Yoshi Story

 

Yoshi story is a game for the Nintendo 64 starring Yoshi and other different coloured Yoshi's. Now we open the game with an adorable song that the Yoshis are singing an adorable little song while they tell the tale of how their happiness was stolen by mean old Baby Bowser as all the older Yoshis start becoming depressed. Then a new generation of Yoshis is born who seek to help reclaim the happiness in the form of hearts. Now the gameplay mechanics in this game are possibly the most interesting as it isn't 3D. The mechanics are quite simple you can jump, slam, throw unborn Yoshis at your enemies, eat your enemies and turn them into unborn Yoshis and "eject them" and of course run. With its rather simplistic controls the game is easy to learn but hard to master each chapter has several other level choices. These are numbered and are different coloured indicating difficulty, blue meaning hard and red meaning easy. You must complete one level per chapter to move onto the next. After a few chapters you meet an adorable cotton candy creature who tries to kill you, so you must eat him alive to defeat him/her. So after going through a few chapters you go to Baby Boswer's castle and begin the final showdown. When you've beaten Baby Bowser you get some text saying that everything is back to normal and the Yoshis aren't sad anymore. This review is going to be quite short as overall there really isn't that much to comment on. This game is actually fairly good it's a game for the casual gamer as I've said the controls are really simple and make the game fun and enjoyable. The game also has its own unique look which is good as Yoshi is a Mario character and it is fun to see Yoshi in his own world and not being some Mario clone. Another great thing is the life system as instead of lives you have different coloured Yoshis Although one of the weaker points of the game is the story as it really doesn't really have one it's just Baby Bowser makes everyone depressed make everyone happy the end.Overall the game is ok as the look and  mechanics are fun but the story is practically non-existent. So this game gets a 7/10 as it's a fun but flawed game      

The New Avengers Number 28

The cover for this issue is ok nothing really special or unique about it, it's hard to comment on something like this as I have no strong feelings about this it feels fairly generic and the only really interesting thing about it is the destroyed wall in the foreground and the prison cell door looming in the background menacingly.

A quick note before I start though this is a tie-in issue to the events of Avengers versus X-men and I will give you a bit of backstory. A destructive force known as the phoenix is on it's way to Earth to of course destroy it. So the avengers and x-men try to stop it and are successful but it is shattered into five pieces which are absorbed by five x-men: Cyclops, Emma Frost, Namor, Magik and Colossus. Now they're turning evil and the heroes of Earth are all that stands in their way and of course some of the heroes are taken prisoner.

We open with a dark hallway in Utopia as we then see Spiderwoman in her dark prison cell. She is then given some food by one of the x-men. She refuses to eat as she believes it is being drugged to dampen her powers although the x-man tells Spiderwoman that her power is to suppress other powers. Spiderwoman asks her if this is what she wanted to do with her life. The x-man (who is named Phoebe) walks away without a reply. Next we visit Warpath giving Luke Cage his meal (in another dark room) right before Luke goes crazy and tries to assault this causes Warpath to drop Luke's food. Luke taunts Warpath before breaking down and asking to be able to phone his daughter. So now we see Hawkeye's cell where it is feeding time. He manages to trick the x-man into giving him her arm which he promptly threatens to break if he isn't released. Warpath is slightly displeased with this and decides to discuss in a calm manner by throwing Hawkeye so hard he manages to hit the opposite side of the cell. Hawkeye then cheerily states that if they don't have an in 'n out burger. We then go back to Spiderwoman's cell where she has brought a bowl of water to bathe with and is told by Phoebe that Thor (God of thunder) has been captured. Spiderwoman convinces Phoebe to let her have a pen and paper so she can get her afairs in order and tell her Mom she loves her. When she gets the pen she uses it to threaten Phoebe with it unless she opens the door, Phoebe is then knocked out. On her way Spiderwoman discovers Warpath who she beats to a pulp. She goes to release Hawkeye and when she does he attacks her believing she is a mutant. She proves she is not by knowing "how he got that thing on his butt". They find Cage and Spiderwoman uses her energy blast to open the lock. They begin running through the facility taking down one x-man while running. Unfortunately it seems they have wasted their time as four mutants are waiting for them one being a member of the phoenix five(Colossus). Luke Cage decides to bash Colossus into a wall and down a hill. We get a quick glimpse of Cyclops as they bash past him onto a speed boat. Just as they get away they are awakened in pods by danger explaining that it was a simulation until permanent accommodation can be created. We then see the same scene as the start but Spiderwoman refusing to talk.

