Geek Culture Reviews

Star Wars: The High Republic Phase II details... Over the last week Anaheim, California has hosted the annual  Star Wars Celebration  festivities. As part of this event, Marvel Comics announced what the publisher had in-store for Phase II of its highly successful  Star Wars: The High Republic  tie-in comic, as well as also the reveal of new mini-series; Star Wars: The High Republic - The Blade .  STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC #1 Written by CAVAN SCOTT Art and Cover by ARIO ANINDITO ' Launching in October, STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC #1 will see writer Cavan Scott and artist Ario Anindito reunite after their mega successful run on volume 1. Set 150 years before Phase 1, Phase II of Star Wars: The High Republic will center around Jedha, a planet rich in its connection to the Force and the focus of every major faith in the galaxy. The new flagship STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC comic series will introduce Jedi Vildar Mac, who ar...

Rob reviews Wildcat Gun Machine on Xbox Series X... Long time readers of this blog and my reviews over at Rapid Reviews UK  will know that I've played my fair share of roguelites. I've dabbled with everything from Deadcells , and Hades , to Ember Knights , and Heroes of Hammerwatch. What appeals to me about the genre is simplistic - yet challenging gameplay that's often coupled with either a deep and expansive narrative, or in some cases - no plot at all.  Wildcat Gun Machine is a roguelite that asks its gameplay to tell its story rather than an overarching plot. From launching into the game you're thrown straight into the thick of it with no understanding as to the who, what, where, and why. It's a relentless bullet-hell dungeon crawler that's thick on gunplay, but very thin on substance. So, strap on that body armour as we head into what Wildcat Gun Machine has to offer.  As I mentioned above, when it comes to Wildcat Gun Machine there's no st...

Mario takes the fight to Bowser in the skies above the Mushroom Kingdom... Much like the vast majority of the places visited in the Super Mario video games - Bowser's Airship is pretty memorable. From its first appearance within Super Mario Bros. 3 , Bowser has often taken the kidnapped Princess Peach for a ride across the skies on this gargantuan sky-boat as Mario tackles the Koopalings - in their miniature airships below. Now, this fearsome sight has arrived in the world of LEGO Super Mario as the already expansive LEGO experience gets a whole new expansion.  Unlike traditional LEGO sets, the Super Mario range all features a modular design. This is so you can customise your Mario experience in any way that you see fit. While other sets such as 'Mario's house & Yoshi aim to expand your experience, there are others - like ' Bowser's Castle Boss Battle ' that act as an endpoint. When it comes to ' Bowser's Airship ' it's neith...

Rob reviews Golfie on PC... Minigolf is the staple to many seaside resorts (well around my local area at least). It features small bite-sized courses that are littered with various zany obstacles to avoid -  with plenty more to hit. However, when it comes to video games, this offshoot to the much larger sport of  'golf' isn't as prevalent.  Enter Golfie , a minigolf adventure that's a deck builder - and also a roguelike!?  While on paper it's a mash-up of vastly different genres that really shouldn't work - Triheart Studio and Yogcast Games have crafted a gorgeous minigolf adventure, with all the thrills and spills of a heavy-hitting rogue-lite.  As of writing Golfie  is currently within Early Access on Steam, which means that the game will still be receiving updates and its further development will be helped along via the Steam community. However, this isn't to say that the game we have now is a bare-bones experience. In fact, for those of yo...

Rob reviews Woodland Creatures Vol.1... Woodland Creatures is an engaging fantasy tale that's set within modern times. Both opening volumes of  Woodland Creatures tell the tale of Callie and Christopher - two normal people  - who hide a very unique talent. As lycanthropes, Callie and Christopher live in secret amongst the human world. However, with lycan attacks on the rise. What happens when the humans who do know about the wolves in amongst the flock attempt to use them as a weapon?  At the time of writing Woodland Creatures creator,  Christina Roswell is currently running a crowdfunding campaign for Volume 3 . With this latest instalment exceeding its target goal, there's no better time to get reacquainted with this world - or like me - jump into it.  As mentioned in the intro,  Woodland Creatures revolves around Callie and Christopher, two very different lycanthropes whose paths are entwined by their shared connection. The duo can call upon...

Rob reviews Little Monarchs by Jonathan Case... Little Monarchs is an all-ages sci-fi tale about a post-apocalyptic world that's saviour rests on the wings of the Monarch Butterfly. What follows is a cross country tale as 10-year old Elvie and her caretaker Flora follow the migratory trail of the Monarch, whilst contending with other situations in this apocalyptic environment.  When Holiday House approached me I'm regards to reviewing Jonathan Case 's graphic novel I was a little apprehensive. While I have covered all-ages books in the past, I wasn't sure if this would be a graphic novel I could relate to. However from reading the press release and seeing how much research Case put into creating Little Monarchs,  reading the novel made me appreciate the experience a lot more.  Developed with help from conservationists at the Xerces Society , Monarch Joint Venture , and Monarch Watch , Case has added a depth of scientific accuracy to the narrati...

Rob reviews Once Upon A Time In Xanatopia #2... We last saw Nora and Cherry as the two warriors were tasked with investigating monster sightings within the generator fields - a vast complex of lightning rods that harnesses the power of an overhead storm. While the duo question where these monsters are hiding, the ground gives way and the nightmare-inducing creatures emerge. Now, Once Upon A Time In Xanatopia is back and issue #2 deals with this fight. However, come to its conclusion no one is left unscathed... When I reviewed the first issue of Once Upon A Time In Xanatopia,  I found that the comic was a well-crafted introduction, that didn't move out of first gear. While that's perfectly fine, I'm glad to see that issue #2 picks up the pace. Not only this, but writer DC Horn also explores the dynamic between Nora and Cherry, as well as delving more into the wider world.  This time out we're thrown back into the action as Nora and Cherry battle the creature...

Rob reviews Cotton Fantasy on Nintendo Switch... It's common knowledge that I'm a big fan of the humble arcade shooter. I'd like to say that I've played the vast majority of the best and worse that the genre has to offer. The same can be said for Cotton. Over the last year, I've reviewed many titles from the Cotton franchise as it has finally made its way into the Western markets. While the series has its fair share of ups and downs, its simplistic gameplay and over the top characters make for a very memorable experience - both good and bad.  Cotton Fantasy is an entirely new and original title in the franchise. Originally released as Cotton Rock 'n' Roll: Superlative Night, it also marks the first main game in the series to be released in over 20-years! Developed by Studio Saizensen , Cotton Fantasy once again sees its titular character head off on another grand adventure. Now in glorious HD, the game also comes with a few under-the-hood upgrad...

Rob reviews Power Rangers #19... Ever since I started covering Power Rangers just after ' Shattered Grid ', I've often wondered how Ryan Parrott could top his previous story arc. While there was a lot of emotion at play in the ' Eltarian War', this seemingly normal issue of Power Rangers hits like an emotional freight train - not only for the unprepared reader but for its cast too!  Power Rangers #18 saw the team split up in an attempt to cover both distress calls at once. Trini and Zack discovered a derelict spacecraft with its single infant survivor, while Jason and Yale met up with ' Power Rangers In Space' character   Andros on his own decimated planet. Power Rangers #19 continues these threads as we see Zack and Trini attempt to be parents to their rescued alien, and Andros recruits Jason and Yale in his quest for vengeance. With two plots running concurrently a lot is going on, however, it all comes together into a world-shattering finale ...