Antonblast Wario beware (Summitsphere)The second Wario Land homage of recent years tries to outdo Pizza Tower in terms of overly angry protagonists that destroy everything in their path.Its 17 years since Nintendo released a new Wario Land game and even longer since the series heyday on the Game Boy. Every indication is that the franchise is on a permanent hiatus, but what might bring it back is the sudden rash of indie imitators. Well, we say rash. The first one was 2023s Pizza Tower and this is the second, but thats still two more than we wouldve ever expected.Were not sure where this sudden interest, in this seemingly forgotten franchise, has come from but its perfectly welcome; not necessarily for the sake of nostalgia but simply because Pizza Tower was a great game and you can never have enough of those.If youre not familiar with the Wario Land series, the first one was actually Super Mario Land 3. It deviated from regular Mario platformers by focusing on defeating enemies, and destroying obstacles, by barging through them at high speed. Antonblast takes most of its cues from Wario Land 4 on the Game Boy Advance, but you absolutely dont need to have played that game to appreciate it.Dynamite Anton looks more like Yosemite Sam than Wario and has a similar temperament, although you can also play as his roommate Annie if you prefer. The story is some nonsense about trying to defeat Satan, who is upset that Anton is redder than him, but naturally none of that matters in the slightest.Pizza Tower was certainly not a clone of any of the Wario Land games not least because it also had a fair bit in common with Sonic The Hedgehog but Antonblast sticks closer to the original Nintendo template. Antons shoulder barge is straight out of Wario Land and used to both build up momentum when running and to defeat enemies and smash through objects.The game seems simplistic when you first start but theres an impressive amount of nuance to the controls, once you get the hang of them which admittedly takes some time. Its not just the barge that creates momentum but jumping and using Antons hammer (or Annies mace) at just the right time, to bounce off enemies or perform a ground pound that sends you flying back into the air.Sometimes this is used more for platforming and sometimes more for combat, as you perform a sliding attack when running sufficiently fast or create a huge shockwave when you purposefully fall from a tall enough height. These techniques are often essential for discovering secrets or when going for a time attack or combo high score.Your goal is to get to one end of the level, set off a bomb, and then quickly retrace your steps and avoid the ensuing explosion. The return journey is usually more difficult, but it often sees the game at its madcap best, as all attempt at precision platforming is abandoned and you destroy everything in your path in a panicked attempt to reach safety since youre never able to take quite the same route you did the first time round.There are lots of stage specific gimmicks too, including riding on a swordfish, turning into a Tasmanian Devil style whirlwind, and smashing through the level as a pinball. Its a shame the game is relatively short, at eight hours or less, but thats a worthy sacrifice for the constant stream of strange new ideas especially as its very far from being a full price game.And besides, theres additional time attack and combo chain modes that unlock once you beat a level, with the latter being especially entertaining as you try to maintain a destruction combo by ensuring your every step smashes or blows up something. Both modes highlight the clever level design and make it clear that theres many different ways to complete each map.More TrendingThe game also has boss fights, but these are rather peculiar as they almost seem to have come from a different game. Anton still has all his regular moves but apart from the final battle none of them rely on momentum or platforming. There is an impressive amount of variety for the set pieces, from wrestling matches to a fight with an enemy tower in the far distance, but it does all seem a bit disconnected from the main action and some of them go on a bit too long.Like Pizza Tower, Antonblast has a very distinctive art style, as if its all been drawn with low resolution marker pens. This doesnt make for very good screenshots but its often impressive in motion, particularly during boss battles and cut scenes or when the screen is filled with explosions and debris which is most of the time. The sound effects are great too and just as effective at maintaining the atmosphere of a 2000s era Nickelodeon cartoon.If we had to pick between the two, wed say that Pizza Tower was the overall better game, but its close and Antonblast is the one thats most similar to Wario Land. If Nintendo is going to be inspired to make a new game, then they should absolutely get Summitsphere to do it. Not only does Antonblast channel the gameplay and spirt of the originals, but it adds plenty of its own unique madness too.Antonblast review summaryIn Short: Two indie Wario Land homages in as many years is a strange but very welcome coincidence, as this is almost as good as Pizza Tower while still being very much its own game.Pros: A great extension of Wario Land 4, with good level design, clever power-up gimmicks, and enjoyable alternative modes. Fun art style and sound effects.Cons: A surprisingly steep learning curve and while the boss battles are well designed they seem very divorced from the rest of the game. Quite short.Score: 8/10Formats: Nintendo Switch (reviewed) and PCPrice: 17.99Publisher: SummitsphereDeveloper: SummitsphereRelease Date: 13th December 2024Age Rating: 12 It looks better in motion (Summitsphere)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Fans can now peek behind the curtain of Wicked with director Jon M. Chu, thanks to the digital release of the Universal Pictures musical movie hit. Wickeds home release includes several bonus features: deleted scenes, docu-style content, and a commentary track with stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivoas well as a solo commentary with Chu. All of the extras feature exciting tidbits about the magic that went into making the vision of a new Oz inspired by the Broadway musical. Chus commentary in particular digs into the lore inspired by The Wizard of Oz and the time period in which L. Frank Baum wrote the original Oz stories, and Wickeds many homages to the history of cinema. Heres what we learned from listening to him speak about the film all the way through.The Wizard of Oz is an American fairytale Universal Pictures In the Dancing Through Life dance sequence, Chu masterfully references classic Hollywood musicals while also conveying his affection for Baums novel and its place in American history. Its interesting, Wizard of Oz is such an American fairy tale. he shared, also nodding to the 1939 movie as well. It was written at the time of American transition, leaving the Depression, going into war. It sort of deals with the American dream, and I love that we get to reinvestigate the American dream in Wicked through a new perspective. And so we try to take from images of Americana in terms of travel, from the puddle, to horseback, to boat, to a road, to a train, to flight, and how that changes our history and our trajectory. Watch closely, and youll see there are connective threads from the films witch hat opening on the puddle to the moment Elphaba takes flight in the final act.The Flying Monkeys are Universal Monsters You know when we think about the flying monkeys, we often compare them to one of the many characters in the monster universe of Universal, Chu says early in the commentary. And so portraying them in the most physical and touchable, real way was something that we really wanted to do. Later, alongside the final act, he describes the creature feature moment of their creation, We get to do our classic Universal Monster moment, the creation of the flying monkeys. We want to take our time in this, that it was painful and that their hair was turning into feathers as well. Its like Frankenstein waking up. Even the shadow shot is a nod to those kind of things [the] American tales that we get to reinvestigate. And I love that its part victory as well. You can hear the music actually gets victorious. So its like, whose perspective are we [watching] from? And even Elphaba here on this shot, we dont knowis it amazing that she did thism or not? And then things start to fall apart. In the Heightsalmost had a connection to Wicked The events of the film kick into action when Glinda is asked one very important question. A question that was almost asked by a frequent collaborator of Chus. When that woman says, Glinda, is it true you were her friend? I got many calls from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who might have publicly also tweeted it that he wanted to be that voice and that person, but I thought it would be too distracting, he admitted. So, sorry Lin.The Wizard and I Elphabas I want motivation in Wicked is complicated. She doesnt actively wish she was another color besides green, Chu explainedits just everyones telling her that she shouldnt be green, and that sparks her self-doubt. The Wizard and I musical number, Chu says, is when she realizes No, you know what? Im good with being green.The kaleidoscope glass sequence added to that feeling. I love that the lights in there. And she can just dream of what it would be like if she wasnt in her skin. Again, this will all come back later. When the wizard asks her, Is that your hearts desire? You dont have to be green. And she actually sacrifices her own wishes or possible wishes for the goodness of the animals. And I think that shows a lot of the type of person she is and who we really want to get across. So this number is very important. Chu continues. Its the antithesis to Defying Gravity, where she has the possibility of flight. She has the possibility of taking it off, but shes not ready yet. Weve established that she does have visions here, that theres a celebration throughout Oz that has to do with her. She just doesnt know the context. But weve actually already seen it. And whether the audience picks it up or not, Im not sure. But well get it by the second movie.Yes, thats a novelty song homage in What Is this Feeling? Universal Pictures To Chu, Elphaba and Glinda rooming together and clashing represents the puzzle of Oz represented by the two of them: Elphaba, she comes in and you see sharper edges. Shes the Z in Oz, and Glinda is the O. So these two things will collide visually. The way he depicted this involves a fun homage. I love this because it always reminded me of Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah, this famous number of campers writing to their parents at home. So I love the idea of being able to split screen here and play around with the form. Why isnt that song called Loathing? The dichotomy of the power between Elphaba and Glinda is clearly presented in this scene. While Elphaba is the one with the visible potential, Glindas power is her popularity, Chu explains. Actually, its very powerful to know how to communicate and how to convince everybody of something. Her power will come later, but as fun as