Knights of the Round- Video Games As Art

Knights of the Round is a classic 1991 side-scrolling beat’em up from Capcom and is one of seven games contained in the Capcom Best’em Up Collection. In the game, based loosely on the Arthurian myth, you play as either Arthur, Lancelot or Perceval and travel across various vistas to defeat the dreaded King Garibaldi, no relation to the biscuit.

The game is similar in style to Golden Axe but is slow and repetitive and feels like a slog. Even though it is 7 levels long they are laborious and feature repetitive enemies. It’s a shame as the premise is a good one. Oh well!

Hilda- Complete Graphic Novels Series Review

The Hilda graphic novel books by Luke Pearson are stories about a young blue-haired girl named Hilda. She lives in the mountains, surrounded by fantastical mythical creatures, with her mother and Twigg, her pet deerfox. Hilda is an adventurer and explorer who wants to understand her world and, over the course of the complete 6 book run, has lots of fun and exciting adventures. With each event Hilda learns something, often something profound for someone so small like what it is to be lonely, how easy it is to be unkind to animals, why rituals are important to many and how we can make the world a better place by working together.

The Hilda books are wonderful and show Pearson’s evolution as an artist and a writer.

The Hilda books are wonderful and show Pearson’s evolution as an artist and a writer.

In the first book, Hilda and the Troll, we find out about Hilda's world. Her passion for exploring, understanding the world and art lead to a grand adventure in which she realises that her prejudices led her to treat a creature in an unethical way. She learns from her mistake and grows as a person and that is what these stories are about... having flaws, learning from mistakes and growing to be a better person.  

In Hilda and the Midnight Giant, the second book, Hilda helps a lost mountain giant find his friend after many millenia alone. Hilda meets the hidden smallfolk on her way and discovers that the invisible hidden folk have been disturbed by the presence of her and her mother in the mountains. The ending for this book is particularly profound and beautiful and is all about the effect we have on the world without even realising. Heady stuff indeed for a 'kids' comic. The weirdness and slight tinge of unease reminds me of Over The Garden Wall or even Frankenweenie

After the events of book 2, Hilda and her mother leave their cabin and move to the city of Trollberg. Hilda then adapts to life in an urban setting, meeting new people and the complexities that brings. She begins to understand the beauty that can exist in the city and develops friendships through the Sparrow Scouts group she joins and it is here that the main thrust of the graphic novels is pushed forward with each novel being an amazing and whimsical adventure. There are elves, stone giants, a Thunderbird and even a hell hound thrown in the mix... it all ends up making sense as the world is a tapestry of stories and characters, all building towards a cohesive whole. 

The fifth book released in mid 2018, Hilda and the Stone Forest, ended on a real cliffhanger as Hilda was turned into a troll. Fans of the series had been waiting excitedly for the conclusion and with Hilda and the Mountain King, which was released only a few weeks ago, they finally got it. We finally understand how the trolls live and why they have gathered around Trollberg. The series ends on a note of hope and there isn't a deus ex machina to make everything okay, and I like that, life is messy and things don't always reach a neat conclusion and this graphic novel series shows that and respects it's audience to understand that too. 

Overall, the 6 books are amazing and show Pearson’s evolution over the 5 years since the creation of the character. The first 3 books have wonderful if stylishly sketchy art but from book 4 onwards it is more cartoon like and akin to the wonderful Netflix show. The colour palette is beautiful at conveying the mood and the panel organisation more fluent as the book series progresses. 

I have been waiting a while for the conclusion to the series and it has been worth the wait.

Special mention must be made of how inclusive the series is, with a multicultural cast represented throughout. The fact that Hilda herself is a girl is also a plus as it is rare for many comics to have positive young female role models. My 4 year old daughter looks up to Hilda but she is represented well and isn't perfect, being cheeky and selfish as kids (and adults) are wont to be. 

Hilda is a brilliant series and should be treasured by fans of the comic medium. With just 6 graphic novels, it doesn't overstay its welcome yet has some profound truths contained within. 

LINK- Hilda- Complete Series 1 Netflix Review

LINK- Comics in the Classroom

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

Captain Commando- Video Games As Art

I’ve been working my way through the Capcom Beat’em Up Collection and came across Captain Commando. I’ve heard it referred to before but had never played the game before. Captain Commando is a 1991 futuristic side-scrolling beat 'em up video game featuring the 80’s Capcom mascot. The game is set in the crime-ridden future of Metro City, where a superhero named Captain Commando, assisted by his three faithful Commando Companions rise up to protect the Earth and all the Galaxy from a gang of super-powered criminals.

So far so typical, but when one of the characters you can play as is a baby in a robot suit you know this isn’t a regular side-scrolling beat’em up. The game is fun and has attractive, colourful and chunky sprites that make it pop. It’s all a bit zany but fun.

For the Love of Switch

I was an early adopter of the Nintendo Switch, getting it a couple of months after launch instead of on release day due to shortages and Game's failure to fulfill my pre-order but I've only ever played it at home portably. I just haven't felt the need to plug it into the telly as I've enjoyed getting current gen. experiences whilst laying down on my sofa, legs in the air and head on a cushion... It's one of the many small joys in my life. Having lived in east London, only a complete muppet would take it out to play it on the go... You're kinda looking to get mugged if you walk around with that kinda kit!

