DLC review: Mario Kart 8 - Animal Crossing X Mario Kart 8

The second DLC pack for Mario Kart 8 has arrived, bringing with it eight new courses spread across two Grand Prix cups, three new racers, and a handful of new vehicle customization options. Following in the footsteps of the first DLC pack, this latest offering sees the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom open up their roster to accommodate for the Villagers and Isabelle from Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Leaf. The majority of the vehicle options are similarly reflective of the Animal Crossing image, while the skeletal Dry Bowser is an outlier – a reskin of the Koopa king that presents more creativity in aesthetic appeal than the previously-released Tanooki Mario or Cat Suit Peach did.

And while all of these are fine additions to Mario Kart 8, the real meat of the DLC pack comes from the race tracks themselves. Half of the courses are reimaginings of courses that debuted in previous Mario Kart titles, while the other half are brand new. Two of the reimagined courses have Gameboy Advance origins, and boast the most obvious updates, both in terms of visual prowess and dynamic layout. As has been the case from the day of its release, Mario Kart 8 remains one of the most visually gorgeous games of this eighth console generation, and the pure variety of environments within this DLC pack continue that trend. From a massive playroom where your kart appears to be a shrunken toy, to graffiti-covered subway tunnels, to the winding breakneck turns of the hyper-futuristic Big Blue, there are plenty of impressive little details to take in.

Distinct about the Animal Crossing X Mario Kart 8 pack is the overall more consistent length and quality of the eight tracks when compared to its Legend of Zelda-themed predecessor. Nearly every course makes use of multiple vehicle transformations, something that, once again, could not be said about almost half of the courses within the first DLC pack. The drawback, however, is the fact that there are fewer standout tracks from this latest batch. The Animal Crossing course is relatively straightforward in design, and while the changing of seasons is a neat afterthought, its environmental hazards and visual 'wow-factor' pale in comparison to Hyrule Circuit. With that said, this is still a solid DLC pack that provides quite a lot of bang for your buck. The courses each offer decent degrees of challenge, and revisiting them can drastically improve your finishing time.

My rating: 7.5 (out of 10)*

*(rating applies solely to downloadable content, not its inclusion with the content on the original game disc or other downloadable content)

Comic Book review: Gambit, Volumes One and Two

My review of the first two volumes of Gambit. Written by James Asmus.

Volume One: Once A Thief... - Illustrated by Clay Mann, Leonard Kirk, Diogenes Neves, and Al Barrionuevo.
Volume Two: Tombstone Blue - Illustrated by Pasqual Ferry, Clay Mann, and Billy Tan.

My rating: 6.75 (out of 10)

Character Select: Rydia of Mist (Final Fantasy IV)

Once in a blue moon, I come across a video game that I would consider ‘definitive’ to its genre or series. Final Fantasy IV is one such game, taking the essence of what turn-based JRPGs are all about, and cranking the gameplay up a notch with the introduction of the active-time battle system. It takes the medieval fantasy aesthetic to fantastical settings, with a skeleton wall bearing down on Cecil Harvey and company deep below the surface of their world, a massive tower that bursts forth from the ground to loom over the countryside, and a journey to the moon in order to make the final strike against the true foe of this epic adventure. And while Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Yang, Cid, and the rest of the playable cast were a lovable, iconic bunch, the one character that I adored from the moment of her introduction to the climactic finale was Rydia of Mist.

I think it is not much of a stretch to say that Final Fantasy IV spoiled me, in a way, offering me such a perfect balancing of party members over the course of the game, Rydia being chief among them. She is unquestionably the greatest black mage I have encountered in a Final Fantasy title to date, a role that has long been a core element to my strategies in JRPGs. Even more impressive is the fact that, on top of this, she is also the best summoner I have encountered in the series. I have made mention a number of times that my experiences with the proper numbered Final Fantasy titles remains limited to about six games, but even in the company of other JRPGs that I very much enjoyed, like Persona 4, Rydia still stands out as a force to be reckoned with. She never feels overpowered, per se, but the sheer variety of summons and spells at her disposal late in Final Fantasy IV is incredible.

Her story is also quite well-written – simple enough to juggle with the narratives surrounding all the other major players in FFIV, but elaborate enough to give players a reason to care about her plight. When Cecil and Kain first encounter Rydia, she is saddened by the destruction brought upon her village by the Red Wings, the very team that Cecil and Kain serve, and the fact that the two dark knights inadvertently caused the death of her mother while fighting her Eidolon. All this sorrow and anger causes the young girl to call upon an Eidolon of her own, displaying firsthand to Cecil and Kain the unthinkable powers they have upset. Though their alliance is uneasy at first, Cecil’s decision to abandon his role as dark knight and seek out the underlying machinations involving Golbez leads Rydia to see him as someone more human and trustworthy than she initially believed.

