Super Sluggers isnt a bad Mario sports game, but it does suffer from difficult controls and no online play. Mario Hoops 3-on-3,known asMario Slam Basketballin Europe, was developed by Square Enix and published by Nintendo for the DS in 2006.
Why Is Marvel Crushing Star Wars on Disney+? Super Rushs release also has us reflecting on what is perhaps Marios least appreciated spin-offs, though: the ones that involve ballfields and scoreboards. Mario Golf World Tour had some pretty big shoes to fill, and for the most part, it did an adequate job. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. Its a game to really dig into - not everyone is going to like its story-based progression, but its impossible to deny just how well the game plays. A one-stop shop for all things video games. Where Superstar Baseball edges out Strikers is in its challenge mode. Take Super Mario Strikers, inject it with an energy drink, then introduce new character designs straight out of a DC superhero game and the result is one of the most exhilarating multiplayer games in Nintendo's library. The game features several familiar characters from theMariofranchise, along with various Square Enix characters making guest appearances, like Moogle and Ninja. Once Challenge Mode is finished youre able to replay it as Bowser, which serves as a slightly harder mode with a few different rules. The latest Mario sports spin-off is Mario Golf Super Rush for the Nintendo Switch. Second, the game has no multiplayer mode, a crime for a Mario sports game. Fans enjoyed the beautiful visuals and refined controls that are still just as fun as ever along with a character roster ripe for DLC expansion. It culminated with a faceoff against Bowsers team. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. It wasnt as deep as some of the RPG-heavy earlier Mario Sports titles, but it scratched that itch enough that its worth playing through as all of the six teams. Mario Tennis is also an important game in the Mario franchise as a whole as it was the game that first introduced the tall, purple, and scheming Waluigi. It also gave us some of the best Mario sports games. Although, the Square Enix guest stars are admittedly cool. It made matters worse that Nintendo tried to shoehorn in Amiibo support, which just felt like an additional cash grab for a bare-bones Mario sports game. Thankfully, the game is as crisp and polished as any Mario game comes, with a ton of cool visuals that set it apart from the longrunning Mario Golf and Mario Tennis series thanks to the electrifying art of Cassidy Scott. This title is the firstMariobasketball game ever released, and the secondMariogamedeveloped by Square Enix.
You can chat with him about horror games, electronic music, Joanna Newsom and 80s-90s anime on Twitter @belfryfire. Nintendo has a knack for making great tennis games, but their first foray into the sport was pretty rough. Play the game, perform unique skill shots, and try to have fun along the way. However, not all of them have been huge hits, likeMario TennisandMario Golffor the Nintendo 64. It prettied up the graphics for Gamecube and the controls were a little better but other than that, this was the same Mario Golf console title wed played before. Some stand out as being better than the rest though. Despite its worse name, The Gamecube version delivers more fun, especially when friends are in the mix. Unfortunately, Mario Hoops is only available for the Nintendo DS so it becomes a challenge to get friends together and play it. The game delivers great tennis action while giving us that RPG fix we love. It was also hard to justify its existence since everyone already had the best baseball game on Wii. So in celebration of Super Rushs release, heres our list of the best 5 Mario sports games out there, dating all the way back to the Nintendo 64.
The gameplay was still second to none, and the varied modes offered more value to those upgrading over the N64 version. Mario Golf Advance Tour introduces two new characters to the series, Neil and Ella. It featured online support, the first for a handheld Mario tennis title. Its available now via switch online and features online multiplayer. Why not throw in some RPG elements, and a better story to really set this title apart. 
The sprites are beautiful, the music is superb, and the gameplay fits perfectly on the device. The question is, however, which ones are the best? Still, Mario Sports Mix is the best Mario sports compilation title you can play today. Thesecondinstallment in the Mario Tennisfranchise was released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Subscribe to the CBR newsletter for exclusive comics, TV & movie news, reviews, interviews & much more! Were hoping this game continues to get updates and move higher on our list. RELATED: Every Sport Mario Has Played, Ranked By The Number Of Times Played. Advance Tour is one of the most enrapturing and addictive sports games ever made. Jason Momoa Reveals Ben Affleck Returns as Bruce Wayne in 'Aquaman 2', Forget 'Super Mario Odyssey 2'.
