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JAMES ARTHUR VOLUME II

ISSUE 4

EDITORIAL

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FORTNIGHTLY FAVOURITE

Words: Ellen Desmond, Entertainment Editor

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There are few who’d deny, at what I do I am the best, For my talents are renowned far and wide”… okay so that might not be as true for me as it is for Jack Skellington but I do think it’s appropriate that this editorial be somewhat Nightmare Before Christmas themed. It’s not even Halloween yet and somehow there are Christmas decorations on sale everywhere; beside the pumpkin masks and bags of shelled peanuts are Christmas candles and Santa hats. It’s a dream come true for a Tim Burton fan to walk around Tesco and see the two seasons so closely linked, it is however, an obvious marketing ploy to start Christmas early and it really takes away from Halloween. Halloween is, in my opinion, a peak in the year of the entertainment industry. October should be a time for watching Hocus Pocus, listening to The Monster Mash and keeping an eye out for Halloween reruns of the kids TV shows that scared you half to death when you were younger - the Halloween episode of Hey Arnold! will always haunt my nightmares. It shouldn’t be a time to start planning presents or worrying about Christmas funds.

The content of this issue isn’t exactly festive. Well, it’s actually not festive at all in any way, but it is a seriously amazing issue of Verge, by far the best one yet and hats off to the contributors and section editors Eoghan, Brian, Rob and Méadbh for that.We recently had a Verge meeting about how we could bag an interview with Angela Lansbury. We’ve decided it would be best to murder someone on campus and hope she turns up to investigate - in other words, Verge is only going to keep getting better so stay tuned.

I’d also like to point out that the UCC Express is not actually distributed around campus by fairies and the paper in your hand did not fall out of the sky or come to be in Brookfield by accident. Before I became an editor I believed this to be the case.

However, following my overly-ambitious idea of carrying a bundle of Expresses all the way from main campus to the Enterprise Centre, I now know for sure that there are no fairies involved. For those of you who have seen The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey the situation was roughly the same and I came out of the adventure to the Enterprise Centre two feet shorter and wearing bloodied sandals. So, the very paper in your hand got there through the physical torture of innocent students, I hope you remember that and perhaps even consider dressing up as the UCC Express for Halloween as a sort of tribute. So go on, take a night off. Stay in and watch the Nightmare Before Christmas, carve something inappropriate in a pumpkin and get in the Halloween holiday spirit; “Now you’ve probably wondered where holidays come from. If you haven’t I’d say it’s time you begun”.

@ellen_desmond

E d i t o r i a l Te a m : Entertainment Editor: Ellen Desmond

Arts & Literature Editor: Eoghan Lyng

Gaming Editor: Brian Conmy

Music Editor: Méadhbh Crowley

Film & TV Editor: Robert O’ Sullivan

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Contributors: Laura Hussey Emily Horgan David Coleman Cathal Dennehy James McGlynn Aoife Gleeson Stephen P. Barry

From Boston Legal to Ryan Gosling to German expressionism, my editorials are all over the place! I recently watched the original Science Fiction film, Metropolis.

It was interesting to sit down and watch the film, as Metropolis is of a lost genre: silent film. Metropolis itself is a fascinating film on its own but it’s amazing to see its influence on other films of the genre. If you do decide to sit down and watch Metropolis, you may recognise a few more blatant things, as it was used as the basis for the video of Queen’s Radio Ga Ga. And who knows, silent films may yet return: things like The Artist and even Pixar’s shorts prove that they can still be enjoyed.

-Robert

@theCircleGuy

Halloween is fast approaching. At a time like this, Red Dragon is the ideal read. The first (and ultimately best) of the Hannibal Lecter novels, the book is made all the more scary by Lecter`s ever-lurking presence. Similar to the depiction of Rebecca in Daphne du Maurier`s great work, Lecter seems present at all times; even when he`s not there. The book also features another great literary sociopath, Francis Dolarhyde(the dragon in question). A lucid schizophrenic, Dolarhyde is a physical juggernaut.

His actions are shocking; his actions in the final chapter of the book are particularly shocking. Will Graham, the book`s main character, is certainly a more interesting character than the better known Clarice Starling from The Silence of the Lambs. Emotionally enthralling in its writing, the book is genuinely scary. Thomas Harris`s magnum opus is perfect for this paganic time of year!

-Eoghan

@EoghanLyng

Ed Sheeran announced this week that his new album, which will be released in February 2014, “won’t have a normal name”.This brought me back to his first album “+”. No one is quite sure what his previous album, is actually called,not even Sheeran himself. “+” varies from genre to genre, one track could be RnB while another may be a ballad.

My favourite song on the album has to be Give Me Love. It begins with Sheeran attempting a new relationship but longing for his previous one, as the song goes on he grows in desperation, where all he wants is to be loved and the arrangement follows with a crescendo and then ending simply into a guitar and vocal. Overall it’s an amazing album and well worth a listen before the next one comes out.

-Meadhbh

@meadhbh_crowley

I have had some time to game this week and yet I spent it playing a game I got for four euro in the hopes of an easy Platinum Trophy on PS3. I genuinely enjoy trophy hunting in a meta game sense of the term, however this game was just far too much for me to overcome for a non-existent trophy.

Which led to a couple hours in one day spent trying games I’d bought but never tried and quickly deleting the games I knew I’d never play any more of. With that said I still have a backlog of around 40 games with no reasonable time frame on when I’ll get to play, never mind complete, any of them. This is definitely the most first world problem anyone can actually complain about.

-Brian @aerach71

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

Malcolm in the Middle VS Breaking Bad

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L a u r a H u s s e y discusses the two defining characters of Bryan Cranston’s acting life

ryan Cranston’s career can often be book ended by two characters in particular; Hal Wilkerson, a comedic role and Walter White, a dramatic role. Hal Wilkerson is the father of a dysfunctional family which the TV show Malcolm in the Middle revolves around.

Walter White is the main character of hit AMC show, Breaking Bad. So what’s the difference between Hal and Walter? Well to start off with Walter spends his time on Breaking Bad trying to build up a meth empire while Hal spends time on his respective show living a fairly normal life attempting to control his five unruly children with hilarious results.

Describing the character of Walter White can be a difficult task. While Hal Wilkerson is a simple character to relate to Walter is anything but! Walter can almost be split into two people. Firstly, there’s Walt, the mild-mannered Chemistry teacher and father of two whose life is turned upside down following a cancer diagnosis. Secondly, there’s Heisenberg, the cut throat, power hungry methamphetamine manufacturer, arguably the best in the business! While Hal and Walt would probably be able to relate to each other, both fathers with white collar jobs, if Hal ever came toe to toe with ‘Heisenberg’... well, things wouldn’t be looking so good for Hal. I can say this with confidence given my familiarity with the two shows and these two characters. While Heisenberg has run over drug dealers, blown up people and poisoned children all in the name of manufacturing and selling meth, one of Hal’s greatest nemeses was a wasp that left him barricaded in his home and caused him to crash his car. That wasp was smarter than your average wasp I’ll give him that, but Hal would simply be no match for Heisenberg.

