OPINION: Mario gets caught in silly culture war
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a worldwide phenomena, garnishing over $500 million worldwide and becoming the biggest opening for an animated movie yet. This is a movie that you should definitely see as a fan. Unfortunately, just like almost anything else, with success comes the critics. And I’m not referring to half the movie critics that panned this film. I’m talking about the culture critics that have not only disliked it, but they think it’s a reflection of society gone wrong. Why? Some of the criticism is a demographic one, such as actor John Leguizamo, who said he would boycott the film because it doesn’t have Latin voice actors. He says that the directors of the film really “fought hard for him” to be in the movie, but ultimately the studio decided to cast Chris Pratt (Mario) and Charlie Day (Luigi). Leguizamo played Luigi in the 1993 live version of the film. Leguizamo, like many other non-white actors, believe that characters need to represent the background of the characters they played. Hollywood does have a history of casting white actors into non-white roles, a practice critics call “whitewashing”. But if that is his argument here, then he should know that Charlie Day does have Italian ancestry from his paternal grandfather’s side, while Leguizamo himself is Colombian, with mostly Spanish ancestry on his European side. So, by that standard, Charlie Day is more qualified than Leguizamo to play Luigi. Did Leguizamo wanted to play as Mario, though? We (other than he) may never know. Personally, I thought Pratt did a decent job portraying the main character. By the way, Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays Peach, is part Argentine from her father (and speaks Spanish very well). Does that make her “less Hispanic” than Leguizamo? It seems like John is a little frustrated that he didn’t get the role, but I believe his anger, while a bit understandable, is misplaced. And then we have the more dubious criticism, or rather “question”, regarding the film: is it “too woke”? SIGH! For the uninitiated, the expression “woke” is originally a black American vernacular to mean “being alert to racial prejudice”. Now reaction-ers (in particular) are using it to attack anyone, or any idea/trend, that deviates from “traditional norms”. I honestly don’t know where to start. People have used the term “woke” so much, I’m not sure what the point is anymore, if there is any. Let’s start with right-wing talk show host, Anna Perez, of “Wrongthink”. Regarding the movie’s portrayal of Peach, she says it “brainwashes women into becoming a ‘bada** feminist’… it is not realistic… Please make her a helpless princess again”. I won’t dignify this with a response other than “Why? What does she have to gain (besides money) by making these comments?”. Then we have Charlie Kirk, another conservative activist from Turning Point USA (TPUSA), who has a different response, but for a weird reason. He says that the movie is “anti-woke” by the virtue of “defying” John Leguizamo’s boycotting the film after raking in more than $375 million in the box office. Again, I’m not even sure what to think here. To make it short, as gamers, we know that Princess Peach is the “stereotypical” damsel-in-distress character since the original game. However, in the “non-traditional” games, she does come out as a “bada** feminist” in Super Mario Bros 2/USA, Super Mario Kart, Super Mario RPG, the Paper Mario series, the Mario Party series, Super Mario 3D World, etc. So, it’s not as if the movie just suddenly made her a more capable character. It was gradual and gamers of all types (at least most of them) have accepted this. Nevertheless, let’s not get caught up in this silly culture war and enjoy the movie for what it is: a love letter for fans and gamers everywhere.
Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Super Mario Bros. needs no introduction. Since 1985, there have been sequels and spin-offs that spanned consoles from the NES to the Switch. There is merchandise, theme parks (Universal Studios Hollywood), TV shows, and yes a (universally panned) movie. There isn’t one person alive now (almost) that doesn’t know who Mario is. With the success (and some failures) of the franchise, there is a new “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (it would’ve been slick if it was called “The New Super Mario Bros. Movie) and it is a definite improvement. The plot is rather simple. A couple of rookie down-and-out plumber brothers named Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charles Day) get sucked in to the Mushroom Kingdom after a supposed mishap from fixing a leak (though that didn’t happen immediately). Luigi lands into the “Dark Lands” of Bowser’s Lair and Mario lands into the Mushroom Kingdom. With the help of Toad (Keegan Michael-Key), Mario convinces Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) to search for his brother, captured by Bowser (Jack Black). The characters in this story are much more detailed and expressive than even Super Mario Odyssey. Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me and Minions) did a spectacular job recreating their movements and animation for the movie. Even the Donkey Kong Universe gets a nod, but the movie doesn’t show much of the land other than a fighting arena. The voices in the movie are up to par. Chris Pratt and Charlie day did well in portraying the brothers without sounding too over-the-top like their gaming counterparts. However Charles Martinet did voice Jumpman as a cameo with his original Mario voice. Jack Black did great as Bowser, but he was more lovesick for Peach than wanting to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom; however, his singing of “Peaches, Peaches, PEACHES” had the audience laughing. Anya Taylor-Joy brought out some spunk and serenity as Peach. Keegan Michael-Key was over-the-top as Toad. Seth Rogan and Fred Armisen as Donkey and Kranky Kong, respectively, brought out a great supporting cast with some good comic relief; unfortunately, Diddy and Dixie Kong were just background characters. The Penguin King (Khary Payton) from the trailer was just filler, but Hungry Luma’s nihilistic monologue is actually funny. The movie is full of references from the Mario universe, from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show theme that played in their plumbing commercial, to the side scrolling camera angle that make it look like gameplay footage, to the sample music from Kojio Kondo (rearranged carefully by Brian Taylor). Mario Kart played a major role in the battle scenes that was creative, not a throwaway. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a love letter to the fans that were starving for a great Mario film. To the “secular” filmgoer, it may not be much to see, but as the general audience gets older, people will realize what big of a deal Mario was to the world.
Review: Uncharted Movie
I’ve never played Uncharted, so this will be a “secular” review of the movie from the popular PlayStation series. This is also the first movie attempt for PlayStation Studios. Uncharted stars Tom Holland as the main character, Nathan Drake, and Mark Wahlberg as his duplicitous partner, Victor Sullivan. The story is supposedly an origin of the Uncharted games, and it starts off with Drake hanging on to some crates and fighting off villains, Spider-Man style. I guess you can’t really differentiate from one character to the next with the same actor. As soon as he boards the plane, a red car knocks him off course. We then flash back 15 years earlier with a pre-teen Nathan and his older teen brother Sam. Sam and Nathan are looking for an artifact from Spain, in which they believed to be from Ferdinand Magellan. Sam is really precocious with history that could rival Indiana Jones. They were both trying to rob an important map, but were caught by the authorities. When given a chance to say to say goodbye to each other unsupervised, Sam escapes, leaving Nathan with the clues. In the present day, Nathan is a bartender, who charms a young female patron with his knowledge of drinks. When he stealthily steals a bracelet from her, Victor Sullivan (Wahlberg) enters the establishment. He +tries to convince Nathan to join him to find the artifact he and his brother were looking for. After Sullivan stealthily recovers the bracelet from Drake, Drake reluctantly joins Sullivan to find the artifact. The movie also stars Antonio Banderas as a wealthy treasure hunter, who has plans of expanding his family empire. Unfortunately, he is stymied by his emotionally distant patriarch (Manuel de Blas). Banderas does his best to portray an effective villain but is wasted. The movie has a lot of twist and turns regarding the relationship between Drake and Sullivan. They don’t trust each other, and the movie shows as well as explains it. Also involved is Chloe Frazer, a previous contact of Sullivan who also has trust issues with Drake, and especially with Sullivan. The elements of trust in the film are played around throughout to the point where I think it’s a little too clever to be believed. But since I’m not a treasure hunter nor have I ever played Uncharted, what do I know? I also find it funny that a British actor such as Tom Holland would still play an American accent (though not for the first time, obviously), while an American actress like Sophia Ail has a British one in the film (though very convincingly). Tom Holland does his best as Nathan Drake and there were moments in which he wasn’t “Spider-Man like”, such as when he tries make Sullivan leave the drinking establishment in the beginning of the film; he did display some attitude that you wouldn’t expect out of Spider-Man. But he also did some fighting moves and lectures Sullivan on trust that would make Holland indistinguishable from his famous Marvel character. Drake is extremely knowledgeable about history that would make his brother proud and rival that of an archeology professor. Mark Wahlberg as Sullivan is more of a comic relief, but not in the traditional goofy sense. Like Drake, he is knowledgable, but more experienced; Drake, even with all of his knowledge, can be a real rookie in some key moments. Sometimes Sullivan will say along the lines of “I will do this on my own and make sure you don’t double-cross me”, but unexpectedly trusts Drake and Frazer anyway. Another strong supporting character is Braddock (Tati Gabrielle), who is Santiago’s bodyguard and scout, but plays a significant role later in the movie. As to what her motives are from that point is anyone’s guess. There are also two end-credit scenes in the movie, so you may want to stay for those. Uncharted is not a bad movie, but it’s not a great one either. I know many fans will understand some of the references as well as the history of the characters. But for the “secular” audience, such as myself, I think many will see this because of Tom Holland and what he can do outside of Spider-Man; so far, it’s not much of a difference. While it’s respectable for the video-game movie genre, it still has ways to go to make an impact.
