Donlevy Remembers Super Mario RPG!

It's the mid 90's. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System has begun to settle after years of quality content, and recent years of quality RPG's like, among others, Final Fantasy III and Chrono Trigger from Square. But lo, a game was soon to be released that would be unlike anything else at the time. It would be an RPG designed around mechanics usually found in a Final Fantasy game, with some new twists. And rather than a medieval land of magic and fantasy, the game would feature the story and style of...Super Mario? That's right, I am of course talking about the one and only Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars! Who would have guessed that a Mario-style RPG that many wrote off as a gimmick would be one of the coolest games on the console! Released late in the SNES's lifecycle on May 13, 1996 in North America, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was a major hit, and a stellar RPG that lead to some notable spiritual successors, as well as having a profound impact on myself as well as many others.

When I was a wee lad, I went with my folks to a family friend's place, where they had a Super Nintendo with a bunch of games I had neither heard of nor seen before. Many I didn't get to experience at the time, but the two that they did play were...instrumental in my love for the Super Nintendo, and by extension and by no exaggeration, my love of gaming. The first one I'll talk about another time...but the other one was Super Mario RPG. I sat back in awe as they turned on the console and began a new game, and I witnessed the opening cinematic with our lovable plumber in pursuit of Bowser after he kidnaps the Princess. Mario enters the Castle and proceeds to immediately fight Bowser on the tops of two massive chandeliers.

The way the game played was entirely new and unusual to me, as I had never seen nor played an RPG before this. The methodological approach was different and intimidating, where it looked like a thinking-game of sorts. You could take time to think about what to do, and every decision seemed crucial to your survival. Planning out strategies to outbid and outlast your opponent in a chess-like match. You were like a director to a play, ordering "attacks" or "magic" or "items" to different members of a small troupe. It was so cool. I loved it at first sight. That was what an RPG was to me, and what it always has been since I saw Super Mario RPG. That is the impression that game left on me. It was strange...yet engrossing. But it didn't stop there, oh no.

Fighting Bowser was one thing...but then defeating him and then having a GIANT FREAKING SWORD crash into the castle with the title screen appearing, implying that the true game had only just begun, was enough to have my proverbial pants effectively shat. Mario goes flying out of the castle, only to land in his conveniently-placed house with a green pipe as a roof, and then...that was it. They turned off the game...but not before quickly showing me a later part in which, get this, BOWSER JOINS YOU. Yes, as a kid, the knowledge that you could pseudo-play as FREAKING BOWSER was the final touch. It was a tease, to be sure, but somewhere, somehow, I had to play this game again. However, it would be a long wait. For one reason or another, it would be years before I had the chance to play Mario RPG again. The times I tried to rent it from Blockbuster it was already out, and purchasing it wasn't exactly in the cards. These were the Dark Times.

Enter Microplay.

Do you remember this store? If you lived in St. Albert, this place once resided where the bike shop now is Downtown. A place I miss dearly, in retrospect. It was a favourite of mine to visit as a kid, as it specialized in video games new and old. A ton of games I remember seeing, but never playing, were here in some capacity, and I remember a few conversations I had with other kids who frequented it. Anyways, a feature of the store was the sale of used games, and you could put your name on a waiting list for games that were not in stock at the moment. Naturally, when I learned about this, the first game I brought up was Super Mario RPG. I was #5 on the list. And so I waited! But the months wore on...and eventually, all I had on my mind was this game. So I took to alternative means. On the rise was this unusual internet service called...eBay. A quick and easy search lead to what I was seeking! A fascinating service, indeed. Which, sadly, does not have the appeal it once did when concerning retro games. Nowadays, those prices are a bit much, to say the least. In any case, I managed, after years of searching, to finally get a copy of Super Mario RPG! The hunt was absolutely worth it.

So Mario RPG is pretty great. And when I say great I mean awesome. Like really awesome. It's graphics and music are fantastic, with a decidedly more elaborate and colourful Mario-style setting and tone. The character models, and especially the environments, have a hint of this clay-like look, and it translates surprisingly well on the SNES. The music was composed by Yoko Shimomura, who also composed the music for Street Fighter and Kingdom Hearts! The tunes she is responsible for will be stuck in your head for ages, as they still are for me (*cough* Forest Maze Theme *cough*). You'll come across Goombas, Koopas, and plenty of Toads in your quest for the Seven Stars, and you'll meet plenty of new faces and enemies as well. Smithy, Exor, Booster, Mallow, and of course the most beloved of them all, Geno.

Geno is in reality an ethereal God-like entity who is tasked with descending to the world below to help fix the Star Road, from which the Seven Stars have been taken from. Geno inhabits a young Toad's doll, and breathes life into it, becoming a key party member. Geno's nature is not unlike that of Gandalf's from The Lord of the Rings, with both being higher entities inhabiting mortal bodies to aide others. And something else: they're both BADASS. Geno has an attack he learns later on that, when triggered, effectively deals 9999 points of damage to an enemy. Geno Whirl, baby.

When I say "triggered," I mean in how user-input interacts with combat outside of menu decisions. Mario RPG puts a spin on the typical RPG gameplay elements that it incorporates, with chief among these being button presses that add to either a characters attack on an enemy, or defence from an upcoming blow. When timed right, these button presses can greatly effect a battle, adding that little extra oomph to finish off an enemy, or even when timed right, saving a party member. Character's magic also utilizes this timing mechanic in different ways for each attack, like in the aforementioned "Geno Whirl," pressing the attack button at the precise moment is only when it will deal the 9999 damage, otherwise, it's weak as fire balls. It's a minor system, but it offers a far greater amount of player engagement in what would otherwise be pretty systematic battles. Because of this, combat is fun, yet tactical. It's an innovation that has been carried over, and improved upon, by the other Mario role-playing series: the Paper Mario games, and the Mario & Luigi games. Oh, and I'm using this moment to shout-out those games as well, since their freaking amazing. I'll get to those another time. Mario RPG is also unique in that it never received a direct sequel after all these years. Fan petitions have tried for even a remake, but sadly, the ship seems to have sailed. Still, the fans continue, and many including myself wish for Geno or Mallow to appear in the Smash Bros. series at some point. It would be a perfect opportunity! Hear that Square Enix? Don't be a dick about your properties! Ahem.

