ReviewWire Reviews

Code Geass (2006–2008)

An Absolute Trainwreck I Can't Help But Like Very, Very Slightly

[2/10 · 27 September 2021]

Code Geass is a series that is very much dependent on the audience not being smart enough to think. From the start, it is very clear that virtually no planning went into the overarching plot, as the main characters stumble into the main conflict completely by accident; but by the end the clumsy writers try to convince the audience that everything was planned despite absolutely no one's motivations aligning with their established personalities or beliefs. And throughout the series, clear plot holes that I would have caught as a kid pop up all over the place, yet the writers again try to cover this up by coming up with some ridiculous excuse that only makes this series' narcissistic fandom look even more gullible and totally break any suspension of disbelief.

For example, if Geass effects are absolute, why can they suddenly be broken by something as arbitrary as willpower? That's right--if you try hard enough, you can potentially resist a supposedly irresistible otherworldly power and not be an unwitting pawn in the ambiguously psychotic protagonist's hand.

Speaking of the protagonist, this may be the only series I have ever seen where I was legitimately rooting for the antagonists by the end. The vast majority of Code Geass's main characters are horribly one-dimensional. Lelouch is basically just an angsty psychopath who flip-flops between being maniacally pleased with himself as he even goes so far as to wipe out huge city blocks of civilians to confuse his enemies right before he becomes a misunderstood and tender-hearted freedom fighter who states to his classmates who are usually part of the agonizingly out-of-place high school Rom-com episodes that he and his resistance force don't kill innocents.

So you can see the main problem with the story and by extension the characters. There is no clear-cut direction for any of them, resulting in a cluttered mess that just shrugs off any semblance of logic and consistency or likable characterization in favor of edgy angst and ridiculous Deus Ex Machina plot twists. Alternatively, the other characters consist of a racist, hafu Japanese nationalist tsundere who uses the excuse of her servant mother suffering to shout racist one-liners at her enemies about how much she hates them before killing them in incredibly underhanded and dishonorable ways to make the common Japanese youth see her as a cool, morally ambiguous freedom fighter--which coalesces into her slaughtering a quartet of child soldiers who were totally defenseless in their current predicament; a bargain bin-bland kuudere whose sole personality traits are her pizza addiction and voluptuous butt the fandom is utterly crazy about; and a naïve but initially sympathetic deuteragonist who I honestly couldn't help but like because of his genuine attempts at establishing peace--which is later destroyed when he loses his mind thanks to Lelouch ultimately messing everything up, when he then joins Lelouch because by that point Lelouch and Lelouch alone is portrayed as the only one who could be right, so he willingly murders his own comrades who had never done anything to spite him and very likely had the political power to help change things for the better.

This brings me to the characters the series should have been about in the first place. Instead of a narcissistic and delusional angst-king the script is so intent on glorifying, how does this sound for compelling protagonists:

Monica Krushevsky: A young, beautiful, blonde knight who holds absolutely no prejudices in the slightest and uses her political influence to help make things better for the oppressed people of her country's empire. Her arc ultimately causes her to fall in love with with rebel Ace pilot Orpheus Zevon. Now, her loyalties are torn between wanting to help her country improve itself while protecting its people from terrorists and not wanting any harm to come to her newfound love and his comrades.

Nonette Enneagram: A mildly seasoned but still beautiful woman training her young protégé to be a knight. Her personality is loud, brash, and sometimes obnoxiously cheery. She is evidently quite the force on the battlefield, as even the esteemed Second Princess of Britannia respects her greatly and even fears her to a point.

Dorothea Ernst: A stunningly beautiful, dark-skinned, emerald-eyed woman whose people may also be among those who the Britannain government oppresses. Can her influence as a symbol of peace help to change Britannian opinions toward Numbers? In addition, her figure is way sexier than either C. C.'s or Kallen's, sporting the best butt out of any female character in the series. ;-3 In this version, she is quite the heartthrob among the fans, and truckloads of fan art is dedicated to her mesmerizing beauty.

Gino Weinberg: A young aristocrat who left his racist family after they threw out the servant girl he loved onto the street. Now, he hopes that his greater political influence than them as a Knight of the Round can help to change the system as Monica wants to.

Marika Soresi: A young teenage girl thrown into a war that is not hers, she fights to avenge her brother who was so dishonorably killed by the sadistic Ace of the Black Knights Kallen Statfeldt. Her tale is a morally gray one that combines a certain point of view's perception of justice with the struggle of people who are not old enough to even make their own decisions for their future.

