Ever since the release of the original Super Mario Bros. 30 years ago, Mario has regularly and persistently found himself at the top of the platforming heap. Oh sure, there’s been some competition: a Sonic the Hedgehog here, a Crash Bandicoot there, even the occasional Banjo-Kazooie or Bubsy (wait, scratch that last one). None of them have lasted for long against the venerable plumber …
Originally released on Steam back in mid-2014 following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Whispering Willows’ humble beginnings are apparent from the get go. There’s no voice acting, no grand production values. Cut scenes are composed of static images and the whole thing barely lasts three hours. It’s game design on a diet, stripped of the fat and distilled into a single afternoon experience. And it’s all the better for it.
Due to its propensity for conflict, war has long been a popular backdrop for video games but never has it been seen like this. Filled with humanity, sorrow, and honesty, Valiant Hearts: The Great War uses the true history of World War I to weave together the stories of its protagonists (ranging from a German soldier, to a French POW, to a Belgian combat nurse). The gorgeous graphics, evolving gameplay, and original design only serve to make the experience offered here more enticing. Thoroughly moving and steeped with loss, Valiant Hearts is not a game you will soon forget.
The concept of the work of art that is unappreciated by the masses immediately, but gains a passionate and overwhelming following decades later is almost as old as time itself. A book, or piece of music, or painting, or sculpture, or film is unveiled to an indifferent public, save a few devout fans, and is …
Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? Written and directed by Michel Gondry USA, 2013 On first blush, a so-called “animated conversation” between a documentary filmmaker and the esteemed linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky seems to exist solely so people can raise their eyebrows, perplexed. But then, when you realize that the filmmaker is Michel …
Walt Disney Animation Studios has become, in its relative old age, both charmingly and cripplingly self-conscious. Each new entry seems to quiver in the shadow of the greats, the vaunted classics that have become untouchable for many.
Monsters, Inc. Directed by Pete Docter Written by Andrew Stanton and Daniel Gerson Starring Billy Crystal, John Goodman, James Coburn, Steve Buscemi Here’s a question that has nagged at me for the last few years: what, really, is the difference between a film made by Pixar Animation Studios and a film made by DreamWorks Animation? …