Fairy Tale Spotlight: Don't Raise the Bridge (Lower the River) [Book Review]

"Don't Raise the Bridge (Lower the River)" is a novel written by Max Wilk. It was published in 1960. It was made into a movie starring Jerry Lewis in 1968. I read the book because I enjoyed the movie.

The plot here is a cynical inn keeper named George Lester is about to lose his inn when his ex-wife plans to get rid of her greater share of the business. She offers for George to buy her share, but it is way out of his budget to do so. So the whole book is about him scheming to make a whole lot of money really quickly. Being the cynical man that he is, he turns to an extremely elaborate crime to make that happen.

In fact, his scheme is so elaborate that is boggles the mind as to why anyone would try it. It was almost akin to some of the plans made in a "Mission: Impossible" episode. It was also extremely sociopathic in its means as well, taking advantage of good people in order to make it happen. George was not really a good man.

The plot in general had to do with stolen blueprints for an experimental drill. He hired a corrupt dentist to place the microfilm into the inlay on a suffering man's teeth who would soon be in the vicinity of a prospective buyer. He would then have horrible pain in the second location and be forced to see a second dentist there to relieve the pain... as well as remove the microfilm. Admit it: that's way too overcomplicated... but that's also the aspect that makes the book amusing. The title of this book really makes sense.

Because the plan is so egregiously tight, it is even more dependent that nothing goes wrong, and things actually do go wrong quite often. As George frantically tries to adapt to the problems in real time, it is very funny watching as he suffers and stresses over his own folly. That aspect alone is what makes this book a fun read, not because he is otherwise a bad person.

There was also a character named Cooney that made me laugh. He is technically the only good-hearted person in the whole story... at least in a verified way. George was really annoyed that someone could be so good in a world where it evil is fairly mainstream. The problem with Cooney was that, even though he was a good person seeking justice, he was also not very good at it. He was definitely trying, but he always fell short of being the hero he wanted to be. But who cares?! It was great to see such a nice person in a book full of rotten people.

I know this may seem crazy, but I actually loved this book and even recommend it. It's mainly for the ending, which was surprisingly uplifting. The turn at the end was nice, and I won't spoil it. I would also recommend the movie, but I will say that the book's main character does not seem like Jerry Lewis to me. But then again, Jerry played a very unconventional character than he was usually known for. I think he still pulled George Lester off well. Give either one of them a looksee.

This blog was written on July 2, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Inside [Video Game Review]

"Inside" is a video game developed by Playdead. It was released in 2016. It is not the sequel to "Limbo," but it gets really close to being a similar experience. A lot of people might call this one a spiritual sequel in many ways.

No more black and white. No more film grain. No more silhouettes. You are a boy again, though, and the danger is as bad as ever. I am not entirely sure what the plot actually is, but everything is presented very well. It seems like some sort of worldwide plague event happened, and people are pretty much being shot dead in the streets to contain it. They absolutely do not care that you are a little boy. If anyone sees you, they will go out of their way to murder you in any way they can. Dogs will come after you too, and they are very fast. Most of the time you run from dogs, it comes right down to the wire. And if they get you, you get to watch a little boy get brutally mauled by them.

Even though it seems like you are dealing with a pandemic, things get a heck of a lot weirder as the game progresses. The government seems to be doing mind-control experiments as well, turning people into mindless drones. You can even control them yourself at certain points. It's all very strange and surreal watching people just sort of run around brainlessly.

There are also these really interesting moments where you have to act and move to a certain rhythm. The audio in this game is extremely good, opting once again for ambient noise rather than music. The noises sometimes form a rhythm that help you understand what needs to be done and when. This is a tried and tested formula that Playdead has turned into a science, and I love it.

Once you get to the end of this game, you will see and experience things only dreamt of in nightmares. This game exploits a lot of fears such as being torn to pieces and drowning. Yes, you spend a lot of time underwater with not a very good capacity for holding your breath. Every dive is a risk, but you have to do it.

The only criticism this game ever seems to get has to do with its extremely shocking ending. It has a lot of people split. I don't mind it as much, but I do know why people feel so divided on the issue. It does not come out of nowhere, but that doesn't take away the absolute horror of your final fate.

Like with "Limbo," I do recommend "Inside." It had everything good from their original title and just takes it all the farther. I hear Playdead is working on a third game. I look forward to whatever it is.

This blog was written on June 30, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Limbo [Video Game Review]

"Limbo" is a video game developed by Playdead. It was released in 2010. It is considered one of the most influential independent video games of all time and has inspired a bunch of copycat games from other developers.

The plot of "Limbo" is about a boy who enters Limbo in search of his sister. That's all you have to know. The problem with this place is that it is a world that sort of plays by its own rules. It is inhabited by creatures and other humans. There is also a really terrifying giant spider that you have to deal with early on.

Despite you being a young boy, this world is cruel and deadly. There are a lot of really horrible ways to die. One way this game softens the blow is by presenting everything in black and white with an old movie filter over it. All the characters are silhouetted as well. There is almost no music in the game, opting for more ambient sounds and tones. The aforementioned spider had a really deep vibrating hum that went along with it. Very intense. Atmospheric stuff like that always got to me, even after multiple playthroughs.

The traps of this world are terrifying and never feel as if they are intended to be fair, although if you are very careful you can figure them out before they kill you. Most of the time, impatience is what ends up being your undoing, and that's okay. I never really felt like the developers did anything wrong. This is just the nature of this world.

There are also these worms that will occasionally attach themselves to your head. If this happens, you will immediately turn around and walk until you eventually die of some random calamity. I call them "suicide worms." The only way to get rid of them is to find a creature that will eat it off of your head. You have to find a way to make that happen within the rules of the creature controlling you. Very cool and very scary.

There are a lot of mind-bending aspects in this game. In some places, the entire world will rotate, keeping the same gravity. In others, gravity itself will change. All these mechanics come with dangers that can either slice, crush, or kill you in some other manner. And like I said, even after multiple playthroughs, all these things seem fresh and terrifying. The developers made an experience that is fairly timeless.

The game also feels like the perfect length for what it is. It doesn't really ever feel like it's taking too long to get to its climax. The ending itself is very satisfying. Where some of the puzzles may be a little confusing for some players, I wouldn't call any of it truly obnoxious like I have seen in similar games.

Of course, I recommend "Limbo" to this generation of gamers and the next. Because of its simple style, it will always look good no matter how far we advance. It is one of the most atmospherically pleasing games to ever be made.

This blog was written on June 30, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Snow White (Disney 2025) [Movie Review]

"Snow White" is a movie made by Disney. It was released in 2025.

Cons:

-The main character was ruined by the actress being annoying in the public square. The character is also supposed to have white skin based on the original story, and she did not. However, I might have forgiven this if she had just been a more likable person outside of the movie.

