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Hugh Likes Anime: Castlevania

July 17, 2017

hughjodonnell Hugh Likes Anime, Review , , , Leave a comment

Castlevania
Netflix

Netflix’s new animated adaptation of “Castlevania” is a strange beast. This might be expected, as it was penned and produced by Warren Ellis, the creator of such offbeat comics as “Transmetropolitan” and “Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.” But it is a heck of a fun little gem for all its flaws.
The miniseries is gorgeous. The character designs are iconic and immediately recognizable for fans of designer Ayami Kojima work on the Castlevania games. The animation is fluid with a deep, rich palate.
The four episode series is a certainly on the short side. It feels like a 90-minute pilot movie that was sliced up to create episodes, and it leaves the audience of a cliffhanger, but it’s a good first installment, and there are plenty of easter eggs for game fans to spot.
The plot loosely follows Castlevania III, with elements of series favorite “Symphony of the Night” incorporated as well. After The Church burns Dracula’s wife as a witch for practicing medicine, the Vampire King vows revenge and releases an army of demons on Walachia. The task of fighting off this horde falls to Trevor Belmont, the last son of an excommunicated family of vampire hunters.
Ellis is hardly subtle in his criticism of capital-R Religion in this series, with quite a few talking-head sequences about blind faith and superstition, and a supporting cast of thuggish priests dogging Belmont’s heels. But the action more than makes up for these talky bits, and the incorporation of some of the more fantastical elements of the series are cleverly done.
While short, ”Castlevania” is a tasty morsel of gory vampire-hunting goodness that goes down easy, even as it leaves the watcher thirsty for more. You can watch it exclusively on Netflix Streaming.

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Four Job Fiesta Part Two: Ahead on our Way

July 14, 2017

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I’ve been playing “Final Fantasy V” as a part of this year’s Four Job Fiesta, an online challenge that benefits Child’s Play. I wrote about approaching the challenge here, and now that I’m a bit farther in the game, here are some things that I’ve learned.
Final Fantasy V is amazingly well designed. Over the course of the game, I received my full roster of classes: Thief, Time Mage, Ranger, and Chemist. While these aren’t impossible classes to play with, they’re hardly powerhouses. Ranger gets a very good ability, Rapid Fire, if you level them for a while, and Chemist can combine items to exploit some enemy weaknesses, but they require using up rare items. But while this team is challenging, it is hardly impossible. The Four Job Fiesta works with FFV because the game can be navigated with any classes as long as you’re patient and think strategically. There aren’t any choke points that require a certain party to proceed.
The game itself feels like a farewell to the style of the early games. The crystals themselves shatter to give you your jobs. Although the franchise would return to the job system in spin-offs like Final Fantasy Tactics and the crystals would come back in later games like Bravely Default, Final Fantasy V feels like a sea change for the series. The next game in the series in Final Fantasy VI, which took the games in a very different direction. Even though it was only much later released in the United States, it still feels somewhat nostalgic.
But for now the Fiesta continues as I make my way through the middle of the game with my motley crew of back row hooligans. You have until the end of August to sign up for your run, or to support Child’s Play!

Hugh Likes Comics: Magnus

July 13, 2017

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Magnus #1
Written by Kyle Higgins
Drawn by Jorge Fornes
Colored by Chris O’Halloran
Lettered by Taylor Esposito
Published by Dynamite

Magnus

I’ve never actually followed the adventures of “Magnus: Robot Fighter.” He’s one of those pulp heroes that I’ve seen on the periphery. He falls into a category with characters like The Shadow and John Carter of Mars in that I know they’ve been around, and are in some ways foundational to pop culture, but I’ve never sought his adventures out. Perhaps it is because the premise, while awesome, seemed a bit too simple. He’s a dude that fights robots. It all feels very 1950’s to me; the square-jawed hero putting up his dukes and wits against a clanking menace while the terrified damsel looks on.
Higgins and Fornes new reimagining of the character is quite different, but it still has a veneer of classic science fiction about it. This version of the character is Dr. Kerri Magnus, robot psychologist. While the character so far seems to have more in common with Dr. Susan Calvin than the original pulp hero, the original creator, (name) was purported to have been largely inspired by Azimov’s “I, Robot” stories, so perhaps this reimagining is just bringing the concept full circle.
Fornes’s art is quite good, although there were a few spreads where I had some trouble following the panel sequence. His depictions of New York in the far-off year of 2020, and the ‘Cloudworld,’ it’s digital mirror, are intriguing, and O’Halloran’s colors create an absorbing SF-Noir feel for the book.
Magnus is a book with giving some fresh ink and perspective to some classic SF ideas, and I can’t wait to see where the series goes, although the first issue is a bit slim, it leaves some tasty breadcrumbs I’m looking forward to following. You can pick up Magnus #1 from your local comics shop, or digitally from Comixology.

