Friday, October 31, 2025

Re-Review #22: The Last of Us Part II

The Last of Us Part II
PlayStation 4

For my original review of the game, click


Earlier in the year, I replayed the original Last of Us game to get myself in the mood to watch the second season of the TV show. That was back in April, about six months ago. I didn't really have any intention to play through the sequel again, but what can I say? I randomly got the itch. There's no rhyme or reason to the way I do things here. I was smack dab in the middle of playing two other games (Doom 3 and Far Cry 5) when I saw this on PS Plus. The thought suddenly popped in my head: I'm going to play that next. So I did.

I forgot about those other games really quick when I started playing this. Immediately, I was 100% invested in the game. Last time I played this, I came into it relatively blind. I knew Joel died, but that was about it. The whole Abby storyline and how you play as her for half the game was not something I was expecting. I liked the game, though, giving it an A score. 

My criticisms of the game were its pacing, repetitive battles, and its tendency to drag its feet from time to time. Honestly, I didn't have many complaints this time around either. In fact, I think I liked it more this time around than I did the first time. The only area that I ever felt like "geez this game is dragging" is when you are playing as Ellie and you are wandering through large portions of the city by yourself (shortly before the aquarium section). You can only handle walking through moldly dark buildings and looking in drawers for supplies for so long.




But that is a minor gripe. Like I said, I liked this more this time than I did the first time I played this. By a lot. I was heavily invested the entire time I was playing. I was rarely bored. I was always pushing forward. I don't know if I've been this "into" a game for years, it seems. I could not put this down. I pushed aside the other games I was playing. I pushed aside the TV shows I was watching. From the second I picked this game up to the second I put it down, my life was The Last of Us Part II.

I think I really short-sold the game in my last review. I freaking loved it this time around. In fact, I liked it more than the original game. Yeah, you heard that right. So I'm actually going to change my review score for this re-review. I'm upping it from an A to an A+. Yeah, the canon review score for my original review stays the same, but I want everyone to know that this game gets better on a second playthrough. If you played this when it first came out, and haven't come back to it yet - you should. I'm curious to see how many people like it more the second time around.


THE GRADE:
A+


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Tuesday, October 28, 2025

VHS Tape #24: Too Many Reality Shows

                                                       


I thought I lost this tape for the longest time. That would have thrown a monkey wrench into my entire VHS numbering system. But I didn't, so I can breathe a sigh of relief. Here are the contents of this tape:


(00:00:00)

COPS
 - Cops find meth lab in a camping site. There is a blowtorch running unattended in one of the tents when the cops show up. A police dog finds a man hiding in the woods and he is arrested.
 - Cops spot a truck on the side of the road, and inside the truck one lesbian has another in a chokehold. The choker is arrested.
 - Cops talk to a bloody faced Hispanic guy after he was beaten by 2 men

Hell's Kitchen season 1. This is the very first dinner service, which to be expected is terrible. The chef mocks some blonde bimbos who come up to the window to complain. He also calls Dewberry either an overgrown muffin or Muppet. I can't tell which. The Red Team loses and Elsie goes back on her word and nominates Dewberry after saying she wouldn't. But he stays and the useless redhead chick goes home.

Hell's Kitchen season 1. This is the second episode. Dewberry forgives Elsie, and proceeds to shine in a squid cleaning reward challenge. Jeff is sick and it shows during dinner service. The service sucks all around and Dewberry storms out and threatens to leave. He comes back but the Red Team still loses. Angry customers order pizza and get in Jean Philippe's face when their food doesn't show up. Dewberry and Jeff are nominated, and Dewberry goes home. Dewberry was my favorite. So sad. :(

(1:18:20) 

Carrie Underwood sings Inside Your Heaven on Ellen

Commercial for the American Idol tour at the Bradley Center. I almost bought tickets to this but then I didn't. Good thing because Bo didn't come on the tour with illness.

Angelina Jolie's eccentricities discussed on Access Hollywood

Elimidate. Young women are tricked into thinking they are on a date with an old man, but it's really his son they are being setup with.

Insider clip about a woman who was mauled by her own horse. She is badly scarred and undergoes surgery.

Hell's Kitchen. This is just a short clip from the third episode. Contestants talk about missing Dewberry, and that's it. I lost interest after Dewberry left.

(1:32:00)

Saturday Night Live. Christopher Walken hosts
 - Has a monologue where he sings a song
 - Classic clip with Blue Oyster Cult and the song needing more cowbell
 - Christopher Walken plays a sleazy guy who tries to seduce the woman behind the camera
 - Mango hit on by a janitor backstage
 
Surreal Life. This is the season with Janice Dickinson and Omarosa. The houseguests bowl against mentally handicapped people and lose. Omarosa is surprisingly good with them, but Janice says offensive things.

(2:08:37)

Celebrity Fit Club 2. Busey!
 - The two teams come up with their names
 - Contestants go to a gym and compete in a boxing challenge
 - Gary fights with his team over a prayer after they win
 - Contestants weigh in
 - Jani doesn't lose any weight
 - Gary's team loses more weight

Punk'd
 - Simon Cowell punked into thinking his Rolls Royce is stolen
 - Allen Iverson not allowed into his own birthday party at a club, while other people are being let in
 - Jermaine O'Neal not allowed into the same party

(2:53:26)

COPS
 - Lady is pulled over on a traffic stop, and it is discovered that she has 13 warrants. She is arrested, despite her crying and pleading to be let go.
 - Cops pull over a speeding car and they throw marijuana out the window. When the car is searched, more marijuana is found hidden in a Bible.
 
Family Matters. Urkel angers Carl by causing accidents while fixing the roof. They face off on American Gladiators to resolve their issues. It finishes in a tie, and Carl and Urkel apologize to each other.

