Mario has always been gaming’s renaissance man. Whereas most video game series fit into a particular genre and stick with it, Mario has been the vessel with which Nintendo stretches their creative muscle. Not only are the core Mario platformers ever evolving with their ideas, but Mario and his world have found their way into pretty much every genre the medium has to offer. Mario Kart is the most famous of Mario spinoffs, but the mustachioed hero has also found his way into puzzle games, party games, and virtually every sport under the sun. Mario’s versatility was put to its biggest test on the Super Nintendo way back in 1996, however, with the release of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
At the time, the story-driven, dialogue-heavy RPG genre seemed as far removed from the instantaneous fun of the Super Mario series as you could get. But Nintendo and Squaresoft (now Square-Enix) made the oddball combination work. And work beautifully.
Though initially conceived as a more traditional RPG in both gameplay and setting by Square (Mario was originally to ride a horse and use a sword), Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto was intrigued by the concept of the game, but not the direction, and took matters into his own hands as a creative consultant to find a balance between making the game more Mario-esque, while simultaneously making it unlike any Mario game that had come before (or since). The end result is a game that subverted both the RPG genre and the Mario series, and even toyed with gaming conventions themselves. A humorous story filled with oddball characters (even by Mario standards) and completed with an interactive battle system, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars proved to be one of the brightest highlights in a series that has never had a shortage of highlights.
Sadly, despite winning critical acclaim and becoming one of the most beloved Mario games and RPGs of all time, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars proved to be a one and done. With Square and Nintendo going their separate ways shortly after the release of Super Mario RPG, everything that the game brought to the Mario series seemed locked in that moment in time, never to be revisited. Though the game’s DNA can be felt in its spiritual successors Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi (and the many indie RPGs it inspired, such as Undertale), Super Mario RPG is one of the exceedingly rare Mario games to never get a sequel. And with Square bizarrely getting the rights to the unique characters and elements Super Mario RPG brought into the Mario universe, they seemed destined to obscurity. Fans have begged Nintendo to include the character “Geno” in Super Smash Bros. for two decades now, only for their wishes to go ignored by willingly deaf ears.
After twenty-seven years and repeated disappointments, fans of the beloved RPG had understandably given up hope that Nintendo and Square would ever remember Super Mario RPG. That is until that fateful morning in June 2023, when during a Nintendo Direct, Nintendo revealed a full-blown remake of Super Mario RPG for the Nintendo Switch, an announcement that brought many fans to tears (myself very much included). Released on November 17th 2023, the Super Mario RPG remake proved to be everything fans could’ve hoped for and more. It’s the same Super Mario RPG we know and love (sans the “Legend of the Seven Stars” subtitle), only it looks and sounds better than ever, and even includes a few meaningful gameplay additions and tweaks to make this classic feel even more timeless.
The story begins the same as it always does, with Bowser absconding with Princess Peach, and Mario setting out to rescue her. Mario immediately finds himself in Bowser’s Castle (referred to here as “Bowser’s Keep”), instantly letting the player know something is different. Just as Mario defeats Bowser and is about to rescue the princess, a massive sword descends from the sky and plunges into Bowser’s Keep, resulting in a tremendous earthquake that sends the trio of Mario, Bowser and Peach into different regions of the Mushroom Kingdom.
It turns out the giant sword is “Exor,” a servant of an evil blacksmith from another world named “Smithy.” The Smithy gang – an assortment of anthropomorphic weapons created by Smithy – plan to take over Mario’s world. After the Smithy Gang take over the castle and Bowser’s army, Exor destroys the path to Bowser’s Keep, meaning Mario will have to journey across the world to find entry into the castle. Things are even more dire than Mario realizes, however, as during its descent into Mario’s world, Exor slashed through the Star Road, shattering it into seven Star Pieces. The Star Road, it turns out, is where people’s wishes go in order to be granted. With the Star Road broken, people’s wishes can’t come true.
Luckily for Mario, he won’t be alone, as he gains four valuable allies during his adventure. Princess Peach and even Bowser himself join Mario’s team, alongside two characters unique to Super Mario RPG: Mallow and Geno. Mallow is a cute and fluffy fellow who believes himself to be a frog. He possesses powerful weather-based magic and wants to become brave like Mario. Geno is an otherworldly being on a mission to repair the Star Road, taking possession of the body of a doll which makes him something of a cross between Gandalf and Buzz Lightyear. So Mario and his friends (and Bowser) go on an adventure to recover the seven Star Pieces in order to repair Star Road so people’s wishes can come true, before the Smithy Gang can get control of them to make Smithy’s dark desires a reality.
Super Mario RPG was the first story-heavy Mario game, and appropriately, it’s as charming as video game stories get. Though Mario is his usual, silent protagonist self, the game brings out so much personality (and humor) from its characters, both new and returning. Princess Peach wants to prove herself a hero, tired of being in the damsel-in-distress role. Bowser’s personality as a self-conscious, insecure bully (depicted heavily in The Super Mario Bros. Movie) was first developed here. Mallow is the sensitive kid who wants to prove he’s not a crybaby. And Geno is the sagely mentor guiding everyone through the journey. Along the way, you’ll encounter a parade of quirky characters both good and evil, from wise old frogs to would-be gangster crocodiles to a hairy, beetle-obsessed manchild named Booster. Even the Smithy Gang are mostly a bunch of weirdos. For the first time ever, Super Mario RPG gave players a peak behind the curtain of the Mushroom Kingdom and gave gaming’s best series a fairytale story to go with it.
Of course, when it comes to old school, turn-based RPGs, the genre was mainly comprised of two halves: the story, and the battle system. And much like Super Mario RPG injected a unique dose of personality and humor into its story, it similarly subverted the traditional RPG battle system with Action Commands, one of gaming’s more subtle innovations which brought the RPG genre up to pace with the action of the Super Mario series.
Preparing your characters for battle is much simpler than most RPGs. Instead of a host of equipment to keep track of, each character simply has a weapon (for attack), armor (for defense) and an accessory (which grant various bonuses). Each character has hit points, while they share a collective pool of “Flower Points” (used for special attacks). Gain enough experience points and you level up, where players can further boost a character’s hit points, physical attack and defense, or magic attack and defense (now accompanied by the best victory screen in gaming). It’s a simple format that hides a lot of depth.
While typical RPGs of the 90s saw players simply select moves and items from a menu and watch the action play out, Super Mario RPG made its battle system more interactive through Action Commands, timed button presses that, if performed correctly, make Mario and friends’ attacks stronger and reduce the damage inflicted by enemies when on the defensive. Most attacks see the player time a button press just before making a hit, while others may involve button-mashing, twirling the control stick, or holding a button and letting go at the right second. It may sound like a small bit of interactivity injected into the genre, but it ultimately made a world of difference in making Super Mario RPG more fun (and timeless) to its contemporaries.
The battle system has even been improved in this Nintendo Switch remake with a few new mechanics added into the mix. Notably, performing an Action Command correctly will cause splash damage to the other enemies on the battlefield, in addition to building up a new meter. When filled, this meter allows the player to perform brand new Triple Moves, a kind of super attack that changes depending on which three party members the player is currently using (complete with cinematic flair). These new inclusions add a whole new layer to the battle system, making it even more fun than ever before.
“Mario, Peach and Geno’s Triple Move protects each member of the party from the next attack, no matter how powerful.”
Another seemingly small (but actually quite big) change comes in the ability to swap party members mid-fight. Though you can still only use three of the five characters at a given time, and Mario must always be present as in the original, you can now swap the other two party members out at any time. This is a very important change that means the player can now alter battle strategies as necessary, instead of being locked into the team you went into battle with.
Other, smaller changes have been made, such as each party member providing a passive bonus when in the active team (Mallow provides a boost to magic attacks, while Bowser increases physical defense, and so on). The battle system of the Super Mario RPG remake should be seen as a perfect example of how to update a classic, while still retaining what made it special to begin with. The same could be said for the game as a whole, as everything fans loved about the original is still intact, but with those little added bits and pieces to make things a little more accessible to modern audiences. Players can now revisit previous locations via the pause menu instead of having to backtrack an area and traversing the world map. Players can hold more items, and there’s even a storage box present for excess items. And now there are clearer visual cues for when to perform Action Commands. Things of that nature.
Additional changes are simply done for the love of the game, such as the inclusion of an in-game journal (where Mallow and Geno log the events of their adventure) and a monster list that includes every monster Mario and company encounter, complete with their statistics, animations and ever-humorous descriptions. Additions such as these weren’t necessary, but infinitely appreciated. They’re a gift to the fans.
Another element that set Super Mario RPG apart from other RPGs of its day were the barrage of mini-games featured in the adventure. While RPGs often have sidequests, they tended to feature more of the same gameplay, but Super Mario RPG is constantly throwing fun mini-games the player’s way, each of which changing up the gameplay throughout Mario’s quest. The infamous Yoshi racing mini-game makes a return (now with those aforementioned visual cues to ease things a bit), the mine kart ride, composing music with tadpoles, and the trip through a river which looks like something out of Disneyland are all left beautifully intact. The best Mario games are the ones that are constantly introducing fun ideas up to the very end, and the transition to the RPG genre didn’t get in the way of that mentality. Super Mario RPG remains one of the most varied Mario games of all time. It’s as much a variety show as it is an RPG masterpiece.
The game has, naturally, been rebuilt from the ground-up. Though everything remains in place from where it was back in 1996, the game looks beautifully up-to-date for the Nintendo Switch. The isometric overworld and its locales are still as dreamlike as ever, but now with modernized graphics, a wider range of color, and some truly stunning lighting. You’d never know Super Mario RPG were a remake just from looking at it. It’s one of the best-looking games on the Nintendo Switch. It’s a gorgeous game.
One of the most iconic elements of Super Mario RPG has always been its musical score, composed by Yoko Shimomura (composer of Street Fighter II and Kingdom Hearts, among others). The soundtrack has always been one of the most beloved in not just the Mario series, but in gaming as a whole (personally, I may place it second of all time, behind only Donkey Kong Country 2’s soundtrack). Much like the visuals, the music of Super Mario RPG has been made anew. All the iconic themes are still intact, only now with the advantage of a full orchestra and big band instruments. From the merry music of the Mushroom Kingdom to the dastardly themes of the Smithy Gang and everything in between, the soundtrack to Super Mario RPG soars even higher than ever. It’s Yoko Shimomura’s best work, made even better. And if you happen to be feeling nostalgic for all the tunes in their original form, players have the option of switching to the classic soundtrack at any time. It’s a win/win.
“A-Aurora borealis?! At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the Mushroom Kingdom, localized entirely in Belome’s Temple?!”
Another fun little detail is that, while the graphics and music have been updated, the majority of sound effects are the same as they were on the Super Nintendo (Bowser’s laugh and Yoshi’s more modern sounds are the exceptions). Super Mario RPG was always one of those games with sound effects that were distinct to itself, and something would have felt off if they were changed here. So to have the classic sound effects alongside modernized visuals and music was a perfect way to blend the old alongside the new.
This is everything a remake of a classic should be. Super Mario RPG on Nintendo Switch is the same game we all know and love, but it has never looked, sounded or played better. It’s one of the most legendary Mario games and RPGs brought to a whole new level (there’s even a host of post-game bosses, new to the remake, waiting for those who complete the main adventure). It’s somehow both a remake of the original game, and a love letter to it.
