Game Review : Mario Kart 7

     Nintendo has come up with a new revamped version in the popular Mario Kart series for the 3DS. In Mario Kart 7 you still have to choose from 8 characters initially, and once you start beating the cups in 150cc mode you unlock more characters.  However, unlike Mario Kart DS the babies, Funky Kong, and a few more characters were excluded so you only get 17 playable characters rather than 25. While 50cc and 100cc races are fun and somewhat challenging, the 150cc races make you work hard to unlock new characters.

      There are 16 new course as well as 16 retro, the new courses, mainly character-based, include Music Park (driving across piano keys that play music), Rosalina's Ice World (based on Super Mario Galaxy), Neo Bowser City, and some of the retro courses include Koopa Cape (Wii), SNES Rainbow Road, Luigi's Mansion (DS), Luigi Raceway (N64), and a lot more to choose from.

Rosalina's Ice World

Neo Bowser City

Rainbow Road (new)



     The most noticed addition however, is the hand glider, which you use in each course, including the classics, by jumping special blue ramps that are specifically designed for using the hand glider. Once you're in the air you can pull down on the joystick to glide over objects or push up to gain speed. The coins on the tracks can be collected to unlock more karts, tires, and gliders and for every 50 coins you collect you unlock one new item and the more coins you have on a course the faster you'll go.

 The best part of the game in my opinion however, is the 3D effects. The field of depth they were able to accomplish was just amazing, I actually felt as if I was part of the game as I zoomed through different courses. But it's not only the 3D effect that gives it this "WOW" factor but also the 2D graphics in general. They were well designed and defined and you can definitely see the differences in MK DS and 3DS. . I definitely enjoyed the game and would recommend it to anybody who asks. They managed to make it better than the previous games and still give it the Mario feel.

Pros: Amazing 3D effects/ New courses/ Hand-glider

Cons: Fewer character/ Slows down dramatically when underwater

Final Verdict: 9.5/10

-Tiffany

Anime Review : Durarara!!! (Series, 24 eps)

 An entertaining and original take on gang based drama.
                    

 

 Durarara is an odd recipe of sorts. Mixing together gangs, urban legends, manipulation,high-school kids and even an irish headless horseman. Pre-Heat and bake for 24 episodes, and you've got a tasty treat. The story focuses on 3 high-school friends, and the world they live in. Each of the friends has one massive secret that they hide from each other. The province of Ikebukoro is controlled by 2 major gangs. The Dollars, and the Yellow Scarves. These are not your average gangs though. This is the technology generation, and as such, these gangs are merely internet based. Until that is, people start vanishing and reports of a killer known as "The Slasher" start showing up. The leader of the Dollars decides to start placing posts on the forums to help put a stop to the killings, but things begin
worsening as more complex problems arise. To further complicate things, rumors begin surfacing that the slasher is a member of the Dollars.

                                       "Possibly the two coolest characters in Drrr."

At times light-hearted and silly, Durarara begins to focus more towards plot as the story progresses. Episode after episode, the plot slowly thickens, charging towards its conclusion. The slasher now has an army, and so does the Dollars, and now the Yellow Scarves are growing at a major rate, and at the very center, are these 3 friends, who are much more involved than any of them realize. The humor is good at times, and always lightens the mood, which at times can be very serious. This blends well and takes away some drama, which is a good thing. My only complaint, is with the ending. Although not bad, it does leave a lot of holes. Although this could be intentional, as even though I don't expect a continuation, they did leave a LOT of doors open to close later.

                                              "Yes, she really doesn't have a head."


Durarara is a fun series that leads with story,
and follows with wit. The good guys are fun
to root for, the bad guys are fun to hate,
and the mastermind pulling the strings is                
too awesome not to love. Durarara could
be better, but it could also be a lot worse.
The plot is original, and is well thought out.
With great art, great animation, and some
awesome and hilarious fight scenes, Drrr has
it all, and does it all well.

Pros : Story / Sound / Art design / Humor

Cons : Ending seemed rushed / BIG questions unanswered


- Darrell

Game Review : Limbo (PC)

An adventure of the mind, Limbo captivates with thought, puzzles and immersing sound effects amongst an eerie surreal atmosphere.

                         "Just an innocent boy taking a leisurely stroll through Death Forest."

