Tag Archives: sport

video game reviews

Pickleball One (Formerly Playin Pickleball), is one of the best VR sports game

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I was sent Playin Pickleball to review for my site. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, this will be an honest review of the game. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. If you need any accessories for your VR headset like a high quality charging cable or prescription lenses, get them over at ZyberVR. Use Discount code CHURAPE for 15% off your purchase.

Playin Pickleball is a sports title you need to pick up if you like pickleball or are thinking about picking it up. This game is incredibly immersive. The 3D sound is realistic, and the physics are amazing. I did encounter a few visual bugs, but nothing that made the game unplayable. For the best experience, make sure you play in a well-lit room with lots of space.

While I spent most of my game time in single-player matches against bots, Playin Pickleball has online multiplayer. The bots in single-player are surprisingly competent. I suggest you play on the higher difficulties as soon as you learn the rules for the most realistic experience. While I was never able to beat the AI, I did see myself improving the more time I spent with the game. If you feel like you need practice, there are various practice modes to help you improve. You can also join the official Discord where the community holds beginner clinics for anyone who wants them. If you can’t make the clinic, it is easy to find someone willing to show you the ropes. 

If you are worried about this game’s skill ceiling, don’t be. I am not athletic, but I didn’t feel like I needed to be. Playing Pickleball has easy to adjust the settings so you can always play matches at your skill level. The game also does a fantastic job of showing you the fundamentals of the game. I have never played pickleball, but I felt like I picked up the rules quickly. There was enough freedom to learn at my own pace, and enough of a challenge to help me improve over time. I was never able to beat the AI, but I did get better. I almost feel confident enough to try my skills IRL.

The best part about this game is the official Discord. If you pick up this game, joining the Discord should be mandatory. The Discord is full of friendly people who love the game as much as you will. It is a great place to go if you want to find someone to play with. The online matchmaking is fine, but it is easier to find a match on Discord. I love that this game is community focused because a game needs a strong community. Playing against the AI is great, but the bots are soulless, and nothing beats playing against a friend, new or old. The discord is where you go to report bugs, make suggestions, make new friends, and join tournaments. There is always something going on, so make sure you give them a follow. Make sure you also follow the other socials:

If you are looking for a new game to add to your VR library, go pick up Playin Pickleball. The graphics are great, the experience is immersive, and there is a solid community waiting for you to join. This game is a lot of fun and well worth your investment. You can pick this up for the Meta Quest for $19.99. I know it says it is on Meta’s App Lab, but the game is done and polished. Pick up your copy today!

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Fantasy Football (2022)

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Fantasy Football is another kid’s wish sports movie you’ve seen before. The gimmicks, slang, and magic used in this movie have been updated to fit into modern pop culture, but it follows the same tired formula. While it may not be the worst movie you will watch with your kids, it isn’t a great one either. Fantasy Football is fine for what it is, but it won’t be winning any awards.

Callie’s dad is a professional football player that is constantly being traded. As a result, her family moves around a lot, and playing Madden is Callie’s only constant. All she wants is to have a place she can call her home, but moving makes this impossible. When they move to Atlanta, Callie and her family have hope that this will be their final move. Callie joins a club and is starting to make friends. But hope starts to fade as her father’s career isn’t going well. Her father is getting older and is no longer as skilled as he used to be. He is overshadowed by the up-and-coming talent that surrounds him. At their lowest, a wish is made that will change everything. Callie finds that she can control her dad through her game. Together they start winning games and creating headlines. Can Callie balance her new life and her father’s career? Will the Falcons make it to the Super Bowl?

This movie is as cookie-cutter as it gets; there is no getting around it. One thing to note, there is a lot of shameless product placement in this movie. This is essentially a giant commercial for Madden and the NFL. It is still one of the better commercials I’ve seen, but it is something to keep in mind. 

Fantasy Football is fine for a kids’ movie. The writing is sloppy and problematic at points, but it is good enough. The acting is inconstant, but there is only so much that can be done with this script. There is also no chemistry between the actors. Callie is a solid lead, although her story is a bit of a fumble. The emotional moments don’t hit as hard because there isn’t any proper development for any of them. This movie focuses mainly on Football and Madden, so Callie never gets a chance to develop her character or create the meaningful relationships the movie tells you she does. There’s enough story to make it a kids’ movie, but I found it a little lazy. You have to suspend all your disbelief for this movie to work, but you are probably not the target audience.

Although I found some of the dialogue problematic, I appreciate this story being about people of color. As a person of color, it’s nice to see that kids are starting to get movies with a more diverse representation. It meant a lot to me as a kid when I finally got to see people that looked like me on TV, and I can only imagine it is true for kids today. Fantasy Football is a step in the right direction toward more positive and diverse stories, but we still have ways to go. 

What I liked most about this movie is that it doesn’t have a tangible villain. I found it interesting that the villain in this movie is pride. The dad may have a rival, but the rival isn’t a terrible person that needs to be defeated. Instead, it is pride that complicates the narrative and creates the adversities the characters need to overcome. The dad consumed with pride fails to see how his actions make him selfish. Callie, consumed by her father’s pride, is forced to make a difficult decision. It is refreshing to see characters not have to overcome some cartoonishly evil villain, but something more personal. It isn’t done well, but I appreciate that there was an attempt. 

I have sat through worse movies than Fantasy Football. Don’t go out of your way to watch this movie because it isn’t worth it, but you won’t hate it if you have to watch it with your kids. You will get bored, but trust me, it could be worse. You can stream it on Paramount+.

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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Home Team (2022)

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You have already seen the plot to this movie play out many times before. This one does little to stand out against anything else in the genre, but it isn’t the worst way you can spend two hours. Kevin James is refreshing in a role that doesn’t revolve around him being fat. It is nice to see a movie that isn’t another Paul Blart rip off because he has proven that he has the range to do anything else. I hope this means that James will begin his transition into more serious roles. He definitely has the talent for it.

The movie focuses on the story of the disgraced Saints coach Sean Payton. It deals with the aftermath of his headhunting scandal as Payton deals with his suspension by coaching his son’s football team. It is a solid redemption movie, one where he learns what is truly important in his life.

This movie is fine. The acting is solid and the story is fine, but it isn’t anything award winning. If you like this genre of movie, this is a solid choice. If you are forced to sit through this movie, you won’t hate the time you spend on it. Go  watch it on Netflix.