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TUNES

‘Views’ is Drake’s worst album, but why?

By Preston Mitchell Staff Writer @presto_mitch

For a rapper who claims to be “Last name ‘ever,’ first name ‘greatest,” his new album isn’t very indicative of that.

Love him or hate him, any new Drake project is a hip-hop event, and his newest album “Views” is no exception. Personally, I’m very 50/50 on Drake’s musical ventures.

He’s highly versatile as a rapper and artist, R&B singer and songwriter.

No matter how good or bad his singles may be, Drake always has a gifted ear for beats and melodies that makes his music catchy.

As a lyricist, however, I find he relies too heavily on clunky flows and cringe-worthy bars for me to ever revere him like a Kendrick Lamar or J. Cole. And while I can appreciate certain songs on “Take Care,” “Nothing Was the Same” and “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late,” Drake’s incessant whining and atmospheric styling

made each of these projects unbearable as a whole.

Such is the case with his fourth album, “Views,” which follows the theme of the softest rapper in the game reminiscing about growing up in Toronto. Even though this is a fascinating concept on paper, this album actually shows a complete regression of Drake’s innovative talents.

“Views” is actually Drake’s conscious effort to copy the success of the R&B-laden “Take Care,” and the result is another tedious project of 80 percent crooning and 20 percent terrible rapping.

This disproportionate approach represents two contradicting personas lacking any substance to be interesting; let alone for an hour and 20 minutes of endless pining.

That can only mean one thing: “Views” is Drake’s worst album yet.

The endeavor begins on a mediocre note with “Keep the Family Close,” where Drake (once

again) sings about his trust issues.

This track unfortunately presents Drake’s songwriting at an all-time low. It inaugurates a series of awful lines including “I’m fooding and serving them all like I’m working for minimum wage,” and “Always saw you for what you could’ve been, ever since you met me like when Chrysler made that one car that looked just like the Bentley.”

Even though the instrumental exudes cool James Bond vibes, Drake’s lack of maturity sets the tone for the rest of the album: irritating, cumbersome and irrevocably boring.

The tedium continues with “U with Me” and “Feel No Ways,” which create a disjointed narrative of Drake’s trust in women being challenged on several occasions.

Not only do these songs sound exactly the same as their Bondian antecedent, every pop song on “Views” follows a similar pattern of ethereal beats and halfhearted wordplay.

“U with Me” will especially become infamous thanks to this line: “You toyin’ with [my love] like a Happy Meal.”

That line was so bad it made me beg for another Meek Mill diss.

Neither song, however, was worse than the PartyNextDoor collaboration “With You.” Without a doubt one of the single worst songs Drake has written - or had ghostwritten. It tries to be romantic and comes off as an overly sentimental dud. Not to mention that the vocals of each musician do not gel together whatsoever.

Another problem with the album is that the intended “bangers” songs where Drake undertakes his rapping persona are formulaic in their own right. For example, “9” is a lazy attempt to create another Toronto anthem that uses Drake’s same rhyme scheme from “0 to 100” and “Know Yourself.”

A more apparent instance of Drake pulling from his well is the inclusion of Future on the

ridiculously repetitive “Grammys.”

This sounded like an obvious throwaway from their “What a Time to Be Alive” collaboration.

While the rap songs operate as changes of pace, all of their lackluster natures made “Views” an unlistenable wasteland of ennui and false toughness. In truth, the only good songs on the album are “Hype,” “Still Here” and “Hotline Bling.” The former two songs successfully showcased Drake’s confidence as an emcee and saw him shedding his weak “0 to 100” flow to spit bars more instantaneously.

“Hotline Bling,” last year’s karaoke night classic, closes the album as a bonus track. As always, I found this single to be the perfect amalgam of Drake’s soft tendencies and his wonderful flair for melody. Best of all, its upbeat nature concluded the album on a great note and made me wish that the other pop songs grasped its infectious magic.

TUNES

While Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ entertains, it also empowers

By Chelsea Watkins Copy Editor @chelloo

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I awaited Beyoncé’s HBO special on Saturday night sitting in my room. There was no word on what “Lemonade” was going to be about and I with the rest of the Beyhive gathered on social media in anticipation.

And we weren’t disappointed as we realized it was the release of another visual album, though different from her last self-titled album Beyoncé, as it came in the form of a film.

