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Arcade1UP’s Dragon’s Lair Home Arcade Machine is Available Now

2022/04/14

Arcade1UP’s Dragon Lair home arcade machine is available now! The Arcade1Up Dragon’s Lair home arcade cabinet not only features the title game, but also the sequel Dragon’s Lair II: Time Warp, and the sci-fi adventure themed Space Ace. All featuring the beloved animation style of Don Bluth, all a phenomenal fun time.

It was stunning then, and it’s stunning now: Arcade1Up is thrilled to release Dragon’s Lair in a home arcade form factor, faithfully reproducing its nostalgic gameplay, and gorgeous cabinet design! In 1983, video game designer Rick Dyer and legendary animator Don Bluth captivated the industry with Dragon’s Lair, a spectacular game that was unlike anything seen before, so ambitious and so advanced that it mesmerized video game players across generations.

With its hand drawn animation, creative levels, and strong dose of sword and sorcery humor, crowds gathered around Dragon’s Lair just to catch a glimpse of this “I can’t believe I’m playing a cartoon!” sensation.

The Arcade1UP Dragon’s Lair home arcade machine retails for $649.99 ($599.99 on sale at the time of this writing). You can find the product page here.

Images

Dune: Spice Wars Steam Early Access Date

2022/04/06

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos

Publishers Funcom and Developers Shiro Games are thrilled to announce that on April 26, Dune: Spice Wars enters Early Access. Marking the first time in two decades that players will be able to set foot on Dune in a game, Dune: Spice Wars has shot up the Steam wishlists chart since its recent announcement at The Game Awards 2021 in December.

This union between real-time strategy and 4X elements, based on Frank Herbert’s sci-fi masterpiece, Dune, pits four factions against each other on the desert planet of Arrakis, the only source of the most valuable resource in the universe: spice.

Along with the Early Access release, the fourth playable faction has also been revealed today as the Fremen. With a greater capacity to move across and withstand the open desert, less chance to attract colossal sandworms, and an improved ability to ally with hidden Sietches (neutral native settlements), the Fremen are uniquely poised to expand their area of influence in order to control the planet. Discover everything about the native desert survivors in today’s new faction reveal.

“With so many massive Dune fans in the studio, the excitement I see every day of working with this universe is very real, and we hope this comes across in the game,” says Sebastien Vidal, CEO of Shiro Games. “With all this passion for the source material, and all the know-how we’ve gathered from making Northgard, we can’t wait to put this game into players’ hands.”

Balance military power, infiltration, political influence, and resource production as either the Atreides, Harkonnen, Smugglers, or Fremen, each with their own distinct strengths and weaknesses. Explore the desert, expand, and seize control: The spice must flow.

Besides publishing Dune: Spice Wars, Funcom is also developing an open world survival multiplayer game set in the Dune universe. The company holds the exclusive rights to develop and publish Dune games on PC and consoles.

For more information about Dune: Spice Wars, visit dunegames.com.

Pacific Rim: The Black Season 2 First-Look Images

2022/03/23

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News, Screenshots / Photos

In the epic series conclusion of Pacific Rim: The Black (S2), the journey is far from over. Our brave siblings Taylor and Hayley still hope to reach the safety of Sydney aboard Atlas Destroyer, the scaled-down training Jaeger left behind when Australia was evacuated. With teenage assassin Mei and the mysterious human/kaiju hybrid bOy joining Taylor and Hayley, this makeshift family must cross a dangerous territory controlled by the bloodthirsty cult Sisters of the Kaiju. These zealots, led by the enigmatic High Priestess, are convinced that bOy is their long-awaited Messiah and will stop at nothing to indoctrinate him into their dark circle – something Hayley would sacrifice everything to prevent.