After an attack at sea by Leviathan, the rest of the party believes the young girl has died, and mourns her, only to later discover she was taken to the Feymarch, home of the Eidolons. Because time passes faster in the Feymarch, Rydia was able to hone her skills as both black mage and summoner, growing from child into young woman, and returning to aid her friends and allies when they needed her most. As an adult, Rydia is more calm and collected, and carries a noticeable air of confidence about her. There is, however, a certain element of pep and feistiness to the way that she takes on foes in battle – perhaps due to the fact that, having improved all of her abilities, she knows that her Eidolons are capable of laying waste to as many foes might stand in her way.

Top 5 Party Members in the Mass Effect Trilogy

#5 - Legion: Though the Geth served as the primary enemy foot soldiers in the first Mass Effect, they were not of a terribly complicated nature. The Quarians crafted them many years ago, only to have things go horribly awry when the Geth declared themselves independent and war broke out between these mechanical creations and their organic creators. In Mass Effect 2, the hive-mind mentality of the Geth is expanded upon, and a ‘ghost in the machine’ emerges in the form of Legion, a Geth who has modeled his own form after Commander Shepard and would dare to question the behavior of his kin. Legion’s intellect borders that of his organic comrades, and Mass Effect 3 presents a particularly dangerous scenario where Shepard must side with either the Quarians or the Geth in the fight against the Reapers – though, provided his skills are sufficient, he can choose a third option that sees both sides unite in the effort to repel the Reapers’ onslaught of the galaxy.

#4 - Liara T’Soni: I did not get around to actually playing the Mass Effect trilogy until quite a few months after the third entry had been released, despite the series having been frequently recommended to me by friends. One significant benefit to this, I felt, was the ability to immediately jump into the next game, not having to wait years between releases like everyone else had. However, I was strikingly aware of the greater limitations the first title offered in gameplay, dialogue, and moral choices. I played as male Shepard my first time through the Mass Effect trilogy, and seeing as the first game only offered me two options for romantic partners, one of whom I left to die on Virmire on account of her being one of the least likeable characters in the franchise, I defaulted to Liara. Her nerdy, somewhat naïve nature was certainly preferable to the company of Ashley (or Kaidan, in the case of female Shepard), but I never felt like she came into her own until the second game, when she was pushed to a supporting cast member.

Where Liara did truly shine was during the events of the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC for Mass Effect 2, where she shows Shepard just how much of a no-holds-barred badass she’s become in the Commander's absence. She’s broken out of her shell and then some, following a trail of digital breadcrumbs, tracing as many of the Shadow Broker’s contacts as she knows exist, helping save Shepard’s life (yet again), before making a seemingly-impossible assault upon the Shadow Broker’s carefully-hidden headquarters. By the time Mass Effect 3 rolls around, Liara has taken over the role of the Shadow Broker, keeping close watch on the web of information and trafficking of resources to aid Shepard and the crew of the Normandy. She also returns as a party member, still one of the most adept Biotics in the series.

#3 - Jack: The other great Biotic in the Mass Effect series is Jack, with her tattoo-decorated body, shaved head, and take-no-prisoners mentality. After being enlisted to help Cerberus per their bringing the Normandy’s famous commander back to life, Shepard is tasked with a number of missions to recruit highly-valuable and equally skillful individuals from across the galaxy. Recruiting Jack is a job that reeks of danger quite some time before it actually goes sour, with the crew of the redesigned Normandy SR-2 visiting a prison facility where the guards seem to be as ruthless as the prisoners they keep locked up. Before Shepard and company can reach their intended target, the warden informs them that he will be adding Shepard to the list of inmates, believing the commander’s notoriety will land him a hefty payout.

A skirmish with the guards later, and Shepard’s team makes it to the holding cell where Jack is being kept on ice. Upon awakening, she immediately enters a destructive rage, blowing holes through walls, and using her Biotic powers to blow away anyone who tries to get in her way. The trail of wreckage she leaves is plenty easy to follow, though it only adds fuel to the already chaotic fire that has erupted within the prison complex. While she is thoroughly reluctant to join a team funded by Cerberus, she proves an invaluable ally in the fight against the Collectors, using her Biotic powers for both offensive and defensive strategies during the Suicide Mission at the end of Mass Effect 2, and then going on to train a new generation of Biotics during the events of Mass Effect 3. She’s foul-mouthed, doesn’t much care what anyone thinks of her, and would much prefer to play by her own rules, but when Shepard is in a tight spot, he/she can always count on Jack to take whatever the enemy is throwing their way and toss it back in their face three-fold.

