Injustice Gods Among Us Part 2:Battle Arena FINALS!

Well folks the wait is over! The Injustice Battle Arena final 2 are....
BATMAN AND SUPERMAN
Which is not a total shocker! I mean this was easily predicted from the beginning  Who doesn't want to see these 2 fight? I'm going to figure out who would win the fight based on who they beat in the past rounds and maybe a little bit on the fans voting. I'm mad Green Lantern lost but oh well. He'll kick ass in the game.

Batman

Batman. What can I say? He had a pretty impressive run! In round one, he fought his old nemesis Bane. Clearly the fans knew Batman could outsmart Bane after fighting him so many times. And maybe a little bias but I digress. Second round, he fought Wonder Woman. Again, a little bias here, but I think he could have done it. Use some batarangs to disarm the power gauntlets and BOOM  Batman wins. Semi-Finals, old Bats defeated the Flash. Again, MORE BIAS. But this was a pretty open match. Batman is agile enough to barely dodge the Flash and that's what we saw in the Arena. Plus Batman did have hometurf.

Superman

Surprisingly, not a lot of bias toward Superman. Maybe during the Semi-Finals, but lets see who he defeated. Round 1 he fought Sinestro. Let's be honest here, Sinestro isn't really all the powerful. Sure he can give the Green Lantern Corps a fight, but the Man of Steel? No way! This man has no fear, turning Sinestro's yellow ring against him! Round 2, Superman went toe to toe with Green Arrow. Sure I would have loved Green Arrow to win after defeating Hawkgirl, but again no contest. Green Arrow might have the world's best arsenal of arrows, but no kryptonite ones! Another win for Superman. Semi-finals. Hal Jordan versus Clark Kent. Men without fear. Both can easily go toe to toe. Superman can win but interrupting Hal's thought process, breaking his constructions before they come to form. So a Superman win, but not my a long run.

Who will win? It's gonna be close, but I think the Batman fans will have more of a control. Sure Superman is pretty much invincible, but Batman's known him long enough to get an arsenal of gadgets to ensure his victory. Plus both can throw a good punch around.

In the fight for third and fourth? Third to Green Lantern and fourth to The Flash. Fastest man on earth may have the speed force, but the Green Lantern has the power of will. BOOM right into a mighty green wall for the Flash!

There you have it folks! Enjoy and stay tuned for more!

Blackest Night: 4 Years Later

WARNING: Some Spoilers.
It's been four years since DC's crossover event, Blackest Night. While the main story mainly focuses on Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern and a recently reincarnated Barry Allen as the Flash, most of the DC Universe is included. When it first came out, critics and fans alike praised the miniseries. It became a New York Times best seller and is some of Geoff Johns' best work. This man single-handedly made the New 52 Aquaman more awesome than anyone imagined. The artwork by Ivan Reis is equally impressive. Even though this series came out 4 years ago, it is still one of the most popular to date, rivaling the success of Marvel's Civil War, and DC still markets it to this day. You can get masks based off characters, and shirts and rings from each color on the spectrum. I personally have the White Lantern ring and shirt, but plan on getting the Green Lantern one soon.
My personal connection to this book is that it's what got me into comics. The story was so intriguing that I could not put it down. For people who are not big fans of DC, you will change your mind after reading this book. I went into it as a mainly Marvel guy, but when I finished I was DC all the way. Johns does an excellent job grabbing the reader and pulling them into the story. It starts out on a day of remembrance for those superheroes who have died. Events quickly go south as the Black Hand and Black Lantern Corps return the dead to life in an attempt to wipe out all emotions and The Entity (the supreme force in the universe). Reis' artwork is fantastic. The emotions on the characters' faces seem so real. I felt the Flash's pain as he realized a lot of his friends had died before he came back to life. Blackest Night also has one of the most terrifying panels in comic book history:

Zombie Batman. In the book for only a couple pages, but one of the biggest plot twists in it. This character alone causes most of DC's major heroes to turn into Black Lanterns. Zombie Batman will also be one of the alternate Batman skins in the game Injustice: Gods Among Us. When I first saw this panel, it hit me like a train. Bruce Wayne came back from the dead as this horrifying creature, causing heroes like Green Arrow and Superman to turn. Probably one of my favorite moments in the series.
Blackest Night 4 years ago was a big deal. And it still is. People talk about it all the time. It changed the DC Universe as it was known then, set up the successful Brightest Day, and lead to the reboot of the Universe in the New 52. This gripping yet horrifying tale of heroes, villains, life and death will tear at your emotional heart strings as you see your childhood heroes fall helpless to the Black Hand and his minions. I recommend getting this book where ever you can. But be warned: this is not for the faint of heart.

