The Joker is F@&KING MAD!

Funny? No just damn scary.

Batman Begins, as far as I care, is the single best Batman Movie to have ever been made. They made the Batman what he once was, a dark brooding detective, not a happy go lucky idiot in tights. Granted, the Batmobile was strange, but everything else about the movie was beyond anything that has been released in the past.So after seeing it numerous times and hearing they’re making a second one years ago I was, as most would be, thrilled. Then they released a cast list, and I saw Heath Ledger as the joker. Heath Ledger?! One of the cowboys from Brokeback Mountain? I almost cried… well not really, but I wasn’t too happy. I thought about it though, and the more I thought the less I cared.

Here we are now, 2007, the Dark Knight(the title for the next Batman movie) a few months away, and we’re seeing some actual pictures of the Joker. Not a Photoshopped picture, like you will get for googling “Joker Dark Knight”, but full make up of Heath Ledger as the joker and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. Both pictures revealed via a Viral Marketing website set up by Warner Brothers.

At first we’re given a Political picture of Harvey Dent, poised like a classic patriotic superhero, but with a fake smile added. The picture dissolves and we see a disturbing mugshot of a man wearing white face paint and a large smile made with two grotesque scars on each side of his face. This is the joker, and he scares the crap out of me.

Now after this was released many people complained, and I understand why. Everyone thinks of a normal man with green hair, white face paint, and a lot of ivory because of his abnormally large smile. This is understandable, that’s how he’s portrayed in every TV show, Comic book, Cartoon show, Video game, and just about everything else. I on the other hand like the appearance, let me tell you why.

The Joker is utterly bonkers. There’s not a single sane bone in his body. If there were he’d remove it himself and make a toy out of it. A man of the Joker’s insanity isn’t going to strike fear in the hearts of anyone with clown paint on their face and plastic surgery, at least not in the real world. The new Batman movies are realistic, and because of that the Jack Nicholson Joker isn’t going to work. This joker is beyond criminally insane, and the best visual way to show that is through(one can assume) self mutilation.

It may be out of the norm, and extremely scary, but isn’t that what one of the Batman’s biggest enemies should be? Scary and out of the norm? Even if you don’t like it consider how they made Venom look in Spiderman 3, and we don’t want another Venom do we?

StuffWeLike.com Goes Big Screen

For the first time ever StuffWeLike.com’s ‘The Dorms’ and ‘StuffWeLike.com Podcast Mash-Up’ will be shown on the big screen! Tonight at 6:45pm in the Armer Theatre in Manzanita Hall the CSUN CTVA LLC is holding a showcase of this year’s student films.

The cast and crew of both productions will be there so if you’re in the area come drop by!

Don’t worry about missing ABC’s season finale of LOST as the showcase will be completed well before the finale airs.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Nintendo has released new screenshots to the latest Super Smash Bros. game for the Wii! Nintendo has come out to say that the game and even Super Mario Galaxy are being released in 2007 and not 2008 as previously thought. This push to get as many Nintendo titles out onto the market in 2007 could be Nintendo’s way to compete with the onslaught that is Halo 3.

Skip through these screenshots and find the 4 new screenshots related to Super Smash Bros. Brawl!

Marketplace Content Regionally Locked

Announced as a “feature” of the May ’07 dashboard update, the region lock for Xbox Live Market place content has started the lockin’.

Since last week many international users, who have US gamertags, have reported that they were met with the following message: This Content Is Not Available For Your Current Location. The above warning is shown for a wide array of downloads, all the content from the Video Marketplace, most of the game trailers and demos, downloadable content, such as the Gears Of War maps and even some Xbox Live Arcade games are locked.

The situation has really made a lot of users frustrated, as many of them live in countries where Microsoft’s online service is not offered at all.

[UPDATE]: Since yesterday (May 25th) the regional lock is no more, no one knows why and until when it will be like this, for now, lets enjoy.

LOST on iPod Games

If this doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what will…

Today Apple is extending the range to 14 games for iPod available on the iTunes Store adding LOST from Gameloft to its line up.

Join your favourite castaways in their quest to seek truth and survive in the official iPod game of the hit television series, LOST.

