MCDave’s Favorite Films Of 2017

by MCDaveDecember 29, 2017

Can you believe that 2017 is coming to a close? In just a few days we’ll abolish that dreaded seven for ten more years, and a cool, clean, sexy eight will take its place.

2017 was an incredible year for moviegoers, gamers, music enthusiasts, and media lovers of all sorts. With the year coming to an end, it’s time to begin talking about the best of the best.

Yesterday, Matt Kelly shared his favorite films. Today, it’s MCDave’s turn.

Please Note: I still haven’t seen Call Me By Your Name, Phantom Thread or The Post.

Honorable Mention: Wind River, Small Town Crime, Princess Cyd, The Disaster Artist, War for the Planet of the Apes, Wonder Woman and Blade Runner 2049.

10. T2 Trainspotting

As a fan of Danny Boyle’s 1996 original, I was eager and nervous to catch this sequel. Yet, Boyle and company refuse to disappoint with a humor-laced screenplay and a valiant return by all of its characters in a truly enjoyable experience that works as both a worthwhile sequel or a stand-alone entry.

9. Lady Bird

While my adoration for Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut is a far cry from the Best Picture claims from many critics, I still found the film to be an endearing teen dramedy. Powered by the wonderful onscreen efforts of Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird” tells a somewhat familiar coming-of-age story that stands out because of its key performances.

8. Stronger

This character study follows a victim of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing who struggles to go on after losing both of his legs. The film could have demanded cheap sentiment, but instead relies on superb acting from Jake Gyllenhaal and his onscreen girlfriend, played by Tatiana Maslany, to bring this sad and courageous tale to life.

7. Last Flag Flying

Richard Linklater delivers a somber, yet poignant, story of a Vietnam veteran (Steve Carell) who enlists the support of fellow servicemen (Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne) as he travels to claim the body of his Marine son during the Iraq war. The film relies on hystericslly outspoken humor from Cranston and a quiet warmth from Carell in order to touch on deeper themes of grief and patriorism.

6. Dunkirk

It’s truly amazing how certain filmmakers have the ability to transcend conventional storytelling in order to deliver a visual masterpiece. Christopher Nolan does just that with his World War II epic “Dunkirk”. It’s a fair criticism to harp on the film’s failure to adequately develop any of its characters, but the truth still remains that “Dunkirk” is one of the year’s most intense movie experiences thanks to Nolan’s keen direction and a world-class score from legend Hans Zimmer.

5. I, Tonya

I was completely caught off-guard by Craig Gillespie’s riotous examination of notorious figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie). Told through the perspectives of various unreliable sources, this farce of a comedy throws away any hopes of trying to spark a revelation about the “incident” surrounding Harding and fellow competitor, Nancy Kerrigan, and instead devotes itself to telling a widely embellished and hilariously vulgar interpretation of the events.

4. The Big Sick

Kumail Nanjiani writes and stars in the year’s most heartfelt comedy. Where “The Big Sick” succeeds most is in its ability to operate as a comedy first and a drama second. There’s no shortage of laughs in this earnest tale of a Pakistani (Nanjiani) who secretly falls in love with a white woman (Zoe Kazan) as his parents try to arrange a marriage for him with someone that they approve. This laugh-out-loud tale of a modern-day forbidden love story really hits the mark.

3. Get Out

From the bizarre and creative mind of writer/director Jordan Peele comes one of the year’s most taut and interesting screenplays. Daniel Kaluuya stars as a lonely, mid 20s African American who travels with his Caucasian girlfriend’s rural estate to meet her parents for the first time. Yet, what begins as a bunch of peculiar exchanges, eventually turns into something far more insane. Rarely does a horror film (although it’s a rather timid one) immerse itself in a controversial political climate such as “Get Out”, and we should all be grateful it does.

2. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges” and “Seven Psychopaths”) delivers a timely dark comedy that culminates as one of the year’s finest offerings. Set in the rural south where a heartbroken mother (Frances McDormand) hasn’t heard from local law enforcement for seven months regarding the rape and murder of her daughter, so she purchases a trio of billboards to shine a light on their incompetence. With an ending that I’m sure will irk some moviegoers, although I found satisfaction in it, “Three Billboards” possesses an all-star cast and an insanely fun journey.

1. The Shape of Water

Guillermo del Toro’s beautifully-filmed conquest bridges science fiction, history and romance in the year’s most exceptional release. Sally Hawkins is masterful as a mute loner whose life changes forever when she encounters a strange and enchanting creature at the top-secret government facility where she works. “The Shape of Water” tackles some reminiscent ideas in a completely original manner, and allows for its brilliant ensemble to bring del Toro’s wildly imaginative tale to life. Lovely and enchanting, “The Shape of Water” steals your heart with its unconventional love story.

Matt Kelly’s Favorite Films Of 2017

by SaintmortDecember 28, 2017

Can you believe that 2017 is coming to a close? In just a few days we’ll abolish that dreaded seven for ten more years, and a cool, clean, sexy eight will take its place.

2017 was an incredible year for moviegoers, gamers, music enthusiasts, and media lovers of all sorts. With the year coming to an end, it’s time to begin talking about the best of the best.

First up, here are Matt Kelly’s favorite films of 2017!

10. Baby Driver

Can Edgar Wright make a bad movie? Like is it in his genes? He might be one of the most flawless filmmakers out there. Is Baby Driver perfect? No. Is it his best film ever? No. This is arguably his worst movie, but when your worst movie is easily a 4.5 star flick and among the top 10 films in a year with countless great films, that’s a testament to the power you wield. With fun and chaotic camerawork and an amazing soundtrack it’s really hard to dislike this movie.

9. Beauty & the Beast

Some people really hated this movie. I expected that I would too, but instead I got teary-eyed mid-way through the opening sequence when Emma Watson sang Belle. Beauty and the Beast is a strong contender for my favorite Disney animated film and to see it work so well as a live-action film was stunning. The film is not without its issues – some of the computer animated characters leave something to be desired (for example Ms. Potts) but in general this movie put a smile on my face that simply would not go away.

https://youtu.be/e3Nl_TCQXuw

8. Happy Death Day

This movie should not have been great and in a way, it’s not. That said, there was no movie that I had more fun seeing this year than Happy Death Day. The sarcastic tone, perfect comedy, and interesting concept reminded me of everything I love about horror films from the 90’s. So many people slept on this one because it looked stupid, but I remember leaving desperate to have someone to talk to about it.

7. The Lego Batman Movie

This is a fun movie, and in a world without Pixar it’d be the best animated film of the year. Is it better than The Lego Movie? It is not, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad film. I don’t think I laughed as hard at any movie as I did with Lego Batman. It’s a joke-every-second kind of movie which usually have more strike outs than hits but that’s not the case for this film where I’d say 90% of the jokes absolutely hit it out of the park.

6. Stephen King’s It

This movie really has people divided. Some think it was everything they could want out of the adaptation, while others have argued it was a C+ movie at best. I personally think it was fantastic and easily among the best King adaptations in history. The film manages to be a faithful adaptation, but also a wildly different adaptation. Characters are different, events are different, but that feeling of dread and doom is perfect. It also broke countless records and I can not wait for Part 2.

5. Lady Bird

If you told me that the character I related the most to in cinema was an angsty 17 year old girl in Sacramento I would have considered you crazy. However when I left the theater last month I couldn’t stop thinking about the movie and wanting to tell people about it. This is a theme for all of my top 5 films in most ways, but with Lady Bird being the one that I’ve met the least amount of people who also saw it means that this list is the only place I talk about this. What makes Lady Bird isn’t necessarily the comedy or the drama but the relatability of the subject matter. It’s a movie for everyone who hated their hometown until they moved away, hated their family until they weren’t there for them and underappreciated their high school memories until high school was over. It’s a truly beautiful film that I can’t wait to revisit time and time again.

4. Get Out

I’m going to keep this one short because you can throw a virtual rock anywhere and hit someone’s hot take on how good Get Out is. Despite being a fairly predictable film, that doesn’t make it bad. The film blends horror, suspense and comedy nicely. Additionally, every performance is perfect, there’s very little else for me to mention that hasn’t been said. The critical acclaim and box office numbers say all you need to know.

3. The Big Sick

I wasn’t crying, you were crying. Shut up. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon’s script mixed with Michael Showalter’s beautiful direction created a perfect “chick-flick” for both guys and gals. The dry sarcastic humor hits all the right funny notes and the moments of sentimental drama pull on every heart-string. You will fall head over heels for Zoe Kazan and Ray Romano has never been more charming. It was the sleeper hit of 2017 and very deservedly so.

2. The Autopsy of Jane Doe

So I’m cheating slightly with this movie. It premiered at a film festival September 2016 and was released in the U.S. the last week of 2016 in a fairly limited release so because it wasn’t readily available until 2017 I had to call this one out. It was the best horror experience I’ve ever had. The first time I watched this movie was with my cousin and his wife in a dark house, every noise made us jump and scream and yell. It was so fun and well paced. I brought my DVD into work and lent it to so many people to watch and so rarely met anyone who disliked it. If this one has slipped under your radar, make it a point to watch.

Before #1, here are some movies I haven’t seen at the time of making this list but could have made this list: Blade Runner 2049, I Tonya, Wonder Woman, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Greatest Showman, Downsizing, Shape of Water, Gerald’s Game and Pitch Perfect 3.

1. Coco

I ugly cried during the last 15 minutes of this movie. Non-stop, loudly, sitting by myself in a theater full of families. It was bad for me, but great for the movie. Pixar just seems to not know how to make a bad (Cars excluded) movie these days. They know the exact right things to pull on the right heart-strings but also have perfectly placed comedic moments too. I connected to this movie on a deeper level than I could have anticipated and left the theater and immediately called family members to let them know how much I loved them. This is a perfect film and was the #1 film of the year for me the second my feet exited the theater.

Ranking The Executions In ‘Danganronpa’

by Josh JacksonSeptember 12, 2017

Danganronpa is known for destroying its fans by getting them attached to the characters that make up its colorful cast, then killing them in some of the worst ways possible. With a whole new set of deaths to discover with the impending release of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, we ranked the executions from the first three chapters of the story, sorting out the most despair inducing punishments in the series. From the gruesome to the silly and everything in between, it’s time to watch our friends die all over again.

Mikan Tsumiki: Bye-Bye Ouchies!

Kicking off the list is Mikan’s execution, which was the worst one by a long shot. Things didn’t seem quite right in Danganronpa 2, which felt apparent when the executions were a lot more out there than the first outing, but this one just left me confused and unsatisfied, contrary to the sexual undertones of her big death scene.

After being discovered as Ibuki and Hiyoko’s killer, she launches into space on a giant arm that’s been injected with some kind of… fluid. Matching up with her Ultimate Nurse talent, there were so many more interesting ways this could have went down. Instead, we got what was essentially an off screen death for someone who had embraced her dark side at this point in the story, making me feel robbed of the satisfaction of watching one of the bad guys lose AND an interesting death. Thankfully, they get much better down the list.

Monomi’s First Death

Serving as less of a formal execution and more of a wake-up call to the main cast letting us know that this second killing game is serious, the former Usami is gunned down by one of the fearsome Monobeasts, clearing the way for Monokuma to take over the second class. This one is low on the list considering there’s a lack of emotional connection since you just met Monomi, her death played up the comedy aspect of a stuffed bear getting shot up, and it’s extremely temporary since she comes back minutes later, but it was still an important scene for Hajime and his friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EWS-gydlMk

Alter Ego: Excavator Destroyer

Much like the above entry, this one is eventually undone, and it’s not the same feeling when you watch a computer get killed instead of a friend. Still, Alter Ego’s death was especially shocking at the time I played it since it died spying on the mastermind when we thought it had gotten away, AND it was a total surprise since the real killer of the case couldn’t be executed due to it being a suicide. True despair rose to the surface as our only way to discover the circumstances around the school had seemingly been crushed, but this wouldn’t be the case for long.

Jin Kirigiri: Blast Off!

