Gaming Reviews: Asterix & Obelix. XXL2

Release date: June 30th 2006 (original PlayStation 2 release). November 29th 2018 (remastered PlayStation 4 release).

Type of game: Beat them up, adventure, comedy, cartoon.

Platforms: Originally release on the PS2 and Windows in 2006, it was later remastered with new graphics for the PS4, Xbox one, Nintendo Switch, and Windows (only through Steam).

Story: A rouge Roman spy named Sam Shieffer tells Asterix and Obelix that their druid friend Getafix has joined with the Romans and had helped Julius Caesar capture three other druids. Asterix doesn't believe Sam saying that Getafix wouldn't do such a thing and so he sets off with Obelix and Dogmatix to rescue him and the other druids. Who are all located at this new city that the romans have nearly finished building. A city that is centred around fun and games... named Las Vegum.

My thoughts: I never thought that there was a video game based on the Asterix comics until I found the original PS2 version in a used game section in a cheap shop. And I like it a lot. The idea of an ancient roman Las Vegas is quite interesting. They based the casinos on places that the Romans have conquered. Lutetia (the capital of ancient Gaul), Little Venetia (a parody of Venice), LuckSore (ancient Egypt), WCW, Pirate Island, and finally SeizeUs Palace. Also the Roman soldiers are dressed up as classic video game characters (including Mario, Sonic the hedgehog, Pac-man, Rayman, and there is also a centurion named Larry Craft).

Gameplay: Your mission is to visit every place in Las Vegum and rescue the captured druids. You will also have to face a final boss which is a gigantic super soldier (which the druids were forced to create). You can also collect helmets and use them to buy character upgrades and extra stuff. And also Asterix can use the magic potion which gives you extra abilities.

Any dislikes?: The fact that you'll have to fight off seemingly endless waves of enemies can get annoying. Also when you die, you'll loose every single helmet that you had collected. This is worse in the boss battles when you had collected every item available in the arena, yet get killed and you've lost everything and there is no way that you can get it back. Another annoying thing is that the Mario soldiers shoot water that can force you backwards. Which is frustrating when you are also surrounded by enemies.

My score: Four stars.

Film Review: Westworld.

Release date: November 21st 1973.

Story: In the far future, there exist a ultra expensive amusement park. Where visitors can enjoy what their hearts desire. They can chose one of three worlds. Western world (a cowboy themed area), Medieval world (a knights and castle area), and Roman world (an ancient roman area). And in each of these worlds are robots. Human looking androids which follow a series or orders and act like the people of the era. Yes it is indeed an amazing place to visit... what can possibly go wrong?

My thoughts?: This is a good film. The characters are good and the whole idea of a amusement park with androids is something that might happen in the future. There is a slow build up to when the androids malfunction (yet they don't say who or what caused it) is worthwhile and this film spawned a sequel, two tv shows, and was the inspiration for the novel Jurassic Park.

My score: Three stars.

Film Review: Batman vs the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Release date: June 4th 2019.

Story: Batman encounters the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as two of their deadliest enemies join forces in order to bring chaos to Gotham city.

My thoughts: This is a good film. It is based on the six issue comic book series of the same name. And it is great to see these two series meeting each other. But there are somethings that I didn't like about it much. One thing was the fact that the TMNT world co-exist with the Batman world. There was no "Interdimensional travel" to be found here. Also there was the mutagen or ooze. In the TMNT lore, when you come into contact with the ooze, you'll be transformed into the animal that you've been in contact the most. Yet in this, you just transform into any random animal (and in one case a plant). But apart from those, it is a great film with a lot of comedy and action.

My score: Four stars.

Gaming Reviews: Godzilla (PS4).

Release date: July 14th 2015 (North American release). July 16th 2015 (Japanese release). July 17th 2015 (Europe release).

Type of game: Kaiju simulator, monsters, action.

Story: Many years after Godzilla first rampaged across Japan, the Japanese have harnessed Godzilla's energy (G-Energy as they call it) and stored them in huge turrets named G-Energy Generators. In an attempted to create a better energy source for the country. But then Godzilla resurfaces and starts to attack the generators in order to get his energy back.

