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Whatcha Reading, Geekly: April 2025

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Today’s post marks the end of our first month of the Whatcha Wednesday series. Let’s finish strong with Whatcha Reading, Geekly. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. Today’s theme is reading. This can include novels, poetry, short stories, essays, comic books, and anything in-between. As always, feel free to share what you read this past month. We’re all part of the Geekly Gang.

Kyra’s Reads

Edgar Allan Poe

The Geekly Gang went to the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy last month. This event featured actors interpreting Poe’s short stories and poems and cocktails based on the tales. My favorite cocktail of the bunch was the Cat’s Meow. And I started reading my collection of Edgar Allan Poe short stories. This may have also influenced my binging of true crime shows. Watching someone perform “The Tell-Tale Heart” and another actor portray “The Black Cat” got me wondering if Poe had homicidal tendencies. JK But I do think Poe’s work informed my choice of television shows.

Batman: Arkham, Catwoman

Staying on the subject of black cats, I also read the Batman: Arkham, Catwoman collection. I enjoy reading classic DC Comics stories, and the Batman: Arkham series is good for catching up with a villain’s history. Catwoman’s been around since the 1940s. Early stories are products of their time. Then, the stories jump to being cheesy and using a heap of cat puns. It’s difficult to read. Late Eighties comics that feature Catwoman were influenced by Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, so they leaned into Catwoman’s updated origin as a former prostitute. Despite this, I liked Mindy Newell’s “Downtown Babylon.” Newell may have been forced to use this backstory for Catwoman, but she makes it her own. My only gripe is that “Downtown Babylon” was the second issue of a four-issue miniseries, and that’s Batman: Arkham’s biggest issue. Often, readers will get a random issue plucked from an ongoing story.

I may track down Newell’s 1989 Catwoman mini-series. What I read of it got me invested. The other standout in this volume was Ed Brubaker’s “Joy Ride.” This story is contained within a single issue and does a great job of showing Catwoman. She’s an anti-hero with a checkered past and a mischievous streak. Batman: Arkham, Catwoman is a good jumping-off point for further reading about the character. And that’s what I like best about this series.

Isaac Asimov I Robot

I, Robot

It may be sacrilege, but Asimov’s I, Robot made the DNF (did not finish) pile this month. The prose was more archaic than another book I started shortly afterwards, The King in Yellow, which was written fifty years prior. All is not lost. I’ll give I, Robot another go in another month or two. I’m also open to reading suggestions. I finished Becky Chambers’ A Psalm for the Wild-Built a month prior and fell in love with how “human” Chambers made Mosscap. I picked up the follow-up, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, so spoiler alert for next month.

That’s all I have for this month. Thank you for reading, and let’s see what Season and Skye have been reading.

Season’s Reads

Fledgling

I’m finishing out my final semester in college, and Octavia Butler’s Fledgling is a novel we read in class. We read the first half one week and the second half the next week. I got so enamored with the story that I almost read the entire thing in a day. Fledgling follows Shori (pictured on the cover) as she discovers who she is and finds her purpose. She’s also a vampire called an Ina. Ina and humans live symbiotically with one another. I’ve never seen a story explore a mutual symbiosis with humans and a humanoid creature before. I highly recommend Fledgling for those who are interested in vampires, societal issues, and journeys of self-discovery.

There were talks back in 2022 of turning Fledgling into an HBO series. There isn’t much information on a release date or if the project was canceled. Personally, I’d love to see one of my new favorite books on screen.

The Nose

I read a collection of Russian short stories. “The Nose” by Nikolai Gogol stood out to me. It’s literally about a guy whose nose jumps off his face. The nose has a life of its own and even tries to leave the country by stagecoach, passport, and everything. There isn’t a clear main character within the story, but it’s about perception and how people handle the information provided to them. In classic Russian fashion, many characters have more than one name, so it can be difficult to follow at times. If you’re looking for something unique and wacky, I’d recommend “The Nose.”

Skye, what have you been reading?

Skye’s Reads

Yes, I also read on occasion. Here are the books I’ve been tackling lately.

The Crystal Witch

This should give you a crystal-clear idea of who I am. See what I did there? I practice New Age Spirituality. What draws me to it is its “a la carte” approach to faith. There’s no “right” way to practice it, and my preferred method is through rituals, tarot cards, manifestation, and crystals. That leads me to The Crystal Witch.

For folks like me who want a clearer picture of symbolism, spiritual power, and how to get started practicing New Age, The Crystal Witch has it all. So far, I’ve learned a lot about sacred altars, the importance of colors in practice, and descriptions of the most common crystals. I can’t wait ‘til I can categorize each of the crystals in my collection and start using them in everyday spiritual practice.

Revolutionary Witchcraft

Honestly, I’m unsure how I feel about the term witchcraft. While I’m empowered to be a part of a community, the term carries negativity. New Age is primarily built on positivity and the connection of humans to the rest of the universe. When words like “witch” are thrown around, it’s distracting. Although I’ll admit that New Age does have roots in the Occult, Paganism, and Wicca.

What does that have to do with Revolutionary Witchcraft? Well, Revolutionary Witchcraft teaches “witches” such as me how to use our beliefs to create positive change in our communities. I don’t know about y’all, but I always hear the latest news headlines and shudder. Because of that, I want to give back to my community, my country, my species, and my planet by properly directing my beliefs. Maybe we can finally see some good news, so here’s hoping.

