Disney INfinity Returns via TOYBOX Action Figures

INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

     Last year was a bad year for Disney INfinity.  Small problems began began to emerge with the announcement that the Marvel Battlegrounds play set would ship with a single figure, then there was news that there would not be a 4.0 release, but rather 3.0 would be getting updates to continue the Infinity line.  In March Disney Interactive said they'd be dropping out of E3 without a reason giving, and then they officially announced in May of 2016 the video game series would be cancelled.

ENDLESS FUN

     It was a shock to fans, and there were a slew of problems that could've easily put off the toys-to-life game's closure- such as adding far more actual game content, more replayability, and even the simple feature of resetting a figure's data more than twice could've gone a long ways to it selling better.
     What the series did right, however, was in the art design.  The Disney INfinity design style was absolutely superb, and now fans of it are in for a treat.  Disney INfinity focused Youtube channel Infiniteer Adventures spotted an intriguing ad on the Disney Shop- showing that on November 3rd, Disney is releasing action figures that look exactly like they are ripped straight from the game's gorgeous designs.  Making the case even stronger, is the fact this toy series appears to be named directly after the specific Disney INfinity game feature called the TOYBOX as can be seen from the image above, featuring Rey and a Stormtrooper from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens playset.

     It's great to see that such wonderful toy designs are being salvaged for an even better use, bringing us articulated versions of the INfinity toys from Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar properties.  This also offers the opportunity for fans to potentially obtain some of the previously cancelled figures such as Spider-Gwen, or the truly stunning looking Doctor Strange toy.  This is some truly exciting news coming a year and a half after the closing of the game and someone was smart enough to have held on to the game's slogan and put it to great use- "Infinite Possibilities, Endless Fun-" and we can all be thankful for it.

     Related posts [ Disney INfinity ]   

     Source [ Infiniteer Adventures ]

Mega Bloks (Construx): Masters of the Universe Skeletor: Micro Review

     It's been quite a while since I've found some cool toys since Wave 2 of the Mega Bloks (now Mega Construx) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mini figures, and today I came across an awesome new one- a tiny Masters of the Universe Skeletor.

     When I first came across the initial bunch of TMNT Mega Bloks figures I was immediately taken with how well done they were, wave 2 pushed that impressiveness even further.  Then the toys were set back a little with the TMNT: Out of the Shadows film tie-ins, then they knocked it out of the park with the black and white Mirage Comics figures- they were downright spectacular!

     Once again, Mega Construx has done a fantastic job in making an absurdly tiny and somehow still manage to have a ton of articulation.  This is a tremendous new mini figure that is great for collectors and fans.  It's well painted, well sculpted, and articulated- these things are just plain amazing little figures.  I only hope they will produce more than only He-Man and Skeletor, currently the only 2 available for the Masters of the Universe line.  I'd really like to see Tri-Klops, Stinkor, Man-at-Arms, or any of the vast array of characters from the comics or show.
     I'll definitely pick up more as they come, but right now, this Skeletor is a perfect introduction to the set, and I can only hope for more to come.

     I've also seen they've released 2 figures from Star Trek: The Next Generation and 2 from Aliens.  In reality, they could make a plethora of great figures for those series' as well- paving more paths for cool new figures now that the TMNT lines are becoming stale.  I'm not kidding, there's a wealth of characters to choose from but they go with ones nobody wants, or more simple repaints/variants of the core turtles for each new wave comprising a full 50% of each new wave.  Mix it up a little Mega Construx!  People will buy the awesome figures when they aren't making the same mistake the old Playmates line made, no one wants the football Leonardo, or an Army fatigues Donatello, we'd rather have a cool Metalhead or Chrome Dome than the infinite number of variants.

Pre-registrations for Star Wars: Force Arena Have Begun!

Pre-registrations for Netmarble's new free-to-play mobile MOBA Star Wars: Force Arena have begun just in time for the release of Star Wars: Rogue One.

With over 60 upgradeable characters, ranging from classic icons like Luke Skywalker to newer ones such as Ezra Bridger, Force Arena players must create a team of characters and lead them into real-time PvP battles with other players.

In competing for galactic dominance players have the option of either 1v1 or 2v2 matches.  They'll need to collect their favorite characters, decide whether they want to be a Rebel or Imperial, build customizable decks of controllable sub-units like Stormtroopers, and utilize strategic advantages such as pairing the legendary duo of Han Solo and Chewbacca to gain the upper hand in defeating opponents.

Players will be competing for special rewards, characters, and bonus items on a global leaderboards.

Did I mention that by pre-registering for Star Wars: Force Arena players can get up to 1,400 crystals and 10,000 credits free?

The fate of the galaxy is in our hands.

Pre-register via [ Google Play ] or [ Email ]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mega Bloks Wave 2: Tiny Toy Review

     Back in February 2015 Mattel and Nickelodeon announced some changes in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles licensing.  LEGO had dropped the license and the toys began anew with MEGA Bloks.  Really, I wasn't ever impressed with the LEGO TMNT anyway, although it was a disappointment we never got a video game along the lines of size and quality of LEGO Marvel Super Heroes.

