Reviews by Emily J.

Personally, I think that the Mario RPGs are better than the platformers, but that's just me. Super Mario RPG was the first, and it was quite groundbreaking. There's actually a storyline, and a ton of hilarious moments. An instant classic.

My rating: 8/10

Back then, very few people outside of Japan know that Earthbound is a sequel to MOTHER. And this game is a huge improvement over its predecessor. This time, you can see enemies, you can heal yourself while you take damage, and you have 4 fighters at a time rather than 3. You are also no longer limited to the series' equivalent of America (called Eagleland here), as you can also go to Foggyland (parallel to Europe) and Chommo (parallel to Asia). There's also condiments to use for HP-restoring food, such as hamburgers and ketchup. Once you play this game, you'll never want to put down your SNES controller.

My rating: 8/10

This was only Kirby's second game, and it manages to do 100x better by introducing abilities, which are not only fun to use, but also bring a bit of challenge to the game, because you may lose an ability after one hit. Again, I never grew up with the NES because I was born in 1991, but I might as well call Kirby's Adventure the best NES game I've ever played.

My rating: 9/10

Since I was born a 90's kid, I didn't get exposed to the 80's all that much... okay, it was 1991, and the 80's were kinda still there where I grew up, but I digress. And one of those things I didn't get in on was the NES, but that might have been a bit of a blessing in disguise because from my experience, NES games are a chore to play, and this game is no exception. But to be fair, the game was rushed near the end...

However, the game can be fun to play if you're lucky enough to beat your enemies before your hit points reach 0, much like others. And by the time you first enter Magicant, you might have a blast, but when you get near the end... good luck to you. All in all, this is a definitive period piece for any gamer.

My rating: 7/10

Kirby Super Star Ultra was one of the top-selling DS games of 2008, and with good reason: this was a remake of the beloved Super NES classic. The difference is that the remake has a few more mini-games to play, and I think some of them might be a bit too hard, in particular, the final one. But the game as a whole is still a treat for nostalgic Kirby fans.

My rating: 8/10

After 14 years of fun, unique games, Kirby returns with his second DS release, Kirby: Squeak Squad. The plot, compared to a majority of the previous games, is rather weak as it's just about Kirby getting his stolen slice of cake back. Yes, really; all of that trekking, treasure collecting, and near-destruction of the world... for a slice of cake. =_=

On the other hand, the gameplay is a lot of fun. You can store up to 5 items in what is apparently Kirby's stomach, including treasures. You can also mix items to make stronger ones. So yes, the gameplay makes up for a somewhat mediocre plot.

My rating: 7/10

Jumanji is a movie based off of the book of the same name, and... well, I can't say if it's great, but it's watchable. The story cements itself to make you feel sorry for Alan Parrish (Robin Williams), who ends up trapped in the board game for 26 years, and during that time, his parents have passed away (apparently caused by broken hearts). But the first 15 minutes might have been a bit too depressing. However, Williams, Bonnie Hunt, and the children are the best actors in the movie, and the effects on the wildlife from the board game are decent at the least. The ending is nice, as it alters the past and present once the game is finished. Oh, and this was directed by Joe Johnston, who directed Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, so this could be fun.

My rating: 6/10

If you thought that we had obscure shows that are actually good, take this review with a grain of salt, as Japan also had a few obscure short-lived anime that were actually pretty good, in particular, Piano.

This anime is a lighthearted slice-of-life drama about a teenage girl named Miu, who is working hard on a melody she wants to compose, and in-between, there's some social issues.

It looks harmless enough, and it wouldn't hurt to watch all 12 episodes to see if you liked it or not.

My rating: 8/10

Number 5 is back, and he's learning more about being human, as he is brought to the big city. Despite having a different director on board, the hammy, cheesy acting returns as well, and to be perfectly honest, I actually think I like this movie just as much as the first one. The toy versions of Johnny Five are absolutely adorable, especially in the opening credits when one of them browses around the shopping mall. The subplot involving Ben falling for toymaker Sandy is charming and gives Ben decent character development. Okay, the truth is, it's more or less like the first one, but it's by no means bad or anything.

My rating: 6/10

If by any small chance that WarGames didn't tickle your fancy, then don't worry, because the director John Badham will try another attempt, this time, with Short Circuit, which focuses on a military robot named Number 5, who becomes sentient after getting struck by lightning.

While the acting is really, REALLY ham-fisted and cheesy at times (ham and cheese?), the message of artificial things being sentient is rather thought-provoking. And Number 5 is still cuter and more likable than Jinx from Space Camp, which came out on about 1 month later.

My rating: 6/10