What This Book? What This Film?

Can anyone guess what these titles are from these 6 second summaries?

First person to guess each movie or book title (who was not at the meeting) wins a BOOK from the SLC prize cart here at Highland (as long as you can come pick it up here at the library before August 10th 2016).

I will update this post if guess correctly and the answers will be revealed in a post next week!


Book 1:

"What This Book:  A time traveling cowboy has to repeat the same mistakes over and over again in the hopes of eventually getting it right."




Book 2:

"What this Book: Distraught twin goes college. Writes book. Not really book. Feels, feels, feels, feels, feels, feels, feels, feels, feels!"



Film 1:

"What This Film: Guy's computer and pill addition causes him to be stuck in slow motion."



Film 2:

"What This Film: Sad dad gets a job as a night guard and hallucinates about dinosaurs and small people."

NOVUS LARP group at the Library!

The NOVUS Live Action Role Play group (a Medieval Fantasy LARP in Northwest Indiana) came out and did a presentation/demo for our community today. It was most excellent.

A photo posted by @lcplibrary on Jul 9, 2016 at 1:31pm PDT

One of the combat demonstration LARPers was fighting while wearing petticoats and a floor length skirt.  👍💫⚔ 

A video posted by @lcplibrary on Jul 9, 2016 at 1:41pm PDT

Hikaru no Go at Highland ALL MONTH LONG

Some serious Go players today at Highland... Teens read the manga of Hikaru no Go for the our July book discussion and we are watching the anime later this week! 

A video posted by @lcplibrary on Jul 6, 2016 at 2:28pm PDT

Giant Games at the Library!

If you miss our Giant Games library program, don't worry, we are having another one at the end of Wednesday 7/27 at 3:45 PM. Next month we will be playing Live Action Angry Birds.

Sadly, you did miss the chance to play life size foosball. (This was a one time only kind of program, those cinder blocks were HEAVY!)

Life size foosball from today's #giantgames #libraryprogram #lifesizefoosball #librarylife

A video posted by @lcplibrary on Jun 29, 2016 at 4:54pm PDT

We also had GIANT Jenga! Check out this epic play:

This #giantjenga move was so good, I had to slow it down. #epicwin #jenga #librarylife

A video posted by @lcplibrary on Jun 29, 2016 at 5:06pm PDT

Superfight Tournament Rules!

Hayden, (most recently seen singing to us in April's Quote of the Month post) came up with a set of Tournament Rules for the game Superfight. A debate style card game that we play at LEAST once a month at our Game On programs here at Highland:

SUPERFIGHT TOURNAMENT RULES:

1. TOURNAMENT IS PERFORMED IN TWO SINGLE ELIMINATION STYLE BRACKETS. THE WINNERS OF EACH BRACKET COMPETE IN A HEAD TO HEAD FINALE .

2. ALL STANDARD RULES OF SUPERFIGHT APPLY TO EACH MATCHUP.

3. ALL CHARACTERS MUST BE CHOSEN BEFORE ROUND ONE BEGINS.

4. ONCE ELIMINATED, ALL CONTESTANTS JOIN THE JURY THAT WILL ADVISE THE JUDGE(s).

5. THERE MUST BE AN ODD NUMBER OF UNBIASED JUDGES WHO WILL ONLY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT THE CONTESTANTS SAY.

GadgetJax's Top 10 Sega Genesis Games!

Everybody is waiting for something at one point or another. For some, they want to get their hands on the DVD version of Star Wars VII when that comes out. For others, they're waiting for Summer Vacation already. And then, there is probably at least one person on earth who's thinking the following thing:

"Where is Jax?"

Yeah, I'm back! Or, is this counted as a comeback or not since I technically never left? Besides, I wrote that 'Gaming Comic' article only a month ago, so I guess it hasn't been THAT long. Whatever.
Today, we're back to video games, and what better game console to discuss than the Sega Genesis? Not only does this console stand as one of the best from the 8 and 16 bit eras, but it's also one of the most affordable, since you can get the console nowadays for about $30 bucks or so. This article is all about my personal favorite games on the console. Unlike my previous list, there are no rules. Why put rules on a Top 10 list in the first place, anyway? It's not like it's a competition!

