True Blood: Episode 3 "Whatever I Am, You Made Me"

"Whatever I Am, You Made Me"

*Spoilers Ahead*

I have to say, this weeks True Blood was a major improvement over the last two. So maybe the show is starting to pick itself up again. I hope so.

This week starting off with Tara trying to fight her new vampire urges. She seems erratic and unstable. I'm sure being dead then turned into a vampire isn't helping with her sanity. Tara refused to see Lafayette and Sookie like usual and Sam was given the burden of taking care of a crazy Tara, later putting her in the freezer when the sun was up. The end of the episode showed us exactly what to expect from Tara this season, a self loathing vampire. Exactly what I didn't care to see. The episode ended with Tara going into a tanning bed and burning herself. Pam senses this and has a "WTF is she thinking" moment. I don't feel bad for Tara, and I'm annoyed that she is going to be self hating. Pam can save this storyline by fixing Tara and taking her under her wing. Time will tell.

Sookie Sookie Sookie.... sigh. Besides getting yelled at by Tara to back off, Sookie is being interrogated over the disappearance of Debbie Pelt. Well she keeps mum about everything with the cops, but the second that Alcide comes into it, she blabs. I'm sorry, but, how was that in any way intelligent? Besides the fact that he is probably going to be pissed with her, now she has another person who knows the truth and can be a loss end. Oh Sookie.

Jason was trying to find the inner Jason this week. And he found that by doing the thing he is best at, sex. He doesn't want to be someones boytoy anymore. I respect it. I want him and Jessica to really form a close bond and get together. Time will tell.

Now onto some Pam. By far the best part of the episode was again the Pam flashbacks. This time we got to see Eric seeking her out and the playful banter happening. We even got an appearance by Bill and his maker Lorena (whom I have always enjoyed). Bill and Lorena are draining the girls in Pam's brothel and Eric puts a stop to it. We also have a very nice scene with Eric and Bill meeting for the first time. Both not too found of the other. We also get some nice characterization of Pam. We see how she thinks her life is hopeless and that there is nothing for her. Begging Eric to turn her. He is refusing, until Pam decides to slit her wrists, and we can see the debate happening in Eric's head. Once again the flashbacks have been perfect and have shaping out the characters of Pam and Eric perfectly.

Now onto Bill, Eric and the authority. We start off with the authority still trying to figure out what to do with Bill and Eric. They decide to send them out but take precaution by attaching special remote stakes to their chests that can kill them whenever they step out of line, and conveniently work with a smart phone! I did quite enjoy Bill joking with Eric about sleeping with Salome and getting his sloppy seconds. Salome did entrigue me. She seems to figure out if she can trust people by sleeping with them and she seems extremely intelligent about the matters of the authority. So yes I would love to see more of her and her involvement with the Authority. Steve Newlin as the new Nan? Why?? Sigh. He is just too silly of a character for me.

To wrap us this week, I loved the Pam flashbacks of course, and it looks like I'm really coming around to the Authority storyline. I'm really starting to become intrigued. So yes I would love more. Sookie and Tara? Eh, next please.

Thoughts on this weeks episode? Leave some comments.

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First Look Demo: Kingdom Hearts 3D

When I heard there was a Kingdom Hearts game coming out on the 3DS, I had the feeling that a longtime KH fan would have- is it Kingdom Hearts 3!?

Sadly, no, it is not. But don't be sad, unlike other spin-offs we've been served, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is a continuation of the story. That's right- a game where supposedly, by the end of it, we'll be finally ready to understand what is going on, or what will go on, in Kingdom Hearts 3.

Nintendo was nice enough to put a demo of this game up on their eShop, so naturally I went and downloaded it. Here's the inside scoop on what you'll get, but let me say this now- GET IT. Whether you read what I have to say or not, get the demo, because it is a lot of fun, and a nice intro on what to expect. So without further ado, let's begin.

For starters, the demo offers two great options: a Tutorial, and a level in the game, Traverse Town.



(Nostalgia kicks in now.- sorry, most of these were taken with my iPhone as I was playing..)



The game screen is what you'd expect and need all in one. The top screen is your basic display you're used to by now. The bottom screen serves as your map. Additionally, if you have any teammates their information is down there as well.

Let's start with the Tutorial. In the Tutorial, you end up battling Ursula (The Little Mermaid villain) in a very basic explanation of the controls. The controls are easy- you have camera controls, basic move/dodge/block, magic utilizing the directional pad and X, and locking on/targeting. It's very easy to get used to, and that's important for a Kingdom Hearts game.

When you're done defeating Ursula's three tentacles, you're transported to an area where you learn something new to Kingdom Hearts- Flowmotion and Reality Shift. Flowmotion is when you roll, dodge, thrust into something and begin basically spinning around the object. You can jump off and combo into attacks, combine the spinning into an attack on the object or enemy, or just use it to push off and go faster in travel. Reality Shift utilizes the touchscreen, and you basically use crates, at least in the demo, to launch in a slingshot like fashion.



So from the Tutorial we know two things: First, the game involves Sora. This is good. No Ven, Aqua, Roxas...just Sora, finally. Secondly, The Little Mermaid will once again plague our gaming experience with a level. At least there's fighting this time.

More combo goodies!


Next we move onto gameplay, or at least the non-tutorial gameplay. You get a little bit of the story, but not enough to make any assumptions (unless you've already scouted Wikipedia for the plot). You know Master Yen Sid is involved, and once again Sora is looking for Riku. Instead, Neku Sakuraba makes an appearence, possibly replacing the Final Fantasy characters in this game with "The World Ends With You" characters instead.



The game is pretty much dumping you off in Traverse Town once again, with you looking for Riku and Neku looking for a player of some sorts. Who or what he is referring to is a mystery, at least to the Kingdom Hearts players. You get the full-on battle experience with multiple enemies, and even a minor boss battle that is somewhat easy.



During this gameplay you get two companions. No, it's not Donald and Goofy. I'm hoping it's something relative to TWEWY, as I've never seen these characters before. One looks like a mix between a pillow and purple pig, while the other resembles a purple cat. When they reach a certain point in battles, you can tap their icons on the lower screen and initiate a battle sequence called linking, where you do a battle action and cause some serious damage. 

(Sorry, this is the best my iPhone has to offer as I play..)

 When the battle is over you get a small cutscene of the purple pig pillow trotting down the stairs, and the demo is over. I'm not sure what meaning this has, but I guess the full version of the game will explain more.

That's all there is to this demo. If this is a neat little package of everything you expect to find in the full version, than this is an instant winner in my book. It gives you the classic controls, a few new moves , and brings you back in to the Kingdom Hearts swing of things. I preordered mine already, but for those who have yet to or just want to keep an ear out, look for it when it hits shelves everywhere on July 31st, 2012.

