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Saturday 31 December 2011

InfinityFeed's Best Movies of 2011



This year has seen a lot of big releases, so here at InfinityFeed we decided to pick our most loved movies of the year and share them with you lovely people. Let us know if you agree with our choices or if you think we may have overlooked something you loved.

Friday 30 December 2011

Challenge Accepted! : An Introduction


We have big plans for the new year over here at Infinity Feed: Video based content; Webcomics; more Top 5s and reviews; and a couple secret projects in the works...  One other thing we have all decided to do is this column: Challenge Accepted!  This is where we will be taking on quests suggested by each other (and possibly readers if we get a good suggestion!) of varying difficulty.  Some may be simple, but others will be bordering on the torturous...  We will be writing weekly/monthly updates to these challenges - whichever is more suitable - and taking on side-quests along the way.  Read on after the jump to find out what challenges Shep and I (the lucky first two to receive challenges) will be tackling!

Assassin's Creed: Revelations Review


Ezio may be old, but he's still got it!

The fourth instalment of the hugely popular Assassin's Creed games arrived with promises of improved graphics, environments and most importantly (in my opinion) answers. Having played through all three of the previous console games, one of the most intriguing, yet simultaneously annoying, points of the series is how it hints at a much wider and deeper narrative that we only ever see glimpses of. So, eager to have all my questions answered, I swan-dived into the haystack game.

Thursday 29 December 2011

Shep’s Top 5 things that made me rage in 2011.



You know the deal, occasionally there are things and people out there that seem to not only know which buttons in your brain will cause you to flip out and passionately hate them, but the correct order to press said buttons to get the maximum amount of rage possible. This list is dedicated to the things I hate the most from 2011.

Wednesday 28 December 2011

Infinity Feed's Top Video Games of 2011


Those game making people outdid themselves this year, giving us so many amazing games to play. So we at InfinityFeed have all picked our favourites, and figured we would share our thoughts.  See our picks after the jump!


Tuesday 27 December 2011

Dish's Stack - Marvel and DC Comics - 28/12/11


I did not read nearly as many comics as i intended to over the Christmas break, so my stack is growing to quite an intimidating size..  Making it grow even further tomorrow include The Flash #4 and the penultimate issue of the Alpha Flight limited series.  These and more after the jump.

Friday 23 December 2011

Famous birthdays - In Honor of Dish

To celebrate Dish from Infinity Feed's birthday on the 22nd of this month, I've decided to do a quick entry looking into celebrity births on this day.


Wednesday 21 December 2011

FullMetal Alchemist: the Sacred Star of Milos Trailer

Where do I begin?

I’ve just seen the trailer for the latest FullMetal Alchemist movie. You had better watch it before we continue ....

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Dish's Stack - Marvel and DC Comics - 21/12/11


After last week's relatively short stack, i get one of a respectable size this week including: Amazing Spider-Man #676, Daredevil #7 and Batman #4.  My thoughts and previews after the jump!

Monday 19 December 2011

Single Player or Multi Player


Over the past few years game developers decided that multi player was the way forward, with games like the Call of Duty series producing unimaginative single player experiences and focusing more on online play.

3DS Ambassador GBA Games Part Two


In this half of my breakdown of the 3DS Ambassador GBA games, i will be looking at Mario Kart: Super Circuit; Super Mario Advance 3 : Yoshi's Island; The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap; Kirby and the Amazing Mirror and Wario Land 4.


Part one can be found here.

Sunday 18 December 2011

What does the future hold for MMOs?



The MMO market is a fat, over-saturated sloth that occasionally shits out a sparkly golden turd. The late nineties to early 2000s saw an exponential explosion in the massively multiplayer industry, a time when Everquest was at its height and hits like Runescape, Anarchy Online and Dark Age of Camelot were brought to fruition. Fast-forward to 2011 and releases are coming thick and fast with no fewer than 10 launches from western companies and around three times that amount in the east. Where innovation reigned back in 2002, now we're seeing a vast number of clones and sub-par experiences within a turgid vat of blandness. The future seems bleak for the genre. But is it? Here are my predictions for what the future holds for MMOs.

