The Magic of the Ecco the Dolphin Soundtrack

Ecco the Dolphin was everywhere in the late 90s. The game was a huge seller on the Megadrive and was ubiquitous with the system as it’s not often that you got to play as a flipping dolphin! The fact that the graphics looked amazing didn’t hurt it much either but it was only when you played it that you realised how batpoop crazy it was. Rather than a walking/ swimming simulator, the game involved the disappearance of your pod linked to the Giger-esque aliens who had their own creepy machinations planned for you kith and kin.

The game was rock hard and nearly impossible to beat without the invincibility code, which is how I finally completed the game. However, what really resonated with me was the sublime vapourwave soundtrack. It was my (and I guess many others’) introduction to vapourwave before vapourwave was a thing that gained prominence with the onset of the internet and nostalgia for the 80s.

I had heard and loved the Megadrive soundtrack as it was all ethereal, alien and warbly 80s style synths, but when I heard the Sega CD soundtrack many years later it blew my mind. Spencer Nilsen produced an amazing album that is reminiscent of the works of Vangelis, Popol Vuh and Waiting for Cousteau-era Jean Michel Jarre.

The album is my vinyl white whale as there are only a few bootleg copies out there and they seem to go for a high price. There seems to have been a pressing from Germany in 2016 and I hope to add it to my collection one day. In the meantime, I’ve linked an interview with the composer talking about his score below. Have a listen and be transported back to the mid 90s!

LINK- Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Fire Tripper: Cult Manga Review

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK- Manga Exhibition at the British Museum

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

LINK- My One True Gaming Constant in Life- Nintendo

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 3 (English Dub) - Complete Series Review

Black Magic M-66- Cult Manga Review

Masamune Shirow is one of the giants of manga, gaining prominence in the West with his work on Dominion Tank Police and Appleseed, which were both ubiquitous manga releases back in the day, but he is now mostly known for his cyberpunk thriller Ghost in the Shell.
I knew of him through Manga Mania of course but my first encounter was through a review of Ghost in the Shell in the Johnny Vaughan Movie Watch review show where it garnered a meh review from the panel. However, or manga fans the film became an instant classic up there with Akira and Fist of the North Star. It brought his work to prominence out West, including a much maligned but actually okay Hollywood adaptation.

Before all that, Black Magic M-66 was a Shirow work from 1983 with the OAV released in 1987. I had read the manga in a few Manga Mania issues (#31 to 36) but hadn't seen the film. I thought I'd correct that oversight, so, one stormy and thundery night in March, I put in on whilst sipping my tea and munching on my digestives.

It start with a military helicopter, which is carrying prototype black ops machinery, crashing in the woods. An investigative journalist looks into the matter and finds that a military cyborg has gone rogue and is now persuing the daughter of its inventor, Terminator style. What follows is a cat and mouse chase through the city as the military try to stop the out of control tech from going on a bloody rampage whilst the journalist, a strong and independent young woman named Sybil, tries to protect the girl, Sarah Connor style from The Terminator.

As with Shirow's other works, the technology design is amazing and the presence of AI kill its gone wrong is presient of where we find ourselves. I mean, just look at these Boston Dynamics vids, creepy and frightening.

This is a solid OAV and the production costs look high as it is solidly animated throughout. Shirow has a distinctive art style and whilst it would be honed and refined in later works, Black Magic M-66 is a solid work well worth 50 mins of your life.

Fire Tripper- Cult Manga Review

Manga Mania was an incredibly formative read for me in my early teen years as it published some great manga stories (including the entire run of Akira) whilst also talking about the wider manga and anime scene through informative articles.