(3:29:08)

Mad TV
 - Jerry Springer monologue where he unveils a dirty secret to a cast member
 - "Clops". It is a claymation spoof of the show COPS. Paddington Bear flashes and is arrested. Rock Em Sock Em Robots arrested for fighting. Pillsbury Dough Boy goes postal and is shot and thrown into an oven.
 - Skit where Miss Swan and Antonia appear on Gimme a Clue game show and perform horribly. This angers their partners in a hilarious fashion. Mark Hamill plays the host of the game show.
 - Annoying blonde lady stands at the pearly gates to heaven in place of St Peter and lets people in. It's then revealed that she's really letting people into hell. Jerry Springer comes out and gives his final thought on the situation, and she tells him off
 - Jerry Springer on Lowered Expectations
 - Andy Griffith '98. Andy abuses his power to rig a pickle contest for Aunt Bea. He even cuts off someone's ear, ala Reservoir Dogs.
 - Jerry Springer show spoof where he gets pissed that no one is fighting on the show, and he shoots an old woman to get people brawling. While giving his final thought, a lady hits him with a baseball bat and he gets dragged into the brawl.

Blind Date clip where a very bizarre man named Micah dances

COPS
 - SWAT team raids a crack house
 - Cops attend a funeral for an officer who was killed in the line of duty
 - Clip montage in the day in the life of a tall white policer officer. This is where someone tries to run from him and he yells "Stop or I'll shoot you in the back!" I think I have this part on a different tape too.

(3:59:28)

Celebrity Fit Club 2
 - Contestants voice concerns about the struggles of Jani after he doesn't show up for the weigh in
 - This week's challenge is a rickshaw race. It's kind of boring, except for the cool anime style caricatures that they show for each contestant. Gary's team wins an advanced fitness bike.
 - Contestants weigh in
 - Players do water exercises
 - Toccara bitched at for taking diet pills

Clip from Rockstar INXS with Marty Casey singing Lithium by Nirvana

(4:37:48)

Kill Reality. This is a show on VH1 about a bunch of reality stars filming a cheesy horror movie named The Scorned. Rob Cesternino and Josh Souza are producers. Actors include Johnny Fairplay, Jenna Lewis, Ethan Zohn, Jenna Morasca, Toni Ferrari, and Reichen.
 - The movie is cast and everyone reads the script
 - Reichen complains about gay slurs in the movie
 - Toni is annoying and complains about her role
 - Actors move into the house where they are all going to stay for the filming and pick their rooms
 - Random clips from around the house
 - Tonya annoys people and threatens to jump out a window

MXC. Finance vs Liquor
 - Rotating Surfboard of Death
 - Eat Shitake
 - Pole Riders. Judra Babaganoosh is in this segment
 - Log Drop
 
(5:33:39)

AFV (Tom Bergeron)
 - Man falls off a rope while swinging
 - Woman drives away from from gas station with nozzle stuck in car
 - Water dropped on teachers while they are posing for a group photo
 - Boy playing violin on roller skates
 - Streaker runs out onto football field in high school game
 - Guy freaks out and has a hissy fit while watching a football game

AFV (Bob Saget)
 - Man drops kid in water while running with him on the beach
 - Fat guy climbs out of swimming pool and rolls into a different pool
 - Canoe gets stuck on rocks in rapids and it dumps someone out
 - Other funny water clips
 - Ceiling collapses in middle of play
 - Music montage of people spinning in circles and making themselves dizzy
 - Clown and kid pull off woman's bra
 
AFV (Tom)
 - Little kid falls while pushing shopping cart
 - Duck and chicks slide down a ramp
 - Guy wipes out while trying to ride a bike up a ramp
 - Funny motorcycling clip montage

AFV (Bob)
 - People pushing giant inflatable balls collide and bounce away
 - Asian breaks baseball bat while practice swinging indoors
 - Guy tries to do backflip and lands on head
 - Kid tries to kick ball but misses and falls on it instead
 - Stupid astronaut training camp home made video
 - 4 dogs chase 1 stick and bring it back together
 - Kid gets liquid poured down pants
 - Man tries to water ski off dock and faceplants instead
 
AFV (Tom)
 - Monkey touches woman's boobs
 - Baby picks up cat and drags it around house
 - Woman picks up frog and it pees on her
 - Man meditates with cat sitting next to him in a meditating pose
 - Alligator almost bites stupid woman who is poking at it
 - Fat shirtless guy runs out on basketball court
 - Painter falls off ladder
 - Cop plays dead at morgue and scares another cop
 - Young boy does armpit farts to classical music
 - Man with swollen cheeks and lips
 - Brides on fire vs Trees crushing cars

AFV (Bob)
 - Beer keg pops and hits man in face
 - Guy tries to leap turnstyle at subway and hits crotch
 - Observer nailed in face by arm wrestlers
 - Man hit in face by hood of car popping open
 - Anchor dragged along the ground in tug of war
 - Muscular guy on beach backflips into camera
 
AFV (Tom)
 - Woman gives foot massage with surgical mask on and flips out when she realizes she is being filmed
 - Old lady loses falsie in swimming pool
 - Old man falls over chair after dancing
 - Guy hit in crotch on backswing by bowling ball
 - Man pushed face first into mud while gardening
 
AFV (Bob)
 - Guy sings and plays instruments at a graduation

AFV (Tom)
 - Cuckoo clock won't stop dinging
 


END OF TAPE


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Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Video Game Review #593: Video Pinball

Video Pinball
Atari 2600


Nostalgia Factor:

My journey to review every game I've ever played takes me back to my childhood in the 1980s. My dad had an Atari 2600 in his basement. While I enjoyed the system and I can credit it to some of my first ever video gaming memories, I can't say that I was ever crazy about the system. Most games I would only pick up and play for a few minutes. I'd quickly get bored with the game and then move onto the next one. Video Pinball is the perfect example of one of these games. I'd put the game in. It would load up the pinball screen. I'd say "hey this is pretty cool." And then five minutes later, I'd be turning it off because there wasn't much to see or do in the game. Plus, I was never very good at it to begin with.