Limbo is described as the "in-between" of worlds. Not Heaven, not Hell, but somewhere in the middle. Limbo is a game of few words, well literally no words, but the atmosphere speaks for itself. A monochrome reality, where the sun is scarce and shadows move in unsettling ways. In some areas, the only light visible is the reflection in the characters eyes. Limbo offers you no answers. Who are you? Why are you here? What is my goal, where do I go? These are the questions you might ask when you start Limbo, and after finishing the game, I still don't know the answers. But I really don't mind. My adventure into Limbo was brief, I completed the game in just under 4 hours, but it left a lasting impact. The game's visuals are so unique and bring so much beauty to such simple graphics and animation. A color version of this game would look terrible, instead the grayscale visuals are charming and creepy simultaneously. In gameplay terms, I would describe Limbo as a "survival platformer". The entirety of your understanding quickly becomes "Just keep going right, and do not die." The puzzles can be quite erm, puzzling, at times, especially as you push further into the game. Later game puzzles have you meticulously hitting levers, scaling ladders, avoiding traps and timing perfect jumps under very small time constraints. The puzzles were always fun though, and you always feel accomplished when completing them. The game takes you everywhere from flooded forests to old mineshafts and all of these are fully realized in the black and white tones. At your disposal, is nothing, aside from a short and long jump. The puzzles are mostly straightforward, your goal : reach that ledge, or make it past that spinning saw. 

                     "With the exception of your character, it seems everyone in Limbo is bald."

You will die, a lot, in this game. Not because it's particularly hard, but because most of the puzzles are trial and error based, and death is usually the first couple solutions to them. Approaching a dark area for instance, a blade may swing down and kill you. This may seem cheap the first time, but the second time around you know what to expect. Unexpected kills make up the majority of your deaths, but fortunately, there is a checkpoint after every puzzle, and respawn is instant so you're not waiting every time you die. The sound adds depth and a level of surreality to everything. Simple lever pulls echo through the darkness and add the ever present feeling of abandonment. Limbo leaves you feeling completely deserted, with giant spiders and brain leeching slugs around every turn. Even the glimpse of another human will get you excited as much as it will scare you. Limbo is as simple as a platformer can be. Run, jump, push, pull, grab, swing, repeat. But even these simple things can become complex in Limbo. Throughout he game are various hidden trophies too, inspiring another playthrough. Limbo never tells you this obviously, and it wasn't until about an hour in that I found my first one, no telling how many I missed never knowing they were there. Although, as such a short game, I can't find one good reason not to play through Limbo again.

                "The visuals and atmosphere of Limbo sets it apart from every other platformer"

     Limbo stands out  from the myriad of other
platform puzzlers with it's unique visuals, simple
mechanics, immersive audio and well thought out puzzles. The lack of any story may be of some hindrance, but in ways makes the game that much more engaging, pushing you forward to discover the answers. Limbo is a wonderful way to spend a night of gaming and I'll be revisiting the eerie land many times.



Pros : Beautiful Visuals/ Nice Sound FX/ Entrancing atmosphere

Cons : Abrupt ending/lack of direction/very short          



- Darrell

Movie Review : The Amazing Spider-Man

"I'm gonna throw you out the window now" - Peter Parker/Spider-Man

     Just 5 years after Tobey Maguire last dawned the Spiderman suit, Andrew Garfield steps in as the next web slinger in The Amazing Spider-Man. However, unlike Sam Raimi's series of films, Marc Webb decided on a more comic book story approach. In Webb's rebooted version, Spider-Man's love interest is Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone) instead of Raimi's Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst). I felt that Stone was a better leading woman because unlike Dunst's character, she wasn't portrayed as the damsel in distress but rather smart and involved, which is one of the reasons Spidey defeated the Lizard. Another similarity to the comic is Spider-Mans web slinging ability. Don't get me wrong he still swings through the city, but it's artificial webbing shot out of a device that Peter Parker invented. Garfield portrayed Peter as a cool geek, and the reason I say that is because he is a geek in all senses of the word,he's smart and loves science, but he still has his skateboard (at least until he gets his Spidey abilities) and he loses the glasses. We also get to see Dr. Connors not only as Peters mentor, but also his main nemesis of the film. While there are still aspects of Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy that will always be famous (e.g the upside down kiss), The Amazing Spider-Man still managed to stay with it. One of the only real complaints I had was the time it took for Spidey to emerge. For the first half of the movie your getting an introduction to Peter before he's Spider-Mans, which isn't bad but for those who watch superhero movies for the epic fight scenes and the awesome arch enemies, it was an excruciatingly long wait. Lizard was a cool bad guy, but he was too much like the Hulk. Turning into this horrible beast and having no control over what it does. And the fight between Spider-Man and Lizard wasn't as great as they could have made it, I mean it didn't really last that long and the main fight they had been building up for was kind of a disappointment. As for my opinion on the movie, I really thought they did a nice job giving the story from the comic perspective and showing Spider-Man as a high school kid in a suit and not some unstoppable force. Even though there were some things about the movie I didn't care for, it did keep my attention and that's really all you can ask for in a good movie.

