Mango

This is a debut. This is the first mobile app to be "reviewed" here, at POPinions. Mango is relevant to me and somehow makes its way to this blog because it allows me to read my favorite manga.

Mango is a multiplatform app, available to Android and Blackberry devices. It is not available at the Play Store and the only way to get it's to download it at it's developers site (http://mango.leetsoft.net/). Believing in the developers the app is used by over 15000 users every day, and I'm one of them. I really do not like to read mangas or books in the computer so I prefer to use an app in my tablet. After trying many apps, Mango was the chosen one.

THE (+) THINGS:

•  It has 9 different sources to read from.
• It has hundreds of manga available.
• Clean look and simple to use.
• Pre-loads the next pages to avoid loading times when you change a page.
• Favorites system that saves your progress and allows you to continue where you stopped.
• Option to create a library and to easily download chapters to read offline.
• It's free.

 

THE (-) THINGS:

• Slow animations in the page transitions, I had to turn them off.
• When online, there are ads at the beggining of each chapter.
• As far as I know, it's impossible to read anything besides what it's available online by the app.

Using a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7' I can read without any problem but I wouldn't mind to have a bigger screen with a better resolution. Anything smaller than 7' makes almost impossible to use this app.

For me, Mango is the best app to read manga in an Android device. I give it 4/5.

Sonic R

Sonic R was originally released in 1997 for the infamous Sega Saturn that almost killed Sega. Eventually Dreamcast was the last nail in the coffin for SEGA consoles but that is a subject to be talked later, maybe in a post of its own. It was also released for PC, Playstation 2 and the Nintendo Game Cube.

When we think of Sonic we think of speed. When we think of speed we think of races. So, in the paper, this game was like peanut butter and jelly. Problem is...it didn't went that well. Which is funny because I don't really like peanut butter with jelly that much.

The game, incrediby, has a story. The game focuses on the characters effort to win a series of races to prevent Dr. Robotnik from getting the Chaos Emeralds and enslaving the world. I discovered that today as I was researching for this review. I now know why Dr. Robotnik is an unlockable character.

 In a way this game was the predecessor to Sonic & All-Stars Racing which is a really good game (I really did not liked Sonic Riders). This 3D experience had its flaws but it showed that a Sonic racing game in 3D could be something really good.

Graphics - 2/5 

Sonic R aged horribly. Still, it's Sonic. The main problem are the Saturn famous polygons which are light-years away from the rival Playstation. This is a powerful 2D machine that just happened to manage to render 3D too.

Gameplay - 3/5

Incredibly has an intersting mechanic to it because you have boosts that cost coins, many routes and bonus to get during the race. Easy to learn but you have to prepare every lap very well in order to make the best time possible. It's not an easy game unless you're used to race games or a lot of practice in Sonic R. It has clunky controls that seem to don't do exactly what you want, they should have done better in a Sonic game. It's a very fun game to play despite its problems.

Sound - 3/5

Typical techno\soul mix from the 90's, it's not something you would say you like but still it sticks in your head. You get so used to the music that you eventually will like it.

Longevity - 2/5 

It has 4 tracks when you begin. You can unlock 1 track when you win races in all the other 4 tracks. You have 4 characters when you begin, You can unlock 1 character by beating the 5 tracks which you can easily do in about 30 minutes. There are 4 more characters to unlock by collecting 5 special coins, beating the race and then beating the new character in each of the first 4 tracks. And 1 last character to unlock by colleting the 7 Chaos Emeralds in the first 4 tracks in which you have to win the race, its Super Sonic so its worth it. The game higly benefits in lenght by the Vs mode, tag mode and balloon catching mode.

 
This is it. This is Sonic R. There is not much more to tell about it. It is incredibly small, flawed but fun to  play. I've spent several hours just trying to beat my own records (I remember to have a near perfect time lap time in the first track, just under the 17 seconds). Sonic R gets 10/20.

South Park - The "Black Friday" Arc

Today is a review/resume of the most recent "arc" in the series South Park. The Black Friday Arc. 

I call it an arc because it is 3 episodes following the same plot. For those familiar with the show, very rarely the story continues to another episode. The first time it happened was in the first season finale "Cartman's Mom Is a Dirty Slut" continuing to "Cartman's Mom is Still a Dirty slut" leaving the cliffhanger on who was Eric Cartman's dad from one to another. One of the best episodes are in Season 11 when we have the "Imaginationland" arc with 3 episodes, Imaginationland 1, 2 and 3. For those who watched these episodes, you probably never thought that any other episode, or string of episodes, would beat it. Until now.