However, a few weeks ago, whilst I was travelling to Bahrain and Dubai on holiday I took my Switch with me as I knew I'd have downtime to play and relax, away from the laptop, work and other distractions. Whilst spending the week with my family, I enjoyed the quality time we had making sandcastles, sand angels and other sand themed entertainment but whilst they were napping during the middle of the day, I had grand adventures on my miniature Switch screen; fighting dragons, learning Dragon-born words and helping people by completing fetch quests in the complex land of Skyrim.

The beautiful little machine is the perfect system to enjoy Skyrim as in the heat of the Bahraini and Dubai sun, it displayed the world in all its scaled down glory. Over that week I saw things many non-gamers couldn't imagine; 

Whiterun on fire from a dreadful dragon,

I watched colleges being attacked by hellish hordes in the moonlight.

All these moments will be lost to time, like bitrot on degradable saving machanisms…

I've said it before but video games have the potential to test the limits of the imagination and induce a sense of wonder and awe that is often lacking in real life. The older you get, the more you realise how horrible and cruel the real world can actually be. Over the past few years it has often felt like we are in the darkest timeliness with some truly horrendous things occurring all around us. We are constantly barraged with horrific imagery, news headlines and 'hot takes' on some dreadful world events so for me and many others, video games are an escape from the real world;  refuge from the general crap storm happening all around us... at least for a little while.

Over Christmas I was in Devon enjoying the winter break with my family and the in-laws and thanks to the Switch and Sayonara Wild Heart, it was an even more wonderful occasion. Here’s to many more gaming hours!

LINK- Nintendo: My One Constant in My Gaming Life

LINK- Video Gaming in Saudi Arabia

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Battle Angel Alita: And So It Ends

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review

The World of the Unknown: All About Ghosts- Classic Book Review

As a child of the 80s I loved going to the library. It was one of my favourite places to go as I loved reading all sorts of books including Tintin, Asterix and scary ones too.. . Yup, I was a regular child with a fascination in the scary.

The World of the Unknown series was a perennial favourite as it explored unexplained and supernatural phenomena. There were 3 in the series and they were:
The World of the Unknown: UFOs
The World of the Unknown: Monsters
The World of the Unknown: Ghosts


My favourite was always Ghosts as it was a spooky book all about those pesky phantoms and their mysterious ways. It covered a myriad of topics including some of the most well known hauntings, obvious fakes and even tools needed to investigate supernatural phenomena.

The book was beautifully illustrated with full colour artwork and a few "ghost photos". I remember always wanting to visit Pluckley, the 'most haunted town in England' in Kent. The book has remained in my mind even after all these years and when I heard that it was being re-released I knew I would have to purchase it to relive my youth and try to remember simpler times when the world looked like a wondrous place full of joy, instead of the bleak heck-hole it seems to have become. I kid of course but I'm sure there are many people who have that sentiment and look upon the past with some halcyon glow. I'm not one of those people though.

However, the book is the same as I remember except it is on glossier paper and now features a foreword by Reece Shearsmith, writer and creator of League of Gentleman and other creepy television series.

Reading it again one cold Christmas night, I found that it was just as wonderful as I remember from my youth. The pictures that were ingrained in my mind were there in all their glory and popped in their vibrancy, affirming that the book is as great as I remember and even taking away the rose tinted glasses of nostalgia, well worth a read.

Lara Croft GO!- Video Games As Art

Lara Croft Go! is a beautifully gentle puzzle-box of a game and a quietly contemplative adventure. Through an isometric view, you control Lara as you explore ancient ruins and solve the mystery of the Queen of Venom. The muted pastel colours, calming music and slower paced gameplay is well worth the price of entry. Check out images from my play-through below!

Reflecting On Life in Saudi Arabia After 5 Months

It's been 5 months since my family and I left England for Saudi Arabia to travel around the world, have new experiences and hopefully start to save for our future by getting new teaching jobs. It's had its ups and downs  but after the spiritual epiphany I had in the sauna in Bahrain, how are we adapting to life being slightly less frugal and enjoying life a bit? 

Well, Jeannie got me a membership to a spa and sauna soon after we got back to Riyadh! I think she read the Bahrain article, even though she said she didn't, and is either angling her way to convince me to buy that 1 karat diamond ring she's been after, or she was visited by 3 ghosts over the course of a night... Hey, it's Christmas so it could happen! Either way, the spa's been a gosh-send as after a tired day at the chalk face I go to the compound spa and steam, sauna and jacuzzi... I come out sparkling like a vampire from a popular elevated fan-fiction series.

So how have we changed, apart from sauna membership? Well, I'm eating caviar on toast daily, I'm not but it is available for £25 a small jar at the local mini-mart if I were so inclined. 

To treat Jeannie, I splashed out and bought her a foot spa as she's mentioned wanting one for a while. She's loving it and it's become a bit of a ritual for her to plug it in whilst the girls munch a post-school cookie whilst watching a cartoon on Netflix... Psych! She's used it precisely once and it's now sitting in the cupboard gathering dust like all footspas around the world... Next to the Breville Sandwich Toaster, Bread Maker and Jimmy Hoffa's body. 

We are eating out a little more, and not at fast food places but actual restaurants with cutlery with weight to it. We've had napkins that aren't disposable or made from course tissue paper and it feels like a revelation! A restaurant even gave us fresh bread and a salad for free and that was before we even ordered anything, so you know it's fancy when they can afford to give food away. 

