__I hope everyone had a good Halloween.🙂 As per tradition, I celebrated it by watching a couple of horror movies I hadn't seen before, but we'll get to those later.
__Today's list of Twitter-length reviews is going to be a long one, because I've been extremely busy with both movies and video games. Last month's entry was posted right in the middle of a rather lengthy set of this year's movies that I was going through, and I've seen a few more since. And as I mentioned last time, I started watching longplays of the games I own (either legitimately or as emulator ROMs) that I'd skipped over and left without a rating on my list. There are quite a lot because most of them are very short.
__Plus, I've started going to the cinema more often. My last post went up mere hours before I went to see No Time to Die, so that movie's been waiting to have its turn on this blog for a whole month!😀 Well, finally the wait is over.
__Section one: cinema releases.
A solid swan song for Daniel Craig's Bond, as well as one of the best films in the franchise. Its runtime may seem excessive, but you barely notice it. The highlight is a car chase that turns into a suspenseful hunt in a misty wood.
My rating: 80%.
As you'd expect of Denis Villeneuve, it's visually stunning and very slow-paced – maybe too much so. The story is easy enough to follow, but it's vague on many details that are probably explained better in the book, and the ending is far too abrupt.
My rating: 65%.
Much of it is a tad illegible for the uninitiated, not helped by the sporadic pacing, but even the movie knows Marguerite's is the most important story, and it's fascinating to see certain events unfold from different people's perspectives.
My rating: 65%.
__Believe it or not, the same thing is happening again with today's post!😀 I'll be going to see Eternals later today, but I must stick to my schedule.
__Section two: movies I watched at home. Among them is The Croods 2, which I mistakenly thought came out this year. And at the end are the two movies I watched on Halloween: Something Wicked This Way Comes and Jacob's Ladder. I've seen the former pop up on a few lists of scary nostalgic moments, and in the case of the latter, I'm a big fan of psychological horror, and this one seemed appropriate right about now because it was one of the main inspirations for Silent Hill.
A fun action movie that sometimes satirises the conventions, like the fight scene on the bus where he does not make it look easy. Other highlights are the montage depicting how boring his daily life is, and the reveal of why he fails to act.
My rating: 75%.
It's an interesting concept to see the Warrens try to prove a murderer's innocence. The story itself holds your interest well enough, but the horror aspect is far weaker and more generic than the first two movies.
My rating: 55%.
The classic designs of the characters are appreciated, but it's a shame the plot is so haphazard and the pacing so lethargic. The first scene clashes with the pre-credits one, and the second half just derails completely.
My rating: 45%.
Not as good as the first movie, but still a worthy continuation. Since we know the monsters' weakness now, this one doesn't rely as much on fear and suspense; the new theme is a hopeful quest to exploit said weakness to the max.
My rating: 75%.
The plot is episodic, covering four holidays – and, I assume, four issues of the comic. It sets up the characters and the mystery well. The best part is Troy Baker as the Joker reprising his Mark Hamill impression.
My rating: 70%.
I liked it a little more than Part One, mainly because there's nowhere near as much sluggish pacing. A flashback involving Bruce and Falcone continues the theme of characters indirectly creating their own enemies.
My rating: 75%.
The first movie was enjoyably silly, but this one is just plain stupid. It's loud, crass and generally obnoxious. Even when it appears to be putting its own spin on the estranged father trope, it later reneges on that idea.
My rating: 25%.
The unnatural-sounding dialogue and ensuing awkward interactions were already strange enough, but the séance scene is where it completely died for me. It's too absurd to be taken seriously, but if it's meant to be funny, I don't get the joke.
My rating: 25%.
Much like the first movie, its humour is kind of annoying, but it has just enough heart to be satisfying. The writing concerning the Bettermans is not subtle, and I'm not sure they earn the resolution the movie wants for them.
My rating: 65%.