Season 17 episode 7 "Black Friday". This episode starts the arc, Black Friday is coming (pun not intended) and the children conclude that they must join forces to buy 80% off next gen consoles. But they must face a dire choice: PS4 or Xbox One? That would determine who would be playing with who, and if they could lend games to each other. During a make believe in the genre of Game of Thrones they turn into two factions, one for each console. Then like the show that is the web of conspiracy and betrayal ensues. Butters is a newcomer to the show and he is always perturbed about the number of penises in the show. Cartman is most of the time seen in a garden talking about betrayals with another character, while an old man always shout to stop talking abut betrayal in his garden. This becomes one of the most funny running gags in the arc.

In meanwhile Randy is doing a part-time job at the mall security, using the excuse for some holiday cash, but his plan is to be inside the mall before the doors open to gain some advantage. As the time to open doors becomes near, the leader of the security is killed by a custommer revolted about lining for Black Friday, and so Randy becomes the captain of the mall security, and decides to stand guard for his pride, instead for a big ass flat TV.

Every book of A Song of Ice and Fire

The news of a console war in colorado reach the Sony CEO, who makes a special bundle for selling the PS4, the "Brack Friday Bunduru", which includes four game controllers, a map of Japan, a $100 rebate, and the ability to pre-order Metal Gear Solid V. The episode ends with Princess McCormick, Kenny plays a princess in the make believe world, who was in the Xbox One faction turning to the PS4 one, catching the viewers off guard with the cliffhanger, in a Game-of-Thrones-esque way.

Then follows the "A Song of Ass and Fire" episode, more and more customers make line at the mall, as Randy stands as Captain of Security. Cartman refuses to accept Kenny as a princess and enters contact with Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer, who refuses to take part in the console wars, and wishes a more peacefull way to sell the consoles. This plan quickly falls into ground as Bill Gates murders him and takes control of operations. He allies with Channel 9, as a bloody black friday would make great views for the channel. One of the reporters betrays Bill Gates and informs the Sony CEO of the plan, so it would make even more blood, and a more great piece of news. The Sony CEO then goes to Kenny, and give him a brooch, making him a Japanese Princess.

 No one saw that coming. 

In the meanwhile Cartman sends Butters to George R.R. Martin house to know future plots, as a way to defeat Kenny. Eventually they met, but Martin only talks about penises. Black Friday is also delayed one week, and has 96% off for the first 100 customers, makin the crowd outside the mall grow even more.

I recall more boobs, must be selective memory.

The final episode is called "Tities and Dragons" and is the conclusion of the arc. Cartman bow to Kenny, as he can't win the wars. He comes with the plan to rent the adjacent Red Robin for a wedding, as it is linked to the mall. This is just a plan to betray the Ps4 faction and lock them inside the Red Robin. Stan comes to know of Cartman's plan while in a walk with Cartman on the old man's garden, and the old man shouts Cartman's plot as revenge. Cartman gets Stan grounded so he can't attend the wedding. Kyle talks to Stan, and Stan breaks they're friendship. Eventually Kyle tells everyone of the PS4 faction and the betrayal is stopped. Then Bill Gates and Sony's CEO appear and get into a fist fight, with Gates winning, and as such, he wins the console wars.

During the wedding, the opening cereminy of the mall is made by George R.R. Martin who starts to talk about his penis, eventually showing it, instead of opening the doors. This makes a custommer slice his pennis off. The raging mob enters the mall as Randy's forces try to protect the mall.

Maybe it would make him write faster

At the aftermath, there's a sea of blood in the mall, as the kids go and get their Xboxes. In the end the kids can't forget about the image of Sony's CEO head being bashed into a wall and think "why do we need videogames? We can use our imagination" as he grabs a stick, an ad for the upcoming game South Park: The Stick of Truth appears, ending the story.

These are probably my favourite episodes of South Park, as I read all the A Song of Ice and Fire Books, and watched the 2 first seasons of the show. The betraying, Kenny as Daenerys like character, the alliances, the Security Mall as the Night's Watch, The Red Robin Wedding...there's so much references and puns about that universe that is hard not to like it if you know George Martin's series. In my opinion even if you don't watch South Park, but you are a fan of Game of Thrones, you should watch it. Like now, or now. Now is probably best.

Art - 4/5 - The usual art of South Park, but during the third episode  it's also used shoujo manga like art, wich made me laugh hard.

