Fanboys Anonymous

From the Vault is an annual series of limited print run card sets, released in late August of each year, that reprint powerful cards from across the 20-year run of Magic: The Gathering trading card expansions. Wizards of the Coast has put out a press release describing this year's From the Vault set. It's called Annihilation, and the theme matches the name:

Harness the savage power of fifteen of the most brutal Magic cards ever unleashed. These limited-edition, black-bordered superweapons are legal in many tournament formats. Sweep the battlefield clean with this powerful arsenal and blast the opposition into oblivion.

Many of these cards are very expensive on the secondary market. While each From the Vault set has had a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $39.95, the combination of extremely small print runs and high demand—generated by the reprinting of glossy foil versions of hard-to-find cards with new art—means that these sets sell out really quickly, even when retailers jack up the price. If you want a copy, your best bet is to arrange a preorder with a reliable retailer.

As to which cards will be in the set, that info has yet to be spoiled. All we have is the brief description above and a dramatic illustration of some sort of magical cyclone. Naturally, the Magic community is theorizing madly as to what cards you'll find in the set. Discussion tends to center around the idea that every card in the set will be a board-sweeper. Others theorize that specific word choices in the set description hint at card names, such as inferring that the phrase "blast the opposition into oblivion" refers to the powerful spells Opposition and Oblivion Stone.

As for my own theories, I figure that while From the Vault: Annihilation will focus on spells with a destructive theme, it'll cover the gamut of detrimental effects, such as targeted removal, global sweepers, and direct damage. I also wouldn't expect it to include any cards reprinted in the last year or two in compilation sets such as Modern Masters or Commander 2013. Here's my list of 15 cards that I'm guessing we'll find here:

All is Dust: The Rise of the Eldrazi set held a number of powerful colorless spells that haunt Magic games to this day. While not as brutal as the three legendary Eldrazi boss monsters, All is Dust is nothing to sneeze at, as it has the potential for a one-sided blowout that destroys all of your opponent's non-land permanents while leaving your key board elements intact.

Armageddon: Wrath of God's badass land-destroying cousin hasn't seen print since Sixth Edition due to a move away from land destruction as a generally un-fun play style. Nonetheless, it's an iconic powerhouse that still sees play, which makes it a perfect fit for a From the Vault set.

Black Sun's Zenith: This standard-defining sorcery from Scars of Mirrodin block can be absolutely brutal, sweeping away even indestructible creatures and then returning to your library to be cast again. It's not as pricey on the secondary market as it was in its heyday, but it's still scary when it hits the table.

Blasphemous Act: Not every card in Annihilation is going to be from really old sets or super expensive on the secondary market. Blasphemous Act is a quirky damage-based sweeper, which makes it more likely to show up than yet another Wrath of God variant.

Child of Alara: This ridiculous multicolored bomb has the potential for lots of recursion or indestructibility shenanigans. It's also a legendary creature, and thus a boon to Commander players looking to try a five-color deck.

Damnation: A powerful black sweeper that's only been printed once so far in 2007's Planar Chaos. Speculation about a Damnation reprint has been rife for years, and the community raged at its absence from the recent Modern Masters set. A set based around big destructive spells seems like its natural home.

Magus of the Disk: Normally I'd expect to find the classic destructive artifact Nevinyrral's Disk in here, but it was reprinted just a few months ago in Commander 2013. However, its cousin, the Magus, is fair game, especially as the set could use a few creatures to break the monotony of sorcery after destructive sorcery.

Merciless Eviction: This spell's flexibility gives it an important place in any collection of sweepers, while the ability to exile rather than destroy makes it all the more dangerous. And then there's its precision. Most notably, Merciless Eviction is the only modal sweeper that can be tuned to hit nothing but planeswalkers.

Mind Twist: An oldie-but-goodie discard spell, Mind Twist can be absolutely backbreaking early- to mid-game. While its dominance has been usurped by narrower spells such as Hymn to Tourach and Thoughtseize, and discard in general isn't quite as effective as it used to be due to graveyard recursion, Mind Twist is still a spell to be reckoned with.

Nemesis of Reason: Okay, I admit that this one is a stretch; but I anticipate that there'll be at least one mill card in the set, and this unholy monstrosity is both fun to play and has a drastic impact on the board. Placing your opponent on a five-turn clock that can't be stopped by chump blockers or Fog effect can put a damper on all sorts of game plans.

Pernicious Deed: A powerful, flexible sweeper that's most effective in the hands of a mana-heavy ramp deck. A similar effect appears in the more recent Gaze of Granite, but the Deed is far more flexible; you can cast it in the early game and leave it hanging around until you need it, and, unlike Gaze, you can activate it at any time, including in the middle of combat or on your opponent's turn. Appearing only in the Apocalypse set, it's ripe for a reprint.

Rolling Earthquake: An absolutely ridiculous Earthquake variant from the obscure Portal Three Kingdoms set, which was printed primarily in Chinese and has very few English copies. As the Horsemanship mechanic on the card doesn't appear in any other set, the spell basically reads, “Deal X damage to each creature and each player,” which is dynamite in a red burn deck. And with Wizards reprinting a few creatures with horsemanship in Commander 2013, the door is open for other spells that reference the ability!


Supreme Verdict: A key player in the Return to Ravnica block, Supreme Verdict has a name flashy enough to fit the Annihilation theme as well as the power to back it up. An uncounterable Wrath can be absolutely devastating, even if it does allow regeneration, and the eternal formats love it because it can be pitched to pay the alternate cost of Force of Will.

Terminus: Tucking creatures onto the bottom of the library is far more devastating than death in a game rife with reanimation spells. Terminus is slightly harder to cast than its predecessor Hallowed Burial, but it's more likely to appear here due to its more violent flavor.

