Posts Tagged ‘Penguin Prince’
11 items.
This game has been out there for a while, I know, but hey money has been tight so sue me. I picked up a used copy of this a few days ago and played it for the first time. It was my first experience with the Red Dead series and I got to tell you it’s a blast. I don’t believe that this game should have been my first adventure into the series as it is hard. It has no real tutorial mode to get you used to the controls. Sure the hints on what to do flash in the upper right hand corner… as you are surrounded by the undead masses. I must have died 6 times in my first four hours of game play. And like a fat man at an all you can eat buffet, I just came back for more. I would like to imagine that the original Red Dead Redemption made it a little easier to get accustomed to the controls, but oh well. Part of my problem might have been the fact that I kept rushing into a situation without researching my options first.
All kinds of bad situations. This guy just paid. Let's just say service was bad.
I made rookie mistakes. For instance on your first survivor mission you are given a torch and told to burn them good. Let me tell you, just like in real life, these suckers don’t die just because you set them on fire. They keep coming after you. Best to take your revolver and leave some time to line up your shots correctly. Another tip, don’t get too excited and panic. They are decently slow so if they get close up to you, there are a couple of options. If it’s a group of brain munchers, running is the best solution. But if it’s mano e zombo, hold down the LT while aiming at him, and then pull the RT. This will cause one of 2 actions. You will either push the zombie down, giving you time to regroup, or you will lunge into it, putting your weapon right up to its head and spraying that beautiful brain goop all over the wall. While riding your horse, you can run single zombies over at a gallop, but don’t drive him into a group of zombies, try to avoid the groups if at all possible.
You get to ride a zombie horse. I don't know if that's safe. I do know that it's BAD ASS!
The story line on this game is compelling as well. You can really feel the pain of a man who is desperate to find a cure for his wife and son. They don’t try to paint a picture of a perfect family, it’s real and it’s gritty. You have a smart ass mouth and are not afraid to speak your mind, and the son is rude to the mother. If I ever talked to my mother like that, my Dad would have tanned my hide. But you could tell that they were a stable loving family. When you get into town and meet your first survivor, you can feel his panic. When you meet the little girl, you are compelled to assist her, because her reaction is so real and raw, balling over the fact that her mother who had been dead for three years had just ripped her father’s face off, and insisting that although her father had his faults (sounded like a prick to me), he was good person. It’s not until you meet more survivors that you see that humanity is just as ignorant as ever. Why you would want to help some of these people is beyond me. Even when you single handedly take down an entire town of flesh eaters, a woman insults you for being a stupid, unmoral gunslinger. And your reaction is just as polite and respectful as you would think a lone ranger should be.
Lions and tigers and un-dead bears. Oh my!
IGN rated this game a perfect 10 out of 10, and I can see why. Just like Red Dead Redemption the graphics and detail are stunning and the characters are compelling. The game play was awkward at first but if you are a Red Dead veteran, you will have no problems. Once you get a hang of them, you realize they are pretty fluid and very responsive. My really only complaint is that the game could make cycling through weapons easier, but it’s kind realistic in a way, kind of like you would fumble around pulling out the right weapon for the job. I’ll go on the record that this is one of the best zombie shooters I have ever played.
At $26 used it’s a good deal and won’t break the bank. You don’t need to have a Red Dead Redemption save in order to play this one, so you can jump right on in. I say Rockstar did good by us zombie lovers and I give this one 2 thumbs up.
Anyone else played this one? Let me know what you thought by replying below, leaving me a message on twitter, or on our Facebook page. And don’t forget, our first ever contest is currently running so see the details in the previous blog post, and get your enteries to me by April 30th.
-Till Fate brings our Future
Penguin Prince
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Anyone who follows the very popular website http://wins.failblog.org/ has seen this picture…
Totally beats a leg lamp any day.
