X-Men '97: Season Two - Episode 5: Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs Review

We are now one episode past the four episode drop that Marvel gave reviewers and influencers the preview the second season, so everyone is now on the same page as far as foreknowledge of the plot goes.

"Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs" is a title parody of the 1989 film "Sex, Lies, and Videotapes" In the episode, Wolverine gathered up subjects of the Weapon X program for a mission regarding that program. The gathered mutants included Maverick, Sabretooth, and Lady Deathstrike. Wolverine also brought Morph along with the others on the X-Men's jet to the lab where it all started. They soon learn the island has been overtaken by the brood, which turns the mission into an Aliens level horror scene. Now, no one can trust each other, aa the brood might be nesting inside their bodies at any moment.

Last season, Magneto pulled the adamantium skeleton right off of Wolverine while he was conscious. He now has to fight with bone claws, a handicap that his team quickly notices. Fans of the comic know what happens after Wolverine loses his adamantium, and I won't spoil that here. However, I will say that X-Men '97 managed to deliver in that arena, and also managed to do so with a nice twist that fit into the situation into which the episode puts the mutant X team.

The episode has a strong theme of trust, which is tenuous at best with this ragtag bunch of mutants which are usually at opposite ends of team-ups. The brood quickly causes that tenuous bond of trust to break, and actions by the people on the team cause it to fray even further. Trust will definitely have to be re-earned after this episode, and it will be interesting to see if that is even possible.

"Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs" had fight scenes were fantastic, the animation is top-notch as usual, and the score once again impresses. The story acts as a bit of a break from the time travel shenanigans of the season, yet it is a necessary episode as it addresses a momentous event that occurred at the end of last season and has been largely avoided until this point. It isn't the best episode of the season, but it is still a fun episode.

Final Verdict:
4 out of 5

Puzzle Word Game Review: Wordle

Wordle is a game that should be familiar to most people. It is a puzzle word game that has attracted people from all demographics for its simple yet fun game mechanics. Josh Wardle's game really took off after it was purchased by the New York Times, who now curates each day's word, however there are many clones out there for those who prefer a different word list.

Wordle gives you six chances to solve a five letter puzzle. If a letter you have chosen is not in the puzzle, it shows as grey. If it is in the puzzle, but in the wrong place, it shows as yellow. If it is in the correct place, it shows as green. The goal is to get all of the words green, which will solve the puzzle. If you fail to solve it after the sixth try, the game is over.

Its deceptively simple formula is actually really addicting. It has taken over social media, and it is common to see people sharing their Wordle scores. The social aspect is built into the game, as you are given an option to share your puzzle to various social media sites. The social aspect is one of my favorite parts of the game, as it is very popular and it is fun to share your score with your friends and family.

Wordle is one of those games that is not a technical marvel in any way. It is pure text, with no graphics or sound, but it doesn't need to be more. Sometimes a good game just needs to have a simple and addictive formula, and Wordle definitely has that in spades.

Final Verdict:
4 out of 5

Puzzle Game Review: Pac-Attack

Pac-Attack, also known as Pac-Panic, is a home port of Namco's 1991 arcade game Cosmo Gang the Puzzle to consoles with a Pac-Man theme. The Pac-Man theming actually worked exceptionally well for this game, arguably bringing it to higher heights than the original.

Pac-Attack is a falling tile puzzle game. There are three-piece puzzle items that drop down that contain a combination of tiles, ghosts, or Pac-Man. The goal is to line all of the ghosts together in a line. Once Pac-Man is placed on top of a ghost, he will make a straight trip down and then across, depending on the tile placement. The tiles themselves can be removed from the board, Tetris style, if they fill the entire playing area horizontally. The game ends if the puzzle pieces reach the top of the playfield.

The Pac-Man themed graphics do a lot to elevate this game beyond Cosmo Game the Puzzle. The style is street graffiti-inspired, with a brick motif. The score, stage number, and preview of the next puzzle piece are presented as signs on the bricks. The playfield itself is inside of a nook behind the bricks, and the background of the playfield features graffiti-style art of Pac-Man himself. The art changes periodically as the stage numbers increase, giving it some needed variety.

