#fighting for the first place in the 'most useless block feature' contest

[bluegekk0]

Dear Tumblr, stop showing me blocked tags in the tab called FOR YOU. I blocked this tag. I don't want to see it. I don't care if someone I follow keeps posting about it. I. blocked. the. tag. It's not for me!!

[ladala99]

Spyro Reignited Countdown - Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage

Like Spyro 1, I was obsessed with this game as a kid, to the point that I would grab the controller from guests to march into the Colossus “boss fight” because I found it hilarious. I specifically have a memory of that happening. Probably only happened once.

Anyway, onto the review!

Gameplay

I’m just going to go over the points as they differ from previous titles just to avoid repeating myself too much.

The basic controls are exactly the same as Spyro 1. The models have been updated, but it still essentially feels the same. I really can’t say much here.

As the game progresses, though, Spyro gains new abilities.

He first gets the power to swim underwater, which opens up an entirely different style of gameplay. Honestly, Spyro’s underwater controls are the best underwater controls I’ve had in any game. They just feel right, and the freedom of movement you get makes underwater-heavy levels my absolute favorite in the series. Like Aquaria Towers is my absolute favorite level. Ever. No contest. Just because you can swim anywhere.

Climbing lets you get higher. It doesn’t add much gameplay itself (but was used cleverly in Magma Cone), but allows there to be certain vertical surfaces you can move up without making an awkward staircase or whirlwind. Although really it doesn’t do much of anything a whirlwind doesn’t do other than block progress until you get it and the aforementioned Magma Cone. Kind of underwhelming.

And finally, Headbash. It’s a new move. That’s usable in very specific circumstances. And yet somehow has made it into every game, including The Legend of Spyro and Skylanders. It is super satisfying to Headbash into water (and use it for swimming-in-air glitches) but otherwise it’s not all that impressive.

The only real improvement is swimming, but hey, at least they gave Spyro new abilities. Not sure why you need to bribe a guy to tell you to hold onto a ladder, though.

Collectables

This game keeps the gems, gets rid of the eggs and dragons, and replaces them with orbs.

Orbs are gotten for completing challenges. They’re also scattered around a few homeworlds, but for the most part, NPCs will hand them to you once you complete challenges for them. These challenges have a star rating that shows their relative difficulty. I’d say those star ratings are fairly accurate, for the most part.

It makes it significantly different from dragons, since these challenges vary greatly, from using powerups to do various tasks, to defeating enemies within a time limit, to finding additional collectables around a level. There’s a lot of different challenges, and some are in fact a lot easier than others.

Gems have a new use as well: paying Moneybags to give you new abilities and in many cases let you progress. It’s not all that functionally different from the balloonists telling you that you need X number of whatever collectable to progress, but it does add flavor. And makes you hate that bear. Moneybags is the character Spyro fans love to hate.

Powerups

Superflame gets a huge upgrade from the previous game, becoming a giant fireball that shoots straight at whatever you aim at. You even get a helpful aiming receptacle when you have the powerup. It’s also usable underwater, unlike your regular flame breath, and it has this really cool spiraling star effect that somehow doesn’t affect your aim.

Supercharge is as great as ever, but isn’t nearly as necessary to complete a level. Now, however, almost all (maybe actually all?) of the Supercharge areas have a track you can infinitely circle if you so desire. It’s also used in Speedways in this game, a feature which I neglected to mention in my Spyro 1 review a couple of days ago.

Superjump is used a few times. Neatly animated, but it honestly doesn’t do anything a whirlwind or a ladder wouldn’t be able to do.

Superfreeze is a new powerup used in one level. You use it to freeze enemies in blocks of ice. Neat! It also has a huge range, but since the enemies unfreeze so quickly, it’s best to be right next to them, so that part’s kinda useless.

Superfly is now in a few levels, and it is super overpowered. The developers knew it, and made the timer run out really quickly when you exit the intended area. Much like swimming, though, it adds a great deal of exploration ability to the levels you can use it in. Flying freely is always satisfying.

Invincibility is used once, and it’s pretty neat - allowing you to walk on usually-dangerous terrain. Definitely feels very freeing.

And there’s a combo Superflame/Superfly powerup in one of the last few levels. It does exactly what it says it does, and it’s amazing.

There’s also rocks you can spit, for basically a ranged charge attack. This singlehandedly taught me about arcs in aiming. It wasn’t used too much, though.

And there’s some turret(?) guns in a few levels to blast some particularly strong enemies and break down walls. Again, it taught me a lot about arcs. The fact that it doesn’t show you were exactly it’ll land like most games would is both annoying and satisfying when you figure it out.

Speedways

Forgot about these last time. Speedways now have a hidden challenge involving Hunter, but otherwise they’re pretty similar to the Flights in the first game.