My thoughts: This is my first ever game that I've played on the PlayStation 4. And I like it a lot. There are three selections that you can choose from. God of Destruction (the main game), King of the monsters (where you can choose a kaiju other than Godzilla and battle six monsters. Each getting harder as you progress), And a online multiplayer battle mode (where you and other players can battle each other). And there is also an Evolution mode (where you can upgrade your monsters), A kaiju field guide (which tells you all you need to know about the kaijus), and a mode where you can set up a scene and take a photo of it.

This game sadly received mainly negative reviews. And there were many arguments made about it. There are just a few of them.

1. The characters are too slow.

2. The graphics are seriously outdated.

3. You have to press the L1 and R1 buttons to turn the character.

4. You have to play the game a billion times over in order to get to the ending.

5. It's a really bad fighting game.

To which I say...

1. I can understand that but they are giant monsters.

2. This was previously released on the PlayStation 3. You can't expect the creators to upgrade the game every time an old game is re-released on a later game console.

3. That I can understand.

4. In order to get to the ending, you have to destroy every single thing in the levels and get a 100% destruction score before you destroy the last generator.

5. It is not a fighting game.

Any dislikes?: Apart from the fact that you have to use the L1 and R1 button in order to turn the characters, none what so ever.

Any thing that I want to see in a future DLC or update?: More monsters to choose.

My score: Four stars.

Gaming Reviews: Spider-man.

Release date: September 7th 2018.

Type of game: Action and superhero.

Story: Peter Parker is having a normal type of life. He has broken up with Mary Jane (now an investigating reporter), he has a new job working with a scientist named Otto Octavius (working on robotic artificial limps), And his aunt May is working for a homeless shelter. But his life as Spider-Man is mainly the same. Swinging around New York city, fighting crime, and taking on supervillains. But things begin to change when crime boss Wilson Fisk (a.k.a the Kingpin) is finally sentence for his crimes and a new villain shows up.

My thoughts: This is an amazing game. The characters, the visuals, the graphics, and the story are great. You can unlock different costumes for Spider-Man to wear and there are even some DLC's that contain a separate storyline (which involves Black Cat, Hammerhead, and Sable). The villains are impressingly designed as well. And there is an uneasy feeling that you helped create the final villain. Another element that I like is that you can play as two other characters (Mary Jane and Miles Morales) in stealth missions where you have to avoid being caught while investigating. Which to me, makes a great change to swinging around.

Any dislikes?: The villains don't have health bars and it sometimes takes forever to defeat them. Also some of the side quests can get annoying at times. Especially the Screwball ones. Also the are stealth mission like in the Batman Arkham games. Where you as Spider-Man have to sneak around and pick off random enemies one by one. I didn't like this mainly because...

1: It was done better in the Batman games.

2: You can easy slip up and get spotted.

3: When you got rid of every single there is, more then rush in and are instantly aware of where you are no matter how well you do. Especially when you are trying to clear out an enemy hide out.

What I would like to see in a future update or DLC: I would say more costumes but there is enough of them to keep anyone happy. But I would like to see a DLC where you can play as the villains and or perhaps one where we can create your own costume.

My score: Five stars.

The top four games that I want to see in the near future.

No 4: An open world pokemon game.

Pokemon is a popular game in its own right. And with the recent release of Detective Pikachu, it is still highly talked about. So what I would like to see is a game similar to that of Skyrim online or World of Warcraft. Where you can freely walk about, collecting pokemons, building gyms or towns, and challenging and trading with other players. This would be a massive successful game if done right. Minecraft had something similar to this called Pixelmon. But it is sadly no longer around.

No 3: Creepypasta and/or Godzilla Go.

With the success of mobile games like Pokemon Go and Jurassic World Alive, then I wouldn't be surprised if other franchises would try and cash in on their successes. I would like to have two based on the Godzilla and the Creepypasta franchises. Where you travel around and collect the characters.

No 2: A Friday the 13th style game but with other slasher killers.

I love the Friday the 13th game and I want to see other similar games like it in the future. But perhaps one where you can play as other slasher killers from other horror movies (like The Burning, Madman, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Child's Play, My Bloody Valentine, and others). And perhaps something like you can create your own slasher killer and even name them as well. But this could just be a DLC for the Friday the 13th game.

