A brief history of flight games in anticipation of Star Fox Zero!

Slickster

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March 25, 2016

A brief history of flight games in anticipation of Star Fox Zero!

Written by William G Chandler Jr.

Games with flight have a history of hits and misses. Making the anticipation of Star Fox Zero for the Nintendo Wii U a welcome one. (Hopefully)

In my experience, Top Gun, by Konami, and for the Nintendo Entertainment System, starts the dream of everlasting flight in November of 1987. An F-14 Tomcat rises from an aircraft carrier. This flight simulation allows, as one of the first, you to take on MiGs with bullets, and precise, missile fire. The game has its issues, as indicated at Gamfaqs, in the various reviews. If you just embrace the concept of avoidance, and accurate encounters in this first person game, you are fine. You perform 360s and barrel rolls. The game allows you to hone in on targets, and embrace the fear of being one, well enough. The air is your home and it is all in how you make it.

In 1990, Afterburner II, by Sega, is a game close to me. You realize this third-person arcade action shooter is faster on Sega’s Genesis console. Top Gun has a cautious aspect, while Afterburner asks you to embrace the speed and get into a fight. You have a fighter plane in a hurried and nervous dogfight with multiple enemies. When you lose, it all goes down in fiery ember.

In March of 1993, Star Fox for the Super Nintendo Entertainment system hits. You take on space. Nintendo moves from two-dimensional graphics, and applies the Super FX chip to allow three-dimensional game play. Fox McCloud, Slippy Toad, Falco Lombardi, and Peppy Hare make up the Star Fox team. You take a small group of Arwings and must bring down Venom. It does not seem too impressive. Nintendo, and Argonaut Software, create a cinematic score, feel, and concept to immerse you in a war to save Corneria. Shigeru Miyamoto, Katsuya Eguchi, and Hajime Hirasawa add a scope to this flight game that influences all future space combat titles.

In 1997, Nintendo continues to hone the Star Fox franchise with Star Fox 64. The Nintendo 64 console produces more power. The Rumble Pack attaches to Nintendo’s new controller and adds vibration to attacks, encounters, and slight movements in the game. As it indicates in the Wikipedia article, the visuals look better, the voice acting is precise, and the game and the stakes are much higher.

While I did not play Star Fox Assault, on Nintendo’s GameCube, I did see Star Fox Adventures, in 2002. This game by Rare, and Nintendo, is decent. The departure is the grounded game play. It is fun, looks good, and has its challenges, but it is not a Star Fox game at heart.

Colony Wars was my last flight experience. In 1997, Pysgnosis, and the Sony PlayStation, create a marriage of concepts. A cinematic score, presence, and scope scream with Star Fox’s influence. James Earl Jones leads you into the game. It has a first person perspective, similar to Top Gun, but has the speed of Afterburner II.

Star Fox Zero, by Nintendo and Platinum Games, will hopefully learn from the past missteps of Star Fox Adventures and evolve more from the beloved game play of the early days. By the looks of the new trailer and it appears that they are right on track.

Check out “A Brief History of Star Fox” by FootofaFerret and the Star Fox and Star Fox Guard preview by GameXplain.

What is your favorite flight game memory? Are you excited about the new Star Fox Zero? Let us know in the comments below!

Small Streams Big Dreams: ColdWolf1989

VIDEO GAMES

Tanner Banks

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March 24, 2016

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Written by Tanner Banks, March 20, 2016, at 6:00 p.m.

“Strip the flesh! Salt the wound!” That is a common sound you hear on the Twitch channel ColdWolf1989. Here you’ll commonly see Matt, the leader of the Wolfpack, grinding his way to the top in Borderlands 2. And when he gets going, he’s hard to stop. Because when he plays, he doesn’t die. Ever. Matt specializes in “One Life to Live” playthroughs, meaning the second he dies… He’s done. He goes back to the main menu and deletes the file entirely. So regardless of whether he’s just started, finishing Ultimate Vault Hunter, or he just so happened to sneeze and falls of a cliff, it’s perfection or nothing.

Matt has always been a gamer. The first game he really got into as a kid was Tetris on the original Gameboy. As he put it he was “[…] cracked out on Tetris. I’d start freaking out when the batteries were low and ask Dad where the remotes were.” Much like our last SSBD featured streamer, Matt is a lover of the Final Fantasy series, with FF: XII holding a special place in his heart. (And several 100+ hour playthroughs.) In fact, Matt loves every Final Fantasy game… except 13, which is understandable.

Today he resides with his longtime girlfriend and their two cats, Billy, a one-eyed Siamese, and Marlowe a three-year-old cat named after the famous 30’s detective Philip Marlowe. A self-professed lover of hard-boiled gumshoes and former Magic: The Gathering player, Matt’s had his feet firmly planted in the land of the nerdy. But that doesn’t mean the former Washington State Cougar doesn’t stay active. A regular on the diamond, he’s always looking to join a fall baseball league.

