Tag: E3

The 2023 Christmas Special/Ninth Anniversary Celebration! Top 10 Films of 2023 + More!

The hell? It’s already Christmas?!

… 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!

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch looked to emulate the world’s greatest animation studio by… actually getting the world’s greatest animation studio to help make the game. An enhanced remake of a Japan-exclusive Nintendo DS game from two years prior, the PS3 upgrade remains one of the most whimsical and heartfelt video game stories out there. And with gameplay that essentially combines Dragon Quest and Pokémon, it was destined to be a surefire winner. Oh, and Namco Bandai actually got Joe Hisaishi himself to do the music! *Drools Homer Simpson style*

Runner-up: Pikmin 3

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…

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Reflecting on my Time at E3 2018

“Is that the real Master Sword that Link actually used in the game?!”

Another E3 has come and gone. Although this was far from my first time at the event, it was only my second time attending since I launched Wizard Dojo, which in a weird way feels like a whole different era for me (even though it’s just a wee blog). Though the fact that E3 has had a bigger attendance than ever the past two years means that the lines to actually play the games can be, well, downright evil in their tests of patience, it was overall a very fun show.

There’s plenty to be said about the mostly disappointing presentations. Whether it was Sony’s unusual format of changing revenues and taking noticeably long breaks, or Nintendo’s maybe-too-focused-on-Smash Bros.-Direct, there weren’t a whole lot of surprises, or even as much of a lineup as last year’s show.

With all that said, however, there was still plenty to enjoy. Especially for someone like me who’s just lucky to be able to attend E3’s show floor. I’ve already written some blogs dedicated to some of the games shown at E3, but now let me write just a little bit about my own experience.

“The world’s greatest necktie.”

Naturally, the first day for me was all about Super Smash Bros. (though I also played it the latter two days as well). Though the gameplay is familiar to the Wii U version, it feels like it’s getting the right level of polish, aiming for something of a combination of Melee and the Wii U game to make the definitive version of Super Smash Bros. Though I still have some reservations (please, don’t waste whatever new characters we get with clones!), Super Smash Bros. is one of the few games where I always get sucked into the hype before release. Since the demo didn’t have my main man King Dedede playable, I spent most rounds as Bowser (who is actually my favorite Nintendo character, so wouldn’t that make him my main man?), or Donkey Kong and Mega Man. I won more than I lost *brag brag* but I admit I made more than a little bit of an oopsie when I went into sudden death as Ridley (I’ll really have to practice that up-special of his). Anyway, I’m just really keeping my fingers crossed that Geno actually makes it in this time. Hey, Sakurai’s behind the idea, if only Nintendo can twist Square’s arm…

Other notable titles I played over the three day event were Marvel’s Spider-Man (which I wish had a more unique title) and Mega Man 11. Other titles that caught my eye but weren’t playable (at least not from what I could tell) were Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Dreams, the former of which comes from Hidetaka “Prepare to Die” Miyazaki, and the latter by Media Molecule, the creators of LittleBigPlanet who really look like they’ve upped their game.

Spider-Man’s greatest joy was simply how much it makes you feel like Spider-Man when playing it. I spent more of my time in the demo trying to find and ascend the tallest building than I did with any of the objectives. Mega Man 11, meanwhile, felt like the proper continuation of the beloved series that it should be. Mega Man 11 boasted the usual Mega Man gameplay, but with the added bonus of some fun twists on the level design.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice already looks like it could be one of my favorite games of next year. It’s interesting to see a game that follows suit with Miyazaki’s Dark Souls/Bloodborne series, but that omits the RPG elements, instead opting for action/adventure. The only downside is no multiplayer, which admittedly feels like a step back from the genius twists to co-operative and competitive multiplayer the Souls series brought to gaming. As for Dreams, well, it looks like the ultimate game-making game, with players seemingly able to make every single asset of a game (including genre, characters, environments, sounds, music, etc.). Let’s just hope the in-game gameplay doesn’t suffer as LittleBigPlanet did.

Other games I managed to play on the show floor include Team Sonic Racing, a new Senran Kagura title for PS4, Mario Tennis Aces, and Fortnite (which, believe it or not, was actually my first time playing Fortnite). Team Sonic Racing felt like a fun successor to the Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing series, though the removal of non-Sonic Sega characters actually seems like a step back (after all, Mario Kart eventually added Zelda and Animal Crossing characters into the mix. It didn’t start with them then take them away). Senran Kagura is…well, it is what it is: a mindless but fun guilty pleasure. Mario Tennis Aces actually surprised me with how much fun I had in my short time with it. I mean, playing as a Chain Chomp with a tennis racket in its mouth? How can it not be great? And although I sucked in the round of Fortnite I played, I can definitely see the appeal, seeing as it feels like PUBG, but with an actual personality and additional elements like crafting. Plus, Fortnite is now free on Switch, so I have no excuse not to get it.

