Outside of SNES Online, it's been a little while since I've talked about a game I haven't played. Today, I'll be talking about one that I've been itching to beat for two years now. BACKGROUND:
To say that I haven't played Cuphead is actually inaccurate. Around the time it came out, I played a good amount of it on co-op with some friends, and got to the second world. I really enjoyed what I played, but at the time, the game was exclusive to Xbox and Windows, so I wasn't too optimistic that I'd ever get to play it again. Of course, the bombshell announcement that the game was coming to Switch got me hyped immediately. It took me a while to save up some extra cash to buy it, but I finally have it, and I couldn't have been more excited. PLOT: Cuphead and his brother Mugman live in Inkwell Isle, and they have a knack for getting in trouble. Their shenanigans, however, lead them to cross the path of the Devil, and after taking one too many chances in a round of gambling, the brothers are now in his debt. After the two pleaded to not have their souls taken, the Devil has them go after other souls who haven't paid their debts instead. How will the intrepid duo get out of this one? It's a simple, silly story that has some dark undertones, which isn't unlike the classic cartoons Cuphead is trying to emulate, and it gets the job done. One thing they thankfully didn't emulate from cartoons of that era was the unabashed racism. PRESENTATION: Like everybody who has heard of this game, the first thing that caught my eye about this game is its entire aesthetic. Everything about this game hearkens back to old school cartoons like classic Walt Disney animations, Tom and Jerry, and Looney Tunes, from the visuals, the animations, and the music. One amazing fact about this game is how the devs actually animated everything in the game by hand. They even emulate the rubber hose style of animation (the style of cartoons from the '30s) to a tee. Even stuff like puff of smoke and hit sparks were done this way. It's astounding, and I found myself taking a minute to take in how well done the visuals are. The homage to classic cartoons goes deeper than mere visuals. Character designs are evocative of classic cartoon characters (Cuphead and Mugman, for example, share strikingly similar outfits to Mickey Mouse), and they go all in on wacky, over-the-top facial expressions. All sorts of objects are turned into anthropomorphic characters, further adding to the cartoon vibe. You can tell that the devs grew up loving these cartoons. Of course, no classic cartoon is complete with some killer music, and Cuphead has that too in the form of jazzy, fully orchestrated tunes remind me of classic Merrie Melodies tracks. It's the cherry on top of a wonderful package, and as somebody who grew up watching some of the old cartoons the game is inspired by, I'm elated that Cuphead captures everything I remember and enjoy about them. GAMEPLAY: Cuphead is, on the surface, a shooter-style platformer in the vein of Contra, where you run, jump, and have access to a continuous projectile attack. If you've played games like that, this won't feel too foreign. In addition to the basic mechanics, Cuphead also has access to a dash, which helps him maneuver quickly in a horizontal direction. He also has what's called a parry, which is activated by pressing jump near pink objects. This mechanic is quite versatile, as many elements (such as enemies, projectiles, and more) come in pink, and they allow you to move around things and even defend against certain enemies/attacks. There's also a rudimentary RPG element in the form of equippable items. You can equip two sets of weapons, a charm (which grants a unique passive ability), and a Super (which is charged by landing hits and parrying). There aren't a lot of these to go around, but the ones you do get are sufficient to get you through the game. In particular, the weapons are quite diverse for having such a small selection, ranging from a short range spread shot, boomerang shots, a powerful charge shot, and even homing shots. They each have their own unique EX attack, too. While some weapons are more versatile than others, many work extremely well in certain situations, and the game encourages you to swap out your loadout often. As opposed to regular platformers, the focus of Cuphead isn't beating individual levels, but taking down a wide assortment of bosses. These bosses are scattered about in the overworld, and you can take them on in (mostly) any order. Beating a boss opens up a new path in the overworld (allowing you to access new areas), and beating everyone allows you to proceed to the next area, where it's more of the same. The game does feature typical platformer levels (named appropriately as Run & Gun levels), but there aren't a lot of them, so if you prefer that kind of thing, you're a little out of luck. These levels are plenty tough (featuring Ninja Gaiden-esque annoying respawns), so in a challenge sense, you will at least be satisfied. You'll also find coins strewn about these levels, which you can use to buy yourself new weapons and charms. There are also the Mausoleums, which are special levels where you take out a wave of pink ghosts by parrying them before they reach the center of the stage. I thought this was a really fun spin on an endurance-type level, and it also serves to highlight that the parry is a satisfying game mechanic. Beating these Mausoleums unlocks a Super for you to use in regular fights. Of course, the meat and potatoes of Cuphead are the bosses, and there are a good amount of them to go around. Taking them on the first time seems daunting, as there's no health bar, and many of them have multiple phases, but once you get past initial frustrations and learn the ins and outs of the fight, you'll inch closer to victory. All these fights are widely varied both in terms of gameplay and in presentation, and each boss exudes a distinct personality that makes the encounter all the more special. Some boss fights actually forego the usual platformer-style combat and throw you into a horizontal shmup level (think Gradius or Space Impact). This is pretty straightforward as well if you've played games within the genre, but the difference is that you only have two weapon types here (i.e. you won't be using anything you equipped) and the equivalent of the dash/dodge is the ability for your plane to shrink to dart through hazards. While the normal fights are varied enough, I appreciate what this brings to the table. Most levels have a letter rating system that tells you how well you did based on certain criteria (e.g. time cleared, remaining HP, Supers/EX attacks used, etc.). I personally didn't go out of my way to get the best ratings (though I did get a bunch of A- and A+ ratings on my own), but if you're a hardcore completionist (and a glutton for punishment), going for the best rating should be a worthy challenge. You can take on bosses in two ways: Simple and Regular. I finished my playthrough entirely on Regular mode (which is rather challenging), so I don't know what Simple offers in terms of changes, but the option is there for those who want it. Speaking of options, there's