The list of why 2017 was a horrible, terrible, no good year is a long one, but excluding natural disasters and national embarrassments, I narrowed it down to five things that contributed to 2017’s particular brand of rankness.
For the sake of positivity, let’s look back on some of the best moments of the year.
Another year of Byte reviews allowed us to shine a light once again on a wealth of games worth playing. Sure, there were some duds, but the masterpieces far outweighed them. The year 2017 featured improvements on recent installments of the Destiny and Sonic franchises, plus a spectacular first-year showing for the Nintendo Switch including obligatory new beauties in the Mario and Zelda departments. And with Cuphead bringing some mainstream attention to a brand-new indie studio, the future of independent gaming has never looked brighter.
Every year produces a relentless heaping of blockbuster films that sell fantastically, but how many of them are actually good is another question entirely. Though the major circuit may have been a little bit short on masterpieces this year, it was by no means empty. We got another great Pixar movie, a beautiful shoutout to The Room, and the best M. Night Shyamalan film in a long time. We also caught a whole host of independent films at Heartland Film Festival this year, some of which were made in our own backyard. So as it turns out, the year of The Disaster Artist wasn’t such a disaster after all.
Music reviews were a new endeavor for Byte this year, but it was a great first year to cover. We saw some disappointments from previously loved artists like Arcade Fire and Blondie, to be sure, but we also saw some pleasant comebacks and changeups from the likes of Lorde, Aimee Mann and Paramore. Some of these albums made us smile and others made us cry, but they all left some sort of indelible mark on us, and that’s why they’re the best albums of 2017.
Holiday shopping can be hard. Between cryptic gift lists, friends refusing to tell you what they want, or the dreaded "I don't need anything" responses, the seemingly simple task of buying gifts for loved ones can become a nightmare. To make matters worse, getting good gifts can get expensive quickly. No one wants to be the guy that gives out cheap bootleg Pokemon dolls, but you don't want to break the bank either. Well no worries! We’ve compiled a list of great gift ideas. The best part? All of these items are $25 or less! While every item may not ship in time for the holidays, they are sure not to break the bank.
The horror and uncanniness of the series is still alive and well in ‘Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator’. Included with the horror are many humorous elements that serve to break the monotony of the game’s tone. This entry in the series does nothing to reinvent the wheel, but there is still pleasure to be had with the tried and true gameplay formula. It’s a competent entry that is sure to please fans and even entice some newcomers with its generous price.
I, being an expert in bad fanfiction, know exactly what Star Wars movies Disney can make that the people will definitely love and are not jokes.
Jedi represent all that is good and Sith represent all that is evil. However, in between those two ideologies is a grey area that takes the best of both worlds and creates the ideology of the Grey Jedi.
“Super Hard PCness” is one of season 21’s best episodes yet. It has a lot to offer people watching their first season of "South Park" but even more for those who have been with the show since the beginning. With plenty of allusions to the past and great commentary on what’s going on in the present, this episode is one that surely should not be missed.
Even if the movie or special isn’t great, in the end it feels good to be acknowledged in a media landscape that largely ignores the Jewish faith. To help you deal with that suppressed Chanukah fever, we’ve compiled a nifty little list of some Chanukah goodness…or badness…to watch this year while eating latkes and playing dreidel.
I sincerely hope that a free internet where you can watch what you want, read what you want, and buy what you want without the influence of Comcast or Verizon won’t become just one of those things '90s kids will love to remember.
Suicide Squad was DC’s attempt at making a Guardians of the Galaxy for their cinematic universe and Justice League tried to have an Avengers vibe. Try something new and different with these characters and you’ll have fans swarm the theaters to witness that movie.
