By: Joe

Title: Mars Power Industries
Developer: 7A Games
Released: 11/15/2019
Price: $3.99

After watching a quick trailer, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with Mars Power Industries… it had a charming aesthetic (vibes of Advance Wars and tower defense games) and an engaging soundtrack. The first moments of the game, however, throw you into an immersive non-tutorial for what is definitely a puzzle game.

I love a game without an explicit tutorial. The way to learn what works and doesn’t in this game is to try, fail, and try again (I’m reminded of Baba Is You released earlier this year). Your only controls are to move a cursor and place a finite number of towers that have different functions, with the goal of providing power to the locations provided on a map. It would be easy to get quickly frustrated figuring out the rules, except the levels are built to incrementally add in details, and much like Baba, backing out is as easy as pressing the back button however many times you need. After completing the first 10 levels, you have a fairly good idea of what works, and the building blocks of what you’ll need to know to tackle the rest of the worlds. There are new pieces (that you have to place in a certain order) and new obstacles (that can either be modified or worked around depending on how you play), but the mechanics are easy to take on once you get past the first few stages, and you’ll be throwing together power plant systems before you know it.

The trial and error part of the game is part of the fun. It’s not just the tutorial that lacks words… story elements are provided with subtlety and nuance. It’s meant to be experienced rather than over explained. The actual setting of the game (you’re on Mars and you need to provide power to buildings) isn’t important, but it adds a lot of charm to the graphical representation of what is otherwise a straightforward puzzle game. This game is all about mood: a straightforward, relaxing puzzle game that provides a perfect break from Pokémon Sword.

I really enjoyed my time with Mars Power Industries… it’s challenging without being overbearing, and charming without being trite or forgettable. Each puzzle only takes a few minutes to solve, and you’ll find yourself breaking and going back frequently.

Halloween has come and gone, Alex is no longer a metaphorical ghost to the world, and the sounds of trick-or-treaters have been replaced with the roar of leaf blowers. It's time to get back to business.

This week we had the extreme pleasure of chatting with Jason who also goes by the moniker "Chocolate Ninja Cosplay." He's been cosplaying since 2014 and has over 20 years of martial arts experience to go along with it. With characters such as Doomfist, Grey Worm, Deadshot, and the most amazing Dr. Facilier you'll ever see, Jason has been killing the cosplay game with no signs of slowing down.  He has a relentless work ethic and an attitude that rivals most motivational speakers. Long story short, talking with Jason was an honor and we're pumped to share our conversation with you all.

Check out his Instagram, drop a like on his Facebook, and get to work on that thing you've been putting off. If you happen to need more motivation, maybe listen to the episode a few more times. It should definitely help.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

I'm so excited to post this episode that finding words to write here has turned into a major inconvenience. Like, it's preventing me from doing what I want to do and it's turning me into an impatient 9 year old who has to finish his homework before he can go out and play.

But, I guess I should finish my homework first and maybe write a few things here like about how Kyle from Decimated Designs is back this week! It has been exactly 100 episodes since we last had Kyle in the studio and this week he's here to talk about another side of the spooky world that we haven't touched on in the past: Extreme Haunts. *eerie music intensifies even more* 

If you've been on Facebook or any news site over the past week you might have an idea of what we're talking about. As more and more articles sprout up, everyone seems to be sharing their opinion on why they think places like McKamey Manor are great/terrible and how it's just a matter of time until someone finally finishes/gets seriously injured.  Personally, you'd be hard pressed to get me within a 20 mile radius of an extreme haunt like the ones we talk about in this episode but if it sounds like something you're interested in, maybe do some soul searching then get on the Google machine and see if there's one nearby. 

(Note: This was actually recorded a few weeks ago; it's pure happenstance that Extreme Haunts happen to be in the news the same week we're set to release this episode so reactions to some of the latest stories might need a follow-up episode or something.)

Enjoy!

-Jr.

The spookiest month of the year is upon us and even though we're only doing half the amount of episodes we've done in the past, that doesn't mean we're going to be any less spooky. In fact, one could argue we're going to be spookier than ever as this week, with the help of our good friend Will, we're diving into a whole new world of spookiness: unidentified flying objects. *eerie music intensifies*

With the amount of time we've been doing this and the number of spooky episodes under our belts, it's hard to believe we haven't touched on UFOs yet but here we are. I like to think everyone has their own UFO story; whether it's something you saw in your backyard gazing at the stars or a an insane glitch in Grand Theft Auto, you can't deny that in some way, shape, or form - UFOs are everywhere.

Now let's talk about them.

So bust out your pumpkins, steal some candy meant for future trick or treaters, and prep yourself for the alien invasion because it's time to get spooky with some UFOs.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

The weather is getting colder, the days are slowly getting shorter, and there's pumpkin in literally everything. That can only mean one thing:

NYCC is almost here.

And as we get ready for what I believe is either our 9th or 10th trip down to the Javits Center, we thought it would be fun to hype ourselves and you, dear listener, with some pre-NYCC festivities by talking with not one but two(!) artists you'll be able to find in Artist Alley next week.

First up, Christopher Jones. The longtime artist for the Young Justice comic with many other titles to his name, Christopher is going to be making the move out West to California soon as he takes on his new role working even closer with the YJ team....what fun information am I withholding? Guess you'll have to listen to find out! If you're going to be at NYCC next week, stop by Christopher's booth at AA table B-10. Not going to NYCC? No sweat, check out his website here!

