Another year, another series of Power Rangers gets retired. This year, it is the retirement of Power Rangers Samurai. The finale of the season "Samurai Forever" was great in terms of wrapping up the story and nostalgia for older fans.
As to how it wraps up the story, it does not start out with a "previously on" segment. The episode begins in media res with an unmorphed fighting sequences. I like this purely for the fact that it is a strong throwback to MMPR, including the fact that they played the theme for the show during the fight. Moving on, Mentor shows up and gives Jayden a replacement Shiba Disk to fight Xandred. Jayden also gets the Double Disk to amplify his power. So they find Xandred and a bunch of Moogers and fight them unmorphed. Then, after the Moogers are defeated they fight Xandred. He gets held in place by a combination of Symbol Power and Jayden attacks him with two Fire Smashers. Jayden gets knocked back and, in a random act of epicness, Kevin uses the Shiba Disk to do massive damage to Xandred. Jayden finishes him off with Shogun Mode. Xandred activates his second life and the rangers become the Samurai Gigazord. They unmorph in the cockpit and attack head on. Xandred keeps knocking off zords until they are down to the Samurai Megazord. They combine all their Symbol Power for one final strike with the sacrifice of their zords and their powers. They do their victory call with hands in and jumping in the air, similarly to the end of every multi-part MMPR episode. The show ends with Spike going back home with Skull (Jason Narvy returns for a cameo and some slapstick with Bulk), Kevin goes to train for the Olympics (Setting up for him meeting Kimberly in Megaforce I believe), Mike goes home with Emily, something that anyone with two brain cells called months ago, Mia goes to culinary school, Lauren returns to where she came from, and Mentor decides to teach Jayden the guitar. The episode ends with the portion of the MMPR theme that everyone knows.
As for the season as a whole, people overreacted to the quality of the series. It was not one of the best, but it was definitely not the worst. Also, people complain about the writing on forums and such but what these people don't realize is that it is not written for them. It was written for the children. It served its purpose to keep the franchise relevant during the transition between ownership by Disney and Saban Brands. The best thing that could be done by the series is not to move to Vortexx but to Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network allows the TV-PG rating, something that the franchise could take full of advantage of.
Final Rating for the Episode: 9.5/10
Final Rating for the Season: 8.5/10
Two final notes: one, the Power Rangers/Super Sentai Fandom is probably the worst in existence in terms of accepting the Canon, complaining about what the series is doing and complaining about the future. Two, next week on Nickelodeon, the Christmas episode airs and looks to be...interesting to say the least. In terms of Christmas episodes, I would rank it up there with "A Season to Remember" from Power Rangers Zeo.
Tune in Saturday at 1 on Nickelodeon for next weeks episode, "Stuck on Christmas."
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Review: Kingdom Hearts I
I decided it was time for me to begin reviewing the Kingdom Hearts games one by one. First, obviously will be Kingdom Hearts I. This decision came as the original "trilogy" of games is wrapping up. Next year, at some point, Kingdom Hearts 1.5 Remix comes out with Kingdom Hearts I, Kingdom Hearts RE:Chain of Memories, and cutscenes in theater mode for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.
So, now for the review. The game is an RPG made by (at the time) Square Soft. It is a crossover of Disney, Final Fantasy, and it's own characters. The game follows Sora, a boy who's home is destroyed by creatures known as the heartless, as he searches for his friends. For this (and all subsequent video game reviews) I will break down the review.
Story: 9/10. The story itself is great, it has great moments and heroic monologues that make the game's message get through. I take off the one point because it begs for a sequel at the end and the dialogue, especially with Donald and Goofy, gets painful to listen to at times.
Graphics: 10/10. In its time, the graphics are the best they can. Load times are at a minimum and there are few, if any discontinuities in graphics.
Sounds: 9/10. The soundtrack is great as it helps to illustrate the mood. It also premiers Utada's "Simple and Clean" to America, a song that I know I will never get tired of hearing no matter how many games they put it in. However, I hope that Kingdom Hearts III will use "Passion" or another song.
