Sparklite Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

In a land known as Geodia, the ore known as Sparklite is literally the lifeblood of the world. The people of this land found a way to use the substance as a renewable power source. However, there is a darker side to this special ore. It can be consumed. Once consumed, it can grant great power...at a price.

A man known as "The Baron" wants the Sparklite for himself. As such, he has planned to hoard it all for himself. His plan has devastated the environment of Geodia, causing animals to mutate into monsters, and rotting the plant life. It's up to you as a mechanic named Ada to stop the mad Baron and save Geodia in Merge Games's Sparklite! Let's take a look at the launch trailer!

Don't you just hate it when your ship goes bonkers on you and crashes?

Always good to help someone in need. In a video game world, that can pay off big time. You might end up getting a hero you need.

So far, I love the general look of the game.

I'm getting Legend of Zelda vibes here. Which is not a bad thing at all. Link to the Past is one of my favorite Zelda games ever.

I get the feeling there's going to be some environmental protection themes to this game, which is also not a bad thing at all. It makes sense, considering the story. And considering the whole thing about climate change

This logging boss looks epic. The saw blades and the potential throwing of logs, ha ha.

This whole game looks amazing. I love the graphical style. It feels like a modern take on the top-down action-adventure game.

I also like that this game seems to be "modern" in the aspect you can build and use things like guns. In my experience, with games like this, they seem to want to stay in a fantastical medieval era. Great to see the developers were not afraid to get a bit futuristic here.

I imagine Ada collects the Sparklite to make gear.

I wonder what the reward is for helping people. In the game, you rescue people to build a place called "The Refuge". I hope that means Ada gets rewarded with better equipment and buffs.

I want this game. It looks so neat and a lot of fun. I can't wait to add this to my Switch library!

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, please spread it around! See you next time!

Scoob! Trailer, My Thoughts

In 1969, the Hanna-Barbera animated series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! hit television screens. Created by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, the series told the tale of four young mystery solvers and their dog, the titular Scooby-Doo, who would travel around and solve mysteries: The general formula would be that the kids split up to gather clues, encounter a seemingly-supernatural antagonist, only for them to be revealed as mundane criminals.

The series only originally broadcast for a couple of years, but it would end up spawning a franchise comprised of various animated series, films (both animated and live-action), video games, and even comic books.

The Mystery Inc. gang have graced the silver screen in the past, and now they're coming back to it. This time, the series is getting a film reboot, and it might be setting up a new Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe. Let's take a look at the trailer for Scoob!

You know, I can get why some are criticizing Will Forte as the voice of Shaggy in this. Shaggy's voice is rather iconic. I guess it will be an adjustment for me.

That ship looks like Dirk Dastardly's car in Wacky Races.

Does that mean he's going to be the villain?

Always the thing to do when you meet a strange animal: offer them some of your sandwich.

Awww, that's cute.

Daphne dressed as Wonder Woman. The joke is that both Scooby-Doo and DC Comics are owned by Warner Bros. In fact, Scooby and the gang have adventured alongside DC's superheroes several times in the past, most notably Batman and Robin. The knight and judge costumes fit Fred and Velma too for some reason.

Oh man, Shaggy and Scooby as the Blue Falcon and Dynomutt. That's just great.

I wonder if this part with the young Mystery Inc. gang will pay homage to A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.

You know, this trailer is pretty interesting, as it doesn't really hint as what this film is really about. I get the idea that we'll be seeing the origins of Mystery Inc. based on the scenes with the kid versions of the gang. And we might also be meeting Blue Falcon. But besides that, your guess is as good as mine. The new voices for the gang may take some getting used to, as well. I may give this flick a shot. Yeah.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

Text Play: Pokemon Zeta #3

Hello, and welcome back to the Vesryn region! This is my third entry in my Text Play of Pokémon Zeta!

As I said before, I will be spoiling this game, so if you want to play it for yourself, you can find links to download the game right here. And with that, let's begin!

Last time, we traveled to Superior City, did a couple of side quests, and earned the Discipline Badge by defeating Devon, the city's Gym leader. He specialized in Fighting-type Pokémon. And with that, we can move on to Route 302. Well, not quite. I still have a little bit of business in Superior City to take care of. Remember last time where I showed where the Dolly was?

Yup, right there. I still have to grab it. The woman laments that she needs the HM Strength to get the item there. Well, no need to fear. I have the HM! I taught it to my Machop that I caught in that very cave. Once I have him move that big rock, the Dolly is mine. So, no need for that Strength HM, ha ha ha! ...wait, so what was the point of teaching Strength to Machop, then? I feel like I just wasted my time.

