tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54549264230304366342024-03-17T23:00:54.680-04:00Planned All AlongCelebrating 10 years of reviewing the good and the bad!Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.comBlogger928125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-48081532032113246102024-03-11T07:56:00.002-04:002024-03-11T08:26:04.461-04:00Trauma Center: Second Opinion (Part 2)<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/03/trauma-center-second-opinion-part-1.html" target="_blank">Read Part 1 here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Strain of the Week</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9LAOfCeHq_LG40qAAXD1GhxmJlR8klWcXcdR6hZldfGSpqMnjkyOJlRDzU-BfugVghT2mf7ofCWIFRifc0if0piDnrxE1IipTIV25LdlbgZ97d5tT4MvuG-EstT-uebDiEyYAf-PaG-tUPOG5GiK2T4ig93FI2d-3bh97Fq35pAETP9ZNCagyA7DTdk/s1294/20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9LAOfCeHq_LG40qAAXD1GhxmJlR8klWcXcdR6hZldfGSpqMnjkyOJlRDzU-BfugVghT2mf7ofCWIFRifc0if0piDnrxE1IipTIV25LdlbgZ97d5tT4MvuG-EstT-uebDiEyYAf-PaG-tUPOG5GiK2T4ig93FI2d-3bh97Fq35pAETP9ZNCagyA7DTdk/s320/20.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wondered where the names of the GUILTs<br />came from. Turns out, it's just the days of the<br />week in Greek. Kyriaki = Sunday,<br />Deftera = Monday, etc.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When we left off, Derek learned that his mentor, Greg Kasal from Hope Hospital, has been infected by a strain of GUILT, those new super-diseases created by medical terrorist group Delphi.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">...Yeah, I just wrote that. What, were you expecting a video game about a surgeon to be normal? We already jumped the shark, it’s all downhill from here.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9yfFlw0KIxtu5H-vN6_3BH4ru3Cwy_ZGUQCuQm6C5i7BZ8nGL5bO1GpE4VNLBvfmAqOQJDrv3r-K2HeGaC773SLii5VrwUH-q8ZmZpL7lDM-zrPfKrJBDVRtvUScyYDPPFvU5VXv_swJWtRHQtGCLFhdd869gr3V4zUiGukYzi-NS5hYZpFKvSAtvj4/s1294/21.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9yfFlw0KIxtu5H-vN6_3BH4ru3Cwy_ZGUQCuQm6C5i7BZ8nGL5bO1GpE4VNLBvfmAqOQJDrv3r-K2HeGaC773SLii5VrwUH-q8ZmZpL7lDM-zrPfKrJBDVRtvUScyYDPPFvU5VXv_swJWtRHQtGCLFhdd869gr3V4zUiGukYzi-NS5hYZpFKvSAtvj4/s320/21.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Greg is a far cry from the happy man we had<br />as our mentor. It is only fitting that he<br />becomes our final exam as a student...</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjVQirHoERpZZlmTKuVGnrcKu1I9wintj23_jh4rnhMQtUb1KxgjTX4OXh6KcQaC0IK415voFg1IKI2hOOtRyfJWJPlBNFipb2uLJrQrQYcv9D7EDZ_U3D47LDzpz3B3m-vSdIVr1hdn8DbLi-P_Bkse77FJS1y8G5GVnoB3hy3CYqSkN76LAW6RQmTgpY/s1294/22.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQirHoERpZZlmTKuVGnrcKu1I9wintj23_jh4rnhMQtUb1KxgjTX4OXh6KcQaC0IK415voFg1IKI2hOOtRyfJWJPlBNFipb2uLJrQrQYcv9D7EDZ_U3D47LDzpz3B3m-vSdIVr1hdn8DbLi-P_Bkse77FJS1y8G5GVnoB3hy3CYqSkN76LAW6RQmTgpY/s320/22.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although the true form of Tetarti is shown in the<br />picture above, we actively participated to a<br />testing/research period beforehand, helping<br />make a cure for the strain.</td></tr></tbody></table>Since the strain is new, the team at Caduceus doesn’t have a treatment for it. A serum is in the works, but they need more antigen. Several other weaker cases of the new strain, known as Tetarti, have popped up around town. Each one of them seems to be a slightly different virus, so we go around town operating on the people bearing these weaker strains and obtain no less three antigen variants. Victor, ever the smiler, finishes the serum, and then we operate on Dr. Kasal to remove the GUILT. This one comes as three creatures that move around the organ; one green, one yellow and one purple. You must inject each with the serum of its corresponding color, and you must do that before all three disappear at the same time. Their colors also go away after a bit, forcing you to remember which is which (or watch their trails of colored gas to figure it out).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhr1OfakVdym-nhGBZgyQ3FX1T9_MOKcKSmsQVETOdYRScATObrGsNJbJoXt31ZiZh_5gk-KJXamiUeWCqWYfIwPxv3W4qLjezpWYpXLZsY8cxe3H_Y7ryl8FqWoOKGxi3mjLUxhrAU7DkbWgp-6fAYf4Eypjig8R9l-u-NjR1Wx4MibBRQ7SLmM0K5iHQ/s1294/23.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1OfakVdym-nhGBZgyQ3FX1T9_MOKcKSmsQVETOdYRScATObrGsNJbJoXt31ZiZh_5gk-KJXamiUeWCqWYfIwPxv3W4qLjezpWYpXLZsY8cxe3H_Y7ryl8FqWoOKGxi3mjLUxhrAU7DkbWgp-6fAYf4Eypjig8R9l-u-NjR1Wx4MibBRQ7SLmM0K5iHQ/s320/23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victor never cracks a damn smile, but he gets<br />shit done. That's all Caduceus asks for.</td></tr></tbody></table>Kasal is saved, but this is only the beginning of trouble. Secretary of Health and Human Services Richard Anderson, who doubles as head of Caduceus, is giving a speech downtown when he suffers a cardiac arrest. Hospitalized, it's revealed to actually be another unknown variant of GUILT. Christ, there’s gonna be a hundred of those things by the end. Diseases: Gotta Catch ‘Em All! Since Caduceus does not have the cure for that one, Mr. Anderson courageously says he’ll be their guinea pig so they can study this new disease and counter it. Our first operation on the man is a series of experimentations with the aid of Victor; we don’t cure the secretary, but we have data and samples to work from.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjwtUoWCy9N5TiCsucunhvgHLuNtqw883qKwTvHE8MzEOSt9Sl5sOiPkgvpsyaEW4s_ktZUBv9diahA55k22wU3Htmy9zoPmJMf1_h3YmvQjkshnosLLoXELahNUxDNgGIcObDvwk04ARzG11dc2LqWngvVR5SYr0ozfVJdN0hJTv_VAN6SIep4W-ZqH9c/s1293/24.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1293" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwtUoWCy9N5TiCsucunhvgHLuNtqw883qKwTvHE8MzEOSt9Sl5sOiPkgvpsyaEW4s_ktZUBv9diahA55k22wU3Htmy9zoPmJMf1_h3YmvQjkshnosLLoXELahNUxDNgGIcObDvwk04ARzG11dc2LqWngvVR5SYr0ozfVJdN0hJTv_VAN6SIep4W-ZqH9c/s320/24.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's the cuts, too. And the little things<br />this damn disease keeps spawning, as well.</td></tr></tbody></table>Victor puts Derek through some tests to work on a cure for Pempti, the new disease. This leads to a new liquid, with limited efficacy; it only reveals the core of the virus, another little monster to kill, which the current solution can’t do. More experimentations follow until we have something that can beat Pempti. We operate on the secretary again and kill the disease, but the repeated surgeries have weakened him too much to survive. Before dying, he meets with Robert Hoffman, the director of Hope Hospital, and begs him to take over as head of Caduceus and to go back to performing surgeries. Hoffman had left the practice to focus on managerial duties following catastrophes caused by the use of his own Healing Touch. Hoffman agrees, determined to put an end to Delphi.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR25s1nb5WMIp_4rxzT70SRgFnwJZCZZS-QmNMRrSwHLmax5m122k9EpUCOtLK2QY4OU3kEfq0cqs3NYnrouFjGqpbLKUryZtZcpERh1Ay4DUPQLeQTO1R7iTOdMY26rGtluszqy-4pe5h-epZEqKHraC8FwYhMq9kPXAZhArZe0MdQtLS61EmflQlvpk/s1294/25.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR25s1nb5WMIp_4rxzT70SRgFnwJZCZZS-QmNMRrSwHLmax5m122k9EpUCOtLK2QY4OU3kEfq0cqs3NYnrouFjGqpbLKUryZtZcpERh1Ay4DUPQLeQTO1R7iTOdMY26rGtluszqy-4pe5h-epZEqKHraC8FwYhMq9kPXAZhArZe0MdQtLS61EmflQlvpk/s320/25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good to see him come back to the practice.</td></tr></tbody></table><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Fighting Delphi</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Chapter 5 starts intensely, with a GUILT outbreak reported on the Citywalk. The Caduceus team, Hoffman at the head, goes there to operate on new patients. Everyone knows how to fight the strains, and we get to it quick, operating on five people infected with the Kyriari strain over a 10-minute time limit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhbId7t8L2iFRAevcbxcfOYsLv-YKaSuQdYT38FHqMwXXPQdKlS16H6dg5aHqWokkWV3nwG4juWA_iq-caV8HDcFWrwuiTSeQJlMSvDX6j50-wVU5zqQRi3v3iG7f_AuVteko-atcdjmnzoBZi2WBw4cfPzRu_i0CIbw2D0PYQSvmzJdh5MnXZPPlRaZ5k/s1293/27.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1293" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbId7t8L2iFRAevcbxcfOYsLv-YKaSuQdYT38FHqMwXXPQdKlS16H6dg5aHqWokkWV3nwG4juWA_iq-caV8HDcFWrwuiTSeQJlMSvDX6j50-wVU5zqQRi3v3iG7f_AuVteko-atcdjmnzoBZi2WBw4cfPzRu_i0CIbw2D0PYQSvmzJdh5MnXZPPlRaZ5k/s320/27.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*incoherent yelling*</td></tr></tbody></table>Then, we must cure someone from Triti (which I still friggin’ hate) outside of the quarantine perimeter. This one never changes; thorns, triangles, gas to drain, multiplication, easy to screw up. And right after that, we must operate the Tetarti strain out of someone. Yeah, the one with the three colors. For fighting the outbreak and doing the right thing even as the FDA and other politicians wanted to stop them (as the treatments had to be shipped to various hospitals despite not being approved), the doctors of Caduceus end up beating the diseases and get hailed as heroes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A few days later, Caduceus is infiltrated by intruders. Derek and Angie find Cybil chasing a mysterious man (whom we later learn is both a major member of Delphi AND Angie’s father – yikes). She couldn't catch him, but he did manage to infect her with a GUILT, forcing us to operate on our colleague.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjoZ4DfRSkyh1srL0I4F1nhdct6xX01Q0Tl_3IuIy2uzTIMhIciWjDP93EOsNak-rhE19cVXTg1S2Tz4V38JGEk3KVEyasXnaX4KLyHBETnPieP3BYiwlsHjYu_miefcXp4f21zEWA8ux1ZxQljXfuccWi7BnqY_9d1OQMXh4QCAkAOwZyIQTHwNrtzgIA/s1294/28.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZ4DfRSkyh1srL0I4F1nhdct6xX01Q0Tl_3IuIy2uzTIMhIciWjDP93EOsNak-rhE19cVXTg1S2Tz4V38JGEk3KVEyasXnaX4KLyHBETnPieP3BYiwlsHjYu_miefcXp4f21zEWA8ux1ZxQljXfuccWi7BnqY_9d1OQMXh4QCAkAOwZyIQTHwNrtzgIA/s320/28.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The worm splits, and splits, and splits some more.<br />Oh, and lacerates every time, too.</td></tr></tbody></table>Sure enough, it’s another new strain. Christ, how many of those are there? This one, called Paraskevi, looks like a multi-segmented worm. You stop it from moving using the laser on its tail, then cut with the scalpel. It will split in two, also causing a laceration, and you must repeat with the smaller ones. Asteroids: The Surgery Game. The final worms, with only one segment, can then be pulled out with the forceps. The trap is that the worms will eventually shake and dig into the organ, fleeing to another, with their goal being to enter the patient’s heart, killing them. The trick is to never split the worm into more than you can handle and keep an eye for their tails shaking.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Angie’s father, Dr. Kenneth Blackwell, is now being watched by the FBI at Eidoth, the pharmaceuticals company where he worked. That company is about to be raided, but in case another outbreak occurs in retaliation, Derek and Angie are also sent there, despite Angie’s connection with the disgraced doctor. The next day, they depart, and at Eidoth’s offices, they find an employee suffering from yet another new strain. Geez!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ2QiueJkdLZp2zHO5_jx6Okm8ul_8VaehAO36rCEjL5KC5tu-GAnJxlL09m06mJcEihAkI81rzpppDrdd-JBrwktqZXL76UzNYZne0EpZChAgza_oO5n_PZkv6-hbGzxdO8Fkmp-hGRyc6wOaTGqKwb9AmbH-d-rI2yu9xr2W3a9w-hU_jUeePZlC4E/s1294/29.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1294" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQ2QiueJkdLZp2zHO5_jx6Okm8ul_8VaehAO36rCEjL5KC5tu-GAnJxlL09m06mJcEihAkI81rzpppDrdd-JBrwktqZXL76UzNYZne0EpZChAgza_oO5n_PZkv6-hbGzxdO8Fkmp-hGRyc6wOaTGqKwb9AmbH-d-rI2yu9xr2W3a9w-hU_jUeePZlC4E/w400-h306/29.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't mention it anywhere else, so here goes: The reason<br />Blackwell works for Delphi is that Angie was kidnapped by<br />them as a child and her father gave himself to them in<br />order to let her go free. So he's a more tragic figure, not<br />a mustache-twirling "we're happy that people die" fella like<br />the others. In short: Fuck Delphi with a rusty knife.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We cure the employee, who is affected by a weaker version. Whenever wounds open, little blue bug-like things come out. If many converge, they combine into a bigger one that causes a nasty drop in the patient’s vitals. You laser those to kill them. Think that’s bad enough? You haven’t seen shit. Blackwell is infected with the full form of the seventh and final strain, Savato. Like everyone else, he is anesthetized and operated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiO_NINkgjRuGcjEoaRdXoyt4R37HHc0-oAi_twIutSjSwJgucHk6zIR9UwwW_KifVFIhCYJFswOR4eD6ENrVCbjC4fvURxaT0pFqSO12KD2X7nE1wzDIkSiHfs0V5gjMOOGc-bfBNcvXHWx2vlyslN0Zs9Iw1HYtEbhMjVGWwbzXxCnfr08kDvU4B8zoU/s1293/30.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="1293" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_NINkgjRuGcjEoaRdXoyt4R37HHc0-oAi_twIutSjSwJgucHk6zIR9UwwW_KifVFIhCYJFswOR4eD6ENrVCbjC4fvURxaT0pFqSO12KD2X7nE1wzDIkSiHfs0V5gjMOOGc-bfBNcvXHWx2vlyslN0Zs9Iw1HYtEbhMjVGWwbzXxCnfr08kDvU4B8zoU/s320/30.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">God damn, I hate that thing. It's gonna be the<br />final boss, I can already tell.</td></tr></tbody></table>Savato takes a while to defeat. We must cut the spider web it creates around the organ, but there are two catches; first, breaking a strand instantly destroys the scalpel (and you must wait a few seconds to get another one), and second, it will create a new web strand at each 2-3 you manage to cut, spawning the little blue bugs. You saved this organ? It moves to another, and you repeat the process three times total. Only after this can you fight the Savato; it will open lacerations, summoning more bugs. Kill the bugs, zap Savato with the laser, then when all its protective layers are gone, cut it with the scalpel. This must also be done three times. Savato can suck the bugs into itself to regain strength; if it does that, you’re screwed, start the operation over.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIU-QX3E1FbXJTftPKlZrsqEK8hqJk6aYlB6ICCQzvkBrZiEKV8k49ihkqwbbKYrBdQ_JFUVdnrGrflO-b7kCHXrxfdzWW4ILpQi4lVcyuvRVCDSf4t1C54eJCL4qqWGpb9KahKvFlFqD3eI7m2_PU3Vit6j2vvZupk9iyr6O6xlr8lPnpiuF72z7lmts/s1294/31.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIU-QX3E1FbXJTftPKlZrsqEK8hqJk6aYlB6ICCQzvkBrZiEKV8k49ihkqwbbKYrBdQ_JFUVdnrGrflO-b7kCHXrxfdzWW4ILpQi4lVcyuvRVCDSf4t1C54eJCL4qqWGpb9KahKvFlFqD3eI7m2_PU3Vit6j2vvZupk9iyr6O6xlr8lPnpiuF72z7lmts/s320/31.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd like to, but the little shit won't stop moving!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgLpzNQsXrr2HaqeUzPfJP-PVPzfnP-ssdaUfmeKcR9KYg1Z3ZEH0v2fxheI2Fe5nnfLm4Azfg_4Dr_-OWkazJl12cXATHyhXxbOALosifPw0Pv7qzkdMMNghNNTy-909U_4rm57P4qcnkHij_ESNPc6-9uaG1ZHR-J9psbht2av4gZjf-0ZMrQFJwCEwA/s1294/32.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpzNQsXrr2HaqeUzPfJP-PVPzfnP-ssdaUfmeKcR9KYg1Z3ZEH0v2fxheI2Fe5nnfLm4Azfg_4Dr_-OWkazJl12cXATHyhXxbOALosifPw0Pv7qzkdMMNghNNTy-909U_4rm57P4qcnkHij_ESNPc6-9uaG1ZHR-J9psbht2av4gZjf-0ZMrQFJwCEwA/s320/32.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yikes, that's a lot of cuts. Good thing we just<br />found out how to STOP TIME!</td></tr></tbody></table>After which, it launches a desperation attack. It causes lacerations at a high speed and will avoid your attempts at injecting the serum (handed by Victor just in time) that will kill it. Even when time is slowed, it’s too fast. However, Derek's Healing Touch will activate on its own. Activate it again while time is slowed, and time will stop completely, letting us kill that bastard Savato. Meaning that you cannot use the Touch at all up until that point of the operation. Christ!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After his recovery, a repentant Blackwell will answer for his crimes, but for now, Angie is just happy her father is fine. As usual, the Chapter's end unlocks an operation in which we control Nozomi Weaver. She works on an experiment taking place shortly before the raid, in which the strain of Kyriaki is combined with the blue bugs from Savato. You’re instructed to keep at least one bug alive so it can be studied and captured while you treat the Kyriaki.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Caduceus Europe</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Following the assault on Eidoth, international organizations cracked down on Delphi sleeper cells, eliminating most of the medical terrorist organization. The shit they got up to was horrifying, like keeping children as incubators of GUILT strains. What the actual fuck. During a raid, the British Navy was able to put an end to this (with Derek and Angie on standby), and even capture Adam, the leader of the organization, an elderly man infected with all the strains, and still spouting his bullshit about humanity needing to die.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzv5Du01icYZZFPjoZYQf_rtLElkoC7KL0Mr9q76NIV9Sh2ehKEmD5DhPhJSVT4zEHC1kjAF1ezFd2qiH8yAGwSFw4K3qPsVo1ErsxnXARl-xmDbCTMQwhTVNZRqqkYmur8_LjvFgLBmxA2Wws6NUnIKm5AWhZh_4XRvtHp57i_c65H6zlhssJDrHGaY/s1293/33.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1293" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzv5Du01icYZZFPjoZYQf_rtLElkoC7KL0Mr9q76NIV9Sh2ehKEmD5DhPhJSVT4zEHC1kjAF1ezFd2qiH8yAGwSFw4K3qPsVo1ErsxnXARl-xmDbCTMQwhTVNZRqqkYmur8_LjvFgLBmxA2Wws6NUnIKm5AWhZh_4XRvtHp57i_c65H6zlhssJDrHGaY/s320/33.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah. Tired. Oh, and shaky, as well.<br />This game is surprisingly stressful.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhPGU0w5sy_egz9_D-goWqqpE_Bb9IST3uW6Lyc2QzcAJrekUvHsspdFN-grshSs29J1IkmYa5CmwbGZDOxR1don6PAk4lDaIw-HpNRFQEJzCLztRYVHOGYrB9B-OCDlEvTnCuWnfPn10b4nlL5x5PxpmgAG2hd11Pn0gCwNSFldBtgFXZZONk9RcHoF_A/s1294/34.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGU0w5sy_egz9_D-goWqqpE_Bb9IST3uW6Lyc2QzcAJrekUvHsspdFN-grshSs29J1IkmYa5CmwbGZDOxR1don6PAk4lDaIw-HpNRFQEJzCLztRYVHOGYrB9B-OCDlEvTnCuWnfPn10b4nlL5x5PxpmgAG2hd11Pn0gCwNSFldBtgFXZZONk9RcHoF_A/s320/34.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For "an honor", he doesn't seem too pleased.</td></tr></tbody></table>Several months later, Derek and Angie are given a long-term assignment at Caduceus Europe, in Great Britain. Doctor Hoffman comes along. The three reunite with Langston Miller, head of Caduceus Europe, met during the mission in Africa. We also meet Research Executive Dr. Owen, whose tie covered in skulls feels out of place at a medical facility. Dude looks like Ledger’s Joker without makeup, even though this game came out before The Dark Knight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Owen is working on regenerative cells, and says he'll save a lot of patients thanks to them, but he remains secretive as he'll discuss them at the upcoming convention held at Caduceus Europe. We also meet Naomi Kimishima, who is actually Dr. Weaver, who feels guilty having helped Delphi this whole time and chose to atone by putting her skills to the service of this branch.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our first operation here involves curing someone from the Tetarti strain. After curing this patient, Derek falls over, having been infected. This time, it’s Dr. Kimishima who will operate on him, with Angie still assisting. Not just one strain, but two at once: Kyriaki and Paraskevi. Yikes. We’re approaching the end of the game, so the operations are getting tough, but this one’s still manageable. Saved by Naomi, Derek is left to rest and come back from this intense experience.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Q-bCenCa45dVuRsXIclNA3wv6Mvfkqn_6eZCp64bu92kSg6o3tL-qASxqk1Ujz8QbkMqwIyUmxaCVdpsB_Ecdi7m9JMvoZJbVt7Pbpkv7_wiBDSw2HZmJ21ZhIQvTBTEeyp7Tbt1T9ZV3LN8x-be_H8lIYCv17xUqfhxfXsXEBdmeEs8-6Ohl62Iwb8/s1294/35.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Q-bCenCa45dVuRsXIclNA3wv6Mvfkqn_6eZCp64bu92kSg6o3tL-qASxqk1Ujz8QbkMqwIyUmxaCVdpsB_Ecdi7m9JMvoZJbVt7Pbpkv7_wiBDSw2HZmJ21ZhIQvTBTEeyp7Tbt1T9ZV3LN8x-be_H8lIYCv17xUqfhxfXsXEBdmeEs8-6Ohl62Iwb8/s320/35.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lacerations here were done by the Kyriaki,<br />hidden within the organ. The Let's Play I use<br />for these screenshots dealt with the<br />Paraskevi worms first.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The International Conference</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAjzxrXq9dOddck6KTDWrhsJBKpIFnj7IkGn6yy77GKvbSWU-6QUYF45guu89ibfErxD6OZMvAAS93Dd9WgOp6F_vc22yBCkjkUHgs51_IjK3NUugwqNhVrPMEUoZYXPoRrmBfCdxVFNHB9biYrzX0nNu_GYBLr3p5MxNtzwJwwKlR6ltjkynlwMO520/s1294/36.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAjzxrXq9dOddck6KTDWrhsJBKpIFnj7IkGn6yy77GKvbSWU-6QUYF45guu89ibfErxD6OZMvAAS93Dd9WgOp6F_vc22yBCkjkUHgs51_IjK3NUugwqNhVrPMEUoZYXPoRrmBfCdxVFNHB9biYrzX0nNu_GYBLr3p5MxNtzwJwwKlR6ltjkynlwMO520/s320/36.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is there anything human left in that body? I swear,<br />this is the most anime crap I've ever seen.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After he has recovered, Derek is taken into the laboratories of Caduceus Europe and is shown a horrible truth: The place keeps Adam’s body to study (and possibly cure) it. He’s in stasis, and rotten to the core, but conscious. Like he’s so diseased he just won’t die. You know, the Mr. Burns meme?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aI0euMFAWF8" width="320" youtube-src-id="aI0euMFAWF8"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEju20lsncKDjC0ymdXAKdnJ1sMhk-cQUKdgfgu-uqRvsrE4yQ6p9VPfxNKMdv4Gph9tsJjHWNDfB08Zy4NdUhYkMRrjKO57bFSEPGVJhkonRIXQ9frPiQtTAVNs-wCuEW0RplvNzH-vjICbwARgcxDjwkLbsGWZd2c8KGj-gcs0n7z3vilY0QFIao26TtI/s1295/37.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1295" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju20lsncKDjC0ymdXAKdnJ1sMhk-cQUKdgfgu-uqRvsrE4yQ6p9VPfxNKMdv4Gph9tsJjHWNDfB08Zy4NdUhYkMRrjKO57bFSEPGVJhkonRIXQ9frPiQtTAVNs-wCuEW0RplvNzH-vjICbwARgcxDjwkLbsGWZd2c8KGj-gcs0n7z3vilY0QFIao26TtI/s320/37.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blood. Blood everywhere. This looks like the<br />aftermath of a Finisher from Mortal Kombat.</td></tr></tbody></table>...Yeah, that. Miller admits the project of regenerative cells is based on research made on Adam’s body, from an illness responsible for keeping him alive. We cut forward to the conference held at Caduceus Europe, where Dr. Owen explains his new treatment, even bringing a patient on stage to demonstrate. Although Drs. Hoffman and Kimishima are impressed by the results, they question the methods taken to get them and don’t trust this new cure, calling it an eighth GUILT and likely to backfire. Turns out they’re right – mere seconds later, several guests at the conference start coughing and bleeding. The new “cure” is a strain that’s gone airborne and spread various forms of GUILT all over the place. Since's he just been cured of one and has recovered, Derek is now safe, and can therefore operate on the infected attendees.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We cure the patient from the presentation, who had the Pempti version, after which it’s revealed Dr. Owen was a Delphi implant who always planned to use his work on Adam’s body to infect the whole damn conference and destroy modern medicine in one massive event. What? No way! He looked like such a friendly, trustworthy, non-Joker-like fellow!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTDtqJh2Ilrdc2YR7WQM31AdErZN-Uj8ZCUsb8wqQv3TycLXRijX0Eep8pZgmNn7qbw3_B2aNJ0pd97S0XN2Go0CT9ImQUpjAvNkN_oXLGm2AZkqhxJY2VUixlGkISp64ufZgw2CPU5e6FAQ1v4T6AZoxphntWwfCvMb3aTuHSpXyybd0rMQTAXawpBQ/s582/40.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="582" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTDtqJh2Ilrdc2YR7WQM31AdErZN-Uj8ZCUsb8wqQv3TycLXRijX0Eep8pZgmNn7qbw3_B2aNJ0pd97S0XN2Go0CT9ImQUpjAvNkN_oXLGm2AZkqhxJY2VUixlGkISp64ufZgw2CPU5e6FAQ1v4T6AZoxphntWwfCvMb3aTuHSpXyybd0rMQTAXawpBQ/s320/40.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ohhh, the visual novel is all still images, but<br />he's got a twitchy eye, I'm betting on it!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><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/AVvXsEihDLkfE1YVb_5nWI9hyphenhyphenSQRarx-w_RkUBJjJZTrMeEirL3NLPVRCcXZDMesq7n3KVCEnmjKImj0xHqvfXMU0nKGZoEfLVBCKc6jw4A4P_cc7rZP2PMdVeVS2-RQOisbWLnOArSHPUeRrnEKEClS0-xGj_Zm-ke0qGJ8IAkowUn9x3dznNPHg-IeCTgaCkQ/s1294/38.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDLkfE1YVb_5nWI9hyphenhyphenSQRarx-w_RkUBJjJZTrMeEirL3NLPVRCcXZDMesq7n3KVCEnmjKImj0xHqvfXMU0nKGZoEfLVBCKc6jw4A4P_cc7rZP2PMdVeVS2-RQOisbWLnOArSHPUeRrnEKEClS0-xGj_Zm-ke0qGJ8IAkowUn9x3dznNPHg-IeCTgaCkQ/s320/38.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oof, I don't think this patient is gonna<br />survive the Deftera.</td></tr></tbody></table>Since there’s upwards of 25 attendees infected, Derek and Naomi are put to work. In this penultimate mission, they’ll alternate as they work on four patients over 10 minutes, with all four having different strains. This means that you have access to both surgeons’ Healing Touches, but only for the operation they’re in, and only once through this mission, so choose wisely when to activate it. You can’t even swap the order in which you use the surgeons, ‘cause that’d be too easy. You know it’s gonna be fun when the first is the goddamn Triti, the most annoying of them all, with Derek; then Naomi deals with Kyriaki; then Derek cures someone from Deftera; and finally, Naomi again with Paraskevi, this time a worm even longer than the previous times we saw this strain. Oh, and <b>no checkpoints</b>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhLA2oRktOl6UWdeLO1JHYfypJFYDLZqNAdNVCr_oldZ1wttrq5L3Sqmp4uVp8DTwxOxkeSJagJAEc3soUjekTJwHpP9j7eezXKuD2b4OrY31rj2F3x6ZgbBoCQP5MrwndFZzXBCvuw3TkzF3MQvtEzLs0X6ZrNfVYSz9vsnrLP6tYLnPWHymlE7yEIJ9Y/s1294/39.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLA2oRktOl6UWdeLO1JHYfypJFYDLZqNAdNVCr_oldZ1wttrq5L3Sqmp4uVp8DTwxOxkeSJagJAEc3soUjekTJwHpP9j7eezXKuD2b4OrY31rj2F3x6ZgbBoCQP5MrwndFZzXBCvuw3TkzF3MQvtEzLs0X6ZrNfVYSz9vsnrLP6tYLnPWHymlE7yEIJ9Y/s320/39.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the point where ProZD and Jay rage-quit.<br />So close to the end, yet so far. Then again, I<br />totally get it, I almost gave up as well.</td></tr></tbody></table>It’s insanely tough even on Easy – you can only afford an average of 2 and a half minutes for each, so you can’t make any mistakes. You need to have mastered the fight against every strain, be efficient, and know when to use each Touch. I tried this mission several times and kept failing at specific points (either starting over when losing control of Triti, or failing to catch the Paraskevi before they burrowed into the heart, which is an instant loss). I put down the game, then tried again two weeks later, and succeeded on my second try then, probably because I had no patience left and played very carefully, with help from guides. By the end, my hands were shaking worse than Doctor Strange’s after his car accident. I had to take breaks between operations, this was so stressful.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEilwO9V5Wwplrlsx8t4LkPa_YOpcqPH3Hzvfna3YCOwKxJhaL9nX4dW_3bvv2gwzK56j4yhqOpJ_nJ1Wz65AInXOo8ubLPRfbPnpy1KKZ63QKVHIDrP2eKwnJbleHoRR_FakUM9NPyqVqjZyfNBukaXFXM5j8XTdGc3-dJelvkf57wzKQ49yUzVfHlj9x4/s582/41.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="582" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwO9V5Wwplrlsx8t4LkPa_YOpcqPH3Hzvfna3YCOwKxJhaL9nX4dW_3bvv2gwzK56j4yhqOpJ_nJ1Wz65AInXOo8ubLPRfbPnpy1KKZ63QKVHIDrP2eKwnJbleHoRR_FakUM9NPyqVqjZyfNBukaXFXM5j8XTdGc3-dJelvkf57wzKQ49yUzVfHlj9x4/s320/41.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This time, both Derek and Naomi help each other<br />against Savato, even providing both Healing<br />Touches.</td></tr></tbody></table>Crisis averted? Not entirely. While we were dealing with all this, Dr. Hoffman, who sought a serum to quickly cure everyone, contracted the nastiest version of the Savato strain. Derek and Naomi team up to operate on Hoffman, using both their Touches when necessary to beat the damn virus (including Derek’s time-stopping one), and eventually manage to defeat this thing and rescue the director of Caduceus USA. Owen is arrested, and this time, Delphi is destroyed, for good. Roll credits.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The end, right? Yes... and no. Following this, we unlock a set of new bonus missions on Extreme difficulty. In these, we operate every single GUILT strain out of the body of Adam himself, one at a time. Each mission opens for both doctors, so if you feel like finishing this final challenge, you need to beat every Extreme mission with Derek and with Naomi separately. After the Hell that the last story missions were, I tried curing Kyriaki once, failed miserably, and said “fuck it”. I ain’t doing those.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQT3xsFEwCKMAFxaKzlNEZCtWhEGrzSTt-zV-GETLQ3lp1u-Ddr24w3wYFnQklG23ofZfgUdc1vq4Nuhm5DX0Wmz4xk-KWGkpwrWUlNVl5OHOKr2RcvgKtm6MAoI7wpuC4SpPJetz4SV3Oyq-drbEEYCygBp3nFws6goNx8PYKTEZSIyX8OjSUiriitXg/s1452/42.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1452" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQT3xsFEwCKMAFxaKzlNEZCtWhEGrzSTt-zV-GETLQ3lp1u-Ddr24w3wYFnQklG23ofZfgUdc1vq4Nuhm5DX0Wmz4xk-KWGkpwrWUlNVl5OHOKr2RcvgKtm6MAoI7wpuC4SpPJetz4SV3Oyq-drbEEYCygBp3nFws6goNx8PYKTEZSIyX8OjSUiriitXg/w400-h297/42.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HEY ADAM HOW ABOUT YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP<br />ABOUT YOUR DEATH CULT RAMBLINGS AND LET ME<br />CURE YOUR UNGRATEFUL BASTARD ASS - sorry,<br />I really, really, really hate this dude and his beliefs.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Final words</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the most stressful games I’ve ever played, Trauma Center: Second Opinion is one Hell of an experience. Interesting gameplay with a lot of tricky moments, all backed by a story that starts out tame but eventually becomes utterly ridiculous. I don’t want to dismiss anime as silly stuff, but I swear the plot here soon enough goes down the road of classic "anime" clichés and dutifully checks them one by one as though challenging itself to feature them all.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEj3s_OR03qWbR1mzX2K89s6d3llPQMVnJWqZ9m_G6uCmA66ZlAdVolzNsUwsKeRXt7swoj0qlvl05Wpf8jp8Kqs9bp4OnXEzbJ4heuUToJxpZdX_y5jPX0E2JOiB3_iNV3vhkMrgGISUbCMENU-my87KYbqQe2VsUuBOtFfWkKObDLTh8XquQc5tCeyJRc/s1294/43.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3s_OR03qWbR1mzX2K89s6d3llPQMVnJWqZ9m_G6uCmA66ZlAdVolzNsUwsKeRXt7swoj0qlvl05Wpf8jp8Kqs9bp4OnXEzbJ4heuUToJxpZdX_y5jPX0E2JOiB3_iNV3vhkMrgGISUbCMENU-my87KYbqQe2VsUuBOtFfWkKObDLTh8XquQc5tCeyJRc/s320/43.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The screen takes on a blue tint when a doctor's<br />Healing Touch appears.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Characters have a magical ability that fits their field of expertise? Check. Villains are hilariously over-the-top? Check. The stakes keep getting bigger? Check. One character is connected by family to a major villain? Check. And, of course, when the final challenge appears, the generic protagonist either discovers a new ability or supercharges their known ability to overcome it. I don’t know if I’m jaded or cynical about this, or if I’ve seen this type of story too much, but it really felt like a storm of clichés – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing when doing it for humor. Unfortunately, the “medical drama” part of the story takes itself seriously enough to cause an intense clash with the sillier events. This creates a tonal dichotomy where the pieces are forced together and struggle to fit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiY5Qi0vrL-4IXTEDgg-tEsie7NRtacN53R3oUKx3TZ7ZCU7n3yeEd0GvJslbDKSWUVa50NuQnvmw8HS2Gn7hUYRL7469EjnQnF7X8gi3uwTEORoeHOoZCJMTLh3ZCK8Huw4C6q7fzlMoYdLKe0vARp_u3GXU1jwayIbdAo09MBaeI1catjPXOg2O8Imcg/s1294/44.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5Qi0vrL-4IXTEDgg-tEsie7NRtacN53R3oUKx3TZ7ZCU7n3yeEd0GvJslbDKSWUVa50NuQnvmw8HS2Gn7hUYRL7469EjnQnF7X8gi3uwTEORoeHOoZCJMTLh3ZCK8Huw4C6q7fzlMoYdLKe0vARp_u3GXU1jwayIbdAo09MBaeI1catjPXOg2O8Imcg/s320/44.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of the early-game missions.</td></tr></tbody></table>I’ve got nothing bad to say about the medical drama though! That part’s fine. From Derek needing to have his responsibility as doctor drilled into him early on, to the characters attending various conventions, and operations using proper jargon wherever applicable – that’s all great. It’s when we get to the semi-immortal dude who spouts crap about having to stop modern medicine so humanity will die faster, surrounding himself with similarly villainous guys, spreading diseases literally made of monster insects we squash with our tools, that I feel a neck-breaking whiplash. (And the sequels literally have Naomi Kimishima talk to the dead; nothing to help my comparison to Ace Attorney...)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Speaking of – gameplay! I do appreciate that Trauma Center has in-depth gameplay featuring several aspects of operations. Gel the area, cut open, do what you must do, suture, re-gel, apply bandage. “Do what you must do” varies wildly depending on the disease we’re fighting. In some cases, you need to remember the steps and do them in the right order. Some tools will be used more often than others, but the game tries to justify having them all on hand – as an example, the ultrasound occasionally finds use, but after a point, we only use it against Kyriaki. I wished there had also been more reasons to use the defibrillator, which very rarely comes up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgXDlvbiOGuic19rj2E5MKXD6NmgKiavQudvkAe4Hr5lJokG6T92Mn5WcYzN3rnWmcVRYJvmIF9hV4dT88hcQD-OOrWeAjdAwxtC870wMmg6HFfUdDG9PIKkWSByJcXBxwkrEXiA_XHXrchHYWeIykMHYszJYZ8x4enYmAEhVaxe0yE6OboT24R71GUPAY/s1294/18.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXDlvbiOGuic19rj2E5MKXD6NmgKiavQudvkAe4Hr5lJokG6T92Mn5WcYzN3rnWmcVRYJvmIF9hV4dT88hcQD-OOrWeAjdAwxtC870wMmg6HFfUdDG9PIKkWSByJcXBxwkrEXiA_XHXrchHYWeIykMHYszJYZ8x4enYmAEhVaxe0yE6OboT24R71GUPAY/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bomb was one of the first noteworthy<br />roadblocks on my way to beating this game.</td></tr></tbody></table>An issue in the switch from Nintendo DS to Wii is that it’s much harder being precise when pointing a remote at a television compared to tapping a stylus at a touch screen, and thus it’s easier to miss a target or hit the wrong thing. Changing tools with the Nunchuk’s analog stick can be tricky since each tool is in one of the eight directions, and it’s easy for the game to register the incorrect one. Considering you often need to act in a matter of seconds... On the plus side, failure is a slap on the wrist, you get a sad monologue about feeling inadequate as a surgeon, then you can restart. It’s only an issue with the longer missions, near endgame in particular. All missions are available in three difficulties, with the most notable differences being that, the easier the difficulty, the more slowly a patient’s vitals drop, and the faster the stabilizer raises those vitals. There are <a href="https://traumacentergame.fandom.com/wiki/Difficulty" target="_blank">more specifics</a>, depending on the operation. With that said, even on Easy, this game can be pretty friggin' hard, which shouldn't be surprising considering it was developed by Atlus, a studio with a reputation for difficult games; but it's also set apart by its rough learning curve, and even mundane operations can throw unexpected curveballs if you're not careful or prepared.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjaRaDF2akbUFEWvq3KUHjssiNgGx5ZuzA7tnoDnAMPm3tTEh9k2OOGhX6KUcOEIT75O8wnsbKxConxHDrNYkh4OUD54wTGnZgTxkENQsDXpqr4s-9iBsKeuW2-Eo9fbHsDpyHHQ18gS6ihQkryx4S73cP8cwaNpw1mLEILyTn0I40WJ2m0J4F7eQY-yYI/s1294/26.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRaDF2akbUFEWvq3KUHjssiNgGx5ZuzA7tnoDnAMPm3tTEh9k2OOGhX6KUcOEIT75O8wnsbKxConxHDrNYkh4OUD54wTGnZgTxkENQsDXpqr4s-9iBsKeuW2-Eo9fbHsDpyHHQ18gS6ihQkryx4S73cP8cwaNpw1mLEILyTn0I40WJ2m0J4F7eQY-yYI/s320/26.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There could have been plenty of challenges to be<br />found in "normal", "mundane" operations. But<br />instead, we get weird diseases, over and over.</td></tr></tbody></table>We do get more peculiar operations when playing as Naomi/Nozomi prior to Chapter 6, with new gameplay elements we don’t have anywhere else. Those missions are great. However, once the fight with Delphi takes over the plot, normal operations with regular diseases are basically dropped; from then on, it’s almost always GUILT, cutting into the originality of the missions by having one of the seven strains. It’s a shame, because I would have loved to have more operations of various types. We operate on a heart; on a bomb (yeah, I hated that level, but at least it was creative!); on a patient on a plane, with intermittent turbulences... We even transplant a kidney as Naomi! I wished we had gotten more of those.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That covers it all. If you’ve still got a Wii and feel like checking this game, which as I mentioned, was a launch title for the console... by all means, go for it. The Trauma Center franchise is an oddity of the late ‘00s, almost forgotten to all, which is a shame because it’s a clever idea for a game and it would be very interesting to see what could be done with this idea nowadays.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">See you soon for something else.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-74990425188920919362024-03-08T08:33:00.002-05:002024-03-11T07:56:27.242-04:00Trauma Center: Second Opinion (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uoAag7328byYECC1y0ZgpiFiSzyPwGc6MywIaPF4Ko9xkDZYzPeSf5TqdV9QbtUup-0tAWAL7uqopbzPKRWh2RiMS620IHoyD9K_oqd0SGPN1pcPFQeArRGgnyjDDwLEmoR1mOX31iqbt1HmKrO0S-M8PUsFOdKh-Ip3XldcDf05hfSSGOA_IllJoVQ/s1920/Trauma%20Center%20Second%20Opinion%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uoAag7328byYECC1y0ZgpiFiSzyPwGc6MywIaPF4Ko9xkDZYzPeSf5TqdV9QbtUup-0tAWAL7uqopbzPKRWh2RiMS620IHoyD9K_oqd0SGPN1pcPFQeArRGgnyjDDwLEmoR1mOX31iqbt1HmKrO0S-M8PUsFOdKh-Ip3XldcDf05hfSSGOA_IllJoVQ/w400-h225/Trauma%20Center%20Second%20Opinion%20titlecard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjo5dtaQlNBm3vD1XiKF_EQnM0geMeBJQL4zflxU0LvoEOTwjl4w0nEtIsyoOP-vZAA0qwH_FlZT1Nri4aCh7Y9qiObciq0s1ummeVo4KaN6RmGky9dDVQHVwGmpMY7d5O9M1gPTJ4PQKz0-mRsaKQNj0AevjyyUSerqMWufJnrnW4kAVSrdc9AvnWBKiE/s1439/9.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1439" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5dtaQlNBm3vD1XiKF_EQnM0geMeBJQL4zflxU0LvoEOTwjl4w0nEtIsyoOP-vZAA0qwH_FlZT1Nri4aCh7Y9qiObciq0s1ummeVo4KaN6RmGky9dDVQHVwGmpMY7d5O9M1gPTJ4PQKz0-mRsaKQNj0AevjyyUSerqMWufJnrnW4kAVSrdc9AvnWBKiE/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who needs gloves, anyway?</td></tr></tbody></table>One of the indie games I’ve played for this blog that I keep a soft spot for is Surgeon Simulator. It’s exactly as wacky as it needs to be. Realism? Forget it, just free the old heart, shove the new one in there, and here we go, patient’s good as new. Patching ‘im back up? We’re way too good for that. What? Those organs left on the floor? Those weren’t important. Who cares about a spleen anyway? Alright, next up we put a new eye in this guy's socket-whooops! Lost it! Good thing we had that miniature 8-ball lying around!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Point being, Surgeon Sim is a lot of fun, but we don’t really need a story to go with the kooky procedures. No need for that sort of glazing while we operate on poor ol’ Bob on the table, in the hallways, in the back of an ambulance, or in a zero-G environment. But what if we had a story? Well, as it turns out, indie gaming came to this second. Before the funny surgery game on PC, there was a series of funny surgery games... on Nintendo consoles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I6QpV5CsHolVJEC4IZW6bqQPig1T_dOoC9J-cqwyStECK_2pqZTC1MQwdJt4LCNIPFIzPgscHq2Cq1STsUesDXtnZZU6atWLqXNjkJCzhfUmAqJS0GRSyLSoMPCzmhtn92rJIIvM6PjWTnLp1BP99TQ_prugFOjtcYjSAd9iaY5XhMtF-JcCBb_LeSs/s300/2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I6QpV5CsHolVJEC4IZW6bqQPig1T_dOoC9J-cqwyStECK_2pqZTC1MQwdJt4LCNIPFIzPgscHq2Cq1STsUesDXtnZZU6atWLqXNjkJCzhfUmAqJS0GRSyLSoMPCzmhtn92rJIIvM6PjWTnLp1BP99TQ_prugFOjtcYjSAd9iaY5XhMtF-JcCBb_LeSs/s1600/2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Developed by Atlus, the Trauma Center franchise was a series of five games released from 2005 to 2010. Today’s game, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, is the second game in the series, but it’s a remake for the Wii of the first game, Trauma Center: Under the Knife, originally on the Nintendo DS. The original touch screen gameplay had to be adapted to the new console’s motion controls. Second Opinion is also notable in that it was a launch title, released on November 19th, 2006 alongside the Wii.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This series combines the stress of performing operations with a story delivered visual novel-style. You know the medical drama genre, right? House, ER, Scrubs, “it’s never lupus”? Well, it’s not gonna help much. Trauma Center is to the medical field what Ace Attorney is to practicing law. I hope you weren’t expecting accuracy and realism, is what I’m saying. What can you expect instead? Oh, just wait...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcrRP68yEKGObaMxINBneIheIAbQ_yiD-SoFZ_lgWvBCgLSKwhpDrJ1c8_AuvlOZi0eU6eOIwSFTK9KnQDaPBB1AV_zCM8XCr-3bIcBdOfDYSAQRnsPtQxz6_ztj4JJaoNM6FHPsLlGFDFrK0PQgP5fJJhsO8GY5sKIfRY4aIB9TxjZTOmUmBtQpMUmw/s374/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcrRP68yEKGObaMxINBneIheIAbQ_yiD-SoFZ_lgWvBCgLSKwhpDrJ1c8_AuvlOZi0eU6eOIwSFTK9KnQDaPBB1AV_zCM8XCr-3bIcBdOfDYSAQRnsPtQxz6_ztj4JJaoNM6FHPsLlGFDFrK0PQgP5fJJhsO8GY5sKIfRY4aIB9TxjZTOmUmBtQpMUmw/w228-h320/1.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Dr. Stiles</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgRGVU62PzJBUbdcnMs1wz8t5zNhNWPJyQ54ySphyUURXgDwn8boGgOPEbmMNxn8mSus_KX0s0noxlWTfxgSpPbJ6SGYVQktghyphenhyphenGsxUnh4M4laT-AI6rpTzppyW3JB39C4sHOooBT9imHGlpRGxgm3nJT3mcPVT6mV9dDNY6qUQps03h9RYId2qgCyAy5Y/s1295/4.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1295" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRGVU62PzJBUbdcnMs1wz8t5zNhNWPJyQ54ySphyUURXgDwn8boGgOPEbmMNxn8mSus_KX0s0noxlWTfxgSpPbJ6SGYVQktghyphenhyphenGsxUnh4M4laT-AI6rpTzppyW3JB39C4sHOooBT9imHGlpRGxgm3nJT3mcPVT6mV9dDNY6qUQps03h9RYId2qgCyAy5Y/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By the way, I took my screenshots from the Let's<br />Play on the channel ProZD Plays Games.<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxMzbP3Vutk&list=PLhuTNAac8NW7EYo1TiGmL43KrwcHnW4To" target="_blank">Check it out to see the full game</a>!</td></tr></tbody></table>This 2006 game takes place in the faraway future of... 2018. Technology, including in the medical field, has seen leaps and bounds. We meet our protagonist, Derek Stiles, an up-and-coming new surgeon at Hope Hospital. He is led through his first operations by Nurse Mary Fulton, Hope's surgical assistant, and the hospital's director Greg Kasal (who’ll take on a mentor role and take over if an operation is botched). Derek is quickly shown to be excellent under the pressure of the operating room (...as excellent as YOU can be, that is), but lacking in all other areas of the job. Bedside manners, post-op care, reading and filling the patient files, <i>actually getting to the hospital on time</i>... Jesus, that’s a disaster waiting to happen. We’re starting on the right foot!</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEg5rKMzOU7bk_9-z0XJWUXzEVx0vNn1QLukxsZLPvAhqyYRVo1NVx7bW4jqyU9RaELmGSNOIpI7rlPS1QP1WAuHh6hGn9eg5ynAiGO3-ScJEfqObZMHaemruPo7FFJWJivg_Ip71IuCIOg06YzKRxrAxXeA2lm5XmtMHKkq7KyvQZiZpFImP3sksa4jaIs/s1294/3.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rKMzOU7bk_9-z0XJWUXzEVx0vNn1QLukxsZLPvAhqyYRVo1NVx7bW4jqyU9RaELmGSNOIpI7rlPS1QP1WAuHh6hGn9eg5ynAiGO3-ScJEfqObZMHaemruPo7FFJWJivg_Ip71IuCIOg06YzKRxrAxXeA2lm5XmtMHKkq7KyvQZiZpFImP3sksa4jaIs/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pull these shards out delicately... wouldn't want<br />to make the wounds even larger.</td></tr></tbody></table>On the Episode Select screen, you can select a new episode to play – most are operations, but some are cutscenes. The more notable element to this screen is the ability to change the game’s difficulty at will between Easy, Normal and Hard at any point. The first episode is a tutorial operation, in which we must extract glass shards from the arm of a guy who was in a motorcycle accident, and then suture the wounds. To the game’s credit, briefings before operations use proper medical terminology (“lacerations and foreign objects in upper right brachium”, laparotomy, etc.).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We’re taught the various tools at our disposal. You select one of the eight tools by tilting the Nunchuk’s analog stick in its direction. The tools we’re taught in the first operation:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Stitches: Close a laceration by suturing it with the thread, by holding down the A button and moving along the wound in a zigzag pattern.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Forceps: Required to remove foreign bodies and grab stuff. You hold down A and B to grab an item to remove and set it onto a tray, or put new things in. In the case of foreign objects, you pull them delicately out of their wounds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Antibiotic gel: Like I said, medical tech has advanced greatly This gel is so potent it will close smaller injuries instantly. Spray onto a wound with A. You use the gel to disinfect before making any incision on a patient’s body, and use the gel again after suturing, before applying a bandage. Its use also increases the patient's vitals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Scalpel: To cut open a body part or cut out something in the area being treated, hold down A and follow along the dotted line that appears.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Bandage: Appears instantly at the end of all procedures; hold down A to apply it along the length of the operation wound after it has been stitched and disinfected.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrEcvT2j9NGyl_mDuCfZdHBlJfG4QYnN0Mu-A03imVAVoIPWgrls4on8dVBjvjCUbFfHGWp_8T1vacP89sKOu8LrsU4YeburcaZH4Qk4HTSAOo_WWMkHhJv1XV7g6UPNZf6GtbwcpI1GTZ05wLWCx7S__r0hmWNxONxt3kJFxmltizB2tIaMqKaNl8Vk/s1294/6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrEcvT2j9NGyl_mDuCfZdHBlJfG4QYnN0Mu-A03imVAVoIPWgrls4on8dVBjvjCUbFfHGWp_8T1vacP89sKOu8LrsU4YeburcaZH4Qk4HTSAOo_WWMkHhJv1XV7g6UPNZf6GtbwcpI1GTZ05wLWCx7S__r0hmWNxONxt3kJFxmltizB2tIaMqKaNl8Vk/w320-h244/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And keep in mind that you don't have infinite<br />thread, so don't waste time making drawn-out<br />sutures.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgqf3KtmaUeqtU2KVNttzXb49Y6dzXqFtUP9_T88iPWwRp2EhYKNKgsKHtWCOcuk8-uKMJ9BK0qujPqGNqxF1meS0o-Vca80LX2mfn5669L7wwO_U-5QBa_aHkBQWrWsHI2C_WtZEJeRZTD4FmCLVTkPEklRgi69rz4BMhnVZNxEtLS_mHkAol5egcX8SA/s1295/7.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1295" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqf3KtmaUeqtU2KVNttzXb49Y6dzXqFtUP9_T88iPWwRp2EhYKNKgsKHtWCOcuk8-uKMJ9BK0qujPqGNqxF1meS0o-Vca80LX2mfn5669L7wwO_U-5QBa_aHkBQWrWsHI2C_WtZEJeRZTD4FmCLVTkPEklRgi69rz4BMhnVZNxEtLS_mHkAol5egcX8SA/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flirting's not gonna help much when the new<br />nurse comes around.</td></tr></tbody></table>I’ll be snarky when the story goes crazy (because it will), and obviously we’re playing somewhat loose with the realism of surgical operations in the interest of gameplay, but so far, it feels great to do every step in the process. This blows Surgeon Simulator out of the water and exposes it for the extremely silly game it is – Trauma Center feels like a far more varied and interesting game in comparison.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, it’s not all perfect. Trauma Center: Second Opinion is a remake for the Wii of a Nintendo DS game, which was bound to lead to issues. You cannot be as precise with motion controls as you could be on a touch screen. It’s most obvious when suturing a wound, but it’s also clear with every other tool, simply because you can see how the cursor twitches in place with your every action. Surgeons need steady hands; I guess I ain’t changing careers anytime soon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Angie</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Still not feeling the weight of his position, Derek still fails to be attentive prior to operations, leading to errors. This time, we must excise a tumor in a patient’s distal stomach. (I bet the patient’s family name being <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Laurie" target="_blank">Laurie</a> is not an accident.) Over the following operations, we learn to use the other tools:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgoFSAHAeaGqVhbCwAqZsxaSmywBnFo0w1hJXF1cujrANyApi6gvHOSFsZi0hS-fPeNJ1JLdliLJcvsCXEPDplRE6aAHFpcSQ7U5eD8cGzrNMdQmH-WRiVxIm7Bfkb1CMY0UIKgI55NydsCnr1Rf07GSXa6Qn7vAUHE0tQIMnP0l7igSLRprEWwiHHzClc/s1294/5.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFSAHAeaGqVhbCwAqZsxaSmywBnFo0w1hJXF1cujrANyApi6gvHOSFsZi0hS-fPeNJ1JLdliLJcvsCXEPDplRE6aAHFpcSQ7U5eD8cGzrNMdQmH-WRiVxIm7Bfkb1CMY0UIKgI55NydsCnr1Rf07GSXa6Qn7vAUHE0tQIMnP0l7igSLRprEWwiHHzClc/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As the end credits will helpfully tell you, this<br />game doesn't substitute for med school. Don't<br />go think you can remove tumors just because<br />a game told you to drain out the cytoplasm.</td></tr></tbody></table>-Syringe: The patient’s vitals are represented at the top of the screen by a bar that goes down regularly – to increase their vitals, press A to dip a syringe into the vial of green stabilizer and then just inject it anywhere. Anywhere, no danger, no problem. The future! The same tool is used whenever other solutions have to be used to treat the patient.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Zoom/Ultrasound: Used to first zoom in on a smaller area of the part we’re working on. Then, the ultrasound must be used to detect things to deal with that are hidden within the body part. After which you'll generally cut those out with the scalpel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Drain: Before working on some health problems, sometimes stuff must be drained out (ex. Cytoplasm for tumors, blood over cuts, or gases). Hold the A button while keeping the drain steady over the stuff to drain it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Synthetic membrane: Like the bandage, this appears on-screen after a health issue has been treated, you pick it up with the forceps, apply it to the freshly treated area, and spray some gel on it to meld it with the tissue.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Laser: Is required to hit very specific spots that are affected, like polyps. Also activated by pressing A. Prolonged use tends to hurt the patient’s vitals, and in some operations, can even cause bleeding.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqb5_laB_6FW0sWub0dkWgTZH7Iqnf5l3OCXIZLjOK_7VG2VTMl6meMPKBNjyd61CKBCsO9WX72J6v-FARHts8E6UrUzv8Lbm-DkpYsuqfMAISkTge5u5ex0o-3VWyfHA1lFepQZ2e9EBd6A8VSlVfbv2u5PeZWctB4GNwI4drbevCv2HJMdXsRG3_scA/s1294/8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqb5_laB_6FW0sWub0dkWgTZH7Iqnf5l3OCXIZLjOK_7VG2VTMl6meMPKBNjyd61CKBCsO9WX72J6v-FARHts8E6UrUzv8Lbm-DkpYsuqfMAISkTge5u5ex0o-3VWyfHA1lFepQZ2e9EBd6A8VSlVfbv2u5PeZWctB4GNwI4drbevCv2HJMdXsRG3_scA/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello, nurse Thompson. How long till Derek<br />also calls her his lovely assistant? Nah, this is<br />gonna be like an anime, it will take seven<br />seasons before they really get together.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEg8UjWJNotR6p6qI-Hr228Sw6kLGnekpD7okGjq2L0aV0S-2nU4VaWyBzRbAyPR6bwIvdO3D-Bc8IQIVUC0430Cb7nrY4mmdNDjGC3oGidSU8TL01xSMlxZF89-ucbn9iS4rdx8b84abJaWzlQG3P2_NgrKZP6UeEGNx8xGIIoUmdctsCNBb256s9BF28Y/s1294/9.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UjWJNotR6p6qI-Hr228Sw6kLGnekpD7okGjq2L0aV0S-2nU4VaWyBzRbAyPR6bwIvdO3D-Bc8IQIVUC0430Cb7nrY4mmdNDjGC3oGidSU8TL01xSMlxZF89-ucbn9iS4rdx8b84abJaWzlQG3P2_NgrKZP6UeEGNx8xGIIoUmdctsCNBb256s9BF28Y/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Give him a chance, this is still Chapter 1!</td></tr></tbody></table>Nurse Mary announces that her husband is moving away for work and so must she, but she’ll remain loyal to the cause and be hired at another hospital. A promising new nurse named Angie Thompson is hired to assist Doctor Stiles. Angie quickly shows her colors, being well-meaning enough but having zero patience for Derek’s skill gaps in all parts of the job outside of operating.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This culminates into a catastrophic event where Derek, who has just operated on a patient, doesn’t do his due diligence in post-op and goes to relax, only to be called back in a hurry later that evening as the patient’s situation is worsened. It's corrected in the nick of time. He gets rightfully called out on it and feels no end of guilt over this grave mistake, and Angie even questions his skills as a doctor if he’s so careless outside the O.R. and willing to dump the post-op workload onto his assistant so quickly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhdqv3GvYNCimaR7BiQz-cTScgTO2dHld1s7oYmWpCbmf1L1qBmdlrRBM5YYz2O9FXJvY5SQhLs56CHCa_V0w8Nlv5-zmP3nw90vLNSXxZ-wrP-pkE1iBflLnBRx-ZZkJgetF66I7K4l-k1ev0y4ftKnnd1E1BU_iTZ3JutV_Nwi8sdkiQSeLIyekJYkyY/s1294/10.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqv3GvYNCimaR7BiQz-cTScgTO2dHld1s7oYmWpCbmf1L1qBmdlrRBM5YYz2O9FXJvY5SQhLs56CHCa_V0w8Nlv5-zmP3nw90vLNSXxZ-wrP-pkE1iBflLnBRx-ZZkJgetF66I7K4l-k1ev0y4ftKnnd1E1BU_iTZ3JutV_Nwi8sdkiQSeLIyekJYkyY/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only 16? This calls for stabilizer, right now!</td></tr></tbody></table>Despite this, that same night, Derek hears about a bad car accident and, knowing that the victims will be taken to their E.R. and that his superior is out of town, he returns to the hospital to tend to them right away. This time, Angie is overwhelmed, but Derek shows his saving grace: Complete self-control and focus while in the O.R., which allows them to save those lives and redeem him in his colleagues’ eyes. (This also brings another tool, the defibrillator, used by holding down Z and B, holding the remotes forwards towards the screen, and pressing both buttons when the gauge reaches the green area. “CLEAR!”)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This medical drama is getting good! I hope they don’t jump the shark with weird anime powers or diseases or over-the-top villains or something!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Healing Touch</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEigNT8uLA_5PeFNmCJObFwQfiD-6j0HI8Fbu7BAdzZe0bk_bgNInF60E_d4fYPkU4VvSGS7DRegvK0eGP201ngn-H6e1XziwZkYc5tQvpNzzLTleqkQDwqna9ptM9iutkYDtC_Cnjf3jmdgPqIh3if1ut4GXyUWPSpA_LmVBFKXMIzF9F8QKq7PK0GrcS0/s1294/12.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNT8uLA_5PeFNmCJObFwQfiD-6j0HI8Fbu7BAdzZe0bk_bgNInF60E_d4fYPkU4VvSGS7DRegvK0eGP201ngn-H6e1XziwZkYc5tQvpNzzLTleqkQDwqna9ptM9iutkYDtC_Cnjf3jmdgPqIh3if1ut4GXyUWPSpA_LmVBFKXMIzF9F8QKq7PK0GrcS0/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Healing Touch is going to turn Derek<br />into a star surgeon.</td></tr></tbody></table>During the previous operation, Derek exhibited a strange skill; it’s as if time slowed from his point of view, allowing him to perform super-fast for a short moment. In the next operation involving removing thrombi in a spleen’s blood vessels, Derek activates that ability by accident again. When footage of the operation is reviewed, Derek is called in by Hope Hospital’s director, Robert Hoffman, who explains that Dr. Stiles may have the Healing Touch, a skill seemingly passed down from Asclepius the God of medicine himself and allowing doctors to treat even incurable diseases.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">...what did I just friggin’ say about weird anime powers?!?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgQwE_e2ojKosxdO_HSEO0skyBKfqnep1YvopMp8Hl69Q8x14zB-ocu8R3NNYbLI4kP70ZpK79cNxGT6uDkKfTeheetk7Lqp0XKooORXVQPskxxhPuznLpDbQ1BSQzHNb_SoYmycD4r8VZtGS0d5xujkUXq3rB4pErdXHgiTzsufIutO3AO6Pri7ZBE_oE/s1294/13.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwE_e2ojKosxdO_HSEO0skyBKfqnep1YvopMp8Hl69Q8x14zB-ocu8R3NNYbLI4kP70ZpK79cNxGT6uDkKfTeheetk7Lqp0XKooORXVQPskxxhPuznLpDbQ1BSQzHNb_SoYmycD4r8VZtGS0d5xujkUXq3rB4pErdXHgiTzsufIutO3AO6Pri7ZBE_oE/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wouldn't be the only time you guys run in and<br />save my patient because I screwed up!</td></tr></tbody></table>Derek is advised against using it because he is told it will consume his life, as explained by Hoffman himself. The director swore off operating when a procedure during which he used the ability went horribly wrong. Derek opts not to listen and instead practices the skill. During an operation, you activate Derek’s Healing Touch by holding down Z and B and drawing a star shape on the screen. Our protagonist later uses the ability while treating multiple aneurysms on a large intestine. After the operation, Derek blacks out for three days, further highlighting the skill's risks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgXOhwqPqLao-K7InxNgq9WV2Mf_Erj8iWgMWPe-0ybU-TOvbMwUzTWUqBfJNwmLwzkBI6dcM54fO5zfc87pATBGCw_yOeLVk5HBMe_ozxPfvxAhU83-hELOUMWRmptkRnNg2Z3wHcUJWXDDGxaozKmxtzxUGpXYkCMoz2T-pplwjsta-tchPDCOcWh3zA/s1295/11.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1295" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOhwqPqLao-K7InxNgq9WV2Mf_Erj8iWgMWPe-0ybU-TOvbMwUzTWUqBfJNwmLwzkBI6dcM54fO5zfc87pATBGCw_yOeLVk5HBMe_ozxPfvxAhU83-hELOUMWRmptkRnNg2Z3wHcUJWXDDGxaozKmxtzxUGpXYkCMoz2T-pplwjsta-tchPDCOcWh3zA/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much as I appreciate the creativity of the<br />diseases we'll fight later down the line, I do<br />wish we had more of these "mundane"<br />operations in the game.</td></tr></tbody></table>We are also introduced a second story path, Chapter Z, featuring a different character, Dr. Nozomi Weaver. She also has a Healing Touch, but in her case, doing healing actions successfully while the ability is active will increase the patient’s vitals, without a need for the stabilizer. For now, only one level features her per chapter, and they tend to have gimmick elements. Her first operation involves reconstructing an arm’s bone, placing the broken fragments together in the right position and turning them with the forceps.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back to Derek, the next patient we help is a teenaged girl suffering from severe wounds, who also exhibits suicidal tendencies. We rescue her, but even after she has recovered her well-being is still put into question. It appears she took experimental treatments that may have impacted her mental well-being. This time, Derek works to bond with the girl and bring her in a better mood. His bedside manners end up helping her wellness tremendously. However, her status worsens shortly afterwards, and this time she does want to survive, therefore we work extra hard to save her.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhhVB4X4hFxISDUowbAPXUnTAUpWDRfBcMIIlrxlFMISL8EZLQNdFmvoSlec20Twv4uTw1U77xj-r5H0wbNoopL14Mg9i26weUb6IP-TlxxrjcXLylwBPpucpsNBiV5tT3M3AIJOkaSPIZ8FCzXsLsXhz4IeLKXi3ywgJPa-_RbtLke3SXwIS8P9JFYn7U/s1294/14.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhVB4X4hFxISDUowbAPXUnTAUpWDRfBcMIIlrxlFMISL8EZLQNdFmvoSlec20Twv4uTw1U77xj-r5H0wbNoopL14Mg9i26weUb6IP-TlxxrjcXLylwBPpucpsNBiV5tT3M3AIJOkaSPIZ8FCzXsLsXhz4IeLKXi3ywgJPa-_RbtLke3SXwIS8P9JFYn7U/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And when it's cut out... eradicate it like an ant <br />under a magnifying flass held by a kid!</td></tr></tbody></table>So, we patch up the girl’s new interior wounds, but then more appear. Oh great, what’s this now... Wait. Did I see something move? Are we dealing with parasites now? Dr. Kasal recognizes this as a variant of GUILT. We must kill it by spotting it with the ultrasounds, excising it with the scalpel, and then shooting it with a laser. When we kill one, another pops up. There’s four of those in total. Though we successfully save the girl, we can only dread what comes next.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">GUILT is the collective name for the many strains of a nasty disease created by a medical terrorist organization called Delphi, which considers modern medicine an unnatural way of prolonging the lives of those fated to die. So, y’know, instead of just letting life run its course, they instead invented ultra-deadly diseases and inject them into a whole bunch of people to kill them faster, even though this means they’re literally toying with the fates of others, just in the opposite direction that doctors do. The hypocrisy is real. I already hate these villains and want to kick the shit out of them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Weird diseases? Check. Over-the-top villains? Fuckin’ Check. We’ve gone full anime. And we’re just at the end of Chapter 2 out of 6!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>GUILT (Gangliated Utrophin Immuno Latency Toxin)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjAFMNs-kBY3O4dk8vbdL2faWhMpR4OqxS_5aTPYJmj7hHRa4LRki7PbOy0lc-CJtAtwaq465s87QExqcruz3_5RHw8XKU3RHQl_g-cdirOu2z8yoi9npT2lGpEIZqiXE7fkT1NQueqDW4xya633ozzlUdynSq4jmYfe-TWftCm_ewr3yNp2-XqjalhWRY/s1294/15.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFMNs-kBY3O4dk8vbdL2faWhMpR4OqxS_5aTPYJmj7hHRa4LRki7PbOy0lc-CJtAtwaq465s87QExqcruz3_5RHw8XKU3RHQl_g-cdirOu2z8yoi9npT2lGpEIZqiXE7fkT1NQueqDW4xya633ozzlUdynSq4jmYfe-TWftCm_ewr3yNp2-XqjalhWRY/s320/15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearly this guy wasn't the fun twin of the two<br />when they were growing up.</td></tr></tbody></table>Having shown his skills against the new dastardly threat, Derek is offered a place at Caduceus, a center focused on research on intractable diseases, including GUILT and its many forms. Our protagonist eventually agrees to join them, and Angie comes along. There, we meet several new characters: Sidney Kasal, twin brother of Greg and chief director of Caduceus; Stephen Clark, the place’s veteran surgeon; Richard Anderson, the Secretary of Health and Human Services; Cybil Myers, anesthesiology specialist and ex-cop; and Victor Niguel, the grumpy head of the research division, who’ll get the job done but never with a smile.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The more surprising one is Tyler Chase, who studied alongside Derek at med school. A short arc involves him hiding his role as euthanasist at Caudeus, facilitating death on what looks like hopeless cases. He’s snapped out of it and chooses to dedicate himself to try and make even the toughest cases survive after his kid sister is rescued from a GUILT strain by Derek.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKljfL_ub_tYV1ZJ6VUJm6wRaRmMAD7INlPFgYqJeyZVJLpPoy541s8lztRIwmBZ-3RlRj4O-IoFnuJ5hHd6tu1FhNlfvWJ904VYC2-uBHjEo1YtV4arER_dyMoUOleCf9jKS2oYcIS8fG06BhFmtqj5vD2JRazz8Rn5vneY9OOw86f2wqW3Z1UPid74I/s1294/16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKljfL_ub_tYV1ZJ6VUJm6wRaRmMAD7INlPFgYqJeyZVJLpPoy541s8lztRIwmBZ-3RlRj4O-IoFnuJ5hHd6tu1FhNlfvWJ904VYC2-uBHjEo1YtV4arER_dyMoUOleCf9jKS2oYcIS8fG06BhFmtqj5vD2JRazz8Rn5vneY9OOw86f2wqW3Z1UPid74I/s320/16.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Deftera strain of GUILT would be cute,<br />were it not for... y'know... those thing existing<br />to kill innocent people, children included.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEguhO6PZzKmUFunHtJ571RYOv5zR53TptujCkNJ6PudRJvSpPoAn9SAF8A4xTXP-jOYy083145znojegnE3dQVjuNkZOb1zeX6PKn0Ins_iGSVEgeixe-NbCshaeTJ7Bwa9BqfwBfEetCXgtHwZZ28jM-YnGX2glujMhBslI3UuFdGzMhlxsGGXpddGKcc/s1294/17.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhO6PZzKmUFunHtJ571RYOv5zR53TptujCkNJ6PudRJvSpPoAn9SAF8A4xTXP-jOYy083145znojegnE3dQVjuNkZOb1zeX6PKn0Ins_iGSVEgeixe-NbCshaeTJ7Bwa9BqfwBfEetCXgtHwZZ28jM-YnGX2glujMhBslI3UuFdGzMhlxsGGXpddGKcc/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have the experience! YOU do it!</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For his work, Doctor Stiles is selected to speak at an international conference held between the branches of Caduceus across the world. Derek attends, but the meeting is interrupted by a Delphi terrorist attack with a bomb left at the conference. Well, guess what? <i>We operate on the goddamn bomb to turn it off</i>... with help from Cybil, who learned a thing or two from bomb squad back in her days in the force. Jesus, and I thought surgeons needed nerves of steel! I’ll stick to the OR, thank you very much! (I hated that level's difficulty, but I appreciate its creativity.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxM6KI1xBnfYXmo-oaqV9mB0BtnBNkFDAdUfIIMOi_0HADckRWP8HLJl6rn_ZnLpKZKSODCEDu8HD-zpkqJgvJOWWNPNkILD5GF6Sosz2uIDa-bpLjoP94PjCCIddnxUUEbD_SLzcRkGSr7EmSp4MJ3V0G0iqVkVf0xDPk5UdB7iuq-isoQmbKgyh5HFU/s1294/18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="988" data-original-width="1294" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxM6KI1xBnfYXmo-oaqV9mB0BtnBNkFDAdUfIIMOi_0HADckRWP8HLJl6rn_ZnLpKZKSODCEDu8HD-zpkqJgvJOWWNPNkILD5GF6Sosz2uIDa-bpLjoP94PjCCIddnxUUEbD_SLzcRkGSr7EmSp4MJ3V0G0iqVkVf0xDPk5UdB7iuq-isoQmbKgyh5HFU/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Took me a while to figure out the pattern and how<br />to safely break the hexagon panels.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhxDaqoDBGE0AIIMrmUQ32gnFEmaxFI3Gwk91xYrWnaXrGU0a4PClkJEawk-uTPPxo6WSbpRQ1FZTbdzdp-MmisjLJ6XcXOoS708dagxOrgWvcEsNhh9TfbDjus8UGYvJl-BvM27xA9qcI0fSC2qXVAnjsvacHB79Dgm5cjm0zPUIigsyoV89aHN0FGTSM/s1294/19.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1294" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDaqoDBGE0AIIMrmUQ32gnFEmaxFI3Gwk91xYrWnaXrGU0a4PClkJEawk-uTPPxo6WSbpRQ1FZTbdzdp-MmisjLJ6XcXOoS708dagxOrgWvcEsNhh9TfbDjus8UGYvJl-BvM27xA9qcI0fSC2qXVAnjsvacHB79Dgm5cjm0zPUIigsyoV89aHN0FGTSM/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you pull a triangle while there are two thorns<br />next to each other on a separate triangle, and<br />they're not on the edges, those will spawn<br />new triangles (new triangles can't spawn outside<br />the edges of the organ). You have to remove<br />every thorn you can (though you can ignore the<br />edge ones) before pulling out triangles. Then, you<br />can focus on the edge thorns and triangles, when<br />that's all that's left. Beware of thorns turning into<br />gas, drain it out fast. Oh, and thorns respawn<br />regularly, so you need to act fast. (If you ever<br />play this game, I hope this was useful!)</td></tr></tbody></table>Following the conference, we’re taken to Africa to investigate a research lab where GUILT strains were seemingly created. Of course, because a doctor never gets to take a day off, we operate on someone on the plane (while there are turbulences!). In Africa, the team finds the lab, which contains a lot of important info on the new diseases... and then they operate on another new strain in a young child found in the area. That strain, Triti, is the most annoying one, being puzzle-based on top of requiring extremely fast reflexes. Most guides about it comment on how stupidly complicated and difficult it is. You might eventually figure it out, through heaps of trial and error, but it can take a long while. Forget the bomb, THIS is the level I hated the most. It has no business being that complicated - but if you want the abridged version, I left a mini-guide with the picture here.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the boy is cured, the team returns to America, only to learn that Greg Kasal, Derek’s mentor at Hope, has been hospitalized at Cadeuceus due to a GUILT strain...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Good shows know when to pull a cliffhanger, and so do I – let’s continue with Chapter 4 <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/03/truma-center-second-opinion-part-2.html" target="_blank">in Part 2</a>.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-67909852652406721722024-03-04T07:13:00.000-05:002024-03-04T07:13:29.070-05:00VGFlicks: Pokémon Detective Pikachu (Part 4)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> – <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part_26.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> – <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/03/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part.html" target="_blank">Part 3</a> – <b>Part 4</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Clifford</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1J407grT05YaaR-2HVNe4NUgLFwnTTRWn_O3uGSwKTFYUxirj9Hc01dTXJDX3_W9kj849UoYSmChOMVGYTILxPg2H2rkdphJENq8kmIeRq-fJQwBsLMkNvDsDZBtAhBJtZHnvRfEKy30_QUsoYkS55UtJZKBvldieWmb7Kv4aUCosAIievPx5Godo_w/s1920/56.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1J407grT05YaaR-2HVNe4NUgLFwnTTRWn_O3uGSwKTFYUxirj9Hc01dTXJDX3_W9kj849UoYSmChOMVGYTILxPg2H2rkdphJENq8kmIeRq-fJQwBsLMkNvDsDZBtAhBJtZHnvRfEKy30_QUsoYkS55UtJZKBvldieWmb7Kv4aUCosAIievPx5Godo_w/w400-h169/56.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yeah, that's the face of a savior of humanity right there.<br />Everybody knows that every hero's favorite face to make<br />is the friggin' Kubrick Stare. It looks so nice and heroic! /s</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the end of Part 3, Tim met with Howard Clifford only to see the man wearing the neural link from PCL on his head. A capsule containing Mewtwo emerges, showing the Legendary Pokémon also wearing a similar device. When Clifford activates it, his body in the chair goes numb, but Mewtwo’s face turns into an evil scowl betraying the new mind that’s taken over. Even its voice, originally a mix of male and female, is now Howard’s. Now that he's in control of the world’s most powerful Pokémon, the old man now can’t help but reveal everything, then gloat or monologue. Bad guys, amirite? It’s like I said earlier, never trust a billionaire.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgny0rqqQTcj0BCqTc2DhrikUKH4ASF6bGUiLTXmntk3k3ld8rTsHRr2WXk9NUAfikpeMKG_pT3wm71r8MdXEd6bsJaCOAZTyjA0RjoAER1pweBdiAjl-ez6ajc8p5LqjK0lFBFufSXFeIBXUA-G6d0FGARR16mfbkRyfvwnh5xJac2oEUaF84ljgcNu5I/s1920/58.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgny0rqqQTcj0BCqTc2DhrikUKH4ASF6bGUiLTXmntk3k3ld8rTsHRr2WXk9NUAfikpeMKG_pT3wm71r8MdXEd6bsJaCOAZTyjA0RjoAER1pweBdiAjl-ez6ajc8p5LqjK0lFBFufSXFeIBXUA-G6d0FGARR16mfbkRyfvwnh5xJac2oEUaF84ljgcNu5I/w400-h169/58.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mewtwo using its mouth to talk instead of using telepathy<br />is somehow extra creepy.</td></tr></tbody></table>He DID hire Harry to catch Mewtwo, but the detective refused the money and did some digging, following a hunch. He discovered the experiments, and he and his Pikachu freed Mewtwo. We know what happens next. When Tim came around, Howard used the son to track down the Legendary beast. As for the evil plan? The R gas makes Pokémon go feral, pushing their minds back. And Mewtwo happens to have the ability to implant human souls (and/or minds, I guess?) within Pokémon bodies, which can be done either through willing participation from the Pokémon or when they’re frenzied.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEir9mGxp3M3frx1L6A-KIIue_zWJCUkiDHnRxyKsFFSFz0gH1-ni8yqYWfnzza-VefaZToj6t8aNtlLN2LHwshyphenhypheno3aw0NPQoWb-OVu8-8vvHsWv1cR1qRrh4yIsAJdc9nZnZR86c_AgO7hl-GgdCfbC_WzJdU6fkxTNsJP5_NDIXrx2eYC-3hEwubhRkSI/s1920/57.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9mGxp3M3frx1L6A-KIIue_zWJCUkiDHnRxyKsFFSFz0gH1-ni8yqYWfnzza-VefaZToj6t8aNtlLN2LHwshyphenhypheno3aw0NPQoWb-OVu8-8vvHsWv1cR1qRrh4yIsAJdc9nZnZR86c_AgO7hl-GgdCfbC_WzJdU6fkxTNsJP5_NDIXrx2eYC-3hEwubhRkSI/w400-h170/57.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right, inhabiting the body of the "world's most powerful<br />Pokémon" also means access to phenomenal psychic powers.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The parade floats are filled with R gas, and Howard, fueled by his lifelong obsession with Pokémon evolution and “becoming better versions of ourselves”, plans to force every human at the parade into the body of their partner Pokémon. Of course, to do that, Clifford put himself into the body of the world’s most powerful Pokémon, hoping to rule over his new, um, kin. Yeah, guess his son wasn’t wrong calling out his god complex earlier in the film, huh?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjv8dovn0LUQWW8bMI2dpcV32-ACBrs58cO1fwTrbEAaM1qzBhMClrLbf9eb0agFMeAMitlXi2UytE59_wqJhvDi_S3fCw0Sh32Aehxao6HidbPvQCrjom37ZBIQrcDiQMc2QboR1eukZnbz1r8gEYxwB5yN7wFeUGWQLN402mSTYV7cV16LHuIJuRvnBs/s1920/59.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8dovn0LUQWW8bMI2dpcV32-ACBrs58cO1fwTrbEAaM1qzBhMClrLbf9eb0agFMeAMitlXi2UytE59_wqJhvDi_S3fCw0Sh32Aehxao6HidbPvQCrjom37ZBIQrcDiQMc2QboR1eukZnbz1r8gEYxwB5yN7wFeUGWQLN402mSTYV7cV16LHuIJuRvnBs/w400-h169/59.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those powers work fast, damn.</td></tr></tbody></table>Harold-in-Mewtwo shoves Tim aside, then descends into the streets to announce his grand plan to the crowd. He claims his idea is a cure for the weaknesses of humanity. He breaks the floats, releasing the R everywhere. Lieutenant Yoshida, in the crowd, tries to call for backup but is attacked by his Snubbull. Lucy tries to get to a camera to warn the residents of Ryme City not to let their Pokémon breathe the gas. Howard’s rampage catches up to them, leading to the humans’ bodies disappearing, absorbed into their partners.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEi4JP2DWmUXNDyR-ZUgbWEZHhtzgS-5Y7V0Jl0JpbJ9JvfwQEfccGcYLEVjEKO2jRFQpoi1cnpDuflTCMaEx7Takvod1yJJiIIPmBpScWgxgilaRo-451ZNG8LsL2VtxvtOMOzitLAq5TokBfxlhLPvdLnnSUanq3HxcPchvDZaq6W9IFOhuPH-yBvzsU8/s1920/60.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JP2DWmUXNDyR-ZUgbWEZHhtzgS-5Y7V0Jl0JpbJ9JvfwQEfccGcYLEVjEKO2jRFQpoi1cnpDuflTCMaEx7Takvod1yJJiIIPmBpScWgxgilaRo-451ZNG8LsL2VtxvtOMOzitLAq5TokBfxlhLPvdLnnSUanq3HxcPchvDZaq6W9IFOhuPH-yBvzsU8/w400-h170/60.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This feels forced, yet who cares? It looks cool,<br />and that's what matters.</td></tr></tbody></table>Pikachu, who has run all the way from the wilderness into the city, arrives just after every human has been struck by Mewtwo’s psychic wave. He meets Lucy in Psyduck’s body, who explains the situation. Knowing he must make things right, Pikachu climbs onto one of the floats in the air and confronts the madman. Apparently, he didn’t just do this long-ass trip in record time, he also learned to master all his moves, from Thunderbolt to Volt Tackle! And this is gonna be one Hell of a fight. Pikachu VS Mewtwo, on top of Pokémon-shaped floats? I could’ve sworn I’ve seen that before.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Harry</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Howard Clifford would have a great plan, if it weren’t that it leaves his original body defenseless. Tim has come to the same conclusion; rip the neural transmitter off, bye-bye connection. However, before he can act on this plan, muffled sounds come from the closet; in there, he finds a tied-up and gagged Roger Clifford. Holy Hell, he did that to his own son? When his mouth is freed, Roger yells at Tim about something behind him; Tim turns around, to see the sunglasses-wearing Roger.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7xuYgPiDg-CgZuEg65wlyJkbY2xfYMfpsYyE0ge5-AZO9GACb1t1QXmOpnP-aHmIrBnjWRsqUHxIoFUlbEFCwJwaZ3cD23q6k46krWSAmnVAltWORiwt9cvhdF1GKwWAr-2VltkqVumv7rl9Tc2nzf6aXHJn50o06XOkWUBwsFuHjCe6QfYjrMdVv7k/s1920/62.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1626" data-original-width="1920" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7xuYgPiDg-CgZuEg65wlyJkbY2xfYMfpsYyE0ge5-AZO9GACb1t1QXmOpnP-aHmIrBnjWRsqUHxIoFUlbEFCwJwaZ3cD23q6k46krWSAmnVAltWORiwt9cvhdF1GKwWAr-2VltkqVumv7rl9Tc2nzf6aXHJn50o06XOkWUBwsFuHjCe6QfYjrMdVv7k/w400-h339/62.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh good, Clifford's doing human cloning too.