Mortal Kombat X Review

The tenth installment in the franchise, Mortal Kombat X proves that there is still enough life in the franchise.

I held off reviewing this game, because of the amount of DLC content that I knew was coming. I picked up this game last April and it was one of the few games that I own that I constantly go back and play.

First, the best thing this game has going for it is its combat and character variations. Each fighter has three different variations that allows you to perform different moves. It's a great feature and allows you to master different play styles with your favorite fighter. Nothing seems out of place with these and it keeps the matches fresh and interesting.

Second, the combat itself. A fighting game needs to get the fighting down. Mortal Kombat X does that. It is by far one of the smoothest games I've played, which makes you want to play it more and more.

Now for some of the negative.

The biggest complaint I have about this game is its story.  I never felt fully engaged in the characters like I did with Mortal Kombat 9. I do appreciate them trying to pass on the torch to a new generation of characters, but I thought that new characters seemed a little silly at times and it pulled me out of the experience.

That's really my only complaint I have.

Now, let's talk about the DLC.

I'm not a huge fan of DLC. If you are going to give me extra content for a price then make it worth it. Fortunately Mortal Kombat X does.  Some of my favorite fighters have been DLC. I enjoy playing as Jason, Alien and Leatherface. Alien actually being my top choice right now. All of the DLC characters offer something unique and they are worth the $4.99 price tag.

The other DLC, which is costumes and stuff is cool but nothing I'll get.

With all that said, I still think that all the DLC in Mortal Kombat should be unlocks in the game. I mean, costumes should just be something hidden that we could unlock like the old days. Yes, I don't mind paying for something that I will get enjoyment out of, but I still think that all the DLC could be placed in the game for free.

So what did I think of Mortal Kombat X? I absolutely love t. If you have been a fan of the franchise for years or just coming into it, you won't be disappointed.

9/10

Bringing back the blog

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The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Review

I recently picked up The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD Wii U bundle and I have to say that I’m impressed with both the system and the game.

This review will focus mainly on The Wind Waker HD but towards the end I will also give my thoughts on the bundle.

It’s no secret that Nintendo’s new console has had some trouble finding its way. Yet, with the release of The Wind Waker HD I believe that Nintendo will see a lot of their fans come out and support the game, and they should because it’s great.

I played The Wind Waker 10 years ago on the Nintendo GameCube and it quickly became one of my favorite Zelda titles. Now, picking it up again in HD was a real treat.

This game takes place 100 years after The Ocarina of Time (Another Zelda title). Hyrule has suffered from a great flood, leaving most of the kingdom underwater. Link originally sets out to rescue his sister, which he does, but is ultimately pulled into journey that has him saving Princess Zelda and stopping Ganondorf (the main antagonist of the series).

The Wind Waker got a lot of negative feedback about the way it looked. After the more realistic approach during Nintendo 64 days, fans wanted Nintendo to continue making real looking Zelda games. What we received was the total opposite; we received a cartoon looking world.

The world is now in HD and it looks great. My one complaint is that some of the lighting gets a little too bright in areas.

The look of The Wind Waker never bothered me, because once you started playing, this was the same old Zelda. Yes, the adventure was a lot less challenging but the world it was set in made up for that. The Wind Waker is huge and there are no loading times, it all goes together smoothly.

Now, playing through the game once again I realized it feels much shorter than other Zelda games. It might just be me, but I feel like this one lacked a good amount of dungeons. Yet, the dungeons that are in the game still hold up and it was great to relive them all.

Before I end this review I want to bring up one more thing. I hear a lot of reviewers complaining about the sailing in the game, that it’s too slow. The sailing is fine, it does take time, at first, to get to point A and to point B, but that all ends when you learn how to quick travel across the map. So, if you’re going to give this game a lesser score because of the sailing, consider the quick travel and the ability to obtain a faster sail through a side quest.

The only reason this game isn’t getting a perfect 10 from me is that I feel it needed more dungeons during its main story that might just be me though.

9 out of 10

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD bundle

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Wii U bundle a download code to download The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD from the Nintendo eshop; the new Wii U gamepad that has a 6.2 inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD touch screen that is decorated in a Zelda theme; and a digitial copy of the book Hyrule Historia.

I would have loved it if an actual copy of the game was actually bundled with the system, I still like having a physical game, but besides from that this is a great bundle at a great price.

31 Days of Horror 4: Originals vs. Remakes DAY 31

Halloween (1978) vs. Halloween (2007)

Original

In this 1978 classic we are taken into the world of Michael Myers and introduced to one of the best independent movies ever made – John Carpenter’s Halloween.
As a young boy, Michael Myers stabbed his seventeen year old sister to death. After this event, he is locked away for years in the Smith’s Grove: Warren County Sanitarium. He is put under the care of Dr. Sam Loomis, who had worked with Michael for years, before deciding that Myers needs to be tried as an adult and locked up forever.
The night they planned to escort Myers, he manages to escape, steal a car and return home to Haddonfield, Ill., just in time for Halloween.
We are then introduced to Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, in her first role) who has plans to stay in on Halloween night and watch one of the neighbors kid. Little does she know that Michael is coming home and is planning a killing spree.
The movie becomes a cat and mouse game between Strode and Myers, which would become the staple formula for slasher movies to come.
With out giving too much away, I want to say my favorite scene in this movie involves Strode, Myers, a closet and a wire hanger. If you seen the movie you know what I’m talking about and if you haven’t seen it, you’re in for a treat.
This movie is the standard in which all modern horror films are measured. Halloween deserves all the praise it can get, it’s because of this movie we have films such as Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Without this important film, I doubt slasher movies would have ever been proven to be a successful market.

