Captain America: Super Soldier Review

Captain America is the latest in the never ending onslaught of movie tie in games, created solely to cash in on the excitement for the newly released movie. These types of games are well known for being rushed through development and unpolished, but Captain America: Super Solider is shockingly a pretty damn good game. Taking inspiration from other much more popular games, specifically Batman: Arkham Asylum just swap out Batman for the ever patriotic soldier Captain America, and switch Gotham's infamous prison with a Hydra castle base and there you have it.  Its easy to critizce a game for shamelessly ripping off another games proven formula, but against all logical thinking, Captain America actually pulls it off, mostly due to the fact that there really isn't anything like Arkham Asylum on the market, so for this being the first game to ape those mechanics its much more forgivable.

I cannot stress enough how much like Arkham Asylum this game is, the combat system is literally lifted straight from that game, with a heavy emphasis on counter and dodging and then rolling into your punches from there. Cap's shield is basically a bigger more in your face version of the batarangs which you can use by boomeranging it into up to 5 enemies or as the end result of a long combo in which you slam it into the enemies face. Enemies are mostly canon fodder but a few unique brute type enemies and some shield throwing resistant foes mix it up well enough. I must stress that even though this combat mechanic is lifted almost exactly from Arkham Asylum its no less fun, its easily the best part of the game, jumping and dodging between 20 henchmen slowly bringing each of them to their knees and knocking them out with a well placed fist to the jaw or kick to the groin. Its no less fun than it was a year ago and its infinity rewarding as you upgrade your abilities and are able to reverse counter attacks or "weaponize" enemies and turn them on their allies.

The environment you traverse over the course of the game are all set within a single massive Hydra castle, and while its is technically an open world-- as you can choose to go to different areas of the castle at your leisure-- major plot specific places are scripted. The levels are massive, but there are load times in between all the major segments of the castle like the courtyard, estate, orchard, etc. While the levels are huge, moving through them is linear you start at one end and you get to the exit, entering the rooms along your way: there isn't much divergence. There are some straight up open levels, with multiple floors and paths to various secret areas but for the most part the game is linear in its level design. Thankfully even though the game mainly takes place in one location the different areas of the castle are greatly varied, from a church to a mansion and several outdoor levels and predictably the secret science division and prison underneath the massive castle grounds.

Captain America doesn't do anything new-- seriously nothing new-- but it borrows from a great game successfully which results in a thoroughly enjoyable experience from beginning to end. The occasional platforming sequence is impossible to fail making it boring, add to that unimaginative boss fights that are straight up disappointing once completed and what you have is an above average movie license game, but a decent action adventure game. Captain America is definitely a surprise given the level of shoveled crap most movie games are filled with. And so with its lengthy campaign, fantastic combat mechanics and an overall good if not great level of design, Captain America is one of the better movie tie in games, and a legitimately fun few days of patriotic entertainment.

(3 out of 5)

The Last Airbender Review

The Last Airbender is the worst offense to the eyes and ears I have ever witnessed. A legitimately offensive movie, that will require you to withstand the torture that comes with withstanding its baffling plot, increasingly horrendously written dialogue, terrible effects in what is ultimately a completely soulless and joyless movie. Top to bottom I never thought I could be more disgusted with a movie like I was for The Last Airbender, I was genuinely offended whenever a character opened their mouths. It is what i imagine the Holocaust was like except Hitler was nice enough to kill his prisoners, those who find themselves watching The Last Airbender will not receive that privilege.

Every actor in this movie, is giving the absolute worst performance of their lives. The main character Aang is played by a completely unknown actor, who as far as I am concerned was crafted in the fires of Mount Doom because I have never seen such a black hole of emotion or talent, those around him suffer just from being in the same scene. What makes all the performances even worse are the words that leave their mouths. Never has there been such a clinical approach to dialogue, in which everything is said just to said, an emotion must be expressed in words, "Because I'm Angry" destinations must be said loudly and clearly-- even whilst being hunted by warring tribes-- "We should go to the southern water nation". Words are thrown around loosely with complete disregard for their impact on the current scene. The myriad of exposition monologues, where we as the audience are told what is happening instead of things developing naturally, are frequent and boring so that by the end of said speech, we still don't know what the hell is going on.

I could go on and on about the atrocities to cinema this movie commits but its all meaningless. Stay far far away from this movie. If you happen to glance upon the box sitting on a shelf at the local Best Buy do yourself a favor and stab yourself in the eye, that jolt of pain will at least deter the sense of failure and hopelessness for the whole of the human race you would have otherwise felt.