<br />Or he's relying on a very different type of cloning.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEitXTQsNNd4hsM87_RaJ2EteaUKGuL3sGE5YHy-cixl68eoPC6W6P4O_uRwETh6356bP36QJz8QWgNCcH4IrEoKaIevGSNf0IB-_U8MFLhvuklqe2CWPc4xtqsr_qwd22bHsjM-ofh6kp52Itk0KlS_aZj-5SHRJXT7F_cCsVtMmbJN_JQYgdQ_nYSfr1M/s1920/61.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1627" data-original-width="1920" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXTQsNNd4hsM87_RaJ2EteaUKGuL3sGE5YHy-cixl68eoPC6W6P4O_uRwETh6356bP36QJz8QWgNCcH4IrEoKaIevGSNf0IB-_U8MFLhvuklqe2CWPc4xtqsr_qwd22bHsjM-ofh6kp52Itk0KlS_aZj-5SHRJXT7F_cCsVtMmbJN_JQYgdQ_nYSfr1M/w400-h339/61.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the Internet would say, "...Still would."</td></tr></tbody></table>While I did figure out the film’s main twist easily, this one took me by surprise when I saw it in theaters. Like everyone else, Howard has a partner Pokémon: A Ditto. Normally, those can only transform into Pokémon they’re looking at, but this one was genetically-enhanced to transform into humans and other Pokémon at will, cycling through forms effortlessly. Earlier in the film, we see it turn into a human to become Howard's handler. But I didn’t click that every time we saw someone with sunglasses on, it was the Ditto in disguise. Why the glasses? Like one featured in the anime, this Ditto's only flaw is that its eyes always remain black beads. It’s unsettling. And by the time of the reveal, it’s very likely you’ve forgotten about Ditto. It plays dirty, too, switching between forms and even turning into Lucy to attack Tim.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, Pikachu fights Howard over the rooftops, while the man occasionally flies by his office to encourage his Ditto. When Tim is in danger of falling from the very high floor of the office, Pikachu Volt Tackles the goddamn Mewtwo into the building. Reminder that this is an average Pokémon against something that’s been compared to a god. Hot damn, how much power is Harry’s Pikachu packing?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSHuDqTmInIieVq-SPfNBUcK8jRqp16qqBLIc3jczxMjsBeXVn5pp0EZEeWXL8UIuDoAmiGhWJnv4GHfFrBMwb9JhbhKw_JOMzORDkj6ajfop7I1xCHVeqZ6BE09HVLEkrPTEFR5O-TcD51fEurjjHuEYaPeqlyw1I04o-E-wnc8e4nFwQHbb-EAUPVA/s360/63.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="151" data-original-width="360" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSHuDqTmInIieVq-SPfNBUcK8jRqp16qqBLIc3jczxMjsBeXVn5pp0EZEeWXL8UIuDoAmiGhWJnv4GHfFrBMwb9JhbhKw_JOMzORDkj6ajfop7I1xCHVeqZ6BE09HVLEkrPTEFR5O-TcD51fEurjjHuEYaPeqlyw1I04o-E-wnc8e4nFwQHbb-EAUPVA/w400-h168/63.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Badass! Also, watchins this on a loop is satisfying.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As for Tim, he’s saved by Roger, the real one. Part of the reason why the twist of Howard being the actual villain works so well is that what little we saw of the real Roger Clifford didn’t paint a very good picture of the guy, making it believable that he’d be behind everything. (As a matter of fact, in the original Detective Pikachu game, where Howard doesn’t exist, Roger IS the main villain.) There was his outburst at the studio, and then his cruel takedown of Lucy when she came to him with the story about the R – he was a dick about it, sure, but he was right that she needed proper sources. Almost every other time he appears, he has sunglasses on. I like when an adaptation pulls a new twist that makes sense in-universe yet is also still in line with the work being adapted. It's a very tough balancing act.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpgLDXuN8rCbq0dKa4DRC_4QEZkc5F2uLogGGcKu8Y0KdvjZ9vfitRMnSb1XnLQt-zHWgld1gbAN7I6NyOxLPwS_bWFw7t_BNQ3RP5ad8E4BS-Q3nGD95jlESo-hFm6SU1JeyT3LyvIKZzghEh1z8L9lWP1lv_COpwqu_CjG0I5GUSVUj9Bq05KnTKX8/s1920/65.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpgLDXuN8rCbq0dKa4DRC_4QEZkc5F2uLogGGcKu8Y0KdvjZ9vfitRMnSb1XnLQt-zHWgld1gbAN7I6NyOxLPwS_bWFw7t_BNQ3RP5ad8E4BS-Q3nGD95jlESo-hFm6SU1JeyT3LyvIKZzghEh1z8L9lWP1lv_COpwqu_CjG0I5GUSVUj9Bq05KnTKX8/w400-h170/65.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim: "I'm about to end this man's whole ploy."</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhiztE4x5p5p7glxXGqp4wQ-MJPM-VeXakN305c9UEAdwWxF3sT2ELAm857twWFQxXLEcOwDMJiRLfc5n3xdfzv4R51OAmPrk34ohKeXfwzDnbBvuzNa6lqoLOTc2aUKMjzn_ZN44DfyWp8ycr8KH2YZSQd6KL5RO7-H8TISrMA3ICduJ6hfj80Ob5GIPc/s1920/66.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiztE4x5p5p7glxXGqp4wQ-MJPM-VeXakN305c9UEAdwWxF3sT2ELAm857twWFQxXLEcOwDMJiRLfc5n3xdfzv4R51OAmPrk34ohKeXfwzDnbBvuzNa6lqoLOTc2aUKMjzn_ZN44DfyWp8ycr8KH2YZSQd6KL5RO7-H8TISrMA3ICduJ6hfj80Ob5GIPc/w400-h169/66.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just in time!</td></tr></tbody></table>Tim eventually defeats the Ditto by spraying it with R gas from a tank. Howard, too busy with Pikachu, doesn’t realize he’s being distracted, while Pikachu’s partner reaches the billionaire’s body and pulls the neural link off, ending the connection. Mewtwo and Pikachu almost fall to the ground, but Mewtwo regains consciousness quickly enough to halt their fall in time. Tim comes down and reunites with Pikachu, while the Legendary undoes the damage its powers have done, erasing the R gas, and restoring every human’s body out of their Pokémon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTA3W_q2MVCOlXupGwb1ZcjCFokKkrhHsdOJsyJ66JdJgtdtQ0v-m8ZdWOXU9VisnbSvTp2uNwdjd8s9l0yCoxdxGd0-OJIRafhzHcmkuj1Qmg1xGAraa_narit2dzsYCtScfow-eUdahT7iGHSl7hrXw0E9Nki-RF1pwq_6S895BHiPE2osw-ffL30k/s1920/64.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTA3W_q2MVCOlXupGwb1ZcjCFokKkrhHsdOJsyJ66JdJgtdtQ0v-m8ZdWOXU9VisnbSvTp2uNwdjd8s9l0yCoxdxGd0-OJIRafhzHcmkuj1Qmg1xGAraa_narit2dzsYCtScfow-eUdahT7iGHSl7hrXw0E9Nki-RF1pwq_6S895BHiPE2osw-ffL30k/w400-h170/64.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone's back to normal! ...well, or so we hope.<br />Would be a shame if Mewtweo forgot someone.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhYwEZzbpjEzXaWw9VpBKXrvuG16kb4YQPEc-JXl7nhY2Hg00TLMZ0cBMKRnspQBV5z8STnxvVWYnUQMay4yd-6W3bOuLzB6ZfknPUI5j-1QUUoNxnSoT1QUjWvCh86Fi-ipOr7MhD2rc1bxooPG-LSzLCXxs_WExJMKP82L3pFaKatv4O8_yMYSgd5_tY/s1920/68.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwEZzbpjEzXaWw9VpBKXrvuG16kb4YQPEc-JXl7nhY2Hg00TLMZ0cBMKRnspQBV5z8STnxvVWYnUQMay4yd-6W3bOuLzB6ZfknPUI5j-1QUUoNxnSoT1QUjWvCh86Fi-ipOr7MhD2rc1bxooPG-LSzLCXxs_WExJMKP82L3pFaKatv4O8_yMYSgd5_tY/w400-h169/68.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting Harry back out of Pikachu is all that was left to do.</td></tr></tbody></table>Howard Clifford is arrested. Roger recognizes Lucy’s work on the story, tells her to give an in-depth report on the story for the news, and ends by stating that he wants to make things right, which includes ending the genetic experiments. But one thing remains. Mewtwo explains that Harry has been around all along... within Pikachu. Yeah, this is the twist I saw coming, it became far too obvious far too quickly. Maybe the intention was for it to be a twist that’s easy to guess for younger audiences? I dunno. Either way, I feel it pales in comparison to the better twists mentioned earlier; but since it's the twist the whole story lies on, it can't exactly be removed. Maybe it could have gained from being more ambiguous.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgtcON8rtaXvbVOLHzgRECLE0llOgjtSQYEBdq-MBu5iY2qmj2i6D44-1xAVvYo5jQ8fstP7wMsc3gaGGtBOm3BEMkogdmNC3GDKspnC5p2LT5wlY65ZOwbsf4WD09Ib5W00oSJ2Ln5loXYrWnup9Vj2RsnC1el0ltVr29vB86wnBl8ZK8owApSI4Nbw/s1920/67.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgtcON8rtaXvbVOLHzgRECLE0llOgjtSQYEBdq-MBu5iY2qmj2i6D44-1xAVvYo5jQ8fstP7wMsc3gaGGtBOm3BEMkogdmNC3GDKspnC5p2LT5wlY65ZOwbsf4WD09Ib5W00oSJ2Ln5loXYrWnup9Vj2RsnC1el0ltVr29vB86wnBl8ZK8owApSI4Nbw/w400-h170/67.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pikachu with its normal mind is the cutest thing.<br />(Shown here accepting to serve as the vessel for Harry's<br />mind while the body is kept by Mewtwo.)</td></tr></tbody></table>As it turns out, on the scene of the car accident, Harry’s Pikachu willingly gave its body to allow Harry to survive. For it to happen, the rodent had to have its memory erased, explaining the amnesia. Mewtwo also asked Pikachu to bring Harry’s son... but why? It’s never explained why Tim was necessary to get Harry out of Pikachu, since Mewtwo easily undid every other mind takeover caused by the R gas. Is it because Pikachu did this willingly? Or was it because Harry's wounds were a lot worse? That bit is poorly explained, and without the proper info, Mewtwo asking for Harry’s son to be present feels tacked-on solely for when neither Tim nor Pikachu had the full story, to make Pikachu believe it had betrayed Harry and would betray Tim.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjw3YaSue_cuAsraY_lTPBOGItN8fOCiAus6GUt-c6aE2OJ0oelKMEG3H1B6jS5yE_gZ5qlbeF02HI6Y0iZfgHs6OBU6KEgzLEVWiPo3vSBlgsDkcidu3LT-TUHKImY_K68DlGZkhVoIdhr_190a8q76avQC0bmJ_3LjdvAkI9kJ5YRFMB9e2ZQZ255OIM/s1920/69.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3YaSue_cuAsraY_lTPBOGItN8fOCiAus6GUt-c6aE2OJ0oelKMEG3H1B6jS5yE_gZ5qlbeF02HI6Y0iZfgHs6OBU6KEgzLEVWiPo3vSBlgsDkcidu3LT-TUHKImY_K68DlGZkhVoIdhr_190a8q76avQC0bmJ_3LjdvAkI9kJ5YRFMB9e2ZQZ255OIM/w400-h169/69.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is why Detective Pikachu couldn't be voiced by<br />Danny DeVito.</td></tr></tbody></table>Also doesn’t explain why Tim could understand his dad in the Pikachu when no one else could, but by that point, we can just assume the psychic powers did something wacky to let it happen. No matter, Harry Goodman is restored, and we see him at the very end, played by Ryan Reynolds. He's taking his son to the train station, but at the last second, Tim decides to stay in Ryme City with his father. They have so much catching up to do. Maybe try his hand at the whole detective thing. And of course, Pikachu follows them along, little hat still on its adorable fuzzy yellow head.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Roll credits – no special scenes in there; I’m thankful they didn’t pull the “sequel hook” card, just in case a live-action Pokémon sequel wouldn’t happen (though we do know such a film is currently in development, they might not have known at the time). On the plus side, we have art of the human characters from the film drawn by Ken Sugimori himself! So cool.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Final thoughts</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiOIL5ET3ZTgIFIVJEMC8NAVYKcLhxFRuzdueYDi4e7tS0CVDes-isYJmKrI5xOAtBRGm7E5puk6oFHsXKnUXBGehfCBNuMdU2d-Wbu0HL9cNe727sSjw8oT_n_SUcuO9p9hzspFa6cAL2rqgGvCPeXu7k6j2_h_lbUiweiYpf648O34KLplW2w-OXc11s/s1920/4.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIL5ET3ZTgIFIVJEMC8NAVYKcLhxFRuzdueYDi4e7tS0CVDes-isYJmKrI5xOAtBRGm7E5puk6oFHsXKnUXBGehfCBNuMdU2d-Wbu0HL9cNe727sSjw8oT_n_SUcuO9p9hzspFa6cAL2rqgGvCPeXu7k6j2_h_lbUiweiYpf648O34KLplW2w-OXc11s/w400-h169/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You could make a game out of spotting every Pokémon<br />in the movie.</td></tr></tbody></table>Studying it in greater depth revealed a few things I could take issue with, but those still feel minimal when compared to the tour de force this movie represents. Often seen as the herald of a new era of film adaptations of video game franchises, Pokémon Detective Pikachu both adapts a video game and presents the franchise’s world in live action for the first time, and knocks it out of the park in both ways. The Pokémon are omnipresent, seen in every shot, often added in ways so subtle we won’t notice them until multiple viewings, and we get a feel not just that the Pokémon are there, but that they’ve indeed always existed in that world. All this, topped off by a story and world that tosses in loads and loads of references to the franchise’s lore and games. Even the anime gets a handful of friendly nods.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEipw1p7PK4JJMZRks27np37Rnvci8sSpKKEvpa75puXEW0Em-zrc5sXbYm29J0i56cIbRvjVu3kiPWk9AhmJEzwRdr9EZHJ6bbEITwzPoQ_o9Qkf5th1ifvvHiWhaEiWzTs0lEgn7YWbQ4z03env09Y7MD9FEzZyNeN8cdOI7wHeuaeZ7Z3ZkIUnD8dRNA/s1920/34.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipw1p7PK4JJMZRks27np37Rnvci8sSpKKEvpa75puXEW0Em-zrc5sXbYm29J0i56cIbRvjVu3kiPWk9AhmJEzwRdr9EZHJ6bbEITwzPoQ_o9Qkf5th1ifvvHiWhaEiWzTs0lEgn7YWbQ4z03env09Y7MD9FEzZyNeN8cdOI7wHeuaeZ7Z3ZkIUnD8dRNA/w400-h169/34.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then again, interactions between live-action and CGI are<br />always super-tricky to do.</td></tr></tbody></table>Pokémon featured in this movie were given a realistic makeover, and while most still look pretty cute or in line with their original counterparts, some don’t benefit from the upgrade – but what worked and what didn’t depends on what you think is cute or not. The special effects work is solid, though, with only a small number of CGI and live-action interactions with flaws, like when Tim puts Pikachu's hat back on him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEinjzMnT0cgPpk4QRIzQoGyTRvLPTUQl96gyzgxtbAtog2QC_gr0VPl_mHOD6-svMVd_ICqMhcL0jwhYEYrs_aStVQ35E5TOejapUEttFKLXWNyoZTYLRcBEyXncqAgsnYtNV5dKqleEdZ05Eqcw53rjM0yHab2trf6RP7igSIU6tEz9GDN6fxYOHtiHlY/s1918/22.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1918" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjzMnT0cgPpk4QRIzQoGyTRvLPTUQl96gyzgxtbAtog2QC_gr0VPl_mHOD6-svMVd_ICqMhcL0jwhYEYrs_aStVQ35E5TOejapUEttFKLXWNyoZTYLRcBEyXncqAgsnYtNV5dKqleEdZ05Eqcw53rjM0yHab2trf6RP7igSIU6tEz9GDN6fxYOHtiHlY/w400-h169/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kathryn Newton and Justice Smith were already fans<br />of the franchise.</td></tr></tbody></table>When it comes to characters, I like most of the cast, and I think the actors played their roles very well – Tim starts out as a somewhat unlikeable character, but that can be chalked up to his personal issues, and he grows out of it. Lucy and Psyduck are fun, Mewtwo is as impressive as it should be, and Howard Clifford makes for an interesting villain. (Trivia: Before joining the film’s casting, Bill Nighy knew nothing of the franchise, and came out of filming converted into a fan of the series. Gotta love when that happens.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps the element I’m more ambivalent on, characters-wise, is Detective Pikachu himself. So busy that he is with quipping left and right at everything he sees, the character’s detective skills end up underused. And don’t get me wrong, Ryan Reynolds’ quips are very funny, often getting as close to PG-13 as they can without crossing the line. But a point comes where the ad-libbing gets sorta obvious – and whereas it works great for a character like Deadpool, after several viewings of Pokémon Detective Pikachu it takes me out of the experience a bit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEj364VOqsplQnBNfDv5H5oWtJvx2h1E8H36jUyiecjbkDwpCciF9XSK_EQnMfovFQiB73FJtUbDGtnIPlRFgdnM9e0GmFUsdtvsTJlm44zgTi8hBPG2hvqlztmm_avzvx3PCtUatJibaSubci8JdiGgnCJYdZy-9rT9igzi739ltK-SIAOy4lQ1GmfyNm0/s1920/25.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj364VOqsplQnBNfDv5H5oWtJvx2h1E8H36jUyiecjbkDwpCciF9XSK_EQnMfovFQiB73FJtUbDGtnIPlRFgdnM9e0GmFUsdtvsTJlm44zgTi8hBPG2hvqlztmm_avzvx3PCtUatJibaSubci8JdiGgnCJYdZy-9rT9igzi739ltK-SIAOy4lQ1GmfyNm0/w400-h169/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Appropriately, a movie distributed by Warner Bros. has<br />a scene reminiscent of the Looney Tunes.</td></tr></tbody></table>The movie’s story is pretty good, it has a strong emotional core, and features a lot of memorable scenes. (The reason I had that “best scene” running gag is that it’s hard to choose one! Uh... Okay, fine, my favorite is the Mr. Mime scene.) Lots of good action as well – the Aipom attack, the fight at the Roundhouse, everything at the labs, the "earthquakes" in the Torterra enclosure... Several scenes here are surprisingly intense. To say nothing of how cool the climax is.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljK3ALBfV_y3dCq4-tPGs9sMNMZQBcySUZpDzkx81CukjK3EnnAdxYxY03YsvcpZr5nM138OYoguB_lonJBPBYm56Do8_kugHIi4kl-f_sbPMXjPjjrtFaSZf18lPyuZqsiiDetZ1qqiF54MfiJRa9OgT6OSCllWcYPKoa9mkueW0FfHdkQpAvj8fEIc/s1920/38.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljK3ALBfV_y3dCq4-tPGs9sMNMZQBcySUZpDzkx81CukjK3EnnAdxYxY03YsvcpZr5nM138OYoguB_lonJBPBYm56Do8_kugHIi4kl-f_sbPMXjPjjrtFaSZf18lPyuZqsiiDetZ1qqiF54MfiJRa9OgT6OSCllWcYPKoa9mkueW0FfHdkQpAvj8fEIc/w400-h170/38.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Although, with that said, I will admit that I felt some plot elements were wonky, in part due to the film’s attempts at hiding its twists. I know I’m repeating myself, but the twist of Harry’s mind in Pikachu’s body always felt easy to figure out. There’s an attempt to hide it and foster drama through a misunderstanding by having Mewtwo say things that don’t quite fit with the rest, causing plot holes. I much preferred the other two twists – Howard Clifford being the one behind everything, and the Ditto taking on multiple roles, including that of his own son, to carry out his plan and create a scapegoat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But even with those points of criticism, I believe that what we have here is a very solid movie, deserving of being called one of the better game-to-film adaptations out there, worth your time if you’re a Pokémon fan, and even if you aren't. A sequel is in development; expectations are gonna be high for that one as well, I can already tell.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next week: I’m finally going back to reviewing video games!</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-28877838386393332232024-03-01T08:00:00.001-05:002024-03-04T07:14:13.241-05:00VGFlicks: Pokémon Detective Pikachu (Part 3)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> – <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part_26.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> – <b>Part 3</b> – <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/03/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part_4.html" target="_blank">Part 4</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Intrepid Reporting</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjizKKt37T36WFDCAYlGGrLQTVcsrFlc4jwTGLjt4-I0jzvAD3bfAF03TsVGwj_LSB1WkVbmS0KorfV2o_37r4o-o6jW-fGXqylqQG4kxsBdRE0OJZOrBY320TNQEXzUwqkpNLQKzm2NqNPHIMlaNN8VzltDqEyitOzWBn56s6L0l7hMvqi-iwTBRPyU/s1920/39.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjizKKt37T36WFDCAYlGGrLQTVcsrFlc4jwTGLjt4-I0jzvAD3bfAF03TsVGwj_LSB1WkVbmS0KorfV2o_37r4o-o6jW-fGXqylqQG4kxsBdRE0OJZOrBY320TNQEXzUwqkpNLQKzm2NqNPHIMlaNN8VzltDqEyitOzWBn56s6L0l7hMvqi-iwTBRPyU/w400-h169/39.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Tim and Detective Pikachu now must find a semi-godly Pokémon hiding in the wilds. No sweat! Good thing they know just the right person who can help. They meet Lucy Stevens at the coffee shop. I guess I should mention that, just like Howard Clifford, Lucy was created for the movie; though in her case, rather than being a wholly new character, she is a composite of two different reporters from the game. Lucy still tries to play the part of the mysterious reporter from a noir, but again, her attempts are a complete failure. Giving up on the act, she reveals her discoveries. Turns out, she’s a great journalist! She investigated her boss Roger Clifford’s files for anything that could help the case. Her find? A research lab called PCL, which does genetic experiments on Pokémon. It had a major incident and had to shut down the previous week, with no media from Ryme City reporting on the event. And yet, that happened on the same night that Detective Goodman went missing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She’s doing most of the work for them. So much for Pikachu allegedly being a detective...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEitA_GgR_JMa-5c8RtoFP-TVe1CimiIUrwVZE7bFq-Cj80ynRFrjQPJyMh7PgBBKorEVfq2BpHEeCp0GkxHUmukWHp5i9f-lvDoNm2nxPnluQArDZjhx5WN9UNaRZufhkN1IS45EBvr_kBbnVv1NaGgGENMqb6_sD0lcu8w1EEBD_t1hd_T_gNfwgRRg0w/s1920/40.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitA_GgR_JMa-5c8RtoFP-TVe1CimiIUrwVZE7bFq-Cj80ynRFrjQPJyMh7PgBBKorEVfq2BpHEeCp0GkxHUmukWHp5i9f-lvDoNm2nxPnluQArDZjhx5WN9UNaRZufhkN1IS45EBvr_kBbnVv1NaGgGENMqb6_sD0lcu8w1EEBD_t1hd_T_gNfwgRRg0w/w400-h170/40.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Psyduck is enjoying this a <i>little</i> too much.</td></tr></tbody></table>They next morning, they embark in Lucy’s sardine can of a car (what else could she afford with an intern’s salary?), with Pikachu in a baby seat and Psyduck sitting next to him. Pikachu really has a bone to pick with the ‘duck and his (literal) explosive migraines. The avian takes advantage of the rodent’s fear of a blow-up, tricking the mouse into a webbed foot massage. “Do it or I’ll explode”, yeah, totally not under duress or anything.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As she drives everyone to the lab, Lucy discusses her other discoveries: The lab was helmed by Dr. Ann Laurent (probably from Kalos), who was basically a Pokémon neurologist. Well, that’s the nice way to say it; actually, her experiments were a bit more on the “mad scientist” side, looking for ways to control the minds of Pokémon. This was frowned upon by the scientific community, no duh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjOXujma836iKRLnouE-UM6jhaPFy8laS6fqp22dpUVkOSOL3H4mFXoZaprapPGSisD7IwZdPwrwNBH4EwQAkoET1wy-3UDpj4-9KPn6dHX9GxKN5Fy_-W4KjuoCEj91j-aCYVS934VR_ih1drbagWVOKl6_ILAi0kLPe0CeyeEIXShebcURsOlU7qRyE0/s1920/41.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXujma836iKRLnouE-UM6jhaPFy8laS6fqp22dpUVkOSOL3H4mFXoZaprapPGSisD7IwZdPwrwNBH4EwQAkoET1wy-3UDpj4-9KPn6dHX9GxKN5Fy_-W4KjuoCEj91j-aCYVS934VR_ih1drbagWVOKl6_ILAi0kLPe0CeyeEIXShebcURsOlU7qRyE0/w400-h169/41.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greninja may be one of the Pokémon in the film that's made<br />more unsettling by the extra detail, entirely on purpose.</td></tr></tbody></table>They get to the lab and the quartet breaks onto the property. Inside the main building, they see a couple of the experiments being done on Pokémon there. Scary stuff. Greninja being made stronger, Torterra being made bigger... The tone of the movie shifts into slight horror here, with a handful of PG-friendly jump scares. And an Alien reference. Unbeknownst to the heroes, Roger Clifford is aware of the break-in, and is on his way to PCL. Because things weren’t already tense enough, he uses his computer to open the genetically modified Pokémon’s hatches from a distance. Uh oh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now, talks about experiments on Pokémon is nothing new to the franchise, it’s been there since Gen 1 – the journals in the Pokémon Mansion on Cinnabar Island, the existence of Mewtwo... but even then, it was always implied, or heard about from papers, hardly if ever shown directly. The players might deal with the aftermath, but always in classic turn-based fashion – so it felt like a bold move to not only show the experiments in the movie, but also emphasize how dangerous the Pokémon become as a result. Horrible accidents, deaths even, shown explicitly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Nature in Action</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEj-kj_NyxROn5coaXjwOUDMYa0ErIqb79WZR2Otb7k2bEQW3jTuajDOmgo0gKUITnnZH4xCx_klc0A3Hh4FMN50KCNgQ1iiBBVnwKZLNDSffgLCFLmueVLfLaXmwPfDIhI6gOgiZ0N3o9OnhWwOAaABitNSr2kMikKVYTONUKfMhmVy07Xgd65KqE-vXAo/s1920/42.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kj_NyxROn5coaXjwOUDMYa0ErIqb79WZR2Otb7k2bEQW3jTuajDOmgo0gKUITnnZH4xCx_klc0A3Hh4FMN50KCNgQ1iiBBVnwKZLNDSffgLCFLmueVLfLaXmwPfDIhI6gOgiZ0N3o9OnhWwOAaABitNSr2kMikKVYTONUKfMhmVy07Xgd65KqE-vXAo/w400-h170/42.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again, those holograms are impressive. It's like Tim and<br />Pikachu are really there. That's some advanced tech.</td></tr></tbody></table>Tim and Pikachu activate the archival recordings, watching a holographic recreation of the events. A handful of archives show Mewtwo, in the capsule, with a purple substance being taken from its body. The infamous R they’ve been dealing with, the extract that makes Pokémon go insane for a moment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(Like a LOT of other details in the movie, this is inspired by the games... sort of; when inspecting Cerulean Cave in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, you can find an item where Mewtwo used to stand. The item, known as a Berserk Gene, causes permanent confusion to the wearer in battle, but increases its attack. Sounds a lot like the R, doesn’t it? There are tons of similar little details that can be spotted by avid fans of the franchise.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEh8UxUzKj2BOaNruoe9Me2MiYwP6iYeRw62AHxlU6NH_S4g02ezQofmFFlt50HvjdZo_oAqXZ3TbfQISIuqAUYkvIYXbOL1_rxJUitQlIT5e5erfT7zO-ojraySLYjWxJLPkZp3ZiCBlmlzyvAq3jJXGyWfuRawlfrhfZBWhWL3K574NFOIdmvVLI4BWfY/s1920/43.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UxUzKj2BOaNruoe9Me2MiYwP6iYeRw62AHxlU6NH_S4g02ezQofmFFlt50HvjdZo_oAqXZ3TbfQISIuqAUYkvIYXbOL1_rxJUitQlIT5e5erfT7zO-ojraySLYjWxJLPkZp3ZiCBlmlzyvAq3jJXGyWfuRawlfrhfZBWhWL3K574NFOIdmvVLI4BWfY/w400-h169/43.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd say "That had to hurt", but I doubt it hurt for long.</td></tr></tbody></table>Later recordings show the lab mass-producing the R, and the final day shows Dr. Laurent creating a device described as a neural link, to be worn on a human’s head. However, something goes awry, confinement measures get weak, and Mewtwo breaks free. It exploded the containment capsule from the inside, sending glass shards all over the place. The explosion was powerful enough to send Dr. Laurent flying into a round steel door which, when the holograms dissipate, is shown ripped out of its hinges. Holy Arceus, I know Mewtwo is no stranger to killing scientists, but damn – five bucks says that woman died a very family-unfriendly death. (Though it’s a fate that is left ambiguous enough for the sequel...)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tim and Pikachu go all the way back to the first recorded day, which shows Dr. Laurent giving a mission to Harry Goodman. Not any mission, either: Catch Mewtwo. Which, no matter what you may think of the guy so far, means he goddamn succeeded. We don’t know how (Master Ball maybe?), but damn, that’s one Hell of an achievement in-universe. For bonus points, it’s outright stated that Mewtwo escaped from the Kanto region 20 years prior, meaning it’s the exact same Mewtwo from Pokémon Red/Green. Or maybe the one from Pokémon: The First Movie. ....Yeah, holy crap, I know, right?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjCkqUFtmxEx3NP0_DvLvDGXF4XMv8PX4Y8EXjwE0TIYWIWLZXBz0onrZAss7_Hom13_ZpVmSVZfhDZcW0mNbzGK3gwDxfGoiK9g-t_cffCptw3-TxML5aTBKkFdMjTH6NWL3RMDvByyyosPufSNXKxFdUZdY3a20HvB3mWUV46AiY1mpzeK8GqPr1yF50/s1920/44.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkqUFtmxEx3NP0_DvLvDGXF4XMv8PX4Y8EXjwE0TIYWIWLZXBz0onrZAss7_Hom13_ZpVmSVZfhDZcW0mNbzGK3gwDxfGoiK9g-t_cffCptw3-TxML5aTBKkFdMjTH6NWL3RMDvByyyosPufSNXKxFdUZdY3a20HvB3mWUV46AiY1mpzeK8GqPr1yF50/w400-h170/44.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not really visible: The assaulting Greninja. Not pictured:<br />Psyduck having a fucking PANIC ATTACK. I never related<br />so much to a duck.</td></tr></tbody></table>Our duo ends up rescuing Lucy and her Psyduck from the released Greninja. The four run away through the Torterra enclosure, with the ninja-‘Mon hot on their trail. Good thing Psyduck has been accumulating stress the whole time, and is further goaded by Detective Pikachu into having its migraine. You know, the explosive one. And damn, what an explosion. It was enough to knock the ninjas away, and cause the terrain to crack, break, and split!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEifIbWNytyXgwDufiaVwPmxWLP2CAArHnfQAvKiWKmiYmkVOZ-DTyhrOtIO88EMcACv34uGhwwCvxU5PM7nMOhUm8sOX6UpQqFdgsExMcBJOKLLPQU-glKZ97xSDS8REG1_81d-ZwQtzVq3BIlXl38ey_AyfburSUSu0bwDcdsEetXjbRM1026KRh6PWLo/s1920/46.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIbWNytyXgwDufiaVwPmxWLP2CAArHnfQAvKiWKmiYmkVOZ-DTyhrOtIO88EMcACv34uGhwwCvxU5PM7nMOhUm8sOX6UpQqFdgsExMcBJOKLLPQU-glKZ97xSDS8REG1_81d-ZwQtzVq3BIlXl38ey_AyfburSUSu0bwDcdsEetXjbRM1026KRh6PWLo/w400-h170/46.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We've taken a turn into "disaster movie".</td></tr></tbody></table>Oh wait, no, it’s something else entirely. What, did they piss Groudon off or something? What’s happening now? The topography itself seems to hate their presence. In the next sequence, one of the best scenes in the film, Tim, Lucy, and their partner Pokémon make their way through a gravity-shifting, deadly forest. Tim even jumps between two ledges, one several floors lower than the other, and survives. The team barely makes it out alive before realizing... that’s no forest. They’re on the backs of kaiju-sized Torterra. These things put Dynamaxing to shame. The lab wasn’t kidding about growth experiments.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1QGdnH4X5f6DFEYEGbDlTu2VEZO0HOtZOpxRDCTrxYwHweHYnWl49o1_DPFZ5NWqVdPFD9_9si-A_Mms3jsORrKFHU41J4xMCthKYdLJ4jVReokPH2-jwWDg8_Uoah0Dkr3KsKvLf7yagrvmJiaOLNSPnr_KjFkdO-0nLcw6mIESW5Mh1RQ_I8qSM5o/s1920/45.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1QGdnH4X5f6DFEYEGbDlTu2VEZO0HOtZOpxRDCTrxYwHweHYnWl49o1_DPFZ5NWqVdPFD9_9si-A_Mms3jsORrKFHU41J4xMCthKYdLJ4jVReokPH2-jwWDg8_Uoah0Dkr3KsKvLf7yagrvmJiaOLNSPnr_KjFkdO-0nLcw6mIESW5Mh1RQ_I8qSM5o/w400-h169/45.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheesh, did we land in Galar by accident?</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Meeting Mewtwo</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEg8yp9UP6uEz98EyX8biQZkzTvBT3j2-6pxif2ZeoJnzr_Ec3GlDl-7ey4roT_f9wVPDa0nv1SyqBlX6Z9dpcj6IYqwy8aK6uNJbxJaK44_pAVhvM00CEuwsyaE2YwFjP69d6HZHYaHXF5D5klKZXGI-ETmFXvLprnpfXJ_XjFK0n6LT4X_wVlibPT8DQs/s1920/48.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yp9UP6uEz98EyX8biQZkzTvBT3j2-6pxif2ZeoJnzr_Ec3GlDl-7ey4roT_f9wVPDa0nv1SyqBlX6Z9dpcj6IYqwy8aK6uNJbxJaK44_pAVhvM00CEuwsyaE2YwFjP69d6HZHYaHXF5D5klKZXGI-ETmFXvLprnpfXJ_XjFK0n6LT4X_wVlibPT8DQs/w400-h170/48.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a live-action character hold an animated one is<br />always a tricky effect to pull off. Practical effects can help,<br />but it doesn't always translate well. This film doesn't do it<br />perfectly every time, but it was done well here.</td></tr></tbody></table>Following this discovery, Pikachu is struck and KO’d by a falling stone, and the team falls into the waters below. When they get to solid ground, Tim realizes that his partner needs to be healed, right now. Remembering what he learned from Pikachu, that Pokémon can understand human emotions much better than human speech, Tim manages to get his point across to a wandering Bulbasaur that his friend is in critical health and needs help. The Bulbasaur returns with a whole group of its kin, directing Tim and Pikachu to a healer Pokémon. (Though they won’t let Lucy and Psyduck follow them.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5q_SvMqOTpt0cExDDVIVv8HNiXzqVHlu41IEadMh1RMSLEOViiFW8dJIYgNAmfRhGNsxeCbBwdQz-qCXGIRtCYMmBzWs9Kpsix_45f1NA18Br1ak6_v3otSHiiCOuSV1QErr3ZLv-M14Wn73vOrFrMcjg9wQ5zEEFXdcB-UXOGBrd_tGMLUX68dCqP5U/s1920/47.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5q_SvMqOTpt0cExDDVIVv8HNiXzqVHlu41IEadMh1RMSLEOViiFW8dJIYgNAmfRhGNsxeCbBwdQz-qCXGIRtCYMmBzWs9Kpsix_45f1NA18Br1ak6_v3otSHiiCOuSV1QErr3ZLv-M14Wn73vOrFrMcjg9wQ5zEEFXdcB-UXOGBrd_tGMLUX68dCqP5U/w400-h170/47.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I never thought of Bulbasaur as super-cute...<br />...until this goshdarned movie came around.<br />Baby.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEidoqCncYb8C29fgMRljgaJScRC9Y5xyP21zGIYc18Oevh19RU7es48zlZFlWDeDJkqjgetrTVY8oEURo54KxySLW9texEeGWcWxlpyjF5MGgS51bDGfmBUB_w6OzrTJK6kzzWqbVaq8pQL6L_Rpm9x3oNpaLow2ohUm_nea-OlfA5BkbS15D1aanKtJ-8/s1920/49.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoqCncYb8C29fgMRljgaJScRC9Y5xyP21zGIYc18Oevh19RU7es48zlZFlWDeDJkqjgetrTVY8oEURo54KxySLW9texEeGWcWxlpyjF5MGgS51bDGfmBUB_w6OzrTJK6kzzWqbVaq8pQL6L_Rpm9x3oNpaLow2ohUm_nea-OlfA5BkbS15D1aanKtJ-8/w400-h170/49.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chansey wasn't available, we'll take the next best thing.</td></tr></tbody></table>The pack takes Tim a little further down the path, and a group of Morelull (one of only two Gen 7 Pokémon in the movie, the other being Comfey) shows him where to lay down his wounded friend. The natural Pokémon leave, and a voice that sounds like a combination of male and female tones is heard; the genderless Mewtwo has shown up. It blasts Pikachu with energy, curing the little rodent’s ailment. After Pikachu realizes he’s back to good health, he is thanked by Mewtwo for “bringing the son”. Uh oh...?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgOxfr-p_X_VZ18ewVzZBZfhC3z_2mC0EmBGxCSLGohOeD9UlX0gBCQQj_XzyJ6iL9pzXyEhRPFn3me-dTUNCyuzMKV3JMwp_56bYJ2-qIDW7sajpPxYJC1kDXYwZEFaA5-a13CLVi_2haascbYGgIyq52WClNIItE3OzfjnM96iwbbu7Nz3mRj9R6UCVI/s1920/50.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxfr-p_X_VZ18ewVzZBZfhC3z_2mC0EmBGxCSLGohOeD9UlX0gBCQQj_XzyJ6iL9pzXyEhRPFn3me-dTUNCyuzMKV3JMwp_56bYJ2-qIDW7sajpPxYJC1kDXYwZEFaA5-a13CLVi_2haascbYGgIyq52WClNIItE3OzfjnM96iwbbu7Nz3mRj9R6UCVI/w400-h170/50.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quippy villain would gladly look at this and go<br />"Not so powerful now, are you?" Too bad Roger<br />isn't the quippy type when he got the glasses on.</td></tr></tbody></table>The Legendary Pokémon projects a flashback in Tim and Pikachu’s minds; the reason it could escape the lab is that Pikachu short-circuited the place’s system. The next moment they’re shown is Mewtwo floating over the crashed car, beginning a discussion with Harry’s partner about humanity being evil... However, the flashback is interrupted when Mewtwo is captured by a set of white round drones that would make Doctor Robotnik proud. Over them, looking from atop the cliffside, Roger Clifford, bearing large sunglasses, smirking at his new catch. The Legendary is taken into a containment truck.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not like our heroes could have done much, all shaken that they are by the potential reveal that Pikachu saved Mewtwo, as if to help it strike back against humans. Yikes. Watching this movie with full knowledge of the coming twists is a fun ride, don’t get me wrong. But I had to watch this movie several times to write this review, and I must nitpick. I get that there was an intention to keep the audience guessing up until the end (even if one of the film’s twists is super easy to guess), and this meant revisiting the opening scene with a little more information each time. First the scene as we know it; then, the doctored version shown in Howard’s office, with Pikachu’s memory and Harry’s body taken; and now, Mewtwo’s flashbacks implying Pikachu was aiding in some nefarious purpose.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgq6eSo5sDJLuDTv5l0QnybMUvrMJwXMLuCICVW_1rYAwCyGjHxtKFF3fKygpzi12EsfSUc7eyk0BkQTLA8Gv5YLorCgs0uF_Neod-0uXwdnvEneNLeRgnQQma7bOCvhauHR0QEdFSYO8GKuRpR3eYQvkVrRWlqq0_tSjHALHJRgF4SMxflyXUIBEkyhyphenhypheng/s1920/51.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6eSo5sDJLuDTv5l0QnybMUvrMJwXMLuCICVW_1rYAwCyGjHxtKFF3fKygpzi12EsfSUc7eyk0BkQTLA8Gv5YLorCgs0uF_Neod-0uXwdnvEneNLeRgnQQma7bOCvhauHR0QEdFSYO8GKuRpR3eYQvkVrRWlqq0_tSjHALHJRgF4SMxflyXUIBEkyhyphenhypheng/w400-h169/51.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta have that second-act misunderstanding/betrayal<br />followed by a third-act return to action.</td></tr></tbody></table>I get the intention, is what I’m saying, and I don’t know if it’s because of the repeated viewings, but the way the twist is kept hidden feels very clunky now. Some sentences spoken by Mewtwo exist solely to misguide us or add plot elements that aren't necessary. "Humanity is evil", it says; later we know it then adds "but not all humans are bad", which in-context feels unnecessary and completely fails at its attempt to sound serious. "Bring me the son", it also says, but it's never said why Mewtwo would ask this, much less why it needs Tim around to do something it's later shown to be able to do without any similar restraints. The story would have benefited from explaining that bit a lot better. The movie has some extra twists that it handles much better in comparison.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEghpJiEvSpCllYvsx38oYfwjqPSGrtUphgqlx9RpK77v5co36qAJZ-gzLYJJ_gP7vIeVGhJbloiGLWbvr2QjWmaByuVe3yB4rsSY7o8dB4GSouw9_NJs_OMfra3aRgRmdQ7a1uH0cQmP0tIVBi-AAau8wTcMWsfugA7ub26og1l3bVTOdNexyYZ6STRm1s/s1920/52.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpJiEvSpCllYvsx38oYfwjqPSGrtUphgqlx9RpK77v5co36qAJZ-gzLYJJ_gP7vIeVGhJbloiGLWbvr2QjWmaByuVe3yB4rsSY7o8dB4GSouw9_NJs_OMfra3aRgRmdQ7a1uH0cQmP0tIVBi-AAau8wTcMWsfugA7ub26og1l3bVTOdNexyYZ6STRm1s/w400-h169/52.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, I tried to get a screenshot of the moment where Tim<br />gets electrocuted. None was all that satisfactory.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>When they leave back through the same fence they came through from, a distraught Pikachu tries everything to distance himself from Tim, the Pokémon thinking he’s the reason Harry is dead/gone and that he keeps hurting everyone around him. Even when Tim tries to grab ahold of his friend, he gets electrocuted. Dunno if Pikachu’s electric powers came back thanks to Mewtwo’s healing or the spur of the moment caused them to return – either way, he further thinks he should stay away before causing more damage. Unable to reason with the fleeing ‘Chu, Tim returns to Lucy and Psyduck and tells them what he saw.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Detective work, at last</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgAoYycZnfyoioZFpIkj5x1I-HHUIKcyBXn4D68DDptofTDUUhQkYoS_k4xCmFZ_G7XqhIdh9U-d-tSxr-8vUt5FXosz2DYwp5yS4oxmyFwa9PC5DUcuYR1OWJuqrIZC-a10n_ApDyGZt9tiPr_Hdd5V_A3QY48_2WglZ0zMs6z8MZb9uWv4VEvZ3Mt2JA/s1920/54.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoYycZnfyoioZFpIkj5x1I-HHUIKcyBXn4D68DDptofTDUUhQkYoS_k4xCmFZ_G7XqhIdh9U-d-tSxr-8vUt5FXosz2DYwp5yS4oxmyFwa9PC5DUcuYR1OWJuqrIZC-a10n_ApDyGZt9tiPr_Hdd5V_A3QY48_2WglZ0zMs6z8MZb9uWv4VEvZ3Mt2JA/w400-h170/54.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the back there, now that's a Gengar how I like them;<br />not realistic at all.</td></tr></tbody></table>The three return to Ryme City just as it’s preparing for the long-announced Pokémon Parade, with huge balloon floats being inflated for the event. Watching this film multiple times, I got to notice that plot elements are referenced multiple times, often in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scenes. The Parade is discussed when Tim first visits CNM, the local news channel, and Howard Clifford is filming a promo for it with his son Roger; however, even before that, we can see it as one of the stories on the newspaper Tim reads on the train to Ryme City. That same newspaper also has a story about a Pokémon going crazy, foreshadowing the R as well. The worldbuilding is consistent, and that helps make the presented universe feel complete.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tim instructs Lucy to report on what they’ve found. Considering her own boss is involved, that might be tougher than expected. Not that he gives her much of a choice, as he heads off to Clifford Industries to speak with Howard about their discoveries. She manages to get her hands on a microphone, stealing the place of another CNM reporter on the scene.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEihEVa5_yk0I4FsCWiCv2UAC9tzV99Ndbm8w4TJhI9Bkp93ja-L_ItUxcnptj-RaVbkhsl3QuyZLsW1eujktNkjquskgZV0c5YWa9PYEHcQulP6V35sxrEtn32t7q83lm4SQo37ni7G38Ygsam7N7YsmUF3llCw4bA3srj-j59ZsLgiWTeXZ1L-dSeP4FM/s1920/55.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihEVa5_yk0I4FsCWiCv2UAC9tzV99Ndbm8w4TJhI9Bkp93ja-L_ItUxcnptj-RaVbkhsl3QuyZLsW1eujktNkjquskgZV0c5YWa9PYEHcQulP6V35sxrEtn32t7q83lm4SQo37ni7G38Ygsam7N7YsmUF3llCw4bA3srj-j59ZsLgiWTeXZ1L-dSeP4FM/w400-h169/55.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm supposed to believe that shuriken made of ice and<br />water could flip a whole car... eh. Pokémon logic has<br />given us much weirder.</td></tr></tbody></table>In the meantime, Pikachu, who has pushed everyone away and remains alone in the wilderness (even singing the anime’s first theme song), stumbles upon the original scene of the car accident. He investigates and quickly finds a Water Shuriken where the impact happened. Therefore, the cause of the crash was the Greninja, and not Mewtwo. And, therefore, Mewtwo was trying to protect Harry and his partner. But then... It would mean that Howard used his holograms to lie to them. Which means that the real villain ain’t the one they thought. I feel like Detective Pikachu doesn’t do enough deduction work, for a character whose full name has “Detective” in it. This is one of the few correct conclusions he reaches on his own. Maybe if he spent less time quipping at everything and more time advancing the plot with logic and deductions, it wouldn't feel like his detective skills are an informed attribute!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When Tim walks into Howard Clifford’s office, though, he finds the man wearing the neural link... and looking more like a supervillain than ever before. Uh oh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT88I8bs0BVAfKDIUEC5R-ZJTnd_RVRq417gY0b1IsKXLHgMH59ryRq7RmWT21NEjVhGrXyzqbvk2BcvCfuV0LeBZXiWgqTvUJ88HPMREutKgq1Hspv0OfwYMHxqxAJiaR2jOgCjBbI6PgBXlY_vqBkeQgoYR1Hfb2EqFi_lHoPd2Ko2M_wT28V2UNWk0/s1920/53.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT88I8bs0BVAfKDIUEC5R-ZJTnd_RVRq417gY0b1IsKXLHgMH59ryRq7RmWT21NEjVhGrXyzqbvk2BcvCfuV0LeBZXiWgqTvUJ88HPMREutKgq1Hspv0OfwYMHxqxAJiaR2jOgCjBbI6PgBXlY_vqBkeQgoYR1Hfb2EqFi_lHoPd2Ko2M_wT28V2UNWk0/w400-h169/53.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, this oozes "bad guy energy". By now it's not just a<br />smell, it's a straight-up stench.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, we’re at the climactic scene, let’s keep that for a Part 4, shall we?</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-720892508574679422024-02-26T08:07:00.002-05:002024-03-04T07:13:59.192-05:00VGFlicks: Pokémon Detective Pikachu (Part 2)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> – <b>Part 2</b> – <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/03/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part.html" target="_blank">Part 3</a> – <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/03/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part_4.html" target="_blank">Part 4</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The investigation is on</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" 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/AVvXsEhBBv2_MogAYK0WNMYDFxL_G7ZS9AJsH8MUA0Q44HQwV9-9uzdsAi86QnSoVuoPjKv-zCr-27WCjKJNwrboChkkn-Bx0kRmLYd4dJwm9XpwA8d4Uc06dksTrAGyery0XtTSuArwrSnv0Wcr7-vRTBbNqfm3U0oR6ZW_4XUj_H41TQt2PerfpBFwx3C4kNY/s1918/20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1918" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBv2_MogAYK0WNMYDFxL_G7ZS9AJsH8MUA0Q44HQwV9-9uzdsAi86QnSoVuoPjKv-zCr-27WCjKJNwrboChkkn-Bx0kRmLYd4dJwm9XpwA8d4Uc06dksTrAGyery0XtTSuArwrSnv0Wcr7-vRTBbNqfm3U0oR6ZW_4XUj_H41TQt2PerfpBFwx3C4kNY/w400-h170/20.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The joke in the French version: "Speak louder, there's<br />pillows in my ears!"</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Having nowhere else to go, Tim Goodman and Pikachu spend the night at Harry’s apartment. Pikachu, being a detective, grills Tim about the child room filled with Pokémon memorabilia in the apartment, and Tim admits that he used to like Pokémon and wanted to be a Trainer, but that ended when his mom died and his dad moved to the city. The next day, Tim wakes up to a complete mess of papers scattered in the living room, left by an excitable mouse looking for clues.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3i5xmvH-WKHEAxhg9YFleoSAasJZef0vDOXHGGMKvR4Iyznr_SJfFLSYRSVKqMRWuU7DjZY5lpHmdFR9s4sCVggoDYEYu7vlmUiCm8LqXwlmqFTeCNX4FEOlBi0_DRGyxnG9Q2RiPE740ytwVSw_jAhbQ8kKBKzs9Myvzd2V9DjsVz2ZLkQuXzbiFp8/s1920/19.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3i5xmvH-WKHEAxhg9YFleoSAasJZef0vDOXHGGMKvR4Iyznr_SJfFLSYRSVKqMRWuU7DjZY5lpHmdFR9s4sCVggoDYEYu7vlmUiCm8LqXwlmqFTeCNX4FEOlBi0_DRGyxnG9Q2RiPE740ytwVSw_jAhbQ8kKBKzs9Myvzd2V9DjsVz2ZLkQuXzbiFp8/w400-h169/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Don't touch my stuff! I'm about to solve the Pepe Silvia<br />mystery!"<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhWhGZ1egShihBNCGMGci-mq81HIx9WYqZGmZQFRmhv-DO_ylGMPndQ__lUUFHEXkxOmogG3RPF8DmODq9j8Jbe7dTVFCfwBzKwPOozBVs7wY0fadAP7-CHp3mkGNG95eDwNCG-lPTw1hPbiYmSoT3WI4n7dw-jWW0oLkIkB4BFqMF7N38-4Ev4shiyW2s/s1920/21.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhGZ1egShihBNCGMGci-mq81HIx9WYqZGmZQFRmhv-DO_ylGMPndQ__lUUFHEXkxOmogG3RPF8DmODq9j8Jbe7dTVFCfwBzKwPOozBVs7wY0fadAP7-CHp3mkGNG95eDwNCG-lPTw1hPbiYmSoT3WI4n7dw-jWW0oLkIkB4BFqMF7N38-4Ev4shiyW2s/w400-h170/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the added realism, Ditto looks even more like a<br />chewed bubblegum than it normally does.</td></tr></tbody></table>The only thing he found was the vial of purple smoke, labeled R. Tim thinks Lucy, the girl he met the previous day and who seems to know more about the case, could help, so the two head to the CNM offices. They arrive on Roger Clifford and his father Howard shooting a promo for the upcoming Poké-parade. All smiles while the cameras roll, yet insulting each other (with Roger specifically calling out his father’s god complex) when they’re not filmed. Lucy tries to approach Roger Clifford about the story she’s found, but he turns her down brutally due to her lack of evidence and sources.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" 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/AVvXsEigiF5lGHj-1Q8_IVKXGIhIPeuBrM81Tn-81FXHPLKQi6438_qGeHaEgL4YO_e_jVNstQUkUkblo_GW3EuwpLHPDU_lRrRo-lHxCx0CkKof18YvmrWrrkiI3IcIxeZM47QXZ5HuzVG-FII2CGSAiO3MH_g5nMOUs48-GyPCwkbelaZm9kLSXasAKBoUeEM/s1918/22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1918" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigiF5lGHj-1Q8_IVKXGIhIPeuBrM81Tn-81FXHPLKQi6438_qGeHaEgL4YO_e_jVNstQUkUkblo_GW3EuwpLHPDU_lRrRo-lHxCx0CkKof18YvmrWrrkiI3IcIxeZM47QXZ5HuzVG-FII2CGSAiO3MH_g5nMOUs48-GyPCwkbelaZm9kLSXasAKBoUeEM/w400-h169/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's into him and he doesn't notice. Damn, it hurts.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">When she meets Tim and Pikachu, she takes them to her office. The records room? The broom closet would have been less cramped. Turns out, Lucy found multiple vials of that stuff, whatever it is; and she knows Harry had an informant by the docks. She subtly offers to go investigate with him at night... but he’s a dummy and miserably fails to understand her hints. Man, that’s painful to watch.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Therefore, Tim and Pikachu go alone, though this does give them time to chat. This is when we learn that Pokémon don’t really understand human speech (normally), but they do understand emotions. That’s gonna come up, right? The earlier comment that Pikachu can speak to Pokémon could have been useful, but he never really uses that skill to further the investigation...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEirLC-el9otZGvFAAImP5WEkJR7ZKGET4A0L8gEXBno6YTXn_fUvHfU4u0xx1zFaCmxnE1nTnnjusS8AOE6XNE8CmgnOYOh6GInlrVOZkwrjqgS3dO8Nr3z_YQpmKuoovGi8kzNPF5dyHtrEU2kIaIpjC7x75sWTSDgSkUkdsVQkxZ_ffAsEh8dIYqbTgA/s1920/24.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLC-el9otZGvFAAImP5WEkJR7ZKGET4A0L8gEXBno6YTXn_fUvHfU4u0xx1zFaCmxnE1nTnnjusS8AOE6XNE8CmgnOYOh6GInlrVOZkwrjqgS3dO8Nr3z_YQpmKuoovGi8kzNPF5dyHtrEU2kIaIpjC7x75sWTSDgSkUkdsVQkxZ_ffAsEh8dIYqbTgA/w400-h169/24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love that the franchise has adopted this scene and gives<br />other Mr. Mime the "sit and drink" routine when idle. Try<br />it in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It's hilarious.</td></tr></tbody></table>Oh! Oh! Here comes the best scene in the film. They encounter the informant, who is a Mr. Mime. It recognizes Pikachu and tries to flee, but it's bound to its own silliness and its attempt fails. It gets grilled by our duo, good cop/bad cop-style, which fails because Mr. Mime is uncooperative and has its invisible walls to further mock them. Tim finally gets some answers by playing the Pokémon’s mime games, then pretending he’s dousing the clown in gasoline and threatening it with a match. Straight-up Looney Tunes stuff. Surprisingly, that works, and the Mister mimes what the duo wants to hear: The source of the purple smoke is at the Roundhouse. Then Tim drops the “match”. The sadist side of me wishes we’d seen the outcome of that.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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/AVvXsEh3jVbGGBVy3l6MEkUYrF0hkJoJ2L9IefXg4QyIj6HIYPolZjqpA3tmzBuDCPQGGSYipQ_rJGUmSGwzZYK4gPoGBGtFT7cTkUsFEOMYtmDAeCl4bJywwVZwpP8onJhasxrIPizRPL1MybDBFzSJ1AHvnpbVlu51r0_GCj5Cx9w4ajswsuIXkhwcDS8aUmw/s1920/25.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jVbGGBVy3l6MEkUYrF0hkJoJ2L9IefXg4QyIj6HIYPolZjqpA3tmzBuDCPQGGSYipQ_rJGUmSGwzZYK4gPoGBGtFT7cTkUsFEOMYtmDAeCl4bJywwVZwpP8onJhasxrIPizRPL1MybDBFzSJ1AHvnpbVlu51r0_GCj5Cx9w4ajswsuIXkhwcDS8aUmw/w400-h169/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If there are Looney Tunes-like cartoons in the Pokémon<br />universe, I bet Mr. Mime are a part of it. That was a<br />straight-up Looney Tunes routine. Honestly, I am glad the<br />studio fought to keep that scene in the film, it was worth it.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Mr. Mime are creepy by design, this one is extra creepy due to the added layer of realism. In all fairness, most Pokémon in the movie kind of have the same flaw: All of them had to be made more realistic for the sake of a live-action movie. That means visible fur (or hair), feathers, scales, skin, all to an extent beyond anything done by the franchise before. Most Pokémon fans from my generation likely googled “Realistic Pokémon” at least once and got supremely creeped out by what they found. Among the concept artists for the film, you can count RJ Palmer, whose <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/arvalis" target="_blank">DeviantArt gallery</a> contains a collection of Pokémon reimagined as realistic creatures, and most are every bit as unsettling as you can imagine. However, The Pokémon Company international had one mandate: All Pokémon in the movie must still be cute.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDR2bIFDMggJtSiUklxgs4GCUlL0Nh2U6OpIVnyVNLhNQRvVXd7SdAMkIR7KD1ZBQYixWAKSkI9mruk8za0N6C57t-O3C83K6L87Xl8rGpsVdbv9TtMKT8dV6fORcCX88_tg2dgPRWkOVibTBvEP_Dl-wi6ESIvSbOhbc4_7nxjaTud0Cf3OBifP6V-s/s400/23.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="400" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDR2bIFDMggJtSiUklxgs4GCUlL0Nh2U6OpIVnyVNLhNQRvVXd7SdAMkIR7KD1ZBQYixWAKSkI9mruk8za0N6C57t-O3C83K6L87Xl8rGpsVdbv9TtMKT8dV6fORcCX88_tg2dgPRWkOVibTBvEP_Dl-wi6ESIvSbOhbc4_7nxjaTud0Cf3OBifP6V-s/w400-h168/23.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's never seen a Bruxish.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEh-xIzB29lhK8iWJIu4mCyJWzzYhCeHwFAHp_QN4iGUzO_xVuV0GNwsx1RhUJjuckGRGhh4mBX7EslnjUuAzHYJyG53Aups6SR4QWHq2zu0q1PyQqHPZQsHCA3GSZDNgOr_eMepuHbJjlBssWvoWrXd1ier7hvFyKcwbxt9y3MfUmrLqIQMEvSvvCeP8Rc/s1920/26.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xIzB29lhK8iWJIu4mCyJWzzYhCeHwFAHp_QN4iGUzO_xVuV0GNwsx1RhUJjuckGRGhh4mBX7EslnjUuAzHYJyG53Aups6SR4QWHq2zu0q1PyQqHPZQsHCA3GSZDNgOr_eMepuHbJjlBssWvoWrXd1ier7hvFyKcwbxt9y3MfUmrLqIQMEvSvvCeP8Rc/w400-h169/26.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucy has also never seen a Gengar in their universe, it seems.</td></tr></tbody></table>...well, mission semi-accomplished, as your mileage might vary for several designs. There are species who look even cuter with the extra fluff, like Pikachu, of course, but also Pancham or Audino. However, some cartoony things don’t translate well to realistic...uh...ness. Aside from Mr. Mime, other Pokémon made extra creepy include Loudred and Gengar; those faces are gonna be in my nightmares. Others looked fine with less detail, not so much now; that goes for every species that lacks a nose. Jigglypuff, Snorlax, Aipom are big offenders. Machamp looks more plastic than an action figure. I already don’t like Lickitung, so the realistic one gets a big “Thanks, I hate it!” On the upside, Mewtwo is a semi-godly hairless sphynx cat, but it looks like it floated right out of Pokémon: The First Movie and onto the set of Detective Pikachu, so I can’t complain.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Roundhouse</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Remember when I said Pokémon battles were illegal in Ryme City? Sure enough, if it’s illegal, then there’s a seedy place that does it away from the eyes of the law, and the Roundhouse is one such place. Pokémon Battles aren't the focus of the plot and we can tell; it almost feels more impressive to watch the few times one is happening.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgWvFCx4JnuYU7bnSJJxAZRX2MqhHvJXKDZXZKDDzQy06mYCuXZ7kZ3CNk31RIYgg4hUtLI9MrZCIsY18ncNQOZ_DX2MGeLPV3pVKffLmUs2fTwVKPL4wIQiyTZk2eUMvk1kPB1rIhPUe04pqiLhzIalk11e8Pb6U3CjSmCjxKO1ujghMG7X52VTZAww48/s1917/30.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1917" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvFCx4JnuYU7bnSJJxAZRX2MqhHvJXKDZXZKDDzQy06mYCuXZ7kZ3CNk31RIYgg4hUtLI9MrZCIsY18ncNQOZ_DX2MGeLPV3pVKffLmUs2fTwVKPL4wIQiyTZk2eUMvk1kPB1rIhPUe04pqiLhzIalk11e8Pb6U3CjSmCjxKO1ujghMG7X52VTZAww48/w400-h170/30.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charizard does look very impressive with extra detail.<br />Scales, scales all over.</td></tr></tbody></table>Tim and Pikachu arrive while a match is going on between a Blastoise and a Gengar. Missed opportunity to make it a Nidorino against a Gengar, to be honest. The Roundhouse’s owner, Sebastian (Omar Chaparro), a burly bearded shirtless dude in a furred coat, recognizes the Pikachu on Tim’s shoulder. Turns out, the last time this Pikachu (and his original owner) showed up there, the rodent scratched his coat and left a nasty scar on the face of his partner Pokémon, a Charizard. The guy demands a rematch, while Pikachu keeps snarking at both the guy and his fire-breathing dragon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiNWa5XjEz9HOHPEQ_aempZMtr7NCk6UzImVXOBg-P1xS4bipmGEAMJ35o8PZco0N1bpb5ajf_7v_3nHIDJ3nhoh-PRVsP2jdWMZphjRJdqQXXGTOkuQLRZbDt3P8-6YltrWlKil49U8m8NdVO8PBx6ohJN6mGR2XipYiJQtEbj5_sMnMye7huMlBLFbb8/s1920/27.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWa5XjEz9HOHPEQ_aempZMtr7NCk6UzImVXOBg-P1xS4bipmGEAMJ35o8PZco0N1bpb5ajf_7v_3nHIDJ3nhoh-PRVsP2jdWMZphjRJdqQXXGTOkuQLRZbDt3P8-6YltrWlKil49U8m8NdVO8PBx6ohJN6mGR2XipYiJQtEbj5_sMnMye7huMlBLFbb8/w400-h169/27.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"They try to talk to me all the time but all they hear is Pika<br />Pika. They pat me or kiss me or stick a finger in me..."<br />Uh... Yuck?</td></tr></tbody></table>Hey, look, Ryan Reynolds is an immensely funny guy, I’m never gonna take that away from him. And he’s got a huge talent for improvisational humor. It’s to the point where he contributed so much to his lines in the first two Deadpool movies that he got official co-writing credit on the second one. For Pokémon Detective Pikachu, apparently he just threw jokes in line with every possible content rating, then let whoever in charge of script pick the most appropriate ones. Some promotional stories imply that if there had been a desire to make it, an R-rated cut of this film could have been possible. Hey, you can take the man out of the Deadpool and into a Pikachu, but you can’t take the Deadpool out of the man. It’s like they handed the script to Wade Wilson rather than to Ryan Reynolds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That’s not a dig at the actor, but improv-based scripting can be very hit-and-miss and few master it. As an example, I didn’t hate the 2016 Ghostbusters movie (though it’s super flawed), but it was easy to tell that loads of jokes in the film were ad-libbed and came out not as strong as scripted ones could have been. The only other actor I can think of who could come up with jokes on the fly for every age rating was Robin Williams. <i>Mrs. Doubtfire</i> is another example of a movie where the studio allegedly could have made a version for every American content age rating, from G to R, that’s how insanely talented the man was when it comes to humor.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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/AVvXsEhAGdtrEgz0zuLr6rgyL-5I5X5FI5mfnYwuT1MmAAu1utP3cjkXrGI5egscsO-AUz_4JvGMBPYxmJsS31vuCYU-S02htLO5Y126A6ZbOnQNNlNNqEfVlu2ZuKstL9gCw9NRfR0h5OVvlBWoQaqKD_CZyivemxgW7_1Nx0m2iADjw_5HxGSfHFf7d0gTZfw/s1919/28.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1919" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGdtrEgz0zuLr6rgyL-5I5X5FI5mfnYwuT1MmAAu1utP3cjkXrGI5egscsO-AUz_4JvGMBPYxmJsS31vuCYU-S02htLO5Y126A6ZbOnQNNlNNqEfVlu2ZuKstL9gCw9NRfR0h5OVvlBWoQaqKD_CZyivemxgW7_1Nx0m2iADjw_5HxGSfHFf7d0gTZfw/w400-h169/28.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Maybe [a Poké-neurologist] can weigh in on the long-term<br />psychological effect of being strapped into a BABY SEAT...<br />Next to a bomb!" Scripted? Ad-libbed? One of the few<br />moments where I couldn't tell.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">As for Reynolds’ career since the first Deadpool, it seems to be relying a lot on his similar innate ability for improvisational comedy. He can go all-out when wearing the red spandex of the Merc with a Mouth, but several of his other roles since have felt like the different degrees of 'Pool: Detective Pikachu of course, but his characters in <i>Free Guy</i> and <i>Hobbs & Shaw</i> are additional examples. It speaks volumes that fans got worried when it was reported that Reynolds wouldn’t be allowed to ad-lib on the set of <i>Deadpool 3</i> (now known as <i>Deadpool & Wolverine</i>) due to his credit as writer and the then-ongoing Writers’ Strike. Improvisation can be a double-edged sword in other ways: When someone relies on it too much and feels the need, within a role, to comment on everything with a quip (like Pikachu frequently does here), or when similar jokes keep coming back across roles. This is starting to show for Reynolds. It’s not a huge issue, but after rewatching this movie several times to write this review, it frequently feels very noticeable when it’s a scripted moment, versus when it’s something he came up with.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiimSh-6MLQr0c-HE2zRe-G0dgGNiYIKCRFn36Hut34TeU7UfHTAswjttsHQh_S4xSE5OZTKtR2ST2l_hNHVD-oqsB-8gemmVhS4QD24XBXP1fxgH6egyUvYCnI-AcJT7zwXSl9U4FUM7Bw7EOtRvSs5UlYCq-XQvqo9RG8xj42TKNgnIK6qmQl6M5p1Is/s1920/29.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimSh-6MLQr0c-HE2zRe-G0dgGNiYIKCRFn36Hut34TeU7UfHTAswjttsHQh_S4xSE5OZTKtR2ST2l_hNHVD-oqsB-8gemmVhS4QD24XBXP1fxgH6egyUvYCnI-AcJT7zwXSl9U4FUM7Bw7EOtRvSs5UlYCq-XQvqo9RG8xj42TKNgnIK6qmQl6M5p1Is/w400-h169/29.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climate change has nothing to do with what looks more like<br />some sort of earthquake and... y'know what, forget it.</td></tr></tbody></table>“They seem to be attracted to your increasing nudeness!” That sounds like a joke straight out of a Deadpool movie with the curse words filed off. “I don’t wear underwear. I’m not modest.” No you aren’t, Detective. When it comes to nature, you sound more the sassy type. No wonder you like coffee so much. “All I hear is consonants and all I see are nipples.” Thanks, now I can’t unsee them. "At this point, how can you not believe in climate change?" ...That one doesn't even make sense in-context!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Rodent VS Dragon</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the previous battle ends, Pikachu finds himself forced into a rematch against Sebastian’s Charizard. This is the best scene in the film, I swear. While the small mouse detective stretches to get ready for battle, Sebastian pulls out a vial of R for his lizard to inhale, making the Pokémon rabid. Pikachu is terrified, but has to fight. He tries Thunderbolt, but when he tries to call forth his electricity... nothing happens. He forgot how to use his moves. And the more he tries, the more he looks like he’s trying to poop. Low-hanging fruit, but whatever.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsSryK-KX2k6QrU4gcuGVINUBTx0NIFdqgdJnqP3BWIbxd3eVk35ExeHXGH_XMB5qkRMTui8PsniKdciIWqf1IvBCqvpT9ZPThuiA4WdYH56P4CyNYUihX5btIEBrVtsazU3e6pXjd46t5isOG5OsEOws3Q7JYz3ntZZu810hUnvYhfaGSaQPvfgCozo/s1920/32.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsSryK-KX2k6QrU4gcuGVINUBTx0NIFdqgdJnqP3BWIbxd3eVk35ExeHXGH_XMB5qkRMTui8PsniKdciIWqf1IvBCqvpT9ZPThuiA4WdYH56P4CyNYUihX5btIEBrVtsazU3e6pXjd46t5isOG5OsEOws3Q7JYz3ntZZu810hUnvYhfaGSaQPvfgCozo/w400-h170/32.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No time to dwell on the embarrassment, there's<br />a genuine danger here!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEh68MYx-jNZiyt_K3TLHhvX8eezmV7VJB-peCMHYBZKZ15G7YqCWsRsdOT0DUz2nIGK1C9kNOQuaipNODdHl3sXoJM3yKC2Pv3zpmHJdw17Hxi_KR-aTlHHpM4RQR4A00vssYARmbATmu90diNcXNWho8RtzqdBq2YaYzwW71BdrXZLNytpkS3Zc8QKhQw/s1920/31.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68MYx-jNZiyt_K3TLHhvX8eezmV7VJB-peCMHYBZKZ15G7YqCWsRsdOT0DUz2nIGK1C9kNOQuaipNODdHl3sXoJM3yKC2Pv3zpmHJdw17Hxi_KR-aTlHHpM4RQR4A00vssYARmbATmu90diNcXNWho8RtzqdBq2YaYzwW71BdrXZLNytpkS3Zc8QKhQw/w400-h169/31.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Complete pandemonium in 3... 2...</td></tr></tbody></table>This fight scene is amazing, Charizard legitimately looks like a monster (the purple eyes don’t help), and there’s a real tension as our smaller protagonist gets flung left and right. Worried, Tim disregards safety and breaks into the arena to fight the lizard/dragon and distract him. To come to his partner’s aid, Sebastian also enters the arena, only to get smacked by his own ‘Mon and fall to the hard floor. The vials of R? They were made of glass, and several shatter from under his coat, spilling smoke in the place and making ALL the Pokémon around go completely nuts. Forget the danger of these angry creatures all around them; the dude had no shirt on, I’d wager he’s got more than a few open wounds from all the glass shards.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjBFE83CMAc1U7lh-KaMRNYkC21YpCq4gBsUthLOLzvEKgovajK2bRyzJZ8gje19AR0hP-D9VHtHaC5edEHkqIXPxentGuV_q9HhJFQqMmdW7zldN49s9sitrCWLfeE0BwEyOTwTmQaWmOVWQlyZGtEize1-6g9g6A3N__wZXNm2LROJiHKSQ-OYttbTbY/s1920/33.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFE83CMAc1U7lh-KaMRNYkC21YpCq4gBsUthLOLzvEKgovajK2bRyzJZ8gje19AR0hP-D9VHtHaC5edEHkqIXPxentGuV_q9HhJFQqMmdW7zldN49s9sitrCWLfeE0BwEyOTwTmQaWmOVWQlyZGtEize1-6g9g6A3N__wZXNm2LROJiHKSQ-OYttbTbY/w400-h170/33.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankfully, Reynolds didn't go for a brown pants joke<br />this time. Even the 'zard is terrified.</td></tr></tbody></table>Chaos ensues, with rabid Pokémon attacking the audience. In the scuffle, Tim manages to make Sebastian speak and admit that the source of the R is “the doctor”. Super-basic nickname, that helps a lot, thanks. After most people and Pokémon had run off, Pikachu tries to get rid of the threatening Charizard by throwing a Magikarp at it. I’d mock that attempt, but while Charizard regains its spirits, the fish evolves and becomes a Gyarados exactly as big and terrifying as they’re supposed to be. The water dragon’ Surf attack gets everyone thrown out into the street... where the RCPD shows up to arrest whoever’s still at the Roundhouse. Including Tim and Pikachu. Whoops.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This gets them a trip to the RCPD and a stern talk from Lt. Yoshida. Tim explains that he was following the clues of his dad’s last investigation to solve it and find Harry. After all, if Pikachu is here, what says that Harry isn’t also alive? Yoshida shows a security camera video of the accident. The Lieutenant believes that nobody could have survived that. Although, considering the stuff Tim survives in this adventure, I'd assume insane pain tolerance runs in the family. Yoshida insists that Harry is dead, and Tim should give up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEh_n49tfevR8D-dhyphenhyphenicBJJYR4qesc1z4PJn08l91m28-I2IBOzxAuy6IWQY1L-KA_yOvmDrONIJ6DzZAWMOJuM32Yu3QVRq9qQt9L6tf4Yehvjh95bUzrQqRklbYv6mTO7E3Jp62TGS7U5GfdLwbzYiopd62fZsvo-f43pG1bdoRTPND4QgWnSe0A-UNtM/s1920/35.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_n49tfevR8D-dhyphenhyphenicBJJYR4qesc1z4PJn08l91m28-I2IBOzxAuy6IWQY1L-KA_yOvmDrONIJ6DzZAWMOJuM32Yu3QVRq9qQt9L6tf4Yehvjh95bUzrQqRklbYv6mTO7E3Jp62TGS7U5GfdLwbzYiopd62fZsvo-f43pG1bdoRTPND4QgWnSe0A-UNtM/w400-h170/35.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time Tim has any real heart-to-heart with someone<br />about his situation. Hey, it took a while, but he has a lot to<br />work through.</td></tr></tbody></table>Leaving the police department, Tim and Pikachu have a talk. It’s only now that Tim realizes that his dad did care. Harry threw himself into his work out of grief, but when he did finally try to reconnect with his son, he got turned away. Well, if there’s one mystery no longer worth solving, there’s another one that remains – and understanding that he’s been a jerk to Pikachu the whole time, Tim agrees to keep investigating why the little guy has lost his memories.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1YxKO3YIYvUKqwJAPJYAPjE8We1UIvuX26g2Cg_ewtWqS_lIQ0GOAu1nt_zcKSQVois8ityZ0t1evmQhzxUYSkbeHNyUCPf49Ec9FKJ87Y4iRtPsKiiyFllpkfMz9IZj5_j_dYSKkktsxNkFVfc9WCZcVzsFMro9I1AYfxAKqPh1W0080lSQc7yrxaI/s1920/36.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1YxKO3YIYvUKqwJAPJYAPjE8We1UIvuX26g2Cg_ewtWqS_lIQ0GOAu1nt_zcKSQVois8ityZ0t1evmQhzxUYSkbeHNyUCPf49Ec9FKJ87Y4iRtPsKiiyFllpkfMz9IZj5_j_dYSKkktsxNkFVfc9WCZcVzsFMro9I1AYfxAKqPh1W0080lSQc7yrxaI/w400-h169/36.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For someone who looks like a bad guy, this woman<br />sure likes pink a lot.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEj5n_y1rmRFKO4fPF4HEH72cmgqfu0Hakbsvu-LvD1oiGyqNrnmLObdMCuSaHMa0n1Vkg1mM2DNu0cmWQRgJ7u3aFcgbOfwaEnTChqFUhLNo74zD298H-hdF1zA_XGGTr06f1YhJO8cX3Hpx4ul05Gn1HR1YzZ_XS4YVUQtBm3DPrJ1OhNAJWkRLmJkCXs/s1920/37.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5n_y1rmRFKO4fPF4HEH72cmgqfu0Hakbsvu-LvD1oiGyqNrnmLObdMCuSaHMa0n1Vkg1mM2DNu0cmWQRgJ7u3aFcgbOfwaEnTChqFUhLNo74zD298H-hdF1zA_XGGTr06f1YhJO8cX3Hpx4ul05Gn1HR1YzZ_XS4YVUQtBm3DPrJ1OhNAJWkRLmJkCXs/w400-h169/37.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back there, gold-plated statues of Dialga and Arceus.<br />Says everything you need to know.</td></tr></tbody></table>That’s when a car pulls up. A woman comes out. Blonde hair with a pink streak, and matching pink gloves. Big-ass sunglasses at night. Without a word, she invites them into the car and drives them to Clifford Industries, where they meet with Howard Clifford, who casually evolves an Eevee into a Flareon while musing about Pokémon’s ability to evolve into better versions of themselves. Dude surrounds himself with statues of Dialga, Palkia and Arceus; maybe Roger wasn’t entirely wrong about his dad having a god complex.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Howard says that he’s the one who hired Harry and his Pikachu to investigate the source of the R. He believes it’s being produced by people working for his son, who owns CNM and has a lot of power in the city. Right, never trust a billionaire. I guess now is a good time to mention that while Howard Clifford is a character created for the film, Roger is a major character of the original Detective Pikachu game. Howard was likely created to present a father-son relationship foil to Harry and Tim's own.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjgpRQAnd1g1-KRWn53RCao0DFitUoifsEumiz-ot3zU_Rr-S3x1_HVhz1XVKxhTrzcZYJsq33ED76pLwGtzk1ZGn1LLp1ZO4oA-Tsk8Q7lSen0o6E7b3VX1kGMmezlkdSl4UvbYiEcHfBaywUy0XpShu25amo8s9ia8sPspkr7PjTpphYxrJk8Rb6NImc/s1920/38.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpRQAnd1g1-KRWn53RCao0DFitUoifsEumiz-ot3zU_Rr-S3x1_HVhz1XVKxhTrzcZYJsq33ED76pLwGtzk1ZGn1LLp1ZO4oA-Tsk8Q7lSen0o6E7b3VX1kGMmezlkdSl4UvbYiEcHfBaywUy0XpShu25amo8s9ia8sPspkr7PjTpphYxrJk8Rb6NImc/w400-h170/38.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These holograms are great! Clifford would make a killing<br />adapting them for, like, card games and stuff.</td></tr></tbody></table>When Tim says that Harry is dead, Howard disagrees and shows a holographic projection of the car crash, revealing a wounded but alive Harry crawling out of the wreckage with his Pikachu. However, a menacing figure appears above them; Mewtwo. It saps Pikachu’s memories, then takes Harry’s entire body into its being. Howard gives Tim a new task: If he finds Mewtwo, he’ll find his father.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The hunt is on.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To Part 3!</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-81654442242327303852024-02-23T08:41:00.013-05:002024-03-04T07:13:46.537-05:00VGFlicks: Pokémon Detective Pikachu (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Zvnr4FE5WxihsY2n-u4ACZel8Fem_02I-ehn7pZbUvMOV7Ad00qNpPxA64Ked0PfZNYxW9Y9lJIa1D3xm5IXVkf9VeLLjVDmIoqKYzH7fAKNu1rtopbLPom67q6ieLIMRbP_D8va50Qd2m5ha0uJfTphjn9WfqTSOXfHTiR3PQEGFjQMaEk7yJcmmWc/s1920/Pokemon%20Detective%20Pikachu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Zvnr4FE5WxihsY2n-u4ACZel8Fem_02I-ehn7pZbUvMOV7Ad00qNpPxA64Ked0PfZNYxW9Y9lJIa1D3xm5IXVkf9VeLLjVDmIoqKYzH7fAKNu1rtopbLPom67q6ieLIMRbP_D8va50Qd2m5ha0uJfTphjn9WfqTSOXfHTiR3PQEGFjQMaEk7yJcmmWc/w400-h225/Pokemon%20Detective%20Pikachu.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Part 1</b> – <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part_26.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> – <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/03/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part.html" target="_blank">Part 3</a> – <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/03/vgflicks-pokemon-detective-pikachu-part_4.html" target="_blank">Part 4</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If I had a nickel for every Pokémon movie I’ve watched recently whose plot is kickstarted by the disappearance/presumed death of a dad... well, I’d have two nickels, but for the Pokémon franchise, it’s not so weird that it happened twice. The franchise has a weird history with fathers. Ash’s dad was mentioned but never seen – not even at the very end, when his 10 years old son became a Pokémon Master after 25 years of hard work. And Red’s dad? There are some theories, but not much else. I can't go through all of them, and there'd probably be a full analysis to be done on the topic, from Norman to Mohn passing by Ghetsis...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What I do know, is that today's film would fit right in within that essay.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgDGTtp4idCSl8FRjiALgg52lnzaOVYrkQ5hHr8SrG7VZsnsPOzzAqHUpiV5wgYwQRtXw8PVU4C-sbgWS3Y4SiOeQErd1pd-WExikU4ow9aw6Fvyr1Jy0sqQcmgzwL4f_sEvtARo_sQl0K4jN4QOrLXAb1BijyxB0kMlx_IoqzXDJRl_fqfIaU-XeTGcmw/s800/7.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="800" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGTtp4idCSl8FRjiALgg52lnzaOVYrkQ5hHr8SrG7VZsnsPOzzAqHUpiV5wgYwQRtXw8PVU4C-sbgWS3Y4SiOeQErd1pd-WExikU4ow9aw6Fvyr1Jy0sqQcmgzwL4f_sEvtARo_sQl0K4jN4QOrLXAb1BijyxB0kMlx_IoqzXDJRl_fqfIaU-XeTGcmw/w400-h295/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of these look pretty good! But some just look bizarre<br />with the extra detail. Snorlax, in particular. The lack of<br />nose does it no favors.</td></tr></tbody></table>The Pokémon Company has been toying with the idea of a live-action Pokémon movie for a long time. Before the actor’s untimely passing in 2014, there were even rumors and hopes of getting Robin Williams to star in such a film as Professor Oak, nothing less. The Pokémon franchise already had a massive presence in the worlds of gaming and anime. However, the last Pokémon movie to see a worldwide release in theaters was Pokémon 3, all the way back in 2001; the next two films only saw limited releases. But even then, going from anime to live-action is playing in an entirely different medium. And there was already a long history of live-action adaptations of games and anime failing to capture the spirit of what they adapt. I’ve heard anime fans speak of a certain live-action Dragon Ball movie with the same level of bile I spew when I talk about that dreadful 1993 Mario movie.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjPS3Y86W5Q_M_v8rgiEmBkw7wBKlTUpTZX5FoRqVc_kmcnwsMIx3RIpqYKcwEREtixzBEB2lLhjUPkB5rapQy8JSzpX93pmXNerajNEc0iXWcM5O-Fi_UBoaD7A-tCpUCMZNwrJZFlhzYh4JGx50opL7Hnascu_U8CYYbvH8gTYujZR_jf0l6wFmjb0QQ/s1920/8.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1594" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPS3Y86W5Q_M_v8rgiEmBkw7wBKlTUpTZX5FoRqVc_kmcnwsMIx3RIpqYKcwEREtixzBEB2lLhjUPkB5rapQy8JSzpX93pmXNerajNEc0iXWcM5O-Fi_UBoaD7A-tCpUCMZNwrJZFlhzYh4JGx50opL7Hnascu_U8CYYbvH8gTYujZR_jf0l6wFmjb0QQ/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ohmygawd they're so precious. (Screenshots<br />taken from the "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=198gzllaumo" target="_blank">Casting Detective Pikachu</a>"<br />trailer.)</td></tr></tbody></table>Therefore, expectations were VERY high when Pokémon Detective Pikachu, a live-action film, was announced. There was an interest in not screwing things up for the franchise’s grand return to the silver screens. Pokémon is already a highly marketable franchise, but extra steps were taken to ease the franchise’s transition to a wider audience; for one, focusing on Pikachu, the mascot. Next, a story that doesn’t focus as much on battles, since the franchise still sparks controversy every now and then from people who don’t understand that trainer battles are more like a regulated sport and Pokémon never stay hurt too long.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pokémon Detective Pikachu, directed by Rob Letterman, was released in Japan on May 3rd, 2019 and everywhere else a week later. A video game also called Detective Pikachu came out in March 2018 for the Nintendo 3DS. That one is an action/adventure game focusing on a narrative. Since the game and film’s releases were only 13 months apart, both were in production at the same time for a while, so the game definitely inspired part of the film. Since the game takes about 10 to 12 hours to finish, the movie cuts the story down to the most important plot elements, while adding stuff of its own. Let's jump in!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitigE4TIwXN0emKg6bMTP8s0MJtRn6mHQPaITLSFd-5CGDr0J2gKfUBEYauWk8hv8ypXeaNEY4kYgF3Rg9TF35DrMLA5s7bU-CXGYD_1il4GK1NRi0lDUZPMqiPt-S_Lvc8pboeZmVkxtwZ0597msJ2g3ZdxmXdoty2cHK6y_NXd8k74jTpq9ffv_wh3E/s845/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="570" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitigE4TIwXN0emKg6bMTP8s0MJtRn6mHQPaITLSFd-5CGDr0J2gKfUBEYauWk8hv8ypXeaNEY4kYgF3Rg9TF35DrMLA5s7bU-CXGYD_1il4GK1NRi0lDUZPMqiPt-S_Lvc8pboeZmVkxtwZ0597msJ2g3ZdxmXdoty2cHK6y_NXd8k74jTpq9ffv_wh3E/s320/1.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As per usual: Spoiler alert. I’ll be covering the whole story.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The boy who doesn’t want Pokémon</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" 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/AVvXsEg3bZYqXevPpD4nYRRTXrFHJYGxnLfVcuv-bW5988mNzN_5dn2qdK5uzuf9oVN0xmW1pY_QWUiRy1RY6RXTaHCqUn5KtZyPoZV51QlHuvtdhZ6qZ49kQy8GMXFCWgjs0hMYfqRDyhbXUK65lmQzw8hPbidgHVzlVBWPsQ21Ho_WIMnzOGjwYh16lLRbB0A/s1919/2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1919" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bZYqXevPpD4nYRRTXrFHJYGxnLfVcuv-bW5988mNzN_5dn2qdK5uzuf9oVN0xmW1pY_QWUiRy1RY6RXTaHCqUn5KtZyPoZV51QlHuvtdhZ6qZ49kQy8GMXFCWgjs0hMYfqRDyhbXUK65lmQzw8hPbidgHVzlVBWPsQ21Ho_WIMnzOGjwYh16lLRbB0A/w400-h170/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm having Pokémon The First Movie flashbacks.<br />These scientists are so dead.