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rjcmanahan
Reviews
The Amazing World of Gumball (2011)
Up there with the finest of Cartoon Network's New Generation
When Cartoon Network's new line of programming is brought up, people think of the following: Adventure Time for its unbridled imagery, Regular Show for its surrealism intertwined with realism and Steven Universe for its world-building and thematic storytelling/writing.
The Amazing World of Gumball, courtesy of Cartoon Network Studios Europe, is a show that can be classified in any of the categories alongside its American contemporaries. What started as a charming project between the UK and America that was rough around the edges eventually blossomed into a show that is on the same league as the above mentioned shows.
Helmed by former in-house development artist Ben Bocquelet, Gumball chronicles the escapades of the titular blue cat, Gumball Watterson, and his chaotic yet still close-knit family; pet-goldfish-turned-brother Darwin, child prodigy youngest sister Anais, overbearing and overworked mother Nicole and deadbeat, stay-at-home father Richard. They're admittedly character archetypes that we've seen many times in the past, but the way these archetypes are played with is what makes them truly memorable.
Right off the bat, the most obvious draw to the show is its art style, which is undoubtedly one of the most creative in recent memory. It's a hodgepodge of individual styles put together (hand-drawn, claymation, 8-bit, stop-motion, live-action, CGI, puppets, and so forth) to create the vibrant and illustrious town of Elmore, the show's setting, as well as the vastly diverse cast of characters. And in an odd yet refreshing way, these styles manage to compliment each other and not look like a slapdash college project.
Speaking of the characters, Elmore is inhabited by a very charming ensemble with their own separate quirks to distinguish themselves from each other. This is aided by the fact that many of them get their own time in the spotlight as opposed to just being an afterthought.
Gumball's comedy is the deal-breaker here. Is it funny? Yes. Yes, it is. As is the standard fare for Western Animation, the humor has something for every age bracket. The show still retains a family-oriented atmosphere, but it's not afraid to throw in the occasional joke that flies over kids' heads but adults will completely understand. Season 2's "The Job" and "The Storm" have two fantastic examples that I'll let you see for yourself; it's too good to just tell you.
Bolstering the humor are the solid writing and voice work. Jacob Hopkins (Gumball) and Terrell Ransem Jr. (Darwin), and their predecessors before them, Logan Grove and Kwesi Boyake, bring the youthful energy that you can expect from their characters' ages. The rest of the main cast (Teresa Gallagher as Nicole, Kyla Rae Kowaleski as Anais and Dan Russell as Richard) also do a bang-up job with their roles.
Now, when I say that the show was initially rough around the edges, that applies more to the first season, which was definitely a good outing for Mr. Bocquelet. However, it's set back by some tired and quite frankly annoying characterization, mainly from the protagonist, Gumball. Depending on the writer, he's either helplessly idiotic, not-as-idiotic but still something of a loser, or an outright punching bag, physically and emotionally. Not helped is the frequency of mean-spirited episodes in the first season such as "The Gi", "The Robot" and (arguably) "The Curse", or episodes with mind-numbing plots like "The Picnic" and "The Genius".
And that's not to say that the rest of Elmore leaves scott-free. Elmore as a whole is usually the biggest contributor to the mean-spiritedness that I mentioned. Richard Watterson, however, is arguably the worst of them all. He's more or less Homer Simpson if he were an overgrown pink bunny rabbit, except with NONE of Homer's endearing qualities.
Thankfully, the second season on-wards have seen a tremendous improvement in the show's quality, the writing more competent, the characters more consistent, the plots more engaging and mature, and the art style cleaner. And the show has only seen improvement since then.
The point about the art style is kind of subjective in the fandom. A handful of fans preferred the less-defined, less-shadowed and swifter animation from season one, which gave it a rugged appeal, while another school of thought prefer the subsequent 'cleaner' style with more defined shapes, thicker lines, shadows and slower, slightly-stilted movement. I personally go with the latter.
And that is all I have to say about The Amazing World of Gumball. It's an amazing (redundancy not intended) cartoon series that will appeal to a wide demographic much like its contemporaries and predecessors before them, thanks to its writing, its art and its characters. As of late, I actually hold both Gumball and Steven Universe in higher regard than any other show in Cartoon Network's new line-up, and that includes the other two powerhouses Adventure Time and Regular Show.
