Best Movies of 2025 

By: Lilianna Cartagena and Cecelia McAndrew 

When was the last time you watched a good movie? If you’re looking for a movie to watch, we would recommend these most viewed movies of 2025!

In this article, you’ll find the most viewed, and the most popular movies! At the end, there will be a link to a google poll, and we will write again soon with the rankings of the top 5 movies that Jockey Hollow voted for!

Kpop Demon Hunters 

Kpop Demon Hunters is incredibly popular, becoming Netflix's most-watched English-language film of all time! The film’s music is playing a big role in its popularity. TikTok creators have started posting dances and edited versions of the songs, spreading the news about the new hit.

The movie follows Rumi, Mira and Zoey,  the three members of Huntrix, a Kpop music group, also chosen to protect the world from dangerous demons. As they are preparing to release the song that will completely banish all demons by trapping them under the Golden Homoon, the demons send a group of demons who impersonate humans and become a boy band. The demon boy band, the Saja Boys, is rising in popularity and stealing Huntrix’s fans. In the end, who will win? Huntrix, or the Saja Boys?

A Minecraft Movie

After the first three days in theaters, A Minecraft Movie had earned $313 million. The popularity of Minecraft brought in many Minecraft fans, as well as Jack Black fans. Jack Black is an award-winning comedian, starring in many popular movies, such as School of Rock, and voicing Stillwater in Kung-fu Panda. 

A Minecraft Movie is about 4 people who get stuck in an alternate dimension, called the Overworld, which is based on the video game Minecraft. In order to get back, they need to steal back a piece of the Orb, which was stolen by the leader of the piglins, pigs that live in the Nether. They run into Steve, who has been in the Overworld for years, and he helps them survive. Will they survive, or be stuck in the Overworld forever? Watch A Minecraft Movie to find out!

Lilo and Stitch

The new live action version of the popular Lilo and Stitch has become extremely popular. It made $183 million opening week. An amazing commercial aired during the LVIII Super Bowl, in which Stitch was seen running around the field and causing mayhem as employees tried to catch him. This commercial stirred a lot of commotion over the new live action movie.

Based on the Disney animated movie, Lilo and Stitch, this new live action version follows a blue alien, Stitch, who is adopted by a little girl, Lilo. Lilo is misunderstood, and tends to get into a lot of trouble. Stitch is a mischievous alien, who is very friendly and extremely strong. Lilo and Stitch quickly become best friends, and cause a lot of trouble on the way. Jumba and Pleaky are spying on Stitch, in an attempt to capture him. Will Lilo and Stitch avoid Jumba and Pleakly, or will Stitch be captured?

How to Train Your Dragon

Famous because of a silly black dragon, How to Train Your Dragon has hit the ground running in 2025. Lots of people  have watched and loved  How To Train Your Dragon. This amazing production has earned $635.7 million worldwide. Many people all over the internet have been cosplaying as the cute dragon, Toothless. 

In the heartwarming movie, Hiccup, the son of Chief Stoick the Vast, wants a chance to prove he’s a traditional dragon slayer. He takes his talent to another level, focusing on slaying the most feared dragon, The Night Fury. Miraculously, he finds one, but can’t bring himself to kill it. He befriends the dragon, Toothless. 

Wicked 

Famous Broadway musical turned movie, Wicked has earned $756,443,397 worldwide. It brought in Broadway lovers, and Ariana Grande fans. The famous singer portrayed the part of Glinda in the amazing production, which most likely brought in a lot of viewers. Before it was released on Peacock, everyone was talking about it. The theaters were full of Wicked fans, itching to see the new Broadway adaption.

The production is about rich, and pampered Glinda, who came to the school, Shiz University and is very popular. Elphaba, on the other hand, came to watch over her sister, Nessa. Elphaba was born green, and everyone has always thought less of her because of that. Both girls are placed in the same dorm room as roommates, and they loathe each other, there is even an entire song where they express how much they hate each other. They eventually become friends, and help each other. The movie ends on a cliff hanger, the same part where the original musical ends part one. The sequel, Wicked: For Good will be released November 21, 2025. 

We would love to know which of these movies Jockey Hollow likes the most, and after a few weeks, we will announce the rankings for these extraordinary movies. Please tell us what you think by answering the poll linked below!

Movie Poll

A Game Review by: Ethan Krackehl, Hudson Falco, and Max Burdo 

Pokemon tcg Pocket is a mobile game, in which you collect, trade, and battle pokemon cards. You get cards in many different ways. One is packs. When you open packs, you get an assortment of 5 cards. Those five cards can consist of ten rarities; one-diamond, two-diamond, three-diamond, four-diamond, one-star, two-star, three-star, crown, one-star shiny, and two-star shiny. The most recent rarities are the shinies. 