The sound aspects of the game are top-notch as well. The background music is fittingly mellow, with a nice sounding groove to it. The stage ending music is fittingly upbeat and congratulatory, which fits great. The Pac-Man eating sounds from the Pac-Man arcade games make an appearance when Pac-Man eats the ghosts, which is a nice touch. 

Pac-Attack is a fun puzzle game that is one of those diamonds in the rough. It is not as well known as its brethren such as Tetris, Puyo Puyo, or Columns, and that is a shame. Cosmo Gang the Puzzle did not capture the interests of the puzzle game fans in Japan, and the Pac-Attack reskin sadly did not do much to improve upon that. It deserves more than what it got though, as it is a really solid game. The art style, music, and sound effects are really pleasing, but more importantly, the puzzle gameplay is really fun. This really a game that puzzle game fans should give a try at least once. It's really a lot of fun.

Final Verdict:
4 out of 5

Arcade Maze Game Review: Pac & Pal

Pac & Pal is the black sheep of the Pac-Man series. It was primarily released in Japan, other than three hundred machines released to Europe as Pac-Man & Chomp Chomp, with Pac-Man's dog from the Hanna Barbara cartoon replacing the titular pal. It took the unpopular elements of Super Pac-Man and ran with them, making a game that is arguably the most polarizing in the entire series.

Pac-Man has to collect all of the items on the screen. Like Super Pac-Man, they are all locked behind doors. Unlike those games however, the doors are unlocked by collecting face-down cards scattered around the maze which will flip to reveal an item on the board. The game's titular pal, or the dog in Pac-Man & Chomp Chomp's case, is not much of a friend as they will attempt to steal the item before Pac-Man can get it and then take them to the ghosts where they will be out of Pac-Man's reach forever.

The weirdest part is that there are no power pellets here. If Pac-Man manages to collect an item, either before Pac-Man's pal Miru can collect it or by stealing it back from her, he will become larger and turn blue. This will enable him to turn the table on the ghosts trying to catch him. Unlike other games in the series, Pac-Man can not just walk into the ghosts. There is now an action button that will cause Pac-Man to emit a ray which will stun the ghosts temporarily.

Like Super Pac-Man before it, Pac & Pal contains stages with three levels each that then goes into a bonus stage. In the bonus stage, Pac-Man collects cards. The cards contain dollar symbols, Pac-Man's pal, or a ghost. If Pac-Man collects his pal, the final score is doubled. If a ghost is turned over before the end, the stage ends immediately. The cards are not randomized as they all have a pattern, so they can be memorized in order to provide the largest score possible.

This game does have one thing that this game, arguably, going for it compared to its predecessors. The game does not just have sound effects during gameplay, but actually has a stage tune that plays during gameplay. It is just one tune, so it can be repetitive, but it is a fun upbeat melody.

Pac & Pal is a weird game. Moreso than even Super Pac-Man, it takes all of the elements that made Pac-Man popular and threw them out the window. It takes the doors of the aforementioned title and makes them even stranger by locking them behind cards rather than keys. It adds a weird chase mechanic that ends up being kind of pointless other than point-wise as the game continues whether Pac-Man catches up to the items or not. If the pal ends up returning the item to the ghosts, it will still count as the item being removed from the board. It also strangely adds an action button for a ray power that Pac-Man had not had prior to this title. It is a strange game to rate, as it is not the best maze game out there, but it is definitely not like any other Pac-Man title. In any case, it is not a must play for fans of maze games or Pac-Man fans.

Final Verdict:

3 out of 5

Pac-Man Plus Review

Jr. Pac-Man Review Coming Soon

Arcade Maze Game Review: Super Pac-Man

The Midway Manufacturing Company licensed a conversion kit named Crazy Otto from General Computer Corporation to create Ms. Pac-Man, the first sequel to Pac-Man, the popular maze game it licensed for distribution from Namco. Six months later, Namco released its own sequel, Super Pac-Man. The latter was heavily overshadowed by the former, and for good reason, yet Super Pac-Man still remains a fascinating game in its own right.