Gameplay: 9.5/10. The game is well balanced with physical attacks, magic, and summons. To be honest, summons were not used much by me. The only one I actually used regularly was Tinker Bell because she restores HP and offers an extra life. The only issue was the one segment in Hollow Bastion where Sora loses his Keyblade and Donald and Goofy leave and, if you aren't reliant on magic, you are screwed at this point because physical attacks do nothing against heartless.
The major drawback of the game was traveling between worlds. The Gummi system is flawed, mainly because, in order to get to a new world, you need to warp to a nearby world and then travel there. On the same track, the fact that Gummi Parts are located in the worlds in chests is a waste because, in this game, there is very little purpose in doing Gummi battles. Also, the Gummi battles are too easy because you can easily win by just firing straight and dodging. It requires little skill to do.
Final Rating 9/10. A good way to start the series. Next week, I will review Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories.
So, now for the review. The game is an RPG made by (at the time) Square Soft. It is a crossover of Disney, Final Fantasy, and it's own characters. The game follows Sora, a boy who's home is destroyed by creatures known as the heartless, as he searches for his friends. For this (and all subsequent video game reviews) I will break down the review.
Story: 9/10. The story itself is great, it has great moments and heroic monologues that make the game's message get through. I take off the one point because it begs for a sequel at the end and the dialogue, especially with Donald and Goofy, gets painful to listen to at times.
Graphics: 10/10. In its time, the graphics are the best they can. Load times are at a minimum and there are few, if any discontinuities in graphics.
Sounds: 9/10. The soundtrack is great as it helps to illustrate the mood. It also premiers Utada's "Simple and Clean" to America, a song that I know I will never get tired of hearing no matter how many games they put it in. However, I hope that Kingdom Hearts III will use "Passion" or another song.
Gameplay: 9.5/10. The game is well balanced with physical attacks, magic, and summons. To be honest, summons were not used much by me. The only one I actually used regularly was Tinker Bell because she restores HP and offers an extra life. The only issue was the one segment in Hollow Bastion where Sora loses his Keyblade and Donald and Goofy leave and, if you aren't reliant on magic, you are screwed at this point because physical attacks do nothing against heartless.
The major drawback of the game was traveling between worlds. The Gummi system is flawed, mainly because, in order to get to a new world, you need to warp to a nearby world and then travel there. On the same track, the fact that Gummi Parts are located in the worlds in chests is a waste because, in this game, there is very little purpose in doing Gummi battles. Also, the Gummi battles are too easy because you can easily win by just firing straight and dodging. It requires little skill to do.
Final Rating 9/10. A good way to start the series. Next week, I will review Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Review: All the Little People
As finals bear down, I continue to review episodes of Adventure Time. This week's episode was another comedic random episode called "All the Little People." In this episode, Finn finds a bag of toy figurines of everyone in Ooo that have their own lives. Like The Sims however, Finn and Jake have the power to manipulate and influence their lives. Jake wants Finn to stop playing with them, but Finn keeps on playing, destroying the relationships of everyone in the Mini World and having everyone hate Little Finn.
This episode is cute and has it's funny moments (a few at the expense of players of The Sims). The Magic Man makes an appearance in the beginning of the episode which leads me to believe that this is not the last we will see of the Mini People.
This episode gets an 8/10 purely for its comedic value. Next week (as per production code order) should be "Bad Little Boy" but it could be pushed back again.
This episode is cute and has it's funny moments (a few at the expense of players of The Sims). The Magic Man makes an appearance in the beginning of the episode which leads me to believe that this is not the last we will see of the Mini People.
This episode gets an 8/10 purely for its comedic value. Next week (as per production code order) should be "Bad Little Boy" but it could be pushed back again.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Correction
Next week's Adventure Time episode is not "Bad Little Boy." It is actually "All the Little People."
