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The Magic of Scheherazade (NES)
Ladies! Ladies! If you could please form an orderly line, that'd be great.
What would you say if I told you that Square's legendary Chrono Trigger wasn't the first Japanese RPG to feature an epic time travel storyline and a cast of colorful characters that could pool their abilities in battle to unleash devastating combination attacks? Welcome to The Magic of Scheherazade from oddball developer Culture Brain! It may be the most ambitious 8-bit console RPG ever made. Whether this ultimately works to its benefit or not depends on your point of view.
Arabian Dorīmu Sherazādo ("Arabian Dream Scheherazade") was initially released for the Famicom in 1987 and then altered significantly for its 1989 debut in North America. The simple music of the original was expanded into something more on par with other releases from the latter half of the NES's life cycle and many of the character sprites were re-drawn with smaller eyes, presumably to de-anime them some for us gaijin. We definitely got the better game over here. The score is a clear upgrade and I greatly prefer the new character designs. Your turban-clad hero looks rather cool in the North American version, whereas his Japanese counterpart's manic grin and bulging eyes came across less "cute and cuddly" and more "I'll swallow your soul!"
As the game opens, we're informed that the peaceful land of Arabia has been attacked by demons commanded by the evil wizard Sabaron. A brave descendent of the legendary magician Isfa steps up to challenge Sabaron, but he is defeated and his sweetheart Princess Scheherazade is abducted, as are her father and three sisters. Now nearly powerless and suffering from amnesia, the hero (whom you name) must journey across the land and rebuild his strength by vanquishing demons, recruiting allies, and traveling back and forth between multiple time periods with the aid of an adorable blue cat creature named Coronya the time spirit.
Even though the action is supposedly set in a real place, don't come expecting any sort of geographical, historical, or cultural accuracy. Setting the game in "Arabia" is strictly an excuse to bring in some of the trappings of the classic Arabian Nights stories like genies, scimitars, and flying carpets in place of the usual Western European fantasy iconography. Apart from that, the world and characters are as divorced from reality as they are in any JRPG.
Arabia isn't a single large, open world as per most games in the genre. Instead, it's divided into five chapters. Each chapter plays out like a little self-contained mini-RPG, complete with its own towns, overworld, dungeons, and big boss demon at the end. One feature I found quite cool is the way that character progression is tied into this chapter system. Your hero can only gain a maximum of five levels per chapter, which helps insure that the challenge of defeating each boss can't be completely negated through grinding. Beat the boss and the next chapter starts automatically. There's no way to backtrack to previous chapters, so it's technically possible to miss out on some items and spells. Nothing necessary to complete the game is skippable, however, so there's no need to stress out too much.
Speaking of decisions not worth stressing over, you'll also have to pick one of three character classes for your hero at the start. The fighter is best at dealing close range damage with swords, the magician is better at ranged attacks with magic rods, and the saint is pretty much terrible at both and should only be considered if you want to render the game extra challenging. Thankfully, you can change your class at any time by visiting the mosque in town and paying a small monetary fee. You'll actually need to do this at least once in order to complete the game, since several quests require you to be a particular class.
Every chapter of your quest includes at least one mandatory trip through time to the area's past or future. The time travel element doesn't come off quite as awesome here as it does in the later Chrono Trigger, mainly due to the fact that MoS's graphics are quite limited by comparison and every era you visit tends to look about the same as a result. There are no dinosaurs or space ships awaiting you here. Instead, Arabia retains its medieval look even across thousands of years. The game does still use the premise to interesting effect on occasion, though. At one point, I recieved an important clue about what to do next by an NPC who presented it as something I'd already done in the past. Since my character then needed to travel back in time to actually do it, that means that he had, in a sense, already done it. Weird, man.
Including Coronya, there are a total of eleven other characters that will join your party over the course of the adventure. Collectively, they have to be the biggest collection of freaks and weirdos you'll encounter outside of L. Frank Baum's Oz books. There's a robot, a shrimp, a glass bottle with arms and legs, a jack o' lantern, a flying squirrel, and so on, with nary a single regular human being in the lot. Unfortunately, none of them are really all that interesting apart from their visual designs and conceptual gimmicks. MoS is still an early JRPG, after all, and doesn't go out of its way to provide reams of dialogue and rich characterization. You'll usually just recruit a given character in order to progress past a specific obstacle to your quest that only they can bypass and then forget about them as they spend the rest of the game just filling out a menu slot in battle and not saying or doing much of anything. In this sense, they almost function more like "key items" than characters in a story.
The gameplay represents an attempt to combine two of the biggest Famicom sensations of the time: The Legend of Zelda and Dragon Quest. This means that we get overhead view real time action RPG combat existing side-by-side with menu-driven turn-based fighting. This is what I was alluding to above when I said that the game's extreme ambition can be both its greatest strength and weakness. Most of your playing time is spent in the overhead "Zelda mode." This is where you'll be exploring the world, talking to NPCs, and doing the bulk of your fighting with sword and magic rod. In contrast, the "Dragon Quest mode" only crops up for occasional random battles, the frequency of which varies from uncommon on the overworld to fairly regular inside caves and dungeons.
This highlights my biggest problem with the game: The turn-based battles are really not essential to your progression in any way and come off as an afterthought at best and a pace killer at worst. I realized pretty early on that you never actually need to bother with them at all. In fact, you'll be better off in the long run if you don't. See, the real time combat is a relatively simple and safe way to harvest experience points and money since most enemies are easy to mow down quickly with minimal loss of health. The enemies in turn-based mode take much longer to fight due to all the menu navigation and will often use poweful magic attacks to deal out large amounts of damage and nasty status effects to your party members, requiring you to expend more magic points and healing items to recover your strength. Since defeating enemies in both modes provides you with the exact same rewards (experience and money), there's no practical reason to not immediately run from every turn-based fight, as they're just a much slower, more resource-intensive way to accomplish the exact same thing. It's a real pity, too, since the designers obviously put a lot of work into these battles. There are a ton of characters in your party to experiment with and using specific combinations enables the use of those special team-up attacks I mentioned. You can even hire mercenary troops in town to fight alongside your main party members. It's deep and interesting and yet still totally pointless in the end. Too bad.
You know what, though? That's not going to stop me from recommending this game in a big way. It has so much going on for such an early console RPG that it's almost unbelievable at times. I didn't even get around to mentioning the universities where you can take classes to learn about proper magic use and combat tactics, the casinos, the pre-Dragon Quest III inclusion of a sort of day/night cycle with the solar eclipses, haggling with merchants, the ins and outs of the magic system, etc. I would be here writing all day if I really wanted to detail every little nuance of this sprawling title. It even has a great sense of humor, though some of the jokes can verge into trollish territory. For example, a character in one town asks you if you're ever afraid of monsters. If you answer yes, he basically says "I suppose you'd better call it quits then, huh?" and you get an instant game over on the spot! Good thing you have unlimited continues and passwords.
The Magic of Scheherazade is another example of a game like ActRaiser that's considerably better than the sum of its parts by virtue of its unique blend of seemingly incongruous gameplay elements, its overarching charm, and its sheer verve. It's not a great action RPG or a great turn-based RPG, just a great experience that no NES enthusiast should miss out on.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have some pressing princess business to take care of. Truly a hero's work is never done.
Author twentiethcenturygamerPosted on February 27, 2018 June 24, 2019 Categories NES, ReviewTags 1987, action RPG, Culture Brain, multigenre, RPG, weird1 Comment on The Magic of Scheherazade (NES)
Shadow of the Ninja (NES)
Take that, stupid purple guy!
Natsume's 1990 action-platformer Shadow of the Ninja gets something of a bad rap. Or at least it did for years. Also known as Yami no Shigotonin Kage ("Darkness Worker Shadow") in Japan and Blue Shadow in Europe, Shadow was frequently dismissed as a poor man's Ninja Gaiden clone in its day. It's since won itself numerous defenders and is now cited by many NES devotees as one of the console's premier "hidden gems." To find out why, let's delve into what exactly Shadow brings to the table and what really differentiates it from Tecmo's better-known classic.