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First Look: Lego Batman 2 DC Super Heroes

Today we're going to take a look at a game released on June 19th, 2012: Lego Batman 2.

This game got a lot of hype on the internet, had a few advertisements over usual at Gametops and other gaming stores, and caught my eye personally. Being a comic reader, I'm always interested in games that are based on Comics,because while they already have established stories, these games give you an option to explore "What if..." scenerios, different variations of plots, and of course being in control of the characters.

If you've ever played a LEGO brand game, you know what's in store for you. If you don't, here's my first look into the game and how it plays out.

First off, relax- it's comedic. Maybe you don't have that sense of humor you need for the game, but it really takes on a level of humor that you're just not going to see in any of the Christopher Nolan films.

The game's premise is easy to derive- Batman's villains are at it again, but this time with the help of Lex Luthor and a few other memorable faces. To go along with this, Superman and other DC heroes join the party. Storywise, you're going to get a basic plot with a comedic twist, but we play games to have fun.

Lego Batman 2 is just like any other Lego game you've played or heard about. You control a character, run around, and hit things. In Batman's case, you get to hit things with your fists, or throw batarangs at everything. You can play as Batman or Robin, and both have similar movesets, but different costume identities. That's right- the twist here is that you'll need various gadgets that different suits provide to get things done. These include a strong suit, equipped with rocket launcher and super strength, an acrobat suit, for all of your acrobatic and pole tactic needs, and magnetic suit, to stick to metal things.

In addition to the Batman perks, the game follows it's lego roots quite nicely. You go around interacting with other Lego setups and characters, different vehicles, and occassionally building new things. There's some vehicle action, and while the first level you get to experience is a rail-gun style chase in the Batplane or Robin 's helicopter, the rest of the game gives a llittle more variety, both in style and vehicle.

Oh and lastly- voices. Unlike other lego games, this game has some serious voice acting. And for all of your nostalgic people, you might find the voices a little...familiar...

For a fun game, maybe the $50 pricetag (or more/less, depending on system and where you buy it) isn't worth it right away. You'll have fun whether you know the plot or just want to hit things all day, So my recommendation- unless you pre-ordered it, wait a bit, let it drop in price, and pick it up. But definitely don't forget about this one!

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Book Review: Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins

One might think that Suzanne Collins named this book after the hype that would befall her series in only a short time.  The Hunger Games series has caught fire and is burning brightly.  I assume if you are reading this then you have some interest in the series and have read or seen The Hunger Games so my apologies if I spoil the book that previously was released.

We left off with Katniss and Peta having won the Hunger Games as a team, the first time two winners ever existed in the history of the games.  Their inseparable bond that grew inside the arena unfortunately for Peta did not continue outside of that same arena.  Peta had been in love with Katniss and that love just grew deeper and deeper as the games came to pass.  Katniss who was growing closer and closer to him though was still very confused on her feelings toward the baker's young son.  The terrible news that she was acting came past Peta's ears by Katniss' own tongue and the book ends with heartbreak for Peta and an unsure future for Katniss.

That ending I felt was fine for the book.  It was the type of ending that allowed a reader to know this book is over and the story finalized.  You had great speculation on the future but weren't sure if a sequel  was in the mix (although secretly you wanted one.)  Catching Fire was next.  Oddly enough this book actually had a title that made sense unlike some book series (like Twilight.)  The world wasn't literally on fire, neither was the Hunger Games but what was catching fire was the spirit of the citizens across all of the districts.  Their souls were cast ablaze with the hope of revolution all because a young 16 year old girl nearly committed suicide by eating berries.

SPOILERS BELOW

It begins with Katniss living in the nice area of town, Peta and good ol' Haymitch.   Haymitch is still drunk as ever and Peta and Katniss live a normal life apart from each other.  Peta got put into the friend zone hard core at the end of the first book so he learned his lesson.  They still must keep up the facade in front of the cameras or else the Capital might know that they are faking it...well Katniss is faking it.

What nobody expects is the Quarter Quell which takes place every 25 years of the Hunger Games.  This Quarter Quell takes previous winners and puts them back into the arena...and of course as District 12's only female winner Katniss is back in the fray.  Peta joins her in the fight and Haymitch is left to coach the two of them all over again, this time Katniss forces him to agree that he will help Peta win even if it is at the cost of her own life.  Katniss begins to see signs of revolution existing from a random television screen, to the "threats" issued to her from the President and she is certain that her death would ensure the safety of her family and loved ones.

Back in the Capital they meet their fellow competitors all of them much older than a normal competitor and many of them very famous.  Time starts to tick down slowly and of course her wonderful stylist Cinna has outdone himself again and again withe her outfits and she is again the talk of the town and in some people's eyes a favorite to win the whole thing.

This time around the arena is very watery.  In here she discovers over time that the place is a giant clock and each hour that passes means a different travesty occurs in what would be considered the corresponding spot on the face of a clock.  Alliances are formed and death befalls allies and enemies alike.  When Katniss is outside of the arena we as readers don't remember the full hardship and hunger, depravity and pain that occurs in the arena.  It is as if we are with her the entire time and experiencing everything with her.  By the close of the book almost everyone is dead (as the theme of the arena dictates) but there is an extremely major plot twist.  Now I don't care if you want to know it or not, it is a great twist and you gotta read the book to find out this one!

SPOILERS CLOSE

Now that you read a basic synopsis of the story and feel adequately prepared for the film (which many will watch without reading the story) I hope you have some knowledge going into this one.  I myself figured out the major plot twist from the beginning of the first book but that is me and not everyone.  I hope you can pick this up and read it but be sure you have Mockingjay at the ready because I can promise you you will want to read that one right after this!

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Project M Character Analysis: Lucario Revisited

We had a look at Lucario last time, but this time around, we'll discuss him in a bit more detail as far as what his new options afford him the ability to accomplish.  Combos are the name of the game with Lucario.  His individual attacks aren't especially powerful, so to rack up the damage and prep for a kill, you'll want to string together as many quick hits as possible, always aiming to end with Force Palm.  And let's be honest - the new aerial Force Palm is just so fun to use.  Just be weary of good techers; they'll be waiting to punish you, so follow with a down air or neutral air to be safe.

Buffering was touched on quite a bit before, but the creative player can do some great things with it.  For instance, on larger and/or heavier characters (Bowser, DK, Captain Falcon, Fox, etc), at low damage, you can rather easily string together loops of a jab > jab > force palm combo.  For spacing, you can use forward tilt in place of some jabs, as it covers a bit of distance or your dash attack.  The ability to act out of moves so quickly is a huge advantage, as your individual attacks don't deal a huge amount of damage.  If you're making contact on anything outside of a smash, you should be aiming to continue the onslaught or end it with Force Palm.  Rush and chase; don't let up on the pressure.