3DS Ambassador GBA Games Part One



I was one of the suckers who pre-ordered the 3DS based merely on the potential of newest Nintendo handheld - technology-wise and the game that had been announced.  The launch titles were not very good however (mine came with a 3D port of Rayman 2), and sales (bar release-weekend surges) mirrored this.
Early August saw Nintendo take pretty drastic action to boost sales of the flagging console, as they cut the 3DS' price by almost a third.  Needless to say, early adopters were not pleased!  At this point Nintendo could have shrugged off the screaming hordes of their faithful fans claiming "It's business", but instead announced the 3DS Ambassador program, proving once again they are in a class above their gaming rivals.
The program meant anyone that had registered their 3DS in the eShop by the end of August would receive 20(!) free games - 10 NES and 10 GBA.  I downloaded my NES games in early September and was a little underwhelmed; the titles were pretty predictable and consisted of games the majority of gamers will have owned or at least played at one time or another.
The list of GBA games (released last Friday) however, is superb!  I was tingling with excitement while downloading them, and just knew i would have to review them. So here is Part One of my breakdown of the 3DS Ambassador GBA games!



Saturday 17 December 2011

The InfinityFeed Top 5 Alternative Christmas Movies



The festive period is truly upon us and like everyone else our minds are on one thing: Which Christmas movies to watch to avoid conversing with family? 

Every year the TV people show the same tired movies and chalk it up to tradition but this year we all, here at InfinityFeed HQ, shall begin a new tradition of watching the 5 greatest Christmas movies in a single movie marathon. Should anybody wish to join us in this new tradition this is the InfinityFeed top 5 Christmas movies!

Friday 16 December 2011

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn Review


                                               
           "Let the sun shine"

Since its release in 2004 the Nintendo DS and its recent successor the 3DS has had a bit of a rollercoaster ride in terms of popularity amongst gamers such as myself. This has nothing however to do with the console itself, which I personally believe is an amazing and hugely innovative piece of kit, much like it's big brother the Wii.

The DS', and let's face it the Wii's, problems lie in the games - the majority of which are unfortunately slap-dash jobs put together by third party companies out to make a quick-buck. Now before the rage sets in and forces you to write some obscene comment below I am not saying all Nintendo games are like this, there are exceptions: notably anything Nintendo produces itself such as Zelda, Metroid, Mario and the focus of my review today the new chapter in Golden Sun series: Dark Dawn.      
                       

Legend RPG Review



A few weeks ago Mongoose released their latest RPG Legend. It uses the core rules from their previous RPG Rune Quest II. Basically Mongoose no long have the rights to RQII and decided to continue to support their system and rebranded the game without any RQ material. I never played RQII but this seems like a good move.

Thursday 15 December 2011

Sonic the Hedgehog Generations Review.


"Two Sonics, One Game, Half of which is good!"


WOW! Where do I begin?

All this game does is showcase how weak "Modern" Sonic is when compared to his "Classic" counterpart. 

That was way too tame, FUCK "MODERN" SONIC!

Wednesday 14 December 2011

Top 5 TV Sidekicks

The heroes of TV shows often have the problem of being fairly boring, what with all having the same 'I must save everyone' complex, always choosing self sacrifice over a decision that actually makes sense, and this can get very irritating and that is where the sidekick comes in. Someone to make up for the heroes failings, and a way for the show to have a bit more fun with a character. Today I will be looking at my 5 favourites from the not-so-unsung sidekick crowd.

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Dish's Stack - Marvel and DC Comics - 14/12/11


A pretty short stack for me this week, but included are Journey into Mystery #632 and Batman and Robin #4.  My thoughts on these and more after the jump!

A look at the 360 Avatar Marketplace

Today I'll be looking into a personal little gripe of mine, the Avatar Marketplace on the Xbox 360.

Game Styles on the marketplace

I guess you might say its a little geeky to care about my Xbox avatar but I see it as a fun little feature of the Xbox dashboard. However I also begrudge using Microsoft points to buy items or clothing for my little character when I can use them on a decent arcade title or expansion for a game.

Sunday 11 December 2011

A Wizards Tale - Blood, Traps and Babies


A Wizards Tale is a place where I will tell the stories that have happened to me over the many years of playing RPG's. Inspired by The Spoony One's 'Counter Monkey' series, some stories will be funny, some shocking and others just out right insane. It may not all be exactly as it happened as my mind gets cloudy but the morals are still there. So Sit back and enjoy...

A few weeks ago my gaming group and I sat around the table for another D&D game. We prepared ourselves for a simple dungeon delve with the potential for some Dragon slaying. Naturally we were pretty pumped, and were ready to slaughter anything in the way of the prize; a mighty powerful scroll that the big bad is after.

