BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend The followup fighter from ArcSystems impresses with a wealth of options and a deep layered system REVIEWS, PAGE 10 Batman Top 5, PAGE 23

YEAR 11, NO. 34 WWW.GAMINGINSURRECTION.COM Third Quarter 2018 An arcade experience Years after its expected arrival, Dave & Buster’s hits Columbia from the editor hen I began Gaming Insurrec- to school and wedding planning, GI tion 16 years ago in my kitchen, has not been my primary focus. But W I didn’t foresee there would be that will change shortly. The closer long layoffs between issues. I get to graduation, the easier it is to I never anticipated taking a lot of work on GI and pull together a com- time off because I thought I’d be do- petent and complete issue. We’ve ing journalism for the rest of my life. scaled back in recent years, but it is I didn’t think I’d be in a new career, by no means dead. Expect to see more but here I am. work done in the coming months and I am currently an accounting stu- an increased presence online. dent, working toward a second bach- I might be a little busy with life out- elor’s degree at a local college. I have side of journalism and video games, been doing this in some form or but we haven’t forgotten about Gam- fashion since the fall of 2016 when I ing Insurrection in the slightest. finally made the decision to take my Enjoy the issue. current day job a step further. I have maintained a good GPA, and I am pro- jected to graduate in May 2020. I am also getting married again the month Lyndsey Hicks, editor-in-chief before graduation. In between working fulltime, going GAMING INSURRECTION

Editor-in-Chief Facebook Lyndsey Hicks Facebook.com/ GamingInsurrection Editor-at-Large Brandon Beatty YouTube Website User: GamingInsurrection www.gaminginsurrection.com Twitter @GamingInsurrect

LYNDSEY HICKS BRANDON BEATTY editor-in-chief editor-at-large GI REVIEW POLICY Scale is from 1 to 5 as follows: LYNDSEY HICKS is co-founder BRANDON BEATTY is 1 — Broken. Absolutely do not play this game. A broken mess staff and editor-in-chief of GI. She enjoys editor-at-large for GI. Brandon from start to finish. Game is unplayable and irredeemable in all areas. watching various anime with her writes reviews when the mood strikes him, produces the quarterly 2 — Substandard. The game isn’t for everyone. Some mechanics future husband, editing, picking apart work; others need work. Overall design is questionable in some Harry Potter lore and planning her Otaku Corner column for The Strip areas. and enjoys planning anime con- future school schedule with 3 — Average and meets expectations. Mechanics work and vention road trips with his lovely it’s a decent package overall. It’s playable, and you’ll come back to graduation in mind. Lyndsey resides future wife. Brandon resides in the game. in Columbia, S.C. Columbia, S.C. 4 — Above average. Exceeds expectations. Overall, a great game worth keeping in a gamer’s library. Presentation and mechanics all work as expected and add to or enhance the gaming experience. CONTACT: CONTACT: 5 — Masterpiece. Everyone should play this title at least once to lyndseyh@ brandonb@ experience what it has to offer. gaminginsurrection.com gaminginsurrection.com

2 contents 03 editorial Lack of interest in E3 grows t used to be that E3 was the high- light of my year covering video games. I would make these grand Iplans of watching the confer- ences and coordinating with my writers to make sure that GI was ready to go when it came time to publish what we saw. And then a confluence of events occurred: Coordinating became corral- ling, my writers dwindled to two, time became a scarce commod- ity and I gradually lost interest in the Lyndsey Hicks show. That group of CRY OF WAR events wasn’t unexpected after all. I saw the handwriting on the wall long before we lost writers and didn’t add back to the roster. And I made the decision Disney’s Aladdin blows away to go back to school, which I knew Lyndsey Hicks would severely limit my time for any outside activities. To be further hon- competition with stellar soundtrack est, we’re a retro publication, and as BEAT.TRIP.GAME a gamer, there was nothing shown in the ensuing years that jumped out laddin is one of the greatest animated lamp is quite wonderful, pun intended. The tune that signals close-proximity danger and as must-buy purchases for a retro- features ever drawn. Disney’s master- melody is flirty but evokes mystery just like the upcoming levels of the game are every- inclined gamer who longs for the old piece about an impoverished boy with the titular cave. thing as advertised. days of gaming. A a heart of gold who finds a magic lamp But there was something good: I that changes his fortunes is the basis for 4. The Genie’s Lamp: A riff off one of the 7. “Direct From the Lamp:” The Genie’s proc- was free to cover whatever I wanted to in the summer issue. It made a lot a great soundtrack and an even greater game. film’s signature tracks, Friend Like Me, the lamation of being the host of his lamp and Using the events of the much-praised film, the Genie’s Lamp is a souped up instrumental of sense to just go with whatever I guiding Aladdin is a welcome respite from the game version features a fantastic soundtrack track of the raucous single that introduces the felt like publishing, and it didn’t hurt previous levels in the game that had Aladdin that borrows heavily from its source material fan-favorite Genie. All that’s missing is the late that I had more time to do whatever I wanted as well. and creates some gems of its own. great Robin Williams’ indelible voice and we’d attempting to escape the Cave of Wonders. A The minute that you have to decide have that fun movie favorite that everyone welcome respite, indeed, that features talk from the Genie and escaping to freedom. The to let something go that seems like 1. “See How Snakelike I Can Be:” The boss knows the words to. it’s always been there, the decision fight with scene-stealing villain Jafar is fun keyboard mix here is punctuating and the fo- feels painful. And then the benefits and the accompanying song is just as fun. It’s 5. “A Snake Am I?”: This track appears in the cal point, which means it steals the show. start rolling in. It was incredibly free- a rhythmic timpani drum track that actually lead up to facing off with Jafar for final time ing, and I don’t regret letting myself helps with the timing of facing off against in the game. It’s a moment of preparation as 8. Magic Carpet Ride: The showstopper is a lower my workload. Not covering E3 Jafar in his snake form. well as a minute to rest after a punishing fight riff off of the Academy Award and Grammy meant not covering a show a month later than I wanted. And not covering with Jafar in his supreme sorcerer form. The Award-winning favorite “A Whole New World.” E3 meant I could focus on retro titles, 2. Storming Jafar’s Palace: Though you never track is nice and mellow, disguising the bruis- Though there are several versions of this in see in the film version just how Aladdin and ing fight that lays ahead. ideas and concepts more often. the game — given that it’s the signature song Abu managed to make it inside Jafar’s palace Who knows, maybe in a few years of the film — this version is the most well- when I feel more inclined, I might to the main floor of action, the game handles 6. Abu Blows It: If you know how the movie done. It follows the scene so well that you can cover it once again. I wouldn’t hold it quite nicely with a playable section or two. goes, you know that Abu is the source of your my breath waiting for that, though. The track that goes with it is equal parts ad- trouble in the Cave of Wonders. His greed is sing along with the track and have it perfectly paced and timed as if you’re watching the film venturous and daring. directly responsible (along with Jafar) for Lyndsey Hicks is editor-in-chief causing you to become stuck. While your com- alongside. The instruments are well chosen, of Gaming Insurrection. She can be 3. Cave of Wonders: A great track that plays panion might be treacherous and foolish, the too. This is the definitive version of the track reached by email at in the section where Aladdin finds the Genie’s accompanying track is anything but. This is a in the game. [email protected] All photos by Gaming Insurrection The D&B Experience Busted or worth the hype? GI judges the Dave & Buster’s in Columbia