These levels are pretty polarizing because they’re fairly different: they’re free-flying levels where you have to destroy/go through various objects and enemies around the track under a certain time limit. I love them, because I love flying around them. I also really love Hunter’s challenges (even though the last one in this game is way too loud).

Bosses

There’s fewer bosses in this game than the last, but they’re all much improved from the last game. They definitely scale with difficulty, with Ripto being the hardest, and Ripto’s fight is by far the most impressive boss fight in the game, if not the entire series.

Crush is pretty straightforward and is somewhat similar to Spyro 1 bosses: you dodge his attacks, then flame him when you have the chance. The difference is that he attempts to attack you back and ends up harming himself.

Gulp is huge, has two attacks of his own, and also can use the weapons you gain to use against him. This is my favorite type of boss fight, and racing your opponent to the weapons is really fun.

Ripto takes Gulp up to eleven. First two phases you’re fighting him for the powered-up orbs, and then the last phase takes place in the air as you use a combination powerup orb to fly and shoot fireballs at him. No time limit. Great fight. Difficult fight, but great fight.

All in all, very effective bosses.

Levels

They’re well-designed and well-themed. They cover various cartoon locations and are varied and distinct. Unlike the first game, some do require backtracking once you gain new abilities, which is in some ways annoying, but in other ways makes the new abilities more fulfilling. When I was younger, I definitely preferred this method, since I didn’t like saying goodbye to a level forever, but nowadays I just want to get it all done with in one go. So, I’m a bit neutral towards this.

Levels now have NPCs in them that introduce the main task of the level (almost always just to get to the end) and other side-missions which give you orbs. As before, I’m neutral towards this, since I like the simplicity of the first game, but I also love the minigames in this game.

Minigames

This is the one Spyro game with minigames in which I like them all. They’re all integrated into the level, and use the game’s controls in unusual ways to provide more variety. And speaking of variety, they are all very different. From Idol Springs’ puzzle-solving to the dashing around a small cave racing Hunter to crystals in Magma Cone to Trouble With The Trolley(tm) to the trade quest in Mystic Marsh, there’s so many different things you do. You haven’t seen them all until you get to the end.

Story

Spyro wants to go on vacation from the rainy Dragon Realms (as someone also from a rainy city, I get you, Spyro). He decides to head to Dragon Shores for a vacation.

Meanwhile, the citizens of Avalar are altering a portal to hijack a dragon to solve their problems: there’s this guy called Ripto who hates dragons, and he’s decided to take over the place.

Spyro gets transported to Avalar and, at least since Ripto blasted the portal he came from, agrees to help them out. The citizens of Avalar promise to get him to Dragon Shores as soon as they’re able. Friendliest kidnapping ever.

Honestly a bit of an excuse plot just to get Spyro out and somewhere new. But the characters introduced show a lot of personality through both cutscenes and when you speak to them in gameplay.

Each level also has a mini-story mostly unrelated to the overarching story. It’s shown in cutscenes before and after the level, and of course in the level itself. Avalar has more problems than just Ripto, and it takes a fire-breathing dragon who helps the first person to talk to him to sort things out, for better or for worse. (Like seriously, you help thieves in Scorch. And help both sides of the Breeze Builder/Land Blubber war.)

The story isn’t going to make you rethink your life or write deep fanfiction, but it serves its purpose well and is entertaining. Perfect for the Spyro world, even if it gives off a very different feel from the first game.

Unique in the Series?

This game codifies the series. NPCs, powerup gates, minigames, and especially the cast all move on to other games.

The one thing I can think of that’s truly unique to this game is the Soul Particle system - where instead of giving you treasure, slain enemies power the powerup gates. Not a bad system, but definitely is forgettable.

And Elora. She’s in cutscenes in Spyro 3 and in a trading card in Spyro Orange, but this is her only full appearance in the series until the remakes. Which as someone who does not care for romance subplots, I’m fine with. She’s a neat character, but her crush on Spyro would have been her main trait if she stayed in the series, I’m sure.

Conclusion

Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage is tied with the first game as one of my favorite games of all time. It’s fun to play, and I have a huge amount of nostalgia for it. Definitely looking foward to seeing it again on my Switch, with all the graphical improvements.

[rugbyquit5-blog]

From Jesus to the Kardashians to LHHA, reality TV premiering this week

by Andy Dehnart 25 Mar. 2019 | 8:45 am

Good morning! From LHHA to KUWTK, there are lots of reality TV shows returning and premiering this week, including a live look inside animal ERs.

But let’s start with what’s ending: Temptation Island (USA, Tuesday at 10) ends its season with dramatic reveals about how the experience has changed the couples. The next night, Project Runway All Stars (Lifetime, Wednesday at 9) and American Beauty Star (Lifetime, Wednesday at 10) both end their seasons.

