Monday, October 14, 2013

Top 20 Les Miserables Songs

20. Fantine's Death

19. What Have I Done?

18. Confrontation

17. Drink With Me

16. At the End of the Day

15. In My Life

14. Finale

13. The Bishop's Song

12. A Little Fall of Rain

11. Look Down

10. Do You Hear the People Sing?

9. Red and Black

8. On My Own

7. I Dreamed a Dream

6. Who Am I?

5. Bring Him Home

4. A Heart Full of Love

3. One Day More

2. Stars

1. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

Sunday, April 14, 2013

My Top 25 Favorite Movies

Gall, this is a hard list to make. I'm sure there are a ton of movies that have just slipped my mind, so don't be mad if they're not there. Maybe I'll make some genre lists eventually.

Honorable Mentions: Star Trek, The Shawshank Redemption, Shrek

25. A Knight's Tale
24. Thor
23. Harry Potter
22. Groundhog Day
21. X-Men: Days of Future Past
20. The Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum
19. Iron Man
18. Inception
17. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
16. Jurassic Park
15. The Matrix
14. Up
13. X2
12. Slumdog Millionaire
11. Back to the Future
10. The Princess Bride
9. The Lord of the Rings
8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
7. The Dark Knight
6. Aladdin
5. Spider-Man 2
4. Raiders of the Lost Ark
3. How to Train Your Dragon
2. Star Wars
1. The Avengers

Saturday, April 13, 2013

My Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of All Time

10. Gravity Falls













9. Parks and Recreation














8. The Office










7. Arrow (and The Flash)













6. The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes












5. Phineas And Ferb














4. Doctor Who














3. Avatar: The Last Airbender













2. Transformers Prime
















1. Psych


Monday, March 4, 2013

Top 10 Supervillains

10. Scarecrow


















9. Magneto




















8. Bane


















7. Loki















6. Green Goblin



















5. Venom


















4. Ultron



















3. Galactus


















2. Doctor Doom
















1. Joker

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Top 10 Superheroes

10. Daredevil














9. Deadpool













8. Nightcrawler


















7. Wolverine















6. Thor



















5. Captain America



















4. Iron Man



















3. The Incredible Hulk















2. Batman




1. Spider-Man

Monday, February 11, 2013

Top 10 Pokemon Spinoff Games

10. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red/Blue Rescue Team

These dungeon crawling games weren't the best spin-off, but they were the starting point for the even better games that followed. This game had many issues: broken IQ mechanics, several 99 floor dungeons, and semi-broken graphics. Also, the plot leaves a bit to be desired. However, this massive game has so much replay value and difficulty that I have only beat it twice all the way through. Ridiculously difficult, by the way.
















9. Pokemon Conquest

What do you get when you cross Pokemon and Fire Emblem? This game. It had a decent setting and nice gameplay, but it sort of got old fast. Also, this game's plot is only one third of everything you can do. The special stories make this ridiculously hard to finish, and I never did. Maybe one day if I'm really bored and want to complete 30 insanely hard and long missions.









8. Pokemon Snap

I will get lots of flak for not putting this at the top of the list, but it's not top of the list worthy. Let's take pictures of 63 Pokemon! Hardly. Anyway, a good game and a childhood memory earn Pokemon Snap this spot. Some good gameplay, but it would be better if it had more Pokemon in it. Wii U Remake, Please? I would buy it.








7. Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia

The first Pokemon Ranger game that I played. It's got the Pokemon Ranger gameplay you know: draw circles around Pokemon. Granted, this gets old real fast, but you also face increasingly difficult Pokemon to make it more interesting. Sure, target clears and battling Team Dim Sun weren't the best parts of it, but it's got a good premise and it delivers.









6. Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs

The second Ranger game I played, this one gets a slight edge with better graphics, story, and mechanics. Also, who doesn't love summoning and riding Raikou, Entei, Suicune and Latios? Anyway, it's a little sillier than Shadows of Almia, but it's also more colorful and fun.









5. Pokemon Stadium

While Pokemon Stadium is outdated with only the first generation of Pokemon at this point, it still has the memory of insane difficulty if you didn't have your own Pokemon and great mini-games. Run, Rattata, Run, Magikarp Splash, Lickitung Lick...Great multiplayer fun, all of them.









4. Pokemon Battle Revolution

Essentially the modern Pokemon Stadium. While lacking mini-games or a plot, this game makes up for it with truly amazing 3D graphics and four generations of Pokemon to show off. I still can't beat the final boss on the hardest difficulty.










3. Pokemon Colosseum

Pokemon Colosseum is unlike any other Pokemon game (except its sequel). You start with Umberon and Espeon. You get to Snag Pokemon, and not just any Pokemon: Shadow Pokemon. This game, while boasting level curve issues, has several great things going for it. It's so much fun to play, and it has great graphics and music. You'll enjoy it.











2. Pokemon XD: Gales of Darkness

This game fixes several issues with Pokemon Colosseum. It provides an easier way to purify many Pokemon (which you'll need, because there are many more), fixes the level curve, and expands the game immensely. It's very good.











1. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky

Now this is what improved upon Red and Blue Rescue Team in every way. A bigger and better plot, better IQ mechanics, and Gen 4 Pokemon. Also, the third game is essentially the enhanced remake you've seen in Emerald or Platinum before. It's better in every way and almost blows away the originals.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Worst to Best Pokemon Generations

Pokemon is great. Mostly. So here are the Pokemon generations ranked from worst to best. Also, ratings on each generation for a highest rating by points at the end (scale of 1-10 in six categories).


*Disclaimer* I am aware that your opinion differs from mine. This is fine.

