Friday, March 10, 2023

Video Game Review #428: Geronimo Stilton in the Kingdom of Fantasy

Geronimo Stilton in the Kingdom of Fantasy
PSP




Nostalgia Factor:

Mop Up Duty has certainly taken me to some new and unexpected places when it comes to video game history, and Geronimo Stilton in the Kingdom of Fantasy might be one of the most unexpected places yet.

Geronimo Stilton is a popular book series for kids. I have never heard of it. My wife has never heard of it. We have a toddler, we go to the library all the time, and we're constantly finding new books and new series to read to the kiddo. That's why I find it a little weird that neither of us have heard of these books.

Most likely, I still would never have heard of this series if it wasn't for Mop Up Duty. I was perusing a list of games that were released in 2013 that I had never played before, and this one caught my eye. I was looking for something quick and easy to play through. This is a game for kids, so I figured it would be both of these things. Plus, Mop Up Duty is all about playing and experiencing new games that I likely never would have played before. This is a game that I NEVER would have heard of, much less played, so it definitely fit that criteria. 

I figured: why not? Let's check this game out and see if I've unearthed a relatively undiscovered gem.

Would this game turn out to be a hidden gem that has escaped all media attention for ten years now? Read on and find out!




Story:

Geronimo Stilton is a humanoid mouse, who lives in a house. He goes up to his attic one night and discovers a music box that whisks him away to a world of fantasy. There he encounters Scribblehopper the frog, who enlists him on a quest to save the fairy princess.

Geronimo's quest leads him through a world filled with mermaids, witches, ghosts, giants, dragons, trolls, and more. He must pass through seven kingdoms, doing tasks for its denizens before he is granted access to the next area of the game. Along his way he picks up several helpers, which they name "The Order." The Order arrives in the fairy kingdom and defeat the evil witch who is trying to take over.

Geronimo goes home and The Order parts ways. The end.

Overall it is a very simplistic story, filled with cutesy characters and quirky little side adventures. You can really tell this is based on a series of children's books. If you are an adult playing this game, you aren't going to find anything too interesting about its story. If you're a kid, however, you'll probably love this. I might come back to this game someday to show my kiddo when he is old enough.




Gameplay:

This game is entirely made up of minigames that you must complete in order to advance the story. There are over 60 of them in total. These minigames consist of things like puzzles, slide puzzles, finding hidden images, counting shapes, spotting the differences between two pictures, hitting buttons in rhythm, solving logic problems, and answering math questions. This is a game meant for kids, so most of these puzzles are not too overly difficult. I don't know what this says about me, but there were a handful of minigames that I did struggle with immensely. I kept having to try them over and over again before I finally got them right. A few I had to look online for help solving. For a kids game.

Not my finest moment.

Each minigame you complete unlocks a little bit of the game's story. Although the game does give you the illusion of freedom by allowing you to pick which area on the map you'd like to visit next, but things are very guided and linear in this game. And it has to be, in order to tell the book's story.

Each kingdom follows the same standard formula. You arrive in the kingdom. Your first minigame is assembling its map. Then you have a few areas on the map you can visit. You'll eventually meet a character that wants you to find something for him, but it is broken up into pieces. This opens up a new area on the map, with new minigames to complete. Each minigame you finish, you collect one piece of the thing you are looking for. Collect them all and bring them back to the character in question.

He'll unlock the path to the ruler of that particular kingdom. You have to do some quests for them before they allow you passage through the kingdom and into the next kingdom. Then you start things over again. Find the map. Put it together through a puzzle minigame. Talk to new characters. Find things for them. Get permission to move onto the next kingdom. So on and so forth through seven kingdoms you go.

Occasionally you'll encounter characters that you have to give key items to in order to advance the game's plot. Some of these key items can be found through standard gameplay. Others can be purchased using guilders, Geronimo Stilton's in-game currency. You get guilders depending on how well you complete the game's puzzles. Complete one on your first try, you get ten guilders. If you fail and have to do it again, your reward drops to seven. If you fail again, the reward drops even lower. The lowest it gets is one guilder.

You can also collect extra guilders through special minigames, which are marked on the in-game map. These minigames are the way to go if you want to rack up guilders fast in order to make a purchase necessary to advance the plot. Some of these special minigames include Tetris and Breakout clones which are quite fun to play.

That's really the whole game. Playing minigames, collecting guilders, and advancing the game's plot. Eventually you get to the end, rescue the fairy princess, and save the day. I'll say the same thing I said about the game's story in regards to its gameplay: if you're a kid, you're probably going to think it is fantastic. As a parent, it is something I'd want my child to play. It's wholesome, it's entertaining, it's educational. And for a kid's game, it is not annoying in the slightest.

Looking at this from the perspective of an adult gamer... it's alright. I didn't dislike my time with the game. I didn't think it was stellar either. It got a bit boring and methodical after a while. But it always kept me going with its creative minigames. Overall this was an above average experience, but not by much. I think that will likely be reflected when I gave this game my final grade.




