tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9890828728418748492024-02-18T19:00:51.390-08:00That Guy Likes MoviesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-8487880080772329962015-06-15T17:08:00.000-07:002015-06-15T17:08:25.417-07:00Video game music artists you should be listening toLike many of you, I live, eat, sleep and breathe video games. As I write, I wear an Aperture Laboratories t-shirt. Link, Luigi, Ezio and friends adorn my shelves. A framed picture of The Normandy sits on my desk at work. The original Game Boy power noise alerts me of each text. So it should come as no surprise that the music I listen to is no exception. My phone is filled to the brim with video game remixes, chiptune artists, and straight up soundtracks. Just as much as I love listening to them, though, I love to share them. Most of these artists have an incredible amount of talent, but go unrecognized, given that video game music isn't exactly blowing up the radio. So I wanted to share some of my favorite video game music artists and remixers, in case some of you out there enjoy it as much as I do.<br />
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<b>Jayster</b><br />
<a href="https://jayster.bandcamp.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">https://jayster.bandcamp.com/</span></a><br />
Serving as the inspiration for this piece, I found out about Jayster most recently. His style is heavily 8-bit, and his remixes don't stray far from the classic NES and SNES roots of gaming music. If it's chill background or study music you're looking for, look no further.<br />
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<b>Joshua Morse</b><br />
<a href="https://joshuamorse.bandcamp.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">https://joshuamorse.bandcamp.com/</span></a><br />
As mentioned in part 3 of my Mega May coverage, Joshua Morse is at the top of my list when it comes to video game remix artists. More than simple 8-bit midi beats, Joshua Morse injects all of the songs he remixes with a heavy dose of his own flair, covering everything from Final Fantasy to Castlevania, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man, Street Fighter, and even Sim City. His newest album, Arcade Attack, was released in April, and is a must-listen for fans of Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo.<br />
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<b>DJ Cutman</b><br />
<a href="http://music.djcutman.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">http://music.djcutman.com/</span></a><br />
Taking his name (and costume when he performs) straight out of Mega Man, DJ Cutman pumps out some head-bobbing jams by remixing them with thumping bass, for a much more techno/house music feel. Don't worry, his music spans no shortage of games and systems, not just Mega Man as his name implies.<br />
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<b>Anamanaguchi</b><br />
<a href="http://www.anamanaguchi.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">http://www.anamanaguchi.com/</span></a><br />
Most known for creating the entire soundtrack for the Scott Pilgrim video game, Anamanaguchi creates all original music, but in a chiptune style that's hard not to love. Even if it isn't straight up video game music, you can't help but hearken back to the glory days of the NES when you hear their upbeat jams.<br />
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<b>Starbomb</b><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">iTunes, Amazon</span><br />
Game Grumps hosts Arin and Dan, along with Dan's band mate Ninja Brian, form the comedy group Starbomb. Their music as a feel similar to other comedy rap groups like The Lonely Island, and is definitely not for kids. That said, it's always good for a laugh, and no games or characters are safe.<br />
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<b>SmoothMcgroove</b><br />
<a href="https://smoothmcgroove.bandcamp.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">https://smoothmcgroove.bandcamp.com/</span></a><br />
Have you ever wanted to hear your favorite video game song sung acapella by the same guy in nine different harmonies? Well then look no further, SmoothMcgroove has got your back.<br />
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<b>The Warp Zone</b><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">iTunes, Amazon</span><br />
These guys aren't necessarily straight up musicians, but YouTube comedy channel The Warp Zone has plenty of jams from a wide variety of games. Whether it be Weird Al-style parodies of existing songs, or their catchy "Unplugged" versions of classic game music, they've got something for everyone.<br />
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Not all of this music is available through conventional means like iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. But worry not! I've got you covered.<br />
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<a href="http://gamechops.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Gamechops.com</span></a> functions as a label of sorts for video game remix artists. Joshua Morse and DJ Cutman are among their artists, and one of my favorite (and most played) albums, the all Sonic the Hedgehog "Spindash," came from this site.<br />
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If you're looking for the official soundtracks to your most beloved games, <a href="http://sumthing.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Sumthing.com</span></a> is the place to go. This site has an absurd amount of game soundtracks pulled straight from the source. These aren't remixed or 8-bitted, but if you want the official song you remember so dearly, here's the place to look. Personally, I've nabbed the Devil May Cry OST from this site, which comes in two volumes, and contains every scrap of music from DMC 1-4.<br />
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Not every artist is lucky enough to make it to the bigtime. Those who don't, but still want to share their music choose <a href="http://bandcamp.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">BandCamp.com</span></a>. This pay-what-you-want site is bustling with chiptune and remix artists. Joshua Morse, Jayster, DJ Cutman, and so many more can be found here.<br />
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The best part of sites like BandCamp, YouTube, and even iTunes is that their libraries are always growing, and there's no way to hear it all. So I want to hear your suggestions! What artists do you love that I missed? No, seriously...I need more. MOOOOORE!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-1739403021716498612015-06-01T09:05:00.000-07:002015-06-01T09:05:18.890-07:00Mega May! week 4Much like the last few bittersweet hours of Christmas day each year, here we are at the end of Mega May. We've seen the highs and lows. We've seen some of the greatest fan tributes, and the most heart-wrenching betrayals by Capcom. What could there possibly be left? How about an entire Mega Man-style game being released this year, made by MM co-creator Keji Inafune, entirely funded by Kickstarter? Let's also not forget Mega Man's most entertaining cameos!<br />
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<b>Mighty No. 9</b><br />
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In late 2010, series co-creator Keji Inafune, often referred to as the father of Mega Man<b>*, </b>left Capcom, and created his own indie company named Comcept. On August 31, a Kickstarter was created for a project called Mighty No. 9. Three days later, it was funded, eventually reaching over 400% of it's initial goal.<br />
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The game follows Beck, a blue robot who has to fight eight robot masters. Yes, it's a shameless, straight up Mega Man clone. That is nowhere near a bad thing, though, in fact it's what fans have been wanting for years! Since it's creation, the game has been progressing along according to schedule, and will be released this coming September on PlayStation 3, 4, Vita, Xbox 360, One, 3DS, Wii U, PC, Mac, and Linux.<br />
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<i>*Author's note: That's not entirely true. The first ever design was drawn by MM 1 director Akira Kitamura, but Inafune did become an integral part of the series moving forward. Inafune is also credited for creating Zero, whose design was intended to be that of Mega Man X. The higher ups thought the change would be too drastic, but they still loved the character design, so Zero was created as a new character. Okay, tangent over.</i><br />
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<b>Mega Man's Best Cameos/Crossovers</b><br />
<b>Dead Rising</b> was basically a love letter from Capcom to Capcom. They seemed to very much enjoy filling their game with references to themselves. The best of these, though, is Megaman X's helmet and buster. In the beginning of the game, the buster can be found in a toy store, and shoots toy balls at zombies, doing no damage. But if you have the dedication to kill (literally) every single zombie, you'll earn the real buster gun in your next playthrough.<br />
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The Monster Hunter series has been cranking out free costume DLC for a while now, and fairly recently, MM was invited to join the fray. There's just something sickeningly adorable about a cat dressed in a blue onesie in <b>Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate</b>.<br />
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Megaman has had no shortage of appearances in fighting games, but to me the most noteworthy is his anime style appearance in the stellar fighter, <b>Marvel VS Capcom 2</b>. His appearance, movement, and voice are all reminiscent of his appearance in MM8, and his special attack is not only the most fun to watch, but also one of the most powerful in the game, even though he has never once transformed into a huge robot in any of his previous games. But who cares? It's awesome!<br />
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In the late 80s, Nintendo created a cartoon show called Captain N. In it, every kid's fantasy came true: a boy gets sucked into the video game he's playing, and gets to fight bad guys along side characters like Simon Belmont, Kid Icarus (not Pit, apparently), an anthropomorphic Game Boy, and yes, even Megaman. How cool is that?<br />
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Well...not at all, actually. Basically, none of the characters ended up looking even remotely close to their video game counterparts, with Simon Belmont ending up as an ice climber of sorts, and Megaman looking like...well, this.<br />
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While not his <i>best</i> cameo, it does have a strange appeal to it, in a sort of "so bad it's good" way.</div>
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And with that, it's time to say farewell to Mega May 2015. Hopefully we can look forward to next year being filled with new game announcements for this classic character, but I wouldn't put any money on it. Until then, don't forget that throughout this month, Nintendo has added six GBA Mega Man titles to the Wii U Virtual Console, and the spiritual successor Mighty No. 9 will soon be upon us, so there's still plenty of opportunity to get your Blue Bomber fix!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-68046800458831748642015-05-27T07:55:00.002-07:002015-05-27T07:55:50.105-07:00Dream Game: MK<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
Last year's Tecmo Koei/Nintendo mash-up Hyrule Warriors taught us several key things about the future of gaming. The Warriors franchise isn't as played out as people think, no mash-up is too outlandish to gain a large following, and more companies need to take risks like this if there is any hope whatsoever for gaming's future.</div>
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With the release of Mortal Kombat X, and my lack of a next-gen system, I recently picked up a copy of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks for Playstation 2. I've always loved the mythology of the Mortal Kombat universe, and Shaolin Monks showed us that MK can be so much more than just a one-on-one fighter While Shaolin Monks provided a solid combat system for a beat-em-up, though, there is so much more to explore in the MK universe.</div>
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Enter MK: Deception's Konquest mode. If you're unfamiliar, this mode follows new character Shujinko in his coming of age journey through all the realms of Mortal Kombat. On his way, he meets, trains with, and fights against a wide roster of veteran MK fighters, learning their moves, and establishing his own fighting style. This mode was truly unique due to it's wide open world that players could explore, freely travelling through portals and visiting incredibly varied landscapes.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source:<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> <a href="http://kamidogu.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Kamidogu</span></a></span></td></tr>
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The open world of Konquest mode was filled with secrets to find and new areas to explore, even including very basic combat in realms such as Outworld, allowing simple punches and kicks as you wander. With this being an extra mode in an already great fighting game, it's no surprise that it lacked a certain polish that we'd come to expect in a full fledged spin-off game. With that, my question is: Why not make that very game it's own spin-off?</div>
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Non open-world series like Mortal Kombat, Halo, Legend of Zelda, and more offer such rich universes filled with diverse planets, continents, and races that the base games barely graze. LoZ finally got the chance to spread it's wings and explore this lore with Hyrule Warriors, by completely changing it's fundamental gameplay. Halo has attempted this with games like Reach, and Halo Wars, but has come closer in it's widely popular book series. Mortal Kombat could value greatly from this, and the Warriors game series is a great way to enable this. The question is: How?</div>
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For your consideration, I offer you: <b>Kombat Warriors.</b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_fixed="1" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="font-weight: bold;">Story:</span></div>
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Mortal Kombat X's story mode starts in the midst of a war. Three sides fight for total control, each led by a select group of unbeatable commanders, each with their own varied skill sets and weaponry. Sound familiar? That's because it's the entire Dynasty Warriors saga. It's a formula that works. </div>
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Kombat Warriors would begin after the events of the first game. The tournament is over, Earthrealm has won. But Shang Tsung, and Shinnok are having none of it, as Shinnok enacts dark magic that causes all realms to merge together. The result is a new world whose continents are each based off of each individual realm. Choosing your warrior (or creating your own), it's your duty to fight on the front lines, defeat the other Kombatants, and rule this new world.</div>
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Players could choose their allegiance from three sides: The good warriors of Earthrealm, the evil forces of Shang Tsung and his Deadly Alliance, or the war driven armies of Outworld, led by Shao Khan.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://craveonline.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Crave Online</span></a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_fixed="1" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="font-weight: bold;">Gameplay:</span></div>
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Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks offers a combat style ideal for this type of game. Your chosen character has a light and heavy attack, a throw, as well as four special attacks accessed by holding a shoulder button. Fatalities could also be performed after filling up a gauge, but this feature would be reserved for fights against the generals, as this feature tended to slow the game play of Shaolin Monks significantly. Dissimilar from the Dynasty Warriors series, instead of swinging wildly and hitting large numbers, the player would feel a closer connection to the Batman: Arkham series, having to balance combos from one enemy to another, sometimes throwing enemy grunts at other enemies. Countering would also be a prominent mechanic, making the traditionally 1-on-1 MK combat feel applicable in a large scale battle.</div>
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Battles would take place closely to that of Dynasty Warriors. Armies would combat each other, and the player, trying to gain the upper hand and control the battlefield. When the player reaches the enemy's Commanding Officer, however, the game play switches seamlessly to that of traditional Mortal Kombat. The remaining soldiers in the area would either continue fighting in a dynamic background, or circle around the two Generals, cheering their commanders on. Victory would allow the player to either spare their opponent, giving them a chance to change sides in the war, or fatality them, and the joy/misery of the soldiers in the background would change appropriately depending on who won.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZV4T-O-BOzvVf35JzcQHDUiiixtGs-vOJmBPldEfCiRJNU1LLPrsXndqP8yel2fGvNu6v-gpBmUIfqR9ajAG1efGivDgJY0Rs5hrQ2HYIvbbtP9iLyIHMgCqbcGMenqNVxMiRtZyWs1M/s1600/mortal-kombat-shaolin-monks-kung-lao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZV4T-O-BOzvVf35JzcQHDUiiixtGs-vOJmBPldEfCiRJNU1LLPrsXndqP8yel2fGvNu6v-gpBmUIfqR9ajAG1efGivDgJY0Rs5hrQ2HYIvbbtP9iLyIHMgCqbcGMenqNVxMiRtZyWs1M/s400/mortal-kombat-shaolin-monks-kung-lao.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://toomuchgaming.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/mortal-kombat-shaolin-monks-kung-lao.jpg"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Too Much Gaming</span></a></td></tr>
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Sounds a little too close to the Dynasty Warriors series, right? Well here's where the power of next-gen comes into play. Between battles, the game takes place in an open world. As players defeat the opposing armies, and claim their land for themselves, new cities become open for exploration, trade, and side-quests. Depending on when or how they reclaim a city, certain stores or areas might be destroyed, encouraging multiple plays. Stores located in these cities would act as the Krypt in past games, allowing the unlocking of new skins/costumes, and more. A morality/conversation system akin to Mass Effect would allow the player to further learn about the lore and characters, possibly influencing their actions or morality in battle.</div>
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Throughout the story mode of every base Mortal Kombat game to date, I've never felt the power of saving the world in my hands. The best the player can ever hope for is being the one who punches the big bad guy and stops all of the off-screen death that we're supposed to care about. Think how invested you'd be in saving the world when you can see what your actions cause! Kombat Warriors would give you the opportunity to decimate an entire army single-handedly as Scorpion. Woo Sonya Blade as Johnny Cage. Smash two grunts' heads together as Shao Khan. Maybe even transform as Shang Tsung, and convince another General to switch sides in the upcoming battle! The combination of large scale combat, intense 1-on-1 finales, and strategic morality and conversing would make this an absolutely unmissable crossover game.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfGDUF_41QXCFgBLP8moN4DVwG7D2dPs9Ew-2I_cBGfuLd0ngocxn8IkOCP2apsIpp5kwaSfsUhyZNcPNNCNuYAxgcPO_RUu3L475YMvW1UN1ofxYcUq5T-9oTA-nsccu4G9yGQqS_oo/s1600/War_in_Outworld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfGDUF_41QXCFgBLP8moN4DVwG7D2dPs9Ew-2I_cBGfuLd0ngocxn8IkOCP2apsIpp5kwaSfsUhyZNcPNNCNuYAxgcPO_RUu3L475YMvW1UN1ofxYcUq5T-9oTA-nsccu4G9yGQqS_oo/s640/War_in_Outworld.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/mkwikia/images/0/0a/War_in_Outworld.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110602172347"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Mortal Kombat wiki</span></a></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-86020158518305355872015-05-27T07:55:00.001-07:002015-05-27T07:55:45.652-07:00TGLVG: Shovel Knight<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Shovel Knight</b></div>
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Wii U, 3DS, PS3, PS4, PSVita, Xbox One, PC, Linux, Mac</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUmHh4OIJL_znlZ3WJ2hOSxg8XnqWIKvREtEgjKzv7ZamfPIP7x8hTHOD5byTzOrHoAXEoEde_fITqOxbTBRRUDVU03ZVGPw7_OtpEQACHQVpNtp_DRX2STxJPhGHHkSODFiN-jiEbzE/s1600/title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUmHh4OIJL_znlZ3WJ2hOSxg8XnqWIKvREtEgjKzv7ZamfPIP7x8hTHOD5byTzOrHoAXEoEde_fITqOxbTBRRUDVU03ZVGPw7_OtpEQACHQVpNtp_DRX2STxJPhGHHkSODFiN-jiEbzE/s400/title.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://arcadesushi.com/shovel-knight-review/">Arcade Sushi</a></td></tr>
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A rising trend over the past half decade has been the utilization of old school graphics to recreate the "glory days" of gaming. The biggest and earliest example of this was a little game called Minecraft. The combination of 8-bit graphics and modern game play spawned countless clones, and inspired indie developers everywhere to get on the 8-bit bandwagon.<br />
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Fast forward to June 2014, and the release of the highly anticipated Kickstarter project Shovel Knight. Created by rookie studio Yacht Club Games, the game draws inspiration from 8-bit side scrolling classics like Mega Man, Super Mario 3, Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Ducktales, while simultaneously creating something entirely unique. The result is a critically adored 2D adventure that, since it's initial Wii U/3DS/PC release, has been ported to PS3, PS4, PSVita, and Xbox One. (<i>Note: This review is based on the 3DS version</i>)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWXKIHG97x31UoE5tE7ZBXE_TCFo_1ypcnhR6Fk7jqTPRml7EEBJdy8RRG9vm8i01X59lTPum4qERAzvXDVkMQfj9hylDv_Nl48hAt8uiDuvqqkDz-0QaCQ0WShpiRZ_cgpco1vwc8m0/s1600/gameplay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWXKIHG97x31UoE5tE7ZBXE_TCFo_1ypcnhR6Fk7jqTPRml7EEBJdy8RRG9vm8i01X59lTPum4qERAzvXDVkMQfj9hylDv_Nl48hAt8uiDuvqqkDz-0QaCQ0WShpiRZ_cgpco1vwc8m0/s400/gameplay.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://yachtclubgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Capture7.png">Yacht Club Games</a></td></tr>
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The story begins with the adventures of Shovel Knight, and his partner Shield Knight. Things quickly go awry as Shield Knight is taken hostage by an evil and mysterious power. Distraught by the loss of his friend, Shovel Knight goes into a life of quiet solitude. This doesn't last long however, as he's called into action in order to defeat the nefarious "Order of No Quarter" and rescue his beloved Shield Knight.<br />
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Players navigate Shovel Knight through twelve harrowing stages, while acquiring new skills, and hidden treasures, which can be used to purchase new armor and equipment. Along with the normal full-length levels, players can access optional content such as three bonus stages, three extra bosses, and several towns in which to shop. Additionally, the Playstation versions include a boss fight with Kratos, and the Xbox One version has a full level where Shovel Knight meets the Battletoads. Several DLC packs have been announced, and due to the success of the initial Kickstarter project, all will be free. Top all of this with the addition of a New Game Plus mode, which ups the difficulty, and 45 feats (achievements/trophies) to conquer, and this game is absolutely bursting with content.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyajobAvS_5LO0LvpR825nfkVX-N2qUhmf0TZ-vBCPHUhplRJjGS0kEeBY7eBBl_UnDCFa5gS3eeDojIpdOFs3j9aGA8q0oXH6isjZY-h6dZV8l4EENHI00e6UhzOuV_hVnyTEcN_kDM/s1600/battletoads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyajobAvS_5LO0LvpR825nfkVX-N2qUhmf0TZ-vBCPHUhplRJjGS0kEeBY7eBBl_UnDCFa5gS3eeDojIpdOFs3j9aGA8q0oXH6isjZY-h6dZV8l4EENHI00e6UhzOuV_hVnyTEcN_kDM/s400/battletoads.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2015/3/4/8149855/battletoads-xbox-one-shovel-knight">Polygon</a></td></tr>
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The game play itself is crisp, fair, and rewarding. As the player progresses, more skills and items are at their disposal, which reward players by making boss fights easier, while at the same time not being required to win. In that way, the boss fights feel reminiscent of early Mega Man games. These items also unlock certain bonus levels, encouraging players to collect every new item they can. The items can be a challenge on their own to acquire, but Yacht Club Games have thought about that as well. Struggling players can buy these items with in-game money if they're too difficult to reach, giving a good sense of difficulty balance.<br />
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Unlike the original NES/SNES games that it takes inspiration from, Shovel Knight doesn't punish players with Game Overs, or password screens. The risk comes from the game's currency system. Throughout his adventure, Shovel Knight accrues large sums of money which are used to purchase items. Whenever the player dies, however, they lose a chunk of their gold, which appears in the spot of their latest death in the form of three floating bags. This becomes risky in some areas, where you must balance your greed against your ability to recover the gold. After purchasing everything in the game, this becomes a trivial concern, but until that point, this is a very real fear instilled in the player, and a great challenge to keep the player coming back for more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyOeeGh03TtrfC_HHR0nQlqv_T9F7X3xYbRJj5XTPtIUmhGnrCwCDt5K8x9wTEUQGsckKhV7QdoD8IxU9kcUZRVIYUS6BdZKb3peNHuewAtNev2IooCuQ6ZbBtCeO99MtD_JCy9-HeTU/s1600/bags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQyOeeGh03TtrfC_HHR0nQlqv_T9F7X3xYbRJj5XTPtIUmhGnrCwCDt5K8x9wTEUQGsckKhV7QdoD8IxU9kcUZRVIYUS6BdZKb3peNHuewAtNev2IooCuQ6ZbBtCeO99MtD_JCy9-HeTU/s400/bags.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://8bithorse.blogspot.com/2014/08/shovel-knight.html">8bithorse</a></td></tr>
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Shovel Knight is a relatively short game, with my slow, casual play through clocking in at roughly 8 hours. The action doesn't stop there, though. The game's feats are meant to challenge players to master the game. One feat requires the player to not die throughout the entire story mode. Another calls for game completion within 90 minutes. While these feats do not actually unlock anything in-game, it hearkens back to games like the early Resident Evils, where half the challenge is not the initial play through, rather the total mastery of the game.<br />
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Surprisingly, if you've truly mastered the game, you're not done yet! Shovel Knight includes over 300 cheat codes, which do anything from making Shovel Knight giant, to replacing random words in the game's dialogue with "butt." While this may seem odd, let it never be said that Yacht Club Games didn't want you to have fun with this game.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JE7_ncVCRlcLiAuUBGwe9nsrMCWl0uB5u6fGwTTyDnXow-R1PvYhmka9cVdm2U0oG8Yn5GfMrSOTUP8gE4hRQDiz9EimUzD-MId8sBQUN-ALydEz0X0LvK3WrRQBpMer57Am2egCEPM/s1600/cheat+code.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JE7_ncVCRlcLiAuUBGwe9nsrMCWl0uB5u6fGwTTyDnXow-R1PvYhmka9cVdm2U0oG8Yn5GfMrSOTUP8gE4hRQDiz9EimUzD-MId8sBQUN-ALydEz0X0LvK3WrRQBpMer57Am2egCEPM/s400/cheat+code.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.ign.com/wikis/shovel-knight/Cheats_and_Secrets">IGN</a></td></tr>
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<b>Verdict: 9/10</b><br />
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At the price of $15, Shovel Knight offers more content than many full price retail games of the past few years. The style, charm, story, game play, and accessible yet challenging difficulty mix beautifully to create an engaging experience that rewards players for full completion, but still delivers a robust, complete game to the casual player as well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-592804688591688012015-05-27T07:55:00.000-07:002015-05-27T07:55:39.603-07:00Mega May! week 3Welcome back once again to Mega May! Last week we took a few jabs at our blue clad robo-friend, and for that I'm not too proud. To make up for it, this week we'll be covering the heights of Mega's fame, as well as some of the best musical tributes to our friends Rock and Roll! Heh, get it? Because in Japan...he's called Rock?<br />
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I'll see myself out.<br />
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<b><u>ROCK Music</u></b><br />
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<b>The Protomen</b><br />
Remember when you were bored in grade school, so you'd fill your notebooks with Super Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog fan fiction? What if you took that fiction, and made it into a rock opera?<br />
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Thus was the fate of The Protomen, a rock band with two albums set in a fictional storyline in the Mega Man universe.<br />
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The stories themselves are dark enough to make even Christopher Nolan blush, but no less enjoyable because of it. Act 1 tells the story of the creation and fall of Proto Man, the building of his replacement, Mega Man, and his struggle with the ideas and responsibilities of what a hero really is.<br />
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Act 2 is a prequel, and covers the loss of friendship between Dr. Light and Dr. Wily, as well as the fall of mankind under Wily's rule. Both are incredible albums that I would highly recommend even for non Mega Man fans. The Protomen have also had their music featured in season one of the popular YouTube series "Video Game High School."<br />
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I highly suggest that your first listen to the albums are accompanied by a glance through the band's Wikipedia page. There are a few story elements that aren't portrayed through the music, that need to be read. They definitely impact the story, especially related to the somewhat cliffhanger end of Act 1. Don't worry though, they're hard at work on Act 3 as we speak!<br />
