Monster Madness

Cinemassacre.com is the home of James Rolfe and Mike Matei, best friends and well known faces on the internet when speaking of movies or video games, especially from older times. Aside from the AVGN show and other content, the site has another huge attraction called Monster Madness.

Every october, they will produce 31 entries of horror movie reviews while most of the time a theme is playing. Such as an october for Godzilla movies, an october focusing on the 80's and an october reviewing the milestones from any decade.

What really makes Monster Madness work are two things. First, it's the presentation or the chimes and the bells surrounding the feature. Second is when James expresses his views and opinion on each of the titles, allowing for interesting narration to happen.

Talking with plenty of detail for each of the movies getting reviewed, James has the talent of attracting the audience in towards them and for the most part shows them why a movie ought to be watched for what it represents, what it's values are, how the plot and acting perform, and so on.

Monster Madness actually inspired myself to attempt to do 31 horror blog post entries each october since 2013. As for this year though, I am not sure if I will make 31 again, because frankly, I am running out of ideas to talk about horror related topics! (Perhaps suggestions could work for me here)

Anyhow, if you like horror media, and if you like James's other content on Cinemassacre, definitely check Monster Madness out because it's clear that these guys love the genre, from the classics to the moderns.

Year Walk

 

A Swedish short game originally developed for iOS devices, Year Walk is a surreal and spiritual journey based off Swedish mythology with strange creatures, secretive characters and an unfolding story with most likely different theories.

With an unusual viewing perspective to be found nowadays, you are tasked with solving puzzles which aren't cryptic but you might need to write down a few hints. Actual hints can also be activated should you get stuck, a friendly gesture from the developers.

There are a few jump scares to be found but I wouldn't consider them cheap. The real winning factor is the combined forces of music, art direction and story which make Year Walk a mysterious horror game.

I wouldn't consider this outstanding by any means but it definitely has an identity of it's own. There is also a secret ending with additional details to make the story more complete. It seems that it's a way of looking into the future.


Rating: 6.3

Downloadable Content: Dark Souls II(Scholar of the First Sin)

While technically it's a remastered edition too, for convenient sake, I will be talking about Scholar of the First Sin now alongside the 3 previously included DLC contents. Improved and more robust, this is the definitive version to play.

With 3 large new locations to explore alongside some very intimidating new bosses, it also mixes up some of it's level design with regards to enemy placements, balances certain aspects further out, and deepens multiplayer.

Scholar of the First Sin is a brutal challenge on top of the other titles as my souls were taken away many times. The amount of rage and suffering is rarely elsewhere to be found, but luckily that is the exact reason why I kept playing, in order to taste sweet victory.

Graphics and animations are better, and some would argue that the additional locations are in overall better than the core game. I don't share that opinion, but welcome additions include Brume Tower, Sanctum City and Frigid Outskirts.

Some of the toughest new bosses to be found include Sir Alonne, Burnt Ivory King and Fume Knight, but none really left a visual impression like those found in Artorias of the Abyss. Still, for a challenge, you have come to the right place.

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is worthwhile to play even if you have beaten the core game already, as replay value is some of it's greatest strengths in the form of NG+ and PvP.

Downloadable Content: Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U

Who would had thought or dreamed that eventually, Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. would include downloadable content, including characters, stages and costumes?

Actually, it's still going on, as the Smash ballot is about to end, a personal vote from the community about who they would like to see included next at perhaps the end of this year, or 2016. Personally, I voted for Andy from Advance Wars, because that series deserves more recognition.

Roy, Lucas and Mewtwo are returning DLC characters which all are faithful to their original movesets, but perhaps have become even stronger when compared with the others in this huge roster. Ryu is the latest third party fighter, also from Capcom, and it's interesting to see him and basically his legacy included.

Of course new stages also come and go, such as the upcoming Super Mario Maker based one, and there's a plethora of costumes to choose from as well. What arguably is more interesting than all of these extra's are the eventual balance patches, another new addition.

Whenever Nintendo decides to direct the next Nintendo Direct(without Satoru Iwata, R.I.P.) we can be sure that the results of the ballot will be shown, and I wonder what's up next for our favorite Nintendo fighting game.

Downloadable Content: Dark Souls (Artorias of the Abyss)

 

The incredible Dark Souls experience is enhanced even further.

Also known as the Prepare to Die edition, this downloadable content feels just like the expansion packs from the old, like Yuri's Revenge or The Frozen Throne, adding in a whole bunch of new areas, lore and bosses to keep you even longer busy.

Oolacile is getting terrorized by fearsome inhabitants, and the bosses in question are arguably the best lineup of any other game in the series seen so far. With Knight Artorias of the Abyss with his intimidating attacks, Kalameet's fearsome dragon size and the very aggressive final boss Manus, Father of the Abyss, they really cared for this content.

