Not Reviews Archives

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1 Review

Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms delivered almost exactly what I’d hoped for from a George R.R. Martin adaptation. The show largely honored the spirit of The Hedge Knight novella and where it did diverge, the changes generally strengthened the story, helping it align tonally with Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. As someone who loves both the novella and the graphic novel, seeing Dunk and Egg finally brought to life on HBO was a real treat.

In the video below, I sat down with Mac Marshall and Carlos Torres for a fun, nerdy discussion about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1. They’re well-versed in the HBO corner of Westeros but hadn’t read The Hedge Knight in either form. It was genuinely interesting to hear their take – knowledgeable fans of the broader GRRM universe, coming to Dunk and Egg’s story completely fresh.

WrestleQuest Review With Special Guest Ray Carsillo

Former EGM editor, excellent friend, and fellow pro-wrestling smark Ray Carsillo was my guest for this episode of RPadTV 3000. This time around, Ray joined me for a WrestleQuest review. This game is the latest from the fine folks at Mega Cat Studios. Some of you might have played Mega Cat’s Coffee Crisis, which is a retro beat-’em-up that’s reminiscent of Double Dragon. The studio’s latest game is an old-school turn-based RPG infused with pro-wrestling awesomeness.

On paper, Ray and I should have loved this game. We both love classic RPGs and we both love pro-wrestling. However, as you know, videogames are not played on paper. They’re played on your television. In the WrestleQuest review above, Ray and I talk about how numerous pacing issues and even more bugs combined to turn a game that we should have loved into one that we merely liked.

Before we started the WrestleQuest review, Ray and I caught up on other news in the world of pro-wrestling. All Elite Wrestling’s historic PPV event, AEW All In from Wembley Stadium, was a great success. Unfortunately, it has been overshadowed by a backstage altercation between CM Punk and the man formerly known as Jungle Boy, Jack Perry.

RPadTV 3000 Episode 11: Paul Semel, Moon Knight, and Dr. Strange

My excellent colleague and friend Paul Semel dropped by to share his thoughts on Moon Knight on Disney Plus and Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Although we both enjoy many of the same nerd things, our tastes also vary. With that in mind, I didn’t expect him to enjoy Moon Knight as much as I did. Although he said it was his least-favorite Marvel series on Disney Plus, he enjoyed it more than I expected him to.

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was received similarly. Paul Semel also enjoyed, but not as much as I did. He tends to be more cynical about entertainment in general and doesn’t enjoy secondary comics characters as much as I do. For example, I thoroughly enjoyed the Starbrand and Nightmask comics, while Paul could not care less about characters at that…level, for lack of a better word.

Peacemaker Season 1 Review and Discussion

After a hilarious debut in The Suicide Squad (the good James Gunn one, not the pile of garbage starring Will Smith), John Cena returns as Peacemaker on HBO Max. While the character was great as a supporting player in a movie, could he work as a lead in a prestige series? The answer was a resounding yes! To review and discuss Peacemaker season 1, I asked Tal Blevins (former IGN editor) and Paul Semel (former Maxim, Bikini) to join me for a very special episode of RPadTV 3000.

Tal Blevins, Paul Semel, and I talk about our favorite characters, scenes, music, and aspects of Peacemaker season 1. While we all loved the series and were floored by John Cena’s performance, we had different takes on it. For example, Paul and Tal believe that this was a star-making performance for Jennifer Holland. While I enjoyed what she did in the series, I wasn’t as impressed by her as my two esteemed (and smarter) colleagues were.

As for John Cena…

The Book of Boba Fett Review and Discussion

This might come as a shock, but many of my friends are Star Wars nerds. Two of the biggest Star Wars fans I know are veteran videogame journalist Paul Semel and former videogame journalist Chris Baker (Official PlayStation Magazine). When I thought about dedicating an episode of RPadTV 3000 to the first season of The Book of Boba Fett, they were there first people I thought of for guests. Thankfully, they agreed to swing by!

