Change Your Image
transfan83
Reviews
Challenge of the GoBots (1984)
Underrated
What I've seen on YouTube has confirmed my belief in the underrated nature of this show. Some of the show's elements might appear lame at first glance. One such element is character names. Making names that are puns on the character's trans-form was also done quite often in Beast Wars. Another element that has been criticized is the idea of firing lasers out of the fists. It's a good way to compensate for the toys not having guns. Many lead characters also have secondary abilities such as a lightning stomp (Crasher), forcefield (Leader-1), and mind-control powers (CyKill). There are even some things that the GoBots came up with before TFs. The best example is female robots serving as series regulars. This was in place from day one with GoBots, while the Transformers didn't implement it until season 2, and there were no recurring female robots until Arcee was introduced in the Transformers Movie. Racial diversity didn't show up in TF's until Armada introduced Carlos. This is something else GoBots had going from day 1 with the African-American A.J. Foster. You might even say the GoBots invented Powerlinking with their Power Suits. Even the comparatively lighthearted presentation may prove to be a turnoff for some, but if you liked RiD, which had a similar atmosphere, this shouldn't bother you too much. To sum things up, check this show out BEFORE you pass judgment.
Sûpâ Mario rando 2: 6tsu no kinka (1992)
Way better than the first.
I'm not saying I don't the first Super Mario Land, but out of the two SML games which actually star Mario (SML3 has you controlling Wario instead of Mario), I prefer SML2. In graphics, game play, and presentation, this game has its predecessor beat. No more having to strain your eyes to see Mario. This game is perhaps the least linear of all the Mario games I've played (I've never played the 3-D games). Mario travels from level to level via an over-world map, just like in SMB3 and SMW (although the style of this game's over-world more closely resembles the latter). The first Super Mario Land plays similarly to the first Super Mario Bros, while SML2 plays more like Mario World. Some stages even have multiple exits. You can also save your progress, which makes perfect sense considering that the old Game Boys were serious battery-guzzlers IMO. No more having to start from square one when your Game Boy's batteries wear out. The sound effects in this game seem more "Mario-ish" than those of the first Mario Land. Jumping, squishing Goombas, kicking shells, and throwing fireballs generate sounds that anyone will recognize if they've played the three NES Mario games. Long story short, this game rocks. Rest in peace, Gunpei Yokoi.