Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2368

Paint to Your Heart’s Content in PAPER MARIO: COLOR SPLASH

Nintendo had a huge presence at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, and part of their big showing was letting people check out the upcoming Wii U title, Paper Mario: Color Splash. We got to play a portion of the mustachioed plumber’s latest adventure, and while we didn’t get very far in the story, we did get insight as to what sort of experience we can expect from the new venture.

Like the game’s title suggests, Color Splash is all about bringing bright color to the world, or in this case, Prism Island. The small grassy area that was open in the demo only included a house, a couple of trees and bushes, a pipe, and a missing bridge that lead to the star I needed to collect. While walking around the location, I noticed different spots were missing a noticeable dash of paint. Luckily, Mario is equipped with a paint hammer to go along his usual turtle-smashing one (much darker when you think about it that way, right?) that splashes the world with the appropriate hues. There’s a paint meter at the top corner, so it is finite. I can only imagine how it’ll come into play when puzzles get trickier.

Usually smashing your hammer onto these white spots will yield a combination of coins or attack cards. Like Paper Mario: Sticker Star, the newest paper game deviates from the classic RPG combat seen in Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door, but instead of collecting stickers, this time around you get cards.

The cards you collect will be used during every enemy encounter. The most common cards included hammer and stomping attacks, but there are some special ones that unleash screen-filling special attacks. Once in combat, you’re able to prepare the cards on the Wii U gamepad depending on the enemy you’re facing. So, enemies with horns on their heads are better dealt with using your hammer. The new mechanic, however, lets you color the cards in to do some extra damage. Once prepared, you flick the cards upward, and they’ll instantly appear on your television.

Despite using cards, there is still some skill involved. If you’ve played previous games in the series then you know that attacks charge up, and you must smash the attack button at just the right moment to land critical hits. A standard mechanic for the series, but a good one. I did find it hilarious that when you’re stomping on baddies, they start to lose their color until they’re all white. It’s basically a health bar, but pretty dark because the life is draining out of them. Damn Mario, you bad!

As per usual, the gameplay outside of combat seems to be all about solving environmental puzzles, and there will even be moments where you’ll be searching out Toads. In the short demo I had to find six Toads to build the aforementioned missing bridge. These little dudes were hiding in trees, behind the house, and one was even taped onto a wall inside the house. The same silly, witty dialogue present in previous titles has also made a brilliant return, and I found myself with a stupid grin on my face multiple times when talking to the NPCs.

Personally, I wasn’t a fan of Sticker Star‘s combat; it always felt way too simple, almost dull. That’s what I’m afraid will happen with Color Splash, especially since the gamepad gameplay feels unnecessary. Of course, I only played a ten-minute portion of a game that will no doubt be a meaty adventure, so hopefully I’m proven wrong.

Are you guys planning on picking up Paper Mario‘s latest quest? Were you a fan of Sticker Star‘s combat system? Splash your thoughts into the comment section below!

Image: Nintendo

Matt Ryan Will Voice CONSTANTINE in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK Animated Film

Last year, Matt Ryan was given the opportunity to play John Constantine one more time during a guest appearance on Arrow. Ever since NBC canceled fan-favorite Constantine in 2014, folks have been clamoring to see Ryan reprise his titular role. Now, later this year, they will get another unexpected chance to witness Constantine—in his animated debut.

Via SuperHero Hype, the Justice League Dark preview video included with Batman: The Killing Joke has been leaked online. And the video reveals that Ryan is not only voicing Constantine for the animated film, he’ll be the main character of the story!

“I really wanted to jump into this project to play Constantine in a different context. Around some of the iconic that are in the DC Dark World,” said Ryan in the clip. Justice League Dark also stars Camilla Luddington as Zatanna, Nucholas Turturro as Deadman, Ray Chase as Jason Blood/Etrigan the Demon, and Jason O’Mara as Batman. Swamp Thing and Black Orchid will also be members of the team, but the performers who will portray them in the film were not named.

It’s interesting to note that the producers of Arrow kept saying that Constantine’s appearance was a one-time only deal, and yet he was constantly referenced throughout the fourth season. The CW recently picked up the streaming rights to Constantine‘s first and only season, so perhaps there is still a chance for Ryan to return to the character in one of the other DC superhero dramas. At the very least, Ryan’s willingness to reprise his role in Justice League Dark suggests that he’d be open for more in the future.