Staff:
Co-creators: Craig Kyle (Thor: Ragnarok) and Greg Johnson (X-Men: Evolution)
Produced by: Legendary Television
Animation production: Polygon Pictures

Pacific Rim Official Account:
Twitter: @PacificRim
Instagram: @PacificRimMovie
Facebook: @PacificRimMovie

Knott’s Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival 2022 Preview Event

2022/03/10

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Misc Review, News, Reviews, Screenshots / Photos

Recently, we got the chance to attend the preview event for Knott’s Berry Farm’s upcoming Boysenberry Festival. Starting March 18th, park guests will be delighted by new food offerings, shows, merchandise, and other various entertainment opportunities throughout the park. As per the usual with the park preview events, a big focus is food and merch. So, we showed up with stomachs full of nothing but hopes and boysenberry dreams, and excitedly awaited the start of the event.

Now, not EVERYTHING is available for tasting at these preview events. Knott’s Berry Farm usually picks a select group of items from the menu for us to sample and this event was no different. Personally, I really wanted to try the boysenberry corndog with boysenberry mustard but, alas, it was not meant to be this evening. Upon walking into the Wilderness Dancehall, I was delighted to see boysenberry colored decorations and lighting setup. This venue is so versatile – from being the location of a Knott’s Scary Farm maze in October to being a fantastic Christmas house during the Merry Farm and, yes, even the epicenter of a boysenberry tasting event.

There was a long table on the elevated platform where Santa usually sits during Knott’s Merry Farm. Of course, there was no Santa here today, unless you think of the park as Santa and the gifts being delicious flavor. The first sample I tried was the mashes potatoes and meatballs with boysenberry barbeque sauce. This floored me – it was such an outstanding treat: Savory, sweet, and salty all in one. After that, we got to try the chicken dumplings with boysenberry wanton and teriyaki sauce on a bed of fried rice. I really liked this dish but my traveling companion did not so much. They said the boysenberry conflicted with the savory nature of the offering. I thought it enhanced it – so is the subjectivity of food reviews!

Then it was time to get to the beverage counter. There were several options, but I was not a big fan of the boysenberry horchata. The flavors just didn’t flow together well for my liking. It was milky but the boysenberry provided the wrong kind of sweetness. I did, however, really enjoy the deconstructed lemonade with blackberries, loganberries, and raspberries. It was just a blast of freshness. Additionally, I give high marks to both the boysenberry hefeweizen beer and seltzer. Either choice is sure to refresh you on your day at the park. As always, enjoy responsibly – they’re so tasty, it might not be that difficult to over-indulge!

Over at the merchandise counter, there were all sorts of items on display. Shirts, boysenberry coffee, coffee cups, jams, jellies, and a whole lot more. I have a feeling that there will be plenty to purchase during your trip to the Boysenberry Festival this year. Personally, I will be bringing home several bags of coffee from the event when we come back for the full Boysenberry Festival experience on March 19th.

During our preview event, we did not get to see any plans for shows or other activities but there are usually several and I’m excited to see what they are. The Knott’s Boysenberry Festival runs from March 18th through April 24th. On a side note, I can’t believe it’s March already! Looking at the Knott’s events calendar, next up on the list after the Boysenberry Festival is Summer Nights from May 20th through September 5th and then… Scary Farm! 2022 has been flying by so far. Be sure to check out our photo gallery from the preview event below!

Photo Gallery

WWE 2K22 MyFACTION Mode Details

2022/03/04

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, PlayStation 5 News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News, Xbox Series X News

With the launch of WWE® 2K22 just days away, 2K is sharing today a quick guide to the franchise-first MyFACTION mode.

MyFACTION is a new take on a classic team-building mode in which players collect, manage, and upgrade an array of WWE Superstars and Legends to create their ultimate four-person factions. Managers and Side Plates boost performance, while Logos, Wallpapers, and Nameplates allow for creative customization.

