littlevices

[littlevices]

Ocarina of Time (3ds) - A classic finished

So, how many of you would believe me if I told you I had a nearly completed file of OoT 3d and had never completed it? What if I told you that file was from back in 2016, lol?

While it might have been a long time coming, I finally finished this game. No, I did not play the file that was nearly complete. Instead, I started a completely new one. If I was going to beat this game, I wanted to beat it with a fuller knowledge of the game. That wouldn't have happened had I just used my original file.

I did my best to collect everything I could with no help for this one. By the time I used a guide for clean up I had around 86-90 (can't remember the exact number at the time) of the gold skulltellas, was missing both Deku Nut upgrades and had five pieces of heart to go, and of course I still needed the last Great Fairy upgrade (once I had the Golden Gauntlets); all this by the time I reached the Adult part of the Spirit Temple. I did need a guide for the Big Poes though, otherwise it would have taken far longer to find them than necessary ^^;.

I want to also note that I did play some of the original N64 version when I was younger via the Gamecube Zelda Collection, but, if I remember right, I noped out of there as soon as I was Adult Link and saw the town full of Redeads and did not touch the game until 2016. Slightly embarrassing? Yes, but cut kid me some slack -_-. (I know I wasn't the only one that got freaked out and traumatized by Redeads. Yeah, that's right, I'm looking at you.) Plus, I have seen playthroughs of the game but it's been a while, and I actively avoided them while playing through this one myself.

Please note after this point the post gets quite a bit longer, lol. I am so sorry. (Spoilers, too, I guess. Granted the game is over 25 years old now, so. Yes, I did need to remind you. You're welcome.)

Anyway! Needless to say, yes, I did enjoy my time with this game. I loved how the dungeons were built and how connected they felt to the world. Honestly, it's easier to list my least favorites over my favorites, those ones being Jabu-Jabu's Belly, and the Fire Temple. Yes, I prefer Dodongo's Cavern over Jabu-Jabu adn even the Deku Tree. Normally, I don't care for Desert or Fire areas in games much, but Dodongo's Cavern is an exception, along with the Spirit Temple.

And the infamous Water Temple (yes I know the 3ds version was made easier, but still)? I am proud to say I only got turned around a couple times and only missed one key that I had to run back for. And change the water levels for twice. It was inside the central tower. I didn't grab it the first time I raised the water level to mid. I am so glad this was the only key I missed. Stop laughing >.>;.

If I did have to mention favorites, which is hard, I'd say the Forest and Spirit Temples. I just love the overgrown and decayed look of the Forest Temple, and I like the idea of switching between Adult and Child Link to finish the Spirit Temple, which I also liked the design for. Plus, the light puzzles were pretty neat.

The Bottom of the Well and the Shadow Temple are still freaky as an adult. I wonder how many children got scared by Dead Hand and noped the fuck out of there. (Nintendo got a taste for traumatizing the children early. They were probably laughing their asses off at the thought of it. Fuck them kids, I guess, lol.)

That final fight with Ganondorf, though, that was amazing. I was a bit frustrated how the asshole didn't wanna die in the first phase, bu that second phase with Ganon was worth it. The menace this man had and the look in his eyes as he transformed into Ganon. I was genuinely excited fighting this dude. I can only imagine how it felt being a kid and getting this far. I think Wind Waker beats it out for me, but that's one of my favorite Zeldas so I'm biased, lol. Still, this final sequence was amazing and I'm glad to have finally seen and played it for myself.

Going around and collecting everything, slowly making yourself stronger, was gratifying like most other Zeldas. Fuck hat fishing mini-game though. I hate it. It took way too long to get the biggest fish and my line kept breaking. I swear it sometimes felt like RNG if that fish stayed hooked or not. No, I did not steal the fisherman's hat. Yes, I know that secret. I just wanted to get out of there and never see another fish again. No I did not go after the Hylian Loach. I checked the reward, and Rupees were not worth it. Honestly, money felt pretty useless by the end, but that's something other Zelda games have struggled with as well, this was just one of the earlier iterations of it.

Collecting the Skulltellas wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Honestly, finding the ones out in the field was probably the worst part, but once you have the Sun's Song (which is you can get early as shit), it's not too big a problem. 100 seems like a lot, but really, since all you have to do is kill them and collect the goods they're much more manageable than, say, 120 (-136) shrines like in BotW. Or heaven forbid 999 Moons or 900 to 1000 Korok Seeds 0.0.

I'm just starting to realize Nintendo has a thing for this kind of stuff.

Regardless, most of the rewards were fairly helpful, even Rupees early game. Yes there are some archaic and aged things about the game; such as the Big Poes having very specific spawn points and can sometimes be bit odd with where they spawn from (particularly the one by Kakariko Village by that small cliff, at least for me it was), the movement can be a bit chonky, which can make fighting enemies and bosses a bit of a pain, and the lack of a controllable camera can sometimes get in the way. The Scarecrow's Song can be a bit finicky with where you play it and Hyrule Field a bit empty by today's standards (but was probably amazing back when it first came out). The story is a bit basic (at least on surface level), but also classic with fun moments (Link being afraid of a Goron hug is both hilarious and understandable). Because, yes, while the 3ds did give some QoL updates (like making the Iron Boots and Hover Shoes equipable items instead of gear), you can still feel some of the old, aged elements of the game.