The very first execution of the series gains much more significance once the game has reached its conclusion compared to when you actually watch it play out, but it’s important for a few reasons. One, much like Monomi’s death was a wake-up call for the cast of the second game, this being the very first scene you see when you start the game let players know what they were about to be taken on a wild ride of death sprinkled with a bit of lighthearted cartoon imagery. Finding out later that the unnamed victim was both the Headmaster of the school and the father of one of the main characters gives it much more weight in retrospect.

Celeste Ludenberg: The Burning of the Versailles Witch

Celeste was a true manipulator, pulling off the first double murder in the series after manipulating the gullible Hifumi to help her kill and cover up her first victim before tying up loose ends by killing her accomplice. Being granted a death fitting for the noble she pretended to be, the Ultimate Gambler has her perfect death snatched from under her feet when her death by burning is interrupted by a fire truck falling on her. As the first comedic punishment, it managed to have a decent amount of anticipation before the bait and switch, which both helped and hurt its position on the list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8ynirdsev8

Teruteru Hanamura: Deep Fried Teruteru

Teruteru’s execution was one of the saddest. As the first class trial came to a close, it turned out that the Ultimate Cook killed his victim by mistake as he did everything he could to prevent the Ultimate Son of a Bitch, Nagito, from killing a member of the group in his quest for the the brightest hope in the face of despair.

If it was an accident, then why risk his friends’ lives to try and get away with the killing? It turns out he has a sick mother who he desperately wanted to see, making him fight tooth and nail for his own survival. Yet, we never find out her fate. Instead, we get a battered, deep fried chef who’s turned into a literal tempura after being dipped into a volcano. Considering the previous executions were relatively grounded, this was the first clue that Jabberwok Island wasn’t as it appeared, as the cast of the second game would later learn.

Mondo Owada: The Cage of Death

Equal parts funny and disgusting, Mondo’s execution after his insecurities led him to murder the Ultimate Programer, (and everyone’s favorite trap,) Chihiro Fujisaki, the former motorcycle gang member goes out as he lived. While strapped to the seat of his bike, he’s placed in a stunt cage and drives around so fast while being simultaneously electrocuted, that he ends up being liquified. Signaled by the reveal of Monokuma’s new favorite butter, it’s pretty disgusting when you see the bear eating the remains of your friend on top of his stack of pancakes.

Junko Enoshima: The Ultimate Punishment

As the mastermind who led both your classmates and the entire world to go on a murderous rampage, we should have reached peak satisfaction when it was time for Junko to get what was coming to her. Yet, her comeuppance felt bittersweet, considering the despair obsessed psychopath was actually excited to feel the true despair that only death can bring. Rather than setting up a unique execution for herself, she ends up going through every other execution from the first game! It makes you wonder what this girl is made of to survive being burned alive, crushed by a truck, electrocuted and bulldozed before finally being smashed to death by a giant weight.

And even then, this wouldn’t be the last we heard from Ms. Enoshima…

Gundham Tanaka: Gundham Tanaka Stampede

Gundham seemed to be a polarizing figure in the second game, and I landed on the side that couldn’t stand him. His obsession with the occult, his absurd speech mannerisms and his belief that he was some kind of demon king above all us mortals was only slightly offset by the Ultimate Breeder’s adorable crew of hamsters, the Four Dark Devas of Destruction. But even then, I couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy once his time finally came.

After reaching an agreement to fight and ultimately kill a fellow classmate as a sacrifice to spur the waning crew back into action, Gundham is placed in the path of a heard of stampeding bulls. Not being one to take his fate lying down, he sets up a magic seal, seemingly making good on the demonic power he claimed to possess all this time. Unfortunately for him, his spell doesn’t activate in time, leading him to being trampled to death. In his last moments, he gives a comforting look to his pets before the animals that had long since passed carry his spirit up into heaven. Part silly and part heartbreaking, seeing how much he cared for his companions meant he couldn’t be all bad. Right?

Makoto Naegi / Kyoko Kirigiri: After School Lesson

This one barely counts since one is a “what if” scenario if you make the wrong choice during the fifth trial, and the other one doesn’t go through. Regardless, it ranks high on the list mostly due to the tension it creates when experiencing it for the first time.

Setting up a fake murder for the purpose of getting rid of the Ultimate Detective, Kyoko Kirigiri, the player as main character Makoto Naegi has the choice to either fall into the trap, leading to Kyoko being killed and the remaining classmates living the rest of their days trapped in Hopes Peak Academy, or having Makoto take the fall, leading to our lead being killed instead. Naturally, things don’t go as planned, because just as Makoto is about to be crushed on the conveyor belt, Alter Ego comes back from the dead and shuts down the device just in time to save him.

On another note, I feel like dying while being strapped to a desk and being taught reproduction by a robot teddy bear would be a terrible way to go out.

Chiaki Nanami and Monomi: Please Insert Coin

Considering how serious this moment is, it’s almost unfitting to see such an important character die via Tetris block. But that’s what happens with Chiaki Nanami, our inaugural waifu of the year in 2014.

The Ultimate Gamer was a beacon of hope and encouragement for the class in the second game, especially when its protagonist, Hajime Hinata, felt completely lost. All the while, the class had an underlying suspicion of one another since it was established early on that one of their peers was a mole sent by the mysterious Future Foundation. As it turns out, Chiaki was that mole, but all wasn’t as it appeared to be.

You see, Chiaki was actually an AI created by Alter Ego from the first game designed as a sort of anti virus to help prevent outside interference. It turns out the entire game was a virtual simulation meant to rehabilitate some of the worst criminals the world had ever seen, but it had been hacked by the true mastermind on behalf of Junko from the first game. Nagito, that lunatic that I mentioned from Teruteru’s execution, discovered the truth before anyone else and decided to set up an unsolvable murder, using himself as the sacrifice. He planned on killing himself and all of his classmates, ridding the world of the criminals they really were and leaving Chiaki as the only survivor. Only things didn’t pan out this way, and Chiaki’s undying faith in their true selves helped her convince them to choose her as the killer. A choice that ended up being both correct, and completely unbearable. Luckily, AI’s never truly die, and both her and Monomi (as Usami), return to help the survivors during their final showdown.

And to think, this isn’t even the worst of what Chiaki ended up going through.

Peko Pekoyama: One Woman Army

None of the class were supposed to have known each other when waking up on Jabberwok Island, but two of them had an instant familiarity with each other. Peko Pekoyama, the Ultimate Swordswoman and Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, the Ultimate Gangster, were childhood associates, with the former being the latter’s bodyguard. All of this was unbeknownst to the rest of the group, so when case two came along and it turned out that Peko killed a classmate in Fuyuhiko’s name after being threatened by the victim, who was really responsible?

Ultimately, it was Peko who was sent to her death since she was the one who actually committed the act. But what makes her death even more noteworthy isn’t so much over how much of a badass she came off as while slicing down all of the dummies trying to kill her, but that in the process, the tough exterior of her boss fades away as he pushes through the danger to try and help her. What he gets in return is an accidental near death experience, as Peko inadvertently slices through him while cutting down one of the puppets. In her sorrow, she cradles her friend as she’s stabbed to death be her endless hoard of enemies.

As the only execution that made me audibly gasp once it appeared as if we were getting two deaths in one execution, we ended up getting a much more cooperative, level heading Kuzuryu, taking Peko’s death to heart. He may have lost an eye, but in return, he gains a whole new level of maturity that carries him through the rest of the game.

Chiaki Nanami: The first punishment

You may be wondering why Chiaki is here again if she was already killed above? It turns out that the AI from the game was based on a real person, and she was the victim of the first true execution as we would come to know them.

As the only real punishment in the Danganronpa 3 anime, the real Chiaki was the class representative to the Danganronpa 2 class. The anchor that held them all together so to speak. So when Junko decided that she needed a group of followers to help her spread despair around the world, she used a combination of brainwashing and the murder of their beloved classmate to drive them all insane by forcing them all to watch her death.

Mimicking video games like Gauntlet, the Ultimate Gamer was forced to traverse an endless labyrinth full of deadly traps, each one landing with brutal effectiveness. Over the course of what’s essentially a ten minute murder porn session, we witness this girl who both the characters and the viewers grew so attached to have her arm broken, her eye smashed, her foot impaled and her physical limits pushed to the absolute brink before finally finding the exit and reuniting with her friends.

Or so she thought. As she seemingly escapes, a room full of spikes shoot from the ground, impaling her entire body and leaving her in a bloody heap. As she bleeds to death, she sees her friend Hajime one last time, now approaching her as the artificial Ultimate, Izuru Kamakura. In her final moments she cries out her desire to see her friends again, leading the emotionless Izuru to cry for the first time since transforming into what he had now become. Compelled by Chiaki’s undying will, he realizes that Junko’s brand of chaos isn’t the only way to reach one’s full potential, leading him to go behind her back and set up the Chiaki AI. Seeking to see which ideology is the strongest, he sets up a scenario where their ideals will clash one last time in the final showdown between hope and despair.

This scene showed that despite how charismatic and humorous she could be, Junko was a real monster. But most importantly, it showed the catalyst that led to the events of both games, even if we had to have our souls completely crushed in the process. I still get sad thinking about this scene… But there can only be one top execution, and for that, we’ll have to go from the end to the beginning.

Leon Kuwata: The 1,000 Blows

As the saying goes, you never forget your first.

Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate Baseball Star, was the first character to be executed after being outed as the murderer of Sayaka Maizono. She was planning to murder Makoto in an attempt to escape and discover what had happened to the bandmates in her idol group, but after being spotted by Leon, a series of events took place where he ended up killing her instead.

As the first execution, the game wanted to make sure to leave a lasting impression on us, and that it did. From not knowing what to expect as the first real conclusion to a case, to the haunting animation that would be associated with the rest of the punishments going forward, to the way he is chained and dragged away kicking and screaming is a level of fright that none of the other executions have achieved since. But then, we get to the actual execution, one fitting for a baseball star such as himself.

After being tied to a pole, Kuwata is shot with a ball from a pitching machine. And then another. And another. Suddenly, he’s being shot with hundreds of baseballs all over his body to the point where he eventually dies from the endless injuries being inflicted upon him in such a methodical, painful way. As the last bloody baseball rolls to the camera while his limp body hangs in the background, it’s at this point that you know you’re going to be in for a sick, twisted affair of a game.

You know what the crazy part is? This version is actually more tame than the original concept! As the only execution that was altered due to the graphic nature of the scene in the anime adaptation, the game version was actually toned down from the beta version. There, the scene plays out similarly, but eventual blood splatter starts flying from him while he’s still alive. Each ball results in another splatter until the whole room is eventually full of the stuff as if we were suddenly playing Mortal Kombat. It’s hard to imagine that this death could get any worse than the one we were presented with, and yet, here we are.

If you couldn’t tell, it takes a special kind of sadistic to come up with these executions. With a whole new game right around the corner, I can only imagine what new, sickening ways the developers will come up with when it comes to killing off our friends. Yet, its this despair that keeps us coming back, and I can’t wait to feel that sting all over again in two weeks.

What would your execution rankings be? Do you think any of them are off base? Let us know in the comments!

Five Female Leaders Who Kick Serious Ass!

by joelrcallenMarch 13, 2017

The last few years saw some great strides forward for various realms of equality, but more recently, a setback has left many feeling down about the state of gender equality. So, in an effort to remain optimistic about not just the world at large, but the world of art, here are five female leaders who knew how to get it done.

Yeah, we realize that we’re a little late for International Women’s Day, but… better late than never?

Buffy Summers – Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The titular heroine of Joss Whedon’s seminal show, Buffy was a direct response to Whedon’s desire to see the female victims in horror movies turn around and turn the tables on their attacker. What this subversive impulse brought us was an upbeat, funny teenager with the weight of the world placed squarely on her shoulders. Though she initially tried to escape her destiny, Buffy quickly rose to the challenge of being a strong leader in a world that saw her as little more than a girl. From preppy cheerleader to fearless general, Buffy grew up before our eyes, and helped buck the stereotype that beautiful girls need saving.

Laura Roslin – Battlestar Galactica: After the apocalyptic Cylon attack on the Colonies, Roslin remains the highest ranking surviving member of the Presidential line of succession, and is sworn in as President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. What makes Roslin so different to many of the women in power often seen in the media is that she didn’t have a clear political ambition. This unwanted ascension to the mantle of leader saw her grappling with her own instincts and qualities to reach her one goal: the survival of humanity.