In the games there are missions. The missions give you hourglasses, limited time cards, and shop tickets. Hourglasses give you the chance to open up packs that you have to wait for. When you get 12 hourglasses, you can open a pack. You get the limited time cards from completing missions. The missions are hard. You go to missions, then click Deck. You will see ex’s that you can collect. EX: Collect the highlight cards for Beedrill ex Deck (Shining Revelry). In order to get this card you collect Beedril ex and Meowscarada to get him. You can get more ex cards that will help you get more exp to level up. The shop tickets are used in the shop to get pack hourglass, wonder hourglass, pack hourglass x6, and wonder hourglass x6. You can get these by going into missions, go to Dex and see what you have to do to get them, and if you go into Themed Collections, you can get a whole lot of shop tickets. You can battle other people or play solo. You can also build your own decks. EX My deck: Celebi, Beedril ex Charizard ex, Wigglytuff, Beedril ex, Probopass ex, Serperior ex, Vaporeon ex, Mamoswine, Lucario, Pachirlus ex, and Regigigas. You will be able to get a deck as soon as you hit level 10. 

Currently, there is a new booster pack available. The new pack is called Shiny Revelry. This pack introduces a new type of card rarity. Shinies. There are a variety of different Pokemon that now come in the form of shinies. These include cards like Beedrill ex, Charizard ex, Wugtrio ex, and many more. Though, not only the appearance of the card changes, the pokemon change, too. On a shiny card, the color of the pokemon will be changed from the original color, to a new, exclusive one, specific to the card. Take the Charizard, for example. Instead of its classic orange color, it is changed to black. Shiny cards are a perfect addition to your collection. That is, if you are lucky enough to get them. There is only a four percent chance of actually getting a shiny. Now if you thought these were rare, there are some even rarer. Some ex’s, like Giratina ex, are even rarer. While on the topic of Giratina, a rarer version of this card is the immersive Giratina ex. With immersive cards, you can click and hold on the card, and it will bring you INSIDE THE CARD! 

All of these cards have really cool art and animations, and these animations bring you inside the worlds of these Pokemon. Take the immersive Charizard ex, for example. When you are brought into this card, it is a scene of Charizard and a bunch of other Pokemon. If you thought this was cool, there are even cooler cards. Like the golden cards. These cards are exactly what it sounds like. They look like they were made of pure gold. These cards are super rare. In the new pack, Shiny Rivalry, you are able to get the golden Pokeball. This sadly is nothing that special, because it does the exact same thing as the normal Pokeball. But it is golden, which is pretty cool. There is a .40% chance of getting this card. One day on the bus, we were opening Pokemon packs, and  pulled the golden Pokeball! Sadly though, it is the only golden card we have gotten. We do have two immersives, though. But enough about us. This game is truly amazing, and they do have some limited time events happening, so we recommend downloading the game now, so you don’t miss anything.

The Walking Dead the Telltale Definitive Series 

Season 1   Episode 1

By Maison Davila-Perez

Over christmas break I started playing this game with low expectations but when I started this game that completely changed. This game starts with the main character, Lee, in the backseat of a cop car but as seconds go by you can tell something is wrong, cops cars are flying, sirens blaring and then “BAM!” As you exit the demolished car you see the police officer that was just in front of you now on the floor, blood all around. 

As you pick up the shotgun and the handcuff keys off the body of the police officer you finally release your wrist. Suddenly the cop jumps at you knocking the shotgun out of your hands,  but something is wrong. As you scramble to get the shotgun you realize the gun is empty. While you search for the bullet the cop gets closer and closer until you load the shotgun and put the now hostile cop down. 

A  little girl in the distance appears, you ask for help and follow her to a house but lose her in the process. As you enter the house you search for the girl but you realize that the phone has a voice message from her parents.  As you listen something jumps at you, the girl's babysitter. As you back away from you the babysitter the little girl appears handing you a hammer as you smash the zombies head in. As you leave the house you meet a guy trying to free his car from being blocked. Before the sun goes down, with your help, they’re able to free the car moments before the zombies can reach you. 

When you reach this farm you learn that the man's name is Shawn. Shawn introduces you into his family, Hershel, his dad, is an older man that lives on a farm. The family asks you to help you around and as you help around you get to know some other people on the farm like Kenny, his wife Katjaa, and their son Duck. From across the barn you hear a scream and the tracker start going, but when you reach them all you see is Duck on the tracker panicking and Shawn trapped under the tractor with zombies trying to break in while grabbing Duck and trying to break the fence. 