Friday 9 December 2011

Top 5 Badass Zelda Weapons

Incredible Photoshop Skills...
While writing my Skyward Sword review, i got thinking about how underwhelming the items were in the game. They're not bad at all, and in fact, in my opinion, are implemented into the gameplay better than any other Zelda game; they just lacked the 'wow' factor that the series is capable of invoking.  So that got me thinking about previous entries of the series' items/weapons.  Thus was formed this list of my Top 5 favourite Legend of Zelda Weapons!  List after the page break.

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Dish's Stack - Marvel and DC Comics - 07/12/11






This week there is a triple-bill from the Spider-Man family of comics, and I look forward to the latest of DC's longest running series.  Read the whole article after the jump!




Dash on... How I Met Your Mother 'Symphony of Illumination'

How I Met Your Mother 'Symphony of Illumination'
by Dash


This weeks instalment of How I Met Your Mother brings us a Christmas episode...well sort of. 'Symphony of Illumination' is the second episode of the show to not be narrated by future Ted, the first being 'The Stinson Missile Crisis' which like this one was narrated by Robin and also happened just 8 episodes ago.

Monday 5 December 2011

Pixel Punk's Top 5 Annoying Female Game Characters

Today I'll be taking you on a trip to the tiny part of my mind that spends precious time thinking about topics as useless as this one.

Here, for your amusement and potential agreement, is 'Pixel Punk's Top 5 Annoying Female Game Characters'....

Sunday 4 December 2011

The last Airbender: The Legend of Korra Opening Sequence

"How do I get down from here?"
So hands up if your a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender!

ICO & Shadow of the colossus Classics HD Review.





It has been way too long.

Like a retired hero asked once more to strap on his breast plate only to find that his once rippling abs have turned to jelly, his sword is seemingly much heavier than he remembered after 5 years of enjoying life once again I set off on my quest to save a fair maiden by killing 16 innocent monsters, knowing in the back of my mind that I no longer was the colossi killing god I once was, but accepting the task without fear regardless.

Friday 2 December 2011

Marvel Double Shot: Captain America vs Thor

*Pixel Punk has signed in*

This entry will be a Marvel double shot of two video games based on Marvel films.

Now I can admit that a lot of movie based games have had a long history of being terrible.....couple that with the fact that SEGA haven't been at their best for a long time and there isn't much to get excited about!

I started playing Captain America first which I blasted through within a few sessions and then I moved onto Thor....for the life of me I wish I had done it the other way around.

Battlefield 3 vs Modern Warfare 3



Battlefield 3 vs Modern Warfare 3
By Bieber

It's that time of year again when the latest batch of first person shooters are released, just in time for the festive season. As usual there are two main contenders, Activision's Modern Warfare 3 and EA's Battlefield 3. These two titles have had massive advertising campaigns and boast a host of new and improved features and gameplay but do they deliver? Well lets pit them both against each other and see if we cannot separate the noob from the vet.

The single player experience of FPS's has been neglected of late in favour of an enhanced multiplayer experience. Do either of these games break the trend?

The Modern Warfare 3 campaign mode tries to be an epic action story but ultimately fails to deliver. The game attempts to build tension through different mission types and game play styles, but isn't at all engaging and I found myself not caring about the fate of the characters. Activision tried to make the player feel like a badass right out of a Schwarzenegger or Stallone movie, but due the inept enemy AI most of the time the player is left feeling more like Reb Brown.

The Battlefield 3 campaign mode on the other hand is much more engaging, I found myself truly caring about the characters from the get go. The in mission banter between NPC's allows you to get to know the characters, reminiscent of the scene where Ripley meets Hicks and the rest of the marines in 'Aliens' for the first time, leading you to actually care about your team when under fire from the rather intelligent enemies. The gameplay is mixed up from time to time allowing you to be an airplane gunner or driving a tank, this succeeds where Modern Warfare 3 failed to deliver.

Modern Warfare 3's online experience is disappointing, feeling more like an expansion pack for Modern Warfare 2. Some things have changed slightly, such as the rewards system being split into offensive and defensive rewards, however this doesn't offer much new over its predecessor. The survival mode is back, sans-zombies. This time around the player is pitted against waves of increasingly difficult enemies, similar to Gears of War's Horde mode. While this is good it isn't anywhere near as ground breaking as the original Zombie Survival mode.

Battlefield 3's multiplayer experience imposes a bigger emphasis on working as a team opposed to running off on your own trying to be a hero. While it does not have a plethora of extra modes the customisation options available allowing for a more unique experience, keeping players engrossed and wanting to play more to unlock new content. This feels like a totally new experience rather than an expansion to previous content.

