MATH FLUXX

The Fluxx line of games from Looney Labs has  expanded over the years to incorporate both different genres and the goal of educating its players.  Math Fluxx aims for the latter mission, as players rely on numbers to achieve victory.

Math Fluxx starts much like previous players versions of Fluxx.  The basic rule has players drawing one card and playing one card.  Players place Keepers in front of them, and if a player's Keepers match a Goal in play, that player wins.  A player can also play Actions and New Rules to affect gameplay, and these will be ones that have appeared in previous versions of Fluxx.

So what's new?  The numbers.  All the Keepers are digits from zero to 9, and these are all the players have to work with throughout the game.  The goals represent this, whether Numbers Be Hungry (7, 8, 9), the Ultimate Answer (42, a shout-out to Douglas Adams), Yin Yang (which could have been a lot dirtier), or something as easy as Lowest Score or Today's Date.

You wouldn't expect something as simple as making all the Keepers be numbers would make for an entertaining game, but Math Fluxx winds up both fun and informative.  Having all Keepers be numerals makes it easier to achieve the Goals in the game, speeding things up; and some Rules let you add or multiply cards to achieve a victory.  And younger players will learn about addition and multiplication when playing this.  Math Fluxx is the numerical Fluxx game that's smart and fun.

Overall grade: A-

Reviewed by James Lynch

RIFFTRAX LIVE: STAR RAIDERS

"You know, the special effects for this movie aren't bad considering it came out in 1992."
"Um, this movie was released 18 months ago."
"WHAAAAAATTTT???"

Welcome to Rifftrax Live: Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Raine.  This is the sort of movie that's pretty much designed for much mockery from Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy: a former "star," amazingly bad special effects, and a nonsensical plot.

 For thos who want a plot to try and follow, here goes: Following a less-than-epic space battle, an obligatory hot female (with glowing red eyes) and her two followers (each of whom is wearing what looks like half a pair of sunglasses) land on a planet to rescue a prince and princess from an evil would-be ruler whose henchmen are immortal (sometimes) and whose head looks skinned from the top half up.  There's also a lizard-woman whose makeup doesn't cover her lower jaw.  ("She has two mouths.")  And then there's Saber Raine, the heroic rogue played by Casper Van Dien, whose only real claim to fame is having appeared in Starship Troopers.

Want more?  There's an obligatory traitor, parts of the planet don't let technology work, as the plot dictates, a sword-fighting scene is completely gratuitous, and the dialogue fails as consistently as the special effects.

Fortunately, the worse the movie is, the more of a source for comedy it provides for Mike, Bill, and Kevin.  They work hard mining humor from this awful movie (plus an old short about honesty and values that begins the evening) and the laughs come pretty consistently from start to finish.  While one may wonder how this movie got made so recently or mourn the career of Casper Van Diem, you'll also be laughing a lot during Rifftrax Live: Star Raiders: The Adventures of Saber Rain.  And if you figure out who or what the Star Raiders are, please let me know; the movie sure didn't.

Overall grade: B+
Reviewed by James Lynch