Category: Opinion Pieces
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Yami’s Dark Prediction: Modern Commercialism and the World of Yu-gi-oh
I grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s. There was always another commercial on TV promising the hottest new toy, often either another robotic invention or some new collectible series that was going to be monetized to hell and back by selling it in packs. I don’t have children of my own yet,…
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The MCU and the Problem with Comic Stories
So let me get it out of the way right now; I generally enjoyed the MCU and its Infinity Saga, a few bumps in the road aside. It did the impressive job of telling a (mostly) coherent story about many, many characters, over roughly twenty-two films, while juggling far more characters than any sane franchise…
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On Film Sequels and Budget Restrictions
If Hollywood has taught us anything, it’s that if a film is sufficiently well-received, there will be more of that film. In many cases, that film will be beaten into the ground until we have produced as many sequels as the viewing public can stomach. Don’t get me wrong, some stories absolutely warrant sequels or…
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The Grand Defense of Scrappy Doo
Today, we’ll be taking a look at a character who’s had one of the most fascinating rides through the public consciousness, the little cartoon dog known as Scrappy Doo. I assume I don’t have to explain the basics of the Scooby Doo franchise, seeing as it’s one of the biggest cartoons ever and passively enjoying…
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Mods in Gaming
Mods have an important role in gaming. In many ways it is how many developers get their start in the industry. Mods, along with indie games, are the grassroots of gaming. Throughout gaming’s history, mods have spawned new games and genres with the full backing of the community. Large mod groups and volunteers have come…
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Boss Design, Featuring Organization XIII
Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for Kingdom Hearts 3, Sonic Mania, Hi-Fi Rush, Persona 4, Doom 2016, Final Fantasy X, A Hat in Time, Undertale, Bayonetta, Pokemon Black/White, Paper Mario, Dragon Quest 9, Metal Gear Solid 2. Boss fights. Some series struggle with them, others are known for them. Done well, these are often…
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Why do we tell stories? And who needs heroes? Gilgamesh, Snow White, and Superman
It’s not uncommon to hear about moviegoers experiencing superhero fatigue right now. That makes sense, given the constant deluge of Marvel content and DC’s varying attempts to replicate that success. So why the hell do we make so many of these movies anyway? Maybe it’s the spectacle of it and the insane backlog of adaptable…
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A Multiverse of Betas and Patches
The Warner Brothers crossover platform fighter that won an award at last year’s Game Awards? Great. While I had a few issues with the gameplay, I generally found it to be a fun enough game with a mostly good roster (picking Taz instead of Wile E. Coyote was a waste though). After the game went…
Nerdcrash! 