Ryusoulger Episodes 14-18 Review

For all you faithful readers of Sentai material it's quite obvious this recap is overdue. The truth is I haven't been feeling a connection with this current series thus far with the decent impression it made in the first few episodes fading quickly. For a while I wasn't even sure whether I'd bother to finish covering the season or just switch to other Tokusatsu coverage. Since our last look at Ryusoulger something has happened, the show is still stumbling in different areas but has made some excellent strides that make it seem as if it's finally become worthy of our time and effort. This is largely thanks to the introduction of the sixth hero. That's not to say he's anything special, he actually suffers from the same characterization issues as his new friends, but the thematic elements that he brings forth and reinforces have helped the serious tremendously. Let's dive in and talk about what's been going on.

Story:

The first episode to feature our new hero really wasn't all that good though it at least outlined his personal mission and brought in yet another new villain. Canalo of the Ryusoul water tribe has come up to dry land in order to search for a bride. He's caught in the act of flirting by Ui who alerts the rest of the team to the arrival of a new fighter. Meanwhile a new Druidon general named Gachireus has come to Earth in order to impose his own will over Wyzul and Kreon, the former of which walks out leaving the latter to suffer under his new commander. Outside of that this is a fairly basic installment with a monster that needs to be put down and the new guy being unwilling to help for unknown reasons.

Fifteen is where thing begin to heat up first with the appearance of Canalo's sister, Oto who believes she should also check out what, and who, are available on the surface world. We learn the reasoning behind the water tribe being separate goes back to an old grudge from way back when the Druidons left Earth. A rift had formed within the Ryusoul tribe which resulted in war that finished when a portion of their society fled to live in the sea. Canalo and Oto have both been raised by Mosa Rex, a dinoknight who experienced this tragedy firsthand and still holds suspicions about landlubbers. This distrust reaches a boiling point when Druidon's kidnap Oto in order to make her brother fight against the Ryusoulgers. All of this drama is rather fittingly played out in a battle against a monster that can attract and repel people using magnetism.

Episode sixteen continues the rocky road to friendship when the team must face off against Gachireus while Mosa Rex refuses to offer aid. There's a much higher emphases on action here with the character moments mostly relegated to Canalo learning to trust his new comrades while convincing his mentor to do the same.

While the previous three adventures had been building the quality of the series, it was seventeen that began a pair of adventures that have me convinced this series has gotten it's shit together. The set-up is simple enough with Canalo helping a young boy to photograph rainbows with the help of an attractive woman who is actually Wyzul in disguise. The villain uses the young lads wish as a means of capturing Mosa Rex and presumably hypnotizing the creature into submission. Not only does Canalo wish to rescue his mentor but he's encouraged all the more that the kid wants photos of rainbows for his sickly yet supposedly beautiful teacher. In a surprise turn Bamba makes an extra effort to help out in order to preserve the connection between mentor and student. In a crazy last minutes twist we learn that the boys teacher is actually very old and was Bamba's girl of choice fifty years ago. He brings her a rainbow seashell, a famous sign of affection for this area, and she comments that he resembles someone she once knew only he couldn't be the same as he doesn't look so lonely. We're gonna touch on this again.

In episode nineteen we return to the concept that Minusaurs can be spawned from objects. This time it stems from a wishing stone under the care of Canalo's newest love interest. Bamba tries to destroy the rock in order to end this quickly and preserve lives which creates a rift between him and Canalo. Worse still this act actually results in a duplicate monster with both feeding off of the wishes of humans to grow in power. All this activity results in a fantastic spread of the team in different duos handling specific portions of the battle before they naturally save the day.