Soundtrack 5/5 - It is used music like Game of Thrones during the arc, japanese mahou-shojo like themes, and of course the weiner version of Game of Thrones opening sequence.

Excitement - 4/5 - The episodes are good. Between the second and third it took 2 weeks and it seemed like years, as the expectation was high.

Plot 5/5 - I don't know how but South Park never disapoints in plot, and joining Game of Throne's web of betrayal and deceit, made it even better.

Black Friday Arc gets a 18/20 bunduru.

Metal Gear Solid

Up until last week I had never played Metal Gear Solid, and now I deeply regret I haven't done it earlier.

Launched in the distant year of 1998 this action-adventure stealh game developed by Hideo Kojima and distributed by Konami has gained the status of a groundbreaking title. Metal Gear Solid was very well received by the critic, and is recognized by many as one of the best and most important games of all time. Selling more than 6 million copies, Metal Gear Solid made the stealth genre popular which led to sequels, prequels, spin-offs, remakes, radio drama, comics and novels.

Truth be told, Metal Gear Solid is actually a sequel to the MSX2 games titled Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. The MSX2 was a Japanese Home Computer known for its limitations, for instance the impossibility to have more than 4 enemies at the same time in a screen. Kojima was a newbie and didn't really know much about programing, after all he took economics course in college, but he had the dream and desire to make games that looked like movies, and when Konami ordered Kojima to make an action game for the MSX2T Kojima's creativity led to Metal Gear. He surpassed the limitations of the MSX2 and came up with the idea to make a game focused on the goal of not being seen rather than confronting hordes of enemies like most games at the time

Solid Snake sneaking upon an enemy inside a cardbox. An iconic prop in the Metal Gear series.

Metal Gear was released in the western market as a port for the NES system, without any envolvement by Kojima. The game has some differences over the original game, one of them critical...the robot that is the reason for the game (Metal Gear, a kind of mobile tank aka a Mecha) does not appear in the NES version which is simply ridiculous. Nonetheless Metal Gear was a success in the US which led to a sequel (Snake's Revenge) for the NES which, once again, wasn't developed by Kojima. He himself did not knew that a sequel was being made and was during a train trip with one of the delevopers of that game, who had previously worked with Kojima, that he discovered that. His former co-worker asked Kojima to develop a real sequel and that's what he did, by the next day Kojima had the idea of the game almost complete. Snake's Revenge was a success and was never released in Japan, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake was only released in Japan and was considered even better than his predecessor, but due to only being released in the MSX2 led to a low number of units sold.

Solid Snake running away from Metal Gear Rex.

Up until today Kojima despises the NES versions and considers them to be garbage due to have significant diferences over his original vision of the game. Snake's Revenge is considered to be non-canon on the series.

So what is Metal Gear Solid about? The game follows Solid Snake, a soldier and main protagonist of the previous games, who infiltrates a nuclear weapons facility in an island on Alaska known as Shadow Moses in the, at the time, future year of 2005. The goal is to neutralize the terrorist threat from FOXHOUND, a renegade special forces unit. Also, Snake must rescue three hostages, the head of DARPA, the president of a major arms manufacturer and Meryl Silverburgh, which is the niece of Snake's commanding officer Roy Campbell.

The main antagonist and leader of FOXHOUND is Liquid Snake. This special force has specialized members like Revolver Ocelot, a gunslinger, Sniper Wolf, a sniper, Vulcan Raven, a heavy-gun specialist, Psycho Mantis, a psychic and Decoy Octopus, a master of disguise. Liquid Snake threatens to launch a nuclear attack if his demands are not fulfilled which might cause a new World War.

Graphics - 4/5 

Being a release to the Sony Playstation game console, Metal Gear Solid is the first entry in 3D of the series. Now we might think that the graphics are a little dated, but the thing is that an HD version of the game would not make a big difference, because it still looks good, and if we think that it was released 15 years ago they look really awesome. A remake for the GameCube using the game engine of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was released, titled, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes but still I've played the Playstation and looked as good as some Playstation 2 titles.

