Favorites - Seven Creepy Moments from Non-Horror Video Games

Now, I’m not the biggest fan of horror games. It’s not that I don’t like them, I’m just not that interested in them. If it has a lot of zombie shooting, there is a chance that I won’t play it since I kinda of want more than that. That doesn’t mean I don’t like horror themed games. I own Vampyr on the PS4, and I think The Wolf Among Us could be considered to be horror. By the way, I finally was able to finish that game. I wish it got a sequel.

 I think I like it more when RPGs include horror elements. Heck, most RPGs tend to mix in a lot of genres together to make something pretty memorable. So, I’m going to go into detail about 7 scary moments from non-horror video games. I was going to go all out and make this a longer list, but I then hit a block when it came to finding scary moments in non-horror games. Besides, this just leaves me to get a little more detailed on these moments and levels. So, let’s start out with what’s probably my first big scare in video games.

1. The Final Level from Spider-Man

“RAWR!!! DIIIIIEEEEE!!” Imagine hearing this for an hour. That’s how long it took me to beat a pretty short final level on the PS1 version of Spider-Man. I hadn’t even ate food for Thanksgiving yet because this thing held me up! In the level, all you gotta do is swing away from the pretty freaky combination of Dr. Octopus and Carnage (Carn-Ock? Doc Carn?). Beating those two separately was hard enough, now I gotta face a merged version of them? While it would’ve been interesting to actually fight them, running from them kinda sounds better.

Anyway, while running like a coward sounds simple, you have to swing, climb, and run your red and blue butt off. You’re jumping over pipes, climbing walls, and running. I think there were a couple of times where I was like “All right, take me!” or something like that. I think I also only got to really beat this once since my PS1 ultimately gave out on me. It’s definitely one memory from I PS1 days I have still held on to.

Favorites - Favorite Soundtracks from Video Games

You know, there is one thing I haven’t talked about here in a while: music. I guess it got lost in the shuffle of comics, books, movies, and TV. Heck, I’m still not letting go of a couple of those things in the next couple of posts. I started to wonder about my favorite movie scores and started to run into blanks. I got them, but I really couldn’t call up many except for a few. Then, a lot of the ones I could think of are from the same dudes.

Then, I began to wonder about my favorite musical scores from video games. I shockingly had more luck there. Music is one thing that helps enhance gameplaying. It can help you get hyped up at the big moments and it can make you pretty annoyed at the low moments. I can’t count how many times I heard Saren’s theme when I died in the first Mass Effect. So, here are my ten favorite musical scores from video games. It’s not completely in order, but I do have the best up front.

Favorites - 16 Characters Who Were Recast in Movies/TV

TV and movies can be a bit weird especially when they are serialized. One thing that is definitely a head-turner is when an actor replaces another actor in the same role. The thing that got me on this path was thinking about Harriett Winslow from Family Matters. I vividly remember Judyann Elder replacing the role that Jo Marie Payton had played for almost a decade. That’s just one I've noticed and I thought it was weird. I also saw it a lot on other shows too. Movies even go through this.

The reasons for actors replacing other actors can vary.  Some die during the role. Others get fired or just decide to quit. It can happen at the beginning, during production, or well on into the lifespan of the series. So, here are 16 characters who were recast for a show or movie series. I’ll even throw a game in this too. Hopefully, I can fit all that into a nice title for this post. I’ll only be doing shows and movies I’ve seen, so I’m sorry if I’m leaving your favorite one out. It’s also not in any order as well.

1. Vivian Banks (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) 

This is probably one of the most known recasts. Janet Hubert played Vivian on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for three years. From what I heard and read, she and Will Smith didn’t get along. She supposedly violated her contract (she was pregnant at the time) and got ousted. After that, Daphne Reid was brought in to play Vivian for the rest of the show’s run. She was actually the first Vivian I remember seeing since I didn’t watch the show until the fourth season. She even got to play the part for three years, so it sounds a little equal, you think?

As for which version I liked better, I have to go with Hubert on this one. She seemed to have more of a bite to her. She also kind of got more to do than Reid did. The episode where she decides to go back into dancing is one of her coolest moments. Reid’s Vivian seemed to be more in the background at times. Even though she didn’t much to do, I did like her and she had some good moments. Still, the first Vivian did it for me.

Favorites - 10 Heroic Characters Gone Bad

“All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day.”

This quote from Batman: The Killing Joke says a lot about heroes or good people who go down a dark path. Sometimes, an event will happen in their lives that will irrevocably change them. Mostly, they can find the way to keep their wits and continue to fight the good fight. Heck, how has someone like Spider-Man not gone totally dark after what’s happened to him? Other times, they fall so far off the wagon, you wonder if they were even on the wagon to begin with. You’ll see this trope everywhere in movies, TV, books, and video games. So, here are some good characters that turned dark. They’re not necessarily in order either.

1. Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars)

That’s right, folks. One of the best villains in movie history was once one of the good guys. It always has to start like that, don’t it? Even though the prequels weren’t perfect, they and Star Wars: Clone Wars showed how a “mostly good” Jedi would go evil. Because of Palpatine’s influence and Anakin’s own fears, he became Darth Vader and helped tighten the Empire’s grip for years. I’ll touch on his ultimate end next time, though.

Favorites – Top 10 WTH Moments from the Metal Gear Solid franchise

The Metal Gear Solid franchise is one of my favorite video game franchises. It mixes in spy games with scifi and some real world issues. The stories throw in a lot of things to ponder about. It’s kind of like a thinking man’s franchise. You definitely get that with MGS2. It’s talked about society, hidden government groups, conspiracies, the invasiveness of technology, politics, and people not getting their hopes up. If you know anything about Hal “Otacon” Emmerich, that last point comes up a lot for that cool but lonely nerd.

While Metal Gear is awesome though a bit convoluted, they just had to get weird with us. It may be Japanese culture or it’s that just the creators being weird. Whatever it is, I don’t know. Hideo Kojima threw some weird moments into the franchise and I’ll quickly talk about the ones that popped out to me. They were at times funny, random, unsettling, and overall weird. I got 10 of them, so this should do it for me. Also, I will spoil some things here but not everything, so let’s start out with literal toilet humor.

Favorites - Ten Favorite Prequels

Prequels tend to get a bad rep, don’t they? I guess I can’t blame folk for not liking prequels. There are some that are pretty bad. They tend to be of low quality and not capture what the original was all about. I guess I can say the same thing about reboots, but that’s a list for another time. Today, I’ll be talking about my ten favorite prequels. Why ten? Well, there aren't that many good ones out there.  I won’t be including reboots like Batman Begins and Casino Royale on here simply because they aren’t prequels. I’ve see some lists include them and that’s pretty annoying. Now, there are some I’ll include that are sort of reboots, but they are meant to be prequels.

10. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 

ToD is probably my least favorite of the Indiana Jones Foursome. It’s down there with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. While it’s not my favorite, it has its moments. Of course, Harrison Ford rules any role he’s in. Short Pack was cool. It also had some nice quotes (“You betrayed Shiva!”)

9. Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith 

Yes, I know. It’s a general fact that the Star Wars prequels suck. Luckily, I’m not a general person. There were good things and bad things in those movies. ROTS was the best of the three prequels. It helped set up things in the original trilogy and isn’t a bad movie in of itself. It’s far from perfect but I do like it more than the other two prequels. I will say that the Clone War TV series (I’ll get to it later) did more to expand the universe than the prequels did.

Favorites - Top 12 Sidekicks

Unlike henchmen, sidekicks are another story all-together. Simply, they are there to help and support the protagonist. They usually get more room to shine than the usual henchmen. Sometimes, they are on par with the main hero. There are even some that can outshine the main hero. Other times, they’re the ones that need help. Just look at Robin back in some of those old stories I did last month. That guy got captured a lot! So, here are my Top 12 Sidekicks in fiction. I chose twelve because it’s a magic number.

12. Kato from The Green Hornet

It’s Bruce Lee for a sidekick. That’s all I need to say there. Kato was the sidekick to the Green Hornet. Together, they stopped crime under the guise of being criminals. It’s a pretty weird situation overall. I’ve only seen some Green Hornet episodes and the pretty lackluster movie with Seth Rogen. When Kato isn’t Britt Reid’s driver, he’s the butt-kicking sidekick. In fact, he kicks more butt than that green insect. Overall, it’s Bruce freakin’ Lee and the guy knows martial arts! I rest my case.

11. Chewbacca from The Star Wars Trilogy

He’s the alien who not the best at losing weird games. Chewbacca is Han’s assistant on the Millennium Falcon. He’s also the muscle for our heroes in the trilogy. He’s the guy who’ll be at your side through thick and thin even if you don’t know what he’s saying. Simply put, Chewie’s pretty cool.

10. Chloe Sullivan from Smallville 

Chloe was Clark’s friend, confidant, and helper on the TV show, Smallville. She basically started out as a copy of Lois Lane. She was the news girl who wanted the truth. Over the seasons, she developed into a hero of her own. She learned Clark’s secret and basically became Smallville’s version of Oracle (Barbara Gordon). She even tried to keep Clark on his mission when even he wasn’t ready to do it. She was smart, kind, brave, a little dim-witted (middle of Season 8, ya’ll), and really cute. Chloe is definitely one you want to have at your side. I know I would.

9. April O’Neill and Casey Jones from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Yeah, I listed both for this part since they are really the only humans that the Turtles really interact with. While April is usually known as the damsel in distress in some incarnations, she has been known to be an effective part of the team. Just see the 2003 animated series and IDW’s current comic series. Casey is always the sport-equipment-wielding vigilante and he helps the Turtles out from time to time. He’s got a great rapport with Raphael and he’s just cool in my book. April and Casey also make for a great couple and they’re pretty rad in my book.