It's been a good 30 to 35 years since I've last played this game. Firing it up was quite a trip. Immediately, all the memories of the game that I had forgotten even existed came rushing back. Unfortunately, not all these memories were good ones. Let's see how the video game from 1981 holds up in 2025.




Gameplay:

I'm completely skipping over the usual "story" portion of my review, because this game has no story. You turn the game on, and you are immediately thrust into the pinball action.

It took me a second before I could figure out what I was supposed to do. I think there are different modes you can put the game in, to make it easier or more difficult. I couldn't figure it out, though. I will say that I was emulating the game, so I had no idea which buttons on the controller were supposed to do what. With each press of the button, the colors on the screen would keep changing, as would the numbers. But then when I would start playing everything would go back to normal.

You launch the ball into the field of play from the right side of the screen. The ball bounces around at random. Occasionally it will venture near your flippers, which you can use to knock the ball to the top of the screen and try to get the bonus items up there. Your goal is to keep the ball from dropping between the flippers and out of the field of play. If you've played pinball before, this should be a very familiar concept to you.

Where I struggled was with the actual mechanics of the game. 95% of the action was watching the ball bounce around. It rarely ever ventures by the flippers, and when it does, you have little control over where you are launching it. I played this game for about five to ten minutes and my initial reaction was: this sucks! I didn't remember the game being this unplayable from when I was a kid. I was ready to pack it up and give the game an F review score.

I turned the game off. I googled some reviews of the game online to see what other people were saying about it. I expected the game to get slammed, but most of the reviews I saw were positive. And I learned something, too. Apparently, when you are playing, you can "tilt" the table, which gives you more control of the where the ball goes. Many reviews were talking about the high scores they were able to rack up using this tactic. I decided to come back to the game and give it one more shot.

I'll admit, using the tilt features does make the game more fun. It gives you a better chance to collect all the items at the top of the screen. But mainly it makes it feel like you are actually playing the game instead of being a standby observer. I probably played the game for about twenty more minutes, exploring this new mechanic.

While I can say that it made the game more fun and saved it from a likely F score, I still didn't really get much out of the game. I wouldn't be surprised if I never returned to it again.




Graphics/Sound:

There really is not much to say here. This is an incredibly basic and primitive looking game. I can't say it doesn't have its charms. But yeah, I can easily see people taking a glance at this and saying "nope" and then not even giving it a try.

The sound is very basic, too. There is no music as you play. You only hear the same grating sound effects over and over again. It's rough. But like I said, it has its charms. Maybe only to people who grew up playing this when they were kids, but it has its charms.




Overall:

I'm glad I came back and played this game, if only for closure's sake. I'm also glad that I turned it off, waited a little bit, and then came back and gave it another chance instead of immediately writing it off as an F title. That said, this still isn't a great game.

I'm going to give it a passing grade, but just barely. I need to appreciate the impact that both the Atari 2600 and this game had when it first came out. I'm sure people were mesmerized by this. But let's be real. If this game came out today, people would laugh at it. I won't say it's bad, but it is not a particularly good game.

So while I can say that I'm glad I came back and played this, for the sake of 5-year old Danny back in 1987, I have to say that the game does nothing for me now. I suppose a testament in its favor is how it gets a better score than the last game I reviewed, My Friend Peppa Pig for the PS4. So old games like this can be better than new games. Sometimes.



THE GRADE:
D


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Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Video Game Review #592: My Friend Peppa Pig

My Friend Peppa Pig
PlayStation 4


Before playing:

The fruitless quest to get my 5 year old into video gaming continues. Did he care about this game whatsoever? No. He didn't really care about Bluey, either. Try as I might, I just can't seem to get him to show any interest in video games. He paid attention to this game for about five minutes, and then he got bored and started doing other things. This left me having to play through essentially the entire game by myself. Oh joy.

This is not a game I would have chosen to play through if I didn't have a child. Peppa Pig isn't really my thing. But since I had started playing it, I had no choice but to finish it. You know, for review purposes. And the easy platinum. At least there is an easy platinum.

But is the game any good? 

*sigh*




Story:

I'll admit, I've never seen Peppa Pig before. My wife has watched it with my son, but I've never been in the room when this show is on. I don't think my kid likes it as much as Bluey (which is what this reminds me of). That's probably why he didn't care much to watch me play this.

You don't control Peppa, you control a brand new character that you help create using a character creation screen. My character kind of looked like Mister Peanut. The basic plot is that your character has moved into town and has made friends with Peppa Pig. You follow Peppa around town and interact with the characters, completing tasks that are specific to the areas of the game.

This is very much a story driven game. It's all about visiting areas and interacting with characters that I can only presume are familiar to anyone who watches the show. You visit the grandparents on the farm, you fly a hot air balloon, there is camping with your classmates, you go to the museum, etc. There is no real plot, here. It basically is just a "day in the life" kind of story, like you'd see on an episode.

At the end of the game, your character has to go back home, and everyone is sad.




Gameplay:

I feel like I'm not going to have much to say, here. The game is extremely basic. It is barely even a game. I played Bluey a few weeks ago, and I thought it was very simplistic and child-oriented. This is even worse. It is clear that this is a video game for beginners. There are not even any minigames or anything. It is just walking around and talking to people and interacting your way through the game's scenarios by hitting the x button. 

