No doubt, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are about finished. There might still be a couple titles coming out for each of those systems, but when, I don't know. Most stores will try to get whatever remaining stock they have of the older systems software, so with that in mind, let's get into the main discussion. Should you be going after the last generation consoles?
Personally, I would get into it now. There are a lot of titles that you can find for relatively low prices, especially for some of the base games. One of these examples is Grand Theft Auto IV. Not every store will be like this, but I saw it at GameStop for practically nothing. You can find a lot for PS3 and 360 for 20 dollars and under. There are exceptions like Ghostbusters from Atari and even kids games like Toy Story 3. For the most part however, the local stores and some GameStops should be fair enough with these two systems, both hardware and software.
What about Nintendo systems? To be honest, it's hard to discuss this company. The systems they have are the hardest to deal with due to expensive prices. No average person is going to waste 60 dollars on an N64 Mario Kart or a GameCube Smash Bros. Melee. For the Wii, it might be an exception for now. If you're dead set on getting that system, invest now on those games that are coveted. Odds are most of the shovelware and certain ports will stay very low, while something like a Zack and Wiki or Metroid Prime Trilogy will get higher prices. I wish I would recommend getting the system purely on the Virtual Console and its physical library, but with Nintendo shutting down the ability to add Wii Points in March, I can't put it high on the must buy list.
With handhelds, it shouldn't be too bad. The problem is finding all sorts of licensed junk. That is one of my gripes with the Game Boy Advance. It seemed like the later half of its life was littered with just about every Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network show getting a game adaptation if it weren't a 16-bit port. The DS still has that problem, but there's still a rich library that you can have. Outside of some Nintendo games, it shouldn't be cost prohibitive. Try finding them at the local used stores. Finding them in the cases is critical.
In regards to the PSP, it's going to be very tough. Despite 70 million in hardware sold, it's library had a tough time finding audiences. Your best bet is seeing if the local used stores have them. Even then, it could be slim pickings with some baseball titles, a Syphon Filter game, and maybe some UMD movies typically seen in a small section. I'm not sure if price will be a huge problem as much as finding any games. You can still download some games, but not on a PSP. More so with a Vita or maybe PS3 if you can find anything or if they are compatible such as PS1 Classics.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Psych: The Movie Review
Now for something a little special. For a movie based on a TV show to work, you have to hope it stays faithful to the source material. Luckily for Psych, it had it's creator Steve Franks and main star James Roday writing the screenplay for what is an enjoyable Christmas fest while staying funny with the made the show a huge hit over a decade ago. There are gags that you remember, the banter between the characters, etc... All while solving a crime, it still feels down to earth compared to most ultra serious crime shows.
It certainly gets a good start to laughing when Shawn Spencer (Roday) has to deal with three gangster type guys while looking for jewelry, which if you get a chance to watch it, you will understand if you've seen the show. Cue a chase scene and the fake psychic relying on his old pal Gus (Dule Hill) to help him out of a jam. However, the real plot begins after that when a group lead by the Thin White Duke (Zachary Levi) does real damage to the police partner of Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson) that lands him in the hospital. What does Duke want? Is he sending a message to the San Francisco Police Department? Or is there something that Juliet knows that warrants going after the partner?
Without getting too deep ruining the film and its story, Psych knows when to let loose and when to be serious. It's still Shawn and Gus bantering with each other, helping out both Juliet and Chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson), the latter having a quite a bit screen time compared to the show. There are a number of callbacks to the show, especially with a big twist that you wouldn't think would happen. These guys know when to surprise people, and I find it to be really effective.
This isn't just Roday and Hill leading the way withe comedy. There is quite a bit from their coroner friend, Woody Strode. (Kurt Fuller) He is still the same kind of the character like he was when introduced midway through the show's run, especially with what happened after the events of the series finale. Like Vick, Shawn's dad Henry (Corbin Bernsen) has a bit of screentime as well when he wants to help his son and future daughter in law rid of Duke and his cronies. He also gets himself a few funny bits, typically jabs from Shawn. We also get a chance to see Iris, Vick's daughter. as a bit of a troublemaker who doesn't want Juliet to tell her mother of the petty crimes she commits.
With that being said, one of the major things with this film is the relationship of Shawn and Juliet. Things are addressed very early about whether they are getting married or not though both perspectives. Juliet doesn't want to rush things, while Shawn still holds on to the past of his grandmother's ring. Still, through thick and thin, they still love each other and will help themselves together as they looked for the bad guys. Shawn will always be by her side, even if it means facing death right in front of them. I wish I could say more things about this film, but it's so hard not to spoil the important moments. Really, they develop the characters well enough to show that they are there for each other and willing to take on evil.
Also, one of the morals is about doing the right thing. It's something you have to consider. These characters are detectives, even if some aren't qualified. Throughout Psych's run, Shawn relied on lying, even though his photographic memory and ability to find the details typically netted him the bad guys. I find it amazing that they are willing to flesh him out more, though we do see a few funny things with doing the fake psychic act. With Juliet, she is someone that has to make the hard decisions. It is something they do show throughout the movie. She is a by the book detective in the show. A few mistakes here and there, but she does not mess around with following the rules. Still, they develop her a bit more and you see how it is gnawing at her and seeing how scared she is. They don't overboard with anything sappy or over dramatic, and I think the ending will leave you satisfied enough.
There are nods to the 80s with some of the references. Outside of the crime, Gus has himself a relationship with a woman (Jazmyn Simon, Hill's real life wife) who really can't keep her hands off of him. It is cute, but funny considering his track record with women. Obviously, headlining the guest starring group is Levi as Duke. He is evil, but funny at the same time. There is a bit of shallowness, but Psych has always been known for making humor in dark situations regardless of the bad guy. Other notables are Ralph Macchio reprising his cop character from the show and some WWE wrestlers, one of which includes Charlotte Flair as one of the bad guys. One disappointing thing is not seeing much of Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), but the crew didn't have much choice. Omundson suffered a stroke before filming, but his character still served a big purpose for Juliet and her attempts to solve the crime. Other than a couple awkward moments, this is A plus material.
If you can find it on the USA Network during this month, this is a no-brainer. Watch it. It is exactly like the show. You are going to laugh your ass off with some gut busting moments. This is almost like they didn't stop doing the show, which I will be gladly anticipating another movie if they continue to do more with these guys. A great way to finish off 2017 for television and film.
Score: 9 out of 10
It certainly gets a good start to laughing when Shawn Spencer (Roday) has to deal with three gangster type guys while looking for jewelry, which if you get a chance to watch it, you will understand if you've seen the show. Cue a chase scene and the fake psychic relying on his old pal Gus (Dule Hill) to help him out of a jam. However, the real plot begins after that when a group lead by the Thin White Duke (Zachary Levi) does real damage to the police partner of Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson) that lands him in the hospital. What does Duke want? Is he sending a message to the San Francisco Police Department? Or is there something that Juliet knows that warrants going after the partner?
Without getting too deep ruining the film and its story, Psych knows when to let loose and when to be serious. It's still Shawn and Gus bantering with each other, helping out both Juliet and Chief Vick (Kirsten Nelson), the latter having a quite a bit screen time compared to the show. There are a number of callbacks to the show, especially with a big twist that you wouldn't think would happen. These guys know when to surprise people, and I find it to be really effective.
This isn't just Roday and Hill leading the way withe comedy. There is quite a bit from their coroner friend, Woody Strode. (Kurt Fuller) He is still the same kind of the character like he was when introduced midway through the show's run, especially with what happened after the events of the series finale. Like Vick, Shawn's dad Henry (Corbin Bernsen) has a bit of screentime as well when he wants to help his son and future daughter in law rid of Duke and his cronies. He also gets himself a few funny bits, typically jabs from Shawn. We also get a chance to see Iris, Vick's daughter. as a bit of a troublemaker who doesn't want Juliet to tell her mother of the petty crimes she commits.
With that being said, one of the major things with this film is the relationship of Shawn and Juliet. Things are addressed very early about whether they are getting married or not though both perspectives. Juliet doesn't want to rush things, while Shawn still holds on to the past of his grandmother's ring. Still, through thick and thin, they still love each other and will help themselves together as they looked for the bad guys. Shawn will always be by her side, even if it means facing death right in front of them. I wish I could say more things about this film, but it's so hard not to spoil the important moments. Really, they develop the characters well enough to show that they are there for each other and willing to take on evil.
Also, one of the morals is about doing the right thing. It's something you have to consider. These characters are detectives, even if some aren't qualified. Throughout Psych's run, Shawn relied on lying, even though his photographic memory and ability to find the details typically netted him the bad guys. I find it amazing that they are willing to flesh him out more, though we do see a few funny things with doing the fake psychic act. With Juliet, she is someone that has to make the hard decisions. It is something they do show throughout the movie. She is a by the book detective in the show. A few mistakes here and there, but she does not mess around with following the rules. Still, they develop her a bit more and you see how it is gnawing at her and seeing how scared she is. They don't overboard with anything sappy or over dramatic, and I think the ending will leave you satisfied enough.
There are nods to the 80s with some of the references. Outside of the crime, Gus has himself a relationship with a woman (Jazmyn Simon, Hill's real life wife) who really can't keep her hands off of him. It is cute, but funny considering his track record with women. Obviously, headlining the guest starring group is Levi as Duke. He is evil, but funny at the same time. There is a bit of shallowness, but Psych has always been known for making humor in dark situations regardless of the bad guy. Other notables are Ralph Macchio reprising his cop character from the show and some WWE wrestlers, one of which includes Charlotte Flair as one of the bad guys. One disappointing thing is not seeing much of Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), but the crew didn't have much choice. Omundson suffered a stroke before filming, but his character still served a big purpose for Juliet and her attempts to solve the crime. Other than a couple awkward moments, this is A plus material.
If you can find it on the USA Network during this month, this is a no-brainer. Watch it. It is exactly like the show. You are going to laugh your ass off with some gut busting moments. This is almost like they didn't stop doing the show, which I will be gladly anticipating another movie if they continue to do more with these guys. A great way to finish off 2017 for television and film.
Score: 9 out of 10
Friday, December 8, 2017
Thursday, December 7, 2017
Why I Don't Feel Bad For Most Women Accusers
I know when I do this blog, I'm not going to win everybody over. Nobody does. My main focus has been video games, TV, film, and sports. It's not easy trying to get these done a few times a week. This might be the easiest to talk since these are honest thoughts for this. Time Magazine considered their Person of the Year to be The Silence Breakers, women who have gone on to say they were sexually harassed by men. I find it to be a crock of shit, and a bad black eye.
It goes back a few months ago to the Harvey Weinstein incident, which might be one of the very few things that I'll actually believe. It wouldn't surprise me if he did rape and harass women. And I've played the game L.A. Noire, where there's a case of a producer trying to kill and rape a 15 year old at the beginning of it. Then came the floodgates, which increased following the Me Too hashtag created by washed up star Alyssa Milano. Now a lot of women are saying they got sexually harassed. Even the people you wouldn't think is ridiculous such as Dustin Hoffman and Charlie Sheen, the latter accused of raping the late Corey Haim back around 1985/86.
I've had a hard time believing anything since hearing the story of Brian Banks, the football player who got exonerated a few years ago for a rape crime he didn't commit. Losing five years of his to jail because of some idiot woman cost him a chance at college football and even the NFL. The other story in my head is reporter Erin Andrews. I've never liked her. She is one of the most useless sideline people who fits the stereotype of dumb, blonde, and a body of a model. I think she's stupid, and I didn't buy into her sob story a couple years ago. Back in 2007 when she was at ESPN, a peeper supposedly filmed her naked (it was hard to know if it was Andrews due to how the video looked) Personally, I think she underestimated her popularity. Most people aren't going to watch her for her reporting. Someone with a body like hers, big breasts, wardrobe, and hair color is going to lead to some having stalkers.
Sidetrack aside, the media is going to give sympathy to a woman. They get more coverage and platforms to speak on while the man gets nothing. The idea of innocent until proven guilty is a joke. If an incident didn't happen, it doesn't matter. A guy's life is finished and he can't go back to the same everyday routine because of the false accusations. With the big name people, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth because there's actual harassment that goes on that doesn't wind up being heard on NBC or CBS or any network. I view it as women mostly wanting either 15 minutes of fame, or quick money because of it escalating since Weinstein. As I said, it's a bad black eye, and it makes actual harassment cases go unnoticed where something actually did happen and it wasn't a get rich quick scheme.
Until then, I'm just going to be a non-believer in most of these stories. I'm more inclined to believe the local papers than I would what is said in Hollywood. And a number of women need to be held accountable for their actions.
It goes back a few months ago to the Harvey Weinstein incident, which might be one of the very few things that I'll actually believe. It wouldn't surprise me if he did rape and harass women. And I've played the game L.A. Noire, where there's a case of a producer trying to kill and rape a 15 year old at the beginning of it. Then came the floodgates, which increased following the Me Too hashtag created by washed up star Alyssa Milano. Now a lot of women are saying they got sexually harassed. Even the people you wouldn't think is ridiculous such as Dustin Hoffman and Charlie Sheen, the latter accused of raping the late Corey Haim back around 1985/86.
I've had a hard time believing anything since hearing the story of Brian Banks, the football player who got exonerated a few years ago for a rape crime he didn't commit. Losing five years of his to jail because of some idiot woman cost him a chance at college football and even the NFL. The other story in my head is reporter Erin Andrews. I've never liked her. She is one of the most useless sideline people who fits the stereotype of dumb, blonde, and a body of a model. I think she's stupid, and I didn't buy into her sob story a couple years ago. Back in 2007 when she was at ESPN, a peeper supposedly filmed her naked (it was hard to know if it was Andrews due to how the video looked) Personally, I think she underestimated her popularity. Most people aren't going to watch her for her reporting. Someone with a body like hers, big breasts, wardrobe, and hair color is going to lead to some having stalkers.
Sidetrack aside, the media is going to give sympathy to a woman. They get more coverage and platforms to speak on while the man gets nothing. The idea of innocent until proven guilty is a joke. If an incident didn't happen, it doesn't matter. A guy's life is finished and he can't go back to the same everyday routine because of the false accusations. With the big name people, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth because there's actual harassment that goes on that doesn't wind up being heard on NBC or CBS or any network. I view it as women mostly wanting either 15 minutes of fame, or quick money because of it escalating since Weinstein. As I said, it's a bad black eye, and it makes actual harassment cases go unnoticed where something actually did happen and it wasn't a get rich quick scheme.
Until then, I'm just going to be a non-believer in most of these stories. I'm more inclined to believe the local papers than I would what is said in Hollywood. And a number of women need to be held accountable for their actions.
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
The Bad Rep of Pittsburgh
No review this week. Last night's NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals will be one to remember, but for the wrong reasons. First was early in the game when Steeler linebacker Ryan Shazier was injured tackling and wound up in a hospital with a back injury. Whether this is a paralyzing one, I don't know. That will be talked a lot along with what receiver Juju Smith-Schuster did.
Late in the game, Smith-Schuster hit a defenseless Vontaze Burfict, a Bengal linebacker who had his share of controversy against Pittsburgh in this rivalry. Burfict went down to the ground and the receiver stood over him, resulting in a taunting penalty to go with the unnecessary roughness penalty. With ESPN broadcasting the game, both their main guys, Sean McDonough and Jon Gruden were disturbed by the hit. Watching it, Gruden was surprised that there wasn't an ejection. There was another bad one but it was the Bengals George Iloka delivering a hit to the head at Steeler Antonio Brown, who later said it was karma regarding the Burfict hit. Brown was hit viciously a few seasons ago in the playoffs by him and some might say that cost them a Super Bowl run in 2015, losing to the Broncos.
