First Impressions of New Avengers: The Reunion #1, no spoliers!

I just read New Avengers: The Reunion #1. This part 1 of 4 mini series is post Secret Invasion, and stars Clint Barton aka: Ronin (aka: Hawkeye), with his thought dead wife Bobbi Morse aka: Mocking Bird. The two were reunited after the Skrull Invasion; Mocking Bird thought dead but was abducted and replaced years ago. I’m really not going into too much detail so not to spoil the story, but I’m so far impressed with the story. I’ve always liked the Clint Barton character, and wanted as of late to go back and read about his past. So for me this was a good read, bringing the past in the present Dark Reign timeline. That’s really all I wanted to say I guess, but I’m looking forward to issue #2 coming out next week. Maybe in the future I’ll review the mini-series as a whole, but until then if you like the characters check it out!

Some random Game Boy thoughts...

After my post about Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, I started thinking about some of the merchandise I didn’t have. Mostly the videogames, I have the NES game. I also knew there was one for the game boy and the Atari lynx. Seeing as I don’t have a lynx (yet LOL), I found the game boy version cheap on eBay. Playing the game a bit, it’s really not that bad. It reminds me of a classic arcade title, where the levels take place on a screen, and your objective is to collect the flashing orbs to complete each stage, while trying to avoid enemies and finish with in the time limit. This got me thinking again. This game is kind of fun, but it being “Bill & Ted” was pretty irrelevant. I know there are a lot of games like this, so I started thinking of more that I have played / own. The big one that came to mind was also on the game boy, “The Real Ghostbusters”.

Developed by Kemco, and published by Activision this game was released in 1993. It was a plat forming, puzzle solving game where you played as Peter Venkman trapped in a castle, and you must collect stars to open the door to the next level. Your proton pack is only used to blast bocks on the floor, and you use bombs to destroy the enemies. That’s all well and good. A fun game, but other then the theme song looped in game, the enemies resembling ghosts from the cartoon, and your sprite being Venkman, it wasn’t much like Ghostbusters. So I checked a bit online, and this is what I found. The company that made this game also released two other games which looked identical in the screen shots I found. Except, instead of Venkeman running around, there was Garfield in one version, and Mickey Mouse in the other. These games were called “Mickey Mouse IV: Mahou no Labyrinth” and “Garfield Labyrinth”. The Mickey one came first and was reprogrammed twice first as Garfield then as Ghostbusters. So there you go this game really could have been anything, and it really was.

We Beat Secret of Mana!

Dee and I just beat Secret of Mana last Thursday night. It was my first time playing through the game and I loved it. I’m not going too much into the background on the game it self if you’d like to know more check out Dee’s Blog, or wikipedia. I’ll just talk a bit about impressions and experiences.

First off it’s Super Nintendo at its greatest. The beautiful score and vibrant colors warp you into this fantasy world. (Or at least it did me. LOL) It has great characters including the main three the Boy (Mana Knight), Girl (Defensive magic casting), and a Sprite (Offensive magic casting). The game gives you the option to name these three, and I’ve seen different names associated with each one. We choose to call them Seth (Boy), Fawn (Girl) and Marty (Sprite. This was my tribute to Marty McFly from Back to the Future). Not to mention this being a two player RPG, with a real time battle system. (Battle system I’ve heard compared to Classic Zelda games) There doesn’t seem to be as many of this kind of title co-op experience any more. We had such a blast playing through this game. With few scary moments, the game froze once and we played for almost two hours between saving which was scary as hell. (LOL) Other then that there were a few minor things like questionable hit-detection, clipping inside of walls, and horrible computer A.I at times, but that made the experience more fun. We had so much fun with Secret of Mana; we’re now playing through Legend of Mana on the PS1. At about seven hours into it I’m really enjoying myself. A lot of stories and characters in this game, but I’ll save my experiences until we beat it.

My thoughts on G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra

When I first heard a G.I. Joe movie in production I was pretty excited. (Unlike when I first heard of 2007’s Transformers movie, but that’s another subject.) I’ll start off by saying this I liked G.I. Joe as a kid, but enjoy it more now. In my mind G.I. Joe was the next step after the success of Transformers, and a live action version should work pretty well. This concept is one I feel could work in any time, a special task force going up against an evil terrorist group. In ways very realistic but it’s still G.I Joe, though isn’t that why it works?