The most interactive thing you can do is pick something up. Like, there is a part where a teddy bear gets lost and you have to pick it up and bring it back to the little one. And there's another area where you pick up trash on the ground and put it in a garbage can. There is literally nothing more complex you do in this game. That's it.

You can't fail at anything, there are no stakes, no timed segments, nothing. There is no challenge whatsoever. Like I said, this is a game for beginners. All you do is walk and talk and unlock cutscenes that advance the story. Occasionally you may pick something up and give it to someone. To make it even more boring, if you leave an area and come back, you often have to sit through the same cutscene over again, as there is no option to skip them.

I will say that the game does a bang up job of making it feel like you are in an episode of the cartoon. I won't deny it that. But as a game it fails miserably. If there is any challenge, it is in remembering which areas you haven't been to yet. There was one point where I thought I'd explored everything (which would unlock the ending) but there was one area I had missed. Once I went to that area, it was smooth sailing from there.




Graphics/Sound:

I don't usually do this, but I am lumping sound and graphics together because they go hand in hand for this game. Basically: this is an episode of the show. The presentation is great. It all looks and sounds marvelous - like an episode of the show come to life. I'd even say it is completely indistinguishable from the show.

The look and feel of the game is clearly the best thing about it. What else can I say aside from that?




Overall:

Unless you have a kid that is six years old or younger, stay away from this game. This is for small children. This is not something that an average gamer picks up for fun. Unless you are a rabid Peppa Pig fan, you are not going to get anything out of this. It's terrible. As I said earlier in my review, it is barely even a game at all.

As an "interactive Peppa Pig experience" I can cut it some slack. I am sure I would have loved to play something like this when I was a kid. And I'm sure there are a ton of parents out there that were able to play this with their kid and have a great time. Sounds lovely. I wish my kid wanted to play this.

As a video game, I can't give it a good grade. It's just not a good game. I do appreciate the look and feel of the game, and I appreciate how cool it probably is for little kids. It's like an interactive episode of the show. But as a video game experience, it is bad. I didn't have any fun playing this. I'm not going to give it a failing grade, though, simply because I do realize I am not the target audience for this.. 

But yeah. If you are a serious gamer like me, there is no reason for you to play this.


THE GRADE:
D-


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Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Video Game Review #591: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
PlayStation


Nostalgia Factor:

This game was a big deal for me when I was a kid. I was a big fan of the original Star Wars trilogy, but then The Phantom Menace came out in theaters and I did not like it. I had been so excited for it, too. In retrospect, I like the movie now, but back then it was a massive disappointment. I still decided to check out the game, though. 

I remember renting it from Blockbuster and firing it up. I was surprised at how closely it followed the events of the movie. And I remember being impressed by the graphics and the interactivity of the game's environment. Just being able to walk through this world and interact with its characters was a big deal for me. Remember - I had been a Genesis kid growing up, so my exposure to Star Wars games had been fairly limited. The whole Star Wars-ness of it all completely enveloped me.

I played the game nonstop for a whole weekend. I don't think I even came close to beating it. But then I went ahead and bought a used copy of the game a few months later. I still have my copy of it, as a matter of fact. And from that point on: it was game over. I obsessed over this game. I stayed up and played it all night long. I remember getting stuck on various occasions, and spending hours finding a way to power through it. I didn't have the internet back then to turn to for help. If I wanted to make it through the game, it had to be of my own accord.

This game was my life for a few weeks, maybe even a few months. It comes with a Duel of the Fates music video that shows clips from the movie and some behind the scenes action while the music plays. I played that video about a hundred times. The funny thing is, I ended up liking the game more than the movie. I played this and I played this. It took me a while, but I finally ended up beating it. I probably came back and beat it a few more times after that. I often remember things based on the sporting events that were taking place at the time. I remember fighting through some of the early Theed stages and flipping back and forth between a football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Green Bay Packers. I looked on Wikipedia and this game took place on September 10th of the year 2000. This game came out a year and half earlier. So the fact that I was still playing it after all that time says a lot. I really loved this game.

That said, once I stopped playing the game, I REALLY stopped playing the game. Let's say my last playthrough was 2001. That means 24 years have passed since I last played through this. And that's why I'm here. I have decided to come back and see if the game is as good as I remember it to be. Let's find out!




Story:

Like I said before, this game follows the plot of the film very closely. It's a popular film. I'm not going to recap it all here. What I do want to say is that the game actually gives you a more expansive version of events than what is seen in the movie. Oftentimes, movie based games are ridiculous, and what happens in them doesn't make sense given the context of the movie. Look at the Super Star Wars games for example. That game has you driving around on a speeder shooting Jawas. When did that happen in A New Hope? But everything makes sense here. You play through the events of the film. You make choices. You talk to NPCs. There are even little unofficial side quests that add depth to things. Like when you are in Theed and you encounter a boy who has been separated from his mother. If you clear out the enemy droids, you can send him to her and you get a health reward. If you don't clear out the droids and you send him out, he will probably die - and then you get nothing. Or you can just completely ignore him. This game is filled with all kinds of small scenarios like that.

There are also a lot of RPG elements involved - like talking to people and making trades. Tatooine is very fleshed out with all the NPCs you can talk to and all the places you can explore. Everything happens so quickly in the movie, but in the game, you can see it unfold more slowly, and in greater detail. It really gives a lot of depth to the world of the movie. 




Gameplay:

The game starts out as a behind-the-back action game. It's a fully 3D environment. You walk around with your lightsaber, fighting battle droids, picking up items, and navigating your way through the first stage. The first several stages are action oriented. But then you get to Otoh Gunga - Jar Jar's hometown that is located at the bottom of Naboo's ocean. The game takes a turn away from the action and instead becomes more focused on talking to people and using RPG elements to make it through the stage. 