     I first came across these Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles MEGA Bloks earlier this year, and have been consistently impressed them.  The first series was great- high quality look, materials, and designs.  Tons of posability and sheer fun factor.  They were exactly the kind of TMNT toys I would've wanted as a kid.
     The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows film figures were slightly less amazing.  As they felt like a cheaper plastic, and the realistic look didn't come across nearly as well as the Nickelodeon cartoon based figures' appearances did.  Overall they're still great little figures, it's just the cartoon waves are better.
     Then I got, but haven't reviewed, the Classic line and the Mirage Comics based Eastman and Laird black and white toys.  Both lines are downright superb.  They got right back to the great plastics, great sculpts, and tremendous coloring and articulation of the first series.  These toys are better than either the Playmates line or the Minimates toys.

     Now I got ahold of the series (wave) 2 of the Nickelodeon figures and they are equally amazing.  MEGA Bloks have maintained a level of craftsmanship that makes me quite grateful that LEGO isn't the one making these little toys any more.  The Slash figure is awesome, the translucent purple Donnie is neat, and the Mouser 3 pack is an ingenious use of micro-figures.  My only complaint about this wave is Splinter's lower half is a bit awkward being one chunk instead of legs- but that's a small nitpick.  They did, however, make it so you could pose the chunk.

     In future waves they could definitely use a few extra non-main-turtles figures as well.  Each wave has kept all 4 turtles with 4 other figures, one of which is the "secret" figure.  Series (wave) 3 is already being spotted in places and it has, once again, all 4 turtles in their new variants, as well as another foot soldier variant, April O'Neil, and Leatherhead- with a Triceraton as the secret figure.  Where's Metal Head, Mutagen Man (Pulverizer), or The Fugitoid?  We need more variety in each wave.  And less blind bags.  I've never been a fan of blind bag marketing because it really seems like a cheap sales tactic.

     Anyways, as long as they keep making these I'll keep buying them.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows: Mega Bloks: A Tiny Toy Review

     It's been a while since I bought these back in early June, and even longer since I reviewed the initial wave of Mega Bloks Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (based on the Nickelodeon show), but because wave 2 just hit the shelves and the TMNT 2: Out of the Shadows film hits DVD on Sept. 20th (although it's already digitally available) I figured I should get this short review out.

     As with the original wave of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mega Bloks toys, these things are great.  They look good and are super poseable with a ton of articulation.  They don't quite match the absurdly high quality of product of the first wave of toys.  These feel like a slightly cheaper plastic and the colors appear to be slightly "off."  It could be an attempt to make it closer to the film, but it still looks a touch off from the high quality of the Nickelodeon based figures.  Overall though, they are still tremendous tiny action figures.

     Honestly, if you liked the first wave, or enjoy the films even a little bit, you may appreciate these figures.  They're small, made well, and still maintain the Mega Bloks quality.  I truly like these much, much, MUCH better than the larger Playmates toy series' based on the movies, television show, and even their re-issues of the classic action figures from the 80's- but these toys are not quite as cool as the Kaiyodo Revoltech TMNT figures.

     These TMNT 2: Out of the Shadows movie figures have the added benefit of knowing which figure you are buying as well.  That's a huge plus for me.  Sure, I like the idea of blind packs, but it's a huge annoyance to continually not get the figures you want.

     For more Turtles related posts [ TMNT ]

The LEGO Batman Movie: First Full Trailer

     Ever since the LEGO Movie hits theaters, I had considered LEGO Batman to be one of the greatest cinematic interpretations of the Batman character.  Then I heard he was getting his own LEGO spinoff movie, and I was quite overjoyed.

     Here is the first full and glorious trailer:

     My only complaint is there is currently no LEGO Mr. Freeze.  I hope he gets a cameo.

     The LEGO Batman Movie hits theaters Feb. 10th, 2017.

Masters of the Universe: Kellen Lutz as He-Man

     I saw that Kellen Lutz, star of the box office turd The Legend of Hercules, has apparently been in talks to possibly play He-Man in the cinematic reboot of Masters of the Universe.  He had tweeted that he had a meeting about the film and claims it's in "GREAT HANDS!"

      *SIGH*

Flexing my acting chops is WAY harder than flexing my abs!

     This news, in combination of ties to McG, make my hopes for a proper film adaptation of this beloved 80s property quite small.  The old 1987 Dolph Lundgren version was a tremendous mess, and I still have some enjoyment of it- like Frank Langella's Skeletor and Meg Foster's Evil-Lyn.  Too bad there wasn't Tri-Klops or Stinkor...

     What I'm wondering is why they don't get people on the project that have a vision for Eternia like the awesome sculptures below by DeviantArt-ist EdgePang.

This is how to handle it.

     As it sits now, the Masters of the Universe film sounds like it's being handled as horrendously as the JEM film, which is to say it's looking like a pile of Beast Man's rotten shit.  It doesn't help that it's being written by Christopher Yost, the person responsible for the terrible Thor: The Dark World.  Seriously, not a single thing I've read about this project makes it sound even remotely decent.

     I currently hope that this Masters of the Universe film will never reach my eyes.  In "great hands" my ass- it sounds awful.  

