Multiverse of Madness is premiering in theaters next week, and you best believe I have just the comic to get myself hyped. BACKGROUND:
I'm only vaguely familiar with this run of Doctor Strange since a bunch of marketing for it was pushed somewhat close to the hype cycle of the first movie. Apart from that, I'm going into this read completely fresh. THE WRITING: We get a good dose of classic Doctor Strange in this comic, as he deals with supernatural cases-of-the-week and vanquishes mystical threats regular folk like you and me never ever get to see. What makes things interesting is Strange's internal dialogue throughout, as he discusses the less glamorous parts of being the Sorcerer Supreme and lays down some extradimensional exposition that detail aspects of everyday mystical happenings. The book tackles a bunch of interesting aspects of the magical realm. First is how it's established that, much like our own bodies' microbiomes that have an ecosystem's worth of tiny organisms inhabiting a part of reality that we can't perceive, the real world also has a magical ecosystem of mystical creatures that can only be seen by beings like Doctor Strange. It's a cool concept that makes the physical realm and the magical realm feel more intertwined, and I like the idea that while malicious spirits and such do exist (and it's Strange's job to get rid of them), benign and even beneficial spirits also inhabit and have one-way interactions with humans and other beings in the real world. Again, it's much like the microbiomes of humans: you certainly don't want certain bacteria fucking you up with disease, but most stuff in your gut is harmless, and some even aid in digestion. Secondly, the book goes into different facets of the nature of magic in the Marvel Universe. One main thing that's established is how practitioners of magic must pay a price of sorts for casting spells and such. You see this firsthand in Strange, as he deals with all sorts of physical and even mystical ailments after all his years as Sorcerer Supreme (like bouts of vomiting after days of casting spells, constant ulcers, sleep deprivation due to nightmares, and more). One of the more interesting side effects is Strange's apparent inability to consume regular food; because of his time practicing magic, the only food he can eat is disgusting magical slop. It's very clear that as cool as it sounds to be Sorcerer Supreme, it's not all cool spells and multidimensional adventures. There's also a dark twist to how Strange goes about trying to balance his magic checkbooks (in a manner of speaking), and it's one of Wong's deepest secrets. It's pretty brutal, to say the least, and shows how far Wong is willing to go for his friend. Another thing that is made clear is how magic is drawn from one's surroundings and from other locations filled with magic (something that is touched on in the movie). This leads into the main threat the book is building up to: an army called the Empirikul is wreaking havoc against multiple dimensions and killing off other Sorcerers Supreme, and it seems they use unfathomable technology in order to disrupt and seemingly drain places of its magic. They're clearly on a collision course with Doctor Strange, and things look pretty dire, because Strange's own spells are also not working, meaning he is not at his full power. It leads to some neat moments where Strange is forced to rely on cleverly using what little magic he still has access to, and we see him physically fight as he brandishes axes and swords against freaky monsters. Other mystical characters like Scarlet Witch, Doctor Voodoo, and even the likes of Magik and Daimon Hellstrom show up, but their roles are pretty minor so far (as by this volume ends, the threat of the Empirikul has only just arrived). One character I did like was Zelma Stanton, a librarian who is helped by Strange after she has a pretty nasty encounter with a supernatural affliction. She works quite well as the reader insert who is constantly bewildered at the nonsense going on at the Sanctum Sanctorum. THE ART: The overall art style of the comic leans more towards moody (almost creepy at times) in my eyes. There's a good amount of dramatic shading, a muted color palette, and extra steps are taken to make more gruesome visual elements (like the various creatures Doctor Strange encounters, or the disturbing physical afflictions he deals with) look quite disgusting and truly bizarre. A lot of panels boast a decent amount of detail in the backgrounds and character features as well. There are a bunch of creative approaches that I thought was really neat. A lot of these involve color, and I'm a big fan of how they depicted Strange being able to see magical creatures in the real world, with the more fantastical elements in full color, and elements in the physical realm are in black-and-white. It works remarkably well to highlight the contrast. Another instance of this was when Strange sets foot in a dimension completely devoid of