STAFF | Gaming Insurrection e at GI believe in the arcade experience. We arcade experience in several various locations. Back believe that a trip to the arcade should be when the scene was viable in the famously hot WANT satisfying and worth making. If not for the town, Dave & Buster’s — a mythical arcade chain — W games, then for the atmosphere and compe- was rumored to put down stakes in town. Alas, that tition that can arise from finding likeminded people dream died 15 years ago. Or so we thought. In 2017, MORE? to enjoy video games with. D&B finally opened its doors to Columbia entertain- GI has a video Arcades are a dying breed, with few chains left to ment seekers and arcade purists alike. about our visit to provide that one-of-a-kind experience. Columbia, Gaming Insurrection ventured forth to see if this Dave & Buster’s in S.C., used to be a place where you could get that near demigod lived up to the hype. Columbia. 04 feature A little bit of history aming Insurrection is always ready to What came in its place was Putt Putt, which is travel for new arcade experiences. With the a decent arcade chain but no D&B. Putt Putt G announcement of a Dave & Buster’s com- admirably served the area for six years and then ing to Columbia and its eventual opening, shuttered its doors, taking with it the only viable GI was curious about the near-mythical arcade old-school arcade experience and alternative to chain coming to its hometown finally. Columbia stalwart Frankie’s Fun Park.

There’s a little bit of history involved with D&B Jump with us to 2014, and once again D&B was coming to the Soda City. Way back in 2002, rumored to make its way to Columbia yet again, Columbia was hotly rumored and anticipating except this time, it was real. The chain was final- a D&B opening in the Spring Valley area. Local ly a reality in Columbia, with plans to open the arcade enthusiasts eagerly traded rumors and next year. Despite stretching on to 2017, Dave stories of the chain opening a large arcade off & Buster’s finally made it with a grand opening Sparkleberry Lane sometime in the spring or Feb. 13, 2017, ready to compete in Columbia’s summer of that year. Except it never happened. lackluster arcade scene.

feature 05 Visiting for the first time I made its way to Dave & Buster’s recently to finally get G a taste of what it’s like. Traf- fic coming and going to the location has been steady since the opening and during our visit, the arcade and restaurant sections were packed with patrons well past 10 p.m. We made our way through the throngs of crowds to try some of the games on hand and didn’t have to wait long for any of them. The games were plentiful and there was a variety of genres, from rhythm games such as Pump It Up to rac- ing and ticket redemption and old standby classics such as Ski Ball. We were highly disappointed to note that there were no fighting games and no Dance Dance Revolution ma- chines, which were the lifeblood of arcades since the early to late ’90s. The lack of fighting games and DDR rather dampened our enthusiasm from that point on. We were, quite frankly, expecting something more along the lines of Japanese arcades or the lesser-known Lost Ark Video Games in Greensboro, N.C., known for holding on to the games of yes- teryear and frequently rotating and updating its stock. Dave & Buster’s has a reputation as a good arcade for adults, so it was disappointing that it was mostly child-friendly games surrounded by an adult atmosphere. Also, we noted that the prices were high. Game credits were not cheap and many games took quite a few credits. For a mediocre selection, the prices should match what we’re receiving, though we’re chalking up the prices to the location (Harbison) and clientele.

06 feature The verdict f you’re looking for a slightly more up-to-date and newer Frankie’s that doesn’t have an outdoor area and serves beer I and other adult friendly drinks, Dave & Buster’s is the place to go. It’s not exactly the savior that Columbia was searching and waiting for, though it’s something different and competition for the ever-present and failing Frankie’s.

Dave & Buster’s could surprise, however, and rotate in newer stock or change the atmosphere. For now, we at GI are giving it some time to see what the chain does and its overall impact in Co- lumbia. We do hold out hope, however, that the old-school arcade experience will make a return to Columbia and raise expectations and the profile of the city’s arcade experience.

feature 07 08 tech geeks

Samsung 32-inch LCD television

Samsung’s 32-inch LCD television is a great bargain buy if you’re in the market for a decent no-frills TV. For GI’s purposes, we bought it for our living room and we use it to play Xbox 360 games, DVDs and our Roku player (see the review below). It’s stunningly easy to set up, has the standard options found on most TVs today, and it fits quite nicely in our living room entertainment area. The only drawback that we’ve encoun- tered with the television is the sound output. For some shows, the sound is super low and we have to frequently turn it up to nearly full volume. Other than that, it’s a great purchase and worth a look if you need some- thing average for a good price.

Price: $149 Where to buy: Best Buy

Roku player

The Roku player was a surprise purchase when GI was in the mar- ket for a streaming device. At $40, it seemed like a safe alternative to the Amazon Fire Stick. The Roku is lightweight and easy to use. It has a quick setup and is easy to navi- gate with. It comes preloaded with Netflix, Hulu, Google Play and Sling GoGo Anime website TV, but additional channels can be added with a subscription like the four that are preloaded. Because of A free anime site, GoGo Anime has one of the largest collections of the Roku, we’ve added a Netflix and anime for watching and downloading on the web. It’s easy to search for Hulu subscription and renewed our a series or choose a current series and load a player to start watching. It NBA subscription. With those, we has full series of favorites dubbed and subbed and the obscure without have our favorite sport and mov- needing to sign in or have a subscription. ies, TV shows and anime all in one spot in the house. The Roku works Website: GoGoAnime.com well and is fast in loading all of the apps that we’ve added and choose to use regularly.

Price: $40 Where to buy: Best Buy, Amazon. com GAME OF THE QUARTER

BLAZBLUE: CONTINUUM SHIFT EXTEND The spiritual successor to the Guilty Gear franchise brings depth to the fighting game scene, PAGE 10

INSIDE

Devil May Cry 4 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja: Storm Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition Clayfighter: Tournament Edition Dante and Nero join forces to fight against The first game in the Ultimate Ninja series brings The fourth game in the longrunning Street The parody fighter featuring clay stopmotion the forces of darkness, 11 the fun of the Naruto anime series home, 12 Fighter series finally feels close to complete, 13 combatants is surprisingly deep and good, 14 game of the quarter 09 BLAZBLUE: CONTINUUM SHIFT EXTEND Guilty Gear successor cleans up nicely in fighting game arena