(Negative Infinity out of 5)

Limitless Review

Limitless is a movie that lays its douche bag nature out bare, and whether you like it or not, this particular douche bag is going to have everything go right for him, your going to hope and pray that he get whats coming but that just not how Limitless rolls. Limitless revels in its douche baggery and shoves  it down your throat, what results is a movie with style to spare but no substance. Limitless has a fairly simple premise, its entire conceit revolves around the well known idea that we has human beings can only access 20% of our entire brain. Limitless asks, "what if you could take a pill that could let you access the entire 100%".

Bradley Copper has made a career as a smarmy yet charming prick, and its paid off pretty well. But Limitless takes him to the utter extremes of his inner high school jock, as he ushers in a performance that can only be described as accurate. As he displays such cockiness and self righteousness that forces you to dig into the deepest darkest places of your soul, to come up with the patience to put up with him. In the end that's the point, as the movie starts his character Eddie Morra, is a struggling writer who looks like he should be living off the streets, when a old friend offers him a new FDA "approved" drug, he takes it thinking his life couldn't get any worse. Now you must be thinking, well of course its gets worse, he gets in over his head, then struggles to get off the drug, and in the end learns the error of his ways. Let me stop right there, cause this is where Limitless gets interesting, instead of being a cool sci-fi concept wrapped around a stupid morality tale, Limitless just says FUCK IT. If your a prick, take drugs, sleep around, haplessly murder and lie to make your way to the top, then you'll have the world eating out of your hand. Yep you read that right, Limitless has no moral consequences to being a drug addicted, womanizing, douche bag. I guess that's an interesting and very original approach to an otherwise completely predictable plot.

Limitless best qualities comes from its really stylized look. Whenever somebody take the drug, all the colors pop, the movie just instantly becomes incredibly colorful and vibrant, there is some cool camera effects as well that go along with the drug use. There are even some cool sequences depicting the actions the character is doing in crazy fashion as if to say look, by tripping balls you can do all these amazing things, and it'll look absolutely stunning. I actually really enjoyed all the cool effects and visuals the movie uses to indicate where Eddie is with the drug, if he is inspired by it, is craving it or what it must look like to deduce the amount of information that he does while on the drug. Of course the drug becomes pretty addictive once you try it, and one of the many obstacles in Eddie's way is a Russian thug who keeps demanding more. The resulting fight between Eddie and this Russian gangster and his thugs is fairly thrilling, but like so many parts of this movie, it just just never really achieves full potential.

You Talking to me ?

Robert De Niro must have had the day off, because he is in the movie, with not much of a role, but as the only other known name in the entire movie he is all over the promotion for this thing. He is relatively fine, but he isn't given much to do, but be vaguely intimidating and the revelation about his characters can be guessed the first time he appears on screen -- well after he finishes grimacing like he does--. Every character and even every plot turn, can be seen a mile away, it take away the enjoyment, when you can predict every outcome to every action that anyone makes, the movie becomes incredibly predictable. I will reiterate once more, the only thing inventive is the fact that the preternatural douche bag doesn't learn his lesson or become a better person, he continues being a cunt, and goes to to make, millions of dollars, keep the girl, and be pretty much invincible, its kinda cool in but also makes everything weightless or meaningless.

Limitless is an odd movie, its stylish but lakes substance. It has a charming lead in Bradley Copper but he is playing a royal douche bag. The drug is a neat concept but it never amounts to anything. Limitless is a the very definition of a decent movie it just never really reaching its potential, its a decent rental and that's about it.

(2 out of 5)

Captain America: The First Avenger Review

Captain America is the best Marvel superhero movie yet, an inspiring and immensely entertaining film that takes the well rehearsed superhero origin formula and spices it up with a fantastic and realistic WWII setting and old-school adventure movie tropes which ends up feeling like a cross between Band of Brothers and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Captain America starts in modern times with an expedition team discovering a familiar looking shield frozen in ice. Flash-back to a 90 lb Steve Rogers being rejected to serve in the army for the fifth time. The movie wastes no time establishing Steve Rogers as a character that is so incredibly likable through his unfaltering devotion to standing strong for what he believes as well as his dedication to doing what is right. Rogers is an old school hero which is refreshing amid the whiny misunderstood and nearly sociopathic heroes that star in most other superhero movie of the past few years. This is a perfect start to what will end up being the most unadulterated pleasurable superhero movie experience in a long time.

