HIT PICK #12: WACKY ADVENTURES WITH FINN & JAKE... It's Some of the Best Fun You Can Have This Side of the Candy Kingdom!!!

ADVENTURE TIME
Adventure Time: Jake the Dad (with bonus Jake Hat)
Adventure Time: The Complete First & Second Seasons
Adventure Time: Shmowzow Box Set
DVD/BLU-RAY

Rated: PG/G

If there ever was an Adventure Time fan-boy it would have to be Game Guru!!! Guru discovered this awesome cartoon series by accident a couple of years back, when he was going through some really rough times. It's funny how the simplest of things can sometimes break through the sadness and put a smile on your face, and for me Adventure Time was it! 

A crazy animated show about a boy called Finn and his adoptive 'bro Jake (a yellow morphing dog), and their weird and wacky adventures in the magical land of Ooo... It's indescribably awesome, jam-packed with wild humour, videogame references, and all manner of totally bonkers mayhem. 

It's also got some of the most lovably flawed characters you'll ever see in what's considered a kid's cartoon. Being this HUGE a fan it shouldn't be a surprise to anybody that Guru recommends a massive dose of Adventure Time over the holiday season! 

So be sure to grab some discs and kick back with your family and friends for some of the best entertainment this side of the Candy Kingdom. The legends at Madman have got you covered with a cool bunch of DVD and Blu-Ray collections that serve up Finn and Jake's funniest moments, the perfect swag to score yourself over the holidays! 

Trust the Guru when he says you won't be disappointed. This adventurous duo will have you chuckling within minutes of their first adventure... watch a few episodes, and you're sure to be hooked!

For starters, you can't go past the complete season collections on DVD and Blu-Ray. Adventure Time's First and Second Seasons are available as individual DVD and Blu-Ray box sets.

These box sets include brilliant episodes like Slumber Party Panic (S1), The Enchiridion (S1), Evicted! (S1), It Came From The Nightosphere (S2), The Chamber of Frozen Blades (S2), Susan Strong (S2), and Guru's all time fave Guardians of Sunshine (S2), which sees Finn and Jake sucked into BMO to play a videogame for real - awesome stuff!!!!

Mathmatical!!! If that wasn't enough, there's also a ton of Adventure Time collections which hand pick some of the best episodes around. The latest of these, is Collection 5: Jake the Dad, which also comes with a groovy Jake Hat. 

Not only that, but it includes 16 fantastic episodes of Adventure Time including Jake the Dad, where our fave morphing dog becomes a father - the Candy Kingdom better look out!

Finally, comes the BIG one... The Smowzow Box Set which includes the first 4 Adventure Time collections! These are My Two Favourite People (C1), It Came From the Nightosphere (C2), Jake vs Me-Mow (C3), and Fionna and Cake (C4)!!! 

There are so many great episodes in this collection that it'll melt your brain - a must have for every Adventure Time fan everywhere! Guru's gonna grab his one right now... 

HIT PICK #11: ROBOTS IN DISGUISE TAKE OUT THE PRIZE... Some of the best Robo Action to hit the Small Screen!

TRANSFORMERS
Transformers Generation One Remastered: Complete
Transformers Prime: Season One Collection
Transformers Prime: Season Two - Volume 1 - 3
DVD/BLU-RAY

Rated: G/PG

Game Guru's a HUGE fan of Giant Robos bashing and blasting each other while creating city-wide mayhem on a mega-ton scale! That's why Transformers always makes Guru's Hit Picks every year... I mean who can resist bad-ass robos morphing into cars, trucks, planes, even freakin' dinosaurs and then back again? Not me! It just don't get much cooler than that!!!

Anyhow, the guys at Madman have always got you covered when it comes to animated Transformers action on Blu-Ray and DVD... And let's be honest, the animated shows beat the stuffing outta those overblown live-action Hollywood effects-fests that have forgotten what the Transformers are really about! So, if you're looking to get back to the roots of the feud between the Autobots and Decepticons, there's no better place to start than the original 80's animated TV series...   

