Natalia discusses what’s new with Pharrell Williams and her thoughts on Karl Lagerfeld’s mean comments towards Adele’s weight. She also shows a roster of animals behaving like humans and, wait until you see the new size of coffee available at Starbucks!
Natalia dishes the latest news on the Juno Awards nominees, the upcoming Spiderman 3D film starring Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield and is Katy Perry hooking up with Tim Tebow? Watch today’s episode to find out.
When The Kooks are in the studio they’re focused and most importantly, sober. Watch Hugh and Luke explain their reasoning below.
The Kooks released a new album called “Junk of the Heart,” and you would think Hugh and Luke would be very excited about it. Well, they seemed rather indifferent to be honest. We spoke about that and why they don’t care about critics.
Natalia dishes the latest in entertainment news on Joan Rivers, Lana Del Rey and a brand new trailer for the movie Hunger Games.
Natalia talks about how Snooki might be pregnant, Nicolas Cage’s Cage Rage, Elisabetta Canalis is dating Steve-O and more for Feb 1, 2012.
Natalia dishes the news on Miley Cyrus breaking her tailbone, a 100 year old woman who plays the Nintendo DS to stay young and Houston, Texas contemplating a statute of Beyonce.
David Beckham debuts a new line of underwear, the worst dressed celebrity – Shy’m and Matthew Broderick is back as Ferris Bueller with a brand new commercial airing during the Super Bowl on Feb 5th 2012.
Daniel Radcliffe is back with his new movie The Woman In Black. It’s a bone chilling remake of a film from the ’80s. Ironically, Daniel actually scares very easily but he’s not afraid of ghosts. In this interview he tells us what really gives him the creeps.
Next time you’re struggling to make conversation, try asking this question: “If you could invite anyone (living or dead) to the perfect house party, who would it be?”
Graffiti6 is starting to make their North American invasion, and they are hitting up the Tonight Show. Does this sound familiar? Well the Beatles made the exact same journey over 40 years ago. Naturally, @jordans_life had to make some comparisons.
Nick plays World of Warcraft. Not only that, he’s the head of his guild, demonstrating that it IS possible to juggle being a hardcore gamer with being a top-selling recording artist.
During a LIVE interview on andPOP.com Nick Carter gave out a number and took phone calls from his fans. These were real phone calls from real fans who we gave exclusive access to one of the biggest recording artists of our generation.
There were great questions about music, fitness, the backstreet boys but the most popular question, however, was about his underwear. In this clip Nick talks about his his ‘Haynes’ and covering his fans with glow in the dark paint.
When releasing new music today, half the battle is online promotion. However, contests, signed merch and giveaways aren’t always the best solutions. When working on their latest album, Hedley came up with a brilliant idea, they decided to make trailers.
It’s hard to prepare for an interview with Hedley. So in this interview, we threw caution to the wind, got a 24 of beer and broadcast the interview live on our USTREAM (andPOP.tv). Eventually Jacob, Dave and @jordans_life ended up talking about hairy legs, their newest music video and more.
Diamandis from Marina and The Diamonds talks to us about her very serious disease. It’s called synaesthetic. And we lied, it’s not a disease. More like a cool condition. Diamandis explains further.
Would you be embarrassed if someone scrolled through your iPod? We sit down with Spee and Brendan to talk about the diverse music on their playlist.
Marina and The Diamonds are working on some new music, but Marina is being very secretive about it. Although the release has been delayed, she let’s us in on some secrets about the new album, and how alcohol changed her life.
Once upon a time, long before the sold out stadiums and screaming fans, little Howie D was a self-proclaimed “Dough Boy.” Apparently, his first love wasn’t music, it was Twinkies. In all fairness, Howie went on to much better things, however, for this interview the guys reminisce about some of their more embarrassing moments.
Red box means you will buy it the second you see it
Return of the king
I was very skeptical about the New Super Mario Bros. Wii. For starters it seemed like the DS game was ported over to the Wii and given a slight visual upgrade. Also when compared to its 3D counterpart (Mario Galaxy) the title seemed very “last gen” to say the least. So I questioned how a decade old game with a new paint job would ever keep my attention.
Oh boy was I in for a surprise.
Super Mario Bros. Wii is unlike anything out there. Sure the same old story of Princess Peach being kidnapped by Bowser and his Koopa Kids is far from original, but the gameplay is classic Mario at its best. Granted it’s a reinvention, but does it pack enough variety and value to merit your hard earned cash?
(more…)
19 hits! It reads...