Graphics:

This is a good looking game. It is like a children's book come to life. I could easily see this being adapted into a cartoon, and the cartoon would look exactly like the graphics in the game. My wife even commented on the game's visual style as I was playing it, which she never does. Even she, an ardent non-gamer, was impressed by the game's look.




Sound:

Not only does this game look like a Saturday morning cartoon, it sounds like one as well. I have to give props to the voice acting, as it fits the characters and the tone of the game like a glove. The music is nice too. It is very upbeat and appropriate for the magical world of the game. Absolutely nothing to complain about here. Well, except for the fairy princess's voice sounding exceedingly creepy.




Overall:

I didn't expect much from this game, but it delivered a fairly fun and fresh experience. I think if I was a kid, I would have absolutely loved this game. In fact, I can't wait to show it to my two year old when he is old enough to play games. It's cute, it has a fun story, and it keeps your mind working. Perfect for a small human.

What did I dislike about this game? It's very formulaic. Many of the puzzles are repetitive. There is little challenge to be found for most of the game. You have to grind for guilders. You never really control your character fully, you just pick stuff from menus and then play some minigames. For adult gamers, Geronimo Stilton leaves a lot to be desired. But at the same time, it still occasionally impresses.

This is a good game. I'd even say a slightly above average game. You are not missing anything if you decide to skip this one, but if you do - you'll probably kinda like it.



THE GRADE:
C+


40th Birthday Mop Up Duty Celebration Tour:




1986:


1987:


1988:


1989:


1990:


1991:


1992:


1993:


1994:


1995:


1996:


1997:


1998:


1999:


2000:


2001:


2002:


2003:


2004:


2005:


2006:


2007:


2008:


2009:


2010:


2011:


2012:


2013:
Geronimo Stilton and the Kingdom of Fantasy
(The review you are reading)


Up next we roll into 2014 with:
The Evil Within



For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click


Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, March 5, 2023

The Beatdown Part Two: Ranking every podcast in my current rotation from best to worst!

Hi everyone. Last year I made a post where I ranked all of the podcasts I was listening to from best to worst. If you're interested in checking it out, please follow the link located >here<.

In over eight years of this blog's existence, my podcast ranking quickly became one of its most popular posts. A few people from these podcasts actually reached out to me to thank me for the kind words. This was completely unexpected but awesome at the same time! To this day, I still stay in touch with some of them. And even though I haven't appeared on any podcasts myself, I am proud to say that I'm now a member of the Cartridge Club.

Since my first podcast ranking was such a hit, I have decided to make it a yearly tradition. Each March, I will rank my podcast rotation from best to worst. I'll even give an honorable mention to the podcasts I've either completely finished with or have stopped following altogether.  

Some podcasts will rise in the ranking. Some will fall. New podcasts will join the ranks while others will disappear completely. Without further ado, I think we should get this started:



#1:
Staff Picks
Hosted by Mario Lanza


For the second year in a row, a Mario Lanza podcast sits atop this ranking. Last year it was the Survivor Historians. This year it is Staff Picks. If this isn't undisputed evidence that Mario Lanza is the greatest podcaster of all time, I don't know what is.

Staff Picks is a podcast for movie nerds, by movie nerds. Each episode Mario picks a movie that he loves that he feels doesn't get enough attention. Not necessarily hated or disliked movies, but movies that don't get the proper love they deserve. For example: The Rock with Nicolas Cage. No one says this movie is bad. Most people generally like this movie. But when you talk about history's great action movies, no one ever mentions The Rock. Same with A Knight's Tale. Super fun movie, but does anyone talk about it anymore? No. Black Christmas is another one. No one ever talks about that movie despite the fact that it revolutionized slasher flicks everywhere.

Mario takes movies that have an unfairly poor reputation and justifies them as well. The Village, Last Action Hero, Demolition Man, etc. People like to say these movies are terrible, even though they are entertaining. Titanic is even a featured episode. Why Titanic? It's a record breaking and award winning movie. How can you say it doesn't get enough love? Because of all the haters. For every person you find who loves Titanic, you'll find two or three that think it is absolute garbage.

Each episode features a different guest. This helps keep the show fresh. I always enjoy the banter between Mario and his hosts. Some of his hosts are people he's never met or interacted with before, not that you can tell with how quickly and easily they get along. Some of his guests are even people I'm familiar with from the online world, like Brian Scully and Josh Wigler. Others are complete unknowns. I haven't gotten to any of these episodes yet, but there are even some Survivor contestants that guest host.

I know it sounded like I was joking before, but Mario is a great podcast host. He's funny, he's got a good voice to listen to, he's interested in a ton of things I am, and he makes a lot of the same observations that I do. He really is the perfect podcast host. For me anyway. I know every time I tune in, even if I don't know the movie, the episode is going to be good. And that's why Staff Picks sits here at number one.

Last episode played: The Brady Bunch Movie
Next episode in line: Bachelor Party

Note: while I normally listen to podcasts in order, I've been jumping around through Staff Picks and have listened to 17 of them out of order.


