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Dungeons of Dreadrock (2022)
Dungeons of Dreadrock
The story of "Dungeons of Dreadrock" is about a mysterious mountain dungeon in which an Undead King dwells. Every year, a young boy from an adjacent village is sent to the dungeon to kill the king. But unbeknownst to the citizens, the wizards of the village actually have a deal with the Undead King to sacrifice the boys so the King can prolong his undead life.
You play a rogue who accompanies her little brother to the entrance of the mountain but then follows him deep down below to rescue him from the Undead King.
What then follows are 100 classic fantasy dungeon levels consisting of skeletons, traps, hidden switches and riddles. So while the game has elements of a classic RPG with a high-fantasy setting, it actually is a puzzle game in disguise. It also features elements of point and click adventures to a very little extend.
The game could easily become one of those games that.lean solemnly.on a single feature but the game really manages to stay versatile in every single level. While there's returning elements and riddles, none of them feel repetitive and while the riddles are challenging, they never are too hard or unfair.
Time Warped (1995)
Time Warped
Picture this: Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of the hilarously raunchy "South Park", doing an educational kids TV series. This is exactly what this is. Matt and Trey pitched two episodes to Fox Kids. The series would have involved fictionalized stories of people in history in musical form but sadly, it was not picked up by the network.
The series goes just as you'd expect: It is hilarious and one can only imagine what could have been. Of course, as the supposed audience where kids, it is not dirty or politically incorrect as "South Park" - but it certainly is just as hilarious.
The first episode is the story of Moses, the second is basically a retelling of "Romeo and Juliet", both with very clever twists to present you the stories in a form you've probably never seen before. And the best part: It has musical elements. Both episodes feature lots of hilariously odd moments, perfectly delivered one-liners by the cast and can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
Time Warped: Rom and Jul (1995)
Rom and Jul
If you thought you could have guessed what the series would be about after the first episode, well, guess again: The second episode of this educational kids series that sadly never was picked up by the network does not feature any famous historical figures but the story of Romeo and Juliet.
But just as the first episode had an interesting twist with being focused on Aaron instead of Moses, in this episode, Romeo and Juliet are people from the Stone Age called Rom and Jul.
While Jul is an intelligent homo erectus woman who is on the brink of discovering fire, Rom is from a tribe of proto-humans that not yet fully got the hang out of being intelligent or walk upright (an australopithecus, to be precise.
This episode explains evolution to kids, has yet again vey good songs and on top a character from the first episode makes an unexpected return! It probably would have been a running gag, I imagine. This episode is even more hilarious and creative than the first one and makes you want more!
Time Warped: Aaron (1995)
Aaron
The first of just two unaired episodes of this unsuccessfully pitched TV series focuses on Moses and how he freed the Hebrews from Egypt, but it's mainly from the point of view of Moses' brother Aaron. In the Bible, Aaron does most of the talking to the Pharao and this series explains why: Moses is depicted as rather dim-witted and Aaron has to do most of the thinking because Moses just drops random one-liners that seem pretty weird taken out of of context.
For example, Moses insists that God did not talk to him through a bush but that God *is* a bush. This leads to the hilarious line when the Pharaoh asks: "What form does your Lord take?" To which Moses replies: "He is a great bush!" There's lots of other great lines, like Aaron anachronistically yelling "Jesus!" after being scared by a snake.
There's so much weird stuff going on in just 20 minutes, like Moses offering Aaron a marshmallow from the burning bush - complete with a classic sitcom canned laughter or Tiny Tim from "A Christmas Carol" dropping in to deliver his line "God bless us everyone!", never to brought up again. The Pharaoh's wife also has to be seen to be believed.
Spider-Man (1981)
Spider-Man (1981-1982)
There were certainly great animated TV series based on Marvel Comics properties coming out in the 80s and this one, featuring Spider-Man, one of Marvel's most prominent superheroes, is no exception. While the series definitely has a few weaker episodes, there's definitely more good ones.