Right off the bat, one thing that Shadow of the Ninja doesn't do is ape Ninja Gaiden's groundbreaking cinematic storytelling. The setup for your adventure is as basic as they come. It's the year 2029 and some evil jerkwad named Emperor Garuda has taken over the United States. Not being big Garuda fans, two ninja warriors named Hayate and Kaede have arrived at his stronghold in New York City to take the mad dictator down by hacking and slashing their way through a total of sixteen enemy-packed stages.
You can choose freely between the two protagonists at the start of a single player game, though both control identically, so there's no real reason to go with one over the other unless you strongly prefer a blue or orange ninja outfit. The practical reason for the inclusion of two heroes is to allow for simultaneous two-player cooperative gameplay. This was an extremely rare and coveted feature in action games of this vintage. If you've ever wished that you and a friend could play a game that's like Contra except with a focus on close range combat over gunplay, this is the title for you.
Hayate and Kaede's default attack utilizes a katana for rapid short range slicing. You can opt to exchange the sword for a kusarigama (chain-sickle) if you happen across one in an item box. The chain-sickle offers improved range as well as the ability to attack upward, with the important caveat that it has a blind spot directly adjacent to your character where it will pass right through foes harmlessly, so you'll need to maintain a minimum of a inch or so of distance from whatever it is you're swinging at. Picking up multiple copies of the same weapon in a row will upgrade its range. Taking more than a couple hits of damage is enough to strip you of this upgrade, though, so make sure to use the extra range to its best effect if you want it to last.
Your character can also acquire limited supplies of shurikens and bombs for projectile attacks. Unfortunately, these replace your regular weapon completely until they're exhausted, which makes it tricky to save them for boss fights. The ability to switch between projectiles and your main weapon with the select button would have been a nice addition.
Finally, holding down the attack button button charges up a sort of super lightning move that damages all enemies on these screen. Since this also costs you a whopping 50% of your maximum health, however, I never once found a good use for it. Looks cool, though.
The action does indeed resemble Ninja Gaiden superficially. Breaking down the rules reveals some very interesting differences, however. Ninja Gaiden's mechanics are calculated to drive the player forward at a constant breakneck sprint: All stages are strictly timed and virtually all non-boss enemies can be dispatched with a single strike, but also have the potential to re-spawn instantly in order to punish player hesitation or backtracking. Shadow of the Ninja turns this formula on its head, and the result is a much less frantic gameplay experience. There are no time limits here and enemies don't re-spawn at all, though the majority of them are tougher, requiring multiple hits to take out. Instead of clinging to walls like Ryu from Ninja Gaiden, Hayate and Kaede are able to grab onto the underside of certain platforms. Suspiciously, Ryu would later gain the same ability in 1991's Ninja Gaiden III. Hmm.
There are five main bosses to defeat and a couple of mini-bosses. They all have fairly basic patterns and shouldn't take you too long to come to grips with. I did like a couple of their designs quite a bit, like the animated suit of samurai armor that breaks into pieces and then re-forms itself periodically and the martial artist who starts out fighting you alongside his pet bird, only for the two of them to then merge into a weird man-bird hybrid thing as the battle progresses. That's something you don't see every day, at least. My only complaint is that several of the bosses have deceptive health meters. I struggled with the last boss in particular for quite a bit because I wasn't actually sure if my attacks were having any effect or if there was some trick or hidden weak point that I was missing. I ended up taking a lot of unnecessary risks and damage experimenting. Joke's on me, though. It turns out that 80% or so of his health is just invisible and the meter doesn't start visibly racheting down until you reach that final 20%. I hate this sort of nonsense.
With the ability to play through stages slowly and methodically, you might expect Shadow of the Ninja to be a much easier game than Ninja Gaiden. It is…mostly. Your ninja has a generous health bar that can be replenished by killing bosses and grabbing healing items. There are also no one-hit kill hazards anywhere in the game. Even falling into a pit, the bane of Ninja Gaiden players everywhere, only results in a small amount of damage and your ninja reappearing at the pit's edge. And here I thought that Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past invented that! The only thing preventing Shadow from being a total cakewalk is that you're given just six lives with which to complete the whole game, with no possibility to earn more. Even with the limited lives, a couple hours of practice will likely be enough to see you through to the end of this one.
The game is very much a winner on the presentation front. Character sprites aren't exceptionally large or detailed, but this works to the game's benefit by insuring ample space on screen for two players at once. Backgrounds are more impressive and show off some slick animated effects for a NES game. The driving rainstorm in the first level and the burning cityscape in level five both struck me as particularly gorgeous. The tunes are prime examples of the sort of frenetic hard rock style numbers that NES action-platformers are famous for. They also sound eerily similar to the ones in another Natsume game from around this time, Shatterhand, due to both using the same in-house sound driver created by Iku Mizutani. I can't get enough of the song that plays over the ending cut scene after you vanquish Emperor Garuda. It's just so profoundly triumphant. I want to set it up to play every time I come home from work, right when I step through the door. Righteous.
Shadow of the Ninja absolutely deserves its latter day reputation as an overlooked classic. Like a lot of early Natsume games, it's not the most original of creations. The Contra and Ninja Gaiden influences are obvious enough (even of the latter are overstated), but you can also spot level design elements and enemies taken from the Castlevania and Mega Man franchises, too, if you look closely. What actually matters at the end of the day, though, is how well all these disparate elements work together, not where each one came from, and Shadow of the Ninja is a game that just works. It's a pity that it never got to become an ongoing series. A sequel was very nearly released for the Game Boy, only to be bought out and rebranded late in development by none other than Tecmo themselves, who hastily replaced Hayate and Kaede with Ryu Hayabusa and rebranded it Ninja Gaiden Shadow.
Dang. I guess the moral of the story here is: Don't hate the player, hate the game.
Author twentiethcenturygamerPosted on February 24, 2018 April 18, 2019 Categories NES, ReviewTags 1990, action platformer, Natsume, Shadow of the Ninja, TaitoLeave a comment on Shadow of the Ninja (NES)
Super Adventure Island II (Super Nintendo)
Dang, Tina. That sure is a facial expression, alright.
I touched on Hudson Soft's Adventure Island series for the first time back when played through Super Adventure Island last December. Originally a spin-off from Westone's 1986 arcade platformer Wonder Boy, the Adventure Island titles stuck close to that game's basic platforming roots while the proper Wonder Boy sequels rapidly mutated into an action-adventure saga more akin to The Legend of Zelda than Super Mario Bros. Until 1994 that is, when Hudson Soft abruptly switched gears and released both Master Takahashi's Adventure Island IV (a Japanese exclusive and the final game ever officially released for the Famicom) and my subject today: Super Adventure Island II. Now, it's no longer all about running from left to right while grabbing tasty fruit. Instead, our portly hero Master Higgins gets to have a go at equipping swords and armor, casting magic spells, and combing through a huge, mazelike game world for key items and hidden secrets. For such a sudden shift in focus, I was surprised by how well it paid off. I'll probably ruffle some feathers by saying so, but I genuinely had a lot more fun with this one than I did with the similar Wonder Boy in Monster World earlier this month.
As our story opens, Master Higgins and his newlywed bride Tina are enjoying a honeymoon cruise on their raft when a sudden storm whips up and sends the pair tumbling into the sea. Higgins and Tina each wash up on different beaches, alive, but stricken with amnesia by their ordeal. Tina is taken in by the local monarch and soon becomes betrothed to him. Meanwhile, Higgins wanders the islands in search of clues to his identity and eventually comes across the castle just in time to witness Tina getting abducted from her royal wedding by a giant bird. Being a natural hero type, he volunteers to venture forth and save her, despite the fact that the two of them are now strangers to each other. Complicating matters even more, the island that Tina was whisked away to is protected by a mysterious magical barrier and Higgins needs to explore five other dangerous islands first in order to gather the spells needed to break this seal. Will Higgins be able to save Tina yet again? Will the lovebirds regain their memories in time to prevent the first ever instance of bigamy in a Nintendo game? Such suspense!
