Long before the birth of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and his incredible 2016 US Presidential Election victory, Donald Trump made his presence felt in video games.
I am talking about Trump’s participation in a short video that was presented during the Xbox conference of the 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The video was a parody of Trump’s popular show The Apprentice in which he appeared in a business meeting with the executives of Team Xbox (the real-life Robbie Bach, J Allard and Peter Moore) and Team PlayStation (with actors playing the PlayStation executives).
Back in 2004, as I was anticipating online media coverage of that year’s E3, I visited one particular Xbox website which streamed the said Trump-Xbox-PlayStation video and even offered a downloadable version for Windows media. I downloaded the video, watched it and was delighted ultimately. For your viewing pleasure, posted is a direct-feed video of from the This Week In Gaming YouTube channel.
Next, I posted below for you all another video that is slightly longer, was recorded off-screen at the Xbox conference, and has the live audience reactions that you should listen to. Watch the video below.
Is the 2004 video (titled “The Novice”) entertaining? For me it still is fun to watch again and it is one of the more memorable moves Xbox executed at the E3 (which today no longer exists). It is intriguing and entertaining to see Trump at the center of the video about the console war between Microsoft and Sony at the time.
As an entertainment piece of history, The Novice video is a reminder about how exciting console gaming was back in 2004 (note: intense competition between console makers was the standard of the time) when compared to what happened in recent times. Xbox gaming this year has been disappointing considering the following developments that happened: 50% price hike on the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription service, Xbox Series consoles price hikes, thousands of game developers laid off, the sudden cancellation of unreleased Xbox games, and Team Xbox directed by Microsoft to go full multiplatform with their own games (examples: Gears of War: Reloaded and Forza Horizon 5 got released on PlayStation 5).
Over at the side of PlayStation, Sony itself was embarrassed with its over-budgeted and poorly made game Concord. Concord is easily one of the most expensive flops in the history of video games.
Indeed, a lot has changed since 2004. Trump is now on his 2nd term as President of the United States solving the nation’s many problems while tackling several matters happening overseas. Sony and Microsoft are still active in the video games industry in different ways and they are still having their respective consoles manufactured outside of America. Console gaming nowadays is getting too expensive.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you find Donald Trump’s participation in the 2004 video with Xbox and PlayStation entertaining to watch? Were you a constant viewer of The Apprentice? Do you own a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console?
Welcome back fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs!
After more than two years of waiting (refer to my 2023 blog post by clicking here), I finally saw Godzilla Minus One (Japanese title: Gojira Mainasu Wan) for the first time ever and it was on 4K Blu-ray format! The movie turned out to be great in terms of storytelling and spectacle, and the immense fun factor justified the long wait I endured.
To put things in perspective, my anticipation for Godzilla Minus One started as soon as it was first announced by Toho and I patiently waited for the opportunity to watch it preferably inside the cinema or on 4K Blu-ray. The Takeshi Yamazaki-directed film only had very limited screenings in a Japanese film festival held here in the Philippines this year. As I was unable to watch it during the said film festival, I patiently waited for its 4K Blu-ray version to come out. Along the way, I avoided its Netflix availability here in the Philippines (because I prefer 4K Blu-ray over streaming). I also avoided watching the spoiler-filled movie reaction videos of Godzilla Minus One on YouTube.
Recently, I received my 4K Blu-ray copy of Godzilla Minus One which I ordered through Amazon. I waited a little over one year to order it as I anticipated price cuts would happen and I got a good bargain. Check out my Godzilla Minus One 4K Blu-ray blog post of 2024 by clicking here.
Godzilla Minus One 4K Blu-ray came with two discs – the 4K Blu-ray disc which has the feature film only, and the other is a Blu-ray disc that also has the film plus bonus features such as the commemorative special feature, an in-depth look at the visual effects, the event video collection and related content about the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The Blu-ray disc on the left and the 4K Blu-ray disc on the right.
The rear of my Godzilla Minus One 4K Blu-ray case.