I love this idea. It defies everything I have ever thought about traveling during a zombie outbreak. I used to think… why the hell would you bring luxuries? They will slow you down, and make you into brain food. But this screams, why not bring the table? The table is now your weapon. And defense. I do have a few critiques however. The shield leaves the hand tied up, which could be used for other things, like turning door knobs, pulling along a friend, or shooting a gun. It might be better to strap the table top-turned-buckler to the wrist. Also the metal bracket that rests against the forearm would get to be painful in the long run. You would be better by replacing it with a sturdy strap. I would also like to see it made out of solid aluminum. Aluminum is still light in weight, but will provide a stronger impact. Now all this being said, the shield would have to be able to be ditched in a split second. If it were to get snatched up or stuck somehow you don’t want to be trying to wrench it loose as the hoard gets closer and closer. Some type of quick release would be an absolute necessity if you bring a shield.
In my eyes more of these inventions would be a wonderful thing. It would make traveling during a zombie outbreak safe and comfortable. You can have a portable chair that doubles as a group weapon, with the legs becoming multiple batons. Perhaps it even links together to make a make-shift staff. How about a cot that is collapsible and can fit in a pocket of a backpack? Why? Well because in a pinch it doubles as an evac stretcher.
Now I have searched up and down the internets trying to find more zombie ready furniture. Guess what people… if it’s there, it’s really freaking ninja. This needs to change! We all know the risk of a zombie outbreak. And we need to be prepared. Your task for the month will be to create designs for furniture that can be portable, and useful in a zombie situation. For defense, offence, or medical, I want to see some ingenuity here people. It can just be a conceptual drawing, but you get extra points for detailed plans and a bigger bonus if you actually make a prototype.
Your inventions may save us all!
Here’s what’s at stake people. There will be eight winners chosen for the contest. The Grand Prize winner will receive all six issues of Dead Future in print. That’s right! In mint condition and ready for signings all six issues can be yours! 1st place winner will receive all six issues of Dead Future via digital download. 2nd through 4th place will receive a digital copy of Dead Future #1. And 5th-7th place will receive a free digital download of Dead Future #2 (in my very biased opinion, easily the best issue of the bunch).
And now that you know what’s in it for you, here’s how to enter. It’s simple; follow me on Twitter @PenguinPrince25. Then submit your pictures to me via twitter @PenguinPrince25 by sending me a private message with a link to your pictures. This will keep your submissions from being lost in my thread. But if you want to tweet the pictures… by all means please do that in addition to messaging me. In addition you can post them to our wall on Facebook.
Please keep in mind that by submitting your pictures and concepts to me you attest that the images you use and the inventions you submit are your own property and not borrowed, pirated, taken, stolen, or otherwise illegally obtained by a third party. You also give Grim Crew and me permission to use your images in any way we see fit including but not limited to, posting on blogs, or websites. You will also agree to hold Grim Crew and I harmless for any losses occurred by participation in our contest included but not limited to loss of intellectual property. This contest is also void where prohibited. We are trying to make this fun for people. Please don’t make it hard for us. Capeesh?
So get those submissions it people! Can’t wait to see what you can come up with. And please feel free to tell your friends about our contest, the more the merrier. Dead line for submissions is April 30th. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!
-Till Fate brings our Future
Penguin Prince.
I sit now in a hospital helping out my Grandmother who recently just had surgery. I’ve got to tell you, it’s kind of freaking me out. The hospital is a popular place to start a zombie story for very good reasons. I also have the unexplainable urge to rate buildings on their usefulness in a zombie situation. As anyone who knows the rights and wrongs of where to go during Z-day, you should know that the hospital better be the last on your list. The hospital is to a zombiocolips as the keg party is to you failing that English test.
Why is the hospital last on the list? First and foremost, it will most likely be ground zero for the spread of the infection. Sick people will show up in droves for unexplainable symptoms. Then one by one, as they die, their corpses will reanimate, eating doctors, interns, guards, and nurses. And that would be ok if it were just the Big Bertha nurses… but alas the cute sexy nurses will become zombie food as well. Putting this fact aside, let’s take a closer look at why the hospital would be a bad idea in a zombie attack.
Hellooo Nurse!
Hospitals tend to be rather large buildings. Large buildings with many, many entrances. Unless you have a large group of people who can patrol the halls and entrances to ensure that you aren’t breached, you’re looking at letting the moaners in one way or another. Another thing to take in to consideration is that because hospitals can be on the large side, getting lost in one in a panic is a concern. Unless you are familiar with the floor plan, it’s all too easy to walk down the one hallway that leads you to the hospital morgue, a.k.a. the last place you want to be. Did you watch Silent Hill? Remember the scene where the protagonist was trying to memorize the turns needed to get to the little freaky kid? You don’t want to be reading a map going “right, left, left, right, right,” when Patient Zero is breathing down your neck.
