Retro Rebellion

Friday, August 2, 2019

Goodbye Harley Race

We are crushed to learn of the passing of a Wrestling Legend. Harley Race was a ligit tough guy,who was akso a multi-time World Champion,as well as one of Wrestlings Greatest Heels.

After his long illustrious Wrestling carrer,Race turned to managing,as He guided the carrers of Lex Luger and Vader in WCW.

We lost an all time great yesterday. Race died of Lung Cancer. He was 76.

So Long,King. We will miss you.

R.I.P
Harley Race
April 11, 1943 – August 1, 2019

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Minnie Mouse Loses Her Voice! The World Loses A Boyce!

Yesterday we recieved some horrible news. Russi Taylor,Legendary Voice Actor and the woman who was concidered to be the Next June Foray,has passed away.

Russi will be remembered as a kind old lady who gave Minnie Mouse her voice in the modern and retro eras. She also provided the voices for other characters such as Martin Prince,Widget the World Watcher,and,of course,Heuy Duey and Luey.

Russi Taylor died of natural causes,she was 75. On the bright side,she's with her beloved Husband,Wayne Allwine(who voiced Micky), now..and forever.

Thank you Russi Taylor,for everything. We'll miss you.

R.I.P.
Russi Taylor
May 4, 1944 – July 26, 2019

Now the question is - Who will replace her as Minnie Mouse
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Earlier this month,Disney Channel Star Cameron Boyce lost his life to an epeleptic seizure. He was 20.

Cameron Boyce was best known for his work at Disney,where he played Luke Ross on Jessie and Carlos DeVil on the Descendants Franchise.

Cameron was known for being a great friend and a and a cool person to know. He's missed so much.

Thank you for everything,my man.

R.I.P.
Cameron Boyce
May 28, 1999 – July 6, 2019

Sunday, June 30, 2019

3 Reasons Why The Original Funimation DBZ Dub is Far Superior to The Kai Dub (and 3 reasons why the Kai Dub beats the Original Dub)

Ever since 1998,We Americans fell in love with the franchise when it first aired on Toonami and we're Still in love with it. Yup we can't get enough of Dragon Ball. So today we will be talking about the 2 FUNimation Dubs of the most popular Dragon Ball series: Dragon Ball Z.

Yup,there were 2 FUNi dubs of Z: The Original Dub and the Kai Dub. So today,here are 3 Reasons Why The Original Funimation DBZ Dub is Far Superior to The Kai Dub (and 3 reasons why the Kai Dub beats the Original Dub).

Original Beats Kai #3 - More Popularity: The Original Dragon Ball Z dub made it's TV debut in 1996 with mixed success. However,once the show made it's Classic Toonami debut in 1998,the show reached great success. The Kai dub,on the other hand,wasn't well watched. This was due to tbe show being originally aired on Nick and Nicktoons. Pluus very few in the West wanted Kai to begin with. This attitude has changed as of late,thanks to the Show being rebrodcast on Adult Swim's Toonami.

Kai Beats Original #3 - Somewhat Closer to the Original Japanese Script: While entertaining as All Hell,the Original FUNi dub only followed the original Japanese script losely. The Kai dub,about 85% of the time,stuck to the Japanese script. They even potrayed the characters close to their Original Japanese counterparts. The Kaio-Ken was also said correctly.

Original Beats Kai #2 - Many Iconic Lines: Since Kai mostly sticks with the Japanese script,there aren't many Iconic lines. The Classic dub,however,has many iconic lines,some even became popular memes. Lines such as the ever popular "It's Over Nine Thousaaaannndd!!",were due to the original dub.

Kai Beats Original #2 - Frieza's Voice: Linda Young is a really good actress,but her voice really didn't fit Frieza that much at all. When Kai was dubbed,they replaced her with Chris Ayres,who's voice fits the character much better.

Original Beats Kai #1 - The Faulconer Soundtrack: One of the greatest things about the Original Dub of Z was the awesome soundtrack by Bruce Faulconer. Ok,let me just make this extrenely clear,Shunsuke Kikuchi's Music is great,I love it too. But there is no denying that the soundtrack seems too odd of a fit with the English VO's...at least to me.

Kai Beats Original #1 - Slightly Better Acting: The #1 thing that Kai Dub has over the Original Dub is the Acting. When the Original dub was made back in '99,the FUNi VA's were just rookies,though they improved over time. When the Kai Dub was being made years later,the same VA's were veterans at that point and it really showed.

