A beloved animated classic joins one of 2016’s most popular shows, while a batch of Japanese niche games hit console disc. All of these and more in this week’s Amazon roundup!
September begins with some big things happening around Laser Time HQ! We’ve got the much-awaited Ernest Laser Time episode, a bunch of new videos (including an Ernest TV special commentary), and some sweet content exclusive to our Patrons, like Talking Simpsons’ Season 3 wrapup! This week’s Amazon releases are quite as epic as our current goings-on, but there’s some big Blu-ray releases alongside some obscure Japanese games that might pique your interest. As we approach the holiday season, keep in mind if you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you’ll save 20% on new or pre-order retail games we link to (read: not digital codes). Why wait for a deep discount when you get one at launch?! Anywho, here’s this week best new games and movies!
Even without a true blue new Elder Scrolls game in the pike, this year is shaping up to be a big one for Bethesda’s flagship fantasy franchise. ESO has carved out a pretty decent following on PC and consoles since its release in 2015, and it’s now been definitive-ized ahead of Skyrim’s upcoming remaster. If you’ve ever wanted to swap out the many eclectic Elder Scrolls characters you run into with real (online) humans, ESO:GE is your best bet! In addition to the PS4 version above, there’s also an Xbox One and PC versions for your online adventuring needs. You won’t have to spend all your gold for this Gold Edition if you have Amazon Prime, as you’ll save 20% on your order!
Now here’s an oddity; a game headed to multiple PlayStation platforms… but not PS4?! That’s a result of XSEED working through the massive backlog of The Legend of Heroes series, which has 13 releases in Japan over the last 27 years, while America has only had seven. Any JRPG that’s held a following for that long has done so for good reason, and you can enjoy the second entry in the Trials of Cold Steel trilogy over three years after its original Japanese release. In addition to the Vita version shown above, you can also follow the trails to a PS3 version. You won’t have to spend too much Cold Hard Cash on this game, as purchasing TLOH:TOCS2 with an Amazon Prime subscription saves 20%!
Here’s a good rule of thumb for Japanese games; if the cover features very big art of an anime girl it’s either devoted to a J-Pop idol or it’s a smokescreen for a space shooter. Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet is the latter, bringing the under-utilized genre to the PS4 in a big way (well, bigger than the download-only method that most shmups take). True to form, you can expect insane gameplay and screens full of fire as bullet hell games are wont to do. If you’re willing to spend a little more, ten extra bucks goes a long way as there’s a Limited Edition that includes an exclusive art book, soundtrack CD, and oodles (yes, oodles) of DLC. It’ll be a savings ballet if you have Amazon Prime, as you’ll get 20% off this shmup with the aforementioned subscription.
Man, when it comes to Ubisoft games, they Just Won’t Stop! Having ruled the dancing roost with Just Dance (much to the chagrin of Dance Central fans who expected quality to beat quantity), Just Sing is the French developer’s foray into karaoke. Just Like… how JD has moved the dance game away from peripherals, Just Sing is also playable without any controllers, using the tech inside your smartphone. There’s plenty of song choices; in addition to the PS4 version shown above, there’s also an Xbone version. If you’d like to “Just Save,” buying Ubisoft’s karaoke compilation is 20% cheaper with an Amazon Prime subscription!
It’s taken almost two decades, but it looks as if Iron Giant is finally getting it’s due. Well, sort of. This version of The Iron Giant, the Signature Edition, a new version with two minutes of restored footage (shut up, it’s a big deal) screened theatrically in September of last year, has been available digitally since February of this one, and finally comes home to folks too stubborn to accept anything but the WHIIIIIIIIR of a physical disc. I’m not judging you, I had my eye on the special edition of this mistreated classic, but couldn’t justify it. $9.99, though? I’m all over that. Before Brad Bird and Vin Diesel were household names, they brought the world one of the last modern masterpieces of modern animation. Do I really need to sell you on Iron Giant at this point?! If you’re not already in the know… Maybe fuck off and go away? Sorry, but that’s always been part of the movie’s problem. It’s one of the last great marvel sof 2D animation. Warner Bros. believed in it enough to make it, complete it, but totally dropped the ball in getting into people’s eyeballs. Since then, it’s been championed by people far better, smarter than me, run in 24-hour blocks during holiday seasons, been co-opted as part of a minor meme, and even giving it another legitimate DVD restoration in the waning days of that medium. If you refuse to care at this point, maybe you’re part of the problem? Give Hogarth a shot, or just go to the next entry already! – CHRIS ANTISTA
Who would have thought that one of the most critically-acclaimed shows of 2016 would come from one of the trashiest stories of the mid-90s? Well, the trashiest story that wasn’t in a ring and recapped by Keith David, at least. The People vs. OJ Simpson was all over our Best of 2016 (So Far) Laser Time, and for good reason! It has a terrific All-Star cast (where Cuba Gooding Jr.’s OJ is the weakest link, oddly), the episodes are focused on specific elements of the trial so that it doesn’t end up as drawn out as the actual court case, and the gender/racial/class issues brought up in this retelling are just as vital now as they were when the trial unfolded in 1995.
Hey, speaking of trashy stuff from the 90s, WWE’s Hardcore Championship was LITERALLY fights where dudes would hit each other with garbage while fighting in hallways, bathrooms, and parking lots! While most folks don’t look back so fondly at the alternating jokey/brutal fights that wrestlers had for the broken belt during WWE’s Attitude Era, the preview on the WWE Network shows some of the strengths; a roundtable discussion amongst Hardcore legends Mick Foley, Raven, and Rob Van Dam, as well as a focus on some of the more hard-fought bouts like the technical/weapons-based bouts that RVD and some of the later Hardcore Champs took part in.
UPCOMING VIDEO GAME PRE-ORDERS!
SPECIAL ALERT! IF YOU HAVE AMAZON PRIME, YOU GET 20% OFF MOST PRE-ORDERS! KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN BUYING THROUGH US!
Kingdom Hearts III
Gears of War 4
Call of Duty Infinite Warfare PS4 Legacy Edition
Dishonored 2: Limited Edition
Watch Dogs 2: Gold Edition
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim Special Edition
Pokemon Sun and Moon Steelbook Dual Pack
Mafia III
The Iron Giant versus OJ Simpson, the guy people couldn’t shut up about in the 1990s? The Iron Giant is worth it.