Steve Rogers is chosen for a highly experimental scientific experiment to create the "perfect" soldier. Rogers is clearly not chosen for his peak physical strength or his warrior like prowess but because the leader of the "Super Soldier Project", Dr. Abraham Erskine believed that the serum would best be given to a man that understands what strength really means and showed unflinching courage and loyalty to upholding his ideals. And so Captain America is born, but this moment of excitement and rejoice is cut short when a HYDRA spy kills Dr. Erskine who takes the secret of the super soldier serum to his grave, leaving Rogers as the only successful subject of the secret project. We quickly learn HYDRA is a faction broken away from the Nazi regime by Johann Schmidt who is later revealed to be the Red Skull. Schmidt has gotten a hold of the Cosmic Cube rumored to have been stolen from Odin's (yes, that old guy from Thor) vault, which grants the user of said cube with knowledge and power from throughout the cosmos.

When Rogers catches wind that some of his friends have been captured and are being held in a Hydra facility he disobeys orders and goes in to save them. This is just one of many great examples of how fantastic Captain America is as a traditional hero, he is willingly to risk everything to save his friends, he doesn't question his place in the world or what his transformation into a superhuman soldier means for the existential beliefs that man is powerless against the almighty force that reckons us. NO, Cap sees that somebody is doing something wrong and decides that needs to be rectified and straps on a shield and a rifle and goes to war like any brave soldier would, and that's awesome. But most of these attributes would mean nothing without a damn good actor to display them all, and Chris Evans owns this role. Any question that he wouldn't be able to go toe to toe with Robert Downey Jr. or that his time as the Human Torch sullied his chance to be a good Captain America get hurled straight into a HYDRA soldiers face right alongside his magnificent shield.

Chris Evans exudes charisma and still manages to be completely believable as a once physically weak and  short changed man, who has been given the chance to prove his worth as this iconic super soldier. His performance goes a long way in making this movie as fun as it is, watching him come into his own and finally get to prove to people his true value is great as he never becomes cocky or super self assured asshole. But even more surprising is the fact that their isn't a single weak link in the entire cast, from Tommy Lee Jones appropriately gruff and no nonsense Col. Chester, or Hayley Atwell who plays intelligence agent Peggy Carter who brilliantly displays the modern day fierce independent woman midst a time where that would seem out of place. And of course it goes without saying Hugo Weaving is amazing as the Red Skull, a unrelentingly evil presence who still manages to keep his motivations clear and understandable even if their incredibly evil. Even Howard Stark, father to Iron Man plays a pretty important role in the creation of Captain America and is played well and smartly different from Downey's portrayal, by Dominic Cooper.


The action in Captain America is one more thing it does exceedingly well with several big key sequences hilighting Steve Rogers embracing his persona, as well as his final confrontation with Red Skull. If two big awesome action scenes aren't enough for you, there is a absolutely kick-ass and maybe even a bit cheesy montage of Cap and his Howling Commandos slowly eliminating the HYDRA bases spread across the European theater.  The action is well staged and dramatic when necessary with cool and once again slightly jokey hero poses and shots scattered throughout. I had some trepidation on how Cap would look throwing a shield but damn if aint sexy, and i mean that (not entirely). The movie smartly reserves the shield throw, and instead opts to have Cap blasting caps and bashing skulls with said shield, Cap throwing the shield is seen as a last resort or just a creative way to continue fighting 20 henchmen at once.The violence is surprisingly and quite abundant, especially considering the source materiel and general audience, with many people being literally obliterated and one guy even falling through a propeller with no cut away, blood is sprayed, its shocking but also welcome considering this is a semi-real portrayal of war.

Captain America is so much fun; a rousing and immensely entertaining movie. Its old school approach to heroism is so well realized in everything from the great writing, to the fantastic performances to the believable setting and tone, this movie fires on all cylinders and its easily the best Marvel Productions has done yet. Even though the movie falls into the basic predictable superhero formula it is rescued by its sincerity and surprising poignancy throughout its world trotting adventure filled WWII setting.

(4 out of 5)

Bastion Review

Bastion is the first game from Indie developer Supergiant Games, and its a stunningly beautiful and uniquely challenging game. Bastion follows a silent young white haired boy and a wise old sage-- who serves as the games narrator-- As the boy you explore the world of Bastion and the remnants of the world he once knew which has been reduced to near nothingness after the Calamity, as you quest to piece together this safe haven known as Bastion to unlock its secrets. The Narrator is the first thing most people will notice when playing the game for the first time, as he recounts your actions not based off any pre-scripted timing but just off the cuff based on the things you do, even specific things like how many time you get hit by an enemy or just how you interact with the world. Its incredibly cool and surprisingly it never gets old or even remotely annoying because he never repeats himself, and i mean never. Its a cool feature amid a myriad of cool unique ideas this game displays.

