Naruto 653: I’m watching you

By: Robert Murphy

Link to manga here

Well it looks like we’ve got another chapter of Naruto on our hands boys and girls, this week’s chapter is entitled “I’m watching you” and we delve into the world that only shinobi who battle one another can enter into. Naruto, Sasuke and Obito’s fight reached a critical point and now Obito’s past has come back, a past that he had long thought to have abandoned in the pursuit of the Infinite Tsukuyomi alongside of Madara. But this as it turns out isn’t the case and once again Naruto is face to face with an enemy that very well could have turned out to be himself if he hadn’t gone down the right path. Find out just what happens between Obito and Naruto in these week’s newest chapter. 

Bleach 555: The Hero

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/555/?ref=email

HEY GUYS, REMEMBER ICHIGO!?!?!?!?! That's OK, if you don't he is the main protagonist of the Bleach series.  Why the refresher? Well, he's been busy doing things that we apparently didn't need to see.  In any case, he's actually appearing again, and while he hasn't yet joined the battle, the outlook is getting better. However, whether or not the Seretei will still be there when he arrives is yet to be seen, since the Sternritter are stepping up their game with the release of their Vollstandig, which makes the battle even tougher for the Soul Reapers.  However, it looks like Ichigo isn't just stronger, but he's gained some composure, as well.  Will it be enough to stop the Vandenreich and their ruthless leader? And how will Ichigo deal with Uryuu when the time comes?  A lot of things are still up in the air right now, and I'm getting anxious to see where things go from here.  We have yet to see Kenpachi Zaraki, who just learned his zanpakuto's name, and Ichigo's new power has yet to be fully unveiled.  So hopefully, we can finally get some answers to these questions in the next few weeks.  So tune back in next week and hopefully there will be more to show you.

√Bestamvsofalltime ▪ End of Innocence AMV

Have another AMV for you guys, so enjoy.

The Stanley Parable

 Zach Goodier

The Stanley Parable is..... well..... it's..... different.  Normally, we try to structure reviews based on story, characters, and plot, as well as gameplay.... but this game really doesn't invest a lot in any of these things, but I'll delve more into that later.  So, must be a bad game, right? Wrong.  The Stanley Parable is a sort of gag game, in a way.  It doesn't try to follow the formulas that other genres adhere to, it makes its own way, and it does it rather well for an $11 Steam Indie game. 

The premise of the "game" is that you are Stanley, an office worker who works a tedious job day in and day out, who is only really known by his employee number.  This already seems boring, but one day Stanley stops receiving orders from his computer.  So Stanley decides to get up and find out what is going on in the office.  That's where you start off the game, and that's where you are guided by the narrator on your quest.  This narrator tries to give instructions, but you have opportunities to defy his directions, but that can have consequences.  The world around you is the plaything and construct of the narrator, and he will interact with you differently depending on how you respond to his directions.  This has a very Matrix feel to it, but the narrator isn't the cruel overlord he seems to be, or is he?  The game works around branching decisions and various options, but are they all so different, and does the game ever truly end?

You'll want to replay all sorts of bits to find how your decisions bring about different reactions from the Narrator.

The themes are almost a satire of video games as a whole.  Now before you thinking of it as being critical... well it sort of is, but isn't (get used to the mental gymnastics, this game loves to hit you with those).  It definitely makes you feel like a rat in a maze, just like any other game, when you think about it in a broad sense.  It also challenges you to overcome the obstacles set forth by the "narrator," the one who created this world of mazes and challenges.  And all the while, you are presented with various metaphysical themes and notions surrounding not only this game, but any game in general.

This is your "helpful" line to the end of the game, if you end up needing it.

