#(I also think the movesets are part of the storytelling)

[tofuthebold]

i really like Jin's new jacket.

version without the lightning, can't decide which one i like more tbh:

[epicspheal]

Shine On: An Analysis on Champion Diantha

Dear Diantha,

The Pokemon fandom owes you an apology. For years she's been the butt of everyone's jokes when it comes to champions because many found her battle too easy. But between Pokemon Masters giving her some much needed focus and some redemption in the Masters 8 tournament in the anime, Diantha is finally getting her flowers as people (myself included) have begun to truly appreciate her.

So let's start with her name. Diantha comes from Dianthus which is part of the scientific name for carnations. Her Japanese name is Carne which again also points to carnations. Now carnations are some of the most beautiful and popular flowers in the world. Just going on that alone her name really suits her as she is very beautiful and in-universe is very popular as an actress. But what about the meaning of carnations in floriography (the language of flowers)? Well broadly speaking carnations symbolize fascination, distinction, love, and captivation. As a champion and A-list actress, she's certainly a person of distinction. Diantha really loves acting and Pokemon battles and she's good at captivating an audience in both fields. If we want to go deeper, each color of carnation also has a meaning. Given that her outfit is primarily white we could assume she's supposed to represent a white carnation. White carnations symbolise many things, such as luck (it's actually supposed to be a potent good luck flower for women) and loyalty. These two are the symbols I think most represent Diantha because as an actress she needs to have a lot of luck in getting roles. She also shows a lot of loyalty to her ace Gardevoir and she talks a lot in both XY and Pokemon Masters about the bonds people share with their Pokemon.

Alright, but what about her team? While Pokemon isn't really known for it's storytelling overall, it's actually really good with environmental storytelling via team composition of the trainers. You can learn a lot about a trainer by which Pokemon are on their team, their moves, which one is the ace, etc. For Diantha, at first glance many people would assume that there wasn't much of a narrative for her team as she is like many champions a multi-type trainer. However when you look at the species she uses there's actually a theme going on. It's a little more abstract than say Lance and Iris' Dragon/Dragon-like themes though.

See Diantha's team all could be tied to various genres of film. Her Hawlucha invokes action, superhero and sports related films. Gourgeist can represent the horror genre. Goodra can represent the fantasy genre. Tyrantrum and Aurorus can both represent the sci-fi genre thanks to be fossils. Finally Gardevoir can represent romance and fantasy genres. That's a wide variety of film genres, so you can infer that Diantha probably doesn't stick to just one genre when she is acting. And she confirms via dialogue in Pokemon Masters explaining that she has been in a wide variety of films. Indeed her team also further speaks to the idea of variety because her team's individual typings span 9 of the 18 elemental types. Their movesets combined span 16 of the 18 elemental types (technically 17 since Flying Press acts both as a fighting and flying type move). So variety is clearly important to Diantha.

Now let's talk about Diantha's dialogue. When we're first introduced to Diantha, she's talking to Lysandre who's asking why she wouldn't want to remain young and beautiful forever. To which she replies the following:

"What a strange question… Why would I want to play the same old roles forever? Youth may be beautiful, but it's not all there is to life. Everything changes. I want to live and change like that, too. So I look forward to playing different roles as I get older."

This is really telling about her outlook. That she's very positive and she enjoys which ties back to her team composition. She's embracing the idea of growing older and being able to play roles she couldn't at the moment. Whereas Lysandre is essentially endorsing society's strict beauty standards and ageism she's actively embracing the idea of changing looks and growing old. And in Pokemon Masters there are lines of dialogue that again have her expressing her interesting playing numerous types of roles and not just being typecast. For someone in her line of work that's a very unique outlook to have and it's really commendable.

But then after Lysandre she introduces herself to the player and she gives a quote that I think really gives insight into her as a character

"[...]You both have lovely names. Oh, and you're both Trainers! Don't your Pokémon look happy? I'm a Trainer myself, in my off time. I look forward to us battling someday!"

The part we're going to be focusing on is "I'm a trainer myself, in my off time". This is significant because despite being a literal league champion she considers being a trainer more of a hobby (since she says she does this in her off time) than a profession like she considers her acting. We also see a similar line Pokemon Masters if we talk to her in random conversation

"I have an identity as an actress—and also as a Champion."

Again she places more weight on her being an actress than being a champion. While there are definitely quotes where she talks about being a champion in Pokemon Masters (which makes sense because Pasio is more battle oriented) the fact that in normal casual conversation she tends to focus more on her identity as an actress is telling. Indeed a good portion of her dialogue does bring up acting in some way. This all shows that she primarily sees herself as an actress. Which isn't a bad thing at all she certainly isn't the first trainer in the series to put more emphasis on passions outside of battling. Not even the first champion- Steven actually does this as well.

This focus on her professional identity as an actress actually helps to shed light as to why she isn't as involved in the Kalos storyline as many would've expected. Actresses are busy people. While we don't have any direct information as to why she wasn't present during the end stages of the Team Flare arc, we can infer she was probably filming somewhere on location during those events. She doesn't show up as much as previous champions because being champion isn't her only or primary job. As I've mentioned before, if we're being technical it's not really the champion's job to intervene in situations (considering that most of them in fact do not) but you know it is something they probably should do as concerned citizens…

…and eventually Diantha realizes this. Let's look a bit at her dialogue when you first challenge her for the title of challenge

"Welcome at last, dear Trainer. As you must know, I am the Champion, Diantha. Oh, but you are… You're the child I spoke to in Lumiose City and Coumarine City, aren't you?! Then that means that you are also the one that dear Augustine said… Of course! How could I--?! Oh, I must look like such a fool not to recognize you sooner! You and your Pokémon are the ones who stopped Team Flare for us all! It seems wrong of me to say this, but thank you! You saved us all… I can't wait to see what you and your Pokémon are capable of now that I know exactly what it is you've done already!"

The line "It seems wrong of me to say this, but thank you! You saved us all…" upon playing Pokemon Y for the second time really gave me the impression that actually she feels remorseful for not being there. That she feels like she should've stepped in more. To be fair she probably should have because she does seem to have a personal connection Lysandre and maybe she and Professor Sycamore could've tried to get through to him (although honestly at that point Lysandre was probably too far gone).

I like this because she's one of the few champions who actually expresses regret for not doing more to help and that's really big of her to admit. This actually even goes further in a quote from her in Pokemon Masters during the Shining Hearts of Dragons story line.

"I think I understand now why Champions are the ones who guide younger Trainers! I always worked hard to improve myself as a Champion and actress, but I never really gave much thought to helping others improve…Now, I think that's something I should have done more."

This is really crucial to understanding who Diantha is as a character, and for me this is really where she won me over. There was a time where she didn't understand the concept of mentoring not only as a Champion but as an actress. And that right there outside of her busy schedule as an actress explains why she wasn't constantly checking in on the player. And her not understanding that is 100% valid.

Again I'm going to reiterate, Pokemon battling and the league itself is really just a very organized sporting event. Mentoring is encouraged but it's not an absolute requirement, so someone can easily become one of the best and not put any effort into looking out for the newer trainers. At the end there only real requirement is to keep winning. Everything else is just added nice things they can do and probably should do regarding their status

And given the fact that acting and film-making is cutthroat and if that's the realm Diantha has spent the majority of her time in, it's totally understandable why it just didn't occur to her to be more of a mentor.

The line "Now that's something I should've done more" is also really pertinent. Again like her statement at the Kalos League, it expresses regret for not being more involved. She understands where she went wrong and she's learning and growing as a person. She's not perfect, and that's what I've really come to appreciate about her.

What I love about Diantha in Pokemon Masters, is that you see that she is actively taking steps to grow by mentoring others. First in the Shining Hearts of Dragons event where she helps Iris one of the only child prodigy champions who actually holds the title. It's a lot of pressure for Iris and she could use some guidance and Diantha is the perfect mentor for her at that moment. Sure she's not a full on dragon tamer, but she knows what's it like to interface with the public and deal with harsh criticism so she can guide a younger champion into learning how to stand in the face of a negative public opinion.

We see this again in the "Melancholy Wally" event where she helps Wally realize that in his pursuit of becoming stronger he's lost sight of just enjoying being with his partner. Considering that Wally was partnered with a Gardevoir and her ace is a Gardevoir she of all people knew firsthand of how sensitive Gardevoir are to emotions and how that would be affecting their bond. She's more of a hands-off mentor as she doesn't really hover over Iris or Wally, but that works because they are very self-driven children so a more hands-off style of mentorship would work.

Sure the Iris and Wally events aren't official game canon, but the sentiment and growth are. It's why it would've been cool to see sequels to XY where she does take more of a mentor role citing that she wished she had of done that earlier

But yeah Diantha is a really cool character who I think gets dismissed a little too easily on account of her champion match. She has a lot more going on than meets the eye and now that the fandom is more receptive to her it's time for us to start looking at her character a little deeper.

[mdhwrites]

Have you ever felt like the fandom makes Luz steal Amity's roles/positions?

I saw many headcanons with Luz being some expert cap in grudgby or other sports (proly because of the jacket she wears all the time) or be top in classes for her wider acknowledge of magic than mere witches... which I still consider it stupid both canon and fanon. Or treating this whole "depression" (rather the reason for it) as something to make her a tragic character too because she had no reason to be one before, all those "edgy" fanarts including beta are just so cringe I can't take them serious, it's pathetic and Amity is rather just there used as a tool to emphasize this bullshit, how "cool" Luz is 🙄.

So I don't think this is a fandom problem as much as it is the fandom wanting to tell stories without the show providing the personalities to enable it. Because... TOH just doesn't have many character types, let alone the sort that are at least easy to write stories about. In S1, so the good part of the show that wasn't affected by the shortening, here is your list of personalities. Eda: Lazy thief and criminal who would rather stay in bed than actually do anything. Learns to be a little nicer. King: Has one joke about wanting to be a ruler, people respond with one joke about him being small, and he's a lazy fuck as well. Feels out of character during his two episodes because they try to have him be a real character but poorly. Willow: Has no personal motivations of her own, her issues are resolved immediately, appears to be shy but more so is just a plot device who's willingness to stand up or stand changes depending on if the episode needs to wrap up now.

Gus: Is comic relief and constantly shit on for being weaker or for doing dumb shit despite supposedly being smart enough to jump up two grades and has an interest in human stuff that is just kind of awkward to include when Luz is RIGHT THERE.

Amity: Smart, overly driven girl who puts way too much pressure on herself and has a crush on Luz. Also has a good heart that even by the end of S1 has easily surpassed her goal oriented thinking for the most part and the show itself never does anything with her smarts but she IS claimed to be smart.

Luz: Happy ball of energy who used to be bullied back home but has a good heart with her head in the clouds. Wants to be a witch. Of those SIX main characters, you have TWO real personalities that are of any use from a storytelling perspective and only one that is more compelling from an angst perspective because Luz being in the Isles effectively resolves her bullying. It's part of why between S1 and 2, there were people outside the fandom who thought AMITY was the main character because of her design and how much everyone did with her. Other than that, most of these characters would live REALLY boring lives if left to their own devices. Which... S2 doesn't fix. In fact, it gets worse. Even by the end of S2A, it has been established that Amity no longer cares about her studies and her actions aren't of a smart person anymore. They are that of, like 90% of the cast, just a generically good person. Maybe a quirk here or there but also interchangeable versus anyone else in the cast because there's so little dividing them except for what moveset they have. By S2B, the Amity replacement of Hunter, who had less personality than Amity to begin with, will also just be a generically good person with an angsty backstory but at least that backstory is still WAY more than any other supporting character. So... What the fuck is a fandom supposed to do? They make shit up effectively. Luz is shown as physically strong far more than she's claimed 'weak nerd arms', the show broke its own magic in ways that are INFURIATING so as to let her have a smart win against Belos even though she doesn't show particularly high intelligence normally, etc. like that but it is enough for the fandom to take it and run with it, especially while the angst arc and the human realm allowed angsty Luz and most fandoms run a quarter on angst, a quarter on fluff and half on shipping.

It makes the fact that Lumity stuff got so boring post S2 not surprising. It makes the fact that a lot of people were leaving the fandom during S3 not surprising. These just aren't engaging characters and you no longer have a storytelling powerhouse out of Amity because they've slaughtered most of her potential even by the end of S2A.