Shortly after receiving my 4K Blu-ray of Godzilla Minus One, I had the living room all to myself in the evening and played the movie’s 4K Blu-ray disc on my Xbox One Series X and had my smartphone turned off to avoid distractions. For two solid hours, I had a very immersive home viewing experience and indeed, Godzilla Minus One looks absolutely stunning in uncompromised 4K visuals. The visual experience is absolutely grand and it is clear that the movie was carefully made by the production team to be so much better than streaming (catering to those who love the theatrical experience and the 4K Blu-ray experience at home).
The storytelling itself is very solid in terms of execution, the balance between build-ups and pay-offs, and the high-quality performances of the actors added depth to the narrative. Of course, the film took its time to show a very visceral Godzilla which is ultimately the biggest danger and the true threat to humanity at a time when Japan is still struggling to recover from all the damage it endured during World War II.
By the time the movie ended, I was more than just satisfied…I was overwhelmed by Godzilla Minus One’s top-notch quality, powerful engagement and high-level entertainment. I will replay it soon! While this is not a movie review, I can say Godzilla Minus Oneis indeed the as great and as compelling as the 1954 classic film. That clearly means I prefer this movie over all the Hollywood-produce Godzilla movies. As such, I can say that Godzilla Minus One 4K Blu-ray is a must-buy and must-see! I encourage you all reading this to go for it and add it to your collection of movies on physical media!
Godzilla Minus One 4K Blu-ray is a great addition to my movie collection!
If you have decided already to order a copy of Godzilla Minus One 4K Blu-ray, click here.
If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, cinematic trends, Blu-ray releases and more relevant stuff, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 The Matrix Revisited – What else is there to say about The Matrix? There are some who claimed it is the greatest science fiction movie ever made. Some described it as more relevant than ever due to the wide public use of artificial intelligence (AI) today. In my experience, I saw a special re-screening of The Matrix at the old cinema of Festival Mall in December 1999 and it was entertaining but I never became a fan of its entertainment franchise. Regardless, the film continues to entertain and surprise YouTubers and you can see how by watching the selected videos below.
#2 The Horror Aspect Of Halo: Combat Evolved – It has been 24 years since Halo: Combat Evolved launched along with the original Xbox console. I played and finished the classic sci-fi first-person shooting game on rented Xbox consoles before and it remains a highly significant gaming experience to me. Original game developer Bungie did not just create a great sci-fi game but also designed it to be immersive, captivating and atmospheric. Within the atmosphere in the game is the subtle but effective use of horror elements which added to the mystery. How does the horror function in the classic game? Watch and learn from the video below.
#3 Meat & Rice Meals In Japan – Here is another food-related video in Japan. This is for those who crave for delicious meals composed of nice amounts of meat and rice The food joint in the video below not only serves the mentioned meals, it is able to cook many kinds of fried rice as well! Watch and enjoy the video below.
#4 Most Notable Episodes Of The Real Ghostbusters – As a young boy in the 1980s, I saw the classic movie Ghostbusters in 1984 and a few years later, I started watching episodes of The Real Ghostbusters animated TV series on home video and eventually on local TV. For the newcomers reading this, The Real Ghostbusters was the sequel and spin-off to the 1984 film and it had a specific title (using “Real”) as a result of a dispute with Filmation which had the Ghost Busters franchise. I lost count as to how many episodes of the animated series I saw but there were a few notable ones I still remember and Minty Comedic Arts’ recent video contained them. Watch the video below.
#5 UAE Rejects Radical Islam And The Islamists! – Islamists are an extreme and evil bunch. They cause trouble wherever they are and they are driven to overwhelm others, to bring down societies and become the one discriminating dominant force. Islamists have already infiltrated many European nations by means of mass migration (including entry as asylum seekers or refugees needing the host nation’s humanitarian assistance) and teaming up with the Satanic Leftists (to form a new Islamo-Leftist mob overseas). In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) knows how destructive radical Islam really is and they made clear that they not only reject Islamists but also remove them. Watch and learn from the video below.
#6 Japan Tightens Business Manager Visa Policy! – Recently, I blogged about Japan’s reformed policy on the business manager visa in response to the fraud and violations committed by foreigners – notably the Chinese nationals – who carried it. The requirements were drastically changed, new applicants must have at least a few years real experience of business practice, and the hiring of at least one full-time employee (who is Japanese or a permanent resident) must be done. As many of the abusers of the business manager visa were Chinese nationals, I found a video focused on the topic and what the affected Chinese holders of the visa in Japan think about the reforms done by the Japanese. Watch the video below.
Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks, retro gaming fans and other gamers!
As a long-time Xbox fan, I am disappointed with the way this current console generation turned out. Xbox gaming as a whole has changed for the worse this year and millions of Xbox fans got angered over the cancellation of Xbox projects (including Perfect Dark and Contraband), Xbox console price hikes and most recently the declared drastic changes on Xbox Game Pass – including the 50% price hike on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service (watch Team Xbox’s pathetic and tone deaf announcement by clicking here).
But the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price hike of 50% ruined my plan to play The Outer Worlds 2 at launch entirely! I also noticed that none of the Team Xbox executives appeared in the pathetic October 1, 2025, video announcement of the drastic XGP changes.
Imagine the crashing ship as Team Xbox falling down hard because Microsoft forced them to make decisions and implement changes that made lots of Xbox fans and other gamers frustrated this year.
By looking at the collective feedback – both critics and gamers – about the newest sci-fi role-playing game from Obsidian, the bugs reported and the current prices, I have decided to pursue The Outer Worlds 2 later. It should be noted that the new game has two upcoming DLC episodes (story expansions) and there is no certainty as to when those will be released. As such, pursuing The Outer Worlds 2 later is the right thing for me to do because rushing for it now does not make sense at all.
What I did recently was I downloaded again my purchased digital copy of The Outer Worlds as well as the two DLC episodes on my Xbox Series X. Previously I played The Outer Worlds and the story expansions on my Xbox One, and replayed them on my Xbox Series X (enjoying the faster load times and improved frame rates) a few years ago.
So this year, I started from scratch again on a new single player campaign. I created a new character – her name is Vanilee – and customized the abilities with intelligence, science, engineering, lockpicking, persuasion, hacking and medicine in mind.
Meet my new character Vanilee.
Having played The Outer Worlds a few times already since late 2019, I decided to try other scenarios, find new dialog options (in relation to how I customized my character) and explored the maps in and out again. I had no trouble adjusting myself into the controls and overall feel of the game when it comes to response and precision. Take note that The Outer Worlds was developed by Obsidian at a time when it was not yet acquired by Microsoft/Xbox and Private Division was their publisher.
After going through the quests and side-quests in Edgewater – I diverted power to Edgewater helping Reed Tobson, the locals and convincing the deserters to return home – I entered the Unreliable with Parvati and Vicar Max as my teammates and proceeded to the Groundbreaker in space for further quests, scenarios and more options to build up my team.
Teammates Parvati and Nyoka in action against a monster in Monarch.
Vicar Max attacks an enemy with his shotgun.
So I kept on replaying the game rediscovering places, interacting with more characters and making decisions. Along the way, I spotted new dialog options emerging in connection with how I customized Vanilee from the start and built up with additional points accumulated for each level achieved. I ultimately reached the maximum of level 36.
Since I first played The Outer Worlds, it was clear to me that Obsidian did not have a massive budget as the creative and technical limitations were visible (examples: some repetitive interior designs, structures that cannot be accessed at all, lack of polish on stealth gameplay, my teammates getting in my line of fire, sluggish reloading, etc.). Instead of massive open-world environments, Obsidian came up with large maps but they ensured that each new location had something new for players to discover. I also admired the effort the developers invested on the art direction as well as making each map look distinct from each other while maintaining an artistic connection with the planet.
This is from the Murder on Eridanos DLC episode.
While the gameplay remains good for an RPG and first-person shooter enthusiast like me, what I admired best about The Outer Worlds was how Obsidian came up with connections between scenarios, the characters, the dialog options, and the consequences caused by decisions I made. That being said, I enjoyed watching the visual presentation and narration executed right after concluding the game. The presentation shows the endings of not just the main game but also those of the side quests completed and even the main quests of the two DLC episodes. How my decisions impacted the different factions and scenarios were clearly emphasized. In fact, the endings of the side quests and the two DLC episodes are seamlessly connected with the main game’s conclusion. As such, Obsidian succeeded in making The Outer Worlds worth replaying again.