That's gonna do it for today. Which version of the Z FUNi dub do You prefer? Sound off in the comments below.

Until Next Time,
Stay Gold,Space Cowboys

Friday, June 21, 2019

My Nintendo Cinematic Universe

You love Nintendo,We love Nintendo. So I've decided to something fun. Now,as you know,the Detective Pikachu movie did decently at the box office and there are plans in place for a Super Mario Bros Animated Movie.

So,it got me thinking: What if Nintendo had a Cinematic Universe of it's own? What would it look like? Well,I've decided to put together a hypothetical one.

Here's what I think a potential Nintendo Cinematic Universe would look like. Note that Every movie listed here would be Live-Action.

Phase 1

Detective Pikachu - The movie based off of the non-canon Detective Pikachu game.

Super Mario Bros. (live action) - Unrelated to the upcoming Animated feature. This movie would be Live-Action. This movie would be based on Both Mario Bros. and Super Mario 1.

Metroid - based on Metroid 1.

Kirby - A CGI/Live Action movie based on Kirby's Dreamland.

F-Zero: An adaption of the first F-Zero

Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Goddesses - An adaptation of the Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past.

Earthbound - Based on the 2nd title in the franchise.

Star Fox - An adaption of the 1st Star Fox game.

Donkey Kong Country - A movie based on the first Donkey Kong Country

Yoshi Island - A fun prequel movie based on Yoshi's Island

Pokemon: Kanto - Based on the 1st Generation of Pokemon titles. This would be one of the longer movies.

Smash Bros - An retelling of the 1st Super Smash Bros. Except that the characters wouldn't be toys.
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Phase 2

Mario v Kongs - A Prequel Movie. Would be based on both Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr.

Super Mario Bros.: Dream Mission - Would be based on Super Mario Bros. 2.

Metroid: Return of Samus - Would be based on Metroid 2.

Earthbound Beginnings - Would be based on Earthbound Beginnings aka Mother 1.

Super Mario Bros.: Return of the Koopa King - Would be based on Super Mario 3.

Kirby: Adventure in Dreamland - Would be based on Kirby's Adventure.

Fire Emblem - Would be based on the Fire Emblem games.

Diddy and Dixie - Would be based on DKC2: Diddy's Kong Quest.

Pokemon: Johto - Would be based on the 2nd Generation of Pokemon games. Another long movie.

F-Zero: Falcon - A movie about Captain Falcon and his origins.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Would be based on Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Smash Bros: Master Hand Strikes Back - Would be based on Super Smash Bros Melee.
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Phase 3

Pit Icarus - Would be based on the first Kid Icarus game.

Punch-Out - Would be based on the first Punch-Out game.

Super Mario Bros: Dinosaur Land - Would be based on Super Mario World.

StarTropics - Would be based on Star Tropics.

Super Mario Bros: Double Trouble - Would be based on both Super Mario Land and Super Mario Land 2:6 Golden Coins. Luigi would go to Sarasaland to save Princess Daisy,while Mario deals with Wario in Mario Land.

Wario Land - Would be based on Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

Kirby: Superstar - Would be based on Kirby's Super Star.

Metroid: Revival of MB - Would be based on Super Metroid.

Earthbound: The Next Generation - Would be based on Mother 3.

Legend of Zelda: Ballade of the Wind Fish - Would be based on Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.

Pokemon: Hoenn - Would be based on Pokemon Ruby,Sapphire,and Emerald

Untitled Fire Emblem Sequel

Star Fox: Rise of Andross - Would be based on Star Fox 64.

Super Smash Bros: Subspace Emissary - Would be based on Super Smash Bros.Brawl. However,there would be no 3rd Party Characters featured and Mike Jones of StarTropics would be in it.
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Phase 4

Punch-Out: The Grand Championship - Would be an adaption of Super Punch-Out.

Super Mario Bros: Legend of the Stars - Would be an adaption of Super Mario 64..but with Luigi joining in.

Kirby: The Crystal Shards - Would be based on Kirby 64 the Crystal Shards

Donkey Kong Country: K Rool's Revenge - Would be based on Donkey Kong 64

Pokemon: Sinnoh - Would be based on Pokemon Diamond,Pearl,and Platinum

Animal Crossing - Would be based on Animal Crossing

Pikmin - Would be an adaption of Pikmin

Star Fox: Assault - Would be based on Star Fox Assault.

Donkey Kong Country Returns: Would be based on Donkey Kong Country Returns

Super Mario: Holiday in Delfino - Would be based on Super Mario Sunshine.

