Marvel fans are awaiting the release of Doctor Strange. They are also looking forward to what the post-credit spoilers will be.
According to Screen Crush, the post-credit scenes set up two upcoming MCU movies. Not only that, there is also a surprise cameo appearance.
Mid-Credits Scene
During the mid-credits, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) meets up with Doctor Strange at the Sanctum Sanctorum. Strange wants to find Loki, but Thor needs his brother’s help to find Odin, who has gone missing.
Strange makes an offer to locate Odin if Thor and Loki will leave Earth for good. Thor agrees to the deal, which will lead into next year’s Thor: Ragnarok. Due to recent set photos, it is clear Thor and Loki will be spending time on Earth as part of their search.
Post-Credits Scene
After the credits, we see Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Eijofor) rip open Benjamin Bratt and absorb his powers for himself. “There are too many sorcerers,” he remarks.
This could set up a Doctor Strange sequel with Mordo as the main villain. Since he is an ally of Strange, it would make for a great story in the next films.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has made it a point to introduce some fantastic elements, often resulting in fans having to throw logic to the wind and just go with the story they are presented with. There are some moments though where fans can’t help but ask what the original creator was thinking when he decided to use a specific scene or plot device. Case in point: Why are the feet trying to sniff for Josuke? It boggles the mind the more you think about it.
This questionable element aside, this is a great action filled episode. While being pursued by the multiple flying feet of Highway Go Go, Josuke is able to implement some very creative methods of deploying his powers. Using Shining Diamond, he is able to destroy and fixed things in several very imaginative ways throughout the course of trying to elude his pursuer. Back when this element was introduced in the first episode of this arc, it was more than apparent it would be a very entertaining power to behold. The fact it hasn’t lost its appeal after 29 episode just goes to show it was used in an appropriate way so fans wouldn’t become sick of watching it. It just goes to show sometimes less is more.
The next episode looks to pick back up with Kira’s story and what has been transpiring in his new identity. Episodes like this have been entertaining but it’s hard to take as much enjoyment out of it when the greatest enemy the team has faced is still running around able to make anything he touches into a bomb. Really makes the disembodied feet which are trying to suck the life out of a person and can track someone down by smell seem downright silly.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is streaming on Crunchyroll.
Comic Book movies have been consistently long films, but it looks like Doctor Strange won’t follow the trend. According to the British Board of Film Classification, Marvel’s Doctor Strange will be 1 hour and 54 minutes.
For comparison, the theatrical cut of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice clocked in at 2 hours and 31 minutes, Deadpool was 1 hour and 48 minutes, and Captain America: Civil War, being Marvel’s longest to date, was 2 hours and 27 minutes.
Do you like the runtime as it is, or should it be longer? Let us know in the comments section, or on one of our various social media profiles.
“From Marvel comes “Doctor Strange,” the story of world-famous neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing, and hope, in an unlikely place—a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj. He quickly learns that this is not just a center for healing but also the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying our reality. Before long Strange—armed with newly acquired magical powers—is forced to choose whether to return to his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence. Join Strange on his dangerous, mystifying, and totally mind-bending journey when Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” opens in U.S. theaters on November 4, 2016.”
The Accountant is an action film lacking any discernable identity. Some moments we are treated to scenes out of a 90s Van Damme film and other scenes work to capture the slick James Bond aesthetic. To top it all off, screenwriter Bill Dubuque (The Judge) uses autism to help explain away the narrative. Sometimes less is more, and having all these plates in the air hinders any possible momentum. It’s a slog.
The film starts with a scene of Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) taking out seven members of the Gambino crime family. Yeah, the Gambinos. Original. We then abruptly jump back to 1989, and see a young Christian putting a puzzle together while his parents are talking to the doctor at the neuroscience center for children. Wolff is a math genius who is also dealing with a very severe case of autism that hinders his ability to function socially. His parents argue about how to handle this and it drives his mother away.
It was at this moment where, maybe, the narrative was going to be a social commentary on autism? Maybe how it shaped Wolff’s life? Wrong. Instead, we’re thrust into another scene where young Christian is being taught karate from a dude hired by his father to kick his son’s ass. So how do we go from a Gambino crime hit, to a family visiting with a doctor about autism, to a domestic disturbance, to a hamfisted scene from the cutting room floor of an 80s kick-and-punch thriller?
