Smith's Shorter Sagas

Completed: 24 Apr. 2025 Grade: A This was a surprisingly good game. I have long had a small interest in dinosaurs, but never really pursued that interest in great detail. I often saw this Dinosaur park builder on sale for the Switch, and so had put it on my want list, and recently decided to pull the trigger when it was available for about $5. The game's campaign mode takes the player through an easy progression to learn the mechanics at a satisfying, but not overwhelming pace. The dinosaur models are fun, and the combination of trying to find fossils to get 'Dino DNA,' piece together gene sequences, and even manipulating them to bring out certain traits is fun on its own. But then there is the extra challenge of trying to make sure the environment for the dinosaurs is enough to keep them docile, and to also satisfy the needs of guests visiting the park.  This was a great game to play while also watching television in the evening. As such, I racked up over 105 hours in the ...

Completed: Feb. 22, 2025 Grade: A+ This was a fantastic story game. My only gripe is that sometimes I was unsure of my objectives, and that early on I didn’t realize I had more time to getter evidence (but I worked this out as the game went on). Otherwise, there is so much to like about this, particularly as it appeals to my background of being a Medievalist. The game takes place in the midst of the upheavals of the later Middle Ages that ushers in the renaissance. The Reformation is starting, as is the printing press, and humanistic research into the past all play background roles in the lives of the small Bavarian town of Tassing. The creators of the game really did some excellent research into the time period, and this plays out in the character actions and visuals (such as the use of different handwriting to denote status, and even how the characters walk!). The game is essentially a murder mystery that the player attempts to solve by finding evidence and interviewing the townsp...

Date Completed: 10 Apr., 2025 Grade: B- This is quite the improvement from he first volume. The highlight for me would be Marvel Fanfare #10-13. This seemed more like the classic spy story I expected from Black Widow and didn't get from the first volume. The Daredevil/Black Widow: Abattoir graphic novel was also good, with some great artwork. The other stories ranged from okay to bad, that mostly suffer because this is mostly a collection of one shots, with some random elements added to the Widow's background with little continuity. I did appreciate the one-page introduction which fills in the Black Widow's story from her stint in Daredevil and the Champions, but in a way I'm sad these didn't make it into their own collection. I guess the Daredevil issues can be found in the Daredevil epics, and it suggests that there will be a Champions epic at some point.