Why a New Godzilla Film is Necessary

About a week ago someone on Twitter asked me why there is a need for a new Godzilla film. I was taken off guard by this, how can one ask such a question? Why is there a need for a new 007 film? Or Spider-Man? Either the person asking me hasn't seen a Godzilla film or thinks since there are 28 of them already, why the need for another one? Yes, exactly why do we need another Godzilla film? Why should anyone care? I'll answer that for all those wondering why we need to see the King of the Monsters back on the big screen in America.

First off, I want to ask you a question. Who do you think Godzilla is? What do you think he is? Today's generation will probably answer something like with "A giant monster," "A giant monster that attacked Japan," "A dinosaur." but the main thing that is associated with Godzilla's name here in the States is 'cheesy, campy, and kid's stuff.' Yes loyal reader, that's what Godzilla is known for here in the States. That's how a lot of adults who saw the 70's films (mainly Godzilla vs. Megalon) on TV when they were kids see the big G as. Only the Godzilla fan, like myself, knows what Godzilla originally stood for. His heroic adventures was just part of an era, but that's how most people know him by, something not to be taken seriously, something to chuckle at. Now I'm not going to be hard-nosed or anything, there's plenty of stuff to chuckle and have fun with in this series. The 70's mainly with its many crazy moments. (Godzilla using his atomic breath to fly? Never gets old. ) But after that era, the series returned to darker roots. Sadly, Americans don't remember 1985, and releasing the rest of the Heisei films to direct-to-DVD didn't help matters. In fact, I'm sad to say that a lot of Americans have only seen the 98 abomination. Another reason to dislike the big G. I've talked to quite a few people who have only seen the 98 American film, which goes to show they really have no clue about the franchise.

Apparently GODZILLA 2000 was released in theaters. I would be five years old, always wondered why I never saw it in the cinema. The sad part is that it pretty much bombed over here. When people think of Godzilla, they think of "The guy who directed Independence Day directed it, right?" "That giant iguana with the Jurassic Park raptor spawn." That's how they know him, from a lackluster film with a monster that could be defeated by conventional means.Today, despite a new comic series, Godzilla isn't even as close to being taken seriously as Star Wars, 007, or really any longtime series. Godzilla is often looked down upon as something completely aimed at kids with no hidden messages or deepness.

There was once a time when comic book movies weren't respected, they were looked down as something made just for kids. That was until films like Iron Man, The Dark Knight, and The Avengers came along. Now these type of films are enjoying a renaissance, no one thought The Avengers would become the third highest grossing film of all time. That is why we need a new Godzilla film, to re-define giant monster movies in America. To re-introduce the King of the Monsters to the American audience. This could make him something to be taken seriously. Now coming from a Godzilla fan's standpoint, this film is necessary to bring new light to the merchandise. Imagine walking into Wal-Mart to see promos and shirts for it! Godzilla fans like myself could use this opportunity to share knowledge with people going to see the film. Today, if you're a Godzilla who's reading this, chances are you don't know anyone in person who knows/cares about the franchise. I'm in that same boat, unable to share my passion with anyone in person. A new Godzilla film is necessary so that everyone here could see him more than just an old cheesy Japanese hero that flies using his atomic breath.

My Godzilla Figure Collection

Did I really spend $125 on just a figure? Yes, yes I did. Godzilla figure collecting is surprisingly a pretty recent hobby. I've had a Bandai Creation Godzilla 54 and a Bandai Creation Showa Gigan for over ten years, but never started 'collecting' until this past January. Being part of the TOHO Kingdom forums was a huge influence in my decision to start collecting. As a Godzilla fan, I really wanted to start collecting these things. At first, I thought it was going to be a one-shot thing, In January I had purchased a $20 Movie Monsters Destoroyah. But then I saw this wonderful looking $60 Mecha King Ghidorah. But the price, how was I going to get it? Well, I eventually did manage to get it, like a week later I had mustered enough money. Ever since, I've been collecting. It's to the point where spending $100 on a single figure feels normal! Now for the fun part, below are photos from my still-growing collection, which was actually featured over at ComicBookMovie. Let the fun begin...

