review

Batman Ninja – Indescribable Insanity

/ Michael Beckwith / Leave a comment

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Where do I even begin trying to describe Batman Ninja? Usually after watching a film, I have a pretty solid idea of whether I liked it or not. We all have an immediate, gut feeling after we’ve absorbed a piece of media that we can easily share with others when they ask the obvious question – “How was it?” But Batman Ninja? Words fail me. Not because it’s so good or so bad, but because I have no idea how I feel about it.

I guess I’ll start with the usual info. Made in Japan and released last year, Batman Ninja is an animated film that sees Batman, alongside his many allies and enemies, accidentally travelling back in time to Feudal Japan, where he must learn the ways of the samurai to free the country from the tyrannical grip of his most dangerous enemies. You’d probably think “Well, this doesn’t sound too bad.” But trust me, this synopsis does not accurately sum up this film. Continue reading →

Spider-Man (PS4) – Does Whatever a Good Game Can

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

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The announcement of a brand new, wholly original Spider-Man game being developed by Insomniac Games got a lot of people, including me, very excited. It had felt like it had been ages since we got something like this – a console super-hero game that wasn’t just a cash-grab tie-in to a new movie or TV show. Everything about it looked promising and I felt like this could herald in a new age of high-quality superhero games. And judging by this game’s success, I think it’s safe to say that might just be the case.

Unless you’ve just not been paying attention, it’s no secret that Spider-Man (or Marvel’s Spider-Man – they seriously needed a better name) has been positively received. What was expected to be a moderate success has become Sony’s fastest selling first-party game ever and its first month’s sales beat the likes of God of War and Uncharted 4. It’s a good game is what I’m saying.

Honestly, I probably don’t even need to write a review about it. I’ll tell you right now; all the positive reception you’ve heard is right. If you have a PS4, this is a must buy. But, you know what, this game is SO good that I need to gush about it regardless. So rather than posit the question “Is Spider-Man on PS4 a good game?,” let’s discuss WHY it’s good. Continue reading →

RWBY Volume 5 – Terrific Triumph or Frustrating Failure?

/ Michael Beckwith / 5 Comments

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for RWBY Volume 5

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We may still have over a month until Volume 6 starts but I’m not leaving this year’s RWBY review until the last minute like previous years. Yep, it’s high time I got round to reviewing Volume 5, a season that my Entertainment Dome co-host and I didn’t exactly have the highest opinion of during its initial run.

But have those opinions changed? Is Volume 5 actually a lot better on its second viewing? Or is it still deserving of all the criticism we gave it? How about we just cut straight to chase and begin the review. Continue reading →

WarioWare Gold – Glorious, Gaming Goodness or Just Gross?

/ Michael Beckwith / Leave a comment

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I never realised how much I missed playing WarioWare games until I tried out the demo for the latest entry – WarioWare Gold. It was like meeting up with an old friend you hadn’t seen in years and finding out that you’re still on the same wavelength and have a fun time together. And considering the last WarioWare game came out in 2013 (assuming you even count Game & Wario, that is), I feel that comparison is perfectly apt.

But is WarioWare Gold deserving of that name? Is it the game that long-time fans have been waiting for? Or is it just like Wario himself and full of hot air? How about I stop asking rhetorical questions and we get on with the review. Continue reading →

Mario Tennis Aces – A Superb Serve or A Fumbling Fault?

/ Michael Beckwith / Leave a comment

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I’ve never been the biggest fan of the Mario sports titles. Not because I think they’re bad or I don’t enjoy them; they just very rarely grab me. So Mario Tennis Aces must’ve done something right to reel me in. Between its fancy gameplay and seemingly deep single-player mode, I found myself getting more and more tempted to try it out, and after spending some time on the online demo they released (which I even recorded footage of here), I decided to grab a copy day one.

Now, funnily enough, I had no intention of reviewing this game since I didn’t think I’d have much to say about what is essentially a tennis simulator but the more I played, the more I started to feel… conflicted, if that’s the right word. So, is this game worthy of having the word “ace” in its title? Can I recommend it to those who have no interest in tennis? How come Bowser doesn’t get his own unique tennis outfit? … OK, maybe I can only answer two of those questions. Continue reading →

Detective Pikachu – A Bolt of Brilliance Or A Load of Trubbish?