While the premise is lifted straight from the comics, all of the plots are original to the series and the series balances a supporting cast of Spider-Man enemies, guest villains and original characters. A lot of the cast from the comics is present, like Peter's elderly aunt May, his choleric boss J. Jonah Jameson or Peter's love interest Betty Brant. Other characters are mentioned and lots of other Marvel characters have either guest appearances or cleverly hidden cameos.
The series is a big step up from the 1967 TV series and not only features thrilling superhero action but also very human moments like Peter's struggle with money and him trying to balance his private life with his superhero life.
In one very outstanding example, Spider-Man actually tries to help the supervillain get out of his miserable situation instead of just defeating him. Unfortunately, it is a one-time example but it definitely sets the stage for other Spider-Man series to come.
One minor issue I had when watching it was that I noticed that the series could have benefitted from a different episode order in my opinion. There's an epic six-parter with Doctor Doom scattered througout the series and a two-parter with a Kingpin and then the series just ends with a one-shot that not even contains a Spider-Man villain. The Doom episodes certainly have the feeling of a series finale and the viewer experience could enhance if the episode "Countdown to Doom" is watched last.
Spider-Man: Under the Wizard's Spell (1982)
Under the Wizard's Spell
In the series' finale Spider-Man tackles not one of his own enemies but the Human Torch villain Wizard who teams up with Medusa using a collar to control her mind. Medusa is an Inhuman, a race of mutated humans with different abilities - Medusa has psychokinetic control over her hair. Certainly not the coolest of abilities but a very unique one nonetheless.
The series finale is pretty underwhelming if you see it as the finale, especially after the Doctor Doom saga and even the Kingpin two-parter, but if you see it as just another episode, it is okay.
The episode features a few weird moments like Spider-Man and Medusa apparently knowing each other and Spidey flirting with Medusa several times. The existience of Betty Brant is not acknowledged in this episode. So after the efforts they took to create continuity for this series in the last episodes let's just hope Peter and Betty had a clean break-up before Spidey apparently started having feelings for Medusa.
Another odd moment is that Wizard openly invites Medusa to talk (they were in a supervillain team together) and the meeting point is... a giant hairspray can. It is a weird and unnecessary detail but hilarious at the same time.
But it defintely is not a weak episode as there's also lots of screentime for the emotional rollercoaster Spidey and Medusa go through.
Spider-Man: The Return of Kingpin (1982)
The Return of Kingpin
In this episode, Spidey is contact by a talent scout that offers different jobs to him. This time, Peter gives in and actually uses his powers to get some money for Aunt May - although it's nothing illegal. We learn that the talent scout actually works for the Kingpin who orchestrates everything from the shadows to hurt Spider-Man's reputation (as if that would be necessary with Jameson and the Bugle around).
This is the second episode that features the Kingpin. It's great that they use him as a recurring villain but he falls a littlie flat after the global threat of Doctor Doom and maybe they would have benefitted from a little build-up as crimeboss (e.g. Some of the former villains could have either worked for him or mention his existence in the criminal underworld). Nevertheless, the Kingpin as a recurring villain works, especially with him working as a coordinating puppet master from the shadows.
A cool detail about this episode is a news report that gives a little insight about the timeline of the series: It says Spider-Man is around for ten years and his feats besting the Green Goblin, Doctor Doom and the Lizard are brought up. It's a great detail that gives you the sense of an existing world within the series and shows that the creators didn't just work from episode to episode.
Spider-Man: Wrath of the Sub-Mariner (1982)
Wrath of the Sub-Mariner
Nearing the end of the series, here's another episode that completely knocks it out of the park: Lots of characters are being introduced and the episode manages to bring them all together very well.