On the surface, “Lemonade” is a commentary on infidelity that led to question how personal these songs actually are, as cheating rumors have surrounded her marriage to Jay Z. We have a progressively enraged Beyoncé in the first half of the album.

In “Pray You Catch Me,” she’s alone and desperate to figure out if she’s being cheated on. In “Hold Up,” she casually walks the streets in a yellow dress and slams car windows in with a baseball bat, proclaiming “They don’t love you like I love you.” In “Don’t

Hurt Yourself,” she’s aggressive, posing the question “Who the f–k do you think I is / you ain’t married to no average b–ch boy.” And in “Sorry,” she claims that she’s over the [bullshit], although one can question if this is a mere façade.

Beyoncé also explores her relationship with her father – who has had his own bout of infidelity issues – over a bluegrass beat in “Daddy Lessons” which invokes her Southern roots.

In “Sandcastles,” she sings about forgiveness over a piano ballad and is intimately posed with her husband, which seems to be her way to eliminate thoughts that the couple’s marriage is still in jeopardy.

But beyond the infidelity issues she poses, you can hear her expressing the pains of being a black woman.

In “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” a soundbite from a speech made by Malcolm X is inserted where he said “the most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman,” while a montage of black

women is shown on screen.

Black women are stationed throughout the visual components of “Lemonade.” Serena Williams even makes an appearance during “Sorry” as she unapologetically dances in a leotard. You also see other black celebrities like Amandla Stenberg and Zendaya Coleman, among normal black girls with natural hair – in fact, you don’t see anyone that isn’t black throughout the film.

Things turn more somber during “Forward,” featuring James Blake’s harrowing voice while mothers of unarmed black teens killed by police, such as Sybrina Fulton and Lesley McSpadden, hold up their son’s pictures highlighting the pain that black women go through when losing their children to police brutality.

The album comes full-circle during “Freedom” as Beyoncé is able to break free from her anger and sing to a group of black women. At the end of the song an anecdote by Hattie White, Jay-Z’s grandmother, is added in where she says “I had my ups and downs, but I always find the inner

Courtesy | Tidal Music Streaming strength to pull myself up. I was served lemons, but I made lemonade.” That clip encapsulates the visual album’s purpose – a journey of grappling with life’s hardships and working through them to your own advantage.

It’s hard to fully grasp the impact of the album before you watch the hourlong visual component. It strings songs together with poetry by Warsan Shire, putting the story into perspective.

Also, the videography is mesmerizing and easily draws you into the story Beyoncé is trying to tell.

It’s obvious, especially after the release of “Formation,” that Beyoncé made “Lemonade” to be an intimate experience about the plight of black women. And it’s commendable that she has used her platform to release music that doesn’t feel generic.

Beyoncé’s vulnerability on this album shines and creates an experience that’s hard to pass off.

The beauty of the album is not just a simple collection of songs about her experience with infidelity and her own insecurities, but also the hardships

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TELEVISION

Edgefest 26 rundown: What you missed last weekend

By Morgan Sullivan Staff Writer @sadsquadch Edgefest 26 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco played host to some big names who moved a crowd into a spectacular, rowdy raucous. Here are some firsthand takes from a star-studded weekend: The Struts Though not super sold on The Struts after seeing them at How the Edge Stole Christmas, the ‘80s glam rock sold me during their set at Edgefest. With a better command of a crowd (and a much larger stage), the English rockers proved their worth. Singer Luke Spiller had the audience in the palm of his hand; clapping when he said to clap and screaming when he asked for more noise. Although the band is fairly new with their debut album “Everybody Wants” released in 2014, they have the stage presence of a veteran rock band. The Struts’ glitzy, in-your-face kind of performance isn’t for everyone, but those who appreciate a throwback kind of sound won’t be disappointed.

CHVRCHES The Scottish synth-pop band performed in the heat of the day – which was no coincidence, as they brought the heat. Composed of only three members, Chvrches did a phenomenal job of using the entire stage and commandeering the crowd. Hardcore fans packed the pit surrounding the stage. Sunburned and sweaty, they sang along to the dance-y beats. Vocalist Lauren Mayberry had a simple, yet intoxicating stage presence.