Got no game…
I’ve always feared the day when I would come across a game that would be so terrible that its very existence would torment me. Maybe I am being a bit melodramatic but trust me when I say that Game Party 3 makes me very sad. You see a while back I wrote a good editorial piece about the Wii and how there are plenty of good games available for it. The main focus was to draw attention to stellar third party games and how they need our support if the Wii is to have a bright future. Game Party series makes it harder for any third party developer to actually make a decent game when publishers can see so much revenue created by this minimalist approach.
Yes I do sound pretty jaded and with good reason- I reviewed this title. (more…)
Wii got another sports game
There are enough sports compilation games out there for the Wii, in fact one could say the sheer numbers of them rival the GameCubes lifetime library. Tons of games that deliver a sub par experience and are hampered with control issues- a shame really considering the Wii is built on hassle free controls. Today I’m going to take a closer look at a title that at may be a departure from your average third party offering- Decca sports 2. (more…)
Adam Sandler once sang in The Wedding Singer,”All I wanna do is grow old with you,” which for many, whether we intended to or not, happened in the case of Mario and friends . Till this day, we can still see small children getting introduced to the ever flourishing franchise.
Who are we talking about? We are talking about the short, confident, Italian plumber who wears a trade mark red hat and overalls. Throw in his taller, more socially awkward younger brother who sports an identical outfit only in green. Also in the mix would be the dragon like figure bent on kidnapping a certain princess of the mushroom Kingdom.
Now Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Princess Peach and many other familiar faces are back for another game. So what’s happening in the world of Mario now? There are so many examples that could be used to explain the whole situation but the most simple is one quote:
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” (more…)
Oh Scooby what are you searching for?
A trick or a treat?
With Halloween just passed I can’t get enough of scary games. You see last year my friends and I all got together and played Dead Space for the PS3. Sure it was a single player experience but we took turns and only played the game after 1 am every Friday leading up to Halloween. It was an insanely fun experience.
This year I got Scooby-Doo! First frights for the Wii. Now it’s no Dead Space but if you think back to when you were a kid(like 6 to10) I’m sure you wanted a slight chill of Halloween and not the full blown horror we all seek these days. (more…)
The Play offs have started.
The last hockey game I bought for full price was Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey for the N64, since then I haven’t really fallen in love with any new hockey games. Sure, I’ve played my share but nothing has captured the frenzy of the old hockey games and has left me wondering if maybe my expectations are a bit too high. No, I haven’t been under a rock or anything, I’ve played and kept up to date on the newer NHL games but nothing has really stood out enough for me to merit a purchase.
When talks were brewing about NHL 2K10 utilizing the Wii Motion Plus accessory I was really excited to see how evolutionary this title might turn out to be. This excitement was due to the fact that the last sports title I played that utilized the Motion Plus was the excellent Tiger Woods 10. In the end it’s the actual utilization of this little gizmo that will either make or break this title.
So does NHL 2k10 have what it takes? (more…)
andPOP got the opportunity to try out 2K Sports’ latest hockey title, NHL 2K10. We had the chance to play the game and talk with the developers.
Primed Perfection
Developer Retro Studios has my heart, what they have managed to create over the last 7 years is nothing short of the most influential and loved series to ever grace any console.
On my list of favorite games 2002’s Metroid Prime for the GameCube ranks the highest, simply put I love this title.
Till this day I am astonished at how a once unknown developer has taken such a beloved franchise and moved it into the third dimension whilst maintaining the classic series feel and essence. Very few games can match the sheer mood and ambiance that the Metroid Prime series is known for.
When I found out that the entire Prime series was coming to the Wii on one disc I just couldn’t believe Retro studios was going jam pack all that awesome sauce into one piece of media. (more…)
PARTY ON!
In early 2006 Harmonix split ways with the Guitar Hero series and went off with MTV to create Rock Band leaving Activision to contract Neversoft to re-build the game that Harmonix arguably perfected. This move marked the day that split the plastic instrument community right down the middle.
While some people saw no problem with the direction that Guitar Hero went in there is a hardcore contingency of people that would like nothing more than to see Guitar Hero vanish into obscurity and let Harmonix’s Rock Band franchise rule supreme. It has been said that ever since Rock Band was released Guitar Hero has been scrambling to avoid doing just that by “ripping off” Rock Band any chance they get. Well if that’s the case then on September 1st, 2009 they finally caught up. (more…)
Elementary my dear.