The graphics of Modern Warfare 3 are not much of a leap forward from its predecessor. The character models and environments still look great but the graphics fail when it comes to the backgrounds. This isn't so much of a problem when fully engaged in the action but once noticed it becomes hard to ignore, disengaging the player from the experience.

The graphics of Battlefield 3 are very detailed and compliment the intended game style very well. However this realistic approach can occasionally have a detrimental effect on game play as sections can sometimes become too dark to see the enemy. Despite this the game looks stunning and you may find yourself staring off into the distance.


In conclusion Battlefield 3 rules supreme over Modern Warfare 3. Whereas the latter lacks in depth, graphics and innovative ideas, Battlefield 3 delivers in all these areas, only lacking the extra modes. Clearly InfinityFeed recommends Battlefield 3 over its competitor as it is much greater value for money, rather than feeling like a glorified expansion pack. 

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Dish's Stack - Marvel and DC Comics - 30/11/11







Dish's Stack is where i talk about the comics i will be buying this week!  Judge my taste all you like, but that's what this is! I will normally focus on my thoughts of previous issues and possible developments, but nevertheless be wary of minor (or possibly major) spoilers if you do not keep very up-to-date with series or previews, but I'll do my best not to reveal anything too surprising




Daredevil #6
One of my favourite comics at the moment, it always seems like forever between issues, but it's back this week!  The last issue left things with a very tenuous cliffhanger - is Daredevil dead?  Of course not, but without the illusion of constant peril where would comicbook stories be?  It looks like this issue is going to have some good fight scenes in it with new villain 'Bruiser' giving DD a good punching.
It has been teased that events in this issue will make Daredevil  'the most dangerous man in the Marvel U', so i'm especially looking forward to what is going to be pulled out of the bag.


Ghost Rider #6
The new lady-Ghost Rider was an interesting concept, however it seems that this series is not going to be given time to get a foothold in the market, as this is yet another title that is being given the axe in the new year.  It would have been nice to see where this character would have been taken, as she seems like something a little bit different, having been raised in all-but-complete isolation from the outside world, it could have been interesting to see her develop to come to terms with her new surroundings and her incredible power.
A new story will be coming in this week's issue after the events of Fear Itself and the self-contained issue last month, and maybe i will be rewarded for my optimism..


Herc #10
Yet another series that is heading for the chopping block (seriously, maybe it's been me that has been dooming these comics), and i've just checked my facts, and it turns out this is actually the final issue!  This cancellation disappointed me more than most of the others because i really like the Marvel Hercules.  Since reading the Wolverine and Hercules limited series a couple of months ago, he has been one of my favourite Marvel characters, and i thought the first couple of issues of Herc were some of the best comics i had read.  But alas, it  was not to be..
This issue continues (and hopefully concludes) the story begun last month, with Zeus having come down to Earth 'cos he's angered his wife or some such silliness.. Previews show this could be a very good finale for the series - Elektra and the Kingpin making appearances to attempt to relieve Herc of his magical equipment.
I hope Hercules isn't gone for long, and maybe this cancellation is just to pave the way for the return of The Incredible Hercules (i can wish..)   


Thunderbolts #166
The Thunderbolts escaped World War 2 - yay!  And are now in Victorian London - boo!  I jest, this time-trotting arc has been very good so far, and a simple way to incorporate wildly different settings in a short space of time.  I am not familiar with whether there were any superheroes in that time and place, but surely a couple cheeky references are going to be sneaked in..  If i were a gambling man, i would bet that there will be one more destination in time after this one before the 'bolts return to 'present' day, as I'm sure there are a lot of people who, like me, are wondering about the rest of the aftermath of the events of Fear Itself..


This being the 5th Wednesday of the month there are no 'New 52' DC releases this week, which i find i little odd, but whatever..  In lieu of this, i have decided to buy the first three issues of the new Aquaman series.
Aquaman is the clichĂ© whipping boy of the DC universe, but i have read really good things about Geoff Johns' reboot of the character, so i am going to give it a shot!  Besides, i have just dropped Batman: The Dark Knight from my stack, so this should be a good replacement series.


Also out this week :


Marvel
Ultimate Comics Ultimates #4
Uncanny X-Men #2
Wolverine #19


Follow me on Twitter for not-so-occasional insights into the geek world: @IFeed_Dish


Dish Out!

