#relegated to trailers and behind the scenes footage

[muppetjackrackham]

god i will literally pay actual, real world dollars to someone who can screencap elvis for me 

[seganerds]

I’m going go out there straight away and say that Sonic Forces is not a bad game by any means. Over the last few years Sonic Team has managed to work out the kinks associated with many 3D Sonic titles and nailed down the fast-paced gameplay we have grown accustomed to.

The problem is that Sonic Forces isn’t a great game either. In its current state it won’t please any of the defiant fans who grew up with the 2D games, or those who enjoyed the likes of Sonic Adventure. And the fact that SEGA/Sonic Team persists down this avenue means that I doubt we’ll see a 3D Sonic game that pleases those gamers anytime soon.

Of course, SEGA has approached 3D Sonic games in a variety of ways now, with differing styles and mechanics. It’s stupid to compare Sonic Forces to the likes of Sonic 2006, Lost World or the Sonic Boom games, but if you want a gauge of where Sonic Forces sits, in terms of gameplay and style its closer to Sonic Generations and Sonic Colors – where 3D gameplay follows Sonic from behind, along strict pathways and side scrolling gameplay features 2.5D visuals.

Dark undertones: Never thought I’d see the day when a Sonic game talks about torture…

The darker side of Sonic

Some problems for Sonic Forces lie within its story, where Sonic Team has tried to play more on dark undertones than any other Sonic title. We see Eggman teaming up with a new villain, Infinite, who seemingly has god-like powers, manipulating reality and has brought other baddies from Sonic’s past to fight him.

The opening stand-off sees our blue hero fall in battle, overwhelmed by the sheer number of his enemies and Infinite’s powers. We are then shown several screens of text describing how, after Sonic was defeated in battle, Eggman and his army managed to conquer the world.

In a nutshell: Sonic is missing, presumed dead, Tails has gone off on his own and the rest of Sonic’s friends have taken up arms to form a resistance against Eggman and Infinite.

It’s a weirdly bleak affair which could have worked, if it wasn’t for the juxtaposition from the rest of the Sonic cast; where we have super cute characters like Charmy Bee talking about fighting in a war, and brief scenes where Infinite appears to kill equally endearing anthropomorphic creatures trying to fight back. It’s not that I’m against gritty storylines in games, but it just doesn’t work properly with the source material here.

Yep, I made my Rookie character look as creepy as possible

But to the story’s credit, the one thing is does is allow for an introduction to the ‘Rookie’ (aka. Avatar) character. This is the character that SEGA heavily advertised pre-launch, where the gamer gets to design and play as their own hero.

The Rookie (as he’s called during the game) moves as fast as Sonic during levels, is equipped with a grappling hook (allowing for lock-on attacks) and also a weapon which utilises a single Wisp power to change its effect, such as fire or lightning. The Rookie customisation is pretty impressive, allowing for a variety of animal types, each with their own unique abilities and, as you progress, you unlock more items of clothing and new weapon effects/Wisp powers during the game.

The added issue I had with Sonic Forces’ story is that it’s filled with practically every Sonic character we’ve seen over the years, yet they seem to do little more than talk to you over the radio during levels and have their faces appear next to text boxes, moving the story forward when in the world map view. The likes of Knuckles and Silver, who have proven their worth as competent fighters in previous games are now relegated to benchwarmers, while the Rookie steps up and basically saves the day.

What’s a little frustrating is that Sonic Forces’ story isn’t bad, the main plot devices and Infinite as a new baddie are good ideas, and there’s a decent amount of humour within the script. Essentially, with a little tweaking in areas, I think it could have ended up becoming one of the best plots we’d have seen in a Sonic game in years – but they just missed the mark.

To Sonic Team’s credit, they know how to make their games look pretty

A Modern Sonic game, where Modern Sonic is the worst bit

Even though the story’s opening alludes to Sonic’s death, it should be apparent to everyone that Sonic is not dead – he’s merely been captured by Eggman’s forces and the resistance needs to save him early on in the game.