magic, and the palette is mostly grayscale to depict that emptiness. I also liked the use of panels from the original comic that told Strange's origin (I know the comic is Strange Tales, I don't know the issue number) at the beginning as a backdrop for his narration. VERDICT: Though I'm not invested in the Empirikul storyline just yet, I did like most of what else this volume of Doctor Strange had to offer. I liked the deeper dive into how the physical world and magical world intermingle in an everyday sense, and seeing the physical toll being the Sorcerer Supreme takes on Strange was fascinating (and a little uncomfortable) to witness. I'm curious to see how Strange deals with such a formidable threat while not at 100% strength, so I hope I get an opportunity to read some later volumes. This is a decent jumping-in point as far as recent Doctor Strange comics go, as it's the start of a completely new storyline and there's no real prerequisite you need to read to understand what's happening. I recommend it if you're a fan of the character from the movies, since it's a good balance of the usual world-threatening stakes Strange often faces and the simply weird extradimensional shit he encounters on a daily basis. - end -
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![]() Who knew Nintendo still had NES games they could bother adding to the emulator? BACKGROUND:
I know of the original Mappy (which was another arcade game from the '80s by Namco), but I've strangely never played it before (that, or I tried it once and forgot about it). I also know of this particular sequel, but have only seen others play it on YouTube. SUMMARY: Mappy-Land is a side-scrolling platformer where you control a mouse named Mappy and try to collect six specified items (indicated on the top right corner) as quickly as possible, all while avoiding an onslaught of cats trying to kill you. You'll be moving back and forth the levels City Connection-style, and once you have collected all six items, the path at the end of the level will unlock and you can proceed to the next level, where it's more of the same. Mappy himself doesn't have much he can do, apart from a short hop that gives him the ability to briefly avoid danger. You'll have to rely on the trampolines strewn about the level to get to higher platforms or to survive a long drop (because there is fall damage in this game). While hopping on a trampoline makes you immune to the enemies until you land, you can only bounce three times on one until it breaks, likely sending you to a horrible death below. It's a simple yet neat mechanic (I liked how easy it was to control at what height you land), and it's personally satisfying for me to see where Pac-Man's up special move from Smash Bros. (which is him using the exact trampoline as a recovery move) actually comes from. While most of the game is simply running away from cats while trying to collect the collectibles, you're not completely defenseless. Each level will have a few interactables that you can take advantage of to incapacitate enemies, like bombs that blow shit up, or pulleys that you can use to kick enemies out of the way. You can also pick up power-ups that can serve as distractions, like a fish you can throw that'll lure all nearby cats away. These are pretty handy in a pinch, especially in later levels where all the enemies move much faster than you do. The game is split into four rounds of eight levels, each with its own little story. The first has you collect cake (or maybe it's cheese?) for Mapico's (Mappy's girlfriend or something) birthday, the second has you collect wedding rings for Mappy's wedding with Mapico, you collect Christmas trees in the third for, well, Christmas, and the last round has you pick up baseballs as a birthday gift for Mappy Jr. It's a nice, wholesome tale about a mouse finding mouse love and starting a mouse family, and the brief scenes at the end when you complete the last level of a round even play the appropriate music depending on the occasion. After the fourth round, you simply loop back to the first story, at which point you just go on repeat until you decide that you've had your fill. Each of the eight levels are themed, from a trainyard, a spooky area near a graveyard, a Wild West-themed level, and even a jungle. The themes themselves are reused every round, but the individual layouts are different. In later rounds, you can even enter buildings to find sub-areas, which have an additional item you need to get on top of the six collectibles in order to move on to the next level. I was pleasantly surprised you could go into buildings at all; it isn't much, but it adds a tiny bit of exploration to the game. A few of the areas have gimmicks to them, like the spooky area giving you a flashlight to ward off ghosts, or the jungle having vines you have to climb onto. Again, it's not much, but the variety was neat. Other miscellaneous elements include secret bonus areas that are surprisingly tricky to find