Closing out the show is a one-on-one chat between Alex and artist Domo Stanton! This is one of those rare situations where I get to be an audience member for my own show as Alex flew this one solo while I was busy doing boring adult things like "work". Anyway, Domo is a full-time comic artist/designer who has worked on projects such as Sandman: House of Whispers and FX's CHOSEN. Just like Christopher, he's going to be at NYCC this coming week at table E-36 so while you're doing your con prep, be sure to check out his work and stop by his table at the show!

Huge thank you to both Christopher and Domo for taking the time to chat with us this week despite one of the largest conventions in the country lurking just around the corner. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to let us know. Half hour spots with people is just too short sometimes and we're always looking for excuses to have rad guests on for their triumphant return...

Enjoy!

-Jr.

I know I'm kind of required to say this but this week's episode is just too choice. With that said, I think it's time we bring back "choice" when describing radical things as it is criminally under-utilized in today's vernacular.

There's a 99% chance I used at least 3 words incorrectly in that last sentence but I'm just going to roll with it. On to the good stuff:

This week we were joined Andrew MacLean! Andrew is the creator/artist/writer of "Head Lopper" (Image Comics) and this week he made a guest appearance on our show to hype the upcoming release of his latest collection: Head Lopper Volume 3: Head Lopper & The Knights of Venora on sale September 18th!

Check out our chat with Andrew as we dive into the creation and style of the man called Norgal and how even lost pallets of comics couldn't keep Head Lopper from becoming Image comics' most beloved bearded viking.

For those on the hunt for merch and/or future appearances and the like, check out Andrew's website as well as Lazer Wolf Attack for even more stuff including hats/pins/patches/posters and prints.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

And we're back!

This feels kind of strange as it's been quite some time since there was a week when I didn't do one of these. But, change is good and exciting and we're kicking off our new bi-weekly format with one hell of a guest.

Our guest this week is one of the most recognizable characters in the cosplay scene and has earned a reputation as being one of the most accurate Jokers in....ever? I know this kind of stuff is very easy to exaggerate and I'm kind of known for my overuse of hyperbole but seriously. Once you see Anthony Misiano aka "Harley's Joker" in action, you'll see what I mean.

An actor/artist based out of New York City, Anthony got his first taste of going viral when he started appearing at conventions dressed up as The Clown Prince and before long, his grinning face was all over the front pages of just about every comic/gaming news website you could think of. We've long been admirers of his work and this week we're going to take some time to learn about the person behind the makeup as we dive into Anthony's world of acting, art, and how "Harley's Joker" came to be.

Be sure to check out his website and his store for your chance to snag a print or poster featuring some of Anthony's most recognizable Joker recreations.

Enjoy!

-Jr

In the years we've been doing this show I think we've had a grand total of maybe 3 "text-only" posts and with this one being titled "Significant Announcement" I can imagine some of you might be a bit concerned over what you're about to read. With that in mind, I'm going to come right out and say No. We are not ending the show.

With that out of the way, and as the title suggests, we do have a somewhat significant announcement regarding the future of OMV: Starting this week, we are transitioning to a Bi-Weekly format. We're doing this for a variety of reasons, the main ones being that we think this will give us an opportunity to deliver a higher quality product to our listeners and also provide us with the time to work on some of the more complex projects we've been kicking around.

So. For the (roughly) first time in 387 weeks: There will be no new episode of OMV. We'll be back next week, though. And we'll have new episodes once every two weeks from here on out as well as some new, different content for you to enjoy in the near future.

As always, a massive thank you to those who choose to support us in our quest to shine the spotlight on amazing things and interesting people. This change might take some getting used to but we think it'll be worth it. Thank you so much for your continued support.

-Alex & Jr.

I never knew how fascinated I'd be when discussing science and robots until we had Megan and Ali in the studio this week. To put it bluntly, I wasn't the smartest or most motivated child in the world so things like robots and robotics club were way outside my wheelhouse in terms of interests. Unless it involved video games or playing a guitar, I didn't want much to do with it.

I guess this is one of those "better late than never" situations.

With Ali being a veteran of the robotics world and Megan a promising up-and-comer; Alex and I got a crash course in the design, fabrication, and the culture of competitive robotics. We did our best to keep up, but it turns out there's a lot more to it than simply "build robot, drive robot, beat other robots" and over the next hour and twenty minutes you'll hear exactly what I'm talking about.

If you're just as enthralled as we were with Ali and Megan's world, maybe pull up the Google machine and see if there's any clubs or volunteer opportunities near you that could use your help. Who knows? You could be the next person to design the latest and greatest robot that *probably* won't take over the world.

Probably.

Enjoy!

-Jr.

I'm quite literally out the door to go table with some of my best pals at TerrifiCon today so this is going to be real brief. But I'd like to think there's a chance you're reading this because you just talked to one of us at the show and are now curious to see what the fuss is about so in that case:

Check out this week's episode where we talk with two of our most favorite people on this planet about their experiences at quite possibly the largest gaming convention in the country: GenCon!

Without giving away too much: They played an insane amount of games, won an award or two, and managed to survive four days at a show that makes most other conventions look like child's play.

Enjoy!

-Jr