We go to Starbucks a coupla times a week and my drink of choice is a matcha frappe with hazelnut syrup. That beats the greasy spoon 50p cuppa but does make me feel like a complete muppet  when I put the order in, but it is sooo tasty. Young Barking Me would knock the high pile of books from my hand aggressively and shout "What!" if he could see me now... But it gets worse…

We brunch. Yup, we go for brunches at cool hipster places; all asymmetric haircuts, distressed unvarnished odd wood furniture, bare brick walls and a shish tonne of plants. With my new freewheeling style, I have had unfettered food options and in one place I had eggs benedict, which is a couple of poached eggs on muffins, with a hollandaise sauce and a little bit of parsley on top. Pretty simple right? Well at £14 I'm guessing these were some elite eggs, maybe dodo... Hey, it's Saudi so it could happen! 

Recently, Jeannie and I went to the poshest cinema I've ever been to in my life, £56 for 2 tickets to see that cheesy Brit-com Last Christmas! The Vox Cinema at the Kingdom Tower (the one that looks like a bottle opener- ironic I know) had so much swagger with its modern art deco styling. Our remote controlled reclining seats were of the softest leather and had a night light, foldable food trays and satin blankets and pillows, Also, no lie, the popcorn came in super posh boxes and were carried to you on a freakin' tray by a waiter in a shirt and tie. With the press of a button you could get waiting service to your recliner, so you could order loaded nachos at your pleasure. This opulence even carried across into the toilet where there were golden bum guns. The toilet paper had also been poshified by the fact they made it into a triangle at the end... that's class right there for ya.  Different world man, different world.

Recently a group of friends from work and I have taken up bowling. We've been every Wednesday for the past 5 weeks and we've got pretty good. It's not flash or fancy and often we get a Burger King meal but I splash out on a large Whopper meal and I splurge that extra 1 sar (about 20p) for a sachet of spicy sauce... It's the little things yknow... in the Endz it was ordering that burger with an extra hash brown thrown in, but as money was tight that only happened on rare occasions... Now? Sauces as far as the eye can see. 

A little while ago, the family and I went to Dubai to catch up with an old work colleague and pal (Heya Gill!) and we went to the Marks and Spencer there and bought a few things for the kids and ourselves. Nothing fancy, just essentials like PJs, underpants and flip-flops and even though it's about a 30% markup on British prices, we didn't wince or complain. It's just a fact of life that imported goods from England cost a lot more here. We'd normally say it was too expensive and go to Blue Inc. instead but this time we said no more! So M&S goods it was for us! Huzzah! 

I've recently been to the Super Classico and the Clash on the Dunes, two major sporting events. Not only did I see Messi score a goal but I also saw Anthony Joshua regain the Heavyweight Boxing titles. In England these events would run into the hundreds, maybe even the thousand mark for the boxing but here it's much cheaper so why not go and give it a whirl eh? 

I'm not saying I've become snooty but at the boxing I had chips with truffle oil, yup, oil from truffles! Yknow, the expensive stuff that pigs love to root around for and eat. If it's good enough for them... Anyways it was nice but joins the list alongside caviar as food that is proper snooty and posh but I don't get the hype. 

Looking forward I'm not sure where our crazy freewheelin' lifestyle is headed but I'm sure it is a place that's wonderful yet decadently restrained... Like our budget. This is a new reinvigorated Anjum, one who brunches weekly, attends sporting events whilst glistening like a vampire. So yeah, adapting to being less frugal is going okay but there are still some hurdles...

When colleagues asked what I was most looking forward to when I got back to Blighty for the Christmas holidays, I said after friends, family and more Brexit talk it was the grade F chicken and chips for £1. I've missed it, strange as it may seem. Also, I’m off to Tonbridge in a couple of days and look forward to getting a personal £2 pizza from Pizza Go Go near Tonbridge Station and going to Oriental Buffet to eat my body weight in chicken wings! See, it’s not all spas and truffle oils, I’m still ‘hood!

LINK- Life in Saudi Arabia 3 Month On

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Video Gaming In Saudi Arabia

Moominvalley Season 2 Airs Imminently

I have a deep love for the Moomins as many of you may know. I've discussed the Moomins multiple times before, either when talking about the creepy 80s stop motion animation, the recent vinyl soundtrack release or my visit to Moomin World in Finland. I fell in love with these hippo-like creatures that spouted aphorisms and enjoyed the simple things in life in my 30’s, how could you not like a show where such profounds truths are share:
“I only want to live in peace, plant potatoes and dream!”
 – Moomintroll (Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip - Book One)

“The world is full of great and wonderful things for those who are ready for them.”
 – Moominpappa (Moominpappa at Sea)

“You must go on a long journey before you can really find out how wonderful home is.”
 – Snufkin (Comet In Moominland)

“When one’s dead, then one’s dead. This squirrel will become earth all in his time. And later on still there’ll grow trees from him, with new squirrels skipping about in them. Do you think that’s so very sad?”
 – Too-Ticky (Moominland Midwinter)

Well, hot off the heels of the Season 1 the second series of Moominvalley drops tomorrow! Moominvalley is a slow, meditative half hour of animation that is a tonic in this golden age of media. With the hyper-kinetic energy of other shows often being an assault on the sense, Moominvalley is a slow paced oasis of calm. It is a sweet and wonderful show that can be enjoyed by all the family and over the holiday season, it will be a great watch, of that I have no doubt. The show airs in the UK at:

EP201 Dec 21 at 13.00 on Sky One / 4.00 Sky Kids
EP202 Dec 21 at 13.30 on Sky One / 15.30 Sky Kids
EP203 Dec 22 at 13.00 on Sky One / 15.00 Sky Kids
EP204 Dec 22 at 13.30 on Sky One / 15.30 Sky Kids
EP205 Dec 24 at 13.00 on Sky One / 15.00 Sky Kids

The King of Dragons- Video Games As Art

Continuing my play through of the Capcom Beat’em Ups Collection I happened upon The King of Dragons. The game is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up video game by Capcom that allows players to choose from five characters (an Elf, Wizard, Fighter, Cleric, and Dwarf) in order to travel through the kingdom of Malus and defeat the monsters that have taken over, as well as their leader, the red dragon Gildiss.

The game is great and I loved the fact that as you progress with different characters their powers upgrade. I chose each character in my playthrough and settled on the Wizard as he had reach.

Final Fight- Video Games As Art

I recently purchased the Capcom Beat-em Up Collection and my first port of call was Final Fight.

Final Fight is a stone cold classic side-scrolling beat-'em-up game that was originally released as an arcade game in 1989. I remember playing it at Heathrow Airport whilst waiting for relations to land and as a result, never completed the game. Playing the collection I now had a chance to beat the game and with the infinite credits available, I did. This game is a coin guzzler and I’m glad I didn’t spend my life savings in my youth.

The Millenial Bashing Problem

The attention and drive of people, especially young people and Millennials (born from 1980 to 2000) is said to be getting worse. It is said that Millennials (I am a Xennial as I was born between 1977 and 1984 but am often grouped with Millennials) suffer from nomophobia (fear of being without a mobile phone or WiFi) and that we lack commitment to work and are too sensitive or  'snowflakes'.

I've listened quietly and calmly to the constant 'Millennial bashing' and the apologists in their patronising 'the kids are alright' videos and articles and it got me thinking... The older generation looking down upon the new emerging generation has a long and well-worn history.

In the 18th century the novel was said to be corrupting the minds of innocents, especially young girls who it was thought were easily corruptable. Moll Flanders has a preface about this written by the author, Daniel Defoe. Later on the tabloid newspapers came along and were accused of the same thing; it's penny dreadful attention grabbing headlines drew peoples attention and was said to be worsening society, or so stated the pearl clutching older generation. In the 1940/50s Comics were said to be damaging the fabric of society and corrupting innocent minds, this led to the founding of the Comic Books Code, which only ended in 2011. Then came television, which was accused of making us mindless zombies, or Marilyn Manson was bringing Satanism to the masses… but it’s not true... none of these statements are! There is always a “moral panic” when a society experiences highly revelatory technological advances—specifically, ones which interfere with or alter our relationships with time, space, and each other.

Whenever a new piece of technology, be it books, newspapers, radio, comics or television come into being it is seen as a distraction that degrades society but it doesn't and hasn’t… until now that is. The Internet may be the game changer. App and tech creators have produced something that truly gets under our skin; the reward schedule. This is the ritual of checking your phone or apps or social media profiles to check if you've got a like, share, retweet or whatever--it produces a small dopamine hit that give us pleasure, it affects our biology and tech companies have designed their apps to maximise this. I'm not talking out of my hat, there has been research done by B.F. Skinner that unexpected 'rewards' mean that people will check more frequently and more often if they have received a reward or ‘like’ etc... These are schedules of reinforcement.

The fact that Bill Gates doesn't allow much screen time for his children, Mark Zuckerberg covers the camera on his iPad and former VP of Facebook, Chamath Palihapitiya has said that they have altered society for the worse is testament that something is going wrong with our use of technology. The Cambridge Analytica scandal, where people’s personal information was sold and then adverts and articles targeted to crate a filter bubble all point towards one thing, a fragmented and uneducated society at a time when more people are 'woke' and have access to the biggest store of information that has ever existed. Instead of nuances or balanced arguments you get the extreme views or 'hot takes' on both sides of the spectrum that get the most views, likes etc... When it's hard to be noticed when you are balanced you say the loudest shrillest thing to garnet the attention you think you deserve.

I'm all for technology, looking through my blog will show you that, but we have to prepare children (and to be honest, many adults) to be more discerning and investigative of the information they are presented with. Fake news is prevalent more than ever and we have to research and find out more about the facts, sift through the clickbait and 'truthiness' to get to the 'truth' not just things that sound true but rather objective truth. Is objective truth even possible? Well, that's a whoooole 'nother ballgame. We need a counter-culture but a real counter-culture, not one manufactured by the industry. When Richard Branson gets on his band wagon about climate change yet he owns a train and airline company, he sounds insincere and yes, a little psychotic.

We need to adapt and as we adopt the new technology, we know it's there and what it's doing to us so we need to adapt our behaviour accordingly, me, I'm hoping to put the phone down between 6 and 8:30 to spend quality time with my wife and daughters and then use 8:30 to 9:30pm as social media/ blog update/ catchup on Watsapp time.

‘Night in the Woods’ looks at the myriad of issues Millennials face rather eloquently.