It frankly is almost embarrassing that for how many trios are in this story, they never manage ONCE to even have the smart guy, strong guy, and the heart. The absolute most basic trio and the closest they ever come is in S3 with Gus, Hunter and Willow because Hunter is a sad boy dating Willow so I guess the heart, Gus is FINALLY allowed to be considered at least actually smart and impressive in that way, and strength has defined Willow's character for most of the series. Other than that, the show so quickly makes characters plot devices rather than characters that none of them can be engines of storytelling. You can't really come up with something interesting for a lot of these characters to do on a normal day without outside intervention because at least half of them would do literally nothing.

I mean... Even when I was most invested, between S1 and 2, I had to bring in BOSCHA in order to make a proper trio out of Luz, Amity and Boscha who could all feed into each with stories. That's why Willow, Gus, Eda and King just aren't really a part of The Power of Love because... What the fuck were you supposed to do with them? As characters, they're likable, they have some good jokes, but they're just lacking an interesting personality that makes for a good story.

And even the show admits to that with how much all four of those characters faded away the longer the story goes on. At least with major retcons to their characters. It's kind of why I assume a longer Owl House would not have been a good thing because they were grasping for straws for at least one season. Why should I think that a full S3 wouldn't have struggled to fill the time? Let alone the extra seasons that would be required for a full S3 to not have had an almost identical S2 to what we got?

============

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead, If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

[mike-haters-dni]

Cool Buffs El Should Get in the Next Stranger Things Patch (Season 5)

Also a discussion of how El's powers work, because they're really fun to think about. If any of these actually happen in the show I will spontaneously combust. Anyway, here are my ideas:

Learning hand-to-hand combat/martial arts and incorporating it into her powers.Ok, so the theory goes like this: what is El’s most consistent weakness when it comes to combat? Overtaxing herself and then being unable to continue fighting—barring some intense surge of emotions to act as an emergency energy burst, which is neither a dependable nor healthy thing to rely on in the long term. No, what El needs to do to mitigate this weakness as much as possible is learn to be more economical with her psychic attacks and incorporate more physicality into her moveset. Think of it as having both a mental and physical battery. So far in the show, she has pretty much exclusively utilized her mental battery when doing anything. I mean, she literally stances up to stand completely still while using her powers most of the time, which works if she can take every enemy out at once, but every other time it ends either badly or extremely badly. The worst example of this is during the cabin mindflayer fight where she just stands still after fucking up a couple tendrils (which took like, waay to much effort btw), and then gets grabbed very easily due to her legs being completely stationary along with her subpar reaction time (probably not helped by being overexerted). She then panics and doesn’t do anything to try to free herself from its grasp, which is fair enough, but still. There’s room for improvement here. Of course, this is good storytelling because it would be really boring if she was super op, flicking every threat out of the way, but I think s5 should get to be the late-game, full-build, onslaught arena season. El (and everyone else) is at full power but so are her enemies, who attack in hoards. Anyway, this is all to justify the first powerpoint that I will be giving to the Duffers: Reasons why El should learn hand-to-hand combat and also incorporate physical movements into her powers Avatar:TLA-style:

1. She’ll get tired less easily. Being economical with attacks means instead of squeezing a dude’s body to death for like 5 seconds, maybe just snap his neck? Or throw a sharp object at him? Or break his kneecap? She could break a lot more kneecaps in a row than she could squeeze dudes to death, and if she had a weapon to throw around? Forget it. And that’s not even bringing the combat training into the mix. She could throw a knife across the room into a guy’s neck, while ducking under another guy’s attack, kick him in the knee (with a little extra psychic force), and then call the knife back in time to stab him on the way to the floor. If she fights half-physical half-psychic that means neither battery gets depleted too quickly, and she could take down an entire squad of npcs and walk away with nothing but a light nosebleed. Also, 2. It would look really cool. Like really super fucking cool. Go ahead and imagine how cool it would be. Listen, the stand-still hhnng-ing really hard psychic fights are cool and all but I mean, we can do better than that. She does already do the hand thing most of the time, but I want like full-body motions here. Big dramatic sweeping martial arts motions that perfectly match the force she’s applying to objects. Her powers are clearly emotion/perception-based, so by that logic, anything she does to make it feel like her attack should be stronger will actually make it stronger. i.e. she should swing her body around harder, and coincidentally land in really cool anime poses while doing it. 3. It would demonstrate mastery over her powers. Having to stand still to concentrate is really giving training wheels vibes. Although, I do have a theory on why she does that: I imagine her powers require her to use either her whole body or a part of it as a sort of anchor that she moves the thing she’s telekinesis-ing in relation to. Or alternatively, she can apply more force to an object the more of her body she’s using as a conduit for her powers. So like, standing still to concentrate while moving a heavy object is still easier, especially if we aren’t using the physical motion augmentation method. When she’s got her arm outstretched she’s directing the power from her brain down through her arm, making it stronger and easier to direct, which makes it actually feel like the power is flowing out down through her chest into her arm vs if she uses her powers without conducting them it feels like they flow straight out of her brain, which is harder to control because it's completely thought based. When she really has to use 100% power it fills up her entire body, which makes it harder for her move in any way that isn’t related to whatever she’s doing with her powers. Does that make sense? Let me know if that makes sense. Anyway, I don’t think she would ever stop needing to stay kind of still to use her powers, especially while expending huge amounts of energy, but that urge could be mitigated as much as possible to allow for her to dodge a little while in combat.

Learning to move herself with her powers, in order to do things like jump really far or dodge out of the way really fast, or break her fall from a really high jump. If my power anchor theory makes any sense (or even if it doesn’t because whatever), El could learn to direct her powers back towards herself by using something solid in the area as an anchor and then instead of moving that thing, pulling herself towards or away from it. This might lowkey be canon already since that seems like what was happening when she started levitating while closing the gate in s2, also s4 did mention her having to learn to fly so...I guess we'll see 👀.

Gaining/honing the ability to sense things within a radius through passive diffusion of her powers. So, in the show its demonstrated many times that El can move/feel things she can’t see with her powers, like in all the times she unlocks doors from the outside. So I’m thinking, we take that ability, amplify it, and make it a passive thing that only requires a very small amount of energy that she can keep up to feel everything that's going on around her in a room-sized radius. It wouldn’t be something that she can do permanently—like it would still take some degree of concentration to keep up, but her powers could become strong enough that some part of her is always feeling around just a little. Like regular human perception, she could be more likely to notice any sudden movements when not concentrating at all. Basically, she would become immune to being snuck up on, and she could also specifically train to get good at stopping any projectiles (or otherwise) that enter a 3-foot or so radius around her. She could also use the power to see in complete darkness or into rooms from the outside, and not have to rely on sight or hearing to locate any threats in fights, allowing her to attack enemies behind her without having to turn around, anticipate attacks, etc (in my mind, there's a scene where El practices this blind-fighting by sparring all the boys at once, who only have the goal of hitting her once with any attack, which they fail spectacularly after she takes them all down in like 5 seconds lmao). She could also specifically use proficiency in her voidwalking ability to passively sense any humans in an even larger radius, without knowing what they are doing exactly but maybe being able to vaguely sense whatever emotion they're feeling. Also, speaking of sensing emotions: it’s just canon that El can feel/manipulate people’s organs, so she could totally sense when people suddenly get nervous in a conversation…or literally anything else physical going on in someone’s body. Kind of a disturbing thought, actually. It’s shit like that that makes me want her to lose her powers at the end of the show lol.

Gaining the ability to perfect parry. Alright we’re entering pure self-indulgent gamer ideas now but—While practicing her projectile catching and throwing one day (with a pitching machine), she accidentally deflects a ball so precisely that it goes flying back in the opposite direction without losing any force, with the deflection itself taking almost no mental energy at all. She’s surprised by this, and then spends a couple scenes trying to do it again, but can't figure it out. Until, of course, the climatic scene where she manages to do it again in a last act of desperation and is able to save the day against impossible odds. Or something something.

Getting a bunch of knives. If I could make Duffers do one thing in s5, it would be to give El a bunch of knives that she floats around to fight with Irelia League of Legends-style. This is a fantastic idea ok listen. As I mentioned already, they would take minimal effort to fight with, and also be super deadly, work against the demogorgons, look cool as hell, and also they could make menacing halos behind her head when she gets angry at people. Is this too anime of an idea for the 80s monster show? Who cares, give El a bunch of knives. Other random cool shit she should do:

Matrix a bunch of machine gun fire from a bunch of soldiers that were finally ordered to just kill her before she takes down the entire government (or whatever other reason), creating a giant cloud of bullets around her and pushing her back from the sheer force of the momentum she's countering. Then when they finally empty their magazines she sends all the bullets back in an epic display of raw power, fucking murdering every solider at once and emerging unscathed and unbothered. I just think that would be cool.

She hasn’t done the psychic power cyclone thing yet. There’s still time to fix that.

I think it would really enhance her powers if she had some kind of like dirty, smudged eyeliner look going on. You know like its makeup irl, but styled to kinda look like its apocalypse grime, but it still looks really cool and menacing. idk it's an idea. character design.

Insane this hasn't happened yet but she should at some point like absent-mindedly spin something above her hand with her powers. Like a bunch of marbles or pen or something. Just to flex a little.

Anyway hope you enjoyed reading leave a comment and make sure to like and subscribe for more s5 pipe dreams :)

[skeuo]

I personally recommend playing odin sphere leifthrasir, it's a much easier to play remake in my opinion, mostly because of the new special abilities that give you more playstyle options. If you liked muramasa then yes, I believe you should give it a try (you will definitely end up with a favorite character to control tho, I always have a hard time using Cornelius -_- it's not even that he's bad, it just happens that each character holds a unique playstyle that appeals to different people)

You can also make potions in this game with varying effects! I always thought that part was fun (they're really useful during battles)

The storytelling is pretty good imo, it follows 5 different protagonist, which sounds hard to follow but the order the stories are told make it very easy to follow (by that I mean the game doesn't overload you with info)

It's easy to root for all of the main character while also being able to see how their actions affect each other due to the different ideals and goals each of them has, it's all pretty morally gray when you think about it (which personally heightened the experience for me) The story seems morally black and white at first but unravels as you finish each character's book. I played this as a kid for the first time and it left me a bit conflicted about characters I previously liked, I wouldn't go as far as to say that any of the mc's is evil thought, some of the antagonists definitely are thought, I keep telling myself the game is not THAT deep but it's still pretty enjoyable

And for the truly important part: you CAN find food recipes and buy food for your character, I'm pretty sure muramasa has more food tho...

Hope I could help! I may be a bit biased thought... Odin sphere's main hook gameplay-wise is being able to beat the same enemies with different movesets (I can't stress how much the movesets differ from one another, without saying much, there's a character with really low defenses that makes up in pure adrenaline and strength with a BERSERK mode only that character possesses. There is a character for everyone in this game) in different contexts and storywise it mixes the characters emotions while also contributing to the game's overall political conflicts between kingdoms making you question their actions seeing on how they affect the world around them

I hope I could help, I AM a bit biased so you could look up reviews if you'd like ^^`

anon this was a delight to read you seem very passionate about the game. i HAVE hacked my vita and installed this game so hopefully i will play it in the coming weeks.. thank you very much for this info.. it seems like it’ll be a delightful introduction to the game :) i’ll keep this all in mind— i haven’t sat down and played a vanillaware game in AGES, it’ll be a nice refresher to their formula.

if you would like to hear my thoughts on the game you can shoot me a pm and i’ll let you know when i start playing it TEEHEEEE

[shuttershocky]

So I got persona 5 awhile back used, have only played a little of it, and now the royal deluxe version is on sale. I was wondering if it’s worth buying the royal version and switching to it or stick to the one I have. Is it worth it?

Don't believe the reviews written at launch, they probably had to submit the review before finishing the game. It is absolutely worth buying P5 Royal even if you already have P5. Royal is the game that P5 SHOULD have been. It is the game people remember in their minds when they think about how they loved P5 but haven't actually replayed P5 to see all its problems laid bare.

Some stuff that makes buying Royal worth it

The original Persona 5 had a very, very obvious Light and L thing going on between Akechi and Joker (they even look like them lmao). They also didn't pull it off. Royal greatly rewrites and explores their relationship both in their brand new confidant (the new name for social links) and in the newly added month, making it one of the best relationships in the series.

They rebalanced the combat entirely. Guns are finally usable instead of being worthless, and there's far more depth and creativity possible in the Thieves' movesets. Some people complained the game was made too easy, but honestly that's an easy tradeoff to make up for the ridiculous number of quality of life changes added that make the whole thing a smoother, more dynamic, and fun experience. Also, Royal reworked how status effects work, allowing you to use them to knock down (and thus combo) enemies that normally do not have weaknesses. It's fucking rad.