It is at this point that you are faced with your first decision, to help Duck and stop him from getting bit, or help Shawn get from under the tractor. I picked Duck because he’s just a little kid and because Kenny seemed like he would be useful in the future with his car that he had been working on. When I took Duck off the tractor and freed him from the zombies Kenny ran over and I gave him Duck but by the time I could help Shawn it was too late the zombies had broken through the fence while appears to late with his rifle and Shawn was already dead. Hershel would yell at you for not trying to help his son and tell you to leave his farm, but Kenny offered to come along with you and Clementine.

The car breaks down at a shop but zombies are all over the area, as you and the rest of the group run towards the shop you realize that it’s locked and the zombies are approaching. As the zombies get closer you have to fight them off but then someone from the shop opens the door and Duck gets grabbed by a zombie but the girl who opened the store door shoots the zombie then hurry’s you in. When you get in you realize that this girl’s name is Carley and she’s with an entire group of five people. The second Duck walks in, this tall old man starts yelling and saying Duck is bit! Here you can rather side with the old man who’s name is Larry or with Kenny. I decided to side with Kenny because Duck definitely wasn’t bitten and even if he was he wouldn’t be too hard to take out. 

My decision started a big argument and during the argument Larry fell over and he started having a heart attack. Lilly begs us to break into the pharmacy for medicine to help her dad. You have to go outside and find a way to get to a pharmacy worker trapped under a lamp post. You have to distract the zombies then quickly hurry to the zombie holding the key card.   When you get the key card a loud noise goes off attracting the zombies and making them rush the store. The second you get in, race to the pharmacy, unlock it and get the pills for Larry but as he takes the pills the zombies break in requiring you to fend them off as the others rush to leave. 

Before you can leave Carley and Doug, one of the other group members, both get grabbed and, again, you have to pick who you save. By this point I was completely lost as to what to do.  Carley's gun was out of ammo but she said she might have ammo in her bag.  If you look and pass her some she can kill the zombies attacking her or you can help Doug.  I helped Carley, because if she got pulled down I would lose her and her gun.  Doug was eaten and Carley shot the zombies attacking her and the screen went black.

This game was really entertaining. I think some of the decisions you can make were funny.  I would recommend it to you if you wanted to just have some fun.

MSC Euribia, a Review

By Rocco Lucas

The MSC Euribia was the last Meraviglia class ship MSC ever built. The MSC Euribia started construction June 2021 and finished construction April 2023. The MSC Euribia has an overall length of 1,087.4 feet, 2,408 staterooms, and a maximum passenger capacity of 6,335 passengers. MSC Euribia weighs 184,011 gross tons which make it the thirteenth largest cruise ship in the world. The MSC Euribia was registered in Valletta, Malta.

The MSC Euribia is MSC’s 2nd cruise ship that uses liquified natural gas (LNG) for fuel. Liquified natural gas is natural gas that gets cooled down to a liquid state, usually -260 degrees fahrenheit. The usage of Liquified Natural Gas instead of conventional marine fuels reduces sulfur oxide emissions and particulates by 99%. Liquified Natural Gas also produces 85% less nitrogen oxides. The reduction of sulfur oxide from the fuel means EGCS (scrubbers) will not be required. Liquified Natural Gas will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by up to 20%. The hull of MSC Euribia is coated with special paint to reduce the growth of organisms, which reduces drag and maintains the best possible fuel efficiency through the water. In October of 2021 MSC launched a worldwide competition for an artist to design an artwork for the hull of MSC Euribia, to show MSC’s commitment to the sea. The unique design on the hull of MSC Euribia was painted by Alax Flamig. His artwork #SaveTheSea will permanently be displayed on the hull of MSC Euribia.

Some activities and facilities on the MSC Euribia include; waterpark with three waterslides,a broadway theater, a rope course, gym, casino, five pools that fit over 1,000 guests comfortably, and the Galleria Euribia. The Galleria Euribia is MSC’s main promenade. Galleria Euribia has the longest LED dome at sea. The Galleria Euribia includes both complementary and specialty restaurants, it also includes multiple gift shops. The MSC Euribia also includes 21 bars. The Horizon Bar is on deck eighteen all the way in the aft of the ship, this is where you can get amazing views of the wake. The Atmosphere bars are located on the pool deck north and south of the Atmosphere pool. The MSC Euribia truly offers something for everyone.

MSC Meraviglia, a Review  

By Rocco Lucas  

MSC Meraviglia is the first ship to MSC’s Meraviglia class. The other ships are, MSC Bellissima, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Virtuosa, and MSC Euribia.

The MSC Meraviglia has plenty of dining options. Including the Market Place Buffet, four main dining rooms, Hola! Tapas Bar, Butchers Cut, Kaito, and Teppanyaki. The Market Place Buffet and the four main dining rooms are complimentary. 

