I am knee-deep into the Pegasus event and I have had a thought - why are only a few characters available to play? I have unlocked Pegasus, Yami Yugi, Kaiba, Joey, Tea, Mai, Bandit Keith, Mako, Ishizu, and Rex Raptor. I have encountered Yami Bakura (last event) but I was unable to unlock him as a play even though it was possible in the last Yami Bakura event. Aside from Weevil and later Odion, I find there aren't any characters left for me to unlock. I find this to be a shame since the Yu-Gi-Oh! series had a lot more characters. So, here is my list for the top ten characters that deserve to be in this game as a playable character. Please note that I am not putting Yugi in this list since he will be available eventually or so I have heard.
10. Mokuba Kaiba
If Seto Kaiba is in this game, then his little brother, Mokuba, should also be in this game. He did duel a bit in the anime. This choice is low on the list due to rumors that he will be available as a playable character in the future.
9. Noah Kaiba
For those who haven't seen the anime, Noah is Seto's stepbrother. He was in an accident and had his consciousness put in a computer. It's a long story, but his deck was all about the Spirit types. In fact, his ace was Shinato, King of a Higher Plane. It would be really nice to finally have that card available. Plus, Spirit type monsters are already available and he could use them in his deck.
8. Bakura
To clarify: I mean the good Bakura. If his evil counterpart is there, he should be too. I can see him using a fiend deck but with a different ace monster. He would be a welcome addition.
7. Grandpa Moto
Who better to be in the game but the grandfather of the King of Games? Grandpa taught Yugi and Joey everything he knows so his skills cannot be denied. He could use either his Exodia deck or a deck based on archeology like the one he used in the KC Grand Championship.
6. Serenity Wheeler
While the little sister of Joey Wheeler isn't known for her dueling, she did manage to win a duel - with help from others, of course. She would probably have a fairy deck so she could use St. Joan - which would work quite nicely. This would also require releasing The Forgiving Maiden and Marie the Fallen One (yes I know they renamed it) since they are the requirements for the aforementioned Fusion monster.
5. Duke Devlin
Cool green eyes and an attitude to match, this young card shop owner would definitely be at home in this game. He could pioneer a deck built on dice roll mechanics. I think he is an overlooked character from the anime and should be in the game.
4. Zigfried von Schroeder
Another duelist from the KC Grand Championship, this German counterpart to Seto Kaiba is oozing with style and confidence. He used a deck based on Norse mythology and while those cards aren't in the game, there are cards based on Nordic mythology that he could use...minus the Synchro monsters, of course. If not that, then give him a rose deck instead.
3. Rebecca Hawkins
Ever since the original Yu-Gi-Oh! season, this young girl has proven that age doesn't define dueling skill. She uses a deck around Guardian Angel Joan (which is available via the Card Trader now) so she would be a perfect addition to the player roster.
2. Tristan Taylor
If all the other members of Yugi's inner circle are in this game, then why isn't he? He did duel and had a machine based deck. There are more than enough machines to go around and he could do a beast warrior deck instead so he could use his Lava Battleguard.
1. Raphael
Why do I want this character from the Waking the Dragons story arc to be available?? Easy - his guardians! At least two of his Guardian monsters are available already and it would open the door for other Guardians like Kay'est or Eatos.
Well, that sums it up for this week. I hope you enjoyed this post and will follow me so you don't miss out on future posts. Leave a comment below telling me which characters you think should be playable in this game. Have a good weekend and as always - keep on gaming!
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Thoughts on Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links
If you haven't heard of the new app, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, then you clearly haven't been online lately. The app is everywhere - especially on YouTube. I watched a few of my favorite YouTubers play this game then decided to try it for myself. Let me just say - I love it! I will break down my thoughts into 3 categories: cards and characters, game play, and issues. Let's get into it!
Cards and Characters
The whole point of this game is to duel - which will get you to level up which will unlock new cards, characters, and character skills. All of the playable characters are from the anime - and they even have their dubbed anime voices (for the most part). If you are a fan of the anime, this alone will be enough to start playing. The cards are as you would expect - they start out weak but get stronger as you go. You can buy packs of 3 cards for gems at the card shop or trade with the card trader for rarer cards. Thus far, Synchro and Xyz monsters are not available but that could change in the future.