Now I liked the story and the matrix like ending gave it a real feeling of hopelessness from Spiderwoman as there is no point of escaping. Overall the dialogue and the story was fine but a major problem with this issue was the art and colouring. The art was just all over the place some of it being ok to just terrible and the inconsistencies with proportion just remove you from the story plus there where several scenes with completely white backgrounds. The colouring on this comic felt lazy as the majority of colours where black and white. The prison cell I can understand it being dark but the colouring on the outside and in scenes such as when Luke Cage fights Colossus down a hill are hard to comprehend on a first read.

New Avengers No 28 gets a 2/5 as the no amount of writing that can save bad art or vice versa. 

Rayman 2: The Great Escape

Rayman 2 for the Nintendo 64 and dreamcast.This is one favourite games from my childhood and it's not because of any game play mechanics or deep story it' because Rayman 2 the great escape doesn't take itself  seriously in any way. The jist of the game is this you are Rayman you are mystical being with no arms, legs or neck who can use his hair like helicopter blades to slow down his falls. You have been captured by robot-pirates. That is just amazing but for this review I will put my childhood away and be impartial. So lets begin: we open with text explaining to us that the pirates have taken over the world and destroyed the heart of the world and only Rayman can save the world. Now before I go any further I must say that for a game like this it has one the best soundtracks I have ever heard; The opening music just slowly builds up and when it reaches the climax you are very pumped for the game. Now we see a robo-pirate dragging Globox(Rayman's best friend and an annoying blue frog-man thing) through an area filled with cages. He is thrown into the same cell as Rayman. He and Rayman have a discussion on the loss of his powers. But don't be a downer Rayman for you see Globox has smuggled you something a silver lum* so you can regain some of your powers. With this you use your new powers to destroy a grate at this point you finally gain control of Rayman as you slide down you can collect red lums which heal you. Unfortunately before you can figure out a way down you are bashed into by Globox and sent plummeting to the ground below. You awake and begin the level when a giant constantly smiling fly named Murfy. Who gives you instructions on how to play the game. As you go through the level you must collect all the yellow lums and break all the cages to release the teensies. After you brake the final cage and release the three teensies who can't decide who is king but seem to know where Globox is open a portal if you have enough yellow lums. Now you enter the hall of doors which allows you to enter new worlds. As you go from world to world you learn more about where Globox is and he has been captured again. You then go to a world where Ly the fairy is being held and after you save her she gives you some of your powers back and tells you to get the four masks of Polokus and awaken Polokus.Now we have to unlock the gate to the guardian of the mask once you beat it you are transported to Polokus who says he will awaken once you find the other three. So you move on to the next world and it's a pirate training instillation where we find Clark another friend of Rayman who has fallen ill after swallowing something so now you must back track to a previous level and enter the cave of bad dreams to find the medicine and give it to Clark. After you've done this you will reach the canopy where our favourite blue frog abomination is being held. When you release Globox he uses rain dance to short circuit lasers although Globox also has another silver lum allowing you to charge your attacks. After a few more levels you reach the next sanctuary, thankfully though this guardian is pacifistic and doesn't wish to fight you and then you get the second mask and give it Polokus. Inter cut between the scenes of Rayman we see the pirate captain: admiral Razorbeard. In these scenes we see that they're getting more and more worried about Rayman. The next sanctuary is one of rock and lava in this level you get the super helicopter power and promptly lose it at the end of the level, anyway you must make the stalactites fall on his head then you get the third mask and once again give it to Polokus. Now for the final mask you must rescue a bunch of baby Globoxes as his wife tells you then have been put into forced labour(Globox is captured again), when you free the children one of them vomits the mask up and you give to Polokus. Now Polokus uses his magic to eliminate all the pirates on land but not in the sky. The final level is the crow's nest in which you fight Razorbeard in his giant robot suit. So he is a robot pirate in a giant robot suit fighting a limbless neckless creature on a flying pirate ship while baby blue frogs watch. For the first part you must use your powers to reflect his bombs until he breaks the floor now Ly gives you a flying rocket which allows you to shoot at the robo-pirate and eventually defeat him. Once the battle is over the pirate ship explodes and we see that everyone thinks Rayman is dead because they could only find his left shoe but from the forest a limping Rayman approaches and all is right in the glade of dreams.
Now this game is awesome because frankly it is just so damn silly and fun but first I will talk about the bad. First the camera doesn't seem to agree with you as it is hard to control and fairly frustrating at times.Secondly fighting can be really awkward as Rayman seems to really suicidal and hates you as the camera angle adds to problem of moving around and not being able to see what you're doing. One thing that really irrates me about this game is the constant back tracking because if you don't have enough yellow lums you have to go back to past levels. Now onto the good: the game just looks amazing not because of graphics but the art and each level has an atmosphere plus the enemies each enemy looks unique and some are just creepy. Another great thing about this game is the story it so damn enjoyable (I know I've said this five times) but this isn't even the craziest one sometime we'll look at Rayman 3. So this game is great but there is the problem of the game play which is quite a large aspect of the game it is somewhat forgivable so I award Rayman 2: the great escape 7/10 I recommend getting you can find it (if you're interested) on Gog.com
Lums are small bodies of magical energy*   