The MSC Meraviglia was constructed in Saint-Nazaire, France. MSC Meraviglia started construction in October of 2015 and completed May 31 2017. With a length of 1,036.2 feet, a height of 213 feet, maximum passenger capacity of 5,800 passengers, a max speed of 22.7 knots, and a weight of 171,598 gross tons, the MSC Meraviglia is the twenty second biggest ship in the world. MSC Meraviglia was registered in the port of Valletta, Malta.

The ship's facilities feature Galleria Maraviglia, a 315 foot central promenade with a LED roof, Broadway Theater, a waterpark with three waterslides, and a rope course. 

As of January 21, 2025 MSC Meraviglia’s last time being inspected by CDC was July ninth 2024. When the CDC inspected MSC Meraviglia they gave it a score of 100 out of 100. 

Overall I think the MSC Meraviglia is one of the best cruise ships in the world.

Game Review-Godfall

By: Hudson Falco

So over the summer, I did A Lot of gaming, and I beat every single game on my PS5. And as much as I love doing it, after a while, it kinda gets boring re-doing video games. So I decided to go to a local GameStop and look around. And I literally found the BEST VIDEO GAME EVER MADE! 

The game is called Godfall, and I literally cannot stop playing it! In the story, you play as Orin, an exiled former king of a kingdom that possesses magical items, armor called Valorplates. These aid you in your battles against the servants of Macros, the ones who exiled Orin. This game is a fast-paced combat game, as in you literally don’t get a break from the fighting. Around every corner, there's always some type of monster waiting for you. Now, keep in mind that I've only played open-world games for a while now, and in those games, there’s always a giant world to run off in if a monster’s too hard. But in Godfall, the monsters are either gonna hunt you down, or you're literally stuck in an arena. 

At first, I wasn’t sure I was gonna like this, but when I realized I can be fast too, I got really excited. Let’s talk a bit about the combat system. There’s A LOT of weapons, but maybe too many (I’ll talk about that later.) The weapons are the same as some other games, you got dual blades, warhammers, longswords, all of that. All of the weapons are different, and all of them have special combos that you can perform. My favorite weapon is the dual blades, mostly because of the lightning-fast movement and super quick attacks. I find this super useful when you are fighting enemies that just won’t stop hitting you. You could use the dual blades to get some hits in, then quickly get out of the way. But, sadly, the dual blades don’t do the most damage. That’s where the other weapons come in. If you're looking for good damage, but don’t want to get hit, use the polearm (It’s literally a spear.) Want some good damage, but don’t care about getting hit, use the warhammer. The one thing about choosing weapons is that you have to pay attention to the rarity of the weapons. The lesser the rarity, the less strong the weapon. The higher the rarity, the stronger the weapon. The rarity scale is, common, uncommon, rare, epic, and legendary. And if you really like two different weapons and want to use them both, it’s a good thing you can carry two weapons at once! 

But enough about weapons. No good game is complete without a variety of areas to explore. In the game, there is the Earth Realm, Water Realm, and the Air Realm. Each of these realms have specific bosses. The Earth Realm has Zamora the Far-Seeing, the Water Realm has Lunara of the Silver Moon, and the Air Realm has Grieves Sunsteel and Gilden Commander. All of these bosses are unique in their own ways, from combos to appearances to weapons. But there’s one thing they have in common. They are all extremely hard. So before taking on one of the bosses, I recommend re-doing some of the levels, or taking on some of the mini-games, like the Tower of Trials or the Spirit Realm. 

Though this game is amazing, there are definitely a couple bad things about this game. One thing that I'm not fond of is the lack of a variety of character interaction. Throughout the game, there are only four different main characters, a couple warriors, and bosses. That was something I did not like because most of the games I’ve played before,(and most games in general) you can talk to almost anyone. Another thing is that after a really long tutorial, it kinda throws you into the game without that much guidance. Also, after beating the final boss, it just feels boring to keep playing it, because nothing really changes. Though, at the end of the road, I found my journey through this game enjoyable and exciting. Overall, it’s a really good game, and would recommend it to anyone who likes fast-paced games more than the more calm games. Again, I really liked this game, and I think you’d like it, too. Maybe. I don’t know. What I’m trying to say is, just check it out.

Gameboy Advance

by: Ethan Krackehl 

The Gameboy Advance, originally released in 2001, was the last, and best gameboy in the series. 

History

The first Gameboy broke the laws of gaming. Gameboys were handheld, which was not anything new, but the ability to play more than two games at more than 2 fps on a handheld system was. But there were two problems. It did not have a gaming light, or color display.

The first was fixed only in Japan in 1998 with the Gameboy Light. It had a backlit screen. The second one was fixed in 1999  by the Gameboy Color This version did not  keep the backlight. The games were still 8bit. Two years later, the gameboy Advance came out.

