Category: Culture

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 review: The best gets better

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a brilliant reimagination of two iconic Tony Hawk games.

The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series has a complicated legacy. The first few games in the series are among the most critically acclaimed video games ever released – THPS 2’s review metascore ranks second all-time behind only Ocarina of Time – but later releases couldn’t quite match that standard, and then extreme sports games largely disappeared during the current console generation. The last numbered entry in the series, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, released in 2015 and was a disaster, and a previous attempt to remaster the classic games (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD) couldn’t capture the magic of the original.

For more than a decade, the best (and only) way to get your Tony Hawk fix has been to track down ancient consoles and discs – but you can finally ditch that old PlayStation and CRT TV. With the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, developer Vicarious Visions has brilliantly reimagined two of the best action sports titles of all time for the modern age, while also delivering an authentic gameplay experience that feels exactly the way THPS should.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 combines all of the locations from the first two games in the series, and while each level has been given massive graphical upgrades, you’ll instantly feel at home. The Warehouse is still The Warehouse, it just looks better than any skateboarding game has before. You progress through each game just as you did in the originals, completing a series of challenges in each level – from setting Sick scores and collecting S-K-A-T-E to grinding specific rails and jumping over bums in Venice – to unlock new stages.

The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 roster includes current-day versions of all the skaters in the original rosters, from Bob Burnquist to Rodney Mullen, along with a few new additions to the series, including superstar Nyjah Huston. Each skater has stats you can upgrade by finding floating symbols hidden in each level, along with specific boards and gear you can unlock by completing character-specific challenges. You can also create your own skater and outfit him with any of the various pieces of gear you’ve unlocked. In all, there’s a ton of things to collect and unlock.

THPS 1 + 2 adds even more replayability with a multiplayer mode, which will allow you to compete against your friends or other random players for the highest run score or best combo, and also with a Create-A-Park feature, which will likely lead to an endless amount of excellently designed stages from the community. You’ll need to gradually unlock items to create the stage of your dreams, but with the ability to play any park other players have uploaded, you can also just sit back and play the best creations from amateur designers.

One of the most important aspects of any Tony Hawk game is the soundtrack, and the playlist for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 combines most of the best tracks from the first two games, along with more recent tracks from artists like Machine Gun Kelly and Skepta. Yes, “Superman” made the cut, and it’s glorious.

Whether you want to call it a remaster or a remake, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 sets a new bar, and hopefully sets the stage for an upcoming revision of THPS 3. This is Tony Hawk Pro Skater at its best, and for the first time in a long time, fans of the series won’t be disappointed by a new release.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 releases on Friday, September 4th on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. FTW reviewed the PC version.

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See the thrilling new trailer for ‘No Time To Die,’ Daniel Craig’s final Bond movie

‘No Time To Die’ is coming to theaters in November.

Daniel Craig’s sendoff performance as James Bond in No Time To Die was originally supposed to hit theaters worldwide in April, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the blockbuster release to be delayed.

On Thursday, a new trailer for No Time To Die confirmed that the movie will release in theaters in November, and also showed some new footage of director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s thrill ride. The official release date is November 20th, and while it remains to be seen if you’ll be able to actually see the film in theaters nationwide on that date, there are many states that have already reopened movie theaters.

Craig stars in his fifth Bond movie, alongside Lea Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas, Rami Malek and Christolph Waltz.

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‘Tiger King’ star Carole Baskin joins 2020 ‘Dancing With The Stars’ cast

See the 2020 Dancing With The Stars cast.

One of the biggest breakout reality show icons of 2020 is headed to Dancing With The Stars. On Wednesday morning, Good Morning America revealed that 59-year-old Carole Baskin, Joe Exotic’s arch-nemesis in Netflix’s must-watch documentary series Tiger King, will bring her unique flair to a cast that also includes former NFL and NBA players.

Even if you haven’t watched Tiger King yet – and you should – you’re probably familiar with Baskin. She’s the extremely polarizing person who became a living meme on social media earlier this year for addressing her followers as “cool cats and kittens,” and also for allegedly feeding her husband to tigers, according to Joe Exotic.

In case you’re wondering what Carole has been up to since the show, she has a daily video series where she recites entries from her old diary.

The 2020 DWTS cast also includes:

  • Monica Aldama
  • Kaitlyn Bristowe
  • Vernon Davis
  • Anne Heche
  • Skai Jackson
  • Justina Machado
  • Jeannie Mai
  • AJ McLean
  • Jesse Metcalfe
  • Nelly
  • Charles Oakley
  • Nev Schulman
  • Chrishell Stause
  • Johnny Weir

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David Blaine is going to float into the sky holding balloons and you can watch on YouTube

David Blaine will attempt one of his wildest stunts on Wednesday.

Magician David Blaine is scheduled to attempt one of his wildest stunts ever on Wednesday, and you can watch the entire process live on YouTube.

Inspired by the idea of grabbing onto balloons and floating up into the sky out of sight, Blaine will do just that – strapping himself to a cluster of balloons and going up as high as he can. Blaine has said he hopes to ascend to the height of Mount Everest – around 29,000 feet – before skydiving back to the surface.

