physical threat and I don't think he'll have much of a social game.

PREDICTION: No chance. Howard goes in the first few weeks.


NAME: Jeremy McGuire

OCCUPATION: Boat Shop Associate

MY THOUGHTS: Jeremy doesn't seem to have a whole ton of personality in comparison to the more zany characters. Is he going to be boring the whole time or just in the Diary Room? He does say he's a sucker for ladies, so this is the guy to watch out for in terms of a showmance.

PREDICTION: Physical target #1 perhaps.


NAME: Jessie Kowalski

OCCUPATION: Unemployed

MY THOUGHTS: She's cute, emotional, and seems like a gullible pushover a bit. Jessie is going to latch onto an alliance and not make any big moves on her own. Because of this, Jessie won't make any big splashes unless someone upsets her by yelling or something like that.

PREDICTION: Jessie will be a floater, for sure.


NAME: Judd Daughtery

OCCUPATION: Property Appraiser

MY THOUGHTS: Judd is a dud. He has a rather monotone voice and doesn't come off as abrasive or interesting. He'll be a physical threat and he'll probably feud with a guy who is also a physical threat - unless he starts the game off wanting to shack up with the guys and steamroll through the game (but we all know this never works).

PREDICTION: Judd will be a stronghold of an alliance (possibly the same one that Jessie is on) but they'll sack him when they get a chance and turn on him if there aren't many options left. He'll be a jury member.


NAME: Kaitlin Barnaby

OCCUPATION: Bartender

MY THOUGHTS: They always have a bartender, don't they? Or, excuse me, a "mixologist" (*eye roll*). Kaitlin looks cute and she's got a bit of a tomboy in her. She's going to stand up for herself and get into arguments, but that could make her a fan favorite if she does it in the right way. Who is going to be her archenemy? Amanda. No showmance for her. She could be a good strategist who is willing to stab in the back and she'll also be one of the biggest physical threats out of the women.

PREDICTION: Kaitlin has a chance to win the game, but she'll probably make a move that will hurt her far too much to recover before she gets a chance to be in the finals. Mid-season elimination when she just can't pull out that veto win that she desperately needs.


NAME: McCrae Olson

OCCUPATION: Pizza Delivery Guy

MY THOUGHTS: (there's no interview for this guy)

PREDICTION: (there's no interview for this guy)


NAME: Nick Uhas

OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur

MY THOUGHTS: He has a lot of energy, seems to have an ego on him, is good looking and wants to flirt. There's a good chance that he'll be my favorite on the show, but there's also a good chance that I could hate his guts. It depends on if he ends up on the side of "annoying douchebag" or "lovable prick".

PREDICTION: Nick is the main person to watch this season. He could be voted off the first week for trying too hard, he could stay a few weeks and develop a reputation for being a threat that is targeted, or he could last until the end and possibly win the whole thing. Honestly, I don't think he's winning it. I think Nick will be gone by week 4.


NAME: Spencer Clawson

OCCUPATION: Railroad Conductor

MY THOUGHTS: The big ol' country boy. You would think that he's going to be a physical threat, but he's not going to do well with anything that deals with balance or speed. He says he doesn't like doing dishes and such, so I can see him causing problems from laziness that makes the rest of them look at him as a scapegoat.

PREDICTION: He gets picked off as a sacrificial lamb on a week where they need to knock someone out, but they can't decide on what to do. I could see Spencer turning out to be a bit of a sad sack and the guy who sticks around because he's NOT a big physical threat (and instead, is a bit of a bumbling fool), but this isn't going to win him the game by any means. Week 7, perhaps.

OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THIS SEASON

For me, this season of Big Brother is already starting off with a handicap, but that's for a person reason. This was a show that my father and I used to watch together as one of the main things that we could bond over, talking about which people we liked and disliked, following the events and such. He recently passed away, so this will be the first season that I won't have that person that I always shared this experience with.

Still, I should have my regular group of people that I watch the live feeds with, that I've been talking it up with for years. Sitting up late at night, spying on these contestants and talking about what's transpired is a huge joy for me and I can't wait to start getting distracted from all my work with it.

This season has potential to go both ways. The cast could be really bland and boring or they could just be hiding a lot of the excitement to come.