For new viewers getting into Gumball, I'd recommend the following: "The Painting", "The Meddler", "The Job", "The Third"
This show gets a ten out of ten from me, and damn right is it deserving of it.
Thank you, Ben Bocquelet, for this marvel of a show, and thank you, Cartoon Network, for your continued support of the show.
Silent Bomber (1999)
An Old Underrated Gem
As a person born in 1992, I was graced with many splendid titles to grace the "CD" era of videogaming. This is one of the less recognized examples.
Developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai, Silent Bomber is a more strategic answer to a typical 3D action/shoot-'em-up game.
The player takes the role of Jutah Fate, a war veteran/explosives professional/convict/one-man-army emotionally torn after unknowingly undertaking a military operation involving an indiscriminate massacre of a civilian town, being incarcerated as a result. Seven years later, Jutah is enlisted to a squadron of numerous strangers and is charged with the task of obliterating the spatial warship Dante, designed to destroy the planet Hornet. For a plot in a video game genre without too much focus on storytelling, it's rather insightful and decent, albeit clichéd. With traditional anime-inspired atmospheres and character archetypes here and there. However, despite the well-recognized names in the cast (Skip Stellrecht, Kirk Thornton, etc.), the same cannot be said about the English voicework.
Gameplay itself is Silent Bomber's strong point. As Jutah and making use of his bomb-dispensing E-Unit Gauntlets, the player is sent on fourteen missions, each ending in either a trying challenge or a boss battle, and all focusing on one constant aspect: Dante's slow, sure and steady destruction. Pressing Square distributes normal bombs that stack together through rapid-pressing which is denoted by a number shown in the icon, thus increasing strength and blast radius, both of which are previewed by a shockwave emanating from the icon. Circle plants one of three types of special bombs called Liquids: the fire-producing Napalm, the self-explanatory Paralysis and the ensnaring Gravity. Stocks of these can be held and toggled through with the use of the upper shoulder buttons. Targeting is achieved by holding down Square, causing one or multiple bombs to be set from distances or attach to enemies. Triangle detonates all set bombs and like normal ones, these can injure Jutah as well without caution. X is the jump button, and pressing it twice will cause Jutah to "Burst Jump", dashing towards the direction he faces. Power-ups called E-Chips are found scattered throughout the game, augmenting Jutah's stamina, bomb limit and targeting range. As with most games, Jutah has a health bar and he perishes once it is fully diminished. Also as with most games, players can choose to continue or throw in the towel. These elements culminate into an adrenaline rush that seems easy at first glance, but has an underlying vestige of complexity. Mindless destruction, while encouraged by this premise, will actually yield the player lower results at the end-mission results screen. Gameplay involving taking the least amount of damage, finishing a mission as quickly as possible and the constant exploiting of the game's well-hidden Score Multiplier, which is increased with each destroyed enemy, stopped at x10 and reset after three seconds of not being able to continue the streak, all lead to the best rank possible, ranging from D to S. Thus the true challenge for players is set.
Despite coming off as a 3-day rental, Silent Bomber offers surprising replay value in the form of being able to redo missions with current power-ups and more significantly the VR Arena. By collecting disseminated items called Data Chips, found in several missions, more and more characters become available for use in this fighting game-style rumble, where two are pitted against each other in a fight to the death. This is best done with two-players, considering the annoying, reactionary AI. Three more characters can be unlocked by achieving the tremendous feat of achieving the ranks B to S in all fourteen missions.
SB's music incorporates futuristic techno sounds, which fits with the overall setting and mood. Just barely making up for its somewhat forgettable nature. Sound quality itself is quite clean, but a few do one-up certain ones.
Altogether, Silent Bomber is one of the hard-to-find Playstation treasures that become a worthwhile investment if indeed found. Besides some moments of unreasonable difficulty in a few select stages, the below-average voice acting, the average sound quality and the rather clunky physics in the game, which makes for a few lackluster platforming, this game's pros heavily outweigh these minor cons. Given the fact that this is during an early period of video games, which thus haven't fully evolved yet compared to today, these faults are easily forgiven and are ignored entirely. A ten out of ten to a polished, well-presented and exhilarating experience. Tremendous job and thumbs up to you, CyberConnect2.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011)
Surprised with the IMDb average rating; an "okay" entry to the long-running crossover
*Sigh* After roughly a decade of development hell, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds was finally announced first quarter of 2010. Capcom had showcased a major overhaul in practically every field that the "Versus" series was known and loved for, from design aesthetics to gameplay, while at the same time, giving fanservice to long-time fans. Over the course of 2010, Capcom did everything in their promotional power to hype up this new installment that has existed for 15 years, with periodical revelations of characters to be included to the roster, the seasonal trailers that built up much anticipation for a so-called "deep and complex" storyline, play-testing and the official GameSpot tournament early this year.