Ellen Ripley – Aliens: After surviving the horror movie that was Alien, Ripley reluctantly joins a mission to investigate another potential infiltration. The second film in the franchise departs significantly from its predecessor, largely doing away with the horror motifs to contrast them with a war theme, casting Ripley as what many have hailed the first true action heroine. She continually comes up against male voices who seek to silence her, and is forced, in the end, to take matters into her own hands – once again for the good of all.

Leslie Knope – Parks and Recreation: In the everyday world of small town government, it might be difficult for some to imagine anyone kicking ass, but those people have clearly not encountered the sheer force of nature that is Pawnee’s Leslie Knope. From childhood, Leslie wanted to serve her country, and we see her doing that every single day. Despite her setbacks, including the small-minded town in which she lives, Leslie fights on to make the world better. What makes Leslie so special (well, one of the things), is her friendship with her boss, the hyper-masculine, anti-government Ron Swanson. Though their views stand at direct opposition, Leslie and Ron are always able to work together and remain friends – an optimistic model for how all leaders should behave.

Katniss Everdeen – The Hunger Games: Possibly the most influential heroine in recent memory, Katniss’ journey from peasant on society’s outer rim to revolutionary leader began when she volunteered as tribute for The Hunger Games to spare her younger sister from the same fate. As the world watched, Katniss defied the odds, and teamed up with her childhood admirer, Peta, to win the deadly competition. By subverting the ruling class’s expectations of her, Katniss became a marked woman – singled out for elimination by the government, and forced into a second Hunger Games. This act galvanized not only Katniss’ resolve, but thrust her into the spotlight as the face of a resistance movement to bring about revolution.

With The Reveal Looming, Here Are Seven Characters That Could Be The Traitor In ‘Danganronpa 3’

by Josh JacksonSeptember 18, 2016

Warning: Potential spoilers for previous episodes and all three games. Read at your own risk!

Man, it’s rough being a Danganronpa fan. Over the last 10 weeks and 20 episodes in the bag, we’ve been placed on an emotional roller coaster that hasn’t been afraid to drive its viewers into the deepest despair imaginable. But with the connection we’ve built with these characters over the course of three games prior to the show, I’m sure I speak for most when I say we wouldn’t have it any other way. One thing’s for sure though; there are more mysteries left to uncover. With the inevitable reveal of the traitor among what started as the 16 Future Foundation leaders in the show’s Future Arc, we still have one person who may have not been accounted for yet, a host of suspicious people, and questions that need answering. After compiling evidence from both the Future Arc and Despair arc, taking a look at the history of the games, and predicting which directions this story will take before its conclusion, here are the seven most likely traitors.

7. Haiji Towa

Remember Haiji? The vengeful and perverted older brother of Monaca Towa, the mastermind behind the events in Ultra Despair Girls? Despite the way that game ended, hinting that he would be at war with Komaru and the children of Towa City after his Big Bang Monakuma was destroyed, he has yet to be mentioned. Which is weird when you consider that we’ve visited both Komaru and Monaca without a single reference. Could it be that they’re saving it for something bigger?

While not as proficient as his sister, he’s still a technological genius. His spirit was broken, making him rife with despair. He has an affinity for Monokuma. Sounds like all the check marks needed to become a mastermind. Plus, Monaca’s plan was to drive Komaru to despair and make her Junko’s successor. Wouldn’t it be poetic justice if her plan actually succeeded, but by inadvertently making Haiji the next Junko?

Haiji is at number seven because let’s face it; he’s probably going to be forgotten about. He wasn’t terribly important in his only game appearance, so making him the big bad in the grand finale would be anticlimactic. That’s not going to stop me from speculating, though!

6. Juzo Sakakura

Yes, I know that Juzo died last week… Or did he? The thing about the bloodbath that was Future Arc episode 9 was at the start of the episode, there were nine survivors. Yet, despite four people dying over the course of the episode, the opening video teased that there were six survivors remaining instead of five. Now, I’m awful at math, but I know enough to see that there should be five people left. It’s possible that robot Gekkogahara never counted in the total, or that Kirigiri is the one who’s still alive, but if we’re talking about what would induce the most despair possible for Munakata, what would be worse than having both of his closest allies turn against him?

As far as a motive is concerned, I could see Juzo being so dedicated to eradicating despair alongside Munakata that he decided to help eliminate everyone he didn’t deem worthy. After this most recent episode though, I’d go more with the thought that after being humiliated by Junko, he stops believing in hope and plotted along with Chisa to bring down the Future Foundation from the inside. Then again, it could just be that being scared of coming out to his crush drove him to turn traitor. I mean, isn’t that pretty much what happened when Junko beat him?

But the biggest reason Juzo is here is because of the attacker rule. The rule states that every time the designated time limit is reached, all of the survivors will fall asleep. When they wake up, if no one is dead, the traitor must have been killed, setting everyone free. If someone is killed, then the attacker is still on the loose. If you remember when the dreaded episode 9 wrapped up, we had four people killed. Gekkogahara and Juzo were killed by Munakata, while Ruruka was supposedly killed in her sleep, and Kirigiri died due to her forbidden action being violated. On closer inspection though, Ruruka’s death was different from the previous M.O. of the killer. She wasn’t strung up, and she was sliced into pieces. Most importantly though, was that her eyes were wide open with tears in them, showing that she was AWAKE when she died.

What does this mean? My guess is that Ruruka was killed after she woke up, and that NO ONE was killed in that time frame. The game is continuing because technically, Kirigiri did die while everyone was out, and we know how much Monokuma likes to screw with the rules based on technicalities. This means that either Juzo is really dead and couldn’t kill anyone, or his injuries led him to miss his deadline. Then again, it was pointed out that the killer could simply refrain from doing the deed, which takes the spotlight off of the Ultimate Boxer a bit.

5. Chisa Yukizome

Now, we already know that Chisa is A traitor, but is she THE traitor? The sickening events of the past two Despair Arc episodes and the most recent Future episode solidified that Chisa was one of the first to be brainwashed into becoming a follower of despair in years’ past, and that she’s been manipulating her former lover ever since. But with her former students and fellow Remnants of Despair all being held on Jabberwok Island, (and presumably on their way to save Makoto and his friends), she was the last one standing once the new Killing Game started. She was the first to die, but the first game established that an early death can be a fake-out to lead us away from who the real mastermind is. It’s this reason that I don’t think Chisa will be the main traitor, since this plot device has been used once before. With that said, don’t be surprised if she plays a big role in the last few episodes.

4. Chiaki Nanami

I know what you’re thinking; how could Chiaki Nanami, the beacon of hope that has driven most of the series, (and who is very much dead after being killed twice), the traitor? This was just an early hunch, since I know the writers will want to find a shocking way to wrap up this story, but the more I think about it, the less far out it sounds.

First of all, her entire class was turned to despair, including her teacher. The last we saw her, she was horribly mauled in a real life game of Gauntlet, and died thinking that she failed her class, her teacher, and her best friend. But what if she didn’t die? What if Hajime in the form of the infinitely talented Izuru Kamakura found a way to keep her alive? The Future Foundation would go on to use her likeness when creating the AI that was designed to rehabilitate her former classmates in the second game, and once again sacrificed herself for the good of the group. If the real one is alive and were to awaken, with those final, horrible memories being the last thing she knew, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that it would be enough to drive someone to despair. How tragic would it be if her and Hajime finally come face to face again, only for the roles to have reversed, and their precious class rep is the one who needs saving? It wouldn’t be hard to imagine that she would want to take out the Future Foundation since most of them are so firmly rooted in Hope’s Peak Academy, an institution who’s corruption led to the end of the world. Plus, Usami, who was her AI’s partner in the games, has already been shown to be under the control of the enemy at one point throughout the series, so the idea isn’t completely unfounded.

Still, it might be wishful thinking, but my money is more on the hope that she’s the hidden Future Foundation member, and is firmly on the side of hope. Still, never underestimate the lengths that this show will go to make its viewers feel terrible.

3. Makoto Naegi

Since brainwashing has been introduced, nothing is off the table. Even our hope obsessed protagonist and hero of the first game being the Ultimate Traitor. How awful would that be? Making our main character be the one who was killing his friends in his sleep, all while preaching to them that no one would die while he was awake? It would give further credence to Munakata’s suspicions towards him, while landing a huge blow to the morale of the remaining participants. Kirigiri would have died for nothing, and Makoto would struggle with having that blood on his hands.

If we’re speaking strictly about the most despair inducing possibility on the table, then Naegi being the unwilling traitor has to be considered. Ultimate Hope will still win out, but not without some heavy sacrifices, especially when you remember that Great Gozu was killed with three people in the barricaded room with them. Naegi was one of them, but we’ll talk about the other candidate further down the list.

2. Ryota Mitarai

The Ultimate Animator, who is the biggest reason why despair has spread throughout the world outside of Junko and her sister, Mukuro, is looking awfully suspicious right about now. Despite having his work stolen from him and used to brainwash his friends into becoming murderers, his regretful past has yet to be mentioned in Future Arc. We know nothing about what happened to him between the time he escaped Junko’s grasp, up until when he became a member of the Future Foundation. Considering the group’s reaction to what Makoto did to protect the Remnants of Despair, is there any way they would have let him join, or even live, if they knew he played such a huge role in the end of the world? I’m guessing that they have no idea about what he did…

Which leads me to the clues he’s left behind throughout Future Arc. He’s acted timid throughout the show, which is a common way in anime to divert suspicion. He showed obvious signs of jealousy towards Makoto when they first met, which is out of character for him compared to his personality in Despair Arc. He was in direct contact with Junko, but has kept that hidden from everyone in the group. And most importantly, he’s the only character who’s forbidden action we’re unaware of. Does he even have one?

Yet, I have one reservation. Like Chisa, he’s in so deep, that being the traitor feels too obvious. The mystery surrounding him could be a way to keep us off the trail of the real mastermind, the person who was also in the room when Great Gozu was killed. That person is…

1. Aoi Asahina

Aoi Asahina. Doughnut Girl. The Ultimate Swimmer, and one of the six survivors of the original game. Why would she be the top candidate for the role of the traitor? Considering how much she’s protected Makoto, stood up for her friends, and been such a reliable source of positivity throughout this ordeal, what possible reason would she have to turn on her friends after going through so much with them? Mostly because she’s done it before.

In Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, the bubbly ditz of the group showed her mean streak. When her best friend, Sakura, was revealed to be a mole within the class, Asahina was the only one who stood by her. As her classmates tried to kill, attack and shun the seemingly reformed Ultimate Martial Artist, Sakura took it upon herself to commit suicide, freeing the class of their suspicions and allowing them to unite against the mastermind.

Except, Aoi didn’t see it that way.

As the first person to realize the truth about her friend’s death, she tried to throw the trial so that the class would all be executed for choosing the wrong killer, including herself, Driven by revenge, she showed a complete lack of regard for her own life if it meant getting back at the people who hurt those she cares about. Eventually, all was forgiven, and Asahina was among the final survivors of the Hope’s Peak killing game. But what would happen if she was struck with another tragedy? Someone who’s even closer to her than a friend? Someone like family?

Which is where Yuta Asahina, her younger brother comes in. Killed early in Ultra Despair Girls, she has made no mention of the death throughout the series, which is a strange thing to ignore considering how we know she reacts to personal tragedy. The Future Foundation was sent in to rescue the captives in Towa City, but the organization failed her. She obviously would have needed some help to pull such a huge plan off successfully, which is where Chisa comes in, but despite coming off as dense on the surface, we know that she can outsmart the best of them when vengeance is on her mind. How cruel would it be if the whole reason she’s worked so hard to keep Naegi alive all this time is so he could see Kirigiri, who was essentially his love interest, die because of him? Much like she’s had her love ones die while being completely helpless to stop it? That’s what I call true despair…

Most importantly, from a writing standpoint, hiding the identity of the traitor for this long means the reveal has to have some kind of impact, one that will raise the stakes as we head into the grand finale. As Asahina ran into the room with all of the survivors alongside Mitarai at the conclusion of episode 10 with Kirigiri’s notebook in hand, declaring that she knows who the traitor is, how great would it be if the start of episode 11 opens with her announcement leading to an evil smile, and the death of an unsuspecting Mitarai. The only thing worse than killing one of the game’s survivors is making one of them turn to despair, and in that sense, Asahina is the prime candidate.

