Use the fields below to perform an advanced search of Ball State Daily's archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query. You can also try a Basic search
26 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
by Makayla Hughes With all of the new video games released every month, some may feel nostalgic for a simpler time of gaming. One where you didn’t have to pay $60+ for an incomplete, unplayable game, and where all of the content came with the game when you bought it. This meant no downloadable content, no new updates, no online, no subscription playing, just an old, beat-up copy of a game that might not even have a case or work half the time. I’ve been finding myself in this nostalgic mindset of the way games were back when I was younger. Growing up with gaming, I feel as if games from my childhood are better and more simple than the games of today. Not to say that the games of today aren’t fun, but I feel as if there’s nothing like these games on today’s market, making me want to play these older games even more. In my mind, they seem like so much fun because I had such good memories playing them. I spent hours upon hours on these games, so maybe they’re not as amazing as I’ve built them up to be in my mind, but here are some of the top games from my childhood I’d love to see remastered.
Disclaimer: This review is of the PlayStation 4 version of Kingdom Hearts III.
by Makayla Hughes Disclaimer: This review is of the PlayStation 4 version of Kingdom Hearts III. Six years. For six years, I have been asking for this game for Christmas. And for six years, I have been disappointed. Kingdom Hearts III has probably been my most anticipated game ever. I was unsure if it would ever come out because those years were a little bleak. Even when the game shipped, I wasn’t expecting it to be real. I don’t think I even processed it actually existing until I held it in my hands. After waiting so long and just holding onto trailers and random snippets, I was eager to play through this game and continue on with a story that began so long ago in 2002. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DTM1XZcUfU[/embed]
Disclaimer: This playthrough is based on the PS4 version of the game. This copy of the game was provided by the developer for review purposes.
by Makayla Hughes Disclaimer: This playthrough is based on the PS4 version of the game. This copy of the game was provided by the developer for review purposes. Starlink: Battle for Atlas is a fun, space-combat adventure with nice looking graphics and a captivating storyline. From the start, I liked the crew of characters in the game, but was sad that I only got to see them in cutscenes or the times they popped up on my screen to tell me about missions and places I may be close to on a planet. It’s a fun game, but can also be challenging and just plain infuriating at points. However, it’s mostly a stress-free, straightforward game and is nice to pick-up when you need a breather or are looking for something fun and unique. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Pvkyadzz0[/embed]
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes is perfect for any fan of the anime series, while also still being welcome to newcomers. It delves more into All Might and the quirk, One for All, and talks more about his back story. It follows All Might and Izuku going to I-Island for an expo showcasing new support items for pro heroes. By chance, almost everyone from Class 1-A happens to be attending the expo on the same day, with the others being present on the island.
Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for Venom
by Makayla Hughes Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for Venom Venom is a fast-paced movie with plenty of humor and a great supporting cast. Tom Hardy, the lead role, holds this movie up with his fantastic portrayal of Eddie Brock. If you’re a fan of the comics, you might not be too big of a fan of Brock, but Hardy’s portrayal makes him memorable and likeable and has you feeling for him throughout the entire movie. Everything in this movie happens quickly, but I like how they included easter eggs from the comics to make the audience giddier about seeing a stand-alone Venom movie. The visuals make the film interesting. I love the characters, and just enjoyed the movie overall.
by Makayla Hughes My Hero Academia: Two Heroes is perfect for any fan of the anime series, while also still being welcome to newcomers. It delves more into All Might and the quirk, One for All, and talks more about his back story. It follows All Might and Izuku going to I-Island for an expo showcasing new support items for pro heroes. By chance, almost everyone from Class 1-A happens to be attending the expo on the same day, with the others being present on the island.
Warning: This review may contain spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of My Hero Academia
Following a movie as funny and outlandish as Deadpool, Deadpool 2 had high expectations to meet. The R-rated not quite superhero movie Deadpool 2, like the first, breaks the fourth wall and makes references as often as possible. The humor does not let up from start to finish, but the movie does contain some unexpected twists and turns.