The rest of the game blends the two genres. Theed, for example, has you going back and forth between combat and talking to people. Mos Espa takes the focus away from combat and back to the RPG elements again. I remember being really blown away by this area as a kid. You can explore the whole massive city, talking to people and picking up clues what to do next. There are a ton of objectives, like finding Anakin and Jar Jar when they go missing, and finding items to barter with for your needed ship parts. Action sequences are mixed in, like when you are attacked by muggers, which happens frequently. You also encounter hostile aliens that you have to fight for the needed items. One thing I remember as a kid is fighting this big, caged creature, and how difficult it was. I struggled here as an adult, too.

This game can be very difficult. You are going to die a lot playing through this. Luckily, you have the ability to save anywhere you want. I used and abused those save states every time I would clear a difficult area. I don't feel guilty about it either, because it is an included part of the game. You have to start at the beginning of a stage if you die and you haven't saved. And these stages are LONG.

The game shifts more towards action at the end. Lightsaber battles, some shooting levels that almost reminded me of the game "Loaded." One level that I surprisingly enjoyed is one that was mainly created for the game, when you have to control Captain Panaka and guide Amidala to safety on Corsucant. This level is a perfect blend of action and RPG elements. It really brings the world of Star Wars to life in a way that is rarely seen in games outside of the Knights of the Old Republic series. 

One thing I did not like was the lightsaber combat. It often seems like there is no strategy involved aside from button mashing and jumping around. There is no blocking or parrying. Sometimes battles devolve into pressing the attack button over and over again while soaking up damage in return. It just seems really sloppy. There is no lock-on mechanism either. I think the game really would have benefited from this. I like how you can deflect shots back at enemies, though. That is pretty cool.

One last gripe is the lack of any kind of level map whatsoever. It is very easy to get lost in some of these massive levels, particularly on Tatooine. It is tough enough trying to figure out what you are supposed to do next. The lack of a map makes it even more difficult, especially when you know where it is you need to go, but you can't remember how to get there.




Graphics:

This is one of those games that looks good to people who grew up playing it, and at the same time looks terrible to younger gamers. Personally, I think the game looks really good. Sure it can be a little messy and jagged looking at times, but it really does a great job at capturing the look and feel of The Phantom Menace. I could almost make the argument it creates a better world than the movie it is based on, but I won't go that far.

The environment is what really sells everything. The space ship interiors are very faithful to what we've seen in the movies. The Tatooine stages are massive and bustling and filled with detail. I love the Coruscant, Otoh Gunga, and Naboo stages. You get to see so much more than you do in the movie, and I just really love that. Sure it may not technically be the most beautiful game ever, but it doesn't need to be. In my eyes, the game looks great. 




Sound:

It's hard to mess up the sound on a Star Wars game. The music and sound effects are already in place - taken right from the movies. Blasters, lightsabers, everything sounds as good as ever. The only thing done differently here is the voice acting. A few actors from the movie return, but for the most part these are new actors. The results can be a little divisive. For the most part, the voices are fine. Qui-Gon has an interesting accent that pops up from time to time that is not in the movies. I like when he says he is looking for a T14 hyperdrive generator. It got to the point where I started reciting the line (accent and all) every time he would say it. There is awkward line delivery to be found in droves, especially in the stages that have RPG elements. A favorite quote of mine:

"Better stand back, mister, 'cause I'm about to slash...all my prices!"

I wish I had written some of these down. Whether intentional or not, the voice acting in this game is comic gold.




Overall:

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this game. I had a super fun time playing through it. It's engaging, it's challenging, and it does just enough to keep you coming back for more. While I did have to look to the internet for help from time to time, I mostly tried to figure things out myself. It is so satisfying to navigate through an especially challenging or frustrating part when you figure it on your own, without looking for help. And that's how I feel about the whole game: it is satisfying.

It could have done a lot of things better, like a lock-on system, an in-game map, better combat mechanics, etc. It is also interesting how there are literally no sections in the game where you pilot a vehicle of any kind. No podracing, no space combat, nothing. It all takes place on foot. But even without these things, I still had a really great time with the game. From the second I picked it back up again, I could not stop playing it until I had beaten it.

If you are like me and you have fond memories of this game, do not hesitate to pick it back up again. It should pleasantly surprise you. If you are a younger gamer and you want to see a movie tie-in done right, look no further. The game does have a learning curve and some annoying warts, but once you get into the swing of things you should find that it is a very rewarding experience. I'm 100% willing to admit that nostalgia may be doing a lot of talking here. But I don't care. I think this is one heck of an underrated game.


THE GRADE:
A-


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Thursday, October 2, 2025

VHS Tape #23: Hoooo-what??



(00:00:00)

Bo Bice tribute: All of his live performances one after another, in order. Well, they are not completely in order, but whatever.

(42:13)

COPS
 - Police pull over a stolen car that is full of folks who have crack on them

Really short clip of a bunch of dudes playing accordions on MPTV

COPS
 - Cops come to investigate a hotel's complaint about a disorderly guy staying there. He is drunk and hits a wall with his car and knocks some brick looses from the wall. He struggles to put the bricks back in proper order. He eventually leaves in a cab.
 - Crazy driver almost hits a cop. They pull her over and she is insane! She has blonde hair, has on a winter hat, and has dark eye makeup that makes her look like a raccoon. She screams at the cops and goes off the deep end. She is really insane. Classic COPS clip!
 - Crazy drunk white lady outside a hotel causes a disturbance and is questioned by the police. She says her stuff was stolen. She is really drunk and the cops put her into the squad car. She says she is a vampire. A very polite vampire.
 - Drunk lady who is half naked is shown being taken into the police station after going into a public water fountain
 - Police investigate a suspicious character hanging out outside an empty building. It's a toothless older man dressed as a woman who is spinning a yo-yo. The police let him go because he isn't doing anything wrong
 - Black guy runs from the cops in a beat up car but is eventually caught and arrested.
 - A man is arrested in a bar and his crazy white trash wife attacks a nerdy female cop who is taking him away.
 - Hispanic guy tries to run from the police, but bails vehicle and is arrested
 - Black guy drives a car that has expired registration and is pulled over. He doesn't have a license and acts all squirrelly and guilty about something. He unexpectedly tries to run and so does his passenger but they don't get very far before they are taken down.