Heroes:

Let's get straight to the point and talk about Canalo. So far he's not amazingly well-developed and the actor portraying him doesn't feel like he totally fits in just yet. That being said he represents the core values of the story better than most of the other heroes while having the benefit of his own unique goal to seek out. Personality wise he's a tacky romantic who cares about the environment. Thematically he's someone who is learning to overcome years of social brainwashing and seeks the ultimate connection with another soul. His showy romantic nature makes him a natural opposite to the practical Bamba which has already created a rivalry between the two. At the same time that dreamer element to his personality pairs up nicely with Koh. What I love about his goal of finding a bride is how it reminds me of older Sentai series like Dairanger where different heroes could have their own sub-story running throughout the series. These always helped to make the shows feel richer than the standard monster-of-the-week entertainment.

Speaking of Bamba; that unexpected scene in episode seventeen was brilliant and just the right level of melancholy. The show has already made a point of showcasing the heartbreak associated with Ryusoul tribe members long lifespan. Seeing this woman fondly remember her old love showcases the luggage these mystical folk carry yet at the same time we see a softer side of Bamba, including a smile at the realization of his growing circle of friends.

Finally that big battle in episode nineteen illustrates how this show is getting a much better grasp on these characters. The pairings got into unexpected territory with Melto and Towa taking on foot soldiers while Koh and Canalo dealt with the giant monsters. The most interesting duo was Bamba and Asuna, two powerhouse who run hot and cold, as they took on Wyzul who is pleased by how much the heroes dispise him. Hopefully the series remembers to play with character pairings in the future.

Villians:

The brief run of Gachireus was a bit odd. Obviously he wasn't a strongly-developed villain though his personality was fairly entertaining thanks to a cocky attitude that had him mistreating everyone. If anything his most lasting impact may be the damage he inflicted on Kreon, particularly when he attempted to kill the little guy who just reformed since he's made of slime.

Gaisorg sat out this stretch of episodes as did Wyzul for a few. Thank god he came back in full force when he did. Far too many recent Sentai villains have been lifeless so having one that is this fun and devious is a real treat. My expectations are that he'll be destroyed and replaced before too long with Kreon likely serving as the full series antagonist but for now I'm enjoying the ride.

Action:

Like everything else in this batch of adventures the fight scenes have seen a notable improvement. Choreography has gotten more involved with both the regular and suit performers pulling off some spiffy moves. The robots continue to impress more than past series. Of special note was the undersea battle against Gachireus with some wonderful camerawork and lighting effects. Canalo has brought in a visually appealing fighting style with a gun that doubles as a short chainsaw/sword. In earlier episodes I'd noticed some goofs such as visible knee-pads but the production team has really pulled it together here with the only lingering issue being the times when you can see goons flailing around in the background as they wait their turn to strike.

Overall:

I know it seems weird for me to be gushing so much about this show as I continue to note some of its continuing issues. The fact is this series has begin to feel very self-assured despite it's failings. For the sake of fairness I must point out how oddly sidelined and quiet both Towa and Ui are for most of these episodes. The latter bothers me more as here presence was a key factor in setting this series apart early on. Likewise with three girls now in this shows, albeit one only recurring and maybe a fourth if the PM ever returns, I'm still holding out hope for more than one to get some powers. If I wanted to watch a sausage-fest I'd tune into Kamen Rider. Even though it still lacks balance, and often fails to flesh out the world these characters live in, Ryusoulger is at last becoming a Sentai worth viewing thanks to little improvements in every department. Now I'm truly eager to see how things develop from here.

At last we're back on track with these recaps. More importantly the next one should be coming soon. We're finally past the lamest part of Summer and I've got a whole lot planned for months to come, so expect more updates than usual. Most likely I will make these recaps in more frequent smaller batches in order to keep from falling behind. You all have a good end of July.

Summer Adventures 2019

It's no secret that Summer is by far the least popular season on this site. That statement seems unbelievable on a wondrous night such as this but much of the past month has been an oppressive, bug-infested, sauna with very little to keep things interesting. As usual I found myself getting a big old case of the blahs which meant I needed an adventure, something to refresh mind and spirit. Thus a day trip was planned to hit some of the stranger outlying towns to visit antique and thrift stores, & maybe take in some local cuisine along the way. Last Wednesday I actually woke up at a semi-regular hour and set out in hopes of finding adventure and of course I wanted to chronicle the trip for you all.