Both Hal and Walt start off in marriages in which the female rules the household. It is undeniable that Hal’s wife, Lois controls the Wilkerson household. A simple look from Lois can exact confessions of hidden report cards or broken vases. That is why it has always been my opinion that the CIA should hire Lois as part of their interrogation team. Who needs Guantanamo bay when you have Lois in the interview room! The same type of control can be said about Skylar in Breaking Bad, to less of a degree of course.

While Lois’ aggressive dominance of her family in Malcolm in the Middle is comically high, Skylar is familiar with a certain level of control in the White family. For example, in the first series,

Skylar manages to convince Walt to undergo chemotherapy despite his refusal to do so at the beginning of the episode. However, as the TV series progresses Heisenberg begins to take over Walt and before you know it, it is Walter who is manipulating and threatening Skylar into a more submissive role -not like in 50 Shades of Grey may I add! Hal, however, stays well under the thumb of his wife Lois throughout the seven seasons of Malcolm in the Middle.

When it comes to secret keeping, Walt may not be the best at lying but Heisenberg is the master of deception. In one of the very first episodes, Walt awkwardly doles out unprepared and unconvincing lies to his wife in order to hide his diagnosis and his new job, ‘meth cooker’; but with the creation of Heisenberg comes Walt’s impressive ability to spin lies almost impossible to unravel with the greatest of ease, a ‘practice makes perfect’ kind of situa-

There is one thing, however, that Hal massively exceeds Walter White in, and that is libido!

tion. By the final season, the shy, conservative Chemistry teacher is gone and all that remains is ‘the devil’, Heisenberg. Hal, on the other hand, is a terrible liar. He’s the stereotypical avoidseye-contact-then-runs-out-of-the-room type of liar any time he attempts to hide anything from his family. Hal’s poker face is essentially none existent, any time he would play the card game with Abe and his friends; and would be dealt a good hand, he’d make this high pitched delighted sound, realise what he’d done, then attempt to cover it up with a very disappointed face. One of the only secrets he manages to keep in the series is that he once spent 300 dollars on sequins for a roller disco type fantasy of his; think a glitter, jazzy leotard and Bohemian Rhapsody. There is one thing, however, that Hal massively exceeds Walter White in, and that is libido! Hal is a rose petal covering, massage giving, scented candle owning sex machine with eyes for Lois alone. Walt is a little too preoccupied with his drug empire and Skylar is a little too preoccupied with hating Walt for the two to have a healthy sex life.

And finally we come to recognition. While Hal’s hilarious personality delighted many for 151 episodes and got him an Emmy nomination or three to be precise, Cranston never won for his role as Hal on Malcolm in the Middle.

It was Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of Walter White that earned him international recognition.

Cranston received three consecutive Emmy’s, ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series’ for his role on Breaking Bad. These wins are indisputably justified, given the complexity of the character that is Walter. He holds the honour of being the first actor in a cable series to walk away with three consecutive wins. While Cranston said he loved playing Hal, he really enjoyed the complete change that Walter brought rather than just being ‘a derivative of Hal’ for the rest of his career. Bryan admitted himself that Walter White was the best character he ever played.

He relates to the fact that ‘even the meekest among us can become dangerous given the right circumstances’. A sentence has never better describes Walt’s transformation to Heisenberg.

Public opinion seems to favour Walter over Hal and I reluctantly agree with them. While Hal’s funny panicky everyday situations often create some memorable moments, to paraphrase Sinead O’Connor: ‘Nothing compares 2 Walt’.

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FILM & TV

G o o d G u y Ryan Words: Emily Horgan

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et me just start off by admitting to one thing - researching this article was one of the toughest tasks I’ve ever had to do. I mean, having to trawl through image upon image of Ryan Gosling, endure his perfect, partially nude body in his movies, and just generally struggling through his filmography...I was distraught with the woes of journalism - ok, I can’t keep that going for any longer than that, I’m pretty sure it’s some form of blasphemy.

For those of you who don’t know who Ryan Gosling is - what’s wrong with you?!? It’s fair that some of you may not be aware of his role in The Mickey Mouse Club in 1993, or that his first film appearance was in the (grammatically incorrect) PG movie Frankenstein and Me. (Apparently, Burt Reynolds cares as much about sentence structure as he does special effects, if this movie is anything to go by). However, the question still remains: What is it about Ryan? Why is everyone so obsessed?

The thing about Gosling is that he appeals to the masses. Not only does he attract the screaming fan girl types, but he also attracts the general moviegoer.

This may be down to the work of Derek Cianfrance (Director of Place Beyond the Pines and Blue Valentine) who made the impossible possible: cutting Gosling loose of the shackles of typecasting placed on him by The Notebook. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed The Notebook, but when it comes down to movies of The Notebook’s popularity, actors tend to whittle down the range of characters they can play afterwards. Look at Miley Cyrus: She needed a wrecking ball to shatter the Disney-manufactured image

of her alter-ego Hannah Montana but what does this mean for Gosling and movie lovers? It means that Gosling has been given roles in cinematically artistic films that are realistic and relatable, but have dark plotlines.

Take, for example, Blue Valentine: the movie about a couple who struggle to regain the blind love they once felt for each other. Hearing this synopsis, you immediately think that’s just another cliché rom-com, but you really need to just sit down and watch this movie to believe me when I say it is so much more than that. It has that raw, antifairy tale feel that makes it genuine. The acting, the dynamic time scale of the movie, and the fact that Ryan Gosling sings (and sings well) in it makes it my personal favourite Ryan movie.

Fast forward three years to Only God Forgives and we see another dark movie that has so many underlying messages and so many shots of Ryan silently clenching his fists that you can’t help but feel a bit more philosophical after viewing (even if it is just for 20 minutes). True, he plays a very similar character to that of Drive, Blue Valentine and Place Beyond The Pines (The ‘weathered by the world’ badass, who just wants to be loved but can’t catch a break kind of guy), but with Ryan, it seems to be a ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ scenario.

So whether it’s for his dashing good looks, his genuine acting skills that can evoke emotion from a stone or the films he stars in, it’s safe to say that everyone loves the Gosling.

If you do want to see another side of Gosling though, I have three words for you: Crazy,Stupid Love.

UCC F I L M S C R E E N I N G S Film: Midnight In Paris UCC Europa Society Place: Boole 1 Time: 7pm, October 23rd

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Film: Poltergeist & Cabin in

Film: Il y a longtempsqueje t’aime

Film: Rocky Horror Picture

Film: Conan the Barbarian

The Woods (double-bill)

The Department of French,

Show

(1982)

UCC Choral, LGBT & Sci-Fi

UCC Medieval & Renaissance

Societies

Society

Place: Boole 1

Place: Kane G02

Time: 7pm, October 31st

Time: 7pm, November 4th

UCC Film Society Place: Cyprus Avenue (Oliver

UCC

Plunkett Street)

Place: West Wing 5

Time: 8pm, October 29th

Time: 6:30pm, October 30th

Blacker Than a Winter Night in the Highlands Words: David Coleman

Film & TV Editor R o b O ’ S u l l i v a n considers the latest death on Love/Hate

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In recent years, there’s been a massive influx of 1980’s movie stars back into our theatres. It was sudden and surprising and it doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. This phenomenon could be summed up in the somewhat baffling new sub-genre often referred to as ‘Geri-action’. Yes, people can’t seem to get enough of seeing all the action stars they grew up watching once again attempt to kick some ass – but this time they’re old! And to show this, occasionally somebody complains about their hip!