By Makayla Hughes Warning: This review may contain spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of My Hero Academia This episode of My Hero Academia ended the training camp arc and the fight between the Vanguard Action Squad and the classes from UA. It also helped the story progress a lot further. The suspense from the last episode didn’t end, but that suspense was one element that helped progress the story. A lot of this episode dealt with the aftermath and included an interesting animation style. This episode begins with some of the other members of the class who haven’t been shown in a fight yet. These are people who really have no clue what is going on, but are safe with Vlad King. This makes these people feel almost worthless because they cannot do anything to help their friends, which plays a part later on in the episode. Dabi attacks the classroom again as a distraction for the pro-hero teachers, but is quickly dealt with by the teachers. He later dissolves to show that it was another clone of him. Although the end of this arc was unexpected, given the surprising end to the last episode, it does wrap up the arc nicely while furthering the plot. This episode gives you something different from what you’d expect, showing that the writers still have some tricks up their sleeves. Given the situation, I was fully prepared to watch an epic fight pitting Shoto, Shoji, and Deku against the majority of the villains, but what we got was so much better. After the squad leaves the area with a member of Class 1-A, the mood of the episode looks dismal. This scene probably included one of my favorites of MHA, with the animation style shifting to a freeze frame to show how upset Deku is because he feels as if he failed. It looked absolutely beautiful on the screen and conveyed so much emotion. The viewer can’t help but feel for Deku. It also reminds the viewer that these are just kids and not actual heroes yet, but they don’t feel that way. In this business, one cannot make mistakes. The episode then shifts to monologuing while showing some scenes of the cleanup. This adds to the mood of loss, while easily moving forward with some not-too-important items. The aftermath of this attack is not good for the school UA, and a small group of faculty discuss the best way to move forward. The villains were successful in their attack, but they also managed to harm the reputation of the top hero school. The pros also bring up the point that there’s a spy in their ranks. Not much time is wasted before more information is brought to light on the League of Villains. The detectives on the case tell All Might that they might know where the League is hiding, which begins the next arc. They want to get their missing student back while getting rid of the villains who have continuously attacked their school. The middle of this episode is almost boring compared to the chaos of the last few, but it has to be there to continue the episode. The ending starts to bring hope as a plan is formed. The students who didn’t do much in the fight in the woods feel the need to rescue their friend. They begin to form a plan, which helps build excitement for what is next in the season. This episode was major to plot development, but also felt like a bore at times. It mostly helped establish grounds for what is yet to come in the season. It’s also exciting to see All Might gear up for a fight against the villains, which really hasn’t been seen so far in MHA.
By Makayla Hughes Following a movie as funny and outlandish as Deadpool, Deadpool 2 had high expectations to meet. The R-rated not quite superhero movie Deadpool 2, like the first, breaks the fourth wall and makes references as often as possible. The humor does not let up from start to finish, but the movie does contain some unexpected twists and turns.
