The "J Top Lists" - "Villains" Top List

Hey guys!

Villains, who doesnt love them to a hero to rise he needs a obstacle to conquer. And this is a big Top List so hold on tight for this one. And to remember that spoilers exist here for the characters of each respective series. And to remember the viewers i do top lists in a diferent way where all my pics are at a equal level.

Aizen - Bleach

Aizen belongs to one the most dangerous villain types: one who possesses a functioning brain. Aizen uses his advanced intellect to manipulate his underlings and achieve his selfish goals. His even-keeled, calming attitude frustrates his foes as he frequently treats physical encounters as redundant occurrences.

Aizen is also a master tactician who never enters a fight without analyzing his opposition first, determining their strengths and weaknesses. He’s also incredibly proficient as a swordsman and in unarmed combat and moves at blistering speeds. His spiritual power eclipses most in the anime and can use his it to form a shield around him that can kill living beings close in proximity. 

The Major - Hellsing Ultimate

On the surface, that's all this character is. That might seem uninspired, trite, or even a bit lazy. But watch him work and you'll find that The Major, although he does represent a few common cliches, is wonderfully written. And it's all in the context of an anime from Japan, a country that had a not very pleasant relationship with the Nazis that it tries to get people to forget about.

The Major has plenty of great moments, but there's one special scene in Hellsing Ultimate where The Major makes a grand speech to his troops. It is quite something to behold, and one of the defining moments for this character. The Major doesn't have a fiery, raving demeanor like Hitler. Instead, he is quite jolly and relaxed. With a demonic smile on his face, he goes into a sociopathic diatribe about his literal love of war. He describes with great glee and great detail how he loves the sights and sounds of the unique brand of suffering that armed conflict brings, regardless of whether he's on the winning side. He spouts lines like, “It moves me deep within my heart to watch a fresh recruit stabbing over and over into the bloated chest of a long dead enemy,” and “I love to be squashed under the heel of the American and British war machines; the humiliation as my men crawl around like vermin, ducking the York bombers flying overhead.”

This speech goes on for six minutes. It is brilliant stuff, and shows the plain nature of the man. He just loves war. He doesn't really care if he wins or loses. He just loves the conflict. Some men just want to see the world burn, but The Major wants to throw a party while it happens. But he's just so damn articulate and clever that his insanity becomes oddly intriguing as he gleefully wallows in the horrors of war with a poetic fervor.

Vicious - Cowboy Bebop

He didn't have any superpowers, and he wasn't out to conquer the world, but he was what every good villain needs to be a major challenge for the protagonist to overcome.

Vicious was a crime kingpin. Ambitious and ruthless, Vicious stages a coup against the biggest gangsters in the solar system. There could have been a sweet spin-off prequel series detailing the rise of Vicious, in the style of a grand epic reminiscent of The Godfather. But he was also once Spike's partner in crime, and once upon a time they both courted a special lady named Julia. This convoluted relationship with the series protagonist, Spike Spiegel, created a unique tension. Without Vicious, Spike was a somewhat lazy vagabond bounty hunter aimlessly traversing the spaceways from one job to the next. But with Vicious in the picture, Spike is motivated, focused, and determined. Vicious ignites something in Spike and the scenes where they face each other are pure anime gold.

Naraku - Inuyasha

If there were an award for Most Persistent Villain, this guy would surely win. Naraku was practically impossible to kill, and served as the primary villain in the Inuyasha series from beginning to end. He also has one hell of an origin story. Naraku was born in the days of feudal Japan, from the fusion of a horde of weakling demons and Onigumo, a criminal who got severely burned by his gang boss for trying to take over the gang. Onigumo ends up being cared for by Kikyo (a local priestess). Onigumo had a mad crush on Kikyo but got totally friend-zoned, so he made a deal with the local minor demons: they could consume his body, and the demons would combine into one entity to become part of new creature. And thus Naraku the villain was born out of opportunistic demons and a sexually frustrated invalid. A perfect recipe for evil.

Always plotting, and always cruel, Naraku's most notable skill was manipulation. Humans, demons, sinners, and saints all fell victim to his plots. It didn't matter. He could trick just about anybody into playing a role in his schemes. He also spends a lot of time wearing a baboon skin, complete with head. He's not only cunning and cruel, his fashion sense is creepy as hell.

Kid Buu - Dragon Ball Z

Kid Buu may not be the most powerful Dragon Ball Z villain (although that is highly debatable) but he’s certainly the most deranged and volatile. Those two traits, coupled with his childish frame of mind, make him the biggest threat to Earth among the anime’s rogue gallery.

If that mindset allows him inflict more damage and subsequently a larger threat to Earth’s heroes, then Kid Buu really is the most powerful villain in not only Dragon Ball Z, but in anime. His pursuit of Vegeta and Goku to challenge him led to countless planets being destroyed simply because they weren’t there. Buu just wants to have fun, and his idea of fun includes murdering countless innocents and achieving selfish and shallow goals.

DR. Eggman - Sonic the hedgehog

He is the Eggman and he always has the masterplan, since the begining and in all of his "personas" the good old doctor always has been the main threat to sonic and his friends specially in the comics here he is the most madman around being a image of polution, industry and science in the classical era of sonic. 

Yes he has been in the bottom of the garbage can for some time because of the simple fact that he didnt was the main boss and because he tried to play with forces beyond his control namely god entities that live in the world like Chaos, Solaris, Dark Gaia but not the time eater because he was in total control of the creature anding in the last boss potition from sonic colors onward.

Madara Uchiha and Kaguya - Naruto Shippuden

In this case putting two characters was the most becase the two are connected for storyline reasons. Madara Uchiha is the type of villain who may be prone to lose his cool outside the battlefield, but when he engages in battle he enters a trance-like state and allows his expertise in combat to supplant any potential mental shortcomings. Uchiha’s chakra (think life source) is said to be so powerful that he can battle for hours on end without regressing. He even took on hundreds on opponents at once and easily dismantled them despite an unrelenting barrage of attacks coming from every angle. He also wields the power of Susanoo, a spiritual power that fights on the user’s behalf, and even manages to achieve Complete Body form, providing him with added agility and control of the Susanoo.

