Galaga Wars Review

Galaga is one of my favorite arcade games of all time. For some reason I find the act of using a space ship to shoot down waves of other ships so enjoyable. For the 35th anniversary of this game Bandi Namco has released a new game, titled Galaga Wars on mobile. Is this a great celebration of the series or just another free-to-play garbage game making use of a popular property?

The gameplay of Galaga Wars is to survive waves of enemies and travel through eleven different sectors. You do this by moving the automatically firing at enemy ships as you move your ship with your finger around the screen. When you destroy ships they can drop coins, the ability to fire faster, or one of four different power-ups depending on the ship. The coins are used to buy upgrades to one of the four power-ups and as a way to unlock warping to different sectors. You can also rescue other ships from the enemies and gain a partner to help you fight the waves for a limited amount of time. There are also daily challenges you can do that range from defeating an enemy a certain amount of times or collecting a certain amount of items.

One of the biggest parts of the game is the ships. There are four ships available, the Fighter (Galaga), the Galaxip (Galaxian), the FX-01 (Starblade), and the Solvalou (Xevious). It’s with these ships that the free to play aspect comes in. The game starts off free with the Fighter being unlocked and able to be fully upgradeable. The game in this state does include ads, but you can pay a dollar to get rid of ads and get another ship, the FX-01. I recommend this as it gets rid of ads and gets you another ship along with money. You can also buy the other two ships for a dollar each.

The music is very good, with it inspired by the classic sounds without reusing them or getting rid of them completely. I found it worked well for the game.

Over all the game is a great celebration of Galaga and of its history. It is able to bring its classic gameplay to a new generation and keep it fun. It celebrates its series roots while being accessible (and not overpriced) as a free-to-play game. I enjoyed Galaga Wars and plan to play it for a long while

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Review

After five years being away from theatres, the wizarding world returns to the silver screen with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The film doesn't focus on Harry Potter however, and instead focuses on a new character, Newt Scamander, in 1920’s America. Does the film capture the magic of the past Potter movies, or is the magic all gone? This reviewer found Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to be a great return to the series. 

            The story follows Newt Scamander as he arrives in New York, carrying a case of magical creatures. Through a series of mishaps, several of the creatures end up escaping the case and Newt must gain the help of the “no-maj”(non-magic) Jacob Kowalski, and Magical Congress of the United States member, Tina Goldstein. One of the biggest worries I had with the film was that it would just be set pieces of them trying to get back the creatures, not very connected. Luckily, my fears were wrong as the film blends the characters trying to get back the creatures along with another narrative concerning attacks of a dark wizard named Grindelwald. Overall I loved the story, but my one point against it was that there was a lot of exposition at the beginning of the film, told in newspaper titles, that moved too fast to be able to catch all of the information.

Throughout the film, the characters we meet are all superb. Newt is a great person who only cares for the good of his creatures. Tina is also wonderful, with her believing in justice and just trying to have the rules be followed. There is also the best character, Jacob Kowalski. The “no-maj” serves as a great character for the audience to relate with and explain some of the elements of the world to viewers familiar and unfamiliar with the series. There is also Percival Graves, a member of the Magical Congress of the United States with a secret, and Credence, a boy caught up in the “Second Salem” movement. 

The effects and magic seen in the film is wonderful. The magic is as whimsical as it was in the Harry Potter films. The headquarters of the Magical Congress of the United States is very beautiful. The creatures, one of the main parts of the film are all greatly designed. A standout scene involving seeing all the creatures inside the suitcase is one of the most beautiful scenes I had seen in a film all year.

Overall the acting is decent. Eddie Redmayne plays the introvert of Newt well. Tina is also played well by Katherine Waterston. Even though Jacob is one of the high points of the film, Dan Folgers acting is very one-note, with him only truly showing amazement at everything he is seeing and not much else. One of the best performances in the film has to go to Ezra Miller as Credence. He effectively shows the darkness and desperation of his character and effectively becomes the most sympathetic character in the film. 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an amazing return to the wizarding world of Harry Potter. The story shines, thanks in part to its characters and to its creativity. The visual effects also shine. All of this comes together to make a film you don't want to miss.

Adventure Time: Islands Review

In the realm of graphic novels, side stories or prequels are a common thing. These stories are able to enhance past, current, or future narratives. One such prequel is Adventure Time:  Islands. Adventure Time Islands is a great side story/ prequel, but only if you're an Adventure Time fan.   