The tunnel to Route 302 has a guard in it. He explains that it leads south to Onega Town. Much like Superior City is named after the American Lake Superior, Onega Town is named after Lake Onega in Russia. He warns me to be careful, as Team Olympus was spotted there. Really? Looks like I can get some payback.

Well, I'm getting ahead of myself. I actually have to get my butt to town first. Route 302 is the first time in the game we'll get game-exclusive Pokémon. The reason Pokémon games tend to come out in pairs is because each game will have certain Pokémon unique to each game. To get them all, you have to trade with someone who has the counterpart game. It's a way to encourage social interaction (as well as increase sales of both versions if you're being cynical). In Zeta, we can get Ponyta and Poochyena. In Omicron, this route is home to Purrloin and Blitzle. I really could use that electric horse. Ah, well. I still can get Shinx. And I like Shinx. Shinx is awesome.

Look at Shinx! Ain't it cute?

It's also the first route where we'll find certain Pokémon at certain times of day. Yup, like in Gold and Silver, some Pokémon are only available at certain times of the day. On this route, for example, you can encounter Clefairy and Gastly only at night. I'm honestly a bit mixed on this. On one hand, it does encourage you to play at different times if you're looking for different Pokémon. On the other, you have to wait until a certain time for a certain Pokémon to appear. If you want to catch them all, it can be inconvenient.

I do want to take an opportunity to also talk about another thing about this game I don't like. You see, in all Pokémon games, if you beat a wild Pokémon, the Pokémon that participated in the battle and did not faint get experience points. Those experience points go towards making your Pokémon stronger. It's the classic RPG trope. Starting in Generation VI (Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire), Pokémon can also get experience points if a wild Pokémon they're fighting gets captured. This was a good thing as it helped cut down on grinding a little bit.

Traveling down the Route, I found this guy with blue hair, looking like he came right out of an anime.

He's busy appreciating the beauty of the region. I don't blame him. Vesryn is a pretty place. He spots me and says I remind him of someone he knew. Maybe another trainer he knew. He remarks that Vesryn is a haven for Legendary Pokémon. Well, there was that monument to Ho-Oh in Superior Town...

He warns me to not get 'corrupted' by the Legendary Pokémon. I wonder what he means by that? He thinks I'll have enough trouble on my own already. Well, considering how Pokémon games tend to work, I'll likely cross paths with Team Olympus. Is that what he meant? He wishes me a nice day, then he takes his leave. Okay, then. Also, see that fisherman in the screenshot? He gave me an Old Rod. Nice! I can start fishing now!

Now that I got the Old Rod, I can talk about a little feature of this game that I really like. You can register certain items in this game to certain keys on the keyboard. You can literally use certain items at the push of a button.

I registered it to 'Q' because eh, why not?

One of the trainers you can battle in Route 302 is actually a breeder. She points out there's a Daycare Center around here. A Daycare Center is where you can place a Pokémon that needs to be leveled up a bit...or if you want to breed some Pokémon. Another reason I've been enjoying this game is because of the character dialogue. I'm serious, some of the trainers' dialogue is hilarious.

I never imagined I'd see McDonalds mentioned in a Pokémon game. But that's the fun of fan games, you can do some stuff Game Freak can't. Even funnier? This trainer here? He calls himself "Supa Hot Fire"! He thinks he's a rapper! It's great! And after you beat him, he admits he's no rapper! I love this game!

Route 302 leads straight to Route 303. Remember that Pokémon Day-Care Center that breeder mentioned? Here it is!

The men who run it are a happily married couple. That's...that's just awesome. If I can get a Ditto in this game, I'll have to come back here. If I can breed my Dustox with it, I might be able to get a Wurmple that will evolve into Silcoon, and then Beautifly. I think I mentioned that I hate Wurmple in a previous entry. Nearby the Pokémon Daycare is a cave.

This cave leads to a place called the Midnight Way. Behind the entrance there is a Super Potion. I'd pick it up. It can come in handy. Midnight Way is a cave that leads towards a building called the Midnight Mansion. The garden maze in front of it and the cave are good places to catch more Pokémon. That's about it, really. There's a Team Asgard grunt guarding the mansion's front door, and he won't battle you. We'll have to go back here later on. Funny enough, it's always raining at the Midnight Mansion. It's a never-ending thunderstorm there.

Seriously, it never stops raining there. It's weird. How does that work?! Is there something in the house affecting the weather? Is it haunted? It could be haunted. One of the trainers I battled on this route claimed the mansion was possessed. Also a word of warning, near the Midnight Way is a Psychic trainer who has a Kadabra that can pack a punch. At the end of the route is a bridge. And next to the entrance to Onega Town is a Berry Patch.

