Top 10 Favorite Sonic The Hedgehog Games

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Sonic the Hedgehog has now turn 33 years old! 33 years and counting of some of the very best and very worst that gaming has head to offer! In case you haven’t figured that out with the multiple Sonic pieces that I’ve written on this blog, I’ve always been a big fan of Sonic the Hedgehog since I was a kid. Sonic as a character is someone that always has appeal to me with his cockiness, incredible sense of speed, but also having a big heart for himself and those he cares about. He’s always been so appealing to me that I’ve been following this roller coaster of a franchise for almost two full decades now.

To celebrate this year’s anniversary of this beloved/infamous gaming icon, I’ve decided to do a ranking of my personal favorite Sonic games to date! Not necessarily what I think its the best from an objective standpoint but the Sonic games that I’ve had the most fond memories of and still do to this very day.

First off, here’s some games that didn’t make the list but are worth a mention.

  • Sonic the Hedgehog

The one that started it all and introduced one of the finest gaming icons. I mean who doesn’t remember Green Hill Zone Act 1 beat-for-best. Everything from the level itself to the colorful backgrounds to the cartoon animals and of course, the music. It almost makes you forget this level has been remix and remade to death! Though it pales in comparison to its successors (at least for the classic games) and Labyrinth Zone is still absolute pants, it’s still makes for a strong first impression to this beloved/controversial character.

  • Sonic Advance/Sonic Advance 3

These two are basically neck-and-neck for my favorite of the Advance games. While the console games have been inconsistent in terms of quality, the handheld entries have had quite a few gems that don’t get the recognition they deserve. These two games are good examples of the perfect formula for Sonic. By adding characters/elements to the gameplay along with a sense of speed and platforming that help make the experience more enjoyable rather than hinder it. They both have issues (1 has ridiculous bosses and 3 has ridiculous padding) but as a whole, these two games are ones that still quite stand out for Sonic.

  • Sonic Adventure 2

While the speed stages with Sonic and Shadow are as fun as ever and the expansion of the Chao Garden helps increase the replay value greatly, the mediocre-to-okay shooting stages with Tails and Eggman and absolutely terrible treasure hunting stages with Knuckles and Rouge bog the experience down for me. Had more focus went into the first two things I mentioned, this might have found a spot on the list.

  • Sonic Heroes

The very first Sonic game I’ve ever played will always have a special place in my heart as the entry that got me into the series. There are still chunks of the game that are fun, I like the overall message of teamwork, and it has perhaps my favorite soundtrack in the series but there are major issues when it comes to controls, physics, and repetition here, especially when having to play the same game four times over to get the final story. I still like it but it’s not aged well enough to where I feel like it deserves a spot.

  • Sonic The Hedgehog 2

A sequel that takes everything that works about the original and expands upon it in every single way. As a result, it manages to be not just as good as the original but even better. Better controls, level designs, graphics, backgrounds, environments, and especially music! With an even greater sense of speed, more memorable level designs, and the introduction of the cutesy fox known as Tails, this is no doubt a great sequel. The only setback is the final boss which to this day is still incredibly cheap, hard as ball and makes the ending of the game incredibly frustrating every time I replay it. Still a classic without a doubt but the fact the game always ends on a rather sour note prevents it from being in my personal top 10!

10.) The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

Never in a million years would I think that a visual novel game where you just point and click at things made by the social media group from SEGA would end up being in my top 10 favorite Sonic games list but here you go! The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is a game that came out on April 1st last year on the PC, strictly as a April Fools Day prank. Little would I know that this would be one of my favorite games of 2023 and one of my favorite Sonic games in a while. To put it simply, it’s Sonic and his friends in a murder mystery party. I would tell you more but that would spoil all the fun to be had with this game. Just know that this is a very well done visual novel and point-and-click adventure made with a lot of love from the SEGA Social team, who clearly loves Sonic as much as the fans do. If that sounds like your jam, then please go download this game right now on your PC if you haven’t already. It’s 100% free!

9.) Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed

What’s this?! A kart racing game on a favorite Sonic games list?! BLASHPAMEY! But in all seriousness, this is an example of a kart racing sequel that is better than the original in every way, which was already pretty good. With even smoother controls, more creative racetracks, and offering a better sense of challenge than before, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is one of my personal favorite kart racing games and one of the few out there that would give Mario Kart a run for it’s money. If you love Sonic and racing games, then this is definitely one of the best ones you can find an any open market out there! And also in case you are wondering, SONIC IS DRIVING A CAR TO MAKE IT FAIR TO THE OTHER RACERS! THAT IS ALL!

8.) Sonic Frontiers

That’s right! I actually found a spot for Sonic Frontiers! This might be guilty of many of the same flaws that have plagued prior 3D Sonic games but unlike with most recent entries in the series, there is actually plenty of charm hidden within that makes the experience super enjoyable! The overall core formula and open zones work well here and does help set a promising template for future Sonic games. It’s also nice to see more care put into the story and characterization than it has been for quite some time. And I don’t think Super Sonic has been more badass here than ever. Sonic Frontiers is about as imperfect as you can expect a Sonic game to be but for the first time in a long while, it did leave me with an actual feeling of optimism for Sonic moving forward. This is a game that has grown on me since it came out and I’ve come to find more things to love and appreciate about it as time goes by. Yes, the pinball level sucks, some of the grinding sucks, and the “true” final boss sucks (The ONE thing that The Final Horizon DLC improved on!), but none of those were enough to ruin the many hours I’ve spend on Sonic Frontiers! Fingers cross that Sonic Team can capitalize on the strengths of this game while leaving out the weaknesses and we can have an even better open-world Sonic game next time out.

7.) Sonic Adventure

While this has unfortunately aged badly, there is still more than enough about Sonic Adventure, A.K.A. the first official 3D Sonic game, that works very well to this day. The gameplay that still works (namely Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Gamma) remain some of the very best in all of 3D Sonic, the hub world of Station Square is fun to explore and gives you that perfect sense of adventure that makes the title accurate, and it’s neat to have every main character in the story get their own arcs and development throughout, something which didn’t happen in the Sonic series until this game. Even the dated elements like the cheesy animation, dialogue, and voice acting are at least good for a laugh, both intentionally and unintentionally, that you can have a blast with them.. This might’ve been a bit higher on the list if it wasn’t for those Big the Cat fishing missions but I still rate the original Sonic Adventure very highly to this day. If it wasn’t for this game, who knows where Sonic the Hedgehog would be in the year 2024!

6.) Sonic Rush

The game that introduces the boost mechanics that would eventually become a stable for Modern Sonic, Sonic Rush makes for one of the most fun and unique Sonic games throughout his history. The main highlight here is seeing the introduction to fan-favorite Blaze the Cat, arguably the best female character in the entire franchise. There’s some repetition of playing the same levels twice and Eggman Nega sucks on literally every single level, but this is one I can recommend to those who are not even Sonic fans. With top notch speed, fast platforming, and a SUPER awesome soundtrack, Sonic Rush is an absolute gem that should not be missed! Just a damn shame this had to come out the same day as Shadow the Hedgehog!

5.) Sonic Unleashed

One of the most divisive installments in the franchise is among my favorites. The HD version of Sonic Unleashed has the thrills and action that I could want from a Sonic game. The daytime stages delivers an incredibly sense of speed and fast platforming that I always love replaying, the story is simplistic but still has that nice mix of light and dark nature, the graphics still look stunning even 14 years later, the soundtrack is outstanding, and even I’m not shame to admit I even kinda (mostly) like that silly Werehog. I totally understand the reasons to love and hate this game but I remain a fan to this day. This game has been gaining a cult following over the years and I’m glad to admit that I was a part of it from the very beginning.

4.) Sonic Colors

Sonic Team followed up Sonic Unleashed by making a game that added more to the well-received aspects of it (the daytime stages) along with removing the not so well-received aspects of it (the nighttime stages). Sonic Colors understands the core appeal of Sonic by featuring top-notch speed, solid platforming, incredibly fun and unique level designs, and some of the best power-ups in the series with the Wisps. There may be a bit too much 2D levels for some and the story/humor is admittedly hit (any scene with Eggman and his robots) or miss (Baldy McNosehair) but this is easily among the best 3D Sonic games to date. It’s also nice to see a Sonic game that despite borrowing elements from Mario, is still able to provide a fresh and entertaining experience that certainly feels like Sonic the Hedgehog.

3.) Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles

To many people, Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the absolute definite Sonic game and it’s easy to see why! Taking the best aspects of all the previous games that has come before it while introducing one of the best characters in the franchise known as Knuckles. The levels are more expanded upon than ever before giving you multiple paths and ways to the goal, every character controls perfectly with not a single one being a chore to play, and even the bosses and special stages (which I weren’t a fan of in the past) are great here. Masterfully combining speed, platforming, and exploration, this remains a top-tier Sonic experience. However, it’s not quite the full Sonic package for me the way the next two games are.

2.) Sonic Mania

A beautiful and well done remix of the original classic games, along with a handful of wonderful original levels of its own, Christian Whitehead helps craft an entry that feels more of a worthy follow-up to Sonic 3 & Knuckles than both episodes of Sonic 4 combined. There’s more extras, unlockable and playable characters than ever before, the gameplay from the Classic games that everyone knows and love is giving the right upgrade and in some ways, surpasses the original games, and I don’t think Super Sonic has looked, sound, and been more fun to control than he’s done here. And even though many of the levels themselves have been taking from other games, they’ve been changed and expanded enough where it feels totally new in it’s own right. Even to those that aren’t the biggest fans of Classic Sonic, I would highly recommend this one as I consider it the definite Classic Sonic experience.

1.) Sonic Generations

My favorite Sonic game to date is the one that certainly features the most Sonic out of all the games thus far. Sonic Generations acts a wonderful celebration of the first two decades of Sonic the Hedgehog. Perfecting both the classic 2D style gameplay along with the modern 3D style gameplay by recreating the best levels from previous Sonic games and making them feel new and unique on their own. There’s plenty of awesome extras and unlockables along with some incredible remixes of the best tracks in the Sonic franchise. This game gets right what it needs to get right so well that it’s shortcomings such as a weak story, lackluster boss fights, and lack of DLC that’s not mod ports on the PC don’t matter. Nothing changes the fact that if I had to choose only one Sonic game to play for the rest of eternity, the one I am likely going to choose is Sonic Generations. By giving me the right feeling of classic Sonic and modern Sonic at the same time, this game is able to give me the complete Sonic experience that no other Sonic game has give me thus far. Sonic Generations might not be objectively the best Sonic game ever made but to this day, it still remains my favorite one.

Ranking The 3D Sonic Games

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Whenever someone talks about Sonic in 3D form, it’s always that same form of boring, repetitive dialogue about how this is when the entire franchise went downhill. From turning Sonic eyes green to changing up the character design to being forced to play as Sonic’s “annoying” friends, that is always the kind of stuff you here from so-called critics. Similar to those that claim that Spongebob has sucked since the first movie, the general conscious nowadays seems to be that Sonic reached his peak at the end of the classic era and that he just can never, ever be as good in the modern era.

Never mind the fact that games like Sonic Adventure 1, Adventure 2, Heroes, Colors, and Generations got relatively positive reviews at the time of their releases or even other games like Secret Rings, Unleashed (Wii), and Frontiers got at worst a fairly lukewarm response. History always tends to be rewritten by certain critics and reviewers everywhere that Sonic has not and will never work in 3D! (Or in IGN’s case, Sonic has never been good!) I find that to be the most hyperbolic and nonsensical statement ever! Yes, there have been a handful of 3D Sonic games that are legit bad but there are plenty of others that are either good, decent, or at worst “meh”.

The biggest problem with Sonic over the years is the way that SEGA and Sonic Team is constantly trying to reinvent the franchise instead of sticking to a working formula and building upon it. Even when they have that working formula, they will eventually scrap it so they could start over from scratches and make another game that feels more like an “experiment” than an actual game. As a result, the series has becoming multiple different things over the years and because of that, people now want multiple different things. The more you try to change courses with the series, the harder it will be to please people and the more inconsistent in quality the games will be. And that is something has been painfully obvious with Sonic in the third dimension.

Now with the blue hedgehog turning 33 years old, here are my rankings every main 3D Sonic game to date from worst to best!

Fyi, despite being technically a 3D game, I am NOT gonna include 3D Blast because that game is just not worth bringing up!

Also, I’m including the storybook series because why not?!

And also, Unleashed on the Wii because it’s different enough than the HD version and plenty of folks out there have that as their definite version of the game.

16.) Sonic and the Secret Rings (2007)

While this might not be the game that caused the most damage to Sonic’s reputation, I can’t think of a more infuriating 3D experience than with Sonic and the Secret Rings! It’s storybook premise is an admittedly interesting idea on paper but the execution of it is probably some of the worst I’ve seen in any video game!

The levels are poorly designed, the level progression and padding is beyond stupid, and the controls are easily the worst of any 3D Sonic game and perhaps any video game ever! Sonic has never controlled so awkwardly and has never had more outrageous design choices than the ones that are present here. Throw in an annoying theme song that plays nonstop, an idiotic bad guy with such an absurdly stupid plan, and a laughable and emotionally unearned ending and you got perhaps the worst Sonic game in the main series!

Sonic and the Secret Rings is not just the worst 3D Sonic game ever made, it’s one of the worst video games I’ve ever played period! This is the only game on this list that I never beat because I don’t have the patience or insanity to do so. And keep in mind, I’m someone that played through and beat all the other games on this list, even the bad ones! That should tell you something!

15.) Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (2014)

The most poorly received 3D Sonic title to date is not quite the worst thing to ever happen to the blue blur but it’s pretty damn close. It has a nice tone and cinematic feel to it with plenty of solid banter and voice work throughout. Unfortunately, when it comes to the actual gameplay itself, it’s about as unpolished and lackluster than you could possibly imagine for a video game!

The Ratchet & Clank treatment that Big Red Button Studios desires to give Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric does not work in the slightest, making the whole experience feel not so much like a Sonic game but a game that just happens to have Sonic characters in it. The level design is dull, the main villain Lyric is generic bad guy #723, and plenty of folks have picked apart the number of bugs and glitches to death that it’s hardly worth bringing up. And also Shadow is here for literally no reason whatsoever!

The main results of Rise of Lyric is a show tie-in in game that was clearly rushed out of the gate to make it on time for the Sonic Boom tv series. It’s a game that’s so bad that it practically killed Big Red Button before they even had a chance to get their foot through the door. While the main Sonic Boom show was able to win the hearts of many fans, this Wii U exclusive cash-in is best left ignored.

14.) Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

Everyone and their mother have picked this game apart and for good reason. The story is dumb and nonsensical, the controls are nearly completely broken, many of the side characters/missions are pointless, the loading times are obnoxious and way too long, and the glitches are just everywhere, EVERYWHERE! And of course, the beasility romance makes the love story in Twilight seem believable. However, as time goes by, there is something to admire about 06 as it has the kind of scale and ambition that most games in the series hasn’t had in a long time.