The story follows Jo, one of the last remaining humans, as she and a group of survivors embark and eventually find an island to inhabit. On this island are unseen dangers and after Jo gets lost in the wilderness, she must find her way back. The story is good and builds upon the characters last seen in the miniseries, Adventure Time: Stakes. The story also ends in a way that leads into the next Adventure Time miniseries, also titled Islands. These strengths are also its greatest weaknesses. It, while great for a fan, isn’t great for a non-fan. The characters, while relatively new, will be unfamiliar to anyone who hasn't seen or been caught-up with the series and it is best suited for Adventure Time fans. The book also features a small side story about Finn and Jake learning how to care for a new pet fish from BMO.  

Overall, the art is ok. The artwork is unlike the series and can best be described as rough and having thick lines. Originally the art was off putting but I grew to understand and like the style. The side story has a style more like the series.

Overall, as an Adventure Time fan, I enjoyed the graphic novel. It was great to see the story leading up to the new miniseries and see some of the new characters again. Even though the art is okay, I had grown to enjoy it. As stated earlier, Adventure Time: Islands is good but only if you are an Adventure Time fan.

Doctor Strange Review

With the release of Captain America: Civil War earlier this year, we are now in phase three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Going through phase three, Marvel will continue what they did with 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and show off lesser known heroes. One of the newest films for Marvel is of a lesser known hero, whose name is Doctor Strange.

The story follows the journey of Dr. Stephen Strange as, after a car accident, he embarks on a journey to heal his hands. He eventually discovers a monastery in India and learns about, and how to control, magic. Overall, the films plot is mediocre. It serves its purpose as an origin story, but does not go much further. The only thing added is the continuing Marvel Cinematic Universe background story line.

While the story works, my main grip with the film is the characters. Many of the characters don't have depth. Strange, for most of the film, is just a jerk who only cares about himself. One of Strange’s companions, Mordo is flat.He acts one way throughout most of the film, and after a revelation, makes a complete 180 degree personality shift. The main villain, Kaecilius, has the Marvel problem of not being memorable, and is just thrown away at the end. Not all the characters are bad though, as the Ancient One is one of the better characters of the film. She has a depth not seen in the other characters and actually goes through an arc, leading to one of the best scenes of the film.  

Overall the acting is decent. Benedict Cumberbatch works as Dr. Strange, using his best American accent. Tilda Swinton plays the role of The Ancient One very well, bringing a lot of depth. Mads Mikkelsen plays the role of Kaecilius, and is favorable for as long as he is on screen. Supporting characters Wong and Mordo are played by Benedict Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor respectively and, although Mordo is one-dimensional, they were both also played well.

The visuals in the film are absolutely stunning. The magic in the film is beautifully choreographed and truly looks as if the characters summoned it. One of the pieces of the story, the relics, are also beautiful and look cool, especially the Cloak of Levitation, which has its own standout moment. Then there is the world bending. When Strange enters a place called the “Mirror Dimension”, the landscape can be changed and formed in anyway. This place is where the visuals are truly the greatest. The characters seem to walk on the side of buildings and can even flip the city over into the sky.

Overall, Doctor Strange serves its purpose. It successfully introduces us to the character and their abilities, and sets up conflicts for the future, while adding a little bit to the MCU storyline. The visuals are also stunning and the acting is alright. I just wish the characters would have been better.  

Pirate Pop Plus Review

In the world of indie gaming, one of the most popular subcategories of it is retro style. The games call back to a time when full orchestrated soundtracks weren't possible and the game characters were pixelated instead of full 3D polygons. One recently released, Pirate Pop Plus, calls back to the classic era of gaming, specifically the Gameboy-era, in an interesting, yet simplistic, game play style.

In Pirate Pop Plus, you play as the pirate Pete Jr. who arrives on a small island to find all the residents are trapped in bubbles. He discovers it is the work of the evil Bubble Pirate and he must grab his trusty anchor and pop all the bubbles. This is all the story the game has to offer, only needing to set up a framework for why the characters are doing what they are doing.  