As for his stream, he likes to keep things chill. Or rather… cold. The name comes from his old email from his time as a freshman in high school, which has stuck with him through the years. Taking part in the 365 challenge, Matt has streamed every day since January 1st, with the goal to do so for the entire year. Last year he was making good progress, but moving forced him to to quit and eventually go on a nine-month hiatus.

When streaming Matt’s usually grinding out on Borderlands, as mentioned before. But don’t let that fool you, he’s beaten every Assassin’s Creed worth mentioning, several Naruto Ninja Storm games, and, of course, the Borderlands games. Next up to bat are Until Dawn, Evil Within (which will be done for the spooky month of October), Witcher 3, and Metal Gear Solid V. Talk about a tall order. Every time a new game pops up that he wants to beat, he jots it down in his little black book of unbeaten games, to be vanquished in the future.

As of this article, he stands at about 1,500 followers, which is impressive because he was right at a thousand about a month ago. He attributes his recent growth to the Borderlands community being so welcoming and friendly. While I absolutely think that has a role in it, I think he’s being humble about things, as well. The ColdWolf channel is built to be a place for people to relax and unwind from the real world for a little bit. Any time someone has a question for Matt, he always makes sure to answer to the best of his abilities.

As for the always controversial question of donations, he sees it as nothing more than an option for people. While he won’t refuse someone’s generosity to help the channel. (100 percent of all donations go towards the stream.) Matt says, “Their time is worth more to me than their money.” However, longtime moderator Xylym_pilot has donated over $100 and a very nice headset, which Matt is extremely thankful for.

His moderator team has been around the channel for a long time, as well. Back when he was first starting his stream with Diablo III, he met his moderators through the general community and all this time later they’re still helping out. A testament to their time spent on the streams are the ridiculous amount of wolfcash they have in the bank. Like MattyP89’s beard points, wolfcash works in a similar fashion, however you can use it to join in a game, request a drunk stream, or in a recent case, a 24-hour stream. Marathoning is nothing new for Matt, with most streams averaging about seven hours in length.

When it’s all said and done, Matt hopes that he’ll have a good community built around good times as his Twitch legacy (and maybe getting partnered). Outside of streams, Matt’s looking to get his Master’s and PhD towards a tenure track in higher education. But before he can teach these young minds, he needs to go teach some bandits not to fuck with a roided-out, dual-wielding Latino space dwarf.

The Young Messiah review

Movies

Slickster

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March 24, 2016

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The Young Messiah
Written by Evan Purcell, March 24, 2016, at 4:45 p.m.

The Young Messiah is exactly what its title implies: it’s a Muppet Babies-version of the New Testament. Specifically, it follows a seven-year-old Jesus who learns about his powers, his responsibilities, and all the crap he’s going to have to go through in the future. People tell him he’s special a lot, and he has to come to terms with that. It’s a lot like the first Spider-Man movie, actually, except really boring.

Adam Greaves-Neal plays the pre-adolescent messiah, and he’s a pretty solid child actor, despite the fact that (like a lot of other cinematic Jesuses) his long, billowing hair is slightly more expressive than the rest of him. The rest of the cast is largely forgettable, except for a figure who’s sort of Satan but not really. He slinks around and whispers at people. He’s the kind of movie villain who somehow manages to twirl his mustache in every scene even though he doesn’t have a mustache.

In all honesty, I haven’t seen a lot of faith-based films, mostly because I’m not in the target demographic, and because a lot of these films are preachy and/or filled with Kirk Cameron. I made an exception for this one, however, because the premise intrigued me (Baby Jesus!) and it was based on an Anne Rice book. Yes, the author of Interview with the Vampire wrote a book called Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, which by all accounts was heavily researched and completely vampire-free. (She wrote it during her brief return to Catholicism, which she’s since backed away from.)

Unfortunately, the source material and the interesting concept don’t exactly translate to the screen. This film is as dull as a sermon. It’s not preachy, but it’s so lethargic that it was a struggle to get through without praying for the credits.

It’s not an R-rated torture-fest like the most famous faith-based film (Passion of the Christ), which is a plus. The production values are pretty good. I mean, it doesn’t look like a TV movie, which is perhaps the nicest thing I can say about it. The background music is pleasant. And it doesn’t feel as low-budget as it probably was.

However, there’s really no reason for this thing to exist except to squeeze money out of the wallets of the faithful. So in that way, it’s a lot like going to church.

Scream – Slasher Movie Review

Horror

Staff Report

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March 23, 2016

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Title: Scream
Director: Wes Craven
Writer: Kevin Williamson
Release Date: Dec. 20^th, 1996
Cast: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy

Scream Cliff’s Notes

After watching one to many scary movies, a masked killer cries havoc and lets slip the dogs of slasher movie war. Teenagers in their twenties don’t make it.