It’s as if The Accountant is a collection of missing pieces from other films that have been thrown into one huge box and writer Bill Dubuque was asked to stitch them together. The audience never gets a definitive answer on how this boy with autism and love for numbers ended up being a trained assassin? No one who sees this film can even definitively say why Wolff is driven to rid the world of these evil individuals.
We do find out the Department Treasury has a task force lead by Ray King (J.K Simmons), who’s driven to track down this “accountant” (for reasons we find out later in the film). He inexplicably blackmails an agency employee, Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), to help track him down. Just when you think there couldn’t possibly be any more random narrative tidbits thrown in, we’re then introduced to Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick).
Cummings happens to be an accountant at Lamar Black’s (John Lithgow) robotics firm, who may have uncovered some missing money and Wolff is hired to verify these findings – because why not. Of course, Wolff finds the money trail, but now Dana is in danger (who didn’t see this coming?), and Christian’s talent for killing bad guys comes in handy. While this is going down, we stumble into yet another new plot point that seems to hint at Lithgow’s character being at the center of all these issues. It’s tiring. He promptly does the most rational thing a man in his position would do, he hires a hitman played by Jon Bernthal to “clean-up” his mess.
The amount of just random points to this story are enough to make your head spin. Yes, there is a certain novelty in seeing Affleck kick butt on screen, but at some point, the story has to make some sense. All of these plot points could work in a good film, but a good film this is not; they don’t connect, and it’s all a meandering mess. Had the director Gavin O’Connor and Dubuque took the time to develop this narrative, we could have had an intense adult thriller. Seeing how a young autistic boy is driven to want to rid the world of such sick people could have been a compelling story.
This series will be a brief, semi-comedic review of the CW superhero shows. The only shows discussed will be ‘Arrow’, ‘Flash’, and ‘Supergirl’. There WILL be some spoilers discussed, so only look at the reviews you’re up to date on!
Supergirl, “The Adventures of Supergirl”
Super-CW smouldering looks
Supergirl’s come to the CW network, and at least for this episode, so has her cousin. While it seemed like Superman might totally overwhelm the series, thankfully his role was relegated to helpful alien-on-Earth life coach. He’s also far less mopey than Cavill’s Superman, which thank GOD. The episode follows her exploits to investigate, then protect Lena Luthor, who’s beset upon by vaguely European mercenaries. Not sure why Kara and James’ relationship didn’t work out, but at least that subplot won’t be too suffocating this season. Although that plot point is fizzling out, one can only hope Cat and Clark get together at least once. The show’s transition to CW seems to be working very well. Having a bigger superhero as a pal to see her through the switch is great as well. Supergirl brings a great new dynamic to the CW’s slate, and the series seems to be on a great path forward.
SCORE: 8/10 Gun Drones
The Flash, “Paradox”
Barry gets a talking to from Good Guy Garrick
Once again, the problems time travel plague Flash & Friends. At last, we’re seeing some more chaotic time-travel consequences. All the Team Flash members have some negative changes in their personal lives. Barry’s sister-wife Iris still loves him, but her relationship with Joe is as strained as Joe’s relationship with Wally was last season. Cisco’s less humorous since his brother died, and he blames Barry for not time-traveling to save his life. Which seems unreasonable, until you realize it’s the exact kind of thing Barry does ALL THE TIME. At least Caitlin has a new dark side that ISN’T related to a dead boyfriend (though that’s sure to come up sometime soon). Unfortunately, Alchemy (who may/may not have a Doctorate) is out to get him in the new timeline. He manages to bring Lightning Gremlin Rival into the regular timeline, and they duke it out a second time. Barry’s also got an antagonistic parter, Julian Alpert. Alpert’s played by Draco Malfoy from ‘Harry Potter,’ although he’s clearly a Severus Snape-type in this series. Hopefully this new timeline is the last reality-warp we have to deal with for a while.
SCORE: 7/10 Husks
Arrow, “The Recruits”
“How can I reach these kids?”
