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.