Game Play
If you have ever played Yu-Gi-Oh!, then you can play this game. If you haven't, this is also a great place to learn since things start off fairly easy then get more difficult as you level up. Like I said before, gems are needed to get card packs while other resources are needed to get other things: stones and gold for the card trader and keys for the legendary duelist gate. Beating legendary duelists can also get you special cards but my luck has not been that good on that. It seems that you need to duel often and a lot to get anywhere in this game. Character level up not your idea of a good time? Then you can try the PVP arena which matches you with random people from all over the world so you can see how you skills stack up to real duelists instead of just the app AI.
Issues
Where to begin on this one....how about money? As you can expect, if you want to get cards quickly, real money is required. I can assure you that I have multiple characters over level 15 and I have not spent a single cent of real money. Another issue is that an internet connection is required to play the game - even if you aren't using PVP (which I don't use - not until I get my decks to a playable level). In fact, if your device (a tablet in my case) suddenly loses its signal, you get an error screen and worse case scenario: it reboots the app. I have had this happen - though to be fair, I can't say if it was the app or my internet to blame. I can say that even if that happens, if I am acquiring gems or as was the case recently, opening a card pack, the app does give you what you in the process of getting when the signal went out. If you are dueling, it usually asks you if you want to continue the duel that was in progress at the time. I haven't had any other issues with signals dropping but we'll see how things progress. The last issue is that it drains my tablet battery pretty quickly - luckily there is a setting that allows you to change how much battery is used when you play the game. Lowering the setting may slow things down, but it is really up to you to decide which is more important: battery life or app speed.
In general, this game is very fun and easy to pick up. It is free to download and to play - which is a plus. I can't find anything really negative to say about it - the issues above are minor, except for the internet requirement. I would recommend this game to anyone who loves Yu-Gi-Oh! or wants to start playing it. What about you? Leave a comment below telling me your experiences with this app. Follow me for future posts if you enjoyed this post. Have a good weekend and as always, keep on gaming!
Cards and Characters
The whole point of this game is to duel - which will get you to level up which will unlock new cards, characters, and character skills. All of the playable characters are from the anime - and they even have their dubbed anime voices (for the most part). If you are a fan of the anime, this alone will be enough to start playing. The cards are as you would expect - they start out weak but get stronger as you go. You can buy packs of 3 cards for gems at the card shop or trade with the card trader for rarer cards. Thus far, Synchro and Xyz monsters are not available but that could change in the future.
Game Play
If you have ever played Yu-Gi-Oh!, then you can play this game. If you haven't, this is also a great place to learn since things start off fairly easy then get more difficult as you level up. Like I said before, gems are needed to get card packs while other resources are needed to get other things: stones and gold for the card trader and keys for the legendary duelist gate. Beating legendary duelists can also get you special cards but my luck has not been that good on that. It seems that you need to duel often and a lot to get anywhere in this game. Character level up not your idea of a good time? Then you can try the PVP arena which matches you with random people from all over the world so you can see how you skills stack up to real duelists instead of just the app AI.
Issues
Where to begin on this one....how about money? As you can expect, if you want to get cards quickly, real money is required. I can assure you that I have multiple characters over level 15 and I have not spent a single cent of real money. Another issue is that an internet connection is required to play the game - even if you aren't using PVP (which I don't use - not until I get my decks to a playable level). In fact, if your device (a tablet in my case) suddenly loses its signal, you get an error screen and worse case scenario: it reboots the app. I have had this happen - though to be fair, I can't say if it was the app or my internet to blame. I can say that even if that happens, if I am acquiring gems or as was the case recently, opening a card pack, the app does give you what you in the process of getting when the signal went out. If you are dueling, it usually asks you if you want to continue the duel that was in progress at the time. I haven't had any other issues with signals dropping but we'll see how things progress. The last issue is that it drains my tablet battery pretty quickly - luckily there is a setting that allows you to change how much battery is used when you play the game. Lowering the setting may slow things down, but it is really up to you to decide which is more important: battery life or app speed.
In general, this game is very fun and easy to pick up. It is free to download and to play - which is a plus. I can't find anything really negative to say about it - the issues above are minor, except for the internet requirement. I would recommend this game to anyone who loves Yu-Gi-Oh! or wants to start playing it. What about you? Leave a comment below telling me your experiences with this app. Follow me for future posts if you enjoyed this post. Have a good weekend and as always, keep on gaming!
