u/Dreamweaver_duh

I'll be honest, I'm a sucker for the stupid stuff basketball star Shaquille O'Neal is involved with (I even played the videogames and bought his skin in Fortnite), so I enjoy Hershey's SHAQ-A-LICIOUS gummies. While I'm not exactly sure what Shaquille O'Neal himself has to do with them other than having the gummies shaped after his face and sneakers, at the very least they tasted alright. But while the face and shoe gummies were decent at best, I actually kind of enjoyed the new SLAMS gummies.

Keeping with the theme of basing the candy on Shaq, these gummies are meant to look like basketballs and basketball hoops. As someone who used to be a kid who loved doing stupid stuff like putting Fruit Roll-Up tattoos on my tongue, I got a kick out of the idea of trying to make free throws with these, though sometimes the hoops are too small for the basketball gummies to fit through. Still a neat idea though, especially for kids.

How's the taste though? Actually pretty good! The obvious thing that immediately comes to mind when you taste one of these gummies is that they're a bootleg knockoff of the Nerds Gummy Clusters... and while that's not wrong, I actually kind of like these more. First of all, rather than each gummy being one flavor and coated with a specific combination of Nerds like "Rainbow" or "Very Berry," there's three flavors of the basketball gummies: orange, watermelon, and strawberry. That gives the SLAMS gummies a little bit more variety as, when you get tired with one flavor, you just pop in another one.

There's also a mango-flavored basketball hoop gummy that, rather than being a soft chewy piece of gummies like the basketballs, are more like peach rings. They're tougher and denser, they have that sugary texture on the outside, and they're really tart. While the basketball gummies are also a little tart, I'd say they lean more towards the sweeter side, so it's nice to either break up the sweetness with the tart basketball hoop gummies, or cut through the tart rings with the sweet basketball gummies.

Overall, if you love Nerds Gummy Clusters, I'd definitely recommend trying a bag. While I'm not too crazy about the other SHAQ-A-LICIOUS products (except maybe the sour gummies), I think these are a nice alternative to Nerds. The different flavors of gummies makes each one feel more individual, rather than having a bunch of gummies that all taste the same, and the addition of the mango rings also help break up the monotony with a completely different texture.

I always find myself snacking on Pop-Tarts due to how easy they are to pick up and eat, so as soon as I saw these at Wal-Mart, I had to snatch these up. The gimmick here is that you're getting Pop-Tarts with 50% more filling, and while that doesn't sound like a lot, it honestly makes a big difference... as long as you're concerned with quality over quantity.

Let's just get the big point of contention out of the way: while the price tag is only a little bit more expensive from the regular box of Strawberry Pop-Tarts... it also says right on the box that you're only getting 5 Pop-Tarts in this box instead of the usual 10. Considering that you're only getting a 50% increase of filling, you're getting less food overall in this package. It's not like they added more crust or even icing (you can see the half that got barely any icing in the photo); it's purely just more filling.

But honestly, at least they delivered on the filling, because it really makes these Pop-Tart taste more decadent. Instead of being a thin layer of fruit paste that only marginally flavors the crust... the filling now overpowers the crust, to the point that it can actually be a little too sweet. And since they're not as stingy with the filling (some parts of the Pop-Tart were actually raised because of how much filling there was), the filling itself tasted a little more pulpy. I honestly think I chewed a strawberry seed or two too, it's great. I still wish there was more icing though, since the sweet icing would help balance the tart filling.

So, is it worth it? If you care more about getting a good tasting Pop-Tart, it's definitely worth trying out because honestly, I don't want to go back to the regular Pop-Tarts. I actually regret not picking up another box since Wal-Mart also had a Chocolate flavor right next to it. But since you're paying more for half the number of Pop-Tarts overall, it's tough to say whether or not it's worth it then. Remember, it's only the filling that's increased, so if one Pop-Tart doesn't fill you up, then this certainly won't. I'd definitely getting these again though.

