Ranking the Red Moon: Akatsuki in Naruto

Akatsuki is one of the best villainous organizations I've seen in comic-style media. Naruto Part 2 gets a lot of hate, especially its anime counterpart of Shippuden, but I don't think even its detractors can say Akatsuki isn't an awesome set of bad guys, even if just on a visual level.

So, without further ado, allow me to rank each member and explain why they were all so damn cool.

SPOILER WARNING!

1. Pain

I honestly loved this character to death, from his past to his relationship with Jiraiya to the twisted relationship he had with Yahiko after his death to his status as a fallen chosen one to his parallels to Naruto.

Nagato is perhaps the only parallel in the series to not feel exceedingly on point. For example, you have Kakashi and Sasuke, Orochimaru and Sasuke, Jiraiya and Naruto - all of these feel like they are screaming at you that "hey, look, these are the past generation versions of these characters and a glimpse of who they might become." Nagato is a little more subtle. He shares a similarity with Naruto in that he was Jiraiya`s student and really wanted justice in the world, and had that "something special" about him that drew others to him, but his techniques, appearance, and personality are all his own.

He was hyped up for hundreds of chapters as the mysterious leader of the most dangerous criminal organization in the world, and those years he spent as a rainbow shadow only made his eventual reveal all the more hype. He lived up to it, too, killing Jiraiya of all people in his first fight, in what would go down as one of the coolest fights in the series.

Intimidating, capable, cool, unique abilities and a unique relationship with the main cast in a way that didn`t feel hamfisted. What a great character.

2. Itachi

Sasuke`s mysterious older brother. I can`t say anything that hasn`t been said a thousand times elsewhere already.

Part of Itachi`s appeal is that we are introduced to him gradually through the character of Sasuke. Sasuke is introduced as a genius ninja. We later learn he has an older brother who is thrice the ninja he is and more, but more than that, he`s incredibly dangerous and responsible for killing Sasuke`s entire extended family. Holy shit. Throughout Part 1 we always wondered - why would he do that? Is he just a psychopath, or is there some other reason? He had a mystery about him that made him appealing.

His techniques are also just really, really cool - turning into crows, black flames that burn even fire, skill in all three forms of ninja combat, the works. He really felt untouchable, even up to the end. The twist that he was good all along seems to be divisive, but I loved it. It made his already appealing character a hundred times better.

The loving older brother, the perfect ninja, the tragic hero, the solemn warrior. Itachi is just too cool.

3. Kisame

I`m a sucker for water based characters, so I liked him a bit more by default, but he really was awesome in his own right. His shark water bullets, his water prison techniques, his ability to summon tidal waves, his giant scary sword - this guy`s shark theme was done justice.

He has the added benefit of being one of the first members we see, and of being Itachi`s partner, so we as readers had that added attachment to the character. His past as a rogue ninja who lived in one of the worst villages in one of the worst times in its history is also interesting, especially since he shares a connection with his partner Itachi in that he was forced to kill his comrades against his wishes. He and Itachi are both the "ultimate ninjas" in that regard - sacrificing everything for the mission. The scenes the two of them share have a unique feel when compared to the other Akatsuki members, where there`s a sense of mutual understanding and respect between them, but also a distance that precludes any sense of real friendship, showing that they`ve chosen to remain emotionally isolated because of their pasts.

Kisame held his philosophy until the end. Was he a good person? Not really, but he was empathetic and admirable, to a degree, despite his generally bad actions. Awesome voice actor, too.

4. Sasori

His resurrection arc excluded, Sasori is an amazingly terrifying villain. He first appears monstrous in the body of his puppet, and then after learning his past, we discover that he is an actual monster who turned his parents and even the Kazekage into puppets.

He was an appropriately psychopathic villain for a criminal organization, and he also gave us more insight into the Sand village and its history. I loved his dynamic with Deidara as two artists with conflicting ideas about what art is. His battle with Chiyo and Sakura is honestly one of the best fights in the series, especially when animated.

I don`t have much to say other than that, as he had the shortest run of any Akatsuki villain, but he definitely served his role well while he was there. What a great introduction to the rest of the organization in Part 2.

5. Deidara

Technically our first glimpse at the rest of the organization after their tease in Part 1, Deidara enters the scene by... fighting the new Kazekage, which is now Gaara, and defeating him. Whoa. That`s how you make an impression.

