The RPG - Video Game Review

 Today, I'm going to be talking about The RPG video game. Which RPG video game, you ask? The RPG video game. I was going to do a whole "Who's on First" thing but then considered the effort it would take to type it out and decided it wasn't worth it.

 

The RPG is a first-person, comedic fantasy RPG-lite game that just released on August 7th. It takes more than a few pages from Skyrim's playbook. You don't need to have played Skyrim to enjoy The RPG but you might miss some of the jokes. If "taking an arrow to the knee" means anything to you, you'll be just fine.

 

I tend to prefer more "crunchy" RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 where you build your characters as they level and find the best items for them so I wasn't sure if an RPG-lite game was going to be up my alley. The simplicity of the game play, cartoony style, and the humor just make it very enjoyable for me. 

 

 It's got all the usual things that RPG lovers expect: breaking random things to look for loot, quests, killing things, taking their stuff, leveling up and...picking mushrooms? 

 

 

Any RPG worth its salt needs quests lay out the story and there no shortage of side quests. This is an open world game so you can explore the map however you want but there's plenty of wild beasties outside the village and you need to make sure you're not tackling something above your pay grade. Luckily, death only results in you respawning at the last bonfire you lit.

 

Like most RPGs, you get experience for completing quests and killing things. Leveling up is super easy. You get 3 points to spend on 12 skills such as: Tough Guy (take less damage), Coal Skin (resist fire damage), and Wolverine (health regen).

 

Everything you pick up from treasure to toilet paper to mushrooms adds to your Loot value. You can then find vendors that will turn your Loot into Gold which you can spend. In the main village there are three vending machines: weapon, armor, and various improvements for your mushroom gun. It's a gun that shoots mushrooms, it's not for shooting at mushrooms. But I'm not here to tell you how to play your game.

 

The weapon and armor machines only ever, in my experience, have one item in them. When you buy the item, it gets replaced with a better, more expensive item. This combined with the "everything becomes Loot" mechanic eliminates any sort of inventory management. When I play other RPGs I find myself having to run back to town frequently to unload items for cash so I can go get more items. Not here!

 

In addition to Loot, you can also find special powers like Double Jump and the secret of learning some Dragon language that gives you different magic shouts that can freeze mobs in place or slow time.

 

 In the end, the lite aspect of the game and how it really streamlines the RPG experience makes it a lot of fun and easy to jump into for a quick session. The humor is more subversive than laugh out loud funny but as a veteran of decades of RPG playing, I definitely enjoy the game's take on things. 

 

The RPG is available on Steam and there is currently a demo available so you've got no excuse to not check it out. 

Book Report - Deep Descent Doug

 You might remember back in April, I talked about getting into the Dungeon Crawler Carl series of LitRPG books. Thanks to BookSirens.com, I was able to get an advanced review copy of Deep Descent Doug to check out.

 

 Initially, based on the similarities in title and cover art, I thought that this was going to be a parody of the Carl books but it is its own thing.

Welcome to the office dungeon. Promotions? Power-ups. HR? Bloodthirsty monsters. Failure? A one-way ticket to the paper shredder.

Doug Kinney hated his life before the dungeon cracked open under his cubicle. Now? He’s dodging killer copiers, fighting HR golems, and grinding XP in an office hell where survival comes with a stapler — glowing, oversized, and very, very stabby. With his foul-mouthed cyber-raccoon sidekick and a survival instinct fueled by coffee, spite, and pure middle-manager rage, Doug’s ready to smash his way up the corporate ladder — one bloody memo at a time.

If you crave LitRPG chaos, ultraviolent humor, and the unholy lovechild of Dungeon Crawler Carl and Office Space, this is your next addiction. Strap in. It’s gonna be a brutal ride.

 The description "the unholy lovechild of Dungeon Crawler Carl and Office Space" was enough to hook me on this one. Like a resume, you're going to be expected to deliver on how you're promoting yourself, especially if you have a foul-mouthed cyber-raccoon. Doug didn't quite do that for me.

It definitely lives up to the hum-drum office environment more than the humor during the first half. Maybe a little too well as it felt like the endless eternity of waiting for the clock to go from 4:59:59 to 5:00 on a Friday. But I did enjoy the futuristic corporate setting and the weirdness going on there, even before things get really weird and the "corporate restructuring" begins!