At a quick glance to begin with, I would say the people that are going to make this season worth watching in terms of having most of the episodes revolve around them (good or bad) will be Amanda, Nick, Kaitlin, Andy and possibly Elissa and David as the two people to pick on.

My top 5 guesses for who could win are: Aaryn, Andy, Helen, Nick and possibly this McCrae guy because I don't know anything about him.

My guesses for who will be the 5 people that I'll personally be rooting for are: Amanda or Jessie (50/50 on that though), Andy, Helen, Kaitlin and Nick - but then again, in past seasons I thought I would hate Evel Dick and love April, so who knows!

What are your first impressions of this group? Who would you like to see win? Tell us in the comments below!

And if you're a fan of #BB15 and you'd like to chat it up with me during the season, send me a tweet @toekneemango.

Number 6 on my Top 7 List of the Hottest Cosplays of internet queen Jessica Nigri is Ash Ketcham. The original protagonist of the Pokemon franchise has never looked this good. While I'm not the biggest fan of Pokemon, note how I don't even bother to add the accent, I got a few pervy lines to shout out.

I love those Jigglypuffs.

I'll use my Master Ball to catch her!

My Metapod just used harden!

I wanna make her Squirtle!

Jessica Nigri, I choose you!

UPDATE: The images in this post were removed due to a stupid DMCA copyright takedown notice.

You can find them here (1 - 2 - 3 - 4)

The rest of the list:

• #7 - Nathan Drake
• #5 - Dovahkiin
• #4 - Connor Kenway
• #3 - Ironette (Iron Man)
• #2 - Juliet Sterling
• #1 - Coming Soon

See more of Jessica on her Official Facebook Fan Page.

Credits: 12 North Photography

For more by Mike Paden follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

Episode 8 of the monthly Fanboys Anonymous roundtable discussion meeting podcast revolves around reviewing the latest Superman film, Man of Steel, as well as talking about plot elements from the Superman series of the past with some general chit-chat.

Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Michael Burhan, Mike Paden, and Shaun Walker with special guests Matt Press and Chris Locs.

Whatever happened to the podcast of tomorrow?

Some topics we address:

• Amy Adams as Lois Lane
• The death scenes - justified or not?
• Was Superman a caring enough person in the film?
• Why did they not use other characters from the comics in supporting roles?

You can watch all the parts of the podcast below. Make sure to subscribe!

Microsoft Released a statement on their website xbox.com recanting on their previous no DRM policy, the official announcement states:

So, today I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360. Here is what that means:

• An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games – After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360.
  
  

• Trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today – There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360.
  
  

In addition to buying a disc from a retailer, you can also download games from Xbox Live on day of release. If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today. Xbox One games will be playable on any Xbox One console -- there will be no regional restrictions.

These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One. The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold. Also, similar to today, playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray.

We appreciate your passion, support and willingness to challenge the assumptions of digital licensing and connectivity. While we believe that the majority of people will play games online and access the cloud for both games and entertainment, we will give consumers the choice of both physical and digital content. We have listened and we have heard loud and clear from your feedback that you want the best of both worlds.

These changes see the end to Microsoft's other perks including the alleged family plan which would see upto 9 members, with disc games not needing to be registered, you'd have to bring the disc with you to prove you had the rights to play the game on it.

Microsoft also announced that the region lock on the console is gone, leaving other countries to purchase the system and use it anywhere in the world.


So what do you guys think? Is Microsoft finally doing right by the fans, or is this just a ploy to get people buying into the Xbox One?

As always leave a comment and check back with www.fanboysanonymous.com for more gaming news.

The rest of the list:
#6 - Ash Ketchum
#5 - Dovahkiin
#4 - Connor Kenway
#3 - Ironette (Iron Man)
#2 - Juliet Sterling
#1 - Coming Soon

After years of user requests, Facebook has FINALLY included the ability to include a photo as part of your comment to a post. Starting soon, all Facebook users should notice a camera icon nestled along side the comment box that will allow you to insert a photo along with any text you wish to leave as a response on a post. This change will be implemented to both the desktop & mobile sites starting today and presumably to mobile apps in the near future, though app users will still be able to view the media-rich comments.