She twirled around the stage, spinning and singing in a dizzying, animated performance. The stage might have been large for such a tiny little figure, but Mayberry worked it like a queen, completely empowered. Their setup might have been minimalistic, but their set was the opposite. The bass shook the audience to their core, the energy palpable.

Bastille I’d heard Bastille was somewhat lackluster live, with really good sound, but just somewhat boring to watch. But their set at Edgefest was nothing of the sort.

The band entered the stage to a comical version of the 20th Century Fox theme (Somewhat like this one), which got the crowd into it early. During the first song “Flaws,” singer Dan Smith wasted no time getting intimate listeners, hopping

off of the stage and singing in the middle of the pit. The rest of the band’s set was sprinkled with hits like “Bad Blood,” and of course, they ended with “Pompeii.” They also played two new songs the crowd was very receptive to.

Cage the Elephant As the headlining band slotted right after The 1975, Cage the Elephant had some big shoes to fill. Although much of the crowd left after The 1975, those who stayed were treated to a loud, rambunctious rock show. Right off the bat, vocalist Matthew Shultz had incredible energy. The band’s set was reminiscent of classic rock-androll bands like the Rolling Stones.

With sweet guitar riffs, a stage full of smoke and a dedicated crowd, Cage the Elephant had some of the craziest energy of the evening. Those who chose to head out early to skip traffic missed out.

The 1975 A crackling, glitch-like image fills the stage. The instrumental track builds as the crowd belts a thunderous roar and grows as the pit fills in. Some people run in from the previous set hoping to get a better glimpse. Girls in the front row are already screaming, crying and waiting for the appearance of a curly-haired singer.

The 1975 didn’t disappoint as the first band to truly get to thrill festival attendees with a dramatic stage production. Slotted after the sun went down, the UK band brought out the big guns. The band’s production has always been above par, and singer Matt Healy takes special care to be sure that their live set is one of the most put-together, aesthetically perfect sets attendees will ever see.

Healy and the band’s crew outdid themselves this tour. With four rectangular columns in their backdrop, projections of clouds, skyline and other whimsical views changed with every song. For fans who were around long before the band’s newest album, “I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It,” the projections offered hints of nostalgia in flashes of monochromatic color. The band’s signature rectangular lights were hanging above the band, also changing colors as the set progressed.

Besides being the most visually stunning set of the evening, The 1975 offered one of the best musical performances of the festival. With a set list carefully mixing old songs with

Matty Healy of The 1975. Meagan Sullivan | Visuals Editor new, there was a little of something for everyone.

Healy’s vocals were pitch-perfect as he danced along to the band’s newer tunes, like “Love Me,” and “Ugh!” His best vocal performance of the night, however, were on “If I Believe You,” a gospel-esque ballad that depicts Healy’s struggles with religion. Lead guitarist Adam Hann was impeccable, especially during “Robbers,” when his guitar part is vital. For live shows, the band adds John Waugh on saxophone. This extra element during “Heart Out,” and “If I Believe You,” adds another dimension to the band’s already incredible live sound.

Healy’s stage presence is captivating, enticing and had many crowd members craning to get a better look. He has perfected his carefree stage persona, bopping and pelvic-thrusting to his own songs, cigarette in hand. The band’s new era is an exciting, more colorful tone, which is evident in their live set.

If given the chance to see them, The 1975 is a band you simply cannot miss.

Good Charlotte There’s a certain spirit in pop-punk shows other genres simply don’t have.

They’re rowdy, loud and – if you’re lucky – you just might get punched in the face.

Perhaps it’s the nature of the lyrics that are usually about rebelling against authority, or how badly it sucks that girls don’t like you. Maybe it’s the fast-paced, drum-driven sound, or the crowd’s need to get a little crazy after a day full of indie bands. Whatever the case was,

Guitarist Billy Martin sings along to old crowd favorites. Meagan Sullivan | Visuals Editor Good Charlotte had every head in Toyota Stadium bopping along to their set.

Returning to the music scene after a four-year hiatus, the Edgefest crowd was more than welcoming to the Maryland rock group fronted by twins Joel and Benji Madden. There was a feeling of nostalgia in the air as the group played some of their biggest hits like “The Anthem,” and “Girls & Boys,” along with a couple of newer ones like “The River,” and recent single, “40 oz. dream,” which is a colorful, nostalgic tune about how music (and life in general) has changed since the boys were big in 2003.