Genre savvy players will notice right away that Super Adventure Island II's controls and combat mechanics are heavily influenced by Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and its level design owes just as much to the Metroid series. The vast majority of the action is presented from a side view perspective with Higgins running, jumping, and climbing his way across each of the game's six sprawling islands, which can be thought of as its "dungeons." Every island has its own thematic identity, drawn from the usual suspects like forest, volcano, ice, and ancient ruins. Movement between islands takes place on a separate overhead view world map, again echoing Zelda II right down to the slightly tedious random monster encounters that crop up when you're just trying to get from point A to point B.
The way Higgins himself handles is not all that different from past Adventure Island titles on the surface, though there are some important differences. No more one-hit deaths, for one. This time there's a health meter represented by the usual heart icons and it can be extended by finding new heart pieces in treasure chests. The series staple hunger meter that acts as a stage timer has also been given the boot, so there's no longer any need to dash around frantically gobbling up fruit just to keep from dropping dead in your tracks.
Just as radical is the addition of melee weapons, armor, and magic to the formula. Since Higgins is so much more durable in this outing, he can now afford to get closer to his enemies and that means that swords are likely to be your go-to offensive option much of the time. Projectile weapons like throwing axes and boomerangs are still available, but they tend to be weaker on a per-hit basis and that led me to mostly ignore them. The armor suits and shields are fairly self-explanatory in that they reduce damage and can block some enemy attacks, respectively. One thing to always keep in mind, however, is that a piece of gear can have elemental properties that make it more effective in certain situations, like a fire sword that deals more damage to ice enemies.
The magic system is pretty standard stuff. You can use spells to heal damage, attack enemies, warp out of dungeons, and so forth. Your magic gauge starts out small and is bolstered by finding upgrades in chests, just like your health. Every magic upgrade you find also adds a new spell to your repertoire, which is easy to overlook, since the game doesn't announce this fact. It's best to just check the spell menu manually each time to see what new power you've acquired.
While it's obviously not very novel on paper, I really do like the way Super Adventure Island II's gameplay panned out. Controlling Master Higgins feels fast and smooth due to the presence of a run button and the up and down sword thrust techniques from Zelda II. It's a real breath of fresh air after the stiff, plodding movement that plagues Wonder Boy in Monster World. The level design is also well done, with plenty of goodies to discover, a good balance of platforming and combat challenges, and some very memorable boss fights. You can also save at any time via the pause menu, which is a rare convenience in an old console game.
Super Adventure Island II's strongest asset has to be its humor. There's not really a ton of dialogue or plot development, but everything we do get is a hoot. An NPC tells you a legend about a lost magical item only to add that he read about it in the Inquirer. Summoning a monster to smash open a gate blocking your path results in the game telling you that "The Ice Giant cometh and breaketh openeth the dooreth." I love it. There's also some cute banter between Higgins and Tina scattered throughout. I appreciated getting some characterization for the two of them. Especially Tina, who is usually nothing more than an abstract reward waiting for you after the final boss.
All this is not to say that the game is flawless. The overall presentation is a distinct step down from the first Super Adventure Island. Comparative speaking, character animation is less fluid and the backgrounds less detailed. The music is only average and pales next to Yuzo Koshiro's infectious jams from the last game with two big exceptions: The themes for the ice island (Hiya-Hiya) and the final stage (Fuwa-Fuwa) are both worthy of inclusion in the epic SNES music hall of fame. They may even be too grand for the likes of an Adventure Island title!
The game world can also feel rather empty at times. There are no towns or other settlements to be found apart from the castle where you start out and a casino/shop that you reach around the midway point in your quest. As funny as the game's dialogue can be, a lot more of it could have been included if there had been a larger cast of NPCs to draw on.
If the idea a lighthearted 16-bit successor to Zelda II sounds like a good time to you, you'll almost certainly love Super Adventure Island II. It's a thoroughly charming and satisfying way to spend six hours or so, even if it can't boast any groundbreaking design elements or moments of envelope-pushing audiovisual wizardry. Just don't show up expecting it to play anything like the previous entries in the series.
It took Hudson Soft the better part of a decade, but they finally let us force Master Higgins to put on a damn shirt for once. That's what I call progress.
Author twentiethcenturygamerPosted on February 17, 2018 June 24, 2019 Categories Review, Super NintendoTags 1994, action adventure, Adventure Island, Hudson SoftLeave a comment on Super Adventure Island II (Super Nintendo)
Dragon Spirit: The New Legend (NES)
Derp Dragon to the rescue!
Dragon Spirit: The New Legend has the potential to be a pretty confusing game. If you've never played the original 1987 Dragon Spirit arcade game by Namco, the sword-wielding fantasy hero on the cover of this 1989 NES release might have you thinking it's an RPG or action-platforming affair. If you are familiar with the arcade game, you'll know that it's actually an overhead scrolling shooter similar to Xevious, but you still might be unsure whether New Legend is supposed to be a port or a sequel, since the gameplay and levels are mostly the same while the storyline is new and set after the events of Dragon Spirit. Because of this hazy in-between space it occupies, New Legend is most often described as a "remixed" or "enhanced" port of the original rather than a true sequel.
Dragon Spirit was about a warrior named Amru who possessed a magical sword with the power to transform him into a flying, firebreathing blue dragon and used it to rescue Princess Alicia from the serpent demon Zawel. Not exactly revolutionary stuff, even by 1987 standards, but the game itself was a well-made and challenging shooter boasting nine stages packed with unique enemies, environmental hazards, and bosses. Getting to control anything other than an airplane or spaceship in a game of this kind was very uncommon at that time and the power-up system that involved your dragon sprouting extra heads is still one of the coolest justifications for improved firepower ever. Who wouldn't want to play as King Ghidorah from the Godzilla movies?
New Legend tells the story of Amru and Alicia's son Lace, who must take up his father's magic sword and assume the role of the blue dragon when another villain named Galda makes off with his twin sister Iris. Unexpectedly, however, the game starts off by throwing you into a playable flashback of sorts where you relive Zawel's defeat at the hands of Amul years before. That's right: New Legend did the whole "re-fight the final boss from the last game at the start of this one" thing a full eight years before Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Mind = blown.
What's more, this opening fight is not just a storytelling device, since it also doubles as the game's difficulty selection mechanism! If you defeat Zawel, you'll go on to play the main game on the normal blue dragon difficulty. Die here, though, and you'll continue on in gold dragon"mode, where you have better defense and more powerful attacks. The gold dragon playthrough has fewer stages to complete and a different, "bad" ending, however.
Beyond this very cool intro, the game itself proves to be a very competent interpretation of the arcade Dragon Spirit experience. There's a new final boss in the form of Galda, but arcade veterans should recognize most everything else. Every stage is here and mostly intact, although there are some differences owing to hardware limitations. For example, the darkened eighth stage turns the lights on and off in set intervals instead of having a spotlight effect that follows your dragon around. New Legend's stages start out fairly open with only standard enemy patterns to contend with. Later ones gradually work in more environmental hazards and obstacles, all building up to Galda's castle, which is full of traps and narrow corridors. With nine total stages to work with, it's a very smooth difficulty curve overall.
In true Xevious fashion, enemies come in two basic forms: Air and ground. Airborne foes can damage you by touch or with their projectiles and can be destroyed by your dragon's standard fire shot. Ground enemies can be flown over safely, leaving just their bullets to worry about. The bad news is that you can only destroy them with a bomb attack, and bombs have a much shorter range than your regular fire. Since you'll need to get in closer to take ground targets out, their attacks become that much trickier to dodge as a result. Some of the more cunning enemies can even change their states by jumping up to transition between the ground and the air.