Building the perfect faction to rival legendary groups such as the nWo, D-Generation X, and Evolution is no small task. Some useful tips to remember:

Players must make important choices when it comes to selecting the best Superstars for their factions and deploying the right boosts to take down the competition;
In need of some major muscle? Draft your favorite Powerhouse into action, like Big E or Rhea Ripley. If speed and devastating martial arts are in order, a Striker like Shinsuke Nakamura may be the way to go;
Between a roster packed with Superstars and Legends, and a wide range of specialized Side Plates, countless combinations are available, and experimentation is encouraged.

Ready to hit the squared circle? MyFACTION players can pit their four-person factions against other fearsome foursomes in Faction Wars, test their mettle across various match types in Proving Grounds, topple a new Tower every week, or complete an assortment of daily challenges. There are three types of in-game currency available in MyFACTION:

MyFACTION Points – which can be exchanged for card packs and contracts – are awarded for completing matches and challenges;
MyFACTION Tokens – which can be used in the Token Rewards market to unlock powerful WWE Superstar and Legend cards – are also awarded for completing matches and challenges; and
Virtual Currency – which is available for purchase and can be used exclusively in MyFACTION on card packs, boxes, and contracts.

As an important reminder, anything that players can unlock with Virtual Currency can also be unlocked with MyFACTION Points. In addition, MyFACTION is an online single-player only experience, so players cannot gain a competitive advantage over other players by purchasing Virtual Currency.

Additional rewards can be earned in certain MyFACTION modes, including Weekly Towers and Faction Wars, where exciting, limited-time rewards refresh each month. New themed card packs will roll out frequently, offering players a legion of current Superstars and beloved Legends to add to their collections.

Players can begin building their dream factions when WWE 2K22 is available on March 11, 2022*. For more information on WWE 2K22, visit the game’s official website, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #WWE2K22 or subscribe on YouTube.

Online Account (13+) required to access online features. See www.take2games.com/legal and www.take2games.com/privacy for additional details.

Visual Concepts is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

*WWE 2K22 Standard Edition and Cross-Gen Bundle will be available March 11, 2022. WWE 2K22 Deluxe Edition and nWo 4-Life Digital Edition will be available on March 8, 2022.

Razer Unveils Co-Branded Shoe Line with Cariuma

2022/01/27

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Tech News

Razer has announced its latest sustainability partnership with the eco-friendly shoe company Cariuma!

#GoGreenWithRazer has been an ongoing project and focus for the company for almost a year now and features an upcoming shoe created in partnership with Cariuma (a shoe built from recycled materials that benefits sustainability projects).

The shoe features Razer’s Sneki Snek sustainability mascot and comes in both high and low tops. The shoe is completely made from GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified cotton and a premium natural rubber sole to align with Razer’s current sustainability efforts without mitigating comfort.

Razer is striving to push their #GoGreenWithRazer initiative across the entire company by constantly practicing responsible manufacturing, product recycling, and being more involved with daily environmental practices. They also partnered with Conservation International so that every Sneki Snek piece of merchandise sold contributes to saving 10 trees. Currently, they are at the 900,000 mark of fulfilling their goal of 1 million trees saved, and would love to reach that million milestone before the program’s anniversary in March!

Excited to share the first of many new sustainability focused products for 2022. We have tons more news to come about how we’re going to continue to educate and excite the gaming community with Razer’s innovative approach to going Green at Razer.

Razer Unveils New Blade Gaming Laptops at CES 2022

2022/01/05

Jerry Paxton

CES, Geek News, News, Tech News

Razer™, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers (Hong Kong Stock Code: 1337), is kicking off 2022 with new Razer Blade gaming laptop models including the Razer Blade 14, Razer Blade 15, and Razer Blade 17. The world’s fastest laptops for gamers and creators are equipped with the recently announced NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series Laptop GPUs, up to an RTX 3080 Ti, making the new Blades better than ever, now shipping with Windows 11. All new Razer Blade gaming laptops now also include groundbreaking DDR5 memory, providing blistering clock speeds up to 4800MHz, an increase in frequency by up to 50% compared to the previous generation.