Warning: This review may contain spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of My Hero Academia
By Makayla Hughes Warning: This review may contain spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of My Hero Academia Once again, this episode furthers the fight between the Vanguard Action Squad and the students of UA. The only thing about My Hero Academia is that I wished the episodes were longer, so the fights didn’t have to be so split up and seem to go on forever. It feels like the show gets to a good part, only for the end credits to roll. This episode begins right where last episodes left off with Dark Shadow powerful and out-of-control. With a quirk like his, it cannot be controlled well in the dark, especially not at night in the middle of the woods. Shoji tells Izuku about what he and Tokoyami have been up to. It is also revealed it was Shoji’s cut-off hand shown in one of the earlier episodes, but it didn’t harm him too much because of his multi-arm quirk. This episode starts off dismal and different given that instead of fighting a villain, it deals with them having to deal with a rogue classmate. Izuku and Shoji panic because they do not wish to harm Tokoyami, but Dark Shadow will not hold back from harming them. The duo aim to devise a plan to somehow bring Dark Shadow towards light. I liked how refreshing this episode was from the other fights in this arc. It’s different because Tokoyami cannot control his quirk, which reminds the viewer that these are indeed still kids. More characters meet up with each other and make it their goal to protect Bakugo. This is funny to watch because Bakugo believes he can handle all the villains by himself and doesn’t need protecting. Then, we get to see the blood crazy villain Himiko Toga for the first time in battle. Her fight with Tsuyu and Ochaco is interesting because Toga is psychotic and keeps going on about them being friends while she is trying to get their blood. Not a great friend. By the time the two groups meet up, another villain, Mr. Compress, is introduced. His look is truly terrifying with the mask he has on. His quirk allowed him to easily take both Tokoyami and Bakugo. The last villain, Nomu, looks as terrifying as ever. The visuals make each and every villain unique and creepy. They also did well at highlighting each person’s quirk and making them memorable. Once their goal is reached, the villains start to regroup at a new location. The end of the episode is once again left in a suspenseful place with Shoto, Izuku, and Shoji landing in the midst of the villains regrouping. This sets up well for the next episode but leaves the viewer worried, especially since Izuku is so injured. Overall, this episode was full of action and unexpected twists and turns. The action is nonstop and somehow the stakes keep getting higher. The viewer is shown a few more characters, but we are still left in the dark of what happened to most of Izuku’s classmates. The animation and fighting sequences are beautiful and do not disappoint. The storyline progresses more with an end in sight: what appears to be an epic battle.
Warning: This review may contain spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of My Hero Academia
By Makayla Hughes Warning: This review may contain spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of My Hero Academia Being five episodes into the season, one would think there wouldn’t be as many recaps, but they seem to be inescapable. “Drive It Home, Iron Fist!!!” begins with another recap highlighting an emotional fight, which happened just last episode. This episode continues with the training camp arc and takes place in the heat of battle between the Classes 1-A and 1-B and the Vanguard Action Squad. Although it doesn’t finish the action that started in episode three, it propels the characters forward and gives the students a chance to fight back. After the recap beginning the episode, we hear a little more from Tomura Shigaraki, leader of the League of Villains. He reflects on why his last plan failed and how he hopes to fix it with the squad he sent. This gives more explanation as to why the villains showed up to the camp, and later in the episode, tells what they are there for. The mood of the episode starts off hopeful but the panic soon sets in as Deku realizes how split up his peers are. He meets up with his teacher Erasure first, who adds some well-needed energy by allowing the kids to fight and ignore the law of having to be registered to use their quirks. Deku, running on only adrenaline, races to relay his message to Mandalay so the entire class can get the memo. He also has her tell one of the students to protect themselves more because he is a specific target of the group. With this episode, the viewer gets to see more about the villains of the attack group and what their powers are. Shoto and Bakugo are fighting Moonfish, the creepy-looking cannibal with teeth that can become blades. From Class 1-B, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu and Itsuka Kendo fight the source of the poisonous gas, Mustard. This shows real combat between different people, and allows the viewer to see some different powers. Speaking of the fight with Mustard, it was the first time a villain had used a gun, and this was pointed at a student. Although Tetsutetsu can turn his skin into steel, taking multiple bullets in gas without being able to breathe takes its toll on him. Even though he was beginning to crack, he didn’t hesitate to take a bullet for his classmate, Kendo. This suspenseful fight had the viewer worried if these students actually stood a chance against a top-notch villain. The end of the episode doesn’t let up, with Deku meeting up with an injured Mezo Shoji. Shoji sees how weak and broken Deku is and cages him with Shoji’s many arms. The episode ends with them facing against a classmate who is not able to control his own quirk. The episode does not let up from start to finish, and somehow manages to raise the stakes higher and higher with each fight. The animation is once again beautiful and shows off each quirk nicely. It’s refreshing to see each quirk raised to the limits with seemingly impossible odds, and it is interesting to watch how each person works to overcome the odds stacked against their favor. For such a jam-packed episode, the fight is nowhere close to being over and the viewer is left once again wondering who will come out on top.