Bismarck Waldstein: The leader of the Knights of the Round, he is an honorable and morally upright man who believes that violence should always be a last resort. Unfortunately, he holds a dark secret that will divide his subordinates and make him an ultimate villain in the coming civil war.

Do those characters sound more interesting and three-dimensional than any of the arrogant, stupid (constantly causing their own problems for the sake of the plot!), and hypocritical "freedom fighters" the series is actually about? TOO BAD! Most of them are going to be brutally murdered by our one-dimensional protagonists to simply get them out of the way before finally getting expanded upon canonically in later content. The other ones like Nonette, Gino, and Marika are either going to be spared from getting murdered because of getting a cult following from a game she was in only a few months before that awfully scripted episode aired, necessitating Dorothea's creation to keep the script unchanged; get literally no development like Gino so he remains absolutely one-dimensional unless one would read the novel he is in; or be permanently traumatized like Marika after fan backlash caused her to miraculously survive her mech's explosion when people realized that the scummy Kallen wiped out an entire family line with the event still being portrayed as "cool" by the arrogant producers and writers who did everything they could to flip a middle finger to the show's critics in the disastrous second season that is so badly written that anyone with a dash of knowledge about the show's troubled production history and extra content produced between the seasons will be able to piece together that Sunrise corporate pretty much sabotaged it in the very end just so it could end on a note worshipping its insufferably arrogant protagonist.

And that's the worst part of this show's wasted potential. For as many lazy plot holes as the first season had, its creators actually TRIED. The scale is huge, the stakes are real, more than one side's view is presented as feasible, and there is at least a hint of three-dimensional development for the main characters that could have grown. In the end, Code Geass became the most successful failure in anime history. The pacing is atrocious, its characters are flat and unlikable, and despite the heaps of praise the ending gets, it too is an absolute disaster. Lelouch just expects everyone to get over the bad blood among each other because he causes them to suffer together for a few months. In reality, he would have cooked up even more racial tensions as they all fought for resources to survive and blamed each other as scapegoats. Also, the plan, grandiosely titled "Zero Requiem," is basically just Lelouch throwing the biggest temper tantrum in history where he unleashes chaos onto the entire world and leaves the mess for everyone else to clean up.

Code Geass is written for an audience that thinks in black-and-white despite being disguised as morally gray. I can't recommend this to anyone older than 10 years old because only a child could be dumb enough to think this is intelligent, but then those children would be exposed to all of the edgy junk like purely gratuitous nudity and unnecessarily brutal violence. Do yourself a favor and don't buy into the hype. This just may be the worst popular anime of all time, and its toxic fandom is a testament to that since they scream at and harass anyone who gives the series any bit of valid criticism instead of letting something that is objectively good stand on its own merit. Instead, wait patiently for any news about the new series being written by an entirely new writing staff. Maybe with enough support, Monica and Dorothea can be revived and expose Suzaku as a false hero and execute him for murdering them and millions of innocents with Gino, Nonette, and Anya by their side and bring down Lelouch's fragile lie with their friends. If you would prefer a starter anime that is easy to get into over this drivel . . . Might I recommend "Sword Art Online"? Or, heck, "Legend of the Galactic Heroes." It is the masterpiece this pretender ripped off, anyway.

Titan A.E. (2000)

Another Fascinating 2000's Sci-fi Gem Simply Put Into the Wrong Hands

[6/10 · 23 September 2021]

