VIDEO GAME: Wonder Boy – The Dragon’s Trap (2017)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's TrapYear: 2017Rating: E10+Time Played: 306 minutes / 5.10 hours Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is one of those games that I learned about through a YouTube video and realized I already picked it up for free from the Epic Games Store. The revamped art style was intriguing, and the gameplay felt somewhat modern—even if it had changed little from the original SEGA Master Drive. All things considered, it was a fairly fun playthrough, and I got my money's worth (despite not spending any to buy it). The form change mechanic made the progression through this game even more interesting. Once I'd figured out how to play as one of the animal-based forms, I'd have to learn the next one and start my learning all over. Granted, the better armor and weapons I gained along the way made this easier each time. And with each new form, I'd find some other area of the map that I could now...
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MOVIE: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Sonic the Hedgehog Year: 2020 Rating: PG Length: 99 minutes / 1.65 hours As someone who grew up with the original Sonic video games, I was highly skeptical of this film adaptation. There's not much plot behind a game that's basically: move right as fast as possible and defeat a robot-making madman. Granted, Sonic has developed a little more depth to its lore over the years...but not much. The appeal of the character in the '90s was his attitude, and I have to admit that his movie does capture that attitude quite well. For a video game adaptation, Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) isn't terrible, which is saying something. I can only imagine the nightmare-inducing original design for Sonic, though. However, it's still not the greatest movie ever for the genre of video game adaptations. I did appreciate the little "slow-motion" moments, as well as the practical use of the rings as teleportation devices. Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik was passable, if not a little too goofy/sinister...
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