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Happy Easter!!!!
Happy Easter from my blog to you!!
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| all images do not belong to me unless otherwise stated - this is free clipart :) |
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: A DVD Review
Okay, let me just say that I did not see this is theaters. This is all about my thoughts and impressions on the movie after viewing it for the first time. That being said, I was very excited to see this movie. I really liked the Harry Potter series (except for the last couple of movies, very depressing). This movie brought hope that it would be like the series started out to be.
The story centers on Newt Scamander in the 1920s. The British wizard is visiting America with a suitcase that seems to open on its own - a lot. The plot follows with a whirlwind of incidents leading to chaos, creature hunting, and discovering what has been plaguing New York City since before Newt's visit. This movie definitely delivered on the magic. The visual effects in some parts were very stunning and the creatures seemed very real. The characters were portrayed well and seemed to possess some familiar characteristics - more on that later. It was a fairly fun movie to watch.
Now for the bad part....where to begin? First of all, like I said earlier, some of the characters had familiar characteristics. It felt like we were watching Harry, Hermione, Luna, and Neville in a different time period as adults. I didn't mind this much but it did feel like Rowling just took characters she already had and just changed names and ages. Another issue was that everything was (as I said earlier) a whirlwind of incidents. Characters didn't seem to develop and plot didn't develop much either. The basic issue with this story is - little story or none at all.
By the end of the movie, you know very little about the characters (including full names) that you met - especially Newt. Some hints were dropped, but no time was taken to explain anything. The villain, Grindelwald, was especially an enigma with only some headlines at the beginning and an extremely brief appearance at the end of the film. Some characters got too much screen time, like the bland and annoying Tina. Her sister, Queenie, was a much more enjoyable character to watch.
I guess in the end, understanding the movie all depends upon how familiar you are with the Harry Potter universe. I only know of it from the movies 1 - 5 and 7.2 (I told you, I tried to avoid watching the end because I was warned that it was very depressing). That aside, I did enjoy the movie very much...I was just a little lost sometimes at what was being mentioned. However, I would definitely recommend the movie to anyone who likes the Harry Potter series.
And that's it. I hope you enjoyed this post. Follow me so you don't miss out on future posts. Leave a comment below telling me your thoughts on the movie and if you'd recommend it. Have a great weekend and as always, keep on gaming!
The story centers on Newt Scamander in the 1920s. The British wizard is visiting America with a suitcase that seems to open on its own - a lot. The plot follows with a whirlwind of incidents leading to chaos, creature hunting, and discovering what has been plaguing New York City since before Newt's visit. This movie definitely delivered on the magic. The visual effects in some parts were very stunning and the creatures seemed very real. The characters were portrayed well and seemed to possess some familiar characteristics - more on that later. It was a fairly fun movie to watch.
Now for the bad part....where to begin? First of all, like I said earlier, some of the characters had familiar characteristics. It felt like we were watching Harry, Hermione, Luna, and Neville in a different time period as adults. I didn't mind this much but it did feel like Rowling just took characters she already had and just changed names and ages. Another issue was that everything was (as I said earlier) a whirlwind of incidents. Characters didn't seem to develop and plot didn't develop much either. The basic issue with this story is - little story or none at all.
By the end of the movie, you know very little about the characters (including full names) that you met - especially Newt. Some hints were dropped, but no time was taken to explain anything. The villain, Grindelwald, was especially an enigma with only some headlines at the beginning and an extremely brief appearance at the end of the film. Some characters got too much screen time, like the bland and annoying Tina. Her sister, Queenie, was a much more enjoyable character to watch.
I guess in the end, understanding the movie all depends upon how familiar you are with the Harry Potter universe. I only know of it from the movies 1 - 5 and 7.2 (I told you, I tried to avoid watching the end because I was warned that it was very depressing). That aside, I did enjoy the movie very much...I was just a little lost sometimes at what was being mentioned. However, I would definitely recommend the movie to anyone who likes the Harry Potter series.
And that's it. I hope you enjoyed this post. Follow me so you don't miss out on future posts. Leave a comment below telling me your thoughts on the movie and if you'd recommend it. Have a great weekend and as always, keep on gaming!