But in the meantime, that's Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. It's a game that, too me, never really gets old, and I find myself constantly nostalgic for it whenever it's brought up. It is, if I think about it, probably my favourite game on the Super Nintendo. Fantastic. Just simply fantastic. The memory of the hunt in particular is one that will never leave me. This is a game that defined my love of RPG's, and my love for the pursuit and hunt for the games that have captivated and intrigued me. This is, in my mind, where it all began. Where the nostalgia became apparent. And ha, I wasn't even a teenager yet! I suppose THAT'S the power of this game! But hey in any case, thanks for reading! I appreciate it if you were able to sit through my rambling, and I hope my story had some positive impact!

Donlevy Reviews Escape Plan!

It's the latest team up of old-school action stars, and here we have one partnership that's been a long time coming! The Terminator and the Italian Stallion together at last, that is, when they're not being Expendable. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone star together in Escape Plan, with Stallone as Ray Breslin, a security professional who specializes in testing prisons first hand -- by breaking out of them himself. Taking a CIA job offer that puts him in a prototype, state-of-the-art maximum security prison, Breslin soon realizes that the job is a ruse, and someone wants him there permanently. Befriended by fellow inmate Emil Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger), the two take it upon themselves to break free from their unknown prison, by any means necessary. Escape Plan is something of a novelty, and while it's concept and actors are up to the task, Escape Plan feels more a mediocre afterthought than a proper team-up.

Escape Plan actually starts out promising enough. The opening scene with Breslin in the prison is exciting, and cool to see how it plays out in an un-lengthy manner. There's obviously some suspension of disbelief involved; a few methods are incredibly outlandish, but it's interesting and neat nonetheless. This feeling carries throughout the movie, and it does add to certain suspenseful and timely scenes. When Breslin lands in the maximum security prison after the opening, the pace continues well, with the film allowing some nuance as Breslin analyzes and struggles with what is supposedly the perfect prison. It's here he meets Rottmayer, and where we get to see Schwarzenegger and Stallone converse and plan. Stallone is...well he's Stallone, so if you're familiar with his movies, you know what to expect from him. The same goes for Schwarzenegger. I did, however, find that both of them had a decidedly more subtle and underscored performance, which was cool at first...but I found it didn't really change as the movie went on, and the novelty of seeing both Stallone and Schwarzenegger together began to wore off. There's a lack of notable dialogue between them, and while both have some good scenes on their own, together it's lacking. The one fight scene between them showed promise, but barely lasted a short time. Besides those two, the other characters are split between inside and outside the prison. Breslin's team consists of Abigail Ross and Hush, Amy Ryan and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson respectively, trying to find his whereabouts, with the Warden, his right-hand man, and Dr. Kyrie working in the prison. The performances on both ends range from good to average, with the action and sub-plot involving Breslin's team feeling rather tacked-on, only offering a not-really-needed breather from events in the prison. The Warden, Willard Hobbes (played by Jim Caviezel), is sly, brooding, and ruthless, and Caviezel's performance is admirable at first, but ends up feeling mediocre and unsubstantial. Sam Neill of Jurassic Park fame plays Dr. Kyrie, a kind of strange role that has him tired of the daily prisoner interaction, and sympathetic to Breslin's plea. Unfortunately, his character is not very well developed, and his story isn't resolved in the slightest. Kind of a funny side note: there's a scene where Breslin and Rottmayer are surveying and analyzing a few armoured guards around their area, and they give them descriptive names like "chicken-man" and the like. These faceless guards are given just about as much characterization as some of the supporting characters.

 

The context for what goes on during the middle of the movie inside the prison makes sense, and includes the previously mentioned rather good individual scenes with Breslin and Rottmayer, but there's a lot of unnecessary info passed around other characters that either doesn't amount to anything in the prison, or is used too sparsely outside involving Breslin's team. The build-up, or rather, escape plan, does have it's cool moments though, despite being a little too long overall. Tension and close-calls help make these parts more exciting, and the lengths at which the pair will go to in order to get the slightest bits of info is equally notable. The film's climax is pretty decent too, all thing considered. There's a pretty big "HELL YEAH" moment involving Schwarzenegger, and a very 80's-esque explosive finale, but, sadly little more than that. Even so, the ending wraps up nicely, and doesn't linger longer than it should.

But by the end, Escape Plan feels like something of a missed opportunity. It's a pretty harmless movie, and it has elements of that 80's style that Stallone and Schwarzenegger are known for, but there's a lack of anything that truly stands out. It's a good concept, and there's some cool and tense scenes, but Escape Plan feels lacking in many respects. So while it is indeed neat to see Stallone and Schwarzenegger together, I think I'd stick to The Expendables.

YAY

• Respectable performances from Stallone and Schwarzenegger, with some really good individual scenes.
• Cool concept that stays relevant and somewhat interesting.
• Actually decently paced early on.
• No particularly bad acting from the supporting cast.
• Cool seeing Stallone and Schwarzenegger together, but...

NAY

• ...the novelty eventually wears off.
• Lack of stand-out action. 
• Suffers from predictable twists.
• Drawn-out, with some entirely unnecessary moments. 
• A lot of missed potential.

Glitches In Me Britches!

(courtesy of The Angry Video Game Nerd's Game Glitches episode for the title. Go watch it!)

