Now that I'm done with the Five Comics 2019 Rewind, I can now pivot the blog to some other topics I also want to talk about. One such topic is the new additions to SNES Online a couple of weeks ago, which I have been slowly playing through as December went along. Today, my focus is on the third of four games I've finished. BACKGROUND:
I played the original Star Fox on SNES Online. I talk about my overall familiarity with the series on the blog entry discussing my time with that game, so you can just read that here if you wish. Star Fox 2 is a very interesting game for gaming history enthusiasts, because for the longest time, it went unreleased. It was meant to come out on the Super Nintendo a couple of years, but it never did. The game didn't see the light of day until 2017, when it was made part of the SNES Classic library. SUMMARY: Remember when you killed Andross in the first game? Well, he's back, and he's extra pissed. That means the Lylat system is in danger again, and thus General Pepper enlists the help of Team Star Fox once more. Star Fox 2 plays pretty much the same as the first game (3D rail shooter where you pilot a spaceship and go "pew pew pew"), but how the game is laid out is completely different. In the original Star Fox, you go through a set of levels in a specific sequence, with each level culminating in a boss fight. Star Fox 2, on the other hand, does away with the linear progression and puts you in a map of the Lylat system where you can move freely and tackle levels in any order. The map has five worlds on it, but depending on your difficulty, only a number of them are selectable. Each individual level has unique layouts and aesthetics, but the goal will mostly be the same: infiltrate their base and destroy it from the inside. The fact that you're pretty much doing the same thing for every planet wears thin after a while, but the levels themselves have enough variety in terms of how you get to the objective. Some levels just need you to find the switch and press it, while others take you through a labyrinth filled with bosses and enemies you have to dispatch. The overworld will also have other elements strewn about that you can check out. One such thing is a spacecraft carrier, and visiting it puts you in a mission where you fly into the carrier and blow it up. You can also encounter enemy fighters in space, and heading to their location puts you in a dogfight where you have to take every enemy ship out. Think of them as the game's random encounters. To raise the stakes, Corneria now has a damage counter on it. Once it reaches 100%, it's game over. Corneria takes damage when enemy fighters or planetary missiles successfully travel through the map and reach the planet, which can be prevented by intercepting them on their way there, the destroying them in a space battle. These hazards are periodically sent out by carriers and hostile planets respectively, so clearing the actual levels will prevent more attacks from happening. What makes these hazards challenging is rooted in how the overworld works. In order to move, you have to point at a given location with the cursor, and once you've confirmed your selection, the ship that denotes your position on the map actually moves to that point at a fixed speed. As your ship moves, so do the hazards, and they're all making a beeline towards Corneria. It's like if the overworld in Super Mario 3 had Mario actually walk at a slow pace from level to level instead of just putting you automatically on the level. This mechanic can be a bit of a slog to get through when you just want to beat the game, but I do like the concept of the overworld being more than just a glorified level select screen and having dynamic elements like that. A lot of the game is striking a balance between making your way through each main level in order to reach Andross and intercepting enemy fighters/planetary missiles before they reach Corneria. It's an interesting dynamic that I enjoyed, as it required actively planning out a route as opposed to going in a predetermined sequence. I also like that the aspect of defending Corneria is still important even when you're in a middle of playing through a level. When you go through levels or take on random encounters, the overworld doesn't freeze in time; stuff like missiles moving towards Corneria or carriers deploying new enemy squadrons are still very much active in real time. This is denoted by the occasional transmission from General Pepper that you can get while playing, who will notify you when, say, Corneria has taken damage, or Andross has launched more missiles. It incentivizes you to clear levels as quickly as possible, so you can respond to any new happenings immediately. Once you progress and take out a bunch of carriers/liberate a bunch of planets, Andross will get angry, and send all manner of hell your way. These can range from deploying additional spacecraft carriers, launching several missiles from every planet under his control, and even sending out a tough boss fight in your direction. He will also dispatch the members of rival mercenary team Star Wolf, and encountering them will put you in a one-on-one dogfight. Andross's responses to your efforts vary in number and severity depending on which difficulty you select. In terms of actual space combat, there were a few changes made. For one, you're no longer stuck as Fox, because you can now select from one of six playable characters (the original four Star Fox members + Miyu and Fay, who are brand new). Each character's ship has different stats and special abilities, and the ship designs even vary from character to character. Though I was perfectly fine with the first game putting you firmly in Fox McCloud's shoes, I really like the freedom to choose who I want to play as, and the fact that my choice affects gameplay makes it interesting. Unlike the first Star Fox, your teammates no longer join you in the fray (so no friendly fire/keep them alive scenarios), which I found disappointing, as that's one of my favorite aspects of the first game. The team aspect is not completely lost, however, as you can also select a wingman after selecting who you want to play as. At any time in the overworld, you can swap who you play as between your chosen character and the wingman, allowing you to access different abilities when needed, or to give one guy a break if they've taken a lot of damage. Speaking of damage, your health does not replenish between levels, so hopping from level to level in quick succession may be ill-advised. You can restore yourself by flying back to the Mothership, which starts out on Corneria. As you start liberating planets, you can warp the Mothership to those planets, allowing you to deploy yourself from a more favorable position. What's perhaps the coolest addition to Star Fox 2 is the Arwing's ability to transform into a walker. In the main levels, you can switch from your regular spacecraft to an earthbound walking vehicle. As great as flying in a spaceship is, I found the walker much more fun, as it controls quite well and gave me the feeling that I was piloting an AT-ST (from Star Wars). Aiming was also substantially easier in this mode than in the regular Arwing, so there's that. As mentioned, there are difficulty levels in this game, and they are Normal, Hard, and Expert. Unlike the first game (which featured different levels depending on the difficulty), every setting takes place in the same overworld, with the primary difference being the amount of selectable levels at the start. That said, each difficulty still feels largely distinct from one another, as one planet can have different layouts and objectives based on the difficulty. This game has a decent amount of replay value, because every playthrough will have a different selection of planets every time, and the random events can happen at different times. There's also a scoring system that gives you a rank when you beat the game, which will appeal to the leaderboard chasers out there. Though most things still look like the usual low-poly models from the first game, Star Fox 2's visuals feel a bit more polished. Enemy designs look more defined, there are more background elements in levels, power-ups are actually identifiable on the screen, and ancillary stuff like character portraits and menus look great. There are also nice additions to the UI like the map/radar, which is incredibly useful. VERDICT: Though there are elements from the first game I wish they had kept, Star Fox 2 is still a solid sequel. It expands on the 3D space combat well by introducing character options and the awesome walker mode, creates a unique gameplay dynamic with its ever-changing overworld and the added objective of defending Corneria, and improves on the visuals somewhat. It took around 20 years for Nintendo to finally release this game, and I'd say it was worth the wait. - end -
0 Comments
Here we are, at the end of the 2019 Rewind. Looking back at every theme I've done this past year and reading a bunch more comics has been a fun way to spend my week, but it comes to an end today. Before then, there are five more comics for me to read. THE THEME: [insert explanation for 2019 Rewind here] No theme-for-the-themes for the final chapter. Sit back and enjoy the relative randomness. THE COMICS: ![]() BULLSEYE (2017) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writers: Ed Brisson, Marv Wolfman Artists: Guillermo Sanna, Alec Morgan - Bullseye's been going through the motions as of late, taking on kill contracts like usual. But Bullseye's more than just a money guy; he's in it for the thrill. This issue has him take on a job where he's taking on an entire cartel, and he's enjoying every second of it. Watching Bullseye kill people with increasingly ridiculous projectiles never gets old. - Five Comics theme: Antagonist Syndrome - Comixology link ![]() CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #1 Publisher: DC Comics Writer: Marv Wolfman Artists: George Pérez, Dick Giordano - Crisis on Infinite Earths is a groundbreaking comic in DC's lore, establishing the DC multiverse and course-correcting decades of continuity. The story begins with multiple universes perishing, and the Monitor sets his plan in motion in hopes of saving what remains. The comic not only features Earth-1 (the one everyone knows) and Earth-2 (the universe where the JSA reside), but a host of other dimensions, and it features different time periods as well. - Five Comics theme: An Eventful Day - Comixology link ![]() HIT-MONKEY #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Daniel Way Artist: Dalibor Talajic - Yes, Hit-Monkey is an actual character in the Marvel universe. This series follows his adventures shortly after his origin story, and as silly as a macaque dual wielding pistols is as a concept, there is depth to this story. - Five Comics theme: Animal