From the trailers and box art you should also know that you can also play as Classic Sonic. In terms of story, Classic Sonic’s appearance makes little sense – it’s just said that because of Infinite’s powers, the dimensional fabric has been torn and Classic Sonic appears… although no other dimensional trickery really occurs, there’s no second Eggman or Tails from previous titles, just Sonic.

However, Classic Sonic soon becomes the best thing about the game. His familiar loveable form from Sonic Generations has made a return and, even though he doesn’t speak throughout the game, his interactions with Tails, Eggman and the other characters are quite brilliant at times.

Green Hill Zone has seen better days, now covered in sand

He also has some of the better story levels – which are side scrolling and, I’m REALLY happy to say, that just like traditional Sonic titles, Classic Sonic does NOT have a lock-on attack and retains his spin dash (and drop-dash) attacks. The downside is that Classic Sonic has the fewest story levels in the game.

What surprised me most though is how much I ended up enjoying the Rookie’s levels. The first couple I played through I was bored, but later on I found some of the levels being really entertaining and, once I got used to the Rookie’s weapon and grappling hook mechanics, I found myself have some fun.

However, and quite ironically, my least favourite levels all involved Modern Sonic and I think I know why…

Seriously SEGA? It’s been 26 years… does this really need to be said?!

You’re playing Sonic wrong, let the computer show you how

I found Modern Sonic’s levels involved more and more segments where you have little-to-no control over Sonic’s movements. Gone are the days, like in Adventure, where you had complete control over Sonic and if you had to run across a vertical wall and went too slow, you’d die. Instead now, where Sonic Team wants to show off Sonic’s impressive speed, the game takes control and doesn’t really let you do anything.

There’s chunks of levels where it encourages you to use Sonic’s speed dash/boost ability and by holding down the X button (on Xbox), Sonic runs full pelt, at blistering speeds. It’s so fast that enemies and barriers are no match for Sonic and he just smashes through them. It’s also so fast that you can’t really control Sonic’s turning, but that never matters because the game either puts up barriers or helps to guide Sonic round corners in these segments, meaning all you are literally doing is holding down one button and are able to defeat Eggman’s forces. It just feels cheap – you don’t even need to attack enemies any more, just run through them!

No need to attack anymore: Sonic’s boost ability just smashes through enemies

Modern Sonic (and the Rookie) levels also feature a lot of rail grinding. This has become a staple of Modern Sonic games, but while it was quite an impressive feature in the earlier games, it’s become all too prevalent; huge sections of levels require you to hop between rails. It’s fun on occasion, but when every level features rail grinding, the novelty soon wears off.

Then there’s the adverse flip-side, where the game will suddenly relinquish control back to the gamer. Being thrown back into the driving seat suddenly feels alien, causing you to lose control and fly off the sides of the level.

Plenty of grinding action, if that’s your thing

There’s also moments in the side scrolling parts (with all three heroes) where trying to perform timed jumps would result in an infuriating mix of the characters not jumping quite far enough, to suddenly jumping well past the target platform.

On a handful of levels, Modern Sonic will partner with the Rookie, bringing in a team gameplay style similar to Sonic Heroes. It’s not a terrible idea, but it feels pretty pointless, because the Rookie runs as fast as Sonic and also has a lock-on attack; the only difference between the characters is that the Rookie has a weapon that often kills enemies more easily than lock-on attacks (so you may as well just play as the Rookie).

At times you’ll team up with the Rookie and perform the ‘Double Boost’ ability – which goes so fast that everything becomes a blur

One thing this tag-team gameplay allows for is a story mechanic where the two of them can ‘combine’ their abilities and run at a super-fast speed. But again, this is just a way of the game to take control – as you run forward at a crazy speed, any objects or enemies are pointless to resist. It’s a mechanic that was kind of cool the first time it was used, but it’s used on every level where you team up, meaning the innovation is lost.

Exasperatingly, there is one moment where this mechanic is required and makes sense in the storyline, but by the time it is used you have already performed this several times and it’s not a surprise. Had SEGA held out until this plot moment, it would have been more impressive and a proper ‘Wow’ moment in the game.