His exploding clay and brash, youthful arrogance give him a generally loud aesthetic that the other solemn members lack, and all of his techniques ended up being really creative for running with such a simple theme, which basically amounts to "statues that explode." His relationship with Sasori was great, but I also loved his relationship with goofball Tobi, which was often hilarious. Had a great fight against both Gaara and Sasuke. Loved how he`s one of the first Stone Village ninja we see.

6. Konan

An origami ninja? Awesome. Her past with Pain and her status as second in command and her angel motif gave her a lot of presence. Unfortunately, she didn`t get any really great fights. I put her higher because as a character, conceptually, I thought she was really cool, regardless of how she ended up being used. Great design and overall aesthetic. She looked very "heavy metal," and stands out quite a bit compared to the other female characters in the series.

7. Kakuzu

A ninja from an older time who keeps himself alive by stealing hearts. A man who cares for nothing but money. A cold and calculating ninja who doesn`t have the time for pleasantries or relationships. Kakuzu is the kind of villain I`d expect to see in a series about good ninjas vs. bad ninjas. He reminds me a bit of Zabuza in this regard, where he just feels like he fits the premise of the series.

Unfortunately, I didn`t find either his design, role, or abilities to be all that interesting. I don`t actively dislike this character, but I don`t find much to praise about him, either. Maybe it`s because he got shoehorned into a fight with Naruto and Kakashi in an arc that wasn`t about them.

8. Hidan

I found this character actively annoying. Sure, his death god theme was kind of cool, and fitting for the general atmosphere of Akatsuki, but his personality was shallow and his past was nonexistent despite being immortal. A cultist who serves an evil god who was able to become immortal by serving said god. The religious aspect felt out of place in a series about ninjas, especially because this "Jashin" is never explored any further and ends up feeling more like a plot device to make this particular character unable to die.

His whole schtick is that he`s unapologetically evil, but it fell a bit flat because it`s only ever explored at face value. The best thing about this character is that he let Shikamaru have his time in the sun by defeating him.

9. Zetsu

He was sort of creepy and appealing as a weird flytrap man who gathered information for the organization, but nothing good came out of this character, ever. In fact, everything involving him could probably be considered a low point of the series. The whole thing with White Zetsus being clones and Black Zetsu being "the will of Kaguya" and Zetsu fusing with a teenage Obito and... yeah. I really didn`t like him.

With only two real duds out of nine characters, I think Akatsuki was the bee's knees, my friends.

The Undiscovered Treasures of Childhood: My Gaming El Dorado(s)

My gaming childhood mostly centered around Blockbuster and Nintendo Power. It was before the internet (90's kid here), so I never knew the release date of the games covered in Nintendo Power, which was my only source of information. I would frequently have to go to Blockbuster and hope for the best. Frequently, the game I wanted wasn't there. Frequently, if it was popular, the game I wanted was out of stock. Frequently, I didn't ever want to "waste" a rental on a game I was only tangentially interested in. This, understandably, left a lot of games from that era unplayed, including most handheld games.

This ended up creating a list of "legendary games" or "forgotten treasures" that hold an almost mythical place in my heart, to this day. On the off-chance that I have returned and visited these games, it's always been an amazingly cathartic experience, as if it's been a journey decades in the making.

Mega Man X3 was one of these experiences - it was the hardest original X game to procure, and by far the most expensive, sitting at the way-too-expensive-for-a-kid price of 80 dollars. I did eventually track down the game, trading a copy of X2 for it. The cartridge I got was mostly broken, and you had to open it up and wedge a screwdriver in there for it to even work at all. But! Finally playing the game I'd pined after for so long was absolutely amazing, especially because my best friend at the time shared my interest and longing for it. He borrowed it after I was done with it. It had been the subject of many a lunch table conversation, and we had found our holy grail at last.

The prospect of hunting down an almost legendary blue flower to propose to your loved one of choice was romantic even to my six year old self. I know, I'm a sap.

The original Harvest Moon was another. I remember longing after it in Nintendo Power, captivated by the bizarre prospect of a game solely about living a life on a farm, finding the premise utterly unlike anything I had ever seen before. I was always hoping it would one day appear on the shelf at my local Blockbuster. It never did, and I was only able to play it much, much later. It's for this reason that it was also one of the only lifelong longings to disappoint, as it was an object of my distant affection for a very long time, long enough for me to play Harvest Moon 64 before it - which is an all-around superior game.