Sadly, I never got the chance to play Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, because the lines were always too damn long. Same goes for Kingdom Hearts 3. But hey, I’ll probably play them eventually. Besides, I got to meet the REAL Pikachu and Eevee in person! That counts for like, 10 demos of the games.

“Squad Goals.”

Being able to play all these games was great of course (even if the lines could be insufferable), but just the experience of being at E3 is fun in itself for someone like me. Basically, it’s like Disneyland: wait in monotonous lines most the day, get rewarded with a few moments of quality entertainment, and overall you just enjoy being there. The experience was made all the better, however, by little things like conversing with other people with similar interests while I waited in those aforementioned lines (one particularly interesting individual in line for Smash Bros. also wanted Geno to make the roster), seeing a Solaire cosplayer fat-roll his way through the exhibit hall, walking right passed The New Day and getting a photo with Charles Martinez!

“It’s-a him!”

Yes, another E3 has come and gone, and while most will be discussing the big, news-y aspects of the event, for me, it was just  blast being there, and am itching to return next year.

Spider-Man (Playstation 4) Delivers!

Well, E3 2018 has come and gone. And while I hope to recount my personal experiences at the event soon, let’s wrap up these E3 game-related postings on the days of the show with Marvel’s Spider-Man on Playstation 4.

Now, Spider-Man was at E3 last year, but I never got around to playing it. I feared that would also be the case this year. Because geez, were those lines long! Thankfully, however, on this last day of E3, I managed to wait it out. Sure, it was still a long line, but nothing I wouldn’t see during a usual day at Disneyland.

I’m glad I decided to wait, because Spider-Man is now one of my most anticipated games on the horizon. I admit I was a little skeptical at first. Even though licensed games have deservingly removed much of the stigma that was once associated with them, I wasn’t exactly sure what would make this Spider-Man game stand out from any others.

This may sound incredibly cliched, but Spider-Man on PS4 works because of how much it makes you feel like Spider-Man. From the second I picked up the control and explored New York City, I had a big, stupid grin on my face from pure childlike elation at the ability to climb up/swing from pretty much anything. You could activate markers for different objectives, but I largely ignored them, and for the most part just wanted to explore the city. I spent most of the demo simply making my way to the tallest building I could find, and then proceeding to ascend it.

“Is Spoder-Man.”

It’s in how Spider-Man controls that makes it all such a joy. The sheer fluidity in which Spidey can go from swinging on webs to latching onto a wall to running up a building just feels…right. It’s hard to explain, but hopefully when the game is released and more and more people play it, they will get a similar feeling.

I did eventually do some mission objectives, which mainly consisted of beating up bad guys, and here’s where things do get a little worrisome. The combat pretty much made the game feel like Spider-Man: Arkham City. That is to say, it was basically just the combat from the Arkham series, but with a replacement in super hero.

Now, on its own, this isn’t a big problem, because for all intents and purposes, the combat of the Arkham games was fun. However, it would have been nice if the game felt a little more original in this area. This was especially true because – like the Arkham games – these combat sections seemed to drag on and on. Sure, the combat is fun and affective for a while, but it kind of went on to the point that I missed simply running around and goofing off as Spider-Man.

There was, however, a refreshing boss encounter against The Shocker during the demo. I say refreshing for the reasons most people might, like a completely new take on boss fights, but for the exact opposite. The Shocker boss fight was very much a video game boss fight, which in this day and age is becoming something of a lost art, and is always welcome in my book.

That’s not to say that the boss fight was just phoned in from another game or anything, of course. But it flowed like a traditional boss fight (three hits in the first phase, three hits in the second phase, third phase requires you to perform a more cinematic action to finish him off). Much like the exploration, the boss fight felt like experiencing one of Spider-Man’s battles, and wouldn’t have felt out of place in one of the Sam Raimi directed Spider-Man features (or Homecoming. Let’s not bring up those Amazing Spider-Man films though). You avoid Shocker’s attacks until you have an opportunity to strike (via throwing debris at him with webs, of course), in which case you give him a few swift punches. The aforementioned final phase sees you bringing the ceiling down onto Shocker (it’s okay, Spider-Man doesn’t kill him somehow).

“That’s not Willem Defoe! 0/10!”

The exploration alone had me giddy, but if a fight against a lesser Spidey foe like Shocker provided a good old-fashioned boss fight, imagine a throw down with one of his more memorable baddies? The standard combat is a bit overly familiar, but hopefully the final game adds some nice twists of its own, and learns when to trim things down a bit. Or maybe just make most such situations optional. After all, who cares when Spider-Man catches a bunch of books, right? The option to just head for primary objectives like boss fights might be a good alternative.