8. Wang from Big Trouble in Little China 

Wang was Jack Burton’s sidekick in Big Trouble from Little China. In some ways, he’s the main character of the movie. Yes, Kurt Russell the main star, but he is really ineffective at times.  Wang is the guy who has the most at stake in the movie. All Jack loses is his truck. Wang loses a whole girl to David Lo Pan. He can also kick a lot of butt which is something that Jack didn’t excel at that. He does all he can to get his green-eyed woman back and Jack is essentially along for the ride. By the way, Big Trouble in Little China is an awesome movie, just saying.

7. Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings 

Sam was a friend to Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. When Frodo decided to split off from the Fellowship, Sam tagged on along even if Frodo didn’t want him to. That worked out great especially since Frodo really needed it. Sam fought Gollum and saved Frodo from Orcs and that that spider. When Frodo was down, Samwise was there to pick him up and end the journey. All in all, Sam’s a cool Hobbit to have as a friend.

Favorites - Top 12 Henchmen

You know, henchmen usually don’t get it good in stories. They stay in the background doing the main villain’s doing. They usually die first since most action stories need that sort of thing. Worst, they get no recognition for their actions. It would suck to be a henchman. They probably don’t even get pension or benefits! Luckily, there are some henchmen out there that don’t fit the usual mold. They’re memorable, they’re important, they're funny,  they’re actually kind of threatening, and they usually go out with a bang.

12. Major Arnold Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark 

Toht was that creepy German guy from Raiders of the Lost Ark. He’s the guy who roughed up Marion at her bar and tried to steal the pendant from her. He was decked in all black and he had that creepy smile and voice. He’s also one of the Nazis who witnessed the opening of the Ark of the Covenant. All I can say for him is this: Ouch.

11. Harley Quinn from Batman: the Animated Series

Unlike most characters on Batman: TAS, Harley Quinn was created for the series. She’s the crazy, hot-looking henchman for the Joker. She used to be a psychologist before the Joker screwed her up. She’s funny and pretty crazy. Over the years, she’s made it to the comics and even the recent Arkham games. She’s even become her own villain in the comics. Simply put, she’ll doing anything for the Joker.

10. The Jem’Hadar from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 

The Jem’Hadar were genetically-engineered soldiers for the Dominion. The Founders created them to be the best. They have no emotion other that the drive to serve the Founders. They were definitely the best and a whole lot more. The Jem’Hadar made the Dominion War a struggle for the Federation and Klingons. With other forces in the Dominion, they almost one the War. They are soldiers you definitely want on your side… if you’re bad guys anyway.

9. Vamp from the Metal Gear Solid franchise 

The MGS series has its fair share of memorable henchmen. Psycho Mantis, The End, Volgin, and Ocelot are some of them. For me, Vamp is probably the most memorable one . He’s strong, fast, creepy, and a mighty fine dancer. Instead of actually being supernatural, Vamp gains his abilities from nanomachines because nanomachines can apparently do anything in the MGS universe. He’s been able to do more stuff than most henchmen. He’s fought both Snake and Raiden and he killed Otacon’s sister, Emma Emmerich. Overall, Vamp was one creepy dude.

8. The Wing Kong gang from Big Trouble in Little China

The Wing Kong gang was David Lo Pan’s main henchmen. They were essentially demigods. Thunder, Rain, and Lightning were pretty awesome in that movie. Their looks were pretty cool. They each had their own powers in the movie. Mortal Kombat’s Raiden was even inspired by Lightning. They didn’t say much, but their actions spoke louder than their words. They definitely proved a match for our heroes and were a highlight of an already good movie.

7. Bane from the Batman franchise  

While Bane is usually his own man in the comics, he’s usually been a henchman in everything else from TV to the movies. He was one in the animated series and he was one in Batman and Robin. He was even one in The Dark Knight Rises where he was pretty cool. He almost killed Batman and led the League of Shadows into taking Gotham hostage. Even if that movie itself was pretty weak in some places, Bane was cool.

Top 36 Heroes - Part 4

Man, I'm running out of intros. After a little snafu where I noticed I accidentally deleted a couple of spots, welcome to part 4. Today, I start with a lawyer of all things.

18. Atticus Finch

Next up, we have a southern lawyer of all things. Luckily, he’s one of the good guys. Atticus Finch is the father of Jem and Scout Finch in the book To Kill A Mockingbird. In the book and movie, he’s a defense attorney who’s involved in a case that revolves around a bit of racism. He also serves as the moral center for Jem and Scout. So, why did I decide to include this character? One reason is that I really wanted to include some normal fictional heroes on here too.

Also, Atticus is a good character in general. Recently, I have been reading the book again for the first time in about a decade. His character is definitely one of the highlights. He’s a good single father who’s trying to raise two kids. As I said before, he’s also got good morals. He tries to stand up for people who can’t stand for themselves. The biggest example is the trial where he’s trying to help acquit a man from a crime. Another one comes at the end where… well, that would be spoiling. He was well acted in the movie by Gregory Peck.