One sadly unavoidable element to our journey was the heat. Michigan was at the time in the grip of almost primordial temperatures. We’re talking heat indexes in the triple digits with maxed out humidity. While I’m sure some poor soul in a desert could gatekeep in this situation, keep in mind that we are chilly northern folk, the sort who still crave ice cream when the needle dips below zero. Birds were reluctant to chirp, doors had swelled to the point of being difficult to open and close, clothing dragged the wearer down to the pavement. It was just damn hot. Still; adventure does not wait for perfect weather, especially when there's no end in sight. With grim determination we set out for our first destination.

The town of Nashville Michigan is a tiny, tiny place whose small scale is at least offset by the even smaller nearby pocket of Vermontville. The most notable detail of the town is the Mooville creamery which pumps out plentiful amounts of milk and, as expected for this state, ice cream. What brought us there were two antique stores located practically across the street from each other. We began with 66 Unique Antiques. At first I wasn't feeling the place with most of the vendors veering towards more decorative baubles that I have little space to accommodate. Thankfully more fun and meaty material began to appear further in. At first it was just the occasional bit of old stereo equipment or a bizarre wood carved picture of Camelot, then I hit the second level.

Seemingly all of my interests had been relegated to the upstairs, appearing at first on the stairway itself in the form of old soda advertisements for the likes of Dr. Pepper and Coca-Cola. The upper level itself had all manner of funky treasures from old pop coolers and Halloween decorations to Alf party supplies and a still sealed box of Super Stars trading cards. Then I found what was easily my favorite vendor wedged in the back corner. Here was an absolute mecca of vinyl records, comic books, and my favorite failed media format, CED. Sitting in the front of a record box was something that was clearly 80's metal, better than that it was Japanese hair metal. No way was I gonna pass that up. This spot was absolute heaven and I could have stayed there forever if not for one unfortunate factor. Remember how hot it was that day? Well these antique stores weren't well equipped to handle the weather with a selection of fans and window units struggling to battle the overbearing heat. Despite being next to an open window this corner was a stagnate dead zone. The human body simply wasn't built to shop in such conditions. Still I escaped with my record, grabbed another item from a different vendor, and began making plans to return during a more temperate time of year.

We crossed the street and entered the local pharmacy in order to grab some water and man do I regret not nabbing a photo of the place. It was so humble it felt unreal. That done we moseyed down the road to our next stop, Boardroom Antiques. Inside we found a store that was a bit cleaner than the last and more strictly organized as I believe everything was under the same owner rather than a vendor system. Right after the entrance was a massive glass case of old toys and collectibles while taking a right turn brought us to items like jewelry and classic cameras. Once again it was a back corner that yelled the greatest surprise.

The reason this place is called Boardroom Antiques is because of this room where there walls are lined with classic tabletop games. There was some nice stuff here like the original version of Survive and Krull. These were a little pricier than I would like but there were a few decent deals mixed in as well. What truly thrilled me was the KB Toys sign hanging from the door that brought back a flood of lovely materialistic memories. It's definitely something I'd like to revisit with more pocket money. As for the rest of the store there were some very cool items ranging from an old police storage box and even some WWII items. Also failed to nab a picture of this enormous textured globe made for teaching blind students geography. Some really good items here and a neat atmosphere but you've gotta be prepared for a higher price.

Two stores down we commenced northward for Lake Odessa. Fun bit of trivia for you all, despite the name, the surrounding lakes are actually called Jordan and Tupper. This is yet another small town that is often passed by on the way to somewhere else. Not this day however as we headed to the heart of downtown. Hunger had settled in by this time which facilitated a stop at Penny's Five Star Pizza where we naturally ordered subs and burritos. Overall alright meal, nothing groundbreaking but it tasted decent and settled well-enough. After eating we had only a few minutes to check out 2 Sisters Antiques which didn't seem to have a ton in my realm of interest. They're much more tailored to those looking for glassware and decorative items. My sister claimed the prices were on the high side but I failed to notice. On that same slab of land was The Consignment Shop but we chose to forgo a visit in order to have a full hour over at Bonanza Antiques.

