Entertainment

Who survived the survivor series?

Rob Leave a Comment

In all honesty… the fans but just barely. In what was suppose to be one of the last big “event”shows of the year ended up reeking of Vince’s last minute booking changes.

The show started off at 6pm eastern time with an hour pre-show which featured Absouletly forgettable matches.  

The round table format (to me) has run its course. It’s time to interject new life into the preshow maybe interviews and unique video segments (not like Broken Matt Hardy) but something you would see done on Sunday Night football.
Survivor Series was always one of my favorite PPV to watch, with that unique spectacle of so many “teams” fighting each other it was sure to be a fire bed of action and suspense.At the very least  you were sure to enjoy a great brawl somewhere down the line up.

Unfortunately these past few years have been very lackluster as have most PPV’s in general. (yet,to Vince I’m a cycnical smark adult fan who supposedly isn’t the “Key demographic” for buy rates and subscriptions) I understand it is extremely tough to put together a big hit show every month but try to trust your talent and feel the pulse of the fanbase.

The highlight I was most waiting for was Raw vs Smackdown women’s division to finally have the four Horsewomen in the ring again. (we know how well that all turned out)

Also, having no Canadian wrestler come out on top really was a smack to the local fans collective faces.

Miz vs Sami was a great match but Vince really thinks its funny to keep rehashing the Montreal screwjob.

As promising as most of the line up seemed to be it all fell flat with bad endings and weird eliminations.

The cruiserweight match was dry and not very fulfilling.I feel they are missing the true point of the Cruiserweights. These matches should honestly be spot fests.

Then we get to the “Main attraction” Brock vs Goldberg.

Reports from the wrestling observer:
Goldberg dominate him last night in order for him to go over strong. There was also a decision made internally to keep the match short because Goldberg was not in the best of shape in time for his match and had a nagging shoulder injury which the company did not want to risk aggravating further. It was felt having a short match in the fashion it went down would shock viewers and leave them talking.


Knowing how well NXT is doing it feels shortsighted not to trust your talent and allow them to give you the matches the fans pay to see.

The match of the night was Raw vs Smackdown and it was well put together due to the talent in the ring. Why not just have AJ vs KO already?

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The True Story of the Royal Rumble Review

Rob Leave a Comment

by Chris Vint! 

“Every man for himself” was a phrase I always remember Gorilla Monsoon saying in the earlier Royal Rumble matches. 

The Royal Rumble in 2017 will have been around for 30 years and now we have a way of looking at some of the memorable matches and moments throughout the years.

Pat Patterson was the brains behind the Royal Rumble match and it wasn’t until he mentioned it to Dick Ebersol at NBC who thought it was a great idea for TV and that’s how it started! 

No doubt if you are a wrestling fan you have some Royal Rumble memories and I’m going to hopefully cover some of them in my review! 

In my eyes the best Royal Rumble was in 1992 where Ric Flair won the vacated WWF world championship. The only time the championship was up for grabs….until 2016 when Triple H becomes the 14 time champion!

The Royal Rumble started giving the winner title shots from 1993 onwards and 13 times the winner has won the title at the grandest stage of them all…Wrestlemania!

What makes the Royal Rumble special? Unpredictability is the big factor here! How many returning superstars have garnered a huge response from the crowd? In 2010 Edge returned to action after a horrible injury…the crowd reaction was insane and better yet Edge won the royal rumble that year. Very much like Triple H did in 2002. Coming back after tearing his quad and headlong Wrestlemania X8 with Chris Jericho was a personal highlight for me! 

With the internet now it’s very hard to keep anything a secret but some of the returns like Chris Jericho in 2013, John Cena in 2008 and this years surprise entrant was the pick of the bunch. Finally after many years of wondering “When will he come to WWE?” AJ Styles made his debut to the sheer delight of the crowd!

The Royal Rumble had 30 entrants (yeah we won’t talk about the 40 person one they did once) and you’ll have some superstars face off that you haven’t seen for a long time or not seen at all! Hulk Hogan faced off against The Ultimate Warrior in the 1990 Royal Rumble which was something to savour. Then in 2007 we had The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels as the last two competitors…wow. This was before their Wrestlemania matches but again, this made you lick your lips with how awesome this was! 