<a href="http://protomen.com/">http://protomen.com/</a><br />
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<b>Joshua Morse</b><br />
There is no shortage of video game remix artists, but in the same way that sites like DeviantArt or YouTube give every person the ability to share their creations, not all of them are on equal ground. I'm a very big fan of 8-bit remix music, but Joshua Morse does it best. One of his albums, The Robot Museum, covers a medley of Mega Man music in a variety of musical styles.<br />
<a href="https://joshuamorse.bandcamp.com/">https://joshuamorse.bandcamp.com/</a><br />
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<b><u>The Best of the Best</u></b></div>
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As such a beloved franchise continued to gain ground throughout the decades, more and more spin-offs, future or alternate universe settings began to arise. Given that Mega Man and friends appear in over 100 different titles from NES to Wii U, it can be hard to decide which ones deserve your attention. </div>
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Every game in the series offers something unique. Young or old, there's something for almost any gamer. That said, here are my top picks for a variety of categories.</div>
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<b>"I don't have all day, and I'm a pretty casual gamer. I like quick, easy games."</b></div>
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<b>Mega Man: The Power Battles</b> (Arcade, PS2, Xbox, GC)</div>
<b>Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters</b> (Arcade, PS2, Xbox, GC)<br />
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The originally arcade-only Power Battles/Fighters games are a fun, simple foray into the Mega Man universe. Since the games were made to be arcade cabinets, they forego levels altogether, instead offering a string of boss fights. I suggest picking up the Mega Man Anniversary Collection in order to play these, since you get infinite continues. Both of the games can be conquered within half an hour, offering a fun, fast way to conquer some robot masters with the Blue Bomber and friends.</div>
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<b>"I love a challenge. The thrill of trial-and-error boss fights is why I've beaten Dark Souls ten times!"</b></div>
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<b>Mega Man 1</b> (NES, PS2, Xbox, GC)</div>
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<b>Mega Man & Bass</b> (SNES, GBA, Wii U)</div>
<b>Mega Man X3</b> (PS1, PS2, Xbox, GC)<br />
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Chances are high that if you pick up any MM game at all, you'll be happy. Those who want a real challenge though, should start by mastering the original, MM 1. No charge shots, slides, or double jumps here. It's edge-of-your-seat NES platforming at it's finest.</div>
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Not enough? Then give Mega Man & Bass or Mega Man X3 a whirl. Both of these games provide some of the most brutal platforming and maddening boss fights throughout the series history. You won't be breezing through these any time soon.</div>
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<b>"I like story. Being engrossed with characters, relationships, and plots is why I play games."</b></div>
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<b>Mega Man: Battle Network</b> (GBA, Wii U)</div>
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<b>Mega Man Legends</b> (PS1, N64)</div>
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<b>Mega Man X: Command Mission</b> (PS2, Xbox, GC)</div>
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The MM: Battle Network series spanned six games, and a television show. If you want strong character bonds and interactions, look no further. They are, however, aimed at a slightly younger audience.</div>
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A slightly more teen-to-adult story can be found in Mega Man Legends (or Mega Man 64). It's set thousands of years after the original Mega Man series, with characters who just happen to be named after the original Mega Man and Roll.</div>
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If you're looking for a darker story, pick up Mega Man X: Command Mission. This game is strangely enough a turn based RPG. The MMX franchise has always been darker, and carried more adult themes and stories, though it's still appropriate for all ages.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VSahZR2n6HZS_yBHFASOBP01UbKMeuyVbMJAysb7bJI1dWvzrFaqsA24COV41f7kvZlMJ7HKzNTETe2vRaQMR8b-m3cF2h23-B1fFlyls6MiGfoefrR8cx01TayKU7lS4oVv5LGVKDc/s1600/mm1.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VSahZR2n6HZS_yBHFASOBP01UbKMeuyVbMJAysb7bJI1dWvzrFaqsA24COV41f7kvZlMJ7HKzNTETe2vRaQMR8b-m3cF2h23-B1fFlyls6MiGfoefrR8cx01TayKU7lS4oVv5LGVKDc/s640/mm1.tif" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>"I'm not very good at video games. I like being able to beat a game without too much frustration."</b></div>
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<b>Mega Man: Powered Up!</b> (PSP)</div>
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<b>Mega Man Xtreme</b> (GBC, 3DS)</div>
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My personal favorite of the MM franchise is the PSP exclusive, Mega Man: Powered Up!. The game is a remake of the original NES game, but the graphics are completely overhauled, and a difficulty setting is added, making it accessible for any gamer. The game also features a level creator, the ability to play as any of the in game bosses, downloadable costumes, and so much more.</div>
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Mega Man Xtreme is a Gameboy Color port of the console versions of MMX 1 and 2. The graphics and gameplay are slightly dumbed down, but it tends to make the game slightly simpler, and more accessible for rookie players.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDMPQRuDSFpduISWtr3KbyRyHzMDRVJOFlG5A0_pyzU3u0ea6rwRY7uSt4R1Wp1xsIUV6T-vOVYOxMXgbwnwd81ABDUVqtNCjMY4V0veBi-twbanisbBT0WeqjXLoO8gErkej0IOrpoE/s1600/mm4.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDMPQRuDSFpduISWtr3KbyRyHzMDRVJOFlG5A0_pyzU3u0ea6rwRY7uSt4R1Wp1xsIUV6T-vOVYOxMXgbwnwd81ABDUVqtNCjMY4V0veBi-twbanisbBT0WeqjXLoO8gErkej0IOrpoE/s640/mm4.tif" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the final chapter of Mega May, we'll be discussing the future of Mega Man, the best cameos and tributes, and his upcoming spiritual cousin, Mighty No. 9!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-63521920532924445612015-05-19T08:51:00.000-07:002015-05-19T08:51:19.526-07:00Mega May! week 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKonMD-PiHz_j0bZ81IVYTpZKOu6r5jxlo_ZviyI0j2grNrJ3qhzwBhFHSZWPPYERLOOt1KILqmJU4m_VXkUb0pACS1TpUhyIRu0_uh53a6kQuOjMV9t0qfGoeVwMT1AE39DYYOaelh68/s1600/megamaybanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKonMD-PiHz_j0bZ81IVYTpZKOu6r5jxlo_ZviyI0j2grNrJ3qhzwBhFHSZWPPYERLOOt1KILqmJU4m_VXkUb0pACS1TpUhyIRu0_uh53a6kQuOjMV9t0qfGoeVwMT1AE39DYYOaelh68/s1600/megamaybanner.png" /></a></div>
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Welcome back to the Mega May festivities!<br />
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As we continue our trip through the highlights of everyone's favorite Super Fighting Robot, it's important to remember that every hero has a dark side. So this week, we'll be looking at some of the stranger, darker moments in the Blue Bomber's history.<br />
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<b><u>Street Fighter X Tekken</u></b><br />
Straight off of the original box art of Mega Man (NES), here we have...eh, this thing.<br />
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Included as a joke, Mega Man appears as a playable character in the PS3 fighting crossover Street Fighter X Tekken. His every appearance and movement is bulky, clumsy, and foolish, but at the very least his costume is well made in terms of it's source material!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AlswBzvdB6HEdrznVROhF7sg8J1dnHgPI8pmGUuhJV1hJ995awfEb4bgLqjFs08fUJnU8qPNxVYiknTGVv5FD_77E5JvA_0BSPlS7JFK3UUPTi9NJQT20nNSd4EHFsZwDU6ieS9nKw4/s1600/badboxart-megaman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AlswBzvdB6HEdrznVROhF7sg8J1dnHgPI8pmGUuhJV1hJ995awfEb4bgLqjFs08fUJnU8qPNxVYiknTGVv5FD_77E5JvA_0BSPlS7JFK3UUPTi9NJQT20nNSd4EHFsZwDU6ieS9nKw4/s320/badboxart-megaman.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.fightersgeneration.com/nx/chars/badboxart-megaman.jpg"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Fighters Generation</span></a></td></tr>
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<b><u>Mega Man 2</u></b><br />
Strike two for even remotely accurate box art. This image, while only pertaining to the European release, continues to invoke the question of how this series actually maintained popularity. They say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, and thank heaven for that, because this iconic character probably wouldn't exist if we did. Swing and a miss, Europe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9P-MD2QRpjFGIJ2MA7JfPo9QiPW3OxOZRnX9_nZ1KFTqBHJ4aMJ5FTgAWYQ3wdqyGI6R9c98mGYSTZJhyufYnu2pbsjzsBMVFrQ6Bwqgu61SXTsF-rGREFCFubnG2U0MMZTevJAgCa0/s1600/mega_man2_box_eu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9P-MD2QRpjFGIJ2MA7JfPo9QiPW3OxOZRnX9_nZ1KFTqBHJ4aMJ5FTgAWYQ3wdqyGI6R9c98mGYSTZJhyufYnu2pbsjzsBMVFrQ6Bwqgu61SXTsF-rGREFCFubnG2U0MMZTevJAgCa0/s320/mega_man2_box_eu.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://timewarpgamer.com/images/nes/mega_man2/mega_man2_box_eu.jpg"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Time Warp Gamer</span></a></td></tr>
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<b><u>Oil Man</u></b><br />
Unless you've played (the highly underrated) PSP exclusive "Mega Man Powered Up!" chances are you won't recognize Oil Man. That's because he holds a rather shameful spot in Mega Man's reputation. Upon initial release of the game, Oil Man's sparked controversy over the color invoked the 1920s-30s depiction of "black face," a racial stereotype in which actors would paint their faces pitch black, and their lips and surrounding skin bright white. In terms of offensiveness, think Borat on steroids. The initial Japanese coloring replaced the navy blue with a near black, and the yellow lips with a light peach color. For obvious reasons, the colors were swapped before the game's US release, and larger controversy was avoided.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIFaq1kTBaVy9Vir3K2DWgDVFjlJ0qTpHivgA-kUFc9T3TJFRRabWQMReS2CxSzfUF6DcVZ8ahDoXhyphenhyphenqcckQSNFdg3T7jHHFYcBTAfnH-mFkyWCQYDVbcmkrpGgJ7_rGE0D0Mq4QPmv0/s1600/profile_OilMan.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIFaq1kTBaVy9Vir3K2DWgDVFjlJ0qTpHivgA-kUFc9T3TJFRRabWQMReS2CxSzfUF6DcVZ8ahDoXhyphenhyphenqcckQSNFdg3T7jHHFYcBTAfnH-mFkyWCQYDVbcmkrpGgJ7_rGE0D0Mq4QPmv0/s200/profile_OilMan.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://megamanpoweredup.net/mll/index.php?page=Info&char=OilMan"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Mega Man Powered Up</span></a></td></tr>
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More recently, Oil Man was portrayed in the Archie Comics series of Mega Man comics as having his scarf cover his entire face, thus avoiding controversy entirely. Good move, Archie.</div>
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<b><u>Napalm Man</u></b></div>
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Sometimes a video game can so accurately portray a war that simply by playing it, emotions are invoked in such a way that the player grows in their knowledge of history, and yearns never to repeat it's mistakes. </div>
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Other times, a level designer at Capcom models an entire level after Vietnam, and names the boss Napalm Man.</div>
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Napalm Man's name alone doesn't place him in such a bad spot. Just take a look at his <a href="http://vgmaps.com/Atlas/NES/MegaManV-NapalmMan.png"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">stage</span></a>. Not only does it resemble a jungle, but it has Mega Man traverse tunnels similar to those used by the Vietcong. Finally when you add Napalm Man into the mix, it gets pretty hard to ignore. Unsurprisingly, this led to Mega Man 5 being banned from release in Vietnam.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuv_uhx05zxUhyvvMhRjIHn81pXp0Wz1qeLZKwuoaoYJ3TsqkxPCq_oaXoPfMg7WPN-7gNcsl4tgwVAfcX_HcRwPaDjffjHqhRUX-GStL2g41ARxK1ey906PvMRl3j0CMZO80Qsb3wUhE/s1600/napalmman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuv_uhx05zxUhyvvMhRjIHn81pXp0Wz1qeLZKwuoaoYJ3TsqkxPCq_oaXoPfMg7WPN-7gNcsl4tgwVAfcX_HcRwPaDjffjHqhRUX-GStL2g41ARxK1ey906PvMRl3j0CMZO80Qsb3wUhE/s320/napalmman.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Games/M/Mega%20Man%209/Everything%20Else/Mega%20Man%20Week/Wallpapers/2008-07-01/img821--screenshot.jpg"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">GamesRadar</span></a></td></tr>
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<b><u>Cancelled Games</u></b><br />
Not every game that gets past the idea stage is destined for release. No genre or series is safe. Capcom, however, has built itself quite a gathering of haters in the past few years with how they've treated the Mega Man property.<br />
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<b>Maverick Hunter</b><br />
Planned as an FPS reebot of the X franchise, this game was cancelled before anyone even knew it existed. The footage and description made it sound like the game would follow in the footsteps of Metroid Prime. That said, it looked pretty freaking awesome!<br />
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The game was intended to be a trilogy, but not even the cancelled footage saw the light of day until 2013, a full three years after it's initial cancellation. If the series had taken flight, it would have followed X, and his human police partner. By the release of the third game, the protagonist would have been switched to Zero, who would then have to take down X, after he had grown too powerful. How cool does that sound?! Sadly, no reason was given for the game's sudden cancellation in late 2010. As such, I will forever mope that I never had the opportunity to experience this:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeI7-PsiGz0LONZ-_trtfuST8EhvyZ-_q4pe0gizcVOs4gO0CVph5wiIax8iNWeNBsKNZrQ7xaFYawFFQ_ENl8syWAQJNmpzU8zQ63eGYRN1ml6C8W6_YhtTQm6A75eDZHVdhA7JMUuY/s1600/universe.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeI7-PsiGz0LONZ-_trtfuST8EhvyZ-_q4pe0gizcVOs4gO0CVph5wiIax8iNWeNBsKNZrQ7xaFYawFFQ_ENl8syWAQJNmpzU8zQ63eGYRN1ml6C8W6_YhtTQm6A75eDZHVdhA7JMUuY/s200/universe.png" width="153" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Games/M/Mega%20Man%20Universe/Everything%20Else/MMUni01--article_image.jpg"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Games Radar</span></a></td></tr>
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<b>Mega Man Universe</b><br />
Intended as somewhat of a Little Big Planet approach to the Mega Man franchise, Universe was going to be released on Xbox Live Arcade, and Playstation Network. In it, players would design their own look for Mega Man (utilizing the appearance and weapons of other Capcom characters), build and share their own levels.<br />
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Unfortunately, Keiji Inafune, the co-creator of Mega Man, had a falling out with Capcom, and departed from the company. In the aftermath, the game was scrapped in March 2011. All in all the fan reaction wasn't horrible, considering the game looked like a cross between Mega Man and Robot Chicken.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4TmIqz6o_GitewCWuJGDy7RNqR2Wqk79c8tA9szoGNVqKEZQ16CcgsB13_XZ0FcY5K8J-mpFSG7fRH6QNu_aIXhZTrUUsETGgXEIDPYkD6ysXQg6q0XofC8Lfts-F7fHkDYEUEVfm0Q/s1600/legends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4TmIqz6o_GitewCWuJGDy7RNqR2Wqk79c8tA9szoGNVqKEZQ16CcgsB13_XZ0FcY5K8J-mpFSG7fRH6QNu_aIXhZTrUUsETGgXEIDPYkD6ysXQg6q0XofC8Lfts-F7fHkDYEUEVfm0Q/s320/legends.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/04/14/super-replay-mega-man-legends.aspx"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Game Informer</span></a></td></tr>
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<b>Mega Man Legends 3</b><br />
Possibly topping the list in terms of disappointed fans sits Legends 3. Not only was the game going to continue the beloved Nintendo 64/PSOne series exclusively on the 3DS, but Capcom utilized Twitter to allow fans to choose a variety of character names, designs and features that would be implemented into the final product.<br />
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Capcom's pattern held true though, and in July 2011, the game was officially cancelled.<br />
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<b>Rockman Online</b><br />
Announced in 2010, Rockman Online was poised to be the first ever Mega Man MMORPG. Rumor has it the game was even near it's completed stage. There were even contest winners waiting to be contacted so they could be added as NPCs in the game! They were never reached out to, and rumors ran rampant about the game's fate until March of 2013, when it was officially cancelled. At the very least, we got a sweet trailer out of it!<br />
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Alright, he's taken his lumps. Next week, we'll talk about the highest highs of the franchise, as well as some fantastic musical tributes to the Blue Bomber.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-58751485785749402402015-05-08T09:49:00.009-07:002015-05-08T09:49:55.695-07:00Mega May! week 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>(originally posted on <a href="http://forcedfable.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">ForcedFable.com</span></a>)</i></div>
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I love Mega Man. I mean, I LOVE this guy. As a kid, I couldn't beat any of the Mega Man (MM) games I owned, there was just something about the "Blue Bomber" that I absolutely adored. Every Saturday, I'd watch the super cheesy Mega Man cartoon (the whole series of which is available on YouTube), I had (and still have) all sorts of action figures from the series, I'd frequent fan site mmhp.net on a daily basis, and even though I couldn't beat them, I'd still play the games all the time.<br />
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What better way is there to celebrate this fan favorite character than with the mega month of Mega May! Last Year, Nintendo began this young tradition by releasing six Mega Man games on the Wii U and 3DS virtual consoles, and they're doing it again in 2015. Capcom may be dropping the ball with this cash cow, but Nintendo sure is trying to keep the spirit alive!<br />
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As of May 7th, Nintendo has released the Gameboy Advance version of the 1998 SNES game Megaman & Bass. This side-scroller gives players the choice of Mega Man or his rival Bass, as they fight through an original story. The look and feel of the game is very similar to that of MM8, so if you enjoyed that one, this is worth a try.<br />
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The rest of Mega May's Wii U virtual console releases will play out as follows:<br />
<b>5/7</b> - Mega Man & Bass (GBA)<br />
<b>5/14</b> - Mega Man Battle Network 3: Blue/White (GBA)<br />
<b>5/21</b> - Mega Man Zero 2 (GBA)<br />
<b>5/28</b> - Mega Man Battle Network 4: Blue Moon/Red Sun (GBA)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7naK4FnX3FpjatIVtrs4ZBXyND12Td9-vK-t8VJS2FOdaMMdpwKc98emuQsG6zm_SDHJzCwg9Wn55e8QpPKmZYWuIZYcTAYvgSOGcgh226vJET_s7YMLS4SiUBwUWmqYHwiiCk_sZmo/s1600/bass.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7naK4FnX3FpjatIVtrs4ZBXyND12Td9-vK-t8VJS2FOdaMMdpwKc98emuQsG6zm_SDHJzCwg9Wn55e8QpPKmZYWuIZYcTAYvgSOGcgh226vJET_s7YMLS4SiUBwUWmqYHwiiCk_sZmo/s400/bass.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mega Man & Bass (GBA)<br />
Source: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P91Bnjgvsg&list=PL6B690C4F36BC0EE4"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">YouTube</span></a></td></tr>
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Each game is priced at $7.99, so unless you happen to have your old copies laying around, chances are you won't get this deal on eBay. Also released this week was the Mega Man Legends spin-off title "The Misadventures of Tron Bonne" on the Playstation Network Store. $5.99 on PSN will get you what $250 would on eBay.<br />
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So let's start out Mega May with one of my more recent acquisitions, and one of my favorite games that I own: the Mega Man Anniversary Collection!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyo8jpvw8_oloYI2jLUGO-gNJCJw9IdJlPKP485WtucCBXvGl5i6I7xn63NBpmUdoVVQOfC3WS1AG9FPsDZPGtrNPjFk7mazOn3gSX8GLhmIFHU1Y3-R1KJEc1K8OXzLHkAHi0H2gQjrs/s1600/box+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyo8jpvw8_oloYI2jLUGO-gNJCJw9IdJlPKP485WtucCBXvGl5i6I7xn63NBpmUdoVVQOfC3WS1AG9FPsDZPGtrNPjFk7mazOn3gSX8GLhmIFHU1Y3-R1KJEc1K8OXzLHkAHi0H2gQjrs/s320/box+art.jpg" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.wikipedia.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Wikipedia</span></a></td></tr>
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Released in 2004 for Playstation 2, GameCube, and Xbox, this package included MM 1-6 (NES), MM7 (SNES), and MM8 (PSOne), and also included both Mega Man: The Power Fighters, and The Power Battle (Arcade) as unlockables. Among the other unlockable content was game music, concept art, a full episode of the Mega Man cartoon (PS2 version only), or a full episode of the Battle Network anime (Xbox version only).<br />
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As if all of that wasn't enough to make this one of the must own games of the PS2/GC/Xbox era, the game also included interactive menus, a save function, easy mode (for people like me), and a "Navi mode" for newcomers to the series. Navi mode teaches players the very basics of the series, and gives hints on how to find some of the series' shortcuts or hidden items along the way. Of course the easy difficulty and Navi mode are completely optional, so hardcore fans can still play the games just as they were on their original systems. If you're ever planning on picking up even one of these games in the future, this is the way to do it.<br />
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Going through each game individually, while fun, would take me months. So instead, I've chosen to highlight a few must-try parts of the Anniversary Collection.<br />
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<b>1 - Mega Man: The Power Battle/Fighters</b><br />
No matter which one of these two you decide to try, the arcade-exclusive Mega Man fighting games are a great time. When I was 12, I bumped into an arcade that housed one of these games once, and never again until I saw it at a convention last year. They're not easy to find, and this is a perfect way to play them, quarter free.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pVdd3lWx6_1UL7RM_XPwcfjYNXIVHoNBDVen3l0bBCvA6WtutJJ1JSYoZQfrei0vVizC7xwDM46SC4g6jf33HBHrIjuzIXPmgKLw_hyphenhyphenbuJhklE3vryVZrx6eSVvMoBLMtCZXapm95QE/s1600/powerbattle2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pVdd3lWx6_1UL7RM_XPwcfjYNXIVHoNBDVen3l0bBCvA6WtutJJ1JSYoZQfrei0vVizC7xwDM46SC4g6jf33HBHrIjuzIXPmgKLw_hyphenhyphenbuJhklE3vryVZrx6eSVvMoBLMtCZXapm95QE/s400/powerbattle2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://www.arcade-museum.com/images/118/1181242137217.png"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Arcade Museum</span></a></td></tr>
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In The Power Battle (1995) players can choose to fight as Mega Man, his brother Proto Man, or their rival Bass. The game foregoes the typical level system, and instead pits one or two players against the bosses of six previous Mega Man stages. After that, it's time to take on Dr. Wily and his mini-bosses.<br />
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The Power Fighters (1996) added newcomer Duo of Mega Man 8 to the mix of playable fighters. The core game play remained the same, but gave players three different story lines to play through, each with it's own unique set of robot masters to fight. Fun fact: This game also includes the first appearance of Mega Man X's partner Zero!<br />
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Both games are very easy to unlock within the Anniversary Collection, and can either be done by entering a password, or reaching certain areas in the original games. These two arcade brawlers carry a lot of charm within their well crafted sprites, beautiful stages, remixed music, and enjoyable co-op.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Zn39Gf8SqhF97BbYZuKHsVQAscFyoYgx2k2UMOoWg18c7czFg0AwoAgtKh1iGcLPALAnf0ZU_Iz-HWSDvcOKKg7xDAPZ37DN3l8HXHNeDNkWyoiuRBCvdZ1UYMfZmt2C66l7fJK6WbU/s1600/powerbattle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Zn39Gf8SqhF97BbYZuKHsVQAscFyoYgx2k2UMOoWg18c7czFg0AwoAgtKh1iGcLPALAnf0ZU_Iz-HWSDvcOKKg7xDAPZ37DN3l8HXHNeDNkWyoiuRBCvdZ1UYMfZmt2C66l7fJK6WbU/s400/powerbattle.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><a href="http://www.screwattack.com/news/mega-man-2-power-fighters-review">Screw Attack</a> </span></td></tr>
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<b>2 - Mega Man 2</b><br />
It is very true that MM 1-6 are largely the same, albeit with varied bosses, stages, and the occasional new power-up. That said, MM 2 has a reputation among the originals of being the easiest. So why suggest this one?<br />
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Chances are if you're playing this collection, you've tried the originals. The Anniversary Collection, while holding within it the same games that you would remember, do feel quite different when played on something other than an NES controller. Because of that, I suggest using MM 2 to break yourself in, and get the hang of the control scheme. Fundamentally, the game isn't drastically different from any of the others in the series, but there are moments and stages within 2 that have become some of the fondest memories of dedicated Mega Fans.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7G1_9HmihxwtS6WkZ49cv8FE7PTtVLp_wRp18RKBQ0yIgPXTC6hxkYeIMJlKL-cjRlpYmxCsGnAEfZZ1sv_bUSvrNk2IWljnarJuZrXjv-WOQjDKVWxvdk-qFD5zxvpDru0V_li2kYA/s1600/mm2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7G1_9HmihxwtS6WkZ49cv8FE7PTtVLp_wRp18RKBQ0yIgPXTC6hxkYeIMJlKL-cjRlpYmxCsGnAEfZZ1sv_bUSvrNk2IWljnarJuZrXjv-WOQjDKVWxvdk-qFD5zxvpDru0V_li2kYA/s400/mm2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/File:Mega_Man_2_title_screen.png"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Nintendo Wiki</span></a></td></tr>
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<b>3 - Mega Man 8</b><br />
Yeah, I said it alright. For those who aren't dedicated fans, let me fill you in quick: People HATED this game. Whether it's because of the cheesy opening cutscene, the different feel of the controls, or the ludicrous bosses (yeah I will admit Clown Man is pretty dumb), it was far from a fan favorite.<br />
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You should, however, still give it a play through. MM 8 was the first non-Nintendo Mega Man game, being released on the PSOne in 1996. With the graphical capabilities at the time, the game oozes charm. The visuals and sprites are a treat in every level, there's plenty of challenge in every level, and the music is some of the catchiest I've encountered in any of the Mega Man games to date.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZHlSxbEFHrEXdesEtiGk0L0-cBMUU1lZ2mQS8Hv3Vw40GrJq4a6LWhtsiQHQ7XDC6lfQYVBAf-E_l6JRxTwhmr8NFXee8AXP3-UOIrZxREnVWZi7ndZX2l_FxAZPpp2_zTZPSuclZNA/s1600/mm8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZHlSxbEFHrEXdesEtiGk0L0-cBMUU1lZ2mQS8Hv3Vw40GrJq4a6LWhtsiQHQ7XDC6lfQYVBAf-E_l6JRxTwhmr8NFXee8AXP3-UOIrZxREnVWZi7ndZX2l_FxAZPpp2_zTZPSuclZNA/s400/mm8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://cdn.destructoid.com//ul/284819-CCX.jpg"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Destructoid</span></a></td></tr>
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There you have it, all the proof you need that the Mega Man Anniversary Collection is a must-own title. All of this doesn't even take the value into account! Given that the original cartridges can be anywhere from $50 into the hundreds, and this collection will only run you from $10 - $50, the choice is obvious. It's never been easier to get your Mega Man fix on than right now.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-77301303882358025322015-05-01T12:20:00.002-07:002015-05-01T12:20:20.854-07:00TGLM: Avengers: Age of Ultron<i style="font-size: 18px;">(Originally posted on <a href="http://forcedfable.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">ForcedFable.com</span></a>)</i><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-hZZmP3sneSZ7rtpjKV0uIzfAs7LuCvvTIVY6SA12AXTRKtHcru1c_EIz-D4Fk_U6t2F6elepPZ5Gwtui3IBack3zHf3-ZQYG8y__A-vfZJSTTRpNvbQUsqChia_WmsQhoW13rvbJ84/s1600/ultron+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-hZZmP3sneSZ7rtpjKV0uIzfAs7LuCvvTIVY6SA12AXTRKtHcru1c_EIz-D4Fk_U6t2F6elepPZ5Gwtui3IBack3zHf3-ZQYG8y__A-vfZJSTTRpNvbQUsqChia_WmsQhoW13rvbJ84/s1600/ultron+1.png" height="640" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://comicbookmovie.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">comicbookmovie.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Avengers: Age of Ultron</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">(PG-13)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In July of 2013, Kevin
Feige took the stage at the Marvel Comics panel at San Diego Comic Con, and
teased the sequel to the 2012 blockbuster The Avengers. The dark screen lit up
with the words "Age of Ultron," and the crowd erupted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Jr5rzSMNmRM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jr5rzSMNmRM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Reactions among comic
fans were stellar. Non-comic readers, through blank stares and confusion,
mumbled, "Who?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Given how the past
several movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have been teasing the
arrival of Thanos, it seems a fair question. Those curious had a long wait, but
finally in October 2014, the first trailer was leaked online, accruing tens of
millions of views in mere days. It's safe to say the world is excited for this
movie. Does it live up to the hype?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In one word: Hell yes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Alright, two words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">It is worth noting that
since the initial movie of the MCU, Iron Man, released back in 2008, moviegoers
have had plenty to keep up with in terms of the series' overarching plot points.