The main Godzillas will of course kick it off.

Some more Gs.

You can never have too many Godzillas!

A bunch of  6 inch Bandai figures, led by Titanosaurus.

Another angle showcasing Gamera, Zetton, and Kiryu.

Various figures

Fake Godzilla and Gorosaurus look EPIC in this pic.

Some cool figures, Y-MSF Megalon especially looks impressive here.

Showa Baragon taking center stage.

My personal favorite Rodan figure.

Isn't Anguirus just cute?!

The three main Ghidorahs.

The 'big boy,' the largest figure I own, the large scale Godzilla 91.

My most expensive ($125) and favorite figure, Keizer Ghidorah, taking center stage.

Monster of the Week: Antlar (Original)

Antlar is the most cunning and awesome opponent Ultraman has ever faced. This stag beetle or ant lion or whatever you want to call him was the first actually tough opponent for ol' Ultra. In fact, he never beat the 'Magnetic Monster' without the help of the Blue Stone of Baraj. Antlar, unlike a lot of the monsters in the Ultra-verse at the time, was really smart and made plans when fighting. It's no surprise that he's my favorite Ultra kaiju. The Stag Beetle had woke up to once again to terrorize the lost City of Baraji, that is where the events of the The Blue Stone of Baraj takes place.

Antlar had been living outside the lost City of Baraj in the desert, occasionally terrorizing it for years. However, when a meteor struck the ground, the always-ready ant lion had once again risen. What he hadn't expected was to see a plane there. Before he went to destroy it, he popped up his massive head to see what was inside it. It turns out it was Ito, who is scared silly by him. (Then again, who wouldn't be scared to see this massive head pop in from out of nowhere outside your window?) By the time Ito had brought the other Science Patrol members back,. Antlar had already buried their ship. However, Antlar isn't one to bury stuff then call it a day. These humans were new and new to him meant possible threat. So he had waited patiently in the ground when they had appeared. Once he heard Arashi getting stuck in a hole and yelling for help, the Magnetic Monster started to rise. When Captain Mura fired a ray at him, he was surprised. He had never encountered a beam like that before. But it didn't truly matter, the beam tickled at most. Antlar had decided to use his magnetic ray, which took away the gun. Seeing the humans retreat, Antlar went back into the ground to hang out for a bit before doing his final assault on the lost City...

Today was the day Antlar was finally going to destroy the lost City. Perhaps it was the new humans that had provoked him, but he had arrived, destroying the opening building. He knew the people feared him, as he kept hammering down the opening building. Of course, the Science Patrol were the first to attack with their ray guns. The beams didn't truly bother Antlar, they were just a nuisance easily taken care of thanks to his Magnetic Ray. Why bother running after and stomping on them when you could just use a magnetic ray to do things simpler and faster? Antlar went, destroying every single building he could. By this time, Hayata had transformed into Ultraman and went to confront Antlar in what would be his toughest battle yet.

Antlar had heard something was coming and turned around, roaring his Rodan roar in readiness. Antlar isn't big on attacking head-on at first, he likes to slowly bring down his opponent's strength with surprising and burrowing. By blinding Ultraman with a cloud of dirt, he already had the advantage. First, he managed to sneak up behind Ultraman and trip him with his pincers. Don't think Antlar is an ultra serious or honorable fighter like Battra, he has a sense of arrogance and curiosity. As he rises out of the ground he roars at Ultraman, almost like he's analyzing him. Before Antlar could make contact, Ultraman flew into the air. Antlar, thinking of a new plan, slowly retreated back into the ground. When Ultraman landed he had no clue where his cunning opponent had went. Not to overuse the term, bur Antlar displays his cunning best in his next attack. He quietly rises up behind Ultraman and unleashed his magnetic ray. The plan was to lure Ultraman into his pincers, and was he ready. As Ultraman went closer and closer you could see the killer within Antlar as he eagerly awaited to pincer his opponent to death. But Ultraman was no mere opponent, he barely escaped death by ducking. Antlar roared in defiance then the hand-to-hand battle begun, or rather hand-to-pincer. Antlar kept roaring as if he's saying "You're going to lose" "You're going to lose" and then Ultraman finally released his Spacium Ray. However, unlike all the other monsters before him, the ray had no effect. In fact, it had provoked Antlar to charge into his opponent. This resulted in a wrestling match until Ultraman broke his right pincer. Antlar was then on the ground most likely laughing it up as Ultraman really tried his best to stop him. But alas, Anltar just kept overwhelming him, and he knew that, he could sense Ultraman slowly dying. He now had Ultraman on the defensive, laughing it up cause he knew had this in the bag. However, the last thing he was expecting was to get thrown at himself was the Blue Stone. This happens to be his only weakness. The impact from the Stone killed him. So no, Ultraman wasn't the one to stop him, it was the Blue Stone of Baraj that defeated Antlar. This makes him one of the show's strongest villains, only behind Zetton and Gomora.