Mystic Jungle had some of my favourite levels in the game

Time is not your friend

The length of gameplay time is a cause for concern. Sonic Forces’ story is essentially made up of 30 very short levels, many of which can be done in 2-3 minutes and none of them are particularly challenging.

I managed to complete Forces’ main story in under 4 hours on Hard difficulty – and that’s on a first playthrough, making plenty of mistakes, trying to record footage and take screenshots, making three cups of tea and also taking a phone call… and I’m far from the best Sonic gamer. I’ve seen other gamers beat it in well under 3 hours on their first play through.

All too easy: Beating the final (and longest) boss in the game in under 7 minutes, with no deaths, on ‘Hard’…

This is a big step away from previous 3D Sonic games, where you could spend days playing through the game on your first try.

Another bug-bear I have with Forces is how you are scored on time, yet the timer runs during animated moments, like bosses showing off at the start of battles, which you can’t skip. The timer also continues running when you die – so if you keep dying and keep having to wait a good 10-15 seconds for Eggman’s robot to flex its muscles each time, you soon find yourself losing an extra minute from your level time. It’s minor, but it seems a little unfair.

Complete additional side missions to unlock Secret & Extra missions, plus TONS of stuff for your Avatar

But there is fun to be had!

However, that game time mentioned above is just for the main story and there’s plenty to do once the story is over. As you progress you unlock items for your avatar, which includes a crazy range of clothing (with some cool items from other SEGA franchises), Wisp powers and weapons.

As you progress, you unlock Extra and Secret levels, short bonus levels that often have a gimmick, such as plasma cannons dotted around them, or my favourite, where certain blocks are explosive and trigger when you touch them – meaning you have to be quick to make it through. They are surprisingly fun and a highlight of the game for me.

Bomb Blocks – my favourite Secret levels

You also have the opportunity to freely go back to any level and replay it, bettering your previous scores and unlocking even more Extra/Secret levels and Avatar items. All these extras do extend your gameplay time. So, if you are an amazing gamer and do finish the main story in a couple of hours, you’ll find yourself playing for a few more hours, just for the extras.

Sonic Forces never gripped or entertained me in the way that Colors or Adventure did, but I did find myself having fun. I’ve already mentioned how I enjoyed Classic Sonic and the Rookie’s levels, and while Modern Sonic isn’t the best, I didn’t hate my time with him.

There’s one area where I felt Sonic Forces excelled over previous 3D entries: exploration. The classic 2D Sonic games always had a sense of exploration about them, where you could explore new routes through levels; something other 3D Sonic games have rarely succeeded in recreating.

Sonic Forces though has several split routes in levels and I was surprised to find myself taking alternative paths at times and being treated to a new route through part of a level. Of course, these new routes aren’t entirely reminiscent of old school Sonic, where you could go back and explore a level freely – in Forces you usually have a split-second to make a decision and hope you’re going the right way, because you can’t go back.

With that too, as you unlock new Wisp powers, you can go back and replay levels, finding new paths and sections, which can only be accessed by certain Wisp abilities, similar to Sonic Colors.

It’d also be criminal for me to ignore how good Sonic Forces looks and the soundtrack. One thing SEGA has consistently achieved with Modern Sonic titles is top notch graphics and some very impressive surroundings, even if you can’t explore them.

The soundtrack, while not as catchy as the old Mega Drive games, is still very good. Sonic Team has managed to bring in composers and musicians to create tunes that fit in perfectly with moments of gameplay and action happening in the levels.

Summary

Sonic Forces is not a bad game; those of you who do really enjoy the gameplay mechanics of Generations or Colors, you’ll be in for a treat. For Sonic Team’s perseverance in this type of gameplay, the team does appear to have ironed out a lot of the kinks and bugs that were problematic in previous titles.

The problem is that Sonic Forces won’t be for everyone and though I did get some enjoyment from the game, it does solidify a path that Sonic Team seems to be stubbornly taking with the Sonic franchise and it’s a route that not everyone will enjoy.