Do you like glitches? No? Oh I don't blame you. Glitches can mean any number of sinister symptoms: a poorly designed game, a bad cartridge, a faulty machine, or a total affliction to a save file! All of that stuff sucks, man! But you know what? I love me some funny programming shenanigans, when they're mostly harmless. And hey, there's a crapton of known glitches out there that are so popular that they've spawned followings of their own. Like, for example, the case of MissingNo. Or the mysterious, catapulting swing-set in Grand Theft Auto IV. Or the legendary "Minus World" from the original Super Mario Bros.! I mean, jeeze, I'm sure you know about "heheuhehaheahueh." Point is, glitches can be funny! Or terrifying! Or infuriating! Or helpful! Or disgraceful! So, in honour of these bits gone wrong, I present to you some of my own personal stories of glitches gone wild. There's likely been more, but these are definitely my most memorable...


Skyrim -- Blissfully Unaware

Starting off with the most recent, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been the host of many a wonderful (and not so wonderful) glitches in all of Tamriel. Particularly right after it launched, many of the glitches and bugs in Skyrim made their way to YouTube and the web with their popularity.
Things like getting hit with a Giant's hammer to fly to the sky, and putting a basket on someones head to steal an item, became memes unto themselves.

Like so many others, I too have a few unique stories from my travels across Skyrim. Mostly silly little things, though. There was one glitch (which I did have video of at one point) where the General, Tulius, was giving some rousing speech, but couldn't seem to keep still. His character in game kept bobbing up and down, and at different speeds, so it looked like he was trying to pass one enormous fart. Poor guy kept at it for a while. It honestly looked like a Zumba exercise.

And of course those stupid horses. My god. Imagine this. Well anyway, one time, I very carefully tried to redirect my horse (hereafter named Fears Nothing) away from an ensuing dragon battle, and at first, I thought I had succeeded. Well, get this. I happened to look up in order to maneuver the dragon, and who should be floating in the sky totally unharmed and unaware?...My horse. Yeah. The horse could apparently defeat gravity at it's own game. Well I never got my equestrian friend back, actually. He's still there. Still floating in the sky...alone and unaware...somewhere by the city of Markarth...(probably joined by the floating wheelbarrow, as a matter of fact. Tamriel seems to have an issue with it's gravity).

Castlevania -- The Blessed Glitch

This is one of the more minor glitches, but it's oh so significant. Anyway, for those unaware, the original Castlevania for the NES is one of the more dastardly difficult games that I know of. An utterly fantastic game, but a hard one. A while ago, I spent the better part of my day attempting to beat it, and I had gotten relatively far, about right before the second-last level. I was doing alright! Well Jesus Christ almighty. The last few sections are relentless. I'm talkin' Medusa Heads, Red Skeletons, flying axes, flying swords, bulky Knights, and, oh yeah, MORE Medusa Heads. But the worst part for me? Fighting Igor and Frankenstein on the level before Death. I could not beat them. Fighting the pair is tough, as Frankenstein is big and powerful, though beatable, but Igor is small and able to make a nuisance. This little fart nozzle runs around feverishly and tries to swat at you. And when you get hit, you flinch, and then YOU'RE DEAD. I swear something was awry when I kept entering the fight, because the angle I started at kept pushing me right into his path. There was a little jittery, jerky motion that didn't seem right. It was infuriating. But, finally, it seemed the game seemed to show mercy. Rapidly mashing buttons as I entered the fight, I managed to move below just enough that Igor couldn't hit me...except it looked like he could. It was tense, but, I barely managed to get Frankenstein out of the way. This meant I could go back and forth on the screen, and by a sliver of health, I defeated Igor with a jumping blow. I still don't know if that's actually what you're supposed to do, but in this case where the game cancels out (what I thought to be) a glitch, with another glitch, I think anything can happen.


Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas -- The Land of Sillyness

All of the Grand Theft Auto games are home to some of the most outrageous glitches imaginable. For me though, my experience with San Andreas is just too good. Usually in the company of someone else, many of these glitches I've found with the use of cheats. Oh those lovely cheats. Thing about San Andreas is, when different combinations of cheats are activated, there's a totally random outcome waiting to happen. For instance...

What has colloquially come to be known as "Granny Punching, " involves the use of a Super Punch cheat which, when enabled, sends anyone hit with a punch soaring into the distance. One time, I think the game literally failed to handle the direction and force of the punch. There was this poor old granny in the game whom we gave a slight walloping, and she, quite literally, disappeared before our eyes as she flew into the horizon. Of course, the sheer power of this caused lampposts and cars to dent in unison. Like gravity had somehow compressed.

There was an encounter with a young lady whose face seemed to prefer the ground, rather than being on her head. It was an odd and terrifying glitch, with a mess of pixels stretching from the poor girls face to the ground. She was completely unaware, and even took time out of her day to raise her middle finger at us. Charming. We were only trying to help.

When "Cars Can Fly" is activated, things get unreal. Delightfully so. It seems the game does what it wants to at this point. Like, for example, dropping the husk of a burnt out jet through several buildings and landing on multiple flying cop cars in the vicinity.

The most infamous one I've witnessed though is this: There's an enormous commercial plane, the largest one in the game, that you can fly if you can find it. Well, as it happens, this plane was going over the city when the buildings failed to load. Only coming into reality at the last second, we jumped from the plane as it hurdled towards the tallest building around...and didn't hear anything. No explosion. Nothing. Strange. We ventured up the building in curiosity only to find the largest plane in the game stuck and barely balanced on the tallest tower in the game. It could never be repeated.


The Sims 3 -- Where Did The Blur Go?

I had a rather humorous, and slightly disturbing, incident with the third Sims game not too long ago. Ah, the story of Flibbity Flim-Flam. As sims go, Flibbity was pretty average. He had a job at a diner, lived in a quaint, but cozy apartment, and had a few friends to call his own. But one day...he decided to walk to work naked. As if in protest and defiance of clothes, Flibbity non-nonchalantly walked into work as if nothing was wrong. The sims around him said nothing, yet there was a visible sense of confusion in their eyes. Wondering who this strange sim named Flibbity was, and why he was naked.

