Preparing For Trouble With Mario & Luigi and Pokemon Guardians Rising TCG Pulls

BOO!

Welcome back to ZAK Entertainment with a breath of fresh air! (It’s also the pre Halloween blog but I’m not really doing Halloween… There is something kind of spooky later though so stay tuned) Well maybe not for you guys but for me it definitely feels like it. As of right now ZAK Entertainment is now being written on a brand new COMPUTER! Yes I finally updated my computer after I believe 4 or more years of using my Windows 8.1 Laptop. So now I’m running on Windows 10 Creator’s Update trying to figure things out it seems similar to Windows 7 with the Applications from Windows 8 carrying over and some really cool new features such as the Windows Game Bar which allows you to record gameplay without the need of external programs such as FRAPs, which is INCREDIBLE I may actually start doing gameplay of PC games for you guys if it interests you, or just because I feel like doing it.

Windows 10 is a lot faster than Windows 8.1 by a long shot and with my more powerful processor and graphics chip I’m actually able to do a lot heavier work on this new computer so fingers crossed on maybe being able to do more videos! Editing was getting near frustrating on my old Laptop which is why I’ve done very few within the past few months.

Really I’m still learning a lot but when I do get familiar with everything I may start doing little walkthroughs of Windows 10 and it’s features for the blog that would be a cool segment.

A lot has happened in this past week so expect a mega blog today because a new computer may of not been all I bought this past week.

For now however I got some huge news regarding Pokemon, it’s probably spoilers but it’s still an official announcement in Japan so it’s worth mentioning because of how insane this reveal is.'

We're Preparing for Trouble and Make it Double In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

Remember the motto? It’s forever etched in my memory. Jessie, James and Meowth were my introduction to Team Rocket through the Pokemon Anime series and while these three are a bunch of goofballs Team Rocket itself has a lot more to it. (Even though Jessie and James are still the best… Even if they’re the worse.) Led by Giovanni Team Rocket mainly sought out to steal Pokemon and profit from them, building a criminal empire as well as divulging in some top secret and forbidden science resulting in a certain clone Pokemon we all love. Giovanni’s plans were thwarted by the protagonist of the Red and Blue games (Canonically named Red, funny enough.) as well as Ash on many occasions in the anime and Red along with the rest of the Pokedex holders in the Pokemon Adventures manga series. (A blog for another time)

Team Rocket attempted to revive themselves three years later during the events of Pokemon Gold and Silver/Heart Gold and Soul Silver led by a band of Team Rocket executives seeking their former boss. Once again they were squished by a kid and left to dust while Giovanni continued his secret training, only making a minor appearance during the World Tournament in Black 2 and White 2.

Well in the game canon I’m pretty sure it’s been at least 8 years since Team Rocket was thwarted, thus why Red and Blue/Green were so much older in Sun and Moon. With this in mind no one expected Team Rocket to make a return to the games… But here we are. Its official guys! Team Rocket will be making an appearance in Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon with a slightly new look. These two Japanese download cards for the two games give us a very vague look at the new Team Rocket.

These two cards give us a look at the new male and female grunts of Team Rocket and while they look pretty similar to their usual Team Rocket outfit from Red/Blue/Gold/Silver if you take a closer look the R pasted on their shirts are not Red but a multiple of colors, similar to a rainbow, actually identical to one to be honest. You can see this Rainbow R more clearly on the first card which appears to be a huge Team Rocket mansion.

This is insane news, does this mean we have four different teams to deal with this time around? Team Skull, Aether Foundation (This is Sun and Moon spoilers, oops), Ultra Recon Squad (I’m only assuming they’re bad guys) AND now Team Rocket?! What on earth is happening in Alola? 

The big question is why is Team Rocket back? Has Giovanni finally finished his training and is now reviving Team Rocket himself? Also why does this Rocket mansion look striking similar to the Aether Mansion from Sun and Moon? I did have some odd ideas that Team Rocket and Aether Foundation were linked together in some shape or form so maybe I was right after all.

(Thanks to Serebii for getting these images out there for us.)

Whatever the case is this is some insane news I’ve always wanted Team Rocket to make a return in some shape or form despite their love for low level Rattatas and Zubats. Now I may be asking for too much but can we have Jessie and James in these games? Please? They were in Pokemon Yellow so they have to be canon in game somewhere. I guess that’s too much wishful thinking.

That’s all the information we have as of right now but there’s apparently a big announcement happening next week so we may see these guys in action in a trailer next Thursday November the 2^nd.