#2:
The Retrograde: A Video Game Podcast
Hosted by Andrew Bascom and Mikey-o Andretti Ehrenworth


The Retrograde is moving up in the world. This podcast comes in at number two on my ranking after finishing third last year. The Retrograde is infinitely listen-to-able (is that a phrase? I'm making it one). They have that x-factor I'm looking for in all of my podcasts. Every single time I start one of these episodes, even if I don't know the game, I know I am going to be entertained.

The hosts are very funny and have great chemistry with one another. They're loud and in your face - but never to the point of being annoying. I've really, really grown on this podcast. It's become one of my go-tos.

Looking back at my comments from last year, it does seem some things have changed. The Producer Elliott gag has become a thing of the past. I can't even remember the last time it has been mentioned. They still talk about unrelated things at the beginning of each podcast, but I actually like this. I enjoy seeing what games they are playing outside of the podcast and hearing about the things going on in their lives.

My number one criticism still stands, however: how harsh they are on games that I consider all-time greats. Their OG Resident Evil 2 episode is a prime example. The criticism is so unfair, I had to write some of it down. Here are a few quotes:

"This game is a failure on almost every level."

"It is a complete mess."

"No redeeming qualities."

"0.5 out of 4."

"Mikey, nothing you've said is controversial. It's all fact. This game is not good."

Seriously, the original Resident Evil 2?! Who disses Resident Evil 2? Opinions like these make me want to shout at these guys through the podcast app. They've ripped apart plenty of other classics too, such as Star Fox 64, Ecco the Dolphin, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Every time an episode comes up where I'm like "oooh I love that game!" they absolutely hate it.

Meanwhile, titles like Tiger Woods Golf, Overwatch, Age of Empires, and other things I would consider to be boring - they love. I just can't figure it out. I don't think I've ever encountered someone with such complete opposite taste in video games as my own. And here are two of them.

That said, I still freaking love this podcast. Agree or disagree with them, it's always guaranteed to be a good listen. I'm not even close to being caught up in real time, so I've likely got several more years with these guys on the horizon. Maybe next year they will be number one?

Last episode played: Celebrity Deathmatch
Next episode in line: Kirby's Dream Land


#3:
The Survivor Historians Podcast 
Hosted by Mario Lanza, Jay Fischer, Mike Bloom, and Paul Asleson


This podcast easily could have finished number one on my list again. Its quality has not declined over the years. The only reason it doesn't rank higher is because I'm nearly caught up to the end of it, and my listening has tapered off quite a bit. It has been a few months since I've fired it up. I like to listen to this podcast in conjunction with re-watching the show, and I seem to have hit a convenient pausing point after Heroes vs Villains.

In the last year, I have listened to the episodes covering Cook Islands through Heroes vs Villains. Some of the seasons that they hate, you can tell they are phoning it in a little. I was not particularly fond of the Cook Islands episodes. They don't like the season, and it seeped through into the quality of the podcast. Usually they gave strong insight into things that aren't seen on camera, while making funny jokes and observations on the way. You could tell they just wanted to get this season over and done with. The CBS "rigging" controversy to keep the white tribe from dominating the game was really the only thing that stood out to me from this season. Oh, and the whole "taking a Cecilia" bit. I was a little perturbed that Cao Boi didn't get much love. He's like the first coming of Coach.

Some of the other episodes are just fantastic, however. I gained a new appreciation for Gabon, Fiji, and China listening to this podcast. Some of their jokes and observations are absolute gold, although I could do without the lemon tree bit.

And then Micronesia. And then all the Coach stuff. And then all the Russell stuff. I'm so happy Mario feels the same way about Coach that I do. My god, this podcast is so freaking good. Again, this could have easily been number one on my list and I wouldn't have batted an eye. I just wish there was more content. The podcasts ranked above this have a TON of episodes, and I can just throw them on whenever I want and be entertained. I can't do that with the Historians, because there's such limited content left. I have to ration it. Once I get through Nicaragua and Redemption Island, I'm all caught up. And that's sad.

Last episode played: Evil Will Always Triumph, Because Good Is Dumb
Next episode in line: Please, I Beg You, For The Love of God, Give Jimmy T Something To Do

Note: I listened to the four-part Borneo revisit last year, so that's why I'm jumping from Heroes vs Villains to Nicaragua.


#4:
Collateral Gaming Video Game Podcast
Hosted by Ashley Chancellor, Megan Gomez, and Zachary Guillot


Collateral Gaming ranked fourth on last year's list, and here it is at number four again. This is one of those podcasts that I can put on anytime, anywhere - and know that I am going to enjoy it. It's never boring, always entertaining, the hosts are very passionate, and even when they talk about games I am disinterested in, the way they talk about them is enough to make me interested.