Titan AE is certainly one of the most unique movies ever made. Despite being a "family" movie, it is quite a bit more dark and violent than most and would nowadays likely earn a PG-13 rating despite being animated. Instead of trying to appeal to a younger female audience like most Disney musicals it was distinguishing itself from, in the words of Don Bluth, it was made to appeal to teenage boys. And it certainly succeeds in that regard. Titan AE is imaginative, epic, and hits all of those "cool" notes that make young millennials like myself gush with late-nineties and early-2000's nostalgia. The soundtrack is grungy and moody (and mostly pretty good, particularly "Cosmic Castaway"), reflected by the attitude of the flat protagonist who feels like a Pulp character with a nineties coat of paint applied over his toned and manly body. Taking place over a thousand years in the future, Titan AE vaguely explores what would happen if after the incredible utopia of Star Trek is ever achieved, humans were forced into a dystopia, cast adrift into space by a rival species afraid that we could surpass them. The premise is too incredible to just gab about, so I'll let the opening speak for itself. Unfortunately, like Disney's "Atlantis: The Lost Empire," Titan AE's greatest failure is not exploring its main premise deeply enough, in part thanks to the film's short runtime and nightmarish production history. It's easy to see why Titan AE was the flop that tragically closed the Fox Animation studio. While the animation is usually incredible aside from some painfully obvious hiccups and some CG that looks almost as bad as the crowd effects in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," the film is so plot driven that we don't really get to know any of the characters. Events happen in a way that make it clear how hard it was to compress such a large story into a short 90-minute movie, resulting in plot holes and character inconsistencies that are hard to ignore to just enjoy the movie. But in between all of that, we get to visit some amazingly exotic planets and see some of the most creative alien designs ever put to screen. Like another one of the three animated sci-fi epics of the early 2000's (Titan, Atlantis, and Treasure Planet) Titan AE's core problem is that there isn't enough screen time to properly explore so many characters or ideas presented, resulting in a cluttered but still enjoyable mess that is carried more by its production values and potential for a new direction for animated films that sadly never caught on--mostly because these films miss so many marks, and CG films were already dominant by this point. Titan AE is a cool, refreshing animated twist with something of a sour taste; but once the viewer gets used to it, it goes down smoothly and becomes an enjoyable thrill-ride that one can watch again and again to stimulate the imagination and dream of what it could have been. Oh, and we get to see Akima from the back after she gets out of the shower. Western animation really was upping its waifu game to rival Japan in those days, wasn't it? ;-3.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

A divisive mix of disappointment and wonderment.

[5/10 · 19 August 2021]

It's easy to get swept up in the grandeur of this movie. From the unique and memorable character designs to the jaw-dropping visuals and mesmerizing music, the entire presentation screams "Blockbuster Epic!"

It's such a shame it was made by the same studio that is responsible for the cringily tone-confused "Hunchback of Notre Dame." Not that that isn't an overall good movie, but if "Hunchback" was a slight failure at an attempt for Disney to draw in an older audience, "Atlantis" is an even greater failure that almost makes the viewer weep from how wasted so much of its potential is.

Weep in remorse, that is, after initially weeping from the sheer spectacle, heart, and passion of the film.

Every frame of artwork and so much dialogue is a testament to how much the animators and writers put into "Atlantis: The Lost Empire." While a lot of the humor falls entirely flat thanks to the stereotypical Disney comic relief character, pretty much every character is incredibly funny and likable, owing in part to some brilliantly improvised dialogue--particularly on the part of Don Novello as Vincenzo "Vinny" and Michael J. Fox as Milo--and the fantastic chemistry the main cast has together. The animation can only be described as astounding, blending 2D and CG 3D animation so flawlessly that it is almost impossible to tell where one method begins or ends, complimented by a sweeping musical score by James Newton Howard that is not given nearly enough recognition.

It isn't too difficult for a multi-billion dollar company like Disney to get the technical aspects of a film right by any means, so of course the area where the film mostly flops is its story. Despite its grand presentation and slightly darker, more "adult" tone, "Atlantis" only clocks in at the standard family film runtime of an hour and a half, mixing quiet, reflective character-building moments with blistering action that at times comes out of nowhere when the audience would have loved to have spent more time in a particular set piece just to have a look around or use it to build up the importance of the adventure while developing the characters. Speaking of the action, the body count feels unnecessarily high. It's almost as if Disney thought that in order for the movie to be more "adult," they needed to kill as many people as possible when, realistically, more of them would have made it through the journey. And the villain is unfortunately the very first in a long line of Disney Twist Villains (TM), where a likable character is suddenly revealed to be evil and has all of the motivations of a Saturday morning cartoon baddie. There are lots of obvious plot holes that I marvel at how the writers actually thought they made sense. Related to this, which turns out to be a huge plot point, a cool factoid is that the same guy who created the Klingon language created the Atlantean language, blending a whole bunch of different syntaxes together to make a complete and fascinating fictional language that could exist in the real world in a different time.

