Pulp Fiction Comics & Games

What say we blow through this one today, chappies?  ‘Cause who wants to be reading on a lovely day like this with the sun out and…what?  You just saw a person spontaneously light on fire as they stepped out their door?

Oh.

Ah, who the heck needs the outside, let’s get to some reading!

Munchkin proves that size does matter this week with the release of Munchkin Deluxe (that last part needs to be said in a booming announcer’s voice, by the way).  But what’s so deluxe about it, anyway?  Well, existing as almost a midway point between the base Munchkin card game and the Munchkin Quest boardgame, Munchkin Deluxe contains a helping of handy whozits not in either game.  These include a game board that is labeled to show players where their cards go, colored pawns that can keep track of players’ leveling, and associated cards that help with keeping track of who is what color.  Also, you may have seen us mention it on Facebook, we currently have a “very special” Munchkin product in-stock that we can not tell you about, but will be happy to show it to you if you come into the store.  Ha ha, coyness!

Are you ready to regain your honor, gamer-san?  Good, then the new updated/re-release of Shogun is the game for you.  Ikusa is the new name (and don’t make the mistake of searching for that under Google Images like I did; file that under “stuff you do not want to see”), but gameplay is essentially the same.  Like a more elaborate Risk, Ikusa (aka Shogun, aka Samurai Swords) has been about using samurai, daimyo, and ashigaru warriors to gain control of feudal Japan since its original inception at Milton Bradley.  What the updated version offers over the previous releases is quality design elements; the game pieces are detailed, the board is beautiful, and every player gets a swanky tray to hold their figures in as well as a stat card.  Another fact:  if you don’t purchase Ikusa, you have to perform seppuku.

It’s not quite a card game, it’s not quite a boardgame, but Bloodsuckers is certainly an inventive game.  Created by one of the designers of Castle Panic, Bloodsuckers is a vampire-themed game that pits the titled bloodsuckers against an army of vampire hunters.  Gameplay revolves around placing vampire and hunter cards on a playmat that represents five locations in the town of Blackwood.  These locations are also present on a nifty game board, where each location comes with a dial that players turn to indicate the location’s current state; a clock dial is also included to keep track of the time of day.  As we’re talking about humans and vampires here, the powers of each wax or wane depending on whether it’s night or day and what type of character you are playing.  If you enjoy Nightfall and/or Last Night on Earth, you might want to have a sip or two of Bloodsuckers juicy filling.

How about ending with a Magic trick, eh?  Or a bunch of Magic tricks, in this situation.  As a way of supporting all the Planeswalker-y goodness that is present in the new 2012 Core Set, Wizards shipped a bunch’a 2012 gaming materials today.  These include, new Garruk sleeves and deck boxes, new 2012 Planeswalkers sleeves and boxes, new Magic logo-backed Commander-sized sleeves, new Planeswalkers 9-Pocket binder, and a new Planeswalkers playmat.  Whew, that’s a lotta new. 

It don’t stop there, though.  The new Commander deck boxes were also released.  These are oversized boxes that fit over 25 large Commander cards, as well as 100 standard cards.  Take a look at the picture to the right.  Magic trick over.