Injustice Gods Among Us Part 1: Who I'll Play As

Injustice: Gods Among Us is the new DC Comics fighting game made by NetherRealm Studios.  It pits the world's greatest superheroes against each other in a fight to protect what they believe in. Villains and heroes no longer exists and it's up to them to decide the fate of the world.  I'm excite, so here's who I'm going to play as when I get the game.

Green Lantern

First of all, Green Lantern is one of my favorite superheroes of all time. So me playing as him is a no brainer. I love the the concept of the him using his ring to kick some superhero butt. His abilities look amazing so I cannot wait to use them! Here's a video of Green Lantern kicking Aquaman's ass. See that finishing move? Buses AND planes? Transportation beat down!

Green Arrow

What can I say? I like the color green. Green Arrow is a pretty understated superhero. He might not have any powers, but his arrows and bow make up for that. His bow has a blade for crying out loud! He might have lost to Superman in the latest Battle Arena, but here is Green Arrow destroying Hawkgirl.

The Flash

There's something about The Flash that intrigues me. It could be his set of morals, or the fact he can punch in the face before you can say "Oh no!" I think using The Flash's superspeed and his quick reflexes will ube a big factor in his victories. To prove that, here he is beating the crap out of the Joker. You see that finishing move? Hell to the yes.

So here ends part one! Check back later for a part 2!

App Review: Little Things Forever

Little Things Forever is the latest game from Klick Tock.  The sequel to Little Things, Little Things forever is a game similar to ISpy.  The game gives you a puzzle made up of "little things" and you need to find the objects they tell you to. Here is an example:

The list of objects is different time.  So there is a ton of different possibilities of puzzles to get. Which makes this game addicting! Sure your eyes hurt after staring at the screen for a couple hours but it's worth it. I can blow a good half hour playing this! Great little time waster. Move over Angry Birds. Little Things Forever is the next big game.

One Last Tour: SHM Calls It Quits

Swedish House Mafia, an EDM super group composing of Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso, had a huge year.  With a hit single in “Don’t You Worry Child” and having a song in an Absolut Vodka commercial, SHM was one of the biggest bands of the past 3 years.  So why, on June 24, 2012, did they announce they were breaking up?  In a statement released on their website, they said their latest tour would be their last, ending with “We came, we raved, we loved.” In August, the band release the tour dates for what they called “One Last Tour.” The majority of the dates sold out and second shows were added.

                The question everyone is asking is why did SHM call it quits? Each member was a successful DJ on their own, so from the start the team up seemed solid. Formed in 2008, they didn’t release a single as Swedish House Mafia until 2010 on Beatport.  They began to chart around the world, but didn’t chart in the United States until 2011.  With only 2 releases, one in 2010 and one in 2012, they were on the track to becoming one of the dance music legends, in the ranks of Daft Punk and Tiesto.  But why did they call it quits? Was the pressure too much for them?

                After the cryptic message was posted on the website, it wasn’t until August until Angello talked to Rolling Stone. In the interview, published August 2, he said, "We just decided that we reached a point where we don't know what the next move would be. We always like the challenge. And we don't like to repeat ourselves. We just felt like it was time." Ingrosso told Rolling Stone a couple months "Because we did this move, we hope to find ourselves in a situation where we do not know what we’re doing, which is sort of us trying to create some sort of chaos, mix shit up a bit for ourselves. It’s an experiment to ourselves."

                So that clears why they broke up in their words. But is it a good move? I feel like it was not. Two albums into your career is not an ideal time to break up.  SHM’s last single was a huge one, and showed the potential they had as a band.  SHM became a huge band in such a small amount time and I felt like they blew it. I understand the whole “going out on top” idea, but I’m disappointed in their decision.