Of course when Madara abuses his power that triggers the wrath and the plan of the god of destruction Kaguya and its known that Madara was controling nothing at all, all had been planned by Black Zetsu son of Kaguya herself to give her a reason to return to the real world, its up to team 7 to destroy their final foe and end the everlasting 4º great war.

Raoh - Hokuto no Ken

The most badass villain in existence that even is own death was a explosion of testosterone and the full image of a badass. The eldest of Ryuken's four adopted sons, Raoh is actually the older brother of Toki and Sayaka and the younger brother of Kaioh. His name became synonymous with the star "Bōkyōsei" (Violent Evil Star).

As Raoh developed a fierce and terrifying fighting style, Ryuken came to fear his power and chose Kenshiro as his successor to Hokuto Shinken. Subsequently, Raoh broke the 1800 year law of Hokuto by refusing to give up his power. Ryuken tried to stop him from misusing the Hokuto style, but Raoh killed him and left the temple to further his ambition. He assumed the title of Ken-Oh (King of Fists) and amassed an army to conquer the wasteland. Among those to join under his banner were Jagi, Amiba, Yuda and Ryuga.

Dr. Doom - Marvel Universe

The ruler and king of Latveria himself, maybe the most powerfull human villain in the Marvel universe, maybe the only villain to be able to use science and magic at the same time (black magic mostly).

Dr. Doom has done many feats like: Stealing the power of the Silver surfer and Galactus, getting private and touchy with Scarlet Witch under Magneto´s beard just to Troll him and even with Sue Storm herself, defeated the Hulk in ONE MOVE and defeating the avengers at certain points, saving his mom from hell and Mephisto himself, going one on one and phisical with Ghost Rider, hiring Spiderman as a mercenary and letting him leave alive for respect and in conclusion conquering the world TWICE but going back on it because it was too easy and he was simply bored.

Blackbeard (Marshall D Teach) - One Piece

The "D" is not in his name by chance, Blackbeard is a pirate with a plan and is willing to take it to the end to become the king of the pirates and if he has to lie and backstab you in the back he will like a real pirate would do.

The begining of his plan made him broke one of the most important rules of a pirate ship, not to kill a crewmate, stealing the devil fruit from him, the one that now allows him to nullify other devil fruits, he captured Ace just to enter the shishibukai and steal whitebeard´s devil power and after running away becomes a emperor taking most of whitebeard´s domains. The fact is that at this point of time the fact that he didnt show up until now opens new possibilities for the character in the future od the series.

Matsunaga Hisahide - Sengoku Basara

What better villain to make this list than a equal personality as the joker in the sense that he just wants to watch the world burn. Hisahide made is first appearance e Sengoku Basara 2 Hero and in SB3 Utage by fan demand.

In the events of Sengoku basara 3 that of course are completly fictional, he is the reason Mitsuhide became crazy and with the identity of Tenkai, hell if we want to go even more in the past of the story of the games, he is the reason why Hideyoshi went blind with power, he was the one that made Tokugawa kill Hidedyoshi, why Mitsunari fought Ieyasu in Sekigahara. Yes, hisahide is the reason of the existence of of the story of SB 2 and 3 without even making an apearence while the country fell in desarry. 

You can defeat him everytime as you want but you WILL NEVER give him the killing blow because he will blow himself up EVERYTIME, from a certain point of view as a insult to the player. Hisahide is a good writen villain that actualy acomplishes in his mission depending on the scenario you choose.

Cinder Fall - RWBY

All that she wants is to be feared and respected even if by force. Yes Cinder Fall is a evil version of cinderela if she went rogue and actually one of the few villians that (in part) achived total victory, she got that maiden power that she wanted from Amber to get and killed Pyhrra in combat until a certain surprise silver eye warrior in traing showed up. 

Everything may point that she may had a rough childhood before meeting Salem (the probable main villian of the series) that gave her the tools that she needed to exercise her plan. But from what i can tell we havent seen nothing yet from her and if people hate her then i image when Salem comes around.

What is your favourite villian in video games and anime/manga?
Be cool!

The "J Reviews" - Captain América Civil War

Hey Guys!

Time for another movie review, this time going to marvel´s Civil war, it came a little late but let´s go:

The Marvel Cinematic Universe consists of roughly two types of films: most are standalone adventures based around one of the MCU’s central heroes, while every year or two comes an event picture (usually with Avengers in the title) that brings multiple heroes together in a story that ends up (in theory anyway) changing the shape of the MCU and having ramifications that echo through all succeeding films. 

The Captain America movies, by virtue of the fact that Steve Rogers is the cornerstone of the Marvel universe both in the comics and on screen, have been a combination of the two. Captain America: Civil War continues that tradition and, frankly, almost perfects it: more than any other Marvel film to date, Civil War juggles a number of different storytelling and character responsibilities successfully, resulting in an epic tale that feels incredibly intimate and puts the loyalties and ethics of the Avengers and others of their ilk to the test. Like many previous Marvel movies, Civil War is only loosely based on the comic book arc of the same name, but it captures the intent and tone of the central struggle while adapting it to the ongoing canon of Marvel’s screen counterparts.

With its death-defying action sequences, charismatic additional superheroes, and emotional character development, this Captain America threequel is both intense and entertaining. The Russo Brothers certainly know what they're doing. They once again prove that it's Captain America who's the Avengers' emotional core, with his immovable sense of loyalty and responsibility. It's unnecessary to choose sides, because, as reasonable as Tony might seem when he goes on about the need of government oversight and accountability -- this is obviously Cap's movie, and therefore his is the more compelling argument. Evans goes through the entire emotional range as he deals with his complicated feelings for former-best-friend-turned-robotic-killer Bucky, as well as the knowledge that Tony believes he's betraying him and the grief of an unexpected but unsurprising death.

As for the new additions, Boseman and Holland are fabulous as the Black Panther (the closest thing the Marvel universe has to Batman) and Spider-Man respectively. Peter Parker is for once played by an actual teen -- funny, nerdy, and in awe of his much more experienced fellow superheroes. In the big "civil war" fight scene, Peter prattles on, asking questions about everyone's suits and shield and abilities in a hilarious way. Meanwhile, Boseman is cool and fierce, believably a prince and a protector at the same time. There are small touches that reveal the deep bonds between this crew, like when Vision sweetly tells Wanda that he wants the world to see her as he does, not as a threat, or when Natasha asks Clint "we're still friends right?" We all know, no matter what side they might take in a particular argument, they're clearly still besties. Marvel might be churning these movies out at an incredible pace, but the quality and the depth in the Captain America movies in particular shows what's best about this superhero saga.