However, despite that, the game has aged surprisingly well, and is still more than playable. Hell, it's still enjoyable even. It's yet another Zelda finally checked off my list, though I should have finished it ages ago, lmao.

As they say, it's an oldie, but a goodie, and I'm glad I got to finally finish it.

[littlevices]

Finally Finished Zelda 1

I am just going to out right say it: I had to use a map for this game. I had to use a guide for some of the dungeons, mostly the final one, so I didn't miss any goodies. I still ended up missing the Magic Key, though. ^^;. I tried to go as long as I could without it though (which wasn' very long, honestly). I was also playing the switch online version so, you know, save states and rewind.

This game just had too many things that were archaic to me to not have something handy, lol. I'm probably going to have to do the same thing with Zelda 2 as I hear that game is pretty vague and archaic with it hints and secrets as well.

The first time I tried to tackle the last dungeon, Death Mountain, I got so freaking lost without a map and it lead to frustration.

Even with all of this, this game still kicked my ass, lmao.

However, despite all my griping, I still had a fun enough time with this game. Yes, it's old and even dated, but I can very easily see the makings of the Zelda Formula here.

Overworlds and Dungeons

Heart Containers after defeating bosses

Keys and puzzling dungeon design

Mini-Bosses

Secrets hidden all over the overworld and even in dungeons

Fairies to heal you

Potions

Dungeon Items to help you progress to newer dungeons

The Lost Woods and other maze-like landscapes

A mystic sword and arrows

Even a musical instrument - The Flute!

(I know I'm missing some, too, lol)

Old as the game may be, so many of the staples of Zelda have been here since the beginning. Granted, some of these things Zelda didn't do first, such as keys for unlocking new areas (be they dungeons, castles, etc.), but how they are utilized here is no different to how they are used for the rest of the series. The only difference being you can take the keys with you to other dungeons.

Yes, some of the enemies were frustrating (fuck wizzrobes and darknuts), I didn' know what walls to bomb without the usual visual queues, and traversing the overworld here was probably more perilous than all the other Zelda games I have played (so few opportunities to heal). However, to say I didn't enjoy my time would be untrue. It is my favorite? No. Absolutely no, lol, but I can appreciate what this game did and seeing how this series that I have come to love and cherish started was a great thing to see.

(I actually first played some of this game on my GameCube via the Zelda Collection, and I swear that version wasn't nearly as hard as this one? I might be misremembering though, as I didn't get far in that version ^^;.)

While I don' plan on replaying this anytime soon, if you're a Zelda fan and haven't at least tried it I encourage that you do. Who knows? You might end up liking it more than you think.

[littlevices]

(I’m gonna preface this with headcanons are cool, and you can do what you want with these characters, and I promise that absolutely none of this is angry in tone despite the caps lock, but when we’re talking about what is confirmed canon, coming from someone who is 5’0”:)

LET ANDREW MINYARD BE FIVE FEET EVEN.

PLEASE JUST LET HIM BE FIVE FEET EVEN. STOP DENYING THAT IT’S CANON JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN’T PICTURE IT. LEAVE HIM ALONE. HE’S JUST A LITTLE GUY. MY SHORT KING. LET HIM BE.

“I could see him as 5’3” but 5’ is just not a real height.” THE ONLY PEOPLE AGREEING WITH YOU ARE THE PEOPLE RUNNING THE UNIVERSAL STUDIOS AUDITIONS WEBSITE BECAUSE THERE’S NO OPTION TO SELECT ZERO INCHES ON A PROFILE. And that’s not even a joke either, I can’t put my real height on there. :(

“He can’t even get on most amusement park rides!” I AM LITERALLY HIS EXACT HEIGHT AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN DENYED ENTRY TO A RIDE. ALSO HE PROBABLY DOESN’T CARE, I DOUBT HE’S AN AMUSEMENT PARK KINDA GUY, HE’S GOT BIGGER PROBLEMS.

“He can be short but he can’t be THAT short.” DID YOU EVER CONSIDER THAT MAYBE PART OF THE REASON CHARACTERS IN THIS SERIES TREAT HIM SO DIFFERENTLY IS BECAUSE OF HIS HEIGHT? BECAUSE WHAT DOES “he can’t be THAT short” EVEN MEAN? I MEAN THIS IN THE NICEST WAY POSSIBLE, BUT TRY AND EXPLAIN THAT TO ME IN A WAY THAT ISN’T ABSOLUTELY INSULTING AND DEMEANING TO SHORT PEOPLE.