Fans praised Mario Tennis Aces for featuring the series' first story mode, and there is even online multiplayer. Mario Tennis also served as a reintroduction to Princess Daisy, an otherwise minor character from the spin-off Super Mario Land, as well as Birdo, the mini-boss from Super Mario Bros. 2. Sadly, it did not receive the same amount of praise as other spin-offs on the console. Mario Tennis is remembered not only as one of the best sports games available for Nintendo 64 but also as one of the best games on the console as a whole. It delivers exactly what we want in a console Mario sports game.
Coming so late in the Gamecube life cycle, it was overlooked by many but remains a favorite for the faithful. Through beating other minor teams youre able to recruit other captains and their team members, which allows you to assemble your dream team of whichever Mario characters you like. Pop-Punk enthusiast. Building on the gameplay of 1999s Virtua Tennis, Mario Tennis made the relatively complicated sport approachable and simple. Fans hope that Nintendo takes notes from the reception of Aces to improve whatever sports game is next for the Switch. Players take on opponents in a three versus three basketball game format on various courts. Its difficult to overstate how iconic Mario Golf on the N64 has become. Smooth gameplay, a perfect mix of Mario and Sonic characters, and the best selection of sports minigames to play. It's basketball with two teams of three featuring Mario characters and there are a lot ofplayers to choose from. The best thing about the Wii was also at times its worse. Characters could also be transferred from the Game Boy Color version ofMario Tennis. Namco struck a homerun with this one. NEXT:10 Tracks We'd Love To See Return In The Next Mario Kart, Cassidy Stephenson is a reader, writer, and video game enthusiast. The game truly shines in its Challenge Mode, where you select one of five team captains and fight for the honor of taking down Bowsers team. Its a fun game for both adults and kids, and features shockingly realistic physics - you might be playing as a flying yellow turtle, but its unmistakably tennis youre playing here! Where Mario Golf Super Rush lacked in content, Mario Tennis Aces has it in spades. Mario Tennis Opens next major crime is the roster. Unfortunately, where Super Rush falters is with its content or rather the lack thereof. Studios' Something is Killing the Children #25, REVIEW: IDW Publishing's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #131, Digimon Survive Is the Perfect Starting Point for Franchise Newcomers, The Upcoming Dragon Quest Spinoff Is a Treasure In Its Own Right. But what it lacks in story it makes up for in gameplay. Nominally the handheld counterpart to Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour on the Gamecube, Mario Golf: Advance Tour offers a wholly unique experience. However, Mario Sports Mixlacks replayability. Oh, and seven of those eight special unlockable QR code characters are just different color Yoshis. Still to this day, Olympic Winter Games is still considered the best of the series. Its a testament to how great the Mario tennis games are that this one doesnt rank higher. Want to challenge us for Boss Level supremacy in Mario Golf? Believe it or not, Mario Tennis is responsible for many of the Mario franchises iconic conventions. But this is the original, the one that started it all. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Agree with our picks for the best and worst Mario Sports games of all time?? Mario has proven himself to be quite the athlete for the wide variety of sports he's played since hisathletic debut as a player in the 1987 gameNES Open Tournament Golf. The game has one of the most efficient yet charming HUDs yet seen in a sports game - it makes the sport of golf, with its many rules, seem totally legible while managing to fit in other important elements like environmental details, too. KEEP READING: 25 Years Later, 'Super Mario 64' Is Still One of the Best 3D Platformers Ever. The only downside to Advance Tour is its system: it could have easily been a console game but it still remains a solid GameBoy Advance title. The only real complaint we have with Advance Tour is the music is a little lacking when compared to other entries in the series. Featuring only three courses and two playable characters, NES Open Tournament Golf still manages to capture the feeling of hitting the links with your old pal Mario. Mario Power Tennis did a better job than the Gamecubes golf iteration of adding new features, but it still falls short of some of the tennis titles that came before. Again, its Mario. Really all it does is put our favorite Mushroom Kingdom pals on the course and give them different attributes. Superstar Baseball is definitely one of the more exaggerated iterations of the sport it sets out to represent, and theres no real way to avoid the hijinks as in some of the older Mario sports games, but the game thrives in its most chaotic