As information on the movie was becoming available my interest was fluctuating. On the upside it was being directed by Stephen Sommers, from the “Mummy” movies which I enjoyed. Along with the casting, the movie seemed pretty good, with Dennis Quaid (General Hawk), Ray Park (Snake Eyes), and others I may not have known but at least looked the part. Except at first when I heard about casting for Cobra Commander (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was on “3rd Rock from the Sun”), but who am I to judge I haven’t seen the movie yet. (This is from someone who was skeptical about Heath Ledger as the Joker, and boy was I wrong! LOL) those we’re my first impressions.

It slipped my mind until the trailer was shown during the super bowl. After watching the trailer I was blown away, and become excited again. I noticed some more things as well, like Christopher Eccleston cast as Destro, (Which I may not have noticed but I became a Doctor Who fan recently) and Arnold Vosloo as Zartan (Imhotep from the Mummy). So in closing I can’t wait to see the movie. Do I think it’ll be the best movie ever? Not really but I do believe it will entertain and do the property well. For more information check out IMDB here as well as the official site.

Classic Gaming with my Dee

Lately Dee and I have been playing a lot of Super Nintendo. We always have a SNES hooked up to the TV along with our PS2, Wii and 360. (No room for all the systems. LOL) Once in a while we’ll go on sprees of playing older games, and on eBay looking for all the games we wanted from our childhood. (This can get kind of expensive. LOL) On Valentines Day I got her Disney’s Magical Quest: Starring Mickey Mouse, and we’ve been on the SNES more then any other system. Lately we’ve been playing that, along with Secret of Mana, and (Thanks to Tom) Kirby’s Dream Course. Getting back into going to flea markets I’ve been picking up what I can as well. So It’s not just a hobby it also harkens back to our childhood.

This is for my life partner, soul mate, for my wife Dyana!

To my wife Dyana, I thank you so much for always being there for me. Your so very much more to me then any words or I could ever truly express. I thank everything day and night for having you in my life. I love you with all my heart and soul. You have me forever and always. I'm always in your heart and with you.

Love Mine!

Timmy-ness

“Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.”

Even if they haven’t seen it, most people have at least heard of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure! This eighties cult classic released in 1989, stars Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter and George Carlin. Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are two high school students that are failing history class. If they fail Ted’s father will send him to a Military school in Alaska, and if that happens they’ll never start their band. (Which they can’t even play their own instruments) Lucky for them Rufus (George Carlin) is sent from the future with a time traveling phone booth, to help them pass their final history report. After showing the guys how to use the time machine, an unexpected guest is brought back with them Napoleon Bonaparte. That gives them the idea of bringing historical figures with them to speak at their final report. Along the way they meet people like Billy the Kid, Socrates, Sigmund Freud, Beethoven, Genghis Khan, Joan of Arc, and Abraham Lincoln. Throwing in the eighties comedy Awesome-ness, with a lot of “Whoa..!”, "Dude" and “No Way!”. This movie spawned a sequel Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (Which I may blog about sometime, though I didn’t like it as much), as well an animated series Bill and Ted Excellent Adventures (Voiced by Reeves, Winter, and Carlin) ran for 21 episodes, a live Action series which ran for only 7 episodes, and finally videogames for the NES, Game Boy, and Atari Lynx.

Ever since I was young it’s been a favorite. The eighties dialogue is great and I’ve always been a fan of time travel in most any aspect. I know how easy it is to pick on, but for me it has strong connection. The movie also made Keanu Reeves among my favorite actors. (He really can act, no matter what some may say. That’s right all you haters! LOL)

I remember watching the animated series, but not the live action one. I have the trading cards and the NES game. (Which in retrospect was awful, but I loved it) There was Bill and Ted cereal, and I know there was action figures as well. (Though I never got those.) Over all if you can’t tell already I’m a fan of the movie, for me it’s in my top ten favorites. If you want to know more check out the IMDB listing or Wikipedia article. And just remember... "Be Excellent to each other!"

The Wizard!