Pros: Amazing graphics/ Comic book feel/ better leading woman

Cons: Disappointing final battle/  Takes too long to actually get Spidey suit/ not enough fight scenes

Final Verdict: 8.25/10

-Tiffany


Second Opinion :

Visual effects have come a long ways since Sam Raimi's Spider-Man hit theaters. The effects are beautiful, but to me the gem of the movie is Andrew Garfield, the new and improved Peter Parker. In nearly every way, Garfield is a better Peter. He's funnier, more charming, and most importantly, much truer to the comics. There are faults in the story, as this is a brand new take on spidey's story, although it's still truer to paper than most other versions. But all that can be forgiven due to the acting and cast of the film. If you didn't read my Avengers review, then I mentioned that Marvel Studios is possibly the best company in the business at casting. This continues that streak, and was an absolute joy for me.

9 out of 10

Anime Review : 5 Cm Per Second (Movie)

 

  

~ "5 cm per second. They say that's the speed at which a cherry blossom falls. 5 cm per second." ~

First and foremost, 5 Cm Per Second is hands down the single most gorgeous looking film I have ever seen. Not anime, film. Period. I can not begin to describe just how absolutely phenomenal the artwork in this movie is. It's something you have to see to appreciate, and I would actually suggest you stop reading this review and go watch this movie, right now. If you're still reading this however, I'll continue the review. However, I will continue below this next beautiful screenshot taken directly from the film.

Visuals aside, 5 Cm Per Second is not the best anime I've ever seen. In reality, the story was only so-so in my opinion. It was good, for the majority, it kept me interested, but the ending left me wanting more. Once again, an excellent story is spoiled by a bad ending. The story centers around two childhood friends who grow into lovers, but also grow apart, as distance begins to separate them.
The story is divided into 3 "episodes". Episode 1 focuses on their childhood, as episode 2 focuses on their teenage years and the beginning of their separation. By the 3rd act, the two are adults and live entirely different lives, yet still often think of each other. I'm a guy, and love stories aren't exactly my thing, but I was rooting for these two, and was looking forward to the inevitable reunion of their love. Which.. never came. This isn't a happy love story, so if that's what you want, then look elsewhere. I don't mind sad endings, but this was just left too many questions for me. In fact, I feel it's safe to assume that one of the main characters most likely commits suicide after the credits roll. Even so, the story was still enjoyable, and felt quite relatable, and likely will for anyone who has ever been through heartbreak.

This could have been a masterpiece, if the ending had been done a little different, though everyone is different and some might enjoy the ending. From a visual standpoint, this already is a masterpiece, and should be watched if solely for the art. The artwork and animation in this movie is completely unparalleled, and the artists who made it deserve to have their art viewed and respected. I was in awe at some of the images in this movie, and the detail in some scenes is completely baffling. This movie would be breathtaking if it were only a silent film, and adding a charming, if saddening, love story only improves it. If you have a free night and want to be inspired, as one can find inspiration in a beautiful painting, then please watch this movie. The artists deserve to have their work admired, and admire you shall.


Pros : Breathtaking visuals / Superb animation / Compelling storytelling

Cons : Ending / Unanswered questions / Dub could be a little better

Final Verdict : 8.75/10

- Darrell

Game Review : Super Mario 3D Land

Super Mario is back. Our favorite little plumber from the 1985 classic, has once again come back to save Princess Peach from the clutches of his arch nemesis and antagonist, Bowser. Before the games begins, we see in a cut scene that on a stormy night a Tail Tree’s Super Leaves are being blown away and scattered across the Mushroom Kingdom and if anyone comes in contact with them they are given the Tanooki Tail. In the middle of all of this we hear Bowser laughing and the screen goes black. The next morning we see Mario and the toadstools running to the tree just as the last leaf falls. One of the toadstools notice an envelope floating to the ground, inside we see a picture of Princess Peach in the clutches of Bowser. This sets Mario off on a mission to defeat Bowser and save Peach.