it is to think about loathing and roommates loathing, it actually has a big thematic theme for us. And I love the fact that even though Glinda can win every social situation, the one thing she wants to have magic and be accepted by Morrible is the thing that Elphaba has.The song, he continues, is called What is this Feeling? and people think its called Loathingbut actually its not loathing at all that is happening between them. We always say, We always resist the people who are going to change the rest of our life because no one wants to change. So, its not even necessarily loathing, its just this person is going to change the rest of my life. You dont want that, so its funny to see that, because they will. Elphie and Fiyeros forest meet-cute Chu also teased a very important relationship in Wicked: For Good between Elphaba and Fiyero. As seen in the movie, the pair actually meets before Glinda meets Fiyero. We dont get into their full relationship with this movie, so again, these are just breadcrumbs that were leading the audience very slowly, the director says. Sometimes its hard, you know, what you want to plan to pay off later that doesnt go into full fruition into this movie. But in a weird way, this movie is about possibilities and choices. And that by the end, Elphaba makes a big choice, and there are a lot of possibilities for where that choice can go. And movie two is more of the consequence of some of those. The Wicked Witch of the Wests hat Universal Pictures A relationship almost as important as the one between Galinda and Elphaba thats set up in this film is the relationship Elphie makes with her black pointy hat. Chu talks about the moment Galinda considers gifting it to Elphaba as a joke enabled by Pfannee and ShenShen.I love this moment because it could be constricted in many different ways, but Glinda actually isnt a bad person here. She is being pushed by Pfannee and ShenShen to give her the hat, and by seeing the book, the sorcery book, that Elphaba brings in, it sort of pushes her even more to give her the hat. Its a very delicate moment because we dont want Glinda to be mean, and shes not. Shes just young and shes being pressured. When her roommate gives her the hat, Elphabas probably aware of the jokebut theres also something about it that speaks to her. I love that Elphaba doesnt have a big reaction to the hat of sort of like, What the heck is that? Instead shes actually drawn to the hat and that it actually has an interesting connection. That it isnt just circular, that it has the edge to it. That these two will be bonded for all time as a symbol and as a partner in this journey that shes about to go on. She doesnt even know it yet. And when she tilts her head here as she looks at it, I love that moment because it felt like she and the hat were one. A sisters pair of shiny shoes One of the fun Easter eggs from the film is Nessaroses shoes, a future iconic object in the realm of Oz lore. If you look at the crystal shoes, its designed to look like two tornadoes, or a tornado on each heel. And its beautiful, Chu points out. The shoes were made distinctive for this iteration of the story, which goes back to the original books crystal pair; the famed ruby slippers were created for the Judy Garland picture. I dont even know how it fits or if its even comfortable, because it doesnt look very comfortable. Ive never tried it on, but its beautiful, he says of the intricate, unique design. The Ozdust duet Universal Pictures In the Broadway musical, its a gag when Elphie dances like she doesnt care what anyone else thinks. But for the film, Chu wanted to play the scene a different way. [It was] much more important to us in this story that we still felt the hurt. That even though she doesnt know what to do, shes just making space for herselfand even if making space for herself is humiliating and hard, that she just knows that she has to do it. Some people say it looks like shes casting a spell or something, and maybe she is, over her own self and telling herself that she just has to be here And its defiant but not too defiant, he says, praising Erivos interpretation of the moment. Defiant like, Im here even if it feels like the worst thing in my life. Because if we gave her too much of a defiant moment like Im here and you have to deal with it and Im better than you, it wouldnt play as strong.Galinda/Glinda is changed for good In the duet we also get another huge moment. We see Glinda blossoming in this moment and [Ariana Grande] is doing an amazing job of playing this line because up to this point shes basically played a comedic character with a little hints of Intelligence and sensitivity. But here she takes off the mask fully and you can see it in her eyes. I mean, this is not an easy scene by any means, Chu shares about the moment Grande and Erivo make their connection through touch. In those two hands touching, which will be a symbol for the rest of the movie every time they touch, this is the heart of the movie. I knew when I saw this in rehearsal and started to weep uncontrollably after watching them do it [that] this is what the movie would be aboutthis relationship and coming to see each other at their bare bones. And then the two of them could be bonded for life to be against the world. This public display of allyship, he explains, provides a space to see how they can to inspire a young generation of Ozians to witnesses the power of acceptance. It also shows the unlimited possibilities of what the future of Oz could beand yet they will be influenced by the propaganda of the wizard and Madame Morrible later on in part two.Ariana Grande made Popular her own Since