moments. Mario of course. Theyre not mini-games either, they are full games, just not up to par with their full fledge soccer and tennis counterparts. If you can get past the lack of an RPG mode and the QR code tactic for unlocking different color Yoshis, Mario tennis open is a really fun game. Mario sports games have a long history, dating all the way back to the original NES. NEXT:10 Best Mario Games (That Aren't Platformers). Still, for the GameCube was Mario Superstar Baseball, the first and still often considered the best of the series. Super Mario Strikers has the distinct honor of being Marios first foray into soccer, and the last title released for the Gamecube. Gamers love the large character line-up and the various maps like DK Jungle and Luigi's Mansion that act as baseball parks. These are not games with a collection of sports-based minigames either, there are entire games dedicated to having Mario and friends playing golf, tennis, baseball, and even basketball. Sign up for Collider's newsletter for exclusive news, features, streaming recommendations and more. Sure fans found it fun and family-friendly but much like Mario Party, it can end friendships. But each game feels like a shell of its big brother. Is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew a Reinvention of Death Troopers? But the title gave us bosses from the Final Fantasy universe. Everyone knows about the spin-off games like Mario Kart and the famous Mario Party series with its16 entries so far. The Wii controller was great for easy familiar movements, like say, swinging a baseball bat. The only thing holding Strikers back from being one of the true greats is its relative lack of game modes, which trims the games viability as a party favorite considerably. Not only does she write for ScreenRant, The Gamer, Comic Book Resources, and GameRant but she runs her own personal blog, discussing many things pop culture-related. Still, its undeniably one of the best sports games available on the Gamecube, and an enjoyable one to pick up and play if youre bored during off-season. Even with that, the game was a blast to play and a stellar Mario Golf title for the Gamecube era. Mario Superstar Baseball was released only a few months before Strikers, reminding of us a time when Nintendo released Mario sports games at a fast clip. Mario Golf for the GBC fixes that by introducing us to the RPG sports game. RELATED: Forget 'Super Mario Odyssey 2'. These are our favorite Mario Sports games ranked from worst to best.
(Hey, soccers a complicated game!). What sets Mario Golf apart from, say, the PGA Tour series are the wacky obstacles that stand in the way of you and a hole-in-one. However, it adds Nintendo charm with some extra minigames for some fun bonuses to keep the gameplay from becoming too dull. The RPG leveling-up system is addicting, the courses are all varied and fun, and the gameplay is classic Mario golf. Nintendo's Mario has a ton of spin-off games, including ones of various sports. The minigames included were a blast, and the ability to link to an N64 system was revolutionary at the time. But Nintendo being Nintendo, just couldnt give us everything we wanted. Mario Sports Mix feels like a sequel to Wii sports with the Mario family instead of Miis. Players can participate in four sports: volleyball, ice hockey, dodgeball, and basketball. The game also features frustrating controls and was basically just a way to promote the 2014 Olympics. Similar to its predecessor, the game lacked any flair that allowed players to pick up the title more than twice. It can be really fun, especially with friends or family, and is one of the better attempts at bringing back Mario Golf. Before Mario Golf on the GBC, most sports games were simple and involved nothing more than playing smaller versions of the games it was trying to imitate. RELATED: 10 Unspoken Rules Of Mario Party. Advance Tour even implements quasi-RPG elements into the gameplay to freshen things up. Another title in the franchise was recently announced for the Nintendo Switch, calledMario Strikers: Battle League. Most notably, Mario Tennis marks the first appearance of Waluigi, Luigis sworn nemesis (who has yet to receive proper justice by appearing in a mainline Mario game). She now works as a Gaming Lists and TV/Movie Feature writer for Comic Book Resources. Like its golf counterpart, Mario Tennis Aces has a fairly disappointing single-player mode. Tennis required white knuckle grips and diving hits in order to defeat your teammate. 5v5 soccer turned out to be a perfect fit for the Mario sports franchise. New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews, How Some Pokmon Fans Are Using the Games in Their Exercise Routines, The 5 Best Mario Sports Games (& 5 Worst), Every Sport Mario Has Played, Ranked By The Number Of Times Played, 10 Video Game Series Celebrating Anniversaries In 2022, The 10 Best Nintendo Games Of All Time, According To Metacritic, 10 Tracks We'd Love To See Return In The Next Mario Kart.
