THE ROBMAN SHOW! Episode #28 “Unhappy Meal”
A new comic strip every Sunday morning from Rob Van Brunt!
NINTENDO SWITCH: Sorry. Can’t. BALATRO. Bye. (2024)
DORKSIDE’S JOURNAL. MARCH 22ND, 2024: It has been 3 weeks since this…card game was downloaded onto my Nintendo Switch. And even after already plugging in roughly 70 hours of playtime, a full understanding of the core gameplay mechanics continues to unravel before me. What began as an innocent curiosity evolved into an uncontrollable habit which has now spiraled into full blown obsession.
My family looks up and shouts "Please! Stop playing Balatro!"... and I look down and whisper "no.”
THE ROBMAN SHOW! Episode #27 “Do Not Pass Go.”
A new comic strip every Sunday morning from Rob Van Brunt!
WATCH: STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER PRESS CONFERENCE (1989)
Directed by William Shatner himself, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is for the most part universally agreed upon as being the worst cinematic outing of the entire franchise. But since all throughout this year we’ll be taking a look back and honoring the 35th anniversaries of that great string of 1989 genre releases, I at least wanted to acknowledge this movie in some way. Admittedly I am a pretty big fan of Trek as a whole, but I still couldn’t bring myself to do an entire write up here because berating it is such low hanging fruit. Instead, let’s have a look at a behind the scenes clip that all by itself almost makes this fifth big screen entry’s existence totally worth it. Almost but more like kinda…
…actually not really, though it’s still fun.
THE ROBMAN SHOW! Episode #26 “#OscarssonotSpidey”
A new comic strip every Sunday morning from Rob Van Brunt!
THE ROBMAN SHOW! Episode #25 “Screen early, screen often.”
A new comic strip every Sunday morning from Rob Van Brunt!
RETRO REVIEW: BATMAN (NES, 1990) “Never Blow Another Man’s Nintendo Tape.”
Back in the summer of ‘89 you couldn’t flush the toilet without seeing a bat symbol. The colorful old 60’s series was playing in endless rotation, action figures, logo covered t-shirts and ball caps were standard issue for grade-schoolers across the country and that smokin’ hot Prince chick was doing the bat-dance nonstop on MTV. I was only 9 years old at the time and needless to say, took Batman any way I could get him. I only managed to see Tim Burton’s first crack at the character in theaters once that Summer (for my Birthday) but went on to tell tales out in the schoolyard the following September of having never blinked once during the entire run-time. Back then even more so then now, the Dark Knight was a huge deal not just to me but the human race as a species. So a video game based on what at the time seemed like the biggest goddamned movie ever was a no-brainer and for the most part Sunsoft did a good job. Batman for the NES delivers fast paced action with tight controls, great music and solid level design.
Even though for the most part, it doesn’t really have all that much to do with the actual movie.
THE ROBMAN SHOW! Episode #24 “It’s not pizza.”
A new comic strip every Sunday morning from Rob Van Brunt!
Nintendo Switch IMPRESSIONS: Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster (1995-2024)
I can’t really say that being a die hard Nintendo loyalist my entire life has been all glamour, you guys. There have been many games released for other systems over the years that have had yours truly itching with envy, fingers crossed that they’d someday make it onto a Nintendo platform. This also extends to PC titles as outside of just one exception, I’ve stayed away from that mouse/keyboard set up entirely. So when you take that stubbornness and combine it with also being a big nerd for Star Wars, it makes me very excited to see a deep cut like Dark Forces from 1995 find it’s way onto the Nintendo Switch. Just, wow what a treat.
At this point I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chex Quest HD pop up on the eshop.
THE ROBMAN SHOW! Episode #23 “Books and Covers”
A new comic strip every Sunday morning from Rob Van Brunt!
Nintendo Switch DEMO IMPRESSIONS: Contra: Operation Galuga (2024)
Aside from upcoming software reveals, new Nintendo Direct’s have also recently become something to look forward to for what’s become a bit of a trend in the last few presentations: The “shadow drop” of surprise titles that will be made available that very day. Today’s Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase sure didn’t have anything major like last year’s Metroid Prime: Remastered shocker this morning, but they did offer up a demo for the upcoming Contra revival subtitled Operation Beluga Galuga.
Welp, I immediately got to downloading that thing and after a couple of playthroughs, am here now to talk about it because it’s probably best you hear it from me.
THE ROBMAN SHOW! Episode #22 “Crisis on Infinite Cthulhus”
A new comic strip every Sunday morning from Rob Van Brunt!
BLOG: THE ‘BURBS (1989): “This Movie is Good. This Movie is our Pal.”
Now that we’re all living here in 2024, it’s time to mark the 35th anniversary of any and everything that happened in 1989. And while prepping a series of blogs/podcasts revolving around the ridiculous volume of awesome genre movies that came out that year (Batman, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Pet Sematary, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Back to the Future Part II, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier), I was like oh wait, wha-?
Yep, that’s right. Today is the day.
It’s time to talk The ‘Burbs.
Nintendo Switch ARCADE ARCHAEOLOGY: Neo Turf Masters (1996) P.S. I Love You
Neo Turf Masters (also known as Big Tournament Golf) is a fantastic slice of pure, pick up and play heaven that was unleashed upon arcades around the world in 1996. Brought to us by the makers of the beloved Metal Slug, Turf Masters shockingly accomplishes the seemingly impossible: It not only makes golf fun but also…yep here we go, I’’m gonna say it…”Cool.” Cleverly approaching a sport that otherwise wouldn’t seem like a natural fit in any way to the arcade format, the developers have successfully delivered an inspired, fast paced, action experience.
You guys, this is a real good one.
THE ROBMAN SHOW! Episode #21 “Multiverse of Badness”
A new comic strip every Sunday morning from Rob Van Brunt!