Fortunately, you're more than adequately equipped to handle Galda's forces. Destroying flashing enemies and colored eggs releases power-ups for you to collect. You have the expected firepower boosts in the form of extra heads, rapid fire, a spread shot, an earthquake that devastates ground targets, and even a pair of smaller dragons that will fly alongside you and mirror each of your shots. There are also defensive goodies to grab like speed increases, temporary invincibility, and an item that shrinks your dragon down, rendering you a smaller target. New Legend has a great selection of power-ups overall, even if it is missing the homing shot and force field items from the arcade version. Taking a hit will cause you to lose power-ups, but it won't take you out of the fight straightaway. Instead, the one-hit deaths from most shooters are replaced by a health bar and your dragon can withstand three hits before you lose a life. This is doubled to an absurdly generous six hits for the gold dragon.
A final element working in your favor are the maidens that you can rescue at the end of each stage. It seems that the pervy Galda's been on quite the kidnapping spree, as these adorable anime girl characters sometimes show up after you defeat a boss in order to thank you and dispense healing or extra lives. Some appear at random, while others require specific conditions such having a firepower rating below a certain threshold or having less than three heads on your dragon.
In terms of overall presentation, New Legend looks and sounds excellent. About as well as could be expected, really, considering the platform. Dragon Spirit was a very attractive game for its time, so an overall loss of visual detail when converting it from the Namco System 1 arcade board to the NES was unavoidable. This is mainly evident in some of the smaller enemies you encounter, which tend to have a bit of an indistinct, blobby appearance. The use of color is excellent, however, and your dragon animates very well. Dragon Spirit's most iconic moment of all, the Masters of the Universe style introductory cut scene where your hero raises his magic sword overhead to assume dragon form, is also present here and looks very awesome indeed. Even the otherwise visually superior PC Engine version omitted this bit. Masakatsu Maekawa (Adventure Island, Jackie Chan's Action Kung-Fu) did an admirable job adapting Shinji Hosoe's original score to the new hardware. The tunes pack all the driving intensity a great shooter needs while still emphasizing through their melodies and instrumentation that this is a fantasy adventure and not a sci-fi saga. On their own terms, they're arguably on-par with the arcade arrangements.
I had a great time with Dragon Spirit: The New Legend. It's a superb rendition of a classic overhead shooter from the masters at Namco and easily one of the better Bandai-published titles for the system. Its very best feature, though, might just be its accessibility. The original Dragon Spirit was real quarter muncher of a title, mainly because your dragon's large size made it difficult to dodge all the hazards placed in your path. Well, it turns out that another consequence of the move to NES hardware was a smaller player character. Factor in the numerous power-ups, the ability to withstand multiple hits, the end level bonuses provided by the maidens you can rescue, and the ability to continue twice when your run out of lives, and you have yourself one extremely forgiving vertical shooter. If all that's still not enough, the gold dragon difficulty option is there to strengthen your safety net even more. I was able to "1CC" the game (beat it without continuing) on the higher difficulty setting on my very first playthrough, and my command of the genre is average at best. If you're new to shooters or have had trouble making progress with them in the past, New Legend is a great starter title to be on the lookout for, especially in light of its less than $10 price point as of the time of this writing.
Of course, the downside of all this is that shooter gods looking for a new challenge may want to look elsewhere. Everyone else: Get out there and burninate the countryside!
Author twentiethcenturygamerPosted on February 12, 2018 July 11, 2019 Categories NES, ReviewTags 1989, arcade port, Bandai, Namco, Now Production, shooterLeave a comment on Dragon Spirit: The New Legend (NES)
Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis)
I'll never forget you, either, uh…Sherry? Shelly? Damn.
Ever since I looked into the origins of the Adventure Island series back in December, I've been meaning to give a Wonder Boy game a proper go. The history of Wonder Boy and its various offshoots is enough to make anyone's head spin, but here are the basics: Both series had as their starting point the original Wonder Boy, a 1986 arcade platformer by Westone. After that first entry, the two diverged drastically. Wonder Boy's official sequels adopted an exploration-based adventure style inspired by games like The Legend of Zelda, while Adventure Island's mostly stuck closer to the simple run-and-jump action of the arcade original.
Complicating matters further, 1991's Wonder Boy in Monster World is both the fifth game in its franchise overall and the third in the Monster World sub-series, which explains its ludicrous Japanese title: Wonder Boy V: Monster World III. There was also a version released for NEC's PC Engine Duo/TurboDuo (The Dynastic Hero) and a super strange Brazilian Mega Drive edition (Monica's Gang in the Monsters' Land) that replaced key members of the game's cast with licensed characters from a long-running Peanuts style comic strip. The rabbit hole is deep indeed.
Despite its convoluted release history, the game itself is actually quite straightforward and approachable. Wonder Boy in Monster World is a side-scrolling fantasy action adventure romp in which the player assumes the role of a blue-haired silent protagonist named Shion who sets out to defend Monster World from an invasion by…monsters. The bad kind, I suppose. That's all you get in the way of story, so just grab your sword and get moving.
Monster World itself is divided up into a number of discreet regions surrounding the castle town of Purapril, which serves as a hub linking them all. There's no zoomed-out map screen to navigate between locations like in Zelda II or the like. Rather, the entire game is one interconnected series of side-scrolling areas. There's a forested land populated by elves and fairies, a jungle, a desert, an undersea realm, and so on. Each of the lands you visit is home to a town with the usual shops and chatty NPCs as well as a monster-filled dungeon you'll need to fight your way through in order to further your quest. The different areas of Monster World have to be tackled in a prescribed order dictated by the designers, however, so you can't just wander off anywhere you please from the get-go. For example, you're not able to venture underwater without the magic trident found in the jungle dungeon and the heat of the desert will prove fatal unless you're wearing the magic boots from the undersea dungeon. Progression is thus strictly linear, though you can backtrack and use new abilities to track down hidden treasure chests in previously unreachable corners of earlier levels. In fact, you'll need to do this at one point before you'll be allowed entry to the volcano dungeon.
Shion himself controls about as you'd expect. One button jumps, another swings his weapon, and a third activates any spells or items mapped to it through the pause menu. The weapons themselves come in two flavors. Swords are the better defensive option since they can be be paired with shields, while spears offer a bit more range at the cost of greater vulnerability. Movement is precise and responsive, although you may have some difficulty coming to grips with Shion's pathetic walk speed. I honestly thought I was missing something at first when I noticed how slowly I was moving. Surely there had to be a run button or something, right? Wrong. You can eventually acquire new boots that will speed you up a little, but it never really felt like enough to me and I was annoyed by the slow pace all the way up to the end.
Once you've adapted to your "young man" protagonist's crippling arthritis, the combat and light platforming and that make up the bulk of the game are actually pretty decent. There's a good variety of enemy types and patterns to reckon with and the game generally rewards patience and precision over mashing the attack button and hoping for the best. If there's one thing that I would add to the formula, it would be the ability to swing your weapon above and below you instead of just straight ahead, as engaging enemies from these angles is often a pain if you're low on magic.
Speaking of which, your magic is mostly used to damage enemies through various means (fire, lighting, etc) without the need to get close. There are also spells to temporarily bolster your defense and weapon damage as well as a Return spell that warps you to the most recent inn you stayed at. Each spell has a set number of uses allocated to it rather than drawing from a shared pool of magic points, so you never have to worry about forgoing use of some magics just so that you don't lose access to others. I appreciate systems like this because they encourage the player to find good uses for every spell instead of just focusing on a handful of optimal ones. That said, Return in particular is a godsend because you can only save your game at inns and dying forces you to re-load your last save, erasing all progress you've made since. If you find yourself at death's door deep in a dungeon, it's always better to cut your losses and warp out than to die and forfeit any items or gold acquired since you entered.