                Even though Swedish House Mafia is now dead and gone, Axwell did hint at something during the September 22 article in Rolling Stone. While talking about Daft Punk being their role models, he mentioned that disappear after making a huge album then magically come back. He pointed out, "Yeah, they do. But you didn't really know they were gonna come back." So does that mean Swedish House Mafia will return? Only time will tell. Until then, rave on.

App Review: Midway Arcade

Midway Arcade is a great app for iPad or iPhone users. It's free, but you need to pay $3 per unlock set. Which is totally worth the price because you get 6 games for $6, which is a good deal.  Midway Arcade's menu is set up like a classic arcade, prize station included.  It acts like a trophy case for all the stuff you unlock.  There are games like Skee Ball, Billiards and Baskeball, but the main attraction are all the classic arcade games.  I'm going to review some of my favorites.
Root Beer Tapper is a classic.  Seen in the movie Wreck-It Ralph, you play as Tapper. You have to serve your customers root beer and collect tips and empty glasses as fast as you can.  It seems easy at first, but after a while you get overwhelmed. I enjoyed the game thoroughly. I enjoyed the challenge of the game and the classic graphics and music.
I'm a sucker for skee ball and the version here is great. While it is easy to start draining 100 points per ball, it's still challenging for the new player. The sound effects make me feel like I'm reliving my childhood playing skee ball at Chuck E Cheeses.  It's one of my favorite arcade games ever and I'm glad it was included.
My favorite of the Action pack is NARC. You play as an Narc agent running around the city busting drug dealers and other scum. You can bust them, but why do that when they give you an smg with unlimited ammo and a rocket launcher. It brings a smile to my face when a rocket in the middle of a bunch of drug dealers sends them flying in all directions.
The classic dungeon crawler Gauntlet is included. One and two are both there and are exactly on how people remember them. The graphics and music are still the same. It's pretty difficult single player so I kinda wish you could play online or via bluetooth with other players.  Other than that, I enjoy playing. Long live the Elf!
Finally, the last games I enjoy playing are Rampage and Spy Hunter. Both are in their classic glory, graphics and all. Again, Rampage would be more fun with multiplayer, but Spy Hunter is fun.
In all, Midway Arcade is a great app for everyone who enjoys old fashioned arcades and arcade games.

Talk Nerdy to Me, Part 1

Hello awkward nerds of the interwebs! Welcome to Talk Nerdy to Me! Here we wrap up some the news for the week! So let's start!

• Borderlands 2 announced a new Vault Hunter trailer and The Luck of The Zafords costumes and gun.
• SimCity was released to much disappointment. EA offers a free game to all people who activated the game before March 15.
• EDM Supergroup will play their last show March 15, ending a 5 year run.
• Footage of the new Star Wars multiplayer shooter was leaked online.
• Mass Effect 3: Citadel and Gears Of War: Judgement were released, continuing the popular game series. Starcraft DLC was also released.
• Disney's latest game was delayed.

Well that's it for now! Stay tuned next week for Talk Nerdy to Me.

Gamer Nostalgia: Kirby Super Star

Welcome to Gamer Nostalgia! Where on of us reviews the game and the other reviews the soundtrack! Two reviews for the price of one! Thanks to Cody of nerdsandgamersftw for agreeing to do this! Check out his tumblr for more!
GAME by Cody found here.

MUSIC by Me
I never really played the Kirby games, so I'm basically reviewing this as a music critic. As a whole, the music is perfect background music. It's not too complex to overpower the game, but still captures the mood of the game. This soundtrack sounds very familiar to me. The Game Select screen sounds very similar to track selection music in Mario Kart. The Boss Battle theme is very stereotypical boss music, but I love it. I can picture both Kirby and Metaknight just going at it. Something about it reminds me of Mega Man. The End Game theme is very catchy. It shows the transistion between 16-bit and 8-bit music. While I can hear some elements of 8-bit music in there, it's primarily 16-bit.