To prepare for the feat, Blaine had to become a licensed pilot and learn how to fly all manner of balloons, and also become an expert skydiver, making hundreds of jumps in recent months. Blaine had originally planned to take off from New York City, but announced earlier this week that the location had been shifted to Arizona.

Blaine’s Ascension does not have a firm start time, as the flight is extremely dependent upon wind conditions, but the live stream has already begun.

You can watch the live stream of Ascension below.

 

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Chadwick Boseman’s Marvel Cinematic Universe co-stars pay tribute to the ‘Black Panther’ star

Gone too soon.

Chadwick Boseman’s death was a shock to everyone. Not just his fans, but the co-stars that he’s worked with over the years as well.

The Associated Press reports that Boseman learned he had Stage 3 Colon Cancer in 2016. From that point on, he had starred in multiple Marvel films including “Black Panther,” “Captain America: Civil War,” as well as both “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” plus more films outside of the MCU. He was incredibly strong.

After learning about his tragic passing, the stars of the MCU both on and off the screen mourned him and shared some of their favorite memories with Boseman.

View this post on Instagram

“It was meant to be for Chadwick and me to be connected, for us to be family. But what many don’t know is our story began long before his historic turn as Black Panther. During the premiere party for Black Panther, Chadwick reminded me of something. He whispered that when I received my honorary degree from Howard University, his alma mater, he was the student assigned to escort me that day. And here we were, years later as friends and colleagues, enjoying the most glorious night ever! We’d spent weeks prepping, working, sitting next to each other every morning in makeup chairs, preparing for the day together as mother and son. I am honored that we enjoyed that full circle experience. This young man’s dedication was awe-inspiring, his smile contagious, his talent unreal. So I pay tribute to a beautiful spirit, a consummate artist, a soulful brother…”thou aren’t not dead but flown afar…”. All you possessed, Chadwick, you freely gave. Rest now, sweet prince.” #WakandaForever

A post shared by Angela Bassett (@im.angelabassett) on

Rest in power, Chadwick.

‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman dies at 43 after battle with Cancer and fans everywhere collectively mourned

This is unreal.

Chadwick Boseman has left this world far too soon. The “Black Panther” star passed away at just 43 years old after a four year battle with colon cancer.

Boseman meant so much to so many. His work was so important. It meant so much — specifically for Black people in America. He constantly took on iconic roles playing prominent Black figures, some fictional and some not.

His most prominent role was in the 2018 Marvel film “Black Panther” as T’Challa, the king of Wakanda. Finally, we got a superhero movie with a majority Black cast and an African protagonist. It was also written and directed by a Black director in Ryan Coogler. And Boseman was the one at the center of it all.

It didn’t stop there, though. He also played Jackie Robinson in “42,” Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall” and James Brown in “Get on Up.” All historic and prominent Black icons. All roles Boseman took on — some while battling cancer. That’s just incredible strength from a man who undoubtedly became an icon in his own right.

His passing was announced via his Twitter account on Friday night.

Everyone collectively mourned.

Some remembered the inspirational messages he left for us.

And some remembered the iconic roles he played.

Others remembered the moments of pure joy that he gave people — both on and off the screen.

After remembering everything he gave us, some put his legacy into perspective. This tweet captures that, perfectly.

Well said. Rest in peace, Chadwick Boseman. Gone too soon, but never forgotten.

‘The New Mutants’: What early reviews are saying about the new Marvel film

The new Marvel movie pulls from the X-Men universe. Here’s what critics are saying about the film.

The new Marvel film The New Mutants is out today for anyone brave enough to venture to the cinema. The studio has kept this film close to the vest, and we’re just now starting to see early reviews for the movie, which was originally slated to be released on April 13, 2020.

(The film got delayed, because, well, the world kinda fell apart there for a few months there. It remains so, but apparently they’re releasing it all the same.)

The film is directed by Josh Boone, who previously helmed the teen weeper The Fault in Our Stars. This film takes the X-Men universe into the horror direction, with a plot based on five teens who are held captive in a secret facility and must fight their way out.

Before we dive in to the reviews, we should note that many outlets, including RogerEbert.com, IndieWire, and the Boston Globe refused to review the film because they weren’t sent advanced screeners and didn’t feel comfortable seeing the film in a theater during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For those critics that did see the film, the early reviews are … not great. Rotten Tomatoes currently has the film at a 20% critic score and 58% audience score, which is a good old fashioned stinker if I’ve ever seen one.

Some excerpts:

Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail

Hertz writes “It is difficult to pinpoint exactly where Boone goes wrong, because there are just so many options to choose from,” in his 1.5 star review.

Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter

Mintzer gives kudos to the film’s female leads in his review, but ultimately writes that the film is “generic” and that “director Josh Boone’s adaptation of the Marvel spin-off comic series is a Marvel movie spinoff in its own right, making vague references to the X-Men franchise but attempting to stand on its own. Unfortunately it rarely does.”

Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics

In his 2.5 star review, Hopson gives credit for a “serviceable superhero horror story” that unfortunately gets bogged down by “embarrassingly clunky dialogue.”

Hope Madden of Maddwolf

In a review delightfully titled “The Kids Are Not Alright,” Madden writes that “New Mutants is a film trying too hard to cash in on proven youth market formulas, but the concoction fizzles. It doesn’t really work as an angsty romance, misses the mark as a horror movie and never for a minute feels like a superhero flick.”

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See the reveal trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

This is looking great.

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War reveal trailer dropped on Wednesday ahead of the game’s scheduled release on November 13th, giving gamers a glimpse of what next-gen Call of Duty will look like on PS5.

Cold War is a sequel to the original Black Ops, released in 2010. The announcement says that Cold War is set in the 1980s, but seems to jump around different periods of history, with a flashback to the Vietnam War.

A Cold War multiplayer reveal is set for Wednesday, September 9th. Cold War will also include a new zombies mode that has yet to be revealed.

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Twitter reacts to TimTheTatman finally winning a game of Fall Guys

He did it!

If you were wondering why “HE DID IT!” was trending on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, it’s because Twitch streamer Tim The Tatman finally won a game of Fall Guys with more than 300,000 viewers watching. If you have no idea what any of that means, allow me to explain.

Fall Guys is a smash hit battle royale style platformer video game, where 60 people compete to be the last adorable little character standing. Imagine you’re controlling a character through the TV Series Wipeout, and you have Fall Guys. It’s a game anyone can play, and it’s hugely addicting to try to earn the elusive crown for winning a round.

Twitch star TimTheTatman started playing Fall Guys last week and endured day after day of failures. Whenever he came close to a victory, he would inevitably be one of the final players eliminated. Within days, TimTheTatman losing in Fall Guys became a Twitch meme.

On Wednesday, TimTheTatman finally picked up his first W, and Twitter celebrated.

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Why Jemele Hill and Cari Champion won’t ‘stick to sports’

“We’re an example of a lot of black women who are seizing their own power and not waiting for someone to hand it to them,” Hill said.

When their new show ‘Cari & Jemele: Stick To Sports’ debuts on Vice on Wednesday night at 10pm, Jemele Hill and Cari Champion will occupy a rare space in the media landscape as two Black women hosting their own late night talk show.

Men, especially white men, have long occupied this space and Hill and Champion’s entry into the field is something the genre sorely needs.

“We’re an example of a lot of black women who are seizing their own power and not waiting for someone to hand it to them,” Hill said of the decision to do the show with Vice TV. “We’re going to say what we want loudly and not worry about what people think about it.”

She and Champion, friends since their days at ESPN, see the unique moment the country is in right now and how sports has become a vital platform for social change.

“Sports is one of the few things that we still do together,” Champion said. “We’re a very separate society in most of the areas of our lives. With sports, you have people of different economic backgrounds, ethnicities and genders rooting for the same thing. Introducing these ideas through sports allows you to have a much wider conversation than you would have through just politics.”

As sports has ramped up through the pandemic, social protests on field have continued, a sharp rebuke to those who suggest athletes should keep their focus on the field

“I think the ‘stick to sports’ mentality has been totally terminated,” Champion said. “The people who wanted that, they were always a very loud minority, but now…the toothpaste is out of the tube. It can’t really go back. It was always built under a false presumption that was intellectually dishonest anyway. These things have always mixed together, it’s always been scrambled together. It’s not like sports is happening on the moon and we’re out here dealing with real life.”

The movement seems particularly vital right now as the country heads into the 2020 election and wrestles with making significant steps towards achieving racial justice.

“So many athletes are being so vocal about these issues. I’ve been very impressed with younger players in the NBA because they see what’s at stake, they get why voting is so important, why they need to vote like their life depends on it,” Champion said.

“These are all things —sports, culture, politics —which people think we have to separate into different boxes, but we know there’s an intersection and we can show everyone how they work together,” Hill said.

And now that the floodgates are open, athletes have to take the next step from visual protests to doing more.

“All of these leagues are getting it,” Champion said. “For people to even acknowledge what’s going on it the country is a win. Now, we need you to be more than just an ally. We need you to help us disrupt. By disruptive I mean it’s time to make people uncomfortable. We need to change [expletive.]”

Sports has always been political and Hill said she was surprised by the number of white athletes who have chosen to speak up during this moment, citing the NHL and NASCAR standing in solidarity after Black driver Bubba Wallace found a noose in his stall.

“I didn’t think we’d see conversations about social justice or Black Lives Matter, in, of all places, the NHL,” Hill said. “Look at what happened in NASCAR with Bubba Wallace. There were a lot of drivers who I couldn’t have imagined saying the things that they said after what happened to Wallace.”

At the very least, this tumultuous period has all brought people to a different point in the racial conversation, and both Hill and Champion are committed to keeping that going.

“Where we are now, sticking to sports isn’t possible,” Champions said. “I don’t see us going back.”