Antlar had one of the more dignified ends in the show. He's shown to be cunning, patient, and extremely durable. (Well, not his pincers anyway, those things are delicate.) But he shrugged off Ultraman's Spacium Ray like a true boss, that ray has destroyed whole monsters in the past. Antlar never quite reached the fame of Red King and Gomora, but in my eyes he's the most awesome Ultra kaiju out there.

Weekly Comic Reviews

Hey everyone, it's that time of week again. Before I begin, I have some bittersweet news. Thanks to being chief comic reviewer for Unleash the Fanboy, I'm going to be able to read  IDW titles early for free! That's right, I get to read Godzilla stuff early. Only disappointing part is that since I'll be writing the reviews there, they won't be popping up here anymore. Well, life can't be perfect. So be sure to visit Unleash the Fanboy for my Godzilla reviews and other cool stuff. Now for this week, we have the return of the Lizard, a clash of Spideys, and the Justice League getting completely OWNED. 

Amazing Spider-Man #688

Official Description

Someone has tampered with the grave of Billy Connors and all signs point to the Lizard! But Spidey won’t be alone in his hunt for Curt Connors, because Morbius the Living Vampire  is hot on his trail! Can Spidey handle both of these monsters before it turns into an all-out brawl? The superstar creative team of Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli bring you high stakes action and drama like no other as the celebration of Spider-Man’s 50th Anniversary continues in Amazing Spider-Man #688, swinging into comic shops everywhere, the Marvel Comics app and the Marvel Digital Comics Shop this June.

Review

With the new film coming just next week, this new arc's timing is pretty convenient. Shed was the last major  Lizard arc, seeing our reptilian friend (enemy) becoming a complete beast with Dr. Connors no longer in any type of control. The arc was brutal, with the death of Connors' son, Billy, which no one saw coming. Part One of Never Turning Back is by far the best Spidey comic in awhile. After the worldly Ends of the Earth, it's good to be seeing more of grounded Spidey story. The Lizard has always been one of Spidey's biggest villains, just underneath Venom, Green Goblin and Doctor Ocktopus. He is at his most savage here, with no hint of remorse, just a deadly predator. But he's not mindless, he's an evil reptilian mastermind. This makes him such a compelling villain, I've pretty much had enough of Doc Ock. The writing is pretty strong here, especially with the Lizard and Spidey's confrontation with Morbius. The art is another strong aspect, the battles are gritty and Lizard has never looked more deranged. Only complaint there is that Peter doesn't look like Peter, he looks more like Flash Thompson with that hair,

Overall it's a fantastic start to this arc. This could very well be the best Spidey story in awhile. If only the upcoming film's Lizard could have looked like the one here. But yeah, if you haven't been reading any Spidey comics, now's a good time to jump on board, this is going to be one heck of a gritty, gruesome, and awesome story.

9/10

Spider-Men #2

Official Description

When Peter Parker is thrown into Miles Morales’ world, the duo begin a journey that will not only answer questions about their own identities, but also reveal the truth about a major character in the world of Spider-Man!