All right, it doesn’t sound like the most exciting concept but this new breed of action films has certainly taken off, especially the ultimate action star team up movies, The Expendables. In many ways, it’s nice to see people like Sylvester Stallone and Arnie back on the silver screen, attempting to do their thing just like they used to. On the other hand, many of the returning stars are really showing their age as they lumber around looking like they need to take a breath from their oxygen tank.

So this begs the question, why is there a demand for these films? In the 80s, your typical action film consisted of one man killing everybody he sees for 90 minutes. In Commando, Arnie literally takes on an entire army on his own and comes out without even a scratch! Recently, however, this standard format of action movie doesn’t seem to cut it, and the action star has been replaced by 50 foot tall CGI Transformers. Action movies are less about sending up its lead and are more concerned with the enormity of its spectacle and showcasing the effects available to the filmmaker. Perhaps the return of these stars is more about people’s desire to get back to a simpler form of action movie.

While some of these films leave much to be desired (for example, the woeful return of the Die Hard franchise), that isn’t to say that the return of 80’s movie stars is nothing to be taken seriously. Some of these actors have adapted themselves and used their age as a new base from which to work, unlike many who are trying to relive their past glories with varying success. Look at Mickey Rourke whose outstanding turn in The Wrestler obviously mirrored his real life return to movies. Also, look at Robert Downey Jr. While never a superstar in the 80’s, he’s made possibly the best comeback ever and is now one of the biggest stars on the planet!

Another actor who’s obviously adapted himself to a different career path is James Spader. His leading role in the cult TV series Boston Legal and brief stint on the US Office show that he’s just as, if not more, charismatic than ever before! Also, as TV has become such a hub for quality projects, Spader has definitely gotten a golden opportunity to showcase his talents in the new series The Blacklist. This could do for Spader what Boardwalk Empire did for Steve Buschemi, allowing him to let loose and really take the lead of a great project.

It’s easy to dismiss the return of the 80’s star as a desperate attempt to make a quick buck before their careers completely peter out, but there’s definitely more to it than that. As long as these actors are making work that’s relevant or interesting, I see no reason as to why they can’t continue. Just don’t try to do the exact same thing you were famous for 30 years ago: we’re not going to take it for much longer!

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Bell’s coke snorting office chum to Imogen Poots’ prudish rookie (the scenes between her and McAvoy are another highlight).

It’s not all perfect though. Baird feels compelled to add a new backstory in an attempt to justify Bruce’s meltdown.

Not that this is a bad idea, it just doesn’t ring true - nor does the overly emotional ending, although the final shot is quite the sucker punch. He also fumbles with the ball when it comes to the books trickiest element; the tapeworm eating its way through Bruce’s insides, which in the book provides an internal dialogue with Bruce which provides valuable insights into his depravity. For obvious reasons, this wouldn’t have worked on film, so instead we get Jim Broadbent as a nightmarish therapist with a broad Aussie accent and a remarkable forehead. Nice try, but… just no.

Still, Filth is a cinematic experience you won’t soon forget. It certainly isn’t one for the faint hearted but for those of a strong stomach it is definitely worth it. Crude, often hilarious and with McAvoy on top form, it may not be Trainspotting, but it is a brave effort to have a go at an intimidating source. Oh, and the sight of Eddie Marsan raving on roofies is worth the ticket price alone.

The Deadliest Animal of All ove/Hate is the premier drama series of RTÉ, with some calling it one of the greatest shows the state broadcaster has ever produced. The show, if you haven’t watched it, is about the criminal underworld of Dublin, following one group of gangsters in particular. This programme, the jewel in the crown of RTÉ, recently fell into huge controversy. Something in this, a gritty crime show, was so unacceptable that mass boycotts were called for. That something was the murder of an innocent...cat.

The episode, which aired on the 6th of October, sparked immediate uproar. In the show, a teenager has acquired a gun and, when aiming it at one of his peers, accidentally shoots a cat. Animal rights groups around the country have called for a boycott of the show. Michael Daly, Chairman of the UCC Animal Welfare Society, had this to say about the moment: “Violence towards animals is on the rise in Ireland at the moment and that sort of scene can only work to counteract all the work that's been done to inspire compassion towards animals on the streets.” Sadly, most people who wrote into RTÉ to complain about the scene were mainly concerned with violence against that one cat.

On his radio show, Ryan Tubridy called an animal handler who takes care of the cat, who was unable to comment

I’ll Be Back: T h e Re t u r n o f the 80’s Star Words: Cathal Dennehy

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ilth is a cheeky Scottish grin of a movie; loud, rough and – in terms of humour – depraved beyond belief. There’s a promotion up for grabs in the police department, and Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson (James McAvoy) will stop at nothing to get the prize, including slandering, bullying and double-crossing his colleagues. His personal life is even worse, crammed with kinky sex, chronic substance abuse, and making disturbingly lurid phone calls to his geeky best friend’s wife (Eddie Marsan and Shirley Henderson are a highlight as the frustrated couple). Bruce is on a rapid descent into madness, and it’s only a matter of time before a complete psychological meltdown is on the cards. Sometimes it feels as if he’s already in the middle of one.

It may come as no surprise to fans that Filth was adapted from a novel by Irvine Welsh, the twisted mind behind Trainspotting. Except,Trainspotting was a masterpiece, while Filth has to settle for only being excellent. It’s hard coming up in the shadow of the best British movie in 20 years. Having said that, I realise I am being harsh. Welsh’s prose has been considered unfilmable by many, and it takes a brave director to even approach it, not to mention a gifted one to pull it off. John S Baird hasn’t had directing experience before, but on the strength of this, he’s a talent to watch out for, nailing the novel’s depravity but never losing sight of the gallows humour that flows through it.

It helps that he’s got a powerhouse performance from James McAvoy to help him along. Bloated, bad skin, manky beard, McAvoy is unrecognisable. I never would have thought he had it in him, but here he totally subverts his good guy persona and brings to life an inhuman monster that would be unwatchable if not for faint hints of goodness underneath all the loathing. He owns the show from beginning to end, but he’s backed up by a strong supporting cast where every character gets a distinct personality, from Jamie

FILM & TV

on the cat, being subject to a “gag order” by his employer and the television broadcaster. This was rectified when, the following Friday, the cat (named “Cleo”, by the way) appeared on the Late Late Show to prove that she had not actually been shot by a member of the Love/Hate cast. The gagging of the cat’s owner was branded as “ridiculous” by Tubridy and the section on the Late Late was treated with levity.