Oliver’s attempts at finding new friends doesn’t work all that well. In an attempt to get a new team, he recruits Canary Jr, Tall Nathan, and Angsty Hockey Dog. Rather than use the Common Core to train them, he uses Russian mafia techniques to beat them up and make them mad. This episode’s flashbacks do prove how successful the techniques are – at least, for Oliver. Diggle also struggles with his army recruit, and somehow manages to do EVEN WORSE for himself than Oliver. Team Arrow has to contend with the evil half-rag, half-octopus angsty teen, and they quickly fail. Ragman does become an ally to fight Tobias Church, but didn’t do nearly as well as Mr. “Not Green Arrow” Prometheus. We’ll see how long it takes the kids to shape up, but it’ll be a lot of angsty hormones flying in the mayor’s HQ for half a season.
SCORE: 6/10 Bells
Which of these shows is your favorite? Have a good review of LEGENDS OF TOMORROW? Which Gremlin is your favorite? Post in the comments below!
The Halloween season is upon us, and it is time to look at the ‘best of the best’ when it comes to Halloween-themed cartoons and television specials.
Some of these animated works are often overlooked, ignored, or forgotten by adults because you’re all grown-up and have RESPONSIBILITIES. Since you’re visiting Monkeys Fighting Robots, your inner child is still intact, and many of you may have seen these or maybe you’re the one who forgot. In any event, read on. Stir up a memory of simpler times…
When McDonald’s sold those McPunkin Happy Meal pails.
What is your favorite Halloween-themed cartoon?
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)
“When the spooks have a midnight jamboree
They break it up with fiendish glee
Most are bad, but the one that’s cursed is
The Headless Horseman, he’s the worst.”
– Bing Crosby
A great way to begin a night of Halloween cartoons. Originally released as a double feature as The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, it was later often marketed as its own individual short film. I saw it that way. On VHS.
The entire cartoon is an artistic masterpiece. Some of Walt Disney Studios’ best work. Unlike other Disney films, there are no talking animals. Or people.
Legendary crooner Bing Crosby narrates the story and sings the mood-inspiring songs. And there’s no one better to do it. His voice is upbeat one moment; then the next his baritone drops eight octaves to punctuate the dread conjured on your screen. Almost makes you want to stay in on Halloween night.
Fun fact: Tim Burton samples the cartoon’s frog croaks of “Ichabod!” in a scene in his movie Sleepy Hollow. Listen for it when Johnny Depp crosses a covered bridge somewhere near the beginning of the second act.
Garfield’s Halloween Adventure
“Gimme.” – Garfield
CBS pretty much had a monopoly on cartoon specials for the entirety of the twentieth century. This one originally aired on October 30, 1985.
In it, Garfield learns that Halloween is a night to go out and snare candy, so he and Odie dress up as pirates and do just that. Eventually, they make their way to an island and an old house where the most grizzled, grotesque character outside of Dick Tracy lives. The Old Man tells Garfield and Odie that the ghosts of pirates will return to his house that very night to reclaim their buried treasure. And they do. But fear not, Garfield and Odie make it back home before dawn.
The special begins as a comedy and becomes a horror story in the third act. Unheard of for a cartoon. It’s one of the best Garfield specials ever made. Plus it has songs performed by Lou Rawls. And if you don’t like that, then go watch a My Little Pony cartoon, because Garfield doesn’t want your attention.
What’s that? Do you want to buy it? To coin a phrase by the great Stephen King: tough titty said the kitty. Unless you have a VHS copy or taped it from TV, you’re out of luck. It rarely, if ever, airs on TV now. Walmart sold it exclusively a few years ago, but who knows if they still do. If you can find a copy, cling to it like Chris Christie would cling to the last Twinkie after the Apocalypse. It’s worth it.
The Simpsons – “Treehouse of Horror I”
“Ohhhhhhh! I hate Halloween!” – Homer Simpson
Choosing the best of these yearly Halloween episodes is like choosing which Bond is the best: Sean Connery or Daniel Craig; it ain’t so easy. Especially because the show’s in its one millionth season. But limit the parameters to the first four “Treehouse of Horror” episodes, and you’re in business.