The gameplay consists of Peter Jr. popping bubbles by throwing his anchor into the air. He pops a big bubble (brought out by Bubble Pirate), which breaks into two smaller bubbles, then another two. The main pull of the gameplay is the gravity switching mechanic, in which Bubble Pirate will sometimes appear and switch gravity, causing Pete Jr. and the bubbles to head toward one of the other sides of the screen. The game has a limited story, as mentioned earlier, and is mainly about getting a better high score. There are two game modes: Regular and Hyper. In Hyper mode, the score is doubled, but the player only has one heart. There are many power-ups including a shield, an anchor that separates the bubbles on two opposite sides of a chain, and a BB gun. In addition to power ups, the player also collects coins that can be used to buy many unlockables.

As the game mainly about high scores, a big part of it is the unlockables. There are many unlockables to buy using the coins found in normal gameplay. There are stickers to decorate the fictional handheld console (some even featuring a character from 13 AM's previous game, Runbow). There are also characters to buy such as Satura (who is faster and a guest from Runbow), Dave (who has another life) and Shynut (a coconut with legs). The player can also buy different colors for the handheld, including different button colors, a different color background, and different music for gameplay.

For what Pirate Pop Plus is trying to do, it is successful. It has an interesting gameplay mechanic, which is enough to keep me playing. It might not be everyone's type of game, but for 5 dollars, I would say Pirate Pop Plus is worth it.

The Magnificent Seven Review

This past month the Hollywood remake light has shined onto a western, notably the not very well known, The Magnificent Seven (1960). The original received very little acclaim when it was originally released in the United States. Is a western fit for a triumphant return to cinemas, or is it best left in the dust?

The Magnificent Seven follows Emma Cullen, as she seeks people who can help her free her town from the robber baron, Bartholomew Bogue. Early on she meets Sam Chisolm, a black bounty hunter who has a vendetta against Bogue. They go on to recruit six more members including, Josh Faraday, Goodnight Robicheaux, Jack Horne, Billy Rocks, Vasquez, and Red Harvest. The seven band together to protect the town of Rose Creek. The plot, although good is very basic.

The main star of the ensemble is Denzel Washington as Sam Chisolm. Of all the characters, Chisolm is given the most screen time and the most backstory. Also a big player is Chris Pratt as Josh Fairday, a gambler who brings much of the murmur to the film. Also part of the surprisingly diverse cast are Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Martin Sensmeier, Haley Bennett, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. All the actors are great, playing into their roles and making the audience care about the characters, with a special mention to Vincent D'Onofrio, as the most loveable axe-wielder ever, Jack Horne.

This film is very action-packed. As the film amps up and the climactic battle is reached, it starts guns-ablazing and doesn't stop for a while. The fight is very well choreographed and works well with some special effect explosions. Even though it came out in the fall, it has a very “summer blockbuster” feel to it.

The Magnificent Seven is pretty good. Although the plot is very basic, it works for the film. The characters are well acted and the action is top-notch. If you are just looking for a good action movie at the movies, you can't go wrong with The Magnificent Seven.

Rating 4.25/5

Severed Review

You're walking through the forest when you hear a sound. A voice is heard. Suddenly a creature, a bird with two necks and two mouths, flies down on rock next to you. Welcome to the dark fantasy world of Severed, the latest game from Drinkbox Studios.

In the game you are Sasha, a girl who, with a living sword on her side, goes on a journey to find her missing family and discover why she is in the fantasy land. Throughout her journey she meets several characters, such as the Wanderer, that guide her toward her goal. To find them, she must travel through the world and through various temples and locations to find her family. The story is gripping and very dark, with the characters you meet bringing emotion and terror.

The gameplay revolves around Sasha exploring the world in a first person perspective, solving puzzles, and fighting monsters. The player explores the world to accomplish certain goals, such as finding a ruby a bird stole or making their way through a temple. Throughout the world, Sasha can find secrets either by touching a certain piece of a wall, or following instructions found in books throughout the game. Sasha also gains new abilities throughout the game, such as a medallion the allows her to interact with stones that change night to day and back and a sword upgrade that allows her to break certain types of rock in the over-world and on enemies.

The combat is fluid with it all being player imputed. Wherever the player swipes, Sasha slashes with her sword. Each of the enemies have a certain attack that is charged up, and the player has to learn these tells to block the attack. A special part of the combat is the Focus Mode, which is charged up by doing successful slashes to enemies in combat. If an enemy is defeated during Focus Mode, the player is given an opportunity to sever certain body parts off the monster, such as limbs and eyeballs. These parts can be used for upgrades that improves damage output or defense.

