Tiger Claw Radio #453 - Dolphin on Steam has been Cancelled

Lucky Star Episode 1: The Girl Who Dashes Off - Summary/Review

Growing up watching anime I have often been asked what my favorite is. While I grew up with the likes of Dragon Ball Z, Yu-gi-oh, Pokemon, and later Naruto, the answer to my favorite as been a simple little anime named Lucky Star. A simple comedy/ slice of life aime from 2007 based on a 4 panel comic script. So, just for fun and to feel good in nostalgia, I`m gonna cover this series. Click "read more" and let's begin with the first episode.

Tiger Claw Radio - Final Fantasy Research

Sonic Symphony World Tour Announced

Tiger Claw Radio #451 - New Zelda. Slow News Week.

Green Phoenix - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Review

Over the passed year, I have periodically reviewed different entries in the Harry Potter film franchise. Based on the bestselling book series by J.K. Rowling (who shall from this moment be referred to only as "The Author" for reasons that should fairly obvious for anyone not living under a rock), the seven Harry Potter books and the associated eight films had an indelible impact upon my childhood.

I know that I have discussed this relationship in reviews of earlier films, but I felt it was very important to restate the connection when introducing today's movie; the third entry in the Harry Potter film series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The film widely regarded by many as the best single film in the franchise and one that I think could easily take the claim as the most popular, Prisoner of Azkaban stands out as a transitional film within the franchise, fully transforming the series from the lighthearted self-contained children's films of the Chris Columbus era into the mature and multi-arced works of the later films.

But does the film truly deserve its status as one of the best entries in the series? Does it still hold up over 15 years after its release? And does it overcome the issues that I noted plagued earlier entries in the film franchise?

***

Ranking all Final Fantasy X Party Members from Worst to Best for Extra Content

 

Originally a Playstation 2 game from 2001 then later part of an HD collection, Final Fantasy X is a game with a lot more depth and content than one might originally think. But, this is not a review of the game, but since I had so much fun doing this for Persona 4, I have decided to rank every party member in this game based on my own personal experience of hundreds of hours. Please note this is purely my opinion, click "read more" to begin.

Tiger Claw Radio #450 - Kaiser goes over the RG35XX

Re-Writting the Dragon Ball Z Movies to Fit the Canon

 

Before I say anything I want to point out that I know the movies are non-canon and exist in their own timeline with most of them taking place during points in the story that would have been impossible to happen the way they did in the movies. Many people have analyzed where they could possibly fit in the timeline and even some tried to re-write them fan-fic style. So, now I want to take a try at it. Not wanting to create a whole new timeline, I will try to have events lead to the same destination. How much do I need to change the movies or main story to make them fit? Click "read more" and let's find out.

Tiger Claw Radio #449 - Discovering Dynasty Warriors

Ranking all Persona 4 Golden Party Members from Worst to Best

 

One of my all time favorite video game series is the Persona franchise. Persona 4 is one I logged many hours into, especially on the Vita with Golden. While I'll admit 5 is better, lately I've been remembering this title and felt like doing a countdown on it for fun. So, click "read more" and let the fun begin. Minor spoilers ahead.

It's hard to quietly enjoy Cameron Hons' new album, "Rockin' In The Library"

 

Tiger Claw Radio #448 - Anbernic Made it Right

Green Phoenix - The Super Mario Bros. Movie Review

 

In the annals of video game history, few games hold quite the status and legacy of Super Mario Bros. Released in 1985, Super Mario Bros. quickly achieved a reputation as one of the greatest games ever made and is almost singularly responsible for not only putting Nintendo on the map, but even saving the entire video game industry following the video game crash of 1983.

With such a legacy, its little wonder that video game adaptations of such a beloved game would occur. Unfortunately for history, the first such adaptation was 1993's Super Mario Bros., starring the late Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as Mario and Luigi respectively. To say the film was poorly received would be a gross understatement. The film is almost as legendary as the game it was based on, but mostly for how absolutely, abysmally terrible it was for the cast, crew and audience to deal with. The film was so bad that it actually colored the general audiences perception of video game film adaptations for nearly a decade.