Aesthetically the game is almost unmatched, the music in the game is a joy to listen to as it sweeps you through this magnificently creative and wonderful world. Its so hard to find legitimately beautiful music in games, but Bastion goes above and beyond whats expected from your average game, and makes me want to leave the game on idle just to hear the music a little while longer. Suffice to say when you unlock an item that allows you to switch though the music on your own accord, I was very pleased. The games art is particularly jaw-dropping in its beauty and detail, its the environments specifically that are so incredibly well drawn and colorful, it is truly stunning watching the world rise from the endless abyss below and form in front of you as you traverse this strange land. The enemies aren't creative in their design but look very well drawn nonetheless, the characters share this same sentiment, for while white haired silent protagonist isnt anything new they're still well rendered and animated characters. The game does not delve into long protracted moments of exposition making sure you know what is going on, instead it opts to throw you into this world and force you to piece together the history and lore that exists under the surface.

The core conceits of the gameplay is the main appeal of Bastion, focusing mainly on your ability to defeat hordes of different enemies each with their own strengths and weaknesses with the weapons you discover on your journey. The first weapon you pick up is a simple melee based hammer, followed quickly by a repeater which fires several rounds in the direction you point in. The weapons can be upgraded with different attributes with items you find in the environment adding more damage, faster reload, and more. The game is so finely tuned in the combat that it becomes a real engaging sort of puzzle on how to defeat the enemies and the incredibly precise controls help when you are dodging and switching weapons.  Its this rock paper scissor mentality to the combat, of finding a particular weapon that works well against particular enemies and balancing what two weapons you are going to use is key to surviving in this often times brutally difficult world. The game even rewards you if you willingly ramp up the difficulty, by activating these totems-- each representing a god in this world-- you increase the damage received or the the speed in which enemies attack and spawn, while on the plus side you gain more XP and points to upgrade weapons. 

The story is very interesting as its dolled out in such a way were you never have the all the details, which of course leads to so some late game revelations that alter your perspective on the few characters you do meet and even the state of the world. The story is nothing new but is handled well and the key choice moments are sentimental and carry weight and aren't reduced to simple good choice/ evil choice. The game also has an interesting way to develop its characters by forcing you through waves of increasingly difficult enemies while the narrator tells the back story to how everyone got to where they are now, and why they have decided to help on this quest to restore the Bastion. The story and the characters are interesting enough that fleshing out the history of this place and its few citizens is a large incentive and rightfully rewarding in the end.

My one problem with the game is unfortunately a pretty big issue, and that is the structure of the environments, while gorgeous to look at it, there are many problems that arise from the way its constructed. In several instances the action on screen becomes so chaotic that it begins to blend in with the extremely detailed level causing your view and sometimes movement to be obstructed by an object in the game. Enemies often get hung up on said objects, because from what i can tell  there is just an overabundance of completely unnecessary things blocking your path, or just randomly strune about the level. It got so bad i often found myself destroying everything in my path just so i could more freely. The last issue concerns the level as well, but more about how easily you can fall to your death. Since the world is materializing in front of you it is structured awkwardly and sometime there are these impossible to see holes or  you just don't have the perspective you need to gauge how close to the edge you can get before you fall.

Bastion is an incredibly fun game to play, the core gameplay is fun and learning how to best utilize each weapon against particular enemies is almost the entire appeal of the game. The game looks gorgeous with unparalleled level of detail in the most inane objects. This level of detail leads to some problems when traversing the levels, but its largely frustration free. The unique setting and atmosphere for its story allows the game to stand out as a refreshing exceedingly fun and beautiful looking and sounding game. Bastion is a welcome relief from the doldrums of this summers game releases and is a pleasure to play.

(4 out of 5)

Rango Review

Rango is a movie from Nickelodeon Movies, directed by director Gore Verbinski who previously helmed the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy of films. The story is simple enough a chameleon "Rango" finds himself in the dessert after falling out the back of a car, and so with his imagination finds himself in his very own western. He heads towards the town of Dirt, where he encounters a very unusual assortment of half beaten or half dead animals all of whom don't have the most welcoming of appearances. He quickly begins spinning a tale of his badassery of which of course is a complete fabrication so that he appears like a tough as nails wanderer. He is then thrust into the position of town sheriff and is soon overwhelmed with the amount of things that require his attention. Rango not knowing who he is outside of these roles he makes up for himself goes along with it. But defeating the incredibly smart and unrelenting Hawk, and finding water for the town are only the easiest things he is going to have to do.