also an Expert mode for the true gluttons for punishment. I haven't checked it out, but if my average performance is any indication, I'll very likely do even worse. This game dominated the airwaves when it came out due to its notorious difficulty, and in my opinion, I think a lot of those reports are somewhat exaggerated. Sure, you'll die a lot (I certainly did), but I don't think anything the game throws at you is insurmountable. Yes, the boss patterns take a while to learn, and there are random elements thrown in to keep you on your toes, but none of these completely come out of nowhere (even the random shit is telegraphed well in advance). Given some trial and error, experimentation, and a modicum of patience, I was able to beat even the most annoying of fights eventually. Granted, I have plenty of experience with difficult games, but based on that same experience, I feel like Cuphead is one of the more manageable "hard" games out there. To a degree, I understood why some people are put off by this. Some people simply don't have the time or patience for games like this and just want to experience everything it has to offer, then move on. I get that, but I think it's unfair to say that games that don't cater to what you want personally (like your standards for difficulty) are bad or unfair; rather, it's more accurate to say that they're not for you. Furthermore, not every game has to cater to you personally; the devs had a vision in mind when they made this, and the audience this game has knows its appeal, and you should respect that. VERDICT: Cuphead is equal parts love letter to a bygone era and a formidable gameplay challenge for every player. The game captures everything about the cartoons it was inspired by impeccably, and has more than enough personality to stand on its own. In terms of gameplay, the wide variety of bosses offer more than enough challenge and are satisfying to beat, and even with a limited set of mechanics, they provide a surprising amount of room for experimentation in terms of strategy. If you're into games with distinct art styles, this is definitely one you should check out, but be warned: it is quite a difficult game that demands attention and requires patience. That said, it's not unbeatable; don't let all those articles you read on the Internet scare you into thinking that you can't beat it. Buy the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/268910/Cuphead/ Listen to the soundtrack on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3jQ7eqotwovipeZ3j3rMqu?si=bda-AU8EQhmt800WXVq3ZA - end -
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Looks like I've missed the Monday upload two weeks in a row. Once again, I apologize to readers who were expecting it, and I promise that a) I had something prepared for yesterday that I just couldn't get done, and b) this is not me setting a new schedule (at least not for now). Anyway, you didn't come here for my excuses, so here's this week's new set of five comics. THE THEME: This is the third Aspen Comics-focused theme I had planned, and in line with my original reasoning for those first two, the specific theme for today is still connected to the planned shared movie universe producers announced weeks ago. As reported, the Aspen-verse was gonna be based on two specific comic series. I've already done Fathom, and today, I'm focusing on the high fantasy series known as Soulfire. Like Fathom, Soulfire has plenty of spinoff series, so I focused on those for my selections, although I do have a main series issue somewhere in there. Similar to the previous Aspen Comics themes, everything on here is free to download (which I should specify can change without prior notice), so you, too, can get to reading. THE COMICS: SOULFIRE (VOL. 2) #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: J. T. Krul Artists: Marcus To, Saleem Crawford, Beth Sotelo - At the end of Vol. 1, the magic that had been absent from the world of Soulfire has been largely restored, thanks to Malikai, a young man with a connection to the world of magic. This prelude teases that the return of magic is only the beginning for him and his allies, and that there are a contingent of folks who aren't too happy with the recent change in the world. - FREE on Comixology SOULFIRE: CHAOS REIGN #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: J. T. Krul Artists: Marcus To, Jason Gorder, Don Ho - This spinoff follows a tribe of hunters who live in dangerous circumstances, but otherwise live in relative peace. That peace is broken when malevolent creatures attacked their village at night and abducted all but one woman living there. The remainder of the village is now looking to rescue those women, and this prelude teases a big adventure or an all-out war to that end. - FREE on Comixology SOULFIRE: DYING OF THE LIGHT #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writers: Michael Turner, J. T. Krul Artist: Micah Gunnell - The focus of this spinoff is on Grace (one of the main characters in the Soulfire series) and is set during the past, before the world's magic faded away and set the events of the main series into motion. This issue doesn't cover any of the events leading up to that quite yet, but it does involve a mysterious disease plaguing the land, and that may be a sign of things to come. Features pretty art. - FREE on Comixology SOULFIRE: NEW WORLD ORDER #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: J. T. Krul Artist: Francisco Herrera - This one is set right at the end of Vol. 1, with the magic of the world only starting to return. People around the world are starting to stumble across the more fantastical elements that once laid dormant. For some, it's a miracle, and for others, it's a horror, but one thing's for certain: not everyone who stumbles upon this magic will use it for good, and issue #0 makes that quite clear. The art style in this one is rather unique and enjoyable. - FREE on Comixology SOULFIRE: SHADOW MAGIC #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: Vince Hernandez Artist: Sana Takeda - We're following Grace in her early days again here, and this series shows her in a relationship with her lover Kelsyn. All does not seem well, however, as the Rahtumi (Grace's race) is gearing up for war against the Sethora (a similar winged race as the Rahtumi, albeit less fortunate), and that may end up driving a wedge between the lovers. - FREE on Comixology We've seen Michael Turner's capacity for creating a vast world teeming with lore in Fathom, and that is very much alive here in Soulfire. Given the high fantasy nature of the world, there's way more room to tell all sorts of stories set in the universe, and that is quite evident given how all these spinoff stories have such drastically different settings. I can't think of many comic universes that lend themselves well to a shared movie universe conceit, and Soulfire is definitely one of the few I see working exceptionally. PANEL OF THE WEEK: - end -
Survivor Series is upon us, but before that monumental occasion, there is the matter of WarGames to settle. Per usual, I'll be sharing some thoughts on each match on the card, so read on at the risk of spoilers.