Justice League Dark will be released on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital download this fall.

Are you excited to see that Ryan is once again playing John Constantine? Cast your spells in the comment section below!

Image: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 Looks Super

Back at E3, we got our first taste of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 with a look at some new footage. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to go hands-on with the title, but that changed this weekend at San Diego Comic-Con. While we still have yet to check out campaign mode, Bandai Namco was kind enough to let us test out the the versus mode. Here’s what I learned as I was kicking some Namekian tail as Gogeta:

Don’t fix what isn’t broken.

Instead of choosing to revamp the combat, Xenoverse 2 is all about fine tuning the overall experience. Bandai believes that most fans enjoyed the combat, so those who played the original Xenoverse will feel right at home. That means you’ll still be fighting in open environments (either in the skies or on the ground) where you’ll easily be able to pull off some intense special attacks that are straight out of the manga. The first iteration was really good about being accessible to all sorts of players, and it seems like the same can be said of the sequel.

As part of the fine-tuning process, Bandai also wanted to make the animations much smoother. Stringing combos together is fairly simple, and because the animations have been worked on, the combat actually feels quicker–which if you know Dragon Ball, that’s good news. What good is a Kamehameha blast from Goku if you can’t quickly string other attacks along for the combo? In short, expect more explosive combat that captures the essence of the source material perfectly.

Get ready for some cake.

Who doesn’t love cake, right? Well, that’s Steve Aoki’s sentiment when he throws the delicious dessert into the crowd at his concerts. Why am I telling you this? The famous electro house musician has actually remixed several of songs for the game: “We Gotta Power” and “Cha-La Head Cha-La.” Sounds like a strange collaboration for sure, but apparently Aoki is a big Dragon Ball fan; he didn’t hesitate to join the project.

That’s not all, though: the DJ will also be making an appearance in the game! As soon as I heard that, I instantly thought of a DB game where I could toss cake at my opponents. Unfortunately, however, he’s only an NPC. Thus all my dreams were shattered. But still, it’ll be funny to bump into Aoki in the game.

Super world.

Those who enjoyed the deviation from the manga’s storyline in Xenoverse will be happy to know that the sequel continues the trend. In Xenoverse 2, you’ll once again be creating a custom character that travels back in time. By the looks of it, you probably don’t even have to have played last year’s DBX to enjoy the new one. However, the game’s campaign will apparently travel back in time to the first game’s timeline at some point, and those who have a save file from said title will actually see their old character. A nice little touch for those who are now fully invested in this series.

You can also expect new characters and boss fights to be introduced to the Dragon Ball universe. As for the hub world where you time travel from, it’ll actually be seven times larger than it was before. What it will be filled with, however, is still a mystery. But there is good news, to compensate for the massive size, you’ll be able to fly around and use vehicles in the hub world. Seems unimportant, but it was sorely missing in the first game.

Outside of that, you can also expect a whole lot more customization options for your new character, including more race choices. That may not sound exciting, but remember that in the first game, your specials were tied to the race you chose to be (ie. Saiyan, Namekian, Human, etc).

You can expect more information about the campaign the closer we get to the October 25 launch date. What do you guys think about Bandai Namco bringing Steve Aoki into the fold? What improvements do you want to see in Xenoverse 2? Let us know your super comments below!

Image: Bandai Namco

The IMPRACTICAL JOKERS Prove Their Show Comes from a Real Place

In 2011, four friends from Staten Island started a hidden camera show on truTV, a network that, at the time, was making a transition into a reality TV focus. The show would put these four friends in different embarrassing improvisational “competitions,” the loser of which would be put through and even more embarrassing punishment.

Five and a half years later, Impractical Jokers has arguably become the flagship show of the now comedy-based network, and its four stars (Brian “Q” Quinn, Sal Vulcano, Joe Gatto, and James “Murr” Murray) are showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. In fact, this past weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, they officially announced their SIXTH SEASON! I got a chance to sit down with the Jokers at SDCC during the Impractical Jokers Block Party to talk about the show, its growth, and how they are able to stay grounded through it all.