The view on video game adaptations has slowly been shifting thanks to the release of films like Sonic the Hedgehog, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before Nintendo threw their hat back in the ring and adapted their most popular IP. The public reaction at the time that The Super Mario Bros. Movie was announced was, if I recall correctly, hesitance at best. The casting of big named celebrities like Chris Pratt rather than professional voice actors (like Charles Martinet, the actual voice of Mario) drew criticism, as did the hiring of Illumination (the company behind Despicable Me and The Grinch) to actually produce the film; as the company isn't exactly known for its films being super risky or transformative.

So The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a great deal of weight and suspicion going into theaters. Having watched the film with my brother and his horde of children, was this reluctance on the part of the audience deserved or is the film far better than the legacy that the 1993 film placed upon it?

 ***

Cheap Cheevos #11 - Finger Gun and Big Button!

Like getting a rare item drop in a nice and juicy RPG, it feels good. Sadly, these articles being a rare thing now is a sad thing. If we were like the bigger websites, ChatGPT would be making these articles for us. Thankfully, we're not those websites (although being paid to make AI written articles does sound good). Well... That was a bitter start. Thankfully, the center of this article is full of the sweet cheevo cream that you all desire. Mmmm. Now I'm hungry. Enjoy this eleventh issue of Cheap Cheevos while I go glaze a donut. (Click on "Read More" to read the full article).

Tiger Claw Radio #447 - Retroarch is Absorbing Video Games

Green Phoenix - Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Review

I'm sure it is little surprise to those of you out there who have read my work for a long time to know that I am a massive fan of the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons. I have been playing for years with my friends and been following many of the most popular livestream games out there, like Critical Role and Dimension 20. I don't think it is much of an exaggeration to describe ourselves as living in a renaissance for the roleplaying genre and to acknowledge the sheer ubiquity in popular culture as of late, especially in terms of television and movies.

Dungeons & Dragons presence within the television and film spheres in the last few years was largely limited to The Legend of Vox Machina (which we have already discussed in previous articles) and with the abysmal Dungeons and Dragons movie from the early 2000s (a film that has rightfully earned a bad cult classic reputation). Beyond that, we've had small independent films like The Gamers trilogy, which was one of the first pieces of media that really got me involved in the community (thanks Dorkness Rising). And of course, we've had the occasional reference to the hobby in various pieces of media like Stranger Things or My Little Pony, though these references tend to focus on the fans of the hobby rather than the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons specifically.

Thus when I heard that Hasbro was working with Paramount to release a big-budget Dungeons & Dragons movie, I must admit that I was immensely excited at the prospect. Hoping for a humorous and well-written exploration of the Dungeons & Dragons, I eagerly anticipated the release of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

And then, the fucking Open Gaming Lisence debacle happened and I was stuck having to morally boycott the film until Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast got the idea that they could steal from their fanbase and microtransaction an improv game that I play with my friends on the weekend, when it is stupidly easy to make your own game system, was a terrible business decision. The loss of millions of dollars of revenue from boycotts, cancelled subscriptions to DnDBeyond and the irrevocable damage to relationships with previously well-regarded content creators; as well as the genuine threat of losing millions on a film that would otherwise have been a guaranteed hit finally made them back down, thankfully.

And thus, I was able to go with my sister and watch Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves safe in the knowledge that my cinematic hobby wouldn't financially contribute to the downfall of my roleplaying hobby. But was the film even worth the millions Hasbro risked in their series of poor business decisions?

 ***

Balan Wonderworld Physical Copies Reportedly Discontinued

 

Tiger Claw Radio #446 - The Tetris Movie

Ghost Ranger - The Possible Future of Gaming on Smart Phones

 

Gaming on smartphones has an interesting history. In the early days it was seen as the possible future because it offered tones of variety and convenience. However, once pay-to-win and ad spamming took over the bulk of game apps and most of them being the same as each other, it seemed like everything was downhill for it. But, as of late, I've been getting into a ton of Remote Playing and Android Ports that make me believe there is a much brighter future.