The gameplay is simply walking around and occasionally pressing buttons or other relatively simple mechanics, but it's not the gameplay itself that is the draw, it's the ability to make choices in the game to openly defy the narrator.  It feels like defying God, in a way, but with less chance of being sent to Hell.  But one of the big twists is that the environment sometimes changes itself without you seeing it, creating seemingly infinite mazes that you get lost in and end up back at the start, you walk around corners only to find yourself in an infinite loop, and you soon see that there is a little Inception being mixed in with out Matrix.

Oh, please do.

Overall, The Stanley Parable is a test of patience, of whether to follow orders or defiantly go your own path, and of your ability to understand the themes being thrown your way.  Obviously, this can add hours and hours of replay value. This game doesn't have to be read or understood, but it does offer some fun in the journey itself, and the narrator is absolutely hilarious in some scenes.  This game is a brilliant existential look at the world we chose to live in as video gamers, and just what that says about us for doing it.  And the best part of it is: this game only costs $11.

Good:

-Entertaining Narrator

-Mind-bending mazes and environments.

-Brilliant themes.

-Only costs $11.

Bad:

-Gets rather repetitive.

Scully Rating: 9 out of 10

Bleach 554: Desperate Lights

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/554

Well it looks like the endgame is approaching in Bleach.  This week, we saw the defeat of a couple of the Stern Ritter, but that doesn't mean the Vandenreich is out of commission yet, especially since Juha Bach anticipated the Soul Reapers regaining their bankai.  Now the remaining Quincy are going all out to defeat their enemy, but it looks as though Ichigo might be returning soon.  I'm not sure how soon he will finally be taking the stage, or what sort of power he possesses, but you can be sure it'll be something to see.  However, the mystery of how Uryuu is going to factor into this battle is yet to be seen.  He's always been a close ally of Ichigo, however reluctant he might be, but it appears as though he is with the enemy.  I sincerely doubt he will try to kill Ichigo or his friends himself, but his grudge against Soul Reapers might have driven him to his current allegiance.  I still think he will turn back at some point, whether he truly believes in the Quincy cause or he has simply infiltrated their ranks.  But we'll have to just tune back in as usually to find out what is going to happen.

Naruto 652: Naruto’s furrow

By: Robert Murphy

Link to manga here

Hey everybody, time once again to get back to the Naruto universe and see just what is unfolding in the conflict between the entire ninja world and Obito. This week's chapter is entitled "Naruto's furrow" and picks up after Sasuke and Naruto had taken a defining blow to Obito who had seemed to be all but invisible with the power of Ten Tails inside of him. It feels as if Obito is being weekend by feelings that he had claimed to have long gotten rid of from his life but are turning up now and as Naruto clashes with him, he sees glimpses of all his memories just like he does when he fights Sasuke. Will this come into play as this final battle unfolds, hop on in and find out in this week's chapter of Naruto. 

Pokémon X and Y

By: Robert Murphy

Hey everybody, I’ve got to tell you all since my departure from the handheld world and the Pokémon games of my youth, I have missed battling against trainers, leveling my favorite Pokémon and being able to travel around at age 14 to fight evil corporations. So I joined a few friends, went out and bought a Nintendo 3DS and bought the latest foray into the Pokémon franchise, Pokémon X and boy I have to tell you I just about let out a tear at how much I loved the game from the moment I turned it on. The game comes to life right from the get go, whether you are using the 3D function or not, you can’t help but get lost in the amazing new frontier of the Kalos Region. The new region comes with all new gym leaders, new Pokémon to catch and train, new challenges and so much to see and do you won’t want to put it down, I know I didn’t.

The core concept of the game is obviously the same but  we receive it in a whole new way, you still have to go through the opening sequence that you have been doing for the past fifteen years but luckily it is sped up and much more enjoyable. This is also good to keep though because of new players coming into the world of Pokémon as well as the fact that the game is supposed to appeal to a young audience but hey we were here first kids. Players now though go through choosing their character in a new way that includes character customization, you can now choose from various types of boy and girl models but it doesn’t end there, you can also cut and change your hair style and clothing in various spots in the game too. And so almost immediately the game breaks the mold from older Pokémon titles and brings out something new.