The good news is that Madman have released the Transformers Generation One Remastered Complete Collection. Not only is this the best that this classic animated series has ever looked, but it's all there in one HUGE box set. A whopping 2,134 minutes of epic robot action spread across 12 discs, to be enjoyed at your own leisure. It's perfect for those rainy days during the holidays and is sure to entertain Transformers fans everywhere!!!   

If you're looking for a more contemporary spin on the Transformers franchise, Guru highly recommends checking out the new Transformers Prime animated series. Giant Robo nuts have been going ape over this cool Transformers gem, and Guru's joining the bandwagon. 

This wicked anime series is now available as a complete 'Season One Collection' on both Blu-Ray and DVD. Also available are Transformers Prime Season Two, volumes 1 through 3. Trust Guru when he says that this series is freakin' awesome, and it would make the perfect addition to your X-mas lists...

Just to give you a taster of the true awesomeness that is Transformers Prime, here's Guru's quick rundown of some of the explosive craziness that takes place in Season One. As you'd expect, the Autobots and Decepticons return, albeit with a slick new CGI looks. 

Then there's WWE Legend Dwayne Johnson a.k.a. 'The Rock' voicing one of Optimus Prime's buddies - Cliffjumper! Better still, his vehicle disguise is a pimped-out muscle car complete with Bull Horns over the grille and a 'tude to match. 

But the thing that's really mind-blowing, is the totally 'off the chain' storyline. It mashes up the return of Megatron and a gonzo Decepticon plot that involves reanimating giant Robo-Zombies from an ancient battlefield. Un-freakin-believable!!! Yep... this show's over-the-top in a really good way, and should not be missed by Transformers fans - Fantastic Stuff!!!

HIT PICK #10: THE FUTURE OF VIDEOGAME CONSOLES IS HERE... Guru checks out the power of PS4 & XBOX One!!!

PS4 vs XBOX One
Sony and Microsoft go Head to Head... Let the Games Begin!!!

There's little doubt that it’s an exciting time to be a gamer… Back in June at the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Guru saw the unveiling of the PS4 and Xbox One. Gaming behemoths Sony and Microsoft went ‘head to head’ with their new ‘next-gen’ home entertainment systems and we quickly discovered, the future isn't far away… In fact - it's already here! That’s right folks, the PS4 and XBOX One will be two of the hottest items on X-mas wish lists, allowing players to get a taste of the future this holiday season... 

Before you do though, there are a couple of things you should know upfront. While each of the systems have hefty price tags, it’s unfair to classify them as just videogame systems. This generation of gaming devices has truly earned the title ‘entertainment console’ as what they can do and how they are used, is light years beyond just playing games. 

Now the only down-side to all of this glorious tech that Guru can see, is that neither device is backwards compatible. So, if you already own an extensive collection of PS3/Xbox 360 games (like Guru does), you've got two options. Either sell your old games (not a bad way to finance your new console) or keep your old games and console (Guru won't be parting with his anytime soon) and take a hit space wise. Ahh… the price of progress!

PS4 - Highlights...

As you’d expect Sony have gone all out with a sleek design in black (matt and gloss) that just screams high tech. At the heart of the PS4 is an eight core (x86-64) custom processor and 8gb of ultra-fast GDDR5 system memory. There’s little doubt that this is more than enough grunt under the hood, for the coming decade. Add a re-designed Dual-Shock 4 controller with an incorporated ‘touch-pad’ and you have glimpsed the future of gaming!

The Controller...

The Camera...

The new PS4 camera is an extra which must be purchased separately.

One of the exclusive games...

KNACK

PS4 

Knack might look like just another kids game, but just wait until you see him in action! With crowd-pleasing platform action gameplay reminiscent of the Crash Bandicoot games and a bizarre morphing creature that was created to win a war against an evil goblin army - this has got the goods to be a winner. Knack can change his form, size, and can even become invisible - cool!