Nintendo disrespects legacy eShop games
Nintendo announced that it will no longer sell games for the Wii U and 3DS games digitally after March 2023. While it’s normal for “legacy games” to no longer be in physical production, they are still selling digitally through the other stores. So why is Nintendo removing them? Nintendo says “This is part of the natural lifecycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time.” Okaaay… In a way, it makes sense because with the Wii U and 3DS systems no longer in production, as time passes, it wouldn’t be feasible for Nintendo sell them when people are “no longer playing them”. Unlike its competitors, you can’t play these games on the Switch (the latest system). This is where the heart of the problem lies. Again, with the competitors, you can play most of the legacy games. For example, you can play Battlefront II (2005) on the Xbox One/Series with the similar control scheme as the original Xbox. You can’t find that on Nintendo. You won’t be able to play Twilight Princess on the Switch because it is not available. Why? Why couldn’t Nintendo copy what its competitors are doing by making the legacy titles backwards compatible with the current one? It worked with the original Wii and Wii U, albeit limited to only the previous generation, but it was there. Yes, the Switch is not on disc format, but Nintendo couldn’t find a way to make these games playable digitally? There is, of course, backlash to this announcement. YouTube gaming commentator, ReviewTechUSA, says “Nintendo doesn’t give a damn about the customer” in his 10-minute video. He has even encouraged piracy because the scarcity of these legacy titles in physical format will skyrocket the prices. (For the record, I do not encourage piracy for not only for legal, but also security reasons; downloading ROMs could install viruses, spyware, malware, or any other x-ware that can damage your computer). Video Game History Foundation says “… we don’t understand what path Nintendo expects its fans to take, should they wish to play these games in the future.” It also calls the practice “actively destructive” in preventing the preservation of these legacy titles. It is possible for Nintendo to make titles for the classsic Nintendo and other systems to be on the Switch. But given Nintendo’s history on how it has handled classic titles, the path to its possibility is mixed at best. You could make the argument that you can still keep the classic systems and still play these titles. But if the games are no longer in print and they break, then where will you get them from? I’ve already addressed the piracy issue. It seems like Nintendo still hasn’t learned anything on its own history dealing with backwards compatibility as well as how its competitors are doing it. I understand that Nintendo wants to be “creative” and “innovative” whenever a new system comes out (the Switch has now sold over 103 million units, making it Nintendo’s best-selling home console yet); but it seems short-sighted for Nintendo to not include most of its legacy titles at the launch of any new system. This is 2022, and its inexcusable for the House of Mario to act like it’s 2002. If Nintendo still wants to continue selling like hot cakes for its next system, it needs to consider the legacy games for the new system. It could sour the fanbase and may make gamers “switch” to other systems to play those games. I don’t believe this is something Nintendo wants to do, but historically, Nintendo will Nintendo. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Epic Games Thursday (8/20/20)
Hello PC gamers, it’s Thursday once again. Epic Games had a tumultuous week with its fight against Apple and Android over Fortnite. The good news is there are still games from the Epic Games store. Last week, it was about exploration. This week, it’s about fighting demons and monsters, so it’s getting straight to the action. Here are the two games that are available for free this week: God’s Trigger (One More Level and Techland) (Regular Price: $14.99) God’s Trigger is bird’s-eye-view, over-the-top RPG-like action game. You can play as either Harry the Angel or Judy the Demon by switching (Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate style) or as co-op. In this game you have to inflict as much violence toward your enemies as possible to gain experience points and power-ups. Your enemies are the Four Horsemen (or Horsebeings, whatever) of the Apocalypse: Death, War, Famine, and Pestilence, each with their unique personalities