More than any of our stops Bonanza felt the most like what I want from an antique store. There was plenty of good old beer and cigarette advertising, an old slot machine, crazy old Halloween items, and the selection vinyl records was great. A lot of vendors would put together stashes of notable records so their costumers don't have to dig through countless old christian and polka albums to find the good stuff. There were cookies and coffee and just a good vibe. While they had the same cooling problems as our previous stops the building seemed to breath better than others and had a very cool basement. Grabbed another album here but some more money could have resulted in a big haul including a PBR lamp and this Winston clock that put some sort of tacky spell over me. Really enjoyed this place a lot and definitely giving it a mark for a revisit in the future.

Finally we reached the Lake Odessa Antique Mall where we were at a major disadvantage. An entire day of antiques and heat had left us nearly shopping blind by this point. Compounding that issue was just how big this place was. The main floor was separated into three different wings and there were two basements along with two upstairs areas to shop as well. It wasn't up to the level of the Mega Mall we checked out last year but after a full day we were on autopilot. It's a shame as they had the best scary items with some freaky clowns and oddly placed bits of taxidermy. It's a neat place but it requires more energy than we had left.

Heading home I finally felt a sense of peace wash over me. In recent years shopping at regular stores has become more of a chore so outings like this are the only way to truly subdue the materialistic beast within. I brought home three wonderful items. Hurricane Eyes by Loudness which turned out to be some awesome hair metal. Prologue by Deodato, another entry in my CTI record collection that sounds like the sort of music you'd play at a sleazy late 70s New Years party. Then there's Dark Wolf: The Hell Warrior, an ash can comic that I've yet to browse but assume will make for a solid article further down the line.

Wednesday wasn't my only adventure as Saturday brought rushed visits to the grandmother in order to save her fridge food from a power outage followed by a baseball game. That latter part didn't provide much in the way of thrills for someone who is bored by most sports but it was still a unique experience to fill my belly with pulled-pork and coleslaw mere feet away from the players warm-up area.

These little adventures have worked wonders. The Summertime blues have dissipated and my mind is now filled with ideas for stories, board games, and handyman projects for Halloween. As if to cement this new-found optimism the temperatures have dropped and the night beckons for a moped ride to get some job apps. That is where I will leave you all for tonight. Hopefully this entry has inspired some outings for you all, which I hope you will share in return. We might as well make the most of this season as we await the excellent months to come.

Santorini Board Game Review

When I was just a wee lad it seemed there was little thought as to what the difference was between thematic or abstract board games. It felt like there were three kinds of games. First was regular mass-marketed stuff that everyone had like The Game of Life. Then there were those weird hobby games your cousin from up north was into. You didn’t understand what a Cosmic Encounter was but you were in no rush to have one. Finally there were the old games, the standbys, classics like Chess, Checkers and Backgammon. These were the sort of games that relied on pure gameplay without the needless excess of an actual setting. Lord knows why red and black circles wage diagonal jumpy death on one another but that’s just the way it is.

In more recent years that first category has been melting away, the second has risen to comfortable prominence, and the third is being rebuilt with a new class of strategic games that emphasize looks as well as brains. In this beautiful sea of titles like Azul, Tak, and Reef rests a popular title called Santorini, named after the Greek seaside town. Just like any of those other titles the question arises whether this is truly a new classic or just the current Kool-aid. Let's find out.

Santorini is meant for two players but has options for going all the way to four. Given that the two person variation is the main mode of play that will form the basis for the majority of our review, though I may touch on other player-counts should life provide the experience (note: it hasn't). Also of note is there are two primary versions of the game published thus far, the first by Roxley seems to be somewhat better produced, while the second edition published by Spin Master is the one most players are likely to encounter and serves as the basis for this review.

