Final Batman v Superman Trailer is a knockout

Bat's more like it

I won't lie, the last Batman v Superman trailer really doused my enthusiasm for the project; it looked incredibly hokey, and was so different in tone to the original teaser I thought I was looking at a completely different movie. Thankfully, the latest, and final, Batman v Supes trailer is more in line with that first slice of footage we got, with plenty of dramatic dialogue and bone-breaking action.

That action is firmly focused on the Dark Knight, opening with a fast and furious montage of the Caped Crusader clearing out a room full in brutal fashion. Unlike the slightly stiff-necked caped crusader of old, this Batman looks pretty spry, Snyder's liberal use of CGI and stunt-work finally giving us a live-action Bats that looks just as formidable as his comic book counterpart.

Once again, Supes seems to be playing second fiddle to Batfleck, but he does get one of the most memorable scenes in the trailer - just check out the look of incredulity on his face when Bats stops his super-powered punch cold. If that doesn't light up your bat signal, nothing will.

In among all the action there's also a potential tease for one of DC biggest bads, the dastardly Darkseid. Is this a harmless ol' easter egg, or a set-up for a possible appearance in the upcoming Justice League movie? Time will tell.

Luckily we won't have to wait long to find out as Batman v Superman; Dawn of Justice launches on March 25.

The Many Faces of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Best (and Worst) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Designs

Change is constant in the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a franchise which has managed to stay at the forefront of popular culture for over three decades, undergoing numerous re-jigs, remakes and reinterpretations in the process. The main players - a lean, mean, green incredible team with elite ninja skills and sweet headbands- may always be the same, but the Turtle’s formula has undergone some pretty radical changes over time, mutating from a hard-edged, satirical superhero comic into a cosy, kid-centric Saturday morning cartoon, and back again. Since I’ve been alive - which, coincidentally, is the same number of years that the Turtles have been kicking shell - this awesome foursome have left no corner of the media untouched and undergone some great, and not so great, transformations in the process.

This feature takes a peek under the sewer lid and shines a light on some of the Half-Shell Heroes’ best and worst incarnations from across comics, film, TV and videogames.

The First Turtle

Back when TMNT creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird first started out, the pair would entertain themselves by trying to one-up each other's sketches. One such doodle, drawn by Eastman, depicted a rather dumpy turtle kitted out in ninja gear, nunchucks strapped to its stubby paws and a bandana wrapped around its head.

Laird got a kick out of this little guy, which Eastman had called a ‘Ninja Turtle’, and drew his own, more polished, version.

Determined not to be outdone, Eastman took up his pencil and drew another sketch. Featuring four grumpy looking amphibians in matching bandanas brandishing various lethal weapons, this sketch would become the blueprint for the version of the Turtles we all know and love today.

The Mirage Years

With no other projects in the pipeline, Laird and Eastman took their sketch of the Teenage Mutant Turtles and began building a story around them. Their initial plan was to release a one-off comic book describing the Turtle’s journey from tiny terrapins to mutant masters of the martial arts.

Told across forty action-packed pages, the origin introduced many familiar elements, including the mysterious mutagen that gave the Turtle’s their powers, their mentor and father figure, Splinter, and their arch-nemesis Shredder. Well, I say nemesis, but unlike his animated counterpart who was a constant thorn in the Turtle's shells, the original Shredder’s career as a supervillain was cut short by Leonardo’s sword in the comic's very first issue.

Yup, these Turtle’s weren’t afraid to get their three-fingered hands dirty, killing if necessary. That grittier tone is reflected in the artwork itself, which is rendered in stark black and white with smoggy grays added for depth and texture.

Initially, the Turtles looked extremely Turtle-like, sporting beaky noses, more rotund shells and skinnier limbs. By about 1986, though, their designs had lost some of that earlier gangliness, adopting squatter, more compact physiques; the beaks were also dumped, although the Turtle’s trademark grimaces remained.

Animation Domination

Recognising the Turtle’s merchandising potential, Playmates teamed up with Eastman and Laird to produce a series of action figures based on the fledgling comic book. In order to differentiate the Turtles from one another, Playmates, in conjunction with animation studio Murakami-Wolf-Swenson, decided to address the awesome foursome’s clashing wardrobes. They hit upon the idea of giving each Turtle their very own colour scheme - Leo was now blue, Donnie a flattering shade of purple, Michelangelo orange, and Raphael classic red - and shiny new belt buckles with their initials on.