Sadly, the terms "Wasted Potential" and "Broken Promises" fit into context with a game like this, especially considering the amount of time spent on development.
To begin with, the overall design themes look very crisp and clean - favoring 3D models over the trademark 2D drawn sprites from previous incarnations. This means smoother, less-choppy animation from the characters. Rendered using cel-shading to give each model a hand-drawn look, as though they had come from comic book pages, this works for the most part, coupled with a comic book font for on-screen text. And I see this as a vast improvement in the design department. Although the menus have been ignored, what with their bland layout and lack of inspiration.
The character cast has a love-hate relationship with the audience, some being considered as "wastes of character slots" (M.O.D.O.K, Crimson Viper), clones of their more recognizable counterparts (X-23, She-Hulk) or fodder for the competitive scene (the ever-infamous Magneto, Storm and Sentinel). And the roster being reduced by 20 from the massive 56 in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Yes, the character choices can be questionable. But the cast stands out for being far more diverse and allowing less-recognized characters into the spotlight. This is pretty much a quantity vs quality issue, with the development team striving for the latter. Made more obvious with the excellent casting (Maria Canals, Jennifer Hale, Tom Kane, JYB, Steven Blum, Tara Strong)
The sound of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is what the series should have always had, with two sound effects sets categorized as Classic and Dynamic, featuring semi-realistic hitting sounds, a "choral" clip for the more powerful maneuvers and many more. Fanservice defines what the music is - theme songs either remixes of music from the characters' original games or remixes of the themes used in past Vs. series games, and the infamous "Take You For a Ride" from Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Just like the sound effects, the music is categorized as Classic and Dynamic, the latter consisting of enriching, orchestral and atmospheric background music.
Gameplay is without a doubt the most changed element in this long-running crossover. MvC3 utilizes the same engine used in the highly-successful 2008 anime and video game character crossover, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, consisting of the borrowed button scheme (taken from games such as Guilty Gear and BlazBlue) and two assist buttons, all while maintaining the deviation between Normal, Special and Hyper Combo attacks. When considering the numerous bugs and glitches (which are still existent in this installment) that defined the competitive scene, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is one of the most technical and unbalanced fighting games of all time. TvC's engine is a much more simplified take on the crossover fighting, which in turn means that MvC3 is more casual-gamer friendly, perhaps even more so than Tatsunoko itself, especially with the inclusion of Simple Mode, allowing for easier execution in a matter of nanoseconds. Nonetheless, the emphasis on high-adrenaline, fast-paced, combo-based, three-character-team combat is still present. One particular drawback in gameplay is the X-Factor mechanic. Staying true to the original idea behind the term, this gives players a temporary, one-use-per-battle enhancement in strength, speed and health regeneration. Strengthened by every defeated teammate, the odds of making a comeback are increased greatly, to the point where it ruins the game and gives players something to complain about. The gameplay is more balanced than MvC2 in the sense that all characters have a fighting chance, but still unbalanced nonetheless in terms of how quickly the tide of battle can and will be turned.
Now what exactly leaves many a player disappointed with MvC3 besides the X-Factor? With the fighting game staples, arcade, versus, practice and mission modes, this game is fine, right? Unfortunately, no. Those are the only things available for you to do. Not acceptable in today's day and age. Looking back at the analogy I've made between the game and the terms I've described above ("Wasted Potential" and "Broken Promises"), one sees that the game is unfinished, either purposefully or out of sheer laziness, in terms of content. The so-called unlockables only take roughly 3 hours or less to obtain, with hidden characters unlocked in less than an hour. Most likely this is just Capcom's flawed business ploy put into action, i.e. taking as much money from its demographic through downloadable content (i.e. Jill Valentine and Shuma-Gorath) and rehashes. And God forbid we mention the promise of a deep and complex storyline involving Albert Wesker and Doctor Doom conquering both their respective home realms. No. Simple, two-page, no-dialog endings do not equal deep and complex, let alone what the endings themselves are about. Again, acceptable back then, but not today.
