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Details: Arizona Renaissance Festival

When

02/03/24 - 03/31/24    

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

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Where

Arizona Renaissance Festival
12601 E. U.S. 60, Gold Canyon, Arizona, 85118

Event Type

• Fantasy
• Festivals
• Market

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Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97, an all-new series, arrives March 20 on Disney+.

“To me, my X-Men!”

Liv Chenka (Nicola Walker) and Helen Sinclair (Hattie Morahan) star alongside Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor for the first time since 2022’s Connections, in three new stories that take them to mysterious new planets and to early twentieth-century England.

As the Doctor, Liv and Helen explore the universe, they come across lost souls, troubled minds and long-kept secrets. From a lonely world with birdsong but no birds, to an English university whose undergraduates tell ghostly tales, and a distant galaxy where a utopian society lives in the shadow of enormous creatures, the TARDIS crew are haunted by echoes of past, present and
future…

Doctor Who – The Eighth Doctor Adventures: Echoes is now available to pre-order as a collector’s edition 3-disc CD box set (+ download for just £22.99) or as a digital download only (for just £18.99), exclusively at www.bigfinish.com.

The three stories in the box set are:

“Birdsong” by Tim Foley

The TARDIS arrives on an empty world where two scouts await the rest of their colony. Except this world may not be as empty as everybody thinks. There’s a figure in the woods – and a strangely familiar sound…

As the Doctor and his friends learn more about the planet’s inhabitants, the birdsong they hear becomes a deadly chorus.

“Lost Hearts” by Lauren Mooney & Stewart Pringle

Michaelmas term, 1903. In one of England’s ancient universities, strange apparitions float between quads and cloisters.

While Liv and Helen protect a naïve undergraduate from a sinister society, the Doctor finds a ghost-hunting ally. One who happens to be the era’s foremost chronicler of things that go bump in the night…

“Slow Beasts” by Dan Rebellato

The Doctor takes Liv and Helen to see one of the Wonders of the Outer Galaxy – to Ran-Zoan, where immense alien figures loom over the plains and settlements of the Renn.

But the Slow Beasts hide a secret – a secret that, once unleashed, spells doom for this entire world.

Writer Lauren Mooney said: “I love writing for Liv and Helen. They’re two of my favourite companions of the Big Finish range, and in fact overall. Their dynamic with each other and with the Doctor is really interesting. So of course, what a pleasure it is to torture and torment them by putting them into a quite bleak world!”

Actor Hattie Morahan added: “It’s so rare to have a character that lasts – it’s been almost 10 years that I’ve been playing Helen. I’ve played her through so many different situations and so many stages of her growing friendship with Liv and the Doctor that it’s like slipping on an old jacket or pair of shoes.”

Big Finish Productions’ Doctor Who audio drama releases

All of time and space …

New adventures for the Eighth Doctor, Liv and Helen

Third Doctor Adventures ‘Revolution in Space’ channels ’70s hard sci-fi, colony politics

Michelle Gomez returns as Doctor Who’s Missy in Bad Influence spinoff audio

Big Finish’s Fourth Doctor to encounter the Beevers Master, new Toymaker in ‘Metamorphosis’ audio box set

Sontarans vs Rutans vs the Third Doctor and UNIT

Big Finish adapts vampy 1994 Doctor Who novel Goth Opera for audio

Four new transformations have been revealed today for the upcoming Princess Peach: Showtime! game launching March 22 for the Nintendo Switch. Each transformation gives Peach the distinct dramatic flair she needs to save the day – and the play – from the Sour Bunch.

The ensemble cast featured in today’s showing are Figure Skater Peach, Dashing Thief Peach, Mermaid Peach and Mighty Peach.

In Princess Peach: Showtime!, Peach teams up with Stella, the Sparkle Theater’s guardian, to save the theater from the wicked Grape and the Sour Bunch. Using the power of Sparkle, Peach must take the stage of each show, transform and confront Grape’s evil acting troupe. As Peach, players will take on a bevy of leading roles – including a swordfighter, detective, ninja, patissiere, kung fu master and cowgirl. It’s going to take plenty of panache to bring this play to its triumphant final bow.