-The portrayal of the evil queen was stilted and weird, despite looking the part.

-There were a lot of unnecessary musical numbers added to the movie that felt uninspired. The songs from the original movie had added lyrics which did not help any.

-Costumes and set design looked shockingly cheap.

-Bandits were added to the story for some reason.

-Dopey talks and is also the narrator.

-Dwarves reference the fact that they act like the names they have, which is cheap self-reference humor.

-There is no prince. Instead Snow White has a love interest throughout the film who is just some guy. He is also the one to kiss her at the end.

-The was no glass coffin, which was actually apart of the original story. She was just laying on the ground.

-The evil queen is able to turn back from her old lady disguise. This was a big one for me, because in the original film, it felt like, in her madness, she sacrificed her beauty for hate of Snow White. It felt permanent. She dies an old, ugly woman in the original film.

-The dwarves have random magic that is only used once in the entire film. It is never explained or used in any way that matters.

-Snow White defeats the evil queen by pointing out that she knows the names of everyone.

-There is probably more, but I can only remember so many things at one time. I'm only human.

Pros:

-The dwarves were not as bad as people complain about, but they were actually bad. Doc was my favorite. His portrayal was actually pretty entertaining.

-There was one musical sequence about how the queen is evil or something. Her singing was uninteresting, but the choreography of the other dancers and such was actually really good. I genuinely enjoyed that part of the film... for the choreography... not the song or the singing... or the evil queen which the song was actually about.

I do not recommend this film.

This blog was written on June 19, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Pigs is Pigs [Short Story Review]

"Pigs is Pigs" is a short story written by Ellis Parker Butler. It was published in 1905. It was later made into an animated short film by Disney in 1954. This is sort of a review of both, but I am focusing more on the story.

The whole concept of this story is about why bureaucracy hasn't really been a benefit to anybody. It all starts with a dispute between a the manager of a private postal worker at a train station (not U.S. Postal) and a customer. He ordered a pair of guinea pigs, but the manager wants to charge him the delivery rate for livestock. The customer points out that they aren't real pigs; they are pets. Pets get the cheaper rate, but the manager is following his rule book to the letter which is causing the problem.

This dispute leads to letters written to the company where an extremely complicated series of bureaucratic nonsense takes place in order to determine that the blasted guinea pigs are pets and not actual pigs. This long process might not be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that the guinea pigs are male and female... and the female is pregnant. And as you might expect, they begin multiplying very quickly.

This is a situation where time is really of the essence, and the regular process is just going too slowly to keep up with it. Letters have to be written and replied to. Telegrams have to be sent. Nobody was using any common sense, because they had to follow the procedure instead. And meanwhile, the guinea pigs are filling up the postal station at an insanely fast rate. It's very comical and a lesson that can be learned even in 2025. We still have these problems sadly.

The story is written in prose, but when Disney did their animated short, they cleverly translated it into poetry. I like both stories, but the one Disney did is so much more satisfying. It's mostly the same story too with some small but much adored embellishments. If you can't find the story, then you should definitely watch the cartoon.

"Pigs is Pigs" is a great story with an accurate depiction of the problems we all have suffered with bureaucracy. It really is an awful thing, and they were apparently feeling it just as badly back in 1905. The short story is public domain now, and the Disney short is easily accessible on YouTube. I recommend them both.

This blog was written on June 18, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Two Kings [Short Story Review]

[I spoil the main points of this story.]

"Two Kings" is a short story written by Norton Juster. It was published in 1965 as part of the book "Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys." This is the best of the set.

An extremely poor and miserable king lives in a kingdom of equally poor and miserable people. He is so poor that he is pretty much just like any other guy there. He just happens to be king. Also his name is RNP. His name is as broken as everything else about him. Although RNP is used to being miserable and having nothing, he does wonder if there are better things out there in the world, and so he sets out on a journey to find that out.

The other king is named Magnus. He is the polar opposite. He has everything anyone could ever wants. Riches beyond belief. All his people love him. He gets everything he wants, no matter what. But Magnus worries, kind of weirdly, if there is anyone out there who has more than he does. So he sets out on a journey to find out. Ironically, he chooses RNP's kingdom at random and sets off. Well, his people don't want him to be miserable in such a horrible place, so they all take a shortcut while the king goes the long way and absolutely renovate RNP's kingdom before he gets there, making it just as wonderful as his own kingdom. But when Magnus gets there, he just sees the same riches he already has, so his question isn't really answered. This makes him depressed and so he returns to his kingdom.

When RNP gets to Magnus' kingdom, the whole place has been wiped out by a really bad storm. Everything is ruined and nobody is there. When RNP sees this, he comes to the conclusion that the rest of the world really must be so sad and miserable, and so he turns back home feeling maybe a little better now that he knows the truth. He can now be content with his lot.

Cleverly, the story ends here, but you can take a good guess what happens to the two kings. I likes this story a lot. it's all about the humble inheriting greater things. "Two Kings" gets a great big recommendation from me!

This was the last of the three stories from "Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys." Norton Juster really is a wonderful author. I wish he wrote more stuff in his lifetime. I recommend this collection and really anything else he has written. Wonderful man. The world will forever mourn his loss.

This blog was written on June 8, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Rescuers [Book Review]

"The Rescuers" is a book written by Margery Sharp. It was published in 1959. Yes, this is the book that inspired the Disney movies, although the movies kind of do their own thing.

The story here is about a society of mice called the Prisoner Aid Society. They pretty much look for people in need and then pick one of their own to go try and help them. In this case, it was a Norwegian poet trapped in a really awful castle dungeon with guards and a cat. They end up voting for Miss Bianca to be the one to help the boy since she is also a poet.

Miss Bianca may be a poet, but she is not Norwegian. She then hires a companion in Nils, a Norwegian mouse, and also brings along Bernard, the mouse who came to ask her to do the mission in the first place. Even though the movies focus on Bianca and Bernard, Nils is actually really awesome. He was a sailor mouse who obsessed over life on the seas. Although he sometimes made Bianca uncomfortable, he still had a roughish charm that she appreciated.

I think the thing that I really loved about this story was how absolutely dedicated the mice were to helping people. It was a way of life for them. It seemed to be something all mice really talked about, even if they were not apart of the official society. That is so incredibly cute.

Without spoiling what happens, this is a very exciting story that deals with every obstacle in a realistic way. You just have to see the mice as people like us. They can even talk to us in this universe. Imagine having a pet mouse you could chat with!

I don't normally do this, but I really want to mention the brilliant illustrations by Garth Williams. I mention him specifically because this book has been illustrated by multiple people since it came out. Garth obsessively made sure that everything in his picture actually represented what was happening in the scene. This really brought the book to life with brilliant detail. If you read this one, make sure Garth Williams is the illustrator.