Review

With establishing out of the way, this crossover can finally delve into the fun part. Every Spider-Man fan is going to have a blast with this one, we get some great and funny dialogue between 616 and Ultimate Spidey. It's cool how after after all these years the writing could poke fun a bit. "So, uh, what's the deal? Is this a clone thing?" Priceless. The whole scene with Spidey and Nick Fury is pretty much worth the price alone. (Got to love the potshot at 616 Fury.) Of course, if this arc is also meant to bring readers into the Ultimate side of things, it isn't doing such s great job of that. Miles Morales is portrayed as an extreme rookie with his dialogue, it doesn't make me want to go buy his comics. There is one little error I noticed in the writing. The part where Miles says "For real it's really him?" Then in the next panel the dialogue cloud has him saying "Kinda sorta" directly after, which doesn't make sense. The art is pretty good here, it really brings the battles alive. (The battle with the Spiders was wonderfully drawn.) Only minor complaint is the eyes on Spidey's mask, they look way too small, especially when it's next to the other Spidey's mask, the eyes look good there.

Overall it's a great and fun installment in this crossover, which surprisingly isn't getting that much hype like I thought it would. It's great to see the two much different Spider-Men interact, the next three issues look to be Spider-rific. But, Mysterio? I really hope another villain pops in to take over, ol' fishbowl head has been used too many times already.

9/10

Justice League #10

Official Description

• “THE VILLAIN’S JOURNEY” part two! • The identity of the Justice League’s newest and deadliest foe is revealed! • Part four of the debut of SHAZAM!

Review

It feels like it's been FOREVER since the last issue. The latest issue has the team getting pulverized by the new villain Graves. I will say that this arc is doing a great at making this Graves character a menace and pretty cool at the same time. I hope his defeat isn't generic and that he becomes a returning villain. The dialogue has some strong moments, but some very weak moments too. The civilians and news reporters sound really, really bad. Green Lantern is nothing but a joke here, even Flash is a little off this time. Some of the dialogue between the team was admittedly funny, such as with Batman and Superman. I'm not really sure, but it's like the team still doesn't trust each other, even though this is taking place in present day. That's a lot of years of being a team. While the dialogue isn't juvenile like in some of the earlier issues, it still needs some work. Naturally the art is the strongest aspect, Jim Lee is perhaps the greatest comic artist right now. The next installment in the Shazam backup story was pretty good, with a great ending. Though in some panels Billy looked a little too evil.

Overall it's a pretty good issue with a horror touch, the dialogue is a little weak in some parts, but it's still a good read.

8/10

Dinosaurs vs. Aliens Review

Ah, Dinosaurs vs. Aliens. If that's not the coolest title known to man, I don't know what is. I gotta admit that I was pretty hyped, I mean, two of my favorite creatures battling it out?! And no humans to wreck everything? This had potential to be the greatest graphic novel ever. Not to mention the fact that a movie is going to be coming, which could also be one of the greatest movies ever made. But I'm here to talk about the graphic novel written by Grant Morrison. The book had been getting some pretty good hype, back on Free Comic Book Day they had released a short preview of it. Astounding art and it looked like the story was going to be more deep than what you were expecting. In fact, despite the cheesy 60's title, (I love it, but I'm sure the rest of the world would disapprove of such a Syfy-like title) the story is the book's strongest aspect. Dinosaurs vs. Aliens is a masterpiece, with its only flaw being the length, it doesn't justify $20.

Check out the official description from Dynamite and Liquid Comics:

From the minds of acclaimed filmmaker, Barry Sonnenfeld (director of the, “Men In Black” Films) and superstar graphic novel creator, Grant Morrison (Batman, The Invisibles, Action Comics, 18 Days), comes "Dinosaurs Vs. Aliens," from Liquid Comics. The story focuses on a secret world war battle that was never recorded in our history books. When an alien invasion attacks Earth in the age of the dinosaurs, our planet's only saviors are the savage prehistoric beasts which are much more intelligent than humanity has ever imagined.

Alright, let's get that one negative out of the way. The book is $20, which is the average price for a graphic novel. However, you're going to be surprised that it doesn't 'end.' There's going to be a part two. That was really disappointing, you get really into the story, and once you find out that this is just Volume One, you're left feeling a little unsatisfied. It feels like you're buying half a book, it should be at most $15. Graphic novels are usually self contained into one volume, not a continuation like this, with no word on Volume 2 yet. Now, don't think the actual story we're getting isn't good, it's fantastic.