If you find yourself edgeguarding an opponent and they're aiming for a ledgegrab, be liberal with your use of down tilt.  The trajectory it pops the opponent up at gives you a great opportunity to hop up and use that new aerial Force Palm.  If you jump out a bit, you can toss them to their death, and if you have an aura charge (ex move) available, use it here; you'll toss them down and away from the stage.  Keep in mind there's no penalty to the aura charge if you miss; you'll only lose it if you connect.  At low damage, the opponent can act out of this state quite quickly; don't be deceived by the laziness of the AI.  Characters with long/high recovery, such as Snake and DeDeDe won't die to this technique so easily, so that aura charge is well reserved for this position.  Don't forget that if you whiff that Force Palm and you haven't finished a full jump, you're going to be fighting to get back to the stage, so weigh your options.  If you find yourself recovering, don't be afraid to aura charge cancel your ExtremeSpeed and air dodge at the ledge.

As satisfying as it gets.

One last thing; don't forget that your dash attack can cancel into your tilts, smashes and specials.  On connection, you can quickly transition into those all-important force palm combos and at medium damage, you can move from dash attack into a well timed up smash.  If you don't get "all of it", you can follow up with a neutral air for space; if you do, the last hit of up smash is quite strong and an effective kill.  Experiment with Lucario; the combo options are limited only by your imagination and reflexes.

Lucario combos are incredibly fun to string together - tell us your favorites or link us some videos in the comments!  Next up, we'll have a look at the new and improved Wolf.

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WWE Raw Wrapup - 6/25/2012

WWE Raw - June 25th, 2012

Chris Jericho returns tonight - At the very least, we have that to look forward to.  They should quickly work to build a program for him leading into Money in the Bank; people are always happy to see Jericho.  The show opens with a video, yet again, of the CM Punk/Daniel Bryan/Kane/AJ scenario.  This is a bright spot, as it focuses on the WWE Championship.

After the video, AJ is in the back, explaining things, though she is the only one on screen.  Tonight, she seems to be in a bit of a Kane-themed outfit again.  She needs to drift from Bryan, Kane causes her inhibitions to subside and she sees Punk as a soul mate.  She thinks they should all go their separate ways.  The camera pans around and she's practicing this chat into a mirror.  That's definitely a new way to open Raw.  Seems like none of the three has her favor anymore than the others, which disagrees with the end of No Way Out.

Brodus Clay makes his return to Raw and faces Big Show tonight, cementing the idea that John Lauranaitis' decrees are done with.  Tonight, John Cena makes a 'big announcement'.

Vickie Guerrero comes out on stage; she is the interim General Manager for Raw and Smackdown this week.  The crowd, as per the norm, gives her the business.  Vickie expect to become the permanent GM and it seems like the permanent choice will be selected on episode 1000.  Our first match will be a three way elimination match.

Match 1:  Daniel Bryan vs Kane vs CM Punk (WWE Champion), non-title elimination Triple Threat

Winner:  Daniel Bryan via pinfall

Again?  The WWE Champ opens Raw.  We see these men face off yet again.  It's too much.  They need some separation to make future title matches special; make them mean something.  All three of them need to face others.  Apparently, WWE has hash tags for each of the participants in the match for the WWE Universe to vote on who AJ should be with.  Silly.

The smaller men go after Kane to open the match, but he takes right over.  Bryan chopblocks the knee and lays into him with kicks, coupled with Punk, and now both men lay boots to the devil's favorite demon and Bryan rolls up Punk as soon as he turns his back.  The usual formula - With Kane eliminated momentarily, it becomes a temporary one on one.  Punk gives Bryan a curb stomp for two and Kane tries to fight back from the floor.  Bryan dives at Kane off the apron and gets caught and put into the barrier as we roll into a commercial.

Back, we find Kane has taken control of both Punk and Bryan.  Kane heads to the top rope, but Bryan cuts him off.  Bryan wants a superplex, but Punk puts a stop to it.  Bryan ends up in the electric chair and Kane tries a doomsday device, but Bryan uses a victory roll to dodge and Kane whiffs.  Bryan gets two and then he and Punk give Kane a double suplex.  With Kane out of the way momentarily, Punk and Bryan are back to fighting with a fervor.  Punk low roads Kane as he rushes him and then back drops Bryan onto him on the floor.  Punk takes a moment to gather his thoughts then hits both men with a suicide dive.  Michael Cole reminds us that Punk's current title run is the fourth longest in fifteen years.  Bryan tries the Yes!lock, but Punk fights out and slingshots him into a recovering Kane, then clubs Bryan with a big kick.  Punk wants the GTS, but Kane boots Punk, sending Bryan flying and letting Kane get a two count.  Big sideslam from Kane on Punk is good for two again.  Kane heads to the top again and this time he lands the diving clothesline.  AJ's music hits and she skips to ringside.  AJ skips around, taking a lap and heads back to the back.  Punk counters a Chokeslam and lands the GTS, pinning Kane.  Bryan slides in after the pin and pops Punk in the head with a kick and picks up the victory.

Pretty good triple threat; the elimination factor is always a bit fun; that's how Ring of Honor does most of their three way dances.  AJ did the same run in as last time, but the distraction seemed significantly less - Kane still tried the Chokeslam, Punk just countered it.

Cut to Vickie Guerrero in the back and Alberto del Rio enters and begins to brown nose Vickie with flowers.  ADR says he's the rightful number one contender; enter Ziggler.  Ziggler tells him to get in line.  Ziggler wants one more shot after coming close on Smackdown.  Tonight, a contract on a pole match for a World Heavyweight Title match on Friday night.  Ricardo reenters with a vase for the flowers and Ziggler tosses it into the wall.  Been a while since we've had an "on a pole" match on Raw.  We had a tuxedo match at No Way Out, so why not?

WWE Rewind to last month and Big Show taking out Brodus Clay, along with R-Truth and Kofi Kingston.  I can only assume the Big Show/Brodus Clay match is next.