Steeler fans wonder what they get such a bad rep. Last night's game is a very good indication. Especially in the wake of Sunday where Patriot tight end Rob Gronkowski was suspended a game for a cheap shot on a Buffalo Bill, this should be an easy suspension to put on Smith-Schuster. It's the kind of thing the league does not want to see. This simply adds fuel to the fire that Steeler players are dirty. Shazier himself had a rule named after him following a helmet to helmet hit on Bengal Giovanni Bernard that was legal in the playoffs a few years ago. Not to mention some of the other players involved in the rivalry since 2005.
This is a huge black eye for the league. You have to hope Shazier's injury isn't a paralyzing one, but your guess is as good as mine. With stuff like Schuster, however, that crap needs to stop. Refs can't keep giving teams like the Steelers and Seahawks a break. Not much else to say other than Steeler fans can cry all they want, but the rep they have, even with being one of the older franchises in the NFL, will only get worse if they keep doing things like this.
Late in the game, Smith-Schuster hit a defenseless Vontaze Burfict, a Bengal linebacker who had his share of controversy against Pittsburgh in this rivalry. Burfict went down to the ground and the receiver stood over him, resulting in a taunting penalty to go with the unnecessary roughness penalty. With ESPN broadcasting the game, both their main guys, Sean McDonough and Jon Gruden were disturbed by the hit. Watching it, Gruden was surprised that there wasn't an ejection. There was another bad one but it was the Bengals George Iloka delivering a hit to the head at Steeler Antonio Brown, who later said it was karma regarding the Burfict hit. Brown was hit viciously a few seasons ago in the playoffs by him and some might say that cost them a Super Bowl run in 2015, losing to the Broncos.
Steeler fans wonder what they get such a bad rep. Last night's game is a very good indication. Especially in the wake of Sunday where Patriot tight end Rob Gronkowski was suspended a game for a cheap shot on a Buffalo Bill, this should be an easy suspension to put on Smith-Schuster. It's the kind of thing the league does not want to see. This simply adds fuel to the fire that Steeler players are dirty. Shazier himself had a rule named after him following a helmet to helmet hit on Bengal Giovanni Bernard that was legal in the playoffs a few years ago. Not to mention some of the other players involved in the rivalry since 2005.
This is a huge black eye for the league. You have to hope Shazier's injury isn't a paralyzing one, but your guess is as good as mine. With stuff like Schuster, however, that crap needs to stop. Refs can't keep giving teams like the Steelers and Seahawks a break. Not much else to say other than Steeler fans can cry all they want, but the rep they have, even with being one of the older franchises in the NFL, will only get worse if they keep doing things like this.
Friday, December 1, 2017
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
NY Enemy No. 1.
If yesterday's responses mean anything with the overwhelmingly negative responses, it means Eli Manning is probably the most loved guy by people who played for him. Amidst a very forgettable season where the New York Football Giants are 2 and 9, he had started every game this year. That will change late Sunday afternoon when the decision was made to bench him in favor of backup Geno Smith. That will mean his 210 consecutive game streak as a starter is over, leaving him second all-time for quarterbacks behind Brett Favre, who had 297. Ironically, the first game Favre did not start in when it ended was when the Minnesota Vikings faced the Giants in 2010.
I think it says a lot that a number of responses showed a lot of support for Manning and the way things have been handled by coach Ben McAdoo and the management of the Giants. Former players who were with the signal caller voiced extreme displeasure such as center Shaun O'Hara (Part of the 07 Super Bowl team) and Justin Tuck (07 and 11). Others like Plaxico Buress, (07)and Antrel Rolle (11) showed disappointment. Even radio color commentary man Carl Banks, who has called games since 2007, showed a lot of anger. Outside of the team, there's London Fletcher showing the disappointment. Marshawn Lynch even said his thoughts about it, and also mocked his time in Seattle with his former team's Super Bowl gaffe a few years ago.
McAdoo has said to the media about evaluating the positions. I think theoretically, he is looking to the future, whether or not owner John Mara keeps him on as coach. Come next year, he could be gone along possibly with GM Jerry Reese. The question was asked to Manning about starting the game for a half, but he declined to start. I think it says a lot on Manning's character. You can tell from his talk to the media how hard it was for him to know that he was going to be benched and that there was no point to playing a half just to be gone for the second half.
Something tells me the Giants will have a new guy under center for the 2018 season. Who it is, I don't know. I could see Smith being a starter, but only as a temporary guy until either rookie Davis Webb gets his due, or they draft a quarterback for the upcoming NFL Draft and have him back up Webb. The odds of Manning being back are there, but options could be set to see him in another organization. Some think the Jacksonville Jaguars would be a place to go to. It helps that there is some New York personnel there, including former Giant coach Tom Coughlin, who was there at the start of Manning's career, and current coach Doug Marrone, who coached Syracuse football and the Buffalo Bills. Coughlin talked to the media and was upset and showed a lot of praise for his former QB.
This year was supposed to be a hyped one for the Giants. At first it was offense, and then defense that showed issues. Losing practically the entire receiving corps in early October didn't help. Manning has had nobody for almost two months. Still, his stats aren't as bad as the record. He's thrown for 2,400 yards, 14 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, which will be the lowest for him in a season as a full starter. When it's all said and done, he has shattered a lot of team records that won't be broken for a long time. The Super Bowls will be remembered because of the late heroics and throws that cement his legacy. Odds are Manning will be in good company with quarterbacks Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, and receiver Larry Fitzgerald, all of which were part of that 2004 draft. (Manning was first overall, Fitzgerald third, and Rivers fourth) All four will be in the Hall of Fame when their careers end.
Phil Simms' last game ever was an embarrassing loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the 1993 playoffs. I don't think Manning is finished yet, but if Thanksgiving is to be his last game as a Giant, it marks an end of an era that has been a big roller coaster ride that has gone way downhill this year. The next five games will determine who is in and out. Any way you slice it, management is going to clean house and possibly set up a new coach, general manager, and a new set of players with a different style of play.
I think it says a lot that a number of responses showed a lot of support for Manning and the way things have been handled by coach Ben McAdoo and the management of the Giants. Former players who were with the signal caller voiced extreme displeasure such as center Shaun O'Hara (Part of the 07 Super Bowl team) and Justin Tuck (07 and 11). Others like Plaxico Buress, (07)and Antrel Rolle (11) showed disappointment. Even radio color commentary man Carl Banks, who has called games since 2007, showed a lot of anger. Outside of the team, there's London Fletcher showing the disappointment. Marshawn Lynch even said his thoughts about it, and also mocked his time in Seattle with his former team's Super Bowl gaffe a few years ago.
McAdoo has said to the media about evaluating the positions. I think theoretically, he is looking to the future, whether or not owner John Mara keeps him on as coach. Come next year, he could be gone along possibly with GM Jerry Reese. The question was asked to Manning about starting the game for a half, but he declined to start. I think it says a lot on Manning's character. You can tell from his talk to the media how hard it was for him to know that he was going to be benched and that there was no point to playing a half just to be gone for the second half.
Something tells me the Giants will have a new guy under center for the 2018 season. Who it is, I don't know. I could see Smith being a starter, but only as a temporary guy until either rookie Davis Webb gets his due, or they draft a quarterback for the upcoming NFL Draft and have him back up Webb. The odds of Manning being back are there, but options could be set to see him in another organization. Some think the Jacksonville Jaguars would be a place to go to. It helps that there is some New York personnel there, including former Giant coach Tom Coughlin, who was there at the start of Manning's career, and current coach Doug Marrone, who coached Syracuse football and the Buffalo Bills. Coughlin talked to the media and was upset and showed a lot of praise for his former QB.
This year was supposed to be a hyped one for the Giants. At first it was offense, and then defense that showed issues. Losing practically the entire receiving corps in early October didn't help. Manning has had nobody for almost two months. Still, his stats aren't as bad as the record. He's thrown for 2,400 yards, 14 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, which will be the lowest for him in a season as a full starter. When it's all said and done, he has shattered a lot of team records that won't be broken for a long time. The Super Bowls will be remembered because of the late heroics and throws that cement his legacy. Odds are Manning will be in good company with quarterbacks Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, and receiver Larry Fitzgerald, all of which were part of that 2004 draft. (Manning was first overall, Fitzgerald third, and Rivers fourth) All four will be in the Hall of Fame when their careers end.
Phil Simms' last game ever was an embarrassing loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the 1993 playoffs. I don't think Manning is finished yet, but if Thanksgiving is to be his last game as a Giant, it marks an end of an era that has been a big roller coaster ride that has gone way downhill this year. The next five games will determine who is in and out. Any way you slice it, management is going to clean house and possibly set up a new coach, general manager, and a new set of players with a different style of play.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Wolfenstein 3D (PS3) Review
With Thanksgiving out of the way, it's time to get back on track with new blogs and reviews. Wolfenstein 3D made its way to the PlayStation 3 around 2009. The closest version that resembled the PC original was the Game Boy Advance version in 2001, but suffered quite a bit in a few aspects. While this isn't a perfect port, it's a great one considering how well some of the Doom ports were handled on other systems and that not many played the other versions.
As in the original, you are B.J. Blazkowicz. A spy for the Allies in World War II, he is thrown into a prison cell. Now he must find a way out of Castle Wolfenstein and finish his mission of stopping a new form of weapon capable of Germany winning the war. He also had other missions, which included stopping a general hell bent on wanting chemical warfare. Id Software has never been good with stories, but it's doable here and competent without sounding over the top.
Nothing changed with Wolfenstein 3D's graphics. Everything is the same. The textures, enemy appearances, and animations all follow the PC original. It looks a little primitive today, but still a technical achievement considering how computers were back around 1991 and 92. Audio, while the same, is a bit different. The music goes at a slower pace, and the sound effects and voices are lower pitched. That's the thing with porting over computer games from a long time ago. You don't know how well they will be on modern systems. It's not anything to worry, but purists might not like it. Still, it's not as big as Doom, so caution is needed when encountering enemies since they can attack from behind without you knowing.
As for the gameplay itself, nothing changed. As Blazkowicz, you have to find your way out of a floor by finding an elevator exit. Typically, there is a key or multiple keys to find scattered in a level. Find those and you can get out and do the same thing again and again. There are six episodes with 60 levels altogether. Nine regular levels are in each one and a secret one as well. The end of each episode features a boss and defeating it either gets a key to finish the level or you get an interesting death cam showing the boss dying again.
The controls are simple. Analog sticks control your movement. Upper shoulder buttons allow running and using weapons. Face buttons switch weapons and do stuff like open doors, push walls, and exit a level. All four weapons are present. The guns share the same ammo, so caution is needed and strategy is important before holding down the button and going on a rampage of 10 plus bad guys. Speaking of which, the roll call includes dogs, officers, and SS. There are a few other interesting ones, but overall, you're seeing the same ones over and over. You got health and lives, so healing includes medkits, (which were altered because of the Red Cross complaining) dinner plates of chicken, and even dog food. There are a few other methods of healing, but it's usually when health is very, very low. Lose a life, you are stuck with a pistol and 8 rounds. Lose all lives and you are sent back to the title screen It plays like most other genres since you're scoring points for beating the par time, collecting treasure that is scattered around, killing enemies, and how well you did a level. Do well enough, (which you will) and you can put your name on the high score list.
Wolfenstein 3D's level designs are not altered. They are the same as they were in 92. Anybody with excellent memory will know where the enemies are and when to attack. You do feel like you are in the bowels of Germany. There are a lot of Nazi stuff on the walls, which is a big negative for the country. It has a labyrinth look at times, but it's smart with placing enemies, their movements and when they go after you if they hear shots. Finding all the secrets gives the game a little bit of replayability. Maybe the first time, you didn't get everything, but you could the second time or whenever you want to play. Options include changing volumes of music and sounds, screen size change, and loading and saving games.
As I said, it's not a perfect port. It's still easy to get lost, especially in some of the later levels of the game. There might be times where the game is unforgiving, but it's not like they deliberately made it that way. I noticed the movement being a little slower, but I'm not too bothered by it. Other than those complaints along with maybe enemies sneaking up on you, it's still a great port. You are going to get some hours out of this, whether just going through the levels, trying to beat the par times, or seeing how quick you get 100 percent on every level. Check out Wolfenstein 3D on PS3. It's very cheap for a digital download. You will not be disappointed with the content.
As in the original, you are B.J. Blazkowicz. A spy for the Allies in World War II, he is thrown into a prison cell. Now he must find a way out of Castle Wolfenstein and finish his mission of stopping a new form of weapon capable of Germany winning the war. He also had other missions, which included stopping a general hell bent on wanting chemical warfare. Id Software has never been good with stories, but it's doable here and competent without sounding over the top.
Nothing changed with Wolfenstein 3D's graphics. Everything is the same. The textures, enemy appearances, and animations all follow the PC original. It looks a little primitive today, but still a technical achievement considering how computers were back around 1991 and 92. Audio, while the same, is a bit different. The music goes at a slower pace, and the sound effects and voices are lower pitched. That's the thing with porting over computer games from a long time ago. You don't know how well they will be on modern systems. It's not anything to worry, but purists might not like it. Still, it's not as big as Doom, so caution is needed when encountering enemies since they can attack from behind without you knowing.
As for the gameplay itself, nothing changed. As Blazkowicz, you have to find your way out of a floor by finding an elevator exit. Typically, there is a key or multiple keys to find scattered in a level. Find those and you can get out and do the same thing again and again. There are six episodes with 60 levels altogether. Nine regular levels are in each one and a secret one as well. The end of each episode features a boss and defeating it either gets a key to finish the level or you get an interesting death cam showing the boss dying again.
The controls are simple. Analog sticks control your movement. Upper shoulder buttons allow running and using weapons. Face buttons switch weapons and do stuff like open doors, push walls, and exit a level. All four weapons are present. The guns share the same ammo, so caution is needed and strategy is important before holding down the button and going on a rampage of 10 plus bad guys. Speaking of which, the roll call includes dogs, officers, and SS. There are a few other interesting ones, but overall, you're seeing the same ones over and over. You got health and lives, so healing includes medkits, (which were altered because of the Red Cross complaining) dinner plates of chicken, and even dog food. There are a few other methods of healing, but it's usually when health is very, very low. Lose a life, you are stuck with a pistol and 8 rounds. Lose all lives and you are sent back to the title screen It plays like most other genres since you're scoring points for beating the par time, collecting treasure that is scattered around, killing enemies, and how well you did a level. Do well enough, (which you will) and you can put your name on the high score list.
Wolfenstein 3D's level designs are not altered. They are the same as they were in 92. Anybody with excellent memory will know where the enemies are and when to attack. You do feel like you are in the bowels of Germany. There are a lot of Nazi stuff on the walls, which is a big negative for the country. It has a labyrinth look at times, but it's smart with placing enemies, their movements and when they go after you if they hear shots. Finding all the secrets gives the game a little bit of replayability. Maybe the first time, you didn't get everything, but you could the second time or whenever you want to play. Options include changing volumes of music and sounds, screen size change, and loading and saving games.
As I said, it's not a perfect port. It's still easy to get lost, especially in some of the later levels of the game. There might be times where the game is unforgiving, but it's not like they deliberately made it that way. I noticed the movement being a little slower, but I'm not too bothered by it. Other than those complaints along with maybe enemies sneaking up on you, it's still a great port. You are going to get some hours out of this, whether just going through the levels, trying to beat the par times, or seeing how quick you get 100 percent on every level. Check out Wolfenstein 3D on PS3. It's very cheap for a digital download. You will not be disappointed with the content.
