Thank you Scarlet Moon Promotions for sending us this album to review!

As someone who grew up into the SNES era, I became a huge RPG fan with the NES and SNES, and all but collected RPGs from that time when I could afford them. Of course, I had to have all of the Squaresoft titles from that era, and Secret of Mana was no exception. I loved its prequel, a Game Boy game known in the US as Final Fantasy Adventure. The second title in the 'Seiken Densetsu', or 'Mana' series, is perhaps the most popular and iconic game, Secret of Mana. I absolutely adored that game, and even played it enough to unlock the hidden level nine on a few weapons. Even if the gameplay perhaps didn't age as well as other titles from the era, it was a truly epic adventure that stayed with me long after its heart-wrenching conclusion.

In some ways the Secret of Mana soundtrack is all over the place, but it's quite iconic regardless. When I was young, I would start the cartridge while doing homework or some other thing, and just listen to that incredible title screen music over and over. I loved it, and it still gives me chills as it crescendos into that lovely overture that sets the tone for the amazing work that is to come. Secret of Mana as a game and musical set is nothing short of epic, and quite memorable for those who take the time to plumb its depths.

EXCALIBUR: A Tribute to Secret of Mana was released on the day marking six years since the release of the 2018 HD remake, on February 15, 2024. It starts off with a pretty good reinterpretation of that iconic opening, which is honestly pretty hard to do well; even Square Enix's own version in the 2018 release, while good, had mixed results. This version, called Fear of the Heavens, is performed with an orchestra, and outside of the difficult to reproduce digital howl, is done with remarkable care, with an orchestral and choral arrangement that easily puts Square Enix's version to shame if you are a fan of the original SNES soundtrack, as certain of the layers from that piece, that my mind grabbed onto while listening, were missing from the remake's opening.

There are forty-eight tracks here, so unfortunately I can't go through them all. But what I can say is that some songs are close, faithful renderings that could easily be on a remastered soundtrack. Others are interpretations, offering synthesizer or lo-fi renditions of classic songs. My favorites by far are those performed by real players; some are simply stunning. Some highlights include 'Late One Evening at the Morning Star', which seems to take place in a pub and does a wonderful job reproducing that atmosphere. Another is 'A Baroque Tale', which has absolutely incredible flute playing, making a really neat interpretation of that classic track.

Some of the more unique tracks include a well-done FM synthesis version of 'Phantom and a Rose' called 'Echoes of the Lost'. I am of a mixed mind on this track, because on the one hand, it's a truly excellent rendition of the song, ironically on a more primitive sound processor than what the SNES had. On the other hand, I also would have preferred that song in a more acoustic format, since my favorite songs on this album are the acoustic ones. Nevertheless, I can't deny it sounds great given what it is.

Some songs take a source song that at first seemed a bit strange in the game, and understood them better than I did as a player, and interpreted them to excellent results. For example, the song 'Distant Thunder' took a rather odd song in the soundtrack, and turned it into a jazzy number, and it's great. Another took one of the somewhat annoying battle themes and turned it into a fusion jazz arrangement, in 'Triple Threat!'. This song is truly amazing, easily one of my favorites.

Another jazz arrangement that I really like is one from one of the more unique songs later in the game. 'Steel and Snare' is an amazing, almost Chick Corea-like arrangement of one of the later tracks that is almost hard to listen to since it repeats itself so much. But this arrangement is genius.

Not to be left out, there are also several rock and metal arrangements as well, including 'Meister der Magie' and 'Secret of the Arid Sands'. One of the most annoying songs in the game is one of the late-game boss themes that quickly repeats a certain rhythm over and over. But their rendition, 'The Oracle', turns it into a metal banger that somehow captures the spirit of that song well, while being far less annoying. Fantastic!

The album itself is available to listen to and purchase in several places, but I recommend here, since it's available in lossless FLAC in 48kHz@24-bit quality:

https://scarletmoonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/excalibur-a-tribute-to-secret-of-mana

Scarlet Moon Records and their artists really knocked it out of the park with EXCALIBUR: A Tribute to Secret of Mana. If you loved this game and want songs to bring you back to an earlier and perhaps simpler time, this album is fantastic and a must listen (and hopefully buy!). I have heard many great tribute albums, but this is definitely one of the best I've heard.

As an aside, if you're an insatiable Mana fan, there is an older tribute album out there called 'Spectrum of Mana' that is also worth looking up. It is of similar length, though that one has a lot more metal pieces. It's another take you might enjoy (and it's free!), but I do like EXCALIBUR: A Tribute to Secret of Mana a lot more.