Fighting game connoisseurs have improved upon the formula they’d a robust buffet to choose from created with gorgeous visuals, a these days. There’s Marvel, Street rocking soundtrack and impressive Fighter, Tekken and Mortal Kom- gameplay options that ensure you’ll bat for tournament purists, a new have plenty to do. Soul Calibur has been announced, BlazBlue CSE starts off rather in- and a new Smash is on the horizon timidatingly. From the beginning, and the older there are quite a few modes to games in the choose from. If you’re not informed, series are you might be a little lost trying to still played in understand just where you should some circles. start. With a varied Guilty Gear, plate to choose worth sitting down and studying. Learning the mechanics for most increases the level of complexity which has from, at the If you’re into anime, the aes- fighting games is a mixed bag. and the mechanics are spot on and Lyndsey Hicks always been very least the SCORE: thetics were designed with you Some games expect you to be able easy to grasp. All fighting games quietly in the modes are in mind. to jump in and master the basics need the type of learning tool that’s EDITOR-IN-CHIEF back of the interestingly 4.5 OUT The story is also worthy of as if you’ve done nothing but play offered here. lunchroom, designed and comparison to most modern fighting games all of your gam- If you love Guilty Gear or if you was a mix of tournament and add value to OF 5 anime. It’s convoluted and ing life. Others like to give you a just want a deeper storyline than casual, so it stands to reason that an already- complex and has twists and tutorial so that you’re not lost and what’s currently offered by the larg- its spiritual successor — BlazBlue — packed game. turns involving a multi-layered quickly putting the game down, er more well-known titles on the would mimic that notion. The standout cast. There’s a lot about the search- never to return. BlazBlue CSE is in market in fighting games, BlazBlue BlazBlue arrived in the fight- features, however, are the graph- ing for a savior and magic — which the latter category: So concerned promises to deliver a rich experi- ing game scene as a new entry in ics and story. As with Guilty Gear, isn’t out of place for an ArcSystem is the game about you learning to ence. It delivers on that promise the portfolio of Guilty Gear devel- you’re getting a treat visually. The game. It feels familiar but it doesn’t play and master all that it has to with a commitment to extending oper ArcSystem. Taking what they level of detail in each character and detract from the fact that it’s lay- offer that it throws a surprisingly beyond just the regular fighting learned from that series, ArcSystem the backgrounds make the game ered and deep. deep tutorial mode at you. It slowly game expectations. 10 now playing DEVIL MAY CRY 4 Devil’s in the details: DMC4 a nice break from Dante Capcom’s “Devil May Cry” series is Bringer arm, his mechanical sword Red a game that has basically redefined Queen and his double barrel revolver, the term “hack-and-slash” in video Blue Queen. Nero can gain an extra games. With the first three games advantage to accomplish his mission using hack-and-slash style as well by gathering “Red Souls,” DMC’s original as action-adventure elements, game currency, and “Proud Souls,” a new I wondered what new surprises currency. After a mission is completed, would the fourth installment of the Pride Souls can power up Nero’s tools series bring and to which system? ranging from extending the Devil Bring- DMC 4 features demon-hunter er’s reach to more powerful shots from extraordinaire Dante, but the story the Blue Queen. The controls for Dante and main character has changed Brandon Beatty and Nero are easy to use thanks to the for a more intense experience. Tak- PS3’s Six Axis controller’s built-in analog ing place in a remote island town feature, which I found helpful with cam- called Fortuna, you assume the EDITOR-AT-LARGE era issues from time to time. role of Nero — a younger version of The excellent detail that is used in each Dante — who is a member of the Order of level comes to life in the background and the Sword. The Order of the Sword is a cinematic scenes. These were done with militant religious organization formed high definition technology that will make to destroy demons based on the ac- SCORE: you feel like you are playing with a mas- tions of the Demon-Knight Sparda, terpiece of art instead of a video game. who rebelled against the demon 3 OUT Capcom’s sound team brings their A- underworld to protect humanity. At game again. Each sound and vocal effect a recent ceremony to honor Sparda, OF 5 combined with Dolby Digital Sound gives Dante smashes though a skylight and an orchestral quality to the game. Capcom kills the priest leading the ceremony, did a great job in voice and motion capture setting off a chain of events that would not for DMC 4. Johnny Yong Bosch (Bleach, Street only put Dante and Nero on a collision course with Fighter IV) brought Nero to life and Reuben Langdon each other, but also would lead both demon-hunters reprising his role as Dante. through a greater mystery to find out the true inten- Devil May Cry 4 shows what Capcom is capable of tions of the Order and to stop a more vicious plot of a doing when they let their development team do its job: demon-invasion. make their games enjoyable. DMC4 is a challenging, While Dante’s role in DMC 4 is not as the main but enjoyable way to kill free time when you want to character, he does still play a key role in the game as a get your demon-hunting on. The replay value is strong playable character in certain scenes. Nero is not to be especially if you are a veteran DMC player; this game taken lightly either as his arsenal consists of his Devil is worth your hard-earned cash. now playing 11 NARUTO: ULTIMATE NINJA: STORM The ultimate beginning

Naruto Uzimaki. From 1999 to 2017, in developing the perfect example of a Shonen Jump Magazine’s hyperactive video game based on a popular anime ninja knucklehead had a major im- franchise. Every stage, landmark and pact on the geek culture scene as well character are portrayed perfectly in the as anime and manga. From graphic game making me as if I was transported novels, to other novelty merchandise to the Hidden Leaf Village. The controls and video games, many anime fans are easy and will help you pull off some worldwide followed his rise from out- up-close cool combos when certain but- cast of his ninja village to its legend- tons are displayed. They’re also great ary savior. During Naruto’s rise, there during the exploration of Ultimate Mis- were many video games for various sion Mode as you’re trying to find hid- systems that followed every adven- Brandon Beatty den items and mission locations. ture of our blonde, blue-eyed hero and Another cool thing about the game his friends. I got the opportunity to was that the music from the anime play one of the Naruto-based games EDITOR-AT-LARGE series was not only kept intact, but after a recent game shopping expedi- also was done in Dolby Digital Sound. tion when I found Naruto: Ultimate Ninja: The voice acting in the game is high caliber Storm. thanks to Namco Bandai working with Ultimate Ninja: Storm is a hybrid Viz Media and Studiopolis Inc. to bring consisting of fighting and role play- SCORE: together the original English voice actors ing game elements. Free Battle mode to reprise their respective roles. Even allows you to choose one main fighter 4.5 OUT with the excellent English voice acting, with two backup characters against you can also play the game in Japanese another player or the console’s choice of OF 5 with English subtitles for a more au- characters in various stages taken right thentic feel. Anyone who has not played out of the Naruto universe. Free Battle also a Naruto video game will find it perfect allows you to earn extra cash if you defeat for either a hot or rainy-day afternoon, or a their opponents using various moves known as friendly fighting game tournament at any anime ninjutsu. The extra coinage will be needed in the role convention. playing mode, Ultimate Mission Mode, during which Namco Bandai did an awesome job of bringing you control Naruto in various missions that involve Naruto to the PS3 in addition to publishing additional episodes 1 to 135 of the anime series. games based off this iconic franchise. For now, Naru- I found everything from the cinematic intro to actual to’s journey to be hokage has ended successfully, with gameplay excellent. Namco Bandai brought their expe- a son ready to take up his own challenges. Ultimate rience in making games like Tekken and Soul Calibur Ninja: Storm is a great start showcasing Naruto’s early and combined it with Masashi Kishimoto’s guidance adventures.