While I would like to see 3D Sonic return more to its ‘Adventure’ style roots or maybe branch out and try to do something like the Sonic Utopia fan game, I can’t/shouldn’t sit here and bitch about what Sonic *should* be – that’s entirely up to SEGA and Sonic Team.

So, if you enjoy other Modern Sonic titles, you could probably boost the overall score. But, if you’re like me and don’t enjoy them to the same extent as you did the classic ones, or even Sonic Adventure, then Sonic Forces is a decidedly average game; neither bad, nor particularly good either.

It’s a shame, because I would be leaning more towards a ‘Good’ game, but it misses the mark all too often. The fact that the Rookie and Classic Sonic’s levels were more fun than Modern Sonic’s is a concern for me; it’s a Modern Sonic game where Modern Sonic is the least enjoyable part! SEGA could have just removed all Sonic references, kept the Rookie character and had a whole new franchise… which may have been better received.

PROS:

+ Gorgeous visuals and excellent soundtrack + Sonic Team has ironed out kinks from previous 3D titles + Tails’ relationship with Classic Sonic (and just Classic Sonic in general – he’s the best character) + Plenty do/unlock after finishing story missions

CONS:

– Modern Sonic in this form isn’t anywhere near as fun as earlier 3D Sonics – Dark story undertones don’t really work (and most characters are redundant) – Very short story and levels (it can be finished in about 2-3 hours on Hard) – Game takes control far too often during Modern Sonic levels

Sonic Forces Gallery

Green Hill Zone has seen better days, now covered in sand

Mystic Jungle had some of my favourite levels in the game

All too easy: Beating the final (and longest) boss in the game in under 7 minutes, with no deaths, on ‘Hard’…

Eggman’s selfie collection: The game has a decent amount of family-appropriate humour

At times you’ll team up with the Rookie and perform the ‘Double Boost’ ability – which goes so fast that everything becomes a blur

Complete additional side missions to unlock Secret & Extra missions, plus TONS of stuff for your Avatar

Ahh items boxes, hello my old friend…

Plenty of grinding action, if that’s your thing

Green Hill Zone has seen better days, now covered in sand

Bomb Blocks – my favourite Secret levels

Seriously SEGA? It’s been 26 years… does this really need to be said?!

No need to attack anymore: Sonic’s boost ability just smashes through enemies

Dark undertones: Never thought I’d see the day when a Sonic game talks about torture

Finally, our #SonicForces #review is here! Not bad, but not the best #Sonic: I’m going go out there straight away and say that Sonic Forces is not a bad game by any means.

[barbosaasouza]

Nintendo Labo: Genius or Insanity?

The French have a saying: Les extremes se touchent. It’s a way of saying that things so far out on either side of a spectrum might actually have some overlap. Some of the world’s brightest minds throughout history, for example, have had a touch of madness. Perhaps some of Nintendo’s designers have this trait too. Innovation requires unique thinking. Nintendo’s newest innovation, Labo, is a series of cardboard construction kits that interact with the Switch platform. And frankly, it feels so mad, that maybe it’s brilliant.

As Nintendo describes it, Labo “combines the magic of the Nintendo Switch system with the fun of DIY creations.” It draws on the appeal of building blocks like Lego as well as the Switch itself, which has already sold well over 14 million units worldwide. Nintendo will begin by selling a Variety Kit and a Robot Kit on April 20th, for $69.99 and $79.99, respectively.

Reactions to the Labo announcement a few months ago were, unsurprisingly, polarizing. Some took to social media to lavish praise on Nintendo for doing something truly creative, something that no other major company in the business would even dare to attempt. Others bemoaned the fact that Nintendo is charging people 80 bucks for pieces of pre-cut cardboard.

Nintendo’s product track record is certainly not flawless (Virtual Boy, Wii U anyone?) but if the house of Mario can legitimately sell cardboard pieces at those prices, it’s hard not to think of it as genius. The margins are going to be substantially better.

As Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter explained, "The only costs are design (R&D) and marketing. My guess is that R&D is very low, but marketing is around the same as for any other games. So the difference in profits is the difference in R&D spending. That is likely $50 - $80 million total. If they sell 10 million Labo [units], the profit per unit will be $5 - $8 higher than a conventional game."

The announcement and pending launch also serve to fill a marketing gap for the Switch, which is coming off the stupendous release of Super Mario Odyssey last holiday but doesn’t have any major first-party titles on the immediate horizon.

“Labo is a great and novel product that fits well with Nintendo's history and its penchant for coming up with cool accessories,” Joost van Dreunen, CEO of SuperData Research told me. “Its key value currently is to boost the marketing effort for the Switch. Releasing the Labo footage unexpectedly bought Nintendo a lot of traction on social media, which is clearly a critical component to its overall marketing strategy. By continuing to feed its fanbase, Nintendo keeps its core offering top of mind.”

That said, the analyst was unsure “whether people will buy it en masse and whether it will have a life-cycle beyond a few weeks of novelty before it ends up on a shelf much less relevant.”

Predictions aside, Nintendo Labo is already a hit with one important crowd: creatives. The bulk of the developers I spoke to about the cardboard kits expressed genuine enthusiasm.

“There's something about building the toys you play with that I'm sure will reach a broad audience,” said Jean-François Major, co-founder at Tribute Games, which has released the Contra-like 2D action title Mercenary Kings Reloaded on Switch and other platforms.

“With games like Minecraft, we've proven people are open to non traditional and linear experiences. However, the Labo games will need to be as creative as the cardboard construction.”

Klaus Lyngeled, CEO of Zoink, which just released the platformer Fe, is equally enthused.

“I think it’s an amazingly creative idea,” he said. “I personally really love games that also are toys. A few years back we developed a plush toy for the Wii called WeeWaa. It was a real passion project for me. My kids were quite young then and both played a lot of games and with their plush toys, so I created this cute little character that could eat the Wiimote, and when you moved WeeWaa he would react accordingly on screen. 

“As we designed the game we explored lots of ways to use the accelerometer and IR camera and I can really see how Labo is being very creative with all these features.”

Mike Wilson, co-founder of both Devolver Digital and Good Shepherd, has gotten to know a wide array of developers over the years, and he knows creativity when he sees it.

“I’m pretty sure my response was the same as everyone else’s, which at first was like ‘WTF is this a joke?’ and then soon moved to ‘Wow this is crazy and kind of cool.’ As someone that works with a lot of developers, I don’t think the potential of Labo has even sunk[en] in,” he commented. “... I could see the younger end of Switch players really embracing it. I love it when Nintendo does weird stuff!”

Nintendo, of course, has always had youth in mind when developing its games. That family-friendly image extends to Labo, as well. It’s something that’s targeted at kids, yes, but importantly it’s an activity that can be enjoyed jointly with parents. Anecdotally speaking, my wife does not play games, but as a woman who’s very artistic and crafty, she’s already cut and assembled things for our two toddlers using Amazon boxes. Who’s to say that’s not an untapped audience for Nintendo?

“Since I have kids, I'm already planning on buying some of the Labo things,” John Comes, CTO of indie publisher tinyBuild Games told me. “As someone who was also a mechanical engineer at one time, the entire concept is right up my alley.”

Jeremy Dunham, VP of Publishing at Rocket League developer Psyonix is planning to purchase Labo as well. “I plan on buying Labo for my kids when it's released to see what they think. I'm really excited to see what kind of ideas this kit will spark and how different (or similar) those ideas are to other building sets,” he remarked.

There’s something especially gratifying about learning to build things. You take a certain pride in what you’ve constructed. When I was a boy in 1986, I used to play endlessly with a mechanized, battery-powered construction kit called Robotix. Had I been told that I could hook up my Robotix creations to my Nintendo Entertainment System to control Mario’s jump or Simon Belmont’s whip, I think I would have been ecstatic. Nintendo may be onto something special with Labo.

I feel like this is the first gaming platform that can bridge the gap between 'games' and 'educational games'.