Match 2:  Brodus Clay vs Big Show

Winner:  Big Show via pinfall

Despite the gravity of the match ahead of him, Clay is still happy to dance his way down to the ring.  It'd be nice to see someone more concerned with a big fight than his entrance bit once in a blue moon.  As Big Show makes his entrance, now Clay is all business.  Big Show opens with strikes, but Clay fights out of the corner.  Off an irish whip, Clay takes Big Show down with a headbutt to the chest.  From the mat, Big Show kicks at the previously injured knee of Clay and begins to drop elbows on it.  Big Show keeps the attack up and wraps Clay's leg around the ringpost.  Back in the ring, Show readies for a Vader Bomb and lands it.  Show grabs Clay by the hair and cocks the WMD, but Brodus fights out.  Clay tries a scoop slam, but his knee gives out and Show lands on top of him for the pin. 

Not an especially dominant win; more so because Clay made a bad choice and just couldn't get up.  If I had to wager a guess?  This continues on for another week or two.  A doctor is out to check on Clay; if they play up an injury angle, then I may be wrong.  I can't see any reason to put Clay on the shelf unless they plan to repackage him in some way and I doubt that with the way the young'uns love the Funksaurus.

A recap video for John Cena and his Make-A-Wish efforts.  Cena has granted 300 wishes.  It's fun to poke at the character and almost frustrating to talk about how he's booked and portrayed, but never let it be said that the man doesn't care about his company and his fans.  You can't watch a a video package like this and nod your head saying "Yeah, I'm sick of the character he portrays, but this is an all-around good man".

Raw 1000 moment with Bob Barker:  His own guest spot in 2009.  To be fair, he was one of the best guest hosts in that awful guest host time period.

During the commercial, Big Show surprises Clay with a WMD.  Like I said, surprise WMD is my favorite new gimmick in WWE.

Rewind to No Way Out and HHH lobbying for a match with Brock Lesnar at Summerslam and Heyman's answer one week ago.  Next week, Lesnar will personally answer HHH's challenge.

AJ is in the back, talking to Kane.  Kane is not happy that he feels things around AJ.  He says he's not boyfriend material.  Kane is a monster and his only source of pleasure is eviscerating people and even he finds AJ "mentally unstable".  For AJ's own good, Kane says they should stay away from one another.  AJ starts to cry, then quickly transitions to laughter.  Crazy chicks!

Match 3:  Jack Swagger vs Santino Marella (c), United States Championship

Winner:  Santino Marella via pinfall

Why would Jack Swagger be getting a US title shot?  More of that "just because" booking that makes no sense.  Vickie Guerrero in charge or not, this is silliness.  Swagger wants a handshake and pops Santino one in the face.  As per the commentators, Vickie isn't aligned with Swagger any longer, so her influence doesn't make a whole lot of sense for this title match.  Swagger remains in charge with kicks and a powerslam.  Swagger applies a surfboard on the US champ, but he quickly fights to his feet and lands a belly to back suplex.  Santino hits jabs, a split and a hip toss, followed by the big headbutt and the Cobra comes out.  Swagger lifts Santino, but he counters into a big DDT.  Santino lands the Cobra and the three. 

Well, Jack Swagger looks like crap.  Still makes no sense to me; he's so big and strong and such a solid wrestler, but the wheels of his career have been stuck in the mud for quite some time.  The US title would be a great way to give a bit of credibility to guys like Tyson Kidd who need to be shown to the mainstream crowd more often.  At least the Intercontinental title still means something...

A Divas summertime beach battle royal will take place tonight.  John Cena is in the back, heading toward the ring and sees a box labeled for things that need a good home, among them, a People Power shirt.  Zack Ryder walks in and tosses the shirt in the trash then gives John Cena a broski fistbump.  That's probably all we'll see of Ryder tonight.

John Cena makes his entrance at the top of the hour.  Once he reaches the ring, the vocal males let him know what they think (spoiler:  They booed).  Cena has an historical announcement tonight.  Cena makes a goofy Star Wars story about the cage match at No Way Out.  Then he laughs at his own joke...someone Send for the Man.  The lights go dim and Chris Jericho makes his return to interrupt the inanity.  The crowd is plenty happy to see him.  Jericho tells Cena to make his announcement and hit the bricks.  Cena says he'll be in Money in the Bank, just to stop Big Show.  Cena wants to win.  Jericho takes offense to Cena assuming he'll win just because he's John Cena.  Cena reminds Jericho that he's 0-3 in Money in the Bank ladder matches, so what's his point?  Jericho tells Cena that he needs to take Money in the Bank seriously.  Cena has more to contend with in the match than just Big Show, because Jericho is entering himself.  Vickie comes out to preside over the goings on.  Vickie confirms there will be two Money in the Bank matches - one per title.  Jericho interrupts and Vickie yells at him - He smugly asks what she'll do, suspend him? (Jericho is just off a 30-day suspension from a flag-related incident in Brazil).  According to the Board of Directory, only former WWE champions will take part in Money in the Bank this year.  Kane, Big Show, Jericho, John Cena are eligible.  Cena sasses Vickie and she will make the main event of Raw:  John Cena vs Chris Jericho.

So if this is to be taken at face value, only four men will be in the WWE Title Money in the Bank ladder match.  And those four men are Kane, Show, Cena and Jericho.  This is not the spirit of Money in the Bank.  I'm going to reserve judgment for now, because that was awkwardly explained and I can't imagine a Money in the Bank with only four men.  Traditionally, Money in the Bank has been a showcase of young talent and affording them an opportunity to work with some higher level talent.

Lillian Garcia is attempting to introduce a former Raw main eventer for a match, but Heath Slater interrupts.  Interesting gimmick for the one man rock band.  Slater says he doesn't care what Roddy Piper and Cyndi Lauper think of him; he's one of the top stars on Raw and he rules the world...a precursor for his opponent.

Match 4:  Heath Slater vs Sycho Sid

Winner:  Sycho Sid via pinfall

I could get behind this gimmick; Slater uses someone's catch phrase and they come down and smack him around.  Sid lays into Slater's midsection then seats him on the top rope by his neck, only to slap him down.  Slater goes after Sid's leg, which made me cringe (If you've never seen Sid's leg snap search around for it), but Sid fights back.  Sid calls for the Powerbomb and delivers.  Sid pins Slater. 

Fun return; it's interesting to see how they integrate someone's catchphrase into a promo to deliver on it.  I have a feeling after Raw 1000, these guest spots will end, but for now it's a nice diversion.