You can get a pair of Oran and Rawst Berries there. I like growing berries. It takes more time, but you save money on Potions and various other healing items. If only I had a watering can...

Our character's rival Jake is waiting to battle us at the entrance. Friggin' Jake and his swag... He brags about having two badges already, saying the Gyms here are terrible. Maybe he'll make his own gym one day. Dude, just because those Gyms were easy for you, it doesn't mean they were terrible.

He also says he wants to make his own gym. Yeah sure, pal. He says he'll run it out of a mansion and hand out Swag Badges. Hahahahahaha! Yeah, like the League will allow that, buddy. They'll laugh you all the way out of the region! I think he needs a bit of humbling. As such, it is time to battle.

Here's how the battle against Jake went for me:
1st Pokémon: Charmander (Lv. 14) - Easily defeated by Seadra
2nd Pokémon: Horsea (Lv. 16) - Easily defeated by Bulbasaur

Jake just grumbles and lets me by afterwards. I think I wounded his fragile ego a bit. Good. And with that, I have arrived in Onega Town.

Onega is a nice little town. When you arrive, there's a Pokémon Center right near the entrance. A clever bit of building placement if you ask me. There's quite a lot of wild Pokémon and Trainers on the previous two routes (not to mention Midnight Way and the front hedge maze of the Midnight Mansion), so having the Center here feels like you're finally getting relief at last. Nearby the Pokémon Center is a man with a Diglett who makes a joke about being so hip, all his Pokémon are underground!

Ohhhh, the punnage...it huuuuurts...

It's something I love about this fan game, the funny NPC dialogue. One Psychic I battled on Route 303 grumbled that I ruined her chakras. Heh heh.

Talking to the people here can reveal some interesting stuff. According to an old lady here, it's believed that the Pokémon known as Shaymin once lived here. Hmmm, between Shaymin possibly living in Onega in the past, and Zarivar Town having a shrine to Ho-Oh, I get the feeling that towns having a connection to Legendary Pokémon is going to be a thing in this game.

I learned from a kid here that the local Gym Leader here is named Gideon. Apparently, he was a former actor who became a Gym Leader after he suffered an on-set injury. I wonder what kind of injury he got that would make him give up acting. Anyway, he's a specialist in Grass-type Pokémon... which makes me really glad I picked a Magby as my starter. I also learned from another man that he was a bit mopey because of the loss of his acting career. Again, what kind of injury would have to make him give up acting?

Nearby the Pokémon Center is the entrance to the Safari Zone. Yeah, we get to see this game's version of the Safari Zone early on! Well, one of them. Yeah, there are multiple Safari Zones in this game.

I admit, I am rather mixed on the Safari Zone idea. On one hand, I think it's a nice way to change up the gameplay a little bit. On the other, how it works always frustrates me. You can't weaken the Pokémon before trying to catch it, and whether you manage to catch a Pokémon or not depends on chance. It can be pretty annoying. But enough of my griping. Let's move on. There's a small mountain right nearby that has a cave.

The item there is a Pokégear. This takes me back. I first remember this from Pokémon Platinum. Right now, all I got in this thing is a map, but I'm sure that I can get upgrades that can give this thing new features. I tried to enter the cave, but I was stopped by some unknown thing that told me that I still had things to do in Onega Town. Huh.

Above this mountainous area is a big ol' Berry Patch.

Once I get my paws on a watering can, I have got to come back here. This looks a great area to grow some Berries. Above it, you may notice a couple of trees. Those hide the entrance to a Hidden Grotto. Yup, in this fangame, there are hidden Grottos around where we can get an item or try to catch a Pokémon.

Wandering around the Berry patch is a woman with a microphone. She'll want to ask you some questions about your journey so far. Mainly about the battle against Devon in Superior City. How the battle against Devon went, his toughest Pokémon, and opinion on whether he was a good Gym Leader or not. I said it wasn't overly difficult, his Riolu was the toughest Pokémon (mainly because Devon kept healing it), and I thought he was a good Gym Leader (Never heard anything to suggest he wasn't). After this survey, she tells me she plans to take my answers back to "HQ", and gives me a Great Ball.

There is one major thing to do here besides the Gym: Check out the Onega Town Museum! I heard they have some great exhibits there!

Huh. What're those two guys doing there? Well, they're not guards, they're Team Olympus goons. They're obviously not very bright ones, as they outright tell me that they're out stealing some artifacts from the museum.

