Tag: Pikachu

Science Says You *Could* Have a Part of Your Brain Dedicated to Recognizing Pokemon. Could???

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IGN – Researchers at Stanford University have discovered that people who played Pokemon as children in the 90s might share a small region of their brain where all of that information is held, according to a new study.

…When shown images of Pokemon from the original GameBoy game mixed in with other stimuli, a specific region of Pokemon players’ brains lit up consistently in response to Pokemon. That means that the information is stored in the same part of the brain across all (or at least most) people who had that similar experience…He compared that to when you look at something like the room around you, which will go across more of your retina. “Because they have different locations on your retina,” Gomez continued, “they have different locations in your brain, and it turns out that the Pokemon region emerges in a part of your brain that responds to information from the center of your retina.”

Umm could? Thats the understatement of the century buddy. I first played Pokemon over 20 years ago and I still vividly remember very specific experiences like when I first caught a Magmar while eating at UNO with the grandparents. Sorry grandma, but theres no time to chat over deep dish pizza, I’m on a mission here. So to say theres a part of my brain that has the original 151 embedded into it is the least surprising thing science has ever taught me. No shit. I put 100+ hours into a game that I played on a cylinder block with a green dimly lit 3 inch screen. My eyes were trained from a very young age to identify which pocket monster had appeared and then doing the on the fly analysis of their type (fire, water, ground etc.) in between Bagel Bites and whether it would help me enough to beat the Elite Four.

But its not just another bullshit waste of time experiment like half the studies we blog about here because it turns out studies like this could actually help improve the way people with various disabilities learn.

While the fact that Pokemon players share some grey matter is amusing, this isn’t all just fun and games. The study makes progress toward actually figuring out how the human brain is wired and why is stores information the way it does, which in turn could be used to help people with visual deficiencies.

Gomez further explained that the “finding suggests that the very way that you look at a visual stimulus, like a Pokemon or words, determines why your brain is organized the way it is. That’s useful going forward because it might suggest that visual deficits like Dyslexia or face-blindness might result simply from the way you look at stimuli, and so it’s a promising future avenue.”

Thats why I’ve always railed against the Mothers Against Video Games or whatever nonsensical group thats been created. Video games aren’t just a time suck; they teach you multi-tasking, problem solving, and how to perform under pressure. Now they might actually help scientists understand how to improve education for people with learning disabilities? Your move, anti-gamers.

So maybe I am a 30 year old man thats overly excited for a movie about Pokemon, but hey it’s not just a game anymore; it’s brain science. Pokemon is basically like Jeopardy one could say.

The Sonic the Hedgehog Live Action Movie Trailer Just Dropped and It is…HAUNTING

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WHO IS RUNNING SEGA??

I texted Giorgio about it and he didn’t have a much warmer reaction: “Thats an IP killer. We may never get another Sonic game again.”

I was always a big SEGA guy growing up, more so than the original Playstation (released in 1994) or even Nintendo (1985). The SEGA Genesis came out in 1989 and my next favorite system N64 didn’t come out until 1996. I was even one of the 9 people that owned a SEGA CD system!

So there were some real solid years in there as a young kid with classics like Mortal Kombat 2, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Vector Man. And that doesn’t include the downright impossible to beat games like Echo the Dolphin (fuck that game) and The Lion King.

All of those obviously pale in comparison to the GOAT SEGA game franchise of course; Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 were all great games. Sonic & Knuckles was awesome because it was basically the first DLC expansion pack I’ve ever seen, introducing Knuckles and the power of flight into those old Sonic games. Sonic CD also had some AWESOME moments like the Metal Sonic boss that mimics all your moves, which was quite the mind fuck for a 7 year old.

So long story short I am a Sonic stan. I most recently relapsed into Sonic fandom with Sonic Mania for Nintendo Switch. SEGA has been run so incompetently they haven’t been able to make a successful game with their most popular IP since Sonic Adventures on Dreamcast.

That was 1998. It’s been 20 years guys. SEGA basically sunk their hardware company because of this and are now forced to lease out their IP as they’ve essentially transitioned into a software company that only develops games.

The story around Sonic Mania is actually one of my favorites because it shows just how bad it had gotten for SEGA. There was this one guy Christian Whitehead AKA Taxman who was porting Sonic games and tweaking the levels on his own and then releasing them online for people to play for free. Via his Wikipedia page:

In 2009, Whitehead produced a “proof-of-concept” video of Sonic CD running on an iPhone using his own custom engine, the “Retro Engine”…Whitehead proclaims that he spent “about a year or so” convincing Sega to let him work on the Sonic CD port. In 2009, a video regarding Sonic CD from Whitehead was taken down, leading Eurogamer to report that Whitehead possibly faced a cease and desist letter from Sega, which Whitehead claimed was false. The port was released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone and Android in 2011. His port was so successful that he was later commissioned to port Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to mobile devices…In 2017, Whitehead, in collaboration with Headcannon and PagodaWest Games, developed and released their own original title in the Sonic series, titled Sonic Mania.

