Category Archives: Reviews

Lindsey Sterling (Live)

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DISCLAIMER: I wanted to write this the day after I saw her show, but I had too much work to do, so I’m having trouble remember exactly what songs she played and in what order, so forgive me for not being able to remember.

Pardon my lack of entries recently: I’ve been so busy this semester that I simply had to forgo writing a couple entries in order to finish my school work.

A couple Saturdays ago, I got to see Lindsey Sterling on tour, and it was an awesome experience. If you haven’t heard of Lindsey Sterling, I think it’s time you became acquainted with her with this video:

She’s very well-known for doing a cover of popular game series The Legend of Zelda, and for doing a dub step song utilizing the violin. Also, she was on America’s Got Talent, but I didn’t find out about that until recently. LOL.

Anyway, let’s jump into the review, starting with (what I think was) her opener, a boy band DJ group. My friend noticed it while we were discussing aspects of DJ’ing, but one of the DJ’s had a leather jacket and shades (The Cool One), the other in a polo and jeans (The Hard Worker), and the last in a jacket and an awful-looking scarf (The Goof/Slacker). Also, scarf man was pretty bad at dancing. Nonetheless, the crowd seemed to enjoy the music and got them pumped up. I thought they were pretty cookie-cutter in terms of DJ’s, but hey, playing Skrillex isn’t bad in my book.

Once Lindsey finally came on-stage, the crowd really went crazy. I forgot what order she played her songs, but I know she played most (if not all) of her songs from her album a cover of what I’m pretty sure was Evanescence‘s “Bring Me To Life” (someone please correct me if I was wrong. LOL).

She had a couple intermissions sessions, one of which was her acting like a snobby star (which reminded me of High School Musical‘s Sharpay Evans. A reference, Lindsey?) and another of her pianist/music producer and drummer partying to remixed versions of some recent and old songs, which went into Lindsey coming on-stage and finishing with them.

If you’re a fan of Lindsey Sterling, I would definitely recommend seeing her live. She sounds much better live and has an electrifying stage presence. If you’re not a fan, watch that video or see if she’s playing near you sometime and check her out. Tickets for me were a very cheap $30, and you might find yourself a fan with just one or two songs.

REVIEW: Fairy Bloom Freesia

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In the very limited free time that I’ve had when I’m taking breaks while working on homework for school, I’ve been stuck trying to find a game to kill said time. I noticed when updating Steam one day that I had a small little game called Fairy Bloom Freesia. I decided to try it, and wound up finding the perfect little game to play if I feel like playing something while taking a break.

Gameplay:

Fairy Bloom Freesia is an “anime” beat ’em up. It’s very similar to FTP (Free to Play) MMO‘s Elsword and Grand Chase. Fans of those games (like myself) will probably be fans of this game.

For those that aren’t, don’t let the anime tag deter you; this game has a really deep combo system that’s very customizable. Besides the basic moves that you can always learn, you also have special skills and passive skills you can equip (up to 4 special and 2 passive skills).

The various “modes” are fairly simple. There’s the classic beat all enemies, a protect mission that has you protecting what’s known as a vortex, and a boss battle. YOu also have access to a training mode in-between levels.

This is the game. Short, simple, and sweet.

There’s only one problem with the game, and that’s blocking. You take no damage from blocking, and to compensate for that you get a block meter that rises as you block more attacks. However, there’s a passive skill called “Hard Turtle” that allows your block to withstand more attacks before it breaks. When maxed out, it becomes almost impossible for it to break. This makes boss battles incredibly easy and not very fun as you can take on a block -> attack once or twice -> block pattern that continues until you’ve broken their guard, can get one combo in, and then rinse and repeat the process until you’ve defeated them taking minimal to no damage.

Plot:

The plot feels like it’s there simply to give you a reason to keep progressing through levels, and that plot is that you are Freesia, a fairy spirit protecting the forest. The characters are hardly worth talking about, either. Focus on the gameplay; the plot is good enough to move things forward.

Atmosphere (Music/Graphics):

This is what was most similar to Elsword and Grand Chase to me. In the formerly mentioned, the characters are cel-shaded, and Fairy Bloom Freesia has some of that cel-shaded style, but just in a higher definition. The forest has a spring, summer, fall, and winter “area”, giving you different backgrounds and music for each one, and I have to say, the music is pretty catchy. The backgrounds for each season are nice, the particle effects are nice, everything atmosphere-related is nice. I wouldn’t say any of it is great, though.

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Fairy Bloom Freesia is a game where you can take 5 minutes to play a level, stop, and still feel satisfied. Really, don’t let the “anime” part keep you away from this game, especially if you like beat ’em ups. You’ll enjoy the combo system, especially when you’re smacking enemies into each other and finding infinite loops.

