Latest news with #Wiseguy
Android Authority
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
This Majora's Mask port now supports mods, and more recompiled N64 games are coming
TL;DR The recompilation of Majora's Mask now features full mod support, plus improved performance. Zelda 64: Recompiled is the first game to use the updated N64: Recompiled tool. More recompilations, including Banjo-Kazooie, Kirby 64, and Quest 64, are also underway. It's a great day for N64 fans, as Wiseguy's incredible revamp of the N64: Recompiled tool is finally available to the public. The first game to show the full progress made over the past few months is version 1.2.0 of Zelda 64: Recompiled, which is now available on GitHub. Without going too into the weeds, the N64: Recompiled tool makes it significantly easier to make native ports of N64 games. Previous decompilation efforts required painstakingly reverse-engineering a game's code line by line, then building a port to render that code into a playable game. N64: Recompiled automates that first task and runs the code in the pre-built RT64 renderer. Recompiled games require further refining, but the process is much, much faster than manually decompiling code. The latest update greatly improves that renderer, meaning N64 games now run at full speed with 4K texture packs, even on 10-year-old hardware. That's great news for anyone looking to play N64 games on budget smartphones, as N64 emulation is very demanding. Mod-supporting ports of Kirby 64, Quest 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and more are coming soon. However, the addition of mod support unlocks far more. The mod tool allows modders to change virtually anything in the game. There are already more than 40 mods for Zelda 64: Recompiled, including a full randomizer, better Epona controls, movement while aiming the bow, a 7K zoomable world map, and the ability to play the entire game as Mario. They all work by simply dragging the files into the program, and the platform-agnostic framework means it now works on macOS for the first time. This is just the first game to gain access to these features, with many more recomps coming soon. Currently, Zelda 64: Recompiled only supports Majora's Mask, but Ocarina of Time is on the way. Apart from that, the only recomp that's officially available is Goemon 64. A video by Nerrel revealed that Kirby 64, Cameleon Twist, Quest 64, Dinosaur Planet, and Banjo-Kazooie recomps are well underway. Look forward to more information on those releases in the coming months. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
The Independent
11-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Saturday Racing Tips: Best bets for Ayr and the Scottish Grand National
Traprain Law (Ayr, 1.10) – 0.5pt each-way @ 5/1 (bet365) Whistle Stop Tour (Ayr, 1.43) – 1pt win @ 4/1 (bet365) Ethical Diamond (Ayr, 2.15) – 1pt win @ 3/1 (William Hill) Surrey Quest (Ayr, 3.35) – 0.5pt each-way @ 11/1 (Unibet, 6 places) Spanish Harlem (Ayr, 3.35) – 0.5pt each-way @ 16/1 (William Hill, 6 places) Wiseguy (Ayr, 3.35) – 0.5pt each-way @ 25/1 (BoyleSports, 6 places) Betsen (Curragh, 2.50pm) - 0.5pt each-way @ SP One Look (Curragh, 3.25pm) - 0.5pt each-way @ 4/1 (William Hill) The Willie Mullins battalions arrive on the west coast of Scotland this weekend with the Closutton maestro bidding to take a vice-like grip on a second UK trainers' championship with six runners in the £200,000 Coral Scottish Grand National on Saturday at Ayr. Mullins trails Dan Skelton by roughly £130,000 in the title race despite saddling just 16 per cent of the runners his chief rival has sent out since the season started. A sum total of just 143 runners has yielded 29 winners, 12 of them achieved in Grade 1s and it is incredible to think that Skelton has saddled in excess of 900 runners for his trio of Grade 1 successes. Scottish Grand National Tips Mullins takes dead aim at Ayr again a year on from Macdermott, Klarc Kent and Spanish Harlem giving him a priceless 1-4-6 in Saturday's marathon feature on route to a landmark UK title. Perhaps we should have taken more notice at the time as just a year later at Aintree he was leaving that achievement well behind in the rear mirror with an astonishing 1-2-3-5-7 on Merseyside. In last year's renewal, the Toby Lawes-trained Surrey Quest was the unfortunate victim of the Mullins dominance, denied by a nose by Macdermott and an inspired Danny Mullins ride following a pulsating stretch duel in the Ayr sun. Jockey Kevin Brogan has a chance of redemption aboard the eight-year-old who has enjoyed a light campaign with connections building towards this race with a largely unexposed chaser who arrives on the back of a 69-day break after running creditably in February's bet365 Edinburgh National. History tells us that Surrey Quest is a better horse when fresh with his form figures standing at 2131122 following an absence of 60 days or greater. If he finds a similar rhythm to last year he ought to go close once again, and his yard have been in decent form of late. Nicky Henderson's hoodoo in the Grand National was extended by another year with Hyland and Chantry House failing to make an impact last week at Liverpool, but Wiseguy could well reward an each-way play in the Scottish version with betting sites offering enhanced places. The selection looks like marathon trips are required these days following staying on efforts at the Cheltenham Festival and previously at Ascot where he stuck to his task admirably. A good winner on his