#console gaming

Quick Answer Use a wired 3.5mm headset for the simplest Xbox One setup, or use an Xbox-compatible adapter or wireless model if your headset needs it. Then adjust chat mix, volume, and mic settings so game audio and voice chat sound clear. If you want to know how to use headphones for Xbox One, the good news is that the setup is usually simple once you know which connection type your headset…

What is Alice in Wonderland Day?

Alice in Wonderland Day celebrates the novel Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

With that being said, I wanted to use today to talk about the different types of Alice in Wonderland media that exist!

Movie Adaptations:

There have been many different movie adaptations since Caroll published his book in 1865. The most commonly thought-of version of Alice in Wonderland is Disney’s 1952 adaptation. The film is colorful and filled with many original songs. The movie follows Alice’s journey through the fantastical world of Wonderland and how, despite having a thirst for something new, she grows to appreciate the boring world she scoffed at. 

Tim Burton Directed Two Alice in Wonderland movies; both are available on Disney+. Alice in Wonderland (2010), which follows an adult Alice who tries to find herself despite everyone trying to choose her future for her. Her problems in the regular world are mirrored in Underland (Burton’s interpretation of Wonderland), and thus her journey through this world helps her come to the epiphany she needs to speak up for what she wants in life. 

Burton is one of the few directors to try to tackle one of Carroll’s other works, “Through the Looking Glass”. In 2016, Disney released “Alice Through the Looking Glass,”  which focuses more on the Mad Hatter and his familial issues.  

Last year, an animated movie adaptation of Alice in Wonderland premiered in Japan on August 29th. The film is called “Fushigi no Kunni de Alice to- Dive in Wonderland-“ it is directed by Toshiya Shinohara, known for works such as the Inuyasha movies, Lupin the 3rd: Crisis in Tokyo, Reporter Blues, Maquia: When the Promised Flowers Bloom, etc. The film follows a girl named Risa who ends up in Wonderland and meets Alice. The fact that we are still getting interpretations of Carroll’s works shows how influential his books are.  

TV Show adaptations:

“Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” is a one season spin off from the show “Once Upon a Time”   focusing on the characters of wonderland.  You find can watch this season on Disney Plus. 

Alice in Borderlands:

Imawa no Kuni no Alice is a manga written by Haro Aso which follows the character Arisu, a young man who gets trapped in a world filled with death games.  The manga ran from 2010-2016  and had two spin off mangas after its completion.   

From 2014- 2015 There was a threee episode OVA anime adaptation of the managa, the anime was created to help promote the managa itself. The anime was called “ Imawa no Kuni no Arisu” 

In 2020, Netflix released a live-action adaptation of the manga this time under the name “Alice in Borderlands,” Differentiating the property from it’s predicessor and making it stand out. The show had 3 complete seasons. Seasons one and two had more of those allusions to Alice in Wonderland. While Season 3 was a standalone storyline that deviated from the original manga. This narrative was focused on understanding themes of grief and the need for closure. Season 3 was slightly controversial since a majority of the original cast was absent.

Video Game Adaptations:

In 2000 American McGee created an unauthorized sequal to Carroll’s Books Alice in wonderland and Through the Loooking-Glass. This game was a dark, gritty psychological horror that is set 10 years after the books and follows a traumatized Aliuce as she escapes Rutledge Asylum and returns’s to wonderland

American McGee made two games: American McGee's Alice (2000) and Alice Madness Returns (2011). I would not be surprised if you only remember Alice Madness Returns because there was a decade gap between the two games. If you compare the gameplay, there is a clear quality distinction due to tech advancing in that time.  In this game, Alice slips between reality and a world created by her own fractured mind. The game explores coming to terms with trauma and the effects trauma can have on a person. While the first two games were wildly successful, the third installment, Alice: Asylum, was unfortunately cancelled, and because EA Games held the rights to the franchise, McGee had no control over the direction of the project. He did try to fight for the third game's completion only to give in to EA’s stonewalling. Despite the game’s cancellation, we still know how the series was supposed to end. McGee's game bible reveals how Alice ends up saving the rest of the children who were harmed by her abusers and brings them to justice.   