Gameplay: 8/10

Plot: 5/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Final Score: 7/10

Just Sayin’

REVIEW: Ghost Trick

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About a month ago, a friend suggested I purchase a game called Ghost Trick for the Nintendo DS. He hooked me by saying it was one of the best stories he’d ever seen. Curious, I decided to make the purchase, and I found myself with an absolute gem of a game.

Plot:
 
I won’t spoil this plot because I think it’s something everyone should try, but it is incredible. It starts out simple enough: you’re the ghost of a recently killed man, and another ghost, Ray, tells you to save the girl that is about to be killed right beside your body. It goes on from there. Really, it’s one of the finest plots I’ve ever experienced, and it’s all character-driven. There is only one external factor, and it’s the coolest twist ever. 
 
Characters:
 
All the characters have their own unique personalities and hidden motives for things they’re doing in the game, and it’s cool to see how they all come together to create the plot. My favorite has to be Missile, the dog that Sissel comes in contact with.
 
 
This is a really cool feature. As a ghost, Sissel has the power to manipulate small, inanimate objects, and has the ability to go back to 5 minutes before a person’s death and try to change it. The changing of someone’s fate is the core mechanic in the game, as Sissel must utilize his abilities to manipulate objects to change the past, and thus the future. This comes in the form of puzzles you must figure out, and I have to say, some of them were pretty challenging.
About midway through the game, you’re able to utilize another ghost ability – switching objects with similar shapes.
The only problem with Ghost Trick is the lack of re-playability. Once you figure the puzzles out, you know what to do and you already know how the mystery unfolds, and so replaying it takes away from so much of the game.
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Ghost Trick is a gem. It’s a game I had never heard of until suggested to me, and I’m glad I decided to try it, and it easily has one of my favorite game plots of all time. This game proves that games can have a deep, meaningful story, and still be an interactive success. If you like puzzle games or a good story, definitely pick this game up!
Score:
 
Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Gameplay: 7/10

Just sayin’

REVIEW: Django Unchained

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Let’s talk about Django Unchained.

Plot:
 
The plot is simple – Django, a slave, is freed by a Dr. Schultz (I’m probably spelling that name wrong. LOL), and is told to help him find the Riddle brothers. Afterwards, the two journey to find Django’s wife. The story is an adaptation of an old german legend, and to be frank, I think it’s pulled off quite well.
Acting:
 
For me, Tarantino‘s films are at their weakest when it comes to the plot, and their strongest hen it comes to acting and atmosphere. Django Unchained is no exception: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Samuel Jackson, and Leonardo DiCaprio are all brilliant. I love a film where you can tell the actors are enjoying their roles, and you can definitely tell it here.
No word in this film is wasted, the dialogue is as witty as ever, especially during the KKK scene (which is my favorite scene in the movie)!
Atmosphere:
 
Django Unchained is set in the United States just before the civil war. That means there’s slavery, and in classic Tarantino style, the film throws political correctness to the wind and makes sure the film is true to its setting, and that’s something I like about his films. Apparently, some people are taking offense to Django Unchained, and all I can ask is why? If you can’t bear to hear the word ‘nigga’, don’t watch this movie, but don’t feign offense just because the film tries to emulate what it was actually like back during those times.
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Anyone who is a fan of Tarantino (like myself) should go see this movie. I think it’s one of his better films, and is definitely my favorite amongst them.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (stars)
Just sayin’.

REVIEW: The Hobbit

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Years after enjoying the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I was really excited to see The Hobbit. After all, when I read the books, The Hobbit was the first one I read, and I still remember it well. How does the movie stack up? I’d say it does splendidly.

I’m not going to go into detail in case you want to read the book, but it follows the book quite closely, which is really nice. The character arcs and development all follow the book’s path, which is great, because there are some really nice arcs, especially Bilbo‘s and Thorin‘s as they come to accept – and even welcome – each other’s company.

Now, there were a few parts that confused me. The part where Gandalf and Saruman are talking and the part with the Forest Wizard (I completely forgot his name. LOL) are two such parts that I don’t remember being in the book. Fortunately, some friends of mine explained that these were parts from the Appendices, which are extra bits of story at the end of the books explaining some of things that the reader never read about, such as those two very parts. This does one very important thing for me – explain why this is going to be a trilogy.

You see, when I first heard that The Hobbit was going to be a trilogy, I thought to myself, “how in the hell are they going to make one book a trilogy?” Well, the Appendices are the answer to that question, and I think it’s an awesome idea now that I know it’s not just the book, because they go through half the book in the very first movie.

Now, as for the look of the movie: as I mentioned in a previous entry, I saw it in 48fps, which completely changes how the movie looks. But, the look is very similar to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is very nice. The grandeur landscapes and towns all look fantastic, and even the Shire looks awesome. And in 48fps, it’s simply eye candy.

Oh, and the music, much like the trilogy, is fantastic.I have a soft spot for medieval sounds, however, so the music may not be your cup of tea. I definitely enjoyed it, though.