comeback at Newbury last November, he remains attractively treated and is available at 25/1 on some betting apps offering six or seven places looks worth an each-way play. Last, but no means least, last year's sixth Spanish Harlem is also fancied to run a big race with the cheekpieces applied for the first time. Rider Brian Hayes was arguably unlucky not to land last week's National aboard Grangeclare West but for pitching at the final fence and losing valuable ground, but he could gain a measure of compensation here with the seven-year-old looking to be peaking following an encouraging fourth in the Punchestown National Trial last time. A slow leap at the first in the straight saw Spanish Harlem, sent off at just 12/1 last year, lose valuable momentum and he could only find the one pace from that point on. A year older, he looks to be coming to the boil nicely and it appears significant his price has shortened on horse racing betting sites from 33/1 in the last 24 hours. Ayr Racing Tips Others to take the eye at Ayr include last year's runner-up Traprain Law (1.10pm) who has a record at the track which reads 413312 and, who like Surrey Quest, is another that could go one better than 12 months ago in his corresponding race for an owner that loves winners at this meeting. Whistle Stop Tour (1.43pm) was hampered at an early stage of the Ultima Handicap Chase and should be more at home at a venue where he has recorded career figures of 1331, while Ethical Diamond (2.15pm) could be the answer to the Coral Scottish Grand National following an eyecatching effort in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham. Over at the Curragh, pay attention to Betsen (2.50pm) who chased home a potentially Group class sprinter in Two Stars last time, while One Look (3.25pm) is two from two on straight courses and has won both first time out and following a 189-day absence. Please Gamble Responsibly Betting on can become addictive, so it's vital bettors take precautions to keep themselves safe when using gambling sites. Every licensed UK betting site should offer safer gambling tools, such as deposit limits, time outs, self-assessment questionnaires and self-exclusion options. These are free tools to help punters stay in control and they are available at various gambling sites, including online bookmakers, casino sites, slot sites, and poker sites. These operators may offer punters free bets or casino bonuses from time to time, but it's important to treat these rewards with caution. Read the terms and conditions before accepting any bonus as some will require you to place a cash bet before handing out the reward. Always remember that sports betting is meant to be fun. It should never be viewed as a guaranteed way to make money. If you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don't hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.
The Guardian
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
From Flow to Harry Hill: a complete guide to this week's entertainment
FlowOut now This year's Oscar winner for best animated feature had a cult following even before the Academy ratified its status as something special. This simple, dialogue-free story about a cat surviving in a post-apocalyptic world is one of those treats that appeals in equal measure to children and adults. The Alto KnightsOut now He may be 92, but Nicholas Pileggi, whose nonfiction book Wiseguy became Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, is still spinning his mob stories. This time, he's written the script for a mafia movie starring Robert De Niro in a double role as mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. Snow WhiteOut now This live-action retelling of the story that made Disney's name all the way back in 1937 stars Rachel Zegler as the eponymous pale princess and Gal Gadot as the lady with the magic mirror. There's also a new love interest called Jonathan, presumably because princes who go around snogging comatose women are not very 2025. Dawn of Impressionism: Paris, 1874Out now The new school of painting that arrived in 1870s Paris was initially scorned, but over time its popularity mushroomed, with work from Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir and all the rest viewed by thousands every year. This new Exhibition On Screen documentary brings those works to even wider audiences. Catherine Bray Coco & Clair Clair25 to 29 March; tour starts London The beguiling Atlanta duo, who mix bedroom pop, cloud rap and electro, arrive in the UK in support of last year's excellent album, Girl. Playful and arch, but with flashes of sincerity, the group's highlight will likely be the breakbeat take on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Our House. Michael Cragg 1945: A Kind of Haunting London, 25 March; Birmingham, 26 March; Saffron Walden, 28 March The Britten Sinfonia's programme marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war features a new work by Michael Zev Gordon, which explores how the Holocaust has continued to affect subsequent generations. Andrew Clements Dayglow25 to 28 March; tour starts Glasgow Texan singer, songwriter and producer Sloan Struble specialises in the kind of amped-up pop-rock that makes you want to pogo rather than mosh. His self-titled fourth album features definite crowdpleasers in the shape of Mindless Creatures and Cocoon. MC John Scofield TrioRonnie Scott's, London, 28 & 29 March A guitar star since his early-80s stretch with Miles Davis, Scofield's mix of Hendrix-like rawness, soul/blues