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The movie wastes no time setting up the stakes. You know things are gonna be serious when the first Pokémon we see on the screen is friggin’ Mewtwo. And not just in any situation, either: The “most powerful Pokémon” is being experimented on by a team of scientists. The Legendary, who has never looked this creepy, is alerted to the sound of someone fleeing. A short-circuit of its capsule allows it to explode it from within and escape the lab. It flies off and spots the runaway(s?) driving away in their car. One precise blast strikes a back wheel and the vehicle, which was crossing a bridge, is sent crashing down below.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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/AVvXsEiHTF3JO792LUxc7Vn3l4YdB6l5NCid-bnGJIUiqhC1OatpTRA5Wj0WFpgxMl5xDs7wIN-zAt2krd_E5GS5FiV4oO8aexek8ASNft6zuTvccM9oYlPnhAs6Lr2j7ntKh6t-7QL73TrBWMygoy3-K2bhDJdnoDt4XT6y5-yg7gWL7qZqYOV2cTGjdqf49js/s1919/3.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1919" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTF3JO792LUxc7Vn3l4YdB6l5NCid-bnGJIUiqhC1OatpTRA5Wj0WFpgxMl5xDs7wIN-zAt2krd_E5GS5FiV4oO8aexek8ASNft6zuTvccM9oYlPnhAs6Lr2j7ntKh6t-7QL73TrBWMygoy3-K2bhDJdnoDt4XT6y5-yg7gWL7qZqYOV2cTGjdqf49js/w400-h169/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of Gen 5 representation in this film. Glad to see<br />the Unovan 'Mons getting some love.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">New scene, new place: Leaventown, a calm little place and home to our protagonist, Tim Goodman (Justice Smith). Although it’s not quite as impressive as it will be later, we’re already seeing promising signs for the movie: There are Pokémon to be seen everywhere. Crane shot of a flight of Pidgeot, panning by a Bouffalant enclosure, a smol Rufflet on a windowsill, and a line of Joltik in the forest. According to Bulbapedia, 58 different Pokémon species are featured in the film; according to Serebii, it's fewer, as there's a few discrepancies (one list claims Magnemite, Haunter and Riolu, the other doesn't). May not sound like a lot in a franchise that had 800 different creatures at time of release, but almost every single shot in the film includes Pokémon in some capacity, so we have a true feel of the omnipresence of these creatures in the presented universe.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhsZmubEu698d1D92kYNJPrdVO6rbLdn3yazrvDv5KBJYzVxuHa-FJMkwP0CpAiT4ccAATSQ3NAtygP20N4ZUNS898RG6ZXv60TwirYRJznB7kgQx6sV7bD2nC5o41lUFE7MUbRGmI_TwgDbb2sbFza3RqEKke65IdlKxPEx_GvNEoHZm75hXGYMVL2V14/s1920/4.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZmubEu698d1D92kYNJPrdVO6rbLdn3yazrvDv5KBJYzVxuHa-FJMkwP0CpAiT4ccAATSQ3NAtygP20N4ZUNS898RG6ZXv60TwirYRJznB7kgQx6sV7bD2nC5o41lUFE7MUbRGmI_TwgDbb2sbFza3RqEKke65IdlKxPEx_GvNEoHZm75hXGYMVL2V14/w400-h169/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As an example, in this screenshot alone: Doduo, Audino,<br />Snubbull, Squirtle, Emolga, Jigglypuff, Pancham, Loudred<br />and Bulbasaur. You won't realize just how many there are<br />until you start looking for them.</td></tr></tbody></table>There are two types of film adaptations of video games: Those that adapt a single game, sticking to that game’s story and events (usually modified for a movie’s runtime), and those that adapt a franchise by creating a new story that will instead pull details and elements from various points in the adapted series’ history. Pokémon Detective Pikachu tries to pull double duty here, adapting the 3DS game as I mentioned, but also trying to adapt the Pokémon universe for the big screen. It’s not just about making us feel that these Pokémon are there; it’s about making us believe that they’ve always existed there. Looking at shots of Ryme City later, we not only see loads of these varied creatures all over the place (with some being so well-integrated we might only notice them after multiple viewings), but also tons of nods and references to the franchise’s then-23 years of existence, scattered around billboards, neon signs and other products.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjqqov9I6lK7B0JAmi_hbYhcwBcfJuVvS0PNBSceyKen6Kkpvh9tDbjpwgxTg-dfLt2XVTgytxnM4CQHiRkFTk2plXt-knymGxY3BMgi7OBxSX6H-RzubhBf-bYgZnT1rlMV6VppqZWUM5VcxFirEU4RW4Uw_WT-g_bzuUsTSRXDbSYruFfYTnsuklRyBI/s1920/5.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqov9I6lK7B0JAmi_hbYhcwBcfJuVvS0PNBSceyKen6Kkpvh9tDbjpwgxTg-dfLt2XVTgytxnM4CQHiRkFTk2plXt-knymGxY3BMgi7OBxSX6H-RzubhBf-bYgZnT1rlMV6VppqZWUM5VcxFirEU4RW4Uw_WT-g_bzuUsTSRXDbSYruFfYTnsuklRyBI/w400-h169/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim is just... so... giddy at the thought of catching a Pokémon.</td></tr></tbody></table>Tim (Justice Smith) is being led by his friend Jack into the open fields just outside of Leaventown and being pushed into catching a Pokémon. A Cubone, to be precise. Jack thought of that only because just like Cubone, Tim’s mother passed away. Yeowch, insensitive much? Tim reluctantly agrees to try and catch the poor thing. He fails miserably, with the Ground-type bone wielder breaking out of the ball and attacking.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As they come back in town, the friends chat. Tim seems perfectly content working as an insurance appraiser, a job that feels as far removed from Pokémon as one could get in that world. He notices missed calls on his phone and, upon listening to them, his expression changes. It’s from the Ryme City Police Department, and it’s about a car accident. Well then, I guess we’re leavin’ town.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNUvf9k_teNjwoA-p3qP75ZNV-YxvvHx1Tjvg1gGx2h-FhQNXkArNZ39NrXfl4WfvXu2mI1zUKrdhX0RtfexlqF8uGreJyJFztiN8mc-fTvyhaRnsqIlGPC-uBCdiVj_iT1YnbRuPidOT5cJRa6oVOmJc2v2Zf8nY0-RV3MvIlzWojP7D1BwDXwq1UYw/s1920/6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNUvf9k_teNjwoA-p3qP75ZNV-YxvvHx1Tjvg1gGx2h-FhQNXkArNZ39NrXfl4WfvXu2mI1zUKrdhX0RtfexlqF8uGreJyJFztiN8mc-fTvyhaRnsqIlGPC-uBCdiVj_iT1YnbRuPidOT5cJRa6oVOmJc2v2Zf8nY0-RV3MvIlzWojP7D1BwDXwq1UYw/w400-h169/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, doesn't look like good news.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>A Goodman in Ryme City</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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/AVvXsEiY-dDAB9sKojbl6wBEzl0OyqG4ElMcECpm_-vxViqHYXHjcijY-6xJChXP5Gk4qbPS2OjTKWOgT1hvoCqZPhVsCTUfJ06rA2PA80eAC8vQ076lPxkeLo4z8lmlSGR46TCwEwaxHqURm1ZEgLcq5fRCjtRUo6R7kleKSbT0qkdv1GwuMKrdRhbRYsRDpms/s1918/9.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1918" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-dDAB9sKojbl6wBEzl0OyqG4ElMcECpm_-vxViqHYXHjcijY-6xJChXP5Gk4qbPS2OjTKWOgT1hvoCqZPhVsCTUfJ06rA2PA80eAC8vQ076lPxkeLo4z8lmlSGR46TCwEwaxHqURm1ZEgLcq5fRCjtRUo6R7kleKSbT0qkdv1GwuMKrdRhbRYsRDpms/w400-h169/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Considering some clips of the report on Harold Clifford's<br />degenerative disease are in 4:3, we can assume he's been<br />battling it for a while.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Tim takes the train to Ryme City. A video displayed aboard shows Ryme City’s peculiar setting: It’s a metropolis where Pokémon battling is illegal and catching is prohibited. The animals roam the city freely, and every citizen’s companion walks by their side, not restrained into a ball. Big HeartGold/SoulSilver vibes. The city is the creation of Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy). The visionary founder of Clifford Industries had to step down from his position after being diagnosed with a degenerative disease, and traveled to find a cure for himself; unable to do so, he instead aimed to make a world where humans and Pokémon live side-by-side in perfect harmony.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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/AVvXsEjmeRQcDK9YnbyeDxq98VsuZkbMVLCVVFw7lgq1YigCRJb0YDp9NqDAiMfbKMvMDI7E6Vn23KGilkOv4__zDpd34sTLvOfvnpSZDlCmLEsvBlGPioXgg30bxaP_CfTgeYfMboT08g7q1UMsQ4zn4MCwpBUPvDp9p1SWDgfzoMmZoOw4zrnoFWVWhoaphjc/s1918/10.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1918" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmeRQcDK9YnbyeDxq98VsuZkbMVLCVVFw7lgq1YigCRJb0YDp9NqDAiMfbKMvMDI7E6Vn23KGilkOv4__zDpd34sTLvOfvnpSZDlCmLEsvBlGPioXgg30bxaP_CfTgeYfMboT08g7q1UMsQ4zn4MCwpBUPvDp9p1SWDgfzoMmZoOw4zrnoFWVWhoaphjc/w400-h169/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">....Dodrio, Arcanine, Sneasel, Greninja, Comfey, Flabébé...<br />There's just so damn many.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Our first steps in Ryme City may be the best part of the movie. We had shots with multiple Pokémon before, but it’s the first time we can see the sheer scope of the film’s ambition. Some Pokémon are walking by their human companion in the streets, some are flying. A Braviary brings a construction worker his lunch at the top of a crane. Machamp directs traffic around a Snorlax who fell asleep in the wrong place, because some things never friggin’ change. Squirtle help firefighters, cops have Growlithe and Arcanine, and there’s a 9-foot Golurk just outside the RCPD.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" 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/AVvXsEiXZof3-VoUJ4D25Vsnq9eSZUOpu5dUrya6nrhd_xCsNUraxNugg9STUlsZW051NM8ORiULPcc_nGGgS1l_LeEZ_SMEk7WGvAUTgs_NOcuVw9fRH8ibA8YBCTfX37syU5OooGjDJw6fiFDrWO77caMSkBnbQcyk_q3sAu583njoSsWBvKaZS1bXRmmcs-I/s1919/11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1919" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZof3-VoUJ4D25Vsnq9eSZUOpu5dUrya6nrhd_xCsNUraxNugg9STUlsZW051NM8ORiULPcc_nGGgS1l_LeEZ_SMEk7WGvAUTgs_NOcuVw9fRH8ibA8YBCTfX37syU5OooGjDJw6fiFDrWO77caMSkBnbQcyk_q3sAu583njoSsWBvKaZS1bXRmmcs-I/w400-h170/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Considering Tim had a strained with his dad due to him<br />becoming a workaholic, maybe Yoshida shouldn't<br />have opened with "Your father was our best detective".</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Lieutenant Hide Yoshida (Ken Watanabe) even has a Snubbull in his office, the pink bulldog as grumpy as its kind always is. The Lieutenant explains that both Harry and his partner Pokémon are presumed dead. Mentions are made that Tim first wanted to be a Trainer, but that this didn’t work out. Despite Yoshida’s insistence that Harry loved his son and thought about him every day, Tim, who only associates his father to bad memories, is in a hurry to put all this behind him and asks for the address and keys to Harry Goodman’s apartment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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/AVvXsEhwJ8ZXwAFtK5uomNiJDF7ZFcez3Bp7CEke-YOdl-fBjSI04KGKEXKMnsoY-6a7LL21UzNCstYkgktD0S-mzwB35I84bl4TEW3bvWlFDk5cFUtKMsqkAuoxgXiLG9AWjmrNUHOZNDbh8ZQXLllKJ2WnvsJ4UhNq70KQlVl41rh6rRSxugY51onEeTrnsWQ/s1919/12.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1919" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJ8ZXwAFtK5uomNiJDF7ZFcez3Bp7CEke-YOdl-fBjSI04KGKEXKMnsoY-6a7LL21UzNCstYkgktD0S-mzwB35I84bl4TEW3bvWlFDk5cFUtKMsqkAuoxgXiLG9AWjmrNUHOZNDbh8ZQXLllKJ2WnvsJ4UhNq70KQlVl41rh6rRSxugY51onEeTrnsWQ/w400-h169/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hey, I didn't walk out of the Police Department just to walk<br />into another interrogation... WAIT don't record that-!"</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Tim heads over to the OAK Apartment Complex. When he gets there, he gets the impression that he’s being watched by a Psyduck from across the street. He pays it no mind and walks in, getting his dad’s mail, only to be pestered by the Psyduck, which followed him in. The duck’s owner reveals herself: Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton), who had been waiting for someone to open that mailbox. She speaks like a noir detective, or maybe a news reporter in a standard noir, yet she completely ruins the illusion with both a bright pink overcoat and a speech that’s not nearly as clever as she thinks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lucy overdoes it because she desperately wants to be a true reporter, instead of making pointless Pokémon listicles for this world’s equivalent of BuzzFeed. I find it ironic that she wants a job as famously stressful as reporter when her partner Pokémon is the type who doesn’t handle any amount of stress well at all. However, she does have the nose to spot a juicy story and as she leaves, she says that she’ll keep investigating, because something suspicious is going on.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Nice to Meet ‘Chu</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgpC3MrzmFeP9a2Loj3axMf58lkBVZ1UzNY2vBd7T-D3i0nzX9d6W24za9cgXZLAhNdKxFRZJ8oGpTuw5D7F2JPbByXOGLY0whouwTFOCCvrR0gZUl0Hk_QogfsV5D90iRd4qEWx0ux4SACRgcfpr05vCW2aQtWuWJWhFomijoLjO74sVF3fKeTDLnOjPg/s1920/13.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1624" data-original-width="1920" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpC3MrzmFeP9a2Loj3axMf58lkBVZ1UzNY2vBd7T-D3i0nzX9d6W24za9cgXZLAhNdKxFRZJ8oGpTuw5D7F2JPbByXOGLY0whouwTFOCCvrR0gZUl0Hk_QogfsV5D90iRd4qEWx0ux4SACRgcfpr05vCW2aQtWuWJWhFomijoLjO74sVF3fKeTDLnOjPg/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...Uh oh.</td></tr></tbody></table>Tim enters his dad’s apartment. Great, who left the TV on? It’s Angels with Filthy Souls again, that film’s, like, 60 years old. It was already old in the ‘90s, come on. The young man checks the files on the desk, including a news clipping about ancient Mew remains found in Ryme City and a vial containing purple stuff. He opens it, causing purple smoke to blow all over the place. Tim opens the window to let the smoke out, and it floats right into a group of Aipom casually hanging around the OAK sign... making them angry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We get flashbacks as Tim walks into a room set up for him with Pokémon memorabilia on the walls. He wanted to become a Trainer, but his mother passed away from disease when he was young. Harry Goodman was so heartbroken that he threw himself into his work and moved to Ryme City. Tim, meanwhile, was raised by his grandmother on his mom’s side. Feeling abandoned, Tim gave up on his Trainer dreams and grew to resent his dad, even pushing him away when Harry offered him to come live in the city.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If I had a nickel for every movie I covered this month about a mother who’s passed away or gone, a workaholic dad, and a child having to deal with two losses... You can fill in the Doofenshmirtz meme.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEji8hSxT2jvlch9ga6_h7hMwOvAkDyfJOFQb0pxw45SSEqbaKsm9ZBiws_f5JXQh6sox080oqDe5vS33trtBlMzgkUH-uIxikCBtTKgyRgvRlfUXUf85MIBBmXnUlA75QrmJTUCoPgYreTTxoEHs6Fr-M8J00YGJ7AHw6OKX3qfi3r1NKlcxe_KnTYE368/s1920/14.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8hSxT2jvlch9ga6_h7hMwOvAkDyfJOFQb0pxw45SSEqbaKsm9ZBiws_f5JXQh6sox080oqDe5vS33trtBlMzgkUH-uIxikCBtTKgyRgvRlfUXUf85MIBBmXnUlA75QrmJTUCoPgYreTTxoEHs6Fr-M8J00YGJ7AHw6OKX3qfi3r1NKlcxe_KnTYE368/w400-h170/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I kinda wished there was a cut of this movie without Ryan<br />Reynolds' voice for Pikachu, so that we'd know what it's<br />like when everyone else sees Tim have entire conversations<br />with a Pokémon who appears to only say its own name.</td></tr></tbody></table>A noise from the living room. Arming himself with a stapler, Tim investigates and finds... a Pikachu! And then it talks to him, in English, with Ryan Reynolds' voice, making motions to explain what it’s saying. Both are shocked, no pun intended, to realize they actually understand each other! They don’t get much time to dwell on the mystery, as the Aipom attack. Tim and the Pikachu flee from a horde of those enraged little monkeys. This brings them to the roof, and they make a daring escape down the trash chute.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHd1uOyShhbydONnJwfXOKDzEXMluWLFqzCJAh81j0sTZKRXlQZxDlch5JNztByMKIaZETk7YlJwJqwrNHMhtoSbYeJ_vaE_sPklJeifVBRvdQnawDrBbkT6EYO_YPfw0UymYElehLzPQkYoQ2lO8BqXqQ4fFyvczS54z8R2PzC59AGUpBPWV5ggq6bM/s1920/15.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHd1uOyShhbydONnJwfXOKDzEXMluWLFqzCJAh81j0sTZKRXlQZxDlch5JNztByMKIaZETk7YlJwJqwrNHMhtoSbYeJ_vaE_sPklJeifVBRvdQnawDrBbkT6EYO_YPfw0UymYElehLzPQkYoQ2lO8BqXqQ4fFyvczS54z8R2PzC59AGUpBPWV5ggq6bM/w400-h169/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting big Gremlins vibes from these Aipom.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgYySRMo8GVf5zctdNL7LZ0rKhx5y_ZUf7wQheAWGRKZS5F36itQAK5l_ESNIH2tawx8aVjvdcx2yHTVmx6JrpEMwn-3R0EEG8_N0rqEK6UhLO_8YR-5cRut-Fh9BfacbydddAIus_CX8PhMlq1cobKSD02OUQEoz7PllW9jYz5bOdKKKBOn-Q2vd3djlI/s1920/16.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1920" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYySRMo8GVf5zctdNL7LZ0rKhx5y_ZUf7wQheAWGRKZS5F36itQAK5l_ESNIH2tawx8aVjvdcx2yHTVmx6JrpEMwn-3R0EEG8_N0rqEK6UhLO_8YR-5cRut-Fh9BfacbydddAIus_CX8PhMlq1cobKSD02OUQEoz7PllW9jYz5bOdKKKBOn-Q2vd3djlI/w400-h169/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you start understanding your Pokémon... well, more than<br />normal... in this world, it's not a guaranteed direct way to<br />the psych ward, but... close.</td></tr></tbody></table>By the time they get to the busy streets, the Aipom are back to normal, and no passerby believes Tim when he explains what happened. They don’t believe that the Pikachu talks, either – only he can understand the hat-wearing rodent. Everyone else just reacts normally, acting all cute at the “Pika Pika” uttered by the Pokémon. Speaking of, none of the voice actors doing Poké-speak in the anime reprise their roles for this film... except Ikue Otani, who voices Detective Pikachu’s speech when someone other than Tim hears him. Apparently, not a single person notices that this Pikachu’s mannerisms are significantly more humanlike than normal. (Both that AND most of Pikachu’s jokes should be a tipoff about the film’s twist.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5apvvPSjAyHjMk-4uAO8jJngtTITRV9NQhyGBNY3tvJVlK4DzZ8LI6YsR5efuJnwtaaztYsOUsu_tfe4scDtpOZAWHf2oncfUgC2mtNwO7IeyBPR8s6jR-Xbzo7PMT4qGM1j-ab_9Aj8VtB443c95D3i7ah2nKEFSbC42yXpMnSF8O8ItUVLody-Q7Q/s1920/17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5apvvPSjAyHjMk-4uAO8jJngtTITRV9NQhyGBNY3tvJVlK4DzZ8LI6YsR5efuJnwtaaztYsOUsu_tfe4scDtpOZAWHf2oncfUgC2mtNwO7IeyBPR8s6jR-Xbzo7PMT4qGM1j-ab_9Aj8VtB443c95D3i7ah2nKEFSbC42yXpMnSF8O8ItUVLody-Q7Q/w400-h170/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Considering how small Pikachu is, caffeine must be<br />extra powerful for him.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhWARskX2TLgf4lnrGMnu9ZIN0jCZ8uV6EVN6EOaMfa0EG3LSBmnEDp2cMK-qfOfLMZXbPIlW4_KAYzYsozKMrpkCit8Ld5D_TiR9rMGD-3Fusa10HciWCKn19HwAzab9Gx92Sf2M8C0bynNuwbrF43vOMYJnFwcCRlCHMsagCZ59PwM4pGcC6us2GPOic/s1920/18.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1920" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWARskX2TLgf4lnrGMnu9ZIN0jCZ8uV6EVN6EOaMfa0EG3LSBmnEDp2cMK-qfOfLMZXbPIlW4_KAYzYsozKMrpkCit8Ld5D_TiR9rMGD-3Fusa10HciWCKn19HwAzab9Gx92Sf2M8C0bynNuwbrF43vOMYJnFwcCRlCHMsagCZ59PwM4pGcC6us2GPOic/w400-h170/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim, once again embodying the spirit of "Uggggghhhh, I<br />don't wanna do this, but..."</td></tr></tbody></table>Having resigned himself that no, he’s not going crazy, the Pikachu IS talking to him, and they understand each other, Tim asks the rodent what he was doing in Harry Goodman’s apartment. Turns out, this is Harry’s partner Pokémon. The little detective hat he wears belongs to Harry. However, Pikachu has lost his memories, including anything about the accident. Tim, still bitter about everything that happened with his dad, wants to leave things as they are, but Pikachu wants to investigate. If he’s still alive, maybe Harry is as well! After all, the body wasn’t found... And Pikachu adds that he has inherited some of Harry’s detective skills from years of following him around, so he might be able to solve the case.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tim’s not too hot for the idea, but then again, he’s unfriendly anytime the topic of his dad comes up. He’s got some issues to work through, he’s an unpleasant protagonist for a chunk of the first half of the film. He gets better, but still - bold choice for a film ostensibly for kids. Like everything else, he’s reluctant to Pikachu's suggestion, but ultimately agrees to go along.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sounds like a decent stop for Part 1. Let’s resume in Part 2, shall we?</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-40385491353020826662024-02-16T08:00:00.002-05:002024-02-16T17:48:53.283-05:00VGFlicks: Pokémon 3: Spell of the Unown (Part 3)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-3-spell-of-unown-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> - <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-3-spell-of-unown-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> - <b>Part 3</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwPmML0qwRdk1UsVOiyXpp7WASjiUT7b8W64o8kMDgv0XMjdz_iP5VEdyhwjb7gqAyTgLI9uAD0fyllndChmUzWk0YIcCnqa-DS5pMDeXhUyFMC36A4Vlj4JeygZ7UoihjXnAmQT5F_Zx-gZyGrbgiUQsTJmk2p17DbVD_QamfgziroPu9fsEHu9q4x8/s1920/32.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwPmML0qwRdk1UsVOiyXpp7WASjiUT7b8W64o8kMDgv0XMjdz_iP5VEdyhwjb7gqAyTgLI9uAD0fyllndChmUzWk0YIcCnqa-DS5pMDeXhUyFMC36A4Vlj4JeygZ7UoihjXnAmQT5F_Zx-gZyGrbgiUQsTJmk2p17DbVD_QamfgziroPu9fsEHu9q4x8/w400-h216/32.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finishing this today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Against Entei</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ash’s Charizard is ready to battle Entei, though when they headbutt each other, the pseudo-dragon is knocked back, hitting Ash, and almost sending his own trainer to fall to his doom again. Good thing he’s saved by Misty, Pikachu, Brock and Team Rocket, in their only true plot-relevant moment in the whole darn film.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAszKg2ydx4h3zsYpfrZXNBArmjVyxga8UWiLQ0t4ur75noNf9_5N13EMf675DxMYT91ydUang4HvkEUj9hf5wmIjG68-s_8WZSAyu0E-bOFDwPWPH0EL7mIVqNCayyLPi1DLpUBhthCz7pGz5LdfIHHSmCKJoWJzINbqK8Ueee4BYmfjbJxHlblojIgk/s1920/33.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAszKg2ydx4h3zsYpfrZXNBArmjVyxga8UWiLQ0t4ur75noNf9_5N13EMf675DxMYT91ydUang4HvkEUj9hf5wmIjG68-s_8WZSAyu0E-bOFDwPWPH0EL7mIVqNCayyLPi1DLpUBhthCz7pGz5LdfIHHSmCKJoWJzINbqK8Ueee4BYmfjbJxHlblojIgk/w400-h215/33.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This gang is like family! Yes, even Team Rocket. They're like<br /> the cousins nobody likes, who are only nice when the topic<br />of inheritance comes up. Also, lookit Pikachu, being all<br />"I'm helping!" as he tugs on Ash's leg.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgCKSJeajr2DcIXx7LrgZj7dU7ipQllDso1cN1nEwkbexCoj_z0kAls6nb3-UGu2pVhNXK0i3Aevw8S_u4Kml7r16YK3Wx7bXHbsr5ni4hIs1k355MNHkF4XtGO2OlvM6I7hhhadmd2ylXx-gWbnghzr4xEzukKMWzM7dP5aP0siQAAh4qhbanTMJWfPyY/s1920/34.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKSJeajr2DcIXx7LrgZj7dU7ipQllDso1cN1nEwkbexCoj_z0kAls6nb3-UGu2pVhNXK0i3Aevw8S_u4Kml7r16YK3Wx7bXHbsr5ni4hIs1k355MNHkF4XtGO2OlvM6I7hhhadmd2ylXx-gWbnghzr4xEzukKMWzM7dP5aP0siQAAh4qhbanTMJWfPyY/w400-h215/34.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Static screenshots just don't convey well the epicness of<br />some moments in this specific battle.</td></tr></tbody></table>Ash again tries to tell Molly to drop the illusion, telling her that his friends and his Pokémon are like a family, and that she could have real Pokémon out there. But she’s still in denial, claiming her dream Pokémon from earlier were just as real. With that, the fight is on, with Entei defending its own belief of being Molly’s father. Charizard and Entei take the fight into the skies above the crystallized mansion, trading blows and fire breaths. The big fire cat has the field advantage, because Molly still clings on to the belief that it’s her papa, and therefore her Unown-powered wishes keep summoning crystal spikes for the illusory beast to land safely on... while also popping into Charizard’s path to hurt him. Ash is riding on his dragon’s back the whole time, so he’s risking death too. It’s one of the coolest battles in the whole franchise. You can tell that the stakes are high, and the deck is heavily stacked against our protagonists.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzgwjCFe6ESa-ANz0_qejw-m_J2TgOcdMu-yC6JzasvPZs3D_DdP_Nb28h54MgvnxOt-PA4vkRk8MoPX-Fv_HN47QsduSSQLYjWEnPsNESlqkHLbvgvx1Pkz80aBwyhz-01TjP-50uZzDFeJDBYEoIYyPIUZmaYTmhwi1k6-BVZ-e9sRgskzrsR4TURHA/s1920/35.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzgwjCFe6ESa-ANz0_qejw-m_J2TgOcdMu-yC6JzasvPZs3D_DdP_Nb28h54MgvnxOt-PA4vkRk8MoPX-Fv_HN47QsduSSQLYjWEnPsNESlqkHLbvgvx1Pkz80aBwyhz-01TjP-50uZzDFeJDBYEoIYyPIUZmaYTmhwi1k6-BVZ-e9sRgskzrsR4TURHA/w400-h216/35.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Papa"'s about this close to going too far.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">At the end of this brawl, a defeated Charizard lands on the floor by the group with a similarly weakened Ash, and Entei lands with its paw on the dragon’s neck, ready to deliver a killing blow. That’s what it took for Molly to realize that all this had gone too far, and she commands Entei to stop what it is doing. Seeing her in tears is enough to make the legendary beast let go. Brock and Misty encourage Molly on her skills and about how a good trainer knows when to stop; everyone offers kind words. When Delia extends a hand, the little girl takes it, and begs for things to be real again.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhvTAIEAdRT9EKGy_9bl8b81wgeLuhBZFdK9eIejPtKR9AIPFsWAYV6KCbZo46tNj5wpYhwpwlVkPMntuL43XafUJc8r0AyzhuapaM8J69l8nZDNXheapJLAZoiZpOOm93ozjT8lXmFJ5cXP9EdwgtksPe60nc34ZryM-5DhdqmoGfkXTAUIrSoOF45UhQ/s1920/36.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTAIEAdRT9EKGy_9bl8b81wgeLuhBZFdK9eIejPtKR9AIPFsWAYV6KCbZo46tNj5wpYhwpwlVkPMntuL43XafUJc8r0AyzhuapaM8J69l8nZDNXheapJLAZoiZpOOm93ozjT8lXmFJ5cXP9EdwgtksPe60nc34ZryM-5DhdqmoGfkXTAUIrSoOF45UhQ/w400-h216/36.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect ending, we could end right here if we wanted.<br />But something's missing to this climax.</td></tr></tbody></table>See? It’s like I said. They tried to force her to accept reality, and were too quick about it due to the situation around them. It’s only by being supportive, caring and reassuring that they manage a breakthrough. I’m no therapist so obviously I can’t speak on this like a professional, but that’s what it feels like. Then again, it also took her seeing her own wishes do things she couldn’t see as good (like her papa threatening to kill a Pokémon and coming close to killing another kid) to reject the illusions at last.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With that, the crystals seem to shrink. Entei leaves, declaring it could only be around if Molly wanted to stay in the mansion, with it as her dad. It has outlived its usefulness. But then, shouldn’t it be disappearing? We get that answer fast, as the Pokémon sense a disturbance, followed by more spikes sprouting out. It’s a miracle nobody in this place got randomly killed by a crystal stalagmite! The gang organizes a quick escape plan, putting Molly on Charizard’s back to get her to safety, while everyone follows, with Entei going last.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Against the Unown</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSKSNnxk-9Q14E-SKUDY14-a6vAgd9yBlMobC-EqIjejFVHRPPuggXfSpnji2hM4uv07rh4VwCj1edwg4VW7Zc4g9GhvvVcHzjzfmZ2sHGkeFGOTjP-TofF8i4bbCJU5GrKgb6Ns8jmmSps2WNecEQsGKzuZLYdPRa3SOBWkv7geP3SsB6YNWi6qwu5U/s1920/37.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSKSNnxk-9Q14E-SKUDY14-a6vAgd9yBlMobC-EqIjejFVHRPPuggXfSpnji2hM4uv07rh4VwCj1edwg4VW7Zc4g9GhvvVcHzjzfmZ2sHGkeFGOTjP-TofF8i4bbCJU5GrKgb6Ns8jmmSps2WNecEQsGKzuZLYdPRa3SOBWkv7geP3SsB6YNWi6qwu5U/w400-h215/37.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've never seen letters be chaotic, except when I read<br />something written by someone with dyslexia!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As they escape, Ash calls Prof Oak to figure out what's be going on. It seems that the Unown used so much psychic energy that they’ve completely lost control of it. Maybe sticking to Molly’s wishes was holding them back, but now that she’s rejected them, they’re no longer bound. The crystal fields grow again, faster than before, even taking over the Pokémon center, with everybody there fleeing just in time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgKFKYztkJTJEarlVNJNOXiIYV3rjSp2xk_k7GgIXFACuQe_EQkz2lLRkl2arcxJpDJCF7X6AV_5mmTAW_lTT-5GxO1MoP4pmK0mzDGaLWJytvQEOEJaOFuvpYe3rl92WSvBW1ePKsHbq7d3IzxTHBx4fJ75n-5Npeg3e8GpcYXTakA4r3pqPSRYecMI8o/s1918/38.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1918" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFKYztkJTJEarlVNJNOXiIYV3rjSp2xk_k7GgIXFACuQe_EQkz2lLRkl2arcxJpDJCF7X6AV_5mmTAW_lTT-5GxO1MoP4pmK0mzDGaLWJytvQEOEJaOFuvpYe3rl92WSvBW1ePKsHbq7d3IzxTHBx4fJ75n-5Npeg3e8GpcYXTakA4r3pqPSRYecMI8o/w400-h216/38.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not for lack of trying, but it's gonna take more than some<br />non-Legendaries to get through this.</td></tr></tbody></table>The group in the mansion gets to the room where the Unown are, and Ash tries to think of a solution. His answer? Run at them. That only gets him violently thrown back. Ah, right. It’s not a Pokémon movie until Ash tries to punch or body-slam the threat of the day. So, instead, he does the smart thing and commands his Pokémon to try and break the psychic barrier the letters have protected themselves with. Charizard’s fire and Pikachu’s electricity combined aren't enough for a true breakthrough.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiFMKaFkguZHMIN4O0Czo6qXQ4CfdmShkEwEYEDjMko6VjIvyHG0gULv12CVX2PRoD25zg2asQL_O5uJd41JqI2Pl16jHeJxAaQARtsNuwxz_YMP5ec8ejSA2uZl7rTIS0fxh_yggoy-5edwThTEMFqyh1XdxhNkzgTYdFyeErLdrPLVNiKTVqr3ZR2PMA/s1920/39.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMKaFkguZHMIN4O0Czo6qXQ4CfdmShkEwEYEDjMko6VjIvyHG0gULv12CVX2PRoD25zg2asQL_O5uJd41JqI2Pl16jHeJxAaQARtsNuwxz_YMP5ec8ejSA2uZl7rTIS0fxh_yggoy-5edwThTEMFqyh1XdxhNkzgTYdFyeErLdrPLVNiKTVqr3ZR2PMA/w400-h215/39.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They created it, it can defeat them. Kinda poetic in a way.</td></tr></tbody></table>However, who shows up to help but Entei itself, blasting into the room. Standing before them all it declares it was happy to be Molly’s papa, and that its final moments can be spent stopping what’s going on. All it needs is for Molly to believe that it can. It joins its forces to Ash’s Pokémon, trying to push its head into the Unown’s barrier.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You must believe, Molly! Believe in the heart of the cards! ...Wait, crap, I had said I would try to avoid Yu-Gi-Oh jokes!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEi_psWwVO1GCVN05RJlIcFdO98EOuqaEq8R5tvB9ZOnt_RsioacNNL1N2eDLAkC7VSu3ZaqQFkFLeKSEp_nSjJtiNt29bdqrlhVHpc4sSZBDJGl0jRVyDui0x2aFPGH75-tZdD0zjyl5TQb_WMCFa6kaS_rYgEAuZXKfXYj78aP5K3RNw3NvREu0-Z6zrw/s1920/40.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_psWwVO1GCVN05RJlIcFdO98EOuqaEq8R5tvB9ZOnt_RsioacNNL1N2eDLAkC7VSu3ZaqQFkFLeKSEp_nSjJtiNt29bdqrlhVHpc4sSZBDJGl0jRVyDui0x2aFPGH75-tZdD0zjyl5TQb_WMCFa6kaS_rYgEAuZXKfXYj78aP5K3RNw3NvREu0-Z6zrw/w400-h215/40.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He'll be gone, but he'll never be forgotten.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And Molly believing in Entei does work, with the feline getting its head through and spitting out a Fire Blast that finally tears through the Unown and disrupts them. Knowing it is its final moments, Entei bids farewell to Molly, asking her to keep it close in her dreams, and then it disappears, like a Pharaoh into the afterlife- dammit! As for the Unown, their flight halts, their tiles fall to the floor and disappear (so much for the research...), and the letters head home through a portal. After they’ve left, any trace of their psychic presence goes away; the crystals disappear entirely, and the mansion returns to normal. As they come back home, they also let Molly's father go free.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That specific scene of Professor Hale reappearing was actually shown during the end credits in the Japanese version. In one of the rare universally agreed-on changes from 4Kids Entertainment, it was moved so that families who left the theater as soon as credits began rolling wouldn’t think Molly’s dad never came back.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCDdbVugsj_0W_cJrS8YtFU39y8vY53lLErV2MQfQ2K7ray6G9DPOxYpyprX299gY6d4OliyvLB77sJHYbe-iBFPYsagcaLcgfCZzejELTmbmcHAJk9jUVquECKbupEYT1zCA0LvvW1vfXdRa9qtugk4qpKyINAIV64VdJfhCpq_leFcjDjayniZ-uKs/s1920/41.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCDdbVugsj_0W_cJrS8YtFU39y8vY53lLErV2MQfQ2K7ray6G9DPOxYpyprX299gY6d4OliyvLB77sJHYbe-iBFPYsagcaLcgfCZzejELTmbmcHAJk9jUVquECKbupEYT1zCA0LvvW1vfXdRa9qtugk4qpKyINAIV64VdJfhCpq_leFcjDjayniZ-uKs/w400-h225/41.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Considering people still get up and leave once credits start<br />when they see MCU movies, which are known for mid- and<br />post-credits goodies, it's no surprise that audiences in<br />2001 would have up and left before seeing Professor<br />Spencer be brought back, had this scene not been<br />moved forward to before the credits.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgNWPI2IyqyeiR15olsf5Bv5accd_3B5tstEV-DAEDHEuIfFvWLLtQJPyw5NXSfiyRxl1fiXl1lOcRPI_-ULEQuns6jAOd1gT2wt4FojRuejfbO97XSyo_Ub4x8LmA_D6BDtWekZSdF7nC2_X_l2K1KCfozxU_-ZHA3BOMdwhuyowKNszTC53iL71n_-BU/s1920/43.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWPI2IyqyeiR15olsf5Bv5accd_3B5tstEV-DAEDHEuIfFvWLLtQJPyw5NXSfiyRxl1fiXl1lOcRPI_-ULEQuns6jAOd1gT2wt4FojRuejfbO97XSyo_Ub4x8LmA_D6BDtWekZSdF7nC2_X_l2K1KCfozxU_-ZHA3BOMdwhuyowKNszTC53iL71n_-BU/w400-h215/43.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another movie-level adventure finished. Man, they really<br />have some luck getting into so many conflicts this big.</td></tr></tbody></table>As Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Charizard, Delia and Molly walk out, they see a line of vehicles coming towards the mansion – Oak, Schuyler, and several others congratulating them for a job well done. Looks like a happy ending! Well, except for Team Rocket, who spot a lot of cop cars and decide it’s wiser to lay low for a bit. They didn’t do much this time, but hey, there’s always the next movie. (Oh, they’ll have much more to do in the next movie alright. Doesn’t mean that’s a good thing...)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Roll credits. There isn’t much else to say of those, though before random shots of Ash and Co. continuing their adventure, we have a few more plot-relevant scenes: Prof Hale getting back home to an overjoyed Molly, and later, her mom is also seen coming back home. My heart! Goddammit, I’m weeping again!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDjOeeniwocfC2CfGlpqcYrBNkKJoNhO2vx0Fv3ZfVyjABoXSnSonlz8e8BSMeCLL1YiHd1rpL1YOWeH3xViXzoNJMJTpbq_gEM3Qfrytfv81fFPPzj-uMePZ_sEkePj3XQw-Vo3hSJ5QkZjqDOHvF1789RzblZstRi-cv4vIJcmWdrZh9ckKyzHznKo/s1920/42.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDjOeeniwocfC2CfGlpqcYrBNkKJoNhO2vx0Fv3ZfVyjABoXSnSonlz8e8BSMeCLL1YiHd1rpL1YOWeH3xViXzoNJMJTpbq_gEM3Qfrytfv81fFPPzj-uMePZ_sEkePj3XQw-Vo3hSJ5QkZjqDOHvF1789RzblZstRi-cv4vIJcmWdrZh9ckKyzHznKo/w400-h225/42.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Pokémon as companions?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I realize, as I come to the end of this long review, that I barely touched on the “Pokémon as companions” point I made at the beginning. Maybe because in this film, it’s a little more subtle than the deconstructions of battling and collecting were in the previous two. There’s a few ways we can look at it: Humans’ companionship with Pokémon, and vice versa.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgGB7vRCZEZkBiJv17pZwanxWHW9KWMdu3fAFpg4kFXgotWtC68OUIfRw65c1uZa2CU4bI95eRwdGgRHqEHQ_t1lhMkx7odi_A-wzEDKOMpftmKAuMU_VeMsei8K949Go1usRmtiEqv3ppb9Rf-wRaTPxraKQEG6N5hJhxP3xwzio8qwaUWhJrHY0r-HLo/s1920/44.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGB7vRCZEZkBiJv17pZwanxWHW9KWMdu3fAFpg4kFXgotWtC68OUIfRw65c1uZa2CU4bI95eRwdGgRHqEHQ_t1lhMkx7odi_A-wzEDKOMpftmKAuMU_VeMsei8K949Go1usRmtiEqv3ppb9Rf-wRaTPxraKQEG6N5hJhxP3xwzio8qwaUWhJrHY0r-HLo/w400-h216/44.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun fact: It probably took Charizard a few hours to fly all<br />the way there from Charicific Valley, so he wasn't at full<br />energy when fighting Entei, yet still held his own.<br />Impressive.</td></tr></tbody></table>Ash gets all the help he needs from his Pokémon through the adventure, and can always count on them. He has formed true bonds of friendship, always has Pikachu by his side, and in the climax, even one of his long-time buddies comes back to save him. I barely mentioned Togepi, but Misty still has the little guy through this adventure, safely tucked away in her backpack. These trainers care for their Pokémon, and their friends return it well. Not only that, but they use the Pokémon’s powers responsibly. It is by discussing the bonds of friendship created over time with his team that Ash manages to solve part of the crisis.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhocxCSRSIn1h2nBk0yeNU7RJ1upB2VQpu25zdlUX-c9EqBE4ZJDG_7GzprQknkoNbo9Lh3CYzBdtBzDWxkzmF6Q-ZBGJbSD2cKgvkreIqY49HlumNr6xfuSoj9xgbHxQfjNnkiSteZpXIjeKRnkjHn-rfvz5wGaAhQAJvQg7UdB7cfTL0ecpbA_5TPqmY/s1920/45.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhocxCSRSIn1h2nBk0yeNU7RJ1upB2VQpu25zdlUX-c9EqBE4ZJDG_7GzprQknkoNbo9Lh3CYzBdtBzDWxkzmF6Q-ZBGJbSD2cKgvkreIqY49HlumNr6xfuSoj9xgbHxQfjNnkiSteZpXIjeKRnkjHn-rfvz5wGaAhQAJvQg7UdB7cfTL0ecpbA_5TPqmY/w400-h215/45.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's gonna hurt to accept reality. It had to hurt even more to<br />stay in the dream world, that's the only way she'd finally<br />accept change.</td></tr></tbody></table>The only way it can be a deconstruction is if it contrasts by showing the wrong way it’s done, exemplified here by Molly and the Unown. For one, children of Kanto and Johto leave home for their Pokémon journey at the age of 10. Molly isn't too young to care for Pokémon (she's seen playing with a Teddiursa during the credits, and the games have you battle preschoolers who seem to have been given Pokémon for basic defense), but doesn't quite grasp everything that entails yet. Her mental state during the film must not have helped, making her prefer the wished-up perfect creatures. She was holding on to illusory Pokémon and insisting they're real, like a young kid defending the existence of their imaginary friend, and she was missing the fact that she couldn't really "care" for those.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Unown bear the brunt of the blame for what happens in the film. The memetically weak Pokémon serves to highlight the other point about companionship. In the games, we rarely get to take care of our Pokémon as much as we’d like, with focus still being generally on battling and collecting. However, the anime regularly reminds us that every single one of these creatures can be massively dangerous, and Trainers like Ash put themselves in danger to understand these animals and maybe befriend them. On the plus side, the bonds they create as a result are strong, shown with all of Ash’s team supporting him. But of course, this requires work, time and understanding.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhg-cn9UQU2btcGA5SEmsKhF35xYhdCIle-6QjYAQi-bAuQQflrK5vXNBSBaS5wgm1byPERbwnQPOpod0RQVJX7kJa40nSWwmT60taIyvObaWacfBeGS9rCJJk9XWNNfZ2IbWrLwHQX2nz_TSfFGtZC67iNRs4tRjqAlWIoTMR-1I3O4JDDm6KFW5cSSCs/s1920/8.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-cn9UQU2btcGA5SEmsKhF35xYhdCIle-6QjYAQi-bAuQQflrK5vXNBSBaS5wgm1byPERbwnQPOpod0RQVJX7kJa40nSWwmT60taIyvObaWacfBeGS9rCJJk9XWNNfZ2IbWrLwHQX2nz_TSfFGtZC67iNRs4tRjqAlWIoTMR-1I3O4JDDm6KFW5cSSCs/w400-h216/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't know what's scarier: Someone who willingly does<br />the wrong things while knowing what would have been the<br />morally right things to do, or someone/something with a<br />sense of morality so alien that their behavior and<br />actions are completely and utterly unpredictable?</td></tr></tbody></table>Molly and the Unown had none of those. She neither has the experience or knowledge of a Trainer to figure out what to do with the Unown. Since they're so mysterious, even if she did want to look them up, she wouldn't find much; very few had seen them in the flesh before. And even with their mind-reading, humans might be just as weird to them, too. It doesn't help that the one human mind they connect with is struggling with grief and trauma. (Of note, there is an episode of the anime where Ash and Co. care for a single fallen Unown, and they do manage it relatively well, though the Unown's powers makes things go weird.) To top it off, they don't seem to have a sense of morality like we do, which may also explain why the Entei they create doesn't have one, either. No wonder this situation turned into a disaster, everything that matters in a relationship between human and Pokémon was utterly skewered.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Final words</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiPD8sr2ZNOFWkJSCZ3GlVAi0lXTcKE1gMPO_vq7JsAw1xQ9KTgLfFeMpGNARq0JoU2EspTp-1teI9J9yw_2JcOTU1COb08q1UG8Gck6hA7Q1sUCEUQ8oN-ZcnuZrFySR5lC7cYE3Ai-gVZGKLZWsrXpvWi58gFezp78CFPnYbLnulpA8S22tTBCiPe578/s1920/5.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPD8sr2ZNOFWkJSCZ3GlVAi0lXTcKE1gMPO_vq7JsAw1xQ9KTgLfFeMpGNARq0JoU2EspTp-1teI9J9yw_2JcOTU1COb08q1UG8Gck6hA7Q1sUCEUQ8oN-ZcnuZrFySR5lC7cYE3Ai-gVZGKLZWsrXpvWi58gFezp78CFPnYbLnulpA8S22tTBCiPe578/w400-h216/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only personality trait we can figure out from the Unown<br />is: They don't like to be disturbed.</td></tr></tbody></table>Of the early Pokémon movies, this is the one that I could legitimately say is a good movie, even without the lenses of nostalgia. It’s a genuinely complex and touching story, that hits very different whether you watch it as a child, as an adult or as a parent. Its dub feels a lot more in line with the intentions of the original Japanese version, probably because not much could be modified without altering the story beyond recognition. The stakes start high yet further grow when they become personal, and the antagonists are one of the most unique ideas out there, with none being straight-up villainous.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Featuring the Unown as CGI was a clever idea to further highlight their Eldritch nature. The animation is great throughout. As for the film’s soundtrack, it’s beloved despite never seeing a full commercial release – though some people have seen to it by making the tracks available on YouTube. The film is on the very short end, clocking in at 73 minutes including credits; very few seconds, if any, are wasted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjUTLM2BDUTRbA1fH5j4Rh3_Qis6oO1HJVTydR6evVxEB4si5dh_u4BS-xatdc9dw0brTnse1cQYfove7AVzHV0DmkA5Z3tWl9giJczjPjA3r690c7anYHNj2t5UTm24VVtt8hYup_vO6LG2Tj1BP2Zs9mpzWW9AFwmsd23pPST74SVdvwY8ILCI3X8MM4/s1920/31.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTLM2BDUTRbA1fH5j4Rh3_Qis6oO1HJVTydR6evVxEB4si5dh_u4BS-xatdc9dw0brTnse1cQYfove7AVzHV0DmkA5Z3tWl9giJczjPjA3r690c7anYHNj2t5UTm24VVtt8hYup_vO6LG2Tj1BP2Zs9mpzWW9AFwmsd23pPST74SVdvwY8ILCI3X8MM4/w400-h216/31.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm willing to bet Charizard's arrival was a huge moment<br />of cheering from kids in theaters.</td></tr></tbody></table>Pokémon battles are a standout here, from the 6-on-6 at the beginning to the climactic fight between Entei and Ash’s Pokémon. Hell, Entei VS Charizard may be one of the coolest battles shown in the anime, period. Character-wise, this movie serves as a day in the limelight for Delia Ketchum, rarely seen at that point of the anime outside of her role as Ash’s mom, and she gets some great moments. On the other hand, Team Rocket serve very little purpose here outside of wisecracking and helping rescue Ash once, making their mandatory presence feel more forced than ever before. As for Lisa, her contributions are nice, but she ends up like most one-time characters, almost forgotten once her purpose is done.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYT_uoXlpW0bUcn7_YQ_OqHsoaKCicW0DBsnFWBNFs7ySp5ygp3q792Lm3rqMq68-N8ziRc6m_Noi6UY0czbe4Nk7qKDWxTo0taZNE_26weW0ys-EDOQMBnpubhzzl66fOU9kxTNvS46Ub1P20vogoCdVaDwWnTNMh_r0GZo2PHLeUyHZWx4Ems61jQQ/s1920/16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1920" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYT_uoXlpW0bUcn7_YQ_OqHsoaKCicW0DBsnFWBNFs7ySp5ygp3q792Lm3rqMq68-N8ziRc6m_Noi6UY0czbe4Nk7qKDWxTo0taZNE_26weW0ys-EDOQMBnpubhzzl66fOU9kxTNvS46Ub1P20vogoCdVaDwWnTNMh_r0GZo2PHLeUyHZWx4Ems61jQQ/s320/16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBUlLyjmighlNhY_kEjsrfTxf7bIUAezarT-5_8BqDJViD8U5o68OwjXzZtS3kS6VJy83MRuhF9FMtNxSstrepqICm7kyjJ1TDUWzes01VvK8r2emA5sp5qPcSoE0u9tK95S0aWNzL_mBacZyXmEPlAGMiCOmGeqEZGVdQEu_aelfQkZ1r4fQex77G2E/s1920/6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBUlLyjmighlNhY_kEjsrfTxf7bIUAezarT-5_8BqDJViD8U5o68OwjXzZtS3kS6VJy83MRuhF9FMtNxSstrepqICm7kyjJ1TDUWzes01VvK8r2emA5sp5qPcSoE0u9tK95S0aWNzL_mBacZyXmEPlAGMiCOmGeqEZGVdQEu_aelfQkZ1r4fQex77G2E/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We could argue as to whether we should have gotten Takeshi Shudō’s version of the story instead of Hideki Sonoda’s, or if 4Kids’ change was better. I’m personally fine with Sonoda’s idea, though I understand why it did not sit right with Shudō, considering how personal he wanted that story to be. His train of thought is sound as well, that Molly wouldn't have done all this had her mother only been away or incapacitated rather than deceased. At the least, barring the mid-credits scene, I can appreciate that the English dub keeps things implicit regarding Molly’s mother, so we can fill in the blanks however we like.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is, without a doubt, the best of the early Pokémon movies. The absolute best? Again, I would need to watch them all to come to such a conclusion. But still pretty good. A Hell of a lot better than the movie that would come right after it. However, that’s for another time. Instead, next up I’ll cover a different Pokémon movie.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-28808859391165759762024-02-12T08:06:00.001-05:002024-02-16T08:00:44.439-05:00VGFlicks: Pokémon 3: Spell of the Unown (Part 2)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-3-spell-of-unown-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> - <b>Part 2</b> - <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-3-spell-of-unown-part-3.html" target="_blank">Part 3</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSY_ak9PadPYVnOcubbOhXs7CXZ8G9fgQtzgDyt8xpAdbHhxHoJ3aaRAVfNq4HbLx_16TEh5gJJqhWwYNaIcwxe2_09IvrCgN-fXic_epL4EJWOccoW-NNaar0DC5q7PkQPWc_uUZn6SvF1voOzXmE7rnPGKVZaa7sEFrZ6naY3CkZV9r4JeBLOjqTIk/s1920/8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSY_ak9PadPYVnOcubbOhXs7CXZ8G9fgQtzgDyt8xpAdbHhxHoJ3aaRAVfNq4HbLx_16TEh5gJJqhWwYNaIcwxe2_09IvrCgN-fXic_epL4EJWOccoW-NNaar0DC5q7PkQPWc_uUZn6SvF1voOzXmE7rnPGKVZaa7sEFrZ6naY3CkZV9r4JeBLOjqTIk/w400-h216/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holy Hell there's so many. *readies Pokéballs*</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Continuing from Part 1...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Hale Mansion Down</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjt7n6eaAldfPJn4wwLBdnnXolFBOWh3gcfCi6aaQLE5508muXSR96LIyAYmDxmDStB1w06AyTJcNWz4PlKPUKfqPuslN6LgvcY154_jOeeKlAAWfpY9cqcv8f9FFTd8px9I0YAPXYq_u83U85w1sheHtRBNwB8c2fexC262pm4hFr7dVedj9TDPgFHgF8/s1920/18.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7n6eaAldfPJn4wwLBdnnXolFBOWh3gcfCi6aaQLE5508muXSR96LIyAYmDxmDStB1w06AyTJcNWz4PlKPUKfqPuslN6LgvcY154_jOeeKlAAWfpY9cqcv8f9FFTd8px9I0YAPXYq_u83U85w1sheHtRBNwB8c2fexC262pm4hFr7dVedj9TDPgFHgF8/w400-h215/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Rocket, as much as I like them and think they're<br />hilarious, are like a franchise tumor: Even when there's no<br />reason for them to be in the plot, they have to be jammed<br />in anyway, because they're always around.</td></tr></tbody></table>Ash, Pikachu, Misty and Brock make their way towards the crystallized Hale Mansion. Far above them, Team Rocket observes, and instantly assumes that if the twerps are heading towards that dangerous-looking place, then there’s riches and rare Pokémon to be found. Well, they’re not entirely wrong. Still, damn if the movie’s not grasping at straws to include them. They’re barely here, have one plot-relevant scene, and just spend the rest of their time snarking at the situation or at each other, borderline MST3K’ing the movie they star in. They come close, but their banter is interrupted by Entei appearing at the top of a tower and blowing up their hot air balloon, sending it crashing down. Thankfully, Team Rocket is as durable as roaches, so they’re unscathed; just trapped within the place. They're comic relief, which is fine since the film is otherwise light on comedy. Shout-out to what James says when they find the floating Unown: “I haven’t seen this many strange letters since the last time I placed a personal ad!”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhE5zLo0BzEd4HiqxbKi1_FQoyMbD0oGC4aoQLCPI-AJPKrWr0Ds8sQKyzG7pwrY6ZFd8DF1plyH5cg1SzZ5IdmunypHCubIWofUMc_CjlhmHuwmqvzAJmMCaJbXwoC3_Ldih9QbUPmWC2KT4t3OKOIhcz7Tpiwl_1_2czmfb6M5Ky3w2-besEOptZacJo/s2067/19.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2067" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5zLo0BzEd4HiqxbKi1_FQoyMbD0oGC4aoQLCPI-AJPKrWr0Ds8sQKyzG7pwrY6ZFd8DF1plyH5cg1SzZ5IdmunypHCubIWofUMc_CjlhmHuwmqvzAJmMCaJbXwoC3_Ldih9QbUPmWC2KT4t3OKOIhcz7Tpiwl_1_2czmfb6M5Ky3w2-besEOptZacJo/s320/19.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ash, get down from there this second!<br />....Wait, where am I?"</td></tr></tbody></table>Away from the mansion, the news crew is still reporting on the crystals, with Molly watching them on the computer, Delia and Entei by her side. Molly is made aware of Ash’s team trying to break into the mansion, seeing the trainers use their Pokémon to climb up a waterfall. Noctowl is seen taking Bulbasaur and Chikorita up, and then the two grass-types use Vine Whip to let their trainer climb up. The whole thing is caught on camera, even the moment where Ash nearly falls. Doesn’t seem like much, but it was enough to snap Delia out of hypnosis just so she could scream at her son. ...Hey, I can think of worse ways to get someone out of a trance. At least, Delia is clever enough to keep up the act around Molly, knowing that something’s not right. Molly, though, is overjoyed at seeing a trainer and his Pokémon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once the whole team has reached the top, they get called by Professor Oak from the PokéGear given to them by Lisa. Oak is mad that Ash took such a huge risk. Then again, it’s not exactly the first time this kid gets into adventures way beyond what a child should deal with; the climate catastrophe in “The Power of One” wasn't that long ago! At least, this call allows Oak to explain about the threat at hand: The Unown can read the minds of other beings, including humans’, and have the ability in large numbers to reshape reality and create dream worlds. The exact reason why they decided to become Molly Hale’s personal genie is unknown (...heh), or debatable, but it's crystal clear that what’s happening is the result of the little girl’s wishes.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgjo-23Y64UTv586DtrncoTKYNeNtjUppxAeRaDMDZ2Zpc1YIJ0cU9w6rle44Rn8ges1VqNHJgFqS5_MOcFiprGk33IDQZwhx6EAEWSu8TgSvDVYXBnSLFCjbrSXfG7uudj5-BCw8ULaR1K9EN7E9mHIWoiiLMGXE9GWVbDnWkdSyVizVdWCGjrFz3nnTs/s1920/20.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjo-23Y64UTv586DtrncoTKYNeNtjUppxAeRaDMDZ2Zpc1YIJ0cU9w6rle44Rn8ges1VqNHJgFqS5_MOcFiprGk33IDQZwhx6EAEWSu8TgSvDVYXBnSLFCjbrSXfG7uudj5-BCw8ULaR1K9EN7E9mHIWoiiLMGXE9GWVbDnWkdSyVizVdWCGjrFz3nnTs/w400-h215/20.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*Ding!* Welcome to the second floor.</td></tr></tbody></table>Using a very clever combination of fire and water blasts from their Pokémon, the three manage to break into the mansion through a pavilion. They make their way through, reaching a staircase, but the crystallized rooms are suddenly transformed into a different world. Yeah, if these things can warp reality, crap’s about to get weird. I mean, the new staircase leads to a huge field that could not possibly be some mansion’s upper floor. Time is warped and space is bendable!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The dreamer is a cheating meanie</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLQd9RKCGVHLEbvGFFYRdL5JLg6kVfZtyAvsOmCR5YbjWbccnYaqIzVqYh20GZ_s_-Yv7DLnNcZG5HI3Yl6-7uLDH6b3jUaJ38Ir7eaTvwjJ8WI01FqeiK5-W5q3QRFzqRXGZ7TL5CfI_tpK0Mi6MTtY1IpVkt1K7EpZjgU-U9UA-s15_v1OLbGM6BCg/s1920/21.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLQd9RKCGVHLEbvGFFYRdL5JLg6kVfZtyAvsOmCR5YbjWbccnYaqIzVqYh20GZ_s_-Yv7DLnNcZG5HI3Yl6-7uLDH6b3jUaJ38Ir7eaTvwjJ8WI01FqeiK5-W5q3QRFzqRXGZ7TL5CfI_tpK0Mi6MTtY1IpVkt1K7EpZjgU-U9UA-s15_v1OLbGM6BCg/s320/21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Remembering the trainers, Molly expresses a wish that she could be a trainer, too. She’s falling asleep (it IS late into the night, after all), and Entei tells her that if she can wish it, it can happen. And as Molly closes her eyes huddled against Delia Ketchum, Entei walks away and into the floor. It floats through the nothingness between worlds, and a dream version of the young Molly, controlled by her consciousness, appears on its back. Upon expressing worry that she’s not old enough to have Pokémon (apparently, Entei and the letter genies don’t count), her wish is granted and her body changes to look and sound older.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-bUpLWB7n-wGJnVGIyLpu4HX4cVrrYRNmJ_j68Zia4L3mBO_wPRk3bjkXQPzpZX0JaRg5K3wGNPEaCmKttNRS04n55skYzq9dkEys6X8Li0qaO1jTo0K2mh1n8hiOZu3rLXLNcVb5K8-BykSw32CW59HrDM8IUClQ_Z948rTJZfdZysMFAw_9T_-n0A/s1920/22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-bUpLWB7n-wGJnVGIyLpu4HX4cVrrYRNmJ_j68Zia4L3mBO_wPRk3bjkXQPzpZX0JaRg5K3wGNPEaCmKttNRS04n55skYzq9dkEys6X8Li0qaO1jTo0K2mh1n8hiOZu3rLXLNcVb5K8-BykSw32CW59HrDM8IUClQ_Z948rTJZfdZysMFAw_9T_-n0A/w400-h216/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geez, good things she opts not to use the Legendary<br />in her Pokémon battles. Not right away, at least.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vBh93lMPoxY7nvtjSFCPfjk_zvO5AMFaJE0hCph6lShkPIt0f691O_CXeomXbO8HWD3nAsuHoIKh08UDHinea9jXg8UrXxxhcw68NSuuR2tqI4lXye1sVF1VvWDRzfIGvP4_s6_YhTdYzkHT4DhqV3GTJHqaSnPmLn_2HnYu_0afv_R_BpgNTc-X1cI/s1920/23.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vBh93lMPoxY7nvtjSFCPfjk_zvO5AMFaJE0hCph6lShkPIt0f691O_CXeomXbO8HWD3nAsuHoIKh08UDHinea9jXg8UrXxxhcw68NSuuR2tqI4lXye1sVF1VvWDRzfIGvP4_s6_YhTdYzkHT4DhqV3GTJHqaSnPmLn_2HnYu_0afv_R_BpgNTc-X1cI/w400-h215/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Molly and Entei appear on the field that Ash, Misty and Brock had reached, and challenge the group to a battle. Brock recognizes Molly, having figured out that the little girl’s current look was made possible by the dream world. He elects to stay behind and battle this Molly, letting Ash and Misty move forwards. An arena is created over the grass, and the trainers get ready. Molly summons her Pokéballs out of thin air and picks cute Pokémon to fight. This match is a 3-vs-3, and she uses Flaaffy, Teddiursa and Phanpy – again, more focus on the new creatures of Gen 2. All three easily overcome Brock’s Zubat, Vulpix and Onix, respectively. Hey, she got her type advantages right two times out of three.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course they win – they’re not real Pokémon. If all of them used moves they cannot learn, it would add an extra layer to this illusion; if they were shown using moves Molly doesn't know these Pokémon can't access, it would further highlight that they aren’t real. However, the movie keeps true to canon – all of the moves used by Molly’s Pokémon here can be learned by them, either through level-up or by TM, in Gold/Silver. They’re already shown to be much stronger than normal Pokémon, to the point they could defeat their opponents easily – Molly GameShark’d them into reality, after all. Why not go the extra step? Note that the higher power and accurate moves also applies to the other illusory Pokémon Molly is seen using – Kingdra, Mantine, Heck, this applies to Entei as well, come to think of it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEj47yHZPNHN1Hw2NUSHTo_0OPHFbeTpc9it1FjJAkFobtPM8CqbTH7j15RXnQ14yKKmHuP-myqqo8vzPcopDK1T9kQqDXjdpuAo9CmCXckrayLRhnteaMb98fYaB15d4W9sAdJ8CY_FDZrr1kfcp6_dN2eScQxdi1yaCET1ZNXXnuuFb1d8vDCT2mmvwOk/s1920/24.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj47yHZPNHN1Hw2NUSHTo_0OPHFbeTpc9it1FjJAkFobtPM8CqbTH7j15RXnQ14yKKmHuP-myqqo8vzPcopDK1T9kQqDXjdpuAo9CmCXckrayLRhnteaMb98fYaB15d4W9sAdJ8CY_FDZrr1kfcp6_dN2eScQxdi1yaCET1ZNXXnuuFb1d8vDCT2mmvwOk/w400-h215/24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An underwater battle for the Water-type Gym Leader?<br />Okay, that is a very cool idea.</td></tr></tbody></table>After defeating Brock, Molly’s dream self teleports to a beach, where Ash and Misty (oh, and Team Rocket) have ended up after going up another flight of stairs. This time, she challenges Misty, who says she was a Gym Leader despite her young age. This makes Molly happy, and the dream self reforms into a kid their age. Once again, Ash moves onwards while Misty stays behind for a trainer battle. Once the Gym Leader states she’ll only use Water-types in the battle, Molly elects to do the same. The kid also causes a tidal wave from the nearby water, which floods the whole place. However, it doesn’t kill anyone – they can breathe under the magical water just fine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Y’know, I get the confusion. If the very rules of life kept changing because of reality-warping, I’d be confused too.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bGrT89JYOO19u_bpGw7oFrTzvVjw2XQ725UL8P4xy9VUr40bKC0iI1X0M9gOTtz6LoEQkAUI9n8aW-tLP46H1XbG_scs83BZrZBRmWrvRm9y2fvBCk0tWWX4sdFp3NT_7bumuJOr8Sk45nab4I-9ERR2cHl2cv1QrJ7bcrZgPGf0KpCDEtbcj0ZIrtQ/s1920/25.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bGrT89JYOO19u_bpGw7oFrTzvVjw2XQ725UL8P4xy9VUr40bKC0iI1X0M9gOTtz6LoEQkAUI9n8aW-tLP46H1XbG_scs83BZrZBRmWrvRm9y2fvBCk0tWWX4sdFp3NT_7bumuJOr8Sk45nab4I-9ERR2cHl2cv1QrJ7bcrZgPGf0KpCDEtbcj0ZIrtQ/w400-h215/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She adapts well, all things considered! It's her element.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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/AVvXsEhBc1FXLhPyJU0vpR2jXYUtgIkfKSK9tJF-6cFZw-rvD24O0fkDW9WR9xBmsnGIwrAn-a1NEVcVsTDw2dL5GajmAfKlaLvJHK33cntDykX0ClJe7CBTth0IJkd2MuOlTgRgSEPNC9xGGHQIZ3Mr_QaZT5kd0uPDn-mt9IVf3oR-9uv3t7YOWx_R16qQJBE/s1920/27.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBc1FXLhPyJU0vpR2jXYUtgIkfKSK9tJF-6cFZw-rvD24O0fkDW9WR9xBmsnGIwrAn-a1NEVcVsTDw2dL5GajmAfKlaLvJHK33cntDykX0ClJe7CBTth0IJkd2MuOlTgRgSEPNC9xGGHQIZ3Mr_QaZT5kd0uPDn-mt9IVf3oR-9uv3t7YOWx_R16qQJBE/w400-h215/27.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the English version, Delia knew Spencer, and so Ash and<br />Molly actually know each other, even if there's a 5-year<br />diffference between the two.</td></tr></tbody></table>Misty’s Goldeen IS no match for Molly’s Kingdra, but her Staryu holds its own against a Mantine. Not that bit matters, the goal was to keep Molly busy while Ash ran upstairs. Good thing the bedroom is just one floor above. That’s where he finds his mom and Molly. Delia awakens the little girl and tries, with her son’s help, to convince her to leave the crystal palace, but they’re a little too forceful. She’s too caught up in the dream world she created to accept reality. So when she’s being taken out of it... well, things go horribly wrong, she breaks into tears, the Unown become frantic, and crystal spikes start sprouting everywhere.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The most mature Pokémon movie?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihptCVU-nHd2-WU-HpT7GzJZzmC19nLHEV7tWVQij6mKkZIj3uX2govhM9XpqSOgvMbl-xvwDCptzD64pbv9ae1GDbAMJwL_tuwBPm2gXAnlZuuc3blOQ86fqrpgXPBE_JD7LwM6JT48PvxkhZLQ-XjBjZeqzcuBezPoVq-wgOj_D0fn1OeRJByTvDDQo/s1920/26.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihptCVU-nHd2-WU-HpT7GzJZzmC19nLHEV7tWVQij6mKkZIj3uX2govhM9XpqSOgvMbl-xvwDCptzD64pbv9ae1GDbAMJwL_tuwBPm2gXAnlZuuc3blOQ86fqrpgXPBE_JD7LwM6JT48PvxkhZLQ-XjBjZeqzcuBezPoVq-wgOj_D0fn1OeRJByTvDDQo/w400-h216/26.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There’s so much to be said about this movie regarding themes and plot details. This subtitle is a bit of a liar because I’d need to have seen all the Pokémon movies to express such a definitive opinion. Still, of the Pokémon movies that I grew up with, that are nostalgic to me, this one legitimately feels like the most mature. The one that would be most likely to break out of the stigma of a “children’s film” to enter the realm of “family film”. At the time of these films' release, critics were heavily biased against the Pokémon movies. Look at those dismal ratings on review aggregate sites. Many critics couldn’t see the films past what they were – anime films, yes, but also marketing products to promote a video game series. (4Kids’ edits generally did NOT help, taking away nuances and complexities, spelling everything out, and stupidly moving the films away from family fare into strictly children’s entertainment.) Most of us who grew up with these films can now look at them with a fairer critical and analytical eye, but it took some time. What I’m saying is that I don’t think these films deserved the overly-negative treatment they received back then.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAE0SsX-n-ahk-yAPrlEP-D6BhoRs3aIjz1uHQPh10RhiX2x-0Hrx8jBLtuqvWhG0PAvJvMnNFuzsljqHxRZLTsYVYxiWPfS8UHzgmAfPC0jONwVAt-F3Mcc0hYf3JI1qn71FxnzCzqEBPraqfbSOdSCzXcvqID_ODlY8miw5eo3ww7MCs4HZMJpKpWE/s1920/28.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAE0SsX-n-ahk-yAPrlEP-D6BhoRs3aIjz1uHQPh10RhiX2x-0Hrx8jBLtuqvWhG0PAvJvMnNFuzsljqHxRZLTsYVYxiWPfS8UHzgmAfPC0jONwVAt-F3Mcc0hYf3JI1qn71FxnzCzqEBPraqfbSOdSCzXcvqID_ODlY8miw5eo3ww7MCs4HZMJpKpWE/w400-h215/28.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Nowhere is it clearer than here. Takeshi Shudō loved to explore the darker implications of the Pokémon universe, as evidenced by his other works associated to the franchise. Put away the creatures and we have the story of a (possibly workaholic) dad’s sudden disappearance/passing and his now orphaned daughter struggling to cope with that fact and process her grief. Isolating herself from the world and lashing out at others who try to reach out and force her towards acceptance. Hell, part of the climax of the film involves her having to realize that what’s happening isn’t okay, because she’s the only one who can put an end to it. It’s heavy stuff no matter which way you look at it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That’s before we throw a genie into the mix, turning her trauma into a tangible reality that threatens the world. Can you think of a lot of animated films that discuss that topic? Some reviewers and analysts went as far as to compare this movie’s story to a child-friendly Silent Hill. (I don’t take credit for this observation, as I know very little about that franchise, but this film being compared to a horror series famous for tackling trauma has always stuck with me ever since I heard it.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEitKr29Omg1UyuhmQLa1QsWnRcbu3eozKUCniHcdM_UbBzLC-8aa8WnSnIdRLSuM32jiKfMTbNMvXSDPFGDpSnyXEHF0jlglZKFxOGbdmjY3CT-V9gRfVu1TLHLudEmgtnu2QX1Qc6mMthLiC9MRmBvrKgJPJHTlDevkknosWNF19f0IsUuDiNMF3kdUPY/s1920/29.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKr29Omg1UyuhmQLa1QsWnRcbu3eozKUCniHcdM_UbBzLC-8aa8WnSnIdRLSuM32jiKfMTbNMvXSDPFGDpSnyXEHF0jlglZKFxOGbdmjY3CT-V9gRfVu1TLHLudEmgtnu2QX1Qc6mMthLiC9MRmBvrKgJPJHTlDevkknosWNF19f0IsUuDiNMF3kdUPY/w400-h215/29.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's common for me on this blog to say "protagonist" for a<br />character who's not really a hero, but it's rarer for me to<br />have to say "antagonists" when the "bad guys" aren't<br />villains in the proper sense of the term.</td></tr></tbody></table>The story also deals more in shades of gray. There are many antagonists, but none truly villainous. Team Rocket doesn’t count, they’re strictly comic relief today. The Unown are practically alien to the world, and their actions imply them to be well-intentioned but severely misguided, if you assume they’re even aware that what they’re doing isn’t right. Entei is an illusory creature with no true concept of right and wrong, its morality substituted for “what the little girl wants” versus “what she doesn’t want”. And Molly is an innocent girl put in a terrible situation, accidentally given immense power, who also doesn’t realize the extent of the damage she’s causing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The English localization of this film is probably the one closest to the vision intended by the Japanese version, dark themes and all. There isn’t much 4Kids would have been able to change without altering the plot so dramatically it would stop making sense. It’s probably better that way, too, as Takeshi Shudō intended for this story to be very personal, reflecting his own relationship with his daughter and adding elements of his own life, hence why he was so angry that some of those elements were changed. Looking at it that way, it makes sense that the themes would be a lot more mature as a result.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEj3VU52OwvcRM-swgPs2eVRmCsjB_mRB88Zb153iES70VeqIFAeKxgIH0b4PwKwMvcQcQN5zVu3q_Ffl4X-_lxdohS8TxumKXOLuu6RUDx-xxjOz1RVDIv0RhzpbXE2v6orOiE4Rd6mbqJq0yrdU0a9xiJ1xOm4-ewrbQfZCI1Kl_9-15-2L04AmCfNxMw/s1920/30.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VU52OwvcRM-swgPs2eVRmCsjB_mRB88Zb153iES70VeqIFAeKxgIH0b4PwKwMvcQcQN5zVu3q_Ffl4X-_lxdohS8TxumKXOLuu6RUDx-xxjOz1RVDIv0RhzpbXE2v6orOiE4Rd6mbqJq0yrdU0a9xiJ1xOm4-ewrbQfZCI1Kl_9-15-2L04AmCfNxMw/w400-h215/30.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fights are intense. But so are the themes.</td></tr></tbody></table>As a kid, I loved the action and the cool visuals and the scary parts. I spent my first time watching this film as an adult teary-eyed from start to end, because God DAMN can those themes hit close to home with how they’re presented. And I’m not even a parent; if you have children, I bet it’s even more poignant. The best way to define if a movie is a family film and not just children’s entertainment is when parents and adults enjoy it too, if it speaks to them as much as it speaks to the kids, if it works on multiple levels. Well, to me, Pokémon 3 fulfills the requirement, hands-down.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As crystals pop up around and threaten to skewer them, Ash tries to get his mom out, but is stopped by Entei, who reiterates that Delia is Molly’s mother now. Ash battles Entei, but his team is severely outmatched. Let’s see... Four first-stage starters (two of which are Grass-type), Pikachu, and a bird. Yeah, he’s not winning that one. The battle between Pikachu and Entei causes an explosion that blows a hole through the crystal, which Ash fall into when he tries to save Pikachu from a blast. The two seem to fall to their deaths... only to be rescued by Charizard. Took him long enough, an entire review part went by before he showed up! This time, Ash has some real firepower, no pun intended!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUIjJGiaTN3p83dPGN3Jh71w7VkmqiuPQXgTHoGaYE_MxVfS0xMFwH_4Hi00AgC3yfzXtLEHmKyFZujEVwddxOlLACTK9y6gUmUgOR97bwdj44fvtbLKRqLVZqjCzzX-8uNKs6jfGQ8W51IXr-cNsatmQ-AJ6ESp1yA_lJc9YB8tJyt11KePCGcjN7hw/s1920/31.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUIjJGiaTN3p83dPGN3Jh71w7VkmqiuPQXgTHoGaYE_MxVfS0xMFwH_4Hi00AgC3yfzXtLEHmKyFZujEVwddxOlLACTK9y6gUmUgOR97bwdj44fvtbLKRqLVZqjCzzX-8uNKs6jfGQ8W51IXr-cNsatmQ-AJ6ESp1yA_lJc9YB8tJyt11KePCGcjN7hw/w400-h216/31.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Speaking of, how about we end in Part 3?</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-33577609869625080252024-02-09T08:37:00.003-05:002024-02-16T08:00:33.041-05:00VGFlicks: Pokémon 3: Spell of the Unown (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzWAA9FpvzAfuuJFDWEpkwr3pi3cNc6QTvO3WW-yc4gt052xZQPSOe-OGkGptE_nzXYUnhTUvXRqc2WAyBAQ23ywL9_LmHxdqHuLOqz0r9g4gZY6c-StH428F1uRae2S8jz4MPZi8wTJCKtrHCNY1ttlhkkW6BqM6NXME1rFIcHHEDA96IKScjcij7_4/s1920/Pokemon%203%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzWAA9FpvzAfuuJFDWEpkwr3pi3cNc6QTvO3WW-yc4gt052xZQPSOe-OGkGptE_nzXYUnhTUvXRqc2WAyBAQ23ywL9_LmHxdqHuLOqz0r9g4gZY6c-StH428F1uRae2S8jz4MPZi8wTJCKtrHCNY1ttlhkkW6BqM6NXME1rFIcHHEDA96IKScjcij7_4/w400-h225/Pokemon%203%20titlecard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Part 1</b> - <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-3-spell-of-unown-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> - <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2024/02/vgflicks-pokemon-3-spell-of-unown-part-3.html" target="_blank">Part 3</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Starting the new year (and the reviews proper) with a Pokémon double feature! I’m not reviewing any Pokémon games this year, but I was dead-set on finally covering these movies, so I figured, screw it, I’mma do it anyway.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiwKhoFjsW_n1b1C60Fb05dpzX53bsjU4v40y0KfyqiQvPnEKNrEakEpqwBGSAigDfsnbijAcgElCaRQ00eDKaLXQs8gFTNpC_Z7M4DhE13DzPV0ttkfwBPy32J5yENzha-9OXFpp-iXKe2vbVJXSh8G3IxjzoeqTZdQ-pRmQbIqAv0DSqvTlQ212M-xZE/s600/1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="407" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKhoFjsW_n1b1C60Fb05dpzX53bsjU4v40y0KfyqiQvPnEKNrEakEpqwBGSAigDfsnbijAcgElCaRQ00eDKaLXQs8gFTNpC_Z7M4DhE13DzPV0ttkfwBPy32J5yENzha-9OXFpp-iXKe2vbVJXSh8G3IxjzoeqTZdQ-pRmQbIqAv0DSqvTlQ212M-xZE/w271-h400/1.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A collection of the most nostalgia-inducing<br />Pokémon movies.</td></tr></tbody></table>What can I say of the Pokémon movies that hasn’t been said, really? (...No, wait! Don’t go away! Come back!) Several of us older Pokémon fans have grown up with them. Today’s movie came out in theaters in North America on April 6th, 2001. I was 8. As I mentioned before, I grew up with the first four animated films – I recall films from the Hoenn era airing on cartoon channels here, but my memories of those is spotty at best, so I’ll stick to the ones I know.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I discussed in my reviews of the previous Pokémon movies, I love a theory that posits that the first three movies each deconstruct an aspect of the franchise. The first deconstructs these creatures as fighters, with its depictions of Pokémon used for wanton crimes, destruction, and in fights to the death. The second deconstructs them as collectibles, with one particularly terrible person’s quest to “catch them all” endangering the whole damn world. Today’s movie is “Pokémon 3: The Movie”, also known as “Spell of the Unown”, also known as “Pocket Monsters the Movie: Lord of the UNKNOWN Tower ENTEI”, and it was written by Takeshi Shudō and Hideki Sonoda. According to the theory, this movie deconstructs Pokémon as companions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">How about we see whether it’s accurate?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0KUX7GogC35irHXUo0JvOY5EOZJRFva8cgHhbp6i0YBVjt8kybwKkgwkxVWBbwtm2Fy6sbpT2kbHuUMubENxW_KoQXJVJrTg5uuGkh1lf-QMUYtkT-3jVjiChk5SKip8ohRsaDJePuvPdYUTMYkEvK40DeeRG4cB0AIOA1gPWbNVL427V8nrvm9Biao/s863/2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="580" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0KUX7GogC35irHXUo0JvOY5EOZJRFva8cgHhbp6i0YBVjt8kybwKkgwkxVWBbwtm2Fy6sbpT2kbHuUMubENxW_KoQXJVJrTg5uuGkh1lf-QMUYtkT-3jVjiChk5SKip8ohRsaDJePuvPdYUTMYkEvK40DeeRG4cB0AIOA1gPWbNVL427V8nrvm9Biao/s320/2.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>A void</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiLnvj5eat7MvRVXSTbQpZOV1plOD_BLH8PS9Gu4iNoCLu5q1AgR94-GuIMjKXH8A6NqYN7WaMxgyaaEHCq0v1ircffMyPiL8fFme2ss3qHwHqRPnQdP9SeDub_wEMLsm6Y9jczng6BR5WMd0tCVSKe4YoQtZZIAF94uB1XKUpt8veBORIQITthg4eUVTA/s1920/2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnvj5eat7MvRVXSTbQpZOV1plOD_BLH8PS9Gu4iNoCLu5q1AgR94-GuIMjKXH8A6NqYN7WaMxgyaaEHCq0v1ircffMyPiL8fFme2ss3qHwHqRPnQdP9SeDub_wEMLsm6Y9jczng6BR5WMd0tCVSKe4YoQtZZIAF94uB1XKUpt8veBORIQITthg4eUVTA/w400-h216/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh Arceus, this movie's gonna kick me right in the feels,<br />isn't it.</td></tr></tbody></table>The movie wows from its very first seconds as we pan up from a field of sunflowers, onto a pretty view of a mansion. Pokémon researcher Spencer Hale (voiced by none other than Dan Green – I’ll try avoid the easy Yu-Gi-Oh jokes...) is spending time with his young daughter Molly (voiced by Amy Birnbaum), telling her about legendary Pokémon using a picture book. They flip to a page showing a group of Unown and Molly notes that this is the one her daddy is looking for. The next page shows Entei, and after Molly compares the two, Spencer plays along and pretends to be the legendary feline. They play for a bit, but they're interrupted by a video mail from Spencer’s assistant Schuyler. Since a new hidden chamber with clues about the Unown has been found, he must go and check it out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Spencer puts his daughter to bed, asks her to keep him in her dreams, and leaves for work. Next we see him and Schuyler in a tomb, studying the engravings on the wall. The professor finds a tile on the floor showing an Unown and, picking it up, the- Aaagh! What the Heck! The Unown just appeared next to him! And it looks... otherworldly.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLaT72I4sl-sSOOjHJvPUmfukd0YjonP19mE9NAY_By5Pc44KqZGQLMKPeL2bo-wGjXaV2b0kPx1oaPXQecf_FAvibjPMD00Aup5kx-Fjq-rC6jYbLVct6SPPYQbYxIH7OP00PdeRwQZqO4Y-8rxzhB2vAUAkbLFw0s3Nnyowu5JdCTIACyp80-BgFEg/s1920/3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLaT72I4sl-sSOOjHJvPUmfukd0YjonP19mE9NAY_By5Pc44KqZGQLMKPeL2bo-wGjXaV2b0kPx1oaPXQecf_FAvibjPMD00Aup5kx-Fjq-rC6jYbLVct6SPPYQbYxIH7OP00PdeRwQZqO4Y-8rxzhB2vAUAkbLFw0s3Nnyowu5JdCTIACyp80-BgFEg/w400-h216/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These things are an entire dimension above everything else.</td></tr></tbody></table><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhhLgEszqtCgGJssy8e2Amb0eVCX1L70zO5KYqmuTyLigfKggFkBhT29R2K-N9in3MjyArGCbZt7wpGEaBWbAJgsOPZ9zYtGr1hC5v7rcnRSHgj3OFA1yT8gXmgRdnh8lPagcm8nboKT1DNUtHEL5IE2ST9A6ekuEIW4nbqSm03eGIAExVhO5yPcWBZT9A/s1920/4.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLgEszqtCgGJssy8e2Amb0eVCX1L70zO5KYqmuTyLigfKggFkBhT29R2K-N9in3MjyArGCbZt7wpGEaBWbAJgsOPZ9zYtGr1hC5v7rcnRSHgj3OFA1yT8gXmgRdnh8lPagcm8nboKT1DNUtHEL5IE2ST9A6ekuEIW4nbqSm03eGIAExVhO5yPcWBZT9A/w400-h225/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv70iGws678" target="_blank">Typhlosion4President</a> for the event's capture.<br />Yeah, Arceus using the Unown to create a new God out of<br />thin air, that's kind of a big deal.</td></tr></tbody></table>Hey, I know this is neither the first nor the last movie to employ medium blending, but making the Unown CGI rather than traditionally animated was an excellent decision. It makes them stand out as the creepy things they are, highlighting how they don’t seem to belong with the rest of the Pokémon world. In the games, Unown are the worst Pokémon to exist, utterly useless in combat and good for little else than an extra collection side-quest. It’s implied that they’re only powerful in large numbers, but since you can only carry six, you’ll never see that happen. That said, there is an event in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver where, if you bring an Arceus to the Ruins of Alph, you’ll be taken to a place where the godly Pokémon, using the Unown, will create an egg containing a Level 1 Dialga, Palkia or Giratina, of your choosing. But because of their uselessness in terms of gameplay, these things will only ever be interesting lore-wise. Well... there, and in this movie.