“The Razer Blade series continues to be the best gaming laptop by providing desktop-class performance on-the-go,” says Travis Furst, Senior Director of Razer’s Systems business unit. “Additionally, we’ve enabled creators to work anywhere with gorgeous displays, available NVIDIA Studio drivers, and up to 14-Core CPUs. Users will have the ability to choose any model or configuration that best fits their gaming or creating needs, while getting the latest and greatest in graphics, memory and processing technology.”

NVIDIA GeForce RTX laptops are based on the revolutionary Ampere architecture, with 2nd generation RT Cores for ray tracing and 3rd generation Tensor Cores for DLSS and AI. The new GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU brings the flagship 80 Ti class of GPUs to laptops for the first time. Featuring 16GB of the fastest GDDR6 memory ever shipped in a laptop, the RTX 3080 Ti delivers higher performance than the desktop TITAN RTX. The new GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is up to 70% faster than RTX 2070 SUPER laptops and can deliver 100 frames per second at 1440p resolution.

Additionally, the new 4th generation of Max-Q Technologies, with CPU Optimizer, Rapid Core Scaling, and Battery Boost 2.0, further enhance efficiency, performance, and battery life.

Lean, Mean, and Razer Green

The Razer Blade 14, 15, and 17 are powered by cutting-edge advancements from both AMD®️ and Intel®️. The Blade 14 returns with the next generation of AMD️ Ryzen™️ 6000 Series processors. Every configuration offers the ultra-fast Ryzen™️ 9 6900HX processor, enabling some of the most powerful AMD gaming possible on a mobile device.

Both the Blade 15 and Blade 17 come equipped with the newest ️ 12th Gen Intel Core™️ H-Series Processors, up to an Intel Core™️ i9-12900H with a new 14-core count over the previous 8-core generation. Intel’s 12th Gen processors bring a revolutionary new design with a performance hybrid architecture that combines performance-cores with efficient-cores, offering users the freedom to chat, browse, stream, edit, record, and play. The newest generation of Intel Core i9 processors will see high-speed frequencies up to 5.0GHz.

Each Razer Blade is uniquely imagined with exemplary CNC-milled aluminum chassis and high-quality custom components, resulting in a gaming laptop unlike any other on the market. Designed with the gamer’s wellness in mind, the new Blades sport a refreshed keyboard design, with slightly larger keys, making the typing experience more ergonomic than ever before. The revised design also includes laser-cut speakers, a refined hinge design with a thinner profile and additional ventilation with well-designed rubber feet to create convenient cooling airways.

Blade 14: The Ultimate 14” Gaming Laptop

The most powerful 14-inch gaming laptop of 2021 is back and more powerful than ever before. The new Razer Blade 14 combines the latest AMD️ Ryzen™️ 9 processor with an improved 16GB of DDR5 memory to create a blazing-fast gaming device that surpasses the previous generation.

The Blade 14 continues to be a remarkably thin, light, and compact device with impeccable performance, now packed with further refinements to make a great gaming laptop that much better. With a newly implemented MUX Switch, the Blade 14 sees increases in gameplay performance by utilizing the discrete GPU to drive games on the internal display. The Razer Blade 14 now also joins its slightly larger family members with the addition of the same fingerprint resistant coating and a 1080p IR webcam that supports Windows Hello, making video calls twice as clear as before.

Blade 15: Power. Performance. Perfection.

Beyond offering the latest chipsets from both NVIDIA GeForce and Intel, the Razer Blade 15 returns with cutting edge displays to make the most of the latest hardware. The Blade 15 will continue to offer the best of the best in display technology, including Full HD 360Hz and QHD 240Hz configurations, as well as an all-new UHD 144Hz configuration. The new IPS-Grade display features improved refresh rates, up from the 60Hz of previous generations, while simultaneously covering 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, to provide superb clarity and contrast when gaming or creating. Featuring the most powerful processors, boundary pushing displays, and blazing-fast memory all fitted into a finely tuned premium chassis, the Razer Blade 15 remains the perfect gaming laptop.