If you are looking for an exciting and cute book about mice on a rescue mission, you can hardly do worse than with "The Rescuers." I totally recommend it. While it was likely intended for children, this is still a great book for adults. They will appreciate the detail put into the situations that the mice have to deal with. Really well done.

This blog was written on June 7, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: West Side Story [Book Review]

[Some spoilers included.]

"West Side Story" is a book written by Irving Shulman. It was published in 1961, same year the movie came out. Yes, it's one of those books. This was very likely written during the production of the movie in order to promote it upon release. The weird thing here is that it is a book based on a musical/ballet film which focuses more on choreography to explain itself. Also I bet you didn't even know there was a book for West Side Story! Well, neither did I. I randomly found it in a book store. Who knew?

If you've seen the movie, this book is pretty much the same story, but the author gives it all to you in a very hard-hitting narrative that never pulls it punches. Let's face it: this story is rough and depressing at the best of times. It's a hard pill to swallow.

The name of the game is big city gangs and mutual hate. It's the Whites vs the Puerto Ricans, and despite them both being Americans, they just can't live together without violence, rape, and murder. It... is... awful.

What makes matters even more difficult to deal with is that there is a "Romeo and Juliet" situation happening as well. The former leader of the White gang falls in love with the sister of the PR gang leader--respectively Tony and Maria. And no... this is not a story about love conquers all. It is a story about how bad decisions ultimately lead to bad outcomes. Even though Tony is trying to get out of the gang life, he just cannot shake his past. And even though Maria knows her brother is doing bad things, she still loves him and doesn't want him to get hurt or die. It is the makings of a very slow train wreck that goes on for ten long chapters.

But I gotta hand it to the author: he did extremely well at telling this story. I don't even know this guy. He put so much heart into trying to get all the characters' perspectives into this book. And the final page was one of the most impactful narratives I have ever read in any book beforehand. It was brilliant and really put the problems of the world into a healthy perspective. I mean... you can almost just read that last page and still come away with something.

The author's not perfect, mind you. He also kind of said something about Batman and Robin having X-Ray vision. (This was in reference to a character who read a lot of comic books.) We'll not worry about that though.

All said, I do recommend this strangely obscure book. If someone was to make a novelization of "West Side Story," this is how it should be done. Great job. I'm depressed as hell, but I don't regret reading it!

This blog was written on June 6, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Doom: Annihilation [Movie Review]

[I spoil some main points of the movie.]

Deep breaths! Take deep breaths, and just watch the movie.

Guess what, guys. It's not that bad.

"Doom: Annihilation" is a movie released in 2019. It is the second and most recent movie made for the Doom video game franchise. It is also greatly disliked by fans of the games. I guess I fit into that, but let me go into some detail.

This movie is actually a retelling of the original game. The big, most glaring change which you cannot ignore is that Doom Guy is now Doom Girl. Her name is Joan Dark, which just has to be a reference to Perfect Dark. Just has to be. I don't actually know if it is. Love it or hate it, Doom Guy lost the job to a woman, and that is the main reason most people did not bother watching this.

But once you get past that, there is a whole movie that needs to be watched and judged on its own merits. That's what I did. I watched it so you wouldn't have to.

The look and ascetics of the film resemble "Doom (2016)," but weirdly the villain is Doctor Betruger who was the arch bad guy from "Doom 3." This kind of makes sense if you are basing this more on the original game's story. "Doom 3" was a reimagining of the original game, so it stands to reason that, if you needed a main villain, Betruger was a good choice. He is represented a little differently here, though. He has more of a "nice guy" look than his video game counterpart, who looked like he got pooped out of Satan's butthole.

This movie is full of references to the games to an absurd degree. The AI that's assisting them is called Daisy. That's the name of the original Doom Guy's pet rabbit. One of the fallen scientists was named Blaskowics, which is the main character from the Wolfenstein games. Another dead scientist was named John Carmack, the man who actually created Doom. Everyone was also using these huge keycards to get around the station on Phobos. At one point, Joan Dark picks up a completely random chainsaw and starts hacking away at monsters. There are a lot more references like this that I don't need to mention. I kind of rolled my eyes at most of them. Reference baiting is a really cheap way to get an audience riled up.

There weren't a lot of guns in the movie, but the BFG9000 did make an appearance. It was, however, kind of sad and underpowered. The first movie did it right. Too bad.

I think the most important thing was that this was actually a Hell invasion... and frankly... it was done fairly intelligently. The lore behind it was really cool. The demons were writing in Ancient Samarian. There was also a really nice religious angle in the movie given by the station's chaplain. It made for a good counterpoint to dealing with the demon hoard, and they were never dismissive of it. Religion in this movie actually mattered. The "cross" mattered.

Another thing I thought was cool was that the scientists had an evolutionary concept of humanity, but the demons actually referred to us as "creations." Nice touch! So no problems there!

Now, keep in mind that this movie went straight to DVD. It has all the cheese and action of a 90's Scifi Channel Original Movie. A lot of the acting and writing is kind of stilted and forced... but it's really not that bad. Even Joan Dark was not coming across as too much of an overbearing feminist. She was definitely female, strong in some ways and weak in others. I dunno. I kinda liked her.

The crazy thing is... the only thing really bad about this movie is that it came really close to just being a good Doom movie that represented the games. All they had to do was have Doom Guy in it, and it would have been entirely passable. But that said... John Dark is fine. And this movie is fine. It's completely watchable and even had me interested to see how things ended up.

So... I guess I recommend the movie... just as long as you understand what you are getting into. It's certainly not perfect. I give it a solid 6 out of 10... but at least it's over half way, right? Sometimes that's all you need to enjoy yourself. But between you and me... I don't think Hollywood should try making Doom movies anymore. Two attempts is enough. Let's leave well enough alone.

This blog was written on June 4, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Doom [Movie Review]

[Spoilers included for a 20-year-old movie.]

"Doom" is a movie released in 2005. It came out around the same time "Doom 3" was all the rage. I saw it in the theaters when it came out, and I just felt it is time to finally give my opinions on it. After all, I've been reviewing all the other Doom things. Might as well tackles the movie... or... movies... Ugh.

Despite this movie having the ascetic of "Doom 3," it is sort of its own thing. There isn't any Hell invasion. Everything is the science in science fiction. What's really happening is that there is a gene or something inside every human that determines whether they are good or evil. This was, unfortunately, about as stupid as the midi-chlorians in Star Wars. It was also not what fans of the games wanted.

But hold on there, partner! There's more. Despite the movie deviating from the hell-vasion concept, they actually ran with their idea pretty well. Not perfect, mind you, but good enough to be entertaining. This is one of those situations where you have to put aside what you wanted and didn't get... and then do your best to see if the movie is otherwise... a good movie. And as it turns out... even without Hell in it... it's actually a pretty solid movie!

