It’s Thursday and on Thursdays, we look back at the past week of features at TheGamer. We’ve been writing about everything from the exploitative Blonde movie to the new Mario poster, but I promise it’s not all films.
We also have thoughts on Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s new 14-minute trailer, and Velma coming out, which finally confirms what so many have been thinking for years.
I Already Hate Pokemon Scarlet & Violet's Far Cry-Style Enemy Outposts
As revealed in the latest gameplay trailer, there’s a new feature in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet - outposts. You have to take out 30 enemies and then fight a big boss at the end, a pretty common open-world trope that has been done to death. As editor-in-chief Stacey Henley puts it, it was fun the first time back when Far Cry 3 came out, but it’s gotten duller and duller in every single appearance since. Pokemon looks to be continuing that trend.
The HCL Poker Cheating Nonsense Is Depp Vs Heard All Over Again
Robbi Jade Lewis has been trending for the past week as she was accused of cheating against poker pro Garrett Adelstein. But as features editor Eric Switzer argues, all it boils down to is an amateur player making a bad move and winning. Despite this, it has become a spectacle mired in misogyny, even drawing parallels to the Amber Heard trial as YouTubers and other influencers drama farm the situation to single out a newcomer in a male-dominated community, pushing her out.
Velma Is A Big Lesbian With An Even Bigger Crush in Scooby Doo: Trick or Treat
Velma’s queerness is the worst-kept secret on TV. She’s never been into guys, bar awkward situational ‘romances’ with Shaggy and Johnny Bravo that felt obligatory rather than genuine, and she has thirsted over women several times. Velma’s gay, and it’s finally official. As lead features editor Jade King writes, it’s a huge step forward, one that solidifies her as a lesbian icon.
I Love The Mario Movie Poster
The Mario movie is one many are wary of - we have Chris Pratt doing a “normal” accent at the heart of it, drawing understandable criticism, and it’s a video game movie. They don’t have the best track record, to put it lightly. But the poster has features editor Andrew King optimistic. The towering mountain in the background dwarfing Mario, the easter eggs dotting the scenery, and the vibrant aesthetic all make for a surprisingly good first look at Nintendo’s latest foray into films.
Blonde On Netflix Is Not For Marilyn Monroe Fans Or Ana De Armas Fans, But It's A Big Win For Misogynists
The newest biopic on Marilyn Monroe was hit with backlash for its blatant misogyny. Blonde is cruel, only ever letting Monroe have value in the movie when men say so, while it dramatises history in unfounded ways, depicting Monroe as someone who slept her way to the top, got raped early in her career, and had an abortion. As Stacey argues, it’s an “obnoxiously foul portrayal of Monroe”, one that feels tailor-made for people who hate women.