The second half, thankfully, brought some coffee and donuts to perk things up. After Doug teams up with someone and the sentient office supplies start attacking, the story gets into its groove. Unfortunately, like an office party with alcohol, once it starts getting fun, it's just about over. 

For me, the shortness of the book (80 pages) brings quitting time just when I'm starting to enjoy it but it also makes me want to see what the next installment can bring. I'm not saying you got the job, but we'll put you on a probationary period.

 

Rating: 3/5 

Cauldron - Video Game Review

 Before we get into this, proceed with caution. If you continue reading, I take no responsibility for this game taking over and/or ruining your social life. Now that that's out of the way, let me tell you about my latest obsession...

 

Cauldron is an upgrade-heavy, minigame-centric, turn-based RPG. Play minigames to strengthen your party, then win battles to uncover more map, more heroes, more minigames, more everything! If your favorite plant is an upgrade tree, then this game is for you!  

 

Cauldron just released on May 21, 2025. It's got a fun, cutesy retro art style that will no doubt be nostalgic for gamers of a certain age. In the game, you play Nyx, a young witch who, along with her ghost friend Blinkie, set off on a journey to free the land from Darkness. Not just as in the forces of evil, but literal Darkness.

 

This is your view when you start the game. The majority of the map is in Darkness. The only way to unlock more of the map, and advance your adventure, is to battle the monsters in the Darkness. 

 

The three orange (!) you see are mini-games you can play to gather resources which you use the level up your heroes. They can also be used to bribe monsters instead of fighting them but it takes a whole lot of resources to satisfy them. These minigames are where the insane addictiveness of this game comes in.

 

 They are a lot of fun on their own, maybe too much! The resources you gather in each can be used to unlock and upgrade multiple things within each game. Upgrades add new elements to the mini-game that allow you to more easily gather resources...to spend on upgrades. It's this game play loop that will have you shredding hours in one mini-game, forgetting there's a whole world out there to save.

 

And that's the dangerous part of this game...the upgrades.

 

 Each mini-game has its own upgrade tree and they are HUGE. Luckily, it's not that difficult to unlock things as you play. "Maybe just one more round so I can unlock that next thing and then I'll stop." is something you'll say a lot while playing!

 

You could even just be content playing the mini-games and amassing upgrades, but there's Darkness out there that needs to be banished. 

 

The combat is turn-based and you can choose to plan every single action your party takes or leave it up to the auto-battler. I have a tendency to use the auto-battler and set the turn speed to max. Some of the fights have waves of enemies and I just don't have it in me to make a choice every turn for each of the party members. There are behavior options for the auto-battler so you can kind of program how it fights for you. Each member of your party has their specialty, and their own upgrade tree. 

Oh boy, more upgrades!

 

I don't want to get into any spoilers but I'll just say the game seems pretty basic at the start and as you unlock more of the map, you'll find it has more to offer (including more mini-games!). As fun as the mini-games are, a lot of the joy for me has been unlocking a new feature that I had no idea was in the game.

 

Cauldron is a great time! I'm really enjoying how it combines the mini-games with an RPG story and combat. It's even easy to pick up if you just want to chill for a few minutes grinding a mini-game. Putting it back down is another story!

 

There's more than a few YouTubers that covered this game and that's what lead me to check it out. Olexa did an initial video on it and then followed that up with a couple more just on the mini-games!

 

Cauldron is available via Steam and there's a demo available. 

But don't say I didn't warn you... 

Book Report - Dungeon Crawler Carl

 A couple years ago, an ad for Dungeon Crawler Carl (DCC from here on) popped up in my Facebook feed. It sounded like fun so I promptly add it to my "books to check out" list...and there it sat. Recently, the book has come up in a couple of podcasts so I figured now was the time to check it out.

 

 The apocalypse will be televised!

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

 DCC falls into the LitRPG genre. This is my first dip into LitRPG which I find kind of funny because it sounds like the kind of thing I'd really be into. LitRPG is short for literary Role-Playing Game but you probably could have figured that out. LitRPG smashes up traditional fantasy/sci-fi books with video game RPG elements.

 

DCC is a seven book series and I am currently halfway through book 2, so if you know the series and I present inaccurate information, this is why.

 

 In the tradition of Hitchhiker's Guide, aliens arrive on Earth but instead of a hyperspace bypass, these aliens are mining the planet. To enact their plan, they flatten the surface of the Earth. From cars to skyscrapers, it's all flattened, wiping out a good chunk of the population that were not outside. Those that are left alive are given the choice to compete in a galactic dungeon crawl reality show. 