Here's what happened. I directed Flibbity to the shower before he went to work, because, you know, sims need to smell good too. Now normally the sim who enters the shower is "blurred" out, so no naughty bits or anything is shown. It's...kind of tongue-in-cheek. After the sim is done showering, they exit the shower and "spin" into their normal clothing. Well, in this particular case, the blur around Flibbity was still there, but it was fluctuating between a black and brown colour palette, even though it still functioned. But when Flibbity exited the shower and proceeded to "spin" into his new clothes, only the blur was removed, and nothing was added. There was only Flibbity standing there, baring all. Well, actually, it's not nearly as R-rated as it sounds. See, I think the character models of the sims are done in a style similar to that of a Barbie or Ken doll. There's a little sim bum, but not much else. It's strange, but kind of funny! Thankfully, after Flibbity left work, I just had him change his clothes manually and it seemed to fix the issue.


Mercenaries 2 -- Don't Nuke Yourself

 

Mercenaries is a series that isn't exactly known for it's polished gameplay. But for me, that just adds to their appeal! Especially in the case of the second game, which is so chalk-full of glitches and bugs that it basically makes up half the fun of the game. One defining example I have is of sightseeing gone wrong. In Mercenaries 2, you have at your disposal a plethora of air-strikes and bombing runs to use at your leisure to destroy the destructible buildings. Later on, you receive what is effectively a miniature nuke to use as you please. I really wanted to see the extent of it's damage, and it's spectacle, so I decided to fly a helicopter onto a roof, and call in the nuke what I though to be a decent distance away. Well, I was wrong. The radius just eclipsed where I was, and I felt the building collapse as I was on the top. Everything just went wrong after that. I fell into the rubble, but was completely stuck. The screen continued to shake for no discernible reason, and on top of it all, the helicopter I arrived in came crashing down and pushed me through the map, and into the glitchy abyss. That was a mistake.


Star Wars: Jedi Outcast -- Too Much Cheating

This is a lesson in restraint. I think this applies to a few other previous games I mentioned as well. Basic lesson: don't put too many cheat codes into certain games, lest you're wary of the outcome. This time, the game in question was the third game in the Dark Forces series: Jedi Outcast. This game kicks ass! But it really gets into gear when you activate a few key cheats, such as a dismemberment cheat, and one that grants early-access to your lightsaber. Along with this, you can find a multitude of others, like invulnerability, loading a separate level, changing character models/skins, and more. I was playing through the game one time and was completely, and foolishly, messing around with the cheats. A certain level a little over halfway has you below Cloud City, and making your way up. This involves several elevators, as well as several air jets that you must jump from. Now here's the thing: the game relies on auto-saves that occur as you enter a level. You have the option to quick-save and save manually, but I, in my infinite wisdom, always forget to do so. And of course, the one time that I mess around with the level loader, it screws up the auto-saving. However, I didn't realize this until I had made my way through the majority of the level and came to the air jets. I had the invulnerability cheat on, among others, so death could not find me...or so I thought. Turns out, that if you miss the jump, you will fall...and land in a pit of darkness, of which you would normally die in. Well, everything I had going on seemed to be too much for the game to handle, and it effectively killed me...and the rest of the game along with it. Remember before what I said about the auto-save? Well it turns out that many of the loads around it were gone, or corrupted. That brought my playthrough to a premature end...even though I could still technically load each level individually. But I was a little too miffed to bother with it. This story may not constitute a "glitch" so much, but hey, the end result was similar.

Assassin's Creed II -- The Clone Wars

I find the Assassin's Creed series to have it's fair share of bugs...but I never expected this one. In the second game, I was roaming around the rooftops of Venice as Ezio, and accidentally angered a nearby guard, who was none too thrilled with my gallivanting around the city. I made my escape, but misjudged a jump and landed on a slightly lower roof on a different building. There was a ladder there for accessibility, but as I turned around to use it, I found the guard had come down...with another guard in tow. ...And another guard. And another. And another. Except the guards weren't coming from anywhere else...they were being duplicated. It was the most bizarre thing, and in fact, it looked like something you'd find cells do in the human body. Duplicate, replicate, and repeat. Weirder still, they were no longer chasing me. They simply fell off the roof to their death. As each guard continued to duplicate, and then repeat the process, the screen was eventually filling up with this same Venetian guard occupying the same rooftop. Nothing could stop it, and I let the game continue as long as I could. Eventually, the game did crash, but not before there was practically an army of look-alike Venetian guards just standing around aimlessly. Talk about an experiment gone wrong.


The Simpson's Hit & Run -- The Undercity

Hit & Run is such a goofy game (and a dang good one!) that it was begging for a spot on this list. My cousins and I were messing around in the game, looking for secrets or glitches and the like, just to see what we could find. We had put in a cheat (heh, notice a pattern?) where if you honked your horn while in a car, you and the car would soar into the air. So, here we are, honking our horn and jumping around Springfield, when our car effectively falls through the road, and by extension, the game world. But the cool thing was, unlike other games where you might continue falling to a crashed game, Hit & Run stopped just below the city. And better still, we were able to drive around beneath the city, and were able to travel from the top to the bottom, and vice versa, with a honk of the horn. This was a fun diversion, as it basically opened up a whole new area beneath the city to try out different things. The game never crashed, either! I think it's a glitch easily repeatable too, if you want to try it yourself!


Fallout 3 -- The Giant Ant

This is, hands down, the most terrifying glitch I've ever encountered. Bar none. This is the story of poor Donlevy, and the Giant Ant.