and reward you with extra shit, and a score system that doesn't matter at all apart from extra lives. VERDICT: Mappy-Land is a simple collect-a-thon platformer that I had more fun with than I initially thought I would. Though it eventually loops back around, I like that there was a little bit of story to the game, and while the game is undeniably repetitive as a whole, it personally didn't feel that way to me until I looped back to the first story. I guess trampolines are really that fun. I'd say this game is worth playing at least for a little while, if only to appreciate an old school Namco character from the '80s arcade era. Whether or not this is worth skipping to over playing the original, I can't say, since I still have to play the original Mappy for myself. - end - ![]() Well, it's been quite a while since Nintendo could be arsed to add anything to the NES Online library. Since I can't afford the Switch Online Expansion Pack yet, these scraps will have to tide me over for now. BACKGROUND:
Though I was born well past the original Dig Dug's heyday in the arcade, I have actually played it before. I just can't recall for the life of me if it was via emulation or through one of those Namco arcade game collections. In any case, I didn't know they made a sequel, so color me surprised. SUMMARY: Unlike the original Dig Dug, which is all about navigating a maze of tunnels underground, Dig Dug II takes place entirely aboveground. Each level is an island with enemies running around, and the goal of killing everything to proceed is the same. You're still able to stick an air pump into enemies in order to blow them up original Dig Dug-style (still a gruesome way to kill someone), but now you have an additional tool in your arsenal: a jackhammer. You can use this jackhammer at specific points on each level, and doing so while holding a direction will create a crack on the ground going in the specified direction. These cracks can serve as "walls" to deter enemies, but more importantly, you can create a whole system of these cracks such that when both ends of a connected system of cracks hit the coast, that entire section of the island crumbles and sinks into the ocean. This will kill everything standing on the broken-off section (including yourself, if you don't move quickly), and is an effective way to clear the board if you can time and position things right. It's certainly a fun puzzle challenge to weave past enemies and manipulate hordes of them to their deaths via terrain destruction, but you can get away with just killing them the old fashioned way for most of the early game. It's only on certain levels where using the jackhammer is crucial, as such levels will often feature too many enemies to take out one at a time or have a layout that's difficult to move around in. Overall, I liked the jackhammer mechanic, but I think more could have been done with regards to designing more levels around it, or by lessening the effectiveness of the air pump (thereby forcing players to rely on the jackhammer more). Other than that, there's not much to say aside from the fact that this is a pretty standard arcade game for the time. There's not really an end to work towards, and it's pretty much all about surviving long enough to get the highest score you can. VERDICT: Dig Dug II is as straightforward an arcade experience as its predecessor, with a simple objective, easy-to-understand controls, and the usual escalation of difficulty the longer you go. While I liked the new jackhammer mechanic, I wish the game were designed more around it, though I suppose that means I still get to enjoy the classic method of inflating enemies to death. Can't really say I enjoy this more than the original, but I found it a serviceable time-killer. I would recommend playing the original Dig Dug before checking this out, since that game has the legacy of a bona fide arcade classic and one of Namco's big successes in the '80s. That said, you really won't lose anything if you play this first, since the sequel retains a bunch of the iconic elements of the first. - end - With The Batman releasing on HBO Max this week, this is the perfect time to read some comics I've been sitting on. THE THEME: As you may have guessed, these are five Batman-related comics. I usually do this on Batman Day (which is every September), but the movie being available on streaming is as good as any an occasion to get this theme rolling. THE COMICS: ![]() BATMAN: THE WORLD (BATMAN DAY 2021 SPECIAL EDITION) Publisher: DC Comics Writers: various Artists: various This comic is a preview of Batman: The World, a graphic novel collecting Batman stories from 14 writer-artist teams, all from different countries. There's a tease of a few of these stories, and the variety of art styles and stories (which sees the Dark Knight journey across the world) is astounding. I definitely want a copy of the full novel after getting a taste here. ![]() BATMAN AND ROBIN... AND HOWARD/AMETHYST: PRINCESS OF GEMWORLD (FCBD 2021) Publisher: DC Comics Writers: Jeffrey Brown, Shannon Hale, Dean Hale Artists: Jeffrey Brown, Asiah Fulmore A preview for what looks like a fun little all-ages romp with a cute doodle + crayon art style that sees Damian Wayne be sent to school by Bruce, where he meets an enthusiastic kid named Howard. Also included in this book is a preview for Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld, a new series featuring a not-so-well-known DC heroine, who is whisked away to Earth from her magical realm. ![]() BATMAN: KNIGHTWATCH (BATMAN DAY 2021 SPECIAL EDITION) Publisher: DC Comics Writer: J. Torres Artist: Erich Owen A pair of short stories that see Batman and Batgirl take down Clayface and Mr. Freeze, respectively. It's business as usual, but this comic introduces a concept called Knightwatch, which is Batman's idea of a neighborhood watch. Not really sure how far you could go with the concept, but it makes sense to outsource surveillance, I suppose. ![]() HARLEEN (2019-) #1 Publisher: DC Comics Writer: Stjepan Sejic Artist: Stjepan Sejic OK, this is not a Batman comic per se, but still, it's Harley Quinn, an iconic character in the Gotham corner of DC, and Batman does show up briefly in this one. This comic is a deep dive into Harleen Quinzel, long before she was twisted by the Joker, and shows her career leading up to her fateful encounter with the villain at Arkham Asylum. Definitely worth reading if you're a fan of the character. ![]() BATMAN/FORTNITE: ZERO POINT (BATMAN DAY 2021 SPECIAL EDITION) Publisher: DC Comics Writer: Christos Gage Artists: Reilly Brown, Nelson Faro DeCastro Talk about bizarre crossover. This sees the Dark Knight travel through an interdimensional rift to the world of Fortnite, where he beats the shit out of a bunch of Fortnite skins and finds other familiar characters caught up in the chaos. It's as weird as it sounds, but in an interesting way. Yet another interesting selection of Batman stories here, with a decent variety of tones and art styles to go around. Don't let sticklers on the Internet fool you: there is more than enough room for takes on this character outside of the dark and gritty portrayals most are used to. PANEL OF THE WEEK: - end -
After two long years, I got to go to the cinema again, and I picked quite the movie to come back to. In this brand new take on the Dark Knight, we have a Bruce Wayne who's only a couple of years into his war on crime. His first big challenge sees him lock horns with The Riddler, who is targeting high-profile figures in Gotham City. Batman must race to get ahead of the killings, but along the way, he discovers Riddler's endgame, and the revelation may shake Gotham to its core. One of Batman's monikers is "The World's Greatest Detective", and I absolutely adore that this movie completely leans into that. Most of the movie is this engaging crime thriller where Batman and Jim Gordon investigate all the murders the Riddler commits, and I loved how well Riddler's whole riddle shtick fits well with Batman's race to determine his next target. Granted, some of the riddles are a bit contrived, and Bruce seems to make some strange oversights throughout, but for the most part, I enjoyed the ride of Riddler putting together cockamamie puzzles and Batman figuring shit out. I thought the choice to make this Batman relatively inexperienced compared to other live-action outings was interesting. I liked that he was still figuring things out both in terms of his physical approach to crimefighting (he has a bunch of neat gadgets already, but certain things aren't as refined yet) and his outlook towards his overall goal (he doubts his own methods, for one). That said, you can clearly see that he is already pretty skilled, quickly piecing together a lot of Riddler's riddles and kicking a lot of criminal ass. Criminals are also already quite afraid of him, as shown in the movie's badass intro. Bruce Wayne is also different compared to other portrayals, as he's a full-on recluse as opposed to the typical playboy people might be used to seeing in adaptations. This take makes a lot of sense to me, as it seems clear that this version of Bruce is consumed by his vengeful crusade and doesn't give a shit about anything else. This movie's take on Riddler is perhaps the most grounded villain I've seen in any live-action Batman, as he's more or less just a creepy serial killer with an obsession with puzzles and riddles and a desire to be remembered for his work. He made for a perfect foil to Batman in terms of an intellectual battle, and while his actions in the finale kind of lose me, his motives for most of the movie (and how he chooses to act on these motives) draw more parallels to Batman's own crusade than Bruce would like to admit. It's fascinating not only to compare and contrast the two, but it also serves to really highlight how corrupt to the core Gotham City and its institutions are. Along the way, Batman meets Selina Kyle, who isn't quite Catwoman