After almost a year and then some we finally get another Layton game in our grubby little hands. It’s sort of funny as I mentioned in the preview that Japan is on its 4th title and the series is fairly popular there and here is hoping it catches steam in North America. The title is developed by Level 5 who have been handling this small franchise called DRAGON QUEST. The thing that strikes me about The Professor Layton series is how it can be called a true successor to old-school point and click adventure games. Almost every artistic scenery is littered with interactive madness, whether it’s coins that need to be uncovered, a scene to be analyzed or your traditional brain teaser that needs to be solved. Combine the fact that the game follows a very well told story which runs at a decent 12 hours with over 150 puzzles and you have a solid title that is a must buy for gamers of any age group but especially those nostalgic for the old school adventure games. (more…)
Encore once more…
You know what’s funny? I did a bit of digging around before I got down to writing my review and realized that the DS version of Guitar Hero has seen its third offering in about a years time. So you know it’s been selling relatively well to merit a sequel and since the Guitar Hero Brand is popular there is no stopping this juggernaut on any platform. Despite that it’s a bit too quick to be releasing so many sequels if you ask me.
With Activition’s third offering for the DS we dive into the basic same game with a different playlist and more broad approach to single player progression. Save for a few key setbacks this has become my favorite Guitar Hero title on the DS simply because of the aforementioned feature and playlist.
Now andPOP has reviewed the previous iterations so for a full understanding I will kindly ask you to refer to those in depth reviews to get a broader understanding of the game.
I find it funny that this game actually took physical form, it couldn’t be download only on the DS, but had they gone that way I wouldn’t be surprised since that’s the amount of content that’s packed within the cart. That’s not to say it’s not worth a pick up if you are a huge fan of the series on the DS but if you’ve played and owned the previous two versions than you’ve essentially played the third. Now if you don’t have any of the DS incantations then this is the version you have to pick up. (more…)
Get the version that includes the motion plus!
A Glorious Swing!
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
You know a little more than a decade ago I remember golf breaking into the gaming scene. Back then Tiger Woods was fast on his way to becoming a worldwide recognizable sports icon, which meant we were going to get a new game franchise thrown our way. Besides the Hotshotz series of games, we had nothing really serious and cool on the consoles… well Mario Golf was definitely one of the better titles out there on the N64.
My first Tiger Woods PGA Tour experience was with the 2004 edition. I was amazed at how gorgeous this game looked running on a ps2, it played like a deeper, realistic version of the famed Hotshotz golf games. Suddenly we had an alternative to the arcade-like golf games on our consoles. (more…)
Little Mac is back!
Watch out kid, this one is gonna knock you OUT!
So the review copy of Punch Out had finally arrived! Here was a game that honestly came out of nowhere. Thinking back six months ago, there was little to no clue what this new iteration had to offer. I was very curious to see how things would pan out but I won’t deny that I was a bit worried that this might just flop and tarnish the games legacy.
Before I dive in to this title, let’s look at some of its history! Punch-out was originally crafted as an arcade game back in 1984; with its success came the NES game titled Mike Tyson’s Punch-out!! (’87)– This was later changed since the contract with Tyson expired to Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream as the official NES game. (more…)
Jenn and Josh take a romantic visit to E3 North where they learn about the next latest and greatest from Nintendo. They have a look at 4 player Mario, New DS games, Wii Sport Resort and more!
JUJU MAKE ME GO CRAZY. 
Alright lets get one thing out of the way, I enjoy video games regardless of the age and gender they are created for. If it is a good game then I will classify it as a good game. In my books there is no such thing as a ” I guess for a kids game this is alright.” You wanna know why? Because even simple kids games have to abide by some sort of standard. And don’t get me started on those pre-preschooler games… at that young age you shouldn’t be playing games in the first place. I played Super Mario Land for the Gameboy when I was 6, it was challenging, immersible, and got me to love games ever since.
Now that’s not to say Tak and the guardians of gross is a game designed for kids, I honestly wish that were not the case but tons of things within the game lead me to believe the only person to get some mild joy out of the title would be someone around that age.
The game is the third story iteration in Tak series and after a long hiatus now returns to the Wii. Developed by Blitz games and published by THQ this game sports the nickelodeon splat right on the box letting us know that this is a fine game based on the cartoon based on the game.. In fact one of the special extras on the disc is an episode of the cartoon. (more…)
Let’s just clear the air right now. This game is not about crossing the street, it’s not about cross-roads, it’s not even about cross-breeding animals (you sick gamer you). Animal Crossing is a game all about life, starting a-new, and making new friends. You start off on a bus with your new narrator buddy, starting a new life in a new small town. Why are you going there? What did you do in the past that forced you to run away and start again in anonymity? Will anyone miss you in your old life? Questions such as these are not asked in this children’s life simulator, just as questions being raised as to why you’re the only human in town, and a little child living on your own to boot aren’t addressed.