Variations 

The Gameboy Advance had a few variations. In 2003 the Gameboy Advance SP premiered  (the sp stands for special).   The backlit SP came out two years later. 

The final Gameboy, the Gameboy Micro, was the most useless Gameboy Advance variation in my opinion. It had a tiny screen with an area of 28.32 mm x 42.48 mm (1.11 in x 1.67 in). It could only play Gameboy Advance games. And, to make matters worse for the Micro, it was released after the Nintendo’s next console, the Nintendo DS. All of the variations had 32-bit graphics.

Controls

The Gameboy Advance had very unique controls. Like the other Gameboys it had a d-pad, an A button, a B button, a Start button and a Select button. On the sp ags 101, there was also a backlight button. In addition it was the first nintendo console with shoulder buttons

Conclusion 

The Gameboy Advance was a revolutionary console. It had 32 bit graphics. It could play Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance games. There's still a lot more to say about it, like how it could play movies and shows. I could go on for hours about the extra features!

Mako Review - Seaworld Orlando

By Lorenzo Lucas

Mako is a B&M hyper coaster located in Seaworld Orlando. Mako features a 200 foot drop, which goes all the way down to the ground. Mako reaches a top speed of 73 miles per hour.

The setting is very beautiful. While the land is flat, much of the coaster takes place over a lake, and part of it comes very close to the midway. The queue has curls that wrap around each other, and features shark facts while climbing the stairs up to the station. The station has a big shark LED on the ceiling, while the ground is themed to underwater ruins. There are three trains, each one has seven rows, and seats four across. The trains are themed to the mako shark, the namesake of the ride. 

Once the train dispatches out of the station, there is a small turn, about 15 degrees. The train starts to climb the slow 200 foot chainlift. As the train crests the lift hill, riders will see the water below them. The train then descends the 200 foot drop, which goes over the water. The drop is followed by an overbanked 90 degree turn.

Following the turn is a large camelback hill. This hill gives the best airtime on the ride, and the clamshell restraints allow for you to feel a sustained floating sensation. After is a 180 degree turn, followed by another airtime hill. This hill is not as good as it has a trim brake that slows down the train, and it is very noticeable. 

The hill leads into a turn that brings the train into the midcourse break run. After the break run is a drop going back to the ground, followed by a couple of turns that lead to the final break run. 

Overall, Mako is not for people scared of heights. I loved this coaster so much, I did it 3 times in a row. Rocco Lucas rode Mako a total of 10 times! If you ever go to Seaworld Orlando, do not skip over this amazing ride!

Iron Gwazi Review

By Rocco Lucas

Iron Gwazi is a hybrid coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa. Iron Gwazi’s track is a Steel I-Box track, and has wooden supports. Before 2022 Iron Gwazi was a wooden coaster made by Great Coasters International. 

At a height of 206 feet, 76 mph and a drop of 91 degrees, Iron Gwazi is the tallest, fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the world. The original Gwazi was 105 feet tall, 91 foot drop and 51 mph. 

I got on line excited to try Iron Gwazi for the first time. I heard that this was one of the best RMC hybrid coasters in the world. I sat down in the front seat, one of the first rides of the day. The first ride of the day is always the slowest since it needs time to warm up. I also sat in the back seat, the back seat was better. When I rode later in the day, it was running a lot faster. Everyone said Iron Gwazi has so much airtime but I only got 2 pops of airtime on the double down. The zeroG stall gave no hang time at all. The death roll was good but it didn’t give that much hang time. 

Iron Gwazi was a good ride, just not the best. Wicked Cyclone at Six Flags New England is a smaller RMC hybrid, but I think it has better airtime, positive G-forces, hangtime, and Lateral G-force. I give Iron Gwazi a 7.8 out of 10.

Cheetah Hunt Review 

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

By Lorenzo Lucas

Cheetah Hunt is an Intamin Blitz model launch coaster. It features three LSM ( linear synchronous motor) launches. With a top speed of 60 miles per hour, this ride is pretty fast. This a review of Cheetah Hunt, located in Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, in Tampa, Florida. 

The sign for Cheetah Hunt is so large, it makes you feel small. You can say the same about the queue, which is unthemed, and looks like a pyramid inside. There are a few facts about cheetahs and the ride. The station is themed to a Moroccan castle, and is tightly packed. The train resembles a cheetah, and the track is yellow and green.