The Book of Boba Fett has been getting rave reviews and venomous criticism in the corner of the Internet that I hang out in. Some fans love it for adding more high-quality Star Wars content to Disney+. Others hate it for fleshing out Boba Fett’s story and taking away from the mystique that made him so cool in The Empire Strikes Back.

Now here’s the part where I warn you that there will be spoilers ahead. Now turn on your spoiler shields and lock your S-foils in attack positions!

2022 WWE Royal Rumble Review

The dashing Jose “Fubar” Sanchez from Electric Playground joined me on RPadTV 3000 to talk about the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble. This year’s edition was a bit strange. People love the Royal Rumble for the surprise entrants, but WWE revealed many of the “surprises” beforehand. Additionally, the dirt sheets did a great job of revealing the returning talent, so many hardcore fans weren’t surprised at all.

Internet fans seem to be down on the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble, calling it predictable and boring. Personally, I didn’t think it was as bad as many people on Twitter have said. I enjoyed five of the six matches. That said, it certainly wasn’t as good as recent Royal Rumbles and there were certain “Superstars” that should never be in a WWE ring again (Shane McMahon, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, etc.).

For people that just want the results, here you go:

I Tried KFC Beyond Nuggets So You Don’t Have To

KFC has started offering KFC Beyond Nuggets at most locations in Canada and the United States. These plant-based nuggets made in conjunction with Beyond Meat add a vegetarian option to the menu, similar to Beyond Burgers and Impossible Burgers offered by numerous hamburger chains. For people concerned about the environmental impact of meat or for families that love KFC but have a vegetarian in the household, it’s a nice option to have. Unfortunately, the inconsistency and cost of these faux chicken nuggets will limit their popularity.

Here’s my breakdown of Colonel Sanders’ foray into plant-based chicken.

Five Thoughts on Batman: Soul of the Dragon

Batman: Soul of the Dragon is a fantastic animated movie with a wonderfully unique tone. Going into it, I knew that the movie would focus on one of Batman’s mentors (O-Sensei) and his fellow students. However, I was not expecting its incredible 70s tone at all. The movie is a wonderful mix of great action, strong storytelling, and excellent character development.

In short, I highly recommend watching Batman: Soul of the Dragon. If you’re not convinced, here are five random thoughts on the movie. [Put on your spoiler cowl!]

10 Thoughts on Cobra Kai Season 3

2021 is off to a fantastic start thanks to Cobra Kai Season 3. Going into the new season, I was mildly concerned since some of the reviews were more negative than critiques of the first two seasons. I was afraid that the third season of Cobra Kai would be as bad as the third Karate Kid movie. Thankfully, the concern was unwarranted.

Cobra Kai Season 3 was just as entertaining as the previous seasons. It’s certainly not award-winning television by any means, but the show absolutely succeeds in delivering big, dumb, and nostalgic fun. The hooks are clever enough to keep you interested, while the overall tone is ridiculous and fluffy enough to make the show infinitely rewatchable. If you enjoyed the first two seasons of the show then it’s highly likely that you’ll enjoy the third.

After watching each episode twice, here are ten random thoughts on Cobra Kai Season 3 using the tried and true RPadTV binary system. Warning: spoiler punches will be fast and furious.

10 Thoughts on Final Fantasy VII Remake

Final Fantasy VII Remake is arguably the most anticipated RPG reboot in videogame history. The original was responsible for popularizing Japanese RPGs in Western markets. For many gamers, it was the first Japanese RPG they played and holds a very special place in their hearts.

As for me, I enjoyed the original FFVII, but not nearly as much as some of my gamer friends. At that point in my game life, I already loved Japanese RPGs, including a few Final Fantasy games. I liked it, but played better Final Fantasy games before and after it.

However, I came to love the world of FFVII through the outstanding PSP game Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and the great anime Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. They really fleshed out the world of FFVII, making sense of some things and expanding on others.

Like millions of gamers, I was thrilled for Final Fantasy VII Remake when the trailer dropped in 2015. Now that I’ve beaten the game and replayed several chapters, here are some random thoughts, using the trusty RPadTV binary system. [Time to equip your spoiler materia!]