Sonic and Blaze the Cat are mostly fun to play as (*insert Chimanruler15 forgetting who Blaze the Cat is*), the music is amazing (a consistent quality in most Sonic games), and even the glitches can be quite fun to play around with. Just a shame that Sonic Team shot themselves in the foot repeatedly making stupid choice after stupid choice with SEGA breathing down their neck to make sure it gets released on time by Christmas 2006.

Maybe it’s because many years has passed where the wounds have had time to heal and there’s been plenty of fan mods that have helped “fixed” the game but kinda like with Shadow the Hedgehog, I do find this to be a guilty pleasure in quite a bit of areas. Would I ever call the game good? Hell no! But would I call it the worst game ever made or even my least favorite Sonic game? Hell no as well!

13.) Shadow the Hedgehog (2005)

The one time in the series where Sonic Team tried to make the Sonic franchise a bit “edgier”. What we are given with Shadow The Hedgehog is a huge departure from the main series, despite still being canon to the main storyline of the franchise.

With aliens, machine guns, and a whole lot of “damns” thrown in the mix, this feels like a fan game with a script writing by a 10-year old edge lord who played way too much Call of Duty and learned a few bad words. Yes, this is as completely stupid as it sounds. The most surprising thing is that the gun gameplay itself is actually quite solid and is actually the big highlight of the game. Too bad, the level themselves are too long, the narrative is convoluted as hell, and being forced to beat the game in TEN different way in order to unlock the final story is padding at it’s absolute worst.

I will admit to finding this game to be a guilty pleasure in some areas since the plot and cutscenes are hilarious in a “so bad, it’s good” kind of way (“I’m going to destroy this damn planet!” kills me every time!) . That being said, there is no damn way in hell I can call this a damn good game. (See what I did there?!)

12.) Sonic and the Black Knight (2009)

The best thing you can say about The Black Knight is that it’s immensely better than Secret Rings. The controls itself are functional and the gameplay itself is actually playable. Plus, it looks and sounds great and the cutscenes themselves are pretty entertaining. And I don’t think Sonic has sounded any better than he does with this game with Jason Griffith killing it here! However, it still can’t quite unlock the potential of Sonic in these storybook settings.

The levels themselves are quite dull with not much challenge or momentum to it and the majority of the experiences mostly just amounts to shaking the Wii remote over and over and over again. Not to mention, the game itself can be beaten in just three or so hours with not much post-game content for you to want to play more of it after you beat the main story.

For a game as bizarre of a premise as this, you would think it would leave more of an impression on you than simply “meh”. You can certainly do worse but you can also do a whole lot better.

11.) Sonic Lost World (Wii U) (2013)

When I brought up in the beginning how Sonic Team has this constant nag of always trying to re-invent the wheels instead of letting a good idea simmer, Sonic Lost World is a great example of what I was referring to. The follow-up to Sonic Generations sees Sonic Team taking a page from Super Mario Galaxy with floating gimmicks and putting more focus on platforming than speed.

However, the game itself never quite understands why that gameplay worked exclusively for Mario and not so much for Sonic. It’s the definition of throwing stuff as the wall to see what sticks. A good chunk of levels work well enough and are fun to play but there’s never a consistency to the main core gameplay because it’s never established what exactly the core of the game is. The game constantly changes the rules as you go on to the point where you wonder who this game was even made for. And don’t even get me started on the story which it’s bs tryhard “drama” between Sonic and Tails along with the main bad guys that are simply Skylander rejects.

There’s being ambitious and then there’s just being aimless. Despite having it’s moments, Lost World definitely leans much closer to the latter than the former.

10.) Sonic Forces (2017)

After the mixed results of Lost World, Sonic Team goes back to the boost formula with a new “custom-your-own-character” gimmick, only to end up breaking what wasn’t broken. Imagine a more water-down version of Sonic Generations with a create-your-own character gimmick and this is basically what you get.

The levels themselves are way too short and easy, Classic Sonic is useless and butchered beyond repair, and don’t get me started on Infinite and his “I AM NOT WEAK” nonsense. However, Modern Sonic gameplay is still fun and making your own character is actually quite cool as well.

You can make the argument that Lost World is a more polished and better made game but Forces does feel more in-line with Sonic and has at least clear idea of what target audience it has in mind. It’s a perfectly middle-of-the-road game that deserves it’s middle-of-the-road ranking of the 3D Sonic games.

9.) Sonic Heroes (2004)

This was the first Sonic game I ever played so it certainly leaves a special place in my heart. That being said, it’s certainly far from perfect.

There are good chunks of the game that are fast and fun, the level design themselves have plenty of neat gimmicks and designs, the soundtrack is stellar, and the overall message and concept of teamwork is a great and interesting one for the Sonic series. Unfortunately, there are major issues when it comes to controls, physics, and repetition. The game can feel too fast at times, the physics are quite sloppily, and being forced to play basically the same game four times over feels like needless padding.

The good and bad of Sonic Heroes balance each other throughout the game and it mostly depends on what end you find yourself landing on more when playing it that will determine your overall feelings of the game as a whole.

8.) Sonic Unleashed (Wii) (2008)

The SD version of Unleashed is quite different from it’s HD counterpart but it’s arguably the inferior version of this polarizing game. It’s doesn’t so much share the pros and cons of the HD version but has pros and cons of it’s own.

There’s no metal collecting, the night stages are much shorter, no forced hub world sections, you can actually explore the Gaia temples, and even the final boss has a Punch-Out Wii section that I can’t help but love. However, there’s more night stages than necessary, less day stages than necessary, and getting extra lives is more tedious than necessary. Who seriously thought it was good idea to take away the “100 rings gives you an extra life” gimmick? It was a dumb idea when they did it in Lost World and is a dumb idea here.

The first 2/3rds of the game are relatively enjoyable with a proper balance of everything but the last third gets way too bloated and padded to a ridiculous level which will likely leave you quite exhausted by the time the credit roll. It’s worth trying out but definitely get it at a discount.

7.) Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)

A fan-favorite of the series and the one that got an entire generation of Sonic fans into the series is more known for it’s reputation as oppose to it’s actual quality.

The Sonic/Shadow stages are as awesome as ever, the music still slaps, the story is cheesy but also entertaining, and the expansion of the Chao Garden along with the multiplayer mode helps increase the replay value of the game greatly. Just a shame it’s still bogged down by mediocre-to-okay shooting stages with Tails and Eggman along with absolutely terrible treasure hunting stages with non-existent radars with Knuckles and Rouge. I also don’t get that same sense of adventure that the first one gave us with it’s lack of hub world and more cluster phobic level design.

Sonic Adventure 2 is a game I respect more than I actually love and is a game I feel that the sums are better than it’s parts. But the sums are constantly scattered throughout and pretty damn good when they occur.

6.) Sonic Dream Team

This newest 3D installment made exclusively for IOS and Apple Devices makes for the first fully 3D Sonic game with multiple characters added to the main campaign since Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Following the mixed results of mobile Sonic games with the likes of Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, Sonic Dream Team is able to provide the most comfortable feeling mobile Sonic game to date, with no extra expenses needed to enjoy the experience.

Being able to take control as Sonic and his friends, Dream Team is able to use it’s Inception mixed with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater quite well, with a nice variety of levels, missions, and collectibles. The graphics are bright and colorful, each character are comfortable to control along with having their own unique ability, and how in the world is it that the cutscenes have more animation than Sonic Team’s recent console games? The story itself is quite meh and it will likely take you a level or two to get used to the controls but when you get past that, there’s quite a bit of fun to be had here.

While a part of me does wish this was made for consoles and hope we do at least get a console port in the future, Sonic Dream Team is a solid mobile game made exclusively for iPhone gamers that are willing to give up a few bucks a month for Apple Arcade services. If anything, this is at least a sign that SEGA and Sonic Team haven’t fully abandon Sonic’s friends and aren’t afraid to include them in their newest games that don’t involve the Olympics or kart racing.

5.) Sonic Frontiers (2022)

The newest main entry in the Sonic series might be guilty of many of the same flaws that have plagued prior 3D Sonic games but unlike with most recent entries in the series, there is actually some charm hidden within like a beautiful little diamond in the rough.

The overall core formula and open zones work well here and does help set a promising template for future Sonic games. It’s also nice to see more care put into the story and characterization than it has been for quite some time. And I don’t think Super Sonic has been more badass here than ever. If the needless grinding and repetitiveness didn’t get the way and it had more original and polished cyberspace levels, this could have lived up to it’s absolute ambition instead of feeling like it barley missed it in many spots. The pinball section and the “true” final boss can suck it as well!

Sonic Frontiers is about as imperfect as you can expect a Sonic game to be but for the first time in a long while, it did leave me with an actual feeling of optimism for Sonic moving forward. This is a game that has grown on me since it came out and I’ve come to find more things to love and appreciate about it as time goes by. Fingers crossed that SEGA and Sonic Team can capitalize on the strengths of this game while leaving out the weaknesses and maybe we can have a legit great core Sonic game next time out.

4.) Sonic Unleashed (HD) (2008)

One of the most divisive installments in the franchise is among my favorites. The HD version of Sonic Unleashed has the thrills and action that I want from Sonic the Hedgehog.

The daytime stages delivers the exact sense of speed and fast platforming I could ever ask for, the story is simplistic but still has that nice mix of light and dark nature, the hub worlds are nice, the graphics still look great even 14 years later, the soundtrack is outstanding, and even I’m not shame to admit I even kinda (mostly) like that silly Werehog . The medal grinding are quite annoying, especially on a first playthrough, and there are some extras that were quite pointless (*cough* hot dog missions *cough*). This is also certainly a game where you really have to know the “ins-and-outs” of it to truly enjoy the whole experience.

I totally understand the reasons to love and hate this game but I land myself more on the positive side than the negative one. This game has been gaining a cult following over the years and I’m glad to admit that I was a part of it from the very beginning.

3.) Sonic Colors (Wii) (2010)

Sonic Team followed up Unleashed by making a game that added more to the well-received aspects of the game (the daytime stages) by building upon it along with removing the not so well-received aspects (the nighttime stages).

Sonic Colors understands the core appeal of Sonic by featuring top-notch speed, solid platforming, and incredibly fun and unique level designs. Sure, there may be a bit too much 2D levels for some and the story/humor is admittedly hit (any scene with Eggman and his robots) or miss (Baldy McNosehair) but this is easily among the best 3D Sonic games to date. It’s also nice to see a Sonic game that despite borrowing elements from Mario, is still able to provide a fresh and entertaining experience that certainly feels like Sonic the Hedgehog.

While some might find the recently ported HD remastered to be quite iffy, the original Sonic Colors is still pure gold.

2.) Sonic Adventure (1999)

I would be lying if I said that the original Sonic Adventure has aged well. The graphics, animation, dialogue, and voice work are all way below par and were barely passable at the time of the game’s release. Regardless, there is still more than enough about the first official 3D Sonic game that works well.

Sonic has probably the smoothest controls in any of the 3D games with the level design perhaps being the best it’s ever been in modern form, Tails races with Sonic are a blast to play, Knuckles’s treasure hunting stages are actually fun here because they move at a faster clip thanks to having an emerald radar, Gamma, despite having stages that were clearly not meant for him, are enjoyable and even Amy’s story has her moments, especially with that hammer mini-game. Big the Cat’s fishing missions still sucks but if you know what you’re doing, you can beat them real quick and move on to the next story with ease. It’s also nice to have a whole hub world to go exploring and to see many of the main Sonic characters have their own arcs and development. Even the dated elements like the cheesy as hell animation is at least good for a laugh, both intentionally and unintentionally.

Has the game has aged? Absolutely! Does that make it bad? Absolutely not! There is still plenty to enjoy about Sonic Adventure many years later and those enjoyments are some of the best not just in 3D sonic but in the entire franchise.

1.) Sonic Generations (HD) (2011)

The best 3D Sonic game to date is the one that certainly features the most Sonic out of all the games thus far. Sonic Generations acts a wonderful celebration of the first two decades of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Perfecting both the classic 2D style gameplay along with the modern 3D style gameplay by recreating the best levels from previous Sonic games and making them feel new and unique on their own. There’s plenty of awesome extras and unlockables along with some incredible remixes of the best tracks in the Sonic franchise. Generations gets right what it needs to get right so well that it’s shortcomings don’t matter. It doesn’t matter that the story itself is quite weak, has perhaps too many city levels, could have used more “deja vu” cutscenes between Sonic and Tails, and the final boss itself is awful and extremely lackluster. It would have been also nice to see DLC that aren’t fan-made or modes for the PC version only.

Even when listing any possible shortcomings, nothing can take away the absolutely triumph experience that was Sonic Generations.

Ranking The 2D/Handheld Sonic Games

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Sonic the Hedgehog is now 33 years old! 33 years and counting of some of the very best and very worst that gaming has head to offer! To celebrate this beloved/hated blue hedgehog, let’s rank the 2D/Handheld Sonic Games!

When talking about the 2D side of Sonic, most would refer to that as the superior Sonic and is the one area that not even SEGA or Sonic Team can get wrong! That line of thinking is quite flawed. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of Sonic’s best work has come from these 2D style and handheld games but they are definitely far from flawless. However, there are definitely some that didn’t get as much credit as they deserved when they came out, especially the ones that came out in the early and mid 2000s when everyone couldn’t stop hating on the likes of Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic 06! Time to rank these specific kind of games from worst to best!

17.) Sonic Genesis (2006)

One of the worst ports to a video game ever made! Taking everything that was great about the original and bastardizing it beyond repair! It’s one of the few games that gave me a physical headache while playing it. Zoomed-in camera angels, constant frame rate drops and slows downs, and sound mixing that will make your ears bleed. Between this dreadful port and another certain game that just happened to have the exact same title as this one, November 14, 2006 was certainly a day to forget for Sonic the Hedgehog.

16.) Sonic Lost World 3DS (2013)

This is when Dimps reached an all time low with making Sonic games! While the first world or two are fine, it all goes downhill after that! Ridiculously overlong levels that get longer as the game goes on, constant gimmicks that are shoved down your throat, and game designs that feel much more Mario-like than Sonic. And that’s not even bringing up those special stages with the godawful gyroscope controls! UGH! Dimps had been a savior of Sonic in the past but after this game, I think they’ve worn out their welcome.

15.) Sonic Generations 3DS (2011)

Believe it or not, they actually made a 3DS port of Sonic Generations. Too bad it’s so incredibly meh that even I at times forget that it exists. There’s practically no difference between Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic gameplay and not enough levels from other 2D or handheld games are used here. If you thought the console version have plenty of missed opportunity, you should see the choices they made for this version. While there are certainly worse timewasters out there, this is definitely a version that screams “Quick cash grab!” without much effort to prove otherwise.