Collateral Gaming is an ever evolving podcast. It's been interesting watching them find their footing. Where I'm at, they've really hit their stride. While they do have the occasional different cohost, Megan and Zach are two of my favorites. And the main host Ash seems like such a nice stand-up guy. I just found him on Instagram a few weeks ago and he kind of looks like Jesus. Funny how people look so different from what you picture when you are only hearing their voice.

Occasionally Collateral Gaming partners up with Collateral Cinema, their sister podcast. You'll see them make an appearance later on down the line. But I always enjoy these episodes as they always focus on video game based movies.

Collateral Gaming is different from the other podcasts I listen to in the sense that it is not focused on retro games. Almost everything they play has come out in the last 5 or 10 years. They do play old games every once in a while, but it is not often. And I'm kind of glad they don't. They're too young! I skipped ahead in my chronological listening to the Resident Evil episodes - and the way they talk about these games made me wince a little bit.  

Last episode played: Game Launch Edition: Game Freak's Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Next episode in line: Episode 27 (Part 2): AlphaDream & Nintendo's Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga


#5:
The Cartridge Club
Hosted by P1 and P2


The Cartridge Club is on the rise. It was only ranked 7th on my list last year, and now its up to 5th! 
The Cartridge Club is like a book club for gamers. Each month they pick a game, play through it, and then record a podcast where they talk about the game. The thing I love the most about this podcast is the sense of community. They are so nice and welcoming in all their podcasts, promoting each other's content and inviting new gamers to join the club.

I mentioned in my podcast last year how someday I'd like to join. And join I did. A month or two ago I visited their website, which led me to their Discord page, where I created an account and signed up. I'm not exactly a prominent poster, nor have I appeared in a podcast yet. But if and when that does happen, watch this podcast skyrocket up my rankings!

The only thing keeping this podcast from joining the upper echelon of the podcasts above it is that it isn't always the most "entertaining." They aren't really there to entertain the listener. They are there to hang out with fellow like minded gamers to discuss games they love playing. And that's totally fine. I just wish the episodes had a little more pizazz. I find myself zoning out sometimes while listening, particularly during some of the longer episodes - which can be a bit of a drag.

In addition to their monthly podcasts, they also have weekly episodes where they talk about the happenings of the club. Originally I had skipped over these episodes, but now that I'm a member I've been going back and listening to them in order. And I like them! 

Last episode played: Cartridge Club Weekly #13 - October 9th 2016
Next episode in line: Cartridge Club Weekly #14 - October 16th 2016


#6:
Digging Six Feet Under
Hosted by Victor Rubio


I am only seven episodes into this podcast, and it has already secured its spot in my rotation ahead of some long standing favorites I've been listening to for a long time. It's no surprise that I like this podcast. Six Feet Under is one of my favorite shows of all time, and I'm dying (pun intended) to hear more about it. What makes this podcast unique is that Victor is a funeral director, and he likes to break things down and point out facts/fiction of the funeral business from the perspective of an insider.

Maybe it is just the subject matter and I'd enjoy anything Six Feet Under related, but I am really enjoying the brief amount of time I've spent listening to this. I don't plan to rewatch the show anytime soon, and I never had a person to discuss the show with as I watched it, so listening to this podcast is the perfect thing for me. I only finished this show back in January, so it's like I'm squeezing out a little more time with the Fisher family before I finally say goodbye.

Last episode played: S01E06 The Room
Next episode in line: S01E07 Brotherhood


#7:
Arcade Attack
Hosted by Keith, Adrian, Dillon, and Rob


I can't believe Arcade Attack actually dropped a spot in my ranking from last year! When I posted my ranking last March, these guys were the most responsive to my review - reaching out to me and thanking me for what I had written and sharing my post on their pages. I have a feeling they won't be doing that this time.

The fact that they reached out to me made me become more invested in the podcast. I learned everyone's names (which I didn't know at this point last year). I added them on Instagram. I ramped up my listening to their podcast. At that point I was only listening to about one episode a week. Immediately it jumped up to about five or six a week.

I quickly began to burn out on the podcast, however. There are dozens of episodes where they interview people from the gaming industry. At first I loved these episodes, but (and this may be an unpopular opinion) it wasn't long before I started to dislike them. These episodes are so dry and boring. These game makers, while they have some interesting stories, seem to ramble on and on and on. They aren't particularly funny or entertaining people. They are very self-important. I found myself zoning out quite often during these episodes. Eventually it got to the point where it began to severely impact my enjoyment of the podcast. The episodes where it is the crew hanging out and talking about their favorite games? Awesome. The interview episodes? Not so much.

Before I knew it, I was back down to one episode a week again. I feel bad, like I've betrayed this podcast that reached out to me and was so nice to me. But really, would I rather listen to a boring old guy talk about the good old days of video game programming for two hours, or would I rather spend my time listening to the always entertaining Mikey and Andrew from the Retrograde? It's a no brainer.

My fingers are crossed that Arcade Attack climbs this ranking next year. They just announced that they are ending their podcast on their 300th episode, and I'm only 100 episodes in. So I have a LOT more catching up to do!