Having played Starfield already, I realized that replaying The Outer Worlds was somehow a more satisfying experience. In my view, Bethesda tried too hard to make Starfield grand with a more galactic scope only to fail when it comes to exploration and long-term engagement. The Outer Worlds had a much smaller scope but it delivered the depth of fun, exploration, interaction and decision-making that strongly impacted the game’s conclusion.
Ellie in action in Gorgon!
At the same time, I find my character’s companions in Obsidian’s 2019 RPG more interesting and more engaging than those in Bethesda’s 2023 sci-fi juggernaut because of the following factors – better personalities, more clever writing and better voice acting. I believe it is time for Bethesda to start learning from Obsidian on how to make engaging dialogue and characters.
Right now, I am having a lot satisfaction replaying The Outer Worlds even though it has some flaws as well as creative and technical limitations as Obsidian did not have a very big budget. I wish the game had space battles as well as opportunities for the Unreliable to chase and dock enemy space ships which will allow me and my team to infiltrate. The game lacked mini-games which could have added more variety and fun when exploring the different locations on-foot (examples: the tossball facility in Monarch could have used a sports betting mini-game while the bars could have used card-based mini-games).
My crew inside the Unreliable.
On its own, the 2019 game is still a lot of fun to play and the role-playing element remains strong. The Outer World characters are memorable and the developers’ writers added humor to the dialog which prevented the game from becoming too dramatic or depressing. Indeed, The Outer Worlds is worth replayingand those who never played it should go for it!
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 The Fly Revisited – In 1986, The Fly was released in cinemas and it impacted the science fiction genre, the horror genre and pop culture with body horror presentation under the direction of David Cronenberg. The film, which was a remake of the 1958 original, established Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum as cinematic artists. The movie even became an allegory about AIDS and how people care about those who are living with diseases. That being said, it is not surprising that The Fly became the subject of many YouTube videos in the form of retro reviews, reaction videos and trivia videos. To enjoy The Fly, watch the selected videos below…
#2 Steve Ditko Remembered – Are you familiar with the late illustrator Steve Ditko? He was the co-creator of Spider-Man and he illustrated the first 38 issues of The Amazing Spider-Man comic book series. Unlike the other Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee (who went on to be famous and celebrated a lot), Ditko had a low-key profile and did not want to be interviewed. If you want to learn more about the late illustrator, watch the video below.
#3 Pro-Palestine Activist Riddhi Patel Bashes City Officials And Threatens Them With Violence – I have seen a lot of Islamo-Leftist activists and zealots. Most of the time, they hate Israel and took sides with Palestinians and the Islamic terrorists. Also many of them activists are so extreme, they became entitled, arrogant and disrespectful to higher authorities. In the Communist state of California, the pro-Palestine activist Riddhi Patel spoke to city officials of Bakersfield and went as far as threatening them with violence. She even misused the name of Jesus. In her own words, Patel said “We’ll murder you.” To find out more, watch the video from SaharTV below.
#4 Wood-Fired Rice Balls Served By Store in Japan – Have you eaten any freshly cooked onigiri (Japanese rice ball) lately? I live here in the Philippines and because onigiri is not a common food, my only options are to buy them from the convenience store or from a foreign food vendor. In Japan, onigiri is widely available and customers can avail of them freshly cooked. There is this store in Japan that sells onigiri which are prepared with rice (cooked by wood fire) and fresh ingredients. Watch and learn from the video below.
#5 Meet The Programmer Behind The Classic Game Centipede – While I never had the chance to play the classic Atari game Centipede in the arcades in the 1980s, I played the Atari 2600 port a lot and enjoy it. Because I have a copy of the Atari 50 collection on my Xbox Series X, I am able to play the Centipede arcade version in the comfort of home. For the newcomers reading this, Centipede is a tremendous success in the arcades ending up as one of the Top 4 arcade games of 1982 in America. It was also ported to many consoles and home computers years later. Recently, I found a YouTube video featuring Dona Bailey, one of the programmers behind Centipede.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the video game and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back retro gaming enthusiasts, Atari fans, geeks and others who are passionate about video games!