and attack styles. Very bloody. Rated M. Enter the Gungeon (Dodge Roll and Devolver Digital) (Regular Price: $14.99) Enter the Gungeon is a semi-bird’s-eye-view over-the-top shooter in the tradition of Smash TV. Either as a single-player or co-op, you fight enemies in the Gungeon called the Gundead. Your primary objective is to obtain “a gun that can kill the past”. You will also find loot, discover hidden secrets, and have chats with “opportunistic merchants”. With those, you fight Gungeon bosses that are “armed to the teeth”. Some parts of the game are blended with 8-bit sprites, giving this game a retro feel. Rated T. Fighting demons and monsters can be either serious or lighthearted. If you’re more into over-the-top bloody violence, then God’s Trigger is for you. But if you’re a bit too squeamish and prefer some lighthearted, classic-style gaming, then Enter the Gungeon is right for you. Either way, both games are free this week, so why not grab them both? Happy demon hunting!
Epic Games Thursday (8/13/20)
Hello PC gamers, it’s Thursday once again. Two new games from Epic Games Store are free this week. Unlike last week, there doesn’t seem to be dominant theme for this one, other than… exploration perhaps? You can be the judge (these games are free for this week after all, so what do you have to lose by downloading them?). Remnant: From the Ashes (Gunfire Games & Perfect World Entertainment, Inc.) (Regular price: $39.99) Remnant: From the Ashes is a third-person shooter game in which you have to travel through alternate dimensions and other realms for humanity’s survival. “Dynamically-generated” worlds change each time you play through them as well as “creating new maps, enemy encounters, quest opportunities, and in-world events”. Either you adapt through these changes or you die. You can also play co-op with two other players. Rated M. The Alto Collection (Team Alto & Snowman) (Regular Price: $9.99) The Alto Collection is two games in one: Alto’s Adventure and Alto’s Odyssey, which focus on snowboarding and sandboarding, respectively. They’re both handcrafted-style games in which you explore ancient wastelands and forgotten ruins through, again, either snowboarding or sandboarding. Alto’s Adventure was originally release for the PC and mobile devices while Alto’s Odyssey was only for mobile. But thanks to the Switch, PS4, and Xbox One, The Alto Collection has full controller support. Rated E. While Remnant: From the Ashes is primarily a third-person shooter, one can make the argument that it is an exploration game with its ever-changing worlds and scavenging for items to survive. The Alto Collection definitely relies on exploration to discover what “lies beyond the horizon”. Again, you be the judge. Remember: Remnant: From the Ashes and The Alto Collection are free on the Epic Games Store for this week only (offer ends on August 20, 2020), so no excuses on missing out these games.
Hood: Outlaws & Legends trailer is out
Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a new PvP game from Focus Home Interactive (World War Z) based on (you guessed it) Robin Hood. Disney, Warner Bros., and many others had their own interpretations of the famous outlaw that robbed to rich to feed the poor. Focus Home, along with developer Sumo Studios (one of its locations from Nottingham, aptly), released a trailer that shows a very dark twist from a traditionally lighthearted tale. The merry men in this trailer are portrayed as stealth assassins, taking down Prince John’s men one by one, often with brutal, bloody results. This will no doubt earn an “M” rating. But just when they were about to take a valuable treasure chest, it seems like another faction is doing the same thing. Another twist: the leaders of both of these factions are faceless. What does this mean? Will you create your own character, including gender (since Robin Hood is historically male)? Will this be a fight among the factions to see who is going to emerge as the Robin Hood, since their leaders are faceless? It’s a PvP game so it looks like there will be a civil war, and how is Prince John going to factor in on this? Hood: Outlaws & Legends will give you an opportunity to steal gold and treasure, and try to earn the people’s trust. Some of the gameplay is reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed, or do you, as a player, prefer an open war against other factions since it is a PvP game? Hood: Outlaws & Legends will be out on 2021 for all Xbox and PS systems, and Steam. No word yet on the Switch.