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiH_dH5mKK3-h7vCWjzvjvZUOetoCl8nGd6cdbH2Nr9_jKJoW3XDTf-KiY9RZPaKc05qTx1X7GDxQAl5ZR2gkrhkvrcsnrumxzeNB9NEBQg5pbj3LcrNfjZU62gN3g06TLNtrJ1VDZWnUI5GHu4aYxHqEiWXLvtyBTyPfEldzOehBZ9jV7mgB1u21gRfwU/s1920/5.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_dH5mKK3-h7vCWjzvjvZUOetoCl8nGd6cdbH2Nr9_jKJoW3XDTf-KiY9RZPaKc05qTx1X7GDxQAl5ZR2gkrhkvrcsnrumxzeNB9NEBQg5pbj3LcrNfjZU62gN3g06TLNtrJ1VDZWnUI5GHu4aYxHqEiWXLvtyBTyPfEldzOehBZ9jV7mgB1u21gRfwU/w400-h216/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hope he didn't have plans.</td></tr></tbody></table>Professor Hale finds a box containing a whole bunch of similar tiles and picks a handful. The Unown appear around him and suck him into their dimension. ...Well, he did want to find them. Mission accomplished. However, this leaves Schuyler alone in the tomb, and he must bring back the research and announce the news of Spencer Hale’s disappearance. Poor Molly, now both her mom and dad are gone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>Oh God, is that a tear already?</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhy4neHHtic_s2hrnIVzR1S26Mtzmy4L_0lik26nNV_fYyIU4KVUyh3wx4eCJvprm1ZZv_eMhPWevlXSskfPE0s6B53bsclTzbPK79RcYt0UbHFiU_1JoQWXhMJHzbhUeOsQu4laxTWt0yJrliKONLjFH5NxNAk4fXM8m-MHvs0JMuszek_SgJgI22t5ew/s1920/6.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4neHHtic_s2hrnIVzR1S26Mtzmy4L_0lik26nNV_fYyIU4KVUyh3wx4eCJvprm1ZZv_eMhPWevlXSskfPE0s6B53bsclTzbPK79RcYt0UbHFiU_1JoQWXhMJHzbhUeOsQu4laxTWt0yJrliKONLjFH5NxNAk4fXM8m-MHvs0JMuszek_SgJgI22t5ew/w400-h215/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's a kid to do, except play with the weird Scrabble set?</td></tr></tbody></table>For the record, what happened to Molly’s mom depends on both the writer and the version of the film; Shudō intended for the mother to be deceased. However, he was hospitalized while he was writing the story, which led to Hideki Sonoda finishing it. Sonoda changed this to Molly’s mom having been hospitalized (though there are also debated reports that before that, she might have left Spencer due to him being a workaholic, but it's unclear whether that's true). This change clashed with Shudō’s vision and angered him so much that he swore off writing any other Pokémon movie’s story, a decision he stuck to until his passing in 2010.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And that’s before 4Kids comes in, with their well-documented tendency to make changes, filling in the silences and dumbing things down. What they did could’ve been worse; lines of dialogue in the English version imply that Molly’s mom was a researcher like her husband and may have also been taken by the Unown prior to the film. Which... okay, there’s an interesting emotional core there, but this would have benefited from being explored in greater depth, especially with the implication that Spencer threw himself into his work to find a way to bring her back.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbUS861dlF7QLgRpgbF8Ba39wXNyFH433xaxvgJheEEYP2PY72M3JqApPoyah-j9pemFsdkAijeuMaqr3V7oxP9XXjyQhurHmfc8vOiCY-LdKwNSNcHPPpPbMcxDHCB_lYgSguwE7W5fBW6AAROMpkGZ8jMHXRyKmUlF4-HAUG5TRNu-dD1Bb_RGdn_Y/s1920/7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbUS861dlF7QLgRpgbF8Ba39wXNyFH433xaxvgJheEEYP2PY72M3JqApPoyah-j9pemFsdkAijeuMaqr3V7oxP9XXjyQhurHmfc8vOiCY-LdKwNSNcHPPpPbMcxDHCB_lYgSguwE7W5fBW6AAROMpkGZ8jMHXRyKmUlF4-HAUG5TRNu-dD1Bb_RGdn_Y/w400-h216/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is every bit as creepy as it's meant to be.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiiE8By4w9nHMc3VjKt0aS7EKSiUP4aGinYyrS4soxfe2GrbRUsCzkGVKhH_m8aRHrX73XRbQiN5YmcVZEA8Py4VdwkRkZL9B1wYxJdrSBCLUMrzxH5hKXeHIaUwBetYgtwtfM4KkaHLlcN30oAgHwV8S9mdg0YcVDrY-ldPNSD8MZoBgV_wHzuFpItcUk/s1920/9.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiE8By4w9nHMc3VjKt0aS7EKSiUP4aGinYyrS4soxfe2GrbRUsCzkGVKhH_m8aRHrX73XRbQiN5YmcVZEA8Py4VdwkRkZL9B1wYxJdrSBCLUMrzxH5hKXeHIaUwBetYgtwtfM4KkaHLlcN30oAgHwV8S9mdg0YcVDrY-ldPNSD8MZoBgV_wHzuFpItcUk/w400-h215/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why the Heck is it that, out of all the villains in the first three<br />Pokémon movies, the goddamned LETTERS are the<br />scariest of the bunch???</td></tr></tbody></table>Left alone with her dad’s research and the tiles after learning of the news, Molly starts playing with them, forming words. The stones light up; a group of Unown leave the chamber, going through a portal, and appear at the Hale mansion. She thinks the Unown want to play with her. From her spot, crystals begin to appear, covering the floors, then the walls. Schuyler and the house workers see the crystals coming out and break into the room, only long enough to see the terrifying scene before getting pushed away by more crystals, forcing them to evacuate.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhQTcTE8urpL2ZIU8rJ604m9x1-QXKrdSgIrloawQ9Ev_b1WYNMZazn67yxJ6e4z73ejoNk_Jk0IqpBQxgMh9T5q3A7qFnXQ0LSotAVB75WVTvsYJ9ufpDlwPnlyefijqT77xF8MfI9r8FnwwpW-kCkey0pMtr6G5t5e2rabs4LczY7B2yJJhyphenhyphenlW8BVR6k/s1920/10.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTcTE8urpL2ZIU8rJ604m9x1-QXKrdSgIrloawQ9Ev_b1WYNMZazn67yxJ6e4z73ejoNk_Jk0IqpBQxgMh9T5q3A7qFnXQ0LSotAVB75WVTvsYJ9ufpDlwPnlyefijqT77xF8MfI9r8FnwwpW-kCkey0pMtr6G5t5e2rabs4LczY7B2yJJhyphenhyphenlW8BVR6k/w400-h216/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I am Entei." "Daddy!" "....Fine, if you say so."</td></tr></tbody></table>Not conscious of the gravity of what’s going on, Molly picks up the picture book and looks at Entei’s page, thinking about her father. The Unown, who are said to be capable of reading minds, misinterpret that and begin to create an illusory creature for the girl, a large Entei also voiced by Dan Green. (A theory says that the Unown felt guilty after reading Molly’s mind but misread how they could make the situation right, hence their decision to become Molly’s wish-granters, despite the girl’s age and her state of mind leading to her making harmful wishes. Whether that’s true is up to you, but to me it makes sense!) Molly imprints on the Entei, thinking it to be her dad, and the mighty creature, which exists solely to bow to her wishes, embraces the role.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That’s just the intro, we’re 8 minutes in and I’m a bawling wreck.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Greenfield, the <strike>Beautiful</strike> Crystallized</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3Nfl6XKMw_XZckTDOtfGYxoGre4Q3a5qF4FnAaetrmG6EAzBo8vrP4klqGSqAOmLhqhrwC8-cbxKMJV5kRfJwsgGM785OyIZnnICazUIg5CLNRwwuLn-1-VVzCX6u2BSU3HgMp1NFFN4beyq5pxdcHRmrxH38373sgCUrn96_MFt8v-2RcI8o2LTcNk/s1920/11.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3Nfl6XKMw_XZckTDOtfGYxoGre4Q3a5qF4FnAaetrmG6EAzBo8vrP4klqGSqAOmLhqhrwC8-cbxKMJV5kRfJwsgGM785OyIZnnICazUIg5CLNRwwuLn-1-VVzCX6u2BSU3HgMp1NFFN4beyq5pxdcHRmrxH38373sgCUrn96_MFt8v-2RcI8o2LTcNk/w400-h225/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We cut to Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and Brock, now journeying across Johto. They’re accosted by a teenaged Pokémon trainer, Lisa, who challenges them to a battle. Ash rises to the challenge, and we get an entire Full Battle, meaning both trainers use their six Pokémon. Those are rare in the anime, so seeing one open the movie is refreshing. It allows us to see the entirety of Ash’s team (the three Johto starters, a shiny Noctowl, Bulbasaur and Pikachu) while showcasing other species that were new to Johto (as Lisa’s team includes Granbull, Girafarig, Aipom and Quagsire from Gen 2). It’s a fun, no-stakes match that leads to friendship.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the downside, the Pokémon movies are often used to feature glimpses into the next Gen; Snubbull, Marill, Donphan, Bellossom, Elekid, Slowking and Lugia appear in the first two movies and their respective Pikachu shorts. This is the only movie that doesn’t feature any new Pokémon whatsoever, no glimpses at new species coming in what would be the next Gen. It’s a minor detail, but still worth mentioning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_rqHRULgpqLT32CM84RWf7IrX3opjPVT1ik6nC_TjGm81ewB7fH_-gKRU2Zf3I0_8-3EQ5srlK9Xd5QWVl0lBRSpZma1QHPxMlyuIfVu5EDHYL9WecGr412-1z6VSoz8NshSJB95o1sU5RYgHa_pX8xa1jvv92EfRLpKh7RMbxTSrcPEgICTzoKWJLA/s1920/12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_rqHRULgpqLT32CM84RWf7IrX3opjPVT1ik6nC_TjGm81ewB7fH_-gKRU2Zf3I0_8-3EQ5srlK9Xd5QWVl0lBRSpZma1QHPxMlyuIfVu5EDHYL9WecGr412-1z6VSoz8NshSJB95o1sU5RYgHa_pX8xa1jvv92EfRLpKh7RMbxTSrcPEgICTzoKWJLA/w400-h216/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We should trade PokéGear numbers!"<br />"Poké-what now?"</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhEbVg_sBMryUQRDI53pwz4EUWyAtc-cDYxJebIN2DB2YqQTWZKVvQuHbw1vHmUnjybKo4tn8oDjOpvPze71H3eUiN7srRgN713Xns_FYrl7O7Ij0555SzOgbnLlRTeDgfn3CRtu_pH9j1H_ZdZ0VtxeSvRUbbSFoAkNH1pX1dGuuNciit0GxNzuH3Ilj0/s1920/13.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbVg_sBMryUQRDI53pwz4EUWyAtc-cDYxJebIN2DB2YqQTWZKVvQuHbw1vHmUnjybKo4tn8oDjOpvPze71H3eUiN7srRgN713Xns_FYrl7O7Ij0555SzOgbnLlRTeDgfn3CRtu_pH9j1H_ZdZ0VtxeSvRUbbSFoAkNH1pX1dGuuNciit0GxNzuH3Ilj0/w400-h215/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being a news reporter in the Pokémon world has to be<br />anything but boring.</td></tr></tbody></table>The trainers' Pokémon are tired from the fight, so Lisa walks with them towards Greenfield, known as a beautiful place. (You can’t miss it; they say the word “beautiful” 6 times in 20 seconds.) What they see when they get there is beautiful, but worrisome: An entire field of crystals that’s expanding. Team Rocket, ever present like a rock under Ash’s shoe, observes from afar. A news channel van arrives on the scene to report on the event. In Pallet Town, Ash’s mother Delia and Professor Oak watch the report from their respective homes, and since both knew Spencer, they travel to Greenfield together.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhAd0c_Q1-RS00hwBHRGlgXoJMSd4BXJcFRMO5fuQIQ3CR-83SFGR9XA4ErPi2gnl7TbdmPLE7OfNxZA6NRZZ1zR3j44qwgK125rg29pdtmQS_8vLPgoS3ePKC4PxG-1lNQACr0yVUC71bSU_dxSx4AIlTK7FGvPB07n1uqXYTSUzxcIVpm7_o_EA3-8jg/s1920/15.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAd0c_Q1-RS00hwBHRGlgXoJMSd4BXJcFRMO5fuQIQ3CR-83SFGR9XA4ErPi2gnl7TbdmPLE7OfNxZA6NRZZ1zR3j44qwgK125rg29pdtmQS_8vLPgoS3ePKC4PxG-1lNQACr0yVUC71bSU_dxSx4AIlTK7FGvPB07n1uqXYTSUzxcIVpm7_o_EA3-8jg/w400-h215/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For some reason, the anime had a running gag for a long time<br />where Delia would spot Pikachu before noticing her own son.<br />She grew out of that, eventually.</td></tr></tbody></table>Oak and Delia get to the Greenfield Pokémon Center, where Ash and co. already are. Pikachu is very happy to see his trainer’s mother. Their reunion is televised and Molly, who watches the news on a computer with Entei by her side, tells her new “papa” that she wants a mama too. And since it exists only to obey to her wishes, the beast runs off towards the Center. There’s no mama left at home? That’s nothing a little stop at the store can’t solve.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Entei arrives on the scene and is confronted by Ash’s team and Delia. However... Entei used Hypnosis! After drowsily asking to be taken to the girl... Delia fell asleep! The big cat lets her fall on its back and runs off, unaware that Pikachu has grabbed its tail. Ash and co. also give chase, but Entei is too quick, knocking Pikachu off and fleeing to the crystal palace.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXPj3vi1pV8-HKNP8z4TWuXbtGbKE8IPFpHKanV1fklmH_qx1YLWWzzRccq4nQ0Rzm6ocz_TWj2Sz-HqPGeHDn6JjOg8tVojQ1eNT0HK8WBffK14S1iQzo9s94CqCEteaVKnMEpzSeo5_mfO4ezhgoyc9ByPFmzt6F5lH4lnDuYV_gRyZhLbZw-IOWzU/s1920/14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXPj3vi1pV8-HKNP8z4TWuXbtGbKE8IPFpHKanV1fklmH_qx1YLWWzzRccq4nQ0Rzm6ocz_TWj2Sz-HqPGeHDn6JjOg8tVojQ1eNT0HK8WBffK14S1iQzo9s94CqCEteaVKnMEpzSeo5_mfO4ezhgoyc9ByPFmzt6F5lH4lnDuYV_gRyZhLbZw-IOWzU/w400-h215/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Mewtwo Strikes Back” and “The Power of One” are situations Ash and his friends stumble into, with large stakes they don’t have a direct connection with, outside of being Pokémon trainers (Pokémon 2000's dub is weird about this, but whatever). This time around, there’s crystals taking over the land and the Unown are a reality warper-level threat, but even as a kid I could understand that crap had gotten personal. Chosen One stories are overdone and I don’t feel a connection to those nearly as much as I do for stories about somebody rescuing a loved one. That may have helped make Pokémon 3 my favorite of the four films I knew.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Rescue Team</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjsu-imtQaQfYQXF1_FYhJXpE7wMK9737ngOe6hnDAXg59ba4wY9RS_MjIFA_LhCUoq7Jv2wEFJXGpreMTVc1adh42ZMOjtPPhIt8E4J9txZpVUImoJuhgyZN6_tHWEkn3Vhyphenhyphen7vPG4l6dLbhFoFNppk4TWKG0sHwCQDZ1nwKunvhBQqGoucJcZLeuSBHEs/s1920/16.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsu-imtQaQfYQXF1_FYhJXpE7wMK9737ngOe6hnDAXg59ba4wY9RS_MjIFA_LhCUoq7Jv2wEFJXGpreMTVc1adh42ZMOjtPPhIt8E4J9txZpVUImoJuhgyZN6_tHWEkn3Vhyphenhyphen7vPG4l6dLbhFoFNppk4TWKG0sHwCQDZ1nwKunvhBQqGoucJcZLeuSBHEs/w400-h215/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm sorry, but with Delia mind-controlled, I fail to see<br />what's supposed to be happy here. It's freaky, not cute.</td></tr></tbody></table>When Delia wakes up, she’s still under the effect of the hypnosis, with Molly calling her “mama”. Sure, there’s the happy music as Delia holds Molly in her arms, but... what’s happening is actually creepy as Hell! But it doesn’t register for Molly, who’s young, so she doesn’t realize the extent of the harm. Plus, she’s grieving and possibly traumatized from the still recent news, so that's not helping. Having little letter-shaped genies granting a little girl’s every wish would be bad at the best of times, but in her current mental state? It’s a recipe for disaster.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, Prof Oak goes over the subject with Schuyler and the kids nearby. He explains about Entei and the Unown. Can I point out the repeated display on computer screens of Unown from other alphabets? Greek and Cyrillic in particular. Good thing the idea was dropped, we have enough with 28. During that briefing, the group receives a video message from Molly ordering everyone to leave them alone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEh80oPralh8Zlx_w34edEqhdyv5yMTIPprZybtUxpJ7GgsTtoZ5l6t-rINmg9Dwl4qf7FpLZD0CazIUe7oGS-9-h1HtwaW5snhK0oy2hNI_EIuTV7GvB7hBfipllbHAZByM0PY5hUM82BQJqgkfwmmFc0DyW4gJeFoLkpPLSppjx_UDUIeUGBjxBhntyEo/s1920/17.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80oPralh8Zlx_w34edEqhdyv5yMTIPprZybtUxpJ7GgsTtoZ5l6t-rINmg9Dwl4qf7FpLZD0CazIUe7oGS-9-h1HtwaW5snhK0oy2hNI_EIuTV7GvB7hBfipllbHAZByM0PY5hUM82BQJqgkfwmmFc0DyW4gJeFoLkpPLSppjx_UDUIeUGBjxBhntyEo/w400-h215/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Thanks for the PokéGear<sup><span face="Aptos, sans-serif" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Tm</span></span></sup>, Lisa!"<br />Now on sale at every toy store that existed in 2001.</td></tr></tbody></table>Ash decides to go and save his mother. Misty and Brock join him; no way they’re letting him go alone. Especially with his tendency to headbutt the current problem, whatever it is. Lisa’s Aipom runs up to them and hands something to Ash. Lisa, showing up behind them, explains it’s a PokéGear, which will let them stay in contact with the Pokémon Center.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, Ash’s Charizard, who was left in an earlier episode of the anime at a place called the Charicific Valley, spots his trainer during a random glance at the news on TV. You can tell this dragon’s train of thought: “Oh great, what’s this idiot gotten himself into this time”. Sensing his help will be needed, Charizard flies off towards Greenfield.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alright, let’s end that here for now. Come back for Part 2.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-33393079365693750092024-01-26T08:48:00.003-05:002024-02-24T01:05:35.394-05:00My Needlejuice Mystery Box 2022, Ranked<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6tQmxZf4wO660OJeijpYInqSvBcU-ijdPxb2TFaJgMuzV0XTmeZmOGBkHI4fxxSGZKyYgTHNDs9m3bJtK6KWrmiXb528O4VTBablRpiCI9Y3cY47ix6Lr7FMotA9nTLWIp4oe5wd3yZMcCw0wr4EzRj6U47u2ntovNrQPbOxvfrj3TJuUSiWk0nnBc0/s1920/needlejuice%202022%20ranked%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6tQmxZf4wO660OJeijpYInqSvBcU-ijdPxb2TFaJgMuzV0XTmeZmOGBkHI4fxxSGZKyYgTHNDs9m3bJtK6KWrmiXb528O4VTBablRpiCI9Y3cY47ix6Lr7FMotA9nTLWIp4oe5wd3yZMcCw0wr4EzRj6U47u2ntovNrQPbOxvfrj3TJuUSiWk0nnBc0/w400-h225/needlejuice%202022%20ranked%20titlecard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wanted to do something very different, a surprise article for once, something that would allow me to showcase some stuff I enjoy. This is an article about music, not gaming – and it’s an easy one to do while I work on the reviews proper.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJSUh3jOwGcpnKqQsK-yu5RZxI43e52NHg2OHiWL3fvaxd6_6jm73K6_5RuzH7nrVvzZZXEAdoIAO-suT90uhGrvNgrnqmASqBbxYW3MRw0DV3TJczHqVXoGgMksR8JidCNCrnb1mI_25NszZOu6k1Vm4OPAN-wzq-5IvkDZj0KiNNSaMTayYlvUlT2M/s1000/11.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJSUh3jOwGcpnKqQsK-yu5RZxI43e52NHg2OHiWL3fvaxd6_6jm73K6_5RuzH7nrVvzZZXEAdoIAO-suT90uhGrvNgrnqmASqBbxYW3MRw0DV3TJczHqVXoGgMksR8JidCNCrnb1mI_25NszZOu6k1Vm4OPAN-wzq-5IvkDZj0KiNNSaMTayYlvUlT2M/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>What’s "Needlejuice" in the title? It’s an independent record label that formed in September 2017 and operates from Nashville, Tennessee. It has both <a href="https://needlejuicerecords.com/" target="_blank">a website</a>, a Discord server and <a href="https://needlejuice.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">a Bandcamp page</a>, and features a lot of (but not exclusively) artists from the LGBTQ+ community. It favors indie bands and musicians and covers a very wide variety of tones and genres, from the comedic to the serious, from pop to rock, from psychedelic to prog passing by vaporwave. The label is dedicated to production of physical media: CDs, of course, but also cassettes, vinyl records and more. This short description doesn’t do them justice; I’ll simply close on saying they deserve to be more known. Maybe your new musical obsession is waiting for you somewhere in their large catalog.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjvvwk-9bYVNfyzU6gs9He6q6YbwoBdqMQGsqCTiZEaeOUEKlwOuEFP7ZeBjozpf4KA6kamd9otcf0LrlCJD8Jk2-pR9ZziQLkiTfPTMFKrsOUz1XKcyLdqBoMOtUjNWt9aECNEPm7SdoH88yXysC7yGRegzsJ0yHjHL2j1JE62y2jNVZAej8y_ipLjUOE/s2880/12.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2160" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvwk-9bYVNfyzU6gs9He6q6YbwoBdqMQGsqCTiZEaeOUEKlwOuEFP7ZeBjozpf4KA6kamd9otcf0LrlCJD8Jk2-pR9ZziQLkiTfPTMFKrsOUz1XKcyLdqBoMOtUjNWt9aECNEPm7SdoH88yXysC7yGRegzsJ0yHjHL2j1JE62y2jNVZAej8y_ipLjUOE/s320/12.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 2022 box also included a shirt!</td></tr></tbody></table>Since 2021, the label has been offering mystery boxes on their site at the end of the year. The boxes include albums in three formats – the Tier 1 box had one CD, one cassette and one vinyl, Tier 2 had two of each, and Tier 3 had three of each, plus a vinyl test pressing and extra goodies. The first such box I purchased was in 2022. (Why did it take me till 2024 to write this? ...Hell if I know.) When making a mystery box, the label considers the buyer's purchase history, ruling out what they already own, and will include albums both old and new. The box I ordered in 2023 had stock fresh from the year as well as albums that date all the way back to 2008.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I figured I would help with their visibility in my own way, by listing down the albums I obtained in that first box from the one I enjoyed the most to the one I enjoyed the least. This is all subjective, and that I didn’t like a band or artist doesn’t mean they’re bad – merely that their stuff didn’t click with me or fit my personal preferences. Even with the ones I didn’t like, I’ll do my best to be positive. In summer of 2023, thanks to Spotify, I did a deeper dive into all these bands’ larger discographies, so my adoration for the bands may not match the position they’ve been given here - I’m ranking the albums themselves. I’ll also include an embed to my favorite track off each album.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If anyone from Needlejuice reads this and notices some facts that are incorrect, tell me and I'll correct them!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Starting with...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Nuclear Bubble Wrap – Problem Attic</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgG8qfon2669eh_WRYZqE7WuXABqPxJX7e7-q5XNZGVIm9UXrNs7JkEZQtXmrikW3_pvSVw_xsnZUDOZoPMAkJEd-JdFtlNM1sgT9CCgiFSitZ8v2hiadj_MG0EYM3zKDU4luLclYOpnSa1pTEJZbc3DUEVwMRi3Hswyj2i6GhmV8XWfXFWAxD8l-Ll8/s1200/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgG8qfon2669eh_WRYZqE7WuXABqPxJX7e7-q5XNZGVIm9UXrNs7JkEZQtXmrikW3_pvSVw_xsnZUDOZoPMAkJEd-JdFtlNM1sgT9CCgiFSitZ8v2hiadj_MG0EYM3zKDU4luLclYOpnSa1pTEJZbc3DUEVwMRi3Hswyj2i6GhmV8XWfXFWAxD8l-Ll8/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I’ve been following Nuclear Bubble Wrap (whose frontman Jace McLain is also one of the founders of Needlejuice Records; shortened "NBW") since roughly 2010, when I discovered the band through a forum dedicated to "Weird Al" Yankovic. Back then, the band did both parodies and original comedy music, but evolved in the following years to ditch parodies and focus on a psychedelic sound, albeit retaining a comedic and often geeky edge. They appear a few times on this list.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://nuclearbubblewrap.bandcamp.com/album/problem-attic" target="_blank"><i>Problem Attic</i></a> (geddit?) has been described by McLain as the last album of a trilogy, and whereas their previous two albums discussed anxiety and depression, this one covers the sources of both in modern society for the younger generations. The first half is more comical in tone, with tracks about murderous AI, late-stage capitalism, and conspiracy nuts. Side B is where the facade breaks, with songs about sexist legislators, climate change, police brutality and the growing dread towards the future. The title track is a brutal takedown of the older generations who allowed, if not encouraged, things to get this bad for their personal benefit, their children be damned.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is, as far as I can tell, their most socially charged album, and will probably remain such. It’s a bleak but sobering listen with biting satire and only a few alleviating moments, like a song about how the Mars rovers are awesome or another about T. Rexes being perfect creatures because they can’t jerk it. Yes, you’ve read that right.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jace McLain and the second singer, Kyle Thorne, offer great performances. I cannot recommend this album enough, it’s a great display of their skill. I’m so hyped for their next full-length release.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite track:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1245447548/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=417284269/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://nuclearbubblewrap.bandcamp.com/album/problem-attic">Problem Attic de Nuclear Bubble Wrap</a></iframe> </div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Eldren – Miss Information Aged</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkSkN54ecE6f39IOnLNT1keXpJ_DHB6Q-0ZUwEYvOuFgIjhb4pyF6tXF8VU5h6Jtody_JJmpTP1g6Ju6uUM-yHOdGdMsLklUML9KyZKsOYAVWs4-uShvyQ4VOSeBUMOklKLY4cj7JavEWB_AAPe4Pqw4kah_gel6-5-R06o7Not3DhVw6xePsfV2hpsA/s1200/2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkSkN54ecE6f39IOnLNT1keXpJ_DHB6Q-0ZUwEYvOuFgIjhb4pyF6tXF8VU5h6Jtody_JJmpTP1g6Ju6uUM-yHOdGdMsLklUML9KyZKsOYAVWs4-uShvyQ4VOSeBUMOklKLY4cj7JavEWB_AAPe4Pqw4kah_gel6-5-R06o7Not3DhVw6xePsfV2hpsA/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A psych-rock band from Denver, Colorado, Eldren were one of the first major discoveries I made thanks to these mystery boxes. That vinyl's been spun a couple times. Putting aside <a href="https://needlejuice.bandcamp.com/album/miss-information-aged" target="_blank">this album from 2018</a>, and a self-titled from 2013 unavailable on Bandcamp, their full-length releases include one titled <i>Welcome to Deathville</i> in 2015, and a cover album titled the <i>Separation Sessions</i> in 2021. Information on them has been somewhat difficult to find, which is unfortunate.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two singers here as well: Tyler Imbrogno (who has also done some mixing work for Needlejuice) and Nasir Malik. The band has known some success locally in Denver. Their sound, self-described as "a psychedelic dream rock super pop soundgasm", counts on heavy synths and even includes a violin at times. Imbrogno's voice, which I can best describe as androgynous, helps with the unique feel of their work. (I've played their video clip for "We Just Want The World" several dozen times, it's so charming.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Miss Information Aged</i> doesn't quite fit the bill of a concept album, the best we get is a nod to several previous songs' titles in the nearly 9-minute closing title track. Still, the effort feels like a cohesive whole when its 43 minutes are heard front-to-back. I do hope to see them release another record of original material. I also bought <i>Welcome to Deathville </i>this week.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yyp8EydUFHY" width="320" youtube-src-id="yyp8EydUFHY"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite track:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4037731321/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=3956963786/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://needlejuice.bandcamp.com/album/miss-information-aged">Miss Information Aged de Eldren</a></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Nuclear Bubble Wrap – Multiverses</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3sCKxWJMwPDN6bL6L1LHUWkAlembNkYYUiw5-Njo6ktlBHi6MSviouRoBAIFuscZ5oo3StZ8rIEgJy9F0Jz9ZnqrjXum8Y6T7kkxVFKN3l3aik-Gle7imD_ufnD3UYR8L2x95sKdkpteMFsiw_JYAmgMyCunc6jnBgNDBiH5bWKYPgKHQSH7dEmg0BI/s800/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3sCKxWJMwPDN6bL6L1LHUWkAlembNkYYUiw5-Njo6ktlBHi6MSviouRoBAIFuscZ5oo3StZ8rIEgJy9F0Jz9ZnqrjXum8Y6T7kkxVFKN3l3aik-Gle7imD_ufnD3UYR8L2x95sKdkpteMFsiw_JYAmgMyCunc6jnBgNDBiH5bWKYPgKHQSH7dEmg0BI/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I mentioned upon purchase of the box that NBW was one of the only bands I knew from the label. <a href="https://nuclearbubblewrap.bandcamp.com/album/multiverses" target="_blank"><i>Multiverses</i></a> came out on January 1st, 2016, and is the "depression" album according to Jace McLain (see my previous mention of a "trilogy" that closed with <i>Problem Attic</i>). NBW improved on their 2014 album <i>Psycho Delicacy</i>'s sound by delving into space rock and shoegaze.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Multiverses</i> retains their propension for filk (a term for songs whose lyrics are about pop culture properties, making it a genre closely associated to geekdom). Examples here include songs about <i>Star Wars</i> (<i>The Fault In Our Death Stars</i>), <i>Doctor Who</i> (<i>Multiverses</i>) and <i>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i> (<i>Dissociative (Ford, I Think I'm A Sofa)</i>). Adding to this are songs about space, mental wellness and the occasional silly one (Shout-out to <i>Healing Hand</i>).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although I thought (and still think) that the album is solid, Jace McLain has expressed dissatisfaction with its final mix and has been working on a remix that will be more in line with the desired vision. I'm looking forward to it!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite track:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2118588519/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=1929225305/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://nuclearbubblewrap.bandcamp.com/album/multiverses">Multiverses de Nuclear Bubble Wrap</a></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Blinker the Star – We Draw Lines</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqA_vxWqvX4K6oDyi1qrlfu1i-lw7SaunxUggHB1at1Wj077OIfyYRYuwCEPqegD66vbCWSr89K1uvnL7L06wqmGNMJqzlNMRKgy1d_V8PddsjksCbB0_i76tc6sVe-Q0nGbTACS9Pfxuuac-BGlE460t5XOjUUJfC_wHA0q64__n8iVb_3i3qwS7aic/s700/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="700" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqA_vxWqvX4K6oDyi1qrlfu1i-lw7SaunxUggHB1at1Wj077OIfyYRYuwCEPqegD66vbCWSr89K1uvnL7L06wqmGNMJqzlNMRKgy1d_V8PddsjksCbB0_i76tc6sVe-Q0nGbTACS9Pfxuuac-BGlE460t5XOjUUJfC_wHA0q64__n8iVb_3i3qwS7aic/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From Pembroke, Ontario, Jordon Zadorozny, better known under his artist name Blinker the Star, isn't officially on Needlejuice yet. Or rather his albums aren't. My mystery box included a test pressing for his album <i><a href="https://blinkerthestar.bandcamp.com/album/we-draw-lines" target="_blank">We Draw Lines</a></i>, from 2012, hinting at a future addition to the label. It’s a bit of an open secret on the official Discord.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Zadorozny has been releasing music since 1993 and has an impressive resume and career, having worked with important names in the industry for various projects. He is still very active – in fact, he has released one album per year since 2019, with the latest one, <i>Animal Math</i>, published on November 24th, 2023. As for <i>We Draw Lines</i>, it’s well along the lines of Blinker the Star’s indie alt rock, perhaps a bit more on the softer end overall. The album includes a cover of Kate Bush’s <i>Running Up That Hill</i>, which I do enjoy, but I preferred to feature one of the original Blinker the Star compositions for my favorite track.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For what it’s worth, after going through the Spotify playlist, I found a couple more albums of his that I enjoyed enough to purchase. The box already achieved its goal of making me discover new artists!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite track:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=356272864/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=813251367/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://blinkerthestar.bandcamp.com/album/we-draw-lines">We Draw Lines de Blinker The Star</a></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Ookla the Mok – Nerdvana</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0McsTC0mcYYnRxyML6WsT717W0TlbGvW9qrcSdzGaMWp1xsgN0u0ZOVgLldWn0CpdeDQcnWNoktkrxE7RrqjESPZLutZkdx7ZHayum9-uVJFSGmjJBbVQzyhjf3Rz8HCSPPPRIGS2a5bcPas0bfBIs4OEyKIVoDW-aohFwRlaaE74K8YS7JXJ17SO48/s1200/5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0McsTC0mcYYnRxyML6WsT717W0TlbGvW9qrcSdzGaMWp1xsgN0u0ZOVgLldWn0CpdeDQcnWNoktkrxE7RrqjESPZLutZkdx7ZHayum9-uVJFSGmjJBbVQzyhjf3Rz8HCSPPPRIGS2a5bcPas0bfBIs4OEyKIVoDW-aohFwRlaaE74K8YS7JXJ17SO48/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Needlejuice has a lot of Extended Plays in their catalog, and I received a few. This one is comprised of only five songs. Ookla the Mok, like Nuclear Bubble Wrap and several others signed on to the label, are also part of a collective known as the Funny Music Project (FuMP), grouping comedy-based bands, several of whom were born thanks to the Internet. Many of these bands are openly geeky/nerdy or focus on filk songs (described earlier). Ookla the Mok is no exception, taking its name from a character in a short-lived cartoon series named <i>Thundarr the Barbarian</i>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Checking through their discography reveals a lot of music about pop culture, making them a rock band dedicated to filk tracks. <a href="https://needlejuice.bandcamp.com/album/nerdvana" target="_blank"><i>Nerdvana</i></a> was created while Rand Bellavia and Adam English, the main two members of the band, were working on a different album called <i>Vs. Evil</i>. The album would be comprised of songs about villains, mostly from Marvel and DC Comics. This EP, released in 2012, is made of five songs composed at the same time, that didn’t fit the theming.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The EP has only one filk song, <i>Tantric Yoda</i>. It must be heard to be believed. Other tracks here include musings about math, imagining what a daredevil like Evil Knievel would be like in medieval times, and a high-energy, impassioned plea to go to bed. The opening track is equal parts a celebration of nerd culture and a mockery of its less glorious aspects. Really, the big issue of <i>Nerdvana</i> is that it’s not long enough to be a proper introduction to Ookla the Mok. (And some gags are now dated – twice here are jokes about Star Wars having six movies...)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite track:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2360106380/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=3836555271/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://needlejuice.bandcamp.com/album/nerdvana">Nerdvana de Ookla the Mok</a></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Bazooty – Nailbiters Anonymous</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuke_nmd5odYpiC7lyRP-OxnQTWrobnyguyJlD2VZZCFuGWpCCprBZO6xRxCAHM0cu0dzwHTZ-ZvhCSU8ZmS3SXyglR_lNHi83rT6zNUAIPa3AHWZHDNiDCJJhPV1cIhR-pzPL64_ntzXvm2_NAtUls86GVntxJ16RuLGXC71BWKb77IcSRLRKNJsy3o/s1200/6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuke_nmd5odYpiC7lyRP-OxnQTWrobnyguyJlD2VZZCFuGWpCCprBZO6xRxCAHM0cu0dzwHTZ-ZvhCSU8ZmS3SXyglR_lNHi83rT6zNUAIPa3AHWZHDNiDCJJhPV1cIhR-pzPL64_ntzXvm2_NAtUls86GVntxJ16RuLGXC71BWKb77IcSRLRKNJsy3o/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another EP, this time the solo work of Kyle Thorne, the second singer of NBW. Bazooty's <i><a href="https://bazooty.bandcamp.com/album/nailbiters-anonymous" target="_blank">Nailbiters Anonymous</a></i> reminds me of NBW quite a bit musically, with a lot of variety in the sound of each track, but the lyrics overall feel much more serious. Anxiety is a running thread here, as emphasized by the title. Another topic here is that of missed opportunities (<i>Dream Motel</i>).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, what to me brings the EP together is <i>Fight from The Inside</i>, a melancholic look back at the early days of the pandemic. <i>Nailbiters Anonymous</i> was released on May 28th, 2020 according to its Bandcamp page, so I would believe it if the song about the pandemic was recorded last. It has that feel of being made when the world-changing event was not just fresh but at its earliest. The page also states that the artist wanted to get this album made before he turned 30, and it can feel like these circumstances were the final push to get this passion project completed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bazooty is a project that currently has, as far as I can tell, only six songs to its name, five of which are here, but I do hope Thorne expands and adds to it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite track:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=549290454/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=3004037758/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://bazooty.bandcamp.com/album/nailbiters-anonymous">Nailbiters Anonymous de Bazooty</a></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Nuclear Bubble Wrap – Problem Attic Bonuses</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kinda cheating here, but I’m including it anyway. NBW loves to include bonus content; when I contributed to their Kickstarter to get <i><a href="https://nuclearbubblewrap.bandcamp.com/album/psycho-delicacy" target="_blank">Psycho Delicacy</a></i> made, my reward was a CD full of bonus songs, most of which ended up making it into the sequel, <i>Multiverses</i> (discussed earlier). Mystery boxes that included <i>Problem Attic</i> on any format were given over two extra hours of music to check out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This selection includes tracks already on NBW’s Bandcamp or on compilation albums by the FuMP; different versions of PA songs, like early mixes, experiments, or babble tracks (that is, versions with the wrong lyrics in to know the actual beat and length of each line); demos of brand-new songs that may or may not make it onto their next album; a few live tracks; topped by a 26-minute track of ambient noise, meant as an homage and reference to one of their musical inspirations, The Flaming Lips. (Not a fan of that track, to be honest, but I should check out the Lips.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Obviously, I cannot link to a "PA demos" album. Nor do I feel comfortable discussing the demos of new songs (even if several are standouts); therefore, the favorite track chosen here is one that was already available on NBW’s Bandcamp.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite track:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=3049999023/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://nuclearbubblewrap.bandcamp.com/track/the-wolfman">The Wolfman de Nuclear Bubble Wrap</a></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Teenage Gizzard</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8CyhT-u8RqI1z6Gb5nO_d8W-414KzPsjUuRPbLdrPjOO4AChc_8UqZ_4imWJ2jOYkL2g9Xb0FxXFGB5c8OirUYHIa52aR2q693vMABmaSru5j9P9x8zxHlMZ_d9aCt-7OL2oh-6sm3H1zSt2HiXYrVwHpbpKFHwLW6OD2XVY5blRoSpqMCmhZ0OhyphenhyphenQY/s1200/7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8CyhT-u8RqI1z6Gb5nO_d8W-414KzPsjUuRPbLdrPjOO4AChc_8UqZ_4imWJ2jOYkL2g9Xb0FxXFGB5c8OirUYHIa52aR2q693vMABmaSru5j9P9x8zxHlMZ_d9aCt-7OL2oh-6sm3H1zSt2HiXYrVwHpbpKFHwLW6OD2XVY5blRoSpqMCmhZ0OhyphenhyphenQY/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If I ranked the bands rather than the albums, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (which I’ll shorten to KGLW) would be in a hot competition at the top of the list. They’re my new musical obsession since 2023. The band formed in Melbourne, Australia, has been active since 2010 and has a simple strategy: Saturate the market. Since 2012, they’ve released 25 studio albums in a wide variety of genres, but always with a bit of psychedelic (I wrote that word a lot today) flair to them. Then there's their encouragement for indie labels to bootleg and sell physical formats of stuff made available for that purpose on their website: 13 live albums, but also collections of demos, one studio album, and this. Needlejuice Records was in part created thanks to this initiative, and as a result, though KGLW aren’t "signed on" proper, they’re one of the biggest bands in the label’s roster, if not THE biggest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><a href="https://needlejuice.bandcamp.com/album/teenage-gizzard" target="_blank">Teenage Gizzard</a></i>, as the title implies, is a collection of the band’s earliest efforts, recorded in 2010 and 2011. A very lo-fi psych surf rock dominates the ten tracks of this 29-minute album. The collection was made available in 2020 through their website and, like the other bootleg-friendly KGLW albums, can be found under "bootleg gizzard" on Spotify. I’m personally not a fan of lo-fi, I like when I can understand the lyrics, especially in English (I blame that on English being my second language), and I prefer songs with a cleaner sound in general.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This collection is fine, but it’s like checking an artist’s earliest demos; of course it’s gonna be rough around the edges. Since the band grew and changed so much, <i>Teenage Gizzard</i> is fun to have, but it’s not very representative of KGLW's sound. For that, I would recommend some of their studio albums. Hard to pick one, though, since there are so many and they toy with genre so much. <i><a href="https://kinggizzard.bandcamp.com/album/float-along-fill-your-lungs" target="_blank">Float Along – Fill Your Lungs</a></i>? <i><a href="https://kinggizzard.bandcamp.com/album/gumboot-soup" target="_blank">Gumboot Soup</a></i>? <i><a href="https://kinggizzard.bandcamp.com/album/omnium-gatherum" target="_blank">Omnium Gatherum</a></i>? I’ll go the obvious route and recommend the "bootleg it, we allow it" album, <a href="https://kinggizzard.bandcamp.com/album/polygondwanaland" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Polygondwanaland</a>, which you can get for free.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite track:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4271950786/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=1857123305/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://needlejuice.bandcamp.com/album/teenage-gizzard">Teenage Gizzard de King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard</a></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>desert sand feels warm at night – New World Disciples</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhOgGytosZ9CJgJWjFHWXozZMZ3jLijn3RZzH_lmz8pgQ6tGqYh5GHzxu1nf4psbctOShU64j1qCpd-IWdqytn3dcBsOI0fphsqIiEEiBa3ZJZRTRC19rslYaNmb_nhDijjwcJ2QhDD71ha-S2hscN87iF2JR1U4gDb01f998Qe8w6GX5cKP19Mpxtcs/s1200/8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhOgGytosZ9CJgJWjFHWXozZMZ3jLijn3RZzH_lmz8pgQ6tGqYh5GHzxu1nf4psbctOShU64j1qCpd-IWdqytn3dcBsOI0fphsqIiEEiBa3ZJZRTRC19rslYaNmb_nhDijjwcJ2QhDD71ha-S2hscN87iF2JR1U4gDb01f998Qe8w6GX5cKP19Mpxtcs/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vaporwave is a rabbit hole and a half to fall into, and I don’t know nearly enough to discuss it in depth. It’s one of the weirder genres born from the Internet, a mix of jazz, sampling, distortions, other musical effects, and gratuitous Japanese. And it’s got more subgenres than you can shake a stick at.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">desert sand feels warm at night is the pseudonym of UK musician William Halworth-Cook, says the Needlejuice website. They specialize in the subgenre of slushwave, best described <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Vaporwave/comments/jm4vrx/can_someone_explain_to_me_what_is_slushwave/" target="_blank">by its own fans</a> as drawn-out, slow-paced, melancholic songs with heavy reverb and sounding like what you’d hear while your senses are being numbed by anesthesia during a medical procedure. Bit mean to say, but not inaccurate, based on this album I heard a few times.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Song lengths on <i><a href="https://needlejuice.bandcamp.com/album/--2" target="_blank">New World Disciples</a></i> range from 3 to 23 minutes, and the singing, if any, is slow, modified with effects, and incomprehensible. Judging from the title, the intention may have been to sound like the chants of, well, disciples of some unreal belief. It does sound relaxing, dreamy even, so the spirit is there. desert sand has an extensive discography comprised of (at time of publishing) 19 albums, including one that’s three hours long, so if this sound is what you’re attracted to, then you’ve got a lot more waiting to be heard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vaporwave isn’t for me. Aside from maybe <a href="https://news-at-11.bandcamp.com/album/news-at-11" target="_blank">one album</a> in the genre that sounds too intriguing to ignore, it doesn’t seem like my jam, y’know? That said, if through this article I’ve connected someone with this genre they didn’t know existed and they become a fan, then I’ll consider my part done.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite track:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1373914836/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=2957353928/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://needlejuice.bandcamp.com/album/--2">新世界の弟子たち de desert sand feels warm at night</a></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Icosahedron – World Wild Web</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWx_ow4Q84BL1Q-kxRolqthW9QFvgxNSLaMo-hbnuCTLdlEMFqET_vsdszzcA3pkgEwRRxcshQbOgqmZipvhJAZenyKe_r28cY-mYZDvNWi2eOQnTTchO2St0PKCRsBuRaQH8jIAL6TdXxVtcQrHWFoiiQKTwlJcqAnN1b97JZtR5auFYNmc6jzfoyeic/s1200/9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWx_ow4Q84BL1Q-kxRolqthW9QFvgxNSLaMo-hbnuCTLdlEMFqET_vsdszzcA3pkgEwRRxcshQbOgqmZipvhJAZenyKe_r28cY-mYZDvNWi2eOQnTTchO2St0PKCRsBuRaQH8jIAL6TdXxVtcQrHWFoiiQKTwlJcqAnN1b97JZtR5auFYNmc6jzfoyeic/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I’m gonna be critical, I’m sorry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><a href="https://icosahedrontunes.bandcamp.com/album/world-wild-web" target="_blank">World Wild Web</a></i> is the synthpop/new wave creation of Icosahedron, an artist from the UK. Unlike albums with serious themes earlier on this list, this one is meant to be an all-fun, easy-listening, geeky venture in a world of keyboards. The blurb made it sound like this would be a concept album about the Internet, I was disappointed when it turned out not to be. Oh well, it happens.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the positive, Icosahedron’s musical compositions are excellent. I was hooked by the opener (<i>Resurrection</i>), I like the pleasant music of the title track, the bouncy beats of <i>On the News</i>, the slower and moodier tone of <i>I Don’t Know</i>... My favorite track is <i>Raindrops</i>, a kickass instrumental. The album ends on another instrumental, <i>The Curtains Draw to a Close</i>, which is also fun in its own way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now the negative: For starters, the lyrics could have done with rewrites here and there. Several lyrics feel baseline, simple (if not simplistic), like they were recorded at the stage of early drafts. It’s notable in several points where easy rhyming shortcuts are taken. Her interpretation is frequently off-key, unfortunately, even to untrained ears like mine. And a few songs (notably <i>Robot Attack!</i>) see her attempt vocal challenges that would be difficult even to singers with a range beyond hers – but at least, she gets points for the self-imposed challenge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Icosahedron, in case you see this, you may have a few things to work on, but I can tell you absolutely love making music. Don’t let my critique affect you, don’t let that spark die down – you've got a great base and immense potential, so improve on other aspects and your next works will be fan-tas-tic. Hell, I should give the new tracks you often post to your channel in the NJR Discord server a chance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite track:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1893997959/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=2946989961/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://icosahedrontunes.bandcamp.com/album/world-wild-web">World Wild Web de Icosahedron</a></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Bubbo – bubbo + dinky</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEtd06rxv7wTdR1v10lkNZ9eg2FKySGdvRZ78F-E4Xr6W17KBkI78YRaUmGTWMLwtG-bBdbmeJa1LBMdkEh8SYeTP26CsIBxBptcPHLlDWOTO3KPB3QnI9cDyysse4iAaPewiDtNnW42LfBDC7sPxZV2gQEyK5VQ2a486dPcjcIsx-HKkx0fmtpUV9Vw/s1200/10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEtd06rxv7wTdR1v10lkNZ9eg2FKySGdvRZ78F-E4Xr6W17KBkI78YRaUmGTWMLwtG-bBdbmeJa1LBMdkEh8SYeTP26CsIBxBptcPHLlDWOTO3KPB3QnI9cDyysse4iAaPewiDtNnW42LfBDC7sPxZV2gQEyK5VQ2a486dPcjcIsx-HKkx0fmtpUV9Vw/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Final album in the box and the one that appealed to me the least, <i><a href="https://needlejuice.bandcamp.com/album/bubbo-dinky" target="_blank">bubbo + dinky</a></i>, released in 2021, defies classification. I can best describe it as electronic, experimental and noise. Most tracks don’t feel like compositions as much as they feel like instrumental snippets haphazardly Frankensteined together. The core idea is that these two critters, Bubbo and Dinky, are the makers of that music. You can even hear Bubbo "speak" in wah-wahs on a few entries. We get seven tracks from each, separated on the CD release by eight minutes of ambiance labeled "unlisted".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have a slight preference for the Dinky half, which isn’t to say I love it – at best the songs feel a little better thought-out. <i>dinky vii</i>, closing the album, has bits from previous Dinky tracks, implying it’s learning and combining its ideas, so that’s nice. Despite that, no matter how much I listen to any of the album, it just doesn’t click with me. It’s a bit too far into the experimentation for my liking, I guess.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But their creator should keep on making their art. The world is a fuller place when all express themselves as they want. And even if I’m not super positive about this album, if my description left you intrigued or interested, then give it a listen, even if just out of curiosity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite track:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1136881504/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=849412395/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://needlejuice.bandcamp.com/album/bubbo-dinky">bubbo + dinky de bubbo</a></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That’s it! Phew, sorry this got so long! I’ll resume with actual reviews soon.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-88084472107719406822024-01-17T17:10:00.000-05:002024-01-17T17:10:14.226-05:00Update: Odd start to the year<div style="text-align: justify;">Alright, so a couple things about the start of 2024. It's going to be a little odd. As you may have noticed, I didn't post anything last Friday. I also likely won't post anything this coming Friday, either. The first reason for that is that, as I discussed in my Retrospective 2023, I need a break so I'm taking January a little easier.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Which isn't to say I'm not writing, I do have a couple of articles cooking, many of which are for non-Steam games. I'm trying to focus on the games on consoles for now, I'm a starting work on the Year Plans on Nintendo consoles, and looking into the other games here and there that I'm interested in.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, a lot of my year plans involve games I'd love to play but can't. I got myself a brand new computer late last year, and I'm already having issues that need repairs. Some games I played or tried to play - namely Valheim, For Honor, and Assassin's Creed III - would crash my computer a few minutes to half an hour in, provoking a BSOD. Needless to say, that's got me worried. So I'm going to take my computer in for repairs tomorrow morning and I won't have it until... well, I hope to have it back next Monday. Hopefully at little to no cost, seeing as it's still on guarantee.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While I wait for all that to be resolved, I'm at least planning ahead. I'll spend my few computer-less days watching the films I hope to cover... in February, I guess?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, reviews proper will be the movies, then the non-Steam stuff. However, I am very tempted to have an unrelated long article to ease myself back into writing. Tempted to write about music. Yeah, you can expect an article about music soon-ish.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-86684795272778298662024-01-05T08:18:00.002-05:002024-01-05T08:19:19.978-05:00Retrospective 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKg-tX8eE7klKEPAV9C7DpfS54x-Y-6jjltGDpADnWCm127IsyzoYR-dq4rqGFQ3QK88Oh61d-ZjXqA5tQ1cnEsbjRcDnyu_zo3qtozHhpdf7qd74PBFZeymzK7PrT90iYxEpm1maAjSOjHmLSz7visLcvWfMLRT7Uvj1EaxtfxEFY2Eak4wCy_qkfdPM/s1920/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKg-tX8eE7klKEPAV9C7DpfS54x-Y-6jjltGDpADnWCm127IsyzoYR-dq4rqGFQ3QK88Oh61d-ZjXqA5tQ1cnEsbjRcDnyu_zo3qtozHhpdf7qd74PBFZeymzK7PrT90iYxEpm1maAjSOjHmLSz7visLcvWfMLRT7Uvj1EaxtfxEFY2Eak4wCy_qkfdPM/w400-h225/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yet another year that’s been alright for me, yet one that’s been catastrophic on a larger scale. The Ukraine-Russia wart is still ongoing, and we have the Israel-Hamas war on top of that. Canada is on its way to a recession, the prices of everything skyrocketed this year, and I can feel the financial dread increasing. Speaking of dread, there’s a lot of it regarding next year's elections in the United States. I don’t think Americans quite realize just how influential, for better and especially for worse, their politics are to the rest of the world, and there’s potential for another disaster. On the plus side, just as I predicted last year, some people are finally getting their just desserts. Let’s hope the trend continues in 2024.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, X, Formerly Twitter (nobody will ever call it just X), is somehow still around, despite every attempt from Elon Musk, accidental or not, to destroy it from within. The guy even had an AI designed for the website, called Grok, and it instantly turned on Musk and his ass-backwards, teenage edgelord worldviews. Some will say I shouldn’t feast while billionaires have their crap blow up in their faces; I don’t care. Pass the popcorn.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But of course, things are always a little brighter on a personal level. Let’s see... On the negative, I think I never went to more funerals than this year, I caught Covid in August for what I assume to be the first time (In fact, I don't recall being sick as often in a single year as I was in 2023), and I’ve had a streak of intense bad luck in the very last days that were topped off by another cold. However, I can recount many positives: I finished paying my car; I got myself a Switch and a brand new computer; I again went to a convention in the U.S.; <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/hamelnico.bsky.social" target="_blank">I joined Bluesky</a>; I discovered new music bands I’m now addicted to; and I participated to two podcasts in French, which have been posted to YouTube, the two videos are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msbbsj7KehM" target="_blank">this one</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=653U84fKkRU" target="_blank">this one</a> if you’re interested.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh, and some time ago I donated to a Kickstarter by Stray Fawn Studios, who made <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2020/08/quick-review-niche-genetics-survival.html" target="_blank">Niche – a genetics survival gam</a>e. In my original review of that game, I said I wanted a plushie of the starting character. Well, guess what:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_NbQIzCA8Xfk5cmcX2lkTswgpAnjdAqXgqg3qbKakt5td4dUSTcRvi3m0NlVbYGMwW5AE5lCwu1xNIXNhbpNM2C9mNnysUpBTNkHLdhAdoS505oUQqDW8f88A7l-cPis2dkkhDy52FkskOlcdA_dE6s8HEnTW6MgY4deFIwyYzTcEp-SHjrrrg5Z6t4/s1920/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_NbQIzCA8Xfk5cmcX2lkTswgpAnjdAqXgqg3qbKakt5td4dUSTcRvi3m0NlVbYGMwW5AE5lCwu1xNIXNhbpNM2C9mNnysUpBTNkHLdhAdoS505oUQqDW8f88A7l-cPis2dkkhDy52FkskOlcdA_dE6s8HEnTW6MgY4deFIwyYzTcEp-SHjrrrg5Z6t4/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I originally said that as a joke! I’ll have to joke about that more often!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I remember not being too happy with how serious and downbeat many of my articles were back in 2022. This was corrected in 2023, but the tradeoff is that I feel like I didn’t review a lot of games overall. Only 34 in total. On the plus side, I love my idea of the Year Plans, even if I didn’t cover as many of them as I would have liked; I’ll do these again this year. I had a smart idea with the Gaming Memories, filling in time on weeks without a proper article. I celebrated the tenth anniversary of the blog, and I’m almost at a million views on the blog. So far so good, I guess. I also had my first article hidden by a content warning by Blogger; because I wasn’t clear enough that my article titled “<a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2023/12/just-die-already.html" target="_blank">Just Die Already</a>” was about an indie game, hence why I specified the studio in the retitle. I don’t know what to expect regarding my output in 2024. In the meantime, how about I do my retrospective now?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>My favorite reviews/articles of 2023</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">10. Rampage. Gotta acknowledge my January movie reviews in some capacity. I’ll probably do a few like this at the start of the year again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">9. Beyond Good and Evil. It was great to experience such a famous and beloved title for the first time, and I think I conveyed its story and my impressions well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">8. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. This has been a year where I covered a handful of highly appreciated titles, so I’m glad I reported on this one (even if I still think it hasn’t aged super well gameplay-wise).</div><div style="text-align: justify;">7. Top 12 Boss Battle Types. It was fun to figure out which types were my favorites and how they ranked, and it feels like I conveyed it well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">6. Freedom Planet. That one had been on my radar for a while, it was great to discover it at last!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">5. WarioWare: Get It Together. It was a little clunky to have a paragraph detailing how every character plays, but it was much more complete than just leaving a sentence or two within a paragraph for it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4. Streamline. Even though I couldn’t really play this one, I still played fair and gave it as best a eulogy as I could, considering the odd situation with this one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3. The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. Rarely has a review, short or long, ever been this easy to write. The only reason it doesn’t rank higher is that it’s a Quick one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2. Sonic Forces. Didn’t get nearly enough views for the effort I put into it. I tried to cover every single aspect and analyze the story in as much depth as I could, so that makes the article stand out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Playing through it did enlighten me to why this game is so beloved and influential.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Favorite title cards this year</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiUc9j_S7YXD5i4lJiTS5ct11YM0iF-VLSwWaV_8PjuFpAg9zdi86Rt1FloI3YaXGefY-9gFQFqXGS8663JdfA0Ljc6q-WhjtLhN2V-fgeuOCp1VDhRBW6ESP46NxlVGQ_C5If4FYbwzlxtJ-T1wZKKo1ZZWqDBOT6o_nwLaAsz20ghcj98krIu2PUz4/s1920/Sonic%20Forces%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiUc9j_S7YXD5i4lJiTS5ct11YM0iF-VLSwWaV_8PjuFpAg9zdi86Rt1FloI3YaXGefY-9gFQFqXGS8663JdfA0Ljc6q-WhjtLhN2V-fgeuOCp1VDhRBW6ESP46NxlVGQ_C5If4FYbwzlxtJ-T1wZKKo1ZZWqDBOT6o_nwLaAsz20ghcj98krIu2PUz4/s320/Sonic%20Forces%20titlecard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnbwyOE9POJ0Mr3oKQEncToKeOrmaPQrQKwtJoICju39gOoDWXVTQcvqZa_JQNqCfDuMK7jLBzFPPpUbzqvGC8WrV0JMV8tV35uoedZ7WkGPo6h2BEtAk3bTJ2sRWU6DnIofCIUhlWu3f2CPeZgq0iVLNWkE-opmuvCLDOXpRGp_4EGcyd4cb_H-t6Gw/s1920/tomb%20raider%202018%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnbwyOE9POJ0Mr3oKQEncToKeOrmaPQrQKwtJoICju39gOoDWXVTQcvqZa_JQNqCfDuMK7jLBzFPPpUbzqvGC8WrV0JMV8tV35uoedZ7WkGPo6h2BEtAk3bTJ2sRWU6DnIofCIUhlWu3f2CPeZgq0iVLNWkE-opmuvCLDOXpRGp_4EGcyd4cb_H-t6Gw/s320/tomb%20raider%202018%20titlecard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJs30x6AjzBr1asfH9ItAYsKkuEhaQF4YYW76va7bVlQs30JtMDUSQMordbM_b0Hrnx9n5YgFWK-sybU63LopsaK-YQ58ObYl818hvimM6aq2SnzKS1NfW1SGNmibGfRUhzR9UMq3UZVwdrQqZcP1kdhxjGFSK_Fm_ucKeQPbZpkJTrx4z80Ghuk6dJ8/s1920/Top%2012%20boss%20battle%20types%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJs30x6AjzBr1asfH9ItAYsKkuEhaQF4YYW76va7bVlQs30JtMDUSQMordbM_b0Hrnx9n5YgFWK-sybU63LopsaK-YQ58ObYl818hvimM6aq2SnzKS1NfW1SGNmibGfRUhzR9UMq3UZVwdrQqZcP1kdhxjGFSK_Fm_ucKeQPbZpkJTrx4z80Ghuk6dJ8/s320/Top%2012%20boss%20battle%20types%20titlecard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmxFaMAr5k3xcE-09lAbQjLEnuSuu_ejWVdmZsaPBsVwWDjJyq_cxQww64vYo-fKULSXnlkPGyCRanhxfjJ2omte5EJ46WsMflVx6Zn8Ed957ezWPNK-03gKjG5ghaBm3g6Veivo8eW41tWFUls4zgvdxDShh4lUESPteD4x_-MDnHWZyawiJtxGnWSQ/s1920/rampage%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmxFaMAr5k3xcE-09lAbQjLEnuSuu_ejWVdmZsaPBsVwWDjJyq_cxQww64vYo-fKULSXnlkPGyCRanhxfjJ2omte5EJ46WsMflVx6Zn8Ed957ezWPNK-03gKjG5ghaBm3g6Veivo8eW41tWFUls4zgvdxDShh4lUESPteD4x_-MDnHWZyawiJtxGnWSQ/s320/rampage%20titlecard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnU6Zf8e5HWxXgiCwXiV16yVf4OyGwn6C6xHuYPDqd19SN9A3VHx_ePBATLSCIdBjyifrD1lqxkg1nu5WLCnF805PCB1JC0KiPsTsQlEE0hJILLw-IUddrijMRUpp5SRpkkRByYvhdFMO1PkAqBTK2aX9VaCoxGzEX-XQDzl4P5dB_l9ofSa3pjMNC80/s1920/ocarina%20of%20time%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnU6Zf8e5HWxXgiCwXiV16yVf4OyGwn6C6xHuYPDqd19SN9A3VHx_ePBATLSCIdBjyifrD1lqxkg1nu5WLCnF805PCB1JC0KiPsTsQlEE0hJILLw-IUddrijMRUpp5SRpkkRByYvhdFMO1PkAqBTK2aX9VaCoxGzEX-XQDzl4P5dB_l9ofSa3pjMNC80/s320/ocarina%20of%20time%20titlecard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Top 10 worst games reviewed on the blog in 2023</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Disqualified: Streamline, since it did not work at all, but I still had to mention it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">10. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Oof, I’m gonna be thrown rocks. This year, like most years, a lot of entries on this list aren't bad per se; most of them ust didn’t leave as good an impression on me. Sands of Time, while an important moment in gaming, is also terribly repetitive. It’s good, but the flaws stood out too much.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">9. NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams. I can say I tried the NiGHTS franchise through and through, and yeah, it just doesn't click with me. It looks pretty, has some fun ideas and I felt more invested in it, but it’s still not a game I feel myself ever going back to. I did end up enjoying it a bit more than the previous NiGHTS game I played...</div><div style="text-align: justify;">8. Jones on Fire. It’s a perfectly serviceable endless runner, but there’s not much else to it, and the grinding required by the end gets extreme for no real good reason other than padding.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">7. Squirbs. A very tough game where every single step and jump matters, on account of controlling two characters at once. It’s fine, but it doesn’t have much to make it stand out compared to the slew of puzzle platformers out there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">6. Dimension Jump. This game no longer available for purchase is an 8bit puzzle platformer with high difficulty, making the list again mainly because it doesn’t stand out all that much.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">5. Business Tour. It’s basically just Monopoly with multiplayer options, speedier mechanics, and the trappings of the free-to-play system. I don’t imagine myself playing this one any more.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4. Sonic Forces. Moving on to the actual bad games on the list... well, your mileage might vary on that one. I kinda enjoy Sonic Forces, but I do acknowledge that it’s very much on the easy side and its story is an utter mess.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3. Tiny Bridge: Ratventure. Another game that didn’t hook me much if at all, even if I do appreciate the base concept.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2. Just Die Already. It’s... it’s weird to keep repeating “it’s not bad” on a list of the worst games I played this year. In this case, it’s more that the game is entirely based around one single joke pushed to the extreme, so your enjoyment depends on whether you can stand that joke and the intentionally poor controls.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1. Zero Reflex. It’s technically not all that bad, maybe a bit short, but I guess I was a lot more annoyed by the reveal that the devs behind the game might have faked the results to a contest they held around their product.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Top 10 best games reviewed on the blog in 2023</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">10. Super Mario 3D Land. An odd mishmash of 2D Mario and 3D Mario that manages to impress nonetheless with its unconventional level construction and offer plenty of extra challenges on the way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">9. 11-11 Memories Retold. A beautiful story of soldiers on opposite lines during the First World War, all conveyed through an impressionist style. It’s worth playing, for both the spectacle and the story.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">8. Yono and the Celestial Elephants. A lovely little title about an elephant from the skies who decides to solve everyone’s problems. It’s super-cute, has a nice mix of puzzle and platform, and is one of the games I was more than happy to play beginning to end even during the Quick Reviews.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">7. The Hex. Playing around with genre like this, with the intention to mess with every genre to tell a very perplexing story with an epic finale. Yep, it’s a Daniel Mullins Games product alright.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">6. WarioWare: Get It Together. I always liked WarioWare games, and this reflected in this entry, where I was so overjoyed to play as the devs who normally just present the microgames. Plus, this was my first review of a Switch game!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">5. Carto. Yet another adorable game with possibly one of the most unique concepts I’ve seen (moving and rotating map pieces to move around the world) and great puzzles resulting from the idea. It’s worth a try, Heck, it’s worth playing from beginning to end!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4. Beyond Good and Evil. The Ubisoft classic deserves all the praise it gets, with its endearing characters, mix of stealth, action and photography, and gradual freedom of exploration – all for a 2003 game. It’s awesome.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3. Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap. Another game I felt the need to finish even if it was just for a Quick Review, this remake of a classic has a great visual style with its hand-drawn sprites, plays well, has lots of secrets, and the game is plenty of fun.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2. The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. Heh, yeah. Couldn’t let this one out of this list, and I knew it would rank high. Not only is the visual novel jam-packed with great moments, the “runner” game is also pretty great on its own.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Maybe I’m just following the trends by putting it at the top of the list, but I do have to acknowledge how important this game has been to the industry, it deserves most of the praise, even if some parts of it have aged.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The 10 goals I had for this year, and whether they were accomplished</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">10. A redesign of the blog: Hasn’t really happened, aside from very small changes for the 10th anniversary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">9. An update to the other pages of the blog: Not really, either.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">8. Make more attempts to grow the community around Planned All Along: I’m not entirely sure if it worked, I didn’t do much in that regard, but 2023 did feel like I was starting to have a bit more of an entourage through this hobby of mine. Doesn’t really count as a community, but it’s something!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">7. Make a video for YouTube: ...do the two podcasts count even if they’re not mine?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">6. Cover more games from Uplay (now Ubisoft Connect): I covered two (Beyond Good and Evil and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time), was hoping to cover one more (Assassin’s Creed III) but didn’t get around to it in time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">5. Cover more Wii games: I also covered two in 2023, which is better than 1 or 0. Hopefully I cover two more in 2024!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4. Cover more than one 3DS game this year: I did it! Super Mario 3D Land and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3. A full month of movie reviews: Did that, all throughout February. Covered three movies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2. Stream more often: Once more promised, once more failed. And this time, the two podcasts don’t count because, although they were recorded on a stream, it wasn’t mine. The occasions just didn’t present themselves.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1. Get a Switch: Eeeyep, that’s a success!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>10 new goals for 2024</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">10. A redesign of the blog. Maybe this time will be the right one?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">9. A rework of the other pages of the blog. About Me, Title Cards, Thanks and Extras.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">8. Make a video for YouTube – a real one, this time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">7. Cover games from all the platforms I own games on. Well, most (still not sure how to approach the games on the itch.io app, but I’ve got games on Steam, GOG Galaxy and Ubisoft Connect, and console-wise, for Nintendo 3DS, Wii and Switch. That’s a lot!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">6. Covering a few more movies. I’m still wondering if I would cover 2 or 3 this year... Whichever is the case, I think I’ll do them at the start of the year again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">5. A weird one: Slow down on buying games. I swear, every year I try my best not to get too many games, and I end up with a backlog bigger than the year before. I might try to keep my money for important things, like...</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4. Paying for some important repairs to my new computer. Its graphics card already has minor, non-threatening issues during normal use, but it causes one game to cause a Blue Screen of Death. I kinda want to avoid that.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3. Try a couple of new franchises. As you’ll see from my Year Plans, I do have a small handful of those to look forward to.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2. I still haven’t thought of what it could be, but I would like to have a significant anniversary review this year. In 2023 it made sense to leave that spot open to an article about the blog’s 10th anniversary, but this time, I want to do something more.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1. Odd one, but... I’ll try to take it easy this year. I want to have a lot of reviews done, but I don’t want to feel too stressed about it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The games I’m removing from my Steam collection this year</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Business Tour</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fortified</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Narcissu 1st and 2nd</div><div style="text-align: justify;">NiGHTS Into Dreams...</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Saviors</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Swapper</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The new list of favorites, with roughly 1/6th of the Steam games reviewed so far</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJX9v4DfCQH-X0GZVWjkB4-XfwA2avPzqyJYinVTd_JhiatStcPC5oboCi3M-q66mmK3RPuozmUzHEbA4wdUZt-cU3ArBJJ22elSav2IpmqKKz8Wbv2lS6KZ45zeiRij7zy0Yl7tavRedxk3qRuYWxmT0LO-XQnpyvrOOXLtGK92Z-_kfNQGVLkEmjrDM/s701/2.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="257" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJX9v4DfCQH-X0GZVWjkB4-XfwA2avPzqyJYinVTd_JhiatStcPC5oboCi3M-q66mmK3RPuozmUzHEbA4wdUZt-cU3ArBJJ22elSav2IpmqKKz8Wbv2lS6KZ45zeiRij7zy0Yl7tavRedxk3qRuYWxmT0LO-XQnpyvrOOXLtGK92Z-_kfNQGVLkEmjrDM/w146-h400/2.jpg" width="146" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Gaming plans for 2024</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once again, I’m making a list of games I hope to go through this year. I didn’t cover quite as many as I had hoped in 2023, not for lack of trying. The left column consists of this new year’s Quick Reviews (when I get to them). The right-side list is comprised of all the other Steam games I hope to do. During the selection process, I ended up randomly selecting games I own that are sequels to other games I also own that I haven’t played, so I included those too (examples being Psychonauts and Yooka-Laylee). The original random selection was also lacking in titles from other places (both my Nintendo consoles and other gaming platforms), so I added one or two of each. I might focus on those before going through with the longer Steam games... we’ll see.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUCLjdWRPwg2oMLVvn_oMZq0tb_2m1NK583yHX_E10I5xlIGrPhD7D2VZEM2AOUNW-Vw9aXzM23NH3BkYXyPSpYZ96FQRyVt64smO3GY5AFjFy3_HWbPvEiz31G6qgqFlGHUELe3FjjYZzFH5iWWNG63LXcbnTMMutghINMkFsPg9l609VXdgcPb3dXQ/s507/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="507" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUCLjdWRPwg2oMLVvn_oMZq0tb_2m1NK583yHX_E10I5xlIGrPhD7D2VZEM2AOUNW-Vw9aXzM23NH3BkYXyPSpYZ96FQRyVt64smO3GY5AFjFy3_HWbPvEiz31G6qgqFlGHUELe3FjjYZzFH5iWWNG63LXcbnTMMutghINMkFsPg9l609VXdgcPb3dXQ/w400-h341/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The other titles, separated by platform:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nintendo 3DS: Hyrule Warriors: Legends;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wii: Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Sonic Unleashed;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Virtual Console: Phantasy Star II;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Switch: Mario Party Superstars, Kirby and the Forgotten Land;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">GOG GALAXY: Sang-Froid: Tales of Werewolves;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ubisoft Connect: For Honor, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">See you around, and once again, happy 2024.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-27476099271665904542023-12-29T08:56:00.000-05:002023-12-29T08:56:23.570-05:00Year Plans 2023: What I've Missed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJBhW_dAGI54WtiGjO3oXn8k0A6ZRLfUr7uUadTrBvjz7Gw3aQjGsHZr-C4RkXxLixZ0AzuAJlxKfhNhRd5yYZbtgYmh2hWEacDZmbBIwRVsfLSxzb38w3lkk91EHAyj_XixjBWV4lpQ-cy3LzvqKJL4vP8Zec28Z3YWyqcP0qf5Wp6Fr-UxIQBI6psE/s1920/year%20plans%202023%20titlecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJBhW_dAGI54WtiGjO3oXn8k0A6ZRLfUr7uUadTrBvjz7Gw3aQjGsHZr-C4RkXxLixZ0AzuAJlxKfhNhRd5yYZbtgYmh2hWEacDZmbBIwRVsfLSxzb38w3lkk91EHAyj_XixjBWV4lpQ-cy3LzvqKJL4vP8Zec28Z3YWyqcP0qf5Wp6Fr-UxIQBI6psE/w400-h225/year%20plans%202023%20titlecard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I felt like closing the year with this. All the way back in my Retrospective for 2022, I set up this new concept of the Year Plans, in which I picked a number of games from my collection that I hoped to play through and review on the blog during the following 12 months. Part of the idea was that, since I have such a large backlog, I would focus on a few titles on top of the yearly Quick Reviews.