 

The book has plenty of humor and action. One of the main things that made this book so much fun for me is the dynamic between Carl and Donut. The only reason Carl is alive is because Donut got outside in the middle of the night and Carl had to hurriedly get dressed to chase her. Unfortunately for him, he was only in his heart-decorated boxers and grabbed a leather jacket and his ex's too-small Crocs. One of the running jokes is that Carl isn't able to find pants or shoes.

 

 Another effect of the alien's arrival is that Donut can now talk! Carl is an every man and Donut is his ex's prize winning show cat so they aren't exactly best friends from the start but their relationship evolves as they rely on each other to get through the dungeon.

 

Speaking of dungeons, that's the other contributing factor to my enjoyment: the Diablo-esque escapades of killing monsters, getting loot and achievements, and leveling up. It's very much like reading a video game, which I guess is what LitRPG is usually. It also seems like there's some world building as the story goes on and Carl finds out more about the dungeon itself and those behind it.

 

And just like a video game, the book is addicting. If you're one of those gamers who just has to see what's in the next room or tries to get that gear upgraded before bed, I think you'll really like this series.

Labyrinth of Legendary Loot - Game Review

Hail, Adventurer! Are you looking for a good ol' fashioned dungeon dive in search of an Artifact of Incredible Power that's inconveniently located on the bottom floor?

If so, then The Labyrinth of Legendary Loot (henceforth known as LLL) is for you!

And the best part is...it's FREE! Read on (or just skip to the bottom).

Let's get this out before starting our journey: this is, in fact, a dungeon with twisty corridors and is not an actual labyrinth. You will not be bumping into a tight-panted David Bowie here. Although I haven't reached the bottom floor yet, so I can't say that with 100% accuracy.

LLL is a turn-based dungeon exploring, monster smashing, loot finding adventure. Your goal is to get to the bottom of the dungeon and recover the Thing. You start your quest as a generic hero with a basic weapon for killing, some Health for living, and some Mana for abilities. Unlike other Rogue-like games, there are no mystery potions or scrolls that you have to aid you. Nor does your hero level up.

How do you keep your hero alive while the monsters get stronger every level? 

Loot!

Hasbro Dungeons & Dragons - Hank

 I was going to hold off on the next D&D figure installment but since the second wave just went up for pre-order (affiliate link) I figured it would be a good time to post.

Hank the Ranger is my second favorite kid in the series. Not so much because he's the leader but because he's got the coolest weapon, a bow that shoots endless energy arrows!

 

For those of you that haven't yet experienced the new windowless boxes, here's how the figures and accessories are packed.

 

Hasbro Dungeons & Dragons Figure - Bobby & Uni

 Come, traveler, let us return to the realm of Dungeons & Dragons to meet a boy and his dog...uh, unicorn.

Today we're joined by Bobby the Barbarian and his unicorn friend/pet Uni. Good job with the naming there, kid.

Again, loving the external package design even if the contents are wrapped in thin paper with nothing really to keep them from getting tossed around inside. Remember last time when I said how much I liked the way they were making a larger image with the box sides? Well, someone fell asleep on that.

Where is the top of Hank's bow or Diana's right foot?? I swear this line just gets more disappointing the further down the rabbit hole I go. I can't overstate how much I want to truly love this line but keep feel like I'm getting kicked in the teeth. Oh well, let's see what's in the box.

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration

 Just released on most major platforms this past Friday, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is a look back at five decades of video game history. If you're around my age, no doubt Atari played a role in your childhood whether it was swiping mom's laundry quarters to play Asteroids at the corner store or going on an Adventure against duck-dragons, Atari definitely left its mark on me.

This isn't just another cash grab re-release of old video games, it also includes previously unreleased (in emulator form) games, re-imagined titles, and an interactive, multimedia Atari timeline.

 

The timeline is a real treat for fans of Atari and/or video game history. It starts in 1971 with the first arcade game Computer Space and goes up to present day, although there is a noticeable gap between 1998-2020.

 

Doctor Strange - Marvel Legends Walmart Exclusive

 The Doctor is in, baby! Strange has had a handful of incarnations in the Marvel Legends line from the movies, comics, and even the What If? animated series. None of them have really hit that sweet spot of "I gotta have it!" despite Strange being my favorite Marvel character. Well, they finally made "My Strange".