Tubridy was not the only one who thought this is all a bit ridiculous. It has been pointed out by many people that the main character, Darren (played by Robert Sheehan) has brutally murdered several people. In one episode a woman is violently raped, and then her attacker was beaten to a pulp for quite a while, before finally dying. Yet those events did not receive nearly as many complaints. The point about recreation of the act in reality is a valid one, although one must question the source of submachine guns in inner-city Dublin…

The next few weeks will prove to be an interesting period of time for film and television in Ireland: either we really look at ourselves and our on-screen morality or we toe the line that has existed since the chariot race of BenHur in 1925.

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MUSIC

50 Shades of u r s ay yo

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Hav e

Email: ss.ie music@uccexpre t ee Tw : er itt Tw ss re xp ce uc @ and use #mileydebate

CELEB PLAYLISt

Miley Cyrus has been making headlines over the last few weeks, for both good and bad reasons. Amongst all the controversy, Music Editor Méadhbh Crowley and Gaming Editor Brian Conmy discuss their reasons for liking the star.

B r i a n ’ s View

I used to watch the Hannah Montana show. I liked the songs in a kitsch kind of way; I never had the albums or the ones Miley Cyrus released as The 2 Bears - Bear hug herself. While I do like some of her Disclosure - Confess to me recent songs, Wrecking Ball being A$AP Rocky - PMW endlessly catchy, I wanted to write this piece from a pro Miley Cyrus Young Wonder - Bullet Kendrick point of view for a much more silly lamar - M.a.a.d city reason. Miley Cyrus, or at the very Jon Hopkins - open eye signa least her PR team, has become a master of attention grabbing. In the Frank B - Chain of fools music industry, of course, attention Die Antwoord - I Fink U Freaky can pretty much equal money.

Kanye west - Blood on the leaves Every time someone comments Joe Goddard – Gabriel disparagingly about Miley’s performance at the VMAs, her nudity in the Listen to this playlist here : Wrecking Ball video, calling her a spoti.fi/1gwswUK slut or any number of offensive (and incorrect) terms, all they are actually doing is further feeding the attention monster Miley Cyrus’s performing persona has become.

In simple terms I respect how effective this business of attention grabbing has become. However much you may dislike or gawk at her actions lately, you know you’ve paid attention to it and spread the word of the former Disney star’s antics. To quote Single of the Week the Simpsons, if you want Miley to go away then “Just Don’t Look”.

Lawson – Juliet Lawson has been creating a huge following over the past few years and their new single is very different from their debut album Chapman Square. Being MGMT have never been a band to play by the rules. honest,it copies The Police’s reggae beats. The lyrics and theme are exactly like Every Little Thing She Does Some of the most unlikely acts manage to garner enormous critical acclaim, recognition and media is Magic. So if you like The Police you’ll like this. attention under seemingly miraculous circumstances, Album of the Week yet above all of their contemporaries, MGMT’s success Ellie Goulding – Halcyon Days story has been a truly mysterious one. Many are familiar Ellie’s newest album Halcyon Days features 21 tracks with the group solely for their first monumental leap out but the phrase “quality over quantity” does not apof obscurity in 2008 with the release of their trailblazing ply here. It contains four of her current singles and debut album Oracular Spectacular, which featured provides a good balance of real pop songs and dance such scintillating synth-pop gems as Kids and Time to music. Not wanting to spoil it further,the best track on Pretend. The album’s lyrical content was as diverse as the album is easily I Need Your Love featuring Calvin its music, yet its heavy criticism of the corruption and Harris. commerciality associated with the music industry was Artist of the Week always at the heart of the album, sentiments which Bruce Springsteen seemed truly ironic considering the radio-friendly nature He may be in his 60s, but nothing can stop Bruce of the album’s lucrative floor-filling singles. Two years Springsteen AKA The Boss. Bruce has just finished later however, with the deeply progressive and often dishis Wrecking Ball Tour which began in 2012 and this sonant, disorienting works that would feature on 2010’s week released an open letter to all his fans that have follow-up Congratulations (which included the blissbeen supporting him and the E Street Band for the last fully ambitious, but still twelve minutes long, Siberian 40 years. Mr Springsteen is a legend and we should all Breaks) the duo finally seemed to be creating music that take this week to listen to his music a bit more. corresponded with the ideals they advocated so strongly

This week’s playlist comes from last issue’s featured artist Dáithí.

Méadhbh’s View

Like Brian, I too first came across Miley in her Hannah Montana days but I admittedly do own every single piece of merchandise that I could get my hands on - CDs, DVDs, even a pretend microphone that played the Hannah Montana theme tune. But I knew this “America’s sweet heart stage” must come to an end.

I myself grew tired of her, the show finally ended and Miley abandoned the Disneyempire which had helped her reach stardom.

Miley is no stranger to controversy regarding her music and or her personal life; who can forget when she was 16 she was going out with a 24 year old model or when she was accused of stealing Lustra’s song and calling it Rockstar. Most recently, she battled Sinéad O’Connor on a Twitter spat in relation to an open later Sinéad wrote, warning Miley of the dangers of the music industry.

Even with all this media coverage of Miley, she has managed to release a pretty amazing album and scored a UK number one single and album this week - which is an impressive feat considering the negative tweets outweigh the positive ones.

In my opinion, there is no reason not to like Miley, she’s a young woman and is taking the opportunity to her advantage has successfully created a buzz that hasn’t really been seen by a female artist since Madonna or Cher. If, after reading this, you are still anti-Miley I can only assume that you are jealous of her.

Psychedelia Saviours: MGMT hit the Savoy Words: James McGlynn

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on their first label debut.

Many found such an apparent voltefaceinartistic direction quitebaffling, especially at such andearlystage in their career. Congratulations appeared tohaveperfectly embodied that infamousRock’n’Roll tropeofthe“difficult second album”.Yet, it wasthesurrealist,psychedelic soundscapesfeatured on Congratulations thatwouldtruly defineMGMT’sexciting creativedirection.Byperpetually rejecting theconventionsof popular musicintheir constant pursuit of vast, gleaming newvistasofmusical expression, MGMThavegoneon to becomeoneofthe most exciting, innovativerock outfitsof theirgeneration.

This for me displays a true sense of artistic bravery; for any musician to risk alienating their carefully constructed fan base in favour of a shift in direction or style is indeed admirable. If we dwell momentarily on the title track from Paul McCartney’s latest offering New, we might find that although it is undeniably pleasant and catchy, it sounds just as pleasant and catchy as a Paul McCartney track might have sounded if it were released forty years previously.Amore daring venture altogether (yet perhaps not as easy listening) is MGMT’s

eponymous new release MGMT: a truly bizarre combination of psychedelic odysseys, and despite its diversity in content MGMT have succeed in weaving the tracks together in a congruent, coherent manner, just as they had done previously in both Oracular and Congratulations.