Let’s hear it, Danganronpa fans! What theories do you have leading into the last two weeks of Hope’s Peak? Do you agree with any of these ideas, do you have any of your own that weren’t mentioned, or do you think this is all pigshit? Let us know in the comments!

Geekscape Games Presents: The Top 16 Games Of (The First Half Of) 2016

by Josh JacksonJanuary 31, 2016

I thought Christmas was supposed to be in December! Yet, as we wrap up January and head into February, you would think it was the end of the year considering how many amazing games are hitting the shelves. From high profile sequels to remakes, spinoffs and new IP’s that have demanded our attention, it won’t be hard to find a game or three to play in what’s typically supposed to be the slow winter and spring months. With so many to choose from, where do we start!? In no particular order, here are the 16 games of (the first half) of 2016 that we’re the most excited about.

Honorable Mention: Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow

Date: February 27th

For: Nintendo 3DS

It’s rare that people get so excited for a Virtual Console re-release, but c’mon, this is Pokemon! While not a full release, (and thus, being excluded from the proper list,) we’re too thrilled not to mention these titles! With Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow hitting our 3DS handhelds via the eShop in about a month, these ports will let us connect via built in wireless to rebuild our classic Pokedex’s with ease, all while poking at our nostalgia. It’ll be good to see what Missingno. has been up to after all these years!

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Date: April 26th

For: Playstation 4

As one of the many games that was delayed in 2015, it’s easy to see why we’re anxious to go on one more adventure with Nathan Drake in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. With rumors of this being Drake’s last adventure, with some hoping that Naughty Dog focuses more on expanding on The Last Of Us going forward, this very well could be the last time we travel the world with the charismatic adventurer. While it may sound crazy to drop such a popular franchise, it’s not like Naughty Dog hasn’t done it before with series’ like Crash, (which was admittedly out of their hands,) and Jak, and suddenly, it’s not so unheard of. Are you ready to say goodbye?

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4

Date: February 8th

For: Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC

While we’re talking about goodbye’s, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is being touted as the final Storm game. If this is true, it will signal an end of an era for the franchise, which brought incredible visuals, intense boss fights, and a giant roster to the popular series. Oftentimes surpassing its source material when it came to showing off how crazy Naruto and his friends can be when in a fight, it’s appropriate that the fourth game plans on wrapping up the story ahead of even the anime. As the final fights come to a close, we’re hoping we’re left with a game that’s fun enough to carry our fandom for a long time to come.

The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

Date: March 4th

For: Wii U

For those who listen to the Geekscape Games podcast, (thanks, Jeremy!), you’ll know that I’m generally against HD remakes, especially when they feel largely unnecessary. As with most poor life choices that I’ve made over the last year though, amiibo have changed the way I think. Coming bundled with a sweet Wolf Link amiibo at a standard MSRP of $59.99, the figure unlocks a brand new dungeon, alongside support with other Zelda amiibo to change the game in various ways.

Quantum Break

Date: April 5th

For: Xbox One

As the first game from Remedy since 2010’s excellent Alan Wake, Quantum Break looks to continue the developer’s penchant for innovative action game play to go with its stellar story telling that originated with Max Payne. Starring Shawn Ashmore, the cinematic style from their previous games is still going to be a heavy focus, but unlike many games these days, it doesn’t seem like the game play will be compromised because of it. Promising solid action-adventure elements with puzzle solving areas, we’re looking forward to finally getting Quantum Break in our hands.

Trillion: God Of Destruction

Date: Spring 2016

For: Playstation Vita

This Vita exclusive from the publishers and developers behind the Hyperdimension Neptunia series, (which we’ll get to soon,) Trillion: God Of Destruction has you amass an underworld army designed to take down a seemingly unbeatable god with a TRILLION HP! As you chip away at it over time, you’ll get stronger by training in secret and building relationships with your potential underworld waifus. Because we all need a little love in between fighting an indestructible monster.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

Out now!

For: Nintendo 3DS

The Mario and Luigi and Paper Mario RPGs have been one of Nintendo’s best kept secrets for years now, providing laugh out loud comedy to go with its interactive turn based combat. But what happens when you combine both into one game? Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam looks to find out, bringing Paper Mario into a new world for a brand new team up. With new abilities, jokes abound, (usually at Luigi’s expense,) and rewarding game play, what’s not to love?

Note: Keep an eye out for our upcoming review!

Final Fantasy Explorers

Out now!

For: Nintendo 3DS

Described as Final Fantasy meets hunting and crafting games like Monster Hunter and Fantasy Life, Final Fantasy Explorers lets players team up in parties of up to four and fight some of the franchise’s most infamous monsters in their pursuit to complete quests. As they’re completed, characters can make new equipment, experiment with various jobs, and even temporarily take the forms of some of the greatest heroes in Final Fantasy history, including Cloud, Squall, Lightning and Yuna! Already adventuring? Share your friend codes with us in the comments and let’s get exploring!

Digimon Cyber Sleuth

Date: February 2nd

For: Playstation 4, Playstation Vita

As the first Digimon game to hit the current generation, as well as the first RPG to release in forever, Digimon Cyber Sleuth features hundreds of champions to collect and fuse as you and your team save the real and digital world from a new threat. Developed by Media.Vision, the RPG masterminds behind the Wild Arms series, and it’s safe to assume that the other beloved monster collecting franchise is in good hands.

Star Fox Zero

Date: April 22nd

For: Wii U

Speaking of being in good hands, the long awaited Star Fox follow up seems like a match made in heaven, (assuming the Lylat System believes in such a concept.) As a collaboration between Nintendo and Platinum Games, what we’ve played of Star Fox Zero with its free range, on rails and on land game play has had us desperate for more. Which made it all the more heartbreaking when it ended up like Uncharted and got delayed from 2015 to this year. Still, it’s looking like it’ll be more than worth the wait, and it will be great to gear up with the old team again.

Project X Zone 2

Date: February 16th

For: Nintendo 3DS

If Star Fox represents a strong team, then Project X Zone 2 is on a whole different level. Not only will Namco Bandai, Sega and Capcom team up for a second round of action packed turn based strategy, but Nintendo is getting in on the fun as well, with Chrom and Lucina from Fire Emblem and Fiora and Metal Face from Xenoblade Chronicles all appearing in the game. As one of the biggest surprises of 2013 for me, I can’t wait to get my hands on this crossover extravaganza once again.

Fire Emblem Fates

Date: February 19th

For: Nintendo 3DS

After Fire Emblem Awakening blew away all expectations in terms of both sales and popularity, the 3DS release served as a type of arrival for the strategy franchise, allowing it to take its place as one of Nintendo’s premiere IP’s. Capitalizing on this, Fire Emblem Fates will release with two versions with two different story perspectives. Featuring solid strategy game play, light dating sim elements and a custom character to lead the cast with, Nintendo is banking on Fates being just as popular, especially with special bundles, 3DS models, and even a downloadable third story on the way.

Megadimension Neptunia VII

Date: February 2nd

For: Playstation 4

Despite it seeming like Neptunia refuses to take a break with so many spinoffs, remakes, and sequels for the remakes, Megadimension Neptunia VII is the first sequel to the core franchise since 2012’s Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory. Now that everyone *should* have caught up after being bombarded with so many mostly solid games over the last year and a half, (assuming you have a Vita or Steam,) it’s time to take Gamindustri to the NEXT level! Featuring multiple stories, new characters, updated transformations and some much needed changes to the combat, and it’s looking like Neptune’s current gen debut might be one of the highlights of the year.

Gravity Rush HD Remaster

Date: February 2nd

For: Playstation 4

For my money, Gravity Rush is still the best game to release on the Vita. It’s breathtaking visuals, innovative game play and exciting exploration using the manipulation of gravity was too good to be ignored. Which is why I’m *really* pulling for Gravity Rush HD Remaster to shine in front of a bigger audience on the PS4. With reworked game play controls to work better on a Dual Shock 4, updated visuals, and all of the DLC included for $29.99, there’s no excuse not to get. Except for the fact that it’s mostly digital only if you’re already out of hard drive space…

If that’s the case, be like me and get the physical version which is exclusive to Amazon, and fall in love with Kat all over again!

Pokken Tournament

Date: March 18th

For: Wii U

Pokken was a long time coming, then all of a sudden, it was right around the corner! This collaboration between the team behind the Tekken series and The Pokemon Company brings together some interesting choices from the Pokemon roster to do battle in a 1-on-1 3D fighting game setting. Most importantly however, is that Pokken is looking to open the floodgates with the series’ first amiibo Card, coming packaged with Shadow Mewtwo. I hope you all have that second mortgage ready to go!

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst

Date: May 24th

For: Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC

Another game that felt like it would never see the light of day. After years of hoping until finally being confirmed back in 2013, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst will finally be in our hands in a few short months! Serving as a prequel that explores Faith’s background, we’re counting on the innovative first person platformer to wow us again. If DICE can pull off the same magic that they did the first time around, then we have nothing to worry about!

Street Fighter V

Date: February 16th

For: Playstation 4, PC

Unlike most of the games on this list, the time it took from announcement to release was relatively short. Not that we’re complaining, because a new iteration of Street Fighter is always something to get excited about! With four new characters to accompany a wide variety of reworked veterans from Super Street Fighter II to Street Fighter Alpha 3, the new V system that’s looking to mix up the rules of battle, and an expanded story mode that looks to bridge the gap between the original cast and Street Fighter III, why wouldn’t we be frothing at the mouth to play this?

As you can see, we’re going to have a busy time throughout the year. What games are you most looking forward to, and are there any that we missed? Let us know in the comments, and check back for the latest news, previews and reviews on the games listed, and everything else in between!

E3 2015: Here Are The Xbox 360 Games You Can Play On Xbox One RIGHT NOW!

by Josh JacksonJune 19, 2015

As far as my E3 hype goes, the announcement that I was most excited for was the Xbox One receiving backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games! Of course, there had to be a catch, this time being that it would only apply to certain games. Promising over 100 titles by year’s end, the first 21 have been revealed as playable right now!

Consisting of mostly Rare games, (that were likely emulated already to prepare for the upcoming Rare Replay,) or games everyone should have, (does anyone not own Hexic HD?), reclaiming your downloaded games will be as simple as finding them on the store! For physical discs, the process is a little different. Once the disc is put into the console, your Xbone will recognize the title and allow you to download it from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Since disc reading won’t be possible, it’s safe to say that you’ll do well to upgrade your hard drive, (assuming you haven’t already after Halo: The MCC and AC: Unity ate up half your memory.) Players will even have the choice to switch to the old 360 interface when accessing their past titles! Whether or not online functionality will still work as intended through the new console is unknown, but considering Shadowrun, an online only shooter was listed in the teaser image, I’d say it’s a safe bet. We’ll be sure to update you as soon as more information is released.

The current list is as follows:

A Kingdom for Keflings

A World of Keflings

Alien Hominid HD

Banjo-Kazooie

Banjo-Tooie

BattleBlock Theater

Defense Grid

Geometry Wars Evolved

Hexic HD

Jetpac Refuelled

Kameo

Mass Effect

N+

Perfect Dark

Perfect Dark Zero

Small Arms

Super Meat Boy

Toy Soldiers

Toy Soldiers: Cold War

Viva Piñata

Viva Piñata: Trouble In Paradise

Zuma.

Is there a particular game you want added? Check the Xbox Dashboard for their user poll, which allows you to vote for what you want to become available next! After you vote, tell us what you chose in the comments!

Geekscape’s Favorite Things Of 2014: Video Games

by GeekscapeStaffDecember 31, 2014

Can you believe that 2014 is coming to a close? In just a couple of days, we’ll abolish that dreaded four for ten more years, and a cool, clean, sexy five will take its place.

This year has been great for all types of media, so as always, we rounded up our ever-growing pool of writers to share with you our favourite things of 2014. This time, video games!!

