Category Archives: 2021
It Is Nice to Get Out and Do Stuff
As discussed from yesterday, tonight Jessica and I went out with my dad and step-mom to go see the new James Bond 007 movie, No Time To Die. So this was back to back nights going to the movies. It is a nice feeling getting back out in the world and doing stuff again now that movies are returning. This was a small post today because of stuff I’ll be talking about next weekish.
Anyway, No Time to Die and Venom 2 were both great! I highly recommend either one if you’ve seen their previous installments. Anyway, have a great night everybody and thanks for reading!
It is a Venom Day.
Jessica and I had the impulse decision to bust out our Venom 1 blu-ray and subscribe to AMC’s 20 dollar a month package. This package let’s you pay 20 dollars and then you get to watch 3 movies every week with no extra charge (on tickets at least haha).
So with our lunch we watched the first one. Now we’re at the Theater getting ready for Venom 2.
So should be a fun night. Tomorrow we’re watching the new James Bond with my dad.
My AP Top 10 as of October 3rd, 2021
Another week, a new top 10.
1. Alabama
No surprises here. While I think they are 1.A with Georgia, I have my questions with all of Georgia’s injuries. They got a huge quality win absolutely shutting down Ole Miss until the game was out reach. With the rest of the west looking human, Alabama will probably cruise to a 12-0 finish to meet Georgia.
2. Georgia
Honestly, Georgia lacks the quality wins of the other top 10, thanks to how mediocre Clemson looks, but their defense looks unstoppable and their offense seems to be clicking no matter who takes the snap.
3. Penn State
Penn State continues to be one the best stories in College football. Their defense constantly looks the billing of a top 5 defense. Their offense has given pause at different parts of the year. But they get another showcase game this week against Iowa to prove they’re a top 3 team.
4. Iowa
Every week Iowa just keeps destroying people. They have bullied Indiana, Maryland and ISU into submission. This helped set up a top 4 battle next week with Penn State. Honestly, if I have Alabama and Georgia as 1.A and 1.B, then Penn State and Iowa are 2.A and 2.B.
5. Cincinnati
I’m interested to see if the AP agrees with me on this. The AP poll was high on ND and is constantly viewed as the committee’s golden boy. Well Cincinnati said they would manhandle ND and backed it up. They jumped up 17-0. I would have liked to have seen them throttle ND to really validate them. Still when Notre Dame made it close again, Cincinnati capped off an iconic drive with a QB run for a touchdown. I think they’ve earned the top 5 spot. Now they need to win out and watch the SEC and Big Ten defeat each other.
6. Oklahoma
Survive is the name of the game. If they’re unbeaten at the end of it they will have beaten Oklahoma State, Texas, Iowa State and Baylor and be 13-0. They are one of the least impressive unbeaten teams left, but they keep winning. You can only drop them so low at this point. Though undefeated teams like BYU and Oklahoma State have looked more impressive at times. Oklahomas offense is doing enough while their defense is really keeping them in it. OU has yet to play 4 good quarters against an FBS team, but they remain unbeaten, which is good enough for this week.
7. Oregon
Admittedly, I could make the argument for Oregon at 6. They have a better win at Ohio State than anything Oklahoma has done all season. They came back from 17 down at Stanford just to lose in overtime (a game They might could have won if they could have performed a better 4 minute drive to close the game. However, Oregon is going to learn a valuable lesson. It’s better to be in control of your own destiny. If they’re at 11-1 and Stanford wins their division, that could have a negative impact on their playoff hunt.
8. Ohio State
Ohio State is closing games out now. They did lose 1 game to a top 10 Oregon team but that’s hardly a big deal at this point. If they run the table and beat Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa at the end, that should be more than enough to overcome a loss. The real question would be at 11-2 and Big Ten Champs, would that be enough?
9. BYU
BYU handled business early in their schedule, beating two teams that were ranked at the time. Their biggest hurdle at this point seems to be Cincinnati. The nation thinks more of the Bearcats than the Cougars at this point. I just can’t see two group of five schools getting in.
10. Michigan
I’m not sure if Michigan is a top 10 team yet or not, but they are bullying everyone they play and people in front of them keep losing. Like all the other Big Ten teams, they will get plenty of time to show us who they really are.
For the record, ND, Arkansas and Coastal Carolina are all right outside of my top 10 because I dont punish you that hard for losing to other top teams. Oklahoma State also makes a nice jump in my list as well for the quality win over Baylor.