On a side note, I should mention how underappreciated Princess Kida is. She isn't the stereotypical Damsel in Distress like most Disney princesses, yet she isn't an insufferably tough and manly Mary Sue like too many heroines are nowadays. She's mildly ditzy and naive, as she is totally inexperienced with the outside world, and her chemistry with Milo is genuinely endearing, even if their relationship is kind of rushed. But at least they don't actually fall in love right away. It only took you seventy years, Disney!

Also, she is by far the most beautiful Disney princess. From the moment she first lifts her mask to reveal her face (and smoking hot bod!) the audience can immediately grasp her personality by her curious expression radiating from her blue . . . Huge . . . Expressive . . . Eyes. . . .

I can imagine Kida was a lot of young teenage boys first waifu.

In closing, I definitely recommend watching "Atlantis" if you want a sharp dose of early-2000's nostalgia and you're willing to turn your brain off to ignore giant plot holes and appreciate a cast of fun characters and a majorly imaginative adventure. Out of all Disney animated movies, this one certainly deserves a remake, whether it be animated (IN 2D, GOT IT, DISNEY???) or a live action blockbuster, preferably as a series of films to properly explore the many incredible concepts and characters that were never quite properly fleshed out.

Do it for Kida! <3.

86 (2021–2022)

Monica Krushevsky finally gets her own story.

[10/10 · 24 April 2021]

I'll need to update this review in the future, but so far this is becoming the product that I wish Code Geass had been. Imagine the most wasted Code Geass character, Monica Krushevsky, who canonically held no prejudices but was still murdered by her own comrade Suzaku for awfully-written shock value, gets transported to an alternate universe to finally get proper characterization on-screen. Heading a troupe of discriminated teenage soldiers who are fighting a war that they were forced into because of a restructuring of borders and caste systems thanks to an AI invasion from an opposing country, Lena faces the ironic hypocrisy of her beliefs that all "Numbers"--in this case called "86"--are equal to her race when she only needs to passively observe the battles on the sidelines of the war and not face the consequences firsthand. Unlike Code Geass, the story remains tight and focused without throwing in any annoying fanservice or diverging into a dumb subplot about a school festival. Deaths actually carry weight since we get to know the characters and their comrades actually get time to grieve. It's an emotional, smartly-written tale that shows just how far anime has come from the plethora of tropes or comically bad overdramatic "plot twists" that plague its fakely smart counterpart Code Geass.

I hope to see more truly introspective writing like this in the future with more anime and that "86" will consistently hit those strong emotional notes while staying true to what it originally set out to do.

Code Geass: Dainiji Tôkyô taisen (2008) Season 2, Episode 18

Shock value is not moral ambiguity. Good writing is.

[1/10 · 31 March 2021]

Kallen was always incredibly annoying before this episode, the extent of her personality being "angry tomboy with big assets." This, ironically, could have been the episode where she FINALLY got some depth as a character. The set up is morbidly brilliant: Kallen straight-up murders three 15-year-old pilots who are completely defenseless in their current predicament and goes on to have a hilariously absurd "philosophical" discussion with the delightfully sadistic Luciano Bradley that would only seem deep to 14-year-olds who are only there to see shots of Kallen's butt and breasts.

So herein lies the biggest problem with this episode: It isn't revealed until an entire 3 years later in the manga "Oz the Reflection" that Marika Soresi survives her Knightmare's explosion and is saved by her fiancé Leonhardt Steiner. So this young, adorable, and well-designed war victim was assumed to have been murdered by whom was arguably the worst Code Geass character until Suzaku murdered Monica, Dorothea, and Bismarck (who were also revealed much later to not be bad people, so **** you Suzaku the Eleven) for THAT long before she was written back to life. When considering the confirmation of corporate meddling within the writing process of the series, I believe that Marika and Kallen would have originally formed a bond together as nobles disillusioned from the current system. Kallen would have realized that there are limits to how far she should push her ethics when she sees the damage she did to Marika from killing her friends so carelessly just to get to Bradley, and she could have gained a fascinating rival from the Knight of Ten, who could have been Marika and Kallen's common enemy since it's implied that Luciano abused the poor girls in the expanded content. For as well designed and cute as the Valkyrie Squadron are, as well as Bradley's intimidatingly menacing nature, it's very clear that this episode could have been more than simple shock value to solidify Kallen as Worst Girl. But it will likely never get a chance to be fixed because the toxic Code Geass fandom is absolutely convinced this show is perfect despite how unlikable every main character is.