Rango is the first fully animated CGI feature film made by ILM, normally a visual effects house for some of the biggest movies around including Iron Man, Transformers and even Star Wars, this time they get to create an entire movie in their unique and incredibly talented vision, with the oversights of Verbinski of course. Having ILM work on the movie as if they were an animation studio pays of in huge dividends almost immediately with easily the best looking animated movie ever made no exaggeration. The dessert looks appropriately hot and dusty the animals of the typical wild west town of Dirt also look decrepit in the worst way possible these aren't adorable pandas or tigers that also happen to know Kung-Fu these are animals that have lived in these parts their entire lives and are not the better for it. With ILM at the helm they quickly establish their penchant for immense levels of details from the local cigar smoking bullfrog or the half-insane chicken with an arrow sticking out of his eye and out the back of his head, these creatures aren't cute and cuddly but it helps sell the tone of the film which is not meant for children of any ages, and that's awesome.

Rango is the most bizarre not when its taking its main character through acid trips very reminiscent but also unsurprisingly similar to sequences from Fear and Loathing in Las Veags-- another Johnny Depp starring film-- though granted that's pretty damn strange but when its indulging in the fact that its a straight up no holds barred western. Its astounding really how much this isn't a typical childrens animated movie, while there may be anthropomorphic animals the movie is smartly written and would leave any 10 year old or younger completely bewildered at the words leaving these characters mouths. The movie presumes the audience are avid movie lovers and leans heavily on references to hundreds of films, from specific shout outs and winks and nods to ripped straight from other movie sequences like the Fear and Loathing sequence mentioned above. There are countless moments were movie lovers will laugh or chuckle just because of the situation from another film being played out sometimes jokingly by talking animals. But don't think this is purely a look into making a balls out trippy adult themed animated movie, there are some genuinely adorable moments and simple comedic moments, as well as some incredibly well realized action set pieces that pretty much out due anything ever seen in an animated movie in both their scale and execution.

One thing I usually don't delve into too much is cinematography but this movie is masterfully shot, taking full advantage of the fact that they can move the camera freely throughout the scenes they have created in this animated world, they set up some truly breathtaking shots. Considering this movie is completely animated some scenery looked downright real. It adds to the sense of immersion when you start to believe that this is real and actually happening, even when a rattlesnake with a revolver replacing its rattler shows up. The voice actors are also pitch perfect not doing funny voices but just adding quirk and accents to liven up the characters so beautifully created by ILM. Johnny Deep as per usual blows it out of the water with his rendition of Rango, a fast talking neurotic chameleon who doesn't know who he is and thus he fittingly blends into these characters he creates from his imagination.

Rango isn't perfect though falling into predictability pretty quickly and unfortunately filling the space between its well written dialogue with testicle humor or wacky behavior made even more off putting given how far the movie normally strays from the trap of a slapstick animated kids movie. Some things are also overlong taking time from more interesting characters, like Jake the Rattlesnake voiced well by Bill Nighy, who doesn't get much screen time, yet a certain unbelievably intelligent bird gets too much. I would have liked the movie to take more risks considering it already goes so far down that direction, but i guess the entire movie was risky enough as it is.

Rango is truly the biggest risk I've ever seen an animated movie take, completely ignoring any appeal to younger audiences and aiming squarely at movie lovers and adults. And while it may look kid friendly and to some extent it is, then the many references to balls or its gleeful portrayal of a violent old western should clue you in. Either way Rango is a stunningly beautiful animated film with witty fast dialogue which breathes such a fresh air into overcrowd pandering animated film market.

(4 out of 5)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Review

The end of an era, that seems to be the sentiment among the public with the release of the last movie in the Harry Potter franchise, the second part of the seventh book of the same name.  And its weird knowing that this dependable series that has been around for 10 years will now be over. While this may seem like a disheartening way to start a review, its a tone that persists throughout the movie, everyone involved with the movie knows this is their last foray into this world, and everyone is taking advantage of every second of screen time, as to be remembered for their greatest and last effort. This is a franchise that has endured, while the quality of each individual film varies their popularity never has. A movie recognized world wide for its fantastical world and relatable and heroic characters. 