I like the analogy of the whole 'Manifest Destiny' that's portrayed here. The dinosaurs are the Native Americans while the aliens represent the Americans. So this isn't just some mindless Vs. thing that you'll find Saturday nights on the Syfy channel, this story has a lot of heart. I love dinosaurs, so seeing them as a focus is interesting. Of course, it could be difficult story wise I admit for monsters to be the central focus without humans in the picture. This isn't the case here, the dinosaurs hold their own. As you can see by reading the description, these aren't the mindless beasts we're used to seeing in films. They're intellgent creatures, have tribes, and work together. Such emotion is portrayed even though they don't speak at all. It takes a true writer to able to pull off somethiong like that. Let's not count out the alien angle here. They're technically the 'villains.' However, they aren't mindless or just invading for the heck of it. Unlike the aliens we see in today's films, (Ahem to Cowboys and Aliens, Battle: Los Angeles, and Skyline) we're given insight into these extraterrestrials. (It is told mainly from their perspective after all.) Like the dinos, they are a compelling focus, the writing is top notch as we have inside scoop about why they're here. 


The art is an extremely high point of the book. It's done by Mukesh Singh, who I gotta say matches up to Jim Lee's amazing work over at Justice League. The landscapes look incredible, and the splash page with two of the dinos looking at a looming UFO in the sky is awe inspiring. While the book isn't over-the-top and in your face, it remains fast-paced but calm at the same time. The book has a calming atmosphere, inviting you into a world without humans. The dinosaur skirmishes were appropriately brutal and how can one not smile at a T-Rex taking down an alien robot with its jaw? The very smart writing through thought boxes really carry the story.


Overall, Dinosaurs vs. Aliens might just be the greatest graphic novel I have ever read. It is unfortunate that I cannot give it a perfect rating becuse of the price drawback. It should have been one standalone book. Not many people are talking about it, so I fear for Volume Two. If it doesn't get made, we're left with part one of a masterpiece. Dinosaurs vs. Aliens does the impossible and manages to be a compelling story just with the title creatures. It's dinosaurs and aliens with amazing art and smart writing. What more can one want?


9/10.

Memoirs from a Godzilla Fan

"Another Godzilla article?" "Is this guy obsessive or something?" These are thoughts that may come to your head as you read this. I'm not going to lie, I don't go one day without mentioning the Big G, whether it be on Twitter, Facebook, or in person. It's not just a side or little hobby, I consider it to be part of my life. So if you want label that as obsessive, then sue me. When one has a great passion like this, it's usually rooted in childhood. It's no different here. But you know, as shocking as it may be, there was a time when I didn't care about the franchise at all. (Don't faint loyal reader!) Below I'm going to talk about my Godzilla fan life and the definition of passion.

You know, I really cannot pin-point an exact date, event, or even first movie that got me started as a fan. My dad is the one that got me into it at a very young age, that I know for sure. It was either 1999 or 2000 that I have my earliest memories of being a fan. I was either 4 or 5 years old when I had asked my dad to get some Godzilla tapes. (Yup, back before DVDs became popular.) I remember him coming home with four tapes. Ghidorah: the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, and Godzilla vs. Biollante. I remember that day, my dad had said that he went to a lot of stores to find these. (Goes to show that even back then Godzilla wasn't exactly 'out there' in the States.) Ghidorah, Destoroyah, and Mechagodzilla II were the defining films I grew up with. What about Biollante you ask? I saw that tape once, it was my least favorite. The others I could keep watching over and over again. I was never into Biollante, it's only now that I see it's a pretty good film. (Hey I was young, all I wanted to see was monsters beating the living daylights out of each other.) So the other three films are what I call 'nostaglic.' I've probably seen them a thousand times growing up. I put in one of those right now, then I'm reminded of my childhood. (Everytime Mothra has the conversation with Godzilla and Rodan I can't help but smile.) I still own the Ghidorah and Destoroyah tapes. My next memory was in Best Buy. Me and my dad had bought this 5 pack DVD set. It featured Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla's Revenge, Mothra vs. Godzilla,  (which was somehow broken by my sister many years ago, I miss having that film, it's only now that I appreciate how great of a movie it truly is) Terror of Mechagodzilla, and Rodan. Godzilla's Revenge is probably the Godzilla film I've seen the most. I mean, it's just so light-toned with lots of monster scenes. Of course, now I realize how awful it is, but it still brings back memories.