We dove a bit into the group’s past. While most people know them as the Jokers, they were first known by their sketch comedy group name, The Tenderloins. While the TV show certainly showcases their improv skills, their YouTube channel has a plethora of hilarious sketches that show off their creativity (warning, some of these are NSFW).

I asked them if they could go back and with the truTV resources and budget they have now, would they re-shoot any of their older sketch videos. They had a series called Blind Cops, and if they could go back, they would definitely shoot Blind Cops 3.

Murr added, “If they asked us to reshoot ‘The Craig Murray Incident,’ I would NOT because that sketch was PERFECT.”

The conversation then moved on to the growing popularity of Impractical Jokers, which has led to a growing presence at SDCC. In 2013 at SDCC, they released an exclusive comic book with DC and did a few signings. The next year they did a show. 2015 saw the first “Hall of Impractical Jokers,” where they redesigned one of San Diego’s downtown art galleries and turned it into a shrine for the group. This year was their biggest yet, as over 5000 SDCC attendees gathered at Petco Park for the Impractical Jokers Block Party. The all-day event involved carnival food, a DJ, and different activities where attendees were able to experience for themselves some of the group’s funniest challenges. Included were a tightrope walk, scary corn maze, and sumo wrestling. (That’s just SDCC. They also have a live comedy tour that covers the U.S. and the UK, and this past February had their very first Impractical Jokers Cruise!).

With their continuing growing popularity, I asked them how they were able to stay grounded. “We check each other pretty hard,” said Q. “We’ve all had moments where we’re like, ‘Dude, why don’t you relax?’ But I like to think we’re okay guys, so it’s not really a problem.” Joe added, “We started the show we were 34 and 35, so you’re already the person you’re going to be at that point. So that helps.”

We then talked about the challenges. For those who haven’t watched the show before, the premise is that one or more of the Jokers challenges another to do a hilariously awkward task—for instance, to do and say whatever the other Jokers tell him to do via obscured earbuds all the while acting like a fast food employee and still trying to get a tip. While there is hilarity in the dares themselves, the true fun comes from watching each of the Jokers push themselves past their own comfort zones.

I asked them if there had ever been challenges that they were surprised they were able to complete. “Not some much from ourselves, but we get surprised with what we see each other do,” said Joe. “There was one challenge where Murr took a guy’s sock off his shoe and put it in his mouth. I couldn’t believe he did that.”

Q added, “When Sal jumped out of a helicopter 30 feet into a lake, that amazed me.” Q also brought up how, over the course of the show, each of them has built up a sort of mental callous. “If you look at what we did in the beginning to what we do now, we go for a lot more now. That callous over time helps because it makes us do even crazier things.” Those callouses have helped them definitely become more creative, but not over the top. While the challenges get harder as each season progresses, they don’t just do things for shock value.

While the show has a competition base, with points and such throughout, the guys stressed that comedy comes first. “No matter what the score is, we always know that this is a comedy show,” said Murr.

You can see how the Jokers changed the show over time to ensure that comedy was at the forefront. “When we started, we would have five or six challenges for a 30-minute episode. Now we have two to three. It gives us time to breathe a bit,” said Joe.

We wrapped up the interview by talking about their favorite type of challenge, which also happened to be mine: presentations. The guys are split into teams and have to give a power point presentation to a focus group. The two Jokers presenting don’t know before they start the presentation what’s on the slides because they were created by the other team. Not only are they hilarious to watch, but it also gives the audience a chance to see all fours guys’ comedic talents at the same time.

Earlier in the day, someone asked the Jokers what brings the fans in. What is it about Impractical Jokers that would cause fans from all over to gravitate towards them? They responded that they are just four friends, just four regular guys that haven’t changed in the 20-odd years they’ve known each other, and that it translates well throughout the show. Nothing shows that more than their 100th live episode. Each of them had to walk over a tight rope 10 stories in the air. Murr, Joe, and Sal tried but didn’t make it across. However, Q was able to make it all the way.

When Q’s foot hits the platform on the other side, and the celebration starts, there is a shot of the other three Jokers. The looks on their faces say it all. They weren’t just a group of TV stars watching their cast mate do something cool. At that moment, they were three regular guys from Staten Island that just watched their best friend, their family, do the impossible. Why do fans gravitate towards them? Because maybe regular people want to achieve the impossible as well. Thanks to the Jokers, in their own, hilarious way, we know it can be done.