Friday, November 24, 2017
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Big Trouble in Little Ball's World
An incident in China not too long ago lead to three UCLA college basketball players winding up in jail. With some help from President Trump, who had been doing a visit through Asia, they were released and brought back to the United States. One of the boys was Liangelo Ball, son of frequent loudmouth LaVar. LaVar criticized Trump for not making an effort to get them out, with the President now thinking he should have left him in jail.
LaVar is going to hurt his kids futures, no matter what. He's a big mouthed loser who wants things his way. Someone needs to tell him to shut the fuck up and be happy his son is back from China. Most countries are not like the United States in terms of punishment when you commit a crime, and even shoplifting in the 50 states could have someone serve a lengthy sentence. They are not as lenient, and some are quite strict. Stuff like firing squads and even hard labor for even the smallest crimes are things to expect in other countries. The last thing anyone wants to hear that their child was killed abroad or did something to get themselves in trouble. LaVar should be grateful for Liangelo not coming back in a body bag.
I wonder how much this affects Lonzo, the rookie for the Los Angeles Lakers. So far, he hasn't had too bad of a first year. He is averaging 7 plus rebounds and assists per game. A few turnovers and fouls per game, 8.9 points. He's putting up decent numbers. The team is still struggling somewhat, but I would think within a few years, they could cobble up a group that can get them back in the postseason. Obviously, he was going to be in the spotlight. Los Angeles is not an easy place to win in. A lot of extra pressure is on him to win over the city, but also all the crap his father is saying.
Liangelo's stock value (if there is any) for the NBA draft could drastically be affected by not only his shoplifting, but how LaVar acts. Organizations don't want head cases. Unfortunately, it might be too little, too late for this kid. Lonzo could actually last a number of years in the league if he improves season after season. If LaVar can't change the way he acts, the Ball family could find themselves ousted from the social pipeline. Shame on this no hearted prick for not being thankful his son came back.
LaVar is going to hurt his kids futures, no matter what. He's a big mouthed loser who wants things his way. Someone needs to tell him to shut the fuck up and be happy his son is back from China. Most countries are not like the United States in terms of punishment when you commit a crime, and even shoplifting in the 50 states could have someone serve a lengthy sentence. They are not as lenient, and some are quite strict. Stuff like firing squads and even hard labor for even the smallest crimes are things to expect in other countries. The last thing anyone wants to hear that their child was killed abroad or did something to get themselves in trouble. LaVar should be grateful for Liangelo not coming back in a body bag.
I wonder how much this affects Lonzo, the rookie for the Los Angeles Lakers. So far, he hasn't had too bad of a first year. He is averaging 7 plus rebounds and assists per game. A few turnovers and fouls per game, 8.9 points. He's putting up decent numbers. The team is still struggling somewhat, but I would think within a few years, they could cobble up a group that can get them back in the postseason. Obviously, he was going to be in the spotlight. Los Angeles is not an easy place to win in. A lot of extra pressure is on him to win over the city, but also all the crap his father is saying.
Liangelo's stock value (if there is any) for the NBA draft could drastically be affected by not only his shoplifting, but how LaVar acts. Organizations don't want head cases. Unfortunately, it might be too little, too late for this kid. Lonzo could actually last a number of years in the league if he improves season after season. If LaVar can't change the way he acts, the Ball family could find themselves ousted from the social pipeline. Shame on this no hearted prick for not being thankful his son came back.
Friday, November 17, 2017
The Line of Reviewing Little Kids Material
Personally, it kind of breaks my heart when certain things that are aimed for little kids get treated unfairly by adult reviewers. (or teenagers for that matter) I wouldn't be surprised if it's been this way for almost 70 years or more since the start of television. It is a little different depending on the format. Some may offer things for both kids and adults. Others might go towards one demographic.
Film is hard to critique. I don't think critics have much choice to review the ones that they may not care for for the sake of their jobs. Especially in the case of family films, I think it's fair game depending on the film being talked. There are many aspects to talk about, and if judged right, may be looked at as a fair and competent review. Then you got guys Armond White who couldn't review anything and look to be anti to what others say of specific films. Everybody has their own tastes in what they like in theaters and on TV, and that's what makes it a hard format to talk about.
Television is a little different from film. You got channels that cater to specific demographics. On website forums and videos like YouTube, there is this huge thing on complaining about material, especially regarding kids cartoon channels. It does come off as borderline creepy if someone doesn't have children of their own or other family members kids. There is this generational cycle that occurs every time a new group of kids watch the new shows. The older group complains while the younger ones just watch. This keeps happening every time, and it was probably that way back in the 70s, 80s, 90s, etc... With the rise of the Internet the last 20 years, it makes it easier for ones to express their opinion in a very bad way about how networks don't cater to them. Case in point:
This guy on Toonzone here is very obsessive and wants things to be like the 90s again. The sad thing is that there are others like him. It's easy to see why these kind of networks don't care for these type of losers. Altering something that is for kids to be more for adults could hurt the final product.
Now video games vary. You got the critics and you got the user reviews. For the most part, the consensus is mostly on par with agreement. There are games that both sides will love and hate at the same time. Disagreements are seen, which is par for the course. Then you got games where it doesn't make sense. Especially for edutainment and ones aimed for toddlers. I think the problem is when users review them, they judge it like a regular game and give it an unfair score, bashing things that they don't realize is going to be difficult for a child. However, it's not like the area is hated unanimously. If quality is there, it will get some love. Look at the Carmen Sandiego games. They are looked at as educational, but fun because of the search for her. On the other side, there are titles like Mario's Time Machine that are edutainment disguised as games and hated for how they are managed. Still, critics are not going to be swayed by how users are regarding the games.
If only users knew what they were getting into before reviewing kids material. You really have to think like a child and wonder if it will keep a child interested in the game they are playing. Otherwise, scores are going to be skewed in one direction for something that shouldn't be hated. Stop the hate.
Film is hard to critique. I don't think critics have much choice to review the ones that they may not care for for the sake of their jobs. Especially in the case of family films, I think it's fair game depending on the film being talked. There are many aspects to talk about, and if judged right, may be looked at as a fair and competent review. Then you got guys Armond White who couldn't review anything and look to be anti to what others say of specific films. Everybody has their own tastes in what they like in theaters and on TV, and that's what makes it a hard format to talk about.
Television is a little different from film. You got channels that cater to specific demographics. On website forums and videos like YouTube, there is this huge thing on complaining about material, especially regarding kids cartoon channels. It does come off as borderline creepy if someone doesn't have children of their own or other family members kids. There is this generational cycle that occurs every time a new group of kids watch the new shows. The older group complains while the younger ones just watch. This keeps happening every time, and it was probably that way back in the 70s, 80s, 90s, etc... With the rise of the Internet the last 20 years, it makes it easier for ones to express their opinion in a very bad way about how networks don't cater to them. Case in point:
This guy on Toonzone here is very obsessive and wants things to be like the 90s again. The sad thing is that there are others like him. It's easy to see why these kind of networks don't care for these type of losers. Altering something that is for kids to be more for adults could hurt the final product.
Now video games vary. You got the critics and you got the user reviews. For the most part, the consensus is mostly on par with agreement. There are games that both sides will love and hate at the same time. Disagreements are seen, which is par for the course. Then you got games where it doesn't make sense. Especially for edutainment and ones aimed for toddlers. I think the problem is when users review them, they judge it like a regular game and give it an unfair score, bashing things that they don't realize is going to be difficult for a child. However, it's not like the area is hated unanimously. If quality is there, it will get some love. Look at the Carmen Sandiego games. They are looked at as educational, but fun because of the search for her. On the other side, there are titles like Mario's Time Machine that are edutainment disguised as games and hated for how they are managed. Still, critics are not going to be swayed by how users are regarding the games.
If only users knew what they were getting into before reviewing kids material. You really have to think like a child and wonder if it will keep a child interested in the game they are playing. Otherwise, scores are going to be skewed in one direction for something that shouldn't be hated. Stop the hate.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
No Tripping: Grayson Allen's Return
In the midst of college football and the teams being stunned or winning lopsided scores, basketball has begun once again. All eyes will be on Duke, who won their latest game to start the season against Michigan State. Leading the way is senior Grayson Allen, who had probably the game of his career as he hopes to do a few things. One is to help draft stock. The other is to improve his image and the bad taste he left in a lot of people's mouths last season.
It's very early in the season, so there is no idea what can possibly during the time. Duke is on that list of most hated basketball programs. Really, North Carolina basketball throughout the state. The amount of success they have had under Mike Krzyzewski. Many championships and a very rowdy fanbase/crowd make it easy to see why there is so much negativity. Even if Allen didn't do the tripping a few times last season, he would still easily make the list of hated players ever. Due to the fact of the tripping, he probably got a lot more hate than Christian Laettner, who had a lot more success and got Duke their first National Championships.
Allen has been open to the stuff that happened. He wrote an article for The Players Tribune about what it meant to go to and play for Duke. There seems to be something very humble about him wanting to return for his senior year to not only graduate but also to be a guy that can lead his team. College sports is not an easy evaluation. Some live and die on where they could possibly land in the professional level. What they do on and off the playing field also is detrimental. Look at Dak Prescott. He was a 4th round pick in last year's NFL draft because of a DUI arrest. Basketball is a question on who is going to leave, who is finished up, and who could wind up coming from Europe to play in the NBA.
Either way, change could ultimately help. If Allen can stay committed to playing fundamental basketball and not do anything stupid, he could be looked at as someone you hate because he played at Duke. Some can mature quickly, and for now, he seems to be on the right path. A wait and see situation.
It's very early in the season, so there is no idea what can possibly during the time. Duke is on that list of most hated basketball programs. Really, North Carolina basketball throughout the state. The amount of success they have had under Mike Krzyzewski. Many championships and a very rowdy fanbase/crowd make it easy to see why there is so much negativity. Even if Allen didn't do the tripping a few times last season, he would still easily make the list of hated players ever. Due to the fact of the tripping, he probably got a lot more hate than Christian Laettner, who had a lot more success and got Duke their first National Championships.
Allen has been open to the stuff that happened. He wrote an article for The Players Tribune about what it meant to go to and play for Duke. There seems to be something very humble about him wanting to return for his senior year to not only graduate but also to be a guy that can lead his team. College sports is not an easy evaluation. Some live and die on where they could possibly land in the professional level. What they do on and off the playing field also is detrimental. Look at Dak Prescott. He was a 4th round pick in last year's NFL draft because of a DUI arrest. Basketball is a question on who is going to leave, who is finished up, and who could wind up coming from Europe to play in the NBA.
Either way, change could ultimately help. If Allen can stay committed to playing fundamental basketball and not do anything stupid, he could be looked at as someone you hate because he played at Duke. Some can mature quickly, and for now, he seems to be on the right path. A wait and see situation.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Nintendo Switch Assessment (Review of 2017)
We are about a month and a half away from heading into 2018. For PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, they are still far from being finished. Nintendo, on the other hand, is pinning all its hopes on their Switch system, which debuted at the start of March this year. I do not own one, but so far, it has done well and it has companies scrambling to get content onto the hybrid. What is it that made this do well compared to the atrocity of the Wii U?
Marketing: When looking at best selling systems, their advertising is a reason to consider success. You think Genesis Does for Sega, Live in your World. Play in Ours slogan for Sony when seeing system campaigns. The idea of being portable and playing on TV is a big point for the Switch. Nintendo is actually showcasing the system on a number of channels, something they didn't really do with the Wii U outside of some major titles. People are aware of it. It's just a matter of if they will buy it.
No shoehorned gimmick: Part of the reason why I think the Wii U failed was because of its GamePad. You didn't have much choices other than Wii controllers and Classic type controllers, and the system price might have hurt from having it. With the Switch, the controller is a basic setup. Nothing exactly shoehorned or forced. They simplified it, and trying it at a store, it felt comfortable. My only complaint if people are going to look to buy the system is additional controllers costing 70 plus dollars.
Heavy hitter killer apps: You know what the big titles are going to be on a Nintendo system. Getting a Zelda title out after numerous delays gave the system a glimmer of hope. Having a new Mario game out last month, and certain ports and original titles helped the Switch in its first year. Not to mention that Zelda and Mario are trying newer things to make experiences fresh for veteran gamers.
Now, first party is fine and dandy, but if Nintendo has to do something, it's this. They have to really support it beyond 2017. Odds are they will, but it has to be at the caliber of what they have done. No doubt, there will be a new Smash Bros. game, a new Pokemon, but what else? Not to mention getting the system promoted, which seems to have done way better than the Wii U debacle. After 2013, Nintendo gave up. With Switch, they are getting back onto the scene.
Third party is still a question mark, something Nintendo has struggled with since 1996. The consensus is that it has a lot of indie companies on board. It's no joke. Having titles like Shovel Knight for example show how willing the House of Mario is to get new customers. As far as major companies, they have stuff like Super Bomberman, Ultra Street Fighter II, Sonic Mania as some of their support. In this month of November, it has Doom. L.A. Noire will be out by the time this blog is finished along with Skyrim at the end of the week. Some are testing the waters, and that will be the true test for 2018. Are third party companies going to keep supporting the Switch? I don't see why not, but the system still has a lot of work to do.
So... should you buy a Switch? I'd say yes. It's got titles for a variety of people and it feels like there should be support for a good while. The question would be how you feel about spending 300 plus dollars. Other than that, I'd say get on the hype. Nintendo is back in town for now.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
Marketing: When looking at best selling systems, their advertising is a reason to consider success. You think Genesis Does for Sega, Live in your World. Play in Ours slogan for Sony when seeing system campaigns. The idea of being portable and playing on TV is a big point for the Switch. Nintendo is actually showcasing the system on a number of channels, something they didn't really do with the Wii U outside of some major titles. People are aware of it. It's just a matter of if they will buy it.
No shoehorned gimmick: Part of the reason why I think the Wii U failed was because of its GamePad. You didn't have much choices other than Wii controllers and Classic type controllers, and the system price might have hurt from having it. With the Switch, the controller is a basic setup. Nothing exactly shoehorned or forced. They simplified it, and trying it at a store, it felt comfortable. My only complaint if people are going to look to buy the system is additional controllers costing 70 plus dollars.
Heavy hitter killer apps: You know what the big titles are going to be on a Nintendo system. Getting a Zelda title out after numerous delays gave the system a glimmer of hope. Having a new Mario game out last month, and certain ports and original titles helped the Switch in its first year. Not to mention that Zelda and Mario are trying newer things to make experiences fresh for veteran gamers.
Now, first party is fine and dandy, but if Nintendo has to do something, it's this. They have to really support it beyond 2017. Odds are they will, but it has to be at the caliber of what they have done. No doubt, there will be a new Smash Bros. game, a new Pokemon, but what else? Not to mention getting the system promoted, which seems to have done way better than the Wii U debacle. After 2013, Nintendo gave up. With Switch, they are getting back onto the scene.
Third party is still a question mark, something Nintendo has struggled with since 1996. The consensus is that it has a lot of indie companies on board. It's no joke. Having titles like Shovel Knight for example show how willing the House of Mario is to get new customers. As far as major companies, they have stuff like Super Bomberman, Ultra Street Fighter II, Sonic Mania as some of their support. In this month of November, it has Doom. L.A. Noire will be out by the time this blog is finished along with Skyrim at the end of the week. Some are testing the waters, and that will be the true test for 2018. Are third party companies going to keep supporting the Switch? I don't see why not, but the system still has a lot of work to do.