When I was a kid they used to air marathons on the Sci Fi channel. I remember one scene from Godzilla vs. Megalon, when Gigan and Megalon did their 'high-five,' it always stood out to me over the years. It was the only scene I had remembered until I saw the film again a year ago. I remember watching Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla for the first time. I remember on the description saying something about a rock monster. Once Anguirus popped up, me and my dad thought "Anguirus is the rock monster?!" I also remember watching DESTROY ALL MONSTERS for the first time, I actually don't think I was impressed with it. It would be a good eight years before I saw it again. I also remember watching King Kong vs. Godzilla and my family rooting for the 'hero' King Kong instead of Godzilla. But a true defining moment was on Christmas morning sometime in the early 2000's. I turned on the TV to see this thing attempting to swallow Godzilla whole! I was glued, what the heck was that? I had never seen Godzilla being defeated in this manner before. Alas, I was young, and it was Chrisatmas morning, so I had turned it off so I could open those gifts. My next memory would come in 2002...

I was at the now-deceased KB Toys in search for, well, toys. I was a very indecisive kid back then, I really didn't know what to get. Until my mom told me they had some Godzilla toys. I remember, they had Godzilla 1954, Gigan, Burning Godzilla, and Mothra. I wanted to pick up Godzilla, but my mom insisted on getting Gigan since he looked kinda unique. I ended up getting both. I still have both those figures, in pretty good condition I have to add. (Unlike most kids at the time, I treated my stuff with the HIGHEST respect.) Another toy-themed memory was getting the Pack of Destruction. Basically it featured miniature versions of Godzilla 1954, Destoroyah, Manda, Mothra, Mothra Larva, Minya, MOGUERA, and Burning Godzilla, I still have all of them minus Mothra Larva. I had seen it and my dad asked if I would be sure to play with it. I said of course or something like that. All those wonderful minis were then mine. (Fun fact is that I didn't know who MOGUERA was at the time, I thought he was a mecha version of Megalon.)

Another defining aspect is the video game Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee. Me and my dad use to play it a lot. I remember seeing the final character's headshot in the character selection screen and eagerly called up my dad, saying 'the final character is this crocodile-looking thing!" (At the time, I didn't know who Orga was.) Also, as more of a sidestep, I was also into Gamera. I still have this VHS tape of Gamera vs. Gyaos. I don't remember when I got the DVDs, but it was definitely a long time ago. Gamera the Invincible, War of the Monsters (Gamera vs. Barugon) Gamera: Attack of Legion, and Gamera: Revenge of Iris. Like with King of the Monsters, I had found Gamera the Invincible incredibly boring. If there was no other monster to battle the title character, then it would be boring. That was how I felt. I do remember enjoying War of the Monsters, and I still like it to this day. I remember watching Revenge of Iris, my mom had to explain to me that those dead bodies that Iris was leaving were just dolls. I remember how everyone was shocked at how Gamera sacrificed his own hand to stop Iris. 

The year is 2005. I remember my parents going somewhere for their anniversary and that my grandmother would be watching me and my sister. To keep everyone entertained, my dad had rented this 'new' Godzilla film called Godzilla: Final Wars. The three of us; me, my sister, and my grandma watched it that evening. I actually remember a preview that showed Final Fantasy: Advent Children. I remember my grandma saying how real the animation looked. I don't remember my first full impressions on Final Wars, the one scene I do remember is when Ozaki is punching the Xilien Leader while Godzilla is punching Monster X, the three of us were laughing at that. The very next day I saw it with my parents. I remember that I kept hyping up the final villain to my dad. The surprise transformation from Monster X into Keizer Ghidorah, which my dad would then say "Finally a real fight." I would see Final Wars once more in that house. 

