Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion
Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion
Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion
All content by Ulises Duenas
stay frosty (GET IT?) image from treyarc.com

‘Operation Absolute Zero’ adds good and bad to ‘Black Ops’

Ulises Duenas
December 22, 2018
In our last podcast, we tackle the debate around books that are turned into movies. Photo credit: Natalie Hanson

Podcast Video: Arts in Review – When books become movies

Alex Coba, Grant Schmieding, Ulises Duenas, and Natalie Hanson
December 19, 2018
Carlos Pioroda and Kendrick Short experiencing VR gaming Night in the basement of the BMU. Photo credit: Daelin Wofford

ASP gives students a glimpse into the future

Ulises Duenas
December 10, 2018
What a wonderful family. image from imdb.com

‘F is for Family’ is good, unclean fun

Ulises Duenas
December 9, 2018
Alexios overlooks a naval battle. Image from imdb.com

‘Odyssey’ is a near-perfect ‘Assassin’s Creed’

Ulises Duenas
December 4, 2018
"Red Dead Redemption 2" will take away hours of your life and you'll never notice. Image from Microsoft.

Podcast: “Red Dead Redemption 2” delivers top-quality gaming, uneven story

Natalie Hanson, Alex Coba, Grant Schmieding, Ulises Duenas, and Ricardo Tovar
December 4, 2018
Creed and Drago face off in the ring. image from imdb.com

‘Creed II’ tells an electrifying story of family and perseverance

Ulises Duenas
December 2, 2018
Was it worth it, Todd? image from imdb.com

‘Fallout 76’ is an atom bomb of disappointment

Ulises Duenas
November 30, 2018
Dracula's castle in all its menace and glory. image from IMDB.

‘Castlevania’ reigns as Netflix’s new king

Ulises Duenas
November 8, 2018
Student Yajaira Martin helped make an ofrenda on campus. Photo credit: Natalie Hanson

Spirits were high in Chico for Dia de los Muertos

Ulises Duenas
November 5, 2018

Podcast: Why is modern pop music so stale?

Natalie Hanson, Alex Coba, Ulises Duenas, and Grant Schmieding
November 4, 2018
The Van Der Linde gang riding together with Dutch and Arthur leading the charge. Image from amazon.com

‘Red Dead II’ presents a world you’ll never want to leave

Ulises Duenas
November 1, 2018
More of a manor than a house, but you get the idea. Image from IMDB.

‘The Haunting of Hill House’ has a good foundation, but shaky execution

Ulises Duenas
October 31, 2018
We had to see it for ourselves. Happy Halloween! Photo credit: Natalie Hanson

Country Pumpkins offers one of the largest corn mazes near Chico for Halloween

Natalie Hanson, Ulises Duenas, Grant Schmieding, and Alex Coba
October 30, 2018
The monstrous necromorphs are about to kill. Image from steam.com

Five must-play horror games for Halloween

Ulises Duenas
October 30, 2018

Podcast: The WWE is fun and progressive

Andrew Baumgartner, Ricardo Tovar, and Ulises Duenas
October 29, 2018
A still from the music video by Yeah Yeah Yeahs performing Heads Will Roll. Image from Polydor Ltd.

Playlist: Beyond ‘Monster Mash,’ our favorite Halloween picks for the season

Ulises Duenas, Natalie Hanson, Grant Schmieding, and Alex Coba
October 29, 2018
The game "Dead Space" has plenty of atmosphere and jump scares to satisfy the science-fiction horror fans. Image from Electronic Arts.

Podcast: What makes our favorite horror video games work

Alex Coba, Ulises Duenas, Natalie Hanson, and Grant Schmieding
October 28, 2018
I'm sure he's just there to trim the hedges or something. Image from imdb.

‘Halloween’ is back but not better than ever

Ulises Duenas
October 23, 2018
"Red Dead Redemption" set a new standard and we can't wait for the sequel on Oct. 26. Image from Rockstar Games.