Super Mario RPG on Nintendo Switch feels like a dream. The one Mario game we thought would never really be acknowledged again, brought back in full force. It felt like such an impossibility for so long, that it often felt surreal simply playing through it. It’s a pitch perfect remake of one of Nintendo’s all-time greatest achievements. Aside from a few name changes to a handful of characters and items, it’s the same beautifully weird and timeless adventure we’ve always loved. Twenty-seven years later, it’s still gaming’s greatest fairy tale, one of the funniest and most charming video games ever made, and the closest thing to playing a Disney movie. Now maybe Nintendo and Square can finally get to work on a sequel! Okay, one miracle at a time…
It may no longer boast the subtitle of “Legend of the Seven Stars.” But Super Mario RPG on the Nintendo Switch is still, quite simply, a legend.
… Oops! I mean… Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody! I hope your day is filled with love and joy! You deserve a big smooch!
Before we begin the festivities, I’d like to wish everyone a very happy holiday!
Merry Christmas!
Happy Hanukkah!
Happy Kwanzaa!
Happy Festivus!
Happy everybody!
Whatever holiday(s) you celebrate, I hope you have a great one, you sly fox, you! And here’s to a happy 2024! May the new year bring you happiness, and may it make me more consistent with writing my reviews and whatnot.
Speaking of my writing, Christmas Day also marks the anniversary of this site! Yeah, Christmas Day 2014, to be exact! Geez, we’ve hit the ninth anniversary already… I’m really going to have to try and go big for next year’s big one-oh.
So Happy Holidays, Happy Wizard Dojo, and Good Moleman to you!
Now then, let’s not dillydally any longer. Let us begin this Christmas special!
My Top 10 Movies of 2023
2023 has proven to be a stacked year for cinema. Whether big budget, small budget, mainstream, artsy, indie, foreign, or some other category, 2023 was like a treasure trove of movies in a lot of ways.
While I normally like to write my favorite film(s) of the year list as its own post here, this time I figured I’d add it to my annual Christmas Special and see how it goes. Besides, for various reasons I rarely end up making my best films of the year post until well into the next year, long after most people would care to read it. At least this time I’m timely.
Again, there was no shortage of great movies in 2023, but I feel my list of the year’s best may differ somewhat from most peoples. Sure, I’ve mostly selected some popular choices, but popular in that they were popular with general audience as well as some for the more artsy crowd. Though some of those same artsy folk would surely form an angry mob at the sight of my list, as there’s no Killers of the Flower Moon (lord knows as much as they hate fans of popular movies, the “cinema crowd” are also basically fanboys for Martin Scorsese). Flower Moon is a great film in many respects. Just not one of my best of the year (it loses some additional points for Scorsese’s shoehorned cameo in the end, which is presented in such a way it feels like the movie expects us to be in awe at the director’s on-screen presence). Also of note, there’s no Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on my list. Again, mostly great, but it feels like it’s its own biggest fan. And there are still a handful of 2023 movies I still need to see (I can always revise the list later, if need be).
My list contains films which I think are either A) artful but lacking in the self-indulgence of the above mentioned films, and B) movies that were pure fun. Because I’m a human being and not a robot, I like fun.
Chances are you may disagree with my list, either through some of the entries or their placements. But what are you gonna do about it? It’s my list! Here I am all powerful! Mwahahahaha!
*Ahem!*
Maybe… Maybe we should just get to the list now…
10:Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is not what it once was. While the crossover mega-franchise may have once guaranteed a good time (of varying degrees), it seemed like once everything up to that point had been wrapped up with Avengers: Endgame, the MCU lost all sense of direction. Even the aspects we used to like about the individual films no longer worked in the post-Endgame MCU. The MCU movies now feel more contrived as they go through the motions, desperately trying to setup the next big crossover event (which still hasn’t even happened yet).
Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 felt like a fun return to form. If even just a one-time return to form. It has all the usual trappings that used to make the MCU so consistently entertaining, but importantly (and uniquely, in the MCU), Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 actually had something to say.
Surprisingly, Guardians 3 shifted the focus from Peter Quill to Rocket, and with a good reason: the movie is all about the beauty of animals, and the empathy we should have for them. As an animal lover myself, I definitely had to appreciate that. It’s the only Marvel movie to ever make me teary-eyed.
9: John Wick: Chapter 4
The John Wick series has long-since elevated fight-oriented action films, and the fourth (final?) entry takes things to all new, ludicrous heights. At nearly three hours long, it may sound bloated on paper, but because the spectacular action the series is known for is on full display – and just never lets up – it’s three hours in which there’s never a dull moment.
Perhaps the “chapter 4” in the title does the film a disservice. Yes, it is the fourth John Wick movie, but it’s on such a grander scale than those that came before it (and not just because of the runtime), and so much happens throughout the movie, that it’s more of its own saga than a mere “chapter” in the series.
It takes a truly competent film to feature so much non-stop action (in the most literal sense. It doesn’t let up!) for nearly three hours and never feel exhausting. But John Wick: Chapter 4 more than lives up to the challenge. I’m sure the franchise will continue in various different guises and forms. But if Chapter 4 is the sendoff of John Wick proper, it’s a hell of a way to go out.
8: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Speaking of a franchise that elevates action, what Jon Wick did for fight choreography, Mission: Impossible has done for stunt work and larger-than-life set pieces. And the seventh installment in the series, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One raises the bar once again. It’s as entertaining as its title is a mouthful.
Honestly, how many franchises can say they’re still running at full steam by their seventh installment? I’m seriously struggling to think if any other movie series has been as consistent as Mission: Impossible. Sure, the second installment is a bit of a black sheep, but so what when the rest of the series only got better and better after that? The series’ reliability is as impressive as the death-defying situations Ethan Hunt constantly gets swept up in.
With Dead Reckoning Part Two still on the horizon, there’s at least one more globe-trotting espionage adventure for Ethan Hunt and company to partake in. But I have to admit, Dead Reckoning Part One sets the standard for stunts and set pieces so high, it may be difficult even for future Mission: Impossibles to top.
7: Barbie
Barbie may be the weirdest movie phenomenon of the last few decades. A film based on a toyline that has some insightful things to say, with a tongue-in-cheek tone, and a bit of surrealist world-building doesn’t sound like the usual billion-dollar movie. Yet somehow, Barbie worked. And worked well, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year, and being one half of the duel phenomenon of “Barbenheimer” alongside its unlikely “sister film,” Oppenheimer.
Though I greatly enjoyed Barbie, I would like to take a quick moment to point out my one big complaint with the movie (seeing as I’ve been meaning to write a proper review of it, but still haven’t gotten to it yet): I don’t think it’s really a kids’ movie. That’s not to say that it’s inappropriate (aside from the occasional adult joke, but that’s nothing new in children’s media), just that I don’t think it has much in the way for kids to enjoy outside of the bright colors, which seems like an arrogant oversight by the filmmakers. As someone who has seen many children’s films that have more than enough depth and intelligence for adults, it is a shame that one of the most acclaimed “children’s films” in recent memory is essentially a movie made for adults that just happens to be based off a children’s toyline.
Did that sound too negative? Well, Barbie made it onto my list, and at number 7. So obviously I do think highly of it. But I have been meaning to get that complaint off my chest for a while. And it is that one element that prevents me from placing Barbie even higher up on this list.
Even still, Barbie is a fun and intelligent movie that’s all too easy to enjoy. It may even be the start of a whole new type of blockbuster.
6: Oppenheimer
The other half of ‘Barbenheimer.’
Though the biopic is a genre that really ran its course throughout the 2010s, Oppenheimer proves that great filmmaking equals a great film, even in an oversaturated genre. Christopher Nolan is at the top of his game here, making what I think is the director’s best film since The Dark Knight.
The acting, directing and music of Oppenheimer really make the film feel tense throughout. Even in its humbler moments, it still builds that tension so well because you know the horror the film is ultimately leading up to. And appropriately, it dissolves into tragedy once all is said and done.
5: Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla: Minus One puts up a good argument to being the best Godzilla film ever made. It goes back to the roots of the series (Godzilla being a metaphor for atomic devastation, a critique on Japan’s government, etc.), but it adds the theme of finding appreciation and beauty in life itself, even in the face of pure, absolute devastation.
Minus One checks all the boxes for a great Godzilla movie, but perhaps even more impressively, it works wonderfully even if you’re someone who’s not overly familiar with the King of the Monsters. It’s simply a gripping film from start to finish. And amidst all the chaos and destruction seen on-screen, it ultimately proves to be (perhaps surprisingly) one of the most life-affirming films in recent memory. It’s a beautiful film.
It’s also the best Jaws sequel.
4: The Super Mario Bros. Movie
As soon as I saw The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it was always going to appear highly on my year-end list. No, I don’t give a damn that it isn’t a critical darling. We live in a time in which movie critics like movies that are tailor made to pander to movie critics. So critical approval means nothing to me. What the Super Mario Bros. Movie is, however, is fun. Pure, unbridled fun. And that should account for something.
I firmly believe the Super Mario Bros. franchise to be the best franchise in all of popular culture. No other series has so consistently delivered, defined and redefined its medium in the way Super Mario has for video games. And while the franchise’s jump to the big screen may not be as masterful as a film as many of its games are as games, it is still the single most fun video game to movie adaptation I can recall seeing.
Yes, the movie is basically fan-service. But you know what? Is that really so bad in this case? It’s an adaptation! When so many video game movies have felt embarrassed by their source material, it’s kind of nice to see The Super Mario Bros. Movie basically serve as a love letter to the game series.
Of all the movies released in 2023, this is the one I see myself going back to and watching the most. Let’s not pretend that fun doesn’t matter.
3: Tetris
From a movie based on a video game to a movie about a video game.
Tetris is the true-but-embellished story about the struggle of getting Alexey Pajitnov’s indelible falling-block puzzle game out of the USSR to be played and appreciated around the world. While video game distribution may not sound too exciting, the true story behind Tetris’ distribution has always been a fascinating tale, and the movie adds a chase sequence or two for good measure.
The story of how political and corporate corruption on both sides of the world made the simple distribution of a video game seem impossible, but the wills and determination of a few select people managed to overcome the odds is truly inspiring. The fact that Tetris has essentially become the most accomplished video game in history makes it all the more so.
It may seem like an odd little tale, but Tetris – even with a few added bells and whistles – tells its story with such enthusiasm, that it becomes one of the most engrossing and entertaining films of the year.
2: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Between The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, 2023 was like the year of redeeming game franchises from past cinematic adaptations. Much like the fun of 2023’s Mario outing helped fans recover from the live-action fever dream from thirty years prior, Honor Among Thieves washed away the horrendous stank of the 2000 D&D movie, and provided a thoroughly entertaining movie for both fans of the franchise and people who wouldn’t have the tiniest shred of interest in it otherwise.
In a weird way, I might call Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves as the best Pixar film of the year. Although it has no association with the great animation studio, it has all the hallmarks of a Pixar movie: it stars a cast of lovable, sometimes quirky characters. It’s set in a fantastical world. It has a good sense of humor, but is never self-deprecating or cynical. And it features some genuinely touching moments. In a year when Pixar released what can be described as its “okay-est” film in Elemental, a Dungeons & Dragons movie (of all things) filled the studio’s usual role quite nicely.
Whether you’re a longtime D&D fan or couldn’t care less for the tabletop RPG, Honor Among Thieves works as a great movie for all audiences.
What an absolute delight.
1: The Boy and the Heron
The legendary Hayao Miyazaki’s latest animated dreamscape, The Boy and the Heron, is nothing short of a masterpiece. And the best film of 2023.
The Boy and the Heron (know in Japan by the much more fitting title ‘How do you Live?’) is Miyazaki’s most personal film to date, playing as a sort of quasi-autobiography and reflection of his filmography. It’s a story of grief and its continued effects, and even a film about creativity itself. It may very well be Miyazaki’s most open-ended movie, leaving many of its elements up for interpretation.
