Ness Amiibo

So here’s an Amiibo I never thought I would own, Ness from EarthBound.  Now I have to admit it, I never played the game when it first released.  Back in those days, (around 1994, 1995) we just didn’t have the internet to tell us about hidden gems that were great games.  That only thing that made this game stand out from the rest was its giant packaging.  That’s really the only reason I remember this game, since I was a Sega fan at the time.  Flash forward many years later and I finally played the game in ROM format, and liked it a lot.

So with now being familiar with the franchise I really wanted Amiibo Ness, but didn’t think I would get him because he would be limited.  Thankfully, on Good Friday the malls were opened and I decided to ask my local EB Games if they were taking pre-orders, and they were and so I was able to pay for one.  When released day came (May 29^th, 2015) I was one of the lucky ones whose order didn’t get cancelled and I finally had Ness.  So there’s really no need for a review of him, since he kicks arse and Nintendo did a great job on him.

EarthBound Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EarthBound

Ness Amiibo:

https://www.nintendo.com/amiibo/detail/wk1chb2jZhXmRJO8TJr3REaGMSrNHCOi

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tPdmI-1kvc

Super Mario Bros. Mario and Luigi Amiibo

I’m not a huge fan of the Smash Bros franchise, so when the first release of Smash Bros Amiibo released I wasn’t interested in buying Mario or Luigi.  I just felt like Mario is such a popular character that Nintendo is bound to release a version that is more to my liking.  Thankfully they did, and it was released for the Mario Party game on the Wii U.  I’m also not a fan of the Mario Party franchise either, but at least this Mario appealed to me.

What I didn’t expect from this Mario Party release was that I would not only get a Luigi version, but that I would also like Luigi’s version even more.  Luigi just seems so much more friendly and welcoming to me.  Of course, they’re both brothers so I had to buy them both since they both display nicely together.  With this release I have now definitely become an Amiibo collector and hope to see more versions of the Mario brothers in the future, such as retro versions.

Mario Party 10:

http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/REGT9oL8TMur8_5s9Ofb2VdbFnPcnn21

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddqXX_S_76g

Air Jordan Ceramic VII

The Air Jordan VII’s hold a very special place in my heart.  I would say from my childhood they were probably the most popular shoe kids owned.  I think everyone had a pair of the bordeux’s.  They are also the first sneaker I associate with Warner Brothers.  I think the reason is because when the VII’s released, it was when Wieden + Kennedy started doing Air Jordan Bugs Bunny commercials.  Those ad’s were so captivating and really developed the mystic around Michael Jordan.  I also liked how they featured Marvin the Martian as the villain.

My first retro of VII’s were the Ceramic VII’s that released in April 2006.  I bought the shoes because I really loved the colorway.  A unique feature of the VII’s has been the African tribial art inspired tongue, which really paired nicely with the Ceramic’s use of colors.  The only problem of course was that they didn’t really match with anything.  Not that I’m one of those coordinated guys, but the colour just seemed out of place when worn.  The shoes are really comfortable and fit me true to size. The over-all quality of these sneakers is top notch with nice thick leather that is durable.  I like leather in shoes because you don’t have to worry about scratches or smudges like you do when you wear nubuck or suede.  There is also very little paint used on this sneaker, which means you don’t have to worry about chipping; like you do with the III’s or VIII’s.  These shoes are excellent and one of the best retro plus sneakers released from the mid 2000’s from Jordan Brand.

Brand: Air Jordan

Name: Air Jordan VII, Air Jordan 7, Ceramic VII

Year: 2006

Product Code: 304775-281

Additional: Had LS (lifestyle) clothing that matched the shoes, released in a black and grey Air Jordan box, and featured a black and white retro card.

Air Jordan:

www.jumpman23.com

Comic Book Guy Lego Minifigures

The first series run of Lego the Simpsons was pretty special to me because it was a combination of two of my favourite things; the Simpsons and Lego.  While my admiration for the Simpsons has certainly dwindled throughout the years, I still wanted to collect that Lego series because it seemed pretty cool.  So when I heard about a second series of Lego the Simpsons was releasing I thought I might be interested if they (Lego) released popular characters.

Unfortunately I was disappointed by the characters released in the second series.  They gave us again the Simpsons kin, but also characters that I find boring such as Patty and Selma (who are supposed to be annoying characters), and Hans Moleman and Martin Prince.  I was like, are you serious?  Who would want these characters?  But anyway, I don’t want to rant.  The only redeeming character that I really wanted was of Comic Book Guy, aka Jeff Albertson.  So rather than buy the whole series 2 of the Simpsons, I decided to only get minifigures of Comic Book Guy.