The first ever complete manga I ever read was called Fire Tripper by Rumiko Takahashi, at the age of 14, in Manga Mania in 1995. I started at #22 but this was the first part of the 3 part run so it was the first manga I ever read. For that reason, this manga and OAV holds a special place in my heart, even if it isn't even close to being creator Takahashi's best work. It is arguable what is but it's probably a toss up between Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkokou, Ranma 1/2 or Inu Yasha but back then I didn't know any of that. What I had was my first isekai, a person taken out of their normal world to a new land, think Alice in Wonderland or the recently poor Mario Bros. Movie.

The story is a time slip tale about teen girl Suzuko who is thrown from modern day Japan back to its feudal past after a massive gas explosion somehow tears a hole through space and time. She is rescued from pervy bandits by a local village warrior called Shukumaru. Together they bond and try to unravel the mystery and tragedy of their connection to each other whilst trying to rescue a small boy who is thrown through time with her.

I loved the art work by legendary manga-ka Takahashi and, whilst the story is not revolutionary, it does have an interesting enough conceit which makes it worthwhile seeing it through to the end of its 48 minute runtime. Sure, she would revisit the theme later and to better effect in Inu Yasha but until then this was her first real stab at the isekai pie.

Many manga and anime from the 80s are problematic and can be hard to recommend as they are likely to offend but this isn't too bad at all. Sure, there are a few pervy bandits, Shukumaru makes a drunken pass at her at night and Suzuko goes for a skinny dip but it's all pretty lowkey for a manga from the time.

This short OAV is a blast from the past for this old man and is a guilty pleasure well worth revisiting.

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Blood, Sweat and Pixels- Book Review

LINK- The Offworld Collection- Book Review

LINK- Shadow of the Colossus- Book Review

LINK: Manga Exhibition at the British Museum

LINK- The Midnight Library and the Idea That You Can’t Go Home Again

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

LINK- My One True Gaming Constant in Life- Nintendo

8 Man After- Cult Manga Review

8 Man is a 60s classic of Japanese animation, coming before Robocop, Kamen Rider and the rest of the good cop killed before his time but revitalised as a new enhanced law man trend. I never saw the original but knew of it as 8 Man was on a cover of Manga Mania way back in 1995.

I knew of the show from this issue of Manga Mania

Before watching the 8 Man After series, a follow on from the old animation from 30 years prior, I did a quick article check on said Manga Mania magazine to get my head around the lore. The story is very simple: an alien machine, which ends up in the hands of good cop Azuma, is used to battle crime in his city. The powers it grants are similar to Superman’s; super speed, extra strength which enables him to stop bullets with his hands and bionic hearing. From what I gather, it was quite a wholesome show similar on style to the Fleischer cartoons.

This follow on, created in 1992, is a much harder and edgier take with lots more violence and gore. It's has the same story beats as Robocop, where gun runners and headbangers have taken over the city and crime is out of control. After being nearly killed by a cybernetically enhanced ex-cop, P. D. Hazuma becomes the 8 Man and fights injustice but he is brutal in the punishment he metes out being judge, jury and executioner. His traumas and inner turmoil affect the wholesomeness of the 8 Man and make him a brutal angel of vengeance. However, he learns to tap into his human side a bit more and becomes less vengeful but this leaves him more open to corruption due to these pesky emotions.

The 4-part series is fast-paced and the action is quick with lots of weapon arms (think Barrett from FF7) being ripped open. 8 Man himself looks like a figure-skater, all figure-hugging costume and svelte outlines but whilst the costume does look very dated it is apparently iconic for fans of the series so cannot be changed too much.

Even for an 8 Man novice like me, the series is easy to follow and doesn't tax you too much. The show is well animated and doesn't contain any fanservice which would be cobsidered cringy. In its breezy 1 hour 45 minutes runtime you get the redeeming arc of a rebel coming to realise that with real power comes real responsibility.

It's not Shakespeare, sure, but overall 8 Man After is not a bad way to while away a couple of hours on early 90s anime.