Remake

In this film Rob Zombie brings us back to the way beginning and tells us the reasons Michael kills. This is the first misstep, because what made Michael scary in the original movie was the idea that this killer had no motive.
Now, Zombie gives him a motive and the reason he is driven to kill is because he comes from a broken home and he’s being picked on by bullies at school. Come on Mr. Zombie, I appreciate you trying to do something different with Michael, but bullies? Michael Myers became a killer because of bullies? What kind of crap is that?
SO, these bullies push and push Michael until he goes and kills the main bully. After this he brings his murderous rage home and when his mother is at work (oh, yeah his mother is a stripper) he kills his sister, his sister’s boyfriend and his mother’s boyfriend. He spares his baby sister, Laurie, and sits with her on the sidewalk and waits for his mother to get home.
Michael is then sent to Smith's Grove - Warren County Sanitarium and is put under the care of Dr. Sam Loomis, a child-psychiatrist. This is the films only good thing, the performance Malcolm McDowell gives is great and it’s a shame he didn’t have a better script to work with.
Eventually Michael escapes the Sanitarium and finds his way back to Haddonfield, Illinois, to find his sister, Laurie, who was adopted by another family, after Michael’s mother killed herself. This is where the movie becomes a remake of the original, but never reaches the heights the original did.
The biggest thing that brings this movie down is the characters and dialogue. The movie does show signs of trying to be a character driven film, but that becomes a problem if you don’t know how to write characters.
It seems that Zombie has a problem writing dialogue, because everything that comes out of characters mouths is about sex. Now, since the dialogue is bad these characters never were able to take off and evolve as the movie went on. They are stuck being two dimensional and when the movie begins to pour on one horror cliché after another, the characters become boring and dull.
This includes Michael. Michael does what Michael does best and kills everyone who gets in his way, but it’s not scary, it’s tiresome. Since all the characters are boring and never feel like real people, we never really care when they are killed off. Also, Michael does do a lot of pointless kills, which just make you say “Why?”

What I will say about the remake is that I appreciate how Zombie tried something different and new with the franchise, but seeing Myers’ childhood and back-story made the character less scary for me. The less I know about a psychotic killer the better.

So, which is better?

Is there even a question? The original Halloween is a classic and the remake is just not. This is really an unfair contest because the original Halloween succeeds on dialogue, atmosphere, performances, and story.

Original Wins

31 Days of Horror 4: Originals vs. Remakes DAY 30

Black Christmas (1974) vs. Black Christmas (2006)
Original
One of the original slasher movies, predating Halloween by four years
The film tells the story of a psychopath hiding out in the attic of a sorority house who targets a group of sisters who are staying behind over Christmas break.
Here we have a fantastic slasher movie. It has suspense and scares with no real graphic gore, which leaves a lot of things to the imagination, the way it should be done!
The only problem I do have with Black Christmas is that some characters lack any sort of life. Yet, that isn't enough for the movie to be ignored by anyone.
Remake
Well ... this one does deliver gore and that's about it.
The story is about the same, but doesn't have the atmosphere, humor or visuals of the original. I don't think it's fair to call this a movie, it's like a work in progress.
So, which is better?
The original.
Original Wins.

31 Days of Horror 4: Originals vs. Remakes DAY 29

Manhunter (1986) vs. Red Dragon (2002)

Original

Based off the Thomas Harris novel, Red Dragon, Manhunter introduced the world to the serial killer Hannibal Lecter.

Michael Mann took the director’s seat for this one and he turned out a very solid film.

This film is grim, creepy, stylish and gripping. It takes the source material and does justice with it.

Remake

Anthony Hopkins reprises his role as Hannibal Lecter and he turns in another solid performance, but this movie isn’t as good as the original.

The movie plays it too safe in some areas and doesn't allow itself to ever really escape the shadow of the far superior original.

It does have strong performances and some creepy scenes. Yet, when I watch it, I get the feeling that it just wasn't needed.

So, which is better?

I like Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal better but the original is better.

31 Days of Horror 4: Originals vs. Remakes DAY 28

The Blob (1958) Vs. The Blob (1988)
Original
Steve McQueen in his first starring role in the 1958 B-movie horror film.
In the movie a huge meteor crashes to earth and unleashes a pink substance that will become known as the "blob". It starts to suck the life out humans and is grows to an enormous size.

I can't hate this movie. The script is above average and it's perfect 1950s camp.

The biggest problem the movie has is that it's not scary. The scares are replaced with camp, but if you have never seen it you should pick it up.

Remake

Due to the success of "The Fly", "The Blob" was remade into a enjoyable film.

This one is cheesy and scary, hitting a lot of marks and getting the tone just right.

So, which is better?

I would say that this would be my first tie, but I don't want to do that. I'm going to have to give this one to the original for the fact that it started it all. Both films are worth seeing.

Original Wins.