Vindicate: Among the most valuable and effective spot removal spells in the game. The ability to destroy any one permanent is incredibly useful, especially for only three mana. As it's never been reprinted, it currently averages over $20 on the secondary market, which should draw players and speculators alike in droves.

What crazy-powerful spells do you think will be included in Annihilation? Is it worth sinking $40 or more into the set for fifteen cards, even if they are as devastating as advertised? Share your comments with the community below!

Want to know what happened the past few days in nerd culture?

WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the fanboys out there.

MOVIES

Paul Bettany cast as the Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

My take: Another great casting announcement. Additionally, this turned many rumors on their ears, helping solidify some while dismissing others. This is one movie I don't mind hearing casting announcements for. I am confident in Whedon's ability to handle a large cast.

The Dark Knight story is set to influence the Batman vs Superman movie.

My take: Ugh. Seriously, you guys. How many times do you need to rehash someone else's success? Not only has that story been done to death, but you belittle it every time you reuse it. I do not want to see a new "version" of that story, even if it's a neat idea to see it in live action. Do something nobody expects: something new.

Star Wars Episode VII shooting schedule released.

My take: The magic starts in May of this year and they have 16 months to not screw it up. Now it's up to us, the fanboys and girls, to just leave the production alone until then.

TELEVISION

Seth Rogen takes lead on Preacher adaptation for TV series.

My take: As long as they don't take this in a Green Hornet direction, I think this will turn out OK. I will assume Rogen is intending to make sure the series is closer to the original book, where in the wrong hands it might get mishandled.

Two casting announcements for The Flash tickle my '90s bone.

My take: Tom Cavanaugh (Ed) and John Wesley Shipp (1990's The Flash) joined. I really like Cavanaugh, and I enjoyed Shipp's series when I was younger. It's encouraging to see DC making some good decisions for a change. If you have read previous articles by me, you know I have a little bit of a grudge against the company since The New 52 launch.

COMIC BOOKS

Robocop reboot tie-in coming from BOOM!

My take: Ever since I read the prequel comic series for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot, I highly recommend these books for any fan of the properties. The Star Trek one explained where Spock was and what he did before the movie started, which we only got a glimpse of in the actual film. It helped flesh out the time travel aspect of the film substantially for me.

"Death of Superman" story to be rehashed in DC Superbooks.

My take: The New 52 sounds more and more like an "Ultimate" universe every week. The reboot was a disaster from the beginning, and even their backpedaling doesn't make any improvements. Retelling a story that happened solely for promotion and sales back in the early '90s is just more ammo in the "they're out of ideas already" column.

January sales figures show decline from 2013.

My take: We hear the industry is bouncing back, but numbers are all over the map. DC and Marvel shared the top ten sales spots, but DC relies waaaay too heavily on Batman for sales. They need to get their act together. Hopefully Geoff Johns on Superman can help out (at least for 4 or 5 issues).

HOLLYWOOD

The LEGO Movie cameos a host of celebrities.

My take: Maybe this is the wrong category and should be in "movies." However, and no spoilers, this project played as a labor of love and has a host of guest voices. To have a film injected with so much passion that pretty much any performer asked to come on board did so is impressive. It is fun to know how everyone involved was attracted to the project. Considering that there is a host of LEGO movies already out there, it's easy to see this one stood out from day one. Projects like this are fun to watch when you know everyone involved had a great time making it.

TECHNOLOGY

Flappy Bird removed from your gaming options.

My take: I never actually played it. However, I'm intrigued by the creator's decision to remove the game completely rather than sell. It's an interesting tale of fame coming with a price.

Twitter is testing a completely new design on its website, making it a mash between its rival Facebook and Google+.

Users may have noticed a whole new look to their Twitter profile late Tuesday night. The huge update contains a larger main photo and bio on the left and a significantly emphasized header photo on top.

Twitter's new profile design

The redesign comes not long after its subtle revamp of the homepage to mimic their mobile app, adding the user's cover photo behind their profile image to visually enhance the homepage.

The new stream departs from its signature look of a vertical timeline of tweets, leaving greater focus on photos and videos. A newly added "photos/videos" category is joined under the header by tweet count, who you're following, your followers, favorited tweets, and lists. It also added the date in which the user joined the social media site.

Twitter is known to quietly test new features and updates on a few randomly selected users before rolling them out to the general user, Mashable said.

"We are constantly evolving the product," Twitter's vice president for engineering told TIME's Techland. "Some changes are visible—they may help you protect your Twitter account or make it easier to share photos; others are under-the-hood changes that help us suggest relevant contact in real time and make Twitter more engaging."

Twitter follows other social media outlets as they create a more visual experience for users, making photo and video sharing a main focus.

If you would like to alter your header photo, the recommended photo size is 1500 x 500 pixels.

Love it? Hate it? Let us know what you think about the new design in the comment section below.

In recent news, the long-awaited movie adaptation of Stephen King's universally loved The Dark Tower series looks as though it may not be happening…again!

"Battles that last five minutes spawn legends that live a thousand years!" - The Dark Tower

For quite some years now, fans of the hefty eight-novel pseudo-sci-fi-fantasy-horror series, and fans of the comic book series released by Marvel, have been clamoring for news of a movie (and the saga of sequels that would very likely follow). I've been one of them ever since what seemed like a massive hint appeared in Frank Darabont's spectacular adaptation of The Mist nearly seven years ago.


I'm not sure if any of you fans out there agree with me—I appreciate and therefore encourage originality in other peoples' opinions—but I was already taken aback when it turned out that Darabont himself, one of the greatest contributors to King's film credits (The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile also included), wouldn't be tasked with the mighty opportunity to produce and direct The Dark Tower.