Everything else about it feels like Doom. Well, no... wait. It feels like "Doom 3" but better lit. It is a horror film with a lot of testosterone thrown into the male protagonists. Also since it's a team that's going to Mars, it's hard to figure out who the "Doom Guy" is. A lot of people went in thinking it was The Rock. Come on, filmmakers! You knew that's what people were going to think! YOU KNEW! You knew, and then you did the old switcheroo. Yep, instead of The Rock being Doom Guy... it was... some... guy. I don't even remember the actor's name. Let's face it: it should have been The Rock.

Forgivable though... and the reason it's forgivable is because of the main reason I love this movie: that absolutely fantastic Fist-Person Shooter segment near the end. It does not matter how much you hate this movie; if you are watching it, you are waiting for that brilliant piece of filmmaking towards the end. Absolutely kickass. I loved it, and it made everything feel better. I didn't even care that it was from the perspective of... some guy. It rocked!

"Doom" is actually a good movie; it just isn't everything that Doom fans wanted. I have always been a big defender of it. It always makes me happy when I watch it. I do recommend it. I really do.

But now... I got to watch... that other movie. Ugh. Who knows? Maybe I'll like it. Ah, who am I fooling? This is gonna hurt worse than taking a BFG9000 shot to the balls.

(Heck, that was Karl Urban?!)

This blog was written on June 4, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Doom: The Dark Ages [Video Game Review]

[I spoil some stuff in this review.]

"Doom: The Dark Ages" is a video game developed by Id. It was released in 2025. I actually finished this game with a thumb injury.

I want to start this review by saying that this game has a vast story with lots of cinematics. They are all really well made, and I liked watching them. That said, I did not for even one moment care about the story at all. Not even a little. They really just failed at making me care about any character other than the one I was playing. I cared plenty about him, and I loved everything about him.

"Doom: The Dark Ages" is a prequel to "Doom (2016)," but please don't ask me why. I don't really understand the continuity of the new trilogy. The writers made it both complicated and much too subtle at the very same time. I just feel like important information was left out. Who cares?!

This game differs from the other two in that you are more of a juggernaut. You are slow and have a shield you need to use constantly in order to avoid taking damage from a near constant barrage of incoming projectiles and attacks. You also have a nice selection of melee weapons that really hit hard, so if anybody gets close... they won't live very long.

Of course, it would not be Doom without an assortment of ranged weaponry. Since this is set in an older age, they all have a medieval look to them, but they are still fairly high tech. The BFG9000 was actually replaced with a ridiculously overpowered crossbow. In fact, it is called the BFC. I barely used it. I'm not saying it was bad. It was really cool actually. I just never really felt like using it. I don't know how to explain it. The button was always there, waiting for me to press it... and I just didn't.

I think what happened was that I was more into getting into the nitty gritty of the combat rather than just blowing everything up. I really enjoyed the combat in this game. Why just kill everything when you can dive in there and do some rip and tear? I'm willing to bet other people felt this way. The juggernaut gameplay was really well done.

You also can pilot a dragon and walk around in a giant mech suit. Those bits were fun, but I actually found them to be a little on the "gamey" side. How does dodging attacks make your gun go from firing bullets to plasma bolts? That doesn't make any sense. Still, I did like flying the dragon. Pretty metal honestly.

In fact, everything about this game was pretty metal. It is one of the most beautiful games I have ever seen. All the vistas are like out of a heavy metal album cover. Gloriously beautiful. I even took a few pictures along the way.

Oh, and by the way, this game crossovers with the Lovecraft universe. Not only is Cthulhu in the game, you even get to fight him. You also get to go to his home world. I really loved this. I'm sure a lot of people questioned whether or not Doom Guy could fight an elder god.

Even though I don't care about the story, I kind of liked the villain. He reminded me a lot of Darkness from the movie "Legend." Yes, the one played by Tim Curry. Imagine him being the main villain of a Doom game. He was a pretty awesome opponent, and I liked how everything gets resolved concerning him.

My main beef with the game actually had more to do with certain anti-religious hints in the story. Like I said: I don't give a crap about the story. Really, I don't. But there is a sneaky little distrust of religious figures running through both this game and "Doom Eternal." It's annoying, but there isn't enough of it to ever really bother me. Besides, in the world of Doom, you appear to be the closest thing to God anyhow.

I do recommend "Doom: The Dark Ages." It is actually my favorite of the new trilogy. I found it more relaxing and rewarding to play, and it injured my thumb a lot less than the previous game. That said, I think I would rather Id take Doom back to its roots. I don't mind the upgraded visuals, but I just feel it's time to just bring back the basics of what made the original games what they were. It will probably never happen, but that's what I would really prefer. Either way, great game. Just stop with the story-telling already!

This blog was written on June 4, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: She Cries No More [Short Story Review]

[I spoil the main points of this story.]

"She Cries No More" is a short story written by Norton Juster. It was published in 1965 as part of the book "Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys."

This is a strange fantasy tale about a man named Claude who doesn't really believe in anything. This is a major and important aspect of his personality. It is all the more relevant when he finds a painting at a museum that he becomes obsessed with. It has a woman on it who may or may not be crying. After visiting the painting a few times, there is a puddle at the base which might be the woman's tears.

There is actually some faith that has to go into believing such a thing, and for some reason Claude has that faith. He apparently has so much faith that is he able to eventually go inside the painting and actually meet this woman in person. The author doesn't explain exactly how this happens, but it is made clear that he is actually in the painting and time is still passing normally within the museum. Claude also has to leave by 6PM when the museum closes.

What's crazy about this painting-world is that there is a sort of war going on there which has been ongoing for ages. It is the supposed reason why the woman was crying. Claud, wanting to help the woman out, tries to intervein in this war and finds he has near supernatural powers within the painting. For this reason, he decides to help in the war efforts... as long as he leaves every day by 6PM.

Despite being a man who believes in nothing, he certainly did believe in the world inside the paining, the woman, and this war. With the great powers he has, he is actually able to turn the tide of the battle and ultimately achieve victory. This was all well-told, by the way. The descriptions of the battle was really exciting, and I enjoyed reading it.

On the final day, Claude is so eager to get back into the painting that he breaks into the museum a little early. While sneaking into the room, he sees a wet mop leaning against the painting. The wet part of the mop was where the tears used to be. Was it all in his imagination? Did he create the whole thing because he had been convinced the water under the painting had been from the woman? Doubt suddenly fills his mind, and it is like the spell is broken. He leaves and perhaps never comes back.

Now, the author does something interesting here. He points out that the custodian who left the mop there was on his first day, and the curator actually fusses at him for doing that. This highly suggests that the tears may have actually been real, but because the man doubted himself, his faith dissolved away and he lost the ability to go back into the painting. Fascinating.