The Wizard, came out in 1989 and starred Fred Savage, Luke Edwards, and Jenny Lewis. It was a story about a young boy Jimmy (always carried a lunchbox) who was mentally scared after seeing his twin sister drown. His mother and step-father decide to put him in an institution, so his half-brother Cory (Fred Savage) takes him and they head across the country. (Jimmy was run away, saying he was going to California) Along the way Cory discovers that Jimmy is good at videogames, and after meeting a girl named Haley they all head to the Nintendo Championship. On the way they stop in small towns, meeting bullies, and the “rival” of the movie Lucas who Jimmy faces in the Championship. All of this while Jimmy and Cory’s father and brother are following the trail, and a “creepy” guy hired by the step-father to find him is following as well. Ultimately Jimmy competes and wins the championship, playing a game that had yet to release in North America Super Mario 3! The end of the movie was touching; they pull over at the Cabazon Dinosaurs in California. Where Jimmy is able to say goodbye to his sister, the lunch box was full of pictures and he thought she’d be happy there.

Over all I really enjoyed the movie. It had a lot of nostalgia for me with the various NES games, like Super Mario 2, Mega Man 2, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It also showcased the “Power Glove” which is just great. (It never worked that well. LOL) The movie definitely had its faults, but for what it was I really enjoyed it. The plot was basic with cheesy kid type humor thrown in, but I ended up feeling for the characters at the end. For more information, check this link to Internet Movie Database here.

Is that a young "Peter Parker" on the left there?! LOL

SNK's Baseball Stars!!

Baseball Stars for the NES was one of the first baseball games I’d ever tried, and to this day is one of my favorites. Developed by SNK and released in 1989, this game was a first for a lot of standards in sports games today. Including having memory for saving stats and teams, (Remember to hold reset while turning off your system. LOL) the ability to create teams and players, trade and buy players, and it included female players which was a first. Along with smooth game play and the graphics took nice advantage of the NES abilities. It spawned a sequel for the NES in 1992 which added more teams and a choice of stadiums to the mix.

I’d say it still holds up, with a lot packed into a 2meg cartridge. I have very fond memories of this game, playing it for hours with my friend Ryan. I enjoy it to this day. For more information check out it’s Wikipedia page here.

A shout out to Wolverine and the X-Men!

I just like to give a shout out to a great new animated series, Wolverine and the X-Men. It’s the third animated series in the X-Men Universe including X-Men: The Animated Series, and X-Men: Evolution. This is new take on the more or less same X-Men plot about Mutant Rights, but with a twist. (Which I won’t spoil here) So far here in America we’ve only saw the seven episodes. (I say that because I’ve heard other places in the world the series is a lot farther ahead.)

My wife Dee and I went into the show no expectations, but after the first episode we both said wow. I have to say when you boil it down it really is the same story, but this take and the characters sold it for us. The tough thing about X-Men is there is forty plus years worth of storyline and characters. So they have to choose what elements to focus on, as well as who will comprise these stories X-Team and Villains.

The team is a good mix of classic and new favorites such as Wolverine, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Gambit, Rogue, Shadowcat, Forge, Emma Frost and more. Magneto and the Brotherhood are the only villains we’ve been introduced to, but there are a lot of people they could bring in.

I’m enjoying the series so far as a whole, the voice casting is very well done, the animation is also good, and the character deigns. I’m a big fan of the design of Nightcrawler, he was always a favorite of mine. As well as casting Steven Blum as Wolverine, (he did an awesome job in the Marvel Ultimate Alliance videogame) with him also voicing him the Hulk Vs.

My final thoughts are if you like the X-Men, give it a shot. I was surprised with it, and rejuvenated my fandom in the x-verse a bit.

Nightcrawler mini-series thoughts

So I’ve finished reading the last two issues of the Nightcrawler Mini-Series (85’-86’) that I posted about previous. I’ll start by giving a quick synopsis of the series as a whole.