Regardless of their time away, the group still knows how to command a crowd.

“You guys ever been to a pop punk show?” was screamed into the mic like a

call to action. The crowd knew what to do. Crowd surfers started up, a true sign of a pop punk show. The group also saw its first (and only) mosh pits of the day, to the delight of many and the fear of some.

Even with the combination of pop punk newbies and veterans, everyone in the crowd was kind to one another. Pop punk is like a family, and it was incredible to see strangers watching out for one another. It was apparent that many showgoers had very little experience dealing with crowd surfing, but quickly adjusted, even cheering on those who chose to partake in the rite of passage.

Good Charlotte’s newest album, Youth Authority, is set to release July 15.

The band will return to Dallas in June for Vans Warped Tour, as the festival makes its annual stop at Gexa Energy Pavilion.

THE DOSE|NORTH TEXAS DAILY

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FILM

‘Captain America: Civil War’ is a masterclass in superhero storytelling

By Nicholas Friedman Editor-In-Chief @NMFreed

Believeitornot,it’sbeeneightyearssince the first “Iron Man” movie hit theaters, once again defying all expectations for what a superhero movie can do.

This happened again in 2012 with “The Avengers,” as we were shown what a true shared universe can look like.

And with the release of “Captain America: Civil War” this week, expect to have your expectations shattered once again as Cap and crew bring to the table

the best superhero action flick to ever grace the screen.

That doesn’t come lightly, either, but it’s true. Sure, “The Dark Knight” takes the superhero drama cake and “Spider-Man” and “X-Men” are fun little mid-2000s romps, but “Civil War” is something special.

This film, the third in the titular “Captain America” series, pits friend against friend as the Sokovia Accords, a United Nations-sanctioned deployment agreement, attempts to keep The Avengers in check following the destruction in Sokovia, New York, Harlem, etc.

escape

In typical Cap fashion, Steve Rogers argues that “the safest hands are still our own” while Tony Stark think government intervention will prevent someone like him from creating a hyper-intelligent murderous robot. Hmm. Anyway, a terrorist act occurs and Cap’s best bud, Bucky Barnes AKA The Winter Soldier, is blamed. So, the story develops two-fold, with Cap fighting to protect Bucky while also facing off against Tony Stark and his backup. With that in mind, the lines are very firmly drawn, with Falcon, Bucky, Hawkeye, Ant-Man and Scarlet Witch on Cap’s side, and War Machine, Black Widow, Black Panther, Vision and Spider-Man on Tony’s side.

And oh man, let’s talk about Spider-Man. This silver screen represntation of the webslinger is the best yet, without competition. While Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield each brought unique portrayal to the character, newcomer Tom Holland does something special -- he’s funny and smart.

This Spider-Man flies around the screen like an actual spider, spinning web and quipping when certain things happen.

Courtesy |Marvel Studios His interactions with the other Avengers feel natural, something many were worried about when Spider-Man was first announced to be showing up.

Aside from Spider-Man being one of the best parts of the film, it’s central conflict is no slouch either. Sure, Tony and Cap are fighting, but there is a deeper, emotional arc unfolding here. Without spoiling anything, this film calls into question a lot of what March’s “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” did. There’s the concept of parenthood, collateral damage and how to teach the world to be OK with superheroes. All of these concepts are fleshed out in full in this film, knocking

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Each hit between heroes is felt and it hurts, truly. The last act in particular shakes you to your core, especially after the blissful airport fight scene.

Overall, “Captain America: Civil War” is quite simply one of, if not the greatest superhero film of all time. The directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, truly understand each and everyone of these characters, from Cap’s need to be a hero, to Tony’s failed quest for redemption.

This film, while not a close adaptation of the original “Civil War” comic, proves that Marvel is and will remain king.

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FILM

‘The Jungle Book’ delivers more than the bare necessities

By Kayleigh Bywater Senior Staff Writer @kayleighbywater In all honesty, waiting to see realistic reboots of classic Disney movies can be nerve-wracking.

Growing up watching Disney’s best on a VCR brings about a certain reminiscence that not all reboots can match.