</div><div class="separator"><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">I even thought of adding a new main page to the blog to keep track of the ones I had selected for this year.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">I did go through all the titles selected for the Quick Reviews, because I like the concept and it’s an easy way to knock a couple out through a few months. The longer titles, that’s a different story; I didn't get to cover as many as I would've liked. So, instead of giving them a full playthrough and article, I figured I would either discuss what my plans were/might be for each title, or give a quick “First Impressions” after playing each one for about an hour, depending on the case.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">Today, it’s a relaxed article. Nothing too complex, just me chatting about games I know and trying out a few I haven’t played yet.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghc-8_PNbw5ee0eNflITyjVVV4JMIwYshQ60DHH2SppyRhnu7ck2OQSmof216Y3P4TseX81gXukZk1JAh2O2FFTF7cyLYj7z1cREMcEj25L-vm63AJ8rvopxgSJ0hue1rEc7YR495C6l1dXaACPlBKP8I_cDw1Kx1Em_MZX0TDq-18ghlpdqVywgzaYqs/s460/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghc-8_PNbw5ee0eNflITyjVVV4JMIwYshQ60DHH2SppyRhnu7ck2OQSmof216Y3P4TseX81gXukZk1JAh2O2FFTF7cyLYj7z1cREMcEj25L-vm63AJ8rvopxgSJ0hue1rEc7YR495C6l1dXaACPlBKP8I_cDw1Kx1Em_MZX0TDq-18ghlpdqVywgzaYqs/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAaBPKWm0SKQ-6yHkL-AZVMgoPeNIPKRCFV2D1JELJbZbV9MPzN22XwDaGepsQUOiMlufbOJrgyEwdsKVcw7RUAABSPr4VZEJt2QVs6BmsV_V4fpc9VC6UT9f2_md2zwbq-pqpn_mvPggnzdxV3g_AhUM_JTe3ysKZutA0pCytCoErPMR9vP4WN4Q-tU/s1920/2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAaBPKWm0SKQ-6yHkL-AZVMgoPeNIPKRCFV2D1JELJbZbV9MPzN22XwDaGepsQUOiMlufbOJrgyEwdsKVcw7RUAABSPr4VZEJt2QVs6BmsV_V4fpc9VC6UT9f2_md2zwbq-pqpn_mvPggnzdxV3g_AhUM_JTe3ysKZutA0pCytCoErPMR9vP4WN4Q-tU/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Yet another game that’s unavailable for purchase on the Steam Store (since May 2022), I’ve had this one sitting in my library since 2021. A purchase on Humble Bundle four years prior included four DLC packs for the game... but not the game itself. It’s been odd every time I reviewed on here a game that could no longer been purchased, but I feel it’s important and interesting to do so, like keeping track of what's been lost. This entry by BKOM studios, whose headquarters are in Quebec City, is meant to be a virtual version of an existing board game, Tomb of Annihilation. It does have that tabletop feel, and the association with Dungeons & Dragons (a license expiration may be the reason why the game got delisted) is clear as day... I say that as if I have ever played that game...</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">On the other hand, the codes for the DLCs still worked, so... I have that to look forward to when I'll dig deeper into this one. This was a fun hour!</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Train Valley</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIGgW25WSJp0p8jfULT6a3NZmjath5jjAhl_3SNxLTKb1ktYnvub-MZJnh-55rd0dTHgiSPgcpMuf1GaDb1W4TZlP91pP7t3wWBeU37TSSkR83e_X9Cyn60NVXrPTKmx3KgKJuDdDl8CapvPsOo60cbld5rrF9hey7eEAAXjtGKqjb5bD862NcZ952oA/s460/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHIGgW25WSJp0p8jfULT6a3NZmjath5jjAhl_3SNxLTKb1ktYnvub-MZJnh-55rd0dTHgiSPgcpMuf1GaDb1W4TZlP91pP7t3wWBeU37TSSkR83e_X9Cyn60NVXrPTKmx3KgKJuDdDl8CapvPsOo60cbld5rrF9hey7eEAAXjtGKqjb5bD862NcZ952oA/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1bPQDCGPNNS9fHgS_U7ECHi1a_J9Vf7vO7M470MI_R2WcX3tpYmopeiR10Ap_UfS7Vv5pXj52nZPENadN5baRvxDVn3Ygf_lrUnaA9DEaFgdx-xQoaNfTFmer0HtljjkMr7hb6fJjXmr9G-Kuudx3OH7inx2XVmaGmSHfwHd3mAVh_rfV-JXBEsYrn0/s1920/4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1bPQDCGPNNS9fHgS_U7ECHi1a_J9Vf7vO7M470MI_R2WcX3tpYmopeiR10Ap_UfS7Vv5pXj52nZPENadN5baRvxDVn3Ygf_lrUnaA9DEaFgdx-xQoaNfTFmer0HtljjkMr7hb6fJjXmr9G-Kuudx3OH7inx2XVmaGmSHfwHd3mAVh_rfV-JXBEsYrn0/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>An interesting puzzle and management game about creating railroad networks from the early beginnings of trains all the way to the modern age, from Europe to Asia passing by America and Russia. You not only need to create paths that lead from and to every factory that opens, but you must also direct the trains that transit between them, even as new factories appear on the map. You must choose carefully when to send a train on its way and redirect the arrows on the railroads to get it to the correct destination. This is the sort of puzzle game with a simple concept but a lot of depth, especially once environmental hazards, and factors such as longer trains, are added to the mix. A single hour of playtime did give me a good idea of what to expect.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Super Mario Galaxy 2</b></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5Uff7gx7jvVKyWFmU5sAN-LNVSjhpeA-QgAH25zu9qXvnGIDRgIuRbXKMWwuU_CqfLEXLjAlA-A6Xvfmm8H3TQGy49wWuq9hmoxgwYg9aTXF8qeC3PDTJ0piwBpDOWBeqz8sJ0cDNwlQDLfuWOfhhS6IXnjW6qpOBi-vi3Rf20xkiEms0FOzcioUNAs/s1600/5.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1600" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5Uff7gx7jvVKyWFmU5sAN-LNVSjhpeA-QgAH25zu9qXvnGIDRgIuRbXKMWwuU_CqfLEXLjAlA-A6Xvfmm8H3TQGy49wWuq9hmoxgwYg9aTXF8qeC3PDTJ0piwBpDOWBeqz8sJ0cDNwlQDLfuWOfhhS6IXnjW6qpOBi-vi3Rf20xkiEms0FOzcioUNAs/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Just an hour and five stars into that game and I was reminded of the whimsy of the Mario universe. I reviewed the first Galaxy game a long time ago (in an April Fools article, no less!). Ever since I bought the sequel, I never found the time to try it. Damn, I’m missing out! That one hour has left me wanting more! Though it did take me a while to get reused to Mario’s Galaxy-era controls. He feels slow, heavy even. Adding Yoshi was a great idea, and our buddy is super-useful. I’m a tad disappointed that we explore the galaxy in a more classic bird’s eye view of the levels and maps, in comparison to the rooms of the observatory in the first... but hey, that’s minor. It’s a bit early to write a review only five stars in though, isn’t it?</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Assassin’s Creed III</b></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNaZwdDwUooGsQ31z27vjA2OXKtawS-5j3cyYaB-MFHeh7JIGfyDFADy9enDYYNa5tnWDx2wHeGrlJAnrnCk-GdOyE55UkZtxiNah98L0ij0BWs4Dmfyk5m2PrQuhEzTjs7YkopzWs7rPbkVBiJ6ZBF4Tut_Vb1WIYu-jbOkxFZ5-s7XdfEIgQm2mYL4/s1920/6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNaZwdDwUooGsQ31z27vjA2OXKtawS-5j3cyYaB-MFHeh7JIGfyDFADy9enDYYNa5tnWDx2wHeGrlJAnrnCk-GdOyE55UkZtxiNah98L0ij0BWs4Dmfyk5m2PrQuhEzTjs7YkopzWs7rPbkVBiJ6ZBF4Tut_Vb1WIYu-jbOkxFZ5-s7XdfEIgQm2mYL4/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Another big title on Ubisoft Connect that I didn’t get around to playing. In fact, the hour I spent in it for this article only got me through the tutorials! Cool, cinematic tutorials, sure, but tutorials still. I’m glad I played two Prince of Persia games this year, though – I could tell from the very first minutes playing ACIII just how much the latter franchise was inspired by the parkour-based gameplay of the former. I’m looking forward to trying it out some more and checking out the open world aspect, since that’s been missing to my early experience. Still too early to say whether ACIII is a good introduction to the larger franchise (I also have AC: Unity waiting in my backlog), but so far, the tone’s been set.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Swords & Crossbones: An Epic Pirate Story</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPgHCC5RUBGcUWzAvHnixRHZAJ53dOsVfhLkSka2qBXjTBSDSjIERYeiCT6HLXsaBeIkWpN954E8q0UBd2xwWvg5ZyGpEU7MPjWBpXlayScyFQAiWkiNx_v6lcOP8iexR3bdpKE3Tu8eoqGT2Q_0omCVo8aZKSK440Hld5Sy-B1T4BHefa-7KY95_hz4/s460/7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPgHCC5RUBGcUWzAvHnixRHZAJ53dOsVfhLkSka2qBXjTBSDSjIERYeiCT6HLXsaBeIkWpN954E8q0UBd2xwWvg5ZyGpEU7MPjWBpXlayScyFQAiWkiNx_v6lcOP8iexR3bdpKE3Tu8eoqGT2Q_0omCVo8aZKSK440Hld5Sy-B1T4BHefa-7KY95_hz4/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8iddLU3LYWomyU50GVZ9byDSdVmIHoRtpjYrjgFz_VPJZT65KxvTe1FJlWfwLTZHsEnxMLKDbdiDz5qa6G3Eoc3C6y6Kf51C8jNg4S4FusTtcQZVEVHi76PmNNKGMdBKksHnbPnLt0ZLP7IJsO56jNdUir-10MxAAexVxy7sCVV1-9Htc-J9fxhuhoQ/s1920/8.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8iddLU3LYWomyU50GVZ9byDSdVmIHoRtpjYrjgFz_VPJZT65KxvTe1FJlWfwLTZHsEnxMLKDbdiDz5qa6G3Eoc3C6y6Kf51C8jNg4S4FusTtcQZVEVHi76PmNNKGMdBKksHnbPnLt0ZLP7IJsO56jNdUir-10MxAAexVxy7sCVV1-9Htc-J9fxhuhoQ/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A combo of management + real-time strategy + RPG in which we play a sailor who, after a streak of bad luck involving pirates, must become a pirate herself, assemble a crew, and create a community to find all the ships that wronged her and rescue the princess she was supposed to be escorting across the sea. We unlock new characters to join the RTS party, open more land by completing quests, and in turn discover how to sail the sea to pursue this quest onto other islands, the whole delivered in a very simple 16bit pixel art that foregoes impressive animations for simplicity. Can’t say it hooks me as much as other games I tried the first time for this very article, but I’m happy I tried it out, and by my own rule of writing about every game I play, I will eventually have to dig deeper into it.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Wildlife Park 3</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXCAqpvdhK7Igpyjfp6zauzfNLFfYWRTNsF3HsCXrR49kS92LqKMRhC6Lt7qHXGTnPzuZhwE7tBiys8zfZcxYNMmFFnXztYkJu5DvgyUQE6UuEWW7BwN0UlMxnFPKZ9useRR9qvhCS3ThgE6lB63bP1sT7D6iqrAVIJM-3tLyxdbiLrt0GS0_GVH2tT0/s460/9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXCAqpvdhK7Igpyjfp6zauzfNLFfYWRTNsF3HsCXrR49kS92LqKMRhC6Lt7qHXGTnPzuZhwE7tBiys8zfZcxYNMmFFnXztYkJu5DvgyUQE6UuEWW7BwN0UlMxnFPKZ9useRR9qvhCS3ThgE6lB63bP1sT7D6iqrAVIJM-3tLyxdbiLrt0GS0_GVH2tT0/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAYOnYDfOpeyp5nCsbOiQ709SIqTtniYrfvO-CVUQBcrfAvYDurFWIrINe9K2fogzstdn4Xj8L7ZKSX0u5lSOGCRqtUxfBBA_s1wPGAxWU-qxcWezUzUxccXyw8HaBm7XGiaTVZ1y_Zowc1nSpZb3WbwaKkCxQWcPKLAKOQHDOV-xGdUx7jq0CKgFiDI/s1920/10.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAYOnYDfOpeyp5nCsbOiQ709SIqTtniYrfvO-CVUQBcrfAvYDurFWIrINe9K2fogzstdn4Xj8L7ZKSX0u5lSOGCRqtUxfBBA_s1wPGAxWU-qxcWezUzUxccXyw8HaBm7XGiaTVZ1y_Zowc1nSpZb3WbwaKkCxQWcPKLAKOQHDOV-xGdUx7jq0CKgFiDI/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I’m not quite as sure about this one, but I’ll give it a fair shake nonetheless when it’s time. This is a classic type of Tycoon title, in this case one in which you manage a wildlife park – somewhere between a zoo and a nature preserve. Wider enclosures, greater focus on caring for the animals, with a smaller (but existing) focus on getting visitors to see them. Hiring keepers, gardeners, vets and other employees as needed, adding new enclosures, new animals, and making sure all of their needs are tended to. The hour I spent playing the first two tutorial stages gave me a decent idea of what to expect. Its main weakness so far is how slow and clunky it is to move (especially turning the camera, which takes for-e-ver) and it’s also very easy to overlook details unless you dutifully check everything in the park. Can’t say I’m too warm to it yet, nothing I hope a few extra hours of gameplay can’t solve.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pokémon Sun/Pokémon UltraSun</b></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DH2L_zLjqO9h850pdbPS6wdIDxYeCX953_2Rjbkcjp2oIhchUkRM0G6OstjmSp7zfQcCldPvOGIzoDkLrHPoZp1YMXBiqL8loECt8sP-RFwwBOxCTbx2EXnYMUGqO64r80vGGKa3yKmoGVtmclNvE4wG9rpuL0WhD_TlIU4Aba0DTvyiDJNSo-DwtdQ/s400/11.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="400" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DH2L_zLjqO9h850pdbPS6wdIDxYeCX953_2Rjbkcjp2oIhchUkRM0G6OstjmSp7zfQcCldPvOGIzoDkLrHPoZp1YMXBiqL8loECt8sP-RFwwBOxCTbx2EXnYMUGqO64r80vGGKa3yKmoGVtmclNvE4wG9rpuL0WhD_TlIU4Aba0DTvyiDJNSo-DwtdQ/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I was hoping to cover these two Pokémon games, possibly together, at some point. There’s a lot to be said about them and I think I can offer good commentary on what they do well and what they don’t. That said, it would be a huge undertaking. I’m always of the opinion that these reviews of Pokémon games fit better within an event month, since there’s so much to the franchise – so if these games land in 2024’s Year Plans, I might dedicate a full month to reviews of Pokémon stuff.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1m4PAP-PC6QhGVM_bQ33PoQb3wGhcBClboNF1k6dQBJ-VbdjAd5jgrikG_bTRdvNfzsKn4-gb7u6Sc08_NIfBsMiARUR5O5FXnNwcw-ZhaWSL1qw92GKSZtjXv_hE3Q5MGoVA-uaCbQJ-feMd-QpJCYB1eJ0bRSonpc4oIJNENvzOybT5R3k2UlcQUQE/s460/12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1m4PAP-PC6QhGVM_bQ33PoQb3wGhcBClboNF1k6dQBJ-VbdjAd5jgrikG_bTRdvNfzsKn4-gb7u6Sc08_NIfBsMiARUR5O5FXnNwcw-ZhaWSL1qw92GKSZtjXv_hE3Q5MGoVA-uaCbQJ-feMd-QpJCYB1eJ0bRSonpc4oIJNENvzOybT5R3k2UlcQUQE/w320-h150/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYaqOlw_ESrvJgUNGsWovaXD9GCE5Sg2pAFfXgRBt-Fuxr3dX-qIyazVvs4IBy2oera_wK-SP1-8amcCbWQe8GkcmYHqvhCcwzdHkGJX7ckIDFRPcK9cdLlHnQfej9WkZ-X3dMZwQzu9K-7i0kt3PNM-FE0iP4mnFWOiOw8jtRZt0B2vKnxgHvc-hhro/s1920/13.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYaqOlw_ESrvJgUNGsWovaXD9GCE5Sg2pAFfXgRBt-Fuxr3dX-qIyazVvs4IBy2oera_wK-SP1-8amcCbWQe8GkcmYHqvhCcwzdHkGJX7ckIDFRPcK9cdLlHnQfej9WkZ-X3dMZwQzu9K-7i0kt3PNM-FE0iP4mnFWOiOw8jtRZt0B2vKnxgHvc-hhro/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A roguelike with slight RPG and RTS elements, this game was originally released on the Nintendo DS but was remastered for Windows. In it, we follow Shiren, a wanderer accompanied by a talking ferret named Koppa. Their travels take them to the Tower of Fortune where Reeva, the God of Destiny, can change one’s fate, if said one can gather the three magic dice representing the past, present and future respectively, all hidden at the end of challenges set within the tower. This is a turn-based title, every step and action is a turn, you collect items, level up, and go through the dungeons. This one does feel distinct from (admittedly the small number of) other roguelikes I’ve played. I didn’t see much of it; I feel I’d prefer the fast-paced, action-oriented format of other entries in the roguelike genre, but I guess it depends on whether the Real Time Strategy-like mechanics appeal more to you.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Monster Hunter Tri</b></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhd_dNPv0-6ciSNG6MLkuGQrTgOVLA-C_h5gA_KL-QZ7osJKpEgKUyMw7XhwEANAJuKBTDEbffZlupfG3T6oNlIQH0dHEkDBlKK4sq-UmnJKz0osKnnPfCDGSlChBSxZsp58yKxL0yuNLXBDRxcwQYESdLE-KeiKfHBe5pJp9fCI_E6alnv12Iy8z3ZPOg/s1920/14.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_dNPv0-6ciSNG6MLkuGQrTgOVLA-C_h5gA_KL-QZ7osJKpEgKUyMw7XhwEANAJuKBTDEbffZlupfG3T6oNlIQH0dHEkDBlKK4sq-UmnJKz0osKnnPfCDGSlChBSxZsp58yKxL0yuNLXBDRxcwQYESdLE-KeiKfHBe5pJp9fCI_E6alnv12Iy8z3ZPOg/w320-h180/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screeenshot from a playthrough by<br />SDShepard, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_O4vlcxe1I&list=PL977A85B7C5EB6721&index=3" target="_blank">link here</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>Monster Hunter is a franchise I’ve been very slowly getting into. It feels intimidating since appears so big, so complex at a quick glance. I purchased this game for the Wii, I believe... either last year or two years ago and it’s been sleeping on my shelf. I did try it for a few hours shortly after purchase, not enough for a definitive opinion (HowLongToBeat estimates the length of this game's main story at 61 and a half hours), but it did give me a desire for more. That may be why I also bought Monster Hunter Generations for the Nintendo 3DS this year at a convention. The extra hour I played recently reminded me of those previous sessions. I need to do more.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Temtem</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvv8VvWF0eeSUqbwr2nmrH7Al5PBjBjQQe5swfWVWnlRuuZsSZ0pJ0VT9Z0R67p0R_8ARt09JDdTF7BzOIe0jo8PzuYD9Hob_eXupy6mPbGXEMjoAgG_Ai0mcOryvnMio_Hpzru4ex9nNvs_7aA22E_Tvg6MMnnzeCCos_SCwRykpbKs6KdteWuLJkSWE/s460/15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvv8VvWF0eeSUqbwr2nmrH7Al5PBjBjQQe5swfWVWnlRuuZsSZ0pJ0VT9Z0R67p0R_8ARt09JDdTF7BzOIe0jo8PzuYD9Hob_eXupy6mPbGXEMjoAgG_Ai0mcOryvnMio_Hpzru4ex9nNvs_7aA22E_Tvg6MMnnzeCCos_SCwRykpbKs6KdteWuLJkSWE/s320/15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBi4z6dy2a9Zyz8joTTQkMkxlmOtChL-P497ovGJOWwEu_8N2cfve66g1nAwQWPIzyzRuF3hIOntjPxtreBL7MM-egdPiHcMmmXCOTEjNzibD2jLYGLtOsXOEPmAW5tL5L_2sid45yF50x6f8nszfQJF9S0IXvjOiyWO3v8-40AR6DjLLAASwdK4KwV4/s1920/16.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBi4z6dy2a9Zyz8joTTQkMkxlmOtChL-P497ovGJOWwEu_8N2cfve66g1nAwQWPIzyzRuF3hIOntjPxtreBL7MM-egdPiHcMmmXCOTEjNzibD2jLYGLtOsXOEPmAW5tL5L_2sid45yF50x6f8nszfQJF9S0IXvjOiyWO3v8-40AR6DjLLAASwdK4KwV4/s320/16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I’m a fan of ‘Mon games, a genre all about battling and collecting a lot of different creatures. Temtem had been on my radar for a while, back when it was in Early Access and even after its official release in 2022. After an hour, I must admit I’m kinda torn. On one hand, I was expecting something like Pokémon... but maybe not something THAT similar! Which isn’t to say it’s a 1-to-1, though, with the stamina and overexertion mechanics, the altered types and matchups, and the focus on 2-vs-2 in combat. The first Route, if I can call it that, was long enough that getting the first Temtem, going through the tutorials, and reaching the second town took me just over the hour. It looks promising! I do hope it’s got plenty more surprises around the corner. A few more curveballs for those who think it still feels too much like Pokémon might be nice.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>No Man’s Sky</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fagJJEvruPW9ePGlmA4fkU5-4nYh6QGWc_9y-Id31HZByWF7z55srGKZvmTu5hE9GGHnlAqA5EeVuWHbwnQIysTIZghWkegMc3J-axDPgwC4jQLFOW5olgqwOqA4e7y4dR1QzpSEzD7ganOS2gcL1Z1mG92k0ewV67h-hl3-iRlZHzSf6qew7fmqOmg/s460/17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fagJJEvruPW9ePGlmA4fkU5-4nYh6QGWc_9y-Id31HZByWF7z55srGKZvmTu5hE9GGHnlAqA5EeVuWHbwnQIysTIZghWkegMc3J-axDPgwC4jQLFOW5olgqwOqA4e7y4dR1QzpSEzD7ganOS2gcL1Z1mG92k0ewV67h-hl3-iRlZHzSf6qew7fmqOmg/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVyQb58FcjAqBKMAnhNOK_LvpW_lksMEOb5QmV-VDeUgKqWgGE02CaGbHItccXVShCiJBF6eZP1WIqHg0Rz0e2CC62IdQ8JNaZ0ZtNM-lgcvhltUdDuQBDwdhD1ndL99jIZ7H4spTNgR10CL13ib_2deyqax2eAHhWurvH3xiuoBGNW5HrBtRYjnwkfE/s1920/18.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVyQb58FcjAqBKMAnhNOK_LvpW_lksMEOb5QmV-VDeUgKqWgGE02CaGbHItccXVShCiJBF6eZP1WIqHg0Rz0e2CC62IdQ8JNaZ0ZtNM-lgcvhltUdDuQBDwdhD1ndL99jIZ7H4spTNgR10CL13ib_2deyqax2eAHhWurvH3xiuoBGNW5HrBtRYjnwkfE/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In 2023, I found myself growing an affinity for survival games. It takes an interesting idea that’s well beyond just “survive” and I’m sold. I spent a long time this year playing Valheim, and I would keep on doing so were it not for a graphics card issue I currently have – so while I gather the money for the potentially pricy repairs, I focus my efforts on this one. No Man’s Sky was the title that attracted me the most in the list of Year Plans I hadn’t touched yet, so I started playing... and kept playing... and at time of publishing, I’m 25+ hours in and exploring my fourth solar system. There will be a lot to say about this specific title’s catastrophic beginnings and the much better state it’s in right now, but that’s a discussion to be had in due time.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bloons TD 6</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOgSl1_L14mXMqK6cODTY-BZalaMz1itG-RDNZgbmo6SxJPNVQ892h1CG4v0KROkDVt_m2JQeTTPOPi_kUGhoeXMivMfxe_ZASIb7awgKLTE4TIecsYuotLo2kvu-clH-mNMJBLZ2QaWnmJ2hY1_517KC7cmuA85Bwx2mpvmJoJgevJadMmjmbBnmrJU/s460/19.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOgSl1_L14mXMqK6cODTY-BZalaMz1itG-RDNZgbmo6SxJPNVQ892h1CG4v0KROkDVt_m2JQeTTPOPi_kUGhoeXMivMfxe_ZASIb7awgKLTE4TIecsYuotLo2kvu-clH-mNMJBLZ2QaWnmJ2hY1_517KC7cmuA85Bwx2mpvmJoJgevJadMmjmbBnmrJU/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">I originally wanted to cover this Bloons game this year, but I also had Bloons TD 5 and felt it made more sense to start with its predecessor, for which I had accumulated a lot of hours of game time. After my review of TD 5, I started playing 6, but I’m still nowhere near the point where I consider having seen enough to properly report on it. I’m only 5 hours in, and according to HowLongToBeat, this game’s main story requires over 33 hours to beat. I’ve got a ways to go. Now, will I have to do that in 2024? Maybe not. Either way, I’ve at least seen some of it, and I’m eager to check it out more.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgydHNarhWOSl01zZw1Pno1KO7LGWFLCLkG16EkJYEquBIOnhojxb3hz_5Z9WjcVXYi7vbN36G17GXSRa0GlcxLJyOG7csc44e0rCpCjEksMdBj-VEgyhD32hw3ZyvHg8m4kXSDXxq8pS9zHeWggit_pcoChHrVyEWNRp9ReC0EmaYRQhFsvXS12MbDCU/s460/20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgydHNarhWOSl01zZw1Pno1KO7LGWFLCLkG16EkJYEquBIOnhojxb3hz_5Z9WjcVXYi7vbN36G17GXSRa0GlcxLJyOG7csc44e0rCpCjEksMdBj-VEgyhD32hw3ZyvHg8m4kXSDXxq8pS9zHeWggit_pcoChHrVyEWNRp9ReC0EmaYRQhFsvXS12MbDCU/s320/20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">The Yu-Gi-Oh! nerd that I am feared seeing this title in the Year Plans, because... well... at time of writing, I’m 574 hours in. Don’t believe me? Here.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasjPihwq5xW3hjEOqWwogrGiHWbt0w56FWWFcGEd0SGexdiy0MN-eLazepSrRGZJ4gdT_F1x_MU07aFoIy86wQ_F6xfduGEOcGFkk6OnVYTq9pmOqkX1v0FYveGryhpJ1U1xStP1244SevQcYilzXs58AlF7NPQDk-22wggaNCC9F3WscDWObLekdQBs/s647/21.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="647" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasjPihwq5xW3hjEOqWwogrGiHWbt0w56FWWFcGEd0SGexdiy0MN-eLazepSrRGZJ4gdT_F1x_MU07aFoIy86wQ_F6xfduGEOcGFkk6OnVYTq9pmOqkX1v0FYveGryhpJ1U1xStP1244SevQcYilzXs58AlF7NPQDk-22wggaNCC9F3WscDWObLekdQBs/s320/21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">I tend to amass an unhealthy number of hours into the Yu-Gi-Oh! games I have, because I like the card game so much (though I began feeling my interest peter out a tad this year, mainly on the side of collecting the physical cards, which... I also have way too many of. I got 3,000 to sell, anybody wants them?). Duel Links in particular, with its many mobile game trappings, tends to hook me for several months at a time. Then I let go of it for a few months... then return... then let go again... Yeah. Seeing as we’ve also had Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel for two years, and Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution is waiting in my collection, I wonder whether I should also dedicate a full themed month to the franchise like I did back in October 2018. There would be a lot to say about Duel Links, in part with the addition of the Rush Duels, an entirely new way to play that I’m not used to yet. In short: There WILL be a lot to cover, once I get around to it.</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">Other games I’ve spent some time playing through the year: Valheim, Gemcraft: Frostborn Wrath, every game I bought for my Switch (with special mention to Pokémon Legends Arceus, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time).</div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">I wish you all a happy 2024. See you in January with the usual Retrospective article next Friday.</div></div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-55169779624749917032023-12-22T08:03:00.002-05:002023-12-22T21:40:17.053-05:00Gaming Memories: Mighty Final FightA last Gaming Memories article for the year? Let's go.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHc8VKPa393quAlJsYylHRjMczgLwfH2KVDSgOi4NKVsOWJsUj8CtgcZfrIWdx8bjP2D7gXfZCdwyB0fj9AVf5yToAMqW6Oh5atBZ0UQxhZq2ibJNOk99keIQ8r06iCVcPQMeuZVjEF9eX7ZskB_J5rmiyXmPkfm3TK__lmeXZIxdkBe1ZdEEN6NPk5A/s372/6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHc8VKPa393quAlJsYylHRjMczgLwfH2KVDSgOi4NKVsOWJsUj8CtgcZfrIWdx8bjP2D7gXfZCdwyB0fj9AVf5yToAMqW6Oh5atBZ0UQxhZq2ibJNOk99keIQ8r06iCVcPQMeuZVjEF9eX7ZskB_J5rmiyXmPkfm3TK__lmeXZIxdkBe1ZdEEN6NPk5A/s320/6.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Mighty Final Fight</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nintendo Entertainment System</div><div style="text-align: center;">July 1993 (NA)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the NES games I recall playing the most. Outside of this entry, I have no real connection to the Final Fight series, comprised of side-scrolling beat'em-ups and whose first entry was released to arcades in 1989. This is a retelling of that game's story, delivered with a comedic tone and a super-deformed style.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The story, a classic of the era: A girl kidnapped by bad guys. In this case, it is Mayor Mike Haggar's daughter, Jessica, taken by the Mad Gear Gang. Haggar enlists the help of his two friends Cody and Guy, and all three set out to open a whole can of whoop-ass onto various bikers, thieves, and other street scum on their way to Belger, the gang's leader.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The game is set across five stages and had everything to please me: Players and enemies alike have health bars visible at the top of the screen, and enemies come in all shapes and sizes (and gimmicks). All three characters have a wide array of moves, and can even learn more as the game includes a simple (if not simplistic) experience system. Haggar feels like the Easy Mode, being tougher and having stronger moves than his allies and starting out at LV3, compared to Guy and Cody's LV1s. That said, the two guys are speedier. Alas, no 2-Player Mode, but I can't say multiplayer on home console was ever a thing I cared for.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A few sequences within levels feel like mini-games. One notable example being in Stage 1, where the selected fighter has to break incoming barrels (and may also find items that increase their EXP). The bosses are all notable; utterly silly but also pretty dangerous. Unfortunately, the game is also very short, at five stages, and can be finished in well under an hour. Bit disappointing, not gonna lie.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's short and easy enough that I finished the game multiple times. It ranked among my favorites on the NES alongside Startropics, DuckTales, the Mario games, and more that I'll eventually get to. I can't say I consider myself a beat'em-up connoisseur, but I do think this one's worth checking out. Maybe it's the nostalgia talking, that's usually the case in these Gaming Memories articles. (At least for now, as I focus on the games I really did care for - the ones I didn't, that's gonna be a different story.)</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-10809018874724872952023-12-15T09:02:00.003-05:002023-12-15T22:54:15.563-05:00Top 12 Boss Battle Types<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRG4yWd2S0alsI2d15uIy-Er8riLR3Qun4bhp4MtYZ7Q4xt9rsQWXqxzDjNh0RYPplNjUH3TevKk7q-lSKnMW6D0FtQes0WHWck6yndjjV-GUWNYOex8LcX0fkmccZJ9GrmfHb66_5tHuQu-Y3vBsFoiCNHRuWNYBlsKco23bdvJ6vTucaJpNiY1k5XVw/s1920/Top%2012%20boss%20battle%20types%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRG4yWd2S0alsI2d15uIy-Er8riLR3Qun4bhp4MtYZ7Q4xt9rsQWXqxzDjNh0RYPplNjUH3TevKk7q-lSKnMW6D0FtQes0WHWck6yndjjV-GUWNYOex8LcX0fkmccZJ9GrmfHb66_5tHuQu-Y3vBsFoiCNHRuWNYBlsKco23bdvJ6vTucaJpNiY1k5XVw/w400-h225/Top%2012%20boss%20battle%20types%20titlecard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let’s end the year on a more relaxed article.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Boss battles are one of the defining traits of video games. Most genres include them in one way or another, and it’s tricky, but not impossible, to imagine a game that does not have them. They represent thresholds to cross in the story a game tells; they run the gamut from easy to insane in terms of difficulty; early ones may teach you a skill, later ones may force you to master that same skill; and they can be central to the plot, if any, or wholly unrelated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEg6YqUfCQoc4WEaa5oFEyrYj09Xrc7EXxdNnWYz2OIzFmiZbgsr-x6M-S9-nB8VLshLL5_NI1ugWWrIB0QLQeqiTX4ZOLZnBSX4nD_85ys3m0A1LJAWajWvyUzewFYItGEMKZ6b4LsdDhqfd8206qfau0TPBHIQC1vsAYeqvltfA199vVXDByNAMudcMpE/s400/1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YqUfCQoc4WEaa5oFEyrYj09Xrc7EXxdNnWYz2OIzFmiZbgsr-x6M-S9-nB8VLshLL5_NI1ugWWrIB0QLQeqiTX4ZOLZnBSX4nD_85ys3m0A1LJAWajWvyUzewFYItGEMKZ6b4LsdDhqfd8206qfau0TPBHIQC1vsAYeqvltfA199vVXDByNAMudcMpE/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because I covered a lot of them, expect several<br />examples pulled from Nintendo games.</td></tr></tbody></table>In over 50 years of video games, there’s been plenty of room for experimentation in how video games work and how their stories are told. As a result, we’re not lacking in types of bosses out there waiting to spring out and offer a challenge. Full disclosure, the types of bosses covered today are mostly described through their entries on TVTropes, because it’s a simple way to accurately discuss them. It’s also going to help fishing up examples for each type making the list, as I hope to pick from titles I discussed on this very blog to illustrate my choices. I’ve been reviewing stuff for 10 years now, so I ought to have examples for each of them. "Boss Battle Types" can cover the boss itself or the kind of battle we have against it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is, obviously, a subjective list going off how I feel these types of bosses and battles rank against each other, or above the ones I excluded. Are there any that you feel I missed out on? Feel free to comment!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Word to the wise, don’t make a drinking game out of every time I use the word “boss” here. I don’t want a death on my friggin’ conscience.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We’re starting with...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>12. The “Tactical Suicide Boss”</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While cutting the various types of bosses down to twelve only for the list (as my original cut picked out of 64 possible options on TVTropes’ page about boss battles), I eventually wondered whether I wanted to focus more on the bosses themselves, or the type of strategy needed to defeat them. I wound up focusing on the monsters, but there’s a handful of entries for strategies, and we open on one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjfTUNfe_hwva8Ay0qEyj689tFnPa96OUDJgG8jq9W_s82d4alExGxSYBoXZktNJXevdqCcDZrAOVHBvz37m0YxVNyZFfhLwv9Uy3tiUNKyoZ9-RzpRU75H8HN__-gx07TFkhyphenhyphenOeAw_e-SqzaQb2z2_1mroKAPmW3ZzVOcIJiqdtM7lk5RxMlteZ_nNU3w/s1920/2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTUNfe_hwva8Ay0qEyj689tFnPa96OUDJgG8jq9W_s82d4alExGxSYBoXZktNJXevdqCcDZrAOVHBvz37m0YxVNyZFfhLwv9Uy3tiUNKyoZ9-RzpRU75H8HN__-gx07TFkhyphenhyphenOeAw_e-SqzaQb2z2_1mroKAPmW3ZzVOcIJiqdtM7lk5RxMlteZ_nNU3w/w400-h225/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King K. Rool would be unstoppable, but he has to throw his<br />crown to attack, exposing his soft noggin.</td></tr></tbody></table>The core idea behind the “tactical suicide boss” trope involves a boss that would, by all accounts, be undefeatable. There’s just one problem: To attack, this enemy must reveal the only means of harming them. This differs from battles where the means of defeat of the boss is found in the arena itself, another type of oversight on the part of a baddie we’re battling. There’s something poetic to how the fault lies entirely on the enemy themselves for exposing the one thing that can beat them, and it feels even more satisfying as a result. Due to these parameters, this specific type is more common to platform and adventure games, but has been seen in other genres as well.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>11. The Background Boss</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Picture this: You’re at the end of a grueling platform stage, ready to face the villain head-on, and... it’s not standing in front of you. Not behind you either. From the ceiling? From underneath the floor? Nope! The background peels away, revealing a towering monstrosity that attacks from the safety of an unexpected tridimensional element. Surprise!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1duXDjHu7miqiKnfBCpIJIC3aNOmd-oEjhbLSd9wGNy2S-yeG-84W35IcWQxS0rhTmo2xF9mToevxHk1ms4h_c0Rpdn9VI8aUsv5zxLW1djGNgNOsYytfJooAeOUmRm-no8L6I_zc0nBpScDYCHgqtL6ljjeR3U0dFSchULeT74dFZ_iz6MW1Iq_x0I/s1920/3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1duXDjHu7miqiKnfBCpIJIC3aNOmd-oEjhbLSd9wGNy2S-yeG-84W35IcWQxS0rhTmo2xF9mToevxHk1ms4h_c0Rpdn9VI8aUsv5zxLW1djGNgNOsYytfJooAeOUmRm-no8L6I_zc0nBpScDYCHgqtL6ljjeR3U0dFSchULeT74dFZ_iz6MW1Iq_x0I/w400-h225/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being in the back doesn't mean "I'm impervious to<br />all attacks". It does mean "I'm huge", though.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiLnKEy3aQG_n9Bfec2NnjaXxhY2U9WJKhtjLgHgzO6rKCzQkNFueup5HJfM1YJqUDzXDb4xRxw3FR5O-D9MoQtYaTxlIZtVEFZ38c9z8cEWd6u7JXtweJY1rp6a4tOdqxOMxfwn0HIVYgBcxzD5itrZ3o-BbrlH-Bvbqn-1oVFpEIZvUeZTV_gDh1sQoo/s300/4.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnKEy3aQG_n9Bfec2NnjaXxhY2U9WJKhtjLgHgzO6rKCzQkNFueup5HJfM1YJqUDzXDb4xRxw3FR5O-D9MoQtYaTxlIZtVEFZ38c9z8cEWd6u7JXtweJY1rp6a4tOdqxOMxfwn0HIVYgBcxzD5itrZ3o-BbrlH-Bvbqn-1oVFpEIZvUeZTV_gDh1sQoo/w400-h240/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going big is one of Bowser's favorite tricks, but some of his<br />uses of the trick are more amazing than others.</td></tr></tbody></table>I thought the first background boss I had personally seen was on the SNES console, but scrolling down a list of examples pointed me to cases from as early as the NES. My personal image involved a boss that required a lot of processing power as it moved around, but no – sometimes it can be as simple as a stationary boss so large it takes up the whole screen, staying in the back, with its weaknesses still accessible in some way. This is a type made famous in platform games of the 2D or 2.5D type due to the necessity for a clear difference between foreground and background – though, with that said, a few 3D games tried implementing this as well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>10. The Damage Sponge Boss/Marathon Boss</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEi7rS4NKqFFgavx_M8fT8mm27ijv0TYS2q98ZKsku8oIkEyNAt1QxNxefaWb2CsB9J_cb_tTZR7MLRgKQjIGJNSvhBn2C1iOn__rtGwamc9rvdD4Zmj9NwVyMca6J5nRI-qoQd0YWEpGr7G_HWxVvA63l_qunENeFYvuPe30rD3jB1WHDMNYCMJPJoExEs/s1280/5.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rS4NKqFFgavx_M8fT8mm27ijv0TYS2q98ZKsku8oIkEyNAt1QxNxefaWb2CsB9J_cb_tTZR7MLRgKQjIGJNSvhBn2C1iOn__rtGwamc9rvdD4Zmj9NwVyMca6J5nRI-qoQd0YWEpGr7G_HWxVvA63l_qunENeFYvuPe30rD3jB1WHDMNYCMJPJoExEs/w400-h225/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not pictured: The thousand or so hits it takes to bring down<br />Henry Cooldown, AKA "Sir Henry Motherfucker".</td></tr></tbody></table>Two types that may overlap, but don’t describe the same situation. In both cases, we’re talking about bosses who take a fait bit of time to take down. A fight against a Damage Sponge may not always be lengthy, but it will usually be. Their strategy generally involves wearing the player down with attrition while they soak up every attack the hero(es) can dish at them. Those things may not have the best stats and may even be on the weak side... were it not for a staggering amount of Hit Points or a high defense that makes getting rid of them harder than it looks. Sometimes, they even have healing spells!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEj2yE3w7fau1FGx16fsfh253KmleOvlmypXOxbhe2guME7I5XTpEfsF1Zhpc6U1vG8yBVxcTpIZpTZNCPv7zeKFmeHyY63hpS9bd5xyB74LP6Yn1YFY-jCb-FKvN0J-ZOMLAfMsx7DKfw8cpElC7pS9p38MtqYAUHtnmo-Cnmhe1oYMImFgr5JA8RgdySM/s1280/6.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yE3w7fau1FGx16fsfh253KmleOvlmypXOxbhe2guME7I5XTpEfsF1Zhpc6U1vG8yBVxcTpIZpTZNCPv7zeKFmeHyY63hpS9bd5xyB74LP6Yn1YFY-jCb-FKvN0J-ZOMLAfMsx7DKfw8cpElC7pS9p38MtqYAUHtnmo-Cnmhe1oYMImFgr5JA8RgdySM/w400-h225/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even if you're really good, a battle with four phases, like<br />Ganondorf here at the end of Twilight Princess, is still<br />going to take a while.</td></tr></tbody></table>In comparison, the Marathon Boss is not described in terms of amount of HP, but the time it takes to beat them. Expect the encounter to be several minutes longer than the average battle. And minutes, that’s if you beat them on your first try. Compared to the Sponge, a Marathon can range from docile to utterly brutal, and an accumulation of mistakes on the gamer’s part can cause defeat down the line.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Both types of bosses have been seen in several genres, but they appear to be most prominent in RPGs due to the inherent mechanics of combat there. Final bosses and superbosses can fit the description if they have a ton of health and/or take a while to properly defeat. Done poorly, both types are supreme annoyances. Done well, they’re among the most memorable battles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>9. The Wake-Up Call Boss</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjKRpgRELBJMV9UJyTtE3oV9O-SHsY70QdsRgIEUGCIf3BjnEWXtyAyfOnvnQ3k0oNBINGkU0wuij-Sf-eMAunf6WVV46JuT1jUGnYnqKJTlpuj0Qi1wH3F81mtYB2dtKswuBvGzXzxtjCQNkAJVKBvid37IyGRDbSV-C7D22wFxl_xWfs_CilP9D0R5JI/s1293/7.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="1293" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRpgRELBJMV9UJyTtE3oV9O-SHsY70QdsRgIEUGCIf3BjnEWXtyAyfOnvnQ3k0oNBINGkU0wuij-Sf-eMAunf6WVV46JuT1jUGnYnqKJTlpuj0Qi1wH3F81mtYB2dtKswuBvGzXzxtjCQNkAJVKBvid37IyGRDbSV-C7D22wFxl_xWfs_CilP9D0R5JI/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you haven't learned yet that your team<br />rations Flower Points between them, or how to<br />use items or defend... Croco is here to remind<br />you of both.</td></tr></tbody></table>After a more relaxed trial period in which we’re taught the controls and mechanics of the title we’ve begun playing, a point comes where it decides to stop going easy on us. This can apply to levels as well, but let’s focus on the bosses. Those that fit the criteria go into two categories. The first: If there’s a mechanic you’ve underutilized so far that is vital to how gameplay works, you can expect this bastard to be waiting right around the corner, forcing you into a fight where you either can’t win, or can win with extreme difficulty, without using that feature.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternately, it can be the first actual roadblock you face, the boss that represents the first true spike in difficulty. The game’s getting serious on you, time to get serious on it. It's only gonna get tougher from then on.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>8. The “One-Winged Angel”</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEja0BsqS92AMXxivtjasrPzfwIn34Hi7ItI5tzpVrYTlmHtQLoSYp8K-agjgrtR11QmRpExLYmLpPSG5C1msvJ6wkbp-jK87MUlUKxqrlKmXGqixRjYUzTM3de-ohiDdC9rBVt52Os15L7tBDaBhQzuurDZuUmxPUkH8b9tiEmlI3yyjc5flrXMUXhytlA/s383/8.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="383" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0BsqS92AMXxivtjasrPzfwIn34Hi7ItI5tzpVrYTlmHtQLoSYp8K-agjgrtR11QmRpExLYmLpPSG5C1msvJ6wkbp-jK87MUlUKxqrlKmXGqixRjYUzTM3de-ohiDdC9rBVt52Os15L7tBDaBhQzuurDZuUmxPUkH8b9tiEmlI3yyjc5flrXMUXhytlA/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marx, the actual final boss of Kirby Super Star,<br />didn't look that deranged previously. Also<br />he had no wings.</td></tr></tbody></table>Specifically named after Sephiroth’s penultimate form in Final Fantasy VII (a game I have yet to get to), this trope, which isn’t exclusive to video games, refers to an antagonist who takes on a grander, powerful form before kicking the fight up a notch. This isn’t limited to final bosses, though it’s more common for those than for any other due to their plot significance. It only makes sense that the last obstacle would have this trick up its sleeve.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It may be one of the more overdone tropes out there when it comes to major villains, but the awesomeness of it trumps its overuse. Its appearance at a climactic point can be very welcome. You may already know it’s coming, or you might not – and your enjoyment of the trope may vary as a result. Also of note, a twist on the idea where the new, ultimate form has weaknesses to exploit, a trope all its own dubbed the “Clipped-Wing Angel” by the same website.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>7. The True Final Boss</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Final Boss” isn’t on this list on its own, as it’s the most common sub-type of boss by virtue of being meant as the last story challenge a game has to offer. That said, final bosses may be the sub-type with the most variations. Which is understandable since, again, plot significance. The True Final Boss is a different beast, however.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgV4N7YGlPUn4h6qiT69zG1pkllImPPS9RyOMhjvbtJB73mDTe6PIa_FZCD4kNH9Qlcu3P4ExNAT1lKx17V2B2TpnIz_OEhIlhvUM9HeEJAu05vsLEcaTD5iT270pB-pXofCwIlNLjyS0m501A57IU0xJ4Iu9NB4Z61MGuioJIjfXYcC-GIK4PK7SZCCzA/s1365/9.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4N7YGlPUn4h6qiT69zG1pkllImPPS9RyOMhjvbtJB73mDTe6PIa_FZCD4kNH9Qlcu3P4ExNAT1lKx17V2B2TpnIz_OEhIlhvUM9HeEJAu05vsLEcaTD5iT270pB-pXofCwIlNLjyS0m501A57IU0xJ4Iu9NB4Z61MGuioJIjfXYcC-GIK4PK7SZCCzA/w400-h225/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing Smash 4's Classic Mode on a high enough difficulty?<br />Say hello to Master Core and, potentially, its 4-5 forms.</td></tr></tbody></table>This type won’t appear unless other requirements are fulfilled. Some of these may include beating the game on a higher difficulty or picking up every collectible of a sort. In some instances, this requires beating the game’s actual final boss once beforehand, other times it can be unlocked regardless of whether that was accomplished before. Sometimes, they replace the (original) final boss. Maybe there’s a new area, an entire postgame to explore beforehand, opening the way to this stronger enemy. One way or another, what we previously thought to be the final boss, at what seemed like the end of the game, wasn’t... if you’re willing to put in the effort.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5wX076WNFGjGP59rrTX07TBYr9KWKb9L-qfkAh2wYrXflCi2MZbFsWzJ55p2Z3m1XgVNERCfQL81ZvT7bkWBQyX_7kWOzYDhE_za5QeSJ8bumDhOi4q-osRTeLtLzd35LfEGuM5MFu9MyxJt69sQAapCHrMW1ss_qJMOwyZio_djXDA04Igm0XT07BI/s640/10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5wX076WNFGjGP59rrTX07TBYr9KWKb9L-qfkAh2wYrXflCi2MZbFsWzJ55p2Z3m1XgVNERCfQL81ZvT7bkWBQyX_7kWOzYDhE_za5QeSJ8bumDhOi4q-osRTeLtLzd35LfEGuM5MFu9MyxJt69sQAapCHrMW1ss_qJMOwyZio_djXDA04Igm0XT07BI/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asriel Dreemurr represents the concept as well,<br />since you need to complete a handful of extra<br />quests to befriend everyone before you can<br />properly battle him at the end of True Pacifist.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>6. The Climax Boss / Disc-One Final Boss</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once again, two types that have similar descriptions, leading to overlap, but with differences. The Climax Boss is meant to be the closing encounter of a major part of the story. Not the final boss, but a significant one on the way to get to them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjFBlKD8zzLD1XSvIj0TxlySpSBO_i0SBwrY3OjIWGoikCmPQVgdLRszB2K1igaDLipM3TJWPn-ZZeRPHau3G7q7jU1XSxOo0MGySJeBrLMh74LesF6R793Oo0NlgNcWhx8Lzwjw7df_OhaSG9gmFCcBT209uZ-6Zor6RMb3fyZNR478_ke_WWLA7t4WSw/s1920/8.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBlKD8zzLD1XSvIj0TxlySpSBO_i0SBwrY3OjIWGoikCmPQVgdLRszB2K1igaDLipM3TJWPn-ZZeRPHau3G7q7jU1XSxOo0MGySJeBrLMh74LesF6R793Oo0NlgNcWhx8Lzwjw7df_OhaSG9gmFCcBT209uZ-6Zor6RMb3fyZNR478_ke_WWLA7t4WSw/w400-h225/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You think you're done by killing Mom?<br />Hah, there's like a dozen extra final bosses past this point.</td></tr></tbody></table>The Disc-One Final Boss... heh, that’s a name that feels so antiquated nowadays. Anyway, this type of boss represents characters who were previously believed to be the driving antagonistic force in the story, until they are defeated and revealed to merely be pawns, and the real bad guys are waiting much further down the line. It bears mentioning that despite the name, this type neither has to be at the end of a “disc” or, even, at exactly the midway point of a story – it may even be fought in the last stretch, mere moments before the actual final boss.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once again, neither type described here is limited to gaming, but the conventions of the medium make it one of the more likely places for this to happen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNV9kJ33yk4w5CUf6LgwKRNYLKP7YJak6xbIw0ww373-BKxouP75Z_SpLKdlkWQ_7kjB3hB0GqFV6SQ-CtNeyhbusUrz02JK3XsJtDKSzlRmE6awXfLYg99TxA2lMK9q5h31pN1dO8OKTEw8vdkY7wCpG9quce4_1xe0VsDYPyln7EUv_v5pp97zBTyYk/s511/11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="511" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNV9kJ33yk4w5CUf6LgwKRNYLKP7YJak6xbIw0ww373-BKxouP75Z_SpLKdlkWQ_7kjB3hB0GqFV6SQ-CtNeyhbusUrz02JK3XsJtDKSzlRmE6awXfLYg99TxA2lMK9q5h31pN1dO8OKTEw8vdkY7wCpG9quce4_1xe0VsDYPyln7EUv_v5pp97zBTyYk/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aghanim, AKA Ganon in disguise. Happens<br />at a climactic point and also ends Part 1 of<br />A Link to the Past.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. The Sequential Boss</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A widespread type, this is an encounter made of a sequence of multiple fights, generally against the same enemy using different forms. It isn’t rare for this type to be the final boss, a marathon boss (when all the phases are added together), a One-Winged Angel (if one phase involves the enemy transforming into said form), and even a true final boss (if it's part of the same battle and the requirements have all been met).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgKjifjn-axkZr_0adhtmUIDgN0etoKRcJ9D7C1avZgC6asUVjjONqegiY0p6riE63k5xu8MN1h4tSd5k4nPegA3IaITWWguW8bZCFFf7-xhIs2KryWAxqPXRmKIshIE-n2mrCzE7W4Ld6ga4kL1Xb5UVBmwNdy41qdZ4PPMCI2OzZl4bPfO2hRpPA6IXg/s1353/12.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="1353" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjifjn-axkZr_0adhtmUIDgN0etoKRcJ9D7C1avZgC6asUVjjONqegiY0p6riE63k5xu8MN1h4tSd5k4nPegA3IaITWWguW8bZCFFf7-xhIs2KryWAxqPXRmKIshIE-n2mrCzE7W4Ld6ga4kL1Xb5UVBmwNdy41qdZ4PPMCI2OzZl4bPfO2hRpPA6IXg/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't even Zero's penultimate form.</td></tr></tbody></table>The only necessity is that there’s more than one form to fight – most fights under this umbrella will be against two forms, often three, but some games have gone kind of crazy with the concept. You just know someone out there made a boss with 10+ forms. It exists, I’m betting on it. That said, the definition of the trope is large enough that a form change can be somewhat minor, like a monster formerly tied to the ground uprooting itself and becoming mobile. This is another type we associate to RPGs, because sequential bosses are especially notable there, but they’re also very common in platform, action-adventure and shoot’em-up games. And memorable, for good reason.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. The Recurring Boss</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgYK48pAoNT7y3Z8c4ah0IAoBIP1wSVt0Ex8VJ99oF5z5oxNsbgsL25433dJyHGTbALluFq-v1vngt8s9xr59s25uc5cB5Jw8SkUFfNLMKJHZqPMON-4y7D8MJGsYH8Gjm_sI7RJTXkA-UNCXUFsN0y0y6Q5RQU_93Dlwr0faIBViAlZhDZysU0H7AUNZo/s1920/13.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYK48pAoNT7y3Z8c4ah0IAoBIP1wSVt0Ex8VJ99oF5z5oxNsbgsL25433dJyHGTbALluFq-v1vngt8s9xr59s25uc5cB5Jw8SkUFfNLMKJHZqPMON-4y7D8MJGsYH8Gjm_sI7RJTXkA-UNCXUFsN0y0y6Q5RQU_93Dlwr0faIBViAlZhDZysU0H7AUNZo/w400-h225/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jr. Troopa is fought six friggin' times throughout Paper<br />Mario, and is a persistent pain in the party's backsides.</td></tr></tbody></table>The enemy who is met once... then once more... then again... and then some more... How many times has that been? I lost count. But you get the point. This is the character who is tougher than a regular enemy, may or may not be related to the actual threat, and is a constant thorn in the heroes’ side, reappearing where they’re going to annoy them (and you!) the most.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Like all other types on this list, this concept has been approached in a couple of different ways. The first is that the boss doesn’t really change all that much from a fight to the next, and becomes a nuisance rather than a threat. The second is a category of its own, the “Varying Tactics Boss”, in which an opponent is the same but fights in a way that’s radically different at every battle, and much trickier to go against if you're expecting consistency.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL59XX-O5oITJtBOTZA0YarlOaf1i9hj4xBwgEYeGj924Dm2Fs8DZjMtnQkRO2d4P0v8IVd1QvQv7cfpi-sOvOs-DboZ-iaGQ_2maBjvmugo0Ki3mudWzicxbhglh8YFWRvvY8PG_Aph_YNI62YAXb5niCF0-of7mMEJfMNeJBn_zxldM77SEm7RQE84E/s640/14.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL59XX-O5oITJtBOTZA0YarlOaf1i9hj4xBwgEYeGj924Dm2Fs8DZjMtnQkRO2d4P0v8IVd1QvQv7cfpi-sOvOs-DboZ-iaGQ_2maBjvmugo0Ki3mudWzicxbhglh8YFWRvvY8PG_Aph_YNI62YAXb5niCF0-of7mMEJfMNeJBn_zxldM77SEm7RQE84E/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it cheating to include a game I've played but<br />not reviewed yet? Here. Sonic Adventure 1.<br />Chaos, who's fought a lot.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. The Colossus Climb</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" 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/AVvXsEh3AGZcVlW6jMUa1ZDWs2kP_8FzD5aFExAmxpDjOZx8d9i9laGROix3ORZn4PUMtDr0N80P3cC_RIV6htQh0Fw49Tm3GX31PD36rQap4tnxxeX46B5QuFg89oJErjDUIjVAocJ8lgGRFCBHznXGYlG96cy0YGz9y4Nu0qybFsu-V9q6Xc7M9UOfWITKBpI/s1920/23.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AGZcVlW6jMUa1ZDWs2kP_8FzD5aFExAmxpDjOZx8d9i9laGROix3ORZn4PUMtDr0N80P3cC_RIV6htQh0Fw49Tm3GX31PD36rQap4tnxxeX46B5QuFg89oJErjDUIjVAocJ8lgGRFCBHznXGYlG96cy0YGz9y4Nu0qybFsu-V9q6Xc7M9UOfWITKBpI/w400-h225/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have to climb on Reflux's arms to attack his weak<br />point in one phase of the final battle in Rayman 3.</td></tr></tbody></table>An entry that refers to both the kind of enemy and the fight to take it down. The Colossus Climb is a battle against a gigantic enemy whose weak point is located high up on their body. It’s up to the player to scale this enemy to reach that weakness. Size is relative, all that matters is that the opponent is big enough to be climbed on – and since this usually translates to platform-like gameplay, we’re not talking a difference of a few feet. Couple yards, maybe. Miles aren't unheard of. (I’m not good with the imperial system. Metric FTW.) Fights against these enemies tend to go the same way as a result, but nothing beats the feeling of taking down a giant while we’re only a fraction – at best – of their size. Or rather, some things do beat that feeling, that’s why it only ranks #3.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxjvdcbLdQl8G7CqApNZ0YK_gDMaQnDfwq9QFIQyAVHVL4mID0YsTWUg5IvqSWxNT7QVQaNgb2BQVMr8K8Yhqq390upHzwo3QA1o9Vq2sonaGMD9fWy8NMxUN6xMp4MdsXbhj4qPZyrjm2SGCFj1OJ9HFqLUegNOqhFbFaLyJntOGDfRneFtWG6Wl3jw/s349/15.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="269" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxjvdcbLdQl8G7CqApNZ0YK_gDMaQnDfwq9QFIQyAVHVL4mID0YsTWUg5IvqSWxNT7QVQaNgb2BQVMr8K8Yhqq390upHzwo3QA1o9Vq2sonaGMD9fWy8NMxUN6xMp4MdsXbhj4qPZyrjm2SGCFj1OJ9HFqLUegNOqhFbFaLyJntOGDfRneFtWG6Wl3jw/s320/15.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megaleg from Super Mario Galaxy.<br />You run up its leg to reach its weakness.<br />Is that big enough for you?</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. The Mirror Boss</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhuG8x07iIIEJZ5rcQdlB54xxE6HQugV26KX5iCN_hoZbNrnj3ynAlOP8UMi3_n_R1MG4IQJr0Q90Xe4BsC3LMeITgEsErxRNtlouvc_wqd6rmAIhLy1UXwW8saLtXwcxHXGcGuIQRPB1dYpvOS-PZYc-AmO-C3rNxwFrGMNQWqKnyLzDTEK_8lxfLVxFU/s400/16.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="400" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuG8x07iIIEJZ5rcQdlB54xxE6HQugV26KX5iCN_hoZbNrnj3ynAlOP8UMi3_n_R1MG4IQJr0Q90Xe4BsC3LMeITgEsErxRNtlouvc_wqd6rmAIhLy1UXwW8saLtXwcxHXGcGuIQRPB1dYpvOS-PZYc-AmO-C3rNxwFrGMNQWqKnyLzDTEK_8lxfLVxFU/w400-h211/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark Link breathes this trope, though I'd argue his appearance<br />most relevant to this entry is in Ocarina of Time.</td></tr></tbody></table>What’s better than fighting someone giant? Fighting a copy of yourself. This type of boss has moves that are reminiscent of, if not identical to, your player character’s. Some details may change; since this enemy acts through its AI, it can end up with weaknesses a normal player doesn’t have. This may be remedied by the mirror boss having much more health than you do, or having extra tricks you can’t access. In more extreme cases, this boss can even wield the exact same equipment you walked onto the battlefield with, with possible exceptions if you’re carrying the best stuff in the game.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This isn’t the most common type, but it’s bound to catch people by surprise. It helps that this sort of battle is usually surrounded by an air of mystery. If it’s a separate character with the same skillset, it’s already odd; but if it’s a perfect copy of the hero, one must wonder how this mirror boss came to exist. And like other type on this list, variations have come to exist aplenty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bMfdswy5SwBd1pGAfz-Zx478ftDhq4arwaU1yKOAHqJIIGixSRUSIOdIsF9NnaGafsKzAblEUZZQxpkQ6JZP-CpoFGljR95u5Ek-2FMInmOzAb9JrWhrOST7mg4fcPfJtaIqt_1SNfYPAj1qt6g9t5yyV6oB4KYvhcj-OeyRVxBTsh2g-qpCVBqZiKo/s1600/17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bMfdswy5SwBd1pGAfz-Zx478ftDhq4arwaU1yKOAHqJIIGixSRUSIOdIsF9NnaGafsKzAblEUZZQxpkQ6JZP-CpoFGljR95u5Ek-2FMInmOzAb9JrWhrOST7mg4fcPfJtaIqt_1SNfYPAj1qt6g9t5yyV6oB4KYvhcj-OeyRVxBTsh2g-qpCVBqZiKo/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mario RPGs have a thing for those mirror <br />bosses. This one, Shadoo from Super Paper Mario,<br />also fits my #1 spot.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Quick honorable mentions:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-The Boss Rush, where multiple past bosses are fought in sequence;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Broken Armor Boss Battle, a boss whose equipment has to be destroyed before you can wound it;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Ring-Out Boss, which involves throwing the boss out of the arena’s bounds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-The Giant Space Flea from Nowhere, whose origin is unknown. It just... appears and you fight it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-The Zero-Effort boss, an oft-comical take on a boss who is immediately defeated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-The Final Exam Boss, forcing you to reuse most of the skills you’ve obtained through the journey.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On to...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. The Superboss</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjZ5twVSnjWW0tZiEF3bMKhOgtQ7vwRVVeERn1-fWilwfBsAbICWliQCZ9ccM7qcB_jxibRvi-Y8aXOA5U2hRoLfP56BOBOrnfaxD39mW-op90RJ96s9xlpKXTjoQfau84PL3dciiYaFkS4X37G9tW6ZziAePOLPro7bTc87NvpICNZ6rujQTLO4swlcBc/s1280/18.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5twVSnjWW0tZiEF3bMKhOgtQ7vwRVVeERn1-fWilwfBsAbICWliQCZ9ccM7qcB_jxibRvi-Y8aXOA5U2hRoLfP56BOBOrnfaxD39mW-op90RJ96s9xlpKXTjoQfau84PL3dciiYaFkS4X37G9tW6ZziAePOLPro7bTc87NvpICNZ6rujQTLO4swlcBc/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A legendary battle.</td></tr></tbody></table>Bit of an obvious choice, but I couldn’t help it – superbosses are super memorable. This type is a bonus challenge that’s meant to be harder than anything you’d encounter in the main story proper. It may be harder than everything else without exception, even. Challenge is the reason of their existence, and someone who puts in the work to find them is already more invested than someone who’d merely seek to beat the final boss.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most titles will feature only one, but games who truly want to test their players will have several. Unlike other examples on this list, you most often must go out of your way to find this one as it may be a completionism reward, fought at the end of a grueling challenge, or hidden behind a side-quest. Some games are devious enough to spring them upon you without notice in which case, good friggin’ luck. A combination of difficulty, how you find them, and the resulting battle helps make this what I consider to be the best boss type. And the most rewarding type to defeat – ah, what a feeling.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXPN4tSNpWM6BtkNiLKDkGZEdVSou4u0vp4dAY7BIHbMnb6lXdQfC8vd4zMZtFc0y_BZzuoDADd7RunD84fkCLiIYQSAUVIw3w2LMkJAWEPQwvxtIoBJ7yooTyrpP-VewZxzBHPqkGLz_TbYec_bMbcDrusquiGsJbQKYu0vA78ExbXNaRF8iB0SAh1k/s1080/19.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXPN4tSNpWM6BtkNiLKDkGZEdVSou4u0vp4dAY7BIHbMnb6lXdQfC8vd4zMZtFc0y_BZzuoDADd7RunD84fkCLiIYQSAUVIw3w2LMkJAWEPQwvxtIoBJ7yooTyrpP-VewZxzBHPqkGLz_TbYec_bMbcDrusquiGsJbQKYu0vA78ExbXNaRF8iB0SAh1k/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to not include a game twice in my examples,<br />but I couldn't skip mentioning Culex, a great<br />example of the type. (Plus, with the new version<br />of Super Mario RPG that came out recently...)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That’s it for now! That’s it for 2023, in fact. I might still post some Gaming Memories till the end of the year, though.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-21321213766903024762023-12-08T08:01:00.004-05:002023-12-08T08:31:37.911-05:00DoubleMoose's "Just Die Already"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp31TwKppcpdIGxLFA-dcTJPLiBr66JQ-hLd-ODCkzLVYxEPN4jrc0B5XnTvPwyNTEZs-MTzKWL4xA6cmtGvzsZYO2C-FMits2bAYLrNdqw5YvgGnnaLCskM7XErTeNyYO4l4-kwpdgv22vaF2FFUnIUKuRyVgqzTHSbgz41QOuEiJuynGQGyez9_YGO8/s1920/Just%20Die%20Already%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp31TwKppcpdIGxLFA-dcTJPLiBr66JQ-hLd-ODCkzLVYxEPN4jrc0B5XnTvPwyNTEZs-MTzKWL4xA6cmtGvzsZYO2C-FMits2bAYLrNdqw5YvgGnnaLCskM7XErTeNyYO4l4-kwpdgv22vaF2FFUnIUKuRyVgqzTHSbgz41QOuEiJuynGQGyez9_YGO8/w400-h225/Just%20Die%20Already%20titlecard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What a joyful little title for what’s likely to be the final proper review for the year... I figured if I could knock one more out before we say goodbye to 2023, I might as well go for an easy one. Though shit's about to get weird.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(Speaking of, this is my first article to get hidden by a warning by Blogger due to its title. Sorry about that! I added "(DoubleMoose's)" at the start and put the title in quotes to make it clear that this isn't a threatening article or anything of the like, and is about an indie game!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEi50MzjbvfXvRANwNoZajmteINT6iBCVGCIEbO0ODp3FZ0QPTgY-MNzYAbzCX88ln2kW_VirNpFta_MhdBi4H3f7B-7-CKy2ea9MeiJCj9ASUVToDm2FF0StSn1H3TvqOudFx5ZGAoMpQYa1xL62aurI44WD4yDmkKZ4wavueri6yWIhyphenhyphenTeydihpmBtxUg/s1920/2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50MzjbvfXvRANwNoZajmteINT6iBCVGCIEbO0ODp3FZ0QPTgY-MNzYAbzCX88ln2kW_VirNpFta_MhdBi4H3f7B-7-CKy2ea9MeiJCj9ASUVToDm2FF0StSn1H3TvqOudFx5ZGAoMpQYa1xL62aurI44WD4yDmkKZ4wavueri6yWIhyphenhyphenTeydihpmBtxUg/w400-h225/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Wally. I spent most of my time in the game playing<br />as him. He looks like a friendly fellow!</td></tr></tbody></table>Developed by DoubleMoose Games, published by Curve Games and released on May 20th, 2021, <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/979070/Just_Die_Already/" target="_blank">Just Die Already</a> is... well... just read that title. It alone says so much. While I don’t think it fits perfectly with the criteria, today’s subject still feels like it belongs in that sub-genre of indie games where the game fights against you however it can. You don’t get much help, and the controls and physics may be terrible on purpose.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These games usually feature a protagonist who’s at a physical disadvantage, like <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2019/02/octodad-dadliest-catch.html" target="_blank">a squid</a> pretending to be a human or <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2018/01/surgeon-simulator.html" target="_blank">a surgeon</a> struggling to even grip a tool. Then again, much like <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2017/08/goat-simulator.html" target="_blank">a certain goat</a> from another game in this sub-genre, the only goal we have here is to cause as much chaos and mayhem as we can... except we’re in the frail body of an elderly person, and the world is designed to murder absolutely everyone. “Just Die Already” is accurate.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmUcyaj-0-kfwtH7tvKocHj4yl4NCN0G-rrNQnlHRhANefOaYooLTdF3OruqW2I9RxyCfrxhzO_4023FCAD6e1iB7TB4aKbPfr8jOc7L3r8fGEKYLEgyISBhZvg-eRBwNmxfromXhgLtpXzywb2Er-4hf3s3LBrpzGxG10cdidydWhB1NbJn4oGvESK4/s460/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmUcyaj-0-kfwtH7tvKocHj4yl4NCN0G-rrNQnlHRhANefOaYooLTdF3OruqW2I9RxyCfrxhzO_4023FCAD6e1iB7TB4aKbPfr8jOc7L3r8fGEKYLEgyISBhZvg-eRBwNmxfromXhgLtpXzywb2Er-4hf3s3LBrpzGxG10cdidydWhB1NbJn4oGvESK4/w400-h188/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Fuck You, I’m A Senior</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjxq1AcfWQEdJfcTT7rsicysei5vBdo76fMemfKSfWOjvTXGJ_iq2y0k0SbkB5MDpv6x0AL-fOO727KvITkiMKH9j5ZrL-6mKpSABRllpjDFs82sUDrECp84poPf_ILtdNBcTIo4dMZFFPLXmH0nzddqnkZY7EKWNfhtodaAEJ8HIykRcteq-nVkjMsy1I/s1920/3.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxq1AcfWQEdJfcTT7rsicysei5vBdo76fMemfKSfWOjvTXGJ_iq2y0k0SbkB5MDpv6x0AL-fOO727KvITkiMKH9j5ZrL-6mKpSABRllpjDFs82sUDrECp84poPf_ILtdNBcTIo4dMZFFPLXmH0nzddqnkZY7EKWNfhtodaAEJ8HIykRcteq-nVkjMsy1I/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Five minutes into the game, I was already<br />reduced to a rolling pelvis. Thanks, sheep.</td></tr></tbody></table>You begin the game by choosing a senior to play as. Man? Woman? Doesn’t matter. You appear in your room at the discount retirement home, and from the first few seconds you know exactly what kind of game this is gonna be. The chicken in your room will bite you, the- yes, a chicken. There’s a sheep chilling outside of the bedroom, and it will attack when you step out. There are piranhas in the water tank. ...Did I stutter? Yes, really. The less I say about the live crab with the deadly pincers in our fridge the better.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There’s no way we’re staying in this decrepit place! Going downstairs (careful with the oil spill), we see everyone else is celebrating a... birthday party? Nope, a mortality party, ‘cause another of those pesky seniors has kicked the bucket. Let’s pay it no mind and keep causing chaos, that’s gonna get us tossed out real quick. Maybe taunt the employee to piss her off; taunting's done with the F key.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUVmrwurjNW1dL1MVDVMjYt0kqrGfhgoqPsdualbMVMShOqo3prVfwtvd0ZA7NJWNltnMRUnKB4TtTx49qV_BIsTm90l0g9YsB6_7vXQR3M6JqfzIpdtTPEBODnHz7_tBapv8to6Qnv_-ckU2dzSiGMYv4mTSeMBn68GdsFCMKxUhMmqHmAf52vjpQtA/s1920/4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUVmrwurjNW1dL1MVDVMjYt0kqrGfhgoqPsdualbMVMShOqo3prVfwtvd0ZA7NJWNltnMRUnKB4TtTx49qV_BIsTm90l0g9YsB6_7vXQR3M6JqfzIpdtTPEBODnHz7_tBapv8to6Qnv_-ckU2dzSiGMYv4mTSeMBn68GdsFCMKxUhMmqHmAf52vjpQtA/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Neh neh nehneh neh! Look at 'em run!"</td></tr></tbody></table><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEilldq40Jh9FJPNacBQ7-PUkq5orVGAvjLAR5C4zWX1QCywylYJOwqyaXOI4n0d2sicUWqqj4f3UgMZpN3SeGZsVUexI7RHI0CIvjOKrNuCYxK9nzJSnQ0BcrSnqmga-3z6ke6lssjqURH7Ry63sCIf0LzyQXTmaiHwprYYIrbiid1x0xlJwThr9gRhvgE/s1920/5.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilldq40Jh9FJPNacBQ7-PUkq5orVGAvjLAR5C4zWX1QCywylYJOwqyaXOI4n0d2sicUWqqj4f3UgMZpN3SeGZsVUexI7RHI0CIvjOKrNuCYxK9nzJSnQ0BcrSnqmga-3z6ke6lssjqURH7Ry63sCIf0LzyQXTmaiHwprYYIrbiid1x0xlJwThr9gRhvgE/w320-h180/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On to cause real mayhem now.</td></tr></tbody></table>Just outside, we meet a guy sitting on the front lawn, who talks about a great deal: Free retirement to a high-quality home in Florida, at the price of only 50 purple tickets labeled “JDA” (For Just Die Already). How do you get these tickets? Well, a good number of those can be found scattered around town, but many will be earned by completing missions and achievements. Those are catalogued in the “Bucket List”, which you open by pressing the B key. At any moment you can claim your earned rewards with the Z key.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That said, is it really a bucket list if it involves dying several times? Isn't the point of bucket lists is that they're stuff you wanna do... before you die? Oh right, sorry, I'm trying to apply logic to this nonsense.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEg9KECGot2sjTSG0uH3g0J2RnlpIHULiissQTkpQ5gsHF1-gOtW5UDZZ86W8TLxA_1Z8CixL7bEMSfl7ir6DbA2qqAdEgwE1mWVsFJQcmF7ExomFd2Oc1DWv_9ov2x1so6iuTqJsfTC85hcFyzLBIihnd2jyzxR83Vd3uS9Pg6HLTuRsT2ygyBOrk32V1I/s1920/6.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KECGot2sjTSG0uH3g0J2RnlpIHULiissQTkpQ5gsHF1-gOtW5UDZZ86W8TLxA_1Z8CixL7bEMSfl7ir6DbA2qqAdEgwE1mWVsFJQcmF7ExomFd2Oc1DWv_9ov2x1so6iuTqJsfTC85hcFyzLBIihnd2jyzxR83Vd3uS9Pg6HLTuRsT2ygyBOrk32V1I/w400-h225/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you're really persistent, you're not gonna run out of stuff<br />to do.</td></tr></tbody></table>The town we’re in is small, but it has enough to keep a senior with too much free time busy. The bucket list will divide itself into categories as you discover new areas, all with challenges of their own. You can explore a good chunk of the place and find all sorts of items to use. You pick items up with the Q and E keys, one per hand, and use them with the left- and right-click buttons of the mouse. Items come in two categories: Weapons and Tools. Weapons have their offensive use and, occasionally, bonuses. Tools can be mere cosmetic improvements, or enhance their stats (speed, jumping height)... Some even allow flight - just shove a propeller up your elderly's ass! Several tools can be equipped.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9okrHjpGdQiYEZ4YtAr4OFs1MOpZRQBK8wRoF3vEoOpRwDpl4AdcQLy4SxyXeo7yD56lSX6AMZwoA0qan4clVAoQiySlEqv5qrQFK7m0Wf4gQ44jglbm9tWTKcwUNwBhgRBdcD_dNcvxXVQPD39x0E1WRK8CpsSrYYD7K4Hc973iuHQhdd_RV5q3Kea0/s1920/7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9okrHjpGdQiYEZ4YtAr4OFs1MOpZRQBK8wRoF3vEoOpRwDpl4AdcQLy4SxyXeo7yD56lSX6AMZwoA0qan4clVAoQiySlEqv5qrQFK7m0Wf4gQ44jglbm9tWTKcwUNwBhgRBdcD_dNcvxXVQPD39x0E1WRK8CpsSrYYD7K4Hc973iuHQhdd_RV5q3Kea0/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best part? Everything in these two<br />machines is free!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are three different vending machines in the game: The pink ones dispense weapons, the yellow ones give tools, and the blue one, of which there’s only one of, lets you spend JDA tickets to unlock new items in the other two machines, as well as the prized Florida retirement plan. However...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>"Fuck You, You’re A Senior"</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjevOl5PFql_YoTzfxykQgdaUv95uwcI36IIFl_8vtjZCaSq-r4zqGsvfWDQ38qTo5JMiUca7TBcfRpz76RgeqJgJPjuQPEGsvZMBq2Gv2QkWPP_953XiLFvbrPqSFBB7BRAnBPCY_BXPxQIZty7DWGWAqjBXxrtgNJFnhcffi7WCQvUVkvRmL-2QgNGYI/s1920/9.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevOl5PFql_YoTzfxykQgdaUv95uwcI36IIFl_8vtjZCaSq-r4zqGsvfWDQ38qTo5JMiUca7TBcfRpz76RgeqJgJPjuQPEGsvZMBq2Gv2QkWPP_953XiLFvbrPqSFBB7BRAnBPCY_BXPxQIZty7DWGWAqjBXxrtgNJFnhcffi7WCQvUVkvRmL-2QgNGYI/w400-h225/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey! Let go of me! Youths today, no respect at all!</td></tr></tbody></table>...Like I said, this world is dead-set on killing you in every conceivable way. The drivers are insane, the NPCs who won’t run away will attack on sight, there are sharks everywhere in the water, and booby traps are every-fuckin’-where. It gets to the point where I’m not even sure if it’s supposed to be a satirical take on ageism, or plain absurdist humor. I’ll go for the latter, seeing as our playable protagonists can withstand a ridiculous amount of damage before they’re properly killed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichpKFr-sC-oUrKUIM9hSXv6q_cXCDEcN6fG9rSpBvtXcLHyJPzZXeYbs8bhjW6LnUH-Ynya0q7UDbGxKaEysWZLlEnWdHkqDkBkmLFwfd9st7tYEOETE2s_GsiQu7rHtOxb8QvCNFo38aUzyQa4S3B3oS8eOX8vVCkPY8FGHs-8QGTUqDzEy_PJThQSc/s1920/8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichpKFr-sC-oUrKUIM9hSXv6q_cXCDEcN6fG9rSpBvtXcLHyJPzZXeYbs8bhjW6LnUH-Ynya0q7UDbGxKaEysWZLlEnWdHkqDkBkmLFwfd9st7tYEOETE2s_GsiQu7rHtOxb8QvCNFo38aUzyQa4S3B3oS8eOX8vVCkPY8FGHs-8QGTUqDzEy_PJThQSc/w400-h225/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still not sure how that happened, but I'm glad it did,<br />I got a good view of the full map.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgJl3b6ar1J02WrdwdZmdFkCYBT_dqutrz8eQpEtEATCHvG_VV2CGwcur4mPXNet4CqmDiRR6FO9CN6Io1xrC7m_rGFbfNdVrxG9ZLSEuYwi-YExlWcV6UgFY-WrmNAvS8zX6UzT8MemhTjrjcemvHQuyu1WS4Wi9tLeCYQV6hJl84DX-XwIWgtAIfjQSs/s1920/10.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJl3b6ar1J02WrdwdZmdFkCYBT_dqutrz8eQpEtEATCHvG_VV2CGwcur4mPXNet4CqmDiRR6FO9CN6Io1xrC7m_rGFbfNdVrxG9ZLSEuYwi-YExlWcV6UgFY-WrmNAvS8zX6UzT8MemhTjrjcemvHQuyu1WS4Wi9tLeCYQV6hJl84DX-XwIWgtAIfjQSs/w400-h225/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty sure this isn't normal.</td></tr></tbody></table>How much damage? Well, you can lose limbs based on what body parts get damaged. Hands and feet will be the first to go, then arms and legs piece by piece, and if it's not quite ripped off the body, the top half will dangle creepily from the lower half. The ragdoll physics are NOT helping. You can even be nothing else but legs with a protruding bone, running around like a chicken with its head cut off, and no one bats an eye at that. Lungs? Brain? Heart? That shit’s overrated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjJA_y9lpqW2YPYmJ-MLY6JnDoyp3rUgD5BUDY7tstuHspfzhGKBEN4W1nPMdmge7obu4rB3pCTJQJyF9tOCdO8Mb3tZhjGsg5iqdX8jN9XvBeYdXq2d2SkSPtKA7TpHWQSYEPBz2-78VkwtapECe86Ece4QC3-WwmsDt8Io21ZVw6izUd9Zkr8o_q2Ios/s1920/14.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJA_y9lpqW2YPYmJ-MLY6JnDoyp3rUgD5BUDY7tstuHspfzhGKBEN4W1nPMdmge7obu4rB3pCTJQJyF9tOCdO8Mb3tZhjGsg5iqdX8jN9XvBeYdXq2d2SkSPtKA7TpHWQSYEPBz2-78VkwtapECe86Ece4QC3-WwmsDt8Io21ZVw6izUd9Zkr8o_q2Ios/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"ONLY AMPUTEES MAY PASS"</td></tr></tbody></table>The last thing that remains, when there's something left, will be a pot belly/pelvis gushing blood all over the goddamn sidewalk and moving on its own, because limbs are overrated too. Hell, there are several doors that won’t open unless you come to them with the exact requested configuration of missing limbs. You wanna go through that door? Oh, that’s gonna cost ya an arm and a leg. Both on the same side, probably. And if you wind up dead or in an inescapable situation, you can press X and your protagonist will respawn, good as old (sure as Hell not “good as new”), in the nearest garbage container.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yep – garbage containers are save points here.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgDluYN14zm1GLEF2XXevY_VY9sGD4G7Vl94zw4N4BNpPSRElFNCcoOGlnUldybF5WHraYOPFllysJ3jnUPp2My9SMPaG7GU7oU-eQb9jmFA55g-ckGgko45Pnk11i1WJzj6ov8ihFtYl9wYXWqojyPZ31texQYsjEe42q-LbJFH40Lf52LH6ZTsydctkU/s1920/15.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDluYN14zm1GLEF2XXevY_VY9sGD4G7Vl94zw4N4BNpPSRElFNCcoOGlnUldybF5WHraYOPFllysJ3jnUPp2My9SMPaG7GU7oU-eQb9jmFA55g-ckGgko45Pnk11i1WJzj6ov8ihFtYl9wYXWqojyPZ31texQYsjEe42q-LbJFH40Lf52LH6ZTsydctkU/s320/15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The death ray has a fucking skull on it, FFS.</td></tr></tbody></table>The big joke here is all about killing the boomers, but the world shown is Not Safe For Anybody. The bear traps and other land mines scattered around would be enough. Hell, if you go out of bounds, a death ray comes down from above to kill your senior, and since it usually happens on rooftops, good luck getting your stuff back. (Oh, and since there's no real way to tell what's "out of bounds", you'll usually get nuked before you have time to come back to a safe spot.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjU4D4w7QnciZCji5Ogj3OIZDHS4nTSiaEmxNjCCKva7cZruZVw0_DVBcRjnLD5Kn52qoxj9lNLSL044HSLHoPoB8NkaV7lCiPHPcAYyHtO08hz19d-VmnDIu8CPHHIU4v5jxPPG4Yo5Ay3hvubKNMqq7XIxviL1Z-JaJ82QCpu1IvI_KjOntYE4EHSyuI/s1920/11.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4D4w7QnciZCji5Ogj3OIZDHS4nTSiaEmxNjCCKva7cZruZVw0_DVBcRjnLD5Kn52qoxj9lNLSL044HSLHoPoB8NkaV7lCiPHPcAYyHtO08hz19d-VmnDIu8CPHHIU4v5jxPPG4Yo5Ay3hvubKNMqq7XIxviL1Z-JaJ82QCpu1IvI_KjOntYE4EHSyuI/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a miracle anyone in that world is<br />still alive!</td></tr></tbody></table>To top it off, several NPCs' life goal is to end yours. Whether you were an active nuisance or casually walking by, doesn’t matter. They'll attack, or grab your elderly, carry them around and throw them. It’s one of the most annoying elements in this game; that specific behavior of enemy NPCs where, when they hold you and you can’t escape their clutches, they won’t throw you until they’re back to a precise point, and then they’ll obviously throw you not far enough from their line of sight, AND you’ll still be ragdoll-ing like crazy (for lack of a better verb) when you land, so they have time to come back, grab you and repeat the cycle. I get that the game’s physics are awful for shits and giggles, but when basic enemy AI joins in and we get crappy moments like that, it just kills the fun.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Kick The Bucket List</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Constant repetition! If you want to move to Florida, you’ll have to put in the work. There’s plenty of JDA tickets to find in the wild, but there’ll be way more that are earned by fulfilling the Bucket List. Completing achievements grants tickets and, sometimes, new items in the vending machines. You might want to get more tickets to unlock items from the blue vending machine, since those can grant the better effects.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEib1s0TCc1dmc2Ww4LJh0h_BqOHQiDp2XAD8tSEdsj8ts0cG4h9O1GBtQrGX_i6b0kaMMUC5vhddOj2UGIofALVjbM4Wv-_ftV9cF2u7FRQ-64X-BrKLQlUxJj2yV8wvpyOrcmN6aiIH7i77WMWVowuq2Na7KED2_mBPTerwZHau_7twaZQPc8OPVglb80/s1920/12.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1s0TCc1dmc2Ww4LJh0h_BqOHQiDp2XAD8tSEdsj8ts0cG4h9O1GBtQrGX_i6b0kaMMUC5vhddOj2UGIofALVjbM4Wv-_ftV9cF2u7FRQ-64X-BrKLQlUxJj2yV8wvpyOrcmN6aiIH7i77WMWVowuq2Na7KED2_mBPTerwZHau_7twaZQPc8OPVglb80/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relatively easy one: Score a goal.<br />Bear trap in place of feet, that's optional.</td></tr></tbody></table>Most early achievements involve suffering a certain type of harm multiple times, like getting electrocuted up to 50 times, losing limbs 1,000 times, stuff like that. Point of the game is to explore, discover new items and fulfill more complex achievements, so these cumulative goals are meant to be done over a longer period. Or you can do these repetitive tasks over and over to finish them quickly. Meanwhile, more complex goals include “jump with a motorbike through a ring of fire”, “climb on a toy horse while headless and holding your own head”, “become an ice cube”, “derail the cable car”, “blow up a sushi shop”, “swim across the Olympic pool in less than 10 seconds” and so on.