This movie is no exception. If you’re not like me, and haven't seen every movie
multiple times, you may need to do some brushing up on a few characters, and
briefly mentioned story arcs from past movies. To get the full effect from Age
of Ultron, I suggest re-watching Avengers, Captain America 2, Thor 2, and
Guardians of the Galaxy. It also wouldn't hurt to re-watch Iron Man 3, but it
isn't quite as relevant as the others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZO4niStnGLTDKZuiCeM9aBvNPeRwd_8M8JXW4jmEOJR7xc-XLzGdu0smDKoucMsSvffmUycGU6XyKVxtFxeg9bZSluWBnCiW50dME7SlXr8TstZCSdJfZXocVQzeXuDOUBxlUUDge62Q/s1600/ultron+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZO4niStnGLTDKZuiCeM9aBvNPeRwd_8M8JXW4jmEOJR7xc-XLzGdu0smDKoucMsSvffmUycGU6XyKVxtFxeg9bZSluWBnCiW50dME7SlXr8TstZCSdJfZXocVQzeXuDOUBxlUUDge62Q/s1600/ultron+2.png" height="268" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://dailymail.co.uk/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">dailymail.co.uk</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The story picks up three
years after its predecessor, as it opens on the team working as a well oiled
machine. The good times don't last forever though, as Tony Stark (Robert Downey
Jr) inadvertently gives birth to artificial intelligence, taking the form of
Ultron (James Spader), who believes the only path to peace lies in the
destruction of the Avengers. The movie has plenty of subplots between the
heroes, but all are easy to follow, and are neatly wrapped up by the end of the
movie. While the story is enjoyable, most moviegoers will most likely be
looking forward to the action, which Age of Ultron delivers in droves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Throughout the film's
two hour and twenty minute run time, there are a bevy of beautiful beat-em-ups.
The action is frantic, fast paced, fun, and filled with plenty of humor and
one-liners sprinkled in. The movie shines in the moments where one or more of
Earth's mightiest heroes pauses mid-combat to deliver one of the movie's
plethora of quotable one-liners. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Anyone who has seen the
past Marvel movies knows that Downey's Tony Stark tends to steal every scene
he's in with his quick wit, and snarky overconfidence. This time around though,
everyone gets more than a little taste of the spotlight. Clint Barton, a.k.a.
Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), however, steals the show. After his minimal role in
the initial Avengers film, Barton proves that he's more than just a bow and
arrow, while pumping out some of the most enjoyable lines in the movie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">A close second in terms
of humor was the movie's title villain, Ultron. The previews didn't set a tone
for the character beyond that of "bad guy who wants to rule the
world," but Ultron is so much more. It's easy to see the correlation
between Ultron and his creator, Tony Stark, through their similarly dry yet
quick humor and one liners.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBJPNqwusbz2noDQzAFhlYArUomBDA7523gF7lQK__GSMv2__XngKF8GlE3cKk8feEniAHcJWaP0wSAie56WqtarOnhwG5AB-phX_Aw-9qax6TjuQok_Fu0VxGZw-j4nXLTCj1BO9MHg/s1600/ultron+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBJPNqwusbz2noDQzAFhlYArUomBDA7523gF7lQK__GSMv2__XngKF8GlE3cKk8feEniAHcJWaP0wSAie56WqtarOnhwG5AB-phX_Aw-9qax6TjuQok_Fu0VxGZw-j4nXLTCj1BO9MHg/s1600/ultron+3.png" height="268" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://denofgeek.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">denofgeek.com</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Some critics have
complained that the movie follows the formula of the original too closely,
leading to a near identical movie. This is definitely not the case. The stakes
that Ultron sets are much higher than that of the Chitauri invasion from the first
movie. The settings and action are bumped up several notches, and since the
team is already assembled when the movie starts, there is an immense amount of
character development added. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Others complained that
it doesn't impact the Marvel cinematic universe in the same scale as the events
of Captain America 2. This may be the case, but to that I have this to say: If
you go into every movie in the franchise expecting a massive, universe-changing
event or catastrophe, that leaves no room for actual development of the
universe. There’s no room to care about those huge catastrophes, since there
won’t be anything at stake. This movie's primary purpose is to prepare for the potential
galactic war that will take place in Avengers: Infinity War. In that capacity,
the story serves it's purpose beautifully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">By the time the credits
roll, every Avenger has had their time to shine. Coupling this with razor sharp
humor and intense fight scenes (sometimes at the same time), an engaging story,
and a jaw dropping finale, Avengers: Age of Ultron delivers on all fronts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Verdict: 9/10.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Even if you just want a
fun, sci-fi action movie, this is it. But for those fans who have been
following the Marvel cinematic universe thus far, it all pays off here. This is
an absolute must-see, and a fantastic kick off of the 2015 summer blockbuster
season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">There is one more thing worth mentioning. Marvel has earned a reputation for their post-credits teaser scenes. Age of Ultron is an exception to this rule. There is a mid-credits scene, but nothing at the end of the credits, as is the norm.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsOJeX9L56WChhaZEU5RNS0tSa4JPaung2FYX5Ercexsg10E4WkRfTyo86sqbAD7ixO69frpP7mdzUS7OZL7vfif_PY8PqZ17Sh06cX5bqh6JfUcZS8Oi_HZc7TC-CHeqqh8WgDlmH2Q/s1600/ultron+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHsOJeX9L56WChhaZEU5RNS0tSa4JPaung2FYX5Ercexsg10E4WkRfTyo86sqbAD7ixO69frpP7mdzUS7OZL7vfif_PY8PqZ17Sh06cX5bqh6JfUcZS8Oi_HZc7TC-CHeqqh8WgDlmH2Q/s1600/ultron+4.png" height="490" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://hypable.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">hypable.com</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-51646350824885508362015-04-30T07:14:00.003-07:002015-04-30T07:14:59.494-07:00Top 5 Most Entertaining Cheat Codes<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><i>(Originally posted on <a href="http://forcedfable.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">ForcedFable.com</span></a>)</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Cheaters never prosper, so they say. Even so, cheat codes have
always been a fun way to get more out of your video games, whether you've
mastered the game, or you can't get past level one. I've never shied away from
cheat codes. They're a great way to get more entertainment out of games that
you just don't want to put down. On that note, here are my top 5 most
entertaining cheat codes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">NOTE: I've intentionally ignored easy
picks like the Konami Code, because first, it's way too obvious. And second,
this is about having the most fun, not which codes are the most famous.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">5. Resident Evil 2:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <i>Play
as Tofu<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The early Resident Evil games were made to be beaten over and
over. After one or two playthroughs, many players can easily conquer the games
in little more than two hours, if not less. Capcom definitely took advantage of
this fact and gave expert players plenty of incentives to replay the game. Each
game has plenty to unlock, so long as the player meets certain requirements. Many
unlocks involve conquering the game 5+ times and within certain time
requirements. Or with the fewest saves possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Unfortunately, some of us aren't that good. So, lucky for us,
Capcom saw fit to include cheat codes in the Nintendo 64 port of Resident Evil
2. The cheat code below allows you to play through an alternate story as “Tofu.”
That's right: an actual block of tofu. The food. With a knife. Words can’t do
this cheat justice, so here’s an example:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r6AS3tOUL30/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r6AS3tOUL30?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Code:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">From the Load menu (N-64
only):</span></b><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Up, Down, Left, Right,
Left, Left, Right, Right, L, R, C-Up, C-Left, C-Down, C-Right<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eX4-lrExX5Y/hqdefault.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eX4-lrExX5Y/hqdefault.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">GameTrailers.com</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">4. GTA 3:</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></b><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Tank you very much</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The game that revitalized the GTA series and, quite frankly, open
world games as we know it, was riddled with fun cheat codes. Almost any fan of
the game that you talk to will reminisce about the same memory: taking turns
spawning a tank and storming the streets of Liberty City, seeing how long you
can last until the cops mow you down. The controller changes hands, rinse and
repeat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It may be a very dated game by today's standards, and cheat codes
in later sandbox games have definitely pushed the boundaries of fun and idiocy,
but this will always be one of the fondest cheat code memories I'll ever have. Still
one of the most fun to play, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vYPPq31hIps/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vYPPq31hIps?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Code:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Spawn a Tank: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Circle (6), R1, L2, L1, Triangle, Circle,
Triangle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0EC1VCf5eEY/0.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EC1VCf5eEY" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">YouTube.com</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">3. GTA V:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I
believe I can fly</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">If you get bored playing Grand Theft Auto V, chances are you play
it too much. This game is jam packed with activities, varied locations, and an
immense online mode that dwarfs the single player experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">That said, this cheat combination will remind you just how fun
(and beautifully crafted) this game is. Start out anywhere on the map by
entering the "5 minute invincibility" cheat for full effect. Next,
enter "Skyfall". You'll be warped to the top of the sky, and you can
glide to your heart's content. It's a great way to get around the map too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZSRC4e_yOfQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZSRC4e_yOfQ?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Code(s):</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Enter these cheat codes
anywhere during gameplay:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">5 Minute Invincibility:<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Playstation 3 and 4:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Right, X, Right, Left, Right, R1, Right, Left,
X, Triangle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Xbox 360 and One: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Right, A, Right, Left, Right, RB, Right, Left,
A, Y<b><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Skyfall:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Playstation 3 and 4:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">L1, L2, R1, R2, Left, Right, Left, Right, L1,
L2, R1, R2, Left, Right, Left, Right<b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Xbox 360 and One: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">LB, LT, RB, RT, Left, Right, Left, Right, LB,
LT, RB, RT, Left, Right, Left, Right<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dMgJ4SUc5NE/maxresdefault.jpg" height="225" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMgJ4SUc5NE" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">YouTube.com</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">2. Elder Scrolls IV:
Oblivion:</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></b><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Invisible Man/Woman</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">This hilarious bit of entertainment isn't so much a cheat code as
it is a game exploit that was never fixed. The glitch allows the player to
essentially make themselves totally invisible, rendering the guards completely
ignorant of any actions you take. Makes the Gray Fox mask you worked so hard to
obtain entirely useless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The “cheat” itself specifically uses the item duplication glitch
or, better explained, what you end up using it for. Sure, you could duplicate
1000 watermelons off a cliff…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fo-X7n7qvO0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fo-X7n7qvO0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">…but why do that when you could stab guards, and watch them search
in vain for the invisible assailant?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Explanation
(Code/Cheat):</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Step 1:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Obtain at least two copies of the same scroll.
If you have more than two, that's the number of items that will be duplicated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Step 2:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In your inventory, click the scrolls once.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Step 3:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Highlight, but DO NOT CLICK, the item to be
duplicated, and drop it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Step 4:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Exit your inventory. The duplicated items will
appear in front of you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Step 5:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Acquire a scroll of Invisibility, and a Grand
Soul Gem. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Step 6:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Duplicate the
Grand Soul Gem, and use them to </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">enchant any four pieces of clothing with Invisibility, and equip
them. You will become 100% invisible, and guards won't notice anything you do.
(You also won’t appear on screen at all)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">And my #1 most entertaining
cheat code is…<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Saints Row 2:</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></b><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Madness in the streets</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">One of my favorite open world games to this day is still Saints
Row 2. The game offers the player so much to do that you can easily spend
countless hours taking over the city of Stillwater. After you win the day and
the credits roll however, there's significantly less to do that you haven't
already conquered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Until you activate cheat codes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Saints Row 2 offers some of the most enjoyable cheat codes in a
sandbox game that I have yet to experience. There's one combination that
guarantees a good time: by entering the cheat code "evil cars," the
player suddenly becomes the target of every driver's pent up road rage. The
whole world becomes one gigantic game of chicken, with no one budging.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OfmuhzG9jX8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OfmuhzG9jX8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Sound enticing enough to try? What about this: enter the code for
"raining pedestrians," and watch the bodies rain. Literally. Want to
combine laughs? Try this right after pedestrian rain: enter "heaven
bound" and laugh as the bodies that rained from the sky hit the ground,
and begin a slow ascension skyward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TOfbhR3NyWI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TOfbhR3NyWI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">There are plenty of other cheat codes to add that make this
scenario even more fun, but be warned: adding too many cheats does tend to
crash the game. If you're feeling gutsy, throw in "moon gravity" for
some more fun!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Code(s):</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Pause the game, and go
to the “<b>phone</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Type in the following
numbers, and hit "<b>send</b>."
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">NOTE: This works on all consoles</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><i><u><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">You will need the “#” with each one.<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Heaven Bound: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">#12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Raining
Pedestrians: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">#20<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Evil Cars: </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">#16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Moon Gravity:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">#18<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/11670/270582-dt_explosion01.jpg" height="225" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/11670/270582-dt_explosion01.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">GiantBomb</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">You can find countless
Web sites and code books from NES to PS4. Everyone has their favorites, and
these ones are mine. They may not be the best, or most helpful, but they’re
definitely among the most enjoyable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">What about you? What
cheat codes have made you laugh yourself to tears, or even just helped you beat
a game you were struggling with?<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-15953372148235900672015-04-22T07:24:00.003-07:002015-04-30T07:14:51.538-07:00WHERE'S MY SEQUEL?! - Freedom Fighters<br />
<br />
I'M ALIVE!!! I promise! Sadly my weekly updates have gone by the wayside. Outside of work, my hobbies, exercise, etc. got a little stagnant, so the past few months have been super lazy. But I think it's time to shake off the winter ice and get right back into it!<br />
<br />
I wanted to start with a new segment: Where's my sequel?!<br />
<br />
<i>(Originally posted on <a href="http://forcedfable.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">ForcedFable.com</span></a>)</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In a market
oversaturated with fourth, fifth, sixth entries in a franchise, and many series
even becoming annual releases, it got me thinking: what about the best games
from the previous generations that never got sequels, but absolutely deserved
them? Many of them even set themselves up for a sequel. There's been one on my
mind since I first played it back on 2003:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Freedom Fighters</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6f/Freedom_Fighters.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Fighters_%28video_game%29#/media/File:Freedom_Fighters.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">If you're unfamiliar,
Freedom Fighters is a third person squad based shooter for GameCube, Xbox, PS2,
and PC. The story centered around Chris Stone, a New York plumber who takes up
arms in the wake of a Soviet invasion of America. Think Mario meets Red Dawn
meets Homefront, except fun. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The core gameplay wasn't
earth shattering; aim gun at bad guy, shoot, repeat. But where the game truly shined
was the ability to command squads of up to twelve of your fellow New Yorkers
across the battlefield. The player could individually tell them to attack,
defend a point, or follow. Alternately, you could just send all twelve wildly
into combat in a blaze of gunfire. Freedom Fighters also featured competitive
multiplayer, allowing up to four players each to command up to six soldiers, in
a capture-the-flag free for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So why a make a sequel?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">SPOILER ALERT:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">At the end of the game...the good guys win.
Shocker, I know. But even in the wake of their victory, Chris sits,
disheartened by the knowledge that the Soviets will be back someday
"...with bigger guns, and more soldiers."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">More or less, the story
wraps up nicely enough, but is easily open enough for a bigger war, or even a
counter attack by America, with Chris leading the charge. But why haven't we
seen a sequel yet? Well, it's certainly not for lack of interest. In 2010, when
being interviewed about the upcoming release of Kane & Lynch 2, game
director Karsten Lund was asked about a sequel, and simply stated, "No
comment." Later, Io-Interactive stated in a tweet in July 2011 that
"It's definitely something a lot of us are interested in doing. But right
now, the focus is on Hitman: Absolution."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GLkXYTys23DnSfRwwCyE1tEbXjovDtMRgPmVSWjKiYjtXzpyeVsaIYfTooEvs97sG3VCdztquRFBgYX-zFdtLLxWFYp1V-c_PI_tJLUUpCweKy75x-Ksd0GLT8uwQ5rI4VwGADxiEdg/s1600/io+twitter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GLkXYTys23DnSfRwwCyE1tEbXjovDtMRgPmVSWjKiYjtXzpyeVsaIYfTooEvs97sG3VCdztquRFBgYX-zFdtLLxWFYp1V-c_PI_tJLUUpCweKy75x-Ksd0GLT8uwQ5rI4VwGADxiEdg/s1600/io+twitter.png" height="280" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/IOInteractive/status/89262955866243072" target="_blank">Twitter</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The pitch:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Maybe it's for the best
that we haven't seen a sequel yet. If the past has shown us anything, it's that
the PS2/Xbox/GC generation didn't allow for a massive amount of growth in terms
of unique sequels. I'm no game developer, but given that I've beaten Freedom
Fighters more times than I can count, here's what I believe we would need from
the sequel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">1. Keep it third person,
but don't make it a cover-based Gears of War clone.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Army of Two is very fun.
In fact it's one of my favorite “couch co-op” game(s) in recent memory. But when
I'm describing it, all I can say is "it plays exactly like Gears of War."
Every shooter on the market now gets compared to one of the giants: Gears, CoD,
or Halo. Freedom Fighters was made before the dawn of cover based shooting, and
the sequel should stay that way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cf.shacknews.com/shack_images/sshots/freedom_fighters/fsl_ss04PC.jpg" height="300" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://cf.shacknews.com/shack_images/sshots/freedom_fighters/fsl_ss04PC.jpg" target="_blank">Shacknews</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">2. Focus on one feature instead of trying to change the genre.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This is somewhat similar
to point one. Don't clone. But if you're going to innovate, do so with one key
feature that really blows people away. Freedom Fighters kept bringing me back
through the entire campaign, time and time again, because of the immense
battles towards the end. Watching your soldiers slowly progress through the
battlefield, entirely under your control, was extremely rewarding. But if you
weren't into standing somewhere high and barking out orders, you still had the
option to charge in yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Here’s an idea that
isn’t outright cloning: The player could have up to 12 soldiers follow them at
a time (a la the original), but could also guide smaller squads of 1 to 6
soldiers, via a radio/map system, in real time. Inspiration could be drawn from
the original Ghost Recon, in which the player could drop out to a map, and
order Squad B to various points. Freedom Fighters 2 could use a similar
mechanic, but utilizing a physical map, and not moving to a new screen, keeping
the player engaged and in the moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHtCik9W8WWhqXVvLJ_YdTN8auQLnfmnPCN3ahtPkE6mHXTKXknkIYUqIkdU8bkQxw-T6yDrOWVX95K3nF0PMlFES3pPn6Y9L7hNRp57k9Y4LWD9LM0kY06id7w5sJMLaWldhXBtnMp0/s1600/freedomfighters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHtCik9W8WWhqXVvLJ_YdTN8auQLnfmnPCN3ahtPkE6mHXTKXknkIYUqIkdU8bkQxw-T6yDrOWVX95K3nF0PMlFES3pPn6Y9L7hNRp57k9Y4LWD9LM0kY06id7w5sJMLaWldhXBtnMp0/s1600/freedomfighters.jpg" height="255" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Concept of what the player might see while ordering soldiers in-combat<br />
(illustration courtesy of the author)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">There were several games
in the PS2/Xbox era that attempted to fuse FPS and RTS mechanics together, ultimately
failing because they spread themselves much too thin. For Freedom Fighters 2 to
avoid this, the features would need to be seamless, and logical. Having Chris
kneel down, pull out a radio and a map gives the player more urgency to make
good decisions quickly, and get right back into the action. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">3. Don't focus on online
multiplayer. Keep it single-player focused.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">There's no shortage of
online shooters for those who are looking, so why crowd the market with a
half-assed single player campaign, and a semi-decent online multiplayer? In the
great words of Ron Swanson, “Don’t half-ass two things, whole-ass one thing.”
Games like Halo and Gears of War have proven that in a multiplayer focused
market, there's still room for story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The PS3 exclusive M.A.G.
had a great concept: Set the stage for a massive fight, where some players give
the orders, and some do the fighting. But the concept can easily fall flat for
a number of reasons. A game can promise 200+ player battles, but that doesn't
mean you'll get that experience every time. With Chris being the protagonist,
and everyone wanting to be the protagonist, who would be the one following
orders as opposed to giving them? The concept of unique multiplayer beyond just
shooting each other would be too hard to pull off without interfering with the
single player story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">4. Keep it modern day, not
near future.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Near future tech games
are a growing trend. Everywhere you look there are mechs, drones, cloaking
suits, and overcomplicated HUDs that serve to show how kick ass the future can
be so long as we keep drinking our Mountain Dew and stuffing our faces with Dorito’s.