So... should you buy a Switch? I'd say yes. It's got titles for a variety of people and it feels like there should be support for a good while. The question would be how you feel about spending 300 plus dollars. Other than that, I'd say get on the hype. Nintendo is back in town for now.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Is the Holocaust Funny?
Last week's Saturday Night Live monologue from host Larry David has been met with a lot of criticism. There's also a group that knew what to expect out of him, especially if they are familiar with Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm We've seen jokes made of national tragedies, some with varying results. I'm not sure how much you can get away with making Holocaust jokes. It's also important to know that David, much like Jerry Seinfeld, is Jewish.
When David did his monologue, he talked about some of the scandals in Hollywood in a vague way. That would translate him to talking about Holocaust stuff about seeing women in them and wanting to get one. It doesn't surprise me what he's saying considering his career. I've viewed David as the type of person that is anti to the norm. He went against things that NBC had in mind at times when Seinfeld was on the air and viewers loved it. His "no hugging, no learning" aspect helped him. George Costanza is probably the greatest sitcom character ever because of how David molded him and perfected by Jason Alexander. The character is someone you could see in real life.
That being said, using the Holocaust as your crutch is not going to bode well, and it showed. I don't think it's a generational thing considering the audience for SNL and their head people being young and from the Collegehumor website. If someone made a September 11th joke, that would not fly (no pun intended) with people. Now, Seinfeld had references to Nazis in a number of episodes. Hell, two episodes were focused on Nazis. One was The Limo with the rally at Madison Square Garden. The other was The Soup Nazi. However, they don't directly talk or joke about the Holocaust.
David's shtick could be a good indication that he needs to be more careful with what he talks about. I don't think he should give up being anti to the norm, but better choices could help. And his Holocaust joke dragged SNL to from what I've heard, a very forgettable one with the usual politics skits that they have been using throughout the year. While it's not strange for the show to do political sketches, their over reliance on that and Alec Baldwin to keep portraying Trump gets tiring. Look at South Park. They decided to not follow the trend because they knew what was going to be seen from other shows.
Getting back on point, I'm not sure how much this will impact David. SNL I would think would keep using him for Bernie Sanders and a couple other things. He's got a long way to go to repair some of his image. He would have been better off doing that bit on HBO with Curb.
When David did his monologue, he talked about some of the scandals in Hollywood in a vague way. That would translate him to talking about Holocaust stuff about seeing women in them and wanting to get one. It doesn't surprise me what he's saying considering his career. I've viewed David as the type of person that is anti to the norm. He went against things that NBC had in mind at times when Seinfeld was on the air and viewers loved it. His "no hugging, no learning" aspect helped him. George Costanza is probably the greatest sitcom character ever because of how David molded him and perfected by Jason Alexander. The character is someone you could see in real life.
That being said, using the Holocaust as your crutch is not going to bode well, and it showed. I don't think it's a generational thing considering the audience for SNL and their head people being young and from the Collegehumor website. If someone made a September 11th joke, that would not fly (no pun intended) with people. Now, Seinfeld had references to Nazis in a number of episodes. Hell, two episodes were focused on Nazis. One was The Limo with the rally at Madison Square Garden. The other was The Soup Nazi. However, they don't directly talk or joke about the Holocaust.
David's shtick could be a good indication that he needs to be more careful with what he talks about. I don't think he should give up being anti to the norm, but better choices could help. And his Holocaust joke dragged SNL to from what I've heard, a very forgettable one with the usual politics skits that they have been using throughout the year. While it's not strange for the show to do political sketches, their over reliance on that and Alec Baldwin to keep portraying Trump gets tiring. Look at South Park. They decided to not follow the trend because they knew what was going to be seen from other shows.
Getting back on point, I'm not sure how much this will impact David. SNL I would think would keep using him for Bernie Sanders and a couple other things. He's got a long way to go to repair some of his image. He would have been better off doing that bit on HBO with Curb.
Friday, November 10, 2017
Boston Sports Journalism: An Utter Disgrace
While obviously there are some that wouldn't have any sympathy for Roy Halladay's sudden passing, you wouldn't think it would come from radio station guys in a major sports town. What Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti from Boston 98.5 did is nothing short of disrespect, poor taste, and typical arrogance from Boston journalists.
Most of the articles talking about these guys include Felger saying Halladay deserved to die. He also went on to say Dale Earnhardt deserved to be killed at Daytona in 2001 and would always root for the wall. It has been met with overwhelmingly negative responses from people on social media. It's sad that I'm even creating another blog article here, but this stuff shouldn't happen. The one thing coming to my mind is Don Imus when he got fired around 2007 or 08, calling a woman's basketball team nappy headed hoes. To be fair, Imus' show was more of a nationwide show.
Still, Felger, Massarotti, and Tom E. Curran show a lack of ethics and journalism for covering sports. I don't know if it's this "Us vs. the World" mentality, but Boston is tough on their own teams and players. David Price this year would be a huge example of that. Still, ever since Tom Brady took over for New England, these kind of journalists act with huge egos, especially since Spygate. Curran will defend anything on his Patriots. However, that's child's play, though that doesn't mean much. What Felger and Massarotti (mostly Felger, from what I'm getting) did is severely uncalled for.
The major sports of Boston have championships. Some legit, some tainted. That doesn't excuse how today's journalists in that city are. Felger and Massarotti deserve to be fired for this. There is no room for arrogance and disrespect in a city wide or nation wide radio station. Another reason to hate Boston sports overall.
Most of the articles talking about these guys include Felger saying Halladay deserved to die. He also went on to say Dale Earnhardt deserved to be killed at Daytona in 2001 and would always root for the wall. It has been met with overwhelmingly negative responses from people on social media. It's sad that I'm even creating another blog article here, but this stuff shouldn't happen. The one thing coming to my mind is Don Imus when he got fired around 2007 or 08, calling a woman's basketball team nappy headed hoes. To be fair, Imus' show was more of a nationwide show.
Still, Felger, Massarotti, and Tom E. Curran show a lack of ethics and journalism for covering sports. I don't know if it's this "Us vs. the World" mentality, but Boston is tough on their own teams and players. David Price this year would be a huge example of that. Still, ever since Tom Brady took over for New England, these kind of journalists act with huge egos, especially since Spygate. Curran will defend anything on his Patriots. However, that's child's play, though that doesn't mean much. What Felger and Massarotti (mostly Felger, from what I'm getting) did is severely uncalled for.
The major sports of Boston have championships. Some legit, some tainted. That doesn't excuse how today's journalists in that city are. Felger and Massarotti deserve to be fired for this. There is no room for arrogance and disrespect in a city wide or nation wide radio station. Another reason to hate Boston sports overall.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Too Soon: Roy Halladay's Legacy.
I would say the baseball world is still shocked more than 24 hours later of the sudden death of Roy Halladay. The pitcher was flying his own plane when it crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. An outcry of support has been seen by many and a little bit of ridicule by some individuals. (I hope those two guys from the Boston radio station 98,5 get fired. And Boston sports fans wonder why they are hated by most of the country) Nevertheless, he leaves behind a wife and two kids.
Until more details emerge, there isn't much that can be said for Halladay's career. It speaks for itself. One of those September call ups in 1998 for the Toronto Blue Jays, he wasn't anything special from 99 up until 2002. For his '02 campaign, he started lighting it up, becoming an All-Star and leading in innings pitched for the American League. His next season was even better. For 2003, he led the AL with 22 wins, the most out of any year in his career. He led his league again in innings with 266, nearly 30 games worth. Though he gave up a lot of hits, he had nine complete games, which helps to his legacy. All in all, he got a Cy Young for that year.
After a subpar 2004 season, Halladay got back to form. Within a few years, he was back to being dominant. In fact, he seemed stronger than ever. In a seven year span, he would lead in complete games for whatever League he was in for six of those years. He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010 and still put up stellar numbers. Most will think the highlight of his career would be the no hitter he threw in his first ever playoff appearance. Unfortunately, the Phillies were at the peak of their run as a decent team, so Halladay's playoff runs were only in 2010 and 11. He would wear off a bit in the final two years of his career.
The guy was very lethal. He knew how to play the game, and it certainly got him a bit of respect in the clubhouses of Philadelphia and Toronto. Halladay was probably one of the few bright spots in his time with the Blue Jays. It wasn't that they were playing horribly during his tenure. What doesn't help is the Red Sox and Yankees being more dominant during that period. There would have been benefits if the fifth playoff team was in effect 15 years ago. The stuff he was able to do could have changed outcomes, but that's all hypothetical. Either way, he gave the Blue Jays and Phillies hope.
So where does he stand as far as numbers go? The only guy I can think of for comparison is Pedro Martinez, and Martinez's numbers are obviously much higher. Halladay amassed 203 victories and 105 losses. He had a career 3.38 ERA to go with 2700 plus innings pitched. The two Cy Youngs help along with being an eight time All-Star. He pitched 67 complete games, and led leagues in innings four times. He certainly has stuff to be in the Hall of Fame, but I don't know. Then again, there are some players that get in with numbers you wouldn't think would be good enough.
No doubt, the Blue Jays and Phillies will honor Halladay for the 2018 season. It's always the people you least expect to end up in something tragic. Yankee fans will understand that with what happened to Thurman Munson in 1979 and Cory Lidle in 2006. Baseball will be in huge mourning for a good while.
Until more details emerge, there isn't much that can be said for Halladay's career. It speaks for itself. One of those September call ups in 1998 for the Toronto Blue Jays, he wasn't anything special from 99 up until 2002. For his '02 campaign, he started lighting it up, becoming an All-Star and leading in innings pitched for the American League. His next season was even better. For 2003, he led the AL with 22 wins, the most out of any year in his career. He led his league again in innings with 266, nearly 30 games worth. Though he gave up a lot of hits, he had nine complete games, which helps to his legacy. All in all, he got a Cy Young for that year.
After a subpar 2004 season, Halladay got back to form. Within a few years, he was back to being dominant. In fact, he seemed stronger than ever. In a seven year span, he would lead in complete games for whatever League he was in for six of those years. He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010 and still put up stellar numbers. Most will think the highlight of his career would be the no hitter he threw in his first ever playoff appearance. Unfortunately, the Phillies were at the peak of their run as a decent team, so Halladay's playoff runs were only in 2010 and 11. He would wear off a bit in the final two years of his career.
The guy was very lethal. He knew how to play the game, and it certainly got him a bit of respect in the clubhouses of Philadelphia and Toronto. Halladay was probably one of the few bright spots in his time with the Blue Jays. It wasn't that they were playing horribly during his tenure. What doesn't help is the Red Sox and Yankees being more dominant during that period. There would have been benefits if the fifth playoff team was in effect 15 years ago. The stuff he was able to do could have changed outcomes, but that's all hypothetical. Either way, he gave the Blue Jays and Phillies hope.
So where does he stand as far as numbers go? The only guy I can think of for comparison is Pedro Martinez, and Martinez's numbers are obviously much higher. Halladay amassed 203 victories and 105 losses. He had a career 3.38 ERA to go with 2700 plus innings pitched. The two Cy Youngs help along with being an eight time All-Star. He pitched 67 complete games, and led leagues in innings four times. He certainly has stuff to be in the Hall of Fame, but I don't know. Then again, there are some players that get in with numbers you wouldn't think would be good enough.
No doubt, the Blue Jays and Phillies will honor Halladay for the 2018 season. It's always the people you least expect to end up in something tragic. Yankee fans will understand that with what happened to Thurman Munson in 1979 and Cory Lidle in 2006. Baseball will be in huge mourning for a good while.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Sonic Mania Review
It's been a few months. Let's delve into Sonic Mania. There has been a very strong reception for the game and it has been looked at highly. After all the hype, is this a game you should be getting? That answer is yes. It is a great game. Maybe a few flaws, but a very strong game. Keep in mind this is the brainchild of Christian Whitehead along with Headcannon and PagodaWest games. Whitehead is known for his ports of Sonic CD and the first two Genesis games of the series, where the engines are done from the ground up with newer features compared to their original releases and ports. I played the PlayStation 4 version for this review.
There isn't much to Mania's story, but it's pretty simple. Stop Dr. Eggman. He has a group of bad guys this time trying to take a gemstone that is very powerful. In the process, it takes Eggman's group, along with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles to the Green Hill Zone. The trio must get the gemstone, known as the Phantom Ruby, and keep Eggman from using it to conquer the world. It's a 90s type idea.
Three systems come to mind when looking at Sonic Mania. They are the Sega CD, 32x, and Saturn. Regarding the main levels, they use a vast array of colors, similar to the 32x. Those who have played Knuckles Chaotix will understand this. The backgrounds, areas, and characters go beyond being a 16-bit game visually. Animations are a lot smoother due to the system's power. It's that great. Special Stages go for a combination of Sega CD scrolling with the characters looking like they came from the Saturn. It's a little dated, but there is a charm to it. Even the intro if you don't press buttons at the title screen screams a nostalgia overload. Whitehead knew what he wanted and succeeded.
The audio doesn't exactly play straight music. Most of the music from the other games have a bit of a remix to it and go with the tone of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic and Knuckles with each act of a zone having a different tone. Even the original zones go that way as well. It's cleaner, and a bit more lively. Sound effects are what you expect out of the series. You can't be 16-bit unless you got vintage type sounds. I'm not huge on this aspect, but not against it either.
Getting into the gameplay, Sonic Mania is a continuation into the formula of the 16-bit games along with Sonic CD. You go left to right and vice versa, trying to stop Dr. Eggman and his cronies. To describe it, you are playing Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles. You will feel right at home with the mechanics to it along with the controls. It's been a long time since there was a platformer in the series that allowed multiple characters in the main meat of the game. Much like 3 and Knuckles, each character has the same abilities. Sonic can use shields to his advantage. Tails can fly. Knuckles can glide and knock certain objects out. You get a lot more bang for your buck in replayability compared to most, if not, all Mario platformers. Saving is similar as well with save files keeping track of progress and lives along with scores if the game hasn't been completed yet.
There are 12 zones in the game. Eight of them are from the Genesis games and Sonic CD. The four that are new show inspiration from stuff in the older games and prototypes that cut out zones. Each one has two acts, each one having a boss fight. Take them out and the act will play out and end like 3 and Knuckles. All the monitors from the trilogy are here. From your basic shield to the Eggman ones, no stone is left untouched. New is a blue ring monitor that holds onto your rings. You get hit without a shield, big rings will come out and you can get all your rings back. Speaking of which, enemies from their respective games are brought back. The new zone enemies add a bit to how they can be dealt with.
Two distinct special stages are in Mania. One is the big rings. That is the Sonic CD type special stage. You are on a timer via depleting rings as you chase a UFO carrying a Chaos Emerald. The character is slow, but picking up blue balls will fill up a meter to make you faster. It's sort of complicated, but you will get the hang of it. The second kind of stage is the Blue Sphere type which can be accessed via a lamppost. There is the ones from 3 and Knuckles as well as original ones. Completing them will earn you medals but whether you get the rings will determine your medal.
With the level designs here, Mania feels like what made the Genesis games great. There is that sense of exploring the zones, but at the same time, offering a sense of speed that will have the characters going very fast. The levels from the Genesis and CD are remixed, so those familiar with them will have to figure out these versions. One part might look the same, but some elements may have changed. For the original levels, they look as if they could have been in the originals from the early 90s. Just overall, Whitehead and company got this passion project and gave it a labor of love.