Last episode played: Hundredth Episode Special - Lots of Quizzes & Future Pod Ideas
Next episode in line: Christian Erickson - Interview - MegaRace & Hitman Actor


#8:
Sega Saturn, Shiro
Hosted by Patrick, Dave, Ke

Of all the podcasts in my current rotation, this one has had the biggest turnaround. It was ranked dead last in my 2022 ranking. I said some bad things about it, and even talked about dropping it from my rotation completely - which I actually did for a good six months. 

I'm glad I came back to it, though. I have a new appreciation for the Shiro crew. I love how much they love the Saturn, which is also one of my favorite gaming systems of all time. I love how hard they are working to keep the Saturn relevant and alive. Dave in particular has mentioned how hard he's been working updating archive.org and all these other projects he is involved with.

They've moved away from all the "technical talk" that I was complaining about in my previous ranking. The word soldering almost never comes up anymore! They seem to have found a renewed focus on talking about games and sharing personal stories with the Saturn - which is what I thought I was getting into when I first started listening. The music episodes are a personal favorite as well. And I love when the Southern Sega Gentleman makes a guest appearance. There's just something about his voice that feels very welcoming.

I'm so glad my opinion has changed on this podcast and that I've given it another shot. I really enjoy it, and it is nowhere near as bad as I made it out to be last year. I'm so sorry!

Last episode played: EPISODE 24: "Shiro vs Titan Cast 2 - New Age of Casts!"
Next episode in line: EPISODE 25: "Patches, Fan-lations, New Releases, Oh My!"


#9:
The Loser's Club
Hosted by Randall Colburn, Dan Caffrey, McKenzie and Justin Gerber, and more!


Here's another podcast that took a slight dip in my rankings from last year. They were 8th. Now they are 9th. So not a huge drop. It's not anything that the podcast has done. I like it just the same as I liked it last year. It hasn't really risen or fallen in my books. It's constant. Like a reader. A Constant Reader.

Stop it, Dan.

It's a fun and lively podcast. I like the crew they have breaking these books down. They really analyze King's writing in ways I had never considered before. I haven't been listening to it at quite the pace as I was before. Probably because I have 13 podcasts in my rotation now as opposed to the 12 I had last year. Not a huge change, but enough to make a difference. And the episodes are so freaking long! I've also been lukewarm on the era of King they are up to in my chronological listening. Firestarter, Christine, Skeleton Crew, The Bachman Books: meh. 

I just started the It series of podcasts, and it has been great so far. Maybe this will kick my interest in the podcast back into overdrive. I've listened to the Gunslinger podcast already, but I simply can't wait until we reach the meat and potatoes of the Dark Tower series. It is going to be so freaking epic.

Last episode played: IT - Part 1: The Shadow Before and The First Interlude
Next episode in line: IT - Part 2: June of 1958 and the Second Interlude


#10:
Westworld: Post Show Recaps
Hosted by Josh Wigler and Jo Garfein


At this time last year I was listening to Post Show Recaps for The Leftovers - one of my favorite shows of all time. That podcast was great. Wonderful host chemistry, lots of humor, and they also tackled the heavy hitting themes and mysteries of the show. There were a lot of theories and ideas floated out there that really made me think, and appreciate the show in a brand new way. When I finished with the podcast, I immediately wanted to jump into Post Show Recaps for another show. I picked Westworld because this is a show filled with lots of mystery and philosophical questions, just like The Leftovers.

Unfortunately, this podcast is nowhere near as good. Josh doesn't have quite the chemistry with Jo as he did with Antonio. And they don't really talk about anything I didn't already know. Maybe it is the nature of the show they are covering. The Leftovers is more open-ended, while Westworld has a defined narrative that the showrunners are trying to tell. For some reason or another. I simply was not into this podcast and often found myself getting bored with it. When going through my rotation and looking for another podcast to listen to, I always pick other, more fun things instead of this one - which is really dragging out the experience for me.

Another complaint I have is that for a podcast with the word Recaps in the title, they don't do a whole lot of recapping. I haven't seen season four of Westworld yet, so I was hoping that their recap of season three would be good enough where I didn't have to rewatch that season again. But it is not good. I feel as if I would be completely lost going into season four - even after listening to the recap of the season. Can we get less fan-girling over Maeve and Elsie and more actual recapping, please?

There is a season three rewatch episode coming up, so hopefully they do a little bit better of a job in that one. 

Last episode played: Westworld Rewatch: Season 1
Next episode in line: Westworld Rewatch: Season 2


#11:
Stephen King Cast
Hosted by Constant Reader


I feel bad for ranking this podcast so low once again. I appreciate the host, and I appreciate what he is trying to do. It's just so dry sometimes. There's no humor. No cohosts to vibe off of. I just cannot get into it to save my life. That said, I am dedicated and since I've made it so far into the podcast I am not going to stop. Just like with the Loser's Club, I absolutely can't wait to hit the meat and potatoes of the Dark Tower series. I think that will make sticking with the podcast so much more worth it. I have a feeling his thoughts and insights into the series are going to be terrific.

