Azurephile27

Joined 02/23/2012
  Super Member

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329 Posts

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Second Trailer
There's a new trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife and it looks awesome! It seems like it's been a long time since we've heard or seen anything about this movie, so it's very refreshing to see a new trailer out now. the movie releases Thanksgiving of this year.

The story revolves around a family, which happens to be related to Ego Spangler, one of the original Ghostbusters. They have inherited a house he lived in and his grandchildren find things he left behind, including Ecto-1!!! We get to see a scene of them going on a joy ride with it, but we also later see them using it while ghostbusting. Ghosts have returned to this town, including some familiar ones from the original movie. There is a ghost that looks like Slimer, but isn't him, instead this ghost is called Muncher.
At the end of the trailer we see a red phone getting answered by Dan Akroyd.

This trailer is slightly different than the first I remember seeing, but it looks good. I think I'd really like to see this. It's been long since I've seen a Ghostbuster movie. I've only seen the first two, but I also did watch the cartoon when I was much younger. I did not see the latest female reboot.

Let me know what you think about this! Are you planning on seeing it? How much of a fan are you of the Ghostbusters and which movies (if any) have you seen? Did you also watch the cartoon?

If you want to see a great trailer breakdown, which includes the name of the new ghost I mentioned along with other Easter eggs, you can see it here at New Rockstars: https://youtu.be/AqcFIsmJDgw

Dune Official Trailer!
There's now an official trailer for Dune (embedded) and the movie is coming in October. You may recognize many faces as there are some well-known (and maybe not so well-known) actors.

You may be aware of the book titled Dune written by Frank Herbert (or you may not), but it is only the first in a series. I have Dune and at least one (some where) and at least one of the related books, but I've only read Dune. This movie centers on the first half of the first book. There was a previous movie that adapted the book. Patrick Stewart had a part in it, but it seems it wasn't received well. There have been other adaptations of the book.

You may also be aware of some video game adaptations. Dune 2 was among the first strategy games I played around 1995. It was popular among my friends, so I played it and really enjoyed it. It evolved into Command & Conquer, which was also a great strategy game in those days. Since then, there has been at least one attempt to bring that Dune game back. That game was titled Dune 2000 and I've hardly touched it.

Legendary is behind this and they're one of my favorite movie studios. They created the modern Godzilla and Kong movies, which I think were fantastic. They have other titles I really enjoyed as well.

It looks like it's coming to HBO Max. Let me know what you think about this and if you plan on watching it. Let me know if you've read Dune or other books in the series. Also, let me know if you've played any of the games and what you thought of it (or them).

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order Spoiler-Free Review
Azurephile gives this a solid "Rad" on the Ghost Scale
This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.
Azurephile gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale
This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.
I’m a Star Wars fan and if you are, too, I think you’ll enjoy this game as much as I did. The main technical issue I ran into was with two cut scenes that occur on a certain planet (it starts with the letter “K”). One had choppy video and the audio in another was out of sync with the video. I found out that even people with better hardware still experienced this, so you should probably expect this, too, but it’s not a game-breaking issue and there were only two cut scenes with these issues. I also noticed very brief video choppiness while exiting hyperspace twice, but it was very minor. Other than that, the game ran very well for me on Epic settings. I ran it at my default resolution of 1920X1200 and locked at 60FPS w/ VSync.

Part of what makes this game great, is that it lets you experience being a Jedi. You don’t start with all the skills, but you’ll gain experience and be able to spend points towards abilities. In the end, I unlocked all but one of them. There were some things I got to do that felt really awesome. I loved deflecting blaster fire and sending it back to the shooter. This is something you see in Star Wars movies and it’s so fun to be able to do. Cal also has the ability to basically slow time, so when someone shot a rocket at me, I got to slow it down and Force throw it right back. It’s also fun to Force throw enemies off an edge or into another enemy. You can also Force pull an enemy towards you and hit them in a specific way when they’re close enough. I also liked being able to throw the lightsaber. One cool thing you can do with the double light saber is throw it and it spins in a circle around you, which is really good for when you’re surrounded.

Speaking of the double lightsaber, you can get it early in the game. Once you’re done with the first planet, you’ll have two options, one is easier than the other. You’ll want to go to the planet that starts with “D” (remember, no spoilers!). There’s a certain area there where you can get it, so I recommend reading watching a video about how to collect it. You can at any time switch between it an a single lightsaber.