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Yu-Gi-Oh! March 2017 Banlist Thoughts
Finally, a banlist for Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG is out. I know, it's been out since the 21st, but I wanted to post other things before this topic. Anyway, what can I say....? I guess that we start at the top and work our way down. This list can be found here: http://yugioh-card.com/en/limited/index.html if you want to peruse it yourself (if you haven't already).
Forbidden changes:
Majespector Unicorn - Kirin : I have no idea why this is limited. Even if you pendulum summon it to get past it's 1 tribute requirement, you are still returning 1 card you control to your hand so you can return 1 card your opponent controls to the hand. It seems very balanced.
The Tyrant Neptune: I can see where this can be used more effectively thanks to pendulum summoning. This change makes a lot of sense.
Vanity's Emptiness: A single continuous trap card that can stop everyone from special summoning? That is pretty broken considering all the pendulum and xyz summoning these days. It's another justified change.
Limited changes:
MAXX "C": Okay, being able to draw when you opponent special summons (and they will) at the cost of just sending this from the hand to the graveyard is very powerful. I agree with this limitation.
Rescue Cat: Why was this ever forbidden? The monsters special summoned with this effect have their effects negated and are destroyed at the end of the turn. It balances it out its ability with a pretty good cost.
Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier: This Synchro monster can return any number of your opponents cards to the hand provided you discard the same number of cards from your hand. This doesn't seem worthy of being forbidden since it has such a big cost for only stalling your opponent for a turn.
Brain Control: This is an oldie, but a goodie. Pay 800 life points, take control of 1 of your opponent's monsters. Only now, the errata states that you can take control of 1 of your opponent's monsters that can be 'normal summoned/set'. I was lost at how this changed anything until I looked it up. This change means that Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, Token, and any monster that cannot be normal summoned/set can't be targeted by Brain Control. This severely cuts down on the power of this card. I don't see why it needed the power cut anyway since you have to pay life points to use it.
Future Fusion: Why is a card that takes 3 turns to resolve on the limited list? This is very slow compared to other effects - your opponent could swarm the field using pendulum summoning and take out the rest of your life points in the time it takes this card to summon 1 Fusion monster. In GX this was good, but not so much anymore.
Imperial Order: For 700 life points a turn, you can negate all spell effects on the field. This could hamper strategies that rely on continuous spell/trap cards or field spell cards. This will definitely get some use.
Semi-Limited changes:
Wisdom-Eye Magician: I assume that it is semi-limited because of its pendulum ability. It's quite nifty: destroy it then replace it in your pendulum zone with any other magician from you deck that you want. This has potential.
Zoodiac Ratpier: I don't see how this is that good since it only either sends a card to the graveyard from the deck or, if xyz material, summons another Ratpier which has 0 ATK and 0 DEF. It doesn't really do much that would warrant limitation.
Interrupted Kaiju Slumber: The Kaiju archetype has always been strange to me. You have to summon one on your opponent's side of the field so you can summon one. It's no surprise that this spell card is just as confusing. Destroy as many monsters as you can, summon 2 different Kaijus to the field (1 one your side, one on your opponent's side) and then they have to battle. Later, you can banish this card to get a Kaiju from your deck to your hand. I love a good multiple card destruction effect, but you aren't really helping things if you are giving your opponent another monster too. I guess it works if you give them a really weak monster but it still makes little sense to me.
No longer on list: Sangan
It's about time. I like Sangan and considering how many other powerful summoning methods are used, Sangan should have been taken off the list a long time ago.
In general, I agree with these changes. I was excited to find out that Elemental Hero Stratos is semi-limited in the OCG and Witch of the Black Forest is now limited in the OCG since I thought maybe they would finally get off the forbidden list in the TCG. I was wrong. I don't know why not. I also noticed a lot more Zoodiac cards were forbidden in the OCG but not at all in the TCG. Why is there such a drastic difference? Do TCG players play differently than the OCG? It's the same game, just different languages, so what is the deal?
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post and will follow me so you don't miss any future posts. Leave a comment down below telling me your thoughts on the new Yu-Gi-Oh! banlist. Have a great weekend and as always, keep on gaming!
Forbidden changes:
Majespector Unicorn - Kirin : I have no idea why this is limited. Even if you pendulum summon it to get past it's 1 tribute requirement, you are still returning 1 card you control to your hand so you can return 1 card your opponent controls to the hand. It seems very balanced.