Aside from these cosmetic changes, the Turtle’s overall appearance was also completely retooled. Gone were the scowling, white-eyed bruisers of the comics, replaced with a quartet of softer, slightly more appealing mutants. The Turtles also gained a love of Italian food, particularly pizza, and the difference in their personalities was more exaggerated.

Creature Feature

Although the Turtles were big business by the nineties, there was another comic book character waiting in the wings to steal their thunder. That character was DC’s Batman, undergoing a huge resurgence in popularity thanks to Tim Burton’s movie starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Mark Freedman, the man responsible for much of the Turtle’s licensing success, quickly realised that the TMNT had to beat Batman at his own game if they wanted stay on top of the merchandising heap, and started shopping around the idea of a movie.

Surprisingly, given its massive popularity at the time, the main movers and shakers in Hollywood expressed little interest in bankrolling a TMNT movie. With none of the big studios willing to put their necks on the line, the movie was made independently with a budget of just $13 million (a little over a third of Batman’s). Despite their lack of resources, the filmmakers didn’t skimp when it came to realising the Turtles themselves, employing the services of Jim Henson and his legendary Creature Workshop to give the guys their bigscreen makeover

Henson’s crew brought the Turtles to life via a mix of full-body prostheses and cutting-edge (at the time) animatronics. The end result was pretty impressive, and although these Turtles may look a little outdated to our CGI-jaded eyes, they still hold up well today.

Tour-ture

Following the success of the live-action movie, it was decided that the Turtles should trade their weapons for musical instruments and hit the road as part of an all-singing, all-dancing musical tour. This questionable enterprise was dubbed the 'Coming Out of Their Shells Tour' and saw the Turtles, along with April, Shredder and Splinter, travel the length and breadth of the globe spreading music and merriment. That was the theory, anyway. In reality, this garish spectacle was more painful to sit through than a root canal.The music was bad enough, but the Turtles themselves looked positively nightmarish, sporting glassy-eyed stares, rictus grins and outfits that would have made Judas Priest blush.

Image Problem

In the mid-nineties the Turtle’s left their longtime home at Mirage and joined the Image Comics stable. Peter Laird gave control of the property to a whole new creative team, encouraging them to put their own spin on the material. What followed was one of the most tempestuous and polarising chapters in Turtles history.

While it only lasted 23 issues, the Turtles underwent some pretty extreme changes during their tenure at Image; Splinter was transformed into a giant bat, Leonardo got one of his hands bitten off, Raphael was horribly disfigured before going on to become the new leader of the Foot Clan, and Donatello was killed only to be reborn as a cyborg. Of all the Turtles, Mikey was the only one that managed to get through all 23 issues without being maimed, mutilated or mutated.

This obscure chapter in the Turtles' history has proved divisive among Turtles fans and, as a result, has never been reprinted. Tellingly, when it came time for Peter Laird to resurrect the TMNT comic book in 2001, he brought the brothers back to their roots and ignored the Image continuity completely. 

God Dammit, Jim!

Beautiful fanart of some awful designs by artist joshdancato

If you want to see how bad comic book character design was during the nineties - an era infamous for its bulging muscles, big guns and billions upon billions of pouches -look no further than these bizarre Turtles redesigns from superstar scribbler, Jim Lee. Designed during the mid-nineties as part of Savage Dragon/TMNT crossover toy line, these figures were so unsuccessful only three of the four Turtles were ever produced, leaving poor old Leo (who looks a bit like a dime-store Thor) out in the cold. In hindsight, this was probably for the best. 

The Next Generation

What's better than four Ninja Turtles? Five Ninja Turtles, of course! At least, that's what the producers behind the woeful live-action TV series The Next Mutation believed. Yup, this show not only gave the Turtles faintly embarrassing new costumes, but a whole new member of the family. Venus, as she was known, became separated from her brothers after their fateful encounter with a vat of mutagen, growing up in Chinatown. Suffice it to say, this new addition to the Turtle family didn't go over well with longtime fans, particularly co-creator Peter Laird who has gone on record saying he regrets the series was ever made. 