After the death of his mother in a WWII bombing, young Mahito crosses paths with the gray heron that dwells around his new home. But this heron turns out to be an otherworldly figure, who guides Mahito to a world between life and death. It’s difficult to describe the film in more detail, because the film – like much of Miyazaki’s work – is often indescribable.
Beyond the metaphorical artistry of it, The Boy and the Heron is also an astoundingly beautiful parade of hand-drawn images. It’s one of the most stunning animated films ever made. Completed, of course, by the audial wizardry of Joe Hisaishi’s haunting score.
It was ten years ago that Hayao Miyazaki released The Wind Rises which – like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away before it – was supposed to be Miyazaki’s final film. His retirement may have lasted a bit longer this time around, but the wait was more than worth it. The Boy and the Heron is the return of the world’s greatest animator in full force.
The Boy and the Heron is, quite simply, the best film of 2023.
Farewell to E3
Earlier this month, the Entertainment Software Association announced that E3 – the Electronic Entertainment Expo – was officially retired. Though this had been expected, given the dwindling yearly events in the years before the pandemic brought the expo to a complete halt. The ESA attempted to start the event back up as the world began operating again, but to no avail. And so, what was considered the biggest event on the gaming calendar from 1995 to 2019, has come to an end.
Though the official announcement wasn’t all that surprising at this point, it stings all the same now that it’s a reality. For over two decades, E3 was the time when every publisher and developer would bring out all the stops with their major announcements, reveals, trailers, everything! It was like a holiday to those who loved video games, even if it was a trade event. These days, those in the industry wait for those godawful Game Awards to showcase their trailers (which means people wisely just watch the trailers online and skip the actual show, whereas people actively wanted to watch an entire E3 presentation).
So many games and consoles were first showcased at E3, whether just in seconds-long teaser trailers or through game demos on the show floor. The very nature of games turned what was technically a business expo into something fun and exciting for those watching at home, and even those in the business in attendance. For the event’s final few years starting in 2017, E3 even became available for public attendance!
I personally found myself lucky enough to attend E3 from 2009 to 2014, and again in 2017 and 2018, creating many fun and beautiful memories for myself. Even the less-pleasant memories, like my first time playing what would become one of the worst Nintendo games ever in Metroid: Other M now bring a nostalgic tear to my eye.
As a final salute to “the Big Dance” (press ‘F‘ to pay respects), I’m going to list my favorite game (and a runner-up) I played on the showfloor, and a standout memory for every year I attended the event.
2009
“The year Project Natal (later Microsoft Kinect) was all over the place”
Favorite Game on the Show Floor: Batman: Arkham Asylum
To this day, I remember the setup for the Batman: Arkham Asylum booth at E3 2009. It was designed to look like a grungy (edgelord-y?) jail cell, complete with Joker’s usual “hahahaha” scribblings all over the walls. The game itself was great, of course. Today, it’s often considered one of the best super hero games ever made (though its sequel, Arkham City, usually takes top honors… even if its plot ultimately makes no sense. But that’s a rant for another day). Arkham Asylum really made the player feel like Batman. And well, how can you go wrong with that?
Runner-up: New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Honorary mention goes to Left 4 Dead 2, but there’s no way I couldn’t mention New Super Mario Bros. Wii. It was my most played game at my first E3! Nintendo had so many booths playing it, it was ridiculous! I even said hi to Charles Martinet for the first time! It may seem commonplace now, but back then, four-player sidescrolling Mario was a big deal! And so much fun.
Standout Memory: The Super Mario Galaxy 2 Reveal
“The first image of Super Mario Galaxy 2 I ever saw.”
2007’s Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii was already one of the best games ever made. Then, in a move that was unprecedented at the time, Nintendo announced a direct sequel to a 3D Mario game at E3 2009. It was never actually playable on the show floor, but I distinctly remember seeing the above image in a small news sheet being handed out at the event. Being only able to attend the show floor (as opposed to the conferences), looking at this image as I entered the hall doors only to be greeted by a big screen with the trailer itself starting up as soon as I reached Nintendo’s booth was simply magical. A perfect first impression for what would be a perfect game.
2010
“The Wii’s best year.”
Favorite Game on the Show Floor: Donkey Kong Country Returns
If you know me, you know I love – I mean like REALLY LOVE – Donkey Kong Country (particularly the second entry). Keeping in mind again that I didn’t attend the conferences ahead of time, what a hell of a surprise it was to walk into the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center and see the words “Donkey Kong Country Returns” decorating the Nintendo booth! The game itself did not disappoint (even if it would be bettered by its sequel. More on that in a moment). DKCR is still a masterclass in level design.
Runner-up: Kirby’s Epic Yarn
If the very concept of “charm” became a video game, it would most likely be Kirby’s Epic Yarn. Setting aside Kirby’s usual copy abilities in favor of a yarn aesthetic that also found its way into gameplay, Kirby’s Epic Yarn remains one of Kirby’s cutest, and best, adventures yet.
Standout Memory: The 3DS
2010 was a great year to be a Nintendo fan. Not only did Super Mario Galaxy 2 release that year (before E3, leaving the game destined to never actually appear on the show floor), and not only did the Wii see the aforementioned Donkey Kong Country Returns and Kirby’s Epic Yarn (alongside other big titles like Monster Hunter 3 Tri and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom), but it was the year the Nintendo 3DS was revealed. The beautiful little gem always had an uphill battle, coming off the heels of the money-printing Nintendo DS and capitalizing on the 3D craze of the late-2000s/early-2010s. But in the end, the 3DS was a wonderful little handheld that ended up lasting nine years on the market before being discontinued (among the longest of any Nintendo system). And I, and many others, got our first play of it here at E3 2010. *Sniff*
2011
“Remember when Wii U was called Project Cafe?”
Favorite Game on the Show Floor: Dark Souls
By now, the impact and influence of Dark Souls is so deeply ingrained in video games that it can be difficult to remember a time before it. Back at E3 2011, the “Demon’s Souls sequel” was showcased. At the time, I hadn’t played Demon’s Souls, but my brother and others I know raved about it, so I made it a point to check out Dark Souls and WHOAMIGOSH DID A GIANT ARMORED BOAR JUST BREAK ME IN HALF?! Thus was my first experience with Dark Souls.
Runner-up: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
I could go with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword here. After all, it was the big new Zelda game coming out later in 2011 for the Nintendo Wii. And I do have some fond memories of it, and my brief time playing it at E3 (hot take: Skyward Sword started a trend that would continue with the Wii U HD remasters of making cycling through Link’s arsenal much less arduous, all thanks to motion controls!). But I’m going to cheat and go with the 3DS remake of Ocarina of Time. It’s a classic, and it never looked (and maybe even played) better than it did on the 3DS.
On that note, I better give an honorable mention to Star Fox 64 3D. Man, those early days of the 3DS sure were kind to Nintendo 64 remasters.
Standout Memory: Honestly, basically the whole show floor
Since I already referred to my first exposure to Dark Souls, I’m going to cheat here, because the show floor of E3 2011 had so much to offer it all still stands out. From the aforementioned “You Died” of Dark Souls and 3DS N64 remakes, there were also a bunch of indie titles such as Bastion at the show, Batman: Arkham City was on-hand, Kinect was still a thing (pictured above is Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster, one of the more fondly remembered Kinect titles), and the Wii U – then known as Project Cafe – was on the horizon. Honestly, 2011 as a whole seems to go underrated as an all-time great year for video games.
2012
“Remake Nintendo Land, you cowards!”
Favorite Game on the Show Floor: Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
A Studio Ghibli video game?! Hot damn! Count me in!
With all due respect to Dishonored (which may have been the best game actually released in 2012, with my selections here ultimately releasing in 2013), there was no way I’d deny Pikmin 3 a mention here. Like Donkey Kong Country, I LOVE Pikmin. And the wait from Pikmin 2 to Pikmin 3 was nearly a decade, with nine years between them (a trend Nintendo doubled down on with the next installment, as Pikmin 4 was released a full decade after 3). Though Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U gave the Wii U some solid launch titles, Pikmin 3 was the game that proved the Wii U was capable of true greatness. And how could you not love the little Rock Pikmin?
Standout Memory: The Wii U and Nintendo Land
The Wii U may have been an ill-fated console, wedged between the cultural phenomenon of the Wii and Switch and always lacking a proper identity unto itself, but it really did give us a lot to love. Some of my favorite E3 memories (and some of my favorite gaming memories of that time period) was the indefinable wackiness of those early months of the Wii U. At E3, I got to play a slew of games for the console, including The Wonderful 101 (then known as ‘Project P-100’) a game I could never really figure out even then, New Super Mario Bros. U (like the Wii game, but with better level design), the aforementioned Pikmin 3 (Mmm-mmm!), Game & Wario (like WarioWare, but not as good), ZombiU (a zombie game, on Wii U!) and Rayman Legends (a fun game). And then there was Nintendo Land, a collection of mini-games based on Nintendo’s franchises that was looking to be the new Wii Sports. I’ll never forget the simple, pure fun I had with different groups of strangers playing the Luigi’s Mansion and Animal Crossing mini-games. Nor will I forget my confusion trying to figure out the Donkey Kong mini-game. Come on Nintendo, give Nintendo Land another chance!
2013
“The times, they were a-changin’!”
Favorite Game on the Show Floor: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
There’s a lot to be said about the Wii U, but its 2014 was unquestionably a great year. And pretty much everything that made Wii U’s 2014 so great was introduced at E3 2013 (the first year Nintendo went with their “Digital Event” approach to the show)! We had Super Smash Bros! We had Bayonetta 2! We had Mario Kart 8! We had Wind Waker HD (although that one actually was released in 2013)! And then we had Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze! As great of a return as Donkey Kong Country Returns was for the DKC series, Tropical Freeze was still somehow a vast improvement in every way. The level design is god-tier. It brought back Dixie Kong and introduced Cranky Kong into the playable character fold. And in one of gaming’s quieter most triumphant moments, it brought back series composer David Wise to score the music (after Returns simply remixed most of his tunes from the first game). One of gaming’s all-time best soundtracks (just like the first two entries in the series), one of the best platformers ever made. And yes, the most underrated Nintendo game ever. It’s been almost a decade since it was released. It’s time we acknowledge Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze as the masterpiece it is. We’re also overdue for a new DK game to boot!
Runner-up: Super Mario 3D World
Honorable mention goes to Mario Kart 8 (again, this was the Wii U’s time to shine), which may be the biggest success story to come out of the Wii U (by some margin), but one that I didn’t have the best first impression with (I was using the gamepad while the other players at E3 were using Wii wheels, I wasn’t aware I was supposed to be using motion controls on the Gamepad and, well, I immediately crashed into a wall). But Super Mario 3D World had a much better first impression for me. Although it wasn’t the genre redefining epic like Super Mario Galaxy that we’d hoped for, 3D World was pure Mario fun. It’s like Super Mario Bros. 3 or World but in the third dimension, and up to four players. Given that I’ve rarely had the chance to play the game with others since, these early 3D World memories stand out all the more (including one level I played were some Try Hard was trying to rush through the level and leave his team behind, but I still reached the flag pole first and got the highest score. Serves him right for not being a team player).
Standout Memory: New Stuff! New Stuff everywhere!