14.) Sonic 4 Episode 1 (2010)

As a game of itself, it’s merely passable. As a follow-up to the original classic games, I don’t think you could have made a more underwhelming one. The physics are off and practically non-existent, the levels are bland rehashes of other classic zones, and it barely makes any sort of attempt to be on the same level of quality as the first few games. Even the soundtrack this time feels off. It’s without a doubt playable but that’s the best compliment you can really give it compare to say the bottom of the list.

13.) Sonic Advance 2 (2002)

To be honest, I’m not very high on this one. Though much faster paced than the original Sonic Advance, the stages of Sonic Advance 2 can’t match up to that level of speed, resulting in frustrating difficulty spikes and an abrupt pace to each level. A Sonic game should always consists of being fast but this is one of the rare cases where I feel it’s too fast. As a result, playing through this game can result with countless cheap deaths and having to endure incredibly mean level designs. And the boss fights are just UGH! Still functional but this is easily the weakest of the Advance series for me.

12.) Sonic 4 Episode 2 (2012)

Sonic 4: Episode II is without a doubt an improvement over Episode 1, hence why I didn’t just combine both Sonic 4 episodes as one in this list. The physics are much improved, the level designs feels fresher and are more enjoyable, and the addition of Tails is certainly one that helps the gameplay this time out. However in the wakes of much better 2D Sonic games that feel more in-line with Sonic tradition such as Sonic Mania, there is really no reason to go back to do this or Part 1. Better is better but forgettable is still forgettable.

11.) Sonic Superstars

Sonic Superstars is a much more complicated game than I was expecting. Despite promising itself to be another classic 2D Sonic adventure that evokes the earlier days of Sonic, there are new gameplay styles and features that are included here to try to make the game stand out more as it’s own thing without feeling like a remake or remix. Some of the levels are fun and creative, getting to play as multiple characters in any way you want is awesome, and Trip is a neat new addition to a cast with a super dragon mode that is so broken that I can’t help but love it. However, the boss fights are needlessly cruel, tedious, and overlong, most of the new features are rather half-baked, and it doesn’t do enough to justify it’s 60 dollar price tag. If the trailers for Sonic Superstars looked good to you and you like it when Sonic games are at their most challenging, then I would say give this a shot once it comes out at a reasonable price. For those that are not on board the Classic Sonic train or just want to get off of it, I’m not sure this will win you over. I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing this style returning for future games because if done well, this could be the start of the next series of great standalone 2D Sonic games.

10.) Sonic CD (1993)

I don’t quite love this one the way many people do but I definitely respect Sonic CD for everything that it tries to do. While there’s a lot of good features to it, the time travel mechanic often takes me out of the experience and makes good chunks of the levels awkward and frustration. It can make for a rather confusing and convoluted experience at times regardless of which path you decide to take. Still, Metal Sonic rocks as does the f*cking awesome intro. It’s still a fine game, just not my absolute favorite. And, Amy is cool too I guess.

9.) Sonic Colors DS (2010)

What acts as the finale of what can be considered as the Rush handheld trilogy along with acting as a worthy handheld counterpart to it’s main console Wii version, Sonic Colors DS is still able to keep the boost style gameplay fresh and fun! While not quite as good as the console version, this is still pretty solid and is a version that holds up well on it’s own. The boost gameplay is still as fast and fun as before and it even include some new characters who weren’t in the main version of the game such as Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Silver, and Blaze. This is not one I’ve gone back to a lot but if you can find a good deal on it, I say it’s worth your time.

8.) Sonic Rush Adventure (2007)

Sonic Rush Adventure isn’t so much Sonic Rush 2 but more Sonic Rush 1.5. This is basically the same game as the first one but with pirates, a (somewhat) annoying new raccoon character, and a few new mechanics that feel unneeded. Even so, the core gameplay that worked in the original still mostly works here that even the tacked-on gimmicks can’t ruin it. It’s also an interesting spin to see Sonic be transported to Blaze’s world while the first game has Blaze in Sonic’s world. And who also can’t forget the RIDICULOUSLY catchy main theme song! If you like the first Sonic Rush, then you’ll likely find plenty to enjoy in Sonic Rush Adventure, even if it’s basically more of the same.

7.) Sonic The Hedgehog (1991)

The one that started it all and introduced one of the finest gaming icons. I mean who doesn’t remember Green Hill Zone Act 1 beat-for-best. Everything from the level itself to the colorful backgrounds to the cartoon animals and of course, the music. It almost makes you forget this level has been remix and remade to death! Though it pales in comparison to its successors (at least for the classic games) and Labyrinth Zone is still absolute pants, the original Sonic the Hedgehog still makes for a strong first impression to this beloved/controversial gaming icon.

6.)/5.) Sonic Advance (2001) & Sonic Advance 3 (2004)

These two are basically neck-and-neck for my favorite of the Advance games. While the console games have been inconsistent in terms of quality, the handheld entries have had quite a few gems that don’t get the recognition they deserve. These two games are good examples of the perfect formula for Sonic. By adding characters/elements to the gameplay along with a sense of speed and platforming that help make the experience more enjoyable rather than hinder it. They both have issues (1 has ridiculous bosses and 3 has ridiculous padding) but as a whole, these two games are ones that still quite stand out for Sonic.

4.) Sonic Rush (2005)

The game that introduces the boost mechanics that would eventually become a stable for Modern Sonic, Sonic Rush makes for one of the most fun and unique Sonic games throughout his history. The main highlight here is seeing the introduction to fan-favorite Blaze the Cat, arguably the best female character in the entire franchise. There’s some repetition of playing the same levels twice and Eggman Nega sucks on literally every single level, but this is one I can recommend to those who are not even Sonic fans. With top notch speed, fast platforming, and a SUPER awesome soundtrack, Sonic Rush is an absolute gem that should not be missed! Just a damn shame this had to come out the same day as Shadow the Hedgehog!

3.) Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (1992)

A sequel that takes everything that works about the original and expands upon it in every single way. As a result, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 manages to be not just as good as the original but even better. Better controls, tighter level designs, more impressive graphics, colorful backgrounds and environments, and of course, the glorious music! And we also can’t forget this game introducing the beloved cutesy fox known as Miles Prower, A.K.A. Tails! With an even greater sense of speed, more memorable level designs, and the introduction of Sonic’s adorable sidekick, this is an excellent sequel. The final boss and level can still go F itself hard though!

2.) Sonic Mania (2017)

A remix of the original classic games, along with a handful of wonderful original levels of its own, Christian Whitehead is able to craft a masterfully done and respectful 2D Classic Sonic game in Sonic Mania, a game feels more of a worthy and faithful follow-up to 3 & Knuckles than both episodes of Sonic 4 combined. While not quite the best Sonic game ever made, it’s arguably the most fun Sonic game with more extras, unlockable and playable characters than before. Even if most of these levels are ones that you have seen before, the level design for each one of them is expanded upon and remade so well that it feels like you are playing them for the very first time! Had the game been filled with 100% original levels, this might have just taken the #1 spot. Nevertheless, Sonic Mania is awesome and should certainly go into the collection of any kind of Sonic fan.

1.) Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1994)

The absolute definite Sonic game! Taking the best aspects of all the previous games that has come before it while introducing one of the best characters in the franchise known as Knuckles, Sonic 3 & Knuckles is basically Sonic’s own magnum opus! The levels are more expanded upon than ever before giving you multiple paths and ways to the goal, every character controls perfectly with not a single one being a chore to play, and even the bosses and special stages (which I weren’t a fan of in the past) are great here. It’s able to perfect the 2D gameplay that the first few classic Sonic games ahead while giving a direction as to how this character can appear in a 3D environment, particularly with the likes of the sphere special stages. Masterfully combining speed, platforming, and exploration, Sonic 3 & Knuckles remains the top-tier Sonic experience and one to beat for many Sonic fans and gamers out there. It’s just about as good as Sonic can get!

And yes, this is one game! Don’t @ me!

Inside Out 2 (2024) Movie Review- Emotional Boogaloo

AdamLeave a comment

Pixar is in quite a fascinating spot at the moment and even for the better part of the last 15 years! Even when delivering a handful of quality and/or downright excellent films over that time period, they’ve always seemed to be in a position to prove themselves with ever new entry they’ve released since the 2010s rolled around. It doesn’t matter that they put out Inside Out, Coco, Soul, and Turning Red during that time because Cars 2, Brave, The Good Dinosaur, and Lightyear all exist as well. This mindset especially takes center stage whenever they put out a sequel that is not Toy Story related (and even then, the last few they put out in Toy Story 4 and Lightyear got plenty of folks barking). Despite the majority of them turning out to be a success from both a critical and financial standpoint (Finding Dory, The Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4), they always tend to get heavily scrutinized for either not being as good as the original or just for the pure fact that they even exist at all. This thought process going into each non-original Pixar installment is very infuriating to me.

I understand in this day and age where people have more of an eye of what’s going on from behind the scenes then ever before and the corporate politics that come into play are as incredibly obvious as they come but at the end of the day, you have to judge each film as their own thing and not based on how much you detest the creativity black hole in Hollywood. I bring this up because for all the good that there is to be found in Inside Out 2, I can only imagine we will see those exact counter arguments against it that you would not find for other sequels made by other animated studios.

As for the movie itself, it’s about as good of a sequel to the original Inside Out as you can get, and in some ways is even better than the first one. It still does it’s job in taking the series to the next level, where we follow Riley taking the next steps into her life, not only becoming a teenager but being more aware of the world that surrounds here. It still has that same heart, it still has that same music, and it still has the same emotions but it is also has the same form of creativity that the very best of Pixar films have. If the original Inside Out is one that resonated the most with children, then Inside Out 2 is one that I can see resonating with teenagers and adults. Even if I slightly prefer the first one, the sequel is more than a worthy companion piece to it that should not be dismissed in any way, shape, or form.

Premise: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale) and Disgust (Liza Lapira) have been running a successful operation by all accounts. However, when Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adele Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) shows up, they aren’t sure how to feel.

Even if you take into the account of the numerous amount of sequels that Pixar has made for the past 15 years, I’ve argued that Inside Out was the first Pixar film outside of Toy Story that had more than enough material to justify making multiple sequels out of here. Mostly because, just like with the Toy Story sequels, Inside Out 2 seems most interested in taking the characters to the next step on their journey along with continuing the themes involving growing up, getting older, and finding your place in the world along the way. Those themes ring true to not just the story with Joy and her fellow emotion companions but also to Riley herself.

While Joy and the emotions of old and new that come into play do have a main significant role in the film, the main beating heart reigns with Riley. Not that it wasn’t the case in the first movie but here, we clearly see that Riley is now in the part of her life where she must gain controls of her emotions instead of letting the emotions control her. As she is now hitting the age of a teenager, she has now become more aware of the imperfect and flawed world around her. She loves hockey and her friends but if she can’t make the right choices, then there’s a chance that neither one of those factors can happen. It’s only when finding control of her emotions where Riley can determine the outcome of whether or not she can make the new hockey team, and still connect with friends of old and new. Whereas the first Inside Out saw the original emotions due the heavy lifting for Riley because she was still at the age where she didn’t know any better, Inside Out 2 shows the character having to learn to keep the original and new emotions in check, and having to do so at the most crucial part of her life.

That makes the arc that Joy goes through be a perfect counterpart to Riley’s own growth. Much like with Woody in Toy Story 2, Joy must come to terms with the fact that she can’t control Riley, no matter how hard she tries. As you get older and get more experience in the real world, it gets harder to stay positive and optimistic because you are now more aware of the consequences that you can go through when things don’t work out. And this usually always come during a time where you must develop your own self conscious and have better control of your emotions. Even if she can’t make Riley into what she wants her to be, Joy must do everything she can to be there for Riley whenever her own kid needs her. It’s parallels like these that help make Inside Out 2 stand out as a really affective and worthwhile sequel.

It’s not just Joy that gets the spotlight but the other emotions get their time to shine as well. This time around, it sees the original group of emotions with Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust go on this adventure together as they must get back up to the tower to stop Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui from controlling Riley. Each one of them get their own standout moments and it’s interesting to see them all develop different emotions within them the way that Joy was able to in the original Inside Out and even now.

And of course, you got to mention the new players in Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui. Anxiety is definitely the biggest standout as the leader of the group and taking matters into her own hands. Much like with the way the first film portrays Sadness, I respect the fact that the film doesn’t look to portray Anxiety as a villain but more as an antagonist. She’s not trying to do everything because she’s evil but because she thinks that is the right thing to do, even if her methods are rather flawed. Envy is cuter than a bag of kittens, Embarrassment is able to get his own G.O.A.T. moment as perhaps the most relatable of the new emotions, and Ennui is just the perfect description of Generation Z always on their phones in a nutshell.

The voice cast from top to bottom is stellar all around! Amy Poehler brings just as much joy (no pun intended), charm, and energy as she did in the first film, the new additions of Maya Hawke & Ayo Edebiri as Anxiety and Envy are such an absolute blast as well, and even if the (unfortunate) departing of Bill Hader as Fear and the (fortunate) departing of Mindy Kailing as Disgust is noticeable, both Tony Hale and Liza Lapira fit into the roles rather well, with Lapira in particular standing out much better than Kailing. Also, a big shoutout to Adele Exarchopoulos as Ennui. And Ron Funches as Bloofy. And Yong Yea as Lance Slashblade. And pretty much anyone else I didn’t mention. Moving on!

The animation is as breathtakingly beautiful as you would expect for a Disney film in 2024, the expansion of Riley’s mind is explored as well as it can be, the music is as soothing as before, and while there’s not quite a sad bit on par with Bing-Bong or a funny bit on par with “GIRL ALERT!”, the film does provide enough unique beats of emotion and comedy of it’s own that it more than makes up for it. The standout sequence in particular is one that I imagine will be the main talking point of this movie and the moment that I imagine the folks behind Pixar took inspiration from Uncut Gems. I’m sure Adam Sandler would be proud of that.

The nine-year long awaited sequel to Pixar’s surprise hit in 2015 is as every bit of affective, earnest, and heartful as it’s predecessor. This is arguably the first Pixar sequel not related to Toy Story that seems to have more on it’s mind to justify it’s own existence other than branding and merchandising. Going from seeing Riley as a youth moving to San Francisco to a teenager looking to make it into the high school hockey team with the popular girls, this sequel takes the logical next step into showcasing the inner turmoil of taking the next step to puberty with anxiety, envy, ennui, and embarrassment entering the picture, portrayed perfectly by newcomers Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Adele Exarchopoulos, and Paul Walter Hauser. There are nits to be picked such as having a familiar plot and structure as the original and a wrap-up that perhaps is a bit too squeaky clean by Pixar standards but as a whole, Inside Out 2 is able to act greatly as a natural continuation and expansion of the first movie’s story and themes.