This game was just released on Nintendo Switch online and can still end some friendships if you decide to have three of your pals over.
Baseball, golf, and tennis, these sports are built for the Wiimote, but soccer just didnt seem like it would translate well to Nintendos remote-shaped controller. Its all topped off with an excellent score courtesy of Motoi Sakuraba, who got to flex some of his more baroque leanings that set the soundtrack apart from his work on other Mario Golf and Mario Tennis titles. Super Mario Strikers pits Mario and other Mushroom Kingdom inhabitants against each other in a 5v5 soccer match. Players choose a team captain along with sidekicks to score goals using the Super Strike feature. From that title, someone would expect Super Mario Strikers to be a fighting game like Mortal Kombat or a Mario character exclusive version of theSuper Smash Bros.series. RELATED:The 10 Best Nintendo Games Of All Time, According To Metacritic. Mario Tennis Ultra Smash wasreleased for the Wii U in 2016, and critics hated almost every aspect of this title. Where Mario Sports Mix misses the mark is their lackluster single-player campaign. The Gamecube was a perfect fit for these titles and gave us a glimpse of the innovation to come. Super Sluggers gave you three different ways to use the Wii controller, and each one came with advantages and disadvantages. Mario Sports Superstars contains five full games; golf, tennis, soccer, football, and horse racing. Especially using the fantastic Gamecube controller. Mario Golf gave us the choice of choosing between four different characters and building them up along their golf journey to beat the worlds top golfer. LikeMario Sports Mix, Mario Sports Superstarsfeature 5 different playable sports. Like Strikers, this was the first time the Mushroom kingdom picked up their gloves and hit the baseball diamond. Mario Super Sluggerswas exclusively released in Japan and North America and didn't make it to either Europe or Australia. We loved the minute-to-minute gameplay of strikers but found it to otherwise be lacking in content. How Skate 4 Balances Parkour and Skateboarding, Why Super Smash Bros. Melee Is Still Popular With Esports Players, Lord of the Rings: Gollum - Trailer, News & Latest Updates, Where to Start With the Mega Man Battle Network Series, REVIEW: BOOM! A one-stop-shop for all things video games. Theres a reason many still consider Mario Golf the definitive virtual golf experience. When hes not busy stomping goombas, you can find Mario hitting the links, swinging his tennis racket, or playing some street soccer with his pals. Fortunately, they improved on the formula and have released some great games on much better systems. Mario has had a surprising number of appearances in sports games, from being a competitor to a referee and everything in between. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. Mario Strikers Charged is often listed among the likes of GoldenEye007 for the N64 in terms of multiplayer games. Of all the spin-offs, most tend to overlook the plethora of sports games starring Mario, his friends, and his enemies competing for the title of a champion. This title still holds up today if you have an old Gameboy Color lying around. When Nintendo announced that another installment in the Strikers series was going to be released on Wii, I was a bit skeptical. The worlds favorite plumber is also a huge sports fan. Others were a swing and a miss. This was the first time Mario hit the clay courts, and also the introduction of our favorite purple menace, Waluigi. The biggest fault of Toadstool Tour is that it didnt innovate over its predecessor in any tangible way. It was the firstDDRtitle to be released on a Nintendo home console outside of Japan. Mario Strikers Battle League is the latest addition to the Mario sports games lineup. Acting as a party game, Mario Sports Mix is pretty rad. Its just hard to get over the abysmal single-player story and launch state. It could have been higher on the list, but frankly, there are just too many better Mario tennis games out there. Advance Tour is peak Gameboy Advance, and close to peak Mario Golf. Its certainly one of the best Mario sports games in a while, and the best available on Switch at the moment. The N64 version of Mario Tennis provided a twitchy gameplay element that was missing from Mario Golf. Amongthe 20 characters, several characters from the Mariofranchise rose to prominence in this game. Unlike with golf or tennis, Mario's dabblings into the world of baseball are not quite as consistently successful. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Since then, the sports spin-off games for theMariofranchise have become more popular. Mario Tennis for the N64 may have the 3D graphics and easy couch co-op, but the Gameboy Colors RPG elements made grinding for XP fun. Its our favorite because all these years later, a Mario sports game still hasnt done it better. The slower play of the sport, mixed with the ability to pause the game after each hole, makes the sport feel at home on portable devices. The 5v5 style creates a more arcade feel to the action, which is exasperated by your usual host of power-ups like stars and banana peels. If gamers are interested in picking up a title from theMario Tennisseries, this is a title to be avoided. RELATED:10 Nintendo Characters Who Need To Join Mario Kart.