The Filmmaker’s Handbook (5th edition)

Even in a segment about books, I still managed to circle back around to movies. That’s just what I do. I love visual art forms. I even like to make my own films. Eventually. Not now of course. Do you have $300 million? ‘Cause I don’t.

I’m reading The Filmmaker’s Handbook to give me an idea of where to start. What kind of shots work best to create a specific mood? When should you use live-action and animation? What are the basic building blocks of cinematic storytelling? How do you become an independent filmmaker? All that and more in The Filmmaker’s Handbook.

Also, I’m giving myself an excuse to judge films more harshly. I’m a critic at heart. What’re you gonna do?

Jesus’ Son

I’ve been putting a lot of emphasis on non-fiction books, so I asked my sister if she could recommend any fiction for me. She led me to Jesus’ Son. Thanks, Sis! I haven’t gotten very far into it, but so far, I have a lot of thoughts. Jesus’ Son is a collection of short stories with thought-provoking themes. Considering the first story is titled “Car Crash While Hitchhiking,” that’s a fair assessment.

Even though I haven’t read much, I feel like I could read the whole thing in one night. Unfortunately, I can’t. I’ve got stuff to do. Life be like that sometimes. The themes and emotions that arose after reading the first story were difficult to describe, but deeply intriguing. Because of that, I feel the need to re-read, re-re-read, and re-re-re-read to gain a deeper understanding. These are my favorite kinds of stories, stories that Shrek would compare to onions. These are some exciting layers.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle again. That’s all we have for you this month. Let us know what you’re reading in the comments, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Video Game Cult Classic: Monster Rancher

Published on by SeasonLeave a comment

Today’s video game cult classic is a pet simulator. Something like Nintendogs may come to mind when you think about pet simulators. Fighting pet simulators? Pokémon dominates fighting pet simulators, but I’m thinking about a lesser-known fighting pet simulator. That’s right. Monster Rancher is making an appearance on this month’s Video Game Cult Classics.

Hoppy Easter, everyone! Season here. We’ve got another video game series that spawned an anime and, coincidentally, came out in the ‘90s. Don’t worry. I’ll branch out. Monster Rancher (or Monster Farm in Japan) is a game that allows the player (rancher) to raise one monster at a time from a baby to an adult. Monster Rancher is like a cross between a Tamagotchi and Pokémon (later iterations incorporate more Pokémon like features). Like the last cult classic we covered (Culdcept), for a video game to make this series, we’ll consider its reception, relevance, and accessibility. Prepare your monsters for battle, and let’s delve into gameplay.

Gameplay Overview

Quick note: most of the gameplay you’ll see comes from Monster Rancher and Monster Rancher 2. I’m most familiar with these two games, and they embody the series’ core concepts. There are a few offshoot games I’ll mention in the accessibility section, but they won’t be the focus.

Monster Rancher has gameplay that’s easy enough to pick up on, but has a learning curve for those interested in getting the most out of their monsters. In Monster Rancher and Monster Rancher 2, players assume the role of a rancher and work with an assistant. Monster Rancher 2 has a quiz for players to take at the beginning of the game, but it doesn’t affect the gameplay.

Once players get their assistant (Holly in Monster Rancher and Colt in Monster Rancher 2), they’re ready for their monster. Players can either go to the Market or the Shrine to acquire a monster. Players can also obtain new monsters at the Lab, but they’ll need to have two frozen monsters (that they can combine) to birth a new one.

Monsters in the Market are seasonal. These monsters will be base species with not-so-great battle stats. Pictured above, we have a baseline Dino, Tiger, and Suezo. These monsters are good options for players who don’t have many CDs/PS1 game discs, or if you want something simple for a starter monster.

Players may also give up a monster to the Market if they no longer wish to keep the one they currently have. Personally, I never do this because I get attached to my virtual pets. If this happens on accident, there’s no need to worry. Autosave won’t screw anyone over.

The Shrine is where the magic happens. At least, that’s where it happened for me when I played as a kid. Who am I kidding? It still happens. At the Shrine, players can select a CD/PS1 disc to put into their system to get a random monster. After the game reads the disc, it generates a monster based on the disc data. The same monster will be generated from each disc. In other words, if the player remembers which monster was generated from a specific disc, they’ll get the same monster with the same stats every time.

If the same monster gets generated from a different disc (it happens a lot), the monster will likely have different stats. Make sure to remember the discs that have the stats you want to keep.

Players can visit the Lab at the start of the game, but there’s no need to unless they want to generate two different monsters and try to get something different at the Lab. The Lab is more useful after a player has fully raised at least two monsters who have learned many fighting techniques (we’ll get to those later). The following images for the Lab section are taken from Monster Rancher 2.

At the Lab, players have the option to combine monsters to get a new monster, freeze the monster they have with them, revive a frozen monster, delete a frozen monster, or analyze the monster they have with them. Analyzing a monster gives the player insight into how to raise their current monster and its personality.

I froze my monster.

