Flashback Friday: Those Middle Earth Games With the, "Nemesis," System Were Fun

I wrote about the video-game, "Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor," back in--lemme check my notes here--ah, yes, early 2015. Yes, over a decade ago we were introduced to a good game with an amazing concept. I am referring to the Nemesis System. You could run around a chunk of Middle Earth, fighting baddies who would remember you. You'd beat them up and they'd perhaps run away, only to return with some scars and a thirst for vengeance. Maybe you'd lose a fight, but instead of getting struck down they'd laugh and walk away, declaring you weren't worth slicing up. With that first game, there was a whole eheleon of Orc/Uruks/etc. fighting for power, and you could impact it all. A sequel game, "Middle Earth: Shadow of War," was released in 2017, with folks still loving the Nemesis system even if some other elements of the second game were weaker. The joke was that all the other games were going to start ripping off the Nemesis system, but nope.

How come nobody else did the Nemesis system? The reasons were threefold: Technical, financial, and legal. A lot of programming was needed to create a system like that from scratch, with tons of complex artificial intelligence. That would be pricey to create or simply pay for if the publisher at the time, Warner Bros. had decided to license the tech (they did not). Then, in 2021, the Nemesis system itself was patented and can't be copied until 2035 or so. Games can do things a bit like that system, but engage in a design too much like it and you could get sued. A, "Wonder Woman," game was apparently in the works that would've utilized something a lot like the Nemesis System, but it was canceled, and the studio behind the Middle Earth games that had moved on to make that? Well, that was shut down. The Nemesis system wasn't something cheap, easy, or generic enough to copy. It was complex, specialized, and expensive enough that Warner Bros. wanted to lock it off from anyone else. So, now it sits. Game studios tragically being shut down happens often, however, just look at the recent (quite sad) news with Bioware and Mass Effect! Why is all of this fresh in my mind, however? Well, guess what two games recently had some minor tweaks and were re-released for the Switch 2? 

Various foes with assorted feelings about you, mostly quite negative!

Yep, both, "Shadow or Mordor," and, "Shadow of War," can be purchased in the online shop and enjoyed. I picked up the first game for the release-sale price of ten bucks. It was totally worth it to dip my toes back into the Nemesis system and wonder about what could have been for games. I'm not alone, as a modder has been doing his own version for the PC iteration of, "Red Dead Redemption 2," and as he isn't some big studio or making money off this, it is all legal. Could the Nemesis sytem or something quite like return, someday? Just like franchises themselves, a good game mechanic/gimmick never stays dead. At some point the new owner of the combined Paramount, Warner Brothers Discovery AKA Skydance might decide to dust off the system for some other game or license the tech out. That, or in a chunk of years when anyone can do something like the system for a profit, they probably will. Unless humanity wipes itself out due to a nuclear war, biological outbreak, or the robots take over and kill us all, I bet the Nemesis system will return someday. Hell, maybe with the AI advances, those Orcs won't just be simulating a grudge; they'll truly hate the players behind the controller (an equally intriguing and scary thought)!

I'm in, "Undie Comix," #5!

The fifth issue of, "Undie Comix," is available for order. I have a new article they were kind enough to include in this latest edition! You can get yourself a copy at this link and, as always, check out the Patreon here. My article is about how the character of, "The Punisher," could very well work as an Underground Comix concept. Have a peek:

I want to thank Undie Comix again for being kind enough to consider my work for inclusion in their fun 'zine and would encourage everyone to show them some love/support!

11 Years Ago We Got Married!

Samii and I got married 11 years ago, on this day! It randomly happened to be the unofficial, "Back to the Future Day," as well, due to how, in the flick, "Back to the Future II," October 21st, 2015 was the exact day a still-young Marty McFly visits when he travels to the (then) future and meets a bunch of old iterations of people he knows. 11 years later, here we are! I'm so thankful to Samii for our awesome boys, Clarkson and Gibson. Much love to her and our two kiddos as we commemorate our marriage and its unplanned tie-in with a movie!

Television Tuesday: So, the First Episode of, "Crystal Lake," Made Me Cry

I watched the first episode of the long-gestating and finally-released show, "Crystal Lake," on Peacock. All eight episodes actually dropped at once, but I've only had the chance to stream the debut. To say what I think 1/8 of the way through without spoilers...I really liked it! Linda Cardellini is fantastic as Pamela Voorhees, and Callum Vinson is superb as a young Jason (with lots of prosthetics). Also, compliments to Will Catlett as Sheriff Levon Brooks. I remembered his fantastic work as Lala on, "Black Lightning," where he was equally nefarious, scary, and sometimes comedic relief as his character kept dying and coming back in a self-aware meta twist. For, "Crystal Lake," he's gone from a gangster to a 1970s police officer and is fantastically endearing and caring in this role--the man has range! This is a prequel-of-sorts that clearly changes a lot of the actual, "Friday the 13th," continuity while still paying plenty of homage to it as well, and this first episode perfectly balances tension, gory thrills, and a surprising amount of heart.