Indeed, the group have also become increasingly relevant to us over these past few days, becoming the talk of the campus with their incredibly memorable Lee-side debut. The unsuspecting people of Cork were treated to a feast of their daring aural escapades on Sunday night, after the bands’Benjamin Goldwasser andAndrew VanWyngarden took to the stage at the Savoy. MGMT were a major coup for Murphy’s as the headlining addition to their Little Big Nights Out series of concerts. The crowning detail for many in attendance was that the concert was entirely free of chargeto those who were lucky enough to be drawn for tickets on the Murphy’s website. Though slated for the brevity of their performances, MGMT’s organic, ever-changing appeal continues to make for an electrifying spectacle, and to all those present in the frenzied Savoy on Sunday, it was certainly a show to remember.

MUSIC

“My Name Is James Arthur. And I Love You” Entertainment Editor Ellen Desmond speaks with 2012 X Factor winner and internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter, James Arthur

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o put it quite simply, it’s a very exciting time for James Arthur. With an X Factor win in the bag, a new single making its way up the charts and his first album set for release next month, Arthur is standing today in a position many musicians can only dream of - and once upon a time, so did he. Hailing originally from Middlesbrough, James told Verge if he could give his 16 year old self any piece of advice it would be “to eh, lay off drinking cider in a park…stay out of trouble. Go to school more.” Music is a form of therapy for James, so it’s easy to see why his performances have the deep and moving quality that they do. And fans have definitely been moved, to say the very least; “there’s a girl who has got a tattoo of my face in her inner thigh. It’s just a big ole portrait of my face…right on her thigh...”

Arthur’s version of Shontelle’s Impossible topped the UK charts in its first week after the finale of the X Factor last year but the release of You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You is the first time Arthur has released a single of his own creation. “It’s been amazing, obviously, - it’s like the ultimate sense of achievement for me to have…my own song out that I’ve written and people are receiving it so positively it’s a very, very nice feeling.”

You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You is the inaugural track released from James Arthur’s new self-titled album which will be released onthe 4th of November. Fans are waiting with baited breath to see what the unique artist has to offer from this record. Arthur had this to say on the matter; “The inspiration for me [for the album] was just life in general to be honest. I’m just talking about real stuff you know, I’m venting frustration, I’m trying to connect with people.” Arthur’s original style and vocal approach is something that always grabs attention, and fans of his passionate, unique performances will not be disappointed with the level of heart and effort that has been put into making the upcoming album; “it’s very soulful and honest…there are a lot of great orchestral parts in it, meant to take you away, it’s not all just about my voice.”Arthur was quick to highlight how important it is to him to fully engage with the listeners and every attempt has been made to make his work meaningful. “I just want people to believe it. I just want people to feel something.

And you know I do, I want to help a few people as well - so that maybe they take

some kind of inspiration or even positivity from some of the tracks.”

Arthur’s Twitter account now boasts well over 2 million followers and has the endearing bio “My Name is James Arthur.

And I Love You”. He’s without a doubt an artist for the people, wanting nothing more than to connect with his fans. He was an absolute gentleman to speak with and he would put anybody at ease, it’s truly difficult to believe this is a man who has just had such a sudden leap to fame. The laid back Arthur insists he is not your average superstar “I had to work really hard on that show to prove myself cos I’m not your usual X Factor contestant I guess… well, not the usual winner anyway, if you like. I don’t really match some of the criteria ya know? So I was just… doing my thing and people seemed to like it.” While discussing his personal experience of the X Factor, Arthur did admit there was a point in the later stages of the live shows when he did realise his life would never be the same again, though it would appear he greatly underestimated just how much of a change would soon occur for him. “I just started to feel like maybe I’d get a few jobs out of it [laughs] and like, my dream has always been to make music as my job, at the end of the day, and that is what I’m doing now, it’s my now my life. It’s a great thing.”

Throughout the X Factor James was renowned for his original interpretations of songs and his fresh approach of covers.

His auditioning performance of Tulisa’s Young set the bar high for what was to come and most recently YouTube saw his

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could sell a lot of records with that voice.

And obviously Tamera looks like the full package. She’s a pop star, you know, she’s a great looking girl, and I think in the future she’ll be a bit of a…yeah she’ll be a bit of a star.” This is a recommendation to really take on board, as frankly, James Arthur seems to know what he’s doing.

Like the true rock star that he is, Arthur admitted if he could invite anyone out for dinner he “would probably take Elvis out for a binge dinner. Just to see what combinations of food he likes. I like to mix and match it myself… or maybe Mariah Carey to ask her if she’ll do a duet with me.”

James’ tour begins early next year and phenomenal cover of Miley Cyrus’ Wreck- so far, no Irish dates have been set. Howing Ball. James says that though he is a fan ever, “I do think there will be announceof Cyrus as an artist, it’s really the lyrics ments about that fairly soon, so I can’t that count when deciding what will make really say too much. But I know well I’ll a good cover; “I just think that you have be going to Ireland for sure”. There’s so to have a little look at the lyrics you know, much still to come from this man and have a good look what the song means and he left us with this little insight; “In five interpret it as honestly as you can… don’t years’ time I’d love to still be making try too hard, just think about who you’re music that’s relevant and contemporary, trying to reach and what you’re trying to you know, for the people, the masses. But say. I think if you have that and the vocal I’d also like to get involved in films, I’d ability then it will connect with people.” really love to work in the movies. I’m a In relation to this year’s X Factor, big fan of Shane Meadows and This is which is rapidly coming into its final England and things like that, so I’d love stages, James thinks there is no one who to get involved in that sort of thing as canrival the girls’ category. That’s right, well.” you heard it first from Verge, James Arthur James Arthur’s new single You’re thinks this year’s X Factor winner will be Nobody Till Somebody Loves You is out a woman; “For me the girls’ category is the now and the new James Arthur album strongest, like, they’ve got it locked down. will be released on the 4th of November.

Hannah’s got an incredible gospel soundTickets for his UK tour are available from ing, soul voice. Abi is very unique, and she his website.

I just want people to believe it. I just want people to feel something.

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A R T S & L I T E R AT U R E

75 Years and Counting

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et`s face it, few things in life have been around as long as The Beano. Before The Beatles, before James Bond, even before Batman, D.C Thompson published the comic by which all other comics are judged. Simply put, The Beano has provided merriment to three generations of people, receiving its first publication in July 1938, and albeit Second World War paper rationing necessitating that the paper was published biweekly between 1939-1945, the comic has arrived weekly ever since. Over that time, the comic has been a favourite of musicians Phil Lynott, Eric Clapton and David Bowie, actors Mark Hamill, Matt Smith and Orlando Bloom, sporting legends David Beckham and Linford Christie and comedians Jim Davidson and Dave Lawson. With a sale of 75,000 copies per week, The Beano has had a sustained popularity that none of its cousins, namely The Topper, The Beezer, Twinkle, Bunty or The Dandy, ever truly enjoyed.

Ultimately, it`s hard to point a finger on what made The Beano better than the rest of these comics (many of which retired from publishing in the eighties/nineties). Some would say that the comic was blessed with the loveable rogue Dennis the Menace, and yes, this guy inspired a host of copycat characters (namely Rodger the Dodger, Minnie the Minx and Ivy the Terrible, amongst others), all of whom were devoured by the British (and later, Irish) public. But despite his overt popularity, Dennis the Menace did not grace the Beano until 1951, a year after The Beano reached the zenith of its popularity.