The Tyrant Neptune: I can see where this can be used more effectively thanks to pendulum summoning. This change makes a lot of sense.
Vanity's Emptiness: A single continuous trap card that can stop everyone from special summoning? That is pretty broken considering all the pendulum and xyz summoning these days. It's another justified change.
Limited changes:
MAXX "C": Okay, being able to draw when you opponent special summons (and they will) at the cost of just sending this from the hand to the graveyard is very powerful. I agree with this limitation.
Rescue Cat: Why was this ever forbidden? The monsters special summoned with this effect have their effects negated and are destroyed at the end of the turn. It balances it out its ability with a pretty good cost.
Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier: This Synchro monster can return any number of your opponents cards to the hand provided you discard the same number of cards from your hand. This doesn't seem worthy of being forbidden since it has such a big cost for only stalling your opponent for a turn.
Brain Control: This is an oldie, but a goodie. Pay 800 life points, take control of 1 of your opponent's monsters. Only now, the errata states that you can take control of 1 of your opponent's monsters that can be 'normal summoned/set'. I was lost at how this changed anything until I looked it up. This change means that Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, Token, and any monster that cannot be normal summoned/set can't be targeted by Brain Control. This severely cuts down on the power of this card. I don't see why it needed the power cut anyway since you have to pay life points to use it.
Future Fusion: Why is a card that takes 3 turns to resolve on the limited list? This is very slow compared to other effects - your opponent could swarm the field using pendulum summoning and take out the rest of your life points in the time it takes this card to summon 1 Fusion monster. In GX this was good, but not so much anymore.
Imperial Order: For 700 life points a turn, you can negate all spell effects on the field. This could hamper strategies that rely on continuous spell/trap cards or field spell cards. This will definitely get some use.
Semi-Limited changes:
Wisdom-Eye Magician: I assume that it is semi-limited because of its pendulum ability. It's quite nifty: destroy it then replace it in your pendulum zone with any other magician from you deck that you want. This has potential.
Zoodiac Ratpier: I don't see how this is that good since it only either sends a card to the graveyard from the deck or, if xyz material, summons another Ratpier which has 0 ATK and 0 DEF. It doesn't really do much that would warrant limitation.
Interrupted Kaiju Slumber: The Kaiju archetype has always been strange to me. You have to summon one on your opponent's side of the field so you can summon one. It's no surprise that this spell card is just as confusing. Destroy as many monsters as you can, summon 2 different Kaijus to the field (1 one your side, one on your opponent's side) and then they have to battle. Later, you can banish this card to get a Kaiju from your deck to your hand. I love a good multiple card destruction effect, but you aren't really helping things if you are giving your opponent another monster too. I guess it works if you give them a really weak monster but it still makes little sense to me.
No longer on list: Sangan
It's about time. I like Sangan and considering how many other powerful summoning methods are used, Sangan should have been taken off the list a long time ago.
In general, I agree with these changes. I was excited to find out that Elemental Hero Stratos is semi-limited in the OCG and Witch of the Black Forest is now limited in the OCG since I thought maybe they would finally get off the forbidden list in the TCG. I was wrong. I don't know why not. I also noticed a lot more Zoodiac cards were forbidden in the OCG but not at all in the TCG. Why is there such a drastic difference? Do TCG players play differently than the OCG? It's the same game, just different languages, so what is the deal?
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post and will follow me so you don't miss any future posts. Leave a comment down below telling me your thoughts on the new Yu-Gi-Oh! banlist. Have a great weekend and as always, keep on gaming!
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Beauty and the Beast - A Movie Review
This past week, Disney's live-action remake of 'Beauty and the Beast' came to theaters. Since it is a remake of one of my favorite movies of all time, I had to see it. Does it compare to the original or is it another disaster? There may be spoilers ahead so read with caution. With that out of the way, let's see if this movie is a beauty or a beast.
I will break it down into 4 parts: characters, story, music and general impressions. Let's start with the characters. I will limit myself to main characters. Belle was portrayed well and came across as clever and independent as you imagine. I didn't agree with the casting at first but Emma Watson did a very good job. My only issue was that while she was in her blue peasant outfit, she kept part of her skirt tucked up so you could see her undergarments (pantalets). I still like the original Belle, but Emma Watson was good too. Now for the Beast....I did not particularly like some of the makeup choices for his look. I felt that his horns were pointing in the wrong direction (in the original they curved forward) and too big. I also realized later that his tail was not like a bushy dog's tail but more like a lion in this one. He sounded and came across as you'd imagine. The Beast was good, like Belle, but not better than the original.