“My son already has an engineering mind, so the STEM learning opportunities will be huge,” Comes said. “I feel like this is the first gaming platform that can bridge the gap between 'games' and 'educational games'. There's such a divide there when you weigh teachings vs. fun gameplay.“

Dunham, too, is optimistic about the educational aspect, but he cautioned that Nintendo must remain open to broad possibilities with Labo.

“If you're only ever relegated to a few recurring designs, or add-on packs are hard to find, or any other number of challenges, it could be limiting,” he said. “I think of toys like Lego and love their concept of giving you blueprints, but still giving you the freedom to make whatever you want. If Nintendo Labo maintains that kind of flexibility, the potential is very, very high. The real trick is making sure that the cardboard itself is the only rigid thing about it.”

I also imagine that a community of Labo hackers will form and we might see some much more innovative designs floating around the internet.

Major added, “Labo is a great opportunity to see what makes something tick… it [could]l be a great parent/kid weekend project. A Labo kit could replace building a birdhouse.”

Lyngeled took it even one step further, suggesting that Labo has genuine classroom potential: “I could see that the Swedish educational system might pick this up and start using it in class -- especially if you can start programming your own toys, which it seems like Nintendo are hinting at in the trailer. I also imagine that a community of Labo hackers will form and we might see some much more innovative designs floating around the internet."

But what about the selection of cardboard as Labo’s building material? Surely, Nintendo has made a mistake by not using plastic? Time will tell how durable these kits can be, but Nintendo explained the reasoning behind its decision in a recent investor Q&A.

Shinya Takahashi, Nintendo Director and Managing Executive Officer, remarked, "I'm sure we surprised everyone with the use of cardboard, but it's not so far-fetched if you consider how familiar the material is, at least to Japanese people who, from a young age, use it for play and as a material for creating things such as fancy crafts.”

Tokyo-based veteran games journalist Justin Leeper can attest to how ingrained the papercraft hobby is with Japan’s youth. His mind immediately turned to Origami upon watching the Labo announcement trailer.

“While a mere novelty in the West - ‘Aunt Carol can make paper cranes’ - origami is a long-standing and beloved art here in Japan. Building is much more than a niche portion of Japanese toys as well,” he told me. “Go to any toy store in Tokyo, and you’ll see beautiful dioramas you can buy and build from scenes out of Studio Ghibli movies, for example, or metal sheets that somehow turn into abstract TIE Fighters. Then there’s Gundam models, train sets, Lego... all based on building.”

He continued, “The Japanese are also big on packaging. A gift isn’t a gift unless its box is put in another cardboard box that’s placed in a decorative bag and wrapped with a few hundred yards of ribbon."

"Cardboard is called ‘danboru’, a word whose origins I’ve never known despite being written in the character set for foreign-to-Japan words. There’s a relatively popular manga character, Danbo, who’s a cardboard robot from the series Yotsuba&. If anything, it shows the acceptance of cardboard in Japan’s pop-culture consciousness.”

For his part, Comes isn’t concerned about Labo’s cardboard pieces. Should a piece wear out, there’s an obvious fix, he said:

“I personally feel like cardboard was the perfect material to use. It's very approachable. I'm not worried about it getting damaged. I mean, it's cardboard. If it breaks, take the last Amazon box you got and cut out the same piece.”

Along with the worries about cardboard longevity, there’s still the very legitimate issue of price sensitivity. Nintendo will have to convince parents that the value that Labo brings justifies the expenditure. Dunham, however, has seen much worse in the hobby industry.

There appears to be a bit of a stigma associated with the cardboard so far, which is understandable, but kids and their parents will tell Nintendo really quickly if the quality and replayability is worth the price once it's out.

“As a parent of two kids myself, I can tell you that most crafting/building/exploration kits are typically a bit more expensive than you'd expect,” he offered. “There appears to be a bit of a stigma associated with the cardboard so far, which is understandable, but kids and their parents will tell Nintendo really quickly if the quality and replayability is worth the price once it's out. “Given that a lot of smart-device-controlled robots are typically in the range of $100 or more, though, I can see the argument that the ability to build the toy first would make the price worth it for some.”