Quick backstory: the Fallout games are post-apocalyptic RPG's, that have you, usually from a safe-house-like Vault, venture into the Wasteland to make your way in life. One fateful day, I took upon a quest that involved the eradication of mutated ant eggs within a cavern. Something of note: I HATE insects. Especially giant freaking ants. Nasty.
So I weighed my options: do I brave the hive, and get some XP and loot out of it? Or do I ignore the quest, and run far, far away from the cavern. As fate would have it, I chose the former, and entered the cavern with my gun, and my pride, at the ready. Things started out okay; there were a few quest items and some smaller, simpler ants early on, but as I continued on, it seemed like there was a lack of insects. It was fairly unexpected, since, you know, it's a freaking den for ants. Weird. So anyway, I make my way into the main chamber, and complete the quest involving the eggs. Okay, cool. Now to leave. Well...not so fast. As I prepare to leave, a lone red arrow appears on my compass, alerting me to the presence of an enemy. Shit, I thought, I guess this is where the ants come. Well...no ants appeared. What the hell...? All the while, the one lone arrow stayed on the compass. I started searching the main area for the cause, and started circling a large mound of rock in the centre. Nothing was there. So, I decided to turn around to leave, but as I do so, the red arrow began to move. I turn around and see that a name in red (which is used to describe the name and health of an enemy or character) appeared on my screen. It simply said "Queen Ant."

Oh.

As soon as I read it, the biggest f**king ant in Fallout GLITCHES THROUGH THE CENTRE ROCK, RIGHT AT MY FACE. That's right, the stupid Queen was somehow now only visible as it jumped through a freaking rock as it began to attack me. This literally made me jump in my seat, and is one of only a handful of times I've ever paused a game in fright. This was not a fun experience for Donlevy.

And yes, I still hate ants.


So that's a few glitchy glitches that I've happened upon over the years, at least the ones that I immediately remember. Do you have any memorable game glitches to share? Let me know!

Thanks for reading!

Donlevy Reviews The Lego Movie!

Everything is awesoooome....

Wow. 

If you think of something called The Lego Movie, the first thought would probably be anything but what it actually is. What could have easily been a cashed-in, generation pandering, monetized-centred mess of wasted talent turned out to be the exact opposite, and likely one of the best movies of the year. Easily one of the most memorable, quotable, and all around enjoyable films in recent memory, The Lego Movie is a stunning achievement in nearly every field, and one that both younger and older generations can experience together.

Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) is a simple Lego construction worker, and one who is so non-outstanding that all others fail to find anything noteworthy about him. Always following the instructions to the number, Emmet lacks free-thinking in his simple life. This all changes with a chance encounter with the fiery Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), where Emmet encounters the mystical Piece of Resistance, and is then thought by Wyldstyle and Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) to be the prophesied "Special," who will save the world from Lord Business (Will Ferrell) and his superweapon, the "Kragle." Emmet's simple life is turned upside down as he encounters the other "Master Builders," including Wyldstyle's boyfriend Batman (Will Arnett), the pirate Metal Beard (Nick Offerman), and the "1980's-something spaceman," Benny (Charlie Day).

The plot is really cool, and it's all extremely well paced. The film doesn't hold back in showing off many different and unique locations, and it's always exciting to see cameos from characters and sets that you may not have been expecting. It adds to the excitement and anticipation of what's to come, and keeps you invested for the entire duration of the film. The voice acting is top-notch, with a stellar cast of some of the finest actors around. Everyone I mentioned before is charming, witty, and funny, and I might add that Will Arnett plays the best Batman I've heard in a long time. And to top it off, there's Liam Neeson as Bad Cop/Good Cop, who is after Emmet and the Builders. It helps in no small feat that the writing is both smart and funny, able to appeal to a wide audience both young and old. Nothing feels awkward or out of place, and along with the previously mentioned voice actors, it all just works seamlessly and flawlessly.

From the beginning, there are numerous hints and nods to the larger scope of the narrative, from the self-referential humour to the direct acknowledgement of other "sets." In a way, it has a meta feel, but it's one that I think everyone, regardless of age, can enjoy based on experience. There's a particular twist later in the film that drives everything home, and all the build-up and references, pardon the pun, fall into place. The best part of it though is just how well it works. It's as if with one swift move, the movie becomes immediately more than the sum of it's parts (again, pardon the pun). I'm obviously not spoiling it, but it really does just elevate the movie on a whole new level. It becomes something more significant in a subtle and non-pretentious way, and it has a lasting and immeasurable appeal that spans the generations of everyone watching the movie. It sounds silly and far-out, but in the context of the film, it somehow totally fits.

Visually, the movie is entirely comprised of LEGO pieces. And when I say entirely, I mean everything from the clouds to the fire effects. It's a visually amazing film, and in terms of animation alone, it's one of the best. Construction, and especially destruction, of various pieces, buildings, or sets is filled with intricate pieces everywhere, and there is one scene in particular that rivals the most dramatic Lego destruction you may have ever thought of. The designs of everything from Batman's Bat-Vehicles to Lord Business's tower are neat and worthy of set's unto themselves (which I imagine are a reality anyway). And a lot of the times when pieces are moving around, there's this funny and cute little whooshing or "child-like" sound that accompanies it. And uh, speaking of sound, The Lego Movie is also not without a delightful soundtrack of it's own, along with one ever-catchy song you'll have to see the movie to hear in a proper form. It's...um...well it's sort of...awesome...

Which pretty much sums up the movie in general, everything is awesome! I really didn't expect this kind of passion and nuance in a Lego movie, and yet, here I sit proven delightfully wrong. It is a fabulous film, well and truly. It's got something for everyone, no matter the age, and the movie doesn't shy away from bringing a strong charm and humour that nails all the notes, and then some. Rounded off by a fantastic voice cast and extremely well done animation and visuals, The Lego Movie is something Special. An undoubtedly memorable film that is sure to be one of the best of the year, The Lego Movie is not to be missed.