With the help of a very special partner more in tune with this game’s target demographic, we set off to explore Animal Crossing: City Folk. The first problem we encountered with this title was the tutorial and explanation of the game. It’s hard to explain how to live a virtual life, it’s even hard to try and explain it to a child. With so many things to do, rules, and mechanics, the high level of complexity doesn’t translate well to younger audiences. In fact, it gets so convoluted that even grown adults have a hard time following the objectives laid out before you (at least I had a hard time).
EA Sports announced today that the Wii version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour will be bundled with the new Wii MotionPlus accessory.
The manufaturer said the accessory will give players an unprecedented authentic golf swing experience and the ability to control the ball.
The title will ship to stores in North America on June 11. The game is rated E and the bundle’s recommended price is $59.99, the game alone is $49.99.
I was the very best, like no one ever was. I caught them all, as my real test, I trained them as my cause. I had travelled across the land, I searched far and wide. Each Pokémon I did understand, the power that’s inside. The question is, since I already did this with Pokémon Red, Pokémon Gold, and Pokémon Diamond, is it really worth it to go another round with Pokémon Platinum? As it turns out, maybe not as much as I think. If you were to compare this newest addition to the over 5 series of Pokémon titles out there, Pokémon Diamond to Pokémon Platinum would be the same comparison to Pokémon Red to Pokémon Yellow. What I mean by this is that it is the same game, same characters, and same story line but with a few new additions and changes. For this reason I won’t go too deep into the game but rather discuss all there is to do (and believe me, there is A LOT to do) and the new additions to this title.
Developed by Game Freaks and published by Nintendo, you play the role of a young boy or girl (with different clothing than in Pokémon Diamond) in the world of Sinnoh, you and your friend decide to go get some Pokémon (which by the way are a variety of almost 500 little monsters you capture, befriend and train to battle for you), when you are stopped by a Pokémon researcher, he gives both of you a choice of three starting Pokémon and your off on your very own adventure of growth and life lessons.
The Nintendo DS with two screens and stylus touch option seems like it was almost made for the purpose of strategy gaming. Using one screen to plan and one screen to execute commands, and commander in training can get an overall feel for the battlefield easily and comfortably. This is why I have been waiting for a Fire Emblem title to hit the DS for some time now and why I am pleased to review Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (FESD) for the Nintendo DS.
Released February 17th developed by intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is more of a remake than a sequel. Yes, that is correct; through FESD you can relive the legend of Prince Marth (I only know of him through Super Smash Brothers titles) over and over again with updated graphics, two screens and online play. Actually this is the SECOND remake of the first Fire Emblem title. The overall story surrounds Marth having his family and kingdom taken from him by the evil Dohlr and backstabbing ex-ally Grust kingdoms, as he escapes with a few soldiers Marth is tasked with increasing his army numbers, gaining magical items, and rescuing villages along the way.
OK, this is going to be a fairly short review as Facebreaker K.O. Party doesn’t really have that much depth and after playing it, my wrists are killing me. Facebreaker was a game I looked forward to for a few months when it originally came out on Xbox 360 in early September. As a massive fan of Punch-out for the original NES and Fight Night Round 3 for the Xbox 360, I had high hopes that Facebreaker was going to be a mix of the two, graphically awesome and extremely fun to play. Unfortunately it was neither, while the game looked cartoony and had some cool aspects to it, it was horrible to look at, horrible to control, and just not fun. So when Facebreaker K.O. Party was announced for the Wii, I wasn’t sure if this was a resurrection of the title, or EA sports trying to beat a dead horse.
First things first, because it’s on the Wii, does not make it a party game, because you call it K.O. Party, does not make it a party game either. Basically EA sports tried to pass this title off as a great game to play with a large amount of people, the only problem is that it’s still just one on one battles, no matter if there’s a tournament mode (which is just a round robin of matches). You also run the risk that the more people are in the room with you, the greater chance you have of whacking them with your wiimote or nunchuk. A third problem is that the graphics got worse, the gameplay got oversimplified (worse) and the game is still just not fun to play.
Facebreakers is a one on one boxing mash up, fast flying fists, combos, dodges, counters and special attacks whizz by the screen like a fat kid on a waterslide and since the game values simplicity, there’s no stamina or downtime, so players will just flail until their opponent falls down. The nunchuk controls your left hand, while the wiimote controls the right, you use the analog stick to move, tilt up to charge your attacks, hold down A and attack for a special attack, B crouches, and the Z button blocks. That’s all there really is to the controls, but again, it’s really hard to block, or counter with the constant flailing your hyper-active opponent might be enjoying, so really, it’s either you flail as well or you lose. (more…)