I recommend the story. It was a fascinating journey and full of exciting action along the way.

This blog was written on June 4, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Alberic the Wise [Short Story Review]

[I spoil the main points of this story.]

"Alberic the Wise" is a short story written by Norton Juster. It was published in 1965 as part of the book "Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys."

The idea here is simple and well executed. A man named Alberic (a simple man who keeps to himself) meets a man who has been traveling through the world and listens to everything he has to say. This inspires Alberic to go on his own journey in an attempt to be wise himself. I guess it might be prudent to say that he was trying to be "worldly wise" which is kind of a sketchy thing if you are a Christian. This is not a Christian book, one way or another, but I figured I'd point that out anyhow.

What happens is that Alberic goes from profession to profession and learns all these trades but always seems to fail at them ultimately. While I was reading this, I was so confused by this concept. How can you learn and master a trade... and then fail at it. And he kind of was too. For example, he became a sculptor and chiseled a marble block into dust... but see... he still knew how to chisel. He knew how to do things, but he just couldn't bring it together for one reason or another. I thought that was an interesting aspect to the story, because while he was failing so much, he was still gaining a huge amount of useful knowledge.

Upset that he was such a failure, he begins talking to people about all of his experiences. Apparently people just liked listening to an old man talk, and they called him wise. The king even thought so and gave him a place in the palace. This was another strange phenomenon in the story. There was a sort of "group think" that occurred surrounding Alberic. It just came out of nowhere, and it baffled him after a while. He started to say absolutely ridiculous things, and the people just sort of rationalized that what he was saying was still very wise for one reason or another. Very strange, but it does feel familiar in a way.

Ultimately, he decides to just leave, which causes the people to finally decide that he must actually be unwise. So as long as he was there to entertain them, he was wise, but the moment he decides to run away, they don't like him anymore. What the heck?!

So at this point, Alberic really does feel like a failure in all things, but then he suddenly realizes that he has really had a lot of interesting experiences and has, for all his failures, done a lot of things. On top of that, he can still find more things to try and do. Maybe he will continue to fail, but at least he keeps trying.

Something somewhat surreal about this ending is that the author slips in that he has become very old at this point. He is an older and much happier man as he continues on this never-ending journey through life. I guess, in this way, that is a success on its own. I really liked that.

I think "Alberic the Wise" is a good story. It's strangely relaxing and full of humor. I do recommend it.

This blog was written on June 1, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest [Book Review]

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is a novel written by Ken Kesey. It was published in 1962, although it really, really feels like a 70's story. Weirdly so. I'll try and keep this one brief.

The whole story is set in an asylum full of guys with various degrees of psychological aberrations. There is a nurse there named Ratched that rules the facility with an iron will. She is basically the villain of the story because nobody can really do anything against her.

Enter Randle Patrick McMurphy to mess everything up. This guy may not actually be crazy, but he's still there for his own reasons. He's probably the only wrench that can mess up the control Nurse Ratched has on the asylum. McMurphy has a very big ego, and he knows how to throw it around in very strategic ways---ways that really get under the skin of the nurse. This is basically the fun of the book.

It is not all fun and games though. Despite having a humorous plot, the book is actually a very serious one. It also never, ever pulls its punches. It does this so well that it can be, at times, a bit depressing. I think this is why I thought this book was from the 70's. It has that hard-cutting edge that we usually got from that decade. Also the famous film adaptation came out in 1975, which makes perfect sense. I guess this book was a little ahead of its time.

Those hard edges are both a blessing and a curse. The story does rather hurt by the end of it, and it ultimately left me feeling sad. And this is really strange since the whole premise of the book seems kind of fun and relaxing. It is what it is though.

There is one last thing I want to mention. This book does an extremely good job at representing the surreality of a disturbed mind. There are extremely well-written scenes that are from the strange perspective of the writer (not the author). Some of these are dreams or moments before a shocking event, but they are all just so wonderfully presented. Those moments are some of my favorites from this book.

Despite my misgivings, I still recommend the book. It was still a great read, and I don't regret it at all. This is especially a good book for those who really want to buck the system, which is really the main theme of the story.

This blog was written on May 28, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Prince and the Pauper [Book Review]

"The Prince and the Pauper" is a novel written by Mark Twain. It was published in 1881. One of the best books I have ever read. I was really struggling with what I should cover in the review.

The basic story is very well-known by this point. You have a Prince and a Pauper who trade places and learn the ups and downs of both realities. I knew this well enough, but there is so much to the story then just that. This is a story filled with adventure and even some swashbuckling action. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Once the two characters get split up, the author takes his time with each of their adventures. It takes a lot of chapters before he switches perspectives, and this is really for the best. It gives you time to feel like you understand their respective situations. Although jarring at first, it is actually genius to do this and actually less jarring than the alternative. The Prince gets plenty of time to see how difficult life is in his kingdom, and the Pauper gets to see what it's like to be treated like royalty.

One of the crazy things about this story is how so many people just can't imagine the truth of the situation. I say this because both characters are being open and honest about who they are throughout the story. They are not trying to pretend at all. Eventually, they kind of have no choice but to pretend because nobody would believe them anyways.

My favorite character is Miles Hendon, who takes care of the Prince for a lot of the story. He is the absolute image of a paragon hero. This cannot be overstated. He was so flawless in his goodness, and I really wanted things to work out for him. He deserved so many good things, but unfortunately a lot of bad things happen to him anyhow. I enjoyed him so much that I wanted there to be a continuing series of books about him. That did not happen, though.

The story does not have an overarching villain, but there are a few villainous characters who you will hate. One of them is a psychopath, but he still had extremely selfish motives despite being delusional. All the villains in the book are encountered by the Prince, although I should say that the King was not really a good person either, but he doesn't really molest the Pauper while he is in the castle. He is more of an terrible person to other people than the one he thinks is his son.

Honestly, I was surprised at there not being a main villain. My only exposure to this story was the Disney short with Mickey Mouse. They had Pete trying to usurp the throne by crowning the Pauper Mickey. That was actually a cool plot, but the original story just doesn't do that.

"The Prince and the Pauper" is a very exciting story, but it can be hard to read at times. The narrative is fine to read, but the dialog is basically Shakespeare. Where it is difficult at first, it does get easier to understand fairly quickly. I didn't have a problem with it. Honestly, it made everything anybody said sound beautiful no matter how mundane the remark. That said, however, children won't be able to read this for these same reasons.

I really, really enjoyed this story. My favorite book of all time was "The Never-Ending Story," but this book comes really close to beating it. It may actually have. I spent a lot of time yelling at the pages when something amazing or exciting happened. A lot of my pleasure and grief happened in the Miles Hendon scenes. He is just such a wonderful man. If I haven't made it clear yet, I do so extremely recommend this book. It is a classic that should be required reading for everyone, and I don't normally say that.