Planet - Comixology link ![]() SENTRY (2000–2001) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Paul Jenkins Artist: Jae Lee - Sentry is one of the more interesting characters Marvel introduced during the 2000s, as his existence altered the Marvel universe rather significantly. This first issue is his very first appearance, but he's not quite the Sentry here. Rather, we see a washed-up Robert Reynolds struggle with the memories of his days as the Sentry, but with the threat of the Void still at the back of his mind, he's thinking of putting on the suit again. - Five Comics theme: Obscure Character Showcase (Marvel Edition) - Comixology link ![]() WHAT IF? CIVIL WAR #1 Publisher: Marvel Writers: Ed Brubaker, Kevin Grevioux, Christos Gage Artists: Marko Djurdjevic, Gustavo, Harvey Tolibao - This What If? collects two short stories connected to the Civil War event. The first tackles a scenario where the Superhero Registration Act was passed in a world where Iron Man died beforehand (it goes arguably worse than how the original Civil War played out). The second asks what would have happened if Iron Man and Cap reconciled early on in the war and reached a compromise. Both stories are narrated to Tony Stark (mourning Cap's death in the canon ending) by a mysterious stranger. - Five Comics theme: A Multiverse of Madness - Comixology link I've said this before, but part of the reason why I write some of these blog entries is the hope that I can get even just one person to explore the wide world of comics. Reading the comics I pick out is only half of the fun of doing Five Comics; writing about them and seeing the good in them is equally fulfilling, and doing so has made me appreciate the art of comics even more. Hopefully this comes across every time I publish one of these. The 2019 Rewind was a lot of fun, both in the mere act of reading more comics and the whole retrospective angle to it. I thought this idea up a few months ago as a solution to a silly problem: I had too many comics to go through for this series. So many, in fact, that some of them fit Five Comics themes that I've already done. Since I've stupidly pigeonholed myself into only doing five at a time, I couldn't exactly squeeze them in. Planning themes was challenging enough given a completely random assortment of comics to sort through, and as Five Comics went on, these "stragglers" (as I call them) went unread for months on end because I didn't have a theme to throw them in. After weeks of banging my head against a wall, I thought of the 2019 Rewind, and it ended up being an excellent solution. It was a pain to plan out, but thankfully, it went by without a hitch. As fun as this was, however, I don't have plans to do this again for next year. I'll probably do a Rewind-style post on occasion, but I will likely refrain from doing something on the scale of what I just did. Doing this once a week is effort enough; producing Five Comics daily as I've just done may drive me nuts over time. As for the future of this series, worry not. Even after this undertaking, I still have hundreds of comics to read, so Five Comics will still be a thing in 2020. I already have a bunch of themes planned out, and I can't wait to share them with you all. I am also considering just doing away with the whole theme conceit in the event I completely run out of ideas, but I'm not at that point yet. Lastly, this will be the last Five Comics post of the year. It's been a solid 2019 for the blog, and let's hope for a brighter 2020. PANEL(s) OF THE DAY: - end -
We're at the home stretch of the 2019 Rewind! If you're sick of this by now, don't worry; the pain is almost over. THE THEME: I have five more comics representing five different themes from past entries in this blog series. You know what's going on at this point — I don't know why I'm explaining it again. There's a theme-for-the-themes today, too. Somewhere along the way of doing this series, I noticed that I had plenty of Marvel comics on my backlog, leading to many Five Comics themes leaning heavily towards Marvel titles, or are straight up Marvel themes. I'm doubling down on that by revisiting five of those Marvel-specific themes. THE COMICS: ![]() CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Ed Brubaker Artists: Bryan Hitch, Butch Guice - This is set after Civil War, which ended with the death of Captain America. However, this is a comic book, and death is rarely permanent. This series looks into Cap's friends looking to bring him back, while also trying to foil whatever Red Skull's planning. Brubaker's run as lead writer of Captain America is the stuff of legend, so if you're a Cap fan, this limited series is also essential reading. - Five Comics theme: Weapons-Grade Material - Comixology link ![]() THE PUNISHER (2018–2019) #4 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Matthew Rosenberg Artist: Szymon Kudranski - Frank's in a bit of a bind, as Baron Zemo has sent all sorts of baddies his way, including his nemesis Jigsaw. Of course, this is the Punisher we're talking about, and he's shot his way out of worse situations. His one-man war against HYDRA seems like an exciting read, so I just might give the rest of this series a look. - Five Comics theme: The Punishment Due - Comixology link ![]() SPIDER-MAN: ENTER THE SPIDER-VERSE #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Ralph Macchio Artist: Flaviano - This comic is set after the events of Spider-Geddon, and follows a team of Spider-people (known collectively as the Web Warriors) who survived the conflict in that series. They're hopping across the multiverse to solve some problems, and they end up in one dimension that has new versions of old villains. Also includes a special look at Spider-Man (2016) by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, in which Miles Morales takes on Blackheart (prince of Hell, and one of my favorite Marvel villains). - Five Comics theme: The World Wide Web - Comixology link ![]() WEB OF VENOM: CARNAGE BORN #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Donny Cates Artist: Danilo Beyruth - Carnage is a fan-favorite villain among Marvel fans, and he gets center stage here. At the time this comic takes place, Carnage is dead, but a psycho cult is hell-bent on bringing them back. The comic ties in quite well with the events of the Venom series (also written by Donny Cates), connecting the Knull threads with what's happening here. - Five Comics theme: Goop Troop - Comixology link ![]() X-MEN: DEADLY GENESIS #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Ed Brubaker Artists: Trevor Hairsine, Marc Silvestri - Deadly Genesis is set after House of M, in which Scarlet Witch uttered the iconic words "no more mutants" and depowered all but a handful of mutants across the world. The remaining X-Men are still on the search for Professor X, who has gone missing, but it looks like the've found something else instead. Also includes a short story about a teenager who was forced into homelessness after her mutant powers manifested. - Five Comics theme: X-Men Legacy - Comixology link I've known Marvel characters for as long as I've had a memory, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody that I still love the comics to this day. That said, the trend that Five Comics has had of featuring a lot of Marvel titles isn't by design. As much as I like Marvel's shit, my digital library is decently diverse in terms of publisher selection; it just so happened that my backlog (which is where I pull the books I read for this series) had a lot more Marvel books than I anticipated. I promise I'm doing my best to highlight comics published by other companies. PANEL OF THE DAY: - end -
Hopefully everyone had a great time yesterday with their loved ones. For me, the 2019 Rewind continues on with Part 5 of 7. THE THEME: Look, we're five parts deep into this. You probably know what's up by now, and if you don't, you can look at Part 1 for the explanation. Unlike the previous parts, there is no connective thread between the themes I'm revisiting today. Enjoy a collection of comics that's as arbitrary as it gets. THE COMICS: ![]() DRIFTING NET CAFÉ (CHAPTER 1) Publisher: Futabasha Publishers Writer: Shuzo Oshimi Artist: Shuzo Oshimi - Koichi Toki is living a pretty stable life. Good job, loving wife, baby on the way.... seems like a dream for a lot of people. He, however, doesn't feel too satisfied with his life, and reminisces about his first love. One fateful night, however, his spontaneous trip to an Internet café leads to a chance encounter with the woman he thought he'd never see again. Disclaimer: this book leans heavily on sexual themes. - Five Comics theme: Manga Monday - FREE on Comixology ![]() FATHOM (VOL. 4) #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: Scott Lobdell Artist: Alex Konat - Here's yet another Fathom zero issue. It sets the stage for Vol. 4 by going to a bizarre place, putting the protagonist Aspen Matthews in the custody of mysterious individuals running a laboratory. The immediate mystery is exciting enough, but the ending of this issue is what intrigues me the most. - Five Comics theme: Unfathomable - FREE on Comixology ![]() RIVERDALE SEASON 3 (FCBD 2019) Publisher: Archie Comics Writer Micol Ostow Artist: Thomas Pitilli - This comic is set in the CW show of the same name (which I have not watched). The story has the gang deal with picture day, and somehow, something so innocuous goes awry. As someone who's read a bunch of classic Archie stuff, the characterizations of the characters feel... off to me (especially Jughead). Is this what the show is like? I'm not sure I want to watch it, in that case. - Five Comics theme: As Seen on TV - FREE on Comixology ![]() SOULFIRE (VOL. 3) #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: J. T. Krul Artist: Jay Fabok - Not the most eventful zero issue, but this hints at another dark force threatening the forces of magic Soulfire's protagonists have fought so hard to restore. Speaking of the protagonists, they aren't in this one, but I didn't find this troublesome, as one of Soulfire's best aspects is showing the magical elements in play in other, seemingly disconnected locations on Earth. - Five Comics theme: Of Magic and Monsters - FREE on Comixology ![]() SPIDER-GEDDON #4 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Christos Gage Artists: Jorge Molina, Carlo Barberi, Jay Leisten, José Marzan Jr. - Solus, leader of the vicious Inheritors, is alive once more, and that means the Spider-people are in grave danger. Everyone's trying to figure out a solution, but some of the less... heroic Spiders have plans of their own. Features a nod to the Spider-Man from the Japanese TV show, which is the greatest thing ever. - Five Comics theme: Spidey and Friends - Comixology link Since there really isn't a theme-for-the-themes in this one, I want to use today's postscript to talk about Five Comics itself. I do a lot of planning for Five Comics posts. I go through my entire library, brainstorm some possible themes (which takes longer than it seems given how many comics I have to look through), and I even go as far as to schedule them for specific weeks. Hell, coming up with theme names that aren't (completely) dumb takes more time than I care to admit. I have these plans all written down, but it's still kind of tricky to put together one post, because a lot of things can change (I could get new comics that fit a theme better, I think of a more interesting theme last minute and shuffle books around, and other silly non-problems). The 2019 Rewind is perhaps the most effort I've put into Five Comics so far. It seems easy on the surface, because all I have to do is look at themes I've already done and just do it one more time. But in order to do that, I had to chronicle every theme I've done so far, and find a comic in my still-sizeable backlog that fit one of those themes. Again, this seems easy, but I have a bunch of themes planned out for future weeks, and I had to balance between using material for this mini-series and saving comics for their own themes. It's a lot of trouble for a silly blog series, but I love doing it, and I hope someone out there does, too. PANEL OF THE DAY: - end -