Reanimated

In 2003, the Turtles returned to the small screen with an animated series that was a lot edgier and more action-packed than its predecessor. As part of the update, the Turtles underwent a slight redesign, sporting a look that was heavily influenced by the angular, Noir-inspired style in vogue at the time. 

Virtual Reality

For their fourth movie outing, the Turtles stepped away from traditional 2-D animation to star in their own CGI adventure. To complement the move from 2D to 3D,  the brothers four were given a fresh lick of paint. This was also one of the first times the Turtles sported major physiological differences: Leo was lithe and athletic, Raphael was squat and muscular, and Michelangelo was given a more innocent appearance.

New Beginnings

IDW's Turtles reboot is the place to be if you're a Turtles fan; written by Tom Waltz and TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, it re-purposes a lot of the existing mythology and story lines from the Turtles' many film, TV, and comic book appearances, whilst also throwing a lot of its own ideas and inventions into the mix. It's the perfect combination of old and new; nostalgic without feeling derivative, and with enough twists and turns to keep even die-hard TMNT fans on their toes. It has also been home to some wonderful artwork courtesy of some extremely talented artists. 

For the most part, the look of the Turtles in the new series has been quite traditional, sticking closely to the designs first laid down by Eastman and Laird thirty years ago. There have been one or two artists willing to break with tradition, however, taking these classic characters and adding their own unique spin. My personal favourite would have to be Sophie Campbell, whose interpretation of the Turtles manages to somehow be cute and completely badass all at once. It may not be everyone's slice of pizza, but I love seeing the Turtles looking this vibrant and expressive.

Most people would agree that the the most influential penciller working on the current IDW series is Mateus Santolouco. Joining the team as part of the Secret History of the Foot Clan miniseries, the Brazilian artist decided to shake things up by giving the Turtles a complete overhaul. This involved giving each of the four brothers their own distinct physical features, a tastefully redesigned costume, and a new bandana, shaped to reflect their inner personality. 

Marvel's Lego Avengers Red Brick Locations Guide

If you want to rack up enough studs to buy some of the more expensive vehicles and characters in Marvel's Lego Avengers, a stud multiplier or three definitely helps. Before attempting to snag these precious power-ups we recommend beating the main campaign, which gives you access to Scarlet Witch, The Vision (who can slip through grates to access new areas) and Ultron, whose cosmic power is needed to bust open shiny black blocks. You will also need a character with the dig ability; we recommend Moon Boy, who can be found milling around the Burton Farm hub with Devil Dinosaur.

Below you'll find a list of each red brick's location as well as instructions on how to unlock it. Once you pick up a brick, you will need to head on over to The Collector's room located inside the Shield Helicarrier, buy it with your hard-earned studs and then activate it from the Extras menu.

Finding The Collector's Room

If you're having trouble finding The Collector's location, here are some directions to help you along. First, get yourself onboard the Helicarrier (found in the skies above Manhattan) and take the circular elevator down to the control room. From there, exit via the door on the left hand side, then head up the corridor and into the first room on your right. You should now find yourself in a small room with a glowy portal-thing at the top,simply  head through this to access The Collector's room.

Red Bricks Location Guide

Attract Studs
Location: The Collector's Room

Can be bought directly from the Red Brick console in The Collector's Room.

Studs x2

Location: Struck off the List (Part B)

Our second red brick is located inside Count Strucker’s shadowy Hydra base. To access it you will need The Vision or a character with the stretch ability, such as Ms. Marvel. Once you’ve selected the appropriate minifig, head left until you see a grate with purple edges set into the wall. Use it to access a new area. Now, head right until you encounter a control panel, complete the simple puzzle (the code is 287) and then head inside the room that opens up. Smash everything in sight to uncover Strucker’s monocle. With this in your possession, fly over to the topmost right-hand corner of the room and speak to The Collector who gives you a shiny red brick for your trouble.