Impractical Jokers’ fifth season is currently airing Thursday Nights at 10 EST on truTV. For tour dates, head to thetenderloins.com

So what do you think? What Jokers’ challenge is your favorite? What type of punishment should the guys do next? Let me know on Twitter or sound off in the comments below.

Featured Image: truTV

Power Hammer Literally Explodes Stack of Sticky Notes

Everybody remember the scene from Office Space when Peter, Michael, and Samir all gather around that printer and totally wreck it because… there is no paper jam!? Well, the above video is a lot like that, except the office item in this case is a stack of sticky notes, the thing doing the damage is a mega power hammer instead of Samir’s tiny loafer, and now there is most definitely a paper jam.

The video was recently posted to Hydraulic Power Press’s YouTube Channel, which is devoted to crushing “different stuff in the name of science… and for fun.” Hydraulic Power Press is not to be confused with the regular ol’ Hydraulic Press Channel—which we’ve come to know and love as the channel that turns everything from watermelons to giant gummy bears into pancakes. Narrators for both channels have the same slavic-sounding accent however, so it still feels like we’re in familiar territory.

Needless to say, Hydraulic Power Press’s “hammer press” absolutely annihilates the stack of 300 sticky notes, turning the block of paper into an explosion of confetti in the blink of an eye (the “crushening” happens at 0:36 and is over before 0:37). The slow-mo playback of the paper slam even happens quickly, but maybe that’s because the folks behind this video were really pressed for time (take that one, it’s free).

What’s left at the end of the video is a mangle of flattened sticky notes that looks more like rubber than paper, which is kind of sad unless you’re having a horrible day at work. In that case, like the guys from Office Space, take some solace in the senseless decimation of something designed to “maximize productivity.”

But even if you don’t feel like maximizing your productivity, you can still maximize your thoughts on this little paper caper in the comments below!

Images: Hydraulic Power Press

Reebok Has Some Monstrously Cool GODZILLA Sneakers For You

With Shin Godzilla hitting Japanese theaters on July 29 and its international counterpart, Godzilla Resurgence, set to land in international theaters late 2016, it’s time to start building hype for the movie. From the looks of the trailer, the movie is going to feel wonderfully nostalgic to those who grew up watching classic Godzilla films, but it will feel as fresh as a new pair of kicks. Which is exactly why Reebok and MegaHouse—and as Rocket News 24 reports—have partnered up to create a special, limited edition sneaker to welcome the beast back into cinemas.

Check ’em out below:

The sneakers are limited edition InstaPump Fury Road sneakers, and feature all sorts of cool features to pay homage to the beast. You can pick your favorite design, either the classic InstaFury design (which is a more subtle tip of the hat with a texture that looks like reptilian scales), in red and black. However, if you really want to stomp down the street, terrifying the innocent around you like a freakishly giant reptile, you can buy the Shin Godzilla edition which glows in the dark, is mainly green and black, features claw marks and the occasional red accents.

Regardless of which shoe you pick, they both feature Godzilla footprints on the soles with the words “Godzilla vs. Fury Road” in Japanese.

The sneakers are pretty amazing, but there’s a downside: those of us outside of Japan might have a bit of a tough time getting them. Pre-orders are being accepted through July 29, and they will be selling more widely in January of 2017. However, they’ll run you about $263 dollars and there’s no official word yet if the shoes will ship internationally.

Are you going to try to nab yourself a pair of the Godzilla sneakers? Are you excited to see Godzilla Resurgence, or do you want them to leave the monster alone? Tell me what you think in the comments!

Images: Warner Bros.; Toho Company

Nature Downvotes Telephone Pole, Obliterates with Lightning

Nature is a lot like a Reddit thread — when something can be swiftly destroyed, it usually is. So lightning is a bit like nature’s downvote. Telephone poles aren’t natural, and every once in a while nature throws a bolt of lightning at one and returns it to unorganized organic matter. You can see a fantastic example of this power in the video above.