Jon Favreau’s “The Jungle Book,” however, has a way of making the audience feel as though they’re sitting on their living room couch, watching the tale of the man-cub for the first time all over again.

This gorgeous, dark twist on Rudyard Kipling’s story has a 94 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of publication, and for good reason. Following the animated version’s storyline in most aspects, while incorporating new age technology and CGI, makes for a roller coaster of emotions, even for a 20-year-old college student.

The story’s premise, at heart, is spot on. Mowgli, a man-cub raised by wolves and played by Neel Sethi, is forced to leave his home in the jungle after the fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) comes after him.

With the help of his guardian, a panther named Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), and his lovable, humorous bear friend Baloo (Bill Murray), Mowgli makes it through a serpent’s spell, an angry orangutan’s desires and more on a journey to become a man, not a wolf.

Favreau did not hold back on making this version darker than the original, and it was a safe bet coming from the director who reinvigorated comic book movies (see: “Iron Man.”) Although there was comic relief throughout and the classic happy ending, the team behind “The Jungle Book ” did not pull any punches ripping out the heartstrings.

It seems as though Favreau’s intention was to take that audience who grew up watching the animated version and present them with a darker, more muscled up version of the tale. While this is not a bad thing, it did make for quite a shock when animals died and creatures jump-scared us out of nowhere. It did, though, provide a unique, new twist on the lighthearted classic.

But things like Baloo f loating down the river with Mowgli singing “The Bare Necessities,” Mowgli venturing through the woods with Bagheera and the hypnotizing eyes of the sneaky serpent Kaa (Scarlett Johansson) brought the movie home.

The movie as a whole, however, had gorgeous scenery and images so realistic that, in some parts, you might forget it’s all CGI. It was as if you could reach out and touch Baloo’s fur or pick a f lower off the screen.

Courtesy | Disney But for almost the entire movie, the only real aspect was Mowgli.

At the same time, this did present some complications.

While the animals looked as though they were real, the movement when they spoke did not.

It was as if they were speaking through human mouths. While it is hard to make it seem natural that an animal is talking, their expressions sometimes reeled in more focus than what they were actually saying.

In addition, “The Jungle

Book ” made feisty orangutan King Louie (Christopher Walken) look more like King Kong and made Kaa appear to be as long as the jungle itself, weaving through trees dozens of feet away from each other. While the exaggeration of elements in a movie can be a plus, the mark fell short in some aspects.

Overall, the film provided a sense of wonder not many liveaction remakes can touch. Not only was it visually beautiful, but the underlying messages were too.

TUNES

Disco Donnie delivers something truly ‘Wonderful’ after weather woes

By Victoria Baghaei Staff Writer @Chorizotacoss

EDM music festival Something Wonderful was held the weekend of April 23 at Texas Motor Speedway, and it could be described as nothing less than something truly wonderful.

Disco Donnie gave everyone exactly what they were looking for: a great show in a location where weather problems wasn’t an issue.

This weekend could have been hit-ormiss with Texas having some of the most unpredictable weather in the spring, but instead we were met with absolutely breathtaking weather with a slight breeze that soothed the massive crowds.

Most attending Something Wonderful got their tickets as a refund due to the past festival cancellations.

“I’m so happy that we will finally be able to get to go to our festival without the weather messing everything up,” Trisha Paree said, who came all the way from Oklahoma University for the show.

She got refund tickets to the show

because she drove all the way to the first Wonderful only for a rain-check.

She then drove to Houston to go to Something Wicked, and they ended up canceling that show too.

Walking into the festival, you could already note the major improvements from Wonderful’s first year. The main stage had a dome over it in case of any rain, and the police presence was not as staggering as the past Wonderful festival where it seemed to be riddled with police officers and drug dogs.

The location this year was an amazing choice on Disco Donnie’s part. Food trucks with enough room for everyone to sit back and relax if need be were there with a sitting section, filled with beautiful lights, soft carpet and massive inflatables rainbows.

Another improvement people were looking for this year was Wonderful’s VIP section. Last year, they were allowing VIPs to the front of the stage then slowly letting everyone else who had bought general tickets in – one at a time.

“I’m so happy that they decided to not do what they did last year with the

VIP. It was ridiculous last year because it wasn’t even really VIP. They were just letting the VIP in first, and then slowly letting us in. And if you needed the free water, you had to leave,” frequent raver Danie Johnson said.