Sonic Frontiers - Updated Review

 

Tiger Claw Radio #445 - Three Defective Anbernic Units in a Row

Green Phoenix - The Legend of Vox Machina (Season 2) Review

 

Click Here to Check out my Review of Season 1 of The Legend of Vox Machina

Early last year, the world was blessed with Season 1 of the The Legend of Vox Machina, the culmination of a years-long Kickstarter project, based on the wildly popular role-playing live-stream Critical Role, that went on to become the largest Kickstarter project ever created. Beyond the Kickstarter itself, Critical Role has been a massive cultural touchstone that has begun to pervade countless other entertainment venues with even Hollywood finally recognizing the financial success of role-playing games with the release of film's like Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

Season 1 of The Legend of Vox Machina was a trial-run and a test of faith in the Dungeons and Dragons animated concept, one that I am thankful to say was incredibly successful. So successful that a guarantee of at least two or three other seasons was already achieved by the airing of the pilot episode. The fact that Season 1 ended on a massive cliffhanger that left fans of the streamed games chomping at the bit, only made excitement for Season 2 reach a fever pitch.

Was the excitement warranted? Did Critical Role manage to strike gold a second time and prove that The Legend of Vox Machina could be more than adult jokes and succeeded at multi-season long-form storytelling?

***

Power Rangers Dino Force Brave King 12: Eternal! Power Rangers Dino Force Brave - Summary/Review

 

This is it, the final episode of this mini-series. It came from Korea but worked its way into the Super Sentai timeline. We got the classic setup, the Red Ranger is in danger, the main villain is getting stronger, and the fate of the world rests on this one final battle. So naturally, it is all up to the 6 Rangers because no other team can be bothered to save the world twice. (Unless it's for an anniversary.) Enough silliness, click "read more" and let us bring this all to a close.

Tiger Claw Radio #444 - RG503

Power Rangers Dino Force Brave King 11: Which one is Real?! King of Dinosaurs - Summary/Review

 

The second to last episode. This is the time for the season to wrap up any loose ends in order to not interfere with the finale. No predictions this time, click "read more" and let's take a look.

Green Phoenix - Reader Rabbit: 2nd Grade Retrospective

 

At the start of the year, I did a short retrospective on the Reader Rabbit: 1st Grade with the full understanding that I would continue the retrospective by looking at Reader Rabbit: 2nd Grade next. All of this has been part of a unofficial series of educational game retrospectives that I've been doing to reflect upon the computer games that had the most impact on me as a child.

As much as I liked Reader Rabbit: 1st Grade, I must make something of a confession. I never actually owned Reader Rabbit: 1st Grade, as the game I played was actually my sister's copy. I was a year older than her and thus didn't get 1st Grade from my school, but rather Reader Rabbit: 2nd Grade. As such, I had a much more personal connection to this game and the previous entry.

But is it better? Does it still hold up? What is it about this game that so tickles my nostalgia? In this short retrospective, I will seek to explain what I remember about playing this game, what I liked about, and what I still think works so very well. Like most educational games, its actually effectiveness might still hold up (though the technical qualifications for any modern system to play it is probably moot). So let's take a look at Reader Rabbit: 2nd Grade and wrap up my educational computer game series.

***

Power Rangers Dino Force Brave King 10: Farewell! Brave Dino Gold - Summary/Review

 

We are nearing the end of this mini season with only 3 episodes to go. Judging from the title, it does not take a genius to guess what is coming in this episode. So, buckle up, get your tissues ready, click "read more" and let's dive right into this.