Warning: This review may contain spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of My Hero Academia
By Makayla Hughes Warning: This review may contain spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of My Hero Academia This episode continues on with the training camp arc, and shows the class pushing to their limits of their quirks. This episode progresses the plot and leads into some suspenseful action by the end of the episode. Throughout the episode, characters connected with one another and shared some personal goals that will be exciting to see on the screen. Both class 1-A and 1-B of UA are put into intense training at the start of the episode to push their quirks to their limits. They are trying to max out their quirks in order for them to grow strong, making for an interesting experience for the viewer. It gives the viewer a chance to see beautiful animations of each person's’ ability without them actually being in battle. It also shows how much stronger each classmate has become with his/her own quirk. Bakugo’s especially looks powerful with him boiling his hands in water before creating giant blasts up in the air. This adds some humor to the episode as well because of him getting mad at himself for not thinking he is doing well. More spotlight is put on the Wild, Wild Pussycats, a group of four professional heroes meant to help out with training. They are a tad bit excessive, but do appear to be helping the heroes with their training. The male pussycat, Tiger, intimidates the kids right off the bat with one commenting how he’s not what they expected. After a long day of training, the heroes have to cook for themselves, allowing for some more friendly bonding. It also allows the viewer to see Deku’s caring towards the hero-hating child, Kota. His kindness is shown by bringing Kota some curry after he missed supper. The entire interaction between the two makes the viewer feel for the kid and how much he must be hurting, even though he comes off as spiteful. This episode helped with connecting the viewer with the characters and seeing where they may be coming from. It focuses on others outside of the Class 1-A, and gives the viewer a chance to see other quirks in action. It was interesting to find out more about the Wild, Wild Pussycats and Kota. I also really liked seeing the children interact while cooking and see Bakugo’s hidden talent of chopping up food rather quickly. It was interesting to see Deku caring for a child and helps give insight on how he will be once he is a professional hero: one who will truly care. It is refreshing to see him interact with a civilian without expecting anyone to notice his good deeds and helps showcase his selflessness. Deku will truly make a good-hearted hero. That’s when the action of the episode starts. A small group of villains from the League of Villains are about to attack the students at camp. All of the villains look creepy, with the weirdest being a creature covered in black with just his mouth free and oddly swaying as he walks. There is also a lizard guy that appears to be a Stain-wannabe, the hero killer from last season. Since we do not know what their quirks are, it creates excitement to see new attack moves but also fear for the heroes. The viewer is put on edge because the villains don’t attack immediately, leaving the viewer to question when they actually will. This suspense in the episode makes it so much more entertaining to watch. Every moment, you are just waiting for it to start and wondering when it will happen. I found myself holding my breath because of not knowing what was about to happen and who these people are. In this episode, the flashbacks have more of a purpose and makes the viewer feel reminiscent and sad, especially when it shows Deku as a kid wishing and trying for a quirk that didn’t happen. It also has beautiful scenes, like flashing between Deku, Bakugo and Shoto after Erasure said to never forget why there were here and to remember how far they had come. When Deku looks at the scars on his hands, it packs a powerful punch. He has more control of his quirk now and has a handle on it. Although Deku is one of the most powerful members of class 1-A, he still worries about offending some of the others. His conversation with Shoto shows this, but it gives a more caring look into how Shoto sees things. The attack by the villains starts and almost immediately, the viewer is on the edge of their seat worried about their favorite characters. No one knows where they are to make it less likely the villains would find them, which is bad. The hero he is, Deku, tries to go help Pixie-Bob, but is stopped by the teachers in a face off with two villains. The episode ends in a suspenseful place with the viewer wanting more as soon as the end credits start. It ends in the worst possible place with everything about to go south. Overall, this episode makes the viewer feel a lot of emotions, with the greatest being fear of what is coming next.