Want to live it up princess style in New York City? Enter for the chance to win a three-night, four-day trip between March 21 – March 25 to New York City for you and up to two others. Take in the sensational sights of the city, plus, receive a personal tour at the Nintendo New York store during the launch weekend for the Princess Peach: Showtime! game.

Coinciding with the release of Princess Peach: Showtime! on March 22, a set of pastel pink Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers will be available at select retailers and My Nintendo Store at a suggested retail price of $79.99.

Video game release dates:

Nerdvana may earn a small share of sales made via links from this article.

More Nintendo news:

Princess Peach: Showtime! reveals 4 new transformations

Splatoon 3 ‘Side Order’ DLC coming Feb. 22

Mario vs. Donkey Kong demo on Switch offers 4 levels from 1st world

Nerdvana’s most anticipated video games of 2024

Nintendo reveals new pastel pink Joy-Cons and trailer for Princess Peach: Showtime!

First 2 Golden Sun games come to Nintendo Switch’s Game Boy Advance library

You say you want a revolution? Then Big Finish Productions is going to give you exactly that in a brand-new full cast audio drama box set out today.

The Third Doctor Adventures return with a six-part tale, Revolution in Space, as Tim Treloar once again fills the frilly shirt and cloak of the Doctor (as originally portrayed on television by Jon Pertwee).

Sadie Miller rejoins him as Sarah Jane Smith, the role her beloved mum Elisabeth Sladen first portrayed on television in 1974, to recreate a classic TARDIS team on audio encountering new dangers in the far future.

The Doctor and Sarah find themselves in an asteroid, on the outer reaches of Earth’s solar system. It’s the future, and humans have colonized this inhospitable place, to mine vital minerals to supply their home planet. However, links with Earth are becoming ever more strained, and forces within the colony are seeking independence. Revolution is in the air.

Meanwhile, in the deepest chambers of the asteroid, a powerful force is emerging. Its influence is growing rapidly. But how will it affect Sarah Jane Smith and her place in future history?

Actor Tim Treloar said: “Most of the Third Doctor’s adventures are set on Earth, and Revolution in Space is set on Earth in a way, in that it’s the descendants of Earth people who went to the asteroid first and have now become natives.

“In a similar vein to the American revolution, they seek independence and autonomy. I enjoy that bolshiness – masses against the classes! This script written by Jonny Morris is wonderful, the dialogue’s fantastic.”Sadie Miller added: “Doing a six-part story feels cinematic. You really get to go on a much deeper journey with all the characters and there’s so much more room to feel all those emotional corners, which is exciting. I love that we had a much bigger cast than usual. There’s a lot of action sequences, and you don’t quite know where it’s going to end up!”

Doctor Who – The Third Doctor Adventures: Revolution in Space is now available as a collector’s edition CD box set (+ download for just £22.99) or a digital download only (for just £18.99), exclusively from www.bigfinish.com.

Writer Jonathan Morris said: “If you think of “Colony in Space” and “Frontier in Space” as the first two thirds of a trilogy… then here’s the final third. It’s Doctor Who doing 1970s ‘hard-SF’; all about the politics of future Earth colonies (and how they parallel the politics of today). A densely-plotted thriller!”

Also in the cast of Revolution in Space are Richard James (Governor Rogan), David Dobson (Tribune Foyle), Barry Aird (Operator Rellak), Robert Whitelock (Operator Goole), Anna Crichlow (Officer Miro), Charlie Norfolk (Dr Annis Gottfried), Tom Alexander (Mullins) and Harry
Myers (Operator Carver).

Producer Heather Challands added: “We’re back with another six-parter, a wonderful homage to the original Third Doctor era, and I’m always really excited with what new stories we can tell with this nostalgic format. This story is very political, with growing tensions, growing rebellion and growing telepathic powers. Jonny has done a top-notch job with his script and it’s just classic sci-fi.”