From Software's requirements for entering Oolacile are a bit cryptic, as it involves killing a large mini boss and then returning later on to find a new Golem enemy further along the river, but once this is done, you will save Dusk of Oolacile and be able to enter the realm upon returning to this river yet again.

Other than that, Artorias of the Abyss/Prepare to Die is a great example of how downloadable content nowadays should be done. All included, long enough and full of quality, no Souls fan could ever go wrong with this content's presentation.

Downloadable Content: Mario Kart 8

It's time to discuss DLC from various games this month.

Nintendo has entered the downloadable content scene as well, and from the top of my head, Mario Kart 8 happens to be one of the first, if not one of the most full fledged deals seen from their end so far.

There are not 1, but 2 tempting DLC packs, each of them consisting of 8 additional tracks to deepen replay value. A typical Mario Kart game nowadays consists of 4 cups with 16 new tracks, alongside 4 retro cups with older tracks. With these packs, we basically got another new Mario Kart game technically.

Not only that, but new characters towards the franchise are playable for the first time, such as Link or Villager, and some have already concluded that the next entry just might be called Nintendo Kart. Alongside them, most of them have a representable track to enjoy.

Although not really included as DLC is the so called 200.CC mode, the first time where the series has gone beyond the usual 150.CC mode. In here, the speed of the karts has gone even faster, making it almost feel like a lite F-Zero version. It's a fun extra addition, but fairly, some of the tracks are kind of ruined by it.

This is what Mario Kart 8 currently offers. There have been rumors about a third DLC pack getting announced soon, but if you ask me I am more than content with this already. Well, except for the battle mode I guess, which I already pointed out in my review. Then it would instantly become the best entry available.

More Mega Man Fan Games

While Mega Man remains in limbo, and while Mighty No. 9 is delayed yet again, let's dig in deeper into the fandom creations and see how these next 3 games affected me:

 Mega Man Rock Force

Released only a few months after Unlimited, Rock Force is another very solid fan game of a classic Mega Man formula with 8 original Robot Masters(and actually 8 more under certain circumstances), a new established “Everlasting Peace” league of playable allies including Elec Man, Tornado Man and more, plus compelling gameplay in general.

Although not as amazing as Unlimited, Rock Force has plenty of creativity, and I think that the Robot Master designs and the stage hazards are the highlights. It’s also very faithful to the classic art style, has an above average story(without Dr.Wily this time, I promise!), and the ending with all of those humorous scenes is very effective!

Mega Man Rock Force is another strong reason why I am happy and jealous at the same time to get my Mega Man fix while the Blue Bomber is still missing in action from Capcom headquarters.

Rating: 8.2 

 Mega Man Eternal

Despite development time being around six years, Eternal just isn’t as well designed like Rock Force or Unlimited in regards to mechanics and feeling authentic towards actual classic Mega Man games.

For instance, when you are hit, the knockback is longer while the invincibility frames are shorter. Enemy bullets travel to the next screen(and you will still get hit), and screen transitions are sometimes clunky, and there are certain things missing such as an animation for when you use an E tank, or when you acquire a new weapon, no introduction or example scene is shown.

The RM weapons are very similar towards each other which is bad, but the Robot Masters themselves are alright. Eternal’s highlights are the overall level design, the challenge(it sometimes went crazy though, see Wily Stage 3) and the throwbacks and tributes towards the classic Mega Man games. And the Wily Machine Eternal final boss was well designed! 

Rating: 7.6 

Mega Man: Revenge of the Fallen

This is an excuse to re-use assets from previous classic Mega Man games, but it’s controls are almost all the way faithful to them. Revenge of the Fallen’s namesake is about reviving old Robot Masters and letting them have their revenge by letting Mega Man go through very long stages, and they all also have a few new attacks up their sleeves.

Once you enter Dr. Wily’s fortress, you become aware that there are a total of 8 stages to conquer next in here, making it the largest final destination in any Mega Man game, quite ridiculous!

Utility items and using Rush have all been hidden away through many kinds of alternate paths in the RM stages, and I wasn’t able to find them all quickly on my first run, making the game in overall quite harder what with the endless amounts of pitfalls and spikes being everywhere.

What also disappointed me is that MIDI is used for the soundtrack, I still don’t understand why some would prefer this over the NES originals. Good controls and level design, not much else really.

Rating: 7.0

And while I am having a little Top 10 month, how about I let you know what my favorite Robot Masters from the actual Classic games are? Here they are, except there are actually 11 entries(8.5 is Mega Man & Bass):

1.Elec Man
2.Bubble Man
3.Gemini Man
4.Ring Man
5.Gravity Man
6.Wind Man
7.Turbo Man
8.Astro Man
8.5.Magic Man
9.Jewel Man
10.Solar Man