Studs x4

Location: A Loki Entrance (Part A)

Standing between us and our next red brick is the arrogant Asgardian, Loki. As soon as the action starts, head directly to the left side of the room and jump down to the level below. Here you’ll find The Collector standing in front of some red cabinets. Once you’ve heard his request, switch to a character with the flight ability (preferably Vision) and keep flying upwards until you find a catwalk overhead. Set yourself down and then head right until you find a scientist in a small glass-fronted cubicle. Use Vision’s mind control ability to get inside his head and pull the lever (note: the prompt to activate the lever will not appear unless you speak to The Collector first), this will cause the chest overhead to open and reveal your prize: a small toy rocket. Take this back to The Collector and he will reward you with the Studs x4 red brick.

Studs x6

Location: Rail Hydra (Part B)

Our quest for the third red brick takes us back in time to the second world war and a showdown with the Red Skull. Take control of a flying character and make your way to the top of the stage; above you is a gangway with a blue and white launch pad on the right, land here and have a quick word with The Collector. Once you’ve accepted his request for a Red Skull mask, select Quicksilver and activate the launch pad. Quicksilver will zip through the flames and knock loose a crate containing the grisly mask; use Ultron (any Ultron will do) to break it open, scoop up the mask and hand it over to The Collector in exchange for the Studs x6 red brick.

Studs x8

Location: Shakespeare in the Park (Part B)

To get the fifth red brick we have to go toe-to-toe with The God of Mischief once more. First things first, we’re going to have to deal with Loki: fend off the first two waves of his goons and wait until he retreats to the top of the stage. Here he will block the way forward by multiplying and forming a line. Ignore the trickster for the time being and select a character with the flight ability. Take to the air, fly over Loki and head left to find The Collector. This time round, he has a hankering for a hot dog which can be found by flying back to the beginning of the stage and heading all the way to your right. In the vicinity will be a hot dog vendour with a question mark floating over his noggin. Use a character with the mind control ability (Scarlet Witch, The Vision) to take control of the hapless hot dog chef and follow the on-screen instructions to rustle up a snack. Take the tasty treat back to The Collector and exchange it for your prize.

Studs x10

Location: Helicarrier Havoc (Part C)

Of all the red bricks we’ve collected so far, this is by far the easiest to get hold of. The Collector will be standing directly in front of you when the level begins, so mosey over and listen to his request. Like Agents of Shield’s Agent Coulson, it turns out The Collector has a thing for Captain America trading cards. To get your hands on one, use Ultron’s cosmic power on the glowing junk directly behind you. Use the resulting debris to construct a robot. Once it's completed, the robot will zoom into the corridor overhead, hoover up the card and drop it at your feet. 

Unlimited Avengers Team-Up Moves

Location: Avengers Assemble (Part B)

Another simple one to find, this brick requires you to snag a wig (yes, a wig) for The Collector. First of all, check in with the man himself who can be found on the walkway above the shops lining the left-hand side of the street. Listen to his request before heading back to ground level and making your way to the bottom right hand corner of the stage where you'll find a wig shop. To get ahold of the syrup, use Vision or Scarlet Witch to shift the debris blocking the entrance. The wig itself, a gnarly green punk hairdo, is located in the last room to the right. Once The Collector has the piece in his possession he will give you red brick 18, which allows you to use powerful team-up moves with impunity.

Fast Fix
Location: Earth’s Mightiest (Part C)

Play through the level up until the moment Hulk beats the living snot out of puny god Loki and throws his scepter onto the roof. After this, the action will switch to another character, immediately switch back to Hulk and take control of a flying minifig so you can reach The Collector who’s hanging out at the left of the screen. After speaking with him, head toward the Shield terminal on the left and use it to gain entry to Tony’s penthouse. Once inside, head to the right of the room where you will find a doorway made of cosmic bricks. Get rid of these using a character with the Power Cosmic (Ultron), grab the J.A.R.V.I.S. program and hand it to The Collector to earn yourself another red brick.

Character Token Detector
Location: Lack of Insight (Part A)

Make your way through the level until you pass the area with the shipping containers and the elevator. The Collector, who wants a pair of Arnim Zola's spectacles for his collection, is waiting at the top of the elevator. To get hold of Arnim's eyewear, simply carry on through the level until you come to the SHIELD terminal at the very top of the ship; use this once to make it into a Hydra terminal, then use it a second time with a Hydra Operative to reveal the location of the glasses.

