Hey, wait a second.  Wasn’t E3 last week?  Shouldn’t I be doing a post on that?  Yes, probably.  But I need to talk about how I’ve strayed further from… Read More

I think…I think…I think…Yep.  This franchise is dead to me.Read more » Read More

Breaking news: 2017 still refuses to calm the hell down with this onslaught of game releases.  Setting aside the fact that there’s a new Zelda out an about -- as a herald to a new… Read More

So how well does the original Guardians of the Galaxy movie hold up after all this time?  Or, alternatively, after just a couple of weeks?  After a fourth, third, or even second vi… Read More

So by the sound of things, the Wonder Woman movie is actually pretty good.  Really good, even.When I first checked Rotten Tomatoes, the movie was hovering at around 97% on the Tomatomet… Read More

I’ve been at this for a while without any major arguments or controversies.  So, time to jeopardize that in one shot with this post.  Because if there’s one thing I wou… Read More

Well, I say that it’s going to be lickety-split, but this is Persona 5 we’re talking about -- a game so long that you could clear anywhere from 2 to 10 other games in the time it… Read More

*puts on Snake mask*Kept you waiting, huh?*peels off mask*Well, assuming that there’s anyone out there who’s actually been waiting for this.  In any case?  No spoilers… Read More

Having only put a paltry 70 hours into Persona 5, I’m not the absolute authority on the game.  From where I’m standing, though?  I’m not afraid to say that it&rsq&hell…Read More

So I want to do a quick post on Injustice 2 and/or early impressions bit, but there’s something that I need to ask before I get started.  Comic book fans or otherwise, help me out… Read More

Well, I had another post planned for today, but…you know what?  Change of plans.  I’ve had novels on the brain recently, and my MO for posting stuff here is that I go… Read More

So I’m starting to get the distinct feeling that technology hates me.  Like, all of it.Read more » Read More

It’s worth noting right off the bat that I watched the entirety of One Punch Man -- well, the first season of its anime, anyway -- in its official subtitled form on Viz’s website… Read More

I should probably start this post by saying that I wasn’t very good at Marvel vs. Capcom 3.  Presumably I’m still not good at it -- unless I snorted up some magic dust from… Read More

Not to be confused with the New Age of Heroes, of course.Okay, all joking aside, I’ll say it plainly here.  This post is going to feature Persona 5, and I get the feeling that tha… Read More

This would be the part where I’d say “Boy, I am late to this”, but I learned something very important.  You see, neither you nor anyone else can point out how late you… Read More

Okay, so I know that I’ve said some controversial stuff on this blog before -- COUGHunchartedCOUGH -- but I don’t think anyone’s going to take too much issue with what I ha… Read More

All aboard the RWBY Volume 4 Headcanon Express!…I would make a longer and more meandering intro, but given that this thing has reached Part 4, I think it’d be best if I speed th… Read More

It was pretty much a given, but RWBY Volume 5 is officially in the works.The voice actors are (as far as I know) in the middle of recording their lines, and assuming that everything goes wel… Read More

So there’s a comic of NieR: Automata floating around online, which has 2B and 9S having a hypothetical meeting with Lightning and Hope from Final Fantasy 13.  While the two older… Read More

So what’s your take on headcanon?I know that there’s a certain level of futility to it.  After all, I gave Street Fighter V the headcanon treatment before its story mode mad… Read More

Need someone to sum up Persona 5 in three words in case you don’t have 100+ hours to blow?  I’m your man.  So, here you go.That.Escalated.Quickly.Read more » Read More

So I had a moment with Tales of Berseria the other day.I was pretty much in the last stretch of the game -- more than capable of waltzing right into the final dungeon, at least after I… Read More

I like to imagine that there’s a person out there who reads the title of this post, screams “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” and then dives from the sky like a peregrine falcon to try… Read More

Oh, I’m sorry.  Did you think it was over?  Did you think we were done?  Nah, son.  It ain’t over till it’s over.  Wind that clock back.In any case… Read More

I haven’t had an internal crisis this severe since that time I found out that “fans” of The Magic School Bus were willing to make Rule 34 art of Ms. Frizzle.  I mean… Read More

*sigh**sigh*…Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.I like how that makes it sounds like I’m super-down on Tales of Berseria, but it’s actually an actual line of dialogue in the game -- a… Read More

All right, we’re a little over a week away from the release of a brand new Power Rangers movie (and in the midst of a Twitch streaming marathon), so I figure this is as good a time as… Read More

*sigh*Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.I really, really, really don’t want to write this post.  But it’s gonna eat away at me until I com… Read More

You know, lately it seems like I’ve been having a hard time coming up with titles for blog posts.  Not because I’m drawing the proverbial blank; no, it’s more because… Read More

You know, I can’t even begin to guess the number of posts that have been inspired by conversations with my brother.  I swear, he’s like a goldmine of writing material -- whi… Read More

So last week, I put out a list of games I want to play over…oh, I don’t know.  The next year or so, basically.  That’s not a complete and ironclad list by any me… Read More