I know I’m going on about the Wii U’s great year (let it have that!), but this was also the year Sony unveiled the Playstation 4 (hey, if the name ain’t broke, don’t fix it) and Microsoft revealed the XBox One (fix the name! Fix the name!). So not only did I have a wave of new Nintendo games to try out, but also whole new consoles?! Man, what a time this was! I can distinctly remember playing Octodad: Dadliest Catch on PS4, and laughing out loud at the absurdity of it. I played some of the Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and DuckTales remakes. I played a little Disney Infinity (remember Toys-to-life games?), Batman: Arkham Origins (the “other” Arkham game), Puppeteer, Dark Souls II… What a lovely year this was.
2014
“I won me some t-shirts!”
Favorite Game on the Show Floor: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
I tried going a different route with my pick for this year, both because I’ve listed a number of Nintendo games here already (and will again in a moment) and because Smash Wii U/3DS and later Smash Ultimate would eventually lead to me losing interest in the series (there’s only so many anime swordfighters I can stands, ’til I can’t stands no more!). But reflecting back on that moment in time, and looking back at what games were present, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U was the only one I could have picked (Bloodborne only had a trailer, it wasn’t on the show floor). The excitement I had for Mega Man’s inclusion (one of the last third-party characters whose inclusion actually made sense), Rosalina being a unique pick from the Mario lineup, the fact that this was a new Super Smash Bros. in a time when the series was still actually about Nintendo… It was a fun moment in time. And best of all, because I kicked so much ass, I won like seven or eight t-shirts (a couple of which I still own, the others I gave away to friends). So that was cool.
Runner-up: Splatoon
I remember when Splatoon was first revealed, it was such a big deal. People couldn’t get over how it was Nintendo’s “first new IP in over a decade,” which was actually a blatantly false narrative, as series like Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Brain Age and others had been released between Animal Crossing and Splatoon. Nonetheless, Splatoon was something of a mini-revelation: a team-based shooter where players shoot ink, and the goal is to cover more of the ground with your team color’s ink than the enemy team. It’s so simple and silly, but very effective. The series is now going strong with three entries and becoming massive in Japan, but I’ll never forget its out of left field introduction at E3 2014.
Standout Memory: Winning those shirts and lugging them around the show floor
Note to self, start wearing a backpack or something to these things (well, not E3 specifically, because… *Sob*). Thankfully I won the shirts between different days, but I still ended up slinging two or three over my shoulder each day of the event. I’d be watching the Metal Gear Solid V trailer or playing Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Halo: The Master Chief Collection or Sonic Boom (yeah…) all while lugging those Super Smash Bros. t-shirts around. What a strange way for my initial streak of E3s to end.
2017
“The return.”
Favorite Game on the Show Floor: Super Mario Odyssey
Now here’s a Nintendo game I definitely don’t second guess placing here, because Super Mario Odyssey is one of the greatest video games ever made. It’s a non-stop cavalcade of ideas gleefully being thrown the player’s way. It’s a game where every moment is a blast. It just doesn’t relent with its inventiveness! In this day and age when it seems most games are more about showing off their extravagant budgets than anything else, Super Mario Odyssey was a beautiful reminder that fun and creativity reign supreme in the medium.
Runner-Up: Sonic Mania
Sega has repeatedly tried to resurrect the magic of the original Sonic the Hedgehog games on the Sega Genesis. In fact, the recent Sonic Superstars is proof that they’re still trying. But Sega (or, more accurately, a talented team of fans officially commissioned by Sega) actually achieved the feat in 2017 with Sonic Mania, which may very well be the best Sonic game ever made. Playing Sonic Mania for the very first time at E3 that year really took me back to my early childhood, when Sonic the Hedgehog was the coolest dude on the planet. Please Sega, more of this!
Standout Memory: Playing Dragon Ball FighterZ with my brother
It’s kind of sad that the final product of Dragon Ball FighterZ didn’t completely win me over, because my first experience with it was lovely. My brother also attended E3 in 2017, and though we went our own way through the show floor, we both met up to partake in Dragon Ball FighterZ. Me and my brother fought each other for a few rounds (rounds which seemed to last notably longer than in the final game). We both loved the look of the game (using the ‘3D anime’ style that had become popular in fighting games, but with Dragon Ball), and loved the way it played even more. It was simply a lot of fun. And a brotherly moment.
2018
“The end.”
Favorite Game on the Show Floor: Marvel’s Spider-Man
Although in retrospect Insomniac’s Spider-Man series of games seem to fall under the same umbrella as 99% of Sony exclusives (that is to say, watch a bunch of cinematics and then button mash during some quicktime events), at the time the game felt like a refreshingly lighthearted riff on the Batman: Arkham series. And it has to be said that Spider-Man controls exactly as he should (when you aren’t watching cinematics or in button-mashing quick time events, that is).
Runner-up: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Again, my enthusiasm for Super Smash Bros. had not completely dried out by this point, as there were still a number of disappointments to be had in the months that followed and after Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was released. But once again, this proved to be a great moment at that point in time. Though they only gave out pins as opposed to t-shirts for victories this time around, I received a few of those pins for my efforts. So the long lines were ultimately worth it.
Standout Memory: Taking a photo with Charles Martinet and attending E3 one final time.
While waiting in line (for I think Super Smash Bros?), the voice of Mario himself happened to be walking by (no, not Chris Pratt… or the new guy). Charles Martinet himself just happened to be passing by, and I got out of line to get a quick photo with him. Nice chap. And someone even held my place in line. How thoughtful.
On top of that, there was a weird sense of finality to E3 2018 for me, even back then. Though I still very much loved being there, I had grown so accustom to attending that the dwindling presence of the big publishers and developers (who were still present, but on a smaller scale) was noticeable. Something about the event just seemed like a good bookend to E3 for me (even if I would have loved to attend again). Super Smash Bros. was back, echoing the 2014 event (which ended my first string of consecutive E3s). And I said hi to Mr. Martinet again, as I did back at my first E3 way back in 2009.
I didn’t know it was my finale E3 at the time (there would only be one more proper E3 in 2019, followed by whatever you want to call the 2021 event), but it was a fitting sendoff to my times attending the show.
Thank you for the memories, E3. From the days I patiently waited to watch the event from home, to the eight wonderful events I was able to attend in person (making said younger self who watched at home do spiritual backflips in my heart). You will be missed!
The Last Part!
And now it’s time we bring things to a close for this year’s Christmas Special. I know, much like my 2023 as a whole, this Christmas post didn’t have as much variety as past years. I’ll just have to be sure to do better next year. I got to writing this in bits and pieces at the last minute. The fact that I have even finished it is something I’m proud of.
At the very least, I hoped you enjoyed reading what I had to write here in the introduction, my Top 10 Films of 2023 list, and my E3 memories. More importantly, I hope you had a happy holiday season, ate lots of gingerbread, said your ho ho hos, all that jazz.
Here’s hoping 2024 will be a productive year for you and me both. I have so many games I still need to review…
Aardman continued to make feature films (including the much-beloved Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit) as well as shorts and even entire series (such as Shaun the Sheep, which has since had two acclaimed films of its own), but Chicken Run was put on the backburner for many years. In 2018, production of a sequel was officially announced, and in December 2023, twenty-three years after the original left its mark in animation history, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget was finally released (unfortunately going straight to Netflix in the United States). After more than two decades of waiting, expectations were naturally high for a sequel to a movie as universally enjoyed as Chicken Run. Sadly, while Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget gives a solid effort, it ultimately comes across like a shadow of its predecessor, leaving you wondering why it took so long in the first place.
Set a few years after the events of the first film, Dawn of the Nugget begins with the hatching of Molly (Bella Ramsey), daughter of the first film’s heroes, Ginger (Thandiwe Newton, replacing Julia Sawalha) and Rocky (Zachary Levi, replacing Mel Gibson…because Mel Gibson). Though they and the rest of the chickens who escaped from Tweedy’s farm now live in a bird paradise on an isolated island in the middle of a lake, Ginger still has nightmares of her days on the farm, and shelters Molly from the knowledge of humans and the dangers of the world outside the island. Of course, this only makes Molly want to explore the outside world all the more, especially when she sees trucks from “Fun-Land Farms” driving in the distance, adorned with the face of a smiling chicken. One day, Ginger’s overprotectiveness becomes too much, and Molly escapes the island to pursue the trucks. Ginger, Rocky and the others give chase, but arrive just as Molly is snatched up by one of the Fun-Land Farm trucks. With Molly and her new friend Frizzle (Josie Sedgwick-Davies) taken to the high-tech, safely guarded farm, Ginger and company hatch a plan to break into the facility and rescue Molly.
“One of the sequel’s real deviations from the first film is that the chickens in Fun-Land Farms are brainwashed into loving the farm. Happy chickens means more tender, juicier meat, you see.”
On paper, it’s a fun twist on the first Chicken Run’s story: instead of breaking out of a farm, the chickens are breaking in. Unfortunately, while the premise for the first film allowed the chickens to make several (creative) failed attempts before ultimately succeeding, here the chickens break in pretty quickly on their first try, with the film then having the characters separate and regroup numerous times while simultaneously running away from the bad guys, most notably a returning Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson). I can’t help but feel the film could have made the task of getting into Fun-Land Farms a bigger ordeal in itself, especially given how it’s presented as a Mission: Impossible-style labyrinth, whereas the farm in the first movie was just a regular farm.
“Mrs. Tweedy is now decked out like a James Bond villain. To go with the more high-tech setting, I guess?”
This setup also means that the supporting characters have much less to do. Brainy Scottish chicken Mac (Lynn Ferguson), cynical Bunty (Imelda Staunton), dimwitted but good-natured Babs (Jane Horrocks), elderly rooster Fowler (David Bradley) and conmen rats Nick and Fletcher (Romesh Ranganathan and Daniel Mays) all make a return (the latter three with new voice actors). But with the break-in coming so easily, most of them just kind of end up wandering around the facility before bumping into each other again. Perhaps if more time were dedicated to the group of chickens (and rats) plotting how to break into Fun-Land Farms, these characters may have had more to do.
Again, the concept of flipping the premise of the first film around seems like a fun idea on paper, but Dawn of the Nugget doesn’t make the most of that reverse-premise, and so feels like a missed opportunity. It’s never bad, but when you remember just how big of a deal the original Chicken Run was, it does feel a bit underwhelming. Even the set pieces can feel a little like retreads of what came before.
The film looks and sounds great though. While some of the vocal recasting may be a little distracting (though some can’t be helped), the voice acting is still solid, as is the musical score. The main attraction, however, is the animation itself. Stop-motion animation is the most tedious and time-consuming of filmmaking methods, and it’s nothing short of miraculous what Aardman is able to do with the medium. While computer effects are used to some effect, the character animations themselves were all painstakingly done by hand. But the characters all move and work together so smoothly, you’d be forgiven for thinking that maybe Aardman simply replicated the plasticine look of old with computer animation. But this is the genuine, stop-motion article. And it’s one of the smoothest stop-motion films yet seen.
Therein lies a little bit of concern though. In the past, Aardman managed to combine their stop-motion wizardry with top-notch storytelling and witty writing. While Dawn of the Nugget has some funny lines of dialogue and a few effective visual gags, it never reaches the heights of its predecessor of twenty-three years prior in these regards. After Nick Park himself – the creator of Wallace and Gromit and director of the original Chicken Run – made something of a disappointment with his most recent film, Early Man (2018), you can’t help but feel something has been lost over the years. The Shaun the Sheep movies (and series, for that matter) still have that Aardman magic, so it thankfully hasn’t been completely lost. But you can’t help but miss the consistency Aardman used to boast seemingly effortlessly.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is an okay movie, if you can view it for what it is without comparing it to what came before. But that’s especially hard to do considering the film features more than one recap of the events of its far superior predecessor. Chicken Run remains a stop-motion classic twenty-three years later. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget may give an honest effort, but Chicken Run deserved better from its sequel.