Rounding out the gameplay are the helper characters. Most towns you visit will include one brave resident that will volunteer to accompany Shion into the local dungeon. There's a fairy, a dwarf, a baby dragon, and more. Each is useful in their own way. The dwarf, for example, helps you locate secret passages and the dragon attacks enemies with his fire breath. These guys remind me in many ways of the familiars from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It's a pity that they're just not implemented all that well here. Each is only available to use in a single dungeon and, though their abilities are nice to have, they're in no way crucial to your success. In fact, you can complete dungeons solo with little to no extra trouble. Perhaps if it were possible to retain your stable of helpers throughout the game and switch between them at will or to have them gain new abilities over time, this could have been a really standout feature. As it is, it just feels like an afterthought that doesn't really impact Shion's journey all that much in the end.
Graphically, Wonder Boy in Monster World is no powerhouse. The visuals here are only a slight step up from those in the previous entry in the series, and even if Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap was one of the best looking Master System releases ever, I still expect more than this out of the 16-bit Genesis. The bright colors and cartoony character designs are certainly not without their charms, however. Even the most imposing boss monster still has a doe-eyed cute factor that's through the roof. The music by Shinichi Sakamoto is generally pleasing without approaching greatness. I found myself enjoying the more low-key numbers like the Purapril Castle and undersea themes quite a bit. Very soothing.
Can I recommend Wonder Boy in Monster World? Not really. Nothing about it (other than maybe your hero's sloth-like stride) comes off as outright terrible, yet not a lot stands out as exceptional, either. If you're in the market for action-adventure games on the Genesis specifically, Beyond Oasis, Crusader of Centy, and Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole are all better places to start your search. This game's more advanced Mega Drive sequel Monster World IV is also a great option, provided you can either read Japanese or track down one of the English language re-releases for the Wii, PlayStation 3, or Xbox 360.
Sorry, Shion. You're no wonder, boy.
Author twentiethcenturygamerPosted on February 6, 2018 June 25, 2019 Categories Genesis, ReviewTags 1991, action adventure, Monster World, Sega, Westone, Wonder BoyLeave a comment on Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis)
Astyanax (NES)
Ack! Creepy sun face! Kill it!
Astyanax ("The name is from Greek mythology, I think," the opening cut scene helpfully informs us) is a 16 year-old freshman at Greenview High. He's been having recurring dreams lately about a girl with purple hair trapped inside a bubble and calling out his name. Then he's magically transported to the fantastic world of Remlia while walking home from school one day by a fairy named Cutie, who hands him a magic axe and tells him that he can only return to his own world if he can rescue Princess Rosebud (the bubble girl) from the evil wizard Blackhorn and his skeleton lackey Thorndog. So, typical teenager problems, basically.
Good thing they chose the most freakishly ripped freshman imaginable for the job! Astyanax looks like He-Man's big brother. At this rate, I fully expect his muscle mass to collapse into itself and form a black hole by senior year. Someone take away this kid's protein power before he dooms us all.
That's your introduction to Astyanax (or "The Lord of King" if you're Japanese), Aicom's 1990 reimagining of their arcade release from the year prior. The arcade Astyanax starred a more traditional fantasy hero named Roche, so the whole dimension-hopping high schooler angle with Cutie and the gang is all new for this iteration. Lucky us. No matter what version of the game you pick up, it's clear that Astyanax is a spiritual sequel of sorts to The Legendary Axe, yet another Aicom-developed action title starring a buff warrior dude that debuted on the PC Engine in 1988 and the following year on the TurboGrafx-16.
Like its predecessors, Astyanax on the NES is a basic hack-and-slash exercise at heart. There are eleven stages full of monsters for our hero to cut his way through, each of which has at a boss or two waiting at the end. There are no branching paths to explore (apart from one simple maze section in the tenth stage) and no secrets to find. Just kill, kill, and kill some more.
Thankfully, the designers put some real thought into Astyanax's combat mechanics, and this keeps the non-stop action from growing stale. Use of your main weapon (which comes with its own silly name: Bash!) is governed by a power meter along the bottom of the screen. When it's full, you'll deal out maximum damage with your next strike. Every attack you perform empties the power meter, however, and if you attack again before it refills completely (which takes several seconds), the amount of damage you'll deal is correspondingly less than the maximum amount possible.
This weapon charging mechanic, a direct holdover from Legendary Axe, is the most interesting component of the gameplay here by far. Getting good at Astyanax is largely a matter of learning which enemies are susceptible to a flurry of fast, weak attacks and which are better handled by biding your time and playing defensively while you build up strength to deliver more powerful blows. It's a classic risk/reward dynamic very similar to the one present in the last game I played, Power Blade (though the power meter determined the range of the hero's attack in that game, not the damage).
The other strategic element in play is magic use. There are a total of three spells to choose between on the pause menu, each of which costs you a number of magic points from your limited pool of twenty every time it's used. You have Bind (which freezes all enemies in place for a limited time), Blast (which deals heavy damage to foes), and Bolt (which deals even more damage than Blast in exchange for more MP). The exact amount of MP needed to use a given spell varies depending on the current strength of your weapon. Astyanax can upgrade Bash up to two times by collecting power-ups, and the stronger it becomes, the more MP your spells cost. Bolt, for example, only costs five MP per use when you have the weakest version of Bash equipped, but all twenty if you've upgraded to the most powerful version. It's another series of carefully calculated tradeoffs and I approve. I also couldn't help but notice that Astyanax's magic system clearly formed the basis for the more elaborate one in Aicom's Totally Rad, released nine months later. Yeah, I play way too many games.
I really do appreciate the way the combat flows in Astyanax. There are always meaningful moment-to-moment decisions to be made. Should I jam on the attack button as fast as I can or conserve my strength? Should I use magic to get past a mob of standard enemies or save it up for use against the stage boss? Should I upgrade my weapon knowing that it will reduce the amount of magic power available to me? These are the sorts of dilemmas that elevate great action games above the pack.
I also must say that the graphics here are amazing when you consider the limits of the NES hardware. I can remember seeing screenshots of Astyanax in magazines as a kid and actually wondering if they were from one of those new 16-bit games I'd been hearing about. Characters are massive and the backgrounds are both richly-detailed and varied. The music is decent fantasy action fare, even if the soundtrack as a whole peaks rather early with its stirring stage one theme.
All is not rosy in the regal realm of Remlia, regrettably. Those gorgeous graphics I just mentioned come at a price. At around twice the size of a typical NES avatar, Astyanax moves sluggishly and his huge sprite makes him an equally huge target. The action in general can often feel a bit claustrophobic simply due to your hero and his opponents taking up so much of the on-screen real estate.
Certain aspects of the level design are another sticking point for me. Though mostly a side-scroller, Astyanax also features a handful of much less compelling vertical stages. The problem with these is two-fold. First, the greatest threat to your progress over the majority of the game, bottomless pits, are entirely absent. This may not sound like such a bad thing, but since the pits aren't replaced with new hazards, there's just not much for the player to get concerned over in these sections and the challenge takes a nosedive. In addition, enemies will sometimes spawn in right on top of you as you ascend or descend, an issue that's not present when they enter the screen from the sides in the horizontal levels. This can result in the occasional bit of cheap damage. Simply put, these stages are boring when they're not annoying and I'm glad there's not too many of them.
On balance, I can absolutely recommend Astyanax, especially to anyone who's already played and enjoyed Legendary Axe. The combat is engaging, the fancy graphics still hold up, and the loopy Saturday morning cartoon plot packed into the cut scenes is corny in the best possible way. It's short and the unlimited continues make it relatively easy, but it's also one of the cheapest NES games worth playing and shouldn't set you back more than $10 at the very most. That's still one hell of a bargain, even with a handful of dud levels and the occasional awkwardness of Astyanax's oversized sprite to contend with.
Tell my boy Thorndog I said hi.