Over the years, I followed this elusive trail of breadcrumbs, only to find that Ron Howard would be directing instead.

This wasn't the newest photo I could find but, Porn 'Tache!

Not a bad choice. Howard has directed an encyclopedia's worth of movies over the years, and many of them have been decent if not very good. He's big on drama for the most part, and he's also big on spectacle when the moment calls for it. BUT! The Dark Tower is not a family friendly series and therefore should not be a family friendly movie. This is Stephen King we're talking about, not JRR Tolkien, although Dark Tower could be the biggest and most spectacular thing since Lord of the Rings. The closest thing I could credit Howard with, in that respect, is 1988's sword and sorcery adventure Willow. Still a different kind of fantasy.

Who put Howard at the helm anyway? None other than Akiva Goldsman; the guy who wrote I Am Legend, the guy who wrote I, Robot, the guy who wrote Batman & Robin, the guy who wrote Batman Forever. By now you're remembering these films for either being poor adaptations or for being ridiculous. He's also the guy who is making I Am Legend 2 and the guy who wants to make that Patrick Swayze movie Ghost into a television series. By now you're as pissed as I originally was and should resemble this:

P.I.S.S.E.D.

Goldsman, who wrote for Howard on The DaVinci Code and its sequel Angels & Demons recently had this to say about The Dark Tower's progress:


Funny then that if you type The Dark Tower into IMDb's search bar, the name Russell Crowe appears! So does this mean the movie was in development and is now cancelled? Hollywood is a fickle town full of people very much afraid of being seen falling at the first hurdle, despite their existing achievements. So if it is cancelled, you'll hear about it in about five years' time when they pass the buck onto somebody else.

Seriously, what is it with these people? You spend how much buying the rights to a novel because you're creaming yourself over how awesome it would be if you could make a mega-successful bunch of movies, and then you sit there and do absolutely fuck all with it, because suddenly you realize that you're just not good enough? Is it that, or did you have better things to do? Oh, Ghost: The Series and I Am Legend 2: The Prequel To The Shit We Irreversibly Screwed Up Already? My bad, carry on smoking crack in the boardroom and don't mind the fans whose hopes and dreams you're wiping your arses with!

Sound off, Fanboys! Makes you wonder if they've read the damn thing. If they ever got this show off the ground, who would you want to see bringing it to life? Comments below and thanks again for reading.

Omega Force, the developer behind the revered Dynasty Warriors series, has exploded onto the PlayStation Vita with their demon-hunting debut Toukiden: The Age of Demons. If putting together a group of friends to track down a towering demon and whack it with pointy things sounds like a good time to you, then chances are Toukiden will be right up your alley. While the story is rather tired and missions can feel repetitive, the game is a ton of fun, and there is a lot to like here.

Toukiden tells the tale of a war between the demonic Oni and the Slayers—the last line of defense between humanity and oblivion. As is usually the case with such stories, you are defending the final bastion of mankind, and as usual, only you possess the power to turn the tide and save the world. While I appreciate the presence of any narrative at all—most hunter games don't go beyond "go to X place and kill Y thing"—the whole thing feels derivative. However, the story takes a backseat to demon hunting, which is good because the combat is a joy.

When you create your (fully-customizable) character, you choose one of six weapon types, including the long sword, twin blades, gauntlets, spear, long bow, or chain and sickle. These weapons are at the center of Toukiden's battle system, as each one feels vastly different from the rest. For example, the long sword is all about balanced combos on the ground, while the dual blades focus on chaining aggressive aerial attacks. Changing your fighting style is as simple as creating and equipping the type that you desire, although I suggest that you complete the weapon tutorials to understand the intricacies of each instrument.

Even further customization is available through the Mitama system. As the Oni rampaged across Japan, they devoured the souls of many heroes. By collecting these souls and socketing them into your weapons, your Slayer gains access to new skills and passive stat boosts, depending on which of 8 Mitama types you have equipped. You can level-up your Mitama by completing missions or by feeding them Haku, the game's currency. This adds a welcomed RPG flavor to Toukiden, and collecting a wide variety of fallen heroes' souls should scratch the itch of any compulsive collector.

Without compelling monsters to slay, diverse weapon styles and character customization would be meaningless. Fortunately, Toukiden delivers in this regard. The small Oni look fine and are diverse enough, but as the game progresses, they become little more than a nuisance for an accomplished Slayer. However, the large Oni tower over the player and often fill the majority of the screen. It's clear that Omega Force put a great deal of effort into the Oni design, as they look fantastic.


Combat against the large Oni is the highlight of Toukiden, as it's a blast and features some fresh and interesting gameplay mechanics, although I wish that the tutorial explained them in greater detail. The large Oni all have weak points—generally on their extremities—including their legs, arms, and wings. By focusing your attacks on one of these locations, you will eventually sever it from the Oni's body. Once this occurs, you can attack the Oni's "essence" underneath, which is the only way to do lasting damage.



Battles with more powerful Oni can last anywhere from a couple of minutes to half an hour. Much of Toukiden’s appeal comes from learning the behavior of new Oni and finally defeating them in a shower of severed limbs. Each mission is incredibly satisfying as you invariably bring home mountains of loot and materials for use in weapon and armor crafting at the blacksmith. Upgrades are frequent and plentiful, and each new piece of equipment is represented on your character in increasingly epic and outlandish designs.

If you're playing alone, Toukiden is happy to provide you with reasonably intelligent AI-controlled companions for your demon hunting endeavors. However, if you want to play online, you're covered as well. Toukiden allows you to join a group of up to four players to tackle missions in the main campaign. Overall, the systems works well, but I wish that there was some sort of drop-in multiplayer instead of forcing you into a waiting room.