Apologies to anybody expecting the usual Monday upload! I was not feeling too well yesterday and elected to take a break. In any case, I have another edition of Five Comics prepared for you. THE THEME: If you're following the latest comics news, you would know that the X-Men just got a big reboot via Jonathan Hickman's Dawn of X series of books. These books have changed the decades-old mythos completely and have established a completely new status quo for mutantkind in the Marvel Universe. Characters have also undergone drastic changes, and now, a plethora of new stories are just waiting to be told. From what I hear, the new X-books are selling really well, and it's absolutely deserved. I've already done an X-Men theme before, but with the resounding success of the new comics, I felt the need to celebrate it at some point. To differentiate this from the first X-Men Five Comics episode, I've added a new caveat: I will only feature comics specifically titled "Uncanny X-Men", so stuff like Astonishing X-Men, any of the ResurrXion titles, and more are off the table. I should note that there are multiple series titled "Uncanny X-Men", but in this case, I try to focus on the original Uncanny X-Men run. THE COMICS: UNCANNY X-MEN (1963–2011) #141 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Chris Claremont Artists: John Byrne, Terry Austin - This is the first part of Days of Future Past, one of the most iconic X-Men storylines of all time. It's the X-Men spin on the classic "travel back in time to prevent a dystopian future" tale. If you loved the movie, you owe it to yourself to see where it all began. - Comixology link UNCANNY X-MEN (1963–2011) #142 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Chris Claremont Artists: John Byrne, Terry Austin - This is the culmination of the Days of Future Past arc. As with the previous issue, you follow both the present and future timelines as Kitty Pryde (whose consciousness has traveled back in time) makes a valiant effort to prevent the dystopia she comes from. Meanwhile, her friends from that time period fight to stay alive. It bears repeating that this storyline is beloved, and with good reason. - Comixology link UNCANNY X-MEN (1963–2011) #201 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Chris Claremont Artists: Rick Leonardi, Whilce Portacio - In this one, Madelyne Pryor just gave birth, and her husband Cyclops is a little out of sorts to be there for her. In space, the Starjammers (featuring one Carol Danvers) come to grips that they may not get Professor X safely back to Earth. The comic is mostly focused on Cyclops as he struggles with the need to lead the X-Men, but the fact that it would strain his relationship, and the possibility that the X-Men may no longer need his leadership. - Comixology link UNCANNY X-MEN (1963–2011) #211 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Chris Claremont Artists: John Romita Jr., Bret Blevins - Here, we have another memorable X-Men story arc; this time, it's the Mutant Massacre. This event focuses on the Morlocks — mutant outcasts who live in secrecy underground — as they are slaughtered in droves by the Marauders. The X-Men naturally spring to action, but the resulting encounter with the Marauders may prove to be costly. - Comixology link UNCANNY X-MEN (1963–2011) #266 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Chris Claremont Artists: Mike Collins, Josef Rubinstein - Another landmark issue here, as this is the comic where eventual fan favorite Gambit makes his debut. He makes his entrance as Storm battles the Shadow King in a mansion he intended to steal from, and while he is certainly effective in the field, he has a long way to go until he earns Storm's trust. Gambit is such a beloved character, and it's cool to see where he got his start. - Comixology link The Uncanny X-Men has had many iconic tales in its decades-long history, and if you were paying attention in this post, you'll notice that one name has had a hand in most of these memorable stories: Chris Claremont. He is a legendary writer who was instrumental in elevating the X-Men to its status as one of the greatest comic books of all time, and created a plethora of now-beloved mutant characters who have become mainstays of the books ever since. He left an indelible mark in the comics industry, and while the X-Men have gone far since his time as the lead writer on the series, his legacy will (and should) be remembered for decades to come. PANEL OF THE WEEK: - end -
It feels strange to be talking about a build concept I just thought about yesterday. Most of the entries in this series are about ideas that I've worked on over many years, or have a storied history. That said, I think there's plenty I can say about today's build. I grew up loving puzzles. Though my skill in the many kinds of puzzles varies greatly, I enjoy most of them across the board. A classic one I've encountered a lot is the slide puzzle, which is a puzzle consisting of tiles arranged in a square grid. The objective is to move these tiles around and arrange them in a specific order or configuration. This puzzle comes in many forms, but the kind of sliding puzzle most people are familiar with are the ones where the individual tiles form a larger image when arranged correctly. Oddly enough, slide puzzles are one of the puzzles I'm pretty bad at, but for whatever reason, I came up with the ridiculous idea to create a Lego version of such a puzzle. I thought about how to go about it for weeks until yesterday, when I constructed this simple prototype. For the next segment, I'll be talking about said prototype. Coming up with how I wanted the slide puzzle to work was the easy part. With my years of experience messing around with mosaics (as discussed here), my immediate idea was that the finished puzzle should show a mosaic image. Figuring out and assembling an image that I wanted was just as simple, and as it became clear as I worked on the prototype, this was the easiest part of the build. The reason it took me a while to get this first build going is because I spent an incredibly long time ruminating on how to make the tile component of the slide puzzle work. What size tile should I use? How do I secure the tiles to the base? How do I make the actual sliding smooth? There were a lot of questions, and I overthought a lot of my answers. Eventually, I decided to just build a proof of concept instead of pushing myself to make a full-scale attempt. That led to the prototype being small (each puzzle tile is just 2x2 studs), the sliding mechanics being simple (it's literally just a bunch of plates against a smooth surface of tile pieces), and the entire thing being rough around the edges overall. My first issue was securing the puzzle tiles. In this prototype, the tiles are not connected to the rest of the build in any meaningful way. That means, yes, they can move freely (allowing for the sliding part of the slide puzzle), but they move too freely. While I made