The first one originally aired on October 25, 1990. Despite each subsequent episode sharing the same title, this one is the only one to actually take place in a treehouse.
Two of its three segments are pretty damn scary. Especially the first one, “Bad Dream House.” In it, the Simpsons move into a possessed house where the walls bleed, and a disembodied voice urges them to slaughter each other.
Second is “Hungry are the Damned” and features the first appearance of world-domination-thirsty aliens, Kang and Kodos.
Third is an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven, where a Bart-esque Raven torments Homer.
There was a DVD that collected a bunch of these episodes, and it may still be available. Otherwise, you’ll have to fork over close to forty bucks for the entire season on DVD in which this episode appears. Still, it’d be worth it; the writers were really on their game during this season.
Tiny Toon Adventures – “Night Ghoulery”
“Behold, a jury made from the most vile scum to ever walk the colonies: pirates, thieves, traitors, network executives!” – Mr. Scratch
“I still say The Chevy Chase Show could work.” – Ghost Executive
“You have entered the Acme Acre Zone.” – Babs Bunny
A springtime Halloween special. It originally aired in primetime on May 28, 1995. This special is loaded with allusions. References of Hold That Ghost to a lampoon of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” remind you just how genius cartoons were in the early-to-mid-’90s.
While researching, I discovered that there was a Nightmare Before Christmas parody cold-open that apparently only aired in certain markets. Western Pennsylvania wasn’t one of those markets. Just… repugnant.
And there was a new version of the theme song?! Maybe my VCR just really hated me.
But I digress.
The special is set up like an episode of the classic TV show Night Gallery, hosted by Rod Sterling. Here, the comedic whirlwind of Babs Bunny portrays Sterling. And Roger Moore. And many other people the kids won’t recognize. But the parents certainly will. Just want to say, Tress MacNeille (the voice of Babs) is the female Robin Williams.
The ’90s was the second golden age of television cartoons. By the time this special aired, the age was almost over. There are still decent cartoons on TV, but none of them can hold a dripping, lit candle to Tiny Toons and other shows produced by the legendary Tom Ruegger.
Segments:
“The Tell-Tale Vacuum”
– brilliant, hilarious lampoon of the classic Poe story, starring a Plucky Duck and Hamton J. Pig
“Sneezer the Sneezy Ghost”
– parody of Casper with Li’l Sneezer and Furrball. The best visual gag is Furball suiting up as a Ghostbuster.
“The Devil Dog on the Moors”
– Babs and a tavern full of townsfolk recount the story of the Devil Dog. Contains the best rendition of “The Shingles Song” you’ll ever hear. Watch it here.
“Fuel”
– parody of the Steven Spielberg classic Duel, starring Calamity Coyote and Li’l Beeper.
“The Devil and Daniel Webfoot”
– Plucky goes up against Mr. Scratch for possession of Montana Max’s soul.
“Hold That Duck”
– parody of the Abbott and Costello movie Hold That Ghost with Buster Bunny and Plucky.
“Night of the Living Dull”
– Gogo Dodo and the other Wackyland residents are besieged by persistent advertisers.
“Frankenmyra and Dizzygor”
– Elmyra (Cree Summer) at her finest.
“A Gremlin on the Wing”
– parody of the classic Twilight Zone episode, in which Plucky is once again the star.
The Real Ghostbusters – “When Halloween Was Forever”
“I don’t think those are lights.” – Dr. Peter Venkman
This season one episode originally aired on November 1, 1986. It is the first appearance of fan-favorite ghost Samhain, the jack-o’-lantern-headed, purple cloak-wearing Lord of Halloween. His mission is to make Halloween eternal, but all he really did was cause an entire generation of kids to forever mispronounce “Samhain.” Which sounds a lot better than “Sah-wen,” its actual pronunciation.