No 1: An open world superhero game.

A open world game where you can create and name your own superhero would be amazing. One where you can play with other players and can even form superhero teams. Something similar to GTA online perhaps.

Anime Review: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

Release date: 2000 (US release). April 21st 2001 (Japanese release).

Story: D has been hired to find and rescue a woman named Charlotte, who has been abducted by a vampire baron named Meier Link. But he doesn't know that he is not the only person who is hired. And soon it has become a small race to see who can rescue

My thoughts: This is an ok sequel. The animation is great and the characters are ok. Yet the only thing I didn't like about it is the fact that Charlotte and Meier are in love. All throughout the film, It gives you the feeling that Charlotte is under some sort of spell. And instead of rescuing her, D lets her and Meier get away. Apart from that, everything else is ok.

My score: Three stars.

TV Review: Buck Rogers in the 25th century

Release date: September 20th 1979 - April 16th 1981 (2 seasons. 37 episodes).

Story: The year is 1987, and NASA has launched the last of America's deep space probes. In a freak mishap, Ranger 3 and its pilot, Captain William Buck Rogers, are blown out of their trajectory into an orbit which freezes his life support systems. And returns Buck Rogers to Earth... five hundred years later.

My thoughts: I like this show. I like the settings, the characters, and the action. This series was based on a series of novels which also spawned a comic strip, a radio series, a serial film, three video games, a board game, other novels, and loads of merchandise. This show was inspired by the Star Wars films and had recycled props, effects shots, and costumes from Battlestar Galatica. This show definitely is one of the best sci fi tv shows along with Star Trek, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galatica, Space: 1999, and Blake 7. If you like sci fi tv shows, then I would check this out.

My score: Four stars.

TV Review: Street Sharks

Release date: September 11 1994 - May 18th 1997 (3 seasons. 40 episodes).

Story: After being mutated into four humanoid sharks, The Street Sharks decide to use their powers to protect their city against the evil Doctor Piranoid and his gang of mutant fish monsters. They are Ripster (a Great White shark), Jab (a Hammerhead shark), Streex (a Tiger shark), and Slammu (a Whale shark).

My thoughts: This is an ok show. I'll admit that I have collected the toys but never had seen the actual show until now (this was one of those shows that is just a big advertisement for toys). The characters are ok (Doctor Piranoid has a cool feature that he can transform into a human/piranha thing when ever he gets angry) yet the animation at times can be lazy. But there is good action and the character designs for the fish monsters are cool. There are even song segments in this which I felt were unnecessary. The theme song is ok as well. This is defiantly a 90's cartoon and I only recommend it for those who like 90's things.

Fun fact: The street sharks even have a crossover with another cartoon called the Extreme Dinosaurs.

My score: Three stars.

Film Review: Blade 2.

Release date: March 22nd 2002.

Story: Two years after the events of the first movie, Blade is still hunting vampires and has recently rescued his friend and mentor Abraham Whistler. But now there is a new breed of vampires that has emerge. And the situation is so bad that the vampires themselves have asked Blade himself to help them kill off this new mutation before both them and the humans are wiped out.

My thoughts: This is the second sequel to Blade and the one I have watched the most. It has a great concept (Blade having to team up with his enemies in order to take on an even bigger threat) and the action is great. Danny John-Jules even stars in this as one of the vampires who teamed up with Blade. Like I said this is a good movie and I recommend it for anyone who likes action and vampire films.

My score: Four stars.

TV Review: The A Team.

Release date: January 23rd 1983 - March 8th 1987 (Five seasons. Ninety eight episodes).

Story: In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escape from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A Team!