Gold Brick Detector
Ready A.I.M. Fire (Part C)

At one point during this stage you'll find yourself standing underneath a glitzy golden Roxxon sign. Once you've finished admiring it, head left to find The Collector once more. In order to find the Iron Man armour he's got his eyes on, fly up to the area directly overhead and solve the puzzle there to access a new area. Make your way through this area, solving the puzzles as you go, and you will eventually come across a set of Iron Man armor.

Minikit Detector
Location: Lost in the Aether (Part C)

As soon as the stage loads make your way to the bottom of the screen, here you'll find The Collector standing in front of a huge teapot. Before he can make himself a cuppa, however, he's going to need a teacup, which is where you come in. Directly to the right will be a blue car; use Scarlet Witch to crack open the boot and claim your prize.

Stan Lee in Peril Detector
Location: No Strings On Me (Part B)

There’s a party at The Avengers Tower and everyone’s invited, even The Collector, who can be found to the right of the stage, in the area just above the bar where Bruce Banner and Black Widow are getting all lovey-dovey. The silver haired klepto doesn’t think Tony’s tunes are bangin’ enough and asks you to find him something more suitable. After hearing his request, jump down and head up the stairs just to the left of the bar and keep going until you come to a set of turntables. Destroy them with the Power Cosmic to reveal a record that’s more in keeping with The Collector’s tastes. With that done, head back and trade the tunes for another red brick.

Quest Detector
Location: Anger Management (Part A)

After the cutscene ends, turn around and make your way to the left hand corner of the stage. Speak with The Collector and then head right, carrying on across the catwalk until you come to a silver door. Dispose of this door using a character with access to explosives (Coulson, Hawkeye) to reveal a container of precious Vibranium which The Collector will take off your hands in exchange for a red brick.

Fast Build
Location: Korea Prospects (Part C)

You’re going to need a character with the ability to dig to get this brick. If you haven’t already got one, get yourself over to Barton’s Farm and unlock Moon Boy (easy to spot as he’s hanging out with a colossal red dinosaur) or Squirrel Girl. Once that’s taken care of, load up the level and immediately head left to find The Collector standing behind a car. Hear him out and then head right until you come to a burger stand, use a character with the sense ability (Black Widow, Daredevil) to uncover The Collector’s prize: a smelly ol’ fish. The fish will fall down when you try to grab it, at which point you must use a character with the dig skill to root around in the dirt and get it back. Once it’s back in your possession, head on over to The Collector and claim your reward.

Fast Dig
Location: Rise of Ultron (Part C)

As soon as you start, you’ll see The Collector right in front of you. Listen to his request and then switch to a character with the sense ability (Black Widow, Agent Hill) and use it on the green truck nearby to reveal a set of Hulk handles. Switch to the big guy and use his super strength to take the truck apart and then use the pieces to create a ramp which will allow Quicksilver to knock the flag off its pole. With this Slovakian souvenir as payment, The Collector will part with yet another Red Brick.

Collect Ghost Studs
Location: Ultron Undone (Part C)

After Hawkeye fires Quicksilver over the barrier, head to the top of the screen to find a small, muddy pile. These are dig tunnels, so you’ll need a character like Moon Boy or Squirrel Girl to continue. Dig on down to make your way to a previously inaccessible area containing The Collector and an old tomb. Speak with him before using Cap’s firefighting ability to put out the flames directly to your left. You’ll need Scarlet Witch and her weird powers to make a crowbar which can be used crack open the tomb. Cobble together the skeleton that spills out, knock his block off and then hand it to The Collector for the final red brick.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan trailer steps out of the shadows

Back by bodacious demand

As teased yesterday, a trailer for Teenage Mutants Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan has been released. Developed by Platinum Games, the studio much beloved by hardcore gamers for titles like Bayonetta and Transformers: Devastation, the Turtles' latest foray into the world of video games is shaping up to be something very special indeed.

Fans of the current IDW Turtles comic will be happy to learn that co-author Tom Waltz is working on the game, fleshing out a story that sees everyone's favourite heroes in a half-shell defending the streets of Manhattan from the Shredder and a legion of shadowy ninjas. Players will also get to throw down with some colourful characters from the TMNT's past and present, including Granitor, Bebop and Armaggon, all of whom can be seen in action in the trailer below.