yet, but is already an accomplished cat burglar nonetheless. While I will always love Anne Hathaway, this is probably my favorite live-action Catwoman yet, since we get to a bit more of the classic team-up (but they still have conflicting morals during certain moments) than previous portrayals. Alfred is also here, and while he does help Bruce in some capacity, there's a bit of distance between them when it comes to their actual relationship. Bruce has a tendency to brush Alfred off, while Alfred is still highly skeptical of Bruce's vigilantism. Also working with Batman is Jim Gordon, who's not quite commissioner of the GCPD yet, but is a lieutenant. I really liked that he was present throughout a lot of Batman's investigations, and it's interesting to see that he trusts Batman a great deal more than his own coworkers. It's also clear that despite Batman's general distrust of the police force, he sees Gordon as a genuinely good cop. Penguin is also present, though he serves more of a minor role as one of Falcone's stooges and doesn't have all the outlandish gimmicks from other appearances (like the bird obsession or the trick umbrellas). Despite this, I was still quite entertained by his portrayal (he's surprisingly funny), and I'd like to see him rise to power in some sort of sequel. Speaking of Carmine Falcone, yes, he is present, and he's a big part of the conspiracy within Gotham that Batman eventually uncovers. I found it intriguing that he has more personal connections to Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne, with the latter tying in with a key reveal in the back half of the movie. His usual mob rival Salvatore Maroni is mentioned a lot (and an event that centers around him is referenced as something important), but does not appear in any capacity. The mob is far from the only corrupt force in Gotham, as it's continually revealed that, through Riddler's actions, the very system is poisoned to its core. Not to give too much away, but the connecting threads lead to a revelation that is meant to test Bruce Wayne's very beliefs, though I found that the movie doesn't really have him reckon with that reveal for too long. I wish that he was given more time to be conflicted with it, but otherwise, I loved how the corruption within Gotham was interconnected between multiple figures and institutions. Though a lot of the movie is a slow-burn mystery (which may not be to some people's liking, especially with how long this movie runs), there is a good helping of action scenes. The highlights for me are the brief corridor scene (which is easily Batman at his best in terms of hand-to-hand combat) and the Batmobile chase scene, which makes the car feel like a terrifying slasher villain with how menacing it is. The finale is also pretty action-packed, but like I said, Riddler setting these events in motion lost me for a number of reasons (which include his reasoning and some logistical contrivances). It wins me over at the end, though, as it cements Batman's transition from rage-fueled agent of vengeance into a proper hero and symbol of hope and justice in Gotham. Gotham is full doom and gloom in terms of presentation, with a very muted color palette, a bigger focus on the more run-down parts of the city, and haunting music. And speaking of the music, I think it's excellent, with Batman's main theme giving off a purely ominous vibe, Riddler having a creepy Ave Maria motif, and excellent use of a Nirvana song for melancholy. Don't expect any multiversal tie-ins or anything of the sort, but that said, there's still a couple of comic book nods and possible sequel setups fans like me can sink their teeth into. I enjoyed the little things like the Batman: Year One-style narration from Bruce (which adds a noir vibe to the entire movie), Penguin actually running the Iceberg Lounge as he does in the comics, and a subtle but a super exciting possible tease at one of Batman's greatest villains. The most overt setup for a future project comes from a particular scene at the end, which establishes the existence of another classic Batman villain. Compared to the other villain tease (which was more subtle, and would be breaking new ground for live-action adaptations), I feel a little ambivalent about seeing this villain down the line. I suppose I'd just rather see other villains within this more grounded Batman world. Even if it runs a tad long and I found elements of the finale a bit odd, I really enjoyed this version of Batman. I absolutely adored the main focus on the detective aspect of the character, I liked that we get to spend some time with a Batman that's relatively new to the crimefighting game, the new interpretations of other classic characters meshed well with the grounded setting, and I enjoyed the dissection of Gotham's corrupt systems. I also got a kick out of the new Batmobile and thought the music choice was effective for the vibe they were going for. I'm definitely down for a sequel of this if they're making one.
