Update on Hiatus and a Preview of the Future

[Announcement!] The Anime & Gaming Outpost is not back from hiatus just yet, but a revival and relaunch are being explored. Various long-term creative projects and unforeseen responsibilities led to a premature hiatus of AGO! after launch. One of the unpublished works from that time, the Gungrave video game review, has recently gone live. It …

Anime DVD Mini-Reviews: The Skull Man: Complete Collection, Rouroni Kenshin Vol. 2: Battle in the Moonlight, After War Gundam X: Collection 1

By Peter W. Smorynski [Mini-Reviews: Anime!] Title: The Skull Man: Complete Collection Platform: DVD Publisher: Sentai Filmworks Studio: Bones Age Rating: 14+ Release Year: 2010 Production Year: 2007 Details: English Subbed, 2 DVDs, 13 eps. Extras: Skull Man Japanese Promos Editor's Note: This review was originally written  non-contractually for rightstufanime.com in 2017 “Who is the …

Gungrave: A Graveyard Blast

By Peter W. Smorynski [Review: Gaming!] Title: GUNGRAVE Platform: Playstation 2 Publisher: Sega Developer: Red Entertainment ESRB Rating: M Year: 2002 Editor's Note: This previously unpublished review was originally written for an AGO! special Halloween feature in 2008 An undead gunman walks the streets of a corrupt city. Carrying his own coffin on his back, …

Contra 4: Return of the Run ‘n’ Gun King

By Peter W. Smorynski [Review: Gaming!] Title: CONTRA 4 Platform: Nintendo DS Publisher: Konami Developer: WayForward Technologies ESRB Rating: T Year: 2007 A military helicopter zooms toward the archipelago of Galuga, off the coast of New Zealand. Aboard this craft are the four strongest soldiers on Earth, known collectively as "Contra." Their mission: to eliminate …

AGO! Scoring System

[Announcement!] Below is the 6-point scale used by AGO! in the final evaluation of anime and games: [!] - - - - - Subpar [!] [!] - - - - Rental [!] [!] [!] - - - Average [!] [!] [!] [!] - - Solid [!] [!] [!] [!] [!] - Stellar [!] [!] [!] …

Mega Man 9: Robotic Recycling or Revival?

By Peter W. Smorynski [Editorial: Games!] Is Mega Man 9 being overhyped? There's no doubt it's a must-play game, especially for Mega Man fans, but the buzz about it being among "the best" in the series seems to be crossing the line. As a fan of Mega Man since Mega Man 2 on the NES …

The Revolution was Televised (PART 2 of 2): Toonami’s Broader TV Legacy

By Peter W. Smorynski [Editorial: Anime!] As noted in PART 1, from March 1997 to September 2008, Toonami inspired a generation through its positive philosophy and a fresh dose of creativity. However, with the end of this revolutionary action-cartoon block, I've noticed that most major animation news outlets have downplayed or even ignored Toonami's contributions …

The Revolution was Televised (PART 1 of 2): The Toonami Generation

By Peter W. Smorynski [Editorial: Anime!] March 17, 1997. Deep space. On the Ghost Planet, the decision was made to fire an experimental cannon. That afternoon, an unidentified object burst through Earth's atmosphere and blazed a luminous trail across the sky. Trying to control the frenzy sweeping the globe, authorities tracked down the UFO to …

Creativity has a New Home: AGO! Welcomes You!

[Announcement!] Welcome to the Anime & Gaming Outpost! I'm [Pete], editor-in-chief, blogmaster, and outpost guide. The AGO! is a fresh new blog taking an unconventional, analytical, and even avant-garde look at the state of creativity through editorials and reviews on the mediums of, and related to, anime and gaming. With an aim to give readers …