On the remaining cast, I will say that all the rest were okay. Gaston came across better than I thought he would and LeFou was funny yet almost too obvious in his affections for Gaston. The enchanted objects were all portrayed wonderfully. I did have a design issue with a few of them. Lumiere looked like a candelabra when Maurice first entered the castle. When he began moving, he looked like a little gold man holding candles in his hands and on his head. Why was there such a difference between his looks? It should have been one look - a candelabra. This feels like an incredibly lazy animation choice. Instead of figuring out how to animate a candelabra, they just animated a man. Also, the feather duster...why was it shaped like a white peacock? It was lovely but it didn't say feather duster to me. And finally, the wardrobe.... I am not a fan of this design from the odd shape and the curtains inside used to make a 'face'. I think they took some ideas from the Broadway costumes but it still is not the best. They should have stuck with the animated appearance.
Now for the story.....it was okay. A few things were changed around as was expected. There were a few plot hole fixes from the original story. However, I felt that while Belle and Beast were given more depth, Gaston was still the same - arrogant, uneducated, and a jerk. It was strange considering how most other villains lately are usually made to be more approachable and thusly less evil. Gaston was just the same. He wanted Belle and that was his focus for the entire movie. The story also seemed rushed. The animated feature seemed to span a good a bit of time (fall to winter) while this one seemed to take literally days. I find it hard to believe that love happens that quickly. Overall, the story was okay since it was faithful enough to the original so that it didn't feel like an entirely different story.
Now for my favorite part - the music. I had a few issues with it. First of all, the wardrobe's singing was too over the top for my taste but she was supposed to be an opera singer so it made sense. The songs that were added to the movie were not that good. With the exception of the song sung by the enchanted objects while the Beast recuperates, all the other songs were not very memorable. I wish that 'If I Can't Love Her' and 'Human Again' were in this movie. They would have been stunning. The Beast's song was good, but it does not have the power that 'If I Can't Love Her' does. Oh and for the record, I have not seen the Broadway version, I only have the soundtrack which is amazing. I imagined the Beast singing 'If I Can't Love Her' during his solo and I could not see why they didn't just use that song. It would have been wonderful.
The other songs that were in the movie, like the original, were wonderful yet something about them seemed off. They changed the key or the speed of certain songs so they sounded slightly different from the originals but that was okay. The biggest thing about the music is that I didn't have the urge to buy the soundtrack. I still don't see the point of buying the soundtrack since I have the soundtracks to the original and the Broadway versions. Still, it was nice to have the music in the movie, unlike the remake of Cinderella which was devoid of music except for one song which literally had nothing to do with Cinderella...'Lavender Blue, Dilly-Dilly'.
General impressions were that it was a good movie. It was visually stunning in many parts, especially 'Be Our Guest'. Overall, it was good, but it felt that they were trying so hard to 'fix' parts of the original that they lost what made the original so good. Also, Belle's gold dress was nice, but it wasn't as grand as the original design. I think the new doll's dress looks better. It didn't matter anyway since she dropped it in the mud at the end because it was faster to ride in her undergarments...but I digress. The movie was good, I would watch it again, but it doesn't hold up to the original.
And that's my review of Beauty and the Beast. I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. Leave a comment below telling me your thoughts on this movie. Was the dress not enough? Were the characters memorable? Was the music amazing? You know my opinion, now tell me yours. Have a good weekend and as always, keep on gaming!!
I will break it down into 4 parts: characters, story, music and general impressions. Let's start with the characters. I will limit myself to main characters. Belle was portrayed well and came across as clever and independent as you imagine. I didn't agree with the casting at first but Emma Watson did a very good job. My only issue was that while she was in her blue peasant outfit, she kept part of her skirt tucked up so you could see her undergarments (pantalets). I still like the original Belle, but Emma Watson was good too. Now for the Beast....I did not particularly like some of the makeup choices for his look. I felt that his horns were pointing in the wrong direction (in the original they curved forward) and too big. I also realized later that his tail was not like a bushy dog's tail but more like a lion in this one. He sounded and came across as you'd imagine. The Beast was good, like Belle, but not better than the original.