Lecture

The industry impact of Scream can’t be understated. After its release, studios and independent producers alike rushed to copy its success. It’s easy to see why; Scream offers almost everything: a groovy killer; developed layered characters portrayed by quality actors; a bidding-war inducing script; and a master horror director. Of course, that doesn’t mean that it has to be good. Luckily for us, it is good. It’s so good…

Scream makes its money (so much money) by hitting a bull’s-eye in three separate areas. It is, first and foremost, a slasher flick. Upon the first viewing, Scream’s roller coaster structure and intense chase scenes reek of the very best of horror – the terrifying Roger Jackson phone calls are some of the creepiest around while the chase scenes have a shot adrenaline in them not seen since Psycho’s shower scene- and create the new millennium’s go-to horror flick.

But where Scream deviates from the slasher structure is where it is even more efficient. This is a slasher flick where the characters have seen slasher flicks, allowing Scream to both deconstruct and replay events from countless other films. Not just satisfied with retracing events from slashers, Scream also viciously increases the intensity of the replay, making it seem almost common place.

“Some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can’t act who is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door. It’s insulting,” Sydney chides the killer, moments before he jumps from a closet, blockades the front door, and chases her up the stairs.

Lastly, Scream embraces the nostalgia that the audience shares in regards to the slasher. Woodsburo is so inviting and the characters so engaging that it’s hard not to long back towards the collective youth of the horror film.

Nowhere in Scream’s self-referential streak is this more obvious then, while watching the genre fave Halloween, Jamie Kennedy tells an on screen Jamie Lee Curtis to “Look behind you, Jamie.” Just as the Ghostfaced killer lurks behind him. It’s a startlingly accurate scene, on that is playing out in the mind of the viewer as it happens before them. But, while Scream is lovingly tossing slasher tropes left, right, and center, it never forgets why the audience is there. This is a horror flick in the highest form.

Acting

Things here are pretty much excellent. The supporting cast is very strong, with Arquette, Ulrich, Cox, McGowan, and Lillard playing their parts with aplomb. Meanwhile, Jamie Kennedy has all of the best lines and had me in stitches. But this flick belongs to Neve Campbell and she comes through like a champ. Playing a final girl’s final girl, she owns just about every scene she’s in.

Directing

Craven again gives a decade’s worth of panache to his film. Scream is stylishly shot, with crazy angles and vivid colors. What’s more, Craven’s sense of timing, for both horror and humor, is fantastic. His set-ups give stylish nods to the slasher films of yesteryear, while the events are purely modern. There is plenty of debate as to which film is his best; but for my money, Scream is the high-watermark of one of the genre greats.

Script

Kevin Williamson zeros in on the tropes of slasher cinema with razor focus. Every scene, every bit of dialogue is laced with a knowing witticism about the horror mythos; scenes and events seem to play in upon themselves, being both referential and original. It’s like hardcore.

Effects

Scream is fully loaded with gun shots, stabbings, a vicious disemboweling, and the world’s best use of a doggie door.

Highlights

While I could mention the above Jamie Lee Curtis/Jamie Kennedy bit, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the first eight minutes of this flick. Some of the best in horror cinema.

Lowlights

This isn’t so much a nitpick of Scream, but of the whole slasher boom of the late 90s. There’s no way that Mathew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich are teenagers (in the real world, they actually have a year on Arquette). In fact, the whole cast seems prematurely aged with the exception of Cox and Arquette, who are supposed to have seven (!) years on their cohorts.

Final Thoughts

The quintessential horror flick of the 90s, Scream holds up surprisingly well as one of the genre greats.

Grade: A-

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children trailer review

Movies

Slickster

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March 22, 2016

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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children trailer review

Written by Evan Purcell, March 22, 2016, at 5:00 p.m.

With the new trailer for Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, there is a definite war brewing, a winner-takes-all battle between a good Tim Burton movie and a bad Tim Burton movie. This September, we’ll find out which side ultimately wins, but for now, let’s watch the trailer and place our bets.

First, a little history: Tim Burton is one of the most visually distinctive directors in Hollywood. Legend has it that he stepped on a nail while crossing an empty field, and from his spilled blood grew the very first Hot Topic store. He’s a kooky outsider with a family-friendly Goth sensibility, and we all love him for that.

He’s also a satirist and a darkly funny filmmaker, purposely zigging when other directors would zag. Case-in-point: rewatch Batman Returns. What other filmmakers would start a major superhero movie with a scene where a rich couple find out their infant is deformed, lock him in a cage, and throw him into the sewer? And for bonus points, the infant’s father was played by Paul Reubens less than a year after he was arrested for masturbating in public. I mean, seriously. It was like Burton was messing with us, trying to see how much he could get away with before people called him out for it. (The movie ended up being the third biggest film of the year.)

As Burton’s career progressed, he maintained his strong visual style, but that humorous spark—that anarchic spirit—seemed to disappear from his movies. For a while, his films looked great, but they didn’t really add up to anything special. His most successful movie—2010’s Alice in Wonderland—was also his most disappointing. It still had some cool visuals, but it embraced everything that early Burton films would’ve openly mocked. In other words, it was commercial.