The game is challenging, even on the second (default) setting. You can change the difficulty at any time in the settings options. I decided I was tired of dying, so I changed it to the lowest difficulty and this let me enjoy the game more.

I think the story is good. You may not be aware of Cal, but he was a Padawan of Jedi Master Jaro Tapal. Order 66 was a tragedy for him, to say the least. If you watch The Bad Batch, you’ll briefly see him make a brief appearance. Eventually in the game, you’ll see first hand what happened between the two and why you Cal is on Bracca, the junkyard planet, when you start the game.

The beginning is, interesting. Your droid boss has you and a co-worker go do something, but getting there is dangerous. In doing so, you’ll learn the mechanics for getting around in the game, such as jumping, running, climbing, etc. There’s much of that in the game. It’s not too bad. Eventually you’ll be able to do more things, like climb specific walls and climb faster.

On some planets, you’ll come across places you might not be able to reach until you gain a certain ability. These abilities are not skills you unlock in the skill tree, but they unlock during certain points in the game. Some of these include the ability to run along the side of a wall or being able to jump farther with a flip. Because you don’t start out with all of these abilities, you may want to revisit a planet once you obtain them, because there are many “secrets” hidden throughout each area. One of Cal’s Force abilities is to sense an “echo.” By touching something he can get a sense of something that happened and hear voices. These will add small database entries that add to the lore. You’ll also find boxes you can open, which contain customizations for your lightsaber, outfit, poncho, BD-1, and the Mantis. Some boxes can’t be opened until BD-1 gets an ability. Oh and there are also puzzles, some of which require certain abilities to solve (like being able to Force push).

Speaking of which, BD-1 is your little droid buddy. It’s a really cool droid that becomes Cal’s best friend, you’ll find it at the beginning of the game. It’s a nice little companion that can open those boxes I mentioned, scan areas in the environment, which can contribute to the lore, and also scan enemies, which will give you some information about them. I really love BD-1. As I mentioned, it’ll gain new abilities as you progress, which makes revisiting a planet a good idea.

The Mantis is the starship you’ll be riding in. The customizations you unlock for it are just paint jobs. It’s where Cal lives, pretty much, with others. Initially, there will be two others. You can also find “secret” seeds throughout the game, which Cal can plant. These plants are used by the pilot for food, but that’s just a bit of dialogue stuff and not really important. You will find the star map in the ship, a place to meditate, and a place to customize your lightsaber.

Speaking of meditation, there are spots in areas where you can “meditate.” Basically, this gives you access to the skill tree and allows you to rest, which will not only restore your HP, but also respawn enemies. You don’t have to “rest,” but these points are there so you can save your game.

There’s not much to say about customizing your lightsaber, but you’ll unlock different models of the different parts in those boxes I mentioned. I didn’t find many customizations that I was particularly fond of, but I’m just glad I found the blue paint jobs for BD-1, the Mantis, and lightsaber. I also found a blue poncho, so I was happy with all of that.

This is a first person, action, combat game. There are some cut scenes and some planets to visit. If you’ve watched Star Wars movies and The Clone Wars, you should recognize at least a couple planets.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I do recommend playing it with a controller. I used the Xbox One controller I specifically bought for PC gaming and it worked well. You can play with the keyboard and mouse, though. Also, if you get the game on Steam, you’ll have to install Origin and sign into (or create) an account. However, it’s still linked to Steam, so you can access the overlay (or web browser) the same way you’re used to or you can do so the Origin way. You’ll unlock achievements in both Origin and Steam.

I got the game recently at a discount and I got the “deluxe edition,” which seems to include some of those customizations I mentioned along with some extra stuff like developer commentary (it’s not devs talking over your game play, just some videos). I think if you like Star Wars, you should definitely get this. I think you’ll enjoy it.

The only reason I’m not giving this an outstanding Cheerful Ghost rating is because of the two issues I had with those cut scenes I mentioned. Overall, I still think it’s a great game and worth playing. You’ll see some cameos, too, so be sure to finish the game!