Other modes include a time attack mode like CD. Each character has their own statistics. It can be restarted at any time if you mess up. I haven't had a chance to try competition, but it has that Sonic 2 type of competition. There is a few features that can be unlocked, along with a lot of callbacks that will surprise you a few times.
That being said, Mania is not without its issues. One of my complaints is the Special Stages for the emeralds. I think I've struggled more in these than I've had with any of the Genesis ones. The very first Sonic game was difficult, but it wasn't impossible. It's hard to get a good momentum on the UFOs and catch up to them at times. My only other ones are some cheap boss fights and some over relying on the older zones, though the latter is just a very small nitpick.
You will get some good hours on this game, and it has a high replay value due to how Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles play. Definitely get Sonic Mania. It's worth what it is being asked digitally. With Whitehead's knowledge of 2D games, this guy should be approached by other companies to do other series that have loved entries in 2D. Get it on whatever system you have it on (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) A heck of a way to celebrate 25-26 years of a franchise.
Score: 8 out of 10
There isn't much to Mania's story, but it's pretty simple. Stop Dr. Eggman. He has a group of bad guys this time trying to take a gemstone that is very powerful. In the process, it takes Eggman's group, along with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles to the Green Hill Zone. The trio must get the gemstone, known as the Phantom Ruby, and keep Eggman from using it to conquer the world. It's a 90s type idea.
Three systems come to mind when looking at Sonic Mania. They are the Sega CD, 32x, and Saturn. Regarding the main levels, they use a vast array of colors, similar to the 32x. Those who have played Knuckles Chaotix will understand this. The backgrounds, areas, and characters go beyond being a 16-bit game visually. Animations are a lot smoother due to the system's power. It's that great. Special Stages go for a combination of Sega CD scrolling with the characters looking like they came from the Saturn. It's a little dated, but there is a charm to it. Even the intro if you don't press buttons at the title screen screams a nostalgia overload. Whitehead knew what he wanted and succeeded.
The audio doesn't exactly play straight music. Most of the music from the other games have a bit of a remix to it and go with the tone of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic and Knuckles with each act of a zone having a different tone. Even the original zones go that way as well. It's cleaner, and a bit more lively. Sound effects are what you expect out of the series. You can't be 16-bit unless you got vintage type sounds. I'm not huge on this aspect, but not against it either.
Getting into the gameplay, Sonic Mania is a continuation into the formula of the 16-bit games along with Sonic CD. You go left to right and vice versa, trying to stop Dr. Eggman and his cronies. To describe it, you are playing Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles. You will feel right at home with the mechanics to it along with the controls. It's been a long time since there was a platformer in the series that allowed multiple characters in the main meat of the game. Much like 3 and Knuckles, each character has the same abilities. Sonic can use shields to his advantage. Tails can fly. Knuckles can glide and knock certain objects out. You get a lot more bang for your buck in replayability compared to most, if not, all Mario platformers. Saving is similar as well with save files keeping track of progress and lives along with scores if the game hasn't been completed yet.
There are 12 zones in the game. Eight of them are from the Genesis games and Sonic CD. The four that are new show inspiration from stuff in the older games and prototypes that cut out zones. Each one has two acts, each one having a boss fight. Take them out and the act will play out and end like 3 and Knuckles. All the monitors from the trilogy are here. From your basic shield to the Eggman ones, no stone is left untouched. New is a blue ring monitor that holds onto your rings. You get hit without a shield, big rings will come out and you can get all your rings back. Speaking of which, enemies from their respective games are brought back. The new zone enemies add a bit to how they can be dealt with.
Two distinct special stages are in Mania. One is the big rings. That is the Sonic CD type special stage. You are on a timer via depleting rings as you chase a UFO carrying a Chaos Emerald. The character is slow, but picking up blue balls will fill up a meter to make you faster. It's sort of complicated, but you will get the hang of it. The second kind of stage is the Blue Sphere type which can be accessed via a lamppost. There is the ones from 3 and Knuckles as well as original ones. Completing them will earn you medals but whether you get the rings will determine your medal.
With the level designs here, Mania feels like what made the Genesis games great. There is that sense of exploring the zones, but at the same time, offering a sense of speed that will have the characters going very fast. The levels from the Genesis and CD are remixed, so those familiar with them will have to figure out these versions. One part might look the same, but some elements may have changed. For the original levels, they look as if they could have been in the originals from the early 90s. Just overall, Whitehead and company got this passion project and gave it a labor of love.
Other modes include a time attack mode like CD. Each character has their own statistics. It can be restarted at any time if you mess up. I haven't had a chance to try competition, but it has that Sonic 2 type of competition. There is a few features that can be unlocked, along with a lot of callbacks that will surprise you a few times.
That being said, Mania is not without its issues. One of my complaints is the Special Stages for the emeralds. I think I've struggled more in these than I've had with any of the Genesis ones. The very first Sonic game was difficult, but it wasn't impossible. It's hard to get a good momentum on the UFOs and catch up to them at times. My only other ones are some cheap boss fights and some over relying on the older zones, though the latter is just a very small nitpick.
You will get some good hours on this game, and it has a high replay value due to how Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles play. Definitely get Sonic Mania. It's worth what it is being asked digitally. With Whitehead's knowledge of 2D games, this guy should be approached by other companies to do other series that have loved entries in 2D. Get it on whatever system you have it on (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) A heck of a way to celebrate 25-26 years of a franchise.
Score: 8 out of 10
Friday, November 3, 2017
House of Cards Cancelled: Netflix Not Taking Chances
Since the Harvey Weinstein scandals of sexually harassing people (how true it is, I don't know), there have been all sorts of stories from a number of celebrities and non-celebrities of things that happened to them. One example is Terry Crews saying he got assaulted by a producer when Weinstein's incidents came out. Netflix has caught wind of Kevin Spacey's sexual harassment and has decided to end their long running show, House of Cards.
I have never watched House of Cards and probably never will, but I can get why Netflix is canning it. An actor, Anthony Rapp, is claiming a story that Spacey sexually harassed him when he was 14 years old in 1985. Sites have reported the show has been halted in production. An apology has been said by Spacey, as is him getting treatment, but some are not buying it. It has been an interesting year considering certain celebrities with relationships, arrests, yada yada yada. It's hard to know who is telling the truth or not.
There's always these questions as to why these "victims" never report their crimes on them. I think it's fear. Especially with a celebrity, they don't know if something insanely bad will happen to them. They got fans on their side if they are loved by many. There's always those superfans who will kill or maim for the sake of it. Even local stuff can happen, whether it's someone's family member, lover, whatever. Stuff that happens behind closed doors and doesn't get heard unless they go to one of those morning news shows. I'm not saying this stuff doesn't happen, but it's hard to really know what is true. Look at football player. Brian Banks. He was falsely accused of rape and lost five years of his life due to it, spending it in prison. He could have been in the NFL if some dumb woman didn't make a false story. The media gives sympathy to women and gives them an audience to talk about their fake incident.
Sidetrack aside, this is damaging to Spacey and Netflix is not taking chances on their original show. It's the kind of stuff, if true, can oust you from Hollywood. How deep this will keep going, I don't know. One thing is for sure, though. It's not over yet. With Brett Ratner being removed from Warner Brothers, there will be more people that are going to get the boot. Who it is, however, will be a big deal depending on the person involved.
I have never watched House of Cards and probably never will, but I can get why Netflix is canning it. An actor, Anthony Rapp, is claiming a story that Spacey sexually harassed him when he was 14 years old in 1985. Sites have reported the show has been halted in production. An apology has been said by Spacey, as is him getting treatment, but some are not buying it. It has been an interesting year considering certain celebrities with relationships, arrests, yada yada yada. It's hard to know who is telling the truth or not.
There's always these questions as to why these "victims" never report their crimes on them. I think it's fear. Especially with a celebrity, they don't know if something insanely bad will happen to them. They got fans on their side if they are loved by many. There's always those superfans who will kill or maim for the sake of it. Even local stuff can happen, whether it's someone's family member, lover, whatever. Stuff that happens behind closed doors and doesn't get heard unless they go to one of those morning news shows. I'm not saying this stuff doesn't happen, but it's hard to really know what is true. Look at football player. Brian Banks. He was falsely accused of rape and lost five years of his life due to it, spending it in prison. He could have been in the NFL if some dumb woman didn't make a false story. The media gives sympathy to women and gives them an audience to talk about their fake incident.
Sidetrack aside, this is damaging to Spacey and Netflix is not taking chances on their original show. It's the kind of stuff, if true, can oust you from Hollywood. How deep this will keep going, I don't know. One thing is for sure, though. It's not over yet. With Brett Ratner being removed from Warner Brothers, there will be more people that are going to get the boot. Who it is, however, will be a big deal depending on the person involved.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
The Last of Us Part II Trailer Impression
Despite being a late release on the PlayStation 3, The Last of Us was a title that kept people into the system as it reached its waning years in 2013. It's a game that has garnered a very warm reception along with criticism from gamers. Last year saw Sony and Naughty Dog bring forth a trailer for The Last of Us Part II. In the last few days, articles have spread about the latest trailer, both positive and negative since being shown at Sony's Paris Gamers Week conference. THIS TRAILER WILL BE SPOILED, SO DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!
The video, which has been seen currently with 2.6 million views, shows what looks to be Ellie being dragged by two people. They put a noose around her neck and one of them almost has a knife touch her stomach. Another one appears, bringing another woman and holding her arms, with the other bad guy helping him. The knife wielder asks a question only to be spit on. She has her henchmen break the woman's arms with a hammer. Things get hectic as one of the henchmen gets an arrow to the head and the woman fights back and kills the other one with the hammer.
The knife wielder pulls out a gun and fires wherever the arrow shooter is. She looks to shoot the woman, but Ellie tries strangling her with her legs and altering her from firing the gun. The two get the last laugh as the woman kills the knife wielder with the hammer in her head. Unfortunately, Ellie has nothing to stand on and looks to be on the way to dying by hanging. A guy, the arrow shooter, comes into the picture and asked by the broken armed woman to cut the rope. He is reluctant, but does what he's asked. With saving Ellie, the three face off against what looks to be clickers and cutting to the title before anything happens.
As far as how it looks, I am very impressed. The new generation is not a huge leap in graphics, which is easy to notice. To me, it's the little details that help some games stand out. However, that really depends on the title. Something like a South Park or Sonic Mania may look great (which they do), but they don't exactly push hardware to their limits. I get that feeling that I am looking at a live action version of Ellie. Obviously, Ashley Johnson was motion captured as her character, but it looks so real, especially considering last year's trailer. Even the other characters and some of the other stuff like trees and weather effects are jaw dropping. Keep in mind, however, this is still a trailer of a game with no release date yet. Things can change over time with the game engine.
Some websites have put a bit of criticism on the use of violence in the trailer. Honestly, I didn't see anything too cringe worthy, and I say that as someone who doesn't watch slasher flicks or any disturbing R rated material. I've played Grand Theft Auto V and it's torture mission, and I would say that was more uncomfortable. Television gets away with a lot more. You consider stuff like most crime shows since the 90s. Even stuff from non-serious and/or non crime shows have material that you wouldn't think otherwise. Name any South Park episode, Walking Dead, etc... Still, I can see where it is warranted. The part with the knife wielder getting the hammer to her head might be a little too much. Same thing with the hammer breaking the woman's arm. I don't think it will bother anyone for months on end.
A problem with gaming is that it is looked at differently. We are still in that part of an era where adults still think it is for little kids. On the other side, some may not want it to be Hollywood and have some of the same tendencies that impressing people with violence. With The Last of Us Part II, I think this will be ignored. It is going to be high on most people's lists of titles that they want. There isn't much controversy on this game at the moment. Excitement will build around gamers as they get another adventure with both Joel and Ellie.
In the end, it's just another way to show people that it is on the way. Whenever it does, it will be a hit as long as it doesn't release too late on PlayStation 4.
The video, which has been seen currently with 2.6 million views, shows what looks to be Ellie being dragged by two people. They put a noose around her neck and one of them almost has a knife touch her stomach. Another one appears, bringing another woman and holding her arms, with the other bad guy helping him. The knife wielder asks a question only to be spit on. She has her henchmen break the woman's arms with a hammer. Things get hectic as one of the henchmen gets an arrow to the head and the woman fights back and kills the other one with the hammer.
The knife wielder pulls out a gun and fires wherever the arrow shooter is. She looks to shoot the woman, but Ellie tries strangling her with her legs and altering her from firing the gun. The two get the last laugh as the woman kills the knife wielder with the hammer in her head. Unfortunately, Ellie has nothing to stand on and looks to be on the way to dying by hanging. A guy, the arrow shooter, comes into the picture and asked by the broken armed woman to cut the rope. He is reluctant, but does what he's asked. With saving Ellie, the three face off against what looks to be clickers and cutting to the title before anything happens.
As far as how it looks, I am very impressed. The new generation is not a huge leap in graphics, which is easy to notice. To me, it's the little details that help some games stand out. However, that really depends on the title. Something like a South Park or Sonic Mania may look great (which they do), but they don't exactly push hardware to their limits. I get that feeling that I am looking at a live action version of Ellie. Obviously, Ashley Johnson was motion captured as her character, but it looks so real, especially considering last year's trailer. Even the other characters and some of the other stuff like trees and weather effects are jaw dropping. Keep in mind, however, this is still a trailer of a game with no release date yet. Things can change over time with the game engine.
Some websites have put a bit of criticism on the use of violence in the trailer. Honestly, I didn't see anything too cringe worthy, and I say that as someone who doesn't watch slasher flicks or any disturbing R rated material. I've played Grand Theft Auto V and it's torture mission, and I would say that was more uncomfortable. Television gets away with a lot more. You consider stuff like most crime shows since the 90s. Even stuff from non-serious and/or non crime shows have material that you wouldn't think otherwise. Name any South Park episode, Walking Dead, etc... Still, I can see where it is warranted. The part with the knife wielder getting the hammer to her head might be a little too much. Same thing with the hammer breaking the woman's arm. I don't think it will bother anyone for months on end.
A problem with gaming is that it is looked at differently. We are still in that part of an era where adults still think it is for little kids. On the other side, some may not want it to be Hollywood and have some of the same tendencies that impressing people with violence. With The Last of Us Part II, I think this will be ignored. It is going to be high on most people's lists of titles that they want. There isn't much controversy on this game at the moment. Excitement will build around gamers as they get another adventure with both Joel and Ellie.
In the end, it's just another way to show people that it is on the way. Whenever it does, it will be a hit as long as it doesn't release too late on PlayStation 4.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Seinfeld: The Stock Tip Review
There are SPOILERS for this episode. Fair Warning to those who haven't seen this episode.
Seinfeld always had the mantra of "no hugging, no learning." That meant the characters didn't learn anything following what they did throughout its run. The Stock Tip is an interesting one in its own right. Not because of the plot idea, but the way Larry David and Jerry wrote this episode. It was still in its infancy and they were trying different things while still straying from most typical sitcoms of the time.
It's another Jerry and George episode. For this one, George looks at the stocks and decides to invest in one involving opera. He gets Jerry to get a piece of the stock as well. Things go south and Jerry panics. No one knows where the man in charge is following the stock going down a few points. George tries to visit the main guy, but fails at trying to talk to him. In the end, he keeps his stock, while Jerry sells his.
I know this is a very, very early episode in its run, but it's an extremely rare sight to see George on the receiving end of something good. The end of the episode shows him acting like a big shot and explaining a new stock to Jerry and Elaine, but we also get to see a bit of cheapness with footing a meal bill. As with the other episodes of this season, David and Jerry are still trying things with the characters that would eventually mold them and make them really loved.