Thank you Scarlett Moon Promotions for sending us this album to review!

I am a long-time fan of The Legend of Zelda, since the NES gold cartridge days, and I did enjoy (and review!) The Breath of the Wild. I also enjoy some hard rock; one of my favorite genres of music is progressive and instrumental rock, like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Dream Theater, and Yes. So, when I was offered the chance to review this album, I instantly jumped at the chance!

In 2017, Ro Panuganti released one of his first game-related albums on Bandcamp, called "The Wild". While I can only guess how popular it was, it did catch the attention of the indie label Materia Collective. Now, with the release of Tears of the Kingdom, he released this spiritual sequel, "Return to the Wild".

Compared to the five tracks on the original 'The Wild' EP, this is a full CD-sized release, with nearly fifty minutes of music. Five of the tracks are remixes of the originals, while the nine others are all new, making this album fourteen tracks. All tracks are hard/progressive rock, and prominently feature excellent guitar playing along with percussion and other accompaniments. Below is a track list with my thoughts as I listened to each one:

Awaken - Nice piano intro with electric guitar and synthesizer melody, heavy drum beats, short start to the album, and sets the tone

Guardian - Strong Guardian theme via guitar plucking, battle notes have strong emphasis, then fades to background as heavier riffs come forward; melodies come and go, always lots of tension and shifting time signatures keeping the listener on edge; some saxophone later; mellow, acoustic ending

Riding Day - Piano to start, with signature tune for the outdoors that strongly points back to the game; calming with violins in the background and occasional guitar riffs; short

Hinox - Higher energy track, with heavy percussion and a strong guitar lead with synthesizers; very tense as battle music should be; also has alternating time signatures; some wood flute mid song before returning to heavy riffs; occasional jungle-like sounds, ends with harmonica and sounds of footprints

Kass - Heavy tones with a clear, strong melody with mostly guitar

Gerudo Town - Jam heavy, with a strong lead melody; lots of guitar and percussion; longer

Tarrey Town - More mellow, starts with piano and ocarina; jazzy presentation with calming lead guitar with ocarina given a prominent place in the melody; some country-ish tunes near the end

Zora - Lower distortion electric guitar with harmonics and prominent piano; relatively calm with a strong melody; mellow and enjoyable song overall with a strong lead guitar presence over piano

Korok Forest - Strong bass lines with a prominent violin, and acoustic guitar; very different presentation than many of the other tracks; very enjoyable for a jazz lover like me; lots of echo effects

Shrine - One of the most recognizable songs on the whole album for players of the game; starts acapella with stereo effects simulating the starting shrine jingle, and moves to low distortion electric guitar; moves into a harder sound, with more guitar distortion

Molduga - Starts with strong percussion, and jams into one of the heaviest songs in the album with strong rhythms and a heavy jam, with a melody driven by less distorted guitars; several time signature changes; this one is very metal

Rito - Begins with distortion and piano, recalling the theme of the area, and much more mellow than the previous song; nice low-distortion guitar with a strong melody; ends with a loud, hawk-like sound

Hyrule Castle - Starts with a bold announcer pronouncing doom; goes into a strong distorted guitar melody with heavy percussion, with some piano backing; later in the song, some great bass lines and harder riffs with the classic Zelda themes

Sheikah Tower - Begins with some echoing piano and guitar; a very atmospheric, mellow ending to the album

I feel like this album is best played in order and enjoyed as an album, as several of the song transitions are clearly meant to be from one to the next. I would say this does mean that it's a bit less ideal in a shuffle format, though you can certainly enjoy the tracks in that way, even if a few end a bit oddly.

Return to the Wild is a jam-packed album that I highly recommend to fans of Zelda music who also enjoy harder rock. I really enjoyed this album a lot; it is one of the best indie game-themed albums I've heard in a while.

Specifications:
High Power 150W motor
Works on wet or dry dirt
14.7 foot cord
Connects to 12V in-car DC outlet
Includes bag and five attachments
Spare filter included
MSRP: $29.99
(Amazon Affiliate Link)

Strong Points: Decent suction; included bag is handy; good selection of included attachments; very nice cord length; spare filter
Weak Points: Can always use an even stronger suction; can only be used in a car; it’s sometimes hard to tell how to fit the accessories together

Thank you CHERYLON for sending us this product to review!

We recently decided that on our next road trip, we were going to bring our new puppy. Knowing how much of a mess our kids make by themselves, with a puppy, I could tell that our van was going to experience a whole new level of mess; hence the need for this vacuum.