Match 5:  Alberto del Rio vs Dolph Ziggler, contract on a pole match for number one contendership to the World Heavyweight Title

Winner:  No Contest

Audible Ziggler chants from the crowd.  Ziggler shoves del Rio and makes a mad rush for the contract, but gets stopped.  Del Rio tries a quick grab as well, but Ziggler isn't having any of it.  Ziggler runs into a tilt a whirl backbreaker after an elbow from the corner.  ADR wants the contract again, but Ziggler drags him down.  Del Rio whiffs an enzuigiri and Ziggler drops him with a russian leg sweep.  The crowd continues to be behind Ziggler, as he flips out of another try at a titl a whirl backbreaker and lands a beautiful dropkick.  Ziggler uses his agility to rush the pole again, but del Rio puts a stop to him once again.  Ziggler climbs over del Rio up top, but del Rio gives him a samoan drop from the top, leaving both men down.  Del Rio is the first to stir, but both men go up top again.  Ziggler rips the contract down, but neither man holds on to it, and now they fight over it on the mat.  Strikes back and forth, but until someone has control of the clipboard, the match continues.  Ricardo tries to grab it for ADR, but Ziggler kicks it out of his hands and it ends up on the floor.  A scramble to reach the floor ensues and both men tumble out of the opposite side of the ring and hit the floor hard.  Sheamus' music hits and he walks out with a microphone.  Friday night is going to be a triple threat for the World Heavyweight Championship.  The match won't be about showing off or destiny; it's about Sheamus kicking both of their arses. 

This was somewhere between great booking and an odd non-ending.  I hate to see any match go without a real ending, but a triple threat could provide a different opportunity for the men involved.  This could just as easily have been accomplished with the match ending with both men holding a page of the contract or something.  Curious if that was an audible called in the back or planned all along.  Regardless, Ziggler gets another shot and Albero del Rio gets the shot he should have gotten before the concussion.

CM Punk will take on Daniel Bryan for the WWE title at Money in the Bank.  Cut to Punk in the back on the phone, with his eyes quickly covered by AJ from behind.  Punk guesses it's King Kong Bundy; just a bit off.  AJ is dedicating her participation in the Divas summertime battle royal to CM Punk.  Punk wants a serious talk after the match and AJ leaves him a bit confused.  AJ is in a robe; they usually only put the girls in robes when they have something special to show off to the crowd.

Raw 1000 moment with Mick Foley:  "This is your life" birthday party for The Rock in 1999.

Match 6:  Divas Summertime Beach Battle Royal

Winner:  AJ

Vickie comes out and says People Power is dead...Long live Vickie power.  Vickie is out in a robe, meaning one thing only.  Vickie is in a one piece.  The girls all go right after her.  Maxine and Asksana are quickly eliminated.  Alicia Fox rolls out and basically eliminates herself.  Rosa is out next, then Tamina.  Natalya holds Layla for Beth, but Beth hits Nattie by mistake, then gets dumped out by Layla.  AJ goes after Layla and thanks to a distraction, eliminates her.  This leaves Vickie and AJ.  Vickie dumps AJ, but she hangs on and climbs back in.  AJ puts on the sweet smile for Vickie and after a push, pounces on her.  AJ gets rid of Vickie and wins the battle royal.  AJ celebrates with Daniel Bryan YES's.  Didn't she dedicate this one to CM Punk?  Oh you crafty minx you...

Courtesy of http://numbr87.tumblr.com/

Next Tuesday is a live Smackdown, The Great American Bash.

Match 7:  Chris Jericho vs John Cena

Winner:  John Cena via disqualification

Strong Y2J chants as John Cena's music kicks in.  The two open with a couple quick mat exchanges and the crowd opens with a Lets Go Cena/Cena Sucks duel.  Jericho slaps Cena and bails from the ring, trying for the psychological advantage (and setting up the commercial break).   Jericho is in control back from the commercial, but Cena is fighting out of a headlock.  Cena runs into a boot and Jericho lands a second rope missile dropkick for two.  Jericho continues with a belly to back suplex and boots to the ribs.  A low dropkick puts Cena on the floor.  Back in, Cena counters a suplex from Jericho with one of his own.  Jericho takes back over with a kick to the chest of Cena, who wanted a back body drop.  Cena finds himself in a chinlock, but fights back to his feet again.  Cena lays into Jericho, but runs into an elbow, followed by a Lionsault attempt that Cena dodges, allowing him to go into his comeback routine.  Jericho grabs the legs as Cena tries the Five Knuckle Shuffle but Cena fights out of a Walls of Jericho attempt.  Jericho swings wildly, and Cena hits his spinout powerbomb and the Five Knuckle Shuffle.  Big Show's music hits and the distraction allows Jericho to apply the Walls.  Big Show gets in and drops a leg on the back of the prone Cena, causing Jericho to be disqualified.  

Jericho is mad about the unnecessary loss, but leaves Cena to Big Show, not wanting to provoke the giant.  Big Show delivers a Chokeslam to Cena and then stands over him and applies the Colossal Clutch.  Cena is out cold as the show fades.  Big Show stands tall, a threat to Cena, the WWE Title and the WWE as a whole.

This was an odd Raw.  Opening with the WWE Champion has become almost standard, which is a shame; no other company does this on such a regular basis.  The triple threat was good, but we've been seeing this for a month, which means all three men need to wrestle other people so that when they do fight for the title, it's something special, instead of "oh hey, the same match but now for the title".  It's hard to complain about Bryan/Punk at Money in the Bank, because it's bound to be a great match.  The rest of the wrestling action was just kind of there on this episode.  The pole match was pretty good, but the odd ending is hard to call - An audible because it ran long or an ending that didn't need to be there?  The divas battle royal existed solely to showcase AJ; there seems to be a lot of steam behind her, which is good.  She isn't the "typical" diva and is capable in the ring, so a continued focus on her is healthy.  The episode as a whole was very AJ-centric, which is odd - WWE must see something in her.  Not that the fans haven't said so for a while now, but it's great to see WWE and the fans agree on something for once.  Raw's Money in the Bank being Kane/Jericho/Cena/Big Show is a baffling choice, but it will likely help in leading to Cena/Rock for the WWE title at Wrestlemania; maybe Rock wins the Royal Rumble and the title soon after, Cena cashes in at 'Mania?  We'll see moving forward.

If you missed Ring of Honor's Best in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis, be sure to check my twitter feed @sbfantom for a first hand reaction from the Hammerstein Ballroom.

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WWE Smackdown Lowdown - 6/22/2012

WWE Smackdown - June 22nd, 2012

It becomes harder and harder to think in terms of "proper intro" when on a weekly basis we see relatively the same things  John Lauranaitis is gone, and in place of John Cena, we'll see HHH in the main event at Summerslam.  Raw expands to 3 hours on July 23rd - WWE needs to provide a legitimate focus on the young, up and coming talent instead of arbitrarily expanding segments by five minutes each.

