i-consume-content

[i-consume-content]

SPLATOON 3

The Switch Steals Shooter Spotlight With Superb Splatting

(As of this review, it is Chill Season 2023. Spoilers ahead!)

“Squids are pretty cool. Shooter games are pretty cool. Fuck it, put ‘em together, see what happens.” - John Nintendo

…I’m not sure that’s a real quote, but I choose to believe it is, and that’s why I consider John Nintendo to be one of the greatest creative minds of our time. I’ve been playing Splatoon since the first game, and I must admit, the series’ second Switch entry does not disappoint.

Nintendo isn’t really known for their stories. The Mario franchise repeats the same stuff most of the time, and even the Legend of Zelda has a mind-boggling timeline to try and hide the fact that it is just doing the same thing every time. Splatoon’s story, however, has an actual sense of progression. One of the things I actually really disliked about Splatoon 2 was that the Hero Mode didn’t feel like it was progressing the story in a meaningful way, especially compared to Octo Expansion. Splatoon 3 remedies this by wrapping up the loose ends of Splatoon 2’s Salmon Run. Mr. Grizz is a great antagonist, a corrupt yet existentially sad character plagued by his unfortunate circumstances, and the characterization given to Deep Cut is integral to understanding how they interact on air and how they fit into the ever-changing world of the Splatlands.

The world of Splatoon only looks better with each passing entry. There’s a little bit more sloppiness and grunge to Splatoon 3 than the other games in the franchise, which is fitting for the anarchic wasteland. Just running around singleplayer levels and battle stages looking at the backgrounds is a treat, and it’s clear that lots of love and care went into every nook and cranny of this world. The palette choice of purple and yellow stands out against the browns and beiges of the desert, giving that signature Splatoon feel.

A full dissertation of my thoughts on every part of the multiplayer would be worthy of a blog post (or ten) in and of itself. Splatoon 3 is constantly being updated with patches to try and balance the viability of all weapons, to varying degrees of success. There’s always at least a handful of weapons and playstyles I find enjoyable, and although I may not be the best at the game, I can still have a blast booting up Turf War and playing for an hour or two before I move on to other things.

I can safely say that Splatoon 3 is a worthy entry to the series, so much so that I would be happy if it was the last one ever made. Plus, with more seasons and Side Order on the horizon, there’s plenty more in store for my go-to Switch game.

FINAL RATING:

A “Catch Ya Later!” out of 10

- Rock

[i-consume-content]

The results are in! And don’t worry Will Wood fans, we’ll get to the album eventually! In the meantime, I’ve gotta go tell Rock to start writing.

Thank you for the support as we get on our feet creating these reviews. We’re currently working on two new reviews, and wanted to ask: which one would you like to see first?

[i-consume-content]

Thank you for the support as we get on our feet creating these reviews. We’re currently working on two new reviews, and wanted to ask: which one would you like to see first?

[i-consume-content]

PIZZA TOWER

Piping-Hot Platformer Perfection

Having been a long-time fan of Super Mario and all things Nintendo, I have never played a Sonic the Hedgehog game. I never really thought going extra fast was enough to hook me into a new platforming experience, but when I tried out early 2023's indie highlight Pizza Tower, it began to change my mind.

You play as Peppino Spaghetti, who's on a quest to destroy the Pizza Tower before the evil Pizzaface uses it to blow up Peppino's Pizza. Pizza Tower's gameplay loop is simple: run to the end of the level, destroy the load-bearing pillar, and get back to the start before the escape timer runs out. Hidden beneath this simple premise is one of the most addicting games I've ever played. Peppino controls like a dream, even at top speeds, with responsive controls that have been finely tuned to encourage high speed, tight turns, and well-timed reactions. Levels have been carefully built, with each wall, gap, and enemy meticulously arranged to create a satisfying experience for the average player, and a potentially godlike one for those who have mastered Peppino's moveset. Once you've familiarized yourself with a stage, it can be an absolute joy to breeze through it like nobody's business, especially if you're going for those P-ranks. The difficulty feels comfortable on first playthrough and provides a fun challenge for those who want to be as great as can be.

The artstyle is messy and it works. The large-canvas pixel art echoes the classic look of Microsoft Paint, and fans of old Cartoon Network shows like Ren & Stimpy will recognize how those shows' energy works its way in to make the art look great. The animation is fluid and snappy, conveying Peppino’s brutal rage when attacking enemies and speeding around the level.