Since then, he’s bounced back and forth between good films (Big Eyes) and bad (Dark Shadows). With this trailer, there’s evidence that Peculiar Children could fall into either category. Let’s break things down:

The Good

1. It embraces the outcast.
Burton has always been at his best when his movies are about merry bands of misfits. Take a look at Ed Wood, his amazing biopic about the world’s worst filmmaker and the oddballs who surround him. It’s goofy and a little sad, but Burton is clearly siding with the underdog. Now contrast that with Planet of the Apes, which is about a conventionally handsome astronaut stranded in a planet of primates. The former is one of Burton’s best, and the latter is one of his worst. A lot of that has to do with the outcast factor. Clearly, Burton felt more kinship and enthusiasm with Ed Wood than with the bland astronaut, and that comes across in both movies.

Thankfully, Peculiar Children is all about outcasts banding together. That’s definitely a good sign.

2. This isn’t a Capital-B “Burton” film.
For all his talents, Tim Burton does tend to repeat himself, and you can often see in his trailers which of his own movies he’s stealing from. Oh look, it’s the twisted trees from Sleepy Hollow! Hey, listen to the Danny Elfman score that sounds exactly like Edward Scissorhands! Wow, it’s Johnny Depp in weird make-up, just like… well, a dozen different movies at this point.

All that said, this new trailer doesn’t look like it’s stealing from his earlier work. The setting is a lot more colorful than his usual stuff. The Danny Elfman score (which I assume will be in the actual movie) has been replaced by a creepy Mama Cass cover for the trailer. All of the actors are new, except for Eva Green (who was hands-down the best part of Dark Shadows). It still feels Burtonian, but not in a repetitive way.

3. There’s no Johnny Depp in sight.
Let’s be honest. Some of Burton’s best films have starred Depp. Their sensibilities go together like black and… black. They’re Hollywood weirdos who work very well together. However, they haven’t made a great movie together in a long time. The best Burton movies of the last decade-plus have been the ones without Johnny Depp: Big Eyes and Big Fish. Depp’s absence from Peculiar Children definitely bodes well.

Those are all the good signs. Now, on to…

The Bad

1. The CGI is back.
Tim Burton is old school. That’s why his animated films are jerky stop motion. When he succumbs to the siren song of CGI, things usually don’t work out. Look at Mars Attacks. Look at Alice in Wonderland. If this movie uses CGI sparingly (like Big Fish), things will be okay. But judging by the monster at the end of the trailer, I doubt that will be the case.

2. The humor is missing.
Aside from a moment when a little girl eats her dinner through the back of her head (a very Burton moment, indeed), there doesn’t seem to be anything satirical or funny about the trailer. It looks like it’ll be romantic, which has always treated Burton well in the past (Scissorhands, Big Fish), but Burton needs some satirical bite to soften his Goth sensibilities. Here’s hoping the movie will have at least some of that.

3. It’s a freaking “Chosen One” narrative.
Harry Potter. Lord of the Rings. Every superhero origin story. Come on, Hollywood. Every main character doesn’t have to be a very special person who is destined to save the world. So far, Burton has only fallen into this trip once (Alice in Wonderland), but it was a doozy. Let’s hope Peculiar Children can put a fresh spin on the tired “you’re so special” narrative, or at the very least, mock it openly like an old Burton movie would.

Final Thoughts on Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Based on this trailer, I’d say I was cautiously optimistic about this one. If it doesn’t devolve into CGI-packed YA nonsense by the third act, this should be pretty watchable. At the very least, I’m hoping for a little bite, a little bit of anti-establishment poking through. But barring that, at least we won’t get Johnny Depp doing wacky voices behind a mouth full of fake teeth.

Midnight Special movie review

Slickster

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March 21, 2016

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Written by Evan Purcell, March 21, 2016, at 3:00 p.m.

Midnight Special is a movie full of questions. It’s a chase film about a father protecting his mysteriously super-powered son from both a cult and the U.S. government. It slowly builds the tension without giving you any definite answers. As the movie continues, the questions continue, the ambiguity builds, and you learn more and more about the main characters. You don’t learn facts. You learn emotions. You learn about their relationships with each other.

Towards the end of the movie, though, things change. You get some real answers to the plot. You find out about the mysterious kid. You see what the storyline had been building to the whole time… And it’s kind of lame. Some viewers will accept these answers. Some viewers (like me) won’t, but what’s so great about this film is that the plot-answers really don’t mean a lot. It’s more about the character-answers.

Much of the movie is built around the central father-son relationship, and that works like gangbusters. Michael Shannon (the father) is less bug-eyed and manic than he usually is, but he’s still pretty intense. The son is played by Jaeden Lieberher, and he’s a star on the rise. Even though the story revolves around him, he’s not a particularly active character for long stretches of the film. Still, you always feel for the little guy, and it’s easy to see the emotions stretch across his goggle-covered face. My favorite moments of the movie, though, are between Lieberher and Star Wars’ Adam Driver, who plays the main government agent. Their relationship is surprising and warm, and I loved every moment when they were together.