The background music for the levels is pretty good. The majority of the other music in the game are just short little themes 30 seconds are less. This video here shows the different level themes and some game play footage.

As you can see, the music is melodic but not distracting.  I think the composer did a great job with the music. I might check this out on an emulator later. While I wasn't a big Kirby fan before, the soundtrack turned me on to try this game.

Stay tuned for Gamer Nostalgia!

Not-So Superheroes

Hey people! Here's an old article I wrote about superheroes pre New 52 and series reboots. So enjoy my old angsty self!

Like most American children, I grew up playing superheroes.  Sometimes I’d be the fearless Batman or your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man or even the Flash.  As I grew older, I kept my interest in superheroes because of the movie adaptations of the comic books.  However, I slowly began to realize how pointless some of these heroes are.  Let’s take Aqua-Man for example.  To quote Jeff Dunham, he has all the powers of the little mermaid.  Aqua-Man can’t do anything unless he is near water.  Even when he is in water, he has all his marine animal “friends” do all the fighting for him.  This leads me to the conclusion that not only is Aqua-Man useless on land, he is also a lazy bum of a crime fighter.  The only thing he could ever be useful for is helping struggling fishing villages by summoning fish.  Next up is Batman.  He is not a pointless superhero; in fact he is quite awesome.  He just has some flaws about him and his little world.  Number one, Batman has no super powers and his enemies do.  I still have trouble grasping the concept that Batman can easily beat Bane who can easily snap Batman in half.  Also, his enemies have more high-tech weapons then he does.  This makes me question how Batman can defeat Mr. Freeze and his freeze gun with a bat shaped boomerang.  Final thing about Batman: he is a Bruce Wayne, a super-rich guy.  Can someone please explain to me why a billionaire would spend a fortune on technology and fight crime dressed like a bat while he could easily hire someone or make a robot to do it for him?  If I was in Wayne’s shoes, I’d do that.  Finally, let’s talk about superhero names.  When becoming a superhero, one should name themselves something that fits their powers or past.  Names that work are Spider-Man and the Human Torch, who both have names after their powers.  Let’s talk about a few names that don’t work.  For example: Mr. Fantastic is not fantastic at all.  He has rubber-band powers and an ego issue.  Another example is Superman.  Yes he has many powers but Superman is a very uncreative name and he could have done better. So, in conclusion, what I've been trying to say is we live in a world with superheroes and not so superheroes.  And pray that the fate of the world does not lie in the hands of Aqua-Man.

Nerdy Board Games To Make Next

With the release of the 50th Anniversary Doctor Who Monopoly, I decided I was going to come more nerdy games to come up with!

• Game of Thrones Risk: I mean this is probably under production, but I feel like fans of the show would jump all over this.
• Magic: The Gathering Risk: Imagine it. Six armies each representing a different Planeswalker. Instead of the normal continents, there are the different planes. There is no way this is going to happen, but I'd think it be cool.
• Star Wars Settlers of Catan: I know there is a Star Trek  version out, so why not Star Wars? Just pick a few planets and presto! You and your friends can be settling the universe of Star Wars!
• The Avengers Strageo: I think this game would sell big. Make one team SHEILD and the Avengers and the other side Loki's army from the movie or a rogue's gallery of Marvel baddies.  This could work for the Justice League too. One side Justice League, the other side the Legion of Doom. Gonna sell like hot cakes if you ask me.
• The Hunger Games Risk: Make it like the Lord of The Rings version. Two armies from the Captial, two from the Districts. Make a map of Panem with all the districts, including 13, and yet another marketing success for The Hunger Games. I'd play.
• Dungeon Dice Monsters: Remember during the Yu-Gi-Oh television show where they played the version of the card game, but with dice? That was awesome. They made a game boy game, but never the actual dice. It could work! Bakugon sold for whatever reason and I still don't get it.  
• One of the many games from Big Bang Theory: There seems to be a lot of fictional table top games in the show. So why not pick one or two and make them! They look like fun so why not. Fans and nerds alike will play.
• Monster Hunter Board game: I know they have board games like Zombies and The Walking Dead out. Lets take that idea and instead of zombies, replace with all the big time monsters! You know werewolves, vampires, swamp creatures, stuff like that! Make the bosses be Dracula, Frankenstien's Monster, Wolf-Man and the Creature from the Black Lagoon or something. It's be epic!
• Ancient World Risk: Games like Civilization and Age of Empires are fun and all, but what's if you don't have a computer? Simple, make and Ancient World Risk game! The Romans versus the Greeks versus Eygpt versus China versus whoever! History buffs and Risk fans alike would love it! Maybe add in a Catan like system with trading and BOOM! Epic game that's long and thrilling!