2023 marks the one-hundredth anniversary of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Disney has pulled out all the stops when celebrating such a monumental milestone, as seen in their new opening logo introducing their films, merchandising, and the surprisingly heartfelt short film, Once Upon a Studio. But the single biggest means of celebration Disney has made in honor of the studio’s centennial is creating an entire feature film for the occasion: Wish.
Serving as the centennial film for Walt Disney Animation Studios, Wish plays out like a loving tribute to its studio’s unparalleled legacy. From its countless references and Easter eggs (some subtle, some blatant) to its more traditional narrative and character archetypes, Wish really does feel like a celebration of all things Disney Animation. While that may unfortunately mean that Wish is the safest Disney feature in some time, it’s also one of the studio’s most charming and heartwarming. Art doesn’t always have to reinvent itself to stand out. Sometimes, a celebration of something we love is more than enough.
The story takes place in the kingdom of Rosas, a Mediterranean kingdom where people from across the world come to visit for a very special reason: to have their wishes come true. The handsome king of Rosas, Magnifico (who bears a striking resemblance to his voice actor, Chris Pine) is also a powerful sorcerer who has the ability to take people’s wishes from their hearts (making said individuals “forget without regret” about their wishes), which he can then make a reality at a later time during monthly “wish-granting ceremonies”.
A young woman named Asha (Ariana DeBose) is in the running to become Magnifico’s new apprentice on the day of her grandfather Sabino’s (Victor Garber) 100th birthday. During her job interview (or whatever you would call an interview for a sorcerer king’s apprenticeship), Asha asks Magnifico to grant her grandfather’s long-overdue wish. But Magnifico reveals the wish to be “too vague” and, as such, he perceives it could pose a potential threat to his rule if granted. Magnifico then reveals that only the wishes he deems worthy will ever be granted. Asha believes the un-granted wished should be returned to those who wished them, so that they can remember them and pursue their wishes themselves, but Magnifico objects. This causes an immediate rift between the two, after which Magnifico reveals he will never grant Asha’s grandfather’s – and now, her mother’s – wishes. Suffice to say, Asha doesn’t get the job.
Feeling the people of Rosas are being wronged by the king, Asha wishes on a star for something better for the people of the kingdom. The stars hear her wish, and an adorable, sentient star (simply named ‘Star’ by Asha) comes to Earth and grants a goat named Valentino the ability to speak (in the voice of the perennial Alan Tudyk). From there, Asha, Valentino and Star set out to retrieve the wishes from King Magnifico and give them back to the citizens of Rosas. Meanwhile, Magnifico plots to steal Star’s power for himself.
The film harkens back to the old days of Disney, with a simple plot and clear-cut good guys and bad guys, but I greatly enjoy the whimsical concept of the film, and it does feature a bit of a twist in regard to its villain.
Disney advertised Magnifico as a return to the “classic” Disney villain, though I think that does the character a disservice. While the classic Disney villains were blatantly evil from the get-go, Magnifico has a stronger character arc that gives him a backstory that makes you at least understand where his ego comes from (even if you don’t agree with it). We see him go from being selfish but believing himself to be good, to falling more and more to the dark side the more he feels his power is threatened. He feels more like the start of a new kind of Disney villain than a simple throwback.
Where the film may harken back to the Disney of old in not the most positive way is that the villain is more interesting than the hero. I like Asha as a character, and Ariana DeBose’s voice work is top notch, but I feel the film needed more time to properly introduce her. Her introductory scene is brief, and pretty soon afterwards she’s entangled in everything with King Magnifico. Asha is a very likable character in terms of personality, but there’s not much uniqueness established with her. Considering how strongly defined more recent Disney heroes like Anna, Elsa, Wreck-It Ralph or Mirabel have been, it is a bit unfortunate that Wish couldn’t have found a little more time to dedicate to Asha as a character.
Valentino and Star, having bigger roles, are the more memorable sidekick characters. It’s nice to hear Alan Tudyk get a full speaking role in a Disney movie again, after merely making animal noises in Encanto and Raya and the Last Dragon, and brief cameos in Strange World. Star, in particular, is the highlight of the whole movie (the “Star” if you will). Simply put, I think he’s the single cutest character to ever appear in a Disney movie. Between his cheek-pinchingly adorable character design, playful personality and penchant for playing with a ball of yarn, he puts a smile on my face every time he’s on screen. He’s like something from the world of Nintendo found his way into a Disney movie. And I can’t get enough of him.
After the characters and story, the songs are probably the thing most audiences look forward to in a Disney movie, and thankfully, this is an area where Wish really shines. The film features songs written by Julia Michaels, who gives the songs a distinct flavor from previous Disney soundtracks, while retaining their signature catchiness. While we get our usual “I want” song from Asha in This Wish and a villainous number in This is the Thanks I Get?, they are some of the better entries in their respective categories. Some of the songs have an almost dream-like quality about them, such as At All Costs (which sees Magnifico introduce Asha to the wishes of Rosas) and A Wish Worth Making (which plays over the end credits). A surprise standout is What I Know Now, which puts an interesting spin on traditional Disney villain songs in that it isn’t sung by the villain, but about him by the other characters. This may prove to be an unpopular opinion, but even though I liked the soundtrack to Encanto, I think Wish’s songs stand out a lot more from its immediate Disney musical predecessor.
Complimenting the soundtrack (and the aforementioned ‘dream-like’ quality) are the film’s visuals. Wish is intended to mimic the look of Disney films new and old, and does so by echoing the hand-painted watercolors of Disney’s yesteryear through cel-shaded CG animation. The effect may take a moment or two to get used to, but once you do, it’s easy to get absorbed in the film’s visual delights. In a time when it seems every animated film is merely trying to ape the Spider-Verse (“lowered framerate = stylized, right?”), it’s nice to see Disney try something new for themselves that also doesn’t just copy what everyone else is doing. Wish is simply a beautiful film to look at.
The character designs for the main and supporting cast are also fun and memorable. Again, Star’s cuteness can’t be overstated, it’s fun to see how the Seven Dwarfs’ personalities were adapted into new characters, and the two key characters of Asha and Magnifico stand out in the Disney canon. The background characters are a bit bland, however (not that that’s going to make or break an animated film).
Going back to the film’s celebratory nature, hardcore Disney fans will have a ball trying to spot all the big and little references to Disney’s past. Some of these callbacks are a bit on the nose (a reference to Peter Pan towards the film’s end is maybe too blatant), but most of them are really fun. You could argue that the film leans heavily into nostalgia, and that’s fair. But again, Wish is a film that has the unprecedented honor of respecting an animation studio’s one-hundredth anniversary. That sense of nostalgia may mean Wish has a little less of its own identity in the Disney Animation canon, but sometimes it’s fun to enjoy something that clearly enjoys its legacy. And when that legacy includes the likes of Pinocchio, Beauty and the Beast and Moana, it’s hard to complain too much.
I think if Wish has any notable issue, it’s just that it could have used a longer runtime. The whole film clocks in at barely over an hour and a half. Some of Disney’s more recent films have gone fifteen or so minutes over that (and some Pixar films have surpassed the two-hour mark). Seeing as most of the issues I’ve brought up can be summed up with “more time could have been used here” I think making the film even a little bit longer would have ironed things out. Asha, her friends, and a few scenes and sub-plots could have benefitted greatly with just a few extra minutes. I still think Wish is a wonderful movie, the kind of movie that makes my inner child happy. But with a little extra time to properly develop all of its elements, it could have been one of the absolute best Disney films.
Maybe Wish isn’t the masterpiece that Disney may have wanted for its centennial, but it’s nonetheless a fun, joyous and beautiful film that does a great job at honoring those one-hundred years of timeless stories and iconic characters (and I feel it’s quickly becoming Disney’s most underrated animated feature). I hope that, despite its hiccups, the filmmakers are proud of what they accomplished with Wish.
Any movie that creates a character as cute as Star is something special in my book.
*Caution: spoilers for a ten-year old billion-dollar movie ahead. *
Believe it or not, but Disney’s Frozen turns a decade old today!
That’s right, November 27th 2023 marks the ten-year anniversary of the release of Frozen! It’s been ten full years since Anna, Elsa and Olaf essentially conquered the world. Ten years since Frozen turned Disney’s conventions on their head. Ten years since the beginning of a cultural phenomenon that people (ironically enough) can’t let go.
Okay, so if we’re going to be really technical, Frozen was released early at the Disney-owned El Capitan Theater in LA on November 19th 2013. But come on, that’s one location. The date it was released everywhere is the proper anniversary, as far as I’m concerned. Anyway, moving on…
I don’t think Disney could have known, even in their wildest dreams, just how much of an impact Frozen would have. Based on the film’s marketing, they didn’t even seem to know how to advertise it. The teaser that played before Monsters University showcased a snowman (later identified as Olaf) and a reindeer (later identified as Sven) fighting over a carrot. It was fun, sure. But not exactly something that told you anything about the movie (note the absence of the main characters). And let’s say nothing about the commercials that played closer to the film’s release, which contained sugary pop music that was (thankfully) nowhere to be found in the film itself.
Upon release, however, Frozen became an instant critical and commercial hit. While many movies have strong openings, Frozen proved to be one of those rare films that picked up more steam over time, via word-of-mouth and repeat viewings. Frozen would eventually not only become the highest-grossing film of 2013, but surpassed Toy Story 3 to become the most successful animated film in history (and for a moment in time, one of the top five highest-grossing films in the world). It has since only been surpassed by its own sequel, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and an over-marketed (and disappointing) Lion King remake in terms of box office numbers for an animated film.
The best part? Frozen was one of those cases where the success and popularity of something was completely deserved. Because Frozen was an all-around excellent movie.
Frozen currently sits in that weird place where it’s become so popular, that we can kind of forget why it became so beloved in the first place. Frozen not only boasted the things we usually love from the best Disney movies (a heartwarming story, beautiful animation, and catchy songs), but also broke and rewrote many Disney traditions.
The first of these changes, and perhaps the most subtle, is that Frozen was a much more character-driven film than most of Disney’s (non-Pixar) features. With all due respect to the many classics that have come from Disney animation, the characters usually fit neatly into their archetypes, and exist to push the story forward. Frozen felt like a refreshing reversal, with a story that was built more around the characters, their personalities, and their relationships.
Frozen was also the first Disney film to feature two princesses, which in itself was actually a pretty big diversion from Disney norms (which seemed to have an unwritten rule that they required both a male and female lead). The two princesses in question were Anna and Elsa (the latter of which becomes a queen early on, before you try to correct me on that), two sisters who served as the heart of the story, as opposed to the romance-centric plot of…basically every Disney movie beforehand. There’s a rift caused between the two sisters, with Elsa hiding her icy magic powers from her sister after an accident nearly cost Anna her life as a kid. Anna is brave and stalwart, but also kind of clumsy and naive. Elsa is powerful and independent, but scared and depressed. Compare them with the previous Disney princess, Rapunzel from 2010’s Tangled (a character and film I love, by the way) – who was basically good at everything and essentially perfect – and almost immediately there’s something deeper and more relatable to Frozen.
The big twist in Frozen (and indeed, the best twist in any Disney film) is that it’s the love between the two sisters that ultimately saves the day. Elsa is the (unwitting) antagonist of the story, but putting a twist of the Disney tradition of evil queens/sorcerers, is someone who just needs to be loved and accepted, as opposed to defeated. Romance is not at the heart of the story (though still present), but rather familial love. Or love in general. Coming from someone who loves Disney movies, I have to admit it got a little tiring when the idea of two hot people kissing always signified the happily ever after.