Take a look at everyone’s top 5, top 10, or favourite game altogether below, and be sure to let us know yours in the comment section below!

Shane O’Hare

5. Destiny

A lot of people will probably say that this is one of their biggest disappointments of the year, alongside AC: Unity of course. Destiny didn’t deliver on its promises, and in all actuality is a pretty thin game. But I cannot stop playing it! The MMO Grind feels rewarding. Playing with friends is a fucking blast, and meeting new people to run the raids is awesome.

4. Titanfall

This game came out with a bang. The game was polished and played perfectly on launch, and with most of the other AAA titles at the time having severe issues, Titanfall shone bright. The incredibly fast paced parkour action was exactly what I wanted in a title. It was an amazing break from the methodical matches of CS:GO. The incredible amount of free content that came alongside the expansions also show how dedicated Respawn is to the title.

3. Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episode 2

Not REALLY a full title, but any chance I can sing the praises of Bioshock: Infinite I will. You may remember Bioshock: Infinite was my game of the year 2013, and Burial at Sea Episode 2 is a perfect punctuation to THE best game I have ever played. Playing as Elizabeth was a great change of pace, and that story. THAT STORY!

2. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

This game came out fairly quietly, and god damn was I impressed with it. If your computer can handle it, turn the graphics up ALL the way because the environment is amazing. The skyboxes are gorgeous, and when you get the the bridge in the first area your jaw WILL drop. The story is impeccable but the ending falls a bit flat. Where it does excel is where the intense paranormal events get explained by fairly innocuous items or memories.

1. This War of Mine

This War of Mine is one of the most important games of our generation. The team at 11 Bit Studios have created a title that focuses on a group of people that don’t get representation in war games. Their AI emotion system is something to behold. Characters actions can make them depressed and their effectiveness will hurt. This game may look simple, but it can be extremely overwhelming. And when you’re in day 30 of survival and you LOSE someone because you made a mistake, you the player will really feel it.

Jonathan London

Amiibo Hunter – The Real World MMO (That’s Destroying Our Lives)

Only one game has taken over my life in 2014. Sure, Season 2 of Telltale’s ‘The Walking Dead’ was as perfect and engrossing a follow up to Season 1 as you’ve been told by reading all of its praise from other outlets. Absolutely has ‘Mario Kart 8’ surpassed ‘Mario Kart 64’ as the best entry in the Mario Kart series. And of course all of that other redundant FPS, Triple A title stuff got shoveled down your throat this year, just as it did last year and the year before that. But NONE of those games had me sitting outside of a Best Buy at 8am waiting for the doors to open so I could beat other gamers (and scalpers) to the shelves to come out on top. And no other gaming experience has given me the same levels of frustration, elation and straight up confusion as the real world MMO that we all call Amiibo Hunter: The Quest for $13 Nintendo Toys. When they were unveiled at E3, we were intrigued. When we saw the announcement of each Wave and their interactivity with games like Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 8 we were interested. And when we bought our first one… we were fucking obsessed.

Now Derek, Juan, Josh and I are in it to win it. We’ve collected all of Waves 1 and 2 and pre-ordered Wave 3. Hell, I don’t even play Super Smash Bros and I’m getting all of these little plastic statues. Why? Because I have a sickness. And Amiibo Hunter played right into it. I’ve been elbowed by scalpers, celebrated by fellow Amiibo sub-Redditors and have started a coast to coast search (successfully I might add) for rare Amiibo among my friends and loved ones. Unlike any other gaming experience in recent memory, at least in my adulthood, Amiibo Hunter has brought my collecting friends and I together as we scour the landscape for these overpriced little plastic pieces of junk. Never have I traded so many texts, phone calls and emails all relating to a single video game as I have with Amiibo Hunter. It’s bad. It’s at a fever pitch. And it’s going to get a whole lot worse before a cure is found. Bring. It. On.

Juan Carlos Marquez

Wii U Game of the Year: Bayonetta 2 by Platinum Games

Let’s rewind the clock back to September 2012. Nintendo had just made the surprising announcement that the sequel to Bayonetta would not only be coming to the Wii U, but that it was also being published by Nintendo–making the game a Wii U exclusive. As expected, a number of XBOX and PlayStaton owners filled social media with negative comments directed toward Platinum Games–accusing them of betraying the loyal fan base by releasing the game on a console fans of the original didn’t [yet they fail to recognize that Bayonetta 2 wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for Nintendo], but a few went as far as making death threats towards Nintendo and Platinum Games developers unless they released the game to ‘real’ consoles.

Well, Bayonetta 2 remained to be a Wii U exclusive and was released this October, and as of this writing, there have been no reports of any suicides or attempted murders towards anyone working at Nintendo or Platinum Games. Thank goodness for that.

A Metacritic score of 91, and perfect scores from Game Spot, EDGE, and Destructiod, several Game of the Year awards and nominations, after all the death threats and negative criticism, Platinum Games, Nintendo, and Wii U owners certainly had the last laugh.

3DS Game of 2014: Bravely Default by Square Enix

The DS had a number of fantastic RPG titles in its library. The handheld boasts an incredible an already incredible library of RPGs with the likes of Fire Emblem: Awakening, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Code of Princess, and Monster Hunter Tri. Square Enix added one more gem to NIntendo 3DS in Bravely Default–one of the beautiful RPG’s ever to grace the Nintendo 3DS. When the demo launched in January, North American gamers got a taste of Bravely Default and quickly found out why the game quickly became one of Japan’s hottest titles since 2012. With another Bravely Default game already coming our way, Square Enix has found themselves with another hit on their hands–a hit which has earned the title of best 3DS Game of 2014.

Derek Kraneveldt

It seems like this year was both phenomenal and terrible for gaming. We saw a ton of great, great new titles, sequels, and indies, but also far too many remasters (one of which made it on my list… yeah), a ton of delays, and a myriad of broken-at-launch ~~Ubisoft~~ titles. There were so many games that I wanted to love, but couldn’t even stand (Watch Dogs for instance), a bunch that ended up mediocre as hell (Destiny, though I couldn’t stop playing it) and a ton of acclaimed titles that I haven’t yet had an opportunity to play (Bayonetta 2, Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter just to name a few). I’m really looking forward to 2015, if not mostly to play the games that were delayed in 2014, but also to play all of the games that I missed this year! Again, the games below are in no particular order, aside from #1.

The Last of Us: Remastered

Yep. One of the best games I played this year was an upscaled and remastered version of the best game that I played last year. That is how freaking stellar The Last of Us is. Reliving that beautiful, heartbreaking campaign but with much improved graphics and sound had me just as in awe as the first time I’d played it. It’s so hard to imagine that my first experience with TLoU had only been a year prior, but it’s a game that I can’t wait to experience once again.

This is a world that I’m terrified of, but it’s also a world that I simply can’t get enough of. Everyone needs to experience this title.

Amiibo Hunter

Amiibo Hunter is a game that I love with all of my heart, and hate with all of my wallet. I went back and forth about Amiibo figures, deciding after seeing prototypes at SDCC that I would definitely be buying a few, but changing my mind and deciding not to buy any after seeing leaked particularly bad looking figures shortly before launch.

Then, launch day rolled around. I strolled into my local Toys R Us just planning to take a look… and walked out with a Mario (little did I know that the half dozen Marth, Villager, and Wii Fit Trainer figures that were sitting on that shelf could have paid for my next trip to Comic Con).

Then, the next day came. That day I bought Link. The next day, Kirby. Now, I’m here:

It’s also brought me closer with my Geekscape brethren, which is my favourite feature of Amibo hunter. We’re all watching each other’s backs, looking for Amiibo that some of us still need, and messaging each other the hilarious stories that come up on our hunts. It’s a blast, and I can’t wait for my Luigi to get here from Alaska (thanks Shane).

On the flip side, gah, my wallet!

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Captain Toad is a fucking bad ass. We all knew it when we played the original Captain levels in 2013’s Super Mario 3D World, but we were beyond excited to learn that the Captain would be getting his own game this holiday season.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a fairly easy play through, but you’ll definitely be pounding the table in frustration trying to complete some of the tougher challenges. For the most part, it’s one of the most relaxing games that I’ve played in some time, and it’s the most fun I’ve had playing a puzzler in years. It’s also a freaking budget title, coming in at just $39.99. It’s more than worth it.

If you’re looking for more on Captain Toad, here’s my full review. TL;DR: buy the hell out of it.

Alien: Isolation

This game scared the shit out of me… before I ever even saw the Alien.

It’s also the first game that I ever played using a headset, which didn’t help the situation at all. Alien: Isolation completely slipped under my radar. By slipped, I mean that I ignored it because the Alien games have largely been terrible for years now (remember Colonial Marines), and the franchise has essentially been tarnished to the point where I didn’t even care as I walked passed their stellar booth at SDCC.

Then, the game came out and I read the reviews. Then I bought it. Then I shat my pants.

I still haven’t finished Alien: Isolation. Every time that I think about playing it, I instead think about how I don’t really feel like being scared right now and play something else. But I’m looking forward to the day when I can get back to it and take on that Xenomorph once more. The game adds some incredibly original mechanics, makes excellent use of depth-of-field, and (especially with a headset) is the scariest game that I’ve played in years.

Gah.

1. Mario Kart 8

I’m not putting Mario Kart 8 at the top of my list because I’m really, really good at it. I’m putting Mario Kart 8 on my list because I’ve put far more hours into it than any other game this year, and because that’s something that I don’t see changing any time soon.

Plus, Mario Kart 8 made my often Nintendo-bashing roommate sell his PS4 and games to buy a Wii U, which he has put far more hours into than he ever did his PS4. That has to count for something.

Whether playing along, online, or with three other people on your own couch (thank you Nintendo), there is no game in recent memory that I’ve had as much fun with as I have Mario Kart 8. It’s an absolutely gorgeous title, with a buttery-smooth framerate, and SO many tracks (and it just got eight more, with another eight coming in March).

Back when I reviewed the game in May, I said that “Mario Kart 8 is the most fun I’ve had playing a video game this year.” And that holds true to this day. It’s the best game that I’ve played all year, and I can’t wait to play it some more!

Honorable mentions: The Walking Dead: Season 2, The Wolf Among Us Super Smash Bros. Papers, Please (iOS), Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, P.T.

Joshua Jackson

Honorable Mention: Amiibo Hunter

For all intents and purposes, Amiibo Hunter is the worst game that you can get caught up in. It’s stressful, sucks up days out of your life, and constantly asks you to dish out another $12.99 for its physical DLC. It’s internal clock forces you to wake up at obscene hours to increase your chances of unlocking the latest characters, and you have to keep an eye out for douchebags in sunglasses who are looking to take them all for themselves. It’s all around terrible, but we can’t stop playing it! That alone deserves a mention, and might have actually made the list if it was a real game, rather than the sad, sad state of our lives at the moment.

14. InFamous: Second Son

The InFamous series made some huge changes when it made the jump to the Playstation 4. Aside from its obvious visual upgrade, the game took its first steps into the real world with its Seattle setting to follow its new protagonist who could learn a variety of powers. What we got from Second Son was the first glimpse of greatness from Sony’s latest console, with a memorable story and entertaining game play that made each of its miniscule eight hours of play time enjoyable. Sadly, that last aspect holds the game back, being a significantly smaller game than its two predecessors. Even still, Second Son has earned its place as one of 2014’s bright spots, so let’s hope Sucker Punch can expand on this exciting world in the inevitable sequels.

13. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

No matter how much time goes by, I don’t think the world of Middle Earth could ever get old. If you need any proof, Shadow of Mordor released as an original story within the Lord of the Rings lore, placing you primarily in the boots of a murdered ranger seeking revenge for the loss of his family. Part Batman: Arkham City, part Assassin’s Creed, Shadow of Mordor allowed us to explore Tolkien’s vision in a way we never have before, with a huge open world, many familiar characters, and an army of Uruk to destroy, this game had something to offer for fans and non-fans of the property alike.