Hunting demons in Toukiden is certainly enjoyable, but it's not without fault. After a few hours with the game, repetition sets in—both in design and in mission structure. As you progress into Chapter 3 and beyond, your quests will send you after the same Oni up to half a dozen times. While the spider-like Manhunter is impressive and intimidating the first time around, his appearance loses some of its appeal after the fifth encounter. This applies to the small Oni as well; their character models are recycled and re-skinned into more challenging versions of the same monster. While not a huge gripe, as the existing Oni are sufficiently diverse and look amazing on the Vita, I can't help but wish for more.

Even though the story is a bit lackluster, and the missions and monster designs can become a bit dull after repeat encounters, Toukiden is a pleasure to play. Taking down large Oni is a triumphant experience, and it always feels like your Slayer is growing stronger. The game shines even brighter when you're playing with friends. With dozens of hours of demon-slaying adventures to be had, Toukiden: The Age of Demons is an easy recommend.


The hunter genre hasn't been able to find a huge following in the US. Let me know if you’re a fan in the comments!

Do you ever look at people that say, "well now I've seen it all" and laugh/scream on the inside for long periods of time? Do you ever feel the need to grab them by the shoulders and shake them violently, yelling "stop encouraging them!"? By them I mean the people that come up with inventions, such as the one I'm about to introduce you to.

It's Valentine's Day in a day's time, and you're counting on the local store having an abundance of chocolate and vodka. If you're really classy, you've probably thrown in some of the same stuff you buy your special lady-friend every year, like…perfume, and…can you tell I don't do this?

Well thanks to some mad boffins, say hello to your girlfriend's new wake-up call, the Wake-Up Vibe!

I shit you not.

To hell with wind-up alarm clocks that keep you up all night with their loud ticking, only to go off late because they wound down overnight. Screw being woken up by your CD player cranked up to full-volume, filling your pants to the sounds of Carcass at 6 a.m. (yeah, I did that once, too). Balls to digital alarm clocks that are so quiet they wouldn't wake a mouse.

The Wake-Up Vibe is essentially an ergonomically designed vibrator with a timer that women place in their underwear the night before (if they sleep in their underwear, that is) and wakes them up on time with hands-free, er…seriously, though?! In the UK, this is retailing at about £44.99, so that's going to be upward of $70 in the US. But beware, all you romantic geeks, because we're not quite sure what kind of an effect this is going to have on the lady.

Does this mean you'll get a longer lie-in (actual sleep) from now on? Does it mean you'll be expected to perform twice as much in the mornings instead, seeing as so many of these Duracell Bunny-devouring devices turn out to be nothing more than warm-up sessions for most? What if your girlfriend loses her job because she was waking up just fine, but just couldn't get out of bed in the mornings? Goddammit, what if it's the best thing you ever bought her and this happens:

Permanently.

The Wake-Up Vibe Alarm Clock is available in three different colors—pink, purple, and black—and is available from various online stores. God help you!

Sound off, fanboys! Which poor sap's going to end up watching Nicholas Sparks films this year? Comments below and thanks again for reading.

They were the albums we all grew up listening to on our CD players (back when people still bought CDs). There's no doubt that 1994 was a pivotal year for both punk and metal, with Green Day's Dookie and the debut albums from KoRn, Cradle of Filth, Weezer, and The Bouncing Souls still going strong. Today I present my list of the albums and artists who are still holding their own twenty years later.

Here's a look back at the fifteen albums that rocked '94!

P.O.D.
Snuff the Punk
Released Jan. 25, 1994 (Rescue Records)


The first studio album by alternative rock band, P.O.D. is considered a collectible by fans and was later remastered and rereleased with new artwork in 1999.

Green Day
Dookie
Released Feb 1, 1994 (Reprise Records)


Dookie quickly became a worldwide success, peaking at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 and charting in seven other countries. The third album propelled Green Day into mainstream popularity, winning the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1995 and ranking No. 193 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time." This is the album that truly inspired so many.

Cradle of Filth
The Principle of Evil Made Flesh
Released Feb. 24, 1994 (Cacophonous Records)


Before frontman Dani Filth changed his vocal style, the British black metal band's debut album was a successful beginning with a raw sound and gave ample room for them to grow into their spikes and bondage we know them as today. The Black Goddess (indeed) Rises.

Nine Inch Nails
The Downward Spiral
Released March 8, 1994 (Interscope Records)


Everyone has heard this song at least once. The Downward Spiral is the second studio album by industrial metal band Nine Inch Nails. It ranked No. 2 on the American Billboard charts before it went 4x platinum. Trent Reznor never disappoints.

Pantera
Far Beyond Driven
Released March 22, 1994


Far Beyond Driven is the seventh studio album from Pantera, and as the album enters its twentieth anniversary, this year also marks the tenth anniversary of the legendary guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott's death.

Weezer
The Blue Album
Released May 10, 1994 (DGC Records)


Weezer's debut album, with singles such as Buddy Holly and Say it Ain't So, launched the band into the mainstream spotlight. Twenty years later, Buddy Holly is still one of the most catchiest songs. Oo-ee-oo! Be honest, we all know you sang along!

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Pure and Simple
Released June 14, 1994 (Warner Bros.)


With their height of success resting in the 80s with bar favorites like I Love Rock N' Roll and Bad Reputation, Joan Jett's eighth studio album took over the 90s as one of the biggest female fronts. Pure and Simple was the band's first album with a new lineup after the departure of guitarist Ricky Byrd and bassist Kasim Sulton.