It goes without saying, but I feel like The Last Guardian is a litmus test for what kind of gamer you are.If you’re reading this, then you know the story behind it.  The game was… Read More

All right, show of hands: how many of you reading this has a backlog of games whose size routinely leaves you in the depths of despair?  Don’t be shy.  It’s fine to adm… Read More

Before I do anything else, I need to ask you Star Wars fans out there a question: what do you think of Darth Vader?  I’m curious, because I don’t have a leg to stand on.&nbs&hell…Read More

Hey guys, I just had another thought about JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.  I’d better write a 7,000 word post to explain a middling and overall inconsequential point.…Nah… Read More

And here we are at last.So.  Let’s go ahead and breakdown, breakdown JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure one more time…for now, at least.Read more » Read More

All right.  Let’s talk about “Chase”.I think that all of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure openings are special -- top-notch work, and a joy to behold and listen to a… Read More

Hey, welcome back to Cross-Up.  You know, writing about JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure posts has gotten me thinking.  I’ve come to realize that --NO.  SHUT UP.&nbsp&hell…Read More

You know what really gets to me?  Jotaro’s hat.I don’t have a problem with the way it looks.  It’s just that for the longest time -- before I seriously started ge… Read More

Hello and welcome to Cross-Up, home of various posts on Final Fantasy!  I’ve been at this since 2012, and it’s so nice to know that even one person out there has read and en… Read More

All right, I know the purpose of this little miniseries is to show that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is greater than the sum of its memes, but…come on, man.  If it wasn’t… Read More

I should probably start off this post by making something very clear.  There are tons of factors that decide whether a story -- a game, a movie, a book, a TV show, or whatever -- is goo… Read More

“There’s no way Joseph is the best JoJo.”I’m not usually one to play the contrarian, even though it seems like that with some of my less-than-ideal opinions (like any… Read More

Can I just take a minute to gush about how much I love Hamon?Sure, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has long since earned fame for its Stands.  But having watched and enjoyed Phantom Bloo… Read More

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is more than just memes.I repeat: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is more than just memes.I’m not going to sit here and tell you it’s a masterpiece… Read More

So I think I figured out what my ideal Stand would be.Read more » Read More

This post is probably going to oust me as a hypocrite (well, more so than usual).  I can see it now.  I mean, even though The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild isn’t offici… Read More

I think I’ve sent myself on a guilt trip.The dust has long since started to settle on E3 2016, with no shortage of information to parse through.  Granted some things were still a… Read More

I have a lot to thank my mom for, but I’d wager that my general avoidance of sweets is one of them.  It’s not that I have anything against candy (except chocolate, because I… Read More

So if you could have a Stand, what would it be?That’s kind of a dirty question, because according to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure as we know it, you don’t get to choose your St… Read More

There’s an episode of Kamen Rider Drive where -- Hey, wait!  Don’t close the page yet!  I’m going somewhere with this.Read more » Read More

I’ve always believed that you can make any story sound bizarre if you describe it as directly and plainly as possible.  I mean, have you ever really put much thought into Harry Po… Read More

Comic fans, I have a question: who is the most powerful superhero in Marvel Comics canon?I wouldn’t know, because I’ve only got a handful of comics.  My gut instinct is to g… Read More

Doctor Strange makes me ask a lot of questions, but that’s not a fault of the movie.  I suspect that I know more about him than the average Joe, if only because I played a couple… Read More

I think the highlight of my Sunday was showing my brother a picture of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, telling him that he blows into game cartridges to power up his special move, and watching his strai… Read More

All right, let’s have one more for the road.Read more » Read More

Here’s an important question right off the bat: what is the difference between the Stands in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders and the Personas from Persona 5, 4, 3, 2… Read More

Okay, so quick show of hands: who here thinks that the gaming industry has improved recently?I know it may seem otherwise with every other post I write, but I’m glad to argue that ther… Read More

So did you know that The Wonderful 101 has a multiplayer mode?I did.  I’ve known it for a while, in fact -- probably around the time it was first released, since it IS featured on… Read More

*sigh*I’m not mad, anime.  I’m just…disappointed.Read more » Read More

Well, I didn’t think I’d be doing this again so soon.And why would I?  I don’t know politics.  I haven’t been paying attention to any of it until a few mont… Read More

All right, look.  Normally I wouldn’t do this sort of thing, because I’m pretty sure I’ve said in the past, in writing (or close enough to it) that I think trailers ar… Read More

Well, the book’s officially been closed.  As of September 22nd, Street Fighter V has assembled all of its first-wave DLC characters.  It started off with Alex, went to Guile… Read More

Against my better judgment, I decided to try and play Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness again.*sigh*…Didn’t go well, guys.  Didn’t go well.Read more » Read More

Not to start this post off with a controversial opinion, but I have to be honest: I think underboob is the worst thing ever.It’s fine if other people like it, of course.  But for… Read More

Okay, quick question to start things off: are the Star Wars prequel movies still canon?Well, a cursory Google search -- and requisite findings -- suggests that they are.  Apparently, it… Read More