But most impressive was its ambitious nemesis system, a non-linear system where killing certain enemies affects the enemy army. But if someone escapes your wrath or kills you, they’ll rise through the ranks and receive promotions based on their accolades over you. Even defeated enemies may come back with wounds that reflect what you did to them during your last encounter. Such ambition in a new IP is rare, and earned Shadow of Mordor a spot as one of 2014’s highlights.

12. Titanfall

As one of the most anticipated games of the year, Titanfall succeeded in almost every way that it sought out to. Its focus on movement and mechs rather than at camper friendly environment that many other shooters foster forced you to change the way you play, with large scale online battles against people all around the world. Offering some of the most fun I’ve had in a game this year, interest waned when the community started falling out and its half hearted story failed to offer much of a reason to stick around. Still, that doesn’t change how much of a blast Titanfall was, and can still be. Let’s just cross our fingers for a proper campaign next time.

11. Sunset Overdrive

Sunset Overdrive had a lot to prove. After an exciting, yet vague debut trailer, Insomniac, (of Spyro and Ratchet & Clank fame,) literally came out with guns blazing with their first Xbox exclusive. A completely tongue in cheek take on the open world game, the company took all of the lessons they learned from Ratchet and amplified them with this shooter/platformer. Framed by an anti-consumerism story where the latest energy drink is turning its consumers into mindless monsters, traveling through the city, shooting enemies while in motion, and inexplicably bouncing from car to car between power line grinds was the most fluid experience of the year. Being able to do so much in such an intuitive fashion made you feel like an instant badass, which is only held back by its barren city and repetitive missions. Still, not bad for its debut title! If nothing else, it proved that a post apocalyptic shooter doesn’t have to be grey and brown.

10. Pokemon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire

2014 marked the year that Hoenn was finally confirmed, bringing remakes of the beloved 3rd generation of Game Boy Advance games to the 3DS. Unlike most remakes however, the game went above and beyond with new features, including a series of new story elements, an expanded roster of Pokemon, and a new way to catch your favorite creatures thanks to the stellar sneaking/Pokenav mechanic. Sadly, with its status as a remake brought many of the issues that held back the originals, namely the removal of some popular features and an over-reliance on HMs that over encumbered your team with useless attacks for the majority of the game. Even still, OR/AS give me hope that the series will take some huge steps in the future to help the long running RPG series innovate in ways that it hasn’t before.

Read Josh’s review here.

9. Hyperdimension Neptunia: Re;Birth 1

I never would have expected to enjoy this title as much as I did, but yet, here we are! Named one of the best RPGs I’ve played in years, Re;Birth 1 is everything a remake should be. With a complete reconstruction of the story, an altered real time turn based battle system that took the best parts from previous entries and perfected them, and rebuilt worlds to explore, it was exactly what the starving Vita needed in terms of exclusive games. The Remake System was icing on the cake, allowing players to alter dungeon items, enemies and difficulty as you play, helping to create an experience catered to the player. Throw in the trademark Neptunia charm, silly writing that doesn’t take itself seriously, and a fair share of fan service, (assuming that doesn’t turn you off from a game,) and you get my biggest surprise hit of the year.

8. South Park: Stick Of Truth

In my review earlier in the year, I was pretty hard on Stick of Truth. Its technical issues, short length and inability to return to dungeons that you’ve completed were big problems that weighed down an otherwise entertaining RPG. But as the months have gone on, there are few games that have released this year that have stuck with me as much as South Park has, both because of its simplistic, yet effective battle system that relies on status effects, and its insane scenarios that range from gut bustingly funny to gag inducingly disgusting. At the end of the day, a game that will be remembered for years to come for its personality can help it rise above any issues the game might have had. So while Stick of Truth might not be *better* than the games below it from a technical standpoint, the strength of its overall package help make it a game we won’t ever forget.

7. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Retro Studio’s second go at the Donkey Kong franchise was everything that you would expect out of a sequel to the incredible Wii title, Donkey Kong Country Returns. Adding Dixie Kong, and the playable debut of Cranky Kong to the fray, Tropical Freeze fixed the biggest complaint that was thrown at the original. Namely, Nintendo’s stubborn decision to only allow motion controls. Now, with a variety of control options, the rest of us can experience how well designed, (and soul crushingly difficult,) these new DK games can be, namely how shocking the game can be as you progress through levels. I don’t think I’ve screamed at my TV more than I have when sharks would eat the tracks in front of my mine cart, or when a giant squid would attack while I was fighting powerful currants. Fun, challenging, well designed, and a fantastic co-op experience, there’s no doubt that Tropical Freeze belongs in every Wii U owner’s library.

6. Inazuma Eleven

Sports. RPGs. Two genres that are completely opposite from each other, yet somehow Inazuma Eleven works so well! Reminiscent of the Blitzball mini-game made famous in Final Fantasy 10, Inazuma plants you on the soccer field as a struggling team that’s in danger of being disbanded if they suffer another loss. The result is a fast paced “battle” system and crazy special moves that range from the ball being lit on fire to defenders creating mirages of themselves. Local multiplayer functions, hundreds of recruitable characters, nearly endless customization and a so absurd, it’s incredible story carries Inazuma to the 2014 championships, and it’s really telling that this port of a game that’s about half a decade old holds up so well in its long overdue North American debut. Please, let us get the sequels!

5. Fantasy Life

This has been a huge year for Level 5. Not only were they the ones behind the above mentioned Inazuma Eleven, but Professor Layton took his final bow in Azran Legacy, alongside his highly anticipated crossover with Phoenix Wright courtesy of the developer. But out of all these titles, Fantasy Life was their definite highlight. This 3DS action RPG allows your custom character to live out their “Life,” this game’s word for job class. Except instead of being a warrior or mage, you can choose to be a tailor, blacksmith, miner… Basically any of the support roles in the background of most titles in the genre. Or if you want to do everything, you can make your own armor, then switch classes and tear monsters up with your home made equipment! These features are only amplified by a simplistic, yet addicting battle system, a focus on material gathering, and a witty script that constantly put a smile on my face. Online and local multiplayer for huge monster hunts only further prove why Fantasy Life was one of the highlights of the year for me.

4. (Tie) Mario Kart 8/Forza Horizon 2

I’m not typically a huge racing guy, but Mario Kart 8 and Forza Horizon 2 exemplify everything that I love about the genre on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. With Mario Kart, we have an easy to pick up and play multiplayer funfest, where skill is just as important in the game’s 32 tracks as what item you end up with to screw your opponents over.

Forza on the other hand, offers the most beautiful open world racing environment I’ve ever seen, complete with the “Drivatar” feature that was highly touted during the Xbox One reveal. Being able to jump straight into this huge world and explore, buy cars, start events or drive side by side with real people in a mostly seamless fashion, and you get the most impressive racing sim I’ve played since Test Drive Unlimited.

They may be complete opposites when it comes to style, but these two games show off how great racing games can be in their own, distinct way, making gaming in 2014 much better off.

3. Bayonetta 2

From the minute this game was announced, the storm of controversy surrounding it could be heard all around the Internet, (and had nothing to do with how little its protagonist was wearing for once.) Yes, Bayonetta fell into that familiar trap where pockets of the gaming community claims Nintendo needs to “grow up with their audience,” yet declares that a game like this “doesn’t belong on a Nintendo system,” when they are released. Hey, if Bayo is in the same company as games like Madworld and No More Heroes, then I’d say she’s doing something right.

But when the game finally released in October, it was everything we could have wanted from an action game and so much more! Tight, fluid game play and a fairly steep challenge was expected, but the ridiculous amount of unlockables costumes, weapons, difficulties and fights still managed to blow away an action game veteran like myself.

Platinum Games wouldn’t stop there though, adding an online cooperative challenge mode with a variety of selectable characters that keep the game fresh after all the single player difficulties have been conquered. And to think, this title almost never saw the light of day. Nintendo deserves a special thank you for taking a chance on a game that other publishers wouldn’t touch, awarding us with the best action game of the generation so far.

2. Super Smash Bros for Wii U/3DS

Easily my most anticipated game of 2014 from the moment Mega Man debuted in that incredible trailer from last year, both versions of Smash fired on all cylinders to bring us the most fun, frantic fighter of the year. The ridiculous amount of characters, faster paced game play compared to Brawl, numerous stages to get beat in, an ample amount of new items, and a much improved online mode, these features alone would have been enough to top any game of the year list.

But this wasn’t all Smash delivered in its fourth entry. The 3DS version brought the game into the world of StreetPass, encouraging us to have the game at the ready for tags, which could always lead to battles! While it did have to make some conscessions when bringing such a huge title to the small screen, it managed to recreate a faithful experience that we could take on the road, complete with new features like character customization and Smash Run, a substitute for Adventure Mode that wasn’t very good. Regardless, portable Smash was an achievement in and of itself.

Which brings us to the Wii U version, which is clearly the much more realized title between the two. As the series’ first foray into an HD world, the console version abandons Smash Run for a four player board game mode that’s more fun than it should be when you’re playing with four real people. But the real main event is 8 player Smash, making an already hectic 4 player experience go completely insane! Within its chaos though, lies some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I’ve seen friends that I haven’t visited in years because everyone is so eager to give the game a go, and I can honestly say that Smash is single handedly reviving local multiplayer, which is a powerful thing. The wear and tear is showing on my Wii U from having to take it with me so often, but it’s impossible to complain, and is easily my game of the year.

Or it would be, until an unexpected wave of despair took me completely by surprise…

1. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc/Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

Even I find it hard to believe that a Japanese based text adventure that almost never made a Western debut, and on a platform most have forgotten about would be able to beat out games like the PS4’s killer app, a legendary Mario series, and the most anticipated fighter of the decade, but Danganronpa managed to do just that.

Released in mid February with little fanfare, the original Danganronpa was a screwed up game. Pitting some of the most memorable, beloved characters I’ve encountered this year in a literal death school, where the only way to escape was to get away with murdering a classmate, all orchestrated by an adorably evil teddy bear, was such a demented concept that I just couldn’t look away. Sacrificing some of the reward that comes from a game like Phoenix Wright, which asks you to solve mysteries with the evidence provided, Danganronpa 1 narrowed it down to create a faster paced experience in the form of class trials. Carried by hysterical dialogue, the class was tasked with discovering the true killer for each case, which were filled with moments that I won’t soon forget.

Danganronpa 1 could easily be on this list as a standalone title, which is a testament to how truly fantastic Danganronpa 2 was. Building on everything that its predecessor laid out while improving the amount of options given for each scenario, a brand new cast of characters with even crazier scenarios came about on the Island of Mutual Killing. While poking fun at some of the nonsensical plot points of the first game, the new adventure quickly engrosses the player in a mystery that ties up all of the loose ends left by its prequels, while leaving more bread crumbs to leave us frothing at the mouth for more. From a story standpoint, nothing comes close to Danganronpa this year.

With that in mind, I’ve said time and time again that game play is king. Without great game play, story doesn’t mean anything. It is a video GAME after all. But while Danganronpa could have relied on its morbid narrative and colorful characters, the developers at Spike Chunsoft decided that wasn’t enough, becoming a genre defining series that changes the concept of what a text adventure can be. Tying in elements of dating sims, item hording, rail shooters, logic puzzles and even snowboarding games into something that’s typically thought of as nothing but a point and click read-a-thon. It’s always admirable when a developer takes such risks in an industry that’s becoming more and more satisfied with complacency, but it’s rare that they pay off in such a big way. Danganronpa is one such case, making it the clear choice for 2014’s game of the year. Bravo, Spike Chunsoft, and by the way, thanks for Warrior’s Way!

So, how’d we do? Let us know if you agree with our choices, and be sure to share yours, in the comments below!

2013: An Alternative Music History

by DJAJSantiniDecember 31, 2013

Preamble: The obligatory year end list. Personally, I abhor most music blogs/publications’ picks because either they’re so blatantly obvious, or they lean heavily on the second half of the year and discredit songs played out in the first 6 months of the year, or they completely ignore the majority of the population’s tastes. So, without further ado, you may begin trolling now.

Pop music is eating itself. Are we out of ideas? Everything’s a sample, or a copy, or a rip-off… Just like the movie industry. I think the most original shit out there is EDM, but even that jumped the shark this year. There are only so many guitar chords, so many melody lines, so many words… But that doesn’t forgive the blatant disregard for originality in popular music today. Here’s 10 lawsuits waiting to happen that came out this year, followed by the song you should just listen to instead.