Luigi's Mansion - Would be based on Luigi's Mansion. Happens during the events of Super Mario: Holiday in Delfino.

Metroid Prime - Would be based on Metroid Prime.

Wario World - Would be based on Wario World.

Untitled Kirby Sequel

Pit Icarus: Uprising - Would be based on Kid Icarus Uprising.

Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - Based on Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

Untitled Fire Emblem Sequel

Xenoblade Chronicles - Based on Xenoblade Chronicles

Legend of Zelda: Twilight - Based on Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Super Mario Bros: Galaxies - Would be based on Super Mario Galaxy.

Pokemon Arena: An original Pokemon Movie about an Inter-regional Tournament,featuting Pokemon from Kanto to Kalos.

Untitled Kirby Sequel

Smash Bros: Tournament of Champions - Would be based on Super Smash Bros WiiU and 3DS,sans the 3rd party characters.
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Phase 5

Untitled Metroid Sequel

Star Fox Zero - Would be based on Star Fox Zero

Legend of Zelda: Skyward - Based on Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Splatoon - Would be based on Splatoon

Untitled Pikmin Sequel

Untitled Animal Crossing Sequel

Super Mario: Odyssey - Would be based on Super Mario Odyssey

Untitled Kirby Sequel

Pokemon Alolan Style - Would be based on Pokemon Sun and Moon

Untitled Splatoon Sequel

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Would be on Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Smash Bros: Lifelight - Would Be based on Super Smash Bros.Ultimate...without the 3rd party characters.

So,what do you think? Let me know in the comment section.

Until Next Time,
Stay Gold,Space Cowboy

Sunday, June 16, 2019

20 Mega Man Games That Shouldn't Have Been Made!

The Mega Man franchise is adored the world over by many. Hell,in Japan,there's even a fan day dedicated to the franchise on June 9th. But just because the franchise itself is beloved,doesn't mean that it's All great. Infact there are 20 Games in the Mega Man franchise that shouldn't have been made. And here they are in no particular order.

20 - Let's start out with the 3 games that I put into a "Why'd They Even Bother?" catagory. The Bandai Wonderswan was a handheld system created by the late,Gunpei Yokoi after he left Nintendo in '97. The system was a Japanese exclusive and was never planned to be released Worldwide. It also had mediocre sales. So why did Capcom licence Mega Man to a failing system? To help it boost sales,natch. Unfortunatly,it was a lost cause and a waste of time and money. The game I'm talking about is the quality challenged (though not as quality challenged as the DOS games), Rockman and Forte: Challenger from the Future. Not only is this game "so tough that it's unfair",but the Music sounds bad,the Story is stupid,Robot Masters look like crap,and Rockman Shadow is detestable. The controls aren't that great either. The Graphics are the only praise I'm gonna give it. The game might have helped Wonderswan sales if the game was better made. Thank God it's Non-Canon.

19 - Next we move on to the Wonderswan's successor,The Wonderswan Color,which was also Japanese only. And thanks to the uber-popularity of the Game Boy Advance,this handheld flopped Big Time. Capcom tried to boost the sales of this system with 2 Mega Man EXE titles. While the 2nd one was ported to the GBA,the first one was a WSC exclusive. The game was simply called Rockman EXE WS and it was a platformer based losely on the first part of the first season of the Anime. The game was really hard with many unfair parts to it. Capcom were wasting both time and money supporting a dying handheld system. Speaking of....

18 - While the Sega Game Gear was dead in Japan in '95,in the US it was struggling. The Nintendo Game Boy was Dominant in the handheld market,and Nothing was gonna stop it. To help give them an edge,Sega reached out to Capcom for a GG Mega Man title,and they reluctantly accepted the task. Instead of making the game themselves,Capcom out-sourced production to U.S.Gold,a british company that ported the various Street Fighter titles to the Commadore and Amiga Systems. The end result was a rushed mess. While the graphics and sound were good,everything else about Mega Man GG wasn't. This was the first instance of Capcom supporting a dying system. And on top of that,the game was Only released in the US and Canada...With Low Sales. Capcom Really shouldn't have bothered.

17 - The next game brigs us to the Game Cube. The game in question is Mega Man Network Transmission,and like with Rockman EXE WS,it was a platformer akin to the Classic Mega Man series. This game was Bad. Unfairness abound. The levels are frustrating at times and the Mega Buster is really lame until you have it upgraded(which is difficult in itself). Plus,it just isn't doesn't feel like a Battle Network game. They should've just made this like the other BN games,an RPG.