Disney Infinity: Thoughts on the Cancellation

     This has not been a good year for Disney Infinity.  We originally started to see issues creeping in with the announcement that Marvel Battlegrounds play set would ship with a single figure, then we got the news that there wouldn't be a 4.0 release, but rather 3.0 would be getting updates to continue the Infinity line.  Later in March Disney Interactive said they'd be dropping out of this year's E3 without giving a reason.

     A journalist specializing in Disney, Ben Fritz of The Wall Street Journal, tweeted about the toys to life model costing the company $147 million and thus the decision to cut the Infinity line and focus on licensing.  This might be hugely surprising to some, but really, the model they followed with their particular line had some very large flaws.  I've long complained about the non-backwards compatibility which hampers future purchases- why would I want to keep buying them if I can't use my whole collection?!?  Plus their toys can only be "reset" twice ever, leaving you stuck with limited playstyle choices with some characters.  To be fair though the toys-to-life market has been said to be shrinking in 2016 (cite 1 & 2).

     Seriously, Disney owns both Marvel and Star Wars as properties.  They are a vast goldmine that truly got mishandled- and I'm saying that as a fan of Marvel, Star Wars, AND Disney Infinity.  There was so much focus on the toys, that the game content suffered horribly.  There simply was not enough game content.  It appeared that solid game content was sacrificed to fit many play sets on a singular disc to sell us a game and then force us to buy the costly toys to unlock the play.  If there was much more story content and a fun open world to play around in the problem wouldn't be too bad, but all the story modes were so damn short it was very hard not to complain.  I mean look at how huge the LEGO Marvel Superheroes' open world New York City is.  To make that example even better, the city is absolutely packed with stuff to do that is constantly occurring all over.

     In series 1, the Pirates of the Caribbean playset was short of length, but really well designed and fun.  In series 2 the Marvel's Avengers and Spider-Man play sets were, once again, far too short- but still fun.  Particularly the Spider-Man Mysterio levels, they are downright brilliantly designed.  Then series 3 hit, and do you think the creators listened to the complaints of players?  Nope.  All the play set story modes arrived and were ridiculously short once more.
     Making this worse is the fact that it was announced they'd have no online multiplayer, only couch co-op, once Marvel Battlegrounds was released.  Are you fucking kidding me?!?  This was really a monstrous mistake on their part.  Think of the multiplayer market for EVERY OTHER GAME now- all online because not everyone can play together physically.

     Personally, I think Disney Infinity was a grand idea, very poorly handled.  They needed to build a huge open world, add online co-op, and maybe sell the toys-to-life as smaller objects.  Or even make the toy cheaper- as in simply make them all cards or discs to trade around.  Infinity had tremendous potential and it was squandered to sell more toys instead of focusing on the actual game they made.  The games are fun, but there's so little actual game content that it suffered.  As an avid fan, my purchases have been reduced because the price to game content is too damn small.  Perhaps if the game was sold only as digital, with IAPs for the individual characters the value would be much more appealing- but I doubt they'll do that.  Unless another company picks up the closing Avalanche Studio and attempts to keep the game side of things in production.  It would be EXTREMELY unlikely, but it's always a possibility- I mean it IS Disney Infinity- the possibilities are endless, right?

     At least the licensing side looks all right.  Electronic Arts is creating multiple Star Wars games (including a Battlefront sequel), a 3rd person game from Titanfall developer Respawn.  Even Dead Space developer Visceral is cooking something up for the Star Wars universe.  Although there doesn't seem to be any non-Star Wars related games on the horizon which is a bit sad.

     For my older posts [ Disney Infinity ]

     Sources [ Infinity Inquirer ] [ One Angry Gamer ]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mega Bloks: Toy Review

THESE TINY TMNT TOYS ARE AMAZING!

     I came across these Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys a couple months ago and picked a few up on a whim.  They were small, and had really good packaging and design- so I thought, why not?  It turned out that it was a great idea, the blind bag Mega Bloks Ninja Turtles are a bit frustrating, because it's reduced to a marketing ploy to get parents to buy many of them in search of finding the ones their children might want.  But, regardless, these things are super awesome.  Especially the Classic TMNT ones that are in small boxes that allow you to see what you are getting.  Both the versions from the Nickelodeon television show and the ones based on the 80's cartoon are damned cool.  This is exactly the type of Ninja Turtle kind of toy I would've wanted as a kid.

     The toy designs are spectacular and the articulation for them is quite impressive for their tiny size.  For the Nickelodeon blind bags I got really lucky and found Michelangelo, Raphael, and a Foot Soldier.  Raph has a spray can and a "Mikey" graffiti tag across the back of his shell and hilarious angry eyes.  These things are amazing and I went searching for more.  I've found some pics of upcoming waves that include Slash and Splinter, but no release date information.  I'm also hoping for a Metal Head at some point soon.

     The TMNT Classic Mega Bloks toys are equally impressive.  Tons of articulation, well made weapons, and tremendous paint jobs, they are truly a small version of the classic toys.  In fact they are extremely close to the much larger NECA Classic Collection toys, which were inspired by the original Playmates toy line from the 80's.  Again, I went seraching for more pics of what toys are on the way, and Toy Ark has a ton of stuff.  Including an amazing Technodrome that I noticed has both a cool looking Classic Splinter as well as a bunch of Mousers!