It starts with the introduction of the rival crime-boss Wilson Fisk Kingpin aka the "Kingpin" as well as the rival gangleaders Silvermane, Caesar Cicero and Hammerhead. The Kingpin unites them all with a common goal. The common goal is never made explicitly clear and seems to be to just pull off as many crimes as possible - to do this, the Kingpin introduces a powerful acid developed by one of his scientists.
What's great is that all of this would be completely enough for a great episode, but they actually put a cherry on top of the cake: The acid produces a chemical waste which the Kingpin dumps into the sea - which subsequently calls Namor the Sub-Mariner to arms, an ocean-dwelling superhero and the the leader of Atlantis. Namor's cousin Namorita gets poisoned by the toxic waste, so Spider-Man and Namor team up to stop the Kingpin and his pollution.
The episode is all around great, has great pacing, a cool and well hidden cameo as well as a great message about environmental pollution. Namor's line "Just because pollution cannot be seen does not mean it is not there" is a great line more people should take to heart.
Spider-Man: The Vulture Has Landed (1982)
The Vulture Has Landed
Another good, albeit not great episode, but it has a very unique premise: Adriam Toomes aka "The Vulture" (another one of the very classic Spider-Man villains), a guy with the ability to fly through mechanical wings.
After an initial encounter with the Vulture, Peter loses his civilian clothes and visits his rich friend Harry Osborn (the son of Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin, although this is not elaborated upon in this episode. The Vulture appears, mistakes Peter for Harry and takes him hostage.
What then follows is a weird plan involving the Vulture's blimp, mechanical birds and paint that can make stuff invisible. Even for comic book logic, this really stretches.
Spider-Man: Arsenic and Aunt May (1982)
Arsenic and Aunt May
Another great episode that feels like a "back to basics" plot after all the global threats of the Doctor Doom episodes. It features the Chameleon, who was actually the very first masked supervillain Spider-Man ever fought in the comics.
In this episode, the Chameleon meets a relative of the burglar who killed Peter's uncle Ben and gives almost the complete backstory of how Spider-Man came to be and how he learned that from great power comes great responsibility.
The Chameleon plots a very vile plan in which he uses Aunt May's loss over Uncle Ben to lure Spidey into a trap. Granted, the presentation of the Chameleon's plan is pretty stupid with an amulet that hypnotizes May but in its core, the plot works for what it is and is very human.
Spider-Man: Countdown to Doom (1982)
Countdown to Doom
This episode is a follow-up from "The Doom Report" which ended on yet another cliffhanger and sadly shows that the insurrection by Spidey and the Latverian citizens did nothing at all: Castle Doom is rebuilt, the freedom fighters imprisoned.
This time, Doom - even for his standards - goes completely nuts and launches the Earth into a new ice age. His demands: Have the United Nations declare him to be the master of the world.
It may be a stretch, but with Spidey mentioning Doom having "pushed the button" and "going too far", this episode could be seen as a commentary on the Cold War and nuclear threat. As the episode "The Doom Report" seemingly already was the finale of the Doctor Doom story arc, this episode actually manages to take it even further - overall this episode feels like the series' finale.
It's great how Spidey rounds up all the world's ambassadors to work togeter against Doom's menace. Also interesting to finally see Aunt May again who was not present for quite a few episodes.
Spider-Man: The Web of Nephilia (1982)
The Web of Nephilia
After all the epic Doom action of the previous episodes, this episode is something a little different and more light-hearted.
It features Dr. Bradley Shaw who is dominated by his wife Penny. She is obsessed with Spider-Man and actually manipulated her husband into injecting himself a little bit of Spider-Man's blood mixed with the blood of a spider species called "Nephilia". It turns him into a giant, monstrous spider creature who calls himself "Nephilia". He quickly loses his sanity and, after being furrther manipulated by his wife, goes on a hunt for Spidey.
From all of the characters made up for this series, Nephilia sure has the most intriguing design and with his wife being the manipulative puppet master in the background Nephilia has a very unique motivation.
