All posts by Alex McCumbers

Classic games are my inspiration. Many of those games hold design elements that are blatantly ignored in modern games. Doesn't mean I'll ignore new titles, but I will reject play requests to spend time with my SNES.

Movies/TV, Pop Culture

Top Fan Films (So Far)

June 2, 2015 Alex McCumbers 1 Comment

Through my life, I’ve learned one universal fact. . .

maka_cosplay_by_santanacosplay-d7ydi24 — Cosplayers often dedicated a lot of time and money to become closer to their favorite characters. Image from Santana Cosplay

Geeks are the most passionate people on the planet.

This passion often leads us to wield our various talents to try and become closer to the works we so enjoy. This has led to many creations: from terrible fan fiction that becomes a movie to amazing film projects highlighting technical skills and upcoming actors.

fifty-shades-grey-movie-book-differences — Yep, this concept was once a labor of love for Twilight. However, this becoming a top-selling book gives me hope as a writer.

Today’s list will be of the latter.

Dragon Ball Z: Light of Hope

The talented folks of Robot Underdog bring much shame to Hollywood’s attempt to bring the high flying action this legendary anime is known for. Light of Hope is an adaptation of the animated film The History of Trunks, one of the most emotional moments in DBZ‘s history. With this as its inspiration, Light of Hope has a lot to work with as far as scenarios and character development.

Even though there is only a pilot episode available, Robot Underdog delivered one of the most accurate live action visions of the Dragon Ball Universe. Every punch is highlighted. Energy ripples from the fighters. Malice drips from the Androids like hot oil. All of this is used as the paint that wets the canvas, displaying what DBZ fans have been wanting for a long time.

My only complaint is waiting for the series’ completion. Keep rockin’ the dragon, Robot Underdog!

Spawn: The Recall

Some of the most amazing art in comic books comes from Todd McFarlane, whose main man is none other than Al Simmons aka Spawn. While the Avengers were fighting a giant purple dude with bling, Spawn was dethroning Satan, destroying the world and recreating it in his own image. While Spawn has been kicking ass in comics, his live action experiences have been lack luster.

Michael Paris and his team sought to redeem the red-caped knight and did just that in their short film, The Recall. Spawn’s tales have always been oozing with darkness, which is why this project’s direction of being more of a horror film makes sense. There’s all sorts of disturbing imagery and suspense that leads up to some of the best effects I’ve seen in a movie period, let alone an indie project. I’d share more, but its just so good that after the eight minutes are over, you’ll be crawling to the feet of Malebolgia, begging for more.

Croft

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It’s this image of Lara that Can Cinema latched onto, creating a gripping short story of a hostage situation. What’s interesting in this piece is the desperation Lara shows, just as she did in the newest game. Each kill is done effectively for the huntress, but every time there’s a bit of regret in her eyes. The film is filled with action, but these tender moments with the character is what makes it worth while. Even fans of the original character will enjoy a few notable scenes, as a lot of inspiration was pulled from the Tomb Raider’s early years.

Welcome to Hoxford

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stnRvFzGWY8

IDW Publishing has been putting out comics such as Transformers and Ninja Turtles for several years. Yet, there is one mini series that they released that stands out, Welcome to Hoxford. The story centers on Ray Delgado, a murderous, insane man, believing himself to be Chronos, lord of the Titans. He is sentenced to death for all of his crimes and transferred to Hoxford. Unfortunately, the prison is being run by a group of werewolves that enjoy hunting down their inmates. Ray faces these monsters head on, knowing that he is destined to destroy them.

Like the comic series, the fan film highlights the dark nature of the story in its visual style. Reflections are bright, stark contrasts to the encompassing darkness of Hoxford. Coupling this with absolutely brutal action scenes, the film seems to have been done professionally on the same level as 300 or Sin City.

Personally, this fan project has sparked a deep interest in the comics. Hopefully this team will get a chance to expand Ray’s story into a full length film.

Joker Rising

D.C. Comics has inspired a flood of fan films. Whether it’s the overall need to put these characters onto the silver screen in ways closer to the comics or the general ease at which these scenes can be recreated, I’m not sure. Either way, there have been loads of amazing projects featuring characters from the D.C. Universe.