The ride starts off with a launch straight out of the station. This is the smallest of the launches, and is only 30mph. This brings you into a turn, and you go under a path. This leads to the big launch of the ride, where you hold before launching at 60mph, and go vertical into a tower. You slowly “hunt” on the tower, which features overbanked turns, and ends with a vertical drop. You go under another tunnel, and into a heartline roll. After a couple of turns giving positive Gs (getting pushed into your seat) there is a camelback hill. The hill starts with another launch, and has a near vertical entrance, and a near vertical drop into more low to the ground turns. This hill gives a lot of ejector airtime. The final break run comes after another turn. 

The area around the coaster is very nice. You go through some waterfalls, and over the safari. The coaster stands out nicely, and there are a lot of opportunities for off ride footage. 

Overall, Cheetah Hunt is a very fun ride. With some great airtime, and lots of moments where you feel like you will fall out of your seat, it is the perfect ride. The surprise heartline roll makes this ride even better. Cheetah Hunt is a very fun ride that thrill seekers and older families will enjoy.

Game Review-Dauntless

By Hudson Falco

So, after I was done with Monster Hunter Rise, I was kinda into the whole monster hunting type of storyline, so I decided to look around for more games like this. That’s when I came across Dauntless. 

This game was made by Epic Games, who made Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys, so I had high expectations. And, what do you know, it was amazing. This free-to-play co-op action RPG is just the thing I was looking for. After human civilization literally broke the world in their fight for power, the world split apart, and monsters made from an energy called aether took over the fragments of what was left of the earth, also known as The Shattered Isles. 

Using the materials you get from slaying monsters, you can craft armor and weapons. For example, the armor and blades here were crafted from a Torgadoro, a ferocious gorilla-like monster that harnesses the power of fire itself. 

This game is less story-based, so you can do your own thing and progress through the story whenever you want. I personally like progressing slowly, so I get to really enjoy all the different islands and environments. There is also something called the reward cache, in which you can use reward cache coins to buy skins for your armor, weapons, and lanterns. 

Oh yeah, forgot to mention the lanterns. When you craft lanterns, it harnesses the power of a monster. Like the Drask’s Eye, which shoots bolts of lighting, or Skarn’s Defiance, which can block attacks. And, next to the lantern shop is the Middleman. Now, don’t be intimidated by his scary and shady attitude, because he lets you craft omnicells. These harness different kinds of power, like the one that will literally come alive and fight monsters with you. These are super helpful, especially for tough monsters. 

And that’s a wrap! I hope you will check this game out. It’s definitely worth it.

Geometry Dash 2.2

By: Aiden Earhart, Ethan Krackehl, and Hudson Falco

At 10:00 a.m. EST on December 19th Geometry Dash 2.2,  was finally released.  It had been anticipated that the new release would take three years, but it took seven whole years to update. If you are a long- term player, you know how big the anticipation has been since 2.11 came out.  

2.2 released one new main level and four new platformer levels. There was supposed to be a new demon level called ‘Explorers’ but it has been delayed. ‘Explorers’ is not the only thing delayed. We will also have to wait for Verses. Verses will let you play against other people from around the world. 

The ‘event’ feature which would reward you for completing a level in a certain amount of time has been held up as well.  And last but not least, the release of the map has also been set back. We do not know what the ‘map’ will be like.  2.2 will probably be bigger than 2.21 will ever be.

Update lookback

2.2 brought some well needed things to GD. It also brought a bunch of bugs and disappointment. It will be known as the biggest update in GD history.

A note from the authors

We are not associated with RobTop, but 2 of us own the full version. We will get a new story when 2.21 comes out! 

Game Review - Monster Hunter Rise

By Hudson Falco

Wow. So, personally, I love video games. Like, LOVE them. But, for a while, I was getting sick and tired of the same old video games. None of them looked appealing at ALL. Until I found this game. Monster Hunter Rise,  met all of my expectations when I tried this game out. It’s non-stop action, and the graphics are just AMAZING. 

You play as a rookie monster hunter from a village called Kamura. You finally became a full-fledged monster hunter and can’t wait to start. But, when a sudden event happens in which a BUNCH of monsters appear, you have no choice but to take action. Accompanied by your trusty pets, you go on a journey to stop the total destruction of your village. There’s a bunch of different weapons to choose from, and you can upgrade and forge new armor and weapons from the monsters you slay. AND, you’re equipped with things called Wirebugs, which literally let you become Spider-Man. 

So, you’re probably wondering about these pets you get. Well, you get a Palico (Which is practically a cat) and a Palamute (Which is practically a dog). Not only can you get new weapons and armor, but your pets can too. There are two different story lines, both with great lore behind them. One focuses on stopping the infamous monster Magnamalo, and the other focuses on finding out what’s causing the rampage of monsters. My personal favorite is the Guild quest, the one that focuses on what’s causing the rampage. It’s got the same monsters as the other quest, but it’s not as short as the other one, which gives you more time to prepare for the final boss fight. If you’re curious about buying this game, but you prefer multiplayer over single player games, don’t worry. This game also has an online mode, where you can slay monsters with other people.