Maybe it was the simplicity of The Beano that made it so popular. The Dandy was brilliant, yes, but in a more grown up way. There are very few ten year olds who can see the irony of Desperate Dan, a cowboy living in Dundee or Korky the Cat buying mutton from the local butchers. The Beano has never had any such underlying pretensions. Look at the names of the more popular Beano characters; Billy Whizz, Little Plum, Ball Boy etc. Accessible, witty and benign, the Beano’s characters have always had an undeniable charm to them. Even the ostentatious Lord Snooty had such an aloof goofiness to him that the comic remained grounded in the realm of cartoonish nature, rather than ornate storytelling. If The

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The following few decades were also incredibly kind to the comic. As greater amounts of characters joined over the next few decades, The Beano managed to maintain its fan base by adapting to the times accordingly. By the seventies/eighties, the comic reached a new level of sardonism; two of the publication`s most popular characters (Baby Face Finlayson and The Three Bears) even went as far to glorify robbery. That said, much of the corporal punishments highlighted in the forties/fifties, such as children being hit with slippers by their parents, were marginalised, Dandy can be compared to John Lennon (be- and even exercised by the turn of the decade.

True, the comic`s sales have decreased ing older and more acerbic), then The Beano must be Paul McCartney (sprightlier, younger considerably within the last ten years. In this age of computers, social media and portable and, ultimately, better). reading materials, The Beano has suffered at Over time, The Beano mocked everythe hands of the hands of this modern generathing from Adolf Hitler to Robbie Williams.

Gloriously shameless, the comics always had tion. Its continued survival is a credit to 2010 that edge to them that most publications shied editor in chief Craig Graham, who redesigned the paper from newsprint into a glossier type away from. The Beano has been praised for keeping up morale amongst the British public of magazine, with a greater emphasis on serial storytelling, rather than stand-alone strips. during the Second World War and economic recessions of the late forties.When looking at Where The Beano`s cousins The Topper and the comic, which at the time comprised many The Beezer folded in the nineties, while its most immediate rival The Dandy has chosen to brilliant characters, such as Big Eggo, Biffo the Bear, Doubting Thomas and the aforemen- produce its content virally only, The Beano has succeeded in producing a comic that still sells on tioned Lord Snooty, it`s not hard to see why.

But it was during the fifties that The Beano a weekly basis. That unto itself shows the ever evolutionary prowess The Beano possesses. really hit its stride. With the introduction of Intellectually stimulating, the comic is the comics more enduring characters (Dennis not, nor will it ever be. It is also completely the Menace, Little Plum, The Three Bears and, best of all, what would become The Bash erroneous to say that the comics have matured Street Kids) balanced out by the re-energised over the years; au contraire, there seems to be a greater emphasis on toilet jokes nowadays portrayal of the older characters (Lord Snooty`sskiffle-oriented friends were replaced than there ever was. But it`s hard to fault the comic after all these years. Three generations by rougher, more uncouth creations) made of readers have been kept amused with the for some of the best reading material ever. comic`s acerbic use of word play and plaintive Artists Dudley D. Watkins, David Law and Leo Baxedale became more confident in their art work. Christmases have been made sweetabilities and the cartoons became more ornate er by The Beano Annuals and summers made wittier with the Summer Special`s. From the than previously. The Beano of the fifties became the template by which all subsequent looks of the seventy fifth anniversary comic (one which starred Daniel Craig as Plug`s publications would have to measure up to; identical twin brother- inspiring!), it looks like even today, the illustrations are a modern the end is very far from the sight of this great reflection of the ideas and designs created publication. Keep it up D.C Thompson and fifty/sixty years earlier. If ever there was a here`s to another three quarters of a century! golden age for The Beano, it was the fifties, as numerous celebrative books have proved (most pertinently in the excellent Focus on the The Beano Annual 2013 is available in all bookshops.

Fifties, published in 2005).

If The Dandy can be compared to John Lennon ... then The Beano must be Paul McCartney

Words: Eoghan Lyng, Arts & Literature Editor

A R T S & L I T E R AT U R E

The Five Best

A B r i e f H i s t o r y o f The Beano: July 30th 1938: First issue published (original copies of this edition now cost anything up to £20,350).

August 9th 1941: The Beano announces that they shall be published fortnightly due to paper rationing (this lasts until the end of the war).

April 22nd 1950:Published issue sells 1.9 million copies- their highest selling figure of any issue.

March 17th 1951: Dennis The Menace makes his first appearance (received his red and black jumper in May)

Creations

November 17th 1956: “When The Bell Rings” is retitled “The Bash Street Kids”- retains that title to this day.

31 August 1968: Gnasher is introduced for the first time- becomes an integral main stay of the Dennis the Menace strip July 30th 1988: Fiftieth anniversary edition published October 16th 1993: First Beano printed completely in colour January 15th 2000: The Beano publishes their 3000th issue.

July 24th 2013: 75th anniversary edition published.

Yes, with seventy five years of publications, it is not the easiest task to point a finger at the comic`s best creations. But every parent has their favourite child; every comic has its better characters. Here are the five best characters the Beano produced:

Biffo The Bear:

This anthropomorphic Mickey Mouse look a-like was the comic`s front cover darling for nigh on thirty years. Biffo made his first appearance in 1948 and was not relegated to the inside pages until 1974. Created

by Dudley Watkins, Biffo`s earliest adventures were dialogue free in black and white pastels. By the mid nineteen fifties, Biffo`s stories were satiated with dialogue as he went on the tear away with his sidekick, Buster. Biffo had likeability as a character that his front cover predecessor Big Eggo did not and he enjoyed a fruitful period in the comic until the late nineties. If nothing else, Biffo`s tenure as a character gave readers a palatable teaser of the rest of The Beano.

Dennis the Menace and Gnasher:

To say that Dennis the Menace is a popular would be as much an understatement as stating that Queen Elizabeth II owns a certain amount of property. Starring in his own television show, headlining his own fan club and inspiring Phil Lynott`s fine haircut, Dennis is one of literature`s finest rogues. A disastrous remodelling in 2009 aside (which stripped the poor character of his sacrosanct catapult and tomatoes);Dennis has always remained one of Britain`s finer anti -heroes.

Ivy the Te r r i b l e : Credit to D.C. Thompson, their female characters have always been imaginative and well developed. But the finest of their creations (narrowly pipingMinnie the Minx and The Belles of St. Lemons) has to be this four year old bundle of terror.

Since her incarnation in 1985, Ivy`s antics in the comics are those of a delightfully abhorrent nature- much to the bemusement of her parents (typically called Mum and Dad). Her infant buoyancy adds to her popularity; whether drumming in a rock band or chasing milkmen up trees, she still provides a certain nervous reaction from the reader. And for that, we love her!

