Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Review

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(More customer reviews)First thing I want to touch on is Collectors Edition vs. Regular Edition. Last time I tried to put actual price tag numbers in an Amazon review it was censored, so I'll just say take a look, you know Collectors Edition costs quite a bit more than the regular. Is it worth it?

Only if you're a hard-core collector. You get a very beautiful lithograph. Stunning artwork. I may even have to frame it. The comic is nice. Not great, just, nice. It's not so much of a self contained story as much as it's a kind of mural that serves to get you into the story. It's really short, probably not worth a second read. Same with the DVD. It has some really interesting vids about the making of the game and some interviews. It's surprisingly lengthy, but winds up amounting to extras you get on any DVD that you watch once and never again. So that's a rundown of the Collectors Edition extra's. Decide for yourself if you think that's worth it. I like the litho. Everything else I watched/read once and that's it. And the litho, beautiful as it is, probably wasn't worth the extra $$$. Now for the actual game.

Violence:
This seems to be the big sticking point for most MK fans. Most of the people who have something bad to say about this game, it boils down to "they toned down the blood and gore. It's the end of the world!" Well, there is still blood in here and there are still fatalities. Are they toned down from previous MK games? Most definitely! Probably only the first MK game on the SNES would be less bloody. Midway had to tone it down to a Teen rating in order for DC to get on board with the game. But like I said, there is still blood and Fatalities. They really do push the Teen rating to its limit. So parents may still want to be aware. But gamers, unless you're a total gore-hog who has to have the bloodiest, goriest games, this is still plenty brutal.

Controls:
First let me list my credentials on this. I played Deadly Alliance, Deception and Armageddon on the Nintendo systems, all with the Gamecube controller. This is the first Mortal Kombat I've played on a PS3 system. So when I compare, it may or may not be an apples/oranges type thing. One thing I can definitely say is that the mutiple styles per character that was so prominent in the last three games is gone here. Everyone has the same basic move set (aside from special moves). This really does go back to the days before the 3-d games where, no matter what character you played, down and high punch equaled an uppercut, back and low kick equaled a leg sweep.

The past three games got so far away from that basic set up that you never knew what you'd get when ever you tried a new character. Would you get a high punch? Nope. Some kind of kick? Depends on what direction you're holding. It really was that haphazard.

Here they've stream lined it. MK vs. DC is very much taken back to the days of HP, LP, HK, LK. This should make it much easier for casual gamers who are either just getting into MK, haven't played MK in a long while, or are just here for the DC side of things.

Will I like it?:
I personally loved it. The controls are streamlined and easy. Even toned down for a Teen rating, there's no denying the MK roots. Online is very solid. Having wireless instead of wired connection tended to make me lag with other games. Here it's very smooth. If you like fighting games, get this. If you like Mortal Kombat (and aren't going to bemoan the fact that this is slightly toned down in the violence category), get this. If you like DC, get this. Five stars.

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Product Description:
When a cataclysmic force merges conquerors from two universes, conflict is inevitable. Kombat forces friends to fight, worlds to collide, and unlikely alliances to be forged. In order to save all they know, the heroes and villains of Mortal Kombat must wage war against the combined might of the DC Universe (DCU). How can either side prevail when rage blinds them to the dark threat poised to destroy them all? Celebrating the clash of worlds, the Kollector's Edition of Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe features box art hand painted by Alex Ross, as well as bonus video content and a 16-page comic book.

You have the ability to choose sides, challenge friends and take the fight onlineIncludes The Kollector's Edition of Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe features box art that was hand painted by Alex Ross, one of the world's most pre-eminent and respected comic book artists, with a removable print designed by Ross Bonus video content about the game 16-page comic book sketched by John Tobias, co-creator of the Mortal Kombat franchise, that chronicles the shocking, universe-shattering events that lead up to the in-game story

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The DC Comics Guide to Digitally Drawing Comics Review

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(More customer reviews)I was excited when I first learned about this book coming out because it's difficult for me to set up a normal artist's station in my house. Not knowing who this Freddie Williams guy was, I ended up going to his website and checking him out. It was here that I first became dismayed.

His website has a section labeled "DigiArt Quick Tools," in which one can find several Photoshop tools Freddie has available. These include several variations of his MasterPage file, which tend to cost a little bit of money (the bundle pack that gives you all the Master Pages runs I think about $125). I also noticed a blurb in which Freddie mentions that an entire section of the upcoming book is devoted to the Master Page. I immediately started thinking that the book was going to end up being a $15 commercial for the various tools he has to offer.

Never have I been so glad to be so dead wrong.

The section on Master Pages walks you through the process of making your own Master Page, and while he mentions his website, he never tells the reader to go buy anything. Instead, he teaches you how to do it yourself. In fact, there's only one thing that Freddie tells the reader to download, and that's the perspective tool that he created... and its free (as is a generic version of the Master Page, if you don't want to make your own or pay money for a company-specific Page).

As far as the rest of the book goes, it was a massive wake-up call in regards to realizing how powerful and how fast creating sequential artwork on the computer is. In fact, it seems that Freddie's main goal is to get the reader to create better artwork, faster, and he constantly discusses ways to make your work faster and more streamlined.

Be warned, though... this is NOT a "how to draw" book. If you don't know how to draw, this book won't be that helpful to you. This book is more accurately described as a "how to use the computer to draw" book. Additionally, if you don't know how to do any basic drawing in Photoshop, you might want to learn, quick. I have a very basic understanding of how to draw and paint with Photoshop, and this book has my mind racing with all the possibilities I have available to me now. Be prepared to think and imagine when you read the book.

Not every aspect of Freddie's work method will work for everyone, and he acknowledges fact. He describes his methods to the reader, and for key areas offers alternative paths for the reader to take that may be more comfortable for the reader.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes, I did. Did I learn anything from this book? Almost every step of the way. Would I recommend this book to the serious hobbyist or the artist getting into the comics field? Without a doubt and with no reservations, yes!!!!

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Product Description:
Artists! Gain incredible superpowers...with the help of your computer! The DC Comics Guide to Digitally Drawing Comics shows how to give up pencil, pen, and paper and start drawing dynamic, exciting comics art entirely on the computer. Author Freddie E Williams IIis one of DC Comics' hottest artists and a leader in digital penciling and inking-and here, in clear, step-by-step directions, he guides readers through every part of the digital process, from turning on the computer to finishing a digital file of fully inked comic art, ready for print. Creating a template, sketching on the computer, pencilling, and finally inking digitally are all covered in depth, along with bold, timesaving shortcuts created by Williams, tested by years of trial and error. Step into the digital age, streamline the drawing process, and leap over the limitations of mere physical drawing materials with The DC Comics Guide to Digitally Drawing Comics.

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