Blade 17: Built for the Pros.

Professional creators and gamers hunting for the ultimate desktop replacement need to look no further, as the new Razer Blade 17 comes with specifically chosen advancements in both audio and power delivery. The Razer Blade 17 doubles down on music and gameplay, boasting eight total speakers, up from the previous four, meaning creators can pick up minute details in audio mixing even without dedicated speakers or headsets. Backed by the NVIDIA Studio platform, creators also get RTX acceleration in 70+ of the most popular creative applications and a suite of exclusive apps: NVIDIA Omniverse, Broadcast and Canvas. Enjoy more hours of gameplay than ever before when unplugged or on the go with the larger 82WHr internal battery, over 10WHrs larger than previous generations. And when bringing the Blade 17 on to go, traveling is easier than ever as it now ships with a newly designed GaN-powered 280W charger, giving users access to even more power in a size comparable to the average 180W power brick.

Classic Features and Extended Razer Care

The new iterations of the Razer Blade 14, 15, and 17 ship with Windows®️ 11 pre-installed, with all its prevalent gaming benefits including DirectStorage, Xbox GameBar and Xbox Game Pass. The sides of each Razer Blade are lined with a variety of inputs, depending on the chassis, ranging from USB-C to HDMI 2.1 to a high-speed UHS-II SD card reader, so users can connect to anything, without hunting for a dongle.

The keyboards of all three Razer Blades are powered by Razer Chroma RGB that can be customized for productivity or gaming with front-facing speakers to keep work and play fun and engaging. All three of the new Razer Blades continue to provide immersive audio for a 360-degree soundscape when listening to movies, music, or games with THX® certified THX Spatial Audio over any analog headphones or the device speakers.

Additionally, the new generation of Razer Blades will begin a new extended battery warranty of up to 2 years, to help ensure users that their Blades are taken care of every step of the way by helpful Razer service and support.

To learn more about the all-new Razer Blades, go to razer.com/gaming-laptops

PRICE & AVAILABILITY

The new Razer Blade 14 starts at $1,999.99/2,199.99€ MSRP on Razer.com and will be available for pre-order at Razer.com, Razer Store locations and select retailers on February 10th and for purchase from select retailers in Q1 2022.

The new Razer Blade 15 starts at $2,499.99/2,799.99€ MSRP and will be available for pre-order exclusively at Razer.com and Razer Store locations on January 25th and for purchase from select retailers in Q1 2022.

The new Razer Blade 17 starts at $2,699.99/2,999.99€ MSRP and will be available for pre-order exclusively at Razer.com and Razer Store locations on January 25th and for purchase from select retailers in Q1 2022.

Street Fighter V Gets Breast Cancer Research Charity Costumes

2021/10/06

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Street Fighter™ V is teaming up with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), the largest private funders of breast cancer research in the world, to offer all-new themed costumes for playable characters Chun-Li and Ryu. These special edition pink hued charity costumes are designed to bring more awareness and support for breast cancer research. The two BCRF costumes for Chun-Li and Ryu will be available globally in the PS4 and Steam versions of Street Fighter V for a limited time, beginning on Oct. 12, 2021 and ending on Nov. 12, 2021. The costumes will be offered individually each for $5.99 USD or both together for $9.99 USD, with all proceeds received going to breast cancer research.

Every 14 seconds, somewhere in the world, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. Globally, breast cancer causes the greatest number of cancer-related deaths among women—with an estimated 685,000 women this year alone. But thanks to research, progress is possible. In the U.S., deaths from breast cancer has declined by 40 percent since BCRF was founded.