Today we go all the way back to the year 1980 when Atari released in arcades a game that strongly resonated with people who were concerned about a potential nuclear conflict between the United States and Russia during the Cold War…Missile Command.
Designed by Dave Theurer and programmed by Rich Adam with Theurer, Missile Command is a 2-dimension shoot ‘em up arcade game that had a trackball to allow players to control a crosshair to defend six existing cities. The arcade also had three buttons players could use to launch surface-to-air missiles from the three missile bases to protect the cities from incoming ballistic missiles that came from an unseen enemy.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at the Missile Command arcade game of 1980 developed and published by Atari.
The arcade flyer with a great looking painted artwork. This one really resonated with gamers who lived during the Cold War.
Game design
As the commander of three missile bases (each armed with 10 defense missiles), the player is tasked to protect six existing cities from waves of ballistic missiles (launched by an unnamed enemy) coming down. From time to time, the enemy deploys bombers, satellites/drones and smart bombs to overwhelm your defense and test your precision and decision making.
You have three missile bases that each has its own supply of defense missiles. There are cities between each base which you have to defend from the endless assault of enemy missiles, smart bombs, war planes and satellites/drones.
When your defense missile detonates in the air, it creates an explosion which serve as a shield to destroy enemy missiles, war planes and satellite/drones when contact is made. If any projectiles from the enemy manages to get through the aerial explosion, you will have to quickly launch more defense missiles from the near base you have.
Players use a single crosshair which designates which part of the sky a defense missile can be fired at. Once the defense missile reaches its destination (placed by the crosshair) in the sky, it will explode and cause a growing flame lasting seconds. The said flame serves as a shield that can destroy the enemy’s ballistic missiles, smart bombs, war planes and satellites/drones upon contact. Defense missiles can be launched consecutively into selected spots in the sky in anticipation of the incoming weapons of the enemy.
To proceed from one level to another, the player must have at least one city remaining intact. Once all the six cities have been destroyed and the player no longer has any unused missiles (and no new cities earned by reaching certain high scores that justify rewards), the game will end with a “Game Over” screen with an explosion in the background.
Quality
In this screenshot, the enemy’s satellite/drone is floating while a smart bomb is about to hit the missile base at the lower-right. Smart bombs can be challenging to intercept because it reacts by avoiding the aerial explosion of defense missiles.
This arcade game – which is currently available for modern console owners to play via the Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection – remains very engaging and a lot of fun to play with after all these decades. As a player, my only objective was to defend the six existing cities and three missile bases from the waves of enemy ballistic missiles (and smart bombs in later levels) coming from the sky. Given the way the game was designed, this is strongly emphasized and the only times I could attack the enemy is by launching my own missiles towards the enemy’s bombers and satellites/drones (note: both of these are capable of launching more missiles at you).
If any of the enemy’s weapons hits one of your missile bases, it and the remaining supply of defensive missiles will be wiped out. Enemy missiles that hit a city will result in total destruction. Considering the intentional increase in challenge with each new level of play started, the enemy’s ballistic missiles move faster, the warplanes and/or satellite/drones appear more and the smart bomb – which is the most difficult to intercept as it deliberately avoids the aerial flames caused by your defense missiles – get launched against you.
When intercepting enemy missiles, you have to think quick where to aim (ahead of incoming missiles), which missile base to use to launch defense missiles and remember how much missiles do you have left per base.
That being said, the game deliberately becomes harder which compelled me to be more watchful of enemy weapon movements, and to be more strategic using my defense missiles while keeping a quick eye on the remaining supply of missiles per base. While the in-game difficulty intensifies per level, the game never became frustrating to play nor did it ever turn into a chore on my part. I just keep playing because I found the increasing challenges actually fun to take on.
The game’s visuals are still good to look at. It’s still engaging to see streaks of missile trails (both your defense missiles and the enemy’s ballistic missiles) fill the air above the cities and the flashing light effects that simulate explosions are still effective as eye candy. Along the way, the game’s sound effects worked perfectly with the visuals and they added a lot to the immersion.
When you score enough points, the game will reward you with a bonus city.