Pokémon X and Y are the first fully 3D Pokémon game to come out to the market and has pulled no punches in that regard whether we are talking about the amazing battles or the breathe taking scenery, you feel that the full use of the 3D mechanic is used to great detail. Your Pokémon truly come to life right on the screen as flying Pokémon will slightly hover on the screen, Pokémon that use tail attacks will actually turn and use their tails and there are even special moves that act out a brief but highly enjoyable cut scene (Brave Bird one of my favorites.) There are also vast and amazing structures spread throughout Kalos Region, giant castles with grass mazes in the back, unique and puzzle driven gyms that are designed based off of what kind of gym leader you are facing up against and many more structures to see and explore. Also little details impressed me quite a bit such as Pokémon centers having a screen above them showing your Pokémon that you’re healing and also the doing away of having a separate Poke-Mart to travel to for supplies, it’s now all in one building for greater convenience.

Moving on to the new features in the game though we are introduced to new forms of evolution in the game that allows you to take your Pokémon to an even higher level than before. That’s right, let’s take for instance Charizard who is a Pokémon that is fully evolved and can go through no further evolutions, well now he can. Through the use of in game items that you will gain during your play through you can evolve Charizard and various other specific Pokémon to a new form, altering his appearance, stats and abilities. Although this can only be done on select Pokémon as I said, it is still an incredible new function to Pokémon battles and how they’re played out. Your Pokemon will turn back though once a battle has ended and it returns to its former look and stats and can be activated again once you enter another battle, luckily this doesn’t take up a battle phase or it wouldn’t be as enjoyable to use.

The games also take advantage of the 3DS’s online capabilities where you can play, share, and communicate with your friends or meet new people who are playing and training hard just like you. Naturally you can enter into quick battles with people as well as trade Pokémon through the Player Search System that once connected to the internet shows a vast amount of other players from around the world. Some new features include sharing your own personal videos that show of the Pokémon you have gained along the way and traits about yourself. Another feature is the ability to share O-powers with other players which are items that can be used to boost stats of a Pokémon much like X-Accuracy and other items from the game.

As I said before I took a step away from hand held games and hadn’t picked up a Pokémon for some time and I was glad to come back when I did for Pokémon X and Y. The game is absolutely fantastic in every regard for me, not only are the environments visual stunning but the Pokémon and all their traits are as well. We are not only introduced to a whole new generation of Pokémon but the game also includes many of the other Pokémon that we have come to know throughout the years and it’s amazing to see the transition from all those years ago when I first started on Pokémon Blue.

Good:

-New character customization

-New Mega Evolutions that add a twist on some of the Pokémon we knew

-Enjoyable online interaction

-Visual stunning world that carries over to the Pokémon

Bad:

- What will come from the next Pokémon?

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10 

Naruto 651: What is filled

By: Robert Murphy

Link to manga here

Wow, I really mean wow, get ready for a good one guys and girls as this week’s chapter of Naruto takes in deep with all of the conflict and turmoil coming to its climax in chapter 651, “What is filled.” To recap last week, Sasuke and Naruto continue their offensive against a seemingly unstoppable Obito and the allied shinobi alliance charged forward with renewed vigor to take down the God’s Tree. We also flash back to Kakashi who was trapped in the slip space that Obito travels in and where the two had fought briefly. Kakashi is realizing that because of their shared sharingan eye, he can feel Obito, most likely due to the increase in power that Obito has gone through but who knows what this may mean. Also we left Sasuke and Naruto beaten back by Obito but we know they won’t stop as the two combine their abilities together, creating something even stronger. Will it be enough though, you’ll have to find out in the latest chapter of Naruto. 