Any concerns I may have with the combat don’t come anywhere close to the sheer joy of traversing New York City as Spider-Man, however. The simple joy of swinging around on webs, sticking to windows, and scaling the tallest tower as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is nothing short of a joy.

Mega Man 11 is the Real Deal

I don’t get this “Mega Man 11” thing! It just looks like Capcom is trying to rip off Mighty No. 9!

All joking aside, I got to play Mega Man 11 at E3 today (after an excruciatingly long wait in line), and walked away very impressed with the game, which is now on my radar as one of my most anticipated titles of the year.

When Mega Man 11 was first revealed, a lot of fans were disappointed with the new visual look, and wanted another 8-bit throwback title. Personally, I think making another 8-bit entry would have felt a bit tired by this point. Besides, Mega Man 7 and 8 weren’t 8-bit, so it’s not as if Mega Man 11 is the first entry to go against the series’ NES roots.

“At least the long line included monitors with fun questions and factoids about Mega Man’s history. This was by far my favorite one.”

One concern I did have though, was that the new look may have meant a new direction for the series’ difficulty, and maybe ease things up a bit to grab a new audience. I’m not one of those people who demands that every game be extremely difficult, and that any game that’s on the easy side is automatically bad. But in Mega Man’s case, the difficulty is as much a part of the series as the Blue Bomber’s ability to steal the powers of defeated Robot Masters.

Although only one stage was available in the demo (Block Man’s), it proved to be pleasantly challenging. Perhaps more importantly, the challenge was brought about by some creative ideas in the level design, with the standout moment being Mega Man navigating through confined rooms which are on a conveyor belt heading for an insta-kill grinder. Mega Man has to shoot path-blocking stones, and navigate the rooms by jumping and sliding in order to escape them and, by extension, escape the grinder. But once one such mini-room is completed, there’s another one in line on the conveyor belt.

It’s concepts like that why platformers remain one of gaming’s greatest genres. Even with a template as old as Mega Man’s, getting creative with the level design is all the developers need to make things feel new again.

Additionally, Mega Man now possesses an ability to slow down time for a short while, with certain level elements and enemies taking advantage of the mechanic. One enemy hides within a spinning wheel, which has only a small opening for Mega Man’s blast can make it through. While Mega Man can time his blast to destroy the enemy under normal conditions, the enemy’s wheel spins fast enough to make it difficult to get the timing down. That’s when slowing down time comes in handy, as it turns the small opportunity to hit this particular enemy into a much bigger one.

The time-slowing mechanic is a fun little twist on the Mega Man formula, and hopefully a few similar mechanics are introduced to keep things fresh.

From what I can gather from my limited experience with the game, Mega Man 11 looks to not only revive the series after a notably lengthy absence, but also adding to the series’ norms in ways to make it feel like a proper continuation for the franchise, and not simply a throwback.

I was tentatively excited for Mega Man 11 when it was announced, but after playing a stage of the game, it’s really looking like the Mega Man title the gaming world needs…especially after Mighty No. 9.

“I’m a better Mega Man than Mega Man! I’m actually aiming my mega buster at the bad guy!”

My Favorite Games from E3 2017

E3 2017 has come and gone. Everyone seems to be doing their E3 awards now, so I’ll do the same. Though I’m mainly basing this on my personal experience of attending the event, and since I couldn’t experience every game E3 had to offer, my selections will (mostly) look different than most peoples’. I decided to do something of a top five, but instead of ranking the games, I’ll award each one in its own category, to compensate for the long lines preventing me from playing more.

*Best Game I Didn’t Play*

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom

There were plenty of games at E3 that I didn’t get to play, so I guess it makes sense to make a category honoring the best of the games I (unfortunately) missed out on. Of course, I kept track of all the big games from the show through…basically every source I could. And while there were a lot of games I wish I had the chance to play at the show, the one that I regret not getting the chance to play was Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom.

I loved the original game, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, on the Playstation 3. In fact, it was my favorite game of 2013, and one of the best RPGs of recent years. Though the sequel seems to be changing up the formula a bit in terms of combat, it’s still aiming to bring the ineffable charms of Studio Ghibli to the world of video gaming. And frankly, the new combat system looks just as fun (I really liked the “Dragon Quest meets Pokemon” gameplay of the original, but the Pikmin-esque elements are winning me over). In a year chock-full of great games, Ni No Kuni II is among the titles I’m most excited for. And with all due respect to the other great games I wasn’t able to try at E3, I’m kicking myself the most over missing out on Ni No Kuni II, whose line seemed to always be closed every time I tried to play it…

Yeah, I’m also eagerly-awaiting the remakes of Crash Bandicoot and Superstar Saga, but they’re remakes. It’s different.