Cameron's Playhouse Season 8 - The Newest (And Best?) Season

 

A Noir Review of the Astrohaus Freewrite

 I arrived home after a long day's work. It was an unseasonably cold day for what was supposed to be the beginning of spring. When I stepped through the door, I was greeted by my prize--a large box from a shipment I had from UPS.

Weird Al Yankovic Proves You Don't Need A Big Setup For A Great Time

Green Phoenix - Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin Review

 

Growing up, I was a massive fan of the Winnie the Pooh franchise due to the indelible impact the entire franchise had on my early childhood. Not only the 1977 classic The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and The Tigger Movie (which I believe I have covered previously and if not, will definitely correct that), but also the wonderfully charming New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh TV show that aired on the Disney Channel originally from 1988 until 1991 (though it ran in syndication on various Disney channel properties until 2007). It all coalesced to form a strong nostalgic feeling whenever I watch anything associated with the lovable stuffed bear.

The Winnie the Pooh franchise was always notable in my book for its relaxed charm and surprisingly mature wit. While the franchise was undeniably accessible to children, as an adult I often found myself surprisingly engaged, especially with the original 1977 film.

With the recent release of a certain horror adaptation to this beloved franchise which has been universally panned and for which I will never willingly subject myself too, I felt it far better to focus my attention on another aspect of the franchise. One often underrated or rarely discussed, the direct to video sequels.

Now for most films, direct to video sequels have a not-undeserved reputation for low quality. But does the first direct to video Winnie the Pooh film, 1997's Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin fall into this same trap?

Let's find out.

***

Ghost Ranger - Gaming on a Budget/Growing up as a Gamer

 

This is a topic I have been going over in my head for quite awhile that does not need much explaining. Much like the metaphor for life, playing video games is something we all have to do on a budget whether that is a budget of money, time, or energy/interest. Now, my only question is, what does it mean to you and how does that change? I will also take this change to tell my history of gaming. Click "read more" and let's go over it.

Tiger Claw Radio #443 - Sea of Pickups

Green Phoenix - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Review

 

With my schedule now back to normal following my trip to HarmonyCon 2023, I feel it is the best to get back into my writing. Now a few weeks back, I did a review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Where I determined that the film is decent but certainly has been dated and is far more children-oriented than I had previously mentioned. How the film relied far more on Chris Columbus' unique style to tell what would otherwise be a pretty bare bone children's mystery novel, giving very little away as to the larger narrative at work within the franchise.

Now it is time to move on to the film that I feel is the shifting point. Where the youthful energy of Sorcerer's Stone meets the more mature overarching plots of the later franchise, the film that I think finally got the series going in the direction it was meant to, even if it took another film to finally get the tone just right. I am talking about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, based on the second book by the author that shall not be named, released in 2002 alongside blockbuster hits like Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. Does the film stand next to its fellow 2002 releases or is it a pale but necessary addition to the Harry Potter franchise.

***

Top 10 Best Spongebob Games

Power Rangers Dino Force Brave King 9: I'll show you! The Largest Combination of the Strongest! - Summary/Review

 

That time of the week again for your Korean Toku fix. Only 4 episodes left, time to click "read more" and see if this season can increase the stakes in it all.

Tiger Claw Radio #442 - Tigerfest!

PSVR 2 Review - Not Just The Same Old Stuff!

 

Cameron's Playhouse - Season 1 To Get The Remastered Treatment

 

Green Phoenix - Bear in the Big Blue House Retrospective

 

I consider myself quite blessed to have grown up during a golden age of children's television, as my childhood was marked by the rise of Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, as well as the children's block of PBS and, of course, the Disney Channel. For a kid in the mid-90s and early 2000s, the world was my oyster as far as good television was concerned.

 

Of course given my rather conservative upbringing, my parents didn't care for me watching Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon, believing them to be far to anti-authority and immoral for viewing (not that that stopped me from watching some shows on the channels). Because of this opinion, I grew up largely watching the Disney Channel, especially its early children's block Playhouse Disney.