The best part that is very fitting for Spider-Man is that Spidey actually tries to help Nephilia instead of just defeating him. There's also a great sub-plot with Jameson encouraing his employees to donate blood for a seemingly good cause.
Spider-Man: The Doom Report (1982)
The Doom Report
The next of many Doctor Doom episodes in this series. But what makes this episode engaging is that is a direct sequel to the episode "Canon of Doom". Johan, the recurrnig Latverian character from previous episodes, finally reaches New York City and wants the world to learn the truth about Doom's ruthless dictatorship in Latveria.
Johan turns to the Daily Bugle and meets Peter Parker who gives him the opportunity of an interview. Although Peter only does this because there's no other reporter around it's still great to see that Peter knows when he's needed as Peter and not as Spider-man. The action then shifts to Latveria as Spider-Man and Johan together travel to the oppressed country to finally free it from Doom.
A great episode with an engaging finale that finally pays off all the previous Doom episodes.
Spider-Man: The Capture of Captain America (1982)
The Capture of Captain America
"The Capture of Captain America" features a guest appearance by the legendary Captain America and his greatest foe, the Red Skull. This episode is great as it not only serves as an origin story for Cap (with a flashboack to World War II which led to the episode not being aired in Germany, for example) but gives a great backstory for Jameson as well.
During a celebration of "Captain America Day" (invented by Jameson) the Red Skull returns and kidnaps Captain America. Due to a misunderstanding, it looks like Spidey actually helped the Red Skull and is being hated upon by New York's citizens. So Spidey not only has to save Cap but also clear his name, so the stakes are pretty high in this episode.
Additionally, the episode has the best animation so far and features great lightning and shadowing in some scenes. There's a short scene with a costume shop that features funny cameos by Jean Grey, Luke Cage, Storm and other prominent characters.
Spider-Man: Canon of Doom (1982)
Canon of Doom
This episode, you guessed it, features yet another return by Doctor Doom. But what makes this episode stick out positively is the continuity within the series: Johan, a free-thinking Latverian citizen, also returns and brings the plot forth while the device Doom uses in this episode actually only works because of the guidance device Goron brought him in the episode "The A-B-C's of D-O-O-M".
At first, Doctor Doom's plan seems to be altruistic and Jameson even agrees to help him (as if that ever worked in the past and the name "Doctor Doom" wouldn't be any indication about his ulterior motives) but, spoiler alert, soon all of New York City is threatened by Doom.
The best part is that a great deal of the episode is used for an elaborate and really dark origin story for Doctor Doom although it is a little weird that they completely omit the Fantastic Four in his origin. The Doom origin plot actually is so good that you yet again wish for it to be part of a Fantastic Four series.
Spider-Man: The Unfathomable Professor Gizmo (1981)
The Unfathomable Professor Gizmo
Another weird episode in which there is so much going on although there's nothing much to it. The episode "The Unfathomable Professor Gizmo" features another original villain, a classical mad scientist with the a really loose concept of an overall plan.
At first, Gizmo tries to reclaim the sunken treasure of a sunken ship. Due to the pressure on the ocean ground, Gizmo assumes that only Spider-Man can get to the shipwreck safely (although this is explained with the pretty stupid concept of spiders protecting themselves in bubbles made of webbing). Gizmo has the pretty wild plan to control the city's electronic devices (though he confines this control to vacuum cleaners for some reason) which, surprisingly enough, actually works.
It is a wild ride from start to finish with a giant octopus, a hilarious over-the-top scream by a cleaning lady who gets frightened by a vacuum cleaner and Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.
A positive aspect definitely is Robbie Robertson being presented more and more prominently to contrast Jameson's character.
Spider-Man: The Incredible Shrinking Spider-Man (1981)
The Incredible Shrinking-Spider-Man
This is yet another great episode and may be one of the best for the simple fact that it features another original supervillain specifically created for this show - and he's really engaging and highly interesting! The villain calls himself "the Gadgeteer" and has an actual backstory and leads the plot to the main attraction: Spidey is getting shrunk by a device and has to spend most of the episode as big as a mouse.