Remina by Junji Ito - Graphic Novel review

Junji Ito is known for creating a  sense of unease and creeping dread that is often mixed with body horror. He often bases this in everyday life and the malignant force happens to people, rarely is there a hero who escapes... It's a bit of a downer really but that's what people like about his work. There's often no deus ex machina or hard reset; the world is messed up and that's it -fade to black.

With Remina, a 2005 graphic novel, Ito moves away from his usual oeuvre and adds a sci-fi horror element which is flecked with social commentary and satire. The plot of Remina revolves around the surprising discovery of a new celestial body which emerges from a newly found wormhole in the far reaches of the Universe. The scientist who discovers it names it after his shy daughter Remina. When the planet starts to move erratically across the cosmos, it is noted that the stars and planets along its path start to disappear. So when it changes direction, travelling at faster than light speed, after staring into the eyes of a scientist studying it, the world and society starts to collapse.

I stated earlier that Ito uses this piece to cast an eye of society and he quickly shows how, when faced with an existential crisis the Veneer Theory kicks in and society regresses. People fall back to superstition and the blood sacrifices of old as they offer up Remina to her celestial namesake. The ease and speed at which the world falls apart is quick and, like in most dystopic media, a charismatic antagonist becomes a figurehead of hope. On the other side, we have a homeless man who feels it's his duty to protect Remina, simply because it's the right thing to do- no agenda, no evil machinations or angle.

I won't spoil it but the novel ends on a note of optimism. When faced with horrific cosmicism, nihilism and nepotism why not remain hopeful and do what you can to help others. The book was release over 20 years ago so Covid and the worldwide overriding positive response with people helping each other shows that Veneer Theory is not the obvious result but for the sake of this graphic novel, it is an intriguing horror element.

As with all Ito's work, the art is fantastic and the imagination firing on all cylinders. The Moonfall-style failing gravity scene is crazy and adds excitement to an ending that lands on a downer yet with a slight sense of optimism. This isn't the finest Ito work I've read, that would be Uzamaki so far, but it is an interesting premise which is well worth a read.

Ms. Marvel Sega Figure is Cute

Ms. Marvel has been a favourite superhero of mine ever since her first comic came out. She has become a pop culture icon and a voice for hope since her debut in 2013. Her status as the first Muslim character to headline a Marvel series was shared enthusiastically by many and the comic series quickly became one of the industry’s bestselling titles because it was, quite simply, an excellent superhero comic book which was written with wit, pathos and heart.

I have collected all her graphic novels, which have been awesome, and seen the series and The Marvels movie, which were both pretty solid imho and didn’t deserve the hate they received, especially the movie where Kamala stole the show.

Anywho, I have collected some Lego type figures of the character and now have added the Sega Super Premium model to my collection. It is a very reasonably priced figure (only £25) and looks amazing too; it's build quality and painting giving it a much superior look to what the price would imply. Okay, it's not the Kotokubiya figure I would have liked but then it didn't cost me £150 so I can live with that.

Anyways, here are a few pics of the figure.

Metal Skin Panic MADOX 01- Cult Manga Review

Growing up with fellow Japanophiles in the 90s, we used to share stories about movies and shows we had watched. Often we'd share VHS tapes, but one I heard a lot about but never got around to seeing was Metal Skin Panic MADOX 01. One of my best friends at the time loved it and would talk about it all the time. So, when I had a chance to watch it recently I took the chance.

The story is simple, a prototype mech unit is lost whilst being transported from a military base. A teenage boy, Sugimoto, finds it and decides to take it for a spin to visit his old flame, Shiori, at the top of a prominent highrise building but he is persued by a old skool army man who resents the mech for challenging the supremacy of his tank division.

The film is a simple action animation with some light hearted elements, such as the mech going for a nice evening stroll around Shinjuku whilst the crowd don't see to mind it.

The 80s mech aesthetic, where the robot is being calibrated to the movement is a stunning achievement of animation and draws you in from the very beginning. It very much wears its influences on its sleeves as on the wall of the teen, there is an Apocalypse Now poster and it seems appropriate as Lieutenant Kilgore is the Colonel Kurtz of this animation, an army man who doesn't like change and is trying to roll back to the 'good old times' when his tank was the superior piece of tech.