Bleach 553: Frozen Cross

Link: http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/553/?ref=email

Zach Goodier

This week's chapter focuses solely on the counterattack of Soi Fon and Toshiro Hitsuguya against their Vandenreich opponents.  So there really isn't much in terms of story development, the fights are simply moved ahead.  While they seem to have struck decisive blows against their opponents, it is still possible that they aren't quite down for the count yet.  The Quincy still have other means of fighting without a "plundered" bankai, so it's still very possible that they aren't quite out of the running yet.  However, it does appear that at the very least the playing field has finally been leveled so that they Gotei 13 stand a chance of winning this fight since they have all of their power back.  But the larger battle has barely started, so it's still anyone's game.  Tune back in when the next Bleach comes out.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Killing Monsters Cinematic Trailer

Have a trailer for the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.  If you enjoyed all of the games, or none, I would recommend picking the other ones up if you're into the RPG scene, or just like some fantasy with a solid story, choice-making, and some good old fashioned sword play mixed with the possibility of sexy times when you get back to town.  These games provide a good RPG experience, and they let you dive in as deep as you want without feeling it adheres to the traditional "act like a saint or everybody hates you" dynamic that most RPG's use.  It truly sets you free to enjoy yourself, and play how you truly feel you have to.  So I'm hoping this game will provide more of the same, while building on the story I've enjoyed so far.  So enjoy the trailer, and tune in for more news as it comes out.

Don Jon

Don Jon is a new movie that focuses on a young man, Jon, as he goes through his life full of adult movies and casual hookups.  He has a couple friends, a sharp looking Chevelle, and a family.  He also attends church regularly and confesses his sins, but it hardly stops him from continuing.  Despite his highly active sex life, he finds greater joy in adult films, citing that they offer more excitement than the real thing.  However, his life gets more complicated when he sees the attractive Barbara, and immediately falls in love.  However, she’s an attractive woman who demands that Jon conform to fit into her life, and this becomes a central issue in the movie.  Does Jon want this girl enough to give up his lifestyle and to give up his biggest passion?

Not exactly the typical "love at first sight" scene, but not at all out of the ordinary.

The story here is surprisingly interesting, despite the racy overtones the movie uses with pornography and casual sex.  At the heart of this story there are a couple key themes: the process of growing up, and the battle between fantasy and reality.  Barbara really brings some conflict to the movie with her love of Hollywood romances where the man gives up everything for his love, which she projects onto Jon, while his fantasies revolve around pornography and the more erotic, physical side of relationships.  Watching the two of them is interesting, because they each embody a distinctive, yet separate form of unrealistic expectations of their partner, and the conflict really adds the intrigue to the story. 

Right off the bat, you can tell he wants to, and she wants him to want to.

The characters are fairly straightforward, but that isn’t a bad thing.  Jon is a “typical” guy, and Barbara is what many would expect from an extremely attractive woman who can afford to be picky with her boyfriends.  They are both a little rough around the edges, and they definitely are at their best when they first meet, and Jon wants nothing more than to sleep with Barbara, and Barbara wants nothing more than to make Jon work for it.

The father is one of the more entertaining side characters in the film, and one of the few that actually had some sort of presence in the story.

However, this movie really has some faults.  Namely, it tries to deliver a moral of sorts but it really doesn’t present itself in a way that makes that point entirely accessible to the audience.  It makes the movie feel a little excessive at times, and that they could have done away with some of the extremes and still get the point across, if not better without all the distractions.  Around the middle of the second act, there is a new female character that is introduced, and she adds a great deal of wisdom to the situation, but she herself is a drug-addled, manic depressive who has casual sex with Jon later in the film.  This just doesn’t seem to fit, since she is depressed over the loss of her family, so why is she casually hooking up with some random guy?  Arguments could be made but it felt somewhat forced without explanation.  Another big issue is just that several side characters were introduced and never really used in the story to any major extent, so why even bother having them?

One of the little gems that you learn along the way: you can get away with anything as long as you go to church, and then confess your sins. That makes it all OK.