The first series of the Simpsons was pretty accurate towards the characters, yet I was again disappointed by the second series with the lack of accuracy.  I mean CBG is supposed to be fat, yet Lego didn’t bother with releasing a bigger minifigure body for him.  While I understand how complex creating a new body can be, I just think creating a wider body would have been nice.  I was also disappointed by the lack of paint on the back of CBG.  This second series of Lego the Simpsons felt rushed and almost like a money grab (which as a Simpsons fan, I’m used to).  For this reason, I really can’t recommend this series and in fact it’s the worst Lego Simpsons toy ever!

Comic Book Guy Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_Book_Guy

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjpqGVk67WE

Blue Jays Replica Donaldson Jersey (SGA)

On Sunday, May 10^th, 2015 the Toronto Blue Jays gave away 20,000 replica Josh Donaldson jerseys.  I must admit at the beginning of the season I wasn’t overly excited about celebrating Donaldson as a Blue Jay.  I mean to get him we had to trade Brett Lawrie, one of my favourite players who brought a lot of heart and character to the team.  But then as the season started, Donaldson not only blew my mind in his abilities, but also had me wondering why we hadn’t traded Lawrie earlier for him, lol.

This SGA (stadium giveaway) jersey is now one of my favourite Blue Jays memorabilia that I own.  I’m proud to wear Donaldson’s name on my back, and I usually get compliments from people when I wear it.  While the quality of the material isn’t perfect, it still holds up to many rough outings.  In fact the stitching is just as good as a Majestic jersey.  Other than the lightweight material, this is a great jersey.  (On a side note: this jersey reminds me of a pajama top, maybe the Blue Jays should just call it a pajama and release it with pajama pants next time.  Ohhhh Blue Jays pajama uniforms, sweet)

Josh Donaldson Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Donaldson

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIUdqOhkLDU

Jose Bautista Blue Jays Bobblehead 2015

Jose Bautista was the first SGA (stadium giveaway) bobblehead of the 2015 season.  20,000  were given away on Sunday, April 19th, 2015.  His bobblehead is also the 3^rd giveaway bobblehead that the Toronto Blue Jays have made of Bautista.  While that might seem like a lot, I’m actually happy that their most popular player is being honoured again.  While his first bobblehead was given out back in 2011, the Team has gained a lot more fans and followers since then and it’s only nice to have the fans also receive a Bautista keepsake (especially for those who missed out on the previous releases).

Since this is the 3^rd Bautista bobblehead, I thought it fitting that his pose be unique and different.  It certainly is because Jose is featured “muscle man” posing or rather “flexing”.  This is the same pose he does after he hits a home run, reaches home plate, and celebrates with a teammate (usually Encarnación).  I believe he started doing this back when Yunel Escobar was still a Blue Jay.  Jose is also featured in his road grey uniform.

Just based on the unique flexing pose, this is truly one of my favourite bobbleheads in my collection.  BDA Inc did an excellent job on this one, with lots of details and paint throughout the bobblehead.  With bobbleheads like this I will never get tired of having another SGA of Bautista.

José Bautista Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Bautista

Toronto Blue Jays Bobblehead Archive:

http://piper2381.blogspot.ca/2015/04/toronto-blue-jays-bobblehead-archive.html

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK7RHJDbvSE

Blue Jays Starter Jacket

So here’s my second Starter windbreaker jacket, and of course it’s from my favourite team the Toronto Blue Jays.  I always wanted one as a kid, and now that I have one I feel happy.  Just like not having a certain pair of sneakers when you were a kid, being able to finally attain what you always wanted as an adult makes you feel fulfilled and accomplished.  The thirst is finally quenched.

While I am ecstatic at finally owning a Blue Jays Starter jacket, I do realize that the jacket is more for nostalgic purposes than for utility.  Unfortunately these windbreakers aren’t very good at keeping you warm in the cold, and will also make you sweat indoors.  That’s okay though because when I wear my jacket I feel proud and I also get a couple of compliments from dudes who appreciate it.

This windbreaker is a retro of the Starter pullovers from the early 90’s, however Starter decided to use the current Jays logo being used by the team.  While having the Jays logo from the World Series days would have been nice, this current logo is still satisfying.  The quality of the jacket is amazing with minimal loose threads.  My only complaint with this jacket is the solid light blue used throughout the jacket, I would have preferred a royal blue to be the dominate colour.  Other than that this is a jacket that any Blue Jays fan can proudly wear to games.

Blue Jays:

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/

Starter:

http://www.starter.com/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuCpa_R7NLI