Jerry has a B-plot for The Stock Tip. He is still with Vanessa, the woman who he staked out a few episodes before. An idea in his mind is taking her for a weekend getaway. Elaine offers ideas of where to go and George thinks it would ruin the relationship. It's funny that even Vanessa shares the same sentiment as George, although a little more optimistic. The predicament for what happens next is expected. A romantic together leads to a break up with Jerry knowing how bad of an idea it was.
Elaine's story is another relationship one. Her newest boyfriend is a delight, but has cats which gives her allergies. One thing to see is how she is regarding animals. She was a bit like an activist in the early seasons. Still, she has her moments. Kramer is only in a couple scenes. His stuff is smiling at Jerry's misery because of the stock decline and another idea he has. I think his roll out tie dispenser is not a bad idea in itself.
Really, all four characters have funny moments throughout the episode. There is a bit of Superman humor and a couple other small bits that make the episode good. For a very short first season, Seinfeld may not had been strong, but it was consistent at getting laughs.
Score: 7 out of 10
I'm taking November off from TV review blogs. I'll come back sometime in December and start doing some reviews of The Simpsons. Enjoy the reviews of both Seinfeld and The Simpsons for now.
Seinfeld always had the mantra of "no hugging, no learning." That meant the characters didn't learn anything following what they did throughout its run. The Stock Tip is an interesting one in its own right. Not because of the plot idea, but the way Larry David and Jerry wrote this episode. It was still in its infancy and they were trying different things while still straying from most typical sitcoms of the time.
It's another Jerry and George episode. For this one, George looks at the stocks and decides to invest in one involving opera. He gets Jerry to get a piece of the stock as well. Things go south and Jerry panics. No one knows where the man in charge is following the stock going down a few points. George tries to visit the main guy, but fails at trying to talk to him. In the end, he keeps his stock, while Jerry sells his.
I know this is a very, very early episode in its run, but it's an extremely rare sight to see George on the receiving end of something good. The end of the episode shows him acting like a big shot and explaining a new stock to Jerry and Elaine, but we also get to see a bit of cheapness with footing a meal bill. As with the other episodes of this season, David and Jerry are still trying things with the characters that would eventually mold them and make them really loved.
Jerry has a B-plot for The Stock Tip. He is still with Vanessa, the woman who he staked out a few episodes before. An idea in his mind is taking her for a weekend getaway. Elaine offers ideas of where to go and George thinks it would ruin the relationship. It's funny that even Vanessa shares the same sentiment as George, although a little more optimistic. The predicament for what happens next is expected. A romantic together leads to a break up with Jerry knowing how bad of an idea it was.
Elaine's story is another relationship one. Her newest boyfriend is a delight, but has cats which gives her allergies. One thing to see is how she is regarding animals. She was a bit like an activist in the early seasons. Still, she has her moments. Kramer is only in a couple scenes. His stuff is smiling at Jerry's misery because of the stock decline and another idea he has. I think his roll out tie dispenser is not a bad idea in itself.
Really, all four characters have funny moments throughout the episode. There is a bit of Superman humor and a couple other small bits that make the episode good. For a very short first season, Seinfeld may not had been strong, but it was consistent at getting laughs.
Score: 7 out of 10
I'm taking November off from TV review blogs. I'll come back sometime in December and start doing some reviews of The Simpsons. Enjoy the reviews of both Seinfeld and The Simpsons for now.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Seedi Retro CD: CD Emulation for the Future?
One of the first blogs I wrote back in February was for a new retro system called the Retroblox, now known as the Polymega. It was a system that had the ability to play early to mid 90s CD systems. Within the last month, there is another group that is looking to etch their name into delivering a classic experience for the new generation. That would be the Seedi Retro CD Gaming System.
What systems are they going after? Like the Polymega, it's going towards the early to mid 90s CD systems. Particularly the ones that didn't set the world on fire. Overall, there is four systems that they are doing. They are the Neo Geo CD, Sega CD/Mega CD, PC Engine/Turbografx-CD, and the original PlayStation. For people who have grown up on these consoles and add-ons, the wear and tear is prevalent. Although PlayStation did very well, it had a lot of issues early on with the hardware. Sega CD is known for having blown fuses. These systems lasers can go out. The drives may not work well after a long time. Eventually, the stuff breaks.
Seedi had an Indiegogo campaign going, but fell short of the 50,000 dollar goal. Nevertheless, they are still looking to iron out issues by sending out prototypes to people. They allow people to use their original CDs and go through them the same way like playing on the original systems. It allows wireless controllers and the original systems controllers. They are also allowing use of playing DVDs and music CDs. Added is an open source for a lot of emulators.
They are also allowing other systems with roms. Included in the mix they listed are the NES, Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, the Game Boy line, MAME (arcade games), and the Turbografx-16 (PC Engine). Computer games are also slated, but limited to adventure games, DOS games on 386 and lower, and games optimized. Planned for release is cartridge adapters for the Genesis and Game Boy. Online play is going to be allowed on some games along with typical modern retro system features like video filters and save states. Essentially, they are looking to stand out from other modern retro systems such as storage, Wi-Fi, and like the others, being region free.
One complaint some might have are other systems not being on there, which they addressed. They are looking at other systems such as the SNES, Sega Saturn, and 3DO for potential future support. There are systems not support like the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 that they said could be done if they make a second version of Seedi. They are taking a huge chance on some of the systems that they look to add. The Saturn is pretty infamous in regards to emulation, but from what I've heard has gotten better. No one has really done 3DO, or other systems they mentioned like the Jaguar CD and Philips CD-i. If they can work hard on some of systems, this could pave the way for future retro CD systems.
Still, let's see if they even get these produced. A number of these companies try and typically fail. This seems legit and the CD aspect is enticing. If this and Polymega don't live up, the effort may not be made to keep interest in these older CD systems.
What systems are they going after? Like the Polymega, it's going towards the early to mid 90s CD systems. Particularly the ones that didn't set the world on fire. Overall, there is four systems that they are doing. They are the Neo Geo CD, Sega CD/Mega CD, PC Engine/Turbografx-CD, and the original PlayStation. For people who have grown up on these consoles and add-ons, the wear and tear is prevalent. Although PlayStation did very well, it had a lot of issues early on with the hardware. Sega CD is known for having blown fuses. These systems lasers can go out. The drives may not work well after a long time. Eventually, the stuff breaks.
Seedi had an Indiegogo campaign going, but fell short of the 50,000 dollar goal. Nevertheless, they are still looking to iron out issues by sending out prototypes to people. They allow people to use their original CDs and go through them the same way like playing on the original systems. It allows wireless controllers and the original systems controllers. They are also allowing use of playing DVDs and music CDs. Added is an open source for a lot of emulators.
They are also allowing other systems with roms. Included in the mix they listed are the NES, Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, the Game Boy line, MAME (arcade games), and the Turbografx-16 (PC Engine). Computer games are also slated, but limited to adventure games, DOS games on 386 and lower, and games optimized. Planned for release is cartridge adapters for the Genesis and Game Boy. Online play is going to be allowed on some games along with typical modern retro system features like video filters and save states. Essentially, they are looking to stand out from other modern retro systems such as storage, Wi-Fi, and like the others, being region free.
One complaint some might have are other systems not being on there, which they addressed. They are looking at other systems such as the SNES, Sega Saturn, and 3DO for potential future support. There are systems not support like the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 that they said could be done if they make a second version of Seedi. They are taking a huge chance on some of the systems that they look to add. The Saturn is pretty infamous in regards to emulation, but from what I've heard has gotten better. No one has really done 3DO, or other systems they mentioned like the Jaguar CD and Philips CD-i. If they can work hard on some of systems, this could pave the way for future retro CD systems.
Still, let's see if they even get these produced. A number of these companies try and typically fail. This seems legit and the CD aspect is enticing. If this and Polymega don't live up, the effort may not be made to keep interest in these older CD systems.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Wii Shop Shutting Down
For the last generation of gaming, it saw the rise of services of games digitally. From originals to classics, all three competitors and the computer market are all going for the slice of that pie. Nintendo had its Wii Shop Channel just as the Wii launched. With an announcement in September, it will be gone after January 2019 as they are intending to shut it down.
So what is going to disappear? Well, everything. Virtual Console is going to take a huge hit and probably anger quite a few. When it first started it had NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and Turbografx-16. Eventually, they added Sega Master System, Neo Geo, and Commodore 64 with Commodore shutting down back in 2013. The amount of titles are staggering, especially considering how small the Turbo and Neo Geo libraries were when they were around in the 90s. Some of these titles go for quite a bit of money, so this alternative to getting the expensive stuff is not going to sit well with some.
WiiWare will also disappear as well. These were titles that were made from indies or big name companies. It didn't have a huge library, but it was getting a decent stream of titles from 2008 through early 2013. I'm not sure how attached people are with this compared to Virtual Console, but it will not please some. There are a few other features I can't think of at the moment, but overall, it's all going to be gone.
What does mean at all? It means that you're never going to see some of these games ever again for WiiWare. I doubt people will go out and go after systems like the Turbografx and Master System to get titles. Whether the WiiWare stuff gets emulated, I don't know. It will be a while for its generation to get emulation going, but it needs a lot of time and patience. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are going to go through this as well, but they will last longer due to people still playing on these systems. Maybe they will shut down in the 2020s. Online is still being used on stuff like the Call of Duty's, GTA V and a couple other titles that still have servers going.
It's a surprise but not one at the same time. Nintendo gave it a good life. Points will not be allowed after late March of 2018, followed by the January 2019 shutdown. With all the other stuff they shut down, it was to be expected. An era will truly end in more than a year.
So what is going to disappear? Well, everything. Virtual Console is going to take a huge hit and probably anger quite a few. When it first started it had NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and Turbografx-16. Eventually, they added Sega Master System, Neo Geo, and Commodore 64 with Commodore shutting down back in 2013. The amount of titles are staggering, especially considering how small the Turbo and Neo Geo libraries were when they were around in the 90s. Some of these titles go for quite a bit of money, so this alternative to getting the expensive stuff is not going to sit well with some.
WiiWare will also disappear as well. These were titles that were made from indies or big name companies. It didn't have a huge library, but it was getting a decent stream of titles from 2008 through early 2013. I'm not sure how attached people are with this compared to Virtual Console, but it will not please some. There are a few other features I can't think of at the moment, but overall, it's all going to be gone.
What does mean at all? It means that you're never going to see some of these games ever again for WiiWare. I doubt people will go out and go after systems like the Turbografx and Master System to get titles. Whether the WiiWare stuff gets emulated, I don't know. It will be a while for its generation to get emulation going, but it needs a lot of time and patience. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are going to go through this as well, but they will last longer due to people still playing on these systems. Maybe they will shut down in the 2020s. Online is still being used on stuff like the Call of Duty's, GTA V and a couple other titles that still have servers going.
It's a surprise but not one at the same time. Nintendo gave it a good life. Points will not be allowed after late March of 2018, followed by the January 2019 shutdown. With all the other stuff they shut down, it was to be expected. An era will truly end in more than a year.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Seinfeld: The Robbery Review
The Robbery is an interesting one in the short first season of Seinfeld. It sort of is based on some stuff that did happened to Jerry. Unfortunately, it's somewhat of a weak episode, but still holds on to some funny moments. It is also one of the few times that George's job as a real estate agent is used in the early days of its run.
Jerry goes to Minneapolis to do some stand up. He has Elaine in charge of watching his apartment with a set of demands. When he gets back however, a number of his items are stolen, all thanks to Kramer leaving his door open. Questions arise before and after the robbery about Jerry and the possibility of finding a new apartment due to problems with the building. Luckily, George has the keys and with badgering from him and Elaine, Jerry decides to look at the apartment.
For the rest of the episode, it becomes a fight between Jerry and George for whoever wants the apartment after Jerry decides he's going to move in. It's stuff that children would do. The ending for it is not one of its strong points, but it does shows the idea of what the characters could have had or not had. Honestly, I don't have much to say for it. It's a straight forward episode with a focus on one thing and that's it. Jerry's story is the apartment with George and Elaine in the mix.
George is basically doing his job for his friend and gets a bit jealous and envious of what Jerry is going to get. That's the stuff that makes the character great. Elaine doesn't have much other than wanting to get out of her own apartment because of her roommate. It won't be the last time she has issues with her. She has a few funny moments for this episode. Kramer's scenes are explaining what happened that led to the robbery and about a neighbor who he thinks robbed Jerry. His stuff isn't too funny.
It feels like a different approach compared to the other episodes, but you can see how much more they were trying to get Elaine in a number of scenes alongside Jerry and George. The second half feels like filler with the stand up, which is very funny in itself. It was probably hard to write any humor considering how straight forward it was. Like I said, it has its moments, but overall, the weakest of Season 1
Score: 6 out of 10
Next week, Jerry and George invest in stock.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
2017's MLB Surprise
While no doubt millions will talk about the Boston Celtics and the gruesome injury that may have ended Gordon Hayward's season, baseball has a bit of a series in the American League Championship Series. At the time of this blog, the Houston Astros and New York Yankees are tied, each with two games a piece out of seven. The Yankees staged late inning heroics in the seventh and eighth to even the series as they finish their home stretch of the ALCS. What makes them tick?
With the last two games, there has been a surge in their offense. These are the two top home run teams and the Yankees have shown their biggest strength. It all starts with Aaron Judge, who has cracked a few long balls in these last two games. Other big contributors in the postseason include Aaron Hicks, Greg Bird, Didi Gregorius, and Todd Frazier in getting those runs in. They are capable of getting guys on base as well, which has lead to these home runs.
One of the bigger surprises is the starting group of pitchers. Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia have shown up in October, especially Tanaka. Getting quality starts have been the key for these two in the Division Series against the Cleveland Indians and this series against the Astros. The starting rotation hasn't given up too many runs and have one of the lowest E.R.As in the playoffs this year despite some flops for Luis Severino. They need to step up their game if they want a shot at that World Series title.
The bullpen is the lifeblood of the Yankees. Considering some of the moves in the summer, it might be stronger than ever. Consistency will be the big factor as they continue with the series and possibly World Series. The team has to stop the big starters of Houston in Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander. They are about as deadly a duo, though I feel like Keuchel is doctoring his pitches. No one's pitches are that nasty when they hang low. Verlander has the playoff experience considering his time in Detroit and it has paid off. The Astros got a solid offense with guys like Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Carlos Correa.
Both these teams have the necessary tools. One of them is bound to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although it's too early to predict them as the ones winning the National League pennant, they look to be the easy favorite to get back into the World Series for the first time since 1988. It will certainly be tough dealing with Clayton Kershaw if it does come down to that unless the Chicago Cubs can stage a huge comeback. For now, the Yankees are making the 2017 playoffs a year to remember for Major League Baseball. No one expected them to get this far. With the veterans and young players gelling together, they have the makings of a contender/dynasty for a good five, six years.
With the last two games, there has been a surge in their offense. These are the two top home run teams and the Yankees have shown their biggest strength. It all starts with Aaron Judge, who has cracked a few long balls in these last two games. Other big contributors in the postseason include Aaron Hicks, Greg Bird, Didi Gregorius, and Todd Frazier in getting those runs in. They are capable of getting guys on base as well, which has lead to these home runs.
One of the bigger surprises is the starting group of pitchers. Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia have shown up in October, especially Tanaka. Getting quality starts have been the key for these two in the Division Series against the Cleveland Indians and this series against the Astros. The starting rotation hasn't given up too many runs and have one of the lowest E.R.As in the playoffs this year despite some flops for Luis Severino. They need to step up their game if they want a shot at that World Series title.