So this brings us to the Millennial Question? Are they 'woke' snowflakes with poor concentration and a lack of drive? No, and the reason is down to one major thing: economics. Specifically the recession of 2008, which was a key ‘anchor moment’ - moments that may have a long-term and lasting impact. The fallout from this financial crisis has had a huge impact as most Millennials can't afford to get on the housing market, get pay rises or even save with the hope of buying in the future. There is a gig economy, which over 5 million people in the UK are in. Whilst it offers flexibility it doesn't have perks like pensions, pay rises due to a job well done etc... Through no fault of their own they've had to adapt.

They don't trust CEO’s who many see as still receiving bonuses even when everyone else suffers, for the most egregious example look no further than Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, who even after a record breaking year for the company, made 900 staff members redundant whilst giving himself a huge pay bonus and the shareholders a large dividend.

For many Millennial there’s no hope of getting on the property ladder or getting a pay-rise in real world terms, so many are multi-tasking, taking on more than 1 main job, in fact 19% of Millennial have 2 or more jobs and this is set to rise. In fact, as a whole 57% of the 13 million households living in poverty in the UK have at least one person working in a job- they are the working poor.

So there you have it, Millennial aren't entitled or lazy (although some are, but give me a generation which doesn't have a few of those) but they are swimming against a current that they have no chance of beating. The old Protestant Work Ethic of 'Work sets you free' is no longer applicable in many cases, for those who do want to go to work but have children the prohibitive cost of childcare makes it financially unfeasible to go back to or find work. Those who can find work find that there is very little chance of saving for the future and live hand to mouth often.

The media will tell you its benefit scroungers with multiple kids who are screwing the system but I can say that as a part of a teaching couple with over 30 years experience between us, the cost of childcare for our two children means we can't afford it- and we have lived frugally. Now in a traditionally 'middle class' job and well regarded profession such as education that can't be right, and we live well within our means.

Anyways, as a Xennial I have to say, the situation is not clear cut, very few things are so can people stop reducing arguments back to basics, it’s unedifying.

As for the upcoming election, I’ll just leave this here.

Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter- Comic Review

Onibi is a beautiful graphic novel about Japanese culture and its connection with the spirit world. The setup is quite simple, a young couple find a magic camera, the camera obscura, which is said to show ghosts, yokai, which apparently roam the lands but are invisible to the naked eye. The couple travel through the Japanese countryside, visiting places that have a reputation of paranormal activity and take pictures, hoping to glimpse the yokai.

The graphic novel is beautiful and the watercolours are lush!

Over the course of 8 short stories we see the couple explore different regions of Japan, trying to lay their eyes on the yokai prize. As a result the story is quite choppy and disjointed, with some stories being better than others, but it is a novel that requires thought and maybe a re-read after reaching the end.

That's not a knock as you get another chance to enjoy the stunning pencil and water-colour art. The considered palette and use of shading adds to the atmosphere of the story and there are a few larger panels where the majesty and artistry is on full display.

As a graphic novel, the premise appealed to me as I had seen this trope before in a video game series I like, Project Zero/ Fatal Frame, so to see a graphic novel take on this premise intrigued me. However, I feel that it wasn't executed as well as I'd have liked. I think the fact that the story kept changing locations and times so suddenly didn't give us a chance to understand the two protagonists and it felt a little like a walking simulator videogame, where you expect something to happen or a jump-scare but... It doesn't materialise.

It's a good graphic novel with a great premise but for me, it feels like a promise unfulfilled. Well worth a read but I’m not sure I’d have it in my graphic novel collection for posterity.

LINK- Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter Trailer

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Season 4- Complete Series Review

Fans of this blog will know that I have a deep affection for She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. What many thought would be a bright and breezy reboot of the classic 80s Filmation series quickly established itself as a complex character-driven animation with an over-arching storyline that added much more nuance and lore than the original series ever had.

Season 3 of She-Ra changed the status quo of the entire series as it got all 'parallel universes and 'inter-dimensional portals' on us. So how does season 4 carry on the momentum established in the excellent previous seasons?

Catra finds herself even more isolated as the series continues.

Catra finds herself even more isolated as the series continues.

Well, at the finale of the last season we found out that Hordak's plan was to open a portal to bring Horde Prime and the intergalactic Horde army to Etheria. Adora finally gained some insight as to who she really was and where she came from, and Catra went full heel and sustained some cool but temporary evil looking scars to show how bad ass she really had become. It all reached a dizzying crescendo that culminated in the ultimate sacrifice from a figure that would change the structure of the Princesses Alliance forever and have grave implications for the Best Friends Squad moving forward.

The new series kicks off as Glimmer has her coronation as Queen of Bright Moon. As she ascends the throne and has to deal with diplomatic concerns, Bow and Adora take the lead on missions. The excursions meet with initial success until a shape shifter, Double Trouble, enters the fold and adds some espionage into the unfolding drama. They tap into the growing hostility between Glimmer and Adora and light the fuse to the powder keg, and we see the group splinter in spectacular fashion.

Meanwhile, Catra bonds with Double Trouble, falls out with Scorpia and realises that victory is not all its cracked up to be as she and Hordak take over most of Etheria.

What this season does is look at the military industrial complex in more detail, specifically the many levels of bureaucracy that underpin it- heady stuff for a 'tween cartoon'. Glimmer struggles with the duties required from being a Queen, co-ordinating the campaign whilst sending her friends and colleagues out into the thick of battle whilst struggling with the guilt that mounting casualties unsuccessful campaigns rack up. Catra struggles with gaining resources to take the Horde war machine forward whilst Hordak struggles to move forward with creating the ultimate weapon without his colleague and potential love interest, Entrapta.