Much of this episode is about how much Pamela cares about Jason. He is the most important thing in the Universe to him; she would do anything to keep him safe in a World that isn't always kind to someone different from the, "Norm." In the first 15 minutes there is a scene where she is comforting Jason after he expresses a desire to not go to the camp where she works (and keeps an eye on him due to his medical needs) and he asks why he has to be different from other kids. I don't know why, but the scene made me start bawling. This is quite interesting, as it is often weirdly hard for me to cry. I'll get extremely sad, but legitimately crying is just difficult. That moment, however, just hit me like a punch straight to the gut. As a parent to two children who are, "Different," I felt that scene. I worry a lot about Clarkson's safety due to his tendency to elope, not understand danger, and so forth. In the first episode, Jason appears to, "Die," via drowning, although I doubt that will stick, considering in the movies he has died and come back countless times (and even gone to outer space). That said, for now he is dead, and it is clearly due to neglectful camp staff and management for the camp, who won't even take a year off before opening it up, whilst Pamela mourns the death of her son, whose body hasn't even been located.

By the end of the first episode, the killing starts. The first two people Pamela kills are undoubtedly in self-defense, but it's clear others who are responsible for Jason's death are going to be at the receiving end of her rage as well. In the first movie, Pamela was killing people who had nothing to do with Jason's actual death, and that's wrong. Same thing with later flicks where Jason is killing innocents. For, "Crystal Lake," however, I can see why Pamela might be ready to go on a rampage, even if that's unquestionably a bad way to handle her grief. Still, if anything ever happened to one of my children and the people responsible faced zero consequences? Well, I'd be pissed. Hence, with this first episode, as we witness Pamela getting ready to morph into a force of vengeance, I would quote Doctor Manhattan from the comic, "Watchmen," when he learns of a twisted plan to force World peace through a fake extraterrestrial threat that kills a lot of people. He states, "...yes, I understand, without condoning or condemning." I read some reviews of, "Crytal Lake," before it was released that were a bit critical of how the show humanizes a character who is basically a serial killer and gets the audience to empathize with her. I'd counter that the scariest monsters are those who have a piece of humanity we can relate to. The most terrifying monsters are the ones that hold a mirror up to society and ourselves. When a viewer sees Pamela cuddling Jason, stating how she would never let anything happen to him--and we know she can't keep that promise but wants to so badly, we understand...without condoning or condemning. 

The movies hint that there was a point where Pamela went beyond being sympathetic in her rage to a bogeyman/woman. "Crystal Lake," looks set to chronicle that journey, with some hints of some other weirdness too (a strange lab with a secret project?)  that I read might alienate some fans, but acting like the, "Friday the 13th," brand has ever had a particularly ironclad continuity is absurd. Again, this is a franchise that starts relatively grounded metaphorically and literally before going into actual outer space. The first episode made me recoil at the gore, gave me some laughs at the jokes, and even made me cry. If the remaining episodes can do the same, this is going to be a show I quite enjoy!

Music Mondays: Some Random Newer Songs I Like

I had a busy weekend, and it is going to be an active week full of meetings and errands too. I'll be driving around a good deal, and certain tunes have been, "On repeat," in my car. Here are some of them...

Beyoncé: "Morning Dew, Donk Remix," Featuring Jay-Z

I enjoy Beyoncé's music but have never been a huge fan or especially critical of her. When he puts out a banger, however, she puts out a banger! This remix, with its weird blend of original beats, a big sample of the Isley Brothers, and Jay-Z dropping some solid verses is a treat for the ears. I always am impressed when a song completely switches up the melody and such mid-runtime, so props to this.

ADELA: "Nicole Kidman"

I'm not super-familiar with ADELA, but Spotify recommended giving her song, "Nicole Kidman," a chance based on my other listening habits. I quite like it! There is a float, fun, and peppy vibe to it that puts you in a good mood.

The Game: "BABY," Featuring Kalan.FrFr, ArmonieJAY

It is wild to think The Game has been around for over two decades making music. He'll disappear for what feels like years, only to pop back up with some quality material every once in a while. I've only scratched the surface of his latest LP, "The Documentary III," but the single, "BABY," is a hoot. It samples Ashanti and is clever in its wordplay as the word, "Baby," pops into the song in various contexts. Good stuff.