As much as plenty of folks have been down on Pixar as of late with it’s abundance of sequels, I sure hope that Inside Out 2 is good enough for them that they can let it all slide and appreciate the film the way it was suppose to be appreciate. I can only hope these same folks get their butts in theaters around this time next year for Elio and whatever original film that is slated to come out in March 2026. Only then will they have a right to complain! But for me, after two films this great, I would welcome a third film with open arms!

Bring on Inside Out 3 if you may! (Oh and please bring Lance Slashblade in Kingdom Hearts 4!)

Ranking The Pixar Movies

AdamLeave a comment

Here it is! It took a lot of time and effort from me but I’m ready to share my ranking of all Pixar films from worst to best! Everyone tends to have their own opinion of what constitutes as the very best and worst work form this company! Even so, there’s no denying that this is a company that has a huge impact on the way we all view animation and even cinema in general! If someone claims there has never been one Pixar movie that left a lasting impression on, they are lying through their teeth! To put it simply, they are one of the very best to ever make movies! Now that Inside Out 2 is now out in theaters, let’s rank all 28 movies they have released thus far!

28.) The Good Dinosaur

The worst Pixar film is probably one you either forget exist or were never even aware of it’s existence. The troubled production that The Good Dinosaur faced during the development of it is as clear as daylight onscreen. It’s got a neat and exciting premise (Dinosaurs never becoming extinct and living among human beings!) that it does nothing with. It’s got wonderful animation but there’s no creativity to do it whatsoever. It’s got a story about a relationship between a young mute boy and a dinosaur that is told in the most dull and predictable way imaginable. And that’s not even going into the inconsistent tone, shockingly poor voice work (The kid’s voice for the dinosaur just doesn’t fit whatsoever!), and even a scene where the kid and a dinosaur are basically… high on drugs. (Yes, really!) It’s certainly more watchable than other bad animated films out there and there’s a few moments when the visuals are allowed to do the talking that are effective, but The Good Dinosaur is a dull, mediocre, and plain forgettable mess. I guess that says something when Pixar’s worst film is one that no one remembers.

27.) Brave

Pixar had finally shown a big crack in the armor with Cars 2 a year prior and their next film, Brave didn’t really do much to win back audience’s trust. Much like The Good Dinosaur, it’s just a confused mess with ideas you’ve seen many times before and done many times better in other films. Take every cliché you’ve seen done in every other Disney princess movie and every other “nature” Disney movie, use those cliches in the most half-baked way possible, thrown in some family and relationship dynamics that feels unbelievable forced, and put all of that in a blender and you get Brave. It’s well-animated and it was sure nice to see Pixar finally make a film with a female protagonist but all of that is put to waste in this lackluster bore fest. Brave may not be quite the worst Pixar film ever made, as it does at least feel more like a coherent vision than The Good Dinosaur, but this is the one Pixar film I will always feels the least compelled to rewatch.

26.) Cars 2

Here is probably the first Pixar film that pretty much everyone agreed was bad. No one was really clamoring for a Cars 2, not even fans of the original Cars, but considering this was John Lasseter’s (a name that just about everyone wants to forget by now) passion project along with one of Disney’s most successful toy brand, there just had to be a sequel somehow. This time around, Mater is put to the forefront and it doesn’t work for the same reason that most comic relief characters don’t work then they are given the spotlight, they just don’t work as their own character. You also have a bizarre premise surrounding spies and espionage, an overly complicated plot, and an incoherent narrative that it makes you forget that first film was literally about a race car learning humbleness. At least it still looks good with nice new locations added and some entertaining action scenes but those aren’t anywhere good enough to justify this sequel’s existence. While I can conceive that Cars 2 is slightly overhated, it’s also not a film that is deserving of being defended in any way.

25.) Lightyear

For what is suppose to be Andy’s favorite film is actually the most mid and run-of-the-mill Buzz Lightyear film you could possibly imagine. It’s ironic that this is the first Pixar film in the post-covid/Disney Plus era to be released in theaters and yet Lightyear feels like the only one that was strictly made for Disney Plus. The first 2/3rd’s play out as the most conventional space adventure ever that leads to a third act that contains one of the dumbest plot twists in Disney history. It’s so bizarre seeing Pixar spent so much of the Toy Story films building Buzz’s legacy and history as a space ranger only to just toss that aside completely for his feature film. Not even the excellent animation and the awesome sidekick in Socks could make this space opera even remotely appealing. Lightyear should have been a slam dunk for Pixar but instead, it’s far in a way their most safe and obligated film that they’ve ever released. If you want to see a proper Buzz Lightyear film, just pop in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins and call it day.

24.) Onward

This might certainly be a hot take but I found Onward to be quite lackluster. It has a fascinating premise with an emphasis on Dungeons & Dragons along with a very recognizable cast of celebrities that seems like they are having fun in their roles. Unfortunately, the execution of the picture left plenty to be desired. The world of Onward feels rather half-baked with little that is explained or flesh out on how it all works, completely lacking the compelling setting that Zootopia had, the relationship between the two brothers feels more irritating than engaging, and having nearly the whole film be about two kids resurrecting their dead dad’s lower body/crotch is beyond weird. Even if the ending, which many people claim makes the film, left me underwhelmed as it felt like nothing was accomplished for the main character by the end. I know this film has work well for others but it didn’t work for me whatsoever. Sorry, guys!

23.) A Bug’s Life

Here we have the film that takes the crown for being the most generally “okay” Pixar film that they have ever released. What makes it all the more ironic that this came out just around the time that DreamWorks’s Antz did, which would also take the crown for being the most generally “okay” DreamWorks film that they have ever released. How is the story? It’s okay! How are the characters? They’re okay! How is the animation? It was okay for the time! How is the sound? It’s okay! How is the main villain? He’s….actually pretty awesome and probably one of the best Pixar villains ever, and also happens to be voiced by a real life villain himself! No, I will not mention him by name! There’s not much to say about A Bug’s Life other than what I’ve been saying throughout. It’s just okay!

22.) Incredibles 2

Everyone and their mother had been waiting years for an Incredibles 2! With the original being one of the greatest superhero films ever made, everyone wanted to see more adventures with this super family! And after a 14-year long wait, we got a sequel that is aggressively…..just fine! There’s plenty of things to like about it! The animation is great, the action sequences are a lot of fun, it’s quite funny throughout, each character get a moment or two to shine, Michael Giacchino’s score is on point, and it was cool to see Elastic Girl get more of the stoplight this time around. Unfortunately, all the good things that are presented are hindered by a weak narrative with a plot and themes that has been done a million times before in other superhero films with nothing new added to it. It also has probably the most predictable plot twist in animation history with the main villain of the Screenslayer, who pails EMBARSSINGLY to Syndrome! For those that just want to spend more time with the characters from the original, you will likely be satisfied. However, for everyone else, you will likely be underwhelmed. To put it simply, Incredibles 2 is too late…14 years too late!

21.) Monster’s University

I don’t know how many people in the world were clamoring for a Monsters Inc. prequel that put focus on Mike and Sully’s early days in college but we got exactly that in 2013 with Monsters University. This is similar to Lightyear, where the first two acts plays out as predictable and straightforward as you could imagine with a third act that’s literally the exact opposite of that with a wild turn that either makes or breaks the film. Whereas Lightyear‘s third act completely broke the movie beyond repair, Monster University‘s third act makes the whole movie worth it, with a heart hitting message about how not everything is set in stone for everybody and there are other options for you out there if you are unable to follow the traditional path. While everything before then is enjoyable enough, the final 30 minutes of Monsters University saves the entire movie of being another useless prequel. I still would have liked to see a sequel of Boo all grown up though.

20.) Finding Dory

Here’s another solid “good enough” B movie to an A++ predecessor! While Dory was a beloved character in the original Finding Nemo, there was the question of whether or not she would be good enough to carry her own film considering she was the comic relief of that movie! Thankfully, unlike Mater, Dory has an engaging story of her own, where she looks to find her long lost parents while fighting her short term memory crisis. There’s too much nods and winks to the original with a climax that’s a bit too ridiculous for what it’s worth, Finding Dory manages to exceed quite while when it comes to laughs, character drama, and even emotion. Keep swimming indeed Dory!

19.) Cars

There are plenty of folks that decried the original Cars when it came out in 2006 because it was no Toy Story or Finding Nemo. However, when looking at the film for what it’s trying to be, it’s actually a sweet, moving, and nostalgic road trip movie that acts as a great tribute for Route 66. There’s also a nice story here where Lightning McQueen learns the value of life and there’s more to it than just winning a race. Plus, you are lying if you claim that Doc Hudson isn’t a great character and the ending wasn’t brave and heartwarming. It’s world of cars may not make the most logical sense and does come across as a more kid friendly version of Doc Hollywood, but Cars is still an enjoyable film that doesn’t deserve the scorn it’s gotten over the years. While it’s far from the best Pixar film, this is certainly one of the ones I’ve felt the most nostalgia for. Also, R.I.P. to the great Paul Newman!

18.) Cars 3

I never would have thought the most unnecessary of the Pixar sequels to come out in the 2010s was actually one of the better ones. In a area of legacy themed sequels, Cars 3 is able to stand out uniquely on it’s own. Much like Top Gun: Maverick, it’s able to have it’s cake and eat it too with a film that shows that Lightning still has it in him to compete with the younger, modern racers while also being able to teach a younger, modern racer in the meantime. The animation and racing sequences have never been better, Lightning McQueen is at his absolute best here, Cruz is a nice new addition to the series, and the way it ties back to the legacy of Doc Ock is very well done. Jackson Storm himself is a pretty bland villain and there’s too many “old” jabs at Lightning but for what it’s worth, Cars 3 makes for the best Cars film in the series and a fitting way to wrap up the trilogy.

17.) Luca

If there’s one film out there that I would describe as being the perfect “summer” movie, look no further than Luca. It’s a delightful and relaxing film about two best friends as human beings trying to spend their summer outside of their own comfort zone as actual fish. If you ever wanted to see a Pixar film in the style of traditional Studio Ghibli movies but in 3D, this is basically what you get. The first 20 minutes or so aren’t great, but once the kids get up to the surface, it’s a really fun time and makes for a perfect way to take time out of the summer heat.

16.) Elemental

Perhaps it’s because things have slowly changed for me in my life than it was when I saw this film back in June but I definitely believe Elemental will stand the test of time as being an absolute gem of Pixar’s library. Maybe not the very best but definitely one that plenty will find to be another worthy addition to their library. It’s looks gorgeous, it’s very charming, the characters are engaging, the music is beautiful, and even the similar themes it tackles are done very well and might even stand out greater than other Disney and Pixar films that have done it to some people. I’m sure glad this film was able to stand strong at the box office as this might be an encouraging sign for Pixar’s future in movie theaters. I might have not enjoyed The Good Dinosaur but director Peter Sohn was able to win me over in Round Two with Elemental. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend it.

15.) Toy Story 4

Everyone was worried about a Toy Story 4 and for good reason. After the perfect way that Toy Story 3 wrapped up, where exactly was there left to good? As it turns out, that’s exactly what Toy Story 4 is about and why it’s able to succeed despite the worst possible circumstances. It’s an interesting experiment of how to continue on with your new story after your previous story basically ended. The real key trick here it doesn’t so much functions as a “true” finale to Toy Story but more as an epilogue. You also got some great new characters, Bo Peep’s welcome return, and an ending that wraps up Woody’s story very well. I could have done without the “inner voice” jokes with Buzz tho. Toy Story 4 was like the equivalent of watching a friend perform a very dangerous stunt after they claimed they were done doing them a long time ago. And while you are glad they were able to stick the landing well, you would rather they don’t do it again. (Yet, for some reason, they are! UGH!)

14.) Monsters Inc

Talk about a film that’s able to take a familiar idea but executing it in a way that makes it feel fresh and new. Monsters Inc. is able to exceed greatly on that front thanks to an exciting world in Monstropolis, some incredibly inventive set pieces (especially the end sequence with the doors), two very likable leads in Mike and Sully, and of course, a strong central relationship between the monsters and a little human girl that is Boo. I don’t care much for the main villain and don’t recall remembering much about the other side characters but Monsters Inc. is still a very enjoyable watch that holds up strongly to this very day.

13.) Turning Red

One of Pixar’s most divisive films to date is also one of their most important ones they’ve ever released. I can’t recall a film in the Pixar library that is has open and honest with itself as Turning Red. It take risks and tackles subject matter that at least 99% of other animation studios are probably afraid of tackling for a supposed kids film, it has a strong thematical and emotional core that holds the whole thing together near perfectly, and has animation that serves it’s purpose and executed in all of the intent and purpose imaginable. This is a wonderfully, lovable movie about an awfully, cringe-able time period that we all have or will have to go through. There are definitely some things you can criticize (The mother is way too much of a Karen for my liking!), but Turning Red is certainly a film that anyone that has gone through that awkward stage of their lives can get something out of. Just a shame this movie is remembered not for it’s overall quality but for resurrecting 9/11 memes! Thanks Mr. Enter! Thanks!

12.) Wall-E

There seems to be two sides to Wall-E: those that thought the film was absolute perfection from beginning to end or those that adored the first half but only liked the second half. I would say I’m part of the later category. The first half to Wall-E offers some of the best visual storytelling I’ve seen in any film, daring to go almost complete silences and let the animation do all the talking. Then comes the second half that while good is slightly underwhelming considering how more conventional it feels compared to the first half. Thankfully, Wall-E is arguably the most lovable robot in all of action and his relationship with Eve is incredibly engaging. The film perfectly encapsulates innocence, purity, and hope in a dying world. If it was able to stick to that silent storytelling the whole way through, it probably would have made it’s way to the top ten!

11.) Inside Out 2

The nine-year long awaited sequel might fall just shy of it’s predecessor (along with the top 10 of this list) but that shouldn’t discredit Inside Out 2 as being a really affective and worthwhile sequel. This is arguably the first Pixar sequel not related to Toy Story that seems to have more on it’s mind to justify it’s own existence other than branding and merchandising. Going from seeing Riley as a youth moving to San Francisco to a teenager looking to make it into the high school hockey team with the popular girls, this sequel takes the logical next step into showcasing the inner turmoil of taking the next step to puberty with anxiety, envy, ennui, and embarrassment entering the picture, portrayed perfectly by newcomers Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Adele Exarchopoulos, and Paul Walter Hauser. While it’s still able to delivers the laughs, thrills, and emotional beats of the original, there’s not quite a moment that is as tear-jerking as Bing-Bong or as laugh out loud as “GIRL! GIRL GIRL!”. Even if that in of itself prevents it from topping the original and cranking the top 10 list, Inside Out 2 is able to act greatly as a natural continuation and expansion of the first movie’s story and themes. Bring on Inside Out 3 if you may! (Oh and please bring Lance Slashblade in Kingdom Hearts 4!)