“This year, breast cancer became the most common cancer worldwide, impacting 2.3 million people” said BCRF President and CEO Myra Biblowit. “The need for better, more effective treatments have never been greater. We’re grateful for the opportunity to highlight this critical need through Capcom’s wide reach. Through this partnership, we are poised to make a direct and tangible impact on advancing lifesaving science—together.”

From Oct. 12, 2021 to Nov. 12, 2021, Capcom will donate 100% of the proceeds that it receives for the purchases of the Chun-Li and Ryu costumes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation with a guaranteed minimum donation of $25,000 USD. Capcom will disclose the total amount of its donation following the end of the campaign.

Farming Simulator 22 Unveils New Gameplay Mechanics

2021/10/06

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

Developer and publisher GIANTS Software did some groundwork and introduces more gameplay mechanics for Farming Simulator 22: With mulching, stone picking and soil rolling, three new ground working features will extend the virtual experience. The more realistic depiction of agriculture allows players to improve their soil quality even further.

Mulching: way more than bark chips for your backyard
While mulching is prominently known in domestic gardening through use of bark chips, in Farming Simulator 22 it becomes an integral part of increasing the yield as it is in real agriculture: Players mulch the narrow spaces between their brand-new grape vines and olive groves with fresh cut grass to increase the soil quality while making everything look nice and clean, or mulch the stubble left on the field after harvesting other crops.

Stone picking: a new type of enemy for virtual farmers
It’s not just weeds, virtual farmers have to fight: Lying dormant in the ground, stones can be dug up by plowing or cultivating. To avoid the risk of damaging machines, players will have to remove them. Dependent on the size, they either have to use a stone picking tool attached to the tractor, or roll over with the new rollers – effectively sweeping them under the nutrient-rich topsoil, at least for a while.

Let’s roll: soil rollers increase the yield (and are fun to operate)
With spectacular looking agricultural tools called rollers, players can press small stones back into the ground to conceal the rocky consequences of cultivating. After sowing crops, farmers gain additional yield bonuses when rolling over the seedbed to compact the soil. Grassland farmers also gain a fertilizing stage by rolling over their meadows.

Better looking soil: A feast for farmer’s eyes
Virtual farmers with an eye for detail will also notice the all-new ground textures. Basically all ground textures have been revised for the upcoming game, resulting in more visual diversity and authentic representation of the various soil states.

Farming Simulator 22 releases November 22nd for PC, Mac, PlayStation®5 (PS5™), Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Stadia.

Knott’s Scary Farm 2021 Review Brings Scares Back to Buena Park

2021/09/27

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, Haunted Attraction Review, News, Reviews, Screenshots / Photos

Knott’s Scary Farm is back for 2021 but, the question remains, can it recover after taking a year off? Will its addition of only one new maze be enough? Without drawing it out too much, the answer to both of these questions is a resounding yes! Knott’s Scary Farm features 8 mazes, 5 scare zones, and 6 shows – all of which are sure to fill your night’s schedule up very quickly. In fact, there’s so much to do at Knott’s Scary Farm you’ll probably have to make a couple trips during the season to see everything.

There is only one truly new maze this year. Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind takes attendees on a journey into insanity thanks to a hypnotist/mentalist named Mesmer. This maze starts off with a great show moment that I hope sticks around for a while. Often times these moments get removed after a time due to the way they slow down the flow of guests through the maze. In this case, the show moment sets the stage for what’s to come perfectly, and the maze designers, monsters, set decorators, painters, lighting techs, and everyone else involved in bringing Mesmer to life should be proud of their work. Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind features a stunning array of props, animatronics, and technical wizardry.

The rest of the maze lineup this year features offerings from the past. No doubt, the reason for this was simply due to the pandemic. Hopefully, we get this all under control and 2022 sees a host of new mazes in the works. Speaking of Works – Wax Works is back, bringing all sorts of grotesque imagery and characters with it. I love that maze – the giant abomination creature near the end of the experience has to be seen (and heard) to be believed. Also back this year (for the last time) is Paranormal Inc. This maze features some great sets, a nice opening show moment, and a thrilling narrative element. It’s going out in a big way this year.