You have any ideas? Email us at talkboxpodcast@gmail.com!

Chiptune Corner: Anamanguchi

Welcome to the first edition of Chiptune Corner! Here I do a quick review of chiptune artists and provide links to check them out!

Anamanaguchi is a chiptune indie rock band from New York. They use an old NES to make music while playing along to it live. They currently have 2 albums and 1 EP out: Dawn Metropolis, Scott Pilgrim versus The World: The Game Soundtrack, and Power Supply. They are currently finishing their latest album, Endless Fantasy, due out later this Spring. Here is the video for the lead single "Meow":

I reconmend checking out their music. With the rock attitude of Weezer and the nostalgia of the Nintendo Entertainment system. Anamanaguchi is a win!
Here is an interview with member Peter Berkman from the JeffRubin-JeffRubin Show

You can find their website here.
Stay tuned for more Chiptune Corner!

The War on Video Games

Call of Duty. Popular video game series, multi-player favorite and now something that drives kids toward violence? Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook, video games like Call of Duty have been under fire by parents and law makers alike.  Apparently violent video games cause kids to be more violent. This argument has been brought up many a time. Whether it was about television shows or the internet, people insist something is influencing kids. I am here to say that is downright false.  If the naysayers’ logic is right, all kids who play violent video games will be prone to violence. Using that logic, I can say that the following  is true:

• ·         People who play Pac-Man will be prone to pop pills.
• ·         People who play Pokémon will be prone to trying to capture animals.
• ·         People who play Street Fighter will be prone to fighting other people.
• ·         People who play Mario will be prone to becoming a plumber and jumping on turtles.

See how stupid that sounds? This whole video game issue has been around for years. From Mortal Kombat being too violent for arcades to Grand Theft Auto glorifying robbery and murder, all of it is just uncalled for hysteria.  I play video games all the time. I have never had the urge to go around breathing fire on sheep after play Spyro. I had parents who taught me right from wrong.  And that’s the issue. Parents. They are “too busy” to watch their kids, so they let video games do it for them. How can the kids know that what they see in video games is wrong when their parents won’t tell them.  Parents need to tell their kids what is right. Not just throw them in front of the television and expect them to learn morals. I love Family Guy, but I would not let my kids watch it to learn morals. That’s just stupid. And video games aren’t a good babysitter either. Can we just agree to not let kids play violent video games and obey the rating system? Is there for a reason!  And let’s be honest with ourselves here, how many of these young parents against video games played them while they were kids? A good number. Their parents probably wouldn’t let them play Frogger at the arcade because it was too violent. So they should not be talking.  Plus what’s the big deal with video games in general? They are excellent at teaching problem solving, hand-eye coordination and teamwork. In fact, a teacher in the Mid-West uses Minecraft to teach kids all three of those with outstanding results!

                For those of you that say it’s not the parents’ fault.  The other day I was in the car with my aunt as she was taking me to work. We were behind a bus full of elementary school kids.  As we got closer, I noticed some girls in the back of the bus were making sexually explicit hand gestures at me and my aunt. Elementary school age girls. Sexual hand gestures.  Do you think their parents taught them that? You can see my point now I hope. Video games aren’t babysitters. They’re entertainment.

M:tG Deck Listing: Rogues' Gallery

Here's is the first in my Magic Deck Listings! This is my Rogues' Gallery deck!