Well, thanks for reading guys. Have a great day guys.
N64 Games Coming to the Nintendo Online Service!
Last week’s Nintendo Direct brought so many goodies such as Bayonetta 3 and Kirby’s Forgotten Lands. But one of the major highlights was the N64 package coming to the Switch Online Service! Today, let us look at the 9 games coming to the service in October!
Super Mario 64
The iconic 3D Platformer of its era, Super Mario 64 is one of the catalyst of the 3D boon at the end of the 1990’s. Players take control of the titular jumping plumber as he traverses through over 15 levels collecting coins, stars and the souls of his enemies!
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time was ground breaking at its time and is still a force to this day. This was a must have as it is easily one of the best N64 games out there. Legend of Zelda is an adventure game that has Link conquering several dungeons, monsters and puzzles.
Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64 blends a space shooter and an on rail shooter to make this a unique 3D shooter. This is the only shoot-em-up I really play. The characters are memorable, the gameplay is fun and the branching paths make each playthrough its own adventure.
Mario Kart 64
While Mario Kart 64 was not the first in the franchise, I would argue it took full advantage of racing games leaping into full 3D. Tracks are enjoyable and diverse, racer’s sizes matter, and you feel like you are exploring the Mushroom Kingdom. It is just a fun way to play as the Mario gang.
Yoshi Story 64
Yoshi’s Story is the only side-scroller to make the initial list to this point. This was a dying time for 2-D side scrollers as there are very few note worthy entries for the genres. However, the lovable Yoshis, the addicting music and simplistic gameplay make this a must add for Side Scroll faithful.
Dr. Mario 64
Dr. Mario 64 is the only puzzle game to debut on the service. I’m not a huge Dr. Mario or puzzle game fan so I don’t have a lot to add. I see why they chose their mascot over a generic puzzle game such as Tetris. I think this will be a nice addition for casual fans and hardcore gamers alike.
Mario Tennis
1 of 2 sports games, if we’re counting Mario Kart, on the list. I have never played any version of Mario Tennis. However, with the release of the Switch version of Mario Tennis, this may attract new fans to flock to this rendition of Mario Tennis.
Operation WinBack
WinBack definitely stands out among the other games. It is the only North America release that was not developed by Nintendo on the list. It also is rated T for Teen, one of only 2 games to score that rating. The gameplay is also a complete contrast from the other games on this list. It is a 3rd person, over the shoulder, cover shooter. I’m glad a game like this exist on the service for the older audience that is not interested in kiddie games or first party titles. It wouldn’t have been my first selection, but I think it is a solid pick nonetheless.
Sin and Punishment
Sin and Punishment may or may not be the main reason to pay for this service, but it is definitely the cherry on top. This game never made it stateside during the N64’s original retail relevancy, formerly you could only play this game via the Wii’s Virtual Console. It is rated T for Teen and is another on rail shooter. Sin and Punishment is the N64’s equivalent to Star Fox 2 when the SNES mini released a few years back.
So there you have it. I’ll give more in-depth thoughts and opinions in a later entry but for now that should get you caught up on if you are interested in these titles. There’s really no weak games here, but I think the additional titles will help solidify the line up later on.
Wes And Jess React to the Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Trailer (Gen 4 Remakes!)
Check out our thoughts of the latest Pokemon Generation 4 remake trailers in the video below!
Thank you guys for watching/reading! Have a great day!
Life Lessons With Uramichi Oniisan Random Thursday #1 (Anime Review)
Hey there, today is not a new segment so to speak. It is more of a reworking. As the series was formerly know as Random Wednesday but I want to do more comic book pick ups on Wednesday. The premise of this series is simple. I watch the first episode of a random anime and then talk about it. Today’s Anime is Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan.
Here’s a run down of the plot so we are all on the same page. Uramichi Oniisan went to university and became a talented gymnastic. However, at the young age of 31 his life is going nowhere and he is the lead character of the children’s show “Together with Maman.”. Think of this show as Barney or Blue’s Clues in this universe. The rest of the show serves to highlight the struggles of not knowing who you are or what you want to do with yourself. His co-workers are scared of his mental unhingeness and his producers, oddly enough, just put up with his outrages. This show tackles a pretty serious issue, mid-life crisis, in a lighthearted manner. One episode in and I can’t tell if the show is trying to bring light to the subject or turn it into a comedy or both. Either way, the show manages to be hilarious because of the dark subject material juxtaposed to such an innocent setting. Uramichi is trying to figure out how to get his life out of the gutter while simultaneously inspire, educate and lead small children.