Monday, November 26, 2012
Adventure Time "Up a Tree" Review
Adventure Time this week revisited their true form with the random episodes with little bearing on the series. This week's episode "Up a Tree" was a prime example of this. Here, Finn and Jake's game of catch goes awry when their Frisbee goes into a Tree and Finn has to go get it. Hi-jinks ensue as Finn eats a cursed apple and is shrunk down and the animals that live in the tree try to get him to stay there forever. He escapes with the help of a delusional squirrel.
The episode as a whole was a strong one, complete with the iconic one episode characters that have better stage presence than most live action actors. The factor of the cult that lived in the tree was a cute way to introduce a Monster of the Week antagonist. The full circle ending came back when Finn escapes on the perfect throw, something him and Jake aspired for in the beginning. Finally, in terms the story, this episode confirms that the waving snail is no longer possessed by the Lich.
The episode gets a 9 out of 10 for living up to expectations.
As of right now, the next air date is not confirmed to be December 3rd, but when episodes come back, "Bad Little Boy" is next.
Also, for those of you who care, "Fionna and Cake" DVD set comes out this February.
Rating 9/10
The episode as a whole was a strong one, complete with the iconic one episode characters that have better stage presence than most live action actors. The factor of the cult that lived in the tree was a cute way to introduce a Monster of the Week antagonist. The full circle ending came back when Finn escapes on the perfect throw, something him and Jake aspired for in the beginning. Finally, in terms the story, this episode confirms that the waving snail is no longer possessed by the Lich.
The episode gets a 9 out of 10 for living up to expectations.
As of right now, the next air date is not confirmed to be December 3rd, but when episodes come back, "Bad Little Boy" is next.
Also, for those of you who care, "Fionna and Cake" DVD set comes out this February.
Rating 9/10
Monday, November 19, 2012
"Five More Short Graybles" Review
Last season, we saw the first "Graybles" episode and it was very well received. The third episode of this season "Five More Short Graybles" once again features Cuber doing his thing and showing five stories each with a common theme. Where last time it was the five senses with Finn and Jake being touch, Princess Bubblegum being taste, the Ice King being smell, LSP being sound, and Beemo was sight. In this one, the theme was the five tastes with Gunther being salty, Finn and Jake being sweet, Marceline being savory, Beemo being bitter and Tree Trunks being sour. In the end, Cuber makes a joke saying that the audience could have thought that it was the five fingers (Beemo being the pinky, Finn and Jake being thumbs, the Ice King being the ring finger, Marceline being the index finger, and Tree Trunks being the middle) but Cuber says that people haven't had five fingers in a long time.
If we are going to get this and another "grayble" episode later this season, Cuber and where he is better become significant, especially with "Another Five Short Graybles" being so close to the finale.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10. Nice lighthearted nonsequitor after the heavy hitting episodes "I Remember You", "The Lich", "Finn the Human", and "Jake the Dog".
If we are going to get this and another "grayble" episode later this season, Cuber and where he is better become significant, especially with "Another Five Short Graybles" being so close to the finale.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10. Nice lighthearted nonsequitor after the heavy hitting episodes "I Remember You", "The Lich", "Finn the Human", and "Jake the Dog".
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Adventure Time "Finn the Human" and "Jake the Dog" Reviews
Three weeks ago, Adventure Time wowed us with a stunning display of plot development over a four episode arc that finally came to a satisfying ending this week.