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This thing isn’t called an “old people mayhem simulator” for nothing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjqMjtI7vwLPnoVujFWLXoEqdYSOCgx3wwUkDzALrgA9cWbVz3iYUSpTPzEeGXRIcJSO8gd-XTzM8YWJiNUJk-FwAfTCGYfFNqAp_D3pvM1F5K-HFOLIQGygjeW93LEiKbJdyostvJdai_wtMvM-tVQI8yJ-O1Ng9CFEq75_Nq_aXJs182dout3wwXQ33c/s1920/19.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMjtI7vwLPnoVujFWLXoEqdYSOCgx3wwUkDzALrgA9cWbVz3iYUSpTPzEeGXRIcJSO8gd-XTzM8YWJiNUJk-FwAfTCGYfFNqAp_D3pvM1F5K-HFOLIQGygjeW93LEiKbJdyostvJdai_wtMvM-tVQI8yJ-O1Ng9CFEq75_Nq_aXJs182dout3wwXQ33c/w400-h225/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rocket is, oddly enough, NOT the<br />strangest secret at the temple.</td></tr></tbody></table>Topping all off, aside from completing the checklist, you can also look for the many secrets scattered throughout, some of which are behind locks that require keys, which can also be found. As for the end goal, you can either delay the inevitable by using the tickets to buy new items, or you can go for that free retirement in Florida right away. Because I like to at least reach the final goal of the games I play, I got the 50 tickets and spent them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you thought this game would show enough respect to make true on its promise of a reward, after everything I just said... you’re a fool. Turns out that rather than being shipped to Florida... your senior is flung out to the construction site/junkyard accessible through the portal in the highway. That’s it. On the plus side, you can always get back to the city to play some more. But with the tone so far, you had to know this would end on another joke.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWuUmT3sCt9o2ICrUR6y2H_3Q901QeNbArcGDntqFyDucBfpTobjQpFAu-Cm1uiqFzAo_6f44pGz14BLbUnmAlP2aqEjMPgR4syhvifiXCH0VLxGUNIpTSqeYI-r0E2yAAVJu5IvGRHroYZU8Cb6Uz3Cy6aJjRSu02U2vcuF77vGakXsimys9k1BrAWQ/s1920/13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZWuUmT3sCt9o2ICrUR6y2H_3Q901QeNbArcGDntqFyDucBfpTobjQpFAu-Cm1uiqFzAo_6f44pGz14BLbUnmAlP2aqEjMPgR4syhvifiXCH0VLxGUNIpTSqeYI-r0E2yAAVJu5IvGRHroYZU8Cb6Uz3Cy6aJjRSu02U2vcuF77vGakXsimys9k1BrAWQ/w400-h225/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...all things considered, this might be better<br />than the actual Florida.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh yeah, by the way, you can also play this in co-op with friends, in case you thought the mayhem you caused as only one easily murdered elder wasn’t enough. Some challenges require specific limbs missing so it can help to play with friends as they can reshape your body to the specifics required.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Final thoughts</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Inspired by (and made by some of the same people as) Goat Simulator and its similar kin, Just Die Already is about as dumb a game as it gets. The world is stupid deadly, it’s a miracle anybody’s still alive. And everyone is either a coward or a dangerous moron attacking old people just because. Then again, it’s not like realism was wanted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjVzPrHlXyFPbx07gC6iLqhsQIJ4cQdsanlxZpwAcPg2XAMCetK33-LbpUfsY0-ctBGygaZKbyX_4Pa0E6WiZmJoDVyWZb-XPgboKvToiZJfKc-fCJOI20YnWG5bcMlFVkNt-7_DmHrbZaEM9sTBUybdYpC2l3DQi8WqgULteKgDjfAvgU_sYGSxiooBo0/s1920/16.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzPrHlXyFPbx07gC6iLqhsQIJ4cQdsanlxZpwAcPg2XAMCetK33-LbpUfsY0-ctBGygaZKbyX_4Pa0E6WiZmJoDVyWZb-XPgboKvToiZJfKc-fCJOI20YnWG5bcMlFVkNt-7_DmHrbZaEM9sTBUybdYpC2l3DQi8WqgULteKgDjfAvgU_sYGSxiooBo0/w400-h225/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pewdiepie? Jacksepticeye? Ah, yes, the "mandatory reference<br />to the streamersphere". Check.</td></tr></tbody></table>The first draw of the game is its humor. Like seeing basic slapstick? Like seeing old people get hurt? Love seeing ludicrous amounts of blood and gore? Then this game is for you! Though if you stick around solely for the comedy, then you’re likely going to consider yourself sated one, maybe two hours in. The appeal eventually shifts to finding secrets, unlocking new items and completing the Bucket List. This can keep you around for a few more hours, but even there the novelty may eventually wear off. The city we explore as a grumpy old person has a decent size and enough areas and secrets for completionist types.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgYbaCRiE3lWqubzsY53uhiCO3RhHW0esYxyw7Te_0kUVwT2eICuBWJX-UrzFdz3GB3_oLCBnEF7EWETk11UxzrkInveQzHdHff2ygkpZ446zmp1XevVpD8l8JngWJzErsLoLjBdlxHBg2Aq0QACYrsuFdh2Xe-xRIuMNlNwxL1HaRtfbjFdsSkoAp6PQw/s1920/17.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbaCRiE3lWqubzsY53uhiCO3RhHW0esYxyw7Te_0kUVwT2eICuBWJX-UrzFdz3GB3_oLCBnEF7EWETk11UxzrkInveQzHdHff2ygkpZ446zmp1XevVpD8l8JngWJzErsLoLjBdlxHBg2Aq0QACYrsuFdh2Xe-xRIuMNlNwxL1HaRtfbjFdsSkoAp6PQw/w400-h225/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently, there are vampires in the crypt. Wait till<br />you see what's hiding in the zen temple's secret room.</td></tr></tbody></table>It all depends on how persistent you'll be in trying to see everything it has to offer. After a while the jokes tend to be the same repeated over and over, so you’re left with fighting the game's messy physics, its hostile NPCs and its glitches. Sure, you’ve got a nice selection of items you can access at any moment through the vending machines, and this can lead to a lot of peculiar situations, but the best items are those that let you explore even more freely. You respawn without any of the items you had, so you better not get killed with items you want to keep, in an area that’s inaccessible. Especially if you get hit by the death ray.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhPPo3omvIy6twn004EQUnaVhBLouzjIVtuK8GAZjMfiRO1TH-KiMuoZN4-cdys3KezdaWWv4SmZXfXyNWkw9GyOTkZIBhfHQovLuOJ_od8jQ7iZLO6PVtVodhszi43k7JFMhV6Iw36uuIaZIi3Hwpn0nSI5umOU0YHiYtiXtypCxasaAJPRPfr6pOz3T4/s1920/18.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPo3omvIy6twn004EQUnaVhBLouzjIVtuK8GAZjMfiRO1TH-KiMuoZN4-cdys3KezdaWWv4SmZXfXyNWkw9GyOTkZIBhfHQovLuOJ_od8jQ7iZLO6PVtVodhszi43k7JFMhV6Iw36uuIaZIi3Hwpn0nSI5umOU0YHiYtiXtypCxasaAJPRPfr6pOz3T4/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some deaths, the first time, require a strong<br />stomach. When those same deaths happen for<br />the 20th or 30th time, though... eye rolls and<br />exasperated "ugh"s are produced instead.</td></tr></tbody></table>The game looks just as damn silly and cartoony as it’s meant to be, plays okay (I mean... part of the intention is that it's semi-broken), and has decent music. I’ve played other “poor controls and physics on purpose” games that did this with more charm, wit, and variety than just “haha, killing old people”. Your enjoyment of the game will depend on whether you can stomach it just for an hour, long enough to seek out the end goal, or want to hunt down everything. Personally, I went above and beyond to give it a fair shake, but I don’t know if I’ll touch it again. Like a lot of games in this sub-genre, it's ultimately a curiosity. I’ve seen most of it and don’t feel like going through the headache of doing everything, especially since some requirements are done much better in multiplayer co-op.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That’s about all I had to say about that – if you’re thirsting for old people mayhem, this is the game for you, and it’s gonna deliver, otherwise it’s fine to skip.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-46805315515100754102023-12-01T08:31:00.000-05:002023-12-01T08:31:21.186-05:00Gaming Memories: Donkey Kong Country<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUhaxVy3JEtYKJdfQGS3wwedoOjnxtOq7kisSavCE-2PfZZbXVKe_R9S4NHBEdA7ArVF2klrElRMPFZsgBuoCGAVcjtM5bondpfKQX90T5BbBE1PK6ZsBxyGqfXOy091eZITEGNu2-HVS9z6wpXJUIwT7EG1Bsp_aIpTDx5LKVSugPEtxKP2yR_WPd80/s1125/5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1125" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUhaxVy3JEtYKJdfQGS3wwedoOjnxtOq7kisSavCE-2PfZZbXVKe_R9S4NHBEdA7ArVF2klrElRMPFZsgBuoCGAVcjtM5bondpfKQX90T5BbBE1PK6ZsBxyGqfXOy091eZITEGNu2-HVS9z6wpXJUIwT7EG1Bsp_aIpTDx5LKVSugPEtxKP2yR_WPd80/w400-h284/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="text-align: center;"><b>Donkey Kong Country</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Super Nintendo</div><div style="text-align: center;">November 21st, 1994 (NA)</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I never owned a lot of Super Nintendo titles; if I recall, I've had maybe 10 total, and most came with the console, which had been gifted to me by cousins. I may have bought only one game for it. And as is normal for a kid given multiple new playthings at once, I eventually settled on a couple of favorites. This was one of them.</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Donkey Kong's first major platform game on the SNES (and, ironically, the only "Donkey Kong Country" game of the era to feature him, as he has to be rescued in both sequels) felt like a game-changer in several ways. The 3D look given to all of the sprites made it groundbreaking as one of the first "2.5D" titles to exist. It featured not only the famous ape who famously had a beef with Mario in the earliest days of the plumber's career, but also Diddy Kong, a younger chimp clad in red, as well as a handful of additional Kongs serving as varied stops throughout this adventure.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The story? Oh, it's as simple as it gets, really; a group of villainous reptiles known as the Kremlings, led by the ruthless and kooky King K. Rool, has stolen the Kongs' banana hoard. Go kick their asses and get it back. The Kongs will help you, be it Funky Kong allowing you to travel to different areas (worlds) of Donkey Kong Island, Candy Kong saving your progress, and Cranky Kong providing tips, comedy and head-canings, grumpy old ape that he is.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I remember having such a good time with this game. A couple of stages had interesting gimmicks (not a fan of the mine carts, but the stage with the On/Off switches and the zombie-like reptiles was cool). The inclusion of animal helpers was great (Rambi, Enguarde and Expresso have a dear place in my heart; Squawk and Winky, not so much). And there were so many secrets to uncover and ways to earn extra lives - enough hidden areas that the game actually goers beyond 100% and is properly "completed" at 103%, and there's balloon lives, the KONG letters and even animal tokens to collect. The last battle against K. Rool is especially noteworthy with its famous fake-out ending, where credits start rolling too early - then the crocodile gets back up and things get serious.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's such a great game and I have a huge nostalgic connection to it. With the gift of hindsight, I can see how it set the tone for the Donkey Kong franchise as a whole - its comedic edge, a staple of Rare, would be a part of the following entries, up to and including Donkey Kong 64 and most of the studio's other projects. It's a classic, for good reason, and definitely a must-play.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-16162312344681632282023-11-24T08:04:00.001-05:002023-11-24T08:10:05.755-05:00Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Wii)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGkbndlD6AWN-rCThShi4wZDysyHaiL3RppfvWxSF7h6sz6gDuUrlZOgNsyURw1brs8VLbZ8hPRux5VEJPbXXtT_40CulLSdKx1PnkbODZn8miV0khXhALWdl6DrJwxmPP7ldOHUggTVVGVONssYY2rBynwlyKIXd8U6P9kwdY3Usu4pZvc4kJKhDDvo/s1920/Prince%20of%20Persia%20Forgotten%20Sands%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGkbndlD6AWN-rCThShi4wZDysyHaiL3RppfvWxSF7h6sz6gDuUrlZOgNsyURw1brs8VLbZ8hPRux5VEJPbXXtT_40CulLSdKx1PnkbODZn8miV0khXhALWdl6DrJwxmPP7ldOHUggTVVGVONssYY2rBynwlyKIXd8U6P9kwdY3Usu4pZvc4kJKhDDvo/w400-h225/Prince%20of%20Persia%20Forgotten%20Sands%20titlecard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEggpHNmvTHA1EuqvkIkb-w5eQ_MgfbURQ0_1OhiCXg2-h7V9YUkaoyhIPKwegP-4jGurKX8rsZ1ReMWLvuP8qkJD1pQdsqYPch4O2zRjgHzrzUPZeLcLJhYj7a0_I5lRuS8xipsVblrj1xjQeov_EHpUZtREbXXjZ8W2A33JelC1gta2FSOj6egJOohpe8/s1920/4.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1920" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpHNmvTHA1EuqvkIkb-w5eQ_MgfbURQ0_1OhiCXg2-h7V9YUkaoyhIPKwegP-4jGurKX8rsZ1ReMWLvuP8qkJD1pQdsqYPch4O2zRjgHzrzUPZeLcLJhYj7a0_I5lRuS8xipsVblrj1xjQeov_EHpUZtREbXXjZ8W2A33JelC1gta2FSOj6egJOohpe8/w400-h176/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dude never catches a break. (Note: My screenshots in this<br />article come from <a href="https://youtu.be/SWutv0WQZTU?si=RcDZpJntGqWpX9JZ" target="_blank">LongplayArchive's video</a> of the<br />game. Go check it out!)</td></tr></tbody></table>Jumping from <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2023/11/prince-of-persia-sands-of-time.html" target="_blank">a Prince of Persia game</a> to the next, and in fact, jumping into the... uh... This is weird. The Sands of Time trilogy continues in two entries, Warrior Within released in 2004 and The Two Thrones released in 2005. However, things got meddled in this continuity with the addition of two interquels taking place between Sands of Time and Warrior Within: The first is a DS game titled Battles of Prince of Persia, while the other is today’s game, released for the Wii and other platforms on May 18th, 2010 in North America.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We know how messy Ubisoft gets with its multi-platform releases... well, The Forgotten Sands is an even stranger beast as, though it was released on many consoles and for PC, most versions follow a different story. The Wii version is no exception – so it’s possible you might have played another version and never heard this tale. Let's dig in right away and see which adventures the Prince got into before the actual sequel to his story.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh4MH81fmTkJIWR87kBMuyYnmbIVW7NllAHCQ6LTOVAC86h39fYT_EZRf-BKMkSsgXl-gvF1Gfb0lcj3ZNlw1cfMqJ4E8enjIcVNbcnJtkDAbtY40H3mGhq15XPN-ZQvDPKVpTEHDQvFSQmq3GPJHVis8nsThPdFD-pGfG1PuJcYECXk7LrMudn5VouM/s2148/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2148" data-original-width="1525" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh4MH81fmTkJIWR87kBMuyYnmbIVW7NllAHCQ6LTOVAC86h39fYT_EZRf-BKMkSsgXl-gvF1Gfb0lcj3ZNlw1cfMqJ4E8enjIcVNbcnJtkDAbtY40H3mGhq15XPN-ZQvDPKVpTEHDQvFSQmq3GPJHVis8nsThPdFD-pGfG1PuJcYECXk7LrMudn5VouM/s320/1.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>A Kingdom to Call My Own</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We open in the heat of action as the Prince is parkour-ing his way out of another crumbling castle. Though this time he is followed by a speaking light revealed to be a djann (a female djinn) named Zahra. Fleeing as the place falls apart, our hero must use his physical skills to make it out alive. Now that’s a great feel for a tutorial!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjbH1WEGVmlvpyQ0qRDwdtlGYcUE9-mCsZBIQUsoUzVjCdjZbievfkH9jW9KWTVu5S_sG5jcK_Oe0bClYanbQBASbWysMzmI8Jb4pbBYiIqUFu7ICq-KE33MyhKp6Q9-hzoKRxbwU_UR8LAOMOwie3iOt0xFKzO9mj2rIQ9yjnfEe7sqLrL_drh4D-Jxys/s1917/5.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1917" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbH1WEGVmlvpyQ0qRDwdtlGYcUE9-mCsZBIQUsoUzVjCdjZbievfkH9jW9KWTVu5S_sG5jcK_Oe0bClYanbQBASbWysMzmI8Jb4pbBYiIqUFu7ICq-KE33MyhKp6Q9-hzoKRxbwU_UR8LAOMOwie3iOt0xFKzO9mj2rIQ9yjnfEe7sqLrL_drh4D-Jxys/w400-h220/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I swear this guy is so good at crawling up walls he<br />puts the Spider-Men to shame.</td></tr></tbody></table>This is where we learn our new moves. The Prince has gotten better since his last adventure! For starters, he can climb walls from a horizontal crack (not just ledges) to another and can even climb up and down vertical cracks without any issue. Whereas back in Sand of Time when he ran up a wall he had to jump off backwards, this time he slides down the wall, preventing him jumping to his death. Not a lot of differences overall, but the additions make him even more versatile platforming-wise than he was before – no small feat. Extra abilities gained later down the line will add even more.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Flash back to the actual beginning of this story. Our protagonist has found Zahra at a mysterious market. His wish? A kingdom all to himself, to come back to his father with something to show for his efforts. It’s a commendable goal for certain. (Shouldn't he be running from time-paradox monsters according to Warrior Within, though?)</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhMWMrwbDheA9-3swR45gIZ6Xxa9j_kNdKFnReX6CRdSyHy4iYo_9Didb45SALUDpt-BJkBptoZbPBjN8b1aP4YfihFgdyrak4ekmR6j4LWLiWs5H2MEOiYksCyIfOEd65xYRw34166b6_uxJegd8iXHvQv28bV2Mjxrcg87N_WJKaGlj-2TTQeBtHi_wE/s1920/6.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="1920" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWMrwbDheA9-3swR45gIZ6Xxa9j_kNdKFnReX6CRdSyHy4iYo_9Didb45SALUDpt-BJkBptoZbPBjN8b1aP4YfihFgdyrak4ekmR6j4LWLiWs5H2MEOiYksCyIfOEd65xYRw34166b6_uxJegd8iXHvQv28bV2Mjxrcg87N_WJKaGlj-2TTQeBtHi_wE/w400-h176/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is my personal headcanon that Zahra chose that specific<br />method of transfer of powers just so she could get<br />some free kisses.</td></tr></tbody></table>The first stop is an oasis with a waterfall. (One cool thing with this game is that, if you check around, you can unlock some bonuses. One of them is the 1992 version of the original Prince of Persia game, found by drinking a potion found behind the waterfall. Will I have to review that one too?) Zahra absorbs herself into a statue and asks the Prince to kiss it, and when he does, he is granted a form of immortality tying him to the djann’s. (In gameplay terms, it basically just means we can’t get game overs. Dying? Oh, we’ll die a LOT.) This opens to him the path towards the mystical kingdom of Izdihar, the one she promised to him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Some Better, Some Worse</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjfdgfui2igTRi1FS-M-83YTR1IrZLYndPL-T-WoITWS0OJkW2BS5NTTHyhxn-LOox5PdeOc6i_esWf4w1qzijua8s6LHXnCOh8W_7LuxdroGBqkoG-hCyNlAGr4nBk9o0RyOssGCkEwkE2phd799xv-_RMZ2d8K0DRVsHXcxIo8II-DI_kERDxtE0Kc/s1920/7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1920" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjfdgfui2igTRi1FS-M-83YTR1IrZLYndPL-T-WoITWS0OJkW2BS5NTTHyhxn-LOox5PdeOc6i_esWf4w1qzijua8s6LHXnCOh8W_7LuxdroGBqkoG-hCyNlAGr4nBk9o0RyOssGCkEwkE2phd799xv-_RMZ2d8K0DRVsHXcxIo8II-DI_kERDxtE0Kc/w400-h221/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better collect all those orbs whenever possible.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Down the path, before we’re even explained the situation, we encounter minions of the Haoma. Plant-like creatures. Combat here uses motion controls. We use the Wiimote to swing the sword and the Nunchuk to throw a punch. These are the basics. However...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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/AVvXsEgE-EMP8gMMT717SUFsFbMXOljhfrYzrrtfTTC_o-ZOQ5V9MfaHlCbSNBB9UVgwDlrsmdm5I5G9FJfXpCQEfZMGoTnRSYLd3GHQPbYu_8zByJwEmmo11R9-xxCHXYfvfpdXYWnKJWbNczxhAQNHOUGkA4mGaBJq7LCM8g9YrLHqs5NlCiSmTcdfqOi1jco/s1920/9.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1920" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-EMP8gMMT717SUFsFbMXOljhfrYzrrtfTTC_o-ZOQ5V9MfaHlCbSNBB9UVgwDlrsmdm5I5G9FJfXpCQEfZMGoTnRSYLd3GHQPbYu_8zByJwEmmo11R9-xxCHXYfvfpdXYWnKJWbNczxhAQNHOUGkA4mGaBJq7LCM8g9YrLHqs5NlCiSmTcdfqOi1jco/w400-h220/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the little ding, this announcement of a new skill or<br />upgrade. Surely this will come in handy against the<br />plant minotaurs.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">This game includes an experience system. You get experience from beating enemies and collecting light orbs known as djinn souls. During your travels, you can break jars and treasure chests to gain additional EXP, though the ones with higher worth are hidden in more dangerous places or behind puzzles. At every new “level”, the Prince gains a new attack or an improvement to a previous one. A speedy attack made from jumping off a wall? Swinging both remotes at the same time for a spin attack? Jumping above an enemy for a powerful move? Yep. Combat here feels leagues ahead from what it was like in Sands of Time, and clearly the seven years and 2-3 installments between these two helped a ton.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" 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/AVvXsEhmJVT76l7FyjuxNXFhGRi1iigW9GFUC5iT5Wc3AMKHg5tyJS_tLFHmrgAU8kMOI9Yyw4R7XrS6fF7t6QCYgaTDrYe_rad_OSBRZZCRAK4MuyuEmHTie17IqPTo0GHL7kPuEb4xlmKpwWvbYpRS4F7nUrBSCV14kANSprHrjh6kKL4n4oIIG1AOj-L2kas/s1920/8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1920" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJVT76l7FyjuxNXFhGRi1iigW9GFUC5iT5Wc3AMKHg5tyJS_tLFHmrgAU8kMOI9Yyw4R7XrS6fF7t6QCYgaTDrYe_rad_OSBRZZCRAK4MuyuEmHTie17IqPTo0GHL7kPuEb4xlmKpwWvbYpRS4F7nUrBSCV14kANSprHrjh6kKL4n4oIIG1AOj-L2kas/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And as a bonus, this time around you can <br />pick who to direct your attacks to!<br />The game doesn't choose for you!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">In the game I reviewed last week, all the sand creatures used melee tactics and swarmed the player. In Forgotten Sands (Wii), we have variety that forces us to rethink our strategies. We’re facing mooks with ranged attack options like bows; giant minotaur-like monsters with shields to break before we can hurt them; horned monsters who attack rabidly; and priestesses who float, swiftly evade our attacks, and can heal other enemies. A new system has also been implemented where, in the last wave of enemies in a battle, one of them will glow with a blue light, marking it as the leader, and killing it will defeat the other remaining enemies, if any. The best part? Battles don't go on for-freaking-ever with constant respawns of 20+ enemies – aside from optional challenges, I don’t think I ever fought more than 15 enemies in a battle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjjd7959VoPNsOLgVRmlpf5H9lZ40J9EINsIhuqu8Z-DotR3hyphenhyphenG3cdKAatSlZFZ96M4B-r2RdaF1Q_4Ofbjb6uuUad_n4WMpMHiT4Gbsi80evgnoYJuhqnSGUdbb9yhC3qHJss9bfPOS1u5ur9kxGiauGtZGwFVtB2_Wm2W8WDv1H481iafoSVtfrsxI/s1917/10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1917" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjjd7959VoPNsOLgVRmlpf5H9lZ40J9EINsIhuqu8Z-DotR3hyphenhyphenG3cdKAatSlZFZ96M4B-r2RdaF1Q_4Ofbjb6uuUad_n4WMpMHiT4Gbsi80evgnoYJuhqnSGUdbb9yhC3qHJss9bfPOS1u5ur9kxGiauGtZGwFVtB2_Wm2W8WDv1H481iafoSVtfrsxI/w400-h221/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Platform upgrades gained through the story,<br />combat upgrades gained with EXP.<br />Simple concept, but it works pretty well.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgr7AAgT82f13un9gvhHYbUi2vYg-vTdGyTvkVmnoRadr_XQXYsooqYhso7nDReCYac0WonwQ8LFoaCW8D8oHmAzbnR9INiCLkVYi9anGikZujt4K9UM69gNY2FjCdkvfENJ4oFe5DmWqXlLsC4M4ys5QlADRf7F9uGSJfxFXlRwg27xfZQo3gvJnO2bSI/s1920/11.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1920" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7AAgT82f13un9gvhHYbUi2vYg-vTdGyTvkVmnoRadr_XQXYsooqYhso7nDReCYac0WonwQ8LFoaCW8D8oHmAzbnR9INiCLkVYi9anGikZujt4K9UM69gNY2FjCdkvfENJ4oFe5DmWqXlLsC4M4ys5QlADRf7F9uGSJfxFXlRwg27xfZQo3gvJnO2bSI/w400-h220/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Let's Play I use for these screenshots foolishly avoids<br />most of the fountains. That player is brave. That's a safety<br />net I couldn't do without.</td></tr></tbody></table>One major difference is the time manipulation. You can’t rewind. You have an HP bar (which can be upgraded by finding special areas) and three “charges” not unlike the dagger of Time’s (you unlock more later). You refill them by picking up djinn souls, three for a full charge. However, if your HP falls to 0... In combat, you respawn exactly where you were, at full health, good to keep fighting like nothing happened. In platforming, you reappear at the closest spawn point, of which there are a lot of. In both cases, if you run out of charges, instead of a Game Over, you’ll instead respawn at the latest save point (which are fountains) you interacted with, of which there’s also plenty, so you’re never too far back. It’s disappointing that we don’t get time rewind, but this works okay. This new setup would make the game easy if it weren’t, like its predecessors, hell-bent on killing you at every chance it gets, so it evens out the difficulty somewhat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Red Roots of Izdihar</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_b9JSiqKu2CN1nn3WNxYyX8enWgPxOfC0E8dg_eKDIY9Oh8EZ8s3i30JSdw1K_HWd9Ab8s5HJbRoafKgvwl8LnMDMFNvq0374IefbNxyCjGY3IJQHOsVMEpNYh8GDKo5GFyvBiE1IjFlZlMdT-zGzElenDKDsx5bqUubKbW2o9ipBLOEX6S7-gh_DrM/s1920/12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1920" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_b9JSiqKu2CN1nn3WNxYyX8enWgPxOfC0E8dg_eKDIY9Oh8EZ8s3i30JSdw1K_HWd9Ab8s5HJbRoafKgvwl8LnMDMFNvq0374IefbNxyCjGY3IJQHOsVMEpNYh8GDKo5GFyvBiE1IjFlZlMdT-zGzElenDKDsx5bqUubKbW2o9ipBLOEX6S7-gh_DrM/w400-h176/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, that IS a pretty cool idea for a villain. It would be<br />like a wizard wearing a cloak of lava.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEikgPBtyy1qaeAh2g2Fngni7AdKMEZA1bO4vlMO3Fxll7e0sj-jPq44DcUOUKpF5gFcRmFEpQKbS1jnnTIygrxto3WZLqq6m53E9tCcrEji_umIWpjOywQ0xbx56RenzMDGx1-G1bkH8wHPM0LNxGQrw9Opvfrd86N8zR3VMnBpS_6hZPJaJCjmo8PI-Tg/s1920/13.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1920" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgPBtyy1qaeAh2g2Fngni7AdKMEZA1bO4vlMO3Fxll7e0sj-jPq44DcUOUKpF5gFcRmFEpQKbS1jnnTIygrxto3WZLqq6m53E9tCcrEji_umIWpjOywQ0xbx56RenzMDGx1-G1bkH8wHPM0LNxGQrw9Opvfrd86N8zR3VMnBpS_6hZPJaJCjmo8PI-Tg/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, that's not the malformed monster. But if I<br />showed just screenshots of cutscenes, it'd feel<br />weird.</td></tr></tbody></table>We’re once again relatively light on story here. The Prince and his djann get to the kingdom and see it overtaken by red roots, which are deadly to the touch. After discovering the kingdom’s curse, the Prince grabs at the sword in the stone, which was the seal on the corruption. When the weapon is released, so is a sorceress clad in red roots, who flies off to hide. Worse even, when the Prince is attacked by a malformed monster, he accidentally breaks the magical blade into its body. That sword is the only one that can seal the curse again, he needs to repair it – thus, we give chase.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once again, we go through many areas in hot pursuit of the creature. There are only three boss battles in this game. The first one leaves an impression: A golem with three life bars, and when one is depleted, it picks a stone mask off the wall and gains a new one. The only downside to the battle is that the killing blow to each life bar is a QTE sequence, something that happens nowhere else. So unnecessary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCum7H9FTj_uXNSlj7dDsybKOEmGMv0mORvpLc8LqVPYG6vtCRjw8x2iIl2KVYALziccLhBhhvksdGM4EvnLDffNfDeE3NbRHl7axucqS_qEo5eWPjPc12rGMY6c_a1pCbinNG8da3qlSQO7g5dbICm5VRxuQTKe1UaT8dBgpN30Wa8J8I5wHDizAZWs/s1920/14.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1920" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCum7H9FTj_uXNSlj7dDsybKOEmGMv0mORvpLc8LqVPYG6vtCRjw8x2iIl2KVYALziccLhBhhvksdGM4EvnLDffNfDeE3NbRHl7axucqS_qEo5eWPjPc12rGMY6c_a1pCbinNG8da3qlSQO7g5dbICm5VRxuQTKe1UaT8dBgpN30Wa8J8I5wHDizAZWs/w400-h221/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now we're talking! Finally an interesting boss!<br />...with QTEs... Eh, it would have been too good without it.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiQl0huKUofaAn0eVhAnXYbmYeoB0HxxMNsBU19MfijkWrHBMELPctb5QOevbKLLdyrh4idQni-phmuwc5qNc8WLesudQ-xiPHCizrruFa-9NL9B3ZDYXuWmuoVKKHtIfQkZYuRqME1_5f-XlyZKUQqgIFEuzoOaDh8q_ymMqe5ZhqzWAYQ06mZnu-AqtM/s1917/16.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1917" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQl0huKUofaAn0eVhAnXYbmYeoB0HxxMNsBU19MfijkWrHBMELPctb5QOevbKLLdyrh4idQni-phmuwc5qNc8WLesudQ-xiPHCizrruFa-9NL9B3ZDYXuWmuoVKKHtIfQkZYuRqME1_5f-XlyZKUQqgIFEuzoOaDh8q_ymMqe5ZhqzWAYQ06mZnu-AqtM/w400-h221/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't knock the seemingly-mundane ability to make hooks<br />appear on random walls; especially if it's used by someone<br />who is already a goddamn parkour master.</td></tr></tbody></table>Throughout this journey, by kissing statues possessed by Zahra, the Prince gains Creation Powers, activated with the Wii remote’s B button and using the cursor. The first allows him to create magical hooks, first on specific wall symbols, later anywhere he wants. This also grants him the ability to freeze an enemy in place temporarily. The second lets him make a wind that rises upwards from the floor, taking him up to ledges that he couldn't reach otherwise. This comes with a skill to blow enemies upwards. The last skill lets the Prince create a bubble in midair, allowing him to jump again. He can only create one unless he's jumped off a different wall, hook or a different bubble. Those can also be used as shields in combat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdu1dA5uCunQpYe8PwhLcGOHq66StzUegf3HC-7EaitTLc5KaA8J9_lT3XW7MyolzFPveJ81XWxYiwqs0ie6yD-b29kEggssjstTUwsVOq_xer4DC7y67NgrH_lwEVQBHYik6thc71Ot-MMSRQJ-2e6VT6y0ssjfMuDZTCj6QtEJ7DHCLf1M5gYtAdf-k/s1920/15.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1920" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdu1dA5uCunQpYe8PwhLcGOHq66StzUegf3HC-7EaitTLc5KaA8J9_lT3XW7MyolzFPveJ81XWxYiwqs0ie6yD-b29kEggssjstTUwsVOq_xer4DC7y67NgrH_lwEVQBHYik6thc71Ot-MMSRQJ-2e6VT6y0ssjfMuDZTCj6QtEJ7DHCLf1M5gYtAdf-k/w400-h220/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I kept forgetting about this Creation Power, which is kinda<br />dumb seeing as it's the best one to gain altitude fast.<br />You need it to reach ledges hooks + wall runs can't get to.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjTOUWHi3c6yCh45adguYaa8k5RbyZ_tJy64x9RsMXUFGOpgNoBL6Oz1siMh8fImoV5rjnIFyKqlh-f7rZjBX0-ZQiSIF6e218JEARnvgVtd3kQcFyBBkMIBStaW9HQHeEqCx3Yrw3i5uzdBzaqNhZqFMrJKccOXWN9Vv21Mtgsoo-nTdWGD46Wnvu2r2M/s1920/18.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1920" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOUWHi3c6yCh45adguYaa8k5RbyZ_tJy64x9RsMXUFGOpgNoBL6Oz1siMh8fImoV5rjnIFyKqlh-f7rZjBX0-ZQiSIF6e218JEARnvgVtd3kQcFyBBkMIBStaW9HQHeEqCx3Yrw3i5uzdBzaqNhZqFMrJKccOXWN9Vv21Mtgsoo-nTdWGD46Wnvu2r2M/w400-h220/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't let the malformations fool you; this monster can,<br />and will, knock you down with just a few swings of his<br />spiked mace. I know it alright.</td></tr></tbody></table>After a looooooooooong pursuit, we find the malformed monster and battle it. When defeated, we get the blade back, and we learn that it was Izdihar's King, transformed by the curse. In his dying breaths, the sovereign asks the Prince to rescue his daughter. The next and final stop in this adventure is the Forge of the Gods, which will allow us to reforge the blade if we complete the four trials therein. I’ve had to go through a thousand goddamned trials in this kingdom, four more won’t hurt. You can do the four in any order, doesn’t matter; they’re all equally hard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcN93-odd1FlgqR7KFSWvtR4brAXIYMbn4W1Y0vGlnpeN3XWPzvvdpkyGyNSU0q3dUhxQi_Ed-cO5_i6qBtdI5k6aRJoIqElKVKP-ooJuITpptF0RP-VxtfTXOLfwEllxAglgmUp451ghqYH36eFIT2E6Ju-IY9Ab_3f08m7dNc1EgoVNbj6Vgyap4PAM/s1920/17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1920" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcN93-odd1FlgqR7KFSWvtR4brAXIYMbn4W1Y0vGlnpeN3XWPzvvdpkyGyNSU0q3dUhxQi_Ed-cO5_i6qBtdI5k6aRJoIqElKVKP-ooJuITpptF0RP-VxtfTXOLfwEllxAglgmUp451ghqYH36eFIT2E6Ju-IY9Ab_3f08m7dNc1EgoVNbj6Vgyap4PAM/w400-h221/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bubbles also have the great effect of halting your falls<br />if you're about to die because of gravity.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEihPxICe3NTBS27pS_xoqgyGyccQHrq_ATrRqNS8ZhyphenhyphenO3Rve4BXb4jdkGJ3qJJybxN_KicaDxtryYYdhiUozE-aJ7bwe9wc-4bqsEYyNL0bURhcNk6v6LNXWUR47sFEjiTQEdrE3EKeyS5Aa9Wuba_PiDtF9JBFzPS7cCXRSm-LvJTtwVN4Py_kQ0QcrZU/s2115/19.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2115" data-original-width="1920" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPxICe3NTBS27pS_xoqgyGyccQHrq_ATrRqNS8ZhyphenhyphenO3Rve4BXb4jdkGJ3qJJybxN_KicaDxtryYYdhiUozE-aJ7bwe9wc-4bqsEYyNL0bURhcNk6v6LNXWUR47sFEjiTQEdrE3EKeyS5Aa9Wuba_PiDtF9JBFzPS7cCXRSm-LvJTtwVN4Py_kQ0QcrZU/w363-h400/19.jpg" width="363" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Combat and platforming in the battle - yep, this is<br />the best way I could see a proper Prince of Persia<br />final boss to go.</td></tr></tbody></table>With these trials complete, the forge opens and recreates the sword. A path opens towards the top of the castle where the Sorceress awaits with the heart of the Haoma. The final boss is in two phases: A combat against the Sorceress, and when her health is down, the plant opens, revealing its weak spot, which we must reach after a platforming sequence, always the same, which thankfully includes djinn souls. Three hits and the plant is destroyed, and so is the corruption and the sorceress, revealing herself to have been the princess, also mind-controlled by the plant. A vine pulls her down and the Prince, unable to pull her up, transfers her his immortal soul, the gift from Zahra at the beginning, so she'll survive the fall.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We're back to the beginning with the crumbling castle and go through that whole sequence again. Zahra opens a portal in the sands to save the Prince, taking him to the Realm of Eternal Fire, a playable epilogue. A spirit world of sorts between life and death which our hero, despite his best efforts, fails to escape from. In the end, Zahra has to sacrifice herself to propel him out and back to life. The Prince reappears in the oasis, with the last lights of the djann vanishing. He’s lost the kingdom, the princess, and the genie, but he did the right thing. So he walks away, off to his next adventures. Roll credits.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHDR7ziJopZBiLu8MPh9DsfC-hng3tgbJCNajqBDRwVfF_tgSuxJmkweQVVHsOBT9oewvz5IAVY08RcmujPIPZxYWWjjQOKudytEu4fYPjnbtIp1qXu-YODTwWmaq4PtlXIeg3TTjDdpPDPMgRTdoJNY8MZzcNdMmz4-P8MPLLX8g0MP6GGorfs8Cyw8/s1920/20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1920" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHDR7ziJopZBiLu8MPh9DsfC-hng3tgbJCNajqBDRwVfF_tgSuxJmkweQVVHsOBT9oewvz5IAVY08RcmujPIPZxYWWjjQOKudytEu4fYPjnbtIp1qXu-YODTwWmaq4PtlXIeg3TTjDdpPDPMgRTdoJNY8MZzcNdMmz4-P8MPLLX8g0MP6GGorfs8Cyw8/w400-h221/20.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know a big part of this series is how "even death won't<br />stop this guy", but this takes it to the next level. On the<br />other hand, without the djann, he really wouldn't have<br />made it out on his own...</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Final thoughts</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhg9rVnnnAlKZAit83ItMd3MmzKWp5BcV64kbRCA_O8mjuR-duLclr6Pnmpnv_G27M0rS37gpU_7oYM0ftVqWHHLzS-bLWPRA8SNAeUX7mfH_bTt5tvFJ1dqYd7zxetQZf3k9dsdPpGXUPL-svvho9YlaeqEPUrq0yx_mQ17DMMmXG9q_nv2A8RBZ1CjUU/s1920/21.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1920" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9rVnnnAlKZAit83ItMd3MmzKWp5BcV64kbRCA_O8mjuR-duLclr6Pnmpnv_G27M0rS37gpU_7oYM0ftVqWHHLzS-bLWPRA8SNAeUX7mfH_bTt5tvFJ1dqYd7zxetQZf3k9dsdPpGXUPL-svvho9YlaeqEPUrq0yx_mQ17DMMmXG9q_nv2A8RBZ1CjUU/w400-h221/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once again, you get an amazing sense of grandeur and<br />immenseness to the places you visit. These games present<br />such incredible sights, if you can navigate them...</td></tr></tbody></table>I enjoyed this one a lot, probably because many of the more frustrating elements of the previous Prince of Persia game I reviewed had been ironed out, seeing as this game was released seven years later and designed after a few more games were made in that continuity. The added experience can be felt, and this title improves in some major ways. Platforming is great once again. The inclusion of the Creation Powers adds an extra dimension to both the puzzle/platforming challenge of going from Point A to Point B, their upgrades obtained throughout are nice, and their extra uses in combat are welcome options.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhM6vy56npzDCgSHyKYnhBvjafQuJb-EPgvpU6cGQfcQaUHwQQxK5yK80AAqh6X01jxRACgkDc6wBerB71UM9uvsUdexN1xD5LViHM5F9zFpASKmIpVkQwg5rnssp3VB_ep2YxuX2vXoZ2qxTZHhUVhcjt0ndjL2kBtdZikwbsaQvyfDKwSqezTacTKWHI/s1920/22.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1920" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6vy56npzDCgSHyKYnhBvjafQuJb-EPgvpU6cGQfcQaUHwQQxK5yK80AAqh6X01jxRACgkDc6wBerB71UM9uvsUdexN1xD5LViHM5F9zFpASKmIpVkQwg5rnssp3VB_ep2YxuX2vXoZ2qxTZHhUVhcjt0ndjL2kBtdZikwbsaQvyfDKwSqezTacTKWHI/w400-h221/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also the enemy types are introduced one by one and each<br />type brings a new variable to take into account.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Combat was improved with special moves and fights aren't drawn-out needlessly by over-spawning enemies, two sore points from Sands of Time that were corrected in the best way. What’s more, you can choose to improve your own fighting capabilities by seeking combat and going through extra puzzles to find treasure chests full of EXP. Heck, just having an EXP system with new skills unlocking over time is a good addition. Having varied enemy types, the concept of “leaders”, and three very creative boss battles... Yeah, all massive improvements. Some may say combat is still repetitive though in a different way, but I find it far more tolerable this time around.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am a little disappointed by the removal of the time effect, understandable since the Prince doesn’t have the actual dagger with him. The replacement effect still utilises charges to revive you at the closest point you were at, with actual death taking you back to the last save point you interacted with. Considering the difficulty, the frequent save point fountains are good. Admittedly, what we lose in uniqueness with the basic system of respawn/save points is regained in practicality. Rewinding time in Sands of Time was cool but getting trapped in an inescapable cycle of death was annoying; at least you don’t get that here.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiNx2ScBeYUOVKCpvAnoU1E7BlbjWw0HnkiNxOUSlSCmU5D_OIwjZ_od3XIHvMRJX0igE9_k0aLYR-dTHW8Ujgs1RUQZ4JBPv8B-lv__LAZNkX2siZ_ZkSlm7myTRvqDpDsYSCZvgGVUkAPzDnilVbfWF0tGZUdTaYTZ-Ot1NwE3ch_vKcRwhtIooDs0Ns/s1920/23.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="1920" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNx2ScBeYUOVKCpvAnoU1E7BlbjWw0HnkiNxOUSlSCmU5D_OIwjZ_od3XIHvMRJX0igE9_k0aLYR-dTHW8Ujgs1RUQZ4JBPv8B-lv__LAZNkX2siZ_ZkSlm7myTRvqDpDsYSCZvgGVUkAPzDnilVbfWF0tGZUdTaYTZ-Ot1NwE3ch_vKcRwhtIooDs0Ns/w400-h176/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sure, we saved the Kingdom, but the King is dead, the<br />Princess is likely traumatized, and it doesn't look like<br />anyone else lives there now. Pyrrhic vistory, isn't it?</td></tr></tbody></table>We learn about the kingdom of Izdihar as we explore it, so the world-building is present. However, the actual story is still basic, so yet again we focus on gameplay above all else. I’m cool with it, especially when it’s as intricate as it is here. The voice acting is fine (Yuri Lowenthal as the Prince is a standout), but its volume is low so we often don’t hear the characters talking to each other, especially the frequent interactions with Zahra, drowned out by music.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjz9YQ-F3thv5CMK3RE2kRBoKb51ZDprZ4uH_FPjQU3N-i-Fgz3au5jtEpOGJQdDyhK4f7EAzhDejPpoVBS-C_Tn7xq-EBgg_mMb-gJF_Xo_vlS46kZlKmEDBMz-8re6IOlDMe1uN5tS3d7FN3jUcygClvwo6CRKWMzOUl_6qB82sCYzF-mCv7dj8ufnt8/s1920/24.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1920" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9YQ-F3thv5CMK3RE2kRBoKb51ZDprZ4uH_FPjQU3N-i-Fgz3au5jtEpOGJQdDyhK4f7EAzhDejPpoVBS-C_Tn7xq-EBgg_mMb-gJF_Xo_vlS46kZlKmEDBMz-8re6IOlDMe1uN5tS3d7FN3jUcygClvwo6CRKWMzOUl_6qB82sCYzF-mCv7dj8ufnt8/w400-h220/24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better hope the camera is merciful ansd you both<br />created the hook at the right place AND jump exactly<br />where it is. Or you'll have easily-preventable deaths.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Once again, an issue I ran into was the camera, often finicky. You can control it with the C button and the Wii remote, but it would often go back where it was, an issue considering how precise platforming frequently got. Don’t forget that you are also dealing with motion controls here; swinging the Wiimote to attack is fine, but when platforming, you point and press the button for the effect you want – meaning having to rely on the motion controls and the cursor on the screen. This can be a problem, especially when you need precision, finesse, or quick reaction. It’s not a dealbreaker for me, but there’s definitely a couple dozen deaths that happened because I couldn’t use a Creation Power at the right place quick enough.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As a final plus, the game includes the 1992 Prince of Persia game, a lengthy list of achievements for those who seek an extra challenge, and the option to add a second player with a Wii remote to use the Creation Powers and help the first player. All in all, a solid Wii game, not without its occasional flaws pertaining to the system, but a strong entry for the console and a recommendation on my part. Especially if you like this franchise, you might like this one quite a bit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Phew! Tune in for something else soon.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-47715738049634708702023-11-17T08:35:00.002-05:002023-11-24T08:18:19.952-05:00Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pL0KOUWWy1K0hrkCHMWawsnQblsqvDl-WtRFIbVLQbnIXfUZLZOVVCF-UaD6dImVZwkA6i4EhSoXYV-3mw37hpPOX2Zd5v1EZZaKuyUundznKEt8LoAGd0VOlQSuJomxKhi-93J2PC0gsoou5N1yBY2FUd_zMaMXOpij7lUhM78XEl_yORCLdnKhDrg/s1920/prince%20of%20persia%20the%20sands%20of%20time%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pL0KOUWWy1K0hrkCHMWawsnQblsqvDl-WtRFIbVLQbnIXfUZLZOVVCF-UaD6dImVZwkA6i4EhSoXYV-3mw37hpPOX2Zd5v1EZZaKuyUundznKEt8LoAGd0VOlQSuJomxKhi-93J2PC0gsoou5N1yBY2FUd_zMaMXOpij7lUhM78XEl_yORCLdnKhDrg/w400-h225/prince%20of%20persia%20the%20sands%20of%20time%20titlecard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I once again realized I haven’t reviewed enough non-Steam games this year – or, more specifically, I covered only one Wii game and only one Ubisoft game. Here’s my chance to remedy to that.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhra-xEYv2J-183bx2xrCopXWj6AdRqowciomJZPm11im-BEOw9pM6Vp6xueZr5VMNrE4qGtftb9jQQmSgR0YOz9PxjLVE3gaQrzUM9nRFrcPXdrbWBs2jdFBYBbypg5-4z_u6BUuBER8XbocL2haDN4fOOtms6RQoHJmEaNJnWEyIZ-q6YEmIWwkoplK4/s1439/2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1439" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhra-xEYv2J-183bx2xrCopXWj6AdRqowciomJZPm11im-BEOw9pM6Vp6xueZr5VMNrE4qGtftb9jQQmSgR0YOz9PxjLVE3gaQrzUM9nRFrcPXdrbWBs2jdFBYBbypg5-4z_u6BUuBER8XbocL2haDN4fOOtms6RQoHJmEaNJnWEyIZ-q6YEmIWwkoplK4/w400-h233/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King and prince, ready for attack.<br />Things are about to go horribly wrong.</td></tr></tbody></table>Prince of Persia has been on my radar perhaps since before I began writing this blog. There’s the movie, of course, and <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2016/05/vgflicks-prince-of-persia-sands-of-time.html" target="_blank">I’ve covered it</a>. However, I remember trying the very first game in the series, or rather a port of it for the Super Nintendo, long ago... and failing quickly because I couldn’t figure out the combat mechanics and fend off the enemy swordsmen. Which takes us to a more recent time. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which the movie is based on, was one of the first games I obtained for free on Ubisoft Connect, formerly UPlay, through special events on the platform. Some time later, I found another game in the series, a port for the Nintendo Wii.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Why not cover both? They’ve been waiting long enough. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a Ubisoft game whose ports were released mainly in November 2003, with the Windows version out in December. I wasn’t planning on reviewing this game almost exactly 20 years after its release. Fun coincidence there. So, how's it like?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenQ8SVfBd7fb5dWnMBecTMMtj_9AIk_dR-5PdAoCRq5eA8K68Zghs_E7Rxpg1YvP0U-0BpFk9IM66NemCPyOxdaTjy0gOTzkmVKKRqIFUpzRPiAaWr4UdMZTb3geLexNgxEiADGnG232z0fGpI_FtoaCYnZsqbsR2kaHkjUHK_1RB6c1if0OFb1as_70/s900/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenQ8SVfBd7fb5dWnMBecTMMtj_9AIk_dR-5PdAoCRq5eA8K68Zghs_E7Rxpg1YvP0U-0BpFk9IM66NemCPyOxdaTjy0gOTzkmVKKRqIFUpzRPiAaWr4UdMZTb3geLexNgxEiADGnG232z0fGpI_FtoaCYnZsqbsR2kaHkjUHK_1RB6c1if0OFb1as_70/s320/1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Dagger of Time</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This story begins as the army of Persia, King Sharaman and his son the Prince at the head, invades an Indian kingdom belonging to the Maharajah. They got word from that kingdom’s Vizier, betraying his leader, of a treasure held at the Palace, with the King intent on taking it. The Prince (no name given) is prepared for such a quest, having been trained his whole life. This is where we discover the controls to this game.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEip-uQf6CkhwXlIT3-b-F5av1tOOgKbFASI-IWKR04ciWSpfmE4EJ8KZ7JfisTrfpFG8bF9F0Y8kvIkH8h2rF45TyS1lN4vfrPCuZ61uFomyNxawW5-p9uNT_uUjgkbezyw8GiLAiS_5FELaBU3vi4fDuyhPOa71wCBrWj7AyGgUa3a5aHUpCcn58Lnbz0/s1440/3.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-uQf6CkhwXlIT3-b-F5av1tOOgKbFASI-IWKR04ciWSpfmE4EJ8KZ7JfisTrfpFG8bF9F0Y8kvIkH8h2rF45TyS1lN4vfrPCuZ61uFomyNxawW5-p9uNT_uUjgkbezyw8GiLAiS_5FELaBU3vi4fDuyhPOa71wCBrWj7AyGgUa3a5aHUpCcn58Lnbz0/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No wonder this guy made a plaything out of<br />time itself, he already mocks the very concept<br />of gravity. (Apologies for French text, I never<br />figured out how to change the game to English.)</td></tr></tbody></table>One of the most praised aspects of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is the parkour-based platform gameplay. The Prince has a wide array of skills: Running upwards and sideways on walls, wall-jumping, moving up and down ledges, climbing and jumping betwen pillars, swinging from horizontal bars... The list goes on. You can tell that every area of the game was designed with all those skills in mind. It’s not rare to find rooms with nary a solid floor, forcing you to figure out an alternate path. The Prince regains health by drinking water. However, he can get hurt or die instantly if he falls from too high. You’ll only really figure out the right height to fall from through trial and error, of which there is a lot in this game. Controlling this hero is a little tricky at first, but very rewarding once you’ve got all the mechanics down.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgZJcgxXpZDE9ZCi1Ik_9z0N0MZEwMPMZy3qErJDU6K4wQoAqXmSApchyCYKMZgpw4q5QVrsdo_KzJLRbgNMPrVPCKeP9eb97WDbJz1ol71zf_tMBq_M_alaBg7oXoS2LUHUyo7kUnDpw9x-KmnwoXobnTMecl838Am6qb1KselB97FMzLDFvXXWGczDnA/s1439/4.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="1439" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJcgxXpZDE9ZCi1Ik_9z0N0MZEwMPMZy3qErJDU6K4wQoAqXmSApchyCYKMZgpw4q5QVrsdo_KzJLRbgNMPrVPCKeP9eb97WDbJz1ol71zf_tMBq_M_alaBg7oXoS2LUHUyo7kUnDpw9x-KmnwoXobnTMecl838Am6qb1KselB97FMzLDFvXXWGczDnA/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To think, that first time rewind was accidental!</td></tr></tbody></table>After sneaking his way around, the Prince finds the room that contains the treasures they were looking for. The first is an enormous hourglass that contains the Sands of Time. The second is a glowing dagger. As soon as he picks it up, the ceiling nearly falls on him, but time gets rewound to just before it happens, and he rolls out of the way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He uses the dagger to escape the palace. The dagger’s main ability is to rewind time, allowing you to come back to a previous point, the game even rewinding the exact steps you’ve just taken. There’s a limited number of charges to the dagger, and using its power uses up a charge. You can also refill the dagger by planting it in patches of light; if you find eight patches, you unlock an extra charge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPIS3wMxS7vCSUh1vuO-O68DDV9hsW0jqoThcjbfU7raYu6eI-7PmdiGvz0wQ8W-f2hKhJd7c3f5dly0hsNUkvzoD5SoR7sV6VUk-xXS0GtAUewWKvm7XpPtiIh-7iqsCvmv0oPXiXV6uJb2uwFmn_xELgQ_QKbCMMiMi0d_fmAQt7AyNztUM55EmRk4/s1439/5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1439" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPIS3wMxS7vCSUh1vuO-O68DDV9hsW0jqoThcjbfU7raYu6eI-7PmdiGvz0wQ8W-f2hKhJd7c3f5dly0hsNUkvzoD5SoR7sV6VUk-xXS0GtAUewWKvm7XpPtiIh-7iqsCvmv0oPXiXV6uJb2uwFmn_xELgQ_QKbCMMiMi0d_fmAQt7AyNztUM55EmRk4/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These 4 charges are enough to start with, but at<br />the end you'll have 8 or 9. You'll need them all.<br />Trust me.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgHxqtj141OrbyQ0WAgBU_QcVSqLYkb6QCGlEHyJGF84aDynFRQJi5i_JwBbu9z3gLkABcOWekocVsMMgSalTbOI33NcGyJJdPHafuH2wdx7yUBIx8Jbf9Ll-zh6hYBeXfSUr8G4ZuUQZCEBlLjMcGTl689mkTU6oO8xL-0-3T9knNqHX3gru5FTzo8XHw/s1439/6.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1439" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxqtj141OrbyQ0WAgBU_QcVSqLYkb6QCGlEHyJGF84aDynFRQJi5i_JwBbu9z3gLkABcOWekocVsMMgSalTbOI33NcGyJJdPHafuH2wdx7yUBIx8Jbf9Ll-zh6hYBeXfSUr8G4ZuUQZCEBlLjMcGTl689mkTU6oO8xL-0-3T9knNqHX3gru5FTzo8XHw/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still not sure how they did it (a quick research<br />implies a buffer-based trick), but 20 years later,<br />PoP:TSoT's time manipulation mechanic is still<br />regarded as one of the best ever implemented.</td></tr></tbody></table>The dagger has a meter, which fills when you’re alive but depletes when you’re dead or rewinding, and it also represents how much time you can rewind. When that meter is full, you can rewind a couple of seconds, allowing you to try a different action to the one you just tried. However, if that meter is low, you might find out you can’t rewind far back enough to a point where you’re safe. As an example, say you get hit repeatedly by enemies, and it’s impossible to rewind to a point where you’re not being wailed on. This will happen a lot in combat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last but not least, the dagger also has a skill to slow down time, allowing the Prince to attack more swiftly for a short period of time, though enemies can still defend themselves.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Crumbling Castle</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgdHtnB0_Pler3wJmsHqZfe0oGTWkyBdx3dzG4I1RpsdFFdjjhZGc8aOnHBj96-7Bcpt6VMbxTOGCAGecNC6NRQsreQWeOpnaL3UUnVKVbuZsqj65ffMB5BufRioK7kj1UuTstVdn9zF_E0ReiwwsYkOUGBnER1i-cRw_97KWSxXTsACQ-q7O09gl-Y0RA/s1440/7.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1440" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHtnB0_Pler3wJmsHqZfe0oGTWkyBdx3dzG4I1RpsdFFdjjhZGc8aOnHBj96-7Bcpt6VMbxTOGCAGecNC6NRQsreQWeOpnaL3UUnVKVbuZsqj65ffMB5BufRioK7kj1UuTstVdn9zF_E0ReiwwsYkOUGBnER1i-cRw_97KWSxXTsACQ-q7O09gl-Y0RA/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Now, be a good kid and cause the apocalypse."<br />"What?"<br />"Oh, you didn't hear that right!"</td></tr></tbody></table>The Persian army is victorious and brings its spoils of war home: The hourglass, the dagger (which the Prince asks to keep, despite the Vizier wanting it), and a group of women fated to become harem slaves. Hey, that’s how the times were. They bring this to the Sultan of Azad, a powerful ally of theirs. As the King presents the treasures, the Vizier explains that the Dagger can be used as a key to free the Sands of Time from the hourglass. The Prince is tricked into doing exactly that, and.. all Hell breaks loose. Apocalypse. The Sands take over people and turn them into zombies. In the chaos, the Vizier demands the dagger again, but the Prince flees the room.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiines4tTQ3ZbVy1h3n-FtB0giGzNAnvyw6B7mD53BL53PLYOth8zC1agTQaB6s5JfW6B5_lUsfkWOCJ8bn5g84hLFCg-xZZ2KAWzHMuQYP2UI7PCy4Yuq-4AGi7-l2U15faGqlFFBjIU2AIcZf6wB-MYXUsfuo3WUz9n3blD4SKqPHK-KKT_oicmfwsyA/s1439/8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1439" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiines4tTQ3ZbVy1h3n-FtB0giGzNAnvyw6B7mD53BL53PLYOth8zC1agTQaB6s5JfW6B5_lUsfkWOCJ8bn5g84hLFCg-xZZ2KAWzHMuQYP2UI7PCy4Yuq-4AGi7-l2U15faGqlFFBjIU2AIcZf6wB-MYXUsfuo3WUz9n3blD4SKqPHK-KKT_oicmfwsyA/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those guys with spears? They're protected<br />from your vaulting.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Vizier has orchestrated all this and was planning to have both the sands and the dagger. It’s too late to think about that, now we must repair this mistake. And that involves making our way around a castle that’s not only filled with zombies and death traps, but also falling apart. Good thing we’re playing the ultimate parkour protagonist.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zvWMxx1vs8dV4BjH1W-X48Xrv27fpFv51Z4SJd-SekLCpUAwLwY2Y3qzIOXH0U7YL1i0RJUwK33Njk-nQVu864wwZaTY3rgCslg40GO3Tw19qrND417ukesppOyYW9JilrQ7kvp3sLG4Dr5OP47lYQ5kAZJp60z58HsrtEKkvYJ3ndMLTe9_qBh9IAU/s1440/9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zvWMxx1vs8dV4BjH1W-X48Xrv27fpFv51Z4SJd-SekLCpUAwLwY2Y3qzIOXH0U7YL1i0RJUwK33Njk-nQVu864wwZaTY3rgCslg40GO3Tw19qrND417ukesppOyYW9JilrQ7kvp3sLG4Dr5OP47lYQ5kAZJp60z58HsrtEKkvYJ3ndMLTe9_qBh9IAU/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dude's more skilled than all modern-day<br />Olympics-level acrobats, it's insane.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjF8QU555cibnzGzdSnb1ZM5snPYsaKiw6bjWpmy5TcIFodgP8JKGxsEnm4b2YmMBTV0WUjoE72lTYVDnrX2GLXuTecMafp1VVlSe7fUXD-r_OlvjJBeTNy1fPTL8cYkuhgnEkgUpbapuZJBfC6mh-HEwZiLXZZcsmmnupSvKONCjkzDQfly71CTCrrxus/s1440/11.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8QU555cibnzGzdSnb1ZM5snPYsaKiw6bjWpmy5TcIFodgP8JKGxsEnm4b2YmMBTV0WUjoE72lTYVDnrX2GLXuTecMafp1VVlSe7fUXD-r_OlvjJBeTNy1fPTL8cYkuhgnEkgUpbapuZJBfC6mh-HEwZiLXZZcsmmnupSvKONCjkzDQfly71CTCrrxus/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a bit hard to see, but she is taking part in<br />the battle with her bow and arrow.</td></tr></tbody></table>We find another survivor: Farah, the Maharajah’s daughter, who was brought along to be taken into slavery. Joy. The Prince reunites with her, and she ends up helping him with various puzzles that the Prince wouldn’t have been able to solve on his own. She is armed with a bow and can shoot at enemies, though this comes with caveats: A) She’s not a very quick shooter, B) she can hit the Prince if he’s in the way, C) enemies can target her for attacks, and D) if she dies, that’s also an instant Game Over, so you have to watch over her. She’s not an unpleasant character, but her AI is a mixed bag; she’s helpful in platforming segments, but pretty bad in combat situations and it's a headache to take her into account there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Enemies Everywhere</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjgi0epxCKn10c3JKFrJ4s2toESn8u4Vv-f1lE97KVjeWZhqg8k5kwV9w043U3PSLe7v9fTZ_ygxmey0XfdN0Ibw8ZI-rM-wBSpe-K-O9decaafl5Xg-RrJ6NMq8P-wJaeh1lFbPjhs1xONdSDh_xvC7pJX0Um4jw4LkuNW1uEmW-ctuu-2oNFm76fNBHk/s1441/10.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1441" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgi0epxCKn10c3JKFrJ4s2toESn8u4Vv-f1lE97KVjeWZhqg8k5kwV9w043U3PSLe7v9fTZ_ygxmey0XfdN0Ibw8ZI-rM-wBSpe-K-O9decaafl5Xg-RrJ6NMq8P-wJaeh1lFbPjhs1xONdSDh_xvC7pJX0Um4jw4LkuNW1uEmW-ctuu-2oNFm76fNBHk/w320-h240/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of the earlier battles in the game, and<br />already you can be attacked from all sides.</td></tr></tbody></table>Which takes me to: Combat! I hate it. The Prince can attack by swiping with his sabre and the Dagger of Time. That's it. He can vault over an opponent, jumping over them to sneak extra hits in, provided the enemies aren't armed against that trick. He’s lacking in special moves, so combat boils down to using the same attacks repeatedly, with the occasional use of the terrain for feats. For added annoyance, the game chooses your target for you, meaning you can never make that decision yourself, nor can you “opt out” of battle to, as an example, refill your HP at a fountain if needed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The sand zombies can only be defeated in two ways: The main is their essence being sucked back into the dagger when they're KO, which is done at the press of a key (E by default on PC). This also refills a charge of the dagger. Later, we gain an extra ability that refills when the Dagger’s normal charges are all full. With that ability, we swing the dagger at an enemy who's not KO to turn them to sand right away. You’ll destroy them in two more hits, but they won’t refill a charge.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxdF3UN4Pp-7pLPPvJ86TweK9tqYqCXcM4sXyd9xFeJVnLpYzXZm_hOUt_c-BWebZjBLOUik7jj5-nBbXrcj6q-qqtyRuKH4eXlCCpP0YdvyWUHL8EG2UrSCUih3MjRgB0C2lYAFixDcHjJPJbSB8k_rKh7pH8sQjxoVFZKfRabDx6uIijD_jmSwmJYo/s1440/12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxdF3UN4Pp-7pLPPvJ86TweK9tqYqCXcM4sXyd9xFeJVnLpYzXZm_hOUt_c-BWebZjBLOUik7jj5-nBbXrcj6q-qqtyRuKH4eXlCCpP0YdvyWUHL8EG2UrSCUih3MjRgB0C2lYAFixDcHjJPJbSB8k_rKh7pH8sQjxoVFZKfRabDx6uIijD_jmSwmJYo/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't even argue, you're going back in!<br />Goddamn sand zombies, I swear.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjMc2b-nzL3-yLS-bOL5InbPFj0mo9ZTCRfUI_iHUsqcMOjxoI_Ev1llt4uoNg2ujcQg-DilbizOXO5G4D_5c2qqEO03MFGDNJ83ealnPnfRdtv0whq8yFOrO4r0llBSjbl5x0f7xh9E2UfiyVbnny1xapvfno-aaN7qBxHgW8F_PY-oYl1EEUfCMPM5wo/s1439/14.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1439" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMc2b-nzL3-yLS-bOL5InbPFj0mo9ZTCRfUI_iHUsqcMOjxoI_Ev1llt4uoNg2ujcQg-DilbizOXO5G4D_5c2qqEO03MFGDNJ83ealnPnfRdtv0whq8yFOrO4r0llBSjbl5x0f7xh9E2UfiyVbnny1xapvfno-aaN7qBxHgW8F_PY-oYl1EEUfCMPM5wo/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh! I forgot to mention. If you run away from<br />a bunch of enemies in an attempt to head to a<br />fountain or something, they can just teleport<br />back near you. In fact, you'll frequently see them<br />teleport close by at random. Why?<br />"Because fuck you", says this game.</td></tr></tbody></table>However! Every time a battle begins, you’re facing multiple enemies at once, and it’s easy for them to trap the Prince between them. I stopped counting the number of times I ran out of dagger charges because I was mobbed from all sides, by enemies that counter vaulting, with no way to rewind far back enough to get out of the cycle of hurting. As you defeat them, new enemies will keep spawning, so you don’t get any respite until they’re all dead. You never know how many enemies the game has set up in a certain area; but it will always be "too fucking many". Some rooms are cramped, and furniture can get in the way (and since the game auto-targets enemies, you can’t attack furniture to break it!). There's an unnecessary yet unskippable cutscene every time a battle has been won, where the Princes sheathes his weapons. The worst part is that most enemy encounters feel the same; sure, the enemies can differ, but it's “beat enemies, more spawn, beat those, more spawn, till the game decides it's enough” every fucking time. It gets horribly repetitive.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I distinctly remember the first boss battle in this game – same concept, with enemies that keep spawning. The only difference was the boss himself: King Sharaman, as a sand zombie, which couldn’t be harmed until all the other zombies had been defeated. What a pain in the ass.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkxItLfmqt2uXdIds1D0WmceTOg1G_bZ0c5rsJuIM-7bqwIoq_5dK5aFTBm2TbOIbcxD0rfxOyCAwYGXp8XGqPME3cHZuYRvGzRX1HKo76sZwuHAKA2dR8pOrrkzVXbsYzeQeykXckfNTEXSVrJnb9-J76z__ezxgafqDQEGpvE3WCqp78UL6fbGE3LE/s1440/13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkxItLfmqt2uXdIds1D0WmceTOg1G_bZ0c5rsJuIM-7bqwIoq_5dK5aFTBm2TbOIbcxD0rfxOyCAwYGXp8XGqPME3cHZuYRvGzRX1HKo76sZwuHAKA2dR8pOrrkzVXbsYzeQeykXckfNTEXSVrJnb9-J76z__ezxgafqDQEGpvE3WCqp78UL6fbGE3LE/w400-h300/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wouldn't have recognized Sharaman without the beard. /s<br />Also shout-out to the zombie behind who looks less like he's<br />swinging his spear and more like he's partying.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEg1TFj6grq77hL13-URIxhvxHj2RfX7rW7MaDcaQjhC6LdPI9IDDbBnxCKGpzfTMq6VbCEb4AFxQvhSRwKM-ecUMS_1Z9bhvMRK807rNmo67mgzUOp1CVVQ_BeFmnI0JFTFrg75L9lMEKH7KKYXN0SLRPKFl-DOAxL2cPbIERxRNFTtkymkLfUMCm_HkcA/s1440/15.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1440" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1TFj6grq77hL13-URIxhvxHj2RfX7rW7MaDcaQjhC6LdPI9IDDbBnxCKGpzfTMq6VbCEb4AFxQvhSRwKM-ecUMS_1Z9bhvMRK807rNmo67mgzUOp1CVVQ_BeFmnI0JFTFrg75L9lMEKH7KKYXN0SLRPKFl-DOAxL2cPbIERxRNFTtkymkLfUMCm_HkcA/s320/15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One upside of these sepia flash-forwards is that<br />they may show you how to solve some future<br />puzzles, if you can catch the glimpses.</td></tr></tbody></table>The only other notable event is the Prince seeing vultures carry the hourglass to a tower where the Vizier waits. Not much of a story past thius point, aside from the Prince and Farah helping each other across the castle’s many sectors. Though see a relationship develop between them as they overcome these trials. The Prince also goes from haughty and arrogant to somewhat humbler. Oh! And when we reach save points, the protagonist will see visions of what’s to come – platforming segments at first, but later, glimpses of cutscenes that happen near the end, with a worrisome fate awaiting Farah...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While we’re at special mentions, can I also slip a word about the camera? It’s not exactly a controversial statement to say that games at the time still struggled with their camera, is it? Yeah, it’s an issue here as well. Sure, you can press F to look in first-person for a moment, but it doesn’t help much whenever the camera moves erratically in battle, or when it decides to be at just the wrong angle while platforming. Ugh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Theft</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEilUNpwp8CV5DVSam0Hfy8-Mea7AVp-qTCk2nec7-kDx71uNMhSK7srg7_Ea1L7YsCnp48gJaiybcMFGiBWgVZHVGwlvwnYcuohYRGoB4mC7aqD7DJbANOYTEgkTccp-Jmjk3JCKEv-4FhzUbM1WQMjqlNInc5PTQ_rdfeNHoMc6eeUFZryloLQu2Q8ADs/s1440/16.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="1440" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUNpwp8CV5DVSam0Hfy8-Mea7AVp-qTCk2nec7-kDx71uNMhSK7srg7_Ea1L7YsCnp48gJaiybcMFGiBWgVZHVGwlvwnYcuohYRGoB4mC7aqD7DJbANOYTEgkTccp-Jmjk3JCKEv-4FhzUbM1WQMjqlNInc5PTQ_rdfeNHoMc6eeUFZryloLQu2Q8ADs/s320/16.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They do more there than just bathe, if you<br />catch my drift.</td></tr></tbody></table>Following a grueling battle on an elevator, the Prince and Farah make it to the hourglass. However, they encounter the Vizier, who casts a spell to send the protagonists flying. They grab the dagger before the villain can, but land in a tomb and must climb the tower all over again. Farah tells the Prince a magic word taught by her mother, a word only she knows, which opens a secret passageway. Farah goes in first and the Prince follows. The next puzzles lead him to secret baths, in which he bathes with the Maharajah’s daughter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the Prince awakens, his sword and the dagger are gone, stolen by Farah. Thankfully, in this tomb, the Prince finds a sword that will let him kill any enemy in one hit. One puzzle to solve and it’s ours. However, without the dagger, we can no longer rewind time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjON6FEiynZYaOJpkNEoSxDu4PSvsVH4DKTG5Hy9YDaefGo23Sn6vk9lLIpK6BpqESvH8VjpwlHMTbz2JFWy4y5uAP0YWXwznQIpQr0T_qeZA306ISQ1XoD27sLIfExV39wWbdv2pDxCn8BfY2nip64QpwimhiLB4YFCJELYsu_fR7F1hcAd5bQGk2z4Xs/s1440/17.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjON6FEiynZYaOJpkNEoSxDu4PSvsVH4DKTG5Hy9YDaefGo23Sn6vk9lLIpK6BpqESvH8VjpwlHMTbz2JFWy4y5uAP0YWXwznQIpQr0T_qeZA306ISQ1XoD27sLIfExV39wWbdv2pDxCn8BfY2nip64QpwimhiLB4YFCJELYsu_fR7F1hcAd5bQGk2z4Xs/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In other words: One mistake and you're dead.<br />If you're climbing, better do it flawlessly.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We catch up to Farah who is also going back up the Tower of Fate and follow along in some of the toughest sections yet. No rewinding, sparse save points, platforming that requires every single of your skills, and of course the goddamn camera is as unhelpful as possible. The enemies go down easily, but there’s still two dozens at every battle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAEcdXVtr4vi2j1tzlK78z39VcT8_imQiv50e9E0Dkre1MF8rk80R8PnmAFh3QiXvVCmfp0IEIB_oJ_P14STbxq-3nWeaX_r-VzQISZLC_BCbG9ZSgqvGLlztax3YNgJyPsROwiuGtcJl8iVXiyMpzhpU4B4xTf3yZydDyF-Hk532FjnNbPUC7lENa5Y/s1440/18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAEcdXVtr4vi2j1tzlK78z39VcT8_imQiv50e9E0Dkre1MF8rk80R8PnmAFh3QiXvVCmfp0IEIB_oJ_P14STbxq-3nWeaX_r-VzQISZLC_BCbG9ZSgqvGLlztax3YNgJyPsROwiuGtcJl8iVXiyMpzhpU4B4xTf3yZydDyF-Hk532FjnNbPUC7lENa5Y/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killing enemies in one hit feels so good. Finally,<br />we're not powerless! It's nice against those<br />hammer-wielding Thanos-looking mofos.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgvr_ceVncyPzSvSB4zYyF_8DZNgHRIyK7qV7gzBnrQFxKCrMr_LfxgseNqQKl14i6Qa_hyphenhyphenZsKpI625Z3r1RvtXn57Dfyaz78vmgmvNDoHNAlYAq-zetF5yWRpmUBzyLZpJTirrzdwnz2j4gxw2P6AGs61FI2gRDfbFw6ElS4wl1igoNpUDt-MxPI5yZow/s1440/19.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="1440" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvr_ceVncyPzSvSB4zYyF_8DZNgHRIyK7qV7gzBnrQFxKCrMr_LfxgseNqQKl14i6Qa_hyphenhyphenZsKpI625Z3r1RvtXn57Dfyaz78vmgmvNDoHNAlYAq-zetF5yWRpmUBzyLZpJTirrzdwnz2j4gxw2P6AGs61FI2gRDfbFw6ElS4wl1igoNpUDt-MxPI5yZow/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, we can bring her back. There's a way.</td></tr></tbody></table>We arrive too late to save Farah who, cornered by enemies, falls down a hole in the floor. The Prince reaches for her hand but fails and grabs the blade of the dagger. She lets go and falls to her death. She has spent the mystical weapon’s charges, so we can't rewind. The Prince heads to the room of the hourglass and encounters the Vizier, who promises immortality with the power of the Sands. Having lost everything, the Prince instead decides to plant the dagger into the hourglass...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">...which resets time all the way back to before the attack on the Maharajah’s castle. Our hero still has the dagger, so he sneaks into the enemy castle to give it back to Farah. Hey, you know how the Prince was narrating this whole story to us since the beginning? Telling us “No, that’s not how it happened” when we got a Game Over, or bemoaning that we were leaving if we took a break? Yep, turns out he was telling the whole story to Farah, who is very skeptical.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEg_nlmZQYJa3LNnqGxlXSqIFFhUut_XPjLDHfPHqiWdILBx-GxyoMS2oaebZjgrhM0ON6cAQORS4BkgjQDtp6dGoELeZIJ1zSrYZ6BkS6ahYNyeuGGGpYqhG5gCMUpCCmQ_ZMDHUaFAAMoCCM38Z5R-zSuSKcP-daB6EqzESVi-9cNhJT7BNel_WjLKIz8/s1440/20.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nlmZQYJa3LNnqGxlXSqIFFhUut_XPjLDHfPHqiWdILBx-GxyoMS2oaebZjgrhM0ON6cAQORS4BkgjQDtp6dGoELeZIJ1zSrYZ6BkS6ahYNyeuGGGpYqhG5gCMUpCCmQ_ZMDHUaFAAMoCCM38Z5R-zSuSKcP-daB6EqzESVi-9cNhJT7BNel_WjLKIz8/s320/20.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The average encounter was harder than this!</td></tr></tbody></table>However, they are attacked by the Vizier. The second and final boss in the game. The other boss was much harder than this. Killing this villain feels more like tying a loose end than a climactic finale. Lame fight, too: He summons clones, one at a time, and we beat them 1-on-1. With a full dagger charge, too. Easy battle. With the Vizier dead, the Prince tries to give the dagger back, but Farah still doesn’t believe his story. Realizing that this woman didn't live this grand adventure and doesn't love him, he leaves. Though not without telling the princess her secret word, as a final proof that those events did happen... Cue credits!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Final words</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjGvrYZF3zmtfDfacaRem5zC-WD1tywMJ1zdHS1iFfnr20SBTvN3dHGd3syG_VZ4gDnRsXK9C-uIwueb55rhSE1ZsmA-P5KScjMNuD-eJqyg4N0cnbfsRdnvJS5FHK4OQxPM8ZmkhM9dkE3IiIBdEJ5TRcLxhMXLTukyZmm6Ie4GaJm9ceYC7tg-v8r5wg/s1439/21.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1439" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvrYZF3zmtfDfacaRem5zC-WD1tywMJ1zdHS1iFfnr20SBTvN3dHGd3syG_VZ4gDnRsXK9C-uIwueb55rhSE1ZsmA-P5KScjMNuD-eJqyg4N0cnbfsRdnvJS5FHK4OQxPM8ZmkhM9dkE3IiIBdEJ5TRcLxhMXLTukyZmm6Ie4GaJm9ceYC7tg-v8r5wg/s320/21.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, I'm about to step on surprise spikes.</td></tr></tbody></table>I know Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is beloved as a gaming classic by gamers who braved its many challenges and came out on top. It’s had glowing reviews and is well-regarded to the point that all future Prince of Persia games suffered by comparison to it. It was also a game-changer in two ways, popularizing “parkour platforming” and featuring what is still seen as one of the best time manipulation effects in gaming history. The nostalgia is strong with this one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEi__Jje2NxF_VOCOcxF-kNHXPBLWbc17yiO7Dyws2tN8WlrZaf73sjHj7dTCfcpdL2fOkY-P9KGebAA3bnezgmdU-UYGk6WrECLUmcSx9Xae-saClE6HZf3bmJ05DHkEfnAnqP5YJnm8RAWJi5EQmCGiSfAntWMkTTHBf-KhjtWhyphenhyphenET-_YLeUEnw6shGRs/s1441/22.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1441" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__Jje2NxF_VOCOcxF-kNHXPBLWbc17yiO7Dyws2tN8WlrZaf73sjHj7dTCfcpdL2fOkY-P9KGebAA3bnezgmdU-UYGk6WrECLUmcSx9Xae-saClE6HZf3bmJ05DHkEfnAnqP5YJnm8RAWJi5EQmCGiSfAntWMkTTHBf-KhjtWhyphenhyphenET-_YLeUEnw6shGRs/s320/22.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Prince hangs around quite a bit.</td></tr></tbody></table>But I don’t have that attachment to it, and unfortunately, the years weren’t kind to this legendary title. Officially, the game is a combo of platform and puzzle, though it does feel uneven in that regard – unless you consider “how to get from Point A to Point B” a good form of puzzle, seeing as it’s the prime challenge in several rooms. The protagonist’s many parkour skills makes for a very special feel in how he plays, and it’s very rewarding once you learn to use it most efficiently. I can see why that type of gameplay caught on, and why Ubisoft ran with it for later Prince of Persia entries, as well as later franchises like Assassin’s Creed. Going through the areas felt great when I knew where to go and how to get there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, the game is also repetitive to a fault. Putting aside maybe the first and last hours, a huge chunk of the game is just going through areas. Sure, we get crumbs of story, mainly in the Prince’s changing attitude and the relationship he develops with Farah, but not much else aside from the sights. Thankfully, some puzzle-oriented rooms have clever ideas and work well with the platforming concept of parkour.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilqcOPH_DPiJk8TNkBg8ALzG-zkeq75edAiRLW2KtmRw6n35N5pweG-0B2PzKNG2iPartqG2IHy46fAAdCt63ITRAomtxy0sxg2UO3SILvw2HU4sE778rXizerQaEHx73gZmAf5KIjONDJDrhzcHBaHXgw4N5UEpEvJdcTBvujeWV7q0BKpL4Fyw85tE/s1440/23.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilqcOPH_DPiJk8TNkBg8ALzG-zkeq75edAiRLW2KtmRw6n35N5pweG-0B2PzKNG2iPartqG2IHy46fAAdCt63ITRAomtxy0sxg2UO3SILvw2HU4sE778rXizerQaEHx73gZmAf5KIjONDJDrhzcHBaHXgw4N5UEpEvJdcTBvujeWV7q0BKpL4Fyw85tE/s320/23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using wall jumps to go upwards, and<br />sometimes downward when the walls are<br />spread apart enough... genius.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEilX6kRGzPms2Xc9X3tg1a_dmhBzW7JT3mTjhyphenhyphenUAfqTyslFI0lyr9NddPhVgckl7yawAJx9JvoUC5elH2vay0QAL2fw0zC1E5tiGRmF-kJSe2sw72EDItVlwq1ew2Px0cQMfeuNuTc_BSBupfn3gBDIOUxl9fFP6LLPs6amIBQ7PIHAJitdpb0hBxaSqbs/s1440/24.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilX6kRGzPms2Xc9X3tg1a_dmhBzW7JT3mTjhyphenhyphenUAfqTyslFI0lyr9NddPhVgckl7yawAJx9JvoUC5elH2vay0QAL2fw0zC1E5tiGRmF-kJSe2sw72EDItVlwq1ew2Px0cQMfeuNuTc_BSBupfn3gBDIOUxl9fFP6LLPs6amIBQ7PIHAJitdpb0hBxaSqbs/s320/24.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really useful in a pinch if you're stuck... provided<br />you didn't just suck a charge back in.</td></tr></tbody></table>I think the dagger’s time abilities are mostly well-implemented. The maximum amount of time you can rewind is long enough and there are enough drawbacks to not let such a skill completely break the game. Getting to add new charges by hunting down light patches is a great touch. The downsides: Since sucking an enemy’s sands back in resets the timer to zero and there’s always too many enemies around at once, you will frequently Game Over just because you got hit by a sneak attack right after filling a charge and cannot rewind. And there’s a “slow-motion” ability I mentioned earlier, which is cool, but it’s never explained nor relevant to the story, and thus never necessary; you might play the whole game without ever using it (later games find a use for it, though).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ioBVAxglGXmBJv0-LUBd60ljc_bCvowjFPQbdw1waoy1jFdQdqi1IFpxah-6jNabGmILm0-jYu3bsINTS0MSzgjwN30kE05uqumXzXv6RbKwWvyO_TX_ezR7-0jgLbX2JKKsP9dP9OAP41mqkHVyqoSkzbtLh-WKT499XFy6UpAyDaSQGwjq6U9pf2k/s1439/25.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1439" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ioBVAxglGXmBJv0-LUBd60ljc_bCvowjFPQbdw1waoy1jFdQdqi1IFpxah-6jNabGmILm0-jYu3bsINTS0MSzgjwN30kE05uqumXzXv6RbKwWvyO_TX_ezR7-0jgLbX2JKKsP9dP9OAP41mqkHVyqoSkzbtLh-WKT499XFy6UpAyDaSQGwjq6U9pf2k/s320/25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light redirection puzzles. A classic!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEizZXpx_V_c_WfgqqguRFIRsfHUdWwMH8Uul4Hoymi_S7pBgD-9ddo4ZKEfVBjD7gzcei1Gd0X736ho2JxzEtb_f2h9O4N9KsaX0ztWqFKQGmNThVZirMbCwN8ytfoGu4gfFsFfjVt1VenPelUaHkZ1E-G_tTdnOXQMJjUxgE4wxKZDHlgUccGQHH6iVK8/s1440/26.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZXpx_V_c_WfgqqguRFIRsfHUdWwMH8Uul4Hoymi_S7pBgD-9ddo4ZKEfVBjD7gzcei1Gd0X736ho2JxzEtb_f2h9O4N9KsaX0ztWqFKQGmNThVZirMbCwN8ytfoGu4gfFsFfjVt1VenPelUaHkZ1E-G_tTdnOXQMJjUxgE4wxKZDHlgUccGQHH6iVK8/s320/26.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I showed enough combat scenes in this review.<br />Here, have a platforming scene instead.