Joker Rising tells the origin story of the Clown Prince while paying homage to Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight. The fan film was shot in just over a week and has a vibe similar to Blow. What’s amazing is the deliverance of the character, building on each scene that leads to a climax that is chilling, but also puts the Joker in a sympathetic light. In fact, this portrayal rivals Ledger’s in my opinion.

https://youtu.be/VoGAv23-FL0

Smoking Alien will also be creating a sequel series called The City with Two Faces and a pilot episode is on the way. Keep a sharp eye on their Youtube page for more information, as well as other projects they have produced.

Over the course of researching for this list, I’ve discovered not only these amazing projects, but a multitude of worthy films. The D.C. Universe is a playground for these indie developers, for I stumbled upon an excellent Harlequinn story and a Nightwing Mini Series.

Fan films give producers, directors, writers, and actors a chance to make their mark in an industry that’s nigh impossible to get started in. Yet, even if they don’t have absurd budgets or A-list actors, their passion for films rings out louder than ever.

Even though its hard, log off Netflix, shy away from Hollywood and explore the world of indie film once in a while. There are amazing stories being told. Don’t forget to spread the word about these films; each of them deserves being viewed much more than they have.

Please share your favorite fan films in the comments below! They may even be mentioned in future articles.

Comics 101, Movies/TV

Narratives with Multiple Layers: Age of Ultron

May 11, 2015 Alex McCumbers 2 Comments

Rather than following the review trend of saying whether a movie is worth seeing, I’ll be bypassing that whole tradition as many of my readers cannot be persuaded or convinced either way. Therefore, I’m going to use Age of Ultron as a prime example for something that interests me as a writer and consumer: multi-layered narratives.

What I mean by a multi-layered narrative is a scene in which there is more going on than what is actually portrayed. Often times in the Marvel Cinematic Universe there are hidden ideas only long-time fans might catch. This same technique can also add depth to many of the characters, either by alluding to past films, or acknowledging comic lore. This is usually just a passing reference to something else, but in some instances there can be a lot of emotion injected into these instances.

Black Widow must calm The Hulk a few times with a "lullaby". — Black Widow must calm The Hulk a few times with a “lullaby”.

For example in Age of Ultron there are romantic connections between Natasha (Black Widow) and Bruce (The Hulk). These intense exchanges are made even more potent when considering these two as persistent characters. Bruce knows being with Natasha is dangerous. He’s afraid to hurt her or any innocent person, but when confronted with this, Natasha mentions how she is also a monster in her own way.

Black Widow's past is extremely dark and tragic, explaining her roughness. — Black Widow’s past is extremely dark and tragic, explaining her roughness.

Even though Marvel has never created a Black Widow film for her blood-stained back story, there have been hints in the movies. Most recently in Age of Ultron, viewers receive visualizations of the psyche of most of the cast via the Scarlet Witch. Wanda (Scarlet Witch) uses her powers to show the Avengers’ horrors from their past, present, and possible future. It’s during this exchange viewers get a visual portrayal of Natasha’s past and what was done to her to make her one of the deadliest assassins in the world.

One of the best exchanges between the two.

This makes conversations and encounters between Widow and Hulk that much more complex.

Joss Whedon is a master of using these layered characters to their highest potential. He crafts these lines and scenes with the intent to set off those connections in the minds of his viewers. Different people interpret entertainment in different ways, but Joss uses his awareness of those interpretations to bring out some of the most memorable moments of our time in film.

It’s not just the Avengers films in which these themes are challenged. Marvel’s policy of having its films and comics take place in their own universes provides lasting connections beyond the time spent with each work. What immediately comes to mind is Tony Stark’s character in Iron Man 3, which takes place shortly after the Chitauri invaded New York in The Avengers.

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Stark is one of the most complex characters in the Avengers’ lineup. He goes through many transitions during the films, from struggling with being Iron Man publicly to post traumatic stress from New York’s invasion. This battle affected Stark’s character tremendously, driving his motives since.

For example, in the scene above, Stark must save passengers falling out of a plane. JARVIS calmly tells him he can only carry four out of the thirteen passengers. Stark’s heroism and quick wit saves the day, but that refusal to listen to logic is the key element. Stark wants to save everyone and do better than he did in New York, blatantly ignoring all reason. That battle scared the hell out of Stark, giving him a reason to push himself and his technology beyond its limits.

Stark's fear of alien invasion leads to the creation of Ultron and Vision, with a little help from Banner. — Stark’s fear of alien invasion leads to the creation of Ultron and Vision, with a little help from Banner.

It’s this complexity of characters combined with writing that uses these layers that makes the MCU. Without this combination, many films wouldn’t hold up on special effects alone. In a way, this recent care put into each movie has been there from the very beginning. Marvel has always told complex stories since its origin and using those flawed and human characters to their fullest potential.