Yes, they are that stupid. Inside, there are some grunts that need to be cleared out. Pawniard seems to be a popular Pokémon with them. I've also encountered users of Karrablast and Shelmet. Shelmet. Heh heh. I don't know why, but that name amuses me. Shelmet. In case you're wondering, this is a Shelmet.

Shelmet is native to the Unova region, being a Generation V Pokémon. It first appeared in Pokémon Black and White. It has a rather unique form of evolution. It has to be traded with another Pokémon called Karrablast to evolve into Accelgor. Pokémon evolving through trade is not new (It's how you can get Alakazam, Golem, Gengar, and Machamp in Gen I), but requiring a specific Pokémon to trade with is odd. I don't think there are any other Pokémon with this unique relationship.

Anyway, I made my way through the museum, beating the guards down in Pokémon battles. One proclaims they were invincible. Dude, my Pokémon just wrecked your comrades' Pokémon! Did you not see that?! I eventually found this bunch hanging around.

I think it's pretty obvious that they're some Team Olympus bigwigs. Especially eyepatch guy. They spot me and Olympus Commander Athena wants a piece of me. Bring it on! Her Pokémon went as such:

- 1st Pokémon: Hoothoot (Lv. 15) - Easily defeated by Luxray.
- 2nd Pokémon: Riolu (Lv. 16) - Defeated by Pidgey and Butterfree
- 3rd Pokémon: Beldum (Lv. 18) - Easily defeated by Magmar.

Eyepatch Guy isn't really angry about my easily beating Athena. That's because he's already got what they came to the museum for in the first place: The Time Caller. It's an artifact that supposedly allows time travel. Still, Eyepatch Guy wants us to watch them use the Caller to catch a legendary Pokémon. He sees me as worthy to watch, as I easily defeated Athena.

He commands his Pokémon Sableye to use the Caller. Remember when we were told that this town had a connection to Shaymin? Well, the Caller was used to summon said Pokémon in its Sky Forme. Eyepatch Guy is able to catch the legendary Pokémon with a Master Ball. He then warns me not to cross his path again, as Shaymin will only be the first legendary Pokémon Team Olympus will get. They likely have multiple Master Balls, making it much easier for them. Thanks, Missingno. glitch. Thanks a lot.

Well, I can't worry about that now. At least the Museum was cleaned out. Team Olympus likely won't be bothering the place again any time soon. I still have a Gym to get through, and I just may check out that first Safari Zone.

Speaking of the Gym, learning about Gideon had gotten me thinking about what Pokémon I want to use to face him. Grass is vulnerable to five other types: Poison, Fire, Bug, Ice, and Flying. And considering all the Pokémon I've gotten so far (I've gotten over 50 at this point), I've got some options here. Magmar is an obvious keep on the team, as he's a Fire-type. The only other Fire-type I have is my Ponyta, so he could be some useful backup for Magmar. My Pidgey knows Gust, so she would be helpful as well. So would Butterfree. It's Bug/Flying, and it knows Gust. Elemental advantage. Dustox is another good Pokémon I can bring back to this team to fight Gideon. It's Bug/Poison, and it knows Gust and Poison Sting.

As for Flying-types, I got some choices. I got a Ledyba, who is Bug/Flying. Thing is, it's at a low level, and I have no Flying-type TMs. Unfortunately, I don't think it can learn any Flying-type attacks on its own. I also got a Murkrow. It's Dark/Flying, and it knows Peck. I have a Starly, which can learn Wing Attack. And finally, I have a Hoothoot, which can learn Peck. There's also Hoppip, but I don't think he can learn any Flying-type attacks.

Poor Tula the Seadra would be out, as she's a Water-type, and she knows no Ice attacks. My Bulbasaur may not be much help, as it's Grass itself. It knows Poison Powder. I don't think that my Luxio would do much damage as it's Electric. Ultimately, I went with a team of Magmar, Pidgey, Starly, Butterfree, Ponyta, and Dustox.

I think that's enough to take down Gideon. I have to do a bit of grinding, but it's no big deal. After clearing out the Onega Museum, there's something really cool to do. Below the museum, there is a house. The inside is creepy, and a chill permeates it. It's like something malevolent inside.

Examining the TV reveals that a Rotom lives in the house. You have to be careful, as if you beat this Rotom, that's it. No respawning. If you want a Rotom now, this is your only shot. Fail to catch it here, you'll have to wait until later in the game to try again. No pressure, is all I'm saying. It asks you if it knows who it is, and you should answer "Rotom". Because that's what it is. It then says that it can't let us leave the house alive.