SPACESHIP!


YAY

• Appealing to literally everybody, young and old.
• Infinitely charming and funny.
• Fantastically, uh, fantastic voice acting!
• Visually amazing. Everything is LEGO and it's awesome! Everything is awesome...
• Superb twist later on that makes an already great movie an incredible movie.
  
• SPACESHIP!

NAY

• No real issue with the film in which I can put something into the "NAY" part of this review. Seriously, any faults are few and far between.

SPACESHIP!

Donlevy Reviews RoboCop (1987)!

Alright, time for some RoboCop! The remake/reboot of the 1987 original, simply named RoboCop, was released only a couple days ago. But screw that, I'm talking about the OG RoboCop from 1987! Ha, if people still say "OG." Anyway, as action movies from the 80's go, RoboCop is pretty notable, and memorable, for the time. Sure you had The Terminator, and Rambo, but you know what was missing? A cyborg cop! Yeah, the merchandising for this movie must have been a field day. RoboCop had enough weight to follow up with two sequels, both of which I hear are nowhere near as good as the original, but we don't care about those movies today. No, what you're here to know is if the original is worth watching. And you know what? It definitely is. As action movies go, RoboCop is damn good. It's got some crazy violence and action, great effects, and one badass cop. It's aged better than I though it would have, and while it still suffers from an overly-ambitious plot, RoboCop is definitely a noteworthy action flick.

In a near-futuristic Detroit (2014, as a matter of fact), crime and corruption has eroded much of the city, where everyone from the police to the government is at the mercy of corporate giant OCP (Omni Consumer Products). Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is reassigned to a local precinct with officer Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen) as police officers contemplate a strike, and on a routine patrol, chases after known crime boss Clarence Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith, ie. Red from That 70's Show!). Murphy is shot down and effectively left for dead, but OCP uses his body as the basis for their new RoboCop program, and they transform Murphy into...well, RoboCop. Did you expect something else? RoboCop then proceeds to be a badass and takes on the scum of Detroit, all the while OCP watches over him. Watch the movie to know the rest!

To get the main criticism with the movie over with first, the background plot is pretty underdeveloped, and a lot of supplementary material is kind of left hanging, or unaddressed. There's a lot of background events happening over the course of the film, like the aforementioned police strike, as well as a brewing war overseas. They're nice touches that add to the setting, but have little to no impact on any events in particular. A lot of this is told through simulated TV news briefings, with an 80's flair, and while the stories follow a beginning and end over the course of the movie they offer no real payoff, and ultimately, they become rather unnecessary. The whole thing with OCP and their limitless reach is a neat concept, and I like how it's already a given, but it feels a little too convenient at times, although to the film's credit, much of it IS actually addressed. 

But the rest of the movie knows what it's all about: the flow of the film is top-notch, with an immediate and adequate display of awesome from RoboCop as soon as he's complete. His introduction is short, but neither slow nor hasty, and he quickly gets into the groove. One-liners abound as RoboCop dispenses his robotic justice to the felons of Detroit, and so efficiently that his effectiveness is readily apparent. Later in the film, and without spoiling much, RoboCop removes his helmet, and it goes a long way to show how good Weller is in the role. There's a strange subtlety in his movements, and it's really cool as he begins to show a little more humanity each minute. But damn, if there's one character to watch, it's freaking Smith's character Boddicker. Slimy, sly, and cold, the performance is just so good. The use of the character is such that he continually amounts a stronger offensive force against RoboCop at each meeting, and the final shootout against Boddicker and the rest of his gang of memorable thugs is very, very cool. 

The one prominent effect in RoboCop, besides the plethora of blood and explosions, and one really far-out toxic waste effect (all of which are really cool) is the stop-animation used for the ED-209's. They're menacing and powerful, and it really shows in the face-off between ED and RoboCop at the top of the OCP building. The effect is really cool and natural, and not afraid to add a slight gag every now and then (one in particular reminiscent of Star Wars). On that, there are just a couple of bits of humour thrown in to offset the otherwise dystopian setting. Characters or one-liners, or even really weird and sexist commercials, add a bit of "light-heartedness," that surprisingly doesn't feel out of place. I mean, jeeze, when you think about it, the whole movie is about a mechanical cop giving off a few catchphrases every now and then. How serious can you really be?

The action is great, the pace is smooth, the effects are slick, and the performances are of the top quality. RoboCop is most definitely a fine film indeed. Sure, some of the plot is up in the air, or sometimes meaningless, but the rest of the movie's action and enjoyability make up for it. Go watch this movie. Yeah, watch it! Don't go see the remake. Watch the original. It's a damn good time!

Donlevy Reviews Ico & Shadow of the Colossus!

Welcome welcome, fellow people! If you're coming from Tumblr, or anywhere else, be sure to check out my introduction earlier in the blog! And as always, thanks for checking this all out! I hope you enjoy the premiere review on this blog! 

As I teased through Tumblr, I do in fact have a double helping of game reviews for you today! Consider it payment for my missing of the previous content days. The two games in question are Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, both of which can be found remastered on one wonderful disc for the PS3, as shown above (which also features the FAR superior European/Japanese Ico boxart. The North American one is just terrible.). The games were originally released on the PS2 in 2001 and 2005, respectively, and both share many similarities, as well as Shadow of the Colossus being a spiritual prequel of sorts to Ico. Both games make wonderful use of simplicity and minimalist design to showcase the world and respective game mechanics, as well as allow the player to piece together and elaborate upon the stories at their own behest. These are wonderful games, and are a testament to the power of the PS2, as well as the magnitude for interactive storytelling. Absolutely two of the most defining puzzle games in video game art, and each hold up remarkably well in the new and awesome HD collection for the PS3. But I know you...oh yes, you want details, do you not? Very well then.
Quick note: I'm only using one Donlevy Spectrum (trademark still pending), and that will be for both games together, since their overall positives and negatives are largely similar. Newcomers: yes indeed, I use a Spectrum for reviewing!