Marvel's What If...? Coming August 11 to Disney+
Marvel's animated show, What If....?, is coming to Disney+ on August 11. The multiverse is the big theme in Marvel these days and this show is clearly part of it. In the trailer, we can see Killmonger saving Tony Stark at the beginning of Iron Man from one of his own Stark Industries weapons. We also get to see Captain Carter, Peggy Carter with the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers. Many other well known Marvel characters make an appearance such as Thor, Loki, Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and T'Challa. There's also a slight glimpse at the zombie Avengers. The show is based on the comic book series of the same name and it looks very interesting. I'm looking forward to it!

Here's some interesting info from the article I found (ok I'm copying most of it):

...we see familiar characters such as Dr. Strange, Spider-Man, and Thor mixing with Howard the Duck and Captain Britain--who, in this case, is the alias of Captain Peggy Carter. T'Challa is now the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and there's a voiceover from the all-seeing Beyonder, played by Westworld's Jeffrey Wright, who teases a "journey to face the unknown."

What If...? features voiceovers from many of the actors from the MCU, including Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Josh Brolin as Thanos, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger, Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster, Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, and the late Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa.

Season 1 of What If...? will feature 10 episodes, and there's already a second season in the works. In an interview with Discussing Film in 2019, showrunner Ashley Bradley explained that the show will mix up the events of the movies in unexpected ways. "We will be exploring every movie in a new way, but not every episode is about one movie if that makes sense," he said.

"On the reel [shown at D23 Expo], there is this image of a Star-Lord T'Challa because we wanted to see what if the worlds of Black Panther and the Guardians of the Galaxy collided? That was taking two universes, two to three movies, kind of twisting them in new ways."

Let me know what you think about this. Does it look like something you're into? Are you planning to watch it when it comes out next month?

Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/marvels-what-if-releases-august-11-new-trailer-shows-starlord-tchalla-captain-britain-and-more/1100-6493725/

Nintendo Switch OLED Model Coming Oct. 8
I found out about this a day ago and thought I'd share with you Switch lovers and owners, in case you weren't aware. A new model for the Switch (OLED) is coming on Oct. 8 at the same time the new Metroid game is coming out. The new model includes a bigger screen, improved audio, wider adjustable stand, 64GB of internal memory, and a wired LAN port. It's going to cost $350. While this isn't a 4K model with upgraded hardware like the CPU, it's still a bit of an upgrade and the 4K upgraded model may still be in the Switch's future.

I think the bigger screen sounds nice. It reminds me of when the 3DSXL came out. I really wanted to get it. I finally did buy a 2DSXL, although I've barely used it. I've owned many different iterations of Nintendo's handheld, including the original Gameboy, which I got not too long after it came out. I skipped the Gameboy color, but I got a Gameboy Advance and then the SP model, which I really loved. After that, the DS came out and I bought most of the models that followed it, including the 3DS and it's iterations as well.

I'd also like to mention that I welcome most of the other upgrades. More internal memory is always a plus. I think the wired LAN port is also a good bonus. I remember buying a wired LAN adapter for my Wii. I've always believed that wired was better than wireless, but I've seen how wireless technology has significantly improved and can be just as fast as wired. The improved audio seems to be nice as well. I'm not so sure about the stand, I feel kind of "meh" about that one, but I haven't experienced the current Switch and it's stand, so maybe people who have a Switch will appreciate it.

I think it's still unsure as to how the supply will be since there's still a semiconductor shortage going on. It's been going on for a while now and is a big reason why it's so difficult to get the new XBox and PS5. It's also contributed to PC hardware prices. For example, I paid about $300 for my GTX 1660 Ti (EVGA XC Gaming, which means EVGA overclocked it) on Amazon. I've seen it on Amazon just recently for about double the price I paid. This shortage has made it difficult to find new graphics cards like the RTX 30 series and why they're also very expensive, though it may not be the only reason, because digital currency seems to be affecting the supply and demand as well, which affects prices (Econ 101).

I still don't have a Switch, but I've recently learned (as we've mentioned here) about some games I've added to my mental list of games I'm interested in. I think years ago I became aware of the newer Switch model that had better battery life and that was the model I decided I would get, if I got one. Now, I think I'd probably go for this new model, assuming I could afford it.

This news isn't quite new with regards to Nintendo. Remember how many iterations of handhelds Nintendo released (as I mentioned above), improving on it with each. It looks like the Switch is going through that same evolution (although in my opinion the Switch Lite isn't an improvement and I refused to buy one at a discount when my local GameStop closed).