It was written and drawn by Dave Cockrum who created the character. (Storm, Colossus, Mystique, and Thunderbird he also created) It begins with Kitty Pryde and her friend Illyana, accidentally sending Kurt and Lockheed (Kitty’s pet dragon) into alternate dimensions during a danger room session. First landing in a land with sky pirates, he is soon sold to Shagreen the Sorcerer, half man/half shark who is obsessed to learn how to teleport. He escapes saving a Princess in the process, and presumably sends Shagreen to the great beyond. Just as the Princess is about to “thank” him, he’s ripped out of there into another dimension. All this while Kitty and Illyana are trying to bring him back. Next he arrives in a fairy tale land that Kitty tells Illyana about in X-Men #153, where Kitty and Colossus are grown up as pirates, Wolverine is a “Tasmanian devil” like creature named Mean, and Nightcrawler is represented by little mini-versions of himself called BAMFs. (LOL) He meets Shagreen again (He’s alive…) they fight, he saves the BAMF’s and he is eventually able to return home. I left quite a bit out, but that’s the series in a nutshell.

So I liked the story overall. It had that classic 1980’s feel. Though I have to say I enjoyed the first issues with the sky pirates more then the fairy tale aspect. These are just my thoughts if anyone is more interested check out this Marvel database link, and the series is pretty cheap so pick up it up!

The Ultimate Alliance 2 trailer!

The Ultimate Alliance 2 trailer has been out for a while but I had to post it here anyway. I really can't wait it looks amazing! My wife Dee and I really enjoyed the first Ultimate Alliance, and this looks like its really going to surpass it.

I just played Mickey Mousecapade.... ahhh

Which one is Minnie? Who really cares.....

I just had to play Mickey Mousecapade after my last post. Now I remember why it wasn't a favorite. I know I already said this... but I repeat the game is hard. I got to the "Woods" which is the third level. It's a maze where you have to pick certain paths through the trees to make it to the boss. I wasn't doing bad, the trees were changing colors showing I was going the right way. (They kinda remind me of the seasons as they change.) I get three parts in with the tress a peach type color. (I guess fall.) Then the freakin' "Country Bears" appear. (From the attraction from Disney World, and they had a movie.) At least I think it was them, and they are throwing what looks like huge honeycombs...or rocks. (Also Minnie was captured in the middle of all this.) Along with other crap jumping around, and freakin' Minnie falling down into pits I got a game over. No continues in this game. So I got that out of my system. It's funny how fun and easier this game was when I was younger.

Capcom / Disney a great part of my childhood.

Growing up in the mid 80’s with videogames, I remember the great Disney tiles for the various systems. These were the days when game developer Capcom either developed or published titles from the Disney franchise. In my opinion these to this day are some of the best platformers, for kids or not. (Also a few of these titles still hold up as some of my favorite games of all time.) I could really go on and on about this topic and might revisit it again, but for now I’m just going to focus a couple of NES games.

The first of these games I got was Mickey Mousecapade. Though this not one of my favorites it’s the first one I remember. Released in 1987(Japan)/ 1988 (North America) Mickey Mousecapade was developed and published by Hudson Soft in Japan, and published by Capcom in North America. This one-player platformer stars the player as Mickey Mouse with Minnie by his side. You go through various levels trying to rescue a “friend” (who turns out to be Alice, from Alice in Wonderland) who was kidnapped. While doing this you must also protect Minnie who is sometimes abducted, and you much retrieve her before you can proceed. The game has five levels “Fun House”, “Ocean”, “Woods”, “Pirate Ship” and “Castle”.

There were a few differences between the America and Japanese releases, including the Japanese box art showing Alice, different bosses at the end of various stages, the level names, and to refill his life in the American version Mickey collected diamonds while in Japanese version he used Donald Duck’s head. (LOL) Also a last tidbit I learned from Wikipedia there is a Mickey embedded in the circuit board if the game is removed from the cartridge.

My opinion of the game is a C. Parts of the game are a little tough; the jumping with characters (If Minnie falls you lose a life), the hit detection got a bit annoying, and it wasn’t as fun as the Disney games to come. Overall though I still appreciate the game, the music form the first stage always get stuck in my head, and to be honest writing this make me want to play it. (LOL) So wow… I really wasn’t evening planning a post that much about this game. I’m glad I did though, even if it isn’t one of my favorites I did enjoy it for what it was. So next time I’ll share my thoughts about another one of these classic Disney games. Remember these are just my thoughts and facts. I don’t review things. I like for people to make up there own mind. Not go by what I say.

Bye for Now!