     These have brought me back to action figure hunting.  I'll be searching for all the incoming waves like a druggie looking for the next hit.  I like these way more than the LEGO ones for certain.  I want them all!  Even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows ones, as I think the Krang design is pretty neat.

     Official [ TMNT Nickelodeon ] 
          [ TMNT Classic Mega Bloks ] 
          [ Mega Bloks General Forums ]

     For other Turtles posts [ TMNT ]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 (2016): Out of the Shadows: NEW Trailer

     Another new trailer just dropped for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows film and it features mostly a bunch of Michelangelo's humor and he gives a quick introduction to each of the TMNT themselves.

     It looks overly action oriented, but it'll probably have plenty of great moments shining through the absurdity.  I don't mind, I'll be seeing it and enjoying it regardless- and I'm really intrigued by the Kraang and Technodrome designs.  It is slightly more intriguing that Fred Armisen is voicing the Dimension X native.

     Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows hits theaters June 3rd.

Hasbro's M.A.S.K. Getting a NEW Comic Series Before Film

"Masked crusaders, working overtime
     fighting crime, fighting crime!"

     That theme song is such a memorable one for many of us 80's kids, along with Silverhawks, GI Joe, and all the other oddball cartoons we were blessed with.  Ah, the sweet scent of nostalgia is in the air.

     IDW Comics announced today that in addition to the forthcoming Paramount Pictures/Hasbro film deal version of M.A.S.K., they'll be making a new comic series as well.  I am overjoyed at this because Brad Turner along with his mask Hocus Pocus and motorcycle/helicopter Condor have been a staple decoration on my main shelf for a nearly 3 decades.

     Not simply going with a mere re-hash the series will be getting a modern overhaul and update to match with the times.  Brandon Easton (writer) and Tony Vargas (artist) will be attempting to add a bit of a new spin on the book, creating something new and interesting out of the old ridiculous stuff.

     This new version of Mobile Armored Strike Kommand, and their nefarious counterparts of V.E.N.O.M. (Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem) will not be a bunch of bumbling dimwits, but they also won't be too grim and gritty, wither.  They're trying to find a good balance of tech and seriousness.

“This is a M.A.S.K. for the 21st century with a diverse team of specialists who are chosen for a top-secret program with a painful learning curve.  Ultimately, each participant will have to choose a side — and no matter which side they choose, the consequences will be great.” - Easton

     The new story has Matt Trakker as a person seeking a new path from his ways.  I am a bit weary of how they'll handle him as he's talked about as “an engineering genius and intellectual bad boy who has been in search of stability since the loss of his father at an early age.”  Really?  That sounds a bit too trope-y for me, but hell, I'll be picking them up anyways just for the way they handle some of the updated characters such as the badass villain Vanessa Warfield.

“Imagine if your car, motorcycle, SUV or yacht could change into a more powerful vehicle complete with state-of-the-art weapons systems and other cutting-edge technology.  The possibilities are as fun as they are disastrous.” - Easton

     What has currently sold me is this last quote by Easton, "The new M.A.S.K. on the whole speaks to the current zeitgeist of constant upgrades and need for immediate gratification."  It's a sure sign of the times when technology is crushing people's patience and the insane sense of immediacy that has become the state of things.  So I am very curious to how well they handle this.

     And lastly- I'm crossing my fingers that they'll make a new toy line to go with the new comic series and film.  I'd really like to see how they update Calhoun Burns and the Raven, Floyd Malloy and Vampire, or maybe the Jackhammer with Cliff Dagger.  Of course, I'd immediately buy a new Condor.  I know GI Joe issued a carded Matt Trakker toy a few years back in a wave, but I would like to see the good toys come back on their own.

     Source [ USA Today ]

Transformers: Robots in Disguise: Warrior Class Grimlock Toy

     It's been almost 2 years since my last post on any non-videogame related toys.  The last one was about Bebop and Rocksteady action figures for the Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television show.  Anyways, I was out picking up some household essentials and of course I HAVE to swing through the toys section, and I came across this gem.

     The new Transformers: Robots in Disguise Grimlock is kind of awesome.  He's based on the designs of the 2015 Cartoon Network show and it follows the look quite well.  He's got decent articulation and a nice color scheme that is much better than the original clunky look from back in the 1980's, but not nearly as complex as the Transformers: Age of Extinction version.

     I really like the look of this new version of the old Dinobot, well done Hasbro, you've successfully caught my eye for the new series because a an action figure.  It's cool that there's enough of the original in there for old fans, as well as a neat update for the current generation of kids.
     It's much better than what was done do my favorite Decepticon Soundwave in the Transformers: Generations toys.  His robot look was great, but he transformed into a battle van.  What the heck?!?  He should be a stealth spy drone (as he is in Robots in Disguise) character with a focus on infiltration, subterfuge, and intelligence gathering.  Even the ridiculous movie version (from the films Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon) had a better idea with the satellite, although they really blew it with his iconic voice being altered.

     One last thing, I definitely have to acknowledge the fact that Grimlock's "Beast Mode" looks a hell of a lot like the 1998 film incarnation of Godzilla with the thick lower jaw.  I mean seriously- look at it!  There's got to be some sort of connection or inspiration linking the two designs.