Freedom Fighters is all about a ragtag group of rebels, fighting with whatever
they could get their hands on. To make this sequel a near future tech-heavy
Michael Bay movie would absolutely destroy the feeling of "Holy cow, this
could actually happen!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://speed-new.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/456346456.jpg" height="300" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://speed-new.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/456346456.jpg" target="_blank">speed-new.com</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">With the newest
generation of game consoles in full swing, we're starting to see how powerful
they can really be. It's time for that to be put to the test. Games have been
able to pull off large scale battles before, but that has never been the key
focus of a shooter. Freedom Fighters 2 could change the way single player
shooters are seen, and blow us all away. It just needs to get made.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-17249691789833772092014-12-10T08:06:00.002-08:002014-12-10T08:06:31.286-08:00TGLVG: DmC: Devil May Cry<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/archive/7/79/20120827083528!DmC_box_art.png" width="258" /></div>
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<b>DmC: Devil May Cry</b></div>
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2013, Rated M (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)</div>
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<b>A brief history:</b></div>
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Back in 2001, Capcom released the original Devil May Cry for Playstation 2, which followed the story of the snarky white haired demon hunter and half demon protagonist Dante. Praised for it's stylized combat, and punishing difficulty, the series saw the eventual release of three more games. The third game introduced the character Vergil, Dante's half demon twin brother, as the main antagonist.</div>
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Overall, the series saw great success, especially with Devil May Cry 3, and slightly less so with 4, when the series made the leap to the Xbox 360. But in 2010, it was revealed that hack-n-slash game developer Ninja Theory, famous for the equally devilishly difficult Ninja Gaiden series, was now holding the reins, and planning a full series reboot titled simply "DmC". At the 2010 Tokyo Game Show, a teaser trailer was released, which outraged fans when they got their first glimpse at the new younger, short black haired Dante. Long time fans cried foul, protesting that Ninja Theory was trying too hard to appeal to the "Twilight crowd".</div>
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But, when the game was released in January of 2013, critics raved, praising the new combat mechanics, and the stunning visuals. DmC averaged an outstanding 8.5 / 10 in basically every review. But despite these glowing accolades, the game didn't sell close to what it deserved. Fans were still too set in their ways to bother trying the game, and sales suffered for it.</div>
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I myself have been a long time fan of the series, and despite initially amid the crowd of "I don't like Dante's new look"ers, I found the game for cheap, and decided to give it a try. And holy crap am I glad I did!</div>
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<img height="225" src="http://www.meodia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/22-dmc-devil-may-cry-1.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<b>Story: </b>8/10</div>
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Don't worry, I won't be spoiling anything that you don't learn within the first half hour of gameplay, but here is a brief rundown of the game's basic plot:</div>
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Dante is a hedonistic a-hole. He spends his days hunting and killing demons, and his nights sleeping with strippers, and drinking. But everything quickly changes when a large demon tracks him down and sucks him into Limbo, the world of the demons, parallel to our own. Here he meets a human girl, Kat, who helps him escape, and takes him to her boss, a mysterious figure named Vergil, the leader of a "terrorist" organization known as "The Order", hellbent on ending the life of the demon king Mundus, a demon posing as a businessman, who for years has been controlling the human race through brainwashing and manipulation.</div>
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The story has never been a big part of the past games. It has always been there, but it was never the reason that fans bought the games. This game, however, has a movie-worthy story. Whereas past games would provide a cutscene every three or four levels, giving you a feeling of "Oh right, I forgot there was a story...", DmC starts and ends every level with story related scenes, as well as dialogue throughout the levels.</div>
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I'd love to give the story a perfect 10, but I do have to say I was pretty disappointed with how thrown in the "twist" ending felt. Again, no spoilers, but the final conflict before the credits roll felt like it could have been further hinted at throughout the story. That said, I loved actually caring about every character, even so far as feeling brief, fleeting moments of pity for Mundus himself.</div>
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<img height="224" src="http://www.leelaughead.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/dmc_devil_may_cry_phineas.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<b>Gameplay: </b>10/10</div>
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It's safe to say that when it comes to difficult games, I'm not good. Given the chance, I'll always play a game on easy mode first, because I like to relax when playing video games, rather than become frustrated. This is the main reason that I was very hesitant to first purchase the game. Not only does the Devil May Cry series as a whole have a strong reputation as a very difficult series, but the addition of Ninja Theory as the new development team meant to me that the spike in difficulty would be too much to bear.</div>
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Well, I was dead wrong. Granted, thus far I've only beaten the game on it's easiest of the three initial difficulty settings, the game is challenging, but if you're looking for a fight, avoid the easiest mode at all costs. I can't often (if ever) say that I've been able to beat a game without dying, but I am able to say that in this case.</div>
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But don't let this deter you. Another trope of the series is the amount of unlockable difficulty settings. All said, DmC has seven different difficulties to try, ranging from "Human" (easy mode, basically made for those who want to experience the story with little challenge), all the way to "Heaven or Hell" (a remixed mode, enemies die in one hit, but so do you), and even "Hell or Hell" (enemies have normal health, but you die in one hit). The game is short, my first play through taking about 6 hours, but it's meant to be played multiple times, and to be mastered. The reward of playing the harder difficulties is the satisfaction you get from being able to take out a room full of enemies without being touched, all while pulling off stylistic attacks an combos. And oh my, are those fun to pull off. And on that note, let's talk about the combat. </div>
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Fans of the series will remember Dante's main weapons: His sword "Rebellion", and his twin pistols "Ebony and Ivory". They're definitely there, but I don't think I used them much until the very end of the game. The game's combat is made truly intricate and in-depth by the introduction of Dante's half-demon-half-angel heritage, and the discovery of his Angel and Demon themed weapons.</div>
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Pressing the attack button has Dante strike with his sword. But holding the left shoulder button and pressing the same attack has him use his Angel weapon, a blue glowing scythe that attacks fast and wide, but much weaker. Holding the right shoulder button instead wields the Demon weapon, a powerful red axe that hits like a freight train, but is very slow. Certain enemies can only be hurt with certain weapons, but players can switch freely between all three weapons to create unending combos of destruction and chaos. Throughout the game's 20 missions, I didn't have a single mission go by where I didn't outwardly celebrate a new, previously undiscovered combo of death.</div>
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<b>Presentation: </b>10/10</div>
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I am a strong proponent of the belief that video games are a form of art, or at the very least artistic expression. And in my case to prove it, I present this game as Exhibit A. The majority of the game takes place within Limbo, a variant of the real world where demons dwell. Whenever a new area is introduced, the player is treated with a cutscene displaying the change from the real world to Limbo, and these scenes left my jaw on the floor. The colors vary from rich oranges and blues, to a later level that presents segments of the area like drawings on a chalk board, representing your pre-rehearsed plan of action. </div>
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Every level is entirely unique, and not a single moment feels recycled. All previous games in the series had utilized backtracking in immense quantities. DmC has you backtrack once, for about five minutes. Other than that brief (and frankly understandable) moment, every single setpiece is totally fresh. Combined with the controls, which allow you to push/pull pieces of the environment in order to traverse the layout, your eyes will never be bored.</div>
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<img height="225" src="http://commiesubs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/DMC-DevilMayCry-2013-02-06-22-46-46-17.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<b>Replay Value:</b> 7/10</div>
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As mentioned earlier, a large factor of replayability in the DMC games has always been the ever-escalating difficulties that are unlocked with each playthrough. With many of them come changes in enemy behavior, and remixes of the levels themselves. This is a great bonus for those looking for a challenge, and a justifiable reason for the story mode being so brief, taking anywhere from 6-8 hours to complete. </div>
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Each mission also contains collectibles, such as "lost souls" which are scattered through each level, keys to unlock bonus stages, and of course the bonus stages themselves, which reward you with increased health, or other similar prizes. These can be fun or infuriating. The race bonus stages are fairly poorly put together, but the combat stages provide a high amount of satisfaction when accomplished. One such stage has Dante facing a room full of enemies, whom he must defeat without being touched by any of them.</div>
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Completing various levels or tasks within unlocks concept art, and completing the story mode unlocks costumes, and further difficulties. But as for whether or not any of this is really worth it, my verdict only if you're looking for a challenge that will kick your ass several times over.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are a few fun nods to the past games...</td></tr>
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<b>Final Score: </b>9/10</div>
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Buy this game. It's that simple. I found my copy for $10, which is slightly less than the average price for it now, and it is worth every penny. The combat is challenging but extremely rewarding, and the story is engaging, and will leave you wanting more.</div>
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<b>BONUS - Downloadable Content:</b></div>
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Given that this game has been out for just shy of two years, there has been a DLC add on released. As of now I have yet to play it, but for those who enjoyed the story, the DLC follows Vergil immediately after the main story ends.</div>
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There are also three skin packs for Dante's weapons, and a costume pack, all of which aren't really worth your money. Your weapons move so fast that glimpsing the weapons won't happen often enough to make the weapon skins worth it, but the costumes are honestly up to your discretion. Personally, I'm a fan of aesthetic changes to characters, but they can all be unlocked in game, if you've got the guts.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-34316156274104724822014-12-01T12:10:00.002-08:002014-12-01T12:10:26.441-08:00TGLM: The 10-Movie Actor Challenge #1Today I'll be trying something new. A few months ago, I was posed a challenge by one of my faithful readers: Review ten movies that all starred the same actor. This series is a long time coming, but, as I found out, it is surprisingly hard to come up with an actor I've seen in at least ten movies. That said, let's take a look at some ground rules before we dive in:<br />
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<b>1 - The actor's appearance must be in a starring role. Cameos do not count, but antagonist/villain/partner roles do.</b><br />
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<b>2 - Television shows and short films do not count, but to mix things up, video game appearances are allowed.</b><br />
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<b>3 - If the actor is in a series, it will only count as one appearance. (e.g. Terminator 1 through 3 only counts as one movie for Arnold Schwarzenegger)</b><br />
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<b>4 - Movies or other material that I've reviewed in the past can be used, though I'll try to avoid this when possible.</b><br />
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The rules have been established, and the challenge posed. So let's kick off the 10-movie actor challenge with our first contestant...<br />
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<img height="320" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1842510528/will_ferrell__4_.jpg" width="226" /></div>
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<b>Will Ferrell</b></div>
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<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1903832490/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1903832490/image.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Zoolander </b>(2001)<br />
Starring alongside protagonist Ben Stiller, Ferrell plays the unforgettable villain and fashion mogul Jacobi Mugatu. Zoolander led the ranks of early 2000's star-studded comedies, standing out largely due to it's ridiculous plot, involving a male modeling political conspiracy that stretched as far back as the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.<br />
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In terms of Will Ferrell roles, don't expect anything out of the ordinary. He's loud, obnoxious, makes funny faces, and has some of the movie's most quotable lines. It's exactly what you'd expect from him, in the best way possible.<br />
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<a href="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTM2OTc4NjU1MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjc1MTkxNA@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTM2OTc4NjU1MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjc1MTkxNA@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a><b>Elf </b>(2003)<br />
In this now holiday classic, Ferrell plays the lead role of Buddy the Elf, a human who has lived his entire life in the presence and care of Santa Clause and his elves. But when Buddy grows up, towering over the tiny elves around him, he realizes he isn't quite as elf-ish as he once thought. So he journeys to New York City in order to find his birth dad, who resides on Santa's "naughty list", and convince him to change his ways and be "nice" once more.<br />
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As with Zoolander, expect typical Ferrell, but this time with a kid friendly twist. It's all here, the funny faces, quotable lines, and some gross out humor that cements his character as fully believable, and yet out of this world.<br />
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<a href="http://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/anchorman__120329004706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/anchorman__120329004706.jpg" height="200" width="193" /></a><b>Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy</b> (2004)<br />
Self-obsessed, "good" looking, and on the top of his career path, this movie charts fictional news anchor Ron Burgundy's story of success, his hard fall to the bottom, and his attempts to climb back to the top.<br />
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As the pattern has begun to indicate, expect more funny faces, gross-out moments, and the most quotable lines from Ferrell's character. But, as Ron Burgundy himself says, he's nothing without his news team. His acting here does nothing to separate itself from his previous (or future) movies, unless you factor in his interactions with his star-studded cohorts. To me, it isn't so much his lines, as it is the whole news team's lines that stick in your head.<br />
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<a href="http://static.squarespace.com/static/51a2e9abe4b01fcfc7489cbe/t/52a7c998e4b080ad5ccf213c/1386727833959/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.squarespace.com/static/51a2e9abe4b01fcfc7489cbe/t/52a7c998e4b080ad5ccf213c/1386727833959/" height="132" width="200" /></a><b>Kicking & Screaming</b> (2005)<br />
Phil Weston is a mild-mannered suburban dad, who cares deeply for his son, trying not to become the competition-obsessed neglectful father that his was. But when he strikes a wager with his dad (Robert Duvall) in order to get his son more play time on the little league soccer team, he is suddenly thrust into the world of competition he has avoided all his life.<br />
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While this family movie didn't earn any mind-blowing reviews, it remains one of my absolute favorite Will Ferrell movies. For about half of the movie, we get to see Ferrell in a role he isn't terribly accustomed to: a quiet, somber do-gooder. The movie has the best of both worlds, combining his goofy faces and shouting with a more subdued acting style, basically the opposite of what we've come to expect from him.<br />
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<a href="http://flickminute.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Stranger-than-Fiction_-Will-Ferrell_Serious-Man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://flickminute.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Stranger-than-Fiction_-Will-Ferrell_Serious-Man.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a><b>Stranger Than Fiction</b> (2006)<br />
Harold Crick is the pinnacle of average. He goes to work, comes home, and keeps to himself, taking pride in his lack luster life. That is until he learns that he's the protagonist of a famous author's new book, via an unseen voice that only he can hear narrating his life.<br />
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This movie struck me fairly strongly the first time I watched it, mainly due to how much of a departure it was from Ferrell's typical mode of operation. He's still funny, but no longer due to the goofy faces and loud noises we've come to expect. For once, we see Ferrell playing a role that almost any actor could have played. While I enjoyed him in this movie, you could easily sub him out for any of a number of actors. (Jason Bateman, Jim Carrey, and Steve Carell all come to mind first) But that said, I love Ferrell in this role, mainly because of how unusual it is. This movie is absolutely worth a watch, if not a purchase.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.donedirtcheapdvd.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/talladega-nights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.donedirtcheapdvd.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/talladega-nights.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a><b>Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby</b> (2006)<br />
Ricky Bobby, the most famous and unbeatable NASCAR driver behind the wheel, meets his match when French Formula 1 driver Jean Girard swoops in and quickly begins to steal his glory. Ricky's life and career begin to spiral out of control, as he must fight his way to the top once again.<br />
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Basically, this movie is Anchorman with race cars. I remember seeing this in theaters, and being disgusted by how advertisement-filled the entire movie is. At one point, it even cuts away for an entire Applebee's commercial as a gag. But upon later views, it becomes more apparent that the amount of ads within the movie IS the joke. This is especially apparent during the end credits and bloopers. That said, we get the same Farrell we're used to, a description I feel like I need a keyboard shortcut for at this point: Funny faces, loud noises, and the best quotable lines. However, I still thoroughly enjoy this movie. Just don't think too hard, and you'll get some laughs.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9O-ok45MW60/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9O-ok45MW60/hqdefault.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><b>Step Brothers</b> (2008)<br />
Dale and Brennan, two 40-year-old slackers who still live with their parents, are forced to become step brothers when their parents marry each other.<br />
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Let's just get this out of the way quick: Funny faces, loud noises, quotable lines. Now then...the plot may sound simple and dumb, but this is one of my absolute favorite Will Ferrell movies. The chemistry between Ferrell and co-star John C. Reilly is much better than it was in Talladega Nights, possibly due to a smaller cast retaining the majority of focus. Either way, Ferrell is his typical comedic self. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?<br />
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<a href="http://cdn-static.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeek/files/styles/article_main_wide_image/public/images/135600.jpg?itok=_aDeylT1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn-static.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeek/files/styles/article_main_wide_image/public/images/135600.jpg?itok=_aDeylT1" height="112" width="200" /></a><b>The Other Guys</b> (2010)<br />
Starring alongside Mark Wahlberg, The Other Guys takes a new twist on the buddy cop / action comedy. The two decide to step up and be the heroes after the position of "hero" is left vacant by the sudden deaths of the typical burly super-cops.<br />
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As strange as it is to say, Ferrell takes a back seat to Wahlberg in this goofy action comedy. That said, Ferrell's approach is a bit outside the norm in this one, as it combines his normal wacky style with a subdued character, more akin to Kicking & Screaming. But talented as he is, the result is a memorable experience, one definitely worth multiple views. This movie is a must-see.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nextmovie.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/everything_must_go-will-ferrell-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.nextmovie.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/everything_must_go-will-ferrell-300.jpg" height="146" width="200" /></a><b>Everything Must Go</b> (2010)<br />
Nick Halsey is a former alcoholic, whose life causes him to relapse into his bad habits. In response, his wife kicks him out, dumping everything he owns onto the front lawn. Nick responds with laziness, choosing to live on the lawn. But when the police say he has to move, he decides to have a yard sale in order to have an excuse to stay where he is. But his neighbor's little boy befriends him, giving him a new viewpoint on his life.<br />
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This is definitely not your typical Ferrell. Much like Stranger Than Fiction, what we see here is a dark comedy that gives him a chance to show off more than just a funny face. The downside with these performances, however, is that while Ferrell <i>can </i>pull this role off, he doesn't do much to make you believe that he's the only actor who could do it. This movie is worth a watch, but it doesn't hold much that will bring you back to watch it time and again.<br />
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<a href="http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110430210327/deadliestfiction/images/8/87/Megamind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110430210327/deadliestfiction/images/8/87/Megamind.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><b>Megamind </b>(2010)<br />
With an origin story akin to that of Superman, the super villain Megamind is constantly at odds with his nemesis, the Man of Steel-esque hero, Metro Man. But when Megamind finally comes out on top, he's forced to rethink his goals. He's forced to ask himself a question he never thought of before: What do you do when you finally rule the world?<br />
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Lending his voice to this animated action / comedy, Ferrell brings his greatest strengths without subjecting viewers to the same funny faces we've seen countless times in the past. This family friendly movie by Dreamworks is absolutely worth multiple watches, and the stars that round out the voice cast hold their own along side the very recognizable voice of Ferrell.<br />
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Phew! That's a LOT of Will Ferrell. Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this new segment, and if you have an idea for an actor you'd like to see showcased, or if you have your own favorite Will Ferrell movie that I didn't mention above! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch something that doesn't involve funny faces and loud noises.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-87289411423263152472014-11-10T08:27:00.001-08:002014-11-10T08:27:04.047-08:00TGLVG: Lego Marvel Super HeroesYeah, I know. Two video game reviews in a row? What gives?? Well, its my blog. I do what I want! BWAHAHA!!! ...ehem.<br />
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<img src="http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130710192805/marveldatabase/images/4/46/LEGO_Marvel_Super_Heroes_box_art.jpg" height="320" width="251" /></div>
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<b>Lego Marvel Super Heroes</b></div>
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<b>(PS Vita, PS3, PS4, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, OSx)</b><br />
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<b>*NOTE: This review will cover the PS3 version*</b></div>
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Over the past 6 or 7 years, Tell Tale Games has been releasing a stream of increasingly fun Lego-based games. The earliest entries included Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Carribean, and later expanded to franchises like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and even Batman/Justice League. Personally, I've played through Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and my wife greatly enjoys both Harry Potter games, but by far the superior game in the Lego series so far has been Lego Marvel.</div>
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Now please understand, I'm acutely aware that I'm a Marvel fanboy. However, here are the quick stats of how much bang you get for your buck, whether or not you enjoy Marvel comics:</div>
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<b>155</b> unique characters (not just re-skins, also not including the 10 or so DLC characters)</div>
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<b>15 </b>story missions, <b>11 </b>bonus missions</div>
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<b>12 </b>slots for customizeable characters (yeah, you can MAKE YOUR OWN SUPERHEROES!!)</div>
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<b>44 </b>different land vehicles</div>
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<b>15 </b>different air vehicles</div>
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Multiple unique costumes for <b>20+</b> characters</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Lv0tZgNV7Kw/hqdefault.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the pre-DLC character list. The blacked out spots are create-a-character slots.</td></tr>
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Oh and let's not forget the best part: If you're sick of doing missions and just want to unlock some stuff, the team at Tt Games painstakingly recreate the ENTIRE ISLAND of Manhattan out of Legos and filled it with citizens and cars for you to explore, which has thus far been my favorite part!</div>
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Okay, now that I've gushed over the content, let's get into the nitty gritty and review this sucker!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each level houses lots of secrets for different characters.</td></tr>
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<b>Presentation:</b><br />
One of the greatest strengths that this game has is how late in the Lego series it is, as well as how far into the console life cycle. Because of those two reasons, the game looks beautiful. The island of Manhattan is seamless, and the load times between missions and gameplay are very bearable.<br />
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That said, there are some downsides in this department. Because of the scale of the game, it is incredibly glitchy. I have the game downloaded onto my system, so I don't need a disc. While this is convenient, the first time I downloaded the 7GB game (which took a good two hours) it would crash every time I'd play it, within 20 minutes of playing it. I recently deleted and re-installed it, and that problem seems to have gone away, but there are plenty of glitches still present.<br />
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This isn't a surprise considering how large the game is, but it still can be a buzzkill during some levels. Characters will frequently get stuck within the map, and in several cases they'd get stuck in such a way that I had no choice but to restart entire levels. One instance had Iron Man falling, dying, respawning, then falling and dying again, to the point where I couldn't switch characters, or do anything. These glitches do bump down my final rating, but are not enough to deter a purchase by any means!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cutscenes are crisp, and very funny for the child at heart.</td></tr>
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<b>Gameplay:</b></div>
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The game takes place in three main areas: Story missions that usually last around 20 minutes, bonus missions, usually around 10 minutes, and free roaming through Manhattan.<br />