And, if you would like to stray away from the main story lines, which can be a bit intimidating for new Monster Hunter players, there are Rampage Quests. During a Rampage Quest, you fight waves of monsters while gaining CRAZY rewards that will aid you in your journey. As I said before, the graphics are amazing, and the characters and monsters are just so well designed.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

If you like this game, and you want more, I recommend buying the DLC to this game. It adds so many new monsters to the game, new weapons, an amazing new story line, and a new land. And, my favorite thing about the DLC is that the story line is a bit more scary than the other story lines, with most monsters being designed after terrifying creatures. As I said before, if you like this game, I highly recommend buying the DLC, it adds so much more stuff. Enjoy!

Marley: A Dog Like No Other

By: John Grogan

Reviewed by : Shreya Varadarajan

The book, Marley: A Dog Like No Other, is an autobiographical product of John Grogan’s life in the 1990s, his dog Marley’s questionable beahavior and how it brought his family to a better, and funnier, place. If you like dogs and funny stories which are true, this is the book for you!

Marley : A Dog Like No Other’s Book Blurb

John Grogan and his wife wanted a puppy really badly. They bought a cream lab from a breeder and named him Marley. They didn’t know that this little pup was a mischief maker. What does Marley do to cause mischief? What do John and his wife do when they find out about this dog’s funny nature? 

Read the book to find out!

Where to find Marley : A Dog Like No Other

• BUY - Available on Amazon

• SCHOOL LIBRARY - STEM Academy Library

Six Flags Great Escape, The Bobcat

Rocco Lucas

The Bobcat,  at Six Flags Great Escape will be a brand new wooden coaster with a speed of up to 40 miles per hour, a height of 55 feet, and 1,412 feet long.   Bobcat will be Great Escape’s new coaster for 2024. The height requirement will be 48 inches if you want to ride alone but 42 if you ride with an adult.

I think the Bobcat will be a great addition to Six Flags Great Adventure experience.   Unfortunately the Bobcat requires that the Bobsleds ride close. Even though they had to go, the addition of the brand new wooden coaster is a good decision overall, especially considering the Bobsleds were often closed.       

EL Toro - A Review 

 By Rocco Lucas

181 feet tall, 70 miles per hour, 4400 feet of track, 76° drop, the steepest of any wooden coaster, and built in 2006.  El Toro is still one of the best coasters in the world. 

El Toro is my favorite coaster because it has a first drop that just blows you out of your seat, the following two airtime hills and the turn around, feels like they will throw you out of your seat. The hill after the turn around is just as crazy and you still feel like you are going insanely fast. The ride is super fast. With a whole bunch of speed left there are these tiny hills after that act as the brakes.

With a total ride time of 1 minute 42 seconds, do you have what it takes to tame the bull?

SUPERMAN THE RIDE - A REVIEW

By Rocco Lucas

Superman the ride is an awesome roller coaster located at Six Flags New England. With a speed of 76 mph, a height of 205 feet, and 5,400 feet of track Superman the Ride is an Intamin Hyper Coaster. 5 that provides awesome moments of airtime,  a 68° drop,  and two intense helixes. 

Superman the Ride got the golden ticket award for world's best steel coaster in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. You should check it out!

Birdo in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Wave 4 of the Booster Course Pass!

By Lorenzo Lucas

Breaking News! On Thursday, March 9th, wave 4 of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass was released! Other than the tracks, which will be reviewed at the end of this year when wave 6 releases, to get a final grade on if the pass is worth it, there is a new character! This character is Birdo, originally from Mario Kart Double Dash. 

Birdo is a medium weight class character, meaning she is heavier than baby Mario, but lighter than Bowser, also, Birdo will be available in multiple color choices. Nintendo officially stated that more characters will be added to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in the future, with 5 more coming, as shown in the character select screen. 

Happy Kart racing!

New Soup Review

By Lorenzo Lucas

The New Soup series currently has 4 games. In this review, New Soup will be the spotlight. In this game, you watch Mario eat soup. In the first stage, you move soup into Mario's mouth. At the end, you fight Bowl-Of-Souper, in an epic battle set in a sink. Have fun playing! 

.........NOT A REAL GAME!

Happy National Soup it Forward Day! March 3rd 2023

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass DLC Review

By Lorenzo Lucas

Since wave 3 of the Mario Kart 8 Booster Course Pass DLC just came out, I will review each of the first 3 waves. The booster course pass cost $25 for 48 courses releasing by the end of 2023. I will rank each cup out of 4, 1 point for each good course. The total is 24. After wave 6 I will do the final 3 and fully decide. Let's get to it!