Director and script editor Nick Briggs enthused: “Tim and Sadie are on top form here, with Sadie sounding uncannily more and more like her mum. We’ve got a great cast who really bonded in studio, and our main villain, Zyla Kalstein, is a truly chilling piece of voice work from the BAFTA Award-winning Juliet Aubrey. She’s terrifying!” Juliet Aubrey herself added: “I’ve worked with Nick before, I think he’s a fantastic director. I really like playing villains, and Doctor Who’s such good fun. When I read the script, I absolutely loved it, because it was so clear on what we’re doing to our planet at the moment. There are references to how people on Earth have messed it up so much so there is nothing left.”

Big Finish Productions’ Doctor Who audio drama releases

All of time and space …

New adventures for the Eighth Doctor, Liv and Helen

Third Doctor Adventures ‘Revolution in Space’ channels ’70s hard sci-fi, colony politics

Michelle Gomez returns as Doctor Who’s Missy in Bad Influence spinoff audio

Big Finish’s Fourth Doctor to encounter the Beevers Master, new Toymaker in ‘Metamorphosis’ audio box set

Sontarans vs Rutans vs the Third Doctor and UNIT

Big Finish adapts vampy 1994 Doctor Who novel Goth Opera for audio

Film Synopsis
Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole, her powers are entangled with super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and work together to save the universe.

Bonus Features*
FEATURETTES

• Entangled – Take a cosmic trip behind the scenes on The Marvels with the cast and crew of the film. Learn how director Nia DaCosta and the team took on such a vast production, and dive deeper with more details about Marvel’s first ever musical number.
• The Production Diaries – Experience the lively, upbeat set of The Marvels as cast and crew recall candid and heartwarming moments, along with hilarious anecdotes.

DELETED SCENES

• Captain-in-Residence – Kamala finds herself in Carol’s ship after an unexpected switch and incredulously picks up a call from Valkyrie.
• It’s Under Control – Carol, Kamala, and Monica find themselves brainstorming for solutions on Aladna.
• Space Yoga – Muneeba teaches yoga while an exasperated Nick Fury looks on.
• The Chase – Chaos ensues as Ty-Rone chases Kamala in a tension-filled scene.

GAG REEL

• Watch some hilarious outtakes on set with the cast and crew of The Marvels.

AUDIO COMMENTARY

• Listen to co-writer/director Nia DaCosta and VFX Supervisor Tara DeMarco talk about the film.

*Bonus features vary by product and retailer

ascend the Spire of Orderand brighten up your world in the single-player DLC Side Order, the second wave of theSplatoon 3 Expansion Passfor Splatoon 3 on Nintendo Switch systems, arriving Feb. 22.

In Side Order, you play as Agent 8, a resident of Inkopolis who wakes up in a new “world of order,” where the color spectrum goes from white to … a little less white to … kinda gray to … well, that’s pretty much it. What’s an Octoling to do? Figure out how to bring a little color back into the picture, that’s what! Alongside a drone who claims to be Off the Hook member Pearl, Agent 8 must battle to the top of the Spire of Order against hordes of surprising enemies and obstacles.

On each floor of the Spire there are objectives that change each time you make an attempt, and they get harder the higher you climb. Objectives may include defeating enemies, securing specific areas for a set amount of time, and overcoming other skill-testing challenges. Use the color chips you receive to customize your Palette to your liking with enhancements such as increased firing speed, raised damage output and more. Fail to reach the top and you’ll have to start over – but the color chips you collect will be converted into a currency that can be exchanged for some permanent and helpful upgrades. Those upgrades might just give you a fighting chance of reaching the top next time around.

Designed to be replayed over and over as you update Agent 8 with powerful (and colorful) abilities, Side Order is a fun, challenging way to level up your Splatoon skills, for newcomers and vets alike.

And those skills will have to be sharp because a new Splatoon 3 “Fresh Season” launches March 1. This season brings with it new multiplayer stages, such as the “Marlin Airport” battle stage and the “Bonerattle Arena” Salmon Run stage, new weapons like brella and dualies variants and additional new items like the Fizzbang that can be used during Splatfests**. You can check out the new Fresh Season trailer right here: https://youtu.be/dDtuR1FyHRo

You can purchase the Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass right now to get ready for the Feb. 22 launch.

