Category: Musings

Power Rangers SPD Demo Theme

Someone on one of the Power Rangers fan boards was able to get their hands on the demo theme for next year’s Power Rangers SPD and I was somehow able to listen to it. (2026 Update: Don’t bother asking for a link. I had one, but it’s long since dead and I got rid of it.)

Three words: What The F**k?!

I’m not one to care for theme songs, but this is… I’m sorry, but this is crap. Yeah, it’s from the same guy that brought us the original “Go Go Power Rangers” theme song, but I was never a fan of that song, either. (2026 Update: Settle down, kids. I like it just fine nowadays.)

From a bearably-good theme-song for DinoThunder to… to this… I’ll admit I like the whole rhythm, but the lyrics (or lack thereof) are AWFUL. Understand that it’s a demo, maybe it gets better if it’s used in the final show, but I’m just like… meh.

I might sound a little harsh, but I just can’t help it. It has a good MMPR old-school flavor going for it, but these days, anything that’s a throwback to the old days, such as no-dimensional characters, cheesy rocky music and  technicolor Tommy, can’t be anything but a bad thing.

I’ll wait until the final product, but suffice to say, it’ll have to be a lot better than what I’ve heard thus far.

Mega Man Anniversary Collection on GBA?

First it was August.
Then it was October.
Then it was November.
Then I bought a Game Boy Advanced SP.
Now it’s January.
Watch it get canned completely.

(2019 Update: That’s exactly what ended up happening.)

Is it really that hard to convert five ancient Game Boy games into a Game Boy Advance format? They’re just Game Boy games; you add color and that’s it. This is depressing me.

Oh yeah, I now have a Game Boy Advance SP. And I use it to play exciting Game Boy Advance games like Super Mario Bros, The Legend Of Zelda, and XEVIOUS!

Wait… what do you mean those aren’t GBA games?

Divas Dodgeball?! WTF?!

So let me get this straight: instead of a decent wrestling match, we’re getting a bunch of talentless models playing dodgeball with RAW’s women wrestlers at Summerslam?! Who was the genius that thought up that stupid idea?

No wonder women’s wrestling in WWE is shit these days. You try and promote the division as something that can be equally appealing as the regular male division, and then you throw in something stupid like this into the mix. And the RAW Diva bullshit was bad enough on its own…

Come on, dodgeball?!

First Bradshaw as World Champion and now this…




Countdown To Destruction… Six Years Lter

Originally posted in three parts on the original DTM Blog. Naturally, this archive version has been edited into one single post. I don’t recall the context, but I think it has something to do with some poll to air popular episodes on the old ABC Family channel or something.

Continue reading “Countdown To Destruction… Six Years Lter”

My Top 6 Star Wars Games Not Named X-Wing Or TIE Fighter

Here’s a list of my top 6 Star Wars games that doesn’t include the incredular X-Wing or TIE Fighter games, because those are beyond reproach… well, mostly TIE Fighter is beyond reproach; the X-Wing stuff, I can take or leave… but there’s plenty of other Star Wars games worth playing. Here’s six of them… because there’s six movies in this saga. Maybe if they make a sequel trilogy, we’ll adjust this to nine or something, I don’t know…

Listed in no particular order…

Game #1 – Dark Forces
Here’s a brilliant idea. Doom was a popular thing, so let’s make a Star Wars version. And it was awesome. Great weapons, great atmosphere. … And then they’d make the Jedi Knight games, which I heard were also good, but I haven’t played those yet. Hope to change that soon.

Game #2 – Empire Strikes Back (2600)
It’s simple stuff; you fly a snowspeeder, you pick off AT-ATs with your guns until they blow up, lather, rinse, repeat. It’s a daring campaign to pit one snowspeeder against an infinite fleet of walkers, but it’s easy to pick up and play. And there’s a whole bunch of variations for you to try out if you want to spice things up a bit.

Game #3 – Super Star Wars Trilogy
I’m cheating a bit here because I’m including three games under the list, but Factor 5’s Super Star Wars trilogy of SNES action games have always been top-tier stuff. Yes, it might rough and tough in some places and liberties are taken with the source material, but damn if they don’t make good action games. If I had to pick one, Super Jedi takes the cake; multiple characters with different playstyles, some solid action bits, and some of the vehicle bits aren’t too shabby, either. Play them all, though. They’re great.

Game #4 – Star Wars Trilogy Arcade (1998 Arcade Game)
A rail shooter that has you partaking in major battle sequences of each of the three Star Wars films (we only had three, boys and girls) and with bonus stages featuring duels against Boba Fett and Darth Vader. When the newest Capcom fighter was indisposed, this was usually the other go-to arcade game for my money. Incredibly fun yet challenging fare.