The story picks up when Finn and Jake go through the portal after the Lich and follow him to the Time Room. They meet Prismo who tells them that the Lich used his one wish to wish for the extinction of all life. Finn wishes that the Lich never existed. It then cuts to Farm Finn who is being told by his mother that he has to sell the family mule, Bartram. Finn argues and is overruled. He goes outside and starts talking to Bartram who wanders off. Finn finds him in a tree and, while trying to retrieve him, falls into a hole. In the hole is the Mushroom Bomb frozen with the skeleton of Simon Petrikov crushed under it. A 1000 year old woman jumps out of the bush next to the body when Finn goes to retrieve the Ice King's crown. The woman explains that Simon sacrificed himself to stop the bomb and the world was frozen over for 400 years. She has guarded the crown ever since. Finn goes to retrieve it and the woman fires on him with a laser gun. The laser passes through him and Finn retrieves the crown. Simon, from beyond the grave, tells the woman, who is revealed to be Marceline, to get the crown. Meanwhile, in town Finn goes to Choose Bruce (Choose Goose's equivalent) to try and sell the crown. The Destiny Gang (sort of the rogue entity that calls the shots in Farmworld) steals the crown. There is a moment of tension as the leader of the gang (hilariously self-dubbed "Big D") is given the crown to wear. He puts it in his belt and retreats on a ski-lift type apparatus to a large house. Finn attacks one of the members of the Destiny Gang and the rest retreat. Finn decides to go after them because they kidnapped both the Crown and Bartram and Choose Bruce gives Finn an add-on for his arm that turns it into a blade. Finn gives chase and Big D just hands the crown back. Meanwhile the Destiny Gang torched the entire town where Choose Bruce lives. Finn goes down and is informed that his house is being attacked next. He, Jake, Bartram, and Marceline rush home and they find his family trapped in the house. Finn, in an effort to save his family puts on the crown.
At that point, the episode switches to "Jake the Dog" and picks up with Finn's transformation into the Ice King. He starts putting out the fires and shooting the Ice Lightning that is the Ice King's primary weapon at the Destiny Gang. Marceline and Jake rush down to the hole where we first found her and they watch the bomb go off. Finn saves his family and Bartram. Back at the Time Room, Ooo Jake is looking to Finn. Prismo tells him that Finn is in his own timeline created by his wish. Jake is told he gets a wish too. He tries to wish for a sandwich and Prismo tells him to hold off. Jake decides to watch it as it plays out. Back in Farmworld, Finn breaks his family free and tells them what happened. He hears his sibling crying and snaps out of it long enough to send his family away with Bartram. He starts freeing the Destiny Gang and he hears Jake howling. In the Time Room, Jake and Prismo are in a hot tub discussing relationships when the Cosmic Owl shows up and joins them. In Farmworld, Finn goes to the epicenter of the bomb and finds Jake in the green goop that was seen in "Mortal Folly. Marceline's skeleton comes out and says I told you so. Finn kills it. Jake starts gnawing on Finn's cyborg arm and his eyes have the possessed color that the snail and Princess Bubblegum had. Finn drops Jake. In the Time Room, Prismo, Jake, and the Cosmic Owl are doing a rap about sitting in the hot tub. The Cosmic Owl accidentally unmutes the screen where the Farmworld is visible and Jake sees the possessed Farmworld version of himself attacking Finn. Jake grows and his face is ripped off and replaced with the Lich's. The screen goes fuzzy and Jake starts pleading to Prismo to wish for Finn to be safe. Prismo informs him that his wish needs to be very specific because all the wishes have an ironic twist. Jake vomits under pressure and Prismo tells him to wish for the Lich's wish to be that Finn and Jake were back home. Jake does it and it cuts to the beginning of the episode and instead of the Lich wishing for the extinction of all life he wishes for Finn and Jake to go home. They do and the gems go back to the crowns.
This episode taught us many things about the world. First, Marceline is half-demon and the Vampire-ism was inflicted later in life. Second, the Mushroom War actually was a nuclear war. Third, the Lich's creation comes out of the radiation from the nuke. Fourth, the creation of Ooo is inevitable, just the players are different.