the base the tiles rest on the minimum size it can be, it doesn't quite lock them snugly into place, and as such, they can very easily fall out or be pulled out. Though that makes disassembly easy, it means that the slide puzzle can only be really played when it's on a flat surface, and I want it to be something you can fiddle with in your hands. Somewhat counterintuitively, the puzzle tiles being loose led to the actual sliding mechanic not being smooth. As there's really nothing forcing the tiles to conform to the grid (other than the tiles themselves), sliding a tile to the empty spot isn't as one-to-one as it should be. Often, the tile will end up slightly misaligned, and though that offset is imperceptible at first glance, it's more than enough to make sliding the next tile impossible without manually realigning everything. This made the puzzle annoying to play, and since I was already not good at slide puzzles to begin with, this hurdle only served to exasperate me further as I tested the build. I spent the entirety of the following day thinking of how to get around these barriers in my next iteration. It took a couple of hours of trial and error, but I was able to build a new slide puzzle where I attempt to address these issues. This is the build you see in the above image. The first improvement I made was to up the scale of the puzzle tiles. 2x2 tiles arranged in a 3x3 grid did not have nearly enough area to create a half-decent mosaic with, so I doubled the tile size to 4x4. I also intended to upscale the grid to 4x4, but I didn't quite have the resources to make that work, so I stuck to 3x3. Even with that limitation, the larger tiles allowed me to make a better mosaic, so I'm not too upset about it. Next, I went about securing those puzzle tiles to a base. This was by far the most time-consuming part, and I went through idea after idea, having to scrap majority of them because stability ended up coming at the expense of mobility (i.e. the entire sliding gimmick straight up doesn't work). Eventually, I figured out a design for the puzzle tiles that secured them to an assembly of Technic pieces that function as sort of "rails" for the tiles to move across. This design made it harder to simply yank the tiles out of the base (I have to finagle the tiles to get them out), but the entire thing was still somewhat susceptible to gravity. It wasn't perfect, but it was certainly more secure than the prototype. The Technic "rails" also made the whole sliding thing a lot smoother, as they mitigate the offset problem of the prototype and forced the tiles to conform to the grid. There are still the occasional snags while playing the puzzle, but it wasn't as rough as before. These snags seem to be caused by a new hurdle I encountered as I went about designing this iteration. Although the rail assembly I built for the puzzle tiles to move around in helped keep things in place, it had a major flaw: they only existed at the perimeter of the grid. That means only the tiles along this perimeter are secure, leaving the very center tile completely loose, which means a) it can fall out easily, and b) it can fall out of alignment, causing snags while playing the puzzle. The other interlocking tiles do help keep that middle tile in place, but once you start tilting the whole build, it will likely fall out. I tried a bunch of things to try and secure the middle piece, but my attempts often interfered with the sliding, so I ended up leaving it as is in the end. My goal in the next iteration is to solve this problem. The slide puzzle was an interesting challenge from a design standpoint, which is why I felt like writing about it. Outside of that, it was a fun idea that I wasn't sure would work, and I'm pretty happy with myself given that I figured out a way to make it work.
To end this entry, I leave you with some news: I have submitted this build as a project on Lego Ideas. For the unfamiliar, Lego Ideas is a platform where fans submit set ideas in hopes of Lego making an official set out of said ideas. In order to for that to happen, a project must reach 10,000 supporters, and once that happens, the project goes into a review phase where Lego evaluates if it can be made into an official set. I thought, "why not," and just submitted the slide puzzle as a project on a whim. I'm not really hoping for anything big here, but I thought it'd be fun to finally submit something on Lrgo Ideas after eight years lurking on the platform. In the off chance you want to support the slide puzzle as a Lego Ideas project, follow the link here. As of writing, the project is still awaiting approval, so it probably won't go live until next week (if at all). In any case, I'm leaving the link there, so please bookmark it if you're interested and check back in the next couple of days. NOTE: you need an account to view the page. - end - No topical tie-in for this week's edition of Five Comics. Enjoy a completely arbitrary theme devoid of me capitalizing on recent news in the realm of comics (at least for this week, anyway)! THE THEME: Animal-themed comic book characters are a common thing. You've got Batman, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Squirrel Girl... there are so many, even someone unfamiliar with comics can rattle off five names with ease. Making a theme based on that would be ridiculously easy, so I decided to make things a bit challenging for myself. Not only do I make a point of selecting comics from across a unique selection of publishers (i.e. no repeats), I also decide to one-up the theme of animal-themed heroes and include protagonists that are straight up anthropomorphic animals. Of course, those types of protagonists aren't uncommon, either (see: My Little Pony, various Disney films, Garfield, etc.), but in the case of superhero comics, they're at least less prevalent than humans who have an animal motif. THE COMICS: ALTER NATION: THE MYSTERY OF WHINING WINNY Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Writer: Tim Seeley Artist: Mike Norton - Alter Nation follows GK Delta, a covert ops team of teenage animal hybrids produced by the military. Here, they're investigating a cryptid sighting in Nevada, and there are hints that a sinister element is afoot. From what I hear, this is a comic based on a toy line, which is such an '80s thing. I may look into that in the future. - FREE on Comixology BATMAN DAY 2017 (SPECIAL EDITION) Publisher: DC Comics Writer: Tom King Artist: David Finch - This Batman Day offering reprints Batman (2016–) #16, which teases the return of Bane to Gotham. It's mostly setup for the arc, but the end promises an exciting encounter nonetheless. And since this is the Batman Day offering in 2017 (which was Harley Quinn's 25th anniversary), this special edition is bookended by a meta Harley Quinn short comic where she puts herself over and shits on Batman Day. - this particular version of the comic is not on Comixology, but the original comic it reprints is available here