Merry Christmas, everybody! It is the 25th of December when I publish this, and I hope people are spending the holidays with the people they care about instead of reading my bullshit. Regardless of what today is, the 2019 Rewind continues, and we hit the halfway point with today's entry. THE THEME: I revisit five more themes from Five Comics past again today by reading one comic representing each selected theme. I am running out of ways to rephrase this explanation. I managed to figure out a theme-of-the-themes for this one as well. Throughout the course of Five Comics, I put out a few themes to coincide with real-life events. Be it movie premieres, holidays, or what-have-you, I've made a few attempts to have a topical Five Comics theme for a given week. The themes I'm revisiting in this entry of the 2019 Rewind are of this nature. THE COMICS: ![]() AMERICA (2017–2018) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Gabby Rivera Artist: Joe Quinones, Joe Rivera, Paolo Rivera - One of Marvel's more recent creations, America Chavez (AKA Miss America) is the first Latina LGBTQ+ hero in the Marvel pantheon, and this comic series is her first solo outing. The series sees her go to college to find a new life direction after taking a break from the superheroics. Despite the attempt at normalcy, she still gets pulled into some interdimensional shenanigans. Features spectacular art and some inspirational nuggets of wisdom. - Five Comics theme: Taste the Rainbow - Comixology link ![]() THE SCOURGE #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: Scott Lobdell Artist: Eric Battle - A virus is spreading across New York City, and it's turning people into bloodthirsty.... gargoyles? This zero issue follows John Griffin, an NYPD SWAT officer, as he fights his way through the city in order to reach his son. It's an interesting spin on the usual "zombie outbreak" story, and the fact that it's created by Gale Anne Hurd (a producer who has produced hits such as Terminator, Aliens, and The Walking Dead) piques my interest further. - Five Comics theme: Trick-or-Treat Tales - FREE on Comixology ![]() ROBOTECH (FCBD 2019) Publisher: Titan Comics Writers: Simon Furman, Brenden Fletcher Artists: Hendry Prasetya, Sarah Stone - Robotech is set in a universe where humans have access to futuristic tech, and are in conflict with aliens called the Zentraedi. This FCBD offering seems to recap events from previous Robotech volumes and sets the stage for the latest arc, called Event Horizon. The world of Robotech looks interesting, but I don't think this comic is all that effective at enticing new readers, as a lot of what it presents seems to require a prerequisite knowledge of the story. - Five Comics theme: FCBD 2019 Edition (Part 1 and Part 2) - Comixology link ![]() WRAPPED UP (HALLOWEEN COMICFEST 2017) Publisher: Lion Forge/Cub House/Caracal Writer: Dave Scheidt Artist: Scoot McMahon - Wrapped Up follows a mummy kid named Milo and his wacky hijinks, all set in a cartoony world with all-ages versions of classic monsters. This special edition sees Milo filming a vlog for a school project, and it somehow goes horribly wrong. Good-natured silliness that's perfect for kids, and has nice art. - Five Comics theme: Just Kidding! - FREE on Comixology ![]() STAR WARS (2015– ) #57 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Kieron Gillen Artist: Angel Unzueta -This is set sometime between the Original Trilogy movies. Luke, Leia, and Han are stranded on a moon called Hubin. The inhabitants seem friendly, and their community seems prosperous (if a bit quaint), but the trio have their suspicions. It's an interesting setting not often seen in Star Wars, and while no action really happens, it's nice to see our heroes in a more relaxed setting. Extra points for the cover art, which is a Star Wars spin on American Gothic (one of the most iconic and recognizable paintings ever). - Five Comics theme: Tour de Force - Comixology link We're at the halfway point of this mini-series, and if you're still reading this at this point, your presence is appreciated. Rest assured there'll be more to come. And from me to you, have a merry Christmas/happy holidays! PANEL OF THE DAY: - end -
This 2019 Rewind thing is well underway, and the train is not slowing down anytime soon. Let's keep the flow going! THE THEME: It's Part 3 of this thing, so you should know the drill by now: five comics, each representing five previously-done Five Comics themes, Let me write the word "five" again so it starts sounding weird in your head. Five. There happens to be a theme-for-the-themes for today, and, it's actually one I've already done — five times, in fact! People following this series (do those exist?) should be familiar with the Leading Ladies entries of Five Comics, which were about showcasing female-led comics. All the themes I'll be calling back to for this one are every Leading Ladies post I've done. THE COMICS: ![]() DAUGHTERS OF THE DRAGON (2018–2019) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Jed Mackay Artist: Travel Foreman - Misty Knight and Colleen Wing stole the show when they were in the Luke Cage and Iron Fist Netflix series, but neither show truly gave us their iconic Daughters of the Dragon tandem from the comics (well, they did, but only in a few episodes). If you liked them on the show as much as I did, this comic is a good place to start. This double-sized issue sees the duo take on a case involving missing kids, and of course there are villains involved. Features pretty cool art. - Five Comics theme: Leading Ladies (Marvel Edition) - Comixology link ![]() DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: AT METROPOLIS HIGH (HALLOWEEN COMICFEST 2019 SPECIAL EDITION) Publisher: DC Comics Writer: Amy Wolfram Artist: Yancey Labat - Like all the other DC Super Hero Girls books, this is an all-ages affair featuring DC's heroines (and some heroes) in a high school setting. In this one, the girls try and figure out what extracurricular activities they want to engage in. Pretty par for the course, but the new art style for the series is refreshing. - Five Comics theme: Leading Ladies (DC Edition) - FREE on Comixology ![]() EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT: IRIS (VOL. 2) #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: David Wohl Artist: Ryan Odagawa - The assistant-by-day, assassin-by-night Iris is back, but she's not the only Executive Assistant around anymore. This zero issue sets the stage that she is just one of many Executive Assistants trained to be both an asset to their respective employers as well as effective killers/protectors. The whole premise may not be entirely original (femme fatale with double life), but something about the vibe and the world-building of the Executive Assistant series really captured my imagination. - Five Comics theme: Leading Ladies (Variety Hour) - FREE on Comixology ![]() FATHOM (VOL. 3) #0 Publisher: Aspen Comics Writer: J. T. Krul Artists: Alé Garza, Sal Regla - I dive into the world of Fathom once again with this zero issue. It's more of a recap of the events of Vol. 2 + setting the stage for the rest of Vol. 3, but the protagonist Aspen is still prominently featured, reinforcing how important she is in the grand scheme of the story, which follows the escalation of the turbulent conflicts between the Black, the Blue, and the humans. - Five Comics: Leading Ladies (Aspen Comics Edition) - FREE on Comixology ![]() X-MEN: PSYLOCKE #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Chris Yost Artists: Harvey Tolibao, Paul Neary - This solo series features one of my all-time favorite comic book heroines (as well as one of the first comic characters I was ever introduced to) on a personal journey, as she struggles with the duality of Betsy Braddock (her identity) and Kwannon (the assassin whose body her consciousness now inhabits). She also beats the shit out of some ninjas from The Hand. She's really cool. I like her. - Five Comics theme: Leading Ladies (Episode X) - Comixology link I've done this theme six different ways already, but I'm still finding new ways to do it again. Apart from just sharing what I've read, and potentially sparking any reader's interest in reading comics, I've always aimed to show that the comics industry is more diverse and representative than most people's preconceived notions let on, and that it's constantly progressing (albeit slowly). It's not perfect, and not every kind of story exists yet, but I hope I've done an adequate job of getting across that all sorts of creators within the industry are making efforts to represent more and more people within their stories. Anyway, enough waxing poetic. It's Christmas Eve when I publish this, so to all readers, I hope you have a merry Christmas/happy holidays! PANEL OF THE DAY: - end -
Another series I follow comes to an end this year with Mr. Robot. I just finished watching the two-hour series finale, and I want to take this opportunity to reflect on this season and the series as a whole. S4 deals directly with the aftermath of S3, which ended with Elliot's failure to stop Whiterose's cyber bombings. Dealing with that failure (and several other direct consequences of that incident) has sent Elliot's already fragile psyche into a more rapid tailspin, and the season explores how Elliot deals with that while also plotting to stop Whiterose once and for all. The show even reveals a lot about his past, clearing a lot of things up about how Elliot's mind operates, and there's even a shocking revelation in there.