Regardless of how well Labo performs on the market, Nintendo deserves credit for trying something this bold. And let’s say that it does take off, would the one-time playing cards company begin to partner up with outside developers to make unique kits for their games? Nintendo has shown an increasing willingness to work with third parties and especially indies on Switch, but extending Labo feels unlikely, even if it does get developers’ creative juices flowing.

“That would be fantastic [if they did],” exclaimed Comes. “I have a mechanical engineering degree and I've made games for 17 years. So building my own Labo thing would be a great combination of my two life loves. I'd spend hours tinkering with building them.”

Dunham liked this idea as well: “A Rocket League kit would be really neat to see on store shelves, but I imagine that Nintendo wants to see how its initial experiment works out first before opening the floodgates. If it is a success, though, and kids start asking for themed sets based on their favorite properties, Nintendo has shown in the past (in games like Smash Bros. and even our own to a lesser extent) that they have no problem finding ways to make that happen.”

Major went so far as to call Labo “an indie’s dream” and Tribute would love to see Nintendo reach out to indies for more ideas. “A lot of innovation comes from smaller studios. It would probably be a great idea to tap into other studios’ creative minds as long as Nintendo maintains a certain level of quality control,” he said.

Clearly, the developer community is fired up, but from a business standpoint, getting indies involved in Labo would still involve clearing some major hurdles.

“[It] would be amazing [to work on Labo], but unfortunately I don’t think it will happen. I don’t think Nintendo will fund an indie developer to make a game for Labo as it’s too niche,” Lyngeled said. “And funding on our own is too big a risk. We survive because we can sell digitally. Distributing a Labo kit on our own [would be] very complicated. We never managed to get the [WeeWaa] plush out on the market because of distributing.

“One solution could be that people build a construction [kit] out of household materials and their own cardboard. That could be a fun way to make an indie Labo game. Let’s see how well [these] Nintendo kits sell before diving into this.”

April 20 should be an interesting day for Nintendo. It could be utterly inconsequential or it could mark the beginning of a new long-term franchise. “Given how beloved Nintendo is and how much weight their name carries, I think [Labo] will do very well at launch,” Dunham said.

This article is a preview of Greenlit Content's upcoming industry site, launching soon.

Nintendo Labo: Genius or Insanity? published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

[flickdirect]

Looking for a film to feed your musical sensibilities and soul that will also keep the younger "Mouseketeers" at your side engaged and entertained? Look no further than the circus! Socialites and royalty mingling with "freaks;" contemporary dance moves in period costumes; 20th Century dialogue and song from 19th Century characters...vivid colors and chiaroscuro lighting. A future film class case study on juxtaposition, The Greatest Showman (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) would make both Kuleshov and P.T. Barnum, himself, proud as presented on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD this week.

For the sake of entertainment and [ahem] inspiration, set aside is the controversial debate on whether Barnum was a social justice dreamer empowering outsiders, labeled "freaks" or "curses," previously relegated to the shadows; or, a con man exploiting the "special" people on which he was purportedly shining the spotlight. Decidedly leaving the latter in the coffers, the former can be embraced as it is leveraged to create a film with the precisely executed intention of entertaining, inspiring, celebrating, and embracing that which makes us each different...and spectacular (with a killer soundtrack to boot).

The original "reality" showman, Phineas T. Barnum (as both storied, and charismatically portrayed by Hugh Jackman; Wolverine) is a visionary with a flair for captivating the attention and imagination of the masses. (After one unimpressed critic disparages Barnum's showcase as a "circus," he adopts the word and incorporates it into the title; hence, P.T. Barnum Circus.) It is, however, the ever elusive societal acceptance, and "respect" that comes with it that would fuel his drive; and, in turn, create a chasm distancing those he most professed to treasure. The son of a poor tailor (Will Swenson; No Tomorrow), he is denigrated at the hands of a wealthy patron (Fred Lehne; Money) whose daughter (Charity) he befriends, and ultimately marries. This, and further humiliations upon the death of his father are the seeds that feed his feelings of inferiority, and lifelong lust to prove his worth.

