Published in SUPERJUMP·Mar 16Learning to Love Challenge with Elden RingI’ve seen games like Elden Ring tens of times before, but FromSoftware’s latest is making me rethink the games I play — On the surface, there are so many games like Elden Ring — the gothic world rife with grotesque creatures, allegories about life and death, and a horse that appears at your every beck and call. More broadly, it’s the open environment set to the review quotable “stunning vistas,” the…Videogames6 min read
Published in SUPERJUMP·Feb 16My Cyberpunk 2077 Fears Have Finally SubsidedThe version 1.5 patch for Cyberpunk 2077 delivers on long overdue promises — I was anxious to return to Night City. The last time I visited things were pleasant. Well, as pleasant as can be in a place overrun with corruption, violence, and debauchery. At the time, December 2020, the talk of the town was about how awful the city, and Cyberpunk 2077…Cyberpunk 20773 min read
Published in SUPERJUMP·Feb 3Finding Community Through Pokémon MusicA community of kind-hearted posters and cover artists builds camaraderie in the comment section — I didn’t start appreciating the music of Pokémon until 2010. The music had always been in the back of my mind when I’d play — themes like the spooky Lavender Town or the heartfelt Ecruteak City were unforgettable — but the gameplay normally took center stage.Videogames7 min read
Published in SUPERJUMP·Jan 30The Subspace Emissary Kept Me SaneSuper Smash Bros. Brawl’s focus on story over competition staved off my controller-heaving ways — I recently destroyed a Nintendo Switch Pro controller. I was playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate when, following a loss to a Shulk player as Ness, I did what’s become something of a semi-annual ritual: I spiked the controller. I’m fully aware what happens when I spike a controller in my…Videogames5 min read
Published in SUPERJUMP·Jan 2Solar Ash’s Streamlined Gameplay Does More with LessHeart Machine delivers staple video game tropes in a clean package — There is something to be said for a game that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Seemingly limitless budgets and popular open-world design would lead you to believe that bigger is better. More side quests, game-altering choices, and deep mechanics are touted as peak game design, with titles like Ghost of Tsushima…Videogames4 min read
Published in The Riff·Dec 27, 2021In Search of Lenny White’s Freedom on “Sweet Dreamer”Like so many other naive souls in 2019, I made a new year’s resolution. Usually, I don’t bother with the tradition, instead ascribing to a “live every day like it’s your last” philosophy. But 2020 was different. For me, 2019 was a year of relative stability. After a stretch of…Music4 min read
Published in SUPERJUMP·Dec 22, 2021Zackery Wilson’s DIGIFOOD Serves Up the Right Amount of NostalgiaWilson’s latest album revisits his back catalog while offering up a wealth of new compositions — I was overcome with nostalgia even before “DIGIFOOD,” started playing. The title track off of chiptune composer Zackery Wilson’s latest compilation album features a signature Sonic The Hedgehog 3 styled title card for the accompanying video uploaded to YouTube. …Music4 min read
Published in SUPERJUMP·Dec 10, 2021Pokémon Shining Pearl’s Hint System Is Overkill but I Love ItSometimes you just need a little handholding — Though I’ve been playing the Pokémon series since its inception, I’d be lying if I called it riveting. …Videogames3 min read
Dec 4, 2021Fingerprints of Future Funk — Momoko Kikuchi’s “Glass No Sougen”Momoko Kikuchi’s 1987 single counterbalances city pop energy with quiet fervor. — What strikes me almost immediately every time I listen to Momoko Kikuchi’s “Glass no Sougen” (Glass Grassland) is just how little the intro sounds like city pop. The 1980s genre is best known for its exciting, if occasionally garish, instrumentation, melding funky brass with nascent drum machines and punchy vocals…Music3 min read
Published in SUPERJUMP·Nov 30, 2021Sonic CD’s Japanese Soundtrack Fuels Style and SubstanceIt also aids in an earnest attempt at storytelling in the classic series — Take a trip back in time with me. It’s 1996, and Sega Enterprises releases the Sonic the Hedgehog OVA. The movie opens with the camera panning over the tropical South Island, while a jazzy saxophone loop starts to play. Before we get too far, if you like your reviews in…Videogames8 min read
