Bioshock Infinite Easter Eggs

I was playing Bioshock Infinite for the 5th time, and I noticed an Easter eggs that I missed the first few play-throughs that I'm sure you want to know about.

In Monument Tower you can see Elizabeth opening her first tear which shows Paris in 1980s.   In the background there is a poster that says "Revenge of the Jedi".
 

In December of 1982 George Lucas changed the movie title to "Return of the Jedi".  This scene foreshadowed to the player that Elizabeth can open tears into alternate worlds such as in this alternate world where George Lucas did not change the title of the movie.

Legend of Korra Cancelled!

Well if you have been flipping to Nickelodeon every Friday and Wondering where is the Legend of Korra, then you should know the show was cancelled due to low ratings.  I can't believe they cancelled Korra, so that they can show reruns of Full House.

I have to admit the Legend of Korra wasn't as good as the Last Air bender, but I believe that Korra didn't get a fair start from developers.  From the start the show was too adult for its audience.  The show got too political creating an atmosphere that the Avatar was a diplomat more than an authoritative figure.

In Avatar the Last Airbender, the world feared the Avatar rebirth because the Avatar had the power to rule all nations.  In the Legend of Korra, the Avatar was under the control of the political authority. She was always limited and her view points of unfavorable choices often put her on anarchist status.

Then the love triangle with Korra and two brothers was pointless.  Since fans weren't feeling that, the next season a new girl was introduced to steal Korra's boyfriend away.  The effort resulted in all 4 just being friends.  Lots of dumb things like that really challenged the storyline and made the show hard to follow.

Then Korra's battles were always irrational.  The first major villian was a man who wanted to take away all benders elemental powers, so the world would be normal.  Apparently those with elemental powers treated those with no power as lesser counter cultures of society.  The second major villian was her uncle who wanted power to rule the water nation.  The evil uncle even teamed up with a dark spirit that would destroy the world.  I never got how all that connected to the plot of why.  Overall it was a lot poor plot development that was a major anchor to the show.

Then the second problem was the lack of diversity and white washing that the show created.  In the Last Air-bender it was understood that the water tribe were a minority or of a darker skinned race. The show really crossed boundaries when Aang the Avatar fell in in love with Katara a water bender. Aang spoke how he didn't see a difference, and he only liked her heart.

The Legend of Korra gained a lot of momentum because fans thought Korra was of darker skin like Katara, but as the show continued Korra was white-washed until she was no longer considered of darker skin.  After while, you obviously saw a difference in her appearance that made you question why the change?

Overall, the show had some major issues that I felt were never resolved in the first 3 books.  There is a rumor that the fourth book is finished, but it will not be aired since the show was cancelled.  If you want to catch the series finalle then you have to go to nickelodeon online and watch it.  Warning it's a sad episode and a lot of graphic deaths which I thought were very mature for the TV-7 rating.

The episode is called "Change.", and  I felt as a fan by the episode's end that Korra looked like a soldier that returned from war, but her mind was still on the battlefield as a result of all that happened to her.  The final episodes of season 3 including a series finale with controversial death scenes can be view online on Nickelodeons webpage. Get your tissues ready because it's a sad episode.  Good-bye Korra, maybe another developer will give your series a well deserve re-development.

Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Can't Miss Review

I have been dealing with a lot of adversity in the recent months. To deal with the stress, I have relied on my hobbies of writing and playing video games. One game that I recently played was The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Majora's Mask is generally regarded as the darkest entry in the Zelda franchise and was a controversial game for the Nintendo franchise because the content was deemed too mature was it's adolescent audience. The game dealt with concepts such as racism, adultery, black market transactions, organized crime, and death.The game's storyline contains much heavier themes than those seen in prior games of the series, with somber melodies and a myriad of tragic situations. Taking things a step further, enemies Link killed from the Ocarina of Time such as the Sorceress Sisters Twinova  are NPC are living happy in this world.  

In Majora's Mask, the player is faced with the knowledge that the world of Termina will be destroyed within three days, and the only means in which to prevent this from occurring is by playing the Ocarina of Time to restart everything from the dawn of the First Day.  Majora's Mask goes even further by delving into the emotional and psychological state of Termina's denizens, each of whom responds to the circumstance of their impending doom in an idiosyncratic but realistic manner. Link and Termina's denizens are continually confronted with elements of death, loss, and abandonment over and over and over again as the three-day cycle repeats continuously.

Majora's Mask for what it's worth was truly an underrated and under-appreciated game. For decades there has been a lot of game theories or creepy pasta urban legends on the net about the game. The most common myth about Major's Mask was game being a metaphor for Link's death.



In an interview developers tried to make sense of how so many Zelda games exist and are some how connected on a timeline. According developers, Majora's Mask exist as an alternate reality in which Link failed in the previous title "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time".