Next time you’re in a hospital, take a look at the doors. Notice anything? Any door that’s not to an office is designed to be easily opened from inside or out. The idea is so you can have immediate access to a patient or, easily get a patient from point “A” to point “B” in an emergency. This is not so great when trying to keep zombies away. Even if you are dealing with the next-to-brain-dead version of zombies, get enough of those buggers pressing up against a door and eventually one of them will hit the right button or lever allowing them to win the proverbial brain jackpot.
View from glass elevator in University of Maryland Medical Center reminded me of the mall scene in L4D2.
Now I will admit that not everything is bad about a hospital. I love those corner mirrors so much, I may install them in my home. To be able to see around a corner will let you know if you are running into a zombie filled hallway would be well worth the investment. If you can flip the beds on their sides, you have an effective barrier, so my suggestion is to jam them into the stairwell and sit tight on a higher level until you can find a way out. And of course, if you know where to look you can come along some really good medical supplies. Although you may want to pass up on the oxycodone. Being spaced out and addicted is not the way to spend your time.
Parts of the same hospital were even under construction... just like the game.
To me it’s not worth the risk. Stay away from the hospitals. The only doctors that could help you would be happy to perform a lobotomy. But if you know how to get to the goods, a good quick scavenger can make bank on the items they could grab, if they can get in and get out without alerting the zombies that are sure to be lurking in every corridor.
So what do you think? I want to hear from you about your opinion on the subject. Leave me a messege in the comments below. Or on Facebook, or our forums at projectfanboy.com
-Till Fate brings our Future
Penguin Prince
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Reading this story (The Game) has gotten me thinking, what would you do in this situation? Let’s break it down. You’re running through a town like the running of the bulls, except instead of bulls it’s a thousand hungry restless sleepers. And let’s face it. Zombies? Much more tenacious. So what’s the point? Are you to get to a specific area? Or just last a certain amount of time? I’ll let you read the story to find out what happens, but if this were happening to us right now, our goal would be to survive as long as possible. So it’s you and a group of people who need to survive in a city with a thousand or more brain munchers after you. You’re unfamiliar with the streets. You don’t know the buildings. You don’t know where the Zed Heads are hiding.
That looks like one hell of a bad day.
Obviously, indoors is a really bad idea. Your movement is restricted. It’s easier to surround you. And the most important thing is you don’t know who, or what is in the building with you. If you go to hide in a closet, and it just so happens that your neighbor, who is gray, is in the closet as well… then you’re screwed. (If you didn’t get that joke I can’t help you.)
Ok, joking aside indoors is a bad idea unless you can guarantee you have straight access to the roof, and can cut out the stairs or ladders to get there. Then you’re safe right? Wrong. Once you’re on that roof, there are other dangers to consider. Anyone who has seen The Hangover knows the dangers of staying on the roof too long. Sunburn, leading to sun poisoning, dehydration, and exposure to the elements are all going to kill you, just not as efficiently as a zombie will.
Staying on the roads is not good for you either. You will spend your entire time running, which will tire you out. Guess what, zombies never tire. They keep going. Like the energizer bunny, or bad infomercials. They just won’t stop. That Slap Chop infomercial? I watched it for like three hours. It was horrifying.
To survive in a city, you will have to get up off the ground. My strategy in this situation would be to find one of two places; a construction site, or a water tower. If you can find a good construction site, you can arm yourself with weapons, and given enough time, create a defensive structure to provide some protection. With any luck, you may find some heavy operating equipment that might prove useful in setting up barricades, or getting you to an out of reach area at the very least.
Clean this sucker out, and that's a defensible location!
A water tower may be better though. If you can find one, you will have access to water, hopefully clean, and you can get yourself out of arm’s reach. As for protection from the elements, you may be able to hide under the tower, depending on construction, to shield you from rain and sun. Some towers you can get inside and hide in, but be careful of this because you will get wet, and depending on your climate, this could be a death sentence.
In the words of Tallahassee, "Thank God for rednecks!"