So, what do you think about this? If you don't have a Switch yet, but are planning on buying one are you going to hold off to get this new model? If you have a Switch, do you think you'll buy it? If so, do you plan to try to sell your current one or keep it around? If you plant to sell it, how do you intend to go about that? Feel free to let me know!

Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-switch-oled-announced-coming-october-8/1100-6493578/

Godzilla Singular Point Spoiler-Free Review
I was aware of Godzilla Singular Point before it was released, but I had forgotten about it until I wrote about Star Wars Visions. Star Wars Visions is an anime series coming to Disney+ this September (22nd), while Godzilla Singular Point is an anime series currently out on Netflix. Luckily, this was released globally not too long ago (Japan got it first), so my timing was about right.

The series (or first season) is 13 half hour episodes and I “binge watched” them, which I think is a great way to watch many shows. This is a TOHO production, which is the company that created Godzilla along with almost all of the Godzilla movies. They also created many other kaiju movies that didn’t feature Godzilla. I really love TOHO, because I really love Godzilla. I also really love the theme music for Godzilla and Mothra (the benevolent moth seen in some Godzilla movies, though she also stars in her own movies). Godzilla and Mothra’s music are very recognizable and I absolutely love them both. I also really love the sound of Godzilla’s roar, which is pretty much the same as it is in all the other TOHO productions. Godzilla’s roar is different in the recent Legendary movies, which I found disappointing.

Godzilla isn’t the only kaiju featured. In fact, we don’t see Godzilla for a few episodes. Rodan, the pterasaur, is the first kaiju we get to see and hearing it’s roar reminded me of watching the movies in which it appeared. That sound was the same and I really loved it! It appears frequently. Jet Jaguar is a giant robot from Godzilla Vs. Megalon, which is it’s only appearance. It also makes an appearance and is pretty much the star of the show, along with the humans. Jet Jaguar goes through an evolution, though not quite like another star of the show (“spoilers!” so I’ll be nice and not reveal that). There are other kaiju as well including Anguiris, the ankylosaurus-looking kaiju and Manda, the underwater dragon. Another named Salunga appears to be Gabara with a redesign and new name. There is one final character in the post-credits scene, but that is another spoiler I won’t reveal here.

I’ve come to realize that just because Godzilla is in something, doesn’t mean it’s great. I’ve watched and re-watched Godzilla movies and have come to the opinion that some of them are horrible, while others are fantastic. Even if a Godzilla movie isn’t great, the parts that directly feature Godzilla are and kind of make them worth watching. It’s kind of hard to pinpoint how I feel about Godzilla Singular Point. I’m not sure I’d call it fantastic, but I’m not sure I’d call it horrible either. The kaiju parts of it are definitely awesome. I was immediately impressed with the visual fidelity. The first part that really stood out to me was light. It wasn’t just basic cartoon-ish, bland light, but it looked realistic and very well made. However, I think the story was a bit too complex. I think it goes to an extreme to explain how these kaiju have shown up. It’s based on some very complex science including dimensional and temporal physics. Yes, time travel is part of it. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. My favorite human character is probably the old man that is the head of the company that built Jet Jaguar. He also pilots Jet Jaguar in the beginning.

While the series did seem to come to a finale at the end, watching the post-credits scene makes me believe that there may be more to come. If there is a season two, I’ll definitely watch it.

I think if you like anime and/or Godzilla, this might be for you. I love Godzilla, so everything Godzilla is for me. I don’t have anything against anime, I’m just not super in to it. Although there is plenty of anime I’ve seen that I love like The Animatrix (watch if you’re a fan of the Matrix), the Dragonball series, Pokemon, some Final Fantasy, and others. I was very glad that they made an English dub as I’m not fond of subtitles. I thought the voice acting was good. One of the voices in the series reminded me of the World of Final Fantasy game, though I have positive and negative feelings about it.

Feel free to let me know if this is something you’re into. Let me know if you’ve seen it and tell me what you thought about it.

Star Wars Visions Coming to Disney+ 9/22/21
I just learned about Star Wars Visions by watching a couple of videos, I've embedded one so you can take a look. This is a series of anime and all of them will be released on 9/22 (the day before my birthday!). One interesting and memorable story I heard about was a droid who dreams of being a Jedi. I think that premise is incredibly original, something I never thought of.

It's great to see things being added to the Star Wars universe. Star Wars is like the gift that keeps on giving. I could say the same about Disney+, which I've been quite impressed by with Marvel's shows (WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and Loki) along with Star Wars The Bad Batch.