Oprah Winfrey show. Oprah gets her ears pierced on national TV and freaks out. Channel flips afterward to Max X.

Max X
 - Huge hockey brawl
 - Brawl at minor league baseball game after a beaning
 - Fight in the stands at a high school basketball game
 - Race car drivers get into an accident and a big brawl ensues
 - Football fight that gets interrupted by channel surfing
 - Band fights with people in the audience and guy gets hit by an electric guitar that was plugged in. It makes a funny sound.
 - Amateur boxing men and women beat the crap out of each other on the beach
 - Protestors riot against shielded cops
 - Politician family in some third world country comes to a radio station to pick a fight with people who are bashing them on the air. Some major headbutting action goes down here.
 - Undercover stings where cops take down mafia guys
 - Bjork attacks a reporter
 - Old lady attacks a would be robber. She hits him in the face with hot water and smashed the mug on his head. A customer comes in and he runs away without getting anything.
 - Bus driver who killed people in an accident is attacked by angry students
 - Drunk partying chicks fight
 - More hockey fighting
 - Band member attacks heckler with a guitar and knocks his teeth out
 - Australian prisoners attack the guards

(1:41:11)

Special on History Channel called Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way. This is actually quite interesting. It goes into the history of weed and amphetamines and how they used to be legal but now are not.

(2:20:32)

COPS
 - 3 black people in a suspicious vehicle are pulled over. Inside the car the cops find a shit ton of stolen VHS tapes. In the trunk is a big shopping bag lined with aluminum that is used to fool metal detectors.

Bo Bice interviewed on Access Hollywood. He gets secretly married but then denies it.

Regis and Kelly. Bo Bice interviewed. He talks about his real name being Harold and how he got the nickname Bo. His grandma used to say he looked like a young Humphrey Bogart. He also talks about his run on the show. He then performs Drift Away. Matthew Fox is also interviewed.

Family Matters. Urkel sues Carl for killing his pet bug Pablo.

Family Matters. Carl displays overprotective tendencies towards Mother Winslow when she goes out with Fletcher. Steve creates Urkelbot, who attacks Laura and himself.

(3:24:38)

MXC. Fashion vs Religion
 - Yank My Dinghy
 - Bunk Off. Bulimia Babaganoosh is the last person to go in this segment.
 - Eat Shitake
 - Runaway Stump
 
MXC. Adult Industry vs Home Improvement
 - Athlete's Feet
 - Dope on a Rope
 - Elimination Idol
 - Dash to Death
 - Rotating Surfboard of Death. Yasar Babaganoosh is in this segment.
 
MXC. Gambling Industry vs. Medical Professionals. There is apparently no Babaganoosh in this episode.
 - Sack Lunch
 - Boulder Dash
 - Dead End Zone
 - Brass Balls
 
MXC. Fitness Industry vs Music Industry
 - Turtle Gut Check
 - Reality sports segment
 - Shaft Grabbers
 - Clear Sphere of Sphere
 - Jerk and Release
 
(4:34:35)

Celebrity Fit Club. This is the season with Gary Busey. Other contestants include Jackee, Toccarra, Jani Lane, and the Snapple Lady. The contestants weigh in and are separated into teams.

Anthony Fedorov interviewed on Ellen.

Tony Little Geico commercial

Anthony sings Every Time You Go Away on Ellen

Rockstar INXS pilot episode. There are commercials so be prepared to fast forward.
 - Contestants arrive at the mansion and Susie makes a disparaging comment about Marty's voice
 - Jordis sings Baba O'Reilly
 - Marty sings You Really Got Me
 - Tara sings Middle of the Road
 - Neal's imitation Mick Jagger performance of Brown Sugar
 - Daphna sings One Way Or Another
 - Ty Taylor performs Cult of Personality
 - Dana's awful rendition of Knocking On Heaven's Door
 - Deanna sings Piece of My Heart
 - Mig sings Smells Like Teen Spirit
 - Jessica sings Celebrity Skin
 - Wil Seabrook sings Heroes.... too quietly
 - Heather sings Burning Down the House
 - Yay! Brandon Calhoon sings Rock and Roll All Night
 - JD's spastic rendition of American Woman
 - Susie sings Remedy and forgets the words
 - At the mansion, the contestants reflect on their performances
 - Daphna sings about her daddy
 - Tape ends before the episode can finish
 

END OF TAPE




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Wednesday, October 1, 2025

2025 Things: September




9.1: Listened to 1 episode of The Losers Club (What Stephen King Stories Should Hit the Stage?). Listened to 1 episode of Collateral Gaming (ep 55 pt 2). Listened to 2 episodes of Fantasy Football Happy Hour (8.21 and 8.29.25 eps). Listened to 1 episode of Retronauts (ep 85). Listened to 1 episode of The Cartridge Club (ep 68). Watched 1 episode of Australian Survivor (13.08). Listened to 1 episode of The Stephen Kingcast (ep 248).