Interestingly enough, I’m not sure the wide appeal for an anime like this. However, it definitely hit close to home to me. At the age of 21, I was living in my dad’s pool house. My job, babysitting my 6 little siblings. They ran the gambit in ages from 8 to new born. I hung out with them every day because they were home schooled. I helped out in their education, entertained them and always tried to be there for them. All the while having no clue what I was doing with my life. I had bounced around colleges and majors. By this time I had attended three different colleges and had 5 different majors. I started out as a Mass Communications Major with a concentration in Film and Television. After I transferred to my next school I switched to Education. I was in a committed relationship and no longer dreamed of working on movies. I liked the idea of empowering kids and teens to be their best self. After a year as an Education major, my professor told me to just major in Biology since that is what I wanted to teach. However, a lot of my math courses didn’t translate with me so I was having to take extra courses. And because my college had 2 major campuses, I could never get signed up for Chemistry. Frustrated from spinning my wheels, I switched my major once again to general business. While, taking the business core, I planned to pick one area to major in. In hindsight I almost wished I would have picked Marketing, but I chose Accounting. I then transferred to my third college with my 5 major.
Well, I only have about a year of Accounting courses left not counting my minors, but I have fallen out of love with the subject and I am taking a break from school. It sucks, but it needs to happen. So I am sitting here, watching anime about a guy who had his life all figured out now spiraling out of control while I am unsure of my own future. I can relate to trying to be positive for the next generation while your world is in constant upheaval. So that’s why I did this specific life story tangent. I feel like this anime was created for me. Obviously I have only seen the first episode, but it seems right up my alley. I love the off-beat humor, the colorful supporting cast, the non-sense slice of life scenario it is set in. Honestly, the first episode was near perfect and quite enthralling. Though I totally get it if the all-over-the-place, chaotic nature is not your thing.
Recap:
Action: This is not a violent or action packed anime. There may have been some slapstick humor but I don’t remember.
Romance: I don’t recall much in the way of romance either.
Plot: The plot is nothing really special here. It is more so the characters’ interactions and the way they handle the world around them.
Characters: We are introduced to about 5 or 6 characters that could play bigger roles. Tobikichi Usahara and Mitsuo Kumatani play his lovable mascot sidekicks. While Utano Tadano and Iketery Daga show up occasionally for musical numbers. Of course there’s also Uramichi Oniisan and the children who I cannot wait to see what weird hijinks they get into.
The World: It is a slice a life anime. The world is nothing special. It is exactly our world.
Humor: Humor is of course one of the strong suits of this anime. Again it is situational humor playing on the absurdities of these character’s lives and situations.
All in all I think this is a great anime if you like the following:
Slice of Life. There’s no great evil or end of the world stakes. It is just PvE. Real life people working through problems.
Relatable cast. A lot of us work jobs that are unfulfilling or have co-workers we have to deal with. Sure some of the characters are extremes or caricatures, but a lot of it is grounded in reality.
Nonsense or Off beat humor. The funniest aspects of the show often revolves around humor that seems out of place or all the wall.
So, there you go. We’re going to try to keep this a weekly thing but there’s going to be a big life update post soon, so get ready.
Thank you guys for watching. Have a great day.
No Blog Today.
No blog tonight guys. I worked until 11:40 and now I’m sitting in Taco Bells parking lot trying to get dinner haha. Probably will be working late tomorrow but I’ll try to have an actual post tomorrow.
Either way, it’s good to write regardless of what it is to stay in a groove.
So anyway, thanks for reading and have a great night.
I Could Be A Minimalist- The Hobby of Collecting and The Burden of Consumerism.
I have been a prisoner of consumerism for years now like most of us. As someone who went to school for business and sustainability, I am well aware of this problem. I knew a day would come when I would care a little less about consumerism. As days go on, I get closer to that goal. The big reason is because I plan to move. I don’t want more clutter. I don’t want to blow my whole paycheck on comic books and video games. Another reason I am getting closer to being over the addiction of retail therapy is because I have started investing. (Currently, I have $1,600 invested since around January.).