“It was a mess. I’m so happy with how they have it now. It’s just like the other events.”

A large portion of the attendees recieved their tickets free of charge after another Donnie Disko event was rained out. Courtesy | RUKES A large portion of the attendees recieved their tickets free of charge after another Donnie Disko event was rained out. Courtesy | RUKES The artists brought everything they had. DaDa Life brought in massive, inflatable bananas for the crowd to bounce around and Borgore blinded with a spectacular light show.

Though Wonderful seemed have some difficulty with the muffled sound system, Tiesto hit the stage and seemed to have rectified the issue as he brought the house down with amazing visuals and a more-than-appropriate volume.

Courtesy |Something Wonderful Overall, Something Wonderful fulfilled its promises to satisfy beyond belief and gave their customers a quality show. Customers who’ve attended Disco Donnie events like UNT accounting senior Ferdinand Hardly expressed their gratitude and

excitement for the events to come.

“Wonderful was so amazing. I can’t wait to go to Wicked in October and then back for Wonderful again,” Hardly said. “Donnie truly gave me an experience and I’m happy I came because the wait was worth it.”

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TUNES

The best music festivals in Texas this year

By Skyler Purcell Contributing Writer @Don_of_Dallas

Summer music festivals in Texas have been gaining popularity and size every year. Some events blast electronic music to thousands of crazed, jumping fans while others encourage you to bring inflatable tubes to float down the San Marcos River. In preparation for the state’s hottest 2016 summer music events, we’ve listed the top festivals you won’t want to miss.

Neon Desert Music Festival 2016 Located in El Paso, TX this festival showcases national headlining hip-hop, electronic dance, and indie artists every year. Neon Desert Music Festival is awesomely diverse and sure to please.

This year’s lineup includes artists such as Deftones, Future, A$AP Ferg, and Tory Lanez.

Tickets range from $119-$250 per person. The festival starts on

Saturday, May 28 and ends on Sunday, May 29.

More info: http://www. neondesertmusicfestival.com/ River City Rockfest Located in San Antonio, TX and showcase to some of the nation’s hottest rock, alternative, and metal bands, River City Rockfest is a fan’s paradise.

On May 29, bands including Disturbed, Scorpions, Megadeath, Bullet For My Valentine, Hellyea, Sevendust, and P.O.D. will take the stage.

The festival will be hosted at the AT&T Center. General admission prices range from $59.50-$70.00.

More info: http:// rivercityrockfest.com/ Float Fest Located in San Marcos, TX and home to one of the most unique music festival adventures, Float Fest is all about combining live music with the relaxing flow of the

San Marcos River.

This year, the festival will feature artists such as Rick Ross, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Chromeo, and Slim Thug. The festival starts on July 16 and ends on July 17. Ticket prices start at $99.00 for general admission.

More info: http://floatfest.net/ Austin City Limits Music Festival Located in Austin, TX and celebrating its 15 year anniversary, Austin City Limits Music Festival has become so popular that the event now extends over the course of two weekends. The festival hosts some of the biggest names in hiphop, rap, rock, electronic dance, indie, and alternative music.

Over 130 performances will occur on eight different stages.

Artists such as Foo Fighters, Drake, The Weeknd, Deadmau5, Bassnectar, Modest Mouse, Twenty One Pilots, and Chance The Rapper are just a few of the big names that have appeared here before.

Courtesy | Skyler Purcell The first weekend of the festival starts on September 30 and ends on October 2. The second weekend starts on October 7 and ends

October 9. Tickets start at $255 for general admission.

More info: http://www. aclfestival.com/

GAMES

‘Star Fox Zero’ may be fun, but it lacks character, longevity

By Nicholas Friedman Editor-In-Chief @NMFreed

Gamers have wanted a new game in the Star Fox series for a very, very long time. Since the release of the original title in 1993, there have only been a handful of follow-ups, most of them being remakes.

Of course, we all loved Star Fox 64, the 1997 remake of the original for the Nintendo 64, and we loved it again when it was remade for the Nintendo 3DS a few years ago.