The Hobbit is a movie any Lord of the Rings fan will enjoy, especially those whom have read the Appendices, but don’t think that someone new to the series wouldn’t enjoy it. It’s got plenty of action, adventure, and good development and plot. Nothing stellar, but definitely solid. And believe me when I say that seeing it in 48fps is worth it.

Rating: 8/10.

Just sayin’

REVIEW – Paper Mario: Sticker Star

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I’ve been waiting patiently for the moment I could finally write this review. Ever since I first heard about the new Paper Mario game for the 3DS, I was excited. And so, when I finally got my hands on the game the day it came out, I had a lot of hype and expectations riding on it. Did it deliver?

You bet it did!

Plot:

The plot is very standard Mario fare. It’s the Sticker Festival in Decalburg, a part of the Mushroom Kingdom, and during it, Princess Peach is taken by Bowser (again), and it’s up to Mario to save her! There’s really nothing more to say here. It moves the game forward, and that’s what matters.

Characters:

Oh boy. The characters. Besides the ever-amazing Mario, we have Kersti, a sassy sticker from the Sticker Star that joins Mario on his quest, and she is amazing. She calls Kamek a hipster, which not only shows that the people at Intelligent Systems is keeping with current trends, but actively incorporating them.

All the little characters in the game that make an appearance are also great. You can see the time put into every character and their line of dialogue. It’s awesome that, throughout the Paper Mario series, the humor has been consistently enjoyable for me, and that the humor in Paper Mario: Sticker Star holds up wonderfully.

And let’s not forget about the PETEY PIRAHNA cameo (despite him being an incredibly easy boss).

I think the only downside to the characters is that Bowser does not talk. Ever. It’s a little disappointing, but the humor throughout the game with the rest of the cast more than makes up for it.

Atmosphere (Music/Graphics):

The graphics are an awesome twist on the usual Paper Mario style. It looks very similar to Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, but takes the ‘paper’ aspect a step further. Koopa Troopas fold into their shells to attack, enemies can stack on each other, goombas turn into a paper cone, etc… It’s very paper, and that makes it very awesome! One of the bosses is literally made out of paper, and there are references to being in a paper world all the time. There are a ton of references to older games in characters/the world you explore (I’m not going to give an away).

The music is also great. Many of the songs reference old games, but the new music is also great. The battle music, from normal battles to the final boss, are all very memorable. I still hum the battle music in my head sometimes.

Gameplay:

And here it is! Taking a page from the old Paper Mario games, turn-based battles are back. The difference? No partners, no badges, no experience. Just stickers.

It works like this: as you explore, you’ll see stickers laying around, and you can peel them off store them in a sticker album you have. You can then use these stickers to do battle with enemies. Right away, you can see that management of stickers is key. If you’re not prepared for anything, you may find yourself losing to a spiky goomba because you don’t have any iron jump or hammer stickers and you’ll have to run.

The stickers themselves are pretty standard – you have a jump, hammer, fire flower, mushroom, and various others that are references to games in the past and some items used in the Paper Mario series.

Like in the old games, Action Commands are here, and believe me when I say that anyone who has played the old games will probably be successful figuring these out.

So, you have all these stickers, but there’s more to them than just battling. You can also use them to change the environment and solve puzzles. To do that, Kersti allows you to “paperize” objects in the world. Many puzzles involve you peeling off a part of the world and putting it back where it belongs, while others are sticking certain stickers to unlock a door.

What’s more, there are ‘things’: 3D objects (like scissors, a fan, etc…) that you can collect and turn into stickers to solve puzzles and use in battle. These stickers are HUGE, so you can’t carry too many of them or else you won’t have enough stickers after a few battles. But, these stickers are incredibly powerful in battle, and many of the bosses are specifically wear to a certain thing sticker.

And the biggest part of battling is how you attack. Some stickers attack every enemy. Some only attack one. When there’s more than one enemy, you will always attack the enemy in front. That means that you have to carefully plan out which stickers you’ll be using so you don’t waste any. You can also use the Battle Spinner, which, if you match up two or three, allows you to use 2 or 3 stickers in one turn. Of course, you’ll notice that your first sticker will attack the enemy in front, the 2nd in back, and so on. Planning out stickers is very important, especially in the later levels when enemies do a ton of damage, even when you block.

So, since there’s no experience, the only way to grow stronger is to get better stickers. You start out with normal stickers, but soon you’re able to obtain shiny and flashy stickers, which are much more powerful. You also will collect HP-Up Hearts, which increase your HP by 5.

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Paper Mario: Sticker Star is a throwback to the old games that everyone loves with some new twists and a really, really awesome combat system. If you’re a fan of the Paper Mario franchise, you must buy this game – you won’t be disappointed. Even if you’re not, I think you’d be hard-pressed to really dislike this game.

Score:

Plot: 6/10

Characters: 10/10

Atmosphere: 10/10

Gameplay: 10/10

Final Score: 9/10

Just sayin’