 

*The “Wow, I Can’t Believe This Actually Works!” Award*

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

For years, I’ve found the Rabbids to be nothing but annoying. When I heard the rumors of a crossover with Super Mario, I was more dumbfounded than anything. Never would I have imagined that this oddball combination would actually lead to a very promising tactical RPG.

It’s Mario. It’s Rabbids. It has XCOM-esque gameplay. It has music by Grant Kirkhope. The Mario and Rabbid characters use sci-fi weapons… This is the weirdest concept for a game I’ve heard in a very, very long time. Almost like Ubisoft pulled a bunch of ideas out of a hat, and decided to put them together. But, if the demo I played is anything to go by, it actually works.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle proved to be surprisingly complex with its battle system, and it seems to be using both Ubisoft’s Rabbids and Nintendo’s most iconic IP in a really creative way. Here’s hoping the final game is every bit as much of a pleasant surprise.

 

*The “Outta Nowhere” Award*

Dragon Ball FighterZ

As a kid, I loved the Dragon Ball franchise. As I’ve gotten older, I still have a soft spot for it, even if it loses any shred of story structure once it goes into the “Dragon Ball Z” territory and beyond. The planet-devastating action from the manga/anime series should be ripe for the picking for the video game world. But to be honest, I think that Dragon Ball games, at their best, have only ever been so-so.

That all changed when I played Dragon Ball FighterZ. Visually, it looks just like you’re playing an episode of the anime. Actually, considering the game’s animation is far more fluid than the anime’s, Dragon Ball FighterZ looks better than its source material. More importantly, it plays beautifully. The combat is classic, 2D fighting at its best.

The game oozes both depth and accessibility in its gameplay, with easy-to-learn combos and mechanics that definitely take some time to learn to use to greater effect. Plus, it rectifies one of my major gripes with most 2D fighters by making the matches decently lengthy. Normally, I feel like if you get hit by just a few moves in a 2D fighter, the match is nearly over. But here, players get to choose three characters apiece, with each one being decently durable, leading to matches that felt lengthy, but not so lengthy they overstayed their welcome.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been as excited for a fighting game as I am for Dragon Ball FighterZ.

 

*The “Right in the Childhood” Award*

Sonic Mania

Sonic the Hedgehog was one of my favorite video game series as a kid, but somewhere along the line, the games started sucking. I – like many people – believe this all happened around the time Sonic made the jump to 3D. Some still swear by the Sonic Adventure titles, but I’m sorry, they really show their age. Not to mention they also began the trend for Sonic games trying to be melodramatic story-focused, furry-baiting nonsense, which focused more on introducing more small armies of dumb animal characters in each game than actually making a good game. The more I think about it, the more I think Sonic Generations may be the only 3D Sonic title I actually like…

Sega has tried in the past to bring Sonic back to his former glory, with the Sonic Advance/Rush titles being decent attempts that never quite felt right. A more literal approach was taken with Sonic the Hedgehog 4, but both of that game’s “episodes” felt like dumbed down, clunky versions of the formula.

But with Sonic Mania, Sega seems to finally be getting Sonic right! It looks and feels like the Genesis Sonic games in many ways, but also feels like a proper sequel to the 16-bit Sonic classics. It takes the best bits of Sonic’s most beloved games, while also making everything smoother, and adding a good dose of originality and creativity to boot. Plus, we get the classic pot-bellied, Felix the Cat-esque Sonic that we all love, instead of that obnoxious, desperately-trying-to-be-cool buffoon that the Hedgehog has become.

Whether or not Sonic Mania can repair the franchise as a whole is yet to be seen. But at least it looks like we’ll finally get one game that does the series proud.

 

*Overall Game of the Show*

Super Mario Odyssey

Earlier this year, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a game which reinvented the foundations of the Zelda series to masterful effect. Now, Nintendo is aiming to do the same with the one franchise that is arguably more highly-regarded than Zelda.

Nintendo may be boasting that Super Mario Odyssey is returning to the “sandbox style” of Super Marios 64 and Sunshine. But it’s actually so much more than that.

Super Mario Odyssey looks to be rebuilding what we know and love about the Mario series. The worlds of the game are outlandish even by Mario’s standards, and that sense of originality is finding its way into the gameplay.

Instead of one-off power-ups being found in blocks, Mario can buy different outfits – with each boasting different abilities – which he can then wear whenever. The famed plumber is free to search for Power Moons (the replacement of Power Stars) however the player sees fit, with the episodic nature of past 3D Marios no longer limiting Mario’s options. And most prominently, Mario can take control of enemies, NPCs and even objects using his new magic hat, which means the gameplay is constantly changing.