 

 Naturally, it's a hard to find (at least for me) Walmart exclusive. But by the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth, I have found him! He's costs a tiny bit more than a regular Legend but with all the extras, I feel like I underpaid if anything. (Note that I'm talking about pre-recent price hike prices of $20) I popped the side panel open on the box here to show off the artwork.

 

Book Report - You Are (Not) Deadpool

 Thanks to NetGalley and the cool kids at Aconyte Books, I was lucky enough to get a review copy of one of the upcoming Marvel Multiverse Mission Adventures Gamebooks. Whew, say that five times fast! This copy was provided for free in exchange for my honest review.

While Marvel Gamebooks are new for Aconyte, they've put out 20 Marvel fiction novels to date with more on the way. I haven't read any of them yet but there are a pair of Doctor Doom books I've got my eye on.

You may ask yourself, what is a Multiverse Mission Adventure Gamebook? First, I'd say you've got a very wordy brain. Second, it's like a Choose Your Own Adventure but with dice and note taking.

Vampire Survivors - Game Review

 I play video games a lot but I wouldn't call myself a "hardcore" gamer. In a year, I may play between two and four AAA titles but the rest of the time I'm playing smaller indie games, usually on Steam. I found out about Vampire Survivors from Splattercat's YouTube channel and have been hooked on it!

 

It's only $3 and the developer is updating it just about every two weeks with tweaks and new content. The game itself is pretty simple but there are plenty of things to unlock that will keep you saying "just one more."

Dark Ride: A Book Review

Today we're visiting an abandoned amusement park in Dark Ride: A Novel of Horror & Suspense by Ian Rob Wright.

Here's the plot from Amazon

'Bright Lights' AJ Starr is a pro wrestler on the rise, and his life is about to change forever. Knowing this, he plans one last party with all of his best friends. The venue? Saxon Hills theme park, abandoned ten years ago after its flagship ride burned down and killed nine innocent people. Some people say the place is haunted, but AJ knows from his time inside the squared circle that fantasy and reality are totally separate things.

Or so he thought.

AJ has no idea how nightmarish things are about to get, and eventually he'll be left wondering whether he brought his friends to Saxon Hills theme park to have fun. 
Or to die.

This was my first read from Wright and I enjoyed it quite a bit. In the Foreward, he explains how wrestling and the Disney parks are things he enjoys and both factor into the story to some degree. Our intro to main character AJ is an entire chapter of a wrestling match. I've never been big into wrestling but thankfully it's a short chapter.

From there, AJ meets up with his friends from high school. There's good friend Ashley who's dating physical trainer, and typical jerk, Greg, wheelchair bound Ben, his sister Tasha, and single friend Samantha. They all hop into a van with some booze to spend the night in an remote, abandoned amusement park for one last night of fun before AJ leaves town. If that setup doesn't sound like an 80s horror movie, I don't know what does!

They get to the park around the 25% mark and there's a lot of relationship drama for the next 25% which was really reminding me of a Friday the 13th movie. Then they start exploring the ride: Frenzy. That's when things start getting weird.

This fictional ride is based around the Germanic god Woden but the whole time I could picture nothing but Epcot's Maelstrom (now home to Frozen Ever After). I think if you've ever been on it, it'll easily jump to mind.

As someone that's been to the Disney parks quite a bit, venturing into a shutdown attraction is both intriguing and creepy to me. I often think how weird it is to be in such a large enclosed space (if that makes sense), add to that navigating by flashlight, the eerie quiet, and creepy animatronic figures and even I'd be a little spooked!

The book is 230 pages and it's a brisk read despite spending the first half hanging out with the characters and seeing them interact like friends do. Once they get into the ride and the horror begins, it goes even quicker. If you're looking for something that reads like an 80s horror movie, I'd definitely recommend Dark Ride!

Through the Kindle app, I can loan the book out for 2 weeks so if you want to check it out, let me know.

Rating: 3.5/5

Monthly Movie Recap - June 2019

Hey, everyone! I just got back from an amazing vacation to Alaska with a pit stop in Seattle. There will be plenty of posts with "vacation photos" but I promise they won't be boring! I'm going to space them out so you're not bombarded.

Streaming

Black Mirror (Netflix) - Perhaps the most disappointing thing about this new season is that it's only 3 episodes! I never imagined I'd be saying my favorite episode from any series would have Miley Cyrus in it, but here we are. Striking Vipers was great. I love sci-fi that challenges the brain.