The bad news? Just like with regular Facebook photos, there is no animated GIF support.

Video game retail giant GameStop has ceased taking pre-orders for Microsoft's next gaming console, the Xbox One. Numerous GameStop locations have reported that they have reached their launch-day allocation over this weekend and will no longer accept pre-orders for the system.

Senior managers sent out a nationwide e-mail to store managers telling them to cease all pre-orders on the system due to nationwide allocation limits. Many stores had already stopped due to individual store-level allocations. Stores have been directed to send shoppers looking to pre-order the system to the GameStop online store where pre-orders are still available.

All stores, however, are continuing to take Playstation 4 pre-orders. At first glance, this may look like a bigger success story for Microsoft. That is, until you look at the numbers allocated by each company for pre-order sales. Each store has been allocated 60 Playstation 4's to sell in advance, as opposed to only 16 Xbox One's. Allocations are determined by the manufacturer.

GameStop began taking pre-orders for the Xbox One on June 10th by placing a $100 deposit. The system is slated for a November release. While physical retail stores will no longer accept orders, reservations can still be made at GameStop.com or on Amazon. In the meantime, the Xbox One wireless controller and top Xbox One games like: Ryse: Son of Rome, Forza Motorsport 5, and Kinect Sports Rivals are available for pre-order at all GameStop stores or online.

Ok, lets just get this out of the way. Here:

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about Dead or Alive. Before the series dove chest first into the realm of physics abuse, the original iteration of the series was a fairly well received 3D fighting game. Unfortunately in the early days of the PS1, not having the lineage of fighters like Mortal Kombat or Street fighter, nor being console front-runners like Virtua Fighter and Tekken, DOA never really stood out as a household name. That is, until the developers at Tecmo decided to expand on a unique gimmick of the first game, i.e being able to toggle the "bounce" of certain fighters in the game. This idea came to form in the Dead or Alive: Xtreme series. And thus, the series made a name for itself as a tongue in cheek punchline for fan-service in gaming.

This was the mindset I was in when I first bought Dead or Alive 2. I had never played a DOA game prior, and this was around the time that the first Xtreme Beach Volleyball came out. But I needed a fighting fix for my Dreamcast, and my local Gamestop was out of Virtua Fighter 3 and Soul Calibur, so I wasn't left with a choice. And honestly, i was glad i wasn't left with any other choice. Strip away all the breasts, and what you're left with is one of the best fighting games you can get for the Dreamcast. I'd be even so bold as to say its one of the best fighting games I have in my collection, with one major flaw.

The story of DOA 2 is........non-existent. Lets be honest, stories in fighting games are nothing more than filler to string matches together (more-so then than now). And the story of DOA is not even so much strung together, as flimsily glued together with the contents of a Dead or Alive branded love sock. I think there's a backstory that coincides with some ancient Japanese demon that you have to fight at the end of everyone's story mode, but hell if I can piece it together among all these characters. I hear that in later games they try to make a backstory to it all pertaining to the lives of mainstays Katsumi and Ayane, but to make sense of the game's "plot" is like trying to make sense of a Lady Gaga music video. And to think, someone in Hollywood actually thought this story needed to be told in a big budget feature film. Go Figure.

But you're not here for the story. No, you're here for all that hot, sexy....gameplay. Actually, there's lot of good that can be said about the actual fighting of Dead or Alive 2. In terms of other fighting games, this game falls right in the middle between Virtua Fighter and Tekken. On the one hand, the game move lightning fast, so its not as plodding as Virtua Fighter. however, it doesn't lend itself to air juggling either like Tekken. sure, you can get in a few high numbered combos here and there, but don't expect to be able to bicycle kick someone into a loop. That's not to say that the game has no depth. Among your collection of punches, kicks, throws, and combos to learn, you also have to master the counter system. Unique to Dead or Alive, you are given the ability to with a well timed push of a button, counter your opponents' attacks. This becomes key to beating many of the later enemies, especially the boss. A well-timed counter can turn the tide in a fight. Its this feature that puts DOA 2 above other fighting games that can turn into button mashers. At the same time, you don't have to master a laundry list of combos to succeed like in Virtua fighter. anyone new to the series and go in and button mash to their hearts content, and still have a solidly paced fight.