     As a little extra, here's the Transformers: Robots in Disguise intro video for Grimlock:

Disney Infinity NEXT: News & Thoughts for 2016

     Disney Infinity is such a great idea, it's finally good to see the developers beginning to listen to the fans.  The new Disney Infinity NEXT show they started on March 1st proves they are at least attempting to listen to us avid fans and supporters.

No 4.0 Edition, Four New Playets, and a Problem

     Right away we know the first 3 playsets will be Marvel Battlegrounds, Finding Dory, and Alice: Through the Looking Glass.  The last set is a guaranteed Star Wars set- maybe Rogue One, perhaps a even a Clone Wars or Rebels set.  We aren't sure.  Although a Rebels set with Hera and Chopper would be cool to go with all the other figures already out.

     Anyways...

     The first news I would like to really touch on is the big change of their choice not to release a 4.0 this year, but instead build upon version 3.0's foundation.  This is a grand choice, but I fear their decision to do so may be driven more by preventing data-miners from showing that the games are so damn short because they cram all the material onto the disc in advance and then release the keys (toys and playset pieces) to unlock the stuff later, rather than by generating a larger quantity of material.

     Honestly, every single person I talk to that plays this game absolutely hates the fact every playset is so short.  Ridiculously short.  They can be beaten within a few hours without a struggle.  Granted, they have added some replayability to the sets by allowing for missions to be played over and over- but...
  ...personally, I believe a much better remedy to the issue would be to follow LEGO Dimensions' suit (like all the non-Dimensions games even) and make one huge open world hub filled with randomly generating quests and occurrences.  Seriously, Infinity has nothing even remotely as fun and well created as LEGO Marvel Super Heroes' open New York City area.  If Disney Infinity is truly listening to us like they say they are, this is a necessity to keep the competing toys-to-life games on the ropes.  The content needs to be there- much bigger areas with far more stuff in them.  The playsets feel really small and empty.

     Isn't Disney the place where imagination is supposed to thrive?  Where's the genius level design? Where's our secret levels (I'm thinking something as wonderful as Dark Souls' Painted World of Ariamis)?  We want a game that is fun with actual depth and plenty of room for exploration, not one sixth of a playset because 6 separate games needed to be smooshed onto a single disc with 30 figures.

Marvel Battlegrounds

     Most of my interest in the game is with the Marvel material.  It has a fair amount of issues, such as Green Goblin being shipped without the advertised glider in game, but it also has a lot of opportunity.  That opportunity should rightfully start with its 4 player addition.  Battlegrounds is set to be the first Infinity game with a 4 player option... BUT... it's 4 player co-op on a single screen and not online match making as pretty much every other game made is.
     Sorry Disney Infinity, but making Infinity an online match making game is going to be a must if you want to continue being the "number 1 toys-to-life game."  It's absurd this hasn't happened yet.  Nearly all games have this feature and by not having it, you are losing serious ground.  Not everyone has a pile of controllers, not everyone is able to play with a group and so on.  I read somewhere that the reason they haven't made Battlegrounds online is because then people would expect that to happen in the other toyboxes.  OBVIOUSLY!
     Dear Disney Infinity team, we aren't playing games from a decade ago, nowadays people expect online as a standard feature, especially as the playsets are so sparse to begin with.  Disney is a multi-billion dollar a year company, there should be plenty of budget to fix this (and all the other complaints we are all grumbling about).

     Another issue they have is the figures- Battlegrounds is getting not one, but TWO figures we already have.  To be fair, the Captain America has gotten some new moves and skin, but do we really need another Spider-Man?  No.  I'm genuinely upset that this may become a problem, where instead of new ones we'll get more copies and the like.
     On the bright side of that, "Even more new Marvel characters will be released this year."  (Video @ 9:41)  There's a really good chance we'll finally get a Scarlet Witch (although how that'll work with the Marvel v Fox disputes is beyond me, I mean I want some X-Men characters for sure, but Marvel seems like they are strangling them out of the market in every avenue they can.  Doctor Strange is highly likely as well with a film releasing this fall with possibly a couple toys from the movie.  I wouldn't doubt a Squirrel Girl at some point.  Marvel's been pushing the change of her "not being a mutant" pretty damn hard in the comics, so I'm thinking they've got some things in the works to cash in on (a cartoon?).
     I would like a Darkhawk or Ghost Rider figure myself.  Both of them have multiple in game extras, but no playable characters.  What a tease.  At least I'll be able to play as Ant-Man finally.

The Future

     In an interview with Venture Beat, Disney Infinity VP of Production John Vignocchi said, "At the end of the Battlegrounds section we'll drop an Easter Egg."  The whole article is worth a read, but I just wanted that snippet.  The hint is likely something being prepared for more Marvel related Infinity coming later in the year- Dr. Strange??? - but we'll have to wait until the end of Battlegrounds to see for sure.

     In the end, I hope over the next year the developers learn they definitely need to up their game in terms of content and so on.  Disney Infinity has all the foundations to be something so much more amazing than it is, but that's about all it has, the foundations.  We want and need to see that Disney does indeed have the imagination they claim and put it to use for all of us supporters.