12 now playing SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV: ARCADE EDITION Father of fighting games gets super upgrade

Gone are the days of roaming a Alpha, there’s a good with previous SF games. If that could be bought digitally and local arcade to play the throng of chance they are you aren’t experienced, downloaded to patch the game up would-be challengers and pretend- available for play SCORE: there’s a great tutorial to whatever version Capcom want- ers to the throne of the best local in SSFIV. mode that runs through ed consumers to have. Even when fighting game champion. In its Fight locales 4 OUT combo and movesets of the original version was released, place are home consoles designed associated with each character to teach the capability was there. This just to push the power of the arcade. many of the OF 5 the basics. That varied screams of cash grab and Capcom Fighting game franchises have had characters are level of depth goes a long being ignorant of tiresome tactics to keep up or suffer irrelevancy available with a great way toward replay value. wearing on the fan base. The fact or, worse yet, extinction. The soundtrack accompanying My one gripe out of all the loveli- that Ultra Street Fighter IV — one earliest king of the genre, Street Lyndsey Hicks them. SSFIV does an exceptional ness that is the mixed nostalgia more version beyond this one — Fighter, has had a challenge of job of reminding more experienced fest of SSFIV is that it’s Capcom be- exists is proof positive of this. sorts: continue forward or go the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF fighting enthusiasts of the Street ing Capcom as usual. For the unini- Other than the fiasco of multiple way of its ride-a-longs of the ‘90s. Fighter origins and piquing the tiated, Capcom gained a reputation versions, Capcom has a solid win- Super Street Fighter IV attempts to lot of compelling content here to curiosity of newer fight fans. The in the ’90s for having a solid fran- ner on its hands with the fourth continue the tradition with mostly draw you in and get you started controls also hearken to the old chise in Street Fighter II but not entry in the long-running series success. in the world of competitive digital days, so much so that it’s easy to being able to count to three. The even as it fades into the back- Super SFIV, at its core, is a fight- fighting. Various modes are here, pick up and play and learn about constant upgrading and reissuing ground in favor of SFV. If SFV is ing fan’s dream. A robust engine ready for a deep dive, and there are the different systems afforded to of SFII got old quickly. And, quite not your cup of tea, but you want with plenty of options for either more than enough new characters each character. Most new charac- frankly, Capcom hasn’t learned to stay current with the world of the novice or the advanced, SSFIV and old stalwarts to make fight- ters will play like an older char- its lesson because Street Fighter IV Street Fighter, SFIV is a good bal- makes playing a fighting game ing interesting. The general rule of acter on the roster so it’s easy to should not have multiple retail ver- ance and at the right price now to easy. Even if you haven’t played thumb is, if the character was in learn the nuance of fighting with sions of its upgrades. Arcade Edi- delve into the world of Ryu, Ken since the heyday of SFII, there’s a SFII and its derivatives, SFIII or SF a newcomer if you’re experienced tion should have been an update and Chun-Li. now playing 13 CLAYFIGHTER: TOURNAMENT EDITION Ripoff molded into decency

In 1994, there was a glut of fight- ers on the market — something for everyone, if you will. You couldn’t stand in a circle and turn your head SCORE: without bumping into a fighting game. To stand out, you had to 3.5 OUT have something special, a gimmick to grab attention from the heavy- OF 5 weights. Enter ClayFighter: Tourna- ment Edition. The game runs just like you’d Lyndsey Hicks phenomenal. The songs are catchy expect a ’90s fighting game to and memorable and are appropri- play: One-on-one button mashing ate for the different characters they with a large amount of movesets EDITOR-IN-CHIEF represent. Throw in an over-the-top ripped off from Street Fighter II extent of the story. If you’re familiar hilarious announcer and you have and Mortal Kombat. What sets the with Street Fighter, this is where a great soundtrack for the SNES and game apart from the pack are the that knowledge comes in: Each a great 16-bit era addition to the graphics. ClayFighter utilizes stop- motion graphics with clay models character corresponds to a char- music library of video game tunes. on hand-drawn backgrounds. This acter in SFII. So, the Blob would be If you can ignore the tendency look means it doesn’t take itself too Blanka/E. Honda, Helga is Chun-Li, to ape Street Fighter, ClayFighter: seriously, but the cartoonish outer Tiny is Balrog (boxer), Ickybod Clay TE’s goofy charm can and will layer does hide a surprisingly deep is Ken and Bad Mr. Frosty is Ryu, to grow on you. It’s a surprisingly fun fighting engine. name a few examples. Using that and deep fighter that makes its There’s a quality group of fighters comparison makes playing the mark through interesting and fun to be had here, and any number of game easier in that the controls are characters and a decent fighting them are serviceable. Each has but already familiar. system. Don’t sleep on this well- one goal: Become of king (or queen) Also, much like Street Fighter, molded fighter based on appear- of Clayland, and that’s about the ClayFighter: TE’s soundtrack is ances alone. 14 retrograde Game Boy Player contributed GAME BOY to GameCube’s longevity PLAYER FACTS By Lyndsey Hicks Gaming Insurrection * The GB Player is region free; however, you must have the corresponding boot discs in order for it to launch. The Game Boy Player was unexpected. No one * It does not use an emulator to play GB games. It uses actual saw it coming in 2003 when it was released as an add-on Game Boy hardware internally. accessory for the GameCube. But when it arrived, it was * It does not work with the Wii or Wii U. The Homebrew like most Nintendo peripherals: In with a flash, some channel, which can be added to both systems, made the Game promotion and then regulated to obscurity. Boy Player unnecessary if one went the route of emulation. * The GB Player is compatible with the e-Reader accessory, which uses dot matrix cards to add See GAME BOY PLAYER, PAGE 20 items to certain GBA and GameCube games.

retro game corner 15 RED & BLUE KNOWLEDGE CENTER

Pokémon on tap this quarter:

No. 120 – Staryu No. 121 – Starmie No. 122 – Mr. Mime No. 123 – Scyther No. 124 – Jynx Evolves to Starmie No. 125 – Electabuzz with Water Stone No. 126 – Magmar No. 127 – Pinsir No. 128 – Tauros