I'm a sucker for these collabs, especially as someone who grew up with Star Wars, so I had to pick one up as soon as I could. For $20, you can get everything involved with this meal: the new Bounty BBQ Whopper, Grogu's Garlic Chicken Fries, the Imperial Cheddar Ranch Tots, and Grogu's Blue Cookie Shake, all wrapped up in a special Mandalorian-themed Adult Meal box. The Bounty Meal also nets you this nifty collectible cup, although you can also get it with the other, cheaper bundles.

Let's start with the Bounty BBQ Whopper. This Whopper comes with the usual fixings, but uses Swiss cheese instead, and adds bacon, ranch-flavored pickle chips, and the new Bounty BBQ sauce. Now, I'll be straight up honest with you, I have no idea what the sauce tastes like, because I barely got any, and what little I did get, tasted kind of watered down. It's supposed to be a "creamy" BBQ sauce, but it was so very runny... like they ran out, added water, and just poured out what's left. They also kind of shorted me on the ranch-flavored pickle chips, but the few I did was crunchy and had flavor, so that's good.

Now the Grogu Garlic Chicken Fries fared a little better. These chicken fries were breaded with a parmesan and garlic seasoning that gives it a nice flavor that doesn't overpower it, so you can kind of eat it on its own. However, it does come with a cup of garlic sauce if you do want to dip the chicken fries in it... but the sauce is kind of overpowering. The first thing I instantly thought of was that it tastes like the garlic dipping sauce you get from Papa John's, but less runny. The smell and taste were similar enough that I liked it... but dipping garlic-seasoned chicken into a garlic sauce also makes it kind of one note.

What I didn't really enjoy was the Imperial Cheddar Ranch Tots. These things are supposed to be like tater tots but with cheese and ranch seasoning inside, but the ones I got were so dry and mealy that I ended up dunking these into the garlic sauce just to give it some moisture. These were a letdown compared to their previous cheddar tots. It could be a case of just getting a bad batch, as with the Whopper... but unlike the Whopper, I'm not too keen to try it again.

Finally, we got the Grogu's Blue Cookie Shake. This is basically their vanilla shake, but with a sugar cookie flavor, blue dye, and blue-dyed cookie crumbs on top. The cookie toppings were actually pretty good, nice and crunchy, but since they only add it on the top and not throughout the shake, that means once you run out, you're left with just the shake itself. Which isn't bad, but after about half of it, I kind of got tired of it. To be fair, I feel that way with a lot of milkshakes, which is why I prefer those that mix toppings in the shake, so your mileage may vary on this one. Still good, just not something I want too much of.

Some final notes about the packaging itself. While the box is pretty cool, especially The Mandalorian side... it also feel more of a giant advertisement for the movie, like a multi-sided billboard compared to the more whimsical Spongebob box, which looks and is shaped like Spongebob's pineapple house. I do love the Mandalorians-themed Whopper box though, and the Grogu box for the chicken fries look cute, even though I forgot to extend the ears out. One minor complaint I have with the chicken fries box is that, while it does come with a square slot to put the sauce in, like the original chicken fries box... since you're supposed to pair this with the new garlic sauce, which comes in a bigger, circular container, it doesn't fit in the slot. Minor, I know, but still feels weird that this was overlooked considering that these boxes are specially made to have Grogu's ears sticking out, so it's not like they just reused the boxes and slapped a design on it.

So, was this worth it? For $20, getting an entree, two sides, a new sauce, a milkshake, and a collectible cup that you can reuse... it's not bad. Unlike the Jollibee's Final Fantasy meal where you only got one new item, and it was a drink, here you get three new items... even if they are kind of just remixes of things that came before. That being said, since I think I got a bad batch of the Whopper (with the lack of sauce and ranch-flavored pickle chips) and Imperial Cheddar Tots (at least, I hope it was a bad batch), I can't say whether or not the food was worth trying outside of the chicken fries and garlic sauce, which you can order on its own. And let's be honest, chicken fries are alway a gamble: I was blessed with nice, tender chicken fries this time, but I sometimes get dry sticks other days.

Still, if you want to try something, the chicken fries is the best part, and there's a meal set that comes fries, a drink, and the collectible cup for like $11.