Like, I’m not even mad. Just passionate about character integrity (especially when it’s a character I really see myself in because it’s really special to share a height with a character that isn’t just “cute and nice” for once) and absolutely stupefied that people think that something uncontrollable such as a person’s height has to somehow match a character’s personality. Or that they just “can’t” be that height.

Whew, I was not expecting to dive head first into this fandom on Tumblr like this but here we are lol!

[littlevices]

I just watched a couple of the first episodes to Bocchi, just to try it out. Don't know when I'll finish since I have so many other anime on my To Watch list, but I like what I've seen so far. It's cute!

However, I do have one question-

Where did this sassy child learn to talk like this?

The absolute disrespect, lmao

[littlevices]

This is what really happened during the world domination arc trust me

[littlevices]

The new Mononoke movies brought me back to the Ayakashi/Mononoke fandom after many years — and in my hype, I translated the Q&A from the official Twitter/X account and compiled the current lores/trivias in one document for easy reading. ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

[littlevices]

The Bridon Arc: Holy- 0_0

First off, I just finished Bridon Arc and I. Am. Reeling.

Apologies ahead of time, but this post is going to be even more rambly than my usual simply because, while this did give us some background on Lu Guang, it has also left me with more questions and I have no idea how to feel.

Please keep in mind I am only talking about the Bridon Arc as a, more or less, separate entity here. How it connects to the rest of what we have so far will have to be for a much later post once my mind is back on track, if I ever do anyway, lol.

But that's the future and this is the present. My original post on Link Click season 1 and 2 can be found here if interested. It's kept fairly vague and is mostly spoiler free, but it's also a very early post of mine so it's probably not that good, fair warning. It's just for context so don't feel obligated or anything, it's not necessary for this post. Especially since the writing is a bit awkward, lol.

For a brief, spoiler-free summary, I absolutely loved this ride. My only real complaint is I felt the last episode was a bit rushed, I feel and I wished it had gotten the hour long treatment like episode 1 to better flesh things out. That, and I felt a little thrown by the revelations of the last episode, but more on that later. This arc had a bit more humor to it, so I was surprised by it, but it didn't take away from the very serious shit going on in the background. Also, if Lu Guang wasn't shady and a little questionable before he sure as hell is now, lol. No, I will not elaborate - yet. Episode 2 and it's introduction of Xiao Liu was amazing and had me cackling like mad. Holy shit. I'm a bit sad Qiao Ling wasn't here more, but that was to be expected I guess. She got great screen time in episode 1 at least, which made me cry, lol.

Now, with that brief summary out of the way, my more detailed thoughts are below.

Disclaimer: Heavy spoilers below this cut. If you have not watched/finished Link Click seasons 1 and 2, stop now and go watch them. This might be a prequel arc, but I can tell you right now you really should watch the first two seasons first. Please note, again, this is mainly talking about Bridon Arc as its own thing, but I do make mention of events in season 1.

Boy, oh boy, where do I even begin. This entire arc starts out with pretty much a literal bang and the death of everyone, except for Lu Guang because of course. I don't know what I was expecting, but that wasn't it, granted I should have known better.

However, episode 1 did a great job in setting this entire arc up. Not just with the beginning, but also when Lu Guang was given Cheng Xioashi's powers and used them to jump back. It let us see through Guang's eyes how he saw Cheng Xioashi and Qiao Ling. This entire arc did a wonderful job in portraying the events through Lu Guang's eyes, where the first two seasons felt more like they were from Cheng Xioashi's.

Which is why he comes off as such a shady motherfucker in this, but I'm getting ahead of myself, lol.

Every character was given a wonderful introduction, but my favorite has to go to Liu Xiao. His enitire shtick of playing the struggling college student and tricking that scammer into letting him close was brilliant. The reveal of his power being that he can hear people's heartbeats, along with how he cleverly uses that, is just chilling. The way the music shifts to have that very same heartbeat play with it is delicious. This man is going to be quite the adversary and I am here for it. I might have to talk about this episode more in a different post because I love it.

"You've been giving the game away since the start. And all I had to do was listen."

The entire adventure of Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang searching Bridon for Xioashi's father had me both on the edge of my seat and just dying. The lengths Lu Guang went to to keep things running smooth could be hilarious.

Seriously, this dude, lmao.

Plus, him admitting that his rules come from him being a bit of a control freak while also slamming Cheng Xiaoshi for his recklessness is amazing, lmfao.

Then there was the enitre photoshoot scene, which wasn't just hilarious but also adorable. That, and the entire relationship Cheng Xiaoshi had with Xia Fei was so wholesome, even with his spying. I kinda felt bad for him. :(

However, Cheng Xiaoshi suddenly regaining his powers threw me. It probably shouldn't have, but it did. Lu Guang was clearly trying to keep those powers from manifesting, so why did they?

This arc brought up a lot of questions, so why don't I go ahead and wrap this post up.

