Contra Operation Galuga Demo Thoughts

 Available on Nintendo, Playstation, Series S|X & PC

Just my quick thoughts on the latest entry in the Contra series. This won't have the format of my usual 'Impressions' post as I want to save that for the full release of the game. First things first I want to say I had fun with the demo. It does have its faults but I think for what the player is allowed to play I thought it was fun. I played on the Nintendo Switch and the game will be available on all systems on March 12th. It won't be to long until we finally get to play the full game. 

The demo allows you to play the intro mission. The game is fully voiced and it sounds much like you would expect, if the expectation is 80s action movie. I still don't know why this game wasn't made into a movie back then talk about missed opportunity. Although the full release will have six playable characters for the demo players only have access to Bill Rizer and Lance Bean (80s action movie hero names, Check). There mission is to infiltrate the Island of Galuga and find out what happened to the soldiers who went missing and stop a doomsday weapon. That's straightforward enough, right? The demo has the classic powerups while adding some features. Characters can add two perks before the mission begins and every character will have unique abilities that only they can use. Its going to be real interesting how that will play out when the game releases in a few weeks.  I found the gameplay to be fun and challenging just like it was when I was a kid. WayForward is the right team in my opinion to bring this game to life. 

That being said I did notice a couple things in my playthrough. One, during the Boss fight at the end of the demo the lag is noticable. At first I thought it was me and my reaction time just being slow but then I realized it wasn't me. There was also a couple of times when the screen became crowded that the game felt slower. I hope that these issues will be resolved once the game releases. 

Overall I had fun with the demo. Its challenging but not really frustrating like it was on the originals. I am looking forward to seeing what the other characters play like and how playing with four people will work. Have you played the demo? Please leave a comment and let's talk about it. 

Demo Gameplay

Impressions - Tekken 8

 Available on PS5, XBox Series S|X, & PC

Thoughts on the Story & Gameplay

Tekken is back if you have played through the previous entry's story this picks up in the aftermath of that with Kazuya in control of G Corporation. If you haven't had the chance Tekken 7's story is very good in my opinion and worth at least reading about it or watching vids on YouTube to get yourself caught up. The opening of 8 begins with Jin Kazama forcing a fight with his dear ol dad Kazuya. Needless to say Kazuya gets the upper hand and announces the next Iron Fist Tournament and that's where the game begins. For those that do not know this is a fighting game the vein of Street Fighter, Dead or Alive, and Virtua Fighter. In the past the story wasn't the focus but in the last 10 years or fighting games have gotten story modes most of which being very good for the crazy worlds they inhabit. This game has a pretty good sized roster of characters open. Some returning favorites and some new faces as well. The team did a good job of making the game accessible to casuals as well as providing challenge for those that delve into the professional side of the fighting genre. I like the Arcade Mode that is setup, you will create an avatar and go through a lounge type setup where you learn how to play the game all on your way to becoming the best in the Arcade scene. Its a pretty cool way to earn in game currency and learn the game at the same time. 

Thoughts on the Good

In my opinion, this game shines in the gameplay department. I like the fact that it is easy to pick up challenging to master. If you are in it for the story you can enjoy that, if you just want to play with your friends there's that option for you too or if you prefer the pro route there is that option as well. There is something for everybody. There are also multiple modes and a good mix of characters that will keep players busy for a while as well as future DLC. I have the game on my XBox Series X and it runs great. I haven't had any issues as far as crashes and slowdowns during my play sessions. I also haven't noticed any screen tearing or noticable frame drops.  While I don't really care for online play I did check it out and its pretty smooth, at least in my experience. 

Thoughts on the Bad

Being honest I do not have anything to even nitpick about. Can that change? Possibly but at this time I don't have anything and I am looking forward to the DLC. I know the first character is Eddy Gordo, looking forward to seeing who else they add. 

For Parents

The game is rated T for Teen. Its your standard fighting game. While it doesn't have fatalities like Mortal Kombat, it does have Rage Art moves which can best be compared to Final Smashes from Smash Bros. it gives a great visual but nothing gory. There are a lot of modes and a lot of characters which will keep people busy for a while especially if you are thinking of getting this game as a gift. 

Overall Thoughts/Is the Game FUN?

Is this Tekken 8 fun? In my humble opinion, MOST DEFINITELY. There is a lot of variety here. The story is good and picks up right where 7's story left off. There are plenty of modes for people to learn the gameplay mechanics even if they don't want to go the pro route if they just want to learn one character, there is something there for everybody. Have you played Tekken 8? Are you enjoying it? Who do you main? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. As always thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you.

GamePlay

Fresh Take - Masters of the Universe Revolution Spoiler-Free Thoughts

Available on NetFlix

 Synopsis (from IMDB):

The new epic chapter in the battle for Castle Grayskull. The newly mechanized Skeletor, armed with the might of Motherboard, attacks the heart of Eternia while Prince Adam grapples with a new responsibility and what that means for him as He-Man. Adam is forced to choose between the scepter and the sword, and a life as either the King or the Champion. Meanwhile, the new Sorceress Teela searches for the secret of Snake Magic in the mists of Darksmoke to rebuild a magic realm and help He-Man hold off the greatest threat Eternia has ever faced: the return of the despot Hordak, the ruthless leader of tghe Horde Empire.