I'm not very much into anime. I've been exposed to some of it. The Animatrix is one of my most favorites! If you haven't seen it and like The Matrix I strongly suggest it! I even got the awesome soundtrack for it. I've watched other anime like Cowboy Bebop, some Final Fantasy, Pokemon, and the Dragonball series though it's been a long time since I've watched any.

Let me know what you think about this. Are you an anime fan? Is this something you're looking forward to? Do you have some anime favorites? Feel free to let us know! My hope is that there will be an English dub. When it comes to anime, there are two camps, those who prefer dubbed audio and those who don't mind reading subtitles. Let me know which you prefer. If you find

Oh and if you're into anime and Godzilla, Godzilla Singular Point is out on Netflix.

*Update 8/17/21* Check out the official trailer (English dub), it looks awesome! I'm looking forward to watching it. https://youtu.be/jtAsl-0o3O0

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Starting July 28 2021
So, I just found out about "Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster." I watched the embedded video. Honestly, my thought is, "how many times are they going to port these original FF games?" I realize now we're talking "remaster" instead of "port," but I think my point is the same. I've played all or almost all of the FF games in the list given in the video (FFI-VI) numerous times on many different platforms. I have the original FF NES cart along with the original FF II & III SNES carts. I have different copies of the FFII and FFIII ports, though these games are confusing as they are also FFIV & VI. I have the ones that came out for PS1 and DS. Not only that, but I also own all of the FF PSP ports! I really enjoyed them, but I'm just wondering how many times does Square Enix expect us to buy these FF games all over again? Obviously many, many times!

Since I wasn't aware of details, I decided to find them, so here you go. You can find these games on Steam (not consoles) beginning July 28. You can buy the first game on it's own for $11.99 when it isn't on sale. Or you can buy them as a bundle for 22% off at a total cost of $74.82. I don't like this price!!! Steam is showing, however, that the bundle includes wallpapers and OST for each game, but those pieces are listed as "free." Steam also shows that not every game is $12. The first two are, but the rest are about $18. I love FF, I became obsessed with it, but I have plenty of copies of these games. Yeah, I'd love to have them on Steam, especially if I decided to replay them some day, but at about $75, I'm definitely going to wait until the bundle receives a major discount!

Let me know your thoughts! Is this something you're interested in? How many copies of these classic FF games do you own?

Here's a direct Steam link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1173770/FINAL_FANTASY/

Microsoft Windows 11 Announced
I read a couple of articles recently about Windows 11. There was a project called Windows 10X. It was scrapped, but appears to have found it's way in Windows 11. The new OS features a more "modern" look with a centered task bar. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I think I'll have to see it for myself to decide.

It looks like Vista's gadgets will be making a comeback as widgets. I liked these, so I'm looking forward to possibly checking them out again.

I just found another article confirming that this is a free upgrade coming towards the end of the year. See: https://www.cnet.com/news/microsofts-windows-11-reveal-event-every-upgrade-announced/

There are a variety of things to note, but I'm going to leave it up to you to read the article to find out what's to come. Let me know what you think, what you like or don't. Also, let me know if you're going to be an early adopter, I imagine I'll get it as soon as I can (I'm not one who hesitates upgrading to new versions of Windows, I embrace them all).

https://www.techspot.com/news/90189-microsoft-announces-windows-11-redesigned-ui-start-menu.html

Loki Streaming Now!
I thought I'd give you a quick reminder that Loki is now streaming on Disney+. After re-watching the trailer, I see it's started a little earlier than first announced.

I'm not going to include spoilers here, but if you want to talk about them, we can do so in the comments.

I think the first episode is pretty good, though much of what we saw in previews was there. I'm looking forward to seeing more. I think, if you're also a fan of the MCU, you'll also enjoy the show and want more. I think, so far, all of the Marvel Disney+ shows have been really good. I also like the tidbits of mystery in each episode and seeing them revealed and explained on the New Rockstars channel on YouTube (which I highly recommend watching as I do daily). New Rockstars often picks up on things that I completely miss. There were three particular words in this first episode, which I think are quite easy to pick up on.

Feel free to let me know what your thoughts are in the comments. Perhaps, if you want to discuss spoilers, make a clear note of it before you reveal it, for people who don't want something spoiled.