I was excited to finally get my hands on Double Dragon Neon, a
game that I thought would bring back great memories from the old days of my youth. However, after playing Neon for only a few minutes, I realized that those
memories may not have been as great as I thought. Double Dragon Neon isn’t
a bad brawler game. But, I will suggest the brawler genre as a whole that needs some serious
reimagining.
A couple months ago a friend and I sat down to play Streets of Rage 2
on the Sega Genesis Collection. I remembered really enjoying the game
as a kid, but this time I wasn’t having any fun while playing. For me, Streets
of Rage simply didn’t withstand the test of time.
Brawler videogames come out of an era when you would do much of your gaming
in arcades, feeding quarters into a machine with some friends. The ability to
play on the same screen with a buddy, working together to conquer mutual
enemies, was much of the appeal of the brawler genre. Fast forward to present day, and none of that is really all that appealing -- we’re
used to it.
So, what else does the Neon offer besides multiplayer functionality?
Well, not much. You roam around a small game area, punching enemies in the
face, and occasionally there will be a terrain hazard or new foe to change up
the action.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Movie Review: Dredd 3D (2012)
From the opening scene, it’s obvious that Dredd isn’t the type of film that takes itself seriously. This is a bloody satire that, if it wasn’t done right, could have been a colossal failure. The costumes are silly, the setting is hilariously bleak, and the characters aren’t exactly original -- and that’s exactly why it works so well.
Dredd is based on the long running comic strip Judge Dredd which is famous for its tongue-in-cheek approach to tackling important themes, like anarchism and the growing police state. The cyberpunk strip shocked readers with its dystopian visuals and gritty storylines, many of which were very influential in shaping the future of comics.
This latest film adaptation is a successful update that is sure to please fans and newcomers alike. Much like the comic strip that came before it, Dredd is a smart movie, though on its face it may seem like nothing more than a “B” production with a big budget.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
DVD Review: Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012)
Starship Troopers: Invasion is the fourth entry in the film series,
and the first to be done in full CGI. There’s all the blood and boobs here
you’d expect from a Starship Troopers movie; however, the gore and
poorly-animated female butts will only appeal to sad pubescent boys. Those of
you who are all grown up are advised to rent something else.
The first Starship Troopers (1997) is a guilty pleasure of mine. The hyper-violent original is a fun movie, if you can get past the poor direction and terrible acting. Sadly, the two direct-to-video sequels that follow lack the appeal of the original and, in my opinion, are virtually unwatchable. Invasion is definitely an improvement over the last two films, but it still doesn’t have the same cool factor as the first outing -- in part due to the fact that this is an animated movie.
My first impression of the animation was that it looked terrible. Invasion feels more like a video game than a movie; all the characters look stiff and rigid, as if they came straight from a video game cinematic. Eventually I got used to the CGI, but nothing ever looks particularly good. The animation is in desperate need of some creativity, and it lacks any defining value worth mentioning.
The first Starship Troopers (1997) is a guilty pleasure of mine. The hyper-violent original is a fun movie, if you can get past the poor direction and terrible acting. Sadly, the two direct-to-video sequels that follow lack the appeal of the original and, in my opinion, are virtually unwatchable. Invasion is definitely an improvement over the last two films, but it still doesn’t have the same cool factor as the first outing -- in part due to the fact that this is an animated movie.
My first impression of the animation was that it looked terrible. Invasion feels more like a video game than a movie; all the characters look stiff and rigid, as if they came straight from a video game cinematic. Eventually I got used to the CGI, but nothing ever looks particularly good. The animation is in desperate need of some creativity, and it lacks any defining value worth mentioning.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Movie Review: ParaNorman (2012)
ParaNorman is not only the best animated film I’ve seen this year, it’s
one of the best films of 2012, period. This stop-motion-style movie, directed
by Chris Butler and Sam Fell (Flushed Away), fills a void left by
Pixar’s surprisingly disappointing Brave, released earlier this
year. Finally Pixar’s crown passes to the animators at LAIKA, who previously
worked on Henry Selick’s Academy Award-nominated Coraline.
ParaNorman is the story of Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a boy born with the ability to speak to the dead and foresee the terrible events of the future. When an ancient witch’s curse threatens the Massachusetts town of Blithe Hollow, Norman is the only hope the once-puritanical borough has for salvation.
ParaNorman is the story of Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a boy born with the ability to speak to the dead and foresee the terrible events of the future. When an ancient witch’s curse threatens the Massachusetts town of Blithe Hollow, Norman is the only hope the once-puritanical borough has for salvation.
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