We open up Smackdown with Teddy Long greeting the crowd and informing them that John Lauranaitis was fired.  Who's watching Smackdown that doesn't know that, Teddy?  Teddy doesn't seem to be employed in any capacity - He's not the General Manager, but he still dances out in a suit.  The GM of the night will be Mick Foley.  The crowd is happy, until Big Show interrupts the proceedings.  Now first of all, Brodus Clay is not allowed on Raw because of Big Show.  Big Show is now on Smackdown.  Find the disconnect.  I'll chalk this one up to Ace being fired meaning that Ace's rules are no longer valid.  Show reminds us all that he doesn't care about Big Johnny and he doesn't care about the WWE Universe; he only cares about himself.  Show congratulates Cena on his win in the cage match; it only took five of his 'cronies' to help him win.  Big Show says in an actual fight, he'd stomp Cena.  He says that he is moving on from Cena to bigger things; namely, the Money in the Bank ladder match.  Big Show can't be stopped, regardless of how many men are in the match.  Nobody can stop him once he cashes in.  Brodus Clay walks out.  There's no dancing tonight; he's all business.  Clay slides in which allows Big Show to lay boots to him, but Clay fights to his feet and delivers a headbutt to Big Show's chest.  Otunga slides in from out of nowhere and clips Clay in the knee, continuing on from the YouTube pre show match from No Way Out.  Show lands a big kick to Clay's knee and then his ribs.  Brodus fights up to his knees and Big Show delivers the WMD.  Show heads to the back, not at all acknowledging Otunga.  Otunga proceeds to make bad mama jokes and mock Brodus' dancing.

Big Show standing tall over a 'monster' wrestler is good.  Big Show needing help from a mook like David Otunga to do it?  Not so good.  There's not a person watching this show interested in an Otunga/Clay feud, and even outside of a match, Otunga was hit with a more than audible "You can't wrestle" chant.  Until Otunga intervened, this one was looking towards a thumbs up.

Match 1:  Ryback vs Frank Venezia and Jared Wahkler
Winner:  Ryback via pinfall

Once again, the opponents who are trash talking Ryback, knowing they're facing Ryback, are scared when Ryback's music hits.  Ryback ran wild on these poor fellas:  Deadlift slamming them into one another, along with a buckle bomb, dead lifted into a powerbomb on the other and a spinebuster.  The stacked Fisherman Samoan Buster Drop ends the match.  At the PPV, Ryback was asking to be fed three.  I guess they're not quite settled on doing that yet, but Booker does make it a point to ask if Cole and Josh Matthews think Ryback could do that to three guys.  Cole then goes "maybe 4 or 5" because he has no concept of comedic timing.

Mick Foley and Yoshi Tatsu are in the back.  Vickie Guerrero walks in and asks Tatsu if he shouldn't be making sushi or something.  Tasteful as always, WWE.  Tatsu tells Vickie she's ugly on his way out.  Vickie tells Mick that next week she's in charge of both shows (keeping up the theme of past GM's as interims) and if he's not nice, she'll make him her assistant.  Foley suggests a better assistant and Great Khali dances in.  Foley joins in and goes for (and calls) a Dude Love dance move, but they cut away.  Altogether bad use of air time.

Raw 1000 moment with Daniel Bryan:  Marty Jannetty beats Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Title.  Imagine that - a guy known for his wrestling has a Raw 1000 memory about wrestling.

Match 2:  Alberto del Rio vs Christian (Intercontinental Champion), non-title
Winner:  Alberto del Rio via submission

This was a good match, with a good pay off and a good ending segment.  It had a bad opening in terms of commentary, with Booker T saying ADR should have taken the title shot, even with the concussion, which would of course put him in danger of ending his career.  Good call, Book.  After a good amount of back and forth action, the match ends with a great sequence:  Christian hits a tornado DDT and goes for the Killswitch, which ADR counters by dropping Christian's arm across his own shoulder, stunner-style.  Del Rio tries for a senton, but comes up empty, which allows Christian to ready for the spear.  Alberto sees this coming and delivers a stiff kick to the chin and tries the Cross Armbreaker, but Christian tries the Killswitch again, only to be blocked again.  Christian ends up mounting the top rope, but Ricardo Rodriguez runs the distraction, allowing ADR to run the ropes and deliver an enzuigiri to Christian on the top, sending him to the mat and allowing him to slap on the Cross Armbreaker for the win.  He actually did it to the opposite arm that he worked all match, but that's a detail to be let go.  Del Rio is happy with this and heads to the back, but Cody Rhodes hits the ring and delivers a clothesline to the back of the head of Christian.  Rhodes locks in a fujiwara armbar and Christian begins to fight to his feet, but Rhodes throws him shoulder first into the ringpost then screams that Christian is stealing his time and that Rhodes IS Smackdown.  Good stuff all around and really the highlight of the night.  This is a rivalry I'm glad to see continue and Rhodes' statements point to a facet of it beyond just the IC title.  Rhodes is absolutely a front runner for the Money in the Bank briefcase this year.

A video package concerning the AJ/Daniel Bryan/CM Punk/Kane situation plays, with a heavy focus on AJ herself.

Match 3:  Kane vs Daniel Bryan, Special Guest Timekeeper:  AJ
Winner:  Kane via pinfall

AJ flashes a big smile for Kane and a frown for Bryan.  A lot of back and forth action in this match, which I wouldn't typically expect between Kane and Bryan.  Bryan's strikes were allowed to hurt Kane, which is a nice change of pace and yet another indication of the confidence that WWE has in him, despite his "not fitting the mold".  Josh Matthews mentions he's not comfortable with everyone's favorite crazy chick AJ sitting at ringside holding a hammer (for the bell, of course!).  Commentator line of the night right there.

Bryan ends up delivering a drop toe hold to Kane, leaving his head on the middle turnbuckle, then kicks the middle rope to throw the turnbuckle into Kane's face.  This is quickly becoming a signature for Bryan on TV and it works incredibly well for him as a heel.  Bryan heads up top for a missile dropkick and in a rare shot, he slips from the top, which makes for Kane lifting him and carrying him to the opposite corner, where Bryan kicks him off and lands the missile dropkick.  As I've said in the past, kudos to the guys that can call the audible on the fly and not just awkwardly climb up and try the exact same spot again; if there's one compliment I can give to Sheamus on the regular, it's this.  Kane ends up taking over, but Bryan backflips over him, hits the ropes and runs into a big boot from Kane.  Bryan dropkicks Kane's leg out from under him and lands an execution kick to the side of the head.  Bryan climbs up top again and seemingly lands a diving headbutt, but Kane has caught him by the neck.  Kane tries a Chokeslam, but Bryan counters into a guillotine.  Kane tries to shake him off, and Bryan ends up going up and over into a sunset flip and transitions into the Labelle Lock.  The bell rings, but Kane has not tapped.  Bryan celebrates, but the ref tells him Kane didn't tap; Kane lands a Chokeslam and pins Bryan.  AJ is shown being a tad bashful, then flashes a crafty little smirk at Kane and skips off.  Kane kind of smiles back.

