Sausage Party: Foodtopia (2024)

Sausage Party: Foodtopia is an eight episode show based upon the movie. Like the movie, despite being an animation, it is fully intended for adults only. Having watched the movie is a requirement, as the show takes place straight after it. Taking place in a world where food has sentience and is alive, the food items in a supermarket Shopwell’s, had a revolt against the humans who were eating them. Led by the frankfurter Frank, his girlfriend Brenda, the professor Gum, and another frankfurter Barry, they managed to overthrow humans and become the dominant species on Earth.

The opening finalizes the battle against humans, with some creative ways in how the food items attacks (based upon puns). It’s a little bit extreme and out there, but in the happiness that follows, with the creation of Foodtopia, the less than savory raunchy humor where everything is a sex joke comes to the forefront. It was amusing in the movie as it was unexpected, but having been overdone now, it’s not funny or fun to watch anymore. Anyway, the world of no humans isn’t as blissful as they expect, as a disaster happens pretty much instantaneously which causes all of them to second doubt their actions.

The show takes advantage of its characters being food to be as violent and crude as they can. This can be… off-putting. The movie wasn’t shy in this area either, but it feels much more overdone here, to the point where it is now distracting and does not add to the atmosphere at all. Barry’s personality is that he must kill all humans, no matter what, and it just feels so one-note. Similarly with another character who is obsessed with the death of his lover that that defines his whole character.

There are certain scenes and events where things can become a little bit disturbing. Most humans are gone, but those that are still alive must figure out how to survive and… it’s not a great look. The show relies heavily upon food puns for its humor, and while it’s good in the beginning, just like one of the characters, they get stale fast by repeating the same style of jokes all the time.

However, despite their victory, the characters soon find that the world is a cruel and harsh environment, and they have absolutely no idea how the world works. It’s quite interesting in that sense, where the simplest of knowledge to humans is an enigma for food. Frank and Brenda must navigate this gap in knowledge, as well as the usual issues of trying to placate a big group with different personalities and contrasting opinions. The food victors are finding it hard to survive with their newfound freedom as a society without becoming more and more structured like the human world would.

The show likes to push boundaries and sometimes that is a good thing. Unfortunately, the boundaries that this show pushes, and crosses, are not the type that you could celebrate about. It has some twisted concepts, and scenes that just don’t make sense. It makes you screw up your face in disgust and maybe that’s what they’re going for, but when the show is filled with unlikable plot points that brings out the worst in all the characters, this doesn’t help.

The show is too focused on politics. This is supposed to be a comedy, not something that is exaggerating and mimicking the current state of the world. All the characters have annoying traits or do something unforgiveable. Granted, the show dares to do a few things that are admirable, such as deaths of characters that you don’t expect to, but these positives are few and far between.

Overall, Sausage Party: Foodtopia is a mediocre show that is far overshadowed by its original source material. It took the plot in a direction that is not really wanted, and there are plenty of issues with the writing. Compounding that is the subject matter and frankly, repulsive scenes and concepts that pushes you away.

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Toy Review: Transformers Generations Legacy United G1 Universe Optimus Prime (Deluxe)

Review:  #821

Name:  G1 Universe Optimus Prime

Brand:  Transformers

Allegiance:  Autobot

Line:  Generations - Legacy: United

Year of Release:  2024

Size Class:  Deluxe (Wave 4)

Mold Status:  new

VEHICLE MODE:

Similar to the Missing Link figure released in around the same time, G1 Universe Optimus Prime is designed to be an updated articulated version of the original G1 figure.

As a result, he transforms into the familiar red and blue cab over truck that we all know and love.

He is super compact in this mode, comically so, and is tiny compared to other Deluxes.

The three robot weapons can all store on the back in this mode, even if they don't do anything to try and blend in.

Surprisingly and interestingly, all six wheels are made of softer rubber-like plastic, so they grip the surface really well.

Despite the simplicity of the figure, the vehicle mode isn't perfect either as there are some extremely visible joints along the side, made more visible due to it affecting the silver striping.

Nevertheless, this is still a great little vehicle mode.

TRANSFORMATION:

You might be surprised, or not, but he transforms very similar to the original, with just a few tweaks here and there.  The back folds down and splits to become the legs.  The arms from the side of the cab, flip out the fists, and you then flip up the head.  It's a classic transformation scheme and the simplicity works well for this figure.

ROBOT MODE:

It's more obvious in robot mode in that it is supposed to be an articulated version of the original G1 toy, and it doesn't hide it at all.  So he has the awkwardly large torso that's the whole front of the truck plus the whole bumper.