The producers of Big Brother are behind a new competition reality series: Million Dollar Mile (CBS, Wednesdays at 9) follows contestants who run a mile-long obstacle course as other athletes try to stop them.

For some inexplicable reason, it’ll be hosted by Tim Tebow. For very clear reasons, it’ll follow Survivor: Edge of Extinction on Wednesdays. That timeslot isn’t a guarantee of success; World’s Best floundered there, probably because it was a useless show that just shamelessly copied AGT.

I appreciate that CBS is giving us more reality TV in the spring, instead of just in the summer, and I like the idea of a reality TV block on Wednesdays. I just hope that Million Dollar Mile isn’t just a bad knock-off of American Ninja Warrior; we’ve already had that with Titan Games.

NatGeo WILD gets into the live reality TV game with Animal ER Live (NatGeo WILD, Saturdays and Sundays at 9), which promises “animal emergencies in real time.” These vets and doctors do great work, I’m sure, but do we need to see it live?

Jesus Christ, the person not the exclamation, is the subject of a documentary series: Jesus: His Life (History, Mondays at 8), is produced by Nutopia, the same company that produced One Strange Rock for NatGeo last year (and that show was amazing). Each episode focuses on Jesus’ life through the perspective of someone close to him; the trailer suggests it’s very reenactment heavy, with contributions from experts.

Each episode focuses on Jesus’ life through the perspective of someone close to him; the trailer suggests it’s very reenactment heavy, with contributions from experts.

Back for new seasons are shows that immerse us in the lives of their stars: Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (VH1, Mondays at 8) will see the return of cast member Scrapp DeLeon. The show is the highest-rated unscripted series on cable.

On Little Women: Atlanta (Lifetime, Thursdays at 9), “The Cheeks, Briana Barlup and Emily Fernandez, return to Atlanta, to take on their long-time foes The Tiny Twinz,” according to Lifetime.

Also back this week with new seasons:

Keeping Up with the Kardashians (E!, Sundays at 9), which is airing its 16th season.

Flip or Flop Vegas (HGTV, Thursdays at 9), for its third season of following house flippers Bristol and Aubrey Marunde.

Impractical Jokers (truTV, Thursdays at 10), on which four guys try to embarrass each other with very public practical jokes.

In documentary TV, there’s a new doc about why we’re all so tense—and why Americans now have lower life expectancy than most developed countries.

One Nation Under Stress (HBO, Monday, March 25, at 9) is hosted by neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who “sets out to discover what is happening and why,” and learning about “why we’re experiencing so much stress, how it affects the brain, body and behavior, and the long-term consequences for the health of the nation,” according to HBO.

Tigerland (Discovery Channel, March 30 at 9) “tells the story of two remarkable men separated by half a century who through sheer force of will and determination dedicated their lives to altering the fate of the tiger,” according to Discovery.

The Legend of Cocaine Island (Netflix, March 29) follows a Florida man who “hatches a plan to retrieve a possibly mythical $2-million stash of cocaine from its reported Caribbean hiding place,” according to Netflix.

Women, War & Peace II (PBS, Monday and Tuesday, March 26 and 26, at 9), is a follow-up to the 2011 documentary series, and features four docs all directed by women. PBS says they all tell “stories about women who risked their lives for peace, changing history in the process.”

The episodes/films are as follows; the quoted descriptions come from PBS:

Wave Goodbye to Dinosaurs (PBS, March 25 at 9), directed by Eimhear O’Neill. “Discover the story of the Catholic and Protestant women who come together during Northern Ireland’s bloody conflict to form an all-female political party and fight to ensure that human rights, equality and inclusion shape the historic Good Friday Agreement peace deal.”

The Trials of Spring (PBS, March 25 at 10), directed by Gini Reticker. “Follow three Egyptian women as they put their lives and bodies on the line fighting for justice and freedom. The film tells the story of Egypt’s Arab Spring, the human rights abuses that came to define it and the women willing to risk everything.”

Naila and the Uprising (PBS, March 26 at 9), directed by Julia Bacha. “Discover the story of a courageous, non-violent women’s movement that formed the heart of the Palestinian struggle for freedom during the 1987 uprising, known as the first Intifada. One woman must make a choice between love, family and freedom. Undaunted, she embraces all three.”

A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers (PBS, March 26 at 10), directed by Geeta Gandbhir and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. “Embark on a risky year-long UN peacekeeping mission into earthquake-ravaged Haiti with an all-female Bangladeshi police unit. Leaving their families behind, these police officers shatter stereotypes as they rise in the name of building peace.”

Finally, The Piketon Family Murders (Oxygen, Sunday, March 31, at 7) examines the 2016 murders of eight members of a family who were killed in their sleep in different houses—and who some people turned against after they were dead. Their murders remained a mystery until last November, when four people were arrested for first-degree murder.

Source: https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2019/03/this-week-in-reality-tv-march-25-to-31/