On the remaining cast, I will say that all the rest were okay. Gaston came across better than I thought he would and LeFou was funny yet almost too obvious in his affections for Gaston. The enchanted objects were all portrayed wonderfully. I did have a design issue with a few of them. Lumiere looked like a candelabra when Maurice first entered the castle. When he began moving, he looked like a little gold man holding candles in his hands and on his head. Why was there such a difference between his looks? It should have been one look - a candelabra. This feels like an incredibly lazy animation choice. Instead of figuring out how to animate a candelabra, they just animated a man. Also, the feather duster...why was it shaped like a white peacock? It was lovely but it didn't say feather duster to me. And finally, the wardrobe.... I am not a fan of this design from the odd shape and the curtains inside used to make a 'face'. I think they took some ideas from the Broadway costumes but it still is not the best. They should have stuck with the animated appearance.
Now for the story.....it was okay. A few things were changed around as was expected. There were a few plot hole fixes from the original story. However, I felt that while Belle and Beast were given more depth, Gaston was still the same - arrogant, uneducated, and a jerk. It was strange considering how most other villains lately are usually made to be more approachable and thusly less evil. Gaston was just the same. He wanted Belle and that was his focus for the entire movie. The story also seemed rushed. The animated feature seemed to span a good a bit of time (fall to winter) while this one seemed to take literally days. I find it hard to believe that love happens that quickly. Overall, the story was okay since it was faithful enough to the original so that it didn't feel like an entirely different story.
Now for my favorite part - the music. I had a few issues with it. First of all, the wardrobe's singing was too over the top for my taste but she was supposed to be an opera singer so it made sense. The songs that were added to the movie were not that good. With the exception of the song sung by the enchanted objects while the Beast recuperates, all the other songs were not very memorable. I wish that 'If I Can't Love Her' and 'Human Again' were in this movie. They would have been stunning. The Beast's song was good, but it does not have the power that 'If I Can't Love Her' does. Oh and for the record, I have not seen the Broadway version, I only have the soundtrack which is amazing. I imagined the Beast singing 'If I Can't Love Her' during his solo and I could not see why they didn't just use that song. It would have been wonderful.
The other songs that were in the movie, like the original, were wonderful yet something about them seemed off. They changed the key or the speed of certain songs so they sounded slightly different from the originals but that was okay. The biggest thing about the music is that I didn't have the urge to buy the soundtrack. I still don't see the point of buying the soundtrack since I have the soundtracks to the original and the Broadway versions. Still, it was nice to have the music in the movie, unlike the remake of Cinderella which was devoid of music except for one song which literally had nothing to do with Cinderella...'Lavender Blue, Dilly-Dilly'.
General impressions were that it was a good movie. It was visually stunning in many parts, especially 'Be Our Guest'. Overall, it was good, but it felt that they were trying so hard to 'fix' parts of the original that they lost what made the original so good. Also, Belle's gold dress was nice, but it wasn't as grand as the original design. I think the new doll's dress looks better. It didn't matter anyway since she dropped it in the mud at the end because it was faster to ride in her undergarments...but I digress. The movie was good, I would watch it again, but it doesn't hold up to the original.
And that's my review of Beauty and the Beast. I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it. Leave a comment below telling me your thoughts on this movie. Was the dress not enough? Were the characters memorable? Was the music amazing? You know my opinion, now tell me yours. Have a good weekend and as always, keep on gaming!!
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Top 10 Green Pokemon - A St. Patrick's Day Post
Before we get started, I just want to say that any images that I use on this blog, unless I say otherwise, do not belong to me. All rights go to the images' respective owners. Now, back to the post! In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I thought I would take a look at the best green Pokémon. To qualify, the Pokémon must be mostly (70% or more) green, in one shade or another. Now, let's look at our Top 10 Green Pokémon!
10. Bulbasaur
I was hesitant to add this to the list because between generations 2 and 6, Bulbasaur was depicted as more of a blue color with a green bulb on its back. In generation 6, it got much greener (yet its evolutions retained their blue color). I know it deserves a spot on this list so that's why it's in the number 10 spot.
9. Caterpie
Say what you will about the little green caterpillar, but it wears green very well. Its stylish yellow accents help highlight the green without overpowering it.