The finale was a "what in the goddamn blue blazes is happening, please god someone explain" kind of episode, in true Mr. Robot fashion. but instead of leaving the audience hanging like it often does, it tied everything all together rather neatly by the end. That said, there were a few questions left unanswered, but those particular questions don't really need a definitive answer, I feel. I thought what we got was a fantastic ending to the series. It's not as tense as the more eventful episodes of the series, but after everything that's happened this season alone, the fact that the finale was more of a denouement was a good approach. Looking back on S4 specifically, the standouts to me (apart from the finale) are the silent episode and the episode that was split into five acts. Mr. Robot is no stranger to bold creative directions, and this season lived up to that in a whole new way. It also did a lot to tie up a few loose ends from previous seasons, which I always appreciate in a show. In addition, this season also looks at how Darlene is coping with the whole situation, Dom's downward spiral into complete fear and paranoia, and even looks a little into Whiterose's past. All the characters go through a lot here, and everyone pretty much had their arcs wrapped up in a satisfactory manner. As a whole, this show was a hell of a ride. I went in expecting a cool hacktivist story, and I ended up in a completely shocking, deeply moving rollercoaster of a psychological drama that had incredible twists, satisfying payoffs, went to some real dark places and made a lot of poignant social commentary. It was still very much a cool hacktivist story, mind (with the methods employed on the show being impressively accurate to what real-life hackers might do), but the fact that it was so much more made it quite special. I'm glad this show got to end on its own terms, because for all its ups and downs, I found it to be goddamn fantastic. If you haven't already, go watch this show, preferably without looking anything up about it. Let the show throw you for a loop and take you for a ride, because the ride it takes you on is pretty fucking incredible. - end - Part 2 of the 2019 Rewind is here! I managed to figure out a theme for the themes in this part, so I hope people like the theme-ception. THE THEME: As I explained in Part 1, the 2019 Rewind is a sort of retrospective of all the previous Five Comics themes I've done this year. I pick out five comics, each representing one of those previous themes, and I do that for the entirety of this week. For this part specifically, I zero in on the themes I put together primarily to celebrate the MCU. The movie franchise had a big year this year, with Avengers: Endgame and the announcement of Phase 4, and as a longtime fan of comics, it still blows my mind to see how big it's become. I know I've done an MCU celebration in the form of the MCU Rewatch, but I still have a lot of love and appreciation to give. THE COMICS: ![]() AVENGERS: ENDGAME PRELUDE #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Will Corona Pilgrim Artist: Paco Diaz - Pretty much just an abridged retelling of the early parts of Infinity War, so you aren't really missing out on anything if you've seen the movie. Solid art, though. - Five Comics theme: Bring Me Thanos! - Comixology link ![]() CAPTAIN AMERICA & THOR: AVENGERS! Publisher: Marvel Writer: Fred van Lente Artist: Ron Lim - This is a double feature comic, with a Cap story set in WWII where he and the Howling Commandos try and take down a HYDRA base, and a Thor story where he, Loki, Sif. Hogun, and Volstagg go to Svaltarfheim to rescue Fandral from the Dark Elves. The designs are clearly based on the MCU versions of the characters (except for Kurse and Malekith, who retain their original designs), though the stories themselves are outside MCU continuity. - Five Comics theme: Class of 3000 - FREE on Comixology ![]() AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2018– ) #5 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Nick Spencer Artists: Ryn Ottley, Cliff Rathburn - In this one, Spider-Man and Peter Parker have somehow been split apart, i.e. Peter Parker and Spider-Man are two completely different people at the moment. While Peter tries to solve that conundrum, other villains are scheming in the shadows. Kinda weird, but still a fun read. - Five Comics theme: Maximum Spider! - Comixology link ![]() THE MIGHTY THOR (2015–2018) #700 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Jason Aaron Artists: various - This landmark 50+ page issue goes through the different versions of Thor over the years, from the one we know, at different points in his life, to other people who've wielded a Mjölnir, like Jane Foster, Volstagg, and even Throg. The comic tells several interesting mini-stories across space and time, from present day, to the far future, and even features other characters like Galactus, Ego, and Loki. With each section having its own art style, this truly feels like a celebration of Thor over the decades. - Five Comics theme: Still Worthy - Comixology link ![]() KILLMONGER #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Bryan Hill Artist: Juan Ferreyra - This comic takes a deep dive into Killmonger's backstory, from the time he was taken from Wakanda, and shortly after he moved to New York, right as he begun his quest for vengeance. Right off the bat, Killmonger's characterization is strong and clear. If you liked MCU Killmonger, this is worth checking out. - Five Comics theme: Wakanda Forever! - Comixology link I've already gone at length multiple times about how much the MCU and its success means to me personally, so I'll spare you that soliloquy. Come back tomorrow for Part 3 of the 2019 Rewind! PANEL(s) OF THE DAY: - end -
2019 was a big year for me, at least in terms of the blog. I put out a lot of shit, with the biggest one being the Five Comics blog series. I've been doing it for the majority of this year (according to my sheet of paper I use to keep track of this, I have done 37 of these so far, and 30-something out of 52 weeks is a lot), and it's ended up being one of my favorite things to do on a weekly basis. With the year coming to a close, I thought I'd celebrate Five Comics in a very big way. THE THEME: As I said, I have done 37 of these Five Comics posts before. Each of those posts had their own theme, which dictated what kind of comics I read that week. For the 2019 Rewind, I will revisit five of those themes I've already done and read one comic that fits each theme. In other words, that's one comic representing each of the five previous themes. I've been planning this for quite a while, and I hope you folks like the idea. The selection of themes will be arbitrary (unless otherwise specified). Organizing this whole undertaking was enough of a hassle, and I don't want to stress myself out further by forcing associations between themes that don't mesh together. If I figure out a theme within the themes, I'll be sure to do it. Also, you may have noticed the "Part 1" in the title. Yes, there will be more of these. In fact, there will be a 2019 Rewind Five Comics post everyday for this week. That will allow me to pick out one comic representing 35 of the 37 themes I've done this year. 35 comics representing 35 themes, 5 per day, for 7 days. The math checks out. Now, you're probably wondering about the remaining two themes that won't be represented. For the purposes of this activity, the FCBD 2019 Edition Five Comics theme (which was split into 2 posts) counts as one. The other theme I'm leaving out is the very first Five Comics theme, for reasons that will become clear very soon. The format will still be the same, only I will provide links to the original Five Comics entry the comic is representing. That way, you can read what the original theme was, as well as see the original selection of comics I picked out for that theme (if you haven't already). For this day of the 2019 Rewind, I look back at the team-focused themes I've done. I've talked about how superhero things are a common thing, and I get to showcase that again with my selection. THE COMICS: ![]() AGENTS OF ATLAS (2006–2007) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Jeff Parker Artist: Leonard Kirk - The Agents of Atlas were a team formed in the 1950s by then-FBI agent Jimmy Woo to rescue President Eisenhower from the villain known as Yellow Claw (this story is retold in the comic). This series is set in present day, where a covert mission that led to Woo getting horribly injured may have brought the team back together again. - Five Comics theme: Esoteric Ensembles - Comixology link ![]() CHAMPIONS (2016–2018) #24 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Jim Zub Artist: Sean Izaakse - This issue goes to a very real place, as Miles Morales comes to grips with a school shooting at his school that happened when he was in a middle of a mission with the rest of his team. It's a sobering reminder that such tragedies happen in real life, and even with the larger-than-life superheroes within these pages, it can happen to anyone. Miles's survivors' guilt and the rest of the team's reactions to the news are relatable, reminding us that these heroes are as human as the rest of us. - Five Comics theme: Rated T for Team - Comixology link ![]() DAREDEVIL (2015–2018) #608 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Charles Soule Artist: Phil Noto - Mike Murdock, who was a twin brother persona Matt masqueraded as at one point to hide his identity as Daredevil, is now somehow a real person. Matt is obviously perturbed by this, and is now trying to un-make him. Mike, of course, would very much prefer to exist, and tries to get to Matt in order to help him remain real. - Five Comics theme: In My Defense - Comixology link ![]() THE MIGHTY AVENGERS (2007–2010) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: Frank Cho - This was another shakeup of the Avengers roster post-Civil War (around the time Stark took over as director of SHIELD), featuring some heavy hitters in Iron Man, Wasp, Sentry, Ares, Black Widow, and Wonder Man, all led by Ms. Marvel. The team go on their first mission here, but it swiftly goes wrong, culminating in a shocking return of a villain. - Five Comics theme: Assemble! - Comixology link ![]() UNCANNY X-MEN (2016–2017) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Cullen Bunn Artists: Greg Land, Jay Leisten - This roster of X-Men is decidedly more deadly than usual, which seems apt, as the threat to mutantkind has escalated, especially with Terrigen mist outbreaks on the rise (fun fact: the same mists that give Inhumans their powers are toxic to people with the X gene). And yes, Magneto is on the team. Do not adjust your screens. - Five Comics theme: Uncanny Valley - Comixology link That's it for day one of the 2019 Rewind! Looking back at everything I've read this year is a lot of fun, and that fun's just getting started. PANEL(s) OF THE DAY: - end -