Taken by Anja Englert, the video shows lightning striking a telephone pole in Chicago last Sunday. Through a storm-drenched windshield, you can see both the strike and the mesmerizing shattering of the pole’s wood. A slo-mo version of the video popped up on the web shortly thereafter, which you can watch 100 times over in the GIF below:

Besides there being something to gawk at here, there is also something to learn. The telephone pole explodes because of rapidly heated water. Lightning strikes are famously many times hotter than the surface of the sun, so when they encounter water, bolts can turn it almost instantaneously into steam. A transition to steam means an increase in volume, an increase in volume means pushing on the material around it. The result is the boom. Steam escapes the telephone pole and wood goes everywhere. I wish that I could actually do this to some comment threads on Reddit.

What do you think? Do you have a better example of nature’s downvotes, would you like to simply obliterate all comment threads like I would? Let us know in the comments below I guess.

Images: Anja Englert

The Writers Panel #282: Alan Ball

Alan Ball, the creator of Six Feet Under and True Blood discusses the creation of his seminal HBO series, exploring death, working with actors, swinging 180 degrees for his vampire soap opera, writing American Beauty in reaction to his experiences on sit-coms like Grace Under Fire, and more.

Follow @BenBlacker and Like the show on Facebook!

CPSC Fireworks Safety Video Enters the Danger Zone

Editor’s note: Although this video may be unintentionally goofy, fireworks safety is a serious matter. Please heed the advice of the CPSC Chairman and use extreme caution with even the smallest of fireworks. 

Although the Fourth of July has come and gone, it’s never too late for a fireworks safety video. Especially a fireworks safety video that features a series of explosive mannequin annihilations that would make Ramsay Bolton rethink his stable of hungry dogs as his go-to strategy for making a point.

The video comes via the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and features CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye talking about the myriad ways fireworks can cause serious injury or even death.

“Unfortunately,” Kaye says, “the injuries [from fireworks] in particular, which are around 12,000 [a year], are the highest in 15 years, and we’re still seeing about a dozen deaths every year.”

Kaye goes on to talk about other serious incidents and issues surrounding fireworks, including the horrific hand injury that Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul suffered in 2015, as well as the subtle yet real dangers of sparklers—they burn at over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and are not safe for children.

After Kaye’s introduction, the video quickly takes a turn toward lighting little mannequin dresses on fire, shooting mannequins directly in their mannequin eyes with whistling rockets, blowing mannequin limbs off, decapitating mannequin heads, and—for some reason—straight up exploding one watermelon after another.

Even though it’s quite entertaining to watch these mannequins and watermelons get what they most definitely don’t deserve (to the point where maybe blowing up big fruit should be a national pastime?), the point of the video is still about safety. So please please please be safe, and let professionals handle the fireworks. Or even better: check out these cosmic “fireworks” that will blow you away metaphorically!

What do you think of this CPSC video? Is this a safety lesson done right, or did J. Walter Weatherman do it better? Let us know in the comments section below!

Images: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

The Best Family Cosplays at Comic-Con 2016

Cosplayers always bring their A-game, but for the big show in San Diego, the outfits are on display for an international audience. It’s not just passerbys that take a look—photographers from news outlets and TV stations often highlight their favorites, and great cosplays are constantly stopped and photographed on the show floor and even in the crosswalks downtown.

This year’s con was full of fans who wanted to show their love of fandom by dressing like their favorite characters. 2016 had more Ghostbusters and Reys than ever. But even more than that, there was a huge amount of collective family cosplay.

My favorite part of cons is walking the floor and getting to see all the hard work families put into their group cosplay. Parents and kids used big character movies as an opportunity to cast their own families as the stars. Whether it was Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy, the expanse of characters allowed everyone to get involved and make an outfit their own.

This year more than ever, there were times the littlest of cosplayers declined to have their photos taken. It’s understandable as the weather was warm, the floor was crowded and hey, maybe they were just over it completely. Who wouldn’t want to throw down and have a tantrum in the middle of day three? (I know I do.)

At the end of the day it was the celebration of families having fun together that really showed through this year and with more large ensemble blockbusters heading our way it will be great to see creative parents getting their families involved in making Comic-Con memories.

Check out some of the great cosplay we found on at this year’s Comic-Con in the gallery below.

Did your family dress up for Comic-Con? Let us know in the comments and tag @nerdist and @justjennrecipes on instagram to show us your cosplay!

Images: Jenn Fujikawa