10.) Toy Story

Not only the one that started it all for Pixar but the one that started the trend of 3D animation! The idea of toys coming to life when the kids are not around is executed to absolute perfection with a cast of characters that are all iconic in their own ways. Woody and Buzz makes for possibly the very best characters in Pixar history, the script is airtight, it’s paced marvelously, and there’s just not a dull moment to be found here. The overall formula of these movies have become more noticeable throughout the years and there are parts of the animation that don’t hold up but none of that can take away the amazing accomplishment that was the original Toy Story. The fact this is only #10 on the list is just more of a showcase of the amount of fantastic films that Pixar has made.

9.) Ratatouille

I can’t help but feel like this is the most overlooked Pixar film to date! In a sea of Pixar masterpieces, this one tends to get lost in the shuffle. Ratatouille might be the most thematically rich and inspiring film in Pixar’s library, showing how anyone has their own talent no matter who they are or where they came from. Patton Oswalt is perfect as the lovable rat that is Remy, the whole supporting cast of characters are great, and who can forget the pitch-perfect speech at the very end which is an absolute all-timer. It does suffer a bit from the main of character of Linguini being arguably the least interesting character in the film but his chemistry with Remy is so spot on and the film around him is so great that it really doesn’t matter. This is a food porn film at it’s absolute finest!

8.) Up

If we are judging strictly on the opening of this film alone, this would probably be #1. Up has the most perfect first ten minutes of any film that I’ve ever seen, perfectly showcasing the origins of Carl as a young kid to an adult along with being the love of his life that was Ellie. Just like Wall-E, it goes from that silent form of storytelling to something a bit more conventional. However, the rest of the film is done so well that it really doesn’t matter. Carl’s arc of moving on from his past to enjoying the rest of his life while he can is incredibly well done, the side characters such as Russell and the dogs are a lot of fun, and Kevin might just be the funniest animal side character in animation history. Even if you take away the opening, Up is still excellent and is worthy of praise.

7.) Coco

This is one that has only gotten better in age, especially in the wake of my grandma’s passing (RIP, Grandma!). Not only is Coco a perfect representation of Mexican culture, especially with the traditional holiday of Day of the Dead, but it makes for a perfect human story of a flawed family that love each other despite their beliefs and traditions wearing them down. The animation is some of the very best ever put to film, the family dynamics are great, the world of the afterlife is brilliantly realized, and it has perhaps the most emotionally draining final act in Pixar history! Even the incredibly obvious bad guy reveal that has been redundant now can’t bring it down because of how it connects perfectly to the themes of the film involving the cons of pursuing greatness. While there are comparisons to be had with The Book of Life, Coco strands strongly as it’s own thing and as another home run for Pixar.

6.) The Incredibles

I don’t know how it took until five films for Pixar to make a film with actual human characters but they finally did that with The Incredibles. Even in an era where superhero films have dominated pop culture, The Incredibles still stands out as being among the very best that the subgenre has offered. The characters and themes are all ones that feels completely timeless even nearly two decades later, the action and set pieces are absolutely fantastic, every member of the super family gets their own moment to shine, and how can anyone not love the main bad guy of Syndrome. It also has the funniest Pixar short ever with Jack Jack Attack! There’s not a lot I can say about The Incredibles that hasn’t been said by everyone else already. It’s just awesome!

5.) Soul

This make for possibly the most human and relatable film that Pixar has ever made! Soul goes into great depth in showcasing the meaning of life and why it’s worth living to the fullest. You aren’t going to last forever and there will be a day where you suddenly die like Joe does. Until that time comes, make sure your life was one that was wroth living. Jamie Fox is perfect as Joe and as perfect chemistry with Tina Fey as 22, the ideas are executed in the most creative ways imaginable, the animation is incredibly impressive, it’s extremely funny throughout, and the message of finding satisfaction in your life is one that anyone can relate to no matter what age they are! If you need a film that can lift your spirits, help recognizes the talent that you have, and shows why life is indeed worth living, look no further than Soul!

4.) Finding Nemo

If there’s a film that perfectly captures every parent’s worst nightmare of losing their own child, it’s Finding Nemo! What might seem like a simple story of a father trying to find his son is able to be told in the best way possible! That is thanks to incredible world building that’s full of side characters who are all memorable no matter their screentime and perfectly exploring the ins and outs of the deadly deep blue sea. You also got a great emotional core with Marlin and Nemo, a perfect counterpart with Dory, and a hard hitting message of never taking the ones you love for granted and it’s better to be safe then sorry. No matter how many times I watch Finding Nemo, it always manages to be fresh and exciting all the same! If that’s not the best compliment to give a film, then I don’t know what is!

3.) Toy Story 2

Toy Story 2 is wildly considered to be one of the greatest sequels ever made and I have to agree 100%! It takes everything people loved about the first movie and expands upon them in every single way. With even more memorable characters, stellar animation, hard hitting emotion, incredible soundtrack, and timely themes anyone at any age can relate to, Toy Story 2 is one of the sequels that manages to be as good if not better than the original. Also, the opening with Buzz Lightyear might legit be the best opening for any movie ever! I love this film when I was a young kid watching this film on repeat on my VHS and I still love it to this day! It’s so hard to believe that this was the film that nearly broke Pixar because by the end, it only made them stronger.

2.) Inside Out

People were starting to doubt Pixar before this film came out with a handful of films that ranged from fine to aggressive mediocre for the past five years, but then Inside Out came out in 2015 and blew everyone away! This is an example of a film that takes an idea and does everything it possibly can with it. It showcases how negative emotions can be just as important as positive emotions and how to keep them all in check along with learning how to adjust to a brand new setting. The animation is beautiful, creative, and imaginative, each character is fully realized and engaging, the humor is great, the score is mesmerizing, the voice cast is prefect, and the emotional moments hit as hard as you could possibly imagine. While it’s not quite my favorite Pixar film, there’s a strong argument to be made that Inside Out is objectively the very best Pixar film!

1.) Toy Story 3

While I can concede that Inside Out is probably the best Pixar film, there is no other Pixar film that I would rather rewatch than Toy Story 3. There is just no other Pixar film that hit me, moved me, entertained me, and satisfied me more than Toy Story 3. Acting as a perfect culmination of the entire Toy Story franchise up to this point, Toy Story 3 is a perfect showcase of what happens when the kids grow up and are ready to move on to other things. It’s all about learning to let go of the past and embracing the future while also never forgetting the fond memories that got you were you are now. It’s able to be the funniest, darkest, and most emotional of all the Toy Story movies, the stakes are at their highest and feels the most personal, it has perhaps the best villain in all of Pixar with Lotso, and who can forget the final sequence that made grown men bawl like a baby! Yes, it’s a shame that Disney and Pixar didn’t stop the series here, but taking at it’s own thing, being an impactful film about growing up and evolution, Toy Story 3 is Pixar, animation, and cinema at it’s absolute finest!

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League- When Game Development Turns Out To Be A Waste of Time

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Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League has been one of the year’s biggest talking points within the gaming industry. It’s been coming to be one of the biggest gaming flops of 2023 thus far, losing Warner Bros over $200 million for the first quarter of the year. Despite being in development for nearly a decade, the long-awaited installment in Rocksteady’s successful Batman: Arkham series could not have been more of a critical and financial disappointment if they tried.

For months to even years, many folks have spectacled just what the hell went wrong behind the development of this game and why it took so long to come out. This was set to be Rocksteady’s next main game after concluding the Arkhamverse in 2015 with Batman: Arkham Knight. After the success of that series, it seemed like they could have done ANYTHING and leave plenty of folks excited for what was to come next for the studio. But yet after all that time and waiting, they come up with Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, a game that basically puts all of the worst trends in recent memory in terms of gaming development and pop culture all into one, basically making it doomed from the very start.

Recently, there was an article that was published by known gaming insider, Jason Schreier, which he interviewed over 20 folks from Rocksteady that were part of the creative team of Kill The Justice League to get a sense as to what happened with the development history for this game. And let me tell you, there is some juicy, JUICY stuff in here! Not only going into great detail about everything wrong when it went to making this game but just how you can’t help but feel like Rocksteady wasted nearly a decade of time and money to a game that was basically dead on arrival.

I’m not going to go word-by-word of what was reported by Mr. Schreier but I will certainly give a cliff notes version of what was stated in that article. I will provide a link at the end of the piece of that article along with other sources that have info on what went behind the scenes for Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.

  • After Arkham Knight, Rocksteady’s co-ceos Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker set out to make an original multiplayer puzzle-solving game, codenamed Stones.
  • However, Warner Bros was eager to get a Suicide Squad game out ASAP after the 2016 movie was a big hit at the box office.
  • WB Games Montreal already had a Suicide Squad game in development for a few years but it wasn’t coming together. Warner Bros then approached Rocksteady to helm the Suicide Squad game by the end of 2016 and they agreed. This put an end to the development of Project Stones and WB Games Montreal’s involvement with this Suicide Squad project.
  • Rocksteady began development on the game in 2017 but were entering unfamiliar territory, as neither Hill or Walker had experience making online multiplayer games nor did they do much research on it or even played much online multiplayer games beforehand.
  • Nevertheless, they decided to make Suicide Squad an online multiplayer game with live-service elements added to it.
  • When the duo confirmed to the rest of the studio they would be making a live-service multiplayer Suicide Squad game, new hires of Rocksteady were SHOCKED by this, resulting in many of them leaving the project as that was NOT what they signed up for.
  • Due to Hill and Walker’s inexperience with making online multiplayer games, that led to big chunks of the scripts being scrapped and the studio struggling to convey the ideas that the co-ceos had in mind.
  • Devs would have to wait for weeks to months for Hill and Walker to review their work and provide feedback, which caused constant slow downs in production.
  • The constant delays made staff members want to abandon the project, as barely any progress was being made in development.
  • Rocksteady adopted a “Toxic Positivity” policy, where no criticism of the game was allowed, with management kept going on to it’s staff about how the game will turn out great no matter what by the final stretch, just like it did with the prior Arkham games.
  • Hill pitched an elaborate vehicle system that allowed for players to equip their vehicles with weapons and navigate the streets, similar to the Batmobile in Arkham Knight.
  • This BAFFLED the staff as the Suicide Squad members already had their own means of transversal through the skies and wondered why the players would chose to patrol through the streets of Metropolis in a large vehicle over quicker methods of transversal. This idea would later be scrapped.
  • The visions of the leaders kept shifting throughout development, most notably going from an emphasis on melee combat to focusing heavily on gunplay.
  • Changes like that left the staff confused as to why a character like Captain Boomerang would carry around a gun as his choice of weaponry instead of just…..you know….a BOOMERANG, like the name of the character states. However, Captain Boomerang with a gun would stay in the finished product.

And here is some behind-the-scenes info that came from another notable source in the gaming industry, Miller Ross. This goes into the spoilers of the main plot for the game. If by some chance, you haven’t been spoiled yet and don’t know what happens in the main plot of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, then click off this article RIGHT NOW because I’m about to dive deep into the controversial decisions in the story.

  • It was Sefton Hill, the mind behind Rocksteady’s Arkham trilogy (JUST SO YOU KNOW!), that acted as the lead visionary behind the story and premise of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.
  • The story 100% came from Hill, who took inspiration from Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, with the main campaign acting as Infinity War and the post-launch seasons would act as Endgame.
  • The plot was designed to make the audience believe that the heroes did in fact die for real and the bad guys actually won, creating a shocking twist and setting the groundwork for the post-launch seasons.
  • Developers at Rocksteady BEGGED to include hints that the Justice League were not actually dead to avoid inevitable backlash but Hill was persistent, wanting to keep it a complete surprise.
  • Future seasons is set to see new playable characters that will join the fight with the Suicide Squad to eliminated the remaining Brainiacs, including Mrs. Freeze, Deadshot’s daughter, and Deadstroke.
  • Each upcoming season will have the player resurrecting a previously fallen member of the Justice League.
  • Season 2 will resurrect The Flash, Season 3 will resurrect Green Lantern, and Season 4 will resurrect Batman (still voiced by the late great Kevin Conroy, who did record lines before his passing).
  • This will all come together with Season 5, which will see the Justice League resurrected and coming together to stop the final Brainiac.

And now in regards to the aftermath of all this and what awaits the future of Rocksteady and Warner Bros, going back to what was stated in Jason Schreier’s piece.

  • Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker left Rocksteady in 2022 to start their own gaming studio, which is now titled Hundred Star Games.
  • Their departure SHOCKED the staff at Rocksteady, giving little to no hints that they would abandon ship right before the game was scheduled to come out in 2023, which would again get delayed to 2024.
  • Hill and Walker told the staff that they wanted to make games of their own and free of the mandates and pressure from Warner Bros, giving the confirmation that they will no longer be associated with WB or their franchises.
  • Despite the financial failure of Kill The Justice League, Warner Bros do NOT plan to layoff staff members at Rocksteady and are committed to releasing the remaining seasons of the game.
  • Because Rocksteady is more understaffed compared to other gaming studios they collaborate with, WB doesn’t view layoffs for them to be necessary.
  • Rocksteady staff are now working on a director’s cut for Hogwarts Legacy, the best-selling game of last year, while some members will commit to complete the remaining seasons for Kill The Justice League.
  • The newest leaders at Rocksteady are currently planning to pitch a new single-player game to Warner Bros, hoping it will bring the studio back to its roots.

It’s also worth noting that both Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker declined to be interviewed for this story.

So……..yeah! That is QUITE a development history! When taking all of that info into account, it’s no wonder why this game was in development for so long and why it turned out so bad?! From WB handing the Suicide Squad torch to a studio that had ZERO experience with making online multiplayer games to visions constantly changing to the developers having to wait FOREVER for feedback on their work to the founders literally bailing at the last minute in order to avoid consequences, is it any wonder why the finished product turned out to be as half-assed and half-baked as it comes? There are plenty of great games out there that were able to overcome troubled development, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was certainly NOT one of them!

To make matters worse is just imagine all that time and effort that could have went into something COMPLETELY different! Imagine if Rocksteady spend the last seven to nine years crafting a game or even multiple games that are actually worthwhile and involves them doing what they do best! Just imagine if we got that Arkham-style Superman game that everyone wanted for them! Imagine if they made a Batman Beyond game, that follows the plot threads of the Arkhamverse in a RESPECTFUL way! Imagine if we got a proper Justice League game where we had to take down the Suicide Squad members ourselves instead of the other way around! Heck, there’s some folks out there that would even take a sequel to Urban Chaos: Riot Response, the first video game they ever made and their only video game that doesn’t involve Batman in some way! Instead, we all exist in the elseworld where we just got Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League from Rocksteady! And man, does that all feel like a waste of time!

