Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

I don’t like the way your looking at me Mario….

 by Robert Bruce

On day one Xbox’s focus, as far as I could tell, was primarily on Kinect games and Halo 4. I don’t blame them at all, but their floor area was very sparse, and most of that floor was either the gargantuan line for Halo 4, or people demonstrating a couple choice Kinect based games; including a Marvel-Avengers-esque game, a dancing game and some other games that didn’t really grab my attention (I believe one was the Wreckateer which is a sort of Kinect version of Angry Birds that certainly has some promise). Behind this section was a number of smaller XBLA games, which actually interested me more than any of the above games. Deadlight caught my eyes more than any of the other things showcased in the XBLA section. Deadlight reminded me a lot of the old-school Blizzard’s Blackthorne, only with zombies and many generations forward in graphics tech. The game is a “2d-esque” side-scroller that takes you through a zombie laden apocalypse; and I realize how boring that sounds conceptually. What’s interesting is the the lighting effects or lack thereof that contribute to the challenge and feel of the game. Lush city-scape backgrounds and a great job of atmosphere contribute to what looks to be an interesting game experience.

 

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         Just in time for the ground breaking movie, you can own a charm sized version of your favorite Avenger (or any other Marvel Comics favorite)!  Tokidoki has teamed up with Marvel to create these fierce little “Frenzies” figures.  They will defend your cell phone, key-chain or back pack zipper!  You can order one (or more) of these randomly assorted blind boxes here!
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The Comic Con has started and I’d like to think it’s a great way to open when Marvel Comics King, Stan Lee is right near your booth with just a tiny mob. He’s talking to Neal Adams in this shot. I can’t tell you who the photo bombers are. On fans, Neal Adams said, “at least they’re nice to us” and Stan Lee said, “they’re not to me”. It wasn’t too long ago when Stan Lee was relatively forgotten by the world, and now with the good remakes of the films (not the weird Fantastic Four, Spiderman TV show, Ang Lee’s Hulk, Punisher, etc) which are now worth billions, he’s back to being known by the masses as Stan the Man – a serious god.

The GR booth features the red lanterns. It’s a beacon. I love hearing, “I’m at the Giant Robot booth.” Yes of course! Look up at the signage, you can’t miss us. I think this is my 18th year in a row attending this convention. The first was in 1993, I’m pretty sure. It’s changed of course especially in size and in scope. The actual comic book dealers seem more and more scarce, and the Hollywood quotient is larger than ever. But this year, what’s the hot promotion? Last year, it seemed like Scott Pilgrim was everywhere, but this year? I’m not quite sure. Maybe it’s just an amalgam of a lot of features and television. We’ll see. Keep updated. We have a lot coming up. This was only preview night.

 

There’s plenty more photos below!

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Viewers with a keen eye might have pinpointed something peculiar about the Captain America: The First Avenger trailer broadcasted during Super Bowl XLV. One of the men escorting Captain America was of Asian descent. The man is a character named Jim Morita of The Howling Commandos, an elite special unit in the Marvel Universe formed during World War II. Morita first appeared in “Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #38” in January, 1967, and led his own separate division called “The Nisei Squadron.” Unlike the Howling Commandos, or even Captain America for that matter, the basis of the squadron isn’t steeped in fiction. It’s likely that the 442nd Regiment of World War II  served as the inspiration for Morita’s Nisei Squadron during its first inception. The 442nd Regiment was a segregated unit comprised mostly of Japanese Americans during World War II. They fought against the Axis in Europe while their relatives and families were interned during the relocation. Kenneth Choi, the actor portraying Jim Morita, even stated himself in an interview that he researched the regiment and drew upon it to form a more factual basis for his character. We’re just glad that unlike a certain director, Marvel decided not to White Wash its own movie continuity. Captain America: The First Avenger opens in theaters on July 22, 2011.
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