Rating: 10/10. Great Job
The story picks up when Finn and Jake go through the portal after the Lich and follow him to the Time Room. They meet Prismo who tells them that the Lich used his one wish to wish for the extinction of all life. Finn wishes that the Lich never existed. It then cuts to Farm Finn who is being told by his mother that he has to sell the family mule, Bartram. Finn argues and is overruled. He goes outside and starts talking to Bartram who wanders off. Finn finds him in a tree and, while trying to retrieve him, falls into a hole. In the hole is the Mushroom Bomb frozen with the skeleton of Simon Petrikov crushed under it. A 1000 year old woman jumps out of the bush next to the body when Finn goes to retrieve the Ice King's crown. The woman explains that Simon sacrificed himself to stop the bomb and the world was frozen over for 400 years. She has guarded the crown ever since. Finn goes to retrieve it and the woman fires on him with a laser gun. The laser passes through him and Finn retrieves the crown. Simon, from beyond the grave, tells the woman, who is revealed to be Marceline, to get the crown. Meanwhile, in town Finn goes to Choose Bruce (Choose Goose's equivalent) to try and sell the crown. The Destiny Gang (sort of the rogue entity that calls the shots in Farmworld) steals the crown. There is a moment of tension as the leader of the gang (hilariously self-dubbed "Big D") is given the crown to wear. He puts it in his belt and retreats on a ski-lift type apparatus to a large house. Finn attacks one of the members of the Destiny Gang and the rest retreat. Finn decides to go after them because they kidnapped both the Crown and Bartram and Choose Bruce gives Finn an add-on for his arm that turns it into a blade. Finn gives chase and Big D just hands the crown back. Meanwhile the Destiny Gang torched the entire town where Choose Bruce lives. Finn goes down and is informed that his house is being attacked next. He, Jake, Bartram, and Marceline rush home and they find his family trapped in the house. Finn, in an effort to save his family puts on the crown.
At that point, the episode switches to "Jake the Dog" and picks up with Finn's transformation into the Ice King. He starts putting out the fires and shooting the Ice Lightning that is the Ice King's primary weapon at the Destiny Gang. Marceline and Jake rush down to the hole where we first found her and they watch the bomb go off. Finn saves his family and Bartram. Back at the Time Room, Ooo Jake is looking to Finn. Prismo tells him that Finn is in his own timeline created by his wish. Jake is told he gets a wish too. He tries to wish for a sandwich and Prismo tells him to hold off. Jake decides to watch it as it plays out. Back in Farmworld, Finn breaks his family free and tells them what happened. He hears his sibling crying and snaps out of it long enough to send his family away with Bartram. He starts freeing the Destiny Gang and he hears Jake howling. In the Time Room, Jake and Prismo are in a hot tub discussing relationships when the Cosmic Owl shows up and joins them. In Farmworld, Finn goes to the epicenter of the bomb and finds Jake in the green goop that was seen in "Mortal Folly. Marceline's skeleton comes out and says I told you so. Finn kills it. Jake starts gnawing on Finn's cyborg arm and his eyes have the possessed color that the snail and Princess Bubblegum had. Finn drops Jake. In the Time Room, Prismo, Jake, and the Cosmic Owl are doing a rap about sitting in the hot tub. The Cosmic Owl accidentally unmutes the screen where the Farmworld is visible and Jake sees the possessed Farmworld version of himself attacking Finn. Jake grows and his face is ripped off and replaced with the Lich's. The screen goes fuzzy and Jake starts pleading to Prismo to wish for Finn to be safe. Prismo informs him that his wish needs to be very specific because all the wishes have an ironic twist. Jake vomits under pressure and Prismo tells him to wish for the Lich's wish to be that Finn and Jake were back home. Jake does it and it cuts to the beginning of the episode and instead of the Lich wishing for the extinction of all life he wishes for Finn and Jake to go home. They do and the gems go back to the crowns.
This episode taught us many things about the world. First, Marceline is half-demon and the Vampire-ism was inflicted later in life. Second, the Mushroom War actually was a nuclear war. Third, the Lich's creation comes out of the radiation from the nuke. Fourth, the creation of Ooo is inevitable, just the players are different.
Rating: 10/10. Great Job
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