You’ll notice I said entrants above. That’s because in 1999 Chyna became the first female competitor to enter the Royal Rumble. She eliminated Mark Henry which is no mean feat! Beth Phoenix and Kharma would be two other females who would enter the Royal Rumble match years later.

This blu-ray set gives us a fascinating insight into the Royal Rumble and hearing from Superstars past and present is very much welcomed. It is also great to see Roddy Piper talk about his time in the Royal Rumble before he passed. As always, the blu-ray set gives you some added extras.

If you want to know more, head to https://www.wwedvd.co.uk/true-story-royal-rumble-p-12287.html?osCsid=c78f89a99103cd009c717b6f92b0cb11 and place your pre-order.  


This for me was a good watch and I loved hearing from the older superstars and saying to myself “oh I remember that” or “i forgot about that”. It’s not as strong as the True story of Wrestlemania and i would have rathe that this set had more structure rather than going from 1988 to 2016, back to 1993 and just jumping year to year. If you’re new to wrestling or a lifelong fan, there is something here for everyone!

That’s it from me, I’m off now to stand and point to a Wrestlemania sign! 

The Holidays are gettimg Batty with 4D Batman Gotham City Puzzle

Rob Leave a Comment

​

4D Batman Gotham City Puzzle (1500+ pcs)

Watch this amazing video preview!: https://youtu.be/ACo_91E7RGM


4D Cityscape now introduces the official puzzle guide for Batman Gotham City, based on DC Comic’s famous Batman Comic Series. This puzzle will guide players through the assembly of the official DC map of Gotham City in a patented multi-layer design. The first layer is a 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzle that will teach you all about the various locations and regions of Gotham City. The second layer is an artistic 200+ piece jigsaw puzzle that replicates the night landscape based on DC Comics official map of Gotham City. For the the third layer you add 3D miniature replicas models into the puzzle, which include famous buildings and structures such as Wayne Manor, GCPD Gotham City Police Department, Ace Chemical Plant, Wayne Tower, Iceberg Casino & Lounge, and many more! Each model is a highly detailed sculpt piece of the actual location. In addition, the puzzle comes with an Official Guide to Gotham City that teaches you everything you need to know about Gotham City. Bonus items include a mini LED Bat Light located at the top of the GCPD building. It shines the batman logo into the sky as Gotham City calls for help.

Ages 14+

Fully assembled: 32 x 19.2 x 6 inches

MSRP of $89.99


4D Game of Thrones Essos Puzzle (1500+ pcs):

This puzzle will guide players through the assembly of the map of Essos in a patented multi-layer design. The first layer is a 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzle that will teach you all about the various locations and regions of Essos. The second layer is an artistic 200+ piece jigsaw puzzle that replicates the current landscape based on the famous introduction of the television series. The third layer adds the 3D miniature replica models that you insert into the puzzle, which include famous cities and castles such as Braavos, Pentos, Meereen, Valyria, Astapor and many more! In addition, the puzzle comes with an information booklet that teaches you everything you need to know about Essos, including over 45 flags to mark famous landmarks, 10 sigils to mark the Houses, and 3 battle markers to learn the locations of three major battles. Bonus items include a miniature set of the Dragon Eggs.

Ages 13+

Fully assembled measures 30x18x2 inches

MSRP of $69.99


4D The Hobbit Puzzle (1400+ pcs):

4D Cityscape now introduces the official puzzle guide for The Hobbit, based on Warner Brother’s famous Trilogy. This puzzle will guide players through the assembly of the official Hobbit Middle-earth in a patented multi-layer design. The first layer is a 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzle that will teach you all about the various locations and regions of Middle-earth. The second layer is an artistic 200+ piece jigsaw puzzle that replicates the colorful landscape. The third layer you insert 3D miniature replicas models into the puzzle, which include famous buildings and structures such as Hobbiton, Dale City of Men, Cave of Gollum, Rivendell, and many more! Each model is a highly detailed sculpt piece of the actual location.  In addition, the puzzle comes with an Official Guide to Middle-earth that teaches you everything you need to know about Middle-earth.