phrasing and bebop ingenuity has made him a jazz legend. This trio with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Bill Stewart is his favourite live lineup. John Fordham Grayson PerryThe Wallace Collection, London, 28 March to 26 October Perry has said he doesn't like the art in the Wallace Collection, so expect ironic sneers aplenty in his exhibition there. Let's all have a laugh at the saucy Fragonard paintings and Gainsborough's haunting masterpiece Perdita. If you love the place, as I do, you might want to avoid Perry's intervention. Discovering Jewish Country HousesWaddesdon Manor, nr Aylesbury, 26 March to 22 June The English country house is a defining myth of a nationhood imagined as ethnically homogenous but, in the 19th century, Jewish families broke through that marble ceiling. Hélène Binet's photographs reveal how the Rothschilds and others subverted snobbery and defied racism, especially at Waddesdon, where Queen Victoria was a guest. A World of WaterSainsbury Centre, Norwich, to 3 August Art is a unique record of the sea and our relationship with it. Artists have been accurately depicting the North Sea especially, ever since Dutch painters turned their eyes on it in the 1600s. This exhibition surveys the sea that East Anglia shares with the Netherlands from then until now. Textiles: The Art of MankindFashion and Textile Museum, London, 28 March to 7 September This ambitious exhibition argues that textiles are not just useful or decorative but have always hung at the heart of human history and creativity. They also survive in surprising quantities from remote places and times. Admire wondrous bright fragments and miraculous woven treasures in a tapestry of all our pasts. Jonathan Jones Harry HillShrewsbury, 22 March; tour continues to 21 September The big-collared comic is 60 but, rather than reaching for his pipe and slippers, Hill is doubling down on his crackers comedy. Latest show New Bits & Greatest Hits offers up fresh gags about bags for life and butchers. Rachel Aroesti Dance ReflectionsVarious venues, London, to 8 April Catch the final shows of the eclectic Dance Reflections festival, including contemporary dance on high-wires in Outsider, a double bill on queerness and marginalisation (Crow/Pigeons by Jules Cunningham) and a triple bill of George Balanchine classics. Lyndsey Winship Apex PredatorHampstead theatre, London, 22 March to 26 April Mixing social satire and supernatural thriller, John Donnelly's new play critiques how we live now. Director Blanche McIntyre's cast includes the astonishing Sophie Melville (Iphigenia in Splott) and Laura Whitmore. Kate Wyver Pig Heart BoyThe Lowry, Salford, 26 to 29 March, then touring Looking for a story full of heart? Winsome Pinnock's new version of the beloved children's novel by Malorie Blackman, for ages 9+, revives the tale of the boy offered a pig heart in exchange for his faulty human one. KW Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion This City Is Ours BBC One/iPlayer, 23 March, 9pm Gangsters in TV dramas are constantly promising to go straight in the name of love. They barely ever do. Cue this new Liverpool-set series, which follows Michael (James Nelson-Joyce), a longtime drug trafficker who considers packing it in for his new girlfriend – but can he go through with it? Sean Bean co-stars. The Studio Apple TV+, 26 March Having usurped movies in zeitgeist terms, TV is now rubbing salt in the wound by spoofing the current crisis in Hollywood. Here, co-creator Seth Rogen plays a studio boss wrangling stars and moneymen, as the likes of Charlize Theron, Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese cameo as themselves. My Brain: After the RuptureBBC Two/iPlayer, 28 March, 9pm In 2020, 38 year-old Clemency Burton-Hill experienced a catastrophic brain haemorrhage, leaving her unable to walk or talk. This documentary traces the broadcaster and classical music specialist's miraculous path to recovery, as she returns to work and to her beloved violin. The ChangeChannel 4, 25 March, 10pm Series one of Bridget Christie's joyous, radical, Bafta-nominated menopause comedy saw Linda (Christie) swap Swindon for forest life after decades of domestic drudgery. But having won over the woodland community, she must now come clean about her real identity – and reunite with layabout husband Steve (Omid Djalili). RA Assassin's Creed Shadows Out now, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X Play as a powerful samurai and a sneaky shinobi in this historical action game, which finally takes players to one of their most-requested times and places: Sengoku-period Japan. One for Shōgun appreciators. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive EditionOut now, Nintendo Switch This melodramatic Japanese sci-fi, with hints of Final Fantasy and Evangelion, was an underappreciated classic when it was released in 2015. You won't believe the size of some of the alien creatures you fight in this thing. Keza MacDonald The Horrors – Night Life Out now Eight years after the release of V, professional goths the Horrors return with their sixth album and two new members in Millie Kidd and Jordan Cook. While it features only nine songs, epic tracks such as Ariel and the Depeche Mode-esque Lotus Eater eerily stretch their tentacles outwards to become all-consuming. Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (and Sad Women)Out now The follow-up to 2021's breakthrough, Jubilee, finds the US indie-pop band moving out of the makeshift studios of their past and into somewhere more professional. Frontwoman Michelle Zauner taps the darker depths of her psyche on songs such as the rolling Mega Circuit, assisted by producer Blake Mills (Perfume Genius). Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco – I Said I Love You First Out now The actor-singer and producer couple explore their relationship via the prism of pop on this loved-up collaboration. Scared of Lonely is a fragile, Finneas-assisted ballad, while the pepped-up, indie-leaning Call Me When You Break Up throws Gracie Abrams into the mix. My Morning Jacket – Is Out now After nine albums, the Kentucky rockers have finally drafted in an outside producer, with Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam) helping to hone a suite of melodic, cosmic-tinged anthems such as single Time Waited. Squid Ink, meanwhile, throws in a bluesy rumble that could tempt Jack White into a smile. MC Icons of Style BBC iPlayer, out now Kirsty Wark's new series on the fashion legacy of Scotland is full of intriguing history, beginning with the links between the Dior brand and Scotland, as well as recounting how Vivenne Westwood made tartan punk. National Trust Podcast: Wild TalesPodcast The latest audio series from the National Trust uncovers the unusual lives of animals. Episode one focuses on the often terrifying exploits of gulls before going on to explore everything from dolphin socialising to spider sex. Mic the SnareYouTube YouTube is full of music essayists but vlogger Mic the Snare is one of its most entertaining and opinionated. His videos in defence of much-maligned stars such as Camilla Cabello and Jacob Collier are surprisingly convincing. Ammar Kalia
The Guardian
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Alto Knights review – double De Niro makes for a laborious true-story mafioso movie
'They're the same – he's marrying himself!' The speaker is an aghast Bobbie Costello, played by Debra Messing, addressing her shruggingly detached mob boss husband, Frank Costello, played by Robert De Niro. They are guests at the wedding of mercurial club owner Anna (Kathrine Narducci) to Frank's hot-tempered mafia associate Vito Genovese. And Vito is played by … Robert De Niro. This film is a laborious true-crime account of Frank and Vito's homicidal falling out in 1950s New York, directed by Barry Levinson and written by Nicholas Pileggi, though with little of the perspective, light and shade and narrative richness of Pileggi's earlier scripts. As Vito, De Niro is gloweringly resentful, taciturn, bad-tempered and wears glasses and a hat. As Frank, De Niro is gloweringly resentful, taciturn, slightly less bad-tempered and doesn't wear glasses or a hat. Bobbie's line surely has to be a meta joke about the through-the-looking-glass casting – but, really, the point of the Vito/Frank duplication is a question that is not asked or answered by the movie itself, and has echoes of the meme of the two Spider-Men pointing at each other. Is the idea that they are basically the same person? Maybe. But it's a pedantic and self-cancelling approach, obstructing the idea of interesting and important differences in the two men, who in fact no more resemble each other than all the other hatchet-faced wise guys around them. Maybe everyone on screen, men and women, should have been played by Robert De Niro, in a Charlie Kaufman-type nightmare. Just before the war, Frank and Vito make a good living in black market alcohol and drugs and illegal lotteries as part of the Lucky Luciano crime family. Vito then flees to Italy and when he comes back to New York in 1945, he finds that his old pal is only giving him a small slice of the cake. And, moreover, stolid, cautious Frank is unwilling to expand further into drugs, having bribed his way into a cosy, pseudo-respectable position in society. Frank infuriates Vito with a professed ambition to retire and his willingness to cooperate as an un-subpoenaed witness in front of grand juries. Vito suspects (understandably) that this stance will only be carried off by selling out his former criminal pals and so orders a hit on Frank, resulting in a brutal and incompetent assassination attempt that leads to disaster. The film's title refers to the postwar New York drinking club where Vito and Frank hung out; the movie had previously been called Wise Guys, which was perhaps too close to Pileggi's book Wiseguy, on which the film Goodfellas was based. All the time-honoured mannerisms are here, including the old-fashioned barber-shop hit – but the movie also adds little memory moments in black and white, as well as snatches of documentary archive footage. It also has a habit of giving the old guys in the club stretches of expository dialogue to tell each other and us what is going on. When the entire nationwide mob family is busted by police at a powwow in upstate New York, Pileggi speculates that Costello deliberately contrived the meeting and reported them to the cops to save himself – a snitch move, from which the film carefully rescues Costello by sentimentally putting him in the same prison cell as Vito. There is a kind of solidity and force to the film in its opening act, but its interest dwindles and we get little in the way of either ambition or moment-by-moment humour. There is, however, a sweet, autumnal touch when the melancholy, ageing Frank is forced by his wife to take their dogs for a walk in Central Park in mink coats to keep out the cold. The Alto Knights is out on 20 March in Australia, and 21 March in the UK and US.