A few of the scenes from this episode are used in the series intro so you already know some of the scenes like the encounter with the cat or Spidey jumping around on a typewriter and there was quite a build-up to the Gadgeteer due to him being shown in the intro.
All the stuff Spidey has to do in his shrunk form are highly entertaining: For example, when he's shrunk the first thing he does is to lie down on a ruler to find out how small he actually is. Also, he tries to use the phone booth to call Aunt May.
Overall, very entertaining, funny and unique within the context of this show.
Spider-Man: The Hunter and the Hunted (1981)
The Hunter and the Hunted
Finally, after a lean period we get a really great episode again! "The Hunter and the Hunted" features jungle hero Ka-Zar and his sabretooth companion Zabu as guest stars but, more prominently, Spider-Man villain Kraven the Hunter in his first animated appeareance! Essentially, Kraven is just a dude with a knife in leggins and a weird lion-shaped vest, but I really have a soft spot for him. There's something about him.
J. Jonah Jameson hires Kraven to capture Zabu in the Savage Land, a vast landmass in the Antarctica where dinosaurs still exist. Zabu is brought to New York City, so his best friend Ka-Zar (sort of a Tarzan expy by Marvel) follows them to the concrete jungle.
Spider-Man and Ka-Zar meet and have a classic superhero misunderstanding before teaming up against Kraven. This episode, just like "Bubble, Bubble, Oil and Trouble" just nails what Spidey is all about and is just around very entertaining fun.
The only downside is that Jameon's nephew Mortimer, who's as annoying as ever, makes a prominent return.
Spider-Man: The Sidewinder Strikes! (1981)
The Sidewinder Strikes!
Unfortunaley, "The Sidewinder Strikes!" is another really, really weak episode. There is so much going on and yet, nothing at all.
So, a rodeo show comes to town and - who would've guessed - at the exact same time a rodeo-themed art robber gang appears. They ride mechanical, flying horses and are led by the masked villain Sidewinder, yet another original character (which bears a striking resemblance to the very classic Spider-Man villain Crime-Master though).
There's a fight in an arena and criminal clowns, so basically yet another evil circus thing just like in the episode "Triangle of Evil".
The only thing that somehow works in this episode is that they actually try to create a mystery about the Sidewinder's identity but it's painstakingly obvious who it is from the very beginning.
Spider-Man: The A-B-C's of D-O-O-M (1981)
The A-B-C's of D-O-O-M
Just like the series first Doom episode, "Dr. Doom, Master of the World", this episode, oddly enough being titled "The A-B-C's of D-O-O-M", feels out of place for this series and would have made a better episode for a Fantastic Four series, for example.
At first, Doom invites ambassadors from all over the world to Latveria, the fictitious European country he's the leader of to convince them of his new scientific discovery - but it's all a scheme to get control of a space craft. Somehow involved in this hole plot is a mysterious, seemingly human villain named Goron Doctor Doom teams up with.
Spidey sort of tumbles in this whole plot and doesn't even meet Doom. Spidey meets Goron and they fight. Goron is another original character (and famously featured in the show's opening) but he's really weak, has powers that are never explained and when he's defeated it raises even more questions.
Hugo III, Jungle of Doom! (1992)
Hugo III, Jungle of Doom!
"Hugo III, Jungle of Doom!" is the last entry of the wild ride that is the Hugo trilogy by independent software developer David P. Gray.
Although one should not look for any particular rhyme or reason in the trilogy, "Jungle of Doom" actually manages to have the most consistend plot of the three: After the events of the last game, Hugo and Penelope travel home by plane but crash in the Amazon rainforest.