  As in the previous games, Mario has to go through each level and reach the flagpole. But there are other goals as well, finding the 3 gold star coins and landing directly on top of the flagpole to get a gold flag. All of those goals can be done in every stage. Mario has 8 worlds to go through initially with 6 stages in every world. After Mario saves Princess Peach in the final Bowser stage he finds another picture, this time Luigi’s been kidnapped. Once you save Luigi in the first special world he becomes a playable character that you can choose to play as in the rest of the game. At first the game was too easy and there wasn’t much of a challenge. But once you get to the special worlds it gets a lot harder. I was glad to see that in the special worlds they took the Golden Tanooki Suit, which makes you invincible, and the P-Wing, which takes you straight to the flagpole, completely out. They also added the Poison Mushroom, which hurts Mario, and the Grey Super Leaf, which still gives Mario the Tanooki Suit but instead of the butt stomp he jumps in the air and turns into a statue, in the special worlds. The new suit to the game is the Boomerang Suit, which you get in world 5. With the Boomerang Suit Mario gets a blue shell and helmet and can throw boomerangs at enemies. There are a number of secrets in the game that you can find along your quest to save Peach, like infinite lives, secret levels, secret theme songs, world warps, and alternate title screens. And don't let me forget to say how amazing some of the 3D effects were. Especially when there were fire and magic balls thrown at the screen.

I really enjoyed playing Super Mario 3D Land and I thought they did Mario just. I would recommend it for kids and adults alike. If you are a big Mario fan then you will really enjoy it as well. I can’t wait for the sequel!

Pros:  Amazing 3D effects/ Well designed levels/ More than one goal to achieve in every stage

Cons: Not challenging in the first few worlds/ No multiplayer/ Stages seem too short/ No minigames

Final Verdict: 9.5/10

-Tiffany

News Update : 7/19/12

UPDATE : 7/19/12


We're currently working on a big new batch of reviews right now. This may take a while, due to my work schedule, but we will release them ASAP. The reviews I'm currently working on are : The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword (Game, Wii) Mass Effect 3 (Game, PC) 5 Cm Per Second (Anime Movie) Limbo (Game, PC) and Durarara (Anime Series). Our editor Tiffany, will be reviewing The Game of Thrones (TV Series) first season, The Amazing Spider-Man (Movie), Grave of the Fireflies (Anime Movie) and some DS games. So, as you can tell, we've got our hands full, but our goal is to release at least two new reviews a week. Stay tuned.


 - Darrell

Movie Review : The Avengers (2012)

  A movie that's been teased for years, The Avengers is a comic book nerd's dream come true. I remember the first time I saw the after-credits bonus scene in Iron Man, and almost tearing up in pure excitement. As the years went by, my excitement grew into an overwhelming fear of being letdown. I felt that there was literally no way that the movie could live up to my expectations. Well, it did. Somehow, some way, The Avengers managed to be as good as I had hoped, no, as good as I had prayed, it would be. Dare I say, it was almost better. I attribute most of this success, to Marvel's unbelievably stellar casting department. Movie after movie, during the build-up, the set pieces were positioned perfectly with absolutely perfect casting(I consider Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark to be, literally, the best cast EVER). Each individual movie has garnered such success, that they're all getting sequels. If anything, Marvel has been hitting home-runs lately with every swing. I'm not ashamed to say that I've seen The Avengers, at least, 4 times. It's not a perfect movie by any means, but what it is, is pure fun and an adrenaline rush to witness. Joss Whedon does an excellent job directing and letting the actors, not the special fx, tell the story. The dialogue and character interaction is the highlight here. To me, Tom Hiddleston(Loki) and Robert Downey Jr(Tony Stark, Iron Man) steal the show with their perfect sarcasm, dark charm, and snarky wit. Mark Ruffalo is the latest actor to step into the green goliath's shoes. Though I was a fan of Ed Norton's Hulk, Ruffalo has excellent chemistry with the other actors and makes for a wonderful Bruce Banner(Marvel's casting department hits gold again.).