MvC3 is by no means a bad game. But it is also by no means "Game of the Year". Besides the presentation, sound, voice acting and gameplay, the lack of content, the trademark gameplay imbalances and glitches, Capcom's flawed business ploy, the fanboy following and the elitist competitive fools all bring the game down severely. I've been meaning to move on to Mortal Kombat, but Australia's Classification System is also flawed. How disappointing... All of it.
Tekken 6 (2007)
A slight mess...yet a mess that still excels, nonetheless
I have enjoyed the Tekken series since the third game. There's probably not a single Tekken game that I've credited while remaining unbiased. Tekken 6 is no exception.
Here's MY review...
Tekken 6 sees the return of ever lovable veterans, from the self-conflicted Jin Kazama to the ruthless yet miraculously honorable Nina Williams and her flirtatious sister Anna to the hot-blooded and bumbling Paul Phoenix, and the introduction of fresh and likable faces, Lars Alexandersson and Alisa Bosconovitch. With a roster spanning approximately 40 characters, this game surpasses Tekken Tag for the largest roster in the series. Each one has a distinct personality and separate reason for participating.
Music for Tekken retains the "Big Beat" style starting from Tekken 3 while adding its blend of a range of rustic, orchestral, techno, trance, eurobeat or comic influences in the mix. No matter where you fight, or what mood the melody may set, you'll always be throwing out punches and kicks to a great beat. Some BGM may not be accepted by certain people (Hidden Retreat for example), but that's simply a matter of taste and fascination.
Combat for Tekken 6 is classic Tekken combat; four buttons, with each one associated to a separate limb of the human body. But this game introduces the new (both interesting and unnecessary) "Bound" and "Rage" Systems. Tekken has always been known for a combatant trying to gain the upper hand and keeping his/her opponent airborne with a series of attacks. The Bound System forces a knocked down opponent to recoil violently on the ground, making the lower body lift upwards, thus presenting opportunities to further continue the assault. When at a 1/8 threshold of health, the character will glow red as if enraged, hence the Rage System, and increase in strength. As a last resort, this system can be very powerful, and has often led to many miraculous comebacks. That being said, the Bound and Rage Systems can and will often lead to repetitiveness and imbalance, respectively. With combos being the best way to victory, players will often develop the notion of trying to perform them as often as possible. Paired with the Rage system, this means unfair amounts of health lost per combo. In terms of learning curve, Tekken 6 remains true to the 'easy to learn, hard to master' mentality commonplace to fighting games.
Being the very first Namco game to utilize the Octave Game Engine, Tekken has improved with its character model designs and visual presentation. While there are others that surpass this game in said department, the backgrounds, character designs and elaborate menu are still a treat to stare at.
Many modes are available on the fly for the player. These include the New Scenario Campaign beat 'em up and the classics: Arcade, Versus, Time Attack, Team Battle, Survival, Ghost Battle, Practice, Customize (under the Profile option) and Gallery. All modes will give you a feel for the mechanics of Tekken, plus the opportunity to witness CGI cut scenes after clearing certain conditions and gain an insight on each combatant's life outside the arena. Not to mention give your favorite fighters a dazzling look (from sunglasses to wristbands to swords to name a few, some of which are even usable) when they DO enter the arena.
The story continues on from Tekken 5. Emerging victorious at the last tournament, Jin Kazama sits on the Mishima Zaibatsu throne and declares an all-out war against the entire world! Many of the combatants have a personal agenda with Jin, and drives them to clench their fists. The story remains decent and gripping, with its recurring theme being family matters and conflict taken to extremes. Some areas will be convoluted and confusing, but are all presented very well thanks to informative cut scenes and above average dialog.
Speaking of the story...
The only real disappointment I have is in the Scenario Campaign. Following Lars and Alisa, this mode replaces Arcade Mode as the main storyteller. Stage designs for the most part are bland and uninspired, as are the enemies encountered on your adventure. Regular enemies and bosses tend to be infuriatingly difficult. Camera controls can feel clumsy; you might not be able to find scattered items or an enemy approaching you. What's more, the combat controls overlap. Until you actually encounter an enemy, only then will the regular combat controls apply. Otherwise, it's a just-as-badly executed exploration experience.
