Michael Bush | Opinion. Uncensored.

Never-Ending War: The Reality of Samus Aran

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR METROID: OTHER M Video games are a spectacular outlet to allow the mixing of reality and fantasy into intriguing and enduring experiences that frequently stand the test of time and allow individuals to mold and shape their ways of life. And, more than many others, the Metroid series fits in perfectly with this idea, taking what we know to be true in the real world and twisting it with a bit of science fiction. While the series as a whole has generated mostly positive acclaim by both gamers and critics alike, the most recent installment – Metroid: Other M – has drawn a lot of harsh criticism for what I feel Team Ninja and… Read More →

Coordinates or Chromosomes?: Pokemon X/Y Trailer Analysis

There’s no doubt that the Pokemon series has evolved (pun intended) vastly since its initial release back in 1996. From the worlds and gameplay to the Pokemon themselves, the world of Pocket Monsters have come a long way since the days of Red and Blue. And never has this been more apparent than in the newly introduced Pokemon X and Pokemon Y, also known as “Generation VI”. Coming hot off the heels of Generation V (the Black and White series), so far we only have a trailer and few factoids here and there about this next-gen experience, but that’s certainly enough to figure out both what’s true about the new games and speculate about things Nintendo has yet to reveal…. Read More →

Kyurem vs. The Sword of Justice Movie Review

The Pokemon anime is easily one of the most odorless and unexciting video game-based cartoons of all time. From stale characters to boring storylines, it simply lacks the bite of other animes or even other Pokemon properties. Every once in a while, however, a feature film based off the show is released that tweaks the formula in such a way that the subject matter actually becomes enjoyable to watch. Though not every Pokemon movie gets it right, many do and each new release warrants excitement. The latest of these is Kyurem vs. The Sword of Justice, a fresh take on the tired formula of “follow Ash and his stupid friends” that shows just what Pokemon movies should be: about Pokemon…. Read More →

New Super Mario Bros. U Game Review

It’s been a very long time since Mario has accompanied a new Nintendo system as a launch title. However, as the next installment in the New Super Mario series comes sprinting out of the gate, the tried-and-true concept of side-scrolling Mario platforming has continued to become even more tired and blue. And, just like with the last “New” Mario game, the biggest question with this release is whether or not Nintendo can provide enough new elements to create another truly special and unique Mario game. They couldn’t last time, but can they this time? Once again Bowser and the Koopalings kidnap Princess Peach and Mario, with the possible aid of Luigi and some toads, must go and rescue her. Along the way… Read More →

Wii U Console Review: Next Gen Is Best Gen

Never before have I felt that a video game system has released as strongly as the Wii U. While many people criticize the console as being “late to the party,” as it is Nintendo’s first high-definition system, the innovation it’s presented since its Nov. 18 release is practically boundless. To start, the technicals. The Wii U’s visuals and audio easily compete with and frequently surpass those systems that have been HD for so long, like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. However, the console sounds as though it works rather hard to do so as it plays discs with a massive amount of memory on them very, very audibly, to the point that it is noticeably annoying. Though the system itself is an… Read More →

Consolation Prize: Pokemon and Wii U

Though many spectacular-looking first-party Nintendo titles have already been announced or are on everybody’s mind, there’s no doubt that Pokemon is among those left to speculate over. Following the track record of previous home consoles, Pokemon games that aren’t on a handheld have been vastly hit or miss. And, unlike their portable counterparts (Ranger and Mystery Dungeon included), some of them don’t follow a formula at all. So what does this mean for the upcoming Wii U and it’s relationship with Pokemon? Let’s start off with the elephant in the room and, coincidentally, what I don’t want to see on the WiiU: a main series Pokemon title following the recently-released Black Version 2 and White Version 2. While it may be a… Read More →

Top Nine Overlooked Wii Games

Those who have had a Wii since launch back in 2006, or have recently picked one up due to the incredible price cut, are most likely aware of the many massive titles that have been released for it like Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword to name a few. But what about games that not many people have heard of, or aren’t considered smash-hits by the general populace or even by cult followers? Many of them are great, but just never caught on. Well, in honor of those many hidden gems, we’re counting down the Top 9 Overlooked Wii Games. MadWorld While the Wii definitely lacks a good variety of Mature titles, MadWorld is… Read More →

Issues with Indigo: Why Pokémon Season One Sucks

The first season of the Pokémon anime, later dubbed “Pokémon: Indigo League” by fans and the distributors of the DVD box sets, follows amateur Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum, his first Pokémon Pikachu, and his friends and part-time Gym Leaders Misty and Brock as they travel across the world’s Kanto region As I already covered in my first Pokémon article about the Generation I games for the Game Boy, there are a lot of things wrong with the original series from the get-go. The anime series follows suit and, honestly, the best way I could describe the Indigo League is in-house fan fiction gone horribly wrong. One thing I heartily dislike about video games in general are non-player characters that don’t… Read More →

Defending The Pebble and the Penguin

Before other child-oriented penguin films like Happy Feet and Surf’s Up! came along, there was an animated film by Don Bluth originally slated for a 1993 release, but ended up being pushed to 1995. That film is The Pebble And The Penguin and, according to various sources, Bluth disliked the final product so much that he demanded to be discredited as its director. The movie is loosely based on the mating ritual of the Adeli penguins of Antarctica, where the male penguin presents the female with an engagement pebble which ties them together as mates for the rest of their lives. Hubie (voiced by Martin Short), the main character, is a painfully shy Adeli who is madly in love with the penguin… Read More →

Black N’ Blue: The Improvements of Gen II

Now that we’re in the second week of this project, I will continue with the logical next step in the main series Pokémon games. As stated before, the point of these articles is to rank each of the main series Pokémon games (that have been released in North America) against one another in order to aid people with understanding that the nostalgia and bias that makes a game their favorite does not make it the best game ever created. If you’re new to the series, you can find the first article here. If the Pokémon franchise began with this Generation instead of Red and Blue, I feel as though the series would be ever better than it is now. Aside… Read More →