Help Jack search for dynamite, tend to the wounded, and avoid the black smoke. Relive the crash scene, open the hatch and ultimately try your best to escape from the Others. Immerse yourself into their mysterious world with authentic settings and a genuine storyline created by writers behind the hit show.

The official iPod game providing total immersion into the world of LOST.

• Storyline created by the writers behind the series
• Play Jack and interact with other main characters of the series: Kate,Locke, Sayid, etc.
• Production quality that measures up with the LOST phenomenon: faithfully reproduced settings, intuitive and extremely varied gameplay
• Explore the island’s main sites: The beach, the jungle, inside the Hatch, the Black Rock, etc.
• Relive the most eventful moments from the series: The crash scene, running from the black smoke, meeting the Others, etc.
• Take on a multitude of challenges: Exploration, hunting, helping the wounded, searching for dynamite, etc.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena

Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, announced today that The Chronicles of Riddick will blast onto Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and debut on the PLAYSTATION 3 system, for the first time. Taking advantage of new hardware technologies, the game will present a reinvention of Escape from Butcher Bay, delivering 2004’s award winning experience in high definition with stunning enhancements. Also included is the Dark Athena chapter, an expansion of the original game with an exciting new story and new gameplay features. Scheduled to ship later in 2007, it is being produced under license from Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group, in association with Vin Diesel’s Tigon Studios, and is being developed by Starbreeze Studios, acclaimed developer of the original edition.

With The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, players will not only be challenged to survive Butcher Bay, but will also engage in a new single-player experience and, for the first time in the Riddick universe, take action in intense multi-player combat. The game introduces the ominous Merc-ship Dark Athena, which sits silent like a marauding spider, awaiting helpless prey in the dark reaches of the galaxy. Players must face a large, bloodthirsty operation led by the dreaded Captain Revas and her slaves-turned-controllable combat drones, storm though death-defying events and fight fierce enemies in a battle of malice and gore.

First released in 2004, The Chronicles of Riddick game features an original storyline that provides insight into the mythology of Universal Pictures’ films The Chronicles of Riddick and the cult classic Pitch Black, which first introduced Vin Diesel as enigmatic anti-hero Riddick. The game blends action and stealth elements, as players navigate Riddick through the harsh environments of dank tunnels, dimly lit corridors, and other hazardous areas filled with guards, savage inmates and deadly creatures that prowl the darkness.

“The Chronicles of Riddick is a genre defining game that helped shape the modern first-person shooter,” said Al Simone, senior vice president, global marketing for Sierra Entertainment. “We are proud to not only take this ‘Best in Class’ title to the next level for both the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3, but to create a new single-player experience and multi-player campaigns for a truly robust product offering.”

“When the original The Chronicles of Riddick game exploded on the scene, gamers were taken with its fantastic graphics and hard-hitting gameplay,” said Bill Kispert, Vice President and General Manager, Interactive, Universal Pictures. “We are excited to now introduce new players to this character and world, while thrilling existing fans with the surprises and additional features this edition will offer.”

“The Riddick universe is incredibly rich source material for creating on-going stories and games,” said Cos Lazouras, Head of Production, Tigon Studios. “This next chronicle will take us to new, dark corners of that universe, which when combined with Starbreeze’s fantastic next-gen techonology, will deliver the compelling player experience gamers have come to expect of Riddick.”
“We’re very happy to be working in the Riddick universe again.” said Ian Stevens, Lead Game Designer, Starbreeze Studios. “Assault on Dark Athena gives us an opportunity to revisit the original game and share it with a new audience, as well as offer a continuation of the Butcher Bay gameplay and storyline. We’re also thrilled to be bringing Multiplayer to the game.”
Moving and attacking in darkness is particularly effective for Riddick as his haunting “eye shine” gives him the ability to see without ambient light. However, stealth won’t serve every situation and players will be able to take the action up close and personal. As Riddick, players will be able to sneak up behind enemies and snap necks or fight face to face using fists, elbows and grapples. Additionally, players will be able to capture weapons such as shanks, shotguns, or assault rifles and use these to cut a swath of destruction through anyone who gets in their way.