- end - There's nothing really going on to merit a topical comic book read at the moment, so I thought it'd be good to simply cross off one of the more curious-looking titles in my backlog. BACKGROUND:
I've only seen Army of Darkness once when I was younger, and I remember thinking it was bizarre, but in a funny way. I should really rewatch it. As for the Re-Animator, I'm only familiar with the Lovecraftian story in name and haven't actually read it. I do know it's about a guy named Herbert West who, well, reanimates corpses. I should really brush up on my H.P. Lovecraft. Regardless, this looked to be an interesting crossover, since the Evil Dead series itself involves the Necronomicon (which itself is something from Lovecraftian lore). THE WRITING: Set after the events of Army of Darkness, the book starts off with Ash Williams institutionalized after being caught on the scene of an apparent massacre. He spends many months in the asylum, where none other than Dr. Herbert West is working on his experiments to transcend death and bring the dead back to life. West has been working with a guy named Whateley, who has a copy of the Necronomicon and is trying to summon the evil Old Ones and a legion of Deadites into the human world in an attempt to cleanse it. Just as it seems like Ash is about to be killed in pursuit of Whateley's goal, two random asylum staff members (one janitor who became a fanboy of Ash's adventures, and a nurse who is also somehow a sorceress) rescue him and tell him of his destiny as the Chosen One, meant to stop all this madness from occurring. What happens next is simply a whirlwind of bloody violence, as Ash and co. fight their way through supernatural Deadites and West's reanimated zombies, with shit only getting more absurd as the story goes along. Other dimensions get involved (which involve mirrors), and West's own ambitions end up drawing the ire of Whateley. It's a lot. Overall, this was a frenetically paced story (it is only four issues long). Shit was escalating constantly as hordes of monsters came rushing down Ash, and it was clear that West and Whateley's machinations were on their final stages. The stakes were your typical "all of humanity will die horribly" spiel, though in typical Ash fashion, he's not really concerned about the greater good and only incidentally solves the problem. The crossover bit with Herbert West doesn't feel like that big a deal, as he's pretty much just hanging about in the story and does little more than his experiments. I suppose I can look at it as the Re-Animator elements meshing well with what's already been established in the Evil Dead series such that it feels like a natural fit, which does in my view. Very little is explained about most things in the story, with the most exposition being about the mirror dimension. Nothing about the circumstances that led to West and Whateley's alliance is shown, and you certainly learn nothing about Ash's new companions other than what drives the plot forward (or leads to a bunch of jokes). I guess that makes the story easy to jump into, since you only need to have a vague idea of the events of the Army of Darkness movie to have a bit of context. This comic has the absurd, irreverent humor I remember from the movie in spades, with lots of ridiculous, sometimes crass quips from Ash all throughout the book. It's kind of hit or miss for me in that department, and I can see it being a tad much for some readers. There are also instances of kinda tasteless sex jokes here, so there's that. THE ART: The style leans towards a super cartoony look: not a lot of shading, mostly bright colors, not-too-intricate detailing, wacky-looking facial expressions, and unnatural body proportions. I thought it fit the over-the-top nature of the story very well, especially with how the style goes all in on making the eldritch monstrosities in this comic look absolutely batshit. And despite the style, the comic isn't afraid to be as gruesome as the movies that inspired it, with gratuitous helpings of blood and guts to go along with Mortal Kombat levels of mutilation. This collected edition I read features all the variant covers, where there's a more diverse showcase of art styles depicting Ash, from more realistic styles with a ton of intricate detail and shading, to similarly cartoony aesthetics that have a different design approach from the interior art. VERDICT: Army of Darkness vs. Re-Animator was a mile-a-minute romp that had a lot of the elements I remember most clearly from the comedy horror cult classic. The action is over-the-top and depicted in a memorable art style, it's got Ash quipping every other panel, and there's a whole lot of abominations getting absolutely eviscerated via boomstick and/or chainsaw. There isn't really much else to it story-wise, the crossover aspect of it didn't feel as pronounced, and not all the jokes landed for me, but I'm honestly fine with all that. This was a decent turn-your-brain-off read that was short and was amusing for what it was. If you haven't already, I would strongly recommend watching the Army of Darkness movie first before considering this as your next read. Not only is that movie a cult classic, seeing whether you like that or not may determine your enjoyment of this comic. - end - Both the updates promised in February's Nintendo Direct for Metroid Dread have finally come out, so I thought I'd share some brief thoughts on what's new. BACKGROUND:
I didn't expect Dread to get any sort of post-launch updates since it felt like a complete game, but part of me did wish for a Boss Rush mode since I enjoyed the game's combat so much. Ask and you shall receive, I guess! WHAT'S NEW: 2.0 Update The main thing they added for the first post-launch updates was new difficulty modes. First was Rookie Mode, which is meant for newcomers to the series. It's more lenient across the board, with more forgiving health drops and reduced damage, among other things. As I had already beaten the game three times at that point (with one of those times on Hard Mode under four hours), I saw no reason to try this mode, but this will probably be appreciated by people who are just starting out and might be intimidated by the game's difficulty. The other mode they added is called Dread Mode, and it goes the opposite end of the spectrum. For the most part, Dread Mode is just Hard Mode, but with one catch: you get hit once, you're dead. Whether it's a stray projectile from an enemy or even contact damage, you are 100% not alive anymore. There are a few exceptions to this (you can still try to counter EMMIs, and stuff like lava still function like normal), but for the most part, Energy Tanks are absolutely pointless in this mode. Whereas I had no incentive to try Rookie Mode, I absolutely was game to try Dread Mode to see how miserable it would be. I did beat it (as you can see in the above image), and while it is as rough as it sounds, it wasn't as nightmarish as I thought it would be. That's mainly because it's not like you start over from the beginning of the game if you die (like in Hollow Knight's Steel Soul mode, or Doom's Ultra Nightmare mode). Save points still work and there are still checkpoints, so you don't really lose out on much. And while the prospect of having to beat bosses without getting hit sounds like hell, I only really had trouble with one or two bosses all throughout, and most of my deaths were either I was careless when traversing through areas or because I would stupidly mash jump even though I've played a fuckton of Metroid and should know better. Overall, I thought Dread Mode was a fun, respectable challenge. I like that it gave me the satisfaction of getting to defeat every boss in the game without getting hit. There's no real incentive to do it unless you just want to experience an even more difficult Metroid game, but I'm glad I took the time to beat it, because the feeling of defeating the final boss without getting hit is absolutely cathartic. 2.1 Update Well, here it is! I got what I wanted: Boss Rush. But oh boy, there's a lot more to this update than I thought it'd be, because there are three whole modes to Boss Rush. First, there's regular Boss Rush, which is your typical gauntlet of boss fights. You face off against every main boss in the game (plus a couple of minibosses), and the idea is to beat them as quickly as possible to get the best time. Your health doesn't replenish between fights, but your missile ammo does, and your available abilities in each fight will match how equipped you'd normally be in the actual game (e.g. you won't have Screw Attack against Kraid, but you will against Raven Beak). Pretty standard stuff, except dying only incurs a time penalty and doesn't force you to start over. Next, we have Survival Rush, where the idea is not to beat bosses quickly, but to take down as many bosses as possible. A five-minute timer will count down, and you have that much time to try and defeat as many bosses as you can. Beating a boss adds more time to the timer, and doing so without getting hit rewards more time. In this mode, both health and missile ammo carry over, and unlike regular Boss Rush, dying ends the run. I found this to be a novel spin on the Boss Rush formula, where you're trying for a high score instead of a fastest time. Lastly, there's Dread Rush, which is only unlocked if you beat Dread Mode (glad I did that, then). It's the same as regular Boss Rush, but with Dread Mode's one-hit kill condition. I was quite happy this was a thing, since that means I can freely do no-hit runs without having to play a whole campaign. This is also my go-to mode of the three, because I truly am a glutton for punishment. A neat feature you can take advantage of is practice mode, which allows you to fight bosses individually to get your practice in. This feature is a highly appreciated one, since it lets me replay my favorite fights with zero hassle (and I can even replay them in Dread Mode!). And if you're extra dedicated to chasing that best time, your best times for individual boss attempts in practice mode are also tracked. VERDICT: I was already pretty happy with Metroid Dread as it was on release, but these two post-launch updates gave me further reason to keep playing one of my favorite games of last year. Dread Mode was exactly the masochistic gaming challenge that was up my alley, and not only did I get my wish of a boss rush mode, but it comes with two great variations of it and individual re-fights to boot. Really can't ask for anything else. - end - I'm going back to the manga well this week, and this might be one of the weirdest ones I've read yet. BACKGROUND:
I've never heard of this manga at all, and as far as I know, it hasn't seen an adaptation in any other media, so I'm coming in with a fresh perspective. However, I have actually read the synopsis on the store page, and oh boy, it's uh.... it's something. THE WRITING: Asako Yaeshima works in the finance department of Liliadrop, a company that makes all sorts of soaps, perfumes, and other fragrance-infused products. There's a personal reason she likes the company, however, as their products help her deal with the odor of her profuse sweating, a trait she's been insecure about since she was a child. I couldn't help but sympathize with how nervous she constantly is about being called out for something she doesn't really have control over. Things get.... interesting when Kotaro Natori, one of the company's lead product developers, gets a whiff of Asako's scent.... and he likes it. See, Kotaro has a highly acute sense of smell (the limits of which feel like some X-Men shit), and the nuances of Asako's scent sparks his inspiration for his next product. And just like any fucking lunatic, Kotaro approaches Asako in the most red flag manner possible in an effort to study the scent. What happens next is perhaps the most bizarre rom-com I've seen in my entire life. Though understandably frightened at first, Asako finds solace in the fact that there's someone out there that isn't put off by her sweating, and despite Kotaro's really disturbing penchant for just sniffing her like an absolute freak, the two bond and eventually start dating. "I like how you smell" is probably up there as one of the creepiest fucking starts to any relationship, but there's something oddly wholesome about it since Asako doesn't feel as insecure as she used to and Kotaro is always highly considerate of her. The rest of the manga is the new couple getting to know each other, bonding, and connecting more with each other emotionally. The two go on lengthy dates, spend weekends together, have steamy sex, go shopping, and run into each other at work. Among other things, Kotaro learns to pick up on Asako's mood (via her scent, because he's a goddamn mutant) and reassures her that it's OK to be forthcoming, while Asako struggles with the idea of their relationship becoming public knowledge at work. Interspersed are all sorts of funny moments, like Kotaro letting Asako borrow one of his shirts (and refusing to wash it to keep the scent), or Asako looking up articles on the Internet in an attempt to be ready for their first date. The latter chapters set up a little bit of drama that's probably explored in later volumes, as Asako starts to feel weird about Kotaro interacting with another woman at work (in a completely professional setting). Seems like the lead-up is some of their other co-workers getting wise about the two being an item. THE ART: I found the overall style to be mostly simple, with not-too-intricate detailing (save for the occasional texture here and there) and shading that's more on the subtle side or doesn't go beyond hatching. I liked the relative simplicity, and I'm a fan of how expressive the characters' faces are despite not having a lot of fine details to them. Also, I should note that, while not at all explicit, the manga depicts a number of sex scenes, and they're drawn in a way that really shows off the intensity and intimacy between the couple while still being tasteful. VERDICT: For as absolutely batshit bizarre as the premise of this manga is, I actually found Sweat and Soap's romance endearing. Asako finds comfort in not needing to be so self-conscious around Kotaro (who appreciates her as she is), and Kotaro not only finds inspiration in his "muse", but is highly considerate of her needs (despite the super goddamn weird way everything kicks off). There's not too much drama just yet, but I also enjoyed the two getting to know one another and becoming closer, as well as some of the silly, humorous moments between them. I'm glad I stuck through it despite how peculiar the circumstances of the romance are. This is definitely one of those "don't judge a book by its synopsis" stories. I'm not an authority on romance tales, so I can't say if people more attuned to the genre will like this one, but I will insist that anyone looking for a rom-com manga give this one a chance. There's a surprisingly heartwarming and wholesome romance amidst all the weirdness. - end - WrestleMania weekend was wild! But before that, the latest NXT event took place, and I must check that out. Let the usual ramblings begin.
It's WrestleMania weekend, and while I have my eye on a couple of matches for the big event, other wrestling events this week will have my full attention. First, I check out Ring of Honor's grand return for the year.
This is the first time I'm watching a full ROH event, but I am fully aware of its legacy as one of the most prestigious wrestling promotions in all of North America. So many legendary wrestlers have gone through ROH and went on to be champions elsewhere. and while it's seen some tough times these past few years, the recent purchase of the company by AEW owner Tony Khan has me intrigued about its future. I'm flying in with mostly no context as to what's going on, but I'll do my best to share my thoughts on each match with as much as I know. |
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June 2024
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