And that is the worst part of all of this is! Whenever a game has been in development for as long as it has, you have to make sure it has the proper payoff and success that you envisioned! Otherwise, you just get a sense that the entire development cycle felt like a GIANT waste of time! All that time, work, and effort put into a product that was received poorly and failed financially! It’s bad enough when that is just a couple of years but when you have put nearly a full DECADE into something and it turned out so bad, well….that’s just a full decade of your life you will NEVER get back! And I imagine that’s the exact feeling that Rocksteady is feeling right now with Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.

It’s bad enough that development of Triple A gaming is now longer than ever in this day and age. Instead of a traditional two to three years of development, it now ranges somewhere between four to five years! That’s why you are always seeing teasers for games when they first get announced and then you literally hear NOTHING about that game until at least two or three years later on down the road! Ex.) Insomniac with Marvel’s Wolverine, Monolith with Wonder Woman, and MachineGames with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. You don’t hear much from them until much later on because they are no where close to being done! That is why it’s apparent that video games turn out as great as they should to not only justify the 70 dollar price tag but also justify the long as hell development cycle of it. When it doesn’t, you get games like Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, a game that was a waster of time to not just the players but also the developers who made it.

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League should act as a perfect example of what NOT to do when developing Triple A games. The whole idea and premise of a game where you play as the Suicide Squad and literally kill the heroes of the Justice League was questionable at the start and it was only made worse with what Rocksteady put out after over seven years of work! WB should have NEVER given this project to a studio that was known for making single player experiences, Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker should have done more research on developing these online multiplayer live-service games and brought in staff members who had that experience and they CERTAINLY should have known better to rely on tiresome trends that was going to be dated by the time the game was released. Making games is already hard enough as it is but it’s even harder when so much time goes into making a game and it brings very little satisfaction to players and the companies themselves.

While I’m glad that Warner Bros will not layoff staff members from Rocksteady, both sides are going to have to work BIG TIME to win back the trust of gamers everywhere! A pitch of a single-player game and developing a director’s cut of Hogwarts Legacy is a good start but they have a LONG way to go before being trusted to deliver high quality games again. We can all only hope they learn their lesson with Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and never feel obligated to put this much time and effort into a project which does not suit their reputation whatsoever. If not, then I look forward to them throwing another decade of development away in favor of chasing the trends from the 2020s! Let’s all hope we don’t have this exact same talk when Insomniac releases Thunderbolts: Kill The Avengers in 2035, which will have Peter Parker being shot and killed by Screwball!**

Jason Schreier’s Full Article

Miller Ross’s Tweet About The Story Direction and Spoiler-Filled Plans For The Upcoming Seasons

Batman Arkham Videos on What Happened with Suicide Squad and What’s Next for Rocksteady?

**That’s actually gonna happen, isn’t it?!

Top 10 Favorite Games of 2023

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Well, better late than never I suppose! This list took me a long time to put together because I had to to actually play through all the games I wanted to that came out last year in order to make this list. And I also wanted to take my time with each one of these games so I can properly enjoy them without the need to rush through them in order to get the list out at a certain time. I currently don’t work for any big new sites that requires me to have a end-of-the-year list out by the end of the year so why not just take my time and make my list when I’m good and ready! In this case, I am ready now to share my picks of my top 10 favorite games of 2023.

There has been much controversial surrounding the gaming industry as of late, particularly with the amount of layoffs that are happening, developers and designers being overworked and crunched to death, and a good majority of video game making staff could be replaced with A.I.. All of those are MAJOR problems that I have brought up in the past and will continue to do so as long as it remains a problem. However, in this case, I would like to take a break from all of that and celebrate the best of what gaming had to offer in 2023.

2023 was an AWESOME year for games, the most exciting year for new games in quite some time. It was a year that had just about of everything for every kind of gamer out there. I did my best to play as many games as I could and particularly played through the games that actually peaked my interest. After all, if I’m gonna be spending 70 dollars on a game, it better be something that I know I’m going to play the HELL out of and enjoy. Thankfully, there were at least ten games that did just that for me!

A full disclaimer, there are certain highly acclaimed games that I did NOT get around to either because I didn’t have the budget for at the time they came out or they just didn’t interest me in general. These include games like Alan Wake 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield, and Hogwarts Legacy. I didn’t play those games because I couldn’t make time for them and they didn’t interest me enough for me to buy them. I might get around to those in the future whenever they come out at a good discount but they will not be on my list.

And before we get to the main top 10, I do have a couple of honorable mentions:

  • Mortal Kombat X

Even though I’m FAR from the best at fighting games, I always enjoy playing them. As far as this game is concerned, it gave me all that I crave for a fighting game. The combat and fighting is fun, the new mechanics work well, and there’s plenty of variety in terms of maps and the incredible roster of characters. The only downsides are the needless microtransactions and costing a few extra pennies in order to play as certain characters such as Peacemaker. It doesn’t revolutionized the Mortal Kombat series or fighting games in any way but if you find a reasonable price, you will have a good time with this one.

  • Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake

After reviving the best SpongeBob game to date with Battle for Bikini Bottom, THQ Nordic followed that up with a highly original game of their own with The Cosmic Shake. This put an interesting multiverse spin of the underwater world of SpongeBob SquarePants, fighting your way through each wish world as SpongeBob, along with Patrick as a balloon, in order to save their friends and bikini bottom. It’s heartfelt and colorful, the combat and platforming is incredibly enjoyable, there’s plenty of well-earned fan service throughout, and this might be the most I’ve laughed at a children’s game in a long time. Perhaps if you got to play as the other characters aside from just SpongeBob, this would have made it on the list. Even so, in an era where Nickelodeon has been making plenty of questionable decisions with our favorite yellow sponge, it’s nice to see THQ Nordic show true respect to the character, perhaps the best that the sponge has been treated since the passing of Stephen Hillenberg. I hope he is still resting in peace.

  • MLB The Show 23

This was actually the game I put the most hours in throughout 2023. That is because whenever I feel lazy and want to play a game without thinking to much, I either play through my team on season mode or find someone online to play an exhibition match with. It’s just something I like to past time with until I get bored. There’s not much to say here other than it’s basically what the MLB The Show games have been since forever. If you love baseball and/or sports games, you likely loved this one too. If not, then I don’t know why you even bothered.

But yeah, those were the honorable mentions. Now onto to the main top 10!

10.) Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2

Are my nostalgic googles completely on for this one? Yes, and I have no shame in it whatsoever. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is able to fully live up to its name and proudly does justice to the numerous franchises from our childhood that is being celebrated here. It’s able to improved upon the shortcomings of it’s predecessor along with providing enough new and unique elements of it’s own to make this a genuinely great platforming fighter. The single-player experience is fun with a good amount of challenges, the fighting system is giving much more depth than before, the new slime mechanic evaluates the combat to a whole new level, the roster of characters could not be more impressive, and even the campaign, while very minimum, makes for an enjoyable nostalgic trip down memory lane. Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is able to deliver exactly what it says on the package and it could not be any better for it.

9.) The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog had quite a handful of games that came out in 2023. However, between Sonic Superstars, Sonic Dream Team, and the New Horizon DLC for Sonic Frontiers, I found The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog to be the most satisfying. This game came out on April 1st last year on the PC, strictly as a April Fools Day prank. Little would I know that this would be one of my favorite games of 2023 and one of my favorite Sonic games in a while. To put it simply, it’s Sonic and his friends in a murder mystery party. I would tell you more but that would spoil all the fun to be had with this game. Just know that this is a very well done visual novel and point-and-click adventure made with a lot of love from the SEGA Social team, who clearly loves Sonic as much as the fans do. If that sounds like your jam, then please go download this game right now on your PC if you haven’t already. It’s 100% free!

8.) Super Mario RPG

The remake of the original Super Mario RPG does exactly what a video game remake is suppose to do. It’s able to take everything that worked about the original game, expand upon it’s concepts and gameplay, and updated in a way that it feels like a fresh and unique experience, almost as if you are playing it for the very first time. Thanks to keeping the great gameplay, fun story, breezy pace, and charming characters that the original had, it is able to show it’s age incredibly well, translating near perfectly to the Nintendo Switch. Some might argue it could have used a bit more new content along with it, but for newcomers, Super Mario RPG should be able to delight them the way it was able to delight fans of the original back in 1996.

7.) Final Fantasy XVI

It’s incredible how after over 16 mainline installments and a slew of remakes and spinoffs, the Final Fantasy franchise is still able to feel as fresh and different as it is. Final Fantasy 16 is able to take this long-running series to the next step, a step forward in terms of the franchise’s overall narrative and technical achievements. The combat is simplistic but it’s still fun to slash and dice your way through enemies, the graphics are at a whole new level of impressive, the RPG elements is still top-tier for it’s genre, the soundtrack is one of the best of 2023, and the story delivers some of the best emotional moments and characterization in this entire franchise. Even if the side quests left a bit to be desired, the overall main campaign could not be any stronger. Final Fantasy 16 is proof that this franchise still has yet to lose any steam and still continue to find ways of delivering quality games.

6.) Pikmin 4

I have never played a Pikmin game before this one. As a matter of fact, the only reason I bought this game at all was so I had a new game to play while I went on vacation last year. That turned out to be a very smart decision because Pikmin 4 was an absolute blast of a game that makes me want to check out the other ones. It’s just hard to NOT get sucked into this colorful world of charming creatures that will always follow your command to get the objective done. I like using my army of animal minions to counter any enemy that gets in my way, discovering any hidden treasure, and finding my way to cross certain paths. I loved all these Pikmin so much that it was hard for me to choose which one was my absolute favorite. Even if I’ve not played the other games, I can only imagine that is the charm and formula that fans have come to love about the series. Some might consider the game too easy but for a newcomer like me, Pikmin 4 was able to win me over big time, providing yet another great entry to a stack of quality games for the Switch in 2023.

5.) Star Wars: Jedi Survivor

After delivering the 2019 galactic surprise hit that was Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, Respawn was able to make lightning strike twice with their latest follow-up, Jedi Survivor. This was able to build upon it’s already impressive predecessor in just about every way it possibly could. It furthered the characters, it expanded upon the gameplay and the Star Wars universe, it moved at a faster frame rate, it took a step forward in terms of graphics and technical achievements, and it contained some of the best set pieces in any Star Wars video game to date! While it wasn’t as tight narratively as the first one and the worlds were a bit too big for some, Jedi Survivor was able to deliver more in terms of it’s gameplay, graphics, and presentation, perhaps more so than any Star Wars game up to this point. This was one of the first games I got for my PlayStation 5 and I was not disappointed in the slightest. If the third game is able to deliver just as well as the first two Jedi games from Respawn, then this series will stand strongly as one of the best Star Wars media out there, along with one of the best Star Wars crew out there with Cal, Merrin, Greez, Cere, and the LOVABLE BD-1.

4.) Super Mario Bros Wonder

Just when you think that the Mario series has run it’s course after so many different Mario games release over the past several decades, Nintendo proves yet again with Super Mario Bros. Wonder that they in fact have plenty of more tricks up there sleeves. This is yet another superb and quality Mario game, making for perhaps the plumber’s finest 2D outing since Super Mario World. It’s able to expand on it’s level design, worlds, and power ups further than any prior 2D Mario game while acting as one that can stand perfectly on it’s own two feet. The levels are fast paced and fun, all characters are a delight to play as, the music is amazing, the graphics are beautiful, the new voice cast does a find job, and the Wonder Flower power-up stands out as one of the best and most unique power-ups in any Mario game. I don’t know why it took Nintendo this long to put out a new and fresh 2D Mario game or just a new Mario game in general but it was absolutely worth the wait. Even I can’t live to see the Super Mario Odyssey 2 that I so desperately want, I can at least say I had Super Mario Bros. Wonder which will make me die not only happy but trippy!

3.) Resident Evil 4

Yes, this is another remake. No, I do not care whatsoever because it still manages to be excellent. Resident Evil 4 is able to provide an upgrade that is more than worthy of the original’s reputation, which is quite an accomplishment considering the original RE4 is considered by many to be the best out of the franchise. Capcom is able to delivery another quality RE remake and makes RE4 the best one out of the bunch so far. It’s more action-driven gameplay is able to translate very well to next gen consoles, the updated combat that allows Leon to move and fire his weapon at the same time as well as block is a genius move, Ashley is giving a lot more to do this time around and doesn’t just feel like a distraction, and it’s able to provide all the improvements and additions needed to make this remake feel like a brand new experience. Like most Resident Evil games, you do have to “get” the level design and structure in order to enjoy the full experience. If you are able to do that, then Resident Evil 4 will satisfy you in ways you wouldn’t even expect. There’s been plenty of video game remakes out there and Resident Evil 4 is easily up there as one of the very best.

2.) The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Just when you thought that Nintendo couldn’t do any better this year than with Super Mario RPG, Super Mario Bros Wonder, and Pikmin 4, they were able to reach that new level of peak with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Following up with the masterpiece that was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, this will able to match those incredibly high expectations and in many respects, surpassed it. It’s never been more satisfying to control as Link in this incredibly massive open world, exploring more caverns and sky islands than ever before. The fluidity of both Link’s movement and combat, along with new powerups, makes playing through all these islands an absolutely worthwhile experience. Even in the parts where you may get lost and the pace slows down, there is always something to do in both the side stories and the main campaign, with it’s incredibly strong narrative being able to stick with you the whole way through. It’s debatable as to whether or not it surpasses Breath of the Wild entirely but Tears of the Kingdom is still an excellent follow-up, showcasing the power and quality of games that the Nintendo Switch has provided over the past several years.

1.) Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

I was looking for every reason to NOT put this at #1. However, when it comes to the game that I played through the most, thought about the most, and had the most fun and excitement with, I can’t think of any other game from 2023 that fit those criterias for me than Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. This is as good as as a Spider-Man game to get and just how good a superhero game can get in general. This is Insomniac Games reaching a new level of peak, being able to achieve the kind of greatness they always tend to reach but also find new and satisfying ways to do so. The story is incredibly engaging and worth following the whole way through, the gameplay is as polished, perfect, and RIDICIOUSLY fun as ever, the combat and web swinging has never been more satisfying to use, the graphics have never been more of a treat to the eyes, the soundtrack is a new definition of peak, and the voice work is some of the best performed in any video game. Whether it’s the very best superhero game of all time is still up for debate (I still have Batman: Arkham City as my #1) but no doubt, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was able to hit all the right buttons for me and gave me everything that I crave for as a massive Spider-Man fan. It’s games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 that remind me why Spider-Man has always been my favorite superhero and one of my favorite fictional characters in general. I can’t wait for the next game, Marvel’s Wolverine, and whatever else that Insomniac has cooking for the future.

Top 20 Best Movies of 2014

AdamLeave a comment

It’s been ten years since 2014! Let that sink in for a moment! TEN YEARS SINCE FREAKING 2014! I got nothing else to add than that!