Santa Clarita Diet (Netflix) - I am really going to miss this show! The sense of humor it has is just perfect. If you haven't checked out this zom-com yet, it's worth your time.

On to the big screen!

Predators (2010)
A passable action flick. Doesn't really do much for the Predators, they just seem to keep introducing a bigger, badder one every movie. Because they don't talk, we have to rely on the humans observing them to get any insight into them. If you're going to keep making movies about them, we need to learn more about them. That said, it wasn't as dumb as The Predator.

Rating: 5/10

Doomed: The Untold Story of Roger Corman's Fantastic Four (2015, Amazon)
Whether you've seen it or have just heard stories about this odd, never released movie, I would highly recommend this. There's plenty of interviews with the people in front of and behind the cameras that really paint a picture of the production. It just might give you a new appreciation, or at least a new view, of this legendary catastrophe.

47 Meters Down (2017, Netflix)
This was okay. I didn't know if two people trapped in a cage underwater would keep my attention but it did. Although there's nothing supernatural or genetic with these sharks it plays a lot like a typical horror movie with jump scares and a couple of fake outs. I do have to give it props for the whole trapped underwater thing though, it got the claustrophobia/running out of air feeling across well. I don't know why but there's a sequel coming. Doesn't exactly scream "franchise" to me.

Rating: 6/10

Possum (2018. Amazon)
First, thanks to Mr Chad Savage for raving about this one, otherwise I may have missed it. This is the kind of movie I love. You may have some expectation going into it then it takes you on a completely different ride leaving you wondering where you'll end up. I don't think it's for every horror fan but I encourage you to give it a shot for the experience.

Rating: 8/10

John Carter (2012, Netflix)
I wanted to love this movie. Everything my eyes were seeing was saying I should love this movie. I never connected with Carter and had trouble keeping up with who was on which side and why I should care that the bad guys don't come out on top. Ultimately I think what it lacked for me was fun and I got a little bored with it. If I had seen this before any other scifi movies in my life I'd probably liked it more. The original story may have come before lots of other movies, but I've seen a lot of this already.

Rating: 5/10

Men in Black International (2019, RealD 3D)
I really liked Hemsworth and Thompson in Thor Ragnarok and they seem to be having fun here. The movie is just okay unfortunately. The script is pretty by the book. When they discover there's a mole in MiB, there's no surprise when they "reveal" who it is. The movie exists in the same world as previous ones and it's a world I like but there wasn't enough newness to keep it fresh.

Rating: 6/10, I wouldn't suggest full price, but good for a matinee or drive-in.

Joan Jett Bad Reputation (2018)
I love Rock N Roll! I've been a fan of Joan's since that song came out and have only become a bigger fan as she has released new music and I discovered The Runaways. This documentary gives a good account of Jett's journey to becoming the bad ass that she is. There's plenty of celeb interviews from Miley Cyrus to Micheal J Fox. I love Joan Jett, not just for her music, but because she's also an awesome person that uses her status to help other people.

Month
New: 7  Rewatch: 0

Year to Date

New: 40  Rewatch: 2

Monster Prom - Game Review

While browsing Steam game suggestions, I happened upon something called Monster Prom. Monsters? Sure ok! Prom? Um...I guess?

Love interests

Monster Prom falls under the "dating sim" or "visual novel" style of game. And while that's not my usual thing, the fact that it features monsters and some fun cartoony art sold me on it.

Players

Monster Prom allows you and up to 3 friends to walk the halls of Spooky High to try and woo a date for the prom. You start by selecting one of the four students, giving them a name and choosing your gender pronoun. You're not locked into gender roles here, monsters just love other monsters! You then answer a few questions that determine your initial stats like Smarts, Fun, and Charm. The only difference between the player characters is their looks so there's no reason to play one over another aside from personal preference.

You then click around the school having crazy experiences that can boost/drop your stat levels. You'll also encounter other students in pairs and it's up to you to settle what's going on with them, usually helping out your intended prom date.

Each "week" is broken into three stages: Morning, Lunch, and Evening. Morning and Evening let you pick where you want to visit on the map that turn. Lunch brings you to the cafeteria where the love interests are paired up at different tables so you can choose who you want to interact with.