On the topic of scare zones, the zones from 2019 return with one big addition, that of the Gore-Ing 20’s (a take off on the Roaring 20’s area of the park in which it resides) – although, I do have a sneaking suspicion that the area was initially titled Memory Lane before being re-branded for marketing purposes. Either way, the scare zone is an absolute hit with scare actors all being rooted deeply in character. The zone is full of 1920’s era characters – from mobsters to newsboys, flappers, teetotalers, and more. The area is built around the era of prohibition, and the strange pull that a secretive club known as the “Blind Tiger” has on the morale fiber of the local populace. Throughout the night, we saw scare actors interacting with guests, sending them on mini “fetch quests” a la Ghost Town Alive and, of course, scaring people.

Of course, I couldn’t mention scare zones and not pay kudos to the scare actors in the other areas of the park – Ghost Town Streets, The Hollow, CarnEVIL, and Forsaken Lake. I didn’t have a bad walkthrough in any of those scare zones. All the monsters we crossed paths with were energetic and giving it their all. It seems that the year off really amped everyone up for coming back this year and the end result is intense and rightfully scary.

Thankfully, there is also a very satisfying line up of shows this year at Knott’s Scary Farm. Headlining the Charles M Schultz theatre is Puppet Up! – Uncensored. Nothing’s funnier than adult-oriented puppet show. The best part is that the show changes each show due to its improvisational aspect. If you go to Knott’s Scary Farm this year, you have to see it! At the Birdcage Theater you’ll find Conjurers: Magic and Mirth – an entertaining illusionist show with humor and thrills. Also a must-see is the Invitation to Terror show at the location of the retired Mystery Lodge attraction. The show makes clever use of that attractions special effects as well as a host of new ones that are guaranteed to provide a scary fun time. Over at the Calico Main Stage is the Carnaval du Grotesque. This is a blanket show name for a variety of live music and performers that grace the stage. During our evening, we saw a live band playing as well as a juggling act earlier in the evening.

On the night we attended, we did notice that the Ghost Town Calico Grill was closed for some reason. In past years, it was always a treat to eat out on the restaurant’s patio, enjoying the scares while dining on very decent amusement park food. However, the park is offering a variety of spooky treats at locations around the map. There are candy corn trifles, midnight funnel cakes, and a host of other offerings. I would not say that Knott’s Scary Farm themed treats are on par with those found during the dedicated “Taste Of” events from 2020 but they are fun and the younger guests out there will especially love to get hopped up on the sugar they provide.

The most important thing that I’d like to see Knott’s Scary Farm improve upon in future years is returning the backstage mazes to the theme park proper. Nothing pulls guests out of the spooky experience more than emerging into a large parking lot with little to no theming and the smell of trash wafting through the air as dumpsters are stored right near that location during regular daytime operations.

And now for some history on why this is the case… Initially the push to move mazes out of the regular theme park map was due to a management change that wanted to reduce the impediment to daytime operations. This even extended to decorations and some experiences (such as the now-retired Infected: Special Ops in its first year) even needed to be rolled-in on wheels after the park closed. When I was young, going to the park in the daytime and seeing all of the mazes, spooky decorations, and the rest only served to make me want to attend Knott’s Scary Farm even more. Thankfully, this mandate seems to have lifted somewhat in recent years as decorations are adorning the daytime park once more – however, the backstage mazes remain. I urge park management to return those mazes to the spooky, themed areas of the park proper as those backstage mazes get retired. It will result in increased ticket sales – honest!

Overall, Knott’s Scary Farm is a very fun time with a whole lot of stuff to see. Knott’s Scary Farm is now open and tickets range in price from $50 to $72 dollars and there are extra options that can purchased such as a pre-scare “Boo-fet” as well as Fright Lane express entry to mazes and rides. You can find more information on the event at its official website.

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