Overall, this movie is surprisingly decent, but not stellar in any major area.  I would have to say that it is rather refreshing to see a change in the typical “romance” formula, and a story where it’s not about heartwarming romance, but realizing that what you thought was a heartwarming romance might not be exactly what you expected, and how to deal with that reality that sets in after the fantasy is lost.  However, it does have some trouble delivering this message in the midst of the provocative material that fills the movie, as well as the attempts to utilize characters that have no real place in the film outside of the odd, cliché, “fratboy” style attitude and jokes.  That doesn’t make this movie a pass, but it does get in its own way a bit and doesn’t provide the sense of closure at the end that one might want.  For a first attempt at writing, it’s really a decent start, and it does a good job of not conforming to traditional expectations, but that also works against it in some key areas.

Good:

-Some humorous moments.

-Great message in the story and characters.

-More "down-to-earth" approach to the romance in the film.

Bad:

-Little over-the-top with the use of sex, as well as the inclusion of adult films.  Only needed to let the audience know that he liked it, not make it a big distraction.

-Ending leaves a bit to be desired.

Scully Rating: 7 out of 10

Trigun

By: Robert Murphy

Now I know that I have talked about this anime in the past and I realized that I haven’t given you all a review for it yet, so here it is, my review of Trigun. Set in a distant future, clouded with nothing but a land filled with sand, this inhospitable terrain is home to the remnants of humanity after mankinds machines back fired and caused this futuristic world to happen. And you all know what goes hand in hand with a post-apocalyptic wasteland and that is crime, bandits and lawlessness preying on the few pockets of civilization left. Then enters our would be hero, Vash the Stampede, a man with a six million dollar bounty on his head and a living legend whose name strikes fear into all those who hear it, but this spikey haired devil is far from all the hype. No our hero is actually quite the opposite of all the terror and fear that is placed on him and is one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet but behind it all there is an incredible gun man that is not one to be tampered with.

By nature our hero is a pacifist who doesn’t like to get involved in dangerous and violent situation due to his past, every time Vash would get involved in something he generally causes destruction and devastation but not intentionally. This is where the rumors of Vash come from and the reason for the high bounty on his head because anyone who meets Vash would judge him as a care free goofball who doesn’t look like the sort of man who’d destroy entire towns with the flick of his wrist and a six shooter in his hand. This is believed highest by two insurance claims adjusters from the only insurance company left on the planet anymore, The Public Insurance Agency, and the two are sent to seek out Vash to see if he’s the cause of all the claims people make after he leaves a town in ruins. The two hardly can believe that this man can cause so much trouble and think that he is just a lucky fool who gets stuck in bad situations and gets out of them through cluts-like chance. But as they travel with Vash, they see through the people they meet and his personality that he is a good and honorable kind of guy who has a troubled past who is put into bad situations.

Through it all though, Trigun is simply a mad fun joy ride, filled with plenty of action, comedy and quite a diverse selection of characters both supporting and main. Vash is without a doubt one of my more favorite anime characters that I have had scene before and many of the other characters of Trigun make that list as well such as Nicholas D. Wolfwood who is a gun man that can give Vash a run for his money. The two together make quite the pair and I love any scene where they are working together, its comedic and action heavy at the same time when they’re on screen. Other characters we meet along the way get an unusual amount of detail put on them which in my opinion is a good thing, it made me get sucked into the story and invest into the characters on screen no matter how minor. There is also the science fiction element to the show that I enjoyed, remnants of mechanisms and other past works are spread throughout the sandy wasteland and very few people know how they work, often causing many of the situations Vash is put into.

Even if you aren’t a big action fan, Trigun offers a great amount of comedy, story and features truly enjoyable characters that combine to make the show one of my favorites. Vash is an absolutely hilarious character who when things get tough pulls out his famous six shooter and gets things done. Other characters along the way support and work extremely well, each with their own motives, ideas and beliefs that come out throughout the show. And hey, there is even a few dashes of romance spread in the show as well for all of you to enjoy. In short, Trigun is a well-rounded show that doesn’t lose its footing and is a great one to watch.