Man, this thing is malicious. I think we'd better catch or defeat it before it ends up killing someone. It took a few tries, but I was able to catch it. I hope it doesn't go wacky if I need it on my team. I named my new Pokémon O'Rourke. Get it? Theyyy're heeeere... If you return to the house with Rotom, you get a surprise.

Yup, you can change Rotom's form here! Rotom is one of a few Pokémon that has the ability to change forms. Rotom in its default form is Electric/Ghost. But its form changes make it a mix of other types, as well as changes its appearance:

- Heat Rotom looks like an oven and is Electric/Fire
- Wash Rotom looks like a washing machine and is Electric/Water
- Frost Rotom looks like a refridgerator and is Electric/Ice
- Mow Rotom looks like a lawn mower and is Electric/Grass
- Fan Rotom looks like an electric fan and is Electric/Flying

Pretty neat, huh? I don't think it has much effect on the moveset of Rotom, though. Which is a shame.

I think we'll stop here for now. I have to prepare for Gideon. Wish me luck!

One thing I am amazed by is the sheer variety of Pokémon available early on. No joke. Onega is the second major city in the game, and on the way I have encountered about sixty Pokémon already. Yeah, there are a lot of species of Pokémon, so that's not exactly surprising. But what I was impressed with was that the Pokémon that have appeared have represented multiple generations of Pokémon games. It is a great way to homage the history of the franchise.

So far, Team Olympus seems to me like a standard villain team for Pokémon. Hopefully, their interest in legendaries will lead to something interesting.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

Pokémon Obtained
(Nagarex Forest)
- Ferroseed
- Hoppip

(Wonder Cave)
- Onix

(Route 302)
- Ponyta
- Magikarp
- Bulbasaur
- Poochyena
- Clefairy
- Gastly
- Shinx
- Qwilfish

(Route 303)
- Patrat
- Abra
- Luxio (evolved from Shinx)
- Seadra (evolved from Horsea)
- Drowzee
- Ivysaur (evolved from Bulbsaur)
- Magmar (evolved from Magby)
- Goldeen
- Spoink

(Midnight Way)
- Nosepass
- Gible

(Midnight Mansion)
- Murkrow
- Munna
- Zorua
- Stunky

(Onega Town)
- Rotom

NWA Powerrr Episode 5, My Thoughts

It's that time again! It's time to rejoin the usual gang of crazies in the National Wrestling Alliance for episode 5 of NWA Powerrr! I highly suggest you watch the show before reading this. And if you want to get caught up, you can do so here. Let's feel the Powerrr!

Recap time!

Ha ha, that tweet is funny.

Calm down, Eli.

Time to start rockin' like Dokken! Get it! Dokken did the theme song. Dokken rules.

Hotlanta, baby!

Heh heh, Colt "Boom-Boom" Cabana. This is who I think of when I hear Boom-Boom. Cabana is a former NWA champion himself, I believe.

Heh heh, Captain Morgan. Got some of the Captain in you, Aron?

They're booing YOU, ya idjit! :P

That looks like a very short script. Is it for a commercial?

Ooh, this game sounds fun! And it's for the Switch?! Even better!

Match #1 - The Dawsons vs. Mims and Kingsley

Mims and Kingsley. I think these guys are new. Hope they have their affairs in order.

Quick little tag match. Hope that Mims/Kingsley duo get another match down the line.

Looks like the Dawsons are not the only team that want tag gold. Here comes Homicide and Eddie Kingston, aka Outlawz Inc.!

Hey, Dawsons! You beat the Outlawz last week! You could do it again and get a title shot! What do ya need to think about?!

You can't help but feel for Tim Storm a bit.

Match #2 - Ashley Vox vs. Thunder Rosa

I like Ashley Vox. Good to see her again. And I am eager to see Thunder Rosa wrestle for the first time.

For God's sake, Cornette...

Good match, made Thunder Rosa look like a monster.

Looks like they're setting something up with Rosa and Marti Belle. And why does Rosa get some sonic accompaniment?!

Thunder Rosa doesn't care! She'll fight everyone!

Well, THAT just happened!

This vignette is weird.

Match #3 - Aron Stevens vs. Ricky Starks (2-out-of-3 Falls Match)

Aron's trunks are...unfortunately colored.

Wow, Ricky Starks got the first fall right out of the bat!

Ha ha, Orange Santa Claus. He must be a Syracuse fan.

Aron really should have kept his eyes on Starks. And picked a different color for his trunks.

Man, I like Ricky Starks. That was a fun match!

Main event time! Cabana has Mr. Anderson with him, and James Storm has got Eli Drake watching his back.