Me putting my initials after achieving a great score in Missile Command.
Considering its simplicity and the way it was designed, there clearly is no way for players to win at all. Rather, the game will challenge your precision, decision-making and ability to defend your cities and bases. That being said, the greater challenge is to survive and be able to move on to the next level with missile bases and whatever cities remaining you still have to defend. As with other games of the past, achieving the high possible score – which reflects your endurance, skill and progress – is a goal here. Achieving certain high scores also result in an extra city for you.
Cultural relevance
Missile Command’s legacy as one of the greatest arcade games ever released is undeniably real. Not only that, this game resulted in a lot of ports for consoles, portable gaming devices and home computers through the decades. This classic was re-released in several compilations from Atari and the Xbox-listed Missile Command contains the arcade version. In 2020, a remake called Missile Command: Recharged was released as part of the Atari Recharged series of games.
The different Missile Command arcade machines.
Missile Command even appeared for a few seconds in Terminator 2: Judgment Day which added more to the film’s concept of nuclear war.
With regards to arcade gaming, Missile Command is notable for having a trackball on its machine as a way for arcade players to control the crosshair during game sessions.
Conclusion
Apart from being the commander of missile defense, try imagining yourself being on of the citizens living in one of those cities. Can you imagine watching real-life missiles get intercepted in sky above you?
The Missile Command (1980) arcade game is a true video game classic and it remains compelling and enjoyable at the same time. It can also be an intriguing game experience since it does not let players complete the game by winning. All players can do is perform the best defense they could, survive to the next round and keep playing until their defense gets overwhelmed by the enemy and the rising in-game difficulty.
As a result of the game design, playing Missile Command is actually moral because the concept of defending your people using powerful yet limited resources is very strong all the time. Even with progressive difficulty, the game never became frustrating to play and I actually enjoyed the challenges knowing that defense and survival are main goals. Achieving the highest possible score is the other goal as reflected by video gaming of the era. Missile Command simply delivers bouts of fun and you cannot go wrong with playing it. It is not surprising that this game became a massive hit and established itself as a true classic among video games.
Overall, Missile Command (1980) highly recommended and the best way to play it on console today is to avail of Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration compilation.
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 The Cannonball Run revisited by GoodBadFlicks and You, Me and the Movies – Do you enjoy 1980s comedy films? How about a film that has comedy, an all-star cast, lots of cars and lots of stunts? You will find that in The Cannonball Run which was released in 1981 and became a box office hit. The film has a memorable cast including Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore (technically playing James Bond), Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Jackie Chan, Adrienne Barbeau, Tara Buckman and others. For your enjoyment, I posted below the recent reaction video by You, Me and the Movies, and a retrospective video by GoodBadFlicks. If you have not seen The Cannonball Run, watch it first (available on Blu-ray format). Otherwise, enjoy the videos below.
#2 PatmanQC examines Super Mario Bros. 3 – When it comes to picking which is the most influential platform game on the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom)/Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 are often the most popular choices as both games are really great. While the first game sold a lot more copies worldwide, the third game remains highly significant as it influenced platform game designers for a number of years. Not only that, Super Mario Bros. 3 notably was featured in the 1989 movie The Wizard. To see how Super Mario Bros. 3 was made, what the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto and teammates did and how much of an impact the game had on players, watch the in-depth video of PatmanQC below.
#3 Unsolved Mysteries examines 2001 anthrax attacks – 2001 will always be remembered as a year of uncertainty and chaos. During that year, 9/11 shocked the world which raised public fear about terrorism. Adding further to the shock and fear of the time, the 2001 anthrax attacks happened shortly after 9/11. Suddenly, a lot of people got afraid of touching pieces of mail as the anthrax attacks happened through the distribution system of the US Postal Service. Eventually, the TV series Unsolved Mysteries (hosted by the late Robert Stack) released an episode dramatizing and examining the 2001 anthrax attacks. Before watching the video below, be advised that the details can be quite disturbing.