1. Flo Rida “I Cry”

Flo Rida is one of the worst offenders who really doesn’t have to exist. He’s done almost nothing original. He just raps boring, generic vomit over other people’s beats (most of the time) and gets millions of dollars for it. Another one is coming later in the list, but for now…

Listen to this instead:

Bingo Players “Cry (Just a Little)”

2. Ariana Grande “The Way (feat. Mac Miller)”

Granted, mini-Mariah has a good pop song here, but Big Punisher already had a smash with the piano riff. And Mac Miller just using Pun’s lyrics in the intro just comes across as lazy.

Listen to this instead:

Brenda Russell “A Little Bit of Love”

3. Lana Del Rey “Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Mix)”

I’ve been into Lana Del Rey (regardless that everyone keeps shitting on my head for it) for about 2 years. She really got no love on major music outlets like radio, especially after that perceived SNL fiasco, until Cedric Gervais remixed this track. The mood of the remix doesn’t even fit the lyrics…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz5hKW8BFCE

Listen to this instead:

Lana Del Rey “Summertime Sadness”

4. Anna Kendrick “Cups”

I get it. Pitch Perfect was hilarious. And this song is good. Glad it became more than just a YouTube sensation or a bit part in the film, and Anna’s a great singer… but I prefer the original.

Listen to this instead:

The Carter Family “When I’m Gone”

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xtxjd9_the-carter-family-when-i-m-gone-remastered-country-music-experience_music

5. Bruno Mars “Treasure”

I’m glad funk-sounding music is making a comeback. Something with instruments that you can dance to. I think I speak for everyone who doesn’t live by PLUR that EDM is getting out of hand and needs to go back underground and get a hold of itself. I have nothing against Bruno Mars, and I enjoyed playing this song at my DJ gigs this year, but even the video tells you it’s been done before.

Listen to this instead:

The Jacksons “Blame It On The Boogie”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzoElTAYUFY

6. Pitbull “Don’t Stop the Party (feat. TJR)”

Featuring TJR? Or just rapping over his song and making millions for saying the same shit over and over again? Pitbull is the other problem with music today (next to #1 Flo Rida). Someone neuter him. Or call the cops. This party’s been over for a while…

Listen to this instead:

Toots & The Maytals “Funky Kingston”

7. Pitbull “Feel This Moment (feat. Christina Aguilera)”

Obvious.

Listen to this instead:

a-ha “Take On Me”

8. Katy Perry “Roar”

This is anthemic and catchy and enjoyable. And I usually back up Katy on everything since we share a birthday and so I feel she is my brethren. But it’s pretty blatantly ripped off from a song that came out just months earlier that Katy herself tweeted about. Hmm…

Listen to this instead:

Sara Bareilles “Brave”

9. Florida Georgia Line “Cruise Remix (feat. Nelly)”

Seriously? There was NO NEED for Nelly to put his lame ass rhymes on this track. Or mess with the beat. It ruined a perfectly fine pop song. Notice, I didn’t say country song. Every “country” song is just a pop song about trucks and painted on jeans now. And Florida Georgia Line is the Ke$ha of country. But, leave it be. Nelly already tried his hand at country rap, but he did not in fact “turn it up” as he claims he wants to do at the beginning of the video.

Listen to this instead:

Florida Georgia Line “Cruise”

10. Robin Thicke “Blurred Lines (feat. T.I. and Pharrell)”

He’s getting sued for what everyone blatantly realized was a stolen bassline. It didn’t stop the song from being the biggest hit of 2013. The video was controversial, an X-rated Robert Palmer clip, made a minor celebrity out of Emily Ratajkowski (rivaling only Kate Upton and Jennifer Lawrence as hottest female celebrities of the year)… the song brought a much needed genuine sexiness back to pop music that Justin Timberlake failed to do with his two albums this year, regardless of feminists screaming about how it encouraged rape culture (which I can see, but was nowhere near as hideous as Rick Ross’ verse on “UOENO”). I’m torn…

Listen to this instead:

Josh Jackson’s Top 15 Gaming Moments Of 2013!

by Josh JacksonDecember 31, 2013

2013 was a great year to be a gamer, wasn’t it? While we all look ahead to 2014, let’s take a look at some of the best gaming moments of this past year.

There are definitely spoilers below, so proceed with caution!

15. Rayman Legends music stages.

There were few moments this year that put a bigger smile on my face than Rayman Legends‘ music stages. Combining rhythm with platforming, these stages had you jumping and punching to the beat of some very strange song choices. What better way to reach your goal than by doing it to a mariachi version of Eye of the Tiger?

14. Saints of Rage.

Since Saints Row 2, the open world crime game has had no problem referencing other video games. For example, the not so subtle Mass Effect spoof that lets your character romance every member of your team sans Keith David, (he doesn’t want to ruin the dynamic between crime boss and awesome actor/Vice President you see.) But those pale in comparison to Saints of Rage, a three stage side scrolling throwback to the classic Sega brawler where your character and Johnny Gat relive the latter’s biggest nightmares in 16-bit form. It’s incredible stuff.

13. Disney Infinity Intro

Disney Infinity promised a world of limitless imagination rivaling the films that put the studio on the map. If all of the advertisements didn’t wow you, the developers at Avalanche made sure to do so in the first 15 minutes of the game. Initially controlling a “spark” of imagination, players are treated to a beautiful, ever changing world led by characters such as Rapunzel, Ralph, Vanelope, Anna, Elsa and most importantly, Mickey Mouse. The scene has to be seen to believe, and is one of the most gorgeous moments of any game this year.

12. Cat Bowser

Do you ever wonder why Bowser never uses the power ups Mario comes across? I guess he started to wonder too. In the final encounter of the main campaign in Super Mario 3D World, Bowser finally wisens up and uses the Cat Bell, transforming into one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen with Cat Bowser. To make things worse, this new, furry, more agile version of Mario’s greatest foe comes across the double cherry too, having multiple Cat Bowsers trying to take you out at once. Reminiscent of the excellent end sequence from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, it’s a mad dash to the top, and one of the most exciting stages in a while.

11. Louie’s an Asshole

In Pikmin 2, it was shown that Olimar’s lazy sidekick, Louie, was the one responsible for all the hardships the duo had to go through. Not one to pass up a great opportunity to attempt to murder a group of strangers, Louie takes his douchebaggery to a whole ‘nother level by stealing the new protagonist’s reserve food with about a quarter of the game left. Keep in mind that not only have you gathered this food for hours at this point, but this food is needed for your characters to survive. The worst part is that he’s not even sorry when he gets caught! Yeah, I hope he’s in the next Smash Bros. just so I can pay him back Falcon Punch style.

10. DmC: Dante Fights a Fetus.

DmC was full of controversial moments, but none of which come close to when Dante tries to get Mundus’ attention by killing his unborn son. Little doesn he know that the mother and baby have a bit of a… let’s say symbiotic relationship. The fetus would grow large and drag the mother around while she barked orders at him to kill their foe, all while electronic music played in the backround in a dance floor arena. Yeah… it was weird, but it was awesome. And I sure as hell will never forget it.

9. Lysandre’s “Death” in Pokemon X and Y

Early Pokemon games never shyed from violence. Red and Blue led to Team Rocket killing a Pokemon and Gold and Silver had them cutting off Slowpoke tales and selling them as a delicacy. Since then, the games got much softer, but that changed with Lysandre, Team Flare’s boss and the primary antagonist of Pokemon X and Y. His ultimate plan is to use an ancient weapon to kill most humans and ALL Pokemon in order to reshape this “rotten” world into the perfect image. After going all Doctor Octopus on the protagonists, he is defeated, only to pull a last ditch effor to either use Xerneas’ power to force eternal life on himself and everyone in the building, or bring upon death with the power of Yviltal, depending on the version. Either way, the building collapses and Lysandre is seemingly killed, becoming the first main character in a Pokemon game to die. What makes it worse is that Pokemon X implies that he received eternal life before the building collapsed on him, implying that he’s still alive after being maimed and crushed in the explosion. Harsh…

8. Michael Getting Drugged

Grand Theft Auto V had tons of moments that stood out. Maybe it was the hipster conversation between Michael and Trevor. Maybe it was the much talked about torture scene. But for me? It was when Michael, who was doing his best to repair his broken family and trying to bond with his son, Jimmy, is drugged by his own son. After waking up from his drug trip, Michael finds himself clothesless, carless, and wifeless as his family ends up leaving him after his wife finds out that he was “doing drugs.” If that wasn’t a big enough middle finger, Jimmy keeps the car. Out of all the scumbags that reside in the world of GTA, this solidified Jimmy as the biggest scumbag of them all, which was hard to do considering I grew up with Pete and Pete and Danny “Little Pete” Tamberelli plays him. Ugh… what a bastard.

7. That Bioshock Infinite Ending

It’s been months since I finished Bioshock Infinite, yet the ending still feels fresh in my mind. After finally finishing off Comstock and escaping Songbird once and for all, Booker was ready to end it, making sure that Columbia and the horrors surrounding it would never come to fruition. Using her powers to traverse across alternate dimensions, Elizabeth shows Booker that there will always be a “Columbia.” There will always be a “Booker” and there will always be a “Comstock.” The universe is full of infinite realities, but with similar events unfolding in each one. It is at this point that Elizabeth from multiple dimensions converge on Booker and grant his wish, ending his stay in Columbia as it began with a baptism that washes him of his sins. After his death, each Elizabeth slowly fades away, seemingly erasing their realities and freeing Booker of his crimes by making sure they never happen. It’s incredible stuff.

6. Dying (Tomb Raider/The Last of Us)

Games as of late are striving for more and more realism, so it’s no wonder that this would eventually translate into the way characters die. With The Last of Us and Tomb Raider, they made sure to test this theory as much as possible. Glass through the throat, pikes through the skull, having your throat ripped out, getting your face ripped off… it was the kind of stuff that would make the most hardened gamers cringe. Worst of all? It made it so I couldn’t help but fail QTE’s on purpose just to see how far they would take it. Big, big mistake…

5. AZ (Pokemon X and Y)

Remember that ultimate weapon that Lysandre tried to use? You should, I just talked about it in entry number nine. Anyway, that weapon was made by AZ, an incredibly tall, incredibly dirty and probably incredibly smelly transient that is spotted multiple times throughout the game. It turns out that AZ was a king who lived with Pokemon hundreds of years ago and fought in a great war that cost the lives of humans and Pokemon alike. One of the Pokemon that was killed in battle was his best friend, a Floette that he treasured like no other. In his grief, he harnessed the power of Xerneas to grant himself and Floette eternal life while using the weapon, (presumably with Yviltal’s power,) to wipe out most of his kingdom. Ashamed and grief stricken, his Floette couldn’t live with being the reason for such destruction, so it left AZ, never to be seen again. After a very Return of the Jedi-esque award ceremony where you and your friends receive awards for saving the world, AZ appears and challenges you to a battle, claiming that your passion has helped him see the good in people again. After the battle is over, Floette senses the good in AZ’s heart return and is reunited with its friend, destined to live together for the rest of eternity. This is POKEMON GUYS! And it was one of the most touching, heart felt moments I’ve experienced in a game this year. And I won’t lie, a manly tear almost fell down my cheek. Almost.