Ages 14+

Fully assembled: 30 x 18 x 2 inches

MSRP of $79.99


4D Lord of the Rings (2100+ pcs):

4D Cityscape now introduces the official puzzle guide for The Lord of the Rings, based on Warner Brother’s famous Trilogy. This puzzle will guide players through the assembly of the official The Lord of the Rings Middle-earth map in a patented multi-layer design. The first layer is a 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzle that will teach you all about the various locations and regions of Middle-earth. The second layer is an artistic 200+ piece jigsaw puzzle that replicates the colorful landscape. The third layer you insert 3D miniature replicas models into the puzzle, which include famous buildings and structures such as Barad-dûr, Mount Doom, Minas Tirith, Isengard and many more! Each model is a highly detailed sculpt piece of the actual location. In addition, the puzzle comes with an Official Guide to Middle-earth. Ages 14+

Fully assembled: 37 x 25 x 4 inches

MSRP of $89.99


5-MINUTE DUNGEON, NEW CO-OP CARD GAME FROM AWARD-WINNING PUBLISHER WIGGLES 3D MAKES KICKSTARTER DEBUT NOVEMBER 1

Rob Leave a Comment

5-MINUTE DUNGEON, NEW CO-OP CARD GAME FROM AWARD-WINNING PUBLISHER WIGGLES 3D MAKES KICKSTARTER DEBUT NOVEMBER 1

 

LONDON, Ontario – 5-Minute Dungeon, a fast-paced, co-operative, real-time card game, launches on Kickstarter  November 1, from award-winning game publisher Wiggles 3D.

 

Adrenaline-fueled to create a jolt of excitement for casual and advanced players alike, 5-Minute Dungeon is a game in which players have a short five minutes to conquer a dungeon. Its humor-filled fantasy world is home to creatures like “A Cactus That Wants a Hug,” “The Grime Reaper” and “A Shark With Legs.” In the game, two to five players join together and choose up to five heroes to battle monsters, overcome obstacles, and defeat the dungeon boss.  There are five dungeons to defeat, each more challenging than the last, with the final dungeon requiring precise skill, speed, and strategy to defeat.  With no time to form a carefully-considered plan, and no predicting what dangers lie ahead, communication and teamwork are the name of the game, crucial to surviving the5-Minute Dungeon.

 

“Designed with enthusiasts, life-long dungeon-crawlers and casual gamers in mind, 5-Minute Dungeon feeds into the hottest trend — co-operative gameplay. It’s a fun, fast-paced card game that can be played anytime,” said Connor Reid, creator of 5-Minute Dungeon.  “With the game’s humorous tone, overarching goal, detailed art and rapid action, we’re confident that5-Minute Dungeon will be the next must-have game launched on Kickstarter.”  

 

A 5-Minute Dungeon timer app, available for free on both iOS and Android, keeps the action on track as the team attempts to conquer the dungeon in less than five minutes.  

 

Following the success of crowd-sourced Kickstarter campaigns, 5-Minute Dungeoncontributions start at $5, with backers gaining access to discounted Early Bird Copies, Collector Editions, exclusive content and more.  As the campaign proceeds, Kickstarter contributors will unlock great stretch goals which include: linen-coated cards, high-quality game mats, collectible figurines, timer app enhancements and more.  

 

Kickstarter pledges begin at $5, as follows:

 

$5 Contributor level

Thank you & a print-and-play copy of the game.

$15 Early Bird

Get the game for $10 less than anyone else. Only 500 copies available!

$25 Base Game

Includes the game, plus all stretch goals unlocked by the campaign

$35 Collector’s Edition

Features a more stylish box and exclusive game content.

$50 Base Game + Collector’s Edition

Get both versions of the game for only $50. Keep a copy for yourself and give one away, or keep the collector’s edition wrapped up and play the base game.

 

To learn more about 5-Minute Dungeon,visit 5MinuteDungeon.com.