Most, however, still remain untouched to me, even almost two decades later.

Some of these legendary, mythical games include:

Perfect Dark

This was a follow-up to Goldeneye for the N64, made by the same developers. And every kid knew Goldeneye was the best multiplayer game ever, so its spiritual successor had to be even better! It also had extensive coverage in Nintendo Power, for what seemed like a very long period of time, so I saw this game quite a bit... without ever actually seeing it, physically.

I still fantasize about the couch co-op experience that never was. I refuse to revisit it now, as its multiplayer-centric focus on a very dated console made it a product of its time, and I firmly believe that you had to be there to fully appreciate it.

Fun fact: The "Ghost Babel" subtitle was dropped in the US for some reason, with "Solid" adapted as the subtitle instead. This is why I used this cool key art instead of the box art. Why drop a cool name like "Ghost Babel?" That sounds awesome.

Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel

A game that's an alternative sequel to Metal Gear 2 for the MSX, which means it's set in an alternate universe to the Solid series on Playstation. Despite this, it feels more like the first Metal Gear Solid game than any other game in the series according to everyone I know who has played it. Whereas the mainline series went in different directions after the first game, focusing on things like social commentary, a vintage spy theme, or meta-commentary on the director's own experience of the aging process, this just looks like a tried and true, by-the-books sequel. A pseudo-anime stealth adventure with a colorful cast of characters and just the right amount of Hollywood cheese. I think a lot of people wanted that instead.

I should really play this. I'm hyping myself up for it all over again just writing about it.

Conker's Bad Fur Day 

I was, like most kids, a huge fan of platformers at the time. Being somewhat of a prude by nature, and much more so in my childhood than now, I avoided this game for its supposed adult and racy content. Not because my parents wouldn't let me play it (they would have) but because I would have felt dirty doing so. The way it was marketed, you'd think it was pornography or something. Turns out it's really just South Park style humor. Still, I've never gotten around to playing it or its remake.

Mario is Missing

Luigi looks... off. What is that enemy even doing?

I know what you're thinking. What the hell is this bad game doing on your list of legendary games? Isn't it universally hated and made fun of by almost everyone?

Hear me out for a second.

I would always see this at Blockbuster, calling out to me. "I'm a Mario game!" it said. "Luigi is the main character!" it said. But then I would look at the back of the box and see its questionable nature. Why waste my rental on an educational game? I ultimately made what I still think was a rational decision, especially for a gullible 1st grader, and passed on it every time. But its whispers still intrigue me, on a deep and primal level. It IS a Mario game, and it DOES star my favorite Mario brother, after all...

Beyond the Beyond

In the era of JRPGs, this game always looked to me like another Lunar or Wild Arms or Suikoden, titles I held very dear to my heart. But something about it seemed "off." I could never put my finger on what it was, either. The character design and overall art style looked like other games I liked. The genre seemed to fit my tastes. The weird Engrish-y name was a lot like other weird Engrish-y games I played and liked, like Wild Arms. But something in my gut told me I wouldn't enjoy it. Reviews I've read since then have clarified that as true. At the same time, its developer, Camelot, has made a lot of actually very good games, like Shining Force and Golden Sun. I know everyone says it's bad. I know it probably is. But, like Mario is Missing, the initial intrigue I felt towards it remains.

I think it's kind of funny how I'm perfectly content leaving these games untouched after pining after them so strongly in my youth. Some desires truly do fade with time. I'm still slightly curious about some of them, but for the most part, I'd be ok never playing any of these games for the rest of my life.

Except for Ghost Babel. That game is just hard to find. Still it eludes me!

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue: Underrated Classic, Perfect Sequel

This game needs to be experienced by more people. Its predecessor, Lunar: Silver Star Story, been remade a hundred times (ok, well, three), but Lunar 2 was never remade past the PSX version. This means that unless you were around playing JRPGs in the 90's or regularly delve into retro games, it's unlikely that you've played this game. I love the first game as much as anyone else, but its sequel brought it to the next level in so many ways. Let's look at what Lunar 2 does right.