Author twentiethcenturygamerPosted on February 2, 2018 April 18, 2019 Categories NES, ReviewTags 1990, action platformer, Aicom, Astyanax, JalecoLeave a comment on Astyanax (NES)


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Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4
Watch The Watch Online
A group of misfit cops rise up from decades of helplessness to save their corrupt city from catastrophe. Inspired by the characters created by Sir Terry Pratchett's famous "Discworld" novels.
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actors: Adam Hugill, Anna Chancellor, Bianca Simone Mannie, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Ingrid Oliver, James Fleet, Jo Eaton-Kent, Lara Rossi, Marama Corlett, Richard Dormer, Ruth Madeley, Sam Adewunmi
Studio: BBC Studios, Narrativia
Networks: BBC America
Tags:Series 2021
Watch Band of Brothers Full Series Online. Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as their journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these…
North and South
Watch North and South Full Series Online. Two friends, one northern and one southern, struggle to maintain their friendship as events build towards the American Civil War.
42,60,43,45 min
Watch Stargate SG-1 Full Series Online. The story of Stargate SG-1 begins about a year after the events of the feature film, when the United States government learns that an…
Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Watch Mr. Mercedes Full Series Online. A demented serial killer taunts a retired police detective with a series of lurid letters and emails, forcing the ex-cop to undertake a private,…
Watch Gilmore Girls Full Series Online. Set in the charming town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, the series follows the captivating lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a mother/daughter pair who…
Watch Shades of Blue Full Series Online. Sexy New York detective and single mother Harlee Santos fell in with a tight-knit group of dirty cops, taking bribes and protection money…
Watch Made in Chelsea Full Series Online. Reality series following the lives, loves and awks of SW3's bright young things.
Watch The Sounds Full Series Online. Set against the backdrop of the stunning Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand, Maggie and Tom arrive to escape his oppressive family and start a…
Watch Damnation Full Series Online. Seth Davenport is masquerading as a small town Iowa preacher in the hopes of starting a full-blown insurrection against the status quo, unaware that an…
Watch Altered Carbon Full Series Online. After 250 years on ice, a prisoner returns to life in a new body with one chance to win his freedom: by solving a…
Watch The Pale Horse Full Series Online. After a list of names is found in the shoe of a dead woman, one of the named people begins investigating and is…
Watch Street Outlaws: Memphis Full Series Online. Street Outlaws is traveling to the toughest, meanest and wildest streets in the South, as it heads to Memphis to spotlight JJ Da…
Trailer: The Watch

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
News Need News
Home » Lifestyle » Camille Rowe Alexander Skarsgard Dating Rumors, Harry Styles Split
Camille Rowe Alexander Skarsgard Dating Rumors, Harry Styles Split
08/04/2018 Alexander, Camille, dating, Harry, Rowe, Rumors, Skarsgard, split, Styles
Harry Styles is currently flying solo, but ex-girlfriend Camille Rowe apparently didn't stay single for long. Just days after Hamille's breakup was announced to the public, it's now being reported that the model has moved on from the "Kiwi" crooner to Big Little Lies actor Alexander Skarsgård.
A source close to the 28-year-old model tells The Sun that the pair met earlier this year and have been together for a few weeks.
"Camille and Alexander have been quietly dating for a few weeks now," the insider reveals. "They met while shooting an ad campaign at the beginning of the year."
A fan spotted the rumored new couple at Los Angeles International Airport the same day the Harry-Cam breakup was confirmed.
While the timing may seem a little shady, the source insists that nothing went down between them until after she got out of her year-long relationship with the 24-year-old.
The source explains, "She was just friends with him at first but after things ended with Harry, they started to grow closer. Since then they've been on a few dates, including one to a basketball game when she was sat on his knee and they were kissing a lot."
Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images // Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
The situation is a little bit awkward, however, because the 41-year-old was previously in a relationship with Alexa Chung, Camille's friend who actually set her up with Harry.
"It's not an ideal situation for any of them because of Alexa. Although they are now friends, it's a bit weird. Now the couple just want to see how it goes without putting pressure on."
← Prince Harry Retreats from Spotlight in Fear There's "Too Much Hysteria" Over Meghan Markle
Single mum and three kids living out of a GARAGE after council kick her out over £3,000 unpaid rent →
PENNY JUNOR: Who will begrudge Harry and Meghan a chance to be happy?
Paris Hilton's Upcoming Doc Will Prove She's Not Her 'Simple Life' Character
Hayden Christensen Joins a Female Friend For Farmer's Market Trip
Josh Gracin And Wife Announce Birth Of Baby Boy
Thomas Markle Jr says Meghan was right to leave Royals for 'love'
Prince Harry defends Meghan in emotional speech on royal rift
20 reasons to fall in love with Canada like Harry and Meghan
10 Airbnbs In Cape Town If You Love 'Love Island' & Exploring Paradise
Copyright © 2020 News Need News. All rights reserved.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Covering topics from choosing retirement communities to finding in-home assistance for elders as well as the power of laughter, the ERS Speakers Bureau offers your organization a variety of opportunities to learn more about caring for seniors and ensuring their lives are filled with purpose, choice and freedom.
If you would like to have one of our highly experienced professionals speak at your next meeting or conference, we are more than happy to oblige!
There is absolutely no charge for this service, and we can tailor presentations to your group's specific needs.
Please check our flyer information.
If you have questions or would like to schedule a speaker by phone, call Ginny Uehlin 513.272.5555, ext, 4228.


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import { combineReducers } from "redux"
import {
  composeReducers,
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export const initialState = {
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export default combineReducers({
  app: composeReducers(app, responsiveWindowReducer),
})


On my personal blog, I have some speculation on AT&T's proposal to enforce copyright on the wire, and how it can be done cheaply, efficiently, (reasonably) precisely, without deep packet inspection/wiretapping or actually deciding what material is copyrighted, robustly, against high-volume, "open world" piracy (eg, pirated DVDs through BitTorrent which are widely available).
The observation is that a short term "notice and takedown" structure could be deployed which could target P2P piracy, should AT&T wish to cooperate with the content providers.
I don't necessarily think its a good thing, but I believe that should AT&T want to, they have significant incentives to do so, and the technological means at their disposal.


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Watch Roger Waters' Trailer for New Album 'The Soldier's Tale'
Roger Waters released a trailer for his adaptation of Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale, which is now on sale.
The Pink Floyd icon narrates the 46-track composition, which was first performed in France in 1918 and originally titled L'Histoire du Soldat. You can see the track listing below.
Stravinsky described it as a theatrical work "to be read, played and danced" with an ensemble of three actors, dancers and seven instruments. It tells the story of a Russian soldier returning home who encounters the devil and trades his fiddle in return for unlimited wealth.
You can watch the trailer below.
"I'm hugely proud of it and I feel honored to have been given the opportunity to be part of a production of what I consider to be not just a great piece of work from Stravinsky, but, I think, an amazingly beautiful piece of recording," Waters said.
"On a stunning new recording of this great piece he tells the whole of the harrowing modern fairy tale, playing not just the Soldier, the Devil and the Narrator, but all the other characters as well!" a press release notes.
Waters explored his father's personal soldier's tale during a journey to find the place where he'd died during the Second World War, after new information was uncovered in 2013. Footage of the experience was later included in his movie Roger Waters The Wall. His relationship with his father's death has featured all the way through his career.