#1: Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1994)

Why is the top of the list my first mention, you ask? C'mon, let's be realistic; Sonic 3K topped my favorite games list back when I did that last year, so it's not like putting it at the end would surprise anybody. Besides, we all know that Sonic 3K is already everybody's favorite Gensis game. How could you hate such a quick-paced and exciting platformer, especially one with so many options for how to play? You get 3 different characters to complete the main story with, there are over 10 different Zones within the game, and the lock-on technology from the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge gives you a bunch of cool additional features, like the option to play Sonic 2 as Knuckles himself. Sweet, right?

#10: Pulseman (1994)

Would you believe me if I said that this title was made by Game Freak, the same dudes that run the ever-popular Pokemon franchise? What a twist indeed.
      Pulseman doesn't stand as much different than most platformer games in terms of gameplay, but the aesthetic appeal of it seals the deal. Just like the Mega Man titles, Pulseman and the levels he travels through have a seemless connection with each other. It's rather odd to explain, but I'll give a few examples of this: Running in a straight line will charge up Pulseman's Special Attack, while water will prevent him from doing so. Little touches like this change the way you look at each level in the game, since the character and enviroment now feel intertwined together.
      Unlike most Genesis games, Pulseman was Japanese-exclusive upon release. Thankfully, you can download a Japanese Import of it on a Wii Virtual Console service for about nine dollars. It's well worth it for such a hard-to-find experience.

#9: Puyo Puyo / Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (1993)

Is this a Robotnik game or not? Easy: This competition-based puzzle game was called Puyo Puyo by Compile. It was very popular in Japan when it first released, but since the game was very clearly Anime-esque, Compile didn't feel it would sell well an American market (this was still the 1990's, y'know. Far before the Otaku culture of today). To combat that, the American released was over-hauled to feature the villains from the Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog, and it worked great!
      Gameplay is simple: Match 4 beans of the same color in any 4 directions, and hitting up combos will send blocks to your opponent's side. The last player standing is the winner. This game is crazy fun with friends, especially for those who are fans of other stacking puzzle games like Tetris. Be careful, though: Mean Bean Machine will thoroughly beat you over the head with its insane difficulty if you aren't good at preparing stack combos. Think you can beat all 13 opponents in the campaign mode? Even I struggle with this insane feat!

#8: Mega Man: The Wily Wars (1995)

 Wily Wars isn't technically a standalone title for Genesis: It's a compilation of the first 3 Mega Man titles with re-mastered visuals and soundtrack. This collection also contains 2 great features you can't find in any of the original Mega Man NES games! First off, all 3 titles feature save features instead of those wretched password modes, and you also get a bonus challenge to complete after finishing all 3 titles. If you are somehow able to find the original cartridge of this game, it's well worth your time.

#7: Monster World 4 (1994, 2012)

Much like Pulseman, Monster World 4 was originally released as a Japanese-exclusive title. A couple years back, though, it was given an official translation and re-release on modern consoles. Personally, number 4 plays out as the best title in the Monster World series!
      The Monster World games play out quite different than most platformers. In most titles, you complete each level in a set order while collecting powerups along the way. In the Monster World series, however, all levels are connected within 1 single hub, with several towns between quests where you can gain new items and the like. In the end, it's a lot like mixing RPG elements in with your typical platformer.
      My favorite thing about Monster World 4 is probably how unique your main character, Asha, is in comparison to the other Monster World characters. She's not only faster, but she also gets a fun partner to work with called a Pepelagoo. The Pepelagoo functions as a hovering device, a support for doing double jumps, a shield against flames, and much more. Asha and her Pepelagoo are very fun to work with, and make up at least 80% of what makes the game so good.

#6: Pac-Attack (1993)

Much like Sonic 3K, Pac-Attack was one of my favorite games back when I originally made that Top 10 list. This game excels in almost every aspect you can when dealing with stack-based Puzzle games to the point of perfection. Pac-Attack also features a fantastic single player campaign filled with 100 different pre-determined puzzles to complete. Nowadays, 100 may not be much in our current day where Candy Crush has like a quadrillion and a half levels, but for a time where most games had only 8 or 9 levels each, this was fairly impressive stuff!