That last episode with that ending. The reveal that Xioashi's mom has the same, or at least a similar ability to him was, wow. However, this does make me wonder about the earthquake arc in season 1, yes that one. If Xioashi knew for a fact his mother was alive, why did he react the way he did. Granted, those episodes were based off a real disaster that happened in China, so I can only assume, with this context, that Xioashi is just extremely upset and thrown that these people he's delivering messages to are already dead. He's a very empathetic person, so I wouldn't be surprised if the flashback used there was him reliving a day of fear, before he knew what his mother told him here. Or maybe he might have forgotten due to that dart? I'm a bit confused on this, so I'll have to go back over that stuff later to see. Regardless, it's probably just a case of changed context, and ultimately doesn't change the point of those episodes. And a few other things as well.

So far Vein has been a shifty guy, that's for sure, and I'm not sure why he cared so much for Fei. So I wasn't wholly surprised by him attacking Wang Qing (did I spell that right?) and Cheng Xioashi. I am, however, surprised that Lu Guang orchestrated Vein's death. That what's it seemed like, anyway. We've already seen him questioning if he should change things himself. He mentioned that this loop was his last shot, so clearly he's gotten desperate.

"You know the butterfly effect? The idea that any subtle changes made to a timeline can lead to different outcomes entirely."

"So I've been thinking. Is it possible to completely change a destined ending? If I could know all of the initial conditions in advance, would I be able to control the future?"

This is supposed to be his last shot. Just how many times has Lu Guang done this, and what has it made him? The entire scene of Vein's heart attack and, what appears to be Lu Guang controlling Qing had me holding my breath, freaking out, because, holy shit, Lu Guang ain't fucking around. He says he can't change destiny, but only delay it, yet he seemed pretty damn intent on killing Vein. The guy even said it himself that Lu Guang had murder in his eyes.

It's so sad. Lu Guang has clearly gone through this song and dance several times already, so who knows what he might have been like before. What kind of person he could have been before that first jump that started it all, whatever it may have been.

Honestly, Bridon Arc left me with more questions than answers, but it's also clearly setting up for something big. At least I hope so because it is not fair how much this show has me on the edge of my seat. I need more than this, but it's probably going to be a bit before we see that planned season 3, unfortunately.

I have no idea where this story is heading, whether it be tragedy or, miraculously, a happy ending. I do know the story will have to end, a destined conclusion, but until then I'll just have to hang on for the ride.

(Now if you'll excuse me, I have to finish those Link Click Shorts, lol)

[littlevices]

One-shot Reads: Akira Amano

Akira Amano is one of the first, if not the first, manga author I learned to remember the name of when I first started experimenting with reading manga when I was younger. Katekyou Hitman Reborn (or just REBORN! in English) was one of the first manga I had read (and still need to catch up on and finish ^^;) and is one of the first manga I give credit to for growing my interest in manga and anime as a whole, along with some other childhood favorites like Pokemon and Digimon (but that's a whole 'nother story).

Yes, I am familiar with ElDlive, and am currently reading/watching Ron Kamonohashi (on and off in between other things ^^;).

However, as the title suggests, I'm not here to discuss Amano-sensei's longer works, but her one-shots. Or at least the ones I could find.

So far, I have read only three of Amano's one-shots. Those being Warashibe Tantei Numa Shichirou, Nemuri Netarou Arawaru!!, and HOT. I am aware there is a one-shot that is the prototype of REBORN!, and her other works, but there is very little I can find on them. I think some of them are unpublished? Yes, I am also aware of Petit Petit Rabbit, but that's not a one-shot so it's not gonna be in here ;) (I also haven't read it, lol). If anybody knows more about those older works and where to read them, if possible, please let me know!

However, because of this lack of information, I will only be talking about Tantei Numa, Nemuri, and HOT. These will just be quick and short thoughts and feelings on these, but for a brief look, my favorite was Nemuri, with HOT second, and Tantei Numa being last. I went out of my way to reread these, since it's been years for at least two of these, so they would be fresh in my mind for this little rambly post!

Disclaimer: Will contain Spoilers for all three one-shots! So if you wanna read these yourself go digging before reading this post!

Warashibe Tantei Numa Shichirou

Numa Shichirou is a lazy man who has horded hundreds of items and had a tendency to bring home one-night stands, much to his employee, Asami's, annoyance. However, despite his shortcomings the man is a detective, who, instead of taking payment, instead makes trades with his clients in exchange for his services.

This is an interesting concept for a detective. Numa, like many other detectives, is actually quite observant. However, this is about where my interest ends. The client in this one shot is a lazy man who accuses his wife of infidelity, however, when it's revealed that her father died he thought the inheritance would go to him. However, before then he had agreed to exchange real estate with Numa, meaning Numa got the inheritance instead. At this point the whole thing feels a bit like an ass-pull as Numa already knew the man's wife from a previous encounter, and had told her to cut contact off with her lazy husband should tragedy befall her parents. In other words Numa had planned this entire thing in advance which, normally, would be pretty clever, but the fact that he was predicting a tragedy that could happen who knows when, something Numa himself notes, the foundation of his plan is shaky. I know it's supposed to teach the husband a lesson, but the circumstances are just a little to contrived for a one shot to pace properly. Perhaps if this was a two parter, maybe. That, and I didn't really find Asami to be that compelling, her design is cute though. It's a shame, because I think, had this been a longer work, I might have enjoyed reading about them both.