I was okay with consumerism for about 4 years because it was new to me. It started with buying Elemental Hero Yugioh cards to build decks I wanted to as a kid. Than I moved in with my mom and found my N64 games and wanted to start collecting N64 games. Than Jessica took me to her brother’s comic book store and that awoken the trifecta. I was obsessed with card games, video games and comic books. And over a 3-5 year run, I built a collection I was truly happy with. When I pop in my copy of Pokemon Stadium 2, or when I see my Daredevil #2 on my shelf, or when I duel my wife in a card game, I am truly happy with where my collection is. The problem with collecting is that it never ends. Even when you are happy with where you are. Even when you complete your original goals. Even when your priorities change in life. I am still looking forward to new comics each week or the holiday games.
And yes. My collection is not insane. Though, I have probably hit that point where if I never added another game I could still probably never play every game in my collection. I thought that would be a wake up call but it wasn’t. That’s mostly because collecting and gaming are two different hobbies. The first one makes you excited you scored a new 3D platformer that you will play for the next 15 hours. The other makes you excited you added 20 O.G. Xbox games for a dollar a piece to your collection. So, who cares that there is no way I’ll ever play every Gamecube game I own? Who cares if I have no interest in the sports games I buy? It’s two different hobbies. Each are equally satisfying in my opinion.
I had an epiphany last week. A month or so ago I bought a copy of Skyward Sword on Switch for $60 dollars. I have played about 2 hours into it (I’m at the first dungeon.). Why haven’t I played more you ask? Because Pokemon Unite, a free to play MOBA, released in the same time window. So I have put countless hours into a Free to Play game and two hours into the game I have paid for. Something is not adding up. And this trend is pretty consistent right now. I have been playing Final Fantasy 15, a game I own, over Gamepass, a service I pay $10 a month for. My phone apps and my computer apps (Hearthstone, MTG Arena, and Bloon Tower Defense 6) are all free to play at this point. I’m playing a bunch of free games and not the ones I am putting money into. And with the way the Nintendo Switch is set up, I do not even need a T.V. to play on my Switch. Other apps I use like Pokemon Showdown are also free. Not to mention I am bumming streaming service accounts like HBO Max, Disney and Crunchyroll.
So being a gamer does not even have to be expensive in 2021. There’s my massive collection of backlog games, movies and comics that would keep me busy without having to spend another buck. And in the digital era, I don’t even have to own the clutter. Marvel comics can be bought on an app. Shoenen Jump has an app. Gamepass has hundreds of thousands of games on there for 9.99 a month. So why own this junk?
Because I like it. There’s a lot more to go into such as the fact I actually own my stuff. Digital properties are prone to being censored upon rerelease, being pulled from e-stores at any point, and the fact you do not own the assets. I like being in a house that is composed of my favorite things. Things that remind me of my childhood. Things that make me happy in a world that is generally depressing currently. I look forward to playing, reading and watching these things with my future kids and with my wife, Jessica. Jessica and I have game nights, movie nights and card nights all the time. We enjoy them.
However, space and time are two major things that are hard to get back when they are gone. And money I invest into my collection is money I cannot invest in my retirement. Those three factors heavily encourage me to slow down. Now, in a month I have added 6 Gamecube games to the collection, but I used store credit so my wallet did not feel as burdened by it. I am liking the strategy of using store credit to fund my hobby. I will continue to do that until space becomes a real issue.
So, at the end of the day, I could become a minimalist, but I probably wont until I absolutely have to. I will cut back on spending, definitely. But I still enjoy adding to my collections and chipping away at the goals. However, I am probably done spending hundreds of dollars on collectibles. For now. My money situation and life situation just make it to where it does not make sense. So I am not a prisoner to consumerism anymore. I am just enjoying life and trying to be smarter in all decision making moments. Surely, I will fail at times, but I am always improving.
Pokemon Remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Adding a New Type! Is This Clickbait?
Let me start by saying this is in no way bashing this article or its writer. I think it’s a great article actually. Read the original article here before reading my take on his article.
Secondly, I am making a YouTube video to correspond with this blog if you prefer the video or spoken form more. Watch it here!
Okay, so both of those disclaimers out of the way, let’s jump into it.
So this article by Comicbook.com caught my eye late the other night before bed. Many profound thoughts ran through my head. My first thought was obviously what the new type was going to be? X and Y was the last Gen to introduce a new type, Fairy. And only the second generation to do so. Johto added both Steel and Dark. I would like to think all 3 have been welcomed additions to the core typings.