And the soundtrack? Don’t even get me started, it’s phenomenal. There was not a single miss in this musical journey, and even the bonus tracks on the OST go above and beyond. It’s Pizza Time gets you pumped up and sweating for the harrowing run back to the start, the boss themes set the stage just as well as the art, and the final track (which I will keep vague to avoid spoilers) really lets you know that this is it, you’ve done it.

Pizza Tower exploded in popularity for good reason. It is one of the best platformers I’ve had the pleasure of playing in recent years, so if you haven’t played it yet, this is your wake-up call. Go drop some cash on it on Steam, and I guarantee you’ll love it in 30 minutes or less. That’s an ICC promise!

FINAL RATING:

A Supreme Pizza out of 10

- Rock

[i-consume-content]

THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS: PILOT

A Promising Premise with a Playful Plot

SPOILERS AHEAD

I’ll be upfront: I don’t like clowns. I’m not afraid of them, but something about them makes me… uncomfortable. Overly joyous, bright and flashy, and more effective at drawing in a crowd of those goblins we call “children” than a box of Capri-Sun. The Amazing Digital Circus (which will henceforth be referred to in this article as TADC) plays with the vibes I get from clowns perfectly, goblin children and all.

Quick plot synopsis! We find ourselves inside the titular Amazing Digital Circus, a virtual world in which a wacky cast of characters have been trapped for an unknown amount of time. The story follows Pomni, the newcomer, as she tries to escape the circus and get back to the real world without losing her mind. After meeting the other suckers trapped in this world (and then running away from one of them), Pomni finds an exit door free-standing in the middle of the tent. After running through a Backrooms-like facility, her efforts turn out to be all for naught, since the ringmaster Caine hasn’t even finished building the exit. Whoopsies! Yeah, a bunch of other stuff happens, but the B-plot isn’t really as interesting as Pomni’s journey.

I’m going to start the actual review part of this article with the art and animation. The love and care put into making the characters feel alive is not to be overlooked, and it’s clear that the team behind TADC took care in making sure the animation was the best it could be. The characters are expressive in the way they walk, run, and use their hands. Each design is unique and fun, with none of them being standout great and none lagging behind. My personal favorite design is Caine, who is as wonderfully ridiculous as the circus he runs. An honorable mention to Gangle, whose ribbon body leads to some genuinely funny goofs and gaffs in the show. I think the only character design I have problems with is Zooble, a mishmash of multicolored parts of many styles. It’s a neat idea in concept, and Gooseworx’s previous works prove abstract designs can be pulled off well, but Zooble is way too cluttered for my tastes.

Something I really enjoy about TADC is how well it pulls off sound. Music production and voice acting are my hobbies and sound work is my job, so it's always nice to see a show or movie pull off sound well. Goofy character movements are often accentuated by bouncy and cartoony sound effects, and the overall mixing and mastering of the episode is high-quality. At no point did it feel like any character was too loud or too quiet, too bland or too overeffected. I like the subtle changes in reverb as the camera switches to a new point of view, a thing that in hindsight seems obvious but many people may miss when making a show like this. I must also commend the voice actors and voice directors for their amazing work bringing these characters to life and giving them personality. As soon as I heard Caine in the promotional material, I realized it was a complete no-brainer to bring on Alex Rochon to use the Spamton voice from his Deltarune dubs. I also must point out Michael Kovach's work as Jax, being just obnoxious enough to make you want to hate him but not enough to stop you from absolutely loving him. The music is also fantastic, as one comes to expect from the talented hands of Gooseworx. It should come as no surprise that my favorite track from the pilot is Your New Home, and I seem to be far from the only one with that opinion.

Unfortunately, it's not all sunshine and rainbows with TADC. I do have one major gripe with the show, and that's the writing. The story is intriguing and entertaining, but a lot of dialogue near the beginning of the episode falls flat for me. It's a good script assisted by great VAs, but it really does feel like some of the dialogue is trying to cram in lots of information in a shorter time frame, to the point where some of it feels stilted and drags on. However, I suppose I can understand why this is the case. A pilot is a way for a show to tell the audience what it's doing, what it's about, and why you should watch. Thus, it's reasonable to put more information into a pilot than feels necessary, so that you don't need to take as long to get someone hooked.

All in all, TADC is a lovely show that I highly recommend checking out if you haven't already, and I wish the best of luck to GLITCH, Gooseworx, and the rest of the team in funding a full season of this show.

FINAL RATING:

A Breaking Point out of 10

- Rock