     Sources [ Disney Infinity NEXT Ep. 1 ] [ Infinity Inquirer ]

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Announcement Trailer & Thoughts

The Brick Awakens

     In a completely unsurprising announcement, Warner Bros. Interactive, TT Interactive, The LEGO Group and Lucasfilm announced jointly this morning that LEGO video games are returning to it's foundation with the Star Wars canon with LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens would be available on June 28.

     Honestly, this shouldn't be a shock to anyone.  If ever there was a series to milk for money it's Star Wars.  LEGO sells well, the games always sell well despite the bugs, flaws, and and all the other myriad problems that still haven't been remedied since LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game way back in 2005 ( I think I still have my original copy!).
     All their games are fundamentally fun, but the little nagging issues that linger really put a damper on that fun factor.  I mean seriously, they haven't figured out the twin-stick flight is better than the single-stick and two buttons to control the ascent and descent they've been using?!?
     Even the most recent release was a bit lackluster, LEGO Marvel's Avengers, which is essentially an updated LEGO Marvel Super Heroes with all the X-Men and awesome other characters cut out.  I'm not kidding, the open world New York City and S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier are pretty much exactly the same as the last game.  It's still fun, and they've improved the flight controls just a little, but the levels are every bit as unclear as ever.  The story jumps all over the place and doesn't follow the movies in any particular order.  Clunky combat and the very wonky object action detection is very frustrating.  There's also some issues with unresponsive controls and a problem (at least on PS4) with preventing players from swapping characters in a level when you absolutely have to do so to proceed that I've encountered numerous times.  In my opinion, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes still stands as a much better game than LEGO Marvel's Avengers, though they are both worth playing for fans.

     Other than that LEGO Jurassic World was very fun and I am super excited to play the Ant-Man DLC pack for the Avengers in a few months as well- and of course, being the sucker that I am, I'll be once more coming back to the LEGO Star Wars games with The Force Awakens set in June.

Disney Infinity 3.0: Marvel Battlegrounds: Local Multiplayer Only & Thoughts

     For as excited as I was for more Disney Infinity 3.0 stuff, this week has been an enormous letdown for news concerning the upcoming Marvel Battlegrounds playset.  First it was announced that the set would only come with a singular figure, Captain America (The First Avenger), and we know there are only currently 3 other figures slated (Ant-Man, Black Panther, and Vision- with no female figures at all) with mere rumor that more are on the way, and now we get the news that the set will be LOCAL MULTIPLAYER ONLY.

     The official site lists:

"Battle up to 3 opponents in the arena with 4-person local multiplayer"

   Honestly, if Marvel Battlegrounds is supposed to be a "game changer" for the Infinity brand, they really need to up their game- opening up online multiplayer is an absolute must.  To me this feels like they are currently selling us merely the face of a game.  Essentially we are getting a fancy box and no real content or true expansion to the brand.  Infinity is on the 3rd generation and there still isn't multiplayer offerings.  The story modes are meager at best in the playsets, the minigames are mundane, and they really aren't giving players anything new.  Battlegrounds may provide us with a fighting arena, but how many players don't have the option of playing in groups locally?

     Supporters have asked consistently for online play, and we got a broken, or at least rarely functioning, online play with "Flynn's Arcade"- leaving the bitter taste of horrible disappointment in our mouths.  What makes this even more questionable is the lack of a confirmation that their will even be AI opponents to play against.  It's generally assumed that will be the case, but it isn't stated anywhere.  Sadly, this might be the first time I am disgusted with how lacking a new playset appears to be.  Barely any new characters, no online support, and it was mentioned previously there will be no story mode.
     Disney is one of the biggest companies in the world, there is no reason they can't compete with other game companies in the video game arena.  This should be an area where they make the Lego Dimensions and Skylanders toys-to-life games look infantile.  They have the reasources to make something staggeringly big- I'm thinking toys-to-life in an Elder Scrolls sized game world.  instead we've been getting sparse gameplay and some mediocre extras.  Stuff I'd expect for mobile games, but nothing really console sized.
     Disney Infinity, coming from an avid supporter, the game needs a huge overhaul and it needs one quick.  This is a case where just the addition of online multiplayer would do wonders.  I recall Disney being all about imagination, so show us that creativity is truly valued, and give us a game worthy of our investment.

     Disney Infinity 3.0: Marvel Battlegrounds will be available March 15th.

     Source [ Infinity Inquirer ]

Disney Infinity 3.0: Marvel Battlegrounds Playset Release Information & Thoughts

     The announcement of the release date isn't new, as the March 15th leak had happened already, but what is surprising about the Disney Infinity 3.0: Marvel Battlegrounds playset is the fact it only comes with a single figure (Captain America: The First Avenger) instead of the customary 2 or 3.

     What bothers me even more is it's a character that many players already have, albeit with a new skin and potentially some new moves.  One more issue is the fact that there are currently NO female figures for the set.  Where's Scarlet Witch?  Where's Captain Marvel?  Where's Wasp?  This set definitely needs a few female figures to balance out the roster.