Now I have to give SEGA some credit here because rather than sue his balls off they ended up just hiring the guy and letting him lead the production of the game that ultimately became Sonic Mania. The game itself is excellent too because just when you get comfortable and start to remember the level structure it completely changes and your thrown into something you’ve never seen, so its way more than a port. Its like playing Sonic on acid.

So for all my love of Sonic it breaks my heart to say this movie looks like the first and probably last Sonic movie we’ll ever see. When I first heard about the idea I said theres no way a live action Sonic movie could ever work, but then I saw the trailers for the live action Pokemon movie and it changed my mind completely. The problem is the CGI in the Pokemon movie is incredible whereas the CGI in the Sonic movie is garbage.

Sonic is legitimately haunting.

How did they get that out of this?

I will say Jim Carrey is probably one of the best choices to play a wacky video game villain (doesn’t mean it’ll be good), but I can’t have skinny Dr. Robotnik, can’t have it.

It looks terrible, but because nostalgia is the most powerful drug not named heroin, I probably will go out for a few beers and wind up seeing it out of morbid curiosity. If you’re a sick person like me, Sonic the Hedgehog comes out on November 8th.

The 300s Top 20 Most Anticipated Movies of 2019

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I’m not exaggerating when I say there are a billion movies coming out next year. Seriously, I was pretty shocked to see just how much is coming to theaters in 2019. So for your reading pleasure, I picked my 20 most anticipated and break down what you need to know.

20) The New Mutants

Release Date: August 2nd, 2019

Starring: Maisie Williams, Antonio Banderas, Charlie Heaton

This will probably be the last X-Men movie under the Fox umbrella. It’s billed as a horror film so it’ll be interesting to see how this goes. Disney is set to acquire Fox in January so you can fully expect to see the X-Men completely rebooted and added to Marvel’s Phase 4 plans. This film was supposed to come out this past February and has been pushed back several times so make of that what you will. Personally, i’m excited to see Arya Stark in a new role.

19) Men In Black

Release Date: June 14th, 2019

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson

We have the first reboot of the list on our hands! It stars a re-team of our two leads from Thor 3. I was a huge fan of the original 1997 film, but thought the two sequels it spawned were forgettable at best. I’m kind of surprised this wasn’t rebooted sooner to be honest. At least we’re not getting that rumored MIB/21 Jump Street spinoff. Nobody was asking for that. Dodged a bullet there.

18) Frozen 2

Release Date: November 22nd, 2019

Starring: Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel

I was the last person on planet earth to see the first Frozen and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I’m a big Disney guy (especially a big fan of Disney actually being Frozen himself) so this makes the list on curiosity alone. It’s ironic because the best part of the movie is Olaf who is voiced by Josh Gad, who I absolutely despise. Cautiously optimistic on this one.

17) Dumbo

Release Date: March 29th, 2019

Starring: Danny Devito, Colin Farrell, Eva Green, Michael Keaton, Dumbo The Elephant

Another Disney entry, the first of three live action remakes on my list. The cast is stacked and the CGI Dumbo is fucking adorable so how could you not be in on this? The original cartoon is low key one of the most depressing movies of all time so the inner emo in me is down to sob in a Regal Theater over a computerized elephant that can fly. Plus it’s directed by Tim Burton so you know we’re in for a trip.

16) The Lego Movie 2

Release Date: February 8th, 2019

Starring: Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Jonah Hill

Legos are the shit. Case closed.

15) Dark Phoenix

Release Date: June 7th, 2019

Starring: Sophie Turner, Jennifer Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence

We actually have two X-Men movies coming out next year, and as I mentioned previously, it’s not looking likely we’ll see a continuation of this version of the supergroup after the Disney acquisition of Fox. Still, it’ll be nice to see these actors at least one more time to shine. If anything, we get one more turn of Fassbender as Magneto which is worth the price of admission alone.

14) Aladdin

Release Date: May 24th, 2019

Starring: Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Mena Massoud

2nd of 3 live action Disney remakes. This one has Will Smith as the Genie though. Big shoes to fill replacing the legendary Robin Williams, but if anyone can step into the role it’s the Fresh Prince.