16 - And now for the Reverse Situation. Mega Man X Command Mission was a Turn-Based JRPG in vain of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Despite the great music,plot,and characters,Command Mission doesn't really feel like an X-Series title gameplay-wise. The turn-based battle system doesn't work for the X-Series at all,which is fast-paced,heart-pounding action series. If Capcom wanted to turn the X series into an RPG,they should've copied Kingdom Hearts' battle system instead.

15 - Mega Man X7 was one of the worst games in the franchise and was in insult to the fanbase. The title character Had to be unlocked,Zero was weak,Axl was useless most of the time (though he does get better in X8),the controls aren't that great,the Voice Acting was really horrible,and the camera was crap. Plus the bossess and their weapons were all Lame. We also Hated how X was officially kicked out of his own Series. X7 was just pitiful. X7,as it is,should've Never been made.

14 - Talk about a pathetic Cash Grab! As you know,Mega Man X5 was supposed to be the last game (or at least main game) in the X Series,but Capcom got greedy and made Mega Man X6 without Keiji Inafune's consent..and the result was a Mess. Bad story,even Worse level design,and terrible gameplay. X6 was nothing but a cash grab to capitalize on the X Series' popularity (despite it losing popular momentum during that time).

13 - Mega Man X8 is basically X6 all over again,except with better visuals,gameplay,and characters (except for lumine). Like with X6 and X7 this game wasn't made with love,but with greed. Cuz if it Was made with heart,the game would've been much better. The storyline for the X Series had become a complete mess at this point. Just another reason why Capcom should've just ended the Series at X5. Oh and Lumine Sucks!!!

12- Now here is an example of "The Heart was in the Right Place,but the Brain Wasn't!". Mega Man 9,as it exists,is full off missteps. The 8-bit graphics are fine,but downgrading Mega Man himself AND giving us bad level layout choices...that was wrong. I get it,Inafune wanted a throwback to Mega Man 2,but the bad level layout wasn't the way,It just made things frustrating for a lot of players. Downgrating Mega Man by taking away his Slide and Charged Shot felt WAY too much like a step backwards. The Robot Masters,Weapons,Story,and Music were great,while everything else wasn't. The Heart was there,but the Brain wasn't.

11 - Mega Man 10 is like Mega Man 9,without the great weapons and unfair level layout. This was a missed oppertunity to return the Classic Series to form. Capcom wasted money and time on this. Sure it has it's high points,but 10 doesn't do the Classic Series many favors. Maybe if 10 gave Mega back his signature abilities abd gave us great Soecial Weapons,it would've been better. But as it is,it has no right to exist.

10 - A Mega Man Title with Ugly CG Art,Weak Story,and a Do-Nothing One-Off Character who is never seen or heard from again has No Right to exist. This is what Rockman Stratagy is. It's an obscure Stratagy RPG for the PC created for the Asian Market. Yeah,let's pretend that this abomination never existed.

09 - Want more instances of Capcom wanting Cheap Cash Grabs? Sure thing. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: Rockman EXE: Operate Shooting Star. It's a cheap crossover between the EXE/Battle Network and Star Force/Ryuusei No Series. Seriously,It's just a port of Battle Network 1 with extras and Geo Mega Man thrown in. Both EXE and Ryuusei were loosing popularity,so This game was a failed attempt to save both Series. Moving on.

08 - Super Adventure Rockman is a Japanese-only FMV Game with limited appeal. Seriously,the Only good thing about this game are the anime cutscenes. The gameplay looks pretty lame. Why Capcom produced this game instead of producing a Rockman Anime with this story,and in this style,is beyond me.

07 - Have you Ever wanted to play a Video Board Game using Mega Man characters? Me too,and one exists. Rockboard is a Japanese-Only Video Board Game for the Famicom..and it is Boring! The game itself is also very text heavy and the rules aren't so easy to follow. If this game were slightly simpiler and fun,it might've been a worthy entry...but it's not,so it isn't. Also,Wily and Light fighting for the fate of the World by playing a giant board game is pretty out there.

06 - The Mega Man series also had some Cell Phone Games,most of which were Japanese Exclusive. As you'd expect,these games are small and very likely play badly. I never played any of the games,but I really don't need to,knowing how bad they are. Thankfully,Capcom would get better at Mobile Gaming during the era of Tablets.

