Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 4 Delayed Due to Coronavirus

*Update- MCOG series 4 has started to stream on RTS (Swiss Channel) in French and the link is here. I have seen the whole of season 4 (English subbed) and here is my review with no spoilers)

As a huge MCOG fan, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final season but news on its release has been quiet. I know that it was projected for release in late 2020, however a curious forum member from the les cites dor blog emailed the company and got a response:

Here is the email:
Hello,
I already wrote to you to have more information on the development of the Mysterious Cities of Gold season 3.
And with the COVID-19 period, I ask you if the broadcast of season 4 will still be broadcast, as expected at the end of 2020 or later. If unfortunately yes, when? Thank you in advance and I congratulate you for your excellent work compared to the two previous seasons.
Sincerely,
Hugo

Here was the response the email:

Hello,
Thank you for your email and your interest in the Cities of Gold series.
To answer your question, we are well in manufacturing / production of the last season ... but of course the sanitary situation and the confinement do not make production and respecting the schedule easy ... It is therefore still difficult to know if we will be able to deliver all episodes on time for broadcast at the end of the year, even if that remains our goal.
Sincerely,
Blue Spirit

20-22 rue des Bons Enfants 75001 Paris
www.spirit-prod.com

So, it seems that season 4 is in production but its release might be delayed due to the Coronavirus so we may be looking at a 2021 release. Please do remember that this is the internet and so the source of this information may not be correct but I do believe it is true as it seems to be in line with what Blue Spirit had said about the MCOG release timeline

LINK- lescitesdor forum page

LINK- Mysterious Cities of Gold Season 3 Review

LINK- Watch MCOG Season 3 on SBS On Demand Australia

LINK- MCOG Series 2 Review

LINK- MCOG Nostalgia

LINK- MCOG Gold Condor for Sale

LINK- MCOG Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- MCOG Soundtrack on Vinyl Review

LINK- What Comics Have Taught Me

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi Arabia

LINK- Video Gaming In Saudi Arabia

Not long to go until we see the golden condor once again in action.

Not long to go until we see the golden condor once again in action.

Warriors of Fate- Video Games As Art

So, ploughing through the Capcom Beat’em Up Collection I came across Warriors of Fate, a title I was unfamiliar with. Warriors of Fate is based on the historic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms which was written in the 14th century but set nearly 2000 years ago.

The game is typical Capcom beat’em up fare but it does have a few novel ideas such as the introduction of a war horse which provides elevation and a sort of shield status and up to three players can play at once, but with my wife not being a gamer I played solo like a saddo. It’s a good looking game with some anime style art but not extraordinary by any means.

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.

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

Carmen Sandiego- Complete Season 1 Review

Carmen Sandiego is the latest rebooted animated series on Netflix which is based on an older property, in this case many edutainment video games and multiple prior animated series.

The Carmen Sandiego story is pretty simple; she is a master criminal who steals treasures from around the world. However, this series is a bit different from what has gone before in that this is a younger Carmen who has a new and exciting origin story that changes the context of her modus operandi. Carmen was abandoned as a baby in Argentina and was raised by the criminal masterminds at VILE (Villians International League of Evil) Academy in the Canaries. However, as she grew older Carmen realised that her surrogate parents were taking the riches of the world for themselves and thus depriving the world of culture and heritage. She philosophises, “I realised stealing isn't a game. It does harm people, especially when you're willing to steal lives," and so she decides to embark on many international heists, where she tries to retrieve and return the treasures that have been plundered by her former guardians.

The first two episodes are great at building the character of Carmen but after that the show turns into a caper of the week serial but with a light continuity that builds on the mystery of her parentage.

The show itself is beautifully animated with a stylish noir art style, reminiscent of Batman: The Animated Series or Samurai Jack.. At times, the film-noire tropes come into play as shadows and odd angles are key to the animation style.

There are many highlights from the show but one standout moment is the filmic almost balletic sequence in the Sydney Opera House, as Carmen battles a VILE operative in the rigging above the stage whilst Bizet's opera, Carmen, is performed below. The cinematography is stunning and elegantly done. Another thrilling moment involves a high speed super car chash through the streets of San Francisco, recalling that Steve McQueen classic, Bullitt.

The voice acting is good overall with lead voice actor, Gina Rodriguez, growing into the role and becoming more natural as the series progresses. Finn Wolfhard of Stanger Things plays Carmen's able remote assistant Player and plays his role well, however the two siblings, Zack and Ivy, from Boston over-egg the pudding and come across quite cheesy, almost Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins bad. However, this is a small blip in the over high quality voice acting.

Overall, Carmen Sandiego is a fun kids show with a smattering of educational facts thrown in for good measure. If you're looking for a way to teach your kids history, art and geography in a fun and non-edutainment way, then Netflix's Carmen Sandiego is the way to go.

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

LINK- Gravity Falls Complete Series Review

New Moominvalley Soundtrack on Vinyl

I have a love for the Moomins as many of you may know. I've discussed the Moomins multiple times before, when talking about the 80s stop motion animation, the recent classic 80s animation vinyl soundtrack release, the exhibition at the Southbank Centre or when I mentioned visiting Moomin World in Finland.

With the new Moominvalley show premiering on Sky One on Good Friday this Easter I am super excited and today, I received the new vinyl soundtrack. I’ve only listened to it a couple of times and love it. I’ll write a review once I’ve listened to it more.