While Ms. Pac-Man enhances the features that made Pac-Man such a fun game, Super Pac-Man deviates from the original by introducing features that weren't as well received by the general public, yet adds a new layer of strategy to the usual gameplay. It takes two non-essential elements from the original game and re-purposes them to make them part of the core gameplay. The first is keys, which were originally used as the most valuable of the items which granted bonuses in the original Pac-Man arcade game. Here, they unlock doors which are needed to collect all of the fruits in order to finish each level. The second is the giant Pac-Man form, which was originally seen as a joke sequence in a cutscene in the original game. This form allows Pac-Man to go through doors to eat the fruits within without needing the keys to unlock the door first.

The rest of the formula of the game is similar, yet noticeably different. Pac-Man needs to eat all of the fruits, rather than pellets, to progress. The fruits add points while the only pellets are now the larger pellets which give Pac-Man his larger super form and also allow him to eat the ghosts that chase him around the stage. When not powered up by the large power pellets, Pac-Man will lose a life upon being touched by a ghost.

There is another major difference. There are still three levels between stages, but the game doesn't have cutscenes between stages. Instead, there are now bonus stages in which Pac-Man has to clear a maze within the time limit while entirely in his large super form.

The sound effects from the original game return, along side new sound effects for the collecting of keys. The opening music also returns, albeit in a slightly faster and higher pitched form. The most memorable music of the original two games in the series came from the cutscenes, however, and without these the music is a bit lacking compared to the other games. The early 1980s Pac-Man games, however, were never were music-heavy due to the restrictions of their time, so this isn't too much of a loss.

Super Pac-Man is a game that takes most things about previous Pac-Man titles and tosses them out the window for something new. The basic eating and chasing mechanic is still there, making it feel familiar, but the addition of keys and the reduction of edible items due to the larger fruit graphics and fewer item placements makes it feel strangely unfamiliar at the same time. This makes it a bit of a less accessible title than its immediate predecessors, but it is still an excellent example of an arcade maze game that is well worth playing at least once.

Final Verdict:

3½ out of 5

Ms. Pac-Man Review

Pac-Man Plus Review

McDonalds x Mobile Suit Gundam Promotion: Tartar Yurinchi-style Chicken Tatsuta and Japanese Citrus Yogurt Flavor McFizz

 

I have been in Japan for a month, so I have been posting photos from my daily life on Facebook. People have enjoyed my descriptions of food, especially of Japanese-style food at American fast food chains, so I've decided to take the meaning of my Adventuress blog to another level with travel blogging.

Tonight, I stopped in McDonalds directly outside Shin-Koiwa Station. They are holding a promotion for the 35th anniversary of the 1991 introduction of the McDonalds Tatsuta Chicken.

 

Tatsuta-age is a method of deep-frying where meat is marinated in soy sauce and ginger before being coated in potato starch. Traditional tatsuta-age also marinates the meat in sake, but McDonalds does not list the Japanese rice wine in its ingredients list.

The Chicken Tatsuga anniversary is being celebrated using characters and moments from the 1979 mechanized robot anime, Mobile Suit Gundam, as can be seen in the advertisement below:

The 2026 promotion adds a Tartar Yurinchi-style Chicken Tatsuta in a hefty Gunham box. 

Yurinchi is a fusion of the Chinese You Lin Ji (Oil Drenched Chicken) with the Japanese flavor profile of scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic.

The Yurinchi flavor comes in the form of a creamy tartar sauce with lots of savory umami flavor.

The chicken rests on top of a bed of shredded cabbage. The savory profile and crunch of the chicken really does mix well with the mild, earthy flavor of the cabbage. 

Along with the soft bun, it is a real treat for all of your mouth's senses. This is one of those limited time items where it really is a shame it is not on the permanent menu.

Next up is the limited time drink, a McFizz with a flavor profile consisting of Japanese citrus and yogurt.

The cup contains an image from the iconic final shot, or last shooting, of the original Gundam anime. The carbonated drink itself is a blend of sweet and tangy, with a slight sour kick, owing to its blend of amanatsu, hyuganatsu, and yuzu citrus fruits. It also contains a very slight yogurt flavor, which I only noticed in its pleasant aftertaste. It was very refreshing and paired well with the savory chicken.

The last item on my list of dinner items was a bacon potato pie. This was included in one of the Chicken Tatsuga combo meals, so I thought I would give this unique McDonalds item a try.