#2 - Garrus Vakarian: Garrus is one of those rare characters that proves so likeable in nearly every situation he and Shepard find themselves in. Whether scouting the seedy underbelly of Omega for shady characters, treading deep into abandoned mining facilities, or helping repel an invasion of Reaper forces, Garrus proves a trustworthy friend through thick and thin. His intimate knowledge of C-Sec formalities and Turian battle strategies makes him an invaluable asset with a rifle in his hands, but his cool personality and genuine advice led him to be equally valuable for personal support. Garrus is not without his own shortcomings, treading into some dark territory during the second game, and lacking finesse when it comes to charming the ladies. But all of these elements propelled him to become one of the most enjoyable personalities in the Mass Effect trilogy, as well as one of the most memorable characters in recent video game history, and I kept him in my company about as often as the games would allow.

#1 - Tali’Zorah vas Normandy: When Tali first joins Shepard’s crew aboard the Normandy, she is excitable, practically shoving her way past crew members to analyze the ship’s internal engineering. And while her understanding of the galaxy may be somewhat naive at the outset of her pilgrimage, she is not exactly an impressionable youth. She always has a couple of tricks up her sleeve, thanks to her long history of technical expertise. She was an enjoyable sidekick for much of my playthrough of the original Mass Effect, but when I started up the second game, I realized how much she had matured during her time away from Shepard and company. Working with the crew of the Normandy, she had found her own voice, become more cunning, and offered her fellow Quarians a unique view of the galaxy beyond their Flotilla home fleet.

Tali’s role as tech expert led her to prove an invaluable support party member throughout all three games, and alongside Garrus, served as my go-to ally for the vast majority of the story. She embraced her particular skill set while others preferred the spectacle of explosive weaponry or Biotic powers, and always looked up Commander Shepard as ally, mentor, and friend, holding a great deal of respect for him/her. She also was not afraid to voice her opinion in the event that she did not agree with Shepard or any one of the other crew members, with each concern she raised being very much valid. That is not to say that Tali shied away from some free-spirited fun, as she was always down to boogie in one of the Citadel’s many clubs, cracks some crude humor on occasion, and delivers hilarious drunken ramblings during Shepard’s house party in The Citadel DLC. While easily one of the most enjoyable characters in the first title, Tali’Zorah truly bloomed into one of my favorite RPG companion characters of all time in the sequel games, and was, for me, a no-brainer pick as Commander Shepard’s love interest.

Comic Book review: Guardians of the Galaxy by Abnett and Lanning: The Complete Collection

My review of Guardians of the Galaxy by Abnett and Lanning: The Complete Collection. Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, illustrated by Paul Pelletier, Brad Walker, Carlos Magno, and Wes Craig.

My rating: 9.75 (out of 10)

Comic Book review: The Infinity Gauntlet

My review of The Infinity Gauntlet. Written by Jim Starlin, illustrated by George Perez and Ron Lim.

Character Select: HK-47 (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

The earliest comrades to join the amnesiac protagonist’s party in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic fit the typical Star Wars formula – Bastila is a skilled young Jedi, Carth is slick with pistols and skeptical of certain galactic factions (though whiny and far less enjoyable company than the likes of one Han Solo), T3-M4 is a whistling astromech droid, and Zaalbar is… a Wookie. The party members that joined the adventures across the stars past the game’s halfway point struck me as having more creative personalities, overall, and offering further insight into the ever-expanding Star Wars universe. Of particular note was HK-47, an assassin droid who was positively gleeful to aim his rifle at any organic being he was instructed to.

“Translation: He requires proof of good faith. We must make a contribution to his people that shows we are not a threat. Shall I blast him now, master?”

HK-47’s behavior of constantly prefacing each statement with situation-appropriate terms including ‘query’, ‘statement’, ‘observation’, and ‘advisement’ formed an endearing trait, as well as a curious complement to his twisted comedic personality. HK-47 was devoutly loyal to his comrades, even if he did insist on referring to all of his human and alien travelling companions as ‘meatbags’. He performed well as a ranged heavy hitter, blaster rifles being his specialty. Once HK-47 was counted among the misfit crew of the Ebon Hawk, I never swapped him out of my party.

“Explanation: It’s just that… you have all these squishy parts, master. And all that water! How the constant sloshing doesn’t drive you mad, I have no idea…”