-It has a better soundtrack (and SSS already had a good one)

-The cast is much more colorful and involved in the story this time around. Lucia, the resident heroine, goes way beyond damsel in distress, Ghaleon comes back and subverts his role from the first game in completely unexpected ways, Leo is an amazing frenemy, the major villain feels a LOT more threatening this time around, I could go on. Every party member and villain feels incredibly fleshed out and substantial in this game, and the cast interact with the world and each other in much more nuanced ways than in the original game's relatively vanilla plot. The hero himself (named, appropriately enough, Hiro) also has a much more substantial personality and active role in the story than the relatively blank slate that Alex was in Silver Star.

Nall, Alex's dragon sidekick from the first game, returns in human form as a sort of Peter Pan analogue this time around. He acts as a mentor to the new heroes, which is a nice twist from his role as goofy sidekick in his last journey.

Leo is a white knight type of guy. Only problem is that the white knights aren't on your side. Uh-oh!

-The world is more creative this time, too. You get different cultures, such as Jean and her martial arts dojo, Nall and his band of misfits, and Leo and the holy knights that he serves, that feel completely unique from the rest of their world. In Silver Star Story, everyone seemed to live on a fairly culturally homogeneous world.

This screenshot is actually from the Sega CD version of the game. You can tell the sprite art has a slightly different, darker style to it in the original release.

-The stakes felt higher, the cast was more fleshed out, the story was pure unadulterated JRPG goodness with excellent pacing and use of its extended cast, the connections to the first game were on point, the soundtrack was bangin', and it's easily one of the best RPGs of the PSX generation (I never played the Sega CD version).

Characters from the first game return, often in very different roles. Watching their development between games is fascinating.

It does everything the first game did and more, while also carving out a unique identity for itself. I would put it above Grandia II, another sequel to a beloved RPG that has had the fortune of recent re-releases, as a classic sequel of its era, because it evolves without changing the mood or tone you grew to love in the first game all that drastically.

Classic Working Designs humor.

It's one of the only games I've seen that balances playing it safe and subverting expectations almost perfectly. The party members you get are blatant inversions of the first game's (the womanizer is now the healer instead of the warrior and the shy mage became the outgoing mage, oh my) but it works on both levels.

I'll top this article off with the lovely world map music.

I would say don't sleep on this game, but it's hard to find nowadays. I really wish it would get remade. If you can find it, I'd definitely set aside time to play it, as it's truly one of the classic greats.

Arthas Menethil: A Frozen Soul

Arthas Menethil, Prince of Lordaeron. A stalwart defender of justice and promising Paladin, future king of the strongest nation in the known world and a man of kindness and compassion. When the scourge of undeath began to claim his land, he claimed that he would pay any price, make any sacrifice, to save his people. And he did.

Taking up the cursed blade Frostmourne, his singlemindedness was his undoing. The first thing the runeblade did was steal his soul, and with it went everything he once stood for. In taking up the blade, he fell victim to The Lich King's machinations, becoming everything he once fought against. He became The Lich King's champion, losing his connection to the light and becoming the first of a new generation of powerful Death Knights.

Arthas was so effective as The Lich King's champion that upon the completion of his plan to merge with the corrupted prince and obtain a new physical body, Arthas shoved the King's consciousness out and took the mantle of Lich King solely for himself, becoming one of the greatest threats that Azeroth had ever known.

I LOVE this story. I think a lot of people would say it's one of the major highlights of the entire WarCraft franchise. Why is it so good?

When we meet Arthas, he's:

Likable
Heroic
Driven
Compassionate

But also

Narrowminded
Overly passionate
Impulsive
Reckless

His flaws are apparent almost from the beginning, but they don't overshadow him or outright spell his downfall. I don't think he ever had a giant red flag that said "I WILL TURN EVIL" over his head, at least not until the major incident at Stratholme. His journey into darkness felt mostly organic.

Even at his worst, when he still had his soul, his actions could still be justified. He purged Stratholme to save the rest of his kingdom. He used mercenaries to burn his own ships because he honestly believed that going home would spell doom for Lordaeron. He was an extremist, and he missed the forest for the trees, but his heart was always overflowing with a desire to do well by his calling, which was to protect and lead his people.