It's probably a mistake to share any kind of thoughts on Star Wars on the Internet in this day and age. Oh well. The Rise of Skywalker revolves around.... *gasp* the return of Emperor Palpatine! Long thought to be dead after the events of Return of the Jedi, our main man Sheev is actually, in fact, not dead. I guess? Anyway, he's been scheming behind the shadows (again) for the past 30-something years, and it's up to the Resistance to stop him once and for all.
Logistics and unanswered questions aside, Palpatine's plans aren't all that new, and that's kind of clear early on. Overall, the plot isn't anything overly subversive, but it thankfully doesn't retread old ground as heavily as The Force Awakens does. No plot threads felt extraneous, either, which was something I felt during The Last Jedi (for the record, I did enjoy that B-plot with Rose and Finn; it just didn't mesh as well as it could have with the rest of the movie), but there were definitely certain things present in the movie where I went "what's the point of having that here?" That said, the story left more than enough room for a bunch of surprises. Some of these were really neat, and others were confusing or contrived. For some of the twists, the execution kind of fell flat, and all I could say was "oh, I guess that's a thing now." If I had to keep score, I feel like there were more pros than cons in this aspect, but I have to say, there were a couple of real head-scratchers in there. Rey is still the primary character, and she goes through an interesting arc that I enjoyed the concept of, but could've used some polishing here and there. She and Kylo Ren have always been the standouts to me, as they have a tad more nuance to them as characters compared to the usually dichotomous nature of the Jedi and Sith characters. The only things I'd say I didn't like about those two character-wise are certain things that happen toward the very end of the movie. Finn and Poe get a fair share of the spotlight, too, but I'm mostly glad that all three of them spend a lot of the movie as a proper trio (something I felt was amiss with the previous movies). Legacy characters like Chewie and Leia are less prominent, but still get to make their mark. There were also a few new characters introduced, but while they make a good first impression, they're ultimately pretty minor to the grand scheme. The only real miss for me is Rose, who I wanted to see more of, but she ended up getting the short end of the stick. The one thing I always give to the sequel trilogy is how much of a step up its action has been compared to the previous trilogies. The lightsaber duels had a visceral edge to them (while also retaining a bit of the flippy-dippy flair of the prequels), the dogfights look stellar, and there even a few particularly creative action sequences (one of which happened in the finale, but I can't talk about it). While the big blowoff at the final act (which I cannot give away) was pretty solid, I couldn't help but feel that there was a missed oppotunity in there. This wasn't as callback-heavy as The Force Awakens, but The Rise of Skywalker does have a good number of references to movies past, some of which were pretty surprising to me. In the interest of staying spoiler-free, I won't elaborate further. To boil it all down, I liked The Rise of Skywalker. Sure, I have my issues with it, like certain plot elements, the use (or disuse) of certain characters, missed opportunities to build lore, and whatnot, but those issues mostly didn't prevent me from enjoying the good the movie has, and this movie does plenty right. I still had a good time, but if my experience with The Last Jedi is any indication, some of the issues I encountered personally may slightly alter my outlook on a second viewing. As bumpy as a ride the sequel trilogy ended up being, and as flawed as its overarching story is, it has its truly standout moments. I'm sad to see it all end, but at the same time, I'm relieved that we're moving on from this saga for good (or at least, for the foreseeable future). The sooner they move on to telling stories that don't have to carry the burden of having to live up to a once-in-a-generation epic, the greater potential there is for all sorts of directors to push the Star Wars IP to new frontiers without fearing retribution from the vicious hyenas on the Internet. - end - The holidays are drawing ever closer, and thanks to the recent Switch Online update, I have a couple of SNES games to play as the year comes to a close. I'll be talking about one of those games today. BACKGROUND:
I've already established my familiarity and experience with the Kirby games in my Kirby's Dream Land 3 post. No need to repeat myself. SUMMARY: As it says on the box, Kirby Super Star is 8 games in one! Specifically, there are six "main" games that play like your usual Kirby platformer, and there are two minigames. Before I break each game down individually, I'll discuss the common mechanics shared across the main games. The saying "if you've played one Kirby game, you've played them all" is still mostly true in Super Star, at least in terms of the basic mechanics. Kirby can run, jump, float, inhale, and copy enemy abilities like usual. This time, there are 20 Copy abilities (most are from previous games, but there are some new ones), which is some decent variety. In additon, each ability's movesets have been expanded, which provides a substantial amount of depth to combat compared to previous games. The big thing you can do in this game is that you can spit out your current Copy ability to create a helper, which is an AI-controlled ally (in the form of the enemy type that grants you the ability to begin with) that helps you beat up enemies with its respective abilities. Depending on the situation, they can either be helpful or annoying, but for the most part, they're a useful asset. You can even revert the ally and reuse the ability you dropped, so if you don't want or need them, you can remove them from play easily. You can also have a second player take control of the helper, which I imagine is much better than the AI. Now, let's break down each main game: SPRING BREEZE - an abridged remake of the original Kirby's Dream Land on the Game Boy. In this one, King Dedede stole all the food in Dream Land, and you have to beat the shit out of him. Incredibly straightforward, not at all difficult. Great for beginners and people who aren't used to platformers. DYNA BLADE - the goal of this game is to face off against the epoynmous Dyna Blade, a giant bird who is messing with Dream Land's crops. Much like Spring Breeze, you go through a series of levels, which culminates in a boss fight. The level designs are a little more complex, and there are some secret areas to find, so compared to Spring Breeze, there's a bit more content in this campaign. Still pretty easy. GOURMET RACE - unlike the previous two, this is purely a race. You face off against King Dedede and try to outrun him across three levels, while also collecting as much food on the way as possible. The winner is determined by a combination of food collected and how many times you finished first. Not a lot to it, but it has solid replay value. Unfortunately, it has no multiplayer. THE GREAT CAVE OFFENSIVE - perhaps the lengthiest main game (in terms of completing it, anyway). It's essentially a Metroidvania, featuring a shockingly massive world you can navigate and backtrack through. The goal here is to find and collect as much treasure as you can, and not only are there a ton of them (sixty, to be exact), they are spread far and wide across the world, and are hidden behind all sorts of tricky hidey-holes, various puzzles (that incorporate Copy abilities), mildly challenging platforming sections, and even a few boss fights. This is one of my personal favorites of the bunch, even if there was no map. REVENGE OF META KNIGHT - this is another regular Kirby campaign, but this time, the goal is to defeat Meta Knight before he takes over Dream Land. There are a good number of levels, each decently long, and many of them are set in Meta Knight's battleship (the Halberd). Aside from the slight bump in difficulty in terms of level design and boss fights, each level now has a time limit, and if that timer hits zero, you lose a life. If you want something a bit more challenging, you'll want to unlock this game. If you don't do well in time pressure situations, this may not be for you. I personally found this one fun. MILKY WAY WISHES - the largest game in terms of level count. In this one, the Sun and Moon of Planet Popstar (Kirby's homeworld) are fighting (because why not), and so Kirby must travel across nine planets to activate a comet that grants... wishes? Anyway... the big twists here are: you can tackle levels in any order (though there is a recommended path), and Kirby cannot copy abilities like he usually does. Instead, you must find what's called Copy Essence Deluxes of each ability. Once you've found one of those, you have access to that ability for the rest of the game, and once you've found more, you can cycle between what you have depending on the situation. Think of it like Kirby if it were a Mega Man game. I liked this one a lot, too, mostly for the Mega Man feel of it, but also because the level designs are also pretty complex. THE ARENA - the box lied; there's actually a ninth game in Kirby Super Star, and it's this one. You unlock it after beating Milky Way Wishes (which you also have to unlock, so this is pretty much the last game mode you unlock). It's pretty much a boss rush where you take down every boss across each of the five other main games (just five, because Gourmet Race doesn't have a boss). It's not as punishing as it sounds, because a) you can choose a Copy ability at the start, b) there's a break room in between rounds where you can swap your ability for one of two randomly selected ones + heal yourself with a limited amount of Max Tomatoes, and c) it's a Kirby game. I love boss rushes, so I enjoyed this as well. Then, we have our two minigames: SAMURAI KIRBY - you play as, well, Samurai Kirby, and you're dueling a samurai version of an enemy. It's a reaction-based minigame where you have to press a button at the exact moment a signal is given. Nail the timing, and you cut down your foe. Press too early or too late, and your opponent gets the upper hand. It's plenty fun despite being