Special thanks to No. 122 —­ Mr. Mime Bulbapedia for No. 120 —­ Staryu No. 121 —­ Starmie Pokémon artwork LEVEL ATTACK TYPE LEVEL ATTACK TYPE LEVEL ATTACK TYPE 1 Confusion Psychic 1 Tackle Normal 1 Tackle Normal 1 Barrier Psychic 17 Water Gun Water 1 Water Gun Water 15 Confusion Psychic 22 Harden Normal 1 Harden Normal 23 Light Screen Psychic 27 Recover Normal WHAT TO KEEP AND DELETE 31 DoubleSlap Psychic 32 Swift Normal 39 Meditate Psychic 37 Minimize Normal 47 Substitute Normal 42 Light Screen Psychic Moves to keep EDITOR’S NOTES: 47 Hydro Pump Water Water Gun Mr. Mime is an OK Psychic Pokémon that will suffice Recover until you can get a heavy hitter, such as Alakazam or EDITOR’S NOTES: Hydro Pump The Staryu/Starmie evolution chain is nothing Mewtwo, in your arsenal. Mr. Mime will have to be special. It learns a decent number of moves but Moves to delete taught the best attacks that Psychic Pokémon have to offer, such as Psybeam and Psywave, because its nothing that will stand out from the rest of the wa- Tackle default move list is quite lacking. Confusion is great for ter Pokémon pack. If you choose to catch a Staryu, Harden inflicting that status ailment in early battles, but later your best bet is to get rid of its default moveset, Swift it’s not going to hold for very long against stronger except for its water-based moves, and teach it Minimize opponents. others through HMs and TMs. As always, wait Light Screen until Staryu has learned the majority of its moves before evolving to Starmie. WHAT TO KEEP AND DELETE

Moves to keep Confusion Barrier

Moves to delete Meditate Light Screen DoubleSlap Substitute 16 retro game corner RED & BLUE KNOWLEDGE CENTER

No. 123 —­ Scyther No. 124 —­ Jynx No. 125 —­ Electabuzz

LEVEL ATTACK TYPE LEVEL ATTACK TYPE LEVEL ATTACK TYPE 1 Quick Attack Normal 1 Quick Attack Normal 1 Pound Normal 1 Leer Normal 17 Leer Normal 1 Lovely Kiss Normal 18 Lick Ghost 34 Thunder- Electric 20 Focus Energy Normal shock 23 DoubleSlap Normal 24 Double Team Normal 37 Screech Normal 31 Ice Punch Ice 29 Slash Normal 42 Thunder Electric 35 Swords Normal 39 Body Slam Normal Punch Dance 47 Thrash Normal 49 Light Screen Psychic 42 Agility Psychic 58 Blizzard Ice 54 Thunder Electric EDITOR’S NOTES: WHAT TO KEEP EDITOR’S NOTES: WHAT TO KEEP EDITOR’S NOTES: WHAT TO KEEP Scyther should be better AND DELETE Jynx is an interesting Poké- Electabuzz is an excellent than it is in Generation I mon. It is a combination AND DELETE Pokémon to have as the AND DELETE Red/Blue. Its move list is Pokémon that incorporates Electric anchor on an Elite highly disappointing and Moves to keep moves from three differ- Moves to keep Four-bound team. Its de- Moves to keep the number of decent moves Slash ent types: Ice, Normal and Lick fault moveset is great with Thundershock it can learn through TMs Swords Dance Ghost. It is also capable of Lovely Kiss few weak moves and it can Thunder Punch and HMs is low. It learns learning moves from the Ice Punch learn a variety of moves Thunder no Flying moves despite Moves to delete Fighting, Water, Psychic and Blizzard from the Fighting and Quick Attack being a dual type and it Quick Attack Poison movesets through Psychic movesets without does not and cannot learn Leer TMs. Jynx is one of the few Moves to delete the disadvantage of being Moves to delete Bug -type moves, what little Focus Energy Leer Ice-type Pokémon and thus Pound a dual-type Pokémon. there are, despite being a Double Team Screech its advantages immediately DoubleSlap Bug-type Pokémon. This is Agility Light Screen make it worth a look. Given Body Slam remedied later in more cur- Moves to teach its array of learnable moves, Thrash rent generations but the lack Moves to teach TM 15 – Hyper Beam you could take a Jynx very TM 15 – Hyper Beam of moves makes Scyther a TM 06 – Toxic far and wreak havoc with non-choice. TM 19 – Seismic Toss TM 40 – Skull Bash little downside. TM 24 – Thunderbolt HM 01 – Cut TM 29 – Psychic HM 04 – Strength retro game corner 17 RED & BLUE KNOWLEDGE CENTER

No. 127 —­ Pinsir No. 128 —­ Tauros No. 126 —­ Magmar LEVEL ATTACK TYPE LEVEL ATTACK TYPE 1 Tackle Normal LEVEL ATTACK TYPE 1 Vice Grip Normal 1 Ember Fire 21 Stomp Normal 25 Seismic Toss Fighting 36 Leer Normal 28 Tail Whip Normal 30 Guillotine Normal 39 Confuse Ray Ghost 35 Leer Normal 36 Focus Energy Normal 43 Fire Punch Fire 44 Rage Normal 43 Harden Normal 48 Smokescreen Normal 51 Take Down Normal 49 Slash Normal 52 Smog Poison 54 Swords Normal EDITOR’S NOTES: 55 Flame Fire Dance WHAT TO KEEP thrower Tauros is deceptive in nature. AND DELETE EDITOR’S NOTES: WHAT TO KEEP EDITOR’S NOTES: WHAT TO KEEP At first glance, it’s a boring Normal-type Pokémon with Moves to keep AND DELETE Pinsir is an average Pokémon, AND DELETE an average moveset. But with Stomp Magmar is a great Fire-type addition Rage much like its fellow Bug, research of what it can learn, to your team that’s in need of a fire Take Down Pokémon anchor. Fire Pokémon are a Moves to keep Scyther. Like Scyther, Pinsir Moves to keep Tauros becomes a unique precious commodity, especially if you Ember should be better than it is. It’s Vice Grip and worthy addition to any Moves to delete didn’t start with Charizard’s evolution Fire Punch also disappointing in that it Seismic toss team. There is a wide variety Tackle chain. Magmar has a good moveset, Smog never learns Bug-type moves. Guillotine of moves that Tauros can Tail Whip can learn quite a few moves through Flamethrower The two advantages that Pinsir Slash be taught through TMs and Leer TMs and HMs, and is strong enough has are that it’s a pure Bug HMs, and they run the gamut to handle an Elite Four battle easily Moves to delete type, avoiding the dual-type Moves to delete of types. With this wide range Moves to teach once it’s leveled properly. Also, finding Leer weakness; and, it naturally Focus Energy of moves and lack of a dual- TM 07 – Horn Drill a Magmar later in the game will ensure Confuse Ray learns Guillotine, a one-hit KO Harden type weakness, Tauros could TM 13 – Ice Beam potentially be a great anchor TM 14 – Blizzard you’re ready to handle using a tough Smokescreen move that has decent accuracy. Swords Dance Pokémon type like Fire. While it can slightly improve for an Elite Four team. TM 15 – Hyper Beam its default moveset, it should TM 24 – Thunderbolt be better and there are other TM 25 – Thunder Pokémon deserving of a place TM 26 – Earthquake TM 27 – Fissure on an Elite Four-bound team. TM 38 – Fire Blast 18 retro game corner By Lyndsey Hicks

Don’t forget to download our DDR glossary of terms!