Speaking of which, why do people adore Lelouch after he takes THOUSANDS of civilians' lives by destabilizing the colony's foundation at the end of the first season? His looks? No wonder the fandom is so fanatical. They have no true reason to defend these one-dimensional war criminals.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;Surrection (2019)

It's Code Geass. Of course it's dumb!

[1/10 · 14 March 2021]

The biggest problem a film can have when it is written by the same people who wrote the original series it is based on that it is highly likely to also be chalked full of plot holes. Every problem that was present in the original series is on display here, from the choppy and rushed pacing to the contrived tactics that don't make any logical sense and are never properly explained to every character being unlikable and petty. (Kallen pulls a knife out on CC because she loses her temper over an extremely minor gripe.) And while I am very happy that Kallen didn't become a child murderer in this timeline since it is shown that the Valkyrie Squadron is alive and well and happily getting along with their old enemies, I am sorely disappointed that this is still the same idiotic and selfish Suzaku who murdered his friends and comrades Monica and Dorothea in cold blood. The writers were somehow convinced that that moment absolutely had to stay in the new timeline despite it completely contradicting Suzaku's character and lazily killing off some characters who would have been fascinating to explore. So I can't root for any of these scummy hypocrites as they mercilessly blast away scores of soldiers in a single shot with their totally fair odds-defying weapons. And with this in mind, I should mention how little sense the villain's motivation makes. She kidnaps Nunnally to . . . Become a goddess??? Link with the other dimension somehow? As always, things are kept infuriatingly vague to try to appear philosophical but are, in truth, shallow attempts at saying anything meaningful. There's a bit of shock value per the usual for Code Geass where some female guards only possessing bikinis and spears are gunned down by the aforementioned unlikable Lelouch and CC with a Knightmare Frame; but, as if realizing that murdering waifus in cold blood had in part given the original series a bad reputation, they fixed this with some time travel shenanigans which was the only part of the film I enjoyed from its sheer creativity. The end resolution, of course, is wrapped up suddenly and haphazardly with a plan that could have been easily interrupted had a single variable fallen out of place. The goddess-tier waifu-of-a-villainess (SO MUCH HOTTER THAN CC!!!) is shown to be sympathetic after all and likely could have redeemed herself but is ultimately killed off in an utterly baffling moment that again hints at some weird interdimensional connection with her brother that is absolutely never explained. By the end, I was just glad it was only two hours long instead of 20 like the series so I didn't have to sit through any student council meetings or school festivals. Sunrise, my interest in this series will be piqued again if you resurrect Monica and Dorothea so they can kill Suzaku and get an actual story and journey for themselves. Your fans may be easily fooled that these idiotic main characters are good people, but the rest of the anime community has actually grown up.

Code Geass: Kôtei Rurûshu (2008) Season 2, Episode 22

Snapping Chekov's Gun Clean in Half

[1/10 · 16 February 2021]

A classic example of a plot twist not being good just because it happens, as well as how awfully rushed this story was. Monica and Dorothea's deaths (who were canonically not prejudiced!) could be seen as "the Snoke death" of anime. It utterly destroys any good characterization Suzaku had and reduces him to a seflish, moralless monster who will follow any order given to him, even if it conflicts with his previously established strong conscience. The fact that there are people who adore this idiot to the point of getting every collectible for him puts a disturbing side of the Code Geass fandom on full display. It's made quite clear a few episodes later that he is utterly unable to think for himself and doesn't care what he does as long as he is still following the one in charge. ("What about those who don't have a choice?" You just killed them, moron! Stop being so self-righteous!) He should have set his mind to saving ALL of his close associates--FRIENDS--instead of the one who I couldn't even remember existed. And REALLY, Suzaku??? You didn't think that Gino wouldn't hate you for the rest of your life after this??? What an idiot! Also, it is very important to note how ridiculous it is that the KotR were exclusively loyal to Charles when the previous holders of their positions were loyal to Britannia and the royal family itself--thus, they should have sided with Lelouch and gotten some actual development instead of being lazily killed off for shock value. Hold on, Monica and Dorothea. The steadily more jaded fandom can still save you somehow. As Monica would say, "Justice is given equally." Let it be so and may the Eleven roast for every selfish thing he has done.

Oh, and it turns out that Nunnally is alive because the ninja maid swept her away IN THE MIDDLE OF A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION!!!!! Yep, the writers just expected the audience to be stupid enough to accept every plot twist by this point.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

An absurdly underrated masterpiece!