bringing the emotion more to the Ozdust dance between the two of them meant the friendship is forged more there, he didnt want to lose its impact by continuing the seriousness in Popular. This allowed Ariana Grande to make Popular her own, down to the extended la-la-la-lahs. This new ending to Popular, we werent sure if we wanted to do an extended ending of it, the director explains. But when I saw that hallway, her in the middle of that hallway with the pink morning light coming through[that] if Ari could do it all in one shot and show how skilled she is at being Galinda, I think this hallway that it would be an instant classic. And so we popped this in last minute and she learned that choreography at the last second. And every time she did it, everyones smile was on their face. I mean that was a tour-de-force to see her. Ariana Grande at her peak Galinda, owning that space that silhouette, that iconic moment is sort of solidified in my brain forever. I hope the audience feels that too.The OG Broadway cameos Universal Pictures The leading women of the Ozdust players, of course, had to be played by the original Glinda and Elphaba: Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. Chu knew this very well. Theyre playing the wise women, telling the history of Oz and how the Grimmerie came to be, and that they used to be the only people able to read the Grimmerie, but there was a prophecy of a new person that would be eventually able to read it when they pass, Chu explains. We find out later that its going to be Elphaba, but we tried to set up that history here. Whether people are actually listening or not, I have no idea, but we had to set up what the Grimmerie was and just to have them do it, its just so fun. He recalls how secretive the shoot had to be. It was the middle of the night, and I think they, to see this giant set that we had built for a movie of a legacy that they built, these characters that they built from the ground up was a beautiful thing for them to see. We were all, again, all in tears all the time, and that Idina gets to do her iconic war cry and same thing with Kristin. She gets to do her soprano, so fun. The Wizard was inspired by Walt Disney Chu had a blast creating the wizard with actor Jeff Goldblum, who did things like magic and showing them little tricks and tap dancing and stuff. He continued to describe how they came up with this version of certain type of man of tomorrow. Chu explains, This idea of the ultimate storyteller was something that we talked a lot about. How far would you go to delight people? Even if it takes you to a place of this action and violence and hatred or fear make things more entertaining. And what are you going to compromise for that? So setting him up as a playful Peter Pan-like character, Walt Disney-ish type character. Its sort of a wish fulfillment that were all able to do together.Even the Wizards Oz diorama felt very Worlds Fair or early Disneyland model. And what would you want more than anything than Walt Disney to walk you into his like map of Disney? So I love this moment that he gets to present to them. Thats what his thoughts will look like: Wish fulfillment. Pull them into his sandbox. He actually says Come into my sandbox and Play with my toys, thats something I always wish I had. And that sort of taps into a childhood fantasy of somebody that you want to fully trust. And probably shouldnt. Wicked is like a Marvel musical movie Universal Pictures Thankfully not like Rogers: The Musical from Hawkeyebut with the action and big set pieces, Chu says Wicked is like a Marvel movie plus musical fantasy [and] coming of age. We kept saying this is the craziest movie weve ever madehow can a genre have all of these things and plus be a musical? I dont think weve had experience like this before. He explains how all these elements had to come together in the final act, with Defying Gravity setting up the next film. We see the alarms being raised against Elphaba and reactions from the other characters: the disappointment in Nessa [as their] father has a heart attack. And Glinda is sort of relieved of the danger by Madame Moribble, [who is] going to take her under her wing, and how complicated that is for her. I think that moment is really hard. And Ariana just plays it perfectly, and then we see Fiyero flying out. We dont know where hes going to. Who is he going to? And then of course Cynthia flying in and her declaration threat to the wizard. In this sequence, the stage is being set for the storys next acteven Boq stands alone in a Shiz overtaken by disarray. I love this moment, I love this shot. Everyones singing. It just builds and builds, Chu says, and adds how it all comes to a head with Elphabas war cry. [Erivo] was singing it live on her rig. Were spinning her around and she was like, I need to do this live. Let me do it. And every time she did this note, our whole crew would just try to hold back our applause and yelling until she finished the note. And then it was just pure applause, like standing ovation in the room. Shes on the wire. Now she probably has tears in her eyes usually doing it. And then to be able to end on this, her final takeoff.Wicked is now out in theaters and on digital; Wicked: For Good continues the story this Thanksgiving. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