Rancid
Let's Go
Released June 20, 1994 (Epitaph Records)


Rancid's second studio album gave way to sheer energy and was ranked No. 8 on Guitar World Magazine's top 10 guitar albums of 1994. The 80s punk veterans Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman released one of the biggest successes for punk in '94.

NoFx
Punk in Drublic
Released July 19, 1994 (Epitaph Records)


With punk in full force and taking over 1994, NoFx's fifth studio album is regarded as the best album the band has ever released and is considered a punk classic, reaching Gold Album status.

Bad Religion
Stranger than Fiction
Released Sept. 6, 1994 (Atlantic Records)


Stranger than Fiction is Bad Religion's eighth full-length studio album and most successful album to date.

Slayer
Devine Intervention
Released Sept. 27, 1994 (American Recordings)


The sixth studio album from thrash metal band Slayer, this was their first album with Paul Bostaph after replacing the band's original drummer, Dave Lombardo.

KoRn
Korn (debut album)
Released Oct. 11, 1994 (Immortal/Epic Records)


The self-titled debut album is still regarded as a classic and was the first band to coin "nu-metal" in the 90s, with hit singles like Blind, Clown, and Faget. This is possibly one of the band's greatest albums. How could you not like a kilt-wearing, bagpipe-playing vocalist with obscene lyrics?

The Bouncing Souls
The Good, The Bad, The Argyle
November 1, 1994 (Chunksaah Records)


The debut album of the punk band that took over Asbury Park, NJ, and went on to release hit albums such as Hopeless Romantic, Anchors Aweigh and The Gold Record.

Megadeth
Youthanasia
Released Nov. 1, 1994 (Capitol Records)


Megadeth's sixth studio album, which peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's 200 Chart and achieved Platinum. The album title is a play on words, implying euthanizing the youth.

Nirvana
MTV Unplugged
Released Nov. 1, 1994 (DGC Records)


Nothing screams '90s grunge better than Nirvana, and (for the third album on this list released on November 1st) this live album was recorded at Sony Music Studios in New York City. A fair end to 1994.

Feeling old yet? What was your favorite album from the list? Let us know in the comment section below.

The famous curly-haired, dimple-faced child star passed away Monday night in her Woodside, Calif. home, CNN reported.

Shirley Temple died at the age of 85

Shirley Temple, the famous child movie star who lifted the nation's spirits during the Depression, died late Monday night of natural causes, according to her publicist, Cheryl Kagan.

In the height of 1930s Hollywood, Shirley Temple became a household name as she sang and tap-danced her way to super stardom on the big screen and into the hearts of America.

The golden-curled tot began her career when she was just three years old and quickly found early success in Hollywood with films such as Curly Top, Bright Eyes, and Stand Up and Cheer. By the time she turned ten, she made $50,000 per movie—a then-unheard of salary. Though after retiring, she discovered all but $28,000 of her $3.2 million income had vanished as the result of her family's luxurious lifestyle and bad investments made by her father, George Temple, LA Times said.

As she matured into her teen years, she outgrew the film business when audiences rejected her post-child roles. She later called it quits from the screen in 1950 at the age of 22 after her final film, Mr. Belvedere Goes to College.

Her retirement didn't push her out of the spotlight, however, and after marrying former Naval Officer Charles Black, she went on to form a successful second career in international politics, serving under President Ford and George W. Bush as U.S. Ambassador to Ghana from 1974 to 1976 and Ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992.

After battling breast cancer in the 70s, she became one of the first prominent women to speak out about breast cancer and urged women to get checked.

Shirley Temple received two Lifetime Achievement awards and the Kennedy Center Honors for her performance career. She leaves behind a son, Carlie Jr.; two daughters, Lori and Susan; a granddaughter, and two great-granddaughters.


Do you have a favorite Shirley Temple film? Let us know in the comment section below.

How much horror can one person endure before they give in to despair and give up on themselves? It’s a heavy question—one that you certainly wouldn’t pose to a high school class of our best and brightest. Yet with sadistic intent, that’s exactly what Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc does.

A murder mystery set in a high school, this is not a tale for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. Don’t be fooled by the colorful, cartoony art style—this game earns its “M” rating. Much like a George Martin novel, characters that you like will die, and often in the worst way possible. However, if you decide to brave the halls of Hope’s Peak Academy, you will find a gripping story of betrayal and despair that is one of my favorite narrative experiences in recent memory.

Hope's Peak Academy class #78

In Danganronpa, you are Makoto Naegi, an exceptionally average student who is inexplicably accepted into a school for the gifted called Hope’s Peak Academy. At this school, “gifted” applies to anyone who is at the top of their game in any subject—you’ll meet the ultimate baseball star, ultimate fashionista, and ultimate fan-fic creator, to name a few.

This would make for an interesting class culture to begin with, but things don’t really get moving until everyone realizes that they are trapped within the school grounds and at the mercy of the remote-controlled, half-white-half-black-all-evil teddy bear Monokuma. If it sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is. With his high-pitched voice and maniacal laughter, he’s like a shorter, (slightly) more cuddly Joker.

Monokuma offers the students a choice: remain trapped within the confines of Hope’s Peak Academy for the rest of their lives, or murder a classmate and get away with it in order to graduate. If they are found guilty at the class trial, however, they will be executed.

A great deal of your time in Danganronpa will be spent looking at text. There’s a lot of it. Whether it’s Monokuma taunting you or a spirited conversation with one of your friends, you’re going to be reading. Don’t worry, though. It’s really easy to stay invested, mostly because the writing is so damn exceptional. Each character is very different in personality and motivation, and this is captured perfectly in the (limited) voice acting and excellent dialogue.