However, also due to that faithful transformation, he doesn't have much kibble, only a block behind his torso.

The head sculpt is also based upon the original, so not as well proportioned as later Optimus figures.  He does feature yellow lightpiping which is nice.

Size-wise, he is quite short, but at least is still on par with most modern Deluxes.

Articulation is where this figure shines, and he has all the contemporary articulation you'd expect, with joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, wrist, hips, knees, and ankles.

His chest folds down to reveal the Matrix of Leadership, in a translucent blue.  While it is detachment, Optimus doesn't have the means to hold it.

He comes with three weapons, which is actually quite a lot.  Two guns and his energon axe.

The axe can be held in his hands, and molded in such a way so that it covers the fist.

He has two guns: one thicker and one slimmer, representing the running changes of the original figure.  He can hold both in his hands.

When not in use, only one gun can peg onto his back.  He can't actually store the axe either, so that's a bit disappointing in the storage department.

There's just something so charming about this articulated G1 looking figure.  Perhaps, cute is the term?  He just looks so good in a retro kind of way.

Naturally, you can replicate the original's stiff articulation for that extra authentic moment.

This is a fantastic robot mode, and is one that made reality of what you remembered the original toy was like.

OVERALL:

G1 Universe Optimus Prime is a well designed figure and one that scratched and itch that you probably didn't know you had.  Giving modern articulation to the original toy designs ended up being a really good idea, and we get a super fun toy that also looks great on your shelf.  His small size is probably his biggest flaw.

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Ys IX: Monstrum Nox (PS4)

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is part of the long running action RPG series. Despite being the “ninth” mainline title, the games are designed such that you can jump into any one of them without too many issues. While there is a plot, they are standalone and nowhere near the complexity of the Trails games (by the same developer). In fact, they’re light on story for JRPGs in general to be honest. That said, the game takes place after Lacrimosa of Dana, and there is a part early in the story where it references events from past games, which feels like a nice easter egg to fans.

This is an action RPG, and the game is designed to be fast paced, where you defeat enemies quickly and can dash through the levels. It’s simple and it’s fun. You start off controlling the main character, Adol, as he arrives in the prison city of Balduq, where he is promptly thrown into said prison. Being the knowledgeable adventurer that he is, he manages to easily escape but in the process is cursed and becomes a Monstrum. He gains a new outfit / form, and must protect the city from Grimwald Nox, an alternate parallel dimension where monsters invade, and he must fight it off.

He is joined by five other Monstrum, but they are not the typical party where everyone gets along with each other. It’s rough in the beginning but in typical Adol fashion, everyone will eventually warm up to him. As Monstrum, they are confined to the city, and this is evident in the gameplay. Unlike Lacrimosa of Dana where it emphasized exploration of a wide variety of areas, Monstrum Nox is dominated by city and underground areas, so it can feel drab and limited in comparison.

At least the gameplay remains as good and fun as ever. Adol can slash, dodge and block. Then you can map skills to the face buttons which consumes SP but deals more damage. Once a certain gauge is filled, Adol can get into a more powerful form and unleash an ultimate attack. Dodging or blocking at the right moment will slow time. Once you progress through the game, you’ll unlock new party members, and you can easily swap between them at any time. This is encouraged as different party members have different types of attacks which are more effective against certain enemies.

The city itself is big and a lot of exploration happens there. To aid in that, Adol can grapple to far away points. As you unlock new party members, they will give you additional abilities such as running up walls and gliding, allowing you to reach new places. The environment has plenty of collectibles, and the neat thing is that collecting every x number of them will give you another item, so that it does not feel pointless.

In typical Falcom fashion, there are a lot of missables in the form of quests. Most of these are optional but they are all timed, so if you progress too far into the story without completing them, they’re gone forever. At least this is alleviated by the ability to buy those rewards later. In fact, the game is generous with its accessibility. There are dungeons which have instant kill obstacles, which is a terrible design, but at least they allow you to skip them completely if you wanted to. You’re not so lucky towards the latter part of the game where they are compulsory, albeit easier. They’re still the worst and most annoyingly designed sections of the game though.

The graphics are nothing to be boasting about, however, the game makes up for it with its design aesthetic. It still looks great with its anime aesthetics, although the menus can be somewhat cumbersome requiring just one too many button presses. Using the special abilities to traverse isn’t as smooth or tight as it could be either, given that parkouring isn’t the game’s focus. However, it’s still well done enough that it is fun and adds a little bit of extra platforming into the game.