I admit I'm not a big fan of musicals anyway, but this is a very haphazard one. The editing has no rhyme or reason; it's a disarray of cuts that add nothing to the music. That and the songs themselves and the characters did nothing for me.
My rating: 40%.
The anthropomorphised horse is more believable than the first movie, probably because the tone is more consistent: it's a full-on 3D cartoon. Sadly, it's a very pedestrian one that only undemanding children are likely to enjoy.
My rating: 40%.
There's almost a good movie here. The last act has hints of emotional moments that could have worked if the prior writing weren't Shyamalan at his very worst! Not one line sounds natural. Not quite as hilariously bad as The Happening, but close.
My rating: 25%.
It has its moments, like the characters' very believable reaction where they start desperately guessing based on the slightest clue, but the tone is a little too irreverent, and the acting seems inferior too.
My rating: 55%.
Don't expect a John Wick-style bloodthirsty quest for revenge. It's a quiet, kind of slow drama where even the final confrontation is an emotional rather than physical attack. It's also rather bizarre because Cage's character is hard to decipher.
My rating: 60%.
I'm sure the book is a lot better, but the film suffers from acting so bad that it kills any potential intrigue or fear. By far the best scene is when Mr Dark is threatening Halloway by counting down the years of his life.
My rating: 45%.
It brilliantly pulls you into Jacob's mind until you're not sure what's real anymore, but I won't spoil the ingenious explanation for what he's seeing. I could definitely see the Silent Hill influence in the hospital hallway scene.
My rating: 85%.
__Also, another minor note on Escape Room 2: I watched the extended cut, which apparently completely rewrites the ending. So imagine my confusion when Deborah Ann Woll, a returning actress from the first movie who features prominently in the cast list, was nowhere to be seen.
__Now, before we move on to the games on my list, here's an additional section of games I watched on the side but don't actually own.
__Castlevania 2 and 3 were to prepare for Rondo of Blood, which I'd just bought as part of Castlevania Requiem on the PS4. (And I swear it's just a coincidence that I had a Castlevania marathon in October.😀) I know 2 best as the Angry Video Game Nerd's very first review, and I don't think I'll ever play 3 myself because it has a reputation as the hardest of the lot. I also watched Castlevania: Bloodlines (called Castlevania: The Next Generation in Europe) and liked it so much that I downloaded it for the Sega emulator.
__As for The Terminator on Sega CD, I'd heard some good things about it (especially the music), but I don't think I'll ever download it myself because I tried using a Sega CD emulator before and couldn't get it to work right.
__And I do plan on getting the first three Tekken games, but not just yet. The first two are available as PSOne Classics on the American PS Store, but not the third one – the one with which I actually have a history – so I'll have to buy that one physically.
It opts for a nonlinear, exploration-heavy style, like if you gave Zelda a gothic horror atmosphere. But it's hindered by infamously obscure puzzles, along with equally cryptic hints, and tedious grinding for currency.
My rating: 65%.
The graphics and sound have taken a step up from the first two games, and the big innovation is additional characters and branching paths that affect the difficulty. There are also some neat references to the first game.
My rating: 70%.
The game itself is a decent side-scroller, but the amazing music propels it to being a killer experience.😀 It could have done without the FMV cutscenes, which clash with the score by playing the gloomy Terminator theme every time.
My rating: 80%.
It doesn't have the best characters or move set, but it's pretty impressive for an early 3D fighting game. The camera usually keeps the characters in profile as the environment rotates to match, but there are dynamic angles for the special moves.
My rating: 75%.
Little has changed in terms of gameplay, but there are two key improvements: the backgrounds are character-specific, like in Street Fighter, and the unlockable characters have endings this time. The back-story is a good continuation, too.
My rating: 75%.
Basically more of the same, except I have some nostalgia for this one: I'd often play it at a friend's house. There was one move that always cracked me up: stomach punch, then throwing the opponent over his head so they fell flat on their arse.😆
My rating: 75%.