Secondly, I questioned why they were introducing a new type in a spin off game. Yes most remakes have been well received and I think many are excited to revisit Sinnoh. Still, it felt risky creating a new type in a remake, something that has never been done before (and stuck. Like how Shadow Pokemons never made it past the Gamecube spin off games.)
Very early on the jig is up. ” A lot has changed since Pokemon Diamond and Pearl first released in 2006, including the addition of Fairy-type Pokemon.” Starts Marc, the author of the article. “There are still a lot of questions about Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, but we now know that Fairy-type Pokemon will be represented in the remake when it releases”
The new type he is referring to is Fairy. As anyone who has followed Pokemon with any consistency through out its last handful of installments, X and Y came out 3 generations ago back in 2013, you wouldn’t exactly think of Fairy as a new type anymore. However, the point he is getting at is Fairy wasnt out during Pokemon Diamond and Pearl’s initial releases.
Pokemon Diamond and Pearl launched on Nintendo DS all the way back in 2006. Hot of the release of GBA staple Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, Diamond and Pearl were Pokemons first foray onto Nintendo’s newest handheld at the time. For those doing the math, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl were released 7 years prior to Pokemon X and Y and two whole generations before.
So the first time the players traversed the wonderful region of Sinnoh, Fairy types were nearly a decade away from emerging as the newest type. So in some way, Marc is absolutely right. Fairy is a brand new type to Sinnoh. New moves, new weaknesses and strengths, and brand new strategies await those returning to the region in the fall.
However, as we have demonstrated, Fairy is far from a new typing. Thus I found the article title to be misleading. As I said, I do actual like the article. It gives historic Pokemon background and states its point and view and even mentions how Fairy types add a whole new dimension to a game some of us may have logged hundreds of hours in. I just didnt care for the name.
So if you made it this far into my article, I would like to know if you considered this title or article to be clickbait. As a good journalist, your article will always rely somewhat on clickbait. Its just the nature of the beast. I’m just curious if, after reading the original article, you found that article to be misleading. It’s a question on modern day journalism and how much can a title get away with. This is far from the worst example I’ve seen. However, as someone who does video game reviews and news topics here, I’m very interested in what my audience thinks about this topic.
Thank you guys so much reading. Have a great day!
Life Update August 26th 2021!
Hey guys, life update post here. So much has been going on since my last run of blog posts. Quite honestly, it has mostly been just living life. Nothing major or dramatic. Of course there’s always the stress of saving up money and trying to find our dream house we want to move to. But that hasn’t played a major role in hindering the blog. It certainly has played a role in effecting the Youtube Channel however.
#1 Seeing Friends and Family. Jessica and I know that soon, we wont be able to hang out with people nearly as much as we have been over the summer. As a result, our Tuesday Nights have turned into Game nights with our Co-Workers. Our last two Saturdays have been spent having Game Nights with family. We were going to stream tonight, but my Step Brother is home visiting the family so were all having dinner tonight. He is in the military and right now, if you follow any news outlet, you know that the military and foreign affairs are a sensitive subject to many, including my Stepmom. So tonight, were going to have dinner and just enjoy his company as he might get deployed for the first time in his military career. Of course, nothing is certain, but we want to make the most of tonight.
#2 Crunchyroll has been a pain in the butt. Jessica and I have not been watching a lot of anime because Crunchyroll refuses to load our episodes half the time. This is a big reason we stopped watching Tokyo Revengers even though we loved the first 3 episodes. We’ve switched over to Funimation for the time being. As a result, Random Wednesday is coming back as Random Thursday next week. This is because I’ve started showing off my comic hauls on Wednesdays! Read those here! Anyway, I am excited for it to come back.
#3 I will do a major life update when we move. I haven’t been fully transparent with everything going on in my life, but I will open up more when we move. Trust me, Jessica and I cannot wait to move. However, our last 4 living situations have not been ideal, so we really want to make sure we get this right.
#4 I’ve been gaming in most of my free time. Yes, this is hurting reviews because I’ve been putting so much time into video games when I do have free time. Though, soon enough, I will make time for the bread and butter of the blog here.
So, that’s all I’ll get into now. The blog may seem comic or video game heavy at times in the coming weeks. That is mostly because animes and mangas have not been working out for me lately. But if you enjoy the content you’ve read. Make sure you follow the blog!
Thanks for reading. Have a great day.
Da_Hubbz 