The Real Ghostbusters– “Halloween II 1/2”
“Then you are fools! And fools deserve a swift demise! Tonight, I shall make Halloween… Eternal!” – Samhain
This one actually aired on Halloween in 1987. The same mischievous goblins who brought forth Samhain the first time, sneak into the Ghostbusters firehouse during a Halloween party and open the Containment Unit. Pumpkinhead isn’t thrilled with being held captive for a year. He transforms the firehouse into a demonic structure, a refuge for spirits. The Ghostbusters end Samhain’s reign by rescuing Slimer and the Junior Ghostbusters, then knocking out the Keystone.
The Real Ghostbusters – “The Halloween Door”
“Magic, mystery, myth – they’re important.” – Dr. Egon Spengler
No Samhain in this one. The Ghostbusters made their primetime debut here on October 29, 1989. Probably made possible by that Summer’s release of Ghostbusters II.
A large-foreheaded scientist named Crowley (Chairman of Citizens United Against Halloween) tries to convince the Ghostbusters to help him do away with Halloween. Before he and his assistant are chased out of the firehouse by Slimer, they steal a PKE Meter which they use to calibrate their Anti-Halloween Machine. Once activated, it summons the giant wraith Boogaloo. If the Ghostbusters don’t stop him by midnight, Halloween will revert back to the ghosts.
Fun fact: Boogaloo is voiced by a member of The Bus Boys, a rockabilly band who sang “Cleanin’ Up The Town” in the first Ghostbusters movie.
Lonesome Ghosts
“I ain’t scared-a no ghosts.” – Goofy
A theatrical short that premiered on December 24, 1937. I first saw this on TV then again on Halloween Haunts, a collection of Disney cartoons on VHS.
In it, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy are ghost exterminators hired to clear out a haunted house. What Mickey, Donald, and Goofy don’t know is that the ghosts hired them in order to have a few laughs at their expense.
You can watch it if you download the Mickey Video app from the Apple Store, you can watch it.
Trick or Treat
“So, when ghosts and goblins by the store
Ring the bell on your front door
You’d better not be stingy or
Your nightmares will come true.”
– “Trick or Treat” song
This theatrical short debuted on October 10, 1952. It’s part of the Halloween Haunts Disney VHS.
Huey, Dewey, and Louie trick or treat at their uncle Donald’s house where they suffer one of the speech-impaired duck’s tricks and end up leaving candy-less. Witch Hazel isn’t having that. She brews a potion that brings inanimate objects to life and puts them under her control. By the end, Donald gives up his candy, but not before having a few tricks played on him.
A true Halloween classic. Watch it and try not to sing the “Trick or Treat” song. You won’t be able to do it.
Goof Troop – “Hallo-weenies”
“Like, stay up all night in a cemetery! Or see a ghost! Or, or… something!” – Max
A
nother fine cartoon from the second golden age of television animation. This season one episode originally aired in September 1992.
Max and PJ want to have a killer Halloween, so when they hear that the bed & breakfast PJ’s father Pete plans to open is haunted, their night is set. It turns out the ghosts aren’t mean or evil – they’re the trapped spirits of a ragtime band who died before they could play their gig at the Spoonerville Mansion. In true Disney fashion, Max, PJ, and Goofy help the band complete their unfinished business, which allows them to move on to the afterlife.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=bzQzuBuuyU8
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
“There are three things I’ve learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.” – Linus Van Pelt
Of course, this is on the list. How could it not? Especially since this year marks its fiftieth anniversary. This, the second Peanuts animated special, premiered on CBS on October 27, 1966, and has aired every year since.
We know the story. It’s ingrained in our collective unconscious. Yet we watch it year after year. Why? Because it’s not Halloween without Charlie Brown getting a bag full of rocks, or Snoopy playing the World War I Flying Ace, or Linus Van Pelt in his pumpkin patch.
This special is the very essence of Halloween. A celebration of what makes it so great. Dig that Vince Guaraldi jazz score, “The Great Pumpkin Waltz.” It’s Halloween musicalized. They don’t make ’em like this anymore.
There you go, several cartoons to watch for Halloween and none that will give you nightmares.
An official Facebook page for the upcoming ‘Justice League’ movie has been launched by director Zack Snyder, reports Comicbook.com. Snyder, who has always been very vocal on social media, is officially running the account under his name.