I'm a sucker for these collabs, especially as someone who grew up with Star Wars, so I had to pick one up as soon as I could. For $20, you can get everything involved with this meal: the new Bounty BBQ Whopper, Grogu's Garlic Chicken Fries, the Imperial Cheddar Ranch Tots, and Grogu's Blue Cookie Shake, all wrapped up in a special Mandalorian-themed Adult Meal box. The Bounty Meal also nets you this nifty collectible cup, although you can also get it with the other, cheaper bundles.

Let's start with the Bounty BBQ Whopper. This Whopper comes with the usual fixings, but uses Swiss cheese instead, and adds bacon, ranch-flavored pickle chips, and the new Bounty BBQ sauce. Now, I'll be straight up honest with you, I have no idea what the sauce tastes like, because I barely got any, and what little I did get, tasted kind of watered down. It's supposed to be a "creamy" BBQ sauce, but it was so very runny... like they ran out, added water, and just poured out what's left. They also kind of shorted me on the ranch-flavored pickle chips, but the few I did was crunchy and had flavor, so that's good.

Now the Grogu Garlic Chicken Fries fared a little better. These chicken fries were breaded with a parmesan and garlic seasoning that gives it a nice flavor that doesn't overpower it, so you can kind of eat it on its own. However, it does come with a cup of garlic sauce if you do want to dip the chicken fries in it... but the sauce is kind of overpowering. The first thing I instantly thought of was that it tastes like the garlic dipping sauce you get from Papa John's, but less runny. The smell and taste were similar enough that I liked it... but dipping garlic-seasoned chicken into a garlic sauce also makes it kind of one note.

What I didn't really enjoy was the Imperial Cheddar Ranch Tots. These things are supposed to be like tater tots but with cheese and ranch seasoning inside, but the ones I got were so dry and mealy that I ended up dunking these into the garlic sauce just to give it some moisture. These were a letdown compared to their previous cheddar tots. It could be a case of just getting a bad batch, as with the Whopper... but unlike the Whopper, I'm not too keen to try it again.

Finally, we got the Grogu's Blue Cookie Shake. This is basically their vanilla shake, but with a sugar cookie flavor, blue dye, and blue-dyed cookie crumbs on top. The cookie toppings were actually pretty good, nice and crunchy, but since they only add it on the top and not throughout the shake, that means once you run out, you're left with just the shake itself. Which isn't bad, but after about half of it, I kind of got tired of it. To be fair, I feel that way with a lot of milkshakes, which is why I prefer those that mix toppings in the shake, so your mileage may vary on this one. Still good, just not something I want too much of.

Some final notes about the packaging itself. While the box is pretty cool, especially The Mandalorian side... it also feel more of a giant advertisement for the movie, like a multi-sided billboard compared to the more whimsical Spongebob box, which looks and is shaped like Spongebob's pineapple house. I do love the Mandalorians-themed Whopper box though, and the Grogu box for the chicken fries look cute, even though I forgot to extend the ears out. One minor complaint I have with the chicken fries box is that, while it does come with a square slot to put the sauce in, like the original chicken fries box... since you're supposed to pair this with the new garlic sauce, which comes in a bigger, circular container, it doesn't fit in the slot. Minor, I know, but still feels weird that this was overlooked considering that these boxes are specially made to have Grogu's ears sticking out, so it's not like they just reused the boxes and slapped a design on it.

So, was this worth it? For $20, getting an entree, two sides, a new sauce, a milkshake, and a collectible cup that you can reuse... it's not bad. Unlike the Jollibee's Final Fantasy meal where you only got one new item, and it was a drink, here you get three new items... even if they are kind of just remixes of things that came before. That being said, since I think I got a bad batch of the Whopper (with the lack of sauce and ranch-flavored pickle chips) and Imperial Cheddar Tots (at least, I hope it was a bad batch), I can't say whether or not the food was worth trying outside of the chicken fries and garlic sauce, which you can order on its own. And let's be honest, chicken fries are alway a gamble: I was blessed with nice, tender chicken fries this time, but I sometimes get dry sticks other days.