Lord Snooty:

He tackled the Nazis, rescued Father Time, flew on a magic carpet, befriended a goat, all before eating his dinner with his Aunt Matilda.

Lord Snooty had an amazing run; before the character`s “retirement” in 1991, he was the only character who had appeared in every issue since the first Beano in 1938. Comparison`s to David Cameron aside, Lord Snooty has had an endurance few comic characters have enjoyed. And, he always maintained a debonair air about him, even in the direst of situations.

The Bash Street Kids: Let us face it, The Bash Street Kids, are simply the greatest thing D.C. Thompson came up with. Everybody has suffered the dredges of school education, from the mediocrity of the teaching curriculum to the old fashioned austerity stimulated from chalk boards. It`s a credit to creator David Sunderland (who has drawn the strip since 1961) that a class of ten characters should be so diverse, yet each feel as prominent as the other. Kudos to you if you know the names of the ten (many of which are gloriously politically incorrect i.e. Spotty and Fatty), but it is of little consequence if you do not. The beauty of the 2B classmates is their stereotypes: the swot, the rebellious leader, the class fool etc. Never boring, never exhausting, these cartoonish fops have found popularity in separate mediums, most notably Plug (the ugliest person in the world), who starred in his own spin off magazine from 1977 to 1979. A glorious satirisation of schooling days (succeeding in a way that “Ripping Yarns”, “Gregory`s Girl” and “The Inbetweeners” failed to do), The Bash Street Kids continues to delight. Their glorious adventures have been documented yearly in their very own annual!

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GAMING

State of Play:

Women in Games Words: Aoife Gleeson

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our first reaction to this article might be to scoff ‘pff, feminist’.

If that is indeed your first reaction you might be only a single evolutionary step off an ape and may want to check if you even have the dexterity to play video games. But if you’re a progressive human being without your head up yourself please, read on! Good to have you.

Currently a hot topic of discussion in the industry is the depiction of women in video games, prompted by GTA V, which has been accused of deep-rooted misogyny. Given that all the female characters in the game are vapid, pathetic airheads of no substance whatsoever, some could be justified in viewing it in this way. They can barely be described as characters, given that they’re basically just cardboard cut-outs. Personally, I think that, while the game reserves some of its worst vehemence for women (namely Michael's wife and daughter) it seems to hate everyone outside of its main characters pretty equally. Even its main characters, whom you grow to love and empathise with in a way, are objectively horrible people. Los Santos is the bottom of the cultural barrel, and its inhabitants embody that perfectly.

Everyone is covered with a thick, dripping layer of sleaze and desperation and the lot of them are as false as the tan they bake onto themselves. This is satire at its most brutal and biting, with each character more vapid than the last. From creepy, lecherous TV presenters to brainless, inbred hillbillies GTA doesn’t seem to have much love for anyone. So I propose GTA is derisive of anyone, not just women, who choose to pursue the vapid post-modern ‘American Dream’ and celebrate the associated culture. No one in this town can be saved from their insipid hedonism, and they really don’t care. The strip clubs are pretty tasteless, lacking any of the satirical bite of the rest of the game but luckily they’re almost completely optional and don’t feel out of place in the depraved world of Los Santos (but wouldn’t a strip club full of dudes fit in too? I can hear homophobic hypocritical justifications already).

Pre-dating this particular controversy was the unveiling of the character of Quiet in the new Metal Gear Solid. Clad in a bikini top and torn tights, this is how Quiet goes into combat as a sniper. With a silly

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explanation from Kojima that her backstory justifies this, I can’t think of anything that makes it less functionally ridiculous.

This is the same man who made a game in which you could zoom in through the clothes of a 16 year old girl to see her underwear and later go on a date with her (see: Peace Walker). Solid Snake suddenly becomes a pretty awkward name. However, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and wait until the game actually comes out. In the meantime I want to ask the question: have women characters improved in the last year?

If recent months are any indications, we’ve definitely made great strides. In Bioshock Infinite Elizabeth’s story was just as important as Booker’s, and what a journey it was. Growing from a naive, sheltered prisoner into a woman of tremendously formidable power, Elizabeth was thrust into a world unknown to her and adapted remarkably quickly. In the end it was she warned Booker of the world’s impending doom and eventually saved it from him.

She showed, when the time came, that she was in fact the most capable of doing what needed to be done, even if it meant losing her old self. Arguably she should have been able to save herself without the help of Booker, being far stronger than him (‘Booker, are you afraid of God?’ ‘No, but I’m afraid of you.’) but it looks like we’re not quite ready to let go of the damsel in distress trope yet, even in our most progressive games.

Moving on from that, the almost universally loved The Last of Us contains some of the best characterisation in any game ever and this holds true for both its male and female characters. Ellie goes through an extremely difficult journey of being forced into adulthood in a world where that means having to do absolutely horrific things to survive and likely losing your humanity in the process. As we watch her numb and lose the perky, endearing brashness of her youth, every second is believable. She is a fully realised character

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simply framing them as daughters of the archetypal male protagonist, the one we’ve seen millions of times in games (See: Bioshock). More lady main characters please.

Fingers crossed that Beyond: Two Souls will make good on this front, hopefully carrying the same narrative weight (without all the plot holes) of Heavy Rain.

Over-sexualisation is still a problem too, to a lesser extent now thankfully, but sometimes, in the right context, sexualisation can actually be saying something, funnily enough. If you look at Atlas’ Catherine, where Catherine and Katherine initially just appear to be the embodiment of a blow up doll and a nagging harpy respectively, the game shows you that this and, although she’s not the main character is just the lens through which Vincent, the of her story, she’s the protagonist of it in overgrown child of a main character, sees the same way Jesse is in Breaking Bad. the world. As such it calls into question the While Tess is a less vital part of the story presumed male player’s view of relationthan Ellie, she shows herself to be a strong, ships. This of it the way Spec Ops: The capable woman, a survivor like Joel but Line questions your perception of violence still tapped into her morality and compas- by reprimanding you for killing. It is sion, as she shows when she urges Joel to fantastic writing and shows that everything accompany Ellie. has its place if presented the right way.

Lara Croft’s reboot was another stride It’s important to remember that what in the right direction, her being one of the makes a character compelling are its flaws. few female playable protagonists of AAA I’m not asking for ice queens who hate games this year. Being significantly less everybody and everything (I’m looking at sexualised than her predecessor, Lara is you irritating, xenophobic Ashley Williams much more of a human being in this game. of Mass Effect). What I’m saying is that While some object to her state of constant games would benefit from less Princess terror and occasional meltdowns, it’s Peach, Yorda, Samus (Other M edition) important to remember that this is a young types and more Alyx Vance, Ellie, Elena girl, who has never been exposed to anyFischer types. What defines a good charthing like this before. She faces tremenacter is not specific to a gender or race. dous hardships and, here’s the important Nuances, flaws, believable and relatable thing, she perseveres. And anyway, those motivations.

Guardians are seriously terrifying, quiverIn conclusion, I think we’re well on our ing a bit in front of those giants while in a way, having made huge improvements. sea of pulped bodies is pretty reasonable.