!,surprisingly without permission. While Mario makes appearances in several sports games prior to this one, this is considered the first modern game in the beloved sports spin-off series. RELATED:5 Actors Who Would Make The Perfect Mario (& 5 Who Could Play Luigi). In terms of gameplay, it simply improves on everything Super Mario Strikers did so well. Twenty-four characters are playable in the title but eight of those need to be unlocked by scanning QR codes with your 3DS. The results are in: Mario Golf: Super Rush is a pretty decent game. It also helps that Mario Golf provides more than the massive courses by offering the option to play mini-golf as well for an easier but still fun experience.
The true disappointment came when we realized those free updates, just meant that Nintendo shipped an unfinished game and wanted to continue working on it after we had already given them our sixty dollars. Scarface 2: The Movie Tie-in Game That Never Was, Why Silent Video Game Protagonists Remain Popular, AI: The Somnium Files - NirvanA Initiative's Pokmon Go Reference Is Brilliant, How Pokmon Could Create the Perfect Mystery Dungeon Game, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes - How to Unlock the Dancer Class, Now Is the Perfect Time for the Best Lord of the Rings Game to Get a Remake, Everything Everywhere All at Once's Pixar Tribute Is Quietly Amazing. We Need a New 3D 'Donkey Kong' Game, 25 Years Later, 'Super Mario 64' Is Still One of the Best 3D Platformers Ever, 'Stranger Things': Metallica Plays Tribute to Eddie Munson at Lollapalooza, Michael Mann's 'Ferrari' Casts Sarah Gadon, Jack O'Connell, and Patrick Dempsey, For All Mankinds Cast and Creators on What It's Really Like Filming Those Space Scenes, Why the 'Transformers' Movies Were so Popular And Are Now Running on Empty, 'Gordita Chronicles' Cancelled After One Season on HBO Max. Remember when I said Nintendo made some tennis games on much better systems? God Of War: 10 Memes That Perfectly Sum Up Kratos As A Character, 10 Nintendo Characters Who Need To Join Mario Kart, a character roster ripe for DLC expansion, 5 Actors Who Would Make The Perfect Mario (& 5 Who Could Play Luigi), one of the best-selling games for the Nintendo Wii, 10 Best Mario Games (That Aren't Platformers), 10 Best Horror Games That Take Place In Space, 10 Best Final Boss Fights In Video Game History, 10 Best Horror Games For Players Who Don't Get Scared, Elden Ring: 10 Little Known Facts About Malenia, God Of War: 10 Memes That Sum Up The Games, Marvel Comics: 15 Strongest Gamma Powered Characters (Who Aren't Bruce Banner), 15 Best Record Of Ragnarok Main Characters, Ranked, Pokmon: The 10 Ugliest Fairy-Types Of All-Time, Kirby: 10 Unpopular Opinions About The Games, According To Reddit, 10 Pokmon That Are Often Confused For Pseudo-Legendaries, 10 Best Couch Co-op Games To Play For Lovers Of It Takes Two, Mario Kart: Every Version of Bowsers Castle, Ranked, 10 Most Bizarre Mission Objectives in Video Games, 10 Hilarious Memes That Sum Up The Guitar Hero Games. Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games is the fourth installment in theMario & Sonicseries and arguably the worst Olympics title. Critics praised the game for its character roster and appealing visuals. After a years-long hiatus, we were finally getting another Mario golf game, this time with an RPG-like story mode, online play, and frequent free updates.
Instead, it's a game all about soccer featuring Mario characters.