The game is presented with no instructions so you may feel it's just a Choose Your Own Adventure type dating game. Not so! Your scores matter. The love interests will only go to prom with you if you meet minimum scores in specific stats. I played through a few times to get a feel for things. But of course, there is a Wiki if you want to peek behind the scenes.

You'll have the chance to buy weird items that will either change your stat scores or open up new story content if it's flagged as "event." Just be careful, you don't know how an item will change your stats before you buy it!

If you play you're cards right, your crush might go to prom with you! Or you may face crippling rejection. Either way, there's a fun little epilogue where you get to see what some of the students are up to post-school.

In the base game alone, there are 1472 possible outcomes! It's a lot of replay value but the more you play, you will see the same events again and know how best to handle them to drive towards your desired outcome.

The art style is cute but the dialog and writing would most definitely get this game an R rating for profanity and not-so-kid friendly subject matter. The humor is funny and occasionally crude but it gives this game its own vibe. Each of the love interests has their own quirky personality and you'll quickly figure out what they like to get on their good side.

I'm having a lot of fun with Monster Prom exploring the wacky stories and experimenting with playing characters in different ways. I can only imagine how crazy it would be with multiple people playing at the same time, especially if you're going after the same person!



This Valentine's Day saw the first DLC pack, Monster Prom: Second Term, release with 2 new love interests and plenty more events and secret endings. And if that's not enough monster antics, they're currently doing a Kickstarter for the sequel, Monster Prom 2: Holiday Season. This one sounds like a lot of fun too as it will have three mini-stories to pick from: Camp, Winter Retreat, and Roadtrip.
They are crushing the $36k goal as they close in on $400k!

Marvel Toybox - Doctor Strange Figure

Here is the other Marvel Toybox figure that I had to get when I saw him. I had no idea they were making this so it was a nice surprise to find him on the shelf.

He was definitely a lot easier to free from his plastic prison than Star-Lord was.

He comes with a removable cloak which has got some interesting checkered texturing on the inside. As I mentioned with Star-Lord, the figures have a peg hole in the back and Strange's cloak has a peg to secure it to him.

 As excited as I was to find him, I got more disappointed with the figure after getting a good look at him. I don't know if it's the amulet hanging so low or his tabard being too long but he just looks stocky.

He looks like he has stubby legs and his arms are too long. I don't think the bulky foot wraps are helping either. He's got even less of a range of leg movement than Star-Lord due to his clothes. Not that he needs it really. And then there's the paint apps. Look at the opening in his tunic on the left, it's got a bit of red on it which is somewhat puzzling as the only red is on his cloak which isn't even molded on to him.

And then there's his shoulder which looks like it's had some wear even though he's fresh out of the package. I didn't see any paint issues with Star-Lord so I'm thinking I just got a bad paint figure.

I did mention how these are a bit taller and chunkier than your average 3.75" and here's a side by side. Every time I look at him, I'm thinking dwarf.

He does look pretty cool from the right angle though. They did a great job with the face, except for that tiny white spot on his goatee on the right. His hair has got a great sculpt to it. I also have to give them credit for his clothes. They could have just done smooth but they textured everything very well.

Overall, I could overlook the paint issues if he didn't look so stocky.

If you're wondering why I reference Star-Lord so much, it's because these two are my first venture into Toybox figures.I talked about Star-Lord on Tuesday.

Marvel Toybox - Star-Lord Figure

I hit the Disney store last weekend to see if they had any interesting Solo merch. While I wasn't let down at the amount of stuff they had, I was a little disappointed that a lot of it didn't appeal to me. But as I wandered around the store, I found some new Toybox figures!

I know some people aren't crazy about the cartoony design of the Toybox figures when it comes to Star Wars (I happen to like it) but with comic book characters it just seems natural. While I can appreciate giving the figure a dynamic pose in package, I am so not a fan of the tray that's molded to fit around the figure to the point where you have to cut parts of it to pop the figure out. It should not be this hard!

The figures are Disney Store exclusive and are priced at $12.99, but there was a sale going on where it you bought two or more, they were only $10 each. Who was the other figure? 

Stay tuned on Thursday!

The price is about the going rate for a 3.75" figure but these are chunkier than your average figure and a bit taller at 5.5". All the figures have a little hole in the back for accessories. For example, Cap can wear his shield. And they also have peg holes in their feet that will fit a modern 3.75" figure stand, something I was pretty excited to discover.

For a toy that looks more aimed at kids, they have articulation in just about every place you'd want including swivel wrists and rocker ankles. The only thing he can't really do is sit down. His legs just won't go out straight.

