Monthly Archives: March 2026

Before I begin, I’ll apologize for being late getting this review out. It was already done, but lately the weather has been changing from hot to cold frequently, sometimes as often as three or four times in a single day. Long time readers will know this makes both my body and brain sluggish, sending me to bed for nap times. In fact, I just finished a nap, but at least for once, I woke up feeling ready to work. So, here we are, and hey, how the heck are you? Me? Oh, can’t complain.

So, I was a wee pup when the very first black and white Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came out, and I loved it. I liked the Archie comics version, and the first TV show. I loved the first two live action movies, and have seen episodes of various series since then. The latest movie featuring a Black teenage April O’Neil as a high school reporter was also quite good, and if the related series ever comes to a local streaming service, I’d happily watch it.

I thin one of the reasons the turtles have such staying power is adaptability, but they also have a kind of relatability as well. They resonate with lots of kids simply because ninjas are cool, but for the outsiders, they also have a kind of resonant pull. They’re outsiders who want to be part of the so-called normal world, and I know I can definitely relate to that.

Well that, and they love pizza. Anywho. Continue reading →

Before I start on the review, I must tell you a scary story. This last week, my work PC just shut down without warning. I had written a new review for next week, and a new short horror story that hubby declared “good.” I also had an article for the glass magazine, so real paid work. None had been backed up yet, and I was in the process of doing so when the system went “Neeeeewwwp!” We have power problems all the time, but when I noticed neither the lights nor hubby’s computer had gone down, fear set in.

Lots of swapped cables led to nothing, so I ordered a new power supply. Nothing. Finally, I had a neighbor ride me into town to look for a technician, who listened to my tale of woe, said he’d need to charge 50 to 80 euros, and he’d send a message when he was done. One DAY later, this hero sends the message along with a proof of life photo and the charge was 50 Euros. And they say super heroes aren’t real. Any who, let’s get on with the real review

I’d heard Respawn’s take on Star Wars called a mix of the space opera franchise with Dark Souls-like combat, and given that I’ve played thousands of hours in FromSowatware’s trilogy, I knew I had to try it. I finally had the chance to do so, and I’d have to say  the reviews I read were either false advertising, or the reviewers had never played Uncharted. Because every facet of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has more in common with those Naughty Dog games, and nothing to do with Dark Souls. Continue reading →

Where to begin with this mythological beast of legendary stature? I guess we can lead with the two main points of hype in the year following its release. Elden Ring was endlessly called a masterpiece, and it was claimed to be the most accessible FromSoftware title to date.

I have played over 300 hours spread across two classes, and that’s a lot to digest and then distill into a brief review. The easier of the two claims to cover is its status as a masterpiece. In this, it absolutely deserves the title. I’ve always liked the worlds of Dark Souls, and while I wasn’t as much of a fan of Bloodborne, I could still recognize the haunting beauty of its settings.

Elden Ring manages to surpass all previous entries, and I can’t tell you how many times I would freeze in the middle of a trip across the map just to take in…everything. The night sky, a gorgeous lakeside view, a cavern illuminated by glowing rocks that made me forget I wasn’t outside staring at the stars, or an underground waterfall populated by a slumbering giant that I’m loathe to wake and break this moment of grand spectacle. Every shift in the biomes is a new reason to stop and soak it all in. It’s a positively gorgeous work of art. Continue reading →