KUBRICK Office / InOrder StudioSave this picture! studio vwpOffices InteriorsTaichung, TaiwanArchitects: InOrder StudioAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:190 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:studio vwpManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Audo, Birch, FLOS, HAY, Kawajun, Macron Lighting, VitrA, ZangraMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. KUBRICK is a global ceiling fan manufacturer whose design center resides in the heart of Taichung, Taiwan. Reflecting the brand's philosophy of honoring nature and fine craftsmanship, the office interior features abundant birch plywood, meticulously sectioned so that each functional element finds a quiet, appropriate place within the space.Save this picture!Save this picture!Working in this design center is both liberating and versatile. Efficiently zoned work areas coexist with ample discussion corners, mobile brainstorming walls, and neatly organized storage solutions. Long white brick elements and seamless flooring further define these activity-based zones, supporting a fluid work environment.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!To balance an open spatial experience with the need for privacy during important meetings, the design team incorporated ribbed glass, transparent hollow panels, and a deep navy curtain. A fresh, pure atmosphere unfolds throughout the office, infusing every corner with dynamic energy befitting its design-focused spirit.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Taichung, TaiwanLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeInOrder StudioOfficeMaterialWoodMaterials and TagsPublished on January 09, 2025Cite: "KUBRICK Office / InOrder Studio" 08 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025394/kubrick-office-inorder-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Nature, Published online: 08 January 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08562-yAn early precursor CD8 T cell that adapts to acute or chronic viral infection

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Im having a hard time with the realistic detail aspects of some objects. Knowing what needs more texturing, what needs some dust, etc. Everything is textured from scratch, mostly using layered Voronoi noise nodes. Im guessing I need to either work on my shading node skills, or just use an image texture for the wall. Or maybe something I cant think of. The closer to finished, the more detail there is to add submitted by /u/AugustineWatts [link] [comments]

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Three-Film Collection $22 Preorder at Amazon Sailor Moon was one of the biggest success stories of the 1990s anime boom in the West, and soon fans of the old-school anime are in for a treat, as all three classic Sailor Moon movies are getting a new Blu-ray compilation. The Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Three-Film Collection will launch on February 11, and it's available to preorder through Amazon for $22. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Three-Film Collection $22 The Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: Three-Film Collection includes Blu-ray editions of Sailor Moon R: The Movie, Sailor Moon S: The Movie, and Sailor Moon SuperS The Movie: Black Dream Hole. Like the manga and anime source material, the films follow Sailor Moon and her allies on their quest to protect the planet from evil forces. The collection also includes two making-of featurettes and Japanese and English dubs of all three movies. Preorder at Amazon To add to your collection, you can also pick up the Sailor Moon Crystal anime series at a discount. You can pick up all three seasons in Limited Edition Volume Sets, including Season 1: Dark Kingdom, Season 2: Black Moon, and Season 3: Death Busters. Each release features every episode of its respective season, special features, and physical goodies like collectible art cards and booklets full of concept and production art.Sailor Moon Crystal Limited Edition Blu-RaysSailor Moon Crystal Season 1: Dark Kingdom Limited Edition -- $49.38 ($80)Sailor Moon Crystal Season 2: Black Moon Limited Edition -- $58 ($80)Sailor Moon Crystal Season 3: Death Busters Limited Edition -- $55.20 ($80)You can also pick up the original Sailor Moon manga--one of the best-selling manga series of all time--with the gorgeous Sailor Moon: Manga Box Set 1 that's on sale at Amazon for $70.15 (was $78). This collection includes hardcover editions of the first six volumes of the original manga series, plus an exclusive set of 16 art cards inside of a holographic box adorned with metallic silver ink.Continue Reading at GameSpot

The vibrant world of Miraland in Infinity Nikki is always full of exciting adventures for its devoted player community to embark on, mysteries to uncover in every region, and some of the cutest resources imaginable to collect. In Nikki's ambitious pursuit of the latest and greatest fashion ensembles, knowing how and where to gather everything is as essential as fulfilling quests, as those items all contribute to the game's incredible variety of outfits.

It is quite easy for the fans to see that Team 7 is one of the core elements of the entirety of the Naruto series. At the beginning of the series, Team 7 was established in Naruto as a group of the main characters, which included Naruto Uzumaki, the protagonist, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and of course, the leader, Kakashi Hatake. This team was the core of the Naruto series, and everything that happened in the story revolved around them. From being an amazing team that headed out on small-time missions, such as chasing after lost cats, all the way to saving the world, this team did it all. They won the hearts of the fans while doing what they did, and it is safe to say that they will forever be remembered as the greatest unit in the entirety of the Naruto franchise, which includes Boruto.