 

Two-time Mensa Award winner Wiggles 3D is a Canadian developer and publisher that has been creating board games, apps and syndicated puzzles since 2001. Based in Canada, the company is the creator of the popular magnetic game Bellz and the hit movie trivia game Pass the Popcorn. Their games are licensed in 25 countries and featured in major newspapers and online game portals. Visit www.Wiggles3d.com.

App Dudes for the Holiday Season (Marvel Heroes )

Rob Leave a Comment

Attention all Marvel Avengers fans! Just in time for the holiday shopping season, there is now a unique new way to bring your favorite Marvel Super Heroes to life! App Dudes, a unique smartphone stand from Toy Island, is available in Marvel’s Avengers Iron Man and Captain America and will entertain fans of all ages with animations and phrases that match the superheroes’ individual personas.

 

·         Various phrases – each character has over 50 phrases and animations

·         Interactive touch screen and tilting, providing fun reactions from the characters

·         Alarm clock

·         Access for charging

 

 

App Dudes will become available on Amazon on November 1st for a SRP of $19.99. For additional information, visit www.appdudes.com. It’s compatible with iPhone 5/5s, 6/6s, SE, Samsung Galaxy S5, S6 and 6 Edge.  The free app is available for iOS and Android/ App Store & Google Play.

 

HALLOWEEN STORY: MOM TACKLES FOOD ALLERGIES

Rob Leave a Comment

With six million kids suffering from a food allergy in the US, it’s no wonder so many parents are worried about trick or treating this Halloween. 

So what can parents do? Switch Witch helps little one’s deal with having to give up any potentially dangerous loot. Similar to the beloved Elf on a Shelf, this tricky witch stays at home and will make candy disappear from those who don’t behave but her spell can also help to remove any harmful candy overnight. 

The concept was developed by award winning author Audrey Kinsman. The idea came about when one of her own sons was trick-or-treating. After seeing his disappointment in knowing that he would not be able to eat most of the candy due to a food allergy, the idea of “Switchcrafting” the candy he was allergic to came to life.  Partnered with The Teal Pumpkin Project, this toy/book combo set helps bring awareness to kids with allergies and help promote a better Halloween experience for all. 

The Hell In A Cell concept and match has been ruined

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

There used to be a time where the Hell in a Cell match actually meant something. A Hell in a Cell marked the climax of a big story, a match where big scores needed to be settled once and for all. A match where it was guaranteed something ‘big’ will happen, a lot of blood will be spilled and (in kayfabe) potentially a career would end in front of our very own eyes. Just the mere mention of ‘Hell in a Cell’ brought fear.

We all know the events of King of the Ring 1998, and whenever the match is mentioned, it’s that match that springs to mind, the match which could easily have killed Mick Foley. The match that made Mick Foley famous. Mick Foley now advocates two women to perform in that match, and does so with a smile on his face… Where in the blue hell is the story-telling? Have they completely eradicated his past? It’s simply unacceptable.Another Hell in a Cell that springs to mind is the ‘Armageddon Hell in a Cell’. Now, to most, this match is famous for Rikishi plummeting down from the top of the cell, and although that is famous for a good reason, to me, the match reminds me of the build-up, where Vince McMahon would plead with every competitor not to go through with the match as he was worried sick they wouldn’t be able to return to action after it. This was a brilliant piece of story-telling, and really put over how dangerous this match was.


I’m not going to go through each match and it’s great build-up, most of you know full well how big it was. Lesnar/Taker’s 2002 build-up was great, Triple H’s matches with Nash and Michaels were great, repeated brawls ending with Bischoff’s screaming of “HELLL IN A CELLLL!!” was brilliant. Randy Orton fearing for his life in the build-up to his Cell encounter with Taker. Even a few years ago we had Triple H and Undertaker (as well as HBK) really putting over the effects of HIAC in the build-up to Mania 28. I could go on and on and on.