The series has a few standout episodes, including number 7, where Hermista (one of my fave characters) gets her moment to shine as she leads the bottle episode where they try to figure out who the mole in the Alliance is, it's very stirring stuff with just the right amount of humour thrown in to add levity to proceedings. In another episode Light Hope glitches and whilst she is rebooting does some strange stuff, much to Adora's annoyance and our mirth. In another standout episode, the relationship between inept Horde soldier Kyle and his comrades is examined as the concept of family is looked at, they come across as sympathetic minions in a greater geo-political situation rather than faceless goons.

What I really enjoy about She-Ra is that the storyline is intriguing but the strong characterisation and the journey that each character goes through endears them to you, you become invested, be they hero or villain. There are definite shades of grey; Hordak seeks acceptance from his superior, Catra has attachment issues, Entrapta finds it hard to make friends, Scorpia is in a toxic relationship with Catra and Kyle wants to be lived and respected

The varying story threads all weave together wonderfully reaching an exciting and intergalactic climax as a deus ex machina is pulled and the status quo is shifted yet again. All in all, it all adds up to another great season that is building to a final battle between Etheria and the Horde Prime Empire.

LINK- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Complete Season 1 Review

LINK- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Complete Season 2 Review

LINK- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Complete Season 3 Review

LINK- Disenchantment- Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Series 2 Review

LINK- Ms Marvel Can Change the World

Costume Quest Season 1 Part 2 Review

Costume Quest is the animated show based on the popular indie games from 2010 and 2014. It took many years to get the animated treatment but boy but when season 1 part 1 released was it a real treat.

For the uninitiated, the story concerns four children; Wren, the strong headed girl, Reynold, her nervous and scaredy-cat twin, Everett, the confident young boy, and Lucy, the shy, quiet girl, who battle against the dark forces of the nougat eating monsters that lurk in their sleepy village of Auburn Pines. To help them in their quest they use a variety of magical costumes that have transformative powers.

The initial 7 episodes were a short, breezy watch and I said at the time that the story arc developed well as the characters went through strong personal growth. Now, after a few months of waiting part 2 of season 1 dropped a few days ago and it builds on all the good stuff that had gone before but now goes in at a deeper level.

The characters internal struggles come through and affect the group dynamics. Lucy worries if the reason she doesn't connect with her mother is because she's a nougat eating monster, Wren and Reynold struggle to reconcile their difference of opinions on how to tackle evil Bob and Everett is concerned that his dad is too 'boring'. There are high states as Bob Dickerson becomes Nougatown Mayor and takes control of the nougat mine, providing his Repugnians with the supply they need to become powered up and take over the world. This whole season ups the ante somewhat and it is a real rollercoaster ride of emotions as the kids find themselves costume-less and unsure who to trust.

I won't spoil the ending but it is an extremely satisfying conclusion that wraps things up pretty nearly, but there is an ending stinger that could mean season 2 with a new group of kids in a different town. I hope the series continues as it's cute, quirky and just beautifully animated in its own endearing way. 

LINK: Costume Quest Season 1 Part 2 Review

LINK- Disenchantment- Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Carmen Sandiego- Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Season 1 Review

LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review

LINK- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Season 1 Review

The Unfinished Swan- Video Games As Art

The Unfinished Swan came out for the PlayStation 3 several years ago but I only recently got it on the PS4 and boy is it a unique and satisfying experience. You control a child who has a magic paintbrush and you make the scenery come alive by throwing splashes of black paint around. This creates a stunning visual experience as the world appears in front of you slowly. I loved this short 2 hour experience and think that there is definitely space for video games like this in the gaming landscape.

Check out some of my screenshots.

Bahrain Repaired Our Fixed Mind(set)

After 12 looooong and gruelling weeks of meetings and teaching at our new school, my family and I finally had a holiday. Woohoo! Term times internationally are different and due to the way Eid fell this year, it has had a knock on effect on term times at our school in Saudi Arabia. Take into account that we also had Saudi National Day, where the school had to close for a few days, and you're looking at a confused timetable with a 10 week term of chalkface time with the kids!

As you can imagine, after all this we were looking forward to our break as we didn't get one over the summer, what with moving abroad and the school term starting on August 1st.

When we were thinking of where to go we though Bahrain would be a good place to travel to. It's only an hours flight from Riyadh and is made up of over 30 islands, so the fact that we would be surrounded by the blue sea whilst living it up on the beach resort rather than just the beige desert appealed to us immensely.

Having booked our stay for 4 nights at the 5 star Sofitel Thalassia Spa and Sauna Hotel in Zallaq, we were looking forward to proper spoiling ourselves. The hotel had a private beach, kids club, splash pad and a sense of extravagance these two teachers from England wanted to experience after years of being unable to do anything like this. We knew that Bahrain would be expensive as it is £1 to 2 Bahraini Dinar but how bad could it be really? Well, to give you a glimpse as to how expensive this was I will use the universal conversation code of the cost of a McDonald's Fillet of Fish meal (regular size mind you, I've watched Super Size Me and it scared me sorta slim-ish). Well, it costs 2.8 dinar, that's about £5.60! By triangulating the cost of staples like a can of Coke, Pringles and Mini Babybels I worked out that Bahrain has a 33% markup premium on goods and services when compared to England, it's science! But more on the cost factor and how it would affect our holiday later...