It costs 500G to combine monsters. 500G is a hefty sum at the start of the game; it’s not so bad later on, once a player’s monsters compete in tournaments and win money. Players will select two of their frozen monsters to combine (players may have up to twenty frozen monsters at a time).

The item Disc Chips is a secret seasoning.

In Monster Rancher 2, once the two monsters are selected, the game will ask if the player wants to use an item as a secret seasoning. Secret seasonings (such as Disc Chips) can offer the player other options for monsters. In this case, even though I used Disc Chips, Dragon isn’t offered as an option. This is because the monsters I chose can’t be combined into a Centaur with a Beaclon as a sub-species and vise-versa. Since they’re not compatible anyway, adding Disc Chips from another monster won’t grant me additional outcomes. They also don’t have many matching stats (the stat levels don’t match per monster).

There are a total of six stats, so to get the best possible outcome, the two chosen monsters must have all six stats at matching levels. The levels here are shown next to each stat.

Here’s a quick rundown of each stat:
Life (Lif) is a monster’s hit points.
Power (Pow) is how strong a monster’s Power-type attacks are.
Intelligence (Int) measures how strong a monster’s Intelligence-type attacks hit.
Note: Power and Intelligence are interchangeable, depending on the monster’s technique types.
Skill (Ski), also called Accuracy (Acc) in later games, is the likelihood of how often your monster’s attacks hit.
Speed (Spd) affects your monster’s ability to avoid attacks.
Defense (Def) determines how much damage your monster receives.

As we can see, I ended up with a terrible outcome. That’s not bad in the Pow. and Def. department, though. Looks like I’ll have to specialize in Power-type attacks.

Back to the first Monster Rancher. Once the player returns to their Ranch, there are options for their monster. Monster Rancher operates in a week-by-week system, so players may select one thing for their monster to do each week. During Week 1 of every month, players must feed their monsters. In Monster Rancher 2, players may check the monster’s data to see what the monster likes and dislikes. Usually, food will be listed as a like or a dislike, but there are exceptions. If a player feeds the monster food it doesn’t like, it’ll be less likely to perform well.

We’ll skip over Schedule for now since it’s going to be lengthier and lead into battles. Starting with the Item option, this will allow players to either buy/sell items from the shop or give an item to their monster. Be careful which item you select as monsters can only accept one item per week.

The Data option allows players to view their monster’s stats, history, and techniques. It also shows the players’ information about themselves through Breeder, such as their rancher grade, the number of monsters they’ve raised (including species), and what their monsters’ final ranks were before they either pass away or get frozen.

The Book subsection shows the player information about monsters at the market and monsters they’ve raised with some flavor text. Players may also view the monsters in action, as well as their species.

The Schedule option on the menu lets players either train monsters, battle in a tournament, or rest for one week.

The Work option (or Drill in Monster Rancher 2) is for one week and allows the monster to train in one or two stats at a time. For Training (Errantry in Monster Rancher 2) allows the player to select a location to send their monster for one month. This will normally cost the player 2,000G, but will sometimes be at a discount for 1,000G. In Monster Rancher 2, this allows monsters to learn new techniques. In Monster Rancher, monsters must be old enough and have high enough stats to learn new techniques with a trainer in town (through the Adventure option).

The Battle option allows players to send their monster into a tournament to win some cash and, occasionally, an item. Before any battle, the player can ask Holly about their opponent (usually their highest stat), how to execute a technique, and how to move their monster. Holly will ask if the player wants to give instructions to their monster. If the player selects no, the monster will battle by itself. If the player selects yes, they control their monster during battle.

Each battle starts by showing stats for both monsters. Arthro has more Intelligence-type techniques, so I’ll prioritize Intelligence during its training.

During battle, monsters have four zones (depending on their distance from their opponent) in which they may attack. Not all zones will be occupied by techniques, but that may change after a monster learns new techniques. Monsters execute techniques depending on how much Will they have (Guts in future Monster Rancher games). Techniques require a certain amount of Will, which gradually regenerates during battle, so choose techniques carefully.

Each technique also has a hit percentage, which will tell the player how likely that technique is to hit the opponent. Flame has a 62% chance to hit my opponent here and costs 21 Will. Also, what Byoon is doing in this picture is called “Foolery” (not listening to their rancher). This frequently happens when monsters don’t have much loyalty to their rancher.

Tournament battles last for sixty seconds. When time is up, the winner is determined by who has the most Life remaining. If a monster gets knocked out, a battle can end sooner. Yay! Arthro won!

When a tournament ends, prize money is doled out based on the monster’s rank, determined by the monster’s wins. Players also receive bonus money for battles won. Here, I got second place. Notice the monster also has Fame. Fame goes up the higher a monster places in a tournament, which can lead to things as the judges awarding a player’s monster a win during a close battle and increased prize money. In Monster Rancher 2, Fame allows monsters to go on adventures and discover items necessary to unlock new monster species.

I’ll touch briefly on official tournaments. Monsters can be ranked from E (lowest) to S (highest). Every baby monster starts out at E rank. Official tournaments allow monsters to raise their rank. These tournaments occur at the end of every quarter. They include more opponents but offer less prize money. Official tournaments are essential for monsters to compete at more prestigious tournaments and to unlock more species of monsters. Since Artho is a baby, it’s an E rank.