Now, if you insist on going indoors, you may try to find a Gun Shop. These places will already have some of the basic zombie protections; windows with bars on them, probably a reinforced door, oh and weapons. Loads of weapons. But I say this is still not the best choice. If the gun shop you choose has already been picked over, you have basically locked yourself in a prison with little chance of parole. Your indoor survival will depend on working as a team with your group to lock up the building, and then making sure the entire area is clear of the walking dead. It is recommended you already have weapons before entering the building, making zombie clean up just a little bit easier. Try to find a defensible building with a second floor and open floor plan as small hallways will make it hard to find an escape route.
I guess the best advice I can give someone would be the same advice I would give a starving motorist eyeing that questionable looking diner. Stay away. Don’t even try it. Your guts will thank you.
If anyone else has any suggestions on surviving this scenario, let me know by commenting below, on our Facebook page, or via the Forums.
-Till Fate brings our Future
Penguin Prince.
So I’m thinking we should do a zombie toy review. This will be a regular piece not on toys based on zombies per say (although they might end up here,) but on toys that died, and somehow crawled their unholy carcasses back up from the bottom of our closets to be rediscovered again.
We all have these things. We once loved them. Then we probably loved to hate them (coughbratzcough). And one day someone, or something reminds us of them and we reminisce, or run screaming, whichever is appropriate.
So I find it fitting that this made its way to my desk one day last week.
You know you love him.
OMG! Is that FREAKING GUMBY? What the hell? Why is he on my desk? I can remember watching the claymation cartoon when I was young. It was like my favorite show. Until I realized he could quite literally do ANYTHING he wanted. Including squeezing his head underneath freaking door! That day Gumby went from my hero, to joining the ranks of every hated villain I ever despised. Shredder, Cobra Commander, and that damn doll My Buddy. I mean just watch this video where he drives underage, turns really small and hijacks a train, takes the kidnapped train and shoves it in the back of an ambulance. He then proceeds to steal the ambulance and gets his friend Pokey stuck under a grain dispenser. I’m also convinced his father is part of the Mafia or something because what does he do at the end of it?
He gives his son the same train he abducted earlier. Imagine what happened in between when Gumby’s mother said “Well, your father will bring a train home for you tomorrow,” and when Gumby is going off the rails of his crazy train at the end of the story. I bet it involved some busting of kneecaps and a bit of extortion, with some Tommy Gun action just to round things out.
Now let’s take a closer look at Gumby and you will see why you should dread this clay creature as well. First of all, observe his eyes. Always wide open. Makes him look like he’s constantly hyped up on a mixture of crack and pot. Next, where the hell is his brain? Through all of his morphing, you can never be sure. If Harry Potter ever taught me anything, it’s never trust a talking object if you can’t tell where it keeps it’s brain. Insert snappy joke about hated politician here. If Gumby had ever been infected with the T-virus, we would all be in some deep poo. You can’t kill him. Split him up, and there are two. Best bet is to aim for the hump on his head I say. Finally, if you still aren’t convinced Gumby should be feared observe…
That’s right. Pedo-smile. Hide your kids, hide your horses, and hide your trains, cus Gumby raping everyone out here.
In all seriousness, doing this article has given me an opportunity to rediscover a part of my childhood I nearly forgot. As we approached the mid 90’s we lose Gumby as a child icon to that bastard of a dinosaur (we shall not name names), and quality child programming just went down the crapper from there. Gumby is but a memory on our young, impressionable minds at this point. Now over 15 years later, at least since Nickelodeon has shown the cartoon, an insurance company decided to take the likeness and turn it into an advertising campaign. To me this is the epitome of zombie toys. I still say he’s creepy, but I can’t hate the little green guy, and I hope he will still pop up for generations to come.
So readers, my question for today is, do you have any zombie toys? Leave your responses in the cements below, on our Facebook page, or in our forums at Projectfanboy.com.
-Till Fate brings our Future
Penguin Prince
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Alright! My first game review! I could have tried to review the new Dead Space coming out but because I didn’t, I can’t be blamed for you spending 50 clams on another game, when I’m pointing you to a game for free you can play right now! Take those Semolins and put them into a good crowbar.