Marvel in comics and in film has touched on everything from political situations to homosexuality, making it one of the most diverse companies in entertainment. Most tales touch on more than just action, or good guys thumping evil doers, but often take the time to go deeper into the human condition and current issues.

Age of Ultron is filled with interesting exchanges between characters that are worth studying in greater detail. Therefore, I challenge consumers and scholars alike to consider the deeper meanings of some of the best films of our time. Also be sure to share these findings with me and Giga.

Til next time, I’ll be counting down the days til Marvel’s next film, Ant Man.

Comics 101, Literary, Movies/TV, Pop Culture

Comic Book Academia: 100 Things Avengers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

April 30, 2015 Alex McCumbers

There are few names that hold as much awe in the entertainment industry as Marvel does. From humble beginnings as Timely Comics to the film powerhouse that is Marvel Studios, there has been more content flowing from these minds than almost any other group. So much so, that there is seemingly no way to know the intricacies of each facet of the Marvel Universe(s). Lucky for those lacking warehouses full of dusty pages, people like Dan Casey exist. Casey holds a self-proclaimed degree in Marvel Comics and shows off his knowledge in his book, 100 Things Avengers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.

My first Free Comic Book Day. For a guy that knows next to nothing about comics, I can look the part pretty well.

Before telling our Giga Geeks why this book is a valuable resource and overview of the Marvel yarns, let me first tell you about my lack of comic book knowledge. I am nowhere near a comic nerd, nor could I take that title by association. My early years were spent blowing the dust out of Nintendo cartridges and pretending to be a Power Ranger. I also grew up during the 1990s, which was what I now know to be a bit of dry spell in the comic book industry. Yet, I did love Marvel’s characters in other media, like the classic cartoon iterations of X-Men and Spider Man. That guitar-heavy opening from X-Men still rings clearly in many of my early memories.

A few comics were passed down to me when I was a kid—some beat up X-Men and Street Sharks—but no one I knew was really into them. It wasn’t until the first few Marvel films hit theaters that I rekindled that need for these super heroes and heroines. Actually, I remember my father taking me to see X-Men in the summer of 2000. This was also a great bonding experience for both of us as we walked away not liking the film and making jokes about it. Oddly enough, I enjoyed the first Spider-Man film much more than the X-Men (2000) movie.

Why I like Toby Maguire as Spider Man over this, I'll never know. . . — Why I like Toby Maguire as Spider-Man over this, I’ll never know. . .

It wasn’t until I entered college in 2010 that I got a real taste of the comic world. A humble comic shop called Counter Culture Concepts opened that same year and it wasn’t long before I made lasting friends in that cramped space. If it wasn’t for that store, I never would’ve owned a decent pile of comics. As a side note, my girlfriend even painted an awesome mural that was a stark contrast to the American paintings on the opposite wall.

1235994_3464333825235_995483502_n — One of several paintings done by Diabolikupcake at Counter Culture Concepts.

My story proves that I’m not a guru of comics at all, merely a Padowan on a journey towards being a Jedi. Therefore, Casey’s collection of Marvel knowledge awakened me to a multi-verse of stories created over decades of talented work.

Casey starts by explaining Marvel’s history, and then works his way up to the more practical bits of know-how, such as mixing a shot of The Incredible Hulk (which is guaranteed to get you smashed). There’s so much knowledge to be gained even from the first few chapters. I had no idea Jack Kirby joined the dark side of D.C. Comics at one point!

One of Lee's latest appearances in Big Hero 6. — One of Lee’s latest appearances in Big Hero 6.

Be reminded that you have to understand what impotence cheap tadalafil india is, and you have to look any further than this Cambridge gerontologist. This device sucks air prescription viagra uk from the penis duct and therefore enabling blood to flow smoothly in the desired way. Major Varieties of Tea White – requires the least processing; leaves are picked only a few days out of the year Black – Chinese black brand viagra from canada drink leaves are fully oxidized. SIDE EFFECTS :Side effects brand levitra spotted because of the intake of the Silagra pills. After discussing Marvel’s origins, Casey outlines the back stories of almost every character in the film canon, or the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) as some might call it. These segments are great due to the addition of where those characters are in the current continuity. In some instances it also gives those who lack key points of comic knowledge a hint at what’s to come in future film projects from the House of Ideas. Case in point, the Vision was merely a visual character for me, but I now know him to be one of the deepest characters in Marvel. Also, I didn’t know he was an android, but that’s not the point.