The lifespan of a monster depends on the monster’s species and how it’s raised. Their lifespan also affects when each monster reaches their prime, which is the point in a monster’s life when training gives them the most stat boosts.

Reception

Monster Rancher has fifteen games spanning from 1997-2022. The original Monster Rancher sold over one million copies before 2000. It was a popular game that capitalized on people collecting discs. It filled a niche that exploited the success of Tamagotchi and disc collection. In later Monster Rancher games, such as Monster Rancher EVO, people could use DVDs in addition to CDs and PS1/PS2 discs. There were some other strange releases, like the platformer Monster Rancher Hop-A-Bout that played similarly to Super Mario Bros. Honestly, I’m not sure what they were thinking with that one.

During the height of Monster Rancher’s popularity, an anime series was produced from 1999-2000. The series consists of seventy-three episodes over two seasons. It follows a boy named Genki Sakura and Holly, the assistant from the original Monster Rancher.

Relevance

Monster Rancher lost steam during the transition from people collecting discs to streaming and became irrelevant. People no longer collect discs. Okay. We have a bookshelf full of discs at my house, but that’s an anomaly. Monster Rancher jumped on the Tamagotchi bandwagon, raked in the cash, and then faded. It’s still popular inside Japan, and Koei Tecmo Games keeps Monster Rancher relevant by catering to their Japanese audience.

Accessibility

Monster Rancher’s original producer, Tecmo, merged with Koei to create Koei Tecmo Games in 2009. The Tecmo part of Koei Tecmo was dissolved in 2010. The company used the Tecmo name until 2016. This may have contributed to the direction of the Monster Rancher franchise.

If one were to look online or in their local game store for a copy of Monster Rancher, it’s slim pickings. These games are available for purchase online, but at an increased price. Original copies cost the same as a new video game. Despite this, Monster Rancher and Monster Rancher 2 are accessible to the public through Steam. That’s right. All of the screenshots I’ve taken for this article are from Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX on Steam.

These ports differ slightly from the original games (such as monster lifespans), but they’re so similar to the originals that it feels nostalgic. The Steam ports also have an option to search their database for discs to read, so there are hundreds of options that wouldn’t be available to someone who doesn’t collect discs.

Other games in the Monster Rancher franchise are less accessible. Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is the most recent entry. Players raise kaiju monsters the same way they would monsters from the original games. I’ve never heard of this game before conducting research, but it’s available to download from the Nintendo e-shop. As of the time of this posting, it’s on sale until April 28, 2025.

As of this post, a Monster Rancher mobile game will release in Japan only later this year. This game will be available on the popular East Asian messaging platform, LINE. I’m unsure of this game’s inner workings, but it seems like players will be able to interact with their monsters directly. Maybe it has some sort of AR model like Pokémon Go.

One last thing. If anyone is interested in the anime side of things, Monster Rancher is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video without ads for Prime members.

Final Thoughts

Monster Rancher is a franchise I grew up with, and it’s one of my favorite pet simulation games. It’s great for casual and hardcore players. There’s a science behind raising these monsters that players can learn. It can get tedious, especially when you get a new monster and must start the raising process again. It takes time to unlock new content. There are always new mysteries to solve in Monster Rancher, and every monster is unique.

Do you have a preferred breed/species of monster? What’s your favorite monster you’ve raised in Monster Rancher? If there are any cult classics you’d like to see covered in future posts, let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading and have an amazing rest of your day.

Geekly News: April 20, 2025, 2nd Fantastic Four Trailer

Published on by Kyra2 Comments

Happy Easter if you celebrate the holiday. If not, happy Sunday. We have another week of geek news. What better way to celebrate than to cover the second Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer and reveal its Easter eggs?

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We may go light on geek news this week, Geekly Gang. I’m not going to lie. I’ll be eating my body weight in sweets, but the MCU dropped the second Fantastic Four trailer, so let’s dish.

Fantastic Four: First Steps Second Official Trailer

The biggest reveal the second Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer gave us was the upcoming movie’s basic plot. Speculate no further. The movie will revolve around Galactus visiting this version of Earth. This story looks like it may parallel the Avengers’ Battle of New York during their first movie. Aliens invade. The world’s protectors need to intervene. But while the Avengers were either unknowns or distrusted, the Fantastic Four are treated as celebrities, as evidenced by their appearance on the Ted Gilbert Show and how civilians treat them. I love the interactions we see during this montage. Gilbert says, We can never repay them, but we can celebrate them. And the Fantastic Four are celebrated.

Geekly News Fantastic Four First Steps Stage

I also like that the show host’s name is Ted Gilbert, which is an obvious play on the Ed Sullivan Show. We mentioned in our post about the first trailer that the Fantastic Four are introduced on a stage similar to the Beatles when they played on the Ed Sullivan Show. Ted Gilbert is the perfect name for an alternate timeline Ed Sullivan. I love the Gilbert and Sullivan reference. I may have to rewatch The Pirates of Penzance.

“I am the very model of a Modern Major-General…”

I’ll stop.