When unboxing this item, I was pleased to see that it came in a decently functional case – not one of those that are so tight you can’t get the stuff back inside, but a usable one. It’s made of a canvas material that gets the job done. The vacuum is made out of cheap-feeling but perfectly functional plastic.

Author: Brett Weiss
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing
Hardcover book
464 full-color pages
Over 375 games covered
MSRP: $49.99

Thank you Schiffer Publishing for sending us this book to review!

As I mentioned in my SNES Omnibus Volume 1 review, I was blessed to grow up as video games did, and played tons of Atari, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and got my Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in what was probably early high school. Based on the release date of Super Mario All-Stars as mentioned in this book, I believe it was 1993.

This book celebrates this generation of gaming by devoting one or two pages to each and every game in the SNES library. This volume covers every game in alphabetical order, starting with ‘Natsume Championship Wrestling’ and ending with ‘Zoop’. I highly recommend you check out Volume 1, as well as this one.

Between Earth and Sky (Music from "Chrono Trigger")
By Julia Henderson
Published by: Materia Collective
Julia Henderson: Producer, Arranger, Lyricist, Vocals, Mix Engineer
Alejandro Hernández: Mastering Engineer
Lorenzo de Sequera: Album Art

Thank you Materia Collective for sending us this album on MP3 to review!

Chrono Trigger is one of those rare games that actually deserves all of the unbridled praise that it gets. It was also a capstone on the total domination by the 1990s Squaresoft during the Super Nintendo era of RPGs, and is an absolute classic still worth playing today. One of the many ways in which Chrono Trigger excelled was in its music.

It's funny; during this era, Nobuo Uematsu was king of the Final Fantasy music empire, and while he did contribute to Chrono Trigger's soundtrack, the majority of the truly memorable tracks came not from him, but from Yasunori Mitsuda's excellent compositions. It is from these that Julia Henderson takes her inspiration in the development of this album.

It is only six tracks, and just over twenty-three and a half minutes long. Thankfully, the price is quite reasonable at only $5 on Bandcamp; at that price, it's well worth it.

Thank you CJ 4DPLEX for sending us to the movies!

As more and more aspects of the theater experience can be reproduced (or are simply better) at home, the movie industry continues looking for ways to encourage movie lovers to make the trek out of their houses and into the local cinema, while also offering value-adds that make it all the more memorable. Being one such enthusiast with a theater in my basement, I know this struggle all too well. Do I see the latest superhero movie when it's new in the theater, where I have to deal with other people and (usually) inferior video, sound, and comfort, or do I wait and watch it in my home theater with 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos surround and a 125" projection screen? (I told you I was an enthusiast.)

Well, 4DX can now safely say they offer something that no home theater ever will. All 4DX movies are in 3D, with a supported 3D glasses being offered. Unlike some theaters, this theater screen was more than bright enough to handle 3D properly. I was also pleased with the theater's sound system; while it wasn't quite as loud as I may have liked, the positional separation of the sound, from the clear center positioning of the voice, to the easy to locate side and rear speakers worked quite well. I did not note any ceiling speakers at this location for Atmos, though.

Each seat has rumble (this can be replicated at home with ButtKickers or other similar bass shakers), but what's really special is the tilting, fans, spritzers, and even scents that can be added to the movie experience. That's right - Smell-O-Vision is back! I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I found out that, as of February 2019, there are only 12 4DX theaters in the USA, and one of them is just a few miles from my house - and the only one in the Midwest! Pretty cool, eh? Fortunately, they are expecting to have as many as 85 locations within a year or so, so hopefully there will be one near you soon.

Author: Brett Weiss
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing
Hardcover book
416 full-color pages
Over 350 games covered
MSRP: $42.99

Thank you Schiffer Publishing for sending us this book to review!

I was fortunate enough to grow up with video games and technology as it did. Being born in 1978 (and recently turning forty), I was fortunate enough to play the Atari 2600 long before I went to kindergarten, played tons of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) through elementary school, and got my Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in late jr. high or early high school (I don’t remember exactly when; it was early in the system’s launch, but I doubt it was year one).

I had gotten a PlayStation maybe a year after that released, and enjoyed it, but I always felt like the SNES was a perfect storm of available technology and maximum creativity that led to some of the best games of all time, and many remain timeless and revered to this day. (It also helped that I had more time to play games in high school rather than the busier early adulthood that occupied my time shortly after I got my PlayStation.) This book celebrates that generation of gaming by devoting one or two pages to each and every game in the SNES library. This volume covers every game in alphabetical order, starting with ‘3 Ninjas Kick Back’ and ending with ‘Musya: The Classic Japanese Tale of Horror’. Volume 2, when it is released in 2019, will cover game titles starting with N-Z.