They also have a lot of detail where they could have skimped. He's got the boosters on the sides of his boots and there's some doodads on the jacket lapel that gives it a little something extra. The gloves are also a great touch.

One of my favorite little things is that they gave him a gun belt with pegs so you can "holster" the guns. The guns themselves are a little too bendy for my personal taste. You can see above, the gun pointing at you is a little bent.

Here's a better shot of the holstered guns and you can see how bent that one on the left is. And yes, Disney owns his ass. 

My only other minor complaint with the figure is the color they chose for the hair. I think it's a little too close to the jacket color. When I first saw it in the store I was wondering if he had some kind of weird thing on his head. Nope, just hair.

I'm really hoping they decide to do the other Guardians in this line because I'd love to get the whole team in this style. I can only imaging what Rocket and Groot might look like.

Awesome Little Green Men

It's been awhile since I picked up a new blind box toy. Going to the stores week after week and not finding anything I really want, I decided to pull the trigger and check out Awesome Little Green Men.

These small soldiers (2"-3" tall) are sold in single blind boxes and in battle packs of 4 or 8. Each blind box comes with one of 106 figures, a dog tag, and a new recruit poster (checklist). They don't outright say it, but I suspect some of the rare vehicles figures are only available in the multi-packs.

Like the age old army men figures, there are two sides but now they're blue and green. Blind boxed toys having rarities is nothing new but it also comes into play with the game they've built around these guys.

See hello to Private Midrats.

Midrats is a member of the Eagle Eye Unit, as you can see from his helmet. It's hard to tell under there, but I think he's got his left eye closed so he can take aim. Each army has six different units. While no two figures are exactly the same, it looks like they painted the molds to make different looking troops.

I like the cartoonish design of the figures. They remind me of army guys I drew in middle school. (Remember that game on paper you'd play with a friend where you each draw your army on one half a sheet of paper and then make a "shot" by marking it and folding the paper over to see if it hit? Anyone?) Part of what made me get one was seeing the battle packs on shelves. The packs have some cool packaging that looks like a military truck and is mostly transparent so you can see some of the figures.

As I mentioned earlier, there is a game you can play with them. You can get the rules on their website. This is where the rarity comes in. Each figure has a point value on the base which is used to figure out an army's strength so that both sides are balanced. Their rank determines how strong they are and how many hits they can take. It's sort of like intro to tabletop wargaming. And I can totally see little kid me playing this on the floor.

Little kid me would have liked something like this. Loved it if they were spacemen and/or aliens! The blind boxes go for $4 (or $1 in little kid times). It's a decent value with the figure and dog tag. I think the dog tag really adds something to the package because a kid can take it and use it in their own play stories.

But I have to wonder how well they might sell. Anyone that's ever played army men will tell you, the more the better. At $4 a pop for a single unknown soldier, I could maybe see parents picking up one or two to go with a battle packs. Then you either need a lot more or a friend that has their own army. Or you could just, you know, play army men!

Be sure to check out the Awesome Little Green Men website for game rules, a checklist, and more. You've got your orders, now move out!

The Runaway Robot (1965)

Awhile back I got this book as a gift. It's been sitting in a pile of stuff I want to read and I finally decided to take it for a spin.

This is a Scholastic book from 1965. Let's stop and think about that for a second. The physical book that I have is over 50 years old! I bet the book itself has had quite a few adventures.

The cover right up there is the reason my stepdad picked this up for me in his travels. I mean, look at it. Retrofuturism at its best! There are quite a few versions of it that I'll scatter among the post but this is by far my favorite.

This isn't the blurb on my book but it's a better summary of the story:

The robot named Rex had been bought as a companion for Paul when the Simpsons decided to pioneer on Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter...a rough, dangerous satellite where a small boy needed a strong, intelligent robot to protect him. By the time Paul is sixteen, they are inseparable. Robots, of course, have a personality leeway that gives each one a certain individuality within its pattered capacities - and Rex had a wonderful personality, with a logic quotient that allowed him to reason. But when the Simpson family is ordered back to Earth and Paul refuses to part with Rex, the robot plans to stow away on a spaceship to Earth - no easy feat, even for a robot with Rex's abilities. Thrilling chases in skimmers, through spaceports, and over the deserts of Mars are just the start of the problems for The Runaway Robot!