This is a post on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, so that brings with it an immense responsibility.  Expectations.  A duty that must be fulfilled without question.So I guess I&rsqu&hell…Read More

Full disclosure: up until recently, I haven’t really cared about For Honor.  I saw its reveal trailer and thought it was fine -- something that’d find a home in the arms of… Read More

I’ve mentioned this in passing, but I’ve got a buddy who asks me about the Nintendo NX pretty much every time we cross paths.  He’s not wrong for it; the house of Mari… Read More

Real talk: I have no idea what jury duty means.  And at this rate, I doubt I ever will.Read more » Read More

Confession time: up until a few days before its release, I didn’t know very much about No Man’s Sky.  From what I can gather, I wasn’t the only one; the narrative bein… Read More

[heavy drinking intensifies]Let me ask you something: why is Sam in this game?No, seriously.  Why is Sam in this game?[remorse intensifies]Read more » Read More

In the immortal words of the (still-living) Chef Gordon Ramsay, I’m going to do something I’ve never, ever done before.  You see, I’m in the habit of uploading posts h… Read More

I know this is a post on Uncharted 4, but I feel like I should start off by mentioning Who Killed Captain Alex.I saw it basically under the same circumstances that introduced me to Dinosaur… Read More

And by “biggest” I mean most prominent or obvious -- not necessarily in terms of scale.  If that was the case, then we’d all have no choice but to give it to…I… Read More

So I finally beat Uncharted 4.*clears throat*Some people live their dreamsSome people close their eyesSome people's destinyPasses byThere are no guaranteesThere are no alibisThat's how our l… Read More

*loads up blog one day**stares at header*You know, I wonder how many people know who that purple-haired guy is supposed to be.  I mean, they should if they clicked on the I Hraet You ta… Read More

Here’s a common question: do stories matter in video games?Anyone who’s familiar with me or my work will know that my immediate answer is “YES, YOU IDIOT!”  Gran… Read More

If you’ve been keeping up with this blog for even a few weeks, you may be well aware that I try to focus on fiction.  Games, movies, TV shows, stuff like that -- the stories that… Read More

Whew.  It’s been a while, but here we are again with Street Fighter 5 -- almost half a year after its initial release, as of writing.You know, it’s funny.  A year ago I… Read More

So the other day, I asked myself a question: why do I like Kamen Rider?Call it a crisis of faith, I guess.  It’s easy to get caught up in something and follow it out of some unspo… Read More

Confession time: I was tempted to go on Twitter and make a joke about the recently-revealed Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, but decided against it.  I didn’t want to risk accidentally spoilin… Read More

Wait.  Should it be “How Good Are the 80s?”  Or is it okay for past tense?  I mean, it is literally the past we’re talking about here.  But we’re… Read More

I would be remiss if I didn’t start this post off with a story about Yourself.No, I’m not talking about you.  I’m talking about Yourself, a girl I happened to meet whe… Read More

So both Captain America: Civil War and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice have made the rounds in the past few months.  One of them is great; one of them is not so great.  Still… Read More

Considering that Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE puts a lot of focus on Japan’s infamous idol culture, I was going to try and lead into it by talking about the recent anime series Macross De… Read More

So it’s the middle of July right now, and Final Fantasy 15 is due out on September 30th.  In other words?  Oh God.  It’s almost time for another Final Fantasy game… Read More

I find it vaguely hilarious that a short post from me is probably the equivalent of an extra-large blog post on the sites run by normal, reasonable, well-adjusted people.  But let&rsquo&hell…Read More

I have a lot of questions about this game.Read more » Read More

Welp.  The last horse has finally crossed the finish line.Even though I’ve known about it for years, and even though people have urged me for just as long, I’ve finally take… Read More

I feel like I should start by apologizing for the title, because that would imply that microtransactions -- the scourge of gamers everywhere -- can actually be good.  And I should apolo… Read More

So Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is finally out.  Say what you will upfront about its choice to dive headfirst into idol culture (or the Japanese entertainment industry at large), but you k… Read More

First things first: even though the title has “reboots” in it, I’m extending the scope of this post to include reboots, remasters, and reimaginings.  Also, I’m t… Read More

This would normally be the part where I launch into a paragraphs-long tangent only slightly related to the topic at hand, but I think I’d better get straight to the point.  I&rsqu&hell…Read More

Is this Overwatch?  No?  Then E3 2016 gets a 0 out of 10.  Would not watch again.All right, seriously, though?  I have to start by being honest: I didn’t really car… Read More

The back half of this post’s title is mine, albeit one that’s a spin on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie.  The front half is actually the name of an upcoming game…and… Read More

So you know what I realized?  Overwatch is the first game I’ve ever bought for the PC.No, really.No, really.No, really.Read more » Read More

I’ve resigned myself to a fate of being “behind the curve”.  I’m used to it.  People were using Facebook for years (and turning their backs on it) by the ti… Read More

Is it even possible to talk about RWBY without talking about shipping?  I don’t know.  Can you talk about any story without talking about shipping?I don’t know.  I… Read More