After the Final Wars era, my liking for the series diminished. I was still technically a 'fan,' but really, the franchise didn't matter to me. In 2006 I had gotten Godzilla: Save the Earth for my birthday. I played it once, but it would be a few years before I would play it again. Why? Well, I had thought that I couldn't get the monsters to stay unlocked for an example. But really, I just didn't find the game fun. You have to be a fan to really appreciate the games. My dad had gotten it for me because I was always a 'fan,' but I didn't really play it at all. In the years 2007 and 2008, I didn't care at all about the series. I guess you could say movies was something I was more interested in, comic book movies and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. 2008 was a turning point year, it was the year I moved to New Jersey. It wasn't until December of that year that I started getting back into comics. Aside from that, the following year, 2009, is what I call my 'darkest' year for a few personal reasons. In general terms, I didn't have a 'passion' for pretty much anything. It was a disappointing year when I look back on it. After that, 2010 is what I call a 'golden year.' Sometime that year something had clicked. I wanted to get back into Godzilla. It was like a backup program inside my head starting to play. I started to play Save the Earth again after a few years of it laying dormant in the draw. Like my mind knew everything, it told me to play as Gigan, and from then on, Gigan became my favorite Godzilla character. It was at that point that I wanted to start watching the films again. Naturally I started with Godzilla vs. Gigan. I was very happy while watching it, it was like a lost childhood that came back. After Godzilla vs. Gigan, I rented three Godzilla films I had never seen before, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla and Mothra: Battle for Earth, and Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. I was on a roll, with the final film in the 'marathon' being Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. But soon it would be my birthday and guess what I would be watching on Netflix Instant? Final Wars, it had been some years. I remember me and everyone else here having a blast. That Christmas I got a two pack DVD set, featuring DESTROY ALL MONSTERS and Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. It would be the first time in forever since I've seen DESTROY ALL MONSTERS, so it was truly a treat. Some scenes, like Gorosaurus' famous kangaroo kick on Ghidorah I have always remembered. At around this time I was training myself by going to the Godzilla Wiki and TOHO Kingdom, attaining knowledge of things I had never knew about the franchise. Enter 2011...

It was later in the year that I joined the TOHO Kingdom forums. The site helped me realize that I wasn't alone in this world in liking this franchise. There were actually people that knew more about the franchise than me. On my birthday, I had received the actual DVD for Godzilla: Final Wars, it was great seeing it on the huge TV downstairs. Man I love that film. It's amazing that I first saw it seven years ago. I continued to check out the films sparingly during the latter part of 2011. Then we enter a turning point in my life as a fan. In my time in the TOHO Kingdom forums, visiting the toy thread and seeing the collections posted there made me want to buy a figure. Plus, when I had taken out my Godzilla and Gigan, they looked a bit lonely. They needed a thrird figure. So I went ahead and bought a $20 Destoroyah figure. It was supposed to be a one-shot thing, but that same day I saw this $60 Mecha King Ghidorah. I wanted that Mecha King Ghidorah. I got that Mecha King Ghidorah. And now to this this day, I am a collector of Godzilla figures. My room is full of them, it's really what you would expect from a Godzilla fan. Also that Christmas I got my first ever Godzilla poster. I had been wanting a life-sized one for awhile to define my room, and I finally got it. It's the poster for Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. It has my favorite Godzilla design on it. And very recently, I finally got my very own Godzilla shirt!

At this point of time, I am at the peak of being a fan. Knowledge flows through my head, the name Godzilla is always right there and ready to be said from me. However, even a fan like myself is still learning new things. Just a few weeks ago I had seen the original Gojira for the first time, it was like seeing a whole new film, since I've only seen the American King of the Monsters version, which was over ten years ago. Godzilla is a part of my life, I'm always Tweeting about it, and could get rather defensive over it. A lot may wonder what I see in this franchise. It's just giant rubber suited monsters crushing miniature sets, right? No. Godzilla is something deeply rooted in my childhood. What is your passion? Music, dancing, Twilight? When something is always somewhere on your mind, something you talk about enthusiastically without having a care to what anyone thinks about it, that's a passion. Godzilla is my passion.