Good:

-Great character work both supporting and main

-Strong story telling

-Vash is a loveable oaf of a character

-Heavy amount of action, with little gore for the faint of heart

Bad:

-I don’t have a bad word to say about the show

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10 

Bleach 552: The Fundamental Virulence

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/552

This week, Kisuke Urahara makes his way to the Soul Society with a new method to fight the Quincy, using the very bankai they have stolen from the Soul Reapers.  His brilliant method is devised after he realizes that the Quincy made no attempt to steal resurreccion from hollows, despite their similarity to bankai releases.  This, and the Quincy's relentless fear/hatred of hollows led Kisuke to realize that the Quincy have one major weakness, and that by using a specific method, he could not only prevent the Quincy from stealing bankai, but he could also make sure that the groundwork is laid for an immediate counterattack.  While it looks as though the Soul Society finally has a fighting chance, the Vandenreich is far from defeated at this point, and the Gotei 13 is still on the defensive, overall.  Can Ichigo return in time to lend a hand, and save the Soul Society?  We'll just have to keep waiting and reading to find out.

Naruto 650: I’ll sleep

By: Robert Murphy

Link to manga here

Hey everyone, looks like this week’s Naruto decided to come early, the chapter is called “I’ll sleep” and jumps us right back into the action. Last week the allied shinobi alliance made a determined charge forward against Obito and against the God Tree to take it down once and for all ending Obito’s plan to put the world into a dream state. Each and every shinobi is putting in their all in this final assault in the hopes that it will be enough to put an end to this war. Naruto is persistent as ever against Obito who still tries to discourage his resolve and we all know that won’t happen, so let’s pop on in and see what happens in this week’s chapter of Naruto. 

Speed Grapher AMV - Sweet Sacrifice

This week's AMV is for the series Speed Grapher, and the song is "Diseased" by Seether.  This is a more novice class of AMV, but it's a pretty good start.  If you haven't checked out the show yet, I would highly advise it.  It starts slow, but picks up, especially near the end.  This AMV particualarly focuses on one of the more complex and interesting characters, Suitengu.  So go check it out, and stay nerdy.

Bleach 551: The Burnt Offerings

Link: http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/551

Sorry about the late update, I've been behind the 8-ball on papers and homework for the past couple weeks, but I've made some time now to update.  The latest Bleach continues the battle between the Gotei 13 and the Vandenreich.  Last time, Hitsuguya and Soi Fon were dealt devastating blows by BG9 and Bazz-B, but Toshiro isn't down for the count quite yet, he attempts to counterattack but Bazz-B is too powerful.  Haschwald confronts Kyoraku and Nanao, who has developed a kido to temporarily repel Quincy, but since only she knows it, nobody else can use it to stall the Quincy advance.  The big development comes at the end, when Kisuke Urahara gets in touch with Kurotsuchi to inform him that he has discovered how to recover stolen bankai.  But we'll have to wait to find out exactly how the Soul Reapers can finally tip the scales and counterattack with all their power.  Tune in next week, and hopefully I can update you guys on time.

Naruto 649: The will of the shinobi

By: Robert Murphy

Link to manga here

Hey everybody, it’s time once again for another installment into the Naruto universe in chapter 649, “The will of the shinobi.” In last week’s chapter things sprang into action as Naruto and Sasuke headed off to take on Obito directly after his resurrection of the God Tree had taken out ninjas in the allied shinobi alliance. As this happens, all of alliance begins to once again rally behind Naruto and the courage that he continues to show in the face of all that is happening. The Will of Fire shines bright for Naruto’s friends as they all talk about what an amazing ninja and person he has become despite how they teased and mocked him all those years ago. Will this be enough to take down Obito and the God Tree, hop on in and find out in another great chapter of Naruto.