Slayyyter: "GAS STATION"

A cousin of mine introduced me to the grime-pop style of Slayyyter recently, and I dig it! Not exactly rock, techno, or anything easy to categorize, the sounds of Slayyyter's album, "WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA," sound like the kind of thing you'd hear playing in a dirty and sleazy gas station, making the song that is itself titled, "GAS STATION," quite fitting. Full of melancholy, a bit of rage, and a killer chorus, this is a superb jam.

Personally, I Thought the New, "Street Figher," Movie Was Highly Enjoyable

"Street Fighter," has had previous film interpretations of the gaming franchise, but ever since the first trailer for this latest version, I've been excited to check it out. Some games get made into dour and serious flicks or shows; that is fine, but sometimes you want to see a movie that simply appears to be fun. I was it Friday morning after dropping the kiddos off. Within the first 20 minutes of, "Street Fighter," I was having a ball, knowing that this was going to be an acquired taste of a movie. Some critics have found it charming in its absurdity, while other reviewers have absolutely savaged it as an awful train wreck. I didn't label this post as, "Film Friday," because we're nowhere near a Friday, but as I said, I did go and see, "Street Fighter," as soon as I could on a Friday. I hadn't seen a movie in theaters since...I wanna say, "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness," so it'd been a while. Something about this, "Street Fighter," simply seemed entrancing. Having viewed it, I wanted to give the movie a couple of days to marinate in my mind, however. I mean, it was a lot. 

This is, "Street Fighter," so there is a fighting tournament. Much of this is set in 1993, but the event is more of a front for the villainous M. Bison to try and trick the winner of the 1987 tournament, Ryu, into coming out of hiding. Ryu's close friend, Ken, gets wrapped up in evertying too. Plus, there is some strange machine that extracts, "Psycho Power," or such, and it clearly this is all quite silly, but that's the point! This is the kind of movie where flashbacks are (beautifully) animated segments, then Jason Momoa plays a massive and quirky Blanka, then we get a bunch of cheesecake shots of women in various skimpy outfits--but don't worry, there's tons of beefcake with men disrobing and flexing too! Everyone in the film is over-the-top in their acting to a point where brief, serious segments almost feel awkward butting up against so, so much crazy.

Much of the film focuses on Ken and Ryu.

I can agree that, "Street Fighter," has flaws, of course. At 2 hours, we have another example of a movie that could stand to trim 20 or so minutes of moments that feel like filler (especially in the overlong-feeling second half). One fight is mentioned, but besides seeing the nasty aftermath of a gnarly scratch on a character's face, that bit goes unseen. Plus, the flick ends with somewhat of a climax, but clearly has its sights set on prepping viewers for a sequel. Will that sequel happen, though? Well, it launched on the softer side of projections in regard to its domestic gross. It is still the #1 film in America and doing solid-ish numbers in other parts of the World, however. I adored the movie, and if others go into a showing expecting something preposterous, they're prepared to meet it at its zany level...well then, merriment will be had by all (unless you're the AV Club, as they really hated it). I'd give, "Street Fighter," a glowing 5 out of 5 stars, and I hope it does indeed get a sequel. The only thing I'd worry about is how a sequel could get any screwier!

Between Tatertot Con and the Trunk or Treat Event at Variety, We Had a Busy Saturday

Today was quite busy and full of excitement! We went to a bunch of activities and had a ball! The day kicked off with Clarkson and me going to a carnival event for his school, where he was excited to go on some bounce houses. Then, we drove over to the Tatertot Con Year 3 I had just recently discussed being excited about. When it officially kicked off at 12 PM, it became busy quite quickly! A number of vendors and creators were there. 

Near the entrance was Go Getter Gamez with their usual assortment of fantastic games and gaming-related items. Plenty of comic sellers were there, including my friends from Nerd Fury and Nate Nauert. They both had a ton of awesome books! Replicon Radio had an assortment of goodies, and Austin of Stark & Arrow was selling many intriguing wares too. I met Kevin House from House of Collectibles 1611 and chatted about a cool, "X-Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula," series he had for sale. The show floor was hopping without a doubt! Here are some photos from the show:

After spending some time enjoying the Tatertot Con, we went home to prepare for the Trunk or Treat event at Variety. They are a great charity that assisted Clarkson with the expenses for his Talker device some time ago. They do a lot to help with empowering those with disabilities via helping with needed items/tech/etc. We always love their Trunk or Treat Event and how it is designed to be inclusive, fun, and full of treats! 

Clarkson and Gibson both went to the Trunk or Treat, they were excited to get candy and especially loved how the EMTs had decorated an ambulance with a prosthetic, "Patient," who I recognized as Michael Myers from, "Halloween," but Gibson thought he simply, "Looked tired." Check out some photos I took while we were there:

Clearly, we did a lot today, and it was quite the happening occasion anywhere we went. We don't have nearly as busy a schedule tomorrow and plan to relax a bit. After all, some days you're doing a bunch and others you're doing as little as possible; it's all about balance.