Match #4 - NWA National Championship Match - James Storm (c) vs. Colt Cabana

I really hope that National Championship belt gets a redesign. It's kind of goofy-looking to me.

Some barricades would not hurt there, guys.

Got a bit of chaos at ringside! I love that Anderson just doesn't do anything when Kamille gets in his face.

And we got a new National Champ! Congrats, Colt!

Huh. Looks like the Cowboy may want a piece of Anderson after this.

Looks like the Dawsons have decided! They want that fight with the Outlawz, and they want it now!

We got a fight!

Ha ha, The Wild Cards got bowled over!

And now we got the Rock 'n' Roll Express showing up! Amazing those guys are still doing this after all these years.

Looks like the Outlawz don't have to worry about losing their tag title shot any time soon, ha ha. And they got the Rock 'n' Roll Express showing them love, too.

This was a fun episode! We got a title change, some great action, and some potential plots set up! Can't wait for the next episode!

Veterans' Day

On this day in the United States we celebrate Veterans' Day.

On this day, like I did last year, I want to give a bit of a primer on the history of this day and what it means to me.

Well, on this day in 1918, an armistice was signed between the Allies and the Central Powers of Germany, which is credited for ending World War I. In later years, this day would be celebrated as Armistice Day. It would be made an official holiday in 1938.

In 1945, a man named Raymond Weeks, a veteran of World War II, had the idea that Armistice Day should be expanded to celebrate veterans of WWII as well. He had support for General, and future President, Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 1947, he held the first celebration in Alabama. He continued to do so until his death in 1985.

In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower would sign into law a bill that would formally establish Veterans Day. For a brief time in the 1970s, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October. It would get moved back to November 11 in 1978.

Several members of my family have served in the Armed Forces in the past. My father is a former Air Force man. My late grandfather and grand-uncle served in WWII. I know that Veterans' Day is a day to honor living veterans, but I do think about my grandfather and great-uncle on this day. If you have a person who served in your life, give them a hug, tell them you love them, and thank them for their service.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

In 2009, Ghostbusters: The Video Game was released for Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation Portable, and the Wii. The game was set around Thanksgiving in 1991, a couple of years after the events of the film Ghostbusters II. The game had all the original Ghostbusters reprise their roles: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and the late Harold Ramis. Other cast members from the films also appeared in the games, including William Atherton and Annie Potts.

Notably, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows versions would be known as the "Realistic Versions" of the game because of their using character models that looked more like...well, real people. The Wii, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable version would be known as the "Stylized Versions" due to them having cartoonier graphics.

In the game, you play as a new member of the Ghostbuster team who helps test new ghost-eliminating technology as some of the old enemies of the Ghostbusters make their comeback. The game would be a critical success, but was mainly criticized for its length. The Windows version would get more mixed reviews due to lack of multiplayer and problems with its DRM. The game would go on to sell a million copies.

Last month, a Remastered version of the game, based on the "Realistic Version" has come out for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch. Let's take a look!

Oooh, the game looks good already! I have this game for the Xbox 360, and it was a lot of fun. Not to mention it was awesome hearing the original four Ghostbusters one more time. Man, I miss Harold Ramis...

I love that song so much. Who ya gonna call?!

Yeah, that tombstone's going to leave a mark on that Ectomobile.

Ha ha, that ghost just took a proton stream to the FACE!

Stay Puft doing its best kaiju impression. I know everyone is excited for the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong, but I want to see Stay Puft jump into that brawl.

God, shooting ghosts was so fun in this game! I'm happy it's come to the Switch. It can be played on the go now!

Man, some of those ghosts are ugly little spuds, aren't they?

As I said earlier, it was great hearing the original Ghostbuster team one last time.

Oh, this was awesome! I loved this game on the Xbox 360, and I am so happy that it's come to the Nintendo Switch! I can play it on the go! Yahoo! If you're a fan of Ghostbusters, get this game! It is so much fun!

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! Se you next time!

Adventures of Superman #545 (April 1997)

The 1990s are often the butt of jokes from comic book fans. I understand why, personally. There was a lot of rough stuff in comics at time. *cough*Liefeld*cough* Not to mention the comic book industry nearly collapsed. But there were some hidden gems during that time. One of them was Superman's titles.

At the time, the Man of Steel had multiple books, and if you've read this blog, you may know I'm a bit of a fan of this era of his books. Every ten months, the creatives of these titles would hold a "Super-Summit" to discuss and plan out new adventures for the Metropolis Marvel.