RRP:$549.00

Further Info: www.au.playstation.com/ps4/

Xbox One - Highlights

Microsoft’s vision for the Xbox One is to be the control hub for all of your entertainment needs. It utilises the next-gen version of Kinect that allows for both voice and gesture control. The design of the console fits in nicely with high-end audio and home theater components and also sports a blu-ray player. The core idea is for consumers to be able to seamlessly jump between TV, movies, games, and music with simple voice commands!    

The Controller

The Camera

The new Kinect camera is included in the XBOX One package.

One of the exclusive games...

FORZA MOTORSPORT 5

XBOX One   

One of the most highly anticipated racing games on the next-gen formats, Forza 5 is set to blow driving fans away! It’s been built from the ground up especially for Xbox One, and the visuals are absolutely stunning! It also delivers some of the best driving action, this side of an actual sports car!

RRP: $599.00

Further Info: www.xbox.com/en-AU/xboxone/meet-xbox-one/

HIT PICK #9: AN EPIC ADVENTURE FOR ALL AGES... The Wind Waker HD Delivers One of Link's Best Ever!!!

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: The Wind Waker HD

Wii U
Single Player
Rated: PG

Guru has little doubt that all of you Legend of Zelda fans out there, have been hanging-out desperately for Link’s first adventure on Nintendo's new Wii U console.

Well, the good news is that it’s finally arrived, unfortunately it's not exactly what Guru was expecting. Now don't get me wrong, this re-boot of the highly-acclaimed Game Cube title Wind Waker, is totally freakin' awesome! So, there’s still lots for Zelda fans to be happy about, particularly seeing Link in all of his high-def, cell-shaded glory. But still, call Guru selfish. He wants a totally new Link adventure that show off the power of the Wii and he wants it now!!! Hint, hint... Nintendo.  

As you’d expect, the visuals in this updated version of Wind Waker have been polished up and given a solid dose of the high-def treatment. Now the game’s cute, cel-shaded cartoon style absolutely sparkles - it looks a million dollars and it plays great too! 

Speaking of gameplay, there have been several tweaks and improvements added here and there, making an already brilliant game, even better. There's little doubt that this the definitive version of the game and it definitely warrants another play through.

If you missed The Wind Waker the first time around when it came out on GameCube, you're really in for a treat! It's a must play Zelda experience that's a perfect introduction for younger adventurers new to the series. Veterans are also sure to have a blast, revisiting one of Link’s best adventures - fantastic stuff!

HIT PICKS #8: DC SUPERHEROES JOIN MAXWELL FOR AN ADVENTURE OF HEROIC PROPORTIONS... You get to Write Stuff into Existence too!!!

SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED

Wii U / 3DS / PC
Single & Multiplayer
Rated: G

In the last decade, one of the most innovative series of puzzle games to grace handhelds and consoles was Scribblenauts. It's protagonist, the chicken-hatted Maxwell, delivered all manner of brain-busting environmental puzzles, which could be solved by writing objects into existence, using his magic notebook. 

The Wii U exclusive Scribblenauts Unlimited, gave players a taste of the sort of fun that licensed characters (namely Nintendo’s iconic game characters) could bring into the mix. This newest installment in the series, dubbed Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, takes this idea to a whole new level using the DC comics and their roster of superheroes as inspiration!

Players will join Maxwell, and embark on a superhero puzzle adventure that spans the legendary cities of Metropolis and Gotham, and all the way across the galaxy to the planet Oa (for you Green Lantern fans). 

You'll perform all manner of ‘Heroic Feats’ (which are dynamically generated puzzles), that can be successfully completed (solved) by using any of the 2,000 plus DC comic book heroes, villains, and objects that are in the game! 

As you’d expect, Unmasked is jam-packed with tons of super-heroic puzzle-action, and is a must play for all you DC comic-book fans out there - Guru gives this one a BIG thumbs up!!!