So did we really need another reimagining of the original for the Wii U? We get it, don’t fix what isn’t broken. But we’re not talking Mario or Zelda here, and even those games do enough with the characters to shake up an age-old system. Star Fox Zero really just presents you with the same story as the first game, throws in a few new mechanics and calls it a day.

That story in question is Fox’s hunt for Andross in the hopes of

learning more about his father’s death. The game also has forced motion controls, but we’ll get to that.

The game opens with almost a pixel-perfect recreation of Corneria, the first level from the aforementioned original games.

It’s breathtaking as your Star Fox crew, consisting of Peppy the rabbit, Slippy the toad and Falco the, well, falcon, blasts through the atmosphere and skits along the sea into the city. The thought here was: “Wow, this is a great thing for fans. Can’t wait to see all of the new stuff.”

And there is new stuff, it’s just not wholly exciting. The Arwing, Fox’s signature spacecraft, can now transform into a drone (hey, it’s 2016!) and a weird, chickenlike robot creature, and of course the Landmaster. For a game series that has caught f lack for taking players out of the Arwing before, (see: Star Fox Adventures and Star Fox Assault) this sure seems out of place. But it’s actually pretty

fun, and would be a solid addition were it not an integral part of the game.

Which leads us to the implementation of forced motion controls, something we thought left us during the Wii days. While you can emulate the classic Star Fox control scheme by just using the left analog stick, bosses and some ships require what the game sees as “precision” and asks you to look at your GamePad screen and use motion controls to better target your enemies.

That’s fine and dandy, but not when there’s a beautiful, high definition game playing on your huge f latscreen and it asks you to stare down at a blurry, low-res touch screen. It would make any player salty.

The game also gets pretty difficult, which is always a welcome challenge, but only when the game’s mechanics can actually be worked with. There were times during boss battles where bombs or shots would miss because the

Courtesy | Tidal Music Streaming boss’s leg was clipping into it’s target zone. When you’re trying to look between screens, transform and deal with the game’s bugs, things aren’t very fun.

When the game was originally announced, fans were ecstatic to hear Platinum Games (Bayonetta, Vanquish, The Wonderful 101) would be working on a Star Fox title. But when Miyamoto, creator of Mario, was said to have hands on the title, people got scared.

And some of Miyamoto’s ambition

shows here. The game can be very fun, but it’s narrative and scope suffer for it, just like recent entries in the Paper Mario series.

Overall, Star Fox Zero is partly the Star Fox game we’ve always wanted and partly the ones we’ve come to forget. It’s fun, at times, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

Should the Star Fox crew get another go around in the next few years, let’s keep it traditional. We just want to blast baddies in our Arwing.

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WHAT TO DO IN DENTON

Thursday, May 5 National Day of Prayer – 11:30 AM @ Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square Open Mic at Audacity Brew House! – 7:00 PM Trivia Night – 8:00 PM @ Mulberry St Cantina

Friday, May 6 First Friday Denton – 6:00 PM @ Downtown Denton Square May Mixer Meetup – 5:30 PM @ Sweetwater’s Grill & Tavern Live Music – 7:00 PM @ LSA Burger In the Heights – 7:30 PM @ The Campus Theatre Friday Night Dart Tournament – 7:45 PM @ The LABB Ghosts of Denton – 8:00 PM @ Downtown Denton (Meet at Jupiter House) Saturday, May 7 Fit 2 Serve Crossfit Competition – 7:00 AM @ Crossfit Denton Denton Community Market – 9:00 AM @ Historic Park of Denton County Let’s Do Denton Life 5K & Family Fun Run – 7:30 AM @ North Lakes Park Guided Tour of the North

Real Texas Radio Live Broadcast – 7:00 PM @ LSA Burger Boxcar Bandits – 11:00 PM @ Mulberry Street Cantina Wednesday, May 11 Meditation Class – 11:30 PM @ Seven Mile Cafe Live Music – 7:00 PM @ LSA Burger Wednesday Night Social Run – 7:00 PM @ Oak St. Drafthouse Movie Night – 10:30 @ II Charlie’s Bar and Grill

Texas Horse Country – 9:00 AM @ DATCU Parking Lot Jazz Brunch – 10:00 AM @ The Chestnut Tree Gluten Free Tasting Expo and Health Fair – 1:00 PM @ Natural Grocers Sunday, May 8 Mother’s Day – 11:00 AM @ Robson Ranch’s Wildhorse Clubhouse