As for the new members, Boseman is a knockout as T’Challa and seems completely comfortable and confident in both the character and the (excellent) suit. You can’t take your eyes off him whenever he’s onscreen. And then there’s Spider-Man: Holland is the youngest iteration yet, finally giving the character the teen charm that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield through no fault of their own could not provide, and his arrival here bodes well for the character’s future. His webwork slinging and swinging – is also perhaps the best it’s ever looked on screen, with Marvel taking extra care to get it right.

Speaking of which, that final battle scene is a comic fan’s dream come true, a battle royale lifted right out of 50-plus years of Marvel comics that is truly a jaw-dropping high point for the MCU and its creative teams. The action that comes before it doesn’t slouch either: the opening Crossbones sequence is a stunner, as is the highway underpass chase involving the Panther, Bucky, Cap and others. The Russos still occasionally shake the camera too much, but their style of action and violence continues to hit hard and feels both real and bruising, adding another level of pain to the film’s central conflict.

That’s really what makes Captain America: Civil War and so many of the MCU films so powerful: we feel the pain of these characters even as we watch them perform extraordinary feats. This is no band of morose, gloomy, reluctant good guys, by the way – there’s plenty of humor in the movie as well – but that doesn’t mean they don’t have doubts or get hurt even as they perform their duties without question or hesitation. These are real characters, not empty action figures, and they’re the reason the MCU has gone from success to success while other superhero franchises have stumbled or stalled. There are some large-scale changes and challenges coming to the MCU, but it’s always been personal for these people, and it will hopefully continue to be.

This year is good for action movies, and there´s a lot more to come.

Stay Cool!

The "J Reviews" - Hyrule Warriors Legends

Hey Guys!

Time for a new game review, for those that know me, they know that i love the "Warriors" game series and the Zelda version would not be a exception.

I guess that in part this review can be also kind of directed to some of the content of the WiiU version since to a point its the same game.

Like its predecessor, this game features Legend Mode and its plot. However, in addition to the story shown in the original Hyrule Warriors, the game also features two new stories. Linkle's Tale, focusing on the new character Linkle and her attempts to reach Hyrule Castle and prove herself as the legendary hero, and the Saga of the Great Sea, which takes place after the original story that to me always seemed incomplete to a point even if Ganondorf had been defeated. "Cia´s story" is also included and that is one of the benefits of having this game.

The gameplay is mostly identical to the original Hyrule Warriors though it features a few key differences: during certain battles, it is possible to tap on other characters portraits on the bottom screen and switch to that character. In addition, by tapping the map on the bottom screen, player characters that the player is not currently controlling can be directed to different locations on the map, or can even target certain stronger enemies. However, if any of the player characters are defeated the battle is lost.

There are also two new items included in the game: the Ocarina and the Hammer. The Ocarina is a non-offensive item used for transportation in certain scenarios, there are Owl Statues scattered across the map that were not present in the Wii U version. By standing in front of them and pressing the attack button, warriors can activate these, allowing them to play the Ocarina to teleport to them at any time during a battle. When present, the Owl Statues are typically placed nearby locations that the player will need to return to at several points during the scenario.

Adventure mode was completly re-designed for this version because of the new characters and their weapons also a new map based on Wind waker was added to this version. All the weapons and skins that were DLC are now unlockable in the game as clothes for the fairies that you use in adventure mode.

A new game mode called My Fairy and allows players to befriend Fairies and use them in battles in Adventure Mode. These Fairies can be raised in a number of ways to grow stronger, and can learn new skills and attributes that increases their proficiency in battle. The mode also lets players customize their Fairies' appearance in costumes called Fairy Wear.

I think that Hyrule Warriors in general was a success in evolving the recipe of the "Warriors" game saga giving "RPG" elements to it. This is a very decent game for a 3ds even with the possible Framerate problems will indeed give hours of enjoyment.

Stay Cool!

The "J Reviews" - Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice

Hey Guys!

Time for a movie review, i didnt did one of these in a long time and what better movie than "Batman vs Superman" so here we go:

There's a bit of spoiler here and there so I did minimize the spoilers to make more readable if people

First off, the screening itself was packed. I thought Star Wars was nuts, this took this to the next level. A Really cool to see so many people out to see Batman and Superman in a live action movie on big screen. I went in with a mix of hype/anticipation. I thought MoS was enjoyable in the last half. BvS is pretty dark, but there's humor here and there, way more then say MoS or Watchmen. 

Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman was pure awesome and dark. You can see he's traumatized by the events in the past, and he has some fantastic lines in general (Yes we see the whole parents thing again). Nobody should really be surprised that he was good with the role considering he's a solid actor, but I thought he was great. Versus Bale? That's a interesting question, because Affleck definitely regards Batman as a permanent part of his persona, while in Nolan series he eventually doesn't want Batman. In combat he's pretty much everything everyone would hope for from a film with Batman. I think he fought like the Arkham video games from a scene they showed. He's incredible in fights. Also the way Snyder records him in action, you can actually see him fighting unlike the Nolan films, which I'd imagine would make many people happy. He also gets a chance to use his detective skills, do not worry.

Also his relationship with Irons, who plays Alfred, is just wonderful in general. Irons was exceptional in the role (Its Jeremy Irons for christ's sake, of course he nailed the role) gets some witty lines and also gets pretty emotional later on. He didn't get a lot of screentime, just enough to be effective. Always passing advice to Batman.

Now we turn to Cavill. He didn't blow me away in MoS but in this film, weirdly I feel like he gets more to work with even with less screentime. It was the first time Superman actually feels like he's a character who deals with many issues to me. The blowback from the destruction in the last movie follows him in BvS, and everywhere he goes. He's now followed by cults, and plagued by newspapers and hearings (though the hearings are influenced by Luthor, we'll get to him in a bit). His relationship with Lois (played by Amy Adams) deserves mention here, even if not a lot of screentime. Definitely a time when Superman wishes he wasn't an alien and I felt a bit of sympathy for both of them.