Director Jeff Nichols somehow built a tense chase movie with a lot of heart, and a lot of growth for each of the main characters. He brings a definite 80s vibe to the film, both aurally (a synth score that really pounds into you as the movie continues) and visually (lots of foggy, backlit scenes). It feels like a throwback in more ways than one.

Honestly, I had some difficulties writing this review. Most of my issues with this film involve some plot developments in the third act, and that’s always a hard thing to write about without giving too much away. However, I ultimately came to the realization that no matter how I felt about those moments, Midnight Special is still a strong recommendation for me. It might not stick the landing in the story department, but it absolutely nails it regarding themes, characters, and ideas. When you see this movie, you’ll know what I mean.

Like I said at the top of this review, Midnight Special is full of questions. When you’re watching it, forget about the answers, and just go along for the ride.

Girl of the Week Brittany Murata

GIRL OF THE WEEK

Slickster

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March 20, 2016

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Girl of the Week Brittany Murata

March 20, 2016, at 3:05 p.m.

Favorite band or musical act: I don’t have a favorite. I like rock, alternative, blues, funk etc.

Movie that scared you the most: Insidious

Truth or dare? Both lol

Tell us about your hobbies or the worst date you ever went on: I like to shoot guns and play paintball.

Instagram: @brittanymurata

Model Mayhem

Twitter: @brittanymurata

Tommy Dreamer invading Indy PopCon

NEWS
SPORTS

Tanner Banks

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March 18, 2016

2

Let’s get ready to rumble! For those of you planning to go to Indy PopCon, there’s been an exciting announcement. In conjunction with Strong Style and RCW Wrestling, Indy PopCon will be presenting INVASION. A “live-action wrestling event featuring former WWF/WWE Superstars and local Indiana wrestling legends!”

So far on the lineup is former-ECW champion and 14 WWE Hardcore Champion, the Innovator of Violence himself, Tommy Dreamer! In addition are long time tag team The Headbangers, as well as former TNA Knockout Angelina Love, with more stars to be announced later. The poster shows eight more spots left unfilled, leaving plenty of room for more talent to join.

Tickets are on sale now starting at $10. And ringside will only be $30!

Daredevil Season 2

Television

Will Chandler

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March 18, 2016

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Marvel’s Daredevil Season 2 Savors True Purpose and Brutality
By William G Chandler Jr., March 19, 2016

Thomas Jane as the Punisher, in the 2004 film, presents a creation that has character. That Punisher was clean, in the best sense. Marvel’s Daredevil Season 2 presents a great mess. Wilson Fisk and the other syndicates no longer run the city with ease. Various gangs fight for control of Hell’s Kitchen in part of a nasty, community election. Daredevil, Matt Murdock, is accustomed to crime prevention. He has armor.

However, a rival from the shadows, Punisher, played by Jon Bernthal, signifies a final force against crime. Bullets make holes. Criminals die in a city that endures a summer blaze. Punisher, a divine, military agent, embraces the super human mission of killing crime. Initially, he views Matt Murdock’s agile efforts as cowardly. Around the fourth episode, called Penny and Dime, Punisher accrues a respect for the devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

Warning: Daredevil Season 2 Spoilers Follow!

Daredevil, played by Charlie Cox, needs armor to hide his identity and protect his body. Frank Castle, Punisher, is body armor with one single purpose. All men have weaknesses. Frank Castle is a man without his family, taken by crime. His body can endure any punishment, and deal it out. However, his mind needs to find a place for peace and hope. Punisher establishes Season 2 as a place where allies, with different attack methods, find each other in the shadows.

Daredevil and Elektra Natchios, played by Elodie Yung, introduce intimate conflict to the mid-point of Season 2. Elektra, an old, intimate connection, of Matt Murdock’s needs his help as a lawyer and the crime fighter, Daredevil, against a secretive enemy. The wealthy Miss Natchios, in a search for excitement, finds the duality of Matt Murdock exotic. She knows him well enough, abuses this, and twists his reality. Her weakness is accepting that she cannot bend Matt Murdock to her will completely and into darkness. However, this does not stop her continual efforts.

Karen Page, played by Deborah Ann Woll, represents the premier associate of Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson’s firm. Miss Page’s legacy grows as she continues the work of a former skillful reporter, Ben Urich. She also plays Matt Murdock’s great good to Elektra’s manipulative cruelty.

Foggy Nelson, played by Eldon Henson, plays the smart, hard-nosed law counterpart to Matt Murdock. He fights against a character named District Attorney Reyes. She is intent on creating a case to get her into New York’s mayoral office. However, she institutes a process that may connect to the Marvel Universe in a very interesting way, as it relates to Captain America: Civil War.

This show continues to impress because of its street level start and its continual growth into a wide reality. The idea of the Punisher and Daredevil’s discussion on crime prevention ethics is amazing. The Kingpin did happen and will happen again. Elektra is right out of the comics. An epic trial occurs that is not the Trial of the Incredible Hulk.  Daredevil is not fluff, or lack of substance but real action, and drama that knows its past.