Every confidant event now also has extra dialogue where they call you over your cellphone. Social links / confidants have always been the biggest appeal of Persona, getting more out of them is a big plus.

The new director (they changed directors in Royal)'s storytelling ability is just... Better. Like, it's crazy, at some point you can actually obviously tell which parts of the game are new in Royal and which were in the original game because of the quality of the dialogue and the overall writing is just that much better (and Royal keeps the original games' scenes). The original P5 had many, many problems with its writing, from being unable to hold on to its plot to just sometimes having cringy dialogue. There's straight up a whole scene where the villains explain EVERYTHING to each other despite both of them knowing all the info already. It gets that bad. Royal's original writing on the other hand, has a grasp of both plot writing and an emotional understanding of its cast to really make the most out of the setting's potential. The difference is night and day, get Royal for this reason alone.

They added talents / passives to Personas which can be inherited through fusion, which can make some EXTREMELY funny personas if you figure out an overpowered combo.

Morgana doesn't force you to go to sleep at night as much anymore. You can read books or study or clean the cafe or play videogames, basically DO shit that raises your stats rather than wasting time. Anyone that's played the original game might see this as the number 1 reason to get Royal honestly, it feels incredible to not waste so many days on a game with limited time. (You can finish all possible confidants in a single run without it even being very strict! Holy fucking shit!)

You get the P5 DLC for free btw lmao. Royal had its own DLC, but if you open the PlayStation network and own Royal, the original P5 DLC is free for you. Get it, some of the personas (like Kaguya) are stupidly fun.

The original P5 had one horrible final boss (he's still there in Royal, he's just not the final boss anymore.) Royal's final boss on the other hand, is legitimately one of my favorite final JRPG battles ever. I like it even more than Persona 3's Nyx, it's that good (though nowhere near as hard). If you like Ursula K Le Guin's work, the final arc is thematic inversion of one of her short stories. I love it so much.

The soundtrack is bitchin.

[bionic-penis]

Here it is! Before we get into it I'd just like to say that I sent this all in discord and so i dont use the most academic language and i also had to cut out some bits where I was speaking/replying to friends :)

Okay so maybe Yang and Blake are just good friends, I can see that, but the storyline and all their major character events are so intertwined that it wouldnt make sense not to make them a couple

Spoilers for literally everything

But in my defense its been seven years

Anyway Yang and Blake's stories dont start getting seriously interconnected until around volume 3, but we do see them being closer to eachother than the rest of team rwby (save for Yang and Ruby but they're sisters so it doesnt count)

When Blake is stressed out over the White Fang in Volume 2, it takes Yang to snap her out of it

Also a lot of people have mentioned this but I'm gonna say it again for those who havent heard it but colours and weapons matter in rwby. They're a key element in the show

ahem

Colours play a big part in the design and storytelling aspect and rwby and its no coincidence that Yang eyes are purple and Blakes are yellow, which are eachothers like signature colours outside of Blakes black

But even more than that is weapons

As we learn from Ruby in the first Volume, a lot of students make their own weapons and, as it is constantly reiterated, weapons are an extension of the self in RWBY. They're not just a tool to be tossed around

In the show we see little instances of people interacting with and using other peoples weapons. There's that one scene where Ruby uses one of Penny's swords to defend Pyrrah, but that was out of necessity. however, over and over again we see Yang interacting with Blake's weapon, Gambol Shroud

As someones mentioned before, an entire moveset of theirs is dependent on it

So it's clear that these two characters are incredibly close

Moving on from that point, Id like to analyze the incidents thst occur in volume 3 and following events that further Yang and Blakes connection

In volume 3 after Yang "breaks" Mercurys leg due to Emeralds illusion, she sits in the dorm room surrounded by her teammates, yet the scene singles out Yang and Blake. When Yang asked if they (her team) believed her, Ruby and Weiss are ready to say yes, but Blake hesitates. Yang and Blake then share a moment where Blake explains that shes trusted people before who turned out to be cruel. She asks Yang to look her in the eyes and tell her that she (Yang) is telling the truth. Yang does so and Blake believes her this level of affirmation from one another is so unlike the rest of Team RWBY and even Team JNPR

Ofc in the dorm scene the person Blake is talking about is Adam, her abusive and possessive ex. Obviously your relationship with an abusive person effects any and all interactions/relationships, regardless of their extent, but I think it bears mentioning

Continuing on in the events of volume 3 when Beacon is being attacked and Blake is confronted by Adam, he has her pinned down and says something along the lines of "I am going to destroy everything that you love". Unfortunately this is when Yang happens to stumble into the scene. Horror is prominent on Blakes face. Yang sees Adam over Blake and yells at him before charging forward, which is when Adam cuts her arm off. It's a very emotional scene imo. Blake then uses her semblance to get her and Yang to safety

So let's analyze this

Adam specifically singled Yang out

Ofc yang was the only one there at the time but Adam didnt say "starting with your little teammates" he said "starting with her". Ofc this could just be me cherrypicking but I think that word choice has meaning

Regardless, this is an intense moment for Yang and Blake that really welds their stories together, romantic or not

In volume 4 Yang and Blake take a break from one another-- Jk but theyre separated. After the events at Beacon, and especially after what happened to Yang, Blake runs. And we get to see both women dealing with this and trying to come to terms with it. Yang is bitter. She's angry that Blake, specifically, left her. And Blake feels like she had to run away to keep everyone, specifically Yang, safe

In Volume 5 we dont get much interaction at all between Yang and Blake aside from the same feelings represented in Volume 4, but these are put on the back burner for Blakes White Fang arc

However these feelings take a forward play in Yangs mind and she even voices these feelings to Weiss and Ruby

I take a deep breath

Volume 6, Blake and Yang are together again but tensions are high. They have to learn how to be together again. When Blake and Yang finally have alone time in the shed, Blake expresses how she won't leave, which comforts Yang. However, Blake continues on to say how she will protect Yang to which Yang gets mad and the moment is ruined.

Despite this, Yang and Blake are still going strong and trying to make things work by being there and supporting each other

Yang and Blake's arc for Volume 6 reaches its peak in the fight against Adam. In this fight we see both women fighting the actual source of their trauma. One thing id like to note about this fight is that Blake starts it alone but is joined by Yang, who tells her to catch her breath. This fight is the first major fight Blake and Yang have fought together in a long time. And its amazing. During the fight, Adam screams at Yang in anger and jealousy, asking "WHAT DOES SHE SEE IN YOU?" And saying that she (Blake) cant protect Yang to which Blake replies "I'm not protecting her. And she's not protecting me." MIRRORING the conversation in the shed

the fight ends with Yang and Blake stabbing Adam through with Gambol Shroud, killing him

Now theres some little things id like to point out with this fight, aside from the amazing chemistry between Blake and Yang and the awesome choreography

Its during this fight that we learn about Adams semblance (magic power basically), which is that any hit he absorbs with his sword, he can return with greater force. This is a corruption of Yang's semblance, where any hit she takes herself she can return with greater force

Now why do I think this is significant? Because rwby is all about symbolism. I think Adam's semblance was specifically chosen to mirror Yangs. Adam doesnt have to deal with pain, he just deflects it, which is how his relationship with Blake plays out. She tries to let him off easy, she tells him to leave her alone, but he just can't take the hint, just like he can't take a hit. However, Yang does take the hits. Yang takes them all and it makes her stronger. She empathizes with Blake and works with her. Adam doesnt have to deal with the pain his actions cause because he doesnt care. This reflects Yangs extremely empathetic personality. Yang knows what consequences her actions can have. She can take the pain

Another thing id like to point out is Adam's behaviour during the fight. He lashes out as Yang for getting in between Blake and him, blaming her for his flaws. He targets her just like in Volume 3. I think this was done purposefully

Another thing is Yang runs Bumblebee off the cliff to help Blake! Her bike! I think this is important bc yang loved her bike. It was part of her brand for the longest time. Perhaps running it off the cliff in the fight vs Adam is a nod to growing by letting things go? Idk I just feel like its an important beat

In Volume 7 we see Yang and Blake working together more regularly again with even a few flustered glances (maybe). Marrow even mentions that they never pair up with anyone else to which they respond with a cool fight scene this feels like the extent of their interaction since Volume 7 focuses more on ruby

Volume 8 isnt finished but there is one line that I think is important which is when Yang asked Jaune if "she'll think bad of me if we fail?" To which Jaune responds "Ruby's your sister" and Yang says "yeah... Ruby..." LIKE EXCUSE ME?

[I take some time to riff with my friends and partner before continuing]

ANOTHER THING

Adam BREAKS Gambol Shroud during their fight, mirroring how Yang, once again, works with Blake and Gambol Shroud. This is yet another example of Adam being violent and abusive towards Blake where Yang is sympathetic and kind. Theyre set up to be narrative opposites

Even though both Adam and Yang are both hot heads, utilize a similar semblance, and both have a deep connection with Blake, they are not the same bc Yang trusts and appreciates Blake while Adam does not

Also Adam and Yang both share the same sentiment of "Blake left me" but whereas Adam lashes out at Blake, Yang is mostly frustrated. Unlike Yang, Adam never attempts to work it out with Blake, which is where the two differ greatly. Yang is willing to listen whilst Adam is not

TLDR: uh give me Bmblb content right now Roosterteeth or I will suck the marrow from ur bones

[tokiro07]

Thinkin’ about the term Soulslike again (though I don’t know if I’ve ever talked about it here)

I really dislike the idea of naming genres after specific games on the basis that it leads to stagnation in the development of games and doesn’t actually tell you anything about those games if you aren’t already familiar with the source

Metroidvanias, for example, by and large either try to perfectly mimic Super Metroid or Symphony of the Night to the point where a lot of them will practically use the same upgrades with different visuals or names in my experience, rather than reimagining or refining the core experience of exploration and discovery (some people have called these games Sprawlers, but I like to call them Explorers)

Roguelikes, fortunately, have now boiled down the genre to just two major, generalized mechanics, procedural generation and permadeath, but for some reason have retained the name even though they are nigh unrecognizable as “Rogue” games anymore. Some Roguelikes have even cut down on the permadeath with a persistent upgrade system that have resulted in them being called “Roguelites,” even though they already had nothing in common with Rogue aside from being Procedural games

“Soulslikes” at the moment seem to be leaning towards the former for the most part, though they are slowly but surely drifting away from that. Now, I haven’t played many Soulslikes, but from what I’ve seen, almost all of them have the following:

a limited, slow-use health restoring item

a currency that is dropped upon death (usually retrievable at the point of death)

a checkpoint area designated for the usage of said currency, recovery of the health item, and/or upgrades and customization (these may vary, but there’s usually a combination of these) BUT also restores all of the enemies in an area (if applicable)

enemies with high damage output but consistent predictable and exploitable attack patterns

combat heavily based around animation speed

a dodge or parry mechanic that helps give the player control over the pace of the battle

obscure lore often told through environmental storytelling or vague item descriptions

Dark Souls itself also has several elements that are frequently seen in its clones, but not necessarily all of them, including:

character customization

variable weapon builds

an RPG-style leveling system

a stamina-bar that recovers over time

an item that increases health and allows for a mechanic that makes combat easier at the risk of inviting some form of danger

a semi-open world that encourages familiarity and creates shortcuts over time

With all of these elements, Dark Souls itself is effectively an Exploratory Action RPG, with its world functioning similarly to a Metroidvania and while having a customizable/upgradable character that can perform real-time combat. The question is what Dark Souls does differently within these genres that makes it unique, much like how Rogue differentiated itself from other turn-based RPGs of the time (procedural generation and permadeath)

I think when most people think “Soulslike,” they think games that emulate the look and feel as closely as possible, like The Surge or Nioh for 3D games or Salt and Sanctuary or Hollow Knight for 2D. These all, to my knowledge, use similar kinds of currency systems and combat systems

These systems have led to people like Yahtzee Croshaw labeling Soulslikes as “Recursive games”, on the basis that they encourage one to throw themselves at one challenge again and again until they learn it by heart, often through asking the player to specifically face the thing that defeated them rather than go another way. 