4. Ravio’s Reveal (The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds)

Did anyone like Ravio throughout A Link Between Worlds? He barges in your house, forces you to let him live there rent free, then has the audacity to charge you huge amounts of rupees for weapons necessary for your quest. But Ravio had an ulterior motive, one that surfaces at the closing moments of the game. He reveals himself as Lorule’s Link, a protector who was too cowardly to fight for his kingdom, which eventually fell to darkness. Knowing that his Hyrule counterpart would hold the courage he lacked, he snuck off and supported Link in secret, hoping that he could save both kingdoms. After the Triforce is restored, Link and Zelda wish for Lorule’s restoration, creating another touching moment that rewards Ravio’s hopes for him and his kingdom. Plus, he made enough Rupees to retire, so there’s that…

3. The Reveal of The Phantom (Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies)

Over the course of the series, Phoenix Wright and his friends have had to go up against some of the most shocking foes the legal system has ever seen. In Dual Destinies, the big bad is an international spy who is a master of disguise, a person who has long forgotten his own face. But when it’s revealed that the spy is really Detective Fullbright, the bumbling detective that’s been present through most of the game, that’s when it really hits the fan. Apparently killing the real Fullbright months before, The Phantom takes the identity to keep a close eye on Prosecutor Blackquill, the prisoner who potentially held the secret that could blow his cover. When he’s finally cornered, an unseen sniper silences him for the rest of the game, all in the shadows to the pont where we never see his face. This was one of the most rewarding endings of a Phoenix Wright game yet, which is a tall order considering how amazing the stories typically are. I just finished it two months ago and I already can’t wait until the inevitable sixth entry. At least I’ll have Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney to hold me over.

http://youtu.be/HeuU2sZQV-o

2. Beyond: Two Souls Revenge Scene

I’m sure we’ve all wanted to go Carrie on a group of insufferable douchebags at some point in our lives, and thanks to Beyond: Two Souls, we finally get the chance. Early in the game, Jodie, the protagonist of the game, recalls a time where she was sent to a birthday party to try and get used to interacting with kids her age. As many an 80’s movie has taught us, these kids decided to bully her, including burning her with a cigarette and locking her into a closet. The moral of the story? You don’t mess with girls who might have psychic powers. The game gives you the option to unlock the closet and leave, but that’s no fun. Choosing to take revenge against the kids escalates as far as the player wants it to, which includes knocking them out with furnature, stabbing the would be boyfriend through the shoulder with a kitchen knife and setting the whole damn house on fire. The best part? Jodie just kind of sulks out of the house and rides home with The Green Goblin. Like a boss.

http://youtu.be/nVMKqVOHXXA

1. The Last of Us Intro

The Last of Us is a game full of memorable moments, from Tess to Joel’s interactions with Ellie and especially the controversial ending. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING came close to the opening moments of the game. After fighting through mass panic when the in game outbreak is first reaching critical levels, Joel attempts to escape the city with his daughter. It’s not until he comes across a lone soldier that is ordered to kill anyone on site in an attempt to quell the virus, that Joel tries to escape. He gets shot right before his brother kills the soldier, but not before realizing his daugther was fatally shot in his arms. Her cries of pain and fear while tears stream down both of their eyes is haunting, until she stops breathing, leaving Joel in a hysterical panic. And this is all in the intro.

I chose this moment because not only was it powerful, but it set the tone of the narritive and for Joel’s motivations throughout the game, making every distasteful choice he makes throughout the campaign feel somewhat relatable. He’s broken. He’s cold. And why shouldn’t he be? It’s not until he bonds with Ellie that he starts to open back up, which is where the heart of the game lies. But that heart wouldn’t be there without those pivital opening moments. This is why without question, I feel that the introduction of The Last of Us is the best gaming moment of 2013.

Retroactive Thinking: 30 Years Of Getting Weird With Al Yankovic

by SaintmortJuly 31, 2013

Back in 1983, Dr. Demento favorite “Weird Al” released his self-titled debut album. Yankovic has been one of my musical heroes; he represents everything that’s great about music, and he’s someone who the world thought would be a novelty act and a one hit wonder. Instead, he wowed them with an impressive career (outlasting about 90% of the artists he’s parodied) who can do justice to any genre and make us laugh time and time again. He’s won multiple awards, had a feature length film become a cult classic, is considered one of the greatest live performers of all time and had a beef with at least two hip-hop legends (Coolio and Eminem).

To celebrate the 30 years of music I’ve decided to sit down, relisten to every album and rank them from worst to best. There’s a few things we should discuss beforehand about what elements I was looking for in these albums:

First, we choose not to cover any of the compilations or greatest hits releases. This seems like a no brainer, but I feel like someone out there will complain that “The Food Album” isn’t ranked and that’s their favorite Yankovic record.

Second, this isn’t the most important albums or best selling albums list. This is based on how good the album is. My factoring was based on (a) how good the songs are, (b) if the parodies hold up, and (c) how good the originals are.

Third, there’s no favoritism to a popular song. Just because Fat (possibly Al’s best parody) appears on Even Worse, that doesn’t justify the record as being his best unless the other tracks hold that same strength. Again a no brainer, but people will point out that the album with their favorite song on it being ranked low. It’s not a comment on the song’s quality, but the record as a whole.

Finally, there is no bad Weird Al album. Even the lowest ranked album on this list is still a great record. Yankovic (in my highly biased opinion) can do literally no wrong.

14.Alpalooza

I’m confident that I’m going to lose people on this first one. They’ll say “But what about Polka Party?” and “I really like Bedrock Anthem”. First off, Bedrock Anthem is definitely one of the worst parodies Al ever did, even Red Hot Chili Peppers were disappointed and felt it was a phoned in parody. If you ask me, most of this album feels phoned in. It really is his “sell-out” album. Many of the songs (Bedrock Anthem, Talk Soup) were recorded for other projects (Flintsones movie soundtrack and a new theme song to the E! show). It’s contains all of Al’s worst originals and lackluster parodies. The only highlights are Livin in the Fridge and Bohemian Polka.

13. Peter and the Wolf

Few people know this record exists. I didn’t until Al was giving it away for a charity auction. I eventually tracked down a copy of it and was mostly disappointed. It’s funny. But it’s worth one listen and nothing more. The only reason this isn’t lower is that I have to admit that it’s a very ambitious project, specifically given that just 2 years earlier Polka Party’s poor sales almost ruined his career. Yankovic had JUST gotten himself back into the public eye and followed it up with this easily forgettable (and frankly unmarketable) album. If you can track down a copy it’s worth a listen… but not much more.

12. UHF Soundtrack

UHF is one of the funniest movies ever made. Sadly, the soundtrack doesn’t contain many laughs. The highlights of the record include the theme song, the Money for Nothing parody and the handful of fake commercials from the movie. However, when you remove the visuals from those commercials it’s not nearly as entertaining. It contains all of Al’s weakest parodies and personally my least favorite polka (as I’m not a huge Rolling Stones fan). Its poor sales and the disappointing box office release basically ended Yankovic’s career until Nirvana gave Al a reason to reemerge.

11. Poodle Hat

Despite having two previous releases (Bad Hair Day and Running with Scissors) being massive hits, Poodle Hat is one of Al’s worst selling records. There’s two reasons for this. First is that there was never a music video made for any songs (Eminem halted production of the Couch Potato music video) and secondly… it’s not that good of a record. It pains me to say that because I love songs on this album but it takes forever for the album to really pick up (not until the Angry White Boy Polka at track 5; which happens to be my favorite of all the polkas). Most of the parodies are forgettable and the originals (excluding the insanely impressive Hardware Store) are pretty mediocre. It’s a shame really because the few songs that work… are amazing but the rest hit the ground with a thud.

10. Polka Party!

This was/is Al’s lowest selling album (with the UHF soundtrack being a very close second). This record would have killed his career if it wasn’t for Fat two years later. Most people would probably rank this as his worst album (I’m sure even Al would) but I simply can’t: I’ve learned that while the parodies eventually become out-dated, it’s the originals that really determine the relisten value of Yankovic’s records and Polka Party simply has too many great originals to completely dismiss. Christmas At Ground Zero is a hilarious juxtaposition of post-apocalyptic story telling over a cheesy christmas tune and his Talking Heads style parody Dog Eat Dog is almost as spot on as his Devo (Dare to Be Stupid) and They Might Be Giants (Everything You Know is Wrong) style parodies

9. Off The Deep End

After a lull in his career following the disappointing box office draw of UHF Yankovic was struck by inspiration when Nirvana blew up on the scene. Off the Deep End is like the reverse of Poodle Hat. Poodle Hat I complained it took too long to get going, Off the Deep End starts off so strong and then falls apart near the end (but is saved by the beautiful closing track You Don’t Love Me Anymore). However despite complaints when this album succeeds, it succeeds in a big way. Smells Like Nirvana was huge because it was a beautiful parody of not just Nirvana but the entire grunge movement.

8. Even Worse

This is one of three albums that saved Al’s career (the second being the previously mentioned Off the Dead End). After Polka Party’s poor response Al leaped back into the public eye by lampooning Michael Jackson once again and he went big (literally). Fat is leaps and bounds a better song (and video) than Eat It. On that sad day when Al leaves this world forever it will be Fat and Amish Paradise that he will be most remembered for (you may quote me on that). Strangely enough, it was also the only song on the album to get a music video. It’s a shame since it has some fantastic tracks on it (including Lasagna, You Make Me and his Beastie Boys parody Twister). The third album to save his career was…

7. Straight Outta Lynwood

Yankovic followed up the disappointing Poodle Hat with his highest selling record (at the time) thanks to the massive White & Nerdy. This album deserved all the praise it received. Beyond the fact that all the parodies work and most of the originals are equally great this is the first album where we find Al using his comedy to get a little political. Songs like I’ll Sue Ya and Don’t Download This Song are hilarious but still contain a statement about our society. This has continued into his new more recent music.

6. In 3-D

The sophmore slump certainly didn’t exist in the world of Al Yankovic. His 2nd album was undeniably his biggest of the 80’s (and one of his biggest of all time). It was on this record that the “Weird Al” we know and love came out more strongly. In 3-D gave us our first ever Weird Al polka and our first of 2 massive Michael Jackson parodies. However while Eat It was a massive hit my favorite track is the follow up single I Lost on Jeopardy. I still can’t hear Greg Kihn Band’s original version and not immediately think of the parody lyrics instead.

5. Apocalypse

Straight Outta Lynwood was Al’s highest selling record until the following album release which outsold it and hit his highest billboard position. It contains nothing but perfect parodies and originals as he blasts through parodies of todays top artists and does style parodies for some classic groups like Queen, Meat Loaf and The Doors. Continuing the ‘sincere statements’ hidden in comedy songs found on Straight Outta Lynwood is TMZ (a parody of Taylor Swifts You Belong to Me) which discuss our generations obsession with celebrities. The highlights though are Ringtone and Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me.

4. “Weird Al” Yankovic

I’ve read/heard that Al is not particularly proud of his debut. What’s ironic is one of his complaints (There’s an accordian on every song) is part of the appeal to me. Yankovic always had an anarchic approach to music but his debut could almost be called punk rock. Between his nasally voice, his covers of The Knack and Joan Jett and the dark humored lyrics of songs like Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung all help make this record the underappreciated gem in his collection.

3. Running With Scissors

After the massive success of Amish Paradise, Al Yankovic disappeared for a few years until he found the perfect parody. It came not from a new song or artist but the long awaited Star Wars Prequel The Phantom Menace. He blended it with American Pie (released 3 decades earlier) and a massive hit was born. While I do love The Saga Begins I think the highlight of the album is in either the follow-up single It’s All About the Pentiums or the 11 minute long ranble-fest called Albuquerque. It’s hard to really pick a favorite on the record though since basically every song hits the ball out of the park.

2. Dare to Be Stupid

It may not have sold as well as In 3-D and didn’t contain a hit as massive as Eat It but Dare to Be Stupid is the highlight of Yankovic’s early career. This is the record where I believe Al’s brilliant originals really started to show their power. Songs like One More Minute, This is the Life and the title track are all the highlights of the album. On top of those classics it also contains fan-favorite (and long time encore/closing song) Yoda. This is “Weird Al” stewed to perfection. In fact only one record has been able to one up it in the 27 years since it’s release.

1. Bad Hair Day

One could argue I’m being biased. This was the first “Weird Al” album I ever owned, Amish Paradise was the first song I ever heard by him and it’s one of his most famous releases. Regardless of all that, this album has stood the test of time better than any other record he’s made. Not only do all the parodies still retain the same comedic value over a decade later but the originals are all masterpieces however the highlight of this record (and to this day the best style parody Al has ever done will always be his They Might Be Giants inspired Everything You Know is Wrong. If you are a child of the 90’s this entire album probably always will have a place in your heart.

Matt Kelly is the host of The Saint Mort Show podcast, active on twitter and constantly updating his blog Pure Mattitude.