Once again, AJ shows that she can play her part as well as any of the men on the show, if not better.  Her facials are believable instead of being cartoonish and she doesn't over complicate anything.  This may be some of the best writing the creative team is doing at the moment, and if it ends up benefiting Bryan and/or Punk, all the better.

Mick Foley comes out to address the crowd and throws out his cheap pop of the night for the city.  Heath Slater interrupts, as he now seems wont to do on a regular basis.  Slater is lobbying a protest for what happened to him on Raw with Piper and Cyndi Lauper (See Here!).  He's mad that he was embarrassed by them and Foley says he'll be embarrassed tonight by...Zack Ryder!  Missed being on Long Island by one show...are you serious, bro?

Match 4:  Heath Slater vs Zack Ryder
Winner:  Zack Ryder via pinfall

Nice to see Ryder on TV, but he got about a two minute match.  Ryder hits signature offense, Slater hits his signature neckbreaker, Ryder hits a Rough Ryder and pins him.

Back from a commercial, Foley and Ryder are in the back and are met by Damien Sandow.  Sandow gives them the verbal business.  After giving examples of Ryder's nonsense, Sandow says "no more".  Maybe this could lead to a "real" match for Sandow instead of glorified squashes, which would finally bring him into the normalcy of the roster.  This process seems to take too long for quite a few wrestlers.  I'm to believe that Sandow dispatches of his opponents faster than someone like Antonio Cesaro?  And everytime?  It feels like 5 different people work on this and don't at all communicate with inconsistencies like that.

The WWE Smack of the Night plays, and for once it's actually relevant:  Tyson Kidd's frankensteiner to the outside during No Way Out's four-way tag match, followed by Darren Young landing his gutbuster and winning for his team.

Match 5:  The Usos vs Prime Time Players
Winners:  Prime Time Players via pinfall

The Usos take control early with chops and quick tags.  Young eventually makes it to his corner to tag in Titus O'Neil who takes over and settles into a chinlock.  The Uso in the ring fights back and lands the running ass to the face in the corner.  Jey Uso and Darren Young end up tumbling over the top rope to the floor and Jimmy hits a samoan drop on Titus.  Jimmy readies for the Superfly Splash, but Young trips him (after AW runs some classic manager distraction on the ref), allowing Titus to land the Clash of the Titus for the win.

Fun tag match, and it's followed by Young/O'Neil getting jumped by Primo and Epico in the back.  It's nice to see some fire and energy for the tag division.  Seems like every couple of years, WWE gets in a tag division mode and builds it a bit.  Hopefully it holds up a bit and the NXT/Superstars team of Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel get used as well.

Santino Marella comes out with a microphone and has the cameramen focus on some signs and comments on them.  He eventually calls an energetic fan into the ring, she plants a kiss on him and he sells it like the WMD.  I love Santino, I really do.  His antics almost always entertain me.  But this is the type of time that can be used for Kidd, Gabriel or a real match for Slater/Ryder.  This served no purpose, nobody had a better time because of it.  Just bad.

A quick "recap" of CM Punk on Jimmy Fallon, focusing mostly on The Roots playing his entrance theme and the actual entrance he made; no content for the actual interview.  More wasted opportunities.

Match 6:  Dolph Ziggler vs Sheamus (World Heavyweight Champion), non-title
Winner:  Sheamus via pinfall

Ziggler opens up in the corner, hanging onto the top rope and doing leg lifts.  A show off shows off.  It's these simple things, just keeping up with your own character, that put Ziggler above so much of the roster.  Sheamus hits his rolling fireman's carry slam very early in the match; this really should be a late match thing, but whatever.  Sheamus ends up hitting a fallaway slam into the barriers outside to lead to a commercial.  Because both guys outside always leads to a commercial.

Ziggler has taken over while WWE paid the bills.  Sheamus fights back and tosses Ziggler to the outside and throws him into the steel steps.  Vickie jaws at Sheamus and he turns to her, allowing Ziggler to vault off the steps and land a huge fameasser outside on the floor.  Awesome spot.  Back in the ring, Ziggler lands offense for near falls:  A neckbreaker, a low dropkick on the apron after putting Sheamus' neck on the middle rope  and another neckbreaker.  Sheamus fights up from a chinlock and goes into his usual comeback routine, but when he tries White Noise, Ziggler shimmies out and lands a jumping DDT (quick becoming a signature for him) for another nearfall.  Sheamus lands a flying shoulder after punching Ziggler out of mid air and finally hits his signature forearms to the chest.  Ziggler elbows out of the Irish Curse and kicks Sheamus' legs out from under him.  He gets a Brough Kick for his troubles.

It's a shame that a match that fun can end with a guy taking kicks to his legs that render him unto his knees, only to turn around seconds later and deliver a jump kick to a guy's face.  It's incredibly lazy.  White Noise or the Celtic Cross could have been used here, but he opted for the one move based entirely on the body part that Ziggler just kicked out from under him.  I don't know if it's lazy thinking in the ring or an active attempt by WWE to "Cena-ify" Sheamus.  Sheamus is a good candidate to be a "next Cena", but having him do the same Superman garbage routine is just going to annoy fans.

I read this back and there's a lot of complaints in there, but don't let that detract from the good, where it's always best to focus:  The tag division is getting proper attention, Ziggler and Rhodes are being showcased (at least in the eyes of WWE) and a storyline that doesn't involve John Cena, that actually focuses on a diva, gets huge focus and time well spent.  A Cena-transformation may end up underway for Sheamus, but for now, he continues to put on solid matches, even if the occasional move selections is...odd.

Tomorrow night is ROH's Best in the World: Hostage Crisis, and I will be attending at the Manhattan Center.  I'll be live tweeting on behalf of Pulse Wrestling and I'd love for you to join in the conversation by following me @sbfantom.  In the weeks coming, I'll be summarizing the weekly TV for ROH for Pulse as well, moving forward.  Join in on the conversation! 

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First Look: Pokemon Conquest

Did anybody else know about Pokemon Conquest? I sure didn't, so when I got wind of it while looking up information on the new Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2 games, I was quite surprised.

Pokemon Conquest was released on the DS on June 19th 2012, and is a spin-off on the Pokemon franchise. It's based off of Pokemon, with a mix of the Japanese game Nobunaga's Ambition, and all comes together for a turn based strategy game of fighting. It's not a 3DS game, but like any other DS game you can play it on your 3DS with no problems. There aren't any special features for playing on 3DS either, so don't bother looking. At the end of the day, the game doesn't need the 3D features anyway.