Artist: Captain Jack Artist: C.J. Crew & Sedge Artist: Final Offset Artist: DJ Yoshitaka feat. A/I Difficulty: 3/4/6 (DDR Solo 3-panel Difficulty: 4/7/9 (DDR main mixes) Difficulty: 4/6/8 Difficulty: 4/6/8 and other mixes) or 3/4/7 (DDR Solo or 4/6/9 (DDR Solo all-panels) Chosen difficulty:Heavy Chosen difficulty: Standard 4-panel only) Chosen difficulty: Standard BPM: 169 BPM: 160 Chosen difficulty: Heavy BPM: 170 BPM: 170 TwinBee is one of GI’s favorite Captivate is a fun song that isn’t Furuhata’s Theme is extremely chal- songs to play. It also one of the few too challenging. On the Standard Drill Instructor is a fun song to play. lenging and fast. Even on the Standard 8-footers that we’ve played on our difficulty, it is moderately paced The speed alone makes it chal- difficulty, it’s hard to keep pace with feet and passed. The fun in TwinBee and it doesn’t really have any lenging, despite the 6 rating it has. the steps and factor in the sometimes- lies in its intro section and blazing tricky spots. It’s straightforward Jumps, which this song has plenty twisting stepchart’s penchant for speed. The song is on beat and it’s a with a few triplets thrown in for of, are hard to navigate well at higher adding in a triplet. These triplets great learning tool to get started with good measure. The only difficult speeds. There are also triplets, which may be composed of red, blue and when trying to move into the Heavy section is at the end, where there means a lot of nimble stepping is re- yellow notes or red and blue notes division. The trickiest parts of the is a triplet that features a red, blue quired. Focus on handling the jumps only. This is a fast and hard 7 rating, song that you need to watch out for and yellow note cluster. Even then, and conserving your energy for them. which means it can make you winded are the introduction and the end- that’s not hard to navigate, but There are a few sections where there quickly. The song follows the beat in ing, which is composed of entirely if you’re not prepared for it, you are quite a few in a row. the Standard difficulty stepchart, so on-beat red and green notes. Both might miss it. Also, pay attention to the blue 1/8th as always, familiarize yourself with sections follow the beat completely note jumps near the end. They are the song before attempting to try it on and the intro will serve as a guide for Suggested Speed Mod: x2 tricky to land correctly and can throw your feet. how to approach the middle section you off without warning. of the song. Suggested Speed Mod: x1.5 Suggested Speed Mod: x2 Suggested Speed Mod: x2

UPCOMING SONGS Test My Best I was the one If you were here Dynamite Rave

retro game corner 19 Yoshi’s Story a poor excuse for Mario side story

oshi’s Story is not a tale of a talk- ing dinosaur trying to find its Happy Tree. It is not a tale of a hero rising Y up to take on a bullying turtle with a penchant for malice and mayhem. It’s a tale of squandered potential, lost cre- ative capital and outright greed that just so happens to feature a talking dinosaur trying to find its Happy Tree. with Lyndsey Whatever goodwill that was built up by the titular raptor in two popular and excel- Hicks lent Mario games was destroyed by a third significantly new concepts for Yoshi and is game, one so mediocre that the mere men- far too easy as compared to its predecessor. tion of its name elicits sighs of disappoint- The name of the game here was greed, an ment and opinions of a company’s supposed excuse to use a familiar name to generate avarice. quick cash for Nintendo’s coffers in a time Nintendo was riding high by the time Yo- of struggle. The Nintendo 64 wasn’t doing so shi’s Story was put forth for consumption. well with the competition killing it in sales Yoshi, the irrepressible fountain of energy in the form of the PlayStation and the loom- and authentic backcountry gibberish, was a ing Dreamcast/Saturn. star of mammoth proportions. It was fresh I’m sorry, but Yoshi wasn’t and isn’t a off two blockbuster well-received games — savior of any kind and definitely not a Super Mario World and Super Mario World system pusher that can afford any type of 2: Yoshi’s Island. Someone at Nintendo got niche title as a holy grail. At best, Yoshi is the bright idea to separate the creature a second-tier character and sidekick, best from its master and star maker, Mario, and reserved for supporting status, and Story create a vehicle that showcased what the dino was capable of on its own. Bland me- proved that. diocrity began to waft from the DOA carcass The lessons Nintendo learned from this that was Yoshi’s Story at once. are evident today, but it’s sad that it took a Despite controlling well, Yoshi’s Story is at wasted sequel to learn them. Yoshi’s Story is best a boring, easy romp through 24 levels a giant egg of unhatched potential. that does absolutely nothing to live up to the masterpiece in platforming that Island Lyndsey Hicks is editor-in-chief of Gaming established itself as two years earlier. Story Insurrection. She can be reached by email at wastes the character, doesn’t introduce [email protected]

GAME BOY PLAYER, from PAGE 15 Game Boy Player WHAT COULD IT DO? compatibility The GB Player was an addition that made playing Game Boy Advance and original Game The Game Boy Player works with Boy games possible on the GameCube. It nearly all Nintendo Game Boy and meant that you could play any of those titles Game Boy Advance games. However, on a television instead of the non-backlit GBA there are some Nintendo accessories screen (true, until the release of the GBA SP) that it does not work with. and use a GameCube controller for movement. It fit into the GameCube’s high-speed data port on the bottom of the console and stacked with *Action Replay and Gameshark an opening for the GBA/GB cartridge. *Game Boy Advance video *Infrared games WHY DID WE NEED IT? *Games in the Boktai series *Game Boy Camera** The GameBoy Player, while not required, *Game Boy Micro** was a truly necessary accessory if you could *Game Boy Color games with manage to get your hands on one for cheap. integrated rumble In addition to making it easier to play portable games, the GB Player was instrumental in *Action Pad/Beat Pad dance adding games to the already small GameCube controllers lineup. Despite a few exceptions in compat- *Games: Pocket Music and ibility, the Game Boy Player was praised for Chee-Chai Alien adding to Nintendo’s cache of games and for making it slightly easier to play their mobile **Limited functionality but technically work library from two systems.