Ted Gilbert succinctly breaks down the Fantastic Four’s origin. Four brave astronauts head up into space and come back forever changed. We’ll probably see snippets of the Fantastic Four’s origin, but I like that First Steps won’t go into the team’s origin in great detail. I also like that Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place on an alternate Earth. Moviegoers won’t need to watch (or rewatch) hours of MCU content to prepare for Fantastic Four: First Steps. Sure. There will be nods to the multiverse. The Fantastic Four will approach this subject because they’ll need to mosey over to the main MCU timeline, but there should be little to no “MCU homework.”

The second trailer revisits the dinner scene from the first trailer, but we receive a bombshell of a plot thread. Sue is pregnant with Franklin Richards. This could be huge. First, Franklin Richards is a mutant, so he’ll fit right in with the upcoming Mutant Saga. Second, Franklin Richards would be one of the most powerful characters introduced in the MCU, and that includes Asgardians and even Galactus. Third, there is a storyline where Franklin controls Galactus.

Yes! I like that this Fantastic Four is a veteran team, and we may not need to wait too long for Franklin and Valeria (von Doom) Richards’ mayhem. Oh, yeah. Valeria has a mean streak like her godfather Victor. This should be fun. During the second trailer, Reed Richards mentions that the Fantastic Four may have stretched the boundaries of space, and they (Galactus and his heralds) heard. I like this angle. Typically, Reed gets the Fantastic Four and the Earth at large into trouble that he must then get them out of, but there may be another reason Galactus chooses to visit Earth. The MCU may be setting up a Galactus-Franklin Richards dynamic.

Galactus looks great in the little we see of him. I’m less thrilled about Shalla-Bal’s look. Shalla-Bal is the woman Silver Surfer. In the comics, Shalla-Bal is the empress of the planet Zenn-La, the planet where Norrin Radd (Silver Surfer) originates. Shalla-Bal was introduced as a character in the 1960s (she’s also in the underrated ’90s Silver Surfer cartoon, which is available on Disney+), and she’s Radd’s longtime love interest.

Shalla-Bal has powers comparable to the Silver Surfer and has served as one of Galactus’s heralds, but she is a different character. Shalla-Bal’s inclusion leaves the door open that Norrin Radd could appear in the MCU’s future. Getting back to my original point, Shalla-Bal’s CGI looks rough. I hope this is an issue with the trailer and not the movie, and the final graphics for the movie look better. Movies work on their graphics until the film is released. Fingers crossed.

The second trailer ends with Galactus taking a stroll in downtown New York City. This could be a nod to Godzilla or the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters. Classic.

If you can’t tell, I’m hyped for Fantastic Four: First Steps. This second trailer introduces some great plot points but holds back enough for the audience to discover when the movie releases in July.

Quorum by Devir Games Released

In Quorum, players take on the role of Roman senators who share the power of Rome and its provinces. The goal is to be the most powerful and influential senator by gaining victory points, which are awarded in various areas of influence over twelve rounds.

Designed by Raul Franco and Fran Martinez, Quorum accommodates 2-4 players and lasts about 45 minutes. The game’s double-sided cards show a province on one side (which will score points in that province on the central board) and on the opposite side show one of four groups: military, intrigue, architecture, and commerce, which grant different bonuses when placed in the player’s personal zone. Players are presented with interesting choices each turn. Quorum is easy to learn and quick to play, but offers plenty of strategy.

Check out your local game store or Devir Games’ website.

Hutan: Life in the Rainforest Released

We have another interesting board game release this week, Hutan: Life in the Rainforest. Inspired by the Indonesian rainforest, Hutan allows players to step into the rainforest’s natural splendor.

Each player controls their own patch of rainforest, where they will plant seeds that, over time, will grow into towering trees. When a habitat is created, an iconic forest animal arrives: the orangutan, the Sumatran tiger, the rhinoceros hornbill, the cassowary, or the Sumatran rhino. Hutan plays over nine rounds. All players have two turns each round. On your turn, you may take a flower card from the shared market and place the flowers into your rainforest. If you place a flower on top of a matching flower, you grow a tree. When an area has nothing but trees, the last tree is replaced by an animal. The player with the most animals wins.

Hutan: Life in the Rainforest accommodates one to four players and lasts about 45 minutes. Check your local game store or OP Games’ website.

Nintendo Switch 2 Receives United States Release Date

After several weeks of deliberation (over tariffs and price hikes), Nintendo announced that customers in the United States can preorder their Switch 2 starting April 24, 2025. Pricing for the a la carte console and bundle with Mario Kart World will not change, but prices for accessories like extra Joy-Cons, a Switch 2 Dock, and the new pro controller received price bumps between $5 and $10.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Screenshots Leaked

The rumored Oblivion remaster/remake that will release soon had some screenshots leaked this week on the developer’s website. An Oblivion remaster/remake has been believed to be in production for the past several years. Some wondered if the game would release last year for the holiday season. It doesn’t appear that Bethesda/Zenimax will wait for next holiday season. Check out the screenshot below.

The new rumor is that the Oblivion remaster/remake will be announced and released next week. I may have some gaming to do. If you need me, I’ll be in Cyrodiil.

That’s all the geek news we have for you this week, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Skye’s Favorite Christian Films

Published on by Skye1 Comment

Hello, and happy Easter. I’m not Christian, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy Christian movies, and I can respect the value of their beliefs.