Still, if you want to try something, the chicken fries is the best part, and there's a meal set that comes fries, a drink, and the collectible cup for like $11.

Krispy Kreme's teaming up with Milk Bar for a new set of flavors, so I had to stop back and pick up a pack. Is this a tasty trio?

Since Birthday Cake flavors seems to be popular lately, let's start of with the Milk Bar Birthday Cake donut. Basically, they take the frosting, sprinkles, and cake crumbs from Milk Bar's selection of sweets, and put them on a Krispy Kreme cake donut. It sounds simple, but it's effective. The frosting is sweet and the cake crumbs were pretty soft, so it works well with the cake donut which has a tougher, denser texture than their regular donuts. It does feel a little plain and samey as other Birthday Cake flavors, but it's still good if you like that kind of stuff anyway.

Next up, we got their Milk Bar Compost Cookie donut. Just like the other flavor, they take the components of Milk Bar's Compost Cookie, and just sprinkle them on Krispy Kreme's original glazed donuts. That means you get things like pretzels, salty potato chip-like toppings, and tiny drops of dark chocolate on top of the nice, soft, glazed donuts you know and love, with a little drizzle of caramel on top of the cookie-flavored icing. If you love salty sweet things, this is pretty good. While the toppings weren't as crunchy or as salty as I'd like, it still provided an interesting flavor that I'd recommend trying once.

Finally, we got the Milk Bar Pie donut. Since Milk Bar is known for their Milk Bar Pie, which was formerly known as "Crack Pie" because of how addicting it was, it seems like a given that there'd be a Krispy Kreme flavor of it. While it does disappointingly use Krispy Kreme's drier unglazed shell instead of their moist glazed shells, it's still has their pie filling, and it's covered in their oat cookie crumbs with powdered sugar on top. The pie filling has a buttery salty flavor to it that isn't necessarily sweet on its own, but combined with the oat crumbs, it mixes together in a crunchy, salty-sweet way. It was definitely my favorite of the three.

So overall, I'd recommend this. Birthday Cake flavors may be a dime a dozen, but it's a favorite for a reason. The Compost Cookie donut could've been better, but Krispy Kreme rarely has a salty-sweet flavor on their menu, so it's good to try once or twice. The Milk Bar Pie one is the best of the three, though I probably won't get over the fact that they used an unglazed sweet, even if it would've made it overly sweet.

Wasn't sure whether to post this or not since it's not really a review since there's not really any new items besides a single drink... but I guess I just talk about it anyway.

I absolutely love Jollibee's, and I love videogames, so I had to head to the store to buy one of their collab meals. The idea behind this collab is that, since Final Fantasy games feature these lovable chicken-looking monsters called Chocobos, they should team up with a fried chicken place for a collab meal. While the store itself only sells food, you can also go online and buy some of their shirts from the brand Complex. They cost like $30 each, and they won't ship out for a while, but if you want to rep Jollibee and Final Fantasy at the same time, you have a way.

Now, I got to warn you, this meal is a bit overpriced for what you're getting in terms of food. For $21 dollars before tax at my local Jollibee, you're only getting one piece of fried chicken, one original chicken sandwich (which only comes with chicken, bread, and sauce), one side of your choice (I chose spaghetti), a cup of gravy, one Peach Mango Pie, and their new Blue Raspberry Aether drink with "crystal boba." While it's definitely enough food or one person, you're basically spending money on the branding. You do get an emote for the Final Fantasy XIV Online game if you keep your receipt and enter them at the website, but if you don't play the game, it's a moot point. You also get these cute stickers, but the sign said they're "while supplies last," so it's not a guarantee.

The only new item here is the Blue Raspberry Aether drink. Now, you may have noticed that I used the words "crystal boba" in quotes. Going back to a nerdy explanation, Final Fantasy is, gasp, a fantasy game, and one that heavily involves these iconic blue crystals. The name "Aether" refers to the visible magic emitting from these crystals... so basically, with these "crystal boba" things at the bottom of the cup, it's supposed to make you feel like you're drinking the magic from the crystals. As a nerd, I like it.