This blog was written on May 28, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Whipping Boy [Book Review]

"The Whipping Boy" is a book written by Sid Fleischman. It was published in 1986. This book was made into a TV Disney movie, and I am pretty sure I saw it. Because of my random memory, I decided to read this book.

Ironically, I am busy reading Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper" right now. "The Whipping Boy" seems to be very much inspired by that classic story, but it is it's own thing. There was a whipping boy in Mark Twain's book, but he was not as an important a character as he was in this one. It feels like the author just got inspired and wanted to make a bigger todo with the idea of a whipping boy.

A whipping boy is a rarely used person who would be punished when a prince acted out. It was done because no one should lay hands on the prince's person. The concept does favor the idea that the prince would be a brat and never have to worry about consequences, because he had a whipping boy to take those consequences for him. That's the general idea of this book.

Although the prince in this story has a name, he is more often called "Prince Brat" and for good reason. He was entitled and did whatever he wanted. In this case, he decides to go on an adventure, bringing the whipping boy with him. This ends up leading them into quite a lot of danger when they are captured by villains who wish to hold them for ransom.

From here, something similar to "The Prince and the Pauper" happens. They switch places. The brigands actually believe the whipping boy is the prince. This deception leads to a lot of silly entertainment, but most of the story has more to do with how their relationship fluctuates as they learn from one another. I won't say more than that.

"The Whipping Boy" is an award-winning children's book. It is actually a good read, and I do recommend it. It did make me smile, and I enjoyed how the characters were represented. Also, I just think the whole idea of the whipping boy in general. It is a concept rife with literary opportunities.

This blog was written on May 21, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Nuts [Video Game Review]

"Nuts" is a video game created by Bernard De Windt. It was released in 2001. It is a single map for classic Doom II. It is also probably one of the most intimidating Doom maps of all time. Most people take a look at the opening sight and just quit.

There is no story to "Nuts." In fact, the name implies that the entire concept of the game is insane. You start off in a room with more enemies than your mind can possibly calculate. I mean, just look at the image I included. That's pretty much the first thing you see. But you might also notice that all the demons are looking away from you. They don't know you are even there. If this game did have a story, I imagine it would be about Doom Guy infiltrating where the demon military was stationed... only to find himself in something of an awkward position. At the very least, they don't see him... yet.

Despite seeing all these enemies at the first of it, there is a second room past that far wall that opens up when you hit a switch. That room is even worse. It contains nothing but Doom's heavy hitters and bosses. It also has an absolute ton of Arch-viles that can begin resurrecting downed enemies as well as setting you on fire. When you realize what you have to deal with, the task of even finishing this map seems much too daunting. This is why most people just quit.

No joke, this is a very small map with well over 10,000 enemies in it. It is a fight, to be sure. But if you take the time to plan things out a little, it is really not that bad. The name of the game is "infighting." You have to heavily rely on trying to get the demons to fight themselves in order to dwindle down their numbers. You also have to worry about not getting stuck between all those bodies. Ammo won't be too much of an issue. You also have a BFG9000, a plasma gun, and whatever guns the enemies drop. It's entirely doable, but it does take time. You really need to work on that first room before you open the second. It's just too much trouble to deal with both at once.

I was able to clear out the first room in about 20 minutes, but I have never killed everything in the second. To me, it was more about just getting out. I still have to infight them for a while before I make the run. They are also really badly blocking my entrance in there too which is the main concern. I have to sort of herd them away from the entrance just to give me a thin enough path to BFG9000 my way into an opening, then it is a helter skelter run to the map's exit. Just finishing this map feels great, but I always feel a little bad that I don't try and kill everything. I only manage to kill just over 9000 of the enemies before I nope out.

"Nuts" is all about overcoming what appears to be impossible odds. It is, by definition, a slaughter map. You are showing up to slaughter as much as you can and then get the hell out of there. "Nuts" is a fantastic map, and I absolutely recommend it. It can be acquired for free in the excellent Doom+Doom II Remaster by NightDive Studios.

This blog was written on May 14, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Doom Eternal [Video Game Review]

My thumbs hurt so much. Mainly my right thumb. Wow. The pain lingers on. This happened once before, and I forgot the pain. Now, it's back, and the memory is back too. My poor thumbs.

"Doom Eternal" is a video game developed by Id. It was released in 2020. It destroyed my thumbs.

This game is the sequel to "Doom (2016)." The connection between the two stories is really rough and hard to follow. Basically you now have your own floating base out in space which doubles as the most metal man cave ever imagined. You are fighting the demons which have invaded earth. Although this game takes place after Doom II, it is also a reimagining of it. That said, the game actually takes place in a bunch of different places and planets.

The gameplay here is similar to the previous: keep moving and kill everything. It is not hard to figure out, but it is hard to master. Your character is extremely agile to the point of silliness. You are bouncing all around like crazy, while trying to kill the demons. It is way more kinetic than the previous game.

The main additions here are the weak points on the enemies. Every enemy has one. You can either just waste ammo trying to kill it, or go for the weak point to make it easier. It's insane, and never ends. It is a constant battle of both movement and accuracy. My poor thumbs.

The collectathon is back, but it is better managed this time around. There is also an "extra lives" system that will revive you if you have them to spend. I actually did like this system. It was useful for the situations that just overwhelmed me too much.

Also this game brings back the Unmaykr from "Doom 64." Once again, it is extremely hard to obtain, and once again it is much more devastating than the BFG9000. I like how it balances out it's deadly power with how hard it is to obtain. Nice!

Like in Doom II, the game ends with a fight with the Icon of Sin, but this time it is not just a silly wall texture. It's there, and it is one of the most insane bosses you will ever have to fight. Well done.

The game's story is very odd and adds a lot that many people might not like. It steers sharply away from Christianity and creates lore with angel-like aliens from another dimension. It's not actually bad, per se. It is really just kind of a strange decision. People want to play Doom more than learn about the story. It's fine.

"Doom Eternal" is a bloody, gory, and nonetheless exciting game in the Doom series. It probably could be called the most beautiful, ambitious, and fun Doom ever made up to this point. It took what they started in "Doom (2016)" and dialed up to 1000. Bravo. I recommend it so much. And yet, I still have one very serious complaint... My poor... poor... thumbs.

This blog was written on May 9, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Mere Christianity [Book Review]

A friend of mine got me into a guy named Dr. Frank Turek a while back. He was really good at debating people on the side of Christianity. I read one of his books, but I still continued to listen to him speak. One of the books he would often cite was the one I am reviewing today.

"Mere Christianity" is a book by C. S. Lewis. It was published in 1952. The entire concept of the book was supposed to be the very bare facts of what Christianity is and what was expected from someone that wanted to be a Christian. It is one of the most focused Christian books you can possibly read for this reason.