The movie begins almost seamlessly after Part 1 with Harry Potter kneeling in front of Dobbys grave by the sea side cottage. But in no time at all, our three heroes Harry, Ron and Hermione begin planning their next move by hunting down the remaining Horcruxes as to be able to take on Voldemort who continues to strike fear and gain followers among the citizens of the wizarding world. Part 2 is easily the shortest and fastest moving of any of the Harry Potter films, moving at a brisk pace the movie wastes no time getting to each of the highly anticipated action sequences including a exhilarating bank heist at Gringotts involving a dragon and of course the all out assault on Hogwarts by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. 

The movie is not only a non-stop onslaught of masterfully designed and choreographed action set pieces, but an emotional and deeply moving conclusion to 10 years and 8 movies worth of build up. Dont be surprised when major characters from throughout the series bite the dust, and in most cases in not very heroic ways. This sense of utter chaos, death and destruction heightens the stakes as each of our 3 heroes along with some of their oldest friends and family pitch in to help defeat Voldemort. A brilliant part of the film focuses on giving many of the series most memorable characters their shinning moments-- fitting given the conclusive aspect of the film-- from Ron's mom to the perpetually goofy Nevil Longbottom each of these heroic moments begs for applause, and the audience eats it up. While Harry Potter might be the titular character of the series, its been made very clear throughout the book and movies that he is nothing without those close to him, and as those people who have stood by Harry his whole life begin to die, he must face death if those he holds close are going to survive the night.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the most perfect conclusion anyone could have hoped for in ending this lucratively successful and long running franchise. It is undoubtedly the best film in the series by a large margin and its attention to engrossing character moments amidst the visual effects splendor --an element this summers Transformers could have done better-- helps sell the importance and the grandiose of the events that are culminating on the screen. Characters we have for the most part grown up with, lay their lives on the line for their ideals and their love for one and other and its defiantly emotionally effecting, especially when certain revelations are made clear. While the books handle certain elements better, its only because within a book it is given as long as it needs while the movie has plenty more to cover and much less time to do it in. Having said that huge fans of the books will be disappointed with the way certain elements are handled but the thing to remember is that the movies are their own thing, and the books will always exists alongside them, each has particular things it does better than the other but both are some of the greatest achievements in their respective mediums.  

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the best movie in the franchise, there is no doubt, and while there are a myriad of elements that are not taken advantage of to their full potential, they are at least handled masterfully given the weight they posses. Watching characters we as the audience have come to love over this immense span of time finally meeting their toughest challenge and knowing most will not survive lends such credence and power to the actions unfolding its unparalleled. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is filled with breathtaking action, horrifying and emotional afflicting deaths and revelations, and hands down the best conclusion to this much beloved franchise as anyone could have hoped for. 

(5 out of 5)

Puzzle Agent 1 & 2 Review

The Puzzle Agent games are,  like the name suggests, puzzle games; developed by Telltale in collaboration with Graham Annable a fairly well renowned cartoonist. Together they tell the story of Nelson Tethers an FBI agent in the Puzzle Division who is called out into the field to investigate the closure of  an eraser factory  in Scoggins, Minnesota. Immediately the comparisons can be drawn to all of the games, movies and even TV shows that Puzzle Agent takes inspiration from including Professor Layton the wildly popular DS adventure game series, the Coen Brother's classic Fargo and the fondly remembered David Lynch television series Twin Peaks.

The first Puzzle Agent begins with Nelson Tethers entering Scoggins and quickly realizing the townsfolk are all incredibly bizarre as they are obsessed with solving puzzles. They also speak of Hidden People, little red gnomes that live in the woods, and of their whispers that can be heard drifting through the silent winds. These creepy and unsettling  citizens are also keeping  their own secrets and speak in riddles as to not give too much information away to Tethers, who is investigating the disappearance of the eraser factory foreman Issac Davner. As his investigation continues the scary truth about the Hidden People reveal themselves as Tethers comes face to face with the horrors this small town has kept secret for so long.

Puzzle Agent 2 continues almost immediately where the last left off with Tethers not satisfied with how the case ended. He decides to return to Scoggins and in doing so reveals an even grander conspiracy involving the increasingly insane citizens of the icy cold town and the folklore and legends some of them hold in such high regard. As the story is the most entertaining part of this series, I wont divulge much more and will just say the absurdity of the mystery is very reminiscent of "the owls are not what they seem". If you get the reference you'll love the game, yet even if you don't get the phrase there is still plenty of incredibly sharp writing to enjoy.