These games come out November 17^th so we’re coming to the finish line on announcements. We’ll have to wait and see what they have in store Thursday but you can be sure I’ll discuss it next Monday on the blog!

Mario Sets Off on an Odyssey!

Still on the subject of Video Games… A certain Red Capped Plumber has been making some big hits this year and possibly his greatest adventure yet has just released… Super Mario Oydessy for the Nintendo Switch! Super Mario Oydessy makes a striking return to Gameplay similar to that of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine but takes the open world feeling to a whole new level. This game will feature many kingdoms all across the Mushroom World with a lot of exploring to do in each to find the Power Moons hidden in its wake. Whether you’re climbing buildings or apparently playing stack the Goombas you’ll have to search every nook and cranny to find these Power Moons which power Mario’s new form of transportation known as the Odyssey.

Super Mario Odyssey introduces a huge new gameplay mechanic in the form of Mario’s Hat, yeah I’m not kidding. A Hat Ghost by the name of Cappy has now possessed Mario’s cap and is helping our plumbing hero thwart Bowser once again and stop him from marrying the Princess. You can throw Mario’s hat now to defeat enemies, grab coins and even get a jump boost. Mario’s hat can also do one more thing, allows Mario to control certain items, enemies and apparently a poor pedestrian. Yeah not sure how this works it’s something to do with cappy but it gives everyone a snappy Mario cap, mustache and allows you to control them so it’s pretty awesome. 

There’s a bucket load of stuff to do in this new Mario adventure so check out your local store or if you’re interested in buying the game from online be sure to check out this Amazon link!

 

I sadly do not have the game as of right now, I would of jumped to buy it (Mario puns) but I don’t actually have a Nintendo Switch as of right now and as I just paid out for a brand new computer I’m not going to be able to get one for a little bit. I was however to buy a Mario game that means just as much to myself…

Returning to the Beanbean Kingdom

Yup! This is Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions and I picked this game up a few days ago. I’ve been a huge fan of the Mario and Luigi games since 2003 and even though I’m missing two games in the series (Partners in Time and Paper Jam) I absolutely love this series. This game specifically means so much to me and is already my favorite in the series. Why you ask? Well this just so happens to be a re-mastered version of the original Mario and Luigi of the same name. (Minus the Bowser’s Minion part.)

Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga is one if not my all time Gameboy Advance game of all time. This game is an RPG but with a Mario twist. You don’t just press a button and watch the action happen, no with Mario and Luigi teaming up you’ll need some good button timing and a lot of Syrup to get through this game. Attacks have action commands which when timed perfectly racks up quite a bit of damage and in this game allows for Mario and Luigi to attack twice in one move. 

Outside of battling this game incorporates some pretty awesome puzzles (Albeit sometimes frustrating) you’ll encounter as Mario and Luigi traverse the Beanbean Kingdom which is inhabited by bean like people and some new enemies lurking around every corner. Well they’re not really new at this point this game originally came out in 2003.

Speaking of enemies… The best parts of these games are hands down Cackletta and Fawful. These two partners in crime are the main antagonists of this game. You may be familiar with Fawful from Mario and Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story where he took the role as the sole villain but this is the game he got his start in, by being Cackletta’s underling. Cackletta is a bean witch with a hunger for power and control over the Beanbean Kingdom. For some reason her master plan involves stealing Princess Peach’s voice which in turn wraps Mario, Luigi and surprisingly Bowser into the spotlight to go and save her voice and defeat Cackletta.

In this game you control Mario and the A button and Luigi with the B button and while at first you just jump around later you unlock some new moves that make traversing the Beanbean Kingdom just a little more fun. Speaking of fun oh my lord the humor in this game is hilarious. These games crack me up and actually add a lot of personality to the world of Mario (An aspect of this series I’ve always loved) and his clumsy and sometimes kick butt brother Luigi. Luigi usually takes the cake as one of my favorite characters in these games because of all the hijinks the poor guy gets himself into.

There’s a lot to experience in these games so I can’t talk about the games all that much without spoiling anything. I bet there are quite a few of you who haven’t experienced these games before so this is the perfect opportunity because this remake is so far extremely faithful to the original while adding new features that make the game seem like a brand new game to me.