Ico

Ico involves very little backstory: you play as the young boy Ico, after he is lead into a prison-like castle by members of his village, for the sole reason of possessing horns upon his head. As you begin to explore after breaking free, you come across a mysterious young girl named Yorda, whom Ico is unable to understand when she tries to speak. Regardless, you control Ico as you quite literally guide Yorda through the castle, attempting to find a means for the both of you to escape the vast castle grounds. Along the way however, eerie shadow-like figures emerge to try and recapture Yorda, and you must defend her with Ico's weapon, either a plank of wood or, eventually, a sword. Failure to do so results in a Game Over, and a transport back to one of your last saves, which take the form of strange stone benches found in various locations throughout the castle. To help Yorda move and advance through the castle, your duty is to solve the various puzzles that make up the areas, usually involving climbing and jumping, or the moving of certain objects.

Ico offers practically no "hand-holding" to the player (rather ironic given that that's the main mechanic of the game) and despite a sometimes linear path, leaves it up to you to explore the castle and discover what to do. This is largely one of the best aspects of the game, in that it makes success all the more satisfying when you complete a task. However, it can lead to unruly frustration at times, and particularly at the beginning, it can drain the desire out of any new player. See, with a game like Ico where so little is directly revealed to you, both in story and in gameplay, it can feel like there is lack of incentive at the beginning to continue past the immediately tricky or obtuse puzzles. In this, it does require a lot of the player, and it makes Ico somewhat demanding, but it absolutely is worth seeing to the end, despite the reticent structure. Lack of direction or directive can eat up your time playing this game, and while it's admirable, it can be a real pain when the solution or path is hindered by either the camera or misdirection. Indeed, there are more than a few environmental "red herrings" of sorts that can throw you off your course. Boxes that can be moved, and some that can't. A long corridor that leads to nowhere in particular. It's all part of the fun of exploring, but Ico is not impervious to annoyance. And it doesn't help that the controls and camera are far from perfect. The controls are very sensitive, with Ico sometimes jittering and falling over an edge with no intent, or jumping off a (very high) ledge by mistake. And with the camera, the placement and tricky depth of field can mask your task, or just make a jump a little too difficult. Still, the rest of the puzzles are very well designed, and never require too much from the player, as you have an intentionally limited number of actions to take at any given time, and you'll understand what you need to do. If progress is ever hindered, you will get through it eventually.

And as you solve the puzzles and progress through the castle, you'll begin to form a unique story of it all, almost entirely implicitly. The castle and the land is mysterious and haunting, with an isolated yet disturbed feeling that echoes throughout the chambers and courtyards. Ico specializes in a minimalist philosophy for it's setting, and everything from the fog from beneath or the broken statues and benches contributes to a really unique and fascinating atmosphere. As a game from 2001, the game still holds up well graphically, and the HD update goes a long way to pushing the lighting and emphasizing colour. There isn't a lot of music to speak of, apart from the AWESOME credits song, as much of the sound design comes in the form of ambience and sound effects, but it goes a long way towards the setting and tone.

So apart from some frustrating controls and camera, and some annoying misdirection, Ico is a special game with a wonderfully unique narrative and setting, and some intensely satisfying moments that last even past the end. It was something of a hidden gem during the PS2 days, but now with this HD Collection, Ico truly gets to shine as an early and stellar example of art direction within a game. Very cool indeed.


Shadow of the Colossus

Similar to Ico, the backstory to Shadow of the Colossus is short and simple, but a bit more elaborate. You play as Wander, a young man who has fled his village with his horse Agro, and the body of his beloved, Mono, after she was sacrificed in a village ritual. Wander ventures to a mysterious and forbidden land far beyond his home in a bid to resurrect Mono with the help of the deity Dormin, no matter the cost. To do so requires the death of sixteen Colossi that inhabit the vast land, and with Agro, Wander sets out to find and eliminate the various Colossi.

Embarking from a central shrine, the entire landscape opens up for Wander and Agro to travel to. The area is vast in both scale and scope, and while much of this game will indeed be spent travelling around, it is never dull. The areas are varied and serene, but yet very isolated, and it adds to a haunting and scenic journey wherever you go. Crossing a narrow path alongside a mountain only to peek down at the enormous lake below is a marvellous sight, and it is at times like these where the game feels majestic and wondrous, and a bond is formed with Agro, your only companion along the way. Controlling Agro across the land is very tricky at first, as you have to adjust to different speeds for different occasions, and it can be frustrating to control Agro by an edge, but eventually the controls will be learned enough to perform a few useful tricks as you gallop across the land. There are different, but subtle, secrets to uncover as you go around, such as different save shrines, or collecting food and shining lizard tails that improve your health and Grip gauge (which will be mentioned shortly). These secrets are easy to miss, but along with a time trial mode and several other unlockables, these add to the gameplay and replayability by a good margin.