Nemuri Netarou Arawaru!!

Out of the three one shots, this is the first one I read. It's also the first one shot that, if not one of the firsts, that I ever read. Before that I always just read manga that had multiple chapters.

Nemuri Netarou Arawaru!!! Is about a young girl, Tonko, who moves about twtice a year due to her father's work. Every night before her frist day of school, she has a nightmare about getting bullied by her classmates. Next thing she knows she meets Netarou, a sleep specialist who, to keep Tonko from reporting him (cause he looks like a child), reveals a secret to Tonko about dreams. Turns out, these aren't just subconscious dreams, but a world where a human's consciousness goes to when asleep. Dreemen (that's the translation I read), then put on a perfromance, which is the dream, or nightmares, that happen, as they feed off the happy energy that humans create when dreaming. Tonko doesn't approve of this, but, despite Netarou's best efforst, cannot forget about Dreed and finds herself getting into trouble because of it.

I much prefer this one shot over Tantei Numa, as it has a much more interesting concept to me. Tonko is a much more engaging character than Asami, she's fiery, if a bit naive, and Netarou is interesting in the fact that he can appear in Dreed as a solid entity unlike most others from the human world to protect people from the Baku, who eat the consciousnesses of dreamers. The two bounce off of each other well, and are pretty funny together. The concept of there being a dream world is not a new one, but I like the execution of it here and the Dreemen all look like little puppets. Unfortunately it doesn't fully explain why Tonko had nightmares instead, but I think it's implied her anxiety twisted the dreams? Had there been more, I'm sure there would have been a better explanation, but what is here is fun and interesting in a way the Tantei Numa just didn't manage to catch me with. I would not have minded if this was a faull series, but, alas, all there is is this one shot.

(Also, Netarou's design kinda reminds me of Kitaro from the Gegege no Kitaro series/franchise. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case, but I don't know if it was ever stated anywhere)

HOT

And now this one, the most recent one I had read (before making this post) and the most recent one shot by Amano-sensei (as of this post, lol).

On Hamino, our main lead, has no interest in Hockey. That's right. No interest (at least it's not the mafia). However, due to a "curse" his grandpa insists that he play. During one of their arguments Hockey captain at Haru High, Takahashi (aka "Chatter) and his manager Ueda come to their temple, where Takahashi nearly hits On with a rock. Some time later On is at the ice rink to skate (because his grandpa forced him), but sees Chatter and his club being kicked out by Kurosame High. On, aftedr being told by Ueda about Takashi's passion for the club decides to help them win the Hockey match so they can keep using the rink.

I don't read sports manga much, though a few have caught my eye. Despite me liking Nemuri more, I still had a fun time reading this one. On is snarky with a bit of attitude and bounces off well with Chatter and Ueda gives a nice balance to Chatter's overzealous antics. I wouldn't call what happens here mind-blowing, and it's nothing I haven't seen before in other manga, but the execution is fun as well as the characters. Much like Nemuri, I would not have minded if this had become a full series, just so I could see more of the characters, lol.

As far as I'm concerned I had fun reading (and rereading), these, and I highly recommend digging around to find them. Who knows, maybe when Ron Kamonohashi is done, Amano will get the chance to come back to one of these ideas. My hopes on Nemuri, but I wouldn't mind HOT as well. Tantei Numa has potential, but might become to formulaic if not careful, you know? All in all, sometimes it's nice to pick up one shots like these, not only to see the potential concepts a creator can come up with, but it's also nice to have a shorter read. Not everything has to be 500+ chapters to be fun read (despite my hopes for Nemuri's concept one day, lol). Again, if you haven't, I highly recommend giving these a read, especially if you like Amano-sensei's other works.

[littlevices]

(Ageswap AU)

Happy Birthday Reigen !!

He finally got to eat lunch at school sports day (lol)

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Just a quick post since I've been avoiding the Link Click tags. I'd been checking out other stuff while waiting for the Bridon Arc English dub, so obviously that's what this post is about, lol. Nothing against the chinese dub, btw. I just fell in love with the english cast and I was sorely hoping it would be dubbed in English. I would have watched the chinese dub if I went much longer without an English dub anyway, lol. I just found out that it started airing back in February. ^^;

No matter, as of this post I'd just seen episode one and needless to say, despite being late to the party, I am so ready (and not ready) for this.

There was just one thing I wasn't expecting-

Lu Guang being not only in an anime club, but being a cosplayer.

I fucking died and then Cheng Xiaoshi still admitting that Lu Guang was a beauty anyway in a roundabout way ("Beauty's beauty. So nothing to worry about on that front"). At least that's what it sounded like to me, lmao. Then him later saying "make love to the camera", oh my lord I was wheezing.