Frostmourne itself is an instrument of tragedy. He loses his soul, and all that's left is his passion, which turns from a burning love to a cold whirlwind of death. Without his care for others, all that's left is his extremism, his strength, and his drive, without any of the human emotions that directed these traits to good places. The Lich King plays the role of a deceiver who is fully aware of Arthas' flaws, and uses them against him to turn him into his pawn.

Arthas ignores all of the warning signs (including a literal one on the dais of the blade) and lets himself fall into his trap. If he had calmed down for just a moment and tried to assess the situation, or listened to his friends and troops, he could have avoided his fall. This makes him accountable for his actions to a degree, which means even without his soul, the chaos he brings to others is equally tragic and detestable.

Even watching others spew their hatred for him has an element of tragedy to it. Can a man be held entirely accountable if he's missing his soul, and if his soul was stolen from him in a devil's gambit? Only the one who was closest to him, Jaina, seems to realize that something went wrong. Jaina claims over and over again that Arthas isn't being himself. All anyone else sees is a man that betrayed his kingdom for reasons they can't fully understand. A traitor and a monster. Which he was, but only through some fault of his own.

In the end, when he's finally defeated, Frostmourne releases all of its captive souls. The first thing Arthas sees is the ghost of his father, and, almost in abject terror, reaches out and grasps his hand.

"FATHER!" He says, with great exasperation. "Is it over?" He asks, as if this entire time, his soul was begging for him to be released from the torment of becoming what he hated.

And his last line doesn't end with a bang of light, like many fallen hero stories do, but the chill of darkness.

"I see only darkness before me..."

Arthas was never redeemed. He was, in the end, accountable for what he became. But there's an underlying sense of sadness to everything he does, because it's not entirely his fault either.

The juxtaposition between what a person can do for good or for evil is always interesting, and Arthas is no exception. When he fought for good, he was a proud prince who'd do anything for his people. When he fought for evil, he became a storm of death and destruction, a terror that the world collectively feared and abhorred.

I want to say rest in peace, but does he deserve it? I don't know.

What Kind of Gamer Are You? (As Defined by Link)

This is a silly little Livejournal-esque quiz I whipped up a while back. Of course, these are reductive by nature... but I still think they're kind of fun.

Green Link - The Leader

Green Links tend to lean towards being social gamers. Greens tend to enjoy working in teams, whether it be co-op or team based multiplayer, and are likely to try to convince their friends to play a game they've enjoyed. Green Links are well rounded in their interests, and they can find enjoyment in a game's story, or can forgive a lackluster plot for stellar gameplay, as long as the game excels in any one area. The most compelling reward for them is beating the game or, for multiplayer, working well with others.

Greens are straightforward, so they tend to enjoy action, adventure, less convoluted RPGs, or platformers, but they can really find enjoyment in anything. Greens may find particular enjoyment in MMOs or team based multiplayer due to the communal experience. Most likely to participate in an online community.

Blue Link - The Adventurer

Blue Link gamers are there for the experience, the story, the soundtrack, and the atmosphere. They tend to stop and smell the roses, explore every nook and cranny, and often enjoy searching for collectables or scanning through a game's compendium or codex. The most satisfying rewards for Blues are the journey and the memories.

Since Blues are more conceptual in nature, they don't tend to gravitate towards a specific genre. They can enjoy an RPG, puzzle, or action based game as long as the overall idea "clicks." They tend to gravitate towards single player experiences, not because they don't like playing with others, but because they frequently offer a more well crafted world and narrative. They tend to get into arguments with Reds, who frequently claim that story doesn't matter in games. Most likely to buy an artbook for a game.

Red Link - The Fighter

Red Links are the competitive type. They like playing games to win. Reds are all about hitboxes, high scores, and kill counts. They're there to be the best. Reds will often try to master a game - they want to do everything so that they stand on top. That platinum trophy is meant to be displayed on the internet. That speed run is meant to be shown to others to show them that they did something amazing. The most satisfying rewards for Red Links are overcoming difficulty or beating out others.

Red Links tend to gravitate towards multiplayer, such as fighters, MOBAs, or shooters. However, you'll also find the variant of Red who finds enjoyment in "hardcore" single player games, such as Dark Souls, which reward perseverance and gate out the more casual crowd. Reds can be more critical of a game's flaws and will let everyone know what is they don't like about a game. Story is not important for them - after all, gameplay is what matters in a game. Most likely to watch or participate in e-sports, or argue with Blues about the importance of story in a game.