9.2: Watched 1 episode of Big Brother (27.25). Watched 1 episode of Australian Survivor (13.09). Listened to 1 episode of The FF Dynasty (9.70).

9.3: Watched 1 episode of The Amazing Race (16.07). Listened to 1 episode of Sega Saturn Shiro (Editor's Corner #28). Watched 1 episode of Survivor (32.06). Watched movie: Titan: The Oceangate Submersible Disaster. Finished video game: Doom II. Watched movie: Total Recall (1990). Listened to 1 episode of The Cartridge Club (CC Portable #24). 

9.4: Listened to 1 episode of Unsolved Mysteries (Disappearance of Tabitha Tuders). Listened to 1 episode of Staff Picks (The Way Way Back). Watched 1 episode of Alien: Earth (1.05). Watched movie: Ghostbusters. Finished video game: RoboCop vs The Terminator. Listened to 1 episode of Fantasy Football Happy Hour (8.27.25 ep). Watched 1 episode of Hannibal (1.04).

9.5: Watched movie: The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Watched 1 episode of Big Brother (27.26). Listened to 1 episode of The Cartridge Club (ep 143). Watched 1 episode of Hannibal (1.05).

9.6: Listened to 1 episode of The Losers Club (Randall and Mel's Month of Halloween Hell). Watched 2 episodes of Big Brother (27.27, 27.28). Listened to 1 episode of The FF Dynasty (9.77). Watched 1 episode of Survivor (32.07). Watched 1 episode of Hannibal (1.06). Listened to 1 episode of Collateral Cinema (Adult Swim Edition: 20 Year Retrospective).

9.7: Listened to 2 episodes of The Cartridge Club (ep 69 and CC Portable 25). Listened to 1 episode of Retrovaniacs (ep 38). Listened to 1 episode of Sega Saturn Shiro (Mainline Cast: ep 7). Listened to 1 episode of Arcade Attack (ep 233). Listened to 1 episode of Unsolved Mysteries (A Life Cut Short). Listened to 1 episode of The Retrograde (Top 10 Favourite Things of 2022). Listened to 1 episode of Fantasy Football Happy Hour (9.5.25 ep). Watched 1 episode of Hannibal (1.07). Watched 1 episode of From (3.01).

9.8: Watched movie: Big Trouble in Little China. Finished video game: Batman: The Video Game (GB). Watched 1 episode of Hannibal (1.08). Watched 1 episode of From (3.02). Listened to 1 episode of Arcade Attack (ep 234). Listened to 2 episodes of The FF Dynasty (9.79, 9.80). Listened to 1 episode of Retrovaniacs (ep 39). 

9.9: Watched 1 episode of Australian Survivor (13.10). Watched 1 episode of Hannibal (1.09). Listened to 1 episode of the Stephen Kingcast (ep 79). Watched 1 episode of The Amazing Race (16.08). Finished video game: Resident Evil 6. Watched 1 episode of From (3.03).

9.10: Watched 1 episode of Big Brother (27.29). Listened to 1 episode of Ear Biscuits (ep 62). Watched 2 episodes of SEC Football: Any Given Saturday (1.01, 1.02). Listened to 1 episode of The FF Dynasty (9.82). Watched 1 episode of Hannibal (1.10). Listened to 1 episode of Retronauts (ep 86).

9.11: Watched 1 episode of Alien: Earth (1.06). Watched 1 episode of From (3.04). Watched 1 episode of The Amazing Race (16.09). Finished video game: Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue!

9.12: Watched movie: Fargo. Listened to 1 episode of The Losers Club (King's 10 Best Stories for Halloween). Watched 1 episode of Hannibal (1.11). Watched 2 episodes of Big Brother (27.30, 27.31). Listened to 1 episode of Fantasy Football Happy Hour (9.12.25 ep). 

9.13: Watched 1 episode of Survivor (32.08). Listened to 1 episode of Sega Saturn Shiro (Editor's Corner #29). Listened to 1 episode of Collateral Cinema (ep 56). Listened to 1 episode of the Stephen Kingcast (ep 249). Listened to 1 episode of The FF Dynasty (9.72). Listened to 1 episode of Fantasy Football Happy Hour (9.11.25 ep). Watched movie: Weapons.

9.14: Watched 1 episode of From (3.05). Listened to 1 episode of Arcade Attack (ep 235). Listened to 1 episode of Retrovaniacs (ep 40). Listened to 1 episode of The Retrograde (Overwatch Retrospective: Then vs Now). Watched 1 episode of Hannibal (1.12). Watched 1 episode of Fargo (1.01).

9.15: Watched 1 episode of Fargo (1.02). Watched movie: Civil War. Listened to 1 episode of The Cartridge Club (ep 70). Listened to 1 episode of Unsolved Mysteries (Island Justice). Listened to 1 episode of Arcade Attack (ep 236). Listened to 2 episodes of Retronauts (ep 88 and Micro 56). Watched 1 episode of Hannibal (1.13).

9.16: Watched 1 episode of From (3.06). Watched 2 episodes of Fargo (1.03, 1.04). Watched 2 episodes of The Amazing Race (16.10, 16.11). Listened to 1 episode of The FF Dynasty (9.73). Watched 1 episode of Survivor (32.09). Listened to 1 episode of The Cartridge Club (Rick V. Day 2019). Listened to 1 episode of Sega Saturn Shiro (Live Show: Mar 19 2021). 

9.17: Watched 1 episode of Alien: Earth (1.07). Watched 1 episode of From (3.07). Watched 2 episodes of Fargo (1.05, 1.06). Watched 1 episode of The Amazing Race (16.12). Listened to 2 episodes of Retrovaniacs (eps 41, 42). Watched 1 episode of Survivor (32.10).