DRAGONFLY & DRAGONFLYMAN Publisher: Ahoy Comics Writer Tom Peyer Artist: Russ Braun - An interesting concept where you follow two versions of the same hero in their respective universes: the camp, Batman '66-esque Dragonflyman of Earth-Alpha, and the gritty, brooding Dragonfly of Earth-Omega. It's a setup for a comic called The Wrong Earth, which sees the heroes trapped in their counterpart's universe. I liked what I read here, and I'm interested to read more. This comic also has previews for Ahoy's other titles, like Captain Ginger. - FREE on Comixology HOWARD THE DUCK (1976–1979) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Steve Gerber Artists: Frank Brunner, Steve Leialoha - Perhaps one of the most "what the fuck" characters in the entire Marvel canon, Howard the Duck gets his big break in his first solo series. In this debut issue, Howard is dragged into a ridiculous adventure across dimensions. Oh, and Spider-Man's in it, because why the fuck not? If you were one of the people who went "who the fuck is that" during the post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy, this is the comic to read. - Comixology link TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: CASUALTY OF WAR (FCBD 2019) Publisher: IDW Writers: Tom Waltz, Bobby Curnow, Kevin Eastman Artist: Dave Wachter - The TMNT are one of the most iconic anthropomorphic animal heroes ever, and while they're more remembered for the movies and TV shows these days, their adventures in the comic books have never stopped. Here, the turtles are desperately fighting to save their ally Jennika from dying, and it looks as though the odds are against them. - FREE on Comixology Hope you enjoyed this simple theme! It was a bit of a challenge to make it interesting, but I hope my choice to pull from distinct publishers helped with that. PANEL(s) OF THE WEEK: - end -
This particular post will be structured differently, for reasons I will explain below. Ominous preamble aside, let's talk Mario Kart 8 Deluxe! BACKGROUND:
Of the 17 million Mario spinoffs out there, Mario Kart is certainly one of my most favorite. I started with Mario Kart DS, and I've played every title that came out since. There are two or three older Mario Kart games I haven't had a chance to play, but other than that, I have a pretty extensive history with the series. I've actually played the original Mario Kart 8 (on the Wii U) a lot, and knowing that this is just an enhanced version of that, I won't go through the rigamarole of covering every base like I usually do on posts like these. All I'll say is that I had a blast the first time I played Mario Kart 8, and the enjoyment I felt then was still very much present when I played the deluxe version today. I never actually had the intention of buying this game. The only reason I was able to play this is because my brother had a physical copy of it bought for him, and since he was too busy playing Rainbow Six Siege anyway, I went and borrowed it. WHAT'S NEW: Almost all of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's content is exactly the same as that of the original. 32 fantastic tracks, four speed settings (including the batshit 200cc, which was a post-launch update for the original), and an online component (I didn't mess around with this aspect, but it looked mostly the same). If you've played the original, 95% of the things you see in Deluxe will not at all be new to you. The deluxe version also comes with the DLC content of the original, which adds 16 tracks, a bunch of new characters, all with a bit of crossover appeal (e.g. you can play as Link, and race in F-Zero's Mute City). If you didn't get the DLC the first go-around, this content may be appealing to you. In my case, my digital copy of the original Mario Kart 8 came with a code for the DLC, so it's familiar territory for me. In terms of gameplay, pretty much nothing has changed. The driving here is the best it's ever been, and I'm glad that it's mostly intact. They did add new items (Boo and the feather), and they've changed items so that you can hold two at once, but other than that, there's nothing too drastic. They also seem to have added accessibility options (that, or I never noticed them in the original), so that's nice. The completely new addition for this version is the new and improved Battle mode. If I recall, the original Mario Kart 8 was subpar, as it simply reused the race tracks for the stages, instead of having battle stages specifically designed for the mode (like previous games). Not only are there proper battle stages now, they even added three more battle modes, including a never-before-seen Cops and Robbers-type mode (by comparison, the original only had Balloon Battle). Battle Mode was pretty much weakest aspect of the otherwise phenomenal original game, and I'm glad that they fixed it. While the game looked great on Wii U, the game looks and sounds much better here on Switch, even in handheld. It's easily the best Mario Kart in terms of presentation. VERDICT: If you've already played the original Mario Kart 8, there's probably little reason to buy it again unless a) you never owned the DLC, b) the novelty of playing the game on the go is worth it to you, or c) Battle Mode is that much of a selling point. In any case, the few additions Nintendo added to a nearly perfect game elevate it as one of the all-time greats, and regardless of whether that's worth another $60 to you, they did a good job with this enhanced version. However, if you're on the other side of that discussion, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the Mario Kart to get. This version has a plethora of content, boasts beautiful graphics and stellar music, and the gameplay is up there as the best the series has ever seen. If you want to pick up a Mario Kart game, make it this one. In general, Mario Kart is one of the best and most fun series to get into whether you're a casual gamer or a hardcore fan like me, and on top of that, you can play it solo or have a blast playing with your friends. If it's a series you've yet to get into, I can't recommend it enough. Whichever entry in the series you play first, I'm sure you'll enjoy it one way or another. - end - In an unprecedented move, I have more than one Five Comics entry for a single week. I've been making a habit of only doing one per week, but seeing as this theme is somewhat related to the one that went up earlier, this is a decent time to make an exception. THE THEME: In the previous Five Comics, I talked about how Aspen Comics is getting its own shared movie universe. This will apparently be kicked off by two comic series: Fathom and Soulfire. Whereas Monday's entry was a general celebration of various Aspen Comics offerings, this theme is focused solely on the world of Fathom. Fathom is pretty much the flagship series of Aspen Comics, and is perhaps one of the defining works of the late Michael Turner (who founded the company). The importance of the series is in the very name "Aspen