The music has been wonderfully recreated and the scenery of the Beanbean Kingdom is absolutely gorgeous in this remake and the new mechanics such as the emergency guard feature, which apparently comes from Paper Jam, are welcomed additions. You can actually save wherever you want now (THANK YOU ALPHADREAM) and apparently there are now health boxes scattered around the Beanbean Kingdom, near bosses and entrances to dungeons. Apparently theses health boxes were in the original Japanese version of Superstar Saga for the 3DS but not the English version… Go figure.

I’m currently passed the HooHoo Mountain and on my way to the Beanbean Castle and I’ve just unlocked a part of this game which sets it apart from the originals… Minion Quest. Now I’ve not dived too much into this yet so I have no idea what it’s about but it serves as a separate game almost that takes place during the events of Superstar Saga but instead of Mario and Luigi being the protagonists the spotlight falls to a… Goomba? Yup a Goomba aka Captain Goomba serves as the hero in this story as he seeks to save King Bowser from Fawful. That’s pretty much all I know about this game right now so I’ll keep you guys posted.

In-between playing this amazing game I’ve gotten myself two new packs of Pokemon cards! As I am supposed to be doing this every two weeks I’m actually only going to unpack one booster pack this blog and leave you the next one for next week. It’s kind of because this blog is getting long and kind of because I want to spread things out for you guys.

Unpacking A Pokémon Guardian Rising TCG Pack

This week I got a pack of the Pokemon Sun and Moon Guardian Rising series. Last time I unpacked some Burning Shadows which actually meant I skipped on this series but I’m trekking back to it because, well I have to get at least one pack of every series. As I’m doing this every two weeks (I skipped last week by accident so we’re doing two packs in one blog) I’ll probably be grabbing some older packs so hopefully we won’t get any duplicates!

First up in this pack I got myself a Clefairy which while this is a common card I really like the art of this card and this would be my first Fairy type Clefairy. The last Clefairy card I got was the 53/115 Clerfairy Card from the EX Unseen Forces series, which was a LONG time ago, 2005 to be exact.

Anyway love the artwork of this card, it’s 88/145 of the Guardian Risings set. I now have two Clefairy cards total in my collection; I don’t get Clefairy often apparently. Now I just need a Clefable.

Next up is this nifty Tentacool card! It’s a common card yes but I really love the artwork of this card, it’s pretty colorful and Tentacool looks pretty cool, albeit a bit angry. This makes my 3^rd Tentacool card total in my 21 year old collection. I swear I had more than this but according to my collection my first Tentacool card is this EX Legend Maker Tentacool Card which is 66/92 of that series which came out in 2006 towards the end of Generation three. Apparently this card goes for a whopping 49 cents for the holo foil version on the market, I’m stinking rich. (Don’t worry Tentacool you’re priceless to me… I sound like Misty now.)

My next Tentacool is a more recent one in the form of this really amazingly designed Tentacool (Alpha) Card from the XY Primal Clash series. It’s such a nice card I’m surprised it’s only uncommon. This is 71/160 of that series.

Back to the new Tentacool this card is 23/145 of the Guardian Risings series. I really need a Tentacruel.

Moving on I have this Beldum card! The background of the art is simple and gradient but pretty awesome. Once again this is a guy I don’t get often, this card making three Beldums total. The first Beldum card I got was from EX Delta Species with this Beldum actually being a Beldum Delta Species card with a typing of Electric instead of Steel or Psychic. As a kid I really could not wrap my head around why this card was the electric type but I love Beldum so it’s all good. This is 59/113 of that series and is a common card.

My next Beldum card came 10 years later in this 3D model Beldum card from XY Ancient Origins. Always love these 3D cards. Back in the day they reminded me of Pokemon Stadium but now they seem awfully more realistic, it’s almost like this Beldum was actually photographed… Was he? Are Beldums real? Metagross would be a fun Pokemon to have considering he’s basically a super computer. This is number 47 of the XY Ancient Origins series.

This new Beldum card takes on a more flat but nicely aesthetic artwork that is number 83 of the series. I actually have a Metang card from EX Deoxys which means this is another 2005 card. I think a lot of my cards come from that year for some reason. This Metang is number 40 of the series.

This next card I won’t be doing any flashbacks with because I’ve never gotten one of this guy before, this is Number 43 of Guardian Rising, Helioptile! A Pokemon introduced X and Y this is a cool card to get, it kind of looks like a screenshot from the Pokemon show for some reason despite it not being that. It’s a common card but definitely a cool one. You know they usually include the evolution in the same series but I never seem to get the evolutions of Pokemon, haha.