The first few pages include a foreword, where the technical specifications of the SNES are discussed, as well as a brief summary of historical context about the system’s release. There is also a preface, where the author talks a bit about his history with gaming, and what led to him writing this book. All of the action starts on page ten.

Specifications (from Amazon listing):
|Supports DisplayPort MST (Multi-Stream Transport)
Supports source devices with Windows OS and have DisplayPort Alt Mode, such as HP EliteBook x360, HP ZBook, Dell XPS, MS Surface Book 2
Supports 4K on up to two displays; The third displays up to 1080p
Connects three independent displays to a single USB Type-C port
macOS does not support MST technology for expanded monitors; It will allow for mirroring
Compatible w/ Thunderbolt 3
Data bandwidth up to 5.4 Gbps per lane, 21.6 Gbps total
Can simultaneously display 2 Ultra HD resolution
Compliant to DisplayPort versions 1.2 and 1.1a, VESA DDM, HDCP 1.3
Advanced WideEye SerDes Technology capable of receiving data over a long range

Thank you Accell for sending us this device to review!

As I often live near the cutting edge as technology improves, I’ve had my eye on the USB Type-C interface for quite some time, long before you could buy devices with the ports. I was excited about it then – the promise of a truly universal port, that always plugs in properly, and can work with everything – has finally become reality. With that said, the ‘one port to rule them all’ is great, but it comes with tons of caveats that are important to be aware of, as I found out first hand.

I have four devices with USB-C ports, and two PCs with the interface. USB-C has several possible data lanes, and they vary from USB 2.0 and 3.0/3.1, to DisplayPort, to Thunderbolt, in that order of speed. Almost all support at least USB data transfer, so that part is easy. However, not all ports support DisplayPort, and especially not all ports support Thunderbolt.

DisplayPort is the protocol, along with HDMI (which is just a variation on the DVI standard) that all modern displays use now. This interface is very fast (faster than HDMI in most cases), and extremely flexible. The standard, in version 1.2, supports up to 17.28Gb/s of bandwidth, which supports 4K displays at 60Hz. It also supports the MST (Multi-Stream Transport) protocol, which allows cool devices like this one to exist, which you can use to connect multiple monitors to one DisplayPort connector, or even daisy-chain monitors, if your devices support that.

Buying a gaming desktop or laptop is a big commitment. However, if you get a machine powerful enough, it can provide years of entertainment. Desktops are cheaper and easier to upgrade so if you don’t need portability, you can get more machine for your money that way. No matter which route you go, the advice in this article is applicable for both systems.

Generally speaking, with gaming laptops, you have the classic 'pick two' rule: Power/Specs, Size/build quality, Affordability - pick two. The slimmer and lighter something is, the less powerful - unless you are willing to pay more for it. There are relatively affordable gaming laptops that are significantly less expensive than the thin and powerful variety, but they are usually an inch thicker or more. It's only on the very high end where no matter how much you spend it won't be thin (like SLI video cards and such).

All system types discussed herein are assumed to be Windows computers. Macs can play some games, as can Linux, but they are sadly limited. And while Linux can actually use much of the same hardware as Windows, so most of this guide still applies (with the caveat that OS and hardware support is all on your own), you are still limited on game selection (though you may learn other useful technology skills!). On Mac, you are limited to the maximum of a midrange gaming GPU - for their top of the line Macbook Pro prices. Typically, I would say that people who purchase Mac computers do not or should not choose them with primarily gaming in mind. This is something that Apple Corp. has simply chosen to ignore; they do have the power to fix it if they so choose. Instead, Apple has pre-chosen size and build quality as their sole focus, which is dandy, but they do not make gaming capable laptops, and what they do offer is extremely expensive.

The first step in purchasing a gaming machine is to determine your budget. Faster machines are more expensive and there is no way around that. Most laptops come with Intel graphics but if you want to do some serious gaming, you’ll have to pay a premium for AMD or Nvidia graphics. If you plan on doing VR with your system, you’re going to want a GeForce GTX 1060 at least. Anything faster is, you guessed it, more money.