</td></tr></tbody></table>Combat is, by far, the weakest element. Everything contributes to making this a painful, annoying, again repetitive mechanic that's rarely fun. For several reasons: The Prince’s lack of special moves, barring vaulting and the rare acrobatic move done with walls; always having to fight groups of about five enemies at once, who can easily trap the Prince in a cycle of damage; no mercy invincibility; and most battles are a constant stream of enemies, twenty or even more, that aren’t properly killed unless taken back into the dagger or destroyed by another of its powers. Some tweaks to the formula would have been appreciated. The only saving grace is the final sword we obtain, which makes those battles not trivial, but easier – everything before that point is fucking torture. That flaw was so bad that beating this game was a battle of attrition, I got so irritated by combat alone that I wanted to give up. On a different note, I was disappointed that there were only two boss battles in the game – bit of a missed opportunity in my opinion, but then again, considering my gripes, maybe that's for the better.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4XBIZ__2VA4_0AyduJyblrIIDtLhg_m3JGCvRK2fBQ7YRIqOlAudTuwTGQJpwcfRPAWko5NKRS8kaRvHO6vA6MM2UaNt3nflRHKKuSXuNqGOfknRqppevu7wanfTBJodcfgtngxIMa3ubpxVBQ-GuK2BqZ4-Tq6-NZ5Ty9mGkMk431CoewSuWL8b30k/s1440/27.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4XBIZ__2VA4_0AyduJyblrIIDtLhg_m3JGCvRK2fBQ7YRIqOlAudTuwTGQJpwcfRPAWko5NKRS8kaRvHO6vA6MM2UaNt3nflRHKKuSXuNqGOfknRqppevu7wanfTBJodcfgtngxIMa3ubpxVBQ-GuK2BqZ4-Tq6-NZ5Ty9mGkMk431CoewSuWL8b30k/s320/27.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In short: Some amazing ideas here and I see why it revolutionized the industry, but the problems are very noticeable nowadays. It's a precursor, so though it does some things really well, it set a groundwork for later games to further improve on. It’s worth trying because of the legacy it has left, but be aware of its issues. I’m not done with Prince of Persia though! My next review will be on <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2023/11/prince-of-persia-forgotten-sands-wii.html" target="_blank">another game in the series</a>. Seeing as it's a Wii game though, it might take me some time to finish it. Stay tuned!</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-55385934514251767322023-11-03T08:43:00.000-04:002023-11-03T08:43:06.747-04:00Team Indie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWgrdNdD5NNO-p5emGhVzAGpJkGB5i91DOkBi1pT3BB1aeI9Yq6kfaO__4JJOi37XXd9uH_dp2w9qd7kC3A8C827J4pvgxqvjIAVgoTWy0HYocpIJRlOI30S_rqP4NMfIXwvu5Z3HJyFd2fCKjTU1N3izgQFBRs9bM-HwB5VP-g57JyS1dQr26kHpLBLY/s1920/team%20indie%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWgrdNdD5NNO-p5emGhVzAGpJkGB5i91DOkBi1pT3BB1aeI9Yq6kfaO__4JJOi37XXd9uH_dp2w9qd7kC3A8C827J4pvgxqvjIAVgoTWy0HYocpIJRlOI30S_rqP4NMfIXwvu5Z3HJyFd2fCKjTU1N3izgQFBRs9bM-HwB5VP-g57JyS1dQr26kHpLBLY/w400-h225/team%20indie%20titlecard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Imagine, if you will, your favorite characters in a single game – but it’s not a mascot fighter à la Smash Bros. or any other in the genre. They’re not here to duke it out. Instead, all were pulled from different games, all bring their own skills to the table, and they have a common goal to work towards. But just what genre could that be? An FPS? A platformer with branching storylines? Something that uses each character’s genre of predilection in a gameplay roulette?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScPShchulCEQQPQaGF6QOe2NvDv-1juUu2v6Kmxi-_h-umhiBXjOa7Gqly6vK_biQvqz6QtUrQ4L87QHUomhKA6eVdWZIXURFn12ag3xrJWsYKEOxfjZ3-nkRuro2ppVRiub6BGUTPftXAdNUSY9pCiQzIPwcvXYzz1kTzjknIosKpKkth8ZGd9EZz-k/s1920/2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhScPShchulCEQQPQaGF6QOe2NvDv-1juUu2v6Kmxi-_h-umhiBXjOa7Gqly6vK_biQvqz6QtUrQ4L87QHUomhKA6eVdWZIXURFn12ag3xrJWsYKEOxfjZ3-nkRuro2ppVRiub6BGUTPftXAdNUSY9pCiQzIPwcvXYzz1kTzjknIosKpKkth8ZGd9EZz-k/w400-h225/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Well, today’s game provides one answer. A creation of Brightside Games released on October 8th, 2014, <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/302850/Team_Indie/" target="_blank">Team Indie</a> sees multiple heroes of indie gaming coming to the rescue of a powerless kitten. True to the scene, the genre is... a puzzle platformer. Can’t say I haven’t played my fair share of those by now. The other notable detail here is that today’s title was delisted from Steam, at the publisher’s request. You can’t buy it, and it won’t come up on searches on the platform. I only have access to the page because I had this game patiently waiting in my collection ever since I obtained it in the Humble Freedom Bundle, purchased in February 2017. It’s also not the first delisted title I cover; in fact, it’s the third this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Games get delisted for all kinds of reasons ranging from being <a href="https://www.pcgamesn.com/only-up/steam-removed" target="_blank">too large a source of stress</a> for their creator(s) to basic issues pertaining to rights. I scoured the Internet to find the reason as to why Team Indie was delisted, but I’ve come empty-handed. For now, at least, the mystery remains. My guess is that it boils down to a rights issue, owing to the crossover nature of this title.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Don’t see this review as an article on something you might want to purchase, since it’s not possible. Today, I feel more like a museum curator, observing something that used to be accessible, but now can only be discussed in the past tense. And in an age where digital products get pulled at their owners' whims, preservation of that kind can be very important - so I feel a duty to at least talk about this one, "can't buy it" be damned.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8zPEEqSGfNVdH6LiOVsN1yNdh07QkJNbrv1tYj0nQuP43yB_fulXO_CA9ifLxf0tG2T4tEnTDYjlhFynqbmGcjpDaledYEXIAYSOdl4dDNLVOLLKuqYNCCmUvB0eD5wEP2EPhGQh_-rjijmNRc_2hs7rP25z-U83OmphWLBdAlIG440a-26e7XStZ50/s460/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="460" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8zPEEqSGfNVdH6LiOVsN1yNdh07QkJNbrv1tYj0nQuP43yB_fulXO_CA9ifLxf0tG2T4tEnTDYjlhFynqbmGcjpDaledYEXIAYSOdl4dDNLVOLLKuqYNCCmUvB0eD5wEP2EPhGQh_-rjijmNRc_2hs7rP25z-U83OmphWLBdAlIG440a-26e7XStZ50/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Green-eyed monster cat</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhuzOW8YLhULHZ9TUReqMGnl2j38e30oCuRRBqXcSIcKUPyw8P33_OJVpxOUd6QDpF5U2n68vrim3rC03mCVxyhZPT77nUXZch_ziuuGgnZggCwNwtppKyC4G1dbBg_T6MXUWIIxB_thkZufx_4c5yOz_n0siLh5jLS_AnfYJWxk-xNrf32yCVMJ2O_NtE/s1920/3.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzOW8YLhULHZ9TUReqMGnl2j38e30oCuRRBqXcSIcKUPyw8P33_OJVpxOUd6QDpF5U2n68vrim3rC03mCVxyhZPT77nUXZch_ziuuGgnZggCwNwtppKyC4G1dbBg_T6MXUWIIxB_thkZufx_4c5yOz_n0siLh5jLS_AnfYJWxk-xNrf32yCVMJ2O_NtE/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jealous cat much?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>A gamer with some hacking skills lives with her old cat Oskar. One day, she receives a mysterious package, which turns out to be a kitten named Marvin! The kitty has a strange gear-shaped pendant around his neck. Oskar, angered by the younger feline’s presence, swipes and snaps the pendant. This happened as Marvin stood close to the computer, and... inexplicably, the kitty was teleported into a video game.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Gotta love how the intro has tense music, strobe effects, like it’s the most intense story ever... Then we jump to the title screen and the music is all cute and mellow. The whiplash hurts!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxK5eO81YKow3lhqvTpG9nvotzHBLEP9DKVTLUSkAW4W2FW1LQKU2qsYc76Q5vwKi-3a1Vp8aDTOj94dS_qxA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhut4inXnWGJuq3RWkmGGySAIpqg13tMJ9Tt-ZJ1NIlCG7lTxYOnlufLl0D2lilAMjg7um2YFVm7MtNt5ARsWsGuI0sBp3xkjwG50qW82Sr_LlbPe8lV80Q6_l-rpaWMdFDi6tl1X9johZUKpr2r2ohg05yLvQ16E286ENr9rzMUkxnecbWkTb9fRkRcA4/s1920/4.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhut4inXnWGJuq3RWkmGGySAIpqg13tMJ9Tt-ZJ1NIlCG7lTxYOnlufLl0D2lilAMjg7um2YFVm7MtNt5ARsWsGuI0sBp3xkjwG50qW82Sr_LlbPe8lV80Q6_l-rpaWMdFDi6tl1X9johZUKpr2r2ohg05yLvQ16E286ENr9rzMUkxnecbWkTb9fRkRcA4/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a cute kitty, too.</td></tr></tbody></table>Without any real attack options, the poor cat would be easy pickings for the various dangers lurking about, but the gamer/hacker has come up with an idea to rescue him: Namely, to pick various indie heroes from other games and pull them in to help. Marvin must rely on the skillsets of other characters to make it safely out... that is, unless Oskar has other nasty tricks planned...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We have no less than nine additional heroes lending a hand. In order of appearance:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• CommanderVideo from the <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2222540/BITTRIP_RERUNNER/">BIT.TRIP</a> series (I swear, this guy pops up in every indie crossover), whose ability is to run nonstop;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• J. Jitters from <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/296650/The_Great_Jitters_Pudding_Panic/" target="_blank">The Great Jitters: Pudding Panic</a>, whose skill is to create temporary platforms in midair;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Clunk from <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/204300/Awesomenauts__the_2D_moba/" target="_blank">Awesomenauts</a>, who can charge up shots and destroy enemies and crates;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Dustgirl from <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/65300/Dustforce_DX/" target="_blank">Dustforce</a>, who can double jump, wall jump, cling to walls and ceilings if there are leaves to clean up there, and her special ability when picking up a pellet is to destroy all the enemies on the screen;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Tim from <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/26800/Braid/" target="_blank">Braid</a>, who keeps the time-rewinding talent he displayed in his own title;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Super Crate Box Guy from <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/212800/Super_Crate_Box/" target="_blank">Super Crate Box</a>, who brings katanas and miniguns to the fight, yes really;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Black Fluff Ball from <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/269670/BADLAND_Game_of_the_Year_Edition/" target="_blank">Badland</a>, which flies and can carry the other characters around;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Tiny from <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/205910/Tiny_and_Big_Grandpas_Leftovers/" target="_blank">Tiny & Big: Grandpa’s Leftovers</a>, who uses his Tool to pull items towards him, carry them around, stack them, and so on;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• And Mi from <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/248190/Knytt_Underground/" target="_blank">Knytt Underground</a>, who can climb walls in her regular form, or turn into a ball to jump around.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ycRBzkcAn1zKTPpMW2zKe-oc5IgoU0UqOeHftiFCfbsJ7jtARShNET4LurFYxLm9QxdZOvIdCPj4r82J_PL19MWFWEWndSWBa8Ah-r_CufBmzyjv-XxFlMTqlfF45nd6OBHQwO-pbnZKQWnrljR70FCCptopzR2PQY97VJkp2iRGKA2BIg2blRqPdys/s1920/5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ycRBzkcAn1zKTPpMW2zKe-oc5IgoU0UqOeHftiFCfbsJ7jtARShNET4LurFYxLm9QxdZOvIdCPj4r82J_PL19MWFWEWndSWBa8Ah-r_CufBmzyjv-XxFlMTqlfF45nd6OBHQwO-pbnZKQWnrljR70FCCptopzR2PQY97VJkp2iRGKA2BIg2blRqPdys/w400-h225/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead the way, Jitters!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Time shenanigans</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The main draw of this game is to use these different skills to carry Marvin through the stages and back to the real world. But how can you have them cooperate? This is a single-player title! The answer is the second draw of this game, and one of the best ideas I’ve seen in a puzzle platformer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiZEUNofWA5VCv5YP2LzRiY6mlAyh6R7U9yoT5ZhQkMjeBG0Da_TLeUmahhplxZmpM_Oqd7Bzu0wlidw9Y2DPaHArQA90KIPoMuYPNO6TrT63IUNDvYf8r4pcot7WLzHDlBF5zPGDl7mi6FZptsTmbGhUzkA5lp5k6Rw_Khf5YODTSPmEgovbx3RbYVRGs/s1920/6.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEUNofWA5VCv5YP2LzRiY6mlAyh6R7U9yoT5ZhQkMjeBG0Da_TLeUmahhplxZmpM_Oqd7Bzu0wlidw9Y2DPaHArQA90KIPoMuYPNO6TrT63IUNDvYf8r4pcot7WLzHDlBF5zPGDl7mi6FZptsTmbGhUzkA5lp5k6Rw_Khf5YODTSPmEgovbx3RbYVRGs/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You better hope you have the right timing to<br />jump on Jitters' platforms as CommanderVideo.</td></tr></tbody></table>As Marvin, when you hit a sigil showing a character, you switch to that character and use their skill set. Then, if that character reaches another sigil, you swap to that other character and move on. When an indie character reaches a golden sigil of Marvin’s head, time rewinds back to where Marvin currently stands. The kitty goes through the stage... while your previous run-through of the stage plays, with the characters repeating the exact same actions you did just moments prior. This is how, as an example, you can create platforms with J. Jitters, then jump on them as Marvin or as another hero to reach higher ledges. Most of the time, though, your indie allies will simply clear the way for Marvin to pass through.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpk-IlMey1oNuAy5vgJ4YLjKWsjHpyO1jocm8bhjD6xv2fuPOjWbyBLWHILoDIHhSLWQvaQkX_4oMBhUJy-9kd2dLC4jJmxfYwGm4nn6cEb60eUO8opkEg_CF-Hsc0p4lD2VaGk7MjOrg1ZXvgFE_lILlTdYpNFl_It24MNRcJe8A90A8SXefSeb7nsNs/s1920/8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpk-IlMey1oNuAy5vgJ4YLjKWsjHpyO1jocm8bhjD6xv2fuPOjWbyBLWHILoDIHhSLWQvaQkX_4oMBhUJy-9kd2dLC4jJmxfYwGm4nn6cEb60eUO8opkEg_CF-Hsc0p4lD2VaGk7MjOrg1ZXvgFE_lILlTdYpNFl_It24MNRcJe8A90A8SXefSeb7nsNs/w400-h225/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go, Dustgirl! Destroy those enemies to let Marvin through!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhxonnnb5Dx9KCfEtEAKpoHV_2SKHmiyyxCi6_afjWeqRgfB0CCo4VzA3Dc4XStDrwmEC_IpEzjUvPk2hHc5dfT1FGw-d6YkttxwZAs4DdBM-SLP_Vg8G58T2l6gS1d0i2QCk49a926hAX84Kt0X31YqX8R2Jo8xRcr0TWCCh60Yic58Y9KGb3nVQSd-8w/s1920/9.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxonnnb5Dx9KCfEtEAKpoHV_2SKHmiyyxCi6_afjWeqRgfB0CCo4VzA3Dc4XStDrwmEC_IpEzjUvPk2hHc5dfT1FGw-d6YkttxwZAs4DdBM-SLP_Vg8G58T2l6gS1d0i2QCk49a926hAX84Kt0X31YqX8R2Jo8xRcr0TWCCh60Yic58Y9KGb3nVQSd-8w/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just a taste of what to expect with<br />the first boss of the game.</td></tr></tbody></table>On one hand, this is brilliant and opens the way to a lot of inventive puzzles. On the other, this does mean you have to go through each stage more than once. If you need one hero to go through with their skill first, paving the way for a second hero afterwards, and then Marvin, that means going three times through. This also opens a few issues when playing as Marvin: While you figured out what to do with the other character(s), you wait. And when it’s time to act, you better remember what you did previously. Even better, you better make sure you planned for Marvin’s inclusion. Set a platform too high with Jitters? Whoops!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEg3e-KrL2QuURRwjWWUHsB74oNrAK0P2iF72HugNr4Jpkk5mjnpaSe0bcJkbB4d7nJnMddSIzdKyRHoVPUVOqq9W8fd4fhT5uZldioZoZVsm7itSkgt6Eb_Aw1phlVppDopsAie7uUlj3vA2TCMd44JHAb8EmLDcbUhG08lzOKe1Xq7L97JjPE0iGGVThs/s1920/12.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3e-KrL2QuURRwjWWUHsB74oNrAK0P2iF72HugNr4Jpkk5mjnpaSe0bcJkbB4d7nJnMddSIzdKyRHoVPUVOqq9W8fd4fhT5uZldioZoZVsm7itSkgt6Eb_Aw1phlVppDopsAie7uUlj3vA2TCMd44JHAb8EmLDcbUhG08lzOKe1Xq7L97JjPE0iGGVThs/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's weird that of all 10 playable characters here,<br />only two have proper offensive abilities.</td></tr></tbody></table>There’s also the issue of the time you lose while your other playthroughs do the work, but for that, you can press a key (F originally) to speed time up and get going. You’ll still wait some (and Marvin cannot perform any other actions while time is sped up), but it’s less bad. Also of note is that if you screw up with a character, you can press a key (X originally) to undo your current run back to the last character swap.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And make no mistake, the game doesn’t become easy either with an entire hero team at your side. A lot of the game past this point involves both solving clever puzzles and precise platforming – not just when it’s the kitty’s turn, either.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKlXdiDnHz2dzmdOKpopcEK-uP_8tg1IecE28JYDSuY9Y9124XNEx1x2dcULBtBwAnaG5oDZ_QYJmXKFJDumROPaON3mNuuQzpEpffXH7Z2XKAZsbmUmdbeIq4O9C6fDfArErOupfa1ZvWpcgGBaizXggfaNmFgUb9z_Tu3VvDUzPfKuK6P4Z8HR4z9E/s1920/13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKlXdiDnHz2dzmdOKpopcEK-uP_8tg1IecE28JYDSuY9Y9124XNEx1x2dcULBtBwAnaG5oDZ_QYJmXKFJDumROPaON3mNuuQzpEpffXH7Z2XKAZsbmUmdbeIq4O9C6fDfArErOupfa1ZvWpcgGBaizXggfaNmFgUb9z_Tu3VvDUzPfKuK6P4Z8HR4z9E/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Though the kitty's runs aren't exactly<br />a cakewalk, either.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Oskar can code</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiJrDggReUC3wRf2hOQYPircpPHnA_3u_ZCx1vTyojbHy92Nw-v6gbDm9xUDsjEv0mrcjBb5mLCaUNMfEFDY9xXvwTgLGjZ0WK6pTPbsEURs5wOdYpNc6QpSDc4D7hlnuZcaZEiPpUjL1p31dD_oby6A50-oFYLoyS_mb-o4y1zU2YifwzFUAXMu15g6kM/s1920/7.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrDggReUC3wRf2hOQYPircpPHnA_3u_ZCx1vTyojbHy92Nw-v6gbDm9xUDsjEv0mrcjBb5mLCaUNMfEFDY9xXvwTgLGjZ0WK6pTPbsEURs5wOdYpNc6QpSDc4D7hlnuZcaZEiPpUjL1p31dD_oby6A50-oFYLoyS_mb-o4y1zU2YifwzFUAXMu15g6kM/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dustgirl Trophy Get!</td></tr></tbody></table>The game includes a handful of extra challenges if you’re willing to put in the effort. Most stages include special treasures to pick up as Marvin. There’s anywhere from one to three, and all of them are related to one hero assisting in this stage, at 10 per hero. That makes a grand total of 90 treasures to grab, with one Steam achievement for each, as well as extra achievements for completing each hero’s collection. You can access the room where the treasures are kept from the map screen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEg_0GhTfzbwgvTmpc9GTEIsHZrk45d8nKQB6UE9ca24Zq4hEiIgfQaFEnOf0NEi8NDCA71dg2d-juP9Xk4bqPbzZ5o4rqX0bXdEiRpkZj2RuNGProt55jZIWhowK0q3eMaghVGiAb8owGPmLNWYGE0UTJWnfaLI3Qy-tf7SH2XVQjodlCsoaZCxlbplSfE/s1920/11.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0GhTfzbwgvTmpc9GTEIsHZrk45d8nKQB6UE9ca24Zq4hEiIgfQaFEnOf0NEi8NDCA71dg2d-juP9Xk4bqPbzZ5o4rqX0bXdEiRpkZj2RuNGProt55jZIWhowK0q3eMaghVGiAb8owGPmLNWYGE0UTJWnfaLI3Qy-tf7SH2XVQjodlCsoaZCxlbplSfE/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Generally, many red stones will appear after<br />you've picked up the necessary blue stones.</td></tr></tbody></table>Not enough? You can also try collecting every precious stone in every stage. Marvin’s are red, while the other heroes’ are a pale grey/blue. The catch? Some of these stones will appear only after a certain point while playing as a hero. If you want to catch everything, you’ll have to be quick.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Even if you stick to taking Marvin across the 50 stages, you’re going to meet some pushback. Oskar, the older cat, learned coding from watching his owner and decided to insert himself in boss form. Bosses here are, just like the rest of the game, a puzzle/platform mix. The first is impressive alright, with a giant, monstrous Oskar chasing down the indie heroes as they pave a safe path for Marvin away from the enemies, the spikes and the giant cat’s frickin' eye beams.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AoW9VIoeo5i4fKcEokD3Zv7_0v_jlMY21rwTAKwJ-LFfmenRdNwbtnmyHor1RBxdOWX894VvFm4aEiwu_NiIvfGIWh-ujiLLO5EnLS0yid3wqGhve0bHEgya-FaT64tV4exO7FCzc855grjRHBzShbwwSv631S5EJ4374mUjclpDZGRLj2rTNFQgkKw/s1920/10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AoW9VIoeo5i4fKcEokD3Zv7_0v_jlMY21rwTAKwJ-LFfmenRdNwbtnmyHor1RBxdOWX894VvFm4aEiwu_NiIvfGIWh-ujiLLO5EnLS0yid3wqGhve0bHEgya-FaT64tV4exO7FCzc855grjRHBzShbwwSv631S5EJ4374mUjclpDZGRLj2rTNFQgkKw/w400-h225/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yipes!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiFMUghe82qQJt9L7y32JDNZmGNe9YRkIV7QtQEWgsHLix7dtdvIi5r-A60Ykl_O9ksu_bKGq1c5d-wj0Y89_3uqmeDsW4ym3ECX_UYyVGkU-BZ9aieMKick_cRpeXNSAaxFgzQpozZrBgY_2xEC_85lqmjnlrqe7JJulnG9ydD91vv_CEJrZbPanthN6Y/s1920/14.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMUghe82qQJt9L7y32JDNZmGNe9YRkIV7QtQEWgsHLix7dtdvIi5r-A60Ykl_O9ksu_bKGq1c5d-wj0Y89_3uqmeDsW4ym3ECX_UYyVGkU-BZ9aieMKick_cRpeXNSAaxFgzQpozZrBgY_2xEC_85lqmjnlrqe7JJulnG9ydD91vv_CEJrZbPanthN6Y/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was about time this evil cat (or, at least, its<br />game avatar) got the beating he deserves.</td></tr></tbody></table>The second fight is an upwards climb with the help of Dustgirl, Clunk, Jitters and Super Crate Box Guy, while another avatar of Oskar pounces from the lava below. It’s only on the third and final boss battle that we fight back against the jealous cat. Most heroes make a triumphant return here, with damage dealt thanks to Clunk and Super Crate Box Guy. ...We’d think it matters, but just like the other bosses, all we need to do is reach the goal. At the end of the fight, Marvin speaks to Oskar about a revelation: The kitten was always a video game character, and destroying the necklace simply brought him back home!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As for why he was outside the game or how he can be a game character without any real skills... those questions will be left unanswered. Yep, that’s all!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Final thoughts</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhX8YZ52xIu1poY9Jop6H9WyejoQzN1VkvB7terC3HGtI0tyeGIu4avFYvsPpENDfuktzXNQcHnKFbw4HeAUBBHBhLueiDbnWijtFgl4FDgTQoHeH18ZNbIR73xi-TZw2Uw-QujHTJBNqX3uW3JMOXmx7LXtIZBBF7irBxVnRSKGIZoFZhSWT8OGZ_Ot4U/s1920/15.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8YZ52xIu1poY9Jop6H9WyejoQzN1VkvB7terC3HGtI0tyeGIu4avFYvsPpENDfuktzXNQcHnKFbw4HeAUBBHBhLueiDbnWijtFgl4FDgTQoHeH18ZNbIR73xi-TZw2Uw-QujHTJBNqX3uW3JMOXmx7LXtIZBBF7irBxVnRSKGIZoFZhSWT8OGZ_Ot4U/s320/15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim's own time shenanigans can change how<br />hazards move in a stage.</td></tr></tbody></table>Stronger in concept than in execution, Team Indie is one of the more unique puzzle platformers I’ve seen. Its crossover nature alone makes it an interesting curiosity. It pulls characters from indie games not big enough to be known by all (the most famous of them being CommanderVideo), but still with a bit of reputation. Brightside Games, themselves based in Berlin, picked heroes by studios from the US, Netherlands, Germany, Finland, and Sweden. It’s a tough balancing act to make a game with so many playable folks, especially in making sure they’re all represented properly, contribute to the platforming, and display the exact skills they have in their home titles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaZpAT1iVMz_PDVYC6hTjIQi2LQ1K7A3pHGvnUuBR_iTaZ8tvD1sBdaSEn-KW1JnxJ_zMQ86if82g_RRwyy8y-RDMX2ZMJnjLx8EOqNjNud1z9EEAdCgUVydVNigebLNDgwZpxrRcIIZyEvd7ttyF0ebqkqvv6wqzi_ANe7fEwbXWGscxgaZ6dII63h4/s1920/16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuaZpAT1iVMz_PDVYC6hTjIQi2LQ1K7A3pHGvnUuBR_iTaZ8tvD1sBdaSEn-KW1JnxJ_zMQ86if82g_RRwyy8y-RDMX2ZMJnjLx8EOqNjNud1z9EEAdCgUVydVNigebLNDgwZpxrRcIIZyEvd7ttyF0ebqkqvv6wqzi_ANe7fEwbXWGscxgaZ6dII63h4/w400-h225/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tough part with Black Fluff Ball is that when it starts<br />flying, it can only go in one direction, and can only change<br />direction by landing first.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's also to their detriment that the game combines multiple playstyles into its puzzles, as every character doesn’t get to shine quite as much as they could. It makes sense, this isn’t their game, it’s Marvin’s. Though as a result, the heroes’ individual puzzles come across as light or simple in comparison to what they may have faced in their home titles. Which... I can excuse, seeing as there’s 9 of them to juggle, but it does become somewhat noticeable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjCrIvsk8DVZwlBuzi7DE3Pq-B5oLVkAcN-lUIlg3kxr91AO9xro2W2PuM3XW3NzVJ6DCiuwNBFb__SJ7PK4Gp811WgfmzXQ3eNdIo7HYQxV-GeGJtDLSlgUz6Hg9tVpkWo_p_HEZvJ9GC9vLw-sFxW3egJBXdXX3hmDiwW5i_SA0szmb5VDnrUYb4sQlY/s1920/17.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrIvsk8DVZwlBuzi7DE3Pq-B5oLVkAcN-lUIlg3kxr91AO9xro2W2PuM3XW3NzVJ6DCiuwNBFb__SJ7PK4Gp811WgfmzXQ3eNdIo7HYQxV-GeGJtDLSlgUz6Hg9tVpkWo_p_HEZvJ9GC9vLw-sFxW3egJBXdXX3hmDiwW5i_SA0szmb5VDnrUYb4sQlY/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the plus side, the featured heroes's presence<br />may interest you in checking out their games.</td></tr></tbody></table>Really, the interest here is in seeing these guys cooperate. The mechanic allowing us to progress alongside our previous runs is a fantastic idea. I wished other games did this. In my opinion, it makes sense for the sake of name recognition to have the nine indie heroes here, as it’s like free advertisement for them, but I still think it may be the reason why the game is no longer for sale on Steam. That said, having parodies or mimics of those characters wouldn’t have had the same reach.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The game looks fine, and the music isn’t much to write home about. Difficulty-wise, I do like the very steady increase in difficulty, not only do we get more heroes as time goes on (with some joining the party after the first or second boss only), but the difficulty of the puzzles increases fairly. For those interested, the extra challenge of finding every hero’s 10 treasures can prove quite challenging, and there’s also the occasional bonus stage to try out. So long as you don’t mind going through every stage technically more than once, first as the indie hero(es), then as the kitty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItoY99Jd-5ltV_R2Xm70AWqFCby0p2TpcSUxGMfNezZ56z5ka6Bn75ZZmATMvMZPhnSg3PkG0YnRum8qVfIoUhA8zpGhu-Z7Qh88ETuB4EoyUizF_6kytG4jHCAJlo0ip2c16ppjRJmVsZshrzYXhwu16fr9Dg8lutUY-1bS3uIG1TS_sIaWWrGMcEh4/s1920/18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItoY99Jd-5ltV_R2Xm70AWqFCby0p2TpcSUxGMfNezZ56z5ka6Bn75ZZmATMvMZPhnSg3PkG0YnRum8qVfIoUhA8zpGhu-Z7Qh88ETuB4EoyUizF_6kytG4jHCAJlo0ip2c16ppjRJmVsZshrzYXhwu16fr9Dg8lutUY-1bS3uIG1TS_sIaWWrGMcEh4/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoot at them all! You need to get to the<br />pressure panels they're guarding.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Brightside Games only has one game currently for purchase on the platform: Zeit². It’s kinda sad that I can’t say “Go buy Team Indie”. That said, if it’s been sitting unplayed in your Steam collection for too long, by all means, check it out. It’s always strange for me to cover games that are no longer available for purchase, but it’s as I said – today, I felt more like a museum curator. Even those "Gone Games" deserve some recognition or to be talked about, in my opinion.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-43835608493234383952023-10-31T08:24:00.001-04:002023-10-31T08:24:59.048-04:00Movie Review: Five Nights at Freddy's<div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;">Happy Halloween!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yNWrn7TB-4YcQKm9MO0m-lPplDrf9uOdsGPkr01LVNGQ9UZzhE6G3A8WQcR1IJ8W-edtm7XFve5npH3rjJp9gNHyUZB-1SjTTd5-486j2Xqfxoft6KcdVjNw3DPSmx2zDxiF3MzKI0iw68bsdsAbswh9WcHY9OE-VdXaTaPZ5F8-W5uKaQr-DyYXtGs/s1000/FNAF%20movie%20poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="663" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yNWrn7TB-4YcQKm9MO0m-lPplDrf9uOdsGPkr01LVNGQ9UZzhE6G3A8WQcR1IJ8W-edtm7XFve5npH3rjJp9gNHyUZB-1SjTTd5-486j2Xqfxoft6KcdVjNw3DPSmx2zDxiF3MzKI0iw68bsdsAbswh9WcHY9OE-VdXaTaPZ5F8-W5uKaQr-DyYXtGs/w265-h400/FNAF%20movie%20poster.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RvAgQT2nUefbwWvEcOFIp_ZI8HmHXK_bYPhzvFecvTrCkfTzkZ3IPBRNd29Qq2fZ6jfI-SRsBxUCfpPvAThIlHhQ2d0kyrWj8jq9qIxc7SrXWc0I95ECyRiKIRy7sIh6p2gVL6SraVBzwD2KxYEix3IGq4eD800kjX60G77jfF72pEIO_1qimhVsV8M/s1920/FNAF%20movie%20titlecard%20ish.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RvAgQT2nUefbwWvEcOFIp_ZI8HmHXK_bYPhzvFecvTrCkfTzkZ3IPBRNd29Qq2fZ6jfI-SRsBxUCfpPvAThIlHhQ2d0kyrWj8jq9qIxc7SrXWc0I95ECyRiKIRy7sIh6p2gVL6SraVBzwD2KxYEix3IGq4eD800kjX60G77jfF72pEIO_1qimhVsV8M/w400-h225/FNAF%20movie%20titlecard%20ish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yeah, I stilll have that mask. As for the film, how could I not see this on opening weekend? I acknowledge the games for the important gaming and cultural phenomenon they've become as well as the indie horror milestones they represent. But I always felt more attracted to the franchise's lore than to its gameplay, so while I did review the first six games, I can't say I played them all for very long. A movie based on this universe was always going to appeal to me more in terms of presentation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I understand Scott Cawthon wanting this product to be as close to how he views his creation as possible, hence his status as producer and his name repeatedly appearing in the intro credits. We also have Emma Tammi as director and Jason Blum (of Blumhouse) also as producer. This film spent long enough in development Hell that knockoffs had time to be greenlit, filmed and released before this one did. (Speaking of, doing a compare/contrast with one of those, Willy's Wonderland, would be wild.) Cawthon can safely say the bet paid off, because the end result, story-wise, is exactly what we could expect, yet throws enough curveballs to keep things interesting to those familiar with the franchise. When it comes to horror, however? It's a little light. But I'm getting ahead of myself.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The story</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) is a young adult down on his luck. Goes from a job to the next, without much success. He is taking care of his younger sister Abby (Piper Rubio) after their mother died and their father up and left. He is plagued by traumatic memories of the time when he was a child and his brother Garrett was kidnapped while the Schmidts were having a picnic. He has been reliving the scene in his dreams to catch any details that could let him recognize the kidnapper, without luck.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Threatened with eviction, struggling with his role as caretaker, dealing with an aunt (Mary Stuart Masterson) who wants to take Abby away not out of love and worry but for the government funding it would lend her, and losing yet another job, Mike sees a counselor who makes the dreadful suggestion. The pay will suck, the hours will suck, but it's not like he has any other options. Mike ends up taking the job as security nightguard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a joint once home to bustling arcades and state-of-the-art animatronic performers, now an old and decrepit building that should have been torn down years ago. Really, all he has to do is hold this job down long enough to prove that he can be steady, and that'll be it.</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our protagonist doesn't start out too seriously, sleeping on the job a little too much for the first two nights. Unwise considering he's supposed to, y'know, guard the damn place. (Then again, I've done night shifts. I know the pain.) Mike feels an air to the pizzeria that he thinks might help his peculiar dream quest, and tries to sleep there against his better judgment. Hey, who would try to break into this place anyway? Sleeping a little won't hurt, right? Unfortunately for him, the threat is coming from inside the pizzeria.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's only by getting serious about this that he'll get make it out of those nights alive. Thankfully, he meets a cop, Vanessa Shelly (Elizabeth Lail), who elects to help him out and explain a few things about the place. A few things? Actually, she seems to know way more about Freddy Fazbear's Pizza than anyone should...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The review</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I said, I think the FNAF movie succeeds at what it set out to do: Represent the franchise in the best way the change in medium could. The feature mainly adapts the story of the very first game, but strong of the franchise's 9 years of existence and roughly 10 games, the story here has nods to a lot of events and elements past the first game's.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Adapting to film meant a protagonist with substance, hence why we get a greater story for Mike Schmidt, who tries to make ends meet for himself and his sister while investigating his brother's kidnapping, all stuff that's obviously absent from the original featureless protagonist we played in FNAF 1. From trailers alone, I was worried Josh Hutcherson's Mike would fall to the Pattinson-Stewart curse and be hard to tell apart from his previous, longer and more famous role as Peeta Mellark in the Hunger Games films. These worries faded fairly quickly in, with Hutcherson offering an excellent performance, blending well into the role of Mike. Major congratulations as well to Piper Rubio as Abby, who gets to show great talent as Mike's child sister. Lail is also noteworthy as Vanessa. (Also of note are a few cameos of YouTubers and Twitch streamers who did stuff about FNAF, like MatPat of "Game Theory" fame.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I guess I need to say that I didn't keep a close eye on announcements about the movie, especially in regards to casting, as I didn't know about Hutcherson until I saw the trailers. That said, casting accouncements, often made on streams, spoiled a whole lot of stuff, especially one role that I've personally avoided mentioning here, in order to keep the surprise if you don't know about it yet. Just gonna say - that role I'm keeping secret? It's great.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Obviously the story had to include more than the bare bones of a night watchman being threatened by animatronics for five nights. Much of the backstory about the place and its robotic performers is kept, though the film updates the setting from 1993 to early 2000. It pulls ideas from various FNAF games into a cohesive plot. Those who've followed the lore will recognize many of its aspects, while those who know nothing of the franchise will discover its most important elements as they become relevant. And for those who do know the franchise, as I said earlier, there are enough changes and twists to surprise them once or twice as well. This makes the film alright for both newcomers and long-timers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the points of interest here? Seeing the animatronics, which look so identical to their game counterparts that you'd believe they're CGI. When actually, they're there for real as lifesize models created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Shame on me for thinking they were CGI. It's not until they're seen moving furniture and interacting with the surroundings that it sinks in.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now, with all that said, I felt the film was light on scary content. Odd, for an adaptation of a franchise famous for its jump scares. Sure, there's a few and they're decent, but outside of that? Not much. Aside from a scene of a midday break-in at the pizzeria, with the results you can expect, there isn't much in the way of gore here. The film's focus isn't on the animatronics murdering people. It becomes a movie that's a lot more about Mike's survival in this situation (and, if possible, also seeing his own arc be resolved) than about the prospect of the gruesome end of an unlucky few. This decision does lead to the movie feeling too thin on scares and disturbing content, which may disappoint depending on your expectations. Fine for an easy horror watch but it won't measure up against more intense horror films, nor does it measure up to the horrific imagery from the games themselves. You could even say the film takes too long to get to the good bits and is rather undecisive in whether it wants to be more of a family drama, a straight horror film, a comedic horror film or a video game adaptation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In terms of adaptation and representation of the series, it's at least done well. Your opinion may vary based on what you'd have liked this film to be. That said, two sequels are allegedly planned, so maybe we're going to have FNAF movies with more oomph on the side of scares eventually. Who knows.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-45565301896498967822023-10-30T09:09:00.000-04:002023-10-30T09:09:36.789-04:00WarioWare: Get It Together! (Part 2)<div style="text-align: justify;">Continuing from <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2023/10/warioware-get-it-together-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a>… and we’re already at the (not quite) final stage! No time to waste, let’s get to it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The missing folks</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBOvPyERRJCj9mHolbI59TL58bGQshmaskYFPne22QgExE6t71q7ZB6-vBQQEjPzF2_QOrET5scJa168wo79Jn5sz_V9scHuDw7hSdbs5woGPmVTVZo4M_jUbniwETLDAxaSeRJfG7mG_8-TPTPiBEKYcz9OgU4ozijWLeO4EZp-fwjDxkOUKJZTz1ec/s1920/18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBOvPyERRJCj9mHolbI59TL58bGQshmaskYFPne22QgExE6t71q7ZB6-vBQQEjPzF2_QOrET5scJa168wo79Jn5sz_V9scHuDw7hSdbs5woGPmVTVZo4M_jUbniwETLDAxaSeRJfG7mG_8-TPTPiBEKYcz9OgU4ozijWLeO4EZp-fwjDxkOUKJZTz1ec/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, this boss is so cool. <a href="https://youtu.be/2x6b2AW-Xus?si=IgvPX3RUjVaQOHex&t=100" target="_blank">The glitchy effects before<br />the fight</a> were really cool, too.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgl4cNMoZKsA80Ctpq6AaU_Fxu_R6OQQj34TTngnJsTlRT95brDkJiCZAx7MBb8ePb4Y5eOivQOmF0ejbkxhowiq1KQsPKsnYgsfSSKqUHgMCXtgfWeM_HypTYAd4Wd4U25FsbWCAHQb4Ubk6bSpXEV8cN3cnvGoznb9igWuheOLJeJ4_5VevyYwe2AiXk/s1920/20.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4cNMoZKsA80Ctpq6AaU_Fxu_R6OQQj34TTngnJsTlRT95brDkJiCZAx7MBb8ePb4Y5eOivQOmF0ejbkxhowiq1KQsPKsnYgsfSSKqUHgMCXtgfWeM_HypTYAd4Wd4U25FsbWCAHQb4Ubk6bSpXEV8cN3cnvGoznb9igWuheOLJeJ4_5VevyYwe2AiXk/s320/20.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Win!"</td></tr></tbody></table>Wario's “Anything Goes” stage, the classic closer of the main Story Mode (with all microgames therein involving him in some way) is the one most bugged out. The glitches have even taken over the space between games! The greedy developer jumps in with a few friends. This stage is the longest yet, but also, between microgames, you have to fight the boss bug in the background. This is one of the most unique ideas I’ve seen in WarioWare, and it’s brilliant. Still, at the end of the usual number of microgames, we have won, and we kick the final bug out. Or… do we?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeU8k7I93bdrBTQ2wxFUevGE4eD6TJEBxa39NnB3JozY-MjrCEWJFRYtErAU6fBaQHv750ihhxj-2w6b1pOcuvsdV-F29qHBchH_Z7iJKO6pPWwNPKrtL8_39rXW41D_Q52TbPHtDgMAoRsCY83GfH90BrvqqGqoLuJCrbVV3YZKaBbi0vop0ezIV2mw/s1920/19.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeU8k7I93bdrBTQ2wxFUevGE4eD6TJEBxa39NnB3JozY-MjrCEWJFRYtErAU6fBaQHv750ihhxj-2w6b1pOcuvsdV-F29qHBchH_Z7iJKO6pPWwNPKrtL8_39rXW41D_Q52TbPHtDgMAoRsCY83GfH90BrvqqGqoLuJCrbVV3YZKaBbi0vop0ezIV2mw/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's the first time that the "space between games"<br />serves a real purpose and it's amazing.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEikdhdraPhdsD-Mv54dKz8yOeWiGxoxp0Svs-d0eOx_XSpbI927ss0vNiU6KNESSP_kiEEt_o1i-85mt8kYo2DKQUtYTV__iI15hURiDrpMOARad_tVDJtZe3g69bW0Shbnqr3ca2QL4n9WYAsCM5EJsyd8o7b_JBUaKYlDljDQd9fNwgyoR0KZJz5VbLE/s1920/21.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdhdraPhdsD-Mv54dKz8yOeWiGxoxp0Svs-d0eOx_XSpbI927ss0vNiU6KNESSP_kiEEt_o1i-85mt8kYo2DKQUtYTV__iI15hURiDrpMOARad_tVDJtZe3g69bW0Shbnqr3ca2QL4n9WYAsCM5EJsyd8o7b_JBUaKYlDljDQd9fNwgyoR0KZJz5VbLE/w400-h225/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woo, the crew's all reunited! ...Or is it?</td></tr></tbody></table>After a little bit of deliberation, Wario realizes that he likes the fresh spin this bug adds to his stage, so he agrees to let it stay in this area. Still unsure how to leave, though, the gang soon meets the Supreme Developer. This godly being bearing Wario’s nose admits to being the one who pulled the crew into the game to clear out the bugs. He lets them leave, but welcomes them to return anytime to play some more.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When they have returned to their world, the developers wonder what exactly caused those glitches. Some ancient artefact? Messing with the wrong person? Nah. Just Wario being a mighty sloppy dev as usual. Wario's angry employees chase him around the room. Must be a Wednesday at the office.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-q7GuyWp4HWxSqC3hTrz8DApsTzKzTt0osaae_CL-PdqD2rRDjdFeiTxdTXe0jqNKrHa2wkoppPmUPnU7Dmc9xIGeG6pJabaRJlFWS9_kN5C_HwDrJmAB8frj0KC0PKoyod_kPgT7PIirQqZ7uBUEPd-1LYNzkH1FWrmBRh3WVjf6hOyFa9R2jUzlTY/s1920/22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-q7GuyWp4HWxSqC3hTrz8DApsTzKzTt0osaae_CL-PdqD2rRDjdFeiTxdTXe0jqNKrHa2wkoppPmUPnU7Dmc9xIGeG6pJabaRJlFWS9_kN5C_HwDrJmAB8frj0KC0PKoyod_kPgT7PIirQqZ7uBUEPd-1LYNzkH1FWrmBRh3WVjf6hOyFa9R2jUzlTY/s320/22.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, Wario realizes there are people missing still – so a few devs must still be trapped! The whole crew goes back in and meets the Supreme Developer again, who informs them that something else is out there and has captured them… The group has to face the next stages, all of which are classic remixes. One with all of the microgames at random; one with all of the microgames starting on the third difficulty; and a last one with the full remix, but only one life. Through this, we rescue…</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhWp52QLvkQLHj3a1rvxdVZPlMo3Ll5QN1s72Iru3CQzH_JX23DHVAqUSSxj8CuSnTdLojvH533lHFCE6isVfnwGUUY3bzXbmnov7hQ-4uYgHH7O_4V4xDcLA9d3X0f4nJ7HZHUF7WpYl5nMZO2APIYG3FmwfeQDq4vLPces33OS-6dJgCrnBwEOFh6KKI/s1920/23.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWp52QLvkQLHj3a1rvxdVZPlMo3Ll5QN1s72Iru3CQzH_JX23DHVAqUSSxj8CuSnTdLojvH533lHFCE6isVfnwGUUY3bzXbmnov7hQ-4uYgHH7O_4V4xDcLA9d3X0f4nJ7HZHUF7WpYl5nMZO2APIYG3FmwfeQDq4vLPces33OS-6dJgCrnBwEOFh6KKI/w400-h225/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spider-Mantis.</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Red</b>, Ashley's demon, who flies at a decent speed around the screen, and you have full control of his flight. His attack is to toss a bomb down towards the ground; the bomb has decent power and its explosion can knock things away. Overall a great character solely limited by his direction of attack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Master Mantis </b>who, much like Cricket, is a master jumper. He can jump all the way to the ceiling. There’s a trick, though; if he reaches a ceiling (so the top of the screen or an item in the way), he’ll start walking on it upside down. You have full control of how he walks and jumps, but the ceiling-walk element can trip you up while solving a couple of tricky microgames.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><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/AVvXsEhPSNoVCoWaFr6rMeF40ZD57iqbLW9HYtkNM3U8I_qVx9fM4WnwxgCAQ58V3kILjdOzT8XTIlLo0SS6DhryrIUiK_9c94O6IsP-JKrJQ3-z8lzu5Im4z5cthoIQMMWOK-DFi5x4dfji2_f2IEQpr4HiuTBGG2dq8CXWR1nB2uc0jM4aOM5tPPJWF4dRdXE/s1920/24.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSNoVCoWaFr6rMeF40ZD57iqbLW9HYtkNM3U8I_qVx9fM4WnwxgCAQ58V3kILjdOzT8XTIlLo0SS6DhryrIUiK_9c94O6IsP-JKrJQ3-z8lzu5Im4z5cthoIQMMWOK-DFi5x4dfji2_f2IEQpr4HiuTBGG2dq8CXWR1nB2uc0jM4aOM5tPPJWF4dRdXE/w320-h180/24.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Considering Lulu hated Wario's guts in WarioWare<br />Gold, it's weird to see her having joined the crew.<br />This microgame, especially, looks like one she'd<br />really despise.</td></tr></tbody></table>Lulu</b>, the new recruit from WarioWare Gold, also has free movement around the screen. Two details: Her walking speed is slow, but her jump is fast, so she works best when jumping. Her ribbon doubles as a propeller, allowing her to flutter when she comes back down. By pressing Down while she’s in midair, she does a ground pound, a moderately powerful attack. She’s not a bad character to use at all, just a bit weird when it comes to speed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In each of these three stages, the crew found a golden item. Dr. Crygor thinks these can be put together to unlock a secret, but cannot quite figure it out himself, so he calls his granddaughter Penny for help. The young genius wasn’t at the office; she was at the lab, designing a water nozzle powerful enough to allow flight, like a jetpack. Upon receiving the call, Penny jumps in with her new contraption, and gets an entire stage all to herself.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><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/AVvXsEhXvJLUEsfY5V6ZOFM5E1BCMfvropgibffjXb8qwRhyphenhyphengRDlkqyTFa0nPP7Vb01LJ08R-nIKboHU6O33rOfWWaAKnUlcpQHTBbbp2ykqL83-m_VOsy9RYOQ-qKPMtLF1xeD_7C8iJHsotRsaroKpgpg-UhsWHArScmRBnYixXQNhCQlbTGgIwTOVqx2QT_U/s1920/25.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvJLUEsfY5V6ZOFM5E1BCMfvropgibffjXb8qwRhyphenhyphengRDlkqyTFa0nPP7Vb01LJ08R-nIKboHU6O33rOfWWaAKnUlcpQHTBbbp2ykqL83-m_VOsy9RYOQ-qKPMtLF1xeD_7C8iJHsotRsaroKpgpg-UhsWHArScmRBnYixXQNhCQlbTGgIwTOVqx2QT_U/s320/25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No need to turn on the faucet, she could have<br />washed the hands by herself.</td></tr></tbody></table>Penny Crygor</b> is one of the trickiest characters to use. Not the worst, but until you master her wacky controls, she’ll be a pain, especially when she pops up at random. Pressing A switches her between two modes: In the first mode, you control the direction of her nozzle, and she is propelled in the opposite direction. Steer very carefully, as she’s also subject to gravity. In the second mode, she remains in one place, hovering, and still shoots her water cannon all around. Obviously, both modes have their use, but can still be a major headache if you’re not accustomed to her. Her nozzle’s rate of fire is constant, and she’s shooting it fast, so she’s a good fit for microgames that involve hitting targets repeatedly. The game genuinely considers her projectile to be water, so she can cut the knot in water-based microgames by shooting it herself. (Examples: Sending water in a dog's mouth, watering a plant, cleaning shaving cream off a face, etc.).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhInFyezXm-RybsjQxsbCxvxfuK4oBGwB4bjX9pb-gaVj1TVbTwDXCwuP1B1QNdsMFX8M6uUNE71bM31JMrf3rzCOCVoMcWwBhRTzdOzF21bGaTMjx-TVryCwyWZgLzhu_GMWikqzoow6eq4f9nzBfmgSBeKoPsbpLcD3GDaxbewhBMcsHjF6lirazOhMo/s1920/26.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInFyezXm-RybsjQxsbCxvxfuK4oBGwB4bjX9pb-gaVj1TVbTwDXCwuP1B1QNdsMFX8M6uUNE71bM31JMrf3rzCOCVoMcWwBhRTzdOzF21bGaTMjx-TVryCwyWZgLzhu_GMWikqzoow6eq4f9nzBfmgSBeKoPsbpLcD3GDaxbewhBMcsHjF6lirazOhMo/s320/26.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A final boss fought with microgames?<br />I like this.</td></tr></tbody></table>Penny assembles the items into a watering can, which she uses to sprout a beanstalk that grows giant. Up the beanstalk, Wario and his crew meet the weird thing that was causing chaos… and defeat it in a proper boss battle, where every “microgame” is a combat round involving one of the devs dealing a blow to the boss’s eyes. It’s a creative fight that ends with Wario taking the battle to the skies against what remains of the creature, eventually knocking away its chocolate shell and revealing it to be… Pyoro, who has (somehow!) snuck into the game.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><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/AVvXsEgraLLRgXV_dkW-Xtx5waE9sPFMj5p-U2pjYJ1DmXGHg9n-E2mv2S61IllCuG6dea-wrrPHhynJiLmaba0CC4TtGA6G9R5iu1U7X3y6QLkmf8HK-jhrvpJOF3zLSjD-QLaxaWLNgz2FG7oMYhmH_fQPIpfYRfrdHQYnEOWXWu5cwGJIDR3Bi4GdLfje2eM/s1920/27.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraLLRgXV_dkW-Xtx5waE9sPFMj5p-U2pjYJ1DmXGHg9n-E2mv2S61IllCuG6dea-wrrPHhynJiLmaba0CC4TtGA6G9R5iu1U7X3y6QLkmf8HK-jhrvpJOF3zLSjD-QLaxaWLNgz2FG7oMYhmH_fQPIpfYRfrdHQYnEOWXWu5cwGJIDR3Bi4GdLfje2eM/w400-h225/27.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's like all the worst traits in a single annoyance!<br />Go away, you're no Yoshi!</td></tr></tbody></table>Pyoro</b> is the last playable character we unlock. He has decent walking speed on the ground, but he cannot jump at all; so, to reach high places, he must aim at floating rings, the same way 18-Volt and 9-Volt do. The gimmicky catch? Like all the Pyoro games in previous entries of the franchise, the bird can only shoot his tongue diagonally. The tongue will bounce off walls till it has reached maximum length. You must aim VERY carefully to hit your target, and sometimes the microgame’s timer is too short to let you try multiple times. I HATE Pyoro, he sucks in most games, and there’s little redeemable here. 9-Volt is worse, but at least I like the character; Pyoro doesn’t even get that honor.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Prezzies and missions</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lots of previous WarioWare games had a special area in which you could gather collectibles, usually toys. Things are different this time. After unlocking all the devs, the Crew section of the main menu opens two new areas. One goes over your stats with each character (number of microgames played, percentage won, etc.). The other is the Emporium. Although it’s not a part of them, the golden watering can is a good example of these postgame rewards known as the Prezzies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEin-9fRxJdKOgGjEWWhvKJPCJSaXbsAidkxX2yyUFGh2Nwx24OmZAswcS98Kwvp5GEGrVYoORyZURKb9v63iaMLR0hP7wbH9LvimYuyMC-SjxFxEVTTBvUmREqo32SQ4jcrPCuS8hIcvOt76zAcSyTPCY4mYCuruagRt7f60fFDTi9qCTAYUbniA1PCpQc/s1920/30.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-9fRxJdKOgGjEWWhvKJPCJSaXbsAidkxX2yyUFGh2Nwx24OmZAswcS98Kwvp5GEGrVYoORyZURKb9v63iaMLR0hP7wbH9LvimYuyMC-SjxFxEVTTBvUmREqo32SQ4jcrPCuS8hIcvOt76zAcSyTPCY4mYCuruagRt7f60fFDTi9qCTAYUbniA1PCpQc/s320/30.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many items to find still.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>There’s a hundred Prezzies classified into five levels of rarity. You will not get Prezzies from completing achievements or stages, which in my opinion is a bit of a missed opportunity. Instead, you buy them with the Wario Coins obtained when you finish a stage, when you beat a microgame’s passing score in the Play-O-Pedia where all of the microgames are catalogued, when you complete a mission and in the Wario Cup.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Wario Coins are used in the Emporium, which itself has three areas. In the first, a selection of five Prezzies that you can buy right there,, changing every two hours. The second features two gacha-style “Cluckade” machines; the first one costs 100 coins per Prezzy and picks from all five rarities, while the other costs 500 per Prezzy and picks from the three highest rarities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibwto0AcumiNYLd-m4P40cpOeoFTZdC0BNogQnS_dJHh0kayrbEWwJwuaVjMmeBvKnhNATlZRJU_5Z0Um7THk3TovZkXvkZB2V6kl7a5X4pweevoGR9u8iFwzpt70LF2IBp-Ec7zSJHF2L9eW6kecKpVyB5j35xf0ZDSp4be21_Bqtv2Qju2GQ-fTy9o/s1200/29.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibwto0AcumiNYLd-m4P40cpOeoFTZdC0BNogQnS_dJHh0kayrbEWwJwuaVjMmeBvKnhNATlZRJU_5Z0Um7THk3TovZkXvkZB2V6kl7a5X4pweevoGR9u8iFwzpt70LF2IBp-Ec7zSJHF2L9eW6kecKpVyB5j35xf0ZDSp4be21_Bqtv2Qju2GQ-fTy9o/w400-h225/29.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will you get one of the ultra-rare 5-star items?<br />Probably not, probability is awful.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhPSJ8GQTDBnviPZCcb6Qgo6bp7ThMGbH_yKZSYtxE4YI2RYBgRgXn72-BUxC6ZpG494FNtxi4aZ6Mt75XEhyphenhyphenzt2tGTwp1IKAOOaAVZY0iDW0hi_S1zHJicITcj7sqZ5HLveCyFU8DvBjwUGO4WQ9gYEa484P6VY4QVvjMvVc1kT_SzVbAtN_EMVYxnQio/s1920/31.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPSJ8GQTDBnviPZCcb6Qgo6bp7ThMGbH_yKZSYtxE4YI2RYBgRgXn72-BUxC6ZpG494FNtxi4aZ6Mt75XEhyphenhyphenzt2tGTwp1IKAOOaAVZY0iDW0hi_S1zHJicITcj7sqZ5HLveCyFU8DvBjwUGO4WQ9gYEa484P6VY4QVvjMvVc1kT_SzVbAtN_EMVYxnQio/s320/31.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's give them so many gifts they won't<br />know what to do with them!</td></tr></tbody></table>You give these Prezzies to the 20 playable characters. Prezzies have an Experience value based on their rarity and on how much the character likes the item. Characters’ item preferences are also split into five categories, from “I’ll take it but I kinda hate it” to “Holy crap you got me the thing I love most in the universe”. These Prezzies, therefore, increase each character’s level, which is represented by a rank going from “Free Spirit” to “Head Honcho” at Level 15 all the way to “Legendary Entity” at Level 30.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgbBT1PVHMC3wd0dn2iEH5HNUjyzc6FedWRWaGUJbcGZWVSa_dN1lTvGE9Mr2axlOHXEviuvs6RDdpEL2TfIPuC8fsw7g_XEZ357eFm-HN4f-1xcyoKXTfisuZbhJH1i-4fHzFaMEoJ83KPo3iqFJDLy2OZ05FChNTfG5d48qtDi2TfAm38dXOYTz9ZTqs/s1280/32.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBT1PVHMC3wd0dn2iEH5HNUjyzc6FedWRWaGUJbcGZWVSa_dN1lTvGE9Mr2axlOHXEviuvs6RDdpEL2TfIPuC8fsw7g_XEZ357eFm-HN4f-1xcyoKXTfisuZbhJH1i-4fHzFaMEoJ83KPo3iqFJDLy2OZ05FChNTfG5d48qtDi2TfAm38dXOYTz9ZTqs/s320/32.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That one's easy. Some others are devilish.</td></tr></tbody></table>The quickest way to earn Wario Coins is the Achievements/Missions, a whopping 270 of them. If you’re the completionist type, you're gonna be busy. The missions are divided in four categories. "General" involves the two plot-based missions (beat the bugs, and beat Pyoro), one mission for unlocking the microgames in every category, and missions for trying out the modes from the Variety Pack and completing challenges in the Wario Cup (I’ll explain those in a bit). The "Score" category has achievements for hitting a certain score in each stage, first with 3 to 5 characters, then with all characters; get the passing score in all microgames; get a specific score or higher in a specific microgame using a specific character who is usually a bad fit for it; hit some tough scores in the Variety Pack solo modes; and earn cups in the Wario Cup.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The "Game" section mostly involves quests where you must do something very specific in one microgame. Some require a precise character, others don’t. You can get some of these just by playing normally, but some are too tricky to be obtained by sheer luck. (My copy of the game is played in French, and sometimes the mission descriptions leave out important details in the translation… Gaah!) Last but not least, the "Crew" missions mostly involve raising a character to Level 15, then to Level 30, with a few extras.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Variety and Cups</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEh87cR37QdjOW4aCNw7DLiLKNjdlFOomGkU6HEwbsHhAxZd8l76oNhFIbk9SYZUmbQfxGLnES9EXwcDNNxe1zP8fXIIXkbCDkh_J76Jh0mXaegsUurbjoC6H50FB8Z5zGKY7O5ry03_59BakMQwNva5mDLcamPSp6hJtle-Y5dmQZMUEtpf5oI-WW4iLvA/s1920/33.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87cR37QdjOW4aCNw7DLiLKNjdlFOomGkU6HEwbsHhAxZd8l76oNhFIbk9SYZUmbQfxGLnES9EXwcDNNxe1zP8fXIIXkbCDkh_J76Jh0mXaegsUurbjoC6H50FB8Z5zGKY7O5ry03_59BakMQwNva5mDLcamPSp6hJtle-Y5dmQZMUEtpf5oI-WW4iLvA/s320/33.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get a friend to play with or against!</td></tr></tbody></table>The Variety Pack is a bunch of mini-games you can play on your own or with friends. True to its name, WarioWare: Get It Together encourages multiplayer in its base game (the stages and microgames) as well as these. Very few mini-games here are single-player, most require two or more. Notable modes include:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Daily Grind, a platformer about collecting contracts and switching between characters;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-Friendless Battle, a fight between the character you pick and an endless stream of fighters;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-A short and sweet volleyball game;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-A couple of modes about beating microgames and trying to distract or outdo each other;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">-And a Super Smash Bros.-inspired mode to let the devs duke it out. Damn, I’d buy a full WarioWare game like this in a heartbeat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWkRcBydHaQO3HZa1EOsDzWinuNZQVL_o-zmS6a0_luC-dlMM1wHAVEQvKCq-9NM54lnmr-hQo_lSlc2TaBF893tlUaHGLgC5h6NnFqPhy3jw_v0QGiwJLfAhPAkPbZ3-hNkeLFVNTwjEpRqG5nTpKTQ_QcuWGCQP_eODocjTOp8J-JSSrLunm6FPkNw/s1280/28.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWkRcBydHaQO3HZa1EOsDzWinuNZQVL_o-zmS6a0_luC-dlMM1wHAVEQvKCq-9NM54lnmr-hQo_lSlc2TaBF893tlUaHGLgC5h6NnFqPhy3jw_v0QGiwJLfAhPAkPbZ3-hNkeLFVNTwjEpRqG5nTpKTQ_QcuWGCQP_eODocjTOp8J-JSSrLunm6FPkNw/w400-h225/28.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How could you NOT want a full version of this?</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The final mode unlocked once all the characters are available is the Wario Cup. 52 challenges, one unlocked every week. Each challenge is different; sometimes you can choose your characters, other times not (ex. An entire set played only as 9- and 18-Volt). On some occasions, you’ll be playing a character as two clones on the screen (ex. Two Pyoros). Sometimes the microgames will be in a set order; or they’ll pick from a pool of themed entries (ex. Microgames that require smarts for an IQ-based challenge).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgdB75OOK5zsDXDb7p_JWXMb8S-qCHrv4sFZ5s8xbuyfGsijP5Z9qp6qBju6GPiz-ebidH4FALGX9CwMlBogiIXZ1Ym0lOz1LC2EPXcFSFYK_2p8Vr7vjf-8wpY400f7ymOFHPRs7NmCjEEJadCa_mglRAT8-teIOeE4X9tmlKJUrfou48HBgBk1dBSKOE/s1920/34.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdB75OOK5zsDXDb7p_JWXMb8S-qCHrv4sFZ5s8xbuyfGsijP5Z9qp6qBju6GPiz-ebidH4FALGX9CwMlBogiIXZ1Ym0lOz1LC2EPXcFSFYK_2p8Vr7vjf-8wpY400f7ymOFHPRs7NmCjEEJadCa_mglRAT8-teIOeE4X9tmlKJUrfou48HBgBk1dBSKOE/s320/34.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Pyoros means double the headache.<br />Thanks to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Peh-9Mkdozo" target="_blank">UTAGaming for the Wario Cup videos</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>Every challenge comes with Bronze, Silver and Gold trophies to unlock by reaching a certain score threshold. One interesting aspect here is that every playable dev gives you a different amount of points based on how easy or hard they are to use. Characters like Orbulon or Ashley give less points, while 9-Volt or Pyoro give more. Also notable is that this base score for a character can be increased by boosting that character’s level in the Crew section, by giving them Prezzies. So if you’re missing just a few points, maybe you can manage by liberal application of gifts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What makes this final mode disappointing is that you cannot unlock challenges any faster; it’s one per week, that’s it. I would prefer if there was some way to unlock them more quickly; as an example, if you unlocked a new one after getting the gold trophy in the previous one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Final words</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">WarioWare: Get It Together is everything we expect from the franchise: It’s quirky, fast-paced fun with a cast of colorful folks that gets surprisingly challenging down the line. Its gameplay is something we don’t really see anywhere else, a truly unique idea that still feels the need to reinvent itself from an entry to the next. This time is no exception, and giving the WarioWare characters centerstage for once may be one of their best ideas. For years we’ve had these characters and they’re playable, at last!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhrAp6prjNhaMwiFWHzp_HNBI7H6H1Pfck1ZsY7vsoHHvHwbl4EKAlgugBRaLi0eE4HRo6-oFVVACkr_mw6bqCF9fD62Mr_8VpZ1gm6NdUl1vmp-215LWTfYi9lkuW-nUvwSpGpL3hLnJMqwR-N612C79tK7eNaimh-VrJbk8Iah4ZVPqxGNTmo4Nm-bAs/s1920/8.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAp6prjNhaMwiFWHzp_HNBI7H6H1Pfck1ZsY7vsoHHvHwbl4EKAlgugBRaLi0eE4HRo6-oFVVACkr_mw6bqCF9fD62Mr_8VpZ1gm6NdUl1vmp-215LWTfYi9lkuW-nUvwSpGpL3hLnJMqwR-N612C79tK7eNaimh-VrJbk8Iah4ZVPqxGNTmo4Nm-bAs/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the worst characters are good in some<br />scenarios.</td></tr></tbody></table>Sure, we have the usual formula of about 200-ish microgames to play through, split by genre and experienced in packs that get faster and harder over time – no change there. The inclusion of these 20 devs who have different skill sets and attack options makes for a fresh challenge every time. That said, some devs are better than others, and some are awful to use. When you must play with all characters to clear achievements, you’re guaranteed to be forced to play some microgames with characters who are a horrible fit for them. Still, it’s impressive that all microgames were created in such a way as to be beatable by every character, and instances where a microgame/dev combo is nigh-impossible are extremely rare. (Side-note, I am still disappointed that Ana and Spitz are tossed to the side, with only Kat and Dribble showing up when you want to use the whole group.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhOm9uy1pNUFknUw-5_2VbxHh03evEY2zzCo8wuBFlNmH99IkyIbsb74upqcfqaFH8H1fHWssQONmSam30QKkh9Ltq-3i8Koz2UB3Jl452xYZ1n7dhOhtZ7k6zUE7hsO-_xIFecrgm-q8jlBLZ1fanb_UcK4QbO1kYLel28qpvCjF64AULi0iXwcDeSClw/s1920/15.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOm9uy1pNUFknUw-5_2VbxHh03evEY2zzCo8wuBFlNmH99IkyIbsb74upqcfqaFH8H1fHWssQONmSam30QKkh9Ltq-3i8Koz2UB3Jl452xYZ1n7dhOhtZ7k6zUE7hsO-_xIFecrgm-q8jlBLZ1fanb_UcK4QbO1kYLel28qpvCjF64AULi0iXwcDeSClw/s320/15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The further into the game you get, the trickier<br />some of the microgame requests get.</td></tr></tbody></table>The entire Story Mode as well as the collection of microgames can be played with a friend, while Variety offers options for up to four players. I do appreciate the attempt at including several multiplayer options here, though I feel the game would have benefited from allowing remote play. The base game is short, but the achievements lengthen the experience significantly if you choose to go through them. Between the basic collection goals, the scoring tasks that can be quite daunting, and the character-based requests, you can count over ten times the hours it takes to beat the story.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhahRy8ur7oSr85JnesafINvEuFPAkjrjAxUdbN5XCjbIppoLR-eoFace5iFtgJsPyvrGy09CQZYX89Y0oe_gVkvtMpdTdj6drjgp1s2zgxUZsTGDiDE62vMoJsfTBod_H7M4_XCGesMWqGqY0BZuYowOvJXPvO5y1ArlVIIL7yoJy87OMDEVnuKTGr8kQ/s1920/19.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhahRy8ur7oSr85JnesafINvEuFPAkjrjAxUdbN5XCjbIppoLR-eoFace5iFtgJsPyvrGy09CQZYX89Y0oe_gVkvtMpdTdj6drjgp1s2zgxUZsTGDiDE62vMoJsfTBod_H7M4_XCGesMWqGqY0BZuYowOvJXPvO5y1ArlVIIL7yoJy87OMDEVnuKTGr8kQ/s320/19.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some really cool twists in the formula, as well.</td></tr></tbody></table>All this, of course, wrapped in a very cool art style with chibi characters in tiny games that can vary wildly in look, and accompanied by music that’s excellent throughout. Overall, I consider this a solid entry in the franchise and I hope WarioWare keeps going as strongly over the next years, including with the upcoming game Move It!, which is basically a new Smooth Moves adapted for the Switch’s double-remote motion controls. Can’t say whether I’ll buy it, but I do hope it does well. In the meantime, I do recommend Get It Together!, it’s worth it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Expect more reviews soon!</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-56087144408008097412023-10-27T07:59:00.002-04:002023-10-30T09:10:00.088-04:00WarioWare: Get It Together! (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86LWXbBzRyahfH4vf9t8zgQZeqP6X0xKdlrmi_H_1h3g09VLITdr4J-hwTXtBYO2lDw_BFiq9vTDDIzrdN1r6iO_asJdyFF1hwIn6rSIm34u_GivBUEtFPXGmtF_AwZrKuUiYrhQVRAMFj5PgbLhI5IzztBRbcSS60WD8SGn8EVm30sn4sN_9r6vrJF0/s1920/warioware%20get%20it%20together%20titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86LWXbBzRyahfH4vf9t8zgQZeqP6X0xKdlrmi_H_1h3g09VLITdr4J-hwTXtBYO2lDw_BFiq9vTDDIzrdN1r6iO_asJdyFF1hwIn6rSIm34u_GivBUEtFPXGmtF_AwZrKuUiYrhQVRAMFj5PgbLhI5IzztBRbcSS60WD8SGn8EVm30sn4sN_9r6vrJF0/w400-h225/warioware%20get%20it%20together%20titlecard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Didn’t expect me to review a Switch game before the end of 2023, did you? Gotta slip one into my schedule. And I went for an easy one to talk about. Or… rather, so I thought. Anyway!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEguOlfW3v2PuBWoWdvo8VVx0FxRPz3wYN8hnhZWk_KTNX4_eqrelNKBApdpO3IGkeEbHSWBN__8E88RbkfN1a6gn85IGlpz1FrTBM7k7l6DRQX3_b52HWFh2IKNwjm6x86tKrET8jNndHuNtrDdzuvy0Rx3eMjXBpTnNO4XT7m6rp-Sf_Sm9oDa68gxmH8/s800/2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOlfW3v2PuBWoWdvo8VVx0FxRPz3wYN8hnhZWk_KTNX4_eqrelNKBApdpO3IGkeEbHSWBN__8E88RbkfN1a6gn85IGlpz1FrTBM7k7l6DRQX3_b52HWFh2IKNwjm6x86tKrET8jNndHuNtrDdzuvy0Rx3eMjXBpTnNO4XT7m6rp-Sf_Sm9oDa68gxmH8/w200-h200/2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Show of hands, who knew<br />about this one? Thought so.</td></tr></tbody></table>Past Smooth Moves for the Nintendo Wii and its focus on motion controls, the WarioWare franchise entered a bit of a slump. WarioWare D.I.Y., despite being a fantastic introduction to game design, did not do too well sales-wise and its pre-existing elements were lacking, especially when it came to microgames, the series’ bread and butter. Snapped!, for exclusive use of the DSi’s camera feature, well… you can imagine its limited use wasn’t going to help it. Game & Wario, for the Wii U, ditched the classic microgames for regular mini-games instead and, while creative, those felt too different from the formula.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">WarioWare Gold for the Nintendo 3DS was ambitious; not only are all of the main characters voiced, but the 300+ microgames (more than any other entry in the franchise) featured classic controls and ones akin to those in Twisted! and Touched!, owing to the portable console’s touch screen AND built-in gyro sensor. The mix included both new microgames and remakes of classic ones. However, the game was released in 2018, in the dying breaths of the 3DS, which did not help its sales.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwVwvcyNplb4RhDK5dvwTHdVEnaXr40ZrSLjYkulQUxcLqK3Lknlb8i0SfyXVyUjBXl-73D9ux_CoDPuAoPEnICKBIb3Lvp9_GGEk6eWkgZ6uVfe3TvNlr0n9p5-30xt7QCWe9ZxD1E-lo8U_HDLubrpDoCsiOEi7YIA-wGdTcDspPy_GiTUkPlHFOjc/s320/3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwVwvcyNplb4RhDK5dvwTHdVEnaXr40ZrSLjYkulQUxcLqK3Lknlb8i0SfyXVyUjBXl-73D9ux_CoDPuAoPEnICKBIb3Lvp9_GGEk6eWkgZ6uVfe3TvNlr0n9p5-30xt7QCWe9ZxD1E-lo8U_HDLubrpDoCsiOEi7YIA-wGdTcDspPy_GiTUkPlHFOjc/s1600/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A classic from Mega Microgame$!, back<br />for Gold, 15 years later.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The challenge with WarioWare is to find a new gameplay gimmick to base the entire title on. When the console itself doesn’t provide one, that is. The Switch brought back motion controls… but for those, WarioWare: Move It! is coming out very soon. Before that, we got the very quirky idea of WarioWare: Get It Together, released on September 10th, 2021. You know all those characters we’ve been following since 2003 and who are glorified hosts for their games? We can finally play as them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0vefA_pQRgfv2gdKEdavto30xtFGhyphenhyphenz9Lr9hnuQoN9nej5HWeHbaaeCg-4PAoRN8cG6L5uX44EjI-Rgp_EJHJzAtEeFjHl0f73j_lW0kDpVh9N-Or_iZuDNPEwq0gUWiEs6MeX2od_-8zzQP9GCxT5MuR28FVSwMGeb_qCNkkt1n3hOh-BzHg7LEZTE/s1295/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1295" data-original-width="801" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0vefA_pQRgfv2gdKEdavto30xtFGhyphenhyphenz9Lr9hnuQoN9nej5HWeHbaaeCg-4PAoRN8cG6L5uX44EjI-Rgp_EJHJzAtEeFjHl0f73j_lW0kDpVh9N-Or_iZuDNPEwq0gUWiEs6MeX2od_-8zzQP9GCxT5MuR28FVSwMGeb_qCNkkt1n3hOh-BzHg7LEZTE/s320/1.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Them Darned Glitches</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhEa5AqHyDYVybvTMGYKezyKthGPyAVzVB4LkbNbTCcYfh97HaVt1oINappFsbJxMngJ5jl1rp9HAQD5QaX-h-98RmbcnQ3lkZpjrBsJY4I7LVlS-VMYxBaHY7srJkJfVy-jNMZT_RZPQA8zxxmByo4AcYwruZ4k7XBgW7djGmi4Je4P8HfNpxuBMTFEZE/s1920/4.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEa5AqHyDYVybvTMGYKezyKthGPyAVzVB4LkbNbTCcYfh97HaVt1oINappFsbJxMngJ5jl1rp9HAQD5QaX-h-98RmbcnQ3lkZpjrBsJY4I7LVlS-VMYxBaHY7srJkJfVy-jNMZT_RZPQA8zxxmByo4AcYwruZ4k7XBgW7djGmi4Je4P8HfNpxuBMTFEZE/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshots for this review were taken from a<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ANirm5vfyM" target="_blank">Let's Play by Zebra Gamer</a>. Go check it out<br />if you'd like to see the full game.</td></tr></tbody></table>We open in the crowded WarioWare offices as Wario puts the finishing touches on a new game, in a cool portable console. He tries to show the gang, but the game glitches. In his anger, Wario throws the game upwards, but the console sucks in all of the developers, turning them into Chibis. Now, they’re all trapped, scattered inside the game, and must find a way out. Wario observes his new form, and laments the presence of bugs all over his usual intro stage! Guess we’d better find the others, as well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(Most of what comes next will be me reviewing all the playable characters, since they are a core element of gameplay and I’ve played enough to know their strengths and flaws. Also of note, when I say “Action button”, I mean A/B/X/Y, because all can be used to perform a character’s action.)</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><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/AVvXsEhnUrqmRyAqLydQ9HGCbgngCM20xl_QGO5GtuE1WevY6eHZrAp0zlIhDsaCTzp8347gfp4iKgN5049fp9IriPDP4pLqg8QEa-85Y1_ogkxDNT07_Qabiv35y6vDjl4QDZkplRGqXG3XeJB5ehbATBIqWtdK5gxdPrqrdtfgt6lcdR4Jz5G_qm-aJDCKdfg/s1920/5.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUrqmRyAqLydQ9HGCbgngCM20xl_QGO5GtuE1WevY6eHZrAp0zlIhDsaCTzp8347gfp4iKgN5049fp9IriPDP4pLqg8QEa-85Y1_ogkxDNT07_Qabiv35y6vDjl4QDZkplRGqXG3XeJB5ehbATBIqWtdK5gxdPrqrdtfgt6lcdR4Jz5G_qm-aJDCKdfg/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every new character comes with a<br />tutorial to learn how they play.</td></tr></tbody></table>Wario</b> notices he is now flying with a jetpack on his back. Awesome! Most characters in this game either fly or walk and jump The flyers have excellent mobility in general. Wario, with his freedom of movement, is useful in most microgames. All characters also have one means of attack, which is necessary to complete several of the requests in the eight-beat challenges. Wario’s weakness may be there, as unlike others who can attack in all directions, he can only do a forward bash left or right – not upwards or downwards. Imperfect but very versatile. Makes sense he’d be a starter character.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgsTCCm46WADixiKaSbVoJ9JGIhyvC4j9Db9sifC7jvkHfBVhyphenhyphenSYrF1jzFbkgRHvLg3wOFW-yq9IB9X3HZDvo4PdYmUd8v3vPlDvnJzcuJHO_rDWqBGEdlWm0UIeodbqD32_lf-o_WQjlgbofbvmrVlXlHn2XZ865l2XcdMnpT6cXqcsMEr3-RvqxJ3SSo/s1920/6.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTCCm46WADixiKaSbVoJ9JGIhyvC4j9Db9sifC7jvkHfBVhyphenhyphenSYrF1jzFbkgRHvLg3wOFW-yq9IB9X3HZDvo4PdYmUd8v3vPlDvnJzcuJHO_rDWqBGEdlWm0UIeodbqD32_lf-o_WQjlgbofbvmrVlXlHn2XZ865l2XcdMnpT6cXqcsMEr3-RvqxJ3SSo/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the first games you'll encounter: Swing<br />the pendulum to hypnotize the baby to sleep.</td></tr></tbody></table>Wario jumps into his stage in order to complete it and clear out the bugs. As usual, the Intro stage is the shortest and shows what the rest of the game will be like. And once again, we have stages with a little story that’s told to us before we play through. I always had the headcanon that those stories that accompany the developers’ stages were stuff Wario asked them to film, and that none of those happened for real. I may be right, as the mini-stories in Get It Together! are the most bare-bones the franchise has ever had. To the point where, when a stage is cleared and the new character destroys the bugs that were plaguing the stage, we never even see the resolution to that story! It really feels like something’s missing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" 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/AVvXsEiemQlWGeuOI3n3kiPWRg7_UaDTHTmnTj1pXtES5lb8kiGHwEKbI7NLbEQA9P1Nk-N-9YIDbMlx66jIW7E_UaVpXFA3QJTCSmQ2BMMCWQ1nzp1QoDIVl_Al5fJ0HPg_GMxSgoXGLzS_X8YVlAv6nQKkrKK5G8dfSI1Q3NObrhLC-2_YJ3huIkLrtHbx130/s1920/7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiemQlWGeuOI3n3kiPWRg7_UaDTHTmnTj1pXtES5lb8kiGHwEKbI7NLbEQA9P1Nk-N-9YIDbMlx66jIW7E_UaVpXFA3QJTCSmQ2BMMCWQ1nzp1QoDIVl_Al5fJ0HPg_GMxSgoXGLzS_X8YVlAv6nQKkrKK5G8dfSI1Q3NObrhLC-2_YJ3huIkLrtHbx130/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of all characters here, Cricket is the one I'd most<br />see with a platform spinoff. (Wario already has<br />platformers of his own, so he doesn't count.)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Early into his stage, Wario finds Young Cricket and 18-Volt, who proceed to help him through the remainder of the microgames. <span>F</span>rom this point onwards, every stage will ask you to choose at least three characters to play with; and for each microgame you encounter, you'll be given one of them at random. You will also be forced to use a stage’s new character. That way, you use every character at least a little. However, what is likely to happen is that you’ll favor the characters that are either the most versatile or easiest to work with.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Young Cricket</b> walks fast and has an excellent jump. He’s like a platformer protagonist! He can attack from up high with a stomp, or from below with his head. His speed and ease of use make him one of the best characters in the game, and he doesn’t have a gimmick that could impede him too much.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><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/AVvXsEjzbkhxsL-lLqZ6ruNloiMMJ94FHNdKJYP7MnnVrXLypuJme0YXm4PU8GxOWZJHCkDhsx64Vy5jQQ1NEFcjVDgGnDgIiHFmWXaT8obxJlOyWaGYR6roodX8aEybOeSEdwOyNsP_Emx1NUh1kZIIznKoBK1PxfY9Ybxh2ojRUBKtY5ljaimnpk9oLU7_hj0/s1920/8.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbkhxsL-lLqZ6ruNloiMMJ94FHNdKJYP7MnnVrXLypuJme0YXm4PU8GxOWZJHCkDhsx64Vy5jQQ1NEFcjVDgGnDgIiHFmWXaT8obxJlOyWaGYR6roodX8aEybOeSEdwOyNsP_Emx1NUh1kZIIznKoBK1PxfY9Ybxh2ojRUBKtY5ljaimnpk9oLU7_hj0/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You better learn to aim.</td></tr></tbody></table>18-Volt</b> is the complete opposite, and the first of a handful of WarioWare devs with a gimmicky concept. He cannot move on his own, at all; with the joystick, you control his aim, and shoot with the action button the CD that’s in his hair. If a microgame requires the character to move, there will be something in there for him to move, like hooks he can shoot at to be teleported to them. He has the quickest projectile in the game, but it can be a pain in the ass to aim properly and/or get him moved where he must be. I don’t like using him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Getting the crew back together</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Upon completing the intro stage’s set of 10 microgames (most stages will have 15), Wario comes back out with his two allies and the bug, which he promptly destroys. Well, that’s one done. The next area opens: Mona’s section. The team finds her in the area, bemoaning the buggy state of her stage with games all based around everyday life. Time to go in and do some QA!