If you care about lore I recommend playing the games in order, but if you don’t care about that you can play the two games as stand alones  without much issues. 

If you are curious about the lore of American McGee’s world, there are plenty of long-form videos talking about the creation of the games, their lore, and their art style.

Youtuber ShyCorn has a video discussing the unfair cancellation of Mcgees final piece to his series. Shycorn paints a picture of how the story ends using the information provided by Mcgees’s game bible and patreon posts. ShyCorn highlightd the tragedy of the series never getting the proper ending  it deserved.

https://youtu.be/iDKz-1Vdi58?si=8Ol6lEoOcPhlnKuV 

Eurothug4000 analyzes the art style within American Mcgee’s game and how he takes inspiration from surrealism as well as the design choices made to properly suck the player into the world of wonderland. 

https://youtu.be/m12tI8ax5LU?si=IyfkKV1txVwQ-_oQ

Boulder Punch has a video examining the entire series including the discontinued third of the trilogy. This video is a bit dated but I still think the analysis still holds true.

https://youtu.be/ei4-s2F8hI0?si=SS7hBWf6QyoJGEHI 

BeyondHorrorGaming is the most recent entry in this list of analysis videos. The fact this series continuously gets brought up and re analyzed and praised shows how impactful the Mcgee’s works are to this day despite the series startin two decades ago.

https://youtu.be/hChkVax7IVc?si=G4UjRw_Eh5pnDp3_ 

If you’re into older game systems, in 2009 Disney released Alice in Wonderland, and action adventure video game based on the Tim Burton film Alice in Wonderland. The game was released the same week as the film to Nintendo DS, Wii, Windows, and Zeebo (if you remember that). I’m sure you can find a copy of the game somewhere in your local consignment shop if you are curious.

If you like dating sims, you might like Disney Twisted Wonderland, which is a mobile video game with licensed Disney characters at a magic school. While it does not strictly follow the journey of Alice, there are plenty of characters that are inspired by the characters from Wonderland, such as Riddle Roseheart, who is inspired by the Queen of Hearts, and Che’nya, who is inspired by the Cheshire Cat and was a childhood friend of Riddle. 

Theater Productions:

The Royal Ballet and Opera hosts an Alice in Wonderland ballet. My favorite scene is always the Hatter’s Dance. The Hatter twists things up by tap dancing, something that contrasts with ballet. But what is a more Hatter thing to do than put expectations on its head?

Quick Answer Yes, you can connect wireless headphones to Xbox One, but standard Bluetooth headphones usually will not pair directly. The easiest solutions are an Xbox Wireless headset, a TV Bluetooth output, or a compatible transmitter/adapter. If you’re wondering can you connect wireless headphones to Xbox One, the short answer is yes—but not usually with standard Bluetooth headphones directly.…

Quick Answer Yes, but not directly in the same easy way as a phone or laptop. Most PS5 users need a USB Bluetooth adapter, TV passthrough, or a PS5-ready wireless headset for the best results. If you’re asking, “can playstation 5 connect to bluetooth headphones,” the short answer is yes, but not always directly. The PS5 has limited native Bluetooth audio support, so most standard Bluetooth…

Quick Answer No, standard Bluetooth headphones usually do not connect directly to Xbox One for normal game audio. The easiest solutions are a wired headset through the controller or an Xbox Wireless headset. If you’re wondering, “can i use bluetooth headphones on xbox one,” the short answer is usually no, not directly. Xbox One does not support standard Bluetooth audio for most headphones, so…

Quick Answer Xbox does not usually support direct Bluetooth headphone pairing, so you need an Xbox Wireless headset, TV Bluetooth audio, or a transmitter. For the best mix of sound quality and low delay, Xbox Wireless is usually the easiest and most reliable choice. If you’re trying to figure out how to bluetooth headphones to xbox, the short answer is that standard Bluetooth usually will not…

Quick Answer Yes, the PS5 has a headphone jack, but it is on the DualSense controller, not the console body. Wired headphones, USB headsets, and some wireless workarounds can all be used depending on your setup. If you’re asking, “does the ps5 have a headphone jack,” the short answer is yes. The PS5 supports wired headphones through the 3.5mm jack on the DualSense controller, not on the console…