Lately, the match is build-up like a normal steel cage match, just with a roof on top. It’s awful, and totally unacceptable. It began way back with the likes of Cena and Orton treating it like any other ordinary match and this continued with the likes of Punk, Del Rio, Bryan, Sheamus etc. but lately it’s ten times worse. This year’s build-up has been nothing short of rubbish. Rollins and Owens’ rivalry has had nearly no mention of the Hell in a Cell structure, and more so on Jericho’s trunks – Rollins and Owens should be concentrating on their own careers’ rather than promoting comedy. Sasha Banks takes the biscuit, though, she SMILES and on the verge of tears with HAPPINESS when talking about being inside Hell in a Cell… The likes of Undertaker and Kane had an tad bit of fear about stepping inside there and here we have Sasha Banks doing the complete opposite.


All the fear this match has brought is all gone. It’s a sham, and should be left alone. They should just replace ‘Hell in a Cell’ with ‘Steel Cage’, because that’s how it’s built up as.

follow me on twitter @julianexcalibur 

WWE 2K17 Review

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

After playing the game for about 5 days, I can honestly say I’ve played enough of this game to give some final thoughts on it. I doubt anyone personally cares what I think, but I decided “hey it’s the internet so ill post it because I can”. I’ve divided everything up into a few sections so can individually go over everything with some detail. prepare to read huge walls of text as i begin my review.

MY CAREER MODE

Out of everything that was hyped for 2K17, My Career Mode took the cake. The addition of Promos and the Paul heyman guy challenge shown in the trailers seemed to show us that the game was heading in the right direction. Upon actually playing the mode, however, you find out that its just as bland and grindy as the last two games. The lack of progression feels so awful when your fighting the same people every week, putting on the best matches you can with the likes of Fandango and Bo Dallas, attempting to create 5 star watches with jobbers just so you can move up the ranks. My career mode feels like a crappy version of Universe Mode where you have to grind until the end of time to increase stats, attributes or even to buy a decent finishing move pack. Overall, it’s a huge disappointment.


GAMEPLAY

Throughout all the wrestling games ever made, the last 3 have had the best gameplay by far. The addition of Roll outs, a better ladder setup system, new mini-game for ladder matches and the new OMG moments, have all created a very realistic feel to the game that is much needed. Many glitches do occur here and there and the overall pacing of the matches still seems a little too fast for my taste, none the less it’s the best gameplay we’ve had thus far.


GRAPHICS

This one seems to be a very debatable issue as certain aspects of the game look great, while others seem to fall very flat. I noticed pretty quickly that certain characters had more attention to detail then others, as if they just couldn’t afford a budget for other characters. The likes of Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, Finn Balor and some others have amazing lighting, attention to detail and overall great textures/models. Other characters, however, have gotten the “PS2 Graphics” treatment where they look like they were made in the character creation tool but look far worse. I’m not entirely impressed with the graphics nor am i really that disappointed in them as these most sports games have meh visuals.


UNIVERSE MODE

Out of everything that is wrong with 2k17, Universe mode seems to be what saves this game from being put in the bargain bin. Universe mode provides endless customization, playability, and overall player control. Where Career Mode seems to have its faults, Universe seems to provide the fix for them along with providing loads of content.


INTERFACE

Usually, this is something I could really care less about in most games, however, this interface is just awful. Universe mode specifically seems to be harder to navigate through, not to mention that once you start a show, you can’t go back to change any universe settings, check the calendar or reach basic universe functions like who holds the current title.

FINAL THOUGHTS AND VERDICT

WWE 2K17 provides more content then the previous game and delivers gameplay that certainty out matches any of the previous games. However, i don’t think this should be something 2k should be praised for. Many of the “New additions” aren’t even new at all. Backstage brawling and crowd fighting were done long ago with even more content included with it and in much more detail. The creation suite has loads of content to deck your character out with, however, past games have had a pretty fair amount of customization until 2k15 came out with its new gameplay engine. The honest truth is that a wrestling game like SVR 2007 and 2008 had loads more content then the current games do and even delivered massively in the My Career mode with full-voiced characters, customizing locker rooms and the ability to go through a full-blown story with a created character or current WWE Star. WWE 2k17 is playing a long game of catch up with older games and that’s disappointing. The only area 2k17 seems to evolve and capitalize on is its realistic gameplay, even then though it has trouble keeping it afloat. I will give this game an final score of 6/10

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