Anyways, we arrived after the most expensive cab ride in the world (£45 for about 30 mins) and saw that the term palatial would be an apt description for the Sofitel. Another would be proper pimp as it was all marble floors, crystal chandeliers and bell hops with those posh looking trollies…. a mark of true class. We checked in and went to our room and it was okay, slightly dated but nicely appointed. Our balcony had a great view of the palm trees and the beach beyond that.

We had a lovely view of the entire complex and a stunning view of the beach and sea.

We had a lovely view of the entire complex and a stunning view of the beach and sea.

We saw the stage going up as preparations were underway for the Halloween Beach Party blowout we had been emailed about a week or ago, about a month after we'd initially booked the room. We then went for a reccy and saw the pools, beach and sea. All looked well but the large crowd gathering for the Halloween party had us a little concerned. How busy was this thing gonna be, how loud and did the parents know where their teenage looking kids were? Well, we found out the volume of the party later as we put our kids to bed amid the most thumping bass I've experienced since seeing Crystal Castles way back in 2008 at the Electric Ballroom in Camden! Our kids are troopers though and fell asleep amidst all the noise, I'd like to think that the spirit of my trance loving formative years from 1996 to 1999 took over in their genes and acted in a soporific way to lull them into sleep... much like Cafe Del Mar did for me all those years ago.

Anyways, my wife, Jeannie, was like a she-wolf and went downstairs to complain. She's really good at that after being married to me for nearly 9 years (with good reason I might add) and the duty manager upgraded us and offered us access to the exclusive 6th floor lounge area with access to free sandwiches and stuff- but as the hotel was fully booked that would have to wait until tomorrow. I have to say, when it comes to complaining I'm proper British in that way and don't want to make a fuss but my wife, she knows what's fair and right and she fought the good fight for customer service. Who puts a family with two young kids on the side of the hotel with an all-out rave going on on the beach? Years ago, I might have joined in with the festivities but with two young kids in tow and my dad dancing I’m sure I would have been asked to leave! Also, without a babysitter we weren't going to McGann our way through it either.

So anyways, the kids slept through the crazy loud music whilst Jeannie and I endured the noise until midnight when, thankfully, the gig finished. The kids woke up the next day knackered and we were shattered too. It took a lot of the day to recover but after that the holiday really started to come together. We spent loads of time at the beach, building sand angels, castles and stuff, hanging at the splash pad and chilling out in the cabanas. We were proper European about it, getting to the cabanas at 7am to lay down our towels before we went for breakfast to ensure we staked our claim to this prime beachside real estate. We had a buffet brunch as it came as part of the holiday package and that worked out well as the food was plentiful and delicious. I followed the holy trinity of breakfast brunch rules of course; full greasy English, followed by pastries, finished off with fresh fruits and juices to atone for the earlier unhealthy food sins.

With lunch and dinner, however... well, that was another matter entirely. I thought we'd fake it til we make it, pretending not to being poor teachers... after all they didn't know our professions! I could be some relation to some royal family keeping things on the d-low, an eccentric tech. billionaire who liked to keep it 'real' or someone suitably nouveau riche who was adjusting to being ‘new money,’ but that lasted only as long as I saw the drinks and food menu. The average mocktail cost the equivalent of £10 and a cup of something stronger considerably more. The food was about £25 to £30 for nothing too fancy and they didn't accept the Taste Card so we couldn't get 2 meals for the price of 1 we often enjoyed back in Blighty. I mean £22 for a lasagne, sans garlic bread I might add! I've never been so stereotypically east London Asian hood rat in my life but more than once I thought to myself, "For that I could get 3 Kennedy Fried Chicken buckets from opposite Barking Station, or if I'm feeling flash, a whole butterfly chicken, 2 sides, a fino side and a bottomless drink from Nando’s with change to spare."

So being the prudent folks we were, we snuck a few bread rolls ‘for later’ and I went and found the local mini-mart where I got some vittles that would help tide us over… nothing fancy, just the essentials like milk, cheese, crisps, noodles, biscuits etc… and tide us over it did! We were careful where we ate and what prices we paid, only paying for a buffet dinner on one night and ordering a single room service dinner each other night to save moolah but also because the restaurants didn't open until 7pm, our kids bed time when they were shattered after a day at the beach.

However, one afternoon whilst the family was sleeping, I was in the sauna by myself, cleansing my body and soul when I had a kind of epiphany... Why were Jeannie and I sweating the small stuff? We were being so very careful with our money as since we'd been married it had always been an issue, but no more of an issue than it is for most people living in England. As two teachers living and working in east London and then Kent most of our wages went on rent, bills and childcare. We had got into a mentality of frugality, which is no bad thing but it had kind of led to us being super careful all the time and not being able to enjoy the nicer things in life. Even now, when we were on holiday we felt guilty for ordering meals and drinks that would cost us over £50 in total. So, on the final night in Bahrain I bought that £10.60 strawberry mocktail that I’d been eyeing up on the menu but had been ordering the bitter lemon because it cost half as much, and even though it wasn't that tasty, metaphorically it was sweet.

Jeannie and I had a chat on the cabana enjoying our £20+ drinks, watching the night sky as our children watched a sub-par digitally animated cartoon on the projector on a grassy knoll as we decided that we would still be frugal but we needed to chill and not live like mendicant monks, foregoing all pleasures and joys in life.