Elsa would be totally void of any romantic connections (leading to many on social media to campaign for Disney to “give Elsa a girlfriend.” Though I find that idea entirely misses the point of the character and story. Elsa is best left alone). Anna would get two potential suitors in the film though: Kristoff ends up being a genuinely great guy, even if he’s a bit of an oaf. But her first choice, Prince Hans, ends up being a literal villain. In one swoop, Hans breaks all kinds of Disney norms: not only does he serve as a commentary on Disney’s own history, but also uniquely serves as a villain more for thematic purposes (again, Elsa is the antagonist of the story). You might say that altering the Disney Prince archetype by making the character evil is a tad extreme, but I see that as a good thing. When else has Disney ever done such an extreme flipping of its own script? This is the kind of “subverting expectations” that Rian Johnson desperately wishes he could do, but never has.
Then there’s Olaf, the talking snowman who, while still fitting comfortably in the Disney sidekick role, proves himself memorable for how he actually has an emotional connection with the main characters (he was the imaginary friend Elsa made up for Anna to play with, now come to life). Considering most Disney sidekicks of the previous few decades had just been scene-chewers for the heck of it in an attempt to recapture the magic of Aladdin’s Genie, the more childlike Olaf was a good change of pace.
Frozen’s ability to break away from Disney’s conventions played a large part in its success (though Frozen II was a wonderful and worthy successor, the fact that it couldn’t replicate the first film’s tinkering with tradition did prevent it from standing as tall). And yet, despite how liberated Frozen felt from Disney’s usual playbook, it also served as a celebration of the things we love about Disney movies. It respected its legacy while also admitting to its faults.
As a nice little bow on top, Frozen was even shown with a Mickey Mouse short: the sublime “Get a Horse!” The short in itself is a mini-masterpiece, and the best Mickey Mouse cartoon, as far as I’m concerned. A perfect way to compliment the film that followed.
It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since Frozen first thawed our (frozen) hearts. In my humble opinion, it still represents the absolute peak of Walt Disney Animation Studios and yes, is one of my favorite films. Period.
Perhaps a perfect (personal) example of how impactful Frozen was (and is) happened sometime in early 2014. I was walking my dog, and some dude in sunglasses was driving by with the film’s most famous song, Let It Go, playing at full blast. I said something along the lines of “Woo! Frozen!” and the guy driving just turns to me and nods his head in respect. Like I said, Frozen was a film that brought people together through a shared sense of joy. What more can you ask for?
In 2018, Sony Pictures Animation released Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse under rather unique circumstances (Sony still had the rights to make Spider-Man movies due to prematurely ending their “Amazing Spider-Man” series, despite Marvel picking up Spider-Man for the MCU). The world certainly has no shortage of Spider-Man films, and that overabundance seemingly inspired Sony Pictures Animation to go crazy with Into the Spider-Verse, focusing on a much newer Spider-Man character in Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and featuring a unique animation style that looked to mimic the visuals of a comic book for the silver screen. The result was not only the most acclaimed Spider-Man film since Spider-Man 2 (2004), but in the years since, Into the Spider-Verse has seemingly had a profound impact on the style and look of animated films going forward, for better or for worse.
Shortly after release, Sony announced that Into the Spider-Verse was now the first part of a trilogy, with two planned sequels (and a spinoff) to be created. The first of those follow-ups, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, was released in the Summer of 2023, and became an even bigger critical and commercial hit than its predecessor. Upon an initial viewing, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype of Across the Spider-Verse, but unlike its predecessor, it doesn’t hold up quite so well with repeat viewings. Part of that may be its status as the second entry in a trilogy that wasn’t originally a trilogy, giving it a strong sense of what I like to call “Dead Man’s Chest Syndrome.” And perhaps the other part of it is because Across the Spider-Verse is probably its own biggest fan.
Set one year after the events of the first film, Miles Morales has fit into his role as Spider-Man (after saving the multiverse, taking down small time criminals is a cakewalk), though his personal life is feeling the effects of his commitment to his secret identity. His grades are slipping, and he’s missing important gatherings (like his father’s celebration of being promoted to police captain). It’s the usual kind of Spider-Man setup, but it’s a setup that works. The fact that we often see Spider-Man (whether it be Miles Morales or Peter Parker) struggling with his personal life because of his heroics is what has made him such an endearing hero.
Unfortunately for Miles, he has even bigger things to worry about. Although Kingpin’s multiverse tampering has been dealt with, different dimensions are still feeling its effects. Anomalies are appearing all over the multiverse, with villains from one dimension appearing in another, things of that nature. To combat this, an elite group of Spider-People has formed the “Spider-Force” to try and set things right in the interconnected cosmos. Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), the Spider-Woman of another universe, becomes part of this group of interdimensional Spider-Beings, and re-enters Miles’ life.
“Should I be wearing 3D glasses right now or something?”
Gwen is back in Miles’ dimension to track down a particularly powerful anomaly known as The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), a villain inadvertently created by Miles during the events of the first movie, and who possesses the power to travel across space (and even other realities) with the cartoon holes his body produces. Miles wishes to become a member of the Spider-Force, but Gwen objects. Still, Miles gets caught up with everything as he follows Gwen in pursuit of Spot, and ends up in a multiverse-hopping adventure that sees him meet up with an endless barrage of Spider-People including cowboy, dinosaur and vehicular Spider-Men.
During his adventure, Miles is also reunited with Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) – who is now the father of a Spider-Baby – and meets Spider-Man India (Karan Soni), an expecting mother Spider-Woman (Issa Rae), a punk rock Spider-Man named Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), and the leader of the Spider-Force, a “ninja vampire” Spider-Man named Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac). It’s with Miguel that the film’s real conflict begins, as Miles butts heads with the Spider-Force leader over their sense of moral duty. Miguel insists there are “canon events” that connect every Spider-Man’s story that must be followed, no matter how tragic, whereas Miles believes they can find a way to prevent such tragedies.
“Despite being described as a “ninja vampire,” we barely see the vampire side of Miguel, and none of the ninja side.”
I have to give the film credit, since these Spider-Verse movies are basically the only time any multiverse story has made me care at all about the stories they’re telling. Usually, multiverse stories are, by their very nature, entirely inconsequential and have zero stakes (just look at how the Disney+ series Loki utterly eviscerated every piece of world-building in the MCU with the multiverse concept). Not to mention the idea of a multiverse is usually creatively lazy, and is only a cheap means to cut corners (fans angry a character died? Just bring them back with a “different universe version!” Risk alienating fans by having your characters develop and grow? Just introduce a different version of the character from another universe to show a different side and keep the existing character the same!). Simply put, I find that the entire multiverse concept is basically what happens when uncreative people force themselves to make something they think is mind-bendingly creative, but in actuality isn’t (case in point: the undeservedly self-important slog that was Everything, Everywhere All at Once). So the fact that the Spider-Verse films actually make me care is in itself a minor miracle.
With that said, the idea of a multiversal police force that tries to prevent universes from going off course is basically the premise of every multiverse story ever. And the idea of the main character butting heads with said police force being the fundamental conflict is equally as cliche. While Across the Spider-Verse likes to present such ideas as big plot twists, it does come across as pretty darn predictable. That’s all the more a shame, because the first Spider-Verse film actually flowed in a much more unique way, with the audience being taken through the story directly by Miles’ perspective, learning all the details as they became apparent to him as opposed to explaining things away from him (it only ever cut away to other characters when absolutely necessary). By comparison, Across the Spider-Verse is much more traditional with how it tells its story.
It should also be pointed out that Across the Spider-Verse sits at a two-and-a-half-hour runtime, the longest of any western animated feature to date. While I’m happy to see animated films finally get the recognition they deserve by the simple fact that they’re allowed to be this long, I can’t help but feel that, in the case of Across the Spider-Verse, it feels more than a little indulgent. Especially when the film ends on a cliffhanger and ultimately only accomplishes setting up its own sequel. As mentioned, it’s basically the animated world’s equivalent of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest in that regard. Much longer than it needs to be, and when all is said and done you feel like you just watched an advertisement for the next movie in the series, no matter how much fun this entry may be (I personally enjoy Dead Man’s Chest, and objectively speaking Across the Spider-Verse is a better movie than that). I can’t help but feel like Across the Spider-Verse bought into its own hype in this regard (it probably doesn’t help this ego problem that the film briefly features a Lego universe, which is cute until you remember that producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directed The Lego Movie, and it feels more like a self-congratulatory pat on the back than a fun reference).
Okay, by now I’m probably sounding so negative about a beloved movie I sound like one of those generic, contrarian YouTubers. But I’m not saying Across the Spider-Verse is bad by any means (in fact, it’s quite good), just that I don’t think it’s the creative revolution for animated storytelling I feel it’s made out to be. Or that it believes itself to be. I even think it falls short of its predecessor (the army of Spider-People introduced here aren’t as fun as the small ragtag group in the first film). But rest assured Across the Spider-Verse still serves up one of the better superhero offerings in recent years, and the film broadens its visual palette with the many different spider-people and the universes they stem from.
The film is a visual feast, not only resurrecting the comic book look of the first film, but utilizing its greater scope to cover all kinds of different art styles (a renaissance painting version of the villainous Vulture appears early on, and is so much fun to look at I wish he had a bigger role in the film). Gwen Stacey’s universe is a world where color splashes seem reflective of the emotions of the characters around them. And in one of the film’s best visual gags, the 1960s animated Spider-Man makes a brief cameo, with all the limitations of movement he had back in the day. Across the Spider-Verse is simply one of those animated films you can get instantly absorbed into based on the visuals alone. I may not always like the “Spider-Versification” of other animated films these days, but the Spider-Verse films themselves really know how to make things pop.
Another highlight of the film is its villain: The Spot. A long-standing but obscure villain from Spider-Man’s history, Across the Spider-Verse does a great job playing off the character’s inherit goofiness (it’s hard to take a villain named “The Spot” too seriously), while still making him a credible threat. He’s presented as a kind of lame would-be villain who’s in over his head. But one whose abilities and sheer determination to prove himself a villain make him dangerous. I often find the best villains are the ones who can be funny and sympathetic, but that possess the capacity for evil. And The Spot is such a villain. He’s something of a bumbling buffoon but is so singularly focused on being treated seriously and getting his perceived revenge on Spider-Man, that he becomes a threat. Into the Spider-Verse’s Kingpin had brief glimpses of greatness but felt a little shortchanged in the big picture. So I think if Across the Spider-Verse betters its predecessor in any way, it’s in that it creates a much more fleshed out villain.
Much like the first film, the voice cast remains stellar: Moore, Steinfeld and Johnson are all back in full swing, and the additions of Schwartzman, Kaluuya and Isaac only add to the film (yes, I know Isaac had a cameo in the mid-credits scene of the first movie, but now it’s a full role). I think special mention has to go to Brian Tyree Henry as Miles’ father, Jeff Morales, who gives the film its heart and gives the role a kind of warmth you don’t often see in the parental figures in animation. Also of note, J. K. Simmons voices all the various forms of Daily Bugel newspaperman J. Jonah Jameson, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that when he was cast in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man more than two decades ago, that it was one of the few actor/role marriages that can simply be described as “perfect.”
In the end, I feel like there’s a lot of fun to be had with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and it’s a very well-made movie. But it falls short of the first film, and there’s something about it that does feel more than a little self-aggrandizing, as if it bought into the hype and acclaim of its predecessor more so than anyone else. And that self-aggrandizement feels a bit misplaced, seeing as, even at two-and-a-half hours, the only thing Across the Spider-Verse really accomplishes is setting up its sequel, Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Across the Spider-Verse may be the best movie that suffers from Dead Man’s Chest Syndrome, but it still kind of puts a ceiling on how high it can go. It’s a really good animated film in a lot of ways, but maybe not the all-time classic it believes itself to be.