Monday 28 November 2011

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review

Skyward Sword, Infinity Feed


InfinityFeed : The Legend of Zelda : Skyward Sword Review
By Dish


It is such an honour that the first game i get to review for this blog is a Zelda game.  Some would say i came into it biased because i love the whole series, but who better to pick out the moments of genius and the tiny flaws that the game is going to have?

Friday 25 November 2011

The Nunchuck Conundrum


The Nunchuck Conundrum
by Shep


Let me pose you a question: How often to you use the Nunchuck with the Wii-Mote?

I own a Wii, (which I have barely touched in recent years in favour of the Xbox 360 and, to a lesser extent, the PS3) which when I do play I usually shun the Nunchuck add on but where does the fault lie, the games available on the system or my own gaming style?

Lets list the games I own for the Wii: Donkey Kong Country Returns,  Epic Mickey, Goldeneye 007, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Metroid Prime Trilogy, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, New Super Mario Bros Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 (adding up all the metacritic scores for these games and dividing by nine gives a average metacritic score of 88).

Now let us list the games that are playable without the Nunchuck: Donkey Kong Country Returns, Goldeneye 007, Kirby’s Epic Yarn & New Super Mario Bros Wii.

Then (don’t worry, I’m going somewhere with this) let us list the Wii games which I own and have actually played: Donkey Kong Country Returns, Goldeneye 007, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess & New Super Mario Bros Wii.

Finally, (honest) of those games which ones have I completed: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Obviously, there are games out there, but why am I seemingly so unwilling to give the Wii the same opportunities as the Xbox 360 or the PS3?

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a busy guy, what with going to work, studying for a degree, playing for a football team, going to the gym and all the other day to day things that need doing before I can play many videogames. When I do, I just want to collapse in my chair with a drink and some snacks, and play. I don’t particularly want to be waving my arms around (looking at you too Move and Kinect) when I look to play games to relax.

Obviously from the list above there is an exception to that rule: The Legend of Zelda, which was only playable with the Nunchuck in tow. With the release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword I found myself dusting off ye’ olde Nunchuck as I prepared for battle. I’m not going to go too deeply into Skyward Sword as I will end up reviewing the game that our resident self-confessed Zelda nut, Dish, has had dibs on since the day it was first announced.

The point I am trying to get across is this: to veteran gamers, like me, the preferred method of controlling our on screen avatar is the control pad and it will take something special to get us out of our close minded preconceptions and actually try something different. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony are not being helped by veteran gamers also being quite savvy when it comes to videogames (who would have thought it?) and only being willing to fully embrace a new control method for our games when there are high quality games available to make us want to do so.

Taking InfinityFeed HQ as a microcosm of veteran gamers in general: between us we have 3 Wii’s – all of which have been collecting dust since Twilight Princess and all of which have recently been dusted off for Skyward Sword. Was it worth the wait? Dish will let you know on that score. Has it been too long? Definitely, if only Nintendo could get a Zelda game out every year maybe more of us veterans would be more willing to take the Wii seriously.

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Dish's Stack - Marvel and DC Comics - 23/11/11




Dish's Stack is where i talk about the comics i will be buying this week!  Judge my taste all you like, but that's what this is! I will normally focus on my thoughts of previous issues and possible developments, but nevertheless be wary of minor (or possibly major) spoilers if you do not keep very up-to-date with series or previews, but I'll do my best not to reveal anything too surprising.


Alpha Flight #6
It was recently announced that this series has been cancelled or, rather, been re-demoted to the original 8 issues of the limited series as was originally intended...weird..
Events have continued along the route established during the 'Fear Itself' event, not being limited to starting and ending a story entirely contained within the event, which i think is a good sign.  This gives the book a sense of continuity not found in other titles taking part in 'Fear Itself'.
The last issue was fun - showing the team dealing, and having some fun, with being the 'rogue' super-powered unit they are now portrayed as in the Canadian media - but i feel the story needs to be coming together more, there being only 2 more issues after this one, with plenty still needing to be resolved.

Iron Man 2.0 #10
Another book that fell victim to the recent culling of titles that spread across the offices of Marvel HQ, devouring fledgling ongoing series and limiteds like a plague of hungry locusts.  Maybe a touch melodramatic, but i feel it is somewhat justified..
This is a strange series i think.  Ten issues in (11 including the .1) and only just coming to the close of the arc that started things off.  Albeit, a Point 1 filler issue, and a pointless 'Fear Itself' arc so uneventful i couldn't remember enough of it to give my opinion of it, have also been and gone, but i feel the slow pace has had a lot to do with not many people latching onto the series. Which is a shame, the concept of the arc, and the twist/explanation delivered in the last couple of issues, i feel, was fantastic and very clever; the delivery has just been a little off.
Again, with only a couple of issues left before 'bye-bye', i hope this series can go out with a bang.