In all seriousness, when looking back on 2014, I can never stop to think about just how much amazing films that came out of that year. No matter what genre of movies you like, there was something for you about everybody! Action, drama, comedy, horror, suspense, thriller, and also some superhero stuff! I would go as far to say that 2014 was the best year for films since I’ve been alive. Yeah, it was THAT good!

And maybe it was just me but I also can’t help but feel like this was the last “tolerable” year when it came to discourse surrounding films and entertainment! Before it was all about what’s woke and what’s not and something something something “cultural war”, the conversation surrounding film was more on what the medium itself was about and NOT the politics behind it all, both from a studio standpoint and social/cultural standpoints! Yes, we did unfortunately get a sneak preview with what was to come for the next decade with the infamous geek culture movement that was GamersGate but at the time, it was easy to ignore that and just judge films for what they actually are!

And if I were to judge 2014 in film form, I don’t think you could get much better than this! There were bangers after bangers scattered throughout the entire year, from a promising spring to a knockout summer movie season to a worthy Oscar season. There were so many great films to come out in 2014 that I couldn’t narrow it down to just 10 or 15 movies! No, I had to go with 20 of them, TWENTY! And there were also ten other honorable mentions that I couldn’t squeeze but desperately wish I could! That should give you an indication of just how incredible 2014 was for movies!

Let’s not waste anymore time and dive straight into this list! Starting off with my TEN honorable mentions!

Honorable Mentions:

  • Enemy
  • The Theory of Everything
  • 22 Jump Street
  • A Most Violent Year
  • Locke
  • The Boxtrolls
  • The Drop
  • The Imitation Game
  • The Fault In Our Stars
  • Frank

That’s right! Not a single one of those was able to crack my top 20! You starting to see why I keep saying that 2014 was an AMAZING year for films! Anyways, now my top 20!

20.) The Babadook

Starting off the list is was my favorite horror film to come out in 2014 with The Babadook! Jennifer Kent is able to start her directing tenure with a bang with with this creepy and terrifying thriller, acting as perhaps the scariest film at the time since Sinister. The performances from Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman are stellar, the atmosphere is as haunting as it could get, and the Babadook itself is one of the more scary antagonists in recent horror movie history. It’s not quite a film that I go back to rewatch often but it’s undoubtedly a must watch for any fan of horror there!

19.) Fury

One of the most compelling war flicks in recent memory, David Ayer is able to deliver a film about the horrors of war and the atrocities that come with it for those that are involved in it. Despite all the stellar things about this film such as the intense action sequences, great cinematography, and spot-on direction, it’s the performances from the cast members such as Brad Pitt, Shia Labeouf, Jon Bernthal, Logan Lerman, and Michael Douglas that is able to evaluate the picture even further to make it stand out as well as it does. It may not break any new boundaries for war films and there is a near half hour long detour that could have been trimmed down from time but aside from that, Fury is a damn solid war flick.

18.) Life Itself

Back in 2013, we lost one of the best and most respected film critics in the industry with Roger Ebert. One year later, we were able to get a great documentary that did this great man justice in Life Itself.  A beautiful and emotional dive into this iconic movie review, showing his incredible legacy in a powerfully moving narrative among other critics and filmmakers out there. He was a film critic that earned the respect from every one around him and this documentary gives a great showcase as to why. RIP Roger Ebert! Cinema would never be the same without you! Two thumbs up!

17.) The Grand Budapest Hotel

While Wes Anderson can be a hit or miss filmmaker for me, he was able to hit big time here with The Grand Budapest Hotel! Anderson’s style is able to fit perfectly throughout this film, delivering his most striking visuals to date alongside an uncommonly fast-paced and engaging story. The cast members are all on top form here, the script is witty and full of charm, the production value is absolutely outstanding, and there’s even a very engaging and moving narrative at center, making everything matter more in the grand scheme of things. I do imagine most Wes Anderson fans would have this rank much higher on this list but The Grand Budapest Hotel is still more than worthy of landing a spot among the top 20 best films of 2014.

16.) Selma

If you’re looking for perhaps the most personal film of the year where you can hear the director’s voice throughout the entire picture, Selma would likely take the cake as the best of the year in that regard. This is a film where you can feel the weight of every scene, line, & moment that Ava DuVernay shows on screen. This is the kind of biopic that likely has and will be shown in schools so that generations never forget the message, spirit, power, and importance of the man that is Dr. Martin Luther King. It may not be the most comfortable watch but Selma is undeniably one of the most important watches of 2014.

15.) Snowpiercer

Captain America: The Winter Soldier was not the only 2014 film that had Chris Evans being a badass, that honor also is shared with Snowpiercer, directed by the brilliant mind of Bong Joon-ho. It’s a film that is able to exceed at being an action flick, a sci-fi epic, and a post-apocalyptic film all at that exact same time without losing any sort of cohesion. Filled with awesome set pieces, a memorable ensemble cast, and plot twists thrown at you at every turn, there is not a second of Snowpiercer that isn’t remotely entertaining or engaging. Even if the third act left a little bit to be desired, this is still a damn exciting ride that you should not miss! Just stay away from the tv series!

14.) Interstellar

What might be Christopher Nolan’s most ambitious film to date, Interstellar makes for one of the most interesting and intriguing sci-fi films of the 21st century. The film goes into great lengths about mankind’s place in the universe and what we are willing to achieve for the survival of the human race. The effects are a feast for the eyes, it’s superbly acted, the emotional core between Cooper and his daughter is very well done, and the first two acts is able to execute it’s themes to near perfection. It’s only the bumpy as hell ending and the way a certain subplot gets completely handwave by the conclusion that prevents this from being up there with Nolan’s very best. Even if it’s not able to stick the landing as well as it could have, Interstellar makes for one engaging ride that is worth experiencing at least one time.

13.) John Wick

Before the sequels would go even bigger, bolder, lore-heavy, and dive into traditional world building, John Wick was largely a smaller-scale self contained story about a hitman coming out of retirement to avenge the death of his dog, the last piece of his late wife that remained. It may be a rather straightforward and simplistic motivation but that’s all that’s needed. Because what matters most is that we get to see Keanu Reeves kicking ass once again and become even more of a badass than he ever did in The Matrix films. With elements such as the glorified action, awesome stunts, superb lighting and cinematography, an excellent supporting cast full of recognizable talent that all get their moment to shine, and of course, the awesome Keanu Reeves delivering cheesy one-liners in a direct but cool way. While some might take issues with the simplistic plotting /characterization along with needing to tolerate corny puns and having to suspend your disbelief, anyone else that is able to accept the tropes that have become common with action movies while also wanting something fresh and new should think John Wick is right up their alley. It’s one of those movies that is able to deliver exactly what you would ever want in an action movie and even more.

12.) How To Train Your Dragon 2

Fulfilling it’s role as the dark middle chapter of DreamWorks’s most critically acclaimed film series, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is a strong example as to why they can be counted on to deliver strong middle chapters for stories when they count the most. Taking the next level in terms of animation and technical achievements, this sequel is able to exceed for the same reasons that the very best sequels out there are able to do. It takes the characters to the next step of their development by putting them on a journey which makes them challenges who they are and why they do what they do. The voice work is also particularly strong here, especially with Cate Blanchett acting as Hiccup’s long lost mother. Not to mention, the surprising fate with one of the characters stands as one of the most bold moves that any DreamWorks film has every made. While the antagonist himself is a weak line and it lacks the freshness and novelty the first film had, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is still a very impressive animated sequel that is worthy of praise.

11.) Nightcrawler

One of the most gripping and unique thrillers to come out in 2014, Nightcrawler makes for one of the most fascinating character studies in recent memory! This is a film where the main character is basically an antagonist but he’s so interesting and menacing on screen that you just get engaged whenever he is on screen regardless. It’s a nice deep look into the inner meanings of being a reporter and the lengths one will go to in order to get the news and footage that they need. Jake Gyllenhaal is exceptionally excellent here, perfectly balancing the charisma and chaotic nature of it’s character. Complemented by dark and striking visuals, a strong supporting cast, and a rather haunting atmosphere, Nightcrawler delivers greatly as a unique, intense thriller! The fact it falls just shy out of the top 10 is criminal but that’s only because of how genuinely great these next ten films are!

10.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier

If Captain America: The First Avenger was a perfect period piece flick, then Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a perfect flick for the modern times. Not only a very well done espionage thriller with plenty of thrilling action, character development, and important subject matter, but it managed to make certain characters more interesting and badass than ever before. Captain America became cool to like in this one, Black Widow was more interesting and developed this time around (along with having the best hairstyle here), Nick Fury actually gets to do something here than just try to motivate the Avengers through pep talk, and man does Winter Soldier make for an intense and threatening presence whenever he is one screen. This was the Russo Brothers first film in the MCU and they were able to make one hell of a first impression! Captain America: The Winter Soldier was an absolute game changer for the MCU when it came out back in 2014 and it still remains one of their very best films to date!

9.) Edge of Tomorrow

Perhaps the most surprising summer blockbuster of the year, Edge of Tomorrow (or Live. Die. Repeat as it was later changed to….I think) was significantly better than it had any right to be! This is a time loop film that is able to do everything it possibly can with it’s Groundhog Day-like premise! It’s able to be action packed, entertaining, funny, well-acted, perfectly paced and be able to surprise you at basically every turn! Although Tom Cruise shows he’s still able to be a convincing action star outside of Mission Impossible, it’s Emily Blunt as Rita Vrataski that steals the show entirely, fondly earning the name the Full Metal Bitch! Yes, it’s a shame this film didn’t do that well at the box office (likely due to the film’s rather lackluster campaign) but that doesn’t change the fact that this is an absurdly great and clever sci-fi action thriller that is MORE than worthy of your time!

8.) Gone Girl

Even when you think that David Fincher has run out of ways to tell compelling stories, he proves us all wrong with Gone Girl. This works near perfectly as not just a faithful adaption of the novel which it is based on but it also works as terrific social commentary on the politics surrounding media and the consequences of coming to a general consensus without having all of the information. Ben Affleck might be damn good here but Rosamund Pike is absolutely INCREDIBLE here, giving perhaps the best performance out of any actress this year. With a fantastic script, great cinematography, an engaging cast, and a narrative that will keep you intrigue and guessing throughout, Gone Girl is a fantastic thriller and one of the very best films to come for the great David Fincher.

7.) X-Men: Days of Future Past

While there’s definitely a strong argument to be made that Logan is objectively the best X-Men film ever made, Days of Future Past is by far my absolute favorite “team-up” X-Men film in the series. From the superb character development to the amazing action set pieces (The Quicksilver scene is still an all-timer!) to the warm, dark tone to the resonate themes to the inventiveness of the time travel storytelling to the inspired score, this is basically everything you can ask for in an X-Men film or in basically any superhero movie in general. But the one thing I believe is most important to take away from Days of Future Past is how just because you are course-correcting your franchise does not mean the overall product has to suffer because of it. I can’t really recall any movie in recent memory that was able to be a kind of course-correcting movie without feeling the need to sacrifice it’s own quality for a brighter future. As curious as I am with how the Marvel Cinematic Universe handles the X-Men property from now on, I can’t imagine them topping this film or craft something as creative and inventive as this, at least in terms of live-action (X-Men 97 is MAGNIFICENT btw!)

6.) Birdman

The film that won Best Picture at the Oscars may not quite be the very best film that I saw in 2014 but in many ways, it’s pretty damn close! Birdman remains one of the most unique and original films in recent memory, giving a great insight into a legendary actor passed his prime, how film critics observe film, and the way that Hollywood operates in chasing successful trends. The one-shot gimmick is unique and never wears out it’s welcome, the screenplay is excellent, the narrative is engaging, the cinematography is more than Oscar-caliber, and the performances from Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, and Edward Norton is among the very best in all three of their careers. Even if it does have a tad sense of smugness throughout, almost as if director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is shouting his frustrations at the way superhero flicks are taking over anything, Birdman is an extremely impressive cinematic achievement that it’s too hard to care about any potential shortcomings.

5.) Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

If you want a textbook example on how to do a proper summer movie blockbuster, this would be exactly what you find in that dictionary. Released in a loaded 2014 movie season that was serving constant bangers, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was able to stand greatly among them. This is a layered, three-dimensional, and at times unpredictable film that is able to tell a cautionary tale about the roles that two different species play and every single one of them looking for the best possible outcome for themselves. Instead of going with a conventional “apes good, human bad” approach, Dawn instead shows the pros and cons of both the humans and apes, highlighting the gray area that is consuming both sides, as the two sides are trying to make for the best possible future for themselves in the worst possible times. We also can’t forget the spectacular visuals and motion capture of the apes that has never been better than it has been here, great action, perfect tension throughout, and one of the coolest and underrated villains in recent memory in Koba, played perfectly by Toby Kebbell. Perfectly paced, perfectly written, perfectly directed, and perfectly acted (Give Andy Serkis an Oscar already!), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is blockbusters at it’s absolute finest, giving me all hope that we are still capable of making great franchise installments.

4.) The Lego Movie

One of the most genuinely surprising films in recent memory, The LEGO Movie was able to defy any logical odds and become an instant classic! This is a movie where you have the LEGO people be actual characters who get development, it’s own unique animation style, tons of exciting and inventive set pieces, incredibly funny and original jokes, poking fun at movie cliches, subverting expectations at every turn, and has a heartfelt message that can appeal to both kids and adults that have played with LEGOS at some point in their lives. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were able to fully realize their vision when sitting comfortably in the director’s chair and used this premise to create this magnificent animated picture. While I’m sure the movie was able to help sell tons of LEGO sets the way that stockholders hoped it would, The LEGO Movie was able to be something much more than simply be a movie exist to sell toys, even if that was intention with stockholders. It showed that just because you’re a brand doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the artistic integrity and creativity to make something special. 

3.) The Raid 2

You wanna talk about an action filmmaking TRIUMPH, that would be The Raid 2! Gareth Evans is able to take everything that made the original Raid so good and crank it up to ELEVEN here! The action is constantly non-stop, throwing one amazing fight at you after another with constant blood and carnage throughout, the shock value is off the charts, every single frame and set piece feel expertly crafted, the pacing is absolute rapid fire, and even the story and characters are quite engaging, helping make every fight scene that more gripping and suspenseful. I don’t think I have ever seen an action film with better fight sequences, more convincing stunts, and more superb fight choreography than this! There is nothing here that feels half assed, restricted, or unconvincing! Even if nothing that happened in this movie happened in real life, it will FEEL like that when you are watching The Raid 2! There’s been a lot of great action films out there but when it comes to the pure action itself, I don’t think I’ve seen a film that delivers that any better than The Raid 2!