05 - In the early 90's DOS was one of the most popular PC platforms in North America,so it was a no brainer to bring Mega Man to the platform. Capcom USA,with the blessing of Capcom Japan, chose Hi Tech Expressions to create original DOS Titles of their hit franchise. However,there were 2 slight problems with this game. 1 - The play control was lousy and 2 - Despite it's popularity,DOS couldn't handle Music. A Mega Man game without music is just stupid,as music is one of the things that make the franchise great in the first place. Mega Man DOS had no right to be made and I hope Capcom Japan reprimanded their American Counterparts for the error in judgement. But there was another....

04 - Before Hi Tech expressions (rightfully) lost the Mega Man Licence,they created Mega Man 3 DOS (skipping Mega Man 2 DOS for some reason). This game suffers from the same problems as the 1st game..but with one more added: LAZY BOSS DESIGN!!!!! Not only are the boss designs Frankensprited from the Mega Man 2 and 3 Robot Masters,but Every Boss has the Exact Same Attack Pattern. A pattern copied from Volt Man of the 1st DOS Game. All and all,it was a mistake to bring Mega Man to DOS.

03 and 02 - I'm grouping these 2 together,due to how similar they are. In the early-90's Tiger was given tbe licence to create Mega Man handhelds:one based on Mega Man 2 and the other based on Mega Man 3. While the LCD graphics looked better and the games controlled better than the DOS games, The Mega Man Tiger Handhelds shared one of the major issues with it's DOS counterparts.....Lack Of Music! Like with DOS games,The Tiger LCD Games couldn't handle music and Mega Man games are incomplete without it. Plus,despite controling better than the DOS games,these games are slow. This is a flaw with Most LCD handhelds,including ones made by Tiger. While a nice little novelty,the Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3 Tiger Handhelds aren't that fun. Like with most Tiger Handhelds,these games are great to collect,but not to play. Stick with the Game Boy titles if you need your portable Mega Man fix.

01 - And finally we have Rockman XOver,a game that was just one huge insult to the Mega Man fans. Not only was it a Social RPG,which isn't very popular outside Japan,but the whole premise was stupid as well: The villains team up and kidnap the Various Mega Men (yes,that includes the normaly badass mega man zero) and so Light and Cossack create a Reploid (yes,you heard right) to rescue them. While Over-1 (the reploid built by light and cossack) looks kinda cool and his abilities are sweet,we just didn't Need or Want yet Another Mega Man (face it,we have too many as is). Plus the games title is very misleading. XOver means Crossover and we had little to none of that in this game. Terrible Story,Reused Assets,Misleading Title,And tbe fact that this game was a Social RPG made this game a souless Cash Grab..and on the 25th Annaversary of the Franchise no less. This game shoud've Never been made. Period.

And that gonna do it for this list. Are there any Mega Man titles that You think should"ve never been created? Sound-Off below.

Until Next Time,
Stay Gold,Space Cowboys

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Top 10 Favorite Fictional Father Figures

Since I already did one with fictional mothers, in honor of Father's Day, I give my top 10 favorite father figures, who I idolize, respect, and above all else, look up to. Let's begin, shall we?

10. Carl Winslow (Family Matters): The patriarch of the Winslow family, Carl Otis Winslow (yes, his initials is COW) in not only a devoted police officer, but a devoted father, too, especially being played by Reginald VelJohnson. Carl can be a bit hot-tempered at times, whether it's from his oldest son, Eddie (when he did something real bad) or gets annoyed by the antics of Steve Urkel (especially when his inventions blow up in his face). But, in the end of the day, no matter what problems you had or what mistakes you made, Carl Winslow is one father you can always have your back. And did I mention that he IS a cop?

9. Tim Taylor (Home Improvement): Does anyone know what time it is? That's right, folks, Tool Time, which is the subject of our next father figure, Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor". Played brilliantly by Tim Allen (who also voiced Buzz Lightyear), Tim Taylor is our resident tool man from Detroit who tries to balance between his job being the host of his home improvement show, 'Tool Time', and his home life with his wife, Jill and his sons, Brad, Randy and Mark. Every time he tries to one of both, hilarity ensues, from all the tools blow up because he used "MORE POWER" (grunting like Tim) to trying to keep the peace within the family. There is a double meaning to the name "Home Improvement", not just fixing houses and building with tools, but also improving relations with your family. Not to mention Tim likes to grunt, all the time. (ala Tim) Oh, yeah, (grunting like Tim)!!