Even with all the changes Odyssey looks to bring to the Mario formula, it still retains the level of polish, intricate controls, and bountiful charms you would expect from the Mario series. Odyssey looks to be a classic in the making.

Well, that does it for my E3 awards. I now leave you with this video of the Super Soul Bros. performing at E3 (pardon my recording skills…or lack thereof).

E3 2017: Day 3

E3 2017 has come and gone. While there are plenty of discussions to be had on the presentations and such, I’m just here to recollect my experience at the show. While there were some detriments to this E3 (namely the ungodly long lines), it was fun to be able to experience E3 again, and I look forward to next year’s show… provided they sell reasonably-priced tickets to the public again. Anyway, here’s how my last day at E3 2017 went.

First the bad news: I didn’t get to play Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. I tried – several times – to get in line for it, and every time the line was “temporarily closed,” until the last time I tried and it was closed for the day. So that sucked. Otherwise, I had a good last day at the show, though I didn’t actually play a whole lot.

The first game I got to play was a second go at Dragon Ball FighterZ against my brother. I managed to win once again after a hard fought battle (I usually suck at fighting games, so I don’t mind bragging here), but I really can’t stress enough how much I enjoy this game. It was definitely worth a second look, and was definitely one of the best surprises of the show.

Speaking of pleasant surprises, the next game I managed to play was Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. Now, when I first heard of the rumors of this game, I can’t say I was too excited. I was never a fan of the Rabbids, so to hear they were crossing over into my favorite franchise was a bit iffy. It also didn’t help that the rumored title was Super Mario RPG: Invasion of the Rabbids, which seemed like a disappointing follow-up to the classic Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (one of my favorite video games of all time).

Now that the game’s been revealed (and has no connection to Super Mario RPG), I’m actually really excited for it. The game basically plays like the XCOM reboot, but with Mario and Rabbids characters, and music by the composer of Banjo-Kazooie (Grant Kirkhope). That is an odd combination, but certainly an interesting one.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is essentially a tactical RPG, with the game featuring eight playable characters (Mario, Luigi, Peach and Yoshi, along with four Rabbids dressed as those four characters), though the demo only featured three (Mario, and the Peach and Luigi Rabbids). The battles use a turn-based system, with players able to move their characters to different places within a certain distance on the field at any time. During movement, players can boost their characters’ distance by pairing them with another character or going through pipes, perform a sliding attack by crossing an enemy, and ultimately find a spot to cover from enemy damage. After the characters are positioned, they can attack enemies using an array of weird sci-fi weapons.

It sounds simple, but Mario + Rabbids proved to be surprisingly deep and complex with its tactical elements. What seemed so easy on face value had me making a number of mistakes before learning better.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle may be one of the weirdest games I’ve ever heard of, but if the demo was a taste of what is to come, then I can say I’m actually very excited for a game featuring the Rabbids. Never thought I’d say that.

Truth be told, standing in line for Mario + Rabbids took up a good deal of time, so I didn’t get to play a whole lot else on this final day of E3 2017, though I did get to explore the show floor a bit more, and I liked what I saw. Two games I’m looking forward to but skipped were ARMS and Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy. With ARMS literally being released tomorrow, I didn’t feel the need to stand in a lengthy line for it. And while the Crash Bandicoot remake compilation is one of my most anticipated games this year, it comes out at the end of this month. So again, I didn’t think waiting in a long line for it made much sense (I would possibly make an exception for Mario or Dark Souls, if that scenario ever occurs).

So the last game I played at this E3 was, well, the first game I played at this E3: Super Mario Odyssey. Mercifully, Nintendo seemed to learn from the chaotic mess of a line from the first day of E3, and tweaked things to make it more tolerable. There were more, smaller lines this time, instead of a gargantuan mass of humanity. I probably only had to wait a half hour, which was a godsend compared to the first time around.

On the first day, I played the desert stage of the Mario Odyssey demo, which felt familiar to the Super Mario Galaxy games in that it was built around action and platforming. This time, however, I tried out the city stage, which felt more in line with Super Mario 64 or – perhaps more accurately – Breath of the Wild.

The city stage serves as a massive sandbox with objects galore to be found and completed as the player sees fit. In retrospect, I probably should have tried out the different costumes to see their abilities, but I was too busy gathering Moons (Odyssey’s replacement for the traditional Stars).