This is a difficult book to review because the point is more about what the book is rather than what it says. You have to really be interested in the basics of Christianity in order for you to even care about what's in there. In fact, the author even often warns people that there may be reasons you would not want to read it. There may be, after all, a lot of stuff in there that you may not want to see. And after reading it myself, I agree.

"Mere Christianity" is not a feel-good book, per se. It certainly could make you feel good. There were several passages from it that made me smile, but there were others that made me feel pretty bad. The latter happens mainly because this book tends to make you look back at yourself at things you probably don't think about very often. Whether some of those things are perfectly true are uncertain, but you can tell that C. S. Lewis had decided to take this path. He also chose to share it with the world.

The first and foremost thing that really helped me appreciate this book was the fact that C. S. Lewis stripped the entire book of denomination. He does mention that he was a member of the Church of England, but he went out of his way to point out that he was not going to go into the specifics of his own church or any other. He only wanted to give us Christianity at its very basic.

To someone that might be interested, Christian or otherwise, this is a good book to have the whole thing spelled out with out all the noise. It explains it fully, talks about expected behaviors, and then promptly ends. For that reason, it is a very solid read, but, like I said, there will almost no one in the world, including the author, that will find one or many things in the book that they will dislike. The reason for this is that Christianity is all about transformation.

The end result of Christianity is to become something different. This isn't about sinning or not sinning. This is just about going from being a human being into whatever the next stage is after that. I won't go into the details. The book does that well enough, and I think the book will deliver the material better than I could. I recommend it for anyone who is actually interested in Christianity for what it truly is.

This blog was written on May 8, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Doom (2016) [Video Game Review]

"Doom" is a video game developed by Id software. It was released in 2016. It is often referred to as "Doom (2016)" so it isn't confused with the original game that came out in 1993. I usually don't like it when franchises do this, but in this case it worked out. There is nothing cooler than seeing DOOM appear in big letters at the start of the game. I honestly did not want to see anything else with it.

Many people just see this as a re-do of the original story but with some significant twists. But I can assure you that this is absolutely the same Doom Guy from Doom 1, Doom 2, Final Doom, and Doom 64. (Doom 3 has nothing to do with this at all.) It came to a point where he just could not go on living a normal life, so he ends up staying in hell to just keep killing. He ends up being trapped in a sarcophagus and "rescued" by a group on Mars trying again to use Hell's energy for all the wrong reasons. Yeah, the same old story.

Only this time, Doom Guy seems to be a part of an ancient lineage. That is the major change to the lore. They don't go into it too much, but it seems that Doom Guy is actually an ancient being called the Doom Slayer. He is a man destined to fight the forces of Hell and is really good at doing so.

Where the gameplay is more advanced than the previous games, it sort of has the same feel. When you are in a fight, you cannot stop moving. You have to run and shoot on the fly like a mad man. But you also have to jump around and use your weapon upgrades as well. It's absolutely nuts.

Speaking of upgrades, there are so many. You are constantly looking for them to give you and your weapons more abilities and perks. I guess this is okay. I like that I have options, but I never once had fun trying to find them all. Some are them are so well hidden that you might miss them. I just want to fight.

I do like how you can stun enemies, giving you an opportunity to leap towards them and rip them apart with your bare hands. That never got old. It's something you will be doing a lot, and it's great every time.

The bosses are few in this game, but when they happen, it is an experience! They show up, and a huge health bar appears across the top of the screen. It's all done in a way to let you know that this will not be an easy fight. And that reminds me to point out how wonderful the presentation of this game is. It's brilliant!

The whole world is beautiful. And the Hell maps are the best. They are sculpted to resemble the covers of heavy metal albums. They outdid themselves here. "Doom 3" did a good job too, but this game wins the award between them. Great job.

"Doom (2016)" changed the way Doom is played, but they found a way to blend modern gaming with a classic feel. It's good. It is exceptional. They called this game "Doom" for a reason: that's all it was, and it was all it needed to be. Bravo.

This blog was written on April 23, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Doom 64 [Video Game Review]

"Doom 64" is a video game developed by Midway in 1997 for the Nintendo 64 console. It has since been updated and re-released in 2020 by NightDive Studios. That's really the version I am going to be talking about. Although I have thoroughly played this game, I have not played it very recently. Most of this review is being taken from memory.

For a game made right after the release of Doom II, it is shocking to find a game that plays so similarly that was not even made by Id. Obviously Midway was trying to go with a formula that worked. "Doom 64" plays like classic Doom flawlessly and is fun for exactly the same reason. Kind of crazy though when you consider that FPS games on the N64 at the time were a lot more advanced, allowing you to jump, look up and down, and other quality of life improvements. These things actually did negatively affect "Doom 64" at the time, and people sort of ignored it. Sad, but true.

But Midway were still geniuses in my opinion. They may have suffered a great loss from that version of the game, but the future would tell a different tale. We now look back on "Doom 64" and realize just how good we had it and also how selfish we were, clinging to all the bells and whistles of the modern FPS generation. "Doom 64" was just as good as the previous Doom games, and maybe that's all it needed to be. It was Midway's love letter to a game that was still going strong on PC, and by today, we finally appreciate that. Better late than never.

"Doom 64" takes place canonically after the events of "Final Doom." Here is a copy and paste of the story:

A planetary policy is established to quarantine the U.A.C. research installations with apocalyptic levels of radiation. For years, the installations stood motionless and abandoned, until a long-forgotten satellite monitoring one of the installations, barely functioning due to years of being subjected to high levels of radiation, sends a message back to Earth.

The message indicates that a single entity, with vast rejuvenation powers and masked by the extreme radiation levels, escaped detection in its crippled state. This entity systematically altered decaying dead carnage back into corrupted living tissue, resurrecting the demons.

As the only experienced survivor of the Doom episodes, the Marine is sent in alone to exterminate them. Later, he realizes the demons had planned for this, after he unknowingly allowed himself to be lured back into Hell. The demons are unable to defeat him, and with the Unmaker, he eventually battles and kills the Mother Demon. The game ends with the Marine, no longer capable of having a normal life following his encounters with Hell's forces, deciding to remain in Hell forever to ensure no demon ever rises again.

Despite the gameplay being the same, there are major differences in other areas that need to be addressed. Most of the demons are back, but they have been redesigned to be decidedly scarier to look at. The Revenants and the Arch-viles were omitted sadly, however there was a final boss included.

The music in this game is dark and terrifying. It's also extremely good. Like... go listen to the music from this game on YouTube or something. It is some of the most beautifully dark ambient pieces I have ever heard. It fits the look of the game too. "Doom 64" has a very dark and gloomy atmosphere to it. In some ways, this game represents what "Doom 3" probably should have been, because it somehow comes across as dark and terrifying while still replicating the fast action gameplay of the original. Nice job!