Not only do some of these stories hold enduring morals, but some have been made into (what some would consider) the greatest films ever made. I’m inclined to agree. I’d also like to clarify that these aren’t objectively the best Christian films. As a non-Christian, I feel it’s only fair to mention these films as my favorites. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

With that said, let’s start Easter weekend off right with my favorite Christian movies.

1. The Ten Commandments

I’m a classic film lover. Even though The Ten Commandments might be a cliché choice, I can’t deny that I loved every minute. The Ten Commandments has everything you’d expect from an “epic” film. By the time I finished watching it, not only did it feel like I had marched to Jericho with Moses and company for 40 years. The Ten Commandments makes me question my reality days after viewing.

On top of that, the acting is stellar, the story is gripping and well-paced, the morals are strong, and The Ten Commandments sticks with you. If I had to nitpick anything, I’d say it’s a bit too long. The Ten Commandments is a three and a half-hour long movie, so shaving off a few minutes wouldn’t make much of a difference. Either way, The Ten Commandments reminds us that what we’re promised will always be ours in time.

2. Ben-Hur

Wow, Charlton Heston really got around back in the day, didn’t he? While technically not a Christian film, Ben-Hur does have many hallmarks of one. Similar to The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur is another three and a half hour epic. It has characters experiencing crises of faith, takes place in a biblical setting, and of course, includes everyone’s main man: J. Crizzle. Despite having clear similarities to The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur manages to be a distinct story with a definitive message to convey. What’s the price of revenge?

When a Jewish man, Judah Ben-Hur, is betrayed by his Roman childhood friend, Messala, he dedicates the next five years to regaining what he had lost and killing his new arch-rival. In the process, Ben-Hur poses some interesting questions when Judah becomes consumed by his goal. Despite coming into contact with Jesus Christ himself on multiple occasions, Judah never heeded Jesus’s words of forgiveness. Judah becomes more cruel to the point where there’s no difference between him and Messala. Ben-Hur asks the question, Was it worth it?

3. The Prince of Egypt

The Prince of Egypt might be cheating since I already put The Ten Commandments on here (which is based on the same biblical story), but screw it. The Prince of Egypt is awesome. Not only was it the first Christian film I ever watched, but it also contains some of the most awe-inspiring and epic hand-drawn animation I’ve seen. During my childhood, Disney had this system called “The Disney Vault.” Certain films in the vault wouldn’t be available in stores to increase their value. Because of that, my family never owned The Lion King on DVD. Instead, The Prince of Egypt was my Lion King.

Looking back, The Prince of Egypt didn’t go all out like The Ten Commandments with the epic tone of the story. It wanted to hit a wider audience. In doing so, The Prince of Egypt maintained a solid dedication to film-making and craftsmanship while paying homage to the greats that came before it. Honestly, The Prince of Egypt resonates with me more than The Ten Commandments. While The Ten Commandments is amazing, The Prince of Egypt explores the humanity of its characters, and that’s powerful. If you haven’t seen The Prince of Egypt, I highly recommend it.

4. Barabbas

After watching a variety of Christian films, I realized something important. While I love Jesus (I mean, how can you not?), it’s difficult for me to get invested in his story. Like I mentioned with The Prince of Egypt, what’s always resonated with me more is connecting with characters on a personal level. When it comes to Jesus, however, he’s perfect. At least, he’s always portrayed as perfect. Because of that, he’s hard to relate to as a character. So, what’s more powerful to me is exploring the power Jesus has over other people. That led me to Barabbas.

If you’re familiar with the story of Jesus Christ, you may remember that the citizens of Jerusalem were allowed to choose one prisoner to walk free during the Passover season. Instead of making the obvious choice (Jesus), they decided to free a man named Barabbas, a thief, ruffian, and overall criminal. This movie follows Barabbas’s life after he was set free and the struggles he experiences. While not a sympathetic character (especially in the beginning), Barabbas goes through several crises of conscience and faith.

Initially, Barabbas doesn’t believe in Jesus and demands answers from Jesus’s Apostles, Lazarus, and many others. In the process, Barabbas realizes the meaning of the life he’s been granted and wishes that he had been sentenced to death instead. Barabbas is a powerful film, and one I think more folks should watch regardless of religion.

5. Monty Python’s Life of Brian

This is a bit of a curveball, but let me explain. Like Ben-Hur, Monty Python’s Life of Brian technically isn’t a Christian film, but it does deal with Christian themes. Also, Life of Brian is hilarious. Even if it doesn’t always make sense, Life of Brian gives the movie-going public a lighthearted reminder that we should never take religion too seriously. That is probably the most enduring part of this movie. If you try to apply logic (or “bizarro-world”) to religion, you start to realize how silly it can be sometimes. That’s essentially what Life of Brian is: the perfect balance of both sense and nonsense that results in comedy.

As a long-time fan of Monty Python myself, it’s only natural that I’d feel attached to Life of Brian. Similar to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian is one of those movies my family likes to refer to as “infinitely quotable.” Any line from it, either in or out of context, can get a huge laugh if you quote it among friends and loved-ones. If you need a pick-me-up this Easter, pop in Monty Python’s Life of Brian and experience one of the best Christian comedies ever made.