Epic Games Thursday (8/6/20)
Another week, another Epic Games Thursday. This week has a theme of games involving work. With the coronavirus dominating our lives and headlines, it seems like Epic Games is trying to give some us humor at a time when we took our jobs for granted. Here are the two games that are out for free for this week only: 3 out of 10 Episode 1: “Welcome to Shovelworks”. This game is a satirical take on game development featuring “the world’s worst game developer”: Shovelworks. It’s part animated show, part game, which there are mini-games based on the story. For example, you play nerf-gun style shooting with your coworkers. The object of the entire game is to create a game that will score a 3 with the critics. Since it’s an episodic game, like The Wolf Among Us, it will release new episodes (out of 5) each week for free (given that you’ve picked up this game). It makes no mention on the regular price. Wilmot’s Warehouse. This is a puzzle game on organizing your warehouse. You can organize your items anyway you like, such as by color, type, Dewey Decimal System, etc., that is entirely up to you. However, when the shipments start leaving, you need to remember where you placed the items so you can send them off quickly. Your score will be based on time. It also features a 2-player co-op, so you’ll need an additional gamepad if you desire to play with another person. Regular price is $14.99. If you’re strapped for cash and want to try out new games, 3 out of 10 and Wilmot’s Warehouse could satisfy your gaming needs if you’re curious. Since the games are free anyway, why not pick them up and give them the old college try?
Nintendo has sold more than 60 million Switch units
Nintendo has surpassed all expectations in selling more than 60 million units worldwide (home console or Lite), according to VG Chartz. It surpassed the Xbox One, which is closing in on 50 million units, but the PS4 is projected to win the 8th-gen console race with more than 112 million sold. That makes the PS4 the second best-selling home console ever (behind the PS2’s 155 million). After the Wii U’s massive failure (13 million units in 4 years), Nintendo made a huge gamble with the Switch, making it the first “hybrid” console in which players can either play it on their TV or on the go with a separate monitor. So far, that gamble has paid off. Games such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are the Switch’s top-selling games. The most interesting part is the ability to play current-gen console games on the go, such as Mortal Kombat 11, Doom (2016), and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, to name a few. It didn’t seem technologically possible to do that since handhelds are generally “inferior” to the home consoles, but somehow Nintendo pulled it off. Yet one has to wonder how long the Switch’s success will last since the PS5 and the Xbox Series X will be out this holiday season? It’s highly unlikely that Capcom will port Resident Evil VIII: Village to the Switch, for example. But so far, Nintendo doesn’t seem very concerned with that since it’s targeting a “different audience”, like always (for better or worse). But given recent events, don’t count Nintendo out.
Epic Games Thursday (7/30/20)
Epic Games, in case you don’t know by now, releases free PC games every Thursday. Some of them have been the biggest, like GTA V, the Batman Arkham Series, and Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. Others you may need to keep close attention to. This week, Epic Games releases three of them, and they deserve your attention: 20XX – This game has a heavy Mega Man spin, but with a female lead character named Nina. Just like the series before it, you battle robot masters to save the world. You can also play through co-op. Unfortunately, while it’s critically-acclaimed, the disappointing Mighty No. 9 overshadowed it since both of these games had similar launch dates. It’s time to give this game a chance. Barony – With the graphics of Minecraft, this is a dungeon RPG, roguelike game. Collect spells, go through brutal traps, and fight monsters, either alone or with co-op. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP – Very pixelated, but very creative use of pop art. In this game, you are a monk, and you have go through a mountain wilderness to battle monsters and solve “mystical musical puzzles”. Award-winning indie rock artist, Jim Guthrie, provides the soundtrack. While these three games don’t have the name recognition of the previously free releases, they give gamers a chance to explore something outside of AAA gaming. In an era in which it takes more than 50 hours to complete games today, they serve as a refresher that games don’t require to be that long to be great. 20XX, Barony, and Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP are only free for this week.