Purple Link - The Aesthetician

Purples play games to feel good. They're similar to Reds in that they seek victory, but they do so for the material reward. There is nothing more satisfying to a Purple than getting a new piece of loot, a new skin, or a new gun. They are likely to buy all of the DLC for a game in order to "have more stuff." For Purple Links, a game must reward their pleasure circuit for it to be enjoyable. They need to receive a concrete reward for making substantial progress. Purples also have another variant: the type who needs their experience to be optimal at all times. Framerate and graphics matter to them, enough so that if they aren't up to their standards, they're going to let you know. Having the latest and greatest gadgets to play games at 100% is important to them. They went out and bought a Pro, even if they already had a PS4. A Purple's greatest reward is getting more stuff.

Purples are likely to play loot-based games, such as MMOs or Diablo-likes, but can find enjoyment in many different titles as long as the game frequently rewards them for their progress. Purples tend to gravitate towards being PC gamers, as PCs offer them the best graphics and performance. Steam sales are their thing, because they love collecting games. Adding more to their collection - whether it be in-game, collecting the game, or with supplementary materials - is what they live for. Most likely to buy an Amiibo, or invest a substantial amount of money in a gaming PC.

As for me, I'm a Blue Link, through and through, although I think there's a dash of green in me as well. At the end of the day, I'm there for the atmosphere. I'll spend hours combing through a game's codex or debating its lore with others. Games have always been a conceptual "experience" to me, and I'll be the first to argue that yes, games can be art. Despite that, I still want my game to be an enjoyable game, and bad gameplay will detract from the experience for me.

My top five games of all time are:

Final Fantasy VII
Xenogears
Metal Gear Solid 2
Mega Man X
Suikoden

Mega Man X doesn't really fit with the story experience, but I always did love the atmosphere in those games. The soundtrack alone might be reason enough to love it.

Robot Master Superlatives

Mega Man is the king of themed enemies. Take a central idea like ice, wood, lasers, gravity, etc. and run with it. Simple, but effective.

With Mega Man 11 coming soon, I thought it would be fun to look back at the bosses across the entire franchise, and rank them based on their strengths.

Mid-bosses, story bosses, and final bosses don't count. Only the core stage bosses.

The rule I've set for myself is that I cannot choose a robot master for more than one category.

Here are my personal Robot Master superlatives!

1. Most Creative - Gemini Man

While most robot masters have a theme that easily translates into a combat ability, Gemini Man's thing is that there's two of him. There's nothing about that that has any inherent fighting ability, so the devs had to get a little more creative with him by giving him laser beams and a crystalline aesthetic. He ended up being one of the coolest looking robot masters despite his general idea being harder to come up with a design for. His name is also creative - they could have easily called him Clone Man, but instead chose the name of the gemini constellation.

2. Best Stage Theme - Snake Man

Mega Man is full of great music, and it was really hard to choose one that was my favorite. Snake Man's stands out to me because of the unique atmosphere it has compared to the others. Most Mega Man stage themes are upbeat and give a sense of drive, but there's something about Snake Man's that has an almost acid trip-like quality to it. His stage feels surreal and dreamlike because of it, especially because of the huge snake bosses and the nature of climbing all over a bunch of giant snakes. Perfect level and sound design harmony.

3. Most Fun to Fight - Burner Man

Most fun to fight? Well... maybe that's going a little far. But the sense of satisfaction gotten from beating him is definitely worth it. Burner Man is one of the hardest robot masters in the series, especially if you're playing as Bass. While most bosses can be cheesed with their weakness, Burner Man has to be strategically pushed off the side of the screen with a wall of ice, making him a skill based battle even if you have the ability he's weak to. His fight is definitely the one that stands out to me the most.

4. Best Stage - Flash Man

I actually had both Gemini and Snake Man in the running for this, but alas, I decided they were better fit for other categories. My reason for liking Flash Man's stage is admittedly pretty shallow. It just looks cool. Lots of glowing lights and a great cool blue color scheme. Just my kinda thing.