Roger Waters, 'Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale' Track Listing
1. "The Soldiers March"
2. "Slogging Homeword"
3. "Airs by a Stream"
4. "As You Can Hear…"
5. "The Soldiers March (Reprise)"
6. "Eventually, Joseph Reaches his Home Village…"
8. "The Soldier, Disconsolate…"
9. "Pastorale (Reprise)"
10. "The Soldier, Slowly Coming Back to Himself…"
11. "Airs by a Stream (Reprise) - To Stretch Out on the Grass…"
12. "Hey Satan, You Bastard…"
13. "Airs by a Stream (2nd Reprise)"
14. "Now to be Gained Here…"
15. "The Soldiers March (2nd Reprise) - Down a Hot and Dusty Track…"
16. "He Doesn't Even Know Himself…"
17. "The Soldiers March (3rd Reprise) - Will he Take the Road to Home…"
18. "He doesn't have a Home Anymore…"
19. "The Royal March"
20. "So all was Arranged…"
21. "Later that Night…"
22. "The Little Concert - Light Floods the Eastern Sky…"
23. "The Soldier, with a Confident Air…"
24. "Three Dances - Tango, Pt. 1"
26. "Three Dances - Waltz & Ragtime"
27. "So First a Tango…"
28. "The Devil's Dance"
29. "The Devil, Confused…"
30. "The Little Chorale"
31. "The Devil Recovers Some of his Wits"
32. "The Devil's Song - All Right! You'll be Safe at Home…"
33. "Hm, a Fair Warning…"
34. "Grand Chorale (Part 1)"
35. "Spring, Summer, Autumn…"
37. "Steady Now…"
39. "Steady, Just Smell the Flowers…"
41. "Now I have Everything…"
43. "The Princess, all Excited…"
45. "And so, Off They Go…"
46. "Triumphal March of the Devil"
Next: Top 10 Roger Waters Songs
Source: Watch Roger Waters' Trailer for New Album 'The Soldier's Tale'
Filed Under: roger waters


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Across the Continent: 'Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way'
From 1835 to 1907, the Currier & Ives printmaking company produced over a million lithograph illustrations of events, portraits, and scenes from American life. In the era before photography and the widespread use of illustrations in newspapers, people could buy these inexpensive and widely available images of events and places they had never seen. This 1868 illustration shows an idealized version of the transcontinental railroad expanding into the West.
External Link: www.loc.gov
Source | M. Ives after Frances Flora Palmer, "Across the Continent: 'Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way,'" lithograph (New York: Published by Currier & Ives, c. 1868); from Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/90708413/
Creator | J.M. Ives after Frances Flora Palmer
Cite This document | J.M. Ives after Frances Flora Palmer, "Across the Continent: 'Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way'," SHEC: Resources for Teachers, accessed January 20, 2021, https://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1176.
Currier and Ives, Native Americans, railroads


I've attended this a couple of times, felt it was very worthwhile. The leader of the conference, Gary Barg, is full of energy, inspiration and good ideas.
Go to Caregiver Conference for more info and to register. Caregivers can attend for free, but you need to register in time.
I went to it last year and am going back again. Learned from the presenters, met people, found out about some interesting products and services. It is free for caregivers.


Okay, this is finally happening. I'm ranking The Stormlight Archive as my number 1 favorite book series of all time, overtaking the throne previously held by Mistborn trilogy and I don't think this will ever change. The Gods of Cosmere know how much I love the original Mistborn trilogy but Brandon Sanderson really raised the bar for epic fantasy genre sky high with this series.
An epic read, Brandon Sanderson gives you an exhilarating piece of fantasy. It's a high that you might not ever get over. I don't think I will.
After finishing The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1) I wrote in my review that I had no idea why Brandon Sanderson didn't leave the story there (with a perfect conclusion), but instead decided to create a trilogy, risking to "degrade" the whole plot. Unfortunately, I was proved right. The Well of Ascension was a poor sequel.


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June 9, 2009 The Ortonville Independent
By Richard Johnson The Office Hours for the Big Stone Veterans Service Office are as follows: Tuesdays - 8- 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays - 8- 4:30 p.m. If there is an emergency of any sort I can be reached at my home at (320) 568- 2448. I do have voice Richard Johnson mail at the Office. Leave your name and number and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Also, you can call me at home at the above number. I do have an answering machine at home. My office phone number is (320) 839- 6398. OFFICE MOVED The Big Stone County Veterans Service Office has moved to the Big Stone County Government Building on main street across from the courthouse. The telephone number is the same (320) 839-6398. My Office hours are the same - Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8-4:30 p.m. each day. My office is located in what is now the conference room at the front of the building to the right of the counter. My new address is: Big Stone County Veterans Service Office, 11 SE 2nd Street, Ortonville, MN 56278- 1541. WOUNDED WARRIOR TRANSITION ASSISTANCE ACT Legislation aimed at ensuring wounded National Guard and reserve members don't fall through the cracks and end up waiting months for disability benefits was introduced KDIO Temps Hi Low May 31 82 46 June 1 73 50 June 2 64 52 June 3 66 39 June 4 73 46 June 5 60 53 June 6 48 44 April 30 by Sen. Russ Feingold (D- WI). The bill S.944, would require wounded reservists to be kept on active duty until they are fully evaluated or at least have time to consult with a military lawyer about their eligibility for benefits. If they remain on active duty, the bill would require them to be returned to their homes, if medically feasible, to await the outcome of their evaluations. If someone is discharged and cannot work because of his service-connected injury, the bill calls for him to be returned to active duty at full pay until he can access benefits from the Veterans Affairs Department. The idea, Feingold said, is to prevent a gap in income if a person leaves active duty without being eligible for military benefits, or not knowing about military benefits for which he may be eligible and ends up with financial problems while waiting for veterans disability benefits to kick in. "The armed forces have come a long way in addressing the bureaucratic hurdles that have long plagued wounded service members transitioning out of the services," Feingold said. "However, much more remains to be done to ensure that wounded service members do not go without income due to injuries sustained in the line of duty." He said many injured troops are going "without compensation of any kind because they are never told about the patchwork of programs designed to care for them as they transition back to civilian life and into VA." "This has been a particular concern for members of the reserve components," he said. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-ARK) is an original co-sponsor of the bill, which is likely to end up as an amendment offered to the 2010 defense authorization bill. Feingold proposed to cover the cost of additional active- duty pay and legal help and advocates for wounded Guard and reserve members by demanding that the Defense Department recover $273 million in overpayments made to defense contractors over the last four years. The bill is endorsed by several major veterans groups. VA BLUE WATER CLAIMS On May 5, 2009, Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA-51st) introduced the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009. This legislation would clarify the legal presumption of exposure to Agent Orange for veterans who served in the vicinity of Viet Nam. Currently, 38 US Code Section 1116, defines a Viet Nam veteran as "a veteran who, during active military, naval, or air service, served in the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on Jan. 