8. Philip Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air): If The Shredder didn't define James Avery to a "T," then playing the uncle of the very wiseacre from West Philly sure did. Philip is the firm, but fair uncle of Will Smith, and patriarch of the Banks family. Raised in Baltimore, but was born in Yamacraw, North Carolina by his parents, Philip (or Zeke as his mother calls him), started off as an activist in his later years, they becoming a lawyer and finally becoming a Superior Court judge. And he uses his expertise in the law to raise his kids, even raising his pain in the neck nephew of his. He may look intimidating, but Uncle Phil will always watch your back, no matter what. But until then, be afraid, my friends....be, very, afraid. (laughing maniacally) Godspeed, Mr. Avery. We will miss you.

7. Kenji Tsukino (Sailor Moon): If Ikuko is the homemaker, then Usagi's father, Kenji, is the breadwinner of the family. He is mostly normal, like any other father would be. However, he did have his funny moments, especially questioning Usagi's choice of boyfriends and he did have one, brave moment, when he tried to defend his family against a water yokai. Overall, there is not much to say about Mr. Tsukino that we already know.

6. Dr. Light (Megaman): The original father of modern day robotics. Thomas Light is the creator of Megaman, who is like father to the Blue Bomber himself. His brilliance in robotics made him one of the most respective scientist in the world. His creations, aside from Megaman, had usher in a brave new future (as long as Dr. Wily doesn't screw it up with his antics). Even after his passing, he does lend his support (in spirit) to his final creation, Megaman X. And if ever dresses up like Santa, Dr. Light would be a shoo-in for jolly ol' St. Nick, cause he looks him, anyway.

5. Iroh (Avatar: The Last Airbender): The Dragon of the West himself. He was once the Fire Nation's fierce generals, who almost conquered the Earth Kingdom capital, Ba Sing Se. Until one moment changed him forever, the death of his son, Lu Ten. His son's passing had a profound effect on his life, rethinking how the Fire Nation operates. Since that time, Iroh renounced the Fire Nation's war like efforts and vows to help the Avatar, which is Aang, defeat the Firelord, Ozai, while at the same time, raises his nephew, Zuko. To Zuko's point of view, his uncle was more of a father to him than his actual father ever was. Strong, funny and wise beyond his years, Iroh is the one father figure you could have as your 'sifu'. And being voice by the late great Mako is what makes him even more awesome.

4. Batman (DC Comics): He has been many things, but when it comes to the Dark Knight himself, you can add father figure to that list, too. Since his first appearance, Batman never had anyone to share his adventures with until that fateful day when Dick Grayson, the youngest of the Flying Graysons, ended up being a orphan when Tony Zucco sabotage their flying act, killing his parents in the process. Feeling sorry for the young one, Bruce Wayne took young Dick in as his ward, eventually become comic's first kid sidekick, Robin the Boy Wonder. Since then, whoever joined Batman's inner circle became a part of the family. A "Bat-Family" to be precised. Although hard and strict, Batman does care for his teammates, especially Dick Grayson, who went from Robin to Nightwing. For someone who is dark and brooding, Batman does has a soft-spot to those in need, especially the children.

3. Gandalf (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings): A wizard who is never late, nor is early, he arrives precisely when he means to. As powerful as he is, Gandalf served as mentor to both Bilbo Baggins and later Frodo. He is wise, noble, sometimes funny and at times, he can be downright serious, especially when dealing with the One Ring itself. He has fought monsters and demons, big and small. Overall, when it comes to fulfilling your destiny, Gandalf is the one character that can guide you to the right path. Say it with me people...YOU...SHALL NOT...PASS!!

2. Raiden (Mortal Kombat): The Thunder God and protector of Earthrealm. Raiden's goal was to guide the warriors of Earthrealm against those who want to conquer it, including the dark realm of Outworld. Raiden was like a father to them, especially Liu Kang (before the new timeline changed everything). Despite his flaws in the later years, Raiden, whether in the present or in the afterlife, will always watches over you.

1. Optimus Prime (Transformers): The ultimate father figure himself. Optimus Prime is a strong, wise and noble leader to his fellow Autobots. He not only looks out for his fellow bots, but he gives his life to other lifeforms, too. If there is one character in all fiction that I want to learn his example, it is Optimus. And with Peter Cullen lending his voice, you know your brain will have vast knowledge of his adventures. Till all are one!

And there your have it. My top 10 fictional father figures. The ones who molded me into the man that I am today and I still continue to idolize to this day. If you have a father figure you idolized and looked up to, leave me a comment. Until next time, stay frosty and Happy Father's Day!

Saraba da! (Farewell!)