The games unfold in classic point and click adventure game style. Whenever a specific piece of evidence is needed to further the story, or just to overcome simple yet constant obstacles this crazy town throws at you, the game devolves into abstract puzzles where you need to rearrange a plate of food or organize a box of bugs. Its odd and usually completely incidental to the actual machinations of the plot but it does its job, and the puzzles are challenging enough that they are at least fun. The two games do not differ one iota from each other going so far as to even reuse assets, which is not a problem at all considering the town and it citizens are so well realized I wouldn't want any major changes. The voice acting for all the quirky townsfolk are impeccable  the sheriff and the inn owner are real standouts but all of them give great performances that fit the tone, setting and most importantly give the character life that plain text couldn't. The one negative specifically about the sequel is the fact that they reuse a lot of the same puzzles not the exact puzzles with the same results but the same basic principles, their also significantly simpler; its unfortunate because so much thought went into so many other parts of the game to see them skimp on new more imaginative puzzles is disappointing.

Puzzle Agent is not groundbreaking or even inventive, but what it does do is take separate ingredients from several different works of fiction and stirs them together to make the perfect combination of quirk, wit and charm. I really enjoyed both games and while their only 3-4 hours a piece and are essentially the same, the story and characters are incredibly well realized and endearing, by the end of the game you will want more and hopefully Telltale will deliver.

Both games receive a:

(4 out of 5)  

Rediscovering Nintendo + Quick Thoughts

I've recently found myself with some interest in playing some of Nintendo’s greatest hits or just most beloved games. Having pretty much ignored most of the Gamecube, Wii, and N64 catalogue of Nintendo games in the time of their release, mostly because of a non-interest at the time. But having played the rerelease of an old Nintendo classic Ocarina of Time for the 3DS has re-sparked an interest in the games so many people love and hold such affinity towards. I decided to educate myself in the games I missed either because of unawareness at the time or in the Wii’s case a sort of cynicism towards Nintendo’s unaltered love for releasing the same games on new consoles again and again. Below I will give my before and after thoughts on the games I play in this venture I take myself on. *Check back often as I will update this article with more impressions*

Starting this list off is the first starring vehicle for a long time sidekick, Luigi, with Luigi’s Mansion. A launch title for the Gamecube most people probably played it at some point. As did I, my cousin hated this game and I remember him showing me the game, and thinking “wow that looks boring”. So years later I picked up Luigi’s Mansion for $10 and started playing and I was way off with my childhood assessment of the game. Luigi’s Mansion is odd; it’s not at all a traditional Mario title for one you can’t jump, there aren’t multiple varied levels, nor is Bowser the main antagonist. Instead Luigi’s Mansion is in essence a Ghostbusters game, equipped with a heavy duty vacuum cleaner, its Luigis job to clean the mansion up of all ghosts and find out where Mario is.

The gameplay comes down really to only one feature, which is the wrangling of ghosts, first you must surprise the ghosts by flashing your flashlight in their face then start sucking, while holding the “C” stick in the opposite direction, after a few seconds you’ve captured the ghosts. The Mansion itself hides tons of ghosts and it’s your job to solve the puzzle that unleashes the ghosts and then get to capturing, that's all Luigi’s Mansion really does. Aesthetically the game looks great even now, the level of detail in the Mansion along with the interactive objects like sheets that sway and move depending on your vacuum position add neat touches. The lighting effects of your flashlight bouncing through the house and casting shadows looks incredible even with the existence of Alan Wake. The number of great animations Luigi is given makes it seem like a game developed yesterday, it’s actually pretty impressive, the way he reacts to absolutely ever noise and movement while he trembles and tip toes through the house.

Final Verdict – I love this game it is simplistic and repetitive but its unique, while I don’t think I will complete it, at least not anytime soon, it’s a cute game, that makes me sad Luigi always plays second banana to Mario. I am now really looking forward to the sequel coming to the 3DS sometime next year.

Next on the docket is Pikmin a game that has a huge fan base and yet is still one of Nintendo least known properties,which I would have to guess is because of its bizarre setting, look, and over game play. Pikmin is a strategy puzzle game, wherein you play as Olimar a alien who has crash landed on an unknown planet and has 30 days to repair his ship before his space suit runs out of air. 