Podcast: We can’t wait for the return of “Red Dead Redemption”

Alex Coba, Ulises Duenas, and Grant Schmieding
October 22, 2018
The challenges brought by the "Dark Souls" game are matched by a soundtrack that adds to a wide range of feelings while still keeping a consistent sounding core. Image from Bandai.

Playlist: 11 video game soundtracks that transcend the medium

Ulises Duenas
October 22, 2018
A firefight in a cabin, why not? Image courtesy of Activision

‘Black Ops’ revitalizes ‘Call of Duty’ once again

Ulises Duenas
October 16, 2018
The head of Theia Interactive talking about the company. Photo credit: Keelie Lewis

Theia Interactive develops on the cutting edge of technology

Ulises Duenas
October 15, 2018
The song by Queen "Don't Stop Me Now" is used to high effect in this fight scene in "Shaun of the Dead." Image from IMDB.

Playlist: 10 Best Songs used in Action Movies

Natalie Hanson and Ulises Duenas
October 15, 2018
The two leading comic book creators, DC and Marvel, have created some of the most beloved characters in popular culture. Images from Wikipedia.

Arts in Review Podcast: Superhero movies continue evolving from comic book roots

Alex Coba, Ulises Duenas, and Natalie Hanson
October 14, 2018
He's seen some things. An alternate cover for the comic book, "Ve'nam." Image from amazon.com

‘Ve’nam’ is a bloody, gory but good read

Ulises Duenas
October 11, 2018
The main character looks on at what lies ahead. Image from Ubisoft. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘Odyssey’ is different, yet satisfying new take on ‘Assassin’s Creed’

Ulises Duenas
October 9, 2018
The anime films of Hayao Miyazaki are beloved around the world, for good reason. Image from IMDB.

Arts in Review Podcast: Classic Miyazaki anime films influence wider audiences

Ulises Duenas, Natalie Hanson, and Alex Coba
October 8, 2018
Sam, Nicole Martinez, Shannon Hanson, and Marissa Winslow create storyboards for their animation. Photo credit: Tara Killoran

Animation Jam competition is a 24-hour test of skill and endurance

Ulises Duenas
October 8, 2018
Chihiro and the spirit No-Face make a journey in "Spirited Away." Image from IMDB.

Miyazaki film showings bring awareness of anime to Chico

Natalie Hanson and Ulises Duenas
October 7, 2018
The "Assassin's Creed" series has a lot to live up to with the release of "Odyssey". Image courtesy of steam.com

Arts in Review Podcast: Fans of “Assassin’s Creed” series prepare for release of “Odyssey”

Ulises Duenas, Grant Schmieding, Alex Coba, and Natalie Hanson
October 1, 2018
Lewis (Owen Vacarro, center) with his uncle, Jonathan (Jack Black, right) and the neighbor witch, Florence (Cate Blanchett, left) in "The House With a Clock in Its Walls". Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.

‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls’ surprises in a good way

Ulises Duenas
October 1, 2018
Lemon Shark has almost a dozen sauce options and Adia Munoz is more than happy to offer her favorite recommendations. Photo credit: Olyvia Simpson

LemonShark Poké: The new kid on Main Street

Ulises Duenas
September 28, 2018
Is he looking at the script?

‘The Big Bang Theory’ embraces nothingness

Ulises Duenas
September 27, 2018
Owen and Annie in the testing chamber. Photo credit: imdb.com

‘Maniac’ a weird ride that takes too long

Ulises Duenas
September 24, 2018
The cover art for "Batman:Damned" a new graphic novel series. Image by DC.

‘Batman: Damned’ has a promising yet aimless start

Ulises Duenas
September 23, 2018
He's gonna shoot something. "The Predator" is in theaters now. Photo credit: imdb.com

‘The Predator’ gets it all wrong

Ulises Duenas
September 18, 2018
The Tangled Shore in all its glory. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘Forsaken’ makes ‘Destiny 2’ the game it should be

Ulises Duenas
September 17, 2018
Bojack gives a eulogy at another character's funeral. Image courtesy of Netflix.