13) Untitled Terminator 6

Release Date: November 1st, 2019

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton

We are FINALLY getting a direct sequel to Terminator 2. We’re just gonna pretend those pesky 3 other sequels never happened, okay? Linda Hamilton returns as Sarah Connor and i’m just praying we get a worthy sequel to what I consider one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. Hopefully the Governator brings his A game too.

12) Hobbs and Shaw

Release Date: August 2nd, 2019

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham

It only took 18 years and 8 movies to get a spinoff of the Fast and the Furious franchise going. Now that we got one coming soon, i’m not really sure how I feel about it. Vin Diesel is pissed about it. Tyrese is pissed about it. Hell, even Paul Walker is pissed about it I think. I’m a huge fan of the Rock, but this is not his franchise to take over. I’ll still be there opening weekend, but I am a bit weary.

11) Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Release Date: August 9th, 2019

Starring: Every actor in Hollywood

No seriously. The better question would be to ask who is not starring in this movie. Quentin Tarantino brings us back to the 60s and tells us the story of Charles Manson and the murders he inspired. Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell, Damian Lewis, Emile Hirsch, Tim Roth, Timothy Olyphant, Michael Madsen, Luke Perry, James Marsden, and Zoe Bell star (to name a few).

10) Captain Marvel

Release Date: March 8th, 2019

Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson

This would probably rank higher for me if I had any clue who Captain Marvel is. I love Brie Larson and it’s a Marvel movie so it’s bound to be awesome and make a billion dollars. Cool to see a female led Marvel movie as well. I just wasn’t exposed to this character growing up so this will be my first real introduction to her. Very excited about it nonetheless.

9) Joker

Release Date: October 4th, 2019

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro

This movie is not my most anticipated of 2019, but it’s probably the one that intrigues me the most. Jared Leto was so bad as the Joker that it left a sour taste in my mouth. This version however, directed by Todd Phillips, looks to stray towards Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the character which i’m more than happy with. Couple that with the lead being Joaquin Phoenix, a phenomenal actor in his own right, and this film has the potential to be something special. It apparently also operates independently of the DC Universe films which is completely fine by me, and i’m sure to you the reader.

8) John Wick: Chapter 3

Release Date: May 17th, 2019

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane

It’s great seeing Keanu Reeves utilized to his potential as he’s always been a phenomenal actor when given the right material. The John Wick films have been a great addition to the man’s already stellar catalogue (Point Break, i’m looking at you). Then again, I would watch Keanu eat breakfast so it’s no surprise i’ll be there in theaters when Chapter 3 drops next May.

7) The Lion King

Release Date: July 19th, 2019

Starring: Donald Glover, Beyonce, Seth Rogen, James Earl Jones

The final Disney live action remake on my list is the GOAT of Disney movies from the 1990s. Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino takes the role of Simba, which is just another badass resume booster for one of the most talented dudes out there. They even got James Earl Jones to return as Mufasa. This movie is going to make a billion dollars, mark my words.

6) Spider-Man: Far From Home

Release Date: July 5th, 2019

Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal

A sequel to last year’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, this movie will be the first set in Marvel’s Phase 4. Jake Gyllenhaal steps into the role of Mysterio, a character i’ve been waiting to see on the big screen since I was a kid. The action takes place in London this time, hence the title Far From Home. I love Tom Holland as Spider-Man too. Count me in for this one come next July.

5) Toy Story 4

Release Date: June 21st, 2019

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Jordan Peele

I thought Toy Story 3 was the perfect way to end the series, yet here we are. I’m not going to complain about getting more adventures in this universe, they just better have a great story to back it up. I still haven’t fully recovered from all the toys almost getting incinerated at the end of the last movie. Really traumatic shit, even for a 20 year old.

4) Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Release Date: May 31st, 2019

Starring: Kyle Chandler, Millie Bobby Brown, Sally Hawkins

I absolutely adored the last Godzilla movie, despite Aaron Taylor Johnson giving the most boring performance of all time. The subtle and gradual use of Godzilla himself throughout the movie was perfectly executed in my opinion and it brought us to a world I want to spend more time in. We’re getting all the big bads this time around like Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Rodan. Not to mention Coach Taylor is the lead this time around so i’ll obviously be seeing this one.

3) Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

Release Date: May 10th, 2019

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith

It only took a billion years, but we’re finally getting a live-action Pokemon movie and it looks…great? I was insanely pessimistic about this when I heard it was coming out, but the trailer completely sold it for me. Not to mention it apparently did some test screenings last week and got rave reviews. Do we finally have a good video game to film adaptation on our hands? I’m hopeful. Having Ryan Reynolds voicing Pikachu always helps.