Cavil and his interactions with Affleck, especially the fights, are truly something to behold. Definitely worth the price of a ticket in my opinion. I could swear some of the scenes are probably something straight out of a dark graphic novel. Their alternative personas do meet, helped along by Luthor as well.Who got more screentime? Batman or Superman? I'd say it was about equal, but it certainly did feel like Batman might have gotten slightly bit more.

Also, Wonder Woman, hell yes. Again, lots of concern about Gadot on the internet and in the industry (I heard a lot), but she did well. Her fight with Doomsday is great. For such little screentime, she was able to show that her character was diverse and interesting. Definitely left me looking forward to the Wonder Woman movie. 

Yeah, the Doomsday fight. The trinity do get a few shots of them looking badass together. If you love comic book films, again, go see this film for the fight scenes.

How's the world in the movies? Gotham City is definitely Gotham City. Obviously you don't see it for the whole film. Metropolis is still littered with destruction from MoS, so I'm glad they showed that instead of ignoring it. Whether the whole destruction angle felt thrown in at the last minute, I wouldn't know because it felt organic for Wayne to be pissed about it. Even gave you a 9/11 vibe.  

Oh man, the soundtrack is absolutely wonderful. Properly dark. Batman's theme especially felt super super super super dark almost to the point of repetition. MoS's theme is still there for Superman with a hint of more. Even Luthor had his own freaking soundtrack. A hint of playfulness and amusement. This part I thoroughly enjoyed. The sound design here is just fantastic, but will be mostly ignored sadly. Not a lot of people appreciate it in general. Lots of CGI destruction porn there, but definitely feels sort of toned down till the last act. The visuals are great overall for me, but this is rather opinion based.

I feel that Snyder did learn from his mistakes and the writing/dialogue definitely feels a lot better then Man of Steel. There are issues though. Juggling the characters is extremely difficult, especially for a film like this. I'm rather amazed Snyder even handled it alright. The film gets very frantic (especially towards the end), so to me the long running time flew by really quickly, but there's a few scenes they lets you breath.

So what did you think of this movie? Please let me know your thoughts about it.

Stay Cool. 

The "J Reviews" - Sonic Heroes

Hey Guys!

Here´s my review of the "Sonic Heroes", Hope you enjoy it.

The transition from 2D to 3D was a hard one for Sonic, and the series lost a lot of its focus in the process by trading in speed for action adventure elements and introducing an unnecessary and unnecessarily large supporting cast of characters. Sonic Heroes strips away a lot of the elements that slowed down the Sonic Adventure backpedals on a lot of the design decisions made in the Sonic Adventure games, and though it still exhibits many of the camera and control issues that vexed Sonic's previous forays into 3D, it's truer to its 2D roots than any other 3D Sonic game before it.

Sonic Heroes strips out a lot of the shooting and hunting stuff found in the Sonic Adventure games, but it retains the large cast of characters. The game gets away with this by giving you control of three characters at once and dividing the characters up into four different teams Team Sonic, Team Dark, Team Rose, and Team Chaotix. Each team member has his or her own strengths, and your abilities as a team change depending on which character you have set as the team leader. The team members are color-coded for easy reference, so blue characters have the most speed, yellow characters can fly, and red characters can bust through blocks that are otherwise impenetrable. 

The game makes it easy to switch your team leader on the fly, and you can cycle through team members by simply pressing the X and Y buttons. There are times, such as when you're in the air, that you're unable to swap out your team leader, which can lead to some awkward moments. It generally works well, though, and once you've mastered the different team formation abilities, swapping out team leaders becomes like second nature. The inclusion of the four different teams, however, seems a bit pointless since the game is virtually identical for all four of the teams, save for some different story elements in between levels. To be blunt, no one cares about these peripheral characters that Sonic Team seems hell-bent on pushing on gamers. People play Sonic games to play as Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic Team also hasn't bothered to do much with the graphics engine that powered the Sonic Adventure games and now powers Sonic Heroes so the whole thing still looks like a glorified Dreamcast game. To its credit, though, the levels seem bigger than before, and the frame rate is rock-solid. The two-player game, which is basically a split-screen race through levels from the single-player game, doesn't run quite as smoothly, though at least the choppiness is consistent. It's not a technically exciting game to look at, but what it lacks in polygons, high-res textures, complex particle effects, and bump mapping, it makes up for with consistent art design and an exceptionally vibrant color palette that lets you know you're playing a Sonic the Hedgehog game, even when you're standing still.

When Sonic Heroes works the way it's supposed to, the action is fast and exciting. Unfortunately, the game suffers from a problematic, finicky camera, occasionally spastic controls, and some bad clipping. The camera is largely stationary, and since the action in Sonic Heroes doesn't revolve around wide-open 3D environments, this works most of the time. But, on the off chance that you want to get a better perspective of your surroundings before you make a potentially death-defying leap, the camera is pretty uncooperative and will snap to a first-person perspective if you try to move it more than a few degrees, which doesn't necessarily give you the best view of your surroundings.

Sonic Heroes plays the nostalgia card heavily in the aural design, which features loads of familiar sounds, from the whirling speed-up sound to the different chimes heard when you pick up or lose rings. Of course, there's also a bevy of classic Sonic tunes. This sort of heavy reliance on old sound elements may seem a little cheap, but these sounds are inexorably linked to the Sonic experience, and ultimately, they still work. 

In fact, the biggest misstep in the sound design for Sonic Heroes is all of the new voice acting that was recorded for the game. There's a lot of preteen anime-grade voice work here, with Tails' squeaky, cutesy voice being the most ingratiating. However, since every single character will shout one of three or four different exclamations every time he or she executes an attack, you'll learn to abhor all of them in good time.

What's most disappointing is that the problems in Sonic Heroes which include the camera, the controls, and the clipping--are the kinds of things that could be remedied with a few extra months of fine-tuning. In the end, though, it's still a purer, more action-packed Sonic experience than either of the Sonic Adventure games. 

If you were able to overlook the problems found in those games, Sonic Heroes is easy to recommend. However, if you haven't already been acclimated to the quirks of the 3D Sonic the Hedgehog games, approach this one with a bit of caution.