I stared at this image for hours at the local shop; its so powerful and wrong on many levels. — I stared at this image for hours at the local shop; it’s so powerful and wrong on many levels.

After shedding light on most characters in the MCU, Casey goes on to discuss major events throughout the years. He outlines Civil War and Secret Invasion with passion and precision, bringing major plot points to life with minimal wording. During my stays at the comic shop, I had always wanted to pick up the comics containing these events, but for some reason or another never did. Now I wish I had—I will eventually—as those stories mark things I want to see in future films.

Similar to the Greek Gyro, but ever so mysterious and provocative.

The end of the book holds some neat things Avengers fans should try outside of films and comic books. Most interestingly for me, there’s a Shawarma recipe by Natasha Feldman and Julianna Strickland, the women behind Cinema & Spice. While I’ve yet to try this mystery food, I do have plans to film my attempt. The last chapters also hold a call to action for comic book fans everywhere in hopes that the community can give back, celebrate Free Comic Book Day, and find a local comic shop.

Nerducopia, another local comic shop, has an awesome logo and equally awesome people behind it.

These last few things on the Avengers-fan bucket list are very important. I will attest to the awesome potential hidden down alleys. Some of my best memories of college come from behind the glass doors of my local comic shop. Dan Casey and I, advise everyone to find a shop and experience one of the greatest things about loving comics: having friends as passionate as you are about fantastic stories portrayed in panels.

After reading Casey’s book, I feel more confident in my overall knowledge of Marvel’s heroes and heroines, as well as being a part of the comic book community. I feel like I just finished studying for the mid-terms in Marvel 101 and I’m ready for the test. Professor Casey, I can honestly say I had more fun in this class than any other. Will you be teaching Marvel 102, also?

100 Things Avengers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die by Dan Casey is available through Triumph Books.

Also a big thanks goes out to Triumph Books for sending me this book and Dan Casey for toiling away for its completion. Stay cool.

All images and videos belong to their respective owners.

Game File, Games and Software, RPG

Final Fantasy Type-0 Review

April 13, 2015 Alex McCumbers

Ever fire up a new game and within the first twenty minutes feel morbidly depressed? I have. Recently.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is a remastering and localization of the PSP title of the same name. This release comes out of the Square Enix pattern of remastering their games; however, this one is unique because this is the first time it is playable in English. The game follows the story of a country being torn apart by a war comparable to World War II, focusing on a powerful group of young adults trying to make a difference.

SONY DSC — The PSP housed some experimental game design from Square Enix.

Before I go into this review, let me assure my readers that I did take the fact that this is a PSP game on the PS4 into consideration in all aspects of my criticism.

Those teens are members of the most elite group in Akademia, Class Zero. These characters each have their own style, making it fun to experiment with several characters to find one that fits. The combat engine is set in real time, but common battles take place in their own separate space most of the time. Many main quests actually stay in a battle mode, allowing players to engage in skirmishes in the overall war or avoid enemies altogether. There is even a real-time strategy inspired mechanic that appears from time to time. While it adds variety, these segments usually lack depth.

Golem is acquired by talking to someone. . .

There are many side missions that often reward curious players with items, spells, and abilities. These missions are fairly bland, but are a nice option, since the main game is fairly short. Unfortunately, there are many rewards that are worth putting up with lame missions. Players will find themselves running back and forth for much of the game just to find cool content.

Sice is one of my favorite characters, even though she fits so many anime cliches.

Visually, Type-0 has an anime inspired look and feel, with detailed character models and effects. Compared to previous Final Fantasy games, Type-0 is much darker in tone, even though it pays homage to several other games in the franchise. Violence drives much of the drama with characters dying on screen with sprays of blood. Classic Final Fantasy creatures are also given an interesting spin and feel more dangerous.

The summons of Type-0 are awesome in design and execution.

Class Zero’s warriors each have unique animations that flow well and look great. The choreography alone is worth praise as monsters are chopped up, blasted away, or lulled to sleep by pleasant flute music. Summons still hold up as some of the best moments of the action as powerful allies burst into existence. These beings are also controllable, adding to their presence on the battlefield. The way these creatures are designed are always interesting to compare to past iterations.
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One of the biggest drawbacks to the game is its graphical issues. Action is fast paced, fluid, and cinematic, but the game’s camera has a hard time keeping up. This is especially true when trying to manually pan the camera, as many assets simply disappear in an attempt to have motion blur. I also found the game to be hurtful to the eyes in long stretches, making it hard to play.