The bullpen is the lifeblood of the Yankees. Considering some of the moves in the summer, it might be stronger than ever. Consistency will be the big factor as they continue with the series and possibly World Series. The team has to stop the big starters of Houston in Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander. They are about as deadly a duo, though I feel like Keuchel is doctoring his pitches. No one's pitches are that nasty when they hang low. Verlander has the playoff experience considering his time in Detroit and it has paid off. The Astros got a solid offense with guys like Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Carlos Correa.
Both these teams have the necessary tools. One of them is bound to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although it's too early to predict them as the ones winning the National League pennant, they look to be the easy favorite to get back into the World Series for the first time since 1988. It will certainly be tough dealing with Clayton Kershaw if it does come down to that unless the Chicago Cubs can stage a huge comeback. For now, the Yankees are making the 2017 playoffs a year to remember for Major League Baseball. No one expected them to get this far. With the veterans and young players gelling together, they have the makings of a contender/dynasty for a good five, six years.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Seinfeld: The Stake Out Review
Some of these episodes of Seinfeld are from the minds of these writers during its nine season run. A good chunk of them coming from Larry David, who wrote The Stake Out with Jerry. The basis is Jerry and Elaine talking about a friend Elaine knew when the two were together A deal is made where Jerry goes to a get together at a bar for the friend and Elaine goes to a wedding with a number of Seinfeld family members.
At the bar, Jerry makes small talk and jokes with a woman who works in law. He can't believe how beautiful she looks, but can't make any moves because of Elaine sitting next to him. He does catch the name of the law firm. This is also the first episode with the parents of Jerry, Morty and Helen. Jerry explains his situation to them, which Morty suggests a stake out, and Jerry gets George to stage a thing at the law firm.
Things do go smoothly with Jerry and Vanessa, the law firm woman, but go a little sour when Elaine catches wind of what happened. That's the gist with this episode. While it is focused on him, there is a bit of fear in him. As Jerry explains to his parents, he doesn't feel comfortable with saying certain things regarding other women to Elaine. Maybe it's the idea of saying something to a person you used to go out with, but are friends today.
Speaking of friends, Elaine gets the big focus in this episode, having a handful of scenes despite most of them in the beginning of it. George and Kramer don't have many scenes compared to the first two episodes, but George has his defining moment with the architect idea, something they would use throughout the entire run. Also the name Art Vandelay would be used. Kramer is simply comic relief. For the parents, it's a little different. While most will think of Barney Martin as Morty, Seinfeld had a different route in 1990 with Phil Bruns. Bruns version is a little more natural and not as buffoonish compared to Martin. Helen is a character that stays the same throughout its run, with Liz Sheridan playing the mother role of Jerry's pretty well.
It's a stepping block into the direction of having Seinfeld become the way it would dominate television once audiences started noticing a few years later. The humor is there. How the characters are feels like they have ironed out a few things. Just getting all four equal time on screen is the thing that they had to fix back then. This is a solid episode and hits the right stuff in its short first season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review has Jerry thinking of moving out to another apartment.
At the bar, Jerry makes small talk and jokes with a woman who works in law. He can't believe how beautiful she looks, but can't make any moves because of Elaine sitting next to him. He does catch the name of the law firm. This is also the first episode with the parents of Jerry, Morty and Helen. Jerry explains his situation to them, which Morty suggests a stake out, and Jerry gets George to stage a thing at the law firm.
Things do go smoothly with Jerry and Vanessa, the law firm woman, but go a little sour when Elaine catches wind of what happened. That's the gist with this episode. While it is focused on him, there is a bit of fear in him. As Jerry explains to his parents, he doesn't feel comfortable with saying certain things regarding other women to Elaine. Maybe it's the idea of saying something to a person you used to go out with, but are friends today.
Speaking of friends, Elaine gets the big focus in this episode, having a handful of scenes despite most of them in the beginning of it. George and Kramer don't have many scenes compared to the first two episodes, but George has his defining moment with the architect idea, something they would use throughout the entire run. Also the name Art Vandelay would be used. Kramer is simply comic relief. For the parents, it's a little different. While most will think of Barney Martin as Morty, Seinfeld had a different route in 1990 with Phil Bruns. Bruns version is a little more natural and not as buffoonish compared to Martin. Helen is a character that stays the same throughout its run, with Liz Sheridan playing the mother role of Jerry's pretty well.
It's a stepping block into the direction of having Seinfeld become the way it would dominate television once audiences started noticing a few years later. The humor is there. How the characters are feels like they have ironed out a few things. Just getting all four equal time on screen is the thing that they had to fix back then. This is a solid episode and hits the right stuff in its short first season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review has Jerry thinking of moving out to another apartment.
Friday, October 13, 2017
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Blade Runner 2049's Mediocre Start
For this past weekend's set of films, nothing stood out. My Little Pony didn't do much, but could be worse, and The Mountain Between Us was between Blade Runner 2049 and It. For Blade Runner, it could have been a number of reasons why it made just over 30 million dollars domestically. Unless it gets strong legs, which I doubt, it will be looked at as a box office bomb.
A problem most sequels have is when to release one. The original Blade Runner released in 1982. Although it didn't do too well, it's considered one of the greatest films in science fiction. Some are rather quick to have a new film such as the horror movies like Saw, which has a new one at the end of the month. Then there is ones that come out after a long time. People wanted new Anchorman and Dumb and Dumber films and they got their wish. I think you can get away with it in certain science fiction films with the idea of futuristic stuff.
Releasing in the fall is not always a bad thing. You can avoid the headaches of the summer blockbusters. Blade Runner 2049 seemed to catch on with the idea, but maybe people not knowing about the original could have hurt it a little bit. The original isn't really on TV a lot. It has more of a cult status despite the classic status is gets. Then again, the average person may not be interested in either one. Maybe it not being your typical popcorn flick is something that rubs some the wrong way. I don't know.
Regardless of reception (which has a lot of praise at the moment), Blade Runner 2049 has a lot of competition in these next few months. With it being October, there is the usual glut of horror movies. November has a few big name films with sequels. Most notably is another glorified Marvel popcorn flick in Thor: Ragnorak. At 150 million for its budget, 2049 better hope it can get a strong foreign performance, which was strong this past weekend. Unless there's a surge at some point, it could be tough getting to 100 million domestically.
A problem most sequels have is when to release one. The original Blade Runner released in 1982. Although it didn't do too well, it's considered one of the greatest films in science fiction. Some are rather quick to have a new film such as the horror movies like Saw, which has a new one at the end of the month. Then there is ones that come out after a long time. People wanted new Anchorman and Dumb and Dumber films and they got their wish. I think you can get away with it in certain science fiction films with the idea of futuristic stuff.
Releasing in the fall is not always a bad thing. You can avoid the headaches of the summer blockbusters. Blade Runner 2049 seemed to catch on with the idea, but maybe people not knowing about the original could have hurt it a little bit. The original isn't really on TV a lot. It has more of a cult status despite the classic status is gets. Then again, the average person may not be interested in either one. Maybe it not being your typical popcorn flick is something that rubs some the wrong way. I don't know.
Regardless of reception (which has a lot of praise at the moment), Blade Runner 2049 has a lot of competition in these next few months. With it being October, there is the usual glut of horror movies. November has a few big name films with sequels. Most notably is another glorified Marvel popcorn flick in Thor: Ragnorak. At 150 million for its budget, 2049 better hope it can get a strong foreign performance, which was strong this past weekend. Unless there's a surge at some point, it could be tough getting to 100 million domestically.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Seinfeld: Male Unbonding Review
POTENTIAL SPOILERS:
Now this is what we're talking about. The look, the theme, the characters. A big blueprint for what Seinfeld would become. It was a gamble to make four more episodes. Note that I am going by production order rather than when these episodes originally aired. So onto Male Unbonding, the only episode without "The" in it. (I think Seinfeld should have let the writers come up with some creative episode names. Some of them during its run are B-plot and not the main focus)
It's a Jerry episode for the most part, but with Kramer creating the reason for it. Jerry gets a call from a friend since childhood, Joel Horneck, who talked to Kramer. The comedian cannot stand the guy as he complains to his neighbor and George. An idea to end the friendship is skeptical but tried. Joel, played by Kevin Dunn, is a huge prick with a very short attention span. He doesn't care for what Jerry says and harasses a waitress at the coffee shop. Jerry decides to end it, but it backfires, resulting in his "friend" crying and tries to make amends.
Throughout the episode after that, Jerry tries to do whatever he can to avoid Joel. For the most part it works. George's story is pretty small, but he does serve as an important part of Male Unbonding. He has a decent relationship with a woman that goes south following an incident at a theater. However, he is the main reason for Jerry wanting to end the friendship with Joel. Not much else is there for him other than rolling coins from a huge jar of change and flipping out on Jerry for giving up tickets to the Knicks game.
Kramer, much like the pilot, has very small screen time. As mentioned, talking to Joel over the phone is the catalyst for the episode. This is also the episode with mentions of Kramerica Industries and a pizza place where people can make their own pizza, ideas that would resurface when the show got big. This is also the first produced episode with Elaine Benes. Like Kramer, she doesn't have much screen time as well. She has no story other than helping Jerry with his problem with Joel and hearing the sob story.
As I watch this, you can see the stuff that got Seinfeld and Larry David's feet wet. They needed a good impression and hit it out of the park. The characters feel a bit like what millions would watch throughout the years. It's got the stuff that they obsess over such as the relationships. Really, the only thing that isn't good is the lack of both Kramer and Elaine in the episode. Even George a little bit, but that part is minor. Despite that, it was a step in the right direction back in 1990. It's another solid episode in it's very short first season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, Jerry decides to stake out a woman he saw at a get together.
Now this is what we're talking about. The look, the theme, the characters. A big blueprint for what Seinfeld would become. It was a gamble to make four more episodes. Note that I am going by production order rather than when these episodes originally aired. So onto Male Unbonding, the only episode without "The" in it. (I think Seinfeld should have let the writers come up with some creative episode names. Some of them during its run are B-plot and not the main focus)
It's a Jerry episode for the most part, but with Kramer creating the reason for it. Jerry gets a call from a friend since childhood, Joel Horneck, who talked to Kramer. The comedian cannot stand the guy as he complains to his neighbor and George. An idea to end the friendship is skeptical but tried. Joel, played by Kevin Dunn, is a huge prick with a very short attention span. He doesn't care for what Jerry says and harasses a waitress at the coffee shop. Jerry decides to end it, but it backfires, resulting in his "friend" crying and tries to make amends.
Throughout the episode after that, Jerry tries to do whatever he can to avoid Joel. For the most part it works. George's story is pretty small, but he does serve as an important part of Male Unbonding. He has a decent relationship with a woman that goes south following an incident at a theater. However, he is the main reason for Jerry wanting to end the friendship with Joel. Not much else is there for him other than rolling coins from a huge jar of change and flipping out on Jerry for giving up tickets to the Knicks game.
Kramer, much like the pilot, has very small screen time. As mentioned, talking to Joel over the phone is the catalyst for the episode. This is also the episode with mentions of Kramerica Industries and a pizza place where people can make their own pizza, ideas that would resurface when the show got big. This is also the first produced episode with Elaine Benes. Like Kramer, she doesn't have much screen time as well. She has no story other than helping Jerry with his problem with Joel and hearing the sob story.
As I watch this, you can see the stuff that got Seinfeld and Larry David's feet wet. They needed a good impression and hit it out of the park. The characters feel a bit like what millions would watch throughout the years. It's got the stuff that they obsess over such as the relationships. Really, the only thing that isn't good is the lack of both Kramer and Elaine in the episode. Even George a little bit, but that part is minor. Despite that, it was a step in the right direction back in 1990. It's another solid episode in it's very short first season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, Jerry decides to stake out a woman he saw at a get together.
Friday, October 6, 2017
MLB Playoffs 2017
With the Division Series set in stone and a few games played already, let's get into who I think has the chance to make the World Series. I see it as an easy choice in the National League. The American League, on the other hand, could have some upsets if it gets to that point by either the end of this week or next week.
What I view in the National League is very simple. I see it coming down to either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Arizona Diamondbacks winning a pennant. The Dodgers have good pitching. There is some power at the plate. Having a strong closer and a decent reliving unit helps. They shouldn't be too cold following that huge losing skid at the end of August into early September. The key for the Diamondbacks is their starting pitching, which improved a lot compared to last year. They aren't exactly a team that has big home run hitters everywhere, but they could net a few hits here and there. How far this team goes depends on the starters. That bullpen could potentially struggle.
As far as the other two NL teams go, I don't feel confident in the Chicago Cubs. I think it'll be too much if they have to face the Dodgers or D-Backs pending if they can beat the Washington Nationals. There is some power, but the starting pitching will be the reason they either advance or finish out of the playoffs. Their bullpen is a decent group that could help out if things go south fast. Regarding the Nationals, they got guys that can hit for contact and power. They also have a speedy runner in Trea Turner. In a way with their pitching, it's the opposite of the Cubs. The starters will help the team out with a good trio of pitchers that can get through innings quickly. For the bullpen, they could be the factor of advancing or being eliminated. Washington needs a number of things to happen if they want to get to the Championship Series or World Series.
In the American League, it's not an easy thing to predict. Each of the four have a chance. Beginning with the Cleveland Indians, they have probably one of the best trios in the game for starting pitching. They are playing it smart with Corey Kluber if things go to a Game 5. I see them as the team going to the World Series. They got good power and speed at the plate and on the bases. Not to mention their bullpen is one of the better ones in the league. If this next team plays their cards right, the Houston Astros could be the next favorite. The batters are a big mix of contact, speed, and power. They can win in various ways. However, a big issue lies in the pitching. Their starters aren't exactly a must watch, and the bullpen has a few blemishes, although they aren't that bad. Getting Justin Verlander added much needed insurance to their September run. They will need sweeps to avoid relying on some of the other starters.
It'll be tough for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to even get a win or two. Even advancing could be something that they envy. The Yankees have power at the plate. There is some speed, and a few of their batters can hit for average. Their bullpen is one of the best, and the starters can hold their own. The question lies in whether these pitchers can bring their talent to the next level in order to win. Don't rule them out these next years, though. This is a young team that will catapult them into the new generation of baseball. Don't rule out the Red Sox, either. There are good contact hitters combined with a little power and speed. Craig Kimbrel is lights out as a closer in a questionable bullpen, and when healthy, the starters could be one of the most dangerous in the league. Similar to the Yankees, this is a young team, and both these teams could make these next few years some of the most exciting baseball that hasn't been seen in a good while.
What I view in the National League is very simple. I see it coming down to either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Arizona Diamondbacks winning a pennant. The Dodgers have good pitching. There is some power at the plate. Having a strong closer and a decent reliving unit helps. They shouldn't be too cold following that huge losing skid at the end of August into early September. The key for the Diamondbacks is their starting pitching, which improved a lot compared to last year. They aren't exactly a team that has big home run hitters everywhere, but they could net a few hits here and there. How far this team goes depends on the starters. That bullpen could potentially struggle.
As far as the other two NL teams go, I don't feel confident in the Chicago Cubs. I think it'll be too much if they have to face the Dodgers or D-Backs pending if they can beat the Washington Nationals. There is some power, but the starting pitching will be the reason they either advance or finish out of the playoffs. Their bullpen is a decent group that could help out if things go south fast. Regarding the Nationals, they got guys that can hit for contact and power. They also have a speedy runner in Trea Turner. In a way with their pitching, it's the opposite of the Cubs. The starters will help the team out with a good trio of pitchers that can get through innings quickly. For the bullpen, they could be the factor of advancing or being eliminated. Washington needs a number of things to happen if they want to get to the Championship Series or World Series.