Despite the huge amount of missable content, the game gives you enough direction, hints and outright clues on where the collectables are by placing them on your map. All you need to do is poke around enough to reveal them. And while a huge portion of the game has Adol trapped within the city and underground, there are pockets of large open green plains to explore.  The game’s difficulty leans heavily into the easier side, so you may want to bump it up on Hard if you’ve played Ys games before.

Unfortunately, the game is cookie cutter Falcom style. The first half of the game has a chapter dedicated to the introduction of each of the Monstrums, and thus your party members. It’s predictable and despite a whole chapter each, they’re not as deeply developed as you would have expected. The overarching arc is then laid on top, but you know that you must wait until your last party member before the story reveals itself. There is a deep mystery happening where there seems to be two Adols, so it’ll be interesting to see where that leads.

The final third of the game is where a lot of the plot reveals happen. Unfortunately, the twist that the writers went for felt somewhat lazy. It felt like a cheap way to explain what was happening. You’d expect more but it is what it is, and that twist doesn’t really justify the poor gameplay mechanics stemming from it either. A lot of the plot happens towards the end as it marches towards its conclusion, with big developments such as secondary villains being overcome, and the grand villain arising.

It is a rush towards the end although the final dungeon can start to drag on for a bit, given it can be uninspired, especially if you have played Falcom’s other games. It has that samey feel to it. The story takes around 25 hours to finish, which is a sweet spot and doesn’t allow the game to overstay its welcome. Yes, it can be short for JRPG standards, but we don’t need bloated filler just to get a long 50+ hours runtime. Unfortunately, hopefully you would have made a save before the final boss as the game then pushes you to New Game Plus afterwards, where you can carry over a bunch of stuff. It also unlocks a time attack boss rush, which is okay.

Overall, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a fun action JRPG. Yes, the environments and exploration of mainly being city landscapes can feel more limiting compared to Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, which had the whole island for you to explore. However, the movement abilities in this game make it a lot more fun to run and travel around in. Given more polish, there is huge potential for future games. The story is weaker than Ys VIII as well, but the attention to detail and worldbuilding that is typical of the developer is still present here.

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Toy Review: Transformers Generations Legacy Bomb-Burst (Core)

Review:  #820

Name:  Bomb-Burst

Brand:  Transformers

Allegiance:  Decepticon

Line:  Generations - Legacy

Year of Release:  2022

Size Class:  Core (Wave 3)

Mold Status:  new

JET MODE:

Bomb-Burst transforms into a blue VTOL jet, and the blue is a bright baby blue, with some grey for contrast.

While it looks fine at first glance, it's not particularly amazing, as it is bulky and the proportions are slightly off.  However, it is more forgiving given the small size class.

Size-wise he's fine, and not too much smaller than previous Core class figures.

A decent enough jet mode but one that doesn't quite hold together quite as well as you'd like as it is lacking some pegs to do so.

TRANSFORMATION:

As you'd expect, Bomb-Burst has a simple transformation.  You can either leave the wings on or take them off, it doesn't matter either way.  However, the sides are the arms, you flip the legs down from underneath, and then fold back the cockpit a little bit and you're done.

ROBOT MODE:

Bomb-Burst's robot mode is predominantly based upon the original's Pretender shell, with some elements of the inner robot.

He has the jet's cockpit on his back as a giant piece of kibble, and you can tell that he wasn't much of a Transformer when he basically just folds up into a cube.

The head sculpt is probably the most striking aspect of the figure, as it is a beast type head rather than a humanoid or robotic one, and it gives him a lot of character.

He's okay in size, a bit short and small but that's to be expected.

Articulation is good too, with joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles.

He comes with a few weapons or accessories.  The jet wings are detachable, and he comes with a tiny axe / pick.

The jet wings are molded to be guns, so you can peg them on his forearms for some ranged weaponry.

The look good there, although they do tend to make him a bit wide proportionally.

Alternatively, you can store the wings on his back.

One side of the wings are sculpted with mechanical elements for the jet mode, while the other side has organic sculpting to highlight the beast aspect, it's a nice twist.

Finally, the axe can be held in his hand as a close range weapon.

This is a good robot mode, and the large feet really helps keep him stable.

OVERALL:

Bomb-Burst is a fun little figure.  The Core class has always been a bit high on the cost to plastic ratio, but Bomb-Burst carries a lot of charm to help make him a bit more worthwhile (although probably still get him on sale).

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