Wonder Momo: Battle Idol Volume 1 (Book)
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Posted on July 9th, 2014 by
The next entry in our “Nutty Namco Week” is another hardcover book collection of web comics, and this one is called “Wonder Momo: Battle Idol.” Wonder Momo was an arcade game in Japan made by Namco (creators of Pac-Man) in the late 80’s. In the game, you played as young girl Momo and kicked bad guys on a theater stage (there’s an audience and curtains and everything). If Momo ran into a tornado and spun really fast, she would turn into Wonder Momo, a stronger super-hero version of herself who could throw a hula hoop at bad guys. The game was meant to be a parody of “Magical Girl” anime cartoons like Sailor Moon, and spoofs of ‘sentai’ super hero shows like Power Rangers. It was never released in the US, probably due to its slightly suggestive themes. You had to avoid a photographer in the audience, for instance, who would try and take upskirt pictures of Momo from below. The flash from the camera would stun Momo for a moment. Anyhow, Wonder Momo has remained fairly popular in Japan and Namco has had cameo appearances of her in various other games. Shifty Look, an online web comics site, makes comic strips featuring classic Namco characters, and Wonder Momo is one of their most popular ones. It spawned a web anime series and now you can get a collection of the first 100 strips in a quality, hardcover book format! Let’s take a quick look at what’s inside.
Bravoman Volume 1 (Book)
Posted on July 7th, 2014 by
It’s “Nutty Namco Week” here at GamerDad, where we’ll take a look at new books and games featuring odd Namco characters! First up is Bravoman! Bravoman is a classic arcade game by Namco, makers of Pac-Man. The Bravoman arcade game was released in Japan only, but it did get ported to the US by way of the TurboGrafix-16 game console (and Wii Virtual Console). It’s a 2-D platformer beat ‘em up featuring a super hero who can stretch his arms and limbs to punch and kick bad guys. The game is meant to be a silly parody of super heroes and video games. While Bravoman has made cameo appearances in other Namco titles, he would’ve faded into obscurity had it not been for Shifty Look. Shifty Look is an online web comics site who has recently published strips featuring obscure Namco game characters. Bravoman is probably their most successful and long-running series, and has spawned into a high quality web cartoon (featuring prolific cartoon voice actors like Rob Paulsen), and even a tablet game (that one’s not so good). And now you can buy a hardcover book with the first 100 or so strips from the Bravoman web comic! Click here to take a closer look!
Cary’s Best Video Games of 2014 SO FAR Awards Show!
Posted on July 4th, 2014 by
Can you believe this year is already half over? What I like to do this time of year is write about the best games of the year 2014 so far. Most of the really good titles come out during the Christmas season at the tail end of the year, and the games that come out earlier tend to be forgotten. So this is where those games get their due.
Cary’s Favorite E3 2014 Games (And a Rant)
Posted on June 14th, 2014 by
Another E3 has come and gone, so I thought I’d write a blog about my favorite games and news stories from the show. But before we get to that, I have to rant a little bit. I do apologize in advance, but for the second year in a row I was denied a press pass to E3. So I have to gripe about that a second.
Unplugged: Knock Down Those Rainy Day Blues
Posted on June 6th, 2014 by
Summertime is upon us, and that means lots of chances for the younger ones to drive their parent’s crazy with so-called “boredom” and other funny business. “Go play outside” is the best play in a parent’s playbook, but what happens when it’s raining outside? This summer, GamerDad Unplugged will try to help fill in those gaps with a few handy ideas. First up – Dominoes!
Cary Ranks All the Current Mario Kart Games
Posted on May 30th, 2014 by
In honor of the upcoming release of Mario Kart 8, I thought I’d write a blog ranking my favorite games in the Mario Kart series. Mario Kart 8 itself isn’t on the list, since I haven’t played it yet as of this writing, but I am looking forward to it. So read on to find out which Mario Kart game took first place, and which ones ate dust!
Remembering 1944 – Conflict of Heroes
Posted on May 25th, 2014 by
Yesterday, we took a look at the WW2 game Memoir ‘44 in an effort to pay our respects to veterans on Memorial day weekend. Today we’ll take a look at a slightly more complex WW2 wargame system, Conflict of Heroes, published by Academy Games.
Remembering 1944 – Memoir ’44
Posted on May 24th, 2014 by
June 6th, 2014 marks the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings, better known to many as D-Day. It remains the largest seaborne invasion in history, mounting up huge numbers of casualties on both sides. In honor of those who participated in the event, and to honor all veterans during Memorial day, I felt it appropriate to mention here two of the best and most accessible boardgames focused on World War 2.
It may seem strange to some to honor veterans by reviewing games based around the battles of World War 2, perhaps belittling or lessening the importance and impact of those battles. However, for most wargamers, playing scenarios about famous battles helps one to understand the history of the events. Some might find it to be particularly appropriate, as wargames are a way to preserve in memory the heroic actions and personal sacrifices of the men and women involved.
May 3DS StreetPass Meetup for the North Dallas/Plano, TX Area
Posted on May 10th, 2014 by
There is another 3DS StreetPass Meetup for the North Dallas/Plano, TX area! This one is on Saturday, May 17. Same time, same place. Click here for more info. Get some more puzzle pieces for your panels and enjoy new 3DS titles with others like Kirby Triple Deluxe and Mario Golf: World Tour!
9 Holes of Cary’s Top Golf Games
Posted on May 9th, 2014 by
In honor of the recent release of Mario Golf: World Tour on 3DS, I thought I’d list my top 9 favorite golf video games. Why 9? Because there are 9 holes in golf. Well, actually there’s 18, but half that and you get 9. Plus I couldn’t think of 18 golf games I liked. And when my dad used to play golf, if he didn’t have all day he would just play 9 holes, so I think it’s legit. Anyway, golf may sound like a boring sport, but there are some video golf games that I think are pretty fun. Just be warned that all my picks are, not surprisingly, silly and whimsical golf games. So you won’t see any Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, or Lee Trevino on here! So let’s tee off! FORE!