I got one Moon by performing well at a game of jump rope, one for besting an obstacle course, and a few for braving precarious situations. In total, I earned a total of six Moons, which the man working at the kiosk told me tied the record set for the city stage during the demo. Of course, this leads me to an aggravating little detail: My demo ended just as I was climbing the pole at the top of the highest building in the city, which the Nintendo employee ensured me had an additional Moon at its peak. So I was apparently seconds away from having the best record of Moons on the city stage for Super Mario Odyssey’s E3 demo. Just my luck…

In between viewing, playing, and waiting in line for all these great games over the past few days, I also enjoyed some of the other things E3 had to offer: I enjoyed a bit of a GameSpot interview with WWE wrestlers Xavier Woods and Samoa Joe on the last day, while during the second day I had a listen to some awesome Mario Kart 64 remixes courtesy of the Super Soul Bros.

“Joe’s gonna kill you!”

I’ve had a great time at this year’s E3. Yes, the lines were disastrous (hopefully they’ll learn how to better handle the extra people if the event is still open to the public next year), and sure, people can go ahead and comment about how Sony’s presentation wasn’t up to their usual quality, or how there weren’t too many surprises. But for me, it was simply a great time. I made lots of memories, played some terrific games (particularly Super Mario Odyssey, which I feel is destined to be a Nintendo classic), and just had a good time.

I’m hoping I can return to E3 again next year, but all I can say for now is that it was great to attend the event again. But good luck with 2018’s E3 having as stellar of a lineup of games as this year.

“Me…about to be crushed by the DK Rabbid…”

E3 2017: Day 2

Day two of my ventures of E3 2017 have come and gone. Today, I managed to play a few different games, and actually found some great surprises. On the downside, the AAA booths have proven almost too crazy to deal with. I made the exception for Super Mario Odyssey, and I hope to still play a few more AAA games if I’m able (I really want to try Sea of Thieves). But their lines are pure evil. Just evil.

On the plus side of things, I’m not the biggest fan of the direction many AAA games are taking these days, so missing out on them at E3 isn’t a personally crushing loss. But there are a couple of games I hope to catch tomorrow, seeing as it’s the last day of E3 2017 *sob*.

Anyway, the great news is that I spent most of the day with my brother, so we got to experience a number of games together. First we played Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, the newest edition of Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy spinoff fighter for the Playstation 4. It was pretty fun and interesting, though I clearly didn’t know what I was doing. In a game placing two teams of three against each other, I came in last place in the losing team, while my brother got first place on the winning team. Ouch.

I got a bit of vengeance, however, with one of E3’s biggest surprises. Dragon Ball FighterZ had a bit of a line, but it was definitely worth it. The game is a classic-style, 2D fighting game from the makers of Guilty Gear, and uses the same beautiful cel-shading as said series, which looks as close to hand-drawn animation as possible.

Dragon Ball FighterZ uses a team system, with players picking three different characters. The demo consisted of six characters from the anime franchise: Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Frieza, Cell and Majin Buu. Both me and my brother picked variations of a Frieza, Cell and Buu team (because Saiyans are boring). The game not only looks gorgeous, but the controls and gameplay are incredibly fluid. Better still, unlike many fighters, where it seems like characters are eliminated rather quickly, it took a good few minutes before either of us knocked out our first character. I ultimately ended up victorious in my match against my brother after a hard fought battle. But the real story here is how disappointed I was when my time with the game ended. I wanted it to keep going. Dragon Ball FighterZ was that much fun.

“The bounciest game of the year.”

Another surprise of the show was Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash. Yeah, yeah, this is a series all about waifus and bewbs (as if that’s a bad thing), but it was fun. It basically works like Splatoon meets Super Mario Sunshine, with teams of bosomy, bikini-clad ninjas using squirt guns against each other. Once you have an opponent down, you can continue to squirt them to remove their bikini top or bottom for extra points (convenient lighting prevents all-out nudity). Look, it’s actually a fun game, okay! I know sites like Kotaku are probably already writing their SJW-fueled negative “review” of it. But it’s harmless fun, and more humorous than anything.

Sadly, due to long lines and rather chaotic crowds, I didn’t get to actually play much else, but I did get a good looksy at Sony’s booth, and made another trip to Nintendo’s. That Spider-Man game looks great, and call me a sucker, but I’m really excited for the PS4 version of Shadow of the Colossus, even though I’ve already played it on PS2 and PS3.

I really wanted to try out Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, but the lines for it at both the Nintendo and Ubisoft booths were closed by the time I made it to them. Strangely, Ni No Kuni II’s line was “temporarily closed” the first time I approached it, and then closed for the day the next time. So I guess I know which games I’m starting with tomorrow.

“I never thought I’d want to play a game featuring the Rabbids so badly…”

I did get to play one additional game before the day was done though, Sonic Mania. The Sonic Mania demo allowed you to play as all three characters (Sonic, Knuckles and Tails), and had two different stages to try out (the classic Green Hill Zone and the brand-new Mirage Saloon Zone). I decided to go the classic route and play as Sonic, though because Green Hill Zone seems to be recreated in every Sonic game in existence, I picked the original level instead.