#5: Ristar (1995)

Like many platformers on the Genesis, Ristar's fantastic gameplay is connected to the hero itself. Your hero, Ristar, has very stretchy arms that can pull off all kinds of stunts. A simple principle applies in this game: If Ristar grabs anything, he'll slam the rest of his body into it. This can be used for simple things like attacking, but smart players will eventually be able to use this function to wall climb.
      Ristar's other great aspect is the special bonus code function. As you progress through the game, you can collect bonus treasures. Once you finish the game, you'll unlock special passwords for each treasure you obtained. These passwords give you lots of fun ways to replay the game. Want to try a boss rush? How about Hyper Difficulty mode?

#4: Aladdin (1993)

How in the world did a LICENSED game make it as a contender for the best Genesis games? Well, Aladdin is special. We all love the original Aladdin film, right? Well, the Genesis release of that great movie is a near-perfect representation of the movie, from the soundtrack to the animation itself - which was redrawn by Disney employees specifically for the game!
      Unlike most games on this list, it isn't very easy to find this game on other consoles. This game and Wily Wars are the only 2 on this list that can't be played on any current generation consoles, for one reason or another. In other words, if you want to experience this gem of Disney nostalgia, you'll have to go and get a Genesis. Sorry!

#3: Gunstar Heroes (1993)

This darn game is the most intense thing you'll play all day on your Genesis. Gunstar Heroes excels in almost every aspect you can expect from a run-and-gun game: It has fantastic visuals (even for today's standards), a rocking soundtrack, several weapons you can combine for unique effects, a multiplayer mode, and crazy gameplay to match. The entire Gunstar Heroes experience will keep you and your buddy on your toes, and when the game is finally over, you'll be begging for more.
      Just like every other Genesis game in existence, this game can still be purchased for modern consoles. You can get the original version on Wiiware, or you can get an HD-rescaled version on PS3. There's also a sequel to Gunstar Heroes for Game Boy Advance, though that game has yet to be re-released for modern platforms.

And the number 2 slot goes to...

#2: Shining Force (1993)

Yes, my second favorite Genesis game is an RPG of all things, but can you really blame me? Shining Force cuts out filler story elements found in most RPG's and gives you an epic battle system to work with. Unlike most RPG's that give you just 4 characters to bring with you on your journey, Shining Force gives you nearly 30 different units to swap between for each fight! Shining Force is also unique because it's a Tactical RPG, meaning that battles are treated like constant wars as oppossed to single fights. If you've ever played Fire Emblem or Tactics Ogre, you already know what I mean.
      Seriously, I can't recommend this game enough. The mechanics of Shining Force are so easy to learn in comparison to games like Dragon Quest, and since the gameplay works a lot like a board game, you don't even have to be a gamer to know how to play it! Shining Force really is a must-play for everybody, and I do mean everybody when I say it! You can find the game on Steam for just 3 dollars, and the game will give you dozens of hours before you finally complete the game.

That's the list! Do any of these games look interesting to any of you, and if so, would you consider trying them? All titles listed here can be purchased on either the Wii Virtual Console or Steam (excluding Mega Man: The Wily Wars and Aladdin), so you shouldn't have to worry about actually getting the original Genesis to try them. If you have played a Genesis before, let me know what your favorite game for the console is! Was it one of them listed here?

...I bet everybody's favorite was The Lion King, wasn't it? That's what happens when you grow up owning nothing but Disney titles and Sonic titles, just like I did. Grumble grumble...

GadgetJax Reviews: Sonic Generations (PS3/XBOX360)

In my more recent of years of gaming, I really haven't played a 'new' game that really blew me away. Sure there were a lot of titles that I loved, like 'Super Mario Galaxy', 'Portal 2', and even 'Super Smash Brothers 4'. However, I ended up receiving Sonic Generations for Christmas of 2014, and it was defenitely one of the grandest experiences of my gaming life.

Let me momentarily say this: Sonic Generations is not a perfect game. There is no such thing as a perfect game. That said, however, Sonic Generations does such a good job of combining old school Sonic conventions with the new that it ends up feeling so close to perfect without actually reaching it.

I would touch up on the plot of this game, but it's defenitely the weakest point of the experience. It's every crossover plot ever written: A portal appears out of nowhere, sucks Modern Sonic and his friends up, and then they get Time Travel'd all the way to 1991- or more specific, Green Hill Zone from the first Sonic The Hedgehog game. Modern Sonic teams up with Classic Sonic to defeat Modern Dr. Robotnik, who has allied himself with Classic Dr. Robotnik. Yeah, it's predictable on every corner, but a Video Game honestly doesn't need to have a story to be good.