Comics", so named after Fathom's main character Aspen Matthews. Since the comic's debut back in the late '90s, the world of Fathom has spun off into all sorts of supplementary comic series, and while I have selections from the main Fathom series, I tried my best to focus on these spinoffs. Like the previous Aspen Comics theme, everything I read here is free to download. THE COMICS: FATHOM: CANNON HAWKE #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writers: Michael Turner, Koi Turnbull, J. T. Krul Artists: Koi Turnbull, Larry Welch - Cannon Hawke is a secondary character who's featured heavily in the main series, and in this spinoff, he takes center stage. The zero issue sees Hawke in not the best state mentally, and there are hints that adversaries from his past may surface yet again. - FREE on Comixology FATHOM (VOL. 1) #1/2 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writers: Michael Turner, Olivia Chadha Artists: Michael Turner, Jonathan Sibal - This comic is a prelude in every sense of the word, as it is set during Wolrd War II, long before the events of the main Fathom series. It follows the story of Cannon Hawke's father, who went on a mission to stop the Nazis from weaponizing his father's scinetific discoveries. - FREE on Comixology FATHOM: BLUE DESCENT #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Wrtier: David Schwartz Artist: Scott Clark - Aspen's origins remain mostly a mystery in the main series, but in Blue Descent, her past in finally explored in full. In this particular issue, Aspen is struggling to piece together her memories of her childhood, and by the end, resolves to uncover the mystery. Exciting stuff. - FREE on Comixology FATHOM: DAWN OF WAR #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: J. T. Krul Artists: Talent Caldwell, Jason Gorder - The war between humans and the Blue (the main water-dwelling species focused on in Fathom) is an important plot thread throughout the series. While the Blue are usually the main focus, this comic tursn that around by taking a look at the human perspective, particularly that of the members of the military tasked to fight against the Blue. - FREE on Comixology FATHOM: KIANI (VOL. 2) #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: Victor Hernandez Artist: Oliver Nome - In the story arc preceding the events of this series, Kiani was killed. This comic, however, reveals that she may yet live again, and that when she does, she'll be out for blood after everything she's been through. Quite intriguing off the bat. - FREE on Comixology While my familiarity with the world of Fathom doesn't go as deep as my knowledge of the Marvel and DC universes, I've enjoyed what little I've read, and the rich lore and world-building the series provides is largely why. I hope the movie (whenever that's coming, if at all) can capture that sense of scope the comics have. More importantly, I hope more people check the series out once the movie does come around. PANEL OF THE WEEK: - end -
After an unusually long presentation by Mr. Sakurai, the latest DLC fighter has just dropped for Smash Ultimate. Per usual, I'll be sharing my thoughts on what Terry has to offer in this legendary game. BACKGROUND:
While I didn't grow up with the Neo Geo or SNK in general, I was familiar with the work the company puts out via arcades. However, that familiarity was mostly linked to Metal Slug, and my knowledge of the fighting games is shallow. I only really know of King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown (and, if you count it, Capcom vs. SNK), and even then, what I know of those series is surface level. The arcade fighters of other game companies being more popular pretty much drew me away from SNK fighting games until I was older. When the news broke in the last Nintendo Direct, I was still excited by the addition of Terry despite not having a strong attachment to the games he appears in. I had been wanting an SNK rep since Ultimate's DLC started rolling out, and with Terry being the most recognizable face of the company, it was a match made in heaven. If anything, I'm glad that yet another storied game company is part of the ever-growing celebration of video games that is Smash Bros. As with Hero, however, some fans don't quite see it the same way, which is disappointing. The presentation for Terry was a whopping 45 minutes (around 2-3 times longer than previous DLC character presentations), and it felt like a true love letter to SNK, with Sakurai schooling the unfamiliar with all things SNK. The man has been vocal about how KOF is a strong inspiration for Smash, and his love for it (and SNK in general) really shines through as he discussed all the stuff they added in with Terry. I got the impression that getting to put an SNK rep in Smash is dream come true material for him, and as the leading authority of making dreams come true in video games, I'm glad he gets to enjoy the feeling he's been giving millions of fans for twenty years. Sakurai's passion in this presentation is the very core of why I fucking love Smash: he loves video games, and he expresses his love for them by paying them the utmost respect in his crossover. Smash is the reason I became more passionate about games, and it feels amazing to see that Sakurai is a hundred times more passionate about them than I am. WHAT'S NEW: Terry himself is a fascinating character in Smash. On the surface, he's exactly what I expected: a sort of Ryu archetype whose moves are pretty much from his home games, and as such, lend themselves more to the typical in-your-face action that 2D fighters are renowned for. Beneath this façade, however, lies a number of interesting intricacies. For one, Terry has command inputs much like Ryu and Ken. That means you can throw out a stronger version of his specials by doing the appropriate motion on your analog stick (for those who are familiar with arcade fighters, these are your quarter-circles, half-circles, and the like). This was not unexpected, but still an awesome touch. Speaking of Terry's specials, he doesn't just have the standard four — he has five. Instead of the usual side-b (which is the same regardless of which side you input), his side specials are split into forward-b and back-b (much like how aerials and throws make distinctions between forward and backward inputs). It takes a lot to get used to, but once I got the hang of it, I really appreciated the novelty of having a fifth special at my disposal. Hero obviously has the concept of multiple specials locked down, but Terry's take on extra special moves feels distinct enough that isn't a ripoff (and it's also not incredibly batshit like Hero's). Further expanding on Terry's specials, he also has the ability to cancel certain normals of his into a special move. For example, you can cancel down-tilt into, say, back-b, and end up with a decent combo. Again, this is not entirely new in Smash (Ryu and Ken also have special cancels to an extent), but in Terry's case, it seems