Graphically the game is gorgeous. A true step above most Dreamcast games at the time. I'm gonna have to get a bit more technical in this one. See, at the start of the Dreamcast's lifespan, most games were either just HD ports of PS1 games, or games were made to take advantage of the system's capabilities. Sadly, most of the early exclusives for the system didn't know how to take true advantage of what the console could do. So what you get are alot of overly smoothed out messes that have some of the worst character rigging I have ever seen. by character rigging, i mean the spots where the character skins bend just seems to bunch up in certain places. Look at the opening scene from Sonic Adventures, and look at Sonic's elbow. That's what I mean. Either that, or they still did animations like PS1 games and had separate pieces hinged together to give the illusion of wholeness. this game, aside from a handful of other DC games, takes full advantage of the hardware. Character models are greatly detailed, and perfectly rigged for the most part, which really lends to the solid animations in the fights. Cutscenes are rendered much more cinematic and feel less like PS1 era CGI renders. This game proves how ahead of the game the Sega Dreamcast was. Levels are fully fleshed out 3D landscapes, not a flat plane with a skybox around it like most 3D fighting games of the time. And as for the "bounce", surprisingly this game plays down the jiggle. Yes, there is a toggle that allows you to ramp it up or down, but even at its highest the game doesn't go over the top like in later titles. Its actually downplayed so much, I don't feel awkward playing this game, which was a huge surprise at the time.

Now, given all the hype, you are probably wondering what the one MAJOR flaw that this game has that keeps it from nirvana. Well, the version of the game that made it to the American Dreamcast is actually a straight port of the arcade version. which means absolutely NO unlockables. Other than one token costume you get for Katsumi, you don't get anything more. No extra levels or new characters. I hear that MIGHT not be the case, but its either a lie or its referring to a limited edition re-release of the game in Japan. The later PS2 version (dubbed DOA2: Hardcore) got more levels and new characters (although I hear that version is actually worse looking). This might be a dealbreaker for some as it doesn't lend itself to prolonged single player attention. this game is best enjoyed at its fullest with another person. But even still, i cant recommend this game enough. Among some of the more fan favorite Dreamcast fighting games (Soul Calibur and Marvel vs Capcom 2) this may seem like 3rd place, but make no mistake, Dead or Alive 2 is a must have for any Dreamcast owner.


Grade: A

TMZ broke the story and Yahoo News has picked it up that Selma Blair has been fired from Charlie Sheen vehicle Anger Management.

Selma Blair's shocking dismissal from the show was due to a prior conflict as Blair apparently voiced her opinion on Sheen's backstage behavior, attending work at the last minute and constant outbursts behind the scenes. Once Sheen found out about this, he pushed to have the actress fired, threatening to quit the show himself over her behavior if she didn't leave.

Sheen—who is executive producer on the show—prompted to fire Blair over text, allegedly reducing the conversation to childish name calling.

Blair has yet to comment on the situation and the show is said to go on as planned, retooling the series as sagging ratings had allegedly put the show on hiatus.


For more celebrity gossip and news as it happens stay tuned to www.fanboysanonymous.com

If you've turned on your Playstation 3 since Tuesday you may have noticed a prompt with an update for the software to version 4.45. If you haven't yet, don't do it! In the short time since the update was released almost 40 pages of complaints have been posted on the Playstation community boards. The most common problem seems to be a complete lockout of the system, leaving players frustrated and unable to even finish booting.

"If this doesn't get fixed and my system is shot I'm getting an Xbox." - Angry Playstation owner.

While it is not guaranteed that you will suffer these consequences for updating your PS3, since not everyone seems to have the problem, it may be best to hold off on doing so until Sony releases a statement that this has been resolved. This could not come at a worse time for Sony, who's been riding a wave of popularity since their presentation at E3.

Newest Feature in 4.45: World's Most Expensive Paperweight!

Update: Sony has since pulled the update from being live on servers. They are currently investigating the cause of the malfunctioning software. A Sony rep stated that the company is in the process of confirming the number of users affected. To those who currently have bricked systems, Sony issued the statement "We kindly ask PS3 users to wait for further details. We will announce when ready."