Specifications:
Body size: 21"x13"x8"
Weight: 2.40 lbs
Fully padded 17.3" laptop compartment
Internal tablet pocket
Separate shoe compartment
Large size zippered pockets
Padded carry handles
Padded back and backpack straps

Strong Points: Unique, well thought out design; looks very nice; lots of pockets, with a very large main duffel area; laptop pouch is extra large, and well padded
Weak Points: Small number of larger pouches; no location for pens or notepads (pens do fit in pockets though); no shoulder strap reinforcements

Thank you Solo for sending us this backpack to review!

I have always cared deeply about what kind of backpack I have used. I went through several cheaper ones before I finally settled upon one that has lasted – a Swiss Gear. The build quality was a huge step above the several cheap ones I used before that; despite the ~+50% price increase, it has been worth every penny, because it has lasted well on the order of ten years. Sometimes it's worth it to pay more, because it may last more than twice as long. But despite this, my excellent Swiss Gear is finally starting to show its age – flaking ends, the logo was lost years ago, and more signs that it needs to be retired soon. So, when I had the chance to review a new backpack, I jumped on it.

Now, it needs to be said that I am nowhere near as rough on backpacks as I used to be. I no longer regularly take the train to work, nor am I a college student any longer (thankfully). So, a bag that looks good, meets my basic needs, and holds my stuff is more than enough.

Trimillennialism: Revelation 20 and the Final Judgment 
Author: Ritchie Way

Thank you Bohlsen Group for sending us this book to review!

In Revelation 20, there is a passage that has been debated for thousands of years. Here it is, in full:

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl is a new game from Atlas in the hardcore Etrian Odyssey series.  This title is actually a remake of the first game, with a whole lot of enhancements.

For those new to the series (like I was before playing this game), it is a first person dungeon crawler RPG, similar to the rather old school Wizardry games from the 80s.  With a fair amount of modernization, and a Japanese flair.

One of the things those older games required was meticulously careful hand drawn maps.  To celebrate this, the Etrian Odyssey series uses the DS's bottom screen and requires you to draw your own.  It's rather ingenious, honestly.  For a hardcore RPG lover, it's a dream come true.

I am about half-way through this game, and I have done almost nothing else but play it non stop (besides work and family, of course) for about a month now.  It is just incredibly long, with a ton of content.  I would estimate at least 60 hours before I am done, at this rate.  It is also incredibly challenging at the higher difficulty levels.  (Picnic isn't for 'real' gamers.  ;))

This game is rated 'T', and I think it deserves that rating.  I have seen the use of the words 'D*mn' and 'H*ll' used in both text and voice-overs.  There is also alcohol and tobacco use, and the player can choose drink alcohol in certain story events.  There are also a few characters who wear revealing clothing, though thankfully not player characters.  The game even makes fun of the fact that female warriors would wear armor... by poking fun at a lady who joins you for a quest who wears skimpy outfits.  You have the option to ask her if she is cold.  :)  It's also somewhat of a repeating gag, as well.  I have enjoyed the banter of the characters quite a bit so far.

I recently got a new T-Mobile G2.  Any time I get a new gadget, I always investigate its gaming potential, whether it's intended by the device creators or otherwise.  I still remember writing a simple Final Fantasy-like game for my old calculator in High School.  I've also always installed solitaire on even the most basic cellphones when possible, because, well, you never know when you'll need it.

Fortunately, this device doesn't make gaming so hard.  In fact, with the fast CPU, capacitive touch screen, and physical keyboard and trackpad, it doesn't get too much better for a cellphone.  And the Android Market doesn't disappoint when it comes to variety.  And last but most certainly not least, it's not a closed system like an iPhone.  Closed off systems drive me nuts - I will only accept openness, and Android provides that in spades.  But that's perhaps for another blog post.

As for games themselves, I have downloaded around 30 so far, but I have mostly played just a few of them so far.  I have played Angry Birds the most by far.  I highly recommend it.  And since the Android version is ad supported freeware, there is no excuse - grab it now.

Other good ones include Frozen Bubble - which is a classic ported from desktop Linux.  Bonzai Blast is also high quality, as is PewPew.  My wife likes Glow Hockey, and of course I had to load the requisite Solitaire Free Pack.  OpenSudoku is also nice.  Please beware of violence and scantily clad ladies (only in the menus), but Gun Bros. is a very high quality game, which reminds me of Ikari Warriors somewhat.  But I'm not too thrilled with the menu 'decoration', so we'll see how long I keep it on my phone.

I could talk about others also, but suffice it to say that I don't need much more convincing on one point - Nintendo and Sony should definitely continue to make sure that they offer compelling portable gaming experiences that are worth bringing along another device for, because since getting this phone I've been trying game after game, and playing little else.