‘Bojack Horseman’ stands at top of Netflix pile

Ulises Duenas
September 17, 2018
Netflix Originals has a wide variety of releases planned for this year. Image courtesy of Netflix.

Podcast: Netflix originals offer lots of content with varying quality

Natalie Hanson, Ulises Duenas, Alex Coba, and Grant Schmieding
September 15, 2018
A scene from the new animated film from Netflix, "Next Gen."

‘Next Gen’: The newest animated movie you’ve already seen

Ulises Duenas
September 13, 2018
The hero at the gates of Heliodor. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘Dragon Quest XI’ brings series to modern age

Ulises Duenas
September 10, 2018
The cast of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" returned with the first episode of the show's 13th season. Image courtesy of FX Network.

Podcast: ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ continues to deliver in its 13th season

Ulises Duenas
September 8, 2018
She must be looking at something funny. I wish I was too. Photo from imdb.com

‘The Happytime Murders’ assumes everything is funnier with puppets

Ulises Duenas
September 4, 2018
Apollo Snow entertains the crowd while onstage at the Chico Women's club on Friday Photo credit: Keelie Lewis

Local artists light up Chico’s hip-hop scene

Ulises Duenas
September 4, 2018
Elfo (left) Bean (middle) and Luci (right) prepare for combat. Image courtesy of IMDB.

‘Disenchantment’ can’t enchant its viewers

Ulises Duenas
August 27, 2018
You'd figure a fight with a giant Worm God would be hard to mess up. "Warmind" finds a way. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘Destiny 2: Warmind’ almost gives players what they want

Ulises Duenas
May 14, 2018
Knights of the Old Republic has the best writing of any Star Wars game. Image from steam.com

Five ‘Star Wars’ games that still hold up

Ulises Duenas
May 8, 2018
Kratos stands in front of dead Giant that was killed by Thor. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘God of War’ lives up to the hype and more

Ulises Duenas
May 2, 2018
Kratos and Atreus follow a witch who lives under a giant tortoise. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘God of War’s’ first few hours are amazing

Ulises Duenas
April 24, 2018
Andre being interviewed by Vince McMahon image from hbo.com

HBO’s ‘André the Giant’ documentary shows the man behind the legend

Ulises Duenas
April 19, 2018
Wade's avatar, Parzival accepts a key from James Halliday image from imdb.com

‘Ready Player One’ delivers on nostalgia but lacks character

Ulises Duenas
April 16, 2018
Looks almost fun, right? It's not. image from steam.com Photo credit: steam.com

‘Extinction’ wastes your time

Ulises Duenas
April 15, 2018
Captain Walker visits a memorial. Image from humblebundle.com

Five underrated games worth checking out

Ulises Duenas
April 3, 2018
The main menu of the "The Dope Game" Photo from steam.com

‘The Dope Game’ made me do it

Ulises Duenas
March 26, 2018
What a game of "Trimps" looks like after a few hours. Image from trimps.github.io Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘Trimps’ is all you need

Ulises Duenas
March 18, 2018
The cover art for "Prey" Image from Bethesda.net

‘Prey’ will draw you in and not let you go

Ulises Duenas
March 13, 2018
Even the horses get gas masks on the battlefield. Electronic Arts' photo Photo credit: Electronic Arts

‘Battlefield 1’ ends with an ‘Apocalypse’

Ulises Duenas
March 5, 2018
A player scouts a base. image from rust.facepunch.com Photo credit: facepunch.com

‘Rust’: The second job you never wanted

Ulises Duenas
February 27, 2018
The balloon bat, Paolumu. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘Monster Hunter World’ is all style and even more substance

Ulises Duenas
February 21, 2018
T'Challa and "Killmonger" face to face. image from imdb.com

‘Black Panther’ is Marvel’s next big thing

Ulises Duenas
February 18, 2018
"Fornite's" battle royale mode is currently free and in early access. Image from flickr