Snyder directed four previous comic book adaptations — 300, Watchmen, Man of Steel, and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice — he is currently working on Justice League. His other movies include a fan-favorite Dawn of the Dead remake, as well as Sucker Punch and the animated film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.
Justice League will continue the story set up in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as Batman, his faith in humanity restored and inspired by Superman’s sacrifice, enlists the aid of his newfound ally, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, to gather other superpowered beings in order to face a greater, oncoming cosmic threat.
Justice League stars Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg, Amber Heard, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons,J.K. Simmons, Diane Lane, and Willam Dafoe. It is produced by Geoff Johns, George Miller, Deborah Snyder, Charles Roven, Dan Lin, Doug Mitchell and Barrie M. Osborne. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Studio.
Upcoming movies in the DC Extended Universe include Wonder Woman on June 2, 2017, followed by Justice League on November 17, 2017, The Flash on March 16, 2018, Aquamanon July 27, 2018, Shazam on April 5, 2019, Justice League 2 on June 14, 2019, Cyborg on April 3, 2020, and Green Lantern Corps on July 24, 2020.
‘The Accountant’ starring Ben Affleck hits theaters this week, and ‘The Flash’ on the CW is in its second week of the third season. One of these has quality writing and the other does not. One of these suprised us both, the other is a retread, according to one host.
These are the topics that Matt and EJ will debate about this week.
Strap yourself in buckaroos! Episode 95 of the Monkeys Fighting Robots podcast is here.
Do you want to be our SUPER-FAN of the week? All you have to do is comment on this podcast to be eligible.
Do you have a question that you would like answered during the show?
Email your questions to matt@popaxiom.com.
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About the Monkeys Fighting Robots Podcast:
A Gen Xer and a Millennial debate the latest topics in pop culture. One guy is a filmmaker and the other is a journalist, but both are nerds. We make your slowest days at work better. Hosts, Matthew Sardo and EJ Moreno.
Never heard of Matt Sardo? For starters, he made the Kessel Run in less than 11 parsecs. Prior to that, he gave Doc Brown the idea for the flux capacitor and led the Resistance to victory over SkyNet – all while sipping a finely crafted IPA. As a radio host, he’s interviewed celebrities, athletes and everyone in between. He’s covered everything from the Super Bowl to Comic-Con.
Who is EJ Moreno? Is he a trained physician? No. Is he a former Miss Universe contestant? Possibly. But what we know for sure is he’s a writer, filmmaker, and pop culture enthusiast. Since film school, EJ has written & directed several short films. He’s used his passion of filmmaking to become a movie critic for MonkeysFightingRobots.com.
I’m an old gamer who’s been around since the days when most video games could be played ONLY while standing and controllers had a stick and a button. In 1987, a game called Street Fighter arrived and set the bar for a fledgling genre known as the “beat ’em up” or fighting game. Street Fighter II, the first official sequel, became one of the most popular video games since Pac-Man, changed the industry forever, and taught me a valuable life lesson.
Few people talk about the original Street Fighter game because it wasn’t that great. It was fun, sure, but with only one character to choose, Ryu (Ken was only for the second player), stiff controls, and limited animations, it wasn’t a game-changer … yet. Then, in 1991, Street Fighter II arrived, and the world of video games would never be the same. SFII was a complete upgrade to the original game that featured a wider range of playable characters, more moves, better animations, and responsive controls.
From the time Street Fighter II landed and all the way through Street Fighter II Champion Edition, Turbo, hacked Turbo machines, and the Alpha series, I was a Street Fighter addict. For a lot of that time, I was a terrible player too, but it was still fun to get my arse handed to me time and time again.
Street Fighter II
Then, one night …
… while playing with myself … wait … I mean, playing Street Fighter alone, I decided to step out of my comfort zone. I was a hard Ryu, Ken, or Chung-Li user like many players. But that night, I made a point to use Zangief, Vega, M. Bison, and the rest.
The shift in playstyle was weird at first, and I sucked even more with the “new” characters. But I was getting better with my staple characters. Why? Understanding the new characters wasn’t easy, but it was insightful. While I wasn’t learning how to take advantage of their strengths, I had a better sense of their weaknesses. So, I started to exploit that. I started to win. I continued to practice until I could 720 pile drive fools into oblivion with ease.