You have at your disposal a bow with unlimited arrows, as well as an invaluable sword which directs you to the next Colossus via the reflecting of sunlight. Before leaving the shrine to find them, Dormin will leave you with a hint and slight description (in the form of an idol) about the next Colossus to defeat, and the cryptic and cool nature leaves you guessing in anticipation. Reaching each respective Colossus can range from simply finding the closest path, or past a series of complex platforms and jumps (a la Ico). Finding the correct path can sometimes be a hassle, as the sunlight sometimes directs you to an area in which a path is not immediately observable. Finding the Colossi is a puzzle unto itself, and I certainly found it enjoyable thanks to the aforementioned fun of travel, even if it was sometimes quite befuddling. But the bulk of this games awesome nature comes in the form of taking on each respective, and quite varied, Colossi. Each Colossus require a different strategy to take down, each themselves a puzzle, but the one common element found throughout the massive battles is climbing. I mean, you'd be pretty useless if the only thing you could do in the game was shoot petty arrows at these behemoths. As I mentioned before, you have a Grip gauge, or rather a Stamina gauge, and you are at it's mercy as you climb a Colossus in search of their weak points, where you must then use your sword to bring them down. Holding on to fur or ledges slowly decreases the gauge, as does minor things like firing the bow and swimming (yes, there is a terrifying water-based Colossus), and if your gauge runs out, well: *pheuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu splat*. Climbing and figuring out how to take down each respective Colossi is fantastic fun, and every single fight feels like a tremendous boss battle on an epic scale, and solving the puzzle of the Colossus and taking them down is a wonderfully satisfying feeling. These are truly memorable fights, and each of the Colossi exhibits different habits and dispositions; some are indifferent to Wander, while others are fiercely aggressive, and it makes the Colossi feel more unique and mysterious than simple enemies.

Compared to Ico, the soundtrack to Shadow of the Colossus is much more bombastic and epic to fit with the battles and triumphs. Nary but the sound of wind can be heard when exploring the world, but in a fight, the music changes dynamically to what's happening in the battle. As Wander approaches the Colossi, or maintains his distance, the music is tense and daunting, but when Wander begins to climb the Colossus, the music changes to a sweeping and hugely awesome triumphant score. Because I can, hear one of the tracks in question here: BOOM LINK. Also with Ico, Shadow of the Colossus holds up great as part of the HD Collection. The lighting and spectacular shadows that can also be found in Ico continue to add and enhance the atmosphere and design, and the aesthetic of the Colossi is still fantastic, as it really comes through in High Def. There's a slight film grain effect which kind of shows it's age, but for the rest of the game, I have no complaints.

So yeah, Shadow of the Colossus kicks all leagues of butt. It's a memorable and intensely satisfying adventure with a vast and haunting world to explore, a minimalist aesthetic that enhances everything, and a simple story that, like Ico, leaves much to the player while still including many various details. The gameplay in the Colossus fights is stellar and engaging, and while it shares Ico's problem of having a trying camera and some finicky and unreliable controls, it was never unplayable or repulsive. An amazing experience.

And as a summary, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are simply glorious. Actions speak louder than words, and both games present fantastic stories and adventures whilst speaking on only a handful of occasions in each case. The use of minimalism enhances the two in ways that were quite groundbreaking at the time, and now it makes them some of the best games that combine artistic expression and excellent gameplay, as they leave lasting impacts on those who play them. Having both Ico & Shadow of the Colossus together in HD for a new generation is a wonderful thing, and I highly encourage you to give them a look.

Ico & Shadow of the Colossus 

 

YAY

• Fantastic, haunting, and immersive atmosphere and aesthetic for both games. 
• Able to tell so much with so little.
• Challenging, varied, and wonderfully fun puzzles.
• Each game is incredibly satisfying all the way to completion.

NAY

• Limited camera angles frequently work against the player.
• In Ico's case, lack of any instruction can lead to early frustration.
• Imprecise controls can result in avoidable mistakes.

An Introduction!

Hello fellow people! My name is Ryan Donlevy, variably known as The Don, Mr. D, or simply Donlevy. I am your friendly neighbourhood misanthrope hailing from the cold, far away land of Alberta, Canada, and I am here to give you my "opinions" and commentary on the current and not-so-current going-ons in the world of gaming and movies! I am no industry professional; I have no degree, no experience, nothing to my name, really. But... I do not need a degree. I am Donlevy. I am my own degree. Ha!

In all seriousness, I'm something of an average film buff, and I've grown to appreciate an increasing number of films both new and old. I'm also something of an aspiring filmmaker, with neither the time nor resources to ACTUALLY commit to much, so, haha, maybe someday that will change. But I truly live and breathe the world of video games, and I've done so all my life, but at times been too afraid to realize it. Video games have always had such silly stigmas attached to them, and watching gaming grow as both a culture and industry has been something of a true privilege. It is my hope that the stigmas of old that have shackled both gaming and the gamers are eroded and done away with. The memories and experiences of video games that stay with us from childhood to maturity, and beyond, are not something so easily tossed away. In recent times, social media has come together to harness the power of the gaming community, and united the many different gamers together in a powerful, if sometimes terrifying, entity. You have at your disposal the ability to find those who share what you love, and share with them your own stories. This of course stretches far outside the realm of gaming, yet it is no less important the role it plays in the gaming scenes. Whether you're into game journalism, or into the nostalgic world of retro gaming, the passions you share can always be found in others. Many journalists like Jim Sterling and Adam Sessler make this industry better. And the many personalities across YouTube like James Rolfe, HappyConsoleGamer, RetroLiberty, AlphaOmegaSin, Gamester81, hell all of Retroware TV, and SO many more, make the community an amazing place.


But lo, I do have a message to impart. One that I very much carry to heart: If you wish, it's down below. If not, ignore what I bestow.

The aforementioned boon of social media with gaming culture has an unfortunate side effect: it is more easy for individuals and the community at large to be the target of vile and silly attacks. What must be understood is that I am not content to let slide these infractions against the grand community both from outside, and from within. Gaming has come a long way, that is certain, and as a collective, it is our duty to honour and respect our place in society. So yes, as much as so many of you wish to ignore the tribulations levied against gaming and it's gamers, to stand so idle is an affront to those who battle against these stigmas and archaic reasoning. Stand up for your community. Don't let the maturity and experience of the gaming world be squandered by inaction and ignorance.

I hope you enjoy what I have to offer, and I hope that whatever I say, in some minor way, helps this community. Thank you for reading! :D

P.S: I will periodically re-upload past posts from my Tumblr account, but if you wish to see what I've written before, check it at thedonsdomain.tumblr.com