to be an integral part of his playstyle. As somebody who's playing a ton of Mortal Kombat 11, special cancels are not a foreign concept to me, but I imagine this to be a skill barrier for certain players (though not one too insurmountable; the timing to perform the cancels is kinda lenient). As if that wasn't enough, Terry has yet another mechanic that adds to his arsenal. When he reaches a certain amount of damage, he gains access to a pair of Super Special moves, which can only be performed via rather complex command inputs (what some may know as "pretzel commands"). These moves are tough to execute (especially for players who aren't experienced in arcade fighters) and even tougher to land in a real battle setting, but goddamn, are they flashy and satisfying to pull off. It's another thing that takes a bit of practice to get a hang of, but I really dig this mechanic overall. It also doesn't feel "broken", as the maneuvers are pretty high risk (not only do you have to be at high percents to perform the move, it leaves you wide open if it's blocked or you whiff, so if you fuck up, there's a good chance you're dead). Terry also has the unique ability to attack out of a spot dodge/sidestep, which is a sort of nod to Fatal Fury's dodge attacks. If you press the button immediately after performing a spot dodge, he throws out a punch that sends the opponent back a bit. It's an interesting defensive tool, and given how spot dodges are common in high-level play of this game, I look forward to seeing pros try to find ways around it. Lastly, Terry's specials have a strong/weak variant (not unlike how Ryu and Ken have light/medium/heavy attacks), and one of his specials works like typical "charge" moves in 2D fighters. Even if it isn't uncharted territory for Smash, making elements of traditional fighting games work within the simpler format of Smash is still a neat gimmick to me. Overall, Terry feels faithful to his appearances in his games of origin, at least from what I can tell. He has most of his signature moves, has all the iconic taunts and voice lines (ARE YOU OK?), and his recognizable look is preserved in the Smash style. Based on the various Let's Plays and streams of classic Fatal Fury/KOF games I've been watching in anticipation for this DLC, I can say that Sakurai and co. have, like always, hit it out of the park with showing reverence to the source material. In terms of him as an overall fighter, I find Terry to be really fun to play around with, especially with his special cancels and Super Specials. As I mentioned, some players may have difficulty picking him up, but I will say that he's easier to play than Ryu and Ken. Competitively, he seems like he may be a force to be reckoned with, thanks to mostly good normals, a decent arsenal of specials, and the ability to cancel into them. Time will tell if he will command the meta in this patch. As with all of the previous Fighters Pass characters, our main man Terry comes with a stage, and that is the King of Fighters Stadium. It's exactly what you think it is, and for the most part, there's not much to say about it. However, the stage does feature invisible walls, which can only shatter (and subsequently let a player fly off) if the fighter being knocked into the wall has taken a certain amount of damage. It's a novel way to apply the wall restriction most 2D fighters have while still functioning within the rules of Smash. The stage also features an unprecedented amount of cameos, totaling up to a whopping 20 characters from across the SNK pantheon. From Joe to Kyo to Iori to Geese, it's awesome to see them in the background much like how they are in the older KOF games. The devs didn't have to do this, but it truly shows how committed they are to showing as much love and respect to the characters who grace the Smash Bros. battlefield. Mai is sadly absent from the bunch, which is a shame, as she's pretty much the Chun-Li of SNK. On the subject of love and respect, the music selection of the stage is more impressive, boasting a whopping FIFTY tracks. FIFTY. And they're not just from Fatal Fury, either; you've got KOF tracks, Art of Fighting, and even tracks from Samurai Shodown and Metal Slug. This is above and beyond the call of duty, and it shows how a) the Smash team fucking loves video games, b) how much of an SNK fanboy Sakurai is, and c) how thrilled SNK is to be a part of such a legendary celebration. Meanwhile, Final Fantasy still only has a staggering TWO music tracks. Sigh.... As is standard with these character packs, we've got a small assortment of new Spirits, which was just as much an SNK All-Stars smorgasbord as the music (featuring the likes of Kyo, Andy, Ryo, and even Haohmaru). There's also a new Classic Mode route, which is a nod to the KOF games (you face off against a team of three fighters in Stamina mode). It's the usual shit, but again, the love and care shown is incredible, and it's more evident in this case given how many SNK games got represented here. And of course, we also get a new round of Mii Fighter costumes, and they're of the SNK variety as well. Other than that, there's nothing new 6.0 really brings to the table other than balance changes and a few minor improvements to existing modes. Sakurai did say that Home Run Contest (added last patch) was the last new mode, and it is clear that this will stand. I was pretty happy with the DLC pack itself, so it's not an issue at all to me. VERDICT: Though it seems lost on a contingent of fans how significant SNK is to the game industry, I, for one, am thrilled at the addition of Terry Bogard. Not only does he offer something interesting gameplay-wise, but he came with a plethora of SNK goodies like the stage, music, and Spirits, and that kind of reverence shown to the original games is what makes Smash so goddamn special: it's a celebration of video games past, present, and future. The fact that we're getting even more DLC characters is an opportunity to make this celebration even grander, and I can't be more excited to see what comes next (please be Crash Bandicoot or Scorpion). Like with most instances of Smash repping a game series I haven't quite explored or heard of, this has sparked an interest within me to go into a deep dive into some SNK fighting games. As it happens, the Switch has some of the arcade originals on the eShop, and once I get myself some extra cash, I'm gonna check out Fatal Fury and play some old KOF. For now, I'll be enjoying my time Power Dunking bitches in Smash. - end - In another instance of me commemorating news developments more than a week later, I have another semi-topical Five Comics theme to offer this week. THE THEME: About a week ago, there were rumblings that a former Marvel Studios exec was creating a new shared movie universe featuring Fathom and Soulfire, two of the biggest comics in the Aspen Comics library. I've only read a bit of Fathom and nothing else from the publisher, so I've been spending a bit of time doing some