Side Order, Wave 2 of the Splatoon 3: Expansion Pass paid DLC, arrives Thursday, Feb. 22 for the Nintendo Switch game.

Splatoon 3 – Fresh Season 2024 begins March 1

More Nintendo news:

Princess Peach: Showtime! reveals 4 new transformations

Splatoon 3 ‘Side Order’ DLC coming Feb. 22

Mario vs. Donkey Kong demo on Switch offers 4 levels from 1st world

Nerdvana’s most anticipated video games of 2024

Nintendo reveals new pastel pink Joy-Cons and trailer for Princess Peach: Showtime!

First 2 Golden Sun games come to Nintendo Switch’s Game Boy Advance library

What video game made you fall head over heels and pony up for a whole new hardware system?

2nd generation

The Atari 2600, for me, meant Pac-Man (the disappointing, blocky version) but also The Empire Strikes Back. For that, I have to thank my late spinster aunt who couldn’t abide seeing me upstaged by my other aunt’s children.

3rd generation

The original Nintendo Entertainment System? Super Mario Bros. Duh.

We got a Sega Master System pretty much for Penguin Land for my mom for some reason, but I quickly fell in love with that title’s robust level-building tools, which were years ahead of their time. Super Mario Maker it wasn’t, but I still pine for it from time to time.

4th generation

Before Sonic the Hedgehog arrived, Sega’s Genesis came to us mainly to keep up with those cousins, again. It came with Altered Beast (whatever).

Super NES: Super Mario World was what it was all about. But I was really just killing time waiting for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Metroid.

5th generation

I bought the original PlayStation for Final Fantasy VII. Until this point, Square Enix’s seminal RPG was a Nintendo exclusive, but that’s another story.

N64: Super Mario 64, naturally. The need to play the iconic plumber’s first 3-D adventure right away was a visceral one, and it’s a game I revisit often on the Virtual Console. It’s the first game I remember playing where I was struck by a feeling of a continuous world that was still there when I switched off the power — but not in a creepy way.

6th generation

GameCube? Uh … Luigi’s Mansion for sure, but there was also a little game called Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader. Oh, yeah …

I bought a PS2 just because it was the thing to do, and it was my first DVD player; it was stolen before I could make much use of it either way.

The original Xbox made its way into my home with a little game called Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. (Meatbags!)

7th generation

We skipped the Xbox 360, and PS3 was an eventual thrift-store purchase for my spawn’s increasing interest in the Madden series and stealth combat games. Not really my thing …

But Wii Sports was all the rage, of course, and was a must-have in our house as with so many others.

8th generation

We haven’t gone for the PS4 yet, but Santa brought an Xbox One late in its life cycle with Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, a favorite of the next generation in my household. The Wii U brought initial thrills with Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two and New Super Mario Bros. U; though it was packaged with Nintendo Land, that just wasn’t enough. Derided by many for low sales, we found plenty on the system to keep us engaged for years. Later, Splatoon would more than justify the system’s purchase for us.

Handheld

Nintendo’s Game Boy was all about Tetris. Let’s call that Russia’s original electronic meddling …

The Nintendo 3DS made its way into our lives due to the Mario Kart series, as did the DS/DSi; at one point, each of the four people in my household had their own, and we linked up frequently for download play. I personally upgraded to 3DS mainly for The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

Your turn!

Enough about my problem! What game made you go out and buy a new video game console? What kept you coming back for more?

Monster Manual punted to February 2025

As part of the official yearlong celebrations of Dungeons & Dragons’ 50th anniversary, the new edition of the Player’s Handbook will be released Sept. 17, 2024, with the Dungeon Master’s Guide following on Nov. 12, according to a news release distributed for Wizards of the Coast. The DM resource Monster Manual is not scheduled for release until Feb. 18, 2025.

The Vecna: Eve of Ruin adventure campaign is set for a May 21, 2024, release, with the adventure anthology Quests from the Infinite Staircase coming July 16, 2024.

The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons: 1970-1977 will come out June 18, 2024.