20 retro game corner PROPERTY REVIEW 300: Rise of an Empire Warner Bros., 2014

Lyndsey Hicks STRIP TALK On tap this issue: Black Panther STRIP TALK film is needed, Black Panther is needed in today’s necessary now climate eeded. Necessary. Now. Black Pan- ther’s release was all of this and more PROPERTY REVIEW N in a time when melanated super he- The sequel to 300 roes on the big screen are far and few comes a little late in between. 300: Rise of an Empire late but Why was the ensemble tale so necessary? While little children can throw a stone in MARVEL bold enough to make impact any direction and hit any number of white CHARACTER superheroes, the number of black superhe- Get to know the he first movie in the possible pantheon roes is small. In mainstream comic book of tales about the valiant Spartans who movies, at most there are: War Machine, died at the Battle of Thermopylae was X-Man Psylocke HOW WE GRADE Storm, Cyborg and Falcon. That’s it. That is, T a rollicking good time. There were epic until T’Challa and his nation of advanced one-liners, fighting, sex and death: We score the prop­er­ties in three cat­e­gories: OTAKU CORNER Everything you could ask for in a movie about Cast­ing (or voice act­ing in cases of ani­mated), progress hit the scene. ancient Greece and Persia. The second film plot and sim­i­lar­i­ties to its source mate­r­ial. Each The presence of the almost entirely black had a name to live up to and a reputation to Tokyo Tribes Vol. 2 cat­e­gory receives points out of the max­i­mum of cast was sorely needed. The presence of a uphold. While it manages to recreate some of 10 per cat­e­gory and 30 over­all. The per­cent­age is dives deeper in the fun of 300, Rise of an Empire comes much the final score. capable black director was needed. Seeing Japanese gang too late to capitalize and continue to curry the positive images of black folks was needed. favor that 300 cultivated. Why? Because it’s about time that black Rise of an Empire starts with the premise the original is used again and then given a life folks were shown as human, beautiful, that King Leonidas and his brave brigade of fuzzy sheen. While slightly jarring, the sheen warriors from 300 are dead. Taking place doesn’t detract too much from the original smart and good people. It’s long overdue, ANIME LOUNGE during, before and after Leonidas’ sacrificial look that matched the comics. The soundtrack but the thrill of seeing a black man run his trip to the Hot Gates, Rise of an Empire shows remains the same as well, so not much has nation and do the right thing when given a Yuri on Ice!!! will changed aside from the focus and some of the the beginning of Xerxes I’s reign, his cre- choice never gets old. tempt you to lace ation of Persian city states, his rise to power stars. Lena Headey returns as Queen Gorgo and seeming immortality, and his ruthless as does Rodrigo Santoro as Xerxes. Eva Green And why now? Because for the positive up your skates general Artemisia’s background and eventual — a former Bond Girl — and Sullivan Staple- side of black superheroes to do well in this lust for revenge and power. With simultane- ton join in new roles to round out the cast. climate, it was nothing short of genius and The new additions are great and seamlessly ous story threads, the film moves along at a a miracle. Now is the time for the conver- TOP 5 quickened pace despite being an hour and 42 fit the universe. Green and Stapleton sizzle minutes long. It needs that amount of time with chemistry and Green, in particular, is a sations surrounding representation and We discuss our to flashback for multiple characters and push standout. Santoro still commands as Xerxes diversity, and Black Panther is the perfect the present events forward. whenever he is onscreen but the God King vehicle. Now is the time for black folks to favorite versions of seems to take a backseat, which is hard to While the look at events in Rise of an Em- rise above negative stereotypes and look at the Dark Knight pire are interesting, quite frankly it was too understand. As he remains the main villain, long between movies for there to be much he should remain front and center. how we are perceived, point to Black Pan- interest in the proceedings. Rise comes seven Despite the long wait and storyline lagging ther — a fictional character aside — and View this years after the original, which means there’s from time to time, 300: Rise of an Empire is say, “We are more than capable of bringing plenty of time to forget the original plot, still a fun history lesson for the comic book in box office dollars and, most importantly, content at character motivations and reason for most lover and casual moviegoer alike. of anything that occurs. There are plot recaps we are human and here to stay. We have a at the beginning, thankfully,9.0 but it’s hard to Story: 7 seat at the table.” www.gaming remember a plot from seven years previously Like the comics: 10 Wakanda forever. insurrection. and remain engaged. Casting: 9 Despite the passage of time, the film looks Lyndsey Hicks is editor-in-chief of Gaming com/TheStrip good. The chroma key technique used in Total: 36/40 or 9 Insurrection. She can be reached by email at [email protected] the strip 21 Brandon Beatty Tokyo prepares for all-out gang OTAKU CORNER warfare in Tribes Volume 2 Yuri on Ice n a previous Otaku Corner column, I reviewed the first volume of the manga series “Tokyo Tribes.” Tokyo Tribes is the first manga series I’ve read Get ready to skate! I that perfectly combines Japanese comic art with the raw power of urban American pop culture, mainly hip-hop and R&B music. When I last reviewed Episodes: 1 to 12 (all) Tokyo Tribes, it morphed from a standalone work to a trilogy, giving way to various spinoffs, a live-action Premise: Professional figure skater Yuri Katsuki is in a movie, and a in-development TV series supervised by career slump, suffering his worst defeat during the Grand creator Santa Inoue. Prix. Yuri’s confidence has hit rock bottom and he’s think- A short recap: The story is set after a time where ri- ing of giving up and quitting ots occurred in Tokyo where gangs known as “tribes” skating for good. But he’s visited control certain areas via a shaky truce. Kai of the by his idol, fellow skater Victor “Saru” and Mera of the “Wu-Ronz” are sworn enemies, Nikiforov, after a video of Yuri whose history sets the stage for all-out war involving performing Victor’s signature all tribes for control of Tokyo’s streets. routine goes viral. With Victor’s On the way to drop off Saru’s leader Tera to work, tutelage, Yuri works to get back Mera and the Wu-Ronz ambushed Kai, Hasheem and into performing with a renewed Steno, resulting in Tera being seriously injured. Kai vigor. Yuri’s efforts to become goes after Mera through Shibuya’s rooftops leading something better and his work to a bat vs. katana battle between the former friends. toward developing relationships During the battle, both men nearly fall from a build- and confidence in his work and ing. Iwao, leader of the Hands, show up with military- himself are documented. grade weaponry, shooting Mera down. Skunk and the other Wu-Ronz rush to Mera’s aid, but Iwao and a few Is it worth watching?: Yes. The with Lyndsey Hands members intervene, demanding payback for story is hilariously played out, Hicks Mera cutting off a Hands member’s arm. from Yuri’s struggles to stay in While onlookers and police are distracted, Mera skating shape to his awkward miraculously survives his fall, and attempts to kill attempts at befriending fellow skaters. The serious side of Hasheem as Hasheem guides Kai to a safer exit from the story is also worth noting as it showcases what pres- the building. Kai and Tera rush to Hasheem to pro- sure to succeed can do to even the most confident of us tect him from Mera but Tera is beheaded by Mera all. and more chaos ensues. Hasheem, feeling respon- sible for Tera’s death, attempts suicide while a few of Breakout character: Yuri Plisetsky. The other Yuri, Saru’s members rampage through Shibuya looking known as Yurio, is good and he knows it. He manages to for payback against Wu-Ronz members. They find steal every scene he’s in, whether he’s impressing with an opportunity through Unkoi, son of the Wu-Ronz his brilliant skating prowess or creating a new depth of benefactor Big Bubba, at a local karaoke bar. While and displaying renditions of hip-hop and R&B art- rudeness to everyone around him. the Saru members made short work of other Wu-Ronz ists’ album covers. The artwork was also top notch, members, Unkoi gravely injures two members, while Funniest episode: Episode 10, “Gotta Supercharge it! Pre- his personal bodyguard Galileo chases the third to the especially when showing Unkoi’s ruthless side as he fought the Saru members. It was as if I was reading Grand Prix Final Special!” The end of the episode reveals final page of the book. Meanwhile, Kai is dealing with the motivation for Victor to come to Japan to train and the battle scene from Kill Bill Volume 1. Tokyo Pop’s troubles of his own as his father appears determined teach Yuri. The scene is shown through flashbacks and dedication to Tokyo Tribes remains strong, thanks to to remove him from the Saru for good. gets increasingly funny as it goes forward. Yuri’s convinc- Alexis Kirsch and David Walker handling translation During this volume, I still felt the awesome vibe ing of Victor to train him is right in line with their rela- and adaptation, along with Stuart Levy collaborating from the first one, but more meat was in the story- tionship: Surprising yet obvious. line. Inoue-san gave readers a better explanation why with Inoue-san as executive producers, ensuring that both characters have this vengeful hate toward each this hip-hop vision continues without compromise. Where it’s going?: With the end of the first season and other beyond Mera blaming Kai for his girlfriend’s With the Saru in turmoil without a leader, and the Yuri’s move to St. Petersburg, Russia, to continue training, death. During a brief backstory, Bubba’s corruption Hands and Wu-Ronz preparing for all-out war in the ending was left open for a future sequel season and took Mera’s moral compass and the lives of his par- Tokyo’s streets, what will happen? Can Kai and Mera there is a movie in production. That season has been an- ents, which made me feel a little sorry for him since triumph over their personal issues and make peace? nounced, so it remains to be seen just where Yuri’s career he not only hates Kai but also wants to destroy Bub- We’ll revisit the scene of gang warfare in Volume 3. will take him and what he will have finally accomplished ba’s life as well. I also felt Kai’s pain after Tera’s death in his renewed state. since Tera was also a mentor to all the Saru members. Brandon Beatty is Editor-At-Large of Inoue-san also showed his special skill of adding Gaming Insurrection. He can be reached by email at certain pop-culture references such as Tower Records [email protected]