Every now and then, there is the rare gem and one of them is Mario Golf: Advance Tour that takes everything that fans enjoyed about the Nintendo 64 sports game but managed to make it better and surprisingly smooth for a handheld console. June 28, 2022, 8:22 am. The N64 version is a classic for sure, and a blast to play with friends, but without a story mode, it can become a lonely experience. Mario Golf stars the usual suspects but introduces some original Camelot characters like Plum and Charlie that round out the games roster and allow for a wider variety of playstyles. The game received mixed reviews among critics, mainly for its lackluster single-player campaign and simple difficulty. RELATED:How Tall Is Luigi & 9 Other Odd Facts. This game is a favorite among fans of theMario Sports franchise, especially for the amount of content it boasts. In addition to being a playable athlete, Mario also has had experience as a referee inthe 1987 NES game Mike Tyson's Punch Out! Theres just enough here to keep you coming back without getting bored; its pure entertainment and doesnt rely on a ton of bells and whistles to keep things interesting. The hardest pill to swallow for Mario Golf Super Rush is how genuinely fun the gameplay is. It serves as the follow-up to the 1995 titleMario's Tennisfor the Virtual Boy. Were happy to see the series return with Battleleague, but theres more fun to be found with the original. Having only one stadium, an embarrassingly difficult to parse roster of characters, and only four game modes, Ultra Smash felt like a step back from its previous entries. The beautiful graphics and classically fun gameplay helped this title rise above some of the other golf entries, but there are plenty of better golf games in the Mario Sports series. Golf is golf, and Mario Golf doesnt mess with that formula too much. While thefranchise was popularized in arcades worldwide, several titles made it to home consoles. One of the last Mario games to hit the Nintendo 64, Mario Golf revolutionized the Mario sports series. In her free time, she loves watching movies, listening to music, and pulling 5-stars on Genshin Impact. All The Assassins Creed Games Ranked from Worst to Best, Ownership, Funding, And Advertising Policy. This time, it's football, baseball, tennis, golf, and horse racing. Their contribution to our culture with Waluigi alone is, of course, immeasurable. Mario Sports Superstars wasreleased for the Nintendo 3DS in 2017 and serves as the sequel toMario Sports Mix,another sports game that deserves a spot at the bottom. It's baseball and unlike other sports games, the gameplay is a bit slower in pace which can disappoint fans of Mario Tennis and Mario Golf. You can play for quite a while without ever encountering a Mario character at all, but you wont care once you hit the course and discover just how detailed this games presentation really is. Mario sports titles felt right at home on the handheld, and Mario Tennis Power Tour was no exception. The story mode has you pick between Alex or Nina, and level your way up until youre strong enough to take down the greatest tennis player of all time. Mario Tennisfeatures 20 playable characters and an entertaining story and co-op mode. Super Mario Strikers wasreleased for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005 and was the lastMariogame for the console in both Japan and North America. by All three of these characters have since become some of the most recognizable Nintendo characters to date. Mario Strikers Charged may not be the best game in the Mario Sports franchise, but it is the best soccer game of the bunch. The portable Mario spin-off games have a tendency to not go over so well.
With some proper DLC that possibly includes more modes and fun content, it could be ranked even higher.
Mario golf and tennis, the two staples of the Mario Sports franchise, started to take differing approaches to their console and handheld titles. At the start, you are asked to pick your golfer of choice and level them up enough to beat the Mushroom Kingdoms star golfer, Mario. It was developed by Camelot, arguably the best Mario sports game developer. That doesnt keep this from being the most fun youll have playing soccer on the Switch. Not every Mario Tennistitle is as entertaining as the eponymous Nintendo 64 title andMario Tennis Acesfor the Nintendo Switch. First, the game was released as a pack-in for a system notorious for causing headaches and illness in children. This isnt it. Mario Superstar Baseball takes a game with hundreds of moving parts and contains it in one big irreverent package. With all the strange jobs Mario has had, gamers still can't forgetDance Dance Revolution Mario Mix,no matter how hard they try. Of all developers, nobody was expecting Square Enix (as in the creators of Final Fantasy) to develop a Mario sports game but they pulled it off, even managing to sneak in playable Final Fantasy characters. Theres fun to be had here, but for the full Mario sports experience, youll have to pick up something higher on our list. The console titles would focus on multiplayer and new game modes, while the handheld titles would deliver an RPG-style story. Melody MacReady is a writer and transwoman (she/her), passionate about all things pop culture-related.