Please Square Enix, fix the frame issues.

Adding to this is the dreadful pace to the game. The first hour or so of play is filled with gorgeous cutscenes, tons of action, and culminates in the summoning of Odin. These moments set the stage way too high for the rest of the game. Players must prepare for missions by poking around the world in search of events.

The opening segment of the game also forces me to mention another problem I have with Type-0: character development is almost non-existent. This is a game with fourteen playable characters and not a one gets any sort of development in the first three hours. The driving drama of the story is the death of a completely unknown character. Even though the scene is tragic just from its direction, there’s no reason for players to care, unless they’re a Chocobo rights activist. Even after about ten hours of play, I have no idea who any of the characters in Class Zero are, what their motives are or why they’re together. Even side quests don’t offer those key character details that could make the game great. It’s a shame too, cause many character interactions, like those between Ace and Mother or Rem and Machina, ooze possibilities.

I WANT TO KNOW THEIR STORY IN A PALATABLE WAY!

Before giving my final thoughts, I’d like to take this chance to clarify that I have not finished Final Fantasy Type-0 HD.

Many of the technical complaints I have about the game could, and hopefully will, be fixed in a patch. There could also be more character development towards the end, however, the game’s awesome opening left me with a lot of expectations that have yet to be matched. I want to love this game for its style, darker tone, and fluent combat engine, but its flaws make that impossible.The only thing keeping me playing is the art style.

In fact, I had lost faith in Final Fantasy after buying Final Fantasy XIII the day it released. Type-0 was a glimmer of hope for me, but I was let down. Luckily, the demo packaged with Type-0 rekindles that hope. Final Fantasy XV looks to be one of the greatest games of all time, but I won’t know for sure until it comes out.

Even considering its origins as a portable title, Final Fantasy Type-0 gets six dead chocobos out of ten.

Games and Software, Indie Pennant

Indie Alert: Rustbucket Rumble

March 16, 2015 Alex McCumbers

There is one genre dominating gaming, making a splash not only on PC players, but console players as well. MOBA (Mutiplayer Online Battle Arena) is a game type that has reached an incredible level of popularity with titles such as League of Legends, DOTA 2, and my personal favorite, Smite. With eSports becoming bigger and bigger, MOBA is a genre that’s here to stay. In fact, other games are picking up MOBA elements as additional content, such as the Defend mode in Evolve.

What’s this talk of Champions and Minions have to do with Indie game development?

There’s an interesting spin to MOBA mechanics showing up in the indie scene of late. One of which is a game I was invited to play alongside the developers, Rustbucket Rumble.

Playing with Reactor Zero was awesome and it was interesting to hear them discuss balancing and developing the game.

Rustbucket, a 2D side scrolling team-based combat game, focuses on simplicity. The object of the game is to gather parts to build a super robot that marches straight to the enemy’s base. Where does one acquire these parts? From scraps of metal of course! Of which many robots (aka players) just happen to be made of. Players can then take these parts to their base to secure a point towards building their super robot.

However, players can be revived if they sit idle long enough; each class has a different rate of revival. A team wins when the super robot destroys the opposite base.

The each class has its own powers and statistics, fitting the mold left by the titans of the genre. For example, Daisy, the Engineer, can drop turrets and use gyro-copters to snag up recycling bins, while still able to fight as the goods are carried to base. Another player, Bjorn is a bulky robot with a flamethrower and access to a shield. His interesting mechanic is the ability to throw scraps. This comes in handy not only offensively as he can toss enemies into the base for a point, but also defensively as allies tossed into base are instantly healed.

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I spent most of my time as Bjorn. Great for offense and defense. — Bjorn is the character I spent the most time as. Great for offense and defense.

Overall, the results are a frantic scooping up of players into recycling bins and tossing them about in hopes that they get recycled.

The pacing of each match is frantic and highly rewarding. Teams with coordination will usually come out on top, just like any MOBA. Yet, this game’s Pixar-like presentation is charming enough for anyone to have fun with the genre.

Rustbucket Rumble will be in Open Beta on March 16 to those who sign up on the website. The game will be released on Steam later on.

I highly recommend signing up and giving this game a shot. Even in the Closed Beta, I absolutely love this game. Getting friends together is key to having the best time, but playing with strangers is still a blast. The mechanics are solid and interesting, while the art style is unique and charming.