Olimar is tiny, smaller than a bottle-cap and while getting his barrings he discovers an even smaller species of creature which he calls Pikmin these little plant like things take a liking to Olimar and he uses them to start repairing his ship. The entire game revolves around guiding these Pikmin in mass to accomplish certain things, and its this gathering of Pikmin and traversing of the environments that is the core of the game. In one instance you will need 20 Pikmin to lift and carry an engine part back to the ship, but first you need to find more Pikmin and cross several obstacles including antagonistic creatures and environmental manipulation. The stress comes from the constant timer that only allots you several minutes to explore the environments and gather the things you need before nights comes and the next day starts. The one actually difficult thing in this game is this constant timer, forcing you to stick to a plan and only strive to get ship parts.

Final Verdict - Pikmin is fun and my kind of game, its absolutely unprecedented looks is hugely appealing. But the one thing I cant stand in modern video games is time related objectives, its the reason i cant fully endorse Dead Rising, the time pressure forces you to not enjoy the game, as you run through things just to get the objective. Pikmin is something I may come back to, but will defiantly never complete.

Next up is Donkey Kong Country Returns, a classic Nintendo characters goes back to the series that gave him his notoriety. While Donkey Kong himself has been stuck in weird bongo peripheral based games and air racing games for a little more then a decade at this point, and only ever guest starring in other popular Nintendo games like Super Smash Bros. Its great to finally see the old school 2D side scrolling Donkey Kong return in grand fashion. The game itself is unbelievably fun for such a simple side scrolling platformer. Returns also sports some of the best visuals on the Wii with intricately designed levels and character models that animate and emote so well its like watching a really expensive animated movie, it just looks cool. The developers also have some fun in certain levels by adding a unique visual style, one particular flair has a beautiful sunset glaring in the background causing everything to appear as silhouettes expect Kong's tie which glows bright red, it looks awesome. 

The gameplay is about as simple as you can imagine, and actually allows you to spin the Wii remote on its side and play it like and old school Nintendo game with a d-pad and 2 buttons. There are some waggle controls, used mostly to interact with the environment including breaking rocks, blowing out fires, and rolling across the level. Diddy Kong continues to provide backup and when a second player jumps in, Diddy actually becomes a very different character, control wise, with jetpacks and dual peanut shooting pistols. Its old school fun, the way only Nintendo knows how to do.

Final Verdict - Donkey Kong is so far my favorite of the games I've played in this endeavor and i can see myself playing through it and even going for some of the hidden stuff. Its a lot of fun, surprisingly difficult and yet a ton of fun. Traversing the environments and having to constantly learn how to defeat the onslaught of new enemies keeps the game interesting and engaging. I highly recommend Donkey Kong Country Returns.

After a lucky find at the miserable slow to die failure that is Blockbuster, Punch Out is the game I'm taking a look at next. Right of the bat, Punch Out is the most surreal experience yet in my little Nintendo experiment because well, its kind of just Punch Out, like 1987 NES Punch Out. I mean looking back I don't really know what i was expecting but man, this is the most old school homage yet. There are basically no options or any real depth, you fight in 3 tiers slowly raising up the ladder as you continue to fight harder opponents. I feel like Nintendo got away with murder here, because while they spend countless time and effort modernizing and taking risks reinventing most of their core brands, like Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong and Metroid. Punch Out is the same as it was 25 years ago but even more strange than that, is that it still kicks ass.

Punch Out plays like the boxing mini-game in the Wii console pack-in title Wii Sports where you swing and move with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk you can even stand on the Balance Board to add more complexity But all that is BULLSHIT, since you can spin that Wii Remote on its side and play it exactly like the original NES game and its way better this way, faster and more precise, its the only way you're going to be able to beat King Hippo or Mr.Sandman. Punch Out is simple, it all boils down to pattern memorization, knowing when to dodge and when to strike depending on your opponents actions. All the fighters telegraph their punches so you know what to do, the challenge becomes responding fast enough to take advantage of every opening. Speaking of the fighters every character in this game is so well drawn in this 2D/3D hybrid its crazy, to see Bald Bull squint and quench his jaw before you lay a punishing haymaker into his bald head for just a
tenth of a second before it lands is truly impressive.

Final Verdict- Punch Out is cool, its so old school the fights between characters from the original NES game can be beaten the EXACT SAME WAY. Its the biggest surprise Nintendo probably could have ever hoped for, a franchise with fond memories but not a fan base to speak of,  re-released exactly the same way, with incredibly expressive character art, and viola an instant hit brought to from 1987. I enjoyed Punch-Out, while their isn't much on offer its fun and nostalgic in all the right ways.