2) Star Wars: Episode IX

Release Date: December 20th, 2019

Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill

Episode IX is being billed as the final chapter in the Skywalker saga. Whether or not you believe that is up to you. I’ve really enjoyed this new trilogy thus far. Disney has done well keeping the spirit of the original films alive while adding new layers of depth to a universe that will surely go on well after we’re all dead. Couple that with two announced live-action shows on the yet-to-be launched Disney streaming service, and we’re looking at a whole lot of Star Wars in the near future folks. All hail the supreme leader, Kylo Ren.

1) Avengers 4

Release Date: May 3rd, 2019 (But likely to get bumped up to the last week of April)

Starring: Everyone that didn’t get snapped in the last movie

An obvious choice for #1. We’ve been waiting 11 years for the conclusion to this storyline, and the Marvel movies will likely never be the same after it’s done. How it all plays out is anyone’s guess. Some big names will probably bite the dust in this one too so get those tissues ready. My guess? Steve Rogers is a goner and Tony Stark becomes the new Nick Fury.

Nintendo Brought the Heat at E3. Lets Break it Down.

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If you’re reading this then I assume you already know, but for those who don’t, E3 is the annual video game convention, Electronic Entertainment Expo, and its where publishers showcase new and upcoming games. Its where new consoles get announced, new titles are revealed, but most of all its where all the blazing hot trailers are released for upcoming video games. And Nintendo brought the heat this year.

To be honest, this is the first year I’ve been excited for Nintendo’s E3 announcements, probably ever. The Switch is the first Nintendo system I’ve owned since N64. As I’ve joked about before I have absolutely zero brand loyalty, so good luck marketing to me. I went from the original Nintendo to Sega to N64 to Dreamcast to PS2 to Xbox 360 back to PS4 to Nintendo Switch. So yea, not a lot of continuity in there. With so few console exclusives that are actually worth it theres little reason to stay loyal to just one system.

But I am back on the Nintendo bandwagon and they’ve crushed it out of the gate with phenomenal games like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Outside of that though theres been a lack of great games on the new system. Nintendo gets accused of going to the well too often rehashing the same franchises over and over again like Mario and Zelda, but when the games are this good then who cares?

The most glaring absence had come from one of Nintendo’s most popular properties ever; Pokemon. Whats unique about Pokemon is that its never made the jump to home consoles for a standalone game. They’ve always developed core games for mobile devices like the Game Boy and the 3Ds. There have been random games like Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Snap to name a couple on home consoles, but no core games where you gotta catch em all.

That is until now.

Naturally, the news of Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go, Evee! leaked a few weeks ago so it wasn’t a huge reveal, but it was awesome to see the old Kanto region I grew up in as a fully realized 3D world. I am going to buy the absolute shit out of this game on Day 1.

Its essentially a remake of Pokemon Yellow, which dropped on Game Boy in 1998 and earned a 10/10 from IGN. But it won’t just be a port since they had to build this 3D world from scratch and it will also introduce new elements to the series such as adopting some gameplay features from the massively popular Pokemon Go iOS game. Then of course there’s this little guy.

Its a Pokeball controller that you throw to catch new Pokemon. Lets be honest, it doesn’t really matter what this costs because I am 100% going to buy it.

Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let’s Go, Evee! will both be released on November 16th so get your pre-orders in asap.

Super Mario Party was also announced, which will be the first game to really encourage playing the Switch with friends. You could say Mario Kart already did that, but that was a port of an old Mario Kart game rather than a brand new game so I’m giving the edge to Mario Party here. Plus this is the first game to really take advantage of the Switch technology, just check out the trailer below.  This one drops on October 5th.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was announced and it looks glorious. They really pulled out all the stops for this one by including every single character thats ever appeared in a Smash game. Ever. The roster is gigantic. We got all the originals plus we got Sonic, we got Charizard, hell we got Solid Snake himself. This is going to be the best drinking game since Mario Kart 64.  This one drops on December 7th.

Still no appearances by Fox McCloud though which is a goddamn shame because Star Fox 64 is one of my favorite games of all time and any Star Fox I’ve played since (Gamecube) was hot garbage.

For any Fortnite fans out there, the massively popular free title is now available on Switch too. So you can jump off the flying bus while literally riding the bus.

A couple of other freebies now available on the Switch include Pokemon Quest and Fallout Shelter. Quest is definitely a freemium type of game meaning you’ll likely have to put some money into the game to progress quickly, but I know Fallout Shelter has been out for a while to decent reviews. Both probably aren’t enough to be a great standalone game that you’d pay for, but as a free title you can play on the go? I’ll take that.

So if you were on the fence about buying yet another system, now is a pretty good time to jump into the Switch. Just make sure you get the Pokeball.