While I see the argument here, I think that this definition is actually too broad. A linear platformer will do the exact same thing, but if you die repeatedly to a  specific enemy or obstacle in a Mario game and keep trying until you get it, does that make Mario a “Soulslike” game? Not at all, but any video game that has a failure state is, by its very nature, recursive. Not all games do this, but all that do can’t be referred to as “Recursive games”

Dead Cells, for example, inherently lacks this feature. Sure, its procedural nature promotes a “just one more go” mentality, but what you’re doing is inherently different every time. You aren’t facing the same challenges, as enemies and item builds are always different. However, what remains is the combat-style

I’ve always felt that the most important part of something being similar to Dark Souls is the enemy encounters that are dictated by health/stamina management and pace control. Because this is so heavily rooted in Dark Souls’ unique method of combat, I’ve been referring to it as a Precision Combat game, as precise inputs and timing are often necessary for survival, and an understanding of how both the player and the enemies behave is necessary for progression 

What muddles this is that we already have terms like “Action” and “Fighting” to define specific genres, and those terms are just too close. Fighting games are, in a sense, Precision Combat games that remove everything extraneous: no level progressions, no upgrade systems, just pure mechanics in typically one-on-one battles against a specific character being used by an opponent. Action games, however, basically mean anything that has some kind of combat encounter in it at all, allowing it to span Platformers, Fighters, Shooters, Brawlers, Puzzlers, anything, so much so that it’s a near pointless concept. One could argue that by calling something a Combat game, it immediately implies a greater focus on the precision of the action, thus making the “Precision” in Precision Combat redundant. We could also call it “Precision Action,” but that comes with its own problems

Many games have had precision action elements since the inception of gaming. The most notable that I can think of from the NES days would be Ninja Gaiden and The Mysterious Murasame Castle, both of which require quick reaction time and strategic attacks, generally not allowing players to simply brute force their way through. However, while these could strictly speaking be called Precision Action games, that doesn’t mean that they are “like Souls,” nor do they resolve the fact that modern games are taking inspiration from Dark Souls’ unique mechanics to spawn a new genre. It just becomes the same problem that Recursive had: it can apply to too many things that already exist rather than honing in on what makes Dark Souls itself unique

A friend of mine called Dark Souls a “Strict” game on the basis that the failure to act in a precise manner is entirely on the player, that Dark Souls is “tough but fair,” but honestly I think that’s just a fancy way of conveying the same idea.

In the same conversation that Recursive was introduced, Yahtzee’s associate Jack Packard suggested that Soulslikes be called Fight-or-Flight games to highlight the decision making process that the player goes through: “do I have the right items for this encounter?” “How far am I from the checkpoint?” “Should I avoid the enemies to preserve health, or fight them to get their drops?” Jack and Yahtzee determined that this couldn’t work because the player can’t run from boss encounters, and thus those moments remove a core gameplay element that Fight-or-Flight would imply. I, however, think they were on the right track

For one, the bosses are the very reason one has to consider whether to fight or flee in the first place; there is always going to be something that the player needs to save their resources for, something that they can’t flee from, so the question is what to do in the moments where that choice is available. However, I think there’s a way to potentially reconcile this issue while retaining the high focus on player choice: Risk/Reward

Now, many games have elements of risk and reward, particularly procedural games where if the player is having a good run, they may want to play more cautiously, but “Soulslike” games have a particular way of baking these sorts of choices into every single moment. Every attack animation is a risk because they’re exploitable by an enemy, every usage of the healing items is a risk because they’re exploitable, every enemy is a threat that can cause the player to lose their precious items, every enemy attack, even from bosses, is exploitable but reacting to them may leave the player open. “Do I attack now?” “Do I heal now?” “Do I fight this enemy?” “Do I run past them?” “Do I use my currency on this upgrade/item, or save it?” These are all ideas that are present in other games, but Dark Souls and its contemporaries utilize it in such a specific way that I think one could make the argument that it’s their defining feature

Risk/Reward also has the benefit of removing the necessity for combat altogether, whereas Fight-or-Flight explicitly states that combat is an element of it. This could allow non-action games to potentially recontextualize Dark Souls’ Risk/Reward mechanics into something else entirely, similarly to how Toki Tori 2 took out Super Metroid’s action-centric upgrade system and replaced it with a consistent moveset used for puzzle-solving, and all “upgrades” were actually moments where the player would discover new ways to use what they already had to progress

I don’t necessarily think Risk/Reward is a perfect solution, as like I said it can technically be applied to a lot of other games (ex: in any turn-based RPG, one can choose to attack, defend, or heal, risking the enemy’s actions), and it’s not the most elegant thing to say (ex: to encompass all that Dark Souls is would require calling it a Risk/Reward Exploratory Action RPG), but I think it’s a step in the right direction

If nothing else, it helps make it clear why a game like Sekiro, which removes nearly all of Dark Souls’ mechanics and even boils the combat down to a single weapon type, can still be considered a “Soulslike;” moving the enemy into a vulnerable position potentially leaves Sekiro vulnerable as well, but the player needs to take that risk to win a fight

I’ve also seen the word “dynamic” used to describe the combat in both Dark Souls and Sekiro, which ties back into what I was saying about controlling the pace of combat. This could also work and may be useful in conveying the idea of decision making, but it may have more difficulty in translating to other genres. That said “Exploratory Dynamic Action RPG” sounds better than that mouthful I said before, even if it’s still a bit long

It may be years before we get a good answer to this question, and it really will be determined by what elements survive the refinement process and remain recognizable, but for now, I think I’m going to start trying to work either “Risk/Reward” or “Dynamic” into my conversations about Dark Souls until I hear something better

[atlas-the-worldbuilder]

Final thoughts on Pokemon Sword/Shield

So in case you weren’t aware (which is most of you, I’m sure), a few months ago I started a Pokemon Shield blind Nuzlocke Run.  And recently, I completed the main portion of the Nuzlocke by defeating the Champion.  Having played through the game, though, I thought I’d give my final thoughts on it as a Pokemon fan, a gamer, and as a storyteller.

The Story & Characters

In all honesty, I rather enjoyed the main story of this game.  The Pokemon League has always been presented like a professional sport (at least in the anime/cartoon), so it’s fun to see the games taking that perspective and rolling with it.  It felt like an actual tournament/championship, to compete for the title in an officially organized manner, rather than just running a gauntlet of preset combatants.

In addition, I liked how they incorporated both the gym leaders and our rivals into the league story as not only combatants, but also as individuals with their own lives and aspirations.  Marnie and Team Yell are adorable, Hop is... mostly tolerable, thus far, but by far my favorite rival character has been Bede, the Psychic/Fairy trainer.  His haughty and prideful demeanor make him a delight to defeat, and his arc is a wonderful story to see unfold.  I’m really curious to see what he gets up to in the after-story! The Gym Leaders are also fun to meet and battle; the Pokemon games as a whole have been gradually attempting to give more and more character to each of the Gym Leaders you meet, beyond just trials to overcome on your journey to victory.  And while I always have a soft spot for the Hoenn & Sinnoh gyms, I like that they opted to have the Gym Leaders return in place of having more Elite Four members to fight  I only wish I could get more opportunities to get to know them better, cuz there’s some standout leaders from this batch which I truly enjoy!

My biggest complaint with Sword/Shield’s story, though, has been the “Heroic Quest” plotline which has become increasingly common these days.  I like the character of Sonia the researcher, and Oleana is satisfying to watch lose, my biggest complaint has been the pacing of the plot; the first 2/3rd’s of the story are us teaming with Sonia to gradually get the backstory revealed to us, and then in the last half hour, right as the Tournament’s getting underway, all the villains suddenly crawl from beneath the floorboards and run amok while you have to chase them down!  There didn’t feel like there was a proper buildup explaining why the villain wanted to summon the legendary Pokémon, especially one which we heard next to nothing about! This brings about an interesting idea, however... what if instead, they had completely forgone any Legendary-Summoning stories until after the league?  Honestly, I was way more invested challenging the gyms and fighting the champion than I was stopping the literal POKEMON APOCALYPSE from happening... so what if for future games, they saved those for after you became champion?  As a sort of test of your skills, to prove your worth to bear the mantle you have taken!  Maybe it wouldn’t have meshed well, maybe they needed to show of the game mascot more, I dunno...  it’s just my thoughts.

The GamePlay

THEY FINALLY LET US TURN OF THE GODS-FORSAKENED TUTORIALS!!!  PRAISE THE ALL-FATHER!!!

Ahem... In all honesty, I think I’d grown a bit too used to the 2nd screen of the DS-series games, but after a couple days of getting used to the mono-screen style again, I am pleased to say I found it very easy to settle back into.  Though there are still some features I wish would make a return (the HM moves as opposed to public transportation, poison’s effect while walking, wild double battles, etc.), there are alot of fun mechanics introduced and remedies to older problems that have been introduced!

I think one feature which hasn’t had much said about it is the introduction of the Poke-Jobs system; this system allows you to send your Pokémon out on timed “away missions” to gain both experience and items.  In the old days, if you wanted to passively level your pokemon, the only real option you had without introducing a second player was the Daycare center, and they could only raise two pokemon at once... and you had to pay for it.  With Poke-Jobs, though, I can send anywhere from 5-10 teammates out for whatever amount of time I want them to be out for, and then come back later to see them lively and with goodies to show for their work! At first, I didn’t think I’d get much use out of this system; I, like many players out there I’m sure, prefer to guide my pokemon’s training personally, honing their movesets and guiding their levelling and points the way I want from them.  But as I progressed further in my Nuzlocke, and as my daily life became busier and busier, I found myself sending my backup teammates out on jobs to keep them on par with my main team.  Given that the Move Deleter/Tutor and Name Rater are now services that have been rolled into the Pokemon Center, yet another good thing this series has done, I found it much easier to keep my reserve Pokemon prepared in case I needed a substitution. Some Nuzlocke “Purists” may call that taking the easy way out, but... frankly, I don’t have the willpower to do that much grinding.  I’m here to play a game and have fun doing it, dammit.

The Wild Area is another thing I’ve wanted to see from Pokemon for a long time - taking more steps to make the regions seem like an open world, with vast sprawling environments full of pokemon and secrets to uncover.  I’ll admit, though, the execution is... not entirely perfect.  While open expanses are fun to explore, the Wild Area did seem a bit... flat to traverse.  And while the weather mechanics translating into battle are fun to deal with, the same sets of wild pokemon appearing did start to wear me down.  I think what the Wild Area really needed, in the long run, was a system similar to how Black/White/Black2/White2 did - having seasonal progression ingame, where different pokemon would show up during different seasons, making the different places unique and novel all over again throughout the year. And for the record, many of my gripes with the Wild Area were addressed in the Isle of Armor’s expansion island.  VASTLY superior, and much more fun to navigate and traverse.

...I’ll openly admit this: I was not a fan of Mega Evolution when it was first introduced in X/Y.  I felt it was fine enough to see Pokemon battling without power boosts or “digi-volving” or whatever you wanna call it.  When Sun/Moon Introduced Z-Moves, it felt like a step in the right direction, but at the same time, I ended up not using it very often.  If I had to have a power boost to my pokemon, I would want it something that couldn’t be used as a crutch when the going gets tough - something that has a limited usability, and offers benefits specific to the time it’s being used. I say this because I initially approached Dynamax the same way: as just another power boost to level the playing field and shake up the battle meta which I don’t keep track of.  However, after barely surviving all 8 gym leaders without using a single dynamax pokemon, I decided to give it a chance: after having completed the Isle of Armor’s subplot and gaining access to the Max Soup, I fed it to my Toxtricity Spike, and started running dynamax raids.  As I started using it more and more, I started gaining a certain appreciation for it that I hadn’t before; this was something written in to being a unique cultural effect!  This literally is imagining Pokemon as Kaiju!  And for the most part, it works! While I still feel mega-lvl-power-boosts in pokemon are a huge waste, at the very least I can say Dynamax didn’t leave me with too bad a taste in my mouth.  I do hope, however, that Dynamax stays a Sword/Shield exclusive power; given it’s cultural importance in Galar, and how Mega-Evolution was in the previous generation, I think having power boosts specific to regions works better than having the same stuff used across the board for every meta onwards,

What Do I hope for the Future?

I can’t say for sure if they’ll release a sequel game for Sword/Shield, but if they do... I would want them to make these minor changes:

Hold off the Heroic plot for after the League plot; devote the main first half of the game to just the gyms and league story like was done here, and then save meeting uber-god-tier Pokémon for after you’ve claimed the title of Champion.