Each chapter begins with Daily Life, during which time you are free to explore the school in first-person and interact with your classmates. Though exploring is interesting, the controls are frustratingly obtuse. Generally, first-person controls go something like “left stick moves, right stick looks.” However, Danganronpa moves the strafe command to the L and R buttons instead of the left joystick, which instead turns left and right. I frequently found myself stationary and spinning in circles as a result. It’s a minor gripe, but over my twenty hours with the game, I never felt comfortable or even competent with the first-person controls. Fortunately, this only comprises a minor portion of the Danganronpa experience.

Once somebody dies, the game shifts into investigation mode. This is reminiscent of the Phoenix Wright series, as you comb crime scenes for evidence and grill your peers for clues. Each piece of collected evidence is stored as a metaphorical “truth bullet” for use in the class trial. Gather enough evidence, and it’s trial time. Each trial consists of a variety of mini-games, the most common being the Nonstop Debate. During the debate, your classmates’ testimonies and statements fly across the screen in real time, and it’s up to you to use the proper truth bullets to shoot down inconsistencies. While similar in concept to the cross-examinations in the Phoenix Wright series, the gameplay feels decidedly different, and that’s a good thing.

That’s not where the trial ends, either. There’s the Hangman’s Gambit, where you have to fill in missing letters to help Makoto think of a key concept; The Bullet Time Battle, a rhythm mini-game where you shoot down your classmates arguments by tapping buttons in time; and finally the Closing Argument, where you reconstruct the entire murder in a comic strip.

The Closing Argument

There are a lot of forces at work in Danganronpa, and for the most part, they come together masterfully. With such a diverse and well-written cast, I relished every opportunity to get to know them better and really felt it whenever anybody lost their life. Monokuma is truly a frightful villain characterized as much by carnival music and bear puns as he is manipulation and murder.

Such a charmer

The varied mini-games keep the trial portions of the game from feeling derivative, and watching your friends’ simultaneously silly and horrifying executions adds a sense of urgency to it all. As I mentioned before, there is a lot of reading, so if that’s not your cup of tea, you should steer clear of this one. Furthermore, the mature subject matter means that this is not a game for kids or the squeamish, despite the presence of teddy bears.

Although certain parts of the game feature a frustrating and impractical control scheme, this does little to prevent Danganronpa from spinning a tale that is both entertaining and emotional. If you have a penchant for solving mysteries, a taste for two-toned teddy bears, or simply enjoy a good story, you must experience Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc.


Like I said, Danganronpa’s story stuck with me long after I finished the game. What are some of the games that have left an impression on you guys? Sound off in the comments!

Hey everyone, I'm back again with another YouTube Spotlight. Last time I covered musician Dan Bull; this time I'll be covering two other musicians on YouTube who work closely together. Shadowlink4321 (Daniel Alvarez) and LeeandLie (Amanda Lee) have gained popularity through doing covers of various anime theme songs, translating and making English adaptions. Both have developed a solid YouTube fan base and have only improved with each release.

Shadowlink4321: Sometime during 2012 I was searching for the soundtrack of Ao No Exorcist; their opening songs were difficult to come by due to YouTube copyright’s policy, but I quickly stumbled across Shadowlink's cover of "ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D—In My World." After listening to the song I became intrigued and searched through his most popular covers, finding some amazing covers of Fullmetal Alchemist openings. In addition, Shadowlink does a series of fun videos on Smash Brothers Brawl hacks. With such a variety of content his channel is worth a look up!


LeeandLie: After becoming familiar with Shadowlink's work I eventually had videos of YouTuber “LeeandLie” suggested to me. At the time I had just finished the series Angel Beats and decided to give her cover of "My Song" by Girls Dead Monster a try. The English adaption was tremendous and reminded me of the final and powerful scenes of Masami Iwasawa from the Angel Beats anime. Following this I became a dedicated fan, much as I did with Shadowlink. In addition to her covers, she also has done some awesome voice acting work and has a whole bunch of untapped potential that I hope gets shared with the world.


In summary, both of them are very talented, with skills including voice acting, editing, and plenty of others. From my experience with their live streams they have shown to be genuinely awesome people, and I wish them all the success in the world. Make sure to hit their subscribe button and share their work with your friends and family! With that I'll leave you a cover they did together along with various other YouTubers of Attack on Titan's first opening.


Are you a fan of Shadowlink4321 and LeeandLie? Let me know in the comments below!

Also check out Addicted to Anime February 23rd 8PM EST as Stephen and Johnna Wago discuss and review Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter.

Also if you're a fan of MMA, check out Unanimous Decision, an MMA show hosted by yours Stephen Wago. We'll be covering UFC 170 real soon, if you're interested then like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Like for Kittens or you're an asshole.

Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest supplier of our favorite reading materials and their related merchandise, has released the leaders in sales and market share for January 2014. Not surprisingly, the top performances come from The Big Two.

Despite continuing concerns over DC's reboot and The New 52 (which I'm personally still giving the evil eye), the company continues to perform very well. In fact, the best-selling single issue of the month was DC's Batman #27. However, Marvel came out as top publisher with 34.09% dollar share compared with DC's 28.06%. Unit-wise, Marvel wins again with 37.39% to DC's 30.77%. Not to be forgotten, Image Comics garnered 10.1% of unit share for comics and graphic novels.

The top ten single books sold for January was evenly split between Marvel and their "Distinguished Competition," with five each making the list (see chart below to see who got what spot).

The best-selling graphic novel for the month was Brian K. Vaughan's Saga, Volume 1 (with volume 2 also making the top ten).

Dark Horse Comics had a strong sales of Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #1, the official follow-up to Whedon's film Serenity, charting at #29 in single issue sales.