9.18: Listened to 1 episode of The 7th Rule (ep 295). Watched 1 episode of From (3.08). Watched 1 episode of Survivor (32.11). Watched 1 episode of Big Brother (27.32).

9.19: Watched 1 episode of Fargo (1.07). Listened to 1 episode of The Losers Club (Which Stephen King Characters Can Shine?). Watched movie: Terminator: Dark Fate. Watched 1 episode of Big Brother (27.33). Listened to 1 episode of The FF Dynasty (9.87). Listened to 1 episode of the Stephen Kingcast (ep 250). Watched 1 episode of From (3.09).

9.20: Watched 1 episode of Survivor (32.12). Watched 1 episode of Big Brother (27.34). Watched 1 episode of Somebody Feed Phil (Amsterdam). Watched movie: Jurassic Park III. Watched 1 episode of From (3.10). Listened to 1 episode of Staff Picks (The Black Hole).

9.21: Watched movie: Halloween III: Season of the Witch. Listened to 1 episode of The Cartridge Club (ep 71). Listened to 1 episode of Retronauts (ep 89). Listened to 1 episode of Retrovaniacs (ep 43). Listened to 1 episode of The 7th Rule (ep 296). Listened to 1 episode of The Retrograde (Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2023). Listened to 1 episode of The FF Dynasty (9.86)

9.22: Watched 2 episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return (1.01, 1.02). Listened to 1 episode of Collateral Cinema (ep 57). Listened to 1 episode of The Cartridge Club (CC Portable #26). Watched movie: Nosferatu (2024). Watched 1 episode of Fargo (1.08). Listened to 1 episode of Fantasy Football Happy Hour (9.16.25 ep). Listened to 1 episode of Arcade Attack (ep 237). Listened to 1 episode of The Losers Club (Brian De Palma's Carrie with Colleen Green). Listened to 1 episode of Retronauts (ep 90).

9.23: Watched 1 episode of Big Brother (27.35). Watched 1 episode of Twin Peaks: The Return (1.03). Watched 1 episode of Fargo (1.09). Watched 1 episode of Survivor (32.13). Listened to 1 episode of Post Show Recaps: From (Season 3 Full Spoilers and Theories). 

9.24: Watched movie: Police Academy. Watched 1 episode of Fargo (1.10). Watched 2 episodes of Survivor (32.14, 32.15). Watched 1 episode of The Challenge: All Stars (5.01). Watched 1 episode of Alien: Earth (1.08). Watched 1 episode of The White Lotus (1.01).

9.25: Watched 1 episode of Twin Peaks: The Return (1.04). Watched 1 episode of The White Lotus (1.02). Watched 1 episode of Big Brother (27.36). Listened to 1 episode of Staff Picks (Police Academy). Listened to 1 episode of The Cartridge Club (CC Portable #27). Watched movie: Police Academy 2. 

9.26: Watched 2 episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return (1.05, 1.06). Listened to 1 episode of The Losers Club (Hollywood King: Boogeyman, Gwendy's Dark Tower Connections, King's Latest Recs). Watched 1 episode of The White Lotus (1.03). Watched 1 episode of The Challenge: All Stars (5.02). Watched 1 episode of Big Brother (27.37). Listened to 1 episode of The Stephen Kingcast (ep 251).

9.27: Listened to 1 episode of Arcade Attack (ep 238). Listened to 1 episode of Fantasy Football Happy Hour (9.25.25 ep). Listened to 1 episode of Unsolved Mysteries (Alien Abduction in Indiana). Watched 1 episode of The Challenge: All Stars (5.03). Finished video game: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Watched 1 episode of Big Brother (27.38).

9.28: Watched 2 episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return (1.07, 1.08). Watched 1 episode of The White Lotus (1.04). Listened to 1 episode of The Cartridge Club (ep 144). Listened to 1 episode of Collateral Gaming (Too Kyo Games and Neilo's Shuten Order). Listened to 1 episode of The FF Dynasty (9.90). Listened to 1 episode of The Stephen Kingcast (ep 252). Listened to 1 episode of Retronauts (ep 91). Listened to 1 episode of The Losers Club (King's 10 Best Stories for Christmas). 

9.29: Listened to 1 episode of The Retrograde (Drunken Goldeneye 007). Watched movie: 28 Days Later. Listened to 1 episode of Unsolved Mysteries (Murder of an Undercover Cop). Watched 1 episode of Twin Peaks: The Return (1.09). Watched 1 episode of The White Lotus (1.05). Watched 1 episode of Andor (1.01). Listened to 1 episode of Fantasy Football Happy Hour (9.23.25 ep). Listened to 1 episode of The FF Dynasty (9.91). Listened to 1 episode of Collateral Cinema (At the Movies Edition: Halloween Kills). Listened to 1 episode of The Losers Club (The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon).

9.30: Watched 1 episode of Twin Peaks: The Return (1.10). Watched 2 episodes of Andor (1.02, 1.03). Watched 1 episode of Big Brother (27.39). Watched 1 episode of The White Lotus (1.06). Listened to 1 episode of The Cartridge Club (ep 72). Watched 1 episode of Survivor (49.01).




15 episodes of Big Brother
15 movies watched
12 episodes of The Cartridge Club
11 episodes of The FF Dynasty
11 episodes of Survivor (14 if you count Australian)
10 episodes of Hannibal
10 episodes of Fargo
10 episodes of From
10 episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return
9 episodes of Fantasy Football Happy Hour
8 episodes of The Losers Club
7 episode of Retronauts
6 episodes of The White Lotus
6 episodes of Arcade Attack
6 episodes of Retrovaniacs
6 episodes of The Stephen Kingcast
6 episodes of The Amazing Race
6 video games completed



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