8. Serperior
This Pokémon gives green a more regal look. Its green skin looks more like a fine coat and its white face adds emphasis without detracting from the green.
7. Turtwig
There are a lot of starters on here but they all deserve to be here like Turtwig. Its green is just enough to emphasize his Grass typing without making him look too cartoonish.
6. Chikorita
Another starter, I know, but Chikorita's green is too cute to not be on this list. The darker green accents help highlight its appearance and give some interest to what could have been a very bland, all green Pokémon design.
5. Celebi
I wanted to avoid legendaries, but this little guy had to be on this list. I don't think green has ever been cuter.
4. Cacturne
Here's a case of green actually being used to show a secondary typing. Cacturne has few colors to it yet the design actually seems to emphasize its secondary Dark typing. I like the sinister look green gets with this Pokémon.
3. Roselia
This one is another design that shows the use of color only where it needs to be. Roselia has multiple shades of green with a tiny bit of yellow and of course, its trademark red and blue roses.
2. Cottonee
I originally thought this Pokémon was mostly white. I looked at its sprite again and noticed that it was actually mostly green. The shade was so light that I thought it was white. Generation 6 brightened the green so now it's more apparent. The green is just right for this little leafy cloud so it floats right into the number two spot.
1. Vivillon - Garden Pattern
Vivillon's patterns were limited to different regions so wonder trade was the only way to get other patterns if you were a collector like me. This pattern, green wings with lighter green flowers and dark green accents, is perhaps one of the better patterns. It is so beautiful and it uses only the barest hint of red to really push the design over the top. This is why this Pokémon gets the number one spot.
Honorable mentions: Minior - Green Core Form, Petilil, Treecko, Scyther, Skiploom, Flygon, Budew, Virizion
And that's it for this week's post. I hope you enjoyed this little holiday themed post and will Follow me so you don't miss out of future posts. Leave a comment down below telling me your favorite green Pokémon and why. Have a good weekend and as always, keep on gaming.
10. Bulbasaur
I was hesitant to add this to the list because between generations 2 and 6, Bulbasaur was depicted as more of a blue color with a green bulb on its back. In generation 6, it got much greener (yet its evolutions retained their blue color). I know it deserves a spot on this list so that's why it's in the number 10 spot.
9. Caterpie
Say what you will about the little green caterpillar, but it wears green very well. Its stylish yellow accents help highlight the green without overpowering it.
8. Serperior
This Pokémon gives green a more regal look. Its green skin looks more like a fine coat and its white face adds emphasis without detracting from the green.
7. Turtwig
There are a lot of starters on here but they all deserve to be here like Turtwig. Its green is just enough to emphasize his Grass typing without making him look too cartoonish.
6. Chikorita
Another starter, I know, but Chikorita's green is too cute to not be on this list. The darker green accents help highlight its appearance and give some interest to what could have been a very bland, all green Pokémon design.
5. Celebi
I wanted to avoid legendaries, but this little guy had to be on this list. I don't think green has ever been cuter.
4. Cacturne
Here's a case of green actually being used to show a secondary typing. Cacturne has few colors to it yet the design actually seems to emphasize its secondary Dark typing. I like the sinister look green gets with this Pokémon.
3. Roselia
This one is another design that shows the use of color only where it needs to be. Roselia has multiple shades of green with a tiny bit of yellow and of course, its trademark red and blue roses.
2. Cottonee
I originally thought this Pokémon was mostly white. I looked at its sprite again and noticed that it was actually mostly green. The shade was so light that I thought it was white. Generation 6 brightened the green so now it's more apparent. The green is just right for this little leafy cloud so it floats right into the number two spot.
1. Vivillon - Garden Pattern
Vivillon's patterns were limited to different regions so wonder trade was the only way to get other patterns if you were a collector like me. This pattern, green wings with lighter green flowers and dark green accents, is perhaps one of the better patterns. It is so beautiful and it uses only the barest hint of red to really push the design over the top. This is why this Pokémon gets the number one spot.
Honorable mentions: Minior - Green Core Form, Petilil, Treecko, Scyther, Skiploom, Flygon, Budew, Virizion
And that's it for this week's post. I hope you enjoyed this little holiday themed post and will Follow me so you don't miss out of future posts. Leave a comment down below telling me your favorite green Pokémon and why. Have a good weekend and as always, keep on gaming.
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