__I suspect my score for The Terminator would be lower if I were actually playing it, because I've heard the gun control criticised.
__Also, the Tekken 1 longplay that I watched had no music at all (except for the cutscenes), and it kept cutting out in 3 as well. I found out that that seems to be a common issue with those games.
__And now for the final section: the games for which I was watching longplays for the sake of filling in gaps in the ratings on my list.
__Some of them are new additions that I'd just downloaded, like Super Mario Land 2, Yoshi's Island and Donkey Kong Country 3. In those cases, I had their predecessors, so I decided I might as well complete the set.
__I still had two 2001 games left over, which I had originally planned to play along with watching the older ones, but I got lost very early on in Red Faction, so I just ended up watching that one too. So, rather than sticking to the order in which I watched them and awkwardly putting the 2001 pair in the middle of the list, I've decided to start with them.
__Also, I've made it clear before how much I struggled to get into Final Fantasy 6 and 7, so I tried watching Let's Plays in the hope that someone's commentary would make them more palatable for me. But I couldn't find one for 6 where the commentary was tolerable, and 7 lost me yet again when Red XIII was introduced without a word of explanation; you're just supposed to blindly accept that there's a talking lion in the story now. The cryptic, perhaps poorly translated dialogue didn't help either. So I give up; I'm basing my impressions of those games – and Chrono Cross – on what I remember of the gameplay and "complete story explained" videos on YouTube, which go into far more detail than a Wikipedia synopsis, complete with visual aids. You might say I can't make an informed opinion if I haven't gone through the whole thing myself, but the games just keep trying my patience whenever I do make a stab at that. The thought of sitting through hour after hour after hour of gameplay to watch the story unfold at a snail's pace makes me sick! Are there novelisations I could read instead?
__So, with all that said, here we go.
A stunningly monotonous shooter. You've basically seen the whole game after the first ten minutes. The destructible environments are a neat feature, but hardly ever necessary. Not to mention, why are there expansive underwater caverns on Mars?
My rating: 45%.
The graphics and music are fantastic, but the story is far too vague for me. It's mostly implied through metaphorical visuals, but it's not clear (at least to me) what they represent. Somehow, the first game still feels more atmospheric.
My rating: 60%.
The original number four has been restored in every version since. The music is amazing, and if you keep the overall goals in mind, the story is easy enough to follow for the most part. It's a good game, but it didn't blow my mind.
My rating: 70%.
Thanks to its swift gameplay, variety of moves and colourful characters, it's just as fun to watch as I'm sure it is to play if fighting games are your thing. Every opponent has their own background, usually complete with spectators.
My rating: 90%.
It was groundbreaking for its use of digitised actors and bloody violence – which, along with the music, complements its dark, oppressive atmosphere. Like Street Fighter II, it's a ton of fun to watch even if you aren't playing it.
My rating: 90%.
It's kind of the Game Boy's answer to Super Mario World. The graphics are a huge improvement on the first game, and you can complete the six worlds in any order. They cover themes like a tree, horror and even space.😀
My rating: 70%.
It was ambitious for its time, but it really hasn't aged well. It's disorientating flying around in a first-person view with 2D sprites in the featureless void of space. I'm not all that interested in being a space combat pilot, anyway.
My rating: 55%.
A lot of the music is taken from the first two games, and even certain stages directly reference them, enforcing the idea that Richter is following in Simon's footsteps. The graphics and music keep it invigorating.
My rating: 85%.
It doesn't feel as fresh as the first game, but there are several new additions to the cast, move list and especially fatalities. I love how whenever the "friendship" finisher is announced, it's repeated as a question in disbelief.😆
My rating: 80%.
One of the better Castlevania titles. It takes some cues from earlier games, but still remains its own thing that, given the time period, could be seen as an allegory for World War I.
My rating: 85%.