The animation is very 80s in that it has blowout hair styles, tiny and faces and huge shoulders on the characters. It is all so charmingly late 80s but it moves at such a brisk pace that this OVA doesn't overstay its welcome at just over 41 minutes. It's well worth your time as a diverting fun piece.

Plastic Little- Cult Manga Review

As a young boy growing up in east London, England, I didn't know anything about manga or anime but I was consuming it unknowingly through shows such as The Mysterious Cities of Gold and Ulysses 31.

My uncle, who was only slightly older than me, saw that I had an interest in Japanese animation gave me Devilman and Akira to borrow on VHS- not bad for a 13 year old kid enthralled by this new genre. At the time Akira blew my mind, I didn't understand it then and don't even pretend to now but I knew that I was watching something special

My interest in manga peaked in the early to mid 90's and I soon forged a group of friends who became fellow Japanophiles, recording and swapping recordings off the Sci-fi Channel and Channel 4 late on Saturday nights. However, getting some cool or fresh manga was difficult as it was still pretty cult. I’d buy some items from my local comic store, Rodney’s Books and Comics but this was quite limited.

Later on, when I got my part time job at Peacock’s in Ilford, I had disposable income and so could afford to buy stuff from Forbidden Planet. It was amazing but came at a premium price. One of the VHS films I picked up randomly was Plastic Little. I can't remember where I picked it up from but I do remember the basic story of a sailor rescuing a girl. That and the heavy amount of 'fanservice' which seemed gratuitous to me, even at the time.

Revisiting it again after 30 years, I can see that some of my memories were correct. Tita is an animal hunter who has inherited a ship and crew from her missing father. When she rescues a mysterious girl, Elisse, from an antagonist who seeks to gain the password of her father's secret weapon, Tita and the rest of the crew battle in a race against time to get to the secret weapon and stop it from falling into the wrong hands.

The cover is very bright and stood out at the time.

The animation is pretty impressive and the pacing is quick in this action packed 48 minute film but the dubbing is typically poor like much of the anime and manga from this time. I can't be too critical of it as things have definitely got better over time and this film is definitely a product of its era. The animation is very well done and the story is coherent and pretty simple to follow with very little technobabble.
There is a major elephant in the room though and that is the 'fanservice' or 'ecchi'  or perviness of it all. Tita and Elisse are 17 1/2 and 16 1/2 years old and there is a major exposition dump during a bathing scene. The problem is that the scene is integral as it gives you context but the nakedness is truly unnecessary and makes the whole thing cringe worthy and difficult to recommend. However, taken as whole, it's a fun and disposable anime that does not necessarily deserve the reputation for salaciousness that seems to follow it. Don't get me wrong, it's no Boy Scout but then it's no Urotsokidoji either!

Manga and anime was one of my first true loves and one that has survived to this day, at least to some lesser extent. Even though it doesn't feature as prominently in my daily life as it once did for me, it was formative in my youth and for that I am still grateful.

Journey to the Moon- Cult Film Review

I recently watched Le Voyage Dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon) a film created by Georges Méliès in 1902. I've watched quite a few silent movies in my time as I went to a media focused campus and would rent out films for free. However, I'd never seen this one.

The film is only 13 or so minutes long but the tale it tells of man's dream of reaching the moon is great.
The acting is broad, as silent movie tended to be to show emotions clearly, but the matte art, set design and choreography of movement across the stage and 'special effects' make it a masterpiece.

The actors must have had a laugh filming this enthusiasm comes through on film. I imagine that for a person watching this in their youth seeing this dream realised, when man actually land on the moon 67 years later in 1969, it must have seemed astonishing!