Thoughts

To be quite honest I wasn't going to watch this after how I felt about the first two chapters of this reimagining. However, I was told it was pretty good and that I should give it a watch and went ahead and did so. First the animation is very well done Powerhouse is a very good studio and kudos to them. They did a great job animating the fight sequences and making it feel like the original. The character designs, outside of He-Man, I thought were great. The He-Man design before the final episode always looked weird to me for some reason. The cast here is great as well, my favorite character is still Evil-Lyn. Lena Heady is awesome and its obvious she gets the best lines in the series. The introduction of this version of Hordak is pretty good, though I wish the series were a couple episodes longer to have more time with him, he was voiced by the one and only Keith David, another great choice. 

My main problem with this show has to be the story. I get they are trying to modernize it but a lot of the dialog is bad and not in the fun way bad. Its just bad, like people don't talk like this bad. Another thing is, just like with the previous two chapters it feels like since they didn't stick to there original plans, which were very bad by the way, this story feels a little off. There was a lot of talk revolving around the first two chapters and I think that's what hampered this chapter. Once again it feels as if Hollywood writers don't understand that you don't have to tear male characters down to build female characters up. Making Adam like they made him, made me not like him when he was onscreen. 

For Parents

This show is rated TV-PG. Their are only 5 episodes that are your typical half hour show. There is a lot of fighting and action. There is some gore-ish moments but you don't see blood more like shadows with green sprites in it to show the character being taken over. Other than that I don't think its particularly bad for the little ones to watch. 

Final Thoughts

So is this better than the previous two chapters? Yes, but in all honesty that's not a high bar to meet. It has its moments but the episode length and the bad dialogue brings it down for me. I think this show really should have been between 8 - 10 episodes and please have somebody punchup the writing. There is a setup for future episodes if they decide to go that route that will probably take their cues from the comic book series that DC ran a few years ago. If I had to rate this I would probably give this a RENTAL. Have you seen Masters of the Universe Revolution? What did you think? Leave a comment and lets talk about it. Thanks for reading. 

Trailer

Fresh Take - Percy Jackson & The Olympians Spoiler-Free Thoughts

 Available on Disney +

Synopsis (from IMDB):

Percy Jackson is on a dangerous quest. Outrunning monsters and outwitting gods, he must journey across America to return Zeus' master bolt and stop an all-out war. After losing his mother, Percy is sheltered at Camp Half-Blood, a sanctuary for demigod children. He must prove himself and confront his origins once he discovers he too is a demigod, and will take off into the perils of pursuing enemies in search of the Underworld. With the help of his quest mates Annabeth and Grover, Percy's journey will lead him closer to the answers he seeks: how to fit into a world where he feels out of place, if he'll ever see his mother again, and if he can ever find out who he's destined to be.

Thoughts

I guess I should get this out of the way. This series adaptation is different from the 2010 movie, in that it follows the book more closely. At least that was what I was told as I have not read this book series yet but it is on my "to read" list as I have been told it is very good. I think is cast is very good in this series. Walker Scobell, who you may have seen if you watched the Netflix movie 'The Adam Project', is very good here as Percy. Leah Jefferies plays Annabeth and I think she did a very good job as well as Aryan Simhadri who plays Grover. The first couple episodes are similar to the opening of the 2010 movie but the story and world are better explained. Sometimes there just isn't enough time to setup stories in feature length films. That being said I liked the story here and the CGI. I think it is well done but not over done. I think that the balance worked here. There are a lot of cameoes here and the actors did a great job portraying there mythological counterparts. The Jessica Parker Kennedy plays Medusa, I thought did a great job and they kept the story of how Medusa was turned into a monster in tact, which to be fair I thought they would not do because of this essentially being a kids show. One of my favorite characters in the show is Ares, played by Adam Copeland, if you're wrestling fan, Edge. He does a great job, if the series continues I hope he comes back. The soundtrack and the chroreography are all great I think the team did a pretty good job with the look and feel of the world. 

I only really have a couple of issues with the season 1. First, the story can sometimes get kind of cookie cutter and chessy. Especially, when it comes to the dysfunctional family theme. The play it like most stories and its been done to death the way they do it and it makes the story predictable in parts. Secondly, this is one of those times where I think a couple more episodes wouldn't have hurt. It can feel rushed at times or that scenes are missing like something was left on the cutting room floor. 

For Parents

This series is rated TV-PG. There are action scenes where fighting takes place but there isn't any gore or blood. There are some heavy themes in the season. The eight episodes are well paced and they don't go over an hour staying within the 45 minute range. 

Final Thoughts

I had a good time watching this series and if it gets a season 2 I will watch it. It may have a slow start for some especially if you remember the 2010 film, however, I do think that it picked up and as I stated earlier I think this series does a better job explaining and building the world than the movie did. I loved the cameoes as I recognized a lot of the actors and thought they did a good job portraying their mythological counterparts. On the whole I enjoyed it and think its worth a watch. Have you seen Percy Jackson and the Olympians? Leave a comment and let's talk about it. As always thanks for reading and if you enjoyed the blog feel free to share it out. Also, don't forget to watch Fresh Take over on the YouTube channel with episodes on Sunday or you catch the audio version on Spotify and Amazon Music.

Trailer