Wave 1 includes the Gold Mushroom cup and the Lucky Bell cup. The Gold Mushroom cup includes Tour Paris Promenade, 3DS Toad Circuit, N64 Choco Mountain, and Wii Coconut mall. Gold Mushroom cup gets 3/4 points. The Lucky Bell cup includes Tour Tokyo Blur, GBA Sky Garden, DS Shroom Ridge, and Tour Ninja Hideaway. The Lucky Bell cup gets 2/4 points. 

Wave 2 includes the Turnip cup and the Propeller cup. The Turnip cup includes  Tour New York Minute, SNES Mario Circuit 3, N64 Kalamari Desert, and 3DS Waluigi Pinball. The Turnip cup gets 3/4 points. The Propeller cup includes Tour Sydney Sprint, GBA Snow Land, Wii Mushroom Gorge, and a new track called Sky High Sundae. The Propeller cup gets 4/4 points.

Wave 3 includes the Rock cup and the Moon cup. The Rock cup includes Tour  London Loop, GBA Boo Lake, 3DS Rock Rock Mountain, and Wii Maple Treeway. The Rock cup gets 4/4 points. The Moon cup includes Tour Berlin Byways, DS Peach Gardens, Tour Merry Mountain, and 3DS Rainbow Road. The Moon cup gets 4/4 points.

Overall, the booster course pass is really good. Sadly, no GCN tracks have been added to the DLC, but hopefully there is one in wave 4. It comes out with a total of 20/24 points, an 83%, which is a B. I recommend this DLC to all fans of Mario Kart. 

iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13

 Is it Worth the Extra Hundred Bucks?

by Lorenzo Lucas

So what do you think?  Is the iPhone 14 worth it, or would you get the 13 instead?  The iPhone 14 released on September, 16th 2022. The 13 came out September 13th, 2022.  In my opinion I would get the iPhone 13. 

Below is a comparison of the iPhones.  Including the Plus and Mini. Let us know what you think.  Use the Google Form at the bottom.

Google Form

A comprehensive review of the One Plus 7 Pro

by Alexander Malecki

  The One Plus 7 pro is one of the kings of android, ranking top 3 for the best androids according to the Antutu benchmark. This phone is special compared to the competition because it is bezel-less, meaning there is NO NOTCH, and the screen reaches the edges, giving it an extremely large 93% screen to body ratio compared to the iphone 11 which gets 82.1%, while the samsung galaxy s9, which is cheaper than the iphone 11 by 400$ is getting a solid 83.6% because there is no notch at the top. Looking at the picture above, there seems to be no front camera, but at the top of the image there is pop out camera which is rated at 16 megapixels, which is more powerful than the camera on the front of the iphone xr. 

Your selfies on the One Plus 7 Pro will be better than one on an iphone. Also you get up to 12 gigabytes of ram on this phone meaning you can leave multiple apps, and when you get back onto them, they won't need to reload, because the monstrous ram in the device will store the app data, meaning no loading screens when returning to a program. This ram comes into an advantage when playing memory demanding games, because there will be no freezes unless you use all twelve gigabytes of ram, which is challenging on a mobile device of any kind. Note: the best iphone has 4 gigabytes of ram, which is three times less than on the oneplus. Also the oneplus has the newest snapdragon processor powered by qualcomm, which rocks in any task thrown at it. Also it has a silky smooth 90hz refresh rate with a QHD Amoled display, Perfect for any task, including gaming, and scrolling through the web really fast. 

One Downside is that the phone may feel bulky, and that’s because the phone is fitting a 4000mah lithium ion battery, which is worth the sacrifice because the 90hz screen and the powerful components drain some power. The battery does last long because some reviewers went on for two days without a charge with “general usage” in mind. Also, another good power saving option is to lower the refresh rate of the screen. Also, the display has a 515 ppi which means for every square inch, there is 515 pixels, which is very high for a handset that is under 700 dollars. 

There are two ways of unlocking the phone. The first is to use the in-screen fingerprint sensor, and the other is to use face recognition. Note: face recognition may not be accurate because it uses only a camera, and not an array of sensors like the iphones and samsungs. So, what if you are taking a selfie and your phone slips out of your hand? Nothing to fear, accelerometers and gyroscopes detect a fall, and bring the camera back in very quickly, reducing the risk of damage to the pop up camera. Now the cameras. There are 3 cameras on the back with the three lenses being 48 mp main camera, 16 mp ultra wide angle, and also an 8 mp telephoto lens. In defense of Apple, the iPhone scored better, but the oneplus 7 fared very well. 

In conclusion, the One Plus 7 Pro is a low priced flagship, capable of delivering supreme bang for the buck in the smartphone market.