Side note: there is always a dog snoring in the background of these podcasts. And he always stops for several seconds to take a drink of water. I used to find these things a little annoying, but they have definitely begun to grow on me - and are something I actively look forward to when I am listening. Constant Reader, please never change.

Last episode played: Episode Thirty Eight-It, Part One
Next episode in line: Episode Thirty Nine-It, Part Two


#12:
Collateral Cinema
Hosted by Beau Maddox and a plethora of cohosts


Don't take this podcast's low ranking as a sign that I dislike it. Aside from the crossover episodes with Collateral Gaming, I've only listened to two episodes of Collateral Cinema so far. I like what I have heard though! Just a bunch of dudes having fun and watching movies and puffing on the reefer. They sound like they'd be a blast to kick it with. Maybe this podcast isn't quite as polished as Staff Picks or other movie podcasts out there, but I can't wait to listen to more episodes. I would be stunned if it ranked this low on next year's ranking.

Last episode played: Ep 01: Collateral Cinema vs. Lawrence Kasanoff's Foodfight! 
Next episode in line: Ep 02: John Carpenter's Halloween (1978)


#13:
Ear Biscuits
Hosted by Rhett and Link


This may come as the biggest shocker on this entire list. I freaking love Good Mythical Morning. I freaking love Rhett and Link. So why don't I freaking love Ear Biscuits?

The answer is fairly simple. It has to do with the structure of the podcast. I want to hear Rhett and Link talk about themselves, banter back and forth, and share crazy stories about their lives. And they do that, eventually. But for the first hundred episodes or so, their focus is on interviewing YouTubers and internet personalities rather than focusing on themselves. I'm sorry, but I don't care about Freddie Wong or Harley Morenstein or Nice Peter. I'm listening for Rhett and Link.

I know they eventually drop the interview format and transition more towards something I'd be interested in listening to. But I have about a hundred more episodes to sit through before it gets to that point, and honestly I am not looking forward to trudging through all of these. But I am an OCD "everything has to be in order" type person, so I can't just skip ahead. Ugh. We'll see where Ear Biscuits stands next year. Hopefully I'm not still languishing through all these interviews when next year's ranking rolls along.

Last episode played: Ep. 9 Harley Morenstein
Next episode in line: Ep. 10 Shay Carl Pt. 1


***


Before I head out, I want to give a shout out to the podcasts I am 100 percent caught up to in real time. I did not include these in my ranking because the podcast is either over and done with, or the episodes take so long to come out that I can't really consider them part of my rotation anymore.

These podcasts are:

Worth it or Worthless: A Retro Game Podcast
The Leftovers: Post Show Recaps
But First: A Big Brother 2 Blockumentary


Worth it or Worthless is awesome. It ranked #2 on last year's ranking, and had a good shot at #1 this year. I'm not sure what happened, but as soon as I caught up in real time they suddenly stopped making podcasts. They used to put out two of them a month, but since July of 2022 they've only published four in total. I don't know why the drop off happened, but I really, really hope they haven't quit the podcasting biz. 

Post Show Recaps for The Leftovers was great. I already mentioned it in my Westworld ranking. Can't wait to finish off the Westworld Post Show Recaps so I can jump into something else! I have Better Call Saul and House of the Dragon in my queue. I'm leaning towards Better Call Saul since the show has ended, while there is only one season of HotD out there. I can always listen to that later.

And finally: But First: A Big Brother 2 Blockumentary. I started rewatching Big Brother 2 this year, and I listened along to this podcast with it, similar to how I do Survivor and the Historians. This is a fantastic podcast that offers all kinds of insights into the show that you don't see on TV. It was so fun listening to it from this perspective. Rob Cesternino is very entertaining as a host. While I am familiar with him and his podcasting network, it was awesome to finally listen to something where he was the man in charge. Taran is great too, and he works really well with Rob. I love his laugh! I know I need to sit down and listen to Rob Has a Podcast someday, there are just SO MANY episodes it is a little intimidating for a "listen in order" guy like me to dive into.


***


And now, a brief mention of the podcasts I stopped listening to out of boredom. Usually when I start something I stick with it, but in these cases I was having such a bad time I decided to cut my losses and run. These podcasts are:

Serial Killers
Lost Boys of Hannibal
BoxTrick: A Retro Gaming Podcast

I mentioned Serial Killers on last year's ranking. I didn't like it then, but I had decided to stick with it for the time being. In the year that has passed, something weird happened on Podbean where a ton of their episodes disappeared that I was about to listen to. I know that there are still more episodes out there on other platforms, but I used this as the perfect way to duck out and never come back.

Lost Boys of Hannibal focuses on a group of missing boys who vanished in 1967. While the premise is intriguing, the podcast is very boring. I know they are trying to solve a mystery, but it is too bogged down with unnecessary details. Do we really need to know what color of shoes the mayor was wearing two weeks before the boys disappeared, or how it rained for a few minutes on the day the boys vanished? These are just some overexaggerated details I made up off the top of my head, but this is the kind of thing the podcast is constantly getting hung up on. I listened to about ten episodes and felt like things were going nowhere. So I stopped.