     I suppose the good news is that ANY of the Marvel Infinity figures will work with the game, not limiting it to just the 3.0 group which is small to begin with.  It's also been stated that many of the 2.0 Marvel characters have been "retooled" to be of better use in Battlegrounds.  It is also a plus that the price is cheaper at $29.99 than before.  To pad this pack out they are offering a pre-order bonus from "Participating Retailers" (currently only Best Buy and the Disney Store) of any one of your choice of a Disney Infinity Marvel 2.0 figure.

     In addition to the figures listed as being part of the Battlegrounds wave (Ant-Man, Black Panther, and Vision) and the recent Ultron and Hulkbuster Iron Man, Disney is offering the Marvel's Avengers Figure Pack (consisting of Iron Man, Black Widow, and Thor from the 2.0 Playset) for $29.99.  To me this is just an added slap to the face that instead of more new figures, they're once again offering old figures- at least the Captain America will be a little new.

     John Vignocchi put out a statement about the release:

Marvel Battlegrounds is a four-player, arcade-style brawler that allows you to battle with up to three friends locally. You get to play in 12 levels across eight all-new arenas, including Knowhere and Wakanda. You’ll also be able to battle as any playable Disney Infinity (2.0 Edition): Marvel Super Heroes figure, making Marvel Battlegrounds the Play Set with the largest selection of playable characters.

You guys know that the Disney Infinity team is always listening to your feedback, and we make changes along the way based on what we hear from the community. Your feedback has led to one significant change in our Play Set configuration. We heard from you that you want more choice in how you expand your Disney Infinity collections, especially with the Play Sets. With this in mind, the Marvel Battlegrounds Play Set Pack will come with the Play Set piece and one figure (Captain America – The First Avenger). Now it’s up to you to decide which other Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains you want to fight with in Marvel Battlegrounds from a selection of 25 characters and with more to join the roster soon!

     All right, not to sound too nit picky here, but there will be 26* total figures available for Marvel, and 28 if you count the Black suit Spider-Man (which is getting a single release after the PS Vita pack exclusive) and the new version of Cap as separate, so there's already more figures than they've mentioned.  So I want to know will there actually be more on the way that we've yet to see?  Especially because this round of Marvel figures is so sparse.  They always say there's some more to join coming, but what does that really mean?
     We want more individual figures, I mean if Battlegrounds is supposed to be such a game changer for Disney Infinity where's all the supporting figures like the Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, Wasp, or Captain Marvel?  And no, we don't want more duplicates or repaints.  Because I'm sure someone will suggest a War Machine that'll be essentially Iron Man with a gun, unless he's drastically different, it could rightfully be a costume disc.
     When it comese down to it, I'm wondering when we'll start getting major Marvel characters like Luke Cage, Daredevil, and Jessica Jones.  Where's our the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Agent Carter?  When will we get Squirrel Girl or Ghost Rider now that we've got his chain and bike as power discs?  I can understand the IP rights feud keeping out the mutant population, but seriously, where's all the rest of the Marvel Universe.  If battlegrounds is going to be this big thing, show us by giving us a huge selection of NEW figures to go with it.
     I don't know if I want to wait until Disney Infinity 4.0 for a Doctor Strange.

     Source [ Infinity Inquirer ] [ Inf. Inq. 2 ]

*Iron Man, Black Widow, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Cap, Loki, Falcon
Iron Fist, Nick Fury, Spider-Man, Nova, Venom, Green Goblin
Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Yondu, Ronan
Ultron, Hulkbuster
Ant-Man, Black Panther, Vision

Disney Infinity 3.0: Marvel Battlegrounds NEW Pics & Release Date

     Yesterday Amazon had listed for pre-order both the Nick and Judy Zootopia figures with a date of March 1st, and they also had the Marvel Battlegrounds playset and power disc pack listed as March 15th.  The downside is all their new Disney Infinity 3.0 listings have been taken down.

     The playset listing's info:

Evil forces scheme for world conquest as they pit Marvel’s greatest Super Heroes against each other! It’s an all out brawl in Marvel Battlegrounds! • Engage in 4-player combat and battle in 12 levels across 8 epic new arenas! • Customize your game with up to 6 Round Marvel Power Discs per match • Select Super Heroes and Villains from your ENTIRE collection of Marvel characters in Disney Infinity • Smash through floors, walls and tear down the environment as you battle to defeat your opponents • 28 characters to collect and more to come! Use Captain America’s shield to attack from a distance and increase the power of close quarters combat.

     In addition some of the mock-ups for the single figures have begun surfacing.  There's Black Panther, Ant-Man, VIsion, and Symbiote suit Spider-Man (for single release, as the only other ways to play him were with the costume disc or the Vita pack exclusive).  We've known about these from the leak back in October, so it really isn't news.  What is cool, however, is the tight lid they've kept about who the 2nd character for the playset will be.  So far there's only Captain America's new costume The First Avenger.  I hope it'll be Winter Soldier or Scarlet Witch.

     The, the power disc set for Marvel comes with what appears to be the Winter Casket from the Thor film, a symbol of the Nova core, a Darkhawk laser, and what I think is really cool- Ghost Rider's motorcycle.  So we'll have his chain whip and bike, but actual Ghost Rider figure?  Perhaps he'll be an unannounced surprise. 