My thoughts: Arguably one of the best shows to ever come out of the 1980's. The characters are enjoyable, the theme song is highly recognisable, and there is a good blend of good action and comedy. Most of the shows are basically someone is trying to live their lives, yet they keep being menaced and threatened by local jerks, and the A Team gets hired to help them out. The team consists of John 'Hannibal' Smith (the teams leader who has a hunger for danger and life threatening situations. And has the catchphrase "I love it when a plan comes together"),  Templeton "Faceman" Peck (a suave ladies man who is also a con artist and scrounger), H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock (a helicopter pilot who is either mentally unstable or is just pretending to be), and Bosco Albert "B.A" Baracus (the team's mechanic and mussels. Played greatly by Mr T). Other characters include Amy Allen (a intrepid reporter who sometimes joins the team on cases) and Colonel Lynch (who keeps trying to recapture the team). Like I said this is a great show and I would recommend that you check out a few episodes.

My score: Five stars.

Film Review: The kingdom of the crystal skull.

Release date: May 18th 2008 (Cannes film festival release). May 22nd 2008 (US release).

Story: Indiana Jones is back as he and a young adult Mutt Williams (played by Shia LaBeouf) travel the world in order to save Mutt's mother and to retrieve a skull made out of crystal.

My thoughts: This is the fourth and last Indiana Jones film. And also the least liked one. This was the one which started all of those "nuking the fridge" memes and I can understand the other reasons that fans did not like about it. But apart from those things, it is an ok film and properly good for a rental.

My score: Three stars. 

Film Review: The Last Crusade

Release date: May 24th 1989.

Story: Indiana returns as he and his father (Sean Connery) go searching for the Holy Grail.

My thoughts: This is the third in the Indiana Jones series. This one is more light hearted than the previous one and it is a great movie. Sean Connery is great as Indiana's father and there is a good presence of us vs them when they try and stop the grail falling into enemy hands.

My score: Three stars.

Film Review: Temple of Doom

Release date: May 23rd 1984.

Story: Indiana Jones returns as he, along with a nightclub singer named Willie Scott and a kid named Short Round, travel in India to take on an evil cult.

My thoughts: This is the second Indiana Jones film and the most darkest one. This was the movie that created the PG-13 certificate in order to avoid the film getting an R rating. Like the previous film (which is set a year after the events of this film) there are a lot of memorable scenes and lines. Like the scene where Indiana retrieves his hat before a huge stone door slides shut (which I have seen parodies of it before watching this film). I would recommend this for any action/adventure fans out there. But just be warned that there are a lot of dark and scary imagery in the movie.

My score: Four stars.

Film Review: Raiders of the lost ark.

Release date: June 12th 1981 (US release). July 30th 1981 (UK release).

Story: Harrison Ford stars as Indiana Jones. A adventurer/archaeologist who travels around the world seeking hidden treasure. Now he is task to seek out the Ark of the Covenant before it falls into enemy hands and is used as a weapon.

My thoughts: This was the first of the Indiana Jones films. Harrison Ford is great in one of the most memorable roles in cinema history. His character and most scenes were parodied a lot and the dialog is really quotable. The action is great from Indiana being chased by the giant bolder to the fight scenes. If you like action/adventure films then I would give it a watch.

Release date: Four stars.

Gaming Reviews: Jump Force.

Release date: February 15th 2019.

Type of game: Anime, fighting, RPG, crossover.

Story: When the real world collies with many anime worlds, it is up to the player and a team of anime heros to save their worlds from an unknown enemy and an army of mind controlled people called Venoms (not to be confused with the Marvel villain/anti hero of the same name) before it is to late.

My thoughts: This is an amazing game. There is a huge collection of anime characters to play as and you can create your own playable character to fight alongside them and interacted with them (even though your character is silent except when fighting). You can either create yourself, make up your own character, or re-create a character from an anime. You can also chose which type of fighting style you want your character to have (either from Dragonball Z, Naruto, or One Piece). And you can also join three teams. Team Alpha (led by Goku which fights off the Venoms), Team Beta (led by Luffy which tries to recapture territory from the Venoms), and Team Gamma (led by Naruto which does stealth operations like spying and collecting data). Along with the story mode, you can also do team battles both online and offline. And you can customize your character as well (by buying them outfits and special fighting moves). Also when the characters are getting hit, they begin to show signs of damage (like their clothes getting dirty or torn and themselves getting cuts and bruises). 