Colorist Glenn Whitmore was a fan of Superman #162 (July 1963), which contained the classic Silver Age tale "The Amazing Story of Superman-Red and Superman-Blue!". In these Super-Summits, he would always pitch to the Superman team the idea of doing a modernized take on that tale. But it would always get laughed off. There was talk of giving Superman a new costume after The Death of Superman, but it ended up not amounting to much. Just the temporary black "recovery" costume Supeman wore during that storyline. It was felt that his classic suit should be kept to firmly establish he was back.

The idea to change up Superman's powers came from Karl Kesel. He felt that it would make some interesting new challenges and stories for the Man of Steel. Superman's powers have been raised and lowered over the years, but never outright changed. Giving him new powers would also have been a great excuse to give him a new outfit. All the Superman artists at the time took cracks at Supes' new look, but it was Ron Frenz's design that would win out, as it was felt his design best reflected Superman's new energy-based power set.

At the time, the storylines these "Super-Summits" would conceive would last about six to ten weeks. This new status quo would last quite a bit longer than that, as the creatives wanted to maximize the potential of Superman dealing with these brand-spanking new powers. Glenn Whitmore would get his wish the next year as Superman's transformation into an energy being would later cause him to split into a pair of Supermen, but that's another tale.

And with that out of the way, let's take a look at Adventures of Superman #545!

The cover is pretty neat. It's a Stuart Immonen piece. You got Superman having an electrical headache "THIS BIG", heh heh. It's not something you expect to see on a Superman cover. I also like the narration on the cover. It's like the narrator is thinking as they narrate: "...new powers?! Wait, what?!" It just amuses me.

"Power Crisis!"
Writer: Karl Kesel
Penciler: Scot Eaton
Inker: Jose Marzan, Jr.
Colorist: Glenn Whitmore
Letterer: Albert Deguzman
Editors: Joey Cavalieri, Mike McAvennie

The story begins with Superman making a call to his then-friend Emil Hamilton.

The Man of Steel's powers have been going a bit wonky lately, and he understandably wants to get checked out. He hopes his new wife Lois can hold the fort without him for a bit. She isn't worried, though. She's holding a dinner party, nothing she can't handle. She's invited Perry White and another man named Dirk Armstrong to attend. But before Supes goes, she wants some makeout action. It's stopped by some static electricity.

"I really oughta stop staring at the St. Elmo's Fire..."

Superman's powers are going wonky again... The Metropolis Marvel suddenly feels light-headed and falls...right through the wall of his and Lois's apartment. He tries to fly back, but he can't. His flight power's been shut off! He slams into the ground, crackling with electrical power.

"That didn't hurt!"

His body is crackling with electricity. Superman finds it's affecting his vision powers, causing him to see various wavelengths he couldn't before. A man named Dirk Armstrong emerges from a taxi and sees Superman in the state he's in. This guy was the last person Superman needed around right now. You see, Armstrong's been writing some anti-Superman columns recently, and the Man of Steel's power problems would make great fuel for them. Superman tries to get it under control, but ends up making a car explode. And then a bus come towards him.

"Oh Rao hates me..."

I bet this was what Superman was thinking right now.

Luckily for him (and the bus's passengers), Superman becomes immaterial and falls through the sidewalk. He somehow ends up wrecking an underground power line, causing a blackout. Lois Lane runs outside, and finds that Perry White has arrived. She's apologetic about this, but Perry's not bothered. He's not afraid of the dark. After all, he's busy dealing with cancer at the moment. Dirk Armstrong tells them that his contact at Metropolis's power company has lost a big chunk of the city.

Unfortunately, the blackout has also hit Stryker's Island...a metahuman prison. They had a back-up generator, but it's been down since the escape of a supervillain named Barrage. As a result, another supervillain is taking the opportunity to do a bit of breaking out.

"Heeeeeeeere's Skully!"

Say hello to Joseph Martin, the Atomic Skull. A bit delusional, he thinks he's the main superhero of an old serial and Superman is his serial arch-nemesis Dr. Electron. He sees the darkened city, and believes Superman is behind it. Meanwhile, in the sewers, Superman is trying to make himself solid. He recalls some mental training he got from some monks in a temple located in the fictional country of Bhutran. Using it, he's able to grab a ladder under a manhole. Elsewhere, a meeting is going down.

"Now, if ya wanna join the gang, you gotta wear 30s and 40s clothes, see..."