[9/10 · 11 February 2021]

Despite it not being perfect, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is my all-time favorite movie, full of spectacle of both the fantastic and natural, as well as having some of the most naturally acted performances I've ever seen put to screen. These aren't super heroes or grand adventurers. They're everyday human beings with quirks and flaws going through their daily lives. Then Walter goes on a grand journey of his own and must have his own coming-of-age story years after he has grown from boyhood to realize that he can't just wait for something interesting to finally happen to him. It's a funny, emotional tale which will appeal to not only the child in all of us adults, but it will genuinely make the audience think about what they can do to not only explore their own talents to contribute to the world, but what they can do to make sure their lives are full and happy. If you're looking for a surprisingly cerebral yet at times goofily imaginative story, this is a surefire way to wind down your stressful work week with a cup of hot chocolate and pleasant dreams of the adventures you could one day make real yourself.

Tron: Uprising (2012–2013)

Disney, bring this back. Seriously . . . IT'S JUST TOO GOOD TO THROW AWAY!

[8/10 · 15 September 2016]

I know that the first two TRON movies have their fans. The first movie touched on some intriguing subjects and ideas, but it was still very bland and boring despite visiting an entirely new idea for the sci- fi genre. I can find a certain amount of enjoyment in it due to its more intelligent nature despite its usual Disney campyness and forced "maturity" at times. Its sequel, however, showed just how boring a movie can be when it focuses purely on action and pays almost no heed to story. There's explosions . . . Explosions . . . Unlikable characters who try to sound like we should like them . . . And more explosions--the usual Disney action movie formula (at least there's a more clear-cut difference between good and evil). It took me a few times watching these movies to realize their problems, especially with "Legacy", because for a while I too had just jumped on the "impressive visual effects train" that makes one forget how bad a movie really is until we take a step back and analyze how the story and characters measure up to high standards of quality and just real life in general. Three years later, I was browsing on Netflix for a good sci-fi series and found this. I was a little put off by the maturity rating, but seeing as I had seen some impressively good "children's shows" in the past, I decided to give it a try. And it was amazing. First off, this series really should be rated TV-PG. It doesn't matter that it aired on Disney XD or that the programs die by breaking up into little bits of code so there's no blood. These are the representations of PEOPLE merely in the form of compressed energy. It doesn't need to be called a kid's show just because it's animated. In fact, being in the genre of animation fits the TRON series perfectly, not adhering the the rigid designs of reality. There's a lot of room for creativity and flourish in the character designs. With that point aside, this series embodies everything that the first TRON movies should have been; there's steady, well-done character development, surprising plot twists, and many diverse characters that you can't help but love even when they're the bad guys. Take Pavel, for instance. He's sadistic, selfish, and all- around insane when he gets into his "homicidal maniac" mode. But then there are smaller, quieter scenes where he's just planning for his schemes in the future--which can be extremely chilling when you see snippets of what he's done--or when the writers just decided to poke fun at his unstable quirks. Every character absolutely bursts with energy, from Pavel to Beck's hilariously introverted friend Zed who tends to get into more trouble than he really should. There are a few instances where the writers slipped and make it a little obvious that this is a kid's show--a couple of plot holes here and there or an awkward line or delivery, but those barely hampered my enjoyment of this complex, 3-dimensional series that anyone can enjoy. Sadly, at the moment you can only watch "Uprising" on iTunes, but I highly recommend buying it. Show Disney what they've let go of and give it at least four stars and a good review for a job well done. Who knows, maybe the fans can help bring it back one day?

SSX 3 (2003 Video Game)

SSX reaches new heights! (Literally!)

[8/10 · 12 September 2016]

I am going to say it: I think that SSX 2012 is better than SSX3. Not only do the controls feel more organic and natural, but the design of everything is just better due to technological improvements. HOWEVER, SSX3 was the game that changed the SSX formula the most until that final gem of the series nine years later. While the races have always been agonizingly easy for me, the track design is hands- down the best in the older entries in the series. Add the absolute best soundtrack of SSX--PERIOD, no explanation needed--plus the many fun, whimsical characters that we've come to love, and you've got a high-speed experience that manages to pull off some amazing thrills despite the ease of the wins. My absolute favorite part of SSX3 will always be the various Freestyle events, with Slopestyle being the best due to its wide variety of paths to choose from. Only a true SSX champion can pull off collecting a platinum metal for every one of these events. At its heart, SSX3 speaks volumes about what makes this classic series so great--it's good, fast-paced fun. Everything from the music to the oftentimes bizarre costume choices to even the surprisingly calming design of the menus, speaks of a time when games could just be wholesome fun for the fun of it. Every time I play it, I just feel happy. I feel . . . like a child again.