Sonic Generations is split up into 2 gameplay styles. Act 1 levels are played as Classic Sonic and feature 2D Side-scrolling gameplay. These levels focus on tight platforming and run at a fairly smooth pace, providing a solid experience that is just as good as the original Genesis titles. Act 2 levels are played as Modern Sonic and focus on a combination of 2D AND 3D platforming. The Modern levels also focus primarily on speed rather than tight platforming, making the game feel like one long marathon.

The beauty of Sonic Generations and it's gameplay is in replay value. While the main game is rather small, featuring only 18 Acts and a few Boss battles, the game makes up for this in the level design itself. Every level features multiple routes that encourage playing through certain levels over and over to find the route that is the quickest and/or most enjoyable to play through.

Speaking of beauty, Sonic Generations features a really well done graphical display. Everything is colorful and feels distinct within each level. Even levels with similar appearances have enough color variation to feel like fresh each time. The character animations do end up feeling a bit out of place in certain cutscenes because of how they incorrectly contrast the level they are in, but because of how the story means nothing to the actual gameplay, this is easily ignored.

The sheer amount of fanservice this game features (I don't mean in the filthy kind of way) is absolutely crazy. There are tons of unlockeable music remixes, some of which from the more obscure titles in the franchise. Remixes are featured from games varying from Sonic Advance 3 to as far as Knuckles Chaotix, and there's even a remix from Sonic Mega Collection, which was just a compilation title!

Oh, but Sonic Generations is not perfect, like I mentioned. In fact, because of how much good there is in the game, it makes the bad portions feel even worse!

First off, all the levels in the game are inspired by levels from previous Sonic games. For the most part, that's fine, because the level selection is fairly strong. Chemical Plant, City Escape, Planet Wisp, and more are all good choices, but WHY IS CRISIS CITY IN THIS GAM-

Sorry, lost my train of thought. Now, Crisis City from Sonic '06. This level is beyond broken. It is just way too flip-flopped and there is little consistency. This is especially true to the Act 2 version of the level, because of how the level keeps switching between speed-based platforming and precise platforming. A good analogy for it would be riding your bike at 20 mph down a straight path, but out of nowhere there are a bunch of precise turns you have to make, meaning you need to slow down and lose that incredible experience of speed.

Also, this game introduces a very unenjoyable mechanic called 'Skills'. They act as sort-of power ups that you can equip that give you bonuses. The problem? Most of Sonic's trademark moves from previous games can only be accessed by using these 'Skills' the one that angers me most is the one skill that prevents you from having to take time to get up after taking damage. Sonic is the fasting thing alive, why would HE need to take his sweet time just to recover?!? He doesn't do that in any other Sonic game in existance, not even Sonic '06 or Sonic Shuffle, so why does he have to here?!?

Challenge Mode is also a thing here. Every individual Act has 5 Challenges that are 'optional' to play through, meaning that there are a total of 90 of them in the game. They keep the game lasting long enough so it doesn't feel like an unsatisfactory purchase, but some of them are really bad to play through.
Ones that come to mind are the Doppleganger races.
I normally like rival races in games, but in these races, it's just to see who gets to the end. Since your doppleganger isn't affected by anything you do, and you aren't affected by it, it turns the missions into average Time Trials with a shadow running alongside you to show if you're doing good or bad. That's boring.
Also, I say 'optional' to play through with very loose air quotations because the game requires you, once every few levels, to beat a few of these Challenges in order to reach the next leg of the game. It throws off the pacing so much that I just end up completing all the Challenges for that Act at once, just because I don't like to have to leave missions un-finished. My Completionist side is ruining my Sonic experience :(

And finally, the boss battles. There are a few cool rival battles within the game that act as a sort-of 'Sub Boss', which are really enjoyable, but the rest are just average. Many of them often involve waiting, and more waiting, and MORE waiting. As Arin Hanson once said: "Waiting isn't hard, but it gives off the illusion of difficulty because it causes the battle to become an ordeal."

Still, don't let any of the above issues derail you from getting this game. It's otherwise perfect, and on the same level of quality as Sonic 3 & Knuckles, which is my favorite game ever! I wouldn't say that you NEED to get a PS3 or XBOX360 just to have this game, but anyone who ever gets either of those consoles needs to make sure that they get this title to go with their bundle.

Sonic Generations earns my seal of approval any day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfUoXJzff2I