I have to say, it’s hard to get very excited for Sonic games these days, but Sonic Mania has been on my radar since it was announced last year. Even with under ten minutes of playtime with the demo, I think I can safely say it’s the best Sonic game in years. It looks, sounds and feels like the golden age of Sonic games. Though I might even say it controls even more fluidly than the classic Genesis games, and the fact that it’s on modern hardware means that, even though it’s still 16-bits, it can allow for far more complex and robust animations. Sonic Mania is now a game I can’t wait to get my hands on, and it’s been so long since I’ve felt that way for a Sonic title.

Well, that about covers everything I actually managed to play on day two of E3 2017. There’s one more day left, and still a few games I want to be sure to try (mainly Mario + Rabbids and Ni No Kuni II, but if I can manage Splatoon 2, or the Crash Bandicoot and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga remasters, I’ll hopefully squeeze them in as well. And I wouldn’t mind another go at Super Mario Odyssey, provided the line isn’t two and a half hours long).

Even though I may not get the opportunity to play a good deal of games on the show floor, just being able to be at E3 is a real joy for me. As a kid I always wanted to attend E3, and now I actually get to go and play some of the most anticipated upcoming games on the show floor. That’s pretty cool the more I think about it.

Here’s hoping for another trip to E3 in 2018!

E3 2017: Day 1

Day one of my ventures to E3 2017 have come and gone. The bad news is that the first day of the event always has the most unholy of long lines, but at least this means the next two days (hopefully) will be more manageable.

So how was my first day at E3 2017? Well, if I could describe it with a single image…

With a brand-new 3D Mario playable at the show floor, of course that was going to be the first place I went. And the above image pretty much explains what was in store for me. I waited in line for over two and a half hours just to play ten minutes of the newest Mario title.

Thankfully, though the wait was painful, it was ultimately worth it, because those ten minutes were a whole lot of fun. Super Mario Odyssey is shaping up to be something special. It controls beautifully (as is the case with most games starring the famed plumber), looks wonderful, and sounds great. But perhaps the best thing about Mario Odyssey is just how utterly insane it is: Mario can now take control of enemies and some NPCs by throwing his hat on them, with each possessed form bringing their own abilities to the table (a stone maui head could reveal invisible platforms, for example). Plus, Mario can actually buy stuff with the coins he collects, primarily more hats, as well as additional costumes, with each one having their own benefits as well.

Another thing I noticed in my brief time with Super Mario Odyssey is that it seemed to address one of my biggest wishes for the 3D Mario games, and allows Mario to stay within a level after nabbing one of its prizes (this time being Moons, replacing Stars). Hopefully this feature makes it into the final game, because while I loved all of the previous 3D Mario titles to some degree, I felt that the “episodic” setup for the stages – with the selected objective dictating the direction the stage took – was better suited for the Galaxy titles, which were more linear. Super Mario 64 and Sunshine are still touted for being more “open-world” platformers that were built on exploration, so it kind of felt counterproductive to have a fixed objective for you as you picked which “episode” of a level to tackle. If Odyssey sticks with the direction it’s going, then being able to grab whatever Moon on a stage in whatever order is a step in the right direction for this style of 3D Mario.

That’s right, folks. I played Super Mario Odyssey. I even got the hat to prove it.

Obviously, I felt very highly about what Super Mario Odyssey has in store. In a gaming year that has been exceptionally generous in quality titles, and one that has seemingly changed Nintendo’s fortunes for the better, Super Mario Odyssey has a good chance to end up being one of the 2017’s best titles. It already feels like one of the freshest games Nintendo has made in a very long time, and any game where you can possess a T-Rex with a magic hat should be a great time.

On the downside of things, I didn’t get to do a whole lot else on my first day at this E3 (though I did walk by Danny Trejo before entering the building, so that was cool). I saw a number of games that I can’t wait to play, but the lines were all either really long, or just all over the place. I’m hoping that tomorrow and the day thereafter will be a little more calmed down, so that I can check off the games on my “to-play” list.

Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom certainly caught my eye, as did Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (apparently I like games with the word “kingdom” in the title). I also hope to check out the indie games, and even though it comes out pretty soon, I’m really tempted to have a go at Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane trilogy. Sonic Mania, Sonic Forces, Splatoon 2, and Arms are also on my radar. If I can somehow manage to get through the Sea of Thieves line, I definitely will do that as well. Finally, if that remake of Superstar Saga is playable (it was hard to tell with the mass of humanity at Nintendo’s booth for Mario Odyssey), I’ll definitely spend some time on that if I can. With how far the Mario & Luigi series has fallen with its last two entries, going back to its glorious beginning may be just what Nintendo needs to get the Mario RPGs back on track.