Special thanks to Goldenmurals Art!

X-Men: Apocalypse | Official Trailer [HD]

Movies
VIDEO

Slickster

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March 18, 2016

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X-Men: Apocalypse | Official Trailer [HD]

Following the critically acclaimed global smash hit X-Men: Days of Future Past, director Bryan Singer returns with X-Men: Apocalypse. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshiped as a god. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it. He recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, which he will reign over. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven AKA Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy), must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

In theaters: May 27, 2016

Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn, Lucas Till, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, Josh Helman, Lana Condor, Ben Hardy

Kick Ass Kickstarter – Möira

Tanner Banks

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March 17, 2016

0

Written by Tanner Banks, March 17, 2016, at 4:15 a.m.

Oh great… another platforming game from a small but oh so dedicated team. How original. Well let’s get this over with.

**2 hours later**

I WAS WRONG. It’s true that I’ve got a soft spot for platforming games, but the key is that they have to do it right. Because nothing is worse than a boring platforming game that doesn’t do anything new, or exceptionally well. That’s the really nice thing about this Kickstarter. It comes with a demo. Many of these crowdfunding campaigns don’t include a demo to check out the game yourself and decide whether or not you think they know what they’re doing. This does. I did. They do.

In this installment of Kick Ass Kickstarters I’ve had the chance to look at Onagro Studios’ Möira, a 2D platformer influenced by games such as Kirby’s Dream Land, Kid Dracula, Megaman and Wonder Boy. Onagro says that Möira aims to “[take] the good, memorable things from these titles and brings them to the XXI century in a new way — as it draws insights from recent games too.” These guys are banking hard on nostalgia, and if they manage to Shovel Knight it, they’re going to knock this out of the park.

Everything about this game is faithful to classic Gameboy games from the awesome music, two button gameplay, and the color pallet. This is going to sound weird/awesome, but you can actually choose between dozens of classic color pallets used by earlier games. From Mario Bros, to Metroid, to Tetris, and beyond. This is one of those little things that are indicative of a well polished game. The game itself is built on the Construct 2 engine and Onagro Studios’ team members have plenty of outside experience with the engine by working on other games outside their own studio.

Gameplay looks like it’s going to be a classic combination of might and magic where you can fuse your weapons for different effects. In fact the order you fuse them in can change the outcome! And not to mention, when you change into a mouse, YOU LOOK FUCKING ADORABLE

Look at this adorable motherfucker!

The characters look like they’ll be admittedly trope filled, but there’s also a lot of personality showing and the art style aids this as well. Rubick seems very likable and his hat looks downright charming. (LOOK AT THE HAT ON THAT MOUSE) The Kickstarter has done pretty well so far, but I’d like to see this really get into the meat of their stretch goals.

They’re a little less than halfway to their goal, and the Kickstarter will be live until April 13th. If you want to, go check out the Kickstarter yourself. While you’re there try to piece together the clues for an Easter Egg in the game! If you want to play the demo yourself check it out here.

Website for Onagro Studios: http://moiragame.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/moira_game
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moiragame
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7i0vZr7HVCEUOvzhl6LUjw

#Aragate: Twitch streamer Ara_Gaming lost channel in divorce?

VIDEO GAMES

Tanner Banks

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March 16, 2016

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#Aragate: Twitch streamer Ara_Gaming lost channel in divorce?

If you’ve been checking twitter you may have noticed the #aragate in the gaming community. The streamer Ara_Gaming lost her social media accounts during divorce proceedings at the hands of the judge and gave it to her now-ex-husband. The kicker? There is a new streamer at the channel who many are claiming bought the channel from said ex-husband.

The new person who was on the channel initially explained it as Ara “taking a different track in her life.” Whenever people asked her about the original Ara, she would vaguely mention legal issues. In addition to the “legal issues,” it’s been noted that Ara will not be streaming for five years. How could this be?

Apparently, a non-compete clause was signed stating that she couldn’t just set up a new Twitch channel and siphon away the original viewers. If this is the case, then that would mean Ara consented to the switch, and was bought out of her share of the channel, as if it were an asset like a house or car. Whether that is the case is up in the air, with not many facts and lots of hearsay.

Now, that might be completely legal and all that, but it sounds super skeezy. There has been speculation that Ara was in the wrong at the end of the marriage, and suggested the channel be given to him. This comes from an apparent interview the ex-husband did with YouTuber Izze Nobre. You can check out his run down of everything here, with some extra speculation. A key point to remember is that in Twitch’s Terms of Service: Section 11, Sub-section 1, line two that your channel is non-transferable.

There hasn’t been many details released, and it’s unclear what this means for streamers in the future. There isn’t really a precedent for this kind of situation in divorce law. Now, if Ara knowingly and willingly gave up the channel, then this is a closed case. However, if she was duped, bamboozled, or otherwise taken advantage of, things could get messy. Regardless, Twitch needs to make some kind of statement on the situation, because no matter who “owns” the channel, the “owner” should be streaming, not some new person because it’s against the Terms of Service.