The Mighty Thor #8
I was in the process of putting up a spoiler warning, but if anyone hasn't heard the news yet they almost certainly won't be reading this out-of-the-way blog of self-indulgence :)  And if you are:
Thor is dead!
But he won't be for very long.  At least as far as i am guessing.  Starting a new Thor title at #1 and giving 'Journey Into Mystery' Thor's numbering doesn't seem like a move you would make if you were killing off one of your biggest heroes for more than a couple of issues.
So there is a new God of Thunder in town, by the name of Tanarus; except nobody knows he's new in town, at least as far as i can work out.
It seems someone has made the decision to change everyone's perceptions of the world, and have them think he has been around forever.  If this is not how it happened, please someone explain to me in the comments.  This is how i took it, if somewhat confusedly :)
I have been enjoying the young-Loki central Journey Into Mystery more than this series, but with the two intermingling to an extent, maybe some of that title's charm can rub off onto it.

Batman: The Dark Knight #3
Finally!  A title i can rant about!
I did not enjoy the first 2 issues of this series at all, and it is by far my least favourite of the 'New 52' titles i have been collecting.  The plot seems to be borrowing heavily from the Arkham Asylum video game, in that, members of Batman's rogues gallery have been beefed up to ridiculous proportions.  The direction of the comic seems to be leaning more towards fanservice than delivering a good/interesting story - opening fight with several of Batman's famous villains; the aforementioned beefy baddies; and Dick Grayson's entire role in the comic.
Maybe i have this all wrong though, and every move will be justified by the end of the first arc.  But it's going to have to pull some big cats out of some big bags to prevent itself from my monthly stack..

The Flash #3
This series has been great for people curious about The Flash, without knowing an awful lot about him.  Seeing Barry learning to harness his powers has been especially good, finding out he has to actively 'think' more quickly to be able to move at his full potential.
The story is very nice as well, the flashbacks in the previous issues providing just enough exposition so we know enough backstory to understand motives, without being overly distracting from present-day events.
This, along with his appearances in the Justice League comics are fast making The Flash one of my favourite characters. (Urgh, pun not intended back there)

Superman #3
I wasn't particularly bothered by or attracted to Superman as a character before the relaunches, but Superman and Action Comics have been blowing me away these last 3 months.  The first 2 issues were great self-contained, beginning-middle-end stories, yet were both clearly part of a bigger arc - the perfect structure for a comic!
Great villains and set-pieces have shown how powerful Superman is, while still allowing for suspense and uncertainty - last month's 'invisible' monster was very smart.
Originally i was only going to stick with this title until the end of the first arc, but with writing of this quality i can't see myself dropping it for a very long time.


Also out this week:

Marvel
Astonishing X-Men #44
Captain America and Bucky #624
Invincible Iron Man #510
Secret Avengers #19
Wolverine and the X-Men #2

DC Comics
Aquaman #3
Teen Titans #3

Follow me on Twitter for not-so-occasional insights into the geek world: @IFeed_Dish


Dish Out!

Dash on ... How I Met Your Mother "The Rebound Girl"



How I Met Your Mother "The Rebound Girl"
By Dash


I think I'm missing something from this weeks episode as I really don't understand the title. I'm not sure where it fits in to this strange but hilarious tale of the gang. Maybe someone can enlighten me in the comments.

The episode starts with Marshall and Lily getting excited over the house that has been given to them and are considering different ideas to do with it (my personal favourite is Chimp Sanctuary), they then return home to find that "their big lovely apartment...shrank" of course it just seems smaller to them, but the set has actually been made tiny and allows for some funny moments as they try to squeeze past all the furniture.

It moves on to future Ted explaining how Barney and himself were going through some bad times due to girl problems and deciding that maybe girls were not for them. I wasn't too sure about this episode at this point, turning them both gay even for an episode would have been a terrible move, pretty much just making a joke out of homosexuality, something I'm sure Neil Patrick Harris would not be happy with. Though thank fully the two of them quickly realised they still liked girls as one walks by the booth and they check her out.