  The plot of Avengers may be it's weak point. If you're a fan of sci-fi, or superhero movies, you've probably already seen it. Bad guy gains power. Gains control of a sinister army. Tries to take over the world. Etc, etc. EXCEPT, this bad guy, is freakin awesome. If the heroes weren't so lovable, you would most likely be rooting for this guy(some still were). The special FX are gorgeous and believable, and the characters are painted in a worldly light that makes them relatable. The heroes themselves, and the actors portraying them, are again terrific. Tony Stark is as snarky and hilarious as ever, Thor(Chris Hemsworth) is still Godly, and Captain America(Chris Evans) finally feels like the Cap'(I wasn't a huge fan of Captain America's solo outing). A pleasant surprise as well, was the humor within Avengers. The script does an excellent job of delivering some great haha moments at exactly the right time. Unexpected humor is always the most effective, and Avengers succeeds in producing a laugh when you least expect it. Seeing this in Theaters almost always ended to a standing ovation and cheers. My only real complaint with Avengers, is that now, my anticipation of the sequel may be even greater than the anticipation of this one! And so sets in the creeping fear of a bad sequel, and a huge let-down. But if Marvel's latest work is anything to go by, I shouldn't have anything to worry about.


Pros : Funny | Special FX | Great Script | Acting

Cons : Ended too soon! | Final fight sequence seemed too short after the long build-up

Final Verdict : 9.25/10


-Darrell

Anime Review : The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Movie, English Dub, 2006)

                                                           ~”Time waits for no one.”~

  At first, Makoto is just your typical teenage girl. She goes to school, hangs with friends, and gets terribly awkward in any romantic situation she finds herself in. That is, until one fateful day when an accident nearly ended her life. Waking near the train tracks, Makoto is astonished to find, that the train must have just miraculously missed her. It isn’t until later, that Makoto realizes that not only had she narrowly avoided death, but she had also jumped (quite literally) back in time.  Eventually, with the help of her Auntie Witch, she learns to harness this power and use it at will. Of course, Makoto begins to have fun with this, and abuses this power at first. She changes small things, petty stupid things, such as going back and eating pudding out of the fridge before her little sister can get to it. Most of her abuse of this power, comes in getting herself out of awkward situations with a boy who likes her. But all things have a limit, and so does Makoto’s ability. But by the time she realizes, it may be too late to fix the things she wronged. And after realizing that she may in fact be in love with this boy, it may also be too late to tell him.

  The Girl Who Leapt Through Time starts out slow, but picks up pace as it nears it’s touching ending. Unexpectedly, TGWLTT is more of a love story than a tale of time travel, and a good one at that. It’s light-hearted, fun, and teaches us all to be happy with the life we have. Although it’s premise of awkward teenage love is rather simple, the story itself can become incredibly complex when you dig deeper into it. The ending alone has more theories and conspiracies than that of Inception. Overall, I enjoyed my journey with TGWLTT, and it’s mix of humor, romance, and believable characters make for a great night of anime. Take away the time travel aspect, and you still have a touching love story. Keep it in, and you have a wonderfully original movie that is worth a watch.


Pros : Lovable, Believable Characters | Original | Colorful Art Design | Simple, Yet Complex

Cons : A little slow at the beginning | Confusing Ending | Lack of Closure

 Final Verdict : 8/10


- Darrell

A New Perspective On Movies, Games, and TV series.

So you’re watching the news, and a big name movie reviewer comes on for the weekend movie reviews. You watch as they praise the direction, the subtle nuances in the writing, and the beautiful cinematography. “Wow, this movie sounds terrific!”. This thought crosses your mind several times as you look up the local theater showtimes. A few hours later you leave that theater disappointed and less wealthy to boot. The truth is, I’ve seen movies that were blasted by critics, but were wonderful. And of course the opposite is true, with the scenario I painted previously. Sometimes the critics get it right, but sometimes they don’t. Any art form is always subject to opinion, no doubt, but sometimes you just wanna watch something fun. Who cares if it doesn’t have an all-star ensemble cast, or John Williams writing the soundtrack. All that matters to the majority of people, is pure entertainment value. This is what this site is about. My reviews will be honest, but not so stuck-up that one actor makes or breaks the movie. I will give my opinions on the direction, the writing, the acting, etc; but I will also be looking at each experience as a whole, and whether or not it made my day/week/month a little better, or maybe a little worse.