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The story missions have you slowly building your ranks with heroes as they combat an increasingly large amount of villains, who are trying to secure mysterious "cosmic bricks", black Lego bricks that hold extreme power. Each story mission teams up two to four heroes, and has you swapping between them in order to solve puzzles and beat up bad guys. If you're playing two player (which I HIGHLY recommend), each player takes control of one hero, but you can still swap. But even if you're playing single player, the other hero will still be on screen at all times. Each story mission also has a multitude of unlockable areas and items, many of which you can't even unlock until you replay the mission with different characters, which greatly expands the replayability of the story. Oh, and in typical Marvel movie style, stay tuned after the credits when you beat story mode for a bonus scene!<br />
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The bonus missions are unlocked by completing enough optional objectives within the story missions, or by acquiring enough Gold Bricks, which are found by solving puzzles in the open world of Manhattan. These missions are typically good for a laugh, and involve tasks like helping Iron Man throw a party for the Avengers, or playing as Spider-Man as he cleans up an office after a villain attacked it. These, just like the story missions, have three or four side objectives to help unlock more characters, but don't hold a whole lot of replay value beyond one or two times.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="225" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CT8LlkyTiaM/maxresdefault.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The streets never feel empty of life or activity!</td></tr>
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For my money, the free roam in Manhattan is where this game shines. Picture the open world environment of games like Grand Theft Auto, but in Lego form, and kid friendly. Through all three game modes, you collect Lego bits which are used as currency to unlock characters, costumes, and vehicles. Personally I spent the most time collecting these in free roam mode, by having any hero drive a car, smashing through stop lights, mailboxes, and anything that will break.<br />
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But here is why the free roam mode really shines: It's two player! I can't remember how many times growing up that I wanted to play Grand Theft Auto 3 two player with my brother, but we never could. Well in Lego Marvel, you and a friend can split up, and do whatever you want in free roam. The screen splits, and you can help or ditch your co op partner as you see fit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll play as everyone from Iron Man to Taskmaster, to Howard the Duck.</td></tr>
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<b>Verdict:</b><br />
I cannot stress enough how much you need to give this game a try. Though mainly geared towards a younger audience (with features like the inability to get a game over, constant instructions appearing on screen, etc.) it has something for absolutely everyone. With a few more bug fixes, it would definitely be a perfect ten, but there is nothing here that will make you never want to play it again.<br />
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<b>9 </b>out of <b>10</b>. An absolute must play!</div>
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As I stated earlier, if you decide to go the downloaded route, and you have some issues, just uninstall and re-install it. Worked like a charm for me!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-30359393077261949112014-10-29T11:32:00.001-07:002014-10-29T11:32:04.399-07:00TGLVG: Resident Evil Director's CutWhoops...I haven't posted anything for several weeks...um....<br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><b>IT'S HALLOWEEN, BITCHES!</b></span><br />
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In honor of my favorite time of the year, as well as the semi-recent announcement that Capcom will be re-re-releasing the original Resident Evil on PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, and Xbox One as an HD re-remake, I grabbed a friend, and set out to conquer a game that I've owned for almost ten years, and had yet to beat. So let's take a look at the PSone classic that created the survival horror genre as we know it today.</div>
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<b><span style="color: orange;">Story:</span></b></div>
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If you play video games, and you haven't at least tried a Resident Evil game, shame on you. But here's a quick, spoiler-free rundown of the story:</div>
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It's the year 1998, in the outskirts of fictional town Raccoon City. Over several weeks, citizens have been going missing, and many have turned up dead, reportedly eaten by what some were calling "monsters". You play as either Chris Redfield, or Jill Valentine, two members of an elite special ops unit called S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Squad. Basically a fictional SWAT team). You're objective: Locate the crashed helicopter of your squad mates. But things quickly go awry, as you run for your life from a pack of monstrous dogs. You take solace in a large mansion nearby. Once inside, however, the horrors of a mysterious zombie-ridden conspiracy await you...</div>
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<a href="http://www.vitedicarta.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/gfs_28003_1_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.vitedicarta.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/gfs_28003_1_4.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a>First thing's first: The opening cutscene is legendary among gamers due to how absolutely horrible the acting is. The creators of the game decided to use live action actors, and the result was nothing short of eternally memorable. Even if you have no interest in playing the game, I'd highly recommend you at least give the scene a watch here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWo0Hhx07Pc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWo0Hhx07Pc</a></div>
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For our playthrough, we decided to play as Chris. He starts out with a gun, but if you play as Jill, you'll get the ability to pick locks, and two more inventory slots (trust me, those two slots make a WORLD of difference).</div>
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<a href="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UJ3LcT6l83U/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UJ3LcT6l83U/hqdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><span style="color: orange;">Presentation:</span></b></div>
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To say that I'm a wuss when it comes to scary things is an understatement. That said, however, after almost twenty years, this game still harbors some legitimately creepy moments that don't resort to simple loud noise jump scares. The basic emotions of the player are where a lot of the terror comes from. For example, you can only carry six items at once (as Chris). Obviously you'll want a weapon, and yeah, you're going to need some ammo too, so count out two of those slots. Carrying healing items is a smart bet, and you'll need several keys as you explore the mansion. Because of this, inventory management adds to the suspense throughout your journey. Should you bring more health or ammo? What if you run into a required item for later? What happens when I need to carry so many items that a weapon may not be an option?<br />
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While not every room houses enemies, you never know when you'll run into them, so each new door you enter tends to get the blood pumping. Not to mention the classic door opening cutscenes used every time you enter or exit a room...They are spooky for sure, but they do get old after the amount of backtracking you'll be forced to do.</div>
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<a href="http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/c/9/7/gfs_10835_2_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/c/9/7/gfs_10835_2_6.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><span style="color: orange;">Gameplay:</span></b></div>
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The gameplay is something that a lot of long time fans tend to enjoy, and new players seem to hate. It's hard to explain without experiencing them for yourself, but moving your character can take a bit of practice. That said, when you're good at it, movement is a breeze.</div>
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Something I have always loved about the Resident Evil series (well, up until RE4 anyways) was the camera angles. The entire game plays out almost as if you were watching security tape footage. As you walk around each new room, the camera angle switches to different corners of the room, encouraging you to explore every nook and cranny. Be careful though, because some rooms will have some nasty surprises that the camera angles are hiding.</div>
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<a href="http://www.slashgamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/residentevil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://www.slashgamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/residentevil.jpg" width="320" /></a>My main complaint for this game was that without a guide, the puzzles are incredibly difficult. To access different areas, you have to collect four crests. But to get those crests, you need four keys. But to get some of those keys you'll need random gems and even MORE crests. This has become a mainstay in Resident Evil games, almost classifying them as horror puzzle games, rather than action. But even with a guide, this game took us eight and a half hours to beat. If we didn't have a guide, we probably wouldn't even be halfway done. This isn't a bad thing, and by no means a deterrent from trying the game, but its something you'll need to mentally prepare yourself for, and its the reason that it took me so many years to finally sit myself down and BEAT it.<br />
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There are some puzzles, however, that really stand out as unique, challenging, and very fun. One such is during a scenario (in Chris's story) where you briefly control a different character. Given two vague numerical hints, you are tasked with attempting to combine four different chemicals in order to reach a certain combination. (It sounds odd, but that's the best I can describe it without giving away any plot spoilers) This sequence was agreed between the two of us to be the most fun, challenging, yet solvable puzzle in the game, and can be completed with significant challenge, and without a guide.<br />
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<b><span style="color: orange;">Tips:</span></b><br />
Before I get to my final verdict, I felt it may be helpful for those interested if I shared just a few of my experiences that might help you, again without spoilers.<br />
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-Choose your character carefully!<br />
As I mentioned, the game lets you play as Chris or Jill. While I'd recommend playing through as both in order to get the full story and development of characters, it is understandable that you won't want to have to run through the same puzzles over and over. Chris was our choice, simply because I remembered that he starts with a gun, while Jill doesn't. She does, however, have the ability to pick locks, and gets eight inventory slots, instead of Chris's six slots. And trust me, that makes a HUGE difference later in the game.<br />
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-Experiment with items<br />
The healing items in the game have a few different forms, but the one you'll run into the most are herbs. There are three different kinds (the game will explain the difference so I won't bother), but what I will say is that you should definitely experiment with them. We didn't realize until about 3/4 through the game how much it would have made a difference if we had tried mixing the herbs earlier!<br />
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-Use a guide<br />
I know it may seem like cheating, or it may seem obvious, but the simple fact is we had twice as much fun when we knew where we were going as opposed to the several hours we spent aimlessly wandering.<br />
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<a href="http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/6/4/7/gfs_10835_2_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/6/4/7/gfs_10835_2_5.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><span style="color: orange;">Verdict:</span></b><br />
I've always known the story of the games, and I've watched a friend of mine beat the first three games what feels like a hundred times. And yet playing through it myself after all these years still felt like a fresh, spooky experience that I would recommend to any action/horror fan!<br />
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The puzzles can be a bit lengthy, the combat can get a little sticky, and the backtracking will be the main reason that your playthrough takes so long, but in the end it is definitely worth it.<br />
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My rating for Resident Evil: Director's Cut:<br />
8/10<br />
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It's not expensive, and it's available on basically every platform in some form.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-86598009827301772452014-09-24T06:56:00.001-07:002014-09-24T06:56:56.869-07:00TGLC: Gotham review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the past few years DC Comics has proven that they rule the small screen, with little serious competition from Marvel. This is, once again, evident in DC's Batman prequel, Gotham. The show, which premiered Monday on Fox, stars Ben Mckenzie as Detective Gordon, a greenhorn in the Gotham City Police Department. His first case: the double homicide of the parents of Bruce Wayne.<br />
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This fall, we will have reached season three of Arrow, the highly successful superhero action show, as well as the dawn of it's spin-off, Flash, both of which contain action packed, super heroic crime fighters. Gotham, on the other hand, teased an "Agents of SHIELD"-esque style of story-telling that focused on the B-list characters, rather than capes and tights. That said, how does it stack up?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DLIen10n7HbPZVkld5xh0h5zD0aiZ3lZC0rKhDn7Kec3WAr1TJoNPuLE72u-erbL2hNAzV7ZPQFJK9kwVUQyPHMuHj2oKW66dPloqHWM54zfVxVSO1_tiLwtb17fcMw5eOZKth-u5QA/s1600/gotham-tv-show-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DLIen10n7HbPZVkld5xh0h5zD0aiZ3lZC0rKhDn7Kec3WAr1TJoNPuLE72u-erbL2hNAzV7ZPQFJK9kwVUQyPHMuHj2oKW66dPloqHWM54zfVxVSO1_tiLwtb17fcMw5eOZKth-u5QA/s1600/gotham-tv-show-2.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
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In short, to answer the first burning question, it's good, and is worth your time. Since the premise is centered on the police department, and not Batman, be prepared for quite a bit of NYPD Blue and CSI-type interrogations, following leads, etc. but set within an environment we're already familiar with, while highlighting characters who will become future heroes/villains in the comics, and hopefully in later seasons.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9-C6nr58fp-7POLo3ufp4tFIB8vDY3EBpg7TrRm_urQ_WUJq729TPiQ_VMp3yAL7edQ9vtnviqFu8usArn0KsaUneVWxRVKcdu1ofvLf85Qc_yXZNz2Hy2e3Uprjww91Xy5eAc2Q9zc/s1600/The-Gotham-TV-show-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9-C6nr58fp-7POLo3ufp4tFIB8vDY3EBpg7TrRm_urQ_WUJq729TPiQ_VMp3yAL7edQ9vtnviqFu8usArn0KsaUneVWxRVKcdu1ofvLf85Qc_yXZNz2Hy2e3Uprjww91Xy5eAc2Q9zc/s1600/The-Gotham-TV-show-4.jpg" height="175" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corey Michael Smith as Edward Nygma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZUb9yqLwl49qcomnB-XuvZDJP2dYO95rUClISt3447cPDTwvb34W8eGSNhBga5FVWxPtK71Ln_gpGE6VN3MCA3iwDMyNVsd2eAfYbVY-EuABaMKy5dQpJ7G9XzsL_RmZ6BKzNLZDPTo/s1600/gotham_entertainment-weekly_stills4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZUb9yqLwl49qcomnB-XuvZDJP2dYO95rUClISt3447cPDTwvb34W8eGSNhBga5FVWxPtK71Ln_gpGE6VN3MCA3iwDMyNVsd2eAfYbVY-EuABaMKy5dQpJ7G9XzsL_RmZ6BKzNLZDPTo/s1600/gotham_entertainment-weekly_stills4.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Without spoiling the entire pilot episode, it centers on Detective James Gordon and his partner Harvey Bullock, a semi-crooked, battle hardened GCPD detective. Their back-and-forth is definitely engaging, but it often comes too close to the typical, "you've got a lot to learn, kid" and "I'm too old for this" cliches. That said, Ben MckKenzie's take on Gordon is fantastic, they stress that he's a rookie, like a blank slate to be decimated throughout the coming episodes. The pilot also introduces several likely season antagonists, including crime bosses Fish Mooney and Carmine Falcone, as well as potential future villains, including Edward Nygma, Oswald Cobblepot, and even a brief cameo from the future Poison Ivy. Young Bruce Wayne even seems like he'll be showing up fairly often, and David Mazouz does an amazing job as the young future caped crusader. Batman fans will no doubt have a field day with the amount of cameos and easter eggs that this show will pack in future episodes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As strong as the lead cast is, however, the supporting cast can be pretty weak. I don't know what it is about DC Comics TV shows, but they have a tendency to pick comparatively weak supporting actresses. All scenes featuring Gordon's fiancee Barbara, played by Erin Richards, feel like watching a cardboard cut-out. She shares a scene with Gordon's rival detective Montoya, played by Victoria Cartagena, wherein they discuss a game changing plot point, but I couldn't get the full effect of the news, due to their incredibly bland "acting." This is, however, a nit-pick as the rest of the cast does a fantastic job in their roles.<br />
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Just as Agents of SHIELD is set in the Avengers universe and therefore lends a similar atmosphere, this show gives off an energy nearly identical to that of Batman Begins, apart from the new cast. This tends to bounce back and forth between a help and a hindrance. For example, there is a montage of Gordon and Bullock interrogating a series of shady individuals that takes place under the dim, yellow light of a swinging lamp. This seemed incredibly cheesy, and didn't fit very well, given the quick pace, and drastic changes in atmosphere. As mentioned earlier though, it is also done very well in later scenes, one such being the first time we're introduced to Oswald Cobblepot, as he and several goons beat someone up in a dirty, rain-soaked alley. Given that this is a pilot episode, it seems likely that these quick bounces in atmosphere will be resolved in time. There's a delicate balance that needs to be struck between a CSI-esque crime drama, and an Arrow-type comic book show.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EjvFhi8fQZOGU9Fs2l4yKWPc365KC9Hl8Z_NgJiIdCoVQXX2QvvNmfoKGOLP0Ly8cZKjuSSRB3-Gc3zBlRXdgCGpC7CmE5cDQKjYstV1XyXTHwST3zi4bwimFLoe7KD1rvN9uSgXKF4/s1600/Gotham-McKenzie-Taylor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7EjvFhi8fQZOGU9Fs2l4yKWPc365KC9Hl8Z_NgJiIdCoVQXX2QvvNmfoKGOLP0Ly8cZKjuSSRB3-Gc3zBlRXdgCGpC7CmE5cDQKjYstV1XyXTHwST3zi4bwimFLoe7KD1rvN9uSgXKF4/s1600/Gotham-McKenzie-Taylor.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
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The short answer is: Yes, you should give this show a chance. While it does have several wrinkles that need to be worked out, it does what a pilot episode should, it sets the tone for a good show with a strong cast of interesting characters within a familiar setting, but from an angle we haven't seen before. </div>
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Here's the best part, if you didn't get the chance to watch it on TV, Fox has the episode available to watch online for free:<br />
http://www.fox.com/watch/331992131936<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-13798495409828620852014-09-18T14:25:00.000-07:002014-12-18T09:12:23.264-08:00That Guy Defends Movies: Episode 1 - Speed Racer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO82v60SoP5YdDsNJxH2PDKULQmBaWH08r870Ow-sLAq9-ejwtl4lI-68tHs0J_khgI4e8LNNpIyJcZ5_4y6sOnJKQyBRoXUn-GxZcL4xEJmR6xrj711ADGT8wH6oc_boT_C6ARTzzbqo/s1600/defends.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO82v60SoP5YdDsNJxH2PDKULQmBaWH08r870Ow-sLAq9-ejwtl4lI-68tHs0J_khgI4e8LNNpIyJcZ5_4y6sOnJKQyBRoXUn-GxZcL4xEJmR6xrj711ADGT8wH6oc_boT_C6ARTzzbqo/s1600/defends.png" height="162" width="320" /></a></div>
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The internet is....a thing. Its a thing that can be wonderful, and seconds later make you want to dig your fingers into someone's throat to shut them up. No matter what the topic is, people will always disagree on it. But what I hate more than anything on the internet is when people say things like:<br />
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"That movie SUCKED."<br />
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......Are...are you going to go into further detail? Are you just going along with the bandwagon because you heard a famous critic say he didn't like it? Did you have a friend who saw it that wasn't a fan, so you just take his word? Do you simply not like one of the actors?<br />
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Opinions are a wonderful thing, but people need to learn that saying things like "Its a fact" does NOT make it fact! And having an opinion means that it is YOUR belief, NOT a statistically proven reality simply because you SAY IT IS!!!<br />
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Now this applies to everything, (most notably politics, religion, etc.) but here and now, it has led to a new segment of TGLM, titled: That Guy Defends Movies. This is where I'll be defending movies that I feel have garnered an undeserved reputation over the years, and explain why you should give them a second (or maybe even a first) chance, or at least get you thinking about why you don't like them in more detail, other than just saying "it sucked". These won't so much be reviews of movies, more along the lines of editorials, so expect <span style="color: red;">POSSIBLE SPOILERS</span>.<br />
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On that note, let's get rolling!<br />
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Kicking things off is one of my top favorite movies of all time, no joke. I saw this movie in theaters at least five times, bought it on DVD on day one of release, and since then, I haven't been sick of it for one second. So let's take a look at...<br />
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<img src="http://w7acaj3pge9exjlo.zippykid.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/SR1.jpg" /></div>
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<b>Speed Racer (2008)</b></div>
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I mentioned that I saw this movie in theaters at least five times, and in all of those viewings, I remember seeing other patrons in the theater maybe once. From opening week until the final viewing, this movie was a box office disaster. Rotten Tomatoes reviews averaged out to a 5/10, and critics demolished the movie's "headache-inducing special effects" (Rotten Tomatoes), stating that it "...proudly denies entry into its ultra-bright world to all but gamers, fanboys and anime enthusiasts." (The Hollywood Reporter). Others mocked its story, or lack thereof, in some opinions. For others, it was the cheesy, over-the-top acting. There are plenty of topics of discussion, so let's just dive in.</div>
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According to reviews/critiques, the main issues that critics had boiled down to these categories:</div>
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-Visuals</div>
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-Story</div>
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-Characters/Acting</div>
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<img src="http://pluckyoutoo.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/speed-racer28229.jpg" height="265" width="640" /></div>
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<b>VISUALS:</b></div>
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Directed by the Wachowski brothers (um...siblings now I guess. One of them had a sex change a few years back), famed directors of the incredibly popular Matrix trilogy, Speed Racer is based on the 1970's anime of the same name, following the high-speed exploits of Speed, and the rest of the Racer family. The show has had a lasting impact on anime, and pop culture in general, and even a few new iterations on TV around the same time as the movie. </div>
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The TV show had a very distinct style: packed full of color, fast-moving backgrounds, and camera cuts. After all, the title of the show starts with SPEED. On that note, to betray the show's heritage of style and explosions would be an absolute insult to fans, and would betray the idea of what made the original so fascinating for newcomers. The visuals of this movie are the biggest reason I adore it so much. Every color glows, whether it be the breathtaking sunsets, racetrack crowds, or even just the driveway of the Racer home. You don't see these visuals in even the most special effect-packed movies year after year, and for me, this was a welcome change.<br />
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I really want to address that comment I pulled earlier, saying:<br />
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"[Speed Racer] proudly denies entry into its ultra-bright world to all but gamers, fanboys and anime enthusiasts."<br />
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Ehem...NO SHIT!!! That's like saying Seventeen Magazine proudly denies entry to it's all-pink periodical to all but SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD GIRLS! The movie was clearly marketing itself to Hot Wheels and video game-loving pre-teen kids, and if you ask me it does it flawlessly! How or why anyone could chastise a movie for appealing to it's target audience and seriously call themselves a movie critic makes my soul hurt. Just because it wasn't the type of movie that these critics would go home and watch to relax does NOT justify the movie being bad.<br />
<br />
I don't like Wizard of Oz very much, but I can still admit that it was visually unique, especially for it's time. I don't listen to The Beatles, but I acknowledge the impact they had on music as a whole, even on some of my favorite bands. Personal dislike does NOT warrant a bad rating.<br />
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To be fair, I'll admit that the very end of the final race does give me a headache:<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JASnr0IZoICYefos120hNHonK7hcP8Oqsm8cK17h-Gd9lStmwbUVjL2F0SZjCL6oAupQtlSD-_DwbbuIoDX2mNI_Vj2K-YVI4Xunix3xwNX0iovQA0r-GnXlzfVm1AD6XCK9ShbWgApA/s1600/Speed+Racer+gif.gif" /><br />
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But at the same time, it still to this day gets me out of my seat with excitement.<br />
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<b>STORY:</b><br />
If you haven't seen the movie or TV show, here's a basic backstory (potential SPOILERS):<br />
Speed Racer's older brother Rex Racer used to be one of the best. But in order to fight the growing mafia control and corruption over racing (which in this world is about 1000x bigger than football in America), he faked his own death, and became the crime fighting Racer X. The movie follows this, but puts a larger focus on the trauma and changes that Rex's death caused the Racer family, and how Speed plans to finish what his brother started by taking on the Mafia controlled racers in several high intensity races.<br />
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Maybe its just me...but what about that is so hard to believe or follow, given the already present visual style? Why is it so easy for people to believe a guy dressed as a bat can take down a purple-suited clown, and yet THIS seems far-fetched? Granted there is quite a bit of dialogue, but none of it is anything that a child wouldn't be able to follow.<br />
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My one and only complaint with the story is that when the Mach 5 is given all of it's powerful new counter-weapons, there are a few explained that are never used. That is literally my only complaint with the story. It's simple enough that kids can follow, but gets into a complex economic/political/mafia-esque scandal that's just as entertaining for adults.<br />
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<img src="http://images.moviefanatic.com/iu/t_xlarge_l/v1364990877/speed-racer.jpg" /><br />
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<b>CHARACTERS/ACTING:</b><br />
Critics bashed the movie's hammy acting and over-the-top characters, but again, take a look at the source material:<br />
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If you've never seen it, I'd suggest taking a look here:<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsICZNn1SOM<br />
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Given that, what could anyone honestly expect to be any different? The casting of each character was perfect, combining incredibly well known actors like John Goodman and Susan Sarandon, with newcomers including Speed himself, Emile Hirsch.<br />
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There are plenty of scenes where the acting is ridiculous and over-the-top, but guess what? That's what they were going for! (see my previous rant about overpaid movie critics clearly judging based on what their personal likes/dislikes are, not the quality of the movie)<br />
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<a href="http://gorgview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/speed1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://gorgview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/speed1.gif" /></a><br />
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All in all, the movie is NOT for everyone. If you look at this and get a headache, you're probably not going to want to see it. But for any kid who has ever played with Hot Wheels, and in terms of pushing special effects to their pique, this movie is, in my opinion, solid gold, and absolutely worth at least one view from any action/racing fan!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-50314488818784374622014-09-12T21:35:00.001-07:002014-09-12T21:37:12.348-07:00Sexism In Comics: Let's get something straight...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Have you ever noticed how people, since the dawn of comics,
movies, television, etc. have always felt that there’s such thing as a line
between “too much” and “acceptable”? Whether it regards violence, nudity, language, or even religion, there has always been a line. If you’ve taken a look at any news site in
the past few weeks, you’ve probably seen the questionable alternate cover of
Spider-Woman that has the Internet all abuzz. If you’re unfamiliar, here’s how
it looked:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianS8t6h2QzBZYJ0HLl3C37KSA3HB-ujwt6_VJQmquCd52qp7v0jvNKEk5r7eR0R0mXzUt7C1MGdbQKjMM4ozOMZhFlSbSIcUfk4cV7ghJuAVzq-7rde-W-e1e-gSbLhZeA8rcw1IL2Zw/s1600/comics23n-5-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianS8t6h2QzBZYJ0HLl3C37KSA3HB-ujwt6_VJQmquCd52qp7v0jvNKEk5r7eR0R0mXzUt7C1MGdbQKjMM4ozOMZhFlSbSIcUfk4cV7ghJuAVzq-7rde-W-e1e-gSbLhZeA8rcw1IL2Zw/s1600/comics23n-5-web.jpg" height="320" width="225" /></a></div>
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The cover is by famous Italian comic book artist Milo Manara, and reflects his personal style, which has won countless awards. Tonight, I signed into Facebook, and was greeted with a link
portraying the cover of a new comic book based on the pop culture character Vampirella.