Any dislikes?: There are a number of things that I disliked about the game. One of them being the fact that some of the battles can be a bit difficult. Like you can walk through one battle without much difficulty while it takes you several tries to win the other battle. Like the one where Dai from Dragon Quest fought Kakashi Hatake from Naruto. It took me twenty tries before I managed to defeat Kakashi. But what really annoys me is the fact that the enemy will defeat you in a few short hits while they constantly block every attack you throw out at them. This gets annoying really fast.

Also there is a part in the game where it seems that Goku, Naruto, and Luffy have all been killed or kidnapped. And yet turn up later on in the game all ok and saying that they were stuck in-between worlds. I would have prefer it if they have been kidnapped by the villains and that you have to rescue them. Also I would have like it if this game was also a choose your own path type of game. Cause it feels like it in places.

What I would like to see in an update or a DLC: Some more characters from the chosen anime, more customizing items, and perhaps one where you can create more O.Cs but for the online and offline battles.

My score: Five stars.

Film Review: The Fugative.

Release date: August 6th 1993.

Story: Harrison Ford stars as Dr Richard Kimble. A vascular surgeon in Chicago who one night returns to find his wife fatally injured by a one armed man. Kimble struggles with the man but he escapes. Kimble calls the police yet they believe that he killed his wife (due to a misunderstood emergency call by his late wife, lack of evidence of a brake in, and his wife's lucrative life insurance policy). Kimble is charge yet manages to escape when the prison bus that he is on crashes. Kimble then goes on the run in order to clear his name and find the real killer. Yet he is perused by a team of US marshals led by Deputy Samuel Gerard (played by Tommy Lee Jones).

My thoughts: This film was based off the 1960's television show of the same name. And I have to say that it is pretty good. the characters are good and you do feel some suspense with Harrison's character having to be one step ahead of Tommy's character. This film led to a sequel (U.S Marshals. Which I have also reviewed) which was also good.

My score: Four stars.

Film Review: Red Heat

Release date: June 14th 1988 (premiere release). June 17th 1988.

Story: Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Captain Ivan 'Iron Jaw' Danko. A police officer from the Soviet Union who is sent to Chicago, USA to pick up a drug kingpin and crime lord (named Viktor Rostavili) who has fled after a failed attempted to arrest him. Ivan is assigned with loudmouthed Chicago detective Art Ridzik (played by James Belushi). Can east and west work together in order to capture the criminal? Watch the movie and find out.

My thoughts: This is one of those buddy cop movies (two opposite characters teaming up to solve a case and end up becoming close friends). And I kinda like it. It is one of those movies with an interesting concept and the comedy is good. Even though Arnold is playing a Russian cop, the scenes that were supposed to be in Russia are in fact filmed in Hungary and Austria. This film is a must have for any buddy cop collection.

My score: Three stars.

Film Review: Eraser

Release date: June 21st 1996.

Story: Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as John Kruger, a top US Marshal at the Witness Security Protection Program (WITSEC) whose job is to 'erase' high profile witnesses (as in faking their deaths) in order to protect them from those who want to kill them. His next mission is to protect a woman named Lee Cullen (played by Vanessa L. Williams) who has recently retrieved data about highly developed weapons (guns that shoot small bolts of compressed air instead of bullets) and that the company is selling them on the black market. But what both John and Lee don't realise is how much danger they are in. And that John's own collages and mentors might be involved as well.

My thoughts: I like this movie. I find the action good and the effects ok. If you are a fan of Schwarzenegger movies that I would recommend this.

My score: Four stars.

Film Review: The 6th Day

Release date: October 28th 2000 (the Tokyo International Film Festival release). November 17th 2000 (theatrical release).

Story: At some point in the near future, it is now common to clone animals and human organs. It is however illegal to clone a human being. But someone doesn't follow the rules and clones a charter pilot Adam Gibson (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) without him knowing. Adam finds out that the clone has taken over his life in his absence and so sets out to find out who cloned him, why they cloned him, and to try and get his family back.

My thoughts: Even though this is a box office disappointment, I kinda like this film. The film gives light to what could happen in the near future (cloning, self driveable vehicles, and a fridge with a built in computer that tells you when you are low on items and you can order them as well). And this film has a great twist ending in my opinion. If you are a fan of Schwarzenegger films then give this a watch.

My score: Three stars.