Like, sweetie, please, you can't be doing this to my heart, I can't take it, lol. I love them both so much <3.

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genazo and mp100 share A Lot of similarities but they also share this one hyperspecific fan phenomenon of a short-lived background character getting a lot of fanarts for some reason

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As of writing this, I have beaten Oracle of Seasons and am currently making my way through Ages. Yet, I just want to express some sentiment.

I am not going to be the first person to say this, nor will I be the last, but, the Oracle games seriously need the remake treatment.

Not because they're bad games that need to be built from the ground up, no. They have their frustrating moments, but most of those moments, I feel, come from being on old hardware.

Limited buttons, stiff movement, having to equip items that should just be equipped at all times - it's all stuff that can be fixed with a modern update. Even the password system would be much easier to implement by making it so that both games are in one package rather than being a separate cartridge. Either you can travel between Holodrum and Labrynna manually in game, or you can exit one game to jump to the other on the main menu or title screen. The password system works so well on Switch Online because you don't have to turn off your Gameboy Color, pull out one game, and put the other in back and forth to make it work.

The Link's Awakening Remake did wonders for what was once a game that was limited because of the hardware(except for removing the pictures with Marin. It's a damn shame that wasn't kept in). Plus, item like the seed shooter in Ages could even have an aim system to make it easier to use (this item is like the magnet glove to me from Seasons).

Smoother movement would make the combat focused Seasons feel much better to play imo. It would also make a number of those frustrating bosses, well, less frustrating. Even some of the bosses in Ages could be updated to feel better, at least what I've played of Ages so far. The stiff movements, mostly in Seasons, is what makes these game feel so dated to me. Along with the limited buttons.

Hell, you don't even have to update the stories (though Onox appearing a bit more to be a bigger threat instead of playing old school Bowser would be nice). Even if they aren't the most riveting narrative, mostly Seasons, they are functional for shorter, portable Zelda games. Maybe they could even implement some of the cut ideas from the third Oracle game that was cancelled (though I doubt that would happen even if the games did get remade).

It makes me sad that it might never happen, because these games are pretty interesting for what they're worth. They were ambitious with a number of ideas that I feel, so far, couldn't be realized because the tech just wasn't there yet :(. The Oracle games aren't my favorite Zelda games, but they aren't bad either. They're hindered by something that just wasn't in their full control at the time. Most of these hindrances, like Link's Awakening, can be fixed. However, I don't see that happening anytime soon, and it's an absolute shame.

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Artistic rendition of the scare I just got in Skyward Sword

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Kirby 64 - My Dear Childhood Nostalgia

Kirby 64 and the Crystal Shards is a game I still own for my old 64. It was one of the first Kirby games I ever owned along with Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland and The Amazing Mirror. I've collected some other Kirby games since then, but these were the three that I have the earliest memories of. I didn't own many games for my 64 at the time, and kinda still don't ^^;, so what few I did have I played a number of times. However, I was just a child then and didn't understand games very well, but I do remember loving this game but had never beaten it (I only got as far as Neo Star Level 1). Especially since I didn't understand how to get many of the shards at the time, lol.

I don't get to play my 64 as much as I used to, and often times am too lazy to set it up. However, I have been playing my switch quite a bit, so when I heard that this game was going to be released for switch online, I finally saw it as my opportunity to finish this childhood game.

(Even if it took me awhile to finally get to it. Oops)

Disclaimer: Spoilers for Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards as well as full disclosure - I did use a guide for some of these shards, especially towards the end when I had to do a lot of back and forth between levels and worlds to get the right ability combinations. I did try to find as many of them as I could on my own, though, and was very happy when I managed to figure them out

However, if my use of guide does not bother you, then please read on, lol.

Let me get this part out of the way - I still really like this game. Sure, it has it's problems and quirks, but I still had a lot of joy going through the levels, seeing their themes and aesthetics. The music is colorful and cheerful like many Kirby games have, but my favorite has to be the level select music once you get to Ripple Star. Rock star's level music was good, too. There were some level themes that I liked, but they also repeated sometimes, so generally, the music that played during the beach level in Aqua Star as well as Level 1, and wherever else they played, lol.

My favorite planet had to be Shiver Star for the wintry themes as well as the subtle hints of dystopia. Yes, I am aware Shiver Star looks like a frozen over earth, yes, the imagery is disturbing especially when you go from cutesy winter levels and bobsledding with Waddle Dee to corporate machines :). I still liked the levels though. (I actually thought the factory level was a toy shop or something as a child. I have no idea how I could, lol). The runner up is, surprisingly, Pop Star and Ripple Star.

As for the crystal shards themselves, some of these were neat to get, other annoyed me. Particularly, Neo Star and, I believe the third shard on it's second level. Trying to stay alive long enough to get it, especially with both a volatile ability like Rock/Bomb (which has friendly fire) and that one part with both cannons, aqua blobs, and running water that gets in the way. Fuck this shard :). Other than that, second most annoying was Aqua Star's level three where you needed Rock/Cutter to turn into Rick. Again, keeping the ability was a challenge, but also climbing the wall as Rick and being so heavy was a bit of a pain. Fuck this one, too :).