Here’s what it looked like:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rYgCclMQKuWk-riLxXbERcst-9ekzQthHkDFUKrjBHVkjWWItqKM-r_rtgL9kMwKnMLggD7dUsHHq0FuANS2fbS4fIJrl3xxpxJqNX7TNjjilxhVtwRpjNo-RbVV3-WS_mkbn5ZXSsY/s1600/10628113_860713043946771_5886504031467809586_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rYgCclMQKuWk-riLxXbERcst-9ekzQthHkDFUKrjBHVkjWWItqKM-r_rtgL9kMwKnMLggD7dUsHHq0FuANS2fbS4fIJrl3xxpxJqNX7TNjjilxhVtwRpjNo-RbVV3-WS_mkbn5ZXSsY/s1600/10628113_860713043946771_5886504031467809586_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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BREASTS. Bare naked, no excuses, breasts.</div>
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Now, if you, at gunpoint, HAD to choose one that you
thought would cause more controversy than the other, what would you choose?</div>
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Here’s my point: Over the past two (or so) weeks, the Web
has been buzzing with imbalanced beliefs about sexuality in comic books,
because of the Spider-Woman “controversy.” Some viewers said that it appeared
as though she was “presenting herself”, or that her costume wouldn’t cling to
her in such an unrealistic way, saying that men have never been portrayed in such a way, and that the comic book industry is sexist. (This is a load of garbage, but not my point at this particular time...)</div>
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Granted, it may not have been the most realistic, or even the most decent cover in
the world. But suffice it to say that there are definitely more unrealistic things
in the world of comics than a character’s costume clinging to their skin.</div>
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But I digress. Now COMMENCE F***ING SUPER PISSED OFF HOLY S***T RANT OF DOOM:</div>
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I love comics. No, I LOVE comics. I don’t see them as
sexist, racist, religion…ist…whatever. If you have half a brain, and can see
that they quite obviously take place in a fictional realm wherein people have
super powers and have, for damn near a century, donned skin-tight costumes in
the process, then you will be as un-offended as I am. But this Vampirella
garbage? This is where the “exploitation” that so many have been complaining
about becomes a real, serious issue.</div>
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Now, I don’t have kids. I plan/hope to someday, and at such
time as I do have them, I’d LOVE to take them to a comic book store. So if you can, please join
me in this future situation: You and your six – to – twelve year old child (male or
female, it really doesn’t matter) walk into the comic store together, and you
see this cover, featuring a woman, TOTALLY bare-breast. Heck, for the sake of
argument, let’s say the Spider-Woman cover is right next to it. Chances are,
you AND your kid will notice the Vampirella cover first, and be FAR more shocked by it. Now as a parent, who
loves and cares for your child, are you going to be okay with exposing your child
to this at such a young age?! I’m not talking about anything religious or not,
what I’m talking about is plain DECENCY. </div>
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<i>But TGWLComics, the human body is art! You're an artist, you're just being immature.</i></div>
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Okay, you're right. I went to school for art, and I learned that the body is a beautiful thing, and inherently is not a sexual thing, until sex is added into the equation.</div>
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That said, I pose a new situation to you: </div>
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You and your child are walking down the street. Suddenly, a completely topless woman walks past you. Men can't help but stare at her and cat-call her, purely because of her body. Not because of anything she's ever done to prove that she's anything but a pair of breasts. Do you want your son to learn that this is okay, or your daughter to learn that this is how she should act?!</div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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This comic book cover is the first and ONLY time I've EVER been this furious about female exploitation.</div>
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If you have any brains at all, you won't support this...this SMUT! If I had any disposable income, I'd buy and BURN this crap, and I hope you'd do the same. Personally, I have nothing at all against the Spider-Woman cover, and if that shocks you, take a look at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB6TiRJNI-Q" target="_blank">this video</a>, and I hope you'll agree with me. But this Vampirella crap does NOTHING to end the media's attack on comic books/video games/movies and sexuality, and I pray that you join me in fighting this garbage.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-5619451014244464322014-09-04T13:30:00.000-07:002014-09-04T13:30:41.228-07:00TGLComics: Marvel vs DC, who rules the big screen?<div style="text-align: justify;">
As far back as the dawn of comic books themselves, we've had comic book movies and TV shows. Even before Adam West donned the cowl, one could watch the Dark Knight's adventures portrayed by Lewis Wilson and Robert Lowrey in the 1940's. Before Chris Evans even knew what a shield was, Dick Purcell had already battled evil as Captain America in 1944. And before Samuel L. Jackson had even been considered to play the famed director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the role had already been tackled in 1998 by David Hasselhoff in....you know what, let's actually forget I mentioned that last one.</div>
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Marvel and DC have both seen vast success in the realms of movies and television, but there's definitely a pattern of success that both companies should note: Marvel has claimed a clear victory at the movies, but DC has an undeniable lead on television. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/AVX-005-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/AVX-005-2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Avengers (2012)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><u>How Marvel conquered the Big Screen:</u></b></div>
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Comic book movies have been around for decades, but in 2008, Marvel changed the game. They finally stopped licensing their characters, and took a crack at making movies themselves.<b> Iron Man</b> blasted into theaters, and saw a good amount of box office success while he was at it. The movie was good, but it was what came after the movie that changed comic book cinema as we know it. A figure enshrouded by shadows emerged towards Tony Stark and spoke those wonderful words: "I'm here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative." Comic book fans were stunned. Marvel was taking things in a whole new direction, and the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" was born. Marvel had it's best foot forward and later that year saw the release of <b>The Incredible Hulk</b>, and another saliva-inducing after credits teaser. Two years later, <b>Iron Man 2</b>. The next year, <b>Thor </b>and<b> Captain America</b>. And finally, the shining jewel that is <b>The Avengers</b>. We're a little over halfway through Marvel's "Phase 2" of movies, and as it stands, Marvel Studio's Kevin Feige admitted earlier this year that Marvel has movies planned as far ahead as 2028. If that isn't overkill, I don't know what is, but still, they know what they're doing. Even with different directors, writers, etc. there is obvious consistency throughout their movies. The various directors and writers work together to guarantee continuity, with Joss Whedon confidently (and rightfully) ruling the Marvel movie throne. Marvel did it right in that they chose a fantastic set of directors, locked them in the world's most comfortable prison, and catered to their every whim until they walked out with pure solid gold, as opposed to rushing them all for a quick buck. My former mistrust that comic book movies should still even continue being made has been quelled after Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Cap 2's shining examples that skillful repetition is actually possible.<br />
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Plus y'know, Disney can give them more money than God to make their movies...so there's that.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--YuUueyBh--/b2s1h3gx85m8goo2gliu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--YuUueyBh--/b2s1h3gx85m8goo2gliu.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avengers: Disk Wars...*sigh*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><u>How Marvel botched the small screen:</u></b></div>
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Imagine if tomorrow MGM announced a weekly James Bond television show, but it didn't follow 007, instead it followed Moneypenny. Sure, people would watch because they know that Bond is going to show up for an episode or two, but after a few weeks when 007 doesn't show up, you're just stuck with the receptionist. This is the problem with Marvel's biggest TV show, <b>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D</b>. Casual viewers assumed they'd be seeing Thor, Cap, Iron Man, at the very least Hawkeye or Black Widow once every few episodes but all they got for the entire season was the back-ups, with a thirty second cameo by Nick Fury. There's only so many times the viewer can say "Oh! They mentioned (insert character)! Cool!" without actually seeing anyone, before it gets old. This was painfully obvious, as <b>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.</b>'s ratings plummeted, losing one third of its viewership in one week. You'd think that this would be a strong indicator that they need more big names, but we'll have to wait and see with season two.</div>
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I've always felt that comic books are best represented on TV in the form of cartoons, which Marvel hasn't been terribly successful with either. In 2010, <b>Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes</b> premiered on the Disney channel, sporting two seasons based heavily on existing comic book plots, including "Secret Invasion." But the animation was lackluster, and the tone couldn't decide whether it was a kids show, or aimed more at a young adult audience. Then in 2013, it was replaced by <b>Avengers Assemble!</b> which, while still running today, has met with worse reviews, and fans wishing the previous show would return. Marvel's small screen failings seem to come from their lack of dedication. Spider-Man alone has had no less than 8 different television shows of his own, the X-Men have had at least 4, and the Avengers at least 3. Unfortunately, now that Disney has it's cold clammy hands on Marvel's rights, we can expect to see plenty of cash-in ideas. One such idea is Japanese Pokemon/Digimon ripoff, <b>Avengers: Disk Wars</b> in which kids collect disks infused with the powers of members of Marvel comics, and summon them a la Pokemon. There really are no words for that one...</div>
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<a href="http://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/batman-vs-superman-batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-twitter-reactions-memes-05.jpg?w=650" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="http://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/batman-vs-superman-batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-twitter-reactions-memes-05.jpg?w=650" height="180" width="320" /></a><b></b><br />
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<b><b><u>How DC's movies have gone wrong:</u></b></b></div>
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Now please do not misunderstand. Nolan's <b>Dark Knight</b> trilogy was phenomenal, and the box office numbers will attest to that. But since the release of <b>Batman Begins</b>, there was never any lasting hope for a Justice League movie, or even any tie-ins at all with other DC properties throughout the trilogy.</div>
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Fast forward to 2013, which saw the release of <b>Man of Steel</b>, and at Comic Con 2013, DC blew the roof off when the Batman/Superman logos appeared together on screen. Finally in April 2014, <b>Justice League</b> was confirmed as a movie with a 2016 release date. But is it too little too late? Marvel did something fantastic with it's movies: It told individual stories in such a way that even non-comic readers were able to learn about the characters, and a universe was established over five years. On the opposite end, let's take a look at the confirmed character roster for <b>Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice</b>: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, Lex Luthor, Aquaman, Green Lantern, along with rumors of Martian Manhunter, Doomsday, Joker, Catwoman, Green Arrow, Amanda Woller, and on and on... It's pretty obvious that if you want to break records in the box office, you'll need more than just comic book readers to come to your movies, so for a 2 to 2.5 hour long movie, isn't this a bit of information and character overload?! DC is jumping into a race that Marvel won six years ago.<br />
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In this case, Marvel is Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps: we all know that whatever they do will be successful, and make us proud to be fans, whereas DC is a fresh high school grad who chugged one too many energy drinks and suddenly thinks he can swim the English channel just to get our attention.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/flash-5-600x440.jpg?9098e0" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/flash-5-600x440.jpg?9098e0" height="234" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Flash (premiering this fall on CW)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><u>How DC has dominated television:</u></b></div>
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DC has ruled over television for well over a decade. In 2001, the live action adaptation of Superman demolished ratings with <b>Smallville</b>. Meanwhile that same year, the <b>Justice League</b> cartoon was scoring big on Cartoon Network, with a clear political/super hero tone that knew it's intended young adult audience and struck big, along with fantastic animation, and engaging plots. Both of these ran their time with huge success, but it seemed like DC started to slip. That is until 2012 saw the release of <b>Arrow</b>, a show not about a grunt, or a c-list character, but a card carrying comic book Justice League member. Between the first two seasons, ratings have gone nowhere but up. Clearly aware of the success, DC is taking full advantage and rolling out three more live action TV shows with a similar action/drama/peppered with comedy tone. This fall will see the rise of <b>The Flash</b>, <b>Gotham</b>, and <b>Constantine</b>. With this, it seems that DC has the chance to sweep Marvel's momentum right out from under them. They have the chance to build and sustain a cinematic universe on a weekly basis, whereas Marvel's movies can take years to make, market, and release, television shows work at a quicker pace, and keep viewers engaged for longer. If DC played their cards right, they could build a Justice League TV series that crushes <b>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.</b> into the dirt.</div>
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<b>What happens next:</b></div>
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Due to the entertainment industry as a whole becoming a cash-in, money making machine, what I'm about to suggest will probably never come anywhere near happening, but I can dream. That said, here is my recipe for success for both of these companies: </div>
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Marvel, stop making TV shows. That ship is sinking. Actually, it has never really been afloat. On the other hand, your movie yacht is cruising just fine. Focus solely on movies, and not only could you make more faster, but with better quality. Oh and by the way, whose idea was it that the Punisher would transfer well into anime?!</div>
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DC, you lost in the movies. Trying to amass every character you can into one or two behemoth movies could backfire in one of a thousand different ways. That said, you clearly have some aptitude with television shows, so take a page from Marvel's playbook and build a consistent universe on TV, but you need to walk away from movies. You are years too late.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-62277130332900448962014-08-29T07:57:00.000-07:002014-08-29T07:57:09.813-07:00TGLVideo Games: Top 10 Local 4-Player Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKnwzl5gZXLEVlfCbs70qybXlF5f20jlAzWFbMNmo75kGxXRltm5jEkzjrTj8CL7lcvxjzpmLDzhUkNuaIvg2vbsynCgtTOL_qRKU6GQqsDYyT3dIbinNnxpFgMdacV99ztgaiGQfKf0/s1600/games-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKnwzl5gZXLEVlfCbs70qybXlF5f20jlAzWFbMNmo75kGxXRltm5jEkzjrTj8CL7lcvxjzpmLDzhUkNuaIvg2vbsynCgtTOL_qRKU6GQqsDYyT3dIbinNnxpFgMdacV99ztgaiGQfKf0/s1600/games-01.jpg" height="154" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the grand scheme of things, the ability to play video games online with friends (or anyone really) is a pretty new concept, first coming into popularity with the release of the original Xbox, and hitting its prime with Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.<br />
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But in my eyes, nothing beats the joy of sharing a cramped couch with three of your closest friends for some local 4-player hysterics. On that note, let's take a look at my top 10 best local 4-player games.<br />
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<a href="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hGT3xHyDmqc/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hGT3xHyDmqc/hqdefault.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>10. Pokemon Stadium (N64)</b></div>
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The strange thing about Pokemon Stadium, a game made to provide all of the turn-based battle fun of the original Gameboy games with 3D graphics, is that hands down the most fun feature of the game was the 1-4 player minigame mode, titled "Kids' Club".<br />
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This mode provided nine completely different, often reaction or timing based minigames, each lasting no longer than a minute or two at a time. But what made them so addicting and gave them such replayability was more based on the fact that because they were so varied, each person playing would likely be better at one of them than everybody else, ramping up the competitive nature of all players. Personally I am unstoppable at the Simon Says clone, "Clefairy Says". Others included a carnival hoop toss-style game called "Ekans Hoop Hurl", or probably the most audibly entertaining of the bunch, "Sushi-Go-Round" starring Lickitung. If you played this when you were younger, or if you're cool enough to still be playing it now, chances are you also remember the catchy beats that go along with each mini game.<br />
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All in all, Kids' Club provided endless hours upon release, and still bears revisiting for those who either haven't played it, or who just want to relive the glory days of the Nintendo 64.<br />
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<a href="http://nerdbacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/98113dbombermanps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://nerdbacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/98113dbombermanps.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>9. Bomberman series (NES/SNES/N64)</b></div>
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Even if you're a gamer who has never played a Bomberman game, chances are you'd recognize it. The multiplayer-centered game takes place on a static, top-down screen, with each player starting in their own corner, blocked off from all other players. By blowing up obstacles and gathering power-ups, the goal is to trap or blow up all other players. It is a very simple premise, but executed beautifully in most iterations of the game. Bomberman has made his way to almost every single video game system, but there are some notably standout titles.<br />
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For my money, it doesn't get any better than Bomberman 64 on, you guessed it, the Nintendo 64. The gameplay doesn't vary, but the 3D graphics make it a much more visually engaging choice than the Nintendo or Super Nintendo versions. Not to mention the N64 already has four controller ports, eliminating the need for a multitap.<br />
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Again, they're almost all wonderful, but I would take note of two things: Bomberman Hero (N64) changes the multiplayer formula to more of a 3D arena combat style, ditching the classic formula, and Bomberman: Act Zero (Xbox 360) should be AVOIDED LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!<br />
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<a href="http://sorgatronmedia.com/wrestlingmayhemshow/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/revenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://sorgatronmedia.com/wrestlingmayhemshow/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/revenge.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>8. WCW/NWO Revenge (N64)</b></div>
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Serving as the inspiration for this list, I recently re-purchased this game for only $3. The reason I mention the price I paid is because while this late 1990's wrestling game may not retain any long term resale value, it provides far more than $3 worth of entertainment nearly 15 years after its release, and wow do I feel old now. Even as a single player game, Revenge is widely regarded as one of the finest wrestling games of the N64/PS1 era.<br />
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The premise is simple: Pick a game mode, pick a wrestler, fight. But the fun comes in the form of playing with friends, particularly in the Battle Royale game mode, in which any number of wrestlers from 4 to 40 rush into the ring one at a time as his predecessor falls. In this mode, even if a player is eliminated, he takes control of the very next wrestler to enter, guaranteeing not only variety between wrestlers, but bloody revenge between players who eliminate each other. To top it all off, the controls are easy to pick up after one or two matches, and learning how to pull off special/finishing moves is incredibly rewarding, and extremely nostalgic for fans of the WCW.<br />
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Besides Battle Royale, the game also includes tag team matches which can be played in a variety of ways, such as 2 player vs 2 player, 1 player vs 1 player, or even 2 players vs 2 computer wrestlers. Forming rivalries and betraying each other becomes immensely fun as the game goes on, and the massive amount of wrestlers and costumes guarantees you'll never play the same way twice!<br />
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<a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/4/49405/1096251-gdl_playerselect.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/4/49405/1096251-gdl_playerselect.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>7. Gauntlet Legends/Dark Legacy (N64/PS2/Arcade)</b></div>
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Are you a Dungeons & Dragons fan? Maybe you've wanted to try it, but don't have the patience? Are you a fantasy fan who thinks D&D is too slow-paced and boring? Or do you just enjoy teaming up with friends in order to help/hinder each other in a chaotic rumble of nonstop goblin/orc/dragon mayhem?! Then Gauntlet Legends (or it's PS2 remake, Dark Legacy, pictured above) is for you!<br />
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The game plays from a top down perspective, and beings with each player choosing their class, and colors. These include typical fantasy fare, including Warrior, Wizard, Archer, and even some less standard entries such as Valkyrie, Knight, or Minotaur. Each class controls the exact same, except for a noticeable difference in statistics, and appearance. For example, Warrior will always have much higher health than Wizard, but Wizard may use magic potions more powerfully than Warrior.<br />
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The game becomes incredibly hectic as more players participate, fighting over treasures, food, and magic spells to use against the enemy. The difficulty, however, brings everyone together whether you like it or not, guaranteeing plenty of death and laughs along the way.<br />
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<a href="http://www.vizzed.com/vizzedboard/retro/user_screenshots/saves8/82502/TMNT2--Teenage%20Mutant%20Ninja%20Turtles%20%20Turtles%20in%20Time%204%20Players%20ver%20UAA_Sep10%206_07_31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.vizzed.com/vizzedboard/retro/user_screenshots/saves8/82502/TMNT2--Teenage%20Mutant%20Ninja%20Turtles%20%20Turtles%20in%20Time%204%20Players%20ver%20UAA_Sep10%206_07_31.png" height="293" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>6. TMNT / X-Men / The Simpsons (Genesis/SNES/Arcade)</b></div>
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Four Player side-scrolling beat 'em ups could fill up an entire list by themselves, and all follow a very similar, if not identical formula. So for the purposes of this list, I've narrowed down to my three favorites.<br />
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Much like Gauntlet, these games require a balance of cooperation, and competition that guarantees constant banter between all players. Need health? Make sure your teammates know, or you'll suffer for it. The best of these games even include combo special moves, such as The Simpsons arcade game. There really isn't much to say about these games that you can't experience for yourself. When played in an arcade, they are built to suck as many quarters out of your pocket as possible, so prepare for a lot of death.<br />
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Or better yet, buy the console versions.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/253576-super-smash-bros-nintendo-64-screenshot-pikachu-and-fox-fighting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/253576-super-smash-bros-nintendo-64-screenshot-pikachu-and-fox-fighting.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>5. Super Smash Bros (N64/GC/Wii)</b></div>
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Wait...Let me say it for you: "What?! Smash Bros isn't #1?! (insert chain of expletives telling me how much I suck)" Yeah yeah, I know. But that's the fun thing about this being MY list. Don't like it? Make your own!<br />
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For those of you unfamiliar, the Smash Bros series pits Nintendo's most famous characters against each other in a competitive arena fighting game. Your objective is to beat up your opponents, raise their damage percentage, and knock them off the stage. With each character being extremely varied (in the original game anyways), battles were always hard fought, hectic and exciting. The tide could turn in an instant with the appearance of an item on the battlefield.<br />
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So why so "low" on the list? Well, as amazing as the Smash Bros series as a whole is, I've always thought the series piqued with the original entry. The game only had twelve characters, and nine stages when everything is unlocked. At the time, this was astounding, but after a few hours, you've played them all, and the game can get a bit repetitive. What I valued so much as a kid playing 4-player games with my friends was the ability to continue playing a game for hours, days, weeks, and beyond while still getting a fresh experience each time.<br />
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<img src="http://www.towerfall-game.com/newsite/images/screenshots/TwilightSpire.png" height="300" width="400" /></div>
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<b>4. Towerfall Ascension (Ouya/Steam/PS4)</b></div>
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Similar to the original Bomberman, Towerfall pits four players against each other, all on the same static screen. It follows the old school 8-bit visual style of the original Nintendo, but with game mechanics and variety that can only be found in recent games. Each player starts in their own corner, and the objective is to take out all other players by either jumping on their heads, or shooting them with arrows. When a player leaves the screen, they come back through the other side, a la Pacman, and arrow power-ups and shields are available throughout each round which spices up the gameplay significantly.<br />
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The rounds are short and fast, but one play can still last anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours. Players choose a score to compete up to, and must accrue that number of kills in order to win. Accidental suicides result in loss of points, and happen frequently, leading to some drastic swings in leadership.<br />
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The Playstation 4 version does include a 2-player co-op mode, but this game is meant to be played 4 player, and loses a lot if you don't have three willing friends.<br />
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<a href="http://oculin.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/new-super-mario-bros-wii-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://oculin.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/new-super-mario-bros-wii-2.jpg" height="218" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Super Mario (Kart/Tennis/Soccer/Party/Bros Wii/etc.) (SNES/N64/Wii/Wii U)</b></div>
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To be honest, I feel dirty even having Super Mario ANYTHING on the list. It feels cheap, since anybody who has ever played a multiplayer Mario game knows that it is going to be good. So in the interest of fairness both to Mario games, and to every other game in existence, they're all being lumped together.<br />
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Super Mario Party combined the best parts of board games like Monopoly with the short, frantic mini-games of Pokemon Stadium or Wario Ware, resulting in long lasting games, and plenty of Luigi death stares between friends.<br />
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Mario Kart/Tennis/Soccer are what you expect. Racing, and sports. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these, in fact they're all superb, but there's not much to say that those who have played it don't already know, and those who don't wouldn't expect.<br />
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New Super Mario Bros Wii, however, I wanted to make special mention of. The premise is the exact same as every Mario game going back to his very beginning: Princess Peach is captured, go free her. But this time, up to four players can travel through the classic side-scrolling levels together, jumping off each other's heads, saving each other from certain doom, or even accidentally (or not...) guaranteeing each other's demise. If I wasn't lumping these game together, I'd put this game at the #1 spot. It is the reason I purchased a Wii, and almost the only reason I still play Wii at all.<br />
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<b>2. Perfect Dark (N64/360)</b></div>
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*sigh* Again, let me say it for you: "WHAT?! Why not Goldeneye??? It was way better! Blar blar blar!!!" To which I say with full confidence, Perfect Dark makes Goldeneye look like a pile of Goldenpoop.<br />
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Perfect Dark was released a few years after Goldeneye by Rare, the same company that made Goldeneye, and basically every other SNES and N64 game you've ever loved. It is considered the spiritual sequel to Goldeneye, even though it adds a plethora of new features that it's predecessor didn't have. Most notable among this were the varied multiplayer options, such as co-op, and counter-op.<br />
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Perfect Dark provided the same fast paced shooter gameplay as Goldeneye, but with a twist: Even with four human controlled players, up to 10 computer controlled players could be added into the fray. Included in this mode was an incredible variety of different tactics for those computer players to use (examples include VengeSim, who would only attack whoever killed him last, and FistSim, who tried to steal everyone's weapons), and the ability to have team fights with anything from 6 vs 6 to something as crazy as 2 vs 2 vs 3 vs 5 vs 1.<br />
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Maps and weapons were brought over from Goldeneye, players could name each team, player and computer characters could be customized, players could save their preferences to their own profiles for future use (even on separate memory cards, oh what a glorious age that was), the game was beyond fantastic, and it still holds up to this day.<br />
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And now for the cherry on top: A few years ago, the game was remade, exactly as it was on N64, onto the Xbox 360, but with better graphics and performance, which fixed the only flaw that the original had. The game no longer slows down when too many characters are on screen. If you have a 360 or N64, you absolutely must own this game!<br />