Michelle Williams (Wonderstruck) is enchanting as Charity Barnum whether onscreen alone ("Tightrope"), opposite Jackman ("A Million Dreams"), or alongside (delightfully endearing) daughters Caroline (Austyn Johnson; The Post) and Helen (Cameron Seely; The Jim Gaffigan Show). Equally charming and talented are the portrayers of Young Barnum (Ellis Rubin; Linda from HR), and Young Charity (Skylar Dunn; OITNB). Williams' performance is breathtaking in that she emits a strength in character, and fortitude in life swathed in demure elegance. The rooftop scenes rekindle feelings of vintage romance for modern times as evoked by Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge. Meanwhile the crew of misfits that comprise the circus closely resemble Luhrmann's band of misfits working on "Spectacular, Spectacular"; they are spectacularly talented and mesmerizing in their own right.

Exceptional talents Zendaya (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Keala Settle (Ricki and the Flash) are MAGNIFICENT in their respective roles as trapeze artist Anne Wheeler, and bearded lady Lettie Lutz. "Come Alive", "This Is Me", "Rewrite the Stars"...truly, practically the entire song list is of note when mentioning particularly dazzling demonstrations of movement and voice...AND, THE WARDROBE [insert amazed emoji that does not yet exist]. It's not just their dress that manages to impress. Williams, Jackman, and (yes, even) Efron offer utter eye candy for the couturier; as do the dresses of "Europe's greatest singing sensation" Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson; Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation). That nightingale performance of "Never Enough," however, is not Ferguson's; it is that of Loren Allred (talk about spectacular, spectacular). Zac Efron (High School Musical), however, does do his own singing. Although less than likable at times, the undisputedly talented Efron is fittingly cast as socialite and theater promoter Phillip Carlyle. Carlyle "joins the circus" after Barnum seduces him with the "freedom of show business." He is meant to offer legitimacy to Barnum's shows (as is Lind), but it only serves to chink Carlyle's upper crust armor. Efron is at his usual best with striking performances alongside Jackman in "The Other Side," and Zendaya in "Rewrite the Stars." (Breath twice again taken.)

Watching The Greatest Showman in its soon to be released digital version(s), 4K and Blu-ray provides an enhanced visual experience that augments the subtlest of details, intensifies the lighting (including intensified shadow for added dramatization), and refines the color saturation for truer, more vibrant hues. In his feature length directorial debut, Michael Gracey has managed to produce a visually stimulating film that brings together period story, setting and costumes with contemporary music and dance moves. It might sound cringingly hokey, but it actually works; equally entertaining for the more sophisticated musical lover, and the High School Musical set. The sound is also superb in both the Blu-ray DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 and 4K Dolby Atmos. Whether the dialogue or the score, from the ambient sound to the crackling of the fire, the crispness, clarity, and invoked emotion of the sound truly make the experience more memorable...even if you are assured to walk away with an earworm or two. An old-school film student, I honestly don't fully understand all the technical specifications in detail. I am, however, able to recognize and beautifully experience all of it as will you.

Equally impressive are the extras included in this combo pack. Housed on the Blu-ray they are: The Family Behind The Greatest Showman, The Songs, The Spectacle, Galleries, Concept Art, Storyboards, Music Machine, Sing Along, Audio Commentary by Michael Gracey and Theatrical Trailers. The first is a nice 15-minute foray into what it took to bring this movie to life and offers lots of behind the scenes footage of rehearsals and cast interviews and the Singalong is a must for any musical theater geek or family viewing that includes young children.

With immense production value from the costumes and lighting to songs and choreography, The Greatest Showman has it all and does it exceptionally well.

Grade: A-

About Judith Raymer It was the classic movies shown Saturdays after the morning cartoon lineup that piqued Judith's curiosity for film. That curiosity would give way to a lifetime of exploration and contribution to media productions of all sorts — meandering through the worlds of fashion, public relations, advertising, film and television.

Read more reviews and content by Judith Raymer.

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