Did you think the BFG9000 was the top dog of Doom weapons? Not in "Doom 64!" While the BFG9000 is in the game (and still badass), there is a new addition that, if used properly, is a far superior killing device: The Unmaker. I love that name. I love that name almost as much as the BFG9000. It rocks.

The Unmaker is a laser weapon that, when you first get it, isn't actually all that powerful, but you can upgrade it three times during the campaign. By the time you completely upgrade it, it absolutely shreds everything, including the final boss, with little to no issues. It is the most overpowered weapon I have ever used in any video game ever. My god.

I really should not like a weapon that is this unbalanced, but there are some aspects to it that make it okay. For one, the act of upgrading it is actually very difficult. You have to find three items called "demon keys" that are only located on secret levels. Also, there is no information in the game itself that tells you what these keys even do, so you might not even know that the Unmaker is even being upgraded. The demon keys themselves are actually used to keep extra enemies from spawning in the final boss fight... but are also upgrading your Unmaker. It's so confusing that I wouldn't be surprised if someone playing the game back then even knew what to do with all these things.

That said, the fact that you need all three keys to get the Unmaker to fully upgrade means that it won't be at full power until very much near the end of the entire game. This is the balance. Unless you use cheats, you won't actually see the full power of this gun until late, and you will be forced to rely on guns of lesser power (like the BFG9000) until that point arrives. Clever.

(I'm so sorry for gushing about the Unmaker so much. It only appears in two Doom games to this date, so it is just a rare and interesting find.)

Make no mistake, "Doom 64" actually is a fantastic game, and if you like classic Doom then you can't do much better. I recommend it. Just make sure you get the NightDive Studios remaster. It even comes with a new episode!

This blog was written on April 23, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Doom 3 [Video Game Review]

"Doom 3" is a video game developed by Id Software. It originally came out in 2004. It was... okay. The thing I really would rather talk about is "Doom 3: BFG Edition" which came out waaay later in 2012. This fixed all the problems with the original and made it an entirely acceptable game to play. It also included the classic Doom and Doom II for you to have fun with as well.

Normally when I review a Doom game, I play it through first. This is the first time that I didn't do that. I mean... I have played it; I just didn't replay it for this review as I have been doing. I started to though. I just was not having as much fun, and the reason for this was that Doom 3 is not really representative of the Doom experience that I crave these days. It isn't a balls-to-the-wall, heavy metal laced power fantasy. It's a survival horror!

"Doom 3" is dark, scary, and consistently manages to fill you with dread. You have to constantly fight for your own survival. Sure, you are a tough guy. Nobody is arguing that. But you are a tough guy whose soul is resting on the razor's edge of Hell. I never once felt powerful in "Doom 3." I always felt like I was fighting for my life and just barely making it. You know what? That's not a bad thing! It's just not what I have come to enjoy about Doom.

There is another problem. "Doom 3" is kind of its own story. It really has nothing to do with the other games, and that's kind of a bummer. The other games actually do have fun and interesting stories. This one does too. It just isn't the same kind of story.

The developers wanted to make Hell seem really palpable for the wickedness that it truly represented. It wasn't just about demons; it was about the wickedness of sin. This concept was made visual and done extremely well. I did love this game's presentation.

Now, for the elephant in the room. Why is the "BFG Edition" better? The problem with the original game was that the developers tried to make the game scarier by forcing you to switch back and forth from a gun to a flashlight. This was not good. It made most of the game too dark to see anything. Most of the time, you were just shooting in complete darkness. Sorry, Id, but you screwed up. That wasn't scary; it was just annoying.

The "BFG Edition" completely remedied these issues, handed over all the expansion episodes, and the classic games to boot. It was a wonderful gesture that just took them perhaps a little too long to get to. But now-a-days, it is an easy thing to recommend "Doom 3." It's worth your time if you don't mind your Doom themed in a darker, more terrifying way. It is what it is, although to be fair... the world has pretty much moved on.

This blog was written on April 22, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Doom + Doom II [Video Game Review]

"Doom + Doom II" is a remaster of the original classic Doom video games. It was released in 2024 and developed by NightDive Studios. I have been mentioning them like crazy lately, but I never actually reviewed the game itself. I was more-or-less talking about the original games that I was playing on this new port. I'll be brief.

The whole genius around this title is that it makes an old game so wonderfully accessible to everyone. Indeed, the classic Doom episodes were already available by different independent ports that you could download. These were not always friendly to people who were less PC savvy. I was able to figure it out a little, but what I really wanted was a simple, easy-to-understand port of Doom that would just.... you know... work.

I did not just want it to work, I wanted it to work well with controller support and all the bells and whistles that make modern gaming so friendly. Games today are not like they used to be. Today we have widescreen monitors, better graphics and sound capability, and a host of other quality of life improvements. "Doom + Doom II" takes advantage of all of these things while still basically keeping the game the same as it always was. In fact, a lot of these new features can simply be toggled on and off to your own preferences.

An example of an improvement is that you can now hear if a sound is happening to the left, right, or even forward and behind. Yes, sound design was a major design element for this port. Not only that, but everything is perfectly crystal clear to look at. You can play with a superb resolution with no slowdown at all. Everything is fast and wonderful.

This port also brought together all the main episodes for Doom and Doom II. It also included a brand new episode for you to play which I have already reviewed. Gentlemen, this is the best list I have ever had the pleasure of looking at:

-Doom

-Doom II

-Master Levels for Doom II [Assembled into a single campaign.]

-TNT Evilution [Final Doom]

-The Plutonia Experiment [Final Doom]

-No Rest for the Living

-Sigil

-Sigil II [Only just added in 2025.]

-Legacy of Rust [A brand new modern campaign.]

This is it, baby! This is everything in one package. Not to mention the sheer massive amount of extra episodes and mods available on it's mod browser. Oh yes! You can download tons of alternative games made on the Doom engine from some of the best and brightest map-makers the world has ever seen. It's all here.

The crazy thing to me was the price. This entire package was only $9.99. Ten freaking dollars! There is no better value anywhere on anything. It's insane. And what was kind of crazy was that I kind of got it for free. Because I already owned the old antiquated Doom titles, NightDive just gave this to me for nothing. What did I do to deserve this?

There have been some complaints that this port does not include some of the improvements of the popular independent ports, such as the ability to jump or look up and down. NightDive was not trying to reinvent Doom. They were just trying to make the original experience more friendly and accessible. They succeeded.

If you are a Classic Doom fan, this is the ultimate and easiest way to play it comfortably. And for ten bucks, how could I not recommend this. It's worth it in so many ways. Rip and tear, my friends! May Classic Doom live forever!

This blog was written on April 22, 2025.

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