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<b>1. Castle Crashers (PS3/360/PC)</b></div>
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This game is the pinnacle of 4 player couch co-op fun. At first glance, Castle Crashers looks similar to TMNT, X-Men, and The Simpsons arcade games, but this game is so much more.<br />
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Up to four players can join in, and battle the forces of evil in order to rescue four kidnapped princesses. The unique draw of this game is that while it is a side scrolling beat 'em up just like the previously mentioned games, it includes a surprisingly heavy RPG system. Each time a player levels up, they can put points into strength, magic, or agility, which unlocks more combos, or higher health. Items and animal partners add to the hectic fun, and every single enemy you fight can be unlocked as a playable character. (TIP: If you want to win, claim the ram as your animal friend. I named him Rammy, and together we were unstoppable!)<br />
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The most chaotic 4 player fun, however, comes from rescuing the princesses. After defeating certain bosses throughout the game, any players who survived the boss fight earn the opportunity to fight to the death for the love of the princess. After this brief fight, the game returns to business as normal, but the sudden shift from co-op to versus gives you an entertaining "Uh oh" moment when you glance at each player's health, and pray for your own survival.<br />
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If you're worried about length versus price, the game has a story campaign that, on first playthrough, can take up to 12+ hours to complete, and a hardcore difficulty/new game+ mode after completion. This game is still available through download on Xbox Live and Playstation Network, and is well worth every penny.<br />
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<b>HONORABLE MENTIONS:</b><br />
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It really is difficult narrowing down so many great games, so I wanted to include some honorable mentions that are still fantastic and worthy of your attention.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e6/Rock_band_2_screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e6/Rock_band_2_screen.jpg" height="177" width="320" /></a><b>Rock Band </b><br />
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If you've ever played Rock Band, even if you don't like it, anyone can see the appeal. Just as Madden gives you the opportunity to be a football star, Rock Band gave you and your friends the chance to start that band you had always talked about starring. Now you just have to pick a name...and MouseRat is already taken.<br />
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<a href="http://drizztelfnoir.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/multi_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://drizztelfnoir.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/multi_11.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a><b>007 Goldeneye</b><br />
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Yes I chose Perfect Dark over Goldeneye, but in no way does this lessen the impact that Goldeneye had on gaming as we know it. Doom may have revolutionized the FPS, but Goldeneye forever changed split screen multiplayer. Sadly, I'm seeing more and more people on the internet whine about how the game doesn't hold up, and calling it overrated, but this isn't true. It may not be a great game by today's standards, but it had an incredible impact, and the classic maps, and most importantly "Slappers Only" mode, still provide entertainment even today.<br />
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<a href="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u17625/l4d_opener.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u17625/l4d_opener.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a><b>Left 4 Dead</b><br />
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I really wish I could put this in my top 10, but sadly it violates the standard that I was going for: 4-player on ONE system. I've spent countless hours with my friends playing this game, which provides some of the most harrowing co-op I've ever played, but the sad truth is that in order to play 4-player, you need two consoles, and two TVs. *sigh*<br />
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<a href="http://www.emptylifebar.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/marvel-ultimate-alliance-attacks-20060427000241816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.emptylifebar.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/marvel-ultimate-alliance-attacks-20060427000241816.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a><b>Marvel Ultimate Alliance </b><br />
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Think of it as Gauntlet with super heroes. This game was, and still is a great time, but there is still a reason it didn't make the list. The combat can tend to get fairly repetitive, and the levels can get a bit too overly long and empty, leading to some dull moments that made me yawn just one too many times.<br />
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<b>Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing</b><br />
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This game is exactly what I needed in college: Mario Kart re-skinned, and available on non-Nintendo systems. Yes, it is an exact clone of Mario Kart, down to the items being colored (and often even shaped) the same as Mario Kart's items, and its slight lack of originality is why it didn't make the list. But even so, this game is still the best Kart racer I've ever played that doesn't have a fat mustachioed plumber in it. If you haven't, go buy this game. Just don't touch Big the Cat...he sucks.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-3071271253300309802014-08-19T07:22:00.000-07:002014-08-19T07:22:00.469-07:00TGLComics: Taking Chances - Why comic readers need to stop complaining about change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM160sCZu1jBwK319X44Ube-qFmzenz0T1iDvOQ6k40RAhohQGX6xElUHVfo7fd9tvGPH7cA8HvrG9_Kn9EXLgeHpWfm4sBz8m4QlIVZwgD4VIaMj_rOY-fUW183Ih5sfzCE5gat0a6tM/s1600/comics-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM160sCZu1jBwK319X44Ube-qFmzenz0T1iDvOQ6k40RAhohQGX6xElUHVfo7fd9tvGPH7cA8HvrG9_Kn9EXLgeHpWfm4sBz8m4QlIVZwgD4VIaMj_rOY-fUW183Ih5sfzCE5gat0a6tM/s1600/comics-01.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's been a running joke for decades now that there are only three characters who have ever truly stayed dead in comic books: Bruce Wayne's parents, and Uncle Ben. Outside of those unlucky few, no comic book readers get too upset anymore about the "death" of a character because, as we all know, they'll be back next year, or when their next movie comes out in theaters. All the titans of comic books have fallen at some point or another, and made a glorious return. (Wolverine is about to get his, but don't worry, he'll be back for the next X-Men Origins movie)<br />
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There is one, however, that I really wish had stayed dead.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>*SPOILER WARNING: If you haven't read issue 700 of Amazing Spider-Man (or any of Superior Spider-Man) skip past this!*</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://x.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/5/d0/51ad045837c2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://x.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/5/d0/51ad045837c2a.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a>In December 2012, Marvel released the controversial finale of the Amazing Spider-Man series, "Dying Wish" (issue #700). In it, Spider-Man has one final climactic battle with Doctor Octopus, who is on the brink of death. In his final moments, Doc Oc uses a tiny drone of his own invention to swap his mind and memories into the body of Spider-Man, and Spidey's mind into his own body. Peter Parker, from the rapidly dying body of Doc Oc, beckons Spider-Oc to protect his family, and maintain the eternal Spider-mantra, "With great power comes great responsibility."<br />
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Thus began the year of the Superior Spider-Man, in which Doc Oc, now living out Peter's life, swears to uphold justice better than Peter ever did, to be Superior. He donned a new costume (my personal favorite), and used his super villain genius to finally be a force for good.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>*END SPOILERS*</b></span><br />
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Reactions were understandably mixed. Many praised the extreme shift in gears (myself included), while others went so far as to threaten the life of story writer Dan Slott and his family. <br />
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Superior Spider-Man continued from January 2013 until the recent re-reboot of Amazing Spider-Man in April 2014, no doubt leading to the "I told you so" crowd getting heads so big they could make the Watcher jealous. But, as mentioned earlier, with the upcoming release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in theaters, it was no surprise to anyone with even the slightest lick of common sense that Peter Parker would make a glorious return to his own comic.<br />
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But if you ask me, it was the wrong move.<br />
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Allow me to explain: Spider-Man has been around since 1962, and for over 50 years now, we've watched him beat up the bad guy, save the girl (well, for the most part...sorry Gwen), and never ever break his personal code of minimal violence and no killing, even in the aforementioned death of Gwen Stacy. To be fair, its only natural that everyone freak out when something like that changes, because with Spider-Man, his unbreakable oath of responsibility is all we've ever known. But seeing the total opposite of that was so refreshing! Suddenly nobody had any idea what he'd do next. Every issue was groundbreaking for 52-year-old hero, doing something we'd never dreamed he'd go so far as doing. Each time I finished an issue, my mouth would hang wide, and I'd run to my wife, lips flapping like a little kid telling his parents about a car crash. But the point is, I kept reading. I HAD to know what came next!<br />
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And what made it even more powerful was that it wasn't some paltry 3 to 5 issue series, as far as Marvel wanted you to know, this was forever.<br />
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But, as we all suspected it would, the series ended. Peter returned, and order was restored. In this universe anyways...<br />
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I don't know what it is about Spider-Man, but it seems like of all the Marvel heroes, he always gets the shortest end of the stick. Aside from Earth-616, this is just as obvious in the Ultimates universe.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/Spider-man_NU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/Spider-man_NU.jpg" /></a>First appearing in 2011, Miles Morales burst on the scene, breaking grounds as the first biracial super hero. Once again, reviews were less than stellar. Some loved, most were pessimistic. But again, Marvel gave no choice as Peter Parker once again met his grizzly end. (Seriously, this guy needs to join a team full-time...)<br />
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But the barriers were broken, and Miles became the new guardian of New York in the Ultimate universe. After the media backlash cooled down however, Miles quickly rose to popularity.<br />
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So what makes readers so willing to accept the death of the same character in this universe, but not Earth-616?<br />
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Both Spider-Oc and Miles Morales can both be easily written off by the casual observer as publicity stunts, and to a degree I do believe that both were created in an effort to boost readership and promote interest in the characters before the movie releases. However to the weekly reader, they were brand new characters.<br />
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Weekly comic books have been around for almost 80 years now, with characters like Batman, Superman, Captain America and Spider-Man hitting milestone anniversaries. Introducing new characters nowadays understandably gets a quick shrug from most die hard readers, and those who don't know much about comics are more likely to gravitate to heroes they already know. But with these two series, Marvel did something that took a lot of guts:<b> they took away the reader's choice.</b> If you wanted a Spider-Man story, you had no Peter Parker option left. And this is what it all boils down to: the discomfort of the reader. Any hero can die, but how much more of a slap in the face is it to not only have them die, but have the villain ultimately triumph within the body of the hero?!<br />
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It hit me too! After an issue or two of Superior Spider-Man, I was uneasy because I had never seen the likes of this story before. But as I pushed myself further in to each issue, it quickly became my all-time favorite Spider-Man story arc, if not my favorite comic book story period.<br />
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What it all boils down to is this: TAKE A CHANCE. The majority of those who ripped these two changes to shreds hadn't even read a single issue of them. They just got angry and boycotted them without giving the new idea a chance.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-76805347917038861652014-08-08T06:40:00.000-07:002014-08-08T06:40:44.837-07:00TGLMovies: Guardians Of The Galaxy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Guardians Of The Galaxy</b></div>
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PG-13 (2014)<b> </b></div>
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Okay, I've been known to show a bit of favoritism towards comic book related movies, so before I go into my (as best as I can) unbiased movie review, let me get my fanboying out of the way...<br />
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*deep breath*<br />
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THIS MOVIE KICKS SO MUCH ASS! AVENGERS 1.5 FOR SURE. I LOVE. THIS. MOVIE.<br />
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Okay. Got that out of my system, let's get this rolling.<br />
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<b>Starring:</b><br />
Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesle, Lee Pace<br />
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<b> </b><br />
<b>Plot:</b><br />
Peter Quill, a.k.a. "Star Lord" (Chris Pratt) leads a group of former criminals and bounty hunters (Saldana, Cooper, Bautista, Diesel) to save the galaxy from the powerful Ronan (Lee Pace).<br />
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I could go further into the plot, but to do so would remove the magic of the story. It needs to be experienced rather than told.<br />
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<b>"Something good...":</b><br />
<b> </b>Ever since the release of the first Iron Man (2008), I've seen every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to date (Iron Man 1-3, Hulk, Thor 1-2, Captain America 1-2, The Avengers). I know all the ins and outs, characters, and over arching plot points. But what I loved the most about Guardians is that you don't need to know absolutely ANY of it in order to enjoy this movie. Granted it doesn't hurt, and there are one or two characters who have had minor roles in previous Marvel movies, but there is nothing that would hinder your full experience.<br />
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<a href="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/guardians-galaxy-nebula-karen-gillan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/guardians-galaxy-nebula-karen-gillan.jpg" height="165" width="320" /></a>Guardians has, in more than a few cases, been referred to as the new Star Wars for a new generation of movie goers. I don't take this to mean that it is superior, rather that if you go into the movie assuming that you don't know a single character or alien race, the movie will guide you through all you need to know. There are a multitude of alien races, but you don't need to know all of their names/origins. None of the Guardians themselves have had their own movies, but their histories are all discussed in enough detail to flesh them out while still leaving plenty of time for action. Oooooh the action.<br />
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The sweet, sweet space adventure action. As previously mentioned, it is very hard to describe this movie while trying to leave enough room for your own viewing to be enjoyable and spoil free. That said, I haven't seen a movie with such incredible action and special effects for a long time. Guardians is not afraid to throw hundreds of combatants on screen at a time, leading to one of the most spectacular final fight scenes I've ever seen.<br />
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<a href="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/guardians-of-the-galaxy-david-bautista-drax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/guardians-of-the-galaxy-david-bautista-drax.jpg" height="165" width="320" /></a>In terms of acting, this movie actually took quite a few risks, but every one of them paid off in a big way. The two most well known actors of the Guardians themselves (Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper) merely voice their characters, and don't actually appear on screen. As for my personal favorites (Chris Pratt and David Bautista), Pratt has had little to no exposure in movies, and is primarily known for his comedic role in television's Parks And Recreation. Bautista on the other hand, is first and foremost a professional wrestler, not an actor. That said, he absolutely stole the show for me. His character, Drax, is covered in muscle, and while I expected him to be the silent bruiser, he made me laugh the most.<br />
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Conversely, big name actors like Josh Brolin, Glen Close, John C Riley, and Benicio Del Toro, all have very little screen time, but with the time that they are on screen, they all shine.<br />
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The movie's soundtrack has garnered much attention by itself, as the entire playlist comes in the form of 1970's and 80's pop music, including the Jackson 5, Blue Swede, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, and many more. Again, without spoiling, every song fits perfectly with the characters, and it is pretty fun to hear 80's pop music during several action scenes.<br />
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<b><br />"...Something bad...":</b><br />
As much as I hate to admit it, the movie is not flawless. The most glaring problem I had was with actress Zoe Saldana, who portrays Guardian member Gamora. As a character, Gamora is a rough and tough bruiser, but deceiving, given her appearance. As portrayed by Zoe Saldana, Gamora acts like a snooty princess, then flirts, then acts like an idiot, then gets angry at everyone for hardly any reason. If I had to pick a "least favorite" scene, it is a particular one with Saldana in it. She just isn't as engaging as the rest of the cast, and when you have nothing but bright shining stars, and one that shines just a bit less, the dimmer star will stick out like a sore thumb.<br />
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Other than Saldana's shaky acting, however, you'd be hard pressed to find anything to complain about.<br />
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<a href="http://imageserver.moviepilot.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-chris-pratt-shows-star-lord-s-hilarious-side-chris-pratt-is-basically-down-to-play-star-lord-forever.jpeg?width=500&height=260" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://imageserver.moviepilot.com/guardians-of-the-galaxy-chris-pratt-shows-star-lord-s-hilarious-side-chris-pratt-is-basically-down-to-play-star-lord-forever.jpeg?width=500&height=260" height="166" width="320" /></a><b>"...A bit of both": </b><br />
For the past year, Marvel has been pushing this as their "next big franchise" and rightly so. Guardians sets a strong base for a plethora of future movies and tie-ins with existing Marvel franchises. If you like comic book, action, sci-fi, or comedy movies, go see this as soon as you can.<br />
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I give Guardians Of The Galaxy an unsurprising yet totally deserved, perfect 10/10.<br />
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<b>REGARDING THE AFTER CREDITS SCENE:</b><br />
Yes, there is one. If you haven't seen the movie, STOP HERE, as spoilers are coming up.<br />
If you have seen the movie, read on regarding the post credits scene.<br />
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A good amount of you, if not all, have no idea who that was sitting next to The Collector casually sipping his drink. In case you were curious, his name is Howard the Duck. He is in fact a Marvel Comics character, though he's never been overly popular. He did get his own failed movie in the late 80's, and Guardians director James Gunn has confirmed that this was just a joke, and not implying anything about Howard getting his own movie.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-68792952588566739042014-07-28T18:52:00.000-07:002014-07-28T18:52:12.635-07:00TGLVideo Games: Tomodachi Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140419172938/wiisportsresortwalkthrough/images/9/9a/TomodachiLifeBoxart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140419172938/wiisportsresortwalkthrough/images/9/9a/TomodachiLifeBoxart.jpg" height="292" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Tomodachi Life</b></div>
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Nintendo 3DS</div>
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(Rated E for Everyone)</div>
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<b>If you liked:</b></div>
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Animal Crossing, The Sims, Harvest Moon, basically any life simulator game</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3XG1srYWZMQxazNeFI3sspMma4ZG2xSoMwx7O3JFy1uxmK0R5pGNz0qVMmQbhUI2jZ6BwdM2AqqbnUZEncrMT36UQBexpm3ml_WvcwHB9Qm8DmtXazEELsd9ig1w80FTX4xEIHFmh8Y/s1600/HNI_0063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3XG1srYWZMQxazNeFI3sspMma4ZG2xSoMwx7O3JFy1uxmK0R5pGNz0qVMmQbhUI2jZ6BwdM2AqqbnUZEncrMT36UQBexpm3ml_WvcwHB9Qm8DmtXazEELsd9ig1w80FTX4xEIHFmh8Y/s1600/HNI_0063.JPG" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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You run an island! That's...basically it. SO GO BUY IT!</div>
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Fill your island with people that you (or your friends) create, interact with them, watch them do hilarious stuff, and help them make important (and sometimes totally insignificant, but still funny) decisions in their daily lives! Help them get married (or not), have kids (or not), go on adventures/vacations, and play games with them. Or if you're a sadist, just watch them sulk in their own pathetic misery after they confess their love to a peer, get rejected, then vow to try again, only to get STOOD UP WHICH CAUSES THEM TO SPIRAL INTO A TERRIBLE DEPRESSION!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqABdk1roR-ryF3_P-nIhHIt5fHnqiomnG-uviYZHPQ1dJj0bH9Vh_bxlEP_carxRRPeM3HUChitw_52Q6rCX2_Zq7I7KBZU0mLhPoX1D0P6A_3hJ0oCUkpikJS1mEkHQidajPf9ewhg/s1600/HNI_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqABdk1roR-ryF3_P-nIhHIt5fHnqiomnG-uviYZHPQ1dJj0bH9Vh_bxlEP_carxRRPeM3HUChitw_52Q6rCX2_Zq7I7KBZU0mLhPoX1D0P6A_3hJ0oCUkpikJS1mEkHQidajPf9ewhg/s1600/HNI_0003.JPG" height="120" width="200" /></a>Much like Animal Crossing: New Leaf, you start the game by naming your island. I chose to name mine "Bentario Island", because I'm unoriginal and full of myself. Instead of following the actions of one person, however, you are more of an overall observer of the entire island.</div>
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Anyone who has played a Wii, Wii U, or 3DS probably knows about the Wii Mii characters that can be used in games like Wii Sports. In this game, those Miis become the inhabitants of your island. Personally, since the first time I played the Wii, I've wanted them to give the Miis their own game. I mean why let you make your own little digital version of you if you can't use it for more than just the pre-packaged game?! But I digress...</div>
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While you don't actually move your character around and control their every move a la The Sims, you do have a large amount of sway over what your Miis do on the island. The Miis can hang out at the beach, carnival, coffee shop, park, (and many other locations unlocked by creating more Miis to fill your island, and by helping your Miis with their problems), perform concerts alone or together (and even give them different lyrics to sing), play games with you, go on vacations, fall in love, even get married and have little Mii babies! (Sidenote...DO NOT LET THEM HAVE BABIES!!) If you have friends who also have the game, you can scan/import them into your game without having to re-make them yourself. There is also a pre-built list of Tomodachi characters based on celebrities available for download<span style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://tomodachi.nintendo.com/" target="_blank">right here!</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAvRsA8gUGlhZmpWqqgYcTYCXllJcT2iIKGS5R6NkFeDTG3SiCpoKZ5BYrH0lQ4nojJF1GhaEtt6x0dv6ldqll6iuB_LfIxrspVmeIu2RQQugVWQ6TNwdNp1YLySV7rngE723Ov0Ia4I/s1600/HNI_0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAvRsA8gUGlhZmpWqqgYcTYCXllJcT2iIKGS5R6NkFeDTG3SiCpoKZ5BYrH0lQ4nojJF1GhaEtt6x0dv6ldqll6iuB_LfIxrspVmeIu2RQQugVWQ6TNwdNp1YLySV7rngE723Ov0Ia4I/s1600/HNI_0060.JPG" height="192" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX512QaX84g" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">Peanut Butter Gamer</span></a>, a video game reviewer on YouTube I greatly enjoy, shared the code that users could scan to place the Mii he made of himself into their islands (bottom right corner) . Even with my personally created islanders, his has been the most hilarious to watch as he explores the island, searching desperately for companionship. (click his name above to watch his review of Tomodachi Life)</div>
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<b>My Island:</b></div>
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When you create your first Mii, the game suggests you to make it look like you. I highly suggest this, as after you make them, everyone on the island then refers to you (the player) as "[your name]'s look-alike." (e.g. everyone calls me Ben's look-alike) But before we go on, I wanted to introduce you to just a few of my islanders.</div>
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<b>Ben:</b> My me Mii. The Mii of me...who is me. Not the Mii me, that's he. Just me as a Mii me. (okay I'll stop) He's a go-getting dreamer, according to the game's personality chart. (I should mention now, based on the small amount of choices you make, the personality they give your Miis is scary accurate!)</div>
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<b>Annie V:</b> I bought the game the day before my 1 year wedding anniversary, so I created Annie Versary, or as her friends call her, Annie V. Fun fact, her voice is eerily high pitched...</div>
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<b>Mario</b> and <b>Luigi:</b> Because why not?</div>
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Other Miis include: <b>PBG </b>(Peanut Butter Gamer), <b>Pidgey </b>(my pet bird, in Mii form), <b>Lucy </b>(my sister-in-law's cat in Mii form), <b>Mara </b>(my wife), <b>Guy Manly</b> (a cliche'd manly man) and <b>Lady Woman </b>(your basic feminine woman). </div>
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As far as I've been able to see, there is no limit to how many you can make. As you fill out the apartment building, it expands to accommodate more Miis.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAChsBLa1Z6qj8gK-OU5xiOgoanaJlIYBUiwn4BkXzy56BG1EkGu-o8KSXkY8jXvAnZELllJ8AGbLpC0J3HCyjrFn_Z-kCDgDmWdOqmHHv0v73nscwm5DS20RZwzhCd12rC9dDvjrUNSE/s1600/HNI_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAChsBLa1Z6qj8gK-OU5xiOgoanaJlIYBUiwn4BkXzy56BG1EkGu-o8KSXkY8jXvAnZELllJ8AGbLpC0J3HCyjrFn_Z-kCDgDmWdOqmHHv0v73nscwm5DS20RZwzhCd12rC9dDvjrUNSE/s1600/HNI_0018.JPG" height="192" width="320" /></a>Unlike other world management / life simulation games that are topping their respective sales charts, Tomodachi Life adds something that definitely stands out for me: customized voices for each character that actually speak in English instead of some made-up language. They sound very cartoony, but it really adds to the charm. </div>
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When I first got my 2DS, I purchased <b>Animal Crossing: New Leaf,</b> and was very excited to manage my city. Just as a brief sidenote, <b>AC: NL</b> puts you in charge of being the mayor of a town of cartoonish animals, assisting their needs, and building up the town, all in real-time. The biggest killer of that game to me was that it tried too hard to be a "real" town, veering away from a fun video game, and more towards tedious work. Between paying off your home loan, and doing menial jobs for your feeble-minded townsfolk, and even being punished for going an extended period of time without playing the game, it really made it hard to want to go back. That said, this is where Tomodachi Life differs greatly. The game does pass in real time, just like Animal Crossing, offering a lot of different events at various times of the day. But in this case, it is less about feeling guilty for not playing, and more about letting your people live their lives, and interacting with them in between. I have yet to find myself saying, "Ugh, the townsfolk will be mad at me, because I haven't played in a while since I've been busy." After a little over a week of not playing, I picked the game back up, and the worst that happened was a character saying "Hi, Ben's look-alike! I haven't seen you for a while."</div>
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From the release of the first trailer, I adored the humor. From the goofy and bizarre lyrics of the songs they sing, to a group of Miis holding a "pity party" at the local cafe for a down-on-his-luck friend, (PBG asked Annie V out, but she was already dating Guy Manly. It was heartbreaking for PBG, who apparently has a taste for women who are always already taken) it is always hysterical. Whether the Miis are awake or asleep, there is always something to do to interact with them. And even just watching them play or spend time together is a treat in and of itself! I found myself just watching Ben and Mara play Wii U in Annie V's apartment for a few minutes, just because their interactions are so fun to watch.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiju-FRTY070QWJTrjfBV3p6_WUAmamyUwcn7y9MpoHnvX_MWvk49kQfJymqw-1k1FxTSz5Q3589frb-ugotmYRg6vtSLCwdR2vTHQ9ImyAZE9C0vb1jE7vftWZg5VojmdR9ZLnhrcds0k/s1600/HNI_0056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiju-FRTY070QWJTrjfBV3p6_WUAmamyUwcn7y9MpoHnvX_MWvk49kQfJymqw-1k1FxTSz5Q3589frb-ugotmYRg6vtSLCwdR2vTHQ9ImyAZE9C0vb1jE7vftWZg5VojmdR9ZLnhrcds0k/s1600/HNI_0056.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">You can draw on their faces while they're asleep...hehehe...</td></tr>
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While that description may sound like the game is just one big soap opera, it definitely is not. Tomodachi Life can hit home with guys and gals of all ages! Because the game is based heavily around sharing content with other users, there are safeguards from being able to put in any dirty words/phrases etc. but unless you're a total perv-ball with nothing but a disgusting sense of humor, it won't affect your play even slightly. And if you are, this isn't your game.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeM0QM3Z5xyhWVMhxCnZrHSfoOn7-gDn_GD9qOjmsI8LaAI2pwO18InA7d9K-TtS5Pbsum4LvbAQ4nV3EP94UfmV7g5V_M5CJ4aDsiUTz1Br3OwsmXxnFIvPRykBYywhTZw8TO6qWBcQA/s1600/butzowfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeM0QM3Z5xyhWVMhxCnZrHSfoOn7-gDn_GD9qOjmsI8LaAI2pwO18InA7d9K-TtS5Pbsum4LvbAQ4nV3EP94UfmV7g5V_M5CJ4aDsiUTz1Br3OwsmXxnFIvPRykBYywhTZw8TO6qWBcQA/s1600/butzowfish.jpg" height="320" width="266" /></a>I could go on and on and on with all the completely insane things that happen while playing this game, but I really wouldn't want to spoil the fun. A very cool feature added is the ability to take screenshots of both the top and bottom screen at any time with the press of a button. The controls are so simple that you can play the entire game with nothing but your touch screen, allowing the X and Y buttons to be used solely for taking screenshots. If you think you wouldn't use it, you'd be very wrong. I probably have well over 100 screenshots saved on my device because I wanted to be able to share everything I was seeing, but I'm still not going to, because it's all just too funny to give away! (Who knows, maybe I'll do a follow-up article with pictures...)</div>