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tRh_zncgTSaXU3Vj5oRqRVAa4wKY1pe8Ck5GSkHbnVd4bJgmdiqdsy-itXMfks8mvLwmxDkohyphenhyphenclVYd7rSbhilz02nz4eH645ml-UA0Qer4WPV4ZNjxMDoZ15CCANjmkMWn7D83qT-CoJ2p_NoyHecoFVkptxYlA7n-yf2t0VI_YrLvatd1JUmGwj6M/s1920/9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tRh_zncgTSaXU3Vj5oRqRVAa4wKY1pe8Ck5GSkHbnVd4bJgmdiqdsy-itXMfks8mvLwmxDkohyphenhyphenclVYd7rSbhilz02nz4eH645ml-UA0Qer4WPV4ZNjxMDoZ15CCANjmkMWn7D83qT-CoJ2p_NoyHecoFVkptxYlA7n-yf2t0VI_YrLvatd1JUmGwj6M/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No worries Mona, we're dealing with 'em.<br />We'll need your help, though!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" 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/AVvXsEjyoLNz02hvfZz6wMeZqef6BHFErthhKVXn9GVLTRUSNusR8u7O1I0jMPTz8r1c9E9KU2FLyZi97Fl7JaOAC4ihQ1MR6UZ-IyVa9dYltDXPP00atFn4o6zeNJwT61VftEPZeisWsxLpy0slfMtX8I9si25SqITUGqnfwyMcTHe0z3qpyzKJABU7IjhDK-M/s1920/10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoLNz02hvfZz6wMeZqef6BHFErthhKVXn9GVLTRUSNusR8u7O1I0jMPTz8r1c9E9KU2FLyZi97Fl7JaOAC4ihQ1MR6UZ-IyVa9dYltDXPP00atFn4o6zeNJwT61VftEPZeisWsxLpy0slfMtX8I9si25SqITUGqnfwyMcTHe0z3qpyzKJABU7IjhDK-M/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course she has the nose minigame.<br />She's had one in every title.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mona</b> switches between two modes: In the first, she flies on her scooter and cannot stop moving whatsoever. Press the action button to swap to the second mode: She stops moving and throws a boomerang, her means of attack, which also won’t stop moving until it is either destroyed or returns to her. Hit A again, her boomerang returns and she moves again. You need to steer her carefully. In microgames where you must shoot repeatedly, and fast, her boomerang is sometimes not quick enough, especially if it has to return to Mona before it can be thrown again. Still, she’s one of the best characters, especially in early-game.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There’s not much about the plot from this point on until much later, so I'll discuss the characters we find, and their strengths/weaknesses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOET5iJgGcGJSa4ImVR2oQinJ-nCaXSlohHnzT5yhtLnSOd1pMHHQD1q2PyEi3k8y3BdAGob5xv1_oixwNeVnnHUYp3XVMnF2OWy5-AS4ENx8RLa_mpBM0OqdiRzLDE66mhVLy4HwJqCin1Qu2_WaDiKap7CeBJcvcK53PWUdUNYQlR5IWuJ0Cv6sv2Xk/s1920/11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOET5iJgGcGJSa4ImVR2oQinJ-nCaXSlohHnzT5yhtLnSOd1pMHHQD1q2PyEi3k8y3BdAGob5xv1_oixwNeVnnHUYp3XVMnF2OWy5-AS4ENx8RLa_mpBM0OqdiRzLDE66mhVLy4HwJqCin1Qu2_WaDiKap7CeBJcvcK53PWUdUNYQlR5IWuJ0Cv6sv2Xk/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spin the windmill, make the... monsters appear?<br />I should stop questioning microgame logic.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Dribble & Spitz</b> are two characters who play the same… sorta; both drive mini-taxis and wield bazookas. They fly around, having little to no movement limit, and also have really good firing speed. There is one catch: Dribble can only shoot towards the right, and Spitz towards the left, which can trip you up in some microgames. Also of note, in single-player, you will only ever play as Dribble, with Spitz becoming Player 2 if you go through these stages with a friend. Honestly, I think we as P1 should still be able to play as Spitz, it sucks that we can’t have MORE variety.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Dr. Crygor</b>, true to form, is an oddball. He flies using a special buoy, but cannot walk. You have to hold down the action button to make him fly around, which doubles as a continuous attack. While it does make him good in many situations, his weakness is his slow speed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" 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/AVvXsEj3eTv9fPzAYBuTHox8P2FSL0qWSDmTs6nFk01a_hZvHpHiE8QpfP1HpmmhSj3HO_zRmCp7EfAukhjOexwXTaDHS8pHhcnLDoZUL2JGIXqD0M3AQb2PmONKx4_A2XlfXTgzfQH_YQAivMHqmOWIei6uQi1On6JZ20CXqb8nrLIOFWYtXeZf1IlTDtzi7vQ/s1920/12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3eTv9fPzAYBuTHox8P2FSL0qWSDmTs6nFk01a_hZvHpHiE8QpfP1HpmmhSj3HO_zRmCp7EfAukhjOexwXTaDHS8pHhcnLDoZUL2JGIXqD0M3AQb2PmONKx4_A2XlfXTgzfQH_YQAivMHqmOWIei6uQi1On6JZ20CXqb8nrLIOFWYtXeZf1IlTDtzi7vQ/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As usual, 9-Volt's stage is packed with games<br />referencing Nintendo franchises and consoles.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>9-Volt</b>… oh boy… He is, hands-down, the WORST character in the game. He speeds across the screen on his skateboard, his movement is thus limited to the X-axis; and his mode of attack is to shoot his yo-yo upwards, meaning his attacks are limited to the Y-axis. Similarly to his friend 18-Volt, if he needs to get somewhere within the microgame, a complex system of hooks will be in the area. Problem is, he moves fast, so if you miss a shot, you’ll be left like a sitting duck for several beats. There are very few microgames where his skill set isn't a hindrance, and he’s a bad fit for the vast majority of them (including his own!). Even if you get good with him, you’ll dread seeing him pop up as the randomly-selected dev for the current step. He sucks. …In Get It Together!, not in general. The kid’s normally pretty cool.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mike</b>, found in the first Remix stage and with a major WarioWare role for the first time since Touched!, is also pretty simple. He flies and yells to shoot his attack. He can only attack upwards, making your attack options more limited. Not much new here, but he gets the job done.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Second Area</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><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;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGgEmucd2TMJwlRsE9Qd5mKAolEsnDo0p2KIQ-GS5o4tHy1RZBcIQKrIwg2NEcoqDf_LZBVhmEgyzFY65xuMKC0zwvBb0O-WZidFdcluE8QaLvSsUr7-TrGuwS4gCDThDg1x5e0BSd5xpCkioiDN7FVzpkd-_0ijllVKcbhvQ8K_raNyrrImz_IHJFdU/s1920/13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGgEmucd2TMJwlRsE9Qd5mKAolEsnDo0p2KIQ-GS5o4tHy1RZBcIQKrIwg2NEcoqDf_LZBVhmEgyzFY65xuMKC0zwvBb0O-WZidFdcluE8QaLvSsUr7-TrGuwS4gCDThDg1x5e0BSd5xpCkioiDN7FVzpkd-_0ijllVKcbhvQ8K_raNyrrImz_IHJFdU/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every time you have to stay in one place, the<br />ninja kindergartners don't do too great.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Kat & Ana</b> open the second area. Just like Dribble & Spitz, in single-player only Kat is available, with Ana showing up in multiplayer. Disappointing. Their gimmick is double. A) They jump nonstop, so they’re unwieldy and hard to control, especially if you need to hit a precise goal. And B) Each one can only shoot their shuriken in one direction, Kat towards the right, Ana towards the left. There are worse gimmicks here, but I dislike how they play and they’re characters that make me groan when they pop up at random.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" 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/AVvXsEjOUC1_P55zqSPsB2OL-iE3yrzmi0SWI4Vg-yP4w8KuUi5O73CabCOjlepJz7tg8UCk8Lq-JSxQQIkt5i-qJJpwEci_HXjswoe4_xiZZDS6L15whbeNWhpyAIb_bymfgneXh54qpJ2OSDUOcDwURka7ZnAg3mSmpaFE2fJPq6DPLqP8le0s2Ege91BJ2kg/s1920/14.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUC1_P55zqSPsB2OL-iE3yrzmi0SWI4Vg-yP4w8KuUi5O73CabCOjlepJz7tg8UCk8Lq-JSxQQIkt5i-qJJpwEci_HXjswoe4_xiZZDS6L15whbeNWhpyAIb_bymfgneXh54qpJ2OSDUOcDwURka7ZnAg3mSmpaFE2fJPq6DPLqP8le0s2Ege91BJ2kg/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He has expertise in dancing, not soccer!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Jimmy T.</b>, like Dr. Crygor, cannot move normally. With the joystick, you control his finger. Then press the action button to send him forward in the direction he’s pointing in. This counts as an attack, and he can repeat the move as often as he wants. If you can steer him correctly, he can be very useful in many situations. But that’s a big If, as he will otherwise be unwieldy, especially in microgames where precision is needed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Ashley</b> is one of the best flyers in the game, having full control of the broom she rides as well as a decent rate of fire with her magic wand, her weapon, which she can fire off in all directions. Not much to say other than she’s a great option and will rarely disappoint. Sole weakness? The wand's spell is one of the weaker attacks overall.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-1fnRn8QI_PftueevD3Fol4V86UacncTgaTRUEv5YZFGVuak3TeyEj15-eJ_xItth-j-vPOyMQfrJ4Ytc9-PSImTMPo5qS8NjM7oHzbUY4vRbKvf0rHptr8e9EUZsLbPVQimn2w1vF2kZPw4YVuToF0eaI5u_csEV5y9Yv6NCjblY9A9RHlWCa4CfRk/s1920/15.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-1fnRn8QI_PftueevD3Fol4V86UacncTgaTRUEv5YZFGVuak3TeyEj15-eJ_xItth-j-vPOyMQfrJ4Ytc9-PSImTMPo5qS8NjM7oHzbUY4vRbKvf0rHptr8e9EUZsLbPVQimn2w1vF2kZPw4YVuToF0eaI5u_csEV5y9Yv6NCjblY9A9RHlWCa4CfRk/w400-h225/15.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of the microgames I dislike the most, because you<br />must break multiple rocks on the plate without destroying the<br />candy or dropping it off the plate. Most characters feel<br />ill-suited for it.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><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/AVvXsEh-9TqgvsNGTZPcVVAqmhmCWWgz7GLRprflsiEZl5pwyjlaeoyUbFQPm2oF1oPnGyZbRnFOEUdKNcfbMbxqMdBbVh-QscxVC5pVZEqoCH14i0VWzaXNSjazEV6OMVT7eW7SlNQhcXE72qhbFSK6OGORY1G6UpUzhmFoQe9OUfk4id34ThTBepSAYmhbUgI/s1920/16.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9TqgvsNGTZPcVVAqmhmCWWgz7GLRprflsiEZl5pwyjlaeoyUbFQPm2oF1oPnGyZbRnFOEUdKNcfbMbxqMdBbVh-QscxVC5pVZEqoCH14i0VWzaXNSjazEV6OMVT7eW7SlNQhcXE72qhbFSK6OGORY1G6UpUzhmFoQe9OUfk4id34ThTBepSAYmhbUgI/s320/16.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">True to form, Orbulon's games are themed around<br />culture. His boss game involves controlling<br />the London Tower Bridge's drawbridge.</td></tr></tbody></table>Orbulon</b> flies around in his piggy ship and his mode of attack is a tractor beam. He has excellent movement and can only attack downwards, but it's okay. That beam? Depending on the situation, it can either easily carry items around the screen, or straight-up abduct them. Useful when there’s a lot of hazards and obstacles. Orbulon makes some specific challenges trivial thanks to this ability, making him one of the best playable characters. He’s not good everywhere… but cases where he’s bad, mostly those that involve moving items without his beam, are few and far between.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><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/AVvXsEji-9KmGj5BxDLQiZO1eyItYhA4iwqYCUK-VDWMvYZ54VOuNRLm00cRgbkyNVGKfH7swbqx16cBlVFqtQrL1-9MXcZrj8ys_Eh6z1R9tctXwBUQcVkZIW4IyzpdOwlJyUlyQ8OKOi_zNQw2b2VpRumvoerChgVSI9rZ42RzvB5aRlU-y_PRn1KI5j2j9BA/s1920/17.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-9KmGj5BxDLQiZO1eyItYhA4iwqYCUK-VDWMvYZ54VOuNRLm00cRgbkyNVGKfH7swbqx16cBlVFqtQrL1-9MXcZrj8ys_Eh6z1R9tctXwBUQcVkZIW4IyzpdOwlJyUlyQ8OKOi_zNQw2b2VpRumvoerChgVSI9rZ42RzvB5aRlU-y_PRn1KI5j2j9BA/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's when I realized that astral projection<br />really has a buttload of limits.</td></tr></tbody></table>5-Volt</b>, 9-Volt’s mom, is also unusual in terms of mechanics. She’s constantly asleep so her body doesn’t move normally. However, she… uh… astral projects and her ghost has full reign over the whole screen. You press the action button to call 5-Volt’s body over to the ghost, at the same time producing a shockwave. She can bypass any challenge that involves reaching an exit or moving past a blockade. The shockwave is also a powerful attack. However, returning to her body takes a moment, so she can’t teleport a lot in one microgame. Also, her immobile body can still be hurt, and she cannot teleport into solid objects. Oh, and in some situations, if you don’t use the shockwave right, it can have effects opposite to what you wanted to do. That skill can be great, but it's so troublesome that several situations require you to look for an alternate victory condition.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">5-Volt is unlocked in the second Remix stage, and past that one, there’s only one stage left: Wario’s. But… I guess we’ll get through that one in <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2023/10/warioware-get-it-together-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a>. There’s a whole lot of stuff I want to talk about on top of the various characters, so I do need a second part.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-91050621059607713852023-10-20T08:50:00.001-04:002023-10-20T08:51:10.439-04:00Sonic Forces (Part 3)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2023/10/sonic-forces-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> - <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2023/10/sonic-forces-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> - <b>Part 3</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Still no time to lose!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Liberation</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Resistance has liberated 1/4th of the world, so it's far from over. Eggman’s ultimatum ends tomorrow. We finally have a plan: Tails has found out that the Phantom Ruby needs an immense amount of power to work, and that its remote source is on the Death Egg. Time to destroy it! Considering how often Eggman builds those moon-sized ships and has them destroyed, I guess this is a day that ends in Y.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpLij-COyCx9D-MqDNOHz1CquoFAIYxqgVd2SUdDElnIAYZrEVh0By12JG6LWJUnVvY0TBxJY0CppoexzAtpTaAfXNWuQmlBDflewR-fLVRHKj17H_ntBb3BcrjlF2NXY3QUYAuObVs1CFDV6-6lcp5xyEc7AYurgz5q8buR_MCQ-BmyZIOxt7h1Uvi4/s1920/43.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpLij-COyCx9D-MqDNOHz1CquoFAIYxqgVd2SUdDElnIAYZrEVh0By12JG6LWJUnVvY0TBxJY0CppoexzAtpTaAfXNWuQmlBDflewR-fLVRHKj17H_ntBb3BcrjlF2NXY3QUYAuObVs1CFDV6-6lcp5xyEc7AYurgz5q8buR_MCQ-BmyZIOxt7h1Uvi4/w400-h225/43.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avy started out anxious. Scared. Now they fight giant robots.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgq57cK6Y00dSjnYwknobMRqCqEkUZE4SmPzpWEIwuHDGNvMWDkPV-gq9mpX5NOPmET9nNbXpQpbaamC1lYa7O9FGdqE7_PHpyWl3r2BVFPxdBZsa7vT4Wkj_bb6-vptgyyPXi7C9XgOqRP7MT0wJ8Ep1-HJiZWnybl8y1tNZe133Ty6OBNQSJY_FZr20g/s1920/44.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq57cK6Y00dSjnYwknobMRqCqEkUZE4SmPzpWEIwuHDGNvMWDkPV-gq9mpX5NOPmET9nNbXpQpbaamC1lYa7O9FGdqE7_PHpyWl3r2BVFPxdBZsa7vT4Wkj_bb6-vptgyyPXi7C9XgOqRP7MT0wJ8Ep1-HJiZWnybl8y1tNZe133Ty6OBNQSJY_FZr20g/w400-h225/44.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vector, disappointed, isn't the one this time around<br />who has to find the computer room.</td></tr></tbody></table>In Stage #20, Avy creates a distraction at Guardian Rock, near Green Hills. Meanwhile, Sonic sneaks into the Chemical Plant to break Eggman’s contact with his Death Egg’s weapons, by destroying the supercomputer in the plant. This liberates the area; we finally have over 50% of the world’s population freed. With the Egg’s weapons system down, the Resistance sneaks Classic Sonic onto the giant ship to shut down its power source and destroy it, which is Stage #22.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEi5UCKlcOyUqNZ6qhEVXXWGtYG9w-ntcmLFuqHK3Zc4dMtG2w_1bY8R5OKUjSdrX8Ltj9OR-EHjDLBmpu9dZyk4oZ_EgomaSVzVLvfhaBxgtiwTF-KtaVgKT0yA04KW5RM6epTaiCxvb5RpYXB1iV8zwzuMxZ7amY9HgQFjRM2mKAt3JYgTxZ7tGoxyHBI/s1920/45.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UCKlcOyUqNZ6qhEVXXWGtYG9w-ntcmLFuqHK3Zc4dMtG2w_1bY8R5OKUjSdrX8Ltj9OR-EHjDLBmpu9dZyk4oZ_EgomaSVzVLvfhaBxgtiwTF-KtaVgKT0yA04KW5RM6epTaiCxvb5RpYXB1iV8zwzuMxZ7amY9HgQFjRM2mKAt3JYgTxZ7tGoxyHBI/w400-h195/45.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The OC saves the main hero from uncertain doom" - Check.<br />We're 75% down the list of fanfic tropes. Most of 'em have<br />been seen so far.</td></tr></tbody></table>One major area under the mad doctor’s boot is the Metropolis. Since the Phantom Ruby’s power has been diminished, the heroes focus their efforts on that area. Sonic runs through the Metropolitan Highway to face Eggman. However, the doctor has two nasty surprises; one, he has a backup power supply under Metropolis, so the Ruby was not weakened. Two, the Phantom Ruby can create the Null Space, a pocket dimension where nothing exists. As Sonic is sucked in, Avy jumps in to try and rescue the hedgehog, only to fall in with him. This is the start of stage #24, but the Null Space part is almost nothing; Sonic and our avatar just double boost all the way into an exit and then run through Metropolis together to find Eggman. We don’t even spend 30 seconds in that pocket dimension. The hero come back and confront the scientist who, cornered, does a tactical retreat to his tower.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLN-ZVZS95n67ermSHCUBwXLd64MJGHIASkNFSfJZBl4LGKnAbDWE6m9NN1kQOzXL30EUspFj7R3xxrHqGtAY5jKrCrjvuELBXb6S7ibOT9hGs81vkYu6AY53UM4xNu2tyl51cPZknkPWbLN8wVLGKL_vbuqmTaiJFxA3clCm6Vmweyyi7aQhMvdvuKk/s1920/46.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLN-ZVZS95n67ermSHCUBwXLd64MJGHIASkNFSfJZBl4LGKnAbDWE6m9NN1kQOzXL30EUspFj7R3xxrHqGtAY5jKrCrjvuELBXb6S7ibOT9hGs81vkYu6AY53UM4xNu2tyl51cPZknkPWbLN8wVLGKL_vbuqmTaiJFxA3clCm6Vmweyyi7aQhMvdvuKk/w400-h225/46.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggman, bring your worst. We're coming, and we're angry.</td></tr></tbody></table><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEh9zA87OZ6Ugn8eVeyO7Ske1-FYqEKB2p1e66eRA4OYmni2c4TYSOMHQSV2KJYtrQCJdoH-vaApzMnCVOyISukHfPZtPcb6oCJOo8qHNx69Jsy42qol1MNVZFdeDvbTYmCA6JHKwCvJodfmqV8Pt_uEAuANyQ0KTkrs71BXZVN-FvybFOab8am0wEqzwJQ/s1920/47.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zA87OZ6Ugn8eVeyO7Ske1-FYqEKB2p1e66eRA4OYmni2c4TYSOMHQSV2KJYtrQCJdoH-vaApzMnCVOyISukHfPZtPcb6oCJOo8qHNx69Jsy42qol1MNVZFdeDvbTYmCA6JHKwCvJodfmqV8Pt_uEAuANyQ0KTkrs71BXZVN-FvybFOab8am0wEqzwJQ/w400-h195/47.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fake sun, doesn't matter. If nothing's done, the world burns.</td></tr></tbody></table>The Resistance gives chase and arrives at Imperial Tower. An entire army of Zavoks, Metal Sonics, Shadows and Chaoses is waiting, with a single Infinite leading them. It turns into a war where the heroes fight bravely against the copies, all kicking major ass. …Well, either that or the copies are very easy to take down. "As powerful as the originals" my ass! Infinite traps everyone in the area of the Phantom Ruby’s power… and summons a virtual sun, with real fire and all, to burn the Resistance down. There is one last hope, though; The Phantom Ruby prototype Avy picked up, which only answers to them, and which can allow them to dispel the illusions made from another Ruby. Our avatar becomes the only hero who can save everyone. Fanfic-y? Yeah. Awesome? Heck yeah. However...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Final Stages (…Incoherent Yelling)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEj_oxr74huvI7yn6IH9GfEPqdm888LlacllK9wbI3Vq-UI0VeaGE4ByNoMHk-pnTuMQrBfQBMF7W88IQmQQ_HQcBh0XG2jfgO6Rz1A8jYTbtvRSmfqvxKObUNtMkGj1GnmJG46XsYDHgNEChGbEwtJQOb18zkEwMYdR0NBaze0gfB6jfd9oTfgF4SPW5Ew/s1920/48.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oxr74huvI7yn6IH9GfEPqdm888LlacllK9wbI3Vq-UI0VeaGE4ByNoMHk-pnTuMQrBfQBMF7W88IQmQQ_HQcBh0XG2jfgO6Rz1A8jYTbtvRSmfqvxKObUNtMkGj1GnmJG46XsYDHgNEChGbEwtJQOb18zkEwMYdR0NBaze0gfB6jfd9oTfgF4SPW5Ew/w400-h225/48.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not pictured: The goddamn death ray.</td></tr></tbody></table>Fuck the level known as Imperial Tower. That stage alone showed why I needed a new computer, since my frame rate issues amplified all of the flaws I'll talk about. This stage showcases all of the problems I have seen in the platforming. First, there’s so damn much going on in the background that it gets distracting. Oh, and since the avatar is small on the screen, sometimes you can barely see them in that chaos. Oh, and they’re super-slippery, too, so when precise platforming becomes a necessity, you're screwed. The stage has very few checkpoints, and in the final stretches, to up the ante, a goddamn death ray chases Avy around! This is the Avatar’s last solo stage, so sure enough, instead of sticking to their skill set until now, we’re given a new gameplay skill, the wall jump, which you need to master in order to outrun the death ray. Oh! And the timing with the death ray is so precise that if you aren’t equipped with a Wispon that will let you bypass those wall jump sections, or speed through the stage at no risk of falling to your death, you’re fucked. And even with a Wispon like that equipped, the timing is stupid tight at the end.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iHPLIS_9MK88avm3bjdDKofIHUM5_RFZTpRWfy8D2md5ur7_Q2HU7hrqaCecdxQCZ9dDwyTSFSyF_e7WMyH1WhR8Q29b3dOXSy4g17uHQQ2GDy6U_qumPvh-NugXHFU_YPG1H58K3WSxeULGwxm7vQql9fs-bLQ66Tj1Bhyphenhyphennu9USJS8DIcvTG6-MMJs/s1920/49.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iHPLIS_9MK88avm3bjdDKofIHUM5_RFZTpRWfy8D2md5ur7_Q2HU7hrqaCecdxQCZ9dDwyTSFSyF_e7WMyH1WhR8Q29b3dOXSy4g17uHQQ2GDy6U_qumPvh-NugXHFU_YPG1H58K3WSxeULGwxm7vQql9fs-bLQ66Tj1Bhyphenhyphennu9USJS8DIcvTG6-MMJs/w400-h225/49.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh look! There it is! UWAAAARGH!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It’s the perfect storm of everything bad the game could have, all in one package! Fuck! You time out in a stage if you spend 50 minutes trying to beat it, and that happened to me with this one. …At least <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfKQNrfzoBY" target="_blank">the music</a> was good.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEi08Q66aIUEBp9-wh346kKeFtiW-E1wbk55uUW77p10mfV6bJnS-n4L17REs_6UOj8VKk0NcGUxU2CpUVevOP9GxJR-CZJiYPZoRxqrwtNAijUAqdaI4t-Al87VdYFUuAjWD2QuIbTVmMc_s3QFVzoj71Biq-HYAIs0Sl-OKZVcdsUlxA2XGmDbAO_tJ_M/s1920/50.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08Q66aIUEBp9-wh346kKeFtiW-E1wbk55uUW77p10mfV6bJnS-n4L17REs_6UOj8VKk0NcGUxU2CpUVevOP9GxJR-CZJiYPZoRxqrwtNAijUAqdaI4t-Al87VdYFUuAjWD2QuIbTVmMc_s3QFVzoj71Biq-HYAIs0Sl-OKZVcdsUlxA2XGmDbAO_tJ_M/w400-h225/50.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to kick that masked bastard's teeth in a final time!</td></tr></tbody></table>Avy reaches the top of the tower and dispels the fake sun, saving everyone. Time for a counterattack! We get a stage with Sonic dashing through the enemy defenses in the Canyon, it's easy compared to Imperial Tower. Then, we have a tag team boss battle against Infinite, which is… well, not easy, but not as tough as I thought it would be; the big trouble is that you can’t miss one chance to hit him, because the road you’re on has a dead end and if you reach it, the red cubes that chase the heroes all stage catch up to them and kill them. Is it me or these late-game stages and bosses employ a whole lot of cheap tricks to increase the difficulty for no good reason? Oh, and that boss battle plays out too identical to the fight against Metal Sonic from earlier. That's disappointing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once defeated, Infinite vanishes, as if recalled to the doctor. Or… It’s more like there was nothing left of a real person and this body, too, was an illusion from the Phantom Ruby, which reabsorbed it. It’s unclear. Stage #28 takes Classic Sonic through Eggman’s Iron Fortress, then we have another tag team stage with Sonic and Avy mostly just dashing along a thin strip of terrain covered in enemies and hazards in order to reach the reactor at the bottom of the tower, which they promptly destroy before hurrying out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcEywgdONHGACGwMC__QrACmFEO3UgByUVuQxfd2FQ9m3dJPh1glnEZUxOYa3bEX9CibSPwBG1XSkQy6f3gwQzdfX4V9SYeA9nTjiyRWiXmQ0AbFSRoedw1SFacXfp1DqjY8o13wt8yziTiXJb-jLSb2URaU-1nJ-uAb4Lc4RytAEPol46Tt_gMh_XAY/s1920/51.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcEywgdONHGACGwMC__QrACmFEO3UgByUVuQxfd2FQ9m3dJPh1glnEZUxOYa3bEX9CibSPwBG1XSkQy6f3gwQzdfX4V9SYeA9nTjiyRWiXmQ0AbFSRoedw1SFacXfp1DqjY8o13wt8yziTiXJb-jLSb2URaU-1nJ-uAb4Lc4RytAEPol46Tt_gMh_XAY/w400-h225/51.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good thing Avy can keep up with the Fastest Thing Alive!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivE_4kutAHpCHJdBQYAPKGsZzjwdyPCXY21SCAIMQcyq4KjO08BF0FBcIv8qxJVWTa74v6ZgX3PTaxFqLxKeCth4mslPMj7yVHCuAzn76Wby2jBe2AsC6ZrJSUsIvlCG_9QET03WDsJGLVf307UEQjNT3COFXxWHHufquCexugEoP_9eR5S_gPui83LkA/s1920/52.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivE_4kutAHpCHJdBQYAPKGsZzjwdyPCXY21SCAIMQcyq4KjO08BF0FBcIv8qxJVWTa74v6ZgX3PTaxFqLxKeCth4mslPMj7yVHCuAzn76Wby2jBe2AsC6ZrJSUsIvlCG_9QET03WDsJGLVf307UEQjNT3COFXxWHHufquCexugEoP_9eR5S_gPui83LkA/w400-h225/52.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>But now, it's Eggman’s turn to play. Wielding the original Ruby (and showing greater skill than Infinite ever did with his prototype), he has powered up a massive Death Egg Robot. The final boss has three phases; one as Classic Sonic (another retread, this time of the Egg Dragoon, but with trickier terrain) and a second as the avatar (trickier but manageable)… Eggman is so angry that he's silent for the final phase; something so out-of-character that fans theorize that the Ruby had also taken control of him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhOCNxwGJtBIc3cZQIwbOPBqfBkFiGa03c1_1CfxdTs7MMkcHAOmLA_ICmposA5Relj2yJbCsFGpk3k2RArjCcqN1Ns8wLv2591ajFlJBjGaEGxRw37FJ9e5qw0t3LzYrn99LEhGVT_wvNmDYKTvONG3zMgAvVFdMY3FpMaFFyyu5CRrHEjNj75yoJK4tA/s1920/53.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCNxwGJtBIc3cZQIwbOPBqfBkFiGa03c1_1CfxdTs7MMkcHAOmLA_ICmposA5Relj2yJbCsFGpk3k2RArjCcqN1Ns8wLv2591ajFlJBjGaEGxRw37FJ9e5qw0t3LzYrn99LEhGVT_wvNmDYKTvONG3zMgAvVFdMY3FpMaFFyyu5CRrHEjNj75yoJK4tA/w400-h225/53.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggman sure seems to have grown fond of making<br />tentacled robots lately.</td></tr></tbody></table>Out of the mega robot emerges a smaller one that’s just as dangerous, with the Ruby in its maw; it traps Avy and both Sonics in Null Space for Phase 3. I knew the pocket dimension would return! This boss was really tough, because the proper way to harm it is to chain nine homing attacks at once, using all three characters. Not so bad with a good frame rate… which was a luxury I didn't have. Its attacks can be pretty hard to avoid. When the Death Egg Robot is down to its last HP, you have to do a successful <strike>double</strike> triple boost. Those happened in past tag team stages but it wasn’t necessary to do them right; Sonic and Avy would stumble but the boost would work anyway. No such luck here. You better figure out how that mechanic works if you want to win.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEj3N-uGHbXhyphenhyphenwMJUFjVJczE_QWAawG9hLEPjPgCUEptJP8FwRw3wPNswNTCEfPIkXWNdzKPvAJ2ty9R8FeVNW5SlZETq7PlmzSAVSp3IihdscQOThjwmj1oIkv1ox9SexgvrtQeeko1q_Ajf2K6vPuEth7IY1jSxn4pFveHv0RqNGb2wZCoGtpBkSmB4pA/s1920/54.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3N-uGHbXhyphenhyphenwMJUFjVJczE_QWAawG9hLEPjPgCUEptJP8FwRw3wPNswNTCEfPIkXWNdzKPvAJ2ty9R8FeVNW5SlZETq7PlmzSAVSp3IihdscQOThjwmj1oIkv1ox9SexgvrtQeeko1q_Ajf2K6vPuEth7IY1jSxn4pFveHv0RqNGb2wZCoGtpBkSmB4pA/w400-h195/54.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Avatar did rise from nothing to legend.</td></tr></tbody></table>With that boss defeated at last, Eggman is down. The Ruby warps back to its timeline. The enemy copies on the battlefield vanish, and everyone rejoices. It is farewell for Classic Sonic, who returns to his home dimension to tearful goodbyes from Tails. Sonic suggests the group starts cleaning the mess Eggman has left behind with his takeover. The Resistance, victorious, is disbanded. As for Avy, who’s gone from an anxious zero to a proud, world-saving hero, they are celebrated all around but also announce… sorta, since they barely talk… that they choose to travel the world to go where heroes are needed. More goodbyes, though Avy stops by to have a friendship moment with Sonic, before the two part ways. To new adventures!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3Wwj-03sb_1z8VA4gbrsD5WFNrQPhJb0iJ7WB3c8SNud5l53tGEx50ZfVbfxW8EhThzz8I78JNriZovB9yHk3j4roE29VSEWbHKTFTVEDV3aWCUvK3O1qd2svy6qPyQwN2OGQFmpQrsG23-kiZgp8jHA-IWL8O-xZztiIPs26zJL5WXejRCTfye8MUM/s1920/55.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3Wwj-03sb_1z8VA4gbrsD5WFNrQPhJb0iJ7WB3c8SNud5l53tGEx50ZfVbfxW8EhThzz8I78JNriZovB9yHk3j4roE29VSEWbHKTFTVEDV3aWCUvK3O1qd2svy6qPyQwN2OGQFmpQrsG23-kiZgp8jHA-IWL8O-xZztiIPs26zJL5WXejRCTfye8MUM/w400-h195/55.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♪♫ One more last fist bump ♪♫</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Episode Shadow</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When you finish the game, you unlock the ability to create more avatars. I’m tempted to design a whole team for Avy now-</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEh6TtoVmw_Dm9-bKujVTjSuQHrVUxz4Bu5yXexFSqpXfxOoer_EFDYA8xG58mrTlOcmq0QsnPZc-zZwMVYaPVFBMmro51Hpi1OIp4nkQGiBuvsF9rJXRB5x7rsQsAwz18DyD4dTyMvX1iVY7fofn5DDGWtkNJd3WKF8G7_Rf496ZbXRoH1l5ABFybRR_9Q/s1920/56.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6TtoVmw_Dm9-bKujVTjSuQHrVUxz4Bu5yXexFSqpXfxOoer_EFDYA8xG58mrTlOcmq0QsnPZc-zZwMVYaPVFBMmro51Hpi1OIp4nkQGiBuvsF9rJXRB5x7rsQsAwz18DyD4dTyMvX1iVY7fofn5DDGWtkNJd3WKF8G7_Rf496ZbXRoH1l5ABFybRR_9Q/w400-h225/56.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The OG edgy, back in action!</td></tr></tbody></table>Nah. That can wait. However, there is one extra I barely mentioned so far: The “Episode Shadow” DLC, three stages that serve as a prequel to the events of the game. Shadow’s stages are remixed versions of three of the main game’s stages; the biggest change is in the hazards. In them, Shadow is sent by Rouge to investigate a little enemy base with an odd level of activity. We explore the City and get reports of E-123 Omega, Shadow’s robotic friend, in danger.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgMgdEIgnvckMnhYUzb-8tvEijQ6h-yiBsKuJSslGzH2TJSXOOymdW3pjH8NmZ2fQ-oYEnZQpsWXc1vTgrsusWsmXHxk9IFogpL9f0GvsjcZfRe96mUSSZi_JULPb4DoaPygQxeUeXPBRCHdRnc76Vocmah-1jstlD-61EcTk1EnruEQN0eehV_cEHXz_g/s1920/57.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgdEIgnvckMnhYUzb-8tvEijQ6h-yiBsKuJSslGzH2TJSXOOymdW3pjH8NmZ2fQ-oYEnZQpsWXc1vTgrsusWsmXHxk9IFogpL9f0GvsjcZfRe96mUSSZi_JULPb4DoaPygQxeUeXPBRCHdRnc76Vocmah-1jstlD-61EcTk1EnruEQN0eehV_cEHXz_g/w400-h195/57.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I talked about kicking Infinite's teeth in, but it looks<br />like Shadow did it first.</td></tr></tbody></table>This is how Shadow encounters Infinite in his Ruby-powered form. We flash back to a month earlier, where Shadow investigates Eggman's base Mystic Jungle. He easily kills the Jackal Squad that was defending the place, and at the end of the stage, he meets the squad’s leader. The “Ultimate Mercenary”, the one who would become Infinite. Shadow delivers a rough beatdown to the jackal, even mocking his opponent’s weakness and dropping a “Never show your face around me again”. Shadow would be the reason Infinite masked himself and took on the Ruby. We never get a good look at Infinite’s real face. (Good thing the comics exist, huh?)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjJgnWNt-PfOywnmJNQRB6rwTw0LJkWLXvNHfA9GCThByC7nxw8Yt6UsN_EDLX1NoOc2w23lgf5CzxWivwQFBOgbjm_fEArKjXFOLXNj-N6hyX0TFFigv96ssf_Jz8TWBqPbeDaKK-X68EzFuDBox10O-B4Oa1xK_jM9HR-UAz6flTwv73mPRlW1HgUHCI/s1920/58.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgnWNt-PfOywnmJNQRB6rwTw0LJkWLXvNHfA9GCThByC7nxw8Yt6UsN_EDLX1NoOc2w23lgf5CzxWivwQFBOgbjm_fEArKjXFOLXNj-N6hyX0TFFigv96ssf_Jz8TWBqPbeDaKK-X68EzFuDBox10O-B4Oa1xK_jM9HR-UAz6flTwv73mPRlW1HgUHCI/w400-h225/58.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red squares... beware.</td></tr></tbody></table>Back to the present day, Shadow is soon told that he’s been had; E-123 was never broken. Shadow has been tricked into a virtual version of Green Hills, with batches of red and black cubes attacking him. Shadow barely makes it out alive, coming out of the illusion just in time to hear about something happening in the city. Namely, Sonic being defeated by Infinite and four of his past enemies…</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I would’ve liked this to be more than three stages, even if just two more. It helps flesh out Infinite a little more than the base game does, but it still feels like it’s not enough. Yet again – good thing the prequel comics exist, as they show why, despite the events of this DLC, E-123 Omega is broken at the start of Forces. It would’ve been nice to have that as part of the package rather than as side-stuff. Well, at least you can now play as Shadow any of the game’s stages featuring Modern Sonic solo, that’s cool.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBm8JcVPFyovi2v0hwS6LByOGH3yfiSoe1zex6PnYLNoUy1CeppL11n0be7YbQTmMPV7X665frt5GXugmxRTHgj2IAu-XJzDDYH2QMJw3YATGXBv74kR3aWNJKBdJKH5m5Ywv7EVCO5o5EhAiXOkn3_sU3Bb8Qs35lGhrrcwZZn0-vHViwWHszQYGPwgc/s1920/59.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBm8JcVPFyovi2v0hwS6LByOGH3yfiSoe1zex6PnYLNoUy1CeppL11n0be7YbQTmMPV7X665frt5GXugmxRTHgj2IAu-XJzDDYH2QMJw3YATGXBv74kR3aWNJKBdJKH5m5Ywv7EVCO5o5EhAiXOkn3_sU3Bb8Qs35lGhrrcwZZn0-vHViwWHszQYGPwgc/w400-h225/59.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This mini-arc could have ended on a perfect note with a<br />boss battle against a fake Infinite. That might've been cool.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Final thoughts: Gameplay</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Phew!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is a weird case where I was afraid my hardware issues would taint my final opinion of Sonic Forces. They did, but not as much as I thought they would. Even disregarding my issues with performance, there’s a lot here that’s flawed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEj6jFYDqwOrjGX2x50W5S1Zvqw-xYNwpC-c5ehQUU0SADAwSeNd0O-59h15pcXlAXpViIr7GnrjpfX48IRrUNpKOrjOjgYJP4hOjAlMeo4uMwYFloGPUrvQewXvWoXKVzp0dGvHdka0uB_hSsUgVBFtab-D-Jk2k6GSPFKs0BtyFdey2sR1ApuvFsfGiAo/s1360/14.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1360" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jFYDqwOrjGX2x50W5S1Zvqw-xYNwpC-c5ehQUU0SADAwSeNd0O-59h15pcXlAXpViIr7GnrjpfX48IRrUNpKOrjOjgYJP4hOjAlMeo4uMwYFloGPUrvQewXvWoXKVzp0dGvHdka0uB_hSsUgVBFtab-D-Jk2k6GSPFKs0BtyFdey2sR1ApuvFsfGiAo/w400-h225/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you use them right, the avatar can be downright<br />broken in gameplay, with how good they can be.</td></tr></tbody></table>Gameplay first. The good stuff: There’s nice variety here, with the ability to play as Sonic, as our avatar, as a tag team of both, or as Classic Sonic. Bonus material will even let us play as Shadow. There's a nice balance between stage types as well. The character creator has excellent depth, featuring seven playable species each with their own skill, and a myriad of customization options, from facial expression to body color to clothing, and they’ll appear as designed in both cutscenes and gameplay. The Wispons allow for a lot of play styles, though some Wispons are way better than others. The Avatar is a lot of fun to use in general. The inclusion of missions, with customization options as rewards for general missions and a score/experience boost gained by completing daily missions. We have the sweet balance between 3D and 2.5D, common in modern Sonic games. 30 stages is okay as far as game length goes, but there’s a good amount of special and extra stages to unlock, as well as SOS versions of story stages, though those give you very little margin for error.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh, and the music? Sonic games are frequently praised for their music and this one is no exception, having no shortage of memorable tracks (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCkWlRL3_N0" target="_blank">Fist Bump</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki_Nn95hj48" target="_blank">Infinite’s theme</a>, even the tracks heard in some stages, like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGAxqF5skrQ" target="_blank">Fighting Onward</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT-e-yVK4oc" target="_blank">Fading World</a>). So much good music. I could see myself doing a playlist of those.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSWeOkyjqkcK2NLFgjc3NYBuELtEkDEPYOPI1tk9AovhNyFkovxWaFwIOETJFbnwcPL9wuQ-LsJorX_0dfYv-wN7X8JXOS7IchyphenhyphenDfSaC5DnUS550wmenaFV4cV6QnHBmEs0o6SGkkV03J2JLUdOr0XPCLaOFii18kMagqidoajz965KhSexmSCrQ4UY4/s1920/22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXSWeOkyjqkcK2NLFgjc3NYBuELtEkDEPYOPI1tk9AovhNyFkovxWaFwIOETJFbnwcPL9wuQ-LsJorX_0dfYv-wN7X8JXOS7IchyphenhyphenDfSaC5DnUS550wmenaFV4cV6QnHBmEs0o6SGkkV03J2JLUdOr0XPCLaOFii18kMagqidoajz965KhSexmSCrQ4UY4/w400-h225/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, and Classic is heavy and feels slow... which is weird<br />to say of a Sonic.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiC60gd0ZuTg1aW2pYarcscmlIX9YnWpLwrIRHo45hBKG9_d_5TxAASqFJldia20vQVHpvzEQgrl9iNDJSpXWmCwiG7asWwASyk52usLywd-kvQRg_yTdM8tpAg0wSYM6pTWSoD7CyHrV5zcZQoEvrRlJ5u09Ut8wg9g3Dris5hD35gQ_bnhe6cBaiZTcU/s1920/49.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC60gd0ZuTg1aW2pYarcscmlIX9YnWpLwrIRHo45hBKG9_d_5TxAASqFJldia20vQVHpvzEQgrl9iNDJSpXWmCwiG7asWwASyk52usLywd-kvQRg_yTdM8tpAg0wSYM6pTWSoD7CyHrV5zcZQoEvrRlJ5u09Ut8wg9g3Dris5hD35gQ_bnhe6cBaiZTcU/w400-h225/49.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This would have been tough even without the death ray.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The not so good: The massive amount of moving detail in all stages, which does make for amazing visuals, but is a resouree pain at best, a distraction at worst. The constant chatter from other characters while you’re going through a level can add on to the distraction. Classic Sonic’s stages go with his homing attack-free playstyle and it can easily trip a player up, not to mention his stages aren’t particularly creative, pulling from overdone 2D Sonic tropes. Quick-time events, while present, are usually lenient enough to not be a bother. The worst one is the button mash for the double boost, which you can play the entire game without mastering, until the very end where you do have to pull it off perfectly to finish off the final boss. “Episode Shadow” is much-welcome, but too short. Some of the last boss battles are retreads of previous ones. Cheap tricks like a time limit don’t help, either. Infinite’s abilities are good in cutscenes, but he doesn’t use them in enough within gameplay – I wished the game had more trippy stages like the one in Metropolis.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh, and I will never forgive the utter pain in the ass that was Imperial Tower. Super smart idea there to give you a new skill at the very end of the story, and then put you through a course where you have to master that skill right away if you want to win… Augh! Although, with all that said, my hardware issues aside (causing me no end of headaches when precision and quick reflexes were needed), most stages and the overall difficulty of the game veered towards easy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Final thoughts: Story</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The story of Sonic Forces is a pain in the neck. Clearly there was an intention to present a huge story to celebrate the franchise’s 25th anniversary, but the end result is messy at best. As I said in Part 1, this is the ultimate fanservice Sonic game, not unexpected from an anniversary release; multiple villains appear (even if most are fakeries), there’s a character creator, and we even have Classic Sonic joining the party.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiEaoDZiBF3axVbtLXJYeICtx19vtzNQVuaul0XF6jo8DPAyvQowL2z5OsZfuXGlzWQ_2aPsIZ8wJucAEEhjthZn26eOSnKClLQVyI3h2xYHSXgiBhFshR98stkAYXJGz80wQyG_LzoBjFEQoALhMXveQ11UA1ZMhbvFvxrv15p9QmbPevG87G4KhUY4ng/s1920/16.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaoDZiBF3axVbtLXJYeICtx19vtzNQVuaul0XF6jo8DPAyvQowL2z5OsZfuXGlzWQ_2aPsIZ8wJucAEEhjthZn26eOSnKClLQVyI3h2xYHSXgiBhFshR98stkAYXJGz80wQyG_LzoBjFEQoALhMXveQ11UA1ZMhbvFvxrv15p9QmbPevG87G4KhUY4ng/w400-h225/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talk about being thrown into the action.</td></tr></tbody></table>The good: The avatar’s character arc is nothing we haven’t seen before, but I felt it was done well. I have nothing against what may seem cliché, as long as the execution is excellent. I’ve kinda grown attached to Avy, seeing them going from a scared kid to facing down and defeating their bully, and then being pivotal in saving the world alongside the true heroes of the franchise. (I’m sure I wrote that fanfic before.) They'll even show emotion, which helps makes them feel like complete characters and not just player stand-ins. It’s also cool to see the world be liberated little by little through our efforts. Villains-wise, Eggman is at his most dangerous here, playing a near-perfect chess match. He has backup plans to the common tactics the heroes use against him, and stays on top for a long while, even having an out in case his new weapon turns on him. His two mistakes? Keeping Sonic alive just to gloat about his victory… and hiring Infinite.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn79swyKly9j79mX_H9rfAhEul2CSTVheawViY6xfiMcgYY_qYVkmpuY_ucbM2egD4trfShV9pGvEKJ3H0dnfXFPN3d4wOVq5kbFT5wojk_fgHNoNpjQ0MR32sgi6nKDvbq0h8vf9WiyA93VSdI4Ns4zEsHF6f5rppdPlAjstrft6pNY6urd5X5cdg7rM/s1920/39.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn79swyKly9j79mX_H9rfAhEul2CSTVheawViY6xfiMcgYY_qYVkmpuY_ucbM2egD4trfShV9pGvEKJ3H0dnfXFPN3d4wOVq5kbFT5wojk_fgHNoNpjQ0MR32sgi6nKDvbq0h8vf9WiyA93VSdI4Ns4zEsHF6f5rppdPlAjstrft6pNY6urd5X5cdg7rM/w400-h225/39.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really wished more stages had Ruby-induced trips like this<br />one. It's among the most memorable levels here!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEi5H_Sg9omWdnQDHl7zFbH_KtTCI2TANT7M4hIQ8E0bAXW6MJPiw1frDGZH4kwuKQ-7eS4I0H5LwPuGbi6lhSOONawTT9AQTNHjvE-71EaM4QJLUfbc3PB6Rge53U0VyhkAItkQCOl4ZuAdShlqm7ThrLRoiU7FP0yy5LyLj9Qv1fiuyRfBaRQrJyt8dt8/s1920/10.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5H_Sg9omWdnQDHl7zFbH_KtTCI2TANT7M4hIQ8E0bAXW6MJPiw1frDGZH4kwuKQ-7eS4I0H5LwPuGbi6lhSOONawTT9AQTNHjvE-71EaM4QJLUfbc3PB6Rge53U0VyhkAItkQCOl4ZuAdShlqm7ThrLRoiU7FP0yy5LyLj9Qv1fiuyRfBaRQrJyt8dt8/w400-h225/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Avy alive after beating him? Not smart, but sure.<br />Letting Sonic and Avy alive, after being beaten by them, on<br />two separate occasions? Infinite, you goddamn moron.</td></tr></tbody></table>The bad: Oh God, the bad. The longer you study how this story could have happened the less sense it makes. It’s frustrating. Much of this is exemplified by Infinite, built up as the new ultimate threat, only for him to boil down to a sadistic jerk who accumulates poor decisions, costing the villains their victory. Doesn’t help that it feels like there are big chunks of the plot missing to explain how we got here; not just in Infinite’s backstory, but what happened in the six months of Eggman’s conquest. By all accounts, the heroes had all of the odds on their side even without Sonic; just Knuckles, Silver and Shadow could turn the tide all by themselves.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEh5xbyuxaLv30GGoF-2BSe-sbj2kkDWq8hfOCOTltQy00xex7n_7mJ3yKFYFSGnKfAsFzHiUmalNHYVk6Xc0L6mAueXClOEtMv0LHun9EQbl9e_RYIxvhorxarjHk3vZtrjpswyFOBqv1xNebvGX_odKU9IRLjdgTLH1IYoNkidnTacKPAVbCU8ZdVBkdg/s1920/18.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xbyuxaLv30GGoF-2BSe-sbj2kkDWq8hfOCOTltQy00xex7n_7mJ3yKFYFSGnKfAsFzHiUmalNHYVk6Xc0L6mAueXClOEtMv0LHun9EQbl9e_RYIxvhorxarjHk3vZtrjpswyFOBqv1xNebvGX_odKU9IRLjdgTLH1IYoNkidnTacKPAVbCU8ZdVBkdg/w400-h195/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classic is... eh. I get his inclusion, anniversary and all, and he<br />does help out the plot in the end, but he still feels superfluous.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The story has dark implications of Sonic tortured for half a year and Tails falling into despair, but the story doesn’t follow up on either. Localization is to blame for this; while the original Japanese does cite the torture part, it instead says that Tails has “gone missing”, which fits what we're shown better than the English version. As a result, the tone is horribly inconsistent. Topping this off is the mandatory inclusion of characters for an anniversary celebration. The four villains who have no business appearing alongside each other (even if it's an intended reaction to say they are a poor fit, that we only fight two of them properly is a letdown), and Classic Sonic' addition, while understandable, feels forced. (Heh. Sonic Forced.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgnUrMuB23IZpWP0NFkGMKfv07eXiVsPZIybvSsslBupX9p1Kky6IDrRHkzKh6n-HJY0L4qwGMqn64S5gVphExmBSJZ894RbDfKODE1mqbgswhJBdmpYMm8Tz5CzzAAy_NQc_evpZmkVQPP69v2N57OkeKM_2MXi41wGASoEwxuhlv5kfTt-vj7qHjA3eI/s1920/38.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUrMuB23IZpWP0NFkGMKfv07eXiVsPZIybvSsslBupX9p1Kky6IDrRHkzKh6n-HJY0L4qwGMqn64S5gVphExmBSJZ894RbDfKODE1mqbgswhJBdmpYMm8Tz5CzzAAy_NQc_evpZmkVQPP69v2N57OkeKM_2MXi41wGASoEwxuhlv5kfTt-vj7qHjA3eI/w400-h225/38.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good number of missed opportunities, as well.</td></tr></tbody></table>So disappointed the game omits so much, leaving stuff out to be revealed solely in supplementary material. Doesn’t help that it features a lot of characters and elements from the franchise’s history, so if this is your introduction to the series, you’ll be lost. Good thing the avatar’s storyline helps elevate the overall plot, or we wouldn’t have something very good here. It goes from “bleh” to “just okay”, in my opinion. The good stuff is good, but damn if the bad stuff isn’t incredibly noticeable. The whole package could have been so much better. So yeah – if, after all I’ve discussed, you still want to check out Sonic Forces, by all means, go for it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next week: Something less edgy.</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454926423030436634.post-35453575319748980152023-10-16T07:57:00.003-04:002023-10-20T08:50:55.195-04:00Sonic Forces (Part 2)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2023/10/sonic-forces-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> - <b>Part 2</b> - <a href="https://plannedallalong.blogspot.com/2023/10/sonic-forces-part-3.html" target="_blank">Part 3</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I didn’t cover much of the story in Part 1, so I’ll remedy to that today.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Answering the Call</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwndFvvVaWot1iss0wVYjGgWUT5WrP7-m5agZKGACjrgva1G8paNeP8SlJ3U-bqI3xYUfRhcNOSQQsY6rM_p1PwtoNou_o1hCY5TzS7lG-TLqr96WIKN9-Y2XbpWoVifTCMAJRx1SFfLYVDvs3ewa3s3X1_nslvCgjRm9gQxyUaK1SMj3vc9rvv-N1FuQ/s1920/23.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwndFvvVaWot1iss0wVYjGgWUT5WrP7-m5agZKGACjrgva1G8paNeP8SlJ3U-bqI3xYUfRhcNOSQQsY6rM_p1PwtoNou_o1hCY5TzS7lG-TLqr96WIKN9-Y2XbpWoVifTCMAJRx1SFfLYVDvs3ewa3s3X1_nslvCgjRm9gQxyUaK1SMj3vc9rvv-N1FuQ/w400-h225/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ohhhhh HOT HOT HOT!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When we come back to Avy (our avatar), they’re at the Prison Hall of the Death Egg, looking to rescue Sonic. We get to try their skills out a little more. Story-wise, it’s their big chance to prove themselves. Not like they need to bail Sonic out, as the villains do it for them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEi1NjODiqI3TR70f1ARULThxNdbbo7HDk5G0AkXr-fGvFw55VnR1PAXjGN8_zPEhuWAZA5LTfJGW-u5HfaLrWn7rTzM-QElMXuat9RjIrTkeKnbHMrCS9PYJnt1Munvz9NrU2qbE3A8WH9-Dq-ltPN9trfF_p1DjmtRK9Bbwv_NuE87Y3GhnL3US4GmwbI/s1920/24.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NjODiqI3TR70f1ARULThxNdbbo7HDk5G0AkXr-fGvFw55VnR1PAXjGN8_zPEhuWAZA5LTfJGW-u5HfaLrWn7rTzM-QElMXuat9RjIrTkeKnbHMrCS9PYJnt1Munvz9NrU2qbE3A8WH9-Dq-ltPN9trfF_p1DjmtRK9Bbwv_NuE87Y3GhnL3US4GmwbI/w400-h225/24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, couldn't Zavok turn giant in Sonic Lost World?<br />Yet here he is, piloting a robot bee. Laaaaaame.</td></tr></tbody></table>Eggman considers the planet conquered, so the Resistance is barely a blip on his radar. He is ready to execute Sonic, so he sends Zavok out to bring the hedgehog to his fate. Zavok frees Sonic from his shackles; a battle ensues. Zavok pilots a large bee robot and is too high for Sonic to reach him. This battle was the first real challenge the game had for me, in part because of the small arena surrounded by endless pits and my struggles with frame rate. It’s also a tough fight because it’s counter-intuitive. Zavok will slam the ground with his robot, causing a shockwave. Usually, in games, those hurt you. Here, they’ll propel Sonic upwards, high enough to attack. But what would be your normal reaction to a ground shockwave in a boss fight? To jump and avoid it! Not a fan of that boss. At least it’s over relatively quick. Sonic defeats Zavok, who disappears in a flurry of glitches.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEg2-A51BifKi4-ilerE3xToNm8Gbz-9n_gAnYu0atwQbMV4rISJuPQSo19T8pT5zwqB8b4lcWjf4CZv7P-xyNPOsUzMyHx58EOL9MTO-xivSfjOFsa44rsHRlh0j1R_2o5ZEfKWLaZBL2qC0SU5hcFthFKLSERx8LThWXseZUBsQfmPysGXxD2q7QOvqAs/s1920/25.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-A51BifKi4-ilerE3xToNm8Gbz-9n_gAnYu0atwQbMV4rISJuPQSo19T8pT5zwqB8b4lcWjf4CZv7P-xyNPOsUzMyHx58EOL9MTO-xivSfjOFsa44rsHRlh0j1R_2o5ZEfKWLaZBL2qC0SU5hcFthFKLSERx8LThWXseZUBsQfmPysGXxD2q7QOvqAs/w400-h225/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I do have to give it to this game; when its abundance of<br />background details aren't a distraction to gameplay,<br />they can be friggin' GOR-GEOUS.</td></tr></tbody></table>Sonic makes a run for it, learning that he was in outer space the whole time. This is Stage 6 and at the end of it, Sonic jumps onto a spaceship and finds himself in the hangar. This is done through a quick-time event; somewhat uncommon, they help make the game feel more cinematic at times, but it also means you have to constantly be prepared for when they’ll pop up, as they may happen when you least expect them. Thankfully, the time window you’re given to react is lenient, but still – I’m surprised QTEs are even included at all.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UvX15IKqOGqW7DoWt8q8NpxdXseMdUIPuOKSD4ZDzTx-R-Z6uAXtx6kiQsoUnd1ZYrewTgRs4wdgi_VidF-QySnCYEOVzozJ7gTZbDXtdiXGcNSIDzGSU4oAPaxNiNxQ0exia1RUw0gSKkMuR3jkKp0DgolZSC4SFve9qaWPaT3cQ_7ujmBp04Lt1f0/s1920/26.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UvX15IKqOGqW7DoWt8q8NpxdXseMdUIPuOKSD4ZDzTx-R-Z6uAXtx6kiQsoUnd1ZYrewTgRs4wdgi_VidF-QySnCYEOVzozJ7gTZbDXtdiXGcNSIDzGSU4oAPaxNiNxQ0exia1RUw0gSKkMuR3jkKp0DgolZSC4SFve9qaWPaT3cQ_7ujmBp04Lt1f0/w400-h225/26.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Double Boost is the most prominent "QTE-like" here.<br />You don't need to learn how it works... yet.<br />Also, Avy radiates joy. He LOVES being here. Daaw.</td></tr></tbody></table><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEisUFc6cFVvPfycf5gjdKjw5QFLRasYaZTLawmVjVsanjxJN7SYSV52CrK4-clq244xttB3YLAP3l5pNyf5fwKB_YRNVU9H6z-kHh-_ve4q48pd_XlXLWA3ji1kXRpRopb6B3F_qnl1TG7VouXhK_tmc22aZTq2Y40KsmsF31tRBiZo1erVjt7IJTKwghw/s1920/27.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUFc6cFVvPfycf5gjdKjw5QFLRasYaZTLawmVjVsanjxJN7SYSV52CrK4-clq244xttB3YLAP3l5pNyf5fwKB_YRNVU9H6z-kHh-_ve4q48pd_XlXLWA3ji1kXRpRopb6B3F_qnl1TG7VouXhK_tmc22aZTq2Y40KsmsF31tRBiZo1erVjt7IJTKwghw/w400-h225/27.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a trap! ...What, the robots? Nah, those are easy to<br />deal with. The spinning gear platforms, however...</td></tr></tbody></table>In the hangar, Sonic rescues Avy from more robots, then the two get on a shuttle back to the planet. All while getting info from Knuckles about Eggman’s resources. Knuckles leading the resistance is… a choice. It makes some sense as he’s the next major character after Sonic and Tails. He seems competent at first and even apologizes having to send Sonic on a mission so soon after his return. However, most of his plans boil down to “hit them fast and hard” and, against the Eggman Empire, that won't suffice. Speaking of, the new mission is Stage 7, Arsenal Pyramid, and it is the first tag team stage in which we control both Sonic and our avatar, allowing for both sets of skills to be used. Great idea, and it introduces the Double Boost mechanic, but the spinning platforms were Hell for my computer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yeah… if there’s any good I can say of Sonic Forces, it’s that it was the straw that broke the camel’s back and made me realize I really needed a better computer. I’m tired of blaming games with the addendum of “but maybe it’s my hardware that sucks”. Forces throws a huge spectacle at the player, there are moving parts everywhere in every stage, so it’s gorgeous but super-demanding, resources-wise. Makes it a good indicator of whether your current gear is due an update. (In fact, by the time Part 3 comes out in four days, I'll have swapped my 2015 computer for a brand new one.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEiN23pQAmEkNqj9ZOUUbm2ni_TeUo9CLxj9sg5OtghfC8jwLSktS92Fe8ycvXq7r_HqNY9wpbq-ykDnpGlYamscflSlpxxHuUMXL-tULkiDrk2vTj4IDXYWNVtLMhIE0widI8Zk3PH8zBUgYE6uyZZv1dW-aZOKvyJv_Ud6wYB3sgAvvgso70knWiYuwII/s1920/29.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN23pQAmEkNqj9ZOUUbm2ni_TeUo9CLxj9sg5OtghfC8jwLSktS92Fe8ycvXq7r_HqNY9wpbq-ykDnpGlYamscflSlpxxHuUMXL-tULkiDrk2vTj4IDXYWNVtLMhIE0widI8Zk3PH8zBUgYE6uyZZv1dW-aZOKvyJv_Ud6wYB3sgAvvgso70knWiYuwII/w400-h225/29.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Towards Infinite!</td></tr></tbody></table>After breaking the Arsenal Pyramid, the Resistance gets a report from Silver about the new baddie attacking Mystic Jungle. Sonic jumps in. First is a stage across the Luminous Forest. We arrive at the scene where Silver is fighting the enemy. (If you want to know why Silver is there, being from the future and all… well, an Eggman victory changes the future a lot. And if the future changes, how can he still remember his friends from the present… Look, Silver is just one damn paradox after the other.) Silver manages to knock a strange stone off of the weirdo, and Sonic tags in to end the fight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgb73ZoXw0bg9GMU9Cl7d7cpIOqp3b_kmGmaXCm7q1JCvzjhD5hG3rdWh1xVRyt3nYoX-dQAWeRiJFjEp0hcEtuopi5hiL_oobG3pXeVtACAGyaPro3FpfJfd74GHwT4JijyK5WnTYts9c0-yNjzTFNY-4ODrga_Bft2n5OPplcoDRTdXNWch3pWHrsG9U/s1920/30.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb73ZoXw0bg9GMU9Cl7d7cpIOqp3b_kmGmaXCm7q1JCvzjhD5hG3rdWh1xVRyt3nYoX-dQAWeRiJFjEp0hcEtuopi5hiL_oobG3pXeVtACAGyaPro3FpfJfd74GHwT4JijyK5WnTYts9c0-yNjzTFNY-4ODrga_Bft2n5OPplcoDRTdXNWch3pWHrsG9U/w400-h225/30.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Squares? Beware. Smash the masked dude on the left.</td></tr></tbody></table>This new villain, as we already know, is Infinite. And this first battle shows exactly what kind of threat he is. Get hit by his swarms of black cubes, you take damage and wind up in an illusory dimension with traps that are harder to avoid, and just as deadly. If Infinite moved more, he wouldn’t be a sitting duck waiting for a homing attack to the face. If you get stuck in his illusions, you can Dash through them with the Wisp power and come out unscathed. He does use a few tricks, like calling fake versions of himself, but all they do is create a pathway towards him. Sonic beats up Infinite, settling the score. In the following cutscene, when Infinite seems to get the upper hand again, he just lets Sonic live and goes away. Yeah… Not particularly smart that one, huh?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>My take on Infinite</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Infinite… Hoo boy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9N9KL4g_Hjp0LVFdzh33tzhEEgH-zJKEwaYO3hyphenhyphenK0J5cFgZZRnIehUj19stCrfFbsb-RH3M5jEZDWzwreWL6fHWrnrCO_dUkk4lkCttzNSKd-QaxFOmX9e03hrT8WGuMWriBCsO-Rmu8GOZjkdbOfTc5dPExQdszP33SxHSo3GyRIOJU7sXDkXiVl7lY/s1920/28.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9N9KL4g_Hjp0LVFdzh33tzhEEgH-zJKEwaYO3hyphenhyphenK0J5cFgZZRnIehUj19stCrfFbsb-RH3M5jEZDWzwreWL6fHWrnrCO_dUkk4lkCttzNSKd-QaxFOmX9e03hrT8WGuMWriBCsO-Rmu8GOZjkdbOfTc5dPExQdszP33SxHSo3GyRIOJU7sXDkXiVl7lY/w400-h195/28.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That mask looks very loose-fitting and not too comfortable.<br />Oh, and Infinite? If you feel the need to say you're the<br />biggest badass in the room, then you aren't.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It’s like someone at Sonic Team sat a moody teen down and said “Now design the edgelordiest edgelord to have ever edgelorded in Sonic”. You can practically hear the tone in Infinite’s voice, a remnant of “It’s not a phase mooom!” he must’ve said a lot growing up. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKjOJuPjiu4" target="_blank">His fucking theme</a> has lyrics that are the most tryhard crap a person looking to out-edge everyone in the room would say completely deadpan. Good song? Yes, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0dkexo55dE" target="_blank">some fan-tas-tic covers</a> of it have been made, but tryhard as Hell. That song is as much a statement of inadequacy as a new sports car would be to a middle-aged man. It’s a shame male Mobians don’t wear much clothing, ‘cause this guy could show up and be gifted a lifetime membership card at Hot Topic.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjBQN1yhvsnLTaReYqsiQfGRx_YOcuH_QEZgLJzOGCEQPl-kdyjThO0QVyg8XNOtaAoHgofG1JV0jyp9rx2lD5Sa3_F0TE0jsXZIMTV2v6712lzaoYaVjagA3w2uCYzI-HHew8YOBRk2SpgjP9NI1hUc8mRe2_P3ywG9p2z1gPxK-CMCDqE-AR_X9AZRdM/s1920/31.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQN1yhvsnLTaReYqsiQfGRx_YOcuH_QEZgLJzOGCEQPl-kdyjThO0QVyg8XNOtaAoHgofG1JV0jyp9rx2lD5Sa3_F0TE0jsXZIMTV2v6712lzaoYaVjagA3w2uCYzI-HHew8YOBRk2SpgjP9NI1hUc8mRe2_P3ywG9p2z1gPxK-CMCDqE-AR_X9AZRdM/w400-h225/31.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even his illusory clones are more trouble than if he just<br />attacked on his own!</td></tr></tbody></table>Infinite’s power set should make him a very interesting villain. Promotional material builds him as the new ultimate baddie, and he definitely gives off that vibe… at first. We find out it’s a ruse; the Phantom Ruby gives him the power to create illusions, and make those illusions as harmful as they appear to those they ensnare. But it’s all fakery, and someone able to evade the shadow cubes Infinite emits will encounter a bad guy who talks the talk, but face-plants when he must walk the walk. He rarely attacks by himself, and when he does, he leaves himself open for a counter. The longer you study this guy the more pathetic he becomes, I swear.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhqOIgWzt-wEyV8nTUI4HRbMWHEyBY2e3xyWV37X2p1TAzjpWlZLdqH5W5-OdVC5GsKdZSytDRPLHtGC0s1AX7hkn-8xm9Ld1A9jvGOZtdPGf1evbPBAYpm02euFhwNde6iU1vZZ24gg7NfoL_XZzrUHLlG5Uay3i91jF-ZFkTjiE8os_pOp_T6dUotQgs/s1920/32.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOIgWzt-wEyV8nTUI4HRbMWHEyBY2e3xyWV37X2p1TAzjpWlZLdqH5W5-OdVC5GsKdZSytDRPLHtGC0s1AX7hkn-8xm9Ld1A9jvGOZtdPGf1evbPBAYpm02euFhwNde6iU1vZZ24gg7NfoL_XZzrUHLlG5Uay3i91jF-ZFkTjiE8os_pOp_T6dUotQgs/w400-h195/32.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the game won't show us his face.<br />The comics, however... Well, see below!</td></tr></tbody></table>A major issue with this villain and the game he stars in is that he isn’t given enough backstory and characterization in what is his only canon appearance ever. Peel away the edge and what you get is little more than a bully; a sadist who revels in the chaos and destruction he causes, but cannot keep that sadism in check to make smart decisions. His cruel mercy in sparing the Avatar is what leads to them joining the Resistance and, ultimately, taking him down. In the base game? That’s all. It takes Episode Shadow, a DLC chapter in which we play as Sonic’s rival, to get more info about him. Namely, that he has a pitiful inferiority complex involving Shadow, born from the hedgehog serving a crushing defeat to Infinite and his mercenaries. This took him to Doctor Eggman and the Phantom Ruby prototype that granted him all these abilities. Also led him down the path of out-edging the source of the “Ow The Edge” meme.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEixLIZVTnwOgSiEcQJpUE_p78833AJDI0r6uKj2UQ-hJI_siH0NMEtritVNX8SilRfjjqDaYOBwsCZmfwVSI_Z15KfguftiJaCKjtRBaGRt_b3cW_oUsovrqetdwxCkvv_AGIU-5b1NBYAjkx2qpnfaajvrsA8JlTTVSXQh96BaMDCLJYVRzImjh231WDM/s681/2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="681" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLIZVTnwOgSiEcQJpUE_p78833AJDI0r6uKj2UQ-hJI_siH0NMEtritVNX8SilRfjjqDaYOBwsCZmfwVSI_Z15KfguftiJaCKjtRBaGRt_b3cW_oUsovrqetdwxCkvv_AGIU-5b1NBYAjkx2qpnfaajvrsA8JlTTVSXQh96BaMDCLJYVRzImjh231WDM/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Original character, do not steal"</td></tr></tbody></table>And if you want more, then you need to seek out issues 3 and 4 of the Sonic Forces prequel digital comic, which show that even before getting his hands on the Ruby, Infinite was a messed-up jackal dreaming of reigning over a wrecked world. It’s the only time we really see him without the mask, and… well, I did mention Hot Topic for a reason. That heterochromia, those scars, and that fabulous mane? Yeah, whoever designed this character really went overboard. I wanna know this jackal’s hair care routine. In all seriousness though, I think I would have liked some of that to be in the base game. Someone just playing Forces is missing so much info, and as a result Infinite feels incomplete unless you bother to do the homework. It’s a bad trend in recent releases from major franchises to put way too much stuff in the extras, at the main oeuvre’s detriment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">…No, I take that back. Character-wise, without the supplementary material to flesh him out, Infinite doesn’t feel incomplete. He feels weak. That’s damning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Three Days</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjPlzbouWVDD5co4jS8wN_sERqLylXRQ9Vf-byRVbRtJ0CoXmA9QM2UVszWHrMmpfhLWbYoiF-tTD2ODZNiNoM1GAeCSvroeQHkTN6PhVxYMiAr86qp55JSqTbVGOceXQYIlbjwEUaKIrz0ipWYzL1jnzx_Hho0cNzBGsOit3X12IBnOiwXyw82j6IMsgY/s1920/33.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlzbouWVDD5co4jS8wN_sERqLylXRQ9Vf-byRVbRtJ0CoXmA9QM2UVszWHrMmpfhLWbYoiF-tTD2ODZNiNoM1GAeCSvroeQHkTN6PhVxYMiAr86qp55JSqTbVGOceXQYIlbjwEUaKIrz0ipWYzL1jnzx_Hho0cNzBGsOit3X12IBnOiwXyw82j6IMsgY/w400-h225/33.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those aren't the 2D bosses Classic is used to.</td></tr></tbody></table>Stage 10 is a Classic Sonic stage set in Green Hill. Pure 2D nostalgia level. After which Tails and Classic see Eggman discuss with Infinite. The jackal’s mission has been to destroy the failed Phantom Ruby prototypes the doctor created in an attempt to mimic the powers of the jewel that landed in their world, before making the successful copy on the baddie’s chest. Infinite lets it slip that he let Sonic live, which angers the doctor and gives Tails new hope, but still the villains keep going. After Infinite leaves, Classic challenges Eggman. This is Stage 11, a boss fight against Eggman's wrecking ball carrier. But this old trick is dispatched easily, so Eggman calls forth the Egg Dragoon (first seen in Sonic Unleashed), and we get a proper battle. Still, this massive robot is destroyed like all the others. Eggman is wise enough to not divulge his entire scheme in a bit of post-defeat monologuing, but he does say as he leaves that the plan he’s set in motion will destroy the Resistance in three days.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No stress!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjnUSZ29sKbzvyc64iVSbrRYvXW36w0kjfj65q257XV1dS25Z0TCqP1GXq7uYpUMcfSk8GPkXsmEWo47SCw5SpTQegC5M_8CwIQjrC0bFRriRwbn0FzmOzuZxSDNiTOLxF3YdXkMUXHUVAmax2qibJib-EZATI4QnQlmuK0r3dCQozT0wabgIKMrjhtRW0/s1920/34.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUSZ29sKbzvyc64iVSbrRYvXW36w0kjfj65q257XV1dS25Z0TCqP1GXq7uYpUMcfSk8GPkXsmEWo47SCw5SpTQegC5M_8CwIQjrC0bFRriRwbn0FzmOzuZxSDNiTOLxF3YdXkMUXHUVAmax2qibJib-EZATI4QnQlmuK0r3dCQozT0wabgIKMrjhtRW0/w400-h225/34.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the world map looks like at the end of the game.<br />Oh? An SOS! Someone needs our help!</td></tr></tbody></table>Another aside: The Story Mode only has 30 stages, which includes boss fights. However, the game does offer you some extra challenges in three forms. The first ones are special stages with peculiar mechanics as the focus, like disappearing platforms or cannons everywhere. The second ones are extras unlocked by collecting enough red rings throughout the adventure, starting at 25 all the way to 120. The third ones are SOS missions; they come in three flavors and are meant to represent this conflict beyond your Avatar. All three flavors can involve rental avatars from other players around the world, but you can switch back to yours at will. For the two where you can control them, that is; in the third category, the rental has been imprisoned in the stage and you have to find and rescue them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back to Avy, they’re sent on a mission on their own since everyone else in the Resistance is either hurt or fighting. They’re tasked with rescuing civilians at Park Avenue. Meanwhile, Tails and Classic go looking for Sonic, having heard that the hero may be in the Mystic Jungle. Thus we have Stage 13, Casino Forest… which is exactly what it says on the tin: The mandatory casino-style stage, this time with a jungle backdrop.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJUpTVS8nd6lpWIJxftLHTkYBrEtN87nMquHUhchcLUkaztxIb_JCxr1zZnwB1Mdkk63g1pz5oOXHHFtcREUhcYJvyugG4Q7EH5RKinPBTVmFPuBWLiKPzktTLGDyPQ7nROXIs_tw8UsSFfjTFawQVMj9hR8dh7WVjTsKJtOXh28Io9yCPumd7kQ3ka4/s1920/35.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJUpTVS8nd6lpWIJxftLHTkYBrEtN87nMquHUhchcLUkaztxIb_JCxr1zZnwB1Mdkk63g1pz5oOXHHFtcREUhcYJvyugG4Q7EH5RKinPBTVmFPuBWLiKPzktTLGDyPQ7nROXIs_tw8UsSFfjTFawQVMj9hR8dh7WVjTsKJtOXh28Io9yCPumd7kQ3ka4/w400-h225/35.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A casino/pinball world. Yep, classic Classic 2D Sonic.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEhZDq3Ie0En7t3ET7smSPCwuWkg_7BwBLzjS8jkqea5_UZkpkVxcrM_UTZtoK3ysacnL03KQpYHelYlatWldLIKRRQdAwRb2N_TIeXQKu8XPGj11rMdWeZqx3BNgowzQ0ycyzSwKcV6yewY333Iyip0LVEayier_wHf5s0acAgyva_Dq2zU-1gu8UAROew/s1920/36.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDq3Ie0En7t3ET7smSPCwuWkg_7BwBLzjS8jkqea5_UZkpkVxcrM_UTZtoK3ysacnL03KQpYHelYlatWldLIKRRQdAwRb2N_TIeXQKu8XPGj11rMdWeZqx3BNgowzQ0ycyzSwKcV6yewY333Iyip0LVEayier_wHf5s0acAgyva_Dq2zU-1gu8UAROew/w400-h225/36.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sure, keep annoying the guy who could fall to his death<br />in a single misstep, if too distracted.</td></tr></tbody></table>Meanwhile, our avatar is sent to investigate in the same area, as the Resistance has spotted two life forms there. A good chunk of Stage 14, Aqua Road, is spent going down a waterslide. Three issues here. One, my frame rate issues screwed me over multiple times. Two, there’s a lot of enemy robots also sliding down and exploding, so we have those hazards to worry about as well. Three, the members of the Resistance, whom we’re always in contact with, won’t. Shut. Up. They keep being a distraction, especially in a stage like this where our attention is needed. It’s the first time where that issue is especially noticeable. And every time you die, sometimes because of them, you have to hear the same dialogue. Over and over. Can’t we make them shut up? Please? “Watch out! The current is pretty strong!” …No shit, Amy! “Well look at you, Rookie. Having fun in the water?” Knux, can you shut your yap and let me focus, I’m trying to not die here!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the end of this stage, Avy finds the stone dropped by Infinite earlier; one of the aforementioned Phantom Ruby prototypes. He also meets the two life forms: Tails and Classic, who are reunited with the remainder of the Resistance. A happy reunion all around, until Tails quotes the doctor’s three-day ultimatum. To win this war, there’s no more time to waste.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDx6xWvzVBh5FN9gE8b-JvfX-SXXZ2_oqlZVnlUSfE-3nUTdAd0Mel9DIeyOx7kahIfpiSCEYLn3B5OuSb7i0PZ2EIH7uv4aNwtnQgoNu8KIEVlwm4zADR4a5n6Nc34KjVFh2zYeqOkF5ta78c2NLkqQwTQvzB6maDdQ305ZVDWhWV95XV-Gb4gY8R0Y/s1920/37.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDx6xWvzVBh5FN9gE8b-JvfX-SXXZ2_oqlZVnlUSfE-3nUTdAd0Mel9DIeyOx7kahIfpiSCEYLn3B5OuSb7i0PZ2EIH7uv4aNwtnQgoNu8KIEVlwm4zADR4a5n6Nc34KjVFh2zYeqOkF5ta78c2NLkqQwTQvzB6maDdQ305ZVDWhWV95XV-Gb4gY8R0Y/w400-h195/37.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sonic the Hedgehog: Crosses dimensions, breaks fourth walls.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Fakers</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Through their efforts and heroics, the Resistance has liberated the Mystic Jungle. The tide is turning. Gotta keep it up. Rise up, be counted, stand strong and unite!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEi61KQI_V5Q9aBRs7DNjXzQsHUUYGNXyNTc1fqC7IE9gTLbqJA1zw4GcrcjzwsJ1-vaNiZpiaxlcL23dvF0sZdhwtLyrKgRfEVINZA8m5fppvb9UKIJCOknFEWSjmL97UHa5-dCRKFcZjZw1F8PcTiEjgFzNuO6fpoWpfM4LcS50YuI_WsmHFaX-BJFnIQ/s1920/38.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi61KQI_V5Q9aBRs7DNjXzQsHUUYGNXyNTc1fqC7IE9gTLbqJA1zw4GcrcjzwsJ1-vaNiZpiaxlcL23dvF0sZdhwtLyrKgRfEVINZA8m5fppvb9UKIJCOknFEWSjmL97UHa5-dCRKFcZjZw1F8PcTiEjgFzNuO6fpoWpfM4LcS50YuI_WsmHFaX-BJFnIQ/w400-h225/38.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boss! Fight! Boss! Fight! Boss! Fight!<br />....What? <span>No boss fight? Buzzkill!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>We control Sonic in the next stage, Sunset Heights. There have been sightings of Shadow over the city. The hero investigates and meets the dark hedgehog. They’re about to fight when another Shadow appears: The real one, who kicks the faker away, defeating him in one hit. Y’know, for illusions said to be as real and as dangerous as the real deals, Infinite’s clones sure go down easily. Zavok didn’t turn giant, Chaos and Shadow were dealt with in cutscenes… So much for that so-called threat! Shadow explains the source of Infinite’s power and that he can create these fakes at will, even entire armies of them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjLIU-8yBZLy-aZ-JqXxve4VMrZUkR151GFRQ2sBudoS7jgJ7HtujzFdluwKQkNoVsowajUMUQ8FJruhEj-h7Om32YvIIyvINTw0jla48r4j5wXAZlqI9tnrbACTF-XDD5j3zNicaP3aGKf6_IEhmTAP-TcCfONCdZXQHNCj5S5ioLQt8IhDTJ1GfH4qD0/s1920/39.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIU-8yBZLy-aZ-JqXxve4VMrZUkR151GFRQ2sBudoS7jgJ7HtujzFdluwKQkNoVsowajUMUQ8FJruhEj-h7Om32YvIIyvINTw0jla48r4j5wXAZlqI9tnrbACTF-XDD5j3zNicaP3aGKf6_IEhmTAP-TcCfONCdZXQHNCj5S5ioLQt8IhDTJ1GfH4qD0/w400-h225/39.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, so the hand doesn't even come from the giant humanoid.<br />Yeah, this is creepy as Hell. Awesome visuals.</td></tr></tbody></table>Meanwhile, strong of the recent victory, Knuckles is getting imprudent. He hears that Eggman’s forces aren’t as prevalent in Metropolis, so he devises a new plan à la Leeroy Jenkins to take back that sector, sending most of the troops as well as Avy there. However, the heroes' communications are hijacked by Eggman, who sends in Infinite. The jackal releases a Phantom wave engulfing the city, trapping everyone into the illusions. The Resistance loses most of their troops in the ensuing chaos. As for the stage itself… it’s a trip. Infinite messes with gravity, and also has giant illusory versions of himself tearing the city apart. This stage represents everything Sonic Forces could be, screwing with our senses, and making full use of the new villain’s abilities. Shame it’s only really present here, in the boss battles against him, and in cutscenes; the idea has so much potential, there should have been more stages like this.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEjqYOJ9qyf6gQr6xTlzuBKD0_jlJ8yAJ0RpzTuCylwEG5LS8k3zFZ1UXC9AeBZIxGEWRGe3XL2e_Cw9aJr82_rr-pkxWkvGWPzPdmjOYoRie5qVSZnaK9Oz_HB2dNrQApEZ8WcUjWtmjKMfaVnEqHVgsR-DATZyf35zzrxmo8A4FReke41J0iPnDHDs2Ls/s1920/40.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYOJ9qyf6gQr6xTlzuBKD0_jlJ8yAJ0RpzTuCylwEG5LS8k3zFZ1UXC9AeBZIxGEWRGe3XL2e_Cw9aJr82_rr-pkxWkvGWPzPdmjOYoRie5qVSZnaK9Oz_HB2dNrQApEZ8WcUjWtmjKMfaVnEqHVgsR-DATZyf35zzrxmo8A4FReke41J0iPnDHDs2Ls/w400-h225/40.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know what the ex-scaredy cat says?<br />Get rekt, Infinite!</td></tr></tbody></table>Avy barely makes it out alive. He is noticed by Infinite, who confronts him. At first trembling against this enemy who scares him so much, the new hero remembers Sonic’s encouraging words and fights their fear. Stage 17 is a major step in their character arc and a climactic boss battle. Infinite has his illusions, and he stays out of reach … well, until he gets bored and homes in for a more direct blow, which we respond to with a smack of our grappling hook. Classic platformer villain stupidity. It’s only after getting his ass handed to him that Infinite recognizes his current opponent as that kid who ran away from him before. He summons cannons and shoots, but Avy, who held on to the Ruby prototype they found, sees the illusions dispel. At first puzzled, Infinite decides not to bother and REPEATS THE SAME DAMN MISTAKE of leaving his enemy alive.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jesus tap-dancing Christ, how dumb is he? It’s not that I want to see the bad guy win, it’s that it’s such an obvious mistake! …Yeah, Infinite is little more than a bully putting on a show, but DAMN. What an idiot. Wow. It's such bad writing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><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/AVvXsEgtlu3FjSPbF9ebnRMB2IeQ6y8_PrnEz1lEzg-FoniIchPOLLKOfars05KYodXzh3eYghPD3K5oW9J6PavPAeBjVT6Q4SrIM_xv9MUY6Pwef3YUUrjb43iNe4TbSwhxf3n4RW5OCWHnQDoTWJV-Aw9tZ1g9yKgoBepO9_PtplVZM7B-pds8nX50V4el8zg/s1920/41.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlu3FjSPbF9ebnRMB2IeQ6y8_PrnEz1lEzg-FoniIchPOLLKOfars05KYodXzh3eYghPD3K5oW9J6PavPAeBjVT6Q4SrIM_xv9MUY6Pwef3YUUrjb43iNe4TbSwhxf3n4RW5OCWHnQDoTWJV-Aw9tZ1g9yKgoBepO9_PtplVZM7B-pds8nX50V4el8zg/w400-h225/41.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Well, look at you, Classic. Having fun in the water?"<br />....Did Knuckles just hijack my transmission?</td></tr></tbody></table>The rebels lost a major fight, but the war isn’t over. The gang splits up to find a way to beat Infinite. Tails goes with Classic to the Chemical Plant owned by Eggman to look for info in the doctor’s database. Ah, a 2D level with underwater segments where Classic needs to seek out air bubbles. Oh, how I didn’t miss those. On the plus side, this allows Tails to find a file on the Phantom Ruby’s abilities, also learning that before creating the model his lackey uses, Eggman made prototypes with a weakness: Only the person who activates one can use its abilities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHksmV3SXdiWRU9JCgr-_UgWBBExkRc8SlhGSSkGOLjeFw-DuWaZsqu92_nxHg7_t933mXSi0USqOefaiNklECZLhIyC2zfPbLNjMfQueoU8DEDQLnP4WtzJtjn15IG_BMPXdpQBVvMG2P7r7dmYcEK5e9qDFvZKnw5Z6DRUNSNU6lhdFPxIEFreXBs8/s1920/42.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHksmV3SXdiWRU9JCgr-_UgWBBExkRc8SlhGSSkGOLjeFw-DuWaZsqu92_nxHg7_t933mXSi0USqOefaiNklECZLhIyC2zfPbLNjMfQueoU8DEDQLnP4WtzJtjn15IG_BMPXdpQBVvMG2P7r7dmYcEK5e9qDFvZKnw5Z6DRUNSNU6lhdFPxIEFreXBs8/w400-h225/42.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's kick that shiny metal butt!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And now, Metal Sonic, the last remaining fake, has been spotted at the Red Gate Bridge. #19 is presented as a tag team stage, but aside from a short platforming intro with QTEs, most of it is a boss battle against the robot duplicate… er… duplicate. This clone is dealt with through a combination of Avy and Sonic’s abilities, and vanishes upon defeat. Things are looking up!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This has been going on long enough, how about we finish in Part 3?</div>Nicolashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14207575733382639650noreply@blogger.com1