The basic game revolves around two-players each having two little people inside of a five-by-five grid. On your turn you move one of your wee workers to an adjacent space in any eight directions and potentially up one level should there be nearby construction. Following that move you then construct a level of a building on a space neighboring that same figure. Should a player prove unable to complete these basic steps they automatically forfeit the game. The true goal of the game is to construct a building that is 3-levels high and move a figure to that height in order to win.

The height element is what sets Santorini apart from other titles. Not only are you allowed to build levels far beyond the one your figures currently stand on but there's also the option of building a roof which seals that space away from being used for anything. The tightrope of creating a level three tower to move your figures onto while keeping your opponent at bay never ceases to cause anxiety or difficult choices. In fact it often stings when you have to place that curved dome on a tower you spent so much time on in order to keep the other player from snatching victory.

With just the base rules Santorini is already an excellent abstract but it's the inclusion of the god cards that really give it some longevity. This deck of forty gods gives each player a unique power for that game. Sometimes these are simple additions such as the option of building, moving, and building again so long as that figure doesn't ascend a level. Other times the cards create new victory conditions such as one that allows victory if the player descends all the way to the ground from the second floor of a building. A card like that requires the opponent to focus much more on blocking maneuvers. Even better is when both powers inadvertently create a theme such as one game where I could build more quickly on the outer rim while my opponent could only win on the inner-spaces.

As for the production the game is an absolute beauty. The stark white building blocks combined with the blue domes are beautiful to watch spring up across the board. Little extra touches like the raised rocky cliff-side of the board also help to elevate Santorini above the average abstract. The art on god cards and the like is the sort of clean yet cartoonish material often seen in mobile apps. It's attractive enough and universally appealing without becoming bland.

So far Santorini sounds like a perfect game for just about anyone but that's not totally the case. Let's be honest and acknowledge that not everyone enjoys this style of game, and this one isn't so different as to change minds on the matter. My first few playthrough were with my sister who largely dislikes abstract titles and while she didn't hate the experience she wasn't excited to dive back in either. Part of that comes down to the fact that for all of the warm and sunny presentation this is still very much a cold and calculating abstract. Titles like Azul can appeal to a wider audience thanks to gameplay systems that incorporate a bit more social interaction, the method of collecting tiles for example which sometimes results in happy accidents in tandem with luck of the draw. Santorini still flows like a game of Chess or Checkers with players working one move at a time towards their opponents downfall. And as with any abstract strategy game this one favors players with a certain skill-set. In this case victory is often decided by whomever has the best spacial reasoning. For a player such as myself this means I adore every round of play. On the flipside a friend who had wanted to buy the game began to sour after I clobbered them a good five times in a row. It can easily be played by anyone but those of you who stink at say organizing a room might find yourselves on the losing end more often than not. That's part and parcel for this genre however and the god cards do help to mitigate this factor but it's still something prospective buyers should know in advance.

Outside of that there are two irksome elements of production. One is the rulebook. While the core rules are explained wonderfully with visual accompaniment the god cards aren't always so clear. I've actually tossed out randomly drawn powers on occasion as neither I nor my opponent knew what to make of them. So common was this problem that the publisher has released videos to explain different god powers in full. A much smaller problem, and one that possibly only effects yours truly is that, in a strange shift from every other game on the market, the box is almost too small to fit the components. Often after playing I need to remove some pieces from their storage bags in order to smooth everything out and even then there's likely one corner sticking up higher than the others. For Someone with slight OCD it's worthy of an eye-twitch.

When working on this review I played a game against myself in order to set up photo opportunities. Usually such activity would be painfully dull yet I enjoy the game so much that I actually had fun seeing how long I could keep going. That's because Santorini was practically tailored for someone like me who prefers their games to be quick, efficient, and with a bit of beauty to spare. Certainly it's a game that will find a happy home in many collections but that doesn't mean it needs to be in everyone's collection. If you're the kind who prefers wild games of luck or lengthy thematic adventures you still may find something to like here. For those who can't stand systematic showdowns that come down to one player being able to see a few moves ahead the presentation isn't going to be enough to change your mind. You'd be hard-pressed to argue that this is a bad game though you could definitely make the point that is isn't the game for you. That's the beauty of how large this hobby has become, you have plenty of other choices. As for me; this is one of those keepers that will stay in the collection for countless years to come.