The Worm- Short Horror Animation Review

I am a huge fan of Hilda, both the graphic novel series by Luke Pearson and the animation, directed by Andy Coyle. When I heard that Coyle had created an animated horror short I knew I had to watch it as I do love his work. His previous animation, the 12 minute short ‘The Pine Creepers’ was phenomenal and seemed like a Creepy Pasta or SCP Foundation story. This follow up, ‘The Worm’ was much anticipated and I cosied up one cold, winter’s night to see what scary story the collective would come up with next.

The story is short but simple: A young 17 year old girl, Sparrow Moon, seems to see creatures from another dimension. She is sent to a psychiatrist to discuss what she sees but he doesn’t believe her…until he starts to have nightmares too.

I very much enjoyed this short animation. Though the animation is limited, due to budgetary and staffing constraints, what has been achieved is commendable and downright amazing. The story is very simple but effective as the narrator recounts the story with an air of resignation of someone who is doomed to a fate worse than death.

I would highly recommend this short horror animation to everyone as it does get under your skin in a PG-13 kinda way.

LINK- Hilda- Complete Series 1 Netflix Review

LINK- Hilda- Complete Series 2 Review

LINK- Hilda: Complete Graphic Novel Series Review

LINK- Comics in the Classroom

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

The Pine Creepers- Short Horror Animation Review

I am a huge fan of Hilda, both the graphic novel series by Luke Pearson and the animation, directed by Andy Coyle. When I heard that Coyle had created an animated horror short I knew I had to watch it as I do love his work.

The story is short but simple: over 12 minutes we hear from the narrator about his camp out in the woods with friends during the heatwave in 1995. The friends make camp in the woods near an old beaten-up car and enjoy each others’ company whilst chugging some warm beer. One of the friend shares a local urban myth of the Pine Creepers, creatures who stalk the woods looking for victims. Whilst they go to sleep for the night, something seems to be waiting for them.

Though the animation is limited, due to budgetary and staffing constraints, what has been achieved is commendable and downright amazing. The story is very simple but effective whilst the narrator recounts the story with an air of someone who still remembers the events of that night.

The fun, cartoony medium belies the horror that lurks beneath the surface. The art style is CalArts, short for the California Institute of the Arts. It is one of the biggest and most well-known art schools in the world and has been very influential in the 2010s, being the art style of choice for Gravity Falls, Gumball, Steven Universe and many more. The style usually features characters with rounded faces with noodle-like arms and legs and bean like smiles. They usually have thin lines which do not have depth and the colour palette is often more muted and less detailed than a more painterly approach of some other art schools. Some have hated on it but I have not had a problem with it, provided that it is done well. And, in this case, it has been done excellently.

I would highly recommend this short animation as it does surprise and delight in equal measure.

LINK- Hilda- Complete Series 1 Netflix Review

LINK- Hilda- Complete Series 2 Review

LINK- Hilda: Complete Graphic Novel Series Review

LINK- Comics in the Classroom

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

Yeti- Podcast Review

An interesting 10 part podcast which finds two friends, Andrew Benfield (the believing Mulder of the pair) and Richard Horsey (the cynical Scully of the pair) investigating the yeti. Now, many would say that the yeti is obviously a myth but when David Attenborough said he believed that there was something to the yeti sightings in 2015, you can't help but sit up and take notice.

The pod starts off with Benfield talking about the origins of his interest in the yeti. After that, our our intrepid travellers schlepp off to numerous Himalayan countries and following old clues and sightings to see if they can get to the truth.

They are aware of colonial and cultural bias, the old belief that it only really exists if it has been seen and documented by a middle aged Western white guy, but my issue with it is that any little clue is presented in an over the top 'OMG!' way by the believer, it gets rather grating when it is debunked or evidence to the contrary is given. It's not as rediculiusly contrived as 'Most Haunted' or that ilk of programme but the 'I want to believe' shtick is definitely there. The fact that the expedition is being followed by the Royal Geographical Society means that you do have to take the search more seriously than you otherwise would but still... a pinch of salt would help.