Next up is my favorite card from this pull, number 6 Phantump! Just look at this card it’s so eerie yet really awesome and at a second glance you can see this card includes not one but two Pokemon! I may not have a Mimiku card but he’s sure hanging out in this Phantump card.

HERE COMES THE REINCARNATION OF DESTRUCTION IN POKEMOM FORM… IT’S YA BOY GOLISOPOD! I’ve never been able to get one of these guys ingame (His pre evolution is hard to train) but man is this one of Sun and Moon’s coolest additions. This is actually a rare card (Woo!) and is actually a holo foil as far as the artwork goes. This is number 9 of the series… Now I just need to get a Guzma card.

Next up is Alomomola which is number 36 of the series… I really do not know how to pronounce this Pokemon’s name but I will say this guy always confused me, I swear he was going to evolve from Luvdisc but oh well. I did get a Alomomola before in the XY Phantom Forces series.

This one is number 22 of the series. (Does stating this make it easier to find them online? I have no idea I’ve never sold any of my cards before, haha.)

Now we have number 34 Ice Cream! Oh wait I mean Vanillish. This Unova Pokemon is looking pretty cool in this card but I actually got an even cooler Vanillish from the XY BREAKPoint series a year ago. This one from BREAKpoint is number 44 and is a sweet foil card. When I look this card up online all I find is the normal non foil version so is this some weird rare variant or something? Am I rich now? 

These last two cards are actually just trainer cards, which I don’t mind but I’m not always super interested in them unless they’re trainer art cards.

This Is 121 Choice Band

This is 122 Energy Lotto which is useful in playing the TCG if you somehow have an energy card within the 7 top cards on your deck, you can always benefit with more energy cards.

Well that’s the end of that pack! Join me next week as I unpack a TCG Booster Pack which will send nostalgic shivers down your spine. I actually two absolutely incredible pulls on the next pack so it’ll be worth checking out.

Are we done? No of course not! I actually have a piece of art to reveal to you all. 

Unveiling My Newest Digital Art Piece (Haven't done one in forever.)

Yeah remember when I did art? Well I’ve been really bogged down with external life stuff this past two months (As well as a lack of computer to boot… GET IT? I’m full of dumb puns this blog.) but I’ve actually gotten myself situated so I’ve been trying to get back into the things I love doing such as art and eventually knitting again. With my new computer I also got a brand new tablet in the form of the XP-Pen Star 05 Tablet, which I unboxed a few months ago but everyone hated that video so let’s forget I did that. I know I only just got a Wacom Intous tablet from my sister but apparently it doesn’t work with Windows 10 and this XP-Pen is so much more convenient due to its wireless connectivity. Really it’s a lot nicer tablet then the Wacom and to give this baby a test run digitally painted/drew a new art piece of a certain Aeris Eclipse. 

Don’t groan at me I like drawing Aeris, she’s the main protagonist of course. (Probably should make her the mascot of ZAK Entertainment at this point.) With tablet pen in hand and Krita downloaded and installed I pulled off this small digital sketch I’m titling “The Eclipse Girl”.

I used some wet paint brush tools with an ink outline in Krita to pull this off and I’m actually surprised how well this came out, I wasn’t even going to show this off online assuming it would look kind of cruddy but I surprised myself. I’m usually better at traditional art rather than digital art but maybe this tablet is making it easier for me. Going to keep practicing with this tablet and perhaps I’ll be as good as my sister. (Go check out her new blog by the way if you haven’t! You can read it here: http://ladyannavintage.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-autumn-nature-adventure.html)

Writing Dream Eclipse is something I’ve been trying to get back into doing since getting my life situated. I’ve not been able to write more than a couple of paragraphs due to so much else being on my mind I’m afraid I’ve delayed the release of this book even further. (There isn’t a release date to begin with.) So let’s get the ball rolling again shall we? With this brand new computer and a year of blogging behind me it’s time to look into a new year of ZAK Entertainment! Thank you all for sticking with me for this past year and forgive me for not making the one year anniversary more expansive.

Join me next week when I may or may not be talking about stuff that I don’t even know about yet because so much can happen in a week. Enjoy your day and if you’re reading this the day it’s posted or on Tuesday remember this is Halloween so please be careful when you’re out Trick or Treating but have fun of course! If you drive please watch the roads, especially in Neighborhoods because kids WILL be on those roads trust me.

For now I’m going to head on out of here and go back to traversing the Beanbean Kingdom with my old pals Mario & Luigi.

This was ZAK Entertainment

Happy Halloween… Also watch out for dancing Skeletons.