On that note, my main gripe with the game was when you had to backtrack for an ability. No, no. Not backtrack on the level, backtrack to a different planet or level. Also, backtracking in a level is not always possible, so in those cases you have to start the level over instead. How nice. Not as annoying as going to a different level or world, though. They really should have had these be available in the level themselves, and a good chunk are(if not most of them), don't get me wrong, but this really should have been the case for all of them. Restarting a level is bad enough, let alone going to a whole different one. Thankfully, once you collect a shard it's yours. Doesn't matter if you beat a level or not, doesn't matter if you die before finishing the level for the first time, it is saved automatically the moment you collect it which does mitigate some frustration (but only some). Another thing that helps, if a shard is blocked by a colored obstacle, if it is a solid color, you can get it with a combo ability if half of it is the right one. I don't think this will work for all of them, but you can still try it. It has to be a solid color though, not a combo color (solid black(yes) vs black and blue(no)).

The bosses also weren't too bad. Some went on for a little bit, but nothing too frustrating. Some were a bit basic, but I still enjoyed them. Highlights, for me, include PIX and HR-H/HR-E. PIX just stayed with me for years after I first saw it, and HR-H/HR-E just looks really cool, lol. Acro is cute and I did like Whispy as well (sad I had to kill his saplings) since it's a bit different from the usual Whispy fights.

Miracle Matter can go die in a ditch, though. I eventually noticed I could just suck up the sprites it leaves behind and hold onto it to quickly deal with the corresponding element once it popped up, but I hated it's rock form and bomb form so much. Ice was a little annoying but not too bad. Honestly, it took me way more tries to beat this thing than it took on the final boss. 0^2 was not nearly as annoying as this thing, all it took was figuring out how to dodge and aim properly and once I had that I was golden. I died to Miracle Matter no less than eight times while 0^2 only took me about four at most, lol.

All in all, I'm glad I finished this game. I finally got a childhood game off my list (one of many) and I'm satisfied. The mini-games are still fun, if a bit basic to me now, but they have that charm just like the mini-games in Pokemon Stadium. The game as a whole is as charming as I remember it, and, despite my griping, isn't a hard game really. Sure it has some annoyances, but what older game doesn't? This was the first time they tried something much closer to 3D with Kirby, even if it was really 3D (2.5D?). It's as charming as I remember it and for now I can be satisfied with finally finishing it.

(Who knows, maybe I'll finally get around to finishing my original copy, lol)

[littlevices]

i'm fond of the jokes along the lines of "you know shit's about to hit the fan when the kazoo comes out" but i just learned what instrument actually makes that noise in the mp100 ost.

it's the seamoons.

they're "machines with lungs and vocal chords"

here's a vid of one playing

i don't know what it is exactly, but knowing it's not a kazoo but one of these tall fellas sure brings Something to the experience

[littlevices]

Day 6: Growth

Day 6 of Ekubo Week!

From attack to defense.

[littlevices]

What is this man!? Or: Me Overthinking Reigen's Fighting Ability, lol

Reigen Arataka. 28 years old. Used to be a normal salaryman. Runs Spirits and Such Consultations and is the self-proclaimed "Greatest Psychic of the Twenty-First Century.

Where did he learn to dropkick a bitch?

No, seriously. Where did he learn half the shit he does. Sure, you can explain his punches as something he can learn with his green belt, but not the fact that not only did he dropkick someone, he rebounded and landed on his feet. That is almost some Dimple level acrobatics for someone without any supernatural abilities or enhancements.

Sure, we can chalk it up to anime logic all we want, but that's not as fun, so I'm going to ramble and overthink instead. (As I do.)

Disclaimer: Some spoilers for later events in the show.

Okay, so. Reigen has a surprisingly large repertoire of skills. Some of this I can chalk up to his family life.

His father is apparently a local politician/civil servant, his mother a housewife, and his sister a bank employee.

Clearly Reigen gets his speech skills from his father, and maybe some of his other tricks, like using rice as glue, may even be from his mother. Granted I'm probably stretching that a bit. He could have just as easily learned that from trying to save money, lol.

We also know he didn't fit in while in school, which, as we all know, can lead to instances of bullying. Whether that bullying is physical or not, who knows. All I've seen looking around is that he apparently got skipped over when it came to games and stuff, but there could have been more to it.

Where am I going with this? You'll see.

So, the green belt. We know from season one that Reigen specifically says he has a green belt in shorinji kenpo. Now, I will be the first to admit I don't know much of anything about martial arts on a deep level. I can, however, do some quick research *cough* google *cough* (Do you think Reigen would be proud of me, lol).