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Podcast: NP03: Anime Jesus

July 10, 2017

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Recorded live at Balticon, Jason, Lauren, and Hugh talk Gundam Wing Episode 3: “Five Gundams Confirmed!”

Click HERE to listen!

Having flipped into the ocean, Heero wakes up in the secret Alliance Beachfront Military Hospital Relena dragged him to between episodes! Just as Military Doctor Sally Po is trying to figure out just how many broken bones Heero has, he is broken out by Duo, and his many wonderful toys.

Also:

Treize goes pheasant hunting in his own backyard, Zechs is profoundly uninterested in providing military aid to anybody, Trowa and Qatre have a crotch-level meet cute, and Duo is Mary Poppins, y’all!

Thanks for listening to this podcast. If you enjoyed it, you can find more at NostalgiaPilots.com! You can also support me on Patreon for more goodies!

Podcast: TFH 2.1: Live at Balticon 51!

July 7, 2017

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Hello Freelancers!

Welcome to Season Two of the Freelance Hunters! We’re starting out with a live recording from Balticon 51! I was joined by friends of the show A. F. Grappin and Erin Kazmark of The Melting Potcast in a live-reading of chapter one of the in-development Freelance Hunters novel, The Shadow Over Ironwood! We also answered questions and gave away fabulous prizes!

Click HERE to listen for yourself!

NEWS:

The first Freelance Hunters micro-collection, “Glory’s Gauntlet and Other Stories,” is now absolutely free on Gumroad. Check it out from the link on the right, and be sure to leave a review on Goodreads, Amazon, or the site of your choice. It’ll help us get eyedrums and earballs!

And this is the first in a whole new series episodes. Stay tuned for new adventures from Glory, Joachim, and Bingo every two weeks!

And be sure to support me on Patreon for early access to episodes, text fiction, and other goodies!

Credits:

Opening: “The Lion and the Unicorn,” Dimension Bucket, in the public domain, obtained through FreePD.com!

Closing: “Crunk Knight,” Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech.com!

Promo: The Melting Potcast

The Freelance Hunters logo designed by Alex White.

Next time: The Freelance Hunters in “Checkpoint!”

Podcast: CCR37: Nightmare Castle

June 27, 2017

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Join the Chrononauts as we venture into the heart of a gothic castle and watch the painting spin around for a few hours.

Click HERE listen!

And HERE to watch the movie on Youtube!

Chrononaut Cinema Reviews is presented by http://skinner.fm and http://hughjodonnell.com, and is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License.

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it! You can also support me on Patreon for more goodies!

Four Job Fiesta: Part One

June 25, 2017

hughjodonnell Gaming , , Leave a comment

This summer I’m taking part in a unique gaming challenge for a worthy charity, and so can you! Four Job Fiesta is an annual gaming marathon that raises money and awareness for Child’s Play.
From June 19th to August 31st, participants play classic RPG Final Fantasy V, with one twist: Players are limited to four jobs, which are randomly selected by a bot on Twitter. I heard about it from a friend that participates every year, and dismissed the difficulty, but five hours into the game, I’m finding it an eye-opening challenge.
I wrote way back about my love of Final Fantasy V, but Four Job Fiesta is giving me a new perspective on the game. I’m playing the PS1 version of the game, which has its own translation, so that is also giving me fresh thoughts on the game. For those who haven’t played, Final Fantasy V uses a Job system that allows players to switch between your typical RPG classes. you can play as a magician for a while, and then turn into a warrior, keeping some of the benefits or skills from previous jobs. This lets the player make a party of versatile and powerful characters using various combinations. The challenge severely limits the versatility of these characters. It also forces me to make choices I wouldn’t in an open play of the game.
My first job was ‘Thief,’ a low-powered job that can steal items and gets some other useful skills. But they can’t use magic, and they have very limited equipment. This made the first few dungeons a lot more difficult. In normal play, I was able to breeze through using magic. I had to think a bit more tactically to get past some bosses that were suddenly far more difficult when I couldn’t exploit their weaknesses.
Four Job Fiesta isn’t just about beating an old game with new tricks. It’s also a fundraiser for Child’s Play, a charity which provides games and toys to pediatric hospitals. Visit FourJobFiesta.com to learn more about the project, start your own run, or donate to help sick kids.