But the "crystal boba" is neither crystal nor boba. When you hear "boba," the first thing most people think of are those dark tapoica pearls that you suck up and chew on. There's also "popping" boba, which is best described as "tiny water balloons" that easily burst like a bubble when you chew on them. This isn't that. The best thing I can describe this "crystal boba" is like... if you ever been to an Asian store and gotten like a drink with jelly toppings on it, that's kind of what these "crystal bobas" are. They have more of a chewy, "chunk of fruit" texture to them. That's not necessarily bad, but it didn't taste like boba to me.

So all in all, this collab is kind of good for a Final Fantasy fan, but bad for everyone else. As a meal deal, it's tough to justify spending over $20 for a small amount of food that doesn't even feature anything new, especially if they give you a small piece of fried chicken like it's a side they threw in. As a nerd, I personally like the design of the box, with the Moogle mascots of Final Fantasy eating Jollibee products, while the Jollibee mascot rides a Chocobo... but you can just look at the box, or even the ads, to get the same effect. The idea of the "Aether" drink is cool, but I'm pretty sure some cafe in Japan already did it first so I can't say it's unique. Still, I got a kick out of buying it, though I probably won't buy it again.

Wasn't sure whether to post this or not since it's not really a review since there's not really any new items besides a single drink... but I guess I just talk about it anyway.

I absolutely love Jollibee's, and I love videogames, so I had to head to the store to buy one of their collab meals. The idea behind this collab is that, since Final Fantasy games feature these lovable chicken-looking monsters called Chocobos, they should team up with a fried chicken place for a collab meal. While the store itself only sells food, you can also go online and buy some of their shirts from the brand Complex. They cost like $30 each, and they won't ship out for a while, but if you want to rep Jollibee and Final Fantasy at the same time, you have a way.

Now, I got to warn you, this meal is a bit overpriced for what you're getting in terms of food. For $21 dollars before tax at my local Jollibee, you're only getting one piece of fried chicken, one original chicken sandwich (which only comes with chicken, bread, and sauce), one side of your choice (I chose spaghetti), a cup of gravy, one Peach Mango Pie, and their new Blue Raspberry Aether drink with "crystal boba." While it's definitely enough food or one person, you're basically spending money on the branding. You do get an emote for the Final Fantasy XIV Online game if you keep your receipt and enter them at the website, but if you don't play the game, it's a moot point. You also get these cute stickers, but the sign said they're "while supplies last," so it's not a guarantee.

The only new item here is the Blue Raspberry Aether drink. Now, you may have noticed that I used the words "crystal boba" in quotes. Going back to a nerdy explanation, Final Fantasy is, gasp, a fantasy game, and one that heavily involves these iconic blue crystals. The name "Aether" refers to the visible magic emitting from these crystals... so basically, with these "crystal boba" things at the bottom of the cup, it's supposed to make you feel like you're drinking the magic from the crystals. As a nerd, I like it.

But the "crystal boba" is neither crystal nor boba. When you hear "boba," the first thing most people think of are those dark tapoica pearls that you suck up and chew on. There's also "popping" boba, which is best described as "tiny water balloons" that easily burst like a bubble when you chew on them. This isn't that. The best thing I can describe this "crystal boba" is like... if you ever been to an Asian store and gotten like a drink with jelly toppings on it, that's kind of what these "crystal bobas" are. They have more of a chewy, "chunk of fruit" texture to them. That's not necessarily bad, but it didn't taste like boba to me.

So all in all, this collab is kind of good for a Final Fantasy fan, but bad for everyone else. As a meal deal, it's tough to justify spending over $20 for a small amount of food that doesn't even feature anything new, especially if they give you a small piece of fried chicken like it's a side they threw in. As a nerd, I personally like the design of the box, with the Moogle mascots of Final Fantasy eating Jollibee products, while the Jollibee mascot rides a Chocobo... but you can just look at the box, or even the ads, to get the same effect. The idea of the "Aether" drink is cool, but I'm pretty sure some cafe in Japan already did it first so I can't say it's unique. Still, I got a kick out of buying it, though I probably won't buy it again.