so simple. MEGATON PUNCH - this is also somewhat timing-based, but this time, you're trying to punch a crack into the planet (intense, I know) by timing a specific sequence of button presses correctly. Not as challenging or demanding as Samurai Kirby, but the visual of Kirby punching the ground so hard the entire planet cracks was hilarious to me. Both minigames can be played with a second player, which sounds like a lot of fun. In particular, I want to play Samurai Kirby with a friend. In terms of visuals, Kirby Super Star looks fantastic, with some rather inspired level backgrounds in certain sections (especially in The Great Cave Offensive). Unlike Kirby's Dream Land 3, however, it doesn't lean too heavily into a specific art style, but hey, I can't hold that against this game. The soundtrack is stellar, with lovely remixes of old themes (I hope you like Green Greens), and a selection of marvelous new tracks, including the now-iconic Gourmet Race theme. VERDICT: I've always seen Kirby Super Star hailed as the best in the series in discussions online, and after spending a day playing through all of its game modes, it's easy to see why. The presentation aged well, the gameplay variety is impressive, and gameplay in general is more complex (yet still very much accessible). The game's legacy is also astounding, seeing how so many elements and characters from this game arenow series staples, and how a lot of things in here ended up coming back in some form in the Super Smash Bros. series (seeing where certain moves in Kirby's moveset came from blew my mind, for example). If you ask me, I'd say my favorite Kirby game is a very close tie between this and Kirby's Adventure on the NES. In terms of where to start as a Kirby newbie, I would actually recommend playing this one first, as it's got a decent amount of variety. Kirby's Adventure is still a solid starting point however, if you want a more connected, definitive experience. - end - I've been waiting for many months to pull the trigger on this theme, and now, the time has finally come! THE THEME: The sequel trilogy (and the Skywalker saga in general) will come to a close with Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, which premieres tomorrow (as of this writing). Despite the turbulent "discourse" (in quotes, because calling it that in earnest is generous) online regarding The Last Jedi, I'm still pretty excited to see this movie. And what better way to celebrate the upcoming premiere with five Star Wars comics? THE COMICS: ![]() STAR WARS - DARTH VADER (2017–2018) #21 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Charles Soule Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli - Set a little after Revenge of the Sith, this series follows Vader's rise to power after succumbing to the Dark Side. This particular issue sees him return to Mustafar (the place of his defeat against Obi-Wan Kenobi) to construct his castle (which has only been seen onscreen in Rogue One, if I recall). However, there seems to be a much deeper story as to why Vader chose to return to Mustafar in the first place... - Comixology link ![]() STAR WARS - BLOOD TIES: BOBA FETT IS DEAD Publisher: Marvel Writer: Tom Taylor Artist: Chris Scalf - Boba Fett is very dead in this comic, but that's only where the story begins. Apparently, someone cares enough about Fett to go after his killers, and that someone's picking 'em off one by one. Disclaimer: given the "Legends" label, this is probably non-canon. - Comixology link ![]() STAR WARS - LANDO :DOUBLE OR NOTHING Publisher: Marvel Writer: Rodney Barnes Artist: Paolo Villanelli - If the likeness of Donalod Glover didn't give it away already, this Lando is the one we get to know in Solo: A Star Wars Story, long before we see him in Empire Strikes Back. This comic is actually set before Solo, and has Calrissian be his pompous, extravagant, smuggler self, but when an opportunity presents itself to be something more than a rogue, he may have second thoughts yet. - Comixology link ![]() SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Robbie Thompson Artist: Will Sliney - Speaking of Solo: A Star Wars Story, here's a comic adaptation of it. It's pretty much a condensed retelling of the movie, so if you've already watched it, this should feel familiar. That said, the art is solid, and they do add a few extra scenes that flesh out certain characters or add an extra bit of lore, so it's still a worthwhile read. - Comixology link ![]() STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI #6 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Gary Whitta Artists: Michael Walsh, Josh Hixson - Here's another comic adaptation, this time of the very divisive Episode VIII. This last issue is pretty much just the final act of the movie (the battle on Crait), so again, if you've seen it, you know what to expect. Still worth checking out for the art. - Comixology link Star Wars has been a cultural phenomenon for the better part of 40 years, and even with the trilogy format of the movies coming to an end, there is still a wealth of content set in the galaxy far, far way to explore. From the plethora of novels (canon or otherwise), the slowly growing roster of TV shows (including the animated series), and several comics like the ones I read above, there's still plenty to see and read if you're a fan like I am. And that's not even taking into account what the future holds for the movies. Hopefully you're excited for The Rise of Skywalker as I am. I'll be sure to ramble about that on here when I watch it. I'm not looking forward to seeing Internet "discussion" about it, though.... One more thing: I got some pretty ambitious plans for the Five Comics series to mark the end of the year (and decade). I've been planning it for a while, and I can't wait to share it with you all (you know, the -300 of you who actually read and like this blog series). Come back here sometime next week to see what I'm talking about. PANEL OF THE WEEK: - end -
A saga nearly a decade in the making comes to a close this year. I beat the final chapter of Shovel Knight's years-long run a little bit ago, and after taking a breather, I present my thoughts here. BACKGROUND:
I bought the original Shovel Knight (before it was Treasure Trove) all the way back in 2015 for my 3DS, out of curiosity (I kept hearing people talk about it + I watched a few episodes of a Game Grumps Let's Play). It ended up being one of my favorite games this entire decade, and the staggering amount of post-launch content I got for my $15 purchase since then has blown my mind. Before I start this entry proper, I want to summarize my thoughts on the previous Shovel Knight campaigns below. Shovel of Hope - AKA the original campaign. An amazing love letter to the NES era of platformers it was inspired by, taking elements from Mega Man, Castlevania, Ducktales, and more, combining everything into its own distinct, unique package. A solid platforming experience all around. Plague of Shadows - a sort of remix of the original, focusing on Plague Knight as he goes on his own journey concurrent to that of Shovel Knights. Featured a lot of customization options for his main offense, which I loved, and had a whole bunch of tools that made platforming a more fluid, sometimes frustrating, and completely different beast compared to Shovel of Hope. Perhaps not as refined given the level design was only slightly changed and not redesigned from the ground up, but I still enjoyed it. The story was charming, too. Specter of Torment - features Specter Knight, as well as the most technical platforming the series has seen yet, with mechanics like wall jumps and the Dash Slash. I also found it a fantastic experience, especially with how challenging it was. It also built on the lore quite well, as it's a prequel, and the tragic tale of the protagonist was neat, too. PLOT: King of Cards is also a prequel, occurring somewhat in the middle of the events of Specter of Torment. It, of course, features King Knight, and his journey to be the kingliest king of them all. To achieve this, King Knight sets out to succeed in the Joustus Tournament. Joustus is a card game that has taken the nation by storm, so much so that three kings from three kingdoms have been brought together to participate. In order to win, one must best all three kings in a duel, and doing so will grant the champion unimaginable wealth and power. Whereas Shovel of Hope was your typical hero's journey, Plague of Shadows subverted expectations with its romance angle, and Specter of Torment channeled the pure edge of its protagonist with a dark tale, King of Cards is an asshole's journey to... not change at all. King Knight is as much of a pompous douche here as he was when you first fought him in Shovel of Hope, and he pretty much remains that way throughout the story. Though unlikeable by design, they do give him quirks that make you kinda want to root for him, but for the most part, he's a shithead. I love the contrast between his journey and the other characters, because he pretty much doesn't have an arc. The story retains much of the humor the previous campaigns had, with hilarious bits of dialogue and cheeky callbacks to previous plot threads. Lore-wise, King of Cards uses a lot of already established characters, builds upon previously unexplored corners, and sets up the events of Shovel of Hope perfectly. PRESENTATION: Everything in this section applies to the entirety of Shovel Knight, because, well, every campaign looks the same. Given that Shovel Knight is meant to hearken back to the classic platformer days, it's no surprise that it opts for the 8-bit aesthetic. Don't be fooled, however, as it's not a simple nostalgia grab. Despite the choice for the art style, the sprites feature an amazing amount of polish, with backgrounds and larger characters having an impressive amount of detail compared to the NES games it's paying an homage to. They don't let that fact hold them back in terms of visuals, goins as far to use colors that weren't even possible on the NES. To complement the visuals, the music has that classic chiptune feel, and hot damn is it phenomenal. Jake "Virt" Kaufman knocks it out of the park with his work, having composed a bevy of killer tracks over the years, each fitting the mood of its respective campaign. The King of Cards soundtrack in particular is no exception, with many tracks having that "regal" feel to it, if that makes any sense. GAMEPLAY: Like the previous Shovel Knight campaigns, King of Cards is a 2D platformer. For reference, Shovel of Hope is your jack of all trades (simple mechanics with a deceptive amount of depth, decent difficulty), Plague of Shadows is momentum-heavy (most tools help you keep moving and maintain your flow), and Specter of Torment is tricky and very execution-based. I would describe King of Cards as taking a page out of the previous three, and adding an extra flair to it. King Knight's main move is his shoulder bash, which functions as both a quick, horizontal motion that can get him across gaps or obstacles, as well as his primary attack. Seems pretty straightforward, but they add one simple thing that adds a lot of depth to this mechanic. Whenever you shoulder bash against enemies, or certain elements (like walls), you are launched slightly upwards, and King Knight executes a stylish twirling motion shortly after. During this "twirl", you can pogo on enemies and certain stage elements, not unlike how Shovel Knight can drop his shovel below him to do something similar. Successfully pogoing something restores your shoulder bash (allowing you to use it again in mid-air), allowing you to bash something else, twirl again, and repeat. It's a simple mechanic with a lot to it, and the level design pushes it to the limit by featuring obstacle courses that either make you chain together bash-twirl combos in quick succession, or challenging layout that require precise bashes/twirls at just the right spot. Speaking of levels, they're laid out on a world map much like Shovel of Hope, and each features a unique set of mechanics and gimmicks (either revisited from previous campaigns, or completely new) designed around King Knight's shoulder bash. The overworld is divided into three kingdoms, each with its own series of levels. Levels work quite differently from the previous campaigns. For one, they're much shorter (though there are many levels, so this isn't a big deal). For another, most of them (save for the boss stages, of course) only require you to get to the end, Mario-style. Last and most importantly, they incorporate something from a classic game: secret exits. In Super Mario World, certain levels have multiple exits; that is, there's more than one way to leave the level. Some levels in King of Cards work the same way: there's the "normal" exit if you beat the level as is, and there's an alternate "secret" exit you can take if you discover where it lies. Taking the secret exit unlocks special areas in the world map, and can even open up shortcuts that allow you to beat the game faster. This was my favorite aspect of Super Mario World, and I'm happy they integrated it into the game. And don't worry about not ever discovering these secret exits; most of them aren't hard to find, and all levels with secret exits are easily identifiable on the world map. You also have all the usual trappings of Shovel Knight campaigns, like gold to spend on things (and lose when you die), armors to buy (each with special abilities), upgrades to buff up King Knight, Heirlooms (the equivalent to Relics, which are your special items), and the main collectible, called Merit Medals, which can also be spent on things (mostly buying said Heirlooms). The Heirlooms in particular are neat, though unlike the other equivalents in previous campaigns, they use up a lot of resources, so you can't rely on them too heavily. That said, it's pretty easy to get hit/fall off due to the nature of the shoulder bash, and in the right place, Heirlooms make a lot of difference. Speaking of getting hit, yes, that happens a lot in this game (especially against bosses). Funnily enough, bosses are manageable here, as landing consecutive hits on enemies with a lot of health makes them drop health hearts, allowing you to heal off that damage you're likely to take by whiffing shoulder bashes. That said, bosses are still tough to damage since a) you have to actively hurl yourself at them to do so, and b) some of them can only be hit in certain spots that are intentionally designed to be a challenge to reach. As I said, most levels don't end in boss fights, but they're still pretty much intact thanks to the random encounters. Once you've progressed a certain point, these encounters will start becoming available to you. JOUSTUS: If you're wondering where the "Cards" part of "King of Cards" comes in, it comes in when you're introduced to Joustus. Yes, there is an actual card game in King of Cards, and you actually play it. The idea of Joustus is to collect all the gems on the board. To do so, you must "push" cards onto the tiles containing these gems (you can't place cards directly onto gem tiles). To do that, each card has an arrow pointing in one or multiple of four directions (up, down, left, right), and cards that are already in play can be pushed in the specified direction denoted on the card being played. I swear it makes sense when you actually look at it, and the game does a better job of teaching it than I ever will. What makes the game quite tricky is that not only can you push your own cards, you can push the cards of your opponent, and vice versa. That allows you to kick out an enemy card out of a gem tile, but the opponent can do the same. You have to really think about your next move, because your opponent can easily find a way to deny you. To add to the complexity, those arrows on the cards are still in effect even after you've put them down. This makes it so that you can't push cards with an arrow opposing the direction you want to push them in (i.e. I can't push something with an "up" arrow down). What this does is it can cause certain spots to be blocked, and figuring out how to secure your gems by forcing these situations before your opponent does is 90% of the challenge. There are also various arrow types, too. You have regular arrows, double arrows (which can push single arrows pointing in the opposite direction), bomb arrows (which destroys any adjacent card it's pointing to), and more. Thankfully, you're never thrown into duels where you have to learn all this shit all at once. If that's not enough, each duel can feature different board layouts, have random gem placement, and feature all sorts of wild gimmicks (like rocks, which render the tile it's on unusable). Again, there's a lot going on, but it's rarely overwhelming. There are a finite amount of Joustus duels in the game (though they can be replayed as much as you want), and they're found either in specific levels in the overworld, or are unlocked in the hub area by completing certain levels and beating certain bosses. There were actually more than I thought, and I'm glad that that's the case. Each duel is fairly unique, with the aforementioned different board layouts, and each opponent having a unique deck. Wins and losses matter very much here, as the victor gets to take a card from the loser. Some cards can only be obtained this way from specific opponents, and in that case, you have to hope they play that card you want beforehand, because you can only take what's on the board, not from their deck. Of course, there's more than one way to get cards. The easiest way is to spend gold on random card packs (much like in real life) and hope for the best. Some are actually rewards and secrets in the platforming levels, and those are often solid cards, too. Collecting the unique cards is actually much easier, because as we all know, RNG can be a cruel mistress. If you lose one of your cards in a duel, worry not. You can either rematch, take your revenge (and your card back), or take the simpler option and spend gold to get it back. It's not much of a setback (unless you're short on money), but it's definitely insulting every time you get smoked and the bastard takes your special card. Overall, I ended up enjoying Joustus, so much so that I wish there was a) a physical version I can play with friends, and b) an online competitive version where I can lose to people all around the world. The cool thing about King of Cards is that if you don't want to play Joustus or find it too hard... it's completely optional. WHAT ELSE IS NEW? If you own Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove on anything other than a 3DS or PS Vita, the update that added King of Cards also comes with Shovel Knight: Showdown, which is yet another game. Alas, I'm on the 3DS, so I can't talk about that. Maybe when I buy it on Switch. Other than that, you get a bunch of new Challenge Mode levels, which has been a thing since (I think Plague of Shadows). It's basically a set of unique platforming challenges + specially modified boss rematches for each playable character, and this update adds a whole new section for King Knight, plus a couple extra challenges for Specter Knight. They're all quite difficult, but I did manage to 100% the entirety of Challenge Mode, so it's not impossible. King Knight in particular even has some Joustus-specific challenges, which I thought was neat. Also, you get a neat bonus when you complete all four Shovel Knight campaigns, which I have done. It was a very touching message from the devs, and it meant a lot especially since I've been playing this game for four years now. Plus, the main menu screen changes to commemorate the occasion! VERDICT: King of Cards is a fantastic farewell to what has become the stuff of indie game legend. It's equal parts fluid platformer (as expected) as well as astoundingly fun card game, and those seemingly disparate halves somehow form a coherent whole. If you haven't picked up Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, I simply must recommend that you do. It's a package of four full games (plus Showdown) in one, and they all have something great to offer. The devs put pretty much 4/5 of the final product out for free for people who got the game before Plague of Shadows (which came out in 2015), and that's insane to think about given how much the game used to cost. If anyone deserves to be thrown money at, it's Yacht Club Games for their fantastic work. It's sad to see the Shovel Knight saga end, but I look forward to their future in games. Alternatively, you can pick up each Shovel Knight campaign and Showdown individually, but why spend $50 on that when you can spend $40 on Treasure Trove instead? In fact, here's the Steam link. Go on: https://store.steampowered.com/app/250760/Shovel_Knight_Treasure_Trove/ Enjoy the Shovel Knight OST on Spotify: The King of Cards OST isn't on there yet, but it is on Bandcamp: https://virt.bandcamp.com/album/shovel-knight-king-of-cards-ost - end - I just watched the finale of HBO's new hit show today, and I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the season as a whole. No spoilers here. The events of the show are set a whopping 34 years after the events of the original comic, and focus on characters other than the main cast. Characters from the original Watchmen do show up in later episodes, however.