There is just something about 50s/60s scifi that's...I don't want to use words like quaint or simple. Maybe matter of fact? There's no techno-babble or long explanations about the hows or whys of the technology. The way everything is presented there's nothing flashy about it, it's all just this is how things are in everyday life and I love that about it.

In addition to the wonderful cover, there are a few chapter illustrations.

One of the things that makes this an interesting read is that the story is told completely from Rex's, the robot, point of view. He makes some interesting observations at times like that he knows things not because they were learned but because that's how he was programmed. One of the other things I really got a kick out of is the way he uses part names when talking about his eye or ears. Which of course makes total sense when you think about it. Over the course of his adventures with Paul, Rex becomes more than his programming and begins to understand what it's like to be human.

As you might guess, this is a story about friendship. I couldn't help but think that it was very much like a Lassie story. That is if Lassie were a humanoid, sentient robot.

Doing a bit of research on the book naturally lead me to Amazon to read reviews. Turns out, a lot of people read this when they were in grade school. For some it was their first chapter book or intro to science fiction and I think that's pretty cool. Because the book is over half a century old, I just presumed it was one of those random things that turn up at a flea market after someone cleaned out their attic and no one would remember it.

When I started the book I had no idea that I was going to be reading something that people have such fond memories of.

Also while poking around, I found just how much some people love the book in this great post where a fan of the book created this display piece. The post itself is worth checking out to read people's reactions/memories about the book.

If you're a fan of old sci-fi movies, it's worth checking out. While reading, I was picturing in my mind what the special effects would look like if it was a movie from the 60s. As cheesy as that may be, the story has some heart to it that I wouldn't necessarily expect.

You can sign up at Archive.org for a virtual library card and check the book out online or, using Adobe Editions, get a pdf that's good for two weeks. If you want physical media, you can snag a used copy from Amazon for under $5.

Not a fan of this cover.

Blood Drive - First Impressions

Premiering last Wednesday, Blood Drive is the newest original SyFy series. While the channel may be best known for it's so bad they're good original movies, a lot of their series have been good enough to watch unironically.

I'm a big fan of Roger Corman's Death Race 2000 so I've been eagerly watching the countdown to Blood Drive peeling off the starting line. When I saw the first trailer, it felt like it might be a spiritual successor to Death Race. The Jason Statham reboot series was fun for what it was but it felt more like a video game movie. The direct to Netflix sequel, Death Race 2050 might become a classic in another 20 or 30 years in its own way.

 

I don't want to give too much away but here's a little rundown.

In a dystopian 1999, thanks to global warming oil is $2000 a barrel, food is scarce, and water is strictly regulated. The police are now contractors sold off to a corporation. For some, the promise of Blood Drive's $10 million prize money is the only shot for decent life.

 After busting up some dregs hacking a water ATM, Officer Bailey (possibly the only decent cop left) finds out about Blood Drive, a ruthless race where the cars run on human blood. He makes it his mission to put an end to the race but gets caught by the race organizers. He gets partnered with vicious vixen Grace and forced into the race thanks to linked sub-dermal implants that can be triggered remotely to explode. And if you come in last place at a checkpoint? BOOM!

On the first leg of the race, there's an abundance of swearing, partial nudity, an assortment of deviant and depraved oddballs, and plenty of blood! Not the CGI junk, good ol fashioned, splattering the actors, practical stuff.

The show promises to deliver a new favorite grindhouse staple every week like cannibals, cults, Amazons, and more. If the first episode is anything to go by, the series will be something you'd expect from a name like Midnight Grindhouse. In fact, I still can't believe SyFy is airing this and not Netflix. Watching this made me feel like a teenager watching something on cable they're not supposed to and worrying the parents might walk in at any minute. I just would not expect this on SyFy!

For some people, Blood Drive might be a guilty pleasure but I am fully in touch with my B-movie side and totally embrace it! I found it a hell of a lot of fun and can't wait to see what weirdness is down the road in the coming weeks.

One of the highest praises I give a TV show or movie is that after watching it, I want to jump into some type of game based on it. Blood Drive is right there! I want an RPG sourcebook with more info on the world and racers. I want a video game where you take part in the race. For now, I'll have to tune in to SyFy Wednesday nights.

If you hurry, you can catch up to the pack before the second episode tonight. Wouldn't want you to come in last and have your head explode! You can watch online at SyFy, YouTube (you can find the first three eps if you poke around), and Amazon Prime.