You won't be taking these massive muties on alone, either; that's right, Mutants in Manhattan will support 4-player online co-op, meaning you can take on the game's campaign with 3 buddies by your side. Offline co-op is off the cards, which might be a dealbreaker for some, but given the frenetic pace of your average Platinum Games title implementing it would probably have been a logistical nightmare.

As we see from the trailer, the look of the game is based on the artwork of comic book penciller Mateus Santolouco and is brought to life in a striking, heavily inked cel-shaded style. Also, despite worries that the brothers green would sport noses, this footage clearly shows that everyone's favourite mutants are definitely not sporting nostrils. Crisis averted.

If these costumes aren't your cup of tea, worry not: the game lists 'content downloads' as a feature. Presumably this means we'll see DLC packs containing alternate skins at some point. Are there any costumes are readers would like to see? Personally, we're hoping for the Jim Lee Turtles, even if it is only as a playable reminder of just how awful '90s comic book design was.

Mighty No. 9 hit with yet another delay

Bet you didn't see that coming...

Side-scrolling Mega Man-alike Mighty No. 9 has been hit with another delay. Originally due to arrive on consoles and PC all the way back in September, this is the second time the troubled production has been pushed back due to problems with its online modes. 

Here's a run-down of what's holding the game back direct from the devs themselves: 

"The reason for the delay is rooted in bugs inside the network modes, and specifically problems with matchmaking. There are two large reasons for this problem, one of them being the large number of platforms supported (the solution for each platform is slightly different) and the other stems from the fact that the engine we are using is no longer being updated which means adjustments for matchmaking and online code are being made manually (actually reprogramming parts of the engine by the dev team themselves)."

On the one-hand, it's good that the developer is being upfront with its fans and making it clear that they are committed to releasing a game that is as polished and bug-free as possible. On the other, the online component behind the delay is something very few fans actually asked for; that its inclusion is holding up the release just adds insult to injury. 

Many early backers have called for the singleplayer portion of the game to be released ahead of the online features, but the developer claims this is a no-go due to the approval process on both Xbox and PS4. 

At present, the best fans can hope for is a Spring 2016 release. Start holding your breath now...

Platinum's TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan to get official reveal tomorrow

Countdown to cowabunga 

#TMNT pic.twitter.com/n60KV8bE0P

— PlatinumGames Inc. (@platinumgames) January 25, 2016

Proving that they have a sense of humour, video game developer Platinum games has earmarked the 26th of January as the 'official leak' of its upcoming Teenager Mutant Ninja Turtles action title, Mutants in Manhattan.

The game (which has been the subject of a number of leaks in recent months, hence the gif) is based on the IDW Turtles comic book and - if the leaked achievement list from a few weeks back is anything to go by - will feature an open world, four-player co-op and more pizza than you can shake a slicer at.

To go along with the announcement, a Facebook page has also been set-up. It's empty for the moment, but we expect it will be chock full of Turtle-y awesome content following tomorrow's official reveal.

What say our readers? Does Platinum have what it takes to release the first must-have Turtles game of the current generation?

Cloudy with a chance of Lightning: New Final Fantasy Explorers vid shows classic characters in action

Kill your Eidolons

In Final Fantasy Explorers, the new action RPG for Nintendo 3DS from Square Enix, players aren't limited to going toe-to-toe with some of the franchise's most iconic monsters and summons, they can step into the shoes of some of its most beloved characters, as well.

As you can see from the video, Cloud, Yuna, Lightning, Squall, Vaan and more are all playable in the final game, which has been described by the publisher as an MMO-lite. Despite this, it'd be misleading to call the game a handheld Realm Reborn as it seems to have more in common with Monster Hunter than Final Fantasy XIV. As with Capcom's wildly popular hunting-sim, Explorers allows players to chip bits off big beasties and use them to craft increasingly powerful weapons and sets of armour. 

There's also a robust class system and lots of other customisable goodies for players to tinker with. Temporarily transforming into into your fave FF characters will require some legwork, too. You need to equip special magicites to access them. These only become available once you've pleased your Moogle overlords by completing rare quest.

If you want to see the full line-up of characters available in the final game, check out the handy info graphic below.