Artifacts
1x Skyblinder Staff
2x Executioner's Hood
1x Kitesail
1x Ring of Xathrid

Mono Colored Spells
1x Last Thoughts
2x Faerie Imposter
2x Keymaster Rogue
2x Stealer of Secrets
3x Way of The Thief
3x Metropolis Sprite
3x Faerie Invaders
1x Shadow Alley Denizen
1x Duskmantlr Prowler
1x Harbor Bandit
2x Balustrade Spy
2x Shadow Slice
1x Shrieking Affliction
1x Illness in the Ranks
1x Slate Street Ruffian
1x Midnight Recovery
1x Corpse Trader
1x Undercity Informer
2x Ogre Jailbreaker

Multi-Colored Spells
1x Lazav, Dimir Mastermind
1x Psychic Strike
1x Back Alley Broker
2x Dimir Charm
4x Deathcult Rogue

Land
4x Dimir Guildgate
1x Rogue's Passage
12x Island
12x Swamp

Soundtrack Review: Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph is Disney's most recent animated feature. Set in an arcade, it tells the story of Wreck-It Ralph, a video game bad guy who doesn't want to be bad anymore. While the movie itself is great, the soundtrack is equally amazing.  While there are some goofy pop songs on the soundtrack, the songs written for the movie are great. "Wreck it, Wreck-It Ralph" by Buckner and Garcia tells the tale of Ralph and his counter part Fix-It Felix Jr in pop-rock fashion. The synth riff sounds inspired by the video games of 80s, when arcades ruled. It's catchy and will have you singing along by the final chorus. "Sugar Rush" by J-Pop group AKB48 is the theme song for the fictional racing game Sugar Rush. It's poppy instrumental and catchy chorus make it a memorable song. AKB48 did a great job getting the feel for the game and it's cartoony, candy themed racing glory. "Bug Hunt" by Skrillex was written for fictional shooter Hero's Duty. In the movie, the song went perfectly along with the scene in the game. The Noisia remix appears on the soundtrack. It keeps the basics of the track that appeared in the movie but still can start a party on it's own.
The score by Henry Jackman is fantastic. A blend of orchestral power, catchy guitars and electronic pop, it takes the theme of the movie and completes it. The song "Minute to Win It" sounds like it would have come right out of Sugar Rush if it was an actual game. "Wreck-It Ralph" the song is a catchy little synth and strings piece who's main theme is repeated in many different times in the soundtrack. I like Jackman's use of 8-bit synths in the soundtrack in tracks like "Life in The Arcade" and "Vanellope's Hideout". It brings the arcade in the movie to life. Another highlight for me on the soundtrack is "Sugar Rush Showdown". You can feel the intensity in the track. With the pulsating synths and the intense sounding strings, you can feel the pressure Ralph and Vanellope felt in this scene in the movie. Jackman easily captures the emotion in the movie. From the intensity of "Turbo Flashback" to the sorrow Vanellope feels in "Broken Karted", this soundtrack brings the movie to life.  I high recommend watching the movie and listening to soundtrack if you haven't yet. You will not be disappointed.

Magic The Gathering: Dragon's Maze Guild Alliances

Alright, so on May 3, the final Return To Ravinca block will be released. Dragon's Maze will have all 10 guilds, and finally introduce the Izzet planeswalker we've all been waiting for. During the pre-release, you will be able to choose from all 10 guilds. Guildpacks from RtR and Gatecrash will be reprinted. Inside the guild box will also be a secret guild alliance pack. Each alliance pack will be from the opposite set and will share one color with the guild you pick. So here is what I think the guild alliances will be.

Azorius and Dimir: Azorius spends most of the time in Ravinca trying to uphold the law of Ravinca. Dimir hides in the shadows, working for other guilds while achieving their own agenda. So who better to work together than these 2? Azorius hiring Dimir spies to infiltrate other guilds while both profit from the knowledge gained. From a game stand point, imagine detaining your opponent's creatures so they are unable to block the creatures will spells ciphered to them. It's a win for you and a devastating lose for your opponent.

Gruul and Rakdos: The two most hated guilds in Ravinca. Usually looked down upon by the other guilds. But imagine them teaming up. Rakdos and his blood-crazed minions teaming up with Gruul's large, power creatures. That would be death and destruction for Ravinca. Imagine blood-rushing your already unleashed creatures. Your opponent would have to deal with large amounts of damage coming at them all at once. Gruul and Rakdos means death to all who oppose you.  