5. Best Copy Ability - Metal Man

Ah, the Metal Blades. Famous - or infamous - for being a weapon their own master is weak to. I chose this ability not because of its usefulness, creativeness, or coolness, but because I find its concept to be hilarious. If Metal Man ever tripped he could easily kill himself. It's made even funnier because he's one of the more menacing robot masters, making his flawed design even more outlandish.

Number One - Freeze Man

Freeze is definitely my favorite. For one, ice is my favorite element by a fairly wide margin, and he has the icy aesthetic down to a T. Secondly, he looks awesome even without considering his affinity for ice, with his shoulder pads and gem encrusted boots. Freeze Man is also one of the only robot masters to show a definitive attitude. He taunts you before the battle, and if you hit him with his own ability, he'll take no damage, gloat, and do a flashy pose. Everything about him is, well, cool.

These are my rankings, but looking ahead to Mega Man 11, some of them may soon be dethroned. The Robot Master design in 11 looks to be on point. Time shall tell if they're as cool as they look!

New Bruce, New Gotham, New Focus: Why You Shouldn't Sleep on The Batman Telltale Series

I know a lot of people are weary of Telltale's games these days, whether it be from the engine or simply because most of them have failed to reach the highs of The Walking Dead Season 1 or The Wolf Among Us, but their recent Batman series shouldn't be overlooked. Why?

There are a few reasons.

One: It's a refreshing reinvention of the Batman mythos. Opting to show Batman's beginnings for the umpteenth time would otherwise come off as stale, but Telltale's reinvented Gotham makes what is old new again. Gotham itself is a bit more futuristic than the dark and gritty city we're used to, with neon lights and bright colors abounding amidst millenial technology. It's not quite Batman Beyond, but a nice midway point between the traditional 20th century Gotham and Beyond's. It's Gotham if it was created today.

A more modern Gotham is one of the series' most compelling aspects.

Two: This also extends to the cast. The rogue gallery are the characters we know, but from a completely different perspective. The Penguin is Bruce Wayne's childhood friend, a skinny guy who plays the role of an anti-Wayne (although not an anti-Batman) and comes off as more menacing and capable than his goofy classic counterpart. The first season opts for a new villain entirely, who is loosely based off of Scarecrow, but has their own new story to tell.

We meet Joker before he becomes Joker, and at this time, he does not even go by the name Joker, but the name John Doe; we meet him as an innocuous asylum patient and guide his development, not as an enemy, but as a tenuous friend. Joker and Harley are inverted, with Harley taking big bad role and Joker being her submissive underling. Tropes are constantly not just subverted, but turned sideways; everything you knew is completely redone from the ground up, making everything feel new and exciting.

Harley takes over as the assertive leader of the bad guys this time around.

Meanwhile, Joker is much more passive than usual, and even comes off as sympathetic at times. Red and green find themselves inversed.

It's hard to avoid spoilers without getting into the really interesting stuff, but Batman's entire supporting cast is the same. You'll hardly recognize the people you recognize, and despite this, they still feel in-character. It feels like a what-if universe.

Three: This is more of a Bruce Wayne game than a Batman game. Sure, we get to beat up mooks as the Bat. We even get to choose the color of his bat tech. But these stories show the human side of Batman, the struggles Bruce goes through playing through his double life. We see Bruce Wayne, the billionare. Bruce Wayne, the detective. Bruce Wayne, the adoptive son of Alfred Pennyworth. Bruce himself is also portrayed in a much more humanistic light, and his relationships with the people around him are the highlight of the story, especially his "father" Alfred and his "friend" John Doe. Most Batman stories want to focus on Batman the badass. This one focuses on Batman the man... but still lets you be a badass in between.

This is a game about Bruce Wayne first, and the cowl he wears second.

There's also a Catwoman romance that you can either play straight or straight up ignore, but that's up to you.

As one last addendum, I found the second season to be an overall improvement to the first. It has higher highs and lower lows, and it drags a bit in the middle, but oh boy does it have some awesome moments. I think, as a complete product, I enjoyed it more than season one, and by quite a bit, too. The stakes feel a lot higher, and there's a constant sense of suspense throughout all five episodes. It also has a much stronger set of villains than season one.

I know this is a fairly brief overview, but I'm trying my best not to give away all of the game's surprises or spoil anything. I think any fan of Batman, casual or hardcore or otherwise, owes it to themselves to give this game a shot. To me, it was the most invested I'd been in these characters in a long, long time.