It's an interesting podcast though and does make you think about where folklore mixes with the real world to create mythologies. It also places the sightings and events into a chronological history and this is a fascinating insight into the evolution of this cryptid. The different ways of thinking about the creature are profound, for the West it's a search for a physical creature whereas for much of the area where the yeti has been sighted, it is a mystical creature who is symbolic of their spirituality and our connectedness to nature. The finale pretty much says this and, whilst I agree, it is a cop-out for a 10 episode podcast.

The finale of the series, where they test some hair from the ‘yeti’, is yet to be revealed as I write this but I’m not expecting much from the grand reveal. Overall, this is an interesting thought experiment but works less well as a 10 part series.

LINK- The Witchfinder General- Cult Movie Review

LINK- Blood on Satan’s Claw- Cult Movie Review

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Dead of Night: Cult TV Review

LINK- The Stone Tapes: Cult TV Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- Children of the Dogstar: Cult TV Series Review

Spooky Shit with Jamali Maddix - Podcast Recommend

Spooky Shit is a podcast that features celebs, often from the comedy circuit, talking about some supernatural or ghostly going-ons they've had. They tell their stories, which are enhanced by some super foley work and eerie skewerific music to enhance the mood, as the host Jamali Maddix gives his opinions.

Jamali is a great host as he's from East London with a mixed heritage of Jamaican and Greek, so he believes in djinn etc and some of the voodoo aspects from his heritage culture but also he's a scientifically minded individual. It's worth a check out as it gets you thinking for logical explanations about the guests' experiences.

Capcom Town- An Affectionate Look at 40 Years of the Videogame Company

I love Capcom. The videogame company became an indelible part of my early years when Final Fight blew me away in the arcades in the 80s. The huge sprites and colourful cast of characters was always a highlight when picking up uncles and aunties from Heathrow Airport, which had a pretty impressive arcade machine collection back in the day. When Street Fighter 2 launched five years later in 1994, it changed the videogame industry forever. Since then its been pretty much on the mark- except the Asura’s Wrath DLC which showed the ending of the game… and maybe Resi 5 and the constantly poor Resident Evil movies and (stop it!- ed.)

Okay, you get the idea; it’s a legendary company with a remarkable success rate with some of the most recognisable successful IP. To celebrate its 40 amazing years in the industry, its created Capcom Town: a place where you can explore the history of this venerable Japanese institute. It’s full of artwork, information and retro games that you can play in-browser. It’s an amazing free resources!

Radio Groovy Offers (Radio) Waves of Nostalgia

I have quite a quirky taste in music and always have done. I think a huge part of this is due to the shows I watched as a kid. Whilst most children were obsessing with Michael Jackson, Madonna and Sonia, I was loving Haim Saban’s electro-synthy soundtrack to The Mysterious Cities of Gold, the moody synth soundtrack by Crockett and Egan’s to Ulysses 31 and Miller and Shill’s scarily unsettling score to the felt Moomins show. Yup, quirky…see! Anyways, whilst reading Infinity magazine I saw a letter by Andy Henly extolling the virtues of his radio station that played rare, unusual and cult stuff and it sounded right up my alley.

Upon checking the website, Radio Groovy’s mission statement was up:

This is your safe place for a different type of entertainment. We are not your typical radio station playing whatever genre of music you choose to listen to with DJ's talking nonsense. Instead, we are like a little time capsule bringing back almost forgotten memories from a time when tank tops and bell bottoms were cool to wear and school dinners had pink custard. We have NO presenters or DJ's, so that really does make us Radio without the speakers.

The radio station is available on most audio devices and is accessible online here.

