Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

By Stefano Terry

Studio: Warner Bros

Written By: Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer

Starring: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg

Directed By: Zack Snyder

Batman. Superman. Inarguably two of the most recognized, beloved, and iconic superheroes in the world. For decades, fans of both characters have wanted to see the two titans grace the big screen, duking it out in epic fashion. Now, here we are, in 2016, and Warner Bros. and director Zack Snyder have done just that, in an attempt to not only finally bring the two heroes together on film, but to springboard their new cinematic universe and lead-in to 2017’s Justice League Part 1. How did their gamble pay off? Read on to find out.

NOTE: This review will go in depth with the plot points of Batman v Superman, so I am marking this as a SPOILER REVIEW.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review

By Stefano Terry

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Written by J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan

Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Harrison Ford, and Oscar Isaac

I was born in 1979, two years after George Lucas released Star Wars, his little indie film that would change cinema for generations to come. The Empire Strikes Back released just a year later, with Return of the Jedi releasing three years after, in 1983. I was a bit too young to be introduced to that long ago far away galaxy at the time. It wasn’t until I was 6 years old that I was able to sit down in front of the television, with three VHS tapes ready to be popped into the VCR, and have a marathon session of the Star Wars Trilogy. I found A New Hope kind of boring, Empire too scary, and Jedi just right. Even so, a Star Wars fan for life was born that day. I loved the world. I loved the characters. I loved the aliens and the adventure, and as I got older and revisited the films time and time again throughout my youth and adulthood, I grew to love the simplicity of it all (not to mention my constant flip flopping between which one I love more, Empire or Jedi).

Star Wars isn’t about convoluted plots that require endless scenes of exposition. It’s not about the nuanced gray area where humanity resides. Star Wars isn’t David Lynch. Or Christopher Nolan. It’s not pondering existential crises, or waxing poetic on what the essence of a true hero is. Oh, there are definitely some elements of that in all seven released Star Wars movies, but at the end of the day, Star Wars is about as black and white as an Oreo cookie. The good guys are good. The bad guys are bad, and in the end, good will triumph over evil. Some may think that that somehow diminishes the accomplishments of Star Wars narratively, or from a character development perspective. That by stripping the narrative down to those black and white elements, we are losing nuance and depth. I disagree. We all know how delicious Oreo Cookies are.

Stefano’s E3 2014 Report Part 6: Super Smash Bros. Wii U & 3DS

Ok, let me first preface this by saying that I did not win a shirt playing Super Smash Bros. Wii U. I really, really wanted that shirt…

 

Ahem. So, The line surrounding the dozen or so kiosks running Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS at the Nintendo booth this year was insane. I didn’t actually think I’d get a chance to play, as crowds of people were waiting their turn at the latest entry to Nintendos very successful, and adored mascot brawler. How did it fare to its predecessors? Read on to find out.

Stefano’s E3 2014 Report Part 5: Destiny

Bungie is a developer that really needs no introduction. Thanks to their fantastic work on the Halo series, they have earned a spot on any list of premiere first person shooter developers. After leaving Microsoft, Bungie struck out on their own, and have finally taken the wraps off of their latest work, Destiny, an Action/FPS/RPG. I was given the chance to play 2 matches of one of Destiny’s 12 player modes, Zones on the PlayStation 4.

I’m Back!

Oh, Select Start Games, how I’ve missed you! I’ve been absent from active duty here for far too long, for reasons both selfish, as well as personal. In either case, I’ve returned to try and breathe some life back into SSG after such a lengthy hiatus. I admit to not having much to discuss today, but we’re in the midst of new console season, so I’ll be looking to cover the PS4 and Wii U in the near future (I currently only possess a PS4, and will have to purchase a Wii U at some point soon). Sorry to say that the Xbox ONE isn’t on my personal list of devices that interest me, so I won’t be covering that console any time soon. I certainly wouldn’t scoff a unit turning up on my doorstep, but I’m unfortunately not made of money, and can’t just buy every console that releases!

I plan on updating with more reviews, editorials, and maybe a few more surprises if my schedule permits it!

I apologize for the long wait, and I may not publish as much as I’d like, but I’m back!

Konami Announces HD Collections of Zone of the Enders, Silent Hill, and Metal Gear Solid; Commence with the celebrating.

At their pre-E3 press conference, Konami Digital Entertainment has announced HD Collections for fan favorites Zone of the Enders and Metal Gear Solid.

The Zone of the Ender’s HD Collection will be available on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and include ZoE 1 and 2. The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection will be available on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and will include Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker.

David O’Russell Leaves “Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune” Film

by Stefano Terry

Variety reports that Oscar nominated director David O’Russell has left helming the “Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune” film due to “creative differences.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m fricking ecstatic about this news. I’ve never seen “The Fighter,” and I have no doubts that it was a good film. I also really loved “Three Kings,” but I personally don’t think O’Russell was going down the proper path for an Uncharted film.

Hackers and the PSN

An Editorial By Stefano Terry

I tend to try and keep a cool head about most things, observing and evaluating before making any final judgments. The same applies to the PlayStation Network outage that occured on April 20th, 2011, and continued until May 14th, 2011. My thoughts on the matter were kept fairly low key, as I like to keep these sorts of dramas off of Select/Start Games. But now that the dust is settling, I can look back on the whole event with a clear head and weigh in.

inFAMOUS 2 Beta Impressions

Hey, folks! I know it’s been awhile, but it’s been a crazy busy few weeks for yours truly! However, I come today with some little, hopefully not bannable tidbits of information from the recently began inFAMOUS 2 Beta from Sucker Punch.

I’m not sure how much is allowed to be discussed concerning the beta, but I’m keeping it general, and hopefully will not get into too much trouble.

I was certainly surprised to find an invite in my mailbox earlier this week, and eagerly downloaded the 1.9gig install. After loading up the game, I was given a brief video tutorial about what to expect from the beta. After the video, I was in the shoes of Cole McGrath; Electric Dude.

Favorite Games of 2010

This year, I’ve decided to do things a little differently than my usual Best Of awards. Seeing as though I’m not a definitive authority on what the best games of the year are, I thought I’d just outright tell you about the games I personally enjoyed throughout 2010. Agree, disagree, leave comments about your own personal favorites, it’s all good. One thing is for certain though, 2010 was a fantastic year for gaming, and I had a great time. So, here are my personal favorite games of 2010.