This show is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a white supremacist group called the Seventh Kavalry is running rampant. Fighting against them are the cops, who, due to how dangerous things have become, are now wearing masks to hide their identities. We follow one such cop, Angela Abar, as she slowly uncovers a conspiracy within her city. It was interesting enough to me to see how a post-Watchmen world would play out, as the comic ends without showing much of how the sociopolitical landscape has changed. Having everything be set in a place with no relevance to the original comic was doubly intriguing, but as the season went by, the connections start to come together. On the subject of connections, the amount of love and reverence shown to the source material made me very happy as a fan. From the integration of the original characters into the story, to cute nods to small moments from the comic, to blink-and-you'll-miss-it visual references, and characters saying classic quotes, I had something to mark out over every episode. Another thing the show excels at that the comic did was the social commentary. From the authoritarian undertones of the masked cops, to the deep dive into America's turbulent past in terms of the treatment of black people, the show dares to go a bunch of places, even pulling from real life events to make its point. Overall, the story plays out kinda like the original comic, starting with one mystery and spiraling out into a web of interconnected conspiracies. The show executed reveals and twists pretty well for the most part, but certain choices ended up not aligning with the comic, and while the liberties taken aren't too egregious, the conflict between those choices and the strong themes of the comic is noticeable to readers like me. While some adaptation changes felt a little off, there are a couple of changes that did a lot to enhance the original comic. The biggest example of this was the retcon established in episode 6 (arguably the season's best), which built on the lore of the Minutemen corner of the timeline like never before. I'd have to say that the characters, both old and new, feel like the weakest part of the show. They all have fascinating backstories, go through interesting journeys throughout the season, and their respective actors/actresses did a phenomenal job portraying them, but it all falls a little flat at the end. Some of them get no proper arcs/resolutions, others have nebulous goals, and the characters from the original comic feel a little inconsistent. It's a shame it ended up this way, but for the most part, I enjoyed mostly everyone in the cast. Despite some missteps, HBO's Watchmen ended up being quite the enjoyable ride for me, so much so that I may consider it one of my all-time favorite shows. I would be perfectly content if the show ended here, but I wouldn't say no to more seasons (provided it's the same minds behind this one, and they make some improvements). While I think one could get by watching this show without having read the comic, I would still recommend reading it regardless. Not just because it will enhance the experience with all the references you'll catch, and that you'll understand certain things a little better, but also because it's just a damn good comic. - end - I talked about the NES Online update a few days ago, and I mentioned that SNES Online got an update as well. Today, I'm going through one of the four new games on the library. BACKGROUND:
Again, this is another one of those Nintendo franchises I didn't get into until Smash. Thanks, Little Mac. I finally got a chance to play Punch-Out!! on NES some time ago thanks to Switch Online, and it ended up being one of my all-time favorites on the platform. I found its gameplay incredibly satisfying, and I can only hope Super Punch-Out!! can deliver that same magic. SUMMARY: If you're not familiar with Punch-Out!! already, it's a boxing game where you go through a gauntlet of tough opponents, in hopes of getting to the champion and taking the title. Pretty straightforward premise. On the surface, it would seem like your typical fighting game (albeit with a different perspective), but if you play this like a fighting game (hit buttons and hope for the best), you'll quickly realize that your efforts will amount to nothing. Playing aggressively will almost always result in the opponent blocking your punches, and if you're not careful, you can get counter-punched (often for massive damage). Rather, the key to winning fights is being patient. You have to take time to learn your opponent's patterns, and in doing so, you can figure out where your openings are. Once you've recognized your opponent's tells and attack patterns, you're now not only equipped to survive the onslaught of punches coming your way, you also now have all you need to find your opening and lay the smackdown. This is what makes Punch-Out!! such a satisfying game — dodging the other guy's massive uppercut then laying into him with a barrage of your own never gets old. It's made doubly satisfying by the fact that you really only have a few moves at your disposal (left/right low punch, left/right high punch, duck, dodge left/right); you get to do a lot with very little. In lieu of the NES version's Star Punches, you instead have access to a super meter (which, if you play Smash, looks the same as Little Mac's KO Punch meter). Successfully landing hits on your opponent charges this up, and when it's full, you can unleash various super moves depending on your input. As long as you don't get hit, the meter stays charged, so you can keep throwing out these moves whenever you see fit. I personally prefer the Star Punches as a super mechanic, but the super meter is pretty fun in its own right. There are two modes in Super Punch-Out!! The primary mode is Championship Mode, which has you go through "circuits", which is a series of four opponents you have to beat in order to win the specified championship. You start out with the Minor Circuit, and once you beat that, you unlock the Major Circuit, which is more of the same, but more difficult. Beating that, in turn, unlocks the Wolrd Circuit. Each circuit has a unique roster of opponents (who, in true Punch-Out!! fashion, are over-the-top stereotypes of various nationalities), so the experience isn't repetitive at all. Each match consists of three rounds, each lasting three in-game minutes (I actually don't know if it's real time or some other measure; I was too busy trying to survive and couldn't check). You can win either by TKO or by decision (which is pretty rare; most decisions go to the CPU). Racial insensitivities aside, the characters all ooze personality. From their intros, their tells, their attacks, and all their reactions throughout the match are ridiculous and cartoony. It gets one up on the NES version by having each opponent be incredibly animated, from facial expressions to the slapstick manner they hit the mat when you knock them out. There's even an added element where each fighter's respective coach yells out instructions mid-match, which is both important in gameplay and adds to the character. The other mode is Time Attack Mode, which is what it is: you replay any individual fight you've beaten and try for the best time. It's a good way to replay a fight you like without having to go through the entire circuit. If you're adept at this game (or use the Rewind feature; no judgment here), you can try and get a perfect run in all three circuits. Doing so will unlock the Special Circuit, which is another series of opponents for you to fight. These guys are incredibly difficult, so don't feel bad if you get your ass kicked. VERDICT: Though the NES Punch-Out!! is still my personal favorite across the board, Super Punch-Out!! is a great take on an established classic. It keeps the tried-and-true gameplay mostly intact and adds an extra flourish to the presentation. I would still recommend starting with the NES version, but starting here is perfectly fine. - end - |
Categories
All
Archives
June 2024
Derryck
|