BoxTrick is not a podcast I dislike, it's just a gaming podcast in a sea of gaming podcasts. The hosts don't seem to have much charisma and I was never super stoked to listen to an episode. Maybe I'll come back to it someday. Maybe I won't.


***


Farewell, everyone. Until next year's ranking!


Posted by at No comments:

Friday, March 3, 2023

Video Game Review #427: Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!

Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!
Nintendo DS




Nostalgia Factor:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this has to be the longest title for a video game I've reviewed, right? If it is, blog history has been made: not once but twice. In addition to being such a long title, it's also my first Nintendo DS review. What a monumental occasion! This day will go down in history forever.

All joking aside, I've strayed a little bit from Mop Up Duty so I decided to get back on track by tackling a shorter game for the year 2012. I had intended to play through Far Cry 3, but that game is way too long. I've heard this one can be beaten in about five or six hours. Don't tell anyone, but I'd like to get Mop Up Duty over and done with so I can go back to playing whatever the heck I want, when I want. What a good way to get things sped up.




Story:

If you've ever watched a single episode of Adventure Time, you should know coming in that this game's story is going to be all over the place. The basic premise is that the Ice King has stolen your garbage and has begun building a princess out if it. It's your job to track him down and stop him from what he's doing. I mean, how DARE he touch your garbage!

As you explore the world of the game, you'll get caught up in all kinds of zany side quests, like finding missing panties or tracking down instrument-playing insects so they can open a door for you. If you've never seen the show before, this game is going to throw you for a major WTF loop. If you have, nothing you see here should come as any kind of surprise.




Gameplay:

I came into this game expecting it to be a standard 2D platformer, but it is a lot more than that. There's definitely a ton of RPG elements to be found here. The game has an overworld map, where you travel from location to location. When you enter an area, it switches to the 2D perspective. If you're in a town, you can talk to people and get clues as to what you need to do next. If you're in a dungeon or "action area" (I can't think of a better term for it!), you progress through the area - running, jumping, and hacking at your enemies.

Your inventory is located on the bottom of the screen, and collectibles are added to the list as you go along. Use your DS's stylus to select the item and use it without having to pause the game. You can combine items, like if you have a bottle of ketchup and a hot dog in your inventory, to make more powerful healing items. Other items give you abilities like invincibility, increased attack power, or the ability to temporarily fire projectiles at your enemies.

The overworld map is broken into four major areas, each of which are blocked off until you complete the previous area. For example, you can't enter the second area of the game until you complete the first - at which point Jake learns the ability to stretch himself across broken bridges, which allows Finn to walk across him to the new area. Each area you complete unlocks a new ability that you need in order to progress through the game. It's like a lite version of Zelda.

The game is filled with secret areas for you to discover. These secret areas offer magical chests that allow you to level up your character's speed, health, or power. For what I assumed to be a simple 2D platformer, this title has a surprising amount of depth to it.

All that said, this is a very easy game. Combat is laughably easy, and even when you do run into tough bosses, health items are so plentiful you should almost never find yourself reaching a game over screen. In fact, this game's biggest challenge is simply finding out what you are supposed to do next. This game is filled with fetch quests galore, and if you put the game down for a few days and come back to it, you are going to be hurting trying to find out where you are supposed to go next.

Overall the game is indeed about five or six hours long. Perfect length for if you are looking for a short, fun game to occupy some time.




Graphics:

If the game's map doesn't make you think of Zelda or Super Mario World, I don't know what will. In fact, the whole game has a very Paper Mario feel to it both graphically and tonally. It isn't as bright or vibrant as the Adventure Time cartoon, no, but it definitely delivers a cartoon-like performance to your screen. 

The character design is great. I always look forward to meeting the residents whenever I enter a new town. The enemies are varied and creative, as are the game's landscapes and settings. Everywhere you go in the world of this game, there is always something fun and interesting to look at.

The game looks much better on the small screen. When playing it on a big TV, the graphic quality really begins to suffer and the jagged edges rear their ugly heads. Play it on the small screen, if you can.




Sound:

My initial reaction to this game's sound was that it was going to be terrible. The opening scene has the most godawful rendition of the Adventure Time theme song I have ever heard. Luckily, things get better after that. The game has some really fun and catchy stage themes, and I found myself tapping my toe along with them. My only real issue with the music is how it start over again from the beginning whenever you enter a new room, which can be slightly grating when you're in a dungeon and the music is constantly restarting.

There is no voice acting, which is a shame. Everything is told through text boxes. This is seemingly a game that is made for voice acting. This is my first DS game, so maybe I am misinformed, but I am guessing the DS can't handle it. There are a few teeny tiny voice clips, like when you find a star that levels you up. No idea what they're saying in those clips, though!