I have tried to review it the more neutral way possible and i will try to do so for the next two games (SPECIALLY THE NEXT TWO GAMES that are of the type "like it or not" games and that unfortunatly helped destroy the sonic fanbase apart that probably was already after sonic and the secret rings and sonic genesis)

Stay Cool!

The "J Reviews" - RWBY Volume 3

Hey Guys!

I´m honest, I do like this serie to a extreme (not like One Piece for example) but for some minutes let me turn off my "Rwby fan" glasses. So lets get to it.

Eager to check out crazy, over-the-top fight scenes with imaginative weapons? Well, RWBY Volume 3 certainly has that, as well as a healthy helping of sadness and despair (wich i like).

With the unfortunate death of series creator and main fight choreographer Monty Oum, the rest of the team has had some impossible shoes to fill. Expectedly, the fight scenes in Volume 3 are a clear step down from past seasons something that sadly plagues a season that spends a large portion of its run time on a fighting tournament. Fights penned by Monty Oum tended to tell a story or give character insight. This is largely missing from the tournament fights of Volume 3. Instead, we are treated to little more than fight choreography with flashy effects.

RWBY Volume 3 is the first truly dark chapter we have seen in RWBY thus far. It starts somewhat weakly as your standard “tournament arc” of a fighting story. However, the back-end of the season serves as a climax to everything before it as all the villains plans come to a head. Along the way, we learn more about our main cast and see them continue to develop as they near adulthood.

Ruby herself is a rather static character: noble, innocent, and pure. While the rest of the cast struggle with becoming adults, Ruby is only 15. So instead of watching her change this season, we see why she is the way she is namely, the introduction of her uncle Qrow. In Ruby’s eyes, Qrow is a classic rogue adventurer. He travels the world going on adventures and helping people, which is exactly what Ruby wants to do.

Yang’s big character notes come as she is forced to deal with the consequences of being outsmarted rather than outfought. While we, the audience, know what is really going on, Yang has to deal with the idea that the world views her as either a sadistic bully or a psychotic. When even Blake reveals her doubts, Yang is on the edge of having her spirit broken a break that is completed with the loss she suffers in the season’s climax.

Blake, on the other hand, continues to struggle with her past, her former abusive relationship with White Fang leader, Adam, and her tendency to be a scaredy cat (pun intended). Running away from her problems, or rather the fear that she will run away from her problems, rules Blake’s actions. She sees herself as a coward and tries to prove that she isn’t one. And, in the climax, this fault is clearly her undoing when she enters into a fight she has no chance of winning.

While Weiss wants to be a protector of all, she is, nonetheless, prejudiced against Faunus because of the terrorist attacks against her friends and family when she was growing up. She hates Faunus but knows that one of her best friends is one, and a former terrorist at that. And while Weiss has made great strides in accepting Faunus since season one, prejudice isn’t something that can just be turned off. Yet, in the climax of this season, Weiss’ sense of right and wrong finally overcomes her prejudice as she selflessly puts herself between a Faunus classmate she barely knows and an incoming mortal blow.

While last season focused mainly on Jaune when it came to characters outside the core team, this season focuses on Pyrrha. From day one, Pyrrha has been the golden child of the academy, living up to any and all expectations. But unfortunately, this has crafted her into a person who feels the need to live up to said expectations. Over the course of Volume 3, she is forced to choose between what others expect of her to sacrifice her very spirit to become a living goddess; and what she truly wants to become a huntress and live alongside Jaune.

One of the minor yet nagging problems in RWBY Volume 3 is the transitional scenes that serve to set up the fight scenes and other cool moments. The worst of these involves a group of robots turning on Weiss and Blake. The villain-controlled robots shoot at the two girls, causing them to fall to the ground in surprise. Instead of continuing to shoot (and kill them), the robots instead stop firing, move in to surround the girls, then wait for the two to get up and arm themselves before the battle continues. 

Of course, the darkest moments come with the deaths of (at least) two prominent supporting characters. The first of these deaths is Penny. Narratively, the point of this death is to add tension and danger to the story, if Penny can die, then no one is safe. However, to people familiar with this trope, the tension is actually lowered. With the “shock death” out of the way, remaining characters are usually safe. Moreover, while graphic, Penny’s death almost feels like the cheapest possible version of the trope since, after all, Penny is a robot and that calls the permanence of her “death” into question.

While Ruby and our other heroes have faced victories and defeats alike over the past two seasons, Volume 3 is the first truly dark chapter in the story. The latter half of the season has psychological breakdowns, torture, and dismemberment. (Side note: Blake’s decapitation and Yang’s dismemberment are both perfectly, artfully framed and wonderfully shocking, again thanks to the greatly improved direction this season.) Of course, the darkest moments come with the deaths of (at least) two prominent supporting characters.

What’s great, though, about this “shock death” trope is how it leaves us totally unprepared for the second death: Pyrrha’s. From her introduction in the first season, it was more than a little obvious Pyrrha would die after all, she is based on a legendary figure famous for dying (Achilles). However, the death of Penny only two episodes before called this into question as the “shock death” was already out of the way. Even as Pyrrha heads into her suicidal battle against Cinder, it seems like she will somehow make it out alive, especially once Ruby and Weiss head off to rescue her. Because of this, the scene has real shock and weight when Pyrrha is brutally killed in front of Ruby.

Going forth into their fourth season, the creators of RWBY need to be careful. They have created a lore-filled world with numerous unique weapons in addition to various forms of magic. While there are clearly rules behind each, many have not been explained in the show proper, though many have been in podcasts and live events. While the show is comprehensible at current to casual viewers, it is quickly approaching the point where this will no longer be true. While godlike powers and crazy weapons are no doubt cool, without clearly defined limits, tension and drama can quickly disappear from a story built around combat. If you don’t know what’s possible, you can’t know if you should be worried or not.

Although the fight choreography is an (understandable) step down from previous seasons, RWBY Volume 3 is a marked improvement in both story and cinematography. It is a strong ending to RWBY’s first arc, bringing together past seasons’ lingering plotlines and showing that there are real, mortal stakes for our heroes.

Tell me what you thought of rwby volume 3 and what do you expect from volume 4.

Be cool!

The "J Top Lists" - "CreepyPasta" Top List

Hey Guys!

Heres my second top list for today, now being about those scary stories in the internet called creepypastas. For those that have started reading creppypastas here are some stories for you to start that are also favorites of mine.