Boss Moxie, the Godfather of Metropolis, is looking to gather all the organized criminal gangs of the city under one organization. You see, a lot of those gangs' heads have caught a bad case of The Death recently, and Moxie figures that joining together can cure that issue. He's throwing his pitch to two of these leaders: Raoul and Polo. Raoul is rather intrigued. After all, Boss Maxie Mannheim is a legendary gangster. What criminal would not want to work for this guy? But Polo is unsure. You see, Polo thinks that Moxie himself is the reason why many of these gang leaders have been catching The Death. As such, he decides to give Moxie a case of it himself.

However, Moxie was vaccinated against The Death. This is why you vaccinate your kids, people. The Death is not good. It's revealed that he has extra bodies, and he's not alone. He brought a nice lady dressed in red 40s clothing with pyrokinetic powers named Torcher. Moxie tells them that under him, they would have been big-time gangsters, but chose otherwise.

Raoul exclaims that he's all in with Moxie, but it's not up to the crime boss. He introduces Raoul to Dabney Donovan. Donovan was a mad scientist, specializing in cloning and genetics. He used to work for Uncle Sam before they discovered his tendency to...be creative. Donovan asks Raoul if he likes cats, as Raoul's name makes him think of a jungle cat's roar. Raoul tries to explain that he is allergic to cats, but ends up getting some blood drawn. Donovan has all he needs from the crime boss, so Moxie and Torcher can dispose of him now. Which is done.

"I'm giving you a hand! Get it?!"

Meet Mike "The Machine" Gunn. Like Moxie and Torcher, he's also a superpowered gangster. He can turn his hands into guns. Reminds me of this Marvel character called Bushwacker. He can turn his hands into guns, too. I wonder if Mr. Gunn needs to eat ammo to load his "handguns" like Mr. Carl Burbank does.

The dying Raoul is furious, as he thinks Moxie lied. Moxie's like, "Nah, I was telling the truth. You will work for me. Well, your clone at least." He leaves while Torcher and Machine Gunn have their fun. Heh, I'm a poet and I didn't know it. In case what you're wondering what this was all about, well...Moxie, Torcher, and Machine Gunn were gangsters from the 1940s who got cloned into younger superpowered bodies by Dabney Donovan. I love comics.

Back with Lois Lane! She's found by the Atomic Skull, who thinks she's his main squeeze Zelda Wentworth. Remember, the Atomic Skull thinks he's the hero of an old serial. Zelda Wentworth was a character in the serial, the fictional Skull's girlfriend. Dirk Armstrong tries to point out to the Skull that he's out of his mind, but Perry White tells him to shut up, or this could happen.

Yeah. Atomic Kablooie. Atomic Skull is confused by Lois Lane's wedding ring. Lois tries to spin a story that Dr. Electron tricked her. Superman emerges from the manhole, his body crackling with electrical power. Still trapped in his delusions, Atomic Skull prepares to vaporize Lois. Understandably, Superman is furious. Dirk is able to save Lois Lane. Something happens with Superman, and he's sent flying into a bridge. I'm not too sure.

Atomic Skull marches menacingly towards Dirk and Lois, but Perry White tires to distract him by playing into his delusions. White pretends to be a new villain, drawing upon his struggle with his cancer. Before he can he harmed, Superman returns, his body glowing blue with power, like the embodiment of a thunderbolt thrown by an enraged Zeus.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT JUST FLOATED PAST ME?!"

Atomic Skull engages the Man of Energy, their powers causing an explosion. Dirk, Lois, and Perry are okay. Perry was in an alley, and Lois and Dirk were behind a parked car. So much for it being a quiet dinner party, huh? The story ends with the Atomic Skull standing triumphantly, Superman seemingly vaporized.

I have said in the past that in my opinion, the late-80s and 90s were pretty good times for the Man of Steel comic-wise. And this was a good comic. I like the Atomic Skull. What I like about him is that he's mentally trapped in this idea that he's a superhero. There's a tragic element to it, as he's completely unaware that he's being the bad guy.

I also really liked seeing Superman deal with his powers changing. I know there are some that think that Superman is boring because he's very powerful. I disagree. Stuff like this shows that Superman can be interesting. This is a challenge for him. I can imagine he had grown comfortable with his powers at this point. But now, he's suddenly evolving into an energy being. He has to deal with his old powers fading and new ones coming in. He has to adapt. That's interesting stuff. Yeah, he eventually would get his old powers back, but the ride will be an enjoyable one.

I also liked the art. It's better to look at than many comics of the era, even though a bit of the battle against Superman and Atomic Skull was hard to follow.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback Superman: Blue Vol. 1. It contains an afterword by Dan Jurgens that I used as a source for the introduction I used for this review. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time, when we look at the first issue of a late 1980s series starring a certain Masked Marvel...