Having said that, fix the pacing of how the Eternatus/Darkest Day subplot feels as it’s being played out.  Offer us more insight into Rose and Oleana’s mindsets as they go about their business, and give us more coherent exposition from our field trips with Prof. Sonia. 

Fix how the Wild Area looks - give it more variations for each sub-region and offer more varieties of habitats, like in the Isle of Armor.  Or, alternatively, try to implement a seasonal mechanic to make the same areas change over the year, opening new paths and new avenues to explore!

Let Bede defeat Oleana.  Give my boy some closure.

Allow us to see and interact with the Gym Leaders outside of the gyms more.  I had, like, barely 2 lines of dialogue with Nessa, and even less for Milo.  Not asking for a whole lot, just a bit more to tie us into who they are as people.  Piers is best big brother.  <3

That’s all I had written for now.  If y’all want a biography of my champion team for my Shield Nuzlocke, let me know, and I’ll scrap a post together! <3

[gennarenee]

My Devil May Cry Game Ratings

Alright so I finally finished playing all the Devil May Cry games (barring DMC2 and DmC), so I wanted to write out my thoughts and reviews of the games in order of my favorite to least favorite. I played the games in the order of 5, 4, 3, then 1.

#1: Devil May Cry 5

DMC5 was my introduction to the series. I first watched a whole play-through of the game as background while I was working on a research project, but it looked so fun that I bought it on the steam summer sale and I loved it as much as I thought I would. The combat is intricate and fun, and I’m still discovering new tricks and play-styles (I think I’m on my third play-through of the game??). I love V’s character, but on my first play-through I didn’t know the story of the DMC universe, so I was disappointed when he turned back into Vergil. Now that I’ve played through all the games though, I love the story even more and I understand now how V is an important step in Vergil coming to terms with his humanity (also I love Vergil too now). Having played the other games too I can now see all the references this game makes to the previous games as well which is really cool.

Overall 10/10 this is my new favorite game and has beat out Bayonetta as being my favorite game of all time.

#2: Devil May Cry 4

As previously stated, I’m a huge Bayonetta fan, so you can imagine my excitement at all the parallels between this game and Bayonetta (aesethically, story-wise, etc.). However, DMC4 is definitely not a finished game, so I’m actually glad that Bayonetta basically stole the concepts of DMC4 and made them better. 

The start of this game is my favorite out of all the DMC games. I love the scene of Kyrie’s performance in the church while Nero battles demons in the street, and I think this does a really good job of setting the scene for the game. Fortuna is aesthetically beautiful, and the game’s music is fantastic (I’ve had “Out of Darkness”, “The Idol of Time and Space”, and “Shall Never Surrender” on repeat for the past few weeks). Having finished DMC1, I can see now too that Fortuna, Fortuna castle, and the enemies take a lot of inspiration from Mallet Island in DMC1. 

Combat wise, I loved playing as both Nero and Dante. After playing DMC5, Nero’s combat felt a bit lacking, but nevertheless I had fun smacking demons around with the buster arm. I adored playing as Dante, and I enjoyed his combat style more than Nero’s. HOWEVER, this brings me to the game’s biggest flaw: while Dante is super fun to play as, his levels are absolutely awful. Instead of creating a new area for Dante to explore while trying to save Nero, the entire 2nd half of the game is spent backtracking through all of the Nero levels. Like seriously Capcom?? I was aware of the backtracking before playing this game but having basically half of the game backtrack through the first half is ridiculous. The areas themselves also felt disconnected. Fortuna, Fortuna Castle, and the jungle all were interesting areas on their own, but it doesn’t make sense going basically from Italy, to a frozen mountaintop, to a jungle, all on a single island. 

All in all though, I’d give this game a 7.5/10. While repeated sections were annoying, the combat was fun and I love the aesthetic of the game and its soundtrack. Also Nero and Kyrie’s relationship is adorable.

#3: Devil May Cry 1

This might come as a surprise, but I enjoyed DMC1 more than DMC3 (but I’ll get to this more in the next section). 

First, I’m glad I played all the DMC games in reverse order. When I first picked up DMC1 after completing DMC5, I was shocked with how awful the camera system and general gameplay was, so I put down DMC1 to replay DMC5. However, when I came back to DMC1 after playing all the other games, I had become adjusted to the lack of features in each game, so I no longer felt as annoyed with the camera and gameplay. In fact, I enjoyed the gameplay a lot more than I thought I would. I imagined that the game wouldn’t live up to today’s gaming standards, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the combat. I missed having access to the different playstyles of future games, but this Dante’s gameplay almost felt like a mix between trickster and gunslinger, so his combat style was not as empty as I thought it would be. 

Much like DMC4, I also really enjoyed the aesthetic of this game. Having played DMC4 before DMC1, I almost had “reverse nostalgia” for the scarecrow enemies and the castle aesthetic. I also really liked the level designs. While the levels in DMC4 felt disconnected, I could see the areas (castle, canyon, coliseum, pirate ship, etc.) all existing on one island together. In terms of bosses, I wish that there had not been repeat fights. While I loved seeing V’s familiars having a role in this game (again, “reverse nostalgia”), I could’ve done with a couple less Nightmare and Nelo Angelo fights. 

In the end, my biggest complaint about this game is that it’s too short. I started this game at 5pm yesterday, and I’ve completed it in under 5 hours. While the game is short, it felt like there was almost no plot until the very end of the game when you fight Nelo Angelo Vergil. I wish they would’ve expanded upon the story and included more information on Sparda and Eva and Dante and Vergil’s childhoods, but I understand that this game was the first in the series and made in 2001. 

Overall, I’ll give the game a 7/10. While I can’t imagine myself replaying this game (especially since there’s no other playable characters besides Dante), I had an overall pleasant time playing this game.

#4: Devil May Cry 3

First, while DMC3 is the last game on this list, I want to clarify that I enjoyed all 4 games, and this game is almost tied with DMC1. However, there are just some choices in the game that made this game a less enjoyable experience for me. 

Combat wise, while it took me some time to adjust to only having one style at once, DMC3 has my favorite weapon set out of all the games. I loved played with Cerberus in DMC5, so I was excited to have the opportunity to use this weapon again in DMC3, and the same goes for Beowulf and Kalina Ann. While I didn’t use it that much, I also adored the Nevan weapon, and it seems like a perfect weapon addition to the game series (if only we could’ve seen something similar in DMC5!). I also enjoyed the story of this game. It was nice getting more of a backstory on Dante and Vergil, and Dante definitely grew as a character by the end of the game. It was also nice finally seeing Lady’s backstory. Arkham/Jester annoyed me, and one of my favorite parts of the game is when Vergil basically goes from “I need to begin the all important ritual” to “Okay we need to get rid of this clown ASAP”.

But, what this game makes up for in storytelling, it lacks in general gameplay and aesthetic. The game’s aesthetics almost felt bland, and many areas in Temen-ni-gru were just brown/grey stone. I also wish the early enemy design went outside of the “grim reaper” aesthetic. While I know others have different opinions on the matter, I feel that DMC3′s aesthetic was very one note, and suffers from the opposite problem of DMC4. In terms of gameplay, I felt that most of the item quests did not make sense and were unnecessary. For example, many of the doors require orichalcum to open, but randomly finding a piece of orichalcum on the ground doesn’t make sense story wise. I remember a level specifically where you have to drop down to the library to find a key item, but the library is even before the start of the level.

Compared to this, the item quests and backtracking in DMC1 made sense. For example, finding a key in a room in a castle to use on another door in a castle makes sense. Even weirder item quests, such as finding the trident to open the door, make more sense than DMC3 missions. While I do not know what orichalcum does or what it is, in one of the rooms in DMC1 there is an item with 3 holes in it, and it makes sense that the trident item gained later on would go in this space.

Finally, one of my biggest complaints about this game is the boss battles. Now I might just suck at video games, but it took me way too long to defeat some of the bosses on Devil Hunter. For example, it took me longer to figure out the Vergil fights than it did for me to complete DMC1. Bosses like Beowulf also sucked due to relying on the smaller eye hitbox. In contrast to DMC1 as well, these bosses were at the end of a level, as compared to being a separate mission, so if I wanted to leave and come back later, I’d have to replay the entire mission first. 

Overall, I’ll give the game 6/10. Will I replay it? Possibly, I know I can play as Vergil, so it would be fun learning his moveset. However, a game’s aesthetic is almost more important to me than gameplay (that’s just a me thing), so I’m not sure that I would enjoy playing through the levels again due to their lackluster design.

Ending Thoughts

And that’s my rating on (almost) all the DMC games! While some of the gameplay in the earlier games was annoying, I definitely love this series, and I plan on reading the extra novels/mangas outside the game (I’ve already watched the anime). Hell, I’ll probably read some William Blake and the Divine Comedy itself.

Let me know what your ratings are! I’d love to hear everyone else’s lists. 

[tbonechessor]

There have probably been video essays done about this that can say this better than I can but I'm gonna try and articulate it anyway.

There a common response to the notion of giving a game like darksouls an 'easy mode'. That being: it wouldn't really be Darksouls.

What I think that statement somewhat fails to fully explain is that the nature of Dark souls design is fundamentally challenging.

Alot of the time when people think of a hard game they think of enemies who hit really hard and have alot of health. And while dark souls has plenty of hard-hitting and strong enemies, what makes the common encounters so dangerous is that; more often than not, it is the nature of the mechanics, environment and enemy composition that come together to create the true difficulty.

There's actually not that many enemies that can stand up to the player character in a one on one fight on flat, open ground when you know the enemy moveset and your own. The real challenge is facing multiple enemies with different movesets (see Orenstein and Smaugh)

In fact, encountering new enemies, sometimes several different ones at once, while also trying to mind surroundings where you might fall or take damage, THAT is a true darksouls encounter that can really shake your confidence whilst also giving you a sense of almost horrific discovery.

"Who is THIS guy?"

"What is he doing!?"

"How do I AVOID that?"

Etc etc.

When you strip these "difficult" elements away, the deadly environment, the simple to understand, yet difficult to master, slow and steady combat, and the enemy composition that makes a true, earnest attempt at KILLING the player every chance it can rather than simply inconveniencing them, what do you have left?

Do you have the masterful level design and composition that loops back around in ways you didn't expect and uses vertical elements to assist you in memorizing its complex design? No, you get something straightforward, easy to follow. But nothing that sticks out. Nothing memorable.

Or do you have enemy encounters that use that environment to their advantage to teach you how to handle even more convoluted situations later in the game and create multiple, layered experiences with only a handful of enemies? No, you get repetition that teaches you how to handle a single enemy on a common basis instead of how YOU might use that environment to YOUR advantage.

Which only makes the world around you even MORE memorable as it becomes a personal part of your victory.

When you take these elements away, you strip the game of it's creativity bestowed to it by its developers and designers. Dark souls's difficulty is what makes it unique, fun and immersive and actually has alot of care put into making that difficulty feel real. It's not a simple matter of removing that difficulty because it's something that ist literally BUILT into that experience.

It's not "Elitism" to want that uniqueness preserved. The difficulty is a core part of the storytelling experience and enjoyment of the game. Just as simplicity and goal management are core parts of games like minecraft, animal crossing, and star dew valley.

Video-games SHOULD exist on a spectrum like that, the same way people do.