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold- Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Inspector Gadget Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- The Moomins 80's Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Sonic Mania Video Game Vinyl Soundtrack

LINK- Thomas Was Alone Video Game Vinyl Soundtrack Review

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK- Streets of Rage 3 Vinyl Soundtrack Review

Amitabh Bachchan's Agneepath Features Jarre's Music

Now, I’m a huge Jean Michel Jarre fan and have followed his career quite closely. However, I was today days old to discover that his music was used in the Bollywood film Agneepath! The Amitabh Bachchan film was released in 1990 and was a bit of a box office flop at the time but has since gained cult status and an ardent fanbase who quote dialogue from the Don himself. The film itself is a Bollywood Scarface or The Godfather but cheesier.

However, as a Jarre fan first and foremost, the use of his tracks Ethnicolour and Rendezvous 1 and 2 tracks to score the film tickled me greatly. The film is quite cheesy and the songs are forgettable but the Jarre piece, which is used as the main motif is affecting and effective.

Jett: Given Time- A Return to the Far Shore

In early 2022, I read about the making-of and, later that same month, played to completion the videogame Jett: The Far Shore. The game was by Superbrothers and Pine Scented and, as I had loved the previous game Swords and Sworcery, the idea of the new game by the same guy excited me. The so-so Metacritic rating and the difficult time that the creator had bringing his work to fruition didn’t deter me; I went all in and bought the game and had an okay time with it.

It was an intriguing game that reached for the stars but sputtered before reaching orbit. It had high aspirations but didn’t quite succeed due to the fiddly controls and poor way-pointing. I lost hours of time trying to figure out what to do. I don’t need hand holding but I like games that respect my time and I didn’t always feel this did.

I walked away from the game thinking that it had potential but this hadn’t been realised. I’d hoped that the ambiguous ending would be resolved in a later expansion but didn’t really hold out much hope. However, the team have released a new trailer for their expansion to the original game. Titled Jett: Given Time, the story follows three years from Mei’s cryosleep awakening.

This time she continues her journey without the help of the annoyingly chatty co-pilot Isao. Happily, this game seems to be a more open-form affair and will hopefully lead to more moments of wonder where discovery is more organic. I look forward to it when it releases in early 2023!

LINK- Jett: The Far Shore- Videogames As Art

LINK- The Far Shore- Book Review

LINK- Blood, Sweat and Pixels- Book Review

LINK- The Offworld Collection- Book Review

LINK- Uncharted 4- Video Games As Art

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Natives: Race and Class in the Ruin of Empire- Book Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

Video Game Maps are an Artform

I’m a huge gamer and have been since the age of 6, when I first caught site of arcade machines at the airport. One of the greatest aspects of gaming for me is that you can be transported to a whole new world, way beyond anything you dreamed of. The map screen of games, where you see your journey across the world, is one of the most interesting aspects of gaming for me. Luckily, there is a resource where many gaming maps of the world are available for you to peruse. vgmaps.com is the largest source of screenshots of mapping in the world and is fascinating to browse through, whether for research or just for the sake of nostalgia. Check it out!

Studio Ghibli Nature Loops

Studio Ghibli make amazing movies and a huge part of that is the sheer level of detail they put into their background. The artistry is phenomenal and the way they capture the small-town vibe is charming. I didn’t know I needed this chilled relaxing Ghibli video but it is a tonic in these tense times.

Tokyo Electronics District in 1993 Offers Flashback to the Past

Japan has always held me in awe for so long due to a variety of factors starting with The Mysterious Cities of Gold (MCOG), which I found out was a specific style of animation called anime. From that time, I eagerly devoured any manga and anime I could find. I was lucky to visit Japan in 2013 and had an amazing experience seeing the sights and sounds of Akihabara, the gaming and manga mecca. The area was still very busy but I wished I’d seen it in it’s prime before the economic bubble burst. Luckily, David Hoffman has shared his video from his time there in 1993 and the results are amazing. It’s a wonderful time capsule and waves of Fernweh (farsickness) washed over me as I felt homesick for a place I’ve been to but at a different time.