Freedom Planet (2014 Video Game)

Sonic and friends have some competition to live up to!

[9/10 · 15 August 2016]

The best way to summarize this game is that GalaxyTrail has combined every good aspect of nineteen nineties gaming and only improved on them all, with near-perfect gameplay, absolutely gorgeous pixel art, and best of all, a fantastic music score that just makes you happy when you listen to it; this last point is one aspect that actually bridges the design best between classic 2D games and modern Sonic games, switching from a more retro-techno sound to a beautiful orchestral, acoustic, and vocal track. And the boss fights call back to the classics, as well, in the sense that they are unrelentingly hard and are created for the most experienced of gamers (you can choose Casual difficulty to practice learning their attack patterns without consequences). With the inspiration for many of the main characters actually coming from the fan-loved Sonic title "Sonic Heroes", one could expect the story to be unrelentingly campy and juvenile. Many people say that the story for "Freedom Planet" is extremely bad. However, when comparing it to all of the Sonic games I've played, I can certainly say that the plot is actually decent. The writers were able to combine comedic lighthearted elements (one of which they sadly deleted in an update; it was a surprising if awkward character moment for Carol, since it reminded me that she's only a 12-year-old girl--with the weight of the entire planet of Avalice on her shoulders!) with dark moments that help to show the true stakes the heroes are facing (the Pegi rating is 12+, after all). The voice acting ranges from bad a couple of times to incredibly well done, especially in the case of Lord Brevon. Unlike Dr. Eggman, I can take him very seriously as a threatening villain. If you aren't into having a story in a 2D platformer, though, you can always select Classic Mode and just play through the levels with no dialogue. At its very heart, "Freedom Planet" it a wonderful salute to the years that began changing video games to what they are today. Sometimes campy, other times extremely serious, the characters range from charming to heroic to downright menacing. The level design and soundtrack is a joy to behold; one actually has to play the game in order to understand the full scope of how good it is. I very much recommend buying this game on Steam or the Wii U eShop. I am very excited to see where this series will be heading in the next several years. With the sequel coming out next year, we'll have another opportunity to see where Team Freedom and company's journeys will take them.

SSX (2012 Video Game)

SSX, I give you the Sonic fan base . . .

[9/10 · 13 August 2016]

When the very first SSX game was released, it was an absolute game- changer (please pardon the pun), scoring an overall rating of over 90% by the critics. Nearly every SSX game after that continued to defy expectations, helping to expand the limitations of game programming time and again . . . until SSX Blur came along on the Nintendo Wii, with awful graphics; a grating, forgettable soundtrack (which was especially bad since SSX is known for having a great music); bad controls; and a difficulty level that would challenge only the youngest of players (and that's comparing it to the extremely easy races in SSX3, which still has amazing track design). It looked as though SSX was going out on a sour note, much to the disappointment of the millions of fans. Five years later, a revolutionary game is released that even goes so far as to include actual mountain terrain from images taken from NASA satellites. Gameplay is reimagined entirely, introducing a new survival mechanic that really tests a player's skills, adding gear like wing suits and headlamps to aid in the player's conquest of every major mountain in the world. New characters are introduced and old favorites continue their story of perseverance and strength. Aside from a few minor quirks, like a slow frame rate at extremely rare intervals and not having any local multiplayer and having an easy starting campaign, this is an almost perfect game that is only made better by the constant challenge offered by competing online Friends. The main complaints I often hear about this game could basically be summed up as this: "It isn't SSX3." SSX3 was a fantastic game during its time, to be sure, but as it's aged, certain problems have been brought to light as I play it. Video game series need to expand and grow in order to stay relevant, and SSX 2012 does just that-- improving on what is already the greatest snowboarding series to date in almost every way, both in terms of content and control. If you hear bad things about it, just ignore those complaints and pick up a copy for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on Amazon or download it. As you explore the open mountain ranges and take in the breathtaking vistas, you'll be very glad you did.