[epicspheal]

Blue's Pidgeot

I've talked about this a bit with Cynthia, but Pokemon really does know how to tell a story with the Pokemon themselves. Other people have gone over how Silver's Crobat shows his growth into a kinder trainer thanks the friendship evolution and how Cyrus wasn't flat out evil but more misunderstood (once again because of the Crobat). But let's talk about how Blue's Pidgeot also plays into his storytelling. His Pidgeot is pretty much his signature Pokemon moreso than the Kanto starters. It appears on pretty much every team of his except for Yellow, BW2 and the first non-Battle Battle in SM/USUM. His first sync pair in Masters was even of Pidgeot rather than Blastoise. Now why is this bird important? Well let's think back to part of his epic speech before the iconic champion battle against him: While working on my Pokédex, I looked all over for powerful Pokémon!  - quote from RBGY When you look at Blue's various champion teams it's pretty clear that he wasn't lying about power as all of the starter choices are solid, and his remaining members (Alakazam, Rhydon, Gyarados, Exeggutor and Arcanine) all have a stat that's the highest of any non-legendary Pokemon of the original 151. But Pidgeot is the odd one out. If we're being frank it's kind of sucks and there's far better flying and normal types he could've used in its place. And we know with Blue being one of the few people to have canonically have caught a lot of different Pokemon we know he could've substituted Pidgeot for something different he if wanted to. Yet Blue still kept Pidgeot on his team. And as we see in his Pokemon Generations episode, it's a rather crucial part in helping to take down the Elite 4 as it throws Bruno's Machamp across the room (and into Bruno). What this shows that he has a rather sentimental soft streak behind all of those cocky words. This also backs up how despite the friendship between him and Red/Leaf has soured he still "talks to them like an old friend" as most of his dialogue often contains helpful tips. It shows there's still a good kid underneath the cloak of conceit he had wrapped himself in during the gen 1 days. Now I've talked about in a previous post that we don't have any hard evidence that he actually mistreated his Pokemon. That being said his arrogant, self-centered nature definitely could've strained his bond with his team as he tended to take credit for the wins rather than commending his Pokemon. By the time we hit gen 2 we see a much more mellow Blue and one that seems to be more in tune with his team. This is mostly shown with his Pidgeot which is now his highest leveled member and it knows the move Return which as we all know gets stronger with greater affection. It shows that he's really learned to work as one with his team rather than just take all of the credit for himself. Fast forward to Gen 7 (and Pokemas) and we see that Blue has acquired mega evolution. And one of the main Pokemon of his we see use mega evolution? You guessed it, it's his Pidgeot. Lorewise Mega evolution requires strong bonds and while it's true he can use other megas, it's his most consistent mega evolution as his Pidgeot's movesets in the Super Double Battles of the battle tree always have the Pidgeotite. His other mega evolution Pokemon have their mega stones on only one of their possible movesets.

Blue's Pidgeot being a cornerstone of his team from day one and showing his growth is such a sweet thing to witness and is definitely an underrated aspect of his character overall.

[queenofnohr]

Ok so as a brief departure from OC ramblings, tonight I’m gonna talk about Sekiro’s ending(s) and why they were........... not bad, but a little bit of a letdown for me personally? Spoilers abound for anyone who cares about that.

If any of y’all’s interest was piqued at my Genichiro DLC of dreams this might be a good thing to read to see where I’m coming from before I get into that (I also felt the need to make this before I could post anything about what I had planned for the DLC of Dreams).

ANYWAY. (spoiler tag because I talked too much as per usual)

It’s been a couple months so I finally feel, I guess, good about talking about Sekiro’s ending and Genichiro’s role re:the ending since it seemed, from a cursory glance, to be a bit of a Thing back when the game first came out.

For those unaware, the debate went more or less “I’m disappointed because I wanted the final showdown with Genichiro to be better” vs. “Genichiro was supposed to be easy because it’s supposed to cement that he’s a punk-ass bitch who needs gramps to help out”

And...... obviously I’m biased, but I think there’s room for interpretation on how Genichiro is supposed to be read throughout the narrative (certainly, part of the ENTIRE NARRATIVE is “the people and establishments you thought were the biggest and baddest (aka Ashina as a whole) are actually big fish in a small pond and currently wayyyyyyy out of their depth”) but I’m not actually here to debate whether he’s supposed to be “strong” or not.

What I’m saying is, as the final fight stands, he isn’t desperate enough. I understand why they essentially didn’t change his boss fight - Isshin is the true final boss and they wanted this cinematic seamless flow between Genichiro and Isshin, and if Genichiro was too hard or too different, it would’ve been a pain in the ass, even for a FromSoft game. Still, Genichiro’s unchanged moveset is a huge disappointment on two fronts:

1. He has a reused moveset in a game where 2 other major bosses have largely reused movesets (Guardian Ape and Corrupted Monk) with some added gimmicks thrown in (I’ll give the True Monk’s third form a pass since that did legitimately change it up, although the other two phases are more or less the same (no, her shadow clone intermission does not count))

2. Even if the takeaway you get from him isn’t that he’s supposed to be “powerful,” if anything, the game consistently frames him as desperate. The fact that he can’t use his lightning, his Mortal Blade strikes are just some of his regular moves with added range that don’t even do anything extra, and he doesn’t even pull out his bow even though that’s his defining feature and definitely one of the trickier aspects of his moveset (not to mention the thing he is in-game known for - c’mon people, it’s even in his name) just..... does the exact opposite of giving him that feeling of desperation. He’s an easy fight, he doesn’t even pull out all the stops, and then he hands it off to gramps after what feels like nothing more than a light tussle. For FromSoft, whom I trust with my life with storytelling through gameplay, it feels like a ball dropped even if Isshin is there afterward.

As an aside, I’ll also add in that I really liked how Bloodborne handled its multiple endings. That is, how each ending was punctuated by a different final boss depending on your decisions/what ending you got. Even though the Moon Presence is definitely easier than German, I feel it’s still a battle that leaves a satisfying impact to lead into the true/secret/at the very least hardest ending to get.

In Sekiro, a lot of things are mirrored between each other. We have all the forms of immortality that might stem from the same thing, but are fundamentally different in their mechanics (and all bad in their own ways), we have different types of waters with corrupting influence (Rejuvenating Waters, Fountainhead waters), and even our main characters reflect each other (Okami, Emma, and Genichiro were all orphaned sometime during or very soon after the rebellion, adopted by some of the greats, and have a kind of legacy to uphold).

And, on the last note, the game goes out of its way to have Genichiro mirror Okami, right down to him receiving a Mortal Blade of his own. He also punctuates each phase of the game; The Iconic Sekiro scene is the showdown with him among the silvergrass, his fight atop Ashina castle is more or less when you learn How To Play The Game if you’d simply been geetting by however (like I did lol), and all the details leading up to the end - the cutscene right after you beat him, eavesdropping on Isshin and Emma, the Black Mortal Blade, the time of day slowly changing with the anticipation building for that final showdown under the moonlight among the silvergrass once more..... - make for what at least Should Have Been another punctuation, even if he isn’t necessarily the final boss. But for all they talk of him shedding his humanity, for all Isshin and Emma show both concern and (at least in Isshin’s case) almost admiration/respect (we’ll go into their complicated relationship another day) for his resolve to throw everything away for Ashina, the gameplay takes all of it and throws it out with his mediocre showing. It doesn’t even feel like a bait-and-switch of which good ones have some foreshadowing, some bent to know what will ultimately happen even if it angles hard in another direction (so, when it happens you’re stuck mouth agape holding your head in your hands just like “OF COURSE!!!! I SHOULDVE SEEN IT COMING!!!!), but this..... doesn’t do that. All the information we get goes in one direction - the only thing that’s a giveaway is his association with Ashina itself - but even then, we see Ashina grow desperate, we see Nightjar take the Rejuvenating Waters (and the awful, awful descriptions of their “custom�� Bite Downs), we see the Ashina Elite below Isshin’s room apologize to him and take it as well, we see the last stand of Ashina ashigaru, we see soldiers who once stood against us begging us to save their fellows - and we see none of that from Genichiro.

The thing is, I don’t think he needs to be difficult to be able to have impact.

Before getting into his fixes, I’ll note what I did like because, under certain circumstances, I do enjoy the ending in its most vanilla form.

That is, Genichiro having a lackluster fight, admitting his own shortcoming, and taking off his own head to bring back gramps to both metaphorically and literally bring Ashina back from the dead is actually.......... really, really good and - dare I say - Cinematic Poetry........ but only in regards to the Purification Ending. Because he and Okami remain mirrored - Okami refuses to allow the cycles that have persisted to continue and has it end with him as he sacrifices himself to save Kuro. The reason the ending feels too easy aside from Genichiro’s actual gameplay mechanics is because there’s all his talk of shedding humanity, all the talk of Shura...... But him admitting his own shortcomings and passing the torch to someone else is extremely....... human? It’s not that it’s not desperate, necessarily, but it’s so..... controlled. Those are not the actions of a man who downed stuff that would potentially drive him mad and consume him with rage and make him unable to tell friend from foe for the sake of saving the very same people that would be put at risk from his potential madness. But I like it in the context of the Purification ending because Okami himself becomes more human in sacrificing himself, and so it fits that Genichiro would wrangle his humanity in some small way and behead himself, just as Okami does, to save what he loves most.

Even so, I still think that the fight that in the fight that comes beforehand he should at least pull out all the stops, even if it means cutting down his health and/or posture bar to make the fight less obnoxious. (Although the other option is literally just........ don’t make the player fight Genichiro again if they beat him. Just have Isshin there already.)

As for other endings......... I’ll detail the Dragon’s Homecoming Ending in my DLC of dreams post because that, at least, is highly dependent on that lore. But for the Severance ending? That end is all about cycles being repeated, falling prey to what you commit yourself to even if you have to “shed your humanity” for it. Kuro is the only thing it seems like Okami truly cares about, and yet because he is duty bound to follow his lord’s orders no matter what, he kills a part of himself along with Kuro when he performs the Severance. Kuro represents his humanity - their bond is the only way Okami does have different endings to pursue should he indulge that humanity. And so, for Genichiro....... why not have him commit himself fully to becoming a monster? He doesn’t necessarily have to be strong/difficult, but seeing that transformation is key. In fact, give him 5 health bars and make the last three easy as sin. Have him buckle down and commit himself to this even though some part of him knows it won’t work, because he doesn’t know any other way to be. Have him die pitifully, in disgrace, as the player takes out his third health bar, and before he can land a hit in, his fourth, and before he can even get up, take his fifth. Have him desperately becoming more monstrous as his body won’t allow him to die, to no real difference. Land the final blow with the mortal blade while he’s writhing on the ground, willing himself to get up. If he was supposed to be pitiful, if his decision to throw everything away was supposed to be pathetic, with a miserable showing, then make him pitiful. Don’t make him easy. Make him the sorry sight he’s supposed to be.

[hazyheel]

NJPW 47th Anniversary Review

The night started with a big 10 man tag, pitting Ren Narita, Shota Umino, Ayato Yoshida, Togi Makabe and Toru Yano, up against the BULLET CLUB team of HIKULEO, Chase Owens, Tonga Loa, Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale. Early on in the match, Narita started to target Jado on the outside, causing the heels to attack all the young lions viciously. Narita got beat down for a long portion of the match, until Makabe got the hot tag, but even that didn’t last long. BULLET CLUB was just way better functioning as a unit. Chase Owens was able to pick up the win with a package pile driver to Yoshida for the win.

Grade: C. A bit boring, but I always like to see the young lions in action. Owens needed the win so that he would have momentum going into his match with Juice Robinson. Good booking, match that was just a bit pointless.

Next up, a tag match pitting Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI against Toa Henare and Yuji Nagata. Nagata and Ishii started out, their rivalry finally making its way into the ring. Henare looked especially good, with several strong, two handed chops, and speed that I just didn’t think he had. Henare and YOSHI-HASHI had a really stiff striking contest in the corner, one that YOSHI-HASHI came out ahead of, to my delight and surprise. There was an interesting spot where YOSHI-HASHI was attempting to break up a submission from Nagata, and the crowd just booed the shit out of YOSHI-HASHI. I was surprised at how much they liked Yuji Nagata, but he was impressive. YOSHI-HASHI picked up the win with a new twist on a brain buster.

Grade: B-. I didn’t expect this match to be anything special, but I enjoyed it. I hadn’t really given much credit to either Henare nor Nagata, but they put on a good match. YOSHI-HASHI picking up the win is a good sign, gives him momentum going into a match with Nakanishi, where he is apparently the underdog. I was not aware of that. Anyway, fun match. Looking forward to seeing all these guys in the New Japan Cup.

Next match was another 10 man tag. It was Suzuki-gun, consisting of Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, El Desperado, Yoshinobi Kanemaru and TAKA Michinoku, up against a rag tag team, Dragon Lee (yay) Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask, Tomoaki Honma and Satoshi Kojima. Taichi made a show of having the Iron Glove with him, the weapon he inherited from Iizuka. A lot of moving parts in this match, with several previews of the New Japan Cup, along with Desperado and Lee renewing their rivalry from the Best of the Super Juniors tournament last year. Also, I don’t know why this stuck out to me, but Honma’s voice sounds very raspy. Must be a smoker. Future opponents Kojima and Suzuki faced off, with Kojima hitting enough machine gun chops to cut Suzuki’s chest open. There was also a very brief technical exchange between Taguchi and TAKA, showing that TAKA still has it. Taguchi then hit Dodon for the win. After the match, Suzuki beat the crap out of the young boys at ringside, while Don laughed

Grade: C+. Good match, very excited for what will follow in the tournament. Taguchi did need a win before the tournament, so this made sense.