In the Heights – 2:00 PM @ The Campus Theatre Free Roll Texas Hold Em Tournament – 6:00 PM @ Jack’s Tavern Open Mic with Bone Doggie – 9:00 PM @ The Abbey Underground Suit and Tie Jazz Night – 10:00 PM @ Paschall Bar Monday, May 9

Open Mic Night – 7:00 PM @ LSA Burger Monday Monk Ride – 7:30 PM @ The Bearded Monk Live Jazz – 10:00 PM @ The Greenhouse Open Mic Night – 10:00 PM @ Andy’s Bar Tuesday, May 10 Musical Tuesdays – 7:00 PM @ Sweetwater Grill and Tavern

Thursday, May 12 Poses & Pints with Karma Yoga – 4:30 PM @ The Bearded Monk Celebrity Waiter Night – 5:30 PM @ Tex Tapas Charity Pub Crawl with Denton Slacker – 6:00 PM @ The Abbey Underground, Mulberry St Cantina, Game Changers Arcade, Bearded Monk, Oak St Drafthouse Open Mic – 7:00 PM @ Audacity Brew House!

In the Heights – 7:30 PM @ The Campus Theatre Trivia Night – 8:00 PM @ Mulberry St. Cantina

GAMES

‘Quantum Break’ the perfect game for the Netflix generation

By Nicholas Friedman Denton Record-Chronicle @NMFreed

For a while now, games and television have walked the episodic line together. Games like Telltale’s The Walking Dead and Life Is Strange build narratives not unlike top television dramas like Game of Thrones or Empire.

But what if there was a game that took the episodic nature of gameplay and married it to a liveaction counterpart? Well, you’d get Quantum Break.

Developed by Remedy Entertainment, the brains behind the Max Payne series (well, the first two at least) and Alan Wake, Quantum Break takes players on a quest of family, fear and awesome time-stopping, warping and

distorting abilities.

Yeah, it’s pretty cool.

Players step into the shoes of Jack Joyce, played by Shawn Ashmore (the X-Men franchise) as he is thrust into a sci-fi world, oddly enough, crafted by his best friend Paul Serene, played by Aidan Gillan (Game of Thrones, The Dark Knight Rises).

Without giving anything away, Jack and Paul both get pretty sweet time-controlling abilities but find themselves on opposite sides of the morality scale.

Here’s where Quantum Break’s main conf lict takes off.

The third-person shooter game is split into five acts, and those acts are sandwiched by live-action television episodes, with all of the game’s motion-capped actors playing their parts on camera. For

example, you play the game’s first act as Jack up to a point, and then you switch to Paul and are given a choice to make. Based on said choice, your live-action episode plays out. Do you want to kill the witnesses or save them and frame your best friend? These are the questions asked of players, and the repercussions are felt throughout.

The game, while mostly offering absolutes, is dynamic.

That alone may warrant more than one play-through.

The show itself isn’t so bad, either.

It’s a bit cheesy, and some of the satellite characters, which the show often focuses on, aren’t the greatest on-camera actors, but it comes across neatly.

The action is standard, the dialogue is sometimes cringe-

worthy, but overall, it forwards the narrative in a new and interesting way. You can’t ask for much more.

The game itself is no slouch either, but it does have some faults.

Getting a hang of Jack’s powers is a bit confusing, and you may find yourself forgetting which buttons on the Xbox One controller do what, even after hours of gameplay.

But man, the powers are cool.

You’ll be putting up time shields to catch bullets and send them f lying back, creating time bubbles around enemies to take them down, or controlling objects in the area by sending them forward or backward in time.

The powers may not be easy, but they work, and visually, they look fantastic.

The game also channels much of what made games like Max Payne and Alan Wake so great.

The slow-motion and gunplay of Max Payne is here in all it’s fantastic glory, and the light effects, physics and episodic, novel-like storytelling has made its way over from Alan Wake.

Remedy is a company that takes pride in legacy, and it definitely shows here.

Quantum Break is a trip. With high-profile main talent, a solid television series and the coolest superpowers in a video game since Infamous, the game is definitely worth a play if you’ve got an Xbox One (or a souped-up Windows 10 computer, though that version of the game comes with its own set of issues).