‘Fortnite’ pits players against each other in a battle for survival

Ulises Duenas
February 10, 2018
"Resident Evil 7: Biohazard" offers intense combat and horror while the main character, Ethan Winters, searches for his wife in Louisiana. Photo credit: residentevil7.com

‘Resident Evil 7’ ushers in a new era of terror

Ulises Duenas
February 5, 2018
Madden 18 might be able to predict the winners of Superbowl 52. Screenshot from game

Can ‘Madden 18’ predict the Super Bowl winners? Probably

Ulises Duenas
February 3, 2018
Jim Carrey as Kandy Kaufman staring at himself. image from imdb.com

‘Jim and Andy’ depicts two comedians in one body

Ulises Duenas
January 31, 2018
An armored soldier charges at the player. Image from bethesda.net

‘Wolfenstein II’: What’s old is new again

Ulises Duenas
January 23, 2018
Inside a Vex pyramid. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘Curse of Osiris’: a pricey reason to come back

Ulises Duenas
December 13, 2017
Cole Phelps investigates the hideout of a deranged serial killer. Image from rockstargames.com

‘L.A. Noire’ is a detective story done right

Ulises Duenas
November 28, 2017
I hope you like looking at rocks because there's a lot of them. image from steam.com

‘Bubsy’ should have stayed in the ’90s

Ulises Duenas
November 13, 2017
This cyclops I met in a cave got shot in the eye with a fire arrow. He didn't like it too much. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘Dragon’s Dogma’ stands the test of time

Ulises Duenas
November 13, 2017
Patton Oswalt is smiling through most of the show but it's moments like this that are the most powerful. Image from netflix.com

Patton Oswalt’s ‘Annihilation’ will make you more human

Ulises Duenas
November 7, 2017
Most the exploration on a planet's surface is done in this vehicle, the nomad. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ defines wasted potential

Ulises Duenas
October 30, 2017
Sebastian enters a demonic church. The best moments of horror and fear come from this section of the game. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘The Evil Within 2’ will cut through you, in a good way

Ulises Duenas
October 24, 2017
Cuphead fights a monstrous roller-coaster that has come to life. Image from steam.com

‘Cuphead’ will dazzle your eyes and melt your brain

Ulises Duenas
October 16, 2017
K and Deckard side by side. The neon lights and futuristic-looking car compliment the setting. Image from bladerunnermovie.com

‘Blade Runner 2049’ has substance, style and staying power

Ulises Duenas
October 13, 2017
One of the first places you'll visit in the game, Cherrygrove City. Image from Nintendo.com

‘Pokémon Gold and Silver’ offers more than nostalgia

Ulises Duenas
October 1, 2017
Steve Miller bounces a shot of the wall. Image from Playstation.com

‘Windjammers’ is the best game you never played

Ulises Duenas
September 29, 2017
Coastline, one of the game's better looking maps. Attackers begin on the outside of a building while defenders are always inside. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘Rainbow Six Siege’ is fresh air in a cramped market

Ulises Duenas
September 24, 2017
'Street Fighter' character, Akuma fights Kazuya Mishima. Kazuya's mother has tasked Akuma with killing her son. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

Tekken 7 reigns as the king of fighters

Ulises Duenas
September 20, 2017
On board the enemy Cabal ship, the Almighty. A superweapon that can destroy capable of destroying stars. Dominus Ghaul's lifework, the weapon he used to conquer worlds over the course of centuries. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

‘Destiny 2’ rights the wrongs of the series

Ulises Duenas
September 11, 2017
You'll see this thing in between worlds.

Is “Nex Machina” worthy of its legacy?

Ulises Duenas
September 5, 2017
"Birth of the Dragon" was a birth of disaster

“Birth of the Dragon” was a birth of disaster

Ulises Duenas
August 29, 2017
Aliens hanging out in a space station. Photo credit: Ulises Duenas

“No Man’s Sky” revisited

Ulises Duenas
August 26, 2017
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