Game #5 – Star Wars Racer Arcade (2000 Arcade Game)
Not one to be left out of the whole Prequel hype, Sega followed up Trilogy Arcade with their own version of the Podracer game. Not sure if this is the same thing you play on the consoles, but I’d say this arcade game is tremendous; featuring a control layout similar to a podracer, bringing that extra bit of detail and authenticity. Whatever you want to say about The Phantom Menace, at the very least, its racing games are top notch.

Game #6 – Star Wars (NES)
Another Star Wars platformer on NES that takes liberties with the source material; hell, the first chunk of the game where you’re on Tatooine is practically non-linear stuff where you can theoretically leave the planet without recruiting any of the usual suspects, thus turning it into a true adventure of Luke Skywalker and no one else. Yes, it can be difficult as hell with falling damage and some spotty moments, but if you can put up with the rough spots, there’s a damned fine game to be found here. And how many NES games based on movies or TV shows can you count that aren’t total garbage?

Oh, and on a sidenote, there’s also a Famicom version from Namco that’s not the same game as this. I’ve not played that one, but I’ve seen some of that in action. The less said, the better.

And that’s it. That’s my list.

REVISITING… The Super Mario Bros. Super Show

Contrary to what many claim, Mario’s first initial cartoon appearance was NOT the Super Mario Bros. Super Show. Rather, it was in an obscure Donkey Kong cartoon that aired as part of Saturday Supercade during the early-1980s, before Nintendo rose into prominence. You wouldn’t have noticed, because in that cartoon, Mario was a generic guy who pursued the big dumb ape. But that’s irrelevant, because before 85, Mario wasn’t a big deal. After ’85, he practically salvaged the video gaming industry and got a cartoon out of it.

Every Mario cartoon had the same basic plot; evil King Koopa (Bowser, although he never goes by that name in the cartoon) wrecks havoc in various worlds of the Mushroom Kingdom and it’s up to Mario, faithful brother Luigi, loyal Mushroom Retainer Toad, and the Princess (when she isn’t kidnapped) to spoil his nefarious plans. Rinse, lather, and repeat.

Odd thing was that this had more in common with Super Mario Bros. 2 (Mario USA to Japanese folk – the less said, the better) than it did the original game, but I’m not complaining.

The way I see it, the cartoon (and even the Captain Lou Albano live skits) was what truly defined Mario as an Italian plumber from Brooklyn who enjoyed eating pasta rather than this fat plumber who ate mushrooms, something that the games depicted. The cartoon stayed true to the original games, as opposed to the later movie which was a bastardization of what was good and wholesome. The stories are rather cheesy, crude, and cheap parodies of certain series and movies, but who cares? They were fun and back then, that’s all you really needed.

The animation was decent for its time. You have some minor technical errors here and there (sometimes Mario would be speaking with Luigi’s voice, or his hat would be the wrong color), but these things happens in all the old cartoons (see the old Ninja Turtles as a good example – yes, you know who you are!) The voices were pretty good; nothing great, but alright nonetheless. Characterizations were pretty good (even though it’s based off a video game and you actually had no frame of reference as far as characterization goes).

Of course, the cartoon is only part of the show. Bookending the cartoon are live-action skits featuring Captain Lou as Mario and this other guy as Luigi, in their Brooklyn basement, where they have to deal with these guest stars’ problems. I’m not just talking nameless hacks looking for a quick buck, but actual stars whom were popular at the time. Like the cartoons, the skits were cheesy but fun. And it’s always a welcome sight to see Captain Lou make an idiot out of himself by doing the Mario. (Now, if the REAL Mario were to have done that in any of the modern Mario games, it would have actually prompted me to buy a modern Nintendo system.)

Every Friday, they’d throw in a little Zelda cartoon. Back then, when I first saw them, I never touched the original game, but still enjoyed them nonetheless… although these days, hearing Link whine “Excuse Me, Princess” every fifth minute irritates me to no end.

After some time, the Super Mario Bros. Super Show changed its format and became Club Mario. While you had the same IL’ good cartoons, instead of live Mario and Luigi, you had two ‘hip’ guys in a messed-up apartment with lots of stuff that boggles the mind. Every once in a while, they have actual ‘storylines’ such as one guy’s evil twin trying to take over the show. Sometimes, I wish good IL’ Koopa showed up during the Mario Bros’ off-day and took over the show so he could cancel it, because even back then, it was bad.

Even today, it’s still a good wholesome cartoon that’s good for a few laughs and maybe can be genuinely enjoyed. I think you can find them on Yahoo somewhere, who airs the shows online. Check ’em out if you have the chance.