The gameplay is identical to the first game, in case you can't get enough of running around blasting demons in the face.😀 The big difference, aside from some new weapons and enemies, is that this one isn't divided into episodes.
My rating: 85%.
The original number six has been restored in every version since. The opening is incredible, as is the entire score. The story isn't bad, but its lack of a clear structure makes it feel brutally long! Give me Chrono Trigger any day.
My rating: 60%.
Street Fighter II was a tough act to follow, but this game offers the same diverse and energised combat, and builds on the combo system. Whenever you pull off a Level 3 Super Combo, that's always the highlight.
My rating: 85%.
As it's a prequel with baby Mario, it takes an infectiously charming child-friendly approach. The opening gives off a storybook vibe, the backgrounds often resemble chalk drawings, and the music is as amazing as ever.
My rating: 95%.
This might be the best of the series so far. It boasts a full menagerie of characters, and faster gameplay through swift combos and a run feature. I also like how non-human characters bleed green, or black oil in some cases.
My rating: 90%.
Still a decent game, but neither the characters nor the music are as appealing as the first one. Still, it has its highlights, like the Pot Hole Panic level that makes use of all the animal friends.
My rating: 65%.
Not much to say about this one. The combat and detailed backgrounds are as arresting as ever. It adds to its predecessor's roster of characters from the first two Street Fighter games and Final Fight, plus newcomer Sakura.
My rating: 85%.
As with other Final Fantasy games, the music is top-notch, and it's fun for a couple of hours, until the story just keeps dragging on and on. It's way too long and involved for someone who was never that invested to begin with.
My rating: 60%.
I think each update lessens the experience. The original puts so much effort into the environments that they change for each round, but 2nd Impact abandons that idea, and 3rd Strike might as well be a completely different game.
My rating: 75%.
As well as greatly expanding the character roster, it allows you to choose from one of three Super Combo styles called "isms". The pre-fight narration sounds like a real sports commentary instead of the usual, "Ready… Fight!"
My rating: 80%.
The combat system and sheer number of playable characters are so overwhelming it's offputting, and the story itself doesn't do a thing for me at all. I don't think I've ever seen a story so complicated and yet with nothing interesting to say.
My rating: 45%.
Even if you can get past the infamous training stage, it's not worth it because the story is barely comprehensible and treated as secondary to the driving itself. I initially liked the light reflections on wet roads, but it even happens on grass.
My rating: 50%.
The gameplay is fun, emphasising espionage and hacking devices, and shaping future events through your choices. But it's all for a politically driven narrative that barely piqued my interest at all, even if parts of it proved shockingly prophetic.
My rating: 60%.
__Once again, I have additional comments to make on several of those games.
__If you don't know, there were multiple editions of Street Fighter 2 and 3 that were all released separately at the time because downloadable updates didn't exist yet. The Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection – and, by extension, the longplay I was watching – includes all of them. I think my favourite version of 2 is Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers. I'm not a big fan of the alternate colours in the Turbo titles.
__For the Mortal Kombat games, I found YouTube channels that did longplays of all the playable characters, because I wanted to see how they compared with each other.
__I decided to go with the Super Nintendo version of Wing Commander. It was originally released on MS-DOS, but I'd need to take a course on how to work that! I do wonder how the Super Nintendo version compares, though. Maybe someday I'll watch longplays of the first three (or even four) games on DOS.
__In Donkey Kong Country 3, I found it really funny that Wrinkly Kong is an avid gamer, and she appears to be playing a Nintendo 64… if you can wrap your head around that console being in a game from the previous generation!😀
__Well, that's it. Now the ratings on my list are up to date. There are only two games up until 2001 that I've still left unrated: DuckTales on NES (I've played some of it, and I think it would mean more to me if I'd seen the show) and Final Doom, which is a compilation of two episodes, each as long as the entirety of Doom II, and I've had enough of Doom for the time being.
__Now I can move on to games from 2002.
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