 

Playhouse Disney during the late 90s and early 2000s was, in my opinion, a glorious time for children's entertainment, filled with so many shows that I still hold close to my heart even to this day. We had Out of the Box, a musical show that focused its lessons around physical activity and arts and crafts, as well as Rolie Polie Olie, a CGI show about a family of robots created by the author William Joyce, just to name a few. But if there is one show that seemed to stand above the rest in terms of popularity and personal affection on my part, it would have to be Bear in the Big Blue House, produced by the Jim Henson Company.

 

Initially I wanted to do a review of Bear in the Big Blue House in order to convince you guys how good this show was. However, I actually realized that I didn't want to actually critique the show so much as I just wanted to go on about how this show made me feel and what watching its episodes are like now as an adult. To reflect upon my feelings rather than convey those feelings with numerical ratings.

 

So that's what this article is going to do. Rather than quantify my opinions numerically, I'd rather just create a reflective retrospective of the series in my mind (also because it would take too long to watch all the episodes of the show to truly get my take). This will be less a technical explanation and more a subjective self-analysis; so let's get going.

***

Power Rangers Dino Force Brave King 8: Revival! Giga Bragigas!

We have reached the point where the Rangers have decided to go on the offensive. Last episode ended with the team agreeing it was the right time to try and free Giga Bragigas, their most powerful Zord that was sealed at the beginning of the season for plot convenience by the villains Neo Deboss. Now, they have the Gold Ranger on their side so click "read more" and let's see how this is all handled. 

Tiger Claw Radio #441 - Gameboy on Switch

Sonic Origins Plus Might Be Happening, And That's Annoying

Green Phoenix - 6 Noteworthy Disney/Pixar Villains

When one thinks of villains in media, I genuinely believe that most people tend to consider Disney or Pixar villains before almost anyone else, especially if they are from my generation. The Disney Renaissance had a profound effect upon my childhood and it has often been said that some of the most interesting parts of those movies tended to be their villains; as strange as that might sound to the uninitiated. The exceptional quality of those villains made by eclectic personalities help to define a generation of filmgoers and it made almost too much sense to do a countdown list about the Disney/Pixar villains.

And yet, when I actually stood there and began to outline my rules and the prompts behind the list, I was struck by just how few Disney/Pixar films actually do have villains when you stop and actually analyze it. Most Disney films actually tend to be pretty light on villains or treat the environment itself as an antagonist. Though most of the films do end up with some kind of rival or antagonist, someone who opposes the hero, they aren't really villains (evil characters that do what they do for evil reasons rather than simply being a person in opposition of the protagonist).

With this in mind, my mind immediately turned towards figuring out a list of particularly noteworthy Disney/Pixar villains. My criteria for noteworthy being reasons that help the villain to stand-out from among its peers or which help to identify and characterize that villain in the larger cinematic zeitgeist of Disney/Pixar films. The villain doesn't need to come from a great movie, only be a particularly stand-out example of its kind.

With my thought-process in mind, let's get to it.

***

This Month's Nintendo Direct Proves There's Still A Bit Of Life In The Switch Yet

 

Power Rangers Dino Force Brave King 7: Advent! The Commander of Neo Deboth! - Summary/Review

 

The evil Gold Ranger arc is over and now Dino Force Gold is in the Theme Song along with the other 5. This short series is already past the halfway mark so click "read more" and let's see where it goes from here.

Tiger Claw Radio - Words

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger Predictions

 

In just one month the 47th Super Sentai will debut and it will be arthropods and royalty themed. I have always thought royal knights could be a good theme for Super Sentai/Power Rangers. So, click "read more" and let's try to guess what will come.