The pie itself was fried to perfection. It was golden brown, crispy, and flaky.

The inside was pure mashed potato goodness, with plenty of bacon. It is back bacon, also known as Canadian bacon, rather than the browned pork strips called bacon in the United States.

This whole meal was delicious. I continue to be impressed with how delicious and unique fast food from American chains are in Japan.

Mult-Genre Video Game Compilation Review: Atari Vault

Atari released many compilations of its Atari 2600 games, even going as far back as the Atari Corporation days in the 1980s. The Atari Vault compilation, known on Atari VCS as the Atari VCS Vault, added arcade games to the mix.

Atari Vault contained ninety-one unique games and nine Atari 2600 ports of Atari arcade games. It contains arcade games from the original Atari, Inc. such as Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Black Widow, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Gravitar, Liberator, Lunar Lander, Major Havoc, Millipede, Missile  Command, Pong, Red Baron, Space Duel, Super Breakout, Tempest, and Warlords. 

Any arcade games released under the Atari banner post-1983 are not included in this compilation, as the arcade division became Atari Games, under Warner Communications. The home division, which included all Atari arcade games created pre-split, became Atari Corporation after the acquisition by Tramel Technology. The latter is now owned by Atari, S.A., formerly known as Infogrames. The former is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, or whatever the company will be called after its upcoming acquisition by Paramount Skydance.

Because Atari, S.A. includes every release created for the home market by both Atari, Inc. and Atari Corporation, Atari 2600 games make up the bulk of this compilation. It includes the Atari 2600 version of Breakout and Night Driver, which, surprisingly, are the only versions of the games included in this compilation with the arcade versions noticeably absent. On the topic of Atari 2600 versions of arcade games, Atari Vault also includes Atari 2600 ports of Asteroids, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Gravitar, Millipede, Missile Command, Super Breakout, and Warlords.

The many Atari 2600 games in the compilation includes 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe, Adventure, Air-Sea Battle, Backgammon, Basic Math, Basketball, Blackjack, Bowling, Brain Games, Canyon Bomber, Casino, Championship Soccer, Checkers, Chess, Circus Atari, Code Breaker, Combat, Combat 2, Concentration, Demons to Diamonds, Desert Falcon, Dodge 'Em, Double Dunk, Fatal Run, Flag Capture, Football, Golf, Hangman, Homerun, Human Cannonball, Maze Craze, Miniature Golf, Outlaw, Quadrun, Radar Lock, Realsports Baseball, Realsports Basketball, Realsports Boxing, Realsports Football, Realsports Soccer, Realsports Tennis, Realsports Volleyball, Sentinel, Sky Diver, Slot Machine, Slot Racers, Space War, Sprint 2, Sprint Master, Star Raiders, Star Ship, Steeplechase, Stellar Track, Street Racer, Stunt Cycle, Submarine Commander, Super Baseball, Super Football, Surround, Sword Quest Earthworld, Sword Quest Fireworld, Sword Quest Waterworld, Video Cube, Video Olympics, Video Pinball, and Yars' Revenge.

Most of the games included in the compilation were developed by Atari, Inc. and Atari Corporation, but there are a few included which Atari, S.A. includes the intellectual property rights but were not developed Atari companies. This includes the Axlon games Off the Wall and Secret Quest. It also includes a game that was first released in Legacy Engineering's Atari Flashback 2 in 2005, Save Mary. Speaking of the Atari Flashback 2, the compilation also includes another game first released on that console, Return to Haunted House. This game is a modification of Haunted House which serves as a sequel to that game, and was created by the late Curt Vendel of Legacy Engineering.

Atari Vault includes many games for the arcade and Atari 2600 created by Atari, Inc. and Atari Corporation. It includes a lot of classic games, as well as some oddballs such as an Atari 2600 adaptation of the classic children's game Hangman. It does include a few games developed by other developers, including two games that weren't previously released outside of the Atari Flashback consoles. The 50 game Atari Vault DLC would include more oddball games, games by other developers, and games for consoles other than the Atari 2600, but the main Atari Vault includes a lot of games that should make Atari fans happy.

Final Verdict:

3½ out of 5