According to what I've found, a green belt in a number of martial arts can be anywhere from beginner to a beginner-intermediate or even intermediate level. It depends on the martial art of course, but I think also the school. The same seems to apply to what I could find on shorinji kenpo. Or Kempo, because that's what I keep finding, someone please correct me if need be. I think people have also called it Xiaolin Martial Arts, which I also took a brief look at, but the concept appears similar there as well. Now, let's give Reigen the benefit of the doubt considering what we've seen him actually do, and assume the man went to a pretty decent school. A green belt is clearly not a master level or even a high level belt. If anything, though, this means the man can handle a regular petty thug just fine, and we've seen that. The seance scene in season 1 by itself proves that easily.

However, it's the other stuff that makes me wonder.

Again, this man drop kicked a dude, an esper that was currently using his power by the way, then rebounded off him to land on his feet. Beyond the dropkick itself, which from what I understand is impractical in a fight, he also rebounded. Rebounding can be hard to do off a stationary object, let alone a person. Yet here Reigen is, doing it causally off an esper that controls gravity.

His punches are also pretty damn devastating. Again, he can knock people out. He did this during the seance, but then tried it on Muraki. While he didn't knock him out, he definitely did some damage.

Not only would he need to be strong to do this, he'd also need to be fast. He's also fast enough that someone like Suzuki had to make a clone of himself to dodge Reigen's fist, rather than block or just dodge it normally. Either Suzuki was feeling extra that day (much to Sho's chagrin) or Reigen caught him off guard enough he actually had to use his powers.

This brings me to the next point.

Reigen knows how to hold a gun.

No, no. Wait, hear me out. Yes, I know it's a toy gun, but it is still a toy gun supped up on psychic energy. Not only does Reigen hold it nice and steady, he's got some damn good aim. That shot went for Suzuki's face or at least his throat.

Now, granted, I hear airsoft is a popular past time in Japan, so maybe that's where some of it comes from, which is still pretty neat.

He also didn't hesitate to shoot. One look at Mob and he pulled the trigger. Suzuki got one warning before that, and he didn't even get the chance to defy it before Reigen shot. Now, Reigen is a smart man, he probably figured the gun wouldn't work, but damn if he didn't try. Honestly, he was probably panicking and kicking himself on the inside, but he certainly didn't show it.

There's also the fact that, when you look, Reigen almost always instinctively knows to protect his head and neck when he gets thrown around. It's probably the most obvious in the Mogami fight when he gets picked up and slammed, but you can see it in the final episode as well when getting flung around by ???'s tornado.

This man has either gotten enough sparring that he knows to do this on instinct, or he's been in enough scraps that he's had no choice but to learn or get concussed. Also, in the Mogami arc, Reigen tries to stop Mogami (in Minor's body) by kicking him in the head. Mogami was moving very fast, but Reigen's kick did land.

Too bad it was Mogami and not any one else because it might have worked.

He also knows a couple knee strikes, which again was used on a moving target.

Now, let's step back and bring up Reigen's family again. There's always the possibility that Reigen got his green belt young due to his father's occupation. Now, that might only apply if his father was a rather important one, but still something to consider. It could have also been in self-defense if the bullying he faced in school got physical. I personally think Reigen got his green belt at an older age, earliest highschool, but obviously there's nothing to back that up. It also makes me wonder just how many of his clients have gotten violent, because while he did flinch at the knife during the seance, he also didn't hesitate to deck the dude.

This doesn't even bring up the fact that Reigen knows all kinds of massage techniques (I heard that his family wanted him to be a massage therapist, but I don't know if it was said where that information came from), psychology, his ability to cold read people, and everything else this man does.

Granted, a lot of his effectiveness comes from him being smart and charismatic. This man is a manipulator and thank god he's got morals because holy hell the damage he could do being able to manipulate Mob.

Or the damage Mob could do if anything serious happened to Reigen. >.>;

All in all, I think Reigen has gotten into way more scraps than is suggested. I feel as if he might have had a rougher life at school than what little hints we've gotten. That whole thing with the Separation Arc felt kind of like him projecting onto Mob, but I could be wrong. Personally, I headcanon Reigen as being something of a truant and/or delinquent (or at least a gremlin) when he was younger, but that's just me, lol. I do think he's had a rougher go of it than he likes to tell, though.

I know I didn't cover absolutely everything here, like Shimazaki, and that there's probably more context or something in the manga, but this post was already long enough and I haven't read the manga in full yet so apologies if there is missing context.. If you made it to the end of this post, I want to both thank you, but also apologize for my long winded rambling, lol. I just - Have no idea what to make of Reigen and all that he does. It doesn't help that a lot of his backstory is fairly non-existent. We only know tidbits about this conman, but I guess that's part of what makes him interesting.

Well, hopefully you had fun reading this post as much as I had making it. I know most of this can probably be just anime logic, but I had looking into it at least! If this wasn't a world of espers, Reigen would probably fairly formidable in a fight, on a physical level anyway. He's already like that on several others already, lol. This sweaty rat just always seems to grab my attention. . .