/ Michael Beckwith / 1 Comment

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When this game was first announced, it raised a lot of eyebrows, myself included. In a good way, mind you. The idea of a game centered around a gruff-sounding, coffee-loving, talking Pikachu seemed so crazy that it could actually work, or at the very least was worth experiencing. But after its official announcement, we heard basically nothing about the thing for, like, three years until it was suddenly released in Japan in early 2016.

Cut to two years later and the game not only received an expansion but was released in its entirety here in the West for us to enjoy. But was it worth the wait? Does it offer anything of substance outside of its bizarre concept? Is there any reason it should also be getting a movie adaptation? Well, I think I can answer those first two questions at least. Continue reading →

Kirby: Planet Robobot – Get in the Robot, Kirby!

/ Michael Beckwith / Leave a comment

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It’s weird how quickly fans of the Kirby series were willing to accept the idea of the pink puffball piloting a robot. Normally, a deviation from the norm is a sure-fire way to incite unwarranted anger in people. I mean, look at some other franchises.

When The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was announced with its cel-shaded graphics and kid-friendly appearance, it was immediately deemed by some fans as the worst game ever. When Banjo & Kazooie made their triumphant return with some weird racing-but-not-really-racing game, gamers everywhere vomited profusely at the mere sight of it. And do I even need to mention how nearly every Sonic the Hedgehog game since the early 2000s splits the fanbase in half?

Yet with this title, Kirby: Planet Robobot, nobody seemed to have a bad thing to say about the idea. I’m sure there’s at least one person who saw the inclusion of a robot as some kind of assault on their childhood but I personally never saw any criticism regarding the concept. But was all this acceptance well placed? Were we right to be so confident in this new idea? Well, that’s what this review’s all about. Continue reading →

Persona 4: Dancing All Night – Pointless Party or One Last Hurrah?

/ Michael Beckwith / 3 Comments

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Persona 4 is, without a doubt, one of the best JRPGs ever made. Anybody who’s played it will tell you that, which is probably why some people got a bit mad when Atlus started milking the crap out of it. Two fighting games, two different anime series, a crossover with Persona 3 and, today’s subject, a rhythm-action game.

Personally, while I understand some people’s frustration, I had no issues with these because 1. any opportunity to spend more time with these characters was a welcome one for me, 2. the money made from these would help fund other projects (coughPersona5cough) and 3. they were fun to play anyway. And for me, it was, bizarrely, the rhythm-action game that had me most excited.

At the time, I had only recently found myself becoming a fan of the genre thanks to the likes of Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy and the Project Diva games, so having a game like that but with Persona 4 music was a welcome one. But did the game live up to my admittedly lofty expectations? Can someone who isn’t a fan of the series enjoy it? Or does it alienate even the Persona 4 fans? Well, that’s what this review is all about. Continue reading →

Gravity Falls – L’P ZDWFKLQJ BRX

/ Michael Beckwith / 3 Comments

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Why must the good cartoons end so early? Yes, recently, we saw the end of Gravity Falls, possibly one of the best Disney cartoons ever – hell, probably one of the best cartoons period. I only got into the series relatively late (in fact, I started watching the show during it’s Season 2 hiatus) but I feel like I’ve been with it since the beginning. From the very first episode, something about it resonated with me and now that it’s over, there’s an empty hole that needs to be filled by another high quality show (ironic considering I only started watching Gravity Falls because Legend of Korra had ended).

So, since Gravity Falls celebrated its end with one hell of a final episode, I want to celebrate it too in my own way – by explaining why it’s so good and hopefully convince you to watch it if you haven’t already. Continue reading →

Steins;Gate – Or Why Time Travel is a Bad Idea

/ Michael Beckwith / 2 Comments

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Opinions are a funny thing, aren’t they? We all have them, we love to share them and, for some reason, we can’t fathom the idea of somebody else having one different to ours. But possibly the most bizarre thing about them is how they can change. We can go from liking something to hating it and vice versa. It’s all very weird. Why am I bringing this up? Because of my experience with today’s subject, Steins;Gate.

Now, Steins;Gate isn’t an old game that I played as a child and am now looking at to see if it holds up or anything. It only came out in Europe last summer (though it originally came out in Japan in 2009), but it sticks out as possibly being the only game I’ve played where my opinion of it radically changed whilst I was playing it. Such an oddity deserves to be documented and shared with others. I guess you could say this is the will of Steins Gate itself. Let’s get started, shall we? Continue reading →