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975." The Department of Veterans Affairs uses a conservative interpretation to mean "boots on the ground" which excludes most Navy and Air Force personnel who have Agent Orange related issues but who cannot prove "boots on the ground." H.R. 2254 would clarify this section b.y redefining a Viet Nam veteran as one who during active military, naval, or air service (a) served in the Republic of Vietnam (including the inland waterways, ports, and harbors of such Republic, the waters offshore of such Republic, and the airspace above such Republic) during the Period Jan. 9, 1962 - May 7, 1975; (b) served in Johnson Island during the period April 1, 1972 - Sept. 30, 1977; or (c) received the Vietnam Service Medal or the Vietnam Campaign Medal. SMAHC wants to know how you think the new arts funds should be invested. What are the most important arts needs and opportunities in your region? What do you want to be accomplished with these new funds for the arts? This is our opportunity to make the needs of our citizens and communities known. In preparation of program planning for the upcoming business year, Greta is coming explicitly to hear and make note of requests and suggestions for art programs and funding from our community leaders, non-profit art organizations, individual artists, teachers and community members. Big Stone Arts Council is honored to host a public forum with Greta Murray, Executive Director of Southwest Minnesota Arts and What if money was not an issue? What art programs or events would you like to take place in your community? How can SMAHC help the arts grow in your community? How can SMAHC help make public art a reality? Is there a need for infrastructure in your community? How could SMAHC help? Due to the newly allotted Legacy Amendment Funds, Southwest Minnesota Arts and Humanities Council (SMAHC) will receive a sig- nificant funding increase, which will make more art programs and funding possible. The funds must be used for Court report (Week of June 1, 2009) Ortonville Police Department Beth M. Hendrickson, Metamora, IL, Speeding, 40/30, Fined $125. Thomas Alvin Payne, Montevideo, Speeding, 54/45, Fined $125. "arts, arts education and arts access and to preserve Minnesota's history and cultural heritage." Humanities Council (SMAHC), at Java Jule's Bistro and Coffee Shop in Ortonville on Tuesday, June 16, 2009. The doors will open at 6:30 pm with time to purchase refreshments and enjoy live local music before the forum begins at 7 p.m. Your voice is vital to the future of the arts for our children, as well as the economic growth and development of our county. Please help spread the word, encourage others to attend, and contribute to this important conversa- tion. If you have any questions about the current SMAHC grants available, please feel free to contact Deb Larson at 320-839-7084 or at deblar- son@vmail.com, or check out the SMAHC website: www.smahc.org. See you at the public forum! HOST AN INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE STUDENT! Make friendships that will last a lifetime when you host an exchange student with EF Foundation. Students are 15-18, speak English and bring BUY.SEII-RENT'HIRE- VISE-GRIP 3-PC. GrooveLock Pliers Set (8", 10", 12") #2078710 :+:+. BLUE CORAL Engine Restorer & Lubricant #00011 (6-Cyl.) #00015 6.99 (8-Cyl.) #00019 7.99 (32 oz.) #3025 7 High Foam Car Wash 64 oz. #WC 107G Westley's t Bleche-Wite Tire Cleaner 32 oz. #555 2.49 Diesel Kleen ance Improver thru the Lucas Fuel Injector Cleaner (1 qt.) #10003 (5.25 oz.) #10020 3.29 (1 gal.) #10013 24.99 Wheel Charger 6/12 40/10/2 5 Amp For charging 6/12 volt batteries 2 amp trickle charge, 10 amp regular charge, 40 amp fast charge, 80 amp boost charge, 225 amp engine start Amp meter and two-hour timer with hold position for continuous charging. Mfr. Suggested Price - $274.00 YOUR PRICE Product No. NBC 85-2250 Visa, MasterCard & Discover Accepted Ortonville, MN Junction of Hwys, 7 & 12 320-839-6133 Page 8 INDEPENDENT Tuesday, June 9, 2009


Dr. Saubermann's clinical interest is centered on taking care of adolescents and adults with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, such as Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac Sprue(gluten sensitive enteropathy), and microscopic lymphocytic colitis, though he also sees patients with a variety of gastrointestinal and liver related illnesses. As part of the complex care required by these patients, he utilizes a multidisciplinary approach that sometimes involves rheumatologists, pathologists, dermatologists radiologists, ophthalmologist, and surgeons. Through his clinical trial work, he also provided access to advanced treatments that are being tested in the treatment of these disorders.
Dr. Lawrence Saubermann is a Gastroenterologist at Strong Memorial Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. He received a B.A. in Biology from Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. He attended medical school at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas. He then completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Rhode Island Hospital, and Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Saubermann then completed a clinical and research fellowship in Gastroenterology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was an Instructor in Medicine at the Brigham and Women's hospital for a couple of years before moving to Boston University Medical Center to establish his independent research program. While at Boston University Medical Center, he became an Assistant Professor of Medicine, and stayed there for five years as a Staff Gastroenterologist. In July 2005, he came to Strong Memorial Hospital to continue his research and clinical activities in the area of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  He has received grants and published widely in this area, as well as written chapters in major textbooks. He enjoys teaching on the wards, in the clinics, and in the laboratory.


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Joint Lecture with APM
Speaker: TBA Organised by BDAE, APM . . .
Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th January 2020 at 6pm (expected finish time around 7.15pm) Tickets £3 plus booking fee (no... . . .
Full-length ballet
Thur 6 February
Maz O'Connor
Sat 8 February
Cruising Through Menopause
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All Categories Art & Literature Dance Comedy Cinema Family Music Theatre Entertainment Exhibition and Lectures
Upcoming shows/events at the forum
Janth-2020£9.50/9 conc
17th Jan 2020 - 18th Jan 2020
Come along for a night of entertainment with musicals such as The Lion King, Shrek, The Wiz, Mamma Mia, Rocky...
Janth-2020£18/16.50
Join Ballet Theatre UK as we follow the yellow brick road and discover all the wonders of Oz. Enjoy Dorothy,...
Jannd-2020£9.50/8.50
22nd Jan 2020 - 24th Jan 2020
On sale Tuesday 3 December
Febth-2020£17
20th Feb 2020 - 20th Feb 2020
Rich Hall Hoedown Deluxe
Rich Hall's comedy/music locomotive keeps on rollin'. Ever-evolving, ever-changing, Rich's combination of keen acerbic stand-up combined with spit and sawdust...
Febnd-2020£25/23
22nd Feb 2020 - 22nd Feb 2020
David Johnson & John Mackay present FASCINATING AÏDA They're back at last! Dillie Keane, Adèle Anderson and Liza Pulman...
Febth-2020£29.50
Kevin 'Bloody' Wilson
A long time ago, a long way from anywhere, in a West Australian mining town called Kalgoorlie, the legend of...
Febth-2020Free
7th Feb 2020 - 7th Feb 2020
Silverscreen – Rocketman
Monthly film series Rocketman is a biographical musical film based on the life of musician Elton John. Directed by Dexter Fletcher...
Marth-2020£4.25
6th Mar 2020 - 6th Mar 2020
Silverscreen – Red Joan
Monthly film series Joan Stanley is a widow living out a quiet retirement in the suburbs when, shockingly, the British...
Aprrd-2020£4.25
3rd Apr 2020 - 3rd Apr 2020
Silverscreen – Singin' in the Rain
Monthly film series Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American musical-romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and...
Starring Cheryl Fergison (Eastenders), Nicole Barber-Lane (Hollyoaks), Rebecca Wheatley (Casualty) and Nicki French (Eurovision), brand new show, Crusing Through Menopause...
Marth-2020£15/12
11th Mar 2020 - 11th Mar 2020
Michael Morpurgo's Private Peaceful Divided by love. United by war. "I've had nearly eighteen years of yesterdays and tomorrows,and tonight...
Marth-2020£12
16th Mar 2020 - 21st Mar 2020
Abbey Musical Society present Shrek the Musical
Tickets on sale Saturday 30 March Monday 16 – Saturday 21 March 7.30pm Saturday 21 March 10am – Relaxed performance...
Janth-2020£3
27th Jan 2020 - 4th Feb 2020
Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th January 2020 at 6pm (expected finish time around 7.15pm) Tickets £3 plus booking fee (no...
Febst-2020£12/10
1st Feb 2020 - 1st Feb 2020
Ultimate Events UK presents THE GREATEST FAMILY SHOW If you are looking for an amazing show for all the family this...
A musical play adapted and directed by DAVID WOOD, based on the book by JUDITH KERR Direct from the West...
The Legends of American Country
Now seen by over 300,00 fans direct from Ireland Europe's No 1 award winning Country music show " The Legends...
Febth-2020£15/13
Maz O'Connor
Critically acclaimed English singer and songwriter Maz O'Connor releases Chosen Daughter, her first new studio album since 2016, on October...
The Greatest of Shows
Ultimate Events UK presents THE GREATEST OF SHOWS The Greatest of Shows is a sensational tribute that features Hollywood's finest...
Wine Walk Around with Paul Quinn
Get chance to sample up to 50 wines in one evening from every corner of the wine growing world. There...
The Forum, Barrow-in-Furness
You will find a diverse range of events and activities at The Forum, as we again aim to bring exciting entertainment to Barrow-in-Furness. There should be something for everyone during the current season and we are very proud to welcome Internationally renowned performers alongside local dance and amateur groups.
We pride ourselves on being a fully accessible, family friendly venue and our approachable staff look forward to welcoming you to The Forum this season.
Find out more about the Forum
Matthew Sharp, cellist and baritone heads to Barrow
Virtuoso of the Arts" Matthew Sharp joins us in Barrow-in-Furness for a concert of extraordinary music for audiences of all ages and...


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