In the American League, it's not an easy thing to predict. Each of the four have a chance. Beginning with the Cleveland Indians, they have probably one of the best trios in the game for starting pitching. They are playing it smart with Corey Kluber if things go to a Game 5. I see them as the team going to the World Series. They got good power and speed at the plate and on the bases. Not to mention their bullpen is one of the better ones in the league. If this next team plays their cards right, the Houston Astros could be the next favorite. The batters are a big mix of contact, speed, and power. They can win in various ways. However, a big issue lies in the pitching. Their starters aren't exactly a must watch, and the bullpen has a few blemishes, although they aren't that bad. Getting Justin Verlander added much needed insurance to their September run. They will need sweeps to avoid relying on some of the other starters.
It'll be tough for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to even get a win or two. Even advancing could be something that they envy. The Yankees have power at the plate. There is some speed, and a few of their batters can hit for average. Their bullpen is one of the best, and the starters can hold their own. The question lies in whether these pitchers can bring their talent to the next level in order to win. Don't rule them out these next years, though. This is a young team that will catapult them into the new generation of baseball. Don't rule out the Red Sox, either. There are good contact hitters combined with a little power and speed. Craig Kimbrel is lights out as a closer in a questionable bullpen, and when healthy, the starters could be one of the most dangerous in the league. Similar to the Yankees, this is a young team, and both these teams could make these next few years some of the most exciting baseball that hasn't been seen in a good while.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Nintendo's Internet Incompetence
While 2017 will, no doubt, be something Nintendo will remember, it also has a few blemishes that taint a strong debut of the Switch. For most people, this company is very, very bad when it comes to understanding the Internet. In recent years, they have ordered cease and desists on a number of fan projects. They have gone after emulation and ordered websites to get rid of ROMs of their games. Just recently, they have updated a part of their Creators Program.
For the last few years, Nintendo has partnered up with YouTube for monetization. Despite existing, it has been met with quite a bit of scrutiny. From games that are whitelisted to every video needing to be reviewed for their approval, it's clear they don't understand online. With the banning of live streaming on YouTube, it's another sign that they are not in the right century. No way in hell are users going to create another account just to stream games. I get what they're doing, but this squeaky clean image they are trying to show is not always going to work. This isn't 1985 where the audience is mostly 10 year olds. It also shows just how incompetent these idiot executives in Japan are.
Japan has mostly been a very strict area for companies. Sega's Japan branch did not care for Tom Kalinske and his approach with the Genesis. While they did approve a few of his suggestions, the tensions between the Japan and America offices got to the point of the company being in the red and struggling in the second half of the 90s. Nintendo is in that realm, only with billions of money. How the Switch does in its second year next March will tell if they succeed or struggle. I really think Japan has the final say on everything and the presidents of the American and European divisions can't do anything about it. If they defied something, the odds of them being fired would be very high.
I get the emulation thing. A number of their titles are on Virtual Console and they want customers (or repeat idiots who will buy them for a fifth or sixth time) to play them legitimately. Here's the thing, though. There is no way they can go after every site that carries ROMs and ISOs. Not to mention the Virtual Console ports are the exact same games with nothing additional added to them. This is a gray area and Nintendo is trying to do whatever it takes to get money.
Much like the emulation, I get what Nintendo is doing with the fan projects. It is their own IPs. They are, unfortunately, within their rights to have them removed. Once again, here's the thing. There are lots of fan projects that get no cease and desists. Sonic 3 Complete is something I doubt Sega cares. Hell, even Tecmo doesn't shut down any of the Tecmo Super Bowl hacks people make, adding updated rosters for the NES hit. NHL 94 even gets updates with modern rosters, and that has one of the biggest followings for anything that doesn't involve RPGs and platformers. It seems like Nintendo is the only one that tries to do anything most of the time.
One of these days, these executives need to realize how loved the IPs and franchises are on social media. This isn't the 80s and 90s where you have one to three others together playing an NES or Nintendo 64 game. Nintendo has to understand how useful the Internet is and realize it's not a bad thing. Not everything is G-rated, and they have to suck it up and realize that. If they don't, they will get way more hate than they would ever think down the road.
For the last few years, Nintendo has partnered up with YouTube for monetization. Despite existing, it has been met with quite a bit of scrutiny. From games that are whitelisted to every video needing to be reviewed for their approval, it's clear they don't understand online. With the banning of live streaming on YouTube, it's another sign that they are not in the right century. No way in hell are users going to create another account just to stream games. I get what they're doing, but this squeaky clean image they are trying to show is not always going to work. This isn't 1985 where the audience is mostly 10 year olds. It also shows just how incompetent these idiot executives in Japan are.
Japan has mostly been a very strict area for companies. Sega's Japan branch did not care for Tom Kalinske and his approach with the Genesis. While they did approve a few of his suggestions, the tensions between the Japan and America offices got to the point of the company being in the red and struggling in the second half of the 90s. Nintendo is in that realm, only with billions of money. How the Switch does in its second year next March will tell if they succeed or struggle. I really think Japan has the final say on everything and the presidents of the American and European divisions can't do anything about it. If they defied something, the odds of them being fired would be very high.
I get the emulation thing. A number of their titles are on Virtual Console and they want customers (or repeat idiots who will buy them for a fifth or sixth time) to play them legitimately. Here's the thing, though. There is no way they can go after every site that carries ROMs and ISOs. Not to mention the Virtual Console ports are the exact same games with nothing additional added to them. This is a gray area and Nintendo is trying to do whatever it takes to get money.
Much like the emulation, I get what Nintendo is doing with the fan projects. It is their own IPs. They are, unfortunately, within their rights to have them removed. Once again, here's the thing. There are lots of fan projects that get no cease and desists. Sonic 3 Complete is something I doubt Sega cares. Hell, even Tecmo doesn't shut down any of the Tecmo Super Bowl hacks people make, adding updated rosters for the NES hit. NHL 94 even gets updates with modern rosters, and that has one of the biggest followings for anything that doesn't involve RPGs and platformers. It seems like Nintendo is the only one that tries to do anything most of the time.
One of these days, these executives need to realize how loved the IPs and franchises are on social media. This isn't the 80s and 90s where you have one to three others together playing an NES or Nintendo 64 game. Nintendo has to understand how useful the Internet is and realize it's not a bad thing. Not everything is G-rated, and they have to suck it up and realize that. If they don't, they will get way more hate than they would ever think down the road.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Seinfeld: The Seinfeld Chronicles Review (Good News, Bad News)
WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
If there was ever an auspicious way to begin a good run on television, Seinfeld might be a prime example. It may be hard to think today it was deemed to fail, but in 1988, test audiences were not impressed with what creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote. For NBC, they let it die off in the summer of 1989, airing it in July. It was one that could have been on Fox or a couple of other networks, but it took some convincing to even get a first season. NBC took a shot. They did with Cheers after a dreadful debut in 1982 and it grew into one of the 80's biggest sitcoms.
For the pilot, The Seinfeld Chronicles, it is such a different animal. Outside of its initial broadcast, your only chance of watching the original version is on DVD, which they provide that and the revised broadcast with the familiar sounds you know and love. Some things will be familiar like Jerry's apartment despite looking a little different. Kramer is Kessler, which they would address very late in the show's run. And the local coffee shop, Monk's, is not here.
Getting into the pilot, Jerry and George Costanza are in a talk throughout the episode of a woman Jerry met doing stand up. George doesn't buy into the woman being serious into his friend and Jerry is confused at times during most of it. This is the kind of stuff that would be a staple during the show's run. It's talking about the little things such as signals and even talking other stuff like laundry. One of the bits early on was Jerry's stand up, which they integrated heavily in the first season. They certainly add a bit to how Jerry feels during the episode and adds to the humor of it, which is surprisingly solid for a pilot.
Really, it's mostly a Jerry episode. There isn't much for George, but you can see the chemistry between Seinfeld and Jason Alexander with the scenes they have. They provide strong humor with how they interact in the facets of life. Kramer isn't seen in much of it, but how he is is a start to the wackiness he would add to many episodes. One thing people will find odd is no Elaine. Obviously, they were trying something different before they created her with the waitress Claire. For that character, played by Lee Garlington, her very brief moment in the pilot is somewhat funny, though it is a monotone approach to acting.
It is a little rough around the edges. The original theme is very outdated and cheesy, even for the 80's. Kramer's dog feels out of place. As I said, it's mostly a Jerry episode, but that shouldn't deter anyone from watching it. I expected it to be the norm of most pilots, but I find it to be a surprisingly solid one. The novelty of its initial broadcast makes it a much watch just to see what it was like back in July of 1989.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review involves Jerry trying to end a friendship with an obnoxious guy.
If there was ever an auspicious way to begin a good run on television, Seinfeld might be a prime example. It may be hard to think today it was deemed to fail, but in 1988, test audiences were not impressed with what creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote. For NBC, they let it die off in the summer of 1989, airing it in July. It was one that could have been on Fox or a couple of other networks, but it took some convincing to even get a first season. NBC took a shot. They did with Cheers after a dreadful debut in 1982 and it grew into one of the 80's biggest sitcoms.
For the pilot, The Seinfeld Chronicles, it is such a different animal. Outside of its initial broadcast, your only chance of watching the original version is on DVD, which they provide that and the revised broadcast with the familiar sounds you know and love. Some things will be familiar like Jerry's apartment despite looking a little different. Kramer is Kessler, which they would address very late in the show's run. And the local coffee shop, Monk's, is not here.
Getting into the pilot, Jerry and George Costanza are in a talk throughout the episode of a woman Jerry met doing stand up. George doesn't buy into the woman being serious into his friend and Jerry is confused at times during most of it. This is the kind of stuff that would be a staple during the show's run. It's talking about the little things such as signals and even talking other stuff like laundry. One of the bits early on was Jerry's stand up, which they integrated heavily in the first season. They certainly add a bit to how Jerry feels during the episode and adds to the humor of it, which is surprisingly solid for a pilot.
Really, it's mostly a Jerry episode. There isn't much for George, but you can see the chemistry between Seinfeld and Jason Alexander with the scenes they have. They provide strong humor with how they interact in the facets of life. Kramer isn't seen in much of it, but how he is is a start to the wackiness he would add to many episodes. One thing people will find odd is no Elaine. Obviously, they were trying something different before they created her with the waitress Claire. For that character, played by Lee Garlington, her very brief moment in the pilot is somewhat funny, though it is a monotone approach to acting.
It is a little rough around the edges. The original theme is very outdated and cheesy, even for the 80's. Kramer's dog feels out of place. As I said, it's mostly a Jerry episode, but that shouldn't deter anyone from watching it. I expected it to be the norm of most pilots, but I find it to be a surprisingly solid one. The novelty of its initial broadcast makes it a much watch just to see what it was like back in July of 1989.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review involves Jerry trying to end a friendship with an obnoxious guy.
Annoying Commercials
For as much as I want to rip on New York City based newspapers and their armchair sports reporters, there are many things I can't say. Instead, I'll go a different approach and talk annoying commercials. It seems like most now these days aren't clever or even well made. Some might be ones I mentioned in other blogs. Others may be new. So without further ado, lets begin.
Truth: This is an anti-smoking ad that usually airs on something like MTV. Typically, they use cheap ways to say things about how bad smoking is. It wouldn't be annoying if they just backed what they say up. They don't put up anything that they reference. I'm not against smoking even though I don't smoke, but the effort is not there. It's a cheap gimmick, much like the Ad Council. People are still going to smoke and these commercials are a huge waste of time.
Little Caesars Pizza: I love a good pizza. Local or franchise based, a good slice is excellent. Little Caesars likes to promote how much more cheese and pepperoni they have on their pies. Do I have a problem with that? No. What I do have a problem with is how they act like it's a bad thing such as the one ad with the dad not getting a Little Caesars Pizza. It comes off rather obnoxious. A pizza is a pizza, no matter what. Honorable mention is the Di'Gornio commercials berating anyone who orders pizza instead of their overpriced ones.
Geico/Progressive: I'm lumping these two in since these are truly wastes of ad space. Geico's not even about car insurance anymore. It's a waste of resources and money to do set pieces such as the music ad with the triangle guy acting like Marty McFly from Back to the Future. It's a shame. One bright spot is that it doesn't have the abysmal mascot idea like Progressive. The less said about Flo, the better. One thing I forgot to mention in a previous blog is that talking insurance box. I don't think they even try with this ad. It feels forced and out of place. Yet, they have turned it into mascot type of campaign. Overall, it's a shame that they don't get the point across 95 percent of the time.
DirecTV: Most of the time, I don't have a huge problem with DirecTV commercials. Usually, they are funny. With the recent ones, however, I don't get it. In a nutshell, they are saying people that stick to cable are stupid, hence the bad things they show people doing. (spoiled milk, sleeping in poison ivy) There is trying to do things better than the competition, but this isn't even something I would put on the air. It's similar to ads they did five to six years ago, but today trying to act like cable people have a low I.Q. I'd rather see the "don't crash into a dinner party" ad again.
I suppose I'll end here and give the wrap up. These are the ones I find annoying. There are many more I wish I could write, but that will take forever. Why can't these commercial writers be smarter with how they come up with ads? We'll never know.
Truth: This is an anti-smoking ad that usually airs on something like MTV. Typically, they use cheap ways to say things about how bad smoking is. It wouldn't be annoying if they just backed what they say up. They don't put up anything that they reference. I'm not against smoking even though I don't smoke, but the effort is not there. It's a cheap gimmick, much like the Ad Council. People are still going to smoke and these commercials are a huge waste of time.
Little Caesars Pizza: I love a good pizza. Local or franchise based, a good slice is excellent. Little Caesars likes to promote how much more cheese and pepperoni they have on their pies. Do I have a problem with that? No. What I do have a problem with is how they act like it's a bad thing such as the one ad with the dad not getting a Little Caesars Pizza. It comes off rather obnoxious. A pizza is a pizza, no matter what. Honorable mention is the Di'Gornio commercials berating anyone who orders pizza instead of their overpriced ones.
Geico/Progressive: I'm lumping these two in since these are truly wastes of ad space. Geico's not even about car insurance anymore. It's a waste of resources and money to do set pieces such as the music ad with the triangle guy acting like Marty McFly from Back to the Future. It's a shame. One bright spot is that it doesn't have the abysmal mascot idea like Progressive. The less said about Flo, the better. One thing I forgot to mention in a previous blog is that talking insurance box. I don't think they even try with this ad. It feels forced and out of place. Yet, they have turned it into mascot type of campaign. Overall, it's a shame that they don't get the point across 95 percent of the time.
DirecTV: Most of the time, I don't have a huge problem with DirecTV commercials. Usually, they are funny. With the recent ones, however, I don't get it. In a nutshell, they are saying people that stick to cable are stupid, hence the bad things they show people doing. (spoiled milk, sleeping in poison ivy) There is trying to do things better than the competition, but this isn't even something I would put on the air. It's similar to ads they did five to six years ago, but today trying to act like cable people have a low I.Q. I'd rather see the "don't crash into a dinner party" ad again.
I suppose I'll end here and give the wrap up. These are the ones I find annoying. There are many more I wish I could write, but that will take forever. Why can't these commercial writers be smarter with how they come up with ads? We'll never know.
Friday, September 29, 2017
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