6. Generation V
Oh, Gen V. You had the misfortune of coming directly after the masterpiece that was Gen IV. A poor spriteset, an overcomplicated evil team, and very pixelated graphics, along with making no mechanical improvements (I wouldn't exactly call triple battles an improvement) make this generation sort of redundant.



And another thing: I found the region to be extremely linear and boring. Also, Gen V bucked the remake trend with sequels rather than the Grey Version we all wanted. Don't get me wrong: I like parts of Gen V. I like the legendaries, Zoroark, some of the gyms. I just feel like they took too many risks with these games and as a result, it falls short. I'm sorry to all the Gen V fans, but this Gen is the worst.



Pokemon: 6
Music: 4
Region: 3
Evil Team: 3
Graphics: 6
Mechanics: 1
Total: 23/60




5. Generation I
The generation that started it all. I've never played the original games, but as I understand it, they were filled with glitches, broken enemy AI, and an unbalanced typing system. Also, the Special stat. Enough said. Now don't get me wrong--I love Gen I a lot. It's the reason all the greater games came along and they're cultural classics. All Pokemon Generations are great (except for V), but one of them had to take fifth place.

Anyhow, I've explored the remakes thoroughly enough, and I found that Kanto is a great enough place, but with Gen III graphics and mechanics, it's even better than before. In closing, the first region is great, but the first games aren't.











Pokemon: 10
Music: 7
Region: 9
Evil Team: 7
Graphics: 5
Mechanics: 6
Total: 44/60



4. Generation II
Gen II fixed many of the mechanical problems with Gen I by introducing the Dark and Steel types and by splitting Special into Special Attack and Defense. These games include two regions, sixteen gyms, the final battle with Red. It also brought many great Pokemon to the roster. Not to mention color graphics.




One issue I do have with this generation is that the region isn't quite as good, the storyline is still fairly weak, and the team (remnants of Rocket) is even more forgettable than the first time around. Gen II has several amazing things going for it; however, they are outdated at this point. Nostalgia makes these games seem better than they are. Just play the remakes. They're the same games, but better in every way.




Pokemon: 10
Music: 6
Region: 7
Evil Team: 4
Graphics: 8
Mechanics: 10
Total: 45/60



3. Generation VI
Ah, yes. Finally, handheld consoles have the three-dimensional graphics capabilities that we saw on the GameCube so long ago. While Pokemon X and Y have no real postgame and add only 70 Pokemon to the roster, they handle the jump to 3D quite well and fix many of the graphical issues that plague Gen V. Not to mention Mega-Evolution and Super Training. Team Flare could be less silly, but it's just fine in my book. All in all, a great set of games. (Pokemon Z, please). They also set the stage for even greater games (Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire).

Pokemon: 7
Music: 7
Region: 8
Evil Team: 5
Graphics: 10
Mechanics: 7
Total: 44/60



2. Generation IV
Gen IV was a milestone in Pokemon. The first games to have built in wireless connections. The Physical/Special move split. The introduction of huge number of awesome Pokemon to the roster. Many accuse Gen IV of playing it safe and not taking any risks, but risks are precisely what made Gen V so outlandish and bad. Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum are standard and by-the-numbers Pokemon games, but they're so well done you can't complain.



Granted, Diamond and Pearl have their fair share of problems, but any of those problems were more than rectified in Platinum. It's what Emerald was to Ruby and Sapphire: it took two decent games and perfected them by fixing their several errors. All in all, Gen IV has great mechanical advancements, great Pokemon, and a great third game that has a bigger and better plot. The Gen II remakes don't hurt Gen IV either. It would be my number one if I didn't like the next generation on this list even more.





Pokemon: 10
Music: 8
Region: 10
Evil Team: 10
Graphics: 9
Mechanics: 10
Total: 57/60


1. Generation III
All right, complaint time! Too much water! Stupid villainous teams! A weak spriteset! Child, please.
Gen III is amazing. It's the region that feels less urban and more like an adventure. The other generations are about bouncing from city to city. This place has tiny towns. It focuses you on going places like a volcano, a desert, even the seafloor. Granted, Ruby and Sapphire aren't amazing, but Emerald took their problems, fixed them, and blew Ruby and Sapphire out of the water.


Gen III was very mechanically groundbreaking. Overhauling EV's and introducing natures, abilities, berries, and double battles hugely expanded the way you could battle. Not to mention all the great Pokemon. Who said that Gen III's spriteset was weak? Best starters, best legendaries, best everything. Also, Gen III is the first game to truly have an amazing plot. The evil teams, their impact on nature, and (if you played Emerald) the final showdown between the legendary Pokemon is still the best story in Pokemon to date. Anyway, this Gen has several great Pokemon and utterly amazing music. TRUMPETS. It's my favorite Gen and the greatest.






All right, call me nostalgia blind if you want, but I still prefer Emerald to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Now, I know I'm contradicting myself because I said the next generation remakes are better--and they are. No question, these are the better games, but Emerald is still my favorite, if that makes any sense. Anyway, these great games only further prove how great Generation III truly was and is.


Pokemon: 10
Music: 10
Region: 10
Evil Team: 8
Graphics: 9
Mechanics: 10
Total: 57/60

The ranking by points differs from my favorite games, but rather where I think they rank in the grand scheme of Pokemon. (Okay, it's slightly influenced by my opinion. Be quiet.) 

Point Rankings:
6. Gen V (23/60)
5. Gen I (44/60) tied
4. Gen VI (44/60) tied 
3. Gen II (45/60) 
2. Gen IV (57/60) tied 
1. Gen III (57/60) tied