Those are my picks for my favorite Christian films. What are your favorite Christian movies? Feel free to let us know in the comments, and maybe one day I’ll get around to watching some Pure Flix. When it comes to movies, I’m like a Pokémon Trainer. Gotta watch ’em all! Thank you for joining us this Easter season, and always look on the bright side of life.

Daredevil: Born Again, “Straight to Hell”

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Daredevil: Born Again wrapped up its first season this week with “Straight to Hell.” This episode sees the return of Karen Page and The Punisher. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. Daredevil: Born Again’s first season was uneven but entertaining. I had guessed a week or two ago that this season would end with Kingpin leaking Daredevil’s identity, but I forgot about the MCU’s plan of turning Kingpin into the ultimate street-level threat. While I enjoyed Kingpin’s side of the story, Daredevil didn’t get the same care. In fact, this show could’ve been named Kingpin: Return of the King.

Let’s begin with the interesting half of Daredevil: Born Again’s story. Kingpin’s rise to power plays out like a Marvel-flavored House of Cards or Breaking Bad. Kingpin wheels and deals himself into the best position. Daniel Blake’s journey to become Kingpin’s right-hand man was a joy. Sheila Rivera and Commissioner Gallo, scrambling to adapt to the changing political climate (dictated by Kingpin) and attempting to fix corruption from within, delivered plenty of tense scenes. Gallo’s story culminates in the single most violent moment in MCU history (so far), and that includes a Deadpool movie. I won’t spoil it here, but you’ll know the scene when you see it. Even Daredevil’s most aha moment comes when he figures out Kingpin’s ultimate plan: turning Red Hook into his private city-state.

Kingpin establishing a vigilante task force is the thread that can drive countless MCU television shows. This one plot point could and should affect a Punisher, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist reboot. This task force could appear in a future Spider-Man movie. Depending on where these characters reside, Hawkeye and Moon Knight could get tangled up with the task force. This is why I believe Daredevil: Born Again should’ve been a Kingpin show like Max’s The Penguin. I haven’t even mentioned Vanessa and Wilson Fisk’s complicated relationship. There’s so much meat to this half of Daredevil: Born Again’s story. By comparison, Daredevil’s story is thin.

Daredevil was an afterthought in his own show. With the exception of a few scenes, Daredevil could’ve been deleted from the show, and the show would’ve ended up the same. As a result, most of Daredevil’s story failed to capture my attention. I mentioned Heather Glenn’s lack of chemistry with Matt Murdock for weeks. She jumps on the Kingpin train quickly during “Straight to Hell.” Makes sense. I don’t know if Murdock will even miss her; he doesn’t act like he does. I never bought the two’s relationship.

I wonder how integral Kamar de los Reyes’s White Tiger was to Daredevil’s half of the original script. If Daredevil: Born Again was supposed to be a Kingpin show, it would make sense if more than one vigilante were active during the bulk of the season. It would also make sense for Daredevil to mentor White Tiger during his exploits. Daredevil: Born Again did a good job of integrating White Tiger into Daredevil’s narrative where it could. The show also managed to honor Kamar de los Reyes. Rest in peace.

The Punisher is inactive for most of this season’s run and only resumes his vigilante activities during “Straight to Hell.” It almost seemed like Daredevil: Born Again saved all its juicy Murdock/Daredevil story threads for its season finale. The show reintroduces a potential love triangle among Daredevil, Karen, and Punisher. It’s difficult to establish a love triangle like this when two-thirds of the characters receive little to no screen time until the final forty minutes. What’s worse is that the Murdock/Daredevil supporting characters like fellow attorney-at-law McDuffie and cop turned private investigator Cherry serve little more than plot devices.

Murdock, donning his new duds, was fun, and Bullseye was electric in the few episodes toward the end where he appeared. I can’t wait to see where the MCU takes Daredevil, but Daredevil: Born Again season one was more of a Kingpin show, and that’s okay. I just wish Marvel had renamed the show to reflect the show’s true main character. Daredevil: Born Again season one was the street-level version of Avengers: Infinity War with Kingpin swapped for Thanos.

Let us know your thoughts on Daredevil: Born Again’s first season and the season finale “Straight to Hell.” Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly Tunes: Whatcha Listening To for April 2025

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Today’s post is a little different than our previous Wednesday posts. Geekly Tunes is our sound track from the previous month. Skye buys at least one vinyl every month, so this one might be right up her alley. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. Let’s kick off Geekly Tunes by having the Geekly Gang share the music they’ve listened to in the previous month. Feel free to share your tunes, too. We’re all part of the Geekly Gang.

Kyra’s Tunes

Early March 2025 was dominated by Focus’s “Hocus Pocus,” specifically the live Midnight Special version of the single. Focus is a prog rock band from the Netherlands. Their hit single “Hocus Pocus” originally ran for over seven minutes. After The Midnight Special asked them to play a different song, they insisted on performing their hit. They played it faster, and it worked. “Hocus Pocus” is a prog rock gem that includes yodeling. What’s not to love?

I listened to “Hocus Pocus” on repeat while I worked. Its up-tempo beat kept me focused (hey, like the band name) and revved up to get work done. Since the song uses yodeling, “Hocus Pocus” had few discernable lyrics to color my words if I was working on a Geekly project or a rulebook for one of my six board game prototypes. Six games? What was I thinking?