Green Lanter Issue number 10

Green Lantern issue 10

We'll start with issue 10. We see on the cover Sinestro with chains and the indigo lantern symbol on his head. With Hal Jordan being restrained in the background. Personally I really like this cover as it does give you an idea of what the hell is going on Sinestro has been captured and brainwashed by the indigo tribe. We start the comic with Hal and Sinestro being chased by a bunch of psychotic loincloth wearing indigo tribe members. Hal explains to Sinestro that he was brainwashed by the ring but now that the power source is gone they're all free to roam an murder as they please. Sinestro wishes to fight but Hal uses his ring to throw him back and explains he has barely any power left in it. Immediately afterwards he decides to make a green SUV for them to ride around in (personally I would've perferred a porsche) and almost immediately find the guardian responsible for the creating the indigo tribe. They imprison him a large bird cage construct and question him. He explains to them that he can only gain control if the battery is restored. So Sinestro decides to distract the psychotic mob headed straight towards them (How they caught up with an SUV though is anyone's guess.) and he fends them all off with his fists. Meanwhile blackhand is running away to try and escape this planet to go back to Earth and raise the dead. When Hal and the guardian reach the battery they realise they can't power it without the power of empathy. But then Iroque the child killer enters express her sadness for all the atrocities she has committed as she sheds a single tear the battery is restored causing all the rings to activate and find their hosts. Meanwhile Black Hand sees the ring approaching him and promptly jumps off the cliff and falls to his death but this is not the end as his black ring finds him and resurrects him. After this resurrection he screams "I want to go home". Next in the last few pages we see Sinestro recaptured. The End.

Well this comic was actually pretty good. The story is amzing and never gets dull or drags also the dialogue is good a gives us the kind of relationship Hal and Sinestro have. Although I do find it weird that Hal claims he doesn't have enough energy and then makes a massive SUV construct to go riding arounding the jungle after that he then makes a cage. If he didn't have a lot of energy why not make a smaller vehichle. Another weird plot hole where did that black ring suddenly appear from was it just waiting at the bottom of the cliff this entire time. The art in this comic is gorgeous and the artist Doug Mahnke is able to an extraordinary amount of detail into the facial features but the problem is the facial expressions on the characters they range from good to ok to just downright goofy. Now because of the stellar writing from Geoff Johns and penciling of Doug Mahnke I give this 4/5 stars. 

Hawkeye #1

 

Hawkeye number one's cover is bland it doesn't  give you any indication about the setting , plot or the tone of the comic. With an image of Hawkeye shooting an arrow of a building. We open with Hawkeye falling from a building and landing on the roof of a car.  After he crashes on the car he sent to the hospital and describes the fact that he has no powers and that when things are bad for him they are most likely mean he won't survive. After this we see Hawkeye in a veterinary all bruised and placing an injured dog on the table. We see that six weeks later he is wheeled out of the hospital and proceeds to throw the wheelchair into the road. While he is being yelled by at by of the hospital nurses he just shrugs him off as he enters the taxi. As the traffic grinds to a halt he leaves the taxi as he receives a barrage of profanity while he whistles casually. As he reaches his apartment he sees his Russian landlord Ivan (who uses bro every sentence) evicting a woman and her children while threatening to "keel" them. The woman begs Clint to help her. He takes a quick look at the lease and unfortunately there's nothing he can do about the eviction. We then go back to Hawkeye at the vet  where the dog is telling him to be ready in case his dog doesn't make it but Hawkeye keeps telling him the dog is not his and demands he do the surgery. After this we see Hawkeye  on the roof with his neighbours firing a coin at glass bottles. We see Hawkeye thinking his neighbours are jerks while discussing that the apartments in their block have been bought and all the tenants evicted. The next page shows us Hawkeye offering pizza to a dog and entering Ivan's secret underground casino.  He offers to pay for everyone's rent  but Ivan refuses while saying bro repeatedly. As he shuffles cards in his hands while the other members of Ivan's gang pull out guns. A fight scene ensues with Hawkeye using cards to defeat his opponents. Next we see Ivan and his gang enter the clinic. We then flashback to Hawkeye being thrown out a window while being chased by the dog's owner and shot at. As he gets shot in the arm the dog attacks the gunman and is thrown into the road. Hawkeye considers running away but runs back as he beats them he monologues about how dare they throw a dog into a road. With the dog in the road he throws a coin to break the window to stop one of the cars hitting him. Back in the clinic he beats up Ivan and the gang while the other people watch in horror. Hawkeye explains that he is an avenger. As he sends Ivan to a cab he forces him to take the money and not sell the apartment. Then the doctor comes out and explains the dog will make it after this we end with the dogs name being arrow.         
Opinion: Now personally I enjoyed this first issue as it sets up the tone of this series we see from this it will be quite a gritty and dark comic series. We see a big contrast between the way he acts with his neighbours and the way he acts with the gang. We see from the way he acts around his neighbours his is a kind and forgiving person as he is willing to spend his own money to pay for their rents. While he is utterly ruthless and unforgiving towards Ivan and coerces him into taking his money. Now the art in this comic is great and gives kind of a cartoony feel which is quite a difference to the style of writing used. One criticism of the art is that doesn't really have that much detail on character's features. The colouring also gives this book a unique look with the colours for the start being all bright while the at the vet clinic they're dark showing how things have changed through the comic. This comic was great first issue as it shows you the tone and makes you care about Hawkeye. So I will give this comic a 4/5