I’m old! Super Mario 3D World was released on the Wii U in Japan ten years ago today, with its US release happening the day after. So I suppose November 21st and 22nd are like “Super Mario 3D World Day(s).”
Although the Wii U always had an uphill battle it never could get out of, Super Mario 3D World was one of the system’s undeniable success stories. A continuation of the gameplay introduced on the 3DS’s Super Mario 3D Land, 3D World bettered its predecessor in virtually every way. Princess Peach and Toad (and an unlockable Rosalina) joined Mario and Luigi this time around in a four-player adventure. Each character boasted their unique abilities from Super Mario Bros. 2 (and in Rosalina’s case, Mario’s abilities from Super Mario Galaxy), as they traversed levels that combined the feeling of 2D Mario levels in a 3D space. Along the way, they collected power-ups old and new, like the returning Fire Flower and Tanooki Suit, and the debuting Double Cherry (which created clones of whatever character grabbed it, and to date is the only Mario power-up that stacked with others), and the Cat Suit, which quickly became one of the most iconic Mario power-ups (even appearing in 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Movie).
I remember when the game was announced at E3 2013, many fans were left feeling a little disappointed that Super Mario 3D World was a continuation of 3D Land, as opposed to a third Super Mario Galaxy or the next step in the series’ evolution. While 3D World may not have been the most ambitious Mario game (Super Mario Odyssey would fill that “next step” role four years later), I think any and all reservations people had about it disappeared as soon as they picked up a controller (or Wii U Gamepad, as it were). Super Mario 3D World was and is one of the most purely fun and replayable games ever made (not to mention it featured the most gloriously liberal use of a saxophone in any video game soundtrack). Perhaps it wasn’t a revolution like 64 or an innovation like Galaxy, but not every Mario game has to rewrite the rules (though perhaps the series’ incredibly high standards have spoiled us to such expectations).
In 2021, Super Mario 3D World was re-released on the Nintendo Switch, this time bundled with a brand new game, Bowser’s Fury, which re-used 3D World’s assets. It was a fun experiment (and so far the closest thing we’ve had to a new 3D Mario game since Odyssey), but 3D World was still the main event. And now it even included online play!
While we wait with bated breath for whatever follows up Super Mario Odyssey, I think it’s also good to revisit the “smaller” Mario adventure that is Super Mario 3D World. Even if it’s for the one-hundredth time.
Happy tenth anniversary, Super Mario 3D World!
But wait, that’s not the only Nintendo anniversary today. November 21st also marks the anniversary of the Japanese release of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and with it, Super Mario World! Both the SNES and Super Mario World celebrate their thirty-third anniversary today, but they share their birthday with two other SNES classics: Donkey Kong Country (released November 21st, 1994 in North America) and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (released November 21st, 1995 in Japan). Because of these anniversaries, I like to think of November 21st as Super Nintendo Day! Man, that console was the gift that kept on giving!
Happy Super Nintendo Day 2023!
…But wait, we’re not done yet!
Today also marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64 (based on its Japanese release)! The first-ever 3D title in the Legend of Zelda series, Ocarina of Time brought the world of Hyrule to life like never before. A grand adventure bigger than any seen before at the time, and topped off with sidequests and mini-games up the wazoo! Ocarina of Time also holds the (oddly specific) distinction of being the first time a non-music themed game featured music as a gameplay mechanic. At any rate, Ocarina of Time remains a classic, and is frequently cited as one of the best games of all time. Plus, it’s always nice to revisit the days when the Legend of Zelda series had a personality.
Happy twenty-fifth anniversary, Ocarina of Time!
…But wait, we’re STILL not done yet. Today also marks the thirteenth anniversary of the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Nintendo Wii. That’s right, when Retro Studios took the reigns of the DKC series and revived it with Returns, they released it on the sixteenth anniversary of the original Donkey Kong Country (and by extension, the fifteenth anniversary of the second… man, DKC3 always missed the boat with these things). Donkey Kong Country Returns is a perfect example how to revive a dormant series. It took everything about the original DKC, and cranked it up to 11 with some of the best level design ever seen in a platformer. And yes, Donkey Kong Country Returns is approaching the age the original Donkey Kong Country was when Returns was released. I am so old…
Happy thirteenth anniversary, Donkey Kong Country Returns!
Also, a fun bit of trivia many may have forgotten, today would have been the tenth anniversary of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze as well, as it was supposed to launch on the hallowed date of November 21st in 2013. But, to ensure the game was the best it could be, it was ultimately delayed until February of 2014. While it would have been fun to have Tropical Freeze join in on these festivities, the delay was for the best, seeing as Tropical Freeze is the best 2D platformer of the past few decades (Super Mario Bros. Wonder comes close).
I think that’s it for the Nintendo-based anniversaries today. Oh, who am I kidding? I know there have to be other Nintendo games that were released on this date. But I feel I’ve rambled more than enough for one celebratory post. So I’ll just tip my metaphorical hat and once again wish all these games (and console) a happy anniversary!
Happy anniversary to all of y’all!
“Yes, I am aware of the irony of ending this post with a picture from DKC: Tropical Freeze despite just emphasizing that it isn’t among the games with an anniversary today. So there’s no need to point that out.”
I come to you now on this, the twenty-fourth anniversary of the release of Pokemon: The First Movie in US cinemas, to bring you some uneventful tidings in regard to my gaming future.
I truly love video games. More so, I think, than anyone I’ve ever met. Oh sure, there are plenty of people who own more games than me or whatever. People who have more hours put into games, sure. But in terms of loving the games themselves for what they are, I often feel kind of alone there. I love video games as a creative art form, and while that may not exactly be a new concept, I will at least give myself a pat on the back for appreciating video games as an art unto themselves, as opposed to most “video games as art” people who think the artful side of video games are the games that desperately want to be movies, as a means to “legitimize” games as art or whatever (though if your idea of legitimizing your medium’s artistic merit is simply to mimic a different medium, you’ve already failed).
Anyway, what the hell was I talking about?
“That wasn’t just a joke. Today really IS the twenty-fourth anniversary of Pokemon: The First’s Movie’s US release. I saw it on opening day, because I’m old.”
Oh yeah, right. I love video games. I love them so much I would like to create my own video games someday. Video games inspire me creatively. Video games are awesome. They’re great. I loves them.
But video games have become too damn expensive. And more importantly, too damn long! While I will of course continue to play and love video games, I unfortunately feel like I will play and love fewer of them going forward because of these reasons.
Okay, okay. If you happen to be one of my long-time readers (in that case, thanks!), you may remember I’ve written about this song and dance before. Despite having felt this sting in the past, I couldn’t quite stick to my word for very long. But I feel like, going forward, I kind of have to.
Not only are games increasing in price, but the fact that it seems basically any AAA games is required to pad itself out to high heaven just to reach a minimum of a 100-hour playtime is just ridiculous. What selfish games! If I put hundreds of hours into a game, it should be because I want to replay it over and over across long periods of time, not because the game demands I pour my life into it just to see its self-aggrandizing epic, cinematic story play out. Seriously, that’s usually the only reason games are even so long! God of War Ragnarök was a pretty good game, actually. But you basically get the gist of everything it has to offer as a game in the first few hours. But it recycles the same ideas over the course of many, many (many) more hours, just so you can watch its story play out like a movie. If I wanted to watch a movie, I’d watch a damn movie!
*Ahem!* Sorry, getting sidetracked again.
Essentially, my point is simple: I don’t have the time, and I don’t have the money, to just buy and play through every notable game that comes out anymore. And time is money, or something. Wait, what?
The reason I’ve bought so many games these past few years in particular has been largely because of this site. I have to play the games to review them here. And now the great irony is this past year has proven to be a pretty big rut for my video game reviews. Those game reviews I wrote in September and October were the first ones I’ve written in more than a year’s time. Hopefully I won’t have another dry spell anywhere near that long again, and hopefully I’ll get to all the games I’ve been meaning to review (and even play) for far too long now.
Simply put, I’m quite backlogged in games I own that I need to review (again, a number of which I haven’t even played yet. I’m a bad person). While I still plan on picking up a few games here and there, I’m really going to have to be stingy with which games I pick and choose starting in 2024. I already have more than plenty to keep me busy and give this site plenty of content for a very, very long time. It also doesn’t hurt that, despite my year-long absence of video game reviews, I’ve still written hundreds of them, and given out each score on my rating system plenty of times. So I feel like I’m at kind of a safe point where I can be pickier with which games I review and not feel like my site is suffering too much.
Also, as I said, I would like to make my own games (and other such creative endeavors) someday. So I have to set aside the time to delve deeper into such things. Can’t very well make my own games if I’m always playing other people’s games, now can I? Plus, this also opens up more time to replay the games I really love (Elden Ring and Super Mario Odyssey are overdue for another playthrough).
By now you may be thinking “what’s different now than when you said this before?” A fair point, Kevin. But this time, I feel like I have a fitting little crescendo to end this chapter of my gaming life and opening the door to the next: The Super Mario RPG remake!
“How is this actually real? Pinch me, I must be dreaming. Actually, don’t. If this is a dream I don’t want to be woken up!”
I’ve made no secret of my love for Super Mario RPG. I adore it. Though there’s a small handful of games that put up the argument to being my favorite, if I had to pick one, that’s the one I always go to. It’s such a fun, unique and creative twist on not only the Mario series, but also the RPG genre and yes, even games as a whole, that it has to take the cake. The evil wedding cake. Reference.
Seeing as Nintendo has, for nearly thirty years, seemed to largely forget that Super Mario RPG exists despite fans’ undying love of the game (thanks for absolutely nothing, Smash Bros.), no one ever expected it to return with a full-blown remake. Now there’s even hope that the long-requested sequel could be a real possibility down the road!
With how special Super Mario RPG is to me, the it-still-seems-so-surreal remake seems like the perfect way to end my video game purchases this year. Unless Nintendo literally created that aforementioned dream sequel in secret and releases it in December, nothing can top it for me.
As I said, I will never stop playing video games. I love them too much. Like Popeye loves his spinach. I will still buy a few new games a year, but I’m really going to take into consideration which ones will actually be worth it. I will continue writing reviews for them, but there will have to be an obvious focus on reviewing the library of games I already have. That may make my Game of the Year awards less interesting moving forward. But hey, you have to make sacrifices where you can.
Besides, with the exceptions of Nintendo, FromSoftware and indie titles, it seems most games are going down the “make it more like a movie!” road. So I can’t exactly say I’ll be missing those ones very much.
And for the record, I love movies just as much as I love video games. But I also recognize they’re two different artforms. I love them equally, but differently.
So yes my lovely, sexy readership. My site will continue with its video game reviews, but don’t be surprised if the next several months feature reviews of games that came out earlier this year, the past couple of years, and retro games. As my paraphrasing of Gandalf reads at the top of this site: “A wizard is never late. Nor is he early. He reviews stuff precisely when he means to!“
The Marvels is the thirty-third film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and serves as a sequel to both 2019’s Captain Marvel and the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel (and you may need to brush up on your WandaVision for some character details). While the effort The Marvels gives in trying to be a crossover sequel without going full Avengers is appreciated, it ultimately can’t juggle all its pieces, resulting in one of the MCU’s weakest efforts.