2.) Guardians of the Galaxy

While this may not be technically the best directed, acted, or written MCU movie, I don’t think there’s any other MCU movie I would rather rewatch than the original Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s incredible how a movie with this different of concept and characters and play barley over two hours yet it still feels like the complete package. Every member of the Guardians of the Galaxy is instantly iconic and lovable, with the big standouts being Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, the story is familiar but also refreshing with it’s own unique identity to it, the action scenes are well-crafted, it’s incredibly funny as hell, the score is kick-ass, and there’s some hard hitting emotions that feel just right. Even the one-note villain of Ronan the Accuser, is actually quite functional in his own way as being the space equivalent of Hitler. There are definitely Marvel movies that are better made and might be better objectively but you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s as fresh, surprising, and flat-out more entertaining than Guardians of the Galaxy! This is a film I can watch time and time again and NEVER be bored with!

1.) Whiplash

There are rare times when films feel more like than just films but feel like experiences! I don’t think I can think of a more fitting example of that than Whiplash! There was no film in 2014 that was able to enthrall me, challenge me, have me on the edge of my seat, or keep me engaged than Whiplash! This is not just a film about music but it’s about pushing yourself beyond measures to be the best version of yourself you can possibly me. It’s about the lengths you will go to accomplish your dream goals and what you are willing to sacrifice along the way! It’s about a professor trying to get the very best out of his student in ways that are unconventional and absolutely anxiety inducing! Best of all, Whiplash is about filmmaking at it’s finest! Damien Chazelle’s directing is spot-on, Miles Teller turns in the best performance of his career, J.K. Simmons’s Terence Fletcher is one of the best film antagonists in recent memory, the screenplay is as air tight as they come, the score and editing is sublime, not a single moment feel wasted, and the third act is one of the best and most satisfying climaxes of any film I have ever seen! When it comes to all the films I saw in 2014, there is not that stuck with me the most and had me appreciating the more I thought about it than Whiplash! An absolute masterpiece on every level and legit one of the best films I’ve ever seen period!

Why Hello, Bikini Bottom Is The Most Important Episode of SpongeBob SquarePants

AdamLeave a comment

This month, I wanted to do something different for the SpongeBob SquarePants retrospective! Instead of going over the second movie, Out of Water, I decided to take a step back and talk about a big specific episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. This is an episode that I don’t think gets talked about quite as often as it should nor do I think people understand the great importance of it. That episode I’m referring to is Hello, Bikini Bottom!

Hello, Bikini Bottom! was an episode that aired on October 8th, 2012, acting as the finale to Season 8 of SpongeBob SquarePants along with it being the swan song for longtime series writer Aaron Springer (who did later return for future projects such as Sponge on the Run, The Patrick Star Show, and the upcoming Search for SquarePants. Of course, Nickelodeon being Nickelodeon, it was aired completely out of order and wasn’t actually the final episode that aired of Season 8, with even several episodes of Season 9 airing before and after that, but the episode itself still feels and is structured like a season finale. Not only because it was a 22-minute long special but it acted as both a culmination of the worst era of SpongeBob while also setting the stage for the revival era of SpongeBob. While Season 8 did show potential for greener pastures for the show for upcoming seasons, I don’t think there was one episode that was able to hit that mark quite as much as Hello, Bikini Bottom!

The episode is about SpongeBob and Squidward learning to play music together that would draw a crowd and show potential of the two forming a famous duet band, giving Squidward the career he has always wanted and giving SpongeBob that perhaps he never knew he wanted. After SpongeBob tries to play his guitar alongside Squidward playing the clarinet, they are discovered by a concert promoter named Colonel Carper. He wants SpongeBob and Squidward to form a band together and sent them both on a concert tour. However, after hearing from a long distance about what Colonel Carper has in mind, Mr. Krabs decides to take things into his own hands by forming the duo band himself, banking on potential massive profits from both his employees. In so doing so, he steals a bus from Mrs. Puffs and sound equipment from Carper and sells the Krusty Krab to generate funding for this concert tour. It’s then that SpongeBob and Squidward must learn to perform as a duo band to become the famous stars that Colonel Carper saw them both as or else this could be the end of the Krusty Krab and even Mr. Krab’s reputation as we know it. Oh….and Patrick is in this episode too because all bands need a roadie and what better starfish for the job than him.

I have stated throughout this entire retrospective that SpongeBob SquarePants has never been known for it’s groundbreaking storytelling or themes but I can’t help that Hello, Bikini Bottom in many ways represents the main turning point for the series and serves as a swelling goodbye to the end of the worst era of SpongeBob SquarePants and hello to a promising new future that awaits. This isn’t just the SpongeBob crew going on a concert tour in the hopes of starting a new career in music, this is the crew going on a farewell tour towards this specific era of SpongeBob. This is by revisiting ideas that weren’t very well executed in prior seasons while also giving a sneak peek at the new crazy and just plain “out there” animation that would become a staple for later seasons.

Throughout this episode, we see the characters act as they always have been up to this point but never goes too far towards their one main character trait being their entire character. SpongeBob is still optimistic and hopeful but he also has a brain in his head. Squidward does get tortured every once in a while and still fill with nihilism but he also gets his way by the end and it never goes too far with the torture or nihilism. Patrick is still dumb and comic relief but he’s not so dumb that he becomes unbearable. Even the character that was the easiest to mess up, Mr. Krabs, despite being obviously greedy and shellfish throughout, gets punished for his actions and suffer consequences for taking a such a baffling gamble. It’s a nice balance of being able to keep the characters the way they have always been without falling into the trappings that has lessen them for the past three seasons.

However, I think the main hook of this episode comes from the climax when the song Never Give Up plays. This comes at the moment where the crew are at their lowest point. They went to several different places to try to gain a massive crowd and following and just about all of it failed. Supermarkets, retirement homes, birthday party for kids, and even trying to hijack another famous bands’ show. All of those were failures and as a result, the concert tour was a failure and the Krusty Krab is long gone along with Mr. Krab’s salary. They have nothing let…except to stand up and play a song.

While there was some solid songs throughout this episode, the song that is most well known for this episode is Never Give Up. This is the moment where SpongeBob and Squidward are able to sing together despite being in different places and finally learn how to duet together. Here is where they move pass their shortcomings up to this point and just stand up and play, finally realizing the potential of a duel band that Colonel Carper saw in them at the beginning of the episode. Yes, the crowd they gather wasn’t necessarily for them and actually for the superstar light show that was right behind him but in the heat of the moment, that didn’t matter at all. That moment was not about SpongeBob and Squidward gathering a crowd, it was about them learning how to play together and seeing their own potential as a band.

That song is also a great showcase of the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise up to this point. It started off great, lose some stream, and went complete rock bottom. However, the people behind the show did not give up and kept working hard and eventually found the series in a much better place later on down the road. Those two factors in of itself is what makes Never Give Up perhaps the best song of the post-original era and easily the most emotionally satisfying. However, there is one other factor that hits home for me personally. Not only about this song but the entire episode in general.

Right around the time this episode aired, it was around that time where I and many others that grew up with SpongeBob SquarePants and Nickelodeon were getting older and becoming teenagers and/or young adults. It was around this time where most of the shows that era of kids grew up with had either ended or would soon come to an end. iCarly saw it’s series finale just one month later (until it would later get revived nearly a decade later), The Penguins of Madagascar was on it’s last legs on the main Nickelodeon channel, The Fairly Oddparents was still up in the air of continuing, and the likes of Victorious and Big Time Rush would reach their conclusions a few months later. Yes, there was still a handful of remaining shows that (in some way) connected to Gen Z’s childhood such as Kung Fu Panda: Legend of Awesomeness, TMNT (2012), and The Legend of Korra but for the most part, this was the end of my (and many others) era of Nickelodeon and the beginning of a new era for the kids of the 2010s.

In many ways, Hello, Bikini Bottom! represents the ending to multiple things at the same time! It was the end to Season 8, it was the end of Aaron Springer’s run on the main show, it was the end of what many consider the worst era of the history of SpongeBob SquarePants, and the most personal to me, it acted the end of “my” era with Nickelodeon. The one thing it was NOT the ending of was SpongeBob SquarePants itself. Despite all the other Nick shows coming and going during this time, SpongeBob SquarePants was one that still prevailed and unlike say The Fairly Oddparents, would find even more good will later on down the road. Because of that and more, there’s a lot to thank Hello, Bikini Bottom for!

Hello, Bikini Bottom is by no means the best or biggest episode of SpongeBob SquarePants but I do think there’s a strong argument to be made that it’s the most important one to date. Not just because of it’s high quality but also it’s timing. This show aired during a time where the show and a generation of kids that grew up with Nickelodeon was losing their appeal. They needed episodes from this show specifically that would be good enough to cater to the last remains of the previous generation and make way for the new one. They needed that one episode that could act as that proper bridge between Season 8 to Season 9 and get a new era into SpongeBob. While there might be another episode or two that might’ve done just that, I can’t think of one that I handle that about as well as it could then Hello, Bikini Bottom!

It’s all those reasons and more why I felt compelled to make a piece strictly based off this episode. Mostly because I believe it was that one moment that shows signs of a brighter future ahead of our beloved yellow sponge. This was an episode that not only gave a soft landing to a very bleak era of SpongeBob SquarePants but it showed that this show still did have untapped potential it hadn’t reached for a long time. All everyone had to do on the show as to not give up! And they did just that!

Next Month: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Ranking The Mad Max Franchise

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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is now out in theaters! Because of that, it’s time for another new ranking on this blog. This time, we will be ranking the Mad Max franchise! However, I’m not just going to rank every single film installment. I will also include the Mad Max video game that came out in 2015! Why you may ask? Because it’s a dope game and deserves to be included in this messed up canon of a universe?!

Anyways, let’s hope right into the list of the Mad Max franchise from worst to best! Also, Happy Memorial Day!

6.) Mad Max

Yes, the worst that the Mad Max universe has to offer is in fact the original Mad Max, which is also the only film in the series to put the full spotlight on him and not those around him. This is when George Miller had yet to find an actual identity for the franchise that he created along with discovering his own talents as a filmmaker. The pacing is sluggish, the action lacks tensions because of how rubbish it’s filmed, and despite being considered a “revenge” movie, it’s not until the last 20 or so minutes when Max does in fact give revenge for his family’s death. While those sequences are awesome, it happens way too late in the film, delivering little payoff to a whole lot of setup. Thankfully, it’s by the end where Max finds himself in the wasteland, which is also when the franchise finds it’s own identity.

5.) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

There are many folks that point to Beyond Thunderdome, the final film in the series with Mel Gibson as the title character, as the low point of the series, sighting it’s cartoon-like nature and more kid friendly tone as being the reasons why. Oh, and the annoying little kids don’t help either! While all of that is partially true, it still delivers in terms of car chases, production design, costumes, and Mel Gibson’s beautiful hair in it. Not to mention, Tina Turner singing “We Don’t Need Another Hero.” It’s undoubtedly cheesy but at least there’s always something happening on screen that makes it hard to be bored by, as compared to the first movie. It’s definitely a mixed bag but the good news is that the post-Mel Gibson Mad Max films (and one game) would go on to learn the “right” lessons from this and ignore all the wrong ones.

4.) Mad Max (2015) Video Game

Yes, there was a Mad Max game that came out in 2015. The main reason you might not know about it may have to do with the fact that this released the same day as Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (A dull and boring game btw!). What stinks because this is actually one of the better IP exclusive games in recent memory. Taking cues from hit games such as Batman: Arkham Asylum and Grand Theft Auto V, Mad Max (2015) the video game really makes you feel like the title character. You just have all the fun in the world driving the Magnum Opus, beating up war boys, collecting scraps and goodies, and taking down the enemies towers along the way. Also at his heart is a core story about Max trying to fight his way through the wasteland and find somewhere where he can be at peace at long last, leaving the memories of his fallen loved ones behind him. Oh, and the main bad guy in this game is Immortan Joe’s son, who also showed up in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. It’s far from the most revolutionary gameplay out there but if you need your Mad Max fix after Fury Road and Furiosa, this should do you well!

3.) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

This is the first film in the series to not have Max himself in a main role (although he has one glorious blink-and-you-miss-it cameo and instead acts as the origin story of the star from Fury Road in Furiosa. Even so, it still remains a superb action packed spectacle that offers a further expansion of the Furiosa character and more depth into the insane world of Mad Max itself. It manages to tell a compelling origin story for it’s lead heroine that stands strong in it’s own right, Anya-Taylor Joy is able to fill in the shoes for Charlize Theron greatly, Chris Hemsworth is having the time of his life playing the main bad guy in Dementus, and it just makes for a perfect counterpart to it’s already perfect successor in Mad Max: Fury Road. Oh, and some nice little easter eggs and nods to the Mad Max (2015) video game is always welcome! It may not quite reach the height of Fury Road (or even The Road Warrior for that matter) but oh man, is it fun to watch George Miler try to top himself the whole way through. If this really is the beginning of the end of movie theaters as we know it, then I’m at least glad we are going out with bangs like like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. 

2.) Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Before Fury Road managed to raise the standards of actions movies in the 2010s, The Road Warrior was able to do that first for actions movies in the 1980s. This was when you can tell that George Miller was fully at home with this franchise and Mel Gibson had slipped comfortably in his role as Max Rockatany. The story structures feels more much organic, the action and chase scenes have more weight and energy to them, the exploration of the post-apocalyptic wasteland is intriguing to explore, and it does a great job of leading into the sheer madness and craziness that would become a staple for this franchise. This is also what set the formula for the sequels of the stories not actually being about Max himself but the others that are around him and how he goes about helping them through others troubles. Max might not be able to prevent the tragic past that he had to endure but that doesn’t mean he has to let others have the same faith. It might have took a second try but The Road Warrior is when the series was able to unlock it’s true potential with it’s action, set pieces, and world building. However, it still only walked so that the next one could run over 30 years later.

1.) Mad Max: Fury Road

If you want to talk about the Mad Max series at it’s finest and just action blockbuster filmmaking in general, look no further than Mad Max: Fury Road. This is hands down the best film in this franchise because of the high near impossible standards that it was able to reach and lead by examples. The action is absolutely spectacular in every sense of the word, there is tension, suspense, and momentum felt throughout it’s entire runtime, the practical effects is able to blend together with the VFX work perfectly, every single cast member is on top form here, the stunt work and editing is some of the best I’ve ever seen for a blockbuster, the score is absolutely mesmerizing, Tom Hardy is able to take over for Mel Gibson as Max without much shortcomings, and Furiosa, played perfectly by Charlize Theron, is one of the best female protagonists in cinema history, so much so that it’s basically more of her movie than it is Max’s but you don’t care one bit because of how great and compelling she is. Mad Max: Fury Road is a film that is perfect no matter what way you look at. Whether it’s as an action-packed spectacle, a visual and character driven story, a further look into the wasteland of Mad Max, or as a feminist think piece, Mad Max: Fury Road remains one of the best and most perfect films of the 21st century. Even if Mad Max: The Wasteland or another Mad Max film never gets made, let’s at least be glad we got to witness George Miller craft a Magnum Opus of his own. And we all could not be better for it!