Try your hand at not being a waste of air in a zombie situation and get yourself over to www.die2night.com. This is a free browser based game from Motion-Twin where you get to try your hand at building a community that tries NOT to do what the name of the game says. It is unlike any other zombie game I have played before because the emphasis is not on a sole survivor or a small group, but the whole community. The game focuses on working with 30-40 of your temporary closest friends to build a community that doesn’t welcome the walking dead in to an all you can eat buffet. Help out in scavenging the desert in search of useful materials to build your defenses and other nifty items to help you in your short lived quest to not bite the big one.
He lived as he died... a rotten git.
Just like in real life, the key to this game is knowledge of the mechanics and team work. As a new player I cannot stress enough on how important it is to read the guide before you run around the desert looking like a neon sign for a Waffle House to an interstate full of hungry truckers. Learn how the energy system works, and learn what you can and cannot do in a given situation. As this game is only somewhat held in real time, take an extra moment to check the guide, ask the forum or look in the wiki for help. Making rookie mistakes not only will cost you your life, but also the life of the other citizens, as without everyone’s help the town probably will not last more than 3-4 days.
Cooperation is king. Make sure to participate at the forums as much as possible to collaborate on what should be done next. Many citizens are needed to build things and if Mat, Bob, and Sue all spend their AP on 3 different building projects, nothing gets done and there’s a good chance at midnight your leg will be used as an appetizer. But if they all stated in the forum that the Workshop needed to be completed first then they could have used their energy in a more productive manor guaranteeing you at least 2 days of terror instead of just a night.
Working together on a single goal! Just like the Manson Family!
Of course this game intrigues me on another level for the fact that the design is simple, yet leaves room to do what you want. You don’t want to be a team player? You don’t have to be. You want to steal your neighbors’ items and take all the good stuff from the bank to save your own hide? Go right on ahead you selfish prick. You want to lock someone outside the gates with 3 hours left before the hoard comes? You go on with your bad self! Be devious, be destructive, but be prepared for the consequences. Justice in this game is left up to the hoard mentality. The townspeople get the opportunity to file a complaint on you, and with enough complaints, prepare to be shunned or set a swinging on the town gallows. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing mind you. You can be rewarded with distinctions for your devious actions as well as gallant acts of bravery. So go on with your two timing, backstabbing ways. I’m just gonna’ hang ya, so don’t do it to me. Kapeesh?
If you somehow manage to get the Last Man Standing title, you will be awarded with Hero Days. Hero Days allow you to access special actions that can be taken that normal resident can’t use. You also have access to one of the 3 hero classes that give you extra bonuses. Hero Status means a greater chance of staying alive, so this is a coveted distinction. You also have the option of buying hero days if you feel so inclined.
So I’m going to give you a few tips now so you don’t look like a complete douche in your first town. Don’t thank me; just buy a copy of issue 2 of Dead Future, that will be enough.
- Do the Tutorial and read everything you can. You can find approved wiki’s in World Forums.
- Water, food, alcohol, and some drugs refill your AP, but alcohol and drugs have consequences. Use them only as a last resort.
- You start the game with a free food ration so you can have a potential of 18+ AP on the first day (6 at start, 6 for food, 6 for water). Use them wisely.
- Conserve your water. You only have to drink every other day to prevent dehydration if you plan it right. Store your extra rations in the bank for later projects!
- Read the Forums for ideas of what to do. If you don’t know, ask. Good experienced players will take the lead and dictate projects to be done.
- DON’T FORGET TO SHUT THE GAIT sometime during the last hour before the attack. An open gait means no protection from town defenses. This sucks. I know.
- Always build a tent, but for the love of all that is holy and some of the bad things we love oh so much, leave huddles for later. Huddles provide more protection but cost scarce materials that can be used for town projects. Building a huddle is a good way to get your sorry carcass shunned.
The ever watching Crow, dishing out the new day's dirt.
Finally I leave you with this sound advice. You will die. Don’t whine about it you pansy. You come back in a new town with a new chance. You gain points while playing that add to your soul, this is the ultimate point of the game. More points you have, the better you are, and the better your chances of being paired with better, more experienced players.