It’s about more than just new adventures, retrospectives and Dungeons & Dragons core rulebooks. Brand collaborations with Converse footwear and apparel, a LEGO building set with minifigures and Pop-Tarts treats are also in the 50th anniversary consumer licensing pipeline.

The year-long celebration kicks off in March 2024, when fans all over the world will be able to play the same adventure together inspired by the Dungeons & Dragons creators’ love of tournament-style play. Fans can experience an excerpt from an upcoming release, Descent into the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, in game stores, at community centers, libraries, conventions like Gary Con and PAX East, on kitchen tables and painted scenery, in video chat rooms, and on D&D Beyond. Dungeon Masters will be available wherever fans want to play.

“D&D has a rich history, an exciting present, and a great future,” said Kyle Brink, executive producer of the team making D&D at Wizards of the Coast. “This year we’ll be celebrating all three with the 50th Anniversary of the first publication of Dungeons & Dragons. We’ll take you through the making of the game, bring some of the classic adventures to today’s play, visit the most iconic settings in the D&D multiverse, and kick off the future of the game with the new 2024 core rulebooks that are the heart of the game. We’ve been building up to this for a while now. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

What’s coming before the new Dungeons & Dragons core rulebooks?

New Dungeons & Dragons core rulebooks (2024-25)

An earlier version of this update incorrectly listed the Dungeon Master’s Guide release date as Sept. 17, 2024.

Wizards of the Coast announces dates for major 2024 D&D releases – then backtracks with “Coming Soon”

Wizards of the Coast on Dec. 1, 2023, announced release dates for the updated 2024 versions of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game’s Core Rulebooks — Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual. Then, it deleted those social media graphics and replaced all dates with “coming soon.” It also changed the graphic to replace Core Rulebooks with simply Player’s Handbook.

The company also said the same day as the release of the Core Rulebook(s) would bring the release of the scenario Vecna: Eve of Ruin, “a multiverse spanning adventure which goes up to level 20 and features cameos from famous D&D characters.” A Vecna module was announced earlier this year, but now we know the full title. This date, like the Core Rulebook(s?), was later replaced with “coming soon.”

A representative for the company said “the product release dates that were published in error and are actually not correct,” and that specific release dates will be announced “later” but in 2024.

WotC had also said a D&D “making of” book that includes the 50-year-old RPG’s original rules set, and a new adventure collection, Quests From the Infinite Staircase, would follow. Those announcement posts, also — you guessed it — now just say “coming soon.”

The Hasbro subsidiary has said the 2024 update would complement rather than replace the existing 5th Edition of the fantasy tabletop game, which itself turns 10 in 2024.

This post was updated to reflect the apparent retraction of 2024 release dates posted earlier in the day by the Dungeons & Dragons social media team. The dates were removed at the company’s request because they said they are not correct.

Update! D&D creative team addresses erroneous release dates …

A new video from the D&D creative team addresses last year’s “erroneous” release of a May timeframe for the release of the next edition of the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop roleplaying game.

“We realize there was an erroneous release date published with regards to the 2024 players handbook. that was definitely incorrect. The Player’s Handbook is NOT releasing in May. (but it will be coming this year) Stay tuned for an official announcement soon…”

More Dungeons & Dragons:

New D&D core rulebooks coming – but when?

Resolution Games and Wizards of the Coast collaborating on 1st licensed D&D video game made for virtual reality

D&D Deck of Many things released after production delay

Papercraft calendar: Roll up 1d12 months of 2024

Crafty gamers can deck dungeon halls with bargain wrapping paper

More third-party RPG titles join D&D Beyond platform

Marvel Studios released the first trailer for the highly anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine. The trailer, poster and trailer stills are all available now to share with your readers.

Shawn Levy directs Deadpool & Wolverine which stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni and Matthew Macfadyen.

Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey, Simon Kinberg and Jonathon Komack Martin serving as executive producers. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells and Shawn Levy.

Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine opens in U.S. and Canadian movie theaters on July 26, and will be available in IMAX, RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, Cinemark XD and premium screens everywhere.