Online mode is another issue. Often a typical online fun fight turns into a hellish slide show presentation; games can and most definitely will lag back and forth, making combos, let alone single commands, difficult to do. Thus they shouldn't be treated the same way as a typical 1-on-1 battle.
While the loading may be an issue, this is easily bypassed simply by installing the game into the console.
Overall...Tekken 6 shines. Several factors hold it back from being one of the best 3D fighting game experiences ever. As usual, it's best to rent a copy before making a purchase.
Yin! Yang! Yo! (2006)
A very impressive show indeed...
After countless broadcasts of poorly-conceived shows, I had doubts on this one. But after one reluctant viewing of one episode, I began to favor the show... Yin Yang Yo! excels each one of my expectations - Plot, Presentation and Audio.
Plot - The plot line follows a pair of twin rabbits, Yin and Yang, who display the main aesthetics of the typical brother/sister pair: often competing and disagreeing with each other, yet caring for one another and helping each other when the need arises. However, unlike normal rabbits, they are trained in the ancient "Woo Foo" martial arts by the sole-surviving master practitioner, a grumpy panda named Yo. The story's combination of the action/adventure and comedy genre is remarkable; humor is attainable by all-ages, fighting scenes grab the interest of the audience and show lessons of morality, plus they aren't very preachy, are quite subtle and often relate to the everyday lives of viewers.
Presentation - Bob Boyle's use of Flash technology for the animation seemed kind of unconventional at first, but really pushed the limitations of Western animations and is presented beautifully with great results in return.
Audio - The music (the theme song to be more specific) was the only weak-point (a minor one at that) that I could detect for the show. Yin Yang Yo!'s theme song is yet another commercially-inspired hip-hop song that shows how the very idea of this kind of music is really losing its appeal. Kyle Massey's performance was the disappointment in this one. On the other hand, Michael Tavera's (known for his compositional work for music from "The Land Before Time"; not the original one, but the following sequels) overall score composition perfectly fits with the mood that the scenes exhibit.
Overall, I enjoy the show for two reasons. The first reason - Yin Yang Yo!'s inspiration is drawn from a plethora of ideas such as the mystic and close-quarters-combat-based fighting popularized from Street Fighter and its writing style is similar to Metal Gear Solid - it is the combination of its disarming humor (not taking itself too seriously) and an epic and intriguing storyline that viewers draw interest on. The second reason is the fact that I can completely relate to this show. I have a sister, and almost every episode of this show makes me realize how fortunate I am to have a sibling and how much I want to have a closer relationship with her...
Yin Yang Yo! gets a 10/10 from me. Impressive, Disney Channel... I mean, Jetix!
Cory in the House (2007)
A reflection on what "Disney" truly is...
I speak on behalf of all the dedicated fans and devotees to the late and great Walt Disney. This horrible excuse for a television show does not even deserve to fit under the sit-com genre, let alone call it a property of Disney. It is difficult for me to describe this programme when you've made a summarization of words that define "Cory in the House". These words could be passé, pitiful, pathetic, disgusting, inexperienced or whatever term fits within the same context. Anyway...
To be honest, after seeing the countless promotions for this show, I had high expectations, knowing the geniuses behind "That's So Raven" were in charge of production. It would seem like Cory Baxter would carry out his older sister Raven's legacy as THE Disney Channel character. But as the show was released to all Foxtel Digital subscribers here in Australia, alas... my mouth was flooded with vomit. The creator's attempt at creating seemingly humorous phrases with words no human being has ever heard of... very poor portrayal of characters, such as Newt Livingston's stupidity-without-reason and Sophie Martinez's vibrant yet vindictive personality... unrealistic scenarios that make it difficult for the audience to relate to their OWN scenarios, such as Cory Baxter's wish to become the president of the U.S.A. becoming a reality and in turn becoming the primary target of a race of extraterrestrials... everything... "Cory in the House" is basically a poor man's "Seinfeld"...
Every time I see this title under the day's schedule, I try to avoid it, of course. I peek at the episode rarely, because I believe that the producers have the potential to make this show Emmy-worthy. Then again, these beliefs of mine were stomped on by these lukewarm scenes that aren't worthy of being transmitted to a television operated with a crank... "Cory in the House" = TV's poison, bane and demise...
I'd rate ita 0 out of 10, but a 1 out of 10 is the lowest I can get...