Sunday 14 April 2013

Aidan the Aspie Critic: BOOK EDITION!!!!!! The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Hello and welcome to my first BOOK REVIEW!!!! Today I will be reviewing one of my favourite books, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda!


The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is part of a series of books, written by a man named Tom Angleberger, about a bunch of crazy kids at a school called McQuarrie Middle School. (Get it? Ralph McQuarrie was one of the people who worked on Star Wars! The entire Origami Yoda series is about Star Wars Origami!) It is a regular sort of school until this kid named Dwight brings an Origami Yoda finger puppet to school. Now, Dwight is WEIRD.(Like me!) He does a lot of weird stuff like sitting in holes all day and talking to squirrels. HOWEVER, Dwight is really, really good at origami. He invents his own models, Origami Yoda just happens to be one of Dwight's own models. Dwight's friends Tommy, Kellen, and Harvey, (THE JERK!!!!!!) thought that this was just typical Dwight nonsense, BUT, Origami Yoda seems to give really good advice, solving everyone's problems in the school. But Dwight is so clueless! How could a puppet controlled by him give such good advice? Tommy, Kellen, and Harvey (THE JERK!!!!!) have a mystery to solve, is Origami Yoda just a puppet, or is he a real Jedi really using the Force? Can they solve the mystery? Read this funny Case File to find out!

When I was first starting to read this book, I thought it would it be dumb, but it was really really good! I'd even put it up there with the Diary if a Wimpy Kid books! Now, this book is part of a series, as I said before. The other books in the Origami Yoda series are Darth Paper Strikes Back, The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee, Art2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling, and The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett! I will review them later. Also, there is a new one coming out! It's called, Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue! Anyway, the Origami Yoda series is great! I highly recommend them, they're my favourite! They are the books that got me started with Origami in the first place! Here are some instructions for a RIDICULOUSLY easy Origami Yoda finger puppet. If you can't fold it, then there is something seriously wrong with you.  Just click on the picture to make it bigger!

I'd give The Strange Case of Origami Yoda 4 out of 5 stars! YAY!!!!!!

Pssst, for more Star Wars Origami, get your hands on the book Star Wars Origami by Chris Alexander! He has some AMAZING models! Also, for more stuff on the Origami Yoda series, go to Tom Angleberger's website, http://origamiyoda.wordpress.com/ More book reviews coming soon!

Have you read The Strange Case of Origami Yoda? What did you think of it? Tell me in the comments!

Thursday 4 April 2013

Aidan the Aspie Critic: VIDEO GAME EDITION!!! Skylanders Giants

Hello, and welcome to my first video game review. You know how I posted my review for Jack the Giant Slayer a while ago? Well, I have another Giant adventure that I'm sure you've heard of, SKYLANDERS GIANTS!!!
Skylanders Giants is the sequel to the game Skylanders Spyro's Adventure. Like in Spyro's Adventure, you are a Portal Master, in order to play the game, you need some Skylanders figures and The Portal of Power! You plug the Portal of Power into the USB port of you're gaming station, (Some are wireless, though) and you place a Skylander on the Portal of Power and you play as that Skylander in-game. Now, there are TONS of Skylanders to collect, (Spyro's Adventure figures are compatible.) but, all you really need to complete the game is one Skylander of each element, (Air, Life, Undead, Earth, Fire, Water, Magic, and Tech) one Giant Skylander, (Swarm, Tree Rex, Eye-Brawl, Crusher, Hot Head, Thumpback, Ninjini, or Bouncer) and one fast Skylander (Sonic Boom, Whirlwind, Camo, Stealth Elf, Fright Rider, Cynder, Flashwing, Sunburn, Zap, Spyro, Drobot).

 The game's storyline goes like this, Since the last game, Kaos (The Main Antagonist of Skylanders) has been banished to earth, a realm were Skylanders are frozen. For a reason unexplained, Kaos comes to life on earth and finds the Portal of Power and uses it to get back to Skylands. Kaos, along with his assistant, Glumshanks, find an Arkeyan Robot. The Arkeyan Robots were a race of evil robots that once ruled Skylands with an Iron Fist (Literally!). But soon came a race of heroes that defeated the Arkeyans, The Giants! They destroyed the Iron Fist and brought peace to Skylands, BUT, they were banished to earth, where they have not been seen since. BUT, with Kaos finding the Arkeyan Robot and him looking for the Iron Fist, It's time to bring back the Giants! But, Can the Skylanders and the Giants, along with some other friends, Defeat Kaos and the Arkeyan Robots again? Play Skylanders Giants to find out!

I thought this game was super fun and exciting! Sure, I don't have a Skylander of every element, (I'm missing Earth, Fire, Water, and Magic) which isn't very good because you need Skylanders of a cretain element in order to unlock special bonus areas! There are lots of fun puzzles and the game itself isn't very hard so young children could probably play it. This game has the COOLEST SOUNDTRACK EVER!!!! I'm going to buy it on iTunes if it's available! This game wasn't all good though. This game has voice actors so alot of the characters are REALLY ANNOYING!!!!!! Especially the little Frog thing in the lock puzzles. @#$%! HE IS ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has got to be one of my most hated video game characters of ALL TIME!!!! Also, I just have to point this out, Kaos sounds and acts EXACTLY like Invader Zim! Voltar from League of Super Evil, too!

They have exactly the same facial expression and pose, too!


Me and my Brother have had a BLAST playing this game! I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars! I just can't wait until Skylanders Swap Force comes out this year! Good Game!

Have you played Skylanders Giants? What did you think of it? Tell me in the comments!!!