THE SLENDER MAN

Before this pale, faceless ghoul had his own series of video games, he haunted the forums of the Internet with his finely pressed suit and unnaturally long limbs. The Slender Man's story is not a narrative one, but a pseudo-historical look at this monster's history with humanity that is tied into several other creepypastas.

Typically, the Slender Man preys on children and those who become obsessed with his existence, though no one knows exactly what happens to the bodies since no one has ever escaped from an encounter with him. Suggested stories featuring the Slender Man include The Tall Man and the Marble Hornets videos.

You can play one of the many games inspired by these Slenderman stories, since they can all be found online or if you're too scared, there are plenty of walkthroughs with commentary. Just keep your volume down or you'll be deafened by the screaming.

CANDLE COVE

Everyone has a television show from their childhood that they remember fondly. Like those who nostalgically recall the adventures of Dora the Explorer, Mister Rogers and Sesame Street, some adults rediscover their favorite show from the 1970s, Candle Cove, on a television forum in this creepypasta. Slowly, their memories of the show grow darker and more disturbing until one of the adults asks his mother about the true nature of the show.

The forum format of the story adds a spooky realism to the tale, also making it easy to recreate and share on other boards. If you find this story particularly compelling, there is a story that runs further with the mythos called Candle Cove Experiences: Tales of the Laughingstock.

ROBERT THE DOLL

Not for the faint of heart, Robert the Doll really exists. The myths surrounding him vary, especially since it became so popular on the Internet. The doll was given to artist Robert Eugene Otto in the late 1800s or early 1900s by a servant working in his family home. The doll, which he named after himself, then took on a life of its own and began to terrorize the family.

Otto is said to have kept his doll into adulthood and it subsequently tormented his late wife to insanity. When the doll was found by another family, the girl to whom it was given was terrified of it and refused to have it in her room.

The doll is currently residing in the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West, Fla. Visitors must ask Robert politely if they want to take his photo. If they mock him or take his photo without permission, Robert is said to lay a curse on them.

JEFF THE KILLER

If you've never laid eyes on the infamous image of Jeff the Killer before, consider yourself lucky. The basic story concerns Jeff, a serial killer who hides in the closet and whispers to its victim, "Go to sleep," before slaughtering everyone in the household. Even more disturbing than his M.O. is his appearance — his face is smooth and stark white, a huge grin and small lid-less eyes. He is one of the most easily recognizable creepypastas, with his eerie stare posted across forums.

His origin story involves a fight that resulted in a chemical burn on his face and caused him to go insane. Soon after, he murdered his family and disappeared into the night to make guest appearances in your nightmares.

SMILE DOG

If there's any story on this list that best captures the message "be careful what you wish for," Smile Dog is it. The creepypasta deals with an image posted on an old Bulletin Board system back in 1992 called smile.jpg. Those who saw the image either disappeared or died, save for one Mary E., who the narrator goes to interview. What he eventually learns is that some things, even simple pictures, are better left as mysteries than dealing with the horrifying truth.

In case you were wondering, the story does come with an accompanying image, but you may not want to see it after reading the full story. Though, in the end, you may not have a choice.

NO END HOUSE

Haunted houses are at the center of many famous scary narratives, and surviving the night in one earned teenagers instant respect. Still, is the potential trauma and death worth the admiration of people who you'll likely never see again after graduation? This creepypasta answers with a firm and decisive "No."

NoEnd House promises $500 to whomever can survive a trip through its nine rooms of torture, a challenge that our narrator David readily accepts. The rooms begin to grow increasingly sinister and evil, pushing the limits of David's psyche and humanity. Are nine rooms really worth such a small monetary compensation that won't even pay for one therapy session?

RUSSIAN SLEEP EXPERIMENT

A staple of best creepypasta lists everywhere, the title of this story itself carries with it a sense of dread and horror. Shortly after World War II, five political prisoners are subjected to an experiment in which they have to remain awake for 30 days in a tank filled with an experimental gas. As with most science-gone-wrong stories, the test subjects begin to lose their minds among a number of other gruesome symptoms. The horror does not end when the experimenters try to save their subjects — far from it.

Just know that this story may not be appropriate if you are squeamish or dislike gore, as the narrative goes into graphic detail about the physical state of the patients. Thankfully there are no pictures, or this would be the ultimate nightmare fuel.

1999

Simply known as 1999, this story is one of the most realistic and chilling urban legends on the Internet. The tale follows the journey of a Canadian blogger named Elliot as he tracks down the meaning of a mysterious TV channel that he watched in the year 1999. He remembered it being extremely sketchy and, in hindsight, he realized that it was most likely run by a local predator. As he continued to investigate, he learned that the man running the channel was attempting to lure children into his house for sacrificial purposes. To top it all off, Elliot also realized that the crazed man was torturing and killing children while wearing a bear costume and calling himself “Mr. Bear.” 

There were only a couple of “shows” that aired on this mysterious channel, most likely because it was only operational from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The first show was called Booby and featured characters that were live-action hands on top of a table, which was obviously very low budget. The show starred a hand named Booby that would find itself in a different situation every episode. However, the episodes got progressively weirder. In fact, during an episode entitled “Playing with Scissors,” Booby appeared to be holding a pair of scissors while another, smaller hand was jerking violently in the background, as if it were being forcefully held in the air. Booby then proceeded to repeatedly stab the smaller hand with the scissors while a muffled child’s scream could be heard. The scissors eventually got to the bone and made a horrific crunching sound. That was the last time Elliot ever watched an episode of Booby.Next up on the psychotic schedule was Mr. Bear’s Cellar, which featured the mentally unstable man dressed up as Mr. Bear. What actually went on during the Mr. Bear episodes are too gory to describe here, so you’d have to read the rest of it for yourself. Eventually, the police intervened and shut down the sadistic TV channel for good.

SCP FOUDATION

The “Secure, Contain, and Protect Foundation” (aka SCP Foundation) is a fictional organization with a murky past which first appeared back in 2007. The SCP Foundation has numerous doctors, researchers, and agents aiming to understand and catalog abnormal creatures and objects, which are known simply as “SCPs.” The foundation strives to prevent the SCPs from getting into the hands of others and into the outside world. In order to research these creatures, the foundation performs experiments on death row inmates. 