22 the strip MARVEL CHARACTER HIGHLIGHT Name: Elizabeth Braddock Mats’uo Tsurayaba. Kwannon, in Psylocke’s original body calling herself Revanche, then developed the Legacy Virus Alias: Betsy, Betts, Kwannon, Lady Mandarin, Captain Brit- and died. Psylocke has remained in Kwannon’s body. She ain, Lady Briton, Death has battled the Crimson Dawn and gained new powers, such as the ability to fuse with the shadows and travel with them. Affiliation: X-Men, Captain Britain Corps, X-Force, Through contact with Jean Grey, her powers were magnified S.T.R.I.K.E., Extinction Team, the Mandarin, Sisterhood of on a cosmic level to reach Omega status. Mutants, Exiles, Hand, Hellfire Club, Horsemen of the Apoca- lypse, X.S.E. Relationships: Brian Braddock (Captain Britain), brother; James Braddock Jr., brother; Warren Worthington III (Angel/ Special abilities: Psylocke is an Omega-level mutant who Archangel), lover; Nathan Christopher Summers (Cable), has the ability to generate psionic weapons with her mind. lover; Tom Lennox, lover; Agent Michael (alias), lover; Neal She is a near-Omega-level telepath who can use telekinesis, Shaara (Thunderbird), lover; Victor Creed (Sabretooth), lover; telepathy precognition and teleportation. She is capable of Fantomex, lover; Cluster, lover. generating shields and flight. First Versus appearance: Marvel vs. Capcom (character Background: Psylocke started life as the daughter of assist) Otherworld resident Dr. James Braddock, who fathered three children on Earth. She grew up with latent mutant powers Appearances in other media: X-Men II: The Fall of the as a telepath, which were unlocked after a battle at Brad- Mutants (video game), X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (video dock Manor with Dr. Synne. After this, Psylocke became a game), X-Men 2: Clone Wars (video game), X-Men: Chil- model and encountered S.T.R.I.K.E, the British version of dren of the Atom (video game), Marvel Super Heroes (video S.H.I.E.L.D. Through them, she learned to harness her powers game), Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (video and strengthen herself. She later became a version of her game), X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 (video game), X-Men: brother’s superpowered identity, Captain Britain. While using Next Dimension (video game), X-Men Legends (video game), this identity, the villain known as Slaymaster beat and blinded Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (video game), Marvel: Ultimate Alli- her. She regained her eyesight when villains Mojo and Spiral ance 2 (video game), Marvel Super Hero Squad Online (video abducted her and gave her cybernetic eyes. With these eyes, game), Marvel: Avengers Alliance (video game), Lego Marvel she was used to spy on the X-Men for Mojo. After the defeat Super Heroes (video game), Marvel Heroes (video game), of Mojo, the Morlocks were massacred by the Marauders Marvel: War of Heroes (video game), Marvel Puzzle Quest: and she helped those who survived. After the battle to avenge Dark Reign (video game), X-Men: Battle of the Atom (video the Morlocks, Psylocke was invited to join the X-Men in a game), X-Men: The Ravages of Apocalypse (video game), full-time capacity and she accepted. In her later adventures X-Men: The Last Stand (film), X-Men: Apocalypse (film), with the X-Men, she was forcibly switched from her body to X-Men: The Animated Series (television), Wolverine and the assassin Kwannon’s body by Kwannon’s lover, crime lord X-Men (television) TOP 5 ON THE STRIP — BATMAN VERSIONS EDITION 1 2 3 4 5

Batman (Earth Two version): This Batman film — Michael Keaton: Flashpoint Batman: In the Flash- Batman film — Christian Bale Batman kills the Joker/Injustice: version of Bruce Wayne settles down Michael Keaton, the first of the film point version of Batman, Thomas version: Christian Bale took a fran- Gods Among Us Year 3 Batman: with Selina Kyle and has a daugh- cowl wearers, was derided when he and Martha Wayne — the murdered chise that was mired in the depths of In a version of the Injustice storyline, ter, Helena Wayne, who becomes was announced in the mid-1980s. parents of Bruce Wayne in all Batman mediocrity and downright unintentional Batman actually kills the Joker. After Huntress. Eventually, Bruce becomes No one could believe that “Mr. Mom” origin stories — don’t die. Instead, hilarity and gave it life again. Bale made the Joker plants a bomb killing Lois police commissioner. After a one last would do the trick. And then 1989’s Bruce is killed in Crime Alley in their it cool to like Batman and the Caped Lane, Batman captures him and at- adventure as Batman, he is killed in place. In their grief and attempts to Batman hit the silver screen and the Crusader’s credibility was restored. tempts to turn him in. As they’re riding battle trying to stop the destruction cope with Bruce’s death, Thomas of the city. As he was still using his noise stopped. Not only was Keaton becomes Batman and Martha becomes It only took two movies, arguably, to to Arkham Asylum, the Joker intimates secret identity, Doctor Fate of Earth excellent, but also he brought a the Joker. Eventually, both learn that in achieve this feat: Batman Begins in that he will likely try again to torment Two changes reality to keep his identity much-needed severity to the character the true timeline, they die in the place 2005 and The Dark Knight in 2008, all Superman and hints at trying to kill secret and lets everyone believe that and was wholly believable inside and of Bruce and he becomes Batman to lead by Bale. The Dark Knight Rises was Superman’s baby. Batman snaps and Bruce died of cancer at Wayne Manor. outside of the tights. avenge their deaths. just an added bonus to seal the deal. well, breaks the Joker’s neck. the strip 23