     On a side note, art for Baloo from the Jungle Book has also been released and can be seen at this link [ Infinity Inq. Twitter ].  This new figure makes me wonder if the previously mentioned unannounced playset with be for the Jungle Book as a film tie-in of sorts.

     Source [ Infinity Inquirer ]

LEGO Marvel's Avengers: Ant-Man & Civil War DLC Packs

     It was recently announced the TT Games upcoming LEGO Marvel's Avengers was going to be receiving 2 DLC packs, adding 2 more films to the 6 film roster the main game was made of (in addition to the massive Marvel Universe related content also there).

     The two films will be Captain America: Civil War and Ant-Man.  The Civil War pack will be available at the main game's launch on January 26th, and includes 9 characters that are also able to be used in the main game.  There will be Captain America, Iron Man (in the Mark 46 armor), Black Panther, Winter Soldier, Falcon, War Machine, Scarlet Witch, Crossbones, and Agent 13.

     The second DLC, the one I am personally very excited for, is the Ant-Man level pack.  This contains 11 new characters including both Scott Lang and Hank Pym as Ant-Man, Ant-Thony the flying ant, Cassie Lang, Darren Cross, Scott Lang, Hank Pym, Hope Van Dyne, Luis, Janet Van Dyne as The Wasp, and Yellowjacket.

     At the end of the announcement of this being a Playstation timed exclusive deal, there was a little tidbit extra about a season pass and its contents:

"Keep an eye out for the season pass content that we’ll be bringing your way featuring classic comic content as well as content from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

     Source [ Playstation Blog ]

Disney Infinity 3.0: Vignocchi Talks the Future of Infinity: An Unannounced Special Character in 1st Quarter 2016! (And an Unannounced Playset!)

     Disney Infinity's VP of Production John Vignocchi had an interview with Dis Kingdom's Abraham Larios Jr. with a bunch of interesting things about the future for 2016.

     To me the important things are-

     First- In addition to the Marvel Battlegrounds playset, we will see at least one more playset for sure.  Vignocchi was asked about his phrasing about playsets and, "When asked to clarify if he meant to say playsets as plural, JV said that the word Playsets with an “S” on there is on purpose and correct!"
     Furthermore, on the topic of Marvel Battlegrounds, no release date has been officially announced, and the Power Discs will be used in a much different fashion than they have been for the last few years.  They'll be used in "a unique way" which is quite intriguing to think about what they might be cooking up.  On top of that the playset itself will also play very differently than any of the previous sets have, and has been labelled a "game changer" for Disney Infinity while still in the Beta.

     And Second- Vignocchi mentioned while talking about the figure release slate, that Boba Fett has been pushed out from his originally expected release date in January, but still remains in the first quarter of 2016.  Nick and Judy from Zootopia will also be in that time period but then going on, "he mentioned that during quarter one, another special character that has not been announced or leaked yet."
     That's right, a character that hasn't been leaked or announced yet will be arriving in the first quarter 2016!  They have not confirmed if they'll be a Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars character.  We know that Ant-Man, Vision, and Black Panther have been leaked by Amazon, and there has been rumor and speculation that one other character might be coming some day, and I really hope that's who it is- Kim Possible.  Of course, we'll just have to wait and see.

     Peter Pan is still set for an August/September release and his final design is going to be revealed to the Toy Box Master Artist group by Avalanche Studios before being shown to the community later this year.  Captain EO is stuck in a kind of limbo.

     Darkwing Duck though, he is another story.  As Larios writes:

"Darkwing Duck on the other hand, seems may be closer to becoming a reality. JV told us about a conversation he had with John Blackburn this past week. He said he was having an argument with John Blackburn about a character for an upcoming project that JV was supporting inside of Disney Infinity. John then said to him that he rather do Darkwing Duck than that character he was proposing. JV said that John really put him back on his heels because in the midst of a heated argument about a character, he dangled one that is so close and personal to him as one that they could officially bring."

     That is a very loaded paragraph.  Darkwing Duck is very possible, but then so is the mystery character that was dangled in his face, which could be anyone.  What makes this so cool, is that it is one that Vicnocchi himself is psyched about, and by the sounds of it, he was genuinely surprised by not only the suggestion- but the likelihood of it actually officially happening.

 The future of Disney Infinity is looking good.

     Source [ Dis Kingdom ]

Captain America: Civil War: A LEGO Playset Movie Spoiler?

     It looks like one of the upcoming LEGO sets for Captain America: Civil War has a potential spoiler attached to it: Ant-Man as Giant Man.

     Personally, I had been hoping Scott Lang would've cranked the dial the opposite direction and fussed with the regulator at the end of Ant-Man so he could get huge and squash Yellow Jacket,I mean they hinted at the giant growth with the garden gnome, Thomas the Train, and the massive ant, but I guess it made much more sense to keep Ant-Man more in the shadows until Civil War hits theaters when they might need an extra edge against a big gun opponent like Vision, a secret weapon of sorts to even the odds.
     Granted, this isn't a guarantee, as the Ant-Man movie final battle set had a black-clad Hank Pym Ant-Man suit that wasn't in the film, but the odds have been raised from micro to giant sized potential with this play set.

     Captain America: Civil War arrives in theaters May 6th, 2016.