All eyes on T-City

MMA
SPORTS

Snake

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March 15, 2016

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Brian Ortega, top, punches Michael De La Torre during the first round of a featherweight mixed martial arts bout at a UFC on Fox event in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, July 26, 2014. Ortega won by submission in the first round. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Written by Derek Moody, March 15, 2016, at 8:30 p.m.

A Gracie Academy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and Instructor, co-owner of Black Belt Surfing, up-and-coming featherweight for the UFC, Brian “T-City” Ortega has a lot on his plate while climbing the ranks. There’s a saying that your career hasn’t started until you’ve won a fight under the UFC banner. If there’s any truth to that then Ortega’s career has just begun. He was a featherweight champ at Respect In the Cage and later a featherweight champ at Resurrection Fighting Alliance.

Gaining popularity online throughout the years via Gracie Academy technique and demonstration videos, T-City (short for Triangle City) showed flashes early of why his ground game would be effective in mixed martial arts.

A submission specialist blessed with a good chin, tons of heart, and a great gas tank, it’s easy to see why he’s undefeated. Always willing to stand and bang to display his versatility, it’s hard to place him in the box many jiu-jitsu practitioners are in only resorting to jiu-jitsu. Ortega makes sure he’s on top of his game, he trains six days a week and reserves the seventh day for surfing.

A quick learner, always adapting, overcoming and succeeding; considered a natural to most Brian Ortega was destined for greatness. While some fighters are allergic to gold, he gravitates toward it. Transitioning over from the world of jiu-jitsu is often difficult, some never adjust, T-City is making it appear effortless. A featherweight champion in two different companies, looking to make it three; Brian “T-City” Ortega has all eyes on him.

The Setback

Amid a major setback once arriving to the UFC, Ortega discovered the only person who could defeat him was himself. All the talent in the world and figured he could use an edge. He didn’t need it; his skill set was far ahead of Mike De La Torre’s. Without a doubt, the outcome would have been similar if Ortega didn’t use Drostanolone.

Drostanolone is an anabolic steroid that has been used for medical purposes but more often used for cutting cycles. It was apparent which usage Ortega chose this for. A first-round rear-naked choke in a very impressive UFC debut was taken away once the post fight drug test results came back positive. Questions arose and this top prospect almost never launched his UFC career due to this serious offense.

Nine months wasted due to suspension, fined $2,500 by the California State Athletic Commission, still the most hurtful by far was having his UFC win overturned to a no contest. Very apologetic and remorseful, T-City admitted his mistake and took ownership of the situation.

https://www.instagram.com/p/sDj3vxNulf/

Moving Forward

Eager to prove his debut wasn’t a fluke, T-City came back as soon as the suspension was lifted. Signing a contract for the most difficult fight available in hope he’d be able to prove his worth. Thiago Tavares, a veteran opponent with more UFC fights then Ortega had in total fights, was that difficult fight. Taking the fight on three week’s notice was easy to do seeing how one of his mentors, Ryron Gracie, accepted a match against Josh Barnett in three day’s notice to save Metamoris 6.

Proving his worth was an understatement, seeing how durable his chin was and effectiveness to cause damage he became an impact immediately. 2-0-1 in the UFC, Ortega has two wins against Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts, tapping out one of them. Approached twice after the overturned decision for new fights, Ortega took both opportunities to fight the tougher opponent of those offered. Twice victorious, his decision making paid off moving him into the top 15.

Currently ranked 12th in the featherweight division, always taking the tougher higher ranked opponent; I have no doubt that he’ll be in the top 10 with a win in his next fight. If he can book two fights this year and win them i’m certain he’ll be fighting someone in the top five with a chance to enter it if successful. T-City has the perfect balance of trainers and support system to get him to the top, the pressure is on and we’ll see if he continues rising to the occasion.

R.I.P. Scott Beers

Girl of the Week Mariela I’V

GIRL OF THE WEEK

Slickster

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March 13, 2016

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Girl of the Week Mariela I’V

March 13, 2016, at 3:05 p.m.

Favorite band or musical act: I have so many different bands and music types I like in each genre such as in rock: Marilyn Manson. Hip Hop: Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa. Pop: I like Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber lately. Electronic is my favorite, though. I was a rave teen type with being around DJs and friends.

Movie that scared you the most: As a child Exorcist was so scarrry, now its funny to me. As a adult there hasn’t been any films that really scared me but a TV show that I always that was really good and scary is American Horror Story.

Truth or dare? Truth…not sure if being asked if I play this game, which is yes, when playing spin the bottle. Or to choose one, I choose truth. …

Tell us about your hobbies or the worst date you ever went on: Well thankfully have not gone on horrible dates, I always make the best of situations. As for my hobbies I’m a yoga type of gal when I have alone time, I love the arts as well design, paint, creating always, tennis, swimming and hiking or being nature is my game. And I love to travel and explore. I have an adventurous side to me.