Gameplay - 5/5

This is where Metal Gear Solid excels. The top view is, in my opinion, the best way to play any Metal Gear Solid game. I've tried the Playstation Portable titles and found them less enjoyable due to the camera view.
The game has several ways to be played. You can either be extra sneaky and refrain from killing enemy soldiers or just being sneaky and cleaning everything that comes in your way using the various methods you are allowed to use. You can knock on walls to lure the enemies to traps. You have to use cigarettes to be able to see lasers in some rooms. One particular enemy predicts what you are going to do and the way to trick him is to plug your controller in the player 2 slot. Using a cardbox to avoid being detected or letting dogs pee on it to prevent them to attack you later. The details are awesome and encourage the player to look for different ways to reach the goal.
The boss fights are among the best ever in the gaming history and that is to say a lot about it.
Another great thing about the game is the storytelling, it is a great story that is told by playing the missions and by the many cutscenes that are simply awesome. I think that at the time nothing has been done like that, the game truly looks like a movie. The game takes about 2-3 hours to complete but the cutscenes extend the game for 3 more hours more or less.
It doesn't get much better than this.



Sound - 5/5

Immersive. That is the perfect adjective to describe the soundtrack of this game. The sound becomes part of the action, thrills the player and can either make you feel safe or in danger.
The voice acting is also superb.



Longevity - 4/5

As said before the game isn't very long, but due to the many ways to complete the game, the two different endings and the bonus items that are given by the end of the game (like a bandana that when equipped makes you to have infinite bullets) when you complete certain goals add a great replay value. Also there are the VR Missions which, despite not having any story, are also interesting to play.

Truly a masterpiece, a must have and must play. If you have not played it yet I urge you to do it. I give it a SOLID 18/20.

The Wolverine

Today is reviewed one of the summer's blockbuster movie: The Wolverine.

The main character needs no introduction. The most famous X-Men, James ''Logan'' Howllet ,a.k.a Wolverine, gets his second solo movie after the disappointing Wolverine: Origins.

This time it takes place after X-Men 3, and Logan is living a life of reclusion. In the beginning of the movie we see a flashback of Logan's life, during WW2. As the planes bomb Nagasaki, we see Logan saving a young japanese soldier from the explosion, revealing his mutant healing powers. The soldier becomes very grateful to him, despite seeing his monstrous powers. Then back to the present, the same soldier sends a subordinate, Yukio, to get him. Its seems that the soldier Logan saved, Yamada, is a succesfful business man in Japan, and wants to say goodbye to Logan. Then in Tokyo he meets with Yamada, as he says that he can make him mortal (by mortal, loosing his healing powers), Logan declines and Yamada dies. While attending the funeral logan saves Mariko, Yamada's grand-daughter, but soomehow his healing powers are minimal, so he doesn't recover from wounds as usual. Then the story between Mariko and Logan ensues taking a romantic note, and he keeps the entire movie protecting her, until the final when he takes on the bad guy.

The plot of the movie is real simple, and is loosely based on an arc from the comics, and when I say loosely....it's really loosely.

THE BAD THINGS:

1. Even without healing powers, logan's claws don't make him bleed. Witchcraft!
2. The fight on the Shinkansen is one of the most lame action scenes I've seen to date.
   
   


3. Harada somehow isn't the Silver Samurai, and is a ninja servant for Yamada...who uses bows.
4. The Silver Samurai is now an adamantium giant robot. What?
5. The romantic relationship between Mariko and Logan happens too fast. Of course in the comics it happens, but in the movie felt forcefull.
6. A high-tech tower on a classic japanese village. Wooden houses and Hight Tech Metal Tower.
7. The ''two-handed sword" scene.
8. Viper. Probably the worst sub-villain in a Marvel movie. I don't even know why she is with Yamada, as originally she is a HYDRA official. Oh well, fuck logic.
9. Despite being without healing powers, Logan gets shot by a shotgun and barely flinches, and continues like it was nothing.

THE GOOD THINGS:

- Logan beying tormented by killing Jane.

- The after credits clip introducing the X-Men: Days of Future Past (which I reccomend seeing the movie's site)

- Hm.....

The movie overall is bad. Once more they kill a character from the Marvel Universe, as if Deadpool wasn't enough. The story and the action scenes are so bland it hurts. It makes me afraid of watching another movie with Wolverine in the title. I just hope they don't make one with Daken, as I still want to like him.

The judgment:

Plot - 2/5 - Almost nothing from the original story went into the movie version, wich is bad since in the ads it said "Based on the aclaimed comic arc". Which is not. C'mon you just wanted to shoot on Tokyo.

Soundtrack - 2/5 - it's that bad, yes.

Visuals - 3/5 - It has some nice effects. I like the tower despite all that was wrong with it.

Performances - 2/5 - They're bad from the beggining to the end. I just don't have words to describe it.

The Wolverine gets 9/20.