We learn the truth about Metal Face.
Where I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 29 – Because It’s There
Keyboard Review: 8bitdo Retro Mechanical Keyboard
Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate a proper mechanical keyboard. Not just because of the nice, satisfying “click” sound when you press a key, and the tactile sensation of pressing them compared to using a membrane keyboard. They’re also easier to clean and less likely to get gummed up by the general debris and detritus of regular usage. When 8bitdo, whose controllers I’ve been using for a while, branched out into keyboards, I had a moment of “Do I really want to swap out my Logitech keyboard for one of these” – until one of them went on sale by enough that I decided that yes, I did want to get one. Now it’s time for my thoughts.
Read moreFilm Review: Hard Target
Hard Target was John Woo’s first big film in the United States and Hollywood, and it paired him with one of the top action stars of the early ’90s – Jean-Claude Van Damme, a star who was very much not known for his gunplay, and was much more known for his martial arts. It’s generally been held up as a rough start to Woo’s Hollywood run, but that said, I think it’s still an okay fun little action movie, even if it doesn’t reach up to the heights of his earlier Hong Kong career.
Read moreWhere I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 28 – Monster Hunting
Where I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 27 – Shape the Future
Vlog: Why New Olympic Sports Matter
I’ve got an opportunity in my schedule to talk about the Olympic Games and newer Olympic sports – and why I think getting some of these new sports in the Olympics matters (albeit a month after the Olympics because of how my schedule worked out).
Where I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 26 – Fire & Ice
Where I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 25 – Second Base Camp
Film Review: Golden Bat (1966)
When looking at the 1966 Golden Bat film, it’s interesting to see how much it innovates – if not outright invents – in the realm of cinematic hero tokusatsu. The main hero – Ogun Bat (Golden Bat) is widely credited as basically being the first 20th-century superhero, with characters from DC having parallel evolution in the US – his cinematic counterpart innovates considerably more then he invents, but those innovations are nothing to sneeze at.
Read moreI Am Running A Tabletop Game!
I will be running a Tabletop campaign! For Real Humans! Who I’m Not Related To!
Starting next month I will be running a D&D 5E campaign for some friends, playing through Dragonlance: Shadows of the Dragon Queen. I’m not livestreaming it, and I’m not going to be giving the players names, but I will be giving some after-action reports here, since I haven’t run a game in a while, especially not for people who aren’t in my family.
Where I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 24 – Checking Some Boxes
Where I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 23 – Hit the Slopes
Nintendo Power Retrospectives: Part 139
We return to Nintendo Power, with a N64-focused issue (with a recap of the N64’s showing at E3 ’98), and also a certain bird and bear.
Where I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 22 – Ladies Night Swim
Where I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 21 – Big Swim
Anime Explorations Episode 23: Bubblegum Crisis
NextGen #43 (July 1998)
NextGen gets a bit of a format and layout change this issue.
Read moreWhere I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 20 – A Few More Side Quests
Where I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 19 – Friendly Crush
Breaking Down The Knightfall Saga: Knightsend Part 1
It’s the beginning of the end, as Bruce trains with Lady Shiva, and Azrael becomes more unhinged.
Where I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 18 – Not Reticent
Where I Play Xenoblade Chronicles: Part 17 – More Side Quests
Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett puts a bit of weirdness into the urban fantasy genre. It’s not urban – not even close – it’s a very pastoral story. It’s not contemporary, being set in the 1800s. However, it’s definitely not heroic fantasy or horror, and certainly fits more into some elements of urban fantasy than it does to the other subgenres I’m familiar with. It’s also very enjoyable.
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