But the guys are still unhappy with waiting around for finding the right girl and want to start a family without all the hassle of a wife and decide to adopt a kid, because men should be able to have kids on their own...like sea horses. So in a 'lets buy a bar' moment Ted says those fateful words that all guys never say "maybe we should start a family together" and so Bro-Parents are born.

While this was going on Marshall and Lilly were waiting for a sign from the universe to let them know if they should move to Long Island. Robin was calling them crazy when Clive from upstairs knocked on the door and asked if a for sale sign he found was their sign. Of course Marshall and Lilly took this to mean they should move to the suburbs and go to tell Ted and Barney. This important decision Marshall and Lilly made just pushed Ted and Barney over the edge and in homage to the 'Wonder Twins' they bump fists proclaiming "Bro-Parents Activate".

In the morning once the two have sobered up..Ted and Barney still think its a good idea to adopt a kid and begin applying at an adoption agency. But then their first bro-parents fight breaks out when Barney thinks Ted should quit his job but this is quickly resolved when they decide to get a nanny which Barney of course dibs. Then Ted comes to his senses as he realises Barney is too much of a kid himself and would be a terrible father.

While this is going on Robin is trying to convince Marshall and Lilly that moving from New York is a terrible idea and uses an example of when Marshall was trying to decide between being an environmental lawyer and working for a bank. Future Ted says "That's a funny story" and indeed it is. It seems that following 'signs' from the universe Marshall nearly bought a fire house and became a Ghostbuster, even meeting Ernie Hudson in the street.

Now its thanksgiving and Ted calls Barney to apologise just before Barney turns up with a baby girl. At first Ted is worried about where she came from but is quickly won over by all the girl attention they attract with the baby. At Marshall and Lilly's house Robin locks herself in their bathroom in protest against them moving there and Ted and Barney turn up with their baby "Hurricane Mosby-Stinson". This is a nice reference to the earlier episode 'Disaster Averted' where Ted comes up with that name for Marshal'ls baby. Though I think Hurricane Eriksen is much better than Hurricane Mosby-Stinson, too bad lilly wont allow it.

While Ted is explaining to Lilly about the baby, Barney's brother James turns up and to Lilly's relief Hurricane is his new daughter and is called sadie. James then explains to Ted that he almost did the same thing with a friend a few years ago but it really glad he didn't because the real thing is much better. Ted explains to Barney that he doesn't want to adopt and Barney goes for a walk. But really goes to the bathroom window to see Robin. And in just two words Robin explains why the episode has been about Barney wanting a family and drops possibly the biggest bombshell of the entire show so far...she is pregnant!!

And it ends, I was left open mouthed and wide eyed not to mention speechless. This is one craziest twists the story has ever had. It is clearly going to turn out to be Barney's which means as it was always going to her relationship with Kevin will come to and end and it will all lead to Barney's wedding which we saw at the end of last season. And I don't like it. I don't like the whole Barney and Robin thing and putting a baby in there as well is just going to destroy the characters even more than they already are.

This show started off as a perfect brocom (like a sitcom but for guys) but as the characters have 'developed' the show seems to be tailoring itself for a more female audience. I suppose its working since the ratings are good but I see the show finding it difficult to survive much longer, what with Marshal and Lilly with a baby and Robin and Barney with a baby they will have little choice but to introduce the mother and tie the whole thing up with a pretty little neat ribbon and call it a day.

Maybe that is the plan, just one more season after this to tie up all the loose ends and send the characters off in nice happily ever after lives. I don't like it, but I knew it was always going to happen. when the premise of a show is explaining how you met the mother of your children there is only so long you can go on for. Especially considering the date of when future Ted is talking is revealed so for the kids to the age they are he has to get a girl pregnant soon.

Let me know what you think of this weeks episodes in the comments!

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The Elder Scrolls V : Skyrim Review


InfinityFeed: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review
by Dash

Rating: 9/10

Skyrim was only officially announced a little over a year ago but has managed to garner almost as much attention as much more mainstream games like Modern Warefare. In fact, the steam sales for this game were record shattering! I suppose with the success of Bethesda's other titles like Fallout 3 and Skyrim's predecessor Oblivion it shouldn't come as such a surprise that this game caused so much excitement. With all this hype Skyrim had a lot to live up to and it seems most people think it does.

Friday 18 November 2011

Dash on... Community "Documentary Filmmaking: Redux"



Community Season 3 Episode 8 : "Documentary Filmmaking: Redux"




With the recent news that NBC has put the show on 'indefinite hiatus' fans are hoping the remaining episodes can prove just how good the show is and I believe that last nights episode does that, but maybe not in a good way.