The soundtrack in this game is very good, with haunting melodies while in the over-world. During combat, the music amps up to faster beats and a more rock like tone.

Severed is great. The combat is smooth, the story is engaging and the soundtrack is eerie. At the time of writing this review, I have not finished it but I am looking forward to what comes next. Severed is now available on Playstation Vita, iOS, Wii U, and 3DS.  

Rating: 4.75/5

Mighty Magiswords Premiere Review

After premiering on the CN Anything app, and having numerous shorts, Mighty Magiswords has premiered on Cartoon Network. The original shorts worked well, showing the origins of them gaining some magiswords and even starting their Warriors for Hire business. I found most of the minisodes good, with very few being meh. So the question is, does Mighty Magiswords work well as a series compared  to the shorts? Well yes and no.

Before we get onto the story, lets take about one of the most important parts of any animated show, the animation. Magiswords has a very smooth animation. The colors are bright and colorful, and they pop on the screen. The character designs are also interesting, in a good way. Lastly, the Magiswords (from what has been seen) are creative and are an endless possibility.  

Now onto the two episodes, starting with  "The Mystery of Loch Mess." The episode was ok. It was weak with some of the humor and didn't carry the charm of the minisodes. It also was weak with the opposing "heroes" Witch Way. The one good thing it had was that it fleshed out the area around the kingdom. Now onto "Squirrelled Domination", the second and better of the two. This episode brought the charm and the humor seen in the minisodes. It shined by giving each of the Warriors their own stories, and their own problems to overcome. It also fetchers one on the funniest stories ever told.

Mighty Magiswords has potential. It grew from it's five minute outing to an eleven minute outing, and even though it was a bit rough, it has potential. I'm excited to see where the series can go from here and am looking forward to it.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village Quick Review

        So I just finished part 1 of the Original Professor Layton trilogy and since I don't want to do a full review, I am just going to give quick thoughts on different aspects of the game.
        The game-play consists of searching the environment for clues and solving puzzles. The puzzles are smart, but too many are math based.  The environment searching is fluid.
        The sound and OST is great. The themes add to the mystery and to the feel of the town.
        The story is amazing. The story starts out simple with Professor Layton and Luke trying to discover where the Golden Apple is located. The story quickly evolves into finding a murderer, discovering the cause of kidnappings, and finding the secret of the dark, tall tower located in the center of the village. My one problem was that at the end of the game, many of the mysteries were solved right next to each other, lacking the pacing the benefits mysteries.
        The hand drawn backgrounds are gorgeous. They give life to the world you are in and are always wonderful even though you may had seen it 50 times. The animations are also very beautiful and are very much a highlight of the game.
        Curious Village is a good first game in the series. The story is great, even with its shortcomings. It's game-play and music is solid, even with some frustrating puzzles.  Overall, I liked Curious Village, and am looking forward to to playing the rest of the trilogy.

Retro Review: Ben-Hur (1959)

In honor on the recent remake, I have decided to take a look back at the classic Ben-Hur. Is Ben-Hur a relic of films past that should be remade, or should it be held on its own still today? Even with slowdown and being long, Ben-Hur is an engrossing and important piece of film that should be remembered, not remade.

            Ben-Hur begins with Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish merchant, reconnecting with his friend Messala, a Roman tribune, in 1 A.D. After a disagreement, and accidently injuring a general, Judah, his mother, and his sister, are thrown in prison. What follows is a quest for revenge and forgiveness, including slave rowing in the galleys (warships), participating in a life or death chariot race, and even meting Jesus Christ. The films plot is very engaging, especially at the chariot scene and the scenes of him as a slave in the galley. The film does experience some slowdown, such as before the chariot race. At 3 hours and 44 minutes, the film is long, but that is also including the intermission, the credits and a few other scenes.  

            All the actors play their respective parts well. Charlton Heston shines as Judah Ben-Hur, acting with the passion of a man who is out for revenge, yet is capable of showing emotions. Stephen Boyd portrays Messala well, as does Hugh Griffith as Sheik Ilderim. A special mention to Claude Heater for his portrayal of Jesus Christ, adding an effectiveness to the role by never speaking and showing his face, yet being crucial to the story.   