Instagram: @marielaiv

Model Mayhem: MarielaI’V

Twitter: @marielaiv

Haute Tension retro horror review

Horror

Staff Report

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March 10, 2016

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By Josh Brewer, March 10, 2016, at 9:15 a.m. Tweet to: @theJWBrewer

Title: Haute Tension
Director: Alexandre Aja
Writer: Alexandre Aja
Release Date: June 18, 2003
Cast: Cecile de France, Maiwenn, Philippe Nahon

Haute Tension Cliff’s Notes

Two college students decide to study for finals at one of their family’s cabin in the woods. Unsurprisingly, a killer with a huge vicious streak shows up and then it all goes to hell.

Note: This is a review of the uncut, subtitled US release.

Lecture

The first 80 percent of Haute Tension (High Tension, for us folks in the English speaking world) is a horror movie fan’s wet dream. The setup is simple, a pair of friends – Marie and Alex – planning to “study,” head to the middle of nowhere. They get there, hang out a bit, and then some crazy dude shows up and lays slaughter to everyone between him and one of the lasses. The only one who can save her is Marie, who rushes to do so. Various awesome horror set-ups follow, with stalking, violence, and power tools on tap. The title is no lie; there are certain scenes in this puppy that drip tension. My personal favorite is the awesome convenience store bit, but there are so many different parts to choose from that it’s hard to list just one.

The horror in this flick is nothing to laugh at. Aja’s focus on tension mixed with extreme sides of gore and violence is both engaging and terrifying. We’re treated to set pieces that, for the first time in a while, left me with a big horror happy. This puppy doesn’t pull any punches and has literally everyone on the chopping block. It also helps that this flick is beautifully shot. The set-ups drip with tension and the saturated colors make certain scenes just beautiful. It’s all horrific, but beautifully horrific. The same care went into the score and sound design, both of which are top notch.

But wait, all this praise? It seems weird doesn’t it? Especially if you look down and check out the score High Tension is getting (Hint: it’s a B). You see, about 80% for the way through the movie, it pulls a major twist. And not an awesome “wow, that’s fantastic and awesome and the best thing ever!” kind of twist. More of a M. Night Shyamalan aborted this idea when he was thinking of ways to ruin his latest disaster. How bad is it? Well, as the late Roger Ebert said “(It) is not only large enough to drive a truck through, but in fact does have a truck driven right through it.” Not only does the twist weaken the overall narrative, it knocks what was a pretty awesome flick down several notches.

There have been several people who, after watching the film a second time, have noted a more clever set up for said twist. Now, I’m all for watching films more than once, I’ve checked out High Tension more than a few times, but in this case the setup is half-heartedly handled. If you’re aware of the twist, a whole slew of scenes that are out of place and make little to no sense are forced to compete with the few scenes that clarify the ending somewhat. It’s sad, I was really grooving to this film before the twist.

Acting

Cecile de France really owns this flick. She goes to emotional depths that are fantastic and carries High Tension like a champ. Even when the script betrays her, Marie is a fully developed, engaging character. Props! Maiwenn plays the slasher victim well, but doesn’t have as much to do as her co-actor. Philippe Nahon plays creepy very well. Too well. I’m still scared that I might seem him. Oh my god, he’s here…

DirectingHigh Tension a cine-literate horror film. His take no prisoner attitude, combined with a vicious violent streak, allows High Tension to, for the first hour, move at a break-neck pace. Furthermore, his use of slow-mo/speed-up techniques, something I often dislike, gives art house flair to this horror flick. No complaints here!

Script

A ton of complaints here! First and foremost, I’ve already mentioned the twist problem. You know what would be the one thing that could make it worse? If everything before the twist was stolen from another writer. Oh, by the way: everything before the twist was stolen from another writer! That’s right; you want to check out the first two-thirds of this puppy? Go to the library, it’s like a free Barnes and Noble, and check out Intensity by Dean Koontz. Looks familiar, don’t it? It couldn’t get worse could it? You bet your behind it can! You could also check at the DVD section (which they also have at the library [Seriously, that place has everything, who has been hiding this?]). Intensity was made into a TV Movie in 1997 starring the awesome John C. McGinley! It’s already a movie! What about the script itself, you may ask? And you’d be right to do so, because it’s pretty solid. Got to love when part of the hard stuff is done for you…

Effects

Oh my God, the gore is fantastic! Decapitations, stabbings, a slit throat that goes on for days, this is horror movie heaven. And I didn’t even mention the power tools. There are power tools!

Highlights

From the moment where Nahon arrives at the cabin/farmhouse, through the slaughter that happens there, to the escape afterward is pure horror gold. If only what follows could live up to it…

Lowlights

Um… What a twist?

Final Thoughts

If you can get past the blatant plagiarism and terrible twist, High Tension is a great little horror flick. The problem is, that twist really gets in the way.

Grade: B