Unfortunately, if you live in NY, odds are your local store didn't get this game in until Wednesday due to a shipping error. Most of the Gamestops in my area didn't.

When you load this game for the first time, you're thrown right into the old Pokemon nostalgia of being asked if you're a boy or a girl. I selected being a boy, obviously, and the pokemon joining you is predetermined as Eevee. If you chose the girl, I assume you begin the game with Jigglypuff, as the female character joins you anyway. Unlike other Pokemon games, there are no professors, no overconfident parents, and there is a distinct Risk-style plot outlined already. You begin the game in the kingdom of Aurora, as it's new Warlord. The aim of the game is to conquer other kingdoms, and unite the land, to bring about the legendary pokemon. There will be people trying to do the same, of course, and it won't be easy as the kingdoms do fight back. Have no fear though- you're not in Kanto anymore.

You're thrown into easy battles at first, selecting your team of Pokemon based on your allies. Other pokemon elements take a place in this game, so have your type chart ready as you can do super effective moves as well as have some tough battles ahead of you. You go into battle equipping one item, rather than an entire bag, and the aim of each battle is to ultimately knock out all of the opposing pokemon, but some stages have other goals as well.

Instead of normal 1 on 1 battling, Pokemon Conquest revives a battling system a few people may be familiar with. If you've ever played Vandal Hearts or Fire Emblem, you know what I mean. You have a grid of squares, you move your pokemon throughout your turn, and either make them attack or wait where they are. You can see where each Pokemon, yours and your opponents, is able to move, and if you check the details you can see their range of attack. Each pokemon can move and attack, so you need to plan accordingly. While the battles will be short at first, rest assured they become longer as you progress through the game.

There's no catching pokemon early on, so you'll have to tough it out with Eevee, Jigglypuff, and a few allies for the first few battles. You do get the option roughly 4-5 wins in, so sit tight until then. When you get to that point, the system is set to making links- you go right next to the pokemon, select "link" from the menu choices, and play a timing mini-game very briefly. To recruit pokemon with their trainers, you need to fulfill a certain condition, like beating them within the first 4 turns of the battle, or finishing them with a super-effective move. Additionally, Nintendo and a few other sources have provided passwords (It's not cheating, there is an input option on the main menu) to make certain Pokemon appear for battling, but only one time per password! There's one included in the game for Dratini, as well as a few others on the Pokemon Conquest website, but ultimately you could always visit the reliable Gamefaqs.com for other passwords.

At first glance, this seems like the type of game older Pokemon players would enjoy, as the levels require far more strategy than your standard Pokemon game. Some pokemon can, and should, attack on-field objects. Some of the attacks deal damage to an adjacent square, while others can target two squares in a direction, while others can target multiple squares. Like the more recent pokemon games, certain pokemon have built-in abilities to aid you, or cause you grief if you're against it. Lastly, this isn't such a narrow game- out of the 600+ Pokemon we know about, it appears that over 200 appear in the game. My "I grew up in the 90s" sense is tingling- I remember being completely in awe at 150 Pokemon. Also, the pokemon come from all 5 generations  of Pokemon gaming (Red/Blue/Yellow, Gold/Silver/Crystal, Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald, Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, and Black/White) so it is a brand-new game concept.

If nothing else, this IS the Pokemon Spin-off that we've been waiting for.  I say give it a shot, you might enjoy it!

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Project M Character Analysis: Link

With the recent release of Project M Demo v2.1, we're going to have a look at a handful more of the characters who have benefitted from the physics changes and the creativity of the Project M team.  We'll revisit Lucario in a more technical sense, as well as some of the other Brawl newcomers in the coming weeks.  The Brawl newcomers are a bit more interesting to look at as the team has taken more creative license with them; the Melee vets were very much treated to a "re-meleeing" process, although some of them have reaped rewards, such as Link.  The Project M team has treated Link very well.  In general, his attacks have gotten buffed; some in speed, some in range, some in power, and some in multiple aspects.  Let's start with him.

Nothing categorizes Link in Smash Bros like his projectile game.  With Project M, Link's ranged game is better than ever.  His bow is stronger and charges significantly faster, which will afford the opportunity to move about the stage, short hop and fire off arrows to keep opponents at bay and dole out that oh-so-precious damage.  A charged arrow has effective knockback for a projectile; hitting an opponent who's already off the stage with one could be that little nudge needed to keep them off the edge.  Learn the trajectory, learn the timing for a full charge - you'll learn to love it.  Bombs, while not hugely different, still deal decent damage and can be used to mindgame people into positions advantageous to you.  The unique part of the bomb is its classification as an item.  There are things you can do and games you can play with the bomb that you simply cannot do with a normal projectile.  You can pull one, short hop and drop it to leave a trap or you can litter the sky with them to create an obstacle course, forcing an opponent where you want them to be and to fall into your new and improved up smash.

Boomerang and arrows - keep them flying

Then there's the boomerang.  The gale aspect of it is gone; this is back to the hard-smacking boomerang you know and love.  Down tilted throws for short hop attacks, up tilted ones for fakes and long distance hurls to come back and hit the opponent once you close in and grab or combo them.  I personally feel you should have your boomerang flying around the stage as much as possible, as often as possible.  Though not a projectile, Link's spin attack is back the way you love it - A strong initial strike and a useful way to end combos on the ground.  The end of the spin still gives that semi-spike trajectory, so don't be shy about using it at the edge.  In fact, do so with vim and vigor.

Every bit of damage helps

As for Link's regular attacks, you'll notice a healthy speed increase.  You'll be able to move faster out of some of these attacks, such as the down smash, and some are just outright faster, like forward tilt.  While some of these are minor changes, veteran Link players will notice a huge increase in speed between what they could accomplish in Melee vs what they can do in Project M.  Up smash may be one of the most important changes; the three strikes now combo into one another far more effectively, allowing more damage to rack up and a much better chance of the third strike to send them flying.  Don't be afraid to run at an opponent and go right into up smash; you stand to deal great damage.  This can be all the easier with a boomerang looming...

Ultimately, you've got a character with a good air game, a good distance game and a formidable close range game; put these puzzle pieces together and you can land some great combos.  And let's be honest, it's always fun to toss your boomerang, grab your opponent and just wait for it to come back and bop them one.  Link has long been a fan-favorite among Nintendo fans in general, and with the changes seen in Project M, I see him being a lot more popular amongst smashers as well.

Have a favorite rush down with Link?  Perhaps a combo video or a good match with him?  Let us see in the comments!  Next week, we take a more in depth look at Lucario and his new combo capability.

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