Is Dino Thunder An Apology For Ninja Storm?

I woke up one morning and waited in anticipation of Ninja Storm, the newest incarnation of Power Rangers and the first one under the belt of Village Roadshow productions. The usual questions comes up, the usual spoiler info is leaked, but all in all, that wouldn’t stop me from having high hopes for this thing.

At eleven thirty, the show begins and I watch with an interested eye.

An hour later, I’m asking myself what the fuck that was.

After about ten episodes of Ninja Storm, I completely shut out on the show. I’ve glanced on a couple of eps late in the series and the quality seemed to have improved somewhat, but not enough for me to stick with it.

For the first time since following the Power Rangers franchise in the very beginning, I’ve turned away from the show, not watching a majority of the episodes and quite frankly not caring. Didn’t even stick around for the finale. That had the makings of being a shitty product in comparison to those before and after. Yes, this show sucked more than Turbo and I’ve seen enough Turbo to know it.

I don’t blame the actors; they played their roles well considering what they had to work with.

I don’t blame the Jap footage; it’s blends nicely with the U.S. footage, even moreso than Wild Force.

I blame it on crappy writing.

It’s a kid show; I know that. On the other hand, you watch some other kids shows and realize that there’s more sophistication than what Ninja Storm had to offer. When an episode of a cheap-ass cartoon such as Superfriends is more sophisticated and provides more entertainment than Ninja Storm, you know something is wrong.

Apparently, Doug saw something wrong and decided to fix it.

DinoThunder seems to be Doug Sloan’s way of apologizing for the crapfest that is Ninja Storm. From the initial episodes, the show looks very promising. The addition of Jason Frank (who reprises his role as Doctor Tommy… how did that happen?) is an interesting move and the current cast of Rangers seem watchable and bearable.

Apology accepted, Doug. Don’t fuck THIS show up.

Ninja Mild Wind

I’ve been largely silent on this matter for quite a while, but for whatever it’s worth, I’d figure that I would give my thoughts on the current Ninja Storm run of Power Rangers; the first whole season to be released under the Disney era – though some would make a case for Wild Force actually being the first, but I’d consider that a transitional season of sorts; a passing of the guard, if you will.

So I saw about a dozen or so episodes of Ninja Storm… I think up until the Thunder Ranger guys joined the team. It feels like a regression of what came before. The last few seasons before this really kicked their storytelling into high gear; Time Force is often considered one of the best Power Rangers seasons due to its tight storytelling, well-rounded characters, and even its tease of mature content about as far as it could push on what is still considered to be kids stuff. And even Wild Force had its moments.

Ninja Storm dumps all of that and goes back to the simple, campy storytelling style of the early Power Rangers seasons. Granted, you have teenagers talking and acting like teenagers. That’s to be expected. You have a delightfully hammy villain in Lothor. A strange mentor figure – a talking gerbil – fills your Zordon quota… I don’t want to call it bad or anything… but it feels like when Doug Sloan came back to Power Rangers – he had been involved in the early MMPR stuff, which kinda explains a lot – he basically jettisoned the last several years of narrative progress and went back to basics. You know, the stuff that made Power Rangers a household name in the first place.

Bare in mind this is coming from someone who is a year away from hitting his twenties. I am probably the farthest thing from the target audience that this series that I’ve followed since (almost) the very beginning is largely aimed towards. I’m sure that whatever Doug Sloan does here and in subsequent series going forward, he’s doing what he feels is best to try and maintain that young audience. For the older fans, however, who have seen the series evolve past those early days of camp and simplicity, Ninja Storm may very well feel like ten steps back and while some can easily accept the new paradigm and even grow to love it, it might be a hard sell for others.

Right now, Ninja Storm does feel a bit juvenile, but maybe it’s less a series issue and more a matter of I’m getting older and maybe this stuff isn’t for me anymore. That’s when it hits you.

This was something I wanted to get on written word. Who knows? I may feel differently down the road, but for now, those are my thoughts on Ninja Storm. Wish everyone there nothing but the best and hope I can give this show another chance when it’s over.

Nostalgia Does NOT Equal Ratings

Something is filling the air of World Wrestling Entertainment since the purchase of World Championship Wrestling from AOL/Time Warner back on March 2001. Vince McMahon should be living the time of his life – after a long struggle, he had beaten the last major wrestling federation and is the only big-time league in North America. With the possibilities of a new and improved WCW on the horizon and potential inter-promotional matches that were only the stuff of dreams, it seemed like McMahon was ready to begin a new era with a bang and take his wrestling company to the next level.

Of course, things did not exactly work that way.

Continue reading “Nostalgia Does NOT Equal Ratings”