Then came BUSHI and Shinto Takagi defending the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against Roppongi 3k. Don and Colt Cabanna argued on commentary on the merits of Rocky Romero, but the match started fast and furious. Takagi and Sho started out, and really brutalized each other with hard clothesline’s. It didn’t take long before Roppongi hit dual Tope con Hilo’s, with Sho even overshooting and nearly landing on top of the barricade. As Los Ingobernables got control, the match slowed a bit, but it remained exciting due to the crowd’s desperation for Roppongi 3k to win. A big story throughout the match was Takagi’s injured knee. Despite him being the powerhouse of his team, he was very vulnerable, and that was exploited through various submissions throughout the match. Some awesome interactions between Sho and Takagi, where Sho countered the pumping bomber with a German suplex. However, BUSHI was able to hit Sho with the mist allowing for a Pumping Bomber and then Rebellion for a great near fall. BUSHI looked to finish the match with an MX, but Sho caught him by the knees and the faces were able to hit 3k for the win. As Rocky celebrated with his team, Takagi attacked him a bit, but eventually backed off

Grade: B+. Very good match. While the intensity was not constant throughout, it picked up at the perfect moments. Yoh had incredible timing throughout the match, always being there to rescue Sho. As stated, the interactions between Takagi and Sho highlighted the match, and they showed incredible chemistry. And Bushi was able to hit several important spots, and did a great job of being a sort of crafty wildcard throughout the match. Very good stuff amongst these guys, and I thought it was a surprising outcome, so I enjoyed it.

Next up was Jushin Thunder Liger vs Taiji Ishimori for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. An interesting story built for this, where Ishimori challenged Liger. Commentary built it up as a rite of passage match: if Ishimori can beat Liger, then he will be confirmed as the top guy of the division, no question. Liger has control for much of the beginning of the match, firmly keeping Ishimori on the mat. However, Ishimori took every inch and made it a mile, speeding around the ring and flipping around. Generally being incredibly vicious. Liger even took the match into the crowd, hitting a brain buster on the floor and going for a count out. Ishimori showed off some awesome offense, hitting a moonsault to the outside off the middle turnbuckle. At one point, Liger looked to be completely out after double knees into the turnbuckle, and then a gut buster for a near fall. Liger still had something left. Liger hit the Liger bomb for a big pop and a near fall. Liger showed off some impressive resilience, especially in a spot where he was locked in a cross face for a long time, and was able to barely crawl to the other rope. In the finish, Ishimori locked in the submission again, and Liger couldn’t escape this time. He tapped out, and Ishimori retained.

Grade: A-. Another surprisingly good match. Liger is very impressive in singles matches, especially for his age. Ishimori did a great job selling the sunmissions, and hitting some awesome offense in the process. The match was not as quick as other Junior Heavyweight matches might be, but the storytelling was on point, the mat exchanges were very cool, and Liger put on another great match. And the right guy won too. Ticks all the boxes.

After the match, Ishimori cut a promo asking for another challenger, and Dragon Lee answered the call. The match was booked for the G1 Supercard. Dream match, I am now super excited. They also revealed the schedule for the G1 climax, with a couple dates in the US.

Into a special 6-man tag, pitting Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi against Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and EVIL. Naito and Okada started the match together, and they went at it quick and hard. Goto and Sanada had time together, and they are in a first round match together. There was some emphasis put on the fact that, while Goto, Okada and Tanahashi is a dream team, they are not always on the same page. This was evident when they hit a triple team move, but didn’t have a pose for afterwards. Tanahashi had his knee worked over throughout the match, and there were a lot of awesome technical exchanges. Most members of the match were taken out of the ring in one of those “big move fests,” followed by Goto wrapping SANADA up in a pinning predicament for the win. After the match, all members of the winning team said they would win the New Japan Cup

Grade: B+. Very fun match, with 6 of the companies top guys. This match couldn’t have been bad. Plus the finish implied some foreshadowing in the Goto Sanada match. Definitely worth a watch if you haven’t seen it. Very hard hitting and exciting.

And in the main event, we had the NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay take on the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White in a special, non title match. Immediately when the match started, White backed out of the ring. Ospreay had the advantage early on, using his speed to amplify his strength. They tore into each other like their rivalry has extended back for years. White targeted the ribs of Ospreay, playing to his injury that took him out of wrestling for a few months last year. Using that injury, he slowed Ospreay down just enough to be able to counter Ospreay’s moveset. And Ospreay played an awesome underdog, even fooling me into thinking the match was ending in a countout (I’m gullible). As the match wore on, Ospreay got more and more frustrated and violent. He wanted to get his hands on both Gedo and white himself. Ospreay even nailed an awesome avalanche electric chair for a near fall. As Ospreay was about to finish up the match, Gedo distracted the ref, allowing white to hit a low blow, into a half and half suplex. White then nailed a sort of Bloody Sunday for a near fall. White went for Blade Runner, but Ospreay flipped around his arm, and hit a huge power bomb for a near fall, then an inverted 450 for another near fall injuring the ribs as he hit. In the finish, Jay white countered he Os Cutter into a blade runner, before hitting another for good measure and winning. After the match, Gedo attacked Ospreay with a chair, but Ibushi made the save. The rest of BULLET CLUB beat down Ibushi, only for Tanahashi, Goto and Okada to back him up. White then held his belt aloft for his New Japan Cup contenders, mocking them.

Grade: A. Phenomenal match. They were incredibly stiff, and nailed their power moves with such authority, and even flew in a smooth fashion. The match really highlighted their underrated strength, and showed an awesome side to a possible future rivalry. Easily match of the night, it was awesome. The best striking contest I’ve seen in a while.

Overall Grade: B +

Pros- young lions :) ;Dragon Lee is back; awesome title matches, Champion vs champion

Cons- multi man tags were a bit boring

[armstrong48-blog]

Wrestling: No Longer a Mystery

There's a feeling that in the event the truth does eventually emerge, it may upend everything we know. Becoming learning-focused means putting the procedure ahead of the item. Sometimes, you've got to do things that aren't that fun to achieve your objectives. Well, you have to drill repeatedly if you would like moves to develop into second nature. You've got a particular possibility to play such a video game all by yourself and also have a considerable quantity of fun in this approach. It's about disciplinebeing disciplined enough to plow through the procedure and make it take place. What You Need to Do About Wrestling Before You Miss Your Chance You don't need to be worried about it because this completely damage is not going to bring it any result. Your dog is not going to understand that they're managing a little child who doesn't wish to hurt him. Simple, there's no magic pill to earn the concussion go away. 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The Unusual Secret of Wrestling The full point of this exercise is to have a rise from the crowd and it is irrelevant whether it's cheers or boos. His solution was supposed to create his own form of the barbaric duo in Demolition. The reason this is sensible to know about is mainly because you might find that yourself bored playing the identical game and having options would be wise so that you're able to alter the kind of game you're playing. The thought is simple, you beat the defenders till they are not able to get up and attack you. I simply don't like that he constantly receives a shot. Major man smooth like a large baby penguin. In addition, I hope not one of the regulars end it. Sasha pulls Becky from the ring. Valkyrie Spears Grace on the ground. Wrestling - the Conspiracy Writing a book isn't easy, but neither is wrestling. We'll also be running a complete live blog of the function which is going to be available here. We did not receive the story we were promised. All these wrestling stars have various trademarks most especially the way that they dress and how they smack their opponents. Owens is only short of a million at the right time of writing. Whether you like him or not you need to admit he is extremely gifted and definitely looks the component of a top superstar. Wrestling is among the only sports that everyone on the planet can understand. Every one of these sports are going to have its exclusive demands. In earlier times athletes weren't too concerned about a concussion. A Startling Fact about Wrestling Uncovered Whatever might be the experience, jot down all of the information down. Ideally, in case you have chosen the proper exercises, participants ought to be able to experience a complete cycle 3 times. Another thing to think about is that bad parents don't always raise bad children. Inside this section you must jot down all of the critical abilities, specifically linked to leadership activities, communication skills, teaching, together with initiative skills etc.. The program is composed of a string of exercises each performed at various stations in the gym. Always believe in yourself and you can also reach your objectives. We're not there to just enforce the rules. Make certain you inspect thoroughly and properly maintain to guarantee safety. If you take a close look at practice in Russia, every practice at each club throughout the country has a particular structure to it, while the US is all around the place. The Foolproof Wrestling Strategy When you speak about wrestling most individuals think about World Wrestling Entertainment also referred to as WWE. Therefore, attempting to use periodization for wrestling may appear impractical. Women wrestlers who tune out all of the horny boy stuff which goes about. Wrestling is so closely associated with life, he explained. Brock Lesnar is easily among the most protected Superstars in WWE history and he's got a WWE huge contract which likewise will come with limited dates. When it has to do with wrestling, it's often in comparison to the UFC and NCAA wrestling. A whole lot of wrestlers have a tendency to jump around to and from other promotions but The Undertaker proved to be a massive portion of WWE for his whole run there, 27 decades. WWE serves not just to promote fights, yet to entertain by storytelling. WWE however isn't the only wrestling promotion on the landscape. The Argument About Wrestling In some cases, the defender is equipped to flatten the attacker to the mat like a pancake, thus the name. You are going to be more able to dodge or slip from a tight hold. If you keep in 1 spot, you're putting yourself into a place to be taken down by your opponent or pushed from the mat. A previous alternative is to construct a structure to hold out the costume in the correct form. If you prefer, you even can trample it to the ground. In 1848, Exbroyat produced a big rule that forbade holds beneath the waist. Sacrifice often goes together with dedication. Wrestling to a degree of greatness requires commitments from all possible pieces of your entire body and mind. Unfortunately, it's not stored within the body. Choosing Good Wrestling You need to have a fair command over the neighborhood language at least languages. Inside my opinion, you should attempt to keep periodization simple. Not lots of expressions, usually. It leveled me up indirectly in various ways too. You've got a particular possibility to play such a video game all by yourself and also have a considerable quantity of fun in this approach. This will permit you to bring another facet of the sport in your arsenal of abilities and techniques. The Foolproof Wrestling Strategy Folk wrestling styles aren't recognized as international trends of wrestling by UWW. If your kid is younger or his school does not own a wrestling group, you can discover a regional independent wrestling club. Outlast the competition with the proper wrestling headgear. On the flip side, more than 1 macrocycle might be used over the course of a wrestling season as you could have more than one significant competition which you want to peak for. There's a whole lot of wrestling fan denial. This won't be the case with AEW on a roster that already boasts a number of the best wrestlers on earth and Cody. Every WWE Superstar ought to be given time to come up with their character and prove they are capable, regardless of what the circumstance. The Divas can not merely kick but in the ring, but a lot of them can even manage different wrestlers and even run companies regarding the area of wrestling. WWE however isn't the only wrestling promotion on the landscape. The Ultimate Wrestling Trick Post called that a minimal point. You may think about where in NYC you wish to go to narrow things down. Provided that the story lives on TV, it's entertaining alone. Meanwhile Terri Gold gets all of the air. Be certain to speak to his coach for anything else you will want to understand. WWE's inability to develop transcendent icons is a step over the real issue they are too stubborn to handle. Moreover, autograph events are often held in order to permit fans to fulfill their favorite wrestling superstars up-close and personal. Not necessary, but you need to be related to sports. In earlier times athletes weren't too concerned about a concussion. Life, Death, and Wrestling If you want it, you might have a try! Sandow marks a terrific pop. If you wind up with the incorrect dimensions, just inform us and we'll help you exchange it for the best size. If you have feet, we've got a full array of wrestling shoes in all styles, colours and sizes for you to select from. This is just a slice of cloth that's wrapped around like underwear. To receive added information on john cena cardboard cutout please Visit Website. Remember, wrestling shoes are notoriously tricky to discover the ideal fit. However, while his brothers continue to be around, we're never likely to love Roman Reigns. Valkyrie Spears Grace on the ground. What You Must Know About Wrestling He wore face paint, he'd spit mist into the opinion of his opponent. He's also a fresher face who's on the up. When the wrestler has developed a good square stance, he or she is able to work on a staggered stance, also referred to as an offensive stance. A previous alternative is to construct a structure to hold out the costume in the correct form. Good stance plays an essential part in enabling a wrestler to stay stable on the mat. Some might envision themselves standing on the cap of the podium in 1st location. Grip training should only be carried out at the conclusion of a workout. The Death Mask's present moveset is largely designed with quick, snap maneuvers that could surprise opponents from unexpected angles and offer impact without using an exhaustive quantity of strength. Unfortunately, it's not stored within the body. Why Almost Everything You've Learned About Wrestling Is Wrong You'd have to eat plenty of red meat to coincide with a single serving of powdered creatine, but it is surely present. Athletes ought to be given only sufficient time between sets to get properly set for the exercise they're going to execute. Proteins help to construct muscle. If you need to earn weight, plan ahead, and attempt to get rid of body fat, not muscle. You may have to work on technique initially and boost your volume and intensity as time passes. So it is crucial to receive a steady dose of protein each and every day. The Key to Successful Wrestling Even in the event the early phases of a career, it comes down to the company which is kept. Their chemistry for a team is legendary. It may sound easy, but by spending a little quantity of the match posing you will greatly enhance the caliber of the photos taken of you. But these are all necessary so as to thrill the spectators. 1 important element is to be certain your child regularly mixes with different children. Not exactly my 1st alternative, but it's better than other choices. A Startling Fact about Wrestling Uncovered It is possible to learn that information online and discover what is there. Ideally, in case you have chosen the proper exercises, participants ought to be able to experience a complete cycle 3 times. If you're uncertain about whether it's the case that you or your little one should wrestle, this guide delivers a number of reasons which should help you create your final choice. In the last few years, mixed martial arts have come to be ever more popular for kids and adults of all ages. However, because the years went on I started to comprehend what teaching Middle School children is about. This sport was once thought to be crucial training for most Greek soldiers. We're not there to just enforce the rules. Make certain you inspect thoroughly and properly maintain to guarantee safety. We are constantly looking for volunteers to assist with the other districts. The Tried and True Method for Wrestling in Step by Step Detail Meal replacement drinks are a lot better since you don't need to consider what foods to eat along with them. Athletes ought to be given only sufficient time between sets to get properly set for the exercise they're going to execute. As it takes more time to digest complex carbohydrates, you feel fuller longer and don't will need to eat as much. A kid should never be required to ask what things to eat to shed weight. Such exercises are for when you're attempting to shed weight so as to be in a specific competitive wrestling category. If you're really cutting lots of weight this season, you might not be in a position to obtain strength because the body requires a surplus of calories from food to be able to feed the muscle. Life After Wrestling To retire a legend and act as though you're still an excellent guy to the fans is much more. It needs to be the proper moment, it needs to be the best product and it must be the proper distributor. It sold lots of magazines. Meanwhile Terri Gold gets all of the air. Be certain to speak to his coach for anything else you will want to understand. Whether you like him or not you need to admit he is extremely gifted and definitely looks the component of a top superstar. If there's a school that the business endorses, athletes may benefit from attending the suggested wrestling school in order to enhance their odds of stardom. Not necessary, but you need to be related to sports. Some athletes find it can help to meditate or listen to hypnosis recordings to have them focused and prepared to wrestle. The Wrestling Game So long as you receive a reaction, its working. The only way we are presented with a challenge is when our child gives evidence in the shape of problems she's involved in. Well some of us will try to inform you. I really like that folks love things. The people that are in charge are simply not interested in letting them tell great stories. Wrestling - the Conspiracy In some cases, the defender is equipped to flatten the attacker to the mat like a pancake, thus the name. You are going to be more able to dodge or slip from a tight hold. It is an excellent means to score 5 points when you're losing or to have an essential pin. To put it simply, it's intimidating. The conventional square stance, often known as the defensive stance, is generally the sturdier, but it's also harder to move from quickly. You have to be in control to receive a pin. And what the Death Mask is a person who won't care about stepping toes so as to receive his due. The Death Mask's present moveset is largely designed with quick, snap maneuvers that could surprise opponents from unexpected angles and offer impact without using an exhaustive quantity of strength. Wrestling headgear is mostly utilized to reduce cauliflower ear brought on by repeat ear trauma. Facts, Fiction and Wrestling They get the itch they visit a different business and keep working. Your dog is only going to take note that this modest human is making him feel uncomfortable. The reason this is sensible to know about is mainly because you might find that yourself bored playing the identical game and having options would be wise so that you're able to alter the kind of game you're playing. Bubba finally receives a tag and downloads. I simply don't like that he constantly receives a shot. I don't understand how to demonstrate the respect I feel this man deserves, because certainly once you start to see a legend begin to deteriorate it's challenging to keep in mind the man he was. In addition, I hope not one of the regulars end it. Sasha pulls Becky from the ring. Then consider your wrestling shoes. Vital Pieces of Wrestling When that occurs, the wrestler wins the match. Again, victory is all but inevitable. There are a few great wrestlers at those weights, Cleary explained. Braun angry Big Dog not wish to have match. While Lesnar will be searching for revenge, there are a number of other clashes in the night to seek. A whole lot of wrestlers have a tendency to jump around to and from other promotions but The Undertaker proved to be a massive portion of WWE for his whole run there, 27 decades. The Divas can not merely kick but in the ring, but a lot of them can even manage different wrestlers and even run companies regarding the area of wrestling. Lets look at a number of the WWE roster. Where to Find Wrestling Have men and women in your community speak for your benefit. It is possible to also do a search for people in your region. Taking your child from the school environment to teach her at home is a substantial step, and one which shouldn't be taken without full consideration of the implications. I'm celebrating those who do. For the 69th consecutive calendar year, we hope you take pleasure in the action! When it has to do with chiropractic businesses, going to the one you like and enjoy heading to is crucial. What's more, you can want to get a less intense practice the evening prior to a significant competition so you're recovered and fresh to wrestle hard the following day. Deciding on what's most effective for you. We are constantly looking for volunteers to assist with the other districts. Ok, I Think I Understand Wrestling, Now Tell Me About Wrestling! As an investor, you wish to purchase stocks with the maximum probability of succeeding. Absolutely, price of admission is totally well worth it. It was a means to hedge his bets, the quickest way to get to the top. It doesn't matter the apathy both of these candidates are satisfied with. 1 important element is to be certain your child regularly mixes with different children. The individual was turned over to the right authorities.

