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Subtle Foreshadowing in the Music of Splatoon 2: 7 Years Later

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Splatoon 2 logo, from geekdad.com Ok, yeah, so I’m a little late to the party on this one. Maybe a little more than a little– but who’s counting, really? Minor spoilers ahead! I’ve been letting my roommate play through the single-player campaign on my old copy of Splatoon 2 recently, and I’ve had a lot of fun watching her play (and occasionally pointing out the location of a secret, or helping her clear a level). But as she progressed through the game, I noticed something I’d missed when I first played through the game all those years ago.  In the single-player campaign, you are a young inkling recruited by famous pop-idol Marie of the famous Squid Sisters to help find her missing cousin and pop-star partner Callie , who has recently gone missing. In search of her you delve into Octo Canyon, a location overrun by the fearsome Octarian Army. You delve deeper and deeper into the canyon as you clear levels, gain new weapons, and defeat bosses, all while accompanied by some of...
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I Hate Fighting the Venusaur EX Card in Pokemon TCG Pocket

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Pokemon TCGP Logo, from  tcgpocket.pokemon.com In the time since my last post, my little sister has convinced me to start playing Nintendo’s Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket app– an app that lets you collect virtual Pokemon cards and battle it out against friends, strangers, and bots in battles with a simplified version of the card game rules. As of writing this post, I’ve managed to collect 293 total cards by opening Booster Packs– a loot-box-style method of obtaining cards. Each pack contains five random cards, and you can open up to two of these packs a day for free (or more, if you’re willing to spend in-game or real-world currency).  Now, cards in Pokemon have a sort of balance to them. Pokemon have a certain amount of health, and attacks that can do a certain amount of damage, given that a Pokemon has a certain amount of energy. Some of these attacks come with additional effects, conditions, or drawbacks– this is where strategy becomes important. Your deck of cards...
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In Defense of Hawkeye (2021)

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          It’s been just about three years since Marvel released their Hawkeye show, exclusive to Disney+ . It didn’t release with much fanfare; it was largely overshadowed by the hype for Spiderman: No Way Home , which released five days before Hawkeye’s finale episode, and many IMBd reviews call it cliche, predictable, or otherwise unremarkable. But I’m here to tell you that these reviews are incorrect: Hawkeye is a fun, well-paced show that accomplishes its goals well, brings in new and entertaining characters, and manages to completely avoid the power creep problem that has infected so much Marvel content. Spoilers below!           Now, I have to admit, I’ve always had a soft spot for Hawkeye , so I might be biased. He gets a lot of flak in the MCU for being just a regular dude standing toe-to-toe with the likes of Cap , Iron Man , and Thor , but that’s one of the reasons I like him so much, and one of the reasons the sh...
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My Top Four Games to De-Stress

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  The holidays are approaching, school is ramping up for college students like myself, and the world feels more chaotic than ever. In stressful times, it’s more important than ever to make time for ourselves and de-stress where we can. And what better way to do that than by playing a video game? Gaming is my favorite way to de-stress, because in order to play a game you really have to give it your full attention . It’s not passive like watching TV, and its more physically engaging than reading a book (though both of these are wonderful alternatives).  With that being said, here are my top four games I play to de-stress after a long day (and why): 1. Minecraft Minecraft logo, from Google Images          Ah, Minecraft. An oldie, admittedly, but a goodie. What can’t you do in Minecraft? Minecraft’s world is infinite, and your only limitations are how creative you’re willing to be. Personally, when I play Minecraft to relax, I hop on my friend’s Min...
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Major Switch 2 Detail Unveiled

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  Major news for Nintendo fans– on Tuesday, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa announced via Nintendo’s X account that the successor console to the Nintendo Switch (often referred to as Switch 2) will be backwards compatible. For those not familiar with the term, this means that the new console will be able to play Switch games. Additionally, Mr. Furukawa announced that Nintendo Online , Nintendo’s online-play subscription service, will also carry over to the Switch 2. OLED Nintendo Switch Model. Credit: Polygon   So what does this mean for Nintendo fans? It means that you’ll be able to play any and all of your favorite physical Nintendo Switch games on the Switch 2, and you won’t need to worry about buying a new online service membership to play online with friends, or play the retro games that Nintendo offers through its Premium online service. But don’t get too excited; we still know very little about the Switch 2, and there may be limitations on how much Switch cont...
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At Least 700 Things You Could Buy Instead of the $700 Playstation5 Pro

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This just about sums it up. Generated by me using imgflip.com            Sony’s newest home console system, the PS5 Pro , was announced back in September. It’s currently being advertised as an all-around better Playstation 5. And, from a hardware perspective, I’ll award Sony some points. The PS5 Pro claims an upgraded GPU, more advanced ray-tracing, and AI-powered image upscaling when compared with the regular PS5, as well as the ability to graphically upscale older PS4 and PS5 games. But Sony felt the need to upgrade something else along with the hardware.            The price.  Now of course, a more advanced piece of hardware will come with a more ‘advanced’ cost. The Nintendo Switch Lite , for example, retails for $100 less than a regular Switch , and an OLED model retails for $50 more. But the PS5 was already $450 for a digital-only version , and $500 for one that could read actual discs . But the PS5 Pro is pl...
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The Twenty-Sided Tavern: an Off-Broadway Review

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  This weekend I had the good fortune of venturing into Manhattan to see Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern off-Broadway for the second time. Twenty-Sided Tavern is essentially a largely improvised stage-play version of Dungeons and Dragons , a game which I’ve been an avid player of since middle school. Twenty-Sided Tavern is the most unique show I’ve seen– the plot and characters are different every night, and no two shows are the same. Nearly everything in the show is affected by audience participation and dice rolls.  Playbill with the set in the background. Photo: Me The show presents itself as a typical D&D adventure, and the basic premise is the same each night: a mysterious energy called Havoc is sowing chaos throughout the land, and a group of three adventurers– one warrior, one mage, and one trickster– are chosen by a wizard to help put a stop to it. But that’s where the similarities end between shows. The actions the characters take, the succe...
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