#4 Examining the so-called success of Xbox RPG Avowed – It has been months since the Obsidian-developed Xbox fantasy role-playing game (RPG) Avowed was released. Shortly after, there were these individuals or publishers that declared the game a success even though there is no evidence to prove it was. This only reminds me of the sad reality that there are a lot of woke activists, Marxists and fake fans who have infiltrated the gaming and entertainment industries which explains the misinformation spreading around us. I played and finished Avowed and I can say that it never lived up to my expectations and the long wait since it was first announced was not worth it. Along the way, it is clear that Obsidian allowed its assigned game makers to add elements of identity politics into Avowed. Externally, there are woke nuts among game journalists, vloggers and bloggers who dedicated themselves to make Avowed look like a smash success even though reality, truth and facts are not on their side. Watch and learn from the selected videos below.
#5 James Gunn’s Superman movie to end up a huge disappointment? – Recently here in the Philippines, director James Gunn, producer Peter Safran, Rachel Brosnahan and David Corenswet arrived to meet the fans as part of their world tour to promote the new Superman movie. Considering how lavish the activities and promotions are, it is simply hard to ignore that Superman of 2025 is looking bound for box office disappointment based on the latest box office analysis and predictions. While RK Outpost examines the weakening Superman box office prospects, Ranting for Vengeance examines the many elements of the James Gunn-directed movie (based on the latest footage shown) that could turn off long-time and genuine Superman fans, and lead to failure. Watch the videos below and pay close attention to the details.
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Retrospective videos of Krull – I was a young boy when I saw Krull inside the cinema way back in 1983. It was an entertaining experience for me as the movie had a clever mix of fantasy, science fiction and even horror in its presentation. As many years passed by, I replayed Krull as an adult on cable TV and DVD, and it still remained entertaining. For those of you who intend to learn more about (or rediscover) Krull, I posted below some videos for your enjoyment. If you have not seen Krull yet, watch the movie entirely first.
#2 The George Foreman Grill remembered – The late George Foreman will be remembered for a long time. He made an impact on the world in professional boxing during his younger days and made a tremendous comeback by becoming the oldest heavyweight champion at age 45. Along the way, he became a preacher of God’s Word, led a local church and managed a youth center. Along the way, the late Foreman found tremendous success by endorsing a product that became the George Foreman Grill. To find out more about the Foreman and the popular grill, watch the video below.
#3 France’s President humiliated – With the way he is leading France as its President and the way he is helping Palestinian terrorists by antagonizing Israel, Emmanuel Macron is on the wrong side of history. He was back in the media spotlight as he got slapped by his wife recently. Watch and learn from the videos below.
#4 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Casper – It has been a little over thirty years since the live-action movie Casper was released in cinemas. As a young boy, I read some Casper comic books and saw some episodes of the cartoon shows on TV but I never was a fan of the character. I did not see the Casper film until it started showing on cable TV. Casper of 1995 does not interest me much but you should see how it draws reactions from Ashleigh Burton in the video below.
#5 PatmanQC examines Cruis’n USA –Cruis’n USA is one of those hit arcade games from the 1990s that I never got to play in Iocal arcades. Most of the time, I received information of Cruis’n USA primarily due to its port for Nintendo 64 (N64) being heavily reported by video game journalists back then. While the original arcade game was successful with both players and game critics, the same cannot be said about the N64 port. To find out more, watch PatmanQC’s in-depth video below.
#6 Ramnexus examines Oblivion Remastered – It’s been over a month since Oblivion Remastered (full title: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – Remastered) was released, and I still have not played it on my Xbox Series X. While it is popular with gamers, I still was not convinced to return to subscribing to Xbox Game Pass (XGP) for it. The original Oblivion of 2006 is one of my favorite RPGs of the 21st century and I just might consider playing its remastered version someday. For now, I am just watching YouTube videos of the remastered game and I found a recent video by Ramnexus that turns out to be an engaging look at it. Watch Ramnexus’ video below.
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith makes big comeback – This year marks the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and its impact was felt when it finished 2nd in the American box office with its anniversary theatrical release. The George Lucas-directed movie grossed $25.5 million on April 25-27, 2025. For the newcomers reading this, Revenge of the Sith’s successful return to cinemas was celebrated by long-time fans as it was George Lucas’ Star Wars, and not the woke garbage from Kathleen Kennedy and the woke Disney company. To learn about the significance of Revenge of the Sith’s return, watch the videos below.