Super Mario 64:

 

Super mario 64 is one of the most iconic mario games in history as it was the first game starring mario in 3D. It was created for the nintendo 64 and released in june of 1996. This week I will taking a look and review this classic game. Now with regards to graphics  I will not be judging them from a modern standard.

Story: The story opens with mario appearing outside Peach's castle. Mario reads a letter from Peach inviting him for cake. As he enters the castle he is told by Bowser that he has captured Peach and locked away the stars and there's nothing he can do about it. So you must go through all the levels in an area collect the stars and of course beat the boss then go on to the next area then rinse and repeat. Until you fight Bowser in a final fight and win. When you beat Bowser yo get a little cutscene at the end where Peach congratulates then kisses you on your polygon nose and invites you inside for some cake. Now I don't think there is anything wrong with the story it's the kind of classic story you get from a mario game Peach is captured by Bowser you must rescue her which is fine and suprisingly doesn't get boring even after all these years.

Gameplay: Mario 64's basic controls are A=jump, B=attack, Z=crouch and C buttons control the camera. When you first start the game you appear outside the castle and are given a quick tutorial on the controls. When you enter the castle there is a door with a star on it. When you enter through the star door you must jump through a painting to start the level. Each level contains 6 stars and some contain secret stars and in total there are 120 stars. There are several areas a basement, a moat and a courtyard. Within each area there is a door with a large star on it that leads to the boss of the area, Bowser. Now the fights with bowser involve you on a small arena dodging his attacks then running behind him, grabbing his tail and spinning him round and round and throwing him into a bomb. After defeating the final boss, Bowser states that there are 120 stars. Within the game there are several hats that give you powers such as the metal cap which turns you into metal that allows you to withstand noxious gas, winds and walk underwater. There is the wing cap which allows you to fly and finally the vanish cap allowing you to become semi-immaterial and allowing you to pass through wire meshes. The enemies in this are very diverse and all look unique from the boos to the bom-ombs pink or black. And each enemy no matter what level provides a challenge.

Opinion: I personally love this game. It's really enjoyable as each level design is unique and even with the outdated just looks great. Also I enjoyed the design of the castle as each area looks different and sets the style for the levels to come. The game has a interesting control system with an easy to learn but hard to master controls, as the basic controls are just jump and attack but there are multiple combinations that can aid or damage your progress through the level as the wrong jumpat the wrong time can kill you. Another great thing about this game is the boss fights though they have same format the increased difficulty and the style of the level makes you forget the repetiveness. Although this game does have some problems such as camera controls as they can be quite awkward and when you're fighting Bowser and trying to throw him because of the angle of the camera you can't see the bombs and must make an educated guess of when to throw. Now another problem is that the controls aren't exactly perfected as like in most early 3D games the controls can be a bit sensitive and at certain times can cause deaths really easily. Now earlier I mentioned the flying cap the problem with the flying cap is that it can be really awkward to control the flying cap and you can't make accurate sharp turns.

Score: I will have to give this game a 9/10 because in spite of  the flaws this game is amazing for when it was released and has still some the best gameplay mechanics and design of the levels in any game I've ever played.  

Cringeworthy comics will review:


12/10 The incredible Hulk 13
19/10 Left 4 dead the sacrifice
26/10 Justice League task force 1
2/11 star trek/doctor who assimilation squared

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