Selesnya and Orzhov: A kind of unlikely team up. What do nature and money have to do with each other. Not a lot. Maybe Trostani and the Ghost Council have some secret plan. But from a game stand point, this combo could be devastating.  The populating ability of Selesnya with the life gain of Orzhov is a great combo. Get a ton of creatures out while slowly draining your opponent's life. Not to mention Selesnya has some lifelink to join the party. Great combo, unlikely team up. Sounds like Ravinca to me.

Izzet and Boros: Both dislike Azorius. Both have a mission. Both can profit. Imagine Izzet creating the latest weaponry for Boros. Science and the military always go hand in hand, why not in Ravinca.  Boros can use Izzet's research to spread their quest for justice, while Izzet can just show off. Gamewise, battalion up your creatures to unleash an assault on your opponent. If they try to fight back, use Izzet's many spells to either stop them or make your creatures stronger. For justice....and science!

Simic and Golgari: There was flavor text saying to fear this combo, and they were right. Golgari and Simic are looked down upon by Izzet and Selesnya. Not quite nature, not quite science. But together they can mean hell for all who doubted them. They have a lot to prove so why no do it together.  Imagine all the +1/+1 counters generate by a Simic-Golgari deck. Madness will ensue. Evolve your creatures while using the dead Golgari minions to ensure everybody has some. Bioshift some counters around to ensure your opponent's will only be dealing with the strongest of creatures. Boom.

Stay tuned for more on Dragon's Maze!

Mario Party..Party?

Sometimes we play video games. Sometimes we play video games when we're overtired. Enjoy!

The Batman Curse: Batman, His Sidekicks, and Pain

In the past couple of days, it was revealed that Damian Wayne, the latest Robin in the Batman series, had been killed by Heretic. Damian was the fifth Robin (fourth not counting Stephanie Brown) that Batman had, except he was Bruce Wayne's son. After thinking about it a while, Damian is not the only one of Batman's sidekicks struck by tragedy. Let's start with Dick Grayson, the first Robin. While he did part ways with Batman and later become Nightwing, his origin story is very dark.  He was found by Bruce Wayne while attending a circus, after Dick's family was killed by a mob boss. Soon after, Bruce adopted Dick and Dick became Robin.  The next Robin was Jason Todd. Not loved by the fans, Jason was killed off in the series "A Death in The Family" by The Joker.  After Superboy Prime punched Time in the face, Jason came back and became the Red Hood, looking to take justice in Gotham into his own hands.  Since his first appearance as the Red Hood, Jason has been toe to toe with Batman, trying to prove that he has better than his former teacher. The next Robin, Tim Drake, also left Batman to become the next leader of the Teen Titans in the New 52 reboot, as well as coinciding Young Justice television show.  While nothing bad ever happened to Tim, he was the second Robin to leave to pursue new things. Which brings the question is there something about Batman that drives people away? In the Justice League animated feature "Doom", Batman was kicked out of the Justice League. Is it the way he does things or is it something about the character himself. His parents where killed, he now has 2 Robins that were killed, and the others just left or something happened to them. Lets look at the character of Batgirl.  The first Batgirl was Barbra Gordon. Everything was fine and dandy until "The Killing Joke" came out. Barbra was shot in the back and became paralyzed from the waist down. Granted she did become Oracle after that, but the fact remains she was shot while Batman's sidekick. The second Batgirl, Cassandra Cain, left to become Blackbat, being the one of 3 sidekicks to leave. The third Batgirl was Stephanie Brown. She was originally the fourth Robin when she was fired by Batman.  Another example of Batman not liking his sidekicks.  With all the Robins, he was iffy at first about having their help.  When he finally gets close to them, something happens to him or them.  They leave or die or get seriously hurt.  Is Bruce Wayne surrounded by death and disappointment?  Is he doomed to walk this earth alone? We might never know the answer, but I'm sure he'll get another sidekick before too long. Who knows, maybe Superboy will punch time in the face again and Damian will come back. Until then, RIP Damian Wayne. You will be missed.