With The Walking Dead returning this month, it's only fitting that Monopoly: The Walking Dead Survival Edition, with custom rules and locations based on the best-selling comic, was January's best-selling games product.

The rest of the official breakdown, in much easier to read and understand charts, appears thus:









The fine print:

Data for Diamond’s sales charts—which include the monthly market shares and all top product charts—are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from a universe of over 3,500 comic book specialty shops located in North America and around the world. The account base includes brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops, Internet merchants, and other specialty stores.

Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond accounts during any given month, which comprises initial preorders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable.

Please note that comics marked with an asterisk have had their reported quantities reduced due to retailer returnability and thus may rank lower on the charts than their actual sales would reflect.

The count of new titles shipped includes all titles that were invoiced by Diamond to retailers for the first time during the month and is not the official solicited title count for the month. Variant edition comic books and graphic novels at the same price point count as a single SKU. Variant edition comic books, lenticular covers, digital combo packs, and graphic novels at different price points count as separate SKUs for each edition.

So? Any surprises? Does it feel like The Big Two really have any competition on the way?

The wait is officially over. After a grueling two months and a badass mid-season finale, The Walking Dead—as well as The Dace Man's review and synopsis—are back!

In the mid-season finale, Too Far Gone, it hit the fan. The war we had all been eagerly awaiting came, and the losses were huge. The entire force the Governor brought to Rick's doorstep was wiped out, and in the process Rick's group lost the wise Hershel, and the group we have been following for three years was split up scattered in several directions. Glenn and a busload of Woodbury folk drove off into the distance. Maggie, Bob, and Ty's sister ran off together. Tyrese followed the two sisters who are clearly from The Shining. Daryl skipped off with Beth. Michonne pulled a Michonne. Lastly, after discovering Judith's empty and bloody baby carrier, Carl and Rick limped off, saying the tagline "Don't look back." Where do we go after that cliffhanger?

The newest episode was directed by Greg Nicotero and written by Robert Kirkman, so it better be a good one!

This episode kicks off with the aftermath of the prison war. We follow Michonne as she surveys the damage and takes down walkers in the process. She brilliantly reintroduces us to her walker camouflage, and as she walks away from the prison she finds the head of Hershel zombified. One of those "aww, man!" moments. Did they really have to remind us that the voice of morality had been killed…again? First Dale, now Hershel. We need a lovable old guy!! Michonne does the humane thing and stabs Hershel's head to put it out of it's misery. [You know AMC you could have done a spin off, Headpool, that would send the Marvel nerds and Walking Dead nerds into full nerdgasm…]. Queue the theme song and pull back the camera on the devastated prison. It's time to start the second half!

Returning from commercial, we see Carl and Rick walking down a dirt road, with Carl in the lead acting stubborn and walking like he's on a mission. Rick looks like hell after the ass whooping he took from the Governor [pour some out for one's homies!]. They come across a building where Carl lays down the law to his father: He's gonna clear it because Sir Limps-a-lot can barely stand. Reluctantly, they both head inside and find only one walker, over whom they fight about whether Rick could handle it or not. Carl shoots the walker, and Rick scolds him for wasting the bullet. They gather food, and we cut back to Michonne and her camouflage walkers crossing the same path Rick and Carl had just walked. Back to the father/son duo, where Carl and Rick are still going at it. Carl has become stone cold, and Rick is obviously overprotective at this point, as they examine the house for supplies and any potential walkers. They bunker down for the night, and as they are prepping, Carl name drops Shane, which pisses off Rick. "Is there something else you want to say to me?" he demands. The tension between the two is clearly coming to a boiling point. Rick finally tends to his wounds, and we roll into another commercial break.

Back into the action, we see a flashback sequence with Michonne and two gentlemen, one can only assume these two men were Michonne's original camo walkers. We see a small child run out, and as she carries him out of the kitchen time fast forwards a bit; the men turn angrier and more desperate as Michonne seems unfazed. Fast forward a bit more, and the men now have their arms hacked off. Michonne begins screaming "No!" and awaken in a car, present time. This, in my opinion, was really well done. It finally gives us some back story to Michonne and makes her more of a main event player in the series. We cut back to the house where Carl awakens and decides to have breakfast and read a book. After enjoying his fancy postapocalyptic elitist breakfast, he finally checks on his dad, who will not wake up. Carl's yells to wake Rick stir up some walkers, so Carl decides he's gonna lead them away and shoot them. This preteen is entirely too trigger happy! As he lures them from the house and taunts them as live bait, he walks right into another walker. Genius. Aaaaand commercial.

We're back with the handicap match, as young Carl takes on three walkers singlehandedly. After wasting three bullets and then hurling like a little bitch, Carl put on his most cocky attitude and says, "I win." Walking away, he notices he didn't draw any attention and heads back to the house. We cut back to Michonne, who is just hanging with a herd of walkers, all chill like. She keeps eyeballing the women though. I think she's jealous. Carl returns to his unconscious father only to brag about how he kicked some walker ass and is a survivor and then drops the bomb, "I don't need you anymore." He unloads on Rick, telling him how much he sucks, accusing him of hiding from the Governor, blaming the entire incident on him, and telling him he's nothing. [It's easy to unload on your dad when he's comatose!] Before heading to another commercial break, Carl drops the powerful line, "I'd be fine if you died." Looks like we have a relationship that will need to be bandaged up for the final episodes of season 4—if Rick wakes up.