research on various Aspen Comics titles. In the process, I've acquired a number of Aspen Comics issues digitally, and I'll be covering five of them right here. I've got yet another Leading Ladies theme for you (I don't think I need to explain what that means anymore), and as you might have guessed, it'll be all Aspen Comics titles. I have a couple more Aspen Comics themes prepared that I'll be sharing in the near future, but for now, I'll be playing it safe with an easy-to-prepare theme. As a bonus, everything featured today is free to download on Comixology! Don't hesitate to open those links. THE COMICS: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT: IRIS (VOL. 1) #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writers: David Wohl, Bard Foxhoven Artists: Eduardo Francisco, Jason Gorder - Iris is the assistant to a Chinese executive named Mr. Ching. As you'd expect, her job comes with all the usual duties, but on top of that, she has an extra role to play for her boss: a ruthless assassin who kills to benefit her employer and his business. It's a cool premise, and I just might read more. - FREE on Comixology FATHOM (VOL. 2) #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writers: J. T. Krul, Michael Turner Artists: :Koi Turnbull, Jason Gorder - The main character Aspen Matthews is notably missing here, but it isn't without reason; she's been missing since the end of Vol. 1, and the Blue (her fellow ocean-dwellers) are working hard to find her. That's the least of their problems, however, as the human military is gearing up for a war against the Blue, and an ancient race called the Black has seemingly surfaced. This prelude focuses more on the secondary characters as they settle into their new journeys in Vol. 2, and you'll want to be familiar with the events of Vol. 1 to fully appreciate what's happening. - FREE on Comixology FATHOM: KIANI (VOL. 1) #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: Vince Hernandez Artists: Marcus To, Don Ho - Kiani is a prominent character in the Fathom universe, and she gets her own solo outing here. This prelude comic is mostly uneventful, but is crucial in setting up Kiani's mindset going into her journey in the rest of the series, as she reflects on her anger and grief and decides her next course of action. - FREE on Comixology IDOLIZED #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: David Schwartz Artist: Micah Gunnell - In this universe, many people are gifted with superpowers, and there exists an American Idol-esque reality show where these folks can compete to become a member of the Powered Protectors (the world's premier superhero team). The comic teases the journey of Leslie, one of the participants of the contest, as she strives to win the whole thing... and exact her revenge. - FREE on Comixology SOULFIRE (VOL. 1) #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writers: Jeph Loeb, Michael Turner Artist: Michael Turner - Soulfire's world is that of monsters and magic, but that magic has since disappeared from the world. In this brief prelude, there are hints of that magic, and how it was seemingly torn asunder by war and destruction. It teases the role of Grace (the woman on the cover) and her struggle to defend magic's existence, as well as hints at the notion that magic may just be laying dormant within the world. Features some impressive art despite being a short comic. - FREE on Comixology Even with the wealth of books I've read in the past six or so years, there are many comics I've yet to discover. Aspen Comics (and its various titles) is one such uncharted territory, and I'm excited to both explore their library and share that journey with you via this blog. As I said, I have a couple more Aspen Comics-centric themes waiting in the wings, so keep your eyes peeled for that. For now, enjoy another selection of female-led comics from yours truly. PANEL OF THE WEEK: - end -
To end/start this week, I have yet another bonus read to share. Last week, the Bloodshot movie got its first trailer, marking the first Valiant Comics adapatiation on the big screen. Why not celebrate that (an entire week later) with a comic? BACKGROUND:
I first got into Valiant Comics during freshman year in college, around the time I started reading digitally. I had acquired a couple of their titles for free, and immensely enjoyed what I read. I've been keeping tabs on the publisher ever since, reading whatever I can get my hands on (including some of their older stuff from the '90s). This particular title came out quite a while ago (I think it was in 2015), though I never got around to reading it. Valiant has made the comic available to read for free on their website, so I naturally had to check it out. THE WRITING: This crossover tale focuses on the Eternal Warrior (a prominent character in the Valiant Universe) and his failed attempts over the millennia to defend the Geomancer (the Earth's mystical protector) from the Immortal Enemy. In each failure, The Immortal Enemy successfully kills the current Geomancer, plunging human civilization into an age of darkness, and each time, the loss weighed heavier on the Eternal Warrior. Fast forward to present day, and a new Geomancer has surfaced. Fearing that the worst may yet again come to pass, the Eternal Warrior expresses that he's going to need a lot of help to defeat the Immortal Enemy. Fortunately for him, present day Valiant Universe has some kickass characters who can help.... The rest of the comic sets up these other characters as part of the overall story, such as Armstrong (from Archer & Armstrong), who lends the Geomancer his ear, Bloodshot (who's on one of his many missions, which may or may note be connected to the main plot), and X-O Manowar, who makes a brief cameo at the end. The Geomancer herself gets some ample screen time, as she struggles with her newfound powers, and her responsibility to the planet. THE ART: The art's decently detailed and employs a more nuanced color palette, but other than that, there's not much I can really say. However, it is certainly well done, and that's all I can really ask for. The comic also features some impressive-looking splash pages, and I am always a sucker for those. VERDICT: The Valiant #1 does a great job setting the stage for an exciting crossover event, establishing the main story and some of the key players in succinct fashion. It's also a pretty safe jumping-in point for readers new to the Valiant Universe, as it doesn't really connect to other comic series, and you can get away with not knowing most of the characters, so this is a solid place to start. Read the comic free on your web browser here. Alternatively, here's it is on Comixology, though that isn't free. I do have links to an assortment Valiant titles on Comixology here, and these are all free to download! If you've yet to get into Valiant Comics, I think my selection is the perfect place to start:
Happy reading! - end - |
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