Hugh Likes Video Games: Abzu

June 23, 2017

hughjodonnell Hugh Likes Video Games, Review , , , , , , Leave a comment

Abzu
Giant Squid
Played on Playstation 4

abzu1.jpg

Much like their breakthrough hit “Journey,” Giant Squid’s “Abzu” is an exquisite exploration game that delivers on wow and holds back on challenge.
Abzu is an enigmatic exploration game about the ocean. In Giant Squid’s signature style, the narrative is told without any dialog or language whatsoever. Players take on the role of a diver navigating undersea grottoes and sunken ruins. As with “Journey,” there are next to no hazards to distract from the sumptuous visuals, although there are some tense moments with a great white shark, and some menacing undersea mines to avoid.
Abzu is another gorgeous and enigmatic 3-D exploration game that is so squarely in the developer’s wheelhouse. Rather than focusing on fleeting connections with other players, this game encourages exploration and observation. It is filled with virtual fish that all move in intricately programmed schools and patterns. Meditation spots scattered throughout the game encourage you to sit and watch this fish as they swim through the scenery.
Also like Journey the game is quite short, clocking in at just a few hours for a play-through. There are a few things to collect along the way, such as hidden spots that release new fish into the environment, but these don’t add too much to the replay value. Beating the game unlocks an area select and lets you freely enter meditation mode. Unfortunately, even this short game feels a bit repetitive after a while. The temple assets are largely recycled, and there is far less direction on this voyage. Also, the 3D swimming controls are a bit tricky at times. I often found myself swimming in circles when I wanted to dive forward.
These few quibbles aside, “Abzu” is a beautiful and relaxing sea trip that is well worth the few moments you need to enjoy it. You can find it on Steam, the PSN Store, or at Abzugame.Com.
Thanks for reading this review. If you enjoyed it, please share it! Or, support me on Patreon for more goodies!

Podcast: Nostalgia Pilots Episode 2: Sweet 90’s Hacking

June 22, 2017

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Screen Shot 2017-06-15 at 9.24.09 PM.png

Join Hugh, Jurd, and Lauren as we take a look at Episode Two of Gundam Wing!

Heero practices the equestrian skills he learned in space, and gets up to some 3rd-story hacking, Relena pieces things together from the back of her Barbie limousine, and Duo uses the stealthiest tool, giant spotlights!

Meanwhile, Zech’s submarine helipad is underused, Trowa has a lion-based job interview, and Qatre takes Sandrock on vacation! Plus, Wu Fei’s cash does the talking on the international arms market.

Nostalgia Pilots Episode 2: Sweet 90’s Hacking

Follow along with us! Stream Gundam Wing on Crunchyroll!

And Follow us on Twitter @nostalgiapilots!

Hugh Likes Fiction: Greedy Pigs

June 19, 2017

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Sin du Jour: Greedy Pigs
Written by Matt Wallace
Published by Tor

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We’re on book five of Matt Wallace’s seven course Sin du Jour series, and if you aren’t onboard by now, I don’t know what to tell you. These novellas haven’t stopped kicking ass, and “Greedy Pigs” is no less great than the preceding four.
After being embroiled in supernatural politics and nearly taken over, Sin du Jour finds themselves catering the gala festivities as the new President of the supernatural community is installed. But something bad is coming, plans are being laid, and Lena’s best friend and fellow line chef Darren is in the center of them.
Everything that makes Wallace’s work great is still on display here. The characters are efficiently but deeply rendered, the plotting is tight, and the writing is just as wickedly sharp as ever. As things hit the fan, the humor is a bit less on display, although Wallace still finds places to sprinkle comic scenes in, such as a set of errands Lena and Bronko make early in the story that are by turns funny, charming, and bittersweet, with some uncomfortable revelations about pandas.
Greedy Pigs is the fifth part of Wallace’s seven part Sin du Jour series, which you really should be reading by now. Go read it in ebook or print, and be sure to find out more about it on Tor.com.

Thanks for reading this review! If you enjoyed it, please share it! You can also support me on Patreon for more goodies!

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