So perhaps not too eventful of a day for me when it came to playing a variety of games. But I got to play the game I’m most excited for, so that definitely counts for something. Plus, for someone like me who’s not there to write news reports and interview people, going to E3 is as much about the experience of it as anything. And despite the lines, I had a fun time. There are certainly a lot of great games to look forward to, and I may have already played the best of the bunch.

I’m Going to E3!

Don’t worry, I have some more reviews coming soon (though I really should hop to them… my backlog is growing by the day). But I’ve been busy preparing for my trip to E3 2017!

This actually won’t be the first time I’ve attended the event, as I ventured to E3 on six past occasions from 2009 to 2014. Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep up with the increasing ticket prices as the years went on. Thankfully for me, this was the year that E3 opened their doors to a more public audience. Though the tickets still came with a bit of a price tag, it was nothing compared to the past.

Of course, the public pass means that I’ll just be attending the show floor, so I’ll just have to watch the presentations form my computer. But I honestly don’t mind. The show floor is where you get to play the games. That’s the good stuff!

But I’m not writing this post to brag, but just to inform people that the majority of my upcoming blogs for the upcoming week+ will probably be focused on E3 happenings, though I’ll still squeeze in some reviews and such, of course.

Obviously, if you want the big news from E3, there are plenty of major gaming sites to go for that. I’m mostly going to write on my perspective of the event, what games I’m most excited for, which ones I have the most fun playing at the show, things of that nature. Think of it like a personal journal of my E3 adventures, as opposed to news reports (again, why would you go to me for news?). I’ll be posting some of my thoughts and opinions on the games at the event here.

I hope you enjoy whatever I end up writing on the event, and hopefully I’ll get to play a lot of cool games while I’m at the show. And yes, Super Mario Odyssey will be the first game I go to.

Kind of/Sort of Hyped for E3 2016

E3 2016

It’s hard to believe it’s almost time for E3 already. Where the heck has 2016 gone? As the year continues to speed by, we are fast approaching 2016’s E3 event, where we’ll surely get some huge news in the world of video games and such. And I’m… kind of excited.

Look, E3 always gives gamers something to talk about when all is said and done. But usually I feel incredibly hyped to see what the event has in store. This year though, I’m looking forward to the event, but I’m also not exactly counting down the days.

Perhaps I’m a bit biased, since I once again will be unable to attend E3 this year. After having attended E3 from 2009 to 2014, not going can only end up feeling like a sting. But even if I were going, there’s not exactly a whole lot that’s been announced for the event that has me jumping (fingers crossed for some meaningful surprises).

For one, Nintendo basically relegating their presence at the show to Zelda hype alone is a huge bummer. I know some Zelda diehards think Zelda is enough to sustain Nintendo’s presence, but I’m not one of those people. Even if they don’t have them at the show floor, I want to hear what’s in store with Mario’s platforming and karting ventures, or what long-dormant Nintendo franchises are making a comeback, or even the reveal of a new IP a la Splatoon (I’m also apparently the only person who wants Retro Studios to make a third Donkey Kong title). Not to mention with Nintendo’s next console on the horizon, the fact that Nintendo has already announced that they won’t even talk about it at the event is more than a little confusing.

I suppose my selfish side is snickering a little bit, since I won’t be attending E3 I also won’t experience the lack of Nintendo-ness first-hand. But from a more objective point of view it’s still a bummer.

"You're useless, Tails!"
“You’re useless, Tails!”

Outside of Nintendo, I also just don’t see myself jumping with excitement for any other announced games aside from Yooka-Laylee (not that I ever really jump with excitement, but you know what I mean). I suppose if they end up talking a bit more about The Last Guardian, that’s another bonus.

Maybe they’ll reveal the inevitable Frozen level in Kingdom Hearts 3, which would be awesome for how big of a Frozen fan I am, but would also inevitably lead to me pointing out all the things the game gets wrong. Plus, it’s kind of hard to get too interested in a series like Kingdom Hearts, seeing as its small army of “spinoffs” that were released on various different platforms are all part of the main story, only further confusing the already convoluted plot, and that none of them have improved on the gameplay established in the 2002 original.

A lot of the announced games sound good, but I just don’t feel the same sense of excitement as I usually do for E3.I’m hoping the show can deliver a host of worthwhile surprises, and kick some life into the event. As it is, I see myself as being more excited for whatever info comes from Yooka-Laylee out of the event than for the event itself.

Hopefully, all my reservations are proven wrong by the time E3 rolls around, and the show will provide gamers with a ton of titles to look forward to. But as things go for me personally, I almost feel like I’ll be viewing the event out of obligation more so than interest. Here’s hoping all my skepticisms are for naught.