Breakfast Bonanza 2019

Since our last update yours truly has survived another birthday, one that fell squarely within one of the weirdest weeks in recent memory. Between a schedule that included sleeping anywhere from four to ten hours and staying awake upwards of twenty surrounded by barbecued pork, one massively lame season of television and failing attempts to clean a small town storefront, frankly it's all a blur. That's all mercifully in the past now which means it's a new day for this slightly older man-child. What's important now is to start off this metaphorical new dawn with a nutritious breakfast. That or gorge myself on the newest swath of sugary cereal options currently flooding store shelves. The second option sounds much more fun for me to try and for you to read about.

Blueberry Cheerios

When news first broke about this newest iteration of Cheerios I must admit I squealed like a wee lass. Blueberry flavored foods rank exceptionally high on my list of weaknesses which when combined with the strength of recent Cheerio variants had my mind swimming with anticipation. After searching for what seemed like an eternity, more likely a few weeks in reality, I was finally able to satisfy my cravings.

On the presentation front everything's mostly alright. I'm not the biggest fan of the extra clean almost art-deco package design but at least the coloration makes it easy to spot. The smell is decent as I recall, not overwhelming or dank as blueberry can sometimes be but it creates proper anticipation for the flavor. Speaking of that most important aspect this is so very tasty yet I did catch myself ever so slightly disappointed when compared to other offerings from this brand. In recent years both Pumpkin Spice and Maple have proven to be incredible specimens and this one just falls a tiny bit behind. The only reason I can come up with is that this is very smooth and light tasting which is undoubtedly pleasant but not exactly faithful to the true blueberry experience. That being said I can't demote this down that much as it is still a very good cereal, just a little shy of top shelf. Let's say a four out of five.

Cotton Candy Captain Crunch

Yet another announcement that had me all a twitter was this newest outlandish edition from Captain Crunch. Let it be known I would follow this captain into the very heart of battle, regardless of how many mouth injuries have been caused by his peanut butter output. Plus cotton candy is exactly the sort of unique flavor needed to spice up the breakfast aisle.

The box is fairly standard crunch fair though it does a fine job of establishing the carnival ascetic. Opening the box turned out to be a real experience with the smell blowing me over. This is some strong stuff which might initially turn some off. That strong aroma is something of a lie however as the actual cereal is far less caustic than you might imagine. There's a very balanced flavor profile at work here with hints of different types of cotton candy stuffed together, even managing to somehow fit a sense of the actual items mouth feel in there. Yet this is also much lighter than most companies would aim for given the flavor. No doubt it's very sweet just not the instant diabetes level of sweet one would expect from something like this. It certainly won't appeal to everyone and it can get a bit boring after a few bowls but I can't deny this is a success. Ratings wise this deserves another four out of five.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Corn Pops

Here's a relic of the past returned for a fresh shot at fame & fortune. Over ten years after originally appearing on shelves this little known offshoot of Corn Pops has come back from the grave. I'm extra grateful for the opportunity to try this stuff as it came out way back when I didn't use my stomach as a science lab. Having dug in for two bowls so far I wont be surprised if these disappear once again.

Packaging is far too clean and sparse with a major reliance on color over anything else. As for the smell I honestly can't remember which is probably the first sign of this not being all that great. Taste wise this is... honestly lackluster. While I wouldn't go so far as to proclaim it as bad this accomplishes none of what it was meant to do. Instead of tasting like corn pops coated in chocolate and peanut butter it just ends up tasting a bit like nothing. Seriously; not only is does the flavor fail to live up to other chocolate or peanut butter cereals but it's far below the usual quality of regular corn pops for that matter. What's worse is that it isn't even bad enough to be exciting, simply existing for no discernible reason. If you're loyal to the brand or missed out on the original release like I did then by all rights go ahead but even being generous this would maybe get a two out of five.