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Since I like to push myself to be fair, here's what I was able to muster in the realm of complaints:</div>
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To be honest, the game doesn't have an enormous long-lasting appeal akin to console/PC epics such as The <b>Elder Scrolls: Skyrim</b>, and <b>Grand Theft Auto V</b>, or even other Nintendo 3DS games like <b>Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds</b>. What you get with this game is more similar to the experience shared with a <b>Tomogachi </b>or <b>Digimon </b>from the mid-90's. It's the kind of game you put down after a few weeks, then pick back up a month or two later because there's nothing good on TV, and you remember how charming it is. I guess what I'm saying here is not to expect 100+ hours of content here.</div>
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All said, if you have a Nintendo 3DS/2DS and a sense of humor that embraces crazy, pick up a copy. The hilarity is perfect for kids and adults. To be honest, I guess I wish that this game had come out on iPad/Android instead of a system that not many adults probably own, so a broader audience could experience it.</div>
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<b>Verdict:</b></div>
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<b>7.5</b> out of <b>10</b></div>
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The humor is wonderful, the gameplay packs a lot in, every time you turn on your system to play you'll experience something new. Not intended for the hardcore, but casual gamers will love it for a change of pace.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGMkj32wDxpbAGRzM6oq3wFtfoXNrouXF7HwtKVKMAaAwQXNcCO2w8Y2p1MNm2x11niKdJa1jUhowyitAdiavlmtoh8QWDG6nFpTHmHgQQWZ94TisIPOkZ6ZZCipCaQ5r75nEqliC8lM/s1600/jontron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGMkj32wDxpbAGRzM6oq3wFtfoXNrouXF7HwtKVKMAaAwQXNcCO2w8Y2p1MNm2x11niKdJa1jUhowyitAdiavlmtoh8QWDG6nFpTHmHgQQWZ94TisIPOkZ6ZZCipCaQ5r75nEqliC8lM/s1600/jontron.jpg" height="320" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-1006846687511289862014-07-21T07:51:00.000-07:002014-07-21T07:54:17.595-07:00TGLM: Movie Lightning Round<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F3DQTRWgLzRENs00JPFB9X8VBl-QlXpKwTtOexmYnlHqrbqz5FqZu8rrjn4-xkZkLbGSQcyEwRZtgQ1bw9szciVIFudbnUkKHMUQGA_54fMuBa0_Bg8el62kxAkADJUHz8ywr2_oork/s1600/Untitled-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F3DQTRWgLzRENs00JPFB9X8VBl-QlXpKwTtOexmYnlHqrbqz5FqZu8rrjn4-xkZkLbGSQcyEwRZtgQ1bw9szciVIFudbnUkKHMUQGA_54fMuBa0_Bg8el62kxAkADJUHz8ywr2_oork/s1600/Untitled-1.png" /></a></div>
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Recently it has come to my attention that a certain friend/reader of mine (to protect his identity, let's call him...Dylan) thinks that I only review certain types of movies too exclusively for a blog about movies in general. So in order to respond in the most sarcastic and passive aggressive way possible, here is my first ever movie review lightning round, where I'll be reviewing a plethora of random movies of no particular genre or connection.<br />
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<b>The Breakfast Club</b> (1985) [R]</div>
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Starring: Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson</div>
If you haven't seen this, you're clearly in your teenage years, as you can't possibly be that old. It follows five high schoolers from different social cliques who end up bonding over their differences and hardships. It is a classic, and for a dang good reason.<br />
Score: <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><br />
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<b>Clueless</b> (1995) [PG-13]</div>
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Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd</div>
There are two things I adore about this movie: The first is that while watching, you find yourself saying "Hey! Its *insert actor name*! I didnt' know he/she was in this!" Second, the product placement in this movie is absolutely disgusting, but in a hilarious way. At one point, lead character Cher is narrating while walking through the cafeteria, looks down and comments about a delicious Snickers bar. For no reason. LOVE IT! Its stupid fun, basically the 90's answer to the Brat Pack movies of the 80's.<br />
Score: <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><br />
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<b>That Thing You Do</b> (1996) [PG]</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Starring: Tom Hanks, Liv Tyler, Tom Everett Scott</div>
The movie chronicles a one-hit-wonder band in the 1960's, and follows their meteoric rise to fame, and equally speedy descent. This is one of my favorite Tom Hanks movies, made even more surprising that he writes, directs, and stars in it. A solid comedy/drama with some great music to back it up. I. Am. Spartacus.<br />
Score: <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><br />
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<b>O Brother Where Art Thou</b> (2000) [PG-13]</div>
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Starring: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson</div>
Inspired by Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey", and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, it follows three chain gang convicts in the 1930's who escape their bondage, and quest towards a mysterious treasure, all while running into unique "Odyssey"-inspired characters. The music is memorable, the acting is phenomenal, and the story is fresh and unique. An absolute must-see.<br />
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<b>The Fall</b> (2006) [R]</div>
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Starring: Lee Pace, Catincau Untaru, Justine Waddell</div>
This movie is not only different, but somewhat hard to describe without spoiling things. A broken and depressed 1920's movie stuntman is confined to a hospital bed, where he bonds with a fellow patient in the form of a young girl. The movie flips between two settings: His grim, dreary hospital room, and the gorgeously colorful imaginative world that he spins for the girl within the story he tells her throughout the movie. I was extremely surprised at how much I liked this movie. The colors and settings are beautiful, and the story very much tugs your heartstrings.<br />
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<b>Girl, Interrupted</b> (1999) [R]</div>
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Starring: Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie</div>
This movie sucks. Its one of the worst movies I've had the displeasure of laying my eyes on. It tells the story of a young author's time in a mental institution as she befriends another inmate. The acting was atrocious, borderline laughable, and when it came time for the main character's monologue where she flat out said "Maybe I'm just a girl...interrupted" I actually threw my head back and laughed. I get what it's going for, but it failed miserably. If you want a good mental institution movie, watch "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest". Burn this crap heap of a movie.<br />
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<b>Field of Dreams</b> (1989) [PG]</div>
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Starring: Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta</div>
If you're young and haven't been exposed to it's glory yet, I'm sure you've still heard "If you build it, they will come". Yeah, that's from this movie. A farmer hears voices that convince him to build a baseball field in his backyard, where ghosts of former baseball players come to practice and play ball. The story is quite different, and the movie as a whole is just fantastic.<br />
Score: <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><br />
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<b>Oldboy</b> (2003) [R]</div>
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Starring: Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang</div>
Quick note: this NOT the American version starring Josh Brolin. This is the Korean movie of the same name/plot that was remade in America. The premise is great, and it has one of the coolest action sequences I've seen in ANY action movie. That said, this movie sucks. It has a strong foreign and cult following, but I thought it was rubbish. The plot moves at a snail's pace, and makes zero sense, and the ending is just...ugh. If you're interested for the sake of hearsay, go for it. But whereas sex and violence in movies don't usually bother me, things get uncomfortable in this movie. Yeesh.<br />
Score: <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><br />
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<b>Charlie Bartlett</b> (2007) [R]</div>
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Starring: Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Kat Dennings</div>
An over privileged teen who has dreams of fame becomes a psychiatrist to fellow students, and comes at odds with the principal over the means of his practice. It'll make you laugh, sigh, and say "aww". Chances are no matter who you are, there's a character for you to relate to. While I don't like Kat Dennings, you should still check this out.<br />
Score: <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><br />
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<b>Everything Is Illuminated</b> (2005) [PG-13]</div>
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Starring: Elijah Wood, Eugene Hutz, Boris Leskin, Mikki the dog</div>
Based on the book of the same name, Jonathan, a young Jewish man, takes a trip to Ukraine in order to locate the woman who saved his grandfather's life during World War II. The movie is very quiet, and powerful. The cast of characters is small, but their interactions are wonderful. This is one of my favorite performances by Elijah Wood.<br />
Score: <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><br />
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<b>Something Borrowed</b> (2011) [PG-13]</div>
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Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, John Krasinski</div>
It's your typical romantic comedy. Girl is with guy, viewer wants girl to end up with different guy before the impending wedding. Hilarity ensues. I do enjoy the occasional rom-com though, and this movie had some decent acting, fun humor, and plenty of clever moments. It is based on a book, and the after-credits scene sets up for a very entertaining sequel that never came. Check this out if you need a pick-me-up.<br />
Score: <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><br />
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<b>The Other Boleyn Girl</b> (2008) [PG-13]</div>
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Starring: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana</div>
Yes, I have actually seen this movie start to finish, and it SUCKS. I do like history movies, but this is awful. I've never liked Portman in anything she's been in (a lot of people like her in V For Vendetta, but I didn't even like her in that). Scarlett Johansson is forgettable, and Eric Bana is just typical Eric Bana. Not awful, but definitely not Oscar-worthy. For a 2 hour movie, it honestly felt like 4 hours to me.<br />
Score: <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">«</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">¶</span><br />
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Random reader we've passively named Dylan, I hope this sates your sass for a while. Stay beautiful.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-61983425488336805882014-07-07T18:20:00.000-07:002014-07-11T06:45:16.041-07:00TGLVG: Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn</b></div>
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<b>(Playstation 3, rated E)</b></div>
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The Dynasty Warriors series draws a lot of flak due to its repetitive combat, and the fact that almost every game in the Warriors series is near identical in terms of gameplay. Those who don't like it have no need to pick up any game in the series, but those who like the games tend to love them.<br />
<br />
<b>A Brief History:</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5KK1xgklIXZ44JRaLNU1M8yci0kgmUu9Yv88-wWLHWStPM3EyCvBKUOQeiXzFicW-2C9GnJ255ognR8UTw5Mgn0kJXm4j-KffFzH0oklySDVi4lGeXEEpnodOeuuhH2ThTDyxoz-_6k/s1600/dynastywarriors2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5KK1xgklIXZ44JRaLNU1M8yci0kgmUu9Yv88-wWLHWStPM3EyCvBKUOQeiXzFicW-2C9GnJ255ognR8UTw5Mgn0kJXm4j-KffFzH0oklySDVi4lGeXEEpnodOeuuhH2ThTDyxoz-_6k/s200/dynastywarriors2.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dynasty Warriors 2 (Playstation 2, 2000)</td></tr>
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Dynasty Warriors:<br />
The Dynasty Warriors games take place in ancient China, in the Three Kingdoms era. No matter which of the (literally) hundreds of characters you choose, you're dropped onto a battlefield littered with inferior grunts who die in one or two hits, and basically just kill as many as you can while completing objectives, and seeking out the more boss-like General characters. With this simple formula, developer Tecmo Koei has released no less than 20 games branded with the "Dynasty Warriors" name (not counting the 8+ Samurai Warriors, Dynasty Warriors Gundam 1-3, Warriors Orochi 1-3, Warriors of Troy, and the upcoming Wii U title based in the Legend of Zelda universe, Hyrule Warriors).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire3/dcb79b62432d6fe0927e587daa45f9841355350634_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire3/dcb79b62432d6fe0927e587daa45f9841355350634_full.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mobile Suit Gundam (TV, 1979)</td></tr>
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Gundam:<br />
In 1979, the anime "Mobile Suit Gundam" premiered in Japan, telling the story of a war fought using giant robots called Mobile Suits. Among these are the ultra powerful Gundams. This has since spawned 15+ separate (but interconnected) TV series, not counting the movies both related, and unrelated to the shows. The franchise is so popular in Japan that they even have cafes and stores dedicated solely to gigantic fictional fighting robots, including a massive full scale replica of the original gundam. (Why I haven't moved to that area yet is beyond me...)<br />
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Put those together and you get a recipe for success...at least in Japan. While well known, neither of these series have been nearly as successful in the states.<br />
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Describing this game in one sentence is not only easy, but fun to do: <br />
<b>Use your giant fighting robot to destroy other giant fighting robots by the thousands.</b><br />
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<b>Gameplay:</b><br />
Hack, slash, hack, slash.<br />
As mentioned above, the Dynasty Warriors series has lost considerable popularity within the United States due to its repetitive combat. While in combat, your character has a light attack, heavy attack, and special (called Musou attack in the Dynasty Warriors series). The combat consists of combining light and heavy attacks in different combos, in order to lay waste to the enemy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.dualshockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Dynasty-Warriors-Gundam-Reborn-3.jpg?57efa4" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.dualshockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Dynasty-Warriors-Gundam-Reborn-3.jpg?57efa4" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AAAHAHAHA!! SQUISH SQUISH!!</td></tr>
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While the combat may sound rather dry, levels get considerably more entertaining as you learn new combos, and upgrade your character with different special skills, and as you learn to master the super mode for each character.<br />
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One new feature in this game that has never been included in Dynasty Warriors games in the past is the addition of massive boss characters 3-4 times the size of the player. These, along with the grunt soldiers littering the battlefield, serve to keep the player on their toes when you think you're safe.<br />
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One thing I've found frustrating in my years of enjoying the Dynasty Warriors games is that the difficulty between each game is a rollercoaster ride. DW2 and 5 featured some of the easiest battles, while DW3 and 6 tended to overcompensate the difficulty, making level 1 a pain in the rear even on the easiest difficulty.<br />
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That said, this game definitely strikes a fair balance between easy and impossible. Each level lets you choose Easy/Medium/Hard, so you don't have to lock yourself down to one difficulty throughout the whole story, in case you're having trouble on a particular level.<br />
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The game is very heavy in terms of 2 player co-op as well. This can be played locally in split screen mode (for both Story mode and side missions), or online with friends through a unique "S.O.S." system. This system works in such a way that if you're struggling to beat a level, you can put out an S.O.S., calling other players to aid you in the battle, giving it much more of a war-type feel.<br />
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<a href="http://herotaku.com/thumbnails/timthumb.php?src=http://herotaku.com/boards/uploads/blog-0209897001404681059.jpg&q=100&h=465&w=828" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://herotaku.com/thumbnails/timthumb.php?src=http://herotaku.com/boards/uploads/blog-0209897001404681059.jpg&q=100&h=465&w=828" height="179" width="320" /></a>For Gundam fans, this game introduced something not yet seen in the previous three Dynasty Warriors Gundam games, the inclusion of playable Mobile Armors. In the Gundam universe, Mobile Armors are behemoths, typically standing 4 or 5 times the size of a typical Gundam. When unlocked, they can be played in almost any level, so they aren't just confined to one or two missions. When I first got my hands on a Mobile Armor, it felt exactly how I though it would: ridiculously overpowered. With one special attack, I was able to clear over 100 enemies from the battlefield. It. Was. Awesome. Unfortunately, the novelty of these Mobile Armors doesn't last forever. After a few missions where you're so overpowered that your health doesn't even slightly budge, it is pretty easy to get bored of the Mobile Armors. They also tend to suffer when fighting enemy commanders, who have significantly more health than your average grunt. The Mobile Armors are intended to clear out the hundreds of grunts with ease, but don't fight one-on-one battles very well.<br />
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Gundam shows are, to me, similar to James Bond movies: Everyone has their favorite, and its mostly based on what you grew up with. For me, I got into Gundams in the mid-1990's with a show called "Mobile Fighter: G Gundam". But no matter what show (if any) you got into first, every single one of them is represented, with their own individual story modes, and with many new intertwining stories that combine all of the show's characters.<br />
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With well over 120 playable Mobile Suits, along with downloadable content, 6 full story modes, and 15+ side-story modes, the game has an immense amount of content. If you've ever been on the fence about trying a Dynasty Warriors game in the past, this one is a great place to start.<br />
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<b>Graphics:</b><br />
I'm usually not the type to have graphics be a make-or-break decision for me, but in this case I wanted to mention them briefly. This game was released late last year in Japan, shortly after the release of the Playstation 4, and yet it remains a Playstation 3 exclusive title. That said, the graphics are, for a PS3 title, beautiful.<br />
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Every Gundam looks totally unique, and is covered head to toe in detail. Certain points in each map will allow you to turn the camera in such a way that you can get a better look at your Gundam, and I suggest you do so, because every one of them is quite a sight to see.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsefw9WkSgIRd7WBL8z1p0oX7JDFP5aguEVu0sVm2UcYaC8ybHHO2ZgMVA-LLH78ngu7_rcPcnzRCM3m774ChnQt6sh0i0xhRqurQYpJu3DOZJXFXQMAWjuz7Xb7JKRQQdytTENb4rs3P/s1600/Dynasty_Warriors_Gundam_Reborn_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsefw9WkSgIRd7WBL8z1p0oX7JDFP5aguEVu0sVm2UcYaC8ybHHO2ZgMVA-LLH78ngu7_rcPcnzRCM3m774ChnQt6sh0i0xhRqurQYpJu3DOZJXFXQMAWjuz7Xb7JKRQQdytTENb4rs3P/s320/Dynasty_Warriors_Gundam_Reborn_02.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a>The other problem that many Dynasty Warriors games have is that, since they're all about large scale battles, the amount of characters on screen can bog things down to the point of becoming practically unplayable. Of all the DW games I've played (and I've played almost every one), this game is by far the smoothest, cleanest one of all, which shocked me most in 2-player split screen, where it would usually be bogged down the most. Frankly, the game is beautiful all around.<br />
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<b>The Bad News...:</b><br />
There is one thing I was not aware of when I purchased this game, that took me a long time to get over, and that quite frankly still annoys me quite a bit: All voice acting in the game is Japanese, and was not localized for America/Europe.<br />
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Now before any anime purists get all up in arms about sub vs dub, here's something to consider:<br />
A point of pride for the Gundam series has always been deep, emotional stories, coupled with characters that you actually care about. While cutscenes are easy enough to keep track of, since English subtitles are provided, when the battle commences, it's incredibly difficult to stay involved in the action, while being invested in the story through the dialogue boxes, AND reading the objectives that appear on screen. Now take all of that, add a second player, and two dialogue boxes at once that take up a large chunk of the screen, and you can get very lost very quickly. I do hope they release a patch or update in the future that adds English dialogue, as it would make everything flow a LOT better, but I don't have my hopes up.<br />
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<br />
<b>Good:</b><br />
-120+ mobile suits to unlock, and just as many, if not more pilots.<br />
-Absolutely zero slow-down during crowded fights, everything runs as smooth as silk.<br />
-Great split-screen co-op, allows two players to enjoy the story together.<br />
<b>Bad:</b><br />
-Only Japanese dialogue, English is only seen in (sometimes poorly) translated subtitles.<br />
-Doesn't break any grounds of Dynasty Warriors gameplay.<br />
-Exclusive to Playstation 3, and only via download. No hard copies, no new gen support.<br />
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<b>Verdict:</b><br />
7.5 out of 10<br />
The Japanese-only dialogue is the biggest hindrance, and the gameplay is exactly what you'd expect from a Dynasty Warriors game, but the whole package is still an extremely fun play, especially for the lower price of $40. Check it out on the Playstation Network!<br />
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<b>Bonus Level:</b><br />
Want some more Gundam fun? Check out the hilarious Game Grumps playing an older Gundam game: "Gundam Battle Assault 2" <span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: orange;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq3MKQCXsUQ" target="_blank">HERE! </a></span></span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989082872841874849.post-52242776609903689272014-06-30T11:47:00.000-07:002014-06-30T11:47:35.674-07:00TGLVG: Battletoads/Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the past few months, I've been working on building my collection of classic games from the NES/SNES/Genesis era, both that I had as a kid, or that I always wanted to try. In the beginning of my quest, it seemed only right that I pick up a copy of one of my all-time favorite games, Battletoads/Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team. The game actually released Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy, but the version I grew up with was on Sega Genesis. I will concede, however, that the SNES is the most graphically superior. Either way, they all play the same.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/s/30978-battletoads-double-dragon-the-ultimate-team-game-boy-screenshot.jpg" height="180" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.ign.com/static/test/top100/images/top100_nes_screenshots/76_battletoadsboubledragon.jpg" height="187" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.emuparadise.me/Super%20Nintendo/Snaps/Battletoads%20&%20Double%20Dragon%20-%20The%20Ultimate%20Team%20(U).png" height="175" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Nintendo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/oiGZ9IBkonc/hqdefault.jpg" height="150" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
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<b>A brief history:</b></div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e8/Battletoads_Coverart.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e8/Battletoads_Coverart.png" height="200" width="145" /></a>Battletoads is a side-scrolling beat-em-up that originated on the Nintendo in 1991. It was developed by Rare, who also went on to create such massive hits as the Donkey Kong Country series, Donkey Kong 64, Perfect Dark, Goldeneye 007, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Diddy Kong Racing, Banjo Kazooie, Jet Force Gemini....they basically ruled your childhood if you owned a Nintendo 64 or SNES. The original Battletoads game is notorious for being one of the hardest games on the NES, which let's be honest, had a lot of them.</div>
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<a href="http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131124194721/epicrapbattlesofhistory/images/f/ff/Double_Dragon_NES_NA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131124194721/epicrapbattlesofhistory/images/f/ff/Double_Dragon_NES_NA.jpg" height="200" width="139" /></a>Double Dragon followed a similar formula to that of Battletoads, and followed Billy and Jimmy Lee, brothers who fought to rescue their kidnapped girlfriend. (Yeah, they shared her. Super weird, right?) The series started in 1987 and was created by Taito, the company behind Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6MIlJYiJUs" target="_blank"><span style="color: lime;">Takeshi's Challenge</span></a>, and Operation Wolf. Basically think of any game that is damn near impossible to beat from the 80's/90's, chances are Taito made it.</div>
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<b>The Story:</b></div>
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I use the word "story" very loosely. For reasons unexplained by the game, the Battletoads require the help of the Lee brothers in order to defeat the evil Dark Queen, and the five of them head out to outer space to stop her. What commences is one of the most enjoyable two player experiences on any of the systems that this game came out on back in 1993. </div>
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This generation of consoles was no stranger to the two player side-scrolling beat-em-up. Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Captain America & The Avengers, Power Rangers: The Movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the list goes on and on, and they were rarely anything other than spectacular.</div>
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<b>Gameplay:</b></div>
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This game is absolutely brutal in later levels, but in the most fun way possible. I'd very much suggest playing with a friend though, as single player can tend to be on the more frustrating side. What I've learned as an adult playing the games I played as a kid is that when playing with a partner, you tend to take the game as a whole a lot less seriously, making it just as fun if you die as it is when you do well.</div>
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The gameplay is simple, a linear side-scrolling beat-em-up similar to the famous Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game. Some levels do vary slightly, such as limiting your movement to strictly left-right, removing the up-down portion, or some that vary greatly, such as putting you in a space ship in an Asteroids-style level. There are also two modes of two-player, one of which allows you to beat up your co-op partner if you so choose. For the life of me I can't see why they'd include that, seeing as it has absolutely nothing in common with the entire rest of the game, but hey, to each his own...</div>
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All characters play the same, basically you choose if you want a green or brown frog, or if you want a blonde dork with a pompadour in red or blue tights. </div>
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From the depths of space to the scummy alleyways of earth, your adventure takes you through locations and boss fights including bosses from both Double Dragon, and Battletoads. I have to admit I always loved wailing on popular Double Dragon villain Abobo as a giant talking toad. There is a lot of variety in the game as a whole, and for a game that doesn't allow you to save your progress, it can be completed in a pretty satisfying time, usually around an hour. This is great for single sit-down plays with friends.</div>
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There is a bit of a downside in multiplayer. Unlike many other beat-em-ups of this era, if one of the two players loses all of their lives, BOTH players are taken to a "Continue?" screen, and whether or not the dying player continues, both must restart at the beginning of the current level. This can become very frustrating in cases where the levels get exceedingly long. There were many times where P2 would get a Game Over, and when we continued again from the beginning, P1 would would be so close to one as well that it didn't pay to try to finish the level until we killed off P1 as well in order to get more lives. This wouldn't be horrible, except that there is a limited number of continues.</div>
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The game feels like so many of the quarter-munching arcade machines I loved so much as a kid (like The Simpsons arcade game) where the idea was to keep making the player die in order to spend more money. The fault here is that you can't keep popping quarters into your Sega/Nintendo. When you are dead, its back to level 1 (That is unless you try the cheat code listed below!).</div>
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<b>The Ending: <span style="color: red;">(SPOILER WARNING)</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.vizzed.com/vizzedboard/retro/user_screenshots/saves30/306391/GENESIS--Battletoads%20and%20Double%20Dragon_Jan30%2011_58_57.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.vizzed.com/vizzedboard/retro/user_screenshots/saves30/306391/GENESIS--Battletoads%20and%20Double%20Dragon_Jan30%2011_58_57.png" /></a>You've assaulted Abobo, beaten Blag, rocked Roper, ripped apart Robo Manus, smashed Shadow Boss, and destroyed the Dark Queen. But depending on how you did it, you actually get one of two endings. I'm going to be honest, this game kicked my pants good. So there were a level or two that I had to skip using the Level Select cheat code. As such, my ending consisted of the final boss calling me a cheater, and returning to the title screen.</div>
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But if you're stoic enough to carry on through thick and thin, you're rewarded with a brief scene of Dark Queen promising revenge, then taking off in her tiny getaway ship.</div>
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Sadly her vengeful spirit is never fulfilled, as another Battletoads game has never been made since... </div>
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<b>Cheat Codes:</b></div>
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Sure, give me crap if you must, but there is no way in hell you can beat this game with the paltry three lives they start you out with. Even then, some of the levels are incredibly long and brutal, so if you need to resort to skipping a level, or just need a few extra lives, try this out:</div>
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<b>10 Lives + Level Select:</b></div>
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At the Character Select screen, press <b>Down, Up, Up, Down, C, A, B</b>. A tone will indicate the code is entered correctly. NOTE: If you beat the game with this cheat in, you will not get the "good" ending.</div>
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If I haven't convinced you yet, who can say no to this fantastic mid-90s style ad?</div>
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<img src="http://www.retrogamingaus.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Battletoads-Double-Dragon.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></div>
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