Tiger Claw Radio #439 - AI Abominations

Hemrawc - Gamster81 Interview at ATC Expo 2023

 

The following is an interview of John Lester, better known as Gamester81, on January 21st, 2023 at ATG Expo in Waco, TX.  The prompts and questions as well as responses have been modified for brevity and clarity. https://collectorvision.com

Green Phoenix - Next Article Planned Release on February 10th

 Greetings everyone,

As many of you are perhaps aware if you follow me on Twitter @TheBronyCritic, I plan to attend HarmonyCon in Dallas, Texas from February 17th - 19th. Because of this, I found it necessary to take this week and next to not only prepare and rest up, but also build up a stockpile of articles to make the convention season easier.

The next article, which is set to be my newest countdown article is taking more time than expected but is planned for February 10th, the week before the convention. To provide you all with articles during what should be the middle of my work month (before my mandatory health week), I feel that taking two weeks to recuperate and write will be just what I need to maintain the level of productivity that you all have come to expect from me.

If any of you have any questions or even suggestions for articles, be sure to post them down below.

-The Brony Critic (Green Phoenix)

Cameron Hons Releases New Album, "You Can't Get Arrested", Celebrates 20th Anniversary Of Original Music

 

Overthinking Music - Gives You Hell (All American Rejects)

 Here is an experimental new simple article idea, explaining what a song means to me and overthinking it. Lately, this 2008 single has been on my mind a lot because it reflects my own mindset. Click "read more" for my take.

Tiger Claw Radio #438 - Trouble at 343 or Whatever Who Cares

Green Phoenix - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Review

With the new year now well underway and my plans for new content reviews needing to wait until the shows and series are either finished or progressed enough to truly gather a sense of their quality, I feel it more prudent than ever to come up with more classic or nostalgic film reviews. And of all the series' that have a massive impact upon my childhood and teenage years, the Harry Potter franchise arguably more than any other franchise helped to define it.

These days the reputation of the Harry Potter franchise has, in some ways, been colored by the unfortunate behavior of its creator in recent years. This has left many fans wary of the franchises' new releases (particularly things under the now generalized Wizarding World brand) and discussions of the work removed the author are often difficult among online circles.

Despite this, I still recall the sheer thrill of waiting in line for the new book releases (something I have never done for any book release before or since) and the costume contests at new movie releases (I would win quite a few times as Harry Potter as I look a lot like the character in the book). It is with this in mind that I came to the realization as to what I would focus my aims on in 2023 in terms of associated franchises.

Just as my early articles had the James Bond series every few weeks (even if we didn't get all the way through them at the time), throughout this year, I will be doing a review of each of the Harry Potter films. Of course, doing this requires that I start at the very beginning, with the black sheep of the Harry Potter series (at least in my opinion).

From 2001, Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone (because I grew up in the United States and this is what the film is called for us. It's what I grew up with and I will be referring to it as such throughout the review below). So let's get into it.

***

Top 5 Horrible Bullies in Cartoons

 

Here is a random topic that has been on my mind for awhile, bullies in cartoons. There are so many different examples of bully characters and stories/reasons for there existence. So, to keep things simple, I have based my picks on the bullies cruelty, motivations, and how much karma gets them back.

Tiger Claw Radio #437 - Suikoden Coming to Steam

Cheap Cheevos #10: All About Thomas.

Issue number ten! It only took a bloody year to get it. It has been a rough year for me. Fell very ill, got diagnosed with colitis, had a camera up my arse, nearly died from taking colitis medicine, had a hole drilled into me, nearly got into a fist fight with my doctor, and I put an Egyptian voodoo curse on one of my co-workers (not telling you which one). You don't care about that though. What you want to read about is how to complete more easy achievement sets. This is good. I hate talking about what I went through, and I have a lot of fun writing about video games. Although, some of these games are not fun to go through.  

Anyway, seeing as this is the tenth issue, I've got something special lined up for you. I'm covering six games instead of the normal five. All of these games are all from one franchise, Thomas the Tank Engine. Yes, hard to believe that this series has at least six games with achievement sets. Hell, it's hard to believe that this series has at least six games. Anyway, Thomas the Tank Engine has some very easy achievement sets and it'll make you think that the Fat Controller thinks that you're a very useful engine. (Click on "Read More" to read the full article).