As a result of Link's failure several NPC's (none playable characters) died including Link himself. Majora's Mask storyline and characters is serves as Kübler-Ross model Five stages of death. The game begins with the mask salesman from the Ocarina of Time game telling Link "You've met with a terrible fate haven't you". Many have interpreted this quote as meaning Link has died.



1. Denial

In the game, Link takes on the remaining life of characters that have died in the realm prior to Link arriving. In 72 hours, the realm of Termina will be destroyed by a fall moon. Despite the pending doom lingering over their heads none of the citizen are fearful of the end. Each NPC claims nothing will happen and continues onward with their daily routines.

2. Anger

The Deku King is mad that his daughter is missing, so he boils a monkey alive for no reason.




3. Bargaining

Darmani is a dead Goron character Link helps. Darmani died but realizes his followers need his help. He remains a ghost to offer advice but makes a deal with Link to cross-over if Link helps his people




4. Depression

Lulu a Zoran singer loses her voice and will to live after her children are kidnapped and assumed as murdered.

5. Acceptance

In the final dungeon, Link climbs a tower similar to the tower of Babel.  Along the way you encounter several ghost and suicidal assassins each with the belief they they control their death.  At the top of the tower, link receives the light arrow which as a symbol of enlightenment.  Thus, with the knowledge Link has accepted he is dead and can move on to the circumstance that must come.

Regardless of how you play the game or who you save in the side quests the game has a foreboding atmosphere of world destruction conveyed largely through the game's soundtrack and artwork. Even the world's name "Termina" is derived from the Latin phrase "terminus", originally applied to the Roman God of boundary markers, which roughly translates into English as "boundary, limit". The desire to rescue the world from certain peril serves as an additional motivation for completing the game.  To say Majora's Mask was just a video game would be to say the bible was just words.  It showed so much of the world I never knew existed until I got older.  I still ponder on a quote by skull kid, "I am right, was I right?"

Some believe the one that dies was Navi.  The legend that once fairies served their purpose they die.  In the end, Link never finds Navi, he rides off into the light shining through the trees ahead.  Some believe that Majora's Mask was a symbol of the death of innocent games itself.  Majora's mask was the last game that Nintendo made for the N64, and game sales were showing that a high demand was coming for more mature, gory and violent games.  This game is said to be an attempt to show children games can deal with adult topics but in a subtle way. 

After you defeat Skull kid and the true demon the Majora's mask, all that we get as a conclusion is a cut scene of those you saved, changed their lives, and a grieving NPC's that regardless of your actions...these characters were dead before you arrived and fate took them away.  A power game to say the least.  I give The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask a well deserved 10 out of 10.

I stand for what is right!

Happy Birthday to my dad. He would have been 61, had everything not went wrong from the late ambulance to do the nothing surgeon. The last memory with my Dad was the cleanest surgeon I've ever seen telling me he died, and the image of a student doctor in glasses on the table still trying to save my dad. To add insult to injury, instead of talking with my family the surgeon was talking to the nurse with 6 piercings in her ear and multi-color about what they were going to do on their date later. It taught me at a young age, if you going take a job...then do it right, have a passion for it.  Also, it taught to fight for what you love and have a voice...never go anywhere that people try to take that away and make you feel unimportant or take your civil rights away! 

Passing the torch to the next generation

The final post:

I have been going through my cycle of emotions following my Father's death.  I had to step-up into the role of leader and provider for my family.  I never knew the amount of responsibility that laid on the shoulders of my Dad, but I know now!

Despite what the doctors said, my Dad out lived their predictions because he had to hang on to take care of us.  I feel like my Dad was truly a living Goku from DBZ. He stayed around until he knew it was okay to pass the torch to the next generation.

Dad, I want you to know...I understand everything, and I will spend the rest of my life living the dream you had for me.  I will make something out of my life, and I will make a positive impact on the world just as you did. I will own a business, be president, and global leader.  This is my declaration to try hard.    Thank you and I love you Daddy.


To my fans:

I'm older, wiser, been through things/events that changed me for the better.  I'm no longer a kid anymore.  With that being said, it's time I move on to bigger and better things.

I'll be 30 in a few months...it's time I packed up my video games and faced the world as a man that must take up responsibilities as a family leader.

For my fans, I would like to say thank you for supporting me for these past 4 years.  Reviewing my demographically reports..my biggest viewership is in Europe and South America, so I know I influenced the world in some way.

I have some good memories of making sure Link saved Princess Zelda, Solid Snake stopped WW3, Cloud being that hero Tifa waited for and even dancing with Micheal Jackson in my living room to Thriller.

Don't be sad fans, I may be leaving you for now...but who knows...I may be back someday.  Until then, you guys keep your heads up, and I challenge the next generation of writers/gamers to take up the digital pen and let the world know your interests and opinions.  Never be ashamed to say you are a geek, like video games/anime or a blogger.