Taking place in the present of the MCU (as opposed to Captain Marvel, which was a prequel set in the 1990s), The Marvels sees the coming together of Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani). Carol and Monica already know each other from when Monica was a young girl and Carol was an Airforce pilot alongside her mother (Carol hasn’t aged due to the powers she gained over the course of her solo movie). Kamala, on the other hand, is just a high school student who idolizes Captain Marvel and stumbled into her powers in her Disney+ series.
Because of Captain Marvel’s actions in the past, the planet of Hala – home of the ‘Kree’ people – entered a civil war, resulting in the loss of most of Hala’s resources (Thanos warned us about this). A Kree revolutionary by the name of Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) discovers a powerful bangle – the matching bangle to the one worn by Kamala Khan – and with its power hopes to steal the resources of other planets and use them to restore Hala, but not before using the bangle’s power to tear open a jump point in space (it’s basically a form of ‘super teleportation,’ in case you were wondering how Dar-Benn plans to steal planetary resources). Both Carol and Monica investigate the different jump points created by Dar-Benn at the same time, and since the jump point was created using the sister bangle of Kamala’s (I guess?), the three heroes are then linked together, with each of them switching places with the others if they use their powers at the same time, no matter how far across the universe they may be. This leads to an inventive action scene early on as Carol is teleported into Kamala’s house, inadvertently bringing some Kree soldiers along with her, with the ensuing battle swapping which of the three heroes is fighting the Kree every time they use their powers.
All this confusion leads Carol, Monica and Kamala to join forces (much to Kamala’s fangirlish delight), and with some help from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), they try and solve their space-swapping dilemma and stop Dar-Benn from destroying entire worlds.
The general plot is the usual MCU scenario, but I actually really enjoy the idea of the heroes switching places when using their powers. It makes for a fun change of pace where the heroes have to be more cautious when using their super abilities (another fun early moment sees Carol – who can fly – swap places with Kamala – who can’t fly – in midair). Sadly though, the movie doesn’t make full use of the idea (I think I’ve already listed the two moments the film best utilizes the idea, and they’re both early on), and it’s not enough to salvage the movie’s shortcomings.
Perhaps the most glaring of these shortcomings is that, in a film that boasts three superheroes, only one of them really leaves an impression. Although Captain Marvel is the de facto “lead” of the movie, she suffers the same fate I often find with DC’s Superman in that, by being a character so powerful she can basically do anything, it in turn makes her uninteresting. Monica Rambeau is given a rather sad backstory: she was part of the half of the universe who was turned to dust by Thanos before being resurrected by the Hulk five years later (boy, the MCU is weird when you think about it), with her mother passing away from cancer in the interim. Monica’s backstory is the most notable thing about the character, as she was sadly never really given the chance to shine in any previous MCU material (not only was she only a kid in Captain Marvel and thus didn’t have too active of a role, but when she got her powers in WandaVision, she was only a secondary character). And she isn’t really given much more of a character here.
Thank goodness for Kamala Khan then. Ms. Marvel adds a more fun and bubbly personality to the proceedings, and she’s often the only thing holding the film afloat. Iman Vellani helps make the character one of the most likable MCU heroes, and it’s just fun to have a character have to answer a phone call from their parents while simultaneously fighting bad guys. It was the personalities of the heroes – more so than their powers – that helped make the MCU what it is today (Iron Man wouldn’t have been half as memorable if Tony Stark weren’t a sarcastic jackass who always had a quip at the ready), and while the newer crop of heroes in the MCU aren’t as consistent as their predecessors, I feel like Ms. Marvel is one of the few ‘newer’ MCU heroes who has a personality as strong as the old guard.
While the consistency of the heroes may have waned over the years, one thing that was unfortunately more consistent in the MCU’s history is that the baddies are largely forgettable. Sure, that’s been far from an absolute, but I do think the bland villains of the MCU outweigh the memorable foes (for every Thanos or Killmonger, there’s been too many a Malekith). Sadly, that trend continues here in full force, because Dar-Benn is as forgettable as any MCU villain. I mean no disrespect to Zawe Ashton, since she does what she can with the character, but the character really doesn’t give her much. Dar-Benn really is one of those villains who seems to exist simply because the movie needed a villain. I honestly can’t think of much to say about the character other than “yep, she’s the bad guy.”
One thing I commend the movie for is its rather breezy runtime, clocking in at around an hour and forty minutes in a day and age where it feels like every superhero movie is required to go well passed the two hour mark. With that said, the short runtime may be a bit of a double-edged sword, as the movie has so many places to go, and so many worlds to see, that it can feel a bit rushed. I appreciate the less-aggrandized runtime, but if that were the goal, maybe have a smaller, more focused story to go with it?
I’m afraid that, while nothing about The Marvels may be outright terrible (unless you consider the utter blandness of its villain to be an unforgivable sin), it is a case of its many smaller problems preventing the whole of it from being very good. Not only is the aforementioned plot a little too big for the movie’s runtime but combine that with the whole “heroes swapping between space” thing and the fact that the movie really relies heavily on audiences having watched every past MCU media featuring its three leads to remember important plot and character aspects, and the film is left feeling overstuffed and overwhelmed. This even leads The Marvels to feel strangely unsure of itself, as it throws in a planet where the people speak through song as a kind of last ditch effort to try and capture some Guardians of the Galaxy charm to lift itself up, but it’s too little, too late.
While there have been worse MCU properties (for all its faults, The Marvels is never the stinker Eternals was, and the Disney+ series Loki is gluttonously self-important at the expense of the entire MCU’s mythology), I’m afraid that The Marvels is another example that the MCU is not what it once was. While the mega-franchise used to churn out good to great movies on a shockingly regular basis, its post-Endgame era has been far less reliable. I’m not sure if it’s a lack of the coherent direction the MCU had back when Thanos was around or just too much content stretching things too thin – now that we also have to keep up with a dozen Disney+ series in addition to all the movies – or a combination thereof. Whatever the case, I feel like The Marvels is the latest victim of the issues that are currently plaguing the MCU as a whole.
The Marvels has its moments, but it often feels like it’s in way over its head. Much like Kamala Khan herself. But without the charm.
Ever since it revolutionized animation with the release of its first feature film Toy Story in 1995, Pixar Animation Studios has become one of the most esteemed studios in its medium. Pixar’s penchant of combining masterful storytelling, heartfelt emotion, imaginative concepts and state-of-the-art animation has given them a pedigree that’s rivaled only by sister studio Walt Disney Animation and Japan’s Studio Ghibli. The 2000s in particular showcased Pixar at the height of their powers, releasing a string of all-time classics and rarely putting a foot wrong in that entire decade. Though Pixar hasn’t been quite as consistent in the years since, they still have on occasion released films as great as any they’ve ever made, such as Inside Out or Coco. Pixar’s most recent film, Elemental, certainly doesn’t reach the insane heights of a Coco or an Inside Out, but it is a marked improvement over its direct predecessor in Lightyear, giving hope that Pixar may yet soon return to their former consistency.
Elemental is the most recent example of Pixar using a more abstract concept for the basis of a story, following the likes of Soul and the aforementioned Inside Out. While those films used the concepts of souls and emotions brought to life with cute, blobby figures, Elemental does something similar with the idea of the four elements: Earth, Fire, Wind and Water.
Elemental is set in the bluntly named Element City, a place where people of all four elements coexist. Or at least try to coexist. Water seems to be the most prominent of the elemental races, with most of Element City built to cater to them. Earth and Wind make up the middle class, while the Fire people are mostly relegated to their own self-contained neighborhoods. Right away the social commentary is rather upfront, but well-meaning. The commentary is so obvious, in fact, that many audiences compared Elemental to the similarly themed Zootopia based on the trailer alone. It isn’t a farfetched comparison, either. Though to its benefit, at least Elemental doesn’t undermine its own message by basing a good chunk of its humor on stereotypes.
The story of the film focuses on Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis) a young fire woman and daughter of two immigrants: Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen) and Cinder (Shila Ommi), who own a store called “The Fireplace” in the middle of Fire Town in Element City (naming is not the film’s strong suit). Ember is set to inherit her father’s store with Bernie’s impending retirement, which he has continuously put off until he felt his daughter was ready. Things get even more complicated for Ember when a water element named Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), a city inspector, enters her life via leaky pipe. Though Wade’s own inspection dictates the Fireplace should be closed down, he empathizes with Ember’s plight, and the two set out to find the reason why water is leaking into the Fireplace in order to save the store. Along the way, a romance begins to blossom between this fire and water couple, and Ember begins to realize that inheriting her father’s store may not be what she truly wants.
I think Elemental tells a cute story that has a lot of fun moments, but something about it just doesn’t quite click in the way the best Pixar movies do. Individually, I like all the stories at play: Ember trying to live up to her father’s wishes, the story of an immigrant family presented via elemental blobs, and even Ember’s romance with Wade. But I don’t think the overall film is greater (or even equal to) the sum of all those parts. Though it’s far from the most complex Pixar movie, Elemental feels like it doesn’t always know how to bring these simple stories together. It plays like a small series of good films that come together to form an okay one.
Another issue I find myself going back to whenever thinking about Elemental is that I think the film should have come up with a story that better utilized all four elements. Obviously, water and fire create the most blatant contrast. But with a concept that’s literally comprised of only four pieces, it feels like a glaring omission to only focus on half of the equation. The best wind gets is Wade’s employer Gale (Wendi McLendon-Covey), who is fun but doesn’t get a whole lot of screentime. Wind is still better off than poor earth, whose most prominent character is a kid named Clod (Mason Wertheimer), who has a crush on Ember which is established early in the picture, after which Clod disappears almost entirely before the film remembers him for the finale.
While Elemental may not make the most out of its concept on a narrative level, it certainly takes no shortcuts when it comes to the visuals. Elemental should rank as one of Pixar’s best-looking movies, and it’s here where the movie really shines.
Though the character designs are simple enough, the fact that they’re comprised of fire, water, air and earth gives the animators an excuse to just let loose and go crazy. Ember has a habit of melting and shaping glass, which is so mesmerizing I can forgive the movie for finding multiple excuses to showcase it. The water elements are always bobbing around and changing shape. My personal favorite visual gag happens early on, when a group of wind elementals exit a dirigible, thus deflating it to fall down to a lower level, where another group of wind elementals fill it back up and it takes off. Elemental is simply a beautiful and fun film to look at. And it does so without simply mimicking the “Spider-Verse” animation that’s already become overabundant in recent years.
Another highlight of the film that I don’t hear a lot of people talk about is the music. Though the score of Elemental is unlikely to conjure up the same emotions as past Pixar scores like Up or Wall-E, it does sound fittingly unique. It plays off a somewhat oddball selection of sounds that really fits with the film’s relatively abstract motif.
I think it’s safe to say that the best elements of Elemental (I went there) are in the aesthetics. It’s visually stunning and audibly fun (on top of the clever music mentioned above, it also has a good voice cast). It’s just a shame the film couldn’t quite reach that same creativity in terms of its story. Elemental is never a bad film, but I can’t help but feel it should have been a better one. It’s hard to believe we live in a time when a Pixar movie being “just okay” merely puts it in the middle of the Pixar echelon. There was a time when “just okay” would have been an unheard of low for the studio.
Not every Pixar movie has to be a masterpiece (if anything, my complaint with Lightyear was that it aimed too high, when all it needed to be was simple, Saturday morning-style entertainment). But we’re also getting to a point where I feel myself longing for the majesty of Pixar’s yesteryear a little too frequently. Elemental may not be the Pixar classic it could have been, but at least it proves that Pixar’s imagination hasn’t gone anywhere. And with it, the door is open and waiting for the next Pixar masterpiece to step through.
Wizard Dojo 