Powerman 5000 - Live in Sydney, Australia 13/01/23 Concert Review - Better Late than Never!

 

Green Phoenix - Reader Rabbit: 1st Grade Retrospective

 

The last few computer/video game retrospectives that I have written have all been working around the ClueFinders educational series. These games were designed to entertain and educate students between 3rd Grade and 6th Grade, acting as both late elementary school and middle school prep games. But before I ever played the ClueFinders series, my sister and I were introduced to an entirely different educational video game series. One focused far more on an even younger demographic, kindergartners and first graders. I am, of course, discussing the Reader Rabbit series.

In fact, it was through the Reader Rabbit franchise that my generation can lay claim to first true "educational video game" generation. We were the first to have video games and digital media form a core and essential part of our educational experience and preparatory work (as our school sold Reader Rabbit and ClueFinders games at the end of every year for students to play over the summer and prepare themselves for the next grades content ahead of time). Focusing on a variety of simple grammar and mathematics work, Reader Rabbit worked to provide a fun and simple way to slowly introduce children to concepts that they would further explore during school, a setup that was widely successful and led to The Learning Company (the production company) to become the name in educational gaming.

And while my personal emotional connection is tied far more to Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade (due to my memories of its more heartwarming story), I feel it is a tremendous disservice to the legacy of this franchise to not start with the first major computer game that my sister and I ever played together. A game which, while simple, did fantastic work in setting up kids for the world of Reader Rabbit, even if my sister and I only ever played two games in the series before we were transitioned into the ClueFinders.

Released in 1998 by The Learning Company, let's look back at Reader Rabbit: 1st Grade.

***

Do "Choices" Hurt Storytelling in Video Games?

 

Recently I have been re-playing Fallout 4 a lot and watching several guides on choices that have to be made. A common conclusion I hear in these videos is something along the lines of "it depends on what you are role playing as". That's the thing though, I don't really do strict role play, I am a completionist and try to do as much as possible in a game. This makes me think back to a lot of games that forced me to make choices I did not really want to make and wonder if they truly benefit from having them. Click "read more" for my thoughts.

Tiger Claw Radio #436 - Buyers Remorse

Stop Asking For A Switch Pro or Switch 2

 

Green Phoenix - 2022 in Review

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

2022 has been a year of massive transformative changes for me, primarily in my personal life. At the beginning of the year, I had officially moved out of my parents house and begun fully living on my own, which has been a fantastic adventure and a great challenge for my daily life and commitments to writing and video work. But I like to think that this year has been one where I have risen to meet that challenge.

Writing for Emerald Rangers has been a wonderful exercise in maintaining my analytical mind and improving my literary credentials. While I might not always be happy with every article I release (in fact, my perfectionist mind is rarely happy with anything I release or make) I do believe that everything I release is a genuinely good reflection of my own state of mind and how the films, shows, books and games discussed reflect on the world and myself at that moment. The art of criticism is often a deeply personal and self-reflective quest and it has been a genuine pleasure in continuing that adventure over the past year, despite some of my more domestic challenges.

Below is a list of the statistics and personal indication as to how my articles are performing and what changes, in any, may be needed as we move into 2023. This article, which I always release at the first of the year, is a chance for me to see the status of my contribution to the website and plot a trajectory for the coming year.

***

Emerald Rangers - Top 5 Most Viewed Posts of 2022

 Happy New Year everyone! Maintaining this website has not been an easy task, but one I am glad I stuck to. The biggest factor that kept me going is the simple goal of creating a brand that all my friends and I can post under together and the memories that have come from it. So, just to send off the last year and to reflect, I will be counting down the top 5 most viewed posts in 2022 based on Bloggers Stats page. Please note, this is not a list of the most viewed of all time, only within the last 12 months.

HCG: Everyone is an ***hole! (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Courses)

via IFTTT

Tiger Claw Radio #435 - Duke Nukem and his place in the world now