At first it seems like you are playing as Penelope again. But then Penelope gets bitten by a venomous spider. The action then shifts back to Hugo who learns from a magic lagoon. The lagoon's water has magical abilities and could cure Penelope from the spider's bite.
Albeit having a magical plot, the game stays true to this outline and although you talk to witch doctors and meet African elephants in the South American rainforest, the game never gets as weird as the first two entries and is another fun challenge in a very diverse trilogy.
Hugo II: Whodunit? (1991)
Hugo II: Whodunit?
"Hugo II: Whodunit?" is the 1991 sequel to "Hugo's House of Horrors" and, just like the original, a really engaging, albeit cryptic and very hard parser-based adventure game (meaning you have to type in the commands rather than clicking on stuff self-explanatory).
If you guessed you've seen it all after the first game and it couldn't get any weirder, guess again, because you're in for a lot of surprises: First of all, immediately after the prologue of the game the action switches from Hugo, the hero from the first game, to his wife Penelope. You control her for the rest of the game.
It starts of with the mysterious murder of Hugo's great uncle Horace in his luxurious mansion in England. Penelope rummages the mansion and the adjacent village to solve Horace's murder. The game actually manages to get really, really weird again, the pinnacle being a short scene referencing the British sci-fi series "Doctor Who" (and again, this has nothing to do with the overall plot).
But, just like the first game, "Hugo II: Whodunit?" really engages you to be solved.
Hugo's House of Horrors (1990)
Hugo's House of Horrors
"Hugo's House of Horrors" is an independent video game from 1990. It is no point-and-click adventure meaning you have to type in all of your commands with a lot of imagination and actually try to beat a highscore by solving every puzzle available in the best possible way.
Being both from the early 90s and independent, the game is a.) rather short, b.) painstakingly cryptic, c.) very, very weird but most of all, d.) really engaging.
The plot couldn't be simpler: You play Hugo, a guy who enters the.eponymous House of Horrors in which Hugo's girlfriend Penelope disappeared. The game starts of easy enough with a simple puzzle in which you have to find the key to the front door. As it is really easy, it really captivates you and motivates you to solve the rest of the game as well.
But as soon as you enter the main hall the game gets weird as hell. A dining room and which you meet Frankenstein's Monster, the Grim Reaper and other iconic classic monsters is the least weird part and bears no relevance to the overall plot at all.
It seems like the developer had a lot of weird and funny ideas while programming the game and tried to fit them all in, no matter if they suited the overall game or not (which is not bad from my point of view).
Spider-Man: Triangle of Evil (1981)
Triangle of Evil
This is another weak episode. They were trying to establish a new supervillain, a stuntman who, by comic book logic, got fused to a robotic metal suit when struck by lightning, with the imaginative name of "Stuntman". The Stuntman always has fitting mechanical gadgets hidden in his body which could make him a great new recurring villain, yet his powers are never that interesting and in the end he's just a robber.
The main plot is about Peter attending a stunt show as Spider-Man to make some money. He then crosses ways several times with the Stuntman. This episode is best being remembered for its social commentary about greedy producers and the film and TV business in general.
This overall weak episode has a great ending that shows what it means to be Spider-Man.
Spider-Man: Revenge of the Green Goblin (1981)
Revenge of the Green Goblin
This is a great episode. It features the Green Goblin as the villain who can be considered Spider-Man's archnemesis. Behind his mask, the Green Goblin is Norman Osborn, the father of one of Peter's best friends but they don't go into that part of their relationship.
But what makes it great is that this episode can be considered a sequel to the classic Spider-Man comic book story "Spidey Saves the Day! Featuring: The End of the Green Goblin!". In it, Spidey and the Goblin have their final battle and after losing the battle, Osborn is being left with amnesia, so he doesn't remember his crimes as the Green Goblin. This episode tackles that storyline and begins with Osborn recovering from his amnesia and remembering being the Green Goblin.
On top, this episode takes place during Halloween which is quite fitting for the Green Goblin.