Like the previous episodes, 'Introduction to film' and 'Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking', 'Documentary Filmmaking: Redux' parodies a mockumentary style sitcom as Abed follows the study group around as they film a commercial for Greendale. Just like in 'Hearts of Darkness' the film the episode takes most reference from Abed films the slow decent of a director driven mad by his own film, or in this case commercial. 
"Now the bold man is awake"


Annie is chosen to be the 'script girl' sorry the 'supervisor girl' sorry the 'Script Supervisor'. As it turns out, not too long ago 'Script Girl' was actually the correct term for this role. This is the perfect position for Annie as it allows her to use her hyper organisational skills and anal personalty for a productive reason. As filming went on Annie's state of mind went with it. As more pencils get added to her ever more dishevelled hair she eventually turns into a neurotic mess with Stockholm syndrome.


Jeff is subjected to the next logical step in the Deans obsession with him: He is chosen to play the role of the Dean. Of course he hates the whole idea so tries to get out of it by acting like Dean Pelton on crack. But this backfires as the Dean loves Jeff's portrayal and gives him even more screen time. If there was just one thing I could see from this episode it would have to be Joel Mchale in a bold cap and glasses. Community never fails by taking itself too seriously and its moments like this that really set it apart.


Jeff in a further attempt to sabotage the commercial convinces the Dean to film his scenes in front of the statue of Greendale's most famous student, Luis Guzman and informs the actor's lawyers, because the college didn't have the right to use Guzman's image. But this again backfires as it turns out Guzman has a soft spot for the college and actually wants to be in the commercial. 


"Stop saying I'm different"
This is when the Dean really starts to loose it. He decides that all the scenes will be rewritten and re-filmed in preparation of Luis Guzman's arrival. Britta and Troy are subjected to a hugging marathon for 12 hours so that the Dean can add a 'message' to the commercial and what better message than that of race. This results in Britta and Troy not even being able to touch each other without freaking out all so the Dean can "pull a 400 year old dagger out of the nations heart". The choice of these two to be the ones hugging adds to the sexual tension that has been building up between the characters for a while now but what will this traumatic experience do to their potential love?


Jeff, having now spent days in his bold cap had almost merged into the Dean. Jeff was dead and now his role of the Dean would no longer be played in irony. But as his casting call finally arrived the Dean decided he wanted to be seen with hair and told Jeff to take the bold cap off as that would be reality. Jeff refuses saying "I have worn this stupid thing for 12 days...I've made bold friends". The Dean's saviour comes in the form of Chang, meaning the role of the Dean will be played by "a Chinese man in a blonde wig". The cast and crew now abandon the Dean just before the arrival of Luis Guzman.


Guzman arrives to find Greendale deserted and finds the Dean living in his own filth with a live opossum editing the insanity which is his commercial. Guzman has no problem expressing his love for the school saying he got laid like crazy there, but he wont work with the Dean. It's revealed that Pelton is ashamed of his own school.


The time comes to show the school board the commercial and surprisingly it's not bad. In Hearts of Darkness director Francis Ford Coppola is shown strung out on cocaine thinking he wont live to finish his film. The plan was to pass the film to George Lucus to finish if Coppola should die. Thankfully that didn't happen. But here Abed uses his filmmaking super powers and becomes the Lucus to Dean Peltons Coppola and makes the commercial not just good...good enough. 


"Some flies are too awesome for the wall"


While all this is happen Pierce has locked himself in the trailer he rented until the college rents him a new one. A trailer arrives for Guzman which Pierce commandeers and is unknowingly taken to Hollywood. Turns out the trailer was going to the on set home of actor Jeff Garlin, who after discovery Pierce proves himself to be no more mature and says he wont be leaving that trailer until he gets a new one.


Overall this was an amazing episode, capturing everything that makes the show great. It was quirky and didn't take its self seriously. There weren't a lot of obvious jokes allowing for some genuinely funny moments. But the very thing that makes this show great could be the very thing holding it back. Community refuses to conform to traditional sitcom tropes and instead pushes the boundaries. This is possibly alienating its audience as unlike with 'The Big Bang Theory' which pokes fun at the geeks, Community requires some actual knowledge about the subjects that it is parodying.


There are many people out there that want to save this show and if your one of them sign this petition, do it now don't wait, get other people to sign it to. Of course it has just been put on hiatus and hasn't yet been cancelled but I think we all know unless something big happens we wont be seeing much more Community.


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