SCP-173 was the creature that started it all. It’s described as a statue-like creature with a bloody face and short limbs. It has also been recorded that this creature cannot move in direct eyesight, but once eye contact is broken, it will immediately kill its victim by breaking their neck, and thus it has to be constantly observed. Another example is SCP-682, which is said to be an indestructible, highly adaptive, reptilian creature. It’s one of the most popular creatures on the SCP wiki.

NES GODZILLA

NES Godzilla has way too much about it to describe everything that makes it amazing in a short blurb. It is scary and suspenseful due to the desolate atmosphere of each world and the way that things are revealed across the course of the game. You easily get a sense of envisioning exactly what is going on within this fictional world and there are so many aspects of it that will last with the player from its detailed descriptions of levels, the frighteningly designed "screenshots" and even references to the lore of the Godzilla and Kaiju Mythos. 

Yet at the same time, it also has some surprisingly emotional moments and the climax is just plain intense. If there was any one creepypasta on this list that I would recommend to anyone who does not think gaming creepypastas can be well written, this would be the one, and hopefully some people take notice of exactly what it did right.

Tell me what is your favorite creepypaste story and share it with us.

Stay cool!

The "J Top Lists" - "SNK playmore Arcade Games" Top List

Hey guys!

Today i bring you the first of two Top lists,hope you like it. The first is about arcade games from the old "SNK playmore! At the time called "Neo Geo" and they were very common in the arcade houses at the time and i played those games a lot.

To be fair to the Top List, i didnt include games from the "king of Fighters", "Last Blade" and "Metal Slug" series because in a overall form they are all good games. Let´s begin with the top List:

King of Monsters

The monster destruction movie buff in us made us gravitate towards this game. SNK let us act out our Godzilla-esque dreams by choosing from a group of world destroyers and kicking beastly ass. Everything in the game’s stages could be destroyed and we were expected to in order to kill our rival monster.

Kabuki Klash

Far East of Eden: Kabuki Klash is one of several solid Hudson Soft games for the Neo Geo. This is one of few successful takes on the Samurai Shodown style of weapon based 2D fighter. It is basically a redressing of that game but with the bright art style of the Tengai Makyo manga/anime. The game is great if you like Last Blade and Samurai Shodown, or if you enjoyed the complete batshit nuts stuff in Waku Waku 7.

Spin Master

Known as “Miracle Adventures” in Japan, this was Data East’s first game released for the Neo Geo, and it’s definitely one of the company’s best, as well. 

The gameplay is very simplistic, yet satisfying. You travel from stage to stage which are all exquisitely animated and mow down wave after wave of henchmen, using all sorts of neat weapons: yo-yos, bombs, laser ninja stars and good old fashioned fireballs are all at your disposal. The character sprites are downright gorgeous, and the solid platforming gameplay highlighted by some excellently designed levels makes this one an absolute blast to play through, solo or with a buddy.

If you are a fan of intense platformer/run and gun hybrids like “Metal Slug” and “Gunstar Heroes,” you definitely owe it to yourself to give “Spinmaster” a try. Not only is it one of the genre’s greatest undiscovered offerings, it’s definitely one of the best games of its type, period.

Mutation Nation

This is a traditional beat ‘em up, with all of the usual tropes which means, yes, it has both the “moving truck” and “elevator” levels that were apparently legally required for all genre games back then to have. The real appeal here, of course, is the multiplayer, which is undeniably a hoot. Sucking down power orbs and Chun Li lightning kicking a lawsuit-baiting H.R. Giger monster, while music that sounds suspiciously like the club scene from “Robocop” plays in the background? It may not be the classiest gaming experience, but you mustn’t have a pulse if you can’t derive just a bit of enjoyment from “Mutation Nation.”

Karnov´s Revenge

To say that there were a wealth of Street Fighter 2 clones during its reign of popularity in arcades would be an understatement, but none were quite as blatant as Data East's Karnov's Revenge. In fact, the game was so similar in many respects that it drew the ire of Capcom, not to mention a failed lawsuit attempt.

One rather unique gameplay touch revolves around a character's "weak point". Each character has his or her own unique weak point that generally has to do with a specific article of clothing. If you are able to land attacks on a character's weak point it will eventually fall off leaving that character dizzy and vulnerable to an attack. But even with all of his problems i still like this game.

Puzzle Bobble

In the 1990s, fighting games, cartoony sports titles and gimmicky shooters ruled the arcades. In addition to harking back to a Young MC standard, Bust-A-Move was definitely a breath of fresh air, providing “Mortal Kombat” obsessed coin-op enthusiasts a decisively old-school break from the norm.

Known as “”Puzzle Bobble” in Japan, “Bust-A-Move” was a fairly inventive puzzle game that, in some respects, could be considered a combination of “Tetris” and “Puyo Puyo.” The object of the title is simple: manning a battle station as a very familiar looking chibi dinosaur, you shoot differently hued marbles into the playing field. Like “Columns,” if you line up enough similarly colored marbles, they evaporate from the playing field, and once all the marbles have vanished, you proceed to the next round, where you do the same dance all over again, only this time it’s a bit faster and more difficult.

It’s a very standard sounding game, but I think that’s ultimately what gave the game its contemporary appeal and staying power. It’s easily accessible and extremely addictive, and man, is it ever fun shooting marbles against the walls of the playing space and watching them change trajectory.

Waku Waku 7

Here’s another underrated and virtually unknown SNK fighter. Waku Waku 7 was a trip. Most of the cast was full of colorful beasts and parodies of popular fighting game characters. Mauru had to be the strangest looking creature on the roster (he was also one of the most fun guys to play with). I appreciate this game’s tight gameplay, super cheery graphics, and hilarious super moves.

Shock Troopers 2nd Squad

For a better enjoy time, You should consider the sequel of "Shock troopers", “Shock troopers 2nd Squad” to be the superior offering: the semi-3D graphics are much improved, you can ride in vehicles ala “Metal Slug” and now, characters die in hilariously violent (yet bleakly comical) fashion. That said, as far as overall entertainment goes, “Shock Troopers” is a pretty damn hard game to top. At the end of the day, it very well could be the best bad game on the Neo Geo!