#2 Ashleigh Burton, Popcorn in Bed, VKunia and Decker Shado react to Revenge of the Sith – Revenge of the Sith is the real Star Wars as it was made and released many years before woke Disney made the unfortunate deal with George Lucas. I myself was fortunate enough to have seen the movie inside the cinema during its opening week here in the Philippines way back in 2005. To see how Revenge of the Sith impacts viewers, watch the respective video reactions by Ashleigh Burton, Popcorn in Bed, VKunia and Decker Shado (review) below.
#3 PatmanQC examines the history of Centipede –Centipede was an Atari game that I played a lot on the Atari 2600 a long time ago. It was simple with its game design and yet it was a lot of fun to play with. I never got to play the arcade version of Centipede in the old days but thanks to the Atari 50 collection I own, I finally played the arcade Centipede on my Xbox Series X. The development Centipede is interesting and you can learn more about it and the games by watching PatmanQC’s in-depth video below.
#4 Lunar games retrospective – If you are feeling nostalgic or interested in the Lunar franchise of video games, then Gaming Broductions’ retrospective video should interest you. For the newcomers reading this, the Lunar franchise started on the Sega CD (Mega CD in other markets) with Lunar: The Silver Star which was a Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) developed by Game Arts. Sequels and spin-offs were released in the years that followed and the Lunar franchise was revived for modern consoles with the Lunar Remastered Collection. Watch the video to discover more about Lunar games.
#5 Popcorn in Bed reacts to Cape Fear (1991) – Remember when Robert De Niro played a very bad guy in 1991’s Cape Fear? Believe it or not, that particular movie was actually a remake of the original 1960s version and it even got nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. There were moviegoers who got terrified by Cape Fear in 1991 and you can see for yourselves how it impacted YouTuber Popcorn in Bed in the reaction video below. By the way, Nick Nolte was really good in his role in the film.
Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks, RPG players, retro gaming enthusiasts and other gamers!
Published GungHo Online fulfilled what they promised before…Lunar Remastered Collection is now available for gamers to enjoy on Xbox Series X|S and the aging Xbox One console. Xbox gamers who love Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) and retro games can order a digital copy of Lunar Remastered Collection by clicking here or the physical copy by clicking here.
To get things started, watch the official launch trailer of Lunar Remastered Collection below.
For the newcomers reading this, Lunar Remastered Collection’s release marks the first time ever that the Lunar role-playing game (RPG) series appeared on any Xbox console. The series developed by Game Arts first started way back in 1992 with Lunar: The Silver Star on the Sega CD (Mega CD in other markets) which was an add-on device on the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive). Lunar: Eternal Blue was released also on Sega CD in 1994.
During the 5th console generation, both games were remade – Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue – were released on Sega Saturn and the PlayStation, taking advantage of each console’s capabilities for better presentations technically and artistically. The remade Lunar games each had technical enhancements and animated cutscenes. In case you are wondering, the stories of the two games are set around one thousand years apart.
As seen in the launch trailer above, Lunar Remastered Collection includes a lot of features to suit the tastes of gamers such as the option to choose between classic and remastered modes, adjustable battle speed, the option to choose between English and Japanese voice-overs, and more.
Remember this battle from Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete?
For those who want the best quality for viewing anime cutscenes, the remastered mode features enhanced visuals that make the anime footage look more presentable on HDTV. As for the English voice-overs, be aware that the voices of the characters and enemies are all new. This means that the previous English voice-over works produced by Working Designs (defunct since 2005) for the North American versions of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue are simply not available.
Unlike what happened in the Grandia HD Collection, the 2D sprites in the Lunar remastered games were not filtered. Their organic sprite look was maintained.
If you are a long-time JRPG enthusiast, or if you are an avid retro gamer, or if you are a long-time Lunar RPG fan who already owns a modern Xbox console, Lunar Remastered Collection is worth checking out. It is the latest retro gaming release this year that Xbox gamers can enjoy. Watch the YouTube video below for reference as to how the game looks on Xbox.
Author Carlo Carrasco 