In the famous worlds of my Dad and Frank Sinatra..."Many may criticized me, many may have laughed at me, but at least I can say, I did it my way:)

RIP Dad

My father passed away three weeks before Father's Day.  Cards and flowers can't compensate for the grief I feel.  We are a small family from a small town, so we a more than just another number lost in the crowd of many.  I smile reflecting on the memories we have together like fishing, working on cars and BBQs, but I feel sad knowing my dad won't be there to see me get married, have kids or graduate grad school and land my first full time job.

I had an epiphany the other day recalling the miss opportunities and time I wasted on empty promises.  I realized "time is the one free gift God gives, so don't waste it."  

I want to be a leader like my Dad. My dad wasn't a war hero or celebrity, but half the town came to his funeral because he was a good man that helped those in need instead of abandoning them to their fate.  With an angel watching over me, I know I will make a positive impact on the world just like my dad.  

My Dad is Johnnie Ray Graves, and he did more for the world and family then you'll ever know. I love and miss you dad.  From your son Duke

Monthly Newsletter

Out of response to my many emails to, I'm back.  Thank you fans.  For now on, I'm going to do a monthly newsletter that covers reviews, demos links, and trailers for the games that will be released in the upcoming month.

Also, I missed out on my favorite event this year...E3...

Sorry to all my fans who looked forward to my annual posting of the dates and times for each company to showing their products.  I will do my best to review the top games and news that happened during E3 2014!

Zelda E3 2014

Taking a look at how the game looks on screen.  This is the new world of Zelda.  It's quite a vast world isn't it.  You can even reach those mountains in the distance if you walk far enough.  We couldn't create such a wide world like this in this past.

As far as what you can with such a vast field to explore, as soon as those boundaries are removed. It means you can enter any area from any direction.  The puzzle solving begins the moment the player starts to think about where they want to go, how they will get there and what they will do once they arrive.

This a clean break from the conventions of past games in the Zelda series where you had to follow a set path and play through the scenario in the right order.  I believe this departure will create opportunities for new game play that have not been experienced in previous Zelda games.

As you know the world in Zelda games are sat in a peaceful worlds. However, this is a Zelda game, so strong enemies to appear even in this setting.  Powerful enemies appearing in the Zelda world is one convention that Nintendo intends on continuing.

Walking Dead Season 2: A House Divided Review

William: When you first met them, how much did they trust you?
Clementine: What's your point?
William: If people don't trust you, then how can you trust them?

Well, I going to try something different.  Instead of giving you the game information you can google, I will give my opinion and critique about the game and no cursing. Telltale Games just release another chapter to the Walking Dead series, and it is as powerful as its predecessors. Your choices made in Season 1 and the "400 Days" DLC will affect the decisions in Season 2. Although "400 Days" is not a direct part of the story thread joining Seasons 1 and 2, the player's actions in "400 Days" will affect some elements of Season 2.

Walking Dead Season 2: A House Divided features Clementine as the main character again.  This time around Clementine is a seasoned survivor.  She's only 11, but she's top tier in terms of kicking butt and being street smart with her decision making.  While playing the game, I felt more confident in Clementine surviving the situation than her older companions.

I love how Telltale games progressed Clementine's character in this chapter.  She's no long innocent and naive about her surroundings.  In the Walking Dead Season 2: A House Divided, Clementine is shown as a child that is a product of an apocalypse environment.  She's angry, cunning, impatient with weakness, and accepting of tough choices she must make to survive.  I am amazed how well this girl can adapt, lie and take advantage of her surroundings in order to stay alive.  I feel like it's a game of chess with wit as your pieces to play.

The only noteworthy side-note to this fiasco is that you are reunited with Kenny who in my opinion is not the same.  Kenny comes off as bi-polar with half his mind in the past and the other half of his mind being reluctant to accept the present.  I couldn't help but to fell sorry for Kenny since his family is dead along with most of his friends.  He's just surviving and even I would find it hard to cope with the circumstances.

In the Walking Dead Season 2: A House Divided, you are introduced to a different dynamic that I found interesting.  The axiom of choice is which side do you pick?  Will you stay with a new group you can't trust or go with your familiar friend who is a broken shell of his former self.  To the untrained eye the choice seems obvious, but an interest twist is thrown in the plot that compounds the conflict of interest.

Eventually you learn that Pete's group is on the run from William Carver, the leader of a cult like community similar to the Governor.  The baby that Rebecca is having belongs to Carver not Alvin, so Carver is relentlessly hunting the group down to reunite his "family".  I must admit I had a Stockholm syndrome moment because it seems kind of like a logical sequence of events and rationale to me.

Following an intense zombie shootout, the group is rescued and captured by Carver's group.  The game ends with the death of some minor characters, but a new era is ushered in by this event.  From the looks of the preview, we see that it's going to be an oppressive environment that wit alone won't save Clementine from hardship.

Walking Dead Season 2: A House Divided's story-line kept me engaged and willing to see it through to the end. The game was short and could be beaten in an hour if you rush.  It's worth a play through to see how your choices will develop the story, so I give Walking Dead Season 2: A House Divided an 7.5/10.