The next day we had our final buffet brekkie and nabbed two bread rolls for the flight to Dubai ... Hey, I didn't say breaking the habit of a lifetime would be easy!

Sky: Children of Light- Video Games As Art

ThatGameCompany has built a reputation on creating stunningly beautiful worlds which convey a message and their latest game, Sky: Children of Light, carries on this pattern. You play as a child who can fly and you traverse several gorgeous worlds, lighting candles, flying and holding hands with other people. The experience is gentle and quite cathartic. The game is easy to play and the bloom effects make the whole thing pop. Check out some of my screenshots I’ve taken as I have been playing the game.

Carmen Sandiego- Complete Season 2 Review

I've been eagerly awaiting season 2 of Carmen Sandiego as I stated that the first season was an excellent series with a compelling story arc. It seems that the old beards at the Emmy's agreed as it is now an award winning show, garnering an Outstanding Achievement in Individual Animation nod.

Carmen Sandiego Season 2 is a stunning series.

So how is the second season? Does it build on an excellent first season? Yes, yes it does! The story continues from the major plot twist at the end of season 1 and Team Carmen now have Shadow San in their ranks. He assists with taking out VILE in the formats 'caper of the week'. However, it's not all standalone episodes with a 'bad guy of the week' as this season we are treated to get the back stories of how Zack and Ivy met Carmen and about Shadow San's ascent to VILE faculty member.

Finding out they have been betrayed by a member from their faculty, VILE spend a lot of the episodes searching for a new member to join their nefarious ranks. Along the journey we find out more about Carmen's family and she builds a base of operations with her surrogate family, Shadow San, Zak and Ivy after she nearly dies. It's all very heartfelt character building stuff and with this show it feels earned, not cheaply melodramatic.

The standout episodes for me are when the creepy Paper Star returns and Carmen squares off against her in Tokyo, whilst Shadow San shows just how bad ass he is, defeating goons with the use of chopsticks... trés John Wick. Also, the caper in New Zealand set to Swan Lake is very creatively and artistically beautiful as the choreography is wonderful.

The season is a delight and the finale ends on a cliffhanger as we get some insight into Carmen's real family and the true story about how Shadow San found her. This sets up the next season as Carmen knows who she is looking for now…

So, overall the stylish animation by Chromosphere is still as beautiful as ever and the voice acting by Gina Rodriguez is a lot more natural sounding as she seems to have found her groove. The voices of Zak and Ivy have grown on me too and I have become used to their broad Baaaahstaaan accents. Season 2 of Carmen Sandiego is still a beautifully animated edutainment *shudder* show that revels is dropping knowledge bombs whilst delivering a fun and at times gripping storyline. Alongside She-Ra, Netflix is really the home of quality retro animation revivals, that honours what went before but does its own more modern thing. Check this show out folks!

LINK- Disenchantment- Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Carmen Sandiego- Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Season 1 Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Season 2 Review

LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review

LINK- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Season 1 Review

LINK- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Season 2 Review

Disenchantment Season 1 Part 2- Series Review

It's been a looong wait for the second part of Disenchantment season 1 but now it's finally here.

The original show ended on a cliffhanger as the last 3 episodes of series 1 part 1 were heavily narrative driven with a story arc that had a more emotional core. King Zog was after the Elixir of Life but things took a dark turn as Elfo was killed to make the Elixir of Life and Bean had to choose between reviving him or bringing her mother, Dagmar, who had been turned to stone, back to life. She chose her mother, leaving with her to travel to Maru to fulfil a 'prophecy' but this decision had devastating consequences as the people of Dreamland were turned to stone, leaving Kind Zog alone.

So the new episodes kick off straight after these cliffhangers as Bean now lives in Maru with her mother but realised that there is something sinister occurring all around her. She find out the truth about her mother and the devastating consequences, but not the details, of being a key part of the prophecy.

Bean and Luci go through heck to get Elfo back!

Bean and Luci go through heck to get Elfo back!

This leads to Bean realising her error and literally going to Hell to find Elfo. These first 2 episodes are excellent and truly creative, but after our main protagonist are reunited it's pretty much standalone episode of the week until the last 2 episodes. Whilst solid the standalone episodes do not really move the story forward but rather world-build, adding texture and richness to this land. A couple of standout episodes change the status quo of the world and show that there is plenty of scope with the introduction of other lands, especially Steamland, but as it is, we end up in a similar impasse with lots of balls in the air but yet none have landed.

The show raises a chortle or, dare I say, titter but there was no belly laugh for the duration of the season. There were plenty of Easter eggs linking it to Futurama but on the whole, the show is more of the same. If that was your thing that's fine but if you struggled the first time round, this will not ease your pains.

LINK- Disenchantment- Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Carmen Sandiego- Complete Series 1 Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Season 1 Review

LINK- Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated Season 2 Review

LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review

Donut County- Video Games As Art

I’ve played a fair few video games in my time and during those many many hours I’ve been in the shoes of many characters, vehicles and avatars but never a sinkhole… until now! Yup, in Donut County you play a sinkhole and your goal is to swallow up everything.

It’s a short but charming game with a pastel colour aesthetic and, at times, cutesy low poly art style. check out some of my screenshots from my play through!

Source: thedeadpixels.sqsp.com