For the next few years, through most of the lifespan of Street Fighter Alpha II and III, I was practically unstoppable against friends. Against competitive gamers I was still mediocre at best.
What did I learn?
To challenge myself. It’s easy to stay within a little bubble that feels safe and secure. But a bubble will only provide a limited amount of experience or enjoyment. The world is simply too vast and fascinating to live in a bubble.
I went on to apply the “out of my comfort zone” philosophy to other things in life, mainly writing. At the time I worked for a geek-flavored magazine. I went on to write copy for electronics products, technical manuals, short films, plays, comics, children’s books, and more.
Maybe I would’ve gone on to write a broad range of things without that little lesson from Street Fighter. It’s a complete unknown that’s serves as a fun thought experiment, but is otherwise irrelevant. Street Fighter was the spark that taught me to learn things from many angles. And my timeline has never been the same.
With The Release Of WWE 2K17, The Evolution Of Wrestling Gaming Is Evident. Check Out The 5 Best Wrestling Games!
We’ve come a long way since WWF Wrestlemania for the NES. Gone are the pixelated characters and now we get these glorious full renders. On October 11th, WWE releases their newest game titled WWE 2K17. Looking at the graphics for the new game, the evolution is apparent but is it the best wrestling game ever? The jury is still out but there’s so many amazing wrestling games throughout history.
Which wrestling games rank the highest on this list?
Let me know if your favorite is here by commenting below!
And yes, that is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson playing N64 with Mankind!
Honorable Mention:
WWE 2K16
Fire Pro Wrestling Returns
WCW/nWo Revenge
5. WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game – 1995 (Arcade, SNES, Genesis, Playstation)
Iconic! There was wrestling games before but this cross-platform game is one of the most recognizable ever. WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game was inspired by games like Mortal Kombat so it made playing a bit more fun & fast paced. The changes paid off as the game is one of the best wrestling games in history. We’d have no WWE 2K17 if it wasn’t for this.
4. Def Jam: Vendetta – 2003 (Gamecube, Playstation 2)
Many are shocked to see a non-WWE game on here but this was phenomenal. For me, Def Jam: Vendetta mixes my love of hip-hop with wrestling in a great blend. The fighting style was more arcade style so the fun instantly goes up. Wild and free, this game and its sequel Def Jam: Fight For NY were allowed to be whatever it wanted to be and stands out in the genre.
3. WWF No Mercy – 2000 (N64)
This ranks lower on the list because honestly, there was a lot like it at the time. WWF No Mercy is a great game but with WCW/nWo Revenge being so similar, it’s hard to rank as a unique game. But for this generation of gaming, there is no doubt that WWF No Mercy is the epitome of great. The Attitude Era was in full effect and the roster reflects the madness of this time.
2. WWE ’13 – 2013 (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii)
The modern era of wrestling video games has been mediocre. With no other competition, WWE games are always about fixing minor things from the previous one. WWE ’13 decided to do something different. Focusing on The Attitude Era, the game feels like an complete experience. Using the improved gameplay, the narrative and theme of late 90’s wrestling allowed players to fully immerse.
1. WWE Smackdown! Here Comes The Pain – 2003 (Playstation 2)
Here Comes the Pain set the standards for wrestling games until the drastically different WWE ’12 . If you were a wrestling fan in 2003, this was the game to have! The roster was stacked, graphics still hold up, and everything from the Elimination Chamber to Bra & Panties matches were introduced. Fun Fact: Ironically, this was also the last game Brock Lesnar appear in until WWE ’12!
Check out WWE 2K17 in stores now.
You can find it released for Xbox One/Xbox 360, PS4/PS3, and Windows.
It was at this moment where, maybe, the narrative was going to be a social commentary on autism? Maybe how it shaped Wolff’s life? Wrong. Instead, we’re thrust into another scene where young Christian is being taught karate from a dude hired by his father to kick his son’s ass. So how do we go from a Gambino crime hit, to a family visiting with a doctor about autism, to a domestic disturbance, to a hamfisted scene from the cutting room floor of an 80s kick-and-punch thriller?