Zelda Skyward Sword, Overrated, and why Twilight Princess is Better

Last night I completed The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. I've had it since Christmas. I know right? Why did it take me this long to beat it? Oh there are reasons, which I will explore very soon. (I was never stuck on any level, just in case you thought that was a reason.) No you see, the latest Zelda game is overrated. Yes, I just called the game that got perfect scores almost everywhere overrated. I'm not here to say the game is bad, it's quite a good game really. But one of the best games ever? One of the best Zelda games ever? I don't think so. The game is slow, it's often times boring, and some levels really tempt you to look up a walkthrough somewhere for the sheer annoyance of them.

There are two main types of Nintendo games. There's the Mario styled ones, where everything is rather straightforward and you keep going straight while jumping over obstacles to reach your destination, then there's the heavily puzzle-themed Zelda styled ones. Whereas Mario relies on its fun gameplay and worlds, Zelda relies more on its stories. Skyward Sword is a big game, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Zelda series, and also serving as a prequel to the franchise. I'm going to be honest and say I really don't like these type of games. Twilight Princess I enjoyed, which I'll talk more about soon, but games like Kingdom Hearts get on my nerves. Too many side-quests when the game should just get to the blasted point. Who the heck wants to collect coconuts and mushrooms? Those type of games dwell on those little annoying side-quests or mini-quests too long. Skyward Sword suffers from this. Sometimes I went whole weeks without playing, a lot of the time it was more of a chore than having fun. Do I have to mention it? Yes, yes I do.

THE TADTONES LEVEL

Oh my gosh, this level is the one where you have to obtain a bunch of tadtone things for the Water Goddess. It is also the most useless level I have ever seen in a video game. It serves no purpose other than to annoy the player. It's, it's just there to buy more time. When you play a game, you're there to have fun, not to go underwater and search for tadpole-looking things. I wouldn't be complaining about this if it was a 1 2 3 thing, but nope, it takes awhile. It's like this game wants to keep you from reaching your destination as much as possible so you could die enjoy the scenery. Again, often the game feels like a chore rather than a fun adventure. Now, about Twilight Princess...

When you hear about Zelda, the ones that usually come to mind are Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and now this game. However, unlike the others, you'll notice that Twilight Princess is often regarded as the 'black sheep' of the main Zelda games. It's the one that gets the most negative reviews out of them, everyone pretty much thinks this game is better (far superior) than Twilight Princess. Not me. You see, Twilight Princess was more fun to play. It didn't bother dwelling on side or mini-quests that much, and the intro wasn't overly long. The story was kept at a better pace, it felt like you were advancing pretty fast, unlike Skyward Sword, where the story stands still sometimes. In Twilight Princess, the villain Zant is established better than Ghirahim, who only made occasional appearances every now and then. Skyward Sword could have done a lot of a better job with him, they could have made him more of a focus rather than popping up only like five times during the 30 hour game. Twilight Princess made you feel like you were in the story rather than just playing it. Also in TP, you actually feel for Link and want him to succeed. His growth there makes him a better character than the one in Skyward Sword, it just felt like he was a plot device used to get through the story there. And don't get me started on the disappointing final boss. First off, I actually like Demise, he was a great character. I would have liked to see more of him. Unlike Twilight Princess, the final boss fight is unsatisfying. Twilight Princess had the most epic final boss battle I have ever seen in a video game, it felt like you were right there, it felt like it was all up to the player, and most of all, it felt like the end. The final battle with Demise feels rather shoehorned in, there's no level of 'epic' to it. The battle with Ghirahim had more of an 'end' feel. (Mainly thanks to the music.) The final battle with Demise felt like something from the middle of the game, not as the final one.

I'm not saying Skyward Sword is a bad game, but perfect scores? Best Zelda game ever? The game is often devoid of one thing: fun. There are too many things happening when the player just wants to see the story progress. See, I didn't bother doing any of the optional side-quests. Why? I didn't care. I had no incentive to do so. In Twilight Princess, you cared for the characters, here you really don't care at all about the optional side-quests. I will continue to buy future Zelda games, I can only hope that they become more 'direct' in the way the story and quests goes. A little puzzle is for good measure of course, but when something like this game takes it too far, it loses the core reason why we play these games: to have fun.