Hostess Donettes Cereal

Months ago an entire Hostess line-up of cereals hit the stores only for me to neglect them in favor of all the other wondrous new goodies out there. I finally made good by picking up the Donettes entry, spurred on by the cinnamon roll version seemingly vanishing from local stores. Given the often shaky history of donuts themed cereal I wasn't expecting much from these but the overall experience was fairly pleasant.

Like so many other items in this post the packaging is miserably bland, looking more like the box to a generic cleaning product rather than sugary foodstuffs. Opening the box likewise didn't offer a huge impression with the aroma matching up with usual bakery knock-offs. Actually digging into the food is where the surprise was. These actually have the somewhat greasy powder coating of mass-produced donuts. Color me impressed it was actually pretty good. Unfortunately the texture was a bit off and it takes a while for the pieces to soften in milk. Seeing as it accurately recreates the flavor of its namesake let's maybe give this a three out of five.

Nutter Butter Cereal

Speaking of items that sat around before I finally picked up we have the new take on classic Nutter Butter cookies. I'd been fairly lax towards these because, let's be honest, the world is full of peanut butter breakfast foods. What could this have to offer that others don't? Turns out more than you might think.

Once again we have lazy, bland packaging that says almost nothing about the item. The scent of it however spoke volumes. While not as strong as the actual cookies the scent was deep and tempting. Tantalized I quickly dug in and found the contents to be outstanding. Not unlike Captain Crunch's take on this same flavor this comes across like real peanut butter with waves of rich and smokey along with enough oil to thicken milk. Unlike the Captain however this stuff actually softens in milk. A few other folks in the house claimed to not like it very much but those protests seemed false given how quickly the box was emptied. Gonna give this one a four and a half out of five. Absolutely loved it but others may not.

Red White and Blueberry Pop Tarts

Time for something more patriotic to tie-in with the recent holiday/birthday. I guess Kellogg has been fiddling with different approaches to red white and blue editions with this likely being the most straightforward in design. Question is whether these are good enough to include with your independence celebrations. The answer is no... not really. Truth is there are good and bad pop tarts and then there's ones like this that just exist. They don't taste all that great or provide much to talk about, they look sort of neat and aren't all that bad but meh. I'd give it somewhere in the two or two and a half realm.

Orange Cream Pop Twinkies

It's all too rare these days to find a newly announced snack on the same day the news breaks about it, but that's exactly what happened with Orange Cream Pop Twinkies which Hostess apparently rushed to storefronts like. It may seem strange to some for these to be included in a breakfast post but I can assure you that a morning fueled entirely by coffee and cream-filled spongecake is a totally valid, if utterly regrettable, option.

Unlike most of the items we've discussed thus far I wils give a few props to the art-team responsible for this box. It's not amazing work by any means but it at least illustrates the concept well enough with seasonal colors and paraphernalia. As usual for a flavored Twinkies these stink of chemicals but what's important is flavor and oh yea do these ever provide. There's a really strong balance between the fruity cream and cake resulting in an airy and comfortable treat perfect for the hot summer months. At the very least these earn a four out of five.

Birthday Cake Fruit Loops

One final cereal before we go, and it's more than fitting given my recent uptake in digits. Sadly this is not the birthday treat I or anyone else deserves. Much like the worst of what we've covered today this one isn't outright bad so much as painfully limp. The package design is lackluster with only the yellow color standing out as all the notable. Likewise the contents of the box are ho-hum. The smell is bland and the taste serviceable yet forgettable. The vanilla flavor that's here was done much better months ago by Lucio-Ohs and there's not enough of anything else to make up for it. There's nothing all that terrible about it but there are countless other, and far better, options. Two out of five.

And with that we've tackled yet another wave of new breakfast foods. Impossible as it may seem there are more than enough still out there to warrant another post or two. That's a story for another day however as there are plenty of half-done articles piling up behind the scenes to make for a very robust July. Hope you all had a decent Holiday. Right now this old man needs a nap or something.