            For the late 1950’s, the effects are great. There were over 300 sets made to show all different locations of the time period. Even the use of miniatures during a naval battle (although noticeable), work for the film. The chariot sequence is the shining star of the film, with an amazing 12 minute sequence, pitting Judah against Messala and several others. The only complaint is choppy editing is some scenes throughout the film.

            Even though it has a long run time, Ben-Hur is worthy of a view and for taking a place in cinema history. Its story and characters shine on the screen. It engages the audience with its set pieces, even with certain editing faults.

Rating: 8.75/10

Ghostbusters (2016) Review

After months of buildup and gathering a mixture of hate and love, Ghostbusters (2016) has finally arrived in theaters. Is it a great return to a beloved comedy series, or is it just a way for Sony to wring a few pennies out of moviegoers? In this reviewer’s opinion, Ghostbusters (2016) is a great, funny reboot for a new generation.

The story follows Erin Gilbert, Abby Yate, Jillian Holtzmann, and Patty Tolan as they form the Ghostbusters. There is an increase in paranormal activity in the city, and they must figure out who is behind it and why. There is also a side plot about Erin and Abby building their friendship back after they had went their separate ways in their field of science. The film is able to be more than just a reboot by introducing a new plot. The story and character’s personalities differentiate the characters from their 1984 counterpart and not just be a direct copy of the originals.

All the actors in the film play their roles well with Kristen Wiig excelling as Erin Gilbert, and especially Kate McKinnon playing the quirky Jillian Holtzmann. Chris Hemsworth shines as Kevin, the Ghostbusters secretary, in a great male version of the dumb blond cliché.  The characters effectively bounce jokes off of each other, and sometimes even reference classic movies such as Jaws and Ghost. There are also jokes referencing the original film with an appearance of the ghost Slimer, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. The original Ghostbusters actors even have cameo appearances, with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson all appearing. There is even a bust of deceased actor, Harold Ramis, which appears in a scene.

Even though it didn’t have a great first trailer, Ghostbusters is worth your time. It is able to create its own identity with its story and cast, yet still be a Ghostbusters film. If you want a clean comedy with some action, you can’t go wrong with Ghostbusters (2016).

Rating: 9/10

Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Review

            If there is ever another movie that has a cowboy-hat wearing army pilot riding a nuclear bomb as it is being dropped, please let me know. And speaking of a cowboy-hat wearing army pilot riding a nuclear bomb as it is being dropped, let us talk about Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Dr. Strangelove is a Cold War political satire, directed by Stanly Kubrick and released in 1964.

            The film follows the aftermath of a decision to bomb the Soviet Union, given by insane conspiracy driven Army Air Force general. The film follows three different stories, the army general defending his base from the US Army, the president and leaders in the War Room trying to stop the plane, and the soldiers aboard the plane heading to bomb Russia.

Throughout the film many characters are introduced and all of them are great. All of the characters are portrayed well by their respective actors, and a special mention to Peter Sellers who portrayed the title character, the President and the Group Captain Lionel. Sterling Hayden does an excellent job playing the insane general. The humor is top notch with several quotable lines “There’s no fighting in the War Room”, and some scenes being a long joke such as the soldiers in an airplane listing off the content of a survival pack.

In the end the review this film is a great classic. If you love the Cold War, love satire, or just want a funny movie I recommend Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. 

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Review

            As I was watching Watchmojo on YouTube I stumbled across a video titled Top Ten Most Underappreciated Anime Films and on the list was a film called The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. As a fan of time travel movies I decided to watch it.  After watching it, I have to agree it is an underappreciated gem.

            The story begins with the main character Makoto having the worst day of her life and everything is going wrong. At the end of the day she wanders into her schools science lab, when she notices a little chestnut fall of a table. She walks up to it and when she falls due to and shadow, her elbow hits the chestnut and the story begins. The story starts out about as clichéd as most time travel movies, but in the later third many interesting twists, turns and revelations are revealed, along with a great message.

            When it comes to dubbing of Japanese media it is usually a hit or a miss. Thankfully, the voice acting is very good. The voices fit the characters ages and the emotion of the characters is felt in the voices and that is all that is truly needed in voice work.

            The film is animated very well, with the scenes flowing evenly with no stuttering. There are also some 3-D sections that are animated well

            With beautiful visuals, decent voice acting, and an interesting plot, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is an interesting time travel story worthy of watching, even though it starts out very clichéd. I give the film an 8.5/10.