Flashback/Film Friday: "Iron Man 3," Was Shockingly Realistic in How it Portrayed Anxiety and Panic Attacks

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is not exactly realistic. We have billionaires in our reality, but instead of flying around in high-tech armor saving the day, they usually just tweet ignorant tripe or share their weird opinions on podcasts. We don't have any ancient Gods hanging around (besides claims of such from grifters and/or people suffering from mental illness) with cool superpowers. We haven't been invaded by aliens (as far as we know), and I’d bet anyone who has been exposed to extreme radiation or been bit by experimental spiders has become quite sick and possibly died as opposed to turning into a superhuman. That said, there has always been a vibe that Marvel's comics and movies kind of reflected, "The World outside your window," more than the DC Universe. I know, "Iron Man 3," has divided many a fan's opinion since it came out in 2013 due to its twist about Ben Kingsley's portrayal of the Mandarin. It turns out he is a drug-addled British actor named Trevor who doesn't realize people are actually getting hurt. I'm not discussing that in relation to the movie today, however. No, I want to touch upon how, "Iron Man 3," does a surprisingly good job portraying PTSD, anxiety disorders, and panic attacks, at least to a mainstream audience.

When real people go through horrible events, it sticks with them. A lot of comic-book superheroes have been through Hell (sometimes a literal Hell) and keep trucking along with nary a concern. In, "Iron Man 3," Tony Stark finds himself struggling to come to terms with just how much he has been through. Trauma is a complex thing everyone experiences differently; that said, I have experienced panic attacks before. You feel like you can't breathe, your chest gets tight, and when Tony Stark experiences an extreme sensation of anxiety early in, "Iron Man 3," he's convinced he's dying and someone must have attacked him, poisoned him, or otherwise done something to knock the, "Iron Man," off-kilter. Here's that scene:

Much of, "Iron Man 3," follows Tony as he experiences a bunch of loss, stress, and thanks to his hard work and friends manages to defeat the evil tech businessman behind the faux-terrorist known as The Mandarin (later movies brought in the, "Real," Mandarin, but that is a whole different story). He isn't, "All cured," however. Stark still has challenges he'll face personally and professionally throughout the future flicks and has arguably the best character arc in the MCU all the way from the debut, "Iron Man," to, "Avengers: Endgame." A big message of, "Iron Man 3," is arguably how even in a Cinematic Universe full of folks with superpowers fighting epic battles, we still can have our own personal struggles--ones that feel world-ending to us. 

"Iron Man 3," has fans and detractors due to all the Mandarin business, but I'd think everyone can applaud a big Hollywood flick for at least making some effort to seriously examine and discuss mental health in a manner that doesn't reduce it to a joke or make it villainous/evil. I would think that Robert Downey Junior having gone through so much in his life before he became Iron Man resulted in him relating to the material to a degree as well. I just hope Downey's return in the upcoming, "Avengers: Doomsday," as Doctor Doom isn't too wild an idea to work. We'll see.

"Tatertot Con Year 3" is this Saturday, October 17th!

The good folks over at Tatertot Comics & Collectibles have a fantastic store and know how to put on a great comic show.  That is why I'm excited for, "Tatertot Con Year 3," this Saturday, October 17th! Held at the Fox C-6 Service Center (849 Jeffco Blvd, Arnold, MO, 63010), it will run from 12PM-6PM. Entry is only $5, with kiddos 12 and under getting in for free! With over 50 vendors, food trucks, and some snazzy guests, I'm pumped to check the show out in just two days! I encourage anyone in the area (or able to get out here in the next 48-ish hours) to come to the show as well. I'll see ya'll Saturday!

"Fantasy Online 2," Looks Like a Cool Retro-Styled MMORPG

 

Jeromy Stroh, the creator behind, "Fantasy Online 2," saw my posts about other indie games I found snazzy and thought I might enjoy learning about his own game. It is a pixel-art MMORPG that takes place in a persistent World (a bit like Ultima Online, World of Warcraft, and so forth). It has a mix of adventuring, crafting, combat, and so forth. It can work within STEAM, on a PC's browser, and on a number of Android devices. No matter which format players use, they exist within the same, "World."

I told Jeromy I would love to play it on my iPhone when iOS compatibility is ready (it is in the works), as my other devices he currently has his game compatible with are a bit too outdated to do much of anything relating to games. The retro-styled look reminds me of playing other old-school games. Plus, I definitely also have fond memories of my time logging on to Ultimate Online and old-school WoW long ago. There is currently a temporary event, "Season of Screams," that goes from October 10th through December 5th with a zany Halloween-style feel.