Supernatural: The Anime Recap - Episode 3 "Home"

   So, last week's episode ended with Sam getting a vision teasing us into this week's  episode. This week we get episode 3- "Home" based on the season 1 episode of the same name.

   Okay. I'll be the first to admit that the first two seasons of Supernatural were a bit all over the place. You could miss an episode or two and not miss anything particularly relevant. However,  the anime seems to be randomly grabbing episodes here and there and somehow managing to create a sequence out of them. I'll give them credit for making it seamless, but if you're following the anime and the live show at the same time, I recommend dumping one or the other before things get confusing.

A Call to Gamers (I'm taking over the front page!)

I have been waiting for a while for some of our other contributors to post something as to not completely take over the main page, but that has so far proven to be a pointless endeavor. So, in the spirit of taking over the front page (bwahahaha) I will just plop this Youtube video here. It is the first in a series where I get to rant about stuff in a yet unspecified way (I'm toying with different aesthetic modes), so here it is: A Call to Gamers. Enjoy (or don't). 

The Most Hated Characters in Game of Thrones

Because I'm on a Game of Thrones binge, I decided today to write about the most hated Game of Thrones characters. Why? Because there are a LOT of hateful characters in the series. It would be no understatement to say that in the series there are more dislikable character than on any other. However, besides Joffrey, no one really agrees on what character to dislike or hate more than whatever other character. In that spirit, then, let's make a countdown: The most dislikable Game of Thrones characters. There are so many, however, that to just do a top 5 would be a disservice. Let us then rank them in five tiers. I should note that while many other characters may fit into each tier, I will only focus on the few most dislikable ones.

This is a sister post to the most likable characters over at my page.

*WARNING: SPOILERS GALORE!*

Most Overrated Game of Thrones Characters

This is a sister post to a Most Underrated Characters in Game of Thrones one I put up in my page. It seems to me upon re-watching Game of Thrones that there are some fans out there who heap undeserved amount of love unto certain characters. I used to be one of those. I used to think that Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons, was one of the best characters. I mean, she had dragons! But upon re-watching I have come to the realization that she, and many others that fans think are great, don't actually deserve the praise they get. To get some idea of where fans stand, feel free to look at Rolling Stones' list of "top40 memorable characters", the results of the IMDB favorite characters fanpoll, and the rather interesting results from Outbrain's study (and the interpretations by PC Mag). No doubt you, dear reader, agree with some of them. Trust me, see the series again and you will find yourself disliking most of these "favorites". In that spitit, then, let us create the most wonderful and realistic "tops" Game of Thrones list ever created:

The Five Most Overrated Game of Thrones Characters *with some spoilers*

On that Whole Nintendo Tomodachi Life Same Sex Marriage Issue

There seems to be a bit of controversy brewing thanks to Nintendo, and it's not their recent economic situation. Nintendo has a game called Tomodachi Life for the 3DS which is partly about building character relationships. The original version in Japan did not allow for same sex relationships to be developed, so when Nintendo decided to localize the game to the US, a group of gamers decided to create a proposal to request that Nintendo allow for same sex marriage. Nintendo's response was as follows:

"Nintendo never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of Tomodachi Life. The relationship options in the game represent a playful alternate world rather than a real-life simulation. We hope that all of our fans will see that 'Tomodachi Life' was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game, and that we were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary.

The ability for same-sex relationships to occur in the game was not part of the original game that launched in Japan, and that game is made up of the same code that was used to localize it for other regions outside of Japan."

Now, their response on social commentary, it seems to me, is complete hogwash. Whether the game is set in a "playful alternate life" or not, games that focus on building relationships (and games in general) make social commentaries, whether intended or not. The fact that the game does not allow same sex marriages is in itself a social commentary. It may not be representative of the company's position on the issue (if it has any) or even of the developers' stance. It may be that it is simply a response to the markets. However, this does not mean that the game does not make a statement in the issue, because when taken as an individual text itself, it does. That first section of Nintendo's answer is both out of touch and unnecessary.  From a culture / society perspective, it is simply wrong.

However, from a technical perspective, Nintendo may have a point. I have seen too many comments saying that all Nintendo has to do is change a variable from "not marry" to "marry", when this is not the case. These comments don't take into account how coding and game development actually work. My purpose in writing this is not to defend Nintendo, as much to explain a process. In that spirit, let me first explain what would actually have to be done as far as the game's design, then give some simple examples of code. I will then conclude with an opinion of what Nintendo should do.

8 DC Heroes That Can Kick Butt With No Powers....And Are Not Batman.

    Doctor Q wrote a list about super beings recently and since I love Superheroes and Free Comic Book Day just passed, I figured I would try to do a list of my own. If only to spark some debate among the Pop Trends crew. 

   Batman is a source of debate here at PT. Personally, I love Batman. But let’s be realistic. He is seriously overrated. I understand that he is a master detective, above average fighter and a brilliant mind in every aspect, which has more than earned his spot in the Justice League, but the fact is that he is not the best human in the universe. Batman’s strength lies behind the scenes and people tend to forget that. Hollywood hasn’t helped alleviate that image either. People often tend to forget that Batman was created around the height of Superman’s popularity and as intentionally made the complete opposite of Superman, in order to capitalize on a market that wasn’t into god-like beings that punch things who suffer from rock allergies.

The Most Powerful Things in Comics

THE MOST POWERFUL IN OCEANS! TROLOLO!

It has become apparent to me since I began reading up on comic book gods that there is some disagreement as to what entity is the most powerful. The internet is abound with lists that no one really cares for as they don't really explain anything, while at the same time there are near dissertations explaining why some character or another is the most powerful. There are even some really poorly made ones like this one! *points at the image used for number 1* Some even seem to think that Batman is the most powerful because he's Batman and has contingency plans.

Ugh.

Irrational wishful thinking based on a few panels of some comic book saga where the writer looked down and smiled fondly at Batman and decided to throw good writing out the window and give the Batster the ability to pummel Superman or The Hulk aside, I thought that I would take an objective look at the actual most powerful beings in the Marvel and DC universes and do a Who's Who and settle all questions about it once and for all [but not really]. Yes, my dear editor, I know that sentence was too long for your tastes. No, I don't intend on changing it. Trololo ^___^

Now then, without further ado, a top.... (let me ask the editor how many I can put)...
[30 minutes after] (no answer).... TOP 10! 8!(20 more minutes in and the editor told me to do 8).

Some Random Thoughts on why Final Fantasy: Lightning Returns Doesn't Meet Expectations.

This is a sister post to some random thoughts on Open Worlds that I put up on my page <ON STUFF>, and a basic sort of freewriting of ideas for a longer piece reflecting on the nature of design in RPGs.

I have had a love-hate relationship with Fabula Nova Crystallis (the Final Fantasy XIII series) since the first title was released. The battle system was superb (perhaps one of the best in any JRPG) and the overall story was "good enough", but the way in which the story was delivered left a lot to be desired, there wasn't enough character development, and the world felt like a nothing more than a long corridor. Final Fantasy XIII-2 was more enjoyable. It kept the great battle system, threw in a nonsensical yet scientifically sound story (see Everett's Many Worlds interpretation of quantum physics), and characters were treated more respectfully than they had in the previous title. The most recent iteration, Final Fantasy: Lightning Returns, rewards the faithful to the series with what is inarguable not only the worst title in the Fabula Nova Crystallis saga, but possibly the worst Final Fantasy title in existence with the exception of that wonderful iPad thing Final Fantasy: All the Bravest.