Happily, games with blatant, creepy sexual Here we saw the origins of her badassery objectification are usually dismissed as and you can bet that we’re in for a lot more the juvenile pandering which they are (see of it in future.

Killer is Dead for a recent example). The While all these characters mark signifi- more developed and richer the characters cant progress, I’m still troubled that the are in our games, the better it is for everygo-to for desexualising and expanding the one. This is no longer a boys’ club. Let’s characters of females in game may become start acting like it.

I’m not asking for ice queens who hate everybody and everything

GAMING

Do We Still Wanna

Catch ‘Em All?

Words: Stephen P. Barry ith the release of Pokémon Versions X and Y this past Saturday, Pokémon has reached its sixth generation, seventeenth year in existence and has just released the twenty-first and twenty-second entries in the main series.

Over its lifespan so far, it has accumulated nearly one-hundred and fifty million units in sales, and that is not even including the numerous spin-off titles, merchandise, DVDs and even VHS tapes it has sold in that time. In fact, based on unit sales alone, it may only be dwarfed by industry mainstays such as Call of Duty, and it still boasts a longer legacy.

Even so, the question still remains; how relevant is Pokémon today? Many of us still bask in the nostalgia of the days where there were just one-hundred and fifty of the Pocket Monsters to collect; from the cute, green Bulbasaur, all the way to the imposing Mewtwo, but now there are far more. Every generation up until now has

increased that number by one-hundred new monsters to collect, or even more in the case of the third generation, Ruby and Sapphire, and subsequently the fifth generation, Black and White. With that many new additions over a short span of time, it is only asking for every internet forum and message board to cry out things such as: “Game Freak is running out of ideas!”, or, “These designs suck”, and my personal favourite, “An ice-cream Pokémon, really?!”. Every franchise ages in different ways, but in an industry that is so volatile and that is always looking for the ‘new thing’, so to speak, is it enough for the new introductions to just be okay?

Another issue with Pokémon’s relevancy in recent years especially, is Game Freak’s near phobia of responding to innovation and trends within the gaming industry as a whole. While much of this has changed in Pokémon X and Y, with the additions of Trainer Customisation, 3D Graphics, nine-directional movement, a new Fairy Pokémon type and intense looking Mega-Evolutions it may be too little

too late. It has taken Game Freak nearly ten years to respond to the advancement of graphical capabilities in handheld systems; only finally releasing a 3D-rendered main-series Pokémon game with X and Y. Other popular franchises today have been pioneering graphics technology, while the Pokémon franchise lags behind. Similarly, customisation of the player’s avatar has been around for quite a while now in games, and only now can we change the hat, clothes and bag the player character wears in our Pokémon adventures. Personally, it isn’t really my style to run around with a bird’s nest of hair and a golf visor for one-hundred hours of play time.

However, that is not to say that Pokémon is no longer relevant, just because Game Freak seems to have a case of chronic delayed reaction. No, not at all, I think that the review scores of the Pokémon games in recent times speak to the exact opposite of that argument. If we were to look at Metacritic, the review aggregating website, we would notice that the review scores for Pokémon games have been

continuously improving, generation on generation. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire have a Metacritic average of eighty-two, while Diamond and Pearl have an eightyfive, Black and White an eighty-seven, and now X and Y with an eighty-nine. So you can say what you want about lagging behind, but the quality of Pokémon titles clearly hasn’t suffered. The thirty-year olds working for IGN and Gamespot still like them, so why can’t you?

So is Pokémon still relevant, nearly twenty years after its inception? I think you’re asking the wrong nineteen year old who bought his pre-ordered copy of Pokémon X on launch day. Relevant or not, Pokémon is no longer just a franchise; it is a bestselling and incredibly recognisable brand name. At the end of the day, it still sells amazingly, so that Game Freak and Nintendo can still roll in their mountains of lovely Pikachu money. In all honesty though, Pokémon has become a timeless phenomenon, and I personally don’t see it going away any time soon.

Does gaming on a budget mean l o w b u d g e t g a m e s ?

Words: Brian Conmy

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s a Sony fan, I’m very glad to avail of the Playstation Plus service for PS3 and Vita, supplying subscribers with a number of free games every month. I’ve never had to pay for a Vita game and still constantly have things to play on the system. Lately though, I’ve taken to adding a number of games I want into an Amazon basket and watching the prices fluctuate, occasionally grabbing them when they’re low enough and I believe they’re worth the price they arrive at. It’s kind of a game for me, just a really sad one I try not to tell people about…

Oops.

As a student I don’t have too much money to spend on games, obviously they’re a luxury item even if sometimes I’ll do a budget grocery shop to save for a game that I really want (Oh Persona 4 Golden, how much I want you). So recently, when every gaming outlet and their mothers

started to spew the most impossibly positive reviews of an indie PC game called Gone Home I quickly bawked at the €19 price point. Reviews were quick to note the relative shortness of the game’s play time and as such with a game I could possibly finish in 2 hours, I couldn’t justify that price tag.

With that decision, every further tweet about or review of the game was slightly painful. I love gaming, I love being in the know and I love a good discussion on a game that’s doing somethingas different as Gone Home seems to be doing.

Even as I write this I’m looking longingly at the Steam store, wondering if I can spare the money for what seems to be a rather good experience.

At the same time I stare at the Metacritic page for Gravity, knowing I’ll be seeing it as soon as possible for what may be an equally strong experience as Gone Home for what’ll cost less than half as much. In an era when you can wait only a few weeks for a new game to drop fairly drastically in price, pay a minimal amount for a

service that gives you numerous games a month or wait for what can only be described as insane

Steam sales it gets harder and harder to justify paying top dollar for a game on its release.

So what this issue boils down to for me is, how does one assign value to a game? An average game may last 12 hours, 7 times as much as an average movie and yet at times they cost more than 7 times the price of one movie ticket.

Then again you may spend 100 hours on one Call of Duty iteration, for the same price. So does time equal money here? Can we directly equate the value, not the cost, of a game to how

much time we spend on it? Or is it more about an impossible to value experience which we can’t understand until we’ve finished a given game?

I know, personally, I’d rather get 4 new indie games for the price of one Call of Duty, Uncharted or any other triple A title. Yet for others the exact opposite is true, in likelihood this is true for most gamers judging by the sales of GTAV versus the top selling indies of the year. Or any year.

So, as I wrap this up I’m trying to decide exactly how long I’m willing to wait to buy Gone Home, regardless of whether or not the price drops to a level I believe it to be worth. At the end of the day I’m only human, even though I have far too many games to play maybe a two hour experience is exactly what I need to rekindle a strong desire to game and cleanse the palette of games I’ve been grinding through lately. Pro-tip: a game that seems good value because it has an easy Platinum trophy and only costs €4 is likely to break your spirit. I learned that lesson the hard way.

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POSTGRADUATE

OPEN DAY

5th November

12 pm to 4 pm

Bailey Allen Hall, NUI Galway

BOOK YOUR PLACE www.nuigalway.ie/postgraduate-open-day