Overall:

I did not expect to like this game as much as I did. I expected a quick, easy, and shallow 2D platformer, but this game delivers so much more than that. It's more of an action RPG like a Paper Mario game than anything else. Walking around, exploring the world of Adventure Time, and interacting with its bizarro citizens is a real treat.

The game is short and easy, sure, but it succeeds at what it sets out to do: deliver a fun and engaging Adventure Time experience to its players. If you aren't a big Adventure Time fan, you may not understand the appeal of the game. Although I wouldn't say I'm a "big fan", I'm familiar with the show and its concept, and I still liked it a lot.

I'm not going to say "you're missing out!!" if you decide to give this game a pass. I can't imagine that in 5 years I am going to remember much about this title, like I would with an all-time classic like Castelvania or Metroid. In other words: you'll live if you never play this game. But if you have the means to do it, I'd advise checking it out. You probably won't regret it.

Probably.



THE GRADE:
B-



40th Birthday Mop Up Duty Celebration Tour:




1986:


1987:


1988:


1989:


1990:


1991:


1992:


1993:


1994:


1995:


1996:


1997:


1998:


1999:


2000:


2001:


2002:


2003:


2004:


2005:


2006:


2007:


2008:


2009:


2010:


2011:


2012:
Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!! (The review you are reading)


Up next we're moving onto 2013 with:
Geronimo Stilton and the Kingdom of Fantasy


For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click


Posted by at No comments:

Friday, February 17, 2023

Video Game Review #426: Quake

Quake
PlayStation 4


Nostalgia Factor:

I have always been a big fan of the Nintendo 64 version of Quake. I've never been able to play Quake in its "true" form, however. The Nintendo 64 version was missing some stages and all of the expansion packs that have been added to the base game over the years.

When I saw that Quake was being remastered for the PS4, with ALL of the extra content included, I immediately knew I had to play it. I love the N64 version. I even gave it an A when I reviewed it. But Quake in its full glory? Yes please.




Story:

This game has a story? Honestly, you can skip through the slow moving walls of text that explain what is going on and still not miss a single beat of enjoyment this game has to offer. The story is filler that is completely irrelevant to the action taking place onscreen. Just worry about blasting enemies and finding keys and forget this game even takes a stab at giving you a storyline to follow. You aren't missing anything.




Gameplay:

This is all that matters. The gameplay.

This game is incredibly easy to pick up and play. The controls are so smooth. Walking, running, looking up and down, strafing, jumping over gaps: like butta. The combat is fast and furious. I already broke down how the game works in my review of the N64 version of the game, so I won't do it again here. But everything is just as fun as I remember.

What makes this version of Quake special is all the added content. There are four expansion packs included, and each one is a little different from the base game. I was appreciative of this, because the game would have gotten repetitive pretty quickly without those little changes. It did start to eventually get repetitive even with them, I hate to say.

Most of these changes mainly have to do with weapon variety, new enemies, and stage design. I also found that these expansions were much more challenging than the base game. They are still undeniably Quake, however. Having only played the N64 version before, it was a real treat getting to play all this new Quake content.

That said, I still feel as if the game overstayed its welcome a bit. Everything looks the same, it sounds the same, and it plays the same. By the time I was finished with the first or second expansion pack, I was done. And there were still several more to play through!

I'm not going to knock the game for offering too much content. I could have just stopped after the base game and still had a great time. But I didn't. I kept playing. I'm not going to fault the game for that.




Graphics:

Even though this is touted as an HD remaster, you can still see all the pixels and jagged edges that were likely present from the original game. I mean, I never actually played the original Quake on the PC, so I guess I can't say with certainty it looks like the original game. But I imagine it does.

And the game holds up! The fast paced action is very smooth. The levels are creepy in their design and impressive in their depth. This is one of those games you should play in the dark with headphones on. It is very immersive.




Sound:

I have nothing bad to say about this game's sound. Like the graphics, it is very atmospheric. Some stages are quiet and eerie, while other stages have rocking musical scores that really ramp up the intensity level.

I love the audio cues as well, and all the little sound effects that your enemies make as they spot you and come after you. You know just from the sound you hear what kind of enemy you're about to deal with, and I think that's pretty awesome. Shout out to that clanking sound of the grenades that those chainsaw-wielding enemies are constantly lobbing at you. After hours and hours of playing Quake, I'm going to hear that sound in my dreams.




Overall:

My only complaint about this game is that there are too many levels, and things start to get repetitive after a while. Is this a real complaint, though? I could have simply opted not to play all the expansion packs. But I did.

Quake in any way, shape, or form is an awesome game. Definitely one of my top favorite first person shooters of all time (I still think it takes second place to Half-Life). If you are looking for a fun, fast paced shooter that never takes its foot off the gas, this is the game for you. It's wonderful.

I can't recommend this enough. If you missed out on Quake during its 90s heyday, here is your perfect chance to play catch up.



THE GRADE:
A



If you liked this review, check out some of these other reviews of first person shooters:



Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)