Okay. There was a period when I was listening to Miley Cyrus this past month. It started by listening to Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane,” and then I was suggested Cowboy Junkies’ cover of the song. I love both versions of “Sweet Jane,” and then Miley Cyrus’s Backyard Session of “Sweet Jane” popped on my suggested song list. I listened to it, and they did a great job on “Sweet Jane.” Miley’s version follows the Cowboy Junkies’ cover. I gave Miley’s “Sweet Jane” a like, and then I was suggested their entire Backyard Session playlist. Most of Miley’s Backyard Session performances are candid, stripped down from their studio sheen, and a joy to listen.

The picture above is of Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande’s cover of “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (by Crowded House). Nine years ago, they performed the song as part of a Happy Hippie tribute. Happy Hippie is a nonprofit organization that helps youths (specifically LGBT and BIPOC youths). Typically, I don’t care for Ariana Grande’s music, but these two’s cover is sweet and silly as evidenced by the onesie pajamas they wear. Not going to lie, I may need to add these onesies to the ones that already hang in a closet.

Finally, I went on a Moby Play kick. Like “Hocus Pocus” above, Moby’s music allows me to work with minimal lyrics. The soundscapes in Play soothe my frazzled head. “Find My Baby,” “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?,” and “Porcelain” are standout tracks, but Play is one of those few albums I don’t bother to skip a single song. Despite the controversy, I adore “My Weakness.” A quick history and full disclosure: Moby had heard “Nyinewaco” from a film and sampled it in “My Weakness.” “Nyinewaco” is a Tiga Island song about the island’s founding and drinking water. “My Weakness” loops “Nyinewaco” as stringed instruments swell. It’s a haunting track. I always thought of the music as returning home. A Tiga Island creation myth song makes sense.

That’s enough out of me. I listened to far more this past month, but I want to hand the floor over to Season and Skye. Thank you for reading.

Season’s Tunes

Keeping with my personal tradition that began with our local rock station, I listened to 311 on 3/11 at 3:11pm. I revisited the songs “Transistor” and “Beautiful Disaster” since I hadn’t heard them in years. Normally, I listen to “Amber,” which I did, of course. I enjoyed listening to these songs while I played my daily missions in video games. They’re interesting and I recommend them.

Two side notes. 311 is also originally from Omaha, NE. Also, I had no idea Transistor was released in Japan. The picture I chose is the Japanese cover for their CD release in 1997.

Moving seventeen years in the future, I jammed out to G.R.L.’s “Ugly Heart,” released in 2014. “Ugly Heart” showed up in my feed while I was scrolling through YouTube Music. You’d think I’d have heard it before because it was released while I was in high school and was very popular at the time. For some reason, I hadn’t. “Ugly Heart” was one of G.R.L.’s big hits, and people thought they’d keep it pushing after “Ugly Heart.”

Warning for those sensitive about death/depression. Three months after “Ugly Heart” released, the singer in the middle of the image, Simone Battle, succumbed to depression and took her own life. The group dedicated a single, “Lighthouse,” to her, and never made a full comeback after her passing.

Last July, Denzel Curry released King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2, and I’ve been listening to it off and on ever since. I don’t listen to much rap, but I love the way he incorporates soft sounds into his music. His voice is oddly soothing, and I enjoy listening to him on repeat. When Melt My Eyez See Your Future dropped back in 2022, I paid attention to the lyrics and listened to that one on repeat. I still listen to Melt My Eyez See Your Future on repeat.

The picture I posted with this one is from the repackage album cover and the picture Spotify uses, but it’s not the original album cover. Denzel looks a lot calmer in this picture.

Skye, what have you been listening to this past month?

Skye’s Tunes

Guess what? I have my own vinyl record collection. Even though I enjoy visual artistic mediums such as film, my first love is music. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve sitting in a car and listening to homemade CDs with my family. Good times!

My vinyl record includes 66 albums. Let me tell y’all about the ones I’ve been listening to lately.

Costello Music by The Fratellis is a childhood favorite. It was a no-brainer for my collection. The upbeat and hypnotizing melodies stick in my head years later. Even to this day, I can’t say there’s a single track on this album I dislike. Each of them is infectious, and recently, I’ve been listening to it on repeat for a couple weeks.

Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits is a new addition to my collection. This album helps me find my center. Folksy music like Simon and Garfunkel mentally transports me to a peaceful place that few other albums can. The classic melodies are so calming, lovely, and hummable. I’ve wanted to pick up a Simon and Garfunkel album for a while, and I’m glad I finally got around to it.

Kendrick Lamar’s Damn. is another newcomer to my record case. Damn. reminds me why music is important; there are several rap albums in my collection that do that. Not only does Damn. contain bops that make you want to get up and move, it also has messages that modern music has lost. When you listen to the lyrics, it’s clear what smart writing and clever wordplay went into making something the U.S. desperately needs to hear.

I loved Nina Simone’s Feeling Good: Her Greatest Hits to death the moment I got it. While I wasn’t familiar with the artist, this record soon became one of my favorite albums in my collection. Feeling Good was the first vinyl record I received, but it never fails to get me jamming. Such soul, passion, and artistry in Simone’s voice keep me coming back, and her music remains relevant.