This game gets 4 out of 5 stars. As a browser game it is compelling and addictive. The more you participate and get into it, the more you will enjoy it. This game is more of a text based game that and provides a rich enjoyable experience while being simple enough for even inexperienced players to understand what is going on. The navigation of the game can use some improvements to make it easier to access all available and necessary screens from wherever you are, but this does not hinder you once you understand the current navigation setup. I recommend this game to all zombie enthusiasts due to the successful way it teaches you the priorities of group living in an apocalypse. So do us all a favor. Go Die2Night. Then tell me what you think by leaving your comments below, on our Facebook page, or in our forums at www.projectfanboy.com.
-Till Fate Brings our Future
Penguin Prince
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Tonight I think we will discuss another website with as much love for the undead as us. If you dare, take a trip on over to zombies.monstrous.com, and feast your eyes on an extensive amount of information available on zombies, aliens, vampires, ghosts, and other beasties. I have just spent several hours rooting though the site and I’ve got to tell you, it has a little bit of everything. If you love seeing the weird and unexplained in the news, their news section features hundreds of articles and posts on everything from alien sightings, to two headed cows.
All my dreams about an absolutely horrific end are coming alive.
The information posted seams a little basic and I wished they had went into more detail, especially with the zombie origins. But what it lacked in details, it made up for in variety. It covers almost all origin theories that I have found, and even a few I have not. For instance aliens as a cause for zombification intrigues me and I would like to research that avenue a little further. It makes reference to several movies that depict the specific origin, so if you want to discover something new, it’s easy to look up.
The Apocalypse section will probably be of most interest to the average zombie fan. It details information on a zombie apocalypse with details on survival and warfare. Although different types ofzombies will all require a different method of survival, this section gives you the general basics with the thinking that if you are prepared for a zombie apocalypse, you will be prepared for any disaster.
The crowning jewel of this website however was the extensive gallery. Featuring pictures from movies,artists and zombie events from all around the world; it calls for a quick scroll through if you ever get a chance. I have found many points of reference here and hope to make my costume for the next convention a little more morbid than this…
A most ugly zombie indeed.
The last thing I will mention about this site is how I’m disappointed in the literature section for Zombies. Although the book section does list many books that have zombies in them, its comics section is ratherlacking. I mean it doesn’t even mention the greatest zombie comic series at all (see above).
Anywho, I give monstrous.com 4.5 out of 5 stars for its overall love of everything monster related and itsgreat variety of information which will have me returning to the site to read more and more. I hope inthe future they expand with more details and in depth research into the zombie category specificity. If they keep posting pictures like the one below I will defiantly be back.
Baby, you can feast on my rotting corpse anytime.
Till Fate brings our Future
Penguin Prince
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So why zombies? There are a good variety of monsters out there we could have created comics out of. Heck, we could have just done an anthology of all the monsters out there, so why zombies specifically? I see it this way, every zombie is different and unique, just like the human they used to be. Although they all share the same common aspects that make up the undead, rotting flesh, slack jaws, a resistance to Ambien… each one has its own features that make it different from the moaner next to it. One’s missing it’s jaw, the other an eye, one drags it’s broken leg behind it, while another drags it’s torso by its arms, legs severed in a battle long ago.
Look, it says right here on the label, "Do not use if undead."
And just as each zombie is different, each zombie story will be unique and different. We can poke fun at them, like in Shawn of the Dead. Another story can scare the living daylights out of us, like Night of the Dead. Other stories show the heroic side of survivors, like Resident Evil, and others the not so heroic side, like in 28 Days Later. And even though we are all fighting the same enemy, sometimes the enemy can remind us all too clearly of what it truly means to be human, like in Fido.
"It's funny because it's British."
You see this anthology lets us show all of the sides of the classic zombie stories, and provides a great challenge on how we can tell new stories with some of the same characters. I hope you have enjoyed our stories so far and will continue to enjoy them in the future. Keep in mind we are doing this a little bit backwards from your common web-comic, all of our stories are already complete and just waiting for the updates. If you don’t want to wait to find out what happens to your favorite protagonist, feel free to purchase your own copy from our “Support Us” links. It’s just $.99 for a digital download, and $3.99 to have your very own copy mailed to you direct from the printer.
Okay, enough of the shameless plugs. I want to know what are your favorite kinds of zombie stories. Leave your responses below, on our Facebook page, or at our forums at www.projectfanboy.com.
Till Fate brings our Future…
Penguin Prince