As we phase back into action, we see Carl walking down that lonely road alone. He comes upon a house and heads in to investigate. I laughed out loud as he tried to break down a door and immediately bounced off. He scavenges some food from the cabinets and a big can of chocolate pudding. Deep down he's still a kid [that warms this blogger's heart]. He continues his investigation and plays the game "What's behind this door?" The little badass effectively bites off more than he can chew and goes toe-to-toe with a zombie who gives him a run for his money. After narrowly escaping, he leaves a message on the door that says he made it but lost a shoe. We then see him sitting on the roof, eating his chocolate and staring at his surroundings. Back to Michonne and her new cult, where she is still eyeballing the same woman. Then she just goes on a Fruit Ninja hack off and cuts down the entire herd before breaking down effectively and sending us into another commercial break.

Back for our final bit of zombie show for this week, Michonne is on the trail of Rick and Carl. Carl returns to his father and sleeps next to him. Carl awakens and hears Rick groaning and making walker noises and movements. Rick reaches out and grabs Carl's foot as Carl gives up and accepts his death if Rick has turned. Rick then speaks, and we see Carl break down in tears, admitting to his father that he's scared and couldn't pull the trigger if he had to. Next day we see Michonne still tracking the father/son duo. She spots a note Carl had seen earlier and breaks down again, talking aloud to the absent Mike. At this point we can assume he was her baby's father. Rick finally awakens and tells Carl he shouldn't have risked going out alone. They begin having a heart-to-heart where Rick admits things won't go back to the way they used to be. He tells Carl that he is effectively a man and that he is sorry for the way he treated him, which seems to soothe over tensions. Carl responds with a "You don't need to be." In the final moments of the show, Michonne finds Rick and Carl, and the two parties are relieved to see each other without actually appearing in the same scene.

This episode was a fantastic Michonne episode as well as a Rick/Carl one. We finally got a more personal side of Michonne rather than the cool badass that we have seen since the beginning of season 3. Rick and Carl also finally air out their tensions and get back to roots with just those two. Unfortunately, so many questions still remain for next week! What happened to the other survivors? What's next for Rick, Michonne, and Carl? And can I get some pudding? All that and more!

So see ya next week, walkers! As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until then, for the few, the proud, and of course the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a 120-oz can of pudding—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

Persona 5 was recently announced back in late November of last year,. Now that some time has passed, I want to give my top five things I want to see in the much-anticipated sequel to my favorite series of all time. So with that said, here we go!

#5: A Completely New Cast of Characters

Something that Atlus is getting into the habit of doing is making playable characters from previous games come back and play vital roles in the storyline (Persona 4 Arena and the recently announced Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth).

For these games, I find it okay for the characters of Persona 3 to show up and add to the game, since Arena is a fighting game where they need more characters to choose from, instead of the traditional RPG/dungeon crawler that the series is known for. But for a new installment in the main series instead of a spinoff, they need to establish new characters to build a new storyline off of. So keep any characters from any previous Persona game as far away from this one as possible... unless it's a cameo. I am cool with that.

#4: Make the Social Links Affect the Overall Outcome of the Game

Something that has always bugged me about Persona 3 and 4 was that the Social Link system does not change the outcome of the story. Why do it this way?

Implementing this change can alter dialogue during cutscenes within the game, or can play an even bigger role and help change the outcome of the game. This would make it even more important to pick the right choices and actually doing the social links itself.

#3: Make Intimate Relationships More Challenging to Obtain

Look, the game is set in a school environment, and there is nothing that screams "Do Me!" more than an intimate relationship with an individual of the opposite/same sex.

In previous Persona games, it was very easy to get into a relationship with another person. I found this very annoying, as I have never once in my life seen anyone have this much success with the ladies. Come on, Atlus, I want a challenge! Nothing in high school is easy, so why make it as easy as it looks?


#2: Same-Sex Relationships

If the setting takes place in a high school, it should be a time for experimenting. They played around with this in Persona 4, but they never really said if Kanji was gay or if you could date him; they left that up for the player to decide.

With that said, let's just break down the social barriers on this one and let the same-sex relationships begin.


#1: No More Silent Protagonist

Now, I know that thus has been a staple with most Atlus games, but I feel like there is so much you can do with a protagonist that can actually express their feelings. With dialogue options, you can make your protagonist's personality, a lot like what Atlus did with Catherine. The characters around you can treat you in a wholly different way because of the decisions you make. This makes your experience with the game a personal one, whether you are basing the character on yourself or picking random choices to see what happens.

What are some of the things you want to see in the upcoming Persona 5? Let us at Fanboys Anonymous know by commenting in the comment section below.

It's Game Over, Flappy Bird players. The madness has ended.

Another frustrating fad of a tiny pixelated bird has swept smartphone users, bringing you just a tap near death, bursting with anger and violent screaming, until it consumes your life and you realize your high score is still only nine points. But all that has finally ended after its developer removed it from the mobile markets.

Flappy Bird's creator, Dong Nguyen, announced the news yesterday, saying that he "cannot take this anymore."


He followed with another tweet to clarify that "It is not anything related to legal issues. I just cannot keep it anymore."

The mobile phenomenon fueled many criticisms over the idea being lifted from similar games such as the Helicopter Game, saying that its unoriginal content goes beyond "inspiration." The background art and sound effects are almost taken directly from Super Mario Bros,  while the bird itself appears to be a cross between the Spike and Cheep Cheep enemies in Super Mario Bros. 3. The bird's mechanics also resemble the 2011 game, Piou Piou.

Flappy Bird gained tremendous success, jumping to the top of the Apple and Android charts while setting social media into madness with boasts of high scores and reaction videos.

According to Forbes, Flappy Bird brings in $50,000 in in-app advertising revenue each day.

Nguyen said in a tweet, "I can call Flappy Bird is a success of mine. But it also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it." The Vietnamese developer said he will continue making games for the mobile market.

You can breathe a sigh of relief for now, until another game takes its place. Let us know what your highest score is in the comment section below.