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Pac-Man World 3 Review

To say that the Pac-Man World series has been rocky so far is an understatement. Pac-Man World 1, while having some fun concepts, had generally poor level design and bad controls. Pac-Man World 2 meanwhile reinvented the formula to work as a proper 3D platformer, however it left some good things behind in its attempts to improve. Mainly, it left behind the feeling of exploration the original had. Not only that, but the whole last two worlds of the game were complete garbage, which in a game as short as this amounts to a sizable chunk of the overall experience.

This puts a Pac-Man World 3 in an odd position. It should optimally produce a game with all the good of World 2 removed from the bad as well as recapturing some of that lost exploration all while giving good reason TO explore. However, Pac-Man World 3 is not a game interested in giving us a more refined Pac-Man World 2. It, much like its predecessor, wants to completely reinvent the Pac-Man World formula, arguably making it the most different game in the whole series. It's the black sheep, apparently.

Of course as a kid I knew none of this when I played World 3 for the first time on my mom's duct-taped together PSP. World 3 was one of the first video games I ever remember playing, although I never got very far into it. Not sure I even really passed the first level honestly. I sure did love that box art though. Regardless, it was enough to get me to be a fan of Pac-Man from an early age. Him being in Smash For was actually what got me to buy that game, which lead to me becoming as big of a video game nerd as I currently am. So in a way, this game had a pretty big impact on my life, despite never truly playing it beyond the first level.

So anyway, how's the game itself? Well for starters, story. This game actually has one surprisingly. I won't spoil much bc this bizarre plot was actually part of what kept me playing. Overall the writing was decent. I'd say it's on par with a standard Cartoon Network show or such. They actually had some pretty decent jokes all throughout, but nothing must play by any means. The real highlight is Pac-Man himself. He's not silent anymore. He's now a fully voiced proper main character with frequent dialogue with other characters, even mid level. He's written perfectly. He's some a loveable upbeat guy with just a hint of sarcasm thrown in. The voice acting overall is pretty solid for a Gamecube platformer. Overall, this was one of my favorite aspects of the experience. Some people say that this approach to storytelling is too different from Pac-Man World 1 and 2, but is being different really that bad? They still have the same light hearted cartoon tone. It's just that one goes for minimal story and the other leans into it. I think it works honestly.

As for gameplay, it's also pretty different. Firstly, more moveset changes. The kickflip is gone, which is a shame. Yeah it was pointless but it was satisfying. Next, they further nerfed the butt bounce. In World 1, the butt bounce was so much higher than your normal jump that you're basically forced to use it as an awkward replacement. In World 2, your default jump was massively buffed, meaning using the now only slightly higher butt bounce was pretty pointless. In World 3, it now doesn't give you any height at all. However, it does create a shockwave on your third bounce, which helps with how imprecise it felt as an attack in the first two games. Speaking of attack, we now have a three hit combo. Considering he's been wearing boxing gloves this whole time, it's kinda weird he didn't have this yet tbh. Anyway, the combo is quick and snappy. I quite like the controls of it tbh. We also have brand new Wall Jump. It feels good enough I suppose, and they really get some use out of it here and there. Lastly, the best change was to the rev roll. It has momentum! You can now use it more or less the same way Sonic would use a spin dash. You can rev in place for a second, quickly jump, and go much farther. The rev roll in general gets a lot more well deserved use in this game. Overall, I think this moveset was an improvement. It kinda sucks that the bounce is only an attack/quick jump now, but it's not a big deal. Honestly after World 1, I was completely sick of the butt bounce anyway.

As for level design, it's also very different. While World 2 was a 3D game, it was pretty Crash Bandicoot. Running down linear hallways to the end. World 3 meanwhile is much more open. You're in wider areas with a fully controllable camera as you figure out the path forward. It's still a linear level by level game mind you, just not in the literal "nearly the entire game is an actual straight line" sense anymore. With collectables scattered everywhere, many of which being required to open doors or open Pac-Dot chains, World 3 really does a lot to recapture that lost feeling of exploration. The level design on the whole was honestly pretty solid. I thought it had a lot of fun platforming, even late into the game. The game also lacked a world map and rather decided to naturally segway into the next level at the end of the previous. All in all, this game out of all of them truly felt like an actual adventure rather than just a standard level by level platformer, which this game still technically is. That feeling is helped by the game's much longer run time, at least for me. I beat the others in just one or two sittings. I beat this game over the course of a week, although I was taking my time to explore.

Level design wasn't perfect though. One big issue was that because of the more open design, I sometimes had issues figuring out where to go or what exactly to do. I ended up wasting a lot of time just stumbling around. I think this is part of the reason I never got very far into this game as a kid. Although even then, with how challenging a few of this game's later moments were I doubt I would've finished it as a kid anyway. While I'm complaining, a big issue is that all of your non-key item collectables are now even more worthless than before. Everything that doesn't explicitly open a path forward now only gives you points, even including Pac-Dots which you don't even have a counter for anymore. World 2 gave you a free health wedge every 50 Pac-Dots. They could've at least kept that, but alas. However, despite these not doing anything I still went out of my way to grab the extra collectables because it was honestly still fun to do so. I managed to top most of the built in leaderboards as well, although I'm not sure how much of a brag that is.

But I think I should finally discuss the elephant in the room: combat. While the first two games had minimal combat, World 3 doubles down on it. In short doses, I think the combat in this game is honestly fun. When it's just two or three enemies along your platforming path, it's no big deal. However the game also has the tendency to drop you in a room full of enemies as you slowly have to just beat them all. The problem is that there is very little variety. Your combat moveset pool is small and there's only a few enemy types, making nearly every combat encounter of this type boring and repetitive. They do throw in a few power ups, but those also get repetitive. It gets worse though. We also have ghost attacks where you're forced to stand in an enclosed space as you wait for a power pellet to spawn, eat ghosts, run away, and repeat over and over until it ends. It's mind numbing.

Of all of this combat shit is what the game is most known for, and yeah it's bad. However, does it really ruin it? Honestly, I don't think so. Most of the game is spent platforming and exploring. While the combat sections are suffocating, it's only like 20% of the game. However, when combined with the additional maybe 10% of me running around aimlessly to figure out where to go, we end up with roughly 30% of the game that wasn't an enjoyable experience. 70% ain't bad, right?

Overall, I think this managed to be the best game in the series. It has the best story, the best moveset, and the best exploration, even if a large percentage of that time was spent in miserable combat. I'd say this game is a high 7/10, compared to the low 7/10 of World 2 and the 3/10 of World 1. If you can only play one of these games, play this one, although you won't be missing much if you don't play any.