Granted, “Shock Troopers” may not exactly be a technical gem on par with “Samurai Shodown” or anything, but it’s certainly a whole hell of a lot of fun to play, regardless. Developed by Saurus, the same folks who gave us the second “World Heroes” game and the sort of cult-classic “Irritating Stick” this game is your standard “Ikari Warriors” update, only with controls and gameplay that’s, you know, good.

Breakers Revenge

Out of all the Street Fighter copycats that flooded the market way back when, this one is actually pretty enjoyable. This 2D fighter made its debut in 1996 and was overlooked, probably because of its lackluster cast of characters and ho-hum visual design. But if you played it long enough, you’d surely grow to love its solid fighting system and fast-paced gameplay. 

SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom

At some point, you’ve probably played one of the “Capcom vs. SNK” games before. Outside of a Neo Geo Pocket Color offering (which, by the way, is one of the greatest handheld games of all-time), this early 2000s offering is the sole SNK-produced crossover brawler to also feature “Street Fighter II” stalwarts.

With Playmore taking over the reins, “SVC Chaos” is a real hoot and a half to play. It’s so bizarre (and of course, awesome) to see characters like M. Bison and Balrog drawn up in the inimitable SNK style. And man, you haven’t seen “crazy” until you’ve seen a Hugo on Earthquake showdown in this game!

The animations are great, the gameplay is fantastic  (its basically running on the “King of Fighters 2002” engine) and the cast of characters is really tremendous. You could argue that there’s perhaps a bit of an over sampling of “Street Fighter” characters and an under serving of “Samurai Shodown” cast members, but overall, there’s hardly anything to complain about in this one at all. And be prepared for some downright astounding cameos, featuring such weirdoes as “The Art of Fighting’s” Serious Mr. Karate, the Mars People from “Metal Slug,” Mega Man’s Zero, and the ULTIMATE fighting game final boss, the little red gargoyle asshole from “Ghosts N Goblins!”

And there it is my favorite games that belong to the old SNK Playmore. If you have favorite games that belong to "SNK playmore" please share them with us.

Stay cool!

The "J Reviews" - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles

Hey guys!

Here´s my Sonic 3 & Knuckles review. Enjoy!

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the final chapter in the classic era of Sonic. Locking the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 cartridge into the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge, reveals the greatest Sonic game in the classic era of the hedgehog. An epic game with outstanding music, beautiful graphics, unmatched level design and new gameplay mechanics for it´s time.

Sonic 3 was released in february of 1994 while Sonic and knukles came in October of 1994. The game follows both Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna in their respective quests to save Angel Island. Sonic's side of the story picks up immediately after the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, where Dr. Robotnik's orbital weapon, the Death Egg, is damaged in a battle with Sonic and crash-lands back onto Angel Island. Sonic travels through each zone looking to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds to defeat Robotnik, and once again comes into conflict with Knuckles, who believes Sonic is trying to steal the Emeralds for himself. Sonic boards the relaunching Death Egg. Robotnik uses the power of the Master Emerald to fuel a giant mech, but Sonic uses the power of the Chaos Emeralds to transform into Super Sonic. Super Sonic stops Robotnik, destroys the Death Egg, and returns the Master Emerald to its rightful place. 

Since Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 were developed initially as a single title, their gameplay is similar: both are 2D, side-scrolling platformers with similar level design, graphics, and game mechanics. However, in Sonic & Knuckles, unlike in Sonic 3, the player chooses either Sonic or Knuckles at the title screen. The game differs from Sonic 3 in that Miles "Tails" Prower is not available to select, and the player cannot control two characters together or use any multiplayer modes. There is also no save feature.

The game received considerable praise upon initial release; critics were impressed with the lock-on technology and hailed it as "an exceptional game" despite its similarity to its predecessor.It has since been re-released through various Sega themed compilations over the years.

The player character moves through eight levels, each divided into two acts. The first act of each level is punctuated by a miniboss fight with one of Dr. Robotnik's robots while the second ends with a regular boss fight with Robotnik himself.

Special Stages are entered by finding giant rings hidden in secret passageways: the player is placed in a 3D environment and tasked to turn all of a number of blue spheres red by running through them, but must avoid all red spheres, including formerly blue ones. Completing this task earns the player a Chaos Emerald, and collecting all seven Emeralds allows the player to turn into Super Sonic or Super Knuckles, more powerful versions of the characters. These special stages feature yellow spheres that bounce the player long distances. If you get all emerelds and super emeralds you will have acess to the real last level of the game and the real ending.

Sonic & Knuckles features "lock-on technology" that lets the game access data from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 so that elements of both Sonic & Knuckles and the locked-on game are combined. To play these combined games, the hatch on top of the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge can be flipped open and the second game placed inside.

When Sonic 3 is used in this manner, it enables the player to play through both games as one, titled in-game as Sonic 3 & Knuckles. This features several additions to the games not otherwise available, such as slight changes to the level design, being able to play through Sonic 3 levels as Knuckles or Sonic & Knuckles levels as Tails, and the ability to save progress in all of the game's levels. Additionally, locking-on is the only way to collect "Super Emeralds", which are earned by accessing Special Stages in the Sonic & Knuckles levels after collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds from Sonic 3. When all Super Emeralds have been collected, Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails can transform into Hyper Sonic, Hyper Knuckles, and Super Tails respectively.

To finish, i highly sugest this game, probably the best one in the classical era of the blue hedgehog and everyone that is starting to play videogames or want to start to know the legacy of sonic this is the perfect game to start with (this and Sonic 1 in my opinion).

For next sonic games, i´m thinking of reviewing "Shadow the Hedgehog", "Sonic heroes" and "Sonic 06" and i´m skipping because i have played these games more recently and because i believe that this games are still hot topics until the days of today. I will do the two Sonic adventures games after that because i have to play them again to revive my memory of those games.

Stay cool!

New year, New Madness ^^

Good evening guys!

Hope you entered the new year with a bang and itbrings you good things. For thoes that are wondering, yes i